Imminent Starvation's debut CD release is a tour de force of technoid distorted rhythms fused with elements of electronic power noise. The textures on the album vary, from the driving forces of "Lost Highway 45" through the relatively subdued electronics of "Mosquito" (reminiscent of some early
Techno Animal), to the dancefloor-abrading power of "Dislocation 2 & 3" (precursor to the later classic, "Tentack One"). As much of this release is about aural abuse as it is about layers of quieter sound superimposed to form more than the sum of the parts. It is this variety of feel and Olivier Mearau's avoidance of formulaic sound arrangement that make Human Dislocation such a powerful release when compared to its contemporaries. The technoid features of Meareau's also make this noise club-oriented and more structured than other flavors of power noise, from masters such as Merzbow and Masonna. And like releases from these artists, the music comes alive played loud. Some of this material can be found on
Imminent Starvation's vinyl releases, but there is enough new material here to pique the interest of listeners who have the entire back catalog. This release is also a good starting point for listeners interested in exploring noise music.