Blank – Thanatosis (EP – Blank)

Genre/Influences: EBM, techno-body, electro-pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: This new work by Blank stands for the come-back of the Italian duo Davide Mazza –
Riccardo Mattioli. “Thanatosis” is also an appetizer to their new full length “Drifting Slowly”, the first one since “Dark Retreat” (2013).

Content: “Thanatosis” opens with the “Single Version” of the title song, which is a rather soft electro-atmospheric cut with piano arrangements. We next get a more pumping and dark-club driven track. “Olokun” brings us back to quieter fields featuring female spoken vocals. “Battlefeel” is just like the title song taken from the announced album although featured in a different mix. It reminds me a bit of the style and approach of Mind.In.A.Box. Last, but not least we get an updated version of “Visual Overflow” –originally released at the band’s debut album “Artificial Breathing” (2004).

+ + + : Blank is back and that’s a real good news as this band always seduced me by their modern- and intelligent EBM mixed with a few more elements. The work reflects the band’s sound intelligence and diversity. The tracks are moving in between softer, ambient-like electronics and ‘harder’, danceable pieces. “What If you’re Wrong?” is the real dancefloor killer from this work, but I also recommend “Battlefeel – Truth Decay Mix” and the new edit of “Visual Overflow”, which sounds as the sonic bridge between the early years of Blank and their resurrection.

– – – : The title song is a well-crafted composition, but unfortunately not exactly the kind of title-song I would have chosen for an EP.

Conclusion: Blank V.2 is a fact! The band strikes back with even more modernism and sound intelligence so I’m really wondering how their album will sound-like.

Best songs: “What If You’re Wrong?”, “Battlefeel – Truth Decay Mix”, “Visual Overflow (2020)”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/blankinyourmind

Since you’re here …

… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.

If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The donations are safely powered by Paypal.