Ok, so major news delivered by belated trajectory! In 2015, the historic Industrial-Noise-Electronics savant Illusion Of Safety was permanently dissolved by it’s core exponent – Dan Burke! that’s over thirty years of dedicated, proliferous morphism, sleight-of-sound & profundity rolled into the casket…without adequate explanation (I could not extract any cogent/definitive reason for this drastic decision from the man himself). I am unaware of the precise timing of ignition (1982?), but IOS arose in the early 80’s from Chicago, Illinois & were a very proactive & prolific talent for decades on-wards enrolling the participation of characters such as Tyhmme Jones, Thomas Demuzio, Jim O’Rourke & Kurt Griesch to name but a few. Illusion Of Safety is one of the very’ very few Noise bands (if we can even call them that?) that I have committed to collecting over the years, just purely due to the stand-out strength of their craft. it waned a bit during the final years, encompassing more IDM-ish influences, still with flashes of brilliance. What happened exactly? perhaps as the “illusion” in the “safety” in the Western world has become a much less convincing ruse as of recent? Perhaps position for a resuscitated modification of the former minion “Overt Lack of Safety” or some-such that will come tumbling from the tiki top sometime soon? I can’t really imagine Burke disappearing with any permanence, but then again, IOS was always an extremely unpredictable entity that never really revealed it’s cards or left any tractability, explanation or motive.

Alas, it’s very’ very sad to think that such a profoundly unique specimen has exited the ointment. But the back catalogue is insane! I have about 20 + releases from IOS & I would say with all sincerity that about 85% of them are on point, many substantially so. The actual content & sound-substances aside, what really distanced IOS, at least consistently, from any other Noise or Industrial group to my knowledge, was an enhanced diversity, sophistication & intellect. It was also somewhat nebulous, almost heuristic or allegoric, never (or at least very rarely) explicit & generally sparing or reticent with graphic extremes, always opting opaque non-stated neutrality (or a strand of the like). A lot of darkness & threat, but also humor & jest crammed carriages teaming with unidentified ordinance. IOS was arguably a completely independent existential, but for the articles sake, & to finish off – this was easily one of the greatest highlights that the Noise/Industrial periphery ever produced.

Here’s a small monologue I fashioned for all you virgin-ear mzrfkrz. Very primitive, light adumbration, quick peek type’ shit sourced from the albums Inside Agitator, Distraction and Bad Karma –

http://www.illusionofsafety.net/

Furthermore, uh’ – IOS’s most recent release? (old material from the mid 00’s) has forayed its way onto cult beyond belief label Erst-while Antrum, contributing two excellent tracks to the “ヘンカ！ヘンカ！ホウイコウゲキ” compilation CDR with fellow odd-balls & ultra-extremists such as Nabeg, 886VG & Terrorist Kriss. Available from/through various secret-panels, hidden passages & unidentified overgrown entrances.