Cut.Rate.Box – Maps Of Stone (Digital Album – Alfa Matrix)
Last year, Greg Wygonik made his comeback with the EP “Luxury Anxiety”, bringing Cut.Rate.Box back into the spotlight. This album, featuring a total of 23 tracks, serves as a reminder of the sound and style of this American project, which flourished particularly during the ’90s and early 2000s. It is a compilation of older material, complemented by several more recent tracks from the album “Xenophobe” (2017), selections from last year’s EP, and a substantial number of earlier, previously unreleased songs. The entire collection has been remastered.
As far as I’m concerned, Cut.Rate.Box represents a more refined and intelligent form of EBM, enriched with a variety of additional influences. At times, the music leans toward Electroclash, while elsewhere subtle Electro-Pop elements emerge. I also noticed passages featuring Acid sequences, yet the overall result remains, above all, an unmistakably danceable record. Whether revisiting the project’s earliest material, tracks from the Accession Records era, or the more recent compositions, Cut.Rate.Box ultimately sounds timeless. It belongs to that category of Electro where time has little impact—some tracks still sound remarkably fresh and effective even 25 to 30 years later. At moments, the atmosphere turns slightly eerie, a feeling further enhanced by the vocal production.
This retrospective offers a fascinating journey through the career of a project that, in my opinion, remains somewhat forgotten and underappreciated. Hopefully, it also hints at the possibility of a brand-new album. (Rating:8).
Listen to “Thin Air”:
https://alfamatrix.bandcamp.com/album/maps-of-stone
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.
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