| ARTIST: Komor Kommando ALBUM: Das EP LABEL: Alfa Matrix REVIEWER: Matthew J. DATE: 2-11-10 
With the debut EP of his newest dance project, Sebastian Komor can't help but garner comparisons to fellow Icon of Coil alumnus Andy Laplegua. Though he'd probably disagree, there are some definite similarities between Komor Kommando and Laplegua's most popular project, Combichrist, especially Combichrist's earliest, mostly instrumental material. Both projects share a similar approach to dance music, taking the catchiest, most primal rhythms of techno and making them hard as possible without sacrificing even the slightest hint of groove. Where a large part of Combichrist's appeal comes from the shocking, at times campy imagery, however, Komor Kommando is more utilitarian; Komor Kommando isn't an alter ego or a new persona for Komor, but rather an outlet to produce hard-edged techno-fueled EBM for its own sake. Several tracks are directly titled after their own sonic elements; though "The Beat That Goes Ping" features hints of robotic speech samples and cut-up East Indian vocals, the real draw is the titular beat itself. Similarly, the pounding 4/4 beats of "Das Oontz" are named for an onomatopoeia frequently used in the EBM scene to refer to the electronic kick sound. The less self-referential tracks are similarly club-oriented; though "Beat Around the Bushes" uses samples of U.S. presidents Reagan and Truman for flavor and "The AntiKrist" throws in some apocalyptic preaching, the emphasis never strays far from the gritty breakbeats and hard-slamming kicks. This is music for and about dancing; though the power noise-tinged "Triggerfinger" features a loop of the phrase, "I've got a trigger finger / Let me blow your mind," it's clearly not minds that Komor is targeting, but bodies, and this EP scores a direct hit. Visit the project's MySpace page at for sample tracks and the latest Komor Kommando news. |
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