Alan Vega

September 19 - 26, 1 9 9 6 [Off the Record]

*** Alan Vega

DUJANG PRANG

(2.13.61)
Alan Vega's former group, Suicide, were the most uncompromising, inflammatory outfit to foment in the milieu of the Ramones, Talking Heads, and Blondie. This pre-no-wave noise band never received the adulation they deserved; now, with the rise of industrial, ambient, house, and techno, Vega's avant-dance creations may find a more substantial following.
The synth soundscapes of Dujang Prang squirm and undulate like a free-form dancer. Songs like the title track feature an unpronounced rhythm spiced with erratic waves of dissonance and nonsensical verbal ramblings. But Vega is not afraid to settle into a hypnotic groove. The ominous "Saturn Drive," with its chilling vocal performance and robotic rhythm, could shake up any rave. The flurries of melody and gentle shimmy of "The Kiss" hark back to a more pop-oriented Vega circa Suicide's "Chereee." Dujang Prang's artistic depth suggests that Vega's still ahead of his time, and that his day is looming nearer.
-- Lorne Behrman