Buzzkill – Wasteland (Digital/CD/Vinyl/Cassette Album – Manic Depression Records)
“Wasteland” is the debut album by the French duo Buzzkill. The album is available in various formats through Manic Depression Records, as well as on cassette via Ganache Records.
The first five tracks are an absolute delight for the ears. Buzzkill’s sound is best described as Cold-Wave infused with Electro, driven by deep, resonant bass lines and rhythms that surge forward like a relentless train. The production is dark and, in many ways, pleasingly raw. The electronic elements possess an irresistible charm and occasionally evoke memories of the brilliance of Kas Product. The female vocals sound wonderfully deep and cavernous. Even when the lyrics are not entirely intelligible, the French-language delivery adds an ethereal quality to the music although you’ll also notice tracks sung in English. The presence of a real bass guitar gives the songs additional depth and weight, making the overall atmosphere even darker and more captivating.
Unfortunately, the album consists of only seven tracks, and the final two songs feel somewhat less inspired than what precedes them. However, everything that comes before is simply phenomenal. With “Wasteland”, Buzzkill delivers a sensational debut album that will be very difficult for lovers of Cold-Wave music to resist. (Rating:8½).
Listen to “There Must Be A Place”:
About Buzzkill
Buzzkill is a French duo formed in September 2024 in Montpellier. The group pairs Nolwenn Boyet on lead vocals and synth with Ronan Gauderat on bass, mixing cold wave, electro, and synth-punk into a sound built on saturated bass, mechanical rhythms, and icy electronics.
The duo introduced itself with the “I” EP on Ganache Records in December 2024. Their debut album “Wasteland” arrived on 9 January 2026, first on cassette through Ganache Records, and is also issued in digital, CD, and vinyl editions through Manic Depression Records. The album gathers seven tracks, composed, played, recorded, and mixed by the band.
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.
