Reviews

...The sound of Apraxia is primarily industrial, to my ears anyway, but still quite addictive to synthpop-tinged ears like mine. The group also wears their hearts on their sleeves, one of a number of groups throughout history with a strong political view at their core.... As you would expect, some of these views work their way into the lyrical message the band is espousing.

This then is their current release and features three original vocal driven tracks, a cover and an instrumental. The cover is Strangelove, the Depeche Mode track that is taken more up tempo with some definite Gahan-like vocals from Siren313. This cover never quite strays away too much from the DM original, but it’s a good take on the song nonetheless.

The Apraxia musical manifesto seems to include good strong bass, some strong programming and heavy beats. Subtle samples are present in all the original tracks, although the instrumental Completely Operational is a bit sample heavy (which is not to it’s detriment by the way). Glass is the one track that differs from the rest in that it attempts to move away from the strong rhythm of its brethren and tries something a little different. It’s not as beat heavy and is clearly the most diverse track here sound-wise.... The band clearly don’t subscribe to the traditional verse-chorus-verse structure of songwriting.... The songs are strong currently, no fears on that score....

SynthPop.NET

United Kingdom

Originally Detroit, now Minneapolis ... steht zu lesen auf der MySpace Seite von Apraxia aka Siren313.

Damit ist schon einiges gesagt, wenn man Detroit als referentielle Quelle für die Dunkelheit von elektronischen Sounds nimmt und Mineapolis als Reiseziel ohne Prince-schen Verklärtheit betrachtet sondern eher als "Gotham City wie diese Urlaubsbilder zeigen.

Apraxia hat aber weit mehr Einflüsse, sie reichen von Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, über Front 242 auf die unvermeidlichen Depeche Mode. Obwohl hier allerortens bekannte Sounds verwendet werden und auch die Stimme vertraut klingt hebt sich Apraxia klar von reinem Epigonentum der Vorbilder ab, sondern liefert einen futuristischen Entwurf mit eindeutigen Reminiszenzen an die 80'er, und die verschiedenen Geburtsstätten elektronischer Popmusik. Leeds, Detroit, Berlin, New York --- [the Age of Chance, 1987] wird ausgedehnt auf die ganze Welt und ab in den Orbit.

Die Radiofabrik findet Apraxia - Trite Permission "Hörenswert" und sendet das Album am Freitag 22. Februar um 15:00 h (Wiederholung am 28. Februar, 00:00 h)     English translation on its way

Radio Fabrik

Salzburg, Austria

This album is a sort of anthology for this band, covering tracks from 1999-2006 including some extra bonus pieces and even later versions (ie. 2007 versions of "Glass" and "Stranger"). With fifteen solid tracks spanning the range of electronic genres with a solid foothold in the synthpop arena, this is a dics full of goodies for fans to enjoy. The band has managed to make a quick name for themselves around the world, receiving praise from press and dj's alike with their club-friendly tracks and intelligent lyrics and programming.

As we dive into the album, it's apparent this band is influenced by many of the great synthpop and new wave acts of the 80's and 90's such as Depeche Mode and Information Society. With that said, I'll try to leave any other comparisons out and allow the readers and listeners to try to judge for themselves how they like this album. The first few tracks dig right into the club-friendly rhythms and song structures. "The Future" kicks it all off with some cool vocoded vocals and loops slowly building up to a moving mid-tempo dance piece with some heavy bass kicks and solid vocals over some simple electronic loops. "Glass" then picks up with a little more experimental edge in the bleeps and bloops in the electronic loops structure. The chorus is catchy for the pop scene, repeating over and over and mixes well with the overall song structure. As we get to "Stranger", I think we've hit the best structured track on the album with heavy dance-friendly beats, deep vocals and solidly layered swooshing synths and layered loops. These along with the german-language track "Totenplatz", "CyberChrist" and a few others make the more club-friendly part of the album.

Once we get passed the first half-dozen pieces, the experimental techno side of this band starts to come out with several instrumental pieces mixed in throughout the rest of the album. Most of these have a mix of various samples along with layer upon layer of different loops and driving percussion. One thing that comes out on these pieces and with this band and album in general is that there are few tracks where you just find the standard four-on-the-floor techno dance beat. It's usually mixed up a bit with heavy kicks, a few break-beats and other various percussion rhythm patterns that add some great variety to the album.

As we near the end of the disc, we're presented with a nice little treat that hails back to the band's heavy influence with a cover of the Depeche Mode track "Strangelove". This is a nice cover and not done in a carbon copy fashion, but in such a way that the band's own unique style comes right out and is able to build on the solid foundation that was created so many years with the original. After this we're left with two more highly experimental instrumental pieces to wrap up the album. They've done a good job with this work and it's well enough that most fans of various forms of synthpop music will enjoy most of it, especially those that like a bit of experimental elements mixed in.

Rating: 4/5

Gothic Paradise

Salt Lake City, Utah

First Review: Apraxia's second cd features a mix up of various genres, yet it is mainly electro-industrial oriented. It is primarily the result of Siren's efforts. Two things did really impress and surprise me: first I noticed the artists that he mentions as influences, including the industrial / elektro classics as well as lots of pop and rap stars. ....tracks are really well done and presents you a new, more bizzarre and different way of performing industrial electronics....

Second Review: The cover artwork of this cd makes me think of an experimental kind of music but in actual fact this record is an electro work. The most impressive songs are "Totenplatz", "Strangelove" (a Depeche Mode cover) and "Stranger". Sounds are nice and well chosen, the singer has got a good voice. ...it can be appreciated by people who prefer introspective electronic music instead of ebm. Quite good."

Chain DLK

Torino, Italy

The newest release from Apraxia is a retrospective of their work from 1999 to 2006. Most of the programming has stood the test of time, and the songs generally avoid painful repetition....

..."CyberChrist" has moments of brilliance in the form of sexy female vocals, sweep pads, and strong drum hits... Listeners will want to dance to it....

"Stranger" sounds like a Rosetta Stone song from 1997, but in a good way. It's unapologetically danceable.... Another high point of the album is "TotenPlatz," whose delightfully unpredictable drums and convincingly delivered German lyrics cry out for a floor full of dancing rivet gals. It's like a bouncy, German version of Process-era Skinny Puppy, and the craziness looks good on Apraxia...."

RenGen Magazine

San Francisco, California

Detroit White trash that has overloaded on politics, religion and a multitude of musical influences from rap, industrial and punk. Lo-fi sub-Ministry pounding mixed with punk electronics with angst ridden vox, all overlaid with buckets full of attitude.

They want to blow the lid off regional politics with proto-rants that bring to mind the likes of Crass of Poison Girls. Industrial with a conscience there's a novelty, in your face rants a la Consolidated. You got nowhere to hide. it's time you heard a different view. Not for the MTV generation.

Sequence Magazine

United Kingdom

Order versus chaos. Experimentally original, yet familiar pretty much sums up one of the strangest electronic music CDs I've heard - comparable to Download, though not as harsh or heavy as older Download.

Amoung the swirling beats and strange loops there are odd, partially distorted voice samples just to throw you off.... The music on this CD from Detroit's [now Minneapolis] all-in-one musician... could easily fit the soundtrack of any totally insane movie.

Industrial City / Gothic News

Ontario, Canada

The Future saviors of the NIN-genre and the Michigan scene are here; their name: Apraxia.... They've got plenty of sound-bytes, instruments, and effects they use. Their music is similar to NIN, Ministry with a lot of "rawness." They've got some cool stuff like 'Immobilized' and 'Helm'. Their tour-de-force, and one that I alreadt consider a class is 'Heil Engler.' Take that you dirty old bastard!

Jam Rag

Detroit, Michigan

Native from Detroit (USA) Apraxia composes an electronic sound combining typical dark electronic influences together with synth-pop ideas and even move on the edge of techno. The cover version of Depeche Mode’s 'Strangelove' isn’t for sure the best cut of the album, but it’s a quite recognizable version.... And in a different style, the techno-ambient inspired 'The wind' isn’t bad at all! It all sounds like easily listening music, but it doesn’t really set the world alight!

Side-Line Magazine

Brussels, Belgium

(source)

...After listening to the entire CD, Apraxia's bitter humor and raw talent become apparent. Their witty samples and lyrics shine through on almost all songs....

The slow love song, 'Helm,' was a surprising change of pace with it's sexy male and female vocals, while the two versions of the title track display a heavy industrial beat. ...Cyberchrist is a clever and entertaining release with tracks appropriate for the dance floor, the bedroom and the college dorm room.

Outburn Magazine

Los Angeles, California

The album holds a real pleasure which makes you happy...between rock and synthcore. Their next album, ... with ... more synthworks, could only be a delightful piece. Don't forget this rendex-vouz.

Under the Flag Magazine

Liege, Belgium

Wow, to think that such decadently iconoclastic and outrageously blatant a project resides right in the cow-dotted center of our lovely peninsula. A strong sense of humor and desire to be overwhelmed is recommended. My roomate is living proof you cannot do homework when this is on -- even if you have a test the following day.

Jam Rag

Detroit, Michigan

An industrial orchestra...Different philosophies have influenced them, such as Anarchism, Catholicism, and Budhism. Likewise, they had been influenced by the diverse musical groups & stlyes like the Beatles, Throbbing Gristle, Crass, Skinny Puppy and the Shamen. The music is a hybrid. Although they generously use samplers, the sound is dominated by guitars, synths, bass and drums. I believe that only in the classic 80's have I heard such a live industrial band with so many many solo parts. It is fitting to call them an industrial rock band. Translated from Hungarian

Második Latás

Budapest, Hungary

Apraxia is the unsigned Electro project of the Minneapolis artist, Siren313, aka Alex V. Growing up in a multi-influenced community lead to a schizophrenic taste in music and Apraxia became the symbiosis of various genres such as New Wave, Electro, Synthpop, Industrial, Techno and Rock. 'Trite Permission' is a detached individual virus, armed with richly layered, smouldering body beats, elaborate programming, unobtrusive sampling and a synthetically infectious atmosphere. The floor-burning electro experience includes a cover of Depeche Mode's 'Strangelove'.
RATING: 5 STARS

Underground Press

...Fronted by Siren313, as an unknown US Band, Apraxia really has huge potential and has the raw materials to give many lovers of Industrial music to enjoy and they also have much to use and grow from. Meanwhile, you can visit the official Apraxia website, hear the Mp3s from the new album and hear first hand what the newest releases are. It's definitely worth your time.   Translated from German

Metal Hammer Magazine

The duo performs wide-ranging electro-industrial music, using lots of patterns and points of inspiration, they take it all on..... This new release is a little bit oldish in style, reaching up for an oldschool sound and pop style vocals... It's a mixture of BiGod20, Front 242 and early NIN, with a huge dose of synth-future-pop....

...The album has its potential hit.... Cyberchrist, with it's dry, short bass, noisy keys, raging vocals with complimentary female comments, it can all be considered a big plus of whole production. Another strong point of the record is MetroSexual (Stranger) a dynamic piece in contrast to melancholic mood of other songs on the album.

...Another official release, which is coming back to the roots, but still almost completely unnoticed. This release is a strong, rhythmic dose of electro-future-pop/ebm with classic electronic influences.... Translated from Polish

Electron Webzine

This electronic act ranges in style from traditional synthpop, to Information-Society-like freestyle, to techno. There's a little of everything running the electronic pop gamut on this album. One song will be poppy and catchy, then the next will be an old techno-style song built on samples and crunchy instrumental sounds. I'm reminded in some places of very early Front 242...back in the late 80's when industrial was just getting going, with that blend of classic EBM.

A Different Drum

Utah

... Apraxia seem to be cutting a firm groove for themselves in the local darkwave electronica scene, and they're just getting better and better.

DJ Noise, First-Ave and Ground Zero