Broken English Club – White Rats II (Digital Album – L.I.E.S. Records)
Genre/Influences: Minimal-electro, EBM, industrial-techno.
Background/Info: English DJ/producer Oliver Ho is involved with different projects, Broken English Club being his ‘industrial-techno’ project. He released multiple EP’s and still a few album –which have been released on L.I.E.S. “White Rats II” is his fourth full length and was released one year after “White Rats”. The work is also available as a double vinyl.
Content: It’s not an easy thing defining the sound of Oliver Ho’s project. I can’t say it’s pure ‘industrial’ in the truest sense of the word, but it clearly has a dark accent. Some influences are clearly getting back to the 80s and minimal EBM while other passages are driven by techno elements. There also is an experimental flavor supporting a few cuts.
+ + + : I’m fond of electronic minimalism and that’s precisely what this work is made of. I like some of the EBM-driven bass lines, bleeps and aggressive sequences. “White Rats II” also sounds pretty diversified so anybody at least will find a few enjoyable tracks. I have a preference for the ‘harder’- and most ‘minimal’ cuts like “Domestic Animals”, “Grey Windows”, “The Chrome Disease” and “Wildlife”.
– – – : I’m not a huge fan of the more experimental side of the work.
Conclusion: This album appears to be a versatile work, like exorcising the darkest and most unconventional ideas of the composer.
Best songs: “Wildlife”, “Domestic Animals”, “Grey Windows”, “The Modern Desire”, “The Chrome Disease”.
Rate: (7).
Artist: www.facebook.com/brokenenglishclub
Label: https://liesrecords.com / www.facebook.com/longislandelectricalsystems
About Broken English Club
Broken English Club is the industrial-techno project of London-based DJ and producer Oliver Ho, who began releasing music in 1996 and founded his own label, Meta, the following year. Ho has recorded under numerous other names, including Birdland, Id, Raudive and Slow White Fall, and has been part of group projects such as Atlas and Vacant Heads. “White Rats II,” his fourth full-length as Broken English Club, followed “White Rats” a year later and was released on L.I.E.S. Records as a double vinyl in addition to the digital edition.
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