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hymen records was founded in 1997 and presented with imminent starvation`s "human relocation" lp, the first official release in june 1997. as a side label of ant-zen it is able to benefit from five years of experience and can gain from the creative sources involved there. the idea is to be a platform for the more technoid, ambient and drum `n bass infected kind of music, which would not necessarily fit into the ant-zen program, but is much too valuable to stay undiscovered. on the other hand are barriers melting and musicians developing, so it's no wonder that some of the ant-zen artists also publish their music here. to date, hymen has released two compact discs and nine vinyl lps. among this are such illustrious artists as architect, beefcake, imminent starvation, klangstabil, p·a·l and others. in addition to each hymen cd, a vinyl lp is released with different tracks or mixes to the album. with teknoir it`s time for a kind of retrospective. this compilation presents the hymen projects released so far, together with related artists. most of the tracks are unreleased and have been conscientiously collected to give you an unadulterated impression of what we consider the lifestyle: "technoid noises for collapsing people".

2cd set in jewel-case. booklet w/ etched image. salesprice like a regular cd.

tracklist:

cd.1

vostok. intro. exclusive track	*.ra
black lung. drachanalia pt.1. exclusive track	*.ra
orphx. rnd. exclusive track	*.ra
imminent starvation. hillstone. exclusive track	*.ra
not breathing. kissy (pre m.r.i. mix). exclusive track	*.ra
synapscape. new order. unreleased track	*.ra
monolith. matrix a. exclusive track	*.ra
icon zero. tomorrow. exclusive version	*.ra
p·a·l. little cloudy fluff. exclusive track	*.ra
substanz t. industrial music for industrial people. exclusive live version / previously unreleased	*.ra
lustmord vs. metal beast. open towers emerge (version)	*.ra
vromb. synchronisateur (vostok rmx). unreleased track	*.ra
seekness. cracked brain (1996). exclusive track	*.ra

cd.2

architect. pastgate	*.ra
oil 10. oil 5 remix. exclusive version / previously unreleased	*.ra
bochumwelt. la pensée. exclusive on cd	*.ra
beefcake. listen to the call. exclusive track	*.ra
somatic responses. oblique. exclusive track	*.ra
crno klank. polka. exclusive track	*.ra
esplendor geometrico. control de vigilantes (version). exclusive version / previously unreleased	*.ra
klangstabil. regelkreisauslöser. exclusive track	*.ra
it. logic noise cargo. exclusive track	*.ra
mother destruction. odr	*.ra
snog. hooray!! (black lung and the death jungle 2000)	*.ra
hypnoskull. hypnoreakt vs. ammo. exclusive track	*.ra
winterkälte. global defrostation. exclusive version / previously unreleased	*.ra
silk saw. cut the king. exclusive version	*.ra

vostok. intro
vostok from canada made this intro by exploring the cosmonautic past. it's just an excerpt of future developments.

black lung. drachanalia (pt.1)
drachanalia (pt.1) may surprise some regular black lung listeners, it's a bit more subdued, drony and sinister in a different form than the recent black lung material. it's also a bit more clean sounding and the intention lies in its minimalism. in 1995, david thrussell opened his black lung project, which has so far released several records. he also collaborated with pieter bourke (of eden and dead can dance) as soma. despite their apparently radical inclinations, thrussell doesn't regard his lyrics as political, but rather as simple and rather obvious as social observations. he doesn't claim to have any revolutionary secrets, but sees his lyrics as a frank examination of our humanity struggling within itself. thrussell cites a number of influences in his musical styles, ranging from cinema to classic rock and folk to industrial music. drachanalia (pt.1) was recorded in 1998 exclusively for this compilation. in autumn 1998, black lung's debut album 'silent weapons for silent wars' was re-released as limited picture vinyl lp on ant-zen.
http://www.worldwentdown.com/imcc/

orphx. rnd
focusing on minimal layered, slightly crisp electronics with a slow build up of pulsating rhythm. swirls of heavy electronics and dark atmospheres mixed with ultra-minimal electronic fuzz with a brain-melting overload of minimal twiddlings of a thermonuclear explosion made by this canadian duo. rnd is an exclusive track. it explores the grey area between industrial and ambient and offers a refreshing alternative to both, like a hypnotic electro trance soundtrack, close the door, turn off the lights, and open your mind. orphx's latest releases were published by hands records, germany.

imminent starvation. hillstone
hillstone is a highly volatile aggregation of nerve shattering technoid rhythms, monstrous sound currents, and an unrelenting percussive barrage, which fires away maximum carnage against a backdrop of ravaged audio landscapes. it is in this surreal foundation that the true genius of this psychotic belgian lies. imminent starvation is as cold and barbaric as inhumanity itself. imminent starvation from belgium had recorded hillstone between the premier cd 'human dislocation' (which gained high recommendation from the press and in the clubs) and the ethyl6 12". so far hillstone is an unreleased track. imminent starvation appears courtesy of ant-zen.
imminent starvation homepage
ant-zen homepage

not breathing. kissy (pre m.r.i. mix)
not breathing effortlessly spin a mesmerising stream of sound that metamorphoses from an icy ambient opening to a fiery, churning finale. performed live by sitting down amid stunning visuals, the band utilise techno loops, samples, live dijeridoo, and throbbing feedback to create engaging, rhythmic music. kissy (pre m.r.i. mix) is an unreleased track. not breathing's latest release 'the starry wisdom' 2cd was published by invisible records. it contains one cd with heavy beats and one cd with deep, psychedelic dark stuff - separated for the purists out there. not breathing appears courtesy of invisible records.
not breathing homepage
invisible records homepage

synapscape. new order
brooding electronic soundscapes, throbbing distortions and ambient techno grooves are the most hypnotising effects of new order, showing you the structures of your inner mind. structured patterns are changing with obscure soundscapes and sometimes you hear a voice which seems to come from outer space. synapscape always exploit the unexpected and they have a unique ability to use alienated chirps in a bizarre and infectious manner. synapscape is tim kniep (from the noiseband blendwerk) and philipp münch (from m.o.a.t.a.-omen & ars moriendi) browbeating with uncompromising harshness and deepest drones. synapscape will infect your body and invade your mind. new order is an unreleased track. synapscape appears courtesy of ant-zen.
synapscape homepage
ant-zen homepage

monolith. matrix a
monolith is the project of eric van wonterghem, the one who led the ebm project insekt to worldwide attention in the 80's, the one who collaborated with dirk ivens from the beginning on, at present with sonar, and who's also running the famous prodam studios in belgium. so far with monolith he's released one record called "compressed form" on daft records. matrix a is a strictly forward driven track that combines analogue electronics with a hard edged drum flow. the intention is to be found in the stacked rhythms and compounded power in reorganised compressed form.
daft records homepage

icon zero. tomorrow
m. veidt started with his sound experiments in 1986 after he met ruelgo and joined him to carry out several discs as "le syndicat". during a few years, he devoted his time to discover new musical domains as varied as u.s. rap, 60's soul, techno and, finally, jungle. in 1997, under the name of icon zero, he carries out "logic vacuum", his first cd for kfx recordings (sub label of noise museum); the year 1998 sees the result of his creative process with the recording of his second cd "audio response", which he considers more succussful in corresponding more precisely to the musical universes that he wants to explore. the music of icon zero is a mix of furious rhythms, sometimes with a scorn feeling but enriched with more dub effects.
noise museum / kfx homepage

p·a·l. little cloudy fluff
little cloudy fluff is a new exclusive track by p·a·l, which was recorded right after his 2nd cd 'm@rix' (ant-zen act 63) and the remix vinyl 12" 'm@rmx' on hymen records. it's an idm-like industrial-tech composition with a massive amount of distortion filtered into a bass pounding beat together with a congealed joining of near drum 'n bass beat drums and scratchy cymbals. the minimalistic elektronica is causing its hard-edged brutality in hypnotic textures by creating a very complex melding of beauty and power. p·a·l appears courtesy of ant-zen.
p·a·l homepage
ant-zen homepage

substanz t. industrial music for industrial people [live]
substanz t. are considered as one of the most promising industrial techno projects of our days, and highly respected as innovative remixers. transformed six years ago from an acoustic wave/avantgarde band to a high tech industrial dance project, they now combine spirituality, trance and ambient sounds to create a drum `n bass inferno for the open minded. here they present an energetic live version of their remix for a generation x-ed track, just another evolution of industrial music for industrial people in a high tech electronic surrounding.

lustmord vs. metal beast. open towers emerge
derived from a joint performance by lustmord and metal beast broadcasted live on kuci 89.9, orange county, california, june 20, 1997. the broadcast was put together on short notice with only little preparation, and the result is mostly improvised and intentionally chaotic in part, being something of an experiment, manipulated further and reconstructed for this release. warning this contains beats - not to be compared with regular lustmord releases. open towers emerge (version) was taken from the cd 'lustmord vs. metal beast' on side effects.
lustmord homepage

vromb. synchronisateur (vostok rmx)
ambient sequences, noisy transmodulated frequencies and trance rhythms are bombarding your body and mind. the amplified perceptive sense will be modulated into a new dimension of paranormal psychoacoustic ecstasy. the grooves of synchronisateur are synchronised perfectly with the stereo effects and they catch your fascination and addiction. this is the first new recording of the canadian band vromb since 2 years, and (for this recording) manipulated and added with extra grooves by vostok. vromb are currently working (final mixing) on a soundtrack for a canadian science fiction movie. the original version of synchronisateur will be published on a picture 10" on ant-zen. vromb appears courtesy of ant-zen.
ant-zen homepage

seekness. cracked brain[1996]
cracked brain is like a disastrous journey through a cold and nebulous, polluted industrial area at four o'clock in the morning. it's like a desperate look around with disorientation; the atmosphere grows denser through unlocatable noises and blurred lights and all you yearn for is safety and warmth. seekness is a project of seal phüric (reload ambient records).

architect. pastgate
architect is the brand new solo project of the prolific electronic mastermind behind haujobb, daniel myer. a hybrid of smooth electronic, ambient soundscapes, and minimal drum 'n bass into a spacey, futuristic soundtrack. pastgate is taken from the debut record galactic supermarket, created during a period of three years and released in fall 98 on hymen records, a journey through abstract sonic buildings which seem peculiarly transparent, like concrete frames without any surface in a pleasant familiarity. drumcodes melted into the ambience of safety and grace. surely a perfect soundtrack for observing the infinite cosmos at night. one of the many new projects of this master electronic manipulator. architect appears courtesy of hymen.
architect homepage

oil 10. oil 5 (remix)
ultra minimalistic grooves hint at microscopic imagery of day to day objects and experiences, pointing the listener back to the manifesto of futurism and forward to the sounds of the future. compelling and disturbing, the music of oil 10 crosses the boundaries between techno, industrial music and ambient soundscaping to produce a sound that appears fresh and unknown every time but fundamental to the rhythm of life. the original version of oil 5 is published on the premier cd 'in / out' on noise museum records. an exclusive remix was made for this compilation.
oil 10 homepage

bochumwelt. la pensée
bochum welt is an avant garde composer who has been releasing pioneering electronic music since 1994 on the respected rephlex label. his fascination with technology and multimedia is evidenced by his latest cd-rom release of the 16 bit videogame soundtrack "desktop robotics", and by his use of the leading-edge beatnik interactive audio system to deliver innovative audio content via the internet. la pensée is taken from the deleted 12"/33rpm (yellow/gold vinyl) 'les dances d'e'té' , kromode 1995 and now published on cd for the first time. la pensée has a gorgeous analogue feel to it and a distinctive retro/electro flavour - sounds like it could have been the theme to a late seventies version of tomorrow's world/beyond 2000. it's main feature is a pattern of distorted hissing hats that climb and fall over a rather interesting drum pattern.
bochumwelt homepage

beefcake. listen to the call
beefcake presents sweet harmonic soundscapes, disrupted by rough drum 'n bass rhythms: a powerful intelligent tune to break your chaos, or chamber music for obsessed, modern electronics. the sampler is their most important instrument for beefcake - and they are really fanatics in using it. sometimes you certainly find something familiar in their music, but be warned, it is not like before and it will never be again. indeed it starts harmless, but then beefcake destroy everything entirely to build up their own unique imagery. beefcake appears courtesy of hymen records.
hymen homepage

somatic responses. oblique
somatic responses combine pronounced elements of industrial, drum 'n noise and techno displaying them in a decided context, delivered intelligently with a friendly harshness. somatic response is a voluntary movement navigated by your own command. the duo from wales already had more than 20 vinyl releases on different labels, some of them on praxis. somatic responses have been active for the past 6 years and this is just the beginning.
somatic webpage

crno klank. polka
crno klank is a project by the performance artist c-drik, who also collaborated with olivier moreau (imminent starvation) and john n. sellekaers (xingu hill) for the project 'ambre' (released on ant-zen records). polka has actually nothing to do with this eastern european folk dance. crno klank celebrate an analogue, slightly distorted rhythm flow with futuristic effects and a magic ambience that occupies your mind with an entangled security and shelter.

esplendor geometrico. control de vigilantes
control de vigilantes (version) is an exclusive remix from their cd 'polyglophone' (1998) on geometrik records. repetitious litanies infected by impossible machine sounds, noisy buzzes, subsonic frequencies, organised metallurgy and eastern european newscasts. the constant presence of distorted tribal percussion will move you into a new dimension of ecstasy. take this and pump up the volume. the origins of one of the most innovative and risky proposals of the spanish industrial scene are to be found back in 1978. after a load of different releases and joining members, esplendor geometrico became a duo in 1985: arturo lanz and andrés noarbe. since that time the rhythms and the sound became rougher and began to acquire an unexpected dance appearance. esplendor geométrico perpetuate the impulse by continuing to create sound energy avalanches with the only objective being to satisfy their own ears. 20 years, that`s much more than the usual lifetime for an industrial project but fortunately the duo is still active. esplendor geometrico appears courtesy of geometric records.
esplendor geometrico homepage

klangstabil. regelkreisauslöser
klangstabil concentrates mainly on analogue tools. accurately described, they work without a computer-controlled sequencer. pure analogue power electronics & harsh rhythm structures roughly combined with sweet melodies. klangstabil was founded in 1994 by maurizio blanco and boris may. klangstabil's work can be unmistakably defined as: one step back, two steps forward. with this attitude, klangstabil is creating their own niche by taking principal elements of the very beginning of electronic music and relating these elements to the modern times of today. klangstabil appears courtesy of megahertz.
klangstabil homepage

it. logic noise cargo
in a quite organic configuration, logic noise cargo produces something with extreme focus, setting up close valued sound textures to coalesce into delicate, unstable harmonic fields and then drift into new patterns enhanced by hypnotic rhythms. a timeless electronic landscape that connects private feelings with contemporary technology. logic noise cargo is an intimate soundtrack which penetrates deep into the human psyche with tremendous emotional effort. it is the brainchild of ivan iusco, the man who runs the labels minus habens and disturbance. starting it in 1990, ivan iusco released a superb split mcd with the legendary english band clock dva, a 12 inch and the album era vulgaris.
disturbance homepage
minus habens homepage

mother destruction. odr
after four years of silence mother destruction, the well known project of amodali and patrick o´kill released the highly respected "hagazussa" record last year. their magical fusion of industrial dance with ethno and ambient elements and the combination of old and new traditions emphasize their music with a very special, unique character, floating with a frequently present magical atmosphere. odr is one of their most uncompromising tracks up to the present, a monstrous rhythm machine, fed with pure energy and controlled by a voice that pierces your brain and causes your flesh to creep. latest release is the picture vinyl lp 'fetch' on ant-zen, which includes also remixes from architect, imminent starvation and sonar.

snog. hooray!! (black lung and the death jungle 2000)
hooray!! consists of some quirky electronic undertones and a harsh, militaristic jungle beat. unlike most snog songs, this one doesn't contain the creaky untreated vocals. this remix is far and away from the original and is harshly technofied, like the uncompromising project black lung is known for. snog, hailing from the great continent of australia, is the brainchild of david thrussell aka black lung. hymen is the exclusive european license partner for snog; the first release 'snog, therefore i am...' will be published in spring 99 as double cd and picture vinyl lp.
david thussel webpage
imcc webpage

hypnoskull. hypnoreakt vs. ammo
hypnoskull combines the power of pure analogue electronics with harsh rhythm structures - an anarchic assault of noise, electronic abuse and techno-industrial. hypnoskull is the solo-project of patrick stevens, who is formerly known as the ex-member of the duo sonar. hypnoskull still exists, since 1992, in the international tape-network scene and patrick stevens is known for his extravagant multimedia installations and video performances as well as his harsh sonic bombs. hypnoskull is a process towards the creation of biomechanoid beings, structures and life forms in sound experiences. the sounds grow and mutate, expand and recreate. there is only one goal: the absolute structural and clinical prothesis sounds, in which technology plays the replacer of the body. hypnoskull appears courtesy of ant-zen.
hypnoskull homepage
ant-zen homepage

winterkälte. global defrostation
a complex architecture of hypnotic sounds and rhythms in steady turns. pounding beats define winterkälte's unique style of abstract aggression, of which the main target is the whole central nervous system and all its neural connectors. obliterating, generally pummelling non-stop rhythms melded with heavy electronics to result in a violent distorted and blurring circle of noise. lace those stomper boots up tight and prepare yourself for the brutal rhythmic onslaught that is winterkälte. global defrostation is one of their rare exclusives tracks. winterkälte appears courtesy of hands productions.

silk saw cut the king
silk saw is a belgian duo which started their activity already 10 years ago with a project called jardin d`usure on sub rosa, they now examine the utopia of the scientific process and the inherent dangers in it. they work desperately hard to cut the edges of audible music converted by ultra dark dronings and complex, harsh rhythms. cut the king is an exclusive version from their 3rd album 'preparing wars' on ant-zen records, inviting you to an imaginable journey to the unexplored spheres of your brain.

orkus, april 1999

nach dem motto "technoid noises for collapsing people" ist diese randvolle doppel-cd nicht nur eine retrospektive der bisherigen hymen-acts (u.a. imminent starvation, beefcake, architect, p.a.l, klangstabil, esplendor geometrico), sondern gibt mit teilweise sehr illustren beiträgen (u.a. snog, black lung, winterkälte, orphx, substanz t, lustmord, mother destruction) auch einen überblick über den rest derjenigen künstler, die dieses kriterium ebenso zu erfüllen scheinen. industrial techno, progressive industrial-/noise- und ritualmusik, dark ambient, intelligent techno und deren hybridformen stellen das klangspektrum von "teknoir" dar, wobei neben den bekannten acts auch einige sehr interessante newcomer zum zug kommen. passionierte sammler des genres dürfen sich freuen, denn ein großteil der tracks ist bisher unveröffentlicht, und wie von ant-zen gewohnt, ist auch das edle artwork eine augenweide. es ist zwar zugegebenermaßen etwas stressig, die beiden cds am stück durchzuhören, aber immerhin wird so der sampler seinem motto voll und ganz gerecht. "teknoir" ist eine rundrum gelungene compilation und eigentlich ein pflichtkauf für jeden freund der oben genannten musikstile!

bodystyler, april 1999

zwei cd`s, 27 tracks, knapp zweieinhalb stunden spielzeit mit musik vom feinsten. wow. nach diversen vinyl- und auch zwei cd-veröffentlichungen im laufe der letzten monate kommt jetzt dieser sampler, der zeigen soll, in was für eine musikalische richtung sich das label weiterbewegen (oder besser: weiterhin bewegen) wird. drum`n`bass, techno-industrial, düster-ambient, schlicht und einfach "verdammt moderne elektronische musik". neben einem neuen (wundervollen) track von p.a.l enthält die liste der teilnehmenden künstler auch andere bekannte namen wie orphx, imminent starvation, beefcake, snog, winterkälte oder hypnoskull oder auch newcomer wie not breathing, seekness oder somatic responses. fast jeder track ein treffer, kaum "ausfälle". der einzige kritikpunkt wäre vielleicht, daß von hymen in letzter zeit so dermaßen viele tolle sachen kommen, daß man gar nicht weiß, wo man zuerst reinhören soll...

sonic seducer, mai 1999

habe ich eigentlich schon mal erwähnt, daß sich meiner meinung nach die interessanten acts im hause ant-zen mittlerweile auf dem hymen sublabel tummeln? während so manche az-veröffentlichung auf mich mittlerweile etwas anachronistisch wirkt, weht auf dem kleinen bruder zumeist noch recht frischer, und vor allem bewegungsfördernder wind. allerdings ist "teknoir" kein wirklicher hymen labelsampler, denn viele der beteiligten acts sind bei ant-zen oder drittlabeln beheimatet. dies tut der qualität der meisten beiträge jedoch keinen abbruch und so finden sich auf den beiden cds namen wie bochumwelt, orphx, lustmord, p.a.l, esplendor geometrico und synapscape. legte ich einen review weiter vorne den "counterintelligence" sampler noch allen djs (aber natürlich nicht nur diesen) ans herz, kann ich meine empfehlung an dieser stelle guten gewissens auf "teknoir" ausdehnen.

the new empire

v.a. tekknoir. cd
hymen produces a lot of electronicbased music. what we have here is a 2cd compilation of various artists who are with hymen and related labels. the spectrum is wide ranged. you find on cd1 imminent starvation, poaol and black lung neatly seated between monolith, synapscape and orphx. the whole feeling of cd1 is that of a more spherical, atonal sound experience, sort of an ambient feeling :o). on cd2 there are bands like beefcake, klangstabil, hypnoskull and esplendor geometrico placed. whereas on cd1 the atmospheric feeling is prevailing cd2 depends more on rhythm and noise mixed with minimalistic beats. phat indeed. the most of you know the bands i will name later in the tracklist but i think that there are bands which are unknown to you. whom of you knows oil10 and bochumwelt? on this compilation these two were somewhat like a discovery for me. oil 10 is real rhythm and utterly minimalistic indeed. with the "oil5 rmx" here presented, they snugly fit in the overall concept. or take bochumwelt with their song "la penseé". based on a fine never-ending rhythmconcept which is driving ultimately into nothingness. the compilation is good stuff for newbies in the rhythm and noise scene or just for everyone who want to take a look at this niche of the scene. interesting enough for folks who are in the scene, too, its a dcd which is not far away from my cd-player. without any rating.

re:mote induction

it always seems like people are looking for easy categorisation - but increasingly artists are blending styles, filling in the spaces between foolishly defined boundaries with ambiguous hybrids. hymen was started as a label to highlight these spaces and the artists closing the gaps. from the start the teknoir compilation has been promised and now that it is delivered it highlights ambient constructed from the bonds of techno music or techno music constructed from the bricks of noise. of the artists here imminent starvation, pal, architect, beefcake, esplendor geometrico, klangstabil, hypnoskull and silk saw all have releases available from hymen. on top of those there are certain other tracks which attract me - provided by black lung, not breathing, synapscape, monolith and snog. the first disc is started by vostok's intro which is a short piece full of sounds and voices, but over before you know it. leading us into the track by australian band black lung which is full of bass rumbles. drachanalia pt.1 contains an electronic wash which forms percussive patterns. the sound is not obviously black lung, and is more focused than the material on extraordinary popular delusions, being more enjoyable for that. i heard some people describe orphx as having one of the best albums of last year, but i had heard nothing by them and little about them. however rnd is a track that i enjoyed enough to order the last album from german label hands. the sound features a regular looping wave - the feeling it inspires reminding of the first time i heard monolith. the first time i heard hillstone i picked up a considerable sonar feel- without looking at the track list i guessed that perhaps it was monolith with the recent joining of sonar. the sound is steady and rhythmic - with a grinding noise surface. but as it goes on a seed emerges that suggests something else. this grows into one of hymen's core artists imminent starvation. with the torn distorted edge this is one of his hardest tracks to date. not breathing's kissy (pre m.r.i. mix) actually reminds of synapscape in the way some of the initial bass/techno sounds are structured. shimmers and chimes offer melodies while thick and thin squelches provide the bass. beats are rapid, but gentle, giving a strong techno feel. however not as much as some of not breathing's real techno work - this remaining a mid-piece and more atmospheric. i strongly recommend not breathing's starry wisdom. new order builds a bass power structure which is contradicted by the whispering, disturbing vocals. synapscape's recent techno influences are borne out on the tip-tap level. but the bass and beat is harder, unsettling and uneasy, offering more of a feeling of their previous album work. monolith's compressed form would be on my list of best albums if i was to be forced to make such a list. so i am eager to hear new material which we have here with matrix a. but the forward orientated rhythm loops are harder than previous monolith work - influenced by recent collaborations with dirk ivens as sonar? perhaps more noise orientated than the familiar consuming soundscapes. that addictive hook is still in there though - so lets not panic. i would say this is somewhere between compressed form and cosmic rays. little cloudy fluff is a total beat construction. the sound of these beats being familiar from other pal material. despite a certain speed this remains a fairly mid-paced track. more subtle than a description of a drum assault would suggest so that some may overlook this piece. by contrast substanz t's industrial music for industrial people builds a techno piece which after 2 minutes fills the floor whith its demand. at the core is a consolidated sample "if you don't like fascism don't play industrial music" repeated over and over to affect. all i know about icon zero is that they stem from influential french artists. tomorrow is their first track that i have heard and it is one of the most techno orientated pieces on this compilation. also influential is lustmord - here he vs metal beast the overall result being a teched up track, with lustmord's slow, deep, motions being somewhere in there. the last two tracks on cd1 are some of the longest pieces here. vostok's remix of vromb's syncronisateuris a full seven minutes. from the heavy, bass, pulsing intro. which echoes to a split into a rhythmic form full of french voices and steady beats. the last compilation track i heard was enough to make me get their le facteur humain album which i have just picked up. the final cracked brain is the first time i have heard seekness and it comes up to 11 minutes of rhythmic layered soundscape. steady beats and repetitive pulsations. whenever members of haujobb do anything there is a certain degree of hype which is associated, which as i have said before is not always deserved. however architect open the second cd with the track pastgate - a piece which is enough to make me follow up on this project (i am listening to galactic supermarket now as i convert my scrawled notes into coherent form). coolly floating electronic structures construct around the blueprint of detail. those details - dreamed voices, slow glacier melodies - embrace my attention. the second track is a remix of oil 5 taken from the album in/out by oil 10. an album from the french label noise museum which i picked up and reviewed recently. this track is full of big bass implosions and stellar bleeps - a steady techbient motion. in/out is a recommended album and this track fits the flow of this compilation perfectly. la pensee by bochumwelt is tight - high snip-ping playing off the plump bass. primarily a model of beat construction, till the gentle melody grows. the mood and feel of the track raises the pace of this disc flowing on to beefcake.listen to the call is one of the best tracks i have heard from beefcake - starting with a spoken german voice and swelling melody. as the first voice finishes a second cries out and we are supplied with a dose of d'n'b beats. from there on the beats and melody move the listener in a hypnotic fashion. with an album due out on hymen1 this year, somatic responses offer oblique for inclusion here. this is the first noisier track on this disc with metallic stresses and slowly damaging beats. wailing chords give a full effect - stepping from understated to charged. just as the rhythm served as introduction the chords provide the slow fade. c-drik was last reviewed on this site for his inclusion in the ambre project. crno klank is his own project - polka being the first track i have heard. instant beats offer a techno pattern over a sheet of crystalline ambience. becoming progressively more jagged and full of suggestive voices. the spanish act esplendor geometrico are one of the original power percussion acts - control de vigilantes is taken from the album polyglophone. perhaps being an extra from the hymen remix releases syncotron which followed that album. full of repetitive, consistent drums - a constant classic rhythm. throughout a news broadcast voice delivers discussion on communism. another band with a hymen1 release is klangstabil - who i had not heard until now, despite the www.klanstabil.com/hymen. regelkrelsausloser has a cold, clean electronic sound - the first part is a warble, off-key dischord. the second is a steady programmed counter - with the two i am instantly hooked. as such i have now bought the sieg der monochronisten ep - although i still prefer this track. beats snap along, giving a straight line to the distorted tune. with its sudden disruption it is disappointingly short. the last time i heard an it track was on the flatline compilation. as with that track logic noise cargo is more abrasive, rumbling technoid than earlier examples of this project. the style bears similarities to the tracks from imminent starvation and monolith which are included on this compilation, with a more techno slant. i would not be surprised to see more it material appear on hymen in the future. slow bass movements flow from the start of mother destruction's odr, through the background of the sudden and surprising caustic d'n'b assault. vocals work on two levels - growling, harsh threat and delicate, pausing moments - both from a female throat. the bruised beats and spat vocals mark this as a last warning. following on from thrussel's inclusion on the first disc as black lung he returns with snog. this is at least the third version of hooray that i have heard, with more out there. this is the black lung and the death jungle 2000 mix - which features some of black lung's harsher bass sounds. a ripping guitar sound is added and the vocals where they are included are deathmetaled up in a dark whisper. a mid-pitched melody retains some of the feel of the original. particularly towards the end, the mix gives way to noise. while i admit a certain disappointment with the recent hypnoskull react ammo ep it is still a release which i listen to regularly. but hearing hypnoreakt vs ammo i realise that this is exactly why i feel disappointed. this is an excellent track - very strong and fast - serious noise'n'bass. caustic, unstoppable dancefloor nightmare - hopefully the new album will be of this calibre. winterkalte are one of those bands that i have heard a lot about but not heard until now. with global defrostation, i'm not sure what to make of them. it is fast and noisy - suiting the current dance noise orientation. but while it is decent, i think i need to hear more before deciding. the final track is cut the king by silk saw, remixes of which have appeared on both preparing wars and this time its war. both of those releases are amongst my current favourites and this track is not a disappointment. extremely atmospheric and again this disc's longest tracks - working as fitting conclusion to teknoir - the hymen compilation

grooves, issue 2

after 2 years of releasing "rough technoid and ambient music", the ant-zen sublabel hymen presents teknoir, a twodisc retrospective compilation featuring tracks by hymen projects, as well as tracks by related artists. teknoir is an exploration into the darker regions of electronic music, where the boundaries between techno, noise, ambient and industrial music mutate into an exciting new structure that defies definition. the result of that breakdown is a total sensory assault, a mesmerizing range of sounds, from droney ambience to rhythmic brutality and everything between. harsh hypnotics, brutal rhythms, stark ambient atmospherics, ultra minimalist grooves, mutant drum`n`bass, and smooth electronics blended into genre defiance - 2 discs, 143 minutes, 27 tracks (23 exclusive, previously unreleased tracks) by black lung, imminent starvation, not breathing, pal, bochumwelt, snog, winterkälte, synapscape, and many more. another landmark release from the hymen/ant-zen crew, representing the quality of their output.

seven

this is one of the best compilations i have heard lately. 27 tracks of what is known as power electronics/noise. hymen, known for its technoid-oriented releases, brings together the tracks that do not necessarily fit into typical ant-zen style of music. teknoir compilation shows more experimental side of the genre. such reknowned noise terrorists as winterkalte, p.a.l, imminent starvation, esplendor geometrico, synapscape are placed together with rare and unreleased tracks by beefcake, monolith, vromb, substanz t, icon zero, oil 10, and others. every track stands on its own and adds something unique and powerful to the mix. your mood will change with every song on cd that are ranging from delicate minimalistic soundscapes of architect to hard-hitting barbaric insanity of imminent starvation. the tracks that definitely stand out on the cd are "listen to the call" by beefcake (don't miss their full-length album on hymen, it is brilliant!), pastgate by architect (the brainchild of d.myer), wonderful jungle mix of snog's "hooray!!", "synchronisateur" by vromb, "little cloudy stuff" by p.a.l (quite track unusual for them). this compilation could be the introduction to the genre or an addition of rare and unreleased tracks to your power electronics collection. so don't miss it!

ultime atome

depuis une bonne grosse année bien replète, ant-zen s'est doté d'une écurie techno. son nom ? hymen (pour le côté " hot " sans doute). après une bonne dizaine de maxis gentiment radicaux, voila que déboule cette compile en forme de bilan. dessus, moult lurons dont on vous a déjà chanté les louanges, plus quelques-uns de leurs voisins de palier tout aussi enjoués (sortez les sifflets à neutrons, et les platform pétrolière boots !). sonorement, cela ressemble un peu beaucoup à la discothèque qu'on ouvrira un jour, sûr, sur pluton. avec que du bon, ou presque. avec forcément les potes un peu lourdingues qui se sentent obligés de pousser la mixette en passant, et qu'on n'ose pas foutre dehors, parce qu' " on les aime bien quand même " (machin, là, euh, icon zero, joue ici le rôle à merveille). ça s'apparente pour classifier, à de la techno post-rave, assez rude dans ses manières-comprendre : qui ne frappe pas avant d'entrer, ou alors beaucoup trop fort-. même si bochum welt, et, étonnamment, klangstabil, nous, enfin me, font quasi ouin-ouiner avec leurs créations pop hélicoïdales " à l'italienne ". de la téguenaud, donc, qui se fout royalement, voire impérialement, des normes d'efficacité communément admises. des trucs pour danser. pour danser à l'intérieur du cerveau, ou des genoux. ainsi l'enchaînement beefcake (des génies certifiés, ceux-là) puis somatic responses (encore !), sur gros son, engendrerait inéluctablement des fractures du ligament trois mille fois croisé. il y a aussi des trucs pour rire un coup. tiens, comme le groove pachydermique de vromb, qui nous replonge quelques années en arrière (pour les exégètes de la trance, s'il en existe encore, essayez de vous représenter une version souillon et claudiquante du beat de zero gravity…). mais on ne fait jamais le fanfaron très longtemps à l'écoute de ce recueil ; on marche sur des œufs, en somme : mieux, on y danse. de toutes les façons possibles, qu'on y danse. sur les deux pieds, -coulés dans le même bloc de béton (esplendor geometrico, monolith) ; sur un pied, en tournant sur soi-même (klangstabil) ; sur trois pieds (snog, beefcake) ; sur la tête (it). vous êtes sceptiques, encore rétifs ? c'est cela…écoutez donc la dernière pièce, celle de silk saw… vous ferez moins la fine bouche, une fois qu'ils vous auront changé en plancton mécanique. may the gruv be with u !

black #15

endlich ist die erste hymen-compilation fertig und dieses ereignis werden wir im nächsten heft mittels eines labelreport noch gebührend zu würdigen wissen. zum ersten besticht wieder einmal das schlicht-gelungene artwork und das preis-leistungsverhältnis, da es zwei randvolle cd's zum preis von nur einer gibt! hymen ist ja vor zwei jahren als seitenlabel von ant zen gestartet und hat so in dieser zeit eine gewisse eigendynamik entwickelt. es erschienen bisher ganze 12 lp's und die phantastischen cd's von architect und beefcake, wobei das markenzeichen der lp's die briefmarken sind. musikalisch hat sich hymen zur aufgabe gemacht, projekten ein zuhause zu geben, die sich dem experimentellem technoiderem sound verschrieben haben und so nicht mehr ganz in ihre "hauptschubladen" passen... sei es nun industrial oder techno! folgerichtig heißt auch der labelslogan: "technoid noises for collapsing people". ganze 27 tracks, wovon der größte teil neu, exklusiv, unveröffentlicht oder remixt ist, umfassen beide cd's und diese kommen im einzelnen von vostok, black lung, orphx, imminent starvation, not breating, synapscape, monolith, icon zero, p.a.l, substanz t, lustmord, vromb, seekness, architect, oil 10, bochumwelt, beefcake, somatic responses, crno klank, eg, klangstabil, it, mother destruction, snog, hypnoskull, winterkälte und silk saw. alle tracks halten, was der labelslogan verspricht und ich möchte keinen jetzt näher hervorheben... doooooooch, denn beefcakes "listen to the call" ist der hammer! ich sage nur: richard von weizsäcker-rede unterlegt mit dem stalingradthema aus dem soundtrack und aufgelockert durch flirrenden drum'n bass! so, kauft euch diese compilation oder laßt es und regt euch weiter über diesen rampa-zampa-gabba auf! im nächsten heft auf jeden fall mehr und basta! (m.f.)