CD, Out of Line, 2004
www.destroid.com
A magnificent composer of unique electronic music, Daniel Myer has made his mark with every form of sound and style in the genre through his various incarnations. He returns to us once more in collaboration with Sebastian Ullmann and Yamazaki to bring a sometimes harsh, sometimes brooding experiment named Destroid.
Almost immediately, you can hear Myer’s influence in the music (not just through his vocals, mind you), but Ullmann and Yamazaki definitely do have a major impact on the album’s sound. Ranging from rhythmic cacophonies of percussion coupled with severe and abrasive vocal treatments to dark, deep, and brooding instances of personal distress (yes, that sounds a little gothy, but the music doesn’t really come off as such).
Each song is rendered with the complex and carefully arranged layers so characteristic of anything Myer puts his hands on, especially so in the songs with the more personally delicate themes (“Sir William”, “Into the Deepest Dark”, “Passion”, “…I Still Continue”). Ullmann and Yamazaki make their presence known by guiding the songs away from the feel of Haujobb’ish executions and adding different flavours to Myer’s handiwork. Movie sample use is a little awkward and heavy at times, but that would be this author’s only discrepancy with the album as a whole.
Destroid is a worthy companion to the host of side projects under Myer’s belt. Final score: eight out of a possible ten habanero peppers.
[8/10]
— Ethan Cohen