Acumen Nation
Encyclopedia
Acumen Nation is an industrial rock
band based in Chicago, Illinois
.
and Ethan Novak , the band released several cassette demos before self-releasing the CD demo "Transmissions from Eville
" in 1994. The two along with bassist Greg Lopez put the record out themselves under the Robot Records moniker. During shows for this period, the band added guitarist/engineer Jamie Duffy. Duffy greatly improved the band's sound onstage and rounded the group into a tight fourpiece helping them to get noticed by upstart independent industrial label Fifth Colvmn Records
who signed the band and reissued Transmissions from Eville
worldwide.
and 16 Volt
soon resulted and in an effort to capitalize on the buzz they had created, the band headed back to Chicago Trax Studios to record their follow-up entitled Territory=Universe
. More mature, polished, harder and reflective of a specific moment in the band's career, Territory=Universe showed that Acumen had a dense multi-layered sound that could pulse on the dancefloor and was underscored with emotion. Standout tracks included "Mike", "Queener" and "You Deal With This". With heads now turning towards their latest, Acumen was invited to go out on a national tour with industrial rock pioneers Chemlab
and enjoyed shorter stints supporting industrial rock legends KMFDM
and Monster Voodooo Machine.
from Albany, NY. Their first record, '96s "Big Shiny Spears" featured covers of Nitzer Ebb's seminal dance hits 'Join in the Chant' and 'Murderous.'
influenced DJ? Acucrack
, and the more traditional rock format of Acumen Nation. Tours for both projects followed. In 1998, Greg Lopez left the band to pursue other interests. He was replaced by Eric Alvarez, also known as the bar. The four recorded 2000's Strike 4
. Eric exited the band before the record was released and was replaced by Eliot Engelman.
Eliot Engelman left the band following the release of Anticore
in 2006 and the following tour with Front Line Assembly
in mid-2007, although the band maintained that he never left for a quite a while, before finally admitting it. Ethan Novak returned to play guitar during the "PsychoTransHumanoid" 2007 & 2008 tours of the east and west coasts with Cyanotic
, promoting the simultaneous release of Acumen Nation's Psycho the Rapist
and DJ? Acucrack's Humanoids from the Deep
and Cyanotic's Transhuman 2.0.
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
band based in Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
History
Formed in the late 1980s as Acumen by Jason NovakJason Novak
Jason Novak is an American musician, including vocalist, guitarist, and music producer.In 1988, while they were attending DePaul University, Jason and his brother Ethan Novak started the industrial rock band project Acumen Jason later also served as the producer and musical author for the...
and Ethan Novak , the band released several cassette demos before self-releasing the CD demo "Transmissions from Eville
Transmissions from Eville
Transmissions from Eville is the first album by Acumen Nation. The original version was released under the name Acumen on Robot Records in 1994...
" in 1994. The two along with bassist Greg Lopez put the record out themselves under the Robot Records moniker. During shows for this period, the band added guitarist/engineer Jamie Duffy. Duffy greatly improved the band's sound onstage and rounded the group into a tight fourpiece helping them to get noticed by upstart independent industrial label Fifth Colvmn Records
Fifth Colvmn Records
Fifth Colvmn Records was a record label based in Washington, DC. Formed in 1990 by nightclub owner and entrepreneur Zalman Fishman, the label's first release was Chemlab's debut EP Ten Ton Pressure...
who signed the band and reissued Transmissions from Eville
Transmissions from Eville
Transmissions from Eville is the first album by Acumen Nation. The original version was released under the name Acumen on Robot Records in 1994...
worldwide.
Hits
With breakaway dancefloor hits like "Matador" and the irresistibly punchy "Gun Lover" Acumen was starting to get noticed amongst industrial/gothic music fans. National tours with The Clay PeopleThe Clay People
The Clay People is an industrial rock band based in Albany, New York. Singer-programmer Daniel Neet has been the only constant member throughout the band's history, leading the group as its sound has evolved to incorporate gothic, industrial and metal influences...
and 16 Volt
16 Volt
16Volt is an industrial rock band featuring Eric Powell and Mike Peoples with various other performers added for live shows.-History:Powell became interested in music early on, and formed 16Volt in 1988. While shopping his demos several years later, he met up with a college-radio music director who...
soon resulted and in an effort to capitalize on the buzz they had created, the band headed back to Chicago Trax Studios to record their follow-up entitled Territory=Universe
Territory=Universe
Territory=Universe is the second album by Acumen Nation. It was originally released on Fifth Colvmn Records in 1996. A version with additional tracks was released on Conscience Records on May 5, 1998.-Fifth Colvmn Records version:#"Stone Farm" – 6:01...
. More mature, polished, harder and reflective of a specific moment in the band's career, Territory=Universe showed that Acumen had a dense multi-layered sound that could pulse on the dancefloor and was underscored with emotion. Standout tracks included "Mike", "Queener" and "You Deal With This". With heads now turning towards their latest, Acumen was invited to go out on a national tour with industrial rock pioneers Chemlab
Chemlab
Chemlab is a coldwave and industrial rock band formed in Washington D.C., USA, in 1989 by Dylan Thomas More, Joe Frank , and Jared Louche . Influenced by the pioneers of the industrial genre, such as Throbbing Gristle, Chemlab mixed experimental sounds with rock and metal, which they dubbed...
and enjoyed shorter stints supporting industrial rock legends KMFDM
KMFDM
KMFDM is an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project...
and Monster Voodooo Machine.
Popularity
Although the glory days of the Industrial rock scene in Chicago had faded by the time Acumen emerged as a national act, through constant touring and sheer hard work on a number of different projects the duo have since established themselves as somewhat relevant within a tiny niche of the US underground scene. The Iron Lung Corp. was a band composed of Acumen and The Clay PeopleThe Clay People
The Clay People is an industrial rock band based in Albany, New York. Singer-programmer Daniel Neet has been the only constant member throughout the band's history, leading the group as its sound has evolved to incorporate gothic, industrial and metal influences...
from Albany, NY. Their first record, '96s "Big Shiny Spears" featured covers of Nitzer Ebb's seminal dance hits 'Join in the Chant' and 'Murderous.'
Name dispute
In 1997, the band were forced to change their name due to a legal dispute with a preexisting progressive rock band also called Acumen. The band split their project into two halves - the drum and bassDrum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
influenced DJ? Acucrack
DJ? Acucrack
DJ? Acucrack is an electronic music duo based in Chicago, Illinois. It is a side project of Acumen Nation and is also on the Crack Nation record label...
, and the more traditional rock format of Acumen Nation. Tours for both projects followed. In 1998, Greg Lopez left the band to pursue other interests. He was replaced by Eric Alvarez, also known as the bar. The four recorded 2000's Strike 4
Strike 4
Strike 4 is the fourth album by Acumen Nation."Margasuck" and "Tone Deaf" were remixed and re-released on The 5ifth Column.-Track listing:# "Pistol Whip Me " – 4:08# "Comfort" - 3:15# "Bender" - 3:57...
. Eric exited the band before the record was released and was replaced by Eliot Engelman.
Member flux
The close of 2001 saw the release of "Live Farewell 2001," which was to signify a hiatus for the band as the recording marked the final performance of Ethan Novak with the band, who left to form the band Cordy. He was replaced by Dan Brill who currently plays with the band.Eliot Engelman left the band following the release of Anticore
Anticore
Anticore is the seventh album by Acumen Nation.- Track listing :# "Bliss" - 3:14# "The Blind Pig" - 3:12# "Day Care" - 3:34# "Black Son Hole" - 4:21# "My Life's Last Breath" - 3:42# "Tools in the Blood Shed" - 6:34...
in 2006 and the following tour with Front Line Assembly
Front Line Assembly
Front Line Assembly is a Canadian electro-industrial band formed by Bill Leeb in 1986 after leaving Skinny Puppy. Influenced by early Industrial acts such as Cabaret Voltaire, Portion Control, D.A.F., Test Dept, SPK, and Severed Heads, FLA has developed its own unique sound while combining...
in mid-2007, although the band maintained that he never left for a quite a while, before finally admitting it. Ethan Novak returned to play guitar during the "PsychoTransHumanoid" 2007 & 2008 tours of the east and west coasts with Cyanotic
Cyanotic
Cyanotic is a Chicago-based industrial rock collective fronted by Sean Payne that formed in 2002 and released its first full-length album in 2005. Cyanotic is known for its genre-blending work, which fuses traditional industrial beats and vocals with drum n bass, sampling and heavy metal to create...
, promoting the simultaneous release of Acumen Nation's Psycho the Rapist
Psycho the Rapist
Psycho the Rapist, released in 2007, is the eighth album by Acumen Nation.-Track listing:# "Fanglorious" - 4:57# "Hatchet Harry" - 4:16# "Elective Surgical Strike" - 4:34# "Sirvix" - 5:05# "No Imagination" - 6:17# "Remedial Math" - 4:37...
and DJ? Acucrack's Humanoids from the Deep
Humanoids from the Deep (album)
Humanoids from the Deep is the sixth studio full-length album by DJ? Acucrack and the first to feature no contributions from member Jamie Duffy.-Track listing:# "Abomination Rise" - 3:56# "Terror Train" - 4:37# "Meninges" - 5:49...
and Cyanotic's Transhuman 2.0.
Discography
- Transmissions from Eville (Demo) (as Acumen; 1994; Robot Records)
- Transmissions from EvilleTransmissions from EvilleTransmissions from Eville is the first album by Acumen Nation. The original version was released under the name Acumen on Robot Records in 1994...
(as Acumen; 1994; Fifth Colvmn RecordsFifth Colvmn RecordsFifth Colvmn Records was a record label based in Washington, DC. Formed in 1990 by nightclub owner and entrepreneur Zalman Fishman, the label's first release was Chemlab's debut EP Ten Ton Pressure...
) - Territory=UniverseTerritory=UniverseTerritory=Universe is the second album by Acumen Nation. It was originally released on Fifth Colvmn Records in 1996. A version with additional tracks was released on Conscience Records on May 5, 1998.-Fifth Colvmn Records version:#"Stone Farm" – 6:01...
(as Acumen; 1996; Fifth Colvmn) - UnkindUnkindUnkind is the first EP by Acumen Nation, released in support of their third album, More Human Heart.-Track listing:#"Unkind" – 3:39#"Revelations per Minute" – 4:27#"Revelations per Minute " – 6:10...
(EP) (1997; Conscience RecordsConscience RecordsConscience Records was a record company in New York that existed between 1995 and 1998.-History:Founded in 1995, Conscience Records signed east coast rap-metal outfit Powerman 5000, putting out their debut album The Blood Splat Rating System. Other artists included El Dopa, Acumen Nation, Grind and...
) - More Human HeartMore Human HeartMore Human Heart is the third album released by Acumen Nation, on Conscience Records.- Track listing :# "Ventilator" – 6:01# "If You Were" – 3:48# "Unkind" – 3:38# "Cancerine – 3:12...
(1997; Conscience) - If You WereIf You WereIf You Were is the second EP by Acumen Nation, released in support of their third album, More Human Heart.-Track listing:#"If You Were " – 3:21#"Bleed for You " – 4:45#"If You Were " – 7:18...
(EP) (1998; Conscience) - Transmissions from Eville (Remastered) (1998; Conscience)
- Territory=Universe (Remastered) (1998; Conscience)
- Strike 4Strike 4Strike 4 is the fourth album by Acumen Nation."Margasuck" and "Tone Deaf" were remixed and re-released on The 5ifth Column.-Track listing:# "Pistol Whip Me " – 4:08# "Comfort" - 3:15# "Bender" - 3:57...
(EP) (2000; Cracknation) - Live Farewell 2001 (2001; Cracknation)
- The 5ifth ColumnThe 5ifth ColumnThe 5ifth Column is the fifth album by Acumen Nation. "Margasuck" and "Tone Deaf" are remixed tracks from Strike 4.-Track listing:# "Monster Zero" – 1:56# "Parasite Mine" - 3:47# "Just a Bastard" - 4:31# "Liquid Hater" - 4:25# "C-Cection" - 5:33...
(2002; Invisible RecordsInvisible RecordsInvisible Records is a Chicago based record label founded by Martin Atkins to support and distribute the works of artists who preferred to work with a smaller, artist driven label.-Artist Roster:* Ashtrayhead* Attrition* Bagman* Bizarre Sex Trio...
) - Coming Down: The Bastard Remix Album (2002; Invisible)
- Lord of the CynicsLord of the CynicsLord of the Cynics is the seventh album by Acumen Nation.-Track listing:# "Ready to Die" – 4:50# "The Paralysis is Real" – 4:42# "Never the Bride" – 3:22# "Metard" – 8:31# "Bandroid" – 4:36# "Heavens to Murgatroid" – 5:31...
(2003; Cracknation) - Artifacts: 1990-1993 Volume 1 (2004)
- What the F**k?: 10 Years of Armed Audio WarfareWhat the FuckWhat the Fuck?: 10 Years of Armed Audio Warfare is a collection of rare remixes and alternate versions and demos of several tracks by Acumen Nation from 1995 to 2005.# "The Wreck of Us" - 4:23# "My Life's Last Breath" - 3:07...
(2005; Cracknation/WTII RecordsWTII RecordsWTII Records is an independent record label set up in 2001 by former WaxTrax! General Manager, Bart Pfanenstiel, to relive the spirit of WaxTrax!'s early music. WTII’s releases span a wide variety of musical styles, but the primary focus is electronic based pop, synthpop, electro, industrial, indie...
) - AnticoreAnticoreAnticore is the seventh album by Acumen Nation.- Track listing :# "Bliss" - 3:14# "The Blind Pig" - 3:12# "Day Care" - 3:34# "Black Son Hole" - 4:21# "My Life's Last Breath" - 3:42# "Tools in the Blood Shed" - 6:34...
(2006; Cracknation/Crash Music Inc.) - Psycho the RapistPsycho the RapistPsycho the Rapist, released in 2007, is the eighth album by Acumen Nation.-Track listing:# "Fanglorious" - 4:57# "Hatchet Harry" - 4:16# "Elective Surgical Strike" - 4:34# "Sirvix" - 5:05# "No Imagination" - 6:17# "Remedial Math" - 4:37...
(2007; Cracknation) - Artifacts II: 1989-1994Artifacts II: 1989-1994Artifacts II: 1989–1994 is the second collection of previously unreleased demos by Acumen Nation, recorded at various home studios from 1989–1994, with new EQ and mastering. The collection features material originally performed as Acumen Nation, and later for the DJ? Acucrack debut, only to be...
(2008; Cracknation)
External links
- Cracknation.com Official Crack Nation website.
- Acumen Nation Interviewed Acumen Nation Interviewed on a cult Public TV Show