This is actually a review based on the demo copy I received from WTII Records and not the full release. The demo has 7 tracks on it which are tracks 06, 01, 02, & 03 from Disc 1 and 05, 03, & 12 from Disc 2 in that order. I had not had the chance to hear Beborn Beton before but the name had passed by me once before last year sometime and I was very excited to finally get the chance to hear what the rave was about.
The first track "Life Is A Distance" begins with a slightly Voltaire like combination of strings and electronics but is very very smooth. The vocals are also very well performed and overall while this could be a darkpop song it is very catchy. However, the very next track "Another World" has become an instant all-time favorite of mine. This song has a very strong and very well produced Synthpop feel but with a darker edge to it. It's a very danceable track and the lyrics are nothing short of haunting and ring like the words of someone who has 'crossed over'. The lyrics begin something like: "There is no use in dying when still I seem to be undone. There is no use in trying to find again the love of someone. Why have I gone and come so far when I've been headed nowhere. I have been walking quite a while love, feeling lonesome." The chorus continues: "Don't you worry, they won't find my body. I want you to know I found peace in another world. Don't keep digging, I want you to leave back away from the place where my ashes are buried." And all of this set to dance music! Anyway, it reminded me of circumstances like that portrayed in the story of James Van Praagh which aired on TV awhile back in which he communicate with spirits. I've always found topics like this and movies like The Sixth Sense very interesting and putting a piece so nicely produced to great dance music with a bit of Synthpop and maybe even EBM influence is really great.
Every song on this little demo is simply awesome. "The Colour of Love" is like a more modernized version of New Wave with a harder edge to it but with all the European smoothness of Modern English. "Poison 2002" is more EBM influenced but with a solid song structure. I just can't get over this guy's voice not to mention the music. "Im Innern einer Frau" utilizes a more techno-ebm combination and it's all in German and I can't quite catch all of it as my German is 'nicht so gut' but the title roughly translates as "In the inside of a woman". There is also a synth effect they use on one of the backing vocals which is sort of buglike in the sense of the bugs in Nightmare Before Christmas when Oogie Boogie gets unravelled. There is a very cool remix of "Another World" by Apoptygma Berzerk which I think surpasses much of their own work. It's more dance/club oriented and less EBM but they created a harmony to the chorus track using effects on the vocals which is pretty amazing sounding and adds an interesting touch to the track. Lastly, there is "Peach" remixed by Cut Rate Box. This is a very dark sounding track but not without the strength of technology which all of Beborn Beton's work seems to have.
I think I found a new favorite! I can't wait to hear the full release of this album as well as more of Beborn Beton. If you are a fan of either Synthpop, EBM, or just good dance music this is an absolute MUST. I've had this demo for quite a long time now, about a month and half I think, debating whether I should write a review on this fragment of the release or not. It has barely left my CD player since. This fact alone has convinced me that I had to write this review because people simply NEED to know about Beborn Beton's music.