Mind.in.a.Box- Dreamweb

Artist: Mind.IN.A.Box.
CD Title: Dreamweb
Label: Metropolis Records
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 9/18/05

Mind.In.A.Box is one of the most stunning recent additions to the EBM scene; although the band’s music is catchy, danceable, and techno-inspired, it’s also brilliantly original. With the popularity in recent years of VNV Nation and Covenant, there’s a slew of bands using the same formula of fast beats, sweeping trance-flavored synth melodies, and soulful vocal work. This new album is fast, melodic, and soulful, but it takes off in its own unique direction, taking the futuristic aesthetic of Icon Of Coil a step further by integrating various mechanical effects with the vocal processing and seamlessly mixing an array of styles that ranges from the big beat EBM of “Dead End” to the quieter pop moments of “Sun and Storm.” Even guitars find their way into the mix occasionally, as on “Reflections,” which bursts from a spaced out spoken word intro into danceable industrial rock. The vocals are just as varied, ranging from android androgyny on “Out of Time” to artificially elfin on “Lament for Lost Dreams.” It’s a bit of a risky approach, especially since it’s clear that Mind.In.A.Box could have taken the easy route and just released a dozen or so generic club hits, but for an album so diverse this CD is also incredibly cohesive, feeling less like a collection of separate songs than a single, continuously flowing composition. This is a must-have for all futurepop devotees; it incorporates all of the elements that made bands like Apoptygma Berzerk so popular, while sounding almost nothing like its forebears. It’s a rare gem indeed that can be so unique and yet so broadly appealing.

Visit www.mindinabox.com for more information.