IKON - This Quiet Earth
Songs: 12  Time:  52:21
One of the better darkwave bands on the scene, Ikon have been creating catchy, melodic music for years.  On their latest full length, This Quiet Earth, Ikon finds themselves one member short.  Now a duo, Ikon's new lead singer is Chris McCarter.  Even with a new vocalist, Ikon's sound still remains solid, with the emphasis of the pieces placed on the vocals.  The highlight of this CD is Ghost in My Head.  This track, which is also the most electronic, aligns itself more with synth-pop than darkwave.  A strong beat is fused with fragile synth lines and Chris' deep, sonorous vocals.  With the release of a single for this track, you can be assured that this one will become a club hit in 1999.  Loving the Enemy combines darkwave with synth-pop.  While the vocals are ominous in nature, they are delivered in a more upbeat fashion, giving this track its synth-pop edge.  My Shadow of Selfishness is a darker piece with a tantamount of symphonic elements in the synth patterns.  Alongside of that, light piano progressions drift throughout this melancholy track.  The electronic elements of Ikon are brought forward on Voice of the Sun.  Even though this piece is more electronically orientated, it still refrains from entering the electro genre due to its enigmatic nature.  Utilizing an instrument (didgeridoo) from their native land of Australia, Die Stille Erd is a strange instrumental that, when listened to via headphones, makes the listener feel as if they're stranded on the Outback while bushmen lurk nearby.  Of all the Ikon releases I've heard thus far, This Quiet Earth does strike me as more accessible, mostly because of the more prominent electronic elements in some of the pieces.  While I can't say that this release is for everyone, I can say that even if you were not a fan of their previous work, you may want to give them another chance, especially if you're looking for some good, yet light, dance floor material.
   
METROPOLIS RECORDS                          Ikon is:
P.O. Box 54307                                                Chris McCarter / Dino Molinaro / Michael Carrodus
Philadelphia, PA 19105                                  Contact Ikon @
e-mail: metropol@voicenet.com                   6P.O. Box 277
Metropolis homepage:                                  Flemington
http://www.voicenet.com/~metropol          Victoria 3032
                                                                          Australia