Contaminated Intelligence – Status Control (Digital EP – Two Gods)

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro, industrial.
Background/Info: American formation Contaminated Intelligence has already been active for a few years now. “Status Control” is meant as an appetizer to their upcoming full length. Next to the title song and two remixes we also get two more tracks.
Content: The title song is one of the real highlights of the EP. This song is a rather complex dark-electro/industrial composition, which might appeal to fans of early Skinny Puppy. It sounds rough and somewhat unpolished, which still a characteristic of the vocals.
The remix of the title song doesn’t really bring a bonus while there also is a noticeable remix by Leather Strip. Both new songs left are less convincing and more a kind of typical B-side cuts.
+ + + : “Status Control” is a well-crafted and sophisticated piece of dark-electronics. The link with early Skinny Puppy and related bands will for sure catch the attention of numerous music lovers. Both remixes are not exceptional although still cool. The remix of Claus Larsen will for sure catch a wider audience.
– – – : The title song makes sense while both other ‘new’ tracks left sound more like poorly inspired EP fillers. I can’t imagine both songs will be put on their new full length. I also think that the global sound production could have been more polished and powerful.
Conclusion: “Status Control” is a cool title track while the remix by Leather strip is an excellent way to catch a wider dark-electro audience, but I already heard more convincing EP’s preceding a new album. I’m however curious to discover this new opus.
Best songs: “Status Control”, “Status Control – Leather Strip Remix”.
Rate: (6).
Band: www.facebook.com/ContamInatedIntelligence
Label: www.twogods.co.uk / www.facebook.com/TwoGods
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

