WL//WH Album Review MECHANIMAL
Mechanimal, Athens, GR
Celebrating 10 years since formation, Mechanimal industrial post-punks from Athens, GR, recently unleashed “Living With Animal Ghosts” LP via Inner Ear Records; with 18 remixed munitions fired by names like Rodney Orpheus (Cassandra Complex), Jared Kyle Nickerson (Dead Astronauts), Psychedelic Trips To Death, etc…the album is a collection with avant-garde electronic musical events by respected names in the scene who clearly acknowledge Mechanimal‘s quality and motion.
Mechanimal is an industrial modular act, a project in progress, a collective of musicians and video artists, recording in various permutations and staying true to the original roots of post-punk melancholy. ION, music, lyrics, production, Freddy Faulkenberry, vocals, lyrics, Angelica Vrettou, visuals, have invited in the past a number of musicians in the studio with extraordinary results (Eleni Etten Tzavara, vocals, Thekla Tselepi, vocals, Tassos Nikogiannis, guitar, Kostas Matiatos, guitar, Antonis Charalambidis, drums-on-stage, Henrik Meierkord, cello, Dino Zouberis, electric bass). Being familiar with their art and a fan of their creations I’m going to give you the mapping of this new album, here we go and you choose your best:
1. In Somber Accent (Dans Mon Salon Remix), initially appeared in Mechanimal’s s/t debut album in 2012, here the remix of DJ, producer Dans Mon Salon is taking the track to the wilderness of the urban electronic outline as noted by visionists like Future Sound Of London, a very good work!
2. Un _ Mobility (Psychedelic Trips To Death Remix), from the same debut album, Psychedelic Trips To Death from Salonica, took this piece and gave it a thrilling sense of industrial competition with Mechanimal with an amazing result!
3. Shadows On The Wall (Jared Kyle Remix), this track from ‘Noise (Θορυβος)’ LP (2021) in the hands of the man from Dead Astronauts who basically took it to a stranger pathway, the result is striking!
4. The Den (Lia Hide Version), took it from ‘Secret Science’ LP (2014), one hell of an imposing electro-industrial tune in the first place, Lia Hide imagined it as a haunted piano-driven tune, what a work, girl!
5. Winter Mute (Christoph Kardek Remix), from ‘Delta Pi Delta’ LP (2016), the distinguished French DJ, producer, gave it some excellent French indie-electronic approach for the ages, one stunning/busy outcome!
6. Easy Dead (TheMute Remix), taken from ‘Crux’ LP (2020), TheMute filtered it through the distorted hidden techno nightmares in his head, the result is simply a gorgeous new song!
7. Red Mirror (Rodney Orpheus Club Mix), from ‘Crux’ LP (2020) again, mister Cassandra Complex teaches the art of remixing in all its glory, you won’t stop dancing to it!
8. Sehnsucht (Q-7 Three Times Version), from ‘Secret Science’ LP (2014), the band from St. Gallen “re-played” it as a coldwave/post-punk new bullet with respect to the original idea, their work rocks!
9. Εμπρός! (Misfortunes Remix), from ‘Noise (Θορυβος)’ LP (2021), Misfortunes surprised me with this thundering remix on the iron wings of EBM, dark and furious and hazy…lovely!
10. Scavengers (Ice_Eyes Remix), from ‘Crux’ LP (2020) this song is a monumental industrial/post-punk anthem, in the hands of Ice_Eyes it became a totally spooky breakbeat anthem and it is ecstatic!
11. Cut Communications (Digital Alkemist Remix), from ‘Secret Science’ LP (2014), this guy from Thee Holy Strangers garage rock band, as DJ Alkemist here offered a way more soiled approach to the song and with the result being really surprising!
12. Secret Science (ΦΩΝΟΠΤΙΚΟΝ Remix), from ‘Secret Science’ LP (2014), ΦΩΝΟΠΤΙΚΟΝ took it and gave it back as one all retro sci-fi oriented minimal wave tune, a warm applaud by me!
13. We Come Alive (Ilias Katelanos Remix), from ‘Secret Science’ LP (2014), Mr Katelanos worked on it as a clear new wave/synthwave modern electronica tune, good job, really good job!
14. Stolen Flesh (Lego Boy Remix), from ‘Crux’ LP (2020), I really like this approach from Lego Boy, he made it one very beautiful electronic fugue, yes!
15. Sharon (HADA Remix), from ‘Crux’ LP (2020), Hada from Swiss Dark Nights label made the probably most cinematic remix in the album, and I like it a lot!
16. Κόκκινη Η Ποίηση Τρέχει (Meat Injection Remix), from ‘Noise (Θορυβος)’ LP (2021), Meat Injection‘s remix is a rave, a chaotic sonic bloom as usually found outside the underground “chapels” that are out in the fields…it rocks!
17. Illuminations (Dipa Brothers 4-Ton Dynamite Skank), from ‘Delta Pi Delta’ LP (2016), and big respect to Dipa Bros that transformed it to electronic dub music, and even though this genre never was my cup I have to admit that I heard how seriously they took the job, nice things here!
18. Red Mirror (Rodney Orpheus Ambient Mix) *bonus track digital-only, from Crux LP (2020), Mr. Cassandra Complex is a “professor” isn’t he?!?!?!
Now here is the link to the “Living With Animal Ghosts” LP, no more words from me, listen loud, and cheers to all!!!
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Written by Loud Cities’ Mike
