R010R - Total Disinformation Awareness

R010R is a combination of industrial hardware and the digital realm using binary language. R (rotor) 010  (binary). R Zero One Zero R is how to say it to the best of my knowledge. R010R has been around for some time now, however the clandestine nature of R010R's existence leaves a long trail of remixes and graphic design that eventually leads to many artists on Electro Aggression Records as well many other places. R0101R's way of life was challenged by the very label that released the new album Total Disinformation Awareness double CD. On one hand, the label wants to promote the album for more sales and other hand R010R just seems to walk the line that blurs the clandestine and arcane with whatever the next step up is.


Since 2001 Michael Renfield, the sole proprietor of R010R and former partner in Noise Process has released music occasionally under both monikers. 2008 marked a defining year in the US with a recession fueled by subprime mortgages and a collapse of the housing market. It also the marked the year R010R released the appropriately titled album Gradual Destabilization (2008) on Dark Vision Media. Later on Daniel Myer's Basic Unit Productions R010R released Unyielding (2016). Both labels showcased a lot of talent, which speaks volumes to the talent of R010R. 

Over the months of January and February I found myself taking long drives from my home to the hospital where my father was recovering from life threatening sickness. It was a time of uncertainty and the long drives 3-4 times a week yielded opportunities for a distraction prior to signing in at the front desk and pasting a mask across my face before entering the inner sanctum of the sick. The drive allowed me to absorb everything R010R had to offer on the monster double CD release by Electro Aggression Records. Over the 5-6 weeks of traveling, I must have played both discs a good 6-7 times. It was easy to lose myself in the music and now it's hard to imagine listening to this album in a partial manner. From the first track to last track there is not a single let down, just awe in design and execution. The second CD features several intriguing collaborations with Pyrroline, Index AI, Serpents, Terminal State, Testube, Second Disease, Sleepwalk, T.A.N.K., G.O.L.E.M., Teardown, Synaptic Defect and Trilogy. The remix CD follows Electro Aggression Records modus operandi found the label's standard operating procedures. 


R010R's music masterfully blends intricate, meticulous, captivating machinations with well-timed samples set to lyrical themes centering around awareness or lack thereof, political agendas to control information that ultimately create confusion that breeds belligerence and feeds oppression. The lyrics seem to have a strong military vibe on the outside yet on a deeper level leaves the listener to their own devices as to what the song is actually about. "Scorched Path", "The Ghost Of You" and "Litany Of Greed" stand out lyrically using military imagery to reveal a deeper message that is attached to overall theme of the album. "I want To Believe" centers around finding the truth, perhaps regarding extraterrestrial life? The belief in extreme possibilities exists in many cultures. Some believe there is a shadowy deep state controlling the narratives, similar to the William B. Davis character in the X-Files. Music, no matter how tame or how subversive it is, it gives us the ability to attach it to out patterns of experience for a meaningful impact or in some cases the exact opposite. Whether you subscribe to the deeper message or not, the end result is ultimately subjective. All of this is masterfully layered throughout Total Disinformation Awareness. 

The remix CD titled Instilling Old-School Awareness features several remixes from the usual suspects such as the legendary Pyrroline, Terminal State, Second Disease and Sleepwalk to name a few. They all deliver a DNA-laced depth-charge into the R010R framework. Serpents' remix of "Shaped Charge" continued the merciless barrage with hammer pounding force while "Testube's remix of "Litany Of Greed" turned out to be my favorite with its seductive spiraling BPMs. Index AI's take on "Methods Of Betray Motive" hit hard with saturated airy backing layers that left a lasting impression. Trilogy and Synaptic Defect remixes gnaw and claw their way into through EBM's darker corridors to deliver a more sinister feel while retaining a decent tempo. G.O.L.E.M stays true the original for "Operativ" with the cleaner vocal style which resonated with me on the original. It added to the overall deviation from the dominate more aggressive style. T.A.N.K. use their EBM-industrial hybrid power make their presence known with a solid remix of "Scorched Path". Yes, there is so much to take in and experience. All of these artists have plenty of music available for those wishing to explore deeper beyond the veil of Total Disinformation Awareness. 

As always, I question the need for such a mountain of music. Every Electro Aggression Records release seems to pile on the value. It's like an all you can eat buffet. How many trips can you take before you are overindulged? The remixers all did great work as one would expect from the credited remixes. It's just a lot to take in. When the rare complaint dwells in there being too much it's not really bad thing is it? I dig the artwork; however, the inlay was a little tough to read due the color of the font and background. I will take the hit on that comment since I'm in my 50's and refuse to get an eye test. 

Total Disinformation Awareness could be the perfect companion for choice sections to The Demon Haunted World or serve as a segue to deeper conversations about life beyond the planet Earth that would make Bob Lazar proud. Total Disinformation Awareness will first captivate the listener by the tactical approach to sound design and then pull the listener in deeper to explore the words that breathe life into the themes within the sonic documents R010R has designed. Close your eyes and let your mind go (unless your’re driving).  This is a no-brainer for the fans of electro-industrial annihilation of the highest order! Click here to purchase!


Feb 16 2024