Year: 2024
Label: Zoharum
Apparently, and according to the promo sheet, Bunker Musick is a collaboration between the Polish project and Leander Rönick of German Elektrokraft. Being quite unfamiliar with both prior to this, I won’t venture any guesses as to how much this differs from Düsseldorf’s previous albums.
Bunker Musick is some kind of concept album as well, it seems. All track titles refer to some kind of bunker or military fortification, with an emphasis on the Second World War. Again, turning to the promo sheet, it is apparently less about a depiction of historical martial events or a paean to heroes of combat. Rather, the bunker represents a state of being trapped on a more symbolical level.
Well, all right, but what does bunker music sound like then? In a nutshell, the short answer is: EBM. Primarily, Bunker Musick takes the form of aggressive, straightforward electroindustrial. There is little emphasis on melody; instead, Bunker Musick is about driving, fervent rhythm and a simple, danceable groove. The compositions are often exercises in simplicity, being stripped down to a very minimal form.
The production, on the other hand, is not necessarily the same; whilst calling Bunker Musick maximalist would be a gross misrepresentation, first appearances are deceiving. Upon closer inspection, there’s always more going on in the background that first meets the eye. Or ear, as it were. Subtle layers of synths, layered speech samples and so on add a lot of flesh to these bones.
The vocals, when they are present, are a dominating focal point. An abrasive, gruff and suitably militantly commanding voice grunts out German lyrics in a very nihilistic tone. These give the album a slight violent tint.
Bunker Musick is not all about rhythmic, energetic EBM, though. Take for example O.W.S, an instrumental track of militant marching percussion and electronic neoclassical orchestrations – Düsseldorf veer into martial industrial territory. Similar inflections are to be found elsewhere on the album.
Whilst acts such as :Wumpscut: and what have you from the German language, gruffer end of the EBM spectrum are probably better names to drop… well! The combination of electroindustrial, martial orchestration, ambiguous warlike themes and gruff vocals in German simply begs me to drop that one name. You guessed it: from time to time, I cannot avoid thinking of Laibach. More in spirit than music, mind you.
So, whilst primarily being an album for the danceable industrial crowd, there are enough of more martial elements here to warrant at least passing interest from fans of more neoclassical industrial. And whilst the rather simplistic compositions sometimes succumb to a bit of tedium, overall the energy and drive of the album manage to keep spirits up and things interesting. The scales tip well into the positive.
Only Death Is Real 