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Title: Dependence 2010
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 26th March 2010
Label: Dependent Records



Album Review

I've always been one to be very fond of the idea to present an overview of current and upcoming stuff of a label's roster and Dependent's 'Dependence' series has always been quite rightly a critic's favourite. I'm glad now that the revived label has decided to continue with that compilation as well. 'Dependence 2010' is the newest offspring and already the tracklist looks very promising, so let's delve right into it and cut the introduction here.

Most compilations keep their real highlights for the last few tracks but this one puts one at the pole position with the EDGE OF DAWN track 'Beyond The Gate' as a remix. The very poppy offering still demands your attention and the interplay of guest singer Reagan Jones and Frank Spinath caters for a successful surprise already at the beginning. Second one is the Australian project SYSTEM SYN with 'The Inconvenient', a little glimpse on the upcoming album 'The Strangers'. Beats with a fair punch underline a well-crafted track whose most striking attribute is the voice of front man Clint Carney. VELVET ACID CHRIST's 'Caustic Disco' has been beefed up a little by our friends of MINDLESS FAITH, mainly the beat section, which is giving the track a better groundwork to unfold than the original one could offer. Besides 'Istatue' on their Myspace, 'Nemesis' is the first life sign of Swedish artist collective INTERLACE since 'Imago' conquered ears in 2004 and what a life sign it is. The beats kick in with brutal force while the furious delivery of Oscar Wilkenson and the dim melodies bore anxiety.

I'm sincerely asking myself when there's going to be a new album. Can it really take that long? From the big question mark we come to one big surprise with CLICKS and 'Again And Again (And Again Mix)', a creaking, edgy creation that could however work well in the clubs even though it doesn't surrender to this culture's often deadlocked thinking of how a neat club track has to sound. A premier comes with the first ever German MIND.IN.A.BOX song 'Vergib Dir' going completely without cheesy phrases as is happening quite often when that language is used. DISMANTLED is dead, long live DISMANTLED! Gary Zon resurrects one of my favourite electronic projects to bring us 'The Whore Inside Me', a relentless piece of music almost without any melodic undercurrent. If that's going to be the marching root for the next album you better prepare yourself for a harsh storm. I can still remember of how amazed I was by the first FRACTURED release on Dependent 'Only Human Remains' in 2005. Ever since, the project of Nick Gorman has gone through many sonic and personnel metamorphoses!

'Disengage' hopefully won't remain the only track to be released on CD in the not too distant future as it's a mind-blowing piece of elaborate electronic music easily able to compete with big names of the genre. The fellow countrymen of ENCEPHALON are among those musical pearls that however still carve out a niche existence for their refusal of swimming with the main stream. If you listen to one of their songs, feel the raw and unpolished emotional content contained within the lyrics and vocals, as well as the detailed structuring they come up with every time you can only shake your head about that fact. 'The Killing Horizon' is another revelation and shouldn't be missed. I'm concluding with the horror scenario that is 'As One With The Flies' by PSYCLON NINE. You're always waiting for an eruption that it never comes while at the same time the tension builds up to a painful extend.

It's rare that you have a compilation where you could write something about every song due to the overall high quality. 'Dependence 2010' is among those few and thus is given an unfettered recommendation to buy. Also it made me realize that I'm going to spend a shitload of money soon if the albums are going to be as good as the tracks on here promise.


Tracklist

01. Edge Of Dawn / Beyond The Gate (Remix) - 4:43
02. System Syn / The Inconvenient - 3:59
03. Velvet Acid Christ / Caustic Disco (Mindless Faith Remix) - 5:15
04. Interlace / Nemesis - 4:09
05. Clicks / Again And Again (And Again Mix) - 4:42
06. Informatik / Don´t Be Afraid (Alone In The Dark Mix) - 5:05
07. Mind.in.a.Box / Vergib dir - 4:03
08. Dismantled / The Whore Inside Me - 3:17
09. Claire Voyant / Shine - 6:20
10. Fractured / Disengage - 4:59
11. Mesh / Everything I Made - 5:15
12. Ego Likeness / Inferno (Hotter Than Hell Mix by Komor Kommando) - 5:03
13. KiloWatts & Vanek / In The Blue - 4:25
14. Encephalon / The Killing Horizon - 4:57
15. Psyclon Nine / As One With The Flies - 3:45
16. Mindless Faith / Bullet (Retribution Mix) - 5:55


Website

http://www.dependent.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/dependentrecords


Cover Picture




Rating


Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9 / 10


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