It’s the marketing campaign behind Full Spectrum Dominance, out on Tympanik Audio, that both irritates and appeals to me. I mean, it’s clever and well played even though it’s totally ludicrous. And now Thrussel’s even managed to get Side-Line in on the whole thing.

Some background (in case you skipped the review): in essence, DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), a shadowy government organization, commissioned Thrussell to “produce a recording that reflects the ideals and reality of Vision 2020, a futuristic military strategy program.” DARPA granted him a sizable budget and gave him access to defense installations and personnel the world over in an effort to utilize field recordings and the sounds of sensitive hardware and technology in an effort to weave together a soundtrack reflecting the aims of an undercover Skynet-like organization.

Y’know, puuure bullshit.

DARPA itself is not bullshit. It’s actually a pretty frightening organization. But the rest of it? C’mon. I’ll give Thrussell points for coming up with such a grand sounding scheme. Unfortunately the music is terrible.

Side-Line did an interview with Thrussell that was apparently “censored” by US military authorities. And Side-Line bought into it. So the guy scores some points with me for sticking with this whole thing so diligently and coming across as convincing, to some.

Now if he could only make music as cool as his cover stories.

Their last release, 2009′s Mercury was offered as a free download (which is still accessible here) and they’ve been putting out material for about a decade and a half now so it’s impossible for me to break their output down for you (although Discogs did manage a pretty comprehensive list of their output). On the 22nd of this month Hymen Records is releasing their latest work, Neon, and it’s something those of you with more adventurous tastes should pick up. The press release mentions that its “pulsating sub-bass and acherontic (where did that word come from?!) synth lines induce a multitude of moods (including) aggression, disarray and melancholy.” Yep, sounds like Somatic Responses. This is one to which I’m looking forward. You should be as well, particularly if you were ever a fan of Aphex Twin and Autechre. Early on the act’s material could be pretty spotty but as of late they really seem to have hit their stride and evolved into a consistently satisfying outfit with which you should be familiarizing yourself if you haven’t already.

MIAB’s latest effort is due out at the end of February (early March in the States) and it offers something a little different. Sampling the chip music of old C64 video games and throwing in a few covers such as Last Ninja 3 and Giana Sisters that geeks the world over will no doubt relish, R.E.T.R.O. promises to match kitsch with a hefty portion of cleverness. It eschews the dark and alluring feel of their first three albums for something more playful and fun. But don’t let that turn you away as it still has that Mind.In.A.Box atmosphere that we’ve come to enjoy over the past eight years. Just check out the samples they’ve posted on their website.

Even if you decide to pass on this latest project the act are planning on putting out a proper album later this year that will mark a return to the continuing storyline of the first three releases. MIAB are on the freshly resurrected Dependent Records in Europe and Metropolis Records in the US.

Netherlands-based act Tapage, one of the more prolific artists on the Tympanik Audio label, recently uploaded a YouTube video which shows you how he goes about putting together a loop. It’s eight and a half minutes long. There are no explosions or car chases but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Be sure to check out our review of the latest Tapage release, Fallen Clouds.

So be sure to read I:Scintilla: The DTC Interview and if you don’t already own The Approach and Optics or the Havestar and Prey On You EPs then you should seriously consider picking them up in preparation for their latest batch of electronic-tinged club Rock.

Steinkind – Galle, Gift Und Größenwahn (Vail Records)
This band takes on the “old-school” ebm (see: D.A.F) sound that has been coming back into fashion. However, their spin on it has much better production quality, and they throw in a fair array of sounds too keep you interested (they also do catchy hooks, if you’re into that sort of thing). So just imagine a loud bassline and angry German chant-like shouting. It’s a fun album.

Marching Dynamics – Workers Party of Haiti (Hymen Records)
This was my by favorite album of the year. As IDM is slowly formulated to do nothing but gratuitously elicit an emotional response, this album strongly stands out. You won’t find that many warm-womb-occupying sounds here. Instead the album incorporates a wide dynamic range of awkward sounds and themes. If you’ve got nothing better to do on a Saturday night, have a few drinks and crank this album up –- it’ll put you in a better mood.

Synapscape – Again (Ant Zen)
I guess in my opinion, this was my favorite club-friendly album of the year (though I don’t think I ever heard any of these tracks in a club). To my ear it sounds like very distorted synth-pop. The power noise legends seem to be getting better and better with every release. You should take the effort to discern the lyrical content, trust me.

Gothsicles – Sega Lugosis Dead (WTII Records)
This might be the feel good album of the year. While listening, you just have to check your pretentious standards at the door. The video game themes have been partially abandoned, covering more pressing issues like being one of the only people on the dancefloor in the club, hating the sun, and lead singers of bands owing you money for speeding tickets. It’s catchy, even if does sound campy as hell.

Synth_etik – Waiting For the Rapture (Hands Productions)
At first, I was mildly disappointed by this release. The lines between Synth_etik and Totakeke, Frank Mokros’s other project, are slowly blurring. I was expecting something more hard-edged and crunchier. But this is more of a moodier album, which needs to be listened through from start to finish. It has an epic theme that flows through out the whole damn thing.

Funker Vogt – Warzone (Metropolis Records)
I’m not sure why I like this live album. I spent a large bulk of my life disliking Funker Vogt, but as of recently, they seem to sound great. As far as the live aspect… well, take all your favorite Funker Vogt songs, add some surf guitar riffs (hard-panned left), and girls-gone-wild screaming samples (hard-panned right). I realize that may not be a shouting appraisal, but I can’t stop listening to this album.

Disharmony – Evolution (Tympanik Records)
I’ve been waiting for this album for a long time. Tympanik released a great remix cd by them last year, and this is finally the new release. This will appeal to those that really liked Skinny Puppy’s “Back and Forth” V.3.

End – Dangerous Class (Hymen Records)
This is the fun album of the year. It’s a mix of 50’s rock and breakcore, with various references to bad sexploitation films and psychedelics. It shows you that having a bad attitude can still mean having a good time.

Nitzer Ebb – Industrial Complex (Artist Addiction Records)
I was surprised as hell by this. I wasn’t expecting much from a new Nitzer Ebb album, but this album should have been released a long time ago. Most of the songs maintain a fidelity to the old formula, of strong bassline and McCarthy shouting about god knows what (though he does more vocalizing on this album then I’m used to). The lyrics still have that ad-lib feel to them that we all know and love.

Mommy Hurt My Head – Mommy Hurt My Head (Progress Productions)
Remember what we use to call “dark electro” in the late 90s? Maybe not… but if you enjoyed all those 90s FLA releases, you’ll love this album. One of the members was also formally in Arzt+Pfusch. So if you miss the way industrial (etc.) sounded before everything turned into trance with gremlin vocals, check out this release.

Heimstatt Yipotash – Urban Night Motifs (Hands Productions)
This is the one solid power noise release on this list. It very much sticks to the old formula of over-compressed heavy beats, without getting into any fancy sounds. There’s a few ear-catching samples, but otherwise the album just make your body convulse (that’s a good thing, in my book).

Cervello Elettronico – Process of Elimination (Crunch Pod Media)
I wrote this list about 3 weeks ago, but decided to let it sit so I can think of more stuff to add. After considering it, this is the only album I added. I didn’t really like CE’s first album, which I had high hopes for. But while this album takes a very similar formula, something about it just sounds better. This is just a speculation, but maybe the low ends sound better on this release. Regardless, it’s a great album of catchy non-lyrical dance music. It’s kind of trancey, a bit hard-edged, but at the same time it has it’s own refined sound.

Oniric – Cabaret Syndrome (Caustic Records)
I guess this is the oddest choice on this whole list. Maybe I’m in an odd mood, but this album isn’t electronic at all. It’s a mix of weird folky-cabaretlike (?) ballads, with lots of real instrument sounds, and some female vocals. Quite a few of songs incorporate accordion, which is in my opinion the most under-rated instrument ever. Musically it reminds me a lot of mid-era Nick Cave.

There’s plenty of stuff that I haven’t gotten around to hearing, which may make next year’s list. Tympanik just put out a smattering of new releases, all of which look pretty interesting. I also look forward to hearing their latest installment of the “Emerging Organisms” series, which I lovingly dub the Pure Moods of the industrial (etc) scene. There’s a new Suicide Commando album… but don’t hold your breath for that being anything that you haven’t already heard before.

(as a short footnote: Pow(d)er Pussy’s long-awaited second album Takenoprisoners, is nowhere near as enjoyable as the last one, but it’s still a pretty fun album… though I’m a bit disappointed that they stopped using those damn sexy portamento bass slides)

As of January 5th (last Tuesday);

Veil Veil Vanish Anthem For A Doomed Youth – Uh oh. Lookout. Another Synthie Pop Rock act wearing their degeneration on their sleeve in an effort to formulate some degree of cool for the hipster kids. I mean, seriously. Anthem For A Doomed Youth? Cry me a friggin’ river. From what I’ve heard of this act they’re actually pretty good musically but it certainly is no reinvention of the wheel. Either you’re going to be endlessly irritated at the derivative nature of the songs or you’re going to be happier than a pig in shit that another band sounds like this. Click the links and decide for yourself.

IAMX My Secret Friend (digital single) – For less thatn a dollar a track you can have the latest single from IAMX’s brilliant album, Kingdom Of Welcome Addiction. The two remixes are okay, I suppose, but nothing spectacular. You’re going to really have to adore the song to want to invest your time and money in this.

Velvet Acid Christ Caustic Disco (digital single) – More remixed hijinks from Bryan Erickson. If you’ve long given up on his music nothing I say is going to convince you to buy this. But if you actually enjoyed the latest album…well, there’s this.

Aaand this week;

Grendel Chemicals + Circuitry – So Grendel opted to make a stylistic change that they’ve been talking about doing for some time now. Gone are the Harsh EBM vocals and in their place are some impressively clean sung lyrics. But this sounds like less a shift in style than maybe a opportunity to cash in on Combichrist. There’s little to no originality here. In fact I had to check the liner notes on the first listen to make sure it wasn’t an Andy Leplegua guest shot. C+C is just three similar sounding new songs and what seem like an endless list of remixes for two of those three tracks.

XP8 Drop The Mask – A bold new album by this Italian duo featuring a cameo by Aesthetic Perfection’s Danial Graves. Thirteen new tracks virtually guaranteed to make you move.

Liquid Divine Autophobia – Tangerine Dream, Haujobb, Kraftwerk and New Order are listed as strong influences and these guys remind me a little of Mind.In.A.Box (who also have a new release dropping in a couple months). You might want to check them out because they really ain’t bad at all.

Unlike Nightraven, I wasn’t all that impressed with 2009 from a musical standpoint. There has been so much repetitiveness that things have grown either bland or completely stale in a fractured and shrunken scene. I don’t mean to imply there weren’t some fantastic releases in ’09 though. As part of what I do here I have to listen to hundreds of albums each year and like I mentioned in the list I put up twelve months ago it’s significant when you go back to albums about which you’ve already written. There rarely seems time to actually enjoy something again and again so I think it says a lot when an album compels me to put it in the player, sit back and not think about writing deadlines and such. I’m not going to make a numerical list and declare “bests.” I’m also not going to limit my selections to the psychologically satisfying number “10.” This list merely represents what I feel were such powerful works that they managed to rob me of valuable time which should have been spent working. I highly recommend you add them to your own collection.

Autoclav1.1 Where Once Were Exit Wounds (Tympanik Audio) –our review– While this isn’t a numbered list I felt compelled to place Tony Young’s latest work at the top as it was probably my personal favorite of 2009. If you’ve followed him album by album you’ve most likely enjoyed the progression as much as I have and WOWEW beefs up the organic instrumentation to a startling degree making for an electronic release that rocks about as hard as anything else out there, if not harder, regardless of genre. Yet in Young’s hands the songs are crafted with such emotional depth and layered brilliance that every spin reveals some new discovery, either in regard to the music or just yourself. Tony’s friend and collaborator Jamie Blacker announced this year he was putting to rest his ESA project after one more album. If Young made a similar pronouncement I might feel compelled to make an exit wound in my own body. He’s definitely one of the best out there in the current scene.

ESA The Sea & The Silence/The Immaculate Manipulation (Tympanik Audio) –our review of TS&TS– Okay, so I’m cheating on this one a little. Technically The Sea & The Silence was released at the ass end of last year just as its remix companion, The Immaculate Manipulation was put out at the very end of ’09 (and as such I haven’t had a chance to review it yet). But the impact of Jamie Blacker’s music was felt throughout the year and I feel both releases are worthy of a mention. Complex, challenging and fierce yet invitingly adventurous and strangely alluring ESA gets everything right with music that reinvigorates Industrial in a compelling way even as it celebrates the darker urges within the human condition. The remix album offers tracks that will make club floors quake and others that will broaden your perspectives on all that can be done with song structure and analysis. Both should be considered must-own CDs. Unfortunately, Blacker revealed in our interview with him last August that his plan was to record only one more album as ESA. I’m still having a great deal of difficulty coming to terms with that.

Prometheus Burning plague called huMANity (Crunch Pod) –our review– I was pretty shocked even from the first listen of this one. I mean, I was expecting it to be pretty good but I had no idea it was going to be so good that I would forget about everything else for at least a couple weeks. This album is an addiction and the sounds have a classic feel that still seem fresh and unique thanks to all the personality injected into the music. The vocals are highly acidic but I couldn’t imagine any other kind within the act’s sound and because of that I don’t think they diminish the appeal of ProBurn. All the noises are expertly crafted and mixed together with near-perfect precision. Beyond that the work can be ingested on a variety of levels with an overarching storyline, creepy artwork and recurring themes. I almost feel bad for these guys because I can’t imagine they’ll be able to top this. I just really hope they’re able to prove me wrong. Actually, I’m counting on it.

Impurfekt Human (Shinto Records) –our review– This is one of those “from out of nowhere” releases that can surprise the hell out of you in the nicest of ways. It’s self-recorded and, to be honest, sounds a little muddled with the low end levels mixed too high but musically Human is an amazing amalgamation of styles melded together to form a powerful and thematic piece of art. The rhythms have hooks like talons and the melodies sting with a methodical sweetness. Picked up by the rapidly rising upstart label Shinto Records this is one you simply must hear. Judging from this album alone I predict big things and much success for Aaron Russell.

Stendeck Sonnambula (Tympanik Audio) –our review– This isn’t just a good album. It gets better with every listen and has tremendous staying power. It can be beautiful, it can be harsh, it can be accessible and it can be complex. Throughout the duration it’s always appealing, however. Swiss musician Alessandro Zampieri has created a stirring epic of an album with Sonnambula and has manufactured a sound that is unique even as it references its influences. Beyond that it seems to fit in with most any mood or atmosphere. Regardless of how I happen to be feeling or what the weather may be like outside I find that I reach for this blissful collection quite frequently. It’s going to be interesting to see how Zampieri follows this up.

High Wycombe Reverser (Wycombemusic) –our review– The word that comes to mind when I think of High Wycombe is “smooth.” Reverser is a startlingly good progressive electro album with rhythms that aren’t necessarily aimed at dance floors but could find a home in any club regardless. The electronics and samples are extremely thoughtful and deliciously moody. This isn’t at all an oppressively dark release but it also ain’t bright and shiny either. As with Stendeck you could put this album on at any time and, goddammit, you really should. Guaranteed to impress on a variety of levels.

Imminent Cask Strength (Ant-Zen) –no review– Yeah. I never got a chance to review this. And if you happen to pick it up and listen to the first few tracks you’ll think you’ve been duped. It’s not as though those first three songs are bad, they’re actually quite interesting. But interesting enough to warrant inclusion on a list of the finest releases of the year? Eh. It isn’t until track four when Cask Strength begins dropping jaws and after that it never looks back. The level of diversity is stunning, from ambient to near-Gabber level intensity. This album is an amazing piece of work that will leave you beside yourself. I still pick up an diffent things when I listen to it. It’s not the kind of CD to which the club kids are going to flock but if your tastes are a little more open and adventurous you really need to experience Imminent’s latest batch of sour mash-ups.

dISHARMONY Evolution (Tympanik Audio) –our review– For all the talk in ’09 about how Coldwave was seeing a resurgence I guess I was more impressed with the return of great Dark Electro and it’s a trend I hope to see continue in the coming year. Evolution managed to surpass dISHARMONY’s critically acclaimed previous album, Malignant Shields, with stunning track after stunning track of bleak yet lilting numbers filled with the decaying remnants of human hope. Evolution is a study of the beauty in utter dessication. It even resurrects some of the funk aspects of classic Dark Electro though not to the degree for which someone like me might wish. Even so, this release isn’t so much memorable as it is haunting in a way that you will simply not be able to shake once you’ve given it a few spins.

Millipede All My Best Intentions (Hymen Records) –no review– I really wish I’d had the time to do a write-up for this one when it was released. It’s one of those unclassifiable albums that will most likely be labeled “Ambient” by default and yet the beatwork is incredible given that each track is mid-to-downtempo in nature. It’s much too powerful and heavy to be relegated to the airy atmospherics of most Ambient artists and yet there’s so much more depth and diversity than you would expect out of most uptempo electronic outfits. Every time you think you’ve got the aims of a song in mind Don Hill reveals a sly surprise that throws each expectation on its ear. Just as with Imminent the club kids aren’t going to “get” this one. And that’s a shame given the cerebral nature of Hill’s work here.

Cenotype Origins Unfold (Origins Productions) –our review– It seems pretty odd to me to include not one remix collection on a year end list but two. Remix collections are easy throwaways for artists. They don’t require work so much as handing over your tracks to other acts and letting them pass back to you material for a new release with your name on it. And yet just as the ESA remix collection encompassed a variety of styles that transcended the typical “extended club mixes” that you invariably get with these outings Origins Unfolds uses Cenotype’s debut album as a foundation for something stellar. A number of the mixes even take two, sometimes three tracks and fuse them together to further a non-linear storyline. While some of these reworkings could find a home in some enterprising DJs club set many of them set out for something deeper and less of-the-moment. The list of contributing artists is quite impressive and their handiwork is woven together expertly. Hopefully you didn’t miss this limited edition collection.

Uberbyte DOS (Crunch Pod) –our review– When it comes to straightforward, hard-hitting club music most people these days defer to Combichrist. Maybe that’s why Uberbyte is invariably compared to Leplegua’s crew. Yet Combi is at a point where the project is just spinning its wheels and Richard “Uberman” Pyne is juuust getting warmed up. Uberbyte’s second album steamrolled over their first effort to claim high ground within the Body Music category (EBM, TBM, what have you). Already a third and even more aggressive release is about to hit the internet and it’s virtually guaranteed to give Uberbyte some well deserved and wide-ranging name recognition. While my own list hasn’t quite been as friendly to the club kids as some may like I highly endorse this absurdly infectious piece of work that deserves rotation in every single DJ set list you see posted online.

SE Epiphora (Tympanik Audio) –our review– The introduction of harsh or scathing sounds in the midst of beautiful synth movements can be a tricky proposition and it requires as delicate a balance as you can muster to ensure neither approach cancels out the other. SE manages to achieve this balance in what comes across as a seemingly effortless manner, providing plenty of lofty, appealing atmosphere with an underlying edge that gives the music a bite you wouldn’t ordinarily expect out of Ambient. And it’s probably his work in other musical genres that lend him such a great hand at song structure. Hopefully we’ll be hearing a lot more out of Sebastian Ehmke in the future.

While these albums represent the ones I felt carried the most weight during the year there are certainly others that, at the very least, deserve an honorable mention. Tyske Ludder‘s Anonymous. Caustic‘s This Is Jizzcore. IAMX‘s Kingdom Of Welcome Addiction. W.A.S.T.E.‘s A Silent Mantra Of Rage. Access To Arasaka‘s Oppidan. Rotersand‘s Random Is Resistance. Cervello Elettronico‘s Process Of Elimination. Assemblage 23‘s Compass. Undermathic‘s Return To Childhood. And of course I should mention Tympanik Audio’s brilliant Emerging Organisms compilations, the third volume of which was recently released.

And now on to 2010…

10. :Wumpscut:, Fuckit (Metropolis Records) Rudy Ratzinger has been at the Goth Industrial game for almost 20 years now and his once-pioneering style seemed to hit an apex with 2001’s Wreath Of Barbs, and each release since has gotten progressively more watered down and uninspired-until this year, anyway. Fuckit is a strong album from start to finish, hearkening back to the dank and creepy artistic beginnings while infusing popular Techno synth-lines that are some of the best in the genre recently. Showing that old and new can be mixed to create something great, expect :Wumpscut: to continue to burn dance-floors for years to come.

9. Zeromancer, Sinners International  (Trisol Records) After abruptly breaking up following a successful tour and album in late 2003, it seemed that one of the most promising new Industrial/Glam Rock bands was done before they even really got started. However there were rumors last year Zeromancer were returning, with two singles and a short tour. Early this year the full-length dropped, and it definitely delivered. Blending Metal, Electronica and Emo Rock, Zeromancer have updated and improved their earlier sound to show a softer but no less brutal vocal side and improved electronics to go with the shredding guitars. A very solid start to an underrated band’s return.

8. Epochate, Chronicles of a Dying Era (Metropolis Records) A surprise breakout act this year is Epochate. Composed of Victor Love and Noras Blake, the idea of an Industrial Ambient album seemed a great one, and the execution of it was surprisingly even bolder. The sound is large, booming, and so finely layered with Powernoise elements you have to wonder if your stereo can take the shake. It isn’t Metal, it isn’t Noize, but it’s somewhere in between, and touts an Ambient melodic structure not always appreciated the way it should be. I look forward to hearing and experiencing more and you should too.

7. Prometheus Burning, A plague called huMANity (Crunch Pod)   Mixing  Industrial, Glitch, Ambient, Powernoise, Techno, and some extremely savvy programming into something both harsh and haunting, this duo from Portland, Oregon have come to dominate your mind by way of forceful beats, harshly unsettling vocals and intelligently brutal lyrics. One of  the surprise frontrunners to be on anybody’s must-have list very early this year, it has held up amongst the best of the best since, with its strength in every aspect from song crafting to vocals to layering the madness. To try to describe the sound is almost futile, and so is resisting. Just know that even in the quiet moments of ambience this album has crunch and thump aplenty.

6. Evil Cowards, Covered In Gas, (Metropolis) It’s not often that music being socially angry and sarcastically glib is outright fun (Voltaire and Caustic notwithstanding), but try telling that to Tyler Spencer  (from Electric Six) and William Bates (from Fall On Your Sword.)  Going straight for the jugular lyrically, this brand new side-project has shown that you don’t need to be “dark and spooky” to make an impact. Like I pointed out, this album can be likened to “Monty Python on a horror binge”. But don’t let the flippant tone deceive you, the Rock music itself is very, very solid and even boldly experimental at times. These guys know exactly what buttons to push, and that makes this an album you must own.

5. Assemblage 23, Compass, (Metropolis)   In order to survive in a niche market for any length of time, you must constantly adapt your sound or eventually you will be forgotten by the pathetically short-attention-spanned fans. Seattle’s Tom Shear (Assemblage 23) has been one of the most constantly evolving Electronic artists over time, and Compass is a masterpiece. Blending elements from Electronica, Rock, Techno, Synthpop and Post-Punk into a cohesive and powerful whole is no easy task but that’s what he has done here. This album not only pushes the boundaries of what electronic music can achieve but also straddles the fine line between club staple and listening experience almost perfectly.

4. VNV Nation, Of Faith, Power and Glory (Anachron America)  The juggernaut duo of Marc Jackson and Ronan Harris have been experimenting with their own brand of Synthpop since 1995, adding Dance and Rock elements with varying degrees of success over time. It’s almost as if they are trying to perfect a recipe of sound. While every CD has gotten them closer to something, no one had any idea quite what the end result could be. Having decided to release Of Faith, Power and Glory on their own label has allowed them to put the various pieces together the way they want, and the result is their most complete yet: A perfect balance of Pop, Rock, and Dark Electronica that absolutely soars with intensity.

3. Din {A} Tod, Westwerk, (Out Of Line) With so many bands lately unwilling to take any kind of musical risk, the bands that do stand out in a crowded field. In a year full of both great surprises and disappointments, Din {A} Tod caught my attention early on with their sophomore set, and as the year went along I found myself enjoying it more and more. It is a work-in-progress Electro-Rock album [They remind me a bit of Joy Division], but what is amazing is how well they do with the minimalist experimental approach. As an added bonus, the whole trip is relatively short so you can dissect and digest it better. The future is bright for this act, so check them out already.

2. Julien-K, Death To Analog, (Metropolis)   When a band can blur the lines between predetermined genres with skill alone you know they are doing something right. Whether to call this Electro-Rock or just Electronica is splitting hairs, but the party and club vibes emanate from every note on every track. The whole experience has mega-hit written into every boom, clank, buzz and warble. The merging of mainstream Pop-Rock and modern underground Electronica begins right here. Delivers the six years’ worth of hype and more.

1. The Prodigy, Invaders Must Die,   Proving once again why they are considered legends in the dance-oriented Electronica movement of the 1990’s, The U.K.’s The Prodigy started this year off  in overblown style and have never looked back. Going forward (backward?) with a focus on sprawling Rave hooks and crunchy Industrial beats meant to played as loud as possible, this is by far and away their strongest album from beginning to end. They have created an epic dance record that you simply can’t escape. Unlike other artists on this list they have gone back to their strongest suit, and simply do what they have always done (make you move your ass), only they do it better.

…And there a metric ton of albums that, for minor reasons, didn’t make my list but would make anyone else’s, like:  Noisuf-X,  Velvet Acid Christ, Yendri, Caustic, Babyland, Seabound, Dope Stars Inc.,  Rotersand, NoLongerHuman, Herschlag, Uberbyte, and Combichrist.

Plus, coming in January we start next year off with the debut of Veil Veil Vanish, an EP by Grendel, new full-lengths from Liquid Divine and XP8, and the long-awaited Suicide Commando, among other things. No rest for the wicked, I tell ya…

1)Spark

2) Helicopter Girl

3)Spark (Combichrist remix)

4) Poison Moon

5) Spark (Blaqk Audio remix)