Hewn from the lineage of 1980s EBM, Semantix’s “Caustic Motion” EP is a severe lesson in crunchy basslines and relentless beats from start to finish. The Dallas-based producer is known for his specific style of EBM, the kind that provokes head banging and fist swinging, will release his first SYNTHICIDE EP to coincide with the label and party’s tenth anniversary. Caustic Motion begins with “Facelift,” a track that festers in brutality: much like the cogs on a perpetually moving machine, it barrels into the bleak void. “Caustic Motion” writhes in aggression—its bassline a strict, unwavering force—while “Bootlicker” seemingly foams at the mouth, possessed by a debauched fury that cannot be restrained.
Side B begins with “Dopamine” that nods to the EBM genre’s progenitors Front Line Assembly, Leæther Strip and, more recently, the revivalist sounds of Sarin. The track simmers before ricocheting into a cataclysm of barbaric, grinding basslines. The slick agility of rising scene superstar, Alen Skanner, transforms “Dopamine” into a club ready EBM remix that builds and crashes in monumental waves. Finally, Spike Hellis’ remix of “Caustic Motion” pulls back the reins and adds a danceable, electro-tinged groove to the beat. Though it still possesses the chugging rhythm Semantix has coined, the atmospheric noise and running high hats add an icy coolness to the track’s swing.
“Caustic Motion” takes no time for pause—it’s about precision and control. The EP is not for the faint of heart but, in fact, the opposite: those calloused and broken. Those who are searching but have not yet found.
Digital Album
Fiero—the Colombian born, Бишкек-based artist—returns to SYNTHICIDE for his second EP, “Pulse Seductor.” The release will take you back in time, right into the thick of Belgium’s intoxicating mid-to-late 1980s new beat scene. “Wild Desire,” a mighty dance track (akin to the likes of “Acid Rock”’s anthemic melody), delivers punchy snares and a juicy, persistent bassline. While using the iconic “cocaine” sample, Fiero turns up the intensity with “Inhale.” Its rhythm swings and thuds towards the acidic breakdown—this is a track for peak club moments.
The only real difference between Fiero’s productions and the new beat sounds of the 1980s is the use of powerful, hammering kicks that underline the ferocity of his tracks. And “Queen of the Nile” is just that. It utilizes the classic new beat formula with vocal oohs and memorable samples—“You’ll be my slave”—as the accents whip the listener into submission. Finally, “Catching a Bid!” harkens back to the excitement of the Boccaccio dance floor with its daunting kick and overlying metallic bassline. Darlos Zeill’s remix of “Queen of the Nile” reinterprets the track into an EBM-fueled melodic rampage with acid-tinged elements. “Pulse Seductor” fits easily alongside the most evocative of Morton Sherman Bellucci hits—slick and cool, it is a true homage to the vibrant and short-lived scene.
Digital Album
Electronic body music duo from Portland, Oregon.
12″ / Digital Album
For the second round of the SYNTHICIDE split EP series, two projects merge together on a release that combine opposing perspectives on EBM music. Welcome Klack versus Inconscio Viola.
Side A boasts three tracks from the United States duo, Klack. Known for their aggressive and gritty productions (with a release on Berlin’s Detriti Records), Matt Fanale and Eric Oehler offer up bombast basslines and danceable, new beat-tinged compositions. “New Buildings” sets the mood of the split EP with its pure EBM brilliance that retains an old school mentality set to a strict beat, while “Frequency,” with its growling vocals and percussive elements, demand attention: it’s music made for stomping. Finally, the first side closes out with “Bleach White Sky” that hones in on melancholy elements that contain sorrowful synths under bellowing vocals.
Side B features the collaborative project of Italian producers Francesco Baudazzi of Violet Poison/Diana Berti (Veleno Viola) and Andrea Riberti of Unconscious (Detriti, X-IMG) under the moniker Inconscio Viola. “Rabbit on Tuesday” offers an off-kilter, tumbling bassline that is addictive in its unforgiving onslaught. It’s clear that the duo make a sensible pairing with their shared roots in vintage horror movies and nunsploitation film influences—this is especially emphasized with the final track, “The Exorcist III.” With ghostly samples and a slithering bassline, the track snakes between the recognizable aesthetics of both producers.
Digital Album
The term “industrial body funk” cannot be something used lightly—but the self-titled debut EP by Normal Bias is just that. As a collaboration by members of That Which Is Not Said (TWINS/DKA, 2MR) and Multiple Man (DKA, Fleisch), Matt Bias and Chris Normal create a humid, sleek atmosphere of dance music with a pop sensibility. As four tracks that spill over with seductive grooves, Matt’s silky vocals beckon as they slide over EBM-tinged basslines and 80s synth tones.
Normal Bias begins and ends with seduction. “Another Realm” is both mysterious and alluring as it slithers through its funky pulse, while the album’s single, “Embody Control” is charged with a tension found in Matt’s Gahan-esque singing style. The song “Kingdom Come” feels like if A Split-Second turned pop, a lush industrial production that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Finally, “Stuck in the Past” closes the EP with Matt’s croon that envelops both hysteria and melancholy—fitting, it seems, for such a duo who have separately perfected the art of weirdo dance music. And now, as a team, the synergetic productions of Normal Bias provide a distinctive sound we’ve been waiting for all these years.
Digital Album
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