Bytet -- First Bite (Debut release)

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Released
1993

Label
NEC
(Northwest Electro-
Industrial Coalition)

Reviewed by
Kim Alexander

Contact
BYTET
6531 Spruce St.,
Anchorage Alaska
99507
SASE

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Last Edit/Update
28 February, 1998

Bytet

First Bite

Track Listing

1. Prayer 4 TC (5.50)
2. Time To Play (7.11)
3. Doubting Angels (5.51)
4. Chant 99 (6.02)
5. 1/3 Of A Nation (5.09)
6. Tension (5.12)
7. That Past (4.11)
8. The Next Step (5.54)
9. Acid Jam "live" (5.25)*
*(Recorded live at the Underground Bar
Anchorage, Alaska 4.10.92)

           This is Bytet's debut release of 1993. I just got a copy of it, and there are many other reviews of this release on line. I am really happy to have a copy of this CD because I have never heard anything quite like it. Not enjoying the labeling of a genre to a sound, this music seems dark, heavy, electronic, industrial and a bit gothic all blended into the sound of First Bite. There are deep sinking repetitive synth drums, lots of electronic samples, and great vocals.
          Track 2, Time To Play, is one of my favourite cuts. The sound is danceable, keyboard harmonics in the background are excellent, and there is that distinct EBMish fast paced beat that gets cut off from time to time with samples interjected to slow it down from time to time to keep your brain busy. It's a diverse track laden with samples -- not boringly monotonous by any means.
          Doubting Angels is another wonderful track, incorporating clear untreated vocals set against a simple loop of keys/samples and percussion, a more minimalist approach to a darker gothic work by RG Geiger adding to the diversity in sound on this release.
          Another distinct track is Chant 99, which sounds like a hard yet joyful sounding industrial retro-release remix back to the synth pop of the 80s. Harmonic textures of keys, basic dance beat and vocals make this track unique indeed.
          Acid Jam Live is a bonus in that it's the live perfomance track on the CD...fast paced, upbeat and down to business, again the keyboard harmonics, samples of whirring effects, and a female yelling: "NO.....NO.....NO..." infiltrate the track.
          Overall, this debut release by Bytet surpasses others in sound quality, diversity, composition and genre labeling.

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