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Manufactura
Psychogenic Fugue + A Damaged Symphony for Depraved Dementia N.2

Crunch Pod

Posted: Tuesday, November 18, 2008
By: Vlad McNeally

Psychogenic Fugue + A Damaged Symphony for Depraved Dementia N.2 is the latest output from power noise's beacon of controversy, Manufactura. Being half album and half retrospective, one might expect something akin to a cliché remix and B-sides compilation. It's not. Instead, one receives a disc of all-new material plus an additional disc of reworked material covering some of Manufactura's best moments throughout their decade-long career.

Though there are still moments that rely on rhythm and noise, it pales in comparison to the dark ambient material on Psychogenic Fugue. Opening with the unearthly shuffle of netherworld textures, Karloz's parched whispers in "Indignant Imprints of Time" invoke a sublime sense of dread that's complemented by a chorus of somber violins, spine-tingling harpsichord, and a ghostly lone flautist. Retaining its somber mood, "Dream Killers Vow to Bathe in Morpheus Blood" offers greater emphasis upon Karloz's gravelly vocals, which echo as if confined in a claustrophobic cell, with only a few soulful ghosts and sluggish frayed beats for cellmates. Still, Psychogenic Fugue doesn't completely shake his aggressive past. Loaded with a sexually violent monologue, the confrontational "Rape Upon Rape Upon Rape" mechanically stabs and howls like a machine possessed. Though a touch less caustic, a resemblance to techno is hidden within the trancelike machine entitled "Some Where Made for Fucking." Laden with a leathery bass drum and stuttering static hi-hat foundation, it is strikingly beat-centric, though its distressed hoots and sandpaper textures remain steadfastly Manufactura.

As for the second disc, A Damaged Symphony... is best viewed as a collection of reinterpretations rather than a straightforward retrospective. Though at times it parallels Psychogenic Fugue's atmospheric inclinations, this volume balances out that scale-tipping maneuver with a hearty helping of rhythmic brutality. The Big Ol' Jack Rabbit mix of "I'll Tear Your Fucking Heart Out" is perhaps best at offering a little of both, bisecting its visceral samples and pummeling machine beats with airy expanses of violin textures and serene synths. Manufactura's best known single to date, "Killing You," is also reprised here with the Unbound mix. Like the original, this version builds like a tsunami with its titanic crunch, sheet metal scrapes, and distorted morbid samples ebbing surprisingly louder to build to a speaker-shredding conclusion. However, for those who savor the moodiness of the preceding disc, the Absolute Condemnation mix of "Muerto de Miedo" is delightfully morose. Laden with a soporific rubber and tin drum machine as well as some gossamer synth hums, Karloz's bleak croon here is concrete proof that beside the poetry and anger, the man can sing.

Simply put, Psychogenic Fugue is not an album written for DJs; this is a disc meant for headphones. Furthermore, A Damaged Symphont for Depraved Dementia N.2 is a nice bonus, effectively catching the listener up to speed without sounding like a cheap rehash. It's the first release that truly forges a harmonious relationship between his visceral poetry and his macabre music, and hopefully it won't be the last.