Synthesizer

Information Society | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 9, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Dancing Ferret Discs
• ASIN: B000VALY1I
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #139,563 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's the information age brother!, November 27, 2007

By 

M. Davidian (Fresno, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Synthesizer (MP3 Download)

Fans of Information Society's first three releases (and 80's synthpop in general--think Erasure, OMD, Human League, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys) will not be disappointed. A natural progression from their earlier efforts (and you might even hear some hints of the darker industrial sound of the 1997 release Don't Be Afraid).

While all of the tracks have InSoc's distinctive style, none of the songs sound the same or get repetitive. Female vocals are present to a greater degree than any of their previous releases--and are a nice touch especially the duet on "Run Away"--and suggest a direction the band might have gone if Amanda Kramer had not left after the first album was released.

Samples are used to good effect, though not nearly as extensively as previous releases (And none from Star Trek, how can that be??? Even on the darker DBA, Kurt manged to include a Spock sample!) No secret messages encoded in modem tones, no scavenger hunts for bonus tracks, none of the (what some considered) "instrumental"/"filler" tracks like on Hack--just an hour of beat-pounding, danceable, sing-alongable synth pop goodness!

And don't forget to grab "Great Big Disco World" from the Oscillator EP, the only new Information Society track that is not on Synthesizer!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Back 2 Form!!, November 11, 2007

By 

Trace J. Tumbleson (Trimont, MN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Synthesizer (Audio CD)

I have thought everything INSOC has come up with has been great. Even the much "hacked" on CD by Kurt DBA. This CD is for all the fans that hated DBA and wanted the INSOC of old. However, I don't know what some of the other reviewers have been smoking but Kurt only sings on 1 song on this whole CD. SEEDS of PAIN. Read the liner!! The new singer (at last I checked Kurt is back singing full time) sounds great and there is not much of vocal style difference between the two. I would say this is one of the best CDs of the year so far. Taking the best of the old and fusing it with some new elements to create something wonderful!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Back and same as ever -- which is a good thing, October 14, 2007

By 

Turtle502 (Pitman, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Synthesizer (Audio CD)

This is an excellent return by Information Society. It's the same instrumentation we had heard on their earlier albums, the same samples, etc. In other words, it has that same familiar sound -- warm analog style synths, odd samples, and great beats. Kurt's vocals are just as good as they were 10 years ago; his voice is clear, on-key, and the tone and timbre are a great contrast to the synths -- his voice helps add some organic feel to the music. The combination of male and female vocals on some tracks brings back memories of that first Information Society album, while it also reminds me of Human League. The lyrics, which sound simplistic at times, are quite interesting, about love and life, while taking a different perspective on those topics. They tell a story and they're easy to sing along with. There are some very very VERY catchy choruses, and I find myself singing along after only a couple of days -- simple but catchy, they hook you in.

Most of the songs follow a verse/chorus/verse/chorus/break/chorus construction, which is predicatble but also has been part of the InfoSoc formula going back to the 80's. This album has the catchiness and "danceability" of their debut album, with the grittiness of later albums, where Kurt worked mostly alone. There are some tracks that remind me of BT. I believe these tracks will be worked-up by many DJs, but they are already excellent as they are.

Best tracks: Baby Just Wants, Back in the Day, I Like the Way You Werk It, Can't Get Enough

The only problem -- the song titles on the album sleeve for tracks 12 and 13 are switched. Otherwise, the production is excellent. A good outing by InfoSoc.