| CD REVIEW (This CD review was also published at www.701.com) |
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| Where the CD�s theme is concerned, there�s something to be said, first and foremost, for the visual aspect of communication. I had never heard of Karl Bartos before (although, when researching his name, I discovered I had heard of his techno-pop pioneering band, Kraftwerk), so it was actually the cover artwork that appealed to me. I�ve actually been informed that this is half the battle won, when vying to be �the chosen one� that gets purchased and taken out of the music store. The stark black-and-white effect of its easily recognized symbolic icons epitomizes the minimalist, universal approach towards modern-day communication, avoiding the use of any one language (or, in the case of Qu�bec, two) that would inherently exclude anyone who has no comprehension of it. Most of the 10 tracks are commercially-formatted for a dance crowd and, other than the typical annoying beat-box (thump-thump) that drives me crazy after prolonged exposure, they are actually pretty good. I was forewarned about the voice modulator being utilized, but that�s a technique that has always intrigued me, so I�m okay with that. It could have gotten monotonous after a while, but Mr. Bartok manages to modify it sufficiently to create an interesting diversity of bleeping snap, crackle and pops. There is a refreshing Pet Shop Boys feel to �Life�, vocally-speaking, anyway, but it�s followed by the trance-dance �Cyberspace� that goes on a bit too long (at over 6 minutes). It�s worth it, though, to hear the beautifully gothic cathedral-organ licks towards the end. �Ultraviolet� is a perfect example of why INXS was such a popular and innovative band. Whereas this song itself is very reminiscent of the �new wave� sensibility, that damn beat-box gets in the way of some great musical ideas where rhythm is concerned. By then, I was pretty weary of the voice modulation, too. The closing �Another Reality�, as opposed to the techno-rap of �Reality�, an earlier track on the CD, showed a lot of promise in its multi-layered swells of Pink Floyd-like orchestration, but the fizzled-out coda was a bit of a disappointment. If you like this experimental approach to electronic synthesis, I�d suggest you take a listen to Randall Cousins� Meltdown Series (in any of its various colourizations). |
| COMMUNICATION - KARL BARTOS |
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