R010R - Urban Renewal Program

R010R is the project of an artist named Michael Renfield whose base is "soillodge studio", and whose other projects include Noise Process, Advent Dawn [with Ingo Beitz of kAlte fArben], and the stasis projects, re:course, and Perpetual Dreamscape/ex-L.V.X. Occvlta. He has been actively doing music/art since 1994. 'Urban Renewal Programme' is a five track EP. All music,words,and production by Michael Renfield at the soillodge, except "Frozen World", written and performed by M.Sax [PROTOTYP] and Michael Renfield.

We open with "Urban Renewal", and very much a standard EBM at least to start with, a typical hard but danceable electronic beat, accompanied by clear but growling vocals. It's EBM though of the old-school variety, with the early industrial influences to EBM, like Throbbing Gristle showing through. The early part of the track is very minimal and clean but I lose interest a little as the more industrial elements become apparent and it becomes cluttered.

"Frozen World [feat. M.Sax]" brings us a much more 1990s dark electro sound. It's a slow track but with a good beat and a nice horrorscape synth rhythm which combine withe some good vocals to make for me a good track. The whole thing has the effect that it is taking place in a dark cave or such like, and those vocals follow you wherever you go. "Imprinted [RFID mix]" continues in somewhat the same vein, but with a piano and drums administering the beat and rhythm. The piano leads the whole track, and the vocals are even secondary to it in this track.

"MonoDriveReflection" denotes another change to an ambient-industrial sound, using the term industrial in the experimental sense. Contains a lot of noise and conflicting harmonies and apart from the organ like synth lines really doesn't do anything for me. It seems to have lost course. "Imprinted [DSX mix]" again brings something more experimental. There's noise, distorted vocals, and EBM beats. As for its experimentation the only boundaries it pushes are my endurance to listen to it.

Conclusion:
After what was an ok start with the first three tracks of the EP at least having something to please my ears. The EP then seemed to change course completely and so did I. After hearing the previous EP 'Diagnostics' I was very disappointed with this offering. The best track by far for me is "Frozen World [feat. M.Sax]". The album is also very well produced. Sep 19 2012