Sunday 25 January 2015

The Young Gods "TV Sky" (1992)


The Young Gods are an Industrial Rock group from Switzerland formed in the mid 80s. Hailed as a "bands band" TYGs have been sited as a significant influence on many popular Industrial acts, including Nine Inch Nails. "TV Sky" is their third record, and for me its another piece of the Industrial puzzle I have been fascinated with in recent years. As a kid I had been over exposed to Industrial music through endless listening of Frank Klepacki's C&C soundtracks in the mid 90s, and every band I discover and listen to feels like a piece of the tapestry unraveling itself.

"TV Sky" is a lofty record with a mechanized pace that cruises through a laborious and desolate landscape. With every listen an image of a hover-car speeding through a derelict city consumed by a barren desert races through my mind, you can smell the oil in the blistering heat. This wild and vivid sound is consistent throughout the record of 8 tracks, 7 of which make up a shorter 28 minutes before the album rains out with a 19 minute saga. The repetitive and pounding nature of this record is complimented by Franz Muse's gruff, drawn vocals that grind out, adding the human touch, but always at the mercy of the industrious mechanical instrumentals, its a nice chemistry and his strong Swiss accent ads a touch of foreign into the mix.

The instrumentals are king on this record, forging a soundscape epitome of its fraction in the Industrial sound. Sharp, robotic guitars play out mechanical stop start riffs in unison with the gritty pounding drums that stamp out rigid rhythms. Grooving underneath the surface is that classic bold, warm and chunky Industrial bass guitar, always a welcome element. With the core of their sound down, TYGs bring their uniqueness through some sudden and dense electronics that burst into these songs, a lot of the complimentary sounds tend to burst in quick as they fade out, which subtly ads to the vibe through an "on/off" switch like execution. Additional guitars waver in and out of focus with noisy abstract guitar sounds and distortions, deepening the rich atmosphere this record offers. Its a casual listening experience that doesn't demand much of the listener, it pounds away like a ride you can hop on or off at any point. The easy pace and purely rhythmic approach gives it a touch of ambiance that makes it an easy record to absorb.

Favorite Track: TV Sky
Rating: 6/10