Customer Reviews

Machine Bites

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

 

 

Compiled from the albums Spell of Joy and Bite Release Bite plus songs from their three singles, "Not Now, Not Here" for example is pure dark dance, but commercial enough for Dave Gahan to sell his soul for. "Frantic" in contrast is purer industrial but still maintains a driving beat further in "Whats to be Done" has an atmospheric key board cloaked in goth's dark colors, while "Prisca" mixes in synthpop and "Soulspirit" could appear in KMFDM's songbook. Vocals range from compressed to untreated and even include some harmonies. Between the main songs, short sampled pieces ranging from ambient to industrial somehow tie it all together. If Machine Bites sounds like a garbled mess, you've missed the point. The Fair Sex manage to stretch across the electro field but never loose touch with their vision of dance rhythms and melodies. If you're unfamiliar with their name, join the club but something this good should not go unnoticed much longer. Innovative and intriguing, catchy, yet atmospheric, this album is a must.

The genius minds behind Skinny Puppy and Front 242 combine thier talents in this hard to find masterpiece. Hmm, it's classified under Dance, DJ.... I'd take the stress off dance, really. Sounds more industrial with a touch of dance and traces of gohtic - perfect listening in just about any situation.

Compiled from the albums Spell of Joy and Bite Release Bite plus songs from their three singles, "Not Now, Not Here" for example is pure dark dance, but commercial enough for Dave Gahan to sell his soul for. "Frantic" in contrast is purer industrial but still maintains a driving beat further in "Whats to be Done" has an atmospheric key board cloaked in goth's dark colors, while "Prisca" mixes in synthpop and "Soulspirit" could appear in KMFDM's songbook. Vocals range from compressed to untreated and even include some harmonies. Between the main songs, short sampled pieces ranging from ambient to industrial somehow tie it all together. If Machine Bites sounds like a garbled mess, you've missed the point. The Fair Sex manage to stretch across the electro field but never loose touch with their vision of dance rhythms and melodies. If you're unfamiliar with their name, join the club but something this good should not go unnoticed much longer. Innovative and intriguing, catchy, yet atmospheric, this album is a must.

Perhaps what Fair Sex lacks is a sound that separates them from their other industrial peers. In the mix, you can hear some hints of old Skinny Puppy, Front 242, and KMFDM maybe a little of older Nine Inch Nails. I've been listening to Fair Sex in the background sometimes and come back to reality after doing something, thinking "it's almost like I'm listening to Skinny Puppy".

Well, in short, I started out with a few select songs I liked from them. But now I've started digesting whole works and I've found I simply like Fair Sex. I like industrial and they serve up that sound, hard electro beats and bass lines, harsh vocal work, dancy beats. What I like most is their synth lines, they've produced some of the most beautiful, haunting synth lines I've ever heard in industrial. It's the melody they incorporate into their chorus or the infeciousness of a song that keeps me listening.

MACHINE BITES is a good helping of their 90's career. Not much in the way of liner notes and design, but its the music that truly counts. I also recommend you check out their 80's material as well. It's a shame their fan base seems to be relegated mainly overseas, in the U.S. they seem to be virtually unknown. Thanks to Van Richter they may break some ground over here in the U.S.

I've got "Machine Bites" and I've listened to it several times, but it fails the leave me with a strong, lasting impression. The music was industrial with guitars, but not incredibly heavy guitars. The song "Casket Tower" seemed to be the only one that stuck out as being interesting enough to warrant more listening time. This album is a compilation of previously released material from their various older albums. Unfortunately, if this is a reliable cross-section of The Fair Sex's work, I find it rather disappointing. It's not bad, but it's down the spectrum from good...