Clock DVA - "Digital Soundtracks"

Clock DVA's Digital Soundtracks is another step in the progression of the band's signature cybertronic electro sound, moving away from the funereal dirges of Buried Dreams and toward the techno sonatas of Man-Amplified. The album was recorded in between the two but was released after Man, and further illustrates the changes that were happening both for electronic music as a genre and for Clock DVA. This album is the logical progression of the cyborg-as-musician concept that Kraftwerk abandoned when they went on hiatus during the 1990s. Precise keyboard and drum loops interweave and cycle around each other, as Adi Newton explores the interface between man and machine in a lyrical context. This is illustrated in "Cycom," a sweeping cinematic track full of epic synthesizer washes and Orwellian/technology-oriented samples. While most tracks are highly repetitive, Clock DVA manages to carefully walk the line between compelling music and an endless cycling of loops. Some tracks work well on the dancefloor, but this album as a whole is more suited to a pair of headphones late at night. For those interested in the more robotic-sounding period of Clock DVA's career, this is a good place to start.

4 stars