Dicepeople keeps a defined rhythm from start to end; an interplay of past, current and future machinery working in harmony. And while it’s difficult not to have nostalgic visions while listening to this album, it is gratifying to hear artists like Dicepeople unafraid to delve into their passion regardless of the (industrialized) era they’re dipping into.
[Release page] Dicepeople (aka Matt Brock) once again keeps a firm grip on the roots of industrial electronics on the new album for Sonic Serendipity, It Gets Darker. With a stream of electro, techno, EBM, industrial and organic components, It Gets Darker is a forward-moving march through the past.
Not veering too far from his previous full-length album, Time To Play, Dicepeople displays darkened spheres of synthetic-robotics; a mesmerizing trip that doesn’t let down. But the real question remains; does Dicepeople really leave enough room for innovation when tracing prominent trends of the 90’s? This format, while keeping a firmhold on precision electronic moods, doesn’t necessarily mean that their aren’t any sparks contained on It Gets Darker. On the contrary. Though innovation usually leads to progress, nostalgia further embeds the human element of feeling.
The real shining point that should be mentioned is the experience and know-how of Dicepeople’s auditory programming. Having set up the Dicepeople monikor in London, UK in the mid-90’s as a side-project from his primary role in industrial acts such as Noise Union and Replikator, it’s clear that Dicepeople has the skills to produce solo works as evident on both Time To Play and It Gets Darker. Each track on this audio package slithers with a sense of classic manipulation. Splashes of lyrics and sampled bits’n bytes are strewn throughout creating a balance between the harder-hitting pulses of light and softer ridden passages. Comparisons to past iterations of analog electro-industrial music wouldn’t really do justice even though the press-release highlights a wide ranging influence list including Art of Noise, Black Sabbath, Can, Depeche Mode, The Doors, Front 242, The Future Sound of London, Hoodlum Priest, John Barry, John Carpenter, KMFDM, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Nine Inch Nails, The Prodigy, Siouxsie Sioux, Tangerine Dream and Underworld. That’s quite the list!
Dicepeople keeps a defined rhythm from start to end; an interplay of past, current and future machinery working in harmony. And while it’s difficult not to have nostalgic visions while listening to this album, it is gratifying to hear artists like Dicepeople unafraid to delve into their passion regardless of the (industrialized) era they’re dipping into.
It Gets Darker is out now on Sonic Serendipity. [Release page]
