So… Cycloon is a side/solo project of Page 12 singer, Axel Kleintjes. That may mean more to followers of the 1990s German dark techno/electro scenes. It’s still all very new to me. I’m just out here chasing sensations and experiences. There’s been no difficulty in finding such things and this is no exception. It bears repeating also that if one is looking for something that at least borders on disturbing or frightening, one can never go wrong looking to Germany. That stands for all genres of music dating far back in history. It didn’t start in the 20th Century and my suspicion is that Germans will be scaring the shit out of people until the end of time. Cycloon is… well… there’s a lot in there, from minimal techno to Gregorian chant. It’s a gothic, industrial horror soundtrack.

I chose this album over an earlier 1997 release based solely on the cover art. I’d normally guess that a first release will always be most representative of an artist’s work and that may be the case still. At the same time, the x-ray vertebra here were unsettling enough to capture my attention more entirely. It’s not enough to say that it was more compelling. It was irresistible. Not surprisingly, the music is what one may expect from the cover and while cover art was probably a bigger deal in the age of 12″ LPs, it’s still cool to have an integrated presentation. That seemed to have been lost in the earlier 90s when anyone with a computer fancied themself a graphic artist. It was a dark time for graphic art, if you ask me.

Not that anyone is asking, but…

Still obsessing… fascinating perhaps if I can abuse the word thusly, on The Matrix. On The Simulation. Yah, man. I can hear The Machine. I’m going to start capitalizing it like that when I tell the story. It’s not the machine. It’s got an identity now so it requires the consideration of being a proper noun. It’s The Machine. I know more or less what it is now and just in case this is the first time you’re jumping in, there will be further explanation of The Machine at some point. It’s not necessary now. You want to get a good idea of what I’m talking about, try listening to Cycloon with headphones, with no other distractions. Just sit and listen. That will be a good enough start.