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Noise Unit - Voyeur


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Noise Unit - Voyeur

 

> Metropolis Records (2005)

 

 

Tracklist:

 

1. Illcit dreams

2. Seclusion

3. Surveillance

4. Paranoid

5. Liberation

6. Strapdown

7. Submerged

8. Tighten up

9. Monolith

 

 

Okay, first of all to all those who expected a review of a new Psytrance dancefloor killer: Don't read further.

This is not Goa nor Psy in the closest definition of these genres, but it has a very psychedelic and hypnotic edge. Probably nothing to actually dance to, but definately something to take you on a fantastic trip.

 

 

 

Noise Unit are around since more than 16 years now as a side project of Bill Leeb of the legendary Front Line Assembly. Two very good albums, namely "Decoder" and "Drill" have been released under this name, each with a quite unique style between breakbeats, industrial and techno, similar to some of the stuff Front Line Assembly would do, but a little trippier and all instrumental. If you don't know Noise Unit yet, I recommend especially their masterpiece "Drill".

 

For many years, it had been quite silent around these guys, they have obviously been quite busy with the Front Line Assembly and Delerium albums, but now they have reactivated their old project to act out their most experimental side. Noise Unit sound more unique than before, and the excellent drum programming contributes a major part of it. Most tracks are driven by some kind of heavy breakbeat or sometimes DnB-type percussion. Dark, droning or pulsating synths let the sound morph from one state into another.

The opener "Illicit Dreams" is an excellent example of mechanic monotony the Noise Unit makes use of. It starts off very calm, and morphs into a very heavy and raw, yet extremely hypnotic groover, which doesn't get boring at all despite its monotony.

Things are getting calmer on "Seclusion", which sounds a little like the calmer tunes of Front Line Assembly. Towards the end it becomes even a little anthem with vocoded vocals.

After that, "Surveillance" begins symphonic and dark, like a slowly growing threat, until it explodes in a mayhem of harsh, futuristic soundscapes and a ultra-heavy beat, taking you on a nightmarish trip.

"Paranoid" is again calmer, but very deep. Ultra-deep billowing monstrous synths surround you - reminiscent of a bath in lava. Again this track contains some whispered vocal fragments, but they make this track actually very scary.

And on we go with "Liberation", the probably most accessible track on the album. A ten-ton beat and apocalyptic synths will remind you instantly of Prodigy's "Firestarter" or Cubanate's songs, but this one is much darker and trippier.

After such a frontal assault, we're again getting the opportunity to chill out a bit. "Strapdown" is ideal for that purpose. It's an ultra-trippy chillout-track with some sound experiments inside.

And now we continue with my personal highlight: "Submerged" starts - like "Surveillance" quite calm, but begins to morph slowly into an apocalyptic groove. Constantly evolving, its ethereal feeling will hypnotize you.

Next tune "Tighten Up" will not be the tune I'll listen to most often. It features some sounds the "protagonist" of the album would make. Some kind of disgusting to me, but I admit the shock effect works. The tune itself is not too bad. A little laid back, deep tune with the Noise Unit typical, Industrial "slapped" bass.

Now Noise Unit are concluding their album with a 12 1/2 minutes "Monolith" which is quite epic. In a long intro we're again taken on a journey reminiscent of Delerium's early work. The first half of the track is despite its darker melodies quite laid back. However, as introduction to the second half of the track, a robotic voice is talking to us, and then the full energy returns. The last part is harshest breakbeat industrial with ghostly voices inside. I love it!

 

 

This is damn great stuff. At first listen, I did not find this too good, but when in the right mood, this works excellently. Some of the tracks might appear as fillers, but when listening to the album as a whole, I think they're justified. The pads and the drum-programming are simply fantastic. This album is a very complex and trippy fusion of Delerium's triphop, Front Line Assembly's industrial and Noise Unit's experimental edge. If this sounds interesting to you, I recommend you to take a listen into this piece of art.

 

9/10

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  • 3 months later...

Fantastic album ! After Drill their best album by far...so complexed, layered, smooth and liquid. They progressed their style and made it more stylish. This is downtempo industrial at its best. I am glad they continued with the style and made very good album this year...I like all of the tracks...get it if you like trippy, pictoresque electronic music...9/10

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I can not find this on http://www.psyshop.com or http://www.saikosounds.com...

 

This album on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk has NO available samples to stream. :(

 

Where is this album available to sample and order? :blink:

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