Tri-State - Light The Khaos Within

I haven't paid too much mind to the dark electro scene of late. Let's face it, the glory days of the genre have long since passed. The days of Placebo Effect & yelworC destroying our very understanding of what we thought we knew and understood about the current state of dark electro music are over. They just did "stuff" that was fresh, menacing and well crafted. Fast forward from the late 80's and early 90's dark electro seemed to flourish. In the very late 90's and early 2000's it became tougher to find that solid dark electro artist.

2001 gave rise to Tri-State, a promising dark electro act out of Germany. With their debut album 'Synopsis', critics claimed that it was going to pick up right where Placebo Effect left off. They were hailed "the legitimate successors to Placebo Effect and yelworC," by Zillo Music Magazine. After playing some live shows including the 11th Wave Gothic Treffen Music Festival, Tri-State inexplicably dropped off the grid in 2002. All was silent for nearly 10 years when a small label record label out of Canada embarked on a project to restore the dead to their rightful place among the living. There were many resurrections. The dead continued to walk as Electro Aggression Records' cryptic spells, witchery and lust for revelry breathed life back into several artists including Tri-State by including their new track "Avatar (Kling Klang Khaos)" with a slightly shuffled lineup on the four-pronged "Beast Box" known as 'Old School Electrology'.

The Tri-State comeback made some waves in 2012 winning 6th place in Sonic Seducer's Battle of the Bands. With all the good vibes, fans called out for a follow-up album to 'Synopsis'. Haldor, Adam and Krebl heard the calls and answered those very calls by self releasing the Electro Aggression Records backed 'Light The Khaos Within' CD. Tri-State hits us hard with their style of dark electro beats infused with symphonic melodies.
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When I first saw the packaging for 'Light the Khaos Within' CD, my visceral reaction to the digipak with its black background and extemporaneous smoky-looking something on the front cover, was to chalk it up to a limited budget. As I immersed myself into the music while following along with the lyric insert, I realized the artwork and all around style of the packaging was just like a lot the packaging in the 90's. I got the feeling of days gone by, and returned to the glory days of dark electronics. I know, who cares right? Some of us still care about the nostalgia.

"Re-spawned" is a nightmarish glimpse in a painful world of agony and personal choices. The overall lyrical direction brings to mind thoughts of the comic book character Spawn and his dealings with those who try to control him; or others may speculate the offer of power in the song comes from the devil himself? Regardless of how one interprets the lyrical content, you are treated and comforted by a narcotic groove of pure dark emotion. "Re-spawned" is a standout track that brings to mind the earlier vocal works of In Strict Confidence set to a compliment of signature atmospherics and symphonic layering. The primordial version is found on 'Synopsis'. It offers the same feeling, as it's modern day doppelganger with a more raw approach.

"Stonehenge (re-connected)" continues in the same vein of "Re-spawned". There is more grim subject matter spiraling into the realms of secularism or occultism centering on the "stone circle" and its mystical ways. There are samples of what appears to be TV or radio personalities chatting about Charles Manson and founding new religions. I'm not sure where Tri-State found those samples, but they fit well with the themes of the song.

"Matricide" seems to deal with a flawed system of capital punishment. A person accused of a heinous crime waits to be taken away without a trial. "What is the charge?, No word no trial", just raging violence." This excerpt from the lyrics says all you need to know about the song. A female voice is ahh ahh ahhing in the background while the blood-splattering vocals spill the message.

"Worm Of Insanity" is a straightforward slow dark electro track with more gruesome lyrics about insanity caused by a worm or worms entering a critically wounded body. At least that's the outward message. The music adds some nice synthetic treats reminiscent of mid 90's In Strict Confidence to go along with a mix of male and female vocals. The male vocals towards end reminded me a bit of Hyperdex 1 Sect or mid 90's XMTP.

"Terror Infernalis" appears to take a metaphoric approach to the atrocities of war from a personal standpoint. With its lyrics engaging "false angels" or making statements "I was the one who captured the beauty of death", one could easily connect these to the themes war. The music takes a slow battering approach with a dichotomy of beautiful background operatic female vocals and the brutally dark soothing male vocals.

"Random Failures Preferred" is another slower track that plunges into realm of impious questioning and one's interpersonal way of coping with order. The ever-present menacing male vocals grovel and whisper the message of freeing your and body and mind to live life your way without worrying about what others think.

"Belle Epoque" was time of French prosperity and aristocratic control. It was coined "the beautiful era". It lasted from 1870's to about 1914. It wasn't all beautiful. Class structuring ensured iniquitous wage compensation and, living arrangements for the working class were forced far outside of the city in which they worked. Whatever Tri-State's message is here, the song is swarmed with the chilling groveled male vocals and the operatic female voice in the background. Towards the end of the album there is another track titled "B.E. (Chansonia Vs. The Myth Of The Grey Mankind)" that seems to continue along the same theme, but with a song title like that your guess is as good as mine.

"Genelaw" is a disturbing view into the death of an unborn child. All the positive thoughts about being a parent turn into a nightmare when the child's heartbeat stops. The music slowly and steady pulsates while the angelic female voice gently rips through background into the forefront only to be overshadowed by the male's voice. The male's voice could be interpreted as the parent or the child depending on how you want to see it. Either way this will not be a featured track of the music selection in the waiting room of a fertility clinic.

"Shades Of Dead-White" stays pretty consistent with the formula of male dominated vocals set to a dark and brooding electro beat. The song may be a follow-up to "Genelaw". The lyrics suggest a divine presence guiding the child into the afterlife. The last lyric in the song states "I can hear your heartbeat now!" Perhaps this gives the parent a sense of closure to an awful circumstance.

"The Ghost War" incorporates grim lyrics about mutually assured destruction in world where machines decide the fate of humanity. Tri-State strategically places a sample of a person screaming that adds a feeling of horror and terror to the song. Like most tracks it creeps along with that narcotic vibe I mentioned earlier diving deeper and deeper into the Tri-State soundscape.

"Apocalypse of Faith" deals the idea of moral absolutism. What is right? What is wrong? The music begins to get a little segmented about 3 minutes in. There is not a constant dark electro flow from start to finish in this song. Instead at this 3 minute juncture a short experimental segment is inserted into the modus operandi of Tri-State.

"Cause of Death" features a beautiful intro with the female voice set to a dreamy atmospheric rush that is soon over-shadowed by samples taken from one of the Hellraiser films. Yes it's the Pinhead guy and he always says the coolest things. It does fit nicely into the song, but I feel the band is above the need to sample something that is so oversampled and juvenile. I found this track to be one of the best sounding displays the album had to offer. 15-20 years ago sampling Hellraiser would not have bothered me as much as it does being 2014.

"Light The Khaos Within" is one of the strongest tracks on the album. The song really does wonders to solidify Tri-State's creativity and complexity. The way the male and female vocals work together with the signature dark electro cold beats is nearly flawless. Its songs like these and several others on this album that keep me interested in this genre.

Paybakk closes the book on 'Light The Khaos Within'. The band decided to flirt with some guitar work. The standard operatic female background vocals compliment the mildly abrasive male voice. There are some amazing sounds built into the track. Aside from the guitars, bells and violins make this an interesting mix of aural foreplay. The song takes on the grim subject of death and child abuse. I picture an angry mob taking justice into their own hands. "Hang 'em, shoot 'em death-chair or lethal injection..." As long as the child is avenged, it doesn't matter how. Perhaps the chugging guitar represents the abuser, and bells symbolize the angel (the abused) receiving her wings. The violins with their peaceful somber sound allow us to reflect on what has happened.

Tri-State's lyrics are not going to bring a person out of their deepest depression. If anything, the subject matter may take someone further into dark void they already exist in. The grim subject matter goes hand in hand with dark music they create.

I find it a much better experience to listen to the album in its entirety rather picking and choosing a track to play. There are no real club tracks to be found here. That was never the intention with Tri-State.

From the start to its completion this is an excellent return to the dark electro arena for Tri-State. With its slow atmospheric grooves and technical showcases this will surely appeal to those with a taste for the darker side of music. It really raises the bar on an already fantastic debut in 'Synopsis'. As cliché it may sound, this is the next level for Tri-State.

EAR seems to dig up the best of the genre, clawing, scouring and scratching at the underbelly of independent music's landscape. Tri-State fit nicely along side with Object, Terminal State, Teardown and Pyrroline.

Thanks to Tri-State and a handful of others, my interest (although on life support with this genre) will never die as long as I continue hear offerings like 'Light The Khaos Within'. Good job Krebl and company. I hope your day-to-day lives are filled with frolicks in the glen and magnificent parties. I know right now I need some Paxil and Prozac! Cheers! Feb 15 2014