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32Crash – Y2112Y


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A long time I prepared for this review. Why? Probably because I wanted to listen to all the tracks once again before writing this text and it is difficult to unambiguously evaluate this album.

Y2112Y is the second full-length album by the Belgian artists Len Lemeire (Implant), Jan D'Hooghe (Vive La Fête and Implant) and Jean-Luc De Meyer (Front 242). This album is a continuation of their vision presented on 2007's Humanity (EP) and Weird News From An Uncertain Future. The title already describes the material clearly, we one small step forward to the year 2112. Again we are dealing with a futuristic vision of the future with a nuance of sarcasm: we are strangers on earth, advanced technology, robots, a destroyed world, colonies, time travelling... A similar theme we had already before but this time we went five years further (the previous record described the year 2107).

Maybe some may life long enough to see the described time and 32crash will turn out to be prophets. Although the possibility for such technological advantages may be low in near future, there might be some big revolutions awaiting us.

The opening track "100Y" characterizes the musical style as a whole. Personally I would prefer something more atmospheric, but the guys from 32crash have chosen rhythmic guitar and live drums for their musical direction.

I want to accentuate "What Happened Here" – its beginning is literally flowing. A gentle, quiet intro with electronic sounds, additional moody bass guitar, becoming faster to a rhythm typically for the whole album.

"Not Quite Human" is a slow but very moody piece with an interesting intro. The song is crawling slowly, the tempo virtually sleeps. More accustomed to the sounds naughty, but look forward to hitting it and it does not come in the coolest. Going further to familiar to more harsh sounds, we are waiting for the big bang - which never comes, and that is the most amazing thing.

The track "xn+1=a*xn*(1-xn)" is a cheerful, lively composition, which could even fit to a wedding. It doesn't convince me. I prefer to treat music more seriously. Here the level of kitsch, on which the creators are balancing so easily, unfortunately exceeded my limits.

"The Attack On ZA4" reveals a great content. Awaking militancy, the inducement for attack and a rapid siege.

The biggest gem on this album is the second last song "MelangOhlm's Hit And Run." Brilliant, moody, moving gradually revealing a more clear sound. This piece magnetizes, builds tension with every note and then the energy goes into the final. Definitely should have opened their album with "21, 1, 2 is the year, November 18th is the day... ". The longest (4:22) on a long list of twenty short pieces.

The album is nice to be listened to. In comparison to the first two releases, they used more rock-instruments: Percussion and guitars. The whole album has a more electro-punk character – and in addition the amazing, powerful and atmospheric vocals of De Meyer. The more we are getting into the material, the more chaos, tempo changes, spontaneity and punk character we will find.

There are many pieces, but I miss a list of favourites to become hits – pieces that stay in your head for days and, while listening to them, are forcing you to use the remote to press "repeat". Actually, the only magical piece, which drills in your mind, is the described "MelangOhlm's Hit And Run".

Y2112Y is a good EBM-album, although it is not made in the classic style of this genre. Still, die-hard fans of EBM will not be disappointed. It is worth to listen to the album to form an opinion of your own.

Tracklist:

01. 100Y
02. Aliens On Earth
03. Dawning Sun
04. What Happened Here
05. The Man Who Came From Later
06. Into The Hole
07. Impressionist Piece For A Free Planet
08. Hyperreal
09. Kryptonically Yours
10. Elegy For Himself
11. Human Decomposition
12. Not Quite Human
13. Perpetuum Mobile
14. xn+1=a*xn*(1-xn)
15. Lasercutter
16. The Attack On ZA4
17. Neighbours
18. MelangOhlm's Hit And Run
19. A Tiny Foil Of Oil
20. The Ol-Lesar Mass
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Translator: savetier
Add date: 2012-01-27 / Music reviews


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