Skinny Puppy - Cleanse Fold & Manipulate
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Free Music Notes for Cleanse Fold & Manipulate
Free Music Review: Dramatic end of the 80's
Hit: 4 Stars
While most Skinny Puppy albums are easily labeled "dark", CFM is certainly one of the most. Cevin Key later reflected that the production technology employed had as much to do with it as did the mindset of the band at the time. This was the band's first album written completely to hard disk, and the use of the computer as arranger certainly added a cold, technical element to it. Musically, the CD broke new ground for the group. While many of SP's songs made references to film samples, and often began or ended in dark, ambient loops, whole tracks here are devoted to such. Draining Faces, The Mourn, and Epilogue contain a track long presentation of film samples, loops, and general background noise that are crafted in a way to create dark, haunting pieces. While more dismissive comparisons have been made to Pink Floyd, this element made a lasting and distinct impact. In a strange crossover, SP's use of film in its tracks led it back into film; for example, many years later, the Blair Witch filmmakers listed Draining Faces as a track on a tape found in the project's abandoned car.
Other tracks were more accessible to the DJ booth. The second track, Addiction, which was also released as one of two singles, features the layered and rhythmic approach that would be the signature of many CDs to come from SP. While a song with serious lyrical content, Ogre's vocal style on this was actually a dig on Front Line Assembly and former SP member Bill Leeb's vocal style. The second to last track, Anger, while devoid of most lyrical or musically thematic content, provides a fantastic conclusion to the album - a driving, pounding beat comprised of six or seven separate elements all beautifully orchestrated into one, with Ogre's clenched-teeth ranting moving in and out of the track.
On a slightly critical note, some of the tracks seemed to rely on pre-set synthesizer sounds (some of them you'd hear on a The Cars album!) rather than the fantastic abilities of Dwayne Gottell and his multi timbral, polyphoic signature pads and noises.
SP's promo shot for this album featured Nivek Ogre sporting massive bruises to his face and appearing to be an inch from death; most of his lyrical content on this album was highly focused on the politics of repression and violence. Songs like Second Tooth, Tear Or Beat, and Deep Down Trauma Hounds are all suggestive of the contrived politcal power of many third world countries during the cold war eighties.
An essential album, for it represents more or less the last of SP's eighties sound before Vivisect VI gave it a head start into the 90's.
Free Music Review: Creepy and chaotic, yet interesting at the same time...
Hit: 4 Stars
Believe it or not, one of my former co-workers gave this CD to me after he found it too creepy to listen to. Honestly, he wasn't far off the mark! Although I'm not the world's biggest SP fan, I do enjoy some of their music. So how do I describe their music? Creepy, chaotic, scary, and horrific (as some would describe) are some adjectives that come to mind. For those of you not familiar with SP, consider this album (and all others) to be the soundtrack to your worst fears and nightmares come true! No, there are aren't any loud metallic guitars or fast banging drums (like Ministry and NIN use). Melodramatic synth melodies accompanied by Nivek Ogre's unique somber and emotional narration are all that's needed! If you're still interested in SP, start off with "The Singles Collection" and then this album!Free Music Review: Skinny Puppy
Hit: 4 Stars
I'm not big on goth music but this CD is cool as hell. First Aid is cool. I like Addiction but it lacks something. I can't quite put my finger on it. good song though. Shadowcast is okay, the CD can do without it. good drum loops with samples. Draining Faces is cool as hell. I love the drum loop and the effects. The Mourn is a really cool track. Second Tooth is okay. Tear or Beat is okay I guess. I like the effects at the begining. deep down TRAUMA HOUNDS is cool as hell but "I don't want to talk about it" Anger is cool I guess. the ending song is pretty cool too I like the sample. in all cleanse fold and Manipulate is a cool CD but not really a must have.Free Music Review: early industrial/sampling effort from influential duo
Hit: 3 Stars
I have to admit the difference between this and the new "Mythmaker" are striking, the newest being much louder and heavier, but "Cleanse Fold and Manipulate" is a good example of Skinny Puppy's pioneering work that influenced NIN and just about anybody who uses computers and synthesizers these days. It's the sort of influence musicians pick up and use to greater effect, while the average music buyer doesn't usually know where they got their ideas from.
"Cleanse Fold and Manipulate" is more of a dance oriented set, albeit a dark and forboding tune to play at a club. The sneering vocals, multiple samples and ambience give the music the industrial edge, but the set overall doesn't get loud or boisterous. That is the only criticism I have, and that the CD can get a little dull at times, but time may reveal more to the music than what I've heard so far. It's still a worthy CD especially for its historical value as a pioneering venture into other soundscapes that bands hadn't really explored up to that time.