Ade Fenton - Artificial Perfect (New album reviews)
Ade Fenton's more industrial material can't have escaped the notice of those who like their tunes bleak and buzzing with a palpable sense of fear and paranoia, especially when they recall Trent Reznor's early efforts. But what really makes Artificial Perfect so compelling is the vocal contribution of cyber-warrior Gary Numan - when that instantly recognisable, robotic, detached and so
very trademark Numan drone appears, the songs take on a powerful identity.' METAL HAMMER
'Ade Fenton is best known for being an international and respected techno DJ, a renowned remixer, as well as being the co-producer of Gary Numan's acclaimed album Jagged. Numan himself guests on four tracks - the archetypical soaring choruses of the panoramic Numan-esque opener 'The Leather Sea' and the dark eerie edginess of the techno-Industrial Fenton collaboration 'Healing' being most notable. The Nine Inch Nails influenced 'Slide Away' is another sublime Numan-meets-Fenton mutation, with a lethal nightmarish twist. A cohesive and remarkably impressive debut album.' ROCK SOUND
'Ade Fenton is a techno DJ of no little fame himself and has helped to relaunch the career of synth pioneer Gary Numan. It was Fenton who helped make last year's Jagged as good as it was. Artificial Perfect exists comfortably at the industrial extremes with the likes of Nine Inch Nails and KMFDM and the attention to detail is admirable, straddling the divide between NIN's Pretty Hate Machine and Broken. The album also features Gary Numan's excellent vocals on four tracks.' CLASSIC ROCK
'After breathing new life into Gary Numan's oeuvre as producer on last year's Jagged, Ade Fenton, perhaps more widely known in the dance music world for running two specialist techno labels, has branched out and begun recording his own compositions. Numan returns the favour - Jagged was edgy and very well received - by contributing vocals to four tracks on Fenton's first solo album. Artificial Perfect is an album of abrupt twists and turns - punchy beats giving way to elegant piano lines. The overall sound is harsh but never thin, rhythmic complexity underpinning the grimy forcefulness of the songs. It all ends in a glorious blast of hissing vocals and pounding beats which build into a hypnotic loop on 'Machine'. It's not a long album and leaves you wishing for more - definitely one to return to again and again.' MUSIC OMH
'Ade Fenton co-produced Gary Numan's last album Jagged and with Numan guesting on four tracks here the similarities between the album sounds were always going to be striking. However, the songwriting is clearly not down to Numan and while the mood remains somber, other vocalists like Helen Tilley and Fenton himself give enough variation. Numan fans will love it but Fenton strikes a
clear path too.' FUTURE MUSIC
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