Genre/Influences: Industrial-Techno, Dark-Techno.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Sonic Groove boss Adam Mitchell (Adam-X, Traversable Wormhole) strikes back with his Mass-X-Odus project which he defines as ‘Hard-Power-Tech-Noise’. He doesn’t release new work on a regular basis, “Urban Hell” being the third EP” in ten years.

Content: The EP features 3 cuts inviting the listener to join pure Techno-underground music. The work is mixing dark atmospheres together with pumping Industrial-Techno. The title song features pitched, ghost-like vocal effects reinforcing the obscure side of the work.

+ + + : Industrial-Techno isn’t that new but I like the way Adam Mitchell supports his work with an ominous, dark, touch. Pumping, distorted, beats for underground heads. The title song is a great piece of music whereon the vocal effects inject something extra while reinforcing the darkness hanging over the work.

– – – : I regret Mass-X-Odus isn’t releasing new work on a regular basis as this new EP really kicks ass.

Conclusion: Rough Techno for dark souls or Industrial music for ravers.

Best songs: “Urban Hell”, “Eminent Domain”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/AdamXsonicgroove

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

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

Genre/Influences: Hard-Techno, Techno-Body, Industrial-Techno.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: This work resulted from the collaborative efforts between Maeghan Donovan aka ‘Maedon’ and Adam Mitchell aka ‘Adam X’. While Adam X is running Sonic Groove Records this album has been released by Tresor Records.

Content: If you know the work of both artists you for sure can have an idea about the sound featured on this album. It’s a hard and dark Techno style infused by Industrial sound treatments and some EBM elements. It sounds pretty straight forward and sometimes a bit tormenting because of the cold blasts.

+ + + : I’m not surprised about this collaboration. Partners in crime and lovers, Maedon and Adam X are inviting the listeners to a true Technoid cataclysm. Maedon is known for her hard and merciless style which you rapidly recognize while I guess Adam X injected a retro-like element. Linear and furious, this work stands for non-stop danceable vibes. The opening piece “Breath In It” sounds by far my personal favorite one.

– – – : I got the feeling the work is getting a bit predictable after a while.

Conclusion: Maedon-X is a kind of damaging and perverted Techno sound for dungeon dancefloors.

Best songs: “Breath In It”, “Corrupt Pigs”, “Subterranean Caverns”, “Subliminal Messages”.

Rate: 7½.

Artists: www.facebook.com/maed0n /  www.facebook.com/AdamXsonicgroove

Label: www.tresorberlin.com / www.facebook.com/tresorberlin

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

Behind Maedon is hiding American female artist Maeghan Donovan. Now based in Berlin (Germany) her sound can be defined as hard, merciless, Techno-Body Music. She got in touch with Sonic Groove owner Adam-X who released her debut EP “Against His Will” in 2019. She next released the EP “Escape To Berlin”. Earlier this year Maedon unleashed her debut full length “Now I Am Become Death” which only confirmed the powerful sound of this artist. This interview is a way to introduce you to the muscled Techno universe of Maedon. Maeghan Donovan is not only a great producer but also an interesting person.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: How did you get contaminated by Electronic music? And tell us a bit more about your music background and former experiences like Pulsewidthmod?

Maeghan: I became hooked to Electronic music at a very young age, my oldest brother who was a Senior in Highschool when I was in Kindergarten gave me my first tapes. The first two were typical Girl-Pop music. The third tape he gave me was the hook, line, and sinker for me; Depeche Mode “People Are People”. From there on my musical journeys were very diverse over the years,  but I always returned to Electronic-Dance music. 

As for my musical background, I started playing the piano when I was 5 years old and sang in choirs. I went to college for Classical Piano Performance but decided to drop out to pursue building a studio of my own and producing. 

From 2005 to 2014 I spent time learning the ins and outs of synthesis and recording. My first show as my former moniker, Pulsewidthmod, was in 2014. At that point, all my productions were focused more on Pop music but my first shows were playing for Dance parties. I became hooked after my first real rave that I played.

In 2016 I went on my first tour that coincided with my first visit to Namm in Anaheim, California. A few months later, I released my first physical album on cassette tape, “Entelechy”, and booked a 2.5 month coast to coast tour. The music was vocal-centric, Minimal/Dark-Wave. While I was on tour I realized I didn’t really enjoy playing shows where I was performing structured songs and singing. At the end of each set, I would play a more Live PA style. It wasn’t quite Techno, but it was definitely Dance-worthy and that was the time that I focused all my energy on producing music for clubs.

In April of 2018 I released my first 12” on Detroit Underground. In September of that year I moved to Brooklyn, NY. In December of 2018 I played Synthicide and when I was finished with my set I walked from the dance room to the bar and low and behold, who was standing there? Adam-X! We spoke for over two hours that night. He had given me really good feedback on the promo for my Detroit Underground release, “Serpentine Servitude”. It was really cool because he was unaware that I was a female. That’s how I wanted it a the time, I didn’t want my music to be marketed or pushed because I was a woman. I wanted the music to stand on its own. I wore a hood for most of my press shots so it wasn’t obvious that Pulsewidthmod was a woman.

That night at Synthicide, Bossa Nova Civic Club, Adam expressed to me to send him tracks. It took me till the end of April the following year to send him my new productions. He heard my tracks and immediately signed me. As many people know, we are now a couple. This happened after the release of my first Sonic Groove release, “Against His Will”. 

Q: I’m always wondering why there’re less female- than male artists active in the music scene, but especially in Electronic/Industrial music. Do you’ve an explanation and how does it feel to be active in this ‘men world’? 

Maeghan: We live in a world ruled by men, not women. This mentality trickles down into every aspect of society. The entertainment industry is ruled by men and the world of technology has always been a male driven vocation.

I grew up in a world where girls played with Barbies and wore pink and boys grew up with Transformers, and GI Joe and wore blue. (I could care less about barbies, I much preferred transformers and Casio synthesizers.) Because of technology, the world has changed exponentially. Being an Electronic musician means not only being a musician, but being an engineer and a producer. 

Synthesizers are in many ways a very nerdy thing to get into. To the unacclimated musician, they can be somewhat difficult even to get your head around. As a synthesist, you almost have to have an interest in both physics and electronic engineering. As a girl growing up in the 90s, these sorts of things were not marketed to girls. Being a woman, it took breaking the usual societal norms to break into being interested in things that weren’t meant or marketed towards women. 

I felt very alienated to a degree and singled out. Promoters were almost always men. They don’t expect for a girl to make music that appeals to them. They don’t expect that a girl even knows what she’s doing. I would play many opening slots. All this gave me fuel to push myself harder, make my music harder, make it darker, to always strive to outdo myself with each passing show. To sum it up, being a woman making music that was almost entirely a male-centric genre, it pushed me to make music that was harder and darker than all the boys.

The best feeling in the world in a way is the reactions I would get from male promoters. At one party I clearly remember the promoter coming up to me halfway through my set saying to me, next time you play for us, we will give you a prime spot. The funny thing about this story, the same promoter booked me for another party; when it came time to make the poster I asked what my time slot was just to make sure. It’s not worth my time or effort to take my gear out to a show where I’m getting paid the equivalent amount as someone doing door. They didn’t keep their promise so I backed out.

I value what I do and I deserve to get treated with respect.

With all this said, things have changed a lot now. Women along with Transgender, and non-binary artists are being heavily pushed. Because of this, I now feel comfortable letting my personality shine through publicly. I don’t hide behind a hood anymore because I don’t need to, my music stands on its own. My music got me to where I am today, not being the ‘token’ female on the all male line-up.

Q: I can easily imagine your move to Berlin, meeting other artists and visiting clubs must have had a serious impact on your artistic activities. What makes Berlin that different from the rest and can you tell us a bit more about the spirit of this town? 

Maeghan: I moved to Berlin on March 15th, 2020  two weeks ahead of schedule and only two weeks after returning from playing Tresor for the first time. The Berlin that I know is the locked-down Berlin. That being said, Berlin has had a very positive and dramatic influence on my music and music production. 

What makes this city different is the fact that this city not only respects artists but much of the economy has been built around the club culture. Last year Berlin clubs were declared to be a cultural institution to safeguard their future in the time of lockdown. As an artist, this mentality serves as a huge sense of security. Where I come from, being an artist was a constant struggle. I would live day by day, week by week, doing my best to make my rent. Many times I had to sell gear to make up for the difference to pay my rent. 

I refused to let my art suffer for the security of a paycheck. I would live off of bagels or spaghetti so I could spend time working on my craft. This was difficult in itself because those around you, including roommates, would look down on me thinking I was being irresponsible. For me, being irresponsible would be denying myself of pursuing my craft.

Here in Berlin, the cost of living is not nearly as high as it was in Brooklyn. This is another aspect of this city that really helps artists thrive. I am here because I am an artist. If I want to stay here, all I need to do is to continue doing what I always have minus the worries and guilty feelings of being a ‘responsible citizen’. This is something artists around the world should feel everywhere. 

Meeting other artists is the cherry on top with Berlin. I’ve made many friends and for the first time in my life, I feel like a member of an amazing community. Living in Berlin truly is, living the dream.

Q: Adam Mitchell introduced Mædon as one of the hardest projects signed to Sonic Groove. I think you just are the ‘hardest’ one but what do you try to express by your music and especially the debut album “Now I Am Become Death”? 

Maeghan: My music being hard is a result of two things: first, my life experiences, second, we live in a world that’s severely fucked up. “Now I Am Become Death” continues on with the same theme as “Against His Will” and “Escape To Berlin”. I express the atrocities of those who hold the power and rule the world. The title track of the album, “Now I Am Become Death” was started as a more Techno-Body Music track where I sampled Oppenheimer. The quality of the recording from his speech wasn’t sitting well so I decided to say it myself. This is how it morphed into being a more straight up, hard Techno track. My vocals became the lead.

We live in a world where we are ruled by madmen. People follow orders by those in command, and it causes death, repression, pain, suffering … so my sound and this album is me literally saying “Everything is Not O.K.”. That was another track that I originally had a vocal sample of Dave Chappele saying ‘The worst thing to call someone is crazy … maybe the environment is a little sick’. My sound has always been a musical expression of me screaming ‘I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!’ As time goes by, I’m just getting louder expressing this sentiment.

Q: How do you look back at this album? What have been the main difficulties and eventually challenges in the writing- and production process? And what are you personal criteria to say a track/album is finished? 

Maeghan: This album was written and recorded during the thick of the pandemic when lockdown was in full effect. It was very difficult to complete because there were no shows to play. Playing shows is a vital part of not only the production but the source of inspiration. 

 As I look back on it, I see it as an album created in the darkest and hardest of times as an artist. There was an overwhelming fear that club culture might not return. It’s also an album that’s a demonstration of my transition from being known as an EBM artist to being more versatile with making Techno in general. There’s some Hard-Techno in there, some Rave, and some Acid.

Outside of producing dance music when no one is dancing, the hardest challenge to a degree was making the music in a small space entirely in headphones. When I moved here, I came with only the essentials. My monitors and sub were sold because they weighed too much to bring with me from Brooklyn. I also ended up living with Adam in his studio flat because finding a flat during the pandemic was not an option.

So, I made do setting up in Adam X’s kitchen, mixing and cooking up beats, listening through cans. I really look forward to the future where Adam and I can find a suitable flat here where I can rebuild a studio. 

Q: A last question about your live sets. Do you’ve specific/favorite tracks/artists you’re always playing? How do you prepare a live set and do you notice significant differences between the places and clubs you’re playing? 

Maeghan: I am mostly booked as a live artist so my preparation for gigs is literally making new tracks. The more shows I play, the more new material I get to choose from. The main difference between the places and clubs I’m playing now is this, I’m playing and being booked to play in amazing clubs and parties. Last fall I got to play in Basement and this was such an amazing experience. I also got to play in LA for the first time ever in a proper underground warehouse. This year I look forward to playing in many world renown clubs and parties.

I am beginning to Dj now too, I find it to be very fun. I love being able to play tracks of many of my favorite artists a few of which are Perc, Ansome, Joe Far, Mickey Nox,  Sawf, Anfs, Phase Fatale, Dasha Rush… oh yeah, and Adam-X. Every DJ set I play always includes Sheer Insanity or Sensory Overload.

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

Genre/Influences: Hard-Techno, Techno-Body.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: After having released two promising EP’s Maeghan Donovan aka ‘Maedon’ strikes back with her debut album. “Now I Become Death” features nine songs.

Content: Maedon holds onto her devastating Techno power she already illustrated on previous EP’s. This album stands for hard-hitting Techno music with a dark touch on top. The tracks have been achieved with EBM sequences, harsh noises and spoken samplings. The devastating kick injects a constant power to the work.

+ + + : Sonic Groove owner Adam Mitchell (Adam-X) once introduced Maedon as one of the hardest projects from the label. This American artist only confirms this statement, her music being pure sonic adrenaline. The album is driven by hard, merciless kicks and devastating sequences. I like the rather EBM-driven sequences running through “Everything Is Not OK”. I also want to mention the title track for the impressive canvas of noises and effects. This woman stands for a merciless and enraged sound!

– – – : Speaking for myself I would have liked to hear Maedon injecting a bit more EBM elements to her album. It would also have brought a bit more diversity to the composition becoming a bit too similar after a while. But you don’t hear me complaining when listening to dance stuff like this.

Conclusion: Maedon stands for ‘the muscles of Sonic Groove’. This is dancefloor terror.

Best songs: “Everything Is Not OK”, “Now I Am Become Death”, “What You Want – Rüdersdorf Trip”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/maed0n

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

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

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Acid, Techno, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Four years after the outstanding “Recon Mission”-album Adam-X strikes back with his seventh full length opus. The work has been written and recorded during the lockdown while the inspiration came from an abandoned factory in the forests of Rüdersdorf (Germany) near Berlin.

Content: Adam-X took me by surprise. Next to some familiar sound ingredients related to Industrial- and Minimal-Electro- plus Techno music he this time injected Acid loops to the work. It resulted in a hard, dark and danceable experience in sound. The Acid influences are progressively coming through while the hard-banging Industrial beats are leading the dancer into trance.

+ + + : This is a surprising release from Brooklyn (USA) born Adam-X. He got inspired by this strange and abandoned place in Rüdersdorf which resulted in an unexpected mix of Industrial-Techno at one side and pure Acid -reminding the glorious days of the Detroit scene, at the other. I’m not saying Adam-X reinvented his sound, but he clearly dares to experiment with new -retro-like ideas. There’s an interesting evolution in the tracklist, the second part of the album being the most exciting one. “1993 Acid Flashbacks” is reaching a true transcendental effect. The last cut “Perceived Alien Invasion” has a similar result. I like the kick driven through this song. This work is a true challenge, but for sure evoking good-old memories from the 90s.

– – – : The Acid sequences running through the work are becoming a bit predictable and repetitive after a while.

Conclusion: The good thing with lockdowns is that many artists got stimulated in their creativity. Adam-X brings great retro influences to life with his own minimal touch on top.

Best songs: “1993 Acid Flashbacks”, “Perceived Alien Invasion”, “Dissociation In Isolation”, “Meteors Galore”, “Dystopic Monolithic Structures”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.adamx.net / www.facebook.com/AdamXsonicgroove

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

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

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Techno, Minimal-Electro, Experimental.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Adam Mitchell strikes back with a new opus of his ‘industrialized’ ADMX-71 project. We know the New-Yorker -based in Berlin (Germany) from his other projects Adam X, Traversable Wormhole ao, but also as sonic Groove label runner. “The Aging Process” has been released on the New-York label L.I.E.S. Records featuring nine new songs.

Content: The album takes off with a kind of intro-track, but we rapidly move into a mix of Experimental-sounding loops and Techno-Industrial elements. Quite progressively the tracks become more elaborated, featuring minimal Electro sequences, raw sound treatments and space-like bleeps.

+ + + : The tracklist of the album is interesting as it moves progressively towards more accomplished pieces of Minimal-Electro. I especially recommend listening to the final part of the work revealing three great cuts. The way the songs have been built up is a noticeable aspect here. “The Code Decipher” is a true apotheosis of the work, which has been preceded by “Leading The Way”, which sounds like pure class-minimalism. “Dormant DNA Activation” is the other track left, bringing a mix of astral sound treatments and slow Techno music. Last, but not least I also want to mention “They’ve Instilled Fear In Us” for its cool, vintage sound sculptures.

– – – : some of the opening tracks are more Experimental and not exactly the best exponents of the work. So you have to be a little bit patient to discover the strength of this work.

Conclusion: The fourth full length by ADMX-71 also is the first one in five years, but it remains a great sonic exposure of modern Industrial-Techno & Experimental music.

Best songs: “The Code Decipher”, “Leading The Way”,  “Dormant DNA Activation”,  “They’ve Instilled Fear In Us”, “Catch Me If You Can”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.adamx.net / www.facebook.com/AdamXsonicgroove

Label: www.liesrecords.com / www.facebook.com/longislandelectricalsystems

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

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.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Techno-Body, Industrial-Techno, Dark-Techno.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Sonic Groove is celebrating its 25^th anniversary with a compilation featuring 12 tracks. Set up by Adam Mitchell –better known under the Adam X moniker, the American label –now based in Berlin (Germany) became a visionary company mixing Techno music with darker/underground genres like EBM and Industrial music.

Artists: The Source Experience, Max Durante, Orphx, Diagenetic Origin, Panacea, Meadon, Rhys Fulber & Portion Control, Crystal Geometry, Monolith, Adam X, Dasha Rush, Realmz.

Content: The compilation brings familiar projects from the label together; from ‘earlier’ artists such as Max Durante, Orphx, Diagenetic Origin, Dasha Rush and Realmz… to artists who joined Sonic Groove during the past few years like Rhys Fulber, Crystal Geometry, Maedon… The common thread between all artists is Techno music, which they each mixed with a darker influence. The most surprising track is a collaboration between Rhys Fulber (Frontline Assembly, Delerium, Conjure One ao) and Portion Control.

+ + + : This compilation first of all is a way to discover the great label roster of Sonic Groove while it remains one of the very few labels, which welcomed artists mixing Techno music with darker genres. Sonic Groove has been a pioneer and still remains a reference today. When you hear Rhys Fulber together with Portion Control composing a true Techno-Body-Music song with harsh vocals on top, you get an idea what this label stands for. So far I can see the featured artists have composed an exclusive song for this sampler, which makes it only more interesting. I have a preference for the Industrial-Techno style of Crystal Geometry (one of the newest projects on Sonic Groove), but I also have to mention the rough exposure by Diagenetic Origin, the Dark-Techno approach from Panacea and a more explicit track by Dasha Rush. Adam X remains another attention grabber and who better than the label owner he stands for the sound of his label: Industrial-Techno!

– – – : I don’t have real regrets, but some extra artists and tracks would have been cool.

Conclusion: This sampler serves as a perfect shop window to give you an idea about the sonic strength and visionary style of the label. I can only express respect for what this label has accomplished so far.

Best bands: Crystal Geometry, Rhys Fulber & Portion Control, Diagenetic Origin, Panacea.

Rate: (8½).

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

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

Genre/Influences: Techno-Body, Industrial-Body.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Maedon (Maeghan Donovan) last year released the promising debut EP “Against His Will”. The American artist now strikes back with a new work featuring three songs while we might expect her debut album for early 2021. The EP title is for sure inspired by her stay in Berlin (Germany) where she recorded these tracks during the quarantine.  

Content: Maedon moves on producing merciless Techno-Body music, which is driven by murderous, beating kicks. The songs have been recovered with a true sonic arsenal of industrial noises and spoken samples. Metallic sound treatments are accentuating the icy sphere hanging over this work.

+ + + : Sonic Groove owner Adam Mitchell (Adam-X) last year introduced Maedon as one of the hardest projects from the label and this new EP only confirms that statement. This girl brings furious Techno music, which has been roughly mixed with elements of EBM and Industrial. There’s a perfect fusion between all different elements creating a sonic osmosis. There’s something to say about the three cuts, but I have a preference for the opening piece (cf. “American Dream”) while the last one (cf. “Pandemonium”) is another cool song.

– – – : I think that Meadon is even able to do better; maybe by adding some extra little details and variations on top of her work. I’m really wondering how her debut album will sound-like!

Conclusion: Meadon confirms her writing skills to compose icy, perverted Techno music; and I mean it as a compliment!

Best songs: “American Dream”, “Pandemonium”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/maed0n

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

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

Set up as a solo-project in 1997 by Eric Van Wonterghem MONOLITH became a true reference in the Industrial music genre. This dinosaur from the Belgian and international Electro-underground scene has been involved with numerous projects such as ABSOLUTE BODY CONTROL, THE KLINIK, INSEKT, SONAR, DETUNE-X while contributing to the writing of DIVE-albums. He this year strikes back with the eleventh (!) full length album of MONOLITH. “Unnatural Bodies” has been released on Hands and sounds like symbolizing the fusion between Techno- and Industrial music. I talked about it with Eric Van Wonterghem.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries) 

Q: “Unnatural Bodies” seems to be inspired by the work of Jim Whiting, which I remember from the great “Rockit”-clip by Herbie Hancock. What caught your attention by the work of Whiting and how do you transpose this inspiration into music?

Eric: Yes he did the “Rockit”-clip and the “Frankenstein”-movie effects I think. I liked his exhibition work in the 80s, the weirdness behind, and how he  created ‘human – machines’,

different from robots programmed  to do certain things. The “Unnatural Bodies” like Jim Whiting called it first were  combined mechanical elements with air-pressure  connected with  parts of ‘dummy’ bodies. His ‘moving art’ seemed  suddenly to be organic and alive.

I somehow liked to achieve something similar with my music, art without rules! When you follow the book how to make art or music, that will mostly never bring something interesting.

Q: What can you tell us about the different stages you’d to go through to release “Unnatural Bodies”? What have been the main difficulties and eventually challenges in the writing and production of the album? 

Eric: To produce a MONOLITH album, I know the creation of sounds is a progress that will take me the most of time. It also is the most difficult part for me, but also the most interesting one. There got always to be some excitement in hearing a melody or sound, if not I start the next day from scratch. After several albums, it can become sometimes more complex as the listeners often like to hear what they know you for, and as a artist I like to evolve,  I take my time until I’m satisfied with the creative part making sounds and feeling all fits into that album.

After that follows the editing, mixing and producing part, that goes fast. After all this year of studio work  for my projects and other bands it became something natural… almost immediately I create what I’ve in mind.

Q: I think it’s really interesting to see the evolution in sound and influences of early MONOLITH releases versus the productions from the past few years. Is that like you said because you like to evolve? And what has been the impact of the Berliner Techno scene on your music?

Eric: I was always interested in a wide spectrum of electronic sounds and music. I liked making the first albums with MONOLITH, back then I  searched  something new in sound, the ‘Tribal-Industrial’-sound was the result and it was not really fitting in any style, it got the attention by a certain audience, and that’s what you need as artist to keep on releasing albums. 

But after years of performing, underground parties and realizing by my own the evolution and concerts everywhere, Berlin was kind of heavier than most parts in the world, as the weekend counts 7 days there… There it was very nice to discover that the techno scene  start liking harder beats and harsher sounds, less melodic music was played, Ambient drone-sound mixed with loud reverbed kicks became a way to escape from reality  and in the Industrial scene there was also a search for a more open sound… less distorted! 

Both scenes crossed borders and started to experiment with their sound. Like many other Industrial artists I liked this evolution, it’s inspiring and so you can reach a new audience and more events. The music played in both scenes was pretty similar,  only the mixing was done a different way.

Q: It’s an evolution you can also hear on the HANDS productions, which became more Techno-driven. How do you explain this phenomenon and what’s the connection between both genres?

Eric: Like I said, both scenes are crossing their borders. Adam X’ label Sonic Groove created back then a good name for a party; it was called ”Crossing the Parallels”; different scenes that fit together, but have another audience. So that phenomenon was a normal thing to happen,  people  going out, meeting people and discovering that there’s more…

Q: You earlier this year also (self)released a digital productions entitled “The Disco Buddha Variations”, “Disco Buddha” being probably one of the biggest MONOLITH hits. What makes the magic of the original edit and tell us a bit more about the different variations/edits of the song?

Eric: The magic in that track was the never ending kick drum. The end of the sound was connected to the start, in that time a not so often heard, with a simple Noise hi-hat making the mechanical rhythm and when I created a singing Buddha on this beat, the track became very recognizable and hypnotic…

The “Disco Buddha”-variations were made 20 years later, although there were in already made some different versions in the years on request for compilations. I performed all these versions as a special on Udo Wiesmann’s birthday event from the famous industrial HANDS label. To keep this memory I released it also on my  SoundOfMonolith Label found on Bandcamp.

Q: The Covid-19 pandemic has seriously affected all artistic life –especially live performances for musicians, so what’s the impact on your own activities? How do you try to manage and face this fact and what are your plans for the coming months?

Eric: It’s heavy for all of us. I’m lucky to get my music, listening records, playing synths, creating sounds… The live action is gone for now and that’s very, very sad; unbelievable when thinking to all events and festivals that have been cancelled. I keep to be creative during- and after lockdown, but I’m patiently waiting with all of you together until this is over; till that moment that we can get back to concerts and festivals in the same way as in the past. We will enjoy that so much and even more than ever before!

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

Genre/Influences: Industrial-techno, minimal-EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Sonic Groove welcomes a new artist hailing from Rennes (France). This DJ/producer has unleashed his debut work featuring four cuts.

Content: “Hounds” reveals 4 different cuts, which are driven by a heavy mix of industrial, hard-techno and EBM. The right ingredients to get signed by Sonic Groove and no doubt about it the Berlin based label run by Adam Mitchell (Adam X) has a nose for this kind of talented artists. Rawkorder indeed offers an impressive fusion between all the aforementioned ingredients. The opening track is more into hard industrial-techno while the next track has something rather minimal-EBM driven. Both last cuts hold on to the industrial input and even touch ground with some kind of industrial/tribal music.

+ + + : This is a brilliant starter for this new artist. The EP not only features 4 different cuts, but there’s something to say about each single track. “Vein” is a truly sonic bomb to take off and especially the industrial part of the song is impressive. The track –and other songs as well, reveal impressive sound treatments. The EBM input emerges at the next song (cf. “Sonic Assault”), which also sounds more minimal-like. The final song (cf. “Last Strike”) is another noticeable track for already great sound treatments, but still a kind of tribal influence in the background. It has something transcendental, which will make you dance!

– – – : A few spoken samplings or even real shouts are the only element I’m missing here.

Conclusion: Rawkorder brings different, related influences together. This is a successful debut and definitely one of the most promising artist’s I’ve heard on Sonic Groove over the past few years.

Best songs: “Vein”, “Last strike”, “Sonic Assault”, “Umami”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/rawkorder

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

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

Originally from New-York (USA), but living in Berlin (Germany), Adam Mitchell is known in the industrial- and EBM scene for his minimal-electro driven projects Adam-X and ADMX-71. Adam is also running Sonic Groove, which is a visionary dark-techno/body label releasing productions from artists such as Orphx, Rhys Fulber, Fixmer / McCarthy, Monolith,  The Panacea, Blush Response ao. He is a renowned DJ, producer and event organizer (Tresor Club). For more than 10 years now he’s also releasing music under the Traversable Wormhole moniker. This project is definitely more techno-driven, but always featuring a dark touch on top. After numerous EP’s, Traversable Wormhole is now back with its first self-released full length album “Regions Of Time”. The album is available on digital platforms and as a double vinyl edition. The work stands for the obscure side of techno music and is for sure worthy of examination.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You set up Traversable Wormhole already a while ago, but you didn’t really release new stuff under this moniker for a few years while you were more prolific with your other projects Adam-X & ADMX-71. Where was this break good for and what brought you back to Traversable Wormhole and this new production?

Adam: Traversable Wormhole is a very specific conceptual sound for me. I’m very much into creating soundtracks for space travel themes. For a while I felt I pushed the boundaries as far as I could go with the sound. So I needed to take time and space from the project until I could come up with new ideas. I was also busy with another formerly anonymous side-project titled The Secret Initiative, which ran consecutively at the same time as the Traversable Wormhole releases. This project was a bit more loose feeling and fun for me to make from Traversable Wormhole as it’s taking old techno and EBM ideas and transforming them into the present day. I had way less restrictions recording this project and recorded 20 songs over the course of the last decade. So I had my hands full with other projects and lost focus on recording new Traversable Wormhole material.

Q: “Regions Of Time” is the first full length album so what incited you to achieve an album instead of new EP’s and what is the album all about?

Adam: I created it more on instinctual feeling then anything else. I made two songs for a single, but then the ideas just kept flowing. I thought why not just go all the way on it as I know the fans of the project would love hearing a full length album way more then a single. It is also way more gratifying as an artist to record an album then a single. I wanted a new challenge and so I took it on.

Q: You always claimed this projects stands for the sci/fi side of techno music, but what do you really understand with this ‘quote’ and what does it reveal about your personal interest for science fiction, space and wormholes?

Adam: I love astronomy, star gazing and all things related to outer space. I also love science fiction movies & comics and that has a big influence on me too. I love the segment entitled “Jupiter & Beyond The Infinite” in the movie “Space Odyssey : 2001” where Dave is traveling through space and then entering into the rings of Jupiter. Traversable Wormhole songs can easily be my rendition of a soundtrack to that particular scene in the movie. Also I’ve always had a huge passion for techno that has a sci-fi futurism feeling to it. It invokes thoughts in me of outer worldly subjects and fantasies and I love music that creates thought provocative images.

 Q: Tell us a bit more about the writing of this album? What have been the different stages you’d to go through? The equipment you used? And do you notice main differences in the composing process between Traversable Wormhole and your other projects?

Adam: I have been making music solely with Ableton and plug in synth’s since 2005. I’ve done the hardware thing for the 15 years prior to this of releasing music. For me it’s not about the tools you use it’s how far you can expand your mind to create. I also love total control in every event happening in my songs. I’m a total perfectionist. I go deep into automation with several events often happening at once on a note with effects, filters etc. You cannot do with two hands and hardware. I’m limitless now where as when I worked with hardware I felt more constricted. With that being said when I tell other producers that I don’t use any hardware many are quite in shock stating my music sounds like it’s done on hardware. What I really love about using Ableton is I usually will create several different song sketches at first. Then I will bounce back and forth between the sketches so as I don’t get bored of working on the same song for hours on end. It also helps me keep the flow of the album this way as I’m hearing several different songs in a day. I’m more in tune with the overall feel this way. This process of writing and recording is the same for all the projects I do.

Q: Whatever you want to call it, I experienced “Regions Of Time” as the dark side of techno music! It’s filled with icy sound treatments and hostile atmospheres, but it all remains definitely techno- and danceable like. There clearly is a scene in Berlin for this kind of techno music. Tell us a bit more about it? Is it an important scene (clubs, artists, promoters etc)? Why is it that specific for Berlin?

Adam: What you experienced is my actual intention for the listener to feel. I want the listener to feel very heavy low, deep bass, the sonic boom per se in space travel. In technical terminology the sound of Traversable Wormhole is often 10-15 hertz lower in frequency then most other techno music. Most low bass in techno music is recorded in the 50 and higher Hertz range of low frequency. Traversable Wormhole is hitting much lower in the 38-45 Herz range. This creates a huge feeling on a sound system with great sub bass cabinets/speakers.

There is a scene globally for this kind of music. I’ve played many countries under this project. The Japanese especially love deeper, dark music as such. So I wouldn’t say the sound is more enjoyed in Berlin then other places. It’s quite universal in techno.

Q: How do you see this scene evolving and how do you see yourself evolving towards your next productions? What brings the future for Traversable Wormhole?

Adam: I’ve entered into 30 years in 2020 since my first record came out in 1990. One thing I’ve learned in this time is it’s awfully hard to predict what comes next. I really have no idea what the next changes are to come in the music scene itself. Early in the 1990’s when I began music styles were changing rapidly year to year. Changes are super slow in modern day times. There really hasn’t been any significant changes in techno since the early part of the last decade with exception of some artists speeding the BPM’s up plus 10.

As for my own productions it’s also hard to say. I try not to think too far in the future because I’m already nearing 50 years old and have lived more then half a life. I prefer to live day to day and let my music take me instinctually to wherever it can without over thinking how I can evolve with it. I will always have an urge to push boundaries as long as I’m creating music. So you can expect more futurism forthcoming in the industrialized techno bubble I live in.

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

Genre/Influences: Dark-techno, industrial-techno.

Format: Digital, Vinyl (2xLP).

Background/Info: Adam Mitchell, who we all know in the industrial scene as Adam-X, gets back to his ‘old’ techno project Traversable Wormhole. We might speak about a ‘comeback’ as this project hadn’t released that new in years while “Regions Of Time” is the first official album properly speaking.

Content: The main basis of the composition is definitely techno-like, but you rapidly will realize this artist avoids cheap and classic techno clichés. The tracks have been overloaded with elements of EBM and icy, industrial sound treatments. Even some of the drum patters aren’t into the classical, repetitive format. This is techno music from another dimension, which is for sure linked at the so-called sci-fi approach of this genre by Adam Mitchell.

+ + + : What I especially like in this production is the way techno music has been elevated to a higher dimension. The addition of icy- and industrial like sound treatments creates a dark and even somewhat hostile atmosphere. Some passages are getting close to a trance climax (cf. “Wormhole Highways”). This album reveals the true techno sound from the underground; somewhat rough, definitely dark and accomplished with brilliant little bleeps and noises.

– – – : This kind of techno music remains a challenge; some narrow-minded people will not like it because of the ‘techno’ label while it probably sounds too ‘alternative’ for classic techno-heads. So this is techno music for avant-garde freaks! Both debut songs feel a bit hesitant, but what’s coming up is absolutely worth to listen.

Conclusion: “Regions Of Time” sounds a bit as techno from another galaxy and that’s why it also has something visionary!

Best songs: “Casimir Energy”, “Vacuum Field Stress”, “Wormhole Highways”, “Rotation Frequency”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/TraversableWormhole

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

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

Genre/Influences: Minimal-electro, techno-EBM. 

Background/Info: French producer Maxime Fabre who’s active under the Crystal Geometry-moniker has been already released many noticeable productions. I especially think about his work released on Adam-X’s label Sonic Groove. For this new 12”, he joined hands together with the industrial label Hands. 

Content: The influences haven’t changed from previous productions. Maxime Fabre remains driven by solid bass lines, which he mixes with pumping kicks. The tracks remain dark, but always driven by danceable vibes and icy sound treatments. Some passages will possibly lead you into trance. 

+ + + : This production sees Hands becoming more techno-orientated than ever before. But the work remains dark enough to appeal for the Hands audience, and also for lovers of minimal-EBM and techno-body-music as well. Crystal Geometry shows great writing skills driven by alluring bass lines and pumping dance kicks. “Deathcare USA” appears to be a title with a clear message, but it also is a great song with a trance sensation. The EP features 4 different cuts and there’s not one single piece to throw away. 

– – – : I can imagine some Hands die-hard freaks will have some difficulties to see their favorite industrial label diving a bit more into techno-fields.

Conclusion: Crystal Geometry is progressively becoming a real reference when it comes to minimal electronics and industrial-body-music. 

Best songs: “Deathcare USA”, “Totale Aliénation”, “Enslaved”

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/crystalgeometry 

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

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

Techno veteran and Sonic Groove’s label owner Adam X will release his first full-length album as Traversable Wormhole, 10 years after revealing that he was behind this project. Over the years Traversable Wormhole has signed releases under Hospital Productions, CLR and his own platform. The latter will be in charge of releasing “Regions of Time” this November 15th 2019, almost a year after Adam X’s “Recon Mission” LP got released under Sonic Groove.

Lying mostly dormant since 2012, with a cameo appearance on Hospital Productions back in 2016 with two tracks, Traversable Wormhole is now fully awoken with eight new songs of psychedelic, bass-heavy techno.

In further news, Adam X is preparing for the 30th anniversary of his career and the 25th anniversary of Sonic Groove Records in 2020, so you can expect some more news coming up pretty soon.

Here’s already a teaser track with “Geodesic Motion”

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.

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial-techno.

Background/Info: Some will remember Mathis Mootz for his great work under the M² (Squaremeter) moniker, but his main project always has been Panacea. He released an impressive number of productions since 1997 (mainly EP’s) and now joined hands with the fine-tasters label Sonic Groove. This is the second 12” released on Sonic Groove.

Content: It’s really interesting to see how Panacea has evolved in sound throughout the years, but the common element always has been the element of innovation. This new EP reveals a hard and punching industrial-techno fusion mixed with ghost-like spoken samplings, but also with acid-driven sequences and trance parts.

+ + + : This EP features four different songs and there’s neither a real title cut nor B-side tracks. We get 4 hard-banging and well-crafted industrial tracks carried by beating techno kicks. This artist simply confirms the current trend to mix different music genres, which in the end have a lot of common elements. This is intelligent techno music or visionary industrial work, but it will definitely appeal for both audiences. I like the unpolished production approach of the artist.

– – – : Industrial-techno became a quite popular mix so in the end there’s no real surprise in the tracklist although this is pure magic!

Conclusion: Sonic Groove’s owner Adam Mitchell (Adam X) has a nose for intelligent and efficient techno music with a dark edge, so here’s Panacea!

Best songs: “Fibre Optix”, ”Walrus”, “Beyond All Boundaries”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/thepanaceaofficial

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

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

Born in New York (USA), but now based in Berlin (Germany) for years Adam Mitchell aka Adam X is a renowned and talented producer/DJ/label owner. He’s one of those visionary artists who in my eyes always has symbolized the electronic sound of tomorrow. His music always has been a mix between EBM and techno, which sometimes has been defined as industrial-techno. Adam is involved in multiple projects like Traversable Wormhole, ADMX-71, Mass-X-Odus ao, but Adam X remains the main project. Late 2018 Adam-X released his sixth full length album “Recon Mission” on his own label Sonic Groove. The work is a new masterpiece and one of the best electro productions from 2018; a good reason for an interview.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You’ve released tons of EP’s, but “Recon Mission” also is your seventh full length album as Adam X. What means this new work in your personal discography and what inspired you (sound-wise) to compose this album?

Adam: The album inspiration comes from a few unrelated & related topics. The album titled track “Recon Mission” is about a reconnaissance mission against government authorities. The official video on Youtube goes deeper into the topic and what the lyrics are about. Several songs on the album are inspired by the mysteries of planet Earth, such as hypothetical theories about Earth Base One, the Bimini Wall and the Bermuda Triangle. I’ve gotten heavily into collecting the 50’s-70’s sci-fiction/mythological illustrative work of Jack Kirby in the past 1.5 years. I find his artwork & story scripts very inspiring. I’ve always been into the cerebral/out of worldly side of electronic music and his artwork provides a visual inspiration for such thoughts. These are the main inspirations on the album.

Q: The album has been introduced as a dystopic vision featuring ‘conjuring visions of New York City’s past’ and ‘CIA shadow government experiments’. What fascinates you in these dark themes and what’s your perception of the current political situation in your homeland?

Adam: As a teenager growing up in NYC in the 80’s I was surrounded by a mass amount of urban decay. The city was a mess back then with several area’s throughout the city looking like Berlin after the Russians entered in 1945. On top of growing up in a very decay city, criminal activity was very high. Unfortunately I was deeply affected from this activity when my father was murdered in a gun robbery when I was 13 back in 1985. So to put it bluntly, NYC was very dystopic for me back then.

Somehow despite the dark, bleak times I managed to have a great, very rebellious adolescent life exploring my city and painting graffiti art on many subway trains thru out the city. Then some years later my brother and I began organizing illegal techno rave parties in abandon warehouses and other industrial locations. Those rebellious moments I had growing up will always have everlasting effect on my artistic vision.

The current political situation in the USA is a mess like always. I don’t have any trust in the American government no matter the political side. I feel neither party are for the people. Each party loves to blame one another, but nothing really ever changes despite who is in power. The amount of poor and homeless people in America is staggering and it’s on the rise for years now. The infrastructure is old and rotting in many places across the country. Unlike Europe we have a horrible antiquated train system. The inner cities have ghettos worse then most 3^rd world nations. Imagine small cities like Flint, Michigan having a poisoned water system for decades. Guns need to be controlled, but this seemingly will never happen. The amount of heinous crimes committed with guns is staggering. I am a strong advocate for gun control especially as my family is a victim of a gun murder. I’m tired of seeing mass murders every few weeks. I live in Germany 12 years and gun deaths are not so much an issue here. I won’t even get started into the current president’s handling of world affairs other then to say ‘not good’!

Q: Sound-wise “Recon Mission” remains totally vintage-like. Tell us a bit more about your way of working, the sound treatments and equipment you’re using?

Adam: Believe it or not my music is done all in software, my DAW is Ableton and I use a lot of synth plugins. My productions in my first 14 years of making music were strictly done with analog/hardware. So I have a very good ear in making virtual synths sounds like the original keyboards they are designed to emulate.

For sound production most of the songs are first tested before release when I DJ out at gigs. For this particular album I was able to test the final mastered versions in one of the major nightclubs here while the club was closed. This was crucial as I noticed a few flaws in sound that needed to be adjusted before sending out for production. With that being said I’m 101% happy with the finished product.

Q: You’re based in Berlin where you’re very active. What makes Berlin that attractive and special for artists and do you feel some impact from this artistic life and music trends on your work as musician/producer?

Adam: The nightlife here is amazing. So playing gigs or going out to event’s here is a constant source of inspiration. Berlin is also very communal with other artists and music industry people. So my meet-ups with many people in the business here is also always source for inspiration. Outside of the music industry I enjoy the pace of life here. It’s much more relaxed then the time I spend in NYC during the year.

Q: You’re still running Sonic Groove so I would like to know your personal criteria and eventually references when you’re signing new artists? And how do you see the music business evolving as label owner?

Adam: I’m normally releasing music from artists who I have a personal friendship with. I prefer this to releasing music from artists I have no personal connection with. It’s much nicer to run the label as a family affair.

The music business is constantly changing and being able to adapt to the changes is very important in the survival of running the label. At the moment vinyl sales in the industry are down for dance floor related music, but digital downloads and streaming are rising. The techno scene especially is completely saturated with music releases. There are over 400 new titles on vinyl a month in techno. It’s a limited buying market, but still a very important necessity for artists to get noticed by press and promoters in the scene.

It can be quite nerve wracking with vinyl sales when releasing music from lesser known artists. It’s not an issue when dealing with the core bigger artists on the label like Orphx, Rhys Fulber, Dasha Rush, Blush Response and myself.

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

Genre/Influences: Industrial-techno, IDM.

Background/Info: “Learn To suffer” is the first real new work since the last Orphx-album “Pitch Black Mirror” (2016, Hands). Canadian duo Rich Oddie – Christina Sealey moved back to Sonic Groove (label of Adam X) to unleash four new cuts.

Content: “Learn To Suffer” is clearly inspired –and taken, by the live performances of Orphx. This is music for the dancefloors! But it once more reveals the sound intelligence of this duo. Sophisticated songs revealing elements of IDM, industrial music and even EBM are carried by solid dance beats. Orphx reveals their most danceable ‘techno’ side while the last song sounds more ‘classical’ although very dark and bouncing.

+ + + : Orphx is not reinventing their sound, but they seem to be in a constant progress. The songs are elaborated and achieved with great sound intelligence. The opening cut “Solipsist” is a perfect example showing this sound approach and which even reminds me a bit of Frontline Assembly (which they recently remixed). On “Bare Life” they’re injecting something EBM to their work while “Pain Is A Teacher” sounds rougher and even a bit Esplendor Geometrico-like. You get 4 brilliant songs without a single remix!

– – – : I don’t have any minus point about this genius EP, but I just can imagine early Orphx fans would not be that enthusiast about this kind of productions.

Conclusion: Orphx is one of those bands, which even throughout the years never stops to improve their sound. They’re truly sound wizards reflecting an avant-garde vision of industrial-techno music.

Best songs: “Tröma Nakmo”, “Bare Life”, “Solipsist”, “Pain Is A Teacher”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.orphx.com / www.facebook.com/orphx

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

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

Genre/Influences: Minimal-EBM, techno-body.

Background/Info: Brooklyn (New York – USA) born electro-veteran Adam Mitchell is back on track unleashing the sixth full length album of Adam X. Notice by the way this album is also available on digital format.

Content: If you’re familiar with the work of Mitchell, you perfectly know what to expect. Adam X once more finds his inspiration in the good-old vintage gear creating unique sound treatments and a perfect sound fusion between EBM and techno music. He calls it ‘future-EBM’ and that’s a rather interesting definition as it sounds like pure vintage electronics mixed with refreshing dark- and industrial techno.

The album takes off with impressive minimal-EBM cuts. You’ll here sampled vocals and a few real vocal parts running through this work. Big resonating kicks and typical analogue sweeps are sometimes leading the listener into a transcendental state.

+ + + : Adam X hasn’t lost his composing skills. “Recon Mission” is a dark electronic work inspired by dystopian themes. But there where dystopia always ends in a truly nightmarish vision, the music of Adam X will get the listener into pure addiction. The magic of the analogue (modular) machines have something unique; cold and sterile, powerful and danceable! “Recon Mission” is one more ultimate fusion between underground electronics. It’s an intelligent production and a truly reference for so-called electronic artists who are just imitating each other.

– – – : There’s maybe one single cut (cf. “Bimini Wall”) that can’t totally convince me. It sounds more technoid and still experimental-like.

Conclusion: Adam X is an artist who each time again takes me by surprise. I know what I can expect, but there always is a flavor of magic supporting his work. That’s why I consider him as a truly sound wizard. Respect!

Best songs: “Earth Base One”, “Tales Of Mystery”, “Delusions Of Paranoia”, “Modular Bodies”, “Mythological Creatures”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.adamx.net / www.facebook.com/AdamXsonicgroove

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

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

Rhys Fulber is a musician/producer who will be forever linked to the EBM giant Frontline Assembly and the ambient-ethereal-dance project Delerium. I also can mention other music projects like Conjure One, Will, Noise Unit, Intermix, Synaesthesia ao. The Canadian musician has now started a new solo-project under his own name. A first 12” “Realism” got released on Sonic Groove revealing a surprising, but great dark electro-techno sound. This is what Rhys says about it.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: After Frontline Assembly, Delerium, Conjure One, Synaesthesia, Will, Intermix etc… you’ve just released a first 12” under your own name! What does “Realism” stands for and what inspired you to compose this work?

Rhys: The title “Realism” was inspired by the Socialst Realism art style that also inspired the sleeve of the record. I have always been fascinated by the imagery and mystery of the former socialist states and again took my cue from this. The music itself started out as just some improvisations on the modular synthesizer. I had accumulated several sessions of this material, then went back and chose which ones to develop further. Eventually it evolved into this EP.

Q: It seems you had no specific idea of sound in mind when starting the composition, right? What do you think about “Realism” right now?

Rhys: I had no initial concept at all other than wanting to make some harder edged music again. Like I said, I just started recording some modular synth jams and that grew its own momentum.

Q: This is a totally new project so did you try to experience with new ideas/sounds/instruments/production skills ao?

Rhys: It was some of the most freeform music I have made in a while, so in that way it was very different to the labor intensive productions I have been making for some years now. I just started and went where it took me, with no real rules other than what sounded good rhythmically. Once I got told this would work in a techno format, I developed some of the sounds in that direction as well as a more club style arrangement. But overall it has been very liberating to make music this way.

Q: What has been the main focus in the global production process and do you have some references?

Rhys: The main focus is just following instinct. Recalling some old techniques I haven’t used in a while, then present them in a current way. I only reference other records for the kick drum sound, as that is the foundation of music in this style usually.

Q: How did you get in touch with Sonic Groove and what does it mean to release a vinyl ano 2017?

Rhys: Adam X (Sonic Groove) had heard some of the modular jam demos I had shared with my friend Joey Blush (Response) and then expressed interest in making a record with me. I had heard good things about the label and that they are selective with their releases so it sounded like a good opportunity.

I love the resurgence of vinyl. We have had some older releases being re-issued recently and coming from a vinyl collecting background, I am all for a resurgence in music being something more tangible than digital files, with vinyl being the premier format of the recorded music experience.

Q: Sonic Groove is labeled as techno-industrial! Are you a bit familiar with this ‘scene’ and what’s your perception about techno music generally speaking?

Rhys: I have followed techno on and off since its inception, especially in the early 90s and the last four years or so, so I have kept fairly up to date. I have always felt like industrial music’s torch was passed through different club genres over the years and now the underground techno scene is representing its spirit far more accurately than the current genre holding that title.

Q: Is “Realism” just a ‘one-shot’ experience or do you’ve further plans considering aspects such as live performances, new releases, eventually an album?

Rhys: All of these are currently in the works – a full length album as well as live performances. There was already a surplus of material as “Realism” was finished, so that will be coming on the full length. I also did a recent live set in Los Angeles in preparation for a gig at “Tresor” Berlin coming this August 10th, so expect to see more of everything.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

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

Genre/Influences: Minimal-electro, industrial-techno.

Background/Info: Rhys Fulber doesn’t need that much of an introduction. Long-time member of Frontline Assembly, involved over the years into bands like Delerium, Noise Unit, Will, Synaesthesia, Conjure One, Intermix ao, the Canadian sound guru has now achieved a new EP under his own name.

Content: If you’re a bit familiar with the Adam-X label Sonic Groove, you for sure get an idea what to expect. Rhys Fulber has composed 4 industrial dance-cuts. The opening track is quite FLA-like, but with this little techno-groovy touch on top.

Quite progressively the tracks become more technoid, but still minimal and always dark. “Realism” sounds like industrial-techno with some groovy dance kicks and several spoken samplings.

+ + + : After great names and sound architects such as Orphx, Monolith, Fixmer/McCarthy it’s now time for another famous artist from the dark-electronic scene to join hands together with Sonic Groove. Rhys Fulber remains a real genius when it comes to transposing sounds into a very own styled dimension. But I especially like the way he mixes electronic-minimalism and other EBM influences together with a dark, danceable technoid style. It’s a fascinating experiment resulting in four brilliant songs.

– – – : I didn’t hear any minus point on this release and I just hope that Rhys Fulber will go on with this intelligent industrial-techno format!

Conclusion: If you think that Rhys Fulber is just an electronic veteran without new ideas, you’re at damned fault! “Realism” is an intelligent and contemporary format mixing underground elements together with techno influences. Brilliant!

Best songs: “Abstraction”, “Reload”, “Effigy”, “Minsk Maschinen”.

Rate: (8½).

Band: www.facebook.com/rhys.fulber

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

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

Terence Fixmer and Douglas J. McCarthy (Nitzer Ebb) are back on track unleashing one of their hardest and most industrial cuts ever. The new EP “Chemicals” released on Sonic Groove is a must have for all fans of minimal-techno & EBM. I got the opportunity to ask a few questions to both protagonists.

You can order several limited edition vinyls from Terence Fixmer right here.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: After a hiatus of several years, “Chemicals” is your second single in less than 2 years. How does it feel to be back again in studio? 

Douglas: Actually, we haven’t really been in the studio together much. A lot of the new material has been worked on remotely – me in LA and Terence in Europe. We have worked on songs whenever we’re playing shows, so a lot of ideas have literally been tried for the first time in front of an audience.

Terence: Strangely, the years have passed by fast, but in my head we have never really stopped, we are always in contact for one thing and other – to start to do the “So Many Lies”-EP and now “Chemcials” are just a normal flow without any strange feeling to ‘re-work’ on music.

Q: Do you notice some changes/evolution in the global writing and approach compared to the earlier work of F/M?

Douglas: We made a very conscious decision to return to a more aggressive and minimal approach similar to “Between The Devil…”, but I think there is a progression in terms of the sound and production that Terence now has.

Terence: The first album “Between The Devil…’ in 2003 was really instinctive and direct, and when we did the 2^nd album, “Into The Night”, we wanted to show another side of us, including more melodies, but I think we realized that the real fun for F/M is to be on stage, and when we played some melodic songs live, I feel like we wanted to be harder. It is not like we are bored but we like to deliver powerful music and to see Douglas running from left to right all the time!

Q: From a very personal point of view “Chemicals” is without a shadow of a doubt the rawest and maybe most ‘industrial’-like song you ever have written. What kind of song did you had in mind and tell us a bit more about the writing? 

Douglas: I agree. Terence sent me the baseline and I was immediately reminded of the mid 80’s when Nitzer Ebb first began doing shows in Spain, specifically in Valencia and Murcia on the South-Eastern coast. There was a club in Valencia called ‘Spook Factory’ that we’d go to after playing. It was pre acid-house but certainly an early version of what was later termed ‘Balearic Beats’. There was a penchant for having a drug capsule sticker on the back of your car, basically the same design as I did for the cover.

Terence: To me, it is just a direction or a sequence which could have been in our first album in terms of energy, and style. I don’t think it is a more industrial song but it is a really powerful sequences which maybe could become a classic F/M track such as “You Want It” or “Destroy”.

Q: The sound of F/M has been often described as EBM and techno-like, but I’m more interested to know your own perception about aspects like ‘sound creation’, ‘composition’, ‘equipment’, ‘production’ etc? 

Douglas: I think that analogy is a fair description. Terence is a prolific writer of baselines and other parts. He presents ideas to me and if I hear a vocal idea we continue with the track, if I don’t we choose another of his ideas. I record in LA if I am not able to be in Europe. Our approach to what particular style changes. After the melodic-ness of “Into The Night” we were in the mood for a change.

Terence: I work instinctively. I use some classic old analog machines coupled with some modern ones. In the end it is just about feelings and usually i really know when it will fit for F/M or for my solo work.

Also, I think with Douglas we both have  the same feelings about music with a common taste for underground music, and we both are really instinctive and direct, so actually it is never complicated with us, if it works it works for both at same time.

Q: So what makes the chemistry between Terence Fixmer and Douglas McCarthy and do you have a particular way working together?

Douglas: We are both extremely childish and have a really dumb sense of humor. We spend most of the time laughing and joking about pretty much everything. We do not take ourselves seriously at all. Fixmer/McCarthy is fun.

Terence: Totally true, we have the same level of stupidity (or maybe wisdom) so we understand each other really well.

Q: You both played at the biggest festivals and all kind of events so what makes the magic to move on playing live and what might the fans/audience expect from the next few shows? 

Douglas: We try to give a performance that inspires a reaction, even if it is one of curiosity. We’re never afraid to be ourselves and each show has differences based on how we are feeling the audience is, we seem to be able to win over a crowd.

Terence: What I like is to realize that we have an F/M fan base who really follow us and knows all our tracks. So of course we like to play those classics F/M tracks, but we always add the new ones, and unreleased ones. Sometimes we play unreleased ones, and people follow quite quickly the lyrics from Douglas and sing with him… then at this moment we know that it’s gonna be a good one to release.

Q: “Chemicals” is the first F/M production released on Sonic Groove. What incited you to join hands with Adam X and what are the further plans for F/M right now? 

Douglas: We’ve both known Adam for a long time. I first met him in New York before he moved to Berlin. He’s always a very positive guy with a lot of energy and drive. He saw us perform at Berghain last September and asked about releasing “Chemicals” and we thought it was a great idea. We definitely look forward to continuing to work together.

Terence: I know Adam for many many years, we both really understand, belong and play in the same scene. I know how deep he is into industrial, EBM and techno. Adam is one of the most true and passionate artist, he has been faithful to his sound and vision for decades so industrial, EBM and techno are his keys elements. As friend I always told him I’ll do something for him, and then I realize that he’d be really happy to have an F/M release on Sonic Groove, as he has always supported F/M and myself solo.. so it was obvious to do this release with him and it is a good match sonically.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

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

Back in 1986, Toronto (Canada) based vocalist/programmer Heiki Sillaste (aka Mouth 392) started up the EBM project Digital Poodle. It remained active until about 1995 and was Toronto’s answer to the Vancouver-based industrial scene with acts like Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly.

Digital Poodle originally released a series of cassette tape demos and full release albums on Sillaste’s own Shadow recording label. The first CD release was “Work Terminal” in 1992, which was distributed in North America under the Death of Vinyl label and in Europe on Germany’s Hyperium Records label. The band’s final release was the “Combat!” EP in 1997, which contained mainly remixed material from previous releases.

Out in 4 weeks from now is the 2nd volume in a vinyl reissue/remix series by Toronto’s Digital Poodle: “Revision! Vol2 – Soul Crush”. “Soul Crush” was an underground hit in EBM/alternative clubs around the world especially via Zoviet France’s Virtual Mix which was a live-in-studio jam between Digital Poodle and :zoviet*france:.

You can order the vinyl versions of “Revision! Vol1 – Work Terminal” (back and red vinyl) and “Revision! Vol2 – Soul Crush” right here!

The tracklist of this 4 track vinyl release:

1. Soul Crush
2. Soul Crush (Adam X Revision)
3. Soul Crush (Zoviet France Virtual Mix)
4. Soul Crush (Manie Sans Délire Revision)

Here’s the original version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v50DVlsc_L8

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.

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Minimal-techno.

Background/Info: Adam Mitchell is one of those artists and sound producers who doesn’t often need to get introduced. This sound guru gained a wider international reputation with most of his projects and I here refer to Adam X, ADMX-71 and of course Traversable Wormhole. He’s also running the great Sonic Groove label. This new 12” is somewhat special as it’s the first Traversable Wormhole production released on Hospital Productions.

Content: The main characteristic of this project always has been the mix of techno music with sci-fi elements. It’s not that easy to recognize this approach although I can say that the work remains pretty minimal. The icy sound treatments and raw production process both create an atypical techno sound.

+ + + : Adam Mitchell remains a visionary artist who never stops to surprise me. I can’t say that both songs on this vinyl are the best exponents of his huge work, but it remains driven by this unique taste to bring different elements together and get the people dancing.

– – – : If you’re more into industrial music you for sure will prefer other projects of Adam Mitchell instead of Traversable Wormhole. It however remains a cool production, but I’m like missing a real climax.

Conclusion: Fans of Traversable Wormhole will for sure enjoy the new work of this legendary sound shaman, but it’s definitely not the best production he ever composed.

Best songs: “Semiclassical Gravity”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www.facebook.com/TraversableWormhole

Label: http://hospitalproductions.net

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

Genre/Influences: Industrial-body-music, industrial new-beat, EBM.

Background/Info: Vasi Vallis became a praised and recognition musicians as a member of Frozen Plasma and NamNamBulu. He started Reaper in 2005 as a kind of ‘industrial’ answer to his electro-pop music. The debut album “Hell Starts With An H” became an instant sonic hit, but the past few years we didn’t hear any new work by Reaper. But last year Reaper struck back with a new EP entitled “Der Schnitter” and here’s finally the long-awaited new album.

Content: Vasi Vallis seems to have exorcised his most hidden and evil sonic fantasies. “Babylon Killed The Music” is a varied composition moving from dark-electronics into industrial-techno to next experiment with pure trance leads. And the crazy sonic ride is only at the beginning. Reaper also deals with dance and acid influences while even getting back to new-beat elements.

The work sometimes sounds pretty dance-like, but later on totally minimal and hard EBM to finally reach a rather relaxing and evasive style.

+ + + : Reaper merges an impressive arsenal of influences with each other. Whatever the ingredients are, Vasi Vallis has the skills to transpose it into heavy dark dance vibes. The sound treatments remain one of his greatest talents. Every single song is accomplished with a true passion to create blasting sound vibes. But I don’t know of many underground artists who on the same work can mix new-beat and pure dance/trance influences together with harder industrial elements. Reaper sounds like the offspring between Scooter, Front 242 and Adam X. This album features many potential hits.

– – – : There maybe are one or two songs, which don’t totally work, but globally speaking this album has no real major minus points. I however can imagine that some narrow-minded underground lovers will find this work too versatile and mainly experimenting with music styles they can’t link with ‘dark’ music.

Conclusion: You can really feel Reaper is simply fun project for Vasi Vallis, but the results sound like a supreme new opus, which will be without a shadow of a doubt become one of the best albums of the year. This artist is a sound wizard belonging to a real restricted number of artists like Jan Loamfield and Seb Komor.

Best songs: “We Are Reaper”, “Sechzehn Punkte Plan”, “Neophyte”, “Farewell”, “The Sound Of IDS”, “Sledgehammer”.

Rate: (9).

Band: www.facebook.com/pg/reaperelectro

Label: www.infacted–recordings.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Infacted–Recordings/124099254321690

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

Genre/Influences: Industrial-techno, IDM.

Background/Info: Eric van Wonterghem is one of those Belgian electro veterans who can look back on a real successful and respectable career. He got involved in bands like The Klinik, Insekt, Absolute Body Control, Sonar… and of course Monolith. For this new 12” he signed to Adam X’s label Sonic Groove Records.

Content: We all know Monolith for its dark and trance-minded industrial grooves. “Time Running Out” is a step forward into dark and tormented techno fields. This vinyl is the fusion between hard-danceable techno loops and noise manipulations.

The work is driven by obscure industrial noise loops while the techno cadence will leading the listener into frenetic dance moves. The work is accomplished by some cool trance vibes while the last cut moves into a more minimal electronic exposure, which comes closer to IDM.

+ + + : The work of Monolith is in constant progression. Eric van Wonterghem remains faithful to his standards and influences, but he dares to explore new ideas creating a dark and noise-minded techno format.

– – – : If you’re not into minimalism and especially obscure technoid loops this is not for you.

Conclusion: “Time Running Out” sounds a bit like the offspring between Sonar and Monolith, but it remains Monolith revealing the most technoid side of the band.

Best songs: “Ghost Cities”, “Deconstruct”, “Time”.

Rate: (8½).

Band: www.facebook.com/technobuddha

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

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

Genre/Influences: IDM, minimal-electro, experimental-techno.

Content: It always is a real pleasure to discover new work by Adam Mitchell. Mainly known under the Adam-X moniker, Mitchell also started a few years ago the side-project Admx-71.

Both projects share a common interest and passion for vintage- and minimal-electronics, but Admx-71 always brings an extra level of experimental and industrial style. The last year released EP “The Redacted Files” showed this artist in a real great- and creative mood so I was wondering what the new stuff would sound like.

“Coherent Abstractions” reveals 11 new cuts, which are not as much into industrial influences although experimental, but more into an explicit IDM approach. It remains a pretty minimal experience in electronic music, but first of all a beautiful quest for unique sound manipulations. The vintage electro approach remains a visionary creation resulting in a unique sound DNA, which Adam Mitchell transposes into rough loops, spooky atmospheres and subtle astral bleeps. The songs are mainly carried by a slow rhythm.

“Coherent Abstractions” sounds like a work in constant progress evolving towards a more sophisticated creation while holding on to the roughness of both previous albums. The work appears to be more delicate although covered by this impression of a voluntary unpolished production process. It brings old-school electronics into a new dimension, which comes perfectly through on “My Theme Song”.

There also is a more explicit ‘ambient’ flavor emerging from the songs. It creates an imaginary cellar-music style, which finds its climax on “Bound & Broken” featuring a few spoken words by Janina. A few technoid elements can be noticed as well and I here want to tip “Phenomenalist” characterized by a sonic orgy of bleeps and other sound manipulations. Adam Mitchell is just pushing the boundaries of electronic creation towards new dimensions.

This artist dares to walk the few unexplored paths of electronic music and that’s an aspect deserving a real respect and recognition for an artist who’s now been involved in the scene for 25 years.

Conclusion: Adam Mitchell is one of those creative minds that always takes me by surprise. He never totally repeats himself, but simply sounds like he is in a constant evolution. “Coherent Abstractions” is a new masterpiece that has to be teached at the imaginary high school of electronic music!

Best songs: “Bound & Broken”, “My Theme Song”, “Phenomenalist”, “Arrival Into Uncharted Territory”, “Anxious Solitude”.

Rate: (DP:8½)DP.

Band: www.adamx.net / www.facebook.com/AdamXsonicgroove

Label: www.facebook.com/longislandelectricalsystems

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