The Demix "Storm" CD
[self-released]
This project's name similarities to "remix" might have one expecting a lot of beats and rhythms and other such danceable techno-esque elements, but that's not the case at all. In fact, throughout these seven tracks and 40 minutes of material, The Demix creates a rather interesting set of work that revolves mainly around vinyl/CD manipulation, samples, loops, effects, and experimental noise. Some of the artists listed as having been mixed, sampled, and altered are Atari Teenage Riot, John Cage, Dalek, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Eminem, Fantomas, Kid606, The Melvins, Merzbow, Naked City, Pink Floyd, Sonic Youth, John Zorn, and then some. The tracks range in length from a mere minute to nearly 13 minutes, but they flow quite well. Some of the samples are slightly recognizable, and a few concrete beats do appear, but for the most part this is not as structured as one might expect. It's obvious that time and thought have gone into the pieces, and I find even the most chaotic, noisy areas to be rather enjoyable, but it's during the more complex, atmospheric moments that the material truly shines. Hell, opener "Trapper.Keeper.Stalker.Dead.Silent." even has a progressive rock sort of improvisation vibe going on for a period of time - sampling a simple beat along with some bluesy lead playing and keyboard parts that mingle with various noises and textures. A lot of people might have a problem with the fact that so much of this material has been created by samples, but I certainly don't. The samples have been completely turned around and made into something new and different, so even when they become recognizable the manner and context in which they're used makes up for it. The sound quality is very well done in my opinion. Everything is blazingly loud and crisp, with great attention to detail. Flirting with some more stereo effects wouldn't hurt, but everything still sounds very good. I'd be curious to know the circumstances under which this was recorded. The CD-R comes in a slim jewel case with a simple black and white insert that's mainly text with one small image of The Demix at work. It's as simple as that. You get a tracklist, recording information, etc. It looks alright, though. It's plain, but clean and effective. Admittedly this is not the most original or creative work out there, but I enjoyed this stuff a lot, and I think that there's a shitload of potential here. This guy's got a real knack for sampling and making something fluid out of choppy bits and pieces, so with a bit more feeling and experimentation he could strike gold. That first track is just excellent... (7/10)
Running time - 39:19, Tracks: 7
[Notable tracks: Trapper.Keeper.Stalker.Dead.Silent., Killed You]
The Demix - http://www.thedemix.com

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