Two years after his HANDS debut “Crashed”, Belgian veteran Eric van Wonterghem pushes for “Domination” – his 9th album in total: With all the expertise of over three decades in underground music, the rhythm unit that is Monolith is bound to conquer the industrial techno dance floors of the present age, with a hypnotic and abrasive sound that is as timeless as it has a championship pedigree. Notably rougher than its predecessor, “Domination” is about no-nonsense, sub-130 bpm techno pulses and stumbling beats, with a healthy dose of darkness and some experimental ethnic soundscapes thrown in for the good measure of the full length album. Tested positive to exercise domination on the FORMS OF HANDS 16 audience, this is a good hour of physically palpable electronics at their best.
Kicking off with the title track „Domination“, Monolith comes dashing with the tracks „Angel of Death“, „Bridges“, „Oppression“ and „Nerve Net“ - perfect bangers for a dark techno set, 2016 Berlin style! Enjoy the rush of prime dance floor material with bulging kicks and the unsettling omnipresence of background noise, before the beatless interlude “Countdown” pushes for more experimental territory: “Reconstructed” is heavy with distortion, “Dust of India” and “Baigari” are gritty ethnic fantasies and
“Religion of Peace” is the noisy peak of this album. Nevertheless, more fine club tunes are scattered over the rest of the album - submit to the maddening hook of “The Bell Witch” or the sleek electro sounds of the Dmitry Distant remix. Truly this album feels absolutely flawless, with the brisk and the calmer moments in perfect balance – the time of domination has come!
