Review: C2 – 'Quadrants: The Stories Of Four'

C2
'Quadrants: The Stories Of Four'
CONTROL FREAK RECORDS

New Zealand's C2 have been around since 1997 and performing live since 1999, yet remain somewhat of a secret due to a lengthy hibernation period. However their latest album 'Quadrants: The Stories Of Four' looks set to change that. Punky electro-industrial and rhythmic noise beats to create something brash, but strangely melodic, it will undoubtedly spread like a computer virus.

The first thing that jumps out about this album is the sheer variety on offer. The band really like to experiment with their core sound and even though it is somewhat low-fi throughout, it's perfectly club friendly with songs such as 'Scream In The Mirror', 'Everything Dies', 'Suffering', 'Hit and Run [Part 2]' and 'Scream In The Broken Mirror' displaying influences drawing from classic electro-industrial and ebm. While the band aren't afraid to get down right dirty with tracks such as 'Hit And Run [Part 1]', 'Broken Reception', 'Open Sores' and 'Portals' amping up the noise to create an unpredictable but enjoyable experience.

The production, as with a lot of noise albums, is rather tinny, gritty and patchy in places with the basic dissonance often high in the mix. It won't be winning any awards, but it serves its purpose well and lets the melody through when it needs too.

'Quadrants: The Stories Of Four' is a challenging album due to the fact that, its sixteen tracks long, and you're never quite sure what is round the corner. But its esoteric, low-fi genre straddling makes it an interesting ride that will capture a fair few people's imaginations.

Ultimately this is one of those albums that although being somewhat niche, strangely has a broader appeal to it, that should hopefully raise C2 out of obscurity, and add their name to the ranks of the growing rhythmic noise scene.

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