CD, Einzeleinheit, 2005
www.brianuzna.com
Einzeleinheit label has chosen as its guideline the publication of so-called “interface music”, balancing on the edge between different musical styles. In other words, musicians have no restrictions regarding instruments for the realization of their creative ideas. Such kind of music, must present by itself a single whole, closed object with its own right of existence.
Brian Uzna spent almost three years creating the music for “Combat Shock” with a wide array of different influences helping to shape its sound. Elements from Classical music up to contemporaneous musical tendencies, such as IDM, electronica, ambient and breakbeats, were combined in the conception of the music in this album.
“Combat Shock” is a contraposition of two different sides of Brian Uzna’s personality. On the one hand there is experimentalism, represented in such tracks as “Manilas Hospital #1”, and “Beneath A Stealth Sky”, where we can hear more or less sharply defined breakbeat components, intermingled with lots of layers of different sounds, “Glimmerman” and others. On the other hand we can see a relaxed person, who can be recognized in tracks like “Combat Shock”, based on the sampled piano part, and the almost ten minute epic “A World Full Of Sorrow”. “Because Of You” and “Pinae” appear to be somewhere in the middle: experimentalism and unhurried rhythm found here its own special combination.
Separately we have to take a look at the bonus track “Trust” with vocals by Sheepnot. As a result of this collaboration, the stylistic mixture of this album is further expanded with hip-hop. Sheepnot’s spoken vocals add a new shade to “Combat Shock”, making the music even more diversified.
At the end I should note that the three years spent in creating this “Combat Shock” album weren’t wasted and brought an interesting result of studio work.
[8/10]
— Igor