Released on the French label Divine Comedy Records, here is the first official Das Reut production.
Das Reut is the side project of the well-known Russian post-industrial act Reutoff. Bearing in mind that, almost three years ago, they already mentioned this forthcoming release in an interview they had accorded to our pages, 'Arte de ben morire' was obviously high awaited...

Contrary to the ritual, sometimes oppressive, dark ambient Reutoff compositions, Das Reut explores the electro-dark facet of music. The rhythms are much quicker (while remaining melodic), especially in the opening track 'Between Reflections' also marked by aggressive vocals in particular the strong 'You! Get me out of here!' that launches the track in a hypnotic swirl.
The French title 'La Folie' ('Madness'), based upon a mid-tempo rhythmic, despair-ridden vocals, violin samples and electronic manipulations... is my favourite. A really good track with a nostalgic 80's touch. From 'Evocatio', apart from the electro dark atmosphere and 'electro-gothic' voice, as a good Reutoff fan, I will mainly retain the familiar 'religious' choir mixed in background…
As for the last and eponymous track, it stands as the longest and most aggressive electronic compositions… with the cynical sentence 'Your pain has just begun' as the climax.
I can just regret the two last minutes of the song that, in my point of view, just come to diminish the stunning impression left by the five first minutes.

But all in all, this difficult to classify mcd is well worth discovering, and not only by Reutoff fans or collectors...
'Arte de ben morire' is limited to 500 copies and comes with an intriguing cover... as strange as listening to this inspired 80's music these days...