Muted Silence - Soul Scar

Hear The Track Here

Muted Silence is, just in case you were wondering, two well known Soundclick electronica names; Nuff X and Omnisine, both of whom have had a great run of tracks in their own right over the last year or so. Which explains why this track is the first Muted Silence track for almost 2 years. According to the aforementioned diamond geezers, Soul Scar started off as a simple Trip Hop song but somehow managed to veer into every conceivable musical nook and cranny before turning up in this review two whole years down the line. A lot of my tracks take as long to make and visit as many places, and I am already convinced of the potential of Nuff and 'Sine (so much so that Omnisine was my Artist of The Year 2007) so it goes without saying that I was expecting a lot from this track.

Unfair, I know, but whadda ya do?

Nuff X (in case you were still unaware) is king of glitch and (latterly) a kinda electronic alternative, whereas Omnisine is about as well rounded a musician as you would care to meet. The first (and only) time I reviewed their work was Mind Plays Games (February 2006) and I rated it for the combination of talents. Soul Scar shows the expansion they have brought to their individual work paying off with this intense, complex blend of musical styles. A dark, almost industrial feel permeates this track and that, along with the edgy almost shrill vocal style guarantee that not everyone is going to like this.

Mind you, I personally like pushing the envelope and being - dare I say it? - original, and I recognise it when I see it. Which is what makes Soul Scar so enjoyable a listen, at least for this reviewer. I say this despite a teeth grinding edge to the track that starts at the intro and ratchets the tension not in mere ones and twos but in powers. The kind of thing that has you wanting to jump out of your skin before the end. All, of course, in a nice way, provided you like music with more than a little muscle. Intellectually as well as aurally. Kind of reminds me of the rougher side of Depeche Mode bought bang up to date. A definite keeper for me.

Highly Recommended dark electronica of the first order.