Standeg – UltraHighTechViolet
released by Artoffact on 18 November 2008
data : first full length album . 12 tracks . 66:49 run time . www.standeg.de
reviewed by : Aaron Andrews
genre : Electronic/EBM/Techno
packaging : A glob of high sheen computer generated purple on a white background. Artist name is in same purple and album title is in white. Not ground breaking design but an eye catching cover nonetheless.
content : This album starts out with the track “Replikant” which I found to be one of the coolest on the release. It has a building ambience that introduces the beats and synths with murmuring voices and then breaks into guitar only to fall back to its previous quiet. It really gets me excited for the rest of the tracks. Some other highlights for me were “25 Hours” and “Revol Vex” two very different sides of the coin; the former very vocal rich and poppy, the latter another well built instrumental. Plus there’s a version of Haujobb’s classic “Homes & Gardens” which Björn Junemann originally helped create in his time with the band. This is a solidly written and well produced release with elements of EBM, Techno, and Trance all showing up to enrich the listening experience. The music and programming is above average and I found it interesting even over repeated listens. I liked that the music seemed to draw from a variety of sources for inspiration and isn’t just another cookie from the same EBM cutter. The lyrics are average and the mild vocal treatment sometimes reminds me of “Polarity” era Haujobb vocals (especially “Further Dose”). I’d have to recommend this release, it’s worth checking out even if the standard EBM fare is not for you.
grade : B (music : B+ . lyrics : B . recording quality : B+)
reviewed by : Alex Kourelis
genre : Synthpop
content : Probably known best as “the other guy from Haujobb” through their first couple of albums, Björn Jünemann and brother Sven combine to create this duo from Bielefeld, Germany. Since the album comes from such a discerning background and is on a label I know well, Artoffact, my expectations were high with this release, and I was not disappointed. While the songs are of a lower tempo and somewhat formulaic, the music and vocals are sure to light up the dance floor due to it’s catchy hooks and adept attention to detail. With Standeg there’s quite a bit going on under the surface. The pace of the album is a welcome change and it allows you to appreciate the amount of work that must go into such a release. The vocals could use a little more attention in that most of what’s in there is spoken in cadence rather than actually sung.
recommended tracks : Image in Motion, Easy to Forget, Homes & Gardens
if you like you might like : Haujobb, Mesh, Melotron
grade : B (music : B . lyrics : B . recording quality : A)
