The German EBM duo AD:keY has released the digital EP “Der Böse Gott” on Alfa Matrix. The title track is about humankind as a “self-made god” shaped by technology and destruction. The EP adds remixes by Bagger 258, Aktion:Fiasko, White Noise TV, and MC1R, plus the track “No Way Without You” which originated from the “0609” sessions. The closing piece is the track “Psalm 121”.

About AD:keY

AD:keY is a German, Berlin-based EBM duo built around Andrea Nowotny and René Nowotny, and is actually a husband-and-wife project. AD:keY was the project that followed René’s earlier project Rector Scanner. Founded in 1997, Rector Scanner was also the very first music project of René who then redirected all his energy on his more EBM-oriented band AD:keY together with his wife Andrea.

The project was formed around 2006–2007 and early on released classic, club-driven EBM material. The debut album “Thema Nummer Eins” arrived on December 5, 2008, and the project continued with album work that moved into a tighter concepts with a more defined production choices In 2015 the album “Anthropozän” followed.

Singing to Alfa Matrix in 2017, the band released the digital EP “Shameless”. From that point onward, the duo offered a steady run of releases on Alfa Matrix, including “Reanimator” (issued in multiple versions), “10th Anniversary”, “Resonanz”, and “06.09” (digital/CD). Multiple EPs and singles followed including “Never Enough”, “Herz Lass Los”, “Alles Was Ich Will”, “Nackt”, and “Deine Augen”, plus a Depeche Mode tribute of the track “Master and Servant”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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The Belgian electro label Alfa Matrix releases the twelfth volume in its “Matrix+ Downloaded” series to coincide with the label’s 24th anniversary. The digital-only set collects 69 tracks across the label’s current spectrum – EBM, dark elektro/industrial, synth pop – and newer Spleen+ additions spanning post-punk, goth rock and coldwave. The compilation is offered as a free/pay-what-you-want download via the label’s Bandcamp page and also includes a PDF booklet.

On the cover you will recognize Erica Dunham from Unter Null.

Artists included on this free download compilation include: Studio-X (feat. Kyoko Baertsoen), Rector Scanner, Aesthetische, Cut.Rate.Box, Kant Kino, Frontal Boundary, C-Lekktor, Acylum, Diffuzion, Implant, Neikka RPM, First Aid 4 Souls (feat. Aux Animaux), Noemi Aurora, Suicidal Romance, Llumen, Hanging Freud, Lederman/De Meyer, The Ultimate Dreamers, Aiboforcen, Digital Factor, Armageddon Dildos, Helalyn Flowers, Krystal System, The True Union, Freakangel, Totem Obscura, Lovelorn Dolls (feat. Dero Goi), The Breath of Life, The Names, ImJudas, Synapsyche, Miseria Ultima, Unter Null, Alien Vampires (feat. Dani Divine), Venal Flesh, Helle9, To Avoid, Pouppée Fabrikk, Stahlgeist, Nigra Nebula, Aengeldust, Circuito Cerrado, Matthew Creed, Cubic, Metroland, The Psychic Force, Komor Kommando, First Aid Tech, Die Robo Sapiens, ELM, Plastic Noise Experience, AD:Key, Elektroklänge, 808 Dot Pop, Avarice in Audio, Elektrostaub (feat. Echo Image), Cryogenic Echelon, Entrzelle, Neuroactive, Technoir, Mondträume, Star Industry, Stray, Psy’Aviah (feat. Sorrow Stories), Zombie Girl, Darkness on Demand, Circumpolar, Dunkelwerk, and Lights A.M.

A&R manager, Sebastien Dolimont says: “In 2025, Alfa Matrix proudly celebrates 24 years of existence. Nearly a quarter of a century fighting for dark alternative music, discovering new talents, and keeping the underground alive. This anniversary is not just about us and our artists – it’s about you, our fans. Because without your constant support, there would be no label, no releases, no future for the scene we all love.”

And he add: “In a world where indie labels are disappearing, streaming revenues collapse, and risks of signing new talents are higher than ever, we are proud to still stand strong — but we can only do it with you by our side. By downloading this compilation, you are not just enjoying music — you are actively supporting 69 artists and helping keep our scene alive, fresh, and forward-looking. From all of us at Alfa Matrix and Spleen+, and on behalf of all our artists: thank you for 24 years of loyalty, passion, and support. Together, we’ll keep writing the future of the dark underground.”

About Alfa Matrix

Alfa Matrix is a Brussels-based independent label founded in 2001. The catalogue focuses on electronic subgenres including industrial, EBM, dark elektro, and synth pop, later expanding into post-punk/coldwave via the Spleen+ division. The label’s team includes label & artists manager Seba Dolimont, promo manager Bernard Van Isacker, and head of design Benoît Blanchart.

From the early 2000s, Alfa Matrix used series-based releases to build international reach. Notable strands include “Sounds From The Matrix” (label samplers), “Re:Connected” (digital label overview), and the club-oriented “Endzeit Bunkertracks” multi-CD anthologies (first “Act” released 21 March 2005, featuring 60 tracks with 50 exclusives).

In 2023, Alfa Matrix inaugurated Spleen+, a division centred on post-punk and adjacent styles, and followed with multi-artist projects and catalogue building, including the “Resurgence” 7-CD box that assembled 133 contemporary bands from the post-punk family.

The label has since the very start focused on a direct contact with its fans and customers via their online webstore and Bandcamp.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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After their most recent album 0609, released last year, Andrea and René Nowotny return with a brand-new EP.

The title track appears in two versions, functioning almost like an intro and outro. Sandwiched between them is the strongest piece: a track that fully embodies the pure EBM spirit of the German duo. They’ve also invited some well-known company, including longtime friends Martin Bodelwell (Orange Sector) and Uwe Kanka (Armageddon Dildos). The result is greater vocal variety, yet still rooted in solid, old-school EBM. What makes AD:Key stand out, however, is how their music feels far more elaborate and less linear than that of many peers in the genre.

This EP succeeds not only on its own terms but also as a stylish and powerful complement to the album—an essential addition for fans of quality EBM. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Fühl Den Beat feat. Uwe Kanka – Single Mix”:

https://alfamatrix.bandcamp.com/track/f-hl-den-beat-feat-uwe-kanka-single-mix

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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German electronic body music (EBM) duo AD:keY – the husband‑and‑wife team of Andrea and Rene Nowotny – have released “Kontraktion“, a five‑track EP, via the Belgian label Alfa Matrix. The release follows the group’s double‑album “0609” (released September 2024),

“Kontraktion” is framed by two synth‑driven instrumentals – “Kontraktion V.01 (Prolog)” and “Kontraktion V.02 (Epilog)” – which were inspired by the rhythmic contraction of the heart. The EP’s Prelude Mix of “Bad Times Pass By”, originally used as a live intro, evolves into a full‑length track.

Guest appearances on the EP’s include Martin Bodewell (vocalist for Orange Sector) co‑writes and sings on “Mein Herz”, while Uwe Kanka of Armageddon Dildos lends his distinctive growl to the infectious single “Fühl Den Beat”.

Musically AD:keY brings a blend of old‑school body music with synth‑pop elements.

“Kontraktion” is available digitally through Alfa Matrix’s Bandcamp page and on all other platforms. With a running time of roughly 15 minutes, the EP provides a compact but emotionally charged snapshot of the duo’s current creative direction or as the label puts it: “Feel the beat. Hear the heart.”

About AD:keY

AD:keY is a German electronic body music (EBM) duo formed in 2006 by René Nowotny, known as Agro, and his partner Andrea Nowotny. René, previously the keyboardist for Armageddon Dildos, and Andrea combined their talents to create a sound that blends the synth-driven beats of DAF and Nitzer Ebb with vocal elements reminiscent of Welle:Erdball.

Their debut album, “Thema Nummer Eins”, was released on December 5, 2008. Over the years, AD:keY has released several albums, including “Reanimator” (2017), “Resonanz” (2020), and “0609” (2024).

The duo is signed to the Belgian label Alfa Matrix. Below is their recently released – excellent – “0609” album.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

The German EBM pop duo AD:keY (aka Andrea and Rene Nowotny) are back with the new EP “Deine Augen”. The original title track is taken from their recently released album “0609”.

The single version of “Deine Augen” was completely re-recorded focusing more on its electro-synth dimension, while the extended album mix stays true to its EBM-fueled future pop roots. The EP also features and atmospheric “Epilog” reinterpretation.

The whole was augmented with remixes from Dee Jay Pari, Villaborghese, Trilogy and Antiage. You’ll also find the B-side “I Take You”, which is also added in an instrumental version.

Out now first via Bandcamp, the EP will hit all other platforms next week.

Below is the video for “Deine Augen”.

About AD:keY

AD:keY is a German electronic body music (EBM) duo formed in 2006 by René Nowotny, known as Agro, and his partner Andrea Nowotny. René, previously the keyboardist for Armageddon Dildos, and Andrea combined their talents to create a sound that blends the synth-driven beats of DAF and Nitzer Ebb with vocal elements reminiscent of Welle:Erdball.

Their debut album, “Thema Nummer Eins”, was released on December 5, 2008. Over the years, AD:keY has released several albums, including “Reanimator” (2017), “Resonanz” (2020), and “0609” (2024).

The duo is signed to the Belgian label Alfa Matrix. Below is their recently released “0609” album.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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The newest and seventh album by the German duo AD:Key, comprised of Andrea and René Nowotny, stands out as a particularly special release. Titled “06.09”, it references the couple’s wedding date, celebrating their bond through music. This album stays true to the energetic, intelligent, and old-school EBM style that has become AD:Key’s signature, delivering a powerful sound. Both members contribute vocals throughout, and they also invited long-time friend Uwe Kanka (Armageddon Dildos) to collaborate on one track. Interestingly, the album’s strongest tracks are positioned toward its conclusion. Compared to previous works, “06.09” has a slightly ‘softer’ or more Body-Pop sound, though it remains a refined and well-balanced production, merging strength and sophistication. An additional album complements the release with numerous remixes and alternative versions. Label mates Miseria Ultima and Digital Factor, as well as Martin Bodewell of Orange Sector, contribute compelling remixes, alongside AD:Key’s own reworks and another one from their side project, Rector Scanner. (Rating:8).

Listen to “By Your Side”:

https://alfamatrix.bandcamp.com/track/by-your-side

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Last September, Alfa Matrix released the 7th studio album from AD:KEY, “0609” (available via Bandcamp): a release full of energy, strong old-school EBM basslines, catchy synth melodies, and addictive choruses, all highlighted by their unique male/female vocal interplay. NITZER EBB’s power meets KRAFTWERK’s melody for a smashing album evoking AND ONE or FRONT 242!

S. First of all, congratulations on the release of “0609” and your wedding anniversary! September 6th must hold a lot of personal significance for you both. Can you share how you spent your anniversary this year and what this date means to you in both your personal and professional lives? 

R. Thank you for your kind wishes. September 6th has a very big meaning for us indeed. We wanted to show the whole world that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. This year we spent our 16th wedding anniversary at the NCN Festival. The night before I performed at the NCN with Orange Sector. Andrea and I met at a festival 17 years ago, married 16 years ago and gave our first AD:keY concert in Kassel on that very day. So a wedding concert!

S. “0609” is described as your most personal album to date, reflecting your deep bond as a couple and bandmates. How did your relationship influence the creative process behind this release? Were there any moments that felt especially emotional or cathartic during the making of the album?

R. We are married, but at the same time we are best friends. We can tell each other anything and don’t shy away from criticizing each other. Because we have set up our studio at home, we can work on music at any time. Alone or together, whatever suits us. Of course there are emotional moments. Especially when a track gives us goosebumps at the same time. I think especially with the songs “Your Eyes” and “Two Souls” we felt a sense of deep connection…

S. The male/female vocal interplay is a core element of your sound. How do you approach balancing your voices and perspectives in the music? Are there specific tracks on “0609” where you feel this dynamic really shines?

R. That’s a tough question! My favorite on the album is “Your Eyes.” The song is based on Andrea’s voice. My voice can only be heard in the background during the chorus. Where a female voice is needed or rather a male voice, we also use it. Andrea finds the outro of the album, the song “0609”, particularly successful. Here both voices appear in a balanced ratio…

S. This album celebrates not only your relationship but also your dedication to the EBM genre. How do you see your sound evolving on “0609,” and what were your main influences or inspirations while working on this album?

R. I think we have undergone a lot of development in the last few years. Our songs seem (at least we think so) more grown-up, more mature than on the first albums. They are more classic, melodic old school EBM songs with a somewhat rough instrumentalization. We only use hardware synthesizers, many of which are analog devices. This makes the sound warm and rich – and somehow everything sounds a little like electronics from the end of the 80s. I think this is a new quality feature of “0609”. We like that sound because we grew up with it. These are our sources of inspiration. Our song “The Evil God,” for example, makes me think a little of Bigod 20 with its sounds and samples, for example the tracks “Kreusch” and “The Big Bang.” I’m a big Bigod 20 fan. Or the sequencer runs on the songs “Heartbeat” and “By Your Side” could perhaps have come from Nitzer Ebb. Andrea has been a Nitzer Ebb fan since she was a child. Some of the sounds on “0609” sound a bit like Armageddon Dildos, which I was a keyboard player for on stage for years. Uwe Kanka, the mastermind of Armageddon Dildos, finally insisted on contributing the vocals for our song “Feel the Beat” in the chorus. We have been friends with Uwe for years; after all, Uwe is originally from Kassel, just like Andrea. They even attended the same school, except that Uwe learned there a bunch of years before Andrea (laugh).  I would perhaps mention Terence Fixmer and Miss Kittin as further influences – and of course Front 242 and Kraftwerk.

S. The album comes with a bonus CD featuring remixes by artists like ORANGE SECTOR, ZWEITE JUGEND, and even your side project RECTOR SCANNER. How did you decide which artists to collaborate with for these remixes, and how does it feel to have your music reinterpreted by others?

R. First of all, thank you again to all the remixers. Almost all of us know each others personally and are mostly friends with each other. Whenever we hear a remix for the first time, we are amazed at how different such new recordings are from the original and what new ideas the remixers have contributed. Since we know what our friends’ music sounds like with their own projects, we could already guess in advance which direction the mixes could go. With the Bodewell (Orange Sector) remix we knew it was going to be a club number that was going to be a blast. The TC 75 mix would be more ambient – and “Zweite Jugend” will sound like “Zweite Jugend”. “Aktion:Fiasko” definitely had to be there because the project is new, crisp and fresh. Franzi (the front woman) lives a few doors down from us. But we didn’t know that we would be presented with such a bright mix of “The Evil God” that will certainly attract attention in the club. The Miseria Ultima remix was also a big surprise because we had only known this band for a short time.

S. Considering the intimate nature of “0609” and your long-standing relationship as both partners and bandmates, how do you manage to maintain that balance between personal life and the creative energy needed for your music? 

R. For us, making music is part of our private lives. It mainly takes place on the weekends, after dinner on Friday or Saturday evening. If the creative energy isn’t there, we do something different: we meet up with friends, go to concerts, or go to readings in my favorite bookstore “Otherland” in Berlin Kreuzberg where we gather strength and find new ideas.

S. As you celebrate this milestone with “0609,” what does the future hold for AD:KEY? Are there any upcoming projects, collaborations, or special plans that fans can look forward to?

R. Of course we pause for a moment when a project like a new album that we have been working on for almost 4 years is finished. It’s like closing a book you’ve read. And then you look around for something new, you look around and start the next project. We will definitely play some concerts, for example in March 2025 at the E-Only Festival in Leipzig. We have some remixes in the pipeline for other bands. There are already a few song ideas for our Rector Scanner project. In the future there will be a new Rector Scanner album. At the moment we are planning another AD:keY single from the current album, which should be released in the next months.  Another AD:keY song is also finished, which was originally supposed to be on the album “0609”, but ultimately didn’t fit thematically. This song was sung by Martin Bodewell (Orange Sector). We also want to release this song somewhere!  Andrea has also been active as a guest singer with VillaBorghese (side project of Ex Trial / Trilogy) in recent months and will certainly be heard there more often. In addition, Andrea is planning a project that she would like to launch together with exclusively female musicians, including Franzi from Aktion:Fiasko and Lily from MDS 51. Female Electronic Music – “FEM”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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C-Lekktor, a leading name in the dark elektro scene alongside Hocico, Rabia Sorda, and Amduscia, celebrates its 20 years anniversary. Markko B. has now released a special “2.0” double-CD deluxe digipak on Alfa Matrix. This release includes fan-favorite club hits and revamped versions of 12 classic tracks.

This 2CD version is available now via the Alfa Matrix website, the download version via Bandcamp. The album is also available in a special combi pack along the new releases from AD:keY and Miseria Ultima.

On this new album Markko B. has breathed new life into frequently requested songs performed at concerts. Updated tracks such as “An Empty Soul”, “Infected”, “Paralisis”, “See My Hate”, “El Comienzo De La Muerte”, and “Our Dark Side” are reimagined and rearranged, while classics like “World Of Fantasy”, “Juicio Final”, “Hellektro Convulsion Therapy”, “Solo En La Oscuridad”, and “Silence Remains” have received powerful makeovers.

The release also features harsh elektro tracks in their original form from recent albums, including fresh tracks like “God Killer” and “Are You Ready For The Bass?” alongside dancefloor cuts “Out Of My Way”, “Cyborgs”, and the track “Animals”.

Additionally, the double-CD set includes the exclusive unreleased track “I Don’t”, originally written during “The Silence Procession” era, and a cover of Depeche Mode’s “Always You”.

You can listen to all of the tracks below.

Fans of dark hellektro music, especially those who enjoy Suicide Commando, Hocico, Alien Vampires, or Noisuf-X, will find this double-CD essential.

About C-Lekktor

C-Lekktor, spearheaded by Marco Antonio Barrientos (Markko B.), has been an important force in the dark elektro scene for over two decades. Emerging from the vibrant Mexican electro scene of the 1990s, C-Lekktor made its first appearance with the demo CD “Re-a-Gression”.

Known for its aggressive and energetic sound, characterized by harsh vocals, pounding beats, and dark, atmospheric melodies, the project gained widespread recognition with performances across Mexico and internationally.

In 2005, the project released the maxi-CD “Words of Evil” and participated in the “Electro Map-Latam Compilation”. The following years saw C-Lekktor performing extensively, including concerts in Peru and Chile, and performances on major events like the “Necropolis Fest”.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Today the German EBM pop duo AD:keY releases a new double-CD album, “0609”, on Alfa Matrix. The duo, recently married Andrea and Rene Nowotny, matched the album’s title with the release date of the album: “0609” aka September 6th.

You can order the album now on Bandcamp as download and on 2CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore.

This is AD:keY’s seventh album. In “0609”, the duo reflects their deep bond as a married couple and as bandmates. Expect strong old-school EBM basslines, catchy synth melodies, and addictive choruses.

As a special treat, the album includes an 11-track bonus CD featuring alternative versions and remixes by friends such as Martin Bodewell (Orange Sector), To Avoid, Digital Factor, Miseria Ultima, Zweite Jugend, TC 75, Aktion:Fiasko, and their side-project Rector Scanner. Additionally, enjoy a special guest vocal contribution from Uwe Kanka, frontman of the cult act and label mates Armageddon Dildos.

About AD:keY

AD:keY, the German EBM pop duo, consists of Andrea and Rene Nowotny, who formed the band in 2006 as a side project.

Their first album, “Thema Nummer Eins”, was released on November 21, 2008, under the Electric Tremor Dessau label. This album featured tracks like “Alkohol” and “Hass Mich”, which helped establish their presence in the EBM scene. Following this, they released “A Deutschmaschine” on April 30, 2010, which included hits like “Deutschmaschine” and “Hölle”. Their third album, “Sharp Cuts”, came out on November 2, 2012, and included tracks such as “Haut” and “Prolet”.

In 2014, AD:keY released “Reanimator” on May 9, featuring songs like “Mein Weg” and “Maschinen”. Two years later, on June 10, 2016, they released “D’Accord”, with tracks like “D’Accord” and “Der Letzte Tanz”. Their sixth album, “Herz und Verstand”, was released on April 20, 2018, and included songs like “Herz und Verstand” and “In Mein Herz”. Most recently, on September 18, 2020, they released “Resonanz”, featuring tracks such as “Maschinenliebe” and “Revolte”.

The band is signed to the Belgian label Alfa Matrix.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

The EBM pop duo AD:keY are back with a fresh EP, “Nackt”, following their previous single, “Two Souls”. With this new release the Berlin-based duo, Andrea and Rene Nowotny, offers a glimpse of what you can expect on their forthcoming album, “0609”.

“Nackt” holds 4 tracks, 3 remixes (including a single mix) of the title track plus a mix of the track “Deine Augen”. As usual the tracks come with the band’s signature blend of male and female vocals.

As usual with Alfa Matrix the release is first out on Bandcamp with other platforms to follow in the next weeks.

About AD:keY

AD:keY was formed in 2006 as a side project by the keyboardist from the band Armageddon Dildos. The band’s sound is rooted in pure old school EBM blending what we then described “the synths and beats of DAF and Nitzer Ebb with the vocal style and slight spaciness of Welle:Erdball”.

Their music is characterized by stomping beats, muscled bass lines, addictive melodic electro sequences, and powerful male and female vocals. Over the years, AD:keY has carved out its own identity within the Electronic Body Music scene releasing material via the Belgian based electro label Alfa Matrix.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Michael Schrader strikes back with the fourth album of his sonic alter-ego Tension Control. The album features thirteen new songs.

Content: If you’re familiar with this German project you’re expecting new ‘old-school’ EBM. And that’s precisely what “Industrielle Revolution” stands for; good-old EBM reminding the energy and power of bands like DAF, AD:Key and co. The work is carried by solid bass lines and danceable kicks. The lyrics are switching from English to German and vice versa.

+ + + : Tension Control sounds as an ode to good-old EBM; a ‘pure’ EBM format which is however more and more accomplished. Tension Control is evolving throughout the years while remaining faithful to its initial approach. The album brings a succession of danceable, hitting, cuts. It’s not easy to give you favorites but I particularly like “Your Voice”, “50 Hertz”, “Feel The Rhythm” and “Survivor”. A last and essential point is the artwork of the album which is in the continuation of previous albums. I like this standardized  and recognizable approach.

– – – : I think that if the album would have been recorded with better equipment and/or in a better studio it would reach an extra -and higher, level.

Conclusion: Tension Control remains a solid ambassador of the contemporary ‘old-school’-EBM.

Best songs: “Your Voice”, “50 Hertz”, “Feel The Rhythm”, “Survivor”, “Form Folgt Funktion”, “Und Keiner Geht Hin”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.tensioncontrol.de / www.facebook.com/tension.control.ebm

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

Following up on his previous single (“I Love You”) as ImJudas, Maxx Maryan (male half of the Italian electro rock industrial duo Helalyn Flowers) now releases a new wave ballad, “Stjudas”. The EP is out now via the Alfa Matrix sublabel Spleen+.

The EP, includes the previous single as well and a dark cover version of The Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry”. This EP is another teaser for the upcoming ImJudas album “Viscerheart” which will offer melancholic 80s pop-wave mixed with post-punk ingredients.

ImJudas was initially started as a noir-dyed electro-pop project in 2016 and has since incorporated a rough guitar component. The project’s debut album, “Yrjudas”, showcases a blend of electronic dark wave and a few rock elements. You can read a full interview with Maxx on ImJudas right here.

ImJudas discography

Albums

• Yrjudas: Released in 2022 under Alfa Matrix

Singles & EPs

• Tulpa (2017): This EP, consisting of 5 trackd files, was released under Alfa Matrix
• Ritual (2021): Another release under Alfa Matrix, “Ritual” is a 6-track EP
• People Of The Blame (2023): Released by Spleen+ holding 7 tracks
• So Untrue (2023): On Spleen+, “So Untrue” holds 6 tracks
• I Love You (2023): A single release under Spleen+
• Stjudas (2023): 3-track EP

Compilations

• Sonic Seducer Cold Hands Seduction – Vol. 246 – Various – Sonic Seducer (2023)
• Matrix + Downloaded 011 – I Love You – Alfa Matrix (2023)
• A Strange Play.2 – Tribute To The Cure – Boys Don’t Cry – Spleen+ (2023)
• Anthologies 4 – Ritual – Je M’en Fish (2023, JMF202302)
• The Zombietapes (Face The Beat 7 Megamix) – Various – Side-Line (2022)
• Gothic File 22 | 1 – People Of The Blame – Alfa Matrix (2022)
• Sonic Seducer Cold Hands Seduction – Vol. 237 – Various – Sonic Seducer (2022)
• The Dark Hits Of Tomorrow Vol. 4 – Ritual – Orkus (2022)
• Face The Beat: Session 7 – Ritual (Reichsfeind Remix) – Side-Line (2022)
• Sounds From The Matrix 21 – Apostatik – Alfa Matrix (2020)
• Matrix Downloaded 009 – Apostatik – Alfa Matrix (2020)
• matrixx – 20 Years Of Alfa Matrix (Best Of Electro, Synthpop, EBM, Darkwave) – Without Us You Are Nothing – Alfa Matrix (2021)
• Face The Beat: Session 5 – Various – Side-Line (2019)
• Endzeit Bunkertracks [Act VIII] – Tulpa (AD:Key Remix) – Alfa Matrix (2019, AM1276FCD, [Act VIII])
• Alfa Matrix Re:Covered Vol.3 (A Tribute To Depeche Mode) – Various – Alfa Matrix (2019)
• The Other Face Of Evil – Zombie – EK Product (2019, EKPCD062)
• Sounds From The Matrix 20 – Without Us You Are Nothing – Alfa Matrix (2018)
• Matrix Downloaded [008] – Without Us You Are Nothing – Alfa Matrix (2018)
• Matrix Downloaded [007] – Tulpa – Alfa Matrix (2017)
• Sounds From The Matrix 19 – Tulpa – Alfa Matrix (2017)
• Orkus! Compilation 127 – Tulpa – Orkus (2017/12-2018/01, 127)
• Matrix Downloaded [006] – People Of The Blame (Alfa Edit) – Alfa Matrix (2016)
• Recovery>For You< (An Alfa-Matrix Tribute to Front 242) – Various – Alfa Matrix (2016)

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Alfa Matrix, the renowned Belgian label, commemorates its 22nd anniversary with yet another mastodont compilation on Bandcamp. The latest installment in the acclaimed “Matrix Downloaded” series, titled “Matrix+ Downloaded 011”, is now available as a free download on their Bandcamp page. Packed with 60 tracks, including new signings and a preview of the upcoming Spleen+ label releases, this compilation showcases Alfa Matrix’s diverse music repertoire.

“Matrix+ Downloaded 011” soared to the top of the industrial Bandcamp charts within hours of its release, claiming the coveted number 1 position.

The collection holds 60 tracks in total including several new signings. These are the bands present on this brand new free download compilation: Hanging Freud, The Ultimate Dreamers, The Breath Of Life, Psy’Aviah Feat. Sorrow Stories, ImJudas, Star Industry, Halo In Reverse, Lovelorn Dolls, The True Union, Freakangel, Avarice In Audio, Siva Six, Alien Vampires, Synapsyche, Helalyn Flowers, Neuroactive, Elektrostaub Feat. Stefan Netschio, Technoir, Entrzelle, Llumen, Noemi Aurora, Aiboforcen Feat. Jan D., Reichsfeind, Mondträume Feat. N-Frequency, The Psychic Force, Digital Factor, Implant, Darkness On Demand, Aesthetische, Komor Kommando Vs. The True Union, Matthew Creed, C-Lekktor, First Aid Tech, Pouppee Fabrikk, ELM, Die Robo Sapiens, Plastic Noise Experience, Armageddon Dildos, Stahlgeist, AD:keY, Kant Kino, Suicidal Romance, Miseria Ultima, First Aid 4 Souls, Neikka RPM, Circumpolar, Venal Flesh, Helle9, Diffuzion, Acylum, Circuito Cerrado, Aengeldust, Studio-X, 808 Dot Pop, Cubic, Metroland, Rector Scanner, Elektroklänge, Cosmic Armchair, Lights A.M.

You can download “Matrix+ Downloaded 011” for free via Bandcamp.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Four years after their impressive debut EP Die Robo Sapiens are back with their debut album. The German side-project of Die Krupps featuring Jürgen Engler, Ralf Dörper and Marcel Zürcher brings us an album of ten songs plus an extra disc (available on CD and digital edits) featuring ten extra songs.

Content: Die Robo Sapiens stands for pure EBM. Good-old and elaborated songs from Düsseldorf which sometimes to me sound like a homage to legendary town mates Kraftwerk and DAF. Pure Electronic music mixing the robotic side and atmospheres of Kraftwerk together with the power of DAF. Engler’s captivating and alluring vocals on top will bring you to dance.

The extra disc features remixes by Seb Komor, Aiborforcen, Orange Sector, AD:key, Implant, Aesthetische, Cubic, Kant Kino, Metroland and Plastic Noise Experience.

+ + + : The already familiar songs “Teufelskreis” and “Tanz Mit Dem Roboter” both remain alluring cuts but I also have to mention “Transrapid Rapid”,  “Robotimierung”, “Robo Normativ”, “Niemals Stillstehen” and  “Automatenland” which all are outstanding pieces. It feels like Die Robo Sapiens moved on there where Die Krupps decided to experiment with guitar and Metal/Industrial music. You can feel the guys had some fun composing this album while the ‘Düsseldorfer’-sound reminding Kraftwerk but also DAF is a pretty cool wink. The bonus disc brings an impressive selection of great remixes in different genres; from EBM and sophisticated EBM to Minimal-Electro it’s nearly impossible to say which one sounds the best.

– – – : No minus points to mention.

Conclusion: When ‘veterans’ are teaching EBM artists how to compose great stuff!

Best songs: “Transrapid Rapid”, “Teufelskreis”, “Robotimierung”, “Tanz Mit Dem Roboter feat. JG. & The Robots”, “Robo Normativ”, “Niemals Stillstehen”,  “Automatenland” + “Teufelskreis – Sebastian Komor Rmx”, “Robotimierung – Orange Sector Rmx, “Transrapid Rapid – Aiboforcen Rmx”, “Niemals Stillstehen – Kant Kino Rmx”.

Rate: 9.

Artist: www.facebook.com/DieRoboSapiens

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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

After a couple of teasing EP and video clip releases, the Belgian Alfa Matrix label releases today the full length debut album by Die Robo Sapiens, the ultimate EBM project by the members of Die Krupps. “Robo Sapien Race”. The release is available now on a fan edition Vinyl (with lots of extras such as a DJ Turntable slipmat) and as a limited 2CD box set pressing next to download.

Behind Die Robo Sapiens we find the Die Krupps members Jürgen Engler plus Ralf Dörper and Marcel Zürcher.

The 10-track “Robo Sapien Race” album offers a blend of minimal, vintage and powerful synth music with harder, stronger and angrier EBM assaults made of fat and ripping basslines, powerful German vocals and upbeat synth sequences. The artwork was rendered by the talented Japanese designer Tomoki Hayasaki.

Jürgen Engler: “The idea for us was to have an outlet for songs that couldn’t be used in a Die Krupps context. The use of guitars in Die Robo Sapiens music being taboo In a way, it’s a return to our electro roots, but with a twist. Imagine the Duesseldorf sound of Kraftwerk mixed with hard Die Krupps EBM. This combination of styles has been spooking around my brain for a while, and it was time to put it into action.”

The album’s first pressing comes out as a limited deluxe double-CD Digipak holding a bonus disc featuring each album song remixed by an impressive list of electro artists in the likes of Sebastian Komor, Orange Sector, Plastic Noise Experience, Metroland, Aiboforcen, Ad:Key, Implant, Aesthetische, Kant Kino and Cubic.

The album also gets released on vinyl format as a fan edition pack limited to 333 units worldwide including the 10-track album on black vinyl in a deluxe gatefold packaging (with full lyrics) with a bonus DJ turntable slipmat, a page marker and a numbered postcard, plus the new 20-track “Sounds From The Matrix 023” label CD compilation which for now is exclusive to this release.

You can check the tracks right below.

Videos

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Minimal-Electro, Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: The last year released third album “Teleskop” brought German duo Rector Scanner back on the map. Andrea and René Nowotny -still involved with AD:Key strike back again with three new songs.

Content: The new stuff sounds in the prolongation of “Teleskop”; pure Minimal-Electro-Pop which I often define as ‘Kraftwerk-Pop’. The songs are made of retro elements with a very personal touch on top while driven by robotic vocals. We next get 5 remixes which by the exception of the 808 Dot.Pop-remix have been all accomplished by the duo -featuring 2 remixes of their other alter-ego AD:Key.

+ + + : “Teleskop” was a great album and “Fluormenschen” holds on to the same qualitative level. Rector Scanner isn’t exactly an innovative band and yet they have something refreshing and very personal. All new songs are sonic jewels, which could be all title tracks. I’ve a preference for “Technosignaturen” which sounds more into Minimalism. I also notice great remixes, but here again it’s the “Extended Mix” of “Technosignaturen” which gets my preference.

– – – : No real minus points to mention, but quite curiously the title track isn’t my favorite one.

Conclusion: Rector Scanner stands for efficient, sexy and retro-futuristic Electro-Pop music!

Best songs: “Technosignaturen”, “Wand Aus Glas”, “Fluormenschen – Single Edit”, “Technosignaturen – Extended Mix”, “Fluormenschen – Remix by AD:Key”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/rectorscanner

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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

Two weeks ago we announced that the Finnish dark electro duo had signed a record deal with the Belgian label Alfa Matrix. Out now is the band’s label debut, namely the 10-track EP “Witch Heart Apparition”. The EP is a teaser for the release of their forthcoming 3rd studio album “In Colors of Void”.

On the new EP Aleksi Martikainen (vocals) and Kimmo Huhtala (synths) offer 2 brand new songs presenting their trademark sound merging cold melancholic atmospheres and poignant sorrowful melodies with harsh aggressive distorted vocals and powerful dark elektro assaults. In addition to the release of a video clip of the title song, which you can view below, their track “Caressing The Pale” was reworked by 8 diverse electro/industrial bands each offering a totally different reinterpretation of the song. In the rework seats we find Acylum, Siva Six, Ad:Key, Neikka RPM, Venal Flesh, Avarice In Audio, Ocean Black and Teknovore.

Here is the full EP available for download on Bandcamp with other platforms to follow soon. We have been following this band for quite some time, good to see they are back with a very strong EP!

Here is the official video for the title track “Witch Heart Apparition”.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Out now on Bandcamp is the extremely attractive 8-track EP “Fluormenschen ” by the Berlin-based vintage electronic project Rector Scanner. The EP follows the release of their comeback album “Radioteleskop” and its various related EP releases.

The band offers vintage electronic music with vocoders and German-sung synth music, which is basically a very well-made mixture of Kraftwerk’s robotic electronics, And One’s danceable techno pop and Welle:Erdball’s 80’s melodic mechanical synthpop touch.

Rector Scanner is – for those who didn’t know – the retro science-fiction pop side-project of the EBM duo AD:keY consisting of Andrea and Rene Nowotny.

The 8-track new EP reveals 3 new songs plus a couple of self-made remixes, including more dancefloor EBM-pop oriented versions by their alter-ego project AD:keY, while Belgian label mates 808 DOT POP also contribute with a vintage-synth-pop remix of the title song.

A must have in your collection!

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: “Ton Aus Strom” is the third album by German project Tension Control which is driven by Michael Schrader. This is also the first self-released opus.

Content: If you’re familiar with the band you exactly know what to expect. This is pure old-school EBM. No tricks nor complexity but just straight forwarded EBM with DAF as their ultimate reference and source of inspiration. Most of the songs are sung in German but you’ll also find a few sung in English. You’ll also find cover versions from Der Plan and Michael Matters.

+ + + : Tension Control stands for pure 100% old-school EBM. The songs are moving on where the previous album stopped, same sources of inspiration, same fascination for DAF. This is an album appealing for fans of Orange Sector, AD:Key, Armageddon Dildos ao. It’s not hard-core but simply powerful music featuring carrying choruses. The title song is a great piece of music but my personal favorite one is “kRaNK KrANk” driven by a great bass line.

– – – : Tension Control avoids any innovation but simply keeps the true EBM spirit alive. I was less convinced by the few English sung tracks but you don’t hear me complaining. I can’t understand why this band hasn’t been signed to a ‘big’ label.

Conclusion: Tension Control stands for pure EBM and is a band deserving more recognition.

Best songs: “kRaNK KrANk”, “Ton Aus Strom”, “Kraftwport”, “DAF Im Plattenbau”, “Deutschland, Bleiche Mutter”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/tension.control.ebm

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: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: “Alles Wird Gold” must be the thirteenth full length album by German EBM formation Orange Sector. Lars Felker and Martin Bodewell have been joined by René Nowotny (AD:KeY, Rector scanner) since the previous album “Alarm” (2019).

Content: The sound of Orange Sector brings us back to the early hours of EBM; short and aggressive songs carried by solid bass lines and linear, danceable kicks. The alluring vocals sound like commanding people to dance.

+ + + : Orange Sector has been often linked to DAF, but more than ever before this opus sounds like being touched by the legacy of DAF. I heard the work as an ode to Gabi Delgado and I think wherever he is, he must be reassured EBM will never die. This work sounds like a great vintage production driven by short, but powerful songs. Next to the already familiar “Angstmann”, “Gold” is another terrific piece of EBM. 

– – – : Orange Sector doesn’t reinvent EBM, but is it really necessary when you’ve the skills to compose such a great piece of kicking music. It’s just a pity the album is only featuring more or less 30 minutes of music.

Conclusion: “Alles Wird Gold” reminds us of the essence of EBM; no tricks, no complexity, but just hard-hitting songs to make you dance!

Best songs: “Gold”, “Angstmann”, “Fick Dich”, “The Work Is Done”, “Te Amo”.

Rate: 8½ .

Artist: www.facebook.com/OrangeSector

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: Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Driven by the German EBM veteran René Nowotny (AD:KeY), this year Rector Scanner returned with the excellent album “Radioteleskop”. This EP is part of a ‘twin-EPs’ release getting us back to some of the main songs from the album.

Content: Next to the title song, you’ll also hear a “Single Edit” and/or alternative edits of the songs “Epsilon Tucanae” and “Utopia”. These songs perfectly illustrate the retro-Pop approach, reminding me of the genius of Kraftwerk with an extra, bouncing touch on top. The robotic vocals –also featuring Andrea Nowotny, accentuate the vintage style of the work. We next get an instrumental exclusive song and finally 3 remixes of the title song. Metroland and Datapop have been given the job while René Nowotny accomplished one remix as well.

+ + + : First of all I should say the EP features some of the hottest songs from the album. It also is a perfect way to discover Rector Scanner and its own interpretation of Kraftwerk-ian Pop music. The songs are meticulously composed and I should say it’s an intelligent and ultra catchy retro-sound. René Nowotny is much more than an EBM composer, but also a talented Electro-Pop artist. He also made a great remix of the title song while I also have to mention the darker and more bombastic edit by Metroland.

– – – : The instrumental “Sternenschiffe” is the single new song from the EP, but not exactly the most successful one.

Conclusion: This EP is a great addition to the album “Radioteleskop”.

Best songs: “Das Mädchen Aus Dem All – Single Edit”, “Das Mädchen Aus Dem All – Andromendanebel”, “Epsilon Tucanae – Single Mix”, “Utopia – Part II Tribute to Iwan Jefremow”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/rectorscanner

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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

Out via the Köthel (GER) based label NoCut on December 3rd is the 2CD Depeche Mode tribute album “Music for Constructions”. NoCut invited 31 bands, including MONO INC, AD:keY, MajorVoice, Crematory, Heimataerde, Psyche, Plastic Noise Experience, Beyond Obsession, DMK, Evo-Lution and many more for this tribute release.

All bands submitted rare tracks, most of them specially recorded for this compilation.

The tracklist:

CD1

1. MONO INC. – I feel You
2. MajorVoice – It’s no Good
3. Crematory – Black Celebration
4. Beyond Obsession – The Bottom Line
5. Vainerz – Insight
6. Blind Passenger 80s Express feat. Nigel Wheeler – Photographic
7. Love? – In your Memory
8. Darkness on Demand – Behind the Wheel
9. Evo-Lution – Stripped
10. Julian Shah Taylor – In your Room
11. Psyche – Lie to Me
12. Any Second feat. Iggi – To have and to hold
13. Scheuber & Wollank – Heaven
14. Electronic Frequency – Ice Machine
15. Strangelove The Depeche Mode Experience – Sister of Night

CD2

1. Heimataerde – Ice Machine
2. Plastic Noise Experience – Get the Balance right
3. ADkeY – Nodisco
4. The Promise – But not Tonight
5. The Psychic Force – Blasphemous Rumors
6. DMK – Black Celebration (2021 Poly Gore Remix)
7. Mauricio Tamblay – Rush
8. Superikone feat. Puppekopp – The Things you said
9. Monsmeg – Where’s the Revolution
10. Blue Forge – Waiting for the Night
11. Stage Of Theed – My Secret Garden
12. White Noise TV – World in My Eyes
13. Ha[a]rp – The Sun and the Rainfall
14. District 13 – The Bottom Line
15. Twilight-Images – Fly on the Windscreen
16. Diarblack – But not Tonight

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

The Berlin-based vintage electronic project Rector Scanner (the retro electropop side-project of the EBM duo AD:keY) has released two complementary twin-EP’s today under the title “Das Mädchen aus dem All”.

Both EPs are available now on the Alfa Matrix Bandcamp.

The EP1 edition offers 6 new versions/remixes of tracks taken from the band’s recent comeback album “Radioteleskop” plus the exclusive instrumental “Sternenschiffe”. Besides the single and maxi versions of the title song you also get upbeat remixes by Datapop, Metroland, plus new editions of “Utopia” and “Epsilon Tucanae”.

The EP2 edition offers 7 new versions/remixes of tracks taken from “Radioteleskop” plus the exclusive “Sattelit”. Included are 3 versions of the title song featuring an extended remix by 808 Dot Pop, a Düsseldorf-like mix of “Radioteleskop” next to 3 different takes of the song “Epsilon Tucanae” including a techno dance remix by Berlin electro musician and producer Eric Masch, who operates here under the name “MA = ST + ER”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Rector Scanner  was the first project set up by René Nowotny. Known from his EBM project AD:KeY, Rector Scanner is driven by the sound and influence of Kraftwerk. Active since 1997, René Nowotny this year released the third album of his sonic brainchild on Alfa Matrix. “Radioteleskop” is a great and intelligent work, which became a conceptual opus inspired by René’s fascination for sci/fi literature. There also is a second disc featuring remixes by AD:KeY, Massiv In Mensch, Metroland, Merry Chicklit, Letal 30 and 808 Dot.Pop.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: We all know you from your involvement with AD:KeY although Rector Scanner was your first project ever. You don’t release new work at regular basis with Rector Scanner so what does this project mean to you and how does it feel getting back to your first love?

René: Rector Scanner is my very own ‘baby‘. On one hand, I made my first steps here in the production of Electronic music and, on the other hand, I was able to realize all those ideas that did not fit into any specific box. Here I was and am completely free; I can let off steam and do whatever I want. It’s a great feeling to finally have a new Rector Scanner album in my hands after a long time. 

Q: I’m always fascinated by artists getting involved with different projects/bands. What makes the difference(s) to you between the projects and do you need any kind of preparation and/or mental spirit to work on it?

René: Actually there is not much difference to AD:KeY, only that I can implement my own ideas completely independently at Rector Scanner without having to take Andrea into consideration. Of course, she also influences the songs at Rector Scanner. After all, she contributed to a number of ideas, wrote the lyrics fort wo songs of the new album and is featured on several tracks with her vocals. But she has no right of veto. There are phases when I like to work alone in the studio -and sometimes I find it nice to exchange ideas about what I’m doing and ask for opinions.

Q: Over now to the new album “Radioteleskop”. What has been the ‘click’ to start composing this new album and tell us a bit more about the subjects, which seem getting back to the origins of human mankind? Is it a conceptual work?

René: Yes, “Radioteleskop” is a conceptual album. The idea for it had slumbered in me for years. There are two things that strongly influenced me with “Radioteleskop”: my love for science fiction literature and my admiration for the band Kraftwerk.

I have been reading science fiction novels since I was a child and I have a large collection of books in my private library. And I know that many people will immediately turn up their noses when they read these lines, because they immediately think of “Star Wars“; of lightsabers and spaceship battles and space monsters. But such stories don’t interest me.

Perhaps I should rather say that I like Social Fiction; great world designs that anticipate the future of mankind and deal critically with the present, such as the books by Neil Stephenson, Kim Stanley Robinson, or the great authors of the East: the Strugatzki brothers or Stanislaw Lem.

Above all, my favorite author Ivan Yefremov had a great influence on the Rector Scanner album. In his great novel “Andromedanebel” –in “Das Mädchen aus dem All”, he describes a future communist society that, despite all progress, is not free from problems. This novel was the template for some of the songs that can be heard on “Radioteleskop”.

We are constantly on the lookout; it is curiosity that drives mankind to the stars. In books and novels we long for discovery, for communication with other civilizations. In science we observe the sky with the same longing, hear and see into space with radio telescopes and send probes to distant celestial bodies. I wanted to put this passion into music with the Rector Scanner album.

Q: Tell us a bit more about the writing of the album; the equipment you used, the different stages of song writing, vocals- and global production?

René: A lot of synthesizers have accumulated in our studio over the past few years. I particularly like to use the Waldorf MicroQ and the Waldorf Pulse 2. The Waldorf STVC vocoder and the Arturia MicroFREAK were responsible for the electronic voices. Many analog synthesizers such as Behringer’s ModelD, the Deepmind 6 or the Neutron can be heard very often on “Radioteleskop”. But it would be going too far to name all the devices.

The work on the album was not a continuous process, but dragged on over several years. The oldest song on the album is track number 11, “Stories About A Blue Planet”. He is well over 10 years old. Other songs were created during a recording session for an AD:KeY album. Originally, “Maschinen Sind Treu” was an AD:KeY song. But we then added more and more playful elements, including a Kraftwerk-reminiscent snare drum ‘Tschakkk‘. So we gave the song new lyrics and it became a Rector Scanner song.

During the lockdown in winter 2020/2021, when we were stuck in the studio, we wrote the last 5 songs. I think you can hear that when you look at “The Girl From Space”, “Epsilon Tucanae” and “Utopia”. They belong together both in terms of content and music. I consciously say ‚we‘ because Andrea and I were stuck in the apartment -and we had to keep ourselves busy somehow. We worked on AD:KeY and Rector Scanner songs in parallel.

Q: Compared to previous releases there’s a noticeable evolution in the artwork of the new album -and the EP “Der Dichter Und Die Frau”. What makes this evolution and in, which way is there a connection between the concept and the artwork?

René: For AD:KeY we do the artwork completely ourselves. For the Rector Scanner publications we have given the artwork to an artist, Thomas Franke. Thomas Franke is a graphic artist, book illustrator and theater actor. I met him years ago at a vernissage where his work was exhibited and I was totally enthusiastic about him and his work. Without further ado, I asked him if he would make some of his work for Rector Scanner available to me. After he listened to our music, we agreed. Thomas Franke had already designed the artwork for the second Rector Scanner album “Herzschlag” -and since we had developed a friendship, we just continued our collaboration.

There is always a connection between the concept and the work of art, simply through the fact that one consciously chooses an image or a graphic. Thomas Franke’s work has a high recognition value, which is associated with the music. If you look at the artwork, you link it to the music -and vice versa. I think we made an excellent choice to give our music a fantastic image.

Q: The EP “Der Dichter Und Die Frau” is only available as digital work. What do you think about this ‘digital era’ wherein less physical productions are released? Does it have an influence and/or impact on your artistic work? What do you expect from the future and what are the further plans with Rector Scanner?

René: I am aware that modern times rely on modern technologies. Digital publications are very efficient. You have instant access to music anywhere, anytime, anywhere in the world.

However, I love physical records, which is possibly due to the fact that I am still a ‘Stone Age‘ collector and hunter deep down. We humans want to own something, touch something and show it as a trophy. Actually, this is no longer necessary. We have everything on the smartphone or in the cloud and on the web. But I still feel that way.

However, it is also a fact that music is consumed differently through digital media than it was in the days of CDs or vinyl records. Albums in the classic sense follow a structure and have a dynamic like a play. While listening to the music, you look at the artwork, turn pages through the booklet, read texts.

All of this no longer works like this due to digital consumption. It’s all about clicks and downloads. There is no longer a total work of art.

However, this has hardly any influence on my artistic work. I enjoy producing music -even if I’m my only listener.

This year there will be a double download EP “Das Mädchen aus dem All” with 7 tracks each. We are also working on a new AD:KeY album and you won’t have to wait 7 years for a new Rector Scanner album. (laugh)

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: Electro-Pop, Body-Pop.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: Set up in 1997 by Rene Nowotny –who’s actually more known from his involvement with the EBM project AD:Key, Rector Scanner doesn’t release new material on a regular basis. “Radioteleskop” is the third album by the German artist, which is inspired by sci/fi and the origins of mankind and outer space life forms. The album features eleven songs plus eleven extra songs/remixes on the extra disc. 

Content: Rector Scanner is clearly inspired by vintage Electronics, which might remind bands like Kraftwerk and Welle:Erdball. The songs have been achieved with space-like bleeps and atmospheres –which totally fits the concept, while the harder songs feature an EBM touch on top. The vocals have been produced with a robotic effect while you also will notice female backings.

The second disc reveals a few alternative edits and an important load of remixes from AD:Key, Massiv In Mensch, Metroland, Merry Chicklit, Letal 30 and 808 Dot.Pop.

+ + + : Scanner brings vintage Electro with a refreshing approach. The sound isn’t innovative and yet, this ‘time-travel’ approach has something magic. The songs are well-crafted featuring great sequences and solid sound treatments, and also great atmospheres. The robotic effect on top of the vocals accentuates the retro-approach of the work. The opening part of the album is simply brilliant. You will (re)discover the EP-title song “Der Dichter Und Die Frau”, but also other great songs like the title song plus “Die Eisigen Ufer Des Titan”, “Minus 180 Grad (Celsius)” and “Das Mädchen Aus Dem All”. Among the remixes I noticed great contributions from AD:Key transforming “Radioteleskop” into a solid EBM piece, Massiv In Mensch putting their sonic stamp on the title song and Metroland revisiting “Das Mädchen Aus Dem All” in a minimal format.

– – – : The first part of the album is absolutely phenomenal while the second part is more stagnating and sometimes becoming a bit repetitive.

Conclusion: Rector Scanner is back on track with an intelligent, uplifting and alluring Electro-Pop work.

Best songs: “Radioteleskop”, “Der Dichter Und Die Frau”, “Die Eisigen Ufer Des Titan”, “Minus 180 Grad (Celsius)”, “Das Mädchen Aus Dem All” + “Radioteleskop – AD:keY Wow!-Signal Mix 3”, “Radioteleskop – Remix By Massiv In Mensch”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/rectorscanner

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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: EBM, Body-Pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info:  This new EP is the third one taken from AD:Key’s sixth album “Resonanz” released last year. The work features five edits of the title track plus 2 remixes of another album song “Schlachtfeld Der Liebe”.

Content: “Alles Was Ich Will” is quite characteristic for the “Resonanz”-album; still driven by good-old and well-crafted EBM, but with some extra Electro-Pop elements on top. There’s a “Single Mix” and “Tanz Mix” plus remixes by Final Selection, Implant and less familiar X10ded. “Schlachtfeld Der Liebe” has been adopted into a “Single Edit” as well plus an alternative and totally reworked edit.

+ + + : I have to admit the title song was not exactly my favorite cut from the album, but it remains AD:Key-stuff: danceable and revealing an intelligent retro-EBM style while the German vocals by Rene and Andrea Nowotny inject a special touch to the work. The “Single Mix” sounds cool, but especially the club-orientated remix by Implant is the true attention grabber. There’s also something to say about the down-tempo, evasive remix by Final Selection. And X10ded injected some extra ‘robotic’ elements to the song, which are cool as well.

– – – : “Schlachtfeld Der Liebe” doesn’t really add a true bonus to the EP. The song didn’t catch my attention on the album and both new edits aren’t convincing.

Conclusion: This EP is an item for the fans of the band, but definitely not the record I would recommend to discover this great formation.

Best songs: “Alles Was Ich Will – Club Mix by Implant”, “Alles Was Ich Will – Forever Sentimental Mix by Final Selection”, “Alles Was Ich Will – Single Mix”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/ADKEYmusic

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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-Pop, Electro, Experimental.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: Belgian Implant duo is back on track, unleashing their eleventh album in history. Len Lemaire and Jan D’Hooghe have been inspired by the ongoing pandemic and the impact on humans. It resulted in a double disc featuring numerous remixes on the second disc. Noemi Aurora (Helalyn Flowers) contributed to some songs of the album.

Content: Implant already revealed a different approach in sound on the previous –and great, album “Oxynoxe-X” while the last year released EP “Phantom Pain” confirmed this evolution although getting more into Electro-Pop fields. It’s quite significant for this new opus, which is bringing elements such as Minimal-Electro and a kind of Industrial-Pop together. The ‘Trance’ roots of the band are far away, but still present on a few cuts. The main evolution of the sound is due to the use of analogue gear, which becomes pretty explicit at a few shorter, instrumental pieces. Noemi Aurora is singing on 3 songs, creating a weird, but cool match with the growls of Len Lemaire.

The work features remixes by Suicide Commando, Signal Aout 42, Aiboforcen, Q’Pnz, 808 Dot.Pop, Növö, Armageddon Dildos, AD:Key, Neuroactive and Helalyn Flowers. The second disc also features a few extra songs by Implant. Last, but not least The Breath Of Life simply covered one of the songs instead of making a remix.

+ + + : I truly respect the global evolution in sound Implant has made during the past years. It still sounds Implant-like, but the Belgians seem to have found new sonic paths to explore. The analogue sound treatments create this minimalism, but also very original sequences emerging at the shorter ‘intermezzo’ cuts. Noemi Aurora remains to me one of the most talented singers in this scene and she adds a graceful-, sensual- and artistic touch on top of the songs. “Phantom Pain” remains a cool track, but she also sings on “The Last Record”, which clearly appears to be a potential hit –and has been remixed by several artists. One of my favorite songs however is “The Room” for its extra robotic dimension plus deep, resonating bass line and “Nutshell” for its minimalism. The opening song “I Don’t Trust The Machine” is another attention grabber with a strong dance/club appeal and driven by an amazing lead.

The list of remixers is also a noticeable aspect of the album. I here want to mention the work by Suicide Commando and Trance-driven remix by the Belgian producer Q’Pnz. The Breath Of Life did a great job covering “The Last Record”; this is a beautiful and sensitive version. Last, but not least Implant put 2 more great pieces on this disc (cf. “Censorship Through Noise Part III” and “Lied 13”.

– – – : I regret some short, instrumental cuts from the main disc haven’t been more worked out; “Nutshell” is not only one of the best tracks, but unfortunately it’s just a kind of break. Despite the impressive list of remixers, I definitely expected a bit more.

Conclusion: Implant is now active for nearly 30 years and has already found new new horizons to explore.

Best songs: “The Room”, “I Don’t Trust The Machine”, “Nutshell”, “The Devil Made Me Do It”, “The Last Record”, + “The Last Record – Cover by The Breath Of Life”, “Run To The Lights – One Messed Up Mix by Suicide Commando”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.implant-music.be / www.facebook.com/Implantmusic

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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

Founded in 1997, Rector Scanner was actually the very first music project of Berlin-based artist Rene Nowotny who then redirected all his energy over the last years on his more EBM-oriented band AD:keY together with his wife Andrea.

Anno 2021, Rector Scanner returns to reveal their much anticipated 3rd studio album “Radioteleskop”, a 2CD set. The first CD holds 11 new songs that offer vintage electronic music with vocoders and German-sung synth music in line with Welle:Erdball and And One. The songs on this release are strongly influenced by science and social fiction literature from the early 20th century and novelists in the likes of Russian author Ivan Yefremov.

The second CD features another 11 tracks which are exclusive versions and diverse collaborations with Metroland, 808 Dot Pop, Massiv In Mensch, AD:keY, Letal 30 as well as a featuring of the toitronic electropunk diva Merry Chicklit.

Also notice the design work by artist, illustrator and theatre actor Thomas Franke.

You can check out all the new tracks below. The limited edition 2CD (there is no 1CD version) set can be ordered via the Alfa Matrix webstore, and the download version via the Alfa Matrix Bandcamp page.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: Three years after the debut-album “The Worst Dream” (2018) Rebirth strikes back with a double album featuring twelve new songs and eleven remixes. Rebirth is Bruno Ruch (Sleepwalk) and singer Olivier Moser.

Content: The main disc reveals solid EBM bass lines, powerful rhythms, carrying choruses and harsh-spooky   vocals. “System:Error” reflects a cold production, which is mainly created by icy sequences and –atmospheres. The vocals are in German and English. There’s one instrumental song somewhere in the midst of the work, which appears to be a break.

The second disc reveals remixes by Atropine, Rotersand, Oldschool Union, Covenant, Struck9, Frozen Plasma, Pyrroline, AD:Key, KIFOTH, Deadly Injection and Onenine.

+ + + : I was not a huge fan of Rebirth’s debut album, but this new work sounds definitely more convincing. Bruno Ruch improved most aspects of the production, but the song writing is just better. The album features several great songs, but I especially recommend listening to “Ultimate Sin”, “Teufel In Mir” and “Streets Of The Damned”. The sound treatments reveal a professional approach. I especially like the fusion between power and haunting atmospheres on top.

The bonus disc reveals great names, but also great remixes. I especially want to mention Rotersand, Oldschool Union, Struck9, Pyrroline and KIFOTH as the most inspired cuts. Onenine is a noticeable feature as this is a solo-project of Axel Kleintjes (formerly involved with Page 12, Cyber Axis, Cycloon, Mindware).

 Last, but not least I also want to say a word about the great and artistic digipak format of this work.

– – – : This work is just missing an absolute hit to speak about a real masterpiece, but we get a real great number of songs instead. I expected a bit more from the Covenant remix.

Conclusion: “System:Error” is a work I fully recommend to all lovers of sophisticated dark EBM.

Best songs: “Ultimate Sin”, “Teufel In Mir”, “Streets Of The Damned”, “Letzte Schlacht”, “R.I.P.” + “Streets Of The Damned – Rotersand Rework”, “Teufel In Mir – Struck9 Remix”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: http://rebirth-music.ch / www.facebook.com/Dr.Tinitus

Label: www.ekproduct.com / www.facebook.com/EKProduct

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

Out now, first via Bandcamp and later next week via Spotify, is the 3rd single (rather a 7-track EP) from AD:keY’s recently released “Resonanz” album. For this EP, AD:keY chose two very opposite, but also complementary, songs: the catchy body pop love song “Alles Was Ich Will” and a darker counterpart “Schlachfeld Der Liebe”.

Next to these two tracks you also get a remix of the title track by Final Selection who gave it a calmer and more melancholic touch, while label mates Implant focused on the danceable elements. AD:keY themselves also offer three alternative versions, 2 of “Alles Was Ich Will” plus a slow and heavy remake of “Schlachfeld Der Liebe”.

You can check out and download the release already on Bandcamp.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Resistor is an EBM solo-project driven by Leonardo Jaime aka ‘Neuromancer’ and hails from Bogota (Colombia). I noticed Resistor previously released an EP (cf. “Breathe”) in 2015 on the excellent Black Leather Records. “Driving Force” is the official debut album featuring ten songs plus two remixes.

Content: There definitely is a match between Resistor and EK Product. The work is carried from start till the end by retro-influenced EBM. The songs are a bit cliché-like, featuring classical metallic percussion sounds and typical song structures, but there also is a kind of minimalism. The songs are mainly sung in English, but you’ll also notice a few Spanish lyrics. The songs are short and powerful. TourdeForce and AD:Key both have accomplished one remix each.

+ + + : If you’re into old-school EBM, this project definitely will get you to move your body! Resistor belongs to the classical EBM school and features a few cool songs. I especially like the kind of minimalism in the production, which also was a trademark from labels such as Black Leather Records and Black Montanas. This album reflects all the expected EBM power by its classical ingredients like metallic percussion, solid bass lines and vocals. Both remixes are adding a real bonus to the album.

– – – : The sound production is a bit compressed and that’s a pity. I think this is an important point to improve.

Conclusion: Resistor is an interesting addition to the EK Product roster and a must have for all EBM freaks.

Best songs: “Supernova”, “Reacción”, “Bodybeat”, “Driving Force”, “Reacción – TourdeForce Remix”, “Driving force – AD:Key Remix”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/resistorebm

Label: www.ekproduct.com / www.facebook.com/EKProduct

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

Implant’s 11th album is a fact and officially out since this morning! The Belgian electronic act recently released the “Phantom Pain” EP and video clip as a teaser for what was to come, and now the band has finally released the full length “Cognitive Dissonance” in 2 physical versions: CD and a very limited 2CD.

You can expect an array of sounds on the new album, from industrial dance over dark elektro and melancholic chanson (“The Last Record”) to upbeat future pop and techno pop. For the album Implant could count on vocal contributions by Helalyn Flowers’ front woman Noemi Aurora on several songs.

The limited deluxe double-CD digipak edition of the album (available here) holds the “When Prophecy Fails” bonus disc featuring 2 exclusive tracks and an eclectic selection of remix collaborations with such artists and bands like Breath Of Life, Suicide Commando, Armageddon Dildos, 808 Dot Pop, Signal Aout 42, Aiboforcen, Helalyn Flowers, Neuroactive, AD:keY, Q’pnz and Növö.

You can check the tracks from the album below on Bandcamp (where you can also pre-order the release).

About Implant

Implant was formed in 1992 when Geert Machtelinck and Len Lemeire attended the same university. It took them till 1996 to release the first CD album (“Soft flesh / Hard steel”) which was followed by 2 MCD’s (“Fun” and “Brain FX”). The band then took a swing in unexplored territory of psy-trance, becoming one of the first psy-electro bands. They later on returned to a more eclectic electro approach incorporating various electronic influences in their work.

Since 2004 Implant is signed to Alfa Matrix for which Len Lemeire has also been mastering quite a lot of releases.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

The Berlin based Record Scanner electropop act is finally back after 15 long years of new studio silence. Founded in 1997, Rector Scanner is the first electropop project of Berlin-based artist Rene Nowotny who focused all his energy over the last years on his more EBM-oriented band AD:keY together with his wife Andrea.

This new EP announces Rector Scanner’s 3rd studio album “Radioteleskop“ and reveals new material for the very first time after some 15 years of dormancy.

This new EP – available now via Bandcamp and other platforms – will please all fans of vintage electronic music with vocoders as well as German-sung synth pop music like Welle:Erdball, And One and more.

The artwork for the EP was made by artist, illustrator and theatre actor Thomas Franke and based on the artwork “Trauer 1: Pieta des Lichtbringers vor seiner telefonischen Chattung mit der Äonenleier…”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

It has been a hectic year, also for Alfa Matrix, but luckily their bands took the time to work in their studio to record new material. Out now via the Alfa Matrix Bandcamp page is the label’s 10th edition in the “Matrix Downloaded” compilation series, again offering you a – free – insight in what the Belgian label is all about. You can discover 64 tracks right here on Bandcamp.

The download holds tracks from Cubic, Psy’Aviah, Aesthetische, Digital Factor, Reichsfeind, Llumen, Zombie Girl, Diffuzion, Matthew Creed, Circuito Cerrado, Circumpolar, Venal Flesh, Mentallo & The Fixer, Freakangel, Alien Vampires, I:Scintilla, Schwarzblut, Totem Obscura, Reactor7X, First Aid 4 Souls, Lederman / De Meyer, Implant, AD:keY, Kant Kino, Die Robo Sapiens, ELM, Pouppee Fabrikk, Armageddon Dildos, Plastic Noise Experience, Synapsyche, Avarice In Audio, Elektrostaub, Junksista, First Aid 4 Souls, Benestrophe, Mental Exile, Star Industry, Halo In Reverse, Lovelorn Dolls, Helalyn Flowers, Essence Of Mind, Rector Scanner, Elektroklänge, Metroland, Lights A.M, Cosmic Armchair, Aiboforcen, H.O.W., 808 DOT POP, Suicidal Romance, Entrzelle, Technoir, Neuroactive, Mondträume, The Psychic Force, Studio-X, Studio-X Vs Simon Carter, Neikka RPM, Komor Kommando, Siva Six, Aengeldust, Acylum, Dunkelwerk and Növö.

Exclusive face masks

Next to that you can also get the download together with a face mask, out in a very limited series. You can either buy them separately or get all 3 in one. Check the set of 3 Face Masks (Blue Matrix + Endzeit + Red EBM Alert) or the separate masks.

Note that EVERY face mask order comes with a free compilation CD on top: “Sounds from the matrix 022” with 20 extra tracks.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Set up in 2007 by René and Andrea Nowotny AD: KEY rapidly became a noticeable band in the ‘old-school’ EBM style. The band’s debut works were released by the now defunct Electric Tremor Dessau (a true reference in this music genre) while they next signed to Emmo.biz, which is another label that is no longer active. The German duo finally joined hands together with Belgian label Alfa Matrix. They this year released their sixth full length album “Resonanz”. It remains an EBM experience although AD: KEY experienced with new elements so this work is maybe opening new paths for René and Andrea.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries) 

Q: “Resonanz” is your sixth full length album. How do you look back at the writing and production of this album and what is it all about?

Rene: “Resonanz” is primarily about interpersonal relationships. We tried to reflect on daily life; less our own lives than what we hear, see and read.

Andrea: It’s about love and hate, about hurt vanities. But also about problems such as sexual harassment, where every woman is sure to have had her unpleasant experience. This is exactly what our song “Ich Will, Dass Du Jetzt Gehst” is about, for example.

Q: I experienced “Resonanz” as your most sophisticated and maybe mature work to date. How do you explain the evolution in sound? Is it just growing experience & maturity or still a will to experience with new sounds, equipment and ideas?

Rene: The fact that “Resonanz” sounds a little different from the previous albums has several reasons. At first, our goal was not to repeat ourselves over and over again. This time we wanted to push the EBM attitude a bit into the background and work more song-oriented. We are also constantly looking for interesting sounds. And since we’re fans of the 70s and 80s electronics, we went the opposite way that many other bands take. We didn’t want to use modern equipment or software, but analog synthesizers. So we rebuilt our studio and bought a lot of new / old equipment.

Andrea: We are also older (except me):-D, maybe more mature.

Q: The song “Electro Musik” sounds to me as a homage to DAF and Gaby Delgado. What did you try to express with this song and do you want to say something about the tragic loss of Gaby who definitely belongs to the icons of EBM?

Andrea: Gabi Delgado’s death in Spring hit us hard. I’m a big DAF fan -Gabi and Robert‘s music has always had a certain influence on AD: keY. Then we made a cover version of “Verschwende Deine Jugend”, because this song speaks to us from our hearts. Maybe someday we will release this cover version.

Rene: Our song “Electro Musik” was written a few months before Gabi’s death. The song is the result of a jam session that we did together with Axel Machens from Placebo Effect in the AD: keY studio. We wanted to test one of my new synthesizers -and Axel had his Korg MS 20 -a synthesizer that DAF used very often. In principle, the basic structure of “Electro Music” was ready that evening. The song name speaks for itself -a nod to the roots of electronic music.

Q: I always link EBM with energetic live performances so I can imagine it must be frustrating because of Covid-19 to no longer play on stage. What are you feelings about this situation and how do you expect to see things evolving?

Rene: Yeah. It is very frustrating not to be able to go to any more concerts and not be able to play any more live concerts. We miss that very much. But in September this year we were very lucky to be able to perform at the NCN Festival for a concert under strict hygiene rules. It was an indescribably good feeling.

Andrea: But we see the need to implement these tough restrictions. We hope that the situation will improve in the foreseeable future. But this COVID 19 virus doesn’t just go away on its own. So we retired to the studio and work on new music. There will be a new AD: keY EP in December.

Rene: At the same time, I’m working on my side project, a new RECTOR SCANNER album that is due to be released next year.

Q: René, you’re still pretty close with ARMAGEDDON DILDOS and became member of ORANGE SECTOR too. What’s your input with these other bands and is there something like a big German EBM family?

Rene: Yes, I’m good friends with Uwe from the ARMAGEDDON DILDOS. Nothing has changed about that, even if I‘m no longer a live member. We sometimes stil work together making music. Uwe recently made a remix for AD: keY and I did a mix for ARMAGEDDON DILDOS. Uwe has always been a kind of musical mentor to me, and I value his opinion very much.

With ORANGE SECTOR it’s a lot of fun on stage. It’s just as great as it was with the ARMAGEDDON DILDOS. Martin, the mastermind of ORANGE SECTOR, produces the songs and the basic concept. The main work is up to him. He sends the files to me, I add my files and tracks and he mixes everything together.

Overall, one can say that the EBM / Electro scene in Germany is kind of a big family. Because the scene is relatively clear, you know each other, respect each other and are friends.

Q: How do you see AD:KEY evolving towards the next few years? What might we expect and what are you still dreaming of?

Rene: I don’t know how AD: keY will develop in the coming years. We are open to new influences because we don’t want to limit ourselves. We like to experiment. AD: keY will always sound like AD: keY. We stay true to our basic sound.

Andrea: In any case, we will start a new AD: keY album in 2021. We just let ourselves go -and we’ll see what comes out of it in the end.

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

“I can’t feel you” is the title of the newest EP from the Berlin duo AD:keY which is out now on Bandcamp and all other digital platforms. The 7-track EP is taken from their successful “Resonanz” album. “I Can’t Feel You” nicely blends EBM basslines with minimal synth pop melodies, hammering beats and powerful female vocals.

The EP holds various and quite different versions from this track ranging from old-school EBM to acid trance through minimal analog synth, thanks to additional remixes delivered by Zweite Jugend, Rebirth and Citris Acid aka Letal 30.

You also get a second A-side with the exclusive non-album track “Can You Hear Me” which is a solid Electronic Body Music cut. That exclusive track also comes in a ‘reconstructed’ mix.

Check out the EP below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital, Double CD.

Background/Info: Armageddon Dildos is back on track unleashing the first ‘new’ studio album since “Untergrund” (2011). Uwe Kanka introduced the new album by the solid EP “Heut Nacht” released earlier this year. “Dystopia” wants to be a critical reflection about the dystopian world we’re living in. The front cover clearly reminds me of the legendary “1984” novel of George Orwell.

Content: The regular album features 13 songs while the bonus disc features 12 extra songs/remixes. The album takes off with a unique song for the band, but still a great and overwhelming piece of music. Armageddon Dildos next moves from harder EBM cuts –including the already known “Heut Nacht”, towards slower pieces. I also noticed some interesting experiments like the minimal driven “Night People”, which sounds a bit 80s like. The song “Neon” is also a noticeable cut featuring female vocals by Malin Kanka (Uwe’s daughter). “Stay” is already something totally different and brings a surprising guitar Electro-Rock style. The work ends with a hard “Club Mix” of the title song.

The bonus disc is featuring remixes by Schramm, Intent:Outtake, First Aid 4 Souls, Inertia, Dave Anderson, Digital Factor, Orange Sector, AD:Key, Fredrik Söderberg, Lights Of Euphoria, Rico Ferenc Piller and Synapsyche.

+ + + : “Dystopia” is a diversified album driven, by good-old EBM sequences mixed with eclectic elements. The die-hard fans will be ravished discovering songs such as “Dystopia” and “Heut Nacht”. “High Up In The Sky” stands for modernism while “Night People” is a great ode to 80s electronics. “Heut Nacht” and “Destruction” both reveal noticeable melody lines. Last, but not least “Ohne Dich” is a cool Body-Pop song sung in German while featuring female French samplings. Among the remixes I want to mention the devastating remix of “Dance Of Dead Bodies” by Lights Of Euphoria. Intent:Outtake did also a great job remixing “Dystopia”.

– – – : Some cuts are clearly unexpected, and not totally convincing. I of course refer to the already mentioned “Stay”. The early and successful days of this band are clearly a way behind us.

Conclusion: I remember to have been disappointed when discovering the “Untergrund”-album while “Dystopia” reconciles me a bit with the true spirit of the band.

Best songs: “Ohne Dich”, “Dystopia – Club Mix”, “Heut Nacht”, “Night People”, “Destruction” + “Dance On Dead Bodies – Light Of Euphoria Stadium Mix”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.armageddondildos.info / www.facebook.com/armageddondildos

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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: EBM.

Format: Digital, Double CD.

Background/Info: Andrea and Rene Nowotny set up AD:Key in 2007. Thirteen years later they now release their sixth studio album featuring twelve songs. The limited edition features an extra disc with twelve remixes.

Content: I consider AD:Key as one of the absolute old-school EBM masters from the past years. “Resonanz” however appears to be a milestone in the band’s career. The EBM basis remains intact, but this work clearly reveals new elements. They injected other influences –sometimes pretty Electro-Pop driven, to their work while the usual power of the band has been a little bit more under control and replaced by more elaborated songwriting. You still can feel a connection with bands such as DAF at the ‘harder’ cuts, but you also will notice surprising, softer, but sexy songs. The vocals are sung in English and German while alternating male- and female vocals. The album features a few two familiar songs that were previously released on the  “Herz Lass Los”-EP, which served as a strong appetizer to this new opus.

The second disc features a bunch of alternative edits by the band itself and remixes by Armageddon Dildos and Steril (2 songs) plus one of the album songs featuring Schramm.

+ + + : I’m not saying that the Nowotny duo has tries to reinvent their sound, but this album is clearly different. The good-old and constant EBM power is now interrupted by some softer cuts even featuring melody lines (cf. “You Can’t Fuck Me”) and sensuality (cf. “I Stay”). But the main evolution is the elaboration of the writing, the songs never have been that worked out and even sophisticated (cf. “Du Und Dich”). That’s maybe because of the use of analogue sound treatments. “Nur Der Mond” is maybe ‘the’ song symbolizing this evolution the best. But AD:Key still stands for great and pure old-school EBM; that’s what they reveal on familiar cuts like “Herz Lass Los” and “Der Letzte Tanz”, but I also have to mention “Electro Musik”. Some lyrical passages are clearly evoking the influence of DAF… maybe meant as homage to Gaby Delgado.

On the second disc I noticed a great collaboration with Schramm (cf. “This Is Not The Time”), a great “Club Mix” of “Alles Was Ich Will” and 2 noticeable remixes by Steril (what a great return of this band!).

– – – : I’m missing the harder AD:Key style from the early days, but on the other side I prefer a band striving for evolution and elaborating new ideas instead of a band repeating itself.

Conclusion: “Resonanz” is maybe the AD:Key work we didn’t expect, but I want to reassure the fans, it still remains great EBM!

Best songs: “Electro Musik”, “Herz Lass los”, “Der Letzte Tanz”, “You Can’t Fuck Me”, “Nur Der Mond” + “Ich Will Dass Du Jetzt Gehst – Evvilking-Mix By Steril”, “Ich Will Dass Du Jetzt Gehst – Axl-Mix By Steril”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/ADkeY-offical-106750002700971

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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: Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: German duo Digital Energy last year struck back with their first album (cf. “Tempest”) in eleven years. I have to admit I wasn’t that impressed by the album. They now move back to the album with the “Nostalgia”-EP featuring mainly remixes.

Content: Digital Energy is one of those Synth-Pop bands clearly inspired by Depeche Mode. The global approach and some of the treatments are clearly emulating the masters of the genre. Five songs from the last album have been exposed to the remix skills of other artists while there also is a remix of a song from their debut album (cf. “Interemotional”) and one exclusive song.

Remixes have been accomplished by Rob Dust, Wave In Head, Croona, People Theatre, The Psychic Force, AD:Key and S.E.Pell. Notice by the way the band made some alternative edits of a few songs as well.

+ + + : There’s an interesting diversity of remixes thanks to the different artists. One of the best songs however is the exclusive “Take A Ride” revealing a club-orientated format; danceable and catchy Electro-Pop! Another club-friendly song is the remix of “Nostalgia” by People Theatre. In an EBM driven direction you’ll hear the AD:Key remix of “Trust”. Another attention grabber is the “Club Version” of “Unite!”, which sounds much more convincing than on the album. The last song, which is a remix of “Nostalgia / Disease” is an original work by S.E.Spell featuring bombastic treatments and the perfect final song for the EP.

– – – : I’m less convinced by the melancholic pieces/remixes, which are closer in the vein of the original edits. I also expected a bit more out of the remixes from Rob Dust who’s normally featuring great, clubby remixes.

Conclusion: This EP reconciles me a bit with Digital Energy, “Nostalgia” being much more exciting than the album.

Best songs: “Take A Ride”, “Nostalgia – People Theatre’s Mirror Mix”, “Trust – AD:Key Remix”, “Unite! – Club Version”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/digitalenergymusic

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

“Resonanz” is the title of the newest 6th full length studio album (and the follow-up to the 2017 album “Reanimator”) by the Berlin-based duo AD:keY. Andrea and Rene Nowotny reconnect with their mix of strong EBM/bodypop and powerful male and female vocals using both German and English languages.

The first edition of this album is available now as a very limited double-CD deluxe digipak with 12 bonus tracks including alternative versions made by AD:keY themselves, plus collaborations with Schramm, Steril, Armageddon Dildos and Rossi BM. You can already check 2 tracks below,

The download edition is available via Bandcamp right now while the 2CD set can be ordered via the band’s label, Alfa Matrix.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

In March 2020 Düsseldorf’s leading EBM act Armageddon Dildos launched a brand new download EP, “Heut Nacht” (available here on Bandcamp). Today the band releases a new album. Uwe Kanka takes the opportunity to protest against our world’s dystopia in general, and socio-political issues in particular like intolerance, abuse, disinformation or yet selfishness.

For the occasion he surrounded himself with studio gurus and old time friends Mathias Black and Sven Mouhcine. You can expect 80’s melodic influences with the 90’s power of industrial dark techno.

Below you can listen to the complete album.

The limited edition of the album includes a bonus album featuring one remix of each album song by a wide range of collaborators including Orange Sector, Digital Factor, Ad:Key, Lights Of Euphoria, Schramm, Intent:Outtake, First Aid 4 Souls, Inertia, Synapsyche, Dave Anderson, Rico Piller and Fredrik Söderberg.

Available formats:

Armageddon Dildos – Dystopia Download
Armageddon Dildos – Dystopia CD
Armageddon Dildos – Dystopia 2CD

And here are the first 2 tracks to check out.

Slowly but steadily

Armageddon Dildos was formed in 1988 in Kassel Germany, and the name comes from the slang term for intercontinental ballistic missiles. The band has always been popular within their native Germany but also outside of Germany they have a cult following among industrial music lovers. They released their first album, “That’s Armageddon”, in 1990 on the cult label Zoth Ommog. The rest is history.

Noticeable is that the band has always taken it time to record and release new material. Their latest full album already dates from 2011 when they released “Untergrund”, also on Alfa Matrix.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: The Die Krupps gang (cf.Jürgen Engler, Ralf Dörper and Marcel Zürcher) is back on track unleashing the second EP from their EBM side-project Die Robo Sapiens. And it’s a special work as it pays tribute to the electronic scene from Düsseldorf, hometown of Die Krupps, but of course also the city of Kraftwerk, D.A.F., Neu, Rheingold ao. “FanFanFanatisch” is a cover song of Rheingold, which was originally composed in the early 80s.

Content: Die Robo Sapiens seriously boosted and reworked the song into a great EBM version with all the power of Jürgen Engler’s vocals. The B-side song entitled “Düsseldorf” clearly appears to be another wink to the electronic scene from this magic city. It sounds more Kraftwerk-like.

The title track has been remixed by Aestetische, 808 Dot.Pop and Kant Kino (featuring 2 remixes). Notice by the way that one of the remixes by Kant Kino is a mix of D.A.F. (with the song “Der Mussolini” plus the lyrics from Rheingold). Implant made a remix of “Düsseldorf.

+ + + : What a great way to bring this early Rheingold song back to life. Die Robo Sapiens clearly stands for 100% power and the title song clearly appears to be a club smasher. Among the remixes Aesthetische accomplished a great version while I also enjoyed the minimal approach of 808 Dot.Pop mixing its Kraftwerk-pop with the EBM of Die Robo Sapiens.

– – – : I expected a bit more out of some remixes, the Die Robo Sapiens edit however remaining the best one of the EP.

Conclusion: Die Robo Sapiens so far released two great EBM EP’s plus a great cover version of Depeche Mode together with AD:Key; time for a debut album now!

Best songs: “FanFanFanatisch”, “FanFanFanatisch – Aestetische Rework”, “FanFanFanatisch – 808 Dot Mix”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/DieRoboSapiens

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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: EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Andrea- and Rene Nowotny are now preparing their sixth full length album. While waiting for “Resonanz” we get this EP as a teaser. The German EBM duo is for sure one of the uncontested leaders in their music genre.

Content: “Herz Lass Los” has this typical EBM sound AD:Key has used to familiarize us. But there also is a sound treatment reminding to early And One. It’s pure vintage and totally danceable featuring Rene’s vocals while Andrea is doing the backings. “Herz Lass Los” has been featured as 3 different edits plus 2 remixes by the German body-pop sensation Alphamay and the Peruvian formation Monöchrome.

The B-side song “Der Letzte Tanz” is another EBM cut, this time with Andrea as the main singer. The songs have been presented in 2 different edits.

+ + + : “Herz Lass Los” is a cool retro-EBM like title song. It’s a perfect track to set dancefloors on fire. I especially like the And One analogue sound treatment running through this piece. Rene and Andrea once again confirm to be totally complementary singers. The so-called “Dritter Mix” is another attention grabber while the Alphamay-remix has something minimal. The remaining song, “Der Letzte Tanz” is not exactly a potential hit although more than simply an EP filler.

– – – : The title song is cool, but the different versions and both remixes aren’t exactly adding a real bonus.

Conclusion: No doubt about it, “Herz Lass Los” is the perfect song to announce a new album, which will be for sure filled with EBM adrenaline! Ad:Key rules!

Best songs: “Herz Lass Los – Single Version”, “Herz Lass Los – Dritter Mix”, “Herz Lass Los – Alphamay Remix”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/ADkeY-offical-106750002700971

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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

It’s Bandcamp Friday today, which is a great day to support artists, as the download platform charges no fees that day. The Belgian electronic label Alfa Matrix goes the extra mile and offers 50% reduction on top when using the discount code SUMMER20.

So, if you want to support the label and artists (Armageddon Dildos, Psy’Aviah, AD:keY, 808 Dot Pop, Lights A.M, and lots more), then don’t hesitate to go crazy on the Alfa Matrix Bandcamp page!

You can of course also help us out today by ordering a Side-Line T-shirt including a free mouth mask or download and donate towards one of our compilations. Hundreds of parcels have already be sent out worldwide, so if you want one as well, check it out on our Bandcamp page.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Before launching their next album, “Resonanz”, the Berlin-based duo AD:keY return with a new 7-track EP “Herz Lass Los”. The title track is a catchy danceable electronic tune with German lyrics and comes in the single version, and 4 remixes including an alternative and Dritter version and 2 remixes by Alphamay and Monöchrome. Also on the EP is the track “Der Letzte Tanz” which comes in a single version and in an EP remix.

You can download the EP right now from Bandcamp.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

The Belgian electro label Alfa Matrix is launching 8 new Bandcamp exclusive releases today from AD:keY, Aesthetische, Die Robo Sapiens, First Aid 4 Souls, Helalyn Flowers, Neuroactive, Psy’Aviah and Studio-X vs. Simon Carter. At the same time the label also officially releases the new albums by 808 DOT POP and Avarice In Audio today.

Good to know, if you want to support artists and labels to survive during this Corona crisis, Bandcamp is again waiving its revenue share on all sales today. All the purchases placed on that day will therefore support the bands and labels present on the platform.

The new releases can be found below:

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Two years ago  the EP “Herbstseitlose” saw the German EBM act Armageddon Dildos get back into business. The EP was meant as a teaser to the new album –the first one since “Untergrunt” (2011). Ano 2020 Uwe Kanka is back again with a second EP announcing the new album “Dystopia”. Mathias Black did some additional programming and production work. He previously already worked with Armageddon Dildos as a remixer and producer.

Content: “Heut Nacht” is a solid piece of EBM reminding me a bit of the early hours. It has a strong DAF connotation –especially during the chorus, while the vocals have something grave. Remixes have been accomplished by Dave Anderson, Messiaen Noir, AD:key, Melting Rust Opera, First Aid 4 Souls and Flesh Wire. The remixes inject a real diversity, some of the artists having totally decomposed the original edit.

+ + + : The previous EP already was an interesting comeback, but “Heut Nacht” is probably the band’s best song in years! It’s a cool title track revealing a well-crafted, danceable EBM. It sounds a bit minimal-like, but definitely promising for the upcoming album. Among the remixes I noticed great contributions from label mates AD:key and First Aid 4 Souls. Especially the last mentioned Hungarian formation did a great job, boosting the song with extra power and dance vibes!

– – – : I was less convinced by the experimental exposure of Melting Rust Opera and Flesh Wire. This is not exactly the kind of remixes you expect for an EP released by an EBM band!

Conclusion: Time for “Dystopia” so we can really hear if Armageddon Dildos is back to improve its image and become again the EBM leader they were during the 90s!

Best songs: “Heut Nacht – Club Mix by First Aid 4 Souls”, “Heut Nacht – AD:key Mix”, “Heut Nacht”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.armageddondildos.info / www.facebook.com/armageddondildos 

Label: www.alfa–matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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

Cult German Electronic Body Music act Armageddon Dildos have launched a new EP and (title)song before the release of the new album “Dystopia”. On “Heut Nacht”, which is available now on Bandcamp, veteran artist Uwe Kanka and his gang bring full-frontal ripping basslines, minimal melodic electro sequences and powerful German vocals with a catchy chorus.

The track itself was inspired by an autumnal night stroll in a foggy forest evoking darkish childhood fairy tales souvenirs. The track itself got also reinterpreted by various artists coming from quite different musical horizons for this EP. You’ll find renditions by Dave Anderson, Messiaen Noir, AD:keY, Melting Rust Opera (who renamed the song, “Noise Nacht”), Hungarian industrial veteran First Aid 4 Souls and Flesh Wire (who renamed the song, “Silent Nacht”).

You can download the EP right below!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Available now for free (or pay-what-you-want) via Bandcamp is the 9th volume in the “Matrix Downloaded” compilation download series by the Belgian electro label Alfa Matrix. In the past these compilations have been downloaded by ten thousands of fans around the world and we don’t expect it will be different this year.

The label also announces that it will invest all donations in nurturing new bands and getting their careers launched.

Here’s what Seba Dolimont, A&R at Alfa Matrix, has to say about it: “The music market has shifted a lot over the years and in many ways losing its solid footing. CDs sales are collapsing entirely and the shift from downloads to streaming has not yet shown a revenue that is replacing what has been lost. (…) This evolution has created an environment where many labels have almost stopped playing their key-role of talent scouting, no longer daring to invest in new talents who deserve to be heard by you! Alfa Matrix is one of the very few record companies in this scene who try to keep the right balance between releasing renowned artists and supporting younger bands who still need to catch the attention and reach your ears.”

61 bands and tracks

The compilation holds the work by 61 label bands who joined hands to deliver you 61 songs representing the label’s most recent singles and albums while giving a preview of some promising forthcoming 2020 productions including announced new releases by POUPPEEE FABRIKK, NEUROACTIVE, ALIEN VAMPIRES, HELALYN FLOWERS, DIE ROBO SAPIENS, IMJUDAS, 808 DOT POP, ACYLUM, ARMAGEDDON DILDOS, PSY’AVIAH, AVARICE IN AUDIO, SIVA SIX, NEIKKA RPM, AESTHETISCHE, KANT KINO, KOMOR KOMMANDO, AD:KEY, H.O.W., CIRCUMPOLAR, SYNAPSYCHE, LLUMEN, ENTRZELLE, LIGHTS A.M, REACTOR7X, FIRST AID 4 SOULS, etc.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

The 2nd track on our free (or pay-what-you-want to support our charity work) download compilation “Face The Beat: Session 5” is by AD​:​keY, the German EBM project by Andrea Nowotny and Rene Nowotny.

With AD:keY you actually get one of the leaders of the new German EBM generation. Clean beats, fast beats, melodic synth lines and excellent vocal work, that kinda characterizes this band. The duo debuted in 2008 with the album “Thema Nummer Eins” on Electric Tremor Dessau followed by “That’s It!”. Both albums clearly indicated that this was not a one hit wonder.

Album after album you get fresh EBM served in an oldschool sauce. “Astrogator” was the band’s first full length for Emmo.Biz Records which would also release “Anthropozän” in 2015. In 2017 the band joined Alfa Matrix and released “Reanimator”. Last year’s release was the album “10th anniversary AD:keY”, a 16-track collection of their best tracks in an all-new previously unreleased revisited version. They also released the “Never enough” EP and earlier this year the duo hit back with a stunning version of Depeche Mode’s “Master and Servant” which got the EP treatment. Note that the band’s complete backcatalogue was re-released as well via the band’s new label.

“You Can’t Fuck Me” is a perfect example of what the band is about as you will clearly hear below.

Check “Face The Beat: Session 5” on Bandcamp to discover the other bands. All donations will go to charity.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com