Heathen Harvest review of 'self/sub:vrsn'

Artist: Re: dux tion
Title: self/sub:vrsn
Label: Smell The Stench
Genre: Ambient / Industrial

01 Indifference
02 Deeper
03 Death Imitates Art
04 What is War?
05 Frozen

From the time we are born and have our senses attuned to what’s going on around us to the time we die we all love surprises. The actual millisecond before we die being the biggest surprise of all. And not one we’ll ever remember. Not in this life anyway. How I remember my wife telling me she was pregnant. That was a surprise. Considering I’m impotent that made it an even bigger one. Then our first son was born. The joy was complete. The fact he was coloured, in a Negroid way, was another surprise that befell me. The wife and I are both Caucasian. A billion to one chance of that happening the nurse told me. The surprises never ended. Then she fell pregnant again 6 months later. A girl was born this time. Chinese looking she was. Another billion to one chance the nurse had said. Her eyes were full of pity though. I ought to do the lottery. I seem to beat all the odds. So yes I’ve had my fair share of surprises. Here’s another one that took me unawares.
This release should have appeared on the first update of the new, all singing and dancing, Heathen Harvest website. A shameless plug but what the heck. The only problem was that the first cdr that was sent in was what we in the music business call in technical terms…‘fucked’…or words to that effect. At least I had the chance to review the 'Three Lilies' release whilst waiting for another copy to arrive. Now here’s where the surprise aspect comes into play. Which of course you’ve been expecting because I’ve spent time building it up this way. Where ‘Three Lilies’ had a kind of Godflesh / Ministry vibe to it, my words taken directly from the review, that was class in a glass, a Scottish phrase meaning shit hot, the only problem was the duration of the release. A very stingy 15+ minutes. I was expecting more of the same. Was looking forward to it. Hit me with the synth lines, beats and guitar riffs Big Boy. Not that I am in anyway aware if Christophe G, the artist behind Re: Dux Tion, is tall, fat or well endowed in the trouser department. Big Boy having so many different meanings. Instead what hit me, and here’s the surprise bit at last, was his change of style on this release. Thankfully he has included his rock on riffs on occasion but for the most part ‘Self / sub:vrsn’ ventures into dark ambient soundscapes for the majority of its 29+ minutes. Fourteen better than last time if you’ve been paying attention. Which you had better or I’m wasting my fucking time writing this. And wouldn’t you just know it but I was suitably enamoured by his alluring take on dark ambience. There was something strangely compelling in the way he’s managed to manufacture / conjure them up. Very post Industrial in many ways. The sounds created going for a dank depressive atmosphere with fizzling, like bacon overcooking in a frying pan, and groaning like free Willy with the screaming shits. That’s not including some obligatory bell tolling and caressing piano pieces. I might as well add the swelling cavernous sounds and manipulated / mutated sounds that are also to be found here. These tracks would have been enough on their own to gain my admiration. Christophe G though does love to rock. Must be in his blood. The two tracks, ‘Death Imitates Art’ and ‘Frozen’ are classics. ‘Frozen’ on here is a better mixed cleaned up version than found on the ‘Three Lilies’ release. Well it sounds that way to these ears. I had them de-gunked only recently. And ‘Death Imitates Art’ doesn’t let rip until well past the three quarter mark. Worth the wait all said and done.
I like the attitude that Christophe puts out. His ‘fuck you I’ll do things my way’ appeals to the rebel imprisoned deep inside me. Oh to be like him. I also really, truly and without any monetary reward being offered, although I’ll accept it if any is going around, enjoy his music. The way he has integrated the two different genres on ‘Self / sub:vrsn’ is quite a feat. The fact he’s managed to be so successful with it makes it even better. Come on. Support the individual artist and give this mans music a shot. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. Life is full of them. Have another one courtesy of Re: Dux Tion.