Off is yet another Belgian one-man industrial project. Johan Ruys, the man behind the machines, is apparently not someone who likes to build things up gradually. The first track on this demo cd-r, ‘Red hair, blue eys, black lips’, directly starts with powerful industrial beats. The track is monotonous and hard, and with enough energy. Perhaps not so suited to listen to at home, but this could do well with loud volume on an industrial dancefloor. ‘The wrong thing to do’ starts with a short country intro, but don’t be afraid, harsh rhythms soon take over. These are really hammering beats, combined with very distorted industrial sounds. The next two tracks follow the same patterns, though I must say that OFF manages to vary well in beats and pace. The fifth and bonus track on this Try Out Ep, ‘Skip Intro’, is even louder and harder than the rest.
Of course you have to think of projects like Sonar or Hypnoskull and other Hands/Ant-Zen acts. But I think there is room for OFF on the industrial dancefloors. Off is not a project of subtleties, and there is not much variation in the tracks. Most of them are rather minimal, and completely driven by the monotonous rhythms. Therefore they get boring too quickly. With a little more different elements and variation the tracks could become more dynamic and longer lasting. Perhaps the sound is also a little too ‘clean’. But for now the uncomplicated energy and harshness can make you move.
