KMFDM - "Krieg"
Like almost all the acts that made up the Wax Trax Records family in the '90s, the legacy of Industrial music has long since melted into the background when its brutal punch fell out of critical and popular favor here in North America. It has since been adopted and adapted by a new generation of metal and techno, but so many of the originators of this sound have either moved on or are tarrying on and catering to a specialized, nostalgic audience.
One such group that felt the call to reform and move forward is KMFDM, who have been scrabbling away under the radar since about 2002. What they haven't done to any appreciable effect is adapt their sound for the new millennium. Instead, the formula is the same: four-to-the-floor techno beats, angry guitars and growled socio-political commentary. And in keeping with this formula, they commissioned an album of remixes of their material.
As you might already know going into a remix album, the bare bones of the originals are there but really bear the stamp of the people who are doing the reconfiguring and adapting. Hence you give a song to the members of Prong - as KMFDM did with their "Bait & Switch" - and what you'll get is a bit of keyboard tones and vocals overlaid with Tommy Victor's recognizable guitar growls and double kick-drum blasts.
And the tracks that stand out are the ones that dare to take the source material in a completely new direction. Dave Ogilvie turns the otherwise driving "Never Say Never" into something resembling a pop song thanks to a lighter beat and some minor key melody lines that leaven the mood considerably. Chris Vrenna, too, keeps the track "Davai" in a surprisingly minimalist mode, putting the focus the strident vocals and one hard bit of drum work.
It's not that KMFDM has overstayed their welcome - there is still a vital vein of energy that runs through even their most recent work. But until they are willing to take some chances on their own, without the help of a trusted bunch of remixers, they will likely fall further into the background. [ END ]
Track Listing:
01. Bait & Switch (All 4 One Mix)
02. Strut (Disco Balls Mix)
03. Potz Blitz! (Harmonic Tremors Mix)
04. Bait & Switch (Sacred Cow Mix)
05. Never Say Never (Naughty Habit Mix)
06. People of the Lie (Requiem Mix)
07. Bitches (Pop Will Eat This Mix)
08. Never Say Never (Confessional Mix)
09. People of the Lie (Crooked Illusion Mix)
10. Davai (Cyrillic Mix)
11. Never Say Never (Candy Apple Mix)
12. Davai (Bloody Fog Mix)
Run Time: 55:56
Release Date: 12.17.2009
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One such group that felt the call to reform and move forward is KMFDM, who have been scrabbling away under the radar since about 2002. What they haven't done to any appreciable effect is adapt their sound for the new millennium. Instead, the formula is the same: four-to-the-floor techno beats, angry guitars and growled socio-political commentary. And in keeping with this formula, they commissioned an album of remixes of their material.
As you might already know going into a remix album, the bare bones of the originals are there but really bear the stamp of the people who are doing the reconfiguring and adapting. Hence you give a song to the members of Prong - as KMFDM did with their "Bait & Switch" - and what you'll get is a bit of keyboard tones and vocals overlaid with Tommy Victor's recognizable guitar growls and double kick-drum blasts.
And the tracks that stand out are the ones that dare to take the source material in a completely new direction. Dave Ogilvie turns the otherwise driving "Never Say Never" into something resembling a pop song thanks to a lighter beat and some minor key melody lines that leaven the mood considerably. Chris Vrenna, too, keeps the track "Davai" in a surprisingly minimalist mode, putting the focus the strident vocals and one hard bit of drum work.
It's not that KMFDM has overstayed their welcome - there is still a vital vein of energy that runs through even their most recent work. But until they are willing to take some chances on their own, without the help of a trusted bunch of remixers, they will likely fall further into the background. [ END ]
Track Listing:
01. Bait & Switch (All 4 One Mix)
02. Strut (Disco Balls Mix)
03. Potz Blitz! (Harmonic Tremors Mix)
04. Bait & Switch (Sacred Cow Mix)
05. Never Say Never (Naughty Habit Mix)
06. People of the Lie (Requiem Mix)
07. Bitches (Pop Will Eat This Mix)
08. Never Say Never (Confessional Mix)
09. People of the Lie (Crooked Illusion Mix)
10. Davai (Cyrillic Mix)
11. Never Say Never (Candy Apple Mix)
12. Davai (Bloody Fog Mix)
Run Time: 55:56
Release Date: 12.17.2009
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