Aesthetic Perfection and SWARM have released the digital single “Sorrow” via Out Of Line Music. The track is accompanied by an official visualizer, which you can see below. The release comes as a two-track digital single pairing “Sorrow” with “We Bring the Beat.”

“Sorrow” is the second advance single from Aesthetic Perfection’s forthcoming album. Daniel Graves wrote the song during a period of heartbreak, and the track was later rebuilt with SWARM’s Brandon Carroll, who also handled mixing and mastering.

“It wasn’t written for a specific band or project, I just needed to make sense of what was going on in my own mind. The song sat unused for what seemed like an eternity, until Brandon brought it to life in a way I’d never thought possible,” Graves says.

Carroll adds: “As soon as I heard it, that same feeling I had almost a decade earlier was there. Daniel and I were on the same musical wavelength throughout the whole process, we transformed that demo into a demolisher. More importantly, the emotional aspect is still loud and clear.”

The collaboration also follows both artists’ involvement on Till Lindemann’s “Zunge 2025”. That expanded edition includes “Und die Engel singen – SWARM Remix” and “Meine Welt – Weltuntergang Remix by Aesthetic Perfection.”

Aesthetic Perfection 2026 live dates

US Headline Tour (with PRIEST & Julien-K)

• 02.04.2026 – West Hollywood, US – Whisky A Go Go
• 03.04.2026 – San Diego, US – Brick By Brick
• 04.04.2026 – Pomona, US – Flyway
• 05.04.2026 – San Francisco, US – DNA Lounge
• 09.04.2026 – Madison, US – The Annex
• 10.04.2026 – West Chicago, US – The WC Social Club
• 11.04.2026 – Cleveland, US – The Foundry Concert Club
• 12.04.2026 – Harrisburg, US – Capital City Music Hall
• 14.04.2026 – Clifton, US – Dingbatz
• 15.04.2026 – Philadelphia, US – Nikki Lopez Philly
• 16.04.2026 – Rochester, US – Photo City Music Hall
• 17.04.2026 – New York City, US – The Meadows
• 18.04.2026 – Hartford, US – The Webster
• 19.04.2026 – Manchester, US – Jewel Music Venue
• 21.04.2026 – Raleigh, US – Chapel of Bones
• 24.04.2026 – Austin, US – Come and Take It Live
• 25.04.2026 – Houston, US – Scout Bar
• 26.04.2026 – Dallas, US – Trees
• 29.04.2026 – Glendale, US – The 44 Sports Grill & Nightlife
• 30.04.2026 – Las Vegas, US – The Dive Bar
• 01.05.2026 – Salt Lake City, US – Liquid Joe’s
• 02.05.2026 – Denver, US – Ritual Noize Festival

Festivals & European headline dates

• 08.05.2026 – Berlin, DE – Astra Kulturhaus
• 22.05.2026 – Leipzig, DE – Wave-Gotik-Treffen 2026
• 08.08.2026 – Hildesheim, DE – M’era Luna Festival 2026
• 02.11.2026 – Paris, FR – O’Sullivans Backstage By The Mill
• 03.11.2026 – Köln, DE – Essigfabrik
• 04.11.2026 – Berlin, DE – Frannz Club
• 06.11.2026 – Oberhausen, DE – Kulttempel
• 10.11.2026 – München, DE – Backstage
• 11.11.2026 – Frankfurt am Main, DE – Das Bett
• 12.11.2026 – Hannover, DE – Musikzentrum Hannover
• 13.11.2026 – Leipzig/Engelsdorf, DE – Hellraiser-Leipzig
• 14.11.2026 – Hamburg, DE – Markthalle

About Aesthetic Perfection & SWARM

Aesthetic Perfection is the industrial pop project Daniel Graves launched in Los Angeles in 2000. The project later relocated to Linz, Austria. Live the band consists of Graves alongside Joe Letz and Constance Antoinette Day.

The project originally was signed to Metropolis in the US and Out Of Line in Europe before Graves shifted activity to his own Close to Human Music imprint.

The first release was “Close to Human” in 2005 and “A Violent Emotion” in 2008. That was followed by “All Beauty Destroyed” in 2011, “‘Til Death” in 2014, “Imperfect” and “Blood Spills Not Far from the Wound” in 2015, “Into the Black” in 2019, and “MMXXI” in 2022, plus the digital EP “Bad Vibes” in 2024.

In 2025, Graves rebuilt the debut album as “Closer to Human”. Later that year, Aesthetic Perfection returned to Out Of Line with “We Bring the Beat”, released on November 6, 2025. In February 2026, that track was followed by “We Bring the Beat (Sebastian Komor Remix)”. And now there is “Sorrow”.

SWARM is the project of Brandon Carroll. The project has been active since 2018 and musically brings a mix of dark electronic, industrial, and bass-heavy production.

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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Aesthetic Perfection has released the digital single “We Bring the Beat (Sebastian Komor Remix)” through Out Of Line Music. The track reworks the 2025 single “We Bring the Beat,” which was the band’s first studio release after reuniting with their former label.

“We Bring the Beat (Sebastian Komor Remix)” appears as a two-track digital single pairing the new version with the 2025 original. Producer Sebastian Komor is known from projects like Icon Of Coil, Zombie Girl, and Komor Kommando and from extensive remix and production work across the industrial and EBM scenes.

The original “We Bring the Beat” single was released on 6 November 2025 as a standalone digital track, following Aesthetic Perfection’s EP “Bad Vibes” (2024) and the reconstructed debut album “Closer to Human” (2025).

Aesthetic Perfection 2026 live plans and ‘Sucker For Punishment’ tour

Following a European run supporting Till Lindemann and accompanying headline shows, Aesthetic Perfection continue to tour extensively. For spring 2026, the band announces the “Sucker For Punishment” US tour, currently scheduled as follows:

• 02 April – Los Angeles, CA – Whisky a Go Go
• 03 April – San Diego, CA – Brick by Brick
• 04 April – Pomona, CA – Flyaway
• 05 April – San Francisco, CA – DNA Lounge
• 10 April – Chicago, IL – WC Social Club
• 11 April – Cleveland, OH – The Foundry
• 12 April – Harrisburg, PA – Capital City Music Hall
• 14 April – Clifton, NJ – Dingbatz
• 15 April – Rochester, NY – Photo City Music Hall
• 17 April – Brooklyn, NY – The Meadows
• 18 April – Hartford, CT – Webster Theater
• 19 April – Manchester, NH – Jewel Music Venue
• 21 April – Raleigh, NC – Chapel of Bones
• 24 April – Austin, TX – Come & Take It Live
• 25 April – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
• 29 April – Glendale, AZ – The 44
• 30 April – Las Vegas, NV – Dive Bar
• 01 May – Salt Lake City, UT – Liquid Joe’s
• 02 May – Denver, CO – Ritual Noize Fest

Festival and European appearances announced so far include:

• 08 May – Berlin, Germany – Out Of Line Weekender
• 22 May – Leipzig, Germany – Wave-Gotik-Treffen
• 08 August – Hildesheim, Germany – M’era Luna Festival
• Europe tour starting November 2026 (dates to follow)

About Aesthetic Perfection

Aesthetic Perfection is an American-Austrian electronic project founded in 2000 in Los Angeles by vocalist, keyboardist and programmer Daniel Graves. The project later relocated to Linz, Austria, and musically blends industrial, pop, and goth.

The current live lineup couples Graves with drummer Joe Letz and multi-instrumentalist Constance Antoinette Day, who handle drums, keyboards, guitars and bass on stage. Early live members included David Dutton, Tim Van Horn and Elliott Berlin.

Aesthetic Perfection’s debut album “Close to Human” appeared in 2005 via Bractune, followed by “A Violent Emotion” in 2008. In 2011, “All Beauty Destroyed” arrived through a joint arrangement with Metropolis Records and Out Of Line.

The band continued with “’Til Death” (2014) and the hybrid CD/DVD release “Imperfect” (2015), both on Metropolis, and with the album “Blood Spills Not Far from the Wound,” originally linked to Graves’ Necessary Response material but later integrated under the Aesthetic Perfection name.

In 2019, Aesthetic Perfection issued “Into the Black” via Graves’ own Close to Human Music imprint. The project then compiled the album “MMXXI” in 2022 and, in 2024, released the “Bad Vibes” EP as a digital-only title.

A key catalogue development came in 2025 with “Closer to Human,” a full reconstruction of the 2005 debut created using the original hardware and samples and released in partnership with Dependent Records on 20 June 2025. The album was offered as a 1-CD digisleeve, 2-CD digipak with bonus tracks and coloured vinyl.

Since late 2025, Aesthetic Perfection has again released frontline singles through Out Of Line Music, starting with “We Bring the Beat” and now extending to “We Bring the Beat (Sebastian Komor Remix).”

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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Industrial pop project Aesthetic Perfection, spearheaded by Daniel Graves, has just released “Closer to Human” via Dependent Records. The project revisits and reimagines Graves’ influential debut, originally issued in 2005 under the title “Close to Human” on Out of Line Music.

This new edition is not a simple reissue. Graves reconstructed every track using the original synths and samples from 2005, offering what the label describes as a “resurrection” of the album. The title and cover artwork have also been updated to match this evolved vision.

“Closer to Human” is available in three physical formats:

• Limited LP: A 140-gram light green transparent vinyl, housed in a polylined inner sleeve and a protective outer sleeve.
• DigiCD: A single-disc digisleeve version.
• Limited Digi2CD: A deluxe two-disc digipak edition. This version includes the original 10 re-recorded tracks plus a bonus CD titled “Lost Master,” featuring 11 unreleased tracks and four remixes.

The vinyl and CD editions contain the following reimagined tracklist:

Main Album (“Closer to Human”):

• A1 Human
• A2 Belong
• A3 Beautiful
• A4 Surface
• A5 Fix
• B1 Overcast
• B2 Master
• B3 Architect
• B4 Sacrifice
• B5 Coward

Bonus CD (“Lost Master + Remixes,” included in the 2CD edition):

• 01 Human
• 02 I Belong to You
• 03 Surface
• 04 Fix
• 05 Overcast
• 06 Relapse
• 07 Sacrifice
• 08 Architect
• 09 Ersatz
• 10 Coward
• 11 Reset
• 12 Coward (UnterArt Remix)
• 13 Fix (genCAB Remix)
• 14 I Belong to You (Distatix Remix)
• 15 Sacrifice (XP8 Remix)

The re-recorded version of “Closer to Human” presents an opportunity for both longtime fans and new listeners to experience Aesthetic Perfection’s early work with updated production and a modern sound profile, while maintaining the spirit of the original compositions.

About Aesthetic Perfection

Aesthetic Perfection is the solo project of American artist Daniel Graves, who formed the project in 2000 in Los Angeles, California.

Known for blending elements of industrial, pop, and electronic music, Graves first gained attention with his debut album “Close to Human”, released in 2005 via Out of Line Music. Over the years, he expanded Aesthetic Perfection’s discography with albums such as “A Violent Emotion” (2008), “All Beauty Destroyed” (2011), “Til Death” (2014), “Into the Black” (2019), and “MMXX” (2020).

Aesthetic Perfection’s style evolved over time to incorporate more melodic pop sensibilities while retaining a foundation in industrial soundscapes. Daniel Graves remains the sole official member, frequently collaborating with guest musicians for live performances and studio recordings.

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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Two decades after the debut album “Close to Human”, Aesthetic Perfection mastermind Daniel Graves has resurrected the album from scratch under a new title: “Closer to Human”. Out June 20, 2025, via Dependent Records, this release is a reconstruction, rebuilt with the same hardware and samples that made the original sound in 2005.

To preview what’s coming, the single “Master” has been released with an accompanying video.

“After 20 years, my debut album Close to Human is back, but not as you remember it,” says Graves. “In 2006, a hard drive crash nearly erased this chapter forever. In 2024, I rebuilt it beat for beat, note for note.”

The album will arrive in multiple physical formats, including a limited red vinyl edition and a 2CD DigiPak with a bonus disc featuring “Lost Master” by Mike Wells (Gridlock) and four new remixes.

Below is another track, “Beautiful”.

Founded in Hollywood in 2000, Aesthetic Perfection hs a sound that blends aggrotech aggression, future pop melodies, and raw industrial. Their 2020 support slot with Till Lindemann (Rammstein) went so well that this fall Aesthetic Perfection will join Lindemann on an extensive arena tour across Europe.

Aesthetic Perfection live in 2025

Old School Electronic Shows

• 20 APR Sheffield (UK) – Resistanz Festival
• 26 APR Mdina (MT) – Dark Malta Festival
• 30 APR Hannover (DE) – MusikZentrum
• 03 MAY Parsippany, NJ (US) – Dark Force Festival
• 24 MAY Oberhausen (DE) – Kulttempel
• 25 MAY Rüsselsheim (DE) – Das Rind
• 28 MAY Seattle, WA (US) – Mechanismus Festival
• 06 JUN Denver, CO (US) – HQ
• 07 JUN Los Angeles, CA (US) – The Paramount

Festival Appearances

• 23 MAY Hallig Langeness (DE) – Schwarze Wellen Festival
• 04 JUL Halle (DE) – Eastside Festival
• 05 JUL Mülheim (DE) – Castle Rock Open Air
• 10 JUL Bolków (PL) – Castle Party

Supporting Till Lindemann – Arena Tour

• 29 OCT Leipzig (DE) – Quarterback Immobilien Arena
• 31 OCT Amsterdam (NL) – Ziggo Dome
• 04 NOV London (UK) – OVO Arena Wembley
• 06 NOV Frankfurt (DE) – Festhalle
• 08 NOV Dortmund (DE) – Westfalenhalle
• 10 NOV Dresden (DE) – Messe Dresden
• 20 NOV Paris (FR) – Adidas Arena
• 21 NOV Düsseldorf (DE) – PSD Bank Dome
• 23 NOV Hamburg (DE) – Barclay Arena
• 25 NOV München (DE) – Olympiahalle
• 27 NOV Nürnberg (DE) – Arena Nürnberger Versicherung
• 29 NOV Wien (AT) – Stadthalle
• 01 DEC Krakow (PL) – Tauron Arena
• 02 DEC Budapest (HU) – MVM Dome
• 04 DEC Bucharest (RO) – ROMEXPO
• 06 DEC Istanbul (TR) – Ülker Sports Arena
• 08 DEC Sofia (BG) – Arena Armeec
• 10 DEC Zagreb (HR) – Arena
• 14 DEC Zürich (CH) – Hallenstadion
• 16 DEC Stuttgart (DE) – Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle

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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VampireFreaks have announce the line-up for the 3-day music festival Dark Force Fest which takes place in Parsippany, NJ (one hour from NYC) on May 2nd to 4th, 2025.

The festival features 35 bands performing across two stages: including ORGY, The Birthday Massacre, Covenant, Suicide Commando, Aesthetic Perfection, Genitorturers, Funker Vogt, Razed In Black, Calabrese, SITD, Haujobb, Klutæ, TRAITRS, Beborn Beton, God Module, Flesh Field, Dead On A Sunday, Rosegarden Funeral Party, Amelia Arsenic, NYXX, Panic Priest, 2 Shadows, Seraphim Shock, Dancing Plague, genCAB, Occults, SINE, Circuit Preacher, Corbeau Hangs, Die Sexual, Frenchy and the Punk, Everything Goes Cold, Contracult, Project .44, and Whorticulture.

You can order your tickets here.

Dark Force Fest takes place at the Sheraton Parsippany, a castle-style hotel that features 44,000 square feet of event space and 370 hotel rooms. While the hotel rooms in the main venue sold out within days of announcing the festival, there are still overflow hotels in the surrounding area.

In addition to 35 bands, Dark Force Fest activities include:

• Over 100 Vendors
• Sideshow Performances
• Drag Queens
• DJ Club Events (Playing Goth-Industrial Music)
• Classes & Activities
• Panels and Presentations
• Food Trucks

Below is a preview of what to expect.

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 Russian White joins Distortion Productions for their new album “Funeral Art” that has just been released, featuring mixing and production work by Tim Heireth of silver walks.

The Russian White vocalist Tom Rhymer says, “I feel like this is our most pure TRW album where Mike and I didn’t have to make any compromises. We have a good mix of club bangers and cinematic and emotional tracks here.”

The Russian White is a dark electronic and deathwave band based in Pennsylvania, USA, formed in 2011. Known for blending genres such as post-punk, synthwave, and witch house, the band has a distinct, haunting sound reminiscent of 80s horror film soundtracks. Their music often features electronic beats, eerie atmospheres, and lush vocals, telling stories of obsession, beauty, and the unknown.

The band gained recognition with their debut self-titled album in 2015, followed by their sophomore release “The Haunted Beach” in 2019. They have also contributed to various compilations and performed alongside acts like Aesthetic Perfection and Thrill Kill Kult.

Look for The Russian White on tour with Solemn Shapes.

The Russian White – Art of Darkness Tour 2024 (w/Solemn Shapes)

• 10/10 Rochester, NY – Bar Bad Ending
• 10/11 Pittsburgh, PA – Cattivo
• 10/12 Youngstown, OH – Westside Bowl
• 10/13 Chicago, IL – Fallen Log
• 10/15 Iowa City, IA – Gabes
• 10/16 Madison, WI – Crucible
• 10/17 St. Louis, MO – – Mosh Mellow
• 10/18 Cincinnati, OH – Oddfellows (No Shapes)
• 1018 Bloomington, IN – Gallow Dance (No TRW)
• 10/19 Indianapolis, IN – Longshot (No TRW)
• 10/20 Memphis, TN – Growlers
• 10/22 Dallas, TX – Renos
• 10/23 San Antonio, TX – The Mix
• 10/24 Houston, TX – Black Magic Social Club
• 10/25 New Orleans, LA – Dark City Fest
• 10/26 New Orleans, LA – Dark City Fest
• 10/27 Atlanta, GA – Boggs
• 10/28 Charlotte, NC – Milestone
• 10/30 Lancaster, PA – Little Mutants (No Shapes)
• 11/10 Millersville, PA – Phantom Power (No Shapes)

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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genCAB, the industrial-electro act led by David Dutton, has just released a new EP titled “Let It Rip”. “Let It Rip” serves as a precursor to their upcoming album “III I II (Third Eye Gemini)”, set for release on September 20, 2024, through Metropolis Records. The EP features three tracks: “Six Hits”, “Down Where We Belong”, and “Cancer Causes Life (Recycled)”.

For their new album the band has revisited and reworked some of the material from their 2008 debut album “II transMuter”. The EP is a teaser for the upcoming album, which will feature both these reworked classics and entirely new songs inspired by the re-recording process.

About genCAB

Founded in 2006 by David Dutton, genCAB (Generation Cable) gained attention with its debut album, “II transMuter” (2008), which blended elements of electronic body music, synth-pop, and aggressive rock.

Despite the early success, genCAB was put on hiatus after the release of their debut album. During this time, Dutton and drummer Tim Van Horn kept busy, performing live with industrial act Aesthetic Perfection. After a long break, genCAB re-emerged in 2022 with the album “Thoughts Beyond Words”, followed by the EP “Everything You See Is Mine”. The band supported these releases with a US tour alongside Aesthetic Perfection.

In 2023, genCAB signed with Metropolis Records and released “Signature Flaws”, an album that delved into themes of mortality and self-reflection, and and album that introduced elements of shoegaze and post-hardcore.

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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For the occasion of the release of “Anti”, the 4th studio album already from the Italian dark industrial pop act Synapsyche, we talked with Marco and Stefano about this quite conceptual album announcing the arrival of a modern Messiah as anti-hero who will save our world… or exactly not!? 

The album is available via Bandcamp, and as a 2CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore plus of course on all other platforms.

SL: “Anti” is described as a conceptual album that explores the odyssey of a 21st-century-born Messiah. What inspired you to create this modern twist on the story of Jesus Christ, and what message do you hope to convey through this narrative?

Marco: Everything started from the title of a song that seemed cool to me, “God In Vitro”. I was thinking about socio-cultural implications if only we could artificially create an almighty entity. At this stage, I started to think about a concept that revolves around the existence of this new messiah, and as a good Italian I quickly felt a correlation with Christianity. The final passage was to retrace the main steps of the Gospels, reinterpreting them with a modern mentality and, so to speak, in opposition to the sacred texts. The coming of the feared antichrist will be wanted by us and then denied, the same way as 2000 years ago. What makes us human beings is not shaped by the divine, but instead by free will, religious or not religious. Our destiny (insignificant out of ourselves) is only in our hands anyway, let’s not give credits or blame elsewhere. Anyway, every song has a double meaning, so each one can stand on its own with a different intrinsic meaning besides the “anti-christian” one. 

SL: Each track on the album carries a double meaning, touching on themes like euthanasia, betrayal, and occultism. How did you approach writing lyrics that balance these complex and provocative themes?

Marco: The basic concept was already written in my head, track by track, but obviously I needed the songs! So, to every base that Stefano sent to me I associated a concept’s theme which I felt “related” to the song’s mood. At this point, from excerpts of phrases and abstract ideas I switched to the drafting of lyrics, rhymes and vocal melodies exactly the same way, suggested by the feeling of the music and rhythm. Once finished the song, I forwarded it to Stefano, we discussed democratically about it and in the end we carried on with the recording process.

SL: You once again blend various genres such as dark-electro, synthpop, industrial, and EBM in “Anti”. Can you discuss the process of integrating these different musical styles to create a cohesive sound for the album?

Stefano: I’ll be honest, it’s not a programmed process from the beginning but the result of many factors that sum up during the making of the track. For sure my personal tastes play a key role, since I like all those genres. Usually, when I write the songs, I also imagine fictional situations and I try to write their soundtrack (it’s difficult to explain), so to musically describe that, maybe even complex and dynamic, I have to range a bit between genres, from the most aggressive to the softest. Obviously, last but not least, vocal lines and lyrics of Marco drive my taste to a more accurate direction, it’s important that music has the sound of what lyrics want to communicate.

SL: The album features vocal guest appearances by Aesthetic Perfection and Lord Of The Lost. How did these collaborations come about, and what was it like working with these artists on “Silvertongue” and “The Last Dying Flame”?

Marco: I state that I’m a fan of both bands, so to me it’s an honour to have Daniel and Chris in this album, I’d say it’s a dream come true. I wanted Daniel for “Silvertongue” from the beginning of the writing process of the songs, ‘cause it sounded very “industrial pop” and the references to his style are evident. In the midst of Covid period I took advantage of the world block to write him and he accepted immediately, he loved the song and sent his vocals very fast, he also helped us “spamming” a bit in his social media pages when the single was released. With Chris was different: a couple of years ago he set up a contest: after having collected hundreds of songs he would have picked some of them to record featuring vocals… We were chosen with “The Last Dying Flame”! After the Eurovision he sent us very detailed vocals and reworked the song in such a brilliant way. Both were really available, helpful and professional, the best possible choice to play the Devil (Daniel) and the Lord (Chris) in our concept!

SL: The concept of the “Anti-hero” is central to this album. How does this character’s journey reflect or contrast with contemporary societal issues or personal experiences?

Marco: The artificial messiah is engineered to bring back in line a world in decay and with no principles and morale anymore. Despite good resolutions and an alternative way focused on respect, satisfaction and self-worship, the people, which first acclaimed him as enlightened, will then see him as a deceiving guru and sentence him to death, befooled by cheap entertainment over and over and forgetting soon the history. Moral teachings and scientific progress won’t help to make us better because the human dark side evolves, despite realizations we always find new ways to hurt ourselves, the others and what surrounds us.

SL: Your sound is known for its ability to blend distorted darkness with catchy melodies and ecstatic grooves. How do you strike a balance between these contrasting elements to maintain both intensity and accessibility in your music?

Stefano: Easy! As a song may be distorted, aggressive and fierce, I like when the listener has a melody or a riff to sing along throughout the day, something to remember. Even if we make music for dancefloor mainly, it would be a failure if we have not a good melodic line. And it’s not just for a purely aesthetic taste, pay attention; music is made of notes and rules that govern them. We love when inside all that noise there are parts that I could easily play on a piano, alone, without disfigure. Moreover, despite some of our songs could seem “nasty”, very often the lyrics hide complex feelings… What better way to highlight them than by an energetic but maybe melancholic riff with synths and pad?

SL: The statement “God is dead, long live Synapsyche!” is quite provocative. Can you elaborate on what this phrase means to you and how it encapsulates the essence of “Anti”?

Marco: That sentence was written by our label to sponsor the album, so you should ask them! (laugh) No seriously, I’d say it’s a beautiful sentence which summarize the mood of this work. The album starts precisely with that “God is dead!” yelled to the world, opening the doors to the lyrical concept of the band. We put our souls into this album, trying the best way to insert memorable melodies and vocals, which could draw from the most various range of styles and sounds. We wanted it to enclose our tastes and our art in their entirety. We believe we succeeded and we’re very proud of it, this album will be the one to beat in our discography for the next years, but the final verdict is up to you all. Anyway, it’s seems that people enjoyed “Anti” a lot and we can’t be anything but pleased of this! To those who have not listened to “Anti” yet, please do it without prejudices and with open mind. You won’t regret it!

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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(Artwork by Steven Anthony Roe) The new KANGA album, “Under Glass”, has officially been released under the Artoffact Records label. This project was a collaborative effort, produced by Dave Adrounie, Josh Franks, and KANGA herself. The recording and engineering were handled by Josh Franks and Dave Adrounie, while Nick Townsend took charge of the mastering.

You can experience the album’s essence through its featured track, “Magnolia,” available in this video.

Hailing from Los Angeles, KANGA is an artist—producer, musician, and live performer. She recently gained prominence as the opening act for Gary Numan’s 40th-anniversary tour. Currently, she is on the road with My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult across the United States. Beyond her own music, KANGA has been remixing tracks for artists like Clipping, 3 Teeth, PIG, Aesthetic Perfection, and many others. Her latest album, “Under Glass”, signifies a stylistic metamorphosis, transcending traditional genre boundaries.

Kanga’s debuted in 2015 with the self-released single “Vital Signs”. In 2016, she was signed to Negative Gain Productions, under which she released her self-titled album, “Kanga”. After that she also contributed vocals to Delerium’s single “In the deep”.

Reflecting on her new album, KANGA shares: “I’m immensely proud of ‘Under Glass.’ While I’ve spent years carving out my niche as a producer, this album allows me to expand my artistic scope, offering a more vulnerable and earnest form of storytelling. I hope it resonates beyond genre limitations and connects with a diverse audience seeking intricate narratives and evolving musical styles. Crafted from the heart, this album was born from pure creative freedom, devoid of any agenda or stylistic constraints. Listening to it gives me a newfound sense of liberation, and I hope it instills the same feeling in others.”

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 Canadian industrial act 40 Octaves Below has just dropped the remix release, “MetaVersUs Remixed”. The album contains tracks from the 40 Octaves Below release, “MetaVersUs”.

The remix album counts no less than 18 tracks that have been reworked by the likes of DI Auger, Moris Blak, MXMS, Anthony (H), Angelspit, Live Evil Productions, Aesthetic Perfection, Blue Ant, The Gothsicles, DJ Underminer, Trick Casket, Diverje, Toxikk Deception, James Ghost, Dark The Keeper, Passion For Hypnosis and of course also by the Vancouver-based 40 Octaves Below.

“MetaVersUs Remixed” is available now to stream on all major digital platforms including Bandcamp.

You can already check out the remix from MXMS right below on YouTube.

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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Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, EBM

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Canadian Jonathan Kaplan is already active under the For All The Emptiness moniker for a while. After multiple self-releases he signed to Infacted Recordings. “Used And Violated” was released by the end of 2020. It was produced by  Sebastian Komor while  guest singers Claus Larsen (Leaether Strip), Computorgirl, Gabrielle Gustafson (Eva X) and Daniel Graves (Aesthetic Perfection) joined in.

Content: The EP rather looks like a mini-album featuring 5 different tracks. The songs are diversified, mixing breakbeats with Electro-Pop while there’s also a song with a menacing EBM bass line. It’s a powerful and catchy production with different singers.

+ + + : Jonathan Kaplan isn’t emulating Electro-Pop standards but simply brings different influences together. The way he mixed catchy Pop together with dynamic Breakbeats is a true original idea although still a challenge. I like challenges and especially when it resulted from a creative process -featuring inspired guests, resulting in alluring songs like the title track but also “Sell The Sins” featuring Claus Larsen and Daniel Graves. My personal favorite one however is the powerful and ultra-catchy “Dead Inside” featuring Computorgirl.

– – – : The last song is a poorly inspired cut which serves as the antithesis to the rest of the work.

Conclusion: “Used and Violated” is a creative Electro-Pop production which will get you into a frenetic dance.

Best songs: “Dead Inside”, “Sell The Sins”, “Used And Violated”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/foralltheemptiness

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

On March 10, Negative Gain Productions recording artist, Josie Pace releases the digital download and streaming version of the song, “Brain-dead”. The song was previously only available on the compact disc edition of the “IVOX10V5” album. Below is already the video.

Josie Pace explains: “After the 40 date North American tour with Aesthetic Perfection, we were bombarded with requests to release “Brain-dead” digitally on all streaming platforms. We decided to remix and remaster the song into a single version. The single version of “Brain-dead” is polished and gritty with a droning and unsettling French ending.”

As far as the concept behind the track this is what Josie Pace says: ““Brain-dead” spurs from dissociation and how your mind shuts down when faced with trauma or mental illness. When you feel it coming on and there is nothing that you can do to prevent it, meanwhile on the inside you’re feeling everything and nothing so intensely. Each verse peers inside the mind and feels almost like a dark, quiet forest, until the choruses come in like a wild fire with anger, overwhelming distress and confusion. You have to be willing to scream, and fight to be heard. Don’t let yourself become “Brain-dead”.”

It was musician and producer Ken Roberts who picked up Detroit, Michigan based Jossie Pace after he saw an acoustic performance on Facebook. The two started working together with Josie’s songs as the foundation.

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

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Two years after the last album “Tropical Gothic”, Too Dead To Die revisited songs of this album. 

Content: The work features a varied content, moving in between ‘happy sounding’ Electro-Pop and rougher danceable cuts. The work sounds a bit like the offspring between Faderhead, Aesthetic Perfection and even Combichrist (for some of harder passages).

+ + + : Too Dead To Die created a very own Electro-Pop interpretation; a powerful production which is not driven by sweet melody lines, but experiments with Dance and Industrial. Nothing sounds impossible and that’s the main strength of this production. “Porcelain Mary” remains a great and powerful exposure but I also want to mention “They All Were Wont” featuring Freaky Mind and “Anywhere But Home – B-Side”.

– – – : There’re a few cuts which are a bit too short to my taste.

Conclusion: There’re less bands in the genre of Too Dead To Die and that’s for sure what makes this band interesting.

Best songs: “Porcelain Mary”, “They All Were Wont”.

Rate: 7 .

Artist: www.facebook.com/toodeadtodiemusic

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

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

US based electropop / noire futurepop artist David Chamberlin strikes back with the 3rd full length album by Entrzelle. The release is available now from Bandcamp and on CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore, and of course from all other digital music services.

David explains the concept: “The songs deal with subjects ranging from personal conflict to social commentary, from loss to euphoria. This is an album about hope and perseverance, letting go and moving on. Writing these songs has helped me in my own life, and I hope that listening to them can help someone else too.”

The experimentation on this album has been kept to a minimum, instead focusing on songwriting and production. The tone is darker and the songs are more direct. Expect a mix of upbeat electro sequences and addictive noisy synth pop melodies.

Next to the 12 new songs you also get 4 bonus remixes by label companions in the likes of Psy’Aviah, Reichsfeind, Elektrostaub and DJ Simon Carter. Advised for fans of Rotersand, Covenant, Seabound, Imperative Reaction, Aesthetic Perfection, VNV Nation, Etc.

Check out all the new tracks below plus the album teaser.

Here’s the videoteaser.

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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Out now are 2 new EPs from the Italian dark electro act Synapsyche, that includes an extended reissue of their 2017 EP “This Is Gonna Hurt”.

But first things first with the all new EP “Silvertongue” on which the duo Stefano ‘Mannequinetik’ (machines) and Marco ‘Katatronik’ Mantovani (vocals) reveal the first two songs from their much anticipated 4th studio album “Anti” that is announced for release later this year. You get two dark elektro songs, “Silvertongue” which features Daniel Graves (Aesthetic Perfection) on guest vocals, and “Anti Manifesto” which turns out to be a fast hard-hitting industrial track with heavy beats.

The EP features a total of 10 songs including a large diversity of bonus remixes and is also accompanied by the release of a highly professional video clip for the title-song “Silvertongue” which you can see below.

The full EP can be downloaded right below.

Reissue of 2017 single ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ with bonus material

Together with new material, Synapsyche also continues their re-release series. Originally released on April 7th 2017, the “This Is Gonna Hurt” EP now gets re-released featuring the exclusive bonus track, the ‘xeno flesh’ remix by Alien:Nation of the song “The Flesh Party”.

Remixes on the original release were delivered by C-Lekktor, Freaky Mind, Unity One and fellow countrymen T-Error Machinez.

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 2022 edition of the Sinner’s Day Summer Festival will take place from 24th until 26th June 2022 at the Maria-Hendrika Park in Oostende, Belgium. About 28 new wave, EBM, industrial, post-punk, synth-pop and eighties bands are featured on 2 stages.

This year the line-up includes: Front 242, IAMX, The Mission, Nitzer Ebb, Diary Of Dreams, VNV Nation, Public Image Limited, Aesthetic Perfection, Dive, Merciful Nuns, Nosferatu, Stabbing Westward, The Danse Society, The Stranglers, Aroma Di Amore, Trans-X, Torul, Ultra Sunn, Saint Agnes, Boytronic, Test Department, Tyske Ludder and more!

There is also The Batcave, the dance-area where you can party while DJ’s spin their finest tracks. A camping area is available if you want to stay next to the festival area at night!

Tickets can be ordered here

Biomechanimal and Sentinel Complex have joined forces and now release the single “Crown of Glass”. Musically it is a mashup of sounds and styles, from symphonic metal, midtempo to harsh industrial, dubstep, and more. The song deals with the negative side of our ego, how it can lead us to view others and ourselves in a distorted way.

Biomechanimal hail from London, UK and mix harsh vocals with massive bass and pounding kick drums. Active since 2013, the act has toured the UK multiple times and have played shows with Covenant, Hocico, Aesthetic Perfection, and many more. 2020 was a big year for the band, dropping 4 singles and multiple remixes, along with maintaining a strong livestream presence. Sentinel Complex from their side bring aggressive metal fused with modern electronic and traditional orchestral elements.

The single features remixes from Moris Blak and Dawn Of Ashes. Here’s the video for “Crown Of Glass”.

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

Good news for the Suicidal Romance fans, the Estonian dark electropop act has decided to re-release 3 of its EPs which have been unavailable for quite some time. Available right now via Bandcamp (and in 3 weeks from now on all other platforms) are the following EPs: “Whisper Goodbye” (2013), “Burning Love / Remember Me” (2012) and “A Kiss To Resist” (2008).

The cult dark pop duo Dmitry Darling and Viktoria Seimar recently returned with their rather stunning new EP “Runaways”, so the re-release of their older material does not come as a complete surprise.

“A Kiss To Resist” EP was originally released in November 2008. This 13-track EP was the follow-up release to the band’s debut album ”Love Beyond Reach”. Included is also an excellent cover version of Erasure’s “Always” and a collaboration with Lost Area’s singer Jan Moser. Next to this you got an acoustic version of “Call Me” next to various upbeat electro remixes from acts in the likes of Aesthetic Perfection, Massiv In Mensch, Syrian and many more.

“Burning Love / Remember Me” EP was originally released in October 2012. The 13-track EP came out after the release of the band’s 3rd studio album “Memories Behind Closed Curtains”. It featured two new tracks including the very first song ever sung in Russian by the band. Hovering between romantic synth pop and female-fronted dark elektro, these two cuts were accompanied by quite a diverse selection of additional remixes from acts like Diversant13, ES23, Kant Kino and many more.

The “Whisper Goodbye” EP was originally released in December 2013 and features 7 tracks revealing the harder side of Suicidal Romance. For the occasion the band teamed up with Pete Crane (SHIV-R) as guest vocalist on the club hit “Slave/Slave” as well as with remixers in the likes of Die Sektor, Reaxion Guerrilla, Incubite, CeDigest and Psy’Aviah.

You can check out these re-releases 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

X-RL7, the animation series and music project, just dropped a new episode, the 14th already, and EP: “Under My Spell”. “Under My Spell” features Nyxx on vocals. For Nyxx it is her first musical release since 2018’s “Voodoo” with Aesthetic Perfection. Nyxx makes her voice acting debut as the character Luna X – a seductive, provocative alt-pop musician who is trying to snag the band X-RL7 for her agency using her feminine wiles.

The production was completed by Pete Crane of SHIV-R.

The series, created by Mike Evans of UK based electronic rock act MiXE1, chronicles the exploits of the fictional band X-RL7 in a mix of comedy, social commentary and original music. New episodes are released every two weeks with Behind The Scenes content and Lyric videos released in between.

Here’s the 14th episode.

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

X-RL7, the animation series and music project, just dropped a new episode (and EP) featuring appearances from the likes of Craig Owens (D.R.U.G.S., Chiodos), Jimmy Urine (Mindless Self Indulgence), Daniel Graves (Aesthetic Perfection), Nyxx, Pete Crane (SHIV-R), Amelia Arsenic, Natasha Cox & Sasha Travis (AL1CE) and others from the scene.

X-RL7 Episode 12 covers a fictional fashion show in which we see eccentric designer Marcus D. Valla Berg showcasing his latest technology-inspired line and the main event – the first new music from industry icon The Duke (both voiced by Mikey AlterRed of the band AlterRed) in several years. Many celebrities are in attendance for the event, many characters whom have had appearances earlier in the series and some new faces.

Watch the episode below.

In addition, the “Gate Keeper” EP is also available featuring the music from the episode. The two Duke songs – the epic, theatrical electronic rock of the title track, the dark industrial metal vibes of The Conjuring and the electronic groove of the designer theme song – “Marcus Theme”.

The lyric video for the title track “Gate Keeper” is watchable below.

About the series

The series, created by Mike Evans of UK based electronic rock act MiXE1, chronicles the exploits of the fictional band X-RL7 in a mix of comedy, social commentary and original music. New episodes are released every two weeks with Behind The Scenes content and Lyric videos released in between.

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, dark-wave.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Nathan Rainer is active under the Third Realm moniker since 2000. He released multiple albums on labels such as Radio-Active Music and Distortion Productions plus self-released different works as well. He last year joined hands with darkTunes to unleash this new work.

Content: Third Realm moves on mixing EBM and dark-electro music. The album takes off with hot female moans while the harsh vocals of Nathan Rainer are joining in. This song is one of the two cuts featuring Chiasm, but is pretty representative of the album, revealing a hot and club-driven sexy EBM format. Some songs are darker and more dark-electro orientated while other passages are getting back to the dark-wave style of the project. Songs with clearer vocals are once again reminding me of Diary Of Dreams; there’s a natural power and charismatic interpretation of the songs.

The final part of the work features remixes by Aesthetic Perfection, Subliminal Code and Panic Lift.

+ + + : Third Realm moves on experimenting with different –although related, influences, but this album reveals a truly cohesive result. There’s a harmony between all songs, which naturally resulted in a few brilliant songs such as “Passion” and the dance-wave driven “Gazing At The Stars”. Third Realm has found the right balance between catchy choruses, danceable kicks and EBM power. Both songs featuring Chiasm are also noticeable parts revealing a hot balance between both singers. Last, but not least there’s also a great remix by Aesthetic Perfection.

– – – : Third Realm remains a project mixing multiple genres together so in the end you often get the feeling of hearing different bands, but I have to admit it’s not really the point of this work. 

Conclusion: It’s hard to say if this is the best work ever composed by Third Realm, but it for sure is a very efficient mix between different, although related genres.

Best songs: “Passion”, Bipolar Pop feat. Chiasm”, “Gazing At The Stars”, Tides Of The Sea feat. Chiasm”, “Bipolar Pop feat. Chiasm – Aesthetic Perfection Remix”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: https://thirdrealm.org / www.facebook.com/ThirdRealm

Label: www.darktunes.com / www.facebook.com/darkTunesMusic

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

The debut episode of ‘X-RL7’, a pixel-art cyberpunk animated series and music project featuring the voice acting skills of numerous alternative rock, metal and electronic musicians, is available today.

The series is free to watch. Check out the first episode below.

The series, created by Mike Evans of UK based electronic rock act MiXE1, chronicles the exploits of the fictional band X-RL7 in a mix of comedy, social commentary and original music. Fueled by mysterious dream-like visions, the show follows the X-RL7 frontman Omega as he navigates the trials and tribulations of the music industry alongside guitarist/producer PJ and flamboyant larger-than-life band manager Alfie in their journey to make it to the top of the musical food chain. Featuring a myriad of colorful characters and original electronic rock tunes set against a cyberpunk-inspired futuristic backdrop.

“I’m absolutely delighted (and terrified) to launch X-RL7 at last,” Evans says. “The series has been in development for over a year and a half and represents the amalgamation of so many of my passions – my love of pixel art, music, comedy, social commentary, romance, cyberpunk and conspiratorial themes all coming together in one unique pixelated cocktail.”

The origins of the X-RL7 project can be traced back to 2016 in the form of an unfinished point and click adventure game developed by Evans with the concept revolving around a music journalist and other fictional bands with original music. After moving on from this, Evans formed Youtube video series Project Anything, honing his animation skills, while still creating music with his band MiXE1. Still enamored by one of the songs he penned for the game (“Apotheosis Man”), Evans picked up the remnants of the project in late 2018 and started repurposing it as a video/music series with a brand new story, focusing largely around one specific band – X-RL7.

Guest voices from around the world

Along the way Evans approached musical friends and past collaborators to lend their voices to various characters and songs. As the series took shape, he approached others in the alternative music scene, some of whom he has been a fan of for many years, who kindly got involved and delivered fantastic performances as their animated counter parts. “I am very blessed that so many super talented artists have taken the time to lend their voices to the project, embracing the world of X-RL7 and the music,” says Evans.

Musicians who have lent their voices to the show so far include:

• Jimmy Urine (Mindless Self Indulgence)
• Rob “Rawrb” Kersey (Psychostick)
• Daniel Graves (Aesthetic Perfection)
• Lauren Babic (Red Handed Denial, Crazy Eighty Eight)Nyxx (Nyxx)
• Erlend Eilertsen (Essence of Mind, Lights A.M)
• Mikey AlterRed (AlterRed)
• Richard Kaltenhauser (Machine Rox)
• Natasha Cox (AL1CE, Mankind Is Obsolete)
• Sasha Travis (AL1CE)
• Pete Crane (SHIV-R)
• Lawrie Bayldon (Studio-X)
• Bridgette Hill (Studio-X)
• Mike Evans (MiXE1)
• Lee Towson (MiXE1)
• Chris Voigt (Greasy Tales, Sexual Lobster)
• Michael Joseph (Rockstar Esoterica)

For a full overview of the series, including clips from all episodes and featuring the voices of all guest musicians, check 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

Lords Of Acid will be making a return to the US with the ‘Make Acid Great Again Tour’. Praga Khan will be joined on stage by Marieke Bresseleeres, DieTrich Thrall and Galen Waling together with Mark Gemini Thwatte and Ashley Bad. Aesthetic Perfection and MXMS will be acting as support act.

Launching March 13th in Los Angeles, the tour will make it’s way throughout the US, finishing April 15th in San Francisco.

Tickets are available right here.

Tourdates:

• 03/13 – EchoPlex – Los Angeles, CA
• 03/14 – Hard Rock Live – Las Vegas, NV
• 03/15 – Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
• 03/17 – Club Red – Mesa, AZ
• 03/18 – Sunshine Theatre – Albuquerque, NM
• 03/19 – Rockhouse – El Paso, TX
• 03/20 – Trees – Dallas, TX
• 03/21 – Scout Bar – Houston, TX
• 03/22 – Paper Tiger – San Antonio, TX
• 03/23 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
• 03/25 – Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• 03/26 – The Orpheum – Tampa, FL
• 03/27 – Music Farm – Charleston, SC
• 03/28 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
• 03/29 – The Broadberry – Richmond, VA
• 03/31 – Theatre Of Living Arts -Philadelphia, PA
• 04/01 – Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA
• 04/02 – The Rapids Theatre – Niagara Falls, NY
• 04/03 – Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY
• 04/04 – Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
• 04/05 – Crafthouse – Pittsburgh, PA
• 04/06 – Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
• 04/07 – The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE
• 04/08 – The Oriental Theater – Denver, CO
• 04/09 – The Complex – Vertigo – Salt Lake City, UT
• 04/10 – The Bluebird – Reno, NV
• 04/11 – Dante’s – Portland, OR
• 04/13 – The Crocodile – Seattle, WA
• 04/15 – Slim’s – San Francisco, CA

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

Lords Of Acid has announced that they will be returning stateside with their ‘Make Acid Great Again Tour’. The act will be joined by Aesthetic Perfection, Praga Khan and MXMS March 13th in Los Angeles, CA, with the tour circling through the US, wrapping up April 15th in San Francisco, CA.

Tickets are available right here !

Lords of Acid is a Belgian/ American electronic music group, led by musician Praga Khan. They debuted with the new beat single “I Sit on Acid” in 1988. Created by Praga Khan, Olivier Adams, and Jade 4U; their debut album, 1991’s “Lust” (along with additional singles “Rough Sex” and “I Must Increase My Bust”) got notorious for their sexual lyrics and sound samples. Their second album was “Voodoo-U” (1994), which featured a more industrial sound. This was followed by “Our Little Secret” (1997), “Heaven Is an Orgasm” (1998) and “Expand Your Head” (1999). In 2000 they released a more rock-influenced album titled “Farstucker” and in 2003 the band released a greatest hits album called “Greatest T*ts”.

Then it became silent around the band until 8 years later a new EP, “Little Mighty Rabbit”, emerged. The new album, “Deep Chills”, was released on 10 April 2012. After that it again took 6 years of studio silence until “Pretty in Kink” saw the light of day in 2018.

Here are the full concert dates (click here for the tickets).

• 03/13 @ EchoPlex – Los Angeles, CA
• 03/14 @ Hard Rock Live – Las Vegas, NV
• 03/15 @ Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
• 03/17 @ Club Red – Mesa, AZ
• 03/18 @ Sunshine Theatre – Albuquerque, NM
• 03/19 @ TBA – El Paso, TX
• 03/20 @ Trees – Dallas, TX
• 03/21 @ Scout Bar – Houston, TX
• 03/22 @ Paper Tiger – San Antonio, TX
• 03/23 @ House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
• 03/25 @ Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• 03/26 @ The Orpheum – Tampa, FL
• 03/27 @ Music Farm – Charleston, SC
• 03/28 @ The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
• 03/29 @ The Broadberry – Richmond, VA
• 03/31 @ Theatre Of Living Arts -Philadelphia, PA
• 04/01 @ Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA
• 04/02 @ The Rapids Theatre – Niagara Falls, NY
• 04/03 @ Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY
• 04/04 @ Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
• 04/05 @ Crafthouse – Pittsburgh, PA
• 04/06 @ Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
• 04/07 @ The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE
• 04/08 @ The Oriental Theater – Denver, CO
• 04/09 @ The Complex – Vertigo – Salt Lake City, UT
• 04/10 @ The Bluebird – Reno, NV
• 04/11 @ Dante’s – Portland, OR
• 04/13 @ The Crocodile – Seattle, WA
• 04/14 @ Ashland Armory – Ashland, OR
• 04/15 @ Slim’s – San Francisco, CA

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: Techno-body, dark-EBM. 

Background/Info: Jan Loamfield will always be linked to his most successful project Noisuf-X and of course the dark-electro project X-Fusion. But the German sound guru is also active under the Stoppenberg moniker and is releasing a new album a year. His newest opus is “Frontschlag” featuring thirteen new songs. 

Content: There where Noisuf-X mixes industrial together with rave, Stoppenberg is mixing EBM with raw, technoid sound treatments. The work is also driven by impressive bass lines, which became Jan’s trademark, furious dance beats, spoken samplings and for the very first time predominant vocals. Jan invited Centhron singer Elmar Schmidt to sing on different tracks while the last song features Daniel Graves (Aesthetic Perfection). 

+ + + : When it comes to sound and influences I can’t say that Stoppenberg really innovates, but the production process is once again high-tech. I however like the raw sound treatments, the terrific bass lines (Jan Lehmkämper being one of the most talented artists when it comes to create solid bass lines) and the furious power emerging from the songs. The addition of vocals injects some diversity, but clearly sounds as a bonus to the music. There are numerous noticeable songs featured, but I have a preference for “Shake Your Booty”. Especially the chorus of this song makes the magic!

– – – : Sound-wise Stoppenberg doesn’t innovate and even becomes a bit predictable, but in the end no one will complain when getting such a huge amount of dance stuff. A few songs could have been a little bit longer and that’s maybe a little regret. 

Conclusion: Jan Lehmkämper is clearly putting more and more efforts in this project, which album after album is becoming more performing and convincing! This is the sound of raw techno-body music. 

Best songs: “Shake Your Booty”, “Frontschlag”, “Krieg”, “Bewegt Euch, Pussies”, “Anyone Else”. 

Rate: (8½). 

Artist: www.stoppenberg.net / www.facebook.com/stoppenbergmusic  

Label: www.facebook.com/xbeatspromotion 

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro, aggrotech.

Background/Info: “Join Us” is SynthAttack’s fourth album since the opening full length “To The Floor” (2015). The band is still driven by the creative spirit of Martin Schindler. “Join Us” features ten songs plus seven remixes by other artists.

Content: SynthAttack can be the best compared to an imaginary dance-ogre. The songs are boosted by electro-adrenaline made by heavy, danceable kicks, cold electro sequences and trance-like leads. The vocals feature this cavernous expression while a few cuts reveal female backings. SynthAttack is the perfect fusion between dark-electro and dance/trance music.

Remixes have been accomplished by Aesthetic Perfection, Centhron, Agonoize, ES23, Grendel, CygnosiC and Nachtmahr.

+ + + : SynthAttack clearly composes music for the dancefloor. Each new opus sounds as a sonic bomb to get fans into frenetic dance. It’s not that different for “Join Us”, which is an invitation to move. The heavy, boosting kicks together with the trance-like leads can’t leave club visitors enjoying dark-electronics unmoved. The songs reflect constant power, which feels a bit like a transcendental trip. Songs like “Join Us”, “Enjoy The Pain”, and “Addicted To The Thrill” will definitely convince you from the band’s potential and dance skills. Next to the new songs you also get an impressive list of famous artists/remixers. I here have a little preference for the remix of “Final salvation” by ES23.

– – – : SynthAttack remains a kind of challenge. The fusion of dark-electronics with some commercial-like trance leads is sometimes pretty risky and maybe a bit cheap. I’m especially referring to “Final Salvation”, which reminds me of the lead of Culture Beat’s mega-hit “Mr. Vain”. Despite of the great artists invited to remix I don’t experience this section as a real bonus to the album. The original songs are definitely better!

Conclusion: SynthAttack makes no prisoners blowing everything down! Music is their religion, the dancefloor their temple to convince new adherents!

Best songs: “Join Us”, “Enjoy The Pain”, “Addicted To The Thrill”, “Until The Dawn”, “Final Salvation – ES23 Remix”, “Join Us – Aesthetic Perfection Remix”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/synthattack

Label: www.darktunes.com / www.facebook.com/darkTunesMusic

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, EBM, dark-electro.

Background/Info: Daniel Graves and his creative exposure Aesthetic Perfection are back on track unleashing a new album, which the fans were waiting 4-5 years for.

Content: Is there a better way to open your album by featuring one of the Rammstein members? Richard Z. Kruspe has been invited to play guitar on “Gods & Gold”, which is a song also characterized by the charismatic and heavy vocals of Daniel Graves, which have been alternated by clear and softer passages. Aesthetic Perfection always has had something ‘schizophrenic’ in its sound; it’s a mix of different influences, which you can describe as the offspring between industrial-pop, EBM and dark-electro. Another important guest is Krischan Jan-Eric Wesenberg (Rotersand) while 4 songs feature ‘Jinxx’ (real name Jeremy Ferguson).

The songs reflect power and rage; furious and raw electronics with some pop arrangements on top.

+ + + : What I especially like in the work of Aesthetic Perfection is the originality. It’s not exactly about innovation, but a band with a proper sound mixing multiple influences. So in the end it’s nearly impossible to define, but it sounds powerful, enraged and accomplished with great sound treatments. There are some irresistible bass lines running through the album, but also brilliant, rough sequences and overwhelming leads. The guitar parts add some extra power to the work. There are several songs to mention, but I have a preference for “Saint Peter” where the sound treatments are just excelling.

– – – : I noticed a few songs, which couldn’t totally convince, especially the last one “Mourning Doves” with a more prominent guitar part..

Conclusion: If you never heard of Aesthetic Perfection before you might imagine hearing a hybrid between early Combichrist and IAMX. But in the end you’ll have to agree this is just Aesthetic Perfection and nothing else!

Best songs: “Saint Peter”, “Wickedness”, “No Boys Allowed”, “Echoes”.

Rate: (8).

Artist & Label: www.aesthetic–perfection.net / www.facebook.com/aestheticperfection

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

Infest is the UK’s premier festival of alternative electronic music. This year the 20th edition takes place from 23-26 August with an amazing line-up featuring: Empirion, Peter Hook & The Light, Zeitgeist Zero, Grave Diggers Union, Cubanate, Iszoloscope, Siva Six, Def Neon, SΛRIN, Mesh, Liebknecht, ACTORS, YURA YURA, Adam Is A Girl, Flesh Eating Foundation, Aesthetic Perfection, This Morn’ Omina, Strvngers, Elegant Machinery, VaLHaLL, Massenhysterie and Promenade Cinema.

The venue is the University of Bradford Students’ Union, in the City of Bradford (near Leeds), West Yorkshire, UK. Besides concerts there are also afterparties featuring renowned DJ’s from all over the world.

Additional info on the official website
Tickets are available here

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro, industrial-pop, dark electro-trance.

Background/Info: Australian Avarice In Audio has unleashed their third full length. The band now consists of Gerry Hawkins, Lawrie Bayldon and Ben Barwick.

Content: Avarice In Audio never has been a band you can easily compare producing a sound, which remains a bit enigmatic. There’s a dark-electro inspiration coming through the vocals, the kicks and some electronic passages, but there also is something trance and technoid supporting the leads while other passages are featuring a raw and somewhat industrial pop touch. Next to the electronic treatments you’ll notice guitar parts, which are now pretty buzzing and next wafting. Three songs feature other artists; Aesthetic Perfection, Psyclon Nine and Blast Radius. The song with Psyclon Nine reveals a harder and pure doom-metal touch.

+ + + : I’ve always liked artists who are trying to do things different. This album sounds as a sonic hybrid between different influences so in the end you can say it’s ‘dark-electronic’ music although totally different from the established standards. The songs are well-crafted and carried by a high tech production. “No Punishment : No Paradise” is stuff to get dancefloors on fire and especially the second half of the album reveals a few terrific tracks.

– – – : I sometimes get the impression that Avarice In Audio are losing themselves in diversity. From trance-driven leads to pure metal-doom elements featuring Psyclon Nine is not that evident to get a real coherence between the songs.

Conclusion: Avarice In Audio is a sonic chameleon exorcising very diversified music ideas although taken from related music genres. They are alternating potential hits and a few poorly uninspired songs, but globally speaking this work rocks and will make you dance!

Best songs: “Ishtar Will Not Tire”, “Our Cold Hands”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/avariceinaudioaus

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

“No Punishment – No Paradise” is the new album by the dark electro act Avarice In Audio. A few weeks ago you could already listen to the tracks “Lie To Me” and “Our Cold Hands”, but now you can check all the tracks (and download) via Bandcamp. Musically “No Punishment : No Paradise” is undoubtedly harsher, dirtier and harder than any previous of their releases.

“No Punishment : No Paradise” is the band’s 3rd full length studio album and you may expect collaborations with Aesthetic Perfection, Psyclon Nine and Blast Radius.

Besides the download version you can also get this album on CD.

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

“No Punishment – No Paradise” is the new upcoming album by the dark electro act Avarice In Audio. To be released in April, you already get 2 tracks for streaming (and download) via Bandcamp: “Lie To Me” and “Our Cold Hands” as you can hear below. Musically “No Punishment : No Paradise” is undoubtedly harsher, dirtier and harder than any previous of their releases.

“No Punishment : No Paradise” is the band’s 3rd full length studio album and you may expect collaborations with Aesthetic Perfection, Psyclon Nine and Blast Radius.

Besides the download version you can also get this album on CD.

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 biggest distributor for the industrial electro scene, Audioglobe, has announced its Top 10 in best selling industrial music labels. The numbers were already out there for the labels to look at it, but here they are also for the regular fans. Note that with 2018, Audioglobe also enters it’s 25th year of existance as the distributor set up shop on 6 December 1993. We will of course have a big extended interview and more with Sebastian Koch regarding this great achievement in a very tough market.

But now the numbers many of you have been waiting for!

The Top 3

First the Top 3. The number 1 label in sales is Trisol which has bands such as Clan of Xymox, Rome, Project Pitchfork, Sopor Aeternus, Nachtmahr, Rotersand, Asp, Mantus etc. under contract. The second label in the list is the Belgian based Alfa Matrix which nurtures the talent of Front 242, Underviewer, Daniel B Prothèse, Metroland, Alien Vampires, Ayria, Leatherstrip, Psy’Aviah, Kant Kino and so many other acts. Note that this label also has a very strong e-shop presence (direct sales are not included in this Top 10 list). The 3rd label is Out Of Line with Blutengel, Combichrist, Hocico, Solar Fake, Heimataerde, Unzucht, Solitary Experiments. Also this label has an own e-shop.

The rest of the Top 10

The 4th label is Fabrika/Dead Scarlet (She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Selofan, Kaelan Mikla, M!R!M, Doric…) followed by ArtOfFact (Legend, Frontline Assembly, Haujobb, Psyche, Noise Unit, Dead When I found her, Pankow…) and Metropolis (Birthday Massacre, Aesthetic Perfection, God Module, Lords of Acid, Skinny Puppy, Delerium…). The 7th place is occupied by Rustblade (Morricone, Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, Leaether Strip, Lydia Lunch, Legendary Pink Dots, Merzbow…). Also Dependent is still in the Top 10, namely on spot 8 with their label roster (Covenant, Mesh, Pride & Fall, Beborn Beton, Seabound, Encephalon, Frontline Assembly, Clicks..). Place 9 and 10 finally are for Manic Depression (Winter Severity Index, Ash Code, Schonwald, Box and the Twins, Sjoblom, Dear Deer…) and Undo (Marsheaux, Girl One and the Grease Guns, Mesh, Fotonovela, OMD, Nikonn, Mikro, Vienna, Liebe…).

And on spot 11 and 12…

2 labels didn’t make the Top 10, namely Hall Of Sermon (Lacrimosa, Snakeskin, Black Moon Secret, Eyes Shut Tight) and Infacted (NamNamBulu, Grendel, Torul, Reaper, Frozen Plasma, Ruined Conflict, Orange Sector, Syntec…). Both labels ended on place 11 and 12.

Here’s the complete list again. The bands next to the label are listed in order of sales results/total turnover per band in 2017 via Audioglobe.

01 TRISOL (Clan of Xymox, Rome, Project Pitchfork, Sopor Aeternus, Nachtmahr, Rotersand, Asp, Mantus…)
02 ALFA MATRIX (Front 242, Underviewer, Daniel B Prothèse, Metroland, Alien Vampires, Ayria, Leatherstrip…)
03 OUT OF LINE (Blutengel, Combichrist, Hocico, Solar Fake, Heimataerde, Unzucht, Solitary Experiments …)
04 FABRIKA/DEAD SCARLET (She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Selofan, Kaelan Mikla, M!R!M, Doric…)
05 ARTOFFACT (Legend, Frontline Assembly, Haujobb, Psyche, Noise Unit, Dead When I found her, Pankow…)
06 METROPOLIS (Birthday Massacre, Aesthetic Perfection, God Module, Lords of Acid, Skinny Puppy, Delerium…)
07 RUSTBLADE (Morricone, Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, Leaether Strip, Lydia Lunch, Legendary Pink Dots, Merzbow…)
08 DEPENDENT (Covenant, Mesh, Pride & Fall, Beborn Beton, Seabound, Encephalon, Frontline Assembly, Clicks..)
09 MANIC DEPRESSION (Winter Severity Index, Ash Code, Schonwald, Box and the Twins, Sjoblom, Dear Deer…)
10 UNDO (Marsheaux, Girl One and the Grease Guns, Mesh, Fotonovela, OMD, Nikonn, Mikro, Vienna, Liebe…)
11 HALL OF SERMON (Lacrimosa, Snakeskin, Black Moon Secret, Eyes Shut Tight)
12 INFACTED (NamNamBulu, Grendel, Torul, Reaper, Frozen Plasma, Ruined Conflict, Orange Sector, Syntec…)

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

Aesthetic Perfection, the American electronic musical project created by Daniel Graves in 2000, has a new EP coming up: “Ebb and Flow”. “Ebb and Flow” includes the original title track and remix by Miggiddo, as well as the previously released cover of N*SYNC’s hit pop single, “Bye Bye Bye” featuring Nikki Misery of New Year’s Day on guitar.

Aesthetic Perfection will also be joining Grendel and Peter Turns Pirate on the Severed Nations North American Tour launching April 5 in Fairfield, OH. The tour will wind throughout North America, wrapping up May 13th in Toronto.

Let’s hope that this new EP is not only to promote a new tour but also a teaser for a forthcoming album. After all “Blood Spills Not Far From The Wound” – and excellent release – already dates from 2015. Check out the Aesthetic Perfection back catalogue here.

You can already check the new track via our Spotify playlist below (check track 4).

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

Toronto-based industrial/synthpop band for all the emptiness has been releasing one video each day on Facebook during the past week containing behind-the-scenes footage from their “Hearts against minds” video which you can watch below!

The video was shot on-site at multiple locations in Nevada during a fierce wind storm, making some of the shots difficult at first. But the band and production company used the wind to their advantage so it seems. Jonathan Kaplan of for all the emptiness: “We worked with a local production company, who assisted with the entire production. From concept to the final cut.” In short, the video follows the story of a world of people trapped within themselves, struggling, in pain, and wanting to break free.

In the video, the walls of the set are covered with newspapers with headlines and photos of war and horrible crimes, and mindless “drones” in military camouflage. The intent is to change hearts and minds to end such things, symbolized, as the song progresses, by the newspapers being taken down.

for all the emptiness is also preparing to release a remix version of their EP titled “mt repeat”. The album contains 5 remixes from well-known artists including Apoptygma Berzerk, Aesthetic Perfection, Neuroticfish, Laetherstrip, and Sebastian from Icon of Coil.

for all the emptiness originally started as an idea by vocalist/composer Jonathan Kaplan after viewing Apoptygma Berzerk’s live DVD “apbl98” and seeing frontman Stephan Groth go into the crowd after a performance. In 2011 they released their debut album “axioms”. It was produced by Yone Dudas of Decoded Feedback. In 2012, a remix version of “axioms” was released featuring remixes by Assemblage 23, Beborn Beton, Decoded Feedback and more. To help promote the release they went on a North American tour with artists Die Sektor, The Gothsicles, and Deviant UK.

For more information, please visit the band’s official website.

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.

Background/Info: Shadows In The Dark [:SITD:] are back on track unleashing their newest opus featuring 10 songs (for the regular edition) and an extra disc with 6 songs for the limited edition. This is the seventh full length for the German trio.

Content: “Trauma: Ritual” reveals all the experience and maturity of this German combo, which is now active since 1996! I can’t really say that they innovate on this new work, but simply excel in the composition of efficient dark-electronics. It’s not just dark-electro, but a work featuring other inputs like EBM and great, melodic leads. I can’t really compare [:SITD:] with any other formation, but there are similarities with Rotersand and Funker Vogt. There’s a link in the sophisticated writing and carrying choruses.

Music and vocals together create a compact and powerful production resulting in several attention grabbers. The opening song features Dennis Schober (Solitary Experiments).

The bonus disc reveals 6 extra cuts, which are alternative versions and remixes by Intent:Outtake and Aesthetic Perfection.

+ + + : “Trauma: Ritual” is characterized by a constant, danceable power while the songs have been accomplished with brilliant melody lines. The work sounds totally accomplished and there’s no single song to throw away. The 10 songs stand for a high degree of maturity while you’ll discover potential hits such as “Zenit”, “Walls Have Eyes” and “Genesis”. The previously released EP “Brother Death” was a strong appetizer and this opus confirms the talent of [:SITD:]. The bonus disc features a few extra cool songs. I want to tip the “Single Version” of “Genesis” and the “Extended Version” of “Incendium”. The original version was featured on the “Brother Death”-EP. Intent:Outtake did a great job remixing “Mundlos”. Last, but not least I also like the digipak format.

– – – : If there’s one single minus point about this new work it must be the lack of innovation. [:SITD:] holds on the same-old sound formula, but is there any reason to change?

Conclusion: It’s hard to say if “Trauma: Ritual” is the best work [:SITD:] has ever released, but it for sure is one of their most accomplished and solid work to date. If you like dark-electronics carried by danceable rhythms, melodic leads and great vocals you for sure gone love it!

Best songs: “Zenit”, “Walls Have Eyes”, “Genesis”, “Cicatrix”, “Companion” + “Genesis – Single Version”, “Incendium – Extended Version”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.sitd.de/en / www.facebook.com/SITDofficial  

Label: www.darkdimensions.de /  www.facebook.com/pages/Dark–Dimensions–Label–Group/486014725206

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

Tragic Impulse is a rather new EBM-minded solo-project set up and driven by Paul M. Graham. The second album “Devil On Your Shoulder” released on Distortion Productions will be for sure an opportunity to discover this American artist dealing with a dark EBM format.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Tell us a bit more about your artistic background and activities, which finally brought you to set up Tragic Impulse?

Paul: I started experimenting with electronic music in the early-mid 2000’s and to be honest, I was pretty bad at. I remember getting a remix kit for one of Informatik’s songs and I gave up on it pretty quickly because I just didn’t have the skills to pull it off. I kept working at it though and in 2012 I submitted the song “Apocalyptic Visions” to the “Electronic Saviors 2”-compilation under the project name Eisengeist. The song had no lyrics/vocals and it was pretty raw from a production standpoint, but it got accepted and appeared on the bonus track section of the compilation.

Gaining confidence from the Eisengeist track, I decided to put more time and energy into making electronic music. However, I wanted to go in a different direction musically so Tragic Impulse was born.

Q: I guess you must notice a serious move in sound, writing and global production from “Machine Parts” (debut album released in 2014) towards the new work “Devil On Your Shoulder”?

Paul: I do feel that “Devil On Your Shoulder” represents a degree of maturation in my overall sound, writing and production. When I was working on “Devil On Your Shoulder”, I remember being very critical of the production value on “Machine Parts” because it felt so inferior to me at the time (still does). I think the biggest reason for this is that between albums I continue to get better at translating my ideas into finished and more refined products. New synthesizers, studio gear, and equipment upgrades always has some impact on this as well. I’ve already started working on the next album and feel that the sound, writing, and production is superior to “Devil On Your Shoulder” as well. I’m excited about it! I see all this as growth so it’s a good thing.

As far as sound goes, I dabbled with things like pitch-shifted vocals on “Machine Parts” (cf. “I’ll Be Your God” & “I Hear Footsteps”) but none of that appears on “Devil On Your Shoulder”. That’s something I probably won’t go back to but you never know. “Devil On Your Shoulder” is more representative of the vocal style/feel I’ll be using going forward. I do love a good vocoder though so that’s not going anywhere LOL.

Q: Tell us a bit more about the new work and especially the kind of album you’d in mind?

Paul: I originally considered making “Devil On Your Shoulder” a concept-album but it never really materialized. Although not electronic, I always loved Queensryche’s concept-album “Operation Mindcrime” and wanted to do something in that vein lyrically (I still might).

Beyond that, I really just wanted to make an album that had good dancefloor appeal. I love knocking back a pint or two at the local goth club to loud stompy music and Tragic Impulse I think reflects that. Otherwise, I tend to mix things up from song to song thematically.

Q: What’s the deeper meaning of the title “Devil On Your Shoulder” and what’s the importance of the lyrical content of your songs?

Paul: The song “Devil On Your Shoulder” is largely about temptation and schadenfreude. People do some horrible things at the expense of their fellow humans and the song explores that metaphorically. As for the title, I like albums with a title/track relationship and I thought “Devil On Your Shoulder” stood out so I went with it.

The rest of the album covers a lot of ground lyrically and thematically. “Flesh And Blood” is about how being different is OK. “Evolution Revolution” is about reinventing yourself  and “Lightstpeed” is about the vastness and wonderment of our universe. Ultimately though, the songs are about whatever the listener wants them to be and I have to say nothing feels better than when a fan tells you a song resonated with them on a personal level. That’s happened more than I expected on this album and it’s always a delight to hear.

Q: Do you have some referential musicians, bands, producers… and what make them ‘special’ to you?

Paul: There’s so many artists and people who have influenced me that it’s a hard question to answer in this limited space. To pick a few though, I would say that Project Pitchfork – particularly their early works – has had a big influence on me. From the music to the lyrics to their live shows, everything that band does just resonates with me. I also love the way Daniel Graves (Aesthetic Perfection) works a stage. I’ve seen him play to both small and large crowds and he brings the same amazing energy and intensity each time. Claus Larsen is also a big influence. One of the highlights of my burgeoning musical career has been sharing a stage with him. He’s an incredible artist and an even better person.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Jim Semonik (Distortion Productions/Red Lokust) as a big influence as well. I don’t think I’ve met a person with as much perseverance, passion, and dedication to the EBM/Industrial scene as him. I feel pretty lucky to have him as a friend as well.

Q: Referring to live performances, Tragic Impulse doesn’t have a real live experience so far. How comes and what kind of show might the audience expect during the next months? How do you transpose the studio work on stage and will you get some help from extra members?

Paul: Although it’s taken a while to get going, the live show is actually up and running. Over the last year I’ve shared the stage with Leaether Strip, Ludovico Technique, and Kite to name a few. The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive and future live performances, such as a “Distortion Prod”-tour in Summer and “Danse Macabre 2” in Pittsburgh around Halloween, are being planned.

The big reason the live show took a while to get going is that I wanted finished music I could put into the hands of people who wanted it after a live performance. I know a lot of bands get started doing live music before moving on to recording but I’ve always found this counter-intuitive. I’ve had people buy my music after every gig I’ve done so I think the strategy works. Another reason the live show took a while to get going was just translating the studio work to the stage. I had to invest in new portable gear and this took some time and money to sort out. It was time well spent however and I’m pretty happy with the results.

I’m definitely looking to add more people for live performances. At a minimum, I’d like to have someone on keys and maybe add a drummer for bigger gigs. I’ve talked to a few people about that so we’ll see how it goes. Other than that, I’d love to catch on with a festival or two as well. I went to WGT in Germany for the first time last year and all I could think about – other than Schwarzbier and bratwurst (yum!) – was how awesome it would be to perform there.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Storming The Base has announced its Black Friday sale. The online mail-order offers huge discounts on a very wide selection of goth, industrial, EBM, synthpop, and noise CDs and ‎vinyl releases starting at just € 1,40 / for a CD!

Just to give you an idea, you’ll find releases by 808 State, Aaimon, Aesthetic Perfection, Agonize, Apoptygma Berzerk, Blutengel, Black Lung, Coil, Client, Combichrist, DAF, Diary Of Dreams, Die Form, and thousands more!

You can check the complete list right here (you’ll see the cheapest items first – the pins that is). Be fast, this mega sale is only valid for a VERY short time!

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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Expected to be released soon – but already available here – is IAMX’s newest double EP “Everything is Burning (Metanoia Addendum)”.

On part 1 of “Everything Is Burning (Metanoia Addendum)”, you’ll find 7 new IAMX tracks while part 2 holds material taken from 2015’s “Metanoia” LP reworked by Gary Numan and Mr.Kitty, Marat Sad, SlickNik_CE (aka Depeche Mode’s Christian Eigner and his partner Niko Stoessl), Aesthetic Perfection, and Future Funk Squad.

Check “The Void” (album version) below:

This is what Chris said about this new track: “The Void represents the end of an era. The completion of my own personal transformation after a 2 year battle with depression and chronic insomnia. It’s an addendum to the album Metanoia. The video is a fusion or a mashup of all the IAMX videos during this period. Some shot and directed by me, some by others. I see it as a celebration of my own private victory, my new found inner strength and also a symbol to my audience or anybody searching that life is extraordinary and happiness is conquerable. I’ve spent years putting together abstract visuals for our multimedia stage shows so I felt the video could also reflect this. There is no mind numbingly banal narrative, just a throbbing collage of transient images. The way my reality is and the way I love it .”

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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Out by early November – and available right here – is the limited full-length Snog album “The Clockwork Man” on transparent white vinyl. The release is derived from the late 2015 album “Compliance™” for which the tracks have been reworked and ‘retooled’ by Aesthetic Perfection, Velvet Acid Christ and other remixers.

The vinyl is comprised almost entirely of new vinyl exclusive remixes and limited to only 200 copies. Below is the teaser for this release.

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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Australian musician David Thrussell is back with a brand new SNOG remix album later this fall – but already available here for ordering. Titled “The Clockwork Man (Non-compliant Remixes in the Age of Obedience)” featuring further remixes by Aesthetic Perfection, Angelspit, Ross Healy and more.

You might remember that April 2016 already saw the vinyl release of “The Clockwork Man” featuring a total of 8 remixes. That vinyl was only pressed on 200 copies. The whole was derived from their late 2015 album “Compliance™” as is the case with the upcoming CD release.

Here’s a teaser for the original vinyl release:

Snog was formed by Australian musician David Thrussell, along with fellow art school friends Tim McGrath and Julia Bourke in 1989. The band’s music is a fusion of many different styles, including industrial, techno, ambient, experimental, funk and country music. Thrussell also records as Black Lung, which started as a brand to release extra Snog recordings.

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 polish electro-industrial band Controlled Collapse has just announced their newest single “Lust”. The release date has been set for 1st of July but you can already preorder the digital version or a limited edition CD in a cardboard sleeve on the band’s bandcamp site.

The single features 4 remixes by bands such as Decoded Feedback, Reactor7x, R010R and God’s Bow alongside the single version of the song and a b-side “Life-Death”.

The single is promoting the upcoming fourth album entitled “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder” which is scheduled for later this year. In the meantime the band will be playing a couple of gigs in Europe in July starting with The Haag on to London, Munich*, Berlin*, Dresden* and Wroclaw, with Aesthetic Perfection as special guest in Munich an, Berlin and Dresden.

Here’s already a first track.

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

Mark Hockings and Rich Silverthorn from Mesh have been working on a new album, called “Looking Skyward”. But before that album gets out, you’ll first be served a single, “Kill Your Darlings” (and the accompanying video). Below is already a teaser for that video. The single itself was produced by Olaf Wollschläger and will be released on vinyl (order your copy here) and on CD (order your copy here).

On the single you’ll find just 4 tracks, “Kill Your Darlings (Single Version)”, “Paper Thin”, “Kill Your Darlings (Club Edit)” and “Kill Your Darlings (Aesthetic Perfection Remix)”. “Kill Your Darlings” comes out in July and can be ordered already right here. For those present at the Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig, Germany, the band performed that new song live.

In other Mesh news, the release of Mesh’ classical live album as recorded at the Gewandhaus Leipzig will be postponed until Winter. Here’s already a teaser for the band’s upcoming new single.

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

Since their inception in 2006, the Suicidal Romance duo Dmitry Darling (frontman of Freakangel fame) and female vocalist Viktoria Seimar have established themselves within the alternative darkwave / electro scene with well crafted song that stick well in your head.

A few months ago Alfa Matrix already released the “Rêves & Souvenirs” digital album (available here) which selected 15 tracks of the project’s career, but now the band’s back catalogue gets a well deserved bonus extended re-release while the duo is working on new material. 3 releases are now being re-issued via the Alfa Matrix Bandcamp page with a load of bonus tracks and all-new frontcover designs by Tomoki Haysaka of Sheerheart in Japan.

All 3 releases are immediately available.

The first is “Love Beyond Reach” (available here), originally released in 2007. This was Suicidal Romance’s debut album which got mixed and mastered by Vasi Vallis (Frozen Plasma, Reaper). This extended edition includes bonus tracks from the EP “A Kiss To Resist” with special guest vocals by Jan Moser (Lost Area, Yade) as well as a cover version of Erasure’s classic song “Always”.

The 2nd re-release is “Shattered Heart Reflections” (available here), originally released in 2010, again mixed and mastered by Vasi Vallis (Frozen Plasma, Reaper). This extended edition includes bonus tracks from the EP “A Kiss To Resist” plus remixes by among others Aesthetic Perfection, Syrian, etc..

The 3rd reissue is “Memories Behind Closed Curtains” (available here), originally released in 2011. This time it was mixed and mastered by Jan L. (X-Music Productions). The extended edition includes bonus tracks from the “Burning Love / Remember Me” EP and remixes by among others Wormz, Studio-X, Diversant13, 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

Genre/Influences: Dark-technoid-electronics, body-techno.

Content: Two years after their official debut work “Broken Hearts Corporate Minds” the Australian Sirus combo strikes back with a new, noticeable production. This band set up and driven by the creative mind of Josh Rombout (aka DJ Sirus) deals with a fascinating and modern format of underground electro, which is hard to grasp as one particular genre.

In comparison to their debut album, Sirus hold on to similar influences, which clearly move from EBM to dark-technoid elements, but the global production became more sophisticated. The main characteristic and strength of this band is their taste to manipulate sounds while experimenting with multiple influences, which are going further than EBM and techno-minded formats.

“Satellite Empire” is a progressive-electro work on, which you will notice beautiful ethereal passages featuring the heavenly vocals of Danielle McKay, but also songs revealing elements of d’n’b (cf. “Loic”, “PRISM”), groovy passages (cf. “Neon Dominion”) and a rather cinematographic final cut (cf. “Surfacing”). The work is complex and like in constant movement, revisiting familiar electro elements and mixing different influences with each other.

Today it’s hard and nearly impossible to speak about an ‘innovating’ band, but I like the way Sirus tries to strive for something different. I rather dare to speak about a progressive electro release, but the most important aspect is for sure that there are great songs featured on it.

I’m referring to a kind of sound intelligence emerging from “Surveillance State”, which appears to be the ultimate offspring between EBM, dark-electro and trance-techno music. I already mentioned the somewhat d’n’b driven “PRISM”, which also reminds me of the complexity and genius of Frontline Assembly. But the most surprising song and still my absolute favorite is called “We Have The Technology”. This track is a heavenly fusion between terrific, progressive electro-body structures and the heavenly ethereal female vocals. It’s not exactly a dreamy song, but a hard and transcendental piece of music. The dreamy side is featured on the opening cut “Ministries Of Truth”, which is a kind of magic intro cut.

A last cut I want to mention is the groovy-like “Neon Dominion” where I especially enjoyed the complementary male- and female vocals, which sound a bit like ‘the beauty and the beast’.

Last, but not least I have to mention that the CD format features 3 extra songs, which are remixes by iVardensphere, Grendel and Aesthetic Perfection.

Conclusion: Sirus definitely belongs to this restricted category of ‘progressive’ electro-underground bands trying to innovate and explore new paths. “Satellite Empire” is a work with real big potential!

Best songs: “We Have The Technology”, “The People We’ve Lost”, “Neon Dominion”, “Surveillance State”, “LOIC”, “PRISM”.

Rate: (DP:8½)DP.

Band: www.sirusofficial.com / www.facebook.com/sirusofficial

Label: www.digitalworld.audio / www.facebook.com/DigitalWorldAudio

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

Storming the base has also announced its Black Friday sale. The online mail-order offers huge discounts on a very wide selection of goth, industrial, EBM, synthpop, and noise CDs and ‎vinyl releases starting at just € 1,40 / for a CD!

Just to give you an idea, you’ll find releases by 808 State, Aaimon, Aesthetic Perfection, Agonize, Apoptygma Berzerk, Blutengel, Black Lung, Coil, Client, Combichrist, DAF, Diary Of Dreams, Die Form, and thousands more!

You can check the complete list right here (you’ll see the cheapest items first). Be fast, this mega sale is only valid for a VERY short time.

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-EBM.

Content: “Nations Reborn” was simultaneously released with the re-issue of the “As Nations Decay”-album featuring an extra disc with an impressive load of remixes. The original album was released in 2013 and now gets a new boost with the extra remixes.

Notice by the way that the digital release features 3 extra songs. The main attraction of this album is the 9 previously unreleased remixes by mainly label mates. Other famous and recognized formations like Noisuf-X, Chainreactor and Alien Vampires contributed to this remix orgy as well.

I’m not a big fan of albums filled with remixes, but “Nations Reborn” is the exception to the rule. I think it’s mainly due to the great original songs by BlakOPz and the fine selection of talented formations. The remixers all tried to inject a personal note to the original song, which resulted in a fascinating listening.

The concept of this release (set up by the label) also consists of remixing all of the original songs of the album. The only exception at “Nations Reborn” is the absence of 2 songs that were composed together with another band (Sleetgrout and Nitro/Noise).

A few remixes like the ones by Aesthetic Perfection, Cryogenic Echelon and Alter Der Ruine were already previously released as bonus songs on the album. I have to admit that both remixes by Aesthetic Perfection and Cryogenic Echelon belong to the ultimate list of favorites.

But I also have to recommend the powerful astral vibes of the “#culturedelete”-remix by Cyferdyne. Another real smasher has been accomplished by Chainreactor, injecting a huge and irresistible ‘00ntz’ doses to “Turn Key Tyranny”.

Noisuf-X surprised me with a less powerful, yet intelligent electro-industrial remix of “Behind The Curtain”. “Business As Usual” has been remixed a rather enraged style by Cygnosic. Last, but not least I’ll end with the debut song of the album entitled “The Beginning”, which has been transformed by Sirus into a violent and somewhat hard-core version.

Ruinizer added their complex touch to “Thick As Thieves” while I globally expected a bit more out of the remixes by Alien Vampires and ESA”.

Conclusion: “Nations Reborn” stands for a rather ‘hard’ work featuring multiple great remixes, which are mainly dealing with EBM-related music. It might have been cool and really innovative to discover remixes by bands from totally different music genres, but that’s just my personal taste.

Best songs: “#culturedelete – Cyferdyne Remix”, “Before The Rust – Cryogenic Echelon Remix”, “As Nations Decay – Aesthetic Perfection Remix”, “Turn Key Tyranny- (Chainreactor Remix”.

Rate: (DP:8)DP.

Band: www.facebook.com/BlakOPzBAND

Label: www.digitalworld.audio / www.facebook.com/DigitalWorldAudio

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial body-pop, EBM.

Content: The Cyferdyne trio reactivates their “Keep Your Silence”-album with this “Break Your Silence”-album. The 2nd full length by the UK band got a successful response from its original release in 2014. Digital Audio World has now re-released the original album together with an extra disc filled with remixes. This extra disc is also available as digital album revealing 3 extra remixes (which have been added to the main disc of the CD release as well).

“Break Your Silence” reveals 9 previously unreleased remixes by bands like C-Lekktor, Die Sektor, Ginger Snap5, Terrolokauts ao. The bonus remixes at the digital format have been accomplished by Assemblage 23, Aesthetic Perfection and Phosgore.

The first part reveals a few interesting cuts, but no real potential hits. Panic Lift did an interesting rough pop inspired job at the remix of “Fracture” while “Visions” has been remixed by Terrolokaust in a kind of rock-pop style. The guitar riffs inject this rock-minded input.

Aesthetic Perfection remains a real genius formation and without a shadow of a doubt one of the growing sensations in the scene. Their techno-body remix of “Numb” is an absolute masterpiece.

Referring to masterpieces, the second part of the work reveals a few more outstanding remixes. Cygnosic, Ginger Snap5 and of course the powerful ‘rave’ minded remix of “Numb” by Noisuf-X are pure lust for the dancefloors, but the best is yet to come.

Assemblage 23 definitely deserves to get an award for the most inspiriting remix, transposing “Jigsaw” in to a great vintage-minded version while remaining totally dancefloor minded. This is one of the best Assemblage 23-remixes in history!

I also have to mention the great remixing skills of Phosgore, which again confirms to be one of the most talented artists from the Noisuf-X class. “Cables And Codes” sounds now like a pumping industrial rave-pop song. Last, but not least, C-Lekktor also confirms his growing talent remixing “Disease” into a heavy, haunting dark-electro version.

Conclusion: There’s a great electro diversity running throughout the remixes, but it especially must be a real pleasure for Cyferdyne to get such inspiring remixes from most of the bands.

Best songs: “Jigsaw – Assemblage 23 Remix”, “Cables And Codes – Phosgore Remix”, “Numb – Aesthetic Perfection Remix”, “Disease – C-Lekktor Remix”, “Numb – Noisuf-X Remix”.

Rate: (DP:8½)DP.

Band: www.facebook.com/CYFERDYNE

Label: www.digitalworld.audio / www.facebook.com/DigitalWorldAudio

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, dark-wave.

Content: Alkemic Generator revealed themselves to the world with the album “The Oniric Geometry” released two years ago by Nilaihah Records. The Italian formation went on writing new songs while Nilaihah Records seems to be on stand-by (and that’s a pity).

The 2nd opus has been released by the Russian label ScentAir and sees the Italian trio striking back with a rather open-minded electro-wave style. “Parallel World” takes off in a rather unpolished way and sounds inspired by dark-electronics powered by guitar riffs. The opening song is fully representative for the rather well-crafted and sometimes sophisticated work of the band. That’s what comes through on the few next songs, but especially “Back To Origin” caught my attention for the nice twist between powerful guitar riffs and refined arrangements. The vocals by Sonja Aveic complete the work with a kind of icy grace.

The production of the vocals becomes quite interesting on the title track. The way of singing sounds more like a sampling, which perfectly matches with the cool kind of electronic ping-pong sequences and the heavy danceable kick. I also like this song for its somewhat trance-minded structure.

The 2nd part of “Mechanical Reflections” is hiding a few more interesting cuts. The sound moves in between raw electro sound waves and darker, melancholic passages while the guitar riffs constantly inject an extra powerful element.

Last, but not least the album features two great remixes by Aesthetic Perfection and C-Lekktor. Both bands seriously boost the original versions of “Parallel World” and “Back To Origin”. Both remixes will possibly push Alkemic Generator to conquer some dancefloors.

Conclusion: Alkemic Generator remains a very unique band in the genre. Their new opus is not always that accessible, but reveals a band with a creative approach in the mix of different influences.

Best songs: “Mechanical Reflections”, “Another Day?”, “Back To Origin”, “Back To Origin – C-Lekktor Rmx”, “Parallel World – Aesthetic Perfection Rmx”.

Rate: (DP:7)DP.

Band: www.facebook.com/pages/Alkemic-Generator/434680333225476

Label: www.scent-air.com / www.facebook.com/ScentairRecords

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