Artist: Neotek
Title: Brain Over Muscle (Re-Release)
Genre: EBM / Industrial / Electro-Synth
Release Date: 18th February 2011
Label: Black Rain
Album Review
NEOTEK is a Danish synth band that originates from Copenhagen. Their history goes back to 1985 with different band names but they originated in 1995 as NEOTEK. Their past releases have included ‘Brain Over Muscle’ (Album CD, 1995), ‘Brain Over Muscle’ (Deluxe Edition, Album 2CD, 2005), ‘Mind Over Matter’ (EP CD, 2005) and ‘Sex, Murder & Rock’n’Roll’ (Album CD 2009). The musical influences in their new CD release, ‘Brain Over Muscle’ seem to be varied between EBM, Industrial, Gothic / Darkwave music. Their music always seems to be open, creative and very experimental. ‘ Brain Over Muscle’ is a re-released and re-mastered album from 1995. Some tracks on this album (‘Pink Noise’, ‘Rhythm Machine’, ‘Brain Over Muscle’) are longer and reconstructed versions then the original tracks.
This is not a group for the week minded. Every single one of their songs is like mental gymnastics to the 10th degree. They seem to really enjoy their experimentations like mad scientists gone crazy with synthesizers and drum beats. The first track, ‘Mind Travelling’ feels like a journey into sound and a warped type of reality. It has driving and fast beats that reflect the speed of the song. In the middle of the song it starts to change into something new with a few new sounds and beats. This song forces the mind to listen to all the different sounds and keep track of everything that is taking place. The next track ‘Pink Noise’ is darker with the typical type of dark synth that is uniquely Scandinavian in origin. It starts out as a line of sound then beats come in that get more complicated as they carry through the song. A quarter way through there is some sampling of cursing voices singing about a dark climate and the sea. The funny thing about this song is that it ends with a slower beat.
The track ‘Rhythm Machine’ includes a lot of sampled computerized voices repeating the words “Rhythm Machine” with other beats around it. ‘ Tear My Mind Apart’ starts out really strangely then includes dark Gothic voices with lyrics that are equally dark and deep. The song itself is slower then the previous songs but nice to sit back and listen to. I don't think the title matches the theme of the song. The track ‘Suicide’ picks up the beat again and tells you to pick up your mind and put it into your dark soul. That sounds good to me! The great synthetic rhythms of the song are really creative because of the way the beats bounce around glorifying the romance of suicidal tendencies. ‘Countdown’ is quite different and seems much fresher and enlightening then the previous songs. A refreshment of sorts with clean synthesizer sounds bouncing around in unison and continuing to a pre-designated goal. It feels like a theme song for a cruise through space. It is so precise in its melody and not as dark as the previous songs.
The track ‘Neotek 52’ is more exciting with a clanging beat starting out with lots of sampled voices from obvious sci-fi origins, maybe sci-fi B movies. I even heard a few ray gun samplings. The next track ‘Silence’ is dark again with more interesting and experimental beats while ‘The Dawn’ is a little more positive and fun with beats that kind of roll around over themselves and the song itself is very danceable. The next track, ‘Mind Travelling Part 2’, it like a continuation of the first song almost but different. It is like their continuing where they left off from the previous story/song. The Track ‘Brain Over Muscle’ is very different then their previous songs. It starts out with tough beats then goes into faster clean beats then gets more aggressive as it continues. They are trying to show their muscle as a band in this song. Their are samplings and obvious militant influences almost like a war is being planned then executed music wise. The last song, ‘Village’, is different then the previous song and starts out slow then speeds up. Their is a soft sound of a drum beat in the distance with synthesizers complimenting this throughout the song.
Their lyrics are really well developed for the speed of their songs. Many similar groups that I have heard tend not to put so much of an effort into their lyrics when their songs are so fast. NEOTEK does a good job with keeping both the lyrics and sound in tune. Their music is very danceable at the pace it runs at which can be faster then the speed of light.
Tracklist
01. Mind Travelling
02. Pink Noise (Full Length)
03. Rhythm Machine (Full Length)
04. Tear My Mind Apart
05. Suicide
06. Countdown
07. Neotek 52
08. Silence
09. The Dawn (Original Edit)
10. Mind Travelling P2
11. Brain Over Muscle (Reconstructed)
12. Village
Line-up
Jacob Neis - Vocals, Producer, Visuals
Jens B. Petersen - Lyrics, Management, Live keys
Henrik Jensen - Vocals, Programmer, Video
Websites
http://www.blackrain.de / http://www.neotek.dk / http://www.myspace.com/neotek
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 8 / 10
Comments powered by CComment