Otto Von Schirach - MaxiPad Detention

Von Schirach's music is made up of the cannibalised components of industrial hardcore and techno – solid bass thumps and buzzing space-invader noises are chopped and cut with distorted ghettotech and hip-hop samples in a linear, loop-based fashion more in tune with the experimental noise and punk than the experimental works of Sqaurepusher, Kid 606 or Venetian Snares, who are clear influences. There is some appeal in playing these tunes at ear-bleeding volume, but 'MaxiPad Detention' is less than the sum of its parts. By slowing down the white-noise chatter and thundering drums of industrial and hardcore, Von Schirach takes the fight out of them, leaving you wishing for the inventiveness and humour of Shitmat or the VVM crew, who plough a similar furrow in a more intentionally unlistenable way. For a record that makes your ears work, this just isn't rewarding enough. [Bram Gieben]