Plastic Noise Experience: "Noised" Reviews

Plastic Noise Experience latest release under the tile Noised, last official release as a duo since now PNE is a one man project. SM Kalwa has left the band to pursue other interests. This cd is an excellent opportunity for one to learn what PNE is all about. A Cd that was born in an older decade. A decade with philosophy, originality and beliefs. Pure 80Us electro songs dressed up with underground attitude will be recognized for its originality and uniqueness. Dark rythms, 80's electro keyboards, deep gothic vocals, dark wave at its finnest form, I am really wondering how come Plastic Noise Experience are not so well known to the public nor will ever understand why they changed their music style nowadays. This album includes the completely reworked and remastered RRauschenS record plus six new tracks including a great cover version of MotorheadUs Hellraiser III. For those who listen to underground electronic music similar to Controlled Bleeding, Skinny Puppy, Cassandra Complex and so on, this is something you will definitely love. - Vassago, Enochian Apocalypse E-zine


Una release controversa per l'americana VR. che mette nuovamente sul mercato questa ristampa per PNE (gia` edita nel 2001) compredente l'album "Rauschen" (1997) e ben sei bonus-track. Controversa perche`, sul sito deli a band tedesca leggiamo uno statement del mastermind Cluse Kruse. Detto questo, ci (ri)troviamo ad analizzare quella che e stata l'ultima uscita di PNE come duo (compredente all'epoca anche SM Kalwa): un album di pura EBM old style minimalista, da piu parti paragonato alle prime uscite dei Front Line Assembly. Lo stile di PNE e sempre stato questo: una totale devozione ai suoni scarni, quadrati e muscolari delia 'vecchia scuola' EBM. per una proposta destimata ad un pubblico ben specifico. "Rauschen" era ed e un disco che, oggi come allora, puo` apparire datato ed anacronistico, ma i PNE sono questi, quindi prendere o lasciare...Dello stresso tenore le sei bonus - track, comprendenti fra l'altro una curiosa versione di "Hellraiser III" dei Motorhaed che farebbe di sicuro storcere il naso ai fans della band di Lemmy. Tra strumentali bizzarri e serpeggianti e tracce decisamente piu cattive ed incisive, questa lunga opera aggradera di certo i fan del primordiale suono EBM, e pertanto possiamo sconsigliare l'acquisto a chi negli ultimi anni ha preferito un sound piu evoluto(quando non addirittura il future - pop tout court): ognuno si faccia i suoi conti. Roberto Alessandro Filippozzi, Rock Hard Magazine
Quite a strange situation, but since this compilation of old, yet unreleased tracks and the completely remastered album "RauschenR (1997) are available, we might as well have a look and a listen and ask, what's inside this electronic CD. The answer is simple: 18 tracks in the vein of the early minimalist work of Front Line Assembly and other old school pioniers of song orientated EBM-music. Which means that the majority of the tracks are kept in mid-tempo, the vocals slightly distorted, the sequencers pulsating monotonously. Nothing to fret about, nothing to get worked up about either. - Tocafi, Mouvement Nouveau Magazine
They come from Germany (the 3rd electronic industrial release). Actually it's the reissue of the duet Plastic Noise Experience, and that is the album "Rauschen" (1997) in a remastered version naturally and enriched by six bonus tracks. Listening to it in pieces, continuously jumping with the fast skip buttons, we remain interested in such geometric synthetic structures dripping big love for the eighties music, but we must admit the whole listening (over seventy minutes) waters down the starting expectations a little. The only fault in this album is an anachronistic linearity, but the antiquated sound does stand the test of time (like other similar analog products) . An essentiality which fingers the do-it-yourself-ness, that would recall the big champions of the middle European electronics, and which collects a few ideas, developing them in an old school EBM way. The cover of Motorhead, "Hellraiser III" presents and develops as a pot of EBM common places with inventiveness. And mind you they made an operation of rewriting with huge perspectives, not only from the point of view of arrangements). The structures are though good but a little confident, that at times one has the impression there's something lacking. We must not mistake expressive minimalism with lack of content. PNE hits the mark for fans of old school EBM. - Flavio Ignelzi, Silent Scream
This album is very good. But I'm just not into this type electro industrial. It's a mix of minimal dance music, new wave, and some pretty harsh treated vocals. The music sounds like it was made with the a lot of analog electronic music equipment. It sounds alittle dated, but in a good way. I will say that when there are no vocal tracks, it can also be decent background music. There, an additional compliment from someone that does not know the genre. - Eddie Fleisher, Utter Trash
This is the last gasp of German EBM wizards PNE before they fractured off into various bubbling cauldrons of nu-electronica, including the infamous Gaytron (!). This sour-faced duo specialized in early 90's style darkwave, in the much-punctured vein of Skinny Puppy and Front 242. You know, herky-jerky dancefloor fillers with 80's hangover synths, thunderous machine-beats and hissing vocals swimming in a sea of distortion and angst. All good fodder for the razor kids and the beat junkies, and "Noised" collects 18 such specimens, all of 'em glowing a bright, hypnotic purple and shooting electric sparks everywhere. The evil cyber-core shit ("Moving Hands" "D-Ranged" "No Return" "Hellraiser" holds up better than the gurgling, poppy synth-wave stuff, but that's a given, really. And seeing as it looks like Clause Kruse and Stephen Kalwa are pretty much abandoning the serial killer disco for less aggro sounds, ya better grab this clusterfuck of electro-darkness while you can. - Ken, Sleazegrinder
Plastic Noise Experience are back with a new album. The Industrial Duo, consisting of Claus Kruse and SM Kalwa, is presenting 18 remarkable new tracks. The songs are under EBM as we are used to by Plastic Noise Experience heavy attacks from the drum machines and are banging themselves from minute to minute. Pleasing melody arcs are found only rarely, as any hints of them are drowned by the merciless bass lines. Noised is missing the most important musical variability and therefore the CD is hard to listen to for more than the first 5 titles. The aggressive singing, which most of the time is layered screaming and distorted over the sound constructs, is very often drowned in the electronic noise. Nevertheless Plastic Noise Experience is offering their fans with this CD a lot of music for relatively little money. - Ingo Mller, ReFlexion Magazine
The album "Noised" the latest release by PLASTIC NOISE EXPERIENCE, but contains mostly old material. It’s in fact the album "Rauschen" that has been remastered and together with 6 new songs make up the album "Noised".Those who have had an eye on the EBM scene the last decade has most likely come across the name PLASTIC NOISE EXPERIENCE and this EBM/industrial duo (which now consists just out of Claus Kruse after SM Kalwa left the band) has released quite many interesting album during the years. "Noised" takes us back both in terms of time, and also regarding the style, since the music here stands quite far from what PNE stands for today. On "Noised" it's the more minimalistic EBM that stands out and I can't keep myself from drawing parallels to the early material by FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY. The tempo is therefore relatively low, but the song material is definitely dance floor friendly and also takes in quite strong elements from dark wave, which makes the album a quite dark one. The quite heavily distorted and rather dark vocals further add to the atmosphere that runs through the album like an electric spark of angst and dark destructivity. Especially the opening track "City Of Lies" is a really good song and has always been one of my favourite tracks by PNE. The previously unreleased material is generally not as dark as the rest of the album, but nevertheless it keeps up the high quality. The sharp-eyes can also among the previously unreleased material spot a cover track, namely MOTORHEAD's classic song "Hellraiser". This version is, as one can expect, not that similar to the original, but the song proves to work nicely in a electronic from too.The album "Rauschen" was in its original form a really good album, so it's therefore not that surprising that "Noised" gets my approval. The fact that the album also contains some additional material just makes things better. - Jan-Erik Nyman, Metal Only Zine
Noised, the new Plastic Noise Experience (PNE) release from Van Richter Records, represents a wide range of sound perspectives from various facets of the industrial crystal. I thought this was my first introduction to the band, but it turns out I recognize a couple of the tracks from local clubs, including City of Lies, Hellraiser, and Moving Hands. Energie has also received some play on Seattle's weekly industrial radio program. My daughter thought 1001 sounded like dance music for aliens, and couldn't resist busting out with some extra-terrestrial moves of her own. My old friend Bob, who has good and diverse taste in music, happened to be over while I was giving it a listen, and he found a lot of good things and favorable comparisons, which I was planning to remember and include here. Unfortunately, I'm old, and my memory is not all it once was. The best I can offer, by way of summary, is that PNE is finding a receptive, active and enthusiastic audience among nightclubbers and barhoppers, radio-listeners, children and people in my apartment. Plastic Noise Experience is made up of the dynamic duo from Hamburg, Claus Kruse on programming and vocals and Stephen Kalwa on programming and lyrics. Noised contains newly remastered recordings of PNE's previous work Rauschen. That accounts for the first 11 songs, which are more in the electro/industrial mode that Germany seems to best represent. The new bonus tracks (12-18) cover a much broader range of styles and sounds, which seem to work out pretty well for the PNE boys. The new tracks don't have much in common with one another. Each has a unique sound, and innovation and experimentation are the only common thread. Energie and 1001 could be kissin' cousins or neighbors of Kraftwerk's. Stadt im Schlaf, an instrumental, is strongly reminiscent of Coil, while a cover of Motorhead's Hellraiser goes in a powerful, driving dancefloor direction. Noised contains a strong element of classic electro, but doesn't die out there. Diverse styles, approaches and influences are apparent throughout, and the new tracks show sure signs of artistic development and change from the earlier work. Speaking of the earlier tracks, some of the English lyrics are a liitle confusing. I know English is the lingua franca of the media world, but i think exceptions are made in the realms of gothic and industrial music, where the Germans hold a commanding lead. People love to hear this style of music in the Muttersprache. More German songs from this band could only add more power and flow to what's already a good thing. - Dharmageddon, Dark Life Magazine
Alhoewel dit het nieuwste PNE album is bevat "Noised" bijna enkel oud material. Meer zelfs, eigenlijk gaat het hier over een reissue van het album "Rauschen" ooit nog gereleased op ons eigen Belgische "cultlabel" KK records (KK170). Tevens het laatste album waarop PNE nog als een duo opereerde, daarna ging Claus Kruse solo verder met dit project. Op de bijgevoegde persinfo claimt men ook dat de nummers van dit album "reworked and remastered" zouden zijn maar daar valt bij beluistering weinig of niks van te merken. De meeste tracks op deze "Noised" stammen nog uit het tijdperk dat Electro/EBM nog minimalistisch mocht zijn en niet persé aan 160 BPM moest voorbijrazen. Niet tegenstaande zijn vele van deze tracks uiterst geschikt om enkel danspasjes op te maken. Naast het "Rauschen" materiaal staat er ook nog wat extra onuitgegeven(?) materiaal op deze cd. Zo vind men onder andere twee covers onder die zes extra tracks, namelijk "Hellraiser" van Moterhead en een extra lange studio versie (dus niet de live) van het legendarische "Moving Hands" van The Klinik. Omdat het "Rauschen" album op zich zelf al een redelijk sterk PNE album was maken de extra tracks deze "Noised" zeer interessant, vooral als men het originele album nog niet in zijn collectie heeft steken. - PM, Dark Entries Magazine
Incepted in 1989, Claus Kruse and SM Kalwa created Plastic Noise Experience. A power house in creating minimal EBM laced dance music. Now in 2005 a new PNE release sees the light of day, but it doesn't appear to be new material, instead a collection of rarities and covers. Any fan of classic EBM or PNE should defiantly own this release, 18 tracks are crammed into "Noised" to give you your money's worth. The Cover tracks are decent. The "Moving Hands" cover was originally composed by The Klinik. Clause takes on the role of EBM legend Dirk Ivens and nails this song with the accuracy of a nail gun. The instrumentals show a side of PNE rarely seen, taking a break from the dance floor beats to a more ambient approach to the song writing, this compilation has all the flavors of PNE packed tightly into one valuable release. - Dj Carrion, Lollipop Magazine
Noised, the third release for Plastic Noise Experience on the US label Van Richter Records, has a bit of the old, a bit of the new, and a bit of controversy added in just to make it interesting. Noised is the last release of the German duo Claus Kruse and SM Kalwa, as Kalwa has left the band to pursue other interests. This release is mainly comprised of PNE's 1997 album Rauschen, re-mastered, as well as six new songs more in line with PNE's recent solo releases , including a cover of Motorhead's "Hellraiser III." The album really needs to be treated as two separate pieces - the re-mastered older album and an EP of newer music. The older material is reminiscient of older Front Line Assembly or Front 242, with minimalist sounds and somewhat distorted vocals - old-school ebm if you like. Keeping in mind these songs are eight years old, they are rather good for their time; a touch of nostalgia from the old days. There are quite a few good tracks, such as "City of Lies," "In your Mind," "I Want You (Part I)" and "Do You Know my Name?" The last six songs head in a slightly different direction, being more modern in sound, being more in line with the more recent works of Kraftwerk. These tracks are definitely brothers of the songs on PNE's 2004 release, Maschinenmusik. All in all, Noised is a good album as long as you realize this is older material with newer material tacked onto the end of the album. It will give people unfamiliar with PNE exposure to the band's older sound and newer sound as well. Van Richter probably should have released the remastered Rauschen album separately and made Noised an EP of the newer material to keep things a bit cleaner, but who am I to judge. - Legion, This is Corrosion
Noised is my first foray into world of PLASTIC NOISE EXPERIENCE, and now all I can do is wonder how I never discovered this band earlier. PNE has been around since 1989, but Noised is only the third release from German industrial duo Claus Kruse and Stephan Kalwa. In fact, this will be the last album from the pair as Stephan Kalwa left PNE to pursue other interests, making the current PNE in effect a solo project by Claus Kruse. In actuality, Noised is hardly an album per se; it is more of a re-issue of a re-mastered version of the band's 1997 release Rauschen. The only major difference here is the inclusion 6 new tracks, which encompass bonus tracks and rarities. It therefore in essence makes Noised a re-mastered older album and an EP of newer music married together, packaged as one.The older works ? which, melodically and lyrically are comparatively darker and heavier than the newer tracks ? is highly reminiscent of the legendary classic duo Dirk Ivens and Marc Verhaeghen of Klinik ? which of course, is hardly a bad thing in itself. On opening track "City of Lies", the distorted voice of Claus Kruse asks the listener: 'Storm and thunder above the City of Lies / Keep your public appearance / Be successful or die / Are you ready to die in a City of Lies?' It is undoubtedly one of the strongest tracks on Noised.But it is the new tracks on this record that are especially worth taking note of as they include PNE's recent solo releases, such as the cover of Motorhead's “Hellraiser", for which the result is just absolutely superb, although it sounds so different from the original. I would say this music is more plastic ? with its clean-cut beats a la Kraftwerk ? than noise-based. There is, of course, without a doubt the element of noise here, but PNE is one of those bands that know how to use a multitude of sounds subtly and skillfully, in this case delicately placing the element of industrial noise under several layers of smooth electronics and Haujobb-esque angry vocals: the former masks the harsh edges of the base arrangements used whilst the latter simultaneously enhances this very ingredient of noise. It is this colossal struggle between the violent rage and the sorrowful serenity in the futuristic programming that drives PNE. Simply put, Noised is just an outstanding album and Plastic Noise Experience are masters at what they do. In fact, this album just makes me realize what I have been missing ? I will definitely be checking out their first two records after having listened to Noised. This is an experience not to be missed! - Nasreen Lina Chowdhury, Subculture Magazine
Once a duo, Singer Claus Kruse has taken up all responsibilities of writing and is now running PLASTIC NOISE EXPERIENCE. The style in all actuality is typical industrial music but the key is that it's executed very well. For being a music fan that is not familiar with the industrial scene whatsoever, I found this album to be quite relaxing and entrancing at times. The serene melodies really put a daze over you as minute after minute goes by. I do not think PLASTIC NOISE EXPERIENCE are striving to write anything groundbreaking, rather than just perfecting the sound they set out with from the beginning. Don't sell yourself short and pass on this album. - Derek Hubbard, Pit Magazine
This is not exactly a new release for the German duo of Claus Kruze and Stephan Kalwa, with 12 of 18 tracks serving as an overhauled version of their Rauschen record (the first time around must have been a practice). Creating songs that play upon the harsh metallic percussions of traditional industrial music, PNE are a dark and catchy digital experience. Tracks such as "In Your Mind" and "City of Lies" are especially reminiscent of a detached and metallic music experience. Unfortunately this release also has a tendency to veer towards tedium. The far too repetitive "Digital Noise" and the more recent "1001" almost taunt you to hit the skip button midway through the song. The duo do include a great cover version of Motorhead's "Hellraiser III" and offers a great electro-atmospheric track with "Propagated Beat," which means that overall, these guys hit more than they miss. With this disc standing as their last album as a duo, it will be interesting to see what Kruze will offer in his future solo PNE projects. Mike Adair, Exclaim Magazine
If you love industrial music tinged with EBM you'll love this latest album release by German's PLASTIC NOISE EXPERIENCE. It's dark and edgy with trippy blips and beeps and heart pounding bass lines topped off by deep-throated vocals. Once you listen to this you'll never look at industrial music the same again, like a title of one of their songs suggests there's "No Return" from this music. Wednesday Elektra, Space Junkies Magazine
(Old Skool Electro) 8/10
List of Ingredients: 1 part Gary Numan, 1 part Klaus Nomi, 1 pard Devo, 1 part Front Line Assembly, and shake well.
I really like this one, and you will too if you like the experimental side of the 80's. Van Richter has definatley got a hit cd with this one. PNE have always been one of those bands that bubbled under the surface (you know, "I've heard the name but I don't think I know any songs" when you probably do) and with this cd I honestly think they are going to gain some new fans of the old style.
In an age when even the newest fad of "electro-clash" is now considered old and passe, it's cool to see a band like PNE that has the original sound (and has been doing it for YEARS already). These guys are gonna make you remember WHY you liked the experimental-dance stuff when you were young all over again! Favorite Tracks: In Your Mind - Electronic Dreams - Hellraiser Mike Wimer, MusicWerks Magazine
Plastic Noise Experience has been around for what seems like forever and Noised is an opportunity to experience some of their older material re-mastered as well as several new tracks. The minimalistic keyboard sound gives you a sense of 80's dance music, though much darker and less energetic . There are also tons of repeated sound samples from mechanic / industrial to spaced out. All instrumentation is programmed and although it's not the sound they are going for, they could benefit from punchy real drums to back up the artifical sound. You won't want to buy this for the weakly translated lyrics. All but a few of the songs are in English and the vocals are strongly German accented yet highly understandable, usually sung in an almost spoken voice with few melodic notes. As one may expect other songs have electronically altered vocals which is a better and more befitting style for this project although the variation of style helps differentiate the songs and maintain interest. The singing sometimes leans towards angry and almost a growl being perhaps the heaviest element on the album. The release sounds very underground though not very heavy. I prefer the less song oriented instrumentals some of which are moody and have a richer, deeper sound to accomidate for the lack of vocals. Noised is 18 songs of dark electronic dance music and what is an album collection without some German EBM? - Lady Enslain, Enslain Magazine
This popular German dark-electro band was formed in 1989 by Clause Kruse and Stephan Kalwa. They soon launched into the electro scene with such albums as Transmission, Visage De Plastique and others in the early 90's. These early albums defined the PNE sound and set the stage for their future.The mid-nineties saw them go quiet for a while as they worked through various obstacles. There were a few more N. American releases on the Van Richter label as anthologies spanning earlier releases giving this audience a taste of their music. Their last release as a duo was also just released under this label as Noised again including remastered tracks from their Rauschen album plus six extra unreleased tracks. This ended one chapter in the history of this project and a new one is begun. 2004 saw the reformation of the band into a solo project by Clause Kruse as Stephan moves on to pursue other interests. Anyone who has ever been a fan of electro-industrial or dark-electro music will no doubt have heard something from this band. Hailing from Germany, they are much more well known and popular there then in other areas, but no doubt still known in one way or another.Their minimalistic style is much like electro-clash, but was heavily used before it became the new cliche in the alternative pop scene.The industrial edge mixed with minimalistic style is something else that makes the musical style so unique compared to so many other EBM and industrial bands. Fans can hear selections on the Gothic Paradise club radio show, so check it out. - Jacob L. Bogedahl, Gothic Paradise
This is a domestic release of a CD from a coupla years ago called 'Rauschen' with some extra songs on it, including a Motorhead cover of 'Hellraiser' that sounds nothing like the original. Germany's PNE don't sound like any of the current industrial EBM trends if that's what you're looking for. But that's alright, cuz in ten years I'm sure today's 'modern' stuff will sound dated and replaced by whatever comes next. The good stuff lasts the ages, of which this is some. This is fairly uncomplicated industrial music that could be at home with some early stuff Cleopatra or Fifth Colvmn used to do, but also has elements in common with electronica stuff on Mute or even Warp Records. So don't let the industrial association fool you. Imagine talking to your kids in 2019: "Powernoise electro, dad? Isn't that what old fogies in the early 21st century listened to?" - Tsanger Banger, Temple of Horror Webzine
Remember a time before elephant pants and glow sticks? When the term "rivet head" was used to describe someone into hard electro music then referred to as "industrial music"? And "oontz" was something that applied to "techno" clubs? This album takes you back to those glorious times. This album is chalked full of all of the vintage synth and textures you would want to hear from back in the day. Actually the album is a remastered version of the 1997 release "Rauschen" (with 6 bonus tracks), it breaths new life into the missing link between gritty Industrial and modern EBM. It contains several instrumentals as well as the classic stomp of the earlier less lit scene (you may feel more comfortable listening to this album wearing a painted leather jacket and steel toe boots). Plastic Noise Experience was a driving force in the early 90's hard electronic scene, and continues to be so today. - Phee Stringer, Livid Looking Glass Magazine
This is a long awaited release from electronic purest German pioneers Plastic Noise Experience. This is a revamped remastered CD that is chalked full of what used to pull many leather wearing club goers out of there offices and parents basements to be bathed in thick aggressive synth music. Several juicey live tracks and remixes are included in this sound bath. It is also worth noting that this CD was released in large part because of the bands army of devoted fans and their insistence on more of there favorite P.N.E. Think old school minimalistic electro with modern production; a super industrial certified CD, with a bootleg mood. - Veejay, Industrial Nation Magazine
Plastic Noise Experience has remained an important part of the EBM industrial scene, particularly in western europe as it seems Claus Kruse' reach has not quite extended to a large fan base in North America in his 18 years in the music scene. Plastic Noise Experience holds onto a heavier and darker sound than say, labelmates Girls on Glass, but still this style of EBM -industrial in general fosters aggression that its lyrics and imagery promotes. The band has more in common with its synthpop brothers soundwise than what they accomplish in the vain of dark music. If one could compare the industrial scene in general to the metal scene in general, this style would undoubtedly be the MTV-fueled lighter sound like that of Incubus. Even with the aggressive nature and inspiring rhythms, though, Plastic Noise Experience still somehow pulls off talented programming work. Where it lacks in complexity, it more than makes up for in diversity in sound and texture, with much attention being paid to the production and mastering of the sound used. If the reason behind the minimal instrumentation on the album was to give the sound a cold edge, a more machine appeal, it passes with flying colors. If anything it sounds like an album full of thickness and rhythmic value. Though seemingly sounding like it wants to be dance floor material, I can envision many people feeling these songs enough to get out and actually moving their feet.Needless to say, this this album has something for everyone especially for die-hard fans of dance-oriented industrial electronics. In all honesty it sounds like this one was supposed to go somewhere fantastic and with the singles "Digital Noise" and "Hell raiser III" Motor head cover version their mission was completed. Highly recommended. - Sage, Heathen Harvest Webzine

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