B-TON-K - SemiHum@nBeing
Songs: 15  Time:  71:45
We should all know by now that Mental Ulcer Forges will most likely never released any ‘standard’ electro generated music.  B-TON-K is the newest release from this label and, as expected, the music is a combination of intense and noisy electro with some more stable / common elements.  While the music of B-TON-K can be harsh, Karl provides the listener with some musical handles that we can grab a hold of and allow to carry us through.  Most of these ‘handles’ are found within the darker elements of the pieces.  Tracks such as La Pintura Mera and Kill Complete contain these foreboding electro aspects that have driven bands such as Leæther Strip and Wumpscut to the top of their genre.  I’m not insinuating that B-TON-K is a copycat band because Karl takes these similarities and expands on them, twisting and distorting them even further than the aforementioned bands.  One of the more outstanding pieces, White Out!, contains a vibrating rhythm, a slow percussion, and ominous sequences that can easily send a chill up anyone’s spine.  Karl’s vocal delivery is rough, in that he not so much sings but delivers his lines in a spoken manner while adding slight effects to them.  Using the same vocal effects, Rudy R. (of :W: fame) assists Karl with the vocal portion of Vortex; a piece that is driven by it’s rugged, galloping beat and thick rhythm.  Walking the Way of the Anal Sadistic Warrior is a collaboration between :W: and B-T-K.  This noise-riddled piece acts as a short intro to The Battle of the Anal Sadistic Warrior which is a much stronger piece.  Set firmly within the experimental noise field, this track features a multitude of scratchy rhythms, deformed and muffled beats, spine tingling sequences, and extremely harsh vocals.  The noise freaks should love this one.  The following track, Secretion, brings the listener away from the madness of the previous track and into a whole new field of music.  With a steady, pounding beat and more uplifting sequences, this track has the potential to be a floor packer at your local electro/industrial club.  Once again collaborating with Rudy R., and also with Clone 137, B-T-K creates Possessed.  Considering the harshness of the rest of the CD, Possessed is a lighter piece with some very high-pitched vocals, some relaxing woodwind sounds, a jumpy sequence pattern, and a static beat.  Tacked onto the end as a hidden track we find B-T-K’s remix of :W:’s Womb, which also appeared on Rudy’s own Born Again CD.  One of the commendable things about B-T-K is that he doesn’t seem to be ridding on the coattails of Rudy R. and he doesn’t use the fact that Rudy appears on his CD to boost sales.  Nowhere on the outside of the CD will you find anything that suggests Rudy’s presence which comes as more of an added bonus to anyone who purchases this CD.  SemiHum@nBeing is a highly suggested CD purchase for anyone who likes their electro dipped in and coated with harshness.
      
MENTAL ULCER FORGES / NOVA TEKK
Marschallstrasse 3
84034 Landshut
Germany
e-mail: betonkopfmedia@t-online.de or
rabenhirn@aol.com
   
B-TON-K is:
Karl w/ assistance form :W: & Clone 137