Album: "Ender's Music" (1998)
Label: Shmudde
Style: Experimental Electro
Songs: 15

Reviewed by: Darklight

Vojna is the experimental electronic solo project of David Schmudde that leans more toward old school industrial influences as opposed to new ones. While I usually do not enjoy older style experimental industrial music with more instrumentals than tracks with vocals, I have to admit that Vojna does have an edge that allows me to enjoy it. I would consider the music found on this album as the type of music you play in the background while working or doing something. This is music that you play to create an atmosphere. It's rather slow paced and moody with orchestrated elements and ambient sounds combined with art and beauty. The songs are created with various electronic sound effects, piano, samples, drum programming and melodic synth harmonies. Vocals do come in on rare occasions, but are used more like samples placed into the music as opposed to being used as actual singing. The music changes direction quite often keeping everything rather interesting. The music is sometimes bright and beautiful, while at other times turns dark and eerie. Songs will change directions during their course as well to keep the listener on their toes. There is slight structure here at times with some actual rhythms and beats, but usually everything just goes off all over the place never really allowing the listener to follow it. There are a lot of songs on this album that each play for quite a long time. So this album definitely delivers a lot of material. This is something that you would just put in and play and let yourself escape into. Sometimes there's a bit of an amateur sound in the songs where they tend to lack a finished polish and a full feel. But everything here is well composed and does show talent. David does deserve to be on a label so he could really shine with his music. My only suggestion here would to be to include more singing into the songs. There are a couple of tracks where David sings and they make the songs seem a little more complete. David has a good voice, but could still work on his singing range a bit. He struggles to carry a tune at times. But practice makes perfect and he's on his way. The bottom line is that if you enjoy more experimental orchestrated instrumental industrial music, you will really like what this album has to offer.