Circle of Dust

(R.E.X. Music)
by Scott Hefflon

Imagine a wizard in electronic music who also has a passion for slamming thrash beats and skull-crushing guitar power. That’s the basic starting point for Scott Albert’s studio project, Circle of Dust. Over the course of time, a live band was assembled, metal and alternative radio fawned over the “band,” and now the original release has been reworked and added on to for the ’95 self-titled release.

One instant clarification needs to be made when discussing Circle of Dust; besides the techno percussion, heavy guitars and distorted ravings that are usually associated with industrial music, Circle of Dust somehow manages to work sweetly tortured vocals and catchy melodies into the mix. The contrast between the throbbing house/metal and almost new wave pop prettiness is extreme, but it is meticulously executed and addictive. Another novel aspect of the band is the scope of electronic knowledge. While many bands dip into keyboards and samplers to enhance their sound, these songs make the phrase “adding a new dimension” sound trite. Extrapolate a bit and imagine layers of dimensions passing through focus. A difficult thing to envision and one even harder to describe; experience Circle of Dust for yourself to discover what electronic heavy music has the potential of being.