Grand Chaos Current Release : In Sedens

Album Reviews: Grand Chaos :

In Sedens

Review by: TekNoir on gothtronic (English)

Review by: Marc Tater on Chain D.L.K. (English)

 

VIRUS! Magazine

"In Sedens" is a rather ambitious release by Grandchaos; thirty-four tracks long, this band has assembled a literal army of old-school EBM and electro acts to remix their material. From recognized nineties-era acts like Armageddon Dildos and Plastic Nosie Experience, to newcomers like Militant Cheerleaders On The Move and Neon Cage Experiment, this compilation's battle cry is to rally the troops to prove that this style of electro- industrial is far from dead.

Amongst this plethora of material, Grandchaos not only offers up some original content, but the remixes span over half a dozen different original pieces. Since many are probably unfamiliar with their sound, their unaltered works are certainly a salient place to start when summarizing this lengthy release. With two originals and two self-remixed songs, Grandchaos could be described as a terse, distorted electro combatant that combines the stark darkness of The Klinik with old-school EBM akin to that of perhaps older X Marks The Pedwalk. "The Enemy" trudges forth with a militant snare and bass pulse as flanged synths slowly strobe by in the background. Soon, gurgling underwater vocals emerge from its clockwork gait and a fuzzy electrical current sparks and whirs into life, adding additional depth to the instrumentation. Sharp arpeggios are briskly interrupted by a rolling peal of clear snare in "Open Source", where their vocals appear as a staccato robotic blur whose stoic statements mesh perfectly in with its steady drum thump and rapid computer chirps. The Forestbeast version of "Horror" is even more mechanical; the lyrics are spoken with the monotone timbre of a Speak n' Spell as flat snares clack and rattle to the deafening chatter of a thick arpeggio fog. Finally, there is the Nightmare remix of "Dream Factory", where fuzzy blipping synth weasels its way through a funky arpeggio. Its cadence is matched by a bass-less drum kit, which provides some crunch despite its spoken and shouted statements being emotionally vacant . In terms of the remixes, "In Sedens" offers an abundance of quality, most quite different than the Grandchaos' originals. In their mix of "God Is Dead", Ionic Vision conjures up the striking martial law sound of early Nitzer Ebb. The arpeggios are stuttering and blunt, and its steady snares and gruff bass line are augmented by the clang and clink of metal pipe percussion. In Panzerlab's remix, movie samples and fierce drum pads slam against a rigid arpeggio with defiance, its mammoth stomping beat completely dominating Grandchaos' distorted shouts. Stemming away from being an armed forces homage, K.I.F.O.T.H's mix of "Raving Mad" samples an agile break beat, creating a wild rhythmic foundation for its melting synth blips, intermittent brassy plucked guitar riffs, and burbling vocals. Midway, a monolithic bass drum intercedes, driving away the frenetic drum loop to introduce a heavy trance veneer. Glass explodes and steam escapes as a meaty bassline throbs within Trial's version of "God Is Dead". Metallic snares rattle and clank, and shiny synths streak by in sync with its thick bass, driving past hoarse vocals to leave the piece with a somewhat tribal atmopshere. Yet another version of "God Is Dead" by Armageddon Dildos is present; despite the vocals taking a back-seat to its insistent synths and beats, its rapid rubbery arpeggio and raw snare-and-cymbal attack make for one the catchiest recreations. Brain Leisure decide to dissect a different track, "Raving Mad". Porcelain synth textures seep in like dry ice and arpeggios flutter like fragile insect wings, but soon a bass and snare duet arrive to deliver a reverberating stomp and slap. Rather than submersed in liquid, the vocals here are a breezy, hollow croon which perfectly compliments its subtle trance flavor. Datacode Division also weave something unique with their vision of "In Sedens". With a heavy snare pummeling and sleek synth textures could be expected, Wagnerian strings that strike like synthetic valkyries offer this mix a militant neoclassical edge. Finally, Bak Xiii has constructed two different versions of the title tracks, with the superior being the slimmed down New Beat mix. Within, its muffled bass drum thumps inistently against whistling chords and a hazy techno arpeggio, while snare scrapes like a static blade across this EBM canvas. The elements tie succinctly together in rhythm, but this facet becomes strikingly clear as the vocals join in to yell in perfect syncopation with each stomping movement of the bass and serrated snare. In the mission statement, there is sort of a backhanded dismissal of both futurepop and hellektro as being worthwhile contributions to the world of industrial music, but this missive overlooks the fact that this style of electro on "In Sedens" has own faults. At moments, the synths sound quite dated and the production for the most part is quite shallow in comparison to most current electronic acts. Despite these issues, there is ample creativity to be found within "In Sedens", and Grandchaos' own work shows talent and possibility. With a little polish, their futurepop and hellektro chart-climbing competitors may have some stern competition coming to them in the near future.

Vlad McNeally, 22 Jul 2006

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