Synaptic Defect – Initializing Insanity (Album – Electro Aggression Records)
Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro, EBM.
Format: Digital, 2CD.
Background/Info: Released by the end of 2023 this is the third full length album of German solo-project Synaptic Defect. Driven by Marc Tater (previously involved with Evil Sermon this is the first new album since 2008.
Content: This work takes us back in time awakening somewhere in the midst of the 90s. This is old-school EBM appealing for fans of bands like Skinny Puppy, Mortal Constraint and even Cat Rapes Dog. The songs are well-crafted, sometimes moving into a minimalistic approach. The second features a few more songs in the same vein plus remixes by Second Disease, Sleepwalk, Plastic Noise Experience, Serpents, T.A.N.K., Terminal State, R010r, Trilogy, tEaR!doWn and 2 remixes by Pyrroline (which co-produced and mastered the album).
+ + + : Synaptic Defect isn’t maybe the most renowned project although it deals with good-old EBM built up with elegance and knowledge. This project is part of an imaginary ‘Skinny Puppy’-academy and will please the fans of haunting Electronics. The bonus disc features cool songs as well plus a great selection of artists for the remixes. I especially recommend the remixes of Sleepwalk and Plastic Noise Experience.
– – – : The album is maybe missing a real ‘potential’ hit.
Conclusion: This album stands for an appreciable come-back and will be pleased by old-school EBM supporters.
Best songs: “Morphine”, “Sniper”, “Killing Tides” + “Man Is Machine”, “Tacky Games – Sleepwalk Remix”, “Combat War – Plastic Noise Experience Remix”.
Rate: 7½.
Artist: www.facebook.com/marc.tater.14
Label: www.electroaggressionrecords.com / www.facebook.com/ElectroAggressionRecords
About Synaptic Defect
Synaptic Defect is the solo project of German musician Marc Tater, founded in 1996. Tater started out in 1994 with the dark EBM duo Evil Sermon, which released a split tape, “Godfeeler / Psychological Warfare”, with LPF12 before splitting up in late 1997. He then began releasing solo material as Synaptic Defect, issuing “Mechanical Oppression” (BLC Productions, 2004) and “World-Wide Life & Death” (Advoxya Records, 2008). The project went quiet until 2020, when Tater started recording new songs, a process that led to “Initializing Insanity”, released through Electro Aggression Records at the end of 2023.
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