Borghesia – Resistance (Matrix Music Arhiv)

It’s impossible to talk about the history of the EBM scene without mentioning the almighty Borghesia. Back in the day, when this particular genre was just a newbie in a global sonic landscape, Western Europe reigned supreme by delivering some of the greatest artists, groups, and other artistic outlets doing their own thing and pushing the boundaries of what electronic music could and should be. Like in many music-related cases, Yugoslavia had its own response to everything happening on the global music scene, and Slovenia, as then part of SFRJ, had Borghesia as a true representative of the genre. But Borghesia has not stopped at EBM. Quite the contrary, as soon as they established their luxuriant electronic sound, they also incorporated what would later become industrial music. You can see many similarities with what Laibach, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy, and many other groups have produced throughout their careers, especially in the eighties, but as is usually the case, Borghesia did it with a twist that made them a unique outlet to this day. Later on, they even infused elements of art and electro rock, two distinctive subgenres that would become a staple in their recent works. Like everything or anything related to this act, they did it so cleverly, wisely, perfectly, to the point you cannot compare them to anyone else. If we also include their progressive, left-wing, pro-LGBTQ, socio-political commentary that tackled both local and global issues and themes, you get a band that sounds as vital as it was back then, over four decades ago.

A couple of weeks ago, their highly sought-after full-length album “Resistance” saw the light of day once again. It underwent a well-deserved remaster and reissue treatment thanks to Matrix Music Arhiv, and let me tell you right off the bat, it was definitely worth the wait. Previously released in the early nineties via legendary Play It Again Sam, it represents monumental material that has not only placed Borghesia as one of the most important Slovenian electronic body music groups but also exemplifies how the early nineties music was so profoundly fresh, unique, creative, innovative, and both sonically and lyrically impactful. Whether you’re introducing yourself to this material by spinning an immensely melodic and anthemic instrumental “Theme One-Resistance Mix,” or deep diving into the industrial aesthetics while listening to the powerful “Message,” you’ll immediately get the idea what Borghesia is all about. Even if you’re a newbie to the genre, you’ll immediately realize these profoundly creative musicians are into both challenging your listening apparatus and transporting you into some more pleasant, melody-powered realms, all while questioning authority, systems, oppressive routines of any political option, etc. Depending on how you perceive their music, this listening experience could be challenging, pleasant, or both, but one thing is for certain: their creativity is at its peak here. When you stumble upon compositions like “If” and “Conflict,” your listening apparatus will immediately notice a deep exploration of profoundly heavy rhythmic patterns drenched in flanger effect, immensely groovy basslines, repetitive samples that hypnotize you, and luxuriant synths where every lead, theme, and melody means another transition into a more energetic or more slow section of the song. The vocals are powerful and impactful as their music. Each piece of lyric, whether repetitive or not, commands attention and elevates this listening experience to new heights.

With “October” and “Rumours,” Borghesia showcases its calmer side. You’ll notice how all those sonic manipulations and maneuvers levitate more towards a calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal side without losing that recognizable Borghesia signature moves. And while “October” may lean much more towards the brighter side of the sonic spectrum in its short duration, the band quickly transports your listening apparatus back into the dark ambient movements, which are omnipresent on “Rumours.” But this band is all about heavy rhyhtmic patterns, loud low-ends, and catchy, memorable, engaging synths. “Young Prisoners” is one of those compositions that exemplifies Borghesia’s dedication to delivering a combination of EBM dynamics and industrial groove. But it’s not all about what this clever band incorporated into their music. Quite the contrary, it has a lot to do with how they assembled and sorted the entire tracklist. It’s an excursion into sheer groove, power, energy, rawness, and aggression which all of a sudden transits into those calm, relaxing, ethereal, melodic, captivating moments. These songs are assembled and sorted out to serve the greater purpose, and that purpose is to indulge your ears and challenge conventional musical practices. While “Discipline” collides into standard industrial, EBM, darkwave, and synthwave behaviours, the rendition of Šarlo Akrobata’s “Mali Čovek” offers an excursion into more artsy, post-punkish, twisted electronic manipulations, maneuvers, rhythmical acrobatics, and even more along the way. It’s something you could never expect from Šarlo Akrobata, but definitely could expect from Borghesia, which makes this cover so brilliant. After a subtle ode to the record label that initially released this material alongside Wax Trax and Jugoton, Borghesia gradually prepares the listener for an imminent closure. Through repetitive rhythmic structures, industrial percussion, eerie vocal performance, and subtle yet vividly hearable synth pads, samples, and manipulations, compositions like “Police Hour” question authority in such a beautiful and obscure manner. It’s one of the highlights of this material, mainly because it exists in the space of its own. This epic sonic journey comes to an end with “More Resistance,” an empowering slice of EBM music that demands more resistance, rebellion, and revolt from the consumer. It also encourages you to spin this masterpiece all over again, an action this epic record definitely deserves, as it rewards repeated listens with even more details, elements, layers, surprises, nuances, etc.

But, as is usually the case, there’s always more than meets the eye. Besides the original, remastered album, you’ll get ‘Dal Vivo A El Paso’, a live recording from Turin, Italy, recorded in December 1988, during one of their European tours.  It’s packed with raw, unfiltered, and very different, dubbed-up versions of their early tracks. Everything is so perfectly edited and assembled by Matrix Music Arhiv, who did incredible work by reissuing this highly-demanded album. Therefore, do not miss this opportunity to grab a legendary album on double vinyl, compact disc, or maybe even cassette. Head to Matrix Music Arhiv for more information about ordering.