Title: Death to Analog
Artist: Julien-K
Genre: Synth Rock, Industrial Rock
Release Date: 5th March 2010
Label: Tiefdruck Musik
Album Review
JULIEN-K originally started as a side project of Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck from ORGY and a bit later the line-up was expanded with the addition of Brandon Belsky and Elias Andra. The band has lent tracks to several videogames and the song ‘Technical Difficulties’ from its debut album ‘Death to Analog’ was even featured in the movie ‘Transformers’. That’s why it was rather interesting for me to listen to the CD and to assess it.
Actually, the first song seemed to be very promising yet in the beginning the sound was too flat and a bit dreary. But the chorus with its stern industrial supplements which reminded me of early works of OOMPH!, definitely put everything into place and allowed to appreciate the composition at its true value. The track fades just when you start to enjoy it and the next song attacks your ears but this time the attack is not too aggressive and the music flows more or less calmly and evenly without any rocks which could make it peculiar. The album proceeds providing more interesting material and you begin to slowly plunge into its spell. ‘Kick the Bass’ bears a shade of slight gloom and creates an imponderable atmosphere of some aloofness when the melody comes out of darkness and almost immediately disappears leaving a listener perplexed.
‘Technical Difficulties’ and ‘Systeme de Sexe’ completely prove their titles and I understand why the first one of them was used as a soundtrack for the film mentioned before: monotonous mere electronic sounds produce an impression of artificiality and bring up an association with robots while the latter composition is more cheerful and vivid but not too original and quite tedious. Fortunately there’s no trace of monotony on the next songs namely ‘Maestro’, ‘Forever’ and ‘Spiral’ which please with their tunefulness and shroud you in steel mist that is only dispersed with the first beats of measured, relentless drums of the composition ‘Nvr Say Nvr’.
As we approach to the end of the album the tracks are getting simpler, sadder and more plaintive but this mood is an excellent one to finish the whole CD yet the last piece entitled ‘Futura’ is still powerful and energetic. Thus JULIEN-K’s work is intricate and multilayer and it contains diverse material so almost everyone will find songs suiting his or her taste.
Tracklist
01. Death to Analog – 5:15
02. Someday Soon – 4:12
03. Kick the Bass – 3:42
04. Technical Difficulties – 4:20
05. Systeme de Sexe – 5:26
06. Maestro – 3:30
07. Forever – 4:29
08. Spiral – 3:22
09. Nvr Say Nvr – 4:01
10. Dystopian Girl – 5:01
11. Look at U – 3:47
12. Stranded – 3:57
13. Disease – 3:56
14. Futura (DTA Mix) – 4:29
Line-up
Ryan Shuck – Vocals, Lead Guitar
Amir Derakh – Guitar, Backing Vocals, Keyboards
Brandon Belsky – Bass, Backing Vocals, Keyboards
Elias Andra – Drums, Percussion
Website
http://www.julien-k.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/julienk
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9/10
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