Two things in this life are certain; those being death and that anything creative Keith Kamholz puts his hand to is going to be filled with not only talent, but impressive skill refined through constant commitment.
What better endorsment for Mechanical Vein than working on this EP alongside not one, not two, but THREE industrial Gods? Those being Zardonic, Caustic, and the mighty Faderhead!
In his own words: 'Emotion Blur: Selections' is the long-awaited debut EP from Mechanical Vein. A truly unique take on bass music, this EP's core is Drum & Bass, with a furious blend of midtempo/industrial/hip-hop/metal influences. With visceral lyrical themes ranging from political unrest to deep human connection, this EP is equally suited to both the heart and the dance floor.
This release is mastered by Zardonic, bringing his unique flair and experience with hybrid genre work. It is a selection of tracks from the upcoming LP, 'Emotion Blur', and a taste of things to come.
Zardonic has also remixed the track "New Blood", with the remix single releasing October 2nd!
In the early days of Mechanical Vein, Keith promised that the debut EP would aim to raise money for the Lustgarten Foundation for pancreatic cancer research. As such, any proceeds from this EP's Bandcamp sales(minus mastering costs) will be 100% donated to the foundation, in memory of his late father Douglas.
Review
'New blood' starts off with a sample from the one and only 'Blade' and soon kicks you in the teeth with the drum and bass drop kick.
It's almost as if a new sub genre is emerging here as a lot of things are missing but a lot of things are impressively different. You might say this is a form of industrial 'trap' step with it's jerky dance feel. It's certainly a breath of fresh air for the alternative electronic scene.
Faderhead lends his vocals to 'Feel your noise' which adds a heavy-weight punch to this release mixing that vocal satisfaction into the magical complexity of the music samples that Keith pours his heart in to. "We aim to misbehave."
'TAKN' is the track featuring Caustic bringing a fierce metal edge to the EP further layering the talent and selection for different tastes whilst still maintaining the purity of Mechanical Vein's sound.
Then we have 'Ghost Town.' This is Pendulum on a goth trip. The beat is fierce and steady making for an elegant dance addition that will appeal to a much wider and traditional electronic audience.
Zardonic's remix of 'New Blood' follows on from that drop kick to the face and then curb stomps the remainder of your teeth out in an aural assault that is beyond words. It's a devastatingly energetic twist which will see people dancing till their feet bleeeeed.
Tracklist
New Blood
Feel Your Noise (ft. Faderhead)
TAKN (ft. Caustic)
Ghost Town
New Blood (Instrumental
Feel Your Noise (Instrumental)
TAKN (Instrumental)
Ghost Town (Instrumental)
Conclusion
For a not-as-well known (yet!) band on the scene even though Keith is part of the UK giants that are Biomechanimal, this is a very impressive offering that is going to get them the notice they deserve.
To have so much talent from across the industrial and EBM world found on one little EP is nothing short of miraculous and fair play to Keith for his hard work and networking abilities.
Although Keith's rap esque vocals are not something I am usually a fan of, I find that they have blended in much better and enjoyably in this fantastic EP as opposed to previous releases such as waves. I also very much enjoy that there are instrumental versions added in too, something quite rare to see.
I'm extremely impressed and can't wait to see what magnificent creatures Mechanical Vein are gonna pull out of their hat in future!
Scores
Technicality: 8/10
Dance factor: 8/10
Energy: 8/10
Vocals: 7/10
Re-playability: 9/10
Overall score: 8 / 10
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