Review: Avarice In Audio – 'Shine & Burn'

AVARICE IN AUDIO
'Shine & Burn'
ALFA MATRIX 

Gerry Hawkins (Cryogenic Echelon) and Jade Pegg (Acidtrixx) as Avarice In Audio are a match made in electronic music heaven. Hawkins' cutting edge electronic work with Cryogenic Ecehelon and Pegg's classical training and production expertise come together to blend ebm, trance, edm, and synthpop to create some incredibly euphoric alternative electronic music geared towards the dance floor.

The band have found a natural home on Belgian label Alfa Matrix, and the band's first full-length studio album 'Shine & Burn' repays the label's faith immediately. The album is hard, fast, dance-friendly and blends distorted male vocals and soaring female vocals in a way that recalls acts such as Juno Reactor, Covenant and Aesthetic Perfection.

The album is crammed full of potential singles with the likes of 'Feed The Addiction' (Featuring Ascension EX), 'The Cassandra Complex', 'Punished', 'Frostbite', 'Heartless Disaster' (featuring XP8), 'China White', and 'Behind Your Mask' (Featuring MiXE1) in particular standing out and showing just what a strong song writing partnership Hawkins and Pegg are. Any of these tracks, or in fact any on the album, have strong potential to become worldwide club favourites

The album is fresh, energetic and accessible in its approach. The production is excellent as always and the whole package just shows a continued growth from their initial demos into a solid and high quality project.

'Shine & Burn' lives up to the expectations that the individual members' solo endeavours create. The songs are memorable and emotive. The production is lush and modern, and the guest spots add a different dimension to the proceedings. Lets hope the duo keep up the momentum and give us a sophomore offering as soon as possible.

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Review: Avarice In Audio – 'Frostbite EP'

AVARICE IN AUDIO
'Frostbite EP'
ALFA MATRIX

The 'Frostbite EP' is the début EP from Alfa Matrix's new Australian signing, Avarice In Audio. Made up of the duo of Gerry Hawkins (Cryogenic Echelon) and Jade Pegg (Acidtrixx) the EP displays the penchant for big club anthems we've come to expect from Hawkins while the dual male and female vocal duties stray into ethereal and even operatic territory to give the project a unique and somewhat eccentric identity of its own.

The EP blends synthpop, edm, dark electro and dubstep elements to create a thoroughly modern and dynamic formula that works particularly well on the infectious title track 'Frostbite' as well as the huge club-friendly 'Sleepwalking Society', and the all out dance-fest that is 'Heartless Disaster' featuring the expertise of XP8. There are of course three remixes included for good measure with Studio-X, Heartwire and Ruinizer adding their unique flavours to the originals. Though it is perhaps Ruinizer's take on 'Heartless Disaster' that proves to be the best of the three with its more experimental style.

As you'd expect from a project involving Gerry Hawkins, the production and mixing is absolutely spot on. Each track simply sounds huge and room-filling with exceptional attention to detail.

This is a strong introduction to a band that looks destined to be a big part of the Alfa Matrix roster going forward. Hopefully it won't be too long before we get our hands on a full length release.

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