Wieloryb is Polish for whale, and the band does have a lot in common with that animal: It rarely surfaces, it has a long lifespan and when it appears, it makes a massive impact. Founded in the early 1990s, Wieloryb from the city of Gdansk (aka Danzig) were a pioneering act of dark electronic music in Poland, scoring some quick success with their Euro Electro sound at the time. Around then they started performing regularly, among others with Jimi Tenor and Pan Sonic. Soon that first incarnation of Wieloryb disappeared, and only a couple of low key releases saw the light of day during the nougthies, suggesting a much more experimental and aggressive direction. Now they’re back for good with a proper album for HANDS, and EMPTY is no quiet return for sure. Rhythm’n’Noise is the score, tough and relentless, with only the slightest distraction thrown in: A distorted vocal (in “Matt”), a metallic proto-IDM melody (in “Gear”), the occasional sample – but apart from that, pure, unadulterated rhythm terror, with a strong Industrial Hardcore flavour. This is where the experience of a seasoned performing act comes in – an album that relies so heavily on rhythm needs proper programming, and it’s all very skilfully done, with enough variation to keep it rocking all the way to the end. Among all the potential dancefloor smashers it’s quite hard to pick out standout tracks, but let me mention “Shiva” for the sheer brilliance of how they’re hammering a heavily processed Bollywood vocal onto a nail board of broken beats. All in all, this is a very modern take on the Rhythm'n'Noise genre, a workout that guarantees multiple adrenaline rushes.