Product Description
2 Catwalk
3 Radium-Lover
4 Alien
5 Mysterious
6 Intermission
7 Vampyr
8 Teknologi
9 Wait
10 Atomika (Mimetic Mix)
Paradoxx were a dark-electro, synth-pop act, active in the early 2000s.
Created by composer/song writer Ralph Dix and Produced by Vince Gizzardo (Cesium 137) and Australias Rob Agostini (Soundbaker Studios), Atomika captures the vibe of new-electro synthpop and the melancholy of darkwave. These flavors with distinctive pop-sensible hooks have given Paradoxx a much broader influence on today’s subpop market. Rob’s love of pop music is evident in his tailored tracks, both Euro-style and U.S. underground influences are evident.
Lead singer Lissa and vocalist Phoenix is the focus of Paradoxx live. They emanate sophistication and pop appeal. With Lissa’s mesmerizing delivery of thoughtful, poetic lyrics and the raven-haired mysterious Phoenix voice tones that are childlike, yet mature, dark, yet brilliant and heartwarming, yet haunting. Guitarist Kriss is one of those underrated guitar wizards who catches listeners’ attention with his a varied palette of sounds. With his lush blend of crunchy rock tones and dark and evocative washes of sound, with his sight always set on the all-important melodic content of each song. Keyboardist Ralph delivers up the dreamy synthpop with catchy loops and synth stabs setting a nice backdrop for Lissa’s vocal style. Ralph brings a love of synth pioneers like Gary Numan, Human League, Kraftwerk and Trent Reznor to the mix.
The Cruxshadows: The Mystery of The Whisper (2-CD) WAREHOUSE SALE
PARADOXX – Decade (The Best of 2000 – 2010) (Digital)
PARADOXX – Contamination (Remixxed) (Digital)
PARADOXX – New Devotion (Digital)
Reviews Editor –
From Flaming Fish Music
Following their successful debut New Devotion thru ISIS Records USA, Paradoxx have released their new album Atomika, thru Cold Fusion and Metropolis Records. New Devotion was a unique collection of baroque dark electronic dance music but Atomika has a very new vibe. The Female fronted synthpop band Paradoxx draw heavily on subpop influence and are a flagbearer for their style of music in the current musical climate. The recent Electrapop and electronic synthpop wave in the US and Canada has seen a niche for Paradoxx who have produced not only a catchy, well produced array of songs, have crossed over well into the secular pop market, appealing to the subpop market including underground scene’s such as Goth, Industrial and Electronica. Unlike the Gothelectro sound of New Devotion, Atomika is a heavily theme oriented album already getting a lot of interest from live performances for that reason alone.
Lyricist and song writer Ralph Dix says “Paradoxx were never intended to be a synthpop band, we were just making the music we liked, amongst Indie Pop, but still cutting T.V. exposure with music video’s and radio air play. I feel it was this blend of electronic with a commercial sound that enhanced this success. As major secular critics have noticed, this new breed of synthpop is on the rise, which I think will be around for a fair few years yet. “What I can tell you is that Australia’s Paradoxx are one of about two bands keeping the synthpop flag flying without sounding like the illegitimate sons of Depeche Mode.”
Reviews Editor –
From Synthpopnet.com
This is the second album from Paradoxx, following 1999’s New Devotion. This time the band has shifted the focus away from the more gothic elements of their sound into a more high-energy dance sound that emphasizes the catchiness of the chorus and the high-paced hard-hitting beats. Atomika is a excellent example of that, as the verses honestly are almost forgettable when compared to the way the chorus will lodge itself in the brain.
The tag-team vocal approach taken here is another new addition, and it lends a very fresh feel to each song. The primary and backup vocalist role shifts between 3 members of the band, and between Lissa, Phoenix and Ralph, the three manage to keep you guessing as to who will sing when throughout the album (although Lissa handles the majority of the lead vocals). Kris’ guitar work also adds a very edgy feel to the songs, in particular in the track “Teknologi”, where the grinding guitar sets the tone for this gritty song about technology’s role in the decline of the world. It’s somewhat ironic for a (primarily) electronic music band to make a song like this, but it’s still enjoyable.
The only time the tempo is lowered below the 120 BPM mark is for “Wait”, an 8-minute song of regret about, well, as the band puts it, “a song about someone who didn’t make it”. Very spiritual in nature, I found this song to be one of the best on the disc. Songs that make me think, question myself and look deep inside myself, those are always the songs that stay with me the most. This is one of those.
Overall, I like this new direction for Paradoxx. It’s still very different, but a little more accessible. I think if you enjoyed System22 or maybe Seize you’ll really enjoy this album. It’s not as trancey as those artists, but similar enough that I think you’d find something to like here. -Jason Baker
Reviews Editor –
From Phantom Tollbooth
Paradoxx is back with their sophomore release Atomika under Cold Fusion Music. Ralph, Lissa, and Phoenix have followed through in creating an album that far surpasses its predecessor New Devotion. Their style has progressed into a club friendly Nu-Electro sound, while still incorporating elements of the underground such as Goth and Industrial. The audio production and visuals speak top quality and professionalism. Paradoxx is the latest export from that lovely island we call Australia. The band blends elements of Euro-pop, Goth and industrial music styles. The majority of the songs are perfectly-produced dance music, with a few guitars thrown in for good measure, that most rave clubs would be proud to play. The second track, “Catwalk,” is a perfect example of this style. Typical of the rest of the album, the programming sequences are stellar, and vocals by band members Lissa and Phoenix are divine. Unlike much of the dance scene, Paradoxx’s lyrics aren’t just bubble gum fluff. These lyrics have depth. The artwork is exceptional. The various quotes throughout the CD sleeve, coupled with the ingenious visual layouts add to the wonderful music, creating a multi-sense experience.
It’s good to see that in an age where digital downloads are so readily available that some artists still recognize that some fans also want excellent artwork to accompany a fine album. The best thing about this album is that it spans so many different genres–if you like techno/dance, Goth, industrial, house or rock music, you will find your money’s worth in Atomikia. -Aaron Anderson
Reviews Editor –
From Side Line
The Australian-based Paradoxx already delivered some cool surprises and now comes back with this Atomika long player. The debut songs “Atomika” and “Catwalk” reveal the most commercial side of the quartet, which combines cool house and techno tunes together with some guitar riffs. The cyber-kinky-punk image of the band perfectly fits into their sound, but Paradoxx did here much more than flirting with commercial standards! The next piece entitled “Radium lover” is a little bit more pop-minded while full of filtered bleeps and a kind of trance feeling. This band proves to have different sources of inspiration, but the album remains pretty compact. “Mysterious” moves already in other influences, mixing big beats together with groovy sequences and acid bleeps. The most powerful track (cf. “Teknologi”) is a bit more into heavy guitar parts and definitely the ultimate cyber-punk cut of Atomika. We also get a surprising remix, which has been made by Mimetic and that’s not exactly a band you would expect to remix this band. Anyway, the remix of “Atomika” sounds pretty dark! Last, but not least, we also get a kind of pc clip, featuring several parts of different songs. This is a real enjoyable album full of dance power! (DP:7/8) DP.