Various Artists - Electronic Body Matrix 1

It’s hard to write a review of a 72 track compilation. It’s actually much harder than you think. There are a lot of different subgenres within the EBM culture and with 72 different bands doing their thing, it’s hard to grasp and see the big picture, even if it is just a 20 track compilation.

Alfa-Matrix has, nevertheless, created one massive EBM compilation that manages to fit in everything from the industrial, to the harsh, to the modern, to the old school. If someone where to ask “What is EBM?”, it could simply be answered with this release. It’s a compendium of what and where the genre is now, in 2011. Like a picture of a busy street in the beginning of the 20th century, telling a lot of tiny little stories.

It’s a beginner’s guide to EBM, it’s an automatic DJ, it’s a party starter and it’s the obvious choice if you are unable to afford to buy albums from all the great artist within the genre.

The problem with this compilation, and any compilation for that matter, is that it’s 72 different artists trying to tell you their story, it’s a train central filled with chatter. I like when an artist release and album and telling a story with it, a sort of dynamic consistency (however that could be possible…).

What I would like to see is that Alfa-Matrix continue this series, that once, or maybe every second year, release this kind of compilation. Taking the temperature of the scene and let the best of the best flex their muscles.

Among the 72 tracks, the two most played ones where “Necro Facility – Do You Feel The Same” and one of the most amazing tracks ever, “Rotersand – Waiting To Be Born”. May 05 2011