|| || || || || ||

REVIEWS

One of the true progressive electro bands from the U.S. I'd put it up with nearly anything that is coming out of Europe. For the most part it is a fairly unique sounding band. Harshness, rhythm, great programming and texture - what more could you ask for? - Mr Tangent, from a March 1999 post on rec.music.industrial

Here are some great short reviews of each Scar Tissue CD, posted on r.m.i by Jason Troy, July 1999:


TMOTD
12 tracks and 13 "devices" The devices are short bursts of rythm/drumming/texture drones/screeches that range in lenght from 12seconds to the longest one which is 1minute and58 seconds. The idea is that you put your cd player on shuffle and these little devices scatter themselves between the regular tracks randomly and add incredible chaos and diversity. It really works. 20

Warning though. These devices are very harsh and experimental. Much like the ritualistic/experimental side of powernoise/dark ambient etc. If you dont like your music harsh, you probably wont like this cd. Many of the beats can at times sound like the "harsh" stuff from the first Gridlock album.

But few tracks contain much in the way of soft melodies (ala the mentallo you bought). The emphasis is on creative drumming programming and beat patterns. Other then the tracks Subterrain and Cascade, nothing is really ment for the dance floor on TMOTD imo. Beat and rythm are present in globs...but it doesnt "feel" dancy. (which is good!)

Damn...the more i listen to this more im being blown away. This cd came out in 97 if im not mistaken....and if a band were to release something of this quality on Ant-Zen today, wed ALL know about it. I honestly think some of the tracks are that good.

Tracks like Membrane, Gravity, and In This Place have an "ethnic" "tibeten?" feel to them. (you know the place where the women wear the veils over their faces)

And other tracks are slow ambient pieces. Dark and full of chaos. 20

Highly recomended! But only if you can tollerate the Ant-Zen, Cold Meat, Dive ish stuff. (tough to compare bands to Scar Tissue though - another plus!)

a few sound files:
http://www.buy.com/music/product.asp?sku3D60103546
-------------------------
Separator

sound files: (ya real audio blows....oh well)
http://www.buy.com/music/product.asp?sku3D60103537

Like Dayv says, its way more "puppyish" then TMOTD (splinterland, stance, soil, and choking on fate are VERY puppyish). 17 songs that are more structured then TMOTD. The same solid drum programming and beat patterns are present on every track. These beats are always upfront and "in your face." Not hidden behind synth melodies. No two tracks even remotely sound alike to me. The variety is surely there.20

Very interesting intros and out-tros to the songs. Scar Tissue deffinately got that part right. And like TMOTD vocals are present on very FEW tracks. Vocal samples are everywhere however. 20

Excellent for that fix of puppy we all want. (not an insult to anyone involved with Scar Tissue.....the puppy comparisons are pretty obvious to me)
---------------------------
Rebuild

A very underrated remix album imo. Few people talk about it.....but then again few people talk about Scar Tissue to begin with. Again, the variety of sounds youll hear on this album are incredible. 20

The album booklet/insert that comes with the cd has an interesting description of each track and who remixed it. (great little stories behind what your listening to)

Stand out tracks include:

Subterrain mix by Daniel Myer of Cleen/Haujobb. This track acutall sounds like its off a Newt album to me.

Cascade mix by cEvin Key. Pure download chaos. This is what we will be listening to if we lived in the bladerunner time period and walked into an exotic stripclub/bar/tattoo parlor.

Scsix mix by New Minds Jonathan Sharp. Funky beat/melodies and its downloadish also.

Afekt unreleased track. Incredible and bruttal ambient track. Militaristic drumming at the end. Harsh samples and panning sounds. :)

Lattice new unreleased track. Dive/Suicide Commando/Imminant Starvation power noise type track.

Identified by Dental Records. Harsh haunted house screems with riffing guitar and ritualistic drumming. Uptempo track.

sound files
http://www.buy.com/music/product.asp?sku3D60103555


JasonTroy

Reviews of "Rebuild":

March 1999 Review by Kim Alexander at Last Sigh

From sYNC tANK :

sCAR tISSUE is sTEVE wATKINS and pHIL Caldwell. tHEIR first two releases "seperator" and "TMOTD" became token u.s. industrial releases for their originality and electronic manipulation. i never fully comprehended sCAR tISSUE's talent until i caught their act last summer in chicago in a tiny club with 25 attendants. tHEIR live performance blew me away. iT was dark, gritty, and ultimatlely industrial. i mean true industrial... sINCE that night i have become a big fan of s.t. and this release only strengthened my belief. "rEBUILD" is a remix cd of gigantic proportions. wITH big names like kEVIN kEY, dANIEL mEYER, nERVE fILTER, nECROFIX, sMP, and nEW mIND on the list, as well as unreleased material, how could you possibly go wrong with this release? tHE disk starts out nicely with a new track titled "double blind (subjective mix)". it efficiently illustrates the sCAR tISSUE sound and may appear on a future release in a different form. nEXT up is the cLEENER version of "subterrain", brilliantly remixed by none other than dANIEL mEYER of the german "intelectro" outfit known as hAUJOBB. iNSTEAD of sounding like the cLEEN material, it tends to conjure up the recent style of n.E.w.T. tHE third track on this cd is perhaps my favorite. iT is a cover of "membrane" from "TMOTD" by nERVE fILTER. aT first, i mistook this as the cLEEN remix for it exhibits many of dANIEL mEYER's stylings. tOM sHEAR works in awesome samples, complicated breakbeat riffs, a deep bassline, and powerful percussion. "tHE time is here, the place is here." kEVIN kEY falls short on his "subconscious mix" of "cascade". tHE sound typically recalls the noisier moments of dOWNLOAD and his recent self-titled material. i have to say he could have done better. "soiled" remix by nECROFIX transforms the original into a pounding industrial cut meant to shake your ass on the dancefloor. jONATHAN sHARP (nEW mIND, hYPERDEX-1-sECT, bIO-tEK, cYBER-tEC, ect.) remixes "scsix" which manages to maintain much of the original and moves along nicely. IT was nice of the tISSUE boys to include some live material on this disk; namely an intro recorded in seattle and a live version of "choking of fate" wiich actually sounds better than the original. tHE new tracks on this release (aside from the forementioned first track) are: "mammoth", "lattice" and "concealed toy" (which introduces the "new" sCAR tISSUE turntable manipulator tAO). tHESE cuts are excellent instrumental experiments of guitarist/toy manipulator pHIL cALDWELL and nicely outline the true sCAR tISSUE sound. tHESE tracks are deliciously spooky...! fINALLY we have the sMP remix of the great club cut "crashtime." jASON bASINET adds the familiar rap-style vocals to the original version which i didn't care for too much. any fans of sMP will probably love this track. cLOSING out this plastic extremity is "identified by dental records (perception mix)." tHIS is a sample collage taken from 3d hOUSE of bEEF. tHIS disk is a great addition to any true sCAR tISSUE fan but if you've yet to experience their true sound, check out the first two releases. IMHFO sCAR tISSUE is the only true remaining industrial act in america today...

From Dachar at Industrial Bible :

Scar Tissue is one of those bands whose sound is nearly impossible to pin down. Some may think of them as intelligent electro, while others may define their sound as a mixture of noise, EBM, and techno, but no matter what you want to call it, Scar Tissue's sound cannot be rivaled. What better way to attempt to define their sound than by allowing other bands to undertake the task of re-inventing it, utilizing their own techniques. That is what Rebuild is all about. Of the 16 tracks on Rebuild, ½ of them are remixed by bands such as Cleen, cEvin Key, and SMP. It's quite fun to hear how each remix differs from one another, as well as how they differ from the original. For example, the Cleener version of Subterrain begins as a slow, spacey piece that suddenly is joined by a pulsating rhythm and trippy breakbeats. This is definitely a track that defines the term 'intelligent dance music.' CEvin Key takes the track Cascade and remixes it into a densely beat orientated piece that also contains elements of random noise. Jonathan Sharp of New Mind creates Scsix; a track welded together by a fantastic techno dance beat and comprised of various samples from a few different Scar Tissue tracks. Tom Shear (Assemblage 23) utilizes his Nerve Filter project to "rework" Remembrane into a fast paced tech-electro piece with thunderous beats and piercing electronics. Two unique tracks (Concealed Toy and Identified By Dental Records) are neither remixes of Scar Tissue tracks nor new/unreleased pieces. Rather, they are remixes that Scar Tissue had done for New Mind and 3D House of Beef. The former pulls bits and pieces of New Mind material to create a subtle, echo-ie track that highlights the scratching capability of Scar Tissue's newest member, Tao. Of the remaining pieces, all of them follow the inventive musical style that Scar Tissue has developed, chaotic industrial that runs the gamut from danceable to completely abstract. A few of these unreleased tracks are new and should shed some light on what we might expect next from these West Coast industrial terrorists.

and some more reviews....

INVEIN's Rebuild review (1988 by Zach Forbes)

Scar Tissue - Rebuild - 21st Circuitry
After discovering Scar Tissue from meeting Steve Watkins when he was drumming for 16 Volt back in 96, I became a huge Scar Tissue fan. This cd is a collection of remixes and unreleased/live tracks from Scar Tissue. It just doesn't get any better than this folks. Featuring remixes from Cleen, Nerve Filter, Necrofix, cEvin Key, Tensor, and New Mind, these remixes all leave the special touch that only those artists could leave. Steve sent out tons of samples from songs to these artists, and basically let them rework them in their own style. The result is incredible. As far as the unreleased stuff, the live version of "Choking on Fate" (originally on Separator) is extremely wonderful, and I envy those in Seattle who were there for it's conception. Oh! And there's a version of "Crashtime" by SMP that actually is very cool, with some additional vocals [by Jason of SMP - ed.] added. In conclusion, there's a Scar Tissue remix of 3D House of Beef's "Identified by Dental Records" which is also very cool. If you don't know Scar Tissue by now, I think you've been out of the loop, but they are likely the best drum/tribal/industrial band out there right now, and it's about time you checked them out!!!

Reviews on other sites:

[r.m.i] Review of the not-yet-released Cyberbabies compilation, by Shockvictm

Scar Tissue "Choking on Fate (live mix)"
You can't go too wrong with Scar Tissue. HEAVY GUITAR on this track. sample filled. vocals too. It's sub-labeled as "Live mix" so i do not know if that means it's a live version, or a mixed around live recording. you decide. I think most everyone is familiar with this group at this point, and this track does not dissapoint.

Form/Alkaline "Explant"
This is the side project of Scar Tissue, and this is an impressive first showing of what is to come. It's dark, with varying heavy beats, and machinery sounds, and even blends some horn thing i would expect to hear in India towards the end. If you put this on and go do something else, this is one of those tracks you'll lift your head up and go "which is this...oh, I have to get this one."

Sonic Boom review of TMOTD

This new album. while still retaining much of the original feel of "Separator" continues to expand into new territory with an increased use of vocal samples. and keyboard rhythms. In his role as lead vocalist and percussion wizard, Steve Watkins has also continued to mix both pre-written and improvised parts throughout the album. This type of free form improvisation has always been one of Scar Tissue’s strongest points and it is good to see that Steve is continuing with that type of song writing. Overall, "TMOTD". Does what most sophomore albums fail to do: it breaks new ground without sacrificing all of the lessons learned previously, thereby making it a much more cohesive effort.

New Industrial Sounds

21st Circuitry is lucky to have released their debut album. Vocals are distorted similar to Dirk Ivens (Dive), appropriately fitting the scratchy synthetic sound, The material is very textural, chock-full of melody and clashing noise. Sounds are derived from many traditional and nontraditional sources. The baselines are fuzzy but hard hitting. They range from slow hypnotic beats to crunchy hip-hop. A few voiceless songs are smothered and more rhythmic than the majority - this is where they expand the boundaries set by Dive. (MP)

INK Nineteen review of TMOTD

This one gets a big gold star from me. Strong beats and rhythms mix with dark electronic layers and well-structured sound for a fantastic electronic/industrial album. Predominantly murky, tribal at times, this would sound nice next to Delerium, Noise Unit, Doubting Thomas, and the like. It shifts smoothly from driving to quiet and subtle. My favorite record as of late. -Eric Sanders

DMZ (Digital Music Zine) vol 2, issue 1

Scar Tissue’s second full length album, "TMOTD", was a difficult one to gauge at first. What threw me off was that this is anything But your typical "industriall" album, with chunky guitars and generic synths. The musical composition can get a little chaotic and is mostly comprised of steady beats mixed in with a random assemblage of synths, explosive samples, and percussion. As their name implies, the music sometimes borders on being gruff, but what’s interesting is the way they layer these harsh, riotous sounds over a very clean danceable beat. It's this digital purity / analog noise combination that gives the texture of the music its potency. One song that realty caught my attention was "In This Place" with Jen Slatten on violin, though it sounds more like she’s on bagpipes. Also worth mentioning is the experimental cacophony known as "the devices" which runs from tracks 13 to 25. Yeah., if you haven't figured it out by now, this is not a melodic pop album. But if you listen to it a few times, you will hopefully hear the originality and unpredictability that Scar Tissue brings to the table. - SJK

Review by Dachar - www.bitstorm.net/dachar/reviews

Afer their debut release last year on 21st Circuitry, I thought I had Scar Tissue pinned as yet another American electro/coldwave band. Was I ever wrong. The music on TMOTD is very dense, piling layer upon layer of rnanipulated sound structures while still maintaining a danceable beat and distinguished rhythms. Songs such as Cascade and Crashtime play as if they were entirely built up around the percussion, wrapping odd sequences, samples, rough rhythms, and manipulated sounds around and around until the track is completely engulfed in an atmosphere of complex, danceable noise. I can't possibly make any comparisons to another group, as I had heard nothing of this nature prior to TMOTD. Many of the tracks have an improvisational feel to them, as if they were constructed on the spot with no prior thought process going into the rack. If this is so, than the members of Scar Tissue have an amazing talent of being able to manipulate their machines, churning out sounds that lit perfectly into each track, evolving the pieces to the point of perfection. Some people might consider the music on TMOTD to be "intelligent" electro, but (IMO) that definition doesn't fit. Intelligent electro has a smooth feel to it, where as Scar Tissue's sound has a rough edge which makes the pieces all the more attractive. I can't say enough positive words about TMOTD. The only thing I can say is go out and buy this disc now!.

SIDELINE Music magazine No. 01-1997

Here is a nice effort from an American band who's name I have heard for quite some time. Introduced to them through Re-Constriction’s various compilation releases. I have been looking forward to hearing an entire album from SCAR TISSUE. I find that their sound is not quite what I have come to expect. They are not so much in the idealistic "aggro-tech" sound, but more refined. And not dependent on guitars to sell their music. "Separator" is a combination of involved electronics, minimal guitar use, and excellent beat programming. The style: cold harshness with trip-hop beats, experimentalist noises, and growly vocals over deep analog basslines, in a subdued style of American industrial. In other words take a little bit of DIVE and SKINNY PUPPY, a pinch of MENTAL DESTRUC TION, a dash of "aggro-tech" and a spoonful of CONTROLLED BLEEDING - stir it over a high flame until it comes to a boil and what you should come out with is a fresh batch of SCAR TISSUE. I am impressed with the quality of this album; even the instrumental songs are incredibly good. I recommend this album to American industrial and European electro freaks alike. There is a lot of talent behind SCAR TISSUE and it shows through in Separator.

Review by (Ora:8) Ora.

INTERFACE Magazine (January 1997)

Scar Tissue's debut CD is finally made available to you, the consumer, via the services of 21st Circuitry Records. Nifty is not a word strong enough to express this band's work, so we will settle with calling it keen. Distortion, partially comprehensible lyrics, great programming, and a superb package with the picture of a toy raygun are only a few of the neat things that come with owning this album. Create a mixture of the structured, rhythmic side of Le Syndicat, the programming of Signs ov Chaos, and a bit of the lyrical stylings of X Marks the Pedwalk and you can have a sense of what Scar Tissue is creating. Leaning towards the more experimental side of electronic composition, they are forgeing ahead in creating works that will become the standard of comparison for future musicians. This is certainly a band to pay attention to now, so don't ask questions...just do it.

Aiding & Abetting

reviewed in issue #116, 8/12/96
AAAA rating

Moody industrial dance stuff. Not moody in a Goth sense, but in a more sparse way. As in the absence of emotion, but still depressed. I suppose that makes no sense at all. Sorry... Still, I try. There are some seriously quiet moments here, and I quite approve. Scar Tissue knows how to make use of every tool at its disposal. The beats are from scattered influences, and the music rather foreboding, in a sterile way. Cold hate, as the song goes. I'm not sure if this was the intent, but I can almost read electronic dreams into what I'm hearing. Years after the fact, Scar Tissue has created a perfect soundtrack for Bladerunner. The odd dynamics will throw off folks looking for a more conventional electronic attack, but that's a casualty of life. Scar Tissue has a very good feel for its sound, and I like that sound quite a bit.

TOP

INDUSTRY STANDARD / City Revolt Magazine, May 1996

Even though Oakland boys Scar Tissue have recently signed their souls to 21st. Circuitry, their demo tape is still worth a good mention. The first few comparisons that come to mind are Dive and the "French/Belgian Industries" compilation. Distorted electronics, saturated drum hits, apocalyptic themes and utterly tweaked vocals are your only options here. As typical as this seems, don't fret rivethead! This is as good as it gets in the U.S.A. if complete machine rape is your game. A warning is issued to you meat- heads though, this demo is 100% guitar free so go flex somewhere else! 

TOP

INDUSTRIAL NATION / Summer 1995 / demo tape review

What we have here is a four song tape from an as yet unknown band seeking a label... and well deserving of attention. Personally, I know about eight hundred people who are currently working on getting a demo together or have been working on it for the last two years, and honestly there are very few who really have a solid product to market (that's a nice way of saying they're not very good). Scar Tissue is a notable exception to that rule and I urge anyone looking for true new talent to give this well produced tape a listen.

The first track, "Our Disease, " does carry about it some of the trappings of Skinny Puppy composition and odd angles of musicianship, and some predictable sounds, but therein lies a very strong skill and talent, a lot of style, and an innovation that marks it apart from being a "newbie" copycat. The second song, "Pain Pinched Features" (which I thought was a clever title in itself) is straight forward noise construction/destruction, all filled with budding nihilism and layer upon layer of rhythm track. It goes on just a hair too long, however, for the listener to be totally comfortable with it. The other side of the tape features the prime examples of the talent behind Scar Tissue. "Laundered" and "Recline" are mature musical works, excellently thought out and rendered. There is a slinky, atmospheric quality in the slow, light keyboard melody gliding around behind the bass and drum tracks. Dark, dark, slightly echoed vocals are a general enhancement to the entire demo. Scar Tissue have an excellent grasp on the current trends of the Industrial music genre and prove to have the talent to produce the sound. They really need to be picked up and tossed on a CD, and some very fortunate label will undoubtedly profit from this representation.

TOP

DARK ANGEL / 1996 / demo tape review

Scar Tissue is a group from Oakland, California that are nothing less than excellent. This tape is nothing but beautiful slices of industrial heaven. They incorporate the beginnings of industrial reminiscent of old Skinny Puppy and Front 242 while adding some of the finesse of Meat Beat Manifesto. My favorite tracks... all of them! Especially "Laundered" with a slow drum beat sample and also "Cold" with its journey through the "aggro" side of industrial. I haven't heard a better mixture of all forms of industrial since Manufacture's "Terrorvision". They have exceptional feel for hard-driving beats, incredible samples, and distorted vocals that would send any industrial head reeling into the heavenly bliss of aggression. This is for anyone who loves pure industrial "magic" and I can't wait to hear more by them. Wax Trax, TVT, Cleopatra and Invisible: this is your wake up call. Get your hands on this fast, you will not be disappointed.

TOP

Aaron Johnston / 1995 / demo tape review in rec.music.industrial

I finally caught up with this underground compilation band after following their career for three years via the If It Moves..., Symbiose and Mind/Body collections. IndustrialNation and Music From The Empty Quarter put it very simply in past issues: "Somebody take your head out of your ass and sign these guys." Scar Tissue are a duo who recently moved to Oakland, CA and sound like a cross between DIVE, Skinny Puppy and New Mind. Their music is almost strictly electronic while the sparse guitar work is mixed low and is inventive as opposed to the headbanger power chord bullshit so many other bands prefer. The quality of this electro industrial wonder is simply amazing. Originality, density and BASS are the group's three strongest points. The vocals are distorted beyond all recognition and the beat play is extravagant. Anyone sick of trying to hunt this band down finally has a direct source via email (secant@ccnet.com). Get in touch with them and BUY THIS DEMO!!!! If you like the RAS DVA, Off-Beat, MINUS HABENS or Decibel sound, BUY THIS! Placebo Effect fans will also like this.

TOP

Aaron Johnston / 1996 / demo review

Die-hard electro industrial fans will probably remember Scar Tissue from their compilation appearances on the If It Moves... label and the Usenet Mind/Body series. Unfortunately, those sources are about the only places you can find Scar Tissue tracks in a digital format. Call it fate or disaster, but this electro industrial duo have been cranking out world-class tracks for the better part of a decade now and no one seems interested in signing them. Damn fools! Scar Tissue's music is dance friendly yet holds a certain pummeling effect to it. Imagine the harshness of Dive coupled with the mysticism of Placebo Effect or Haujobb. When you add a ton of distortion to the vox and turn the bass all the way up, you get Scar Tissue. This is the type of electro you can only truly appreciate at full volume. I've heard this played at industrial clubs in San Francisco and it has resulted in some of the most violent dancing I've ever seen. They're live shows, sparse and few as they are, are even better. People long tired of the whole headbanger guitar industrial scene will revolve their lives around this demo because it is the exact opposite. Fans of Numb, Skinny Puppy, Suicide Commando, or Dive will never let this tape leave their sight or stereo. Support a band long neglected by the labels who run the industrial scene and give this tape a whirl.

TOP

Paul Brousseau (of COP International) / Separator review

If anyone out there loves a good, solid, deep bass sound, this is the disc for you. The bass is clear, and strong enough that my headphones give good sound. And that's saying something. I noticed this aspect about Scar Tissue's demo tape, and it has carried right through to their full length CD. Excellent job.

TOP

email alkaline-productions@excite.com

All images, text & photos © 1998 Alkaline Productions
Reviews are © the individual reviewers.