{"id":39784,"date":"2006-06-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2006-06-02T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/the-focus\/"},"modified":"2006-06-02T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2006-06-02T00:00:00","slug":"the-focus","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/the-focus\/","title":{"rendered":"The Focus"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Monotonous albums are a scourge on music. Repetition
\nof one single idea (however great) throughout a whole album doesn’t
\nreally make for an interesting listening. This especially holds
\ntrue for the genre of techno (and its various progenies), which is
\ndoomed to be cursed with monotony; techno records thrive on “the
\none song” from which the whole record is cloned.<\/p>\n

Such is the fate of The Focus<\/i>, an album by
\nGerman industrial-techno act Absurd Minds, which is condemned to be
\nrepetitive and hence deploringly boring. But, strangely, its
\nmonotony is not quite the same as one would expect of an album of
\nthis nature.<\/p>\n

Absurd Minds, in the league of similar bands like Project Pitchfork
\nand VNV Nation, is a part of the generation of techno inspired by
\nthe manliness of industrial music, minus the guitars and the gore.
\nThe Focus<\/i>, built on the same foundation, is full of tough
\nbeats, menacing synths, and vocals that rasp. Add to this the
\ncoerced positivism of techno, and it yields tracks that are uptempo
\nbut still finding themselves in the cocoon of industrial gloom.
\nMoreover, give it the urgency and punch of punk rock, and the
\ntracks turn out racy, catchy, and succinct; The Focus is a punk
\nalbum for techno zealots.<\/p>\n

In what is such an elegantly-crafted dance record,
\nmonotony rears its ugly self as the album unfolds, with the tracks
\nsharing a similar tone, a similar beat, and a similar pulse; and
\nall the cuts find themselves heading in the same direction.
\nHowever, here’s where the genius of Absurd Minds shines, and takes
\nthe album to a zenith that is seen in techno records, only few and
\nfar between. While traditional club records tend to be for the
\nmusically-ignorant party-goer who doesn’t care what’s being played
\nas long as it serves the booty-shaking purpose, The Focus<\/i> is
\nmeant for the more serious listener, and in general has been
\nmusically very well thought of.<\/p>\n

Although the tracks tend to head the same way, they
\nare built on dissimilar chemistries, and possess subtle textural
\nvariations that strongly characterize each of them. The album
\nkickoff “Essence” is a synth powerhouse with a charged-up 80s pop
\nchorus that’s as anthemic as it is instantly addictive. More racy
\nand club-like, “Captivated,” “Doors,” and “The Focus” have the feel
\nof the early electronica movement, whereas “A Stride Through Time,”
\n“Body,” and “Crucifixion” have a more melodic 90s Euro-techno
\nappeal. “Self-Imposed” and “My Search” sound like something out of
\nthe 80’s Sisters Of Mercy Goth-punk scene sans the guitars.<\/p>\n

The Focus<\/i> is nothing less than a brilliant
\ndance record and one of the best techno albums ever made. The fact
\nthat all of its tracks share a few common traits is only a bane of
\nthe genre. Every punk rock album ever released (even the greatest
\nones) is burdened with the same curse; blame it on the genre.
\nForgiving the monotony is only a minor price to pay for what the
\nrecord rewards with: a nice little package of explosive dance music
\nthat’s abundant in style and substance. This is techno like you’ve
\nnever heard before.<\/p>\n

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