Continually innovative French artist The Hacker has linked with Australia Jensen Interceptor to release on the latter’s new label, International Chrome. The three tracks fuse serene electro and rugged EBM, sleek Kraftwerk rhythms and synths, and plenty of futuristic and cinematic Drexcyian influences into truly cinematic soundscapes.
It has been 4 years since I made the last ‘review of the year …’ or ‘best of … ‘ list and it was not planned for 2017, but looking back at last year somehow the music scene shifted in a good way. From the music point of view, I think we are living better times now, we can see a revival of the old school electro and acid house, afrobeat is still hot, EBM is going strong.
Dark Entries announce the latest album from Michel Amato aka The Hacker, ‘Le Théâtre des Opérations’. Michel’s new live project sees the enigmatic artist go back to his roots, performing a 100% analogue set directly inspired by his first true loves of New Wave and dark, powerful techno. ‘Le Théâtre des Opérations’ features 8 new tracks spread evenly across 2×12’s cut at 45rpm for maximum sound quality and DJ utility. The title comes from a metaphysical journal by French-born Canadian science fiction writer Maurice G Dantec. Passionate about avant-garde techno, The Hacker has taken his influences and crafted a potent homage to the power of the synthesizer. Songs veer from gritty, raw EBM to dark, subterranean electro, effortlessly channeling the strains of the Michel’s musical DNA. The only vocal track features an appearance by longtime friend and collaborator Miss Kittin, named Time X’ after the French science fiction television series Temps X.
Over his twenty year The Hacker has traversed a spread of styles, from frosted electro to raging techno slammers. ”Midnight Bliss” shows another side of this multitalented artist. Warmth flows from the title piece. Clean rhythm patterns are spiked by synthlines as liquid melodies are swirled into a carefree cocktail that simply radiates. “Heavy Duty Disco” takes over the flip and runs headlong into speakers. The Hacker builds a track of generous proportions. Textured keys weave through columns of toms and snapping beats before bruising basslines descend for a late night encounter of formidable intent.
Finally we can announce that The Hacker is onboard at the Stilleben ship with some amazing electro that lurks in the shades of Kraftwerk and other fine electronic acts, but with his own significant style and signature. 3 electro songs and one more italo/electro disco that was hidden on a old hard disk. We are very happy to continue the electro journey on Eargoggles Stilleben with this strong and beautiful release.
Michel Amato aka Amato is a French producer more widely known as The Hacker. Alongside Miss Kittin, Amato has been a cornerstone of the European house, techno, and electro scene, dropping singles and album like bombs. Having contributed to a previous split 12″ on Cititrax, Amato returns to Minimal Wave’s sister label with a wondrous homage to industrial, EBM and electro in Le Desordre De La Nuit. The difference between The Hacker and Amato? The sounds of The Hacker are more constrained than this particular whirlpool of pseudo electro and gargling quasi techno. Whatever you want to call it, these four slammers are all made for the dark room dance, each one nastier than the other and all of them audibly produced by an artist with plenty of experience and effectiveness know-how.
The Dark Entries label presents some previously unheard archive material by Caroline “Miss Kittin” Herve and Michel “The Hacker” Amato. Four tracks recorded between 1997 and ’99 – when their production partnership was in its’ infancy – The Lost Tracks Volume 1 contains a number of fuzzy, stylish, floor-friendly bangers, from the S&M-themed madness of opener “Leather Forever” and stripped-back electro gem “Nightlife”, to the high-tempo acid-loaded freakishness of “Loving The Alien”.
Veteran of the fist-pumping kind of electro inhabited by Miss Kittin and I-F, it’s not so often you see a new release from The Hacker these days. Still, he’s made it back to deliver three Italo-flavoured nuggets on Tigersushi in the style of romantic 80s arpeggios and fat synths he made his name on. “Through The Ether” is unashamedly cosmic in its tone, boasting elegiac reams of melody over those steadily pulsing bass notes. A rasping snare gives “Mind Games” a marginally tougher edge, but really this is sweet songwriting for swooning swingers on the dancefloor.
The Hipodrome Of Music 