lloyd Murphy
Futureproofing is smart, heady, seedy and robust in equal measure. The production is authoritative in that it straddles that difficult line between underground authenticity and high production. It brings with it some lovely textures - Icy cold synth strings, thunderous club drums and some properly addictive takes on those angular FM EBM bass lines that got us all hooked in the first place
Favorite track: The Black Room (Elektro Body Maschine Mix).
ALSO AVAILABLE AS A SIGNED LIMITED EDITION COMPACT DISC
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'Back in the mists of time, there arose a genre that some called “industrial”, later expanding to subgenres including “electronic body music” or EBM. Bands such as Front 242, Portion Control, 400 Blows and many more mixed electronics, beats, metal and horror elements to create a whole new breed of powerful songwriting that scared you to the core as much as it made you want to dance and was seriously enjoyable on a musical level. To many, that was the past......but this is now.....and it's back.... and better than ever......
DEMOCRATIZE is a formidable new collaborative project from Geoff Pinckney and The Indoor Show's John Costello. Futureproofing, their first and only album, takes the electro/industrial bull by the horns and then runs it through you like a freight train.
Over 12 tracks you get the full electronic/electro/artsynth/EBM spectrum – more synthesizers than you can shake a stick at, from surging melodies to rapid-fire sequencing, muscular and subtle drum programming, across all the different territories, so the powerhouse opener that is “The Black Room” stands effortlessly alongside the more reflective “Last Rehearsal”. But, make no mistake, this is an album of songs, superbly crafted and sung with that perfect mix of grim monotone and impassioned pleading, creating a kind of “end-of-the-world” feel to the way the words are delivered. While the lyrics themselves are meaningful, they're delivered in a way that says quite firmly, “take it or leave it - but don't ignore it.”
The rhythms are the heartbeat of the tracks – meaty sequenced basslines, multi synth FX, driving percussion – making the songs duly hurtle along with verve and authority. Above and beyond the core rhythmic journey the samples, vocals, and layer upon layer of electronics, creates worlds that are alternately fascinating and hypnotic or bleak and desolate, but all with a keen sense of the human touch running through their veins.
Without going into track by track detail, it's safe to say that if you enjoy any one track on the album, you're decidedly going to love the rest. It's varied, consistent, superbly done and really does breathe new life into genres that you might have thought were overfamiliar, cliched or long forgotten. Spellbinding, essential listening: great songs, stunning playing and lyrics that make you sit up and take notice – it's all here and you really need to hear it.'
- Andy Gee, Gee Force
'Previously I've hailed John Costello as an unsung hero, who in a fairer world would be a giant of electronic music on a par with Depeche Mode. We gave the recent Sharktown EP by one of his other collaborative acts, The Indoor Show, five hearts and a page of its own.
DEMOCRATIZE, John's latest collaboration with fellow composer & musician Geoff Pinckney, maintains that stellar standard with 'Futureproofing', which has recognisable elements from another prior project, Engram, and 2017's towering 'The Enemy Is the State' album, produced by Geoff.
They are absolute masters of their art and could give many a chart-act lessons on how to compose original and exciting electronic music. The Bandcamp link will allow you to play the whole album if you are too tight to download it or stump up for a limited CD. I'd suggest you do though, as music this good deserves your support.'
- Alan Rider, OutsideLeft
'FUTUREPROOFING by DEMOCRATIZE is music with something to say. Intense industrial pulses that probe the subconsious with paranoia and dignity in equal measure. The intersection of our humanity and our technology is not futureproof but forward thinking music like this always will be.'
- Jack Brissenden, Zenden Greenpurp (check out their bandcamp)
GEOFF AND JOHN HAVE BEEN MAKING ELECTRONIC MUSIC SINCE THE 80'S. GEOFF'S PROJECTS INCLUDE GLASSHOUSE, THE NINE, TENEK,
RESIDENT 24, MUZIK ORPHANS AND UNDER HIS OWN NAME. JOHN HAS WORKED SOLO AND AS PART OF THE INDOOR SHOW, ENGRAM & OCTOGOTH. GEOFF PRODUCED JOHN'S 2017 ALBUM THE ENEMY IS THE STATE AND THIS IS THEIR FIRST JOINT COLLABORATION....more
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