> AUTOGEN – Mutagen CD Review by Marc Tater (Chain D.L.K.)
I know that I should have written this review months before, but unfortunately I lost track in between, so this one comes out late. The debut release of Autogen out of Latvia promised to be one of the outstanding releases during the last months for the Dark Electro/Post-modern Ambient/IDM genre. It is an experimental Electronica project by Kaspars Kalnins, also known under his pseudonym Kaps. He is maybe better known for his involvement in the Electro/Industrial project Rosewater or as being the founder of the Latvian cult label Sturm. Kaps is surely one of leading forces behind any activity of underground-related music in this small Eastern European country. This debut album is a collaboration release between Sturm and the new Singapore-based 4iB Records, which concentrates to present Ambient / Noise / Martial-Industrial styles. Autogen has been firstly discovered with an appearance on the latest Sturm compilation ‘Sturmer 4’ DCD set (‘Par Veelu’), ‘Mutagen’ now collects all tracks written in between 2008 – 2012.
Ever since the establishing of Autogen, this project has been often active with rude live performances and has visited numerous industrial and fetish clubs in Latvia, Finland, Belarus, Hungary, Denmark, Lithuania, Estonia and also Bangkok in March 2012. The shows of Autogen are for parental usage only, they often display cruel scenarios of blood, gore and fetishism. The musically direction of this debut tends clearly into the field of demanding Dark Electro music. Projects like The Klinik, Mortal Constraint, or Disharmony have to be named to throw in possible quells of inspiration, although this album in its presented quality would also well fitting side by side with some highly praised signed to the US-based Tympanik Audio label. And so this album explores a wide range of dark and cold sounding Electronica styles and leaves out warmer and smooth sounding ingredients. The work of Mortal Constraint or Ingo Lindmeier’s Polygon-project in its early recordings is surely witness for tracks ‘Nevajag’, ‘Trakumaa‘, or ‘Suurums‘ in its existence. Massive applause for the rather deep drowning, stone-cold Modern-Ambient-like tune ‘Vakaraa‘, one of my personal favorites. That this album is also able to scratch some inner nerves can be discovered in ‘Nederings’, the ideal and raw soundtrack for your next dentists visit. ‘Mutagen’ is a brilliant collection of tracks full of creative sound-design with matured programming skill. No pseudo-aggressive Techno kick-and-snare-bawling on here, ‘Mutagen’ is rather designed to freeze your brain. A nice, cinematic, but also ice-cold sound-trip not to be missed. Get it! (Reviewed by Marc Tater, Chain D.L.K.)
More Album Info: https://4ibrecords.com/online-store/#Autogen
(Source: http://www.chaindlk.com/reviews/?id=7720)
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