Solanaceae Tau - Outdoor Expressions flac mp3 download

The album opens with "The Wolf Song", a deep, dramatic and minimal thing which reminds me a little of some of POPUL VUH's slower, more atmospheric things. The vocalist sings through deep reverb, his words almost indiscernable."Ozonik Hunter" comes next, drum machine speeding up while distant blasts of noise surround it. It builds up to quite a tempo with what sounds like sitar and thrumming guitar, all racing the vocalist for the winning line. "Ethnological Hazard II" follows this - a huge piece of percussion moving at ramming speed while instruments mixed well back try to keep up with the sound. It's an insistant sound which if played loud enough could reanimate the most battle-worn body. The next track - "Muzak Transmission Line" is more disconnected - a fast rhythm mixed back while voices (in German?) talk over the top. "The Algorhythm Dream" is slower and stranger affair - crawling synth beat pulses forward as other indistinct sounds smash and crash in gradual disruption around it. The female vocalist talks in a low calm voice over the thick warm sound - and it's not easy to tell if she's singing in German, English or what."Saxon Invasion" opens side two, a fastish rhythmic onslaught with hot Electronic sounds over which the vocalist manages to sound even more bored than GRACE JONES usually manages to do. "Individual Robotron" begins quietly before opening out into a slow / medium paced track over which the vocalist manages to sound convincingly like SIOUXSIE - and it must be about the best track on the album with everything mixed to just about the right level to make a good single. "Tanks Of Xiao Ping" stays with the BANSHEES sound, most closely related to the "Kaleidoscope" album. They manage to come up with a convincing little track here, the insistant rhythm mixed well back, allowing the vocalist full frontal exposure. "Education Through Anarchy" follows the basic pattern of previous tracks, while being on the verge of utter collapse. "Teuton" begins with noisy electronic sounds then gradually gaining impetus, becoming one of the most interesting tracks on the entire album, growing and expanding, jam-packed full of interesting but well-adapted sounds. Final track is "Submissioned By Machine" - a full factory / sound over which the vocalist talks & sings. It's very much like some of the stranger things TEST DEPT did on "Beating The Retreat". A good way to end the album.Originally reviewed for Soft Watch.