The most irritating thing about the track is that the chord progression during the chorus sounds almost exactly like Dead Or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record).” This could be deliberate, but I doubt it. The lyrics have something to do with making Electro music for the underground and seem to be rifled off in a mocking tone. This would make sense as Erickson has relayed some disdain for the club circuit in the past. Yet the song itself is a clubby track. I suppose that’s supposed to be “ironic” or something. It might be considered as such if it was a significantly more worthwhile piece.

What makes this single worth it are not the four largely uninteresting remixes of “Caustic,” nor the reworking of “Killed In Space.” The last two tracks are from the Toxic Coma days, an early Erickson project apart from VAC. “Mental Itch” and “Zombie Sex” actually sound more lively and vital than anything on The Art Of Breaking Apart. Now that is ironic. “Itch” could actually be used by modern DJs as it straddles a line between classic sounding material and a contemporary production feel but “Sex” has a rather bright sound with a lot of silliness throughout and it actually grows quite irritating after a couple minutes.

The Caustic Disco single is available digitally from Metropolis Records.

They’ve got a new full length album coming out at the end of February on Metropolis called Change In The Neon Light which will serve as a proper debut in spite of the self-released ’07 EP Into a New Mausoleum. To warm up potential new fans and whet the appetites of established admirers they have presented a new five track single for “Anthem Of A Doomed Youth” which contains that song and another album selection along with three remixes.

Named after a book which compiled poetry from those who served in the first World War, the title track rings with bittersweet guitar and crunchy bass while its companion piece, “Modern Lust,” shimmers with synth and propulsive percussion which serve as the backdrop for an overly familiar sounding chorus.

The three remixes of “Anthem” run the gamut from the bouncy and ebullient “Cheap Speed Remix” to the dramatically slowed down and phasered echo of “No Wave In Hell Remix” to the intriguingly restructured “Gomorrah Remix.” None of the three are particularly memorable and probably won’t serve to make the band much of a presence in the club circuit.

While I could count myself among the crowd that thought at first this was just another pointless retread I have to admit that the more I listen to Veil Veil Vanish the more I like and appreciate what they’re doing. They’re definitely a band to watch and it would seem their wildly growing popularity will make it that much easier to do.

“Something I Choose To Ignore” has rapid beats and raw, Punk guitar providing a platform for Zomboy’s impassioned roar. There’s an awkward fade-out at the end that lends an unfinished feel to the song but it does serve as a quick two and a half minute burst of energy to get things going. A little production assistance from The Dark Clan’s Dan Clark makes “Imported Failure” a catchy number, infusing a bit of icy synth melody which compliments the guitar riffing nicely.

Assemblage 23′s Tom Shear did such a great job with the reworking of “Within Silence” on the Intelligence: Revised remix album that he was invited to make another contribution. This time out he handles “Gone” with a surprising amount of restraint but adds a juicy club flair to the track, adding crisp percussion and subtle layering that make it extremely palatable for dance floors. “Rid Of Me” showcases Liebchen one last time with a wispy throwback of a tune that has elements of New Wave combined with power ballad flair. It would have benefited from a little brevity as it gets overly repetitive toward the end but it’s an intriguing experiment that stands apart from all the band’s previous material.

The last track is a live recording of one of their most popular songs, “The World Ends Today,” performed at a show in Madison last year. The sound quality is surprisingly clear and represents a hard working act tirelessly dedicated to providing even more energy in a live context than can be heard on their studio recordings.

Five tracks for five bucks, available in hard copy format only (no digital release), All Things Belong To Us Now is one for the fans as much as it is for those who haven’t yet looked into what XuberX is all about. Preorders are being taken at the Radio-Active site.

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)

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…

Metropolis Records recently put out a Terrorfakt CD that was a hodgepodge of rare and unreleased material along with some newer remixes and the like. Dewalt plans on putting out a full length from T-Faktor called Bricksplitter soon but to whet your appetite Forces Of Nature is offering an eighteen track free download with a few new songs and a helluva lot of remixes. Did I mention it’s free? Yeah. If you’re a Terrorfakt fan you’re going to want to head on over to the Force Of Nature site and get in on this quick.

“Bricks And Thunder” almost has a Hip Hop feel to it but with sheets of layered distortion over the top. “Derailer” has an incredibly infectious rhythm and some hydraulic-inspired electronics while “Go On Home” is a minimalist ticker that builds in an impressively understated fashion for its brief length. Remixes include great efforts by some of our favorites around here; Cenotype, Caustic, Synnack, Prometheus Burning, The Vomit Arsonist, scrap.edx and nine others.

You…you’re still here. What gives? Go download this now!

There are five remixes of this song included in the set. Coordinates’ “Even Stars Mix” fires off stunted phasers in your direction as a groovy dance beat leads you to the floor for a little astro-shake and quake. Gus & Griz’s “Space Cadet Mix” is more of a samba-style affair that is no less infectious. Displacer’s own “In The Company Of Robots Mix” increases the echoing atmosphere of the original and builds the track up to eerie levels. Waves of static, glitchy rhythm and a robotic stomp carry the more aggressive “l’Ombre Remix.” Finally, the “s:cage Remix” sends it’s compressed transmission from somewhere beyond the stars, distorted by the epic coldness of space.

This makes for a pretty interesting half hour listen and you certainly can’t beat the price. It seems a curious thing to offer for free since it isn’t all that representative of Displacer’s overall sound and might not serve to convince the uninitiated to investigate further. But that’s why you have us here. You can read our review of Displacer’s latest album, X Was Never Like This…, and head on over to the Displacer MySpace page to get into what this intriguing artist has to offer.

Oh, and if you would like to download the free single it’s available at this location.

1. Interlace – Nemesis (Exner Analysis) / Nemesis (Artoffact Records)
2. S.K.E.T – Highway of Death / Depleted Uranium Weapons (Hands Productions)
3. Amduscia – War On Me / Madness in Abyss (Out of Line)
4. Iambia – Program K / Provocateur (Progress Productions)
5. The Gothsicles – Karma Jolt / Sega Lugosi Is Dead (WTII Records)
6. V2A – Stahl Tanz / Mechanized Infantry (Biohazzard Records)
7. Synapscape – Purge / Again (Ant Zen)

1. The past few albums of Interlace have sounded like an odd mix of early Covenant and Skinny Puppy. This new track has much stronger percussion, and this particular mix uses some very familiar sounds. The singer also does a lot of cute effects on the vocals, so if you really dig the sound of your cellphone breaking up (or the last Fractured album), you’ll love this.
2. I use to think of S.K.E.T as orchestral trance with much heavier and distorted rhythm. This album seems to have much more interesting set of patches, though the epic orchestral samples still have a heavy presence. This happened to be the most rhythmically driven song on the album.
3. A few months ago, the other big mexican EBM band released this album, chalk filled with dancefloor anthems. Most songs have been overplayed, but this is the only track I liked, as the trance lead comes in fairly late in the song. As per usual, the mixing on the bassline and kick are flawless.
4. One of the many amazing under-exposed acts on Progress Productions. Iambia seems to be tapping into that “old-school” EBM sound that’s been going around, but with better sounding basslines and a bit of melody thrown in for choruses. “Program K” is the catchiest song on the album, also available in a remixed version by Autodafeh.
5. The Gothsicles are a joke that’s starting to get taken way too seriously. Sega Lugosi is dead is one hell of a catchy album. Karma Jolt is apparently one of the last tracks to be written about video games.
6. I haven’t heard this album, or anything else by V2A. I heard this track when I was out at a club in another state, and it got stuck in my head. This is another one of those songs where there’s one really well produced loop that plays throughout the whole song with the occasional sample thrown in.
7. In my opinion, Synapscape make great clubbish power noise, and probably have the most interesting patch selections in the genre. The bassline actually sounds very clubby, but has a lot of growling and strange highpass synth sounds thrown over it.

Next month we’ll get another treat from the SC camp in the form of a second single titled Die Motherfucker Die. This should tide you over until the full length album is released next year.