No Sleep Demon, V2.0

On even the first listen, it is obvious that there is more happening on Seabound's debut release, No Sleep Demon, than on most electro releases. From track to track, Seabound seems to have tried to do more than release a simple collection of songs. Varied in tone and mood, the electronic sounds Seabound has arranged fuse elements of harder electric body music (EBM) and traces of synth pop with an expressiveness comparable to artists such as Tankt. The result is a uniquely polished and contemplative electro sound on tracks such as the single release "Travelling," which then scales down to a minimal softness on "Point Break" (reminiscent of the quietest moments of later Covenant), before gearing up the pop sound for "Torn." All the while, smooth vocals sit comfortably in the mix. The mood drives back into the upbeat toward the end of the release in "Coward" and "Rome on Fire," but quickly it becomes apparent that this is not what Seabound does best. Perhaps the greatest disappointment is that "Hooked (Radical Mix)" is not present on the release (present instead on Dependent's Septic 2 compilation), which could have proved that Seabound has talents in this arena as well. Overall, No Sleep Demon is a fantastic debut, which is part of a larger drive toward a more expressive electro flavor. It may not be the strongest electro release of 2001, but there is enough here to keep listeners coming back. One thing is certain — No Sleep Demon will not fall prey to the disposable dancefloor music bin.