D.c. - cybercrime reboot

D.C.

Cybercrime Reboot
self-released; 2013

3.7 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

David Cooper better known as D.C. released an album five years ago called Cybercrime  “which raised the issues of the pros and cons of mobile and computer technology” (which is not an uncommon theme). What's interesting is the ever-increasing advances in the way that we connect via social media, chat rooms and instant messaging, or the way we browse and search for material, file sharing, etc. made him want to revisit the album and rework it. I’m not going to compare the two albums in this review but I do encourage you to take a listen to both as they’re interesting in different ways. One thing I noticed right off the bat is he does do a good job at making me feel like I'm bombarded by computers, Facebook and bandwidth. The album layers electronic bleeps, blips and synthetic waves that sound like what you might think of when imagining what noises the Internet makes. Luckily, D.C. does a pretty good job at taking these sounds and making songs that have a pop appeal. For instance, even though the chorus on “Mobile Upgrade” sounds like it could fall apart at a moment’s notice it doesn't because of the vocal melody where he sings “stop what the critics say.” After that the song goes off on a bit of a tangent.

“Webcam” is a rather minimal song that sounds like a transistor running current to a motherboard. It feels deeply alien as well as detached. It’s not a feel-good song by any stretch of the imagination but does seem like technology doesn't really care about you. “Shredder” is bit more welcoming as it is a danceable number. Getting down with a bottle of wine and my I Pad on a Saturday night with this song would not be a problem. “Redact” is loosely put together as it sprawls for seven-plus minutes utilizing detuned vocal samples and almost an Eastern-sounding vibe. The album closes with “BB” which is pretty cool number. The music felt like it might be a good fit for a movie like “Minority Report” as the synth bass makes it feel like a conspiracy is going down.

Well-done D.C. I think you accomplished what you intended to and made an album that is at least a reflection of technology if not necessarily pointing out its pros and cons. 

bandcamp

official website