Scaremonger – Scaremonger EP

PRAXIS are obviously setting out to muscle in on a surprisingly neglected corner of the Dance market. I'm not sure what you'd term it - the next-door-neighbour of EBM, nodding acquaintance to Hardcore & drinking buddy of Torture Tech. "Soon We Will Have Special Names" is a fast, dense dance piece using a minimum of vocal samples (the title spoken) and a maximum of variety & experimentation. It's a surprisingly colourful instrumental, as much for the head as the body. "Is There Someone Inside You" continues in a very familiar frame, having a Rap logic without the words. Instead it has layer upon layer of music, a veritable puzzle box of sound & structure without appearing in the least crowded. It drives along yet absorbs the listener. "Random" opens the second side, with a similar leaning towards the experimental. This one is less dense, giving space to odd construction & a myriad musical samples without sounding as if they have ripped off other records or copped-out for too many 'punctuations' - they are not over showy, relying instead on ability & interesting composition. "Adios Motherfucker" starts off with odd out-of-control lunatic synthetics before settling into another danceable sound showcase which uses samples, instead of letting the samplers do all the work.
They fall into the arena of dance music, perhaps even House or Rave or what have you, but unlike their EBM brothers, they inject a certain warmth into the cold technological sound. And having done so, they could make many friends. A tasty EP - enough variety to satisfy the most ravenous, and to raise interest in the most Jaded.

Originally reviewed for Soft Watch.