For a musician called Bunker Soldier, for an EP called Triple Threat and for music that gets billed as industrial, this is jaw-droppingly friendly, with impressive production on three catchy, dance-able tracks.
The first, "Warlocked," takes a Middle Eastern-style vocal track as its starting point and frequent signpost, but then pushes with keyboards, drums and guitars into a not-too-hard-driving riff. The bridge brings it to a major chord, then a Middle-Eastern -style drum break before returning to its heavier riff.
The second song, "Flying," is the only one with lyrics, and given Tyran's 2000 interview he included with the press kit, it may represent his continued musical growth. "I'm having a hard time writing industrial songs lately because my life is going very well," he is quoted as saying. No surprise, then, that such lyrics as "I feel the wind blow. I know you're there. All the while I look up to see you smile" are in the song, sung by the soul-lifting Hildegunn Gjedrem Surdal.
Smooth keyboard string sounds and rhythm tracks make "Firewall," the last track, more fun to listen to than a lot of stuff on Moby's latest record.
There isn't much that jumps out at a listener as stunningly original here, but this EP could be a harbinger of even more dance-able and universally accessable work from someone whose earlier CD is described as "melodic, yet foreboding."
For fans of rock-tinged dance music and the keyboard electronica of accessible artists like Moby and BT, Bunker Soldier should be a perfect comrade-in-arms.
Available for $4.99 at www.cdbaby.com. Two other albums available for $9.99 each
Bunker Soldier Triple Threat
