Whatever this noise is that Vienna-based producer Philipp Quehenberger is peddling, I ain’t buyin’ it. Phantom In Paradise – which I have disappointingly gathered has nothing at all to do with Brian De Palma’s cult classic Phantom Of The Paradise – is a balls-choking, synth-heavy (if not excessively so) IDM crossing between hardcore breaks and industrial-tinged gruff techno. Like most club drum and bass, the synth lead and bassline often become the main melody for his tracks, but something tells me this guy isn’t capable of delivering the molested rage necessary for truly inspired jungle or industrial.
Take “Cup Of Coffee,” for instance. It centers around a punchy 4/4 beat and raunchy, distorted synths motivating fist pumps aplenty, yet the repeated lyrics go “gonna have a coffee, drink it up.” What the fuck is all the ass-kicking synth torture about if you aren’t suicide-bombing Starbucks and head-butting higher-ups in the Republican party? With the words there, front and center, the guttural form simply doesn’t match the half-baked content. That kinda makes me question the man’s motivations. Is this just about getting laid? Is it just about getting laughs? For me, PIP fails slightly at one and miserably at the other.
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