Defekt 86- Ultramarin

ARTIST: Defekt 86

CD TITLE: “Ultramarin”

LABEL AF Music (2009)

REVIEWER: Robert Eaton

DATE: 1/11/10

German Goth/post-punk outfit Defekt 86’s album, “Ultramarin,” is ten songs of goth-rock that wears its influences very much on its sleeve. Defekt 86’s is a distinctively retro sound, which tips its hat to Andrew Eldritch, with new-wave synths and guitar ripped for a long repertoire of Goth bands of that era. The album is available in a digital release through AFMusic.

Some of the albums tracks have a somewhat unfinished feel, with little filling up the mid-range in themix between the guitars and bass synths. Songs like “Idol’s for the Weak” miss a bit of sheen in production and come close to parody, rather than homage of their source material. “Sterne (I Wish I Were Alone),” in contrast, is strikingly lush and evocative. The result is a highly dramatic and interesting track. “Nur Ein Schritt” is a terse 2 minutes, forty-one seconds, but it is another brighter spot of the album. The track is noisy, heavily distorted and fresh compared with other tracks on the album.

For those looking for something to add to the cannon of Goth-rock albums, it’s difficult to know where to place this album. Occasionally, “Ultramarin” just proves Defekt 86’s refrain in the “A Hundred Times,” but occasionally, it does not.

Check out the band: https://www.myspace.com/defekt86