Background/Info:
Empirion
saw the daylight in 1993. Back in time there were a trio consisting of Oz Morsley,
Jamie Smart and Bob Glennie. They became quite famous thanks to the legendary
“Narcotic Influence”-EP released in 1994 on Wanted Records. They next signed to
XL Recordings (know for The Prodigy) unleashing in 1996 their debut album
“Advanced Technology”. Empirion did a support tour for The Prodigy and did a
lot of remixes for great names (Front 242, Praga Khan, Cubanate…). Bob Glennie lost
his battle with cancer in 2005, which also seemed to announce the end of a
great band. Oz Morsley moved on setting up Kloq, but since 2010 Empirion came
back to life doing live performances. They last year came up as a duo releasing
new material featured at the EP “I Am Electronic / Red Noise” and here’s now
their first new album since “Advanced Technology”.
Content:
It
always is a risky business for a band with such a great past to strike back
after such a long hiatus. But those who know the sonic skills of Oz Morsley
know his potential. Empirion is back and “Resume” is the ultimate release to
join the past with the present. The album has something retro like featuring a
few cuts with breakbeats (reminding me of The Prodigy) and the typical raw,
analogue sounds, but also contemporary mixing elements of techno, industrial
and EBM. This is music to dance! The songs don’t feature that much vocals, but
samplings and vocals have been used more as an extra effect.
+
+ + :
I always get the feeling of losing my ‘objectivity’ when listening to
music Oz Morsley has been involved with. But that’s because this guy is a real
sonic alchemist. He transforms sounds into gold! This gold has something
transcendental and hypnotic. “Resume” is mixing elements reminding me of Front
242 (for some analogue treatments), The Prodigy (for the breakbeats) and Thomas
P. Heckmann (for the bass lines), but it’s first of all Empirion! It sounds
retro-like and still visionary because there are not many bands in the line of
Empirion. This album is total club-power featuring multiple outstanding cuts
such as “S.E.T.I.”, “They’re In My Dreams”, “Stepper” and the already known “I
Am Electronic” and “Red Noise”. The vocals aren’t the major element of the work
and yet they’ve been produced with care; now with robotic effects and then just
like a sampling effect.
–
– – :
I think a few more vocals could have been added now and then, but you
don’t hear me to complain!
Conclusion:
Empirion
is back and that’s damn great news, but when a back strikes back with such a
work filled with high-energy and sonic-magic you can only but be thankful.
“Resume” will be without a shadow of doubt become one of my 2019’s favorites!
Best
songs:
“They’re In My Dreams”, “S.E.T.I.”, “Stepper”, “Red Noise”, “I Am Electronic”,
“Sideswipe”.
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