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Ou Moins - "Anti Matter of Fact" (Hive Records)
| Message Board > Album Reviews > Ou Moins - "Anti Matter of Fact" (Hive Records) |
| moron User Info... | musical release: Anti Matter of Fact musical artist: Ou Moins label: Hive Records URL: http://www.hiverecords.com/hiv04.html review: [email protected] url: http://industrial.org Ou Moins are quite mechanical primitive on this release from Hive Records. I don't know how else to broach it really, later Converter outtakes re-interpreted by Sonar but while the glint of the blade occasionally draws blood, the least exciting elements of both acts are equally brought to the forefront. "Anti-Matter of Fact" tends towards perpetual idle with only the stray water molecule to change the dead steady RPMs of the engine. It's as frustrating as satisfying, dreary as driving and a mixed bag of nuts and bolts. The mastering job here is not always the best which can and does steal oomph, the tracks often so wet with excess compression that if there was any more pumping you would think a Saint Bernard was about to spooge all over your leg. Using compression as an effect is almost a requirement of the genre so that's not the issue, it's just that it actually interferes with distinct elements of the sound that desperately need to make it through - it's like suddenly running out of polyphony when you absolutely cannot spare it or having the television crank itself up everytime the phone rings so you cannot hear what the damned phone solicitor is saying. I like the repetitive and minimalist elements a lot, very much Sonar relentless machine music and that's good. But as a rule they aren't quite droning enough to build up the death march aesthetic and the more complex Converteresque composition oriented elements are not always allowed enough breath to stop the tracks from asphyxiating under the weight of the monolithic distortion. It's brash and occasionally brutal but you have so little emotional attachment that you don't always notice. Although some bright ideas pop up (the cantakerous and angular glassy construction on "coolest Twilight" for one) the biggest problem here is that there are precious few hooks to catch your attention on. It's relentless and I respect it for that but there is an ablsolute scream for some dynamic range in certain sections to allow the finishing move to exact its well earned punishment. Instead, the compression will make what should be a false calm the loudest portion of the piece, destroying all contrast and tension and turning the swells into a rubbery dental dams between you and the industrial booty. My Favourite track is "internal bleeding" which pulls in enough lurch and stagger to give the otherwise conservative mechanics a sped up Xenonics k-30 field effect, pummelling the listener with a syncronized nail gun ballet before its meager 2 and half minutes are up. The following song "Anti Matter Of Fact" is strong as well, the tempo increase helping to keep the hammers falling and the sparks a flying. Part of its success is probably due to a more disciplined use of distortion, allowing each inidividial textural component's death cry to be fully relished. I also find that the second half of this CD holds a lot more energy than the initial minutes, the second round for "Internal Bleeding" actually attaining the pure mechanization of the Sonar aesthetic it so seeks to emulate. The closing track is probably the most distinct sounding and achieves a hypnotic gravitational pull that threatens to pull you into the gnashing, resonant maw. Despite any misgivings I have, this is not a meek recording in the slightest. I feel a tad out of sorts posting this review as I really want to be all over this sucker. Powernoise is something I feel we need far more of as it has not been explored to even the barest depths of its potential and posting a mediocre review is hardly going to encourage it further. But still I can't shake the cloying lowest common denominator "whatever, it's noisy" apathy that this release generates for me at times. It's (un)pleasant in it's making of the desired noises but except for a few standout tracks it always seems to be shying away from the acidic and ascerbic excitement I crave. At its worst it's derivative and worst of all, without being best of breed - just medicore, like a disinterested individual dabbling but not committed. At its best though it's pure unforgiving powernoise with almost no concessions to ease of use or the listener's comfort. If this had been an EP of the best tracks (5, 6, 9, 11, maybe a couple more) then I would have no doubts at all and would be lining up to beg for another boot to the skull. In this form however I have to cross my arms and wait to see what happens next. - Thu, 25 Sep 2003 3:35pm | ||
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