Absurd Minds- Noumenon

Artist: Absurd Minds
CD Title: Noumenon
Label: Dancing Ferret Discs
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 1/10/06

Absurd Minds’ latest album continues the German trio’s history of solid, progressive electronic music in the vein of Project Pitchfork with another hour or so of spaced out synth programming, philosophical lyrics and unexpected key changes. Fans already know more or less what to expect with this one, but a number of harder tracks that beef up the rhythm without sacrificing the band’s signature electro weirdness might bring in a new audience from the EBM scene. “Regain The Throne” is pleasantly fast with a bit of an edge to it, and “Agitation,” which features background shouts alongside lead singer Stefan Grossmann’s usual bittersweet vocal work, is the most aggressive thing the band has done in a long time. “Dependence” takes things in a more minimal direction, its rhythms clean but with hints of industrial crunch, while the excellent “Stop The Fall” adds a tribal touch to the drum machine and a distorted electric guitar to the background. Absurd Minds’ more eccentric intellectual side comes to the forefront on slower tracks, like the moodier textures of “The Promise” and the stately cinematic atmosphere of “Beyond The World.” As a treat to longtime fans, Absurd Minds have included a new version of their hit “A Man Received The Answer,” and the American version of this album on Dancing Ferret Discs also adds remixes of “Dependence and “Stop The Fall.” This one’s definitely a classic in the making, catchy enough for the clubs but mind-bending enough for fans of more psychedelic electronic music.

Go to www.absurdminds.de for more information.