Digital Geist
The Zero Engine
© 2006 Digital Geist (837101261180)
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A finely honed electro-trance breakbeat act with influences from Front 242 to Sasha to Praga Khan.
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A mark on a grid, that's what it is. Points of X, Y and Z mapped out with zero at it's core. At least, that's how Alex K would best describe his radical electro breaks project Digital Geist. Point zero is the year 1999, DG's inception in a bedroom studio with a 4-track tape deck and some synth beats pounded out live with no overdubs. Dirty, untrained and unrefined, these first few demos proved to be a firm foundation to build upon.
The line from zero moved up and down, forward and backward as those first years went on. Digital Geist moved from background hobby to full-time project and as the learning curve increased, so did the amount of time spent on production, sample-cutting and live MIDI implementation. It has paid off. DG is now one of the front-running live-performance acts out there specializing in slick homemade breakbeats, atmospheric experimentation and hard-hitting superlative trance basslines. Every live performance is different, and just as honed to perfection as the studio material - having won accolades from several sources including being named 2003's best newcomer by Release Music Magazine.
The aesthetic of a grid continues. The newest body of work for Digital Geist is the full-length album, THE ZERO ENGINE - compiled of 12 tracks and 68 minutes of pure, pounding experimentation with electro beats, basslines and sample augmentation created over the course of a year of obsessive studio work. Coupled with contributions from spoken word artist Krista Dragomer, psytrance powerhouse Dharma Lab, IDM act Timid, EBM legends Neotek and electronic pioneers Front 242, DG's first pressed album promises to turn heads and, more importantly, propel the project further along towards new levels of X, Y and Z.
Much more info is available on the website: DigitalGeist.com
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Incredibly talented, mostly instrumental
author: Plastik SicknessEither Digital Geist is a spawn of two men with multiple personalities, or they are just incredibly talented (I'm voting for the latter). The album "The Zero Engine" is the newest from Digital Geist, a project composed of Alex K and Newt (with a little help from others). My comment about "multiple personalities" stems from how diverse this album is: although predominantly techno in nature, you can find elements of electro, psytrance, drum'n'bass, tribal and glitch/IDM on various tracks. It's impressive to find a project that can encompass all these genres, and do them all so well. Prepare for a nice long trip through hard dance beats, encompassing the aforementioned genres. Another thing you can respect about DG is the fact they don't bore you. Their music is masterfully arranged, with some beautiful and melodic intros, outros and interludes. Mostly instrumental dance music, they do include some spoken words on a few tracks, and vocals on "Someone Like Me". Throw into the fray remixes from Front 242, Neotek and Timid, and it just adds to the diversity. This is highly recommended for a fan of electronic dance music, especially for someone like me whose taste encompasses many genres.
Review of The Zero Engine
author: Sonic CuriosityThis release from 2006 features 69 minutes of lively techno tunes. Digital Geist is Alex Kourelis and Newt, with spoken word contributions by Krista Dragomer. Extremely dense layers of BPMs and surging electronics conspire with a bevy of samples to generate hyperactive dance tunes. The electronics are a mixture of gritty and refined tones that blend to produce a seething vista of sultry synthetics. Pulsations of bass disposition infect the music, providing a rumbling foundation for the energetic melodies. Airy tonalities waft in the midst of all this, establishing a heavenly touch to the urban nature of the tuneage. A profusion of e-perc contributes complex rhythms that intertwine and flourish into lavish nests of dazzling tempos. The periodic repetition of electronic sounds augments these beats with additional rhythms, resulting in an abundance of percussion that often dominates the tunes. Spoken word passages are present in several tracks, lending clarification of the otherwise instrumental music's intended message. Other tracks feature vocoder vocals by the band. Compositionally, this music is remarkably slick, achieving a masterful mood of ebullient festivity, a celebration of futurist urban environments. Compressing human emotion with mechanical sentiment, the tunes bristle with dynamic fervor. Remixes of three songs are included, handled by the able talents of Front 242, Neotek, and Timid.
Review of The Zero Engine
author: MonotremataBrooklyn electronic breakbeat manglers Digital Geist is Alex K with help from Newt (especially live), and their electro-pulsin' bag is all about the beat, daddy, the big bumpin' BEAT. Formed in 1999 as a bedroom 4-track band, the band has moved on through several demos and many live performances to reach this, their first official full-length album. The nine original tracks (augmented by three remixes by Front 242, Neotek, and Timid) were written, assembled, and sculpted into the staggering march of inventive beats and rhythms that propel this album forward from the moment it begins. The band's approach and feel owe a lot to the first wave of EBM acts like Front 242 and Cabaret Voltaire, with a mad emphasis on the beat and a fondness for simple but muscular rhythms. They spent a year working on the material, and it shows in an attention to detail (even in the background) and the lack of weak parts, which I would presume were weeded out over time and endless replays. What you're left with are nine tracks of prime meat and fat beats, clattering industrial rhythms like a throwback to the golden age of the cheap and simple beatbox, and an energy level that never flags. Great stuff, and extremely well-done in every aspect, from the recording and samples to the art and packaging. The three remixes at the end aren't bad either, although after such a commanding and unrelenting onslaught of pure damn BEATS, I'm not sure how necessary they are, even if the one by Front 242 does add all sorts of unspeakably cool efx and beat-happy drama. The beats you need playing on the speakers when you're looking for the booty you want in Clubland, doom childe, although they'll sound just as good at home.
Medienkonverter Review (German)
author: ralfDigital Geist – das ist Alex Kourelis aus New York – eine Ein-Mann-Show zwischen Ambient, Electro und treibendem Techno. Die Mischung macht’s bei dieser Scheibe. Wer nur wenig Zeit hat, kann mit dem ersten Track ‚Earworm (No Light Guides Us)’ schon mal einen guten Überblick bekommen von dem was hier geboten wird. Denn mit Sprachgesang, der von der Intensität an das Sample aus ‚Little Fluffy Clouds’ erinnert, startet dieser Track, geht entspannt ein wenig wie ‚FSOL’ in der Accelerator-Zeit weiter bevor sich das Stück mehr und mehr zu einem mit knallenden Beats und Acid Anleihen ausgestatteten Technomonster entwickelt. Gleich am Anfang einer der besten Tracks! Die angenehme Stimme von Krista Dragomer gibt’s dann in drei weiteren Tracks zum Glück nochmal zu hören. Insgesamt spielt sich ansonsten auf diesem Album viel im instrumentalen Bereich ab, daneben gibt es aber noch einen Vocal-Tracks, der es in sich hat. ‚Someone Like Me’ mit Vocoder-Gesang eines gewissen ‚Newt’ macht im tanzlastigen Original als auch im Front 242 Remix, der an die ‚Tyrany for You’ Phase erinnert Laune. GUTEN Trance gibt es mit ‚Red Techno’, in dem zwischendrin klimpernd-elektronische Breaks wichtige Akzente setzen. Wer sich das Album zulegt bekommt noch ein Passwort zum Download neun weiterer Tracks geliefert. Und wer jetzt glaubt, das seien so in etwa die Reste, die im Studio eben liegen geblieben sind, der täuscht sich ganz gewaltig: die Tracks mögen thematisch vielleicht nicht alle ins Konzept des ‚Zero Engine’ Albums passen, aber bspw ‚Swimming at Night With You’ ist sicherlich DER Track, in dem Alex beweist, dass er atmosphärisch dicht coole Chill-Out-Musik machen kann, die begeistert. Vier Remixes gibt es außerdem von ‚Someone Like You’. Zwei davon sind sehr viel experimenteller als der Rest der Songs ausgefallen, genauso wie der ‚Abstractology Remix’ von ‚Red Techno’. Den Front242 Remix finden wir nochmals in der instrumentalen Version. Schließlich muss noch der Track Arc erwähnt werden, der schöne Leftfield- lastige Sounds mit Vocals vereint, die entfernt an Legenden wie John Lydon erinnern. Für Freunde der ordentlichen, grenzüberschreitenden elektronischen Musik mit viel 'Bum-Bum' findet sich mit ‚Zero Engine’ ein Schmankerl das zwar bereits 2006 veröffentlicht wurde, vielleicht aber das erste kleine Highlight für ein gelungenes musikalisches 2007 ist.
Excellent Hybrid of Clashing Genres
author: Music Non-StopThis Brand New Limited Edition release ( 350 copies only ! ) from New-Yorkers Alex K + Newt ( aka Digital Geist ) offers an excellent hybrid of clashing genres : Tight programming and Techno / Electro / Trance rhythms combine with complex sound patterns, shuffling sequences and driving, chugging bass lines to deliver one brilliantly produced and professionally executed album. "The Zero Engine" comes heavily recommended to fans of cutting edge, pulsating electronic music further enhanced by vocoded menace ( on the track "Someone Like Me" - also Remixed by Patrick Codenys of Front 242 ) synth melodics ( "Red Techno" ) and slight Industrial overtones...A really excellent debut from a truly talented duo "The Zero Engine" offers 12 tracks of refreshing and quality-laden electronic sounds for the discerning listener...
FOUR STARS from Chain DLK
author: Marc Tater / Chain DLK MagazineWith a first look only on the cover art you may expect a kind of Techno/Trance-based music effort, and indeed – these elements can be discovered here besides some others. This is the debut full-length CD of Alex K and Newt, who are hiding behind this moniker and they offer as an interesting mixture of the above mentioned styles combined with some IDM/Electronica influences, Futurepop and a slight excursion into Electro-Clash music. So you’ll get a fine and detailed arranged album which will easily push your body to the dancefloors. With the track “Someone Like Me” they also have a piece on board which features real male vocals (though well manipulated with some vocoder effects...) and a real compositional background. Several “spoken word” inputs done by Krista Dragomer can be heard on 4 different tracks. This release also attracts attention because it has several collaborations and remix works available. With FRONT 242 working on “Someone Like Me” they could indeed win one of the biggest players internationally, also the Danish act NEOTEK has a good name in the Electro/EBM/Industrial scene. But it should be mentioned that both their remix works don’t push the sound of DIGITAL GEIST any nearer to EBM or Electro/Industrial music – they swim with the stream. Favorites next to “Someone Like Me” can be named with “Earworm (No Light Guides Us)” (what a fine synth layer work!) and the dry Techno-styled “Keep The Faith (featuring Christian K. of DHARMA LAB)”. There’s a lot of talent and real effort behind this album and if you dig some of the above mentioned styles, you would be surprised by the diversity this release has to offer.