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When you come into contact with a form of art to which you are attracted and fascinated, one of the most logical and immediate stimuli is certainly to deeply explore the origins of that particular expressive mode and grasp its most primal instinct; it is an automatism for every true art lover, in whatever form it presents itself, and of course, the search for origins also concerned me and my recent but profound passion for Futurepop. Among all the countless genres and subgenres I have encountered, this one gets particularly close, probably more than any other, to what I seek in music: simplicity in form and richness in content, and a much broader proposal than it might seem at first glance: sounds ranging from synth-pop to industrial, from gothic to electronic, with deep and never banal themes, distorted sci-fi visions, esoteric suggestions, psychic labyrinths, destructive and unpredictable instincts. The canvas is very versatile and allows for many different hues and embellishments to be experimented with, yet tracing back to the root, not only chronologically but also stylistically, to the original, more unadorned, more basic form, what do you find? You find "Dreams Of A Cryotank" by Covenant.
Was this album from 1994 truly the Big Bang of FP? With all probability, yes, but that's the point: above all, "Dreams Of A Cryotank" represents a spectacular debut for one of the great pillars of the scene, Covenant, originating from Helsingborg, Sweden, back then a trio composed of singer Eskil Simonsson, Joakim Montelius, and Clas Nachmansson, all equally involved in the composition and production work of the album. The long and productive history of this ensemble is characterized by continual oscillations between inspiration and mannerism, the qualitative level of their works has never been consistent, but the debut stands out.
Embryonic is certainly the adjective that best describes "Dreams Of A Cryotank": there are sketches of ideas, of melodies, there is high-profile songwriting but all this remains barely sketched, and takes a back seat to the incessant, methodical, and seismic rhythmic pulsations that storm throughout the work. If you're looking for an eclectic and unpredictable listen, look elsewhere, the strength of "Dreams Of A Cryotank" lies entirely in an almost obsessive repetitiveness, and for an album that aims to describe the dystopian scenario of a world reduced to technological-nuclear post-apocalyptic ruins, it is a very logical and apt choice. The industrial-EBM imprint is obviously very strong, and manifests with results that are sometimes catchy, majestic, and epic, as in the case of "Replicant", "Speed", and "Theremin", a visionary ride and symbolic track of the album, but more often in alienating and twisted tones, further enhanced by the charismatic spoken word of Eskil Simonsson; bare, acidic, and decadent, episodes like "Hardware Requiem", "Wasteland", and "Shipwreck" generally represent what "Dreams Of A Cryotank" has to offer, while with the cold and hallucinatory post-atomic nightmare of "Shelter", the work reaches its expressive peak. Covenant's debut album certainly does not make speed one of its salient characteristics, on the contrary, the rhythms are almost always slow, solemn, lingering, like a procession through the ruins of a civilization adrift, only in "Edge Of Dawn" does a less claustrophobic, almost danceable approach prevail, even if imbued with a visionary mystique à la Jaz Coleman.
Ten songs and an efficacy, a stylistic cohesion, and a powerful and evocative inspiration truly commendable, except for a sin of pride like the 23 minutes of almost nothing of "Cryotank Expansion", a purely self-serving exercise in style; but for historical importance and expressed qualities, it can be easily forgiven. Overall, "Dreams Of A Cryotank" loses the comparison with VNV Nation's debut, "Advance And Follow," in terms of charisma, emotional impact, and level of genius, and it is not even the best album by Covenant, surpassed by the maturity and techno-cratic perfection of the subsequent "Sequencer," but it is thanks to DOAC that the Swedish combo managed to open this new front, cementing the foundations of a new and fascinating artistic movement. Surely, it is not something everyone can boast about, and doing it with a great album like this certainly deserves the highest honors honoris causa.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Theremin (04:24)
we close our eyes and look in opposite direction
we ignore the threats and hope they'll go away
we refuse to pay attention to the dangers we create
in the name of our fathers we kill our children
we wait and think that we are biding our time
we keep silent, we believe in our strength
we trust in propaganda of the wonders of tomorrow
in the shadow of content we are victims in the end
we dance to the sound of sirens
and we watch genocide to relax
we dance to the sound of sirens
we are the heroes of self-deception
we are nailed to the ground, frozen in our movements
we listen while the sirens sound, speaking of improvements
we have anger in our souls that waits to be released
in the chill of fear we're petrified and useless when it counts
we dance to the sound of sirens
and we watch genocide to relax
we dance to the sound of sirens
we are the heroes of self-deception
02 Replicant (04:03)
lights blur shifting slightly, always the rain
he's there hunting nightly, driven by pain
burns fast shining brightly, dies in vain
he's there, speaking lightly of life in pain
bionic killer the spider in his net
comes to his maker as close as he can get
weak little creatures speaking with god
their cries so insane, their prayers just in vain
'cause I am the replicant, to hell with the gods
too late to escape, too late to regret
no time to hide, no time to forget
lights blur shifting slightly, always the rain
he's there hunting nightly, driven by pain
weak little creatures speaking with god
their cries so insane, their prayers just in vain
'cause I am the replicant, to hell with the gods
the rain, always the rain
your pain sustained
03 Shipwreck (04:47)
in my heaven of despair
lies the ocean of impurity
a ship made of angels' hair
set sails on the morning tide
in my heaven of despair
blows the wind of insanity
a ship is sailing there
with sails made of golden pride
as the drowning man
I watch myself in the boiling sea
so if you are a man
prepare yourself for joining me
in my heaven of despair
lies the shipwreck of my hope
it's a sign for those who dare
in memory of those who tried
05 Hardware Requiem (04:47)
We believe in human progress
We create the servants we need
We develop new ways of living
We develop new ways of living
We search for power sources
We need energy to survive
We build on fragile ground
We build on fragile ground
We feel safe in unstable houses
We fear the world outside
We've become strangers at home
We've become strangers at home
We went too far, we can't turn back
We built too high, we can't get down
We are the slaves of our servants
In the shadow of our ambitions
06 Shelter (04:12)
if this was a cavern of concrete
in a forest with trees like towers
I would have a place to seek retreat
from their poisoned plastic flowers
if this was a shelter I would endure
in a world with faceless strangers
I would have a place to feel secure
from the ever present dangers
07 Wasteland (03:52)
the wind tried to tell us
we failed to understand
we lost our sense of direction
drowned in the desert sand
we left home without notice
no landmark to be seen
the ground died beneath us
the landscape was unclean
as we search for oblivion
we forget to remember
the faint memory of home
far beyond the Wasteland
we drank the poisoned water
th hear the serpent speak
he told us of a garden
with the treasure that we seek
as we try to discover
the secret deep inside
there is nothing to be found
only dust in the Wasteland
as we search for oblivion
we forget to remember
the faint memory of home
far beyond the Wasteland
09 Edge of Dawn (04:35)
Black stone opens to the mind
This weak body far behind
Now closing in, hungry to begin
An ancient door to hidden light
For coming times to discover
I step across the edge of dawn
White light solid to my eye
Deep down inside I'm alive
Now I see it, the infant spirit
An ancient door to hidden light
For coming times to discover
I step across the edge of dawn
For better man to recover
Death will give birth again
New life will rise my friend
Now closing in, eager to begin
Black stone opens up the gate
This weak body integrate
Now I see it, the infant spirit
10 Speed (05:19)
Give me, give me the speed I need
I want more life, don't need this state to last
I want more to burn, I want more to break
So give me the speed I need
My own movements feel so strange
Are we all insane, or is it only me?
Believing, believing the free will
To last, to burn, to die
Fail against my domination
Learn the sweetness of my mercy
Guide my reckless steel
Make me feel
Or fix my speed
No force too loud to try
Never reaching, never reaching through the glass
Scratching, itching my steel
Let go, let go, unknown mind
Motions, actions from a pure mind
A rare thing! a wise thing?
So begin, move, crush
So restless, dayless, always
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