fïx8:sëd8 – The Inevitable Relapse (Album – Dependent Records)

Genre/Influences: EBM, Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD + lmtd. 2CD.

Background/Info: Martin Sane strikes back with the third official album of his sonic brainchild fïx8:sëd8. The album has been achieved during the pandemic, the title of the album referring to the situation. Notice by the way there also is a limited format featuring an extra CD featuring ten remixes by other artists.

Content: fïx8:sëd8 moves on there where the previous –brilliant, album “Warning Signs” stopped. We get an even more elaborated, and especially even more efficient complex Electronic composition. The influences are always getting back to early Skinny Puppy and Mentallo & The Fixer, but this German project clearly has developed its own sound. The songs feature multiple spoken samplings, which are mixed with the harsh, ghost-like vocals of Martin Sane. The songs are driven by bombastic, danceable rhythms. The dense Electronic layers are featuring subtle bleeps and good-old synth parts. The tracks are elaborated and often long-duration pieces. There’s a noticeable and more explicit ‘club-song’ entitled “Unknow To Virtue” plus a surprising and more Dark Electro-Pop cut (cf. “Tremors”) featuring guest vocals by Emke (Black Nail Cabaret).

+ + + : I already considered the previous work of fïx8:sëd8 as an magnum opus, but I rapidly realized “The Inevitable Relapse” is again moving a step further. I think it makes no longer sense comparing this project to Skinny Puppy; fïx8:sëd8 simply went on where early Skinny Puppy left off! This artist excels in the writing of intelligent Electronic music; somewhere in between early EBM, Dark-electro and Industrial. There’s not one single track to throw away. The songs have been progressively built up and even if the writing is sophisticated it always remains accessible, efficient and exciting! There are not many bands –and especially talented ones, dealing with this kind of approach. It reflects a true genius in the global production. There’s something to say about every single track, but “Unknown To Virtue” has an extra clubby touch. Another absolute highlight is the last song “Metabolite”, but I also recommend “Meltdown” and “Pale Light Shadow”.

– – – : I don’t see any single minus point; not even “Tremors” featuring Emke. The songs sound pretty different from the rest, but it also is a great song; it’s just different.

Conclusion: fïx8:sëd8 never stops improving little details from the global production work. This is probably not the ‘easiest’ underground Electro, but it’s touched by the hand of Apollo… the God of music!

Best songs: “Unknown To Virtue”, “Metabolite”, “Pale Light Shadow”, “Meltdown”, “Chlorine Clean Tears”, “The Inevitable Relapse”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.facebook.com/Fix8Sed8

Label: www.dependent.de / www.facebook.com/dependent.records

Since you’re here …

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

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

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

The donations are safely powered by Paypal.