Assassun – Retrofate (Digital/CD/Cassette Album – Blackjack Illuminist Records)
German artist Alexander Donat continues to be ultra-creative, releasing numerous productions under his various projects. Vlimmer remains the most familiar of them all, but Assassun is, in my opinion, one of the most promising. “Retrofate” is already the fourth Assassun album and features ten tracks.
Assassun remains Donat’s most Electronic project and now delivers a highly distinctive production. Situated somewhere between remnants of EBM, atmospheric Dark-Electro textures, and the Experimental, this work primarily embodies a kind of ‘free-style’. You can’t really compare the music to other bands, yet it still carries a strangely familiar resonance. Bombastic and unpolished sounds rumble at the core, while the English, half-spoken, half-sung vocal delivery stands out. The result feels powerful—at times a bit unpredictable—which adds to its uniqueness and creativity. Heavier Industrial arrangements give the album an even rawer edge, though you’ll also encounter melodic passages.
Not the best Assassun album, in my opinion, but still more than worthy—and absolutely worth discovering. (Rating:7½)
Listen to “Past/INBETWEEN/Future”:
About Assassun
Assassun is the electronic project of German musician Alexander Donat, who also runs Vlimmer and operates the label Blackjack Illuminist Records. The project mixes EBM, dark-electro, and experimental textures, carried by English, half-spoken vocals.
Assassun issued its darkwave debut EP “The World I Will Leave” in 2022. “Retrofate” (2025), described as the fourth Assassun album, followed on Blackjack Illuminist Records with ten tracks.
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