Based in Chicago, multi-instrumentalist and composer Derrick Stembridge has taken a step back in time with Facewithin. It sounds like Depeche Mode must have been a big influence on his formative musical years, such is the way he uses rhythm and darker synths to create these 6 tracks (plus 3 remixes).
Twinkling melodies hang in the air over industrial tinged rhythms in ‘Misunderstood’, while the not dissimilar title track adds some distorted android vocals and dials up the murky acid beats that Leftfield turned to on their Rhythm & Stealth album a decade ago. The synth washes and subtle techno hints show a composer bringing together the favourite parts of his record collection.
Stembridge does a nice job on ‘Coming Up For Air’, with its stuttering bass synth and Field-like sweeping synthetic strings. He shows a soundtrack approach to the emotions and mood in his songs and in ‘Virus’ he adds some effect-laden guitar and more Underworld robo-voice, generating some nice rise and fall moments.
‘Facewithin’ is the strongest track on the EP, hence its reworking via 3 remixes. The Drev Remix filters the song through a digital blender, separating and scattering the bytes across the speakers. It resembles digital spray and amps up the industrial aspect of ‘Drifting In Silence’, veering toward Nine Inch Nails territory. The Her Odd First Remix doesn’ head down any new paths but paints it with a 70s analog brush and goes all Kraftwerk on us. The final Anthony Baldino Remix serves up some tasty deconstructed dubstep with razor sharp sliced notes skittering in all directions. The rave buildup mid track works brilliantly, holding everything mile high before rapidly losing altitude back into the blips and beeps.
Facewithin is a good mix of old and new electronica styles, nicely woven together in a fairly dark setting. Fans of Photek, Cabaret Voltaire and Underworld will all find something to appreciate on this solid release.
Chris Familton
