Title: Loudspeaker
Band: Destroid
Genre: Electro
Release Date: 26th October 2007
Label: Scanner/Dark Dimensions
Introduction
DESTROID is a project of Daniel Myer, who is also well-known for his other projects HAUJOBB and ARCHITECT. With their first album 'Future Prophecies' released in 2004, they already gathered much attention by the press as well as from the fans of electronic music. Their second album, which is called 'Loudspeaker’, was just released on 26th October 2007.
Members
Daniel Myer - vocals, production, programming
Rinaldo 'Ribi' Bite - vocals, live-keyboard, sampling
Sebastian Ullmann - production, live-keyboard, programming
Website
http://www.destroid.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/destroidmusic
Track Review
01. Let me leave - 7:05
At first it's only a beat...distorted and grumbling like an earthquake. As the song goes on a wistful string appears and the beats are getting more numerous and cleaner and you suddenly hear a voice saying “When you grow up...your heart dies” a sad conclusion and also are the lyrics. Lines like “I have lost all my hope” making that crystal clear. The song is traversed by sadness. I think this song deals with a person who isn't able to let go of someone very special and he thinks it would mean that this person would totally disappear.
“Did you forget
If I let you go
If I disappear… tonight
I’m looking for the door
That leads to goodbye
I am forever gone
Retiring from this life”
02. Bird of Prey - 5:35
A Bird of Prey normally is a real bird but I guess it can also appear in the shape of a human person, that has chosen you to be the prey and it slowly takes away all you love to strengthen the pain and when you're down on the ground and beg to be relieved, he makes your suffering eternal by keeping you alive. 'Bird of Prey' is a rather straight song. It starts out with a synth line and some layers in the background followed shortly by a sample which replaces the melody from the beginning and after a few seconds the beats. Daniel’s vocals are lightly processed with an effect. The chorus is filled up with different and mostly a little bit distorted sounds.
03. Revolution - 5:09
“We start a revolution today, early in the morning”. When every other mean is failing then the last act of desperation is to start a revolution. Sometimes it really is the only way to change something in world where everyone seems to be corrupt and only follows its own interests. This always causes pain but maybe something better will rise out of the ashes of the old: The song goes straight forward with it's demanding beats and surely is a great pleaser at live shows but first you'll here a sample as introduction processed with distortion before you hear the a grumbling rhythm that appear s and after a while fades into the before mentioned beats. Regardless of the straight beats there's lots of sounds to discover but listen for yourself.
04. Run and Hide (Edit) - 3:08
Some sequencer sounds and a voice that sounds as if it comes out of a hallway processed with some reverberation effects asks “Do you want to die?” is all you hear at the beginning but then the beat joins in which sounds kind of old-school this time. Some layers are added and then Daniel's voice appears on the scene. The effects on the vocals are pretty cool because it sounds distorted and at the same time clean. In the chorus some dark wide synth layers appear and the chant gets more powerful.
05. Forever - 5:19
When listening to this song I sometimes have the image of scenery in my mind where a person is about to die and when the memories of his past life run through his mind before they slowly fade away he tries to keep the images but it's no use. No matter how hard he tries he can't keep them. Also a very straight song 'Forever' again starts with a sample from a movie accompanied by what sounds like some piano tunes to me followed by some sounds that sound like pads and then strings join in. Laid-back drums and a distorted rhythm sample appear. After about a minute the 'real' song starts immediately with the chant which is always clean but there are some different layers where the vocals sound chopped up for example. Certain wistfulness always resonates within the song.
06. Only a Vision - 4:38
The person you loved is all gone but you can't let go. Her voice is still in your mind and when you come home you expect her to be there but everything is quiet and deserted...no one is there except of you. You loose yourself in memories and pretend that she's still there just to bring back the feeling that you always had when she was there ...when she touched you. But is this really a solution or are you just running away from reality??? A gunshot starts the song and somewhere in the distance you can hear the wind blow ...the atmosphere gets more dens and a spooky voice appears before some distorted rhythm starts. A few seconds later the chant starts after the first lines a massive beat gets audible.
07. Friend or Foe (The Betrayal) - 4:02
White noise serves as an introduction here and sometimes I could swear that I heard voices coming out of it. Well that could also be imagination. Then the noise just disappears and gives way to the rhythm patterns before the beat kicks in. Speaking of the beat… it sounds a little bit as though it's coming off a house track. After the chorus which is spiked with some cool effects has ended a short instrumental part dominated by some dark and wide synth layers starts. I really love this part of the track because of its atmosphere.
08. Bittersweet Fate - 4:09
With ‘Bittersweet Fate’ the guys of DESTROID created a wonderful ballad in which Daniel’s voice is accompanied by gentle guitar sounds only at first. Later also beautiful strings are added and you get the feeling to be carried away by this carpet of sounds. But a destructive element has also been integrated in this shape of some noises which sounds a little bit unusual, when you listen to it for the first time. Before the second chorus even begins, a choral is added to the before mentioned strings and adds another spherical and solemn note to the song.
09. Moral - 4:56
Now it's getting a little bit rougher even if it doesn’t seem like this at first… After a quite calm intro with a sample and some bleeping sounds, the beats kick in and you hear all kinds of sounds. You'll hear chorals appear just for a second and you’ll also recognize different melodic synth layers as well as distorted vocal parts which make the song sound very aggressive. This is a song that demands the full concentration of the listener.
10. As the World turns - 5:15
This song is a little bit snazzier. At first we hear the wind blowing and another weird noise that sounds like a death-rattle. Then a synth line appears that lets you divine that it gets faster now but those sound still don't disappears and a short sample and the beat starts. What catches ones ear immediately is the much layered sound of the drums. A signal noise is always present in the background and a distortion filter is laid upon the vocals. You can also hear orchestral elements appearing every now and then.
11. Open my Eyes - 4:16
The song starts right away without an introduction with the beats and the chant. Even though the lyrics don't sound like that but the arrangement sounds far less dark than in the other songs. Instead of that there's melancholy wafting through the song. The drum patterns sound pretty good to me and the guitar fits perfectly to the analogue sounds used in the chorus and give it a certain retro feeling.
12. Cover your Ears - 4:11
“Cover your ears I will tell you the truth”. That is something we do very often. We cover our ears because we don't want to hear the truth. Maybe it's some kind of self-defence mechanism. Maybe we are just ignorant and want to live on in our small cosy world and block everything out that doesn't match our perspective of the world. Musically this song is one of my favourites because of its arrangements, the noisy beats and small glitches. The chorals that appear that give it an even darker and more haunting atmosphere. Simply awesome! Just listen to it on your headphones, you might be surprised.
13. Ruins (Edit) - 3:45
The new technology is a blessing and simultaneously a curse. We are able to get in contact with people on the other side of the planet and we solve crimes with the help of them. But the other side of the medal is that we meanwhile depending on computers. Don't get me wrong computers can do wonderful things but we also have to learn the risks of this technology. We are giving tons of data away every time we use the internet and give big corporations the chance to collect that date and to create profiles from us. If computers would cease to exist tomorrow our whole world would lie in ruins. The arrangement of 'Ruins' is rather straight but filled with lots of effects and sounds to discover. This special vocal processing is also included again. Distorted but clear. I really love that.
14. Mourn - 5:18
It's raining...and through the rain wafts the sound of a bagpipe. The rain is getting harder and now there's also a thunderstorm audible in the distance and a cold wind blows .Then beats start to appear and this soundscapes fade away slowly but the bagpipe sound stays when Daniel starts the chant and accompanies him to the chorus, where minor strings are added to intensify the atmosphere even more. In the chorus you can also recognize a second vocal line if you listen closely. With it's robot like sound it stands in contradistinction to the clean vocal parts.
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9
Conclusion
Everybody gets his/her money worth with this album. Fans of ballads or calmer songs will be pleased by songs like the very sad opener 'Let me leave', 'Bittersweet fate or 'Mourn'. The ones who need something faster and club-driven should risk an ear on 'Revolution' or 'As the world turns'. The whole new element “The Guitar” fits perfectly into the sound, which is not always the case when someone tries to integrate guitars in an electronic sound, but fortunately it worked out here. 'Loudspeaker' has become an album which will be loved by all those that love multi-layered and diverse electronic music.
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