August 31, 2005

Agape "Agape"

Technology sometimes sucks ass. Experience a computer meltdown that results in losing two weeks' worth of work and you'll want to incur some violence on your friendly CPU. Thankfully, Agape's one-man ne'er-do-well Ryan Powers knows exactly the source of my frustration and recreated the sound of mechanical destruction. Using synths and guitars and his screaming voice and all kinds of god-knows-what-else, Powers has taken his rage against the machines to the logical conclusion of synth-crazed screamo, creating a record that's angry and rhythmic at the same time, and though it sounds Industrial, I'm more akin to calling Agape's style anti-Industrial because it simply seems to wish nothing but destruction on any and all computer technology, and, if anything, Agape sounds like a musical snuff film.

The songs on Agape flow together seamlessly, as if a mega-medley of post-apocalyptic synth-punk dance hits. Song titles, while cute (like "In Love with Technology," and "Keep This Dance A Secret), seem utterly irrelevent, as the formula from song to song proves exactly the same: loud synths, louder screaming and an anti-rhythm which will make you dance while the computers burn. If you ever wished the Locust were louder and the Faint had more groove or Fantomas were a little more angry, then Agape will fill your angry-at-technology heart with beaucoups of unconditional love.

--Joseph Kyle

Artist Website: http://www.agape-technology.com

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