Mondträume – The Unknown Path (EP – Alfa Matrix)
Genre/Influences: Dark-Pop, Electro-Pop.
Format: Digital.
Background/Info: Mondträume strikes back with a new line-up. Singer Damasius Venys is no longer on board (he’s also busy with his solo-project Mental Exile) so Pikotto VonMond joined hands with Ivan Derbenev (Antilav, Himmash) and Madil Hardis (who already collaborated with Ashbury Heights, Psy’aviah ao).
Content: Sound-wise the work is still driven by dark and melancholic Dark-Pop vibes. The EP features 4 songs plus 3 remixes. Madil Hardis’ classically trained voice injects a dreamy, elevating effect to the work. Both singers also performed as a duo. Remixes have been accomplished by Ruined Conflict, Elektrostaub and Aiboforcen.
+ + + : It’s not an easy thing and even a big challenge replacing Damasius Venys but the new vocalists did a great job. It however sounds like a new beginning for Mondträume and especially the female vocals are quite surprising. There’s something to say about each new track but I especially recommend “Something” for its danceable loops and kick plus “Loss” which is a refined and still danceable cut with a perfect match between male- and female vocals. Among the remixes I especially salute the great work of Ruined Conflict injecting an extra Future-Pop touch to “Something”. I also like the Aiboforcen remix of the same song.
– – – : The sound, melancholia and danceable vibes of Mondträume remain all intact but it’s not an easy thing to get used to hearing new singers. Damasius Venys definitely was the soul of this formation.
Conclusion: If you like to dance to melancholic songs you better play Mondträume.
Best songs: “Loss”, “Something – Ruined Conflict Remix”, “Something”.
Rate: 7.
Artist: www.facebook.com/Mondtraeume
Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘The Unknown Path’.
About Mondträume
Mondträume is a Spanish synth-pop project founded in 2010 by producer Pikotto VondMond, born Jose Ignacio Castaño Marquinez. Pikotto first worked with different vocalists and placed “Life Is Short” on the compilation “Extreme Sündenfall Vol. 10” before Damasius Venys joined in late 2011.
The project moved quickly into the Alfa Matrix orbit. “Life Is Short” was released in 2013, followed by the debut album “Empty” on 26 April 2014. The EP “Free” followed on 4 November 2016, and the second full-length album “Lovers, Sinners & Liars” arrived on 28 June 2019, preceded by the earlier “Still Beating” and “Free” singles.
The line-up changed again in 2022 when Venys left and Ivan Derbenev of Antilav and Himmash plus vocalist Madil Hardis entered, which is the configuration heard on the 7-track EP “The Unknown Path”, released by Alfa Matrix on 5 May 2022. By December 2023 Nicky Schulschenk of N-Frequency had become the vocalist, debuting with “Heart Machine”, and “Poisoned Love” followed in December 2024.
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
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.
