Data Void - Strategies In Dissent

There has been a lot of buzz around Data Void. So, what's all buzzing about? Well, imagine Don Gordon of Numb and James Mendez of Jihad meeting each other in Austin Texas in 1996 when Numb, Die Krupps and Front Line Assembly were tour. Great!, two artists met each other, but here's where it gets interesting. Both Don and James stayed in contact throughout the decades. Don had moved to Ho Chi Minh City shortly after that tour with his wife. In 2018, James met up with Don in Ho Chi Minh City and the two luminaries discussed ideas for collaborating on a track or two. The first track "Seven Seconds" helped set the stage for what would become the first chapter of the Gordon-Mendez two-headed monster. Over the next two and half years the masterminds pooled their vast experiences and an entire album was spawned that eventually became Strategies Of Dissent.


Musically, this will certainly appeal to both fans of Numb as well as Jihad. Numb could push the limits from track to track with a wake of diverse arrangements that strayed away from making the same album over and over again. Blood Meridian comes to mind when I think of Numb. It is a perfect example of diverse arrangements and influence. From the aggressive opener of Blood Meridian's "Blind", to the experimental sounds built into the nasty delivery of "Dirt" to the weirdness of "Alien Hand" and "Spasm" showcase a wide range of influence that went beyond the typical industrial/EBM realm. This diversity could be found throughout Numb's vast back catalogue, however Blood Meridian seems to a good reference point.  Jihad brings a very deliberate and signature brand of electro-industrial that began and seemingly ended with 1997's A Prayer In The Night on RAS DVA. The music was cold and dark and moved moderately paced delivering meancing vibes with a dark melodic voice that became synonymous with Mentallo And The Fixer and Benestrophe for the obvious reasons. Jihad's unique approach made them very memorable in an infinite sea of electronic bands sprouting up everywhere. James released a solid live album in 2015 and a brand new CD called Retrospekt with James as the sole performer that was self-released in 2020 and stayed true to sounds that defined Jihad. 


Strategies Of Dissent showcases how two artists with decades of experience can actually come together to make something that does not alienate the old school fan base while embracing the creative spirit that embodies the legacies of both Numb and Jihad.  Strategies Of Dissent combines a wide range of influence utilizing shared responsibilities for everything on the album. The Bandcamp bio states influences from drums and bass, dark ambient, experimental, dub, EDM and psychedelia. Some of these genre tags are quite vast and could have different meanings to different people. Many of the tracks have an obvious industrial chassie as a starting point, but then take radical turns that yield some of the previously stated influences. "Nothing Changes","So Alien"  and "Crash Burn And Resurrect" deliver a quicker BPM that outwardly reflects a dance-floor feel while "A Failure Of Language", "Echoes Of Ritualized Performance" and the "This Night Goes On Forever (Dub)" branch off into other worlds infected with musical score elements, dark ambience and experimental tendencies.


What makes this album so appealing is the artists' ability find a starting point and develop the textures and sound designs  together in such a way that dares the listener to push their limits beyond the safety and comfort of their wheelhouse. Strategies Of Dissent dismantles as it creates. It circumvents the standard expectations one may have and files it down into something familiar yet very different. It can pull you into unexplored directions with new boundaries to breach. You can't find offerings like this easily. This is an event that may humble some and elevate others.

Click here to purchase digital, CD, vinyl and t-shirt. You can also get more insight to the themes the lyrics revolve around.


Apr 16 2024