the brothers john and paul healy, collectively known throughout the world a… Read Full Bio ↴the brothers john and paul healy, collectively known throughout the world as somatic responses, are still native residents of a small industrial mining community snugly located in the southwest region of wales. somatic responses are into complex dislocated & broken beats, distorted intelligent constructions, fascinating sonic structures, force and sweetness that is rarely matched by anyone else.
'augmented lines' is actually the 2nd cd release of the somatix brothers and the follower of the cd 'circumflex' on hymen two years ago. they mix rotary beats form rhythmic regularity, dense waves of electronics with layers of little blips & breaks and turns of melody. twisted drum&bass layers are filled up with abrasive crashes and exploding substances. an unidentified atmospheric spike of subtle piercings or just a calculated assault of an sonic weapon.
black ausgabe 23 - frühjahr 2001
auch bei den somatic responses-brüdern aus wales gibt es nach dem debüt-album ‚circumflex' auf hymen vor rund zwei jahren einige neuerungen, welche sich vor allem auf die sound- und rhythmus-qualität beziehen und sicher mit einer umstellung im aufnahmeverfahren begründet sind. die sonst so knarzig-hämmernden break beats klingen jetzt klarer abgefedert und runder, der düstere bzw. rauhe industrialeinfluß ist mehr melodien und groovig-trancigen rhythmen gewichen. geblieben sind die hypnotisch-messerscharfen gruselsounds und meine begeisterung für das projekt. die vinyl-lp enthält neben album-auszügen einen exklusiven track, auf der ‚maschinenfest 2000'-docd gab es einen etwas poltrigeren älteren (?) track zu hören und ein schickes t-hemd ist auch im hymen-warenhaus erhältlich. (m.f.)
orkus nr.04 - april 2001
das zweite album der beiden brüder aus wales stellt im wesentlichen eine konsequente weiterentwicklung des debuts circumflex dar, das vor gut zwei jahren ebenfalls auf hymen erschienen ist. ganz im stile der frühen arbeiten von aphex twin halten sich somatic responses an das eherne electronica-gesetz, dass verzerrte breakbeats und noisiges gebleepe am besten zusammen mit melodielinien und ambienten klangflächen gereicht werden sollten. augmented lines spielt mit dieser mischung aus abstrakten grooves, klangexperimenten und soundtrack-atmosphäre bis zum exzess und bietet alles, was das electronica-herz höher schlagen lässt. erfreulich ist vor allem, dass john und paul healy in puncto komplexität, experimentierfreude und ‚hörbarkeit' noch einen gesunden zahn zugelegt haben und nicht - wie viele ihrer industrial-kollegen - nur auf den lärmanteil und die ‚dunkle' schwerfälligkeit vertrauen. besonders die schmatzenden, drum'n'bass-artigen breakbeats, die nicht selten das tragende element darstellen, machen augmented lines zu einem wahren tanzflächenfeger. sehr empfehlenswert. (alexander maciol)
blackharvest 4.0
yet again ant-zen have hit us with an art attack, albeit from their sister label 'hymen' (like that really counts). yes another interesting album cover that stands out just because of the material it's printed on, and in typical fashion i'm interested in this small but significant feature. but does the music follow suit? well i hadn't heard anything from this welsh duo before, but i knew before i put it on the hi-fi the genre of music it would be attached to. what you do get is 12 tracks of sub ambient noise and an arrangement of loops and beats that do have an edge of originality to be honest. i am quite impressed to be fair with this release, even if it isn't exactly the next big thing. (tony)
prospective 1/2001
i've always thought that the things upon which the power noise movement is based would have the potential to become something interesting if utilised in a bit different manner. somatic responses have finally done this. a bit more techno perhaps, and a whole lot more of structure and dynamics, and there you have it! the intensity is still here as well as the distorted aggression, yet it doesn't limit itself to being one-dimensional and boring. an enjoyable work of electronic abuse and intense atmospheres. (jukka mattila)
side-line no.35 april-may-june 2001
struggling against their welsh isolation, the healy brothers absorb the vibes of their dark industrial mining surrounding, filter them through their selective minds and reassemble them into fragments of sound collages. their new album 'augmented lines' on hymen is a fascinating piece of sonic architecture. an intelligent multi-dimensional matrix intermingling and interconnecting the most varied and unexpected pieces of dislocated sounds and corroded beats. the whole sounds so complex and so tortuous at first approach, but eventually floats sweetly and forcefully into your ears for a ultimate uplifting (and nearly melodic?) experience. you then notice the regularity of their matrix's metronome, you perceive the logic behind the intricate electronic structures and realise you are listening to one of the best modern and futuristic ambient/rhythm album ever released by ant-zen's hymen division. it's rhythmic, break beat, drum'n'bass, atmospheric and kling-klang electronic all at the sime time!!! it was a utopic mixture until the release of 'augmented lines' which now proves to the contrary. the reality has just begun. if you like the electronic realms of xingu hill or yet ammo, somatic responses is your next trip... (tsf)
kroniks
http://www.hardcore-concept.com/zine/html/kroniks/avril2001.htm#hym713
paul et john healy sont deux des artistes les plus talentueux issus de la scène hardcore. après circumflex, monstrueuse fusion d'industriel abrasif et de breakcore disloqué, les revoici sur la divison d'ant-zen pour un deuxième lp des plus grandioses. plus atmosphérique et chiadé que son prédécesseur, augmented lines présente des équations electrobreaks hypercomplexes qu'on croirait issues de la conscience d'une ia dépressive. des nappes et des ambiances vaporeuses glissent sur ces fascinantes structures, comme des gouttes de pluie sur une toile d'araignée. terrible. la version vinyle (hymen 030) est un sixtracker qui regroupe les morceaux les plus " rythmiques " + un remix absent du cd.
de:bug
http://www.de-bug.de/
endlich neuer stoff von den somatic responses, und es scheint so, als ob sie bei hymen/antzen so etwas wie eine neue heimat gefunden hätten, langfristig. john und paul healy legen gleich richtig los,
zerhexeln alle möglichen breaks und beats, zischeln mit ihrem maschinenpark kräftig dazwischen, immer geradeaus und mit viel selbstvertrauen. hier wird an der schnittstelle von distortion und finsternis gearbeitet, alles extrem fein und kleinteilig zubereitet, merkwürdig groovend und sehr kickend. die düsteren flächen erzählen in klaren worten wie es in wales so zugeht. tauschen möchte man da nicht, eher weiter gebannt zuhören. wie das früher alles so war und warum sich nichts geändert hat und dieser englisches darkcore immer noch so gut ist. (thaddi)
discover
www.discover.de
"augmented lines" bedeutet soviel wie vermehrte linien. somatic responses, hinter diesem namen stehen zwei brüder (john & paul healy) aus dem südwesten wales, betreiben auf ihrem so betitelten album einen schwunghaften handel mit vermehrten linien. bei zeiten sind es so viele, dass es, ähnlich wie der versuch, an einem rangierbahnhof einem einzelnen schienenstrang beim blick aus dem fenster eines fahrenden zuges zu folgen, eher zu einer kollision mit den sich überlagernden strukturen kommt und es eines rückzuges in die einfachheit der inneren konzentration bedarf. "augmented lines" sind in diesem fall die einzelnen spuren, die ähnlich wie in kompositionen aus dem hause aphex twin eine dissonanz aus weichen und harten sounds gegeneinander stellt und daraus zeitweilige krisen im gehörgang des anwesenden erzeugt, die zu ertragen fast schon unerträglich scheint. aber immer ist eine linie dabei, sei es eine konstante figur aus basssequenzen oder eine schon fast melodie zu nennende akkordfolge, die es ermöglicht dem schienenstrang weiterhin zu folgen. sounds zum folgen, zum bewussten zuhören und nicht für den gebrauch als plauderuntermalung geeignet
seven
http://www.nezzwerk.com/seven
i have been listening to this somatic responses release for almost a month now, and i keep coming back to it again and again after every few days. every single time i find something that grabs my attention and i never seem to grow tired of this album. in retrospect, looking over a vast number of somatics material we accumulated at "seven" in past few years, it appears to me that with each hymen release somatics assembles the "best of" for the past year. with all countless releases almost every month, the band is experimenting with different sounds and tracks, and then those ideas, polished, refined, transformed, and composed together are presented on a full-length release that seems to be spanning several shorter records. both circumflex and augmented lines are "complete" releases, not only because of the amount of material presented, but also because they stand on their own as a solid body of work. it would be wrong to compare "circumflex" and "augmented lines." i cannot really say which one is better, since i like both albums for many different things. "circumflex" was always dear to me for the combination of aggression and heaviness shaped in the form of dark unusual techstep and alien synthlines. with "augmented lines" it took me some time to fully get into the rich and complex world filled with layers and layers of percussion that leaves techstep far behind and spans genres like idm, rhythm&noise, drum&bass, etc. the result is simply unbelievable, and it is almost impossible to describe the multitude of emotions and sounds of this album in a short review. just to mention a few things, i can see ant-zen influence rubbing off. for those of you anticipating somatics/celluloid mata split, you will be pleased to discover some of the raw percussion of the latter that found its way into this album. and even overall the sound of the album is a lot noisier, and colder; even more "industrial" than anything you have heard from the duo before. on the other side, you will hear many intricate percussion layers weaving into the music, sparkling with disjointed, cut-up swirling beat textures, dazzling with their complexity. this is not your usual idm, it has been enhanced by the atmosphere (if not necessarily the sound) of heavy, broken techstep and twisted corroded drum&bass, and something else that is definitely somatics, not coming from any of the genres i know.
strings and softer atonal keys became more integral part of the music. the band is no longer playing on simple contrast of broken heavy percussion and distant strings - this time around it is a lot more complex and better orchestrated combination that goes beyond conventional idm or moody techstep.
at times the band enchants you with rolling intricate layers of percussion and gentle keys ("perfumed ammo") the next moment it comes down hard and crashes into the ground with pummeling rhythmic assault backed by corroded cold atmosphere and controlled feedback ("critical path"). the way all those different styles and atmospheres are perfectly combined on this record is simply stunning.
what amazes me, is how much material the brothers accumulated for this album, and how perfectly it all fits together. while hymen is probably one of the best labels in terms of releasing top-quality technoid material, this is probably the single largest and most impressive album (counting both the cd and the vinyl) the label released up to date. i have no doubt that "augmented lines" will become one of the milestones of the genre, and one of the most recognized and highly respected hymen releases.
the brainwashed brain
http://www.brainwashed.com/brain/brainv04i29.html
"augmented lines" is somatix's second cd album after more than thirty vinyl releases on labels across the globe. originally coming from the breakcore/hardcore techno scene, their debut on hymen, "circumflex," garnered them lots of new fans and a much more broadened knowledge of their sound. therein lies the album's problem. "their sound" is so specific that one can recognize a somatic responses release easily, regardless of which it is, and to my ears, it ends up getting stale pretty quick. "circumflex" was great because it was polished, evil, and it was the first somatix i had heard; it filled the gap that had been left by the steadily-increasing-inanity albums panacea was putting out after "low profile darkness." i gradually picked up a couple more 12"s and although they were good, i found them to be little different from each other. "augmented lines" plays out like, well, somatic responses. to their credit, it is more mellow and features some different moods than "circumflex," but if anything, i'd have preferred them to go harsher and noisier. though it's not a bad album, it is far from being anything new, and this is somatix's greatest downfall. if you're new to brothers john & paul healy, purchase "circumflex" and decide from there if your thirst is quenched: if yes, stop; if no, purchase some 12"s and this second album and see how you feel. (chris zaldua)
universalsource
www.universalsource.co.uk
somatic responses are 2 brothers, john and paul healy, who hail from an industrial mining region in south west wales. to date the brothers have released numerous tracks on a wide range of labels with augmented lines being their second hymen cd circumflex being their debut for the label. somatic responses' music is comprised of dense complex layers of electronic music and occasionally heavily processed vocals. each layer varies in tone >from gentle drifting keyboards and computer blips to abrasive beats and distorted grinding tones. while this may sound like mass of noise it is in fact very carefully constructed and often rhythmic or melodic. each track commonly consists of underlying cinematic keyboard washes overlain with pummelling mechanical beats, abrasive tones and assorted blips, screeches and scrapes. each layer interacts with all the others to form a cohesive whole. interestingly, it is possible to listen to this mass of complexity as a whole or single out a layer and extract it from the others, making it the centre of attention and the others supporting it. equally, it is possible to switch the emphasis to another layer, as if in a room listening to a live performance where each sound is produced from a different speaker. while there are other artists that produced this type of music, somatic responses do it particularly well. a well-constructed combination of moody ambient tones, abrasive textures and hard beats. impressive stuff. (paul lloyd)
wet-works
www.wetworksezine.com
the second album from somatic responses, augemented lines, the follow up to circumflex shows the brothers healy in fine form. a mixture of abrasive textures, drum n bass rhythms and idm clicks and cuts, augemented lines is a powerhouse of electronic goodness. great precision is demonstrated on the 12 tracks that make up augemented lines, weaving an intricate web of noisy rhythms, idm influences and broken drum n bass beats. somatic responses has an outstanding knack for creating multi-layered electronic textures that leave you breathless in their complexity. this is fine-tuned technoid music that spans many genres and will offer something to almost any fan of electronic music. from the pummeling abrasive sounds of "catacombs" and "perfumed ammo" to the more spacey experimentalism of "u.d.t," augemented lines is just a jaw-dropping album of extreme brilliance. somatic responses isn't your typical repetitive rhythmic noise stuff; this is pure greatness that explodes from your speakers. it's a highly recommended release and easily the best work i've heard come out of the hymen camp. (gunhed)
also available:
vinyl. augmented lines. 12" 33rpm hymen ¥030
somatic responses . t-shirt hymen ¥607
circumflex. cd. hymen ¥705
revula 12". hymen ¥018
somatic webpage
somatic responses discography. feb 2k1
1. methods of mutilation-cfet (hamburg)
2. riot frequencies-sockwave ltd (frankfurt)
3. agent orange #2 (frankfurt)
4. subspace distorters-drop bass network (millaukee)
5. sinister movements-sixsixtysix (millaukee)
6. axon ep-ist (new york)
7. post organic-praxis (london)
8. incubation-praxis (dead by dawn comp- london & technohead 4 - (london
9. agent orange #4 (frankfurt)
10. xynomorph- anodyne (frankfurt)
11. dark lsd-dark matter (newcastle , uk)
12. missile test-cfet (hamburg)
13. gale of funk/chromophore-land speed record-cfet (hamburg)
14. malignant earth-network 23 (paris)
15. passage ep-ufo (london)
16. source of disturbance-future galactic (brussels)
17. acute ep-sixshooter (brussels)
18. cerebral dominance in 3 phases-techno trash car (polygram - paris)
19. sixshooter #3 (brussels)
20. uncivilised world #5 (paris)
21. sixshooter #6 (brussels)
22. thorn/junkjam - killout records (london)
23. hitashu - nature records (rome)
24. ripped ep -sixshooter 007(belgium )
25. progerik 07 (uk)
26. deadly systems 06 (usa)
27. circumflex cd/ lp - hymen (germany)
28. avoidisection - serotonin compilation (nyc , usa)
29. dark lsd ep - shadowcast (usa)
30. retired - 12" compilation - leaf (uk)
31. low approach ep - ultra annoying 02 (uk)
32. ysgol newydd - suburban trash compliation (dresden , germany)
33. bambule (photon emissions remix)- praxis (uk / berlin)
34. wherever - cavage 03 (france)
35. beyond freedom beyond dignity ( split ep ) - black monolith rec (usa)
36. poetre occulto 2x10" praxis (uk)
more releases of somatic responses:
mailorder.ant-zen.com/products/band/id/433
bandcamp.com/tag/somatic-responses
hymen records ¥713
www.hymen-records.com
www.mailorder.ant-zen.com
www.facebook.com/hymenrecords (c) hymen bandcamp & website (12"), website (cd)
'augmented lines' is actually the 2nd cd release of the somatix brothers and the follower of the cd 'circumflex' on hymen two years ago. they mix rotary beats form rhythmic regularity, dense waves of electronics with layers of little blips & breaks and turns of melody. twisted drum&bass layers are filled up with abrasive crashes and exploding substances. an unidentified atmospheric spike of subtle piercings or just a calculated assault of an sonic weapon.
black ausgabe 23 - frühjahr 2001
auch bei den somatic responses-brüdern aus wales gibt es nach dem debüt-album ‚circumflex' auf hymen vor rund zwei jahren einige neuerungen, welche sich vor allem auf die sound- und rhythmus-qualität beziehen und sicher mit einer umstellung im aufnahmeverfahren begründet sind. die sonst so knarzig-hämmernden break beats klingen jetzt klarer abgefedert und runder, der düstere bzw. rauhe industrialeinfluß ist mehr melodien und groovig-trancigen rhythmen gewichen. geblieben sind die hypnotisch-messerscharfen gruselsounds und meine begeisterung für das projekt. die vinyl-lp enthält neben album-auszügen einen exklusiven track, auf der ‚maschinenfest 2000'-docd gab es einen etwas poltrigeren älteren (?) track zu hören und ein schickes t-hemd ist auch im hymen-warenhaus erhältlich. (m.f.)
orkus nr.04 - april 2001
das zweite album der beiden brüder aus wales stellt im wesentlichen eine konsequente weiterentwicklung des debuts circumflex dar, das vor gut zwei jahren ebenfalls auf hymen erschienen ist. ganz im stile der frühen arbeiten von aphex twin halten sich somatic responses an das eherne electronica-gesetz, dass verzerrte breakbeats und noisiges gebleepe am besten zusammen mit melodielinien und ambienten klangflächen gereicht werden sollten. augmented lines spielt mit dieser mischung aus abstrakten grooves, klangexperimenten und soundtrack-atmosphäre bis zum exzess und bietet alles, was das electronica-herz höher schlagen lässt. erfreulich ist vor allem, dass john und paul healy in puncto komplexität, experimentierfreude und ‚hörbarkeit' noch einen gesunden zahn zugelegt haben und nicht - wie viele ihrer industrial-kollegen - nur auf den lärmanteil und die ‚dunkle' schwerfälligkeit vertrauen. besonders die schmatzenden, drum'n'bass-artigen breakbeats, die nicht selten das tragende element darstellen, machen augmented lines zu einem wahren tanzflächenfeger. sehr empfehlenswert. (alexander maciol)
blackharvest 4.0
yet again ant-zen have hit us with an art attack, albeit from their sister label 'hymen' (like that really counts). yes another interesting album cover that stands out just because of the material it's printed on, and in typical fashion i'm interested in this small but significant feature. but does the music follow suit? well i hadn't heard anything from this welsh duo before, but i knew before i put it on the hi-fi the genre of music it would be attached to. what you do get is 12 tracks of sub ambient noise and an arrangement of loops and beats that do have an edge of originality to be honest. i am quite impressed to be fair with this release, even if it isn't exactly the next big thing. (tony)
prospective 1/2001
i've always thought that the things upon which the power noise movement is based would have the potential to become something interesting if utilised in a bit different manner. somatic responses have finally done this. a bit more techno perhaps, and a whole lot more of structure and dynamics, and there you have it! the intensity is still here as well as the distorted aggression, yet it doesn't limit itself to being one-dimensional and boring. an enjoyable work of electronic abuse and intense atmospheres. (jukka mattila)
side-line no.35 april-may-june 2001
struggling against their welsh isolation, the healy brothers absorb the vibes of their dark industrial mining surrounding, filter them through their selective minds and reassemble them into fragments of sound collages. their new album 'augmented lines' on hymen is a fascinating piece of sonic architecture. an intelligent multi-dimensional matrix intermingling and interconnecting the most varied and unexpected pieces of dislocated sounds and corroded beats. the whole sounds so complex and so tortuous at first approach, but eventually floats sweetly and forcefully into your ears for a ultimate uplifting (and nearly melodic?) experience. you then notice the regularity of their matrix's metronome, you perceive the logic behind the intricate electronic structures and realise you are listening to one of the best modern and futuristic ambient/rhythm album ever released by ant-zen's hymen division. it's rhythmic, break beat, drum'n'bass, atmospheric and kling-klang electronic all at the sime time!!! it was a utopic mixture until the release of 'augmented lines' which now proves to the contrary. the reality has just begun. if you like the electronic realms of xingu hill or yet ammo, somatic responses is your next trip... (tsf)
kroniks
http://www.hardcore-concept.com/zine/html/kroniks/avril2001.htm#hym713
paul et john healy sont deux des artistes les plus talentueux issus de la scène hardcore. après circumflex, monstrueuse fusion d'industriel abrasif et de breakcore disloqué, les revoici sur la divison d'ant-zen pour un deuxième lp des plus grandioses. plus atmosphérique et chiadé que son prédécesseur, augmented lines présente des équations electrobreaks hypercomplexes qu'on croirait issues de la conscience d'une ia dépressive. des nappes et des ambiances vaporeuses glissent sur ces fascinantes structures, comme des gouttes de pluie sur une toile d'araignée. terrible. la version vinyle (hymen 030) est un sixtracker qui regroupe les morceaux les plus " rythmiques " + un remix absent du cd.
de:bug
http://www.de-bug.de/
endlich neuer stoff von den somatic responses, und es scheint so, als ob sie bei hymen/antzen so etwas wie eine neue heimat gefunden hätten, langfristig. john und paul healy legen gleich richtig los,
zerhexeln alle möglichen breaks und beats, zischeln mit ihrem maschinenpark kräftig dazwischen, immer geradeaus und mit viel selbstvertrauen. hier wird an der schnittstelle von distortion und finsternis gearbeitet, alles extrem fein und kleinteilig zubereitet, merkwürdig groovend und sehr kickend. die düsteren flächen erzählen in klaren worten wie es in wales so zugeht. tauschen möchte man da nicht, eher weiter gebannt zuhören. wie das früher alles so war und warum sich nichts geändert hat und dieser englisches darkcore immer noch so gut ist. (thaddi)
discover
www.discover.de
"augmented lines" bedeutet soviel wie vermehrte linien. somatic responses, hinter diesem namen stehen zwei brüder (john & paul healy) aus dem südwesten wales, betreiben auf ihrem so betitelten album einen schwunghaften handel mit vermehrten linien. bei zeiten sind es so viele, dass es, ähnlich wie der versuch, an einem rangierbahnhof einem einzelnen schienenstrang beim blick aus dem fenster eines fahrenden zuges zu folgen, eher zu einer kollision mit den sich überlagernden strukturen kommt und es eines rückzuges in die einfachheit der inneren konzentration bedarf. "augmented lines" sind in diesem fall die einzelnen spuren, die ähnlich wie in kompositionen aus dem hause aphex twin eine dissonanz aus weichen und harten sounds gegeneinander stellt und daraus zeitweilige krisen im gehörgang des anwesenden erzeugt, die zu ertragen fast schon unerträglich scheint. aber immer ist eine linie dabei, sei es eine konstante figur aus basssequenzen oder eine schon fast melodie zu nennende akkordfolge, die es ermöglicht dem schienenstrang weiterhin zu folgen. sounds zum folgen, zum bewussten zuhören und nicht für den gebrauch als plauderuntermalung geeignet
seven
http://www.nezzwerk.com/seven
i have been listening to this somatic responses release for almost a month now, and i keep coming back to it again and again after every few days. every single time i find something that grabs my attention and i never seem to grow tired of this album. in retrospect, looking over a vast number of somatics material we accumulated at "seven" in past few years, it appears to me that with each hymen release somatics assembles the "best of" for the past year. with all countless releases almost every month, the band is experimenting with different sounds and tracks, and then those ideas, polished, refined, transformed, and composed together are presented on a full-length release that seems to be spanning several shorter records. both circumflex and augmented lines are "complete" releases, not only because of the amount of material presented, but also because they stand on their own as a solid body of work. it would be wrong to compare "circumflex" and "augmented lines." i cannot really say which one is better, since i like both albums for many different things. "circumflex" was always dear to me for the combination of aggression and heaviness shaped in the form of dark unusual techstep and alien synthlines. with "augmented lines" it took me some time to fully get into the rich and complex world filled with layers and layers of percussion that leaves techstep far behind and spans genres like idm, rhythm&noise, drum&bass, etc. the result is simply unbelievable, and it is almost impossible to describe the multitude of emotions and sounds of this album in a short review. just to mention a few things, i can see ant-zen influence rubbing off. for those of you anticipating somatics/celluloid mata split, you will be pleased to discover some of the raw percussion of the latter that found its way into this album. and even overall the sound of the album is a lot noisier, and colder; even more "industrial" than anything you have heard from the duo before. on the other side, you will hear many intricate percussion layers weaving into the music, sparkling with disjointed, cut-up swirling beat textures, dazzling with their complexity. this is not your usual idm, it has been enhanced by the atmosphere (if not necessarily the sound) of heavy, broken techstep and twisted corroded drum&bass, and something else that is definitely somatics, not coming from any of the genres i know.
strings and softer atonal keys became more integral part of the music. the band is no longer playing on simple contrast of broken heavy percussion and distant strings - this time around it is a lot more complex and better orchestrated combination that goes beyond conventional idm or moody techstep.
at times the band enchants you with rolling intricate layers of percussion and gentle keys ("perfumed ammo") the next moment it comes down hard and crashes into the ground with pummeling rhythmic assault backed by corroded cold atmosphere and controlled feedback ("critical path"). the way all those different styles and atmospheres are perfectly combined on this record is simply stunning.
what amazes me, is how much material the brothers accumulated for this album, and how perfectly it all fits together. while hymen is probably one of the best labels in terms of releasing top-quality technoid material, this is probably the single largest and most impressive album (counting both the cd and the vinyl) the label released up to date. i have no doubt that "augmented lines" will become one of the milestones of the genre, and one of the most recognized and highly respected hymen releases.
the brainwashed brain
http://www.brainwashed.com/brain/brainv04i29.html
"augmented lines" is somatix's second cd album after more than thirty vinyl releases on labels across the globe. originally coming from the breakcore/hardcore techno scene, their debut on hymen, "circumflex," garnered them lots of new fans and a much more broadened knowledge of their sound. therein lies the album's problem. "their sound" is so specific that one can recognize a somatic responses release easily, regardless of which it is, and to my ears, it ends up getting stale pretty quick. "circumflex" was great because it was polished, evil, and it was the first somatix i had heard; it filled the gap that had been left by the steadily-increasing-inanity albums panacea was putting out after "low profile darkness." i gradually picked up a couple more 12"s and although they were good, i found them to be little different from each other. "augmented lines" plays out like, well, somatic responses. to their credit, it is more mellow and features some different moods than "circumflex," but if anything, i'd have preferred them to go harsher and noisier. though it's not a bad album, it is far from being anything new, and this is somatix's greatest downfall. if you're new to brothers john & paul healy, purchase "circumflex" and decide from there if your thirst is quenched: if yes, stop; if no, purchase some 12"s and this second album and see how you feel. (chris zaldua)
universalsource
www.universalsource.co.uk
somatic responses are 2 brothers, john and paul healy, who hail from an industrial mining region in south west wales. to date the brothers have released numerous tracks on a wide range of labels with augmented lines being their second hymen cd circumflex being their debut for the label. somatic responses' music is comprised of dense complex layers of electronic music and occasionally heavily processed vocals. each layer varies in tone >from gentle drifting keyboards and computer blips to abrasive beats and distorted grinding tones. while this may sound like mass of noise it is in fact very carefully constructed and often rhythmic or melodic. each track commonly consists of underlying cinematic keyboard washes overlain with pummelling mechanical beats, abrasive tones and assorted blips, screeches and scrapes. each layer interacts with all the others to form a cohesive whole. interestingly, it is possible to listen to this mass of complexity as a whole or single out a layer and extract it from the others, making it the centre of attention and the others supporting it. equally, it is possible to switch the emphasis to another layer, as if in a room listening to a live performance where each sound is produced from a different speaker. while there are other artists that produced this type of music, somatic responses do it particularly well. a well-constructed combination of moody ambient tones, abrasive textures and hard beats. impressive stuff. (paul lloyd)
wet-works
www.wetworksezine.com
the second album from somatic responses, augemented lines, the follow up to circumflex shows the brothers healy in fine form. a mixture of abrasive textures, drum n bass rhythms and idm clicks and cuts, augemented lines is a powerhouse of electronic goodness. great precision is demonstrated on the 12 tracks that make up augemented lines, weaving an intricate web of noisy rhythms, idm influences and broken drum n bass beats. somatic responses has an outstanding knack for creating multi-layered electronic textures that leave you breathless in their complexity. this is fine-tuned technoid music that spans many genres and will offer something to almost any fan of electronic music. from the pummeling abrasive sounds of "catacombs" and "perfumed ammo" to the more spacey experimentalism of "u.d.t," augemented lines is just a jaw-dropping album of extreme brilliance. somatic responses isn't your typical repetitive rhythmic noise stuff; this is pure greatness that explodes from your speakers. it's a highly recommended release and easily the best work i've heard come out of the hymen camp. (gunhed)
also available:
vinyl. augmented lines. 12" 33rpm hymen ¥030
somatic responses . t-shirt hymen ¥607
circumflex. cd. hymen ¥705
revula 12". hymen ¥018
somatic webpage
somatic responses discography. feb 2k1
1. methods of mutilation-cfet (hamburg)
2. riot frequencies-sockwave ltd (frankfurt)
3. agent orange #2 (frankfurt)
4. subspace distorters-drop bass network (millaukee)
5. sinister movements-sixsixtysix (millaukee)
6. axon ep-ist (new york)
7. post organic-praxis (london)
8. incubation-praxis (dead by dawn comp- london & technohead 4 - (london
9. agent orange #4 (frankfurt)
10. xynomorph- anodyne (frankfurt)
11. dark lsd-dark matter (newcastle , uk)
12. missile test-cfet (hamburg)
13. gale of funk/chromophore-land speed record-cfet (hamburg)
14. malignant earth-network 23 (paris)
15. passage ep-ufo (london)
16. source of disturbance-future galactic (brussels)
17. acute ep-sixshooter (brussels)
18. cerebral dominance in 3 phases-techno trash car (polygram - paris)
19. sixshooter #3 (brussels)
20. uncivilised world #5 (paris)
21. sixshooter #6 (brussels)
22. thorn/junkjam - killout records (london)
23. hitashu - nature records (rome)
24. ripped ep -sixshooter 007(belgium )
25. progerik 07 (uk)
26. deadly systems 06 (usa)
27. circumflex cd/ lp - hymen (germany)
28. avoidisection - serotonin compilation (nyc , usa)
29. dark lsd ep - shadowcast (usa)
30. retired - 12" compilation - leaf (uk)
31. low approach ep - ultra annoying 02 (uk)
32. ysgol newydd - suburban trash compliation (dresden , germany)
33. bambule (photon emissions remix)- praxis (uk / berlin)
34. wherever - cavage 03 (france)
35. beyond freedom beyond dignity ( split ep ) - black monolith rec (usa)
36. poetre occulto 2x10" praxis (uk)
more releases of somatic responses:
mailorder.ant-zen.com/products/band/id/433
bandcamp.com/tag/somatic-responses
hymen records ¥713
www.hymen-records.com
www.mailorder.ant-zen.com
www.facebook.com/hymenrecords (c) hymen bandcamp & website (12"), website (cd)
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augmented lines
Somatic Responses Lyrics
To view the lyrics for a particular track, select it from the track list above, or search for it.