Artist: Manufactura
Title: The Pleasures of the Damned (2001 – 2011)
Genre: Electro / Industrial / Experimental
Release Date: 22nd July 2011
Label: Rustblade
Album Review
Since there has been 10 years since the formation of the MANUFACTURA and this CD is a “best of” with some additions it would be really interesting to start a conversation for the aims and the points of view of the band. The problems that are present in MANUFACTURA are exactly those parameters admired by its fans; the glorification of violence and Bukowski. As for the violence, MANUFACTURA as a typical Aggrotech band adopts a totally unhistorical approach by stating that the violence is an essential part of the human nature thus equalising a petty shop-lifting with war; the violence of the dominated with the one of the dominators. It is violence outside of any political / social / economical context. “Domination delegates the physical violence on which it rests to the dominated” as Adorno wrote in ‘Minima Moralia’. On that point the band remains completely silent. Thus, let us justify all the wars, all the broken windows in the protests, all the murders and all the exercises of militarism as essential parts of the human nature.
As far it goes regarding Bukowski, a second-rate poet, who has gained posthumously a lot of reputation and influence among the restless American poets, the failure is of a different kind. It is true that Bukowski had tried to show the ugly part of the human soul and to transform it to something beautiful and acceptable. Yet all his clones failed to see the lyricism that exists in his poems and how he actually bent it with the saddest parts of human life. Karloz M for the most part of this CD adopts the easiest point of view, the one of journalistic reality, which at the end is not a reality at all. It is a pseudo-construction that is aiding the Tea Party to organise its crusades of morality against the “inhuman” and “demoralised” aspects of life. It is the reality of Fox News, of Sarah Palin, of the Creationists and their likes. His lyrics ooze not from a militaristic point of view but from something else; that we need more police measures and techniques to save us from the evil within.
I also don’t like the easiness that these moral characterisations are thrown left and right; since when Karloz M or anyone actually is a being outside of this world, godlike, who can define what the human nature is? If it has a meaning to discuss about human nature at all. Do we have to trust the words of God, a par excellence fictitious hero of literature on that? Why not then to trust Aesop’s fables? Not to mention that this “fallen” version of human nature is in line with the Christian religion, a religion extremely reactionary on that among many other points. And if you think that these are details I believe that are essential issues to be answered. As for the songs themselves here, most of them are older releases which the fans already know. The songs that stand out are the unreleased ones and the remixes which are the cherry on the pie in order to buy the CD. The music of MANUFACTURA, truth be told, is quite diverse and extremely interesting and musically speaking Karlos M is pushing the boundaries of Industrial by incorporating a David Lynch vision in the music sheets of his computer.
My absolute favourite was ‘The Saint Of Violence’ in which the music has a sad tone between electro and dark ambient which balances its theme. Another one was certainly ‘Deep Water’ as it was mixed by OPHELIA’S DESCENT with its more industrial tone and the Scintilla’s voice offers an at times eerie and melodic approach to the song. ‘Killing You’ is one of the most danceable and hardcore songs to be found here and ‘Divine Discontent’ appeals through its dark wave / noise aesthetics. As it is easily understood, this album left me with mixed feelings. If the only thing you care about is to jump to the dance floor without paying any attention to the songs surely you’ll find plenty of songs that will do it for you. Admittedly it is a cool chance to find out more about MANUFACTURA.
Tracklist
01. Killing You – 5:08
02. Deep Waters ( Ophelia’s Descent Mix) – 5:31
03. Forever Darkness – 7:37
04. Cut By Loving Hands – 5:25
05. Defile The Chastity Of Your Flesh – 4:32
06. Vanishing In The Night (Unreleased) – 5:29
07. Open For Pleasure – 6:02
08. Muerto De Miedo (Absolute Condemnation Mix) – 4:24
09. The Divine Discontent – 4:34
10. The Whore’s Lullaby – 6:02
11. Sex and Suicide (Leaving Scars) – 5:45
12. Die For Me – 6:42
13. The Saint Of Violence (Unreleased) – 5:05
Line-up
Karloz M.
Websites
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Manufactura/174623146946 / http://www.crunchpod.com/artists/manufactura/
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 6
Sound: 8
Total: 7 / 10
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