Darker (album)

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Darker
Studio album by
Released1 September 1997 (1997-09-01)
GenreEBM
Length48:38
LabelSynthetic Symphony
ProducerMarc Heal
C-Tec chronology
Cyber-Tec
(1995)
Darker
(1997)
Cut
(2000)
Alternative cover
digital issue cover
digital issue cover

Darker is the debut studio album of C-Tec, released on 1 September 1997 by Synthetic Symphony.[1][2] The album showcases the band wanting to experiment by integrating different styles and textures into their compositions after the release of their 1995 EP Cyber-Tec.[3] On 5 October 2018 the album was reissued as a music download with an additional track titled "My Unbreakable Code" and written by Marc Heal.

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Pitchfork Media(8.2/10)[5]

Greg Prato of AllMusic said "the aptly titled Darker is industrial-influenced, aggressive electronic dance music with all of the necessary ingredients for success -- the vocals are sung with the mandatory pissed-off foreign accent, and the music drills into your brain with ease."[4] Pitchfork Media described the music as having "high-energy, egomaniacal attitudes" and claimed "as any good darkwave album would, it also takes a plunge into the lonelier side of despair and isolation."[5] In May 1998 the album peaked at numbers eight and sixty-one on CMJ New Music Monthly's top dance releases and top radio airplay.[6][7]

Track listing[edit]

All lyrics are written by Jean-Luc de Meyer, except "Epitaph" written by Dorothy Parker

No.TitleMusicLength
1."Random"4:56
2."Flowing"
8:40
3."Foetal"
  • de Meyer
  • Heal
5:47
4."Silent Voices"
3:40
5."Being Nothing"
  • de Meyer
  • Denton
  • Heal
5:08
6."The Lost"
  • de Meyer
  • Heal
4:59
7."Stateless"
  • de Meyer
  • Heal
5:09
8."Shift IV"
  • de Meyer
  • Denton
  • Heal
3:56
9."Epitaph"
  • de Meyer
  • Heal
6:23
2018 digital issue bonus track
No.TitleMusicLength
10."My Unbreakable Code"Heal4:00

Accolades[edit]

Year Publication Country Accolade Rank
1998 CMJ New Music Monthly United States "Top 25 Dance" 8 [6]
"CMJ Radio Airplay: Top 75" 61 [7]
"*" denotes an unordered list.

Personnel[edit]

Adapted from the Darker liner notes.[8]

C-Tec

'Additional performers

Production and design

Release history[edit]

Region Date Label Format Catalog
Europe 1997 Synthetic Symphony CD CD 085-61572 SPV
United States Wax Trax!/TVT TVT 7252
1998 CS
Poland 2004 Союз/Synthetic Symphony CS 085-61572 SPV
United Kingdom 2018 Armalyte Industries DL

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ditzel, Eleanor. "Cyber-Tec > Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  2. ^ Thompson, David (November 1, 2000). Cyber-Tec Project. Alternative Rock: Third Ear – The Essential Listening Companion. Miller Freeman, Inc. p. 377. ISBN 9780879306076. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  3. ^ Finkler, Ed (January 13, 1998). "Interview with Marc Heal of C-Tec". Sonic Boom. 6 (1). Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Prato, Greg. "Cyber-Tec: Darker > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  5. ^ a b Hansen, Skaht (March 13, 1999). "Cyber-Tec: Darker". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 24 July 2007. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  6. ^ a b Haslett, Tim (May 1998). "Dance Top 25". CMJ New Music Report (57). CMJ Network, Inc.: 54. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Haslett, Tim (May 1998). "Dance Top 25". CMJ New Music Report (57). CMJ Network, Inc.: 63. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  8. ^ Darker (booklet). C-Tec. Hannover, Germany: Synthetic Symphony. 1997.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

External links[edit]