#033 - Collide

Gothic female vocals are something that are not that compelling to me at least (of course there's always exceptions). And that's the reason why Collide is not waking up any true feelings in me. A male/female duo consisting of Statik and kaRIN (even the names are little stupid as so often with gothic stuff). Their sound is quite nice, but still this ambient incluenced synthpop is not hot enough.

Born early 90s, they have released already eight albums (couple of those are remixes though), so they do know what to do in the studio. You can clearly hear that also while listening at least their newer stuff. Older material is actually little bit harder, and sounds even better compared to their more ambient sound. BTW, they have been tagged also as darkwave at least with their older albums.

They definately must have some real following. Unfortunately I won't join that movement (at least not yet). Here's a bit more mellow track from their 2003 released Some Kind of Strange album.



Some links:
http://www.collide.net
http://www.myspace.com/collide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collide_%28band%29
http://www.last.fm/music/collide
http://open.spotify.com/artist/2ybEnEKYd8hw5Mag7uieQa

#032 - Cobalt 60

Front 242 is one of the better known names in industrial genre. They could even given a "legend"  tag. Cobalt 60 has close linkage to this group. Formed by Front 242 vocalist Jean-Luc De Meyer and machines handled by Dominique Lallement, they released two albums at the end of the 90s.

Named after a radioactive isotope of cobalt, Cobalt 60 was a little bit different group compared to other contemporary acts, since they used quitars - even though that is really common nowadays in industrial music also. Overall their sound is quite bombastic. De Meyer sounds really "german" with his commanding vocals and Lallement's "machines" produce really classical industrial sounds to back him up. Also lots of symphonic elements are combined into their sound.

Cobalt 60 is really surprising and interesting act. Check them out. Here's the opening track of their debut album Elemental released 1996.





Some links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobalt_60_%28band%29
http://www.last.fm/music/cobalt+60
http://open.spotify.com/artist/766rOEGuh3SJNXQyjjQkSv

#031 - Clan of Xymox

Darkwave is again one of the genres names, that I haven't "used" before. OK, it's quite obvious what that should be and I'd say that this is again "just another genre among the millions of others". Clan of Xymox has been linked to this darkwave movement, which started already late 70s. If it sounds like post-punk, looks like post-punk, feels like post-punk, why it must be called darkwave? Who knows!

Clan of Xymox combines quite nicely some industrial elements to their sound. But nothing totally new can be found here. But anyway they've been in front of the movement, since starting already early 80s. Long history already behind them, but they are still alive and kicking (and actually quite hard even, if you listen their latest In Love We Trust album from 2009).

I've heard their name before, but wasn't familiar with their sound at all. Little bit too much 80s here for my taste, but nice and easy sound anyway. Here's a nice sample from their latest effort.



Some links:
http://www.clanofxymox.com
http://www.myspace.com/clanofxymox
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_of_Xymox
http://www.last.fm/music/Clan+of+Xymox
http://open.spotify.com/artist/1wHmR7I0UlF58WFQexCPha

#030 - Chemlab

Even though being one of the early bands (formed already 1989, as a reference NIN and Godflesh are formed 1988) in this industrial metal genre, I've never even heard of Chemlab. Maybe it's due the fact that band split up already 1997 only to made a comeback 2004. That might be the reason they "never made it" really.

Run by two main members, Dylan Thomas More and Jared Louche, and having additional members with backgrounds from many interesting industrial band, Chemlab have toured with bunch of "well-known names" in the industrial metal genre including White Zombie, KMFDM and Nine Inch Nails. But I assume they more or less stayed in US side of the Atlantic.

The old albums sounds really relevant still today (it's not that common with 15 years old industrial albums). There's something catchy in their sound, a bit similar as Pitchshifter in their prime. Here's a sample from their debut album Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar released 1993.


Some links:
http://www.hydrogenbar.com
http://www.myspace.com/chemlab
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemlab
http://www.last.fm/music/Chemlab
http://open.spotify.com/artist/6fJTyAeSgv4A1LR9LamLnY

#029 - Celldweller

First time now when I crash into an artist that I've wrote already earlier. Celldweller is electronic rock project created by multi-instrumentalist Klayton (aka Scott Albert) who has been earlier working with for example Argyle Park (or AP2 which I wrote earlier). Celldweller is anyway by far the best known act Klayton has been involved.

Musically I have to say I kinda like this poppier sound of Celldweller. Even though normally I'm not so into this kind of approach, Celldweller must do something right - maybe this reminds about those numetal-era industrial influenced bands (I have to admit that I liked that crap) like Apartment 26 or The Union Underground.

Anyway I give thumbs up for this one, even though it's nothing really special. Here's Switchback from eponymous debut album.


Some links:
http://www.celldweller.com
http://www.myspace.com/celldweller
http://www.youtube.com/user/celldweller
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celldweller
http://www.last.fm/music/Celldweller
http://open.spotify.com/artist/4BKyei61gtyDFxlKhcvBJJ

#028 - Cdatakill

Now we are jumping more noisier side of industrial. Even though combining lots of different sound Zak Roberts from Denver, Colorado concentrates anyway more on the extreme side of electronic music. Even going all the way to pure noise and ambient. But there is nice melodies also attached at least partly and also mixing some world music type of elements to the sound makes it more interesting. In some songs I can even hear similarities to Serj Tankian's Serart project. These songs start to get really hypnotic after few minutes. That can't be bad, it's how this kind of music should work. So I have to admit that Cdatakill delivers what it has promised.

Roberts has made made music since mid-90s, but if I've understood correctly Cdatakill was born around Millenium. At least first Black & Red EP is said to be released in 2001. After that Cdatakill has released quite a lot of stuff. Of course many of those are 7"s and 12"s, but he has also released some CD albums lately via Ad Noiseam.

Here's one sample from 2006 released Valentine album.


Some links:
http://cdatakill.c8.com
http://www.myspace.com/cdatakill
http://www.last.fm/music/Cdatakill
http://open.spotify.com/artist/34idl8qZIibH1ndfsqaSQ8

#027 - Cat Rapes Dog

First time I started to listen this electropunk band from Sweden I thougt this was total crap. But after couple of rounds this realll started to stick to back of my head. Actually this is quite OK stuff. Nothing brilliant though, but anyway it was better to have another tasting on this one. Combining electro sounds with punk and metal guitars with EBM creates quite nice overall sound.

Formed already 1984, they've released their latest album in 1999, called People as Prey (first track is named Eating People Is Fun [niiiice!!!]). But at least according couple in Internet source they haven't actually called it quits. Some demos have surfed the net after that also, but it has been really silent. Their homepage latest update is already over one year old. So lets see if they actually come back someday.

Here's strangly named Moosehair Underwear.


Some links:
http://www.crd.se
http://www.myspace.com/1cat1dog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Rapes_Dog
http://www.last.fm/music/Cat%2520Rapes%2520Dog
http://open.spotify.com/artist/1VohfJ3VBeTNblM4udW4DH

#026 - Cabaret Voltaire

Cabaret Voltaire has some sort of "legend" sticker attached to them. Band was signed to indie labels more or less all their career that ended in mid-90s. Even though reunion rumors were out there end of the 90s it never happened. They had quite nice chart success even in the UK. In 15 years they released 15 albums, nice amount of compilation (including several after their split-up).

To my taste Cabaret Voltaire is way too "sound of the 80s". I was too young then to actually understand anything about this kind stuff. Their sound describes quite nicely what was going on then. Their career included many different eras though - from postpunk to synthpop and eventually even techno. But still this 80s sound is something that combines everything under one flag.

Here's one sample of that sound. Yashar was released orignally as a single in 1982 via legendary Factory Records.


Some links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabaret_Voltaire_%28band%29
http://www.last.fm/music/Cabaret%2520Voltaire
http://open.spotify.com/artist/2kS4yz85MaZlxp2VaS3BEe

#025 - Bong-ra

Now I have to say that I hit the first jackpot - this is why I started this project. Bong-ra, haling from Netherlands, is a breakcore group (have to say I've no idea what breakcore means, but I seem to like it) founded 1996 and they've released lots of 7"'s, 12"'s and EPs, but I have to say I've no idea how they discography should be read - at least some albums seem to be collections of those "smaller" records.

Well, who cares about the actual releases. At least from Spotify you can find quite many tracks and when I first tested the first track of their Spotify list I was sold. Their combination of techno, industrial, rap, alternative, metal, jazz, younamethenexttengenres is so catchy that you can't resist. You just have to dive in there and feel the noise.

Their style is described also as raggacore and some tracks sounds just like Skindred (which is one of the better bands I know). But overall this band is just taking too many right pills when they start "jamming". And they're definately having real sense of irony. Here's that "first track" I tested also - 666mph.


Some links:
http://www.bong-ra.com
http://www.myspace.com/teambongra
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bong-Ra
http://www.last.fm/music/Bong-Ra
http://open.spotify.com/artist/6dD5LzTwdYS3gRvRSCOIVP

#024 - Blood

First time in Japan during this project. From there we find a group called Blood, who actually ended their career last year. Wikipedia tells the following: "Blood's aim was to create music that expresses the meaning of human emotion that breaks the musical frame. They were closely associated with visual kei, but the band referred to themselves as a gothic band". Well... They sound a bit like gothic from time to time, but to me this reminds too often those horrid Eurovision song contest "artists".

There's some songs that are more "industrial" like material and those sound much better. But overall I have to say that this sucks, I've never really got this visual-kei stuff and this proves again, that it might not be something that I should waste my time on.



Some links:
http://www.darkestlabyrinth.jp
http://www.myspace.com/bloodofficial
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_%28band%29
http://www.last.fm/music/%EF%BC%A2%EF%BC%AC%EF%BC%AF%EF%BC%AF%EF%BC%A4
http://open.spotify.com/artist/0g5EF7OrwJkdzrahvQKyZ1