AD:Key – Resonanz (Album – Alfa Matrix)
Genre/Influences: EBM.
Format: Digital, Double CD.
Background/Info: Andrea and Rene Nowotny set up AD:Key in 2007. Thirteen years later they now release their sixth studio album featuring twelve songs. The limited edition features an extra disc with twelve remixes.
Content: I consider AD:Key as one of the absolute old-school EBM masters from the past years. “Resonanz” however appears to be a milestone in the band’s career. The EBM basis remains intact, but this work clearly reveals new elements. They injected other influences –sometimes pretty Electro-Pop driven, to their work while the usual power of the band has been a little bit more under control and replaced by more elaborated songwriting. You still can feel a connection with bands such as DAF at the ‘harder’ cuts, but you also will notice surprising, softer, but sexy songs. The vocals are sung in English and German while alternating male- and female vocals. The album features a few two familiar songs that were previously released on the “Herz Lass Los”-EP, which served as a strong appetizer to this new opus.
The second disc features a bunch of alternative edits by the band itself and remixes by Armageddon Dildos and Steril (2 songs) plus one of the album songs featuring Schramm.
+ + + : I’m not saying that the Nowotny duo has tries to reinvent their sound, but this album is clearly different. The good-old and constant EBM power is now interrupted by some softer cuts even featuring melody lines (cf. “You Can’t Fuck Me”) and sensuality (cf. “I Stay”). But the main evolution is the elaboration of the writing, the songs never have been that worked out and even sophisticated (cf. “Du Und Dich”). That’s maybe because of the use of analogue sound treatments. “Nur Der Mond” is maybe ‘the’ song symbolizing this evolution the best. But AD:Key still stands for great and pure old-school EBM; that’s what they reveal on familiar cuts like “Herz Lass Los” and “Der Letzte Tanz”, but I also have to mention “Electro Musik”. Some lyrical passages are clearly evoking the influence of DAF… maybe meant as homage to Gaby Delgado.
On the second disc I noticed a great collaboration with Schramm (cf. “This Is Not The Time”), a great “Club Mix” of “Alles Was Ich Will” and 2 noticeable remixes by Steril (what a great return of this band!).
– – – : I’m missing the harder AD:Key style from the early days, but on the other side I prefer a band striving for evolution and elaborating new ideas instead of a band repeating itself.
Conclusion: “Resonanz” is maybe the AD:Key work we didn’t expect, but I want to reassure the fans, it still remains great EBM!
Best songs: “Electro Musik”, “Herz Lass los”, “Der Letzte Tanz”, “You Can’t Fuck Me”, “Nur Der Mond” + “Ich Will Dass Du Jetzt Gehst – Evvilking-Mix By Steril”, “Ich Will Dass Du Jetzt Gehst – Axl-Mix By Steril”.
Rate: (8½).
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