Review by rA Miles Apart (PK 08/138) by Pete Namlook and Peter Prochir

The fantastic cover of this disc sets the scene for this driving, in both senses of the word, music. This disc basically crosses low-key drum and bass with industrial elements to produce pedestrian tracks which may have been designed for sub-Alpine tunnel journeys. The title track that opens this disc is probably the most conventional of the tracks to be found here and sets the pace for much of the album. If there is drum and bass in here it has been slowed down and analysed to create a new synthesis of clinical metallic atmospheric sounds and martial beats. Not too fast and none too slow but driven along at a pace that keeps your attention.

The bass and shuffle of Drop Zone is quickly overlaid with sickly fairytale notes creating an uneasy, ominous almost, atmosphere. This is filled out with a big padding bass undertow which pushes the track on as ticks and whistles make the eerieness full-blown. Finally distorted fuzzy sub-bass and sounds of scythes being sharpened on stone ride this one out to its conclusion. Head nodder supreme, don't strain your neck.

Strange vocal samples open Protein which uses tinkling fantasy-filled themes traced over filmic and an energetic, almost randomised, bass synth that takes the place of any other harder beat leaving only a breathless vacuum. The tunnel lights spin by in a neon blur as the car moves at breakneck pace until slower beats return with SloDrm as a grinding factory-like noise rolls along. This track is slow but pretty damn hard with squealing electronics and industrial effects all around. Hard going for my soft shell-likes and probably too long. 10 006, on the other hand, is a shorter piece and starts with a dramatic futuristic theme soon taken over by an urgent tapped out anthem while deep bass pulses and swirling synth patterns are traced overhead.

The oddity among this apocalyptic bunch here is Soft CRD, played to us as we reach Eastern Europe on our adventure. An evocative set of Eastern electronics and synths plays out with barely a nod to the preceding machine-like antics of the earlier tracks. That said the accordion-like electronics and flutes are built over an echoing metallic beat which is hypnotic in its effect sounding a little like a futuristic version of Coleman and Dudley's 'Songs of the Victorious City'.

Finally, Apart winds us back down as stellar synths and wind swept mountain tops fade from view as our mission comes to a close. Chirruping glitches and mournful electronics set us back down gently. Dreams of industrial sites, jet flights, sci-fi and covert operations are generated by this kind of music. This isn't really staple FAX fare (only the second to sport the orange and yellow drum and bass, Namlook drops most of his synth playing and Prochir takes an apparent lead in the creation of the tracks which makes a nice re-emphasis for this album in my book. On a mission.