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REVIEWS
Buy this album from iTunes
Xray
Spark
Shaking Particles
Rabbits Invasion
Moog Me
Densomatic
Taste Me
Dark Side of the Moog
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REVIEWS
Moog Conspiracy
Elements of Density
Elektrotribe Records
Posted: Thursday, January 31, 2008
By: Trubie Turner
By: Trubie Turner
Minimal techno can still be interesting and entertaining, but sadly this album does not prove that.
The debut album of Berlin based minimal techno act Moog Conspiracy, Elements of Density is marked by large amounts of tedium and monotony, with the enjoyable moments being few and far between. Throughout the album, poor sound engineering and poor composition choices make what is normally a "chill out" genre, a mostly grating and unpleasant experience.
Kicking off with a forgettable, but inoffensive track, "Xray" does manage to offer some smooth beats and decent atmosphere, but really doesn't do much to engage the listener or garner their interest. "Spark" is the first real sign of trouble on the album, for halfway through the track, the first seemingly unending, repetitive drone that seems rather commonplace on this album occurs. The very disappointing "Shaking Particles" is next up; opening rather promising, the track quickly degrades after a minute or two with the introduction of an insufferable ringing that lasts nearly half the track's length. The most unpleasant track of all is easily "Rabbits Invasion." The greatest example of repetitive and annoying sound work can be found within this track, as well as songwriting that rivals any 10-year-old with a Casio. Though still not that great a track, "Moog Me" is Moog Conspiracy's strongest offering, giving a glimpse of what they could be if not for the poor decision making in previous songs. "Densomatic" offers some Orbital-like sound work that is acceptable, but is at times put together rather sloppily. Harkening back to the olden days of GTO's "The Bullfrog," a heavy use of a deep croaking noise is overused in this track and it does not end its constant droning for nearly three minutes. When the croaking subsides, a fairly interesting and well done track is revealed, once again showing that with some better decision making, a better album could have found its way out. "Dark Side of the Moog" is another of the album’s better tracks, offering the most complex and best executed layering of sound seen on the album, and does leave the album on a high note.
Overall, listening to Elements of Density feels like a chore and is a large test of the listener's patience. On occasion, there may be something to catch your ear, but more often than not, it's quickly spoiled by an obnoxious sound choice or a series of elements that are nearly the aural equivalent to nails on a chalkboard. With the few moments of clarity that find their way out on this album, it's obvious the skill is there to produce some real quality music; unfortunately, Moog Conspiracy failed to do that this time.
Kicking off with a forgettable, but inoffensive track, "Xray" does manage to offer some smooth beats and decent atmosphere, but really doesn't do much to engage the listener or garner their interest. "Spark" is the first real sign of trouble on the album, for halfway through the track, the first seemingly unending, repetitive drone that seems rather commonplace on this album occurs. The very disappointing "Shaking Particles" is next up; opening rather promising, the track quickly degrades after a minute or two with the introduction of an insufferable ringing that lasts nearly half the track's length. The most unpleasant track of all is easily "Rabbits Invasion." The greatest example of repetitive and annoying sound work can be found within this track, as well as songwriting that rivals any 10-year-old with a Casio. Though still not that great a track, "Moog Me" is Moog Conspiracy's strongest offering, giving a glimpse of what they could be if not for the poor decision making in previous songs. "Densomatic" offers some Orbital-like sound work that is acceptable, but is at times put together rather sloppily. Harkening back to the olden days of GTO's "The Bullfrog," a heavy use of a deep croaking noise is overused in this track and it does not end its constant droning for nearly three minutes. When the croaking subsides, a fairly interesting and well done track is revealed, once again showing that with some better decision making, a better album could have found its way out. "Dark Side of the Moog" is another of the album’s better tracks, offering the most complex and best executed layering of sound seen on the album, and does leave the album on a high note.
Overall, listening to Elements of Density feels like a chore and is a large test of the listener's patience. On occasion, there may be something to catch your ear, but more often than not, it's quickly spoiled by an obnoxious sound choice or a series of elements that are nearly the aural equivalent to nails on a chalkboard. With the few moments of clarity that find their way out on this album, it's obvious the skill is there to produce some real quality music; unfortunately, Moog Conspiracy failed to do that this time.
