COVENANT - Sequencer
Songs: 12  Time: 72:37
With the third domestic release of Covenant, we in the US can finally own all there is by this skyrocketing band.  On Sequencer, their latest album, we can definitely hear how this band has progressed in sound.  Feedback begins with just that, feedback.  A pulsating rhythm line slowing makes its way in, followed by the hollow vocals.  While the music is a bit repetitive, it’s still rather addicting and entrancing.  Stalker is a wonderful piece with a semi break-beat flavored beat and fluid sequences. I found this original version to be much better than the remixed one.  Figurehead brings back the noisy sounds found in Feedback and joins them together with a gabba styled beat and some slight techno/acid variations within the sequences.  Slowmotion is a complex piece that brings together elements of techno (in the rhythm), gothic (in the vocals), and ethereal electro (in the programming.)  Storm is a strict break-beat techno piece with spacey sequences and the same, recognizable, cavernous vocals.  The final track, Flux, is an 11 minute piece that starts off a bit monotonous, but as the various elements of the song structure slowly join in, it becomes the highlight of the album.  The tin sounding beat is mixed with raw electro sequences and deep, untreated vocals.  The beat slowly morphs into a faster, more techno rooted one as the song reaches its halfway point.  The sequences become faster and the rhythm line picks up speed.  The track finishes off with several minutes of experimental, looped noise.  If this wasn’t enough, the Sequencer album comes with an added bonus…the Stalker EP.  The EP is 5 tracks long (two versions of Stalker, Liquid, and Babel.)  While this EP is nothing groundbreaking, it’s a nice added bonus.  Thanks to 21st Circuitry for unleashing this powerful Euro band to those of us in the states!
   
21st CIRCUITRY RECORDS
P.O. Box 170100
San Francisco, CA 94117
e-mail: circuit@sirius.com
Ph/Fx: 415-751-2001
21st CIRCUITRY homepage:
http://www.hallucinet.com/cyberden/21st
 
Covenant is:
Eskil Simonsson / Joakim Montelius / Clas Nachmanson