japaneseCARCRASH- BADmachine

japaneseCARCRASH -BADmachine

japaneseCARCRASH uses lush arrangements, and
harmonized vocals to recall some of the TVT-era
synthpop. The band's sound is decidedly retro, but not
necessarily dated. After all, it seems like most of
the synth patches off this album could have come from
a Yamaha DX-7, or a similar analog synth. But the
songs are put together in a way that doesn't make the
album seem totally like a throwback. It's a decidedly
analogue sounding album, one that an enterprising
industrial act could possibly have written in 1993.
Doing an obvious retread involves taking some risks,
but BADmachine manages to do it well without smearing
it's mascara. Also, the album has some wickedly cool
samples scattered throughout.
The first few tracks of the album mix said analogue
synths with melodic vocals and dance-ready beats. The
formula works even if it doesn't offer any surprises.
Then, just to prove that they have some versatility,
"Disconnected: Void" comes across as a great
dance-floor track. The programming is more EBM than
synthpop, and it's refreshingly different, even if it
does drag in the middle. The track is driven by great
samples, and there's even a nice hook in the chorus.
But the song is a little more driving, and probably
one of the better dance-floor tracks on the album.
It's a fascinating atypical song for the rest of the
album.
The last four tracks of the album are remixes and
extended mixes of the first few tracks. Hate Dept.
does a mix of "Darkened Loneliness" which is a nice
dressing up of the original track with a little
guitars supplied. It's adds just enough satisfying
aggression to the originals pop sensibility, it's a
great sounding track. It makes for one of the most
satisfying moments of the album. "All Without a Sound"
(remix by Paul Robb) is back to synthpop, with a
decidedly new-wave feel. It's well-produced and
well-crafted pop.
The album, in some ways, is a throwback to TVT-era
synthpop like Psychic TV and Psychosonik, so if that's
your style you might be interested in picking up this
CD. It has enough of a modern edge that it doesn't
seem like it would be out of place in your
disk-changer, even if you're not. There's nothing
earth-moving on the album, but there's eight solid
synth-pop tracks, and some good remixes.