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Funker Vogt
White Trash: K17 Live Excerpt

Metropolis Records

Posted: Thursday, January 22, 2009
By: Litho Fayne

The recent digital release from Funker Vogt, in anticipation of the forthcoming live CD/DVD Warzone K17: Live in Berlin, is an interesting, if not brief, foray into the FV universe with its unique combination of the new with the nostalgic. The first track representing the new, "White Trash" first grabs the attention for being such an odd topic for the German band, whose usual subjects are usually of a more militaristic and apocalyptic bent. While the recording quality is superbly crisp, aside from the chitchat in the beginning and the occasional cheers from the crowd, the track barely feels live at all. This does not necessarily detract from the song, however, as it still adheres to the pounding beats and straightforward melodies that are immediately recognizable, which is testimony to the band's ability to recreate their sound in concert.

The next two tracks, "Thanks for Nothing" and "Black Hole" are appealing primarily because they are both newly rearranged versions of songs from their debut album, Thanks for Nothing, released in 1996. The musicality of the pieces are very engaging, but feel much less aggressive than the tone the band is known for, settling more into traditional electronic arrangements punctuated by the hard-soft dynamics that FV has mastered over the years. For those not familiar with the band's earlier material, the lyrics will definitely stick out as being more simplistic than expected, especially in the case of "Thanks for Nothing," which can seem quite repetitive compared to later albums.

Overall, despite the brevity of the single, it is an intriguing sampler for those who are awaiting the new release, but it is mostly something that only hardcore fans of the band would truly appreciate for its real value.