One must assume that the band name is ironic, because
Defragmentation's full-length debut is a completely fragmented blast of glitch; less a collection of songs (even as the term is loosely defined in the world of experimental electronica) than 19 separate sound collages of off-kilter samples, cut-up rhythms, and unidentifiable noises. From the stop-start clatter of the opening "Stop Crashing" to the thrumming techno groove of the closing "Let Go" nearly an hour later, these brief pieces simply introduce a rhythmic, sonic, or textural idea, let it percolate for a minute or two, then stop and move on to something else. The addition of (heavily-processed) guitar and bass to the electronics gives the album a visceral wallop akin to the best of the '80s industrial disco scene (
Skinny Puppy,
Pigface, etc.) without the tiresome "ooh, lookit us, we're so transgressive" palaver that's usually part and parcel of that style. Satiric song titles like "Experiments in Jungle Part 1" and "My Dub 4" (which, naturally, are neither jungle nor dub) suggest that there's some subtextural commentary on the current state of electronica going on here, but on the surface,
Self Construct is music for those with little patience for structure, and listening to it is akin to hearing a DJ set by a small hyperactive child.