Like the Ventures fueled on steroids and old Kraftwerk and Gary Numan records, Add N To (X) rampages through Farfisa-freaked anthems full of distorted, block-rocking beats and Vocoder-treated vocals. Riding waves of circular drums and growling synths, Add N To (X) can't seem to get up and get on with it on Add Insult To Injury, with some songs slowly spinning in place like a sleeping top.
Tick-tocking toy beats infuse the robotic "B.P. Perino" and garbled washing machines and roly-poly bass and drums mire the Muzak of "Incinerator No. 1," while the Devo-inspired "Adding N to (X)" is the band's treatise to man-machine monotony. Critically hailed for earlier albums such as Avant Hard and On The Wires Of Our Nerves, Add N To (X)'s latest simply recalls a soundtrack to some cheesy 1950s horror movie in which somebody forgot the monsters.
All recordings courtesy of Mute Records. ΓÇ£Brothel ChargeΓÇ¥ and ΓÇ£Kingdom Of Shades (Exorcist)ΓÇ¥ written by Claydon, Shenton, Allum; courtesy of Universal PolyGram International Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP)/Copyright Control. ΓÇ£Plug Me InΓÇ¥ written by Smith, Honer; courtesy of Universal PolyGram International Publishing, Inc./Chrysalis Music (ASCAP).
