6TH Circle is not exactly a name that makes ring a bell. Set up in 2017 by American artist Matt Auxier, this American solo-project released the debut album “The Third Estate” in 2019 (Sentient Ruin Laboratories). In 2020 Matt Auxier stroke back with the second opus “The Idle Construct”, which has been released on Adam-X’ Sonic Groove Experiments. The work clearly reflects a passion for old-school EBM reminding the early work of Frontline Assembly. “The Idle Construct” brings the true spirit of EBM alive and is an absolute must have for all fans in this genre of music.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I think it’s interesting asking you about your musical background as you got involved in different bands dealing with a totally different music style than 6THCIRCLE? What incited you to start composing Electronic music and how would you introduce 6TH CIRCLE?

Matt: Yeah I’m definitely into a lot of different styles of music.  But mostly dark and heavy. As a kid I always gravitated towards Industrial and Metal and that’s really never changed. What incited me to make EBM/Industrial is I played some demos I had been working on and some people actually liked it. I never had confidence I could make good electronic music, and maybe I still can’t (lol). But to me, it’s important not to limit my creativity which means inclusion of all my influences. 6^th Circle is a love letter of sorts to my teenage love of Industrial.   

Q: What kind of musician/artist are you and how do you see yourself evolving throughout the years? Do you handle personal criteria and references when composing music?

Matt: I’ve always tried to include my thoughts on the world and personal philosophies into my art. To me, that’s what makes art great, speaking the language of the people and the environment we all live in. It also allows for a personal release for me. 

Q: You in 2019 released the debut album “The Third Estate” so what kind of work was it and can you tell us something more about the evolution from that work towards “The Idle Construct”?

Matt: “The Third Estate” was an evolution into what I really wanted to make 6^th Circle become. For example, inclusion of some more atmosphere and underlying noise and that continued with “The Idle Construct”. Both albums are more what I was aiming for when I started the project and I feel each shows growth for me as a producer. I try and make new albums evolve in some way, and touch on a feeling I Imagine before the writing process begins. 

Q: “The Idle Construct” reminds me of late 80s / early 90s EBM and I sometimes get the impression early Frontline Assembly is a potential source of inspiration. What inspired you in the writing and global production of the work and how do you look back at the entire composition process?

Matt: Yes it is absolutely a nod to the old-school style, but I feel I add something fresh to make it my own. FLA has and will always be a huge influence and I think that comes through in the production.  Belgium EBM from the late 80-90s and Def North American acts like FLA, Skinny Puppy, Ministry etc… stay on my turntables so it will always be there in my music in some way. 

Q: EBM is often linked with ‘power’ and ‘rage’, but your album is clearly more into an atmospheric side of EBM. What is this album all about and what did you try to express through “The Idle Construct”?

Matt: In a way, the atmosphere is metaphor for the permanent adversarial culture that exists in the world. The underlying noise that is ever present. The atmosphere allows “The Idle Construct” to stay cohesive and gives it that dark feel that is always a part of the music.  Also, the dark feel just kind of came out given the state of the world when the music was composed. It was made purposefully and also innate in the music. 

Q: 2020 has been a particular year because of Covid-19, but also the election of a new president in the US. How do you as artist and simple citizen feel impacted about these things? And how do you see things evolving vs. what comes next for 6TH CIRCLE?

Matt: It’s always good when we no longer have an active fascist in a position of leadership, even though we all know nothing will really change. Biden is a welcome change, but he has been a straight line conservative throughout the years too. So hopefully I’m wrong, but I don’t expect much change from the Military complex that is the U.S.  But we should always question leaders, as they’re supposed to have the tough answers.

For 6^th Circle, the world around me is always an influence and an inspiration both positive and negative. For now, envisioning what the next album will be and wishing I could do some touring, but always composing and searching for new sounds. 

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

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Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Based in Columbus, Ohio (USA), Matt Auxier has been involved with different bands and music styles. In 2017 he set up his solo-project 6th Circle as a move back to his early passion for EBM. “The Idle Construct” is his second album and the first one released on Sonic Groove Experiments.

Content: The opening cut is characterized by spooky vocals, but quite rapidly you indeed will notice the love of this musician for good-old EBM. The album sounds a bit like travelling back to the 80s; the origins of EBM. Most of the songs remind me of the early, dark EBM style of Frontline Assembly. The songs are danceable without becoming hard, but supported with a dark atmosphere evoking the icy 80s years of Electronic- and Wave music.

+ + + : This production is pure old-school like and even if it brings nothing new, it first of all stands for great EBM. There’s a right balance between the overwhelming, dark atmospheres and solid EBM bass lines. Icy bleeps and ghost-like vocals are achieving this retro-styled production. This work brings the true spirit of EBM to life  and that’s also because of the analogue-like effects and sound treatments. There’s something to say about nearly every single song, “Deviant” being my personal favorite one. This song reflects the raw sound approach of 6th Circle.

– – – : This is the kind of production deserving your attention so I hope this album will not fall into anonymity.

Conclusion: 6th Circle is a great surprise for all lovers of retro-EBM. This is an album I highly recommend although it’s not available in a physical format.

Best songs: “Deviant”, “Sanctuary”, “SAGW”, “Traces”, “Lost”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/6thcircle666

Label: www.sonicgroove.com / www.facebook.com/Sonicgrooverecords

About 6th Circle

6th Circle is the solo-project of American artist Matt Auxier, based in Columbus, Ohio, set up in 2017 as a return to his early passion for EBM. The project released its debut album “The Third Estate” in 2019 on Sentient Ruin Laboratories.

“The Idle Construct” (2020) followed as the second 6th Circle album and the project’s first release on Adam X’s Sonic Groove Experiments imprint.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

Industrial/EBM artist 6th Circle will be releasing his new album “The Third Estate” on Sentient Ruin Laboratories on October 4th. But for now, you can already enjoy the premiere of the brand new video “Taking Us Down” on Side-Line! 6th Circle’s sound harkens back to 90’s era of Front Line Assembly and Skinny Puppy but also has the modern touch similar to artists like HIDE or Statiqbloom.

The song itself “is about hope for people who never had hope and that hope can empower and unify to do something great.”

On his upcoming album “The Third Estate” the Columbus OH-based satanist/anarchist electro-industrial artist brings a natural continuation and a marked evolution of Auxier’s two iconic previous EP tape releases (the 2018 now impossible to find “Pacified” tape EP released by US raw black metal tape forge Knife Vision, and the “Conjuring” tape EP released in early 2019 by harsh noise death dealers Phage Tapes).

You can pre-order the album below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Brooklyn-based darkwave band Bootblacks have announced that they’ve inked a deal with Toronto-based Artoffact Records. Bootblacks will release their Artoffact debut, a Jason Corbett-produced album, tentatively called “Thin Skies”, later in 2019.

The band, formed in 2010, have been touring North America and Europe for nearly a decade, with their mix of coldwave, dark post-punk, and death rock.

Bootblacks is Barrett Hiatt, who joined the band only a few years ago, alongside vocalist Panther Macdonald and guitarist Alli Gorman, both founders of the band. Larry Gorman joined on drums in 2018. After forming in 2010, Bootblacks released several independent albums, culminating in “Fragments” (2017). The band played most of the most well-renowned indie gothic and punk festivals on both sides of the Atlantic, before hooking up with Artoffact Records through Actors frontman and producer Jason Corbett.

Here’s “Hold & Dissolve” from their last album.

Bootblacks on tour supporting Actors

• Friday March 15 – Vancouver | The Biltmore Cabaret (w/ SPECTRES )
• Saturday March 16 – Seattle | Central Saloon (w/ Ex-Kids )
• Sunday March 17 – Portland | The Star Theater (w/ Ritual Veil )
• Wednesday March 20 – Sacramento | Blue Lamp (w/ Creux Lies)
• Thursday March 21 – Oakland | Elbo Room (w/ Creux Lies, Ötzi )
• Saturday March 23 – San Diego | Space (w/ Creux Lies, Twin Tribes )
• Sunday March 24 – Los Angeles | The Echo (w/ Creux Lies, Twin Tribes )
• Thursday April 25 – Montreal | Casa Del Popolo (w/ The City Gates )
• Friday April 26 – Toronto | The Baby G (w/ Mary )
• Saturday April 27 – Brooklyn | Saint Vitus
• Tuesday April 30 – Baltimore | Metro Gallery (w/ The Holy Circle )
• Wednesday May 1 – Pittsburgh | Brillobox (w/ Panic Priest )
• Thursday May 2 – Columbus | The Summit (w/ 6th circle )
• Friday May 3 – Detroit | Small’s (w/ The Bellwether Syndicate )
• Saturday May 4 – Chicago | Chop Shop (w/ The Bellwether Syndicate )

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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