The Christian Underground Encyclopedia

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====== Paragon Null ======

Industrial / Techno\\
Kansas City, Kansas, USA

Kansas City musicians Curt Cuscino and Mark Lomas formed Christian techno/industrial outfit Paragon Null in late 1997. The band initially featured a crunchy, industrial metal sound on its first recording, the cassette-based //Falsified// EP, released independently in early 1998. This release showcased a dark, metallic-tinged industrial sound of death metal-style vocals over walls of searing guitars and churning synths similar to Rob Zombie, Fear Factory, and early [[Klank]]. Record label attention soon followed, and Paragon Null signed to Glass Diamond Records.

Paragon Null's industrial era proved to be short-lived and the band soon eschewed their guitars for keyboard-based techno, ambient and trance music. They first demonstrated this shift in musical style on their second EP, //Clockwork Flux//. This release displayed a stripped-down, bare-bones Paragon Null delving into drum & bass, old-school techno, and trance, while still adding their own original flavor. Several compilation appearances soon followed including Quiet Boy Recordings' //Secrets from the Cone of Silence//, Blacklight Records' //Collapsing Structure//, and Velvet Empire Records' //Digital Assimilation//.

Paragon Null's previous releases displayed an outfit constantly dabbling in genre-swapping. The swapping soon ended once they found their niche in ethereal trance/trip-hop with 1999's independently released //Welcome to the Mach-2//. This record brings to mind early works from Aphex Twin, and close ties to Massive Attack and Tricky can be heard straining throughout the sonic swirl. If listened to closely, Underworld, Future Sound of London, Björk, and Orbital can also be heard skipping through Paragon Null's vast treasure trove of influences.

===== Discography =====

| 1998 | [[https://christiantapeunderground.wordpress.com/2023/06/30/paragon-null-falsified-ep/|Falsified EP]] |
| 1998 | Clockwork Flux EP | Glass Diamond Records |
| 1999 | Welcome to the Mach 2 |

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==== Falsified EP ====

1998 Independent

Curt Cuscino - Guitars, bass, keyboards, programming, administration of samples, voice box\\
Mark Lomas - Drums, keyboards

  - In this Hour {Polarized Mix} (4:21)
  - Stealing Gravity (4:34)
  - Ashen (3:25)
  - @trophy (6:17)

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==== Clockwork Flux EP ====

1998 Glass Diamond Records (gdr002)

Curt Cuscino - Keyboards, programming, administration of samples, voice box\\
Mark Lomas - Keyboards, noise

  - Unbegin {the unseen}
  - Sect31 [The System Remix]
  - L1es
  - Empty Tears [screamn2u]
  - Pogo's Flame
  - Stealing Gravity [Lost City of Atlantis Mix]
  - Ashen [Diffusion Mix]

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==== Welcome to the Mach 2 ====

1999 Independent

Curt Cuscino\\
Mark Lomas

  - A New Inception (4:41)
  - Artillerate (7:08)
  - Falter Wave (8:01)
  - Riser (4:55)
  - Mind of Paranostromos (6:03)
  - Now We May Have Hope (4:55)
  - Oceans of the Morning (4:50)
  - Until Forever (I Will Miss You) (5:21)
  - Morning Ritual (8:36)
  - Missing Child (5:06)
  - Untitled (8:06)

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