Persher : "Sleep Well"

 

This German duo is making electronic oddities that have enough drive, to be considered industrial if we consider the more experimental bounds of the genre. The album came out back in February so I am glad to catch up on it now, as it is a unique experience. The opening track feels like nothing I have heard before with distorted vocals over what sounds to be real drums playing again a barrage of synth farting in an angular groove that gathers forward momentum. "Elemental Stoppage" does not have as much form and function despite the punkish drums. The vocals are less distorted and more rasped.

 I think industrial music needs more experimentation like this though it's not in the goth spectrum of the genre. Unless you think of some of Pigface's more bizarre moments. "Medieval Soup From the Milk Bar" works with a more solid rock groove as the vocals go crazy and the synths get almost proggy with the Zappa-like accents. This should tell you something if you can reference Frank Zappa when talking about industrial music. "Sycamore" trades groove for a more abrasive weirdness that has hints of Marilyn Manson in the vocals. Though the vocals utter growls more than Manson. "Portable Aquarium' finds them dabbling in a more angular form of post-punk. The anger in this album is muted by some of the zany sonic tricks they employ.

The title track of sorts, has a more punk energy to it. This has driven many of the songs but is most pronounced here. I mean punk is in the DNA of industrial, it is what happens when punks try to play techno. The guitar if it is a guitar sounds more like a distorted bass which might be more accurate. There is a weird dancey vibe to "Celtic Froth", despite the name I did not expect it was going to sound like Celtic Frost, but get the joke. At over five minutes it is the album's longest song. It slows into a heavier section with the synths taking on more of a crunch. It drones on for a bit, but they are once again entering less charted territory. In the last song, they just grind the synths on a groove and chant over a 90s beat. I will give this a 9, they could have kept the weird to the point of even being abrasive but given a little more hook, but it was fun regardless. So little original music this goes down its own path.