CD Review: Pain Machinery, The - Auto Surveillance

Written by Ray Dunkle Friday, 27 May 2011 10:19

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Artist: The Pain Machinery
Title: Auto Surveillance
Genre: EBM / New Beat / Acid House
Release Date: 17th March 2011
Label: Complete Control Productions

Album Review

When it comes to THE PAIN MACHINERY and its creator Anders Karlsonn one might expect to hear old school EBM, like THE KLINIK, FRONT 242 and the like. What one will find is rather interesting approaches and fusions of different styles, from Punk and Minimal Electronics, to samplings, Acid House and EBM to name just a few. And this CD is a reminder of the power their music has, not only to make you dance but also to inspire other artists as well. ‘Auto Surveillance’ in reality is the sum of 3 CD Singles plus two bonus tracks, ‘Twilight’ and ‘Exit Strategy’ (which will not be included in their forthcoming album). Both of them are a reminder what this band can accomplish; they have a great modern EBM feeling and at the same time they are not that far away from their roots and inspirations. Which only means... jump into the dance-floor and dance!

But when it comes to remixes I’m not always keen on them. In this album though they have their good moments, and they are many, at times I was thinking that it is some kind of professional jargon enjoyable only by their peers. I think that the ‘Hard Cash’ is the most successfully remixed song by the help of Ted Barley, the NECRO FACILITY, the TESTAROSSA and the RAGGED BONES with the latter offering a rockabilly and striking version of it (Tarantino might love to put it in a movie!). Like or dislike the band the only thing that is certain, when it comes to their music, is that one cannot characterise it as stale. THE PAIN MACHINERY has chosen to follow their own path throughout the EBM scene and if need be to create it from the scratch.


Tracklist

01. Hard Cash (12” Mix feat. Ted Barley) – 5:11
02. Armed! (Jouni Ollila Remix) – 3:36
03. Grinder – (Ted’s Acid Mix) – 3:42
04. Twilight – 4:33
05. Armed! (The Weatherman Remix) – 3:54
06. Hard Cash (Severe Illusion Sober Mono Mix) – 3:18
07. Grinder (12” Mix) – 4:28
08. Hard Cash (Necro Facility Remix) – 7:07
09. Armed... to the Teeth! – 3:51
10. Exit Strategy – 7:14
11. Hard Cash (Testarossa Remix) – 6:53
12. Grinder (Mix 2) – 4:15
13. Hard Cash (Sebastian Rivas Acid Rave Remix) – 5:10
14. Hard cash (Performed by Ragged Bones) – 2:43


Line-up

Anders Karlsson - Machinery
Jonas Hedberg - Vocals


Websites

http://www.thepainmachinery.com / https://www.facebook.com/thepainmachinery


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 8
Sound: 10
Total: 9 / 10