GODSEND ONLINE : I

The Icarus Line-"Mono" CD-This L.A.-based band's debut full-lengther is described as 'punk rock' in their bio, and although there are certainly some very punk moments here, THE ICARUS LINE's brand of high-octane aggro-rock seems to fall into that category only by default. Produced by former FUDGE TUNNEL/NAILBOMB mastermind Alex Newport, 'Mono' is a melodic yet antagonistic album full of punchy and tight drum-guitar grooves without so much as a whisper of trendy 'new metal' or hip-hop leanings. Vocalist Joe Cardamone's full-throttled rants are borderline abusive, and this band seems poised to catch on in the wake of such acts as AT THE DRIVE-IN. Pure heavy music here that's not flashy or subtle, just intense and no-nonsense. The CD includes a nifty live video as well. (Crank!)

Icebreaker-"Distant Early Warning" CD-8 tracks of hypnotic, melodic music from 2 former members of London's PIANO MAGIC. This release was written for and sanctioned by NATOarts as a sort of soundtrack for the still-active NATO radar warning stations situated in Alaska and northern Canada (a throwback to the Cold War). Musically, ICEBREAKER fuse minimal piano and organ melodies with distant radio static and reverberating drones, capturing the cold, isolated feel one must get while viewing or visiting these 'distant early warning' stations. A fascinating work evoking the depths of terrestrial space. (Aesthetics)

various-Identity 2 CD-Selection of hardcore/punk and death metal. THE GATHERINGs goth/metal stands above.(Century Media)

Idlo - "Trans Level" CD - Since 1983, this Belgian duo has been staging confrontational live events and performances, and amazingly, 'Trans Level' is their first full-length CD. The 8-track album fuses cold, harsh and robotic sequences and forceful rivet-beats with an attitude that extends beyond the usual 'industrial' stereotypes. Rather than the sinister feel of peers like THE KLINIK, IDLO's music shows a playful, exploratory, and almost comical side (their busy, colourful, and cartoonish artwork adds to this feel). Tracks like 'Reverse' are truly messed-up experiments with acid sounds and chopped-up beats and sequences. '13/12 (clean mix)' brings massive drum loops with unintelligible voice samples...truly an odd and perplexing listening experience. Production is solid, with an abundance of deep bass grooves, and 'Trans Level' bypasses traditional industrial-beat sounds as much as it draws from them. Similarities exist to other bands, but IDLO's music stands apart, in their own uniquely odd little world. (Idlo)

IGOR-Vocksverkah CS-Experimental manipulations using only the human voice as a source. Impressively diverse and interesting.(IMMP)

I Have No Soul-Ogravity CS-Unusual and experimental sampling compositions that resemble at times a sort of digital musique concrete. Other tracks are more in a synth/dance vein.(Ateet Tuli)

Ikon-In The Shadow Of The Night CD-Uptempo, pop-oriented Aussie darkwave with a good, clear sound. An upbeat cover of DEATH IN JUNEs Fall Apart is true to Douglas P.s vision while diverging from the original. The vocalist reminds me a bit of Ian Curtis, but this is a fine album. (Etherhaus)

Illusion of Safety / Life Garden / Voice of Eye-"The Nature of Sand" CD-This 1995 live collision of well-respected American sound artists does very little to resemble any of the artists' individual and respective musics. "The Nature of Sand" is an extremely quiet, restrained recording that provides, more often than not, a fairly inobtrusive ambient listening experience, with the ocassional hint of percussive scraping or environmental field recording. The ethno-mystical textures of LIFE GARDEN or VOICE OF EYE aren't really evident, nor is the urban post-industrial sound of Dan Burke's IOS. This is an entirely different beast that I actually have a hard time 'hearing' it's so subtle. Not bad, but certainly not among the finer work by the involved artists. (Manifold)

ILLUSION OF SAFETY-"Bad Karma" CD-Dan Burke returns to his roots, so to speak, as "Bad Karma" is a rough and edgy ride into dangerous, frightening sound terrain. Snippets of documentary and news broadcasts dealing with political torture and imprisonment, child molesters, death, and destruction seep into the edges of the music, which seethes with, well, "bad karma". Rhythms are spare, but when they do make their presence known, they pound and thump--not in a "dance" mode--more like a random puree. And Burke knows how to use high and low frequencies to numb and stun the head ("Speed Brutality Honesty" features over 7 minutes of extremely high-freq tones that would make WHITEHOUSE proud, and make your ears and head hurt). From dark, ambient passages to tense and abrasive post-industrial noisescapes to musique concrete stabs to somber field recordings, this collection of pieces from earlier IOS work (1990-95) is definitely not for passive (or squeamish) listening. It's as harsh and unforgiving as any MERZBOW, and much more shocking and subtle. Recommended. (Soleilmoon)

various-"Images Of My Underworld Volume III" CD-20 tracks from mostly Australian indie groups, divided neatly into 2 'sides'. Tracks 1-8 are primarily electronic, ranging from heavy club/rock to d&b/techno to cartoony electro-punk weirdness (DOGBUOY). Notable are the wonderfully dark Nicole Blackman/Scanner track 'Christian's Calling', the drum & bass/EBM pounding of THRIFT, and DOGMACHINE's subtle electro 'Anaestetic Is Good'. Also notable, and obviously included for 'name value' is KMFDM, who bring their Excessive Force-remix of 'Magalomaniac' to start the disc with a bang. Tracks 9-20 are a wide variety of punk and rock tracks, most all of it well-done and more than listenable. Overall, 'Images' is a diverse comp that successfully showcases many unheard/unknown acts centered in Australia's thriving electronic and punk scenes. (Horror Show)

Image Transmission-Shoot Your Shot CDS/ HLC CD-Hard Euro-styled electro-aggression that rivals bands like XMTP in places. Overall, though, these releases sound a little too much like everything else in the EBM scene. (Discordia)

various-Impulse 8 CS-A 7-track tape of experimental sounds to accompany the excellent IMPULSE magazines final issue. Featured on the tape are groups like SPLINTERED (noisy, aggro drone rock), ILLUSION OF SAFETY (processed field recordings), and DAYS OF THE MOONs dark folk. The zine covers these groups and more on the experimental fringes. IMPULSE was a comprehensive, intelligent read and it will be missed. Get this while you still can. (Jara)

Various-"In Defense of Nature: A Urodub Sound System Mix" CS-This 13th release on micro-indie label Uroborus Press is a sort of benefit and wake-up call for the plight of the great whales, which are in grave danger from the effects of illegal hunting and Naval carelessness. The 90 minutes of music included combine field recordings of ocean waves, whale calls, and other natural sounds with a selection of (unnamed and unlisted) smooth and jazzy drum & bass beats. The combination of the two yields some unusual textures and brings up some rather interesting juxtapositions--the energetic, ultra-modern, urban jungle breaks with the relaxing sounds of nature. And although the music itself is starting to date, the ideals and flow of this tape are spot-on. Pleasant listening and well worth a listen. (Uroborus Press)

Index-Black Light Twilight CD-A strong album of smooth sequences and dark, melodic passages from this one-man project from Albuquerque, New Mexico. A good mixing of post-PUPPY-styled effects and a near- techno feel. (COP)

various-Industrial F**cking Strength 2CD-Collection of hardcore techno gabba, including some intense monsters like DJ SKINHEAD, who seem like the PANTERA of techno. Disc B is long DJ mixes to pump yourself up to. (Earache)

various-In Dust We Trust CD-A great sampler of Invisibles current roster, including unreleased tracks from SHEEP ON DRUGS, PTV, TEST DEPT,a nd EVIL MOTHERS. Ranging from the dance rock of PIGFACE to the post-industrial soundscrapings of DEAD VOICES ON AIR, this is a solid comp all the way around. (Invisible)

various-"Infiltrate & Corrupt!" CD-A new sampler disc from German/American electro-industrial label COP, whose roster of mostly young and rising bands has never seemed more solid than on here. From the siren-ish electro-darkwave of THE RAZOR SKYLINE to the ever-improving BATTERY and DEATHLINE INT'L to the well-balanced dual male/female vocal grooves of URANIA to the 16 VOLT-ish guitar crush of SLAVE UNIT, COP is really moving along. A good place to try out some of the new generation of American electronic hardbeat acts. (COP)

Infinisynth-Shadow And Shade CD-A self-released album of what the band calls Gothic Indie Rock, with a basic drumbox/flanged guitar/vocal setup. I hear some classic CURE in here, a sort of upbeat but introspective feel. (Dark World)

Infrastructure-"The Wasteland" CDEP-A powerful and aggressive 5-song EP of post-industrial hardbeat, all performed by Stacia Tucker. Her harsh vocals and noise-laced electronic rhythms are raging and stand up quite well next to some of the genre's larger names (WUMPSCUT or much of the early 90s Zoth Ommog stable comes to mind). INFRASTRUCTURE's production is solid, and the programming is punchy and reasonably diverse. Not breaking any genre boundaries, but this brief EP shows a very promising artist who has great potential to make waves with EBM-heads around the world. I look forward to hearing INFRASTRUCTURE's maturation and development in the future. (Infrastructure)

In My Rosary-Farewell To Nothing CD-This group shows 2 distinct stylistic interests, sounding more like different groups from track-to-track. Most prominent is a DEATH IN JUNE-styled darkwave/acoustic/folk sound. Other tracks are nearer to electro/EBM, even reminding me of 242 on one track. An interesting listen nonetheless. (Discordia)

Inri-"Inri" CD-This Ottawa-based project creates interesting and melodic experimental music that reminds me at times of the sickly-prickly-sweet guitar pop of early PSYCHIC TV (complete with half-whispered vocals), albeit with a much more humorous angle. Other tracks are mostly indulgent sound collages that use bits and pieces of synth gurglings and jarring noises. Overall, a highly listenable release that shows some fine potential. (Inri)

Insight 23-Obsess CD-Excellent electro-rock that packs a punch and has some good songs to boot. Compare to PENAL COLONY and CHEMLAB. Liked it!(Fifth Colvmn)

Insomnia-"Kat Scratch Fever" 7"-This is an anti-record, limited to 20 copies, and really something of a novelty more than truly a musical work by Insomnia. Fans of RRRecords or the Haters (or both) will be familiar with this concept: take a crap record by a crap artist, then deface it with sandpaper, needles, razor blades, etc. until it's horribly scratched and destroyed , then attempt to play back the "ruined" record, which of course now is made better by massive surface noise, chunks of sound dropout, and noisy needle abuse. Sandpaper was included in my copy, but the record was already "sanded" before I got it. Didn't really want to attempt playback on my turntable, though, as I value my stylus needle, but if you have an old turntable around, I say go for it! (Uroborus Press)

Insomnia-"Sketches In Sound 1989-1999" CS-An impressive boxset package for this very limited (10 copies) cassette release, which comes housed in an oversized plastic case complete with handpainted southwestern/native American art, feather, and replica buffalo nickel. INSOMNIA creates softly lulling environmental soundscapes that waft over the senses and leave ghostly melodic impressions. "Sketches" is a compilation of work that focuses on the 1989-91 period, and its music is a wonderfully moody and atmospheric ambient excursion. This is work worthy of CD release, to be sure. Any fan of stuff like VIDNA OBMANA or ROBERT RICH should look into this (before it's gone). Exquisite. (Uroborus Press)

various-"Interdimensional Industries : A Consortium of Sonic Emanations Volume One" 2CD-A heavy dosage of nicely-varied and overall well-constructed electronic beat sounds from a number of mostly-Canadian artists. DJ PERILOUS with PHREAK bring a trancey techno piece, while others like CRYPTOMNESIA present a fine and jagged post-industrial mecha-grind, and PARADISE SYNDROME's "Real Life" is pleasant and melodic beauty along the same lines as DELERIUM. There's even some furious breakbeat work courtesy of DISTRAUB. The contents of "Interdimensional Industries" cross several genres and styles, and I look forward to future projects from this young label. (Interdimensional)

various-"Interiors" CD-This is the first release in the partnership between Invisible and the UK experimental label Sentrax, and if this label showcase is any indication, there is to be some extraordinary music to come from this union. Featuring tracks by ELpH, Mick Harris, SCREWTAPE (Drew McDowell of COIL), TACTILE, GOLD WATER (John Roome of WITCHMAN), Mika Vainio (of PANASONIC), LITTLE ANNIE, and a score of others, this disc demonstrates that "electronica" doesn't necessarily entail upbeat club tracks. From low-and-slow dub to psychoactive mindmelt sound manipulations to the amazing and ear-opening drum & bass annihilation of PROJECT DARK to everywhere in between, "Interiors" is just a rock-solid compilation of innovative and forward-thinking sound artists who understand the power of subtlety and variation. I am in awe. (Sentrax/Invisible)

Intermix-Future Primitives CD-Tribal ambient/dub from the FLA/DELERIUM boys. Long, extended, slowly developing ethno-techno atmospheres. (ESP-SUN)

Internal Empty / Anaphylaxis-split CDR-This selection of grating electronic noisework from local Indiana artist Jason Coffman (ANAPHYLAXIS) and anonymous Pennsylvania group INTERNAL EMPTY successfully maneuvers itself from the outright swollen feedback grind of the first few tracks to a more semi-structured approach, adding in bits of old marching recordings (in the appropriately-titled 'Anthem' series) and digital trickery (CD skipping and manipulation)--all filtered through a glorious screeching wall of sound. By the time 'Paranoia Carousel Theme' comes around, with it's use of primitive-sounding loops (all distorted and ugly), a definite Boyd Rice/NON influence can be heard/felt. And while not every track here is successful on it's own (some seem sort of nondescript in the usual noise fashion), there is enough variation throughout the recording to warrant further listens. A very worthwhile release for those who can stomach more severe soundwork. (a.i. musick/anaphylactic shock recordings)

Various - "International Zvukoprocessing" 2xCDR - Established in Israel in 1999 by Konstantin Gervis, Zvukoprocessor Productions has, for the past 5 years, focused on documenting the Israeli electronic and experimental underground. This lengthy and comprehensive sampler captures a variety of sounds from mostly Israeli artists, from the deeply cinematic rhythmic electro-incisions of flagship act PENETRATING CRANKSHAFT (their 15-minute 'Sawn' is a definite highlight) to VULTURES' virulant 'In The Head', which reminds of the more intense early THROBBING GRISTLE noise-pieces. Other standouts include BANGK & GURFA's excellent dub/trip-hop, SEVENTEEN MIGS OF SPRING's atmospheric/ambient IDM, EKRAN's moody and textural 'Every Day We Live Here', and S.T.A.Z.Z.'s frenzied and fever-pitch techno/trance/goa, and the DELERIUM-esque space/trip-hop SYNTHETIC DARK. Sure, there are a number of weaker, noodly nonsense pieces here, but there is a burgeoning modern art scene in Israel, and this limited (200 copies) comp is more than ample evidence. (Zvukoprocessor Production)

various-Invisible Route 666 CD-Tour sampler of Invisibles experimental/electro/rock roster, including EVIL MOTHERS, HORSEY, LAB REPORT, PSYCHIC TV, and DEAD VOICES ON AIR.(Invisible)

Ipecac Loop-eX CD-Instrumental, electronic music with dark, rhythmic, and filmic undercurrents.(Fifth Colvmn)

Irresistable Force-Global Chillage CD-Fine ambient/techno in the Warp Records style.(Astralwerks)

Ken Ishii-"X-Mix:Fast Forward & Rewind" VHS VIDEO/CD3-The limited-edition bonus CD3 included with this video release is 21 minutes of Ken Ishii's nonstop mixes (and featuring collaged music by COLDCUT, LOCUST, SQUAREPUSHER, ISHII, and others). The video is a nonstop 45 minute collage of imagery by a variety of video producers, alongside the music from the CD3 (albeit in a longer mix of course). Some good video fx too, mostly in the expected cyberdelic computer animation style. Ishii is a talented producer/DJ, and this mix shows how he seamlessly merges styles and feels, from Detroit-style minimalist trance to drum-n-bass. A quality work. (Video Music)

Isis - "In The Absence Of Truth" CD - The kings of atmospheric post-metal return in a major way with this 9-song opus. Falling far from traditional rock, Isis bring ambient metal to new vistas, laced with seismic rumblings and glacial textures amidst the gutteral riffs and bombastic rhythms. It seems that this album shows a shift towards a more melodic angle in spots (especially in the vocal department), and a tendency to create sprawling loud/soft soundscapes ala Mogwai or Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Coupled with a new collaborative 'In The Fishtank' EP (with Scotland's peerless Aereogramme) and a tour with mighty stadium rockers Tool, these guys have quite a big year ahead. 'In The Absence Of Truth' is my favorite release yet from these guys, and you'd do well to experience it yourself. (Ipecac)

Isobella-"A 24 Syllable Haiku" CD- This trio, which apparently hails from Florida, have produced a lovely if slightly samey 10-track collection of swirly shoegazer psychedelic pop. The highly reverbed vocals of Laura Poinsette float breathlessly atop the heavily effect-drenched guitars, drones, and drum programs of musical partners Shane McLaughlin and Brad Richardson. I'm reminded of stuff like SLOWDIVE or CHAPTERHOUSE, which isn't a bad thing at all. There's a sort of dark, introspective vibe to much of this release, which may endear it to fans of stuff like THE CURE or the Projekt stable as well. Cool work. (Clairecords)

various-Its Good To Talk CD-Collection of British prank phone calls which runs the gamut from silly nonsense to abusive threats. Very funny stuff.(Jara)