Hydrom Line – Hydrom Line Edition 2021 (Album – Wool-E Discs)
Genre/influences: Dark-EBM.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/info: Hydrom Line was a side-project set up by Belgian musicians Peter Van Bogaert (Liquid G) and Bart Verlent (Kandinsky) while a few songs were featuring female vocals by Sandra B. (who also did some vocals for Subsection 1!). Two tapes were released in 1991 and 1992. Thirty years later the duo got some of their early songs re-released on cd format by Wool-E Discs.
Content: Hydrom Line sounds like good-old Belgian Electro; a dark sound reminding me of bands like Vomito Negro and Liquid G. Haunting atmospheres joined by EBM bass lines and guitar playing by Bart Verlent. The vocals have something ghost-like while the songs featuring Sandra B. have something desolate and cold.
+ + + : This album is a great way to (re)discover Hydrom Line. The songs don’t really suffer from any weight of time and will appeal for lovers of early Vomito Negro. This is Belgian Dark-Electro power at its best and it’s even a pity this band didn’t get that much recognition. There are several cool songs featured, but I especially recommend listening to “Crash & Burn”, “Don’t Look”, “White Lake” and “Realities”.
– – – : Why did some bands become more famous and recognized than others? Even if some songs are a bit rudimentary, Hydrom Line deserved more recognition.
Conclusion: If you like the early Belgian EBM school, this album is one to put your finger on.
Best songs: “Crash & Burn”, “Don’t Look”, “White Lake”, “Realities”, “Reflections”.
Rate: 8.
Listen to “HydromLine Edition 2021”:
Artist: www.facebook.com/hydromline
Label: www.wool-e-discs.be / www.facebook.com/woolediscs
About Hydrom Line
Hydrom Line was a short-lived Belgian side project of Peter Van Bogaert, better known as Liquid G., working with Bart Verlent of Kandinsky and with guest vocals by Sandra B.
The project released two cassettes, “Hydrom Line” in 1991 and “Lost Experiments Of Satan’s Pretty Place” in 1992. The track “Insanity” from the first tape appeared on the first Nuit Et Brouillard release, the limited numbered compilation cassette “Klinikal Operation: European Techno Compilation” (1991), alongside Suicide Commando, The Eternal Afflict, Das Kombinat and Liquid G. Further tracks turned up on the compilations “Photo Electric Zone” (Tecdance, 1992) and “Corpus Delicti” (Anti Demos Cracia, 1992).
Wool-E Discs released the CD “Edition 2021” on 27 November 2021. Nine tracks were re-recorded from the two tapes and the new song “On Dope” was added. Peter Van Bogaert is credited with composition, synths and vocals, Bart Verlent with guitar and effects, and Sandra B. with vocals on “Realities” and “Reflections”.
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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.
