Released:  March 5th, 2002

Recorded:  2001

Genre:  Futurepop, Electro-Industrial

Record Label:  dependent

Duration:  62:28

Producer:  Ronan Harris

[expand title=”Personnel” trigpos=”above” tag=”h22″](Regular band members in bold.)

• Ronan Harris  – lyrics, vocals, production, engineering
• Mark Jackson – synthesizers, keyboards, drums, percussion
• Fred Darum – engineeer
• Dirk Eusterbrook – photography
• Fross – artwork
• Nationhood – artwork [/expand]

[expand title=”Track Listing” trigpos=”above” tag=”h22″]

1. Foreword
2. Epicentre
3. Electronaut
4. Liebestod
5. Holding On
6. Carbon
7. Genesis
8. Structure
9. Fearless
10. 4am
11. Beloved
12. Airships [/expand]

[expand title=”Single” trigpos=”above” tag=”h22″]

1. Genesis – September 3rd, 2001
2. Beloved – March 25th, 2002 [/expand]

Why Futureperfect is One of My Favorites

A while back, I took a look at VNV Nation’s Empires, an excellent album where the band’s transition between industrial and more melodic synthpop/futurepop can be heard.  It’s a strong album by any standards, with plenty of pounding electronic beats and melodic waves of synth throughout.  Futurepop further downplays many of industrial’s experimental elements and opts for a brighter, more ethereal sound with lots of texture and atmosphere created by layer upon layer of synthesizers.  Both Empires and Futureperfect were equally responsible for drawing me into the war-torn yet hope filled world of VNV Nation, and I have a tough time narrowing down which one is objectively “better.”

Like its predecessor, Futureperfect focuses largely on national pride and the state as a beneficent institution, worthy of assistance from its citizens to create a better, more peaceful world for the future…kind of like a “perfect future.”  The bombastic and martial beats and rhythms are still there, but they’re also tempered with softer string sections and atmospheric background synth.  Yet again, Harris and Jackson create music that evokes real feeling, and not in an individual sense, but in the broader sense of being a part of the world as a collective, being a part of something bigger than one’s self.  This music is honest and prideful, and can be a refreshing break from the introspection and sometimes self-pity found in nearly every other form of popular music.

“Foreword” opens the album gently, with a speech about “live[ing] for yourself today, or help[ing to] build tomorrow for everyone” delivered in 3 languages.  “Epicentre” comes next with an abrasive synth line and extremely club-friendly beat, followed by “Electronaut,” an instrumental full of loud, catchy, electronic riffs.  “Liebestod,” German for “love death,” is another instrumental that shows off Futureperfect’s softer side as  mellow, slightly melancholy string piece.

“Hold On,” one of my favorites, is based on a bleak-sounding piano riff, slowly building into a triumphant and uplifting chorus where Harris calls out individuals who share his feelings.  The verses suggest that the singer has been ostracized from a new world that he has helped to create, but the chorus boom with hope and includes one of my favorite sounds from the album, an eerie choral effect with a sort of ghostly quality.  “Carbon’s” industrial beats and spacey synths create a truly futuristic feel…a dark, dystopian future.

“Genesis” is another outstanding track.  The chorus is magnificent; not only is it beautiful musically with its layers of instrumentation, but it is also a heartfelt plea to a “higher power” that these people may rebound from a war-like tragedy.  Lyrics such as, “Did our laughter, did our tears / serve some purpose after all? … Even lands we once called home / lie undiscovered and unknown” remind me of what an excellent songwriter Harris is and how he can create such vivid imagery.

“Structure” harks back to old-school industrial with modern polish.  A thunderous beat is punctuated by samples and screeching, unnerving synth sounds.  “Fearless” sees Harris’ voice undergo more manipulation than usual alongside an urgent, driving beat, just before the spooky and somewhat experimental “4AM.”

The penultimate “Beloved” is the highlight of the album.  Beautiful layers of strings fill the air, followed by sparse instrumentation that slowly builds tension through the steady addition of one element after another.  After nearly 4 minutes of buildup, release comes via the absolutely sublime melody of the chorus.  It’s easy to see that this is a rare instance of a more personal track from VNV Nation, lamenting the loss of a loved one (though it could be due to war).  Both the lyrics and the words perfectly capture the essence of a sad situation tinged with hope and optimism.  Painful lyrics about loss soon segue into happiness over their time together and their eventual unification, while the music simultaneously shifts from anxious, slightly ominous rumblings to soaring melodies full of catharsis and positivity.

“Airships” is another strong outing, and I couldn’t think of a more fitting name to the music that VNV Nation creates here.  It starts out very “airy;” it’s easy to imagine something (cities?  islands?  anything!) floating in the sky.  Harris’ vocals come on slowly, as if through an old radio, before being brought into full focus as the tempo picks up and a bassline kicks in.  The energy continues to build with the addition of light percussion, finally bursting into an all out dance track with each element coming together to form something amazing.  A great close to a great record.

Futureperfect is both an evolution and continuation of Empires; it’s a little less abrasive but no less inspired.  I love the balance between traditional industrial sounds, catchy beats, and the loads of melodious synthesizer sounds that permeate every inch of the album.  One of my favorite aspects of VNV Nation in general is their ability to make serious music that actually carries weight without coming off as pretentious or self-righteous.  Electronic music is easy to find (though it rarely sounds this good), but what really pushes an album like Futureperfect over the line is that it truly has something to say.  These guys may be idealistic yet they also remain grounded and the vibe and spirit present in their music never comes off as hokey or contrived.  There’s a genuineness and dignity behind Futureperfect, a “realness” that makes it too hard to pass up.

Written by The Cubist

Other albums from VNV Nation in this series:

• 1999 – Empires – Issue #12

Back to The Cubist’s 90’s Albums