FLUXEUROPA: SABOTAGE

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SABOTAGE - QU'EST-CE QUE C'EST?

SABOTAGE - QU'EST-CE QUE C'EST? are unashamed exponents of electronic music with heavy dance beats. Influenced by Skinny Puppy and Front 242, they are not particularly enthusiastic about being described as 'techno-pop' but that is one's first impression. They add to this an industrial edge, and an agenda of sexual freedom and leftfield politics. They are the sort of group that would make ideal guest artists on the UK's Channel 4 TV programme, Eurotrash. Perhaps they already have been.

Sabotage consists of Isabelle Gernand (voice, lyrics, programming), Detlef Weinreich (Schlagwerk, programming, voice) and Marc Werner (keys, percussion, programming, composition).

Following the release of several CD albums, their latest (May 1996) production is the maxi single CD Goddess (1996 SPIN RECORDS/EMI ELECTROLA 7243 8 62211 2 4), which includes three different mixes of the title track engineered by Daniel Bresanutti and Patrick Codenys of Front 242 and another number, 'Do what U do', which was produced by Paolo Favati of Pankow. Don't expect a wandering ambient introduction: this record launches straight into a powerful and exciting barrage of sound.

The Front-242 connection will be continued with the production of their forthcoming album, Sexploitation Cinema, which is due to be released in August 1996. Most of the music on this album is very heavily dominated by an ultra-busy drum machine. Taking their material as a whole, however, one begins to realise that they offer a lot more than simple techno-pop, a fact recognised by their rising status in industrial fanzines.

The album opens with the 'Goddess' track from the single. This is followed by 'Show Your Love', a catchy rock-pop dance tune. 'Wilde Kinder' (track 3) has gutteral male German vocals while 'No Escape' (track 4) has Isabelle singing pleasantly in English.

The more electronic version of 'Do What You Do' (track 5) on the album begins with an industrial 'rubbery' sound, presumably the group getting dressed...The sexual imagery projected by the group is explicitly sado-masochistic, a theme enhanced by Isabelle's attractive image, and evidenced in the glossy promotional 'fashion' pictures with which I have been kindly supplied. Phew!

'Heidenangst' (track 6) is in German with intimate and alliterated vocals very much to the fore. 'Love Me To Death' (track 7) has another catchy and driving pop tune. 'Kinder Untamed' (track 8) is a busy electronic instrumental with little tune and I found it quite boring. 'Nichts Ohne Dich' (track 9) is more experimental and has Laibach-style vocals. 'Never Listen' (track 10) is fairly conventional pop-rock.

In contrast to the rest of the album, 'Scapemix' (track 11) features a lazy ambient sound ('Wild Detune') and a slow and distorted version of 'Goddess'. 'Amour à mort' (track 12) finally brings the album to a close with another compulsive dance tune.

In the heterogeneous mix of the gothic-industrial and related scene, Sabotage are destined to carve out a niche.

Rik - 17 August 1996