Standeg- UltraHighTechViolet

ARTIST: Standeg

ALBUM: UltraHighTechViolet

LABEL: Artoffact Records

REVIEWER: Matthew J.

DATE: 7-28-09

Brothers Bjorn and Sven Junemann, otherwise known as Standeg, combine epic rock themes with EBM in a way that we haven't really heard since fellow German act Rotersand first appeared on the scene, but instead of combining Pink Floyd-inspired guitars with the driving melodic momentum of groups like VNV Nation and Covenant, they apply them to the cerebral mechanized sound pioneered by Haujobb. That's no coincidence, as the Junemann brothers performed on that legendary act's debut album, and even include their own version of its title track, "Homes and Gardens," here. With their pulsing electronic loops and whispered German vocals, tracks like "Photograph" and "Vanity" are bound to appeal to fans of :Wumpscut:, yelworC, and of course Haujobb, but it's the more guitar-oriented compositions that really impress. While "Further Dose" and "Revol/Vex" use chords to give the cold electronic sequences more power in a way that, while not exactly common, has a definite precedent, "Imprint Image" takes crystalline guitar lines and puts them on center stage, backed by fat analog arpeggios and rumbling breakbeats, and "Easy to Forget" interweaves the electronic and conventional instruments so seamlessly it's hard to hear the dividing line between live and sequenced sound. That's really what sets Standeg's work apart; plenty of electronic artists have added guitars to their sound for that extra power, but all too often it just sounds tacked on. The Junemann brothers have made it an integral part of their sound without abandoning any of the EBM coldness they first explored with Haujobb so many years ago. Guitars or not, their work is still EBM, not some attempt at a rock crossover, and they've made it fit so perfectly that even the most dedicated purists will have a hard time complaining.

Visit www.standeg.de for more information about the Junemann brothers.