Bill Leeb – Model Collapse (self-published)

Bill Leeb – Model Collapse (self-published)

23 August 2024

It seems almost inconceivable that such an established and iconic artist as Bill Leeb has just released his debut solo album. But considering that he has spent the last four decades creating great music, using musical means such as Frontline assembly, delirium And Skinny puppy It is understandable that he had his hands full creatively.

Model collapse sees Leeb continuing on the path he has followed since his earliest sonic forays, perhaps focusing more on the specifics of the song than the wider soundscape here, but the music-making still evokes the biting, edgy, raw and hard electronic dance sound, inspired and infused by the music of experimental and industrial pioneers such as Front 242, DAF, KMFDM and his own founding band, Skinny puppy.

With two singles, “Terror Forms” and “Demons,” paving the way for this dark and groovy collection, it’s clear that it’s not just the sound of the music itself that’s remarkable, but also the intelligence behind it. While the first single addresses the rise of artificial intelligence and the second the darkness that seems to be spreading across all parts of the world, it’s clear that this album raises more questions than it answers, the main one being, “When will the human voice be lost to AI and technology… or will it save us in the end?”

Indirectly, this also raises a more general and pressing question: In a world where those in power, politicians and leaders, religions and corporations not only seem to be failing us at every turn, but are perhaps even deliberately plunging us into ever darker times, why is it that artists and creatives, musicians and songwriters, seem to be the only adult voices in the room?

Demon Video
Spotify
Terror Forms feat. Shannon Hemmett
Spotify
Model Kollapse Pre-save Album
Album order / Bandcamp