Circuit Noir Vol. 2 -- 1999 -- United Endangered Front [R.I.P.]

1. Redonjon - Requiem/Ascent (usa)
2. Testube - Convinced (usa)
3. Eye - Blind Progress [UEF Schizoid Mix] (australia)
4. Fate Razor - Cold Comfort Logic (australia)
5. Intrastructure - Governed By Time (usa)
6. SMP - Pre-Emptive (usa)
7. The Azoic - Parylize (usa)
8. Wage Class Slave - Undercurrent (usa)
9. Clone DT - Store and Forward (brazil)
10. Fockewolf - His Lost Reflection (usa)
11. Bride Of The Atom - S.F.B.S.D. (australia)
12. Nothing Inside - Ibis Rising (australia)
13. Noxious Emotion - Cover Me Up v2.0 (usa)
14. Wrack Process - Last Breath (usa)
15. Aya - Psychological Warfare (australia)
16. Anti-Music Foundation - All The Pretty Colors (usa)
17. End

And so the title suggests, Circuit Noir Vol. 2 is the second and sadly, the final installment of industrial electronic music from bands as far away as Australia and Brazil to the United States on United Endangered Front, [UEF] out of Denver Colorado. There are many varied sounds on this compliation from minimal noise industrial (Wage Class Slave), to more melodic industrial EBM (The Azoic, Fockewolf), lighter IDM (Clone DT) and politically motivated dance oriented industrial sonics (Eye, Aya).

Noxious Emotion's track Cover Me Up sounds like most of their other work, same beat (not many changes going on) and vocals (they sound the same on each track/release I have heard in the past) of which I find rather boring (ADSR). Nothing Inside's (NI) S.F.B.S.D. has tasty deep dancy drum beats as does Aya's Psychological Warfare (a great track with lots of drums, percussion, changes, and political commentary). The most deconstructed track on the release is Anti-Music Foundation's All The Pretty Colors which entails a screaming voice and vocal sampling layered with pulsing noise, very wicked. Wage Class Slave's work Undercurrent is also very minimal with noise in the background with a woman discussing politics, Russia etc..

Redonjon's Requiem/Ascent is a beautifully warm, melodic work of art clocking in timewise at only 01:13 -- I'd like to hear more of their music, as the entry on this CD an enticing treat. SMP (ADSR) brings us a spooky twisted mix with Pre-Emptive while The Azoic's Parylize is quite dark and swirling and Kristy adds a strengthening dimension with her angelic vocals (Nilaihah Records).

Eye and Aya, both from Australia are projects as powerful musicially as they are politically charged and furious. Testube has me "Convinced" that more inviting EBM-Industrial edge music should come from this project with Jeff Danos. Fate Razor's installment of Cold Comfort Logic has great percussion and a 'raw' quality to it. Infrastructure's Governed by Time reveals more excellent percussion and slower dark minimalist industrial sounds. The "sultry" female vocals of Sevrina in Fockewolf on His Lost Reflection blend with an ominous darkwave melody, dance beats and bassy timbre (ADSR).

Bride Of The Atom's track Ibis Rising is a very enticing, dancy, good militant beats, and a lot of changes going on inside a melodic backdrop. Wrack Process has a dark upbeat instrumental track with Last Breath, rolling whispy synth and clapping beats accentuate a sub-melody. Clone DT is a sassy installment riding on beat driven changes and quirky melodic spirts with their track Store And Forward.

Overall this is a great compilation to introduce you to darkwave, industrial-dance/noise music by some of the finest musicians in Brazil, Australia and The United States. Eye and Aya are best known for their unrelenting political music as well as their protests against fascism in their government in Australia. ROCK ON Aya and Eye! Keep up the good work down there!

To request OZ radio play for bands in Australia, specifically Eye and Aya go to: Radio JJJ and ask them to play these and other fine bands in Australia who strive to make a positive difference.