Sample of The Panacea's "The Return of Motion Sickness," from the CD German Engineering.
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On German Engineering, Mootz downshifts into a less apocalyptic and distortion-driven mode, remixing some of his best-known earlier numbers while building a few new ones. Beside several unnecessary conversational interludes, there are nine tracks, the best of which is "The Return of Motion Sickness." This unapologetic rave-pleaser comes on fast and bounces along in the classic ecstatic rush of early '90s hardcore. Unfortunately, many of the remaining tracks, while sturdy enough, are less infectious, a condition that plagues most drum 'n' bass albums -- too few memorable melodies, too many cuts useful only to DJs. Other songs, like "Automatic Rewind -- Torture," with its ominous synth swirls and simple piano hooks, don't offer enough originality to distinguish them from the hundred other dance records released this week.
Mootz's cleaned-up percussive sounds and less jarring beat concoctions suggest that he's foreseen the logical end of his trajectory -- something akin to, say, gloomy metallers Napalm Death -- and decided to retreat a bit. That's not to say he's gone soft -- German Engineering would still register as brutal to most listeners -- but maybe he won't have to hurl as many copies of it while he's DJ'ing.
