THE M.E.M.O.R.Y. LAB "The Modern Expressing Machines Of Revolutionary Youth" DTECH08 CD Reviews

Outburn (http://www.outburn.com)

Chronicles Of Chaos (http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com)

With a too-cute acronym standing for the unwieldy "Modern Expressing Machines of Revolutionary Youth", this possesses all the hallmarks of youthful fervour and creativity. Such enthusiasm is short lived and this is essentially their entire discography, barring one or two songs. After disbanding in 1999, vocalist Nicola Curri (a.k.a. Old Nick) worked as a visual artist while partner Marc Urselli achieved widespread acclaim as a three-time Grammy award-winning engineer.
Aggressive shouted and distorted vocals overlay a synthesis of cold electronic textures and furious metal riffs and drumming. The latter are all "borrowed" from other artists, the most recognisable being the drums from the Sepultura classic "Territory" looped on "To Go All the Way". Although the sound is fairly consistent (as it should be with a Grammy winner on board) the songs vary widely in quality and complexity, with several sounding just too repetitive. This is not as angry as the digital hardcore that defines their label, but the atmospheres are darker and more oppressive than anything spawned by Atari Teenage Riot and their offspring. Give this one a spin if you enjoyed Ministry at their creative peak. [Quentin Kalis (7.5 out of 10)]

Regenmag (http://www.regenmag.com)

"Modern Expressing Machines of Revolutionary Youth" possesses nothing truly revolutionary or cutting edge, but that's mainly because it took over 10 years to finally surface. Canada's D-Trash Records has jumped at the opportunity to release The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab's first and last full-length self-titled compilation, Modern Expressing Machines of Revolutionary Youth. The long delayed amalgamation of music spanning The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab's catalogue of music from 1994-1999 gives us a look at their somewhat unique take on the industrial metal sound of the time...
Highlighting the talents of present day three-time Grammy award winner Marc Urselli as well as those of vocalist Nicola "the Old Nick" Curri, Modern Expressing Machines of Revolutionary Youth merely scratches the surface of what the genre holds today.
The general flow of the album is consistent, remaining confidently obscure with a hollow reverberation that loosely baits you as you listen. This hollowness is mainly attributed to the fact that the recordings were originally created through analog recording methods. Having said this, revitalization and modern remastering techniques unfortunately remain limited and the music becomes a strangely claustrophobic abundance of sound. From the menacing siren and dialogue riddled "Cambia," there is an immediate brooding attitude that unravels. It's a sound that openly screams early '90s industrial music with its almost trying-too-hard approach to dark, foreboding song making. Imagine an early Front Line Assembly or a mid-career Ministry and you will immediately hear comparable electronic/metal-infused industrial methods paralleled. The then-modern electronic injection into the metal sound comes forward in tracks such as "Another Nail into the Cross" or "To Go All the Way," offering a glimpse into the genre fusion that bands of that time were widely experimenting with. Retro sounding industrial rock tracks such as "Divine Eating" or "My Little World" ground the sound to a much more raw electric state, exposing Urselli's capabilities as an anarchistic sound engineer and musician. Offsetting this, Curri's vocal styling ranges on the disc widely from that of a haunting, anti-melodic whisper to gut-wrenching screams of angst and passion. The culmination of music that results is as much broken as it is united and creates a collection of music that comes across a bit muddled yet somehow vaguely connected. Through some clever sampling, proficient musicianship, and an oddly electric dynamism, many hidden gem moments are exposed in one shape or another on Modern Expressing Machines of Revolutionary Youth. Modern industrial music listeners should still consider an auditory walk down memory lane by way of The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab. Even though the group had officially disbanded over 10 years ago, it never hurts to be reminded of the bands from earlier eras that have helped to shape the modern industrial sound of today. Modern Expressing Machines of Revolutionary Youth might not ooze with pure originality, but this debut/final release from The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab deserves acknowledgment for illuminating the band's position in the ever developing industrial music scene.

Brutalism (http://www.brutalism.com)

Right, another band from the family of D-Trash Records, The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab (or better: The Modern Expressing Machine of Revolutionary Youth Lab) performs an eerie experimental blend of Psychadelic Trip-Hop, Darkened Industrial, Electro with light hints of Breakbeat, Cyber Punk, old school EBM and Metal, reminding me of bands like Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, NIN and in a way or another Ministry just to mention a few. As a matter of fact, this is quite a hell of a mix!!
Originally this album was recorded between 1994 and 1999, and 10 years later the label D-Thrash Records released it. One notable aspect about this project is about the founding members Marc Urselli, a 3-time Grammy award winning engineer / producer / sound designer / mixer / composer currently living in the USA, and Nicola "the Old Nick" Curri on vocals. These persons are also known for their involvements with few Italian outfits like Aborym, Funeral Oration and Malfeitor.
The album contains 8 diverse tracks filled with enough variations and progression. Few remarkable parts in their music are their long calm relaxing electro-synthetic passages, the occasional symphonies (through strings, glassy voices plus organs) and the extreme multi-layered percussions/drum-machine (lets call it Tribalism), which gives sophisticated rhythmic passages plus grooves. Strong influences from old school Gothic/EBM are strongly present and this is resulted on the caliber of sounds (varying from the classical analog, the 16bit sounds, and the drum-machine sound) and the quality of recording. In addition, chunky guitar sounds also tend to accompany the rest thus enhancing an extreme sound besides the classical electronic sound as we know it!
Vocals are also well varied - from the forced kinds of singing/speeches (more like protesting) which are at times filled with distorted frequencies, to a cross between clean voice singing and whispering. Frankly speaking, the clean voices especially on the track ‘Another Nail Into The Cross’, sounds somehow amateurish but maybe this is also a matter of singing, which might play an important role to enhance a demented atmosphere… but the rest sounds ok.
I also have to state that if this album was released in early 90’s, The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab would become a remarkable act. It is however never too late and for those who are into old school Gothic/Industrial/EBM/Electronics, this CD is a worthy piece for your collection. A credit must be given to this duo for creating a tasty cocktail of experimental sounds and genres inside one simple release, organized and mixed with care and attention.
gician Geoffrey Crozier. Few know of Crozier now (Google him, watch his YouTube video, and you’ll get the gist), but back in the late 70’s he was somewhat of a legend amongst the New York City underground music scene. I had the pleasure of experiencing his demented performances first-hand, and I tell you there is something of his energy and angst in Nick’s vocal on this CD. I think you need a certain kind of nutter on vocals to make this kind music work and leave the pack behind.
‘Modern Expressing Machine of Revolutionary Youth’ is a very strong effort which might have become a classic if it was released back in the day, but with the re-mastering, I’m sure it’s much better now than it than it might have been then. As with a lot of Industrial music then, there are sampled dialogue passages and sampled hard guitar, but they’re used sparing – no overkill. Not a lot of melodic content, but real Industrial music doesn’t need a lot of melodic content. If your complaint about so many ‘Industrial’ bands today is their music is geared more to club play and the dance floor, then this is definitely for you. There is so much meat on the bones here, and nothing gets stale. Nick’s vocals and Marc’s synth/programming/production work hand-in-glove together. A perfect fit. Who cares if sounds a bit old school in places. Do you still listen to ‘Hard Wired’, ‘Land of Rape and Honey’, ‘Too Dark Park’, ‘Tabula Rasa or ‘Embryodead’ and believe they’re brilliant albums? Then M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab is for you. The only other thing I can say is, it’s about fucking time.
-Steve Mecca

Chronicles Of Chaos (http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com)

RiWith a too-cute acronym standing for the unwieldy "Modern Expressing Machines of Revolutionary Youth", this possesses all the hallmarks of youthful fervour and creativity. Such enthusiasm is short lived and this is essentially their entire discography, barring one or two songs. After disbanding in 1999, vocalist Nicola Curri (a.k.a. Old Nick) worked as a visual artist while partner Marc Urselli achieved widespread acclaim as a three-time Grammy award-winning engineer. Aggressive shouted and distorted vocals overlay a synthesis of cold electronic textures and furious metal riffs and drumming. The latter are all "borrowed" from other artists, the most recognisable being the drums from the Sepultura classic "Territory" looped on "To Go All the Way". Although the sound is fairly consistent (as it should be with a Grammy winner on board) the songs vary widely in quality and complexity, with several sounding just too repetitive. This is not as angry as the digital hardcore that defines their label, but the atmospheres are darker and more oppressive than anything spawned by Atari Teenage Riot and their offspring. Give this one a spin if you enjoyed Ministry at their creative peak.
-Quentin Kalis

Extra! Magazine (http://www.xtm.it/)

Registrato fra il 1996 e il 1999, ma mai uscito, questo lavoro vede la luce dopo un decennio e un lungo processo di remasterizzazione e digitalizzazione. Anche la copertina viene rimodernata per l’uscita di questa idea nata dal ritrovamento di vecchio materiale inciso in quegli anni. Autore delle musiche, inquietanti, è Marc Urselli che in questo disco si occupa praticamente di tutto: elettronica, samplers, tastiere e programming, lasciando la parte vocale, se cosi si può definire, a Old Nick suo compagno di viaggio. Il risultato è un incubo claustrofobico post industriale, ancora più annichilente dei primi Nine Inch Nails a differenza dei quali i T.M.L. annientano l’effetto melodia e il formato canzone relegandoli nell’oblio. Marc crea dei pattern più che dei veri e propri brani, seppellisce la voce di Nick nel missaggio e affida la sezione ritmica al basso pulsante, “Divine Eating” ne è un perfetto esempio. L’effetto estraniante di questi pezzi, a lungo andare, stordisce, la distorsione asettica taglia come un bisturi nelle abili mani di Jack The Ripper. Vi potrete chiedere che senso ha oggi, dopo anni di contaminazioni con le macchine, rieditare un lavoro che potrebbe risultare demodè? Presto detto, prima di tutto è giusto dare a Marc ciò che è di Mark ossia ammettere che è stato un precursore, italiano, nel genere e, visti i risultati grazie alle potenti tecniche per “riesumare” registrazioni andate nel tempo, non possiamo che apprezzare la ferocia di alcune delle sue composizioni, “Mind Rape (Governement Business)”. La bella opener “Cambia” imprime una pesantezza plumbea a quest’opera, altrettanto delirante risulta “Another Day Into The Cross”, segnata da tinte psichedeliche. Chiude il discorso la rarefatta “Mother’s Womb”, un picco assoluto. Echi depechemodiani, ritmiche alla Ministry e ottima padronanza nell’uso delle machines sono i numeri di questo lavoro esalta(nte)to da una produzione eccelsa ad opera di questo maestro del suono, vincitore di tre Grammy Awards. Roba per stomaci forti, orecchie rivestite di titanio e una buona dose di resistenza al dolore.

Exclaim (http://www.exclaim.ca)

If The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab's take on industrial metal feels a bit dated that's because it is ― ten years old, in fact, though the band's newly released album channels an even older sound and attitude. Recorded analogue in 1999 and digitally remastered in 2009, these eight tracks reel out like a late '80s/early '90s mash-up of industrial, goth and extreme metal highlights. The distorted chug of percussive guitar chords undercuts layers of synthetic textures. Claustrophobic melodies play against frenetic blips, metallic clanks or a heavy bass beat. Loops and samples weave around vocal lines that alternate between eviscerations and an atonal snarl. The basic matrix stays consistent throughout the record but the inspirations shift, a stable core anchoring a schizophrenic repertoire that's part tribute and part answer. The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab's members have gone on to other things ― sound design, engineering and production (Marc Urselli), art restoration and set design (Nicola Curri) ― or are known in connection with other bands, so this album archives an ephemeral moment, one worth waiting a decade to hear. -Laura Wiebe Taylor, EXCLAIM

Side-Line (http://www.side-line.com)

Operating from New York, The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab saw the light of day in the 90s. Marc Ursulli (music) and The Old Nick (vocals) released a few demos, but there was no official release thus far. The project was put on standby until Ursulli decided to recover some of the old tracks from dust. "Modern Expressing Machines Of Revolutionary Youth" summarizes the philosophy of the band while musical wise it becomes a hard piece of cyber-punk. For all those who are familiar with the Canadian D-Trash Records this band will sound quite 'soft', but it remains however an extreme experience in sound. At the point where you think that The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab sounds a bit download-like they move into anarchistic sound structures empowered with harsh guitar riffs and heavy screaming vocal outbursts. This project is definitely more electronic-minded than the average D-Trash artists, but Ursulli also explores other influences like metal. "To Go All the Way" is a hard and metal-like inspired piece and a bit an opposite to more electro-orientated tracks like "Divine Eating" and the pretty cool "Another Nail Into The Cross". "Mother's Womb" being the last song from the album brings some unexpected quietness filled with low tempo rhythmic and lazy vocal parts. This track is a bit soundtrack like and once more illustrated the anarchistic element of this album. Today Marc Urselli runs a successful career as a recording engineer, mixer, remixer, music producer, sound designer for film/TV, composer and writer. He has won three Grammy Awards in 2005 and works and tours with famous artists like Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Sting or yet Eric Clapton. You don't exactly expect such an artist being involved into this kind of heavy experiment! (ED:6/7)ED.

Depechemode.de (http://www.depechemode.de)

Als Kuriosum darf man die Veröffentlichung von The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab locker bezeichnen, wenn man sich die Fakten um dieses nicht mehr existente Projekt vor Augen führt. Gegründet in Italien von Marc Urselli und Nicola Curri in den frühen 90er Jahren, schaffte es das Duo zwar auf einige Sampler aber ein Debütalbum gab es nie. 1999 wurde das Projekt letztendlich aufgelöst und beide Protagonisten widmeten sich anderen Baustellen, die nach wie vor im Bereich der Musik und der Kunst angesiedelt sind. Wie der Zufall es wollte, stolperte Marc Urselli vergangenes Jahr über das seinerzeit aufgenommene Demotape und entschied sich, dieses digital zu überarbeiten. Das Ergebnis liegt nun in Form von “Modern Expressing Machines of Revolutionary Youth” vor. Im Geiste von Bands wie: Die Krupps, Front 242, Front Line Assembly, Nine Inch Nails, Fear Factory, Einstürzende Neubauten, Skinny Puppy oder auch den Sisters of Mercy sind damals die acht Songs entstanden. Irgendwo zwischen avantgardistischem Elektro und Zwittern aus Industrial-EBM-Metal, färben die einzelnen Tracks das insgesamt doch recht brachiale Soundbild des Albums ein. Poppige Momente gibt es auf diesem Silberling nicht zu entdecken. Vielmehr steht der experimentelle Aspekt der Musik weit im Vordergrund und verlangt vom Hörer eine entsprechende Konzentration und Freigeistigkeit ab. Stücke wie “My Little World” oder “To Go All The Way” sind zwar überwiegend elektronisch arrangiert, fallen aber nicht nur durch den Gesang sehr sperrig aus. Wer immer mal auf der Suche nach etwas ‘Neuem’ ist und dabei auch genreübergreifend schaut, dem sei diese Platte zumindest zum Antesten empfohlen.

TheVibes.Net (http://www.thevibes.net)

Nonostante questo lavoro marchiato a fuoco dai M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab, formazione musicale contundente aggregata dall'ipercinetico Marc Urselli - attualmente stabilitosi in maniera pressocchè stanziale nella Grande Mela, dove porta avanti appassionatamente sia il suo progetto editoriale (Chain DLK) che l'attività di ingegnere del suono, che alternata a quelle produttore e compositore l'ha fatto iridare con ben 3 prestigiosi Grammy Awards - nel periodo del suo "esilio" artistico nella nostra desolante (soprattutto per i tanti "attivisti" della musica e, più in generale, dell'arte che non soggiacciono a certa riverente "pornografia ideologica") Italietta nei primi anni Novanta, sia una raccolta di registrazioni del passato rieditate e riproposte con il marchio della coriacea etichetta canadese D-Trash, è evidente fin dal primo ascolto come i messaggi che si sprigionano nella selva di beats feroci e di chitarre e tastiere corazzate sono drammaticamente attuali, soprattutto in tempi odierni in cui l'equazione che vorrebbe assegnare un valore approssimativamente identico a due incognite quali sono la cosiddetta Mente Globale, sogno neanche troppo metafisico perseguito da chi detenendo il potere mediatico inietta nelle menti quelli che usando un'accezione impropria qualcuno continua a chiamare "valori", da una parte e il concetto di civiltà dall'altra appare prossima ai suoi passaggi conclusivi. Su una sorta di affinità elettiva sembra giocare la stessa denominazione del progetto, quella fra la memoria (la facoltà mentale che maggiormente stuzzica e anima i propositi di quanti continuano ad assimilare l'essere umano ad una specie di pupo siciliano azionabile con fili legati alle sue articolazioni e che confonde il genere umano con quello ovino...) e la risoluzione dell'acronimo contenuto nella dicitura The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab, ovverossia The Modern Expressing Machines of Revolutionary Youth Laboratory (Il Laboratorio delle Moderne Macchine Espressive della Gioventù Rivoluzionaria) e durante l'ascolto delle tracce si ha l'impressione che siano o, meglio, siano state (visto che le registrazioni risalgono a più di una decina di anni orsono) partorite quasi durante la fragorosa deflagrazione dell'involucro spesso soffocante che certi diktat etici talvolta sembrano ispessire. Nessun preambolo che non sia la traduzione metasonica del rumore, che sembra aggregarsi in melodie afone, in una formula quasi sempre granitica, caratterizzata da un ottimo programming della batteria con casse detonanti e bassi macetici, da chitarre ultradistorte e da suoni sgretolati, nessun artificio o manierismo di sorta, la musica - in cui si possono udire echi recepiti in una fase molto intrigante del cosiddetto industrial metal più o meno insufflato da macchine sonore come fu ben espresso da sigle quali Front Line Assembly, Skinny Puppy, Young Gods, Nine Inch Nails, Current 93, Christian Death, Das Ich, Fear Factory e molti altri, le cui devastanti frequenze sono state ben recepite dalle antenne musicali dei componenti del Laboratorio M.E.M.O.R.Y. - appare diretta e discinta almeno quanto i testi. In Cambia (Change), la rocciosa marcia industrial sembra diventare più venefica e roboante fino a liberare un nevrastenico ronzio di bleeps man mano che da un qualche remoto alveo coscienziale parta un digrignato incitamento al rinnovamento del pensiero e al risveglio della coscienza sopita da un nugolo di informazioni inutili e mortificanti per l'umana proattiva cre-attività ("togliti lo schifo che è dentro di te...cambia il tuo dIO"...così sentenzia l'urlo introiettato nelle coclee e che arriva dritto dritto alla mente proponendosi di riaccendere i circuiti spenti riposti nella scatola cranica...), mentre in A Bad Dream (The Worng Dream) la furia sonica sguaianata in ogni elemento che viene lanciato nel tritacarne acusmatico (indovinato il ringhioso guaito della voce...) idealmente riprende la formula sintetizzata nell'acronimo WYISWYG (What You See Is What You Get)di informatico lignaggio per sovvertirla in un più caustico e congruo "What You See Is What You Feel", verità tanto banale che spesso all'individuo comune sfugge esattamente come una "stupida" formula matematica, anticipando al mandala elettromeccanico che ironicamente aderisce alle "divine libagioni" a cui allude il titolo con suoni che sembrano essere passate dalle fauci di un gigante. Lo stupro mentale perpetrato dai mass media a cui capita di assistere con sbigottimento quasi quotidianamente trova furente espressione nell'ottima Mind Rape (Government's Business), che ricalca sinteticamente certo amarcord anarcoide nonchè sonorità break-punk-posse che hanno attecchito in molte scene derivate dall'incrocio del DIY con la rave culture (per qualche ragione ci tornano in mente certe emanazioni che ci sono giunte fino ai primi anni di questo decennio da attivissime scene "undeground" come quelle di Vancouver e Melbourne...). Della memoria che avevamo della cassettina stipata in qualche angolo del nostro antro scrittorio che conservo delle prime registrazioni delle band, ammetto di non ricordare il lato più gothic-ambient che essuda dai primi 180 secondi della lacerata Another Nail Into The Cross (molti di voi conosceranno il simbolismo che certi scritti vogliono associata all'innocente lumaca...), di cui troviamo rimarchevole l'interpretazione vocale drammaticamente teatrale. Drum pattern più sincopato e "geometrico" con corrosioni timbriche e convoluzioni sonore che appaiono innovative ancora tutt'oggi quelle del turbinio rancoroso che evapora da My Little World, traccia che precede l'ottima To Go All The Way - forse la migliore dell'album... lasciamo agli appassionati del genere più enciclopedici il gusto di scoprire l'origine di alcuni campioni... -, che trapana a fondo la coscienza con intriganti e repentini cambi di registro, alternando parti "teatrali", vischiose solderizzazioni soniche e babilonici muri di chitarra effettata, prima della psicotica chiusa placentare di Mother's Womb in cui la band pare affondare i propri tentatacoli creativi nel terreno fertilizzato da Genesis P-Orridge. L'invito a riattivare i predetti circuiti con le provocatorie frequenze da questo laboratorio ideale in cui genio e follia s'intrecciano fino a compenetrarsi e in qualche misura a com/pensarsi è d'obbligo. Non ci meraviglierebbe se qualcuno ascoltando questo album possa essere colto da un attacco di nostalgia per quei tempi in cui la musica appariva tanto distruttiva e provocatoria da risultare edificante! Tranquilli, le porte del laboratorie sono aperte anche (se non soprattutto) a questi simpatici malati di nostalgia...

RockShock.it (http://www.rockshock.it)

Strano, stranissimo disco. The Modern Expressing Machines Of Revolutionary Youth Laboratory, il cui acronimo è appunto The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab, è uscito da un paio di mesi ma contiene registrazioni realizzate tra il 1994 e il 1999. La stessa formazione s’è sciolta nel ‘99, senza mai aver dato alle stampe un album, ma solo qualche singolo, apparso in varie compilation. Ora tutti i pezzi che “i nostri” registrarono sono stati rematerizzati e raccolti in quest’album. Che suona attualissimo, nonostante i dieci e passa anni sul groppone. The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab è un progetto di due italiani trasferitisi a New York: Marc Uselli, diventato apprezzato tecnico del suono per Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, John Zorn e tanti altri, e Nicola Curri, a suo tempo protagonista della scena harcore underground e ormai principalmente dedito alle arti visive. The Modern Expressing Machines Of Revolutionary Youth Laboratory è una specie di manifesto programmatico sin dal titolo, una dichiarazione di intenti di quella che sarebbe dovuta essere (e che è) la musica del duo. E’ un Cd che non sfigurerebbe in un negozio di dischi a fianco di band come Pigface, Godflesh, Scorn, Punish Yourself, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy e Young Gods. Stiamo parlando di musica industrial infettata di violentissime sfuriate metal e immersioni in atmosfere gotiche, una specie di incubo sonoro fatto di oscuri labirinti di percussioni tanto ossessive quanto sofisticate. I campionamenti usati in questo disco spesso sono funzionali alla produzione di vere e proprie scariche noise, ma i M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab dimostrano di saper affrontare più che bene anche cose più “normali” come l’elettro di Mind Rape e My Little World, o quando ci ingannano con una intro gotica per sgombrarla immediatamente con chitarre esplosive (Another Nail into the Cross). Brutali, caotici, politici, nichilisti, sperimentali e rumorosi: sono solo alcuni degli aggettivi possibili per i M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab. L’ascolto di The Modern Expressing Machines Of Revolutionary Youth Laboratory non è una passeggiata di salute, ma l’immersione in una specie di audio-stupro tanto violento quanto stupefacente. Ne vale davvero la pena.

Rumore (http://www.rumoremag.com)

Vecchie registrazioni da poco riesumate e remissate anche i brani composti tra il ’94 e il ’99 da The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab, messi su cd dalla canadese D-Trash. Marc Urselli, tastierista e virtuoso programmatore (oggi ingegnere di studio con base a New York, vincitore di tre Grammy!), si produce col cantante Nicola Curri in una muscolare sintesi di ebm, elettronica goth, death metal e rock industriale, tra progressioni ritmiche tostissime e lancinanti vocalizzi che tirano dalle parti di Current 93/PTV. Otto tracce, tutto quel che resta di questi misconosciuti e sorprendenti Ministry italici.

erbadellastrega.it (http://www.erbadellastrega.it)

Il loro nome significava “The Modern Expressing Machines Of Revolutionary Youth Laboratory” (il Laboratorio delle Moderne Macchine Espressive Della Gioventú Rivoluzionaria), e già questo poteva essere considerato un vero e proprio manifesto ideologico. Il cd che ho tra le mani, è una retrospettiva che va a coprire l'intera carriera della band nata nel sud Italia agli inizi degli anni '90. Nonostante le influenze segnalate nella bio mi parlino di vari gruppi goth, mi sento di avvicinare il sound della band più a cose come gli enormi Godflesh o Scorn, dato che il livello di assalto sonoro è paragonabile solo all'impatto che avevano queste due bands negli anni di attività. Scioltisi nel 1999, i M.E.M.O.R.Y. lab, nonostante qualche apparizione su compilation e un demotape ultralimitato uscito nel 1996, non erano mai riusciti a far uscire un album vero e proprio. Per questo il cd appena uscito diventa anche un opera di archeologia musicale ottima, dato che sarebbe stato davvero un peccato che brani splendidi come To Go All The Way (con campionamenti da Territory, eccellentemente inglobati) o Mind Rape rimanessero sconosciuti ai più. Devastanti, mi ha fatto ricordare come spesso le bands eccellenti rimanessero perlopiù sconosciute (e la stessa cosa vale ora, nonostante Myspace e roba varia....avere 10000 amici e migliaia di ascolti distratti non vuol dire emergere, anzi...). Nei miei sogni più irrealizzabili, avrei visto volentieri la band in tour con i Nailbomb (che han fatto solo 2 live, ma è un sogno no?). Sono certo che avrebbero fatto sfaceli. Una bella riscoperta! -Max1334

Terrorverlag.de (http://www.musik.terrorverlag.de)

Ein ungewöhnliches Release liegt mir mit dem Output des Projektes THE M.E.M.O.R.Y. LAB vor. Die Band wurde in den frühen 90er Jahren gegründet, die vorliegende CD "Modern Expressing Machines of Revolutionary Youth" entstand dann auch ursprünglich Ende der 90er Jahre, kurz bevor die Band aufgelöst wurde, und nun, 10 Jahre später, wird sie der Öffentlichkeit zugängig gemacht. Der Kopf hinter dieser Band ist/ war Marc Urselli, der hier seine Vision von Musik und seinen Vorbildern, u.a. DIE KRUPPS, PINK FLOYD oder FRONT 242 umsetzen wollte, mittlerweile hat er drei Grammys für die Produktion von LILA DOWNS und LES PAUL & FRIENDS gewonnen. Unterstützt wird er auf dem Album u.a. von Nicola Curri, der den Kompositionen seine intensive Stimme leiht. So diversifiziert wie sein Musikgeschmack ist auch dieses Release, verschiedene Genres prallen aufeinander. Während der Großteil der acht Songs seine Heimat schon deutlich im damals aufkommenden Electro-Metal findet, erleben wir auch kleine Überraschungen, so vereint "Mind Rape" Drum n Bass Soundfragmente mit typischem Metalgegrunze. Aber nicht nur Lärm ist auf "M.E.M.O.R.Y." zu finden, Ausflüge bzw. Anleihen im Wave-Gothic Bereich enthalten beispielsweise "Divine Eating"oder „Another Nail into the cross". Mit leisen Sounds und beschwörendem Gesang präsentiert sich "Mother's Womb" zum Abschluß als sehr intensives Stück. Auch wenn die genreübergreifenden Spielereien manchmal des Guten etwas zu viel sind, ist "M.E.M.O.R.Y." ein facettenreiches und interessantes Album, für das sich die Zeit des Wartens gelohnt hat. MS (05.10.2009)

Heathen Harvest (www.heathenharvest.net)

the M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab is the project of Marc Urselli and Nicola “The old Nick” Curri (singer). Songs for this album were recorded between 1994 and 1999, but never released in a full-length. This material has been digitally remastered in New York, more than 10 years after recording. Note Urselli enjoys a successful career as recording engineer, producer composer etc. in New York. He has won 3 Grammy Awards, in 2005 works and tours with John Zorn, Lou Reed, Sting, Eric Clapton among others. Curri lives in Italy and focus on visual arts.

Given the time where it was created, the integration of so many influences and the challenging mix between metal, indus, gothic influences and electronic music is coherent, efficient and convincing. Therefore, this album is innovative and this music was avant-gardist! Thus, it's suitable not only for fans of abovementioned bands, but also highly recommended for all the desperate seekers of the musical hybrid of metal, dark hellektro and more traditional indus! Finally, we got a serious candidate for a “trans-genre” step further, which will kick many asses, namely: the M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab.

Elektrauma (www.elektrauma.com)  (German)

Von einem Newcomer kann man wahrlich nicht mehr sprechen, denn das Album “Modern Expressing Machines Of Revolutionary Youth”, das gleichzeitig auch die ausgeschriebenen Initialen des Bandnamens bedeutet, hat dieses Album bereits vor zehn Jahren entstehen lassen. Umso erstaunlicher, dass dieser Post-industrial-Sound noch so frisch und unverbraucht klingt. Das liegt sicherlich auch am kreativen Kopf dieses Projektes. Es handelt sich dabei um den Sund-Wizard Marc Urselli, der seines Zeichens auch schon als Tonmeister den begehrten Grammy einheimsen konnte. Die Geschichte dieses Albums liest sich ein wenig wie eine wundersame Geschichte: Urselli, in den 90ern in Italien ansässig, machte seine ersten musikalischen Erfahrungen zusammen mit dem Sänger Nicola Curri, der zu dieser Zeit bei einer Metal-Formation namens Funeral Opation tätig war. Die beiden vermischten ihre Interessen, Urselli die Elektronik und Curri den Metal, zu einem einzigartigen Klangerlebnis, das sowohl Metaller wie auch Elektroniker beidermaßen bedient. Doch 1999 wurde die Zusammenarbeit eingestellt. Urselli wanderte nach USA aus, um sich dort als Tontechniker zu verdingen, während Curri mittlerweile einen beruf als Freskenrestaurator inne hat. Letztes Jahr stolperte Urselli wieder über die alten Aufnahmen und beschloss, die alten Aufnahmen endlich der Öffentlichkeit zu präsentieren. Ein wichtiger Schritt, denn „Modern Expressing...“ ist ein Album, das sich nicht nur gut durchhören lässt, wenngleich auch die Stücke alles andere als verdaulich sind, sondern repräsentiert auch einen interessanten Zweig der Underground-Musik. Denn während der Entstehung dieses Albums (zwischen 1994 und 1999) war ein solcher Sound sicherlich eine kleine Revolution. Das mag angesichts der vielen neuen Bands, die den Crossover der Stile schon längst pflegen, nicht mehr aufregend sein. Und dennoch bleibt festzuhalten, dass im Untergrund bereits vor über zehn Jahren Sachen geschehen sind, die heutzutage als selbstverständlich gelten.

Crucialblast Webstore (www.crucialblast.net)

Sound engineer Marc Urselli is best known in the mainstream music industry as the winner of several Grammy awards for his production work on a handful of compilations and jazz albums, but long before Urselli moved from Italy to New York City and kicked off his career in sound engineering, he was involved with an obscure studio project called M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab along with members of Italian techno-black metal weirdos Aborym. The band recorded a handful of tracks in the 90's that appeared on various compilations, but were never able to release an actual album of material before the band broke up in 1999 and Urseli bailed for the U.S. to get his recording career underway. The M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab recordings ended up disappearing among Urseli's belongings until they were finally rediscovered close to ten years later, which led to Canadian industrial label D-Trash stepping in to give this stuff it's first official release.  For something that involved a couple members of the Italian black metal underground, Modern Expressing Machines Of Revolutionary Youth is a surprisingly retro throwback to the early industrial metal of Wax Trax. The past decade has certainly dated the sound of these tracks, but for those of us who still wax nostalgic for the Wax Trax/Invisible era of industrial heaviness, this is like a long-lost blast from the past, a piece of hidden 90's industro-metal history finally unearthed. M.E.M.O.R.Y. Lab's sound was hardly original, taking bits of Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Pigface and old school drum n' bass mixing it all together with basic thrash metal guitars and some scathing vocals into something that could be compared to a much more accessible version of Aborym. Those black-clad industrial metal freaks would have gone apeshit for this back in 1994, though. The techno and drum n' bass elements are really prominent, with lots of orchestral synth stabs and electronic effects, and there are a couple of tracks that remind me of some of the newer Dodheimsgard stuff, too, though this shit is infinitely more danceable.  One of the stranger tracks on here is "Another Nail Into The Cross", which starts off with several minutes of martial drum rhythms, dark church organs and some odd crooning vocals that are reminiscent of David Tibet, and then abruptly turns into brooding industrial metal halfway through, like a weird mashup of Current 93 and Ministry. This odd sound makes a reappearance at the end with "Mother's Womb", a more subdued track with eerie synths and dubby electronica skittering under those Tibet-ian vocals and cloudy dark ambience.  But aside from those two tracks, this is pure old-school industrial metal for fans, a time-warp back to the days of Land Of Rape And Honey and Revolting Cocks and that long-lost Wax Trax sound, with just the slightest shades of black metal's influence peeking through....
Packaged in a full color gatefold jacket.

Northern-Gothic.de (German)

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