CROSSOVER "SPACE DEATH"
Review on HEATHEN HARVEST (English text)
Crossover is a band from the New York area that deals with the more experimental and obscured side from Electro, contaminated in Cyber punk dynamics and intelligent scornful lyrics about the ever boring and irredeemable case from humankind. The duo is conformed by Mark Ingram and Vanessa Tosti currently baptized as Rat Boy & Rat Girl for “Space death” album. They have released two acclaimed previous albums from 2001 to 2005 where “Space Death” comes as their ultimate challenge and more experienced Electro abomination.
Following the DIY credo they have created their own artwork for their releases, produced all their regalia and have directed their own videos, so you’ll certainly dont find a copycat in here, nor by chance, their music follows no dogmas and only searches for the more personal and intrinsic expression they could give. So “Space death” is an Old school Electro rescue with gloom aesthetics, decayed and bassy in its atmospheres yet utterly frantic and menacing on their rhythms. A healthy dose of experimentation that avoids all the clichés that may get associated and practically gets all dismissed at once since the release comes from the ever impressing, weirdo catchers Punch Records from Italy. Don’t miss it if you want something that overturns your preconceptions and dismissals from Electro paradigms.
Don’t let yourself be fooled by the “Electro” moniker; this is just a bait to attract your attention, take it as a helper to indicate the generic motivations behind the realization from this album. Although the beat is present and the ruthless set of analogue lines are there along with solid rhythms that will provoke muscle spasms, the spots for the dance floor are few, or at least reserved for an elite of night ghouls visiting the obscurest turns of the city to dance on. The low-fi, bleak & fat electro sequences aided by warm contours of synthesized bass lines, spacey pads and subtle effects of inert dynamism add to the work the necessary part of movement relevant to the genre but this comes completely distant from an orthodox formula Electro related.
The general sonority created by these elements is generally morbid and decayed; although emancipated and altered by mid paced tempos and manic beat thump as product from the Cyber punk association. If were not because of this rhythmic counterpart the work will easily will fall into a very depressive, Electro based Darkwave formation of nihilistic and depressive connotations, full of obscured atmospheric finishes achieved by the use of minimal harmonies and synth chords, portraying a very introspective vista full of pessimism, doubt and depressive realities. Lyrics are generally compulsory in the presentation of this world as the ultimate shit, typically imbued in the Cyber punk logic and adding an extra quote of misanthropy and nihilism that completely neglects any possibility of the work to get in the charts of the “politically correct”.
Now the voices from the duo are not screaming or disintegrating their vocal chords, more likely they appear as an apathetic set of clear vocalizations marked in rhythm by the compass granted by the bass lines and the beat, their roles are interchanged in through the tracks although they take solitary confinement on certain tracks. The old school sequencers employed, completely devoid of any life form, presents that dense set of analogue textures competing against walls of high pitched synth lines giving the work this aura signature of impending disaster and soulless atmosphere full of post modern dynamics and apocalyptic lucid dreams. Important to highlight the fact that each track presents clear differentiation, variety and definable character.
The obscured and bleak Cyber Electro engendered by Crossover will present its more representative units in tracks like the virulently misanthropic rant from the opener “Black mess” filled with a set of anathematic lyrics and catchy analogue sequences, somewhere between an ultra nihilistic Punk track but performed in pure Electro aesthetics or the frenetic “Computer simulated mountains” consolidated on a ecstatic synth bass line and a set of manically pulsing robotic sequences. More down tuned and depressive will consider pieces like “Lost sheep” a lot more obscured, marked by low bass sequences and spacey synth lines marking a track more centred on atmosphere and downtempo beat. Same happens with “Hard winter” commanded this time by the female vocal and presenting a very acidic guitar lacerations and elegant Electro Darkwave sequences.
“The weight” continues this tradition but alleviates the morbidity by adding more melody and melancholic synth lines, that gives the track a flavour of dark romantic ballad. Sophomore “Space death” is another elegant Electro darkwave managed by the duo. Usually in all the tracks the female vocalist is at charge of the chorus lines while the male sings the main lines. This track has an interesting description of an isolated and wasted reality where nothing really matters anymore and where everyone has turned in pure determinisms. In the middle of the track an orgasm is represented in a very original way, slowly distorting the sequences until the decisive moment comes bringing the paradisiacal illusion of freedom. Is orgasm the very last refuge from mankind? The question remains opened as the merciless sequence and the restless vocal rant comes again as a death march. The last three tracks are probably the more experimental part from the album.
“I think I wanna kill myself” is a Blues made of Electro sequences. This is a very innovative and cleverly composed track. “Dark blue” instead recess on the slight use of disco rhythms and subtle melodies, again constructed on Electro sequences and groovy synths, echo effects and faded panelling, sounding as a very drugged and distant track. Very interesting! The farewell is “Caveman to spaceman” drenched in Noir music, accompanied by bombastic drumming and muffled bassy lines with a very crazy set of vocals sounding a bit upbeat, contrasting with the obscure melodrama.
Excellent adaptation of Electro, demonstrating again how genres are not over per se, it is the unimaginative minds and lack of creativity what ultimately condemns the aesthetic of a genre or a style to obsolescence and an undeserved death. People dies, genres, ideas, styles prevail in an immortal stillness. The use from old electro school paradigms for subtle Darkwave additions, schizoid Cyber punk dynamics, creates a very dense and apocalyptic album full of diversity and solid concretions. “Space death” is an experimental album that adapts for the more demented and obtrusive minds around. Not for the orthodox! Recommended! Thumbs up!
Review by:
Jack The Ripper
CROSSOVER "SPACE DEATH"
Review on RITUAL MAGAZINE (Italian text)
Con ‘Space Death’, Mark Ingram e Vanessa Tosti hanno realizzato uno dei dischi più interessanti dell’anno, una release che mostra la strada per essere ancora originali ed aggressivi, all’interno di un fragile mercato musicale. Impossibile definirli: tentare di dare qualche coordinata vorrebbe dire precipitare nel calderone della superficialità. Di sicuro, in questo terzo lavoro, troverete elementi electroclash, folk, punk, art-rock e semplicemente dark, il resto sarete voi a “visualizzarlo”, o meno, durante lo scorrere dei pezzi. ‘Dark Blue’ e ‘The Weight’, rispetto ai due precedenti dischi, mostrano un evidente progresso, mentre una malinconia di sottofondo accompagna il lento svelarsi di una produzione che scherza con il lo-fi. ‘Hard Winter’ è forse l’unico frammento in cui i Crossover si concedono un piccolo slancio commerciale, considerata la somiglianza con le ultime cose dei The Kills.
Review by:
Lorenzo Becciani
CROSSOVER "SPACE DEATH"
Review on CHAIN D.L.K. (English text)
The fact that Punch Records was changing was already evident with their latest compilation I reviewed here few months ago. Crossover's new album SPACE DEATH is the first full length release after that compilation and now we can see that Tairy definitely focused his attention on electronic music (but nothing is definitive and even if the next label's release will be a new 12" by ex Ersatz Audio's Magas, you can never tell what's next with Punch Records). Anyway... Let's talk about Crossover now. The duo is active since early 00's and released two albums on Gigolo Records (their second one "Cryptic and Dire Sallow Faced Hoods Blast Off into Oblivion" has been released in 2005). Their music could be superficially filed under electro and even if in the past they have been invited to fashion events their music has more than one disturbing/disturbed elements. Calling their style "gloom" music, Crossover on SPACE DEATH delivered ten songs in balance from electro with minimal arrangements and dancey attitude and something with a sort of theatrical approach (see for example the closing "Caveman To Spaceman" which musically seems a jazzy weird version of the opening "Black Mess" or the semi Devo like craziness of "Computer Simulated Mountains"). The lyrics have been written on a summer in the Arizona desert and someway also the music have that sort of acid approach. Check five tracks at the Punch Records' release page.
Review by:
Maurizio Pustianaz
CROSSOVER "SPACE DEATH"
Review on VER SACRUM (Italian text)
I Crossover (al secolo Mark Ingram e Vanessa Tosti, alias Rat Boy e Rat Girl…) non potevano davvero scegliersi un monicker più adatto di quello che hanno, non a caso il genere cui sono dediti è indefinibile e lascia a dir poco spiazzati… I dieci brani inclusi nel loro nuovo lavoro sono piuttosto diversi l’uno dall’altro: l’iniziale “Black mess”, ad esempio, è caratterizzato da sonorità electro-folk molto particolari e da lyrics ancor più strane, mentre i successivi “Lost sheep” e “Computer simulated mountains” virano rispettivamente verso un art-pop-rock assai intrigante e verso un electro-punk minimale e schizoide. La quarta traccia, intitolata “Hard winter” e cantata dalla sensuale Rat Girl, può ricordare un po’ i The Kills ed è molto orecchiabile, mentre la seguente “The weight” (sempre con Rat Girl alla voce…) propone un sound più oscuro ma ugualmente affascinante. Proseguendo nell’ascolto ci si rende conto che la musica prodotta dal duo è tutto tranne che scontata o prevedibile: in alcuni casi si può quasi parlare di sperimentazione, ma in altri bisogna pure considerare l’appeal commerciale che parecchi dei pezzi hanno (a volte le due cose vanno anche di pari passo, vedi ad esempio nella titletrack…), per cui risulta difficile prevedere che tipo di pubblico potrà apprezzare questa release. Di certo c’è che Space death merita tutta la vostra attenzione, specie se siete molto “open-minded” e sempre alla ricerca di novità.
Review by:
Grendel
CROSSOVER "SPACE DEATH"
Review on GOTHTRONIC (English text)
Starting with “Black mess” this electronic and melodic album of Cross over opens with a lot of “Fucks”. This opening song is not the one with the strongest lyrics on the album and would have fitted better on another track position as this can drive people away from such albums. Stylewize it has some resemblance to Welle:Erdball. The following track is about the flock mind of the peoples masses and how this will lead to their own destruction, lyrically much stronger and musically similar. Most songs contain a clear albeit sarcastic message, the third track is a warning not to become too dependant on computers. “The weight” is song by Vanessa Tosti and has a very melancholic feel adding to the atmosphere set by the lyrics and the title. “Jack knife” is a slow rap song and has a completely different feel compared to the previous songs. The initial tracks create a feel of melancholy and self pity. This sets a more self active tone, you can change if you want to. “Space Death” goes back to the previous feelings and seems to be a song commenting on the repetition that war results by seeding hate in new generations.
The variation in the songs is enough and the vocal changes from Vanessa to Mark and back keep the album interesting. The melancholy in the songs fits the general feel of the lyrics and the pace of the merry notes creates this feeling very well. “Caveman to Spaceman” is about the “evolution” of mankind, even trough our great technological advances we still feel the urge and need to kick in each others brains. And to end of on this happy note all things we imagine that can corrupt our human mind does not exist, and the only danger to human life is humankind!
Review by:
Joost
CROSSOVER "SPACE DEATH"
Review on SIDE-LINE (English text)
The American Crossover strikes back after some years of silence. After two albums on the famous Berliner based Gigolo Records, Rat Boy and Rat Girl (that’s the way they now want to be known) have now joined Punch Records for their 3rd full length. Time is passing by and the golden years of Gigolo Records and electroclash are far behind. Crossover has perfectly understood this evolution although they here and there remain faithful to some good-old basis from the past. The song “Dark Blue” is one of these pieces bringing some reminiscences from the past. A few guitar sounds on top add a little punk touch. This song perfectly stands for the multiple influences running through this album. One of the most noticeable pieces in this vein is called, “Jack Knife”. There is a touch of hip-hop in the way of singing, which reminds me of the legendary Grandmaster Flash while electronics and experimental parts have been added on top. In a different style, comes the cool “Hard Winter”-cut. I here especially like the kind of psychedelic sounds while I think this song could have been a bit more clubby. Crossover also likes to experiment on different songs. There pieces are definitely not the best ones, but they again confirm the open-minded style of this band. “Space Death” is an album without compromises neither belonging to one particular style and that’s probably the main force behind this new Crossover experience!
