Das Werk – Aeshma (Album – Scanner / Dark Dimensions)
Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro, Electro-Wave.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Das Werk is a German project driven by Elmar Schmidt. The Centhron frontman was already experimenting with Das Werk before Centhron saw the light of day. “Aeshma” is the official debut work featuring a few ‘early’ songs, which have been reworked.
Content: The link with Centhron is unavoidable, but maybe a bit too easy. There clearly is a harsh Dark-Electro influence running through Das Werk, but there also is a more refined Electro-Wave approach, which especially comes through at a few cuts featuring female backing vocals. These tracks are somewhat more Electro-Wave orientated and appealing for Blutengel fans. All songs have been sung in German –which is of course another link with Centhron.
The album features 12 songs plus 4 remixes by [:SITD:], C-Lekktor, Wesenberg and Devil-M.
+ + + : This is a great debut for Das Werk. The songs are accomplished and I was mainly impressed by the solid, carrying leads running through different songs. Das Werk sounds melodic and danceable, finding a balance between refined arrangements and harsh sound treatments. “Rheintöchter” is one of the highlights, but I also have to mention “Wälder In Rot”, “Schneekönigin”, “Todesbraut” and “Schwarzes Horn”. The music also inspired [:SITD:] and C-Lekktor to make great and powerful remixes while Wesenberg transposed the original edit into a minimal-groovy approach.
– – – : I think it’s a pity we never heard anything official of this project before. It however has a typical ‘German’-style, but who cares when the result is worth listening to.
Conclusion: “Aeshma” is a successful debut for Das Werk and I hope Elmar Schmidt will move on with his project.
Best songs: “Rheintöchter”, “Wälder In Rot”, “Schneekönigin”, “Todesbraut”, “Schwarzes Horn”, “Kleid Aus Schnee – C-Lekktor Remix”, “Schwarzes Horn – [:SITD:] Remix”.
Rate: (8).
Artist: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001198094782
Label: www.darkdimensions.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Dark-Dimensions-Label-Group/486014725206
About Das Werk
Das Werk is the side project of Elmar Schmidt, front man of the German dark-electro band Centhron, which has released its albums on Scanner / Dark Dimensions for more than two decades. According to the label’s Bandcamp notes, Schmidt made his first electronic recordings under the Das Werk name in 1999, before Centhron existed, and some of those songs, including “Tanz Im Sternenfeuer” and “Graue Front”, later surfaced on Centhron releases. The project first appeared on a Scanner release with a track on A Human Scan(ner) – The 20th Anniversary Compilation (2021). Discogs has a separate profile for the act but no biography.
“Aeshma”, the first Das Werk album, was released by Scanner / Dark Dimensions on 9 April 2021 on CD and as a download, with the early songs re-arranged, re-recorded and re-mastered. The sixteen tracks are “Intro”, “Schneekönigin”, “Aeshma”, “Rheintöchter”, “Bombenflug”, “Kleid Aus Schnee”, “Feenblut”, “Schwarzes Horn”, “Wälder In Rot”, “Nantosvelta”, “Todesbraut” and “Tanz Im Sternenfeuer”, followed by “Schwarzes Horn (SITD RMX)”, “Kleid Aus Schnee (C-Lekktor RMX)”, “Bombenflug (Wesenberg Deathdub RMX)” and “Feenblut (Drone Session by Devil-M)”. No further production credits are listed on the Bandcamp or Discogs pages.
Centhron continued on the same label with Einheit C (2023) and Liebe Is Krieg (2025), both reviewed on Side-Line. “Aeshma” remains the only Das Werk album listed on Discogs and the project’s only Side-Line review.
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