paragon null - "clockwork flux" (1998 Glass Diamond records)

this cdr release is far different from their earlier cassettes. this time most of the guitars and heavy industrial rock/metal stuff has been dropped in lieu of more trance influenced electronica with some drum n bass beats and techno. a couple of the tracks on the harder more 'industrial/metal' tape "Falsified" appear here in a remixed form.

review from ballistic test zine:
"The last time Paragon Null appeared in recorded form was on Velvet Empire's Digital Assimilation compilation, with a couple instrumental techno-trancy offerings. The band builds on that style here, offering listeners an electronic-based trip through a number of different dance genres including everything from old-school techno to trance to drum'n'bass. The programming is generally danceable and quite good, with some especially nice bass lines throughout. Meanwhile, in the filler category, a couple segments consist of little more than some background ambience while long vocal samples play through.
What makes Paragon Null stand out from other bands in this market is the vocals. Whereas most others would have either the cheesy dance vocals or none at all, PN takes a darker and more interesting approach. The band's intriguing lyrics are presented in a harsh whispered style that gives everything a much edgier feel. Interesting and sometimes ominous samples add to the effect. The net result is pretty cool.


On the negative side, the mixing is not great, especially with regard to the samples. In a number of cases, a vocal snippet will jump in loud enough to give you a start if you're not prepared for it. Also, in "Stealing Gravity", the piano line (although cool) doesn't quite jive tempo-wise with the drum'n'bass percussion. Some extra time could've been spent smoothing those things out a bit.


Despite these small setbacks, the CD is definitely worth listening to for fans of almost any type of electronic music. With the promise this band has shown, it's time to put the effort into a quality full-length release (at just under 30 minutes, this isn't quite a full-length). And with the obvious hard work that they're putting into getting themselves "out there", it won't be long before they come through with just that.


--Carson Pierce"

1. Unbegin (the Unseen)
2. Sect 31 (the System Remix)
3. Lies
4. Empty Tears (Screamn2u)
5. Pogo's Flame
6. Stealing Gravity (Lost City of Atlantis Mix)
7. Ashen (Diffussion Mix)

DOWNLOAD!!!!