Customer Reviews

Freeze Frame Reality

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Haujobb's melodies hang like a dark ambiance over layers of complex, futuristic beats to create a synthesis of sonic brilliance. Freeze Frame Reality, although sometimes deceptively emotionless and cold, is laden with anxiety and isolation. It is not grinding industrial, nor is it danceable, catchy synthpop. It is something far more subtle, akin to walking down cool gray corridors of sound. In a genre growing stale with repetitive dance-electronica acts, this album is anything but. At times minimalist, at times driving, but always laced with a haunting mix of machinery and melancholia, Freeze Frame Reality is captivating, intelligent, and, simply put, unforgettable.

I am being dead serious that this is the CD that got me into what people would call "Industrial" music. Up until I got into music I was into stuff like Tool and Metalica. The most I ever strayed into the electronic realm was stuff like Crystal Method and Prodigdy. Since I got this Freeze Frame Reality now listen to nothing else but industrial music (and some poppy stuff like Prodigy). I now have an entire radio show dedicated to industrial music all becaues I found the true essence of what it means to make music not money and that I found in Daniel Myer, Haujobb, and Freeze Frame Reality.
Freeze Frame is easily the best CD that Daniel Myer has made. Now, I am not saying that this easy CD to get into, because its not. None of Meyer's stuff is easy to pick up right away, but once you take the time to listen to one of his songs, you realize the genius he puts behind his music.
This music is very dark to say the least, and if you listen to synth pop stay away. I have tons of people call into my show when I play VNV Nation, but they hate dark stuff like this. If you are a fan a intelligent music like Autchre you might like this. Fans of Skinny Puppy or Black Lung defiantly need to look at this album. I said this album is dark, but I also think it is far from gothic, although a lot of people would disagree with. If you listen to a lot of "gothic" music then it sounds nothing like this.

this album (originally released in 1995) builds toward a cleaner EBM style which was hinted at in the previous "Homes & Gardens" and more clearly defined in the "Eye Over You" remix single. the spooky samples and dark, dramatic rythms are still prominent but this album replaces the raw, experimental sound of their previous work with a much cleaner electronica format and proves to be just as enjoyable but much friendlier for casual listeners.

This is music Walter Gropius would have designed to coincide with his Bauhaus concept of design: clean, sterile, functional, with a theme of industrial function to incorporate a sense of livabilty within a new order of adaptability.

Incredible work of sound sculpting. This CD is NOT for the easy listener. The works are challenging, so if you are a complacent listener of music, pass this up. If not, this CD will entrap you in exactly what the title describes. This CD is haunting, beautiful, and cold. It contains layer upon layer of noise, synth, beats, and other ambiance. It's one of my favorite CD all time.

This is my only CD by Haujobb, so it is difficult for me to compare with their other releases, but from what I understand, 'Freeze Frame Reality' was the last true industrial release Haujobb put out before 'going techno'. Now, I'm a big techno fan, but I must say that regardless of the electronic:industrial content ratios, Haujobb has struck a perfect balance (average? :-) between the two with this album. Judging from the work present here, it is obvious that Haujobb is very talented. The tracks are cold, metallic, provocative, and wonderfully disturbing.. yet teeming with raw emotions that reveal themselves vividly from time to time. The tracks are incredibly complex: Some even show heavy IDM leanings, while never sacrificing their gothic, EBM aesthetic. Some of the songs are slow and brooding, like the guitar driven 'Solid State Logic' and the Autechrean reverb-fest of 'Yearning'. Conversely, the excellent goth dance-trance anthem 'Dream Aid' is driving, intricate, melodic, and mesmerizing, as are some of the later EBM straightouttatheMatrix tracks like 'World Window'. 'Analysis' is just hip-hop gone technoid, until it turns into what sounds like a computer's bad dream. 'Perfect Average' is probably the best track, as its complex and computerized rhythms and melodic fragments build and build until they explode into an incredible climax of distorted guitar lines, driving drums, and Daniel Myer's screaming lyrics. 'Nezzwerk' is equally intricate and interesting, as its tempo changes and cheesy/spooky synthesized guitar pluckings mix with heavy beats to create a wonderful IDM piece. The production is slick and squeaky clean, with just enough occasional grunge and guitar-crunching to make it one of the most satisfying records you'll ever hear. Nevertheless, the album, while consistent sound-wise, is not consistent in quality and interest-retention. The first five or so tracks are without a doubt the best; after that, the album seems to slip into a more mediocre and ultimately boring series of dull, ambient interludes and quintissential, lengthy, industrial goth-epics like 'Trivial' and 'Cold Comfort', respectively. Thus, this CD gets four stars, not because of a lack of talent but a lack of consistent songwriting. Nevertheless, don't let that stop you from picking this up, most of it, as described, is quite wonderful. It is very interesting (though challenging) and haunting stuff, that finds its beauty in its sheer coldness.

One of my favorite Haujobb CDs, more developed than Homes and Gardens, but not worse than Solutions. I enjoy this CD more than Solutions actually. There is just something about this one, very atmoshpheric and moody. A great night time album. Haujobb doesn't dissapoint.

This compilation will take a bit to get used to, even for industrial fans. The reason is that it doesnt stick to one sound, but rather changes it's style from song to song, and sometimes even in the middle of a track. And it doesnt do so gracefully, as industrial would demand. Some pieces maintain themselves in dark ambience, while others are pumping out erratic industrial, while others a genre almost needs to be created for them.
The first track, Solid State Logic, deserves a star all on its own. This track is genious. The beat and bassline is striking, and the sparse lyrics give the song a (un)life of it's own. In a very monotonous, computerized tone, a voice states "I dont want to be anything anymore. I dont need a reason to kill myself." That last line, in the neutral voice, presents a postmodern theme that hasnt made its way into much music. Of course, the outskirts of produced music (though industrial really cant be considered thus anymore, it's really taken off) always promises to grab hold of the tones that underly the (post)structure of our society. This track certainly proves it. Of course, the rest of the album is a slight dissapointment after this introduction, but most listeners arent aware of what they just heard anyway, so the average industrial fan will probably disagree with that assessment. If you're into the genre, check this one out, if not, you're looking at the wrong title to go from prissy Brittany Spears to hard German industrial.

Since I listen to apoptygma berzerk and funkervogt, I sort of got lead to haujobb. They really aren't that good. The beats aren't as catchy, and it doesnt have a "flow like apoptygma berzerk does. Not for the casual listener.