A reconciliation of chaos and structure, a musical approach fuelled by the cast shadows that let the loops and patterns resonate: In these dark days ICD-10 are back with their sophomore HANDS album, a re-focused, edgier sound and a sharpened profile – Thorsten Felix already contributed his boom and hum to the 2019 “Differential Diagnosis”, now he’s a full-patch band member alongside Henning Hinck and Daniel Himmelreich. Pervasive basslines, continuous rhythm power and a tingling bulkiness remain the trademark of the ICD-10 industrial techno sound, the trio resolutely looking down on any mainstream ambition.
“Irregular Cerebral Device” is a good hour, ten tracks of no-nonsense material, deranged sounds and grating hooks, geared at the stroboscopic, fogged frenzy of the underground dance floors.
The album is based on an eclectic assortment of inspirations: Artificial intelligence and cyberspace, globalization,
neuroscience and philosophy – all these associations held together by a red thread of malaise and aggression, of futurism and dehumanized dystopian despair. On your quest for that new thrill you will certainly encounter an unexpected anomaly triggering the turmoil. It is that irregularity that is needed for the formation of synapses, for cerebral recalibration, for enabling new ways of thinking.
Whether you seek out “Irregular Cerebral Device” for its physical impact and high-function value or like to dig deeper into the philosophical implications, you will have a hard time getting past this massive. Submit yourself for some audio re-programming!