Outburn Magazine

One Woman EBM Show: Chiasm (aka Emileigh Rohn) brings you a big helping of inner angst and turmoil on the COP debut, Disorder.  Rohn's voice is somewhere between Björk and kaRIN of Collide -- soothing in sound and yet jarring in message.  The collection of songs are as well crafted as any in the EBM world, so it is worth mentioning that this entire album was written, programmed, performed, and produced single handedly by Rohn.  While there are plenty of talented women in the dark electro scene, there are still few who have taken on the absolute control of an album and done it so well.  Songs like "Chiasm 5.0," "Liquefy," and "Isolated" keep the pace of the album seething along while "Transparent," "Disorder,", and "Cold" help to balance things out with slower, simmering sounds that are still just as ominous and forceful.  With "Fight" there are fast paced beats and torn lyrics; it doesn't get any better for the dancefloor than this.  On the other end of the spectrum is the haunting "Someone" where Rohn allows her touching vocals to shine over an efficiently minimal and stark rhythm.  In the end, my only problem with Disorder became the truly painful lyrics.  Not to down play their emotional content or value, but there's only so much introspection and shattering catharsis a listener can take.  Otherwise, it's thumbs up to this obviously talented newcomer in Chiasm. 

~ Doc Benway