DI*ove – DI*ldo (Digital EP – DI*ove)
While I hadn’t entirely forgotten about DI*ove, it feels like ages since I last encountered this Belgian EBM project. In late 2024, they returned with a new EP featuring five tracks. True to their roots, the influences remain steeped in solid, danceable EBM, driven by powerful and efficient basslines. The vocals take on a slightly eerie tone, complemented by robotic effects that add depth to the production. Although this EP isn’t my personal favorite from DI*ove, I still believe they are a highly underrated Belgian act. Their work deserves far more recognition, and I can warmly recommend giving this EP a listen. (Rating:7½).
Listen to “Wasted”:
About DI*ove
DI*ove is a Belgian Electronic Body Music project founded by Eric Manchiniste. His early fascination with synthesizers led him to buy a drum machine with his first earnings as a rock band singer. The name DI*ove is an inversion of “E-void”, referencing Manchiniste’s earlier experimental project from the early 2000s. In 2013, DI*ove released its debut album, “DIode*”, on the EK Product label, followed by the 2016 album “DIvided” and several EPs mixing traditional EBM with electroclash and minimal electro.
Over the years, Manchiniste has collaborated with vocalists including Lukk, Sacha, and Nina, and occasionally contributes his own vocals to the project. In a Side-Line interview, he discussed keeping DI*ove’s sound from settling only into the codes of its past.
DI*ove released the EP “DIversion/Phase I*” in October 2022, followed by the “DI*ldo” EP reviewed here in November 2024.
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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.
