Project Pitchfork


[Renascence sleeve]"Renascence" (Single, 1994)

Off Beat

Opening with a drum pattern that sounds like it was programmed by an unimaginative nine-year-old wasn't an inspiring introduction to these popular German electro pop creators. Yet Renascence is, apparently, a fan favourite. Sadly, it only got worse once the 'singer' opened his mouth. It's been a while since I've heard such abysmal vocals on a professional release. Fortunately, there are two remixes of the title track by other artists.

The first by fellow countryman Ernst Ham of Deine Lakaien (who, incidentally, released an album called Dark Star) ditches the dreadful percussion of the original, minimises the vocals and introduces extra melodies. The second remix is by the ever-reliable Bill Leeb of Canadian industrialists Front Line Assembly. True to form, Leeb doesn't disappoint, serving up a mix that has few traces of the original track and still fewer vocals; those that are left are heavily treated and low in the mix. A characteristic FLA rhythm carries this relatively understated but totally agreeable mix along. The fourth track, The Hint, returns to Project Pitchfork working alone. Being a mid-BPM number based around a simple but effective piano line, vocalist Peter Spilles can rely more upon speaking than singing and the result is far more palatable than the title track. But the two remixes do put PP's efforts to shame somewhat. 5/10

Rob Dyer

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