Tech Level 2 - Hymn/Hard times (2000), Tempest/Lexicon (2001), Teknological/Master (2002)

Contrary to my earlier "one album at a time"-posts, I'm deliberately posting this batch of 12" EP's, kindly contributed by a reader of the blog, in one happy threesome, so that you can download and hear the progression between EP's for yourself.

Tech Level 2 is yet another project by Justin Broadrick, with the focus being on drum and bass. Having only heard Chemical before, a track featured on the Genetically unmodified- and Mind the gap Vol. 28-compilations, I was anxiously awaiting these tunes.

As I listened through these digitized pieces of wax chronologically, I was pleasantly surprised with Broadrick's sound- and beat-wise progression. While the first two EP's are nice pieces of solid drum and bass sounds, they sadly were not much more than that. Admittedly I had high expectations, and perhaps I set my "standards" a bit too high, as I had hoped for a bit more of a flogging sound.

If the previous ones were a bit of a letdown for me, most of my doubts were then cast aside as Teknological came on. The track builds up rather slowly, a calm before the storm, which then finally breaks out somewhere around two minutes into the track. Now, this is something I was looking forward to.

The furious Master isn't really going to give you any more room to breathe either. An assault on every front, armed with some howling bass and truely raging beats, this one stood out as my personal favourite of the bunch.

While not presenting us with anything truely groundbreaking, I like what Tech Level 2 had to offer. It's an honorary attempt at drum and bass by a bloke who is really into what he does, willing to experiment beyond those childish genre limitations of what is accepted and what is not. But like I stated above, my expectations were admittedly a bit too high this time around, and my hopes for another scorcher in the vein of Krackhead were a bit over the top.

While the first two EP's are lacking some crucial punch in a few right places, in my opinion Tech Level 2 still ends up on the positive side of things with Teknological/Master. Check it out and hear for yourselves. Enjoy!

Download the 'Hymn/Hard times' (Dub) 12"EP
Download the 'Tempest/Lexicon' 12"EP
Download the 'Teknological/Master' 12"EP
(Hymn/Hard times (Dub): 18MB/192CBR)
(Tempest/Lexicon: 15MB/192CBR)
(Teknological/Master: 18MB/192CBR)

Justin K. Broadrick on "Red bull music academy" radio show

Meet Justin Broadrick: pioneering musician, guitarist, songwriter, drummer and all around visionary. His trailblazing, incredibly productive recording career most notably includes stints in the formative grindcore band Napalm Death (circa Scum), the pioneering industrial metal band Godflesh, who after some years apart have reformed this year for more mayhem and Jesu, a celebrated experimental rock band that has been fusing his previous endeavors with traces of shoegazing beauty. Not to mention, of course, his various works with the talented Kevin Martin as Techno Animal. Mere paragraphs of uniform text cannot do justice to the lucid landscapes, melancholy majesty and sheer aural ecstacy Broadrick conjures in his mind. Suffice to say you have not listened to the most eloquent, articulate use of a guitar until you have heard the sombre strains of Broadrick's work engraving it's name on every sinew of your body. Go on, I dare you.

It's basically an one hour long interview with musical interludes. Going through a broad spectrum of Justins music, giving insights on the upcoming Hellfest-appearance and generally sounding like a nice chap, I think this is a "must hear"-interview for all interested parties.

The playlist is the following:
Final - Little pictures
Final - The light orchestra
Fall Of Because - Life is easy
Napalm Death - Scum
Godflesh - Frail
Godflesh - Like rats
Godflesh - Circle of shit
Godflesh - Mothra
Ice - X-1
Techno Animal - Needle park
Techno Animal - Hell
Curse Of The Golden Vampire - Total annihilation of self
Tech Level 2 - Whowanseekwar
Jesu - Deflated
Jesu - End of the road
Pantera - By demons be driven (Biomechanical remix)
Greymachine - Vultures descend

Enjoy the interview!
Download (Credits to klawful from the Avalanchers-board!)
(95+32MB/320CBR)