This release is a split between Oknho—a collaboration between Gwenn Trémorin (Flint Glass) and Boris Völt (Mode In Gliany)—and veteran artist Andrew Lagowski.

Oknho opens with two tracks that sound Experimental while evoking a distinct Cinematic, Ambient atmosphere. The subdued, dark mood is enhanced by well-chosen spoken-word samples. The languid rhythms make the music pleasant and accessible, with the second track standing out as a particularly successful experiment.

A. Lagowski is far more than just the ‘veteran’ I initially described; he remains an absolute genius when it comes to manipulating and distilling sound. That is precisely what he showcases here: a form of Industrial-Ambient, driven, like Oknho’s material, by slow rhythms, but crafted from fantastic, precise sounds layered with numerous effects. His contribution consists of three tracks, the last of which stands out as a brilliant composition with an IDM edge.

This work brings together two interesting projects, but it is A. Lagowski’s contribution that truly shines. (Rating:8).

Listen to a snippet of A/ Lagowski’s “Transition -Edit”:

About Oknho & A. Lagowski

Oknho pairs Flint Glass, the project of French musician Gwenn Trémorin, with Boris Völt, who records as Mode In Gliany. Trémorin’s Flint Glass catalog on Ant-Zen includes “Psychopomps” (2021) and “Azathoth” (2022), and in 2026 he paired with Ah Cama-Sotz’s Herman Klapholz for the collaborative album “The Shadow Of The Torturer”.

Andrew Lagowski has recorded electronic music since the early 1980s, after starting out as a drummer in Ipswich punk and new wave bands. His catalog spans projects including Nagamatzu, Terror Against Terror, Isolrubin BK, Legion and S.E.T.I., alongside solo releases under the Lagowski name. In 2020 he released “Secrets Of Numbers” as Lagowski and “The Sphere Of Density” as S.E.T.I., both on Zoharum.

“Malnovnova” brings the two projects together for the first time, pairing two new Oknho tracks with three further pieces from A. Lagowski on the Eco Edizioni label.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

Ah Cama-Sotz releases “ACS.MFEST TRACKS 1999-2018” on Bats & Cats on 2 October 2026. The 12-track digital compilation gathers Herman Klapholz’s recordings tied to Maschinenfest, the industrial festival that ran in Germany from 1999 to 2018.

Karo Kratochwil reviews “ACS.MFEST TRACKS 1999-2018” below.

Ah Cama-Sotz ‘ACS.MFEST TRACKS 1999-2018’ review

Spanning nearly two decades, ACS.MFEST TRACKS 1999-2018 traces the enduring relationship between Herman Klapholz’s Ah Cama-Sotz and Maschinenfest, an event central to Europe’s industrial and experimental electronic music scene. The twelve tracks collected here offer an intriguing perspective on the project’s development, its changing rhythmic vocabulary and the distinctive artistic identity that has remained intact throughout.

Ah Cama-Sotz appeared at the inaugural Maschinenfest in Aachen in 1999, alongside Imminent Starvation, Hypnoskull, Noisex, Synapscape and Winterkälte, and returned for the festival’s final edition in Oberhausen in 2018. The compilation thus connects two important moments in the festival’s history, preserving material from a period when industrial electronics were continually expanding into new rhythmic and experimental territories.

Ah Cama-Sotz has been one of my favourite electronic projects for approximately twenty years, largely because Herman Klapholz has always approached musical boundaries with such extraordinary freedom. Ritual and tribal percussion, dark ambient, industrial abrasion, dub influences, techno structures and cinematic atmospheres coexist within compositions that remain unmistakably his. There is a particular fascination in hearing something seemingly archaic and instinctive emerge from electronic machinery of such precision.

Rhythm is central to this experience. Klapholz constructs intricate percussive patterns that can feel hypnotic, oppressive, sensual or almost ceremonial, often shifting between these qualities without breaking their momentum. Dense bass frequencies, distorted textures and carefully placed electronic details give the music considerable physical weight, while subtle changes in repetition gradually transform its atmosphere. The resulting tension is as much bodily as psychological. Even the darkest passages retain a powerful sense of movement.

Beginning with “Kraterh” from 1999 and extending to the Maschinenfest 2018 version of “Into The Realm Of Death”, the collection reveals how Klapholz’s approach to production and arrangement evolved. The earlier material emphasises ritualistic repetition and dense industrial atmospheres, while subsequent recordings explore increasingly pronounced bass structures, dub-informed movement and more expansive electronic arrangements. These developments are not strictly chronological; familiar ideas reappear in different forms, acquiring new rhythmic and textural possibilities.

That flexibility also explains why Ah Cama-Sotz belonged so naturally to Maschinenfest. The festival encouraged encounters between noise, industrial, dark ambient, rhythmic electronics and experimental sound, creating an environment in which stylistic distinctions mattered less than intensity and artistic individuality. Klapholz’s music embodies much of that spirit, combining carefully constructed electronic structures with an almost primal understanding of rhythm.

What continues to impress me is how little these recordings have lost of their original force. Even the older material retains its capacity to unsettle and absorb, while the more rhythmically driven pieces remain extraordinarily compelling. There is considerable sophistication in the production, but the music communicates through a direct physical language that makes its complexity feel instinctive, not calculated.

The compilation also carries a particular emotional weight for those familiar with Maschinenfest. Its recordings evoke a period in which the festival brought together artists and audiences united by an appetite for challenging electronic music, intense performances and experimentation. Heard together, the tracks preserve something of that collective experience while revealing the remarkable consistency of Klapholz’s artistic imagination.

ACS.MFEST TRACKS 1999-2018 is a fascinating retrospective of a project whose musical language has continued to develop without losing its identity. For me, it also confirms why Ah Cama-Sotz has remained so compelling for twenty years. Klapholz possesses a rare ability to make electronic music feel ancient, intensely physical and psychologically absorbing, allowing ritualistic rhythms and technological precision to exist within the same extraordinary sonic world. Nearly three decades after its beginnings, that combination has lost none of its fascination.

About Ah Cama-Sotz

Herman Klapholz founded Ah Cama-Sotz in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1993, having previously taken part in the project Hybryds. His music set ritual and tribal percussion, dark ambient and industrial abrasion against electronic precision, releasing across labels including Bats & Cats, Spectre, Hands and Ant-Zen. He began the multi-volume “Murder Themes” series in 2013; by December 2016, Side-Line had reviewed its third instalment, “Exorcise – Murder Themes III”, on Hands.

Ah Cama-Sotz played the Maschinenfest festival repeatedly across its run, from the inaugural 1999 edition in Aachen to its final edition in Oberhausen in 2018. In April 2026, Klapholz released “The Shadow of the Torturer” on Ant-Zen, a collaboration with Gwenn Trémorin’s Flint Glass inspired by Gene Wolfe’s “The Book of the New Sun”, discussed in a Side-Line interview that also previewed the pair’s first joint concert, at Wroclaw Industrial Festival in November 2026. “ACS.MFEST TRACKS 1999-2018” now gathers twelve tracks from Ah Cama-Sotz’s own history with Maschinenfest, released on Bats & Cats on 2 October 2026.

Karo Kratochwil

Based in Wrocław, I work as a music journalist and photographer covering electro, industrial, EBM, gothic, and darkwave. My work includes features and live coverage, as well as concert, portrait, promo, and theater photography. What interests me most is the connection between artistic intention, what the work communicates, and what unfolds live on stage, all in pursuit of the bigger picture behind the music.

PLATRONiC release “Fortress of Fools: The Emperor’s New Clothes” on 16 October 2026. The three-track EP reworks the Finnish-German futurepop duo’s single “Fortress of Fools” with On Moral Ends and Imppu, following Side-Line’s report on the EP earlier this month.

Karo Kratochwil reviews “Fortress of Fools: The Emperor’s New Clothes” below.

PLATRONiC ‘Fortress of Fools: The Emperor’s New Clothes’ review

A remix normally changes the surface of a song. On “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, PLATRONiC do something more interesting: they test how much the identity of “Fortress of Fools” can change when its rhythm, instrumentation, vocal constellation and atmosphere are reconsidered. The three versions share the same origin, yet each one seems to expose a different aspect of the composition underneath.

That makes the connection with Hans Christian Andersen particularly fitting. “Fortress of Fools” itself grew from a poem by Kay inspired by The Emperor’s New Clothes, but these new versions extend the metaphor into the music. The song is repeatedly “dressed”, and every new arrangement alters the way its story is perceived.

“The Dark Electro Country Dress”, created with On Moral Ends, is perhaps the most unexpected of the three. Guitars enter PLATRONiC’s electronic world without displacing it, while the combination of male and female vocals gives the song an almost narrative quality. There is something faintly fairy-tale-like about it, although not in a sweet or nostalgic sense. The interplay between organic guitar textures and electronics creates a landscape that feels simultaneously familiar and slightly unreal. It is still recognisably PLATRONiC, but the music has acquired greater physical depth and a more cinematic sense of space.

“Forest of Fools – The Synthpop Mashup Dress”, with Imppu, reveals another possibility contained within the same material. This is the most explicitly electronic and rhythmically immediate version. The beat comes forward, the structure becomes more mobile, and Kay’s vocal moves through a brighter, more dynamic electronic environment. What was narrative in the previous track becomes physical here. It is not simply a faster or more danceable interpretation; the stronger pulse changes the emotional distance of the song itself.

The most unusual transformation comes with “The Dark Medieval Gothic Dress”. Spoken and recited passages are surrounded by backing voices, while the rhythm remains underneath as a controlled pulse. The result is more theatrical, but importantly, it never slips into costume drama. The medieval suggestion is created through vocal arrangement, pacing and atmosphere, not obvious historical imitation. There is something ceremonial about it, as though the original song has been temporarily removed from the club and placed inside a darker imaginary space.

What becomes interesting across the three tracks is how differently the same idea behaves depending on its surroundings. Guitars make it feel more like a story; stronger electronics make it more immediate and bodily; recitation and choral voices introduce distance and ritual. The composition remains recognisable, but its centre of gravity keeps moving.

For PLATRONiC, that also makes the EP feel like a small but meaningful expansion of their vocabulary. Kay and Sami do not abandon the melodic electronic identity of the project; instead, they allow it to interact with elements that previously sat further outside it. The results range from dreamlike and almost cinematic to sharply electronic and distinctly theatrical.

And this is where the “new clothes” concept works best. The EP is not really about disguising “Fortress of Fools”. It is about discovering how much was already contained inside the song once its familiar arrangement is removed.

About PLATRONiC

Kay Burden, based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and Sami Jumppanen, based in Savonlinna, Finland, began talking over Instagram in 2019 and formed PLATRONiC on EBM Day, 24 February 2020. The duo’s futurepop sound draws on Anne Clark, Propaganda, VNV Nation and Erasure.

Between 2020 and 2022, the pair released the singles “Dreams”, “Control”, “Maybe Someday?” and “Now!”. In 2023, PLATRONiC issued the EP “The Healing” and the single “Memories” through Town and Towers Records, alongside a cover of Depeche Mode’s “The Things You Said”. The following year brought “Calling (Mitten in der Nacht)”, a 2024 re-recording of “Pride” and “Winter Stores”, a ballad based on a poem by Charlotte Brontë. In 2025, PLATRONiC announced the single “How To Ride The Wave?” and contributed “But Not Tonight” to conzoom Records’ Depeche Mode tribute compilation “In Your Memory 2”.

PLATRONiC released the single “Fortress of Fools” on 20 March 2026, built around a poem Kay wrote in response to the world’s “daily madness” and inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. “Fortress of Fools: The Emperor’s New Clothes” now extends that song into three new versions, with On Moral Ends, the Linköping-based project of Swedish musician Andreas Svensson, and Imppu, a keyboardist, producer and remixer from Lahti, Finland.

Karo Kratochwil

Based in Wrocław, I work as a music journalist and photographer covering electro, industrial, EBM, gothic, and darkwave. My work includes features and live coverage, as well as concert, portrait, promo, and theater photography. What interests me most is the connection between artistic intention, what the work communicates, and what unfolds live on stage, all in pursuit of the bigger picture behind the music.

Torture Gallery is an American-Danish duo, bringing together David Christian (Cervello Elettronico) and Claus Larsen (Leæther Strip) in a notable collaboration. Their debut album features 10 tracks, plus a remix by Ah Cama-Sotz.

The music evokes classic Electro-Industrial, immediately bringing to mind the sound of Dive. Harsh, distorted sonic manipulations, a cold and cutting atmosphere, and danceable production are topped off by Claus Larsen’s vocals, which range from singing to frantic, possessed-sounding screams. All of this strongly recalls the successful formula pioneered by Dive. However, this feels more like an influence than a direct imitation, as Torture Gallery manages to carve out a distinctive sound of its own. A few instrumental tracks take the intensity up a notch, venturing towards Power-Noise. It is clear that these two artists have found a strong creative synergy, resulting in an album packed with compelling material. As an added bonus, the album features a highly inspired, danceable Industrial remix by Herman Klapholz, aka Ah Cama-Sotz.

While the album may come as a surprise, it proves to be a thoroughly successful experiment that leaves one hoping for a follow-up. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Future Evil”:

About Torture Gallery

Torture Gallery pairs Los Angeles industrial techno producer David Christian, who records as Cervello Elettronico, with Danish EBM artist Claus Larsen, long known for his Leæther Strip project. The pair’s recordings began in early 2018, growing out of late-night live sessions in a Downtown Los Angeles rehearsal space with then-vocalist Chris Shay of Xostume. That material led to a split EP with Sleep Clinic on the Squarewav label and a live support slot for Brighter Death Now in Los Angeles.

Larsen has recorded as Leæther Strip since the late 1980s, when his debut releases helped establish the Danish project as one of Europe’s early EBM and Industrial acts; by 1992, Leæther Strip material was also reaching listeners in the United States, and the catalog has continued to grow across numerous albums and EPs since. Christian’s Cervello Elettronico, built on sample-based production drawing on EBM and rhythmic noise, has in recent years moved further into industrial techno, carried mainly through international DJ sets and live performances.

After 2020, Torture Gallery continued with Larsen as a full creative partner, and the collaboration’s first full-length album, “Opening Wounds Of The Shocking Truth,” arrived on Hands in 2026, completed with a remix from Ah Cama-Sotz.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

With “Prophecy”, we welcome the debut album from Execunit, a Swedish project founded in 2022 by Andreas Rimheden, known to some for his previous work with Morticians and Eternity Range. Here, he pursues a different Electronic path, centering the album around a dystopian vision of a world in which machines have seized power from humanity and reduced people to slavery.

At first glance, the theme might seem as clichéd and banal as the music itself. Yet I don’t mind clichés as long as the music is good, and in that regard, “Prophecy” is a great surprise. You could easily describe it as Electro-Pop—or, better yet, ‘Robotik-Pop’—and most readers would quickly draw a parallel with Kraftwerk. While the German group has clearly influenced Execunit, Rimheden has managed to create something personal. The tracks are built around a rich sonic palette, shifting between dreamy passages and danceable sections that occasionally reveal a darker undertone. The result is an intriguing, imaginary blend of Kraftwerk and Die Form. The closing track, meanwhile, offers an imagined mix of Kraftwerk and the magic of Jean-Michel Jarre. Vocoder vocals are also present, further reinforcing the ‘robotik’ element.

If machines are destined to take over, many people—especially Electro-Pop fans—would probably be more than happy to become their slaves. “Prophecy” is a successful debut, filled with sonic gems. (Rating:8½).

Watch the clip “World Domination”:

About Execunit

Execunit is a Swedish alternative electronic/industrial synthpop project founded in 2022 by Andreas Rimheden, previously involved in Eternity Range and the 1990s dark electronic project Morticians. Signed to the Nordic synth label Town And Towers Records, Execunit released the single “Rust” in March 2024, backed by an official video, built around the dystopian, machines-versus-humanity concept that runs through the project’s work. “Prophecy”, released October 16, 2026 on Town And Towers Records, is Execunit’s debut album and continues that theme.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

Golden Apes release “The Sun Came Up Tremendously” on Icy Cold Records on 18 September 2026. The Berlin post-punk and darkwave band’s twelfth studio album runs ten tracks, recorded and produced at Thommy Hein Studios in Berlin, and comes on limited vinyl, digiCD and digital.

Karo Kratochwil reviews “The Sun Came Up Tremendously” below.

Golden Apes ‘The Sun Came Up Tremendously’ review

There is something remarkably assured about the way Golden Apes inhabit their own musical language. “The Sun Came Up Tremendously,” their twelfth studio album, is not concerned with reinvention in any dramatic sense. Instead, it demonstrates what becomes possible when a band has spent more than two decades developing a particular relationship between melody, darkness, emotional restraint and poetic ambiguity. These ten compositions sound unmistakably like Golden Apes, yet familiarity here is not synonymous with predictability. The nuances matter, and much of the album’s considerable beauty emerges from the space between what the music appears to promise and what it ultimately reveals.

The band’s characteristic sound remains intact. Dense, carefully layered guitars give the compositions their breadth, while Christian Lebrecht’s bass supplies much of their physical weight. Salomon Bosse’s drumming introduces a steady, insistent movement, anchoring arrangements that might otherwise drift into abstraction. Above these elements, Peer Lebrecht’s deep, resonant voice occupies a curious position. Its presence is unmistakable, yet it rarely seeks to dominate. It seems to emerge from somewhere within the architecture instead of being placed theatrically in front of the instrumentation, lending the songs an intimacy that persists even at their most expansive.

Recorded and produced at Thommy Hein Studios in Berlin, the album has a careful balance between density and transparency. The guitars can swell into broad, almost architectural structures, yet melodic details remain audible beneath their weight. There is a distinct physicality to the rhythm section, but the music rarely relies on aggression to establish its intensity. Golden Apes understand how repetition can alter perception, how a familiar melodic phrase can acquire another emotional meaning simply through the changing environment around it.

That sensitivity extends to the lyrics, which form an intricate network of recurring images. Light, water, fire, wounds, walls, dreams and celestial bodies appear throughout the record, sometimes as sources of consolation, elsewhere as agents of destruction or reminders of absence. They gradually become part of a shared emotional geography instead of functioning as a collection of independent symbols. Their meanings change depending on where they appear, and those changes are central to the album’s underlying tension.

Light is perhaps the most revealing example. In “The Light (Inside Us),” it is something that has survived an otherwise profound experience of disorientation. Darkness has already entered the world, language has become unreliable, and the possibility of finding a way forward appears uncertain. Yet illumination is presented as something that may have existed within the individual all along. The distinction is important. Recognising the presence of light does not eliminate suffering; it merely changes the relationship one might have with it.

“Radiation” unsettles this apparent reassurance. Here, illumination acquires a more threatening character, capable of exposure, betrayal and destruction. In “Milk And Poison,” the contradiction becomes almost bodily. Nourishment and toxicity coexist, suggesting that what sustains us may also contain the capacity to wound. The imagery moves through suns, moons, stars, graveyards and other familiar elements of gothic poetry, and their significance lies in the unstable relationships they create.

The music develops a comparable tension. There is considerable elegance in the arrangements, yet their melodic clarity never entirely dispels the darkness surrounding them. The guitars can be expansive without becoming triumphal, while the bass and percussion maintain an underlying pressure that prevents the songs from dissolving into pure reverie. What emerges is a recognition that beauty and unease may be inseparable.

“Resistance” offers one of the album’s more explicit gestures toward survival. Its language moves away from passive endurance and toward action, however uncertain the outcome might remain. The possibility of a new day enters the song, but without the reassuring finality ordinarily associated with renewal. The old day is dying, while the next has yet to reveal what it will bring. Hope exists, but it has not become certainty.

This unresolved relationship between destruction and regeneration reaches a particularly interesting point in “Helion,” from which the album takes its title. The imagery becomes more emphatically transformative: fears are undone, wounds are closed, bridges are burned, and the arrival of sunlight seems to announce a decisive change. Yet the composition appears only as the fifth track, with half the album still to unfold.

Its placement substantially alters the significance of that sunrise. In a conventional narrative of recovery, illumination might arrive at the conclusion, offering a reassuring answer to everything that preceded it. Golden Apes instead position it within an ongoing experience. Clarity becomes a moment, and whatever has been overcome does not necessarily disappear from memory. The album continues beyond the light, into territory where absence, grief and uncertainty remain very much alive.

“Where The River Ran” makes that persistence almost painfully tangible. The imagery is stark, populated by exhausted hopes, damaged dreams and the recurring figure of a wounded dog. There is something particularly vulnerable about the latter, an image whose emotional immediacy cuts through the more elaborate symbolism elsewhere. Yet the song does not remain entirely motionless. Waiting, following and the continued desire for light become small, uncertain acts of endurance.

“Evelyn (One Day)” approaches absence from a more intimate perspective. Its fractured smile, falling comets and guarded silences evoke the peculiar instability of memory, in which a person can remain intensely present through details that are already beginning to escape us. The unanswered questions at the centre of the song suggest less an expectation of reunion than a desire to prolong the fragile connection that remembrance permits. Peer Lebrecht’s vocal delivery is particularly suited to such material: his depth of tone lends weight to emotions that might become overly sentimental in a more demonstrative interpretation.

Elsewhere, “City Walls” shifts the emphasis toward identity and self-imposed boundaries. The movement from questions of location toward questions of selfhood transforms its imagery of gates, enclosed spaces and fire into something psychological. Walls may offer protection, but they can also preserve the very isolation they were constructed to prevent. The distinction between refuge and confinement becomes increasingly difficult to maintain.

By the closing “Dreams (Gone By),” much of the album’s imagery has been gathered into a meditation on impermanence. Dreams become substances that can be nourished, poisoned, burned, drowned or reduced to ashes. What once appeared intangible acquires an almost physical vulnerability. The recurring elements of water, fire and light no longer suggest separate emotional conditions; they have become different manifestations of the same underlying experience of attachment and loss.

There is a remarkable consistency to this writing, although that consistency also determines the album’s particular demands. Golden Apes rarely seek contrast through abrupt stylistic changes or theatrical shifts in intensity. Their compositions tend to develop within a recognisable atmosphere, allowing distinctions to emerge through melodic inflection, instrumental density and subtle changes in emotional emphasis. It is an approach that rewards patient attention, particularly from listeners willing to follow the interaction between words and music.

I keep returning to the word velvet when thinking about Golden Apes, because velvet possesses several apparently contradictory qualities. It is soft yet substantial, absorbs light while also transforming under it, and can appear almost black from one direction before revealing unexpected depth from another. There is something remarkably similar in the band’s sound. Its surfaces may be smooth, but there is weight beneath them; its melodies can be tender without surrendering their strength. Even the more forceful passages retain an elusive quality, as though their intensity were being felt from a distance.

What makes “The Sun Came Up Tremendously” particularly affecting is that this duality extends beyond its musical character and into its understanding of human experience. The songs acknowledge how profoundly people can be shaped by loss without reducing them to it. Memory becomes both a source of continuity and an obstacle to movement. Desire sustains, but also exposes. Light reveals what darkness has concealed, yet may illuminate wounds that remain unresolved.

There is no uncomplicated promise of transcendence here, nor any insistence that survival must culminate in triumph. Instead, Golden Apes present something more psychologically convincing: the possibility of carrying contradictory emotions without requiring one to cancel the other.

After twelve studio albums, the band’s achievement lies in continuing to find emotional complexity within an established vocabulary. “The Sun Came Up Tremendously” is elegant without being complacent, melancholic without surrendering to despair, and substantial without mistaking sheer volume for intensity. Beneath the layered guitars, persistent rhythms and Peer Lebrecht’s unmistakable voice is an understanding that renewal is rarely a clean break with what preceded it.

The sun does come up here. It simply does not erase the night.

About Golden Apes

Golden Apes is a post-punk and darkwave band from Berlin, Germany, built around vocalist and synth player Peer Lebrecht, who formed the project and released its debut, “Stigma 3.am,” in 2000. The band’s album chronology includes “The Langsyne Litanies” (2014), “MALVS” (2016) and “KASBEK” (2019), followed by the EP “From the Sky” in 2022 and the eleventh album, “Our Ashes at the End of the Day,” in 2024. The current line-up comprises Lebrecht on vocals and synths, Maximilian Hennig and Stephan Schönefeld on guitars, Christian Lebrecht on bass and Salomon Bosse on drums. The band has played festivals including Wave-Gotik-Treffen and Castle Party, and toured Germany, the US, Canada and Russia.

“The Sun Came Up Tremendously,” the band’s twelfth studio album, was recorded and produced at Thommy Hein Studios in Berlin and released on Icy Cold Records on 18 September 2026, continuing the band’s run of studio albums more than two decades after its 2000 debut.

Karo Kratochwil

Based in Wrocław, I work as a music journalist and photographer covering electro, industrial, EBM, gothic, and darkwave. My work includes features and live coverage, as well as concert, portrait, promo, and theater photography. What interests me most is the connection between artistic intention, what the work communicates, and what unfolds live on stage, all in pursuit of the bigger picture behind the music.

Rue Oberkampf release “Wehmut” on Young And Cold Records on 15 October 2026. The six-track album is the Munich duo’s first since “Liebe” in 2022, and comes on brown transparent gatefold vinyl, CD digipak and digital.

Karo Kratochwil reviews “Wehmut” below.

Rue Oberkampf ‘Wehmut’ review

“Wehmut” is unmistakably Rue Oberkampf, yet something fundamental has changed in the way their music inhabits space. The electronic precision remains, as does Julia de Jouy’s remarkable voice, poised between intimacy and distance, but the familiar architecture of pulse, synthetic tension and club-oriented momentum has become more porous. Across six compositions, guitars and environmental recordings enter without disturbing the band’s identity. The electronics increasingly seem to surrender to the atmosphere instead of imposing order upon it. The result is music that feels at once more exposed and more expansive.

The origins of this transformation lie partly in the landscape that shaped de Jouy and Oliver Maier. Both grew up amid the forests, streams, snow-covered terrain and isolated villages of Lower Bavaria. Although Rue Oberkampf had previously recorded material in a cabin surrounded by woodland, much of their earlier music remained conceptually rooted in urban experience. On “Wehmut,” that relationship has been reversed. The landscape is no longer simply a setting in which music is made; it has become one of the forces determining its character.

There is an important distinction here. Nature is neither romanticised nor reduced to an aesthetic refuge. Its beauty is inseparable from its indifference, its capacity to shelter and disorient, to offer solitude without necessarily providing comfort. That ambiguity becomes particularly apparent in “Into the Woid,” where the forest is something older and less comprehensible than the person moving through it. The Bavarian word “Woid,” alongside the movement between English and German, gives the song a geographical and emotional specificity that the more conventional language of wilderness might have obscured. The choice of language becomes part of the composition itself, responding to the sound and emotional character of the music.

Environmental recordings deepen this sense of place. Waves captured at Falkensteiner Strand in Kiel appear in “Sonne,” while sounds from Buchberger Leite enter “Darkness”; “Into the Woid” incorporates recordings of owls and woodland life. Their significance lies partly in the decision to preserve their recognisable character. They are not processed beyond recognition or deployed merely as atmospheric ornamentation. Instead, they retain an audible connection to their origins, introducing a kind of geographical memory into the electronic arrangements. The natural and synthetic do not dissolve into an indistinguishable texture; their coexistence is what gives the music much of its character.

This approach extends to the album’s handling of tension. Rue Oberkampf have absorbed something of post-metal’s understanding of duration, accumulation and physical intensity, without adopting its characteristic weight or instrumental vocabulary wholesale. The guitars introduce a different density, but rarely overwhelm the compositions. Even when the music gathers force, it resists the expectation of an emphatic release. Pressure is allowed to remain unresolved, sometimes almost imperceptibly altering the emotional temperature of a piece. Compared with the more immediate propulsion associated with the band’s earlier work, “Wehmut” derives much of its power from what it chooses to withhold.

At the centre of these arrangements is Julia de Jouy’s voice, whose expressiveness becomes particularly striking in the absence of more insistent rhythmic structures. There is little need for overt theatricality. Her delivery can be fragile, distant or unexpectedly direct, and the smallest shifts in emphasis acquire significance against the more spacious instrumentation. On “Tonight,” intimacy seems almost too improbable to be trusted, as though the possibility of genuine closeness were itself a source of uncertainty. “Come on Moon” transforms isolation into a desire for departure, while “Blanc Poney” places themes of disappearance and vulnerability within a comparatively light melodic setting. What connects these songs is their reluctance to separate tenderness from unease.

The title provides a key to understanding that reluctance. “Wehmut” is one of those German words whose emotional implications resist straightforward translation. It contains melancholy and longing, but differs from nostalgia in one key respect: its object need not belong to the past. One can experience “Wehmut” for a place never visited, a life never lived, or a possibility that remains beautiful precisely because it cannot be realised. De Jouy and Maier connect the word to an awareness of how little of the world any individual lifetime can contain. There will always be landscapes we never encounter, experiences that remain inaccessible, and places for which we somehow feel affection without having known them.

It is an unusually fertile idea for an album, and Rue Oberkampf approach it without attempting to resolve its contradictions. Longing here is not necessarily a desire to return. It can exist entirely within the present, arising from an acute consciousness of everything that extends beyond it. This helps explain why the music’s expansiveness is accompanied by such persistent restraint. The arrangements suggest distance without necessarily promising arrival.

The sequencing reinforces that impression. Moving through “Tonight,” “Come on Moon,” “Blanc Poney,” “Into the Woid,” “Sonne” and “Darkness,” the record develops an almost accidental chronology of light and its disappearance. Although the band have indicated that this progression was not deliberately conceived, the recurring references to night, celestial movement and changing illumination lend the six songs a quiet continuity. These are transitional states: moments when familiar surroundings briefly assume another character before returning to something less perceptible.

That continuity is one of the album’s considerable strengths, though it also determines the particular attention the music requires. Listeners expecting the more immediate rhythmic urgency of Rue Oberkampf’s earlier material may find fewer obvious points of release. The distinctions between the compositions are sometimes subtle, emerging through changes in texture, density and vocal presence. Yet this relative uniformity does not feel like a shortage of ideas. It gives the record the concentration of a single experience examined from several perspectives.

Perhaps the most interesting achievement of “Wehmut” is the way it reconsiders darkness itself. Rue Oberkampf locate unease in something more fundamental instead of relying upon the familiar visual and emotional vocabulary of darkwave: the disproportion between human experience and the world that surrounds it. Forests exist on timescales beyond our own; the sea remains indifferent to the meanings we attach to it; even our most cherished memories preserve only fragments of what once seemed complete. There is something quietly unsettling in that recognition, but also something liberating. The album allows those opposing responses to exist together.

Its poetry, consequently, is not confined to the lyrics or the evocative circumstances of its creation. It resides in the measured unfolding of the arrangements, the friction between organic and electronic sound, the weight of a guitar beneath an otherwise delicate passage, and a voice capable of making emotional distance feel strangely immediate. “Wehmut” does not abandon Rue Oberkampf’s established language so much as discover what becomes possible when that language is no longer required to move relentlessly forward.

Where their earlier music often found its intensity in momentum, this record finds it in the experience of remaining still long enough to recognise how much is passing beyond our reach. That is a subtle transformation, but a profound one. And it gives “Wehmut” a resonance that persists after its final sounds have disappeared.

About Rue Oberkampf

Julia de Jouy, Oliver Maier and Damien De-Vir formed Rue Oberkampf in Munich in 2016, after all three had DJed across southern Germany. The band’s name comes from the Paris street and metro station named after the 18th-century textile manufacturer Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf; de Jouy’s own stage name points at the same figure through the toile de Jouy fabric his factory produced. The trio sing in French, German and English, setting 1980s-style electronic darkwave against a techno pulse.

The debut single, “Le Train,” was a cover of Absolute Body Control‘s “Melting Away” that Dirk Ivens passed on to his own audience. The “Waveclash” EP followed on No Emb Blanc in 2018, and a lathe-cut split single with Sunday Victim, “Sans Toi,” appeared on Circonstances Aggravantes in 2019. The debut album, “Christophe-Philippe,” came out on Young And Cold Records at the end of 2019 and has since been repressed twice. The single “Negativraum” followed on Ant-Zen in 2020, and the second album, “Liebe,” returned to Young And Cold in 2022. De-Vir left the band in 2023, and de Jouy and Maier have continued as a duo since, releasing the mini-album “Essenz” on 30 October 2024, repressed in 2025, and the compilation “The Singles 2018-2026” on 9 July 2026, a hand-numbered, 666-copy run on vinyl and CD gathering eight earlier tracks.

“Wehmut” is Young And Cold’s fourth Rue Oberkampf release, following the band’s announcement of the album in August 2026 and a Side-Line interview in which de Jouy and Maier discussed its Lower Bavarian origins.

Karo Kratochwil

Based in Wrocław, I work as a music journalist and photographer covering electro, industrial, EBM, gothic, and darkwave. My work includes features and live coverage, as well as concert, portrait, promo, and theater photography. What interests me most is the connection between artistic intention, what the work communicates, and what unfolds live on stage, all in pursuit of the bigger picture behind the music.

A year after the debut album “Thorns”, the German solo project Mortes returns with its follow-up, ”The Hunt”. The album features 13 tracks, one of which was created in collaboration with labelmates Balduvian Bears.

I do not find the opening track particularly representative of the rest of the album; it makes for a rather lacklustre start. However, the majority of “The Hunt” offers a better sense of the project’s potential. The music falls into the Electro-Wave category. The song structures can sound somewhat repetitive, occasionally enhanced by guitar tones, while the tracks are enveloped in a dark, dreamy atmosphere. The vocals have an ethereal quality that fits perfectly with the overall vibe of “The Hunt”. There are also occasional passages featuring female vocals, adding some welcome diversity.

“The Hunt” may not be an album that leaves a lasting impression, but it certainly contains some good tracks worth discovering. (Rating:6½).

Listen to “Trapped (No Way Out)”:

About Mortes

Mortes is a solo electro-wave project from Germany, on the darkTunes Music Group roster. The project debuted with the album “Thorns” in 2025. “The Hunt”, reviewed here, followed a year later as its second full-length and includes a track made with labelmates Balduvian Bears.

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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.

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Neuroklast’s first two albums were released in quick succession, in 2021 and 2022. Now, following a four-year wait, the German project returns with its third full-length album, “Hellfire”. In the meantime, Kay Schäfer (formerly involved with Chainreactor) and Markus Horschig (formerly involved with ReAdjust and Fractal Age) have moved from ProNoize to darkTunes. For this new release, they collaborated with Keith Kamholz of Mechanical Vein on two tracks and introduced vocalist Rage on the closing track.

“Hellfire” follows in the footsteps of “Beyond The Blackwall” and “Streetkid”, delivering a hard-hitting, relentless brand of Electro somewhere between Industrial-Techno and Dark-Techno. The listener is immediately drawn in by pounding, roaring beats that create a dark atmosphere, enhanced by a combination of spoken-word samples and raw vocals. Neuroklast operates in the same vein as acts such as Soman and Noisuf-X. The production is solid, with cold, overwhelming soundscapes. The album contains several strong tracks, but “Succubus” stands out in particular as a genuine club gem.

The album is also available as a limited-edition box set aimed at die-hard fans. It is great to see Neuroklast back in action; this German project has clearly lost none of its power or expertise. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Succubus”:

About Neuroklast

Neuroklast is a German duo formed by Kay Schäfer, formerly of Chainreactor, and Markus Horschig, formerly of ReAdjust and Fractal Age. Schäfer handles the technical, production side of Neuroklast while Horschig composes and arranges.

The duo released its debut album “Beyond The Blackwall” in 2021 and “Streetkid” in 2022, both via ProNoize / Dark Dimensions, before moving to darkTunes for “Hellfire”.

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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.

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The Chilean duo Vioflesh released their third album earlier this year. Following their previous album, “Nostalgia”, they continue with “Melancolia”, which features 12 tracks. Many of these songs had already been released as singles, but this third album brings them together in a fine collection.

Those familiar with the band won’t be surprised, as Vioflesh continues to explore their distinctive brand of Electro/Wave-Pop. The tracks have an ethereal yet danceable quality, and the sensual female vocals make a real impact. While the songs generally sound quite similar and—in my opinion—lack a real climax, the album still manages to captivate me. The second half of “Melancolia” contains the stronger tracks, including the fresh-sounding “Mistery,” which is, for me, one of their best songs to date. It is somewhat more elaborate and features some nice synth bleeps and string arrangements.

The band has since released another album, but “Melancolia” remains an enjoyable listen in the meantime. (Rating:7½).

Listen to “Mistery”:

About Vioflesh

Vioflesh is a synth-pop and coldwave duo from Santiago, Chile, founded in February 2017 by Vio Valenzuela and Flesh.

The project released its debut album, “Creer”, in 2019, followed by the “The Time” EP in 2022 and the album “Feeling You Don’t See” in 2023. The singles “Always” (2024) and “Close To Me” (2025) preceded “Nostalgia” later that year.

“Melancolia” followed in 2026, built around the singles “In The Depth”, “Intuition”, “Suffocating”, “Velvet”, “Your Blood” and “Call Me”. Vioflesh has since released a further album, “Dark Bellow”.

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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.

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“Lash” is the third album from Dead Lights, the project driven by Dutchman Richard Van Kruysdijk, who has been involved in numerous other projects, most notably Palais Ideal and Phallus Dei. The concept behind “Lash” is rooted in the idea that every act of creation is, first and foremost, an act of destruction, serving as a metaphor for personal transformation.

This theme inspired Dead Lights to compose 12 tracks. The sound remains consistent with the previous albums: a subtle blend of genres and influences that can be broadly described as EBM, Dark Electro, and Electro-Pop. The overall mood is predominantly dark, with the production occasionally evoking a sense of menace. While the driving basslines certainly contribute to this ominous atmosphere, the album’s real strength lies in its club-oriented character. The quieter tracks offer occasional moments of respite before the music shifts back into harder-hitting passages.

While Dead Lights may not be considered groundbreaking, the project consistently delivers quality within the Dark-Electro and EBM scenes. Personally, I also consider this to be Richard Van Kruysdijk’s strongest project. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Never Take Me Alive”:

About Dead Lights

Dead Lights is an electronic duo based in London. The two producers, one working in the Netherlands and the other in England, started the project at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Richard van Kruysdijk, also active in Palais Ideal and Phallus Dei, is one of the two members. On Bandcamp the band describes its music as “Electronic glam goth with an industrial edge”.

The earliest entries in the band’s Bandcamp discography are “Hex Death Pop” and the self-titled “Dead Lights”. “Doom Doom Trash” followed on 11 March 2022 through Cold Transmission Music. The duo wrote and produced the EP and Uwe Teichert mastered it at Elektropolis in Brussels. The CD edition is a four-panel gatefold digisleeve with a lyric booklet and adds the bonus track “The Raven (video mix)”.

Later releases listed on the band’s Bandcamp page include “Receiver”, “I Am Electric”, “Into The Night”, “Let The Ugly Out”, “Glitterspit”, “Grind”, “Take The Algorithm”, “Gravity”, “Break Out” and “Killing Time”, followed by “Resonate” in January 2026 and “(The Edge Of) Dusk” in March 2026.

Dead Lights released “Lash” on 15 May 2026 through darkTunes Music Group, mastered by Pieter Kloos at The Void Studio, the duo’s third full-length album.

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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.

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Last year, the Slovak band KIFOTH released their latest album, “Lost Territory”. In essence, it was more of an EP featuring four new tracks, followed by no fewer than nine remixes by other bands. This new album serves as a kind of addendum, revisiting those four tracks—along with an older song that originally appeared on their debut album, “Spectaclebreakers” (1999), and was also remixed on “Lost Territory”. What makes this release particularly interesting, however, is that the Slovak trio has taken on the task of remixing all the tracks themselves.

In total, we get ten remixes, although some could almost be described as completely reworked and reinvented songs. That is not to say they sound radically different; KIFOTH remains, first and foremost, an EBM act—albeit one with a knack for intricate compositions and meticulous attention to detail. This is an intelligent form of EBM with a touch of FLA. The tracks are rich in sounds and effects, with icy tones propelled by powerful rhythms, while the deep, haunting vocals fit the atmosphere perfectly. Naturally, a record like this leaves room for experimentation, which perhaps explains the inclusion of certain orchestral arrangements. The same applies to several remixes featuring female vocals. While this is a new direction for KIFOTH, it creates a delightful contrast with their established sound.

As far as I’m concerned, this is a highly successful experiment, as the album is certainly just as good as “Lost Territory”—if not better. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Cowards – Dark Factory”:

About KIFOTH

KIFOTH formed in Slovakia in 1993 as Kneel In Front Of The Hangman, later renamed Kneel In Front Of The Executioner, built around K-head on music and mirColon on vocals. The duo played its first show in the summer of 1994 at the “Young Apollo” festival. KIFOTH self-released its debut album, “Spectaclebreakers,” in 1999, then moved to Out Of Line for two albums and to Vendetta Music for two more. “Violence Corporation” followed in 2010; a seven-year hiatus preceded “Extensive Report” on EK Product in 2017. Aliens Production announced “Artificial Territory” in June 2026, following the label’s “Lost Territory” release earlier that year.

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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.

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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.

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The Australian band Chiron is back with their latest album, a project three years in the making. Led by frontman Michael Aliani (ex-IKON) and joined by bassist Dino Molinaro (IKON) and guitarist Ivan Bullock, the band presents nine tracks plus four additional remixes.

Those familiar with Chiron will hardly be surprised by the influences and style: the music is a fusion of Dark-Wave and Post-Punk. The dark atmosphere that permeates the album occasionally evokes memories of Joy Division, with a pervasive sense of darkness and melancholy running throughout. The guitar sometimes takes on a psychedelic edge, adding an interesting touch, while the synth elements provide an additional melodic dimension. Yvette Winkler (Vaselyne) was invited to collaborate on the final track. The additional remixes are far from ordinary; one of them, for instance, features vocals from the cold and charismatic Kriistal Ann (Paradox Obscur). They lean slightly more towards Electro, at times incorporating a more club-oriented vibe.

Chiron has never disappointed me, and with “A Dark Beauty”, the band has once again delivered a top-notch album. Personally, however, I have a particular soft spot for the slightly heavier tracks. (Rating:8).

Listen to “A Dark Beauty”:

About Chiron

Chiron formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1997, founded by vocalist Michael Aliani after he left the Australian darkwave band Ikon. The project debuted with “Eve” in 1999 on the Italian label Energeia, followed by “Slipping Away” (2005, Apollyon Records), the “Breaking Point” EP (2009) and the album “We Own the Night” (2015). A compilation, “Chiron: The Best Of”, appeared on Brazil’s Wave Records the same year.

The band’s 2022 album “The Sun Goes Down” marked its move to Dark Vinyl Records and brought founding Ikon bassist Dino Molinaro back into the lineup. For “A Dark Beauty”, released 17 July 2026 through Dark Vinyl Records, the band worked as a trio of Aliani on vocals and electronics, Molinaro on bass and Ivan Bullock on guitar and electronics, with Ernie Oppenheimer producing, mixing and mastering. Guest contributions come from Vaselyne‘s Yvette Winkler and Paradox Obscur‘s Kriistal Ann on the album’s remix section, extending the darker, guitar-forward direction the band set on its previous release.

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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.

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Claudio Dondo began making music in the late 1980s. This path eventually led him to Runes Order, the project under which he has released countless recordings on a wide variety of labels since 1992. He has now joined forces with the German label Dark Vinyl Records and, much like on his previous album, initiated a collaboration with Regen Graves.

We are presented with a total of 13 tracks. While the influences are highly eclectic, they can largely be categorized within genres such as Cinematic and Krautrock. The inclusion of additional guest musicians adds further diversity—for instance, on one track, a saxophone creates a wonderfully dark, Jazzy atmosphere. I wasn’t surprised to find references to John Carpenter’s films, yet this album offers far more than just Cinematic soundscapes. From vintage drum machine tones to driving rhythms, and from organ passages to analog effects, this work has a great deal to offer. Add to this a variety of vocal tracks alongside the instrumentals, and the result is a fascinating work that keeps the listener firmly in its grip.

This is a varied and accomplished opus containing a few real gems. (Rating:7½).

Listen to “Bury The Fetus”:

About Runes Order & Regen Graves

Runes Order & Regen Graves is the collaboration between Claudio Dondo’s long-running Italian dark ambient project Runes Order, based in the Genoa area, and Regen Graves, a musician from the same Genoa scene known as a member of the horror-doom band Abysmal Grief. Dondo started the project in 1988 as Order 1968 and renamed it Runes Order in 1992 with the cassette “The Dream Door”. His catalogue includes “La Seduzione Del Silenzio” (1994), “Room 39” (1995), “The Art of Scare and Sorrow” (2002) and “Fase XIV” (2019), drawing on the cosmic and Berlin School tradition of Tangerine Dream, Faust and Klaus Schulze.

Dondo and Regen Graves first joined forces on “Falsche Fragen” in 2023. “Escape”, their second album together, followed in 2026 on Dark Vinyl Records, pairing Berlin School electronics with horror and thriller soundtrack atmospheres across the thirteen tracks reviewed here.

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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.

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Susanne Jonsson and Jan Strandqvist of the Swedish band Red Mecca have returned after a hiatus. Their time away, however, was marked by intense and deeply painful experiences: Susanne’s sister was murdered and her relationship fell apart, while Jan struggled with addiction. Sometimes, nothing seems better than returning to creative expression—in their case, by making a new album.

This record clearly holds great significance for them, even though the music remains true to Red Mecca’s signature sound and style. It is a polished album, balancing understated, sensitive, and refined tracks with a somewhat ‘harder’ Synth-Pop style. The songs are expertly crafted and beautifully sung by Susanne Jonsson, a vocalist who has nothing left to prove. Personally, I prefer their Electro-Pop style—which occasionally hints at EBM elements—as it really showcases their talent for creating great music. While some tracks may lack a definitive climax, I believe the choice to create a more restrained work was deliberate.

This may not be my favorite album by the duo, but it stands as a significant and healing production in their career. (Rating:7½).

Listen to “I’m On The Outside”:

About Red Mecca

Red Mecca was set up by Jan Strandqvist, originally with vocalist Frida Madeleine, who left after four albums and was replaced by Susanne Jonsson. The Swedish duo released “Truth” in 2019, followed by the albums “Away” (2021) and “Stay” (2023), all on Massproduktion. Strandqvist discussed the band’s history, including a 2016 Swedish Manifest Award win and a soundtrack placement on “Killing Eve”, in a 2021 Side-Line Click Interview.

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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.

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This is the second album from this Dutch project, released last year.

The work comprises eight tracks that immerse the listener in an intense, almost archaic sonic experience. Noise, Industrial, and Dark-Ambient are fused into a powerful production that radiates terror. The heavily manipulated sounds and screaming vocals evoke the early magic of 1980s experimentation. While it could easily be categorized today as Power-Electronics or Death-Industrial, this is first and foremost an extreme record of lacerating sounds that will slice through your ears at high volume.

This is not a record for the faint-hearted, but rather a sonic feast for connoisseurs of extreme musical experiences. (Rating:7).

Listen to “No Good, No Evil”:

About Spur On To XS

Spur On To XS is a solo Noise and Power Electronics project based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Dunkelheit Produktionen released the project’s debut full-length, “Indulge In Primal Ecstasy”, on 22 September 2024 (catalog DP171CD). The label followed it with “Sacrifice As The Cornerstone Of Society” on 7 June 2025, issued as a handnumbered CD edition of 200 copies with a 4-page booklet alongside a digital edition; all eight tracks were written and recorded by Spur On To XS, with production credited to Dunkelheit Produktionen. The project also self-released the cassette “Adoration & Scorn” in 2025, and the cassette “Amphetamine Kommando” followed on Lust Tapes on 1 September 2026.

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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.

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This album from the Danish project Black Vault was actually released quite some time ago—back in the spring of 2025. With the telling title “Death Obsessed”, we are presented with five tracks.

There is no room for fun in this sonic universe; instead, we are confronted with a dark, nihilistic-sounding whole. The atmosphere is carefully constructed and accentuated by occasional spoken-word samples, creating a tormented listening experience. Blending elements of Dark-Ambient, Industrial, Noise, and even Ritual music, the production is sometimes a tiny chaotic yet undeniably well-crafted. The combination of influences is fascinating, and, to my mind, the opening two tracks are particularly compelling.

Black Vault transports us into an illusory world of ruin. The only thing missing, for me, is an absolute climax—though that certainly doesn’t mean this isn’t a great record. (Rating:7½).

Listen to “The Hollow Sighs Of Putrid Emission”:

About Black Vault

Black Vault is a Danish project working in occult industrial and death-industrial territory on the German label Dunkelheit Produktionen. The project’s debut album, “Hymns To The Great Devourer”, was released on Dunkelheit Produktionen in 2023. “Death Obsessed” is the follow-up, recorded between 2023 and 2024 and released on March 1, 2025, mixed and mastered by Grant Richardson at Hex Audio Labs.

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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.

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This new album by Alessandro Tedeschi—better known by his sonic alter ego, Netherworld—is a remarkable work. Quite by chance, thanks to his young daughter, he stumbled upon old recordings dating back more than twenty years. These were recordings he had all but forgotten. Upon rediscovering them and realizing that their atmosphere perfectly matched the dark, sombre period he had been going through in recent months, he decided to revisit and rework material that no one had ever heard before. You could quite rightly call these Netherworld’s earliest experiments.

Seven tracks were salvaged and restored. They fit seamlessly into the concept of Glacial Movements—Alessandro’s own label—leaving a profound, icy impression through their Ambient and Cinematic sound. We discover a Soundscape created—and, above all, inspired—by early expeditions to the North Pole. Distinctive field recordings echo through the metallic tones. You sense the imaginary presence of malevolent forces watching you, potentially pushing you towards a state of paranoia; you experience a sense of evil and an invisible presence that relentlessly pursues you. This effect is achieved simply through the power of the compositions, which, in my opinion, might well be hailed as Netherworld’s finest work. The sound is authentic and archaic, with deep, dominating tones that hit their mark with undeniable impact. It is hardly surprising, then, that the only track that failed to fully captivate me was the most ethereal one on the album.

When music becomes an expression of dark thoughts, an artist is often at their most inspired—a fact perfectly embodied by the evocative title, “The Hermit”. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Loneliness”:

About Netherworld

Netherworld is the moniker of Alessandro Tedeschi, an Italian ambient and dark ambient composer based in Rome. The project is released through Tedeschi’s own label Glacial Movements, which he founded in 2006; “The Hermit” marks the label’s 20th anniversary. Netherworld’s music draws on manipulated fragments of classical music and field recordings, including ice masses, aurora-related material and Arctic wind recordings. Before focusing on Glacial Movements, the project released music through labels including Fario, Angle Rec, Umbra and Taalem. “Eternal Frost”, recorded in 2004, was originally issued by Umbra in a hand-numbered edition of 99 copies and later appeared on Bandcamp in February 2022. The Glacial Movements catalogue includes “Mørketid” (2007), “Over The Summit” (2011) and “Alchemy Of Ice” (2013, Tedeschi’s tenth full-length release). In 2017, Netherworld collaborated with Eraldo Bernocchi on “Himuro” for the label’s Iceberg Series. “Algida Bellezza” followed in 2019, and Side-Line’s interview with Netherworld was built around that release. “Vanishing Lands” appeared in 2022 and the Bvdub collaboration “Equilibrium” in 2023. “The Hermit” returns to material recorded before Glacial Movements existed: seven tracks salvaged from deteriorated CD-Rs and Minidiscs recorded in 2004.

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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.

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This release is essentially a concept piece comprising a substantial 120-page book and an accompanying Soundtrack. Merciful Nuns needs no introduction by now, and their driving force, Artaud Seth, has found the perfect vehicle here to further flesh out his “Kvltan” universe.

The book serves as a guide to the ancient civilization known as Kvltan, which predates known human civilization by a vast margin. It suggests that humanity’s origins lie much further back in space and time than we realize. It is a mythological narrative in which ancient gods, lost knowledge and rituals, portals to other dimensions, dream worlds, and much more converge. Central to this are the ‘Oneironauts’—individuals capable of entering other realms of consciousness through their dreams. The book constantly straddles the boundary between dream and reality, life and death, past and future. It acts as a narrative guide to which Merciful Nuns have composed the accompanying music.

The release features a 33-minute-and-33-second track divided into four parts, followed by a second track. The first piece is particularly intriguing, sounding like a genuine film score—a departure from the German band’s usual style. It is entirely Cinematic in nature, defined by an omnipresent ritualistic atmosphere that gradually evolves. Spoken-word elements are incorporated alongside deep, rumbling vocals, while the use of strings further reinforces the Soundtrack aesthetic. To my ears, this piece complements the book perfectly. The second track feels more familiar, offering a blend of Metal guitar and Gothic atmosphere, topped off by Artaud Seth’s deep, charismatic vocals. Beyond the power of the guitars, the track is further enriched by piano passages.

Fans of Merciful Nuns may find themselves faced with a somewhat atypical work here, but it fits perfectly within the band’s ritualistic dynamic. Moreover, the book itself is a relatively quick read, making the entire release an intriguing and immersive experience for anyone willing to step into the mysterious world of Kvltan. (Rating:7½).

Watch the clip for “Black Monoliths”:

About Merciful Nuns

Merciful Nuns is the vehicle of German multi-instrumentalist Artaud Seth, formed in 2010 after the disbandment of his earlier band The Garden Of Delight. Seth also records as Near Earth Orbit and runs the Solar Lodge label, through which Merciful Nuns’ own catalogue is released. The project’s 2010 debut album, “Lib. I”, drew heavily on The Sisters Of Mercy; by 2022 Seth counted “Kvltan” as the band’s eleventh album, a fusion of industrial, gothic and psychedelic elements built around the mythology of the ancient civilisation Kvltan, as he explained in a Side-Line interview. “Liber Kvltanae” continues that story and the “Liber” naming convention set by the band’s debut.

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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.

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This new release from the Belgian act Hybryds is a remarkable record. The title leaves little to the imagination, focusing—as the work of many artists across various disciplines has so often done—on the seven deadly sins. What makes this release particularly intriguing, however, is that four of the tracks date back to 2002, originally appearing on the “Lust”-EP released by Spectre. After all these years, the original singer, Miss Poly-Ester, got back in touch with Sandy Nijs and asked him to complete the album. So Sandy returned to the music, and the lost tracks were finally completed with the singer’s vocals. In total, we are treated to eleven tracks. Alongside the songs addressing the seven deadly sins, there are extras such as an intro and two live tracks dating from 2003.

Hybryds has continued to surprise me in recent years. The project remains true to its trademark Ritualistic style, yet everything sounds more modern. This record stands out in particular for its slow, infectious, Trip-Hop-like rhythms. At times, I get the impression of hearing an Industrial version of Tricky—and that is very much intended as a huge compliment. After all, Hybryds naturally retains that familiar industrial DNA. The atmosphere remains dark, mysterious, and unsettling, evoking the feeling of stepping into a forbidden place where a certain decadence gradually sweeps you away.

This impression is further reinforced by the artistic and highly explicit booklet accompanying the album, allowing Sandy Nijs to indulge his interest in and inspiration from fetish culture through a series of photographs that remain closely connected to the central theme. It is the kind of booklet that algorithms would rapidly detect and block instantly. Fortunately, there are still artists daring enough to go there—artists for whom it isn’t simply about nudity, provocation, or shock value. The music is far too good for that. I wouldn’t claim that Hybryds have reinvented themselves, but in recent years they have clearly been riding a new wave of inspiration, and this record is a fine example of where that has taken them.

The older live tracks don’t exactly add much value, but the rest of the album is simply magnificent. As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the best albums I’ve discovered this year. It would be a true sin to let this particular gem pass you by… (Ratring:9).

Listen to “Envy”:

About Hybryds

Hybryds is a Belgian project centered on Sandy Nys, active since the mid-1980s and known for ritual, mythical and industrial electronic work rooted in the cassette-era Belgian underground. Nys’ career began with the 1986 cassette “Mythical Music From The 21st Century,” followed by releases including “Music For Rituals” (1992) and “The Ritual Of The Rave” (1995). In the 1990s Hybryds became a duo with Leen Smets (Yasnaïa); from 2000 Nys continued the project solo before German vocalist Madeline joined, with multi-instrumentalist Peter De Koning later expanding the lineup.

On 3RioArt / Zoharum, Hybryds has released “Mythopia” (2022), “Mythopia, The Sequel” (2024), “In The Wake Of The Witch” (2025), “Fire And Ice, Flesh And Bones Part 1 & 2” (2026) and “Desert Of White Salt” (2026). “7even Deadly Sins” follows on the same labels, reworking four tracks that originally appeared on the 2002 “Lust” EP on Spectre with new vocals by Madeline and Katherina.

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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.

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Da Punch is the fourth album from the Parisian project Krystal System. ‘Bonnie’ and ‘N°7’ are joined by a new member, bassist ‘Phi’, who had already appeared on the EP preceding the album. Remarkably, this is their first full-length release since 2013. On ‘Da Punch’, Krystal System takes a critical look at society and interpersonal relationships, resulting in a collection of 13 tracks.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Krystal System because, to me, they sound like a big ‘f*** you’ to all those bands that simply keep repeating themselves, gradually getting lost in a lack of creativity. Krystal System continues along its established path, delivering uncompromising compositions that blend guitar and electronics into an Electro-Post-Punk sound, driven by Bonnie’s passionate vocals. She sometimes sings in her native French, but most of the tracks are performed in English, delivered with that unmistakable and rather sexy French accent. N°7 also takes the microphone, providing a nice counterbalance to the female vocals and occasionally resulting in a duet. The songs are varied and, as mentioned, uncompromising. Their cover of Front 242’s “Headhunter” is a great example. Rather than simply copying the original—which would be sacrilege—they give it their own interpretation, and it really works. There are other, even stronger tracks to discover, with Krystal System occasionally channelling Rammstein-like guitar riffs and Depeche Mode-style melodies, while still remaining firmly rooted in their own sound. That’s what I call a modern Punk attitude, and it really appeals to me.

Krystal System will need to put themselves back on the map for a wider audience, but music lovers who already know the band will simply be delighted to see them return with such a cool album. (Rating:8).

Listen to “A World That Is Yours”:

About Krystal System

Krystal System started in Paris, France, in April 2006 under the name Krystal. The founding duo was Bonnie on vocals and guitar and N°7 (also stylized as Seven) on vocals, synths, and programming. A first demo, “Demain n’existe pas,” came before the project gained early exposure through the 2007 International Cravefest Video Awards and concerts in France and Switzerland.

Around 2007 the duo signed to Belgian label Alfa Matrix and adopted the name Krystal System. Their debut album, “Underground,” followed on November 14, 2008, then the seven-track EP “Underground: VooDoo Night Sessions” on November 27, 2009, “Nuclear” on June 17, 2011, and “Rage” on March 15, 2013.

Krystal System returned in 2025 with the “Éclats Rouges” EP, its first studio release since “Rage” and its first with bassist φ (Phi), expanding the lineup to a trio.

“Da Punch,” the fourth Krystal System album, followed on June 26, 2026, again with the trio of Bonnie, N°7, and Phi. The 13-track release was made available digitally via Bandcamp and on CD through the Alfa Matrix Store, whose edition adds two bonus tracks, “Newclear Winter” and a 2025 version of the track. The album also includes a cover of a Front 242 song, “Headhunter.”

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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.

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It has been about four years since the Brazilian act Aesthetische released their last full-length album, but in the meantime, Gui Pires and Fab Viscardi have kept us entertained with an annual EP. “Every Beat Matters” serves as a metaphor for everything we can do to fight injustice, fascism, prejudice, war, and more.

Musically, this translates into four brand-new tracks followed by three remixes. Aesthetische return to their roots more than ever, recalling their former project, Aghast View, with a sound deeply rooted in EBM. It is a meticulously crafted production boasting rich soundscapes and razor-sharp basslines that once again bring Front Line Assembly to mind. The tracks are driven by stomping beats that give them maximum club appeal. To my ears, the first three tracks all sound like potential singles, although Aesthetische clearly have a soft spot for “Chew The Loop,” which appears in three additional and strong remixes. The vocals round everything out, complemented by well-placed samples. One track remains instrumental, yet sounds incredibly effective.

Aesthetische never disappoint, but this new EP is undoubtedly one of their strongest releases to date. It represents intelligent, impactful EBM. (Rating:9).

Side-Line reported the release of “Every Beat Matters” on June 26, 2026 via Alfa Matrix.

Listen to “Chew The Loop”’:

About Aesthetische

Aesthetische is a Brazilian EBM/industrial duo formed by Gui Pires and Fab Viscardi in 2012. Both musicians were previously known for their work in Aghast View and Biopsy, one of Brazil’s pioneering electro-industrial acts of the 1990s. After Aghast View, the duo launched Aesthetische as a new vehicle for modern EBM fused with trance, techno-body music, and industrial atmospheres.

The band signed with Belgian label Alfa Matrix in 2012 and has since maintained an exclusive release partnership with them, issuing a steady discography of albums, EPs, and digital singles across physical and digital formats.

Albums

• “Powerswitch” (2012, Alfa Matrix) – Issued in multiple editions, including a box version.
• “HybridCore” (2014, Alfa Matrix) – A follow-up blending hard-hitting EBM with more melodic synth textures.
• “Co3xist3ns3” (2019, Alfa Matrix) – Marked a return after several years, further exploring hybridized EBM and trance.
• “Rvprty” (2022, Alfa Matrix AM 3400DJ) – A digital-only release containing ten tracks.

Singles & EPs

• “Nachtbrenner” (2013, Alfa Matrix)
• “Statement / Amplitude Zero” (2013, Alfa Matrix)
• “Colder Lights EP” (2014, Alfa Matrix)
• “Dirt And Basslines” (2015, Alfa Matrix)
• “Cold Is Clean” (2015, Alfa Matrix)
• “We Follow Blindly” (2016, Alfa Matrix)
• “In My Aurora” (2017, Alfa Matrix) – Featuring Noemi Aurora on vocals.
• “MMXX” (2020, Alfa Matrix)
• “Overflow” (2021, Alfa Matrix)
• “Boiling Over EP” (2023, Alfa Matrix)
• “Confidence Is Silent” (2024, Alfa Matrix)

Split EP

• “4.4U [2012.11]” (2012, Alfa Matrix) – Digital compilation shared with Metroland, Mentallo & The Fixer, and Daniel B. Prothèse.

Alfa Matrix has continued the pace since, following “Boiling Over” (2023) with “Confidence Is Silent” (2024), “Selling Fear” (2025) and now “Every Beat Matters” in 2026.

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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.

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 Mondträume is finally back in action with their first new album in seven years. The Spanish band remains driven by Pikotto VondMond, now officially joined by vocalist Nicky Schulschenk (known from N-Frequency). Schulschenk took over from Damasius Venys three years ago and has already featured on the band’s recent EPs. This new album delivers 12 tracks, while the ‘Deluxe Edition’ includes a bonus disc with another 12 songs, comprising additional tracks, remixes, and collaborations.

Musically, Mondträume stays true to their infectious, danceable Future-Pop-driven sound. But can we still call it Future-Pop today? Is the genre due for a revival, or is this a kind of ‘Post-Future-Pop’ sound? Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter; the band simply does its own thing, resulting in a polished and complete-sounding album. Danceable rhythms underpin melodies that, devoid of excessive melancholy, come across as cheerful and uplifting. While there are occasional moody passages that provide some variation, the overall production is captivating. Here and there, you’ll notice subtle changes, such as harder, more EBM-oriented basslines, but this is simply part of the genre’s characteristic sound. Previously released tracks such as “Poisoned Love” and, especially, “Pictures Of You” remain fantastic songs that showcase Mondträume at their best. Replacing Damasius Venys was certainly a challenge, but there is clear chemistry between the new duo. Three tracks also feature female vocals by Madril.

As mentioned earlier, the bonus disc offers 12 additional tracks, although these aren’t necessarily among my personal favorites. The remixes are the real highlights here, featuring contributions from established remixers such as Rob Dust, while Code 64 and Beyond Border also provide some pleasant surprises. There is even a sort of tribute to Bruderschaft in the form of a remix of “Falling” that Mondträume created some time ago.

The ‘Deluxe Edition’ seems primarily aimed at the absolute die-hard fans, but the standard album will undoubtedly attract new listeners as well. Mondträume is back and continues to deliver high-quality Future-Pop. (Rating:8½).

Side-Line reported the 2CD announcement for “Mindgames” back in April.

Listen to “Pictures Of You”:

About Mondträume

Mondträume is a Spanish synth-pop/future-pop duo built around Pikotto Vond Mond. The project released the “The Unknown Path” EP on Alfa Matrix in 2022, followed by the “Heart Machine” EP in 2023 and the “Poisoned Love” single in 2024, before “Mindgames”.

Nicky Schulschenk, also known from N-Frequency, took over lead vocal duties from Damasius Venys and discussed the transition in a February 2025 Side-Line interview.

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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.

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With Hor-Cheret, we welcome a new project presented as a collaboration between members of Vortex, Nam-Khar, and Delta Komplex, complemented by a few more artists. The project’s name alludes to Horus, the child of Isis and Osiris in Egyptian mythology. With an album title referring to an ancient nomadic law of hospitality, Hor-Cheret offers an intriguing metaphor and, in my view, a critical perspective on today’s world.

It certainly offers food for thought, but above all, this is music to be discovered. From the very first notes, a distinct Ritual influence emerges through the percussion and the use of traditional acoustic instruments. While the percussion reinforces the album’s ritualistic character, the listener gradually discovers a dark atmosphere shaped by deep sound waves. Elements of Dark-Ambient and Industrial music are clearly present. An Ethereal female voice occasionally takes on a narrative role while simultaneously enhancing the sense of mysticism. The male voice also serves a narrative function, while some of the lyrics possess a distinctly poetic quality.

This is a superbly crafted album in a genre that suffers from a lack of quality projects and inconsistent production standards. Hor-Cheret’s debut is a release to be savored and cherished. (Rating:8½).

Listen to “In The Shadow Ov Power”:

About Hor-Cheret

Hor-Cheret is a new collaborative project pairing members of Vortex, Nam-Khar and Delta Komplex with additional contributors, presented on Dunkelheit Produktionen. Its name references Horus, the child of Isis and Osiris in Egyptian mythology. Nam-Khar is the ritual ambient project of Romanian musician Konchog Gyaltsen, active since 2009, previously paired with Vortex on “Nag-Hammadi” in 2022 and “The Sarajevo Spiral” in 2024. Delta Komplex is a German electronic band founded in 2019 around Minu-Schirin Samimi and Tufana, known for the 2022 album “Veils”. “Nanawatai”, Hor-Cheret’s debut album, was released on 7 November 2025 in a limited handnumbered digipak edition.

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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.

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The German duo Grimoire De Occulte has been active for several years now and has released the majority of its work, particularly in recent years. Inspired by Bernd Hermanns, aka ‘Baal’ (owner of Dunkelheit Produktionen and also active in several other projects), and ‘Philosoph’, they originally released this album in 2025, with the CD version following this year. The title word ‘Ajna’ undoubtedly refers to the Sanskrit word usually translated as ‘perceiving’, ‘knowing’, or ‘insight’. It also represents the sixth chakra, which is associated with the so-called third eye. This aligns perfectly with the approach of this project, which has always been closely linked to ritual and mysticism.

We are presented with an elaborate and unique track lasting nearly 40 minutes. “Ajna: Transmissions” invites the listener to immerse themselves in an esoteric world in which the ‘other side’ plays a prominent role. This naturally provides inspiration for a dark composition, with the duo presenting us with a persistent, ominous wave of sound.

At first glance, it may seem somewhat monotonous, yet the composition is enriched with humming sound effects and additional sounds, including all kinds of crackling field recordings. The whole piece is also punctuated by a scream, which adds extra power to the dark ritual.

As far as I’m concerned, a few additional tracks could have been included here, but this extended “Ajna: Transmissions” remains a pleasant listen nonetheless. (Rating:7½).

Listen to “Anja: Transmissions”:

About Grimoire De Occulte

Grimoire De Occulte is a German duo formed by Bernd Hermanns, also known as “Baal” and the owner of Dunkelheit Produktionen, together with “Philosoph”. The project’s discography traces back to the 2011 cassette EP “Funeral Lands” on Dunkelheit Produktionen, followed by the self-released 2012 rehearsal tape “Rehearsal November 2012″ and the 2017 split 7” “Dschinn… / Atardecer De Mayo” with Mirthless, also on Dunkelheit Produktionen. Further releases include “Ritual Before Thy Fullmoon (Rehearsal)” (2017) and the self-released cassette “Calling The Ancient Fears” (2021), before the duo returned to Dunkelheit Produktionen for the CD album “Sinister Rituals” (2023) and now “Ajna: Transmissions”, issued digitally in 2025 and on CD in 2026.

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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.

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Some promotion arrives generously late, but with this debut album by the Australian solo project Empty Vessel, I felt it was more than necessary to give it some attention anyway. Tom Wojcicki is an artist unknown to most, who released the album “Ruin Value” in the spring of 2025, an opus consisting of eight tracks.

What I hear here defies all imagination: an absolute masterpiece in which the artist blends Industrial, Cinematic, and Ritual elements in a remarkably refined manner. He creates a tormented atmosphere of overwhelming sounds, with percussion effects that reverberate like drones. That overwhelming quality, in particular, is almost indescribable. Rarely have I encountered an artist capable of creating sounds as intense, present, and tormented as those of Empty Vessel. The tracks can be repetitive at times, but because of their sheer intensity, you are truly blown away. Before you know it, you are trapped in a sonic web of terrifying and illusory images. The album is a succession of insane tracks, meaning that you discover one highlight after another.

If you are a fan of the genres mentioned above and are not yet familiar with Empty Vessel, I would simply recommend buying this album without listening to it beforehand. An absolute masterpiece, and it will not be easy to follow this up with an equally powerful successor. (Rating:9).

Listen to “Scattered Pieces Of Her”:

About Empty Vessel

Empty Vessel is the solo industrial and power electronics project of Australian artist Tom Wojcicki. “Ruin Value” was released on 14 April 2025 through the German label Dunkelheit Produktionen as a hand-numbered CD limited to 200 copies with a 4-page booklet, plus a digital edition, under catalog number DP179CD. The album runs eight tracks, opening with “Scattered Pieces Of Her” and closing with “Zero Fetish”. Empty Vessel has also recorded under the names Droid Sector, Broken Fingers, Glass Barbeque, Aurora Seven and Cockroach Diocese. “Ruin Value” is Empty Vessel’s first release to be reviewed on Side-Line.

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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.

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Kommission Z80 is a Swedish duo that, following a debut album released on Electric Underground Records, is now self-releasing its second opus. I don’t recall ever hearing anything by them before, but these 13 tracks provide a clear picture of the duo’s musical identity.

Their primary influences clearly lie within the realm of old-school EBM—specifically the kind of EBM characterized by thoughtful composition and well-crafted arrangements. The vocals, and indeed some of the tracks, remind me somewhat of Portion Control, while other songs reveal traces of Skinny Puppy’s influence. One track even feels like a nod to Front 242. It should be noted that these are all bands with highly distinctive sounds and complex structures. Kommission Z80 doesn’t quite reach that level yet; they would benefit from improving some technical aspects, particularly the mixing and recording. Nevertheless, there is undeniable potential here. Several strong tracks are waiting to be discovered, and the latter part of the album, in particular, features some very cool songs.

Kommission Z80 is a name that true EBM enthusiasts should remember. (Rating:7).

Listen to “Here Comes The Consequences”:

About Kommission Z80

Kommission Z80 is a Swedish duo from Borås formed by Erik Holmberg and Fredrich Legnemark, working in an old-school EBM style. The project’s debut single “Empire” arrived in 2024 through Electric Underground Records, followed by the debut album “Hegemony” and the “Reasonable Conclusions” EP in 2025. “Sic Semper Tyrannis” is the duo’s self-released 2026 follow-up.

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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.

www.side-line.com

Parissior is a Spanish project founded by DJ and producer Jesu Aparicio. With “Human Control”, he releases his debut album, featuring ten tracks (although the vinyl edition contains only eight). While several EPs were released previously, this album consists entirely of new material, exploring themes such as digital identity, illusion, authenticity, and human imperfection.

Musically, this translates into a very solid mix of Dark-Techno and EBM. The basslines sound menacing and pure EBM, while the kicks reveal clear Techno influences. There are also a few additional influences, such as Acid sequences, as well as some delightful old-school Techno elements that remind me of the Frankfurt scene of the 1990s. The way everything is put together sounds intelligent and, naturally, highly dancefloor-oriented. There are also some vocals worth mentioning, including a track featuring guest vocalist Jorge Tornin, although the vocals are not necessarily the most striking aspect of the album.

“Human Control” is a very strong release that delivers a perfect blend of nostalgic moments and a more contemporary sound, in which Dark-Techno and EBM are inseparable and form a powerful cocktail. An album you absolutely must discover! (Rating:8½).

Listen to “Eco Machines”:

About Parissior

Parissior is the alias of Spanish DJ and producer Jesu Aparicio. He has released singles and EPs since at least 2016, including “Could I Drown In Your Desire” and “Dance To The Groove” (Spa In Disco), followed by “Let Them Dance” (Hot Digits Music, 2017) and further EPs and compilation appearances for Golden Soul Records. From “Back To Earth” (2020) onward he has worked mainly with the Espacio Cielo label, releasing further singles, EPs and compilation tracks including “Battle Cry” (2021), “Raver In The Booth” and “Full of Stars” (2023), and the Skylax release “Antennae” (2024). “Human Control” is his first full-length album.

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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.

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“The Gray” is the second album by Italian producer Stefano Santi. Four years after his debut album, “JXDY”, the artist draws inspiration from themes such as love, loss, and collapse. He has also enlisted guest vocalists including Meldamor, Castelli, Contre Soirée, and Filmmaker.

“The Gray” features a diverse range of influences—sometimes further accentuated by the guest vocalists—yet the album maintains a strong sense of cohesion. The opening track is brilliant, sounding like Shoegaze with subtle Dark-Wave undertones. These two influences remain prominent and, to my ears, constitute the album’s most compelling elements. However, you will also discover touches of Dream-Pop and even a more Dance-oriented track featuring Meldamor. The vocals are produced in a distinctive way, hovering in the background like a mist settling over the songs while still making their mark. Musically, I find the guitar work superb, particularly on the tracks leaning towards Shoegaze. Synth arrangements are also incorporated, at times heightening the atmosphere while adding a fresh dimension to the overall sound. The final track is an instrumental that feels like an outro, but one of exceptional quality. It stands out as a highlight in terms of atmosphere and provides a powerful conclusion to an album filled with gems.

“The Gray” is a fantastic record that sounds like a distinctive fusion of several closely related genres. Definitely worth checking out! (Rating:8½).

Listen to “Hxlding Time”:

About Never

Never is the solo project of Italian producer Stefano Santi, based in Milan. The project debuted with the album “JXDY” on 18 March 2022 (catalog VEYL033) on the Veyl label, recorded as instinct-led material that was not originally planned as a full-length. Santi’s first outside collaboration was a remix of Years Of Denial‘s “City Lights”, a step that carried into his second album, “The Gray”, released via Veyl on 26 June 2026 (catalog VEYL048) and built around guest contributions including Arizona duo Meldamor.

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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.

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Laho is a Finnish project that originated in 2006. After releasing a few records during its early years, the project went quiet for a long time before being reactivated a few years ago. “Death Machines”—which feels more like a seven-track mini-album—was inspired by today’s dystopian world, as well as by self-reflection and other dark themes.

The music is indeed quite dark, but that is not the whole story. This record reveals two sides: on the one hand, a powerful production featuring menacing yet brilliant basslines topped with razor-sharp sequences; on the other, a completely different style with a Cinematic feel, including one entirely instrumental track. Personally, I prefer Laho’s harder side, which occasionally reminds me of early Combichrist, albeit with a certain polished touch. This is also evident in the vocal production, which is powerful yet has something of a ‘Power-Pop’ quality. It comes as no surprise, then, that the album concludes with a remarkable cover of Depeche Mode‘s “Behind the Wheel,” delivered in a dark and intense style. I think it’s a great track, by the way.

Laho seems to be a sort of Janus—a two-faced project, with its powerful side completely winning me over. (Rating:7½).

Listen to “The Great Collapse”:

About Laho

Laho is a Finnish dark electronic project led by musician and recording engineer Konsta Vehkala, who is based in Jyväskylä and is responsible for all composition, programming and production. The project is an outlet for solo works by Vehkala and blends industrial, EBM, futurepop and darkwave.

The project began in 2006 under the name Lahonnut Konkelo as a series of electronic and industrial experiments. The name was shortened to Laho shortly afterwards. The first EP, “The Other Side”, appeared in 2007 as an independently issued CDr, combining instrumental industrial metal with a slightly experimental edge. It was later re-released by Italian netlabel Ekleipsi, which also issued the first full-length album “Escape from the Dying Star” in 2009.

“Escape from the Dying Star” was recorded between 2007 and 2008 at the Cable_Hell studio and released digitally in April 2009, offering a mix of electro-industrial, cybernetic synth work and distorted guitar. The album held ten tracks including “Program”, “Dead End” and a remix by Technomancer. Later in 2009 Laho issued “The World in Flames” as a standalone digital release, followed by the single “Mechanigod” in 2011 and a one-off digital track “Walking in the Air (1984 mix)” in December 2021.

After these early EP and album releases, the project entered a 13-year hiatus as Vehkala focused on other bands and production work. Writing for Laho resumed in 2024, leading to a new series of songs, this time including vocals.

Parallel to Laho, Vehkala maintains an active role in the Finnish metal scene. He plays drums for the melodic metal band Psychework and has performed and recorded with groups including Gian, Vipermilk and Lojohh, as well as contributing recording, mixing and mastering work to a wide range of Finnish underground acts.

“Death Machines” is Laho’s first release since writing resumed in 2024, and its first EP built around vocals throughout.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

“Mood Starters” is the result of a collaboration between Belgian artists Pedro Maras (BedouinDrone) and Marc Ceulemans (Brainquake). They share a common vision of music and the atmosphere surrounding it, which has resulted in this 11-track album, released on the Bulgarian label Mahorka.

“Mood Starters” is all about atmosphere—a dark and unsettling mood that evokes a sense of mental anguish. Intense, sometimes overwhelming dark sounds alternately blast you away and carry you along on an imaginary deathbed. The album sits somewhere between Dark-Ambient and Cinematic music, while being spiced up with other Electronic music elements, including a brilliant closing track that opens a window onto IDM. Add a few highly Experimental tracks to the mix, and you get a pretty clear picture of what “Mood Starters” is all about. At times, the music feels almost improvised, which I find to be the album’s weakest aspect. For the most part, however, the tracks sound carefully considered, crafted with a vast arsenal of sounds, effects, and even field recordings.

BedouinDrone and Brainquake seem unconcerned with genre boundaries, preferring instead to experiment freely. The result is a collection of strong tracks that conjure up powerful visual imagery. I can only hope the duo will repeat this experience, as this album demonstrates enormous potential. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Cages”:

About BedouinDrone & Brainquake

BedouinDrone is the dark ambient and illbient project of Belgian artist Pedro Maras, built around dense atmospheres, layered drones and a cinematic sense of storytelling shaped by themes of loneliness, memory and collapsing emotional landscapes. Brainquake is the industrial project of Belgian artist Marc Ceulemans, working with mechanical repetition, distorted textures, fragmented rhythms and psychological pressure rooted in classic industrial traditions. The two artists had never met in person before recording together for the Bulgarian label Mahorka, which released their collaboration album “Mood Starters” on June 5, 2026.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

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Mildreda started back in the 90s but remained largely unknown and underappreciated, eventually fading into obscurity—until Jan Dewulf breathed new life into the project around 2009. He has since released his third album on the Dependent label, and Mildreda continues to attract new followers. With this new opus—which can certainly be described as a conceptual work centered on the theme of ‘reality’—the Belgian artist unleashes his creativity across no fewer than 18 tracks.

The conceptual nature of the album is also reflected in eight distinct, shorter “Reality Check” tracks. Serving as interludes or introductions, they feature pronounced Cinematic elements alongside an impressive array of sounds, effects, experiments, and the fragmented voice of French philosopher Albert Camus (best known for his novel “L’Étranger”).

The remaining ten tracks clearly form the core of the album—songs that reveal the true sound and essence of Mildreda, offering a continuation of the style fans may have encountered on earlier singles. Mildreda remains rooted in a dark, obscure, and at times tormented atmosphere, all cast within a Dark-Electro framework. Industrial elements play a significant role, particularly in the percussion. Jan Dewulf has truly outdone himself, offering listeners an unparalleled experience defined by both complexity and efficiency. Certain passages evoke the genius of Skinny Puppy, though without attempting to directly emulate the Canadian masters. It is evident that Dewulf is a versatile artist who has experimented—and continues to experiment—with a wide range of musical genres. At times, the sound leans towards EBM, as on the formidable “Silk Skin,” which recalls the menacing atmosphere of Front 242’s “Moldavia.” Some sequences sound slightly less dark, yet simply fit into the overall picture. Jan Dewulf’s menacing, distorted vocals complete the experience. Two standout tracks feature notable guest vocalists. There is the already familiar “Virtual Goddess” with Johan Van Roy (Suicide Commando), but even more striking is “Rückwärts” with Constantin ‘Breñal’ Warter (Calva Y Nada)—also a fantastic track.

Mildreda delivers an expansive, detailed, and polished album where atmosphere takes center stage without losing sight of its danceable side. I believe this record won’t need a reality check to convince anyone that it is a remarkable piece of work. (Rating:8½).

Listen to “End Of The Line”:

About Mildreda

Mildreda is a dark electro/EBM project from Ostend, Belgium, started in the early 1990s before splitting up. Jan Dewulf resurrected the project in 2009. Mildreda released the album “De Laffe Denker” in 1996, followed after the 2009 relaunch by “Coward Philosophy” (2016) and “Cowards” (2017). The albums “Fire” (2020), “Reinvention Of Pain”, “Liaisons Dangereuses” and “I Was Never Really There” followed in 2021, and “Blue-Devilled”, “Devil’s Gaze”, “Prophecies” and “Friendly Fire” in 2023.

“Realities” is released on Dependent and features guest vocals from Johan Van Roy of Suicide Commando on “Virtual Goddess” and Constantin “Breñal” Warter of Calva Y Nada on “Rückwärts”.

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Krimea is an Italian duo formed in 2021 by Alice Taylor and Nick SoLow. Over the past few months, they have released three singles, all of which are included on this debut album. “Are You Human?” features 12 tracks largely inspired by relationships.

From the very first notes, you can recognize the Electro-Pop influence that drives the duo. What also stands out immediately is the quality of the production and mixing. Krimea has clearly invested considerable time and expertise in creating a polished, high-quality record. The songs themselves are powerful Electro-Pop, yet they also possess a cold, atmospheric quality, incorporating vintage sounds and effects such as sweeps. Two songs are featuring guitar play. Certain sounds occasionally remind me of Kraftwerk, although this influence has clearly been transformed into a style and vibe that is uniquely their own. The vocal production is excellent, featuring a charismatic male voice alongside a warmer, ethereal female voice. She often provides backing vocals but occasionally steps forward for genuine duets.

This is an interesting debut featuring several strong tracks. I look forward to hearing more from this duo, which, in my opinion, is clearly ready for a record deal. (Rating:7½).

Listen to “Die-Monds”:

About Krimea

Krimea is an electro-pop duo from Venice, Italy, formed in 2021 by Alice Taylor and Nick SoLow. “Are You Human?”, released 10 April 2026, is the duo’s debut album, gathering twelve tracks written by Krimea and produced and mastered by William Benedetti. Guitar on “This Pleasure” and “Vivre le sombre” was played by Cosimo Mitrugno, with artwork photography by Matteo Bosi, per the band’s own Bandcamp credits.

The album follows three singles issued ahead of release: “This Pleasure,” “Die-Monds” and “Over and Over,” all included on the final tracklist alongside nine additional songs. Bandcamp’s own album notes describe “Die-Monds” as built around the wordplay of “die” and “monds” (diamonds), with Alice Taylor crediting a vintage Poly800 II synthesizer for the track’s melodic range. No prior Side-Line coverage of Krimea has been found.

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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.

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AkA is a project founded by Frenchman Henri Sizaret. Now based in Portugal, AkA has a career spanning more than 30 years. This new release comprises nine tracks conceived as a form of litany.

AkA’s musical world is fascinating yet difficult to pin down. Primarily an Electronic project, this album sits somewhere between Ambient and Experimental music, with various other influences surfacing from time to time. While the sound is at times minimalist, the compositions remain intelligent, with meticulous attention paid to every sound, effect, and field recording. Slow rhythms occasionally emerge, making the music more accessible. Vocals also feature prominently, delivered in various languages and a spoken format, or even whispered. This fits perfectly with the album’s atmosphere: mysterious and cold. A few tracks also incorporate female choral vocals, carefully sampled and blended into the background.

AkA offers a unique experience, delivering visionary Electronic music, and “Echo Ex Voto” is a brilliant example of this. (Rating:8½).

Listen to “Under Your Protection”:

About AkA

AkA is the electronic music project of French musician Henri Sizaret, incepted in the early 1990s under the name “ElectroCute” before being renamed AkA in 2000, per the project’s own Bandcamp biography. Now based in Portugal, Sizaret has released “Dataism” (2019), “Wup Und Wuf” (2019), “Digirama” (2020) and “Résonances Hyménoptiques” (2020) via HTON Records, per Discogs.

“Echo Ex Voto,” released 20 April 2026 on HTON Records (catalog HTN 034), comprises nine tracks conceived as a set of litanies. Instrumentation is computer-generated by Sizaret, who also designed the sleeve; photography is by Guillaume Terver. Per the label’s own Bandcamp notes, the album was created during a year marked by the death of the artist’s father, and its track “Under Your Protection” draws on one of the earliest Marian prayers, “Sub Tuum Praesidium,” dated to 3rd-century Christianity. No prior Side-Line coverage of AkA has been found.

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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.

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Goetia is a Turkish band I hadn’t heard of before. I discovered that they have released four singles since last year and are now launching their debut album, “Saligia”, featuring seven tracks -dealing with the 7 deadly sins. Incidentally, the four previously released singles are also included on the album.

Their influences clearly lie within the broad realm of EBM. While the tracks remain rudimentary and minimal in their composition, some feature appealing, icy sounds. This is a fine example of a band getting the absolute most out of limited resources. The best proof of this is the track “Haris”, which stands out significantly and packs more punch than the other songs. Another distinctive feature of the production is that the vocals are delivered in their native language, with the exception of one German passage.

Goetia certainly still has some work to do when it comes to the overall mix and production, but “Saligia” already sounds quite good and, above all, promising. I look forward to seeing what comes next. (Rating:7).

Listen to “Haris”:

About Goetia

Goetia is a darkwave band based in Ankara, Türkiye, working around themes of occultism, inner conflict, and existential decay. The band combines darkwave, EBM, and industrial elements into a cold, immersive sound built on hypnotic rhythms, analog-inspired synthesizers, and minimal structures. Music and production on the group’s material are credited to Berent Oral and Tolgahan Pehlivanlı, with Pehlivanlı also handling lyrics, vocals, and mixing. A founding date has not been confirmed.

Goetia released four singles ahead of its debut album: “Esans”, “Nihil”, “Döngü”, and “Nektar”. The band’s debut full-length, “Saligia”, followed on April 3, 2026 through Tamar Records. The title is a Latin acronym for the seven deadly sins (Superbia, Avaritia, Luxuria, Invidia, Gula, Ira, Acedia), and the seven-track album is built around that theme, with mastering by Uğur Yelkenci and cover artwork by Nuryağmur Candar.

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In 1998, a remarkable album was released as a collaborative exchange between Sonar and Muslimgauze. Eric van Wonterghem and Dirk Ivens (Sonar) created four remixes of tracks by Bryn Jones (Muslimgauze), and the process was reciprocated. However, what wasn’t known at the time was that Bryn Jones had actually produced a total of 16 remixes, leaving it up to Eric and Dirk to decide what to do with them. Following the release, performances featuring both projects were even planned, but tragedy struck when Bryn Jones passed away in early 1999.

The British project Muslimgauze was extraordinary—a project I deeply admired for its sound and its unique blend of Tribal and Middle Eastern influences. Now, so many years later, these Belgian legends have decided to release the original remixes Muslimgauze created for Sonar as a standalone album, undoubtedly driven by deep respect and admiration for Bryn Jones’s masterful body of work. The result is surprising, presenting a completely transformed Sonar sound that fits seamlessly into the Muslimgauze universe. The Belgians’ signature Power-Noise is absorbed by the force of Tribal rhythms and an Eastern atmosphere, characterized by the authentic sounds of traditional instruments. Layered on top are samples of plaintive chants and voices that further enhance the mood. Muslimgauze didn’t merely create remixes; Jones undertook a complete reconstruction of the Sonar material. The overall sound is highly minimalist and perfectly embodies the Muslimgauze aesthetic. I am also struck by the brilliant stereo effects emanating from the speakers, which lend an extra touch of distinction to the production.

Through this album, Muslimgauze sounds as if the project is still alive—or perhaps newly reborn. As far as I’m concerned, this is a wonderful experience. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Outtake 3”:

About Sonar

Sonar is the Belgian industrial and techno side-project of Dirk Ivens, also known for his work in Klinik and Dive. The project began with Ivens working alongside Patrick Stevens (Hypnoskull); Eric Van Wonterghem (Insekt, Monolith) later joined as the group’s other core member. Sonar released its self-titled debut album in 1996, followed by “Dislocated” and “On Mission Inside” in 1997. In 1998, Sonar exchanged remixes with British artist Muslimgauze (Bryn Jones, 17 June 1961 – 14 January 1999) for the collaborative album “Sonar vs Muslimgauze”, released via Prodam Records. Jones died in January 1999, shortly after the exchange was completed. “Outtakes” gathers the remaining Muslimgauze-made remixes of Sonar material that were left unused at the time.

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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.

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Hardtack is a project founded by Frenchman Alexis Clementides. He is passionate about both technology and music, a recurring theme throughout his education and artistic career. His EP “Radiations” was released in 1999, and now, 27 years later, we have “La Dualité Originelle”, an eight-track album released via Prodam Records.

Clementides immersed himself in Electro-Acoustic music, an element that is clearly audible in some of the tracks. However, there is much more to it, with the primary influence lying in what I would simply call Power-Noise. Yet the distinctive—and, to me, fascinating—aspect of his work is the fusion of Power-Noise elements with strings and other sounds that seem to emanate from the background. This gives the music a more accessible quality, creating a blend of Power-Noise and Cinematic soundscapes. It is a varied opus, featuring quieter, almost dreamlike yet abstract passages that suddenly give way to harsher, more brutal sonic onslaughts.

“La Dualité Originelle” is an album that pushes boundaries and brings together diverse influences to achieve a creative and intelligent result. (Rating:8).

Listen to “L’Ecole De Guerre De La Vie”:

About Hardtack

Hardtack is the project of French artist Alexis Clementides. His debut EP, “Radiations”, was released in 1999; “La Dualité Originelle” follows twenty-seven years later as his first full-length, issued on Prodam Records (Discogs).

Clementides also appears on the 2020 vinyl single “Accident / Yayo88” (Deontologie) as producer. No prior Side-Line coverage of Hardtack has been found.

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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.

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In the spring, Eric van Wonterghem returned with a new album from his Monolith project—the sonic alter ego he launched nearly thirty years ago. For the first time, he is releasing a Monolith album on his own label. Yama is the Hindu god of death and justice, responsible for administering justice and punishing sinners; this theme inspired the album’s ten tracks, at least in the digital version.

Monolith remains true to the unique and instantly recognizable sound van Wonterghem has cultivated over the years. It is a precise fusion of Tribal rhythms, Industrial sounds, and Trance-like build-ups. The album as a whole—especially the harder tracks—is highly driving and danceable, culminating in a genuine Trance climax. At the same time, calmer, more atmospheric tracks provide welcome variety while still making a distinct impact on the listener.

This is largely due to the remarkable atmosphere Monolith creates once again. Another essential element of the project’s signature sound is the Eastern vibe that permeates the tracks and fits the album’s concept perfectly. Eric van Wonterghem remains a true sound guru, particularly when it comes to the icy tones he weaves into his loops. I am also completely captivated by the deep, overwhelming and explosive bass sounds that anchor the tracks and pair perfectly with the driving rhythms.

Monolith has never let me down. This Belgian pioneer once more manages to amaze and convince me. In short, another unmissable album. (Rating:8½).

Listen to “Shiva”:

About Monolith

Monolith is the solo project of Belgian musician Eric van Wonterghem, set up in 1997. Van Wonterghem has also worked with Absolute Body Control, The Klinik, Insekt, Sonar, and Detune-X, and has contributed to Dive album productions. The project built its reputation on a Tribal-Industrial sound, a fusion of Tribal percussion, Industrial production, and Trance-style builds that van Wonterghem has continued to refine across more than a decade of releases.

In 2016, Monolith released the four-track EP “Time Running Out” (“Construct”, “De-construct”, “Ghost Cities”, and “Time”) on Sonic Groove, later issued on vinyl. The project also runs its own Bandcamp imprint, SoundOfMonolith, used in 2020 to self-release “The Disco Buddha Variations”, new edits of a track van Wonterghem has described as one of his best-known pieces.

Van Wonterghem released his eleventh Monolith album, “Unnatural Bodies”, on Hands in 2020, describing the record as an attempt to make “art without rules” inspired by the mechanical-organic sculptures of artist Jim Whiting. He discussed the approach in a 2020 interview with Side-Line.

“Yama”, released on van Wonterghem’s own label Prodam Records, is the first Monolith album issued through his own imprint. The digital edition holds ten tracks built around the album’s theme, the Hindu god of death and justice.

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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.

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Alex Kourelis has been active as Digital Geist since 1999. The American artist has even collaborated with none other than Patrick Codenys of Front 242 on a joint album. Now, after a relatively quiet period, he returns with “Starcrashed”. This is a conceptual work—more specifically, an alternative Soundtrack that Alex K. composed for the 1979 film “Starcrash”. He analyzed the film scene by scene to create his own score, resulting in no fewer than 36 tracks and a total running time of around 90 minutes.

From the very first notes, it is clear that this is a Soundtrack. However, anyone expecting conventional film music with orchestral arrangements and sweeping strings is in for a surprise. Digital Geist has always incorporated strong Electro influences, and this release is no exception. There is a generous dose of EBM, alongside Industrial elements, Acid sequences, nods to Techno, and even hints of Psy-Trance. Naturally, most of the tracks are extremely short. While this can sometimes be a little frustrating, it is inevitable given the concept behind the album. It is a shame, though, because the shorter tracks often contain some of the best material, with certain passages evoking the atmosphere of the Chemical Brothers or Praga Khan at their best. I was also particularly impressed by the superb mixing and powerful production, which sound truly ultra-professional. The only downside is that, although there are some longer pieces, I find these to be the least interesting tracks on the album.

It is a unique concept—one could easily describe it as an EBM Soundtrack—and the kind of project that makes you wish more films or series would feature this style of music. Last but not least, the limited-edition USB release also includes the original film accompanied by this alternative Soundtrack. (Rating:7½).

Listen to “Hard Time In Space”:

About Digital Geist

Alex Kourelis has recorded as Digital Geist from Fairfield, Connecticut, since 1999. Early self-released albums included “Version Two-Point-Ohm” (2005) and “The Zero Engine” (2006), followed by the “Motorcade” EP (2009) and “The Apollo Program” (2010), also issued in a companion ambient edition. Side-Line covered the USB album “ROTOR Rewired” in 2017 and the album “Hibernator 1: Audioscapes 01-09” in 2022. In 2019, Kourelis teamed up with Patrick Codenys of Front 242 to release “Minor” as Geist + Codenys. Digital Geist also issued the remix set “U.” in 2021. “Starcrashed” continues that release history as a track-by-track alternative Soundtrack for the 1979 film “Starcrash”, issued in a limited USB edition that also includes the film itself.

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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.

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The Romanian collective Nam-Khar has been active since 2009, releasing numerous albums and collaborations over the years. In recent years, much of their work has appeared on labels such as Zazen Sounds, Winter-Light, and, more recently, Cyclic Law. With this new release, Nam-Khar explores a concept centered on alchemy, specifically the transformation of the self; the connection to—and inspiration drawn from—psychoanalytic pioneers such as Freud and Jung is therefore evident.

It is no coincidence that the album comprises seven tracks, a number of symbolic significance in alchemy. Here, Nam-Khar gives free rein to their creativity. While the music remains rooted in the Ritual genre, it is clearly much more than that. It incorporates strong Dark-Ambient elements alongside Industrial sounds and a pronounced Cinematic influence, manifesting itself primarily in deep, astral passages. Add a healthy dose of experimentation to the mix, and you get a sense of the highly diverse “Antimon”, where magical analogue sounds, acoustic instruments, and field recordings converge. The album oscillates between mysterious, dreamlike passages and others that are menacing and ominous.

With “Antimon”, Nam-Khar once again delivers a compelling release that is sure to captivate a wider audience interested in the aforementioned genres. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Melanosis”:

About Nam-Khar

Nam-Khar is a ritual ambient project centered on Romanian musician Konchog Gyaltsen, active since 2009. The project debuted with “A Hallowed Ground Within” the same year, and its catalog mixes ritual and dark ambient with industrial and cinematic elements, built from ethnic instrumentation, analog synthesis and field recordings.

Nam-Khar released “Secret Essence / Sangwa Dupa” (CD, Winter-Light) in 2018 and “Sur Chöd” (Winter-Light) in 2020, followed by “Dok-Pa” (Zazen Sounds) in 2022, a sequence Cyclic Law describes as the project’s “Tibetan Trilogy”. The same year brought “Nag-Hammadi” (Winter-Light), a collaboration with Vortex. Nam-Khar has also recorded with Alone in the Hollow Garden and Sielwolf, releasing “The Sarajevo Spiral” with Vortex and “Antariksha” as Alone In The Hollow Garden & Nam-Khar, both in 2024.

With “Antimon”, released July 20, 2026 on Zazen Sounds and Cyclic Law, Nam-Khar returns after “The Sarajevo Spiral” with a seven-track album built around an alchemical concept.

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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.

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This album is a collaboration between the American Black-Metal and Experimental projects Sutekh Hexen (whom we already know well) and Hissing. The release comprises two lengthy tracks, originally performed live by the two bands—one in 2017 and the other in 2019. These recordings have now been reworked and refined to create “SH:HS”.

What you hear seems to be primarily the result of meticulous improvisation, shaped into a form that incorporates a wide range of influences. It starts out as Dark-Ambient, quickly evolves into pure Drone, and then transforms into a truly Cinematic passage that, in turn, shifts into something considerably noisier. Growling vocals also emerge, adding to the overall sense of darkness. The second track stands out for its boundless sound manipulation and myriad effects, eventually losing itself in a relentless—and, to my ears, somewhat grating—Hardcore rhythm.

“SH:HS” sounds like a musical crossroads where various genres seek an outlet, ultimately merging into a dark, cohesive whole. For me, however, it is the first track that really sticks with me. (Rating:6½).

Listen to “LAX”:

About Sutekh Hexen and Hissing

Sutekh Hexen is an American experimental black metal project based in Oakland, California, originally formed in San Francisco. The band has been active for over a decade, dating back to at least 2010, and started out anonymously with three limited demo tapes that combined atmospheric black metal with noise electronics and dark ambient. Over the years its recording and live line-up has drawn on a wide cast of musicians, including A.C. Way, Demian Johnston, Joshua Churchill, Kevin Yuen, Lee Camfield, Mackenzie Chami, Ryan Jencks, Samuel Torres and Scott Miller.

Sutekh Hexen’s release chronology includes the self-titled album “Sutekh Hexen” (2019, Cyclic Law), the collaborative album “P:R:I:S:M” with Funerary Call (2023, Cyclic Law/Sentient Ruin), and “Primeval” (2025, Cyclic Law/Breath Sun Bone Blood), an album built entirely from acoustic strings, percussion and wind instrumentation.

Hissing is a death/black metal band from Seattle, Washington, whose members include Joe O’Malley, Sam Pickel and Zach Wise. Its discography includes the albums “Permanent Destitution” (2018) and “Hypervirulence Architecture” (2022).

Sutekh Hexen and Hissing first shared a release with a split album on Flenser Records in 2017, the same year one of the two live performances reworked for “SH:HS” took place. The second performance dates from 2019. Both recordings have now been refined into the two tracks that make up “SH:HS”, released digitally and on CD via Cyclic Law.

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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.

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For this new EP, Serbian producer Goran Alavux has teamed up with the Dutch label New York Haunted.

It features four tracks that quickly immerse the listener in Alavux’s brand of Dark-Techno. Two of the tracks are hard and dark, at times interwoven with Industrial sounds and occasionally infused with a touch of EBM. In my opinion, these are the stronger tracks. The other two tracks don’t sound bad, but they are a bit too repetitive for my taste and lack the same menacing quality.

Alavux always has something to offer, consistently combining high productivity with quality. (Rating:7).

Listen to “M 5.3”:

About Alavux

Alavux is the main recording alias of Serbian producer Goran Alavuk, who also records as Solaris Path. Discogs lists his releases from 2008 onwards on labels including Twilight 76 Records, Vocode Records, Bass Agenda Recordings, Diffuse Reality, Bunker Records and his own 0ktag0n Records, where the “Underground Is Resistance” series appears. Side-Line reviewed Polar Light on Adriatiko Recordings in January 2026 and Underground Is Resistance on 0ktag0n Records in February 2026.

“Illusions” was released by New York Haunted on 28 May 2026 as a download. The four tracks are “Illusions”, “Aerial”, “M 5.3.” and “Mutatio”. No production credits are listed on the Bandcamp page and the EP has no Discogs entry at the time of writing. It is the third Alavux release reviewed on Side-Line in 2026.

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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.

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Istvan Gazdag continues to display an inexhaustible creativity, and that creativity consistently guarantees quality. With this ‘new’ album from his main project, First Aid 4 Souls, he combines four brand-new compositions from 2026 with a selection of older material that has been reworked, remastered, or presented in alternative versions. In total, we are treated to no fewer than 25 tracks, serving both as a retrospective and as a showcase for new material.

Gazdag clearly enjoys collaboration, and for this release he has joined forces with partner in crime ‘Mortum’ from Human Vault, as well as Mpurfekt, Stahlgeist, United Gods, K.I.F.O.T.H., Tor Marrock, V.E.N., and Svoid. The resulting tracklist is highly diverse, offering a mix of the Hungarian artist’s signature sound alongside more Experimental and even Ambient tracks and versions. To me, First Aid 4 Souls remains, above all, an intelligent form of EBM that frequently evokes the Canadian school of masters such as Front Line Assembly and Skinny Puppy. The structural composition of these tracks and the richness of the sounds and effects on display are absolutely phenomenal. Once again, there are some true gems to be found—particularly among the reworked older tracks rather than the new compositions that open the album. The production is meticulous and precise, featuring driving verses and explosive choruses. There are also some unique tracks that venture into purely Experimental or even Crossover genre territory, thanks in part to the inclusion of guitar elements. A 25-track album might be considered lengthy, but Istvan Gazdag shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.

This is an artist who lives and breathes music and remains a true genius within his genre. However, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this is the album I would choose to introduce someone to his work. Nevertheless, it contains enough gems to qualify as a ‘must-have’. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Havoc feat. Worker / Stahlgeist”:

About First Aid 4 Souls

First Aid 4 Souls is a Budapest-based electronic project founded in 2007 by István Gazdag, evolving from his earlier industrial and EBM outfit Vacuum. Over time the project has worked with rotating collaborators and guest vocalists and has touched industrial, EBM, dark ambient and new wave influences.

Early releases appeared via Some Bizarre, Electro Arc and Poison Girls Records before Gazdag joined the Belgian label Alfa Matrix. Discography milestones include “Deathstep” (2011, CD) and the earlier “Beyond The Galaxy” era, later revisited as “Beyond The Galaxy / Rework” under Alfa Matrix. Later Alfa Matrix releases include I Am The Night (2022), the 70-track back-catalogue download This Present Darkness (2023) and the EPs Dancing At The Abyss and Laudator Temporis Acti (both 2023).

In December 2025 the project shifted sound with Progenitrix, a post-punk and darkwave album with a long list of female guest vocalists. Gazdag discussed that record in the March 2026 First Aid 4 Souls interview. “Totems In A Field Of Pain” was released by Alfa Matrix on 26 June 2026 as a 25-track digital album and returns the project to its electro-industrial base.

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The German duo Arnte and Schmoun—formerly active together as Nordschlacht and Ugh, but having operated as Pyrroline for years—are releasing their fifth album, “Ambiguity”. The work appears inspired by the world we live in and, above all, by the impact of various events on the human psyche.

Musically, this translates into 12 tracks that immediately reveal the signature Pyrroline sound. The group remains closely linked to the musical legacy of early Skinny Puppy. Hovering somewhere between sophisticated EBM and atmospheric Dark-Electro, this new opus once again succeeds in captivating the listener. A dark, frenzied atmosphere is established, underpinned by complex percussion. At times, the mood is somewhat tormented, yet that is precisely the strength of certain tracks. The polished production features a wealth of sounds and subtle effects, layered with ghostly vocals. Here and there, female vocals appear, adding a touch of cold sensuality. One of the tracks also features a collaboration with TC75.

“Ambiguity” may not be the band’s strongest album—their previous release, “Struggling”, was a masterpiece, after all—but it remains a powerful record from a group that, in my opinion, continues to be somewhat underrated. (Rating:8).

Side-Line reported on the album when Pyrroline announced “Ambiguity” in June 2026. The label lists twelve tracks and issued the record as a Digipak CD and digitally.

Listen to “Eventually”:

About Pyrroline

Pyrroline is a German electro-industrial and old-school EBM project built around Arnte on vocals and Schmoun on synths and chants. Discogs lists the duo as a dark electro group based in Germany. The project records for Electro Aggression Records, the label founded in 2011 that concentrates on old-school EBM and electronic body music.

The recorded run starts with “Behind The Horizon” in 2010 and “Ruins Outlast” in 2013. Side-Line reviewed the CD album “In The Dawn Of Freedom” in September 2017 and the double CD “Struggling” in May 2021. The single “Relentless” followed in 2023 and a remix collection in 2024.

“Ambiguity” runs twelve tracks and shipped on 17 July 2026. Tino Claus of TC75 contributes guest vocals to “Relentless”, and the duo wrote, produced and performed the album themselves. The label released the video for “Day 45”, the ninth track, on 25 August 2026.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

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It took no less than nine years for the new opus from Swiss band Sleepwalk to arrive. Founder Bruno Rush, assisted by Andreas Lehmann, has prepared 15 new tracks for “Dystopia”. An additional disc featuring no fewer than 17 is also available.

To say the wait was long is an understatement, but it was certainly worth it. The result, “Dystopia”, is truly impressive. Sleepwalk’s compositions straddle the line between EBM and Dark-Electro. The songwriting is highly sophisticated, backed by an impressive sonic arsenal. The atmosphere is dark and the rhythms are danceable, while the tracks manage to be complex yet accessible. On the standout tracks—and there are quite a few—you can hear influences from the early Canadian EBM school; I am thinking specifically of the genius of Skinny Puppy. The opening tracks, in particular, absolutely blew me away and, in my opinion, rank among the best material Sleepwalk has ever produced. Given that the band has been active since 1992 and has a substantial back catalogue, the long wait has truly paid off. Sleepwalk hasn’t reinvented itself; rather, they seem to have taken a step back to reflect on their future direction. Lehmann’s haunting vocals fit the album’s atmosphere and genre perfectly. Towards the end, a few more magnificent tracks emerge, evoking the sound of Front Line Assembly.

And then, of course, there’s the bonus disc, featuring 14 bands, each contributing a cover of a Sleepwalk song, plus three remixes by three different bands. It’s quite unusual to see so many bands featured with covers rather than remixes, and the least I can say is that it’s a very original idea—and it works. There’s also a fine lineup of artists assembled here, including labelmates such as Pyroline, Trilogy, T.A.N.K., Serpents, and Synaptic Defect, as well as EBM scene veterans such as Plastic Noise Experience, Brain Leisure, Individual Totem, R010R, Pantser Fabriek, To Avoid, and others. I have to say, there are some brilliant songs to be heard. Plastic Noise Experience does a fantastic job on “Afterlife,” and I should also mention Individual Totem, Synaptic Defect, and Nine Seconds.

“Dystopia” is an album with a strong nostalgic streak, yet one that has been successfully translated into a powerful, contemporary sound: tormented EBM featuring some highly danceable tracks. Sleepwalk is back, and the world is going to know it.

Side-Line announced the release in April 2026 in Sleepwalk return with ‘Dystopia’ 2CD on Electro Aggression Records, which listed the 2CD and digital editions and the full remix roster of the bonus disc “Interpretations”. (Rating:8½).

Listen to “Devil In Disguise”:

About Sleepwalk

Sleepwalk are a dark electro and EBM act from Bern, Switzerland. The project was founded in 1992 by Oliver Spring and Bruno Ruch, Andreas Lehmann, and Charly of tEaR!doWn.

The group started releasing material in the early 1990s, including “Immortal Disease” from 1994, the first album “Door To Insomnia…” in 1995 on Khazad-Dûm, “Black Diagnose” in 1999, “Torture Chamber” in 2002, “Retrospect 94-96 (The Early Years)” in 2003, and “Rapid Eye Movement” on Scanner in March 2004.

By the mid-2000s the lineup had shifted. Oliver Spring left the band in 2005. The band later released the EP “Revenge Of The Lost” in 2011 and the concept album “Nibiru” in 2012, both on Scanner.

Sleepwalk joined Electro Aggression Records to release “Tempus Vincit Omnia” on January 3, 2018. The band said they wanted to move back toward more classic dark electro with EBM influence after “Nibiru”. The Bandcamp-only digital set “Remakes”, issued on April 11, 2026, revisited older Sleepwalk tracks ahead of “Dystopia”, the 2CD set reviewed here.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

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Reinhard Hüber brought T.A.N.K. to life in 2001 as a solo project, later joined by additional members for live performances. After more than 20 years, this is only the third album from the German EBM project. Several years have elapsed between releases, making each album feel somewhat like a new beginning, although I don’t think the EBM audience ever truly forgot T.A.N.K. “Broken Mirror” is the first album in nine years and also the project’s first release on Electro Aggression Records. It features 13 tracks plus five remixes and even a cover version.

T.A.N.K. stands for vintage EBM—tracks that drive straight ahead. Typical heavy EBM basslines are paired with dark string arrangements, all set to a danceable rhythm. Here and there, a brief respite appears in the form of a slower tempo, where the EBM takes on a more atmospheric quality. Perhaps slightly atypical is Hüber’s harder, deep, distorted vocal style. While this is more common in Dark Electro productions, it works perfectly here. Among the tracks, I have a particular soft spot for “Zombie March” and its hilarious lyrics. After all, EBM rarely features profound lyrics—and that’s not something I personally expect from the genre anyway! Remixes were provided by Pyrroline, Sleepwalk, Serpents, Synaptic Defect, and Trilogy. The intelligent remix by Pyrroline, in particular, is an absolute treat for the ears. Finally, we get a somewhat surprising cover of R010R’s “Bloodsucker,” recast in a dark EBM mould.

T.A.N.K. strikes back again with a solid, old-school EBM record that has been well crafted. Perhaps it could have been a bit harder overall for my taste, but otherwise, I have no complaints. (Rating:7½).

Side-Line reported the announcement in April 2026, when Electro Aggression Records set “Broken Mirror” for release on May 30.

Listen to “Zombie March”:

About T.A.N.K.

Reinhard Hüber, who came out of the 1990s German punk scene, launched T.A.N.K. in Dessau in 2001. The name stands for “Taktischer Angriff (auf’s) Nervenkostüm”. The first live appearance took place at the first Electric Tremor Festival in Dessau on 22 March 2002.

The self-released “T.A.N.K.” EP landed in 2002, followed by the debut album “Musica Denaturale” on Ars Electrique in 2003. In 2011 the project contributed “Game of Men” to the 4CD set “Old School Electrology Volume One”. The second full-length, “Return”, came out in 2017 on Electric Tremor Dessau.

Hüber also turned up in the Electro Aggression Records orbit through remix work connected to R010R and Synaptic Defect. “Broken Mirror” is the project’s third album and holds 19 tracks.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

Cedric Wattergniaux has been active under the alias Kilmarth for several years now. With “Au Bord Des Ténèbres”, he returns with his third album, self-released this time and also available as a limited-edition vinyl release. The eight tracks draw inspiration from artist Pierre Soulages’ concept of ‘Outrenoir’. Kilmarth adapts this concept to the human experience, exploring the idea that black is never the final destination.

Naturally, the music is the main focus here, and in this regard, Wattergniaux seems—for the first time—to have found a truly consistent musical direction. Gone are the guest vocalists, Jazzy influences, and Latin American experiments. Instead, the entire album is built around Experimental-Electro, Glitch, and occasional Cinematic influences. Some might not consider this the most accessible music, yet Kilmarth surprises the listener with cold soundscapes that are sometimes underpinned by a melodic touch, but are primarily defined by an overwhelming array of sound manipulations and effects, creating a truly grim atmosphere. Occasional spoken-word samples add genuine value to the mix. Another significant improvement can be heard in the mixing and overall production, areas in which Kilmarth has made great strides.

In short, this album was a pleasant surprise. It demonstrates real potential and paves the way for even greater things to come. Kilmarth seems ready to take the next step and is sure to appeal to fans of labels such as Ant-Zen. (Rating:8).

The album was preceded by the three-track single “Avant de céder…”, covered in Kilmarth releases three-track single ‘Avant de céder…’ as prelude to upcoming album, and Wattergniaux discussed the Soulages concept behind the record in Kilmarth interview: the light inside Pierre Soulages’ black on ‘Au bord des Ténèbres…’.

Listen to “Outrenoir”:

About Kilmarth

Kilmarth is the solo project of Belgian musician Cedric Wattergniaux, working in IDM, glitch and post-industrial ambient. Side-Line first covered the project in 2018 with the ‘Click Interview’ with Kilmarth: ‘Music Is A Legal Drug That Has The Immense Power To Make Us Escape’, published on 19 August 2018, and reviewed the CD mini-album “Catharsis” the same year.

The EP Kilmarth – Derrière Le Miroir (EP – Kilmarth) followed in 2021, together with a video for “M-Fia41”. The two-track single “Baryum” arrived in January 2022 and the mini-album Kilmarth – Better Days (EP – Kilmarth) in 2023, the first Kilmarth release with a guest singer. The debut full-length Kilmarth – Sociological Veranda (Album – Kilmarth) was released in January 2024, preceded by the glitch single “Vergessen”, and the IDM EP “My Son of The Moon” followed in November 2024. In January 2025 Wattergniaux teamed up with D-Fried for the album “Micrometeoritic Flowerpot”.

The concept album Kilmarth – Cherophobia (Digital Album – Adventurous Music), built around the fear of happiness, was issued in January 2026 through the Adventurous Music digital series. “Au Bord Des Ténèbres…” was released on 6 June 2026 on Bandcamp and holds eight tracks, opening with “Le seuil” and closing with “Outrenoir”. It is the first Kilmarth album pressed on vinyl.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

The American duo Magic Wands—comprising Dexy Valentine (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Chris Valentine (guitar, vocals)—have already released several notable albums and returned this spring with this six-track EP. It features three new songs alongside three familiar tracks presented in a fresh guise.

Magic Wands remain true to their musical identity, carefully blending Dream-Pop with a touch of Shoegaze. The guitar remains the musical highlight, creating a distinctive, dreamy atmosphere while adding a certain zest to the songs. Synths introduce an extra melodic—and at times melancholic—touch to the overall sound. Add to this the dry snare drums reminiscent of the golden era of the 80s and Dexy’s lovely, ethereal vocals, and the result is simply superb. I was particularly impressed by the first two tracks, both of which are new material. The opening track hints at Dark-Wave, yet that dark, dreamy quality remains the band’s trademark. The familiar tracks include the former single “Sacred Mirrors” (featuring Psychedelic Furs guitarist John Ashton), a remastered version of “Wishing Well,” and a remix of “Golden” (originally from their previous album). While these are all good songs, they fall just a notch below the two opening tracks, with “Starline” standing out as my absolute favorite.

Magic Wands continue to do what they do best: cool Dream-Pop. (Rating:7½).

Listen to “Starline”:

About Magic Wands

Magic Wands is a dream pop duo from Los Angeles, California, formed by Dexy Valentine (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Chris Valentine (guitar, vocals). The project started in 2007 with the single “Teenage Love”.

The debut album “Aloha Moon” appeared in 2011, followed by “Jupiter” in 2015, the “Lazer Bitch” 7-inch on Cleopatra in 2016, “Abrakadabra” in 2018 and the self-released “Illuminate” in 2020.

The duo moved to Metropolis Records, which issued the singles “Joy” and “Time” and the album “Switch” in 2023, followed by the remix album “Switched”. “Hide” and “Armour” came in 2024, and “Across The Water”, “Time To Dream” and the LP “Cascades” in 2025. “Wishing Well” is the duo’s six-track EP for the label.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

End-Tek is a side project of ‘Mortum’, better known for his work under the Human Vault moniker. Under the End-Tek name, he has released several albums, including “Mortal Sequence”, which originally appeared in 2020 as a limited cassette release through No Labels Interested. Due to its limited availability, the album remained largely unknown to a wider audience, but it is now receiving a well-deserved second life thanks to Aliens Production.

“Mortal Sequence” sounds like Electro music crafted in a synth laboratory. Musically, it is a collection—and, above all, a fusion—of diverse influences, ranging from Industrial and Cinematic sounds to Experimental music and IDM, while remaining firmly rooted in Electro. Despite this broad range of influences, the album feels remarkably cohesive. The compositions are characterized by powerful sounds, extensive manipulation, various effects and, above all, a dark atmosphere. The tracks are primarily instrumental, perfectly complementing the mood and overall style of the album. The record contains some brilliant tracks waiting to be discovered. I particularly recommend the second half, which reveals some incredibly intelligent compositions. Traces of a Mortal Constraint influence can also be detected here and there.

It would have been a shame for this album to fade into obscurity. Moreover, this release offers an excellent opportunity to (re)discover End-Tek. (Rating:7½).

Aliens Production issued the digital edition on May 12, 2026. It holds nine tracks, opening with “Re-Arranging Happiness” and closing with a second version of that title.

Listen to “Dead Kultur”:

About End-Tek

End-Tek is the side project of the producer known as Mortum, who also records as Human Vault. The label states that the End-Tek name has been in use since 2005. A first studio album followed in 2008, after which the project stayed inactive for several years, and a second album appeared in 2016.

“Mortal Sequence” was completed in 2019 and reached only a short-run cassette edition, which sold out; the audio was not made available digitally at the time. Aliens Production describes the recording as built roughly 80 percent on hardware rather than modern DAW processing. The Slovakian label also issued the End-Tek EP “Two Poles” in 2023.

Under the Human Vault name, Mortum has worked with the same label on the remix album “Carnal Motives” and the album “Fragment Existence”. He discussed his approach to writing in a Click Interview with Human Vault. The 2026 digital edition of “Mortal Sequence” now makes the third End-Tek album available outside its original cassette run.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com