by Ján Peter Háber | 01.03.2021
11Grams is an Australian-American duo who make dark alternative electronic music. For the first time, Simeon Fitzpatrick from the USA and Rob Early from Australia applied for a word on the scene in 2017 with the release of several singles and their debut album Panacea. This one was followed after three years by a recording called Humanicide. Prepare to attack from a cyborg, under whose plates a human skull is hidden. A good dose of raw nihilistic beats awaits you. Sometimes they will just slightly rock you, other times they will make you dance really hard. The rich bass sound sounds disturbing and urgent. He takes a solid portion of reverb from retro synth wave and in some places also bass lines. This album can be interesting for fans of cyberpunk, action comics or, of course, postage. The melodies sound simple from the beginning, but their structure is twisted with each new listen under the skin. Over time, it can cause addiction, but the listener certainly enjoys this possibility. The destruction of the human race and its replacement by machines is to take place with the help of collective dancing. The second album 11grams is a concept album. The story is largely inspired foremost by the cult movie Terminator. It is nothing new, original or revolutionary, but on the other hand we almost all like that. In lyrics and music, it will also come to other delicacies of meanings and hidden references. Through them, musicians reflect some of the problems of today’s world. These subtle hints, hidden beneath tons of rattling iron and melodic synthetic lines, will reveal only a truly receptive listener. They are hidden not only metaphorically in the lyrics, but also in the music. I don’t want to ruin anyone’s experience from their discovery and therefore I will not write them here. You will really enjoy that catharsis. More than EBM on the album you can hear elements of industrial techno or more commercial genres of dance electronics. However, there are also present dark smears and the real apocalyptic atmosphere. There can be feel the effects of drum´n´bass in places, or goa trance. Elsewhere you hear a modern futurepop. The first guest on the album is Roy Retrofit from Red This Ever (also responsible for the last remix). His rapped lyrics in the song Survival pleasantly enlivens the whole recording. It’s a pity that the song is not at least a little longer. Alica May in Weaponized, Rebekah Feng in Transformation Process and Sarah Myers in Infestation-C have soothing vocals. The work of destruction will be completed in about 36 minutes in nine original compositions. The album is complemented by 5 more remixes. These extend the footage of the record for almost an hour. In addition to big names like Psy´Aviah, Sebastian Kommor and Leaether Strip, there are also remixes from C1TZN.X and from the already mentioned Red This Ever. In their remix Infestation-C (Red This Ever RMX), the attentive listener will certainly notice a slightly slowed-down melody from VNV Nation from their hit Perpetual. Remixes traditionally move songs in their own direction beyond the sound of the originals. With this sound-innovative band, it is a return to waters that are familiar to genre listeners. They offer a futuristic look into the post-apocalyptic era. Then everyone remembers their own individual chapters of extinction. And since there are never enough remixes, three singles were released for the album (as well as last time) with other remixes. They are available on a 11cgram bandcamp. For fans of all mentioned music genres and trends, this album will certainly be a pleasant companion. At first glance, it may seem a little constrained. It requires the listener’s attention. And then it’s a ride you will take again and again. You don’t even have to know why, the destruction of the human race in the submission of this Australian-American duo 11grams really offers a lot of fun.