Out Out - Swan/Dive?

Out Out is the kind of producer who has been creating music since 1990 and hasn't dulled since then. From the beginnings with Pepperbox Muzzle to his 2006 album Virtual Sound Images and to the present day with Swan/Dive? and its remix companion For Divers Reasons, Out Out has not slowed down one bit. In fact, many could argue that Out Out has become more and more addicting and mature throughout the years, easily honing his craft by perfecting one song after another with his sonic and technical wizardry. How exactly he does it is unknown to myself but here we sit in 2016 with another full length album in our laps and I'm here to talk all about it.

Swan/Dive? is his latest musical child and it is a twelve track LP. This album is bringing Out Out back to his roots of an industrial/EBM hybrid. Those of you looking for an aggressive meltdown will be pleased with what you will find on Swan/Dive? as it contains stompy tracks that are old school but progressive. If you're also looking for a deeper meaning within the songs then feel free to do so, however there will be no definitive answer as head producer Mark Alan Miller has already stated that each song is open to interpretation - just as he likes it.

Either way the album kicks off with an aggressive industrial/EBM mix called 'Shut Up!'. The in your face title will get you to shut your mouth one way or the other as you jam up to the pumped up beats. 'Beat Down, Burn Down' is another track on the album that kicks in with an equally powerful rhythm and beat in the same manner. If you're looking for tech-riddled tracks fueled with slamming guitars then look no further than tracks such as 'Look Up, Hannah' as well as 'Bleak and Hollow'; both tracks utilize the instrument to great cause. 

However, Out Out just isn't an overly aggressive ape that doesn't know how to mix things up as track such as 'I Think You Know', '...and Everyone Wants To Be With You', and 'The Overload' show. The tracks are melodic industrial ballads that give you some breaks from the constant electronic poundings you have been taking throughout the album. Another oddball mix of industrial laced beats and noise would be 'Go Off The Grid'. While not as melodic as the previously mentioned tracks, it is - for the most part - an instrumental with samples bended into the beat. 

Out Out has been around long enough that he can also easily create electro-industrial in the vein of legends such as Skinny Puppy and compete with them at the same time. This is showcased in songs such as 'Like William Tell', 'S.Y.O. Version 2', and even 'By Wick Or Wing'. And, on a completely different field, 'Falsified' heads into classic industrial metal territory à la Ministry. Those tracks are easily recommended for anyone questioning Out Out's talents. 

And once more Out Out strikes again and delivers a bulldozer of an album. The songs are varied and rich complimenting Miller's long running status as a producer, remixer, and engineer who has worked with many projects throughout the years. Swan/Dive? serves as a culmination of all those experiences and influences he has gathered underneath his belt and truly marks him as a veteran in the industrial and electronic field. 
Dec 15 2016