CD Review: Jäger 90 – ‘Fleisch Macht Böse’

JÄGER 90 
‘Fleisch Macht Böse’
OUT OF LINE

Following in the footsteps of the likes of classic acts like DAF, Jäger 90‘s simple no-frills approach to EBM is likely to divide opinion. Their “Old School” appeal is unquestionable as the duo maintain a firm anti-computer stance and opt for only what they can create by direct interface with their instruments. This gives them a wonderfully stripped back and retro sound that stands out against the layered and complex music of the modern scene. However it does mean that the band have to work doubly hard to keep people interested in the repetitive nature of the songs.

The duo’s penchant for hard beats, catchy melodies and a leaning to a more synthpop orientated dance formula gives the songs an instant gravitas. Tracks like ‘Ich Swietze‘, ‘Immer Duemmer‘, ‘Ein Neuer Tanz‘ and ‘Haeuser Abgebannt‘ sound like they could have been packing dance floors for twenty-odd years. Yet there are still a few moments where the retro sound of the band simply feels dated with ‘Wir Gehen Unseren Weg‘ not bearing up as well as it could for an album closer.
However, over the course of the eleven songs there are very few of these niggling moments. The end result is an album that sounds like it is already a classic despite being brand new.

The simple and stripped back style benefits from the exact same style of production. There could have been the temptation to add a bit of grittiness to the final mix, but thankfully they have avoided this and instead gone for a more honest and, well… German sound.

[3/5]