CD Review: [:SITD:] – Icon:Koru

Written by Sebastian Huhn Saturday, 19 November 2011 12:43

Artist: [:SITD:]
Title: Icon:Koru
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 18th November 2011
Label: Accession Records

Album Review

With 'Icon:Koru' you can see the two [:SITD:] guys escape the rigid constraints that naturally come once you're going for a strict conceptual approach. The band told us the title must be seen as a visual impersonation of the music. Visual also is the best term to approach the album's opening 'Extrajudicial Punishment'. The spherical build of it evokes pictures of mystical realms and the pounding percussions add a slight ritual note. The intro fluently segues into 'Code:Red' which holds the trademark club rhythms in down-tempo. A means to an end actually as it intensifies the moods build up on the other hand. It's like those beats beat you up and are a visual counterpart to the lyrical content. The second track 'Periculaer' (Richtfest II) can be seen as the second part of a psychological study with the main subject: Abysms of the human soul. The individual here is performing horrible acts on their victim and as a final act releases them from life. Free at last. The good thing is that this kind of scum eventually gets caught...mostly.

'It's easy for you to say afterwards, but actually you're able to hear whose turn it is on 'Beacon Of Hope'. An oppressing atmosphere takes hold and you're suddenly find yourself standing somewhere at a cliff in the middle of a pitch black night. A symbol for the end of all hope. The last way out being that to jump off and leaving it all behind. Just seconds before you're about to make your final step there's a light shining over to you from afar...'Atemlos' is kind of like the dark side of the moon. Contrary to the previous track it leaves no room for a ray of light. Despair is all that is left. The protagonist prays for a way out which never comes. Some people aren't meant to be happy. They walk through life being dead on the inside and they've learned how to conceal that fact very well. For this track, [:SITD:] chose to apply heavy distortion on Carsten's vocals to make the desperation almost palpable. 'Dystopie' is even more relentless in its way of using distortion and couples it to these harsh beats that don't even have to be fast-paced to be perceived as such. This track is going to leave you as disturbed as it can be.

'Dark Defender' takes on the part of the electronic playground. On this one the duo's experimenting a lot with noise elements with decaying beats and piercing mechanical screams. 'Is there someone to watch over me?' is a central question of the penultimate track 'Sonic Barrier'. The entirety of the lyrics seems to be addressed to a higher entity. Something that holds the answer to the question for the meaning of life. Personally I think there's no such thing as a general meaning of life. In the end it is up to you to find your personal one. Some may never find it though. Others will know theirs instinctively. Last but not least there's the instrumental 'Zephyr' guiding you out of the album's world smoothly. It is more of a collage of sound meant to recreate a specific moment underscored with emotive strings.

With the new album the band has gone back while keeping their eyes fixed on today and what's to come. They're focusing on their strength to create multi-dimensional if not to complex tracks with thought-provoking lyrics which result in some of the best tracks they've produced recently. If you're amongst the band's die-hards there's also a collector's box holding additional material such as updated tracks, remixes and rare classics. All this is packaged in a solid cardboard box. If you want to get one of these I suggest you hurry up.


Tracklist

01. Extrajudicial Punishment
02. Code:Red
03. Periculär (Richtfest II)
04. State Of Tyranny
05. Beacon Of Hope
06. Atemlos
07. Dystopie
08. Dark Defender
09. Tarnfarbe
10. Sonic Barrier
11. Zephyr


Line-Up

Carsten Jacek
Tom Lesczenski


Website

www.sitd.de


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9 / 10