Fixions – “Genocity” [Album Review]

Genocity, the latest release by Fixions, a cyberpunk/darkwave project from France, is styled as an adventure throughout the night-time landscape of a futuristic dystopia. The artist, Slo, calls it “a concept album inspired by classic cyberpunk fiction tales,” and it’s hard not to feel the suspense as it soars from one chord to the next.

It’s the kind of album that’s best listened to from start to finish, as it conjures a story of desperation through its driving beats. For the most part, the songs evoke swooping through the skyscrapers in Blade Runner—although in its more repetitive moments it can come to resemble the soundtrack of an arcade game in the 80s. (Your choice.)

Even the songs with a slightly slower pace, such as “Under the Crystal Shroud,” maintain a feeling of suspense and relentless, driving momentum. (Towards what, it’s impossible to say.) Some of the tracks, such as “We are Ghouls,” hint at an even creepier reality through both their title and the whisper-like undercurrents that float throughout them. There’s also a good variety of sound, from the quick stabs in “Nanoknives Veins Intrusion” to the throbbing tones in “Edgerunners.”

From the names to the beats, Genocity creates the sense of a sci-fi movie without the need for accompanying visuals. Although some songs came to feel repetitive (such as “Webclaw,” which felt much like the filler parts in a movie) overall it was surrealistic and fast-paced, making it a necessary addition to any sci-fi lover’s library.

Genocity Track Listing:

01. Crimeware
02. Black Chrome Riot
03. Edgerunners
04. Striker 18
05. Terrorwave
06. Under the Crystal Shroud
07. Crimson Mutation
08. We are Ghouls
09. Night Streets Recievers
10. Datadreams Corporation
11. Webclaw
12. Soul Injection
13. Deathdealers
14. Nanoknives Veins Intrusion
15. Third Eye Implant
16. Paranoid Vigilante

Run Time: 53:17
Release Date: March 27, 2017

Check out the album Genocity