We're going waaay out there with this one. You know the saying "you can't judge a book by its cover"? Well, on this record you totally CAN judge the sound by the cover art. Composer Joel Vandroogenbroeck (try saying that 5 times fast) dropped Biomechanoid in 1980, an album originally released by the fledgling Coloursound label to take advantage of the the Alien hype at the time. They even went so far as to commission artwork from H.R. Giger (designer of the xenomorphs in Alien) for the cover! Vandroogenbroeck doesn't disappoint however, as he fully captures the essence of outer space through extended modular synth drones, bleak, cinematic soundscapes, and otherworldly percussion. This is some seriously heavy stuff, listen at maximum volume with the lights off for the full effect (and to make contact). Limited edition reissue with shiny silver cover. 11 tracks in all.

• limited edition of 500
• music label: Coloursound Library 1980 / Aguirre Records 2015

reviewed by TKB 05/2015