EM-A-energy

Energy

Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre and sundry other electronic music makers readily spring to mind before this 14-track CD even hits the tray.
And they make no bones about it. Despite the ostensibly Germanic moniker,

ELEKTRONISCHE MASCHINE actually hail from Holland, musical land of, er, bugger-all really.
This is derivative stuff, make no mistake, but they do it with such panache that it's difficult to hold it against them.
'Power/Machine' has trademark robotic voices and bleepy, and distinctly analogue, synths all over, and arrangement-wise, takes some unexpected twists and turns. Inspired.
They've already played loads of gigs and had lots of airplay in Holland and Germany, and if there was a case for the next Kraftwerk, then these guys stand a fighting chance.

Verdict: Original electronica, Tony Sawford, United Kingdom

Oktober 2003

ITEM – ‘Energy’is they’re second release, but first on CD from a band that produce a style of Electro pop that is very heavily influenced by Kraftwerk, the band itself is credited on this CD as an inspiration.

CONTENT – Fourteen tracks and eleven songs including two bonus tracks, both German versions of ‘Energy’ and ‘Analog/Digital’ while some of the tracks do feature some dry and almost deadpan vocals, not that I’m complaining.

LIKE-There are some excellent tracks here, especially the more up-tempo tracks, tracks like the opening ‘Energy’, the track itself is later repeated with German vocals (furthering the similarities with Kraftwerk), ‘Powermachine’, ‘Analog/Digital’, appearing in three versions, the more up-tempo “Dance Version’, its original version which latter appears as the third version complete with German vocals, ‘Retrospection’with some excellent analogue synth work, ‘Dance Floor’ (remix) and ‘Elek-tec’ Also excellent is the more mid-paced and remixed versions of both ‘Tanzen Mit Computer’ and ‘Dance 86’. There are also some slower tracks like the remixed versions of

E-motion’ and ‘The seduction’ while many of the latter tracks on the CD give ELEKTRONISCHE MASCHINE more of their own identity in the mainly instrumental tracks that are featured.

DISLIKE-Nothing, simple some excellent Electro Pop.

INTEREST-This is a very impressive release featuring some perfect Kraftwerk style Electro Pop, but don’t look upon ELEKTRONISCHE MASCHINE as simply another Kraftwerk clone, they are clearly too good to be placed in the shadow of Kraftwerk.

RATING- 95 %