Reflections of Darkness - Music Magazine - Alien Sex Fiend

Details: Written by: Sebastian Huhn; Published: 26 September 2010

Matrix, Bochum, Germany
25th September 2010
Alien Sex Fiend, Dexy Corp_

Another day and another date in Bochum and again it was a completely stylistic change we were facing for it was ALIEN SEX FIEND who were playing at the Matrix club tonight, supported by the French noise bastards of DEXY CORP_.

Dexy Corp_

The first recognized release of that band dates back to the year 2003 with the EP ‘Jigger’ with the band mostly getting known by blusterous live performances with acts such as ALEC EMPIRE or PUNISH YOURSELF building them a good live reputation. In 2008, their debut album by the name of ‘Fragmentation’ dropped and received favourable reviews. Two years later, the next strike on the ears is about to hit with ‘Uchronopolis’ in October. DEXY CORP_ is Krank (vocals, lyrics & artistic concept), Ersatz (bass, keyboards & programming), AbsynthetiK (drums & live machinery) and Noisynism (guitars). http://www.myspace.com/dexycorp

Music & Performance
French DEXY CORP_ came to do the warm-up for ALIEN SEX FIEND. It was questionably however if that would’ve been necessary with the people already being stoked enough but anyway. The guys made a kick start, melding industrial, punk and harsh vocals of vocalist Krank which you could barely catch a word of. Maybe that was a pity but the musical side of the show was well-crafted enough to distract from that little flaw. The composition of lights and shadows, frequently more shadows made for a twilight atmosphere on stage, fitting quite well with the latent darkness in the music. Another aspect, keeping the performance interesting was the acting of the vocalist who one time acted like a zombie, another time screamed like mental into the microphone or stared at the audience with grave mimics.

From a certain point at least a few people in the audience got into it and celebrated with them. The applause afterwards got louder as well. For the last song, Krank decided to jump off the stage and kind of screamed through the audience.

Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 7
Sound: 7
Light: 7
Total: 7 / 10

Alien Sex Fiend

ALIEN SEX FIEND, the project of Nik and Mrs. Fiend which has been brought to live 1982 is for sure a shining appearance within the alternative, particular dark, music scene. Whilst being mostly unknown to a main stream audience, they’ve gained somewhat of a cult status. Part of that can be credited to their very unique style in music. But most of that is definitely due to their absolutely freaky and manic live shows, which nevertheless have a brilliance which is disappearing more and more in today’s live circuit. The last studio album added to the discography is called ‘Deathtrip’ and was released this year. Live, the duo is supported by Dave on guitar. http://www.asf-13thmoon.demon.co.uk/index.html / http://www.myspace.com/aliensexfiend

Music & Performance
Dusty remnants, spider webs with skulls hanging therein, a trash can, grotesque versions of shop window dummies. What’s all that stuff doing on stage? Well, the answer is as clear as the morning sky on a summer’s day: It’s the best environment for the cabinet of curiosities to open up and release the cult formation ALIEN SEX FIEND. I may have forgotten the fog, lots of fog. I think I was even breathing out fog only after the show. But I think I’m talking too much nonsense where I should start with the performance right? So let’s do it. To the minimalist electronic beats of Ms Fiend and the razor sounds of the guitar shape, Nik Fiend entered the stage to ‘Smells Like’. A skinny zombie wandered up and down with one hell of charisma and quite a quirky vocal performance.

Next up followed one of Mrs Fiend’s sonic experiment session before the show continued with the disquieting ‘Manic Depression’, seeing Nik getting a cigarette from one of the nurses at the stage entrance. At some point, I didn’t know when it happened after the third track, Nik was gone, or one with the fog. The suddenly, when ’Coma’ started, he emerged like a ghost out of thin air. The audience at this point had already completely lost their minds to the hypnotizing and compelling performance up there, doing extreme-nodding and dancing. ‘Now I’m Feeling Zombified’ was hardly announced as the echoes from the audience revealed they had been waiting for this a long time and Nik had his fun just as well, dancing around in a very relaxed way. On that song, we finally came to know what the trash can was all about, except being a seat. The cap flew off and Nik was digging up a couple bones that flew into the audience eventually. In the end he spread the entire content on stage, including old newspapers, feet and a few more skulls.

When you were thinking the mood was on a peak now already you were taught better with following ‘Walk The Line’, where the moshing took on extreme forms. ‘So Much To Do So Little Time’ impressed with the cunning sampling and the crowd were given some giant balloons to play around with. For ‘Ignore The Machine’, the ape “nurse” brought a giant banana to Nik and he played around with it, raising loud laughs in front of the stage. It did just look hilarious. Mrs Fiend left her place behind the analogue synths for the following ‘Boneshaker Baby’ to play a little bass and dancing around with her husband. Well, that was already the end…was it? It wasn’t since the ape guy from before and a pig man came on stage, and especially the big guy up there had huge pleasure screaming into the microphone to get the audience screaming for an encore - as if that would’ve been necessary.

We could hardly stop laughing while watching the play. Of course, there was an encore eventually. Sadly only a two piece encore, because the band had to stop due to the party at the club afterwards but that didn’t break the enthusiasm. The closing chapter ‘B.B.F.C’ became an ecstatic celebration and after the show you were just asking yourself what just had happened here. Now, with a little distance, I’d call it a fabulous, creepy, wicked party with a band that hopefully will be with us for a long time to come. Not many of that calibre are left.

Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Sound: 8
Light: 9
Total: 8.9 / 10