| NASA
REMEMBERING THE FUTURE ALBUM MEMENTO MATERIA RELEASE: AUGUST 9, 1999 REVIEW: AUGUST 4, 1999 
The comeback album of Nasa is a genrebreaker. I've never heard such a fresh, crisp, yet retro flavoured piece of music since... never. Patrik Henzel and Martin Thors have tried, and succeeded, in developing electronic pop music on "Remembering the Future". There's a contradiction, however, since the moods of the album isn't all that synthpoppish. What I mean by that is that the structure of the songs are different than your usual synthpop standards. Vocalwise, and sometimes songwise, it's not difficult to draw parallells to funk, or even blues. Still, the instrumentation is exclusively electronic. So electronic that you may start moving and talking like a robot while listening to it. The first single release from the album, "Back to Square One" is, together with "Nexterday" (planned for single release), "They Call Her Love" and "The Road to Newtopia" the most impressive and innovative compositions. Surprisingly enough, the title track is the one coming off the most boring. The only negative point to make is their somewhat excessive use of robotic distortion and other effects on the vocals. For friends of De/Vision and Depeche Mode, "Remembering the Future" is no natural buy, but it's an album that really grows. However, if you're into electro, and think it's a bit stagnated or sour, then Nasa's new eleven track disc is for you. NIKLAS FORSBERG |
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