Tympanic Frenzy

If nothing else, Tympanic Frenzy deserves kudos for
producing music that makes good on its name, for if
God keeps a list of certified eardrum-thumping discs, the oddly punctuated
“Cerebral Funktion .. in Process ...” is on it.
Lucky for your hearing, the 10 songs on Tympanic Frenzy’s second album
proper will appeal to those prone to electronica with industrial leanings — not
so overt as to disturb, but to give it a bit of serrated edge to distinguish it from
glossy club crap. The opening “Intro (Sign of the Times)” suggests that slow
climb at the beginning of a rollercoaster, as if you’re preparing for a wild ride.
For the most part, “Funktion” has the gumption to pay that off, even if it can’t
quite clear all the loops at full-speed on the way.
Henry McMinn and Curtis Fletcher comprise the Oklahoma City-
based duo, and their music is fused with bracingly relentless breakbeats, not
unlike The Crystal Method, an act that also doesn’t forsake groove for noise.
“Funktion”’s tracks alternate between vocal-based and instrumental numbers,
with the album’s strength squarely in the latter, if only because McMinn’s
vocals come across as a little whiny. Then again, so do those of Nine Inch
Nails’ Trent Reznor. The songwriting, however, is a step above the band’s
earlier, rave-based efforts.
For more information, visit www.tympanicfrenzy.com. —Rod Lott - Oklahoma Gazette