January: 8 electro releases you need to hear this month

Mr Magnetik 'Body To Body' (GND Records)

Mr Magnetik’s debut album ‘Body To Body’ is the culmination of a successful crowdfunding campaign and the realisation of a dream for Christophe Vermiglio. The man behind the facepaint is also an accomplished graphic designer and that’s where the seed for his debut grew from: he wanted to create both an album and live show with a very distinct visual identity. ‘Body To Body’ is the musical side of the equation, with 12 tracks of caustic-sounding electro drawing from a range of influences including body-shaking EBM to industrial-tinged new beat. The album’s openers, ‘Autocracy’ and ‘Werra’, are statements of intent with stuttering percussion and stabbing synth work that creates a real sense of forward momentum early on. ‘Ghost’, on the other hand, is the polar opposite: it’s slower and lumbering, but features guest spots from EBM royalty, namely Patrick Codenys and Jean-Luc De Meyer from Front 242. Overall, Mr Magnetik’s debut manages to drag the very best of EBM and new beat kicking and screaming into the 21st century for a high-energy debut.

8/10