Title: Mixed Emotions EP
Artist: Cryo
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 22nd November 2007
Label: Progress Productions
Introduction
With his debut album ‘Cryogenic’, CRYO took the hearts of electronic music fans in a storm. The sound was different from the familiar EBM. Old school and fresh at the same time. The project was named “Newcomer of the Year” at the 2007 Scandinavian Alternative Music Awards (SAMA) and the track ‘Does it Hurt’ even appeared on the famous Septic compilation of Dependent Records. But Martin was not lazy and worked hard to bring us a new release in the shape of an EP, containing new tracks, but also some remixes and a cover version.
Members
Martin Rudefelt - Production, Arrangements, Vocals, Lyrics
Website
http://www.cryodome.com/
Track Review
01. My Wall (Club Edit) - 4:29
We start right away with a club edit and the first thing you'll hear is a rhythmical arrangement that seems to be cutting through a wall from another room with its tubby sound, but the vocals are clearly audible but processed with distortion. When Martin starts the chant, the arrangement gets crystal clear, so you can hear every detail. Very minimal during the verses, but then comes a short break and dark and wide synth layers appear as well as a creep alienated voice and a melodic synth line. The melodic elements keep dominating as long as the chorus lasts. But the most important thing about a Club edit is the beat and the beat is straight and demands you to dance.
02. Inhale / Exhale (Original) - 5:32
The track does its title justice and starts with a sample of someone who's breathing very noisy... Inhale.. Exhale, the heavy beat arrangement comes out of nowhere and catches you off-guard with its deep bass effects, while the rest of the arrangement sound rather laid-back if you compare it to the bass. It sounds cool and metallic and there's almost no melody o beak through the cold atmosphere. The remarkable thing here is that Martin manages to build up the tension without the use of too much or even the total lack of melody. The tension is almost exclusively created by his vocals in combination with the minimal arrangements. Most of the time the vocals are clean and sung in lower pitch, but during the words “Inhale / Exhale”, they get angrier and almost sounding like an order.
03. Freedom - 4:31
Freedom is a very precious thing. People fought and died for it, but the times have changed and now everything's about control. A climate of fear was created, so the people are willing to give away essential rights, just to get a deceitful safety. I'd like to quote Benjamin Franklin here who said once: “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety”. This song has a lot more of melody than the previous one. Soon after the song has started melodic synths and textures appear before the beat starts, which is highly danceable again. The vocals sound like a robot was singing , but they are still understandable. In the chorus some keys accompany the robotic vocals that adds another nostalgic touch to the song.
04. Inhale/Exhale (Terror Punk Syndicate RMX) - 3:32
Compared to the original which uses rather minimal arrangements, this remix gives the song a kind of rocking and more rough attitude and woks out a different facet of the song. The beat pushes you forward and the guitar songs and noise mesh-ups create a dark and disturbing feeling. In the second part the noise arrangements leave the major part to some dark strings.
05. My Wall (Original) - 6:22
The original differs a lot from the club edit at the beginning of this EP. Noise is the first thing you'll hear. Strange melodies fading out of nowhere and suddenly a rhythm pattern starts, while the mesh-ups of noises and sounds keep coming. Strange voice samples appear, but you can't understand a thing. One by one and slowly new elements are added, then after a some time passed, a beat kicks in, which gets slowly louder and louder and finally after over 2 minutes Martin's voice breaks through the silence to start the first strophe. The drumming changes, when the chorus begins, where the vocals are distorted and the atmosphere gets even darker.
06. Go to War - 5:56
A song that turns out very melodic again, starting of with dark chorals a bass effect that sounds like thundering and someone who's making an announcement, which I’m not able to understand correctly. After the speech has ended, the chorals getting very low, but are still recognizable and a tubby beat starts, that again sounds like it's cutting through a wall from another room. Then the chant starts, processed with reverberation and echo effects. To accompany the chorus, some melody dabs and low strings are added, soon to be replaced by a minimal drum arrangement and some keys, already familiar from 'Freedom' but used in a different way.
07. Inhale / Exhale (TraKKtor RMX) - 6:24
The second remix of 'Inhale/Exhale' comes from the Swedish project TRAKKTOR who re-modelled the track to a first class EBM stomper perfectly filling all the dance floors. The ambient-like textures that are used provide the track with a creepy and haunting atmosphere. Martin’s vocals were heavily processed with distortion and reverberation effects so it sounds as if they're echoing to your ears from another world. Several noises and retro sounds round off the package.
08. Body to Body (Front 242 Cover) - 3:17
The original is already over 2 decades old and a classic of the Electronic Body Music. Now CRYO present us a reissue of the track and if I wasn't sure this one's from 2007, I could get the feeling of being pushed back into the 80s.Minimal synth arrangements, almost no melody except for some synth layers, which appear now and then and the almost shouting and distorted vocals. Do you need more to dance???
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9
Conclusion
With the new EP, CRYO shows once again that it's also possible to create tension and a great atmosphere with comparatively few means and that it's not necessary to overload the arrangements. Most songs are definitely danceable and I hope some of them get into the clubs and fill the dance floors. This project really deserves more attention. But I’m sure it's just a matter of time and with such tracks like ‘My Wall’ or ‘Freedom’ in the baggage, this should be nothing to worry about.
{jos_sb_discuss:19}
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