by Jurgen BRAECKEVELT | 07.05.2018 |
Colombian, Struck9, storms us with 12 power-EBM tracks of the purest kind with their latest product: Ritual Body Music. Rarely an album title has been presented that covers the content so well. The dynamic, irresistible dance-seducing mix of old and newer EBM influences lasts 12 songs. Mid and up tempo rhythms, sequencing, samplers, laced with synths offer something for every electro head. EBM is not dead, that’s for sure!
‘Ritual Body Music’ immediately urges dancing. Tight rhythm and an infectious melody, nothing more to it but still oh so effective. The characteristic EBM feeling is carefully infused and opens-up completely on the second song, ‘Execute’. Harsh cut old-school EBM albeit that the vocal line makes it sound softer. Halfway through the song, the buttons of electronic timelessness are definitely switched. Towards the end I can even sense a touch of new beat. And where did that style ever arise again….
‘Interconnected’ contains as many styles as are conceivable within the dance-loving electro scene. Old-school was also on the menu, right? ‘Bodytemple’, rough short melodies that attack your body temple with fairly strong punches. And while we are at it, why not one more on top with ‘Zero Day’, although some ingredients from EDM are added.
No matter how simple the rhythms are and how limited the sound spectrum in old school EBM may seem, ‘Kapital’ sounds as hard as it gets! Just like the Ramones stuffed countless CDs with songs built around 10 guitar chords, with endless variation, I have the same feeling here. ‘Resist’ grumbles happily and with ‘No Fracking U.S.A’. we are treated again with a combination of cork-dry EBM with great sounding synths that make their way through the drumming violence. 999MB is carved from different stone and sounds a bit more contemporary. Slightly more polished and braver than the previous tracks but who cares after all we have got already? Ditto for Peace that is more kinda synth-wave / synth-pop is in shape.
We are lead out with two remixes: Autodafeh had a go on ‘Zero Day’ and Atropine made a remix of ‘Execute TX81Z Overkill’.
A varied and balanced album by these Colombians, maybe without real highlights but still very enjoyable and danceable.