Add N To (X)
Add Insult to Injury
Mute
First of all, for those of you scratching your scalps, the name refers to a computer command that creates an unknown third electronic force. Confused yet? Don’t bother, because the music the band lays forth on its third LP won’t leave you with any closure, either. Having heard the last Add N to (X) record, On the Wires of Our Nerves, I was completely dumbfounded to believe this was the same trio. Evoking sci-fi imagery and synth-drum freakouts throughout, Add Insult to Injury would probably be the perfect soundtrack if Ed Wood were still alive and making films that revolted the masses.
Not to say that Insult is revolting, merely a workshop on proper analogue operation, accomplishing the nearly impossible feat of making the synthesizer sound organic. Humor-laced and arpeggiated throughout, Add N to (X) version 3.0 proves a force to be reckoned with in contemporary electronic and experimental circles. Just listen to the first four tracks on the record and try your level best to restrain yourself and your imagination from orbiting life at Concorde speed. A bit too complex for electronic purists and a bit too synth-saturated for the indie community, Add N to (X) have nestled themselves into a cozy position where all is enigmatic and gray, but I’m sure they wouldn’t want it any other way.
Mute Records, 140 W. 22nd Street, Suite 10A, New York, NY 10011; http://www.mute.com
