Blackbook – Different (Digital/CD/Vinyl Album – darkTunes Music Group)
This third album from the mysterious Swiss duo Blackbook was released just before the summer and brings us a total of 12 new tracks.
I have always been somewhat intrigued by this act. While their music sounds superb, it is invariably driven by massive clichés and often seems almost literally ‘lifted’ from existing songs. With “Different”, they remain true to their 80s Electro-Wave/Pop influences, yet the tracks sound somewhat more personal this time around. It may be a cliché, but the way they develop their sound—consistently delivering strong choruses—is remarkable. Every single track sounds danceable and powerful, possessing the essential catchiness this genre demands. The songs also appear to have been deliberately kept short—not a single one reaches the four-minute mark.
Blackbook remains a true mystery, yet one that consistently returns with great music—clichéd or not! (Rating:8½).
Listen to “Nobody Loves You”:
About Blackbook
Blackbook is a Swiss duo who perform under masks and withhold their surnames, going only by their first names, Matthias and Albert. Both had previously played in other Swiss and German acts before forming Blackbook, citing 80s and 90s music as a shared influence. The duo discussed their approach and anonymity in a Side-Line interview in 2023.
The project released a series of singles before compiling them into its official debut album, “Confessions Of The Innocent” (2023), followed by “Radio Strange” (2024) and, issued just before the summer of 2026, the duo’s third album “Different”, all released through darkTunes Music Group.
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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.
