Genre/Influences: Industrial, power-noise, experimental, IDM.

Background/Info: The compilation series “Forms Of Hands” has been each year again released to celebrate the famous Hands-label festival. This year the festival was organized on the 22^nd and 23^rd of April and already featured a real hot selection of bands. This compilation features 14 bands with exclusive tracks.

Bands: Mono No Aware, Monolith, Proyecto Mirage, 16PadNoise Terrorist, Phasenmensch, Le Moderniste, Talvekoidik, MS Gentur ao.

Content: A label compilation always is an interesting tool to get an idea about the sound and influences of the label and the potential of the bands. Hands is a label, which has nothing to prove as it remains one of the absolute leading record companies specialized in industrial music. It also is quite fascinating to see the evolution of the label from Dortmund, which during the early years was into pure industrial and power-noise while the past few years I noticed several excellent high-tech productions dealing with IDM, industrial-trance, d’n’b and some industrial-techno influences.

This new edition is a nice cocktail between good-old power-noise standards and more sophisticated and somewhat minimal-like sounding IDM formations. This compilation reveals an impressive arsenal of influences revealing the evolution of industrial music.

+ + + : No doubt about it, Hands remains a visionary label! This compilation reveals an interesting twist between good-old industrial standards, which made the label that famous and the more avant-garde and complex industrial sound of today. There’s a real great diversity in influences and power as well. There are many essential songs featured, but the most noticeable aspect of the sampler for sure consists of all bands that have delivered an exclusive track or remix for this compilation.

– – – : I don’t see any minus point at this annual compilation, but I maybe regret the total absence of inside information about bands and tracks.

Conclusion: 14 bands to give you an idea about the global power and potential of the Hands label. This is a visionary compilation for fine-tasted industrial lovers.

Best bands: MS Gentur, Trackologists, End.User, Nullvektor, Proyecto Mirage, Morbus M, Phasenmensch.

Rate: (8½).

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official