MONOID

Open Closure

TOSOM 026

CDR, 19 TRACKS, 73 MINUTES

LIMITED AND NUMBERED EDITION OF 150 COPIES

DVD BOX IN CD SIZE WITH 5 INSERTS.

PRICE: 10,00 €

Monoid is now active since more than 10 years.
Due to this, “Open Closure” and “Chaos Constrain”, the first two tapes released
by A&T records in spring and winter 1996, are now made available again by TOSOM.
This time both titles come as a CDR with full colour cover, multiple inlays
including the original cover art and multiple bonus tracks.
Only minimal sound editing and de-noising was applied to the material
to keep the original raw spirit of these first Monoid documents.

Monoid started as a side project of Conscientia Peccati, to offer a channel
for rhythmic industrial and experimental pieces not suitable for the
ritualistic and neoclassical sound of CP.
After one compilation release, “Open Closure” started the Monoid release series in spring 1996.
On the tape mainly minimalist and rhythmic tracks can be found,
suitable for the industrial dancefloors of that time.
But also some more experimental and ambient tracks found their way on the tape,
showing a glimpse of future things to come. The sound is rough and rather analogue,
featuring vocal samples and lots of distortions and feedback.
The bonus tracks of the TOSOM re-release inlcude an alternative version of “Spalt”,
maybe the best-known track of the original tape.

Tracks
01 - Heaven
02 - Scream
03 - Mercy (mp3)
04 - Rebellion
05- Murderer
06 - Open Closure
07 - Spalt (mp3)
08 - Dissync
09 - Wound (mp3)
10 - Hunter
11 - Impact
12 - Slice (mp3)
13 - Circle
14 - Einsatz
15 - Assault
16 - Nostalgie
17 - RIP
18 - Spalt (Remix)
19 - Torn

Click on mp3 to hear music samples

Reviews *** Reviews

Vital Weekly 569
review by Frans de Waard
Music by Monoid, also known as Martin Steinebach, who also works under a whole bunch of other aliases has been reviewed before. One of the things I didn't know is that Monoid already released his first work in 1996. 'Open Closure' is now re-released in a nicely packed box with full color inserts. At the same time Tosom also releases 'Chaos Constrain', the second tape release from late 1996. 'Open Closure' starts out in a rough early Esplendor Geometrico manner. Very rhythmic, very crude and noisy. Great stuff that lasts at least seven or eight tracks. Then the release loses it's edge a bit. The pieces are still electronic, still have some sort of rhythm, but it's all supposed to be a bit more experimental, but unfortunately Monoid doesn't hold the attention throughout these pieces. They are a bit unfocussed and it breaks down the aggression that was built up in the first half of the release.

Club-Debil
"Open Closure" wirkt, obwohl im gleichen Jahr entstanden, insgesamt etwas professioneller und abwechslungsreicher als "Chaos Constrain". Nun ist Rhythm Industrial auf Dauer nicht unbedingt so mein Ding. Der immer gleiche Sound geht mir nach einiger Zeit mächtig auf die Ketten. Dem Charme von Monoid kann ich mich dann aber doch nicht entziehen. Das ist schon ganz geschickt gemacht auch wenn die musikalischen Ausdrucksmöglichkeiten eher beschränkt sind. Neben dem typischen Gestampfe in verschiedenen Geschwindigkeiten fließen auch Breakbeats und interessante Soundmanipulationen in das Gesamtbild ein. So könnte ich mir vorstellen, dass beim dynamischen "Rebellion" die Tanzfläche kocht. "Spalt" ist ebenfalls ein echter Diskohammer, der ein wenig an Bands wie Beinhaus erinnert und durchaus als Ravetauglich durchgeht. Bei "Einsatz" bin ich musikalisch nicht ganz so begeistert, dafür weiß aber das coole Sample zu überzeugen. In Summe ist mir das Ganze ein wenig zu einseitig, wenn es auch ganz nette Ansätze gibt. Bedenkt man, dass die Stücke (ursprünglich als Tape veröffentlicht) aus dem Jahre 1996 stammen, muss man nicht unnötig kritisch sein. Schade nur, dass viele Projekte auch heute noch so klingen…