Various Artists - Electronic Body Music vs. Electrostorm Vol. 2

Artist: Various Artists
Title: Electronic Body Music / Electrostorm Vol. 2
Genre: EBM/Electro
Release Date: 30th April 2010 / Date: 21st May 2010
Label: Out Of Line



Introduction

Two compilations out for a while already but still worth to check out, of course. This spring, German label Out Of Line released two compilations, the one titled ‘Electrostorm Vol.2’ and the other simply ‘Electronic Body Music’, which give you a good overview over the label roaster and EBM / Electro in general. And both are available for a special price under 10 Euros! A true bargain! So let’s check out what these compilations have to offer…


Album Review

Let’s start with ‘Electronic Body Music’, a compilation which intends to provide a general idea what EBM is all about. The CD features very old classics from the early 1980s as well as rather new songs by the latest wave of EBM heroes. And the selection is a true pleasure! From FRONT 242’s brilliant ‘Operating Tracks’ (unbelievable twenty-eight years old now!) to TURNBALL ACS’ ‘We Can Drink Without Having Fun’ this collection simply does not disappoint. If you look for Hellectro or the so-called “Industrial” of the modern day, feel free to look elsewhere as you simply won’t find this here. Even the younger bands like SPETSNAZ or NORDAR wave the flag of good old EBM in its traditional form. Old school, baby! Out Of Line deserve a big thumb up for digging out old gems like the wonderful ‘I Want You’ by CABARET VOLTAIRE to save them from oblivion. I was also surprised to see PANKOW featured, an Italian band which was pretty popular in the scene in the early 1990s but which seemed to be forgotten since then. Their humorous song ‘Me And My Ding-Dong’ proves that EBM wasn’t always so deadly serious back then.

One of the weirder new acts is RUMMELSNUFF who combines trashy low-fi Electro with chanty and chanson (sic!). He is featured with ‘Pumper’, a song about bodybuilding (sic! again), in a remix by LEAETHER STRIP, and the result is pure EBM. LEAETHER STRIP itself is also featured with the classic ‘Japanese Bodies’, next to THE KLINIK with ‘Quiet In The Room’, which represents the much darker and apocalyptic side of the genre. Other noteworthy songs are DAF’s ‘Alle gegen Alle’, one of the foundation stones of the EBM genre, ‘Mambo Witch’ by A SPLIT SECOND from 1988, and VOMITO NEGRO and their 2009 version of their own classic ‘Stay Alive’. All in all this carefully selected compilation just feels right, and considering that you should be able to get this CD for about 8 Euros it’s simply a must-have!

The other sampler, ‘Electrostorm Vol. 2’, should be even cheaper than that! Out Of Line’s own online shop offers it for 5,99€, so another true bargain! Unlike ‘Electronic Body Music’ it features Out Of Line artists exclusively, with a focus on recent or upcoming releases. VOMITO NEGRO is the only act which is featured on both compilations, apart from this, ‘ElectrostormVol. 2’ has bands like COMBICHRIST, AGONOIZE or GOD MODULE in its tracklist. With DIE FORM and KIRLIAN CAMERA (featured with the anniversary edit of their classic hit ‘Eclipse’) there are two more long-lasting, pioneering bands on this album. And as usual they offer top quality! This is something I cannot say at all about BLUTENGEL, in my book one of the biggest annoyances in the Goth scene. However, their synth muzak is surprisingly successful but I cannot help but despise them wholeheartedly. And I think everyone should! BLUTENGEL’s Chris Pohl is also featured with his other project TERMINAL CHOICE and the AGONOIZE remix of ‘Keine Macht’. While I usually tend to think that TERMINAL CHOICE is slightly more bearable than BLUTENGEL I have to say that this particular track is in my humble opinion complete bollocks!

Back to good music - and thankfully there’s a lot of it on ‘Electrostorm Vol. 2’. From MARSHEAUX’s lovely female-fronted Synth Pop to LOLA ANGST’s ‘Boulevard Of Broken Hearts’ to the underrated SOLITARY EXPERIMENTS… there’s a lot of good stuff to discover on this compilation. Another big name from this selection is SUICIDE COMMANDO with ‘God Is In the Rain’ from their latest album ‘Implements Of Hell’. This album is one of SUICIDE COMMANDO’s best in years and the featured track just confirms this. A live version of AND ONE’s ‘Stand The Pain’ closes the compilation and adds some fun and party feeling to the selection. In conclusion ‘Electrostorm Vol. 2’ is another great compilation worth having, with lots of good electronic music and just two or three tracks you should better skip when listening to the CD. Considering the bargain price you should make sure to get it as soon as possible!

In direct comparison the ‘Electronic Body Music’ compilation wins the race, though. The sound quality of it may vary a little simply because it features songs from three decades but there are simply no fillers or stinkers. After all I’d advice to get both compilations, if you’re lucky you’ll be able to get them for less than a normal CD price!


Tracklists

Electronic Body Music
01. Front 242 - Operating Tracks
02. Container 90 - Straight Jacket
03. Rummelsnuff - Pumper (Leather Strip Remix)
04. A Split Second - Mambo Witch (Single Cut)
07. Dupont - Run For Protection
08. Vomito Negro - Stay Alive V.2K9
09. Leather Strip - Japanese Bodies
10. The Klinik - Quiet In The Room
13. Pankow - Me and my Ding-Dong
14. NordarR - Craving
15. Pouppee Fabrikk - Symptom (Hard Cut Mix)
16. Signal Aout 42 - My Dream
17. Turnbull AC`s - We can drink without having fun

Electrostorm Vol. 2
01. Chrom - Worst Day
02. Die Form - Voltaic Control System
03. Kirlian Camera - Eclipse – Anniversary (Edit)
04. Marsheaux - Breakthrough
05. Lola Angst - Boulevard Of Broken Hearts
06. Rabia Sorda - Out Of Control
07. Vomito Negro - Blood Sweat and Tears
08. Suicide Commando - God is in The Rain
09. God Module - A Minute To Midnight
10. Solitary Experiments - A Rush of Ecstasy
11. Blutengel - Soultaker
12. Spectra Paris - Carrie Satan (Video Edit)
13. Kriminal Minds - I can`t See you
14. CombiChrist - Can't Change The Beat
15. Agonoize - Objectum Sexuality
16. Terminal Choice  - Keine Macht (Agonoize Mix)
17. And One - Stand The Pain (Live)


Website

http://www.outofline.de/


Cover Pictures




Rating

Electronic Body Music Music: 9 Sound: 8 Extras: [special bargain price] Total: 8.5 / 10

Electrostorm Vol. 2 Music: 8 Sound: 9 Extras: [special bargain price] Total: 8.5 / 10

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