Planetdamage - Relapse Protocol

In 2016, Hungarian producer Mariusz Bari started a little project called Planetdamage. He wanted to create a project focused on science fiction and cyberpunk themes while exploring the dangers of technology in his work. He wanted to combine witty social commentary alongside fun albeit thought-provoking industrial beats. The influences within Bari's music doesn't just stop at the standard noise-driven industrial, though. As shown by his debut EP "Snapshots of A Surveillance Manifesto", I could derive EBM, glitch, techno, and light dance elements throughout its near forty-five minute run. For Bari, though, "Snapshots of A Surveillance Manifesto" was just the beginning of a project that would continue to flourish within the underground electronic scene. 

Each one of Planetdamage's successive releases, whether it was the "Angst" EP containing a Haujobb remix or 2019's four-track "Hi Rez Lo Life" EP, Planetdamage managed to carve their unique signature sound within the genre. All of these releases have led to the release of his debut album "Relapse Protocol", which is the project's most definitive release to date. Eleven tracks in total containing reworks of prior songs as well as in-house remixes decorate the album. On Bandcamp, the digital download of the album also comes with a forty-minute alternate mix of the album. On top of the original songs, you also get the alternate mix as well as an instrumental version of the mix. To say some work was put into this album is an understatement. 



The intro track of the album 'Intro (Tensor)' would not feel out of place within Blade Runner or its sequel Blade Runner 2049. That alone is a testament to how successful Planetdamage is at transferring the general theme of cyberpunk into music. After that we're thrust into 'Color That Land Red (Faster)'. An EBM bassline forms the backbone of the track while various metallic clangs keep the song in a darker industrial territory. The mid-pace of the song is perfect for the tense lyrics that make up the song. To me, the first song that hits on the album is always important; first impressions and all. And Planetdamage began off the album extremely well. 

'Freeport' is another track worth checking out. While the BPM cranks up a notch, it's not overpowering to my aural senses. A nice steady EBM rhythm gives it a danceable touch, but flourishes of higher pitched, glitched out whispers and hums play in the background, sometimes echoing lyrics already spoken. Not only does this remind me of a possible robotic companion decorating the song with their own touch, but it also further cements Planetdamage's hold on their cyberpunk theme. 

Continuing on from that note, my other favorite song on the album is back-to-back with 'Freeport'. 'Firewalls (Shortcut)' is an excellent industrial-techno song complete with the dark ambiance the genre is known for. Deeper bass elements pulsate throughout the song while samples play over them. Though it only lasts two-minutes-and-eight-seconds, it manages to squeeze in a brilliant break in the thumping for an ambient-electronic take. Absolutely brilliant and well done. 

The last song on the album that I would like to point out as a special inclusion would be 'Scraps (Breakbeat)'. A rework of the title track from Planetdamage's previous EP, this is where Planetdamage's electro-industrial inspiration comes out to play. Sounding off like a cross between retro-Skinny Puppy vocals and a modern day, upbeat electronic playground, this track ditches the depressing tone the rest of the album has on offer for something different and fun. Good job on this one. 

I think my only complaint on the album comes in terms of the vocals. I found them very well done when I hit 'Color That Land Red (Faster)' as, well, that was the first song on the album. And then I ran into 'Kompromat (Frailty Metrics)', where I found that the lyrics kept up that slightly robotic, spoken word tone in the same fashion of the previous song. And the same thing kept happening over and over again throughout each and every single song. While the music is able to change things up leaping from one genre to the next and exploring the possibilities of synthesizer manipulation, Planetdamage's vocals hardly ever move out of a territory that I think the project is comfortable with. There's are a few moments, such as in 'Freeport', where the style changes to a clean shout, but those instances are too few and far in between to count. A bit of deviation would make the album much more fun to run through. 

While "Relapse Protocol" is a definite hit for Mariusz Bari and his project Planetdamage, that's most due in part to his electronic mastery and industrial control over beats, rhythms, and vibes. His lyrics are well written and contain the necessary ingredients to reflect on the danger of technology relayed through a fiction-meets-reality scenario. Where he can improve upon the album is with his vocals; more variation would do wonders for the project. His music is experimental enough to stand on its own; now he just needs to transfer that creative power to his voice. Nonetheless, Planetdamage's "Relapse Protocol" is a wonderful, eleven track spiral into industrial-themed warnings. I would advise you to download the whole forty minute mixtape for the best possible listening experience, but that's up to you. 

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Nov 26 2020