Alchalant “Better Off Dead”

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Chris

“Better Off Dead” leaps out with a gnarled, noisy verve, making terrific use of the kind of scronky attitude that marked early New Wave. Singer-songwriter Alex Matijow’s vocal stays with the period, as he howls and growls like the best late-1970s punk stars. It’s just as angry, too, though tightly focused on a relationship that’s been shattered.

Hard to believe, as a seething Matijow screeches out the lyric “I won’t miss thinking of you” that this was once, back in 2006, a love song. But after everything fell apart with the girl, Matijow refashioned the song in 2010 as an angry reply – then began experimenting with sounds on an Apple iPad.

Those digital emulations, coupled with his wintry howl, ultimately give “Better Off Dead” a more modern feel – as Matijow dives into the same kind of found-object, noise-based energy as early Nine Inch Nails.

Left alone with these swirling emotions, Matijow unloads a torrent of bile – first suggesting “there’s not a whole lot left to say,” before lashing out: “How did it taste when you ate my soul?” Then: “You ripped my beating heart right from my chest. All that blood on your face – how do you like that, bitch?” All of it leads up to the song title itself, and a scorched-earth guitar solo – the very sound of catharsis.

Many a brokenhearted lover has perhaps had these thoughts, experienced these turbulent feelings, but been unable to frame it with such searing honesty. “Better Off Dead” focuses squarely on the hurt, picking at the scab rather than covering it with a bandage.

Since reworking “Better Off Dead” a couple of years ago, Matijow has added a pair of talented musicians to what was once a one-man band in bassist Todd Errion and drummer Chris Hobbs. Here, though, you get the full brunt of both Matijow’s roving eye for fashioning music out of jagged sounds – and also his unvarnished, deeply personal pain over a love lost.

Review by Nick DeRiso
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

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Troy & Paula Haag “The Century”

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Chris

So many musicians across all genres cite The Beatles as their main influence. The claim has become like citing air as influential upon one’s life. That influence is so trite and ordinary that to actually hear The Beatles within the inspired compositions is a rare feat. Troy and Paula Haag avoid this trap. Although drenched in Americana and singer songwriter traditions the music of Troy and Paula Haag clearly demonstrates their love of the Fab Four’s more layered acoustic songs such as “Mother Nature’s Son”, “Julia”, and “Something”. In addition the duo’s bio points out that one of their first collaborations was a cover of the Jayhawks song “Trouble”. This is an apt accomplishment as the Jayhawks in many ways were the first to mine the independent Americana influences of The Beatles as well as the solo work of most notably Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Both Troy and Paula’s back stories are full of family and environmental influences that have shaped the music they are making today. Troy spent his early years overseas after being born in Hawaii, which undoubtedly exposed him to all types of music. While Paula spent her youth in South Carolina and Warren County Virginia which is considered to be a distant part of the Washington DC metro area.

Troy and Paula Haag’s debut release The Century is a fine collection of songs with rich lyrical content, acoustic textures, and vocal harmonies. The guitar playing and compositions in general are very interesting and enjoyable. If there is any surface criticism it is with Troy’s lead vocals, which can be weak at times as if he is holding back in some way. When Paula joins his voice, the harmonies are quite strong and appealing leaving the listener wanting more.

The collection starts off with the song “The Night Sleeper” which immediately brings to mind the Jayhawks approach to The Beatles filtered through their unique Folk Country perspective especially their harmonic approach to the chorus. “April 18th, 1906” has a beautiful introduction of acoustic guitars. As the title indicates it is a classically constructed story song on a par with other songs about tragic historic scenes from North American history such as “The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot and “Revolution Blues” by Neal Young. The next track “Virginia” delves into another American Folk tradition, with an ambiguously dark ballad about of love and loss. The fate of the eponymous subject is somewhat ambiguous, but the final line indicates a violent end. Easily the most compelling song on the record, “The Poet” builds layers of driving acoustic guitars intertwined with bitterly flavored lyrics. “Wasted It Away” is a lovely ballad that refreshes the tempo of the collection while “Tomorrow’s Yesterday” praises a lover and brings the strong harmonies between Troy and Paula from earlier tracks. “Say Goodnight” is one of the most overtly Country flavored songs with its melodic guitar riffs and themes. Unfortunately “My Constellation” and “Falling (Somewhere in the Night)” are mostly forgettable tracks. They are still adequately played and comprised, but do not stand out in any way. The final song, “Sleepers Awake”, get backs to the more charming elements of the album. There is a good combination of contemporary singer songwriter and Americana elements.

Overall the instrumentation and the lyrics on The Century are solid. Troy and Paula Haag are without a doubt accomplished songwriters and musicians. Troy’s lead vocals are a little weak and missing something that could very well be in the mix or recording technique, but when the harmonies with Paula kick in, there is truly something wonderful happening between the two of them.

Review by Michael Cusanelli
Rating: 3 Stars (out of 5)

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Troy & Paula Haag “The Century”

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Chris

Being a male/female duo within music is not a new phenomenon nowadays; many of these acts have come and gone along the years. Troy and Paula Haag are one of these couples; the two are certainly not the first married duo to come along in the music business, and they will certainly not be the last. The difference between them and others, however is that Troy and Paula Haag fill in where others within this classification seem to fall short.

Whenever an artist titles a song after a specific date and year, there is a good chance that there is additional significance within the song. In this case, the title is “April 8th, 1906.” They sing of the events that occur on the day before an earthquake hits. While the narrator of the song is out at sea, his love is taken away by this earthquake. The song contains an underlying message about constant struggle and the steady effort to overcome it. Troy sings, “I was just too late that day. The damned old quake took you away, and left me here to ride forevermore on the waves that keep me from the shore.” “Virginia” comes across more along the lines of a folk ballad. Like most of the album, this song is also a love song, though not a happy one. The style of storytelling coupled with the use of heavy finger picking within each chorus makes this song notable.

“Say Goodnight” is a song you could listen to over and over again without getting bored. They combine a catchy chorus with an acoustic guitar solo that verges on the edge of folk and country. The lyrics, which are about a relationship that has turned dull, are constructed ever so incisively. He sings, “I don’t want to say goodnight. I won’t convince myself I think of someone else.” And what first appears to be a great love song in “Tomorrow’s Yesterday” soon turns out to be a song filled with bitterness and resentment with just a touch of reminiscence. Troy’s words and the striking picture he paints with those words are incredibly poignant. For instance, the song begins with the lyrics, “Your kiss is like a summer breeze, your eyes are like a twilight moon. Your soul is somewhere in between all the brightness and the gloom.” The duo follows along the same lines of comparing a person with nature in “My Constellation,” though this is a song that you would most certainly want to dedicate to a loved one. This person is compared to anything imaginable within nature, such as the wind, the rain, and a constellation.

Troy supplies the majority of the vocals, while Paula provides backing vocals on each song. They are the contemporary Simon and Garfunkel. Their laid back, acoustic style is older yet their way of interweaving various instruments into their songs and their sound that veers more into folk and Americana is more modern. The subtle flaws and creaks within Troy’s vocals provide an even folkier sense to the album. And Paula’s lower tone does well to complement Troy’s voice, never overpowering it or taking anything away from any one song.

There are no filler songs on The Century. Each one serves a distinct purpose and complements the duo in various ways. Likewise, there are no filler melodies or lyrics within any of the songs. They do well to say what they mean, and to sing those lyrics as if they mean what they say.

Review by Alec Cunningham
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

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alchalant “Better off Dead”

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Chris

Taking this punk rock tune strictly based on its musical merits, it’s a cool tune. It has a lot of energy and is quite angry, yet has a catchy hook. It’s really important to understand the process involved in the creation of the song to truly appreciate it, though. As much as the piece feels organic and natural, it was actually created by re-writing the lyrics to an older love song. The newer angrier lyrics were written while keeping the syllables and melody unchanged. That’s a pretty impressive feat in itself, earning this some kudos from a technical stand-point before it even spins.

Drums start the track and give way to a motif that feels a bit like some of the more modern pop punk. When it hits the chorus, though, there’s more of a sneering growl to the vocals. This track is definitely angry. It has a lot of energy and the bass line is quite interesting for such a raw, punk tune. There’s a cool growling scream. The guitar solo section that follows has an almost cheesy sound, but it lends some real character to the piece. One thing that’s unusual for a lot of punk is the fact that it includes synthesizer. Even more interesting is the fact that the synthesizer, along with the drums, were created by an iPad and designed to emulate classic hardware.

While the technical aspects are impressive and the song itself is entertaining, it’s not without its flaws. The main one is that the vocals are often a bit hard to take. That lends some charm when it comes to a punk rock song, but it also means this is likely to turn more than a few people away from it. Of course, the demographic that is most likely to really enjoy this understands that it’s more about the anger and passion of punk rock vocals than it is musicality.

Review by G.W. Hill
Rating: 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

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alchalant “Better Off Dead”

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Chris

Detroit may not be the first city that comes to mind when punk rock is mentioned; one doesn’t associate Detroit with punk to the degree that one associates Los Angeles, New York City, London or San Francisco with punk.  But in fact, Detroit had a vibrant punk scene in the 1970s and 1980s.  Plus, some of the rockers who had a strong Motor City connection before that helped pave the way for punk (including Iggy Pop & the Stooges, MC5 and Alice Cooper).  Bearing those things in mind, it makes perfect sense for a Detroit-based band like alchalant (they don’t capitalize their name) to wave the punk flag on “Better Off Dead.”  This digital single is tough, edgy and rugged yet melodic; alchalant are punk and alternative rock, but they are also rock & roll.  The direct influences that alchalant bring to the table range from Green Day to the Clash to early Offspring (before they came out with cutesy novelty tunes like “Pretty Fly for a White Guy”) to the proto-punk of Iggy & the Stooges.  Most of the influences that one hears on “Better Off Dead” are American influences, but at the same time, alchalant’s fondness for the British punk and pub rock of the Clash and Sham 69 comes through.  One could say that “Better Off Dead” has a transatlantic sound, although the American punk elements are more prominent than the British punk elements.

Alex Matijow, alchalant’s lead singer, shows himself to be an asset to the band. Matijow has a punk snarl, but it’s a punk snarl with empathy; Matijow is able to express empathy as opposed to strictly expressing attitude.  And it should be noted that “Better Off Dead” is not emo; there is some vulnerability at work here, but it isn’t an emo-ish sort of vulnerability. Matijow, rather, favors the “tough guy with a heart” approach to punk and alternative rock.

“Better Off Dead” is not a breathtaking song, but it’s a likable song.  These spirited Midwesterners are worth keeping an eye on.

Review by Alex Henderson
Rating:  3 Stars (Out of 5)

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Alain Rozan “Riding The Wind”

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Chris

For a French man, Alain Rozan sure knows a lot about Rock and Roll. His album Riding The Wind transverses all eras of rock music, from classic rock and rock ballads to jam band music and to blues.

Multiple songs within the album are titled after the names of both fictional and both non-fictional famous people. One of these songs is “Cinderella.” Rozan adds an unlikely twist to the fate of Cinderella, however. He explains that after her prince has left her everything goes downhill from there. She turns into a junkie and soon finds herself in an ambulance due to “an overdose of poetry.” The other famous person Rozan exhibits in the album is Van Gogh in “Van Gogh Blues.” The guitar of Erik Della Penna adds twang to the song along with giving it a bluesy, late night bar type of feel. He sings of a band, their trouble getting signed and their trouble with losing women. After each of these, he relates the situation back to Van Gogh, saying that he was not successful right off the bat either. Rozan has the type of rugged, worn down voice that almost falls into the same category as Dylan; his raspy voice that sounds as if it has come from years upon years of chain smoking and blues drinking. He wears his voice well, though, and supports it within his music.

Riding the Wind contains many songs that have to deal with people who have become down on their luck. “Junk Bond Junkie” is another one of these. The song deals with a man who is out to get rich, noting that he has to do a line of cocaine just to make it through the day. An electric guitar solo by Ashley Moore is presented within multiple sections of the song after the chorus, giving it a well-rounded, robust rock character.

The album’s self-titled song comes four songs into the album. “Riding The Wind” is an ambling tune whose melody along with its lyrics conveys a disheartening tone. He recollects his emotions and affection for a certain person. He describes numerous things that this person has done and says that he knows these things so well only because of that. He sings, “If I don’t know you now, I knew you so well then.” It has a delicate sound, though the ballad-like nature of the song makes it that much more impactful.

Rozan displays an array of talent by placing original songs as well as two covers on his album. Placing a cover beside original work on an album allows listeners to compare Rozan’s song writing abilities with those of others. Fortunately, he is able to stack up to the test. His own songs do not fall short in the least; if you have never heard one of his covers before, you would think that it was one of his own songs. The two covers on the album are Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” and “Money Jam,” his own rendition of The O’Jay’s “For The Love Of Money.” He puts his own artistic license into effect on this song, though, by beginning with the song’s chorus and following with a strictly instrumental solo consisting of various instruments that lasts the rest of the song.

Likely due to his background, Rozan writes his lyrics and styles his songs in a crafty, poetic fashion that gives his songs depth. That being said, most of his songs cannot be understood after one quick listen; they may take some thinking and analyzing to completely make out.

Review by Alec Cunningham
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Alec Cunningham is a journalist and freelance writer from Knoxville, TN. Her passion for music goes back to the early days of her youth. For her, having the chance to interview bands and review their music, along with becoming introduced to new artists, combines the best of the music and writing worlds. She currently works for the Music section of BLANK Newspaper, Knoxville’s longest-running independent publication, writing musician interview articles and album reviews.

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Dr. Fantastico “Extra Robotic”

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Chris

Dr. Fantastico, a.k.a. Benjamin Daniel Campbell, is a San Jose, California-based trance, techno, and dance-focused connoisseur with a taste for chilling, driving, and mind-bending musical creations. The latest foray, “Extra Robotic,” is an excellent testament to the powers of electronic dance rhythms and high-energy, mechanical, and futuristic styles.

“Extra Robotic” opens with a fuzzy, heavy beat of electronic ticks, swishes, and percussion sounds that are relatively repetitive and unchanging early on. The beat picks up with a robotic, futuristic voice that repeats itself throughout. The pulsating beats are interspersed with a cascade of symphonic, synth sounds. The trance and rave-driven sounds are interrupted by a few blurby sounds and slurpy sounds that contain a strong, electronic presence. The latter half of the song speeds up the vocals into an indeterminate result. Moreover, the synth sounds contain squeaky, electronic, and laser-like embellishments that decrease in frequency and intensity near the end of the song.

The heavy, trance-inducing elements of “Extra Robotic” are a creative and mind-blowing fixative that is musically-tight in its delivery and composition. The quick beats and danceable rhythms are electronically-driven with squeaks and buzzes. The rather simplistic and garbled lyrics are not the strongest elements of the song, but the real winner is the instrumentation. The almost rap instrumental beginning dives right into the world of rave electronica without looking back. The relatively short track length under four-minutes is not particularly negative. For example, the instrumental interplay is richly-textured to a point of chaotic explosions of sound— all within a carefully constructed, aural medium. The music is vibrant, moving, and extra-planetary. Fans of electronic, dance, dub, rave, techno, breakbeat, and instrumental music will find some foot-stomping and head-bobbing melodies on Dr. Fantastico’s latest single.

Review by Matthew Forss
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

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Fey Moth “Flesh Foam Bread Bone”

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Chris

Fey Moth is the electronic musical project of Piper D. (Fey Moth) on vocals and drums, alongside Julia-Anne Endicott Bork on vocals and keyboards and Eric Severston on keyboards, samplers and effects. An impressive 12-tracks make up this stunning and surprising piece that is Fey Moth’s sophomore record. Recently releasing Flesh Foam Bread Bone, for fans of the likes of Bjork and Tanlines, this will immediately catch your attention.

Opening the album with the killer track “Burn the House Down,” you will sense that this record is already going to be a treat. Spacey vocals hover over the intriguing synths, making for a string of catchy pop hooks. From the start, Moth’s lyrics are strong and intriguing, setting her apart from many others in the current musical scene. Up next is the title track, Flesh Foam Bread Bone, which contains thumping beats and resonating keys, blended with dreamy vocals. Move over Grimes!

“Pudding Sky,” may sound like a joking title, but it is all business. The echoing harmonies and electronic drum pad sounds create an unexpected warm tone on the track. “We Are Mostly Water,” is a piece where the lyrics are extremely powerful, as you can tell this is about a relationship in which she is being held back. The song captures the feel of her emotions, and makes for a beautiful track.

“Like Chimpanzees” is a fun and whimsical piece that really makes the listener feel like they are in the jungle, dancing around and exploring new ground. The perfect combination of Fey’s voice, jingly chimes and astounding keyboard sounds are enough to make you a fan if you’re not already.

“Leather and Rhinestone,” is a bit reminiscent of Goldfrapp in the most flattering way with seductive vocals and sultry beats bring up the rear. “May Day,” is truly a personal favorite containing Fey Moth’s gorgeous voice and infectious chimes. “Skylarks Lucky,” is an upbeat number that has a poppy 80s feel to it. This is definitely for those young at heart.

“Demon-Destroyer,” grabs you right from the start and is possibly the best song to take a roadtrip with that the world has to offer. It oozes cool with its slick personality. “Rooster Shoes,” immediately will get the listener out of their chair dancing. The bouncing beat and quirky synths are captivating and builds up momentum.

Next in line is “Gelb (Finding Ways)” which takes the collective down a bit. Headed to more of a down tempo side, it does not make you loose attention, but does offer a quieter side of Fey Moth. Closing the album is “Palm of Rubies,” which makes for the flawless end for the record, officially ending your musical path with Fey….for now at least.

Every piece appears to draw from Fey Moth’s experience, bringing you on a true-to-life musical journey that will have you at the edge of your seat. This astonishing album that is Flesh Foam Bread Bone will have you begging for more from Fey Moth. Be sure to keep an eye out in 2012, as Fey Moth might just end up being everyone’s new favorite musical obsession.

Review by Melissa Nastasi
Rating: 4.5 Stars (out of 5)

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Greg Baker “Subversion”

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Chris

The music Greg Baker makes will surely not appeal to everyone. It’s a very freeform sound that’s instrumental and borders on fusion along with Rock in Opposition. There are certainly links to Robert Fripp in this guitar heavy sound, but that’s not the end of the links.

“Getting the Belly Out” opens the set with a real jazzy sound, turned towards weirdness. It’s got a lot of energy and a really driving bass part. It has some definite dissonance and weird sound effects play across here and there. While there are some voices, they are either loops or spoken bits, meaning the tune is an instrumental.

There’s a flow to the melody that dances around on “Who’s Your Poser?” that calls to mind both Robert Fripp and the Fripp inspired California Guitar Trio. The percussion is more tribal and this definitely turns out towards world music inspired elements at times. Still, this almost feels like something King Crimson might do, in the right period or mood. Certainly, it wouldn’t be a big stretch to imagine this coming from CGT. This is actually quite a dynamic piece of music that works towards fusion at times and drops way down at other points. There is even a section that seems somewhat related to flamenco, but twisted towards RIO.

There’s a real drum machine kind of feeling to the rhythm section on “Phishing.” The guitars seem too random and freeform, though. It just doesn’t seem to be a well-thought out piece. It certainly has a lot of that Fripp element, though. It seems to reference the Frippertronics period in particular. The bass line that rises up later adds to the feeling that this is just kind of thrown together. It just doesn’t feel cohesive at all and that electronic rhythm section certainly detracts from the piece.

“Eight Tons of Fuss” almost seems more random, yet it works better. That’s in part because the percussion feels organic. Robert Fripp certainly fits as a reference here, too. This, in fact, is probably closer to some of the more “out there” King Crimson music than anything to this point on the set.

The bass line that opens “Grillz” brings that King Crimson vibe right out of the gate, but it’s a more modern King Crimson sound. As it builds out, it’s one of the most energized tracks and features some killer crunchy guitar at times. Yet, there are also bits of acoustic guitar laced over the top of the whole thing here and there. Although the intro called to mind King Crimson, the main structure is probably closer to Primus. This also includes some of the most melodic (yet still distorted) guitar soloing over the top later.

Although “Astor” still includes some dissonance, it’s got a really intriguing acoustic base to it. It’s certainly more accessible than some of the other music on the disc and feels quite jazzy with a bit of world music in the mix. This features some of the most intricate music of the set, and it might well be the highlight of the album.

“Subversion” comes in with some seriously freeform and dissonant music. The arrangement is quite open, but this is very much in the vein of the freeform Rock In Opposition music that can be hard to latch onto, particularly first time around. This is definitely not music that has a short learning curve. It works out towards mellower sounds at times. This is weird, but also quite intriguing. There is a section later where it seems to pull together into a more accessible sound.

While “Oozing” opens with an energized and driving sound that’s not far removed from the rest of the disc, it shifts later to something a bit more unusual. It becomes more melodic in a movement that’s quite jazz like. Eventually it does move out towards more of the same type of freeform music that dominates the album, but it’s a nice change.

“Change” starts more like fusion, but then shifts to more Crimson-like sounds later. It’s certainly one of the harder edged jams here. It’s also more accessible than a lot of the stuff. There are times when this piece feels almost metallic, too.

With “Mistify” Baker creates a sound that has a lot of fusion built into it. Some of the guitar lines that run across the top are among the most effective and interesting of the whole disc. Further down the road it takes on some more Crimson-like tendencies, but still within the same fusion motif. Of course, at almost ten minutes in length, this is also the lengthiest piece here, and one of the most dynamic, so it just keeps changing. “Fight for Your Wrong!” has a lot of electronic loops and effects in the mix including some synthetic voices. It’s both one of the most unusual pieces here and one of the most accessible.

While not everything here seems completely successful and this isn’t the kind of disc that’s a simple thing to grab onto and love, fans of fusion, Robert Fripp weirdness and RIO should find plenty to like here. Baker is quite good and he’s created an intriguing disc that manages to keep things sounding different from track to track. With instrumental music, that’s not always easy.

Review by G.W. Hill
Rating: 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

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DevilsCaretaker “The Path Ahead Of Us”

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Chris

DevilsCaretaker (aka Jerome Davis) is a producer, DJ, and audio engineer with a panache for creating hip-hop instrumentals and dance music on his latest release, The Path Ahead Of Us. The set of eleven songs traverses the outer echelons of trance, trip-hop, hip-hop, dance, house, and experimental electronica. The result is an electronic journey suitable for chilling and dancing without hesitation.

“Lines Have Been Crossed” begins with a wavering and echoing introduction with whip-like, sonic implosions that are layered with beats amidst a groovy, trip-hop melody. Metallic noises and swishy cymbals combine with sizzling percussion embellishments that connote a dark, urban composition without vocals or rap lyrics. The puttering, metallic noises and symphonic sounds create an ethereal world of electrified sound with swishes, rattling, beeps, and staccato strings that produce spacey tones and chilling beats. Overall, the song is well-constructed and well-executed with the right amount of electronic additions that make it sound like a rock song without guitars, vocals, or bass.

“Cause & Effect” opens with a fast, synth rhythm that includes metallic percussion and electronic drones. The beat picks up as a whiny, buzzing sound pulses up and down. A full, synth sound cranks up with varying degrees of intensity allowing the background synth or string-like embellishments to stand out. The shower of electronic sparks lights up the end of the song with the same tinny percussion and electronic drones used in the beginning of the song. The effect is cinematic, symphonic, and enthralling. “Pressure” begins with a muted trumpet sound cutting in and out with a symphonic wash and electronic adornments almost too numerous to mention. The trumpet sound is joined by swishy noises, rustling sounds, buzzing shrieks with a jazzy, percussion medley mid-song. The jazz gives way for the meandering, trip-hop or house beat that produces a perfect environment for the electrified didgeridoo sounds, metallic shrieks, and synth sounds. The end of the song contains all of the aforementioned sounds in unison, which seems a little chaotic, but that is probably the intention, given the name of the song.

“Katherine” opens with a mechanical beat of ticking and swishy percussion. In addition, a cascade of electronic sounds adds to the cinematic effects. The mechanical, almost tinny sounds, evokes a robotic, spacey voyage amidst a languid dance beat. The keyboards provide a progressively increasing sound level at various times throughout the song. The metallic sounds are rather rough, which symbolizes machine parts moving without any lubrication. This is a track for the audio and mechanical engineer. The heavy, metallic sounds and synth dance beat provides a fine accompaniment to the varied song structure throughout. “Alone” starts out with spacious, keyboard washes and metallic, clicking noises with swishy percussion and alternating keyboard sounds. The sounds merge into a dance track with swishes, buzzes, and bass noise with a techno or house structure. The electronic chaos is very cinematic and dance-driven in its delivery. Overall, the song stands out, due to other electronic embellishments borrowed from previous tracks.

The Path Ahead Of Us is an electronic adventure that melds the worlds of hip-hop and dance into a techno and trance-driven production worthy of high marks. For instance, the eleven tracks are instrumental, which creates a sense of order and cohesion throughout. In the same manner, the electronically-driven tunes traverse the same genres of dance. The lack of vocals is not a problem. Anyone with an interest in techno, trance, hip-hop instrumentals, trip-hop, house, dance, and experimental electronica will find salvation with DevilsCaretaker’s latest release.

Review by Matthew Forss
Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)

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