Review: Various Artists – 'The Orphans Project Vol. 4'

VARIOUS ARTISTS
'The Orphans Project Vol. 4'
UNSOUND AMERICA

Over the past few years the Unsound America label has been releasing some very interesting content, especially when it comes to compilation albums. Tributes to H.R. Giger and David Bowie have been a couple of the gems, but it is their 'Orphans Project' that has proven to be their annual highlight.

Volume 4 features Fusion Faktor (who provided guitar work on most of the tracks), 회사AUTO and Koira, Fyre Withenue, Gerald GothiCello Nicks, Andrew Chapman, Spirit Lifter, Acid Bass, Shadow Cast Me, Creeps, and Vox Mod. Always experimental and collaborative in nature the sounds swing between idm, industrial pop, ebm and darkwave to create a varied and dynamic track list.

While it isn't the longest compilation you could download, it is thematically unified and offerings such as 'Dawn Chorus' by Shadow Cast Me, 'Superradiance' by Vox Mod, 'Blue Dragon' by Gerald GothiCello Nicks, 'Shyne' by Fusion Faktor, and 'Viral' by Acid Bass alone make this worth the bandwidth of a download.

Production wise the compilation maintains a strong and cohesive presence throughout the running time. Each song has been mixed and mastered well with the track list flowing as though it was conceived as an album rather than a collection of songs.

This is a great addition to an already strong compilation series that highlights some great talents in the electronic underground. Hopefully the series will continue into the future and keep on presenting these great collaborative efforts and new names for a long time to come.  

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Review: Various Artists – 'Unsound Americans'

 

VARIOUS ARTISTS
'Unsound Americans'
UNSOUND AMERICA

Unsound America has, over the past couple of years, produced some great tributes and compilations alongside its main releases. With an ear for unique sounds and esoteric acts the label has already amassed an impressive catalogue. With the passing of David Bowie earlier this year the label has embarked on a tribute compilation for the late Starman, and it is one the Thin White Duke would probably have approved of.

Taking in electronica, idm, darkwave, industrial, and dark pop the album sees sixteen acts take on a cross-section of classic tracks from across Bowie's career. Ranging from sensual and haunting re-imaginings from the likes of Koira, Marc Stowe, Blackberry Lilly, Anna Marie, Jason Jordan, and Deanna Lee and Jackie Lee, to the slick dark pop of Jasen Samford, Alphanaut, Sombra, and Ryan Olsen. While also taking in more raucous interpretations from the likes of Sean Fairchild, Fusion Faktor, Shadow Cast Me, and Gerald "GothiCello" Nicks. Although the coup de grâce has to be the poignant and soulful rendition of 'Strangers When We Meet' by Kyle Michael Porter that closes the album with a punch right to the feels.

This is a very strong, unique and most importantly a heartfelt tribute to the late and great David Bowie. The bands/ artists all bring something original to their tracks and don't merely play it safe. This is what Bowie did with his covers, he made them his own and it is what he would have appreciated to have happen with his music.

The production is excellent across the board. No matter what the style or the manner of recording, each song sounds clear, crisp and modern in its execution. Usually on compilations there is a little variance between tracks based on the tools at each artist's disposal. But this is pretty even throughout.

This is a really great album, one that fans of gothic/industrial music will appreciate whether they are a Bowie fan or not (and to be honest, who isn't a Bowie fan?!). Best of all it is available to download for free with a link to cancer research for a suggested donation.  

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Review: Various Artists – 'The Orphans Project Vol. 2'

VARIOUS ARTISTS
'The Orphans Project Vol. 2'
UNSOUND AMERICA

Unsound America is a label that is quickly developing a very interesting catalogue of releases. Not only are they home to The Walking Wounded, but they also released the brilliant sonic tribute to H.R. Giger 'Erotomechanics' last year as part of their artists series. In continued spirit of experimentation, Kyle Porter (The Walking Wounded) invited some artists and producers to collaborate on the “music left on the cutting room floor”. The result is a psychedelic industrial free-for-all.

The tracks span, ambient, psychedelic, industrial, idm, pop, glitch and electronica to create a varied and multifaceted release that should contain something for everyone. The likes of 회사AUTO and Taxxes bookend the album with the most experimental pieces, while the likes of Fusion Faktor, AuntieMatter, Gerald 'Gothic Cello' Nicks, and Castle In A Box provide the more dance-friendly pieces.

It is an interesting concept for a compilation that has yielded some interesting results. Thankfully as well, in terms of production and mastering, it still feels like a continuous whole rather than a cobbled together play list.

'The Orphans Project Vol. 2' is another strong outing from the Unsound America label that is both original and intelligent. It's a short compilation at eight songs, but it is certainly a memorable one that should turn people on to the artists involved. Hopefully Volume 3 will be on its way in the future.

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Review: Ron Lipke / Vox Mod / Kyle Porter – 'Giger: Erotomechanics (An Unauthorised Musical Tribute)'

RON LIPKE / VOX MOD / KYLE PORTER
'Giger: Erotomechanics (An Unauthorised Musical Tribute)'
UNSOUND AMERICA

The sad passing recently of the greatest surrealist of the second half of the 20^th century, H.R. Giger has seen an outpouring of tributes, both in pictures and writing. 'Giger: Erotomechanics' is the first musical tribute I've had the pleasure of being sent. Well perhaps pleasure is the wrong word here, because as you'd expect from a musical tribute to a man who's erotic biomechanical nightmares infected the mainstream collective consciousness... this is not pleasurable music.

The seven noise-laden soundscapes courtesy of the collaboration between The Waking Wounded's Ron Lipke, as well as Vox Mod and Kyle Porter would provide a perfect score to one of Giger's own film works or indeed his 'Art In Motion' video.

'Harkonen Castle', with it's echoing dron, sweeping synths and sci-fi static, evokes the image of the Nostromo floating through the emptiness of deep space as it approaches the unknown extra terrestrial vessel and it's internal horrors. While 'Biomechanoid' introduces some more industrial flavours, bringing to mind a demonic, modern Frankenstein's laboratory while some unseen hand labours tirelessly over engineered horrors. 'Passages' immediately introduces echoing, somewhat martial sounding distorted synths and beats that sound like a futuristic army massing in an ancient subterranean temple.

'Li' slowly builds into madness educing screams and roars of static distortion permeated by jagged strings before eventually receding to a simple, delicate melody. 'Birth Machine' again features the swirling distorted drones, but is joined by a central synth-line around which all the noise grows around, before grinding to a halt and erupting in a cacophony of anguished noise. 'Landscapes' blends quiet melody and loud noise, with loud melody and quiet noise as it unveils an Cyclopean city, long abandoned by it's technologically advanced builders and left to succumb to the strange flora and fauna before. The album closes with 'Necronom', a slowly building blend of drones, hanging distorted synths and choral voices that when brought together sound like a descent into the mouth of hell.

This album is a very fitting tribute that provides a perfect soundtrack to the books and videos of H.R. Giger. It is way to esoteric for general consumption and even connoisseurs of dark ambient and noise will find this particularly heavy going. But like Giger's art, this is not for the meek.  

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