Ayria- The Gun Song EP

ARTIST: Ayria
ALBUM: The Gun Song EP
LABEL: Alfa Matrix
REVIEWER: Matthew J.
DATE:  3-9-08

A preview of Ayria's forthcoming full-length, this EP features two brand new songs and eight remixes. Unfortunately, the title track doesn't give us much to look forward to. Project creator Jennifer Parkin uses the same style of rapid-fire, semi-spoken vocals that marked her 2005 club hit, "My Revenge on the World," but what sounded spunky and punchy on that track comes off as repetitive and petulant on "The Gun Song." While that's possibly Parkin's intent, given that it's a song about insecure people who use guns as a stand-in for self-confidence, it hardly makes for an endearing listen. The second new track, "Six Seconds," is thankfully much better; Parkin's vocals are a lot more dynamic, and the hard-driving beats and trance-inspired synth patterns practically guarantee club success. The remixes of the title track are likewise quite good. Front 242's Daniel B. slows things down for a deeper and darker mood, Angelspit manipulates the vocals and splices them with complex electro rhythms, and Headscan turns things cold and mechanical by drenching Parkin's voice in old-fashioned vocoder effects. "Six Seconds" also gets a couple of remixes, with French producer and DJ David Caretta putting a robotic techno spin on things and Spetsnaz offering a fairly straightforward EBM mix. Remixes are nice and all, but this EP really only offers two new songs, and only one of them is all that good. If you're a DJ, the different mixes might be a good addition to your music library, but all but the most devoted Ayria fans might want to give this a pass and just bide their time until the full-length album comes out.

Visit Ayria online at www.ayria.com.