Pneumatic Deatch’s latest release "Ko-Mor-Bid" offers a relentless onslaught of fast paced industrial rhythms and machine like synth leads that is sure to blow away everything else of the dance floor. When listening to this album I am reminded of the stories of a young Richard D. James creating 200 bpm plus tracks to tire out dancers at raves, as "Ko-Mor-Bid" is the industrial/EBM successor to this tradition of messing with dancers as some of the cuts on this album are impossibly fast and distorted. What’s great about this album is that the rhythm tracks are not repetitive like so many albums of this type, as the drum tracks for most of the songs dispense with the standard 4/4 techno groove and utilize a variety of timings and changes that keep things interesting throughout. Moreover, all of the tracks on the album flow seamlessly into one another which give the album a tight delivery. Some of these fast paced tracks include "How You Forget" "Grinderscraper" and the album’s closer "Automatic Nation," which makes Ministry’s "Twitch (Version III) sound like the Carpenters. Overall, Pneumatic Detach’s latest offering is a high powered fast paced attack that is great for working out, venting some anger, or tearing up the dance floor at your local club’s industrial night.

Disharmony’s latest release "Cloned: Other Side of Evolution" is a collection of the Slovak industrial/EBM project’s best remixes that span from dark wave pop to militaristic power industrial. The collection starts off strong with a haunting remix of Polygon’s "Idealism," which is immediately followed by a powerful version of Grandchaos’s "Mutant X," which sounds like the evil love child of Frontline Assembly and Laibach. The remainder of the collection contains remixes that span a variety of speed and styles. However, the element that links them together into a cohesive whole are Disharmony’s use of subtle dark atmospheric synths parts that provide an evocative backbone to music that would otherwise be very cold and clinical. This is evident on the original track "Nautilus" and the remix of DeaDJump’s "Immortal," which is disturbingly touching and sounds more like :Wumpscut: than :Wumpscut: does (if that makes any sense). This is indeed the strength of Disharmony’s remixing abilities as the songs being remixed sound close enough the original version to be recognizeable while sounding very much like Disharmony’s original work.

Flint Glass’s latest limited edition release "Circumsounds" is a collection of remixes that Glass has done for various artists. However, what makes this collection unique is that it is not a haphazardly thrown together collection of remixes that is all over the place in style and quality (e.g. Twenty-Six Mixes for Cash). But rather, the remixes were carefully selected to have the thematic flow of an album of original material. The overall sound of "Circumsounds" is instrumental dark electronica that blends elements of EBM, IDM, drum and bass, and a hint of glitch. What’s impressive about the album (and also seems to be a trend in most Tympanik Audio releases) is the rather organic sound that it develops through its use of synthesizers and samples, which works to create a vibe that is more fluid and not as cold and sterile as a lot of modern industrial tends to be. The only complaint that I would have with "Circumsounds" is that it is too good at what does, in that while all of the remixes work together in a very cohesive manner, it does at times cause the album to sound a bit repetitive. While the album as a whole is rather fast paced, the standout tracks of the collection are the more mellow cuts such as HIV+’s "Havoc2027" and Tzolk’in’s "Zots." However, it must be noted that Glass’s remix for OTX’s "Blood for Oil" is definitely destined to be a club classic.

After a 10 year run as a techno/industrial DJ and promoter, Jairus Khan has emerged from the shadows with his own musical project named Ad-ver-sary. Released under the Tympanik Audio imprint, Ad-ver-sary’s debut album "Bone Music" offers a very well thought out and developed blend of instrumental industrial, EBM, ambient, and noise. The key to this album is Khan’s ability to blend organic soundscapes and harsh industrialized rhythms and noise in a way that strikes a balance between what many would consider to be two mutually exclusive musical forms. Indeed, throughout the album, neither approach dominates the other. Some of the stand out cuts from "Bone Music" include the album’s lead off track "Ancients" which utilizes very simple samples and effects that gradually build up into a very powerful and driving industrial tour de force that is harsh and mechanical while maintaining a sense of musicality, and "Waiting for Gira" which features a very ominous militaristic beat that is backed by subtle soundscapes and a very evocative guitar part that is interestingly reminiscent of U2. For those of you who like harder hitting noise driven pieces "No Exit" and "Number Nine" are aggressive and cacophonous workouts straight from the factory. Overall, "Bone Music" is a great album that provides a glimmer of hope that industrial music is not dead.

Subheim’s debut "Approach" offers a laidback down tempo sound that cohesively incorporates an array of musical influences such as EBM, IDM, classical, ambient, and dronology. Haling from Greece, Subheim is the output of musician and graphic artist Kostas K with occasional contributions from female vocalist Katja. "Approach’s" sound can best described as a mixture between Delerium’s early forays into dark electronic soundscapes and Brian Eno’s piano driven ambient compositions such as "Discreet Music" and "Thursday Afternoon." Subheim tastefully blends conventional and electronic music elements into a rich yet subtle sound that is built upon carefully layering a variety of simple parts. Furthermore, Kostas K manages to use electronics in a way that sounds very organic and fluid, which gives the music some emotion. Some of the more evocative pieces on the album include "Ybe 76," which is a melds ambient soundscapes and down-tempo EBM beats with simple yet elegant piano line and "Stranded," which uses ethereal ambient strong arrangements to create a melancholic sense of isolation and despair. Another interesting aspect of Subheim’s sound is that when the female vocals are employed, they are done so in a very subdued way that simply makes it another instrument that feeds into the wall of sound that Kostas K creates as is made evident on the track "Howl." I would highly recommend this album to anyone who likes down-tempo electronica, ambient and world music.