Beatbox Machinery – Nuclear Devastation (EP – Werkstatt Recordings)
Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, EBM.
Format: Digital, CD, Cassette.
Background/Info: ‘Toxic Razor’ (Paradox Obscur, Metal Disco) seems to be a musician who never sleeps. When you consider the endless discography of Beatbox Machinery next to his involvement with his other projects and running Werkstatt Recordings, you can only, but declare that music is his life! “Nuclear Devastation” is a new EP featuring four songs.
Content: There’s a similar approach between all the projects this artist is involved with; less equipment, and only great, analogue gear. The influences are different from project to project, but always connected to the 80s. “Nuclear devastation” sounds like pure nostalgia, driven by alluring synth lines and danceable rhythms. The project is more melodic than the others while this work also has something pretty crazy. There’s a cover version of Judas Priest’s “Breaking The Law”, which reminds me of Fad Gadget and a cover version of Mötorhead’s “Ace Of Spades” with sound treatments reminding me of Felix Da Housecat. Among the other songs I noticed rather surprising guitar playing –by Megahammer, at “Hot Heels Tonite”. All songs have been sung in English.
+ + + : I like this new work by Beatbox Machinery; it sounds old-school like and definitely appealing to all lovers of old Electro-Wave, but it’s also fun to make cover versions of bands like Judas Priest and Mötorhead. Both songs sound like they were originally written by Toxic Razor, which to me simply confirms the talent of this artist. The guitar playing running through “Hot Heels Tonite” is something unexpected, a bit weird as well and yet it creates a great fusion with the Electro style.
– – – : The reason Toxic Razor is that prolific maybe is because of the very short length of his songs.
Conclusion: This EP is fun and an excellent work for Electro-parties.
Best songs: “Ace Of Spades”, “Breaking The Law”, “Nuclear Devastation”.
Rate: 7.
Artist: www.facebook.com/BeatboxMachinery
Label: www.facebook.com/werkstattrecordings
About Beatbox Machinery
Beatbox Machinery is the electro project of Greek musician and producer Toxic Razor, who also runs Werkstatt Recordings and works with Paradox Obscur and Metal Disco. Discogs lists the project from 2010, when Werkstatt Recordings issued the CD EPs “Factory Of The Godless Recoil” and “Destroy The Art Of Construction”, followed by the album “Drone Electricity” in 2011 and a long series of EPs and cassettes through the same label.
Later entries include the albums “Mercury Land” in 2012 and “Panther Vehicle” in 2013, the cassette “Retrospective 2010 – 2012” in 2015, the “Canadian Metal” CD EP in 2019 and the limited CD “Hours” in 2020.
“Nuclear Devastation” was released on 26 September 2021 through Werkstatt Recordings. It holds four tracks: “Nuclear Devastation”, “Breaking The Law”, “Hot Heels Tonite (feat. Megahammer)” and “Ace Of Spades”. Music and lyrics on tracks one and three are by Toxic Razor, track two was originally written by Judas Priest and track four by Motorhead. Toxic Razor performed, mixed and mastered the EP, the guitars on “Hot Heels Tonite” were recorded and mixed by Megahammer, and the label states the record was made exclusively with hardware synthesizers and drum machines.
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