Ok, yes, I'm backlogged. I'm trying to catch up, please be patient. The
amount of material I've been receiving recently has almost tripled.
XDZebra Review #38
Addiction
266 Delmar Ct.
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1817
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Review #38 Contents:
C-Tank: Nightmares Are Reality
Jeff Mills: Waveform Transmission Vol. 1
Wakin' Up A Dead Planet - Hardnoize Cross Europe
Coordinate 01
The Inner Works 1+2 Only Double CD - Limited Edition
X-103: Atlantis
Fast 4 Motion EP
The Kosmik Kommando: Universal Indicator Yellow
The Caustic Window: Joyrex J9 EP [45]
Jesus Jones: Zeroes & Ones
C-Tank: Nightmares Are Reality
Overdrive: CD OVER 030-2
1 180 07:02 Nightmares Are Reality
2 180 04:32 Air Bounce
3 160 06:00 House Hallucination
4 175 05:47 Holomania
5 190 03:40 The Rave Zone
6 172 05:43 Tank Trap
7 179 04:42 Monotonic
8 200 05:11 Biolunch
9 164 04:51 Drugtrash
10 180 04:37 Lost and Intellect
11 180 04:00 Mutation Step
12 170 06:36 Walk on Base (Remix)
Comments: In listening to C-Tank one gets the sense that the only form of
structure is a rotation of instruments through rhythm patterns. Certainly
sheer speed is a virtue here, but when either a headache or sleep is induced
from listening to it, the hardcore label becomes a farce. C-Tank can produce
some good tracks, I enjoy "Holomania" and "Walk on Base", but the majority of
this album smells of filler.
Summary: 6/10. Hard and fast, but at the same time unsatisfying.
Jeff Mills: Waveform Transmission Vol. 1
Tresor/Axis: CD11
1 149 04:47 Phase 4
2 140 05:27 Jerical
3 137 04:52 Changes of Live
4 145 05:56 Berlin
5 154 04:21 The Hacker
6 140 04:47 Late Night
7 136 04:09 DNA
8 136 04:49 Man-Like
Comments: Jeff makes hardcore that evolves and progresses over the length of
the entire track. Sometime this is subtle as in "Man-Like", or it knocks your
head off as in "The Hacker". The opener, "Phase 4" is especially crushing and
sounds monstrous on a big sound system. The only track I really don't
appreciate is "Changes of Live" which takes a house piano riff and tries to
bend it into something hard. It doesn't work, and begins to sound terrible
after the first 30 seconds.
Summary: 8/10. Better than average, with a lot of intelligence thrown in.
Sort of a short album at 40 minutes, but only one bum track.
Wakin' Up A Dead Planet - Hardnoize Cross Europe
Monotone: MONO-020
1 142 04:50 Force Mass Motion
2 160 04:03 Tribes of the Moon: Type C.
3 147 04:52 Cyclo-S9: Cry
4 182 04:14 The Speedfreak: Cos It's Hard
5 153 05:12 Illuminatae: Tremora Del Terra (Rmx)
6 148 04:31 Cyberchrist: Somebody Kill That Mutherfuckin' Pig!
7 144 05:23 Jammin' Unit: Low Density
8 139 04:49 Walker: Elevator To Hell
9 182 04:34 Harlot: Elastische Sozialsysteme
10 140 03:57 Atom Heart: X.X.X.
11 180 04:32 Search & Destroy: Reach the Sky
12 167 04:44 Vinyl Countdown: Paroles (Remix)
13 147 05:32 Cybersonic: Jackhammer
14 143 04:41 Djungle Fever: Volume 001
15 157 04:42 Planet Love: 3 Times A Lady
16 155 03:10 Atmo Shinzo: Infrared
Comments: This is a surprisingly good hardcore compilation, distinguished of
course, by the pair of excellent tracks by Atom Heart, "X.X.X." and
"Infrared". Most tracks have been edited down, but for the most part, what is
missing is just repetition of what has already been played. "Type C." and the
Harlot track are excellent breakbeat, "3 Times A Lady" is very cool
spaceycore, and tracks like "Low Density", "Elevator To Hell", and the entry
by Speedfreak test the limits of noise, distortion, and hardcore rhythm.
There are a few dogs, "Reach the Sky" is terrible chipmunk, although "Tremora
del Terra" is actually the best chipmunk I've heard. In addition, Cyberchrist
pulls out all stops to give us a real stinker.
Summary: 8/10. Actually a higher hit rate than other non-label hardcore comps
I've purchased recently. Yet this is still an arena for hardcore fans only.
Coordinate 01
Dossier: DCD 9044
1 138 03:33 Blackland: 1^3
2 130 04:37 Sect: Neuronatics
3 129 06:03 Intermix: Phase One
4 129 04:59 MC^2: Superconductivity
5 130 05:13 Sect: Andromeda Storm
6 139 06:38 Philth: Sub-Aqua
7 115 06:39 Mr. Fist: Lucifer Song
8 122 03:42 Digital White Noise: Demoralize
9 135 04:42 Ithakrash: You Will Fry
10 138 05:28 a Duck: Phenethylamine Backwash
11 146 04:19 X.Drone: Sub-Lunar
12 151 04:15 Tensor: Get Him
13 134 08:21 Downtime: I Want You (To Kill)
14 145 06:13 DV8R: Sounwave
Comments: Imagine what it would be like if everyone took inspiration from the
first Intermix album. Imagine if this came together on a compilation that was
produced with crystal clear production. Imagine no more, for Coordinate 01 is
a brilliant result of the production talents of Mike Balch and Bill Leeb. I
was expecting something more along the lines of classic industrial, but what I
found was sounds that rival the best of the electronic dance groups today.
"Sub-Aqua" is the prime track on here, a truly stunning trance piece that
rises from the depth of night into the light of day. "Phenethylamine
Backwash" is breakbeat like only Dwayne Goettel of Skinny Puppy could give us,
the Altern8 samples will probably enrage the rave critics even more.
"Sub-Lunar" reminisces of Swamp Terrorists with a speed guitar over fast
beats. The initial track by Blackland and "Superconductivity" by MC^2 is up
to date cybermaterial without cyberpretentiousness.
Summary: 9/10. Supremely delicious compilation. Give us further Coordinates
DRT!
The Inner Works 1+2 Only Double CD - Limited Edition
Overdrive: OVER LE 1
CD 1:
1 130 05:33
2 126 04:54
3 123 05:11
4 123 04:19
5 138 05:32
6 130 05:26
7 141 05:48
8 134 05:16
9 140 05:23
10 144 05:40
11 138 05:40
12 136 04:19
13 138 04:47
14 122 04:39
CD 2:
1 144 06:13 Microbots: Microillusions
2 144 05:00 C-Tank: Walk on Base
3 145 04:52 Tracid Posse: Vivarium
4 130 06:33 Jim Clarke: Qualification (Round 4)
5 151 04:08 Syncroflash A/B: Motorbike Raiders of the Lost Dead
6 143 05:27 Cell-U-Loid: Midnight, Tonight
7 136 03:54 Psycho Drums: Pattern 6
8 157 05:35 Mark N-R-G: Bless to Kill
9 154 04:28 Syncroflash A/B: Request
10 126 05:40 Nino and Atomic Robo Kid: Low Technology
11 150 07:02 C-Tank: Narcotize
12 130 04:08 Sound to Light: Clean Condition
13 166 05:19 Clone I.D.: Beyond 160
14 150 03:38 Turntable Hoschis: Peace
Comments: Apologies for the lack of a track listing on the first disc. This
release came without any listings, and I had the "Inner Works 2" around, so I
copied that. Frankly, it isn't too much to worry about though. These two
compilations have about a 1/3 hit rate, the rest is droning drek. If it came
down to which comp to purchase, I'd recommend the second, it seems to be a bit
more fleshed out. However, both of them are way under the premium hardcore.
Summary: 4/10. Boring attempts spotted with interesting successes.
X-103: Atlantis
Axis/Tresor: 12
1 01:22 Introduction
2 134 03:52 Atlantis (The Entrance)
3 01:31 Interlude A
4 135 04:18 The Gardens
5 145 04:05 Acropolis
6 133 04:42 Hagia Triada
7 01:08 Seduction of Europa
8 139 04:57 Temple of Poseidon
9 110 06:36 Minnia (The Queen's Theme)
10 146 01:11 Eruption
11 00:55 Interlude B
12 141 02:07 Tephra
13 134 03:30 10,000 Chariots
14 140 03:45 Curse of God
15 04:28 Thera
16 139 03:04 Magma (Technology)
Comments: "Atlantis" is much easier to digest than the last X-102 album,
"Rings of Saturn", but it also gives further understanding as to what is
trying to be accomplished here. High on structure, low on content, these
albums are a soundtrack for the imagination. Some tracks would work on a
dance floor, but most are just there to listen to. X-103 is more hardcore
than anything else, even though there are a few nice ambient tracks thrown in,
especially "Thera". The rest is a prime example of analog work with a large
experimental flavor to the piece as a whole.
Summary: 8/10. More mature than previous X-10 work. A bit of ambience, but
largely on a hardcore sound.
Fast 4 Motion EP
Overdrive: LC 6695
Side A:
1 165 100 Meter Final
2 169 Practiceroom
Side B: [45]
1 151 Hardcore Baseline
Comments: So I suppose this is my first taste of "Darkness" and although "100
Meter Final" is fairly slick, "Practiceroom" sounds like speedy breakbeat
diddling on a tape. "Hardcore Baseline" throws the breakbeat for a return to
Force Mass Motion or Prodigy styled hardcore. Listening to "Baseline" all the
way through could be a painful experience, which is probably why they've laid
the breaks out neatly on the record, it makes for better mixing.
Summary: 4/10. Ho hum. I'm sure there's better stuff available in this
genre, but the B-side takes the value way down.
The Kosmik Kommando: Universal Indicator Yellow
Rephlex: MC 202
Yellow Side: [45]
1 141
2
Sign Side:
1 140
2 137
3 141
Comments: Kosmik Kommando pulls off acid from the depths of distortion on the
"Yellow Side". The first track is severely noisy, but not really hardcore in
an odd way. However, with the following noisefest that defies description
with track two, I started to wonder if KK was going for the techno equivalent
of smashing his guitar. Probably the noisiest electronics to hit my
turntables yet. "Sign Side" sounds quited different, still acidic, but more
like Atom Heart's work.
Summary: 7/10. Noiselicious and very original one side, but rather standard
on the B-side.
The Caustic Window: Joyrex J9 EP [45]
Rephlex: CAT 009 ii
Paper Side:
1 152
2 159
Black Side:
1 150
2 136
Comments: At first it took me a while to determine the correct speed this
should be played at. In reality, it sounds good on 33 as well, slow and
crushing with a dub sort of effect. However, the samples used point to the
fact that this is indeed a 45. Joyrex J9 represents more of a tubey hollow
sound for Richard James. Although track 1 on the "Paper Side" is bitterly
acidic and hard, track 2 is almost ambient. To emphasize this, it is recorded
at an obnoxiously lower level as well. On the "Black Side" is an tribal acid
track that emphasizes the previously mentioned "hollowness". Finally, the
closer is a reuse of the "We are the music makers" sample, but to better
effect than "Ambient Works 85-92".
Summary: 8/10. Better than average release for the multitalented Richard
James. Plus some free "Magic Gum"! How can you lose?
Jesus Jones: Zeroes & Ones
EMI UK: 12FOOD44
Side A:
1 145 Zeroes & Ones (The Prodigy Versus Jesus Jones Mix)
2 120 Zeroes & Ones (Central Nervous System Mix)
3 120 Zeroes & Ones
Side B:
1 140 Zeroes & Ones (Aphex Twin Reconstruction #1 Mix)
2 140 Zeroes & Ones (Aphex Twin Reconstruction #2 Mix)
Comments: Gripping my intestines and bracing for the worst, I threw down the
Jesus Jones record and started it spinning. Hmmm, sounds like Prodigy with a
Jesus Jones sample. Then it sounds like Jesus Jones with more guitars.
Finally, just JesusJones. Turning it over, I found Aphex Twin with a Jesus
Jones sample locked up, smashed down, and thrown into an ambient dungeon.
Richard James shoots and scores again. This reminds me a lot of the Curve and
St. Etienne remixes, little snippet of the original thrown over unique rhythms
and sound. I can only imagine what Aphex thought of the original piece.
Summary: 5/10. One side is good. The other side is expected.