Blac Kolor – Arca (Digital/CD/Vinyl – Ant-Zen)
Hendrick Grothe is now ready to present his seventh full-length album, in which he constructs a parable by using the biblical plagues as a mirror of our current condition—and, in particular, of our inner world.
This concept is translated into ten tracks that allow Grothe to fully unleash his sonic vision. He remains an absolute master of analog sound, blending raw power with bombast and further intensifying it through heavy, Industrial rhythms. Another defining element of his work is once again prominent here: his intelligent approach to sound design and the transformation of sounds into hypnotic loops. Throughout the album, Grothe shifts effortlessly between Cinematic passages and genuinely dark, dancefloor-oriented tracks. Sampled vocals appear sporadically, adding an extra layer of variation.
For me, Blac Kolor continues to represent a unique experience in sound and individuality—now more evident than ever. While this may not be his strongest release to date, it nevertheless stands as a powerful and compelling work. (Rating:8½).
Listen to “Harming Creatures”:
About Blac Kolor
Blac Kolor is the solo project of German producer Hendrick Grothe. Grothe launched the project with the debut album “Wide Noise” in 2014, mixing IDM, industrial-techno, EBM and trance built largely on modular and analog synthesis.
Releases include the “Stormily” EP (2016) and the double vinyl album “Awakening” (2018), which featured Jean-Luc De Meyer of Front 242. Issued on Ant-Zen at the end of 2025, “Arca” is the sixth Blac Kolor studio album, following “Weltenbrand”.
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.
