Plastikstrom – Beton Gegen Angst (Album – Young & Cold Records)
Genre/Influences: EBM, dark-electro.
Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.
Background/Info: Jürgen Schips and Matthias Günzler were involved with Darc Entries during the 90s. After they’d left they set up Plastikstrom, which has been introduced as a band dealing with electro, new-wave, dark-wave and related genres. The German band is now back on track unleashing their debut album “Beton Gegen Angst”, which is available in different formats; vinyl, CD and of course at digital platforms.
Content: “Beton Gegen Angst” has this typical German 90s sound of EBM and dark-electronic music. Some sequences remind me of Calva Y Nada while the more EBM inspired cuts are evoking DAF and Liaisons Dangereuses. There also is a strong minimal approach emerging from a few cuts, which comes closer to Suicide. Plastikstrom brings an interesting mix of ideas recovered with a very own touch on top. It has something old-school like. The vocals are all sung in German. They were produced a rather clear, but powerful and passionate way.
+ + + : This album sounds like an exceptional debut! The sound and influences aren’t new, but have been worked out in a mature and efficient way. The songs even have something refreshing and especially the minimal track are worthy of examination. “Großstadtalarm” is one of these cuts, mixing a linear cadence reminding me of Suicide with a genius vocals’ production, which has something fragmented. “Wandertag” is another noticeable song for the imaginary hybrid between DAF and Calva Y Nada. “Alles Für Uns” is a terrific retro EBM cut while cuts like “Amok” and “Illusionär” will possibly appeal for Liaisons Dangereuses fans.
– – – : A few songs are maybe a little too short –and that’s simply because some of these cuts sound great! The only single cut that can’t convince me is the last one, which is a kind of outro.
Conclusion: Plastikstrom is without a shadow of a doubt one of the great discoveries in EBM land from the past few months. This band brings us back to intelligent and well-crafted body music!
Best songs: “Wandertag”, “Großstadtalarm”, . “Alles Für Uns”, “Amok”, “Illusionär”, “Beton Gegen Angst”, “Mir Egal”.
Rate: (8½).
Artist: www.plastikstrom.de / www.facebook.com/Plastikstrom
Label: www.youngandcold.de / www.facebook.com/youngandcoldrecords
About Plastikstrom
Plastikstrom is the German duo of Jürgen Schips and Matthias Günzler, previously active together in the gothic-rock/post-punk band Darc Entries, founded in 1992. “Beton Gegen Angst”, reviewed here, is Plastikstrom’s debut album, released via Young And Cold Records.
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