Synthesizer

As a huge fan of Information Society I was elated to see Synthesizer released, and after several listens, I heartily recommend this album to any InSoc fan, but there are a couple of things you should know - Kurt Harland Larson, the enigmatic lead of InSoc, only sings on the track entitled "The Seeds of Pain" and otherwise, Paul Robb and the rest of the group are back together with a new lead, Christopher Anton. Anton sings fairly well, and in the style of Larson, but a close listen and you can hear the difference - not that Anton is a poor singer, but just not quite Larson. Obviously the 'creative differences' that originally broke up the group and lead to a practically solo Larson effort 'Don't Be Afraid' still haunt them, as the group is not truly back together in this effort. Still, this is a solid album, and a must have for any InSoc fan with smatterings of 'Peace and Love, Inc.' and 'Hack' and a couple of new, more dance-driven, Moby-esque tracks. (Note: The MP3 samples here on Amazon do not do this album justice)

Fans of Information Society's first three releases (and 80's synthpop in general--think Erasure, OMD, Human League, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys) will not be disappointed. A natural progression from their earlier efforts (and you might even hear some hints of the darker industrial sound of the 1997 release Don't Be Afraid). While all of the tracks have InSoc's distinctive style, none of the songs sound the same or get repetitive. Female vocals are present to a greater degree than any of their previous releases--and are a nice touch especially the duet on "Run Away"--and suggest a direction the band might have gone if Amanda Kramer had not left after the first album was released. Samples are used to good effect, though not nearly as extensively as previous releases (And none from Star Trek, how can that be??? Even on the darker DBA, Kurt manged to include a Spock sample!) No secret messages encoded in modem tones, no scavenger hunts for bonus tracks, none of the (what some considered) "instrumental"/"filler" tracks like on Hack--just an hour of beat-pounding, danceable, sing-alongable synth pop goodness! And don't forget to grab "Great Big Disco World" from the Oscillator EP, the only new Information Society track that is not on Synthesizer!

"Synthesizer" is classic Information Society, and any fan of the band will find much to love about the songs here. I was surprised to find this 2007 release, as I had not thought the band was still recording; but I am certainly glad to have it in my collection, and enjoy the music very much!

I have thought everything INSOC has come up with has been great. Even the much "hacked" on CD by Kurt DBA. This CD is for all the fans that hated DBA and wanted the INSOC of old. However, I don't know what some of the other reviewers have been smoking but Kurt only sings on 1 song on this whole CD. SEEDS of PAIN. Read the liner!! The new singer (at last I checked Kurt is back singing full time) sounds great and there is not much of vocal style difference between the two. I would say this is one of the best CDs of the year so far. Taking the best of the old and fusing it with some new elements to create something wonderful!!!

This is an excellent return by Information Society. It's the same instrumentation we had heard on their earlier albums, the same samples, etc. In other words, it has that same familiar sound -- warm analog style synths, odd samples, and great beats. Kurt's vocals are just as good as they were 10 years ago; his voice is clear, on-key, and the tone and timbre are a great contrast to the synths -- his voice helps add some organic feel to the music. The combination of male and female vocals on some tracks brings back memories of that first Information Society album, while it also reminds me of Human League. The lyrics, which sound simplistic at times, are quite interesting, about love and life, while taking a different perspective on those topics. They tell a story and they're easy to sing along with. There are some very very VERY catchy choruses, and I find myself singing along after only a couple of days -- simple but catchy, they hook you in. Most of the songs follow a verse/chorus/verse/chorus/break/chorus construction, which is predicatble but also has been part of the InfoSoc formula going back to the 80's. This album has the catchiness and "danceability" of their debut album, with the grittiness of later albums, where Kurt worked mostly alone. There are some tracks that remind me of BT. I believe these tracks will be worked-up by many DJs, but they are already excellent as they are. Best tracks: Baby Just Wants, Back in the Day, I Like the Way You Werk It, Can't Get Enough The only problem -- the song titles on the album sleeve for tracks 12 and 13 are switched. Otherwise, the production is excellent. A good outing by InfoSoc.

Fast Shipping. CD in perfect State. Thank you!

I actually bought this disc having purchased earlier material from the group, which had to include 'What's On Your Mind?' I am so glad I did - this really is pretty good stuff. Obviously lots of synthesizer -based stuff but boy, it's not your usual disposable junk that you never really play much again. I was impressed enough to buy more of their music.

Cuando la mayoría de la gente piensan que Information Society es un grupo de 2 canciones, como Think o Running. Es un grupo que ha seguido haciendo música desde los años 90, y este disco deja claro que siguen haciendo discos muy buenos.

Auf Syntheziser sind einige gute Dance Stücke.Der Titeltrack ist einer davon und als Höhepunkt am ende der CD.Aber auch der Titel Somnambulistic(zu deutsch Schlafwandeln)ist super und erinnert mich von der Melodie irgendwie an Running up that hill von Kate Bush.