Of all negative human emotions what is more powerful; fear or laziness?

This is still all NINa’s fault. If she hadn’t emailed me for an interview, I would have been content to remain retired from the music industry and run my off-shore monkey knife fighting ring. But NoooOOOOooo. New material is on the way folks, but in the meatime, enjoy a bunch of classic cuts we're not getting paid for anymore.

Cheers,
-Yer Old Buddy Dave, Professional Space Monkey
June 2008

Is God in Showbusiness too?

(Recorded as 'The Watchmen')
Label: Prescient Thought Productions
Catalog #: PTP-02
Format: Cassette
Year: 1991
Songs:
  01 Brave New World
  02 M.A.D.
  03 Redemption
  04 Under the Steeple
  05 Black Rain
  06 Gangland
  07 The Fury
  08 Crash!
  09 Nine Eleven
  10 Obsession
  11 Merciful Release
  12 The End

Reviews:

Homebrew dance music isn't usually very I much to cheer about but this tape from Las Cruces, New Mexico band The Watchmen manages to provide more than a few big surprises, About the only things that make it sound like it's not a full-on pro-level industrial-dance album are a handful of rough-sounding synth patches and a couple of samples that are kind of clumsily used. - Overall, these guys are really tight, more so than any unsigned band I've ever listened to. Bandleader Dave Creadeau has a good ear for blending the evil and the ethereal, and that comes out especially well on instrumental tracks such as "Brave New ; World," "Nine-Eleven" and the haunting sample-narrated "Black Rain". The Watchmen deserve some attention, they're not just a "local band with potential", they're a damn good band period, Write 'em and see about checking out a copy of this thing, so in a couple of years you can say that you knew about them before every club-geek-in-black in the country was worshipping their sneakers.

X Magazine #8, July 1991


Is God In Showbusiness Too? -Cass 12 Titres The Watchmen proviennent des States et leur style musical n'en est forcement que plus particulier. Pour cette cassette "Is God In Showbusiness Too ?", je pressentais que ce groupe allait soulever de nombreuses questions et je me demandais si, de man cote, j'al/ais pouvoir y repondre et si Ie groupe al/ait assouvir toutes mes esperances. D'entree, un climat synthetique s'instal/e (ou plutot s'incruste), surplombe de samples caustiques. "Brave New World" (non sans reference a la litterature) reflete deja une certaine amertume. Je ne fus pas cepen- dant a la fin de mes surprises lorsque je decouvris Ie second morceau "M.A. D." : une voix soudaine- ment distordue, redevenant cependant naturel/e sur les autres titres, qui s'alienent a des rythmes a la Leaether Strip. The Watchmen concoctent une musique radicale, aux samples revenant inlassablement sur onze titres changeant a chaque fois. La cassette "Is God In Showbusiness Too" s'enveloppe de melodies fines, devoilant un groupe du moment, qui se veut des plus enigmatiques. Ayant rec;:u la cassette sans information, nous n'en serons rien de plus, en dehors du fait que ce groupe est un tres bon groupe.

Pascal, 1991

Plague

(Recorded as 'The Watchmen')
Label: Prescient Thought Productions
Catalog #: PTP-03
Format: Cassette
Year: 1992
Songs:
  01 ...End
  02 Less Than Zero
  03 Fear
  04 Freeman
  05 Merciful Release (Dying Breath Mix)
  06 Rot
  07 In Sickness and in Health
  08 Plague l
  09 Neurotransit
  10 Vision (Signal AC42)
  11 Cyber-Generation
  12 Internal Bleeding
  13 Party Girl
  14 To Have and to Hold
  15 Plague ll

Reviews:

Also slick and well mastered, Plague, the new cassette from the Watchmen. Keyboards, samples, distorted vocals and titles such as "Fear" prepare you for Skinny Puppy-style aggression; instead, much of the material is caught in the netherworld between modern dance music and accessible industrial beats.

Westword Magazine, October 23, 1992

Cyberflesh Conspiracy

(Recorded as 'The Watchmen')
Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: IIM-02
Format: CD
Year: 1992
Song: Merciful Release (Razor Hammer Mix)

Reviews:

Compilations can be wonderlui things, allowing lesser-known groups to band together via whatever means and put together an album that showcases all of the groups in an equal light The Cyberflesh Conspiracy is one such endeavor from the If It Moves... label. It features electronic dance bands from all over the united states. (Gee, I hadn't even known there were bands of this nature in places like New Mexico, but there you go.) What's also i nice is the apparent DIY ethic of most of the 16 bands here. Unfortunately, here's the bad news. Aside from a few tracks - those by Stabbing Westward, Chem Lab, and the Watchmen -most of the music is pretty... forgettable. It's hard to criticize music like this given that probably most of these bands are pretty broke and recorded their songs in less than ideal settings (i.e. budget constraints). Nevertheless, most of the bands here are hardly visionaries.

Option Alternative Music Magazine #46, Sept 1992

Rivet Head Culture

Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: IIM-03
Format: CD
Year: 1992
Song: Party Girl (Radio Edit)

Reviews:

Shut Up Kitty

Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-009
Format: CD
Year: 1993
Song: Stand and Deliver (Originally by Adam Ant)

Reviews:

Move over K-tel, here comes Re-Constriction, reinterpreting the classic greatest hits package with a '90s twist. That's right, we've got all your favorite bands of the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s here, most of them with the songs that made them famous. There's Jefferson Airplane with White Rabbit, Black Sabbath with Paranoid and The Beach Boys' Good Vibrations. Moving right along, there's Devo's Freedom of Choice, Adam And The Ants' Stand And Deliver and Pil's Order Of Death. Or how about U2's Mysterious Ways, Nirvana's Smells LIke Teen Spirit or Madonna's Vogue. And that's just to name a few of the songs here. But brace yourself. We're not talking cheerful, commercial compilation crap here, we're talking hard-hitting, heavy, intense, industrialized versions as brought to you by the likes of KMFDM, Skrew, Clay People and Virus 23. That's right--not forthe faint of heart, or hearing. This compilation heads off into the cutting edge, tearing apart contemporary "standards" and rebuilding them in a new light. Nearly every song on here "clicks" in it's revisited form. Stand-outs include KMFDM's cover of Mysterious Ways, DDT's cover of Vogue and A-Politiq's cover of Public Enemy's She Watch Channel Zero?!. Freedom Of Choice was tailor-made for this type of thing and Stand And Deliver takes on a whole new attitude. Of all the offerings here only two missed the mark, I felt. White Rabbit doesn't have the hallucinogenic touch it needs to really work, and Smells LIke Teen Spirit gets lost in the translation. What next? Well, a compilation of female-fronted, harsh electronic dance projects is rumored in the works. And hey, how about an electronic interoretation of Windham Hill? (just a suggestion.) -Carol

THE SPLATTER EFFECT 94 #11

Rotation.3

Label: Kugel Blitz
Catalog #: KBR 002
Format: CD
Year: 1993
Song: Vision (Signal AC42)

Reviews:

First of all, I couldn't wait till this CD arrives because of having known the previous volume "Rotation 2" The time became right. "Rotation 3" Is loaded in my CD player and I’m going nuts! Kugelblitz as always innovative label introducing unknown bands, has improved it’s release again. Among chosen bands we can notice one American, Society Burning, and one Brazilian, Individual Industry. Great initiative! The biggest improvement is the format, now finally available on CD!!! And what about the content? Briefly, 77 minutes of great electro ranging from powerful EBM th hard industrial to atmospheric electro! So, let’s speak about the winners. Opening instrumental "Starting rotation" by Individual Totem is a great warm up to Society Burning with "Vision AC42" is in my eyes the biggest discovery of this compilation. Aggressive “Redemption" from Ferro Concrete is among the best. Hypnotizing "People." from Lescure 13 taste good as well. DY".Sturb" with it’s powerful "U.nited S.adistic A.lliance" is another revelation. Ultra heavy, that's the latest "Sickness" of Dive, the biggest name on the track list. Then comes Oliver Freitag alias Digital Slaughter and offers us powerful soundscape "Alone", without any doubt the greatest track on this CD. Watch out for his forthcoming CD, it’s going to be a big one! "Cenophobia" from Dementia Simplex sounds similar to "Alone", so this is another big one. "Submissive mix" offered by Swedish Malaise is a good mixture of synthpop and EBM, Ethereal at it’s best, that's Individual Industry and its cello mix of unforgettable "Paradise", “TV Obsession" is dark and powerful, as always I am obsessed by Suicide Commando, Another big guy to watch out, because Johan Is working on his first CD!!! Speedy version of Genital A-tech's "Outrage" is… speedy. I didn't mention Paralyse Syndrome. Nacht Raum, Interzone Inc, Kabelbrandl & Mund, Katze, Plerd, but don't worry, they are good too. Incredible compilation, bravo Stefan and all the bands! Now you have to buy one copy of "Rotation 3" If not, then you will never receive another Issue 01 Crewzine.

Crewzine #6 April 1994

State.of.Decay

Label: Coming Soon!
Catalog #: Coming Soon!
Format: CD
Year: 1994
Songs:
  01 Agony
  02 Freeman (Search and Destroy Mix)
  03 Time
  04 Litany
  05 Waster (Parthenogenesis Mix)
  06 Black Rain 2.0
  07 Broken
  08 Two Minute Hate
  09 Shampoo Planet
  10 Immobilize Me (Strapped Down Mix)
  11 Ignorance is Strength
  12 Entropy
  13 SysOP.Eyedel
  14 Stench of Lies
  15 Drain
  16 Agony (Reprise)
  17 State.of.Decay
  18 Waster (12” Atrophy Rising Mix)

Reviews:

Got here in my hands what I am assuming to be a cassette pre-release of Society Burning's newest stuff. The weird newsletter that accompanied it said "State of Decay" was nearly completed, but what I heard sounded done enough. You can get a "noiseletter" for a buck containing about a meg of wavefiles and other stuff for your (ACK!) IBM. Windows required,

Arc Number 10, 1994

Biotech 01: Colorado Electronics Compiled

Label: SDS Productions
Catalog #: SDS-019
Format: Cassette
Year: 1994
Song: Lovesick

Reviews:

Thugs and Kisses

Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-016
Format: CD
Year: 1995
Song: Human Waste (Hate Dept Mix)

Reviews:

Thugs and Kisses (Re-Constriction) compiles sixteen aggressive guitar/synth combinations aimed at frequenters of mosh pits who have little or no regard for their own personal safety. Standouts include Penal Colony’s hard mix of guitar funk, electronics and rap. This is a rarity in that it appeals to people who hate rap. Also check out Vampire Rodents’ “Core,” a mesh of sampled horns that creates an instrumental hybrid of Frank Zappa and Mussorgsky. Society Burning’s incredible, high-energy electronic rock features a mean beat, slightly submerged electro-rhythms, a deep electronic bass line, and undistorted but raspy shouts for vocals. Chemlab receive the Vampire Rodent treatment, as the guitars on “Chemical Halo” are replaced by sampled saxes. Imagine jazz traditionalists playing Nine Inch Nails!

Alternative Press, Jan/Feb 1996

Vampire Rodents: Clockseed

(Guest Vocal Appearance)
Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-017
Format: CD
Year: 1995
Song: Clockseed

Reviews:

Chambermade

Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-300
Format: Cassette
Year: 1995
Song: Awaken (Hate Dept Mix)

Reviews:

Entropy.Lingua

Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-019
Format: CD
Year: 1996
Songs:
  01 Tactiq (Swineflesh Mix – Rebuilt by Apparatus)
  02 Immobilize Me (DC Mix – Rebuilt by Drown)
  03 Awaken (DOH Mix – Rebuilt by Hate Dept)
  04 Waster (DOH Mix – Rebuilt by Hate Dept)
  05 Fuel Line (DOH Mix – Rebuilt by Hate Dept)
  06 Waster (Stomp Mix – Rebuilt by Idiot Stare)
  07 Waster (Brass Balls Mix – Rebuilt by Alien Faktor)
  08 Awaken (Radio Edit)

Reviews:

The majority of industrial dance music seems to carry this kind of lame injury inside It, a weakness, a lack of balls. Society Burning are immune to this disease of the wimps -thick waves of distortion filled with tender bites and kisses are obliterated by krisp driving percussion, inducing pelvic madness in the disciples of club-core dancehaiis. Passionate, emotion tearing, heart ripping vocals command the body, rough flesh screams and barks gracefully yet forcefully spill out barebones "no forgiveness" lyrics. Apparatus contributes the Swineflesh mix of "Tactiq", Hate Dept.'s Seibold rebuilds three tracks into dance floor commanders, Drown and Alien Faktor throw their hands into the chaos, and Idiot Stare's Chad Bishop masterfully retailors the cruel and brutal "Waster" into an even harsher, fuzzgun driven entity. Entropy.Ungua is worth giving up a few meals to afford, but if you can stand to suffer through that same 0l' wimpy industrial dance music dominating the scene a little longer, Society Burning's full- length release, Tactiq, should be out on Re-Con right quick. If you enjoy the whole Re-Con sound - Apparatus, 16 Volt, and bands of that nature -Society Burning should be right up your alley. dkorst.

Fad Gadget #9


The remixes before the original versions. What an original concept. Apparently so many folks sent in remixes (seven are featured here, along with a radio mix of "Awaken"), that Chase decided to pump this out as a way of introducing folks to the Society Burning sound. Okay. I remember this act for its cover of "Stand and Deliver" on the Shut Up Kitty compilation. A cool, distortion-full sound with some nice beat work. You can hear that in these remixes, as well as the personal visions of the folks involved (three from Siebold of Hate Dept., Chad Bishop of Idiot Stare and the collective Apparatus, among others) And the Siebold remixes are king here. Three totally different versions of the Society Burning sound, all completely ready for the club floor. I'm not usually terribly excited about remix sets (though there's usually one or two that gets me off). All of these are good, and some are great. I'd have to hear Tactiq (the forthcoming full-length) to really judge this work, but what I hear is damned fine. ~ii

A&A #101, March 1996


Mixes by Apparatus, some guy from Drown, some Hate. Dept. guy, some guy from Idiot Stare, and Alien Faktor. I never did like typical indus- trial. I don't like this, espe- cially with all the cliches. Reminds me almost of a mix of (SCARY FOR THOSE THAT KNOW) bad Front Une Assembly or old Fiberglass Orange with a bit of MACE. Kind of tech- no-industrial dance with sung vocals (no distortion) and the usual industrial commercialism. If it wasn't for Alien Faktor (definitely a projekt to invest some money in but even here he can't make something so typical as good) this would be in MY Entropy Bin. -sasha i. nyktos

U.S.Rocker Magazine, April 1996


If you've been craving new music a band to check out is Society Burning. They have just released a remix CD entitled Entropy Ungua to pro- mote a soon to be released full length CD called Tactiq. Society Burn- ing is best described as industrial dance music, danceable beats, aggressive electronics, angry vocals, and spurts of guitar chacterize their songs. the remixes on Entropy Ungua are done by members of Appara- tus, Hate Dept., Drown, Idiot Stare, and Alien Faktor. There are five different songs and seven tracks on Entropy Ungua Society Burning songs are in an irresistable force where the beat will not be denied. An extreme example of this is the powerhouse" Awaken". The alternating vocals of both members grab your attention while the electronics hook you and keep you wriggling. If you still aren't convinced about Society Burning you can hear "Awaken" on the Re-Constriction sampler Last time I checked you could get this tape free by contacting Chase at: Re-Constriction 4901-906 Morena Blvd San Diego, CA 92117- 3432. Besides checking out Society Burning there's plenty of excellent tracks from other Re-Constriction bands on the sampler so what are you waiting for? It's free!

The Melodia, April 1996


lf there's only one thing wrong with this record, kids, and it's that the release date should've been pushed back a month. Fact is, everyone is so busy knocking each other over at the check-out counter of Camelot Music trying to get the new Ministry or Skinny Puppy discs, that only those with the keenest eyes will notice this remix sampler from Colorado's synth-core kings. Funny now to think that Chase almost excluded this band from the now legendary Rivet Head Culture comp because they sounded "too much like Nine Inch Nails." Truth is, their included single, Party Girl, does show a definate Reznor influence. Nonetheless, only the inferior production quality precludes it from sure status as an Aggro- Tech classic. Now, approximately two years later, ReConstriction finally provides us with hew material from the band. Entropy Lingua is an eight-track---song-wise, not gear---e.p. of originals, remixed by some of the industry's most-talented newcomers. Most notably, Hate Dept.'s Seibold fit three cuts into his production/remixing schedule and reconstructed Awaken into one of the coolest dlgi- dance tracks I've heard in ten years. Label mates Apparatus contribute to the upcoming full-length's title track, Tactiq ; while Chad Bishop and Joseph Bishara both add their distinctive ingredients to the "mix" (on Waster and Immobilize Me, respectively). Heavy, club-oriented rhythm tracks thump below searing guitar riffs and chant-inducing lyrics to make Entropy Lingua this month's CyberSelection...one of the most important records you'll ever buy... -(5 gears) ---(4901-906 Morena Blvd, San Diego, CA, 92117-3432) ---R M

CYBERLOGUE Vol.2, Issue 2 r.~~~-~11

Vampire Rodents: Gravity's Rim

(Guest Vocal Appearance)
Label: Fifth Column Records
Catalog #: 9868-63224-2
Format: CD
Year: 1996
Song: Evasion

Reviews:

Operation Beatbox

Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-023
Format: CD
Year: 1996
Song: Colors (Originally by Ice T)

Reviews:

If I told you I saw Dr. Dre walking into the Kwik-E-Mart with a NIN T-shirt on, you'd laugh at me. And if I told you I saw Trent Reznor walk into the same Kwik-E-Mart wearing a 2Pac shirt, you'd say, "Yo, why's he dissin' Dre?" But it could happen. After all, industrial and rap come together in places other than in the brain of Afrika Bambaataa, a fan of the pre-industrial noise band Kraftwerk. Both share the fundamental ingredients of samples and drum machine-made rhythms. Don't believe me? Just ask any of the 17 industrial bands who expertly cover rap tunes on this compilation. Start with 16 Volt, who rework Cypress Hill's I ain't going out like that in a 16 Volt original. Or maybe Numb, who reconstruct Salt-N-Pepa's Push It into a noise grind. Or maybe you should talk to Society Burning, SMP, Institute of Technology, or Apolitiq, who revamp songs by Ice- T, Public Enemy, Run-DMC, and LL Cool J, respectively. If you weren't convinced before, this will convince you now. Or kill you. Whichever. -Greg Edwards

BIKINI July (album art featured)


What do you call a project where a bunch of cutting-edge industrial musicians remake a host of rap/hip hop songs? Operation Beatbox, of course. There has been a lot of rap-rock crossover, but nothing brings out the brute force potential of this marriage as well as the collection of synthcore denizens assembled here. The original rap songs had lyrics that gave the voice of the inner city an outlet for its unique perspective. Now, by drawing on the strong emotions evoked by those voices, and amplifying them through the grid of cyberpunk mentality, they wind up with a big, sinewy sound. Although this album can be enjoyed for its beats-per-minute (as implied in the title), also present is the complex technological intensity you would expect from artists such as 16 Volt and J.\bstinence. Of Beatbox's 17 tracks, the standout songs are Society Burning's intense rendition of Ice- T's Colors, D.C.K.'s version of Public Enemy's Fight The Power and Slave Unit's smart performance of the Goats' Typical American. The album also includes remakes of songs by Ice Cube, Cypress Hill, Run-DMC, Beastie Boys and many others. - Michael Hopkins

MAGNET #26


Operation Beatbox is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I'll admit that when I first heard the idea of a bunch of industrialists remaking rap songs, I wasn't so sure it could be pulled off. But the bands on this compilation have done an excellent job of keeping the original intent of the songs in mind while adding a lot to the music. Operation Beatbox has lots of fun stuff, like 16 Volt covering Cypress Hill and Clay People doing a House of Pain song. Of course Numb's cover of Push It is hilarious, but it's also a little creepy too. However, many of the bands took a serious approach to the songs and came up with stunning results. Society Burning really cuts to the heart of Ice- T's gangland song Colors. My favorite is Battery's version of Gangsta's Paradise. You have to hear Maria Azevedo sing it to believe it. Some surprises include Terminal 46's ultra heavy remake of Public Enemy's Night of the Living Bassheads and Institute of Technology's geeky-cool version of Run-DMC's King of Rock. There are a total of 17 songs by 17 different bands, making this one doozy of a compilation. If Chase's intent was to prove once and for all that rap and industrial are siblings, he definitely achieved that goal. I think the vehicle of rap pushed a lot of the bands on this comp to flex some muscles they never knew they had. There's no excuse not to check out Operation Beatbox. -Jennifer Barnes

BLACK MONDAY Vol.1.4


The hip-hop and industrial scenes may not converge much of late, but the two do have a lot in common. The tools are similar (samples, turntables, drum machines); the agendas (discussions of modern man's alienation, state oppression, power of the media) analogous. Operation Beatbox allows America's "cyberpunk" bands the opportunity to show off their knowledge and affinity for hip-hop music. In general, the remakes don't stray that far from the originals, but some acts really prove they've got more moves in them than the white man overbrite. The most successful tracks are those by bands with some fun in them: 16 Volt's I Ain't Going Out Like That, Insight 23 doing Can You Rock It Like This and Society Burning's version of Colors. Scoring high on humour is Vancouver's own Numb, which chews up Salt-N- Pepa's Push It with a funny fury. The highlight is probably by Battery, one of the few electro bands with a female singer. Its version of Gangsta's Paradise is genuinely haunting...you can't help but love Operation Beatbox, for its guile, its willingness to poke fun and for bridging the gap between two musical genres that owe a lot to each other. -Liisa Ladouceur

CHART (album art featured)

Re-Constriction 10* Year Anniversary (*=5)

Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-400
Format: CD
Year: 1996
Song: Dead Man

Reviews:

T.V. Terror

Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-032
Format: CD
Year: 1997
Song: Magnum P.I. Theme

Reviews:

Tactiq

Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-036
Format: CD
Year: 1997
Songs:
  01 Awaken
  02 Dead Man
  03 Less than Zero
  04 Waster
  05 Tactiq
  06 Immobilize Me
  07 Human Waste
  08 Michelle Ascends from Hell for a Glass of Water
  09 Rot
  10 Merciful Release
  11 Stand and Deliver 97

Reviews:

Wow. Goosebumps. I'm listening to the song, 'Less Than Zero,' and I honestly have goosebumps. This band is everything I've ever asked for from my industrial music: a hard edge, killer grooves, a lyric sheet I can sink my teeth into, and yes, god bless 'em, goosebumps. Dave, Boom, Tracey, if you read this, you fuckin' made my day. Whatever you had to go through to make this album, well from my perspective, it was all worth it. Oh, and, dear reader, you are wondering what the music sounds like? Well, put Jean-Michel Jarre, Scratch Acid, Einsturzende Neubalen, and Killing Joke in a blender. Blend on "high,' for 10 minutes. Pour over crushed Metallica, and top with adonop of KMFDM. I simply cannot recommend this highly enough. -Belaluga Z (Re-Construction! Cargo)

Flipside Nov/Dec 1997


After the excellent Entropy Lingua maxi, Society Burning finally serve up their full-length album. This Colorado based trio, with their groovy riffs, percolating synths, firing percussion, and anthemic choruses, are the most solid and refreshing crossover outfit to come around since AI Jourgenson traded in his sampler for a beat-up old Chevy. Society Burning really don't sound like Ministry at all; it's just that they were the only truly great adrenaline-fueled crossover band, and now these kids are here to fill the gap. Guitars are an important part of the mix here, but they are only part. This is not some half-assed metal band that has just discovered that you can look just as evil standing behind a keyboard as you can holding a geetar. Society Burning know their machines well, and could teach even some of the most prolific samplemeisters a few tricks. But still, spineless electrodorks should probably steer clear, because the testosterone IS pumping, and they just might get hurt. For the rest of us, Tactiq is an essential purchase. You'll love it. (5 out of 6 rating) -Sage

CULTURE SHOCK #5 (album art featured)


Society Burning sounds like very distorted electro-industrial. It's cyber-industrial that is similar to most of the Cargo/Reconstriction catalog. The Industrial/Fetish clubs of New York City are bound to be playing the hell out of Society Burning, which is a good thing. Reveling in the past of industrial is a very unfulfilling venture. Society Burning provides the escape needed for this former industrialist. --Drew West

INK 19 (album art featured)


A fast paced combo of electronics and guitars (not the heavy metal variety). The electronics are dominant so that keeps it a little interesting. A lot of the sounds are crunchy and punchy, but clear and crip. It sounds like the members have been influenced a great deal by rock music and rock songwriting though, as many of the songs are constructed more in that style of writing. Fans of Hate Dept., Bol, and Porcupine Defense will enjoy this. One thing that I'm curious about: The song Human Waste has lyrics and a vocal delivery like some material from the metal band Pantera. Was this accidental? Very hard to say... -GF

ELEKTRIK TRANSFUSION Issue #2 (album art featured)


The excellent samples overlaid by metallic, chunky guitar rhythms are reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails, but for once they're not just a soundalike, this is fresh and exciting. Dead Man speeds it's tits off with manic guitar and Less Than Zero has a pulsating rock feel. Their flexibility arrives on Immobilize Me, not unlike Front 242. Best of all is Human Waste which is a bit of a gem thanks to the bizarre string arrangement overlaying the heavy guitar rhythms...Professional and original, they can definitely win overthe dancefloors. (rating: 4/Good) -Lee Steele

HARD WIRED Issue #4

Awake the Machines

Label: Out of Line
Catalog #: OUT-017
Format: CD
Year: 1997
Song: Less Than Zero

Reviews:

Circuit Noir

Label: United Endangered Front
Catalog #: UEF-CD/1006
Format: CD
Year: 1997
Song: Broken

Reviews:

Got Moose?

Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-037
Format: CD
Year: 1997
Song: Tactiq

Reviews:

Persistence of Division Motion Picture Soundtrack

Label: Kinotonik
Catalog #: KINO.CD 001
Format: CD
Year: 1997
Song: Time

Reviews:

Battery: Aftermath

(Guest Production by Boom Chr Paige)
Label: COP International
Catalog #: COP CD044
Format: CD
Year: 1998
Song: Aftermath (Sobu Remix)

Reviews:

Hexadene: Choking on Lilies

(Guest Production by Boom Chr Paige)
Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-039
Format: CD
Year: 1998
Song: Breathe (Society Burning Remix)

Reviews:

Cyber-punk Fiction

Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-31
Format: CD
Year: 1998
Songs:
  Cyberpumpkin and Engergizer Honey Bunny Dialogue
  Electro Body Music Dialogue
  Busted Surf Boards
  Chemlab's Dead Baby Dialogue
  Bullwinkle Pt.2
  Mos Eisley Download Contest Dialogue
  If Love is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags)
  Bring out the Hack Dialogue
  Comanche
  Flowers on the Wall
  User-friendliness goes a Long Way Dialogue
  Surf Rider
  FAQ 25.17 Dialogue

Reviews:

Some out there might scoff at the idea of electro/industrial acts interpreting songs from the Pulp Fiction soundtrack... but cyberPUNK Fiction is a must for fans of the electro/industrial genre. I first got drawn in by the cover illustration, a spoof of the Pulp Fiction poster, which depicts a leather-clad chick w/ a zip disk and the little goth lunch box (you know it, you have it.) and she's reading Neal Stephanson's Snow Crash! C'mon kiddies, that's attention to detail! And there's an amazing line-up of talent: Killing Floor, Society Burning, Collide, Christ Analogue, Tinted, and my faves 16 Volt among others. But wait, There's more! There's this really hysterical dialog between songs, parodies of scenes from Pulp Fiction, you just gotta hear it. The funniest one spoofs the dialog between Travolta and SL Jackson where they're in the car talking about what they call the burgers in France. Only this is about what they call industrial in Europe. I'm gonna make you buy this to hear it. So you buy this little beauty for the jokes, but you get great stuff along with it, classics like Killing Floor doing Jungle Boogie, and oh my god, a song by Non-Aggression Pact! They do Flowers on the Wall (which is also done as a "bonus track" by Society Burning) and it's a beauty. Lush and evocative, discordant; it's a like a bee in your honey. This one is all samples, no singing by Jason. There may be a new NAP CD out, I gotta check on that. The ever-lovin' 16 Volt do a 16 Volt-ish version of Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon with some very sparse loud screeching geetars and? and the Mysterians style keyboards.

ERUPTURE #9 (album art featured)


CyberPunk Fiction is definitely one very interesting CD. Take 11 Re-Constriction bands, give them each a copy of Pulp Fiction on VHS tape and a copy of the soundtrack, and tell them to get back with you in 6 months. Half a year later -viola -the CyberPunk Fiction soundtrack is born. Not only does this CD contain 16 cybernized covers, but also a handful of dialogue drops from a movie that doesn't exist. Very clever indeed. A good portion of this CD was recorded by Society Burning, including the dialogue snippets and 6 tracks (Bustin' Surlboards, Bullwinkle Part II, Comanche, If Love is a Red Dress, Surl Rider, and Flowers on the Wall.) Bustin' Surfboards begins as a mellow instrumental before transforming into a techno / coldwave hybrid. A female vocalist takes the helm on If Love is a Red Dress. This cold electro piece is somewhat soothing due to the smooth vocals. Flowers on the Wall is a slower piece with vocals that waver between whispered and shouted. Non-Aggression Pact's cover of this same song is a tech / electro lovers wet dream. Fashioned after their own electro hip-hop style, this piece sports trippy beats, rap samples, and sci-fi sequences. Hexedene's cover of You Never Can Tell is a beat structured track that features wet rhythms, hip-hop beats and Jude Graham on vocals. The standout track on the CD is Collide's version of Son of a Preacher Man. kARIN's voluptuous vocals are spread across a canvas of steady, pounding beats, wet keys, and short, effective guitar riffs. Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon is covered by both 16 Volt and Purr Machine. It's difficult to say who does a better job of re-recording it because both bands are so different from one another. 16 Volt's version is minimalistic and driven by Eric's breathy vocals. Musically, Purr Machine's version has more to it and, surprisingly, the female vocalist takes on a heavier approach to the lyrics. Scattered throughout this CD are the humorous dialogue samples that combine electro music references and sci-fi action with original Pulp Fiction scenes. To top it all off, the cover work (done by Diatribe's Kevin Marburg) is a nice, cyber rendition of the original Pulp Fiction cover. All and all, this CD is not only interesting, but it also has true holding power and will not be one of those novelty disc that I lose interest in after a few weeks. -Dachar

INDUSTRIAL BIBLE


There's hardly any point to reviewing Re-Constriction releases anymore. You should know what you're getting into by now-crunchy, accessible synthcore; appealing mainly in it's steel-ballad absurdity. CyberPunk Fiction is no deviant from this model. It's the Pulp Fiction soundtrack given a William Gibson makeover-even the artwork and dialogue snippits have been "industrialized." It's ridiculous and that's what makes it so much fun. There are definite highlights however: Society Burning's surf-guitars covers, Killing Floor's Jungle Boogie, and Purr Machine's highly amusing take on You Never Can Tell. Like most Re-Constriction releases, CyberPunk Fiction is a guilty pleasure, but hey, the more guilty you feel afterwards, the more pleasureable it probably was, right? -Brandon Geist

INTERFACE #14 (album art featured)

Leather Strip: Yes, I'm Limited Vol.3

(Guest Production by Boom Chr Paige & Twitch)
Label: Zoth Ommog
Catalog #: CD ZOT 228
Format: CD
Year: 1998
Songs:
  Coming Up For Air (Leather.Wav)
  Coming Up For Air (Twitch Remix)

Reviews:

Songs from the Wasteland

Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-041
Format: CD
Year: 1998
Song: Naked and Savage (Originally by The Mission UK)

Reviews:

If you're a fan of the Mission, then you'll be happy to know that most of the bands on this tribute album did a fine job of covering them. The Last Dance deserves special mention for their cover of Deliverance though as it stands out from the other goth bands. I'm not sure whether it's because the original is great or The Last Dance is an excellent band. Probably both. Goth fans everywhere will be happy with this readily available album. The confusion comes in when they realize that Re-Constriction (a primarily industrial label) released this record. What saved this album from mediocraty was the remixing/covering of a few Mission titles by industrial acts. Christ Analogue's Garden of Delight and Society Burning's Naked And Savage were really well done...Mission fans and goths in general will be pleasantly amused and maybe the "newbies" will get the urge to look up their "roots". Hell, maybe Christ Analogue and Society Burning will have them buying industrial stuff instead.

INDUSTRIAL RE- TOOL, 1998


Songs From the Wasteland shows the gothic roots of The Mission, the offshoot of the Sister of Mercy. Amid the sea of gothic tributes, Songs From The Wasteland stands out. Firstly, it isn't a Cleopatra signing and therefore doesn't use all of the same bands (although some of them have made it onto this compilation). Secondly, the bands (unlike on most gothic tributes) don't seem to want to sound identical to the band they're emulating. And thirdly, the songs span a few genres, putting a slightly different spin on the compilation as a whole. Opening the compilation is Naked and Savage, by Society Burning, whose sound here is higher quality than usual, and the track combines two related genres (industrial and gothic). The other industrial track, Garden of Delight, by Christ Analogue, is also amazing, and is feasibly the best song. Heavy and distorted, Christ Analogue changes the song, reworking it into something all their own; in the process they create a great piece of music. Other standouts include Cruciform's The Grapes of Wrath, a very nice track without all the posting and "overtime" feel of most modern gothic music. If you're a Mission fan, or a gothic music fan hoping to discover some of the untapped talent in the field today. take a look at this compilation. -Scott Arnold

THE MEDIUM (album art featured), 1999

THD: Watz Your Program

(Guest Production by Boom Chr Paige & Twitch)
Label: Pendragon Records
Catalog #: PEN113
Format: CD
Year: 1998
Songs:
  Days Ahead (Boom's SoBU Mix)
  Days Ahead (12th Hour mix by Twitch)

Reviews:

Idiot Stare: World Deconstruction

(Guest Production by Boom Chr Paige)
Label: Bodybag Productions
Catalog #: None
Format: CD
Year: 1998
Songs:
  Number One (Society Burning Mix)
  Angelic (Society Burning Mix)
  Thorn (Society Burning Mix)

Reviews:

Purr Machine: Speak Clearly (Single)

(Guest Production by Boom Chr Paige)
Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: CSREC-038
Format: CD
Year: 1999
Songs:
  Speak Clearly (Ge41 Mix)
  Phoebe (Lo-fi Felidae Mix)
  Speak Clearly (Lowicide Mix)

Reviews:

Nod's Tacklebox of Fun

Label: Cargo/Re-Constriction
Catalog #: REC-35
Format: CD
Year: 1999
Song: Lovefool (Originally by The Cardigans)

Reviews:

Leather Strip: Carry Me (Single)

(Guest Production by Boom Chr Paige)
Label: Metropolis Records
Catalog #: B00004TDNZ
Format: CD
Year: 2000
Song: Carry Me (Phoenix Mix)

Reviews:

The Challenge From Beyond: A Tribute To H.P. Lovecraft

Label: Dion Fortune
Catalog #: BN 536
Format: CD
Year: 2000
Song: Hold Your Breath (Dreams 1 And 2)

Reviews:

Cryonica Tanz v.1

(Guest Production by Boom Chr Paige)
Label: Cryonica Records
Catalog #: CRYCD001
Format: DCD
Year: 2001
Song: Secret (Club Mix)

Reviews: