Mlada Fronta live (photo supplied)



Mlada Fronta live (photo supplied)

Mlada Fronta - Oxydes review by DJ Flipps
Unlike the majority of acts within the genre of Rhythmic Noise, the name Mlada Fronta is one which is easily known to anyone even remotely involved in Toronto’s Industrial / Goth subculture. The project’s popularity has become significantly apparent on a local spectrum during the past few years, undoubtedly due to their widely known club hit XB-33. However, there still yet lie a vast majority of people whom have yet to discover what exists beyond their club tracks, and the significantly ingenious releases the project has created subsequently to “High Tension” (the CD on which XB-33 is featured). Their latest release “Oxydes” possesses a range of atmospheric dwellings into dark electronic experimentations. Danceable yet fragile, delicate yet unsettling and visceral. Simply put, it fucking rules.

Based out of France, the project holds true to the diverse creativity apparent within industrial acts from the region. This is yet a further emphasis upon the underlying similarities involved within industrial projects from various parts of the world. Similar to Die Form’s style of structural experimentation and sporadic bursts of emotion for example, Mlada Fronta uses moody, purely electronic sounds to convey a lustful image of flowing delusional bliss throughout the music on “Oxydes”.

Ranging from danceable rhythms to waves of dark ambience and sporadic, disturbing sub-conscious revelations, the project has created yet another incredibly diverse, textured, and intelligent work of art. Furthermore, unlike many Rhythmic Noise acts, “Oxydes” possesses a softer, more laid-back approach to the music, a pleasant alternative to the violent sonic resistance provided by such artists as 5f_55, Ronin, and The Holocaust Division. Rather than a frontal assault, the albums reveals itself to the listener with a haunting, serene, and delicate string loop, followed by subsequent textures of sexy rhythms and pounding percussion. Although the music blends into various dark and disturbing peaks and valleys as the disk unfolds, the eclectic manner in which it is executed proves to be extremely effective, despite any additions of vocals or lyrical elements within the album itself. Desolate and empty, while rich and melodic all at once. An aural expression of confusion, euphoria, gu ilt, madness, insanity, and love all blended together in one singular form of synthetic paranoia.

More-over, the listener is not only treated with a brilliant album, but also receives a second disk complete with remixes by such acts as Tarmvred and Mimetic, as well as a data selection of unreleased video tracks. Furthermore, along with the videos, the packaging is yet another reason why one should own this album rather than simply downloading it. The digipak itself almost completely captures the mood of the music inside - if there’s one word to describe “Oxydes” as a whole, it would be Sterile. A smooth white covering complete with a booklet containing various photographs of different molecular bonds, each symbolizing a track on the album, makes for an exceptionally quality release. This aspect of the album appealed to me particularly since it’s themes tie in with my inexplicable fascination with purity. The clinical, serene, acidic, almost chemical feel the album possesses is a synthetic emotional reflection of infectious beauty. A neuro-stimulation of perpetual chaos, in a sedated form of expression.

Having said the above, it’s quite obvious that their show on June 1st at Savage Garden is one not to be missed. Along with Mimetic, this act is appearing for the first time ever in the very club where they gained the majority of their local exposure to begin with. For two years, there was seldom a weekend where one didn’t hear XB-33 at the club itself, and on June 1st you finally get to see the project behind the music live in performance. This is a once in a lifetime show, an underground act from so far away playing live at the same club where they gained their support in this city to begin with. A group who have broken the boundaries within the various sub-genres in our scene, whether you be a fan of Synth-Pop, EBM, Noize, Harsh Electro, Psy-Trance or whatever, one thing is for certain to all of us - this show is going to fucking kick some serious ass.

review by - Flipps

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