Brazilian-born, Brighton-based producer Gil OS released “Mono Substance” as Amorphous on 7 August 2026 through Semantics Productions. In this Amorphous interview for Side-Line Magazine, Gil OS speaks with Karo Kratochwil about the album’s core question, where the individual ends and the system begins, the role of Nora Avant’s voice across four tracks, bringing berimbau and alfaia into “Maracatu”, and testing an idea against the body before trusting it on record.

Mono Substance begins with a philosophical problem, but Gil OS does not treat philosophy as something to paste over electronic music after the machinery has already been assembled. The interesting part is what happens when an abstract question, where the individual ends, whether separation is ever complete, how systems become internalised, has to survive bass pressure, repetition and a moving body. That line has been developing through Amorphous for some time. “Skepticism” looked outward at technology and the structures shaping human behaviour; “Devour” moved closer to consumption, obedience and the erosion of individual autonomy. On “Mono Substance”, Gil pushes underneath both questions and starts interfering with the boundary itself. If the individual and the system continuously shape one another, how useful is the distinction between them in the first place?

Musically, however, “Mono Substance” is anything but an exercise in abstraction. Gil’s earlier history in chill out, freestyle electronics and psytrance remains somewhere inside his understanding of repetition and momentum, while Amorphous has developed a harder electro/EBM language of its own. Nora Avant’s voice enters the machinery on four tracks, while “Ancestors” and, above all, “Maracatu” open the rhythmic vocabulary toward ancestry, ritual and collective physical experience. On the latter, Gil brings his Brazilian roots directly into the album through berimbau and alfaia, setting hand-played percussion against programmed electronics.

Kratochwil had already seen how physical this music becomes when Gil performs it at Fourscher Festival. That experience became one of the starting points for the conversation that follows: control and surrender, melody as seduction, rhythm as communication, Nora Avant as another consciousness within the record, and why an idea that works perfectly in theory may still fail the moment the body refuses to believe it.

Amorphous interview

Karo: When I reviewed “Skepticism”, I was interested in the way you examined systems, technology and the structures that begin shaping the people who created them. “Devour” moved further into consumption, obedience and the erosion of self. On “Mono Substance”, the question seems to move underneath both of those subjects: where does the individual actually end and the system begin? Was that conceptual shift deliberate?

Gil: Yes, I think that shift was deliberate, although it happened quite naturally through the work. With Skepticism, I looked outward at systems and technology, and with Devour, I became more interested in what those systems do to us through consumption and obedience. Mono Substance felt like the next step: turning the question inward and asking how much of what we think of as the self is actually our own. The line between the individual and the system becomes increasingly difficult to locate. At a certain point, the system isn’t just something outside us that we participate in, it becomes part of how we think, behave and understand ourselves. That tension is really at the centre of the record.

Karo: The title “Mono Substance” immediately invokes the philosophical problem of whether apparently separate things are ultimately expressions of one underlying reality. What interested you in that idea musically?

Gil: Musically, I was interested in the idea that very different things can emerge from the same underlying material. I wanted the record to explore that without trying to literally illustrate a philosophical idea. Rhythm, texture and sound became different ways of working with the same substance, repeating, mutating and breaking apart until something familiar starts to feel completely different. There’s also a tension in that: if everything comes from the same source, where does difference actually begin? Rather than adding a philosophical concept onto the music, I wanted the concept to exist within the way the sounds behave, develop and relate to each other.

Karo: There is a fascinating contradiction between the album’s concept and its construction. Philosophically, the record questions separation, while musically your production is extremely precise, with sounds carefully differentiated and positioned. Did you ever think about the production itself as a way of exploring the difference between distinction and genuine separation?

Gil: Yes, absolutely. Precision can create the impression that everything is clearly separated, but the more closely you listen, the more those boundaries start to blur. Sounds can occupy their own space while still being completely dependent on everything around them. Distinction doesn’t necessarily mean separation. You can isolate a sound, a rhythm or a texture, but it still exists within a larger system and is shaped by its relationship to everything else. In that sense, the precision of the production actually reinforces the central idea of the record rather than contradicting it.

Karo: Before the current Amorphous sound, you had already travelled through very different electronic territories under Gil Mahadeva and Mukunga Umbura, including chill out, freestyle electronics and psytrance. How much of “Mono Substance” comes from allowing those older parts of your musical identity back into Amorphous rather than trying to maintain a strict electro or EBM vocabulary?

Gil: I think those earlier projects are still present in the music, even if they’re not always obvious on the surface. I’ve always been interested in repetition, trance and the physical effect of rhythm, so those elements naturally found their way into Mono Substance. I wasn’t trying to return to those styles specifically, but I also didn’t want to exclude parts of my musical history just to maintain a strict Amorphous vocabulary. The older electronic work gave me a different understanding of movement and repetition. It’s less about genre and more about what certain sounds and rhythms can do to the body and the mind.

Karo: One thing I have consistently liked about your work is that the intellectual element never becomes an excuse for the music to stop being physical. Do you consciously test an idea against the body, almost asking whether a concept still works once it has to survive a dance floor, bass pressure and repetition?

Gil: Yes, definitely. For me, an idea ultimately has to work physically as well as intellectually. I can be interested in a concept, but if it doesn’t translate into rhythm, tension, movement or some kind of bodily response, then it probably doesn’t belong in the music. The dance floor is a useful test because repetition strips away a lot of the intellectual scaffolding. You experience the sound first, and only later might you think about what it means. The body is almost the final reality check for the idea.

Karo: Across the album, questions of control appear in several forms: political power, technological systems, consumption, conditioning and even control over one’s own perception. Yet musically there is also a strong tension between very disciplined programming and moments that feel more fluid, hypnotic or ritualistic. How much of that tension between control and surrender is built deliberately into the sound?

Gil: Very deliberately. Control and surrender are two sides of the same process, especially in electronic music. Programming gives you an incredible level of control over rhythm, repetition and detail, but once those elements are repeated and layered, they can start to produce something that feels almost autonomous. There are moments where everything is tightly controlled and mechanical, and others where the repetition becomes hypnotic and you almost stop listening analytically and simply follow it. Surrender isn’t necessarily the opposite of control, sometimes it is what control eventually produces.

Karo: Your music has become darker and more confrontational over time, but melody has never disappeared. Is melody important to you as a counterweight to aggression, or perhaps as something more dangerous, a seductive surface through which uncomfortable ideas can enter more easily?

Gil: I think melody can do both. It can be a counterweight to aggression, but it can also make something much more unsettling because it gives the listener a way in. A melodic element can feel familiar or even beautiful while the material around it is much darker, and that contrast can make the underlying idea hit harder. If a difficult or uncomfortable idea arrives through something seductive, you may engage with it before you’ve had the chance to put up a defence.

Karo: There is the hard electro and EBM impact I already associate with Amorphous, but also trance logic, more organic movement and, in places such as “Ancestors” and “Maracatu,” something communal or ritualistic. Is rhythm becoming a larger conceptual language for you, rather than simply the engine underneath the songs?

Gil: Yes, I think so. Rhythm has always been central to the music, but on Mono Substance I became more interested in rhythm as a way of communicating rather than simply driving the track. With tracks like “Ancestors” and especially “Maracatu,” I was interested in that more collective aspect of rhythm: the idea that rhythm can connect people physically and almost temporarily dissolve the sense of the individual. Maracatu comes from the northeast of Brazil, particularly Pernambuco, and carries a strong Afro-Brazilian cultural identity, combining percussion, dance, ritual and community. I played the berimbau and the alfaia, the large bass drum that gives Maracatu much of its deep, powerful pulse, and then had to find a way of mixing and producing those organic instruments alongside the electronic elements. I wasn’t trying to reproduce Maracatu traditionally, but to let something from my own cultural background enter the language of Amorphous.

Karo: Nora Avant appears on four tracks. On an album concerned with unstable boundaries and the idea that apparently separate voices may belong to the same underlying continuum, how did you think about bringing another voice into the record?

Gil: Nora’s presence felt like much more than simply adding another voice. I think she became another consciousness within the record. Her voice has a very particular emotional and psychological quality, and that allowed the music to move into spaces I couldn’t reach through the production alone. At times she feels like a contrast to the machinery and repetition, and at other times she feels completely absorbed into it. I wanted her voice to become part of the same structure and, in a way, blur the boundary between the human and the system.

Karo: I saw you live at Fourscher Festival, and what stayed with me was how little distance there was between the electronic construction and your physical performance. While making “Mono Substance”, were you already thinking about what these tracks would require from you physically when performed live?

Gil: Yes, definitely. I don’t want the live show to feel like a reproduction of the record; it needs to have its own physical energy and sense of movement. The electronic elements can be very precise, but the performance introduces something human and unpredictable into that structure. For me, the ideal is that you don’t really perceive a separation between the electronic construction and the person performing it.

Karo: Amorphous itself is a name that implies unstable form. Do you recognise one continuous line running through “Skepticism”, “Devour” and “Mono Substance”, even if you did not necessarily plan it from the beginning?

Gil: Yes, I can see a continuous line running through it, even though I definitely didn’t plan the whole journey from the beginning. With Skepticism, I was looking at systems and the way they shape us. Devour moved closer to the individual and the way those systems can become internalised through consumption and conditioning. With Mono Substance, the question has become more fundamental: if everything is interconnected, can we really talk about the individual as something completely separate? The name Amorphous fits that process quite well, not because the music has no form, but because the form is always capable of changing.

Karo: If boundaries disappear, connection becomes possible, but so do loss of autonomy, contamination and absorption into larger systems. Do you personally experience the idea of “one substance” as liberating, disturbing, or as a contradiction you deliberately wanted to leave unresolved?

Gil: I think it’s both liberating and disturbing, and that contradiction is exactly what interested me. The idea that everything is connected can be comforting because it suggests that nothing exists completely alone. But if there is no real separation, then individuality and autonomy become much more complicated. I didn’t want to resolve that tension on the album. Mono Substance isn’t really arguing that unity is good or bad; it’s asking what happens to the idea of the self if we take that unity seriously.

Karo: What happens now that “Mono Substance” is out? Are you planning live dates or a broader run of shows around the album?

Gil: The first two shows were actually in Brazil, in São Paulo, which was very special to me. The CD was also sold there before it was available elsewhere and before the official release, so being able to present the album first in my own country felt like a huge bonus. I definitely want to continue bringing the album into a live setting. The challenge at the moment is finding organizers in Europe who are interested in having Amorphous perform live. I’ve approached a few people, but some haven’t responded, so I’m still trying to figure out how to make the live side more consistent and sustainable. The live version is also an opportunity to develop the more hypnotic and ritualistic side of the album. I want the set to feel physical, immersive and capable of changing in the moment.

About Amorphous

Amorphous is the solo project of Gil OS, a Brazilian-born electronic producer active since the early 1990s. Gil OS first made his name as the mastermind of Morgue Mechanism, one of the pioneering industrial and EBM acts in South America, released through the German label Off Beat. He later relocated to the United Kingdom, settling in Brighton, and worked under further monikers including Gil Mahadeva and Mukunga Umbura across chill out, freestyle electronics and psytrance before consolidating his electro-industrial work under the Amorphous name.

Amorphous released the album “Shapeshifting” in 2016, followed by the “Behaviourism” EP, “Moth Metaphor” (2020) and “Stigmergy”. Side-Line has covered the project twice before through Karolina Kratochwil’s ‘Click Interview’ series, first in 2017 and again in 2020. The album “Skepticism” followed on Semantics Productions in 2024, previewed through the single “Algorithm“.

On 19 June 2026, Amorphous released the single “Devour” featuring Nora Avant on main and backing vocals, written, produced, mixed and mastered by Gil OS. The track introduced the concerns of the forthcoming album in a club-oriented format. “Mono Substance” followed on 7 August 2026 through Semantics Productions, a ten-track album, Axiom, Devour, Masquerade, Blinding Gold, Domino Effect, Kingdom Fall, Ancestors, Unconditioned, Through The Noise and Maracatu, with Nora Avant providing backing vocals on “Devour”, “Blinding Gold”, “Kingdom Fall” and “Ancestors”, and artwork by Anastase Kyriakos. This interview follows Gil OS’ live performance at Fourscher Festival and marks Amorphous’ first Side-Line feature since the “Skepticism” campaign.

Karo Kratochwil

Based in Wrocław, I work as a music journalist and photographer covering electro, industrial, EBM, gothic, and darkwave. My work includes features and live coverage, as well as concert, portrait, promo, and theater photography. What interests me most is the connection between artistic intention, what the work communicates, and what unfolds live on stage, all in pursuit of the bigger picture behind the music.

Amorphous has released “Devour”, a new single featuring Nora Avant on vocals, through Semantics Productions. The electro-industrial project of producer Gil OS issued the track on June 19, 2026 as a digital single in two versions, ahead of the forthcoming Amorphous album “Mono Substance”.

Amorphous bring an old-school electro-industrial sound that mixes EBM and industrial-dance elements, built on rough rhythms, dark soundscapes and tape loops. “Devour” comes in two versions, the original (3:23) and a remix (3:49). Gil OS wrote, produced, mixed and mastered both, with Nora Avant on main and backing vocals. The track deals with greed, obedience and consumption, and moves the project toward a more direct, club-oriented format. It is available digitally.

The original version of “Devour” will also appear on “Mono Substance”, the next Amorphous album, presented around ideas of unstable identity, shifting forms and the collapse of separation into one shared substance. “Mono Substance” follows “Skepticism”, the album Gil OS issued through Semantics Productions on August 3, 2024.

About Amorphous

Amorphous is the project of Gil OS, a Brazilian electronic producer active since the early 1990s. He first became known as the mastermind of Morgue Mechanism, an early industrial and EBM act from South America that recorded for the German label Off Beat. After relocating to the United Kingdom, Gil OS started Amorphous, working in old-school electro-industrial and EBM; he described Morgue as the root of his electronic music in a Side-Line interview. The Amorphous discography includes the 2016 album “Shapeshifting”, the “Behaviourism” EP and the 2024 album “Skepticism”, both on Semantics Productions; Side-Line previewed the latter when Amorphous shared the “Algorithm” video. With “Devour”, featuring Nora Avant, Gil OS opens the next album, “Mono Substance”.

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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“Skepticism” marks the fifth studio album by Gil OS, also known as Amorphous. Drawing inspiration from dystopian themes, the album channels these ideas into the artist’s signature old-school EBM style. The tracks are meticulously crafted, evoking the spirit of ’90s Electro while incorporating a modern edge. The real strength of this release lies in its dark, immersive atmosphere rather than sheer sonic aggression, occasionally venturing into Cinematic territory. At moments, it feels like an imaginative blend of Vomito Negro and early Frontline Assembly. Among the highlights are the more danceable, club-oriented tracks, with the instrumental “In-Vitro Test” standing out -though the artist’s haunting vocal delivery adds an intriguing layer elsewhere. While I wouldn’t consider this Amorphous’s strongest work, as it offers fewer surprises, it remains a compelling addition to the ever-evolving world of EBM. (Rating:7½).

The album was previewed by the video for “Algorithm”.

Listen to “In-Vitro Test”:

About Amorphous

Amorphous is the dark electro and EBM project of Brighton, UK based musician Gil Oliveira Santos, who records as Gil OS. The project debuted in 2015 with “Behaviourism” on Semantics Productions, the same year as a split remix release with the Finnish act Cardinal Noire.

“Shapeshifting” followed in 2016 on Wave Records, and “Shapeless” in 2017 on Semantics Productions. “Moth Metaphor” came out in 2020 on Semantics Productions, and “Stigmergy” in 2021 on Razgrom Music. Gil OS spoke to Side-Line in a 2017 Click Interview and again in a 2020 Click Interview. “Skepticism”, released in 2024 on Semantics Productions as a digital download and digipak CD, continues that run.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

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Amorphous, a Brighton-based dark electro act, has a new video out, “Algorithm”, taken from the forthcoming album “Skepticism” which is expected to be out in August. The CD comes as a 6 pages digipak wrapped with an Obi Strip, and holds a 8 pages booklet which includes the lyrics. The CD is black base.

In a reaction Gil OS says: “‘Skepticism’ encapsulates technology, emotion, and introspective societal themes which should lead us to feelings of expectancy as we peer into uncharted territories. An approach involving questions is implied here: the disillusionment with society, and critique of technological dystopia. Its enigmatic nature could captivate those who come across it and provoke contemplation regarding what the songs truly delve into, suggesting a traversal through nebulous realms where differing viewpoints are unearthed along with unknowns that lie ahead on the journey.”

Here’s the video for “Algorithm”.

You can pre-order the full album below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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The Lisbon (Portugal) based heavy post-punk/industrial ensemble Louvado Abismo have released a brand new video ahead of the release of their self-titled album, scheduled for 31 May via Half Beast Records on vinyl/digital with a CD release to follow. “Corrida Lenta” is the first preview from the album, and is the album’s third track.

Despite being a new formation, Louvado Abismo boasts seasoned members from diverse artistic backgrounds, including theater actress Patrícia Andrade (ex- Sinistro) on vocals, Hugo Conim (Dawnrider, The Limit, …) on guitars, Pedro Almeida (Scum Liquor, A Tree of Signs, …) on drums, and Hélder Luís (Mozart Meets Chaos, The Sleeper has Awakened, …) on bass.

This is what the band says about the video: “The video ‘Corrida Lenta’ reflects a restless and euphoric inner journey, without time. An amorphous game of shadows and ‘monsters’ hidden within a dysphoric mind. It is a dark, simple, and intense song that varies between a mysterious David Lynchian atmosphere and a tribal ambiance, where the overlapping drums hark back to the ancient traditional Portuguese culture. The melancholic and deep voice envelops the distorted structures, leading them on an intense journey that ends in an apotheosis where a dissonant piano, played by Towkuhsh Razamod, one of the album’s guests, resonates in unison with the entire band, thus solidifying a structure that lives from the breathing of each of the musicians involved.”

Watch the video for “Corrida Lenta” below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The fifth studio album by Brazilian Amorphous was released in December 2021. The work is inspired by ‘the cognitive processes involved in Human Stigmergic Coordination as an artificial intelligence system’.

Content: Gil O. Santos has been always driven by good-old EBM vibes and “Stigmergy” doesn’t sound that different. It’s an intelligent sound format which takes off with minimal sound treatments and cold atmospheres. Menacing bass lines are emerging while the darkness of the work reminds me of Vomito Negro. The ghost-like vocals totally fit this music.

+ + + : Amorphous is a project I’ve always fully supported and I’m still thinking it never got a deserved recognition. The production is well-crafted and achieved with intelligent- and minimal sound treatments. The dark string parts have something overwhelming while the bass lines are hostile. Amorphous also stands for danceable music.

– – – : I only regret this work only features 8 songs. The artwork doesn’t look that professional, but the music does!

Conclusion: “Stigmergy” is a new and successful, intelligent EBM production by Amorphous.  

Best songs: “I’m Not Real”, “Precious Moment”, “Generation X”, “Blackhole”.

Rate: 8.

Listen to “Stigmergy”:

Artist: www.facebook.com/amorphous.sound

Label: www.razgrom.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Razgrom-Music/218060094876247

About Amorphous

Amorphous is the EBM project of Brazilian musician Gil O. Santos. Side-Line has covered the project twice in interview, first in March 2017 and again in a ‘Click Interview’ with Amorphous published in November 2020.

The recorded output starts with “Behaviourism” and “Remixes” in 2015, followed by “Shapeshifting” in 2016 and “Shapeless” in 2017. Semantics Productions released the 13-track “Live @ Dark EBM Souls 5.0” in 2019 and “Moth Metaphor” followed in 2020.

“Stigmergy” was released in December 2021 through Razgrom Music and Semantics Productions, with the EP “Confinamiento” issued the same year. The project later returned with “Skepticism” in 2024.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: German duo Arnte and Schmoun aka Pyrroline doesn’t release new albums on a regular basis, but they now strike back with the fourth album to date. Both protagonists were also involved with Nordschlacht, which unfortunately only released one single album in 2007.

Content: Four years have passed since the previous album, but nothing has really changed when it comes to influences. Pyrroline doesn’t innovate, remaining faithful to their old-school EBM reminding Skinny Puppy and Mentally & The Fixer. The work has a strong déjà-vu feeling, but globally speaking Pyrroline has seriously improved little details of the global production. The songs have been supported with haunting synth atmospheres while accomplished by Industrial sound treatments. I also noticed a few delicate passages. Arnte’s vocals are totally fitting to the ghost-like EBM while Schmoun is now and then injecting a female touch to the vocals.

The bonus disc features a few extra songs, which sound in the same vein as the main disc. But we also get an impressive number of remixes by The Opposer Divine, G.O.L.E.M., Sleepwalk, Amorphous, Fix8:Sed8, Jihad, Terminal State and 2 remixes by Placebo Effect.

+ + + : No doubt about it, “Struggling” is Pyrroline’s opus magnum! The production never has been that elaborated, revealing a great songwriting with dark and Industrial sound treatments. There’s a right balance between the sound and the vocals. Especially the 3 debut songs left me breathless; Pyrroline here reveals its harder side, but every single note and synth sound at the right place. I like when an album gives me the feeling of mathematics… The work is powerful, but also very atmospheric, the band here again reminding me to music from Benestrophe, Noise Unit ao.

Among the bonus disc I also discovered 2 excellent extra songs (both debut cuts) while there’s an interesting list of remixers. Most of the bands are dealing with a similar sound, but it’s great to see Fix8:Sed8 (definitely the new Master when it comes to composing Skinny Puppy-inspired Electro) and Placebo Effect. My favorite remixes are however these by G.O.L.E.M. and and especially Terminal State.

Last, but not least I also have to say a word about the cool digipak format of the album. Electro Aggression Records doesn’t release that much stuff, but each time again, it’s a very artistic and professional layout!

– – – : A very few songs couldn’t totally convince me, but you don’t hear me to complaining. I just can imagine some Electro heads will consider this band as inferior to the real masters in the genre… but it’s quite a long time ago since Skinny Puppy achieved such a masterpiece!

Conclusion: If you like intelligent old-school driven EBM, Pyrroline is for sure a great addition to your collection!

Best songs: “Song Of Deliverance”, “Battleground”, “This Dusky Faith”, “What Might Have Been”, “The Divine Image” + “State Of Things”, “Atelier Complex”, “Stop Acting So Small – Remixed by Terminal State”, “Song Of Deliverance – Remixed by G.O.L.E.M.”

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/arnteANDschmoun

Label: www.electroaggressionrecords /  www.facebook.com/ElectroAggressionRecords

About Pyrroline

Pyrroline is the German duo of Arnte (production, vocals) and Schmoun (composition, arrangement, vocals). The project debuted with “Behind The Horizon” (2010), followed by “Ruins Outlast” (2013) and “In The Dawn Of Freedom”, reviewed by Side-Line in 2017 (Discogs).

“Struggling” is Pyrroline’s fourth album for Electro Aggression Records, released 14 February 2021. Its limited 2CD digipak bonus disc carries remixes from Placebo Effect, Jihad, Sleepwalk, Terminal State, The Opposer Divine, Fix8:Sed8, G.O.L.E.M. and Amorphous, according to the album’s Bandcamp credits.

Pyrroline went on to announce a sixth album, “Ambiguity”, in June 2026, followed by a “Day 45” video in August 2026 and its own Side-Line review later that month.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, Double CD.

Background/Info: Three years after the astonishing album “Assailant” Norwegian EBM combo Atropine is back on track unleashing this double album featuring twelve new songs and thirteen remixes. Atropine is already active since 1994 and has released several full lengths. After a break the band has been active again since 2014.

Content: Atropine is doing what they do the best; composing a sophisticated EBM format, which rapidly evokes the atmosphere of early Skinny Puppy. But it’s much more than simply a new emulation of an EBM Godfather; it’s a well-crafted composition mixing harsh vocals together with tormented spheres and danceable passages. It also evokes to me the genius of Mortal Constraint. The power is rather emerging from the icy, horror-like atmospheres instead of the BPM’s. There’s also a trace of minimalism running through a few songs.

The second disc brings a nice selection of artists who for sure had some pleasure remixing Atropine. This is an opportunity to discover the remix skills of Miza[r], Kant Kino, Tourde Force, SWG, Amnistia, 11grams, Substaat, SKL, Impulskontroll, Amorphous, How Green Is My Toupee, Hexadiode and Pyrroline.

+ + + : If you think that EBM is easy music, you should listen to Atropine who reveal the most sophisticated and definitely intelligent EBM format. This is an elaborated writing composed with the magic of analogue equipment. Songs like “Missile Missive” and “Mutual Demise” definitely belong to the best exposures of this Norwegian formation. But I also have to mention the minimal sounding “Flesh Wreath” and the tormented “Dub Sermon”. If you pay attention to the explicit and horror-like front cover of the album you’ll get an idea about the universe inspiring this work. Among the remixes I heard excellent tracks, but will especially recommend the work by atropine’s compatriots Kant Kino and Substaat. And one more I’ve to add is the less familiar Norwegian artist SKL.

– – – : This is a great album so no real minus points. It remains a pity this band doesn’t get more recognition!

Conclusion: If you’re waiting for a new Skinny Puppy work in the good-old vein of the early years, you better listen to Atropine’s “Human Emulsion”. I promise you’ll not be disappointed!

Best songs: “Missile Missive”, “Mutual Demise”, “Flesh Wreath”, “Dub Sermon”, “Bulwark”, “Knife Vision” + “Missile Missive – Monotow Mix by Substaat”, “Knife Vision – SWG Remix”, “Bulwark – Kant Kino Disco”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/AtropineEBM

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

About Atropine

Atropine is a Norwegian EBM and industrial-experimental band active since 1994, releasing several full-length albums before going on hiatus and returning to activity in 2014. The 2020 double album “Human Emulsion” follows the band’s prior release “Assailant” and pairs twelve new songs with thirteen remixes from artists including Kant Kino, Substaat, SKL, Amnistia, Hexadiode, Pyrroline, Amorphous and 11grams, released via EK Product.

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

Gil O. Santos gained some recognition as member of the Brazilian EBM project MORGUE. He later on got involved with other projects and music styles, but came back to EBM with his solo-project AMORPHOUS. His newest album “Moth Metaphor” released on the Russian label Razgrom Music reveals a new sophisticated and intelligent writing mixing dark atmospheres and powerful EBM.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: How do you look back at the musician you were during the MORGUE period and the musician you became involved with AMORPHOUS?

Gil: MORGUE started as a duo, then it became a trio, and ended up as myself. MORGUE started before the internet explosion, before globalization, mobile phones, DAW, virtual synthesizers and plugins, so we had to do our best with the gears we could afford to buy, or borrowing from another musicians. During the MORGUE years, my music production and experience was just EBM and Dark-Electro.

From 2000 to 2010 I was fully involved with different music production as I was trying to have a career as sound designer and e-music producer, I took part to a movie soundtrack, I was making Psy-Trance, Tech-House, and Lounge music.

The urge for EBM and Dark-Wave production came back, then AMORPHOUS was born. As the name meaning, the main idea is to express electronic body music without a clearly defined shape or form, without a music cliché, an uncompromising electro-industrial music.

Q: Tell us a bit more about the new album “Moth Metaphor”? What is this album all about and what did you try to express by the title, which appears to me as a metaphor for the Western World, which is always driven towards more power and more welfare?

Gil: It’s all about criticism of power, religion, leaders, stupid society, and a strong wish for everyone to become aware of the matrix, a wish that people could appreciate a new way of understanding the universe that reconciles science & spirituality, eliminate religious fear & superstition that can lead to a new era of world peace and reconciliation.

Although moths are nocturnal animals, they are driven toward light for some unknown reason and represent wisdom of the other world, knowledge, clairvoyance and secrets.

The title expresses the phenomenon of the moth to a flame, which is a metaphor about emotional dependence. It is about how you sometimes feel attracted to the things that harm you. On the flip side, it may also lead you to fear the very thing that can free you.

Q: How do you perceive the evolution in sound and production of the AMORPHOUS releases? Do you handle specific criteria and/or references when it comes to the different aspects of composing and producing a song/album?

Gil :I believe it can be described as the most mature, inspired and technically polished release so far, it is a combination of pretty rough-sounding and noisy industrial dance tracks, atmospheric and cinematic soundscape.

The criteria were to create every song as a unique and remarkable experience. I tried to record all drum sessions using electronic percussion pads, playing live and recording instead of step sequencer or loops. I love to combine cinematic sounds and textures with contemporary electronic music.

Q: The most surprising –and I even dare to say totally unexpected song of the album is “Our Deepest Fear”, which is driven and inspired by the great Jacques Brel! How do you as Brazilian got in touch with the work of Brel and what did you try to achieve with this song?

Gil: Every album I tend to make a track where the lyrics and vocals (sampled) are taken from a poetry, short stories, novel or an audio book. I have used Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “Brave New World” from an Aldous Huxley’s interview, Anne Rice’s novels “The Vampire Chronicles” (Lestat). This time whilst searching for some Gothic fiction, I came across with “Our Deepest Fear” poem by Jacques Brel, it fitted perfect to “Moth Metaphor” context, so I decided to use it.

Q: I know you’re interested by psychology so what does the Covid-19 pandemic evoke to you and its impact on people, artists, leaders etc..?

Gil: One mental health consequence of social distancing is the terrible loneliness that can prevail, as people are forced to remain inside their homes and away from gatherings and daily lives, which we may have taken for granted until now.

Luckily we are in the digital era and all virtually connected, but we all know that live streaming and zoom meetings will not fulfill the urge to shake our bodies and share music on a dance floor. As a therapeutic form of art, music offers that bonding power. Historically, music has been used by people to remain motivated, resilient, and united in the face of collective challenge, so I am crossing my fingers to get the old days of gathering at clubs and festivals as soon as possible.

Q: The CD edit of your album features three extra songs, which according to me still belong to the best tracks of the work. Does it mean you still believe in the CD format? How do you see things evolving and how do you see yourself evolving as artist?

Gil: Yes, I believe in all format of physical media and I feel something is missing when an album is just a digital release.

The 10 tracks album were ready to be pressed before end of March (CD & Digital) but due to lockdown restrictions it had a three months delay. As I had told to all fans and buyers that the CD would be available in March, there were many pre-orders so it was quite unfair to pay for a CD and receive it 4 months later. As a compensation for the delay, I decided to release the 10 announced tracks in March and compose 3 extra songs during the lockdown to add onto the CD, that was released end of July.

Every day I have new thoughts and a make new decisions about myself and my music. Reinventing yourself isn’t just a stunt, it’s required to survive. Because your personal brand can become a comfortable home where you know what to expect and others know what to expect of you. The only issue is that as a living creature, you grow.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

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Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: I’ll always link Gil O. Santis with the great Morgue project, which was a true reference in the Brazilian EBM scene from the 90s. Later on the artist set up Amorphous as a solo-project and has released some great works. “Moth Metaphor” is Amorphous’ third full length studio album (there also is a remix- and live album) and the first one released on Razgrom Music. Notice by the way the CD edition features three extra songs.

Content: Amorphous is clearly driven by good-old EBM and Frontline Assembly might be seen as a potential source of inspiration, but globally speaking this project has something apart and very personal. The composition is accomplished with intelligence revealing elaborated song structures, minimalism and ghost-like atmospheres. The songs are dark, which is an aspect accentuated by the ghost-like vocals’ production. One of the most surprising cuts is “Our Deepest Fear” featuring a French poem by Belgian ‘chanson grand master’ Jacques Brel. 

+ + + : Amorphous simply confirms the potential exposed at previous albums. This is a styled and accomplished EBM, an intelligent format of body music resulting in a very personal approach. The songs are sophisticated, revealing an impressive number of layers with minimal-like sound arrangements on top. There’s a perfect twist between power and atmospheres, the last part of the work becoming darker. And I especially recommend the CD version for its bonus songs “Confinamiento” and “Kingdom Of Darkness (Empire Version)”. As a great admirator of Jacques Brel I’ve been particularly touched by the samplings referring to this great artist. 

– – – : I don’t have real minus points about this work, but it remains a pity Amorphous is still an underrated artist.

Conclusion: If you’re in search of intelligent and totally accomplished EBM, you better purchase this remarkable work by Amorphous.

Best songs: “Confinamiento”, “Kingdom Of Darkness (Empire Version)”, “Our Deepest Fear”, “Blackout”, “Unknown Things”, “Nonlinear Future”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/amorphous.sound

Label: www.razgrom.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Razgrom-Music/218060094876247

About Amorphous

Amorphous is the solo project of Brazilian musician Gil O. Santos, who first gained attention as a member of the EBM act Morgue. Santos has described Morgue as starting as a duo, growing into a trio and ending as himself alone, and said he then moved through sound design, film scoring, psy-trance, tech-house and lounge production between 2000 and 2010.

The wish to return to EBM and dark-wave production led to Amorphous. “Moth Metaphor”, released on the Russian label Razgrom Music, is described by Santos as the project’s most mature and technically polished release to date.

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.

Background/Info: Set up in 2009 Polish duo ‘Ad-x’ (synths, composing, programming) and ‘Blackjack O’Hare’ (lyrics, vocals) signed to Alfa Matrix to unleash their new work. After having released two albums and a few EP’s there’s a new full length in the pipeline while “Are You My Bitch?” has been served as an appetizer.

Content: The EP reveals 3 new songs and 11 remixes. The new songs hold on the dark-electro inspiration reactor7x already showed at previous work. The songs are rough and unpolished while carried by typical dark-electro leads. This is the kind of stuff that will appeal for fans of Suicide Commando, C-Lekktor, Agonoize and related bands.

The “Circus Of False” has been remixed by Eexee, Syncfactory, Stahlnebel & Black Selket, Antibody and Restriction 9. “The Cycle Of Life” got exposed to the remixing skills of Neikka RPM, Third Realm,  00tz 00tz, Amorphous and At0shima 3rr0r. The song “Acid Symphony” has been remixed by Kilmarth and also is the opening track of the EP.

+ + + : Reactor7x has joined a leading label of the dark-electro scene and that’s for sure a real consecration for this promising band. They confirm their potential by 3 new songs, but especially “The Circus Of False” appears to be a potential hit. This is total electro-terror driven by enraged vocals and a rough production process. The remixes bring diversity, but also reveal a great canvas of established- and upcoming formations. Syncfactory gets my personal award for the best remix, transposing the ‘hit song’ into a brilliant exposure. Stahlnebel & Black Selket also did a great job on the same song. 

– – – : Even if there’s some diversity in the remixes, it mainly remain dark-electro driven formations. I regret that there are no more ‘atypical’ remixes like the opening piece by Kilmarth.

Conclusion: This EP is the perfect appetizer to welcome the new full length of this Polish dark-(h)el(l)ectro sensation and will serve as club food for many DJ’s.

Best songs: “The Circus Of False”, “The Circus Of False – Syncfactory Remix”, “The Circus Of False – Stahlnebel & Black Selket Remix”, “The Cycle Of Life”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: https://reactor7x.com / www.facebook.com/reactor7x

Label: www.alfa–matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘Are You My Bitch?’.

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

Background/Info:

Read the news on ‘Tempus Vincit Omnia’.

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

Electro Aggression Records (EAR) welcomes the veteran Swiss electro act Sleepwalk to its roster of artists. After 5 years of silence, Sleepwalk return with a double disc to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary.

With “Tempus Vincit Omnia” revisits its old school electro roots resulting in a mix of EBM and dark electro. The album is the follow-up to the concept album ”Nibiru” (2012) and reconnects with its trademark sound which consists of atmospheric accessible melodies, heavy beats, and angry shouts.

The bonus disc of “Tempus Vincit Omnia“ is called “Addendum Est” and includes 4 bonus Sleepwalk tracks and 11 remixes by such acts as Pyrroline, Second Disease, kFactor, Terminal State, Trilogy, Tri-State, Seven Trees, KIFOTH, Atropine No Sleep By The Machine and Amorphous.

You can preview 2 trailers below, for CD1 and CD2. Enjoy! Orders are accepted here.

Read the review of ‘Tempus Vincit Omnia’.

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 of the blue the belgian Alfa Matrix label releases the 2nd volume in their massive ‘Electronic Body Matrix‘ series. The first volume of this compilation series (check the release here) got qualified by many as the ultimate anthology of the EBM / electro-industrial scene. The 2nd edition of the “Electronic Body Matrix” compilation box once again manages featuring a real “who is who” artist selection bringing all new, exclusive or rare tracks.

This 2nd edition presents some 76 bands across 4 CD’s plus an exclusive download link giving you access to another 40 additional bands for a total music play of 116 songs (over 70% rare or previously unreleased tracks), an astounding 10 hour sonic journey! Marketed as a deluxe carton box with an extensive 28-page booklet with band pictures and credits.

All together on one same compilation, the leaders of the electronic scene of yesterday and tomorrow come together and include: FRONT 242 (exclusive mix), NITZER EBB (exclusive mix), FIXMER/MC CARTHY, RHYS FULBER, DANIEL B. PROTHESE, DIVE, BRUDERSCHAFT, POUPPEE FABRIKK, ARMAGEDDON DILDOS, KOMOR KOMMANDO, ELEGANT MACHINERY, AYRIA, FUNKER VOGT, PLASTIC NOISE EXPERIENCE, NOISUF-X, NEUROTICFISH, AESTHETISCHE, THE PSYCHIC FORCE, IMPLANT, [SITD], ALIEN VAMPIRES, HOCICO, ORPHX, NÖVÖ, METROLAND, PITCH YAR OF MATTER, MONDTRÄUME, CULTURE KÜLTUR, TOLCHOK, DEUTSCHE BANK, AVARICE IN AUDIO, THE SEXORCIST, PSY’AVIAH, AIBOFORCEN, ELEKTROKLÄNGE, R.I.P. (ROPPONGI INC PROJECT), ENTRZELLE, and many more, without forgetting the impressive remix work contributions of bands like EISFABRIK, FADERHEAD, ORANGE SECTOR, NZ, ELM, etc.

Add to this all hardcore ambassadors of today’s pure EBM league in the likes of SPETSNAZ, ELM, NZ, AD:KEY, AUTODAFEH, AGREZZIOR, ORANGE SECTOR,KANT KINO, CELLULOIDE, LIGHTS OF EUPHORIA, DIFFUZION, PATENBRIGADE: WOLFF, ACCESSORY, CEPHALGY, AMORPHOUS, VENAL FLESH, PROTECTORATE, STOPPENBERG, CENTHRON, LLUMEN, CARDINAL NOIRE, MILDREDA, CRYTEK, KONER, etc.

The exclusive bonus download link included in this 4CD box also gives you access to some 40 additional songs from artists like MENTALLO & THE FIXER, ACYLUM, SERPENTS, ZOMBIE GIRL, AENGELDUST, EQUITANT, NETZ, STUDIO-X, SIVA SIX, NEIKKA RPM, ESSENCE OF MIND, DEKAD, INTERFACE, NEUTRAL LIES, CIRCUITO CERRADO, TRAGIC IMPULSE, WANT/ED, HELALYN FLOWERS, DIVERJE, SCHWARZBLUT, TOTEM OBSCURA, DIGITAL GEIST, KILMARTH, SIGNAL OPERATOR, ELECTRO SYNTHETIC REBELLION, DIGITAL GEIST, TECHNOID, DEN C.T. BUG, and many more!

The full track listing can be checked right here.

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: Dark EBM, dark-electro.

Background/Info: Set up in the 90s by Brazilian artist Giba Reys, Homicidal Feelings stopped all activities during a rather long lapse of time until the project got reactivated a few years ago. The album “Virtue To Vice” got released by Advoxya in 2014 while “Cognitive Disorders” saw the light of day at the end of 2016. The album is more a kind of EP featuring numerous remixes and only a few new cuts.

Content: Homicidal Feelings deals with a dark EBM format mixed with some classical dark-electronic elements. The sound is harsh and features various industrial sounds. The vocals are harsh as well. Next to the danceable aspect of the work there also is an obscure and sometimes disturbing atmosphere supporting the songs. The sampling ‘Allahu Akbar’ only accentuates the mystery and torment running through the songs.

Next to 4 new cuts there also is a song featuring Deadjump and a kind of cover/tribute of the :Wumpscut: song “Slave To Evil”.

The main part of the work features remixes by Cardinal Noire, Larva, Serpents, Cold Therapy, Subliminal Code, Brain Over Dust, Deadjump, Amorphous, Human Vault and Atropine.

+ + + : I really like the original edits by Homicidal Feelings. The dark and tormented EBM style was remarkably accomplished while the dense and heavy sound atmospheres inject this kind of angst feeling. This band deals with the coldest format of electronics and has composed a few brilliant cuts, “Sectarian Strife” being my personal favorite one.

Among the remixes I would especially mention the work of Larva and Subliminal Code plus the more minimal-like sounding remix of Atropine.

– – – : I would have preferred to hear an entire album instead of this remix orgy. The :Wumpscut:-tribute is for sure an original idea, but not exactly the best track from the list. I expected a bit more out of the remixes, the original versions being definitely better!

Conclusion: Homicidal Feelings in an interesting Brazilian formation if you’re in search of tormented EBM. The new songs are danceable and supported with frightening dark atmospheres.

Best songs: “Sectarian Strife”, “The Final Consummation”, “One Existence In Pain”, “One Existence In Pain – Myasis Mix by Larva”, “Cognitive Disorders – Atropine”, “Cognitive disorders – Subliminal Code”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.facebook.com/homicidalfeelings

Label: www.advoxya–records.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Advoxya–Records/265765706059

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

Does the name Gil O. Santos make ring a bell? He got involved in the Brazilian EBM formation Morgue, which became a praised and recognized band during the 90s. Gil O. Santos is now back into electronic music and set up Amorphous. After the promising debut EP “Behaviourism” he now accomplished the full length “Shapeshifting”. This work has been released on Wave Records and is a real great and intelligent EBM experience.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Can you briefly tell us how you got back into music and what incited you to set up Amorphous?

Gil: I never stopped making music, but there was a hiatus between my industrial/EBM productions. I’ve been involved in other styles, mainly on demand (lounge, remixes and film scores). I think when I saw Skinny Puppy during their “Handover Tour” I’d to go into my studio and make some industrial/EBM music again.

Q: Amorphous clearly sounds driven by EBM influences while the lyrical content seems to be inspired by psychology and human behavior. Tell us a bit more about the global approach and concept?

Gil: Before studying electronics I was fascinated about psychology (and I still am). I find it is so fascinating trying to understand human behavior (if any one can do), so I like to talk about it and put it in my music.

Q: I also noticed electro-industrial influences and overwhelming, spooky atmospheres recovering the songs. What does this darker side stands for?

Gil: There is certain romance in darkness and melancholy. There is something mysterious about that which is hidden and unknown. Just like the poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe, which is an example of a delightfully spooky dark poem, I try to express certain darkness delight within some of my songs.

Q: Next to psychology, what have been the main ideas/elements you tried to put into “Shapeshifting”?

Gil: Life’s mysteries, ritual of passage, visionary ideas, time & space.

Q: What’s your perception of contemporary EBM/dark-electronics and do you notice differences between the 90s and today?

Gil: There are so many new ones out there I would love listening to, but the ones that sound like too close to fascist electro-music or psychedelic-trance with just kick, bass & acid arpeggios plus screaming, tortured vocals do not excite me at all… there is no art or ideas and just appeal for cyber ravers.

Q: How do you look back at your involvement into Morgue?

Gil: Morgue is where my roots are in electronic music; it was so good to work with a vocalist, drummer and keyboard player. I had loads of fun in the 90s and I miss the good times playing live nearly every weekend. But I am glad where I am now and I like to live in the present.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, dark-body-music.

Background/Info: After the promising debut mini-album “Behaviourism” Brazilian EBM veteran Gil O. Santos is back on track. If the name of this artist doesn’t ring a bell I’m sure you’ll remember his band Morgue. I was eagerly awaiting this debut full length featuring 14 songs.  

Content: Amorphous is much more than simply EBM. You can hear a mix between classical EBM influences (like a ‘242’ bass line and typical sequences in the genre), but also a more sophisticated and dark-body approach, which might remind you of other formations. I can’t say that Amorphous reminds me to Morgue although there’s an old-styled flavor hanging over the songs.

The power of the production is not always emerging from the kick or the cadence, but still from heavy, dark and overwhelming atmospheres. This ambiance creates the right match with the spooky vocals.

Notice by the way that the album features a few guest artists (call it features) like Torsykes, N3voa and Morphous Laughing.

+ + + : I especially like the intelligence of the composition. Amorphous composes EBM with style. Some of the atmospheres and icy sound treatments remind me of Mortal Constraint while other songs are driven by bass lines reminding me of Front 242. It’s haunting and danceable, elaborated and accessible, but maybe the most important thing: an album featuring multiple outstanding songs and even potential underground hits. I also like the fact this album didn’t go back to previous songs (from “Behaviourism”) while the new stuff sounds more elaborated.

– – – : The main point for Amorphous probably is ‘how to get airplay and recognition in Europe’!

Conclusion: Nearly 20 years after the last Morgue-album, we’ve a new sensation from Brazil! Time for Amorphous!

Best songs: “Dystopia”, “Stimulus”, “Antisocial”, “Amorphous”, “Unilateral”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.facebook.com/amorphous.sound

Label: www.waverecordsmusic.com / http://pt–br.facebook.com/pages/Wave–Records/110635789015082

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Minimal-EBM, experimental.

Background/Info: Laurent Boudic earlier this year unleashed his new opus “The Shortwaves” featuring 11 pieces of electro analogue complexity and entirely dedicated to shortwave radio. I always have liked this artist for his creative writing, which often sounds as an antidote to contemporary electro clones emulating themselves.

This EP is meant as a kind of continuation to the album tracks. There are several remixes of the title track plus two new cuts as well.

Content: Among both new tracks I can be very clear and short. The cuts are in the purest tradition of Növö and the continuation of the last album. I especially recommend the song “Zero Zero” for the great sound treatments, which might appeal to the early ‘242’-fans.

The title song has been remixed as a “7” Edit” plus exposed to the remixing skills of Black Egg, Flood Veyor, Commuter and Amorphous.

+ + + : Növö remains a great experience in genre. I think it’s no longer necessary to confirm that analog equipment has much more of a magical impact on the listener simply because of the unique sound DNA. Laurent Boudic is one of the faithful adepts of this sound formula, but also invited artists sharing similar sound ‘values’ to remix the title track of this EP. I was impressed by the great and totally vintage sounding remix of Commuter, but also the more groovy transformation by Amorphous. Last, but not least I can also recommend one of both new cuts (cf. “Zero Zero”).

– – – : I expected a bit more out of some other remixes while the new song “Interfearence” is nothing less than a cool B-side track.

Conclusion: This EP sounds as a cool bonus to the full length album revealing a few noticeable cuts.

Best songs: “The Shortwaves – 7” Edit”, “The Shortwaves – Commuter Remix”, “Zero Zero”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www.gencomprodukts.com / www.facebook.com/novomusik

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

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, dark-body music.

Background/Info: New solo-project by ex-Morgue member Gil O. Santos. “Behaviourism” is the official debut-EP revealing 6 songs plus 10 remixes.

Content: Amorphous composes a sophisticated and fully EBM-inspired sound covered by dark synth layers and well-produced, distorted vocals injecting a spooky touch to the work. You can hear all the experience and production skills of this artist who likes to treat his songs with multiple effects while the global work sounds a bit minimal-like as well.

The tracks remind me of dark-body standards from the 90s with a modern approach on top.

The remixes have been made by some good-old EBM formations that were mainly active during the 90s like Serpents, Psychic Force and Homicidal Feelings, but also new EBM bands like Cardinal Noire and other less familiar- and new bands contributed to this part as well. Aesthetische (ex-Aghast View) is the most noticeable band from the list.

+ + + : Sophisticated production revealing a fascinating minimal EBM style.

– – – : It’s a pity that there are only 6 original songs on this EP, which is mainly dominated by a real remix orgy.

Conclusion: Amorphous is a promising new name in the wider fields of EBM, which definitely belongs to the most inspired and intelligent bands in the genre.

Best songs: “Wolf & Lamb”, “Lucid Dreams”, “Four Paths”, “Lucid Dreams – Aesthetische Remix”.

Rate: (DP:8)DP.

Band & Label: www.facebook.com/amorphous.sound

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

Pankow’s Maurizio Fasolo has sent us his TOP 10 albums from the period 1981-1984. The TOP 10 comes hand in hand with the re-release of Pankow’s first cassette “Throw Out Rite”, originally released in 1983. It’s nowadays sold for over 100 Euros on Discogs and is very rare.

Artoffact is releasing a CD and vinyl editions (EU orders are available here) of “Throw Out Rite” for the first time ever. The audio is remastered from the original tape.

And that’s not all, we also offer you an exclusive FREE download of the remastered version of “Das Wodkalied”! Get it below:

Here is Pankow’s TOP 10 albums from 1981-1984 with additional comment by Pankow’s Maurizio Fasolo.

1. Duet Emmo ‎– Or So It Seems – 1983

Maurizio Fasolo: “The Masterpiece… so layered and so rich in contrasts that you never get tired of it, the presence of Daniel Miller brings a geometric sheen to 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!

side-line.com