In ten years’ time Andreas Davids has established Xotox as the pre-eminent German Powernoise act and amassed an enormous cult following with music he describes as “Industrial for hyperactive people.” I disagree with his assessment as Xotox’s mix of distortion and hard beats aren’t so much hyperactive as they are heavy and, at times, rather moody. The press releases all talk of “catchy melodies” but there’s nary a melody to be found in most of Davids’ work. Sometimes I wonder if the labels and copy writers even bothered to listen to Xotox’s output, or even Andreas himself since there’s little hyperactivity to be found in this act’s mostly mid-tempo offerings.

What Xotox’s music embodies is a simplistic, stripped down version of Industrial where power becomes hypnotic and droning minimalism becomes all you need to get your fix. The music doesn’t introduce a theme and then present variations on that theme over the course of three to five minutes as most purveyors of minimalism put forth. Rather, Xotox presents a rhythmic theme and then beats you over the head with that same theme for three to five minutes without much in the way of variation. It’s certainly not the most imaginative or inspiring music but what it is is cold, hard and powerful electronic complacency designed solely to get you to move.

Xotox was signed to the prolific German label ProNoize in 2002 and has released three influential studio albums since then; 2003’s Lichtlos, 2004’s Die Unruhe and this year’s brilliant In Den Zehn Morgen.

Now, as part of a special USA deal with Vendetta Music American audiences are able to catch up with Xotox through the Best-Of collection titled Hyperactive. Featuring the greatest moments of Davids’ decade-long career including his biggest European club hits along with some great unreleased material this is a collection that will enable you to quickly familiarize yourself with an act and a style that have become quite important to Industrial music.

Beginning with floor-pounder “Eisenkiller,” it becomes evident rather quickly what you’re in for with this collection; static, stomping rhythms and high-end, peripheral noise that doesn’t evoke emotion so much as a mobile madness driving your body into involuntary spasms of [bio] mechanical movement. What’s remarkable is how Davids manipulates each song just enough so as to be almost unnoticeable yet strangely involving. To the uninitiated this music will come across as overly repetitive and pointless exercises in useless noise. Yet many of the tracks here, such as the extremely aggressive “[Xo]Toxic,” the absurdly distorted original version of “Nasse Wande” and “Winterblut,” featuring vocals courtesy of Jan Lehmkamper from X-Fusion, possess a revelatory evolution that may very well pass you by unnoticed on initial spins.

Yes, it can come across as painfully monotonous but if heavy, distorted beats are your thing then owning Hyperactive, as opposed to every other Xotox album, seems like a wise investment. Hell, it’s worth it simply for the impossibly infectious Noisuf-X remix of “Lass Mich” at the end of the collection. Djs in particular should have Hyperactive on hand when they’re spinning for thirsty Industrial crowds.

http://xotox.info/

http://www.vendetta-music.com/PHP/Releasedpage1.php