By now, I’m sure that those of you who have heard about this disc have heard the inevitable comparisons to Navicon Torture Technologies, but honestly, I think that this is a mistake. Although they are very similar in style, this disc is much more engaging than much of the NTT stuff I have. Perhaps part of it is that the overall feel of the disc is dark, yet the darkness does not completely overpower it. Simply the fact that Loss pulled this off when the disc was mastered by Thomas Garrison of Control (who seems to specialize in oppressive darkness) is a feat in itself! I never thought I would use the word "beauty" in a review of a power electronics disc, but here it is. This is beautiful. It has been a long time since something blew me away like this. The only problem that I can see with this disc is that it’s only 16:47 long. The disc comes packaged in a nifty red velveteen bag with a Loss pin attached. I’m looking forward to more from Loss.Let’s look at the individual tracks. 1. All the World’s a Stage (But I Just Work the Lights): Starts off a bit noisy with incomprehensible lyrics. Halfway through the track, the synth kicks in, providing a melodic counterpoint to the noise and percussion that had materialized without me even recognizing it. To me, this is the standout track on the disc. 2. A Letter that will Never Be Sent: This track continues much where track one left off. More of the same synth atmosphere and distorted vocals. Another good track.3. Repose: This track begins a bit quieter, a bit more atmospheric and almost peaceful. Halfway through, the distorted vocals and rhythm kicks in again. It is almost like it is two tracks.

Erstschlag is the debut album of this German duo founded in 2002 by Markus Houben and Klaus Richter, the two members are involved also in many other projects where they find new influences.There are some obvious links with bands like Feindflug and Converter, the industrial sounds has it's own personality, but strongly based on Feindflug's sound. Stahlfrequenz converts the atmosphere of ramshackle, cold industry facilities into an acoustic attack of adrenaline. The sound starts from the atospheric collages and end with dancefloor killes.
"Permanent Decay" and "Gegenschlag" are very strong and are perfect to use on a dancefloor. A great debut album for a band that promises a brilliant development.

This is Beta's debut, or so says BLC's rap sheet on this one-man Industrial crime wave. The website, however, of Ian J. Velasquez--Beta himself--shows a prior, out-of print release, Without/Within (and contains .mp3s of several of its tracks). But back to the task at hand. We are dealing with driving, relentless electro rhythm, laced throughout with hallucinated speech samples and nightmare-induced auditory imagery mixed in at just the right liminal level. None of the original-mix tracks on Reflections in Darkness is under five and a half minutes (save for opening track "Absolution," basically a song-length intro to the record itself); my current favorites are "Possessed," the de facto aggressive centerpiece, and the slower, slinkier "Escape." Four of the other tracks appear again in the back of the CD as guest remixes by different collaborators (Skoyze, Agonoize, Implant and Schattenschlag), but on first blush they don't seem to contribute as much to the overall Beta lustre, and therefore serve to max out the disc capacity. And therefore perfect for your next unbroken spell of doing whatever or driving wherever on your favorite type of rocket fuel, so get ready to settle in for the long haul. Speaking of which, although the label is based in Little Rock, Ark., a clue or two in the liner notes point to the Los Angeles area as Beta's likely habitat, so for God's sake don't piss him off in traffic. Cool body-part photo pastiche artwork, too, courtesy of a design entity named DeadDreamer.

One thing I admire about the Wretch is the evolution of his sound--not just album to album, but track to track. Never one to stay in the same place, the Wretch’s Michael Weeks likes to keep his listeners on their toes. His new release, Ambulatory, is no exception to this. The mood and theme of each song manage to be substantially different, showing the listener a massive array of the influences and interests that helped shape this album.

On this newest release, Weeks takes his listeners on a journey through the darkened, eclectic corridors of the schizotypal mind of the Wretch. Ambulatory’s base sound is an ever-changing mixture of cold, dark drones accented by heavy, spastic beats that sometimes become so intricate and precise they almost dare the listener to call them IDM. The feeling and style of each song is diverse, yet each track manages to feel like part of the whole. Each track is a glimpse in a different facet of a singular troubled mind.

From the foreboding beginning to the somewhat creepy, but almost friendly, end; Ambulatory grabs and holds the listener’s attention, whispering distorted nothings and relentlessly assaulting the unsuspecting cochlea. As only his sophomore release under the Wretch pseudonym, Weeks has managed to reach musical standards most independent artists can only dream of. Ambulatory leaves no doubt in my mind, Michael Weeks/the Wretch is going somewhere, strap in now so you can say, "I told you so," later.

The return Of Habeeb with this disc is a treat, and one I have waited for since his last disc, "Il Cancello Di Morte." This disc could be considered a continuation from the 3", and if that is the case, then it is a continuation into a dismal abyss. "Della Morte" has grown into a much darker beast, and touches less on the light atmosphere heard previously and goes straight for the throat, purely suffocating the listener with solid foundations, dirge-filled drones and sparse but extremely effective texturing. The disc clocks in at just under one hour and the 8 tracks flow seamlessly together, till a sample in the intro of the last track, which takes you away from the depth of this release for a second, but only momentarily and you return to the full and corrosive sounds.