Pages

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

Review: Bruderschaft – 'Return'



'Return' 

It's been ten years since the charity electronic super group Bruderschaft released the EP 'Forever', which featured a host of guest artists with all proceeds going to cancer charities. The collaborative entity headed by New York DJ and FGFC820 front man Rexx Arkana is now back with a full-length offerring to continue the mission that started with 'Forever'.

Rexx and his FGFC820 partner Dräcos are joined in the studio by the likes of Joakim Montelius (Covenant), Sebastian Komor (Icon Of Coil), Daniel Myer (Haujobb), Johann Sebastian (State Of The Union), Maze (Blank). Plus vocalists such as Tom Shear Assemblage 23, Stefan Netschio of Beborn Beton, and Daniel Graves of Aesthetic Perfection come together to add the emotional gravity to the infectious dance formula. The result is an album that is a crowd pleasing blend of synthpop and ebm with plenty of memorable sing-a-long moments.

Tracks such as 'Trigger', 'Return', 'Falling' and 'Goodbye' are not only outstandingly catchy songs that will find a home on any dance floor, they're also emotionally touching and uplifting. While the cover of The Human League's 'The Things That Dreams Are Made Of' makes a great centrepiece for the album, and the updated version of the band's original single 'Forever' brings things back full-circle to close the album.

There is an old saying that too many cooks spoil the broth. But not in this case. The creators of this have channelled their energies into creating a diverse sounding, but thematically unified album that borrows from the strengths of each individual involved. The album is well-produced and mixed. And the collaborative song-writing is of an exceptional quality that works on both the dance and introspective listening levels.

This is obviously a labour of love for everyone involved, and it shows on every single track. Best of all it has the kind of overall longevity that stands up to repeat listening rather than relegating it to a novelty status. Hopefully Bruderschaft will continue, even if it takes another ten years for an album to happen.