Damage Control – Hypernoia The Remixes (Album – Rarefraction Records)

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD + download card.

Background/Info: Three years after the successful debut album “Ultranoia” , the international collective Damage Control strikes back with an album featuring ten remixes. Nine songs from “Ultranoia” have been remixed by different artists. Chris Peterson has been again in charge of the mixing and mastering. The download card features one extra remix.

Content: The different remixes and collaborations resulted in a varied work, which remains driven by sophisticated EBM reminding me of FLA, Skinny Puppy and related bands. Remixes were accomplished by Craig Saunders, Phil Western, Gin Devo, Tom Slug, Slighter, Manufacture, Ehsan Gelsi, Sirus and Markus App (2 remixes). Some edits are pure remixes while others have been made together with Damage Control.

+ + + : “Hypernoia” is a cool addition to “Ultranoia”. I definitely prefer the ‘regular’ album, which remains a true masterpiece, but this album reveals a great remix of “Reasons” Phil Western, transposing the original song into a Trance-Body cut. I also like the “Trauma”-remix in collaboration with Markus App, which stands for intelligent EBM. “Hell’s Gate” has been also remixed in a cool and surprising Ambient edit by Ehsan Gelsi. And I also have to mention the dubby “Sirus Remix” of “Hate Crime”.

– – – : Remixes are a cool bonus to the “Ultranoia”-album, but the original songs definitely remain the best ones!

Conclusion: If you don’t know Damage Control, you better first listen to “Ultranoia” and then “Hypernoia”.

Best songs: “Reasons – Phil Western Remix”, “Trauma – Damage Control vs. Markus App Remix”, “Hell’s Gate – Ehsan Gelsi Remix”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.damagecontrolofficial.com / www.facebook.com/damagecontrol

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