Deadliner - Luftschiff

Oh, Deadliner, it has been far too long. I think the last time I listened to this Chicago based electro musician was back when Juggernaut Music Group had signed the solo project and put out his album "Wardenclyffe". But I kind of like it when a project drops off my radar only to come back at a later time. It's like rediscovering the band and understanding why you fell in love with them in the first place. Deadliner is a special case where electro infused industrial instrumental tracks takes precedence over lyrical content, takes a chunk of history, and writes it out as a song. 

Earlier this year, Deadliner released "Luftschiff", a twenty track album that seems to focus on the infamous German airship "Hindenburg". Not only does the title give me this impression, but the cover art also gives me a hint that the album focuses around that event considering the very historical and era-worthy vibe the edited photo gives off. It's either that, or it's an ode to steampunk fantasy. 

Anyway, "Luftschiff" lasts nearly an hour and contains enough mixed and varied content to keep anybody entertained throughout its duration. What helps is that mastermind of Deadliner Steve Christie has a knack for knowing when to stop a track. When he gets bored with a song, he stops writing it. Though some of his tracks - such as 'Sad Mary Takes A Fall', 'The Low Engines', and "Mary Learns The Truth" - are either at or below the two minute mark, that does not make them any less delightful than the other songs.  

Stand out songs on the album consist of the piano ballad that is 'Bon Voyage', where a soft electronic rhythm forms the structure of the song as swaying instruments rock it to and from; 'Aerostasis', which has a very rapid fire pace, but manages to keep Deadliner's cinematic approach; the very punchy and aggravated industrial track 'The Low Engines', and 'Manifest Unlocked', which is another gorgeous piano based track that shows off that Deadliner can do more than just power out electronic songs. 

Now, if you've never given Deadliner the light of day in the past, I think now would be a good time to do so. After all, he does currently have his full digital discography available on Bandcamp for only twenty bucks, and that's a steal if I've ever seen one. Get lost in history with Deadliner through lovingly crafted electronic music. 
Dec 19 2015