Kommand+Kontrol

"Watched By Machines" (EP, 2011)

Self Release

When I recently caught Kommand+Kontrol live for the first time at the CyberSoniK Festival I was impressed beyond expectations; which is always a nice surprise. Expectations had been set by knowledge of their Dead Ground Ahead mini album from last year. That was firmly rooted in respectable industrial influences like the two Fronts: 242 and Line Assembly.

Things have moved on somewhat in the intervening year. The current sound, though still showing trace elements of the older, old schoolers, demonstrates a more creative mix up of those with more edgy, dark dance music. The results captured on this (largely instrumental) nine-track EP show the wider range and depth to K+K’s field of operations is paying off handsomely. (It is inexplicable that this is a self-release and that no label has picked this up.) The remixes by guest artists (with the exception of Audio-FX’s rewiring of I Promise) though do tend to anchor the EP back in the circles from which K+K have emerged. I believe K+K’s future lies elsewhere and they deserve better.

Possibly too dance orientated for the hardcore EBMers and too hard and dark for most dance music fans, this finds itself nestling in a very interesting space somewhere midway between the two. Whether they can sustain themselves in such a tight niche remains to be seen, but its definitely playing to their natural (previously camouflaged) strengths, as Watched By Machines is a noteworthy release that has elevated Kommand + Kontrol from curiosity to, front and centre, an act to follow. 7/10

Rob Dyer (December 2011)

"Dead Ground Ahead" (Album, 2009)

Armalyte Industries

Openly reflecting their influences from the 'golden era' of industrial, whether it be musically (Caustic Grip era Front Line Assembly on Dead Ground Ahead), or culturally (David Cronenberg's Videodrome on Television), whilst Kommand+Kontrol don't aim to break the mould when it comes to the industrial genre, they still display some promising chemistry at work on this, their first seven track, mini album.

Let down slightly by average production values, nevertheless, in terms of the important stuff, ie songwriting, these guys are pushing a lot of the right buttons. I imagine the cocktail is more potent in a live setting, and hopefully it won't be too long before I can check out that theory. The stand out entry for me is Body Map - its moody mid-beat pacing and sample-only voices the strongest sign of a distinctive voice. 6/10

Rob Dyer (June 2010)