Belgian Electro-/EBM-legend Signal Aout 42 returns to the front of thudding bass frequencies, hard rhythms and unleashed sequencers with a highly complex beat inferno.
Singer and sound wizard Jacky Meurisse, sporting his characteristic deep and rough larynx, manages to pull off the genial feat of looking back and pushing forward simultaneously, taking the listener on a highly catchy and raw journey through the history of electronic music while at the same time producing a timeless and visionary album.
The title “Inspiration” was an intentional choice, as each of the 10 songs was inspired by a classic song or band, embedding its very essence into the trademark “Signal-Aout-42”-sound. Those with a keen eye and knowledge of the scene will probably have an easy time picking out the references and will have a blast of a time trying to identify which song or artist Meurisse used as an inspiration for his songs. It is hardly any wonder, then, that “Inspiration” is the most multi-layered and versatile album in the group’s career: there are inklings of the dark and heavy sequencer behemoths of the early 80ies and touches of the melodic synth-sounds of the New Wave which go hand in hand with flawless Old-School-EBM tunes and a dance floor filling homage to the New-Beat-era.
It has been long since the Electro-scene’s foundations were shaken by such a wild and stirring sonic mix. That this album comes from the very band whose “Immortal Collection” was the starting point for Out Of Line in the label business, makes “Inspiration” one of the most welcome surprises of the year and yet again proves the point that it is often the old hands and genre-legends that keep on providing the scene with new kicks.
Atmospheric, multi-layered, melodic, raw, retro, innovative and positively ass-kicking. These attributes do not fit together, you say? Boy, are you in for a surprise! No matter which perspective you look at it from, “Inspiration” is nothing short of a revelation for the EBM-scene! Old school meets the future on an album with the ultimate addictive potential.
