Songs: 16 Time: 63:45
After having some problems with his former
record label (Rex), Klay Scott hung up his Circle of Dust coat for awhile
and proceeded to work on some other projects. After a few years, Klay revived
COD and released Disengage, a brand new 10 track CD full of harsh,
yet vibrant, electronic music. As an added bonus, the Refractorchasm
EP is tacked on, bringing the total track count up to 16. It somewhat
surprises me that COD isn't one of the bigger players in the 'industrial' scene,
as his music is comprised of layer upon layer of smartly constructed beats,
rhythms, sequences, and highly accessible vocals. Waste of Time combines
hard dance rhythms (nearing a coldwave style) with dense hip-hop beats and thick
keys. Klay's vocals are left untreated and are easily interpreted. Bordering
on the alternative metal genre, Refractor brings together speed metal
beats, cascading guitar riffs, and impenetrable rhythms. The vocals on this
piece go back and forth between light and mellow to angry and belligerent.
Whispered vocals and aquatic beats give way to irritated vocals and hip-hop
beats on Yarasuka, a metallic rap piece. Babylon is a creepy
instrumental with hollow beats and lofty, distorted guitar sounds. If bands
such as Stabbing Westward and Nine Inch Nails can get radio play,
than there is no reason why Chasm should not be in rotation. This track
has all of the necessary elements to keep it in the electro underground while at
the same time shooting it to the masses. Shared male/female vocals, rigid
guitars, mid-paced beats, and mild backing keys are all mixed together on this
dance friendly track. While still retaining the COD sound, the music behind
Blindeye is a tad more chaotic than the other tracks on Disengage and there
isn't as much emphasis placed on the vocals. Mesmerized is a light piece
with soft vocals that are matched with light guitar sounds, non-threatening
rhythms, and distant beats. Although this track does tend to pick up some speed
during the chorus, it still doesn't come of as being nearly as aggressive as
some of the other pieces on Disengage. The last track, You are Fragile,
is a reprise of sorts of Chasm. This 4 minute track does have a life of its own
though, with a mish-mosh of apocalyptic electro, guitar, and vocal sounds. The
Refractorchasm EP begins with Version 2.1.0 of Chasm; a more electro
orientated mix of the original. Next up is Refractor (Version 3.2.1), a
beat heavy mix with plenty of emphasis placed on the vocals. Levler 1
(Easier to Hate) is another mix of Refractor. On this mix some of the
sounds are omitted and the ones that remain intact are very distorted sounding.
Levler 2 (Alone to Die), a remix of Chasm, is a short noisy piece that
features distant chanting samples, staticy beats, and airy sequences. Klay has
really outdone himself with this release and I can honestly say that it was well
worth the wait. Let's just hope that we see another Circle of Dust release soon
and not 4 years down the road.
FLYING TART RECORDS
1227 16th Ave. South
Nashville, TN 37212
USA
Circle of Dust
is:
Klay Scott
Contact
Circle of Dust
@
PO Box 305
Bethpage, NY 11714
USA
e-mail: circle@dusted.com
Circle of Dust
homepage:
http://www.dusted.com