Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Electric Sewer Age - Contemplating Nothingness [Hallow Ground - 2020]

Electric Sewer Age were the band started by Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson (Throbbing Gristle/Psychic TV/Coil) and producer Danny Hyde. Sadly, Christopherson’s death in 2010 meant that he would only appear on the band’s first album Moon’s Milk which was released the following year in 2011. Hyde has kept the project running sporadically ever since, working firstly with John Deek who would pass away in 2013 and since then as a solo project. Hyde’s experience as a producer for not only Coil but Nine Inch Nails, Pop Will Eat Itself, Depeche Mode, Chris and Cosey, and Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia highlights his knowledge and experience for creating innovative and interesting electronic music, continuing the pioneering work of Christopherson and Balance. Contemplating Nothingness is their third full-length album release- here on Hallow Ground is a vinyl edition of the release, following from last CD issue of the album on Old Europa Café.

The album opens with "Still Too Far To Go" and starts slowly building from a single arpeggiated synth line, firstly adding some spoken words before drums and more layered strings and synths join the mix. It’s easy to hear the Coil influence, laid back experimental acid-tinged psychedelic electronica is very much the order of the day, even the lyrics are about a mushroom trip. "Whose Gonna Save My Soul" opens with a bit of Eastern promise before settling into more industrial sounding territory with some distorted William Burroughs-esque vocals. "Chebo" is next up, and after getting things underway with some vocoder affected vocals the track settles into familiar industrial territory. Slightly more up-tempo than the previous track but you can still hear the Coil influence shining through.

"Surrender to the Crags" gets the second half of the album underway and is a continuation of the beautiful surreal experience already underway. This one has a definite Eastern flavor to it, with table style beats and strings to match. This is one of my personal favourites. "Self Doubting Trip" is up next, and after a slow atmospheric start, it settles into a mid-tempo slice of electronica with more acid inspired spoken word vocals. "Dekotur" is the album closer, getting things underway with a pretty opening synth line, that gradually distorts and changes before other instrumentation is brought into the mix. Like the rest of the album, you can’t help but think it a weird mix of the beautiful and the strange with a constant hint of the uncanny lurking around every corner.

With Contemplating Nothingness Hyde has created another high-quality psychedelic experience that sits well alongside the work of Coil and PTV. A perfect album to kick back, relax, and get lost in.

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Darren Charles
Latest Reviews

Electric Sewer Age - Contemplatin...
Electric Sewer Age were the band started by Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson (Throbbing Gristle/Psychic TV/Coil) and producer Danny Hyde. Sadly, Christopher...
161225   Daniel Szwed - Splinter
161225   Marmur - Elektroniczne Systemy
151225   Danheim - Heimferd
151225   Stärker - Spectral
131225   Rose Tang & Patrick Golden -...
121225   Uriah Heep - The Shadow And ...
121225   Howard Stelzer - Five Thousa...
121225   BITTER SPINSTER - Scat Punk
121225   Cro-Mags - Alpha Omega
121225   Cro-Mags - Near Death Experience
Latest Articles

The Spectral Sounds of The Projec...
As music obsessives know, what makes a label fascinating is not just the sounds they release. The most intriguing labels offer a conceptual framework and con...
041225   The Spectral Sounds of The Pr...
281025   Michael Hurst Interview - Unb...
071025   Xiphos - The Rise And Fall Of...
030925   Third Window Films - A Label ...
130825   HNW fest- Barcelona- 12th Apr...
250725   Raté interview - Walled-in F...
180625   Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sha...
280525   The Residents - Visits From T...
090525   Ennaytch - Of walls, abused ...
150425   Dead, Dead Swans interview - ...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2025. Twenty four years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom