Deutsch Nepal
Erotikon

From time to time, I peek into the showcase of the glorious Cold Meat Industry, just to gauge the pulse of the historic Swedish label which, if in the past was generous in bestowing succulent industrial delicacies, in recent years, alas, seems to have lost the luster and brilliance of yesteryear.

And indeed, except for some good surprises (and the phenomenal Rome comes to mind), the stable of the good Roger Karmanik doesn't seem to shine with remarkable talents today.

However, something salvageable can still be found among the grooves of a past too heavy to be repeated. Among the names of the new generation branded CMI, I feel inclined to mention the Deutsch Nepal project, a one-man band led by Lina Baby Doll (who despite the name, seems to be a he, at least judging by the voice).

Nothing special, mind you, yet interesting is this bizarre creature that aims to blend the peculiar ambient atmospheres endorsed by the Swedish label with the clattering of good old industrial of yore.

Indeed, the reference coordinates are provided by the acknowledgments featured in the sparse booklet, thanks given to two illustrious figures of today's industrial scene: the undisputed genius of dark-ambient Peter Andersson and another big name in the current post-industrial panorama, Albin Julius. In fact, Lina Baby Doll's discourse unfolds between the ambient obsessions of the essential Raison D'être and the edginess of early Blutharsch, without of course disdaining the lessons of the genre’s pioneers (Throbbing Gristle, Nurse with Wound, and Coil in primis), here reworked in a decidedly more minimal (not to say simplistic) perspective.

These premises would be enough to at least intrigue lovers of good old-fashioned industrial. Premises that are partially met (the incisiveness of certain passages is undeniable, evoking the superb art of the aforementioned masters) and partly unfulfilled, also because we are nevertheless faced with an undoubtedly honest artist, but for the time being to be relegated to the ranks of those who have decided to pursue the path laid out by the genre’s pioneers without excessive originality or particular skill.

In short, the future of industrial certainly doesn't pass through the notes packaged for us by Deutsch Nepal, yet the staging created by Lina Baby Doll becomes quite appreciable: treading the path of a rusty and dusty ambient, sometimes shaken by rhythmic discharges and obsessive loops (but without ever achieving particularly complex architectures), Lina Baby Doll indeed seems not to take himself too seriously, never losing his taste for mockery, a certain dissacratory spirit, and a good dose of irreverence.

In its 52 minutes, "Erotikon" (released in 2006) seems to be the compendium of what the entire genre has managed to produce in the last 30 years of life: hymns with a pronounced martial impulse (the opener "U.R. Blackhouse"), gloomy electronic landscapes (the hypnotic "At the Court of Saba"), bombastic loops ("Permobile Eroromatik"), old-style pounding assaults (the title track, an evident tribute to the art of the unbeatable Nurse with Wound by Steve Stapleton) and authentic ambient nightmares ("Menage a Troi...cent").

In alternating phases, the acidic lament of Lina Baby Doll emerges (some liken him to Nico, but I immediately dissociate myself from such nonsense), dividing himself gloomily between desolate lullabies ("Heartbomb", "Blowup Parasite", "M/S Elusive Pain") and blurred, effect-laden phrases ("I Jast Fokos an Maiself", "Rapist Park Junktion"): a crooked croaking that certainly doesn't scream miracle, but that blends well with the dense and tarry sounds permeating the entire work.

Keep an eye on this Deutsch Nepal, undoubtedly not an essential reality, but still a pleasant digression not to be outright disregarded.

Especially for those who don't live on classics alone...