SEPTIC V COMPILATION DEPENDENT RELEASE: FEBRUARY 28, 2005 REVIEW: FEBRUARY 25, 2005

"Each year we raise the bar just a little higher and re-define the standard of quality for electronic music". "...the new bar by which all other compilations must be measured". With these contentious statements in mind, I give you the latest installment of the "Septic" series from Dependent Records.
Does this compilation live up to the above statements? If you listen exclusively to electro/industrial music, I'm sure it does. There are some good tracks to be found on here, although nothing as revelatory as Standeg's (rip) "Rushing Pictures" from "Septic IV" or Pail's "Paver Structure" from the first Septic.
Frank Spinath of Seabound working with Stromkern was a great move. "Sentinel" makes an impact. Monozelle bring out the Mode for their remix of Seabound's "Torch". The bassline is very Alan Wilder. Rotersand once more rise to the top, however, with their amazing track "Last Ship". These guys know what they're doing and it shows. It's really something to see these veterans of the electronic scene thoroughly ruling the field with this new project. This work alone makes the purchase of "Septic V" worth every penny.
As always, there's the one track on here designed to erase those pesky genre borders which the press release alludes to. It's quite amusing to me that it is Anthony Rother who has been given this dubious honour. The track which was picked is taken from his somewhat disappointing "Popkiller" album. It certainly doesn't fit with the rest of the work on this comp but nevertheless it's better than the majority of artists on here. Why they didn't choose "Breakdown the Wall" from his "Dreampeople" 12" is mystifying. "Punks" will have to do. 
The breakout track on here, surprisingly, comes from Dismantled. "Attention" is the best work he has yet done. And even though it's quite Evil's Toy influenced (circa the "XTC Implant"/"Illusion" era), it's a big step forward for Gary Zon. Throughout the duration of "Septic V", you can literally hear the ghost of X Marks the Pedwalk animating many of the bands on here. The influence of this legendary act is very noticeable with the band XPQ-21. "In Your Eyes" could have been a Hyperdex-1-Sect outtake.
Stefan Herwig and Thorsten Stroht have assembled something that, for the genre it chronicles, is willing to take risks. It's not as vital as the "Tyranny off the beat" or "O-Files" work they did when they ran Off Beat, however. For fans of the label, enjoy. For those who have not yet heard Dependent, this is a good introduction to what they're about.

PETER MARKS