Genre: Industrial / Drone

N. Strahl .N
01 FM 1
02 FM 2
03 FM 3
04 FM 4
05 FM 5

Mystified:
06 Joint Mission
07 Honeycomb
08 Basement Hymn
09 Beat A Pattern
10 Hold It
11 Metal Log
12 Fore Versus Aft
13 Much Later
14 Deep Grain

This record is a collaboration between N.Strahl.N and Mystified. Their label website said they are remixing tracks by each other, however after listening a couple times I am not sure whether this is accurate or not. Things just don’t seem to add up to that. These do not feel like remixes, but like original tracks, but it is hard to tell with this kind of music.

The first half of the record is from Germany’s N.Strahl.N. It is very dense literal industrial. I mean it sounds like opposing armies of sheet metal soldiers fighting in a ironworks. It lacks definite rhythm for the most part, but sprinkled throughout are little bursts of beats. FM 4 especially has beats. It makes me think of little animals having a dance party underground. FM 5 is alkso very rhythmic and has a burst of vocals (I think) at the very end. One thing I could not figure out about these songs is their titles, FM 1 –5. what is that about?

The second half of this record is by the United States’ Mystified. I like this half a lot more than the first half. It is full of big dancy almost club beats, although I am sure it would frighten away the dancefloor at any real club, I would love to hear this on a big sound system. Throughout the tracks there is also an underlying ambience that radiates a warmt that is rather uncommon in noise music. I hear a lot of water sound in this, but that is probably just me. I hear water in everything. “Beat A Pattern” has a sound like power4 tools getting together to drink and make music. “Metal Log” made me think of cicus animals trapped in a factory. “Fore Versus Aft” reminded me of when I used to ride freight trains to the point that I am almost sure it sampled a train. All in all a quality recording.

I recommend the first half of this CD for sleeping, and the second half for waking up. This release is well worth tracking down if you are a fan of traditional industrial.