Yup, the old prog-review warhorse comment, “It’s a journey” is the one I’m gonna pull up. Because that is what it is. There is a definite beginning, a middle, and an end to this collection of songs, and the group obviously put a great deal of thought into the programming.
I mentioned Jean Michel Jarre earlier, and it is his 1976 album Oxygene with the very prominent ARP synthesizer that I find such a strong influence on this album. It is especially noticeable on disc one, including the CD-only tracks “Gravity,” and “Mooglish.” I would give this record five stars if it ended there, but the second disc is even more intriguing. What I would consider the “middle-section” is the nearly 19-minute song “CK,” which stands alone, and is simply magnificent.
As we move into the final three cuts, the mood of Not Bleeding Red becomes darker. But like Klaus Shulze's Moondawn, or Tangerine Dream’s Phaedra, the undercurrent is never over the top. We are not talking the good (but obvious) Goblin here. The places Nothing But Noise go in the final three cuts are very subtle, and very cool.
There is nothing subtle about the rubber-band bass-lines of “Silenzio Monofoniche." The way Nothing But Noise present a truly incredible electronic bass-line goes back to the first time I ever heard such a thing, on Parliament’s “Flashlight.”
Daniel B’s embrace of the history of electronic music is all-encompassing. And there is a lot more going on in this record than I have even mentioned. The quote from Jimi Hendrix’s “Third Stone From The Sun” during “Gravity” is just one example. This is an absolutely brilliant album, and one that fans of this music need to hear.
I sort of want to shout "We are not alone" about it, because it is that good. There is a history to electronic music that goes back at least as far as those recordings of Robert Johnson do. But will any of the pioneers ever be nominated to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Unlikely. Nothing But Noise pay enormous tribute to them with this album though.
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