A few days ago, I received the latest promo package from Crunch Pod Media (Website / Myspace) (to be reviewed for another web publication). I’ve been listening to it through out the weekend, and I have some mixed feelings…
I’ve been following Crunch Pod for a while, and remember getting some of their early “Dark Pathways” compilations for free with several mail orders. In those days, there was a very large mix of music on the label that didn’t seem that accessible to the uninitiated. But Crunch Pod has slowly grown into an impressive music distro and label. Their artists are in a constant state of non-stop touring, and arguably don’t need a label to promote them.
The Crunch Pod sound has also seen slight tweaking over the years. If I had to describe to someone what their “brand” sounds like, I’d describe it as “noisey party music.” This isn’t necessarily a value judgment, but more of a qualifier of their club-friendly stompy sound.
A good example of this is Uberbyte’s debut album “Sic”. If you want a comparative description of what the album sounds like, it’s somewhere between Combichrist and Cervello Elettronico. All the tracks are geared towards club play, so if you listen to them individually they sound great, but listening to the album as a whole gets a bit boring. However, this album can be really fun at loud decibel levels when you’re slightly intoxicated.
The other offering from Crunch Pod is a new album from stalwart Manufactura. This is the first album that’s caught my eye since his “Presence: Into the Here and Now.” This album strictly focuses on delivering harsh 4-on-the-floor over compressed beats. If you want an album for channeling your pissed-off-anguish/anxiety-in-face-of-this-shitty-life feelings, listen to this album at a high volume. And as an added bonus, the companion disc that comes with this album includes refined versions of Manufactura classics such as “Pain Provider,” “Dance of Blood,” and “Stoned Death.” This is definitely an album worth buying; hopeful a tour will follow (none have happened since the infamous knife-incident in Florida).
Keep your eyes open for a few more Crunch Pod releases within the next few months. Like the follow up album to Alter Der Ruine’s “State of Ruin” (much anticipated by Christopher). An offering from Ben Arp’s latest non-vocal side-project Captive Six. The newest fruition of Matt Fanale’s campy-raunch known as Caustic. And also the debut from Australian female-noise newcomer Bitch Brigade.
