Local Review: Phono – The Changeover

Phono
The Changeover

10 Degree Productions
Street: 2006
Phono = NIN + VNV Nation

Joe Ashton terrorizes electronic music with a focus bent on rhythm. Were you to spread the parts out, name checking the various influences that are prevalent on The Changeover you’d find just about every industrial/EBM clich,  minus Skinny Puppy’s vocoder. Violence, sex and despair dominate the lyrics in a chant, spitfire anthem that occasionally breaks the mold by showing more than a monotone range. You’d also find a sense of vulnerability that echoes Trent Reznor’s more intimate moments, the occasional orchestral underscore that nods to Apoptygma Bezerk’s 7 while the plundering of beats points towards Photek’s drum and bass days (or NIN’s “Perect Drug” if you rather); all suggesting if you’re going to use your influences you might as well emulate the best around. Phono has done just that, which in the big picture is pretty impressive, very listenable and far better than the majority of electronic releases these days.