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Technoir
Manifesto EP

Alfa Matrix

Posted: Thursday, October 19, 2006
By: Charity VanDeberg
Concert Editor

Germany's "gothtronic" duo Technoir presents the less than original Manifesto as an EP teaser for their upcoming album, Deliberately Fragile. The title track is a typical dance club song, presented in three very different remixes. The first (Fast Forward Mix) is a pretty standard piece, highlighting singer Julia Beyer's pretty, if not entirely strong voice. The limited lyrics focus on the chorus and the usage of the word "manifesto," which like any word, can quickly lose its meaning with repetition. After a nearly three minute lead-in, the Delobbo mix improves on its predecessor with nearly Delirium-like vocal quality, echoes, and well placed distortion. However, the Beborn Beton club remix seems to miss the point entirely by combining moderately aggressive orchestration and what seems to be that old polka beat from an electric keyboard made in 1986. Any meaning in Beyer's lyrics is overshadowed by the electronic beep-boop. Next, the listener is presented with two versions of "Silence," which should have been called "Wish You Were Here," as that is the only phrase that really sticks in the mind. The DJ Ram mix is easily the better of the two, with fade-in vocals and beautifully multi-layered instrumentals. The same vocals are stressed to the point of eardrum injury in the Rabauke remix, where Beyer's voice is doubled in a failed attempt to harmonize, a mistake repeated in Rotersand's remix of "Liar." Something in Julia Beyer's high pitch and lack of vocal variety reduces the effectiveness of any DJ's effort to create harmony. The orchestration in the Renegades of Noise remix of "Liar" is very strong; so strong, in fact, that it may be improved only by removing the apathetic vocals. The final song on the EP is the bland house mix of "Breathe." Overall, Manifesto is a pleasant listen, but not worth paying for. Although a couple of the songs may pop up at local clubs, you probably won't remember it.