Scandroid
Scandroid


1.5
very poor

Review

by DrJohn USER (47 Reviews)
November 14th, 2016 | 34 replies


Release Date: 2016 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Other than shout, these are the things I can do without.

Legend has it that every logo was magenta and people farted neon after every two words and in Neo-Tokyo, the Melon Ball was 1/4oz plasma--and this sound was all the rage and popular outside France. Scandroid misinterprets synthwave in the same manner a lot of 20-something-year-olds have been misinterpreting it for at least 10 years now. From opener "2517" to closer "Eden (Waveshaper remix)", the only idea the listener will shape--of how synths-and-what-was-popular used to sound--is digital, artificial, and simply wrong. It's the kind of virtual-instrument creations that could provide themes for crappy-indi-video games that use deliberately-pixelated graphics for the sake of 'retro' without realising how bad they look on modern monitors. The thing is, the 'artist' behind Scandroid--who advertises this project as 'a love letter to the '80s'--was well in his twenties thirty years ago, which makes me realise that I can't blame the usual culprits for this one adding to the retrowave malpractice; plus, to be fair, some of their kind have given us proper synth-music recently, like Disasterpeace--and he didn't ***ing SING!

If Klayton were to hear that, he might probably think it has something do with Vreeland not knowing his way around auto-tune in Cubase or whatever he's been using. No, you bloody moron, it's all about one's capacity to perceive, feel, and most importantly hear what sounds in place: what to include and what to discard; what makes sense and what doesn't--it's all about being musically cohesive and subtle and not offering a superfluous potpourri of sounds that would make a robot feel... bored. Indeed, much to my dismay, millennials aren't the ones to blame this time around. The only plausible scientific explanation I can offer is that you've secreted either or both of the following away from your Celldweller target audience: you're deaf--or you only call for 'le boudin noir' later in the day.



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user ratings (41)
3
good


Comments:Add a Comment 
VaxXi
November 14th 2016


4418 Comments


Honestly, this project wouldnt of ended up as boring as it is if Varien was still on board. Datastream was a lot less "LOVELETTER TO THE 80S FOR REAL" oriented and more focused on just being pretty nifty synthpop.

FullOfSounds
November 14th 2016


15821 Comments


"Honestly, this project wouldnt end up as boring if Varien was still on board"
Varien is one of the best Monstercat artists so yeah

bloc
November 14th 2016


70012 Comments


I'm always down to hear a cover of Shout tbh

DinosaurJones
November 14th 2016


10402 Comments


I don't usually make generalizations like this, but that album art just screams "tryhard."

FullOfSounds
November 14th 2016


15821 Comments


You're right

VaxXi
November 14th 2016


4418 Comments


if you think thats tryhard, theres a song on this album featuring Circle of Dust, which is a one man band led by Klayton. He features himself on a track on an album (again).

Willie
Moderator
November 15th 2016


20212 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

I don't think this is a 1.5, but it definitely wasn't very interesting. I can see how he can feature different bands that are essentially just him again. It kind of lets you know what sound to expect... although this and the new Circle of Dust singles all basically sound like Celldweller, so....

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
November 15th 2016


32020 Comments


I enjoyed the first track, then it went to shit pretty quickly. But a 1.5 is kinda harsh though. Should have let the robot do the whole singing though.

DoofusWainwright
November 15th 2016


19991 Comments


That album cover will look dope as fuck when I finish sewing the patch onto my rucksack.

Great review from the Doc as always.

ScuroFantasma
Emeritus
November 15th 2016


11971 Comments


"if you think thats tryhard, theres a song on this album featuring Circle of Dust, which is a one man band led by Klayton. He features himself on a track on an album (again)."


Hahaha


DrJohn
November 15th 2016


1041 Comments

Album Rating: 1.5

@Willie & Dewinged



well, i'm glad you found some redeeming qualities. to me there are almost none.



@Doof



gonna be a beaut. got the rooster head to match?



DoofusWainwright
November 15th 2016


19991 Comments


Doc, I can hardly fashion the tiniest of faux hawks from my receding pate so regretfully no

DrJohn
November 15th 2016


1041 Comments

Album Rating: 1.5

thank God!

zakalwe
November 15th 2016


38825 Comments


The doc is back with bite. Amazing!! I feel a bit awkward cos my hair-do is the same as soppy bollocks on the front cover.

DrJohn
November 15th 2016


1041 Comments

Album Rating: 1.5

guess it's fine as long as it ain't red

zakalwe
November 15th 2016


38825 Comments


Gulp

DoofusWainwright
November 15th 2016


19991 Comments


Are you the Ziggy?

ThaReaper319
November 15th 2016


1 Comments


This album wasn't bad at all. It had it's good songs and it had it's boring ones. Deserves at least somewhere in the middle between a 3 or a 3.5.

DrJohn
November 15th 2016


1041 Comments

Album Rating: 1.5

hmm, makes sense. i'll prolly bumb this up to a 3.2(?) then

Sniff
November 15th 2016


8045 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

This probably would've been a 2.5 if I hadn't been in such a great mood when I listened to it.



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