Published by Davide Pappalardo on November 28, 2016
Although he has offered us in the past some of the more eclectic and personal examples of the genre, Mark Alan Miller‘s project Out Out has always been kind of overlooked even in the underground world of American electro-industrial. In the 90’s he published albums like Pepperbox Muzzle and Finched, carried by infective singles (Antidote, D.W.I, Admire the question, Finched, Never tell, and so on) where electro-industrial was mixed with industrial rock, synth-pop and EBM sensibilities, and a sometimes funkier vibe. Then he gave us works like Nisus and Voiceprint, underlined by a more experimental but robust sound, without detaching himself from the style he was known for. Verily, he had some deserved recognition and a following from the connoisseurs of this music (and his works have been published by Metropolis too), but he remained an acquired taste, so to speak.
In the 2000’s he went further with his personal vision, publishing albums like Virtual sound images and Assumed outrivaling with his own label Radio Valkyrie Records, works characterized by ambient and techno / IDM tracks without vocals and guitars. This change kept him off the radar of the “mainstream” electro-industrial scene for years, and maybe many people thought they would have never heard again from him an album in the old vein.
Now he returns with Swan/Dive?, surprisingly licensed by Artoffact Records and carried by two straightforward and song-oriented singles like Shut up! And Look up, Hannah. Is it a total return to the old sound on the wake of the recent old school resurgence? It would have been too simple and out of character for the eclectic musician, and while the album does have some elements of the past, it keeps the more experimental side of the last years and even adds something new to the formula. A new chapter in his discography, where he feels free to play with different styles and even to pay tribute to some of his influences thanks to some unexpected covers.
The aforementioned Shut up! is a throbbing affair with a 4/4 drum machine, accompanied by hypnotizing loops and guitar solos, upon which Miller layers his distorted vocals chanting a social-political commentary about his country, while Look up, Hannah uses infective basslines and minimal electro movements until it opens up to aggressive riffing and moody atmospheres. These are two of the more to-the-face tracks of the album and they could deceive the listener into thinking this is the direction of the work.
I think you now changes the peace, giving us a melodic number which reinterprets the 70’s progressive rock song of Todd Rundgren as a synth pop, almost future pop, surprisingly episode with a crawling but mesmerizing crescendo. The broad range of Miller’s taste is here perfectly encapsulated, while the ending section of the track uses some experimental broken rhythms in a modern fashion. Go off the grind recalls early techno collage with its sidereal atmospheres and robotic movements, an instrumental track linked to the more recent works of Miller, while …and Everyone wants to be with you surprises us once again with an electro-rock ballad developed by languid organ sounds and arpeggios.
Beat down, burn down returns to a more straightforward approach, but it keeps a certain rock-oriented charm fused with trip hop-like movements and enthralling choruses, and Falsified is an almost electro-punk number with a Ministry-inspired uproar, characterized by distorted drum machines, effected robotic verses and guitar loops. The album ends with two homages, Bleak and hollow (originally of the post rock duo The Demographic) and Overload of The Taking Heads; the first one becomes a syncopated electro-rock affair which retains the songwriting of the original version while adding electronic disturbances, the last one keeps the ethereal and gray atmosphere of the original song, enforcing its latent proto-industrial and post rock qualities.
The CD version of the album has an extra disc called For divers reasons, with 14 remixes done by guests like Jeff Hudson, The Demographic, UCNX, Circus of dead squirrels, and many more. They add to the variety of the work, playing with the electronic side of the music, using trance elements, IDM, electro-dance, and much more.
A peculiar work which could confuse the listener, an album requiring repeated listening sessions to grasp its eclectic nature defined not by styles, where Miller’s vision is the only key to decipher the different input given by his last effort. An open mind and an appreciation for different kinds of music will help in this journey; once again, Out Out follows its own path, pandering to no one and going outside of the concepts of electronic and acoustic music. Give it a try.
Label: Artoffact Records
Rating: 7,5