Matter+Form

by

VNV Nation

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VNV Nation, the duo of Ronan Harris and Mark Jackson, have with every album honed and refined their distinct sound and style. As the fathers of futurepop, they have weathered the highs and lows of becoming one of the most influential bands in the electronic music scene. With this, their fifth album, "Matter + Form," VNV Nation reinvents itself yet again. Several familiar elements remain, but there is a new sound at work here. The synthesizers have a more organic sound to them (a result of abandoning the PC/softsynth-only approach of their previous album "Futureperfect," and returning to the vintage equipment that signified the sound of their earlier albums), the drums have more variety of tone (some tracks sound more like real drums instead of electronic), the vocals have a wider breadth of melody (Ronan actually sings on key and harmonizes with himself on several tracks), and even stretching outside of the EBM/electro confines of the genre to write songs that actually could have commercial appeal. Songs like "Perpetual" and "Arena" have definite potential to be heard on modern radio, with their catchy melodies and the organic drumming. Other tracks like "Chrome" and "Entropy" recall the old sound of VNV, but with an updated sound and a mature mentality. These songs show the band stepping outside of the formulas they previously set for themselves. "Endless Skies" is a sweet ballad that succeeds where "Holding On" from the previous album failed. Ronan has a greater command of his voice and sings with melancholic passion. "Strata" and "Interceptor" are the obligatory trance-ish instrumentals as only VNV can do...these tracks will be surefire hits on the dancefloor, as will "Homeward" which would also make for a great single. "Colours of Rain" is the real surprise here, musically speaking. With its gothic piano and sweeping symphonics, it has a surprisingly warm sound to it, belying the cold electronic nature of the genre. Indeed, "Matter + Form" shows VNV Nation is not afraid to step outside the norm and take steps to make changes and evolve. This is a revolutionary album that will anger several fans who prefer the old sound, but will astound those with an open mind. Evolution is essential for survival, and VNV Nation are one of the few bands out there who are striving to evolve. When all is said and done, "Matter + Form" is quite an achievement, not just for VNV Nation, but for the electronic music genre as a whole. Listen and enjoy!!!

Note: Check out a more in-depth review at http://www.regenmag.com/Sections-article246-p1.html, written by yours truly.

Empires seems to have been the creative peak for VNV Nation. Futureperfect was not nearly as strong and less consistent, although it had many good tracks. Matter+Form throws any sense of consistency out the window and although there are some good tracks on here, not enough to keep this album afloat. Chrome and Homeward are good tracks that are more like what you might expect from VNV Nation, the rest go all over the place. Rock-style drums and pop-like rythyms seem to dominate the rest of the album and make for a less than enjoyable overall listening experience. It lacks a real direction and any coherence and is more of a thrown-together collection of tracks than an actual album. They may never make another Empires, but I certainly expect better than this from them.