Compulsive Shopping Disorder - In the Cube
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I’ve first come across with Compulsive Shopping Disorder in 2009. While I was climbing up the castle during Castle Party, some unknown man handed me a CD - an intriguing cover and the only inscription placed on the box "PC multimedia and info" made me want to get familiar with its contents as soon as possible, especially – with the music recorded on it. My insight was infallible – some of the pieces got engraved on my memory for long...
Today an album "In the Cube" by the same band has fallen into my hands. The interesting thing is that after having it heard it appeared that I’d already known a few songs, I received them years ago for free. Are you wondering what my impressions are after listening to the whole material?
"In the Cube" is a unique and intriguing project, ma king use of all what’s best in electronic and industrial music but at the same time... not using full capability of the synthesizers and the amazing vocal to its fullest. What a pity!
From the very beginning a song "Dreams" sets the bar high. Well-produced sound and peaceful vocal Leeds us into a dreamland. All you need is close your eyes and let the dreams come true, and the true... your nightmare. I mean positively – because the song has some horror feel to it, some sore melancholy flows out of it, it pours into ourselves and takes a toll of our existence. From this very moment there’s only the music, which make sus expect more and more with sound after sound.
Thank goodness the second track is not disappointing, even though it isn’t very much distinguished from other ones. "In confidence" – personally my favourite one, which concurrently should not have been placed on this record at all! It is too emotional, too lively, too aggressive – it is simply the purest essence of emotions which can hallmark dark electronic music; the essence with its character being too silhouetted among the others.
The next one is called "Trash". It’s the longest piece with the longest intro. Nothing happens there for over a minute, we can only hear one motif repeated over and over again until our ears get struck by hum... and words. Words being uttered with such intensity that they will surely stay in our minds for a long time. Afterwards it’s good again – an interesting vocal merges with expressive electronic tones which serves us pretty good cocktail of sounds.
Unfortunately, starting from "Trash", through "Mind-Soul" and "Attraction of Pain", up to "Fall" - nothing happens really. All those melodies seem to be too similar – and I don’t mean their melody line, but their character. The album starts to be boring and some sound effects resemble a movie about intergalactic war or space journey... Houston, we’ve got a problem…?
The last composition redeems this record – the title song "In the Cube" brings us to our knees with a hundred-percent successful use of the vocalist’s characteristic voice. When he starts to whisper words and psychedelic melody from the setting makes us afraid to open our eyes, AT the same time we feel some inexplicable pleasure deriving from the imagine psychopath with an axe standing above us – then we’re home.
Compulsive Shopping Disorder’s compositions will be on our memory for long. The guys have quite a sense of style and they’re gifted creators of the right atmosphere. They know how to evoke particular emotions and they are not scared to use this knowledge. However, for some moments they fall into routine – and this we can experience on "In the Cube". One thing we know for sure - after over 40 minutes of listening, the best way is to turn it on alone, in the dark, in headphones – this will make you want more. You’ll find some musical pearls here which make us return to this album many times – even just to hear one particular favourite track...
Tracklist:
01. Dreams
02. In Confidence
03. Trash
04. Mind-soul
05. Attraction of Pain
06. Fall
07. In the Cube
Other articles:
Today an album "In the Cube" by the same band has fallen into my hands. The interesting thing is that after having it heard it appeared that I’d already known a few songs, I received them years ago for free. Are you wondering what my impressions are after listening to the whole material?
"In the Cube" is a unique and intriguing project, ma king use of all what’s best in electronic and industrial music but at the same time... not using full capability of the synthesizers and the amazing vocal to its fullest. What a pity!
From the very beginning a song "Dreams" sets the bar high. Well-produced sound and peaceful vocal Leeds us into a dreamland. All you need is close your eyes and let the dreams come true, and the true... your nightmare. I mean positively – because the song has some horror feel to it, some sore melancholy flows out of it, it pours into ourselves and takes a toll of our existence. From this very moment there’s only the music, which make sus expect more and more with sound after sound.
Thank goodness the second track is not disappointing, even though it isn’t very much distinguished from other ones. "In confidence" – personally my favourite one, which concurrently should not have been placed on this record at all! It is too emotional, too lively, too aggressive – it is simply the purest essence of emotions which can hallmark dark electronic music; the essence with its character being too silhouetted among the others.
The next one is called "Trash". It’s the longest piece with the longest intro. Nothing happens there for over a minute, we can only hear one motif repeated over and over again until our ears get struck by hum... and words. Words being uttered with such intensity that they will surely stay in our minds for a long time. Afterwards it’s good again – an interesting vocal merges with expressive electronic tones which serves us pretty good cocktail of sounds.
Unfortunately, starting from "Trash", through "Mind-Soul" and "Attraction of Pain", up to "Fall" - nothing happens really. All those melodies seem to be too similar – and I don’t mean their melody line, but their character. The album starts to be boring and some sound effects resemble a movie about intergalactic war or space journey... Houston, we’ve got a problem…?
The last composition redeems this record – the title song "In the Cube" brings us to our knees with a hundred-percent successful use of the vocalist’s characteristic voice. When he starts to whisper words and psychedelic melody from the setting makes us afraid to open our eyes, AT the same time we feel some inexplicable pleasure deriving from the imagine psychopath with an axe standing above us – then we’re home.
Compulsive Shopping Disorder’s compositions will be on our memory for long. The guys have quite a sense of style and they’re gifted creators of the right atmosphere. They know how to evoke particular emotions and they are not scared to use this knowledge. However, for some moments they fall into routine – and this we can experience on "In the Cube". One thing we know for sure - after over 40 minutes of listening, the best way is to turn it on alone, in the dark, in headphones – this will make you want more. You’ll find some musical pearls here which make us return to this album many times – even just to hear one particular favourite track...
Tracklist:
01. Dreams
02. In Confidence
03. Trash
04. Mind-soul
05. Attraction of Pain
06. Fall
07. In the Cube
Other articles:
- wRacku Festival 2010 - 2010-09-13 (Live reports)
- Compulsive Shopping Disorder - Demo - 2006-09-06 (Music reviews)
