Funkyhell Explained

funkyhell
Type:album
Artist:haloblack
Cover:haloblack - funkyhell.jpg
Released:[1]
Genre:Industrial rock
Length:43:38
Label:Fifth Colvmn
Producer:Bryan Barton
Prev Title:raw tension e.p.
Prev Year:1995
Next Title:Throb
Next Year:2004

funkyhell (or sylized as :funkyhell:) is the second studio album by haloblack, released on November 1, 1994, by Fifth Colvmn Records.[2] [3] [4] The album represented the band's musical shift from a guitar dominated syle into a minimalist approach to dark ambient and electronic music composition.

Reception

Aiding & Abetting gave funkyhell a positive review, saying "I love "dirty" electronic music albums" and "Bryan Black (aka Haloblack) has crafted a fine set of experimental industrial tunes.[5] Tom Schulte of AllMusic called the album "an impressionistic headspace, electronica incompatible for the dancefloors of even neo-gothic club nights." Last Sigh Magazine praised the contributions of the guest artists and said "it continues right where Tension Filter left off, the sound remains constant and is just as good if not better than Tension Filter."[6]

More negative in their critique of the album was Option, who was critical of "the relentless 4/4 beats, the cheap arcade video game soundtracks, the pseudo-creepy whispered vocals and the campy banality of heaaawvy lyrics."[7] Sonic Boom criticized the band's lack of musical progression from their previous work and stated "there is zero deviation in the whispered vocal arrangement, all of the percussion loops are extremely stifled, and many of the sounds are reused from track to track."[8]

Personnel

Adapted from the funkyhell liner notes.[9]

haloblack

Additional performers

Production and design

External links

Notes and References

  1. Becky . Barnhart . Schwann Spectrum . . Stereophile . 2000 . 9 . 2 . 112 . 9781575980782 . August 16, 2020.
  2. Larry . Flick . Reviews & Previews: Singles . . . September 7, 1996 . 108 . 36 . 99 . August 16, 2020.
  3. RPM . . February 8, 1999 . 28 . August 16, 2020.
  4. Ed . Finkler . Ed Finkler . Interview with haloblack . Sonic Boom . January 24, 1997 . 5 . 1 . August 16, 2020.
  5. Jon . Worley . Haloblack: Funkyhell . Aiding & Abetting . January 13, 1997 . 126 . August 16, 2020.
  6. Mike . Santarpia . HaloBlack: :Funky Hell: . Last Sigh Magazine . 1998 . 1 . 3 . August 16, 2020 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090603004656/http://www.lastsigh.com/reviews/haloblackmacro2.htm . June 3, 2009.
  7. Bill . Tilland . Haloblack: funkyhell . . Sonic Options Network . 1997 . 72–77 . 108.
  8. Chris . Christian . Haloblack: Funkyhell . Sonic Boom . January 1997 . 5 . August 16, 2020.
  9. funkyhell . funkyhell . . 1996 . booklet . . Washington, DC.