Die Form Vicious Circles

Home

Released
1996

Label
Cleopatra
(Licensed from
Hyperium Records)

Reviewed by
Michael C. Lund

Contact
Cleopatra
8726 S.Sepulveda Blvd.
STE D-82 Los Angeles
CA, 90045
USA

Visit

Last Edit/Update
01/21/98

Die Form

VICIOUS CIRCLES:
BEST OF

Track Listing

1. Doctor X
2. Silent Order 4
3. Bite Of God
4. Masochist 2
5. Cantique 1
6. Slavesex 994
7. Savage Logic Remix
8. Mental Epidemic
9. Bite Of Dog
10. Necrophilia
11. Sonic Temple
12. Imagine
13. Kagami
14. Therapy

          For close to two decades French Philippe Fichot has produced experimental electronic music of a clinical and often brutal nature. Under the banner of Die Form and a series of side projects, he has pursued the themes of fetishistic sexual urges in his music and photography. Fichot's music is most often driven by hard percussion, layered with effects and tantalizingly beautiful themes, all of it always generated synthetically. On the majority of Die Form's material, Fichot himself sings in computer- manipulated tongues, occasionally assisted by Elaine P.'s classically trained voice. More rarely, other artists lend their vocals to Die Form's music, as on the side project Ukiyo where Japanese Mutsumi Oku guests.
          In recent years, Die Form's CDs have been released through the elite German label Hyperium, however, Cleopatra has made this collection of material from the period 1990-95 available domestically. A handful of Fichot's highly sensual and morbid photographs have been reproduced in the CD booklet, and a convenient discography of Die Form's major releases since 1982 has also been provided. The songs featured on the CD are predominantly throbbing, erotically ladden dance tracks, with a selection of Die Form's very own hybrid of opera and electronica thrown in, and a pair of experimental pieces bringing things to a close.
          Being a very concentrated offering of Die Form's output, Vicious Circles really has no weak tracks. Of the songs that fall into the category of dance-oriented synth, a few are especially noteworthy. "Masochist," with its fast-
paced, kinky, electronic percussion and Fichot's panting vocals focused on sado-masochistic sexual acts, probably presents the essence of Die Form better than any other single song. The track "Doctor X" -- which opens the CD -- is another very dancy tune, with Fichot uttering the statement Synthetic Flesh over and over in a grating, processed voice, while Elaine P.'s celestial vocals make brief appearances against the rich tapestry of pristine clear synths, short-circuiting gadgetry and hard-driven rhythms. "Imagine," which originally appeared on the EP Tears OfEros (1992) together with "Doctor X," share all of these qualities, but is of an even more aggressive caliber. "Necrophilia," on the other hand, while still retaining a slower pulsating dance beat, moves closer to some of Die Form's more experimental/atmospheric compositions. The programmed percussions of this piece are set against ominous, distorted harmonics, with Fichot whispering his vocals in a wicked, contorted voice.
          Interspersed among the progressive dance material discussed above are a small selection of extremely beautiful compositions that combine the musical elements of classical/opera and synthetica. These songs are "Silent Order 4," "Cantique 1," "Mental Epidemic" and "Sonic Temple," all of which feature Elaine P.'s classically inspired vocals in the foreground, accompanied by highly melodic arrangements. Synth effects and percussions are still present in these pieces, albeit in a much more subtle fashion.
          Finally a pair of tracks are included from the side-
projects Ukiyo (1994) and Die Operative Maschine (1993). The first -- "Kagami" -- is an eerie piece composed of sampled chimes, bells and other incidental sounds that together with the female Japanese voice of Matsumi Oku create a strange theatrial ambiance. "Therapy" is an altogether different type of sound collage utilizing samples of classical music, chimes, hysterical laughter and percussion to evoke an odd sensation of pain and insanity.
          Vicious Circles is in all respects a representative and worthy introduction to the esoteric universe of Die Form.

dieformvc.gif (103659 bytes)