Konstant – Unbändige Kinder (Digital/Vinyl Album – Subject To Restrictions Disc / Default Mode Records)

Konstant is a new project and duo from Switzerland, and their debut album is a particularly pleasant surprise. The duo skillfully incorporates clear 80s influences, breathing new life into Electro-Wave. There’s also a subtle Grauzone influence, which makes sense given the band’s Swiss origins. However, their influences extend beyond New-Wave, incorporating elements of harder EBM as well as pure, psychedelic touches that take us into Krautrock territory. The songs are quite long but are also very well-crafted, each reaching a powerful climax. The German vocals further enhance the 80s vibe that permeates the album. “Unbändige Kinder” is a brilliant work and an absolutely phenomenal debut. (Rating:9).
Listen to “Unbändige Kinder”:
About Konstant
Konstant is a duo from Zürich, Switzerland, formed by Angelo Repetto and Nicolas Balmer, both long active in the city’s cultural scene. The band mixes new wave, krautrock and post-punk influences, sung in German.
The debut album “Unbändige Kinder” was released on September 27, 2024 as a joint release by Subject To Restrictions Discs and Default Mode Records. It was recorded, arranged and mixed by Domi Chansorn at Studio G5 in Zürich and mastered by Sneaker at Tail Out Studios, with collage artwork by Marco Repetto. It is the duo’s first album and the release reviewed here.
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

