Beyond Enclosure — Dungeon Of Total Void
S&M inspired electronic music? With that phrase I’m taken back to Merzbow's Music For Bondage Performance cds of the mid 90’s and the subtleties of those albums: each track like another knot being tightened.
This album, however is not quite as considered. Starting with the instrumental track “Into The Dungeon” you are led down a path of high end frequencies mixed with mid noises and lost vocals in a mix of apparent discomfort before you enter the fray of sadomachism and domination. This track has a vague undertone of Depeche Modes' “Welcome To My World” to it strangely, but without Dave Gahans' voice or Martin Gore in leather.
Moving into place for Beyond Enclosure to start their torture routine upon my senses – a routine I’m meant to enjoy, even if painful – and I’m hearing orders being barked via a funnel for “Autoerotik Punishment” (which means I’m hurting myself surely) and low end noise erupting around me before the high frequencies begin forcing their way across my synapses. At ten minutes this is barely scratching the surface of anything I might consider S&M or even autoerotic. Maybe that says more about me than the music though, I’ll stop there!
There’s something missing to this music, that I can’t quite figure out. It’s not bad, I just think it the band need to dispense with the idea that S&M is somehow shocking in Industrial / noise circles and work with the idea that they are writing music that is already somewhat subversive and not straight pop music.
There’s some really good music on this album, it doesn’t need to the addition of the bondage idea. In fact, that inclusion almost cheapens the music. As a debut it’s up there with Puce Mary’s early offerings, but they do need to try to move away from the repetition of echo-drenching each track. Music like this sounds better when it’s dry, it has far more of an impact and sounds less like every other noise / industrial band on the scene.
In conclusion, this has some good ideas and the band shows promise.However, they need to drop the whips and pain as pleasure motif and get on with making music. No one really cares what you do in your personal life with your partner(s) , so don’t parade it to us.