Appetite for Destruction

Chronique

Appetite for Disctruction is nothing short of a post-modern masterpiece. Post-modernism may have become passé, killed by its own irony and countless moronic interpretations, but understand it or not, care for it or not, there is little doubt that post-modernism and its deconstruction of culture have dominated intellectual thought post-Vietnam and into the new millennium. Post-modernism may be played out, but there is always room for one more statement of the times and of the future, especially if it as brilliant as Appetite for Disctruction. The album is electronica with a statement, a deconstruction of the musical trends of our times. Funkstörung presents a complete concept. From the art direction of the jewel case to the irony of the liner notes to the mundane song titles to the name of the album itself, Appetite for Discstruction is a cohesive vision: the smashing of previous musical boundaries and the unity of these genres into something completely new. Funkstörung creates an aural world of maddeningly complex soundscapes. Appetite for Disctruction takes the listener on a such a lush mental trip that it is difficult to wrap your mind it as a whole. Moving seamlessly from trip-hop to soul music to head-nodding dance beats to the bleeps of sci-fi imagery to straight-up hip-hop to general cacophony, Appetite for Disctruction is an experiment in sound. This isn't mass-market, pop-friendly, Fatboy Slim electronica. It is the exploration of the genre and all of its influences from new wave to hip-hop to R&B to computer programming. Along with Kraftwerk's pioneering work and Underworld's artistry, Funkstörung's Appetite for Disctruction is an essential piece of electronica for the collector's vaults.
© Brian Musich /TiVo