Amphi – SIDE-LINE https://www.side-line.com Industrial, electro, EBM, post-punk, darkwave news Mon, 29 Jun 2026 08:10:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 https://www.side-line.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cropped-side-line-logo-png-32x32.png Amphi – SIDE-LINE https://www.side-line.com 32 32 Freakangel returns with free ‘Death Bloom (extended version)’ EP – Out now https://www.side-line.com/freakangel-returns-with-free-death-bloom-extended-version-ep-out-now/ Fri, 18 Oct 2024 16:19:50 +0000 https://www.side-line.com/?p=64829 The Estonian electro-industrial act Freakangel are back with their latest release, “Death Bloom (Extended Version)“,...]]>

The Estonian electro-industrial act Freakangel are back with their latest release, “Death Bloom (Extended Version)“, following “Suicidal (Break the Cycle)” and their exclusive compilation “Serenity To The Stars, Beauty To The Broken“.

Next to the title track and “Suicidal (Break The Cycle)”, the EP – available as a free download from Bandcamp – also features remixes from Miseria Ultima and DJ Sugar Rody. You can download this new 3-track EP right below.

Here’s the video for the title track.

And here’s the one for “Suicidal (Break The Cycle)”

About Freakangel

Freakangel is an electro-industrial band formed in 2009 in Tallinn, Estonia by its frontman Dmitry Darling and signed to Alfa Matrix. Freakangel brings a fusion of harsh electronic beats, metal guitar riffs, and industrial soundscapes, often exploring dystopian and psychological themes.

Their debut album, “The Faults of Humanity”, was released in 2010, showcasing their aggressive yet melodic style. The band’s second album, “Let It All End” followed 2 years later.

Freakangel has continued to evolve musically, with subsequent releases such as “How the Ghost Became” (2017), where they embraced more rock and metal elements while maintaining their electronic core.

The band has toured extensively across Europe, playing major festivals such as Wave-Gotik-Treffen and Amphi Festival.

]]> Deus Ex Lumina releases debut album ‘As Above So Below’ – Out now https://www.side-line.com/deus-ex-lumina-releases-debut-album-as-above-so-below-out-now/ Fri, 26 Jul 2024 10:21:15 +0000 https://www.side-line.com/?p=50798 After years of releasing only singles, the darkwave project Deus Ex Lumina present its first...]]>

After years of releasing only singles, the darkwave project Deus Ex Lumina present its first full album “As Above So Below” on Cold Transmission Music. The album holds 18 tracks including re-mastered versions of some the singles combined with new tracks.

Hailing from the shadows of Berlin but with roots in Buenos Aires, Deus Ex Lumina is the solo-project of Del Darkwave, a graduated music producer and former post-punk drummer. Deus Ex Lumina was launched in 2020 as his primary solo venture.

The album is out now on vinyl, CD and in digital format.

Deus Ex Lumina will present his new album live at Amphi Festival in Cologne/Germany this weekend on July 28th.

]]> Ultra Sunn returns with ‘US’ debut album in April https://www.side-line.com/ultra-sunn-returns-with-us-debut-album-in-april/ Fri, 23 Feb 2024 12:15:50 +0000 https://www.side-line.com/?p=48404 After a number of EPs and the mini-album “Kill your Idols”, the Belgian electro act...]]>

After a number of EPs and the mini-album “Kill your Idols”, the Belgian electro act Ultra Sunn presents its official full length debut album, “US”.

The band says this about their debut album: “The album is called ‘US’, like the initials of Ultra Sunn. In addition to being a reference to two bands that we love, VU (Velvet Underground) and AM (Arctic Monkeys), it reflects the more personal texts in this album – the bond between us (Gaelle and Sam) being stronger than ever, a new musician joining us on tour, and the bond that we have created with our audience / how the concerts are carried and experienced all together with strength and love. It’s our album, it’s yours, it’s about US.”

Based in Brussels, Belgium Ultra Sunn was formed in late 2019 by frontman Sam Huge and keyboardist/producer Gaelle Souflet. In 2023, they were joined on stage by keyboardist and percussionist Alexis Andrigo.

Check out the Video for “Shake your Demons” below.

Ultra Sunn 2024 tour dates

  • 03.09.24 – BETHUNE (F) La Poche
  • 03.29.24 – LONDON (UK) Moth Club
  • 03.30.24 – BRIGHTON (UK) Alphabet
  • 03.31.24 – SHEFFIELD (UK) Resistanz Festival
  • 04.21.24 – MALTA (MT) Dark Malta Festival
  • 04.25.24 – DENVER (CO) The Oriental Theater
  • 04.26.24 – LOS ANGELES (CA) Catch One
  • 04.27.24 – LAS VEGAS (NV) Sick New World Festival
  • 05.02.24 – PHOENIX (AZ) Rebel Lounge
  • 05.03.24 – SAN DIEGO (CA) The Kensington Club
  • 05.04.24 – RIVERSIDE (CA) The Hideaway Cafe
  • 05.07.24 – SAN FRANCISCO (CA) DNA Lounge
  • 05.08.24 – SACRAMENTO (CA) Harlows
  • 05.10.24 – PORTLAND (OR) Coffin Club
  • 05.11.24 – SEATTLE (WA) Substation
  • 05.12.24 – VANCOUVER (BC) Verboden Festival
  • 05.30.24 – PARIS (F) Le Petit Bain
  • 06.01.24 – BRUSSELS (B) Botanique Orangerie
  • 06.06.24 – BERLIN (D)
  • 06.07.24 – KRAKOW (PL) Klub Re
  • 06.08.24 – WARSAW (PL) Hydrozagadka
  • 06.09.24 – WROCLAW (PL) Liverpool
  • 06.28.24 – KÖLN (D) Amphi Festival
  • 08.08.24 – LOKEREN (B) Fonnefeesten
  • 09.21.24 – LAUSANNE (CH) Les Docks
]]> Julian Assange featured on new Kirlian Camera LP ‘Radio Signals For The Dying’ out in 2024 https://www.side-line.com/julian-assange-featured-on-new-kirlian-camera-lp-radio-signals-for-the-dying-out-in-2024/ Wed, 29 Nov 2023 18:15:51 +0000 https://www.side-line.com/?p=47064 Out on 23 February 2024 on Dependent Records is the all new Kirlian Camera album...]]>

Out on 23 February 2024 on Dependent Records is the all new Kirlian Camera album “Radio Signals for the Dying”. Included on this album are also Julian Assange speech excerpts. Julian Assange is the Australian editor, publisher, and activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006. Assange has been confined in HM Prison Belmarsh in London since April 2019, as the United States government’s extradition effort is contested in the British courts.

“Radio Signals for the Dying” furthermore includes the band’s interpretation of Depeche Mode’s “Wrong” and the song “Winter” from The Sound. From a collaboration with Solitary Experiment comes Kirlian Camera’s take on “The Great Unknown”, which Solitary Experiment previously released in an own version with vocals contributed by Elena Alice Fossi.

The recording line-up consisted of Elena Alice Fossi and Angelo Bergamini augmented with bass player Mia W. Wallace and cello player Terri Harrison. The band’s current live line-up consists of Elena Alice Fossi, Angelo Bergamini, Mia W. Wallace, Alessandro Comerio and Thalìa Bellazecca.

The release will be a double CD of which you can check out the tracklist below. “Radio Signals for the Dying” will be available as a limited edition 48-page artbook including the 2 regular CDs and a bonus CD, as a gatefold 2LP on limited transparent red vinyl, and as a digisleeve 2CD.

CD1

  1. Il Tempo Profondo
  2. Stella Ominis
  3. Winter (In memory of Adrian Borland)
  4. Götter, geht weg!
  5. Monarch Architecture
  6. Wrong
  7. Madre Nera
  8. Luminous Shade
  9. (incl. Julian Assange’s speech excerpts)

CD2 Read the review of ‘Radio Signals For The Dying’.

  1. The Great Unknown
  2. C. R. U. D (Corpse Recovery Unit D)
  3. Deleted MSG
  4. Genocide Litanies
  5. Il Tempo Profondo (Radio Signal Version)
  6. Esilio
  7. We Have To Amputate
  8. Homicide Aristocracy

Kirlian Camera on tour

  • 09 DEC 2023 Nürnberg (DE) Cult
  • 10 DEC 2023 Wien (AT) Replugged
  • 12 DEC 2023 Frankfurt (DE) Nachtleben
  • 14 DEC 2023 Hannover (DE) Lux
  • 15 DEC 2023 Erfurt (DE) Hell
  • 16 DEC 2023 Erfurt (DE) Hell
  • 28 DEC 2023 Oberhausen (DE) KultTempel, Meet & Greet, Showcase
  • 29 DEC 2023 Oberhausen (DE) KultTempel
  • 03 FEB 2024 Roma (IT) Orion Rock Arena
  • 24 FEB 2024 Berlin (DE) Columbia Theatre
  • 20 JUL 2024 Schwarzenberg (DE) Black Mountain Festival
  • 28 JUL 2024 Köln (DE) Amphi Festival
]]> Interview with Trial: ‘Quality Will Stand The Measure Of Time’ https://www.side-line.com/interview-with-trial-quality-will-stand-the-measure-of-time/ Sun, 12 Dec 2021 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.side-line.com/?p=34291 Set up in 1991 by Torsten Schröder (vocals, drums) and Erick Miotke (keyboards), Trial gained...]]>

Set up in 1991 by Torsten Schröder (vocals, drums) and Erick Miotke (keyboards), Trial gained instant success in the early 90s with their EP “Blut Und Eisen” and the debut album “Zero Feeling”. The icy EBM/Dark-Electro sound of the German formation became part of the collective EBM memory. A few more albums saw the daylight, but never reached a similar success. The band however remained a true reference even thirty years later. Electro Aggression Records recently released a massive box featuring three CD’s and one DVD as a celebration to Trial’s thirtieth anniversary. “Für Zwei” is a way to rediscover this unique formation, which also had a great live reputation. I got in touch with Erick Miotke and asked him several questions about the great TRIAL adventure, but also about the future…

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You this year celebrate your thirtieth anniversary by the massive release “Für Zwei” featuring 3 CD’s and 1 DVD. This production doesn’t only feel as an anniversary tribute, but still a consecration! What does it mean to you and how did this production saw the daylight?

Erick: Wow, ‘consecration’ is a great word! Thank you very much. For me it is the last chapter of the Trial project. There were too much loose ends I didn’t want to leave behind like they weren’t worth to be tied up.

The first of the three CDs: “Für Zwei” connects the work of the last phase of the band and a solid conclusion to the project. In 2009 we finished the EP “Für Zwei” with four mixes of the title track and a bonus track for a release that unfortunately didn‘t take place anymore.

For the 20th anniversary in 2011 I wanted to release the best-of “Classic Anthology”, which was specially remastered in 2009 at Timetools mastering as a double CD with a collection of all unreleased tracks as well as various contributions to samplers. But like the planned appearance at the Amphi-Festival in 2011, this was rejected by Torsten. Under these circumstances, of course, it made no sense for me to show any further commitment to the project.

With Jens Müller, the follow-up project TRILOGY started in 2012, which can be seen as a direct continuation, both musically and lyrically, I am the author of the very most Trial back-catalogue that has been published up to then.

I looked through all the data from Trial in my archive in 2018 and stumbled upon the preselection of “Für Zwei”. Since over the years I was asked again and again about possible new material or even live shows, I made an overview of all available material for quite some time and derived an extract from it. When the tracks were fixed, I tweaked the ones that had already been completed. The actually time-consuming work then consisted of working out the selected basic demos or improvisations into finished tracks or remixes. These were at least 10 in number, so an album in itself in terms of effort.

The process took months and was associated with many mixed feelings; ups and downs. I couldn‘t always go straight to the tracks. And I was always impressed by the potential of this band -and of course frustrated by the sudden end. Since I don‘t like to give up, of course I went through with it. Because it‘s important to me that Trial ends with a straight standing and doesn‘t just sneak out the back door. A little later, if you like, as you can see now.

Under the given circumstances, I am very satisfied with the result: “Für Zwei” is not just ‘rests’ and offers those interested a full new Trial experience. At this point, it is very important for me to mention our mastering studio Timetools from Hanover with ‘our’ engineer Mo Heidrich, because only there the final full sound is created, which only professionals of this league can forge from the existing material.

I see mastering as an elementary component such as sound design, composition or vocals. So I am very happy with the result and can finally finish with TRIAL in its old form. A lot of shadows and a lot of pain fell from me when I was able to celebrate the final master loudly. Very good. We never give up.

Q: Let’s get back to the origins of the band. How do you look back at the first steps of Trial and how important has been the meeting with Kai Lotze?

Erick: Characterized by Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly and Front 242 ‘sang’, or rather Torsten roared a few improvised lines after a rehearsal of our than actual band The Crybabies with Gunnar Duvenhorst, completely free on my first demo-track. inspired by the vocals of Skinny Puppy and Panthera. Gunnar heard this and said ironically before leaving the practice room after the rehearsal: ‘hard as kruppstahl, or what!?’ For me it was about the fight of the machines against humans; fiction, as thematically edited in some of the films that were current at the time and are to this day.

Torsten and I recorded this track in the session room of the Garbsen music school with my Philips d8134 ghettoblaster. This device recorded an astonishingly good sound. At the time my equipment consisted of an Ensoniq Esq1 and a Roland Boss dr-22a drum computer. Torsten used an Alesis effect rack for the reverb on the voice. So we started absolutely free and as young fans of Dark-Electronic music.

We had our first gig only 6 weeks after starting off.  Immediately after the first gig in the Ujz Langenhagen, Hanover, we were approached by Kai Lotze, who at the time was freshly active as a manager building up Project Pitchfork and its first album. After a short talk and mutual sympathy, we sealed a collaboration for TRIAL that lasted until 2011 with a handshake.

Q: Trial became an instant success; you got directly signed to Hypnobeat; the EP “Blut Und Eisen” and the album “Zero Feeling” became successful productions. What made the success formula of TRIAL and did you handle specific criteria and references in the writing/production of your music?

Erick:I don’t think there was a formula for the success, more a true compassion to what we did. We were young and had a pure and basic feeling to what we did. Probably naive, if I think of what my father always said to our efforts. In his eyes I was crazy. Wasting my time in some music project. Studying was the only ‘religion’ he believed in. He was probably right, of course, but I could solve this problem by finishing my diploma in graphic-design with an outstanding degree.

I believe in true compassion. I like to quote my first band of fandom: Kiss: ‘we are nothing without our fans’. We had the luck to be worshipped by loads of people from the beginning. So as I said, as naive youngsters you believe in your own impact. And you work on.

We were some kind of crazy and ‘tough’ guys, always on the edge, but straight in delivering what was necessary in production and live performance. It was no debt, it was an attitude to us. And we lived it. In full broadness.

Torsten is besides the music the only unique ‘formula’ of Trial’s impact. A simply devastating ego in vocal and on-stage performance. Dark, tough and flawless, even in vomiting on stage and still going on. He is a phenomena. Even Klaus Kinski is a novice in comparison to him in my eyes as a live performer. His and my compassion was always a mix of brotherhood not often to be found. He is the only true ‘Blutsbruder’ I will probably have in my live, cutting our veins, and drinking our blood with southern comfort on ice in 1992 vice versa. Some hit not every band would take. The chemistry was basic and true. No one will be left behind. We lived and delivered this status until early 2011.

The writing and production of all tracks went hand to hand with this attitude. We were brothers, supported us, or kicked us up if necessary. Torsten called me his ‘backbone’, his brother in arms. He always knew, when anybody came to close to him, I would interfere. And I felt the same way. This was a band; a pure team and all people we met could feel it.

Q: How did you manage the early success of the band and how did you see the band evolving from “Zero Feeling” towards “Secret Pain” released in 1994 on Electric Blue?

Erick:I don`t think we ‘managed’ the success. Probably we didn’t even felt it. We had too much to do with our personal lives, not moving into professional music business, but going on in studying in my behalf or getting into working as a barber in Torsten’s life.

The first peak to us was the opportunity in supporting Front Line Assembly in their 1993 German tour. Sadly the tour was shortly cancelled, but left a feeling of thankfulness in us. This was repeated by the possibility to support Front 242 on a short tour in the end of 2010, which couldn`t be affirmed by Torsten. So in my eyes we almost reached our personal peak in credibility as a ‘small’ band. Almost. Anyway, we were at hand.

The evolution was tough for us, keeping up with the ideas we had and true reality. Loads of hard work. But to what price? Believing in what we did was what we did. In some opinion wasting our time, in our view doing what we had to do. Now, almost 20 years later I know what we did: we lived a dream and fulfilled it. This interview shows what I am saying: Some things die, others live on. To a certain extend.

The main difference between “Zero Feeling” and “Secret Pain” is that I used more self-made sounds, besides the great Ensoniq sound library I basically used on the first album.

Q: After “Secret Pain” we’d to wait till 2008 and the self-released album “No Fate”, which didn’t gain that much recognition although revealing an evolution in sound and production. How did it happen you self-released this album and what was your perception/vision upon the scene and music industry at that moment?

Erick:We produced the “No Fate- EP in 1999 with Jan-Heie Erchinger; 9 mixes of the track. In almost all directions possible for the Trial sound in album length. Our music company told us it wouldn´t be commercial enough, and too sophisticated. We should switch our sound to more standard disco-like style. But this was not our opinion of making music. We swallowed this pill and went on.

Supported by a lot of great live-show possibilities we could gain our presence, and worked on the upcoming album against all odds. The concept sadly didn`t work out. What can I say?

We offered a broad and special range of a Trial-credible sound world. In our eyes tight until today. I presume the audience expected the typical sound of the first two albums. We delivered this attitude in 24 tracks with reworks and new material. I didn’t want to push us into the regions oF front 242, but they experienced the same problems with their album in 2003. The audience didn’t want something ‘new’, but asked for pure trademark style. That is why Front 242 and Kraftwerk are touring with their classic hits, masterfully optimized of course. So there is not much space to work on. Trial is in a different league of course, please don`t get me wrong or high-minded. Anyway, we always remained true to our roots, as to be seen in the “Für Zwei” 4-CD box.

Q: The fans never forgot Trial and you were still invited to play live and even at famous festivals. What made you going on without releasing new material and what keep you in mind from the past years?

Erick:As I said, we always went on. There is a strict continuity in the way of Trial. But without bowing to influences in the scene. This is, was and always will be unique. In our eyes it’s the only way to survive in long terms in the music scene. We always were thankful to be booked, and delivered what was expected from us. Our thankfulness to all those who appreciated us is never forgotten. We always delivered new material. Sadly there was no label who wanted our work in the way we thought was fair. It surely can`t be the failure of our management Protain by Kai Lotze, who supported us all the way round. Anyway. No one wanted us, so we had to release “No Fate” on our own behalf. As we can see, they were right. Only a small and committed fan-base wanted the product. That is as it is. But we made it.

Q: I can imagine a lot of things have changed/evolved in music industry since the set up of the band; think about technology & equipment, social media, streaming platforms etc. What are the pros and cons of this evolution and what did you hold on from the early Trial in your music today?

Erick:Well, there are loads of possibilities to bring ‘your’ sound to the people via the new platforms. Right. But, there’re too much mediocre acts, or to be honest, loads of crap are floating all channels. 30 years ago you had to overcome obstacles that are no problem anymore in these days. At first, almost everyone can blast out his stuff all the way. But is it worth it? I don`t think so, but it’s ok to me. On the other hand I see the great acts from about the end of the 80´s and the beginning 90’s, which are still dominating the scene. You ask me why? Because they learned it the hard way, had hostile machines to conquer, and had to bleed for their live performance. It is my personal opinion, but I would stand any discussion on this behalf. For sure.

It’s a new world, and is the way it is. This doesn’t has to be wrong. Quality will stand the measure of time. I am quite pleased, that Trial survived until today, just like all the other memorable acts. Credibility can’t be faked in long time measures, as I suppose. Time moves on, and we will see, when Trial might dissolve into meaningless standards. Time will tell.

Besides this I love the possibilities of making music, videos and spreading the results to loads of people. The feeling of exclusiveness in comparison to past days is a lack, of course. Today you have almost anything at hand with sounds, but the true spirit is a feeling and the true reproduction of it. We have too much messy stuff floating the music scene by the simple possibility of just clipping loops without charisma in it. This doesn’t make it easier for guys like me. So I remain in the ‘independent’ poor area of the music scene.

Q: So the sad news is that Torsten Schröder left Trial while the good news is that you’ve found a new singer (Jens Müller) to move on as Trilogy, right? How did Trilogy saw the daylight?  

Erick: Sadly Trial might be out with this release. Torsten shows no interest in this release and all of my personal uploads before the finalization of this box to him. He said he is finished with this chapter of his life. So let’s be thankful for what he delivered in some pure and unique style and walk on. His ‘secret pain’ with Trial came to an end. So does mine, as disappointing as it may be.

Trilogy picks up where Trial ended. In marketing ways it was a mistake to re-name the project, but I think it is the only fair way to cope with this situation.

Jens delivers the same credible energy as Torsten, but with a more pure and energetic way. Torsten’s demon-style is changed into a kind of athletic-energetic performance. Still dark, but not as self-destructing as before. Toughness may be relative, but it is a tight approach to the project and delivers live what the Trial legacy needs to live on in my eyes. It’s no substitute to Torsten, it’s an evolution. Torsten’s performance remains, also for Jens, who admires his unique style as a fan for more than two decades. As can be seen on the live DVD of the “Für Zwei” live DVD in the “Blut Und Eisen”-track.

Q: Trilogy is active for a few years now and has already released multiple EP’s and even a live album. I get the feeling the band didn’t get that much attention so far so tell us a bit more about the ‘young’ career of the band? What are the main differences in sound and approach with Trial?

Erick:Yes, that’s correct, Trilogy doesn’t catch up with the status of TRIAL until now. We acknowledge this, but won’t back down until we deliver the album “Forced Perspective”. But we may not forget that Trial is and remains as a special band in the shadows of independent music. So is Trilogy. We can only deliver highly inspired tracks. No more. No less. As I ever did.

The quality of production is higher than ever before. The spirit remains all the way. It might be the same phenomena as in times when “Secret Pain” was released. At the time of the release it wasn’t worshipped as it may be today. Time will tell and we’ll see, how the Trilogy debut album will be accepted. Too good, that Jens and I do it for the album in itself and don’t have to make a living from it. We try harder, anyway … 

Q: What brings the future?

Erick: As I said before, “Forced Perspective” will be released in 2022 via Nader`s Electro Aggresion Records as a double CD with 17 tracks and 17 remixes on disc two by great bands around the scene. This will show where we stand. And not fall. For sure.

]]> ‘Click Interview’ with Sturm Café: ‘I Like The Art And Effort That Artists Put Into An Album’ https://www.side-line.com/click-interview-with-sturm-cafe-i-like-the-art-and-effort-that-artists-put-into-an-album/ Tue, 13 Jul 2021 16:41:49 +0000 https://www.side-line.com/?p=31630 Gustav Jansson and Jonatan Löfstedt set up Sturm Café now twenty years ago. The Swedish...]]>

Gustav Jansson and Jonatan Löfstedt set up Sturm Café now twenty years ago. The Swedish duo is devoted to old-school EBM. They this year released their third full length album “Fernes Land” on their own label SCR. All songs are again sung in German. The new work sounds like the band’s most accomplished work revealing traditional EBM refined with Electro-Pop treatments. Gustav and Jonatan accepted to answer a few questions about this new opus.

(Picture credits by HR-Picture.de / Interview courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You both started composing music together as teenagers. What did you hold on from this early sound and spirit and how did you see yourself evolving as musicians and band?

Jonatan: We just loved Electronic music and good synth melodies so we wanted to do something similar ourselves. Over the time we have improved the sound adding more synthesizers while I increased control over the vocals.

Gustav: We started out with very limited amount of equipment, which forced us to have a very efficient and simply sound, that’s probably why started to do EBM in first place. We have tried to keep that kind of spirit even when we added more synthesizers into the mix.

Q: Tell us a bit more about the writing and production process of the new album “Fernes Land”? And what does the title reflect versus the lyrical themes, which seem to mix a kind of engagement and sense of humor?

Gustav: This was the first time we worked in compressed studio sessions. I made most of the drumbeats, effects and production of the songs and Jonatan created most of the melodies and basslines, so we must meet to make music together. Since we at the time didn’t live in the same city Jonatan came down to me in Southern Sweden during a week in June 2019. We just had such a creative blast and made 7 songs in 7 days. We repeated this process again in June 2020 and wrote more songs. Then I worked all Autumn long to mix and polish the album to its finished state.

Jonatan: Since Gustav had set up the studio with all new sounds and samples it was very easy for me to just dive in and create melodies and basslines. It was like an unlimited flow of creative energy during those two weeks.  Concerning the text writing we dug into it with a word or an idea for the song at hand; sometimes we wanted to make something humoristic and for other songs some deeper hidden meaning. But in conclusion, it´s up to the listener to determine what they think we mean. Regarding the title track (and album title), the name just came naturally when I first heard the heroic and distant synthpad during the intro of the song.

Q: What did you experienced as the main difficulties and challenges in the writing of “Fernes Land”? And when do you know a song/album is finished? 

Jonatan: The lyrics was a big challenge as we wanted it to be as good as possible grammar-wise, but still with a nice musical flow to it. It just took much longer than the music creation and was sometimes extremely tiresome. Fortunately, we got help from a Bavarian friend, Tim Böhm, with errors and suggestions.

Gustav: For me it was to get the final product in order. We wanted to take the production to the next level and improve the mixing and sounds. It took many late nights/early mornings to get it the way we wanted it to be.

Q: Sturm Café is now active for more or less twenty years, but you don’t release new albums at regular basis. It all feels a bit like you don’t have stress and just want to have fun, but was it really all about? And does an album still make sense today considering more and more people are using streaming platforms preferring own playlists instead of albums?

Jonatan: We both have good day time jobs and run our own label, so there is really no point for us to stress out making any new music. Gustav also lived an 8-hour car drive away from our hometown Gävle for the last 8 years so we couldn’t create new music that often; making music together was the only option for us with our vintage equipment like our 80’s Atari computers.

Gustav: I think albums make sense for a lot of people, but not all. We know for a fact that a lot of our fans are a bit older, and we still sell a lot of physical CD’s/vinyl’s, at least for the amount we press. But it seems for some people it’s all about the hit songs and they’ve stopped caring about albums (at least in the mainstream). I like the art and effort that artists put into an album release where all songs don’t have to be hits and you work with the dynamics of the tracklist for the overall experience. 

Q: I noticed you last year released a selection of ‘rarities’ featuring a few tracks by Jonatan’s side-project John Steiner Explosion. Tell us a bit more about the Sturm Café rarities and what brings John Steiner Explosion you couldn’t deal with in Sturm Café?

Jonatan: John Steiner Explosion was me sitting in my boy room during high school improvising some kind of dance music that didn’t really fit into Sturm Café. It was just for fun and I still think the songs hold up today. Maybe one day I will continue doing something similar.

Gustav: We released a “Rarities”-album back in 2011 with unreleased songs; we had a lot of those from the early years of the band. Then Corona came and Bandcamp started to do Bandcamp Fridays where they waived their profits to the bands. We thought it would be nice to release additional unreleased songs for a couple of those Fridays to keep up the interest for the band while we were finishing up the new album.

Q: The pandemic is still going on, but it all looks like artistic life is progressively coming back again. How do you look back at the past months and what are the further plans for  Sturm Café about live shows ao?

Jonatan: There’s a live show planned at a private event in Germany at the end of August. I really look forward to this as it will be the first live concert since our Russian tour in February 2020; it will be fun to perform some of the new songs. Next planned shows are WGT Warm Up and Amphi next year so let’s hope for some more shows in Autumn. We are back into business!

Gustav: It feels like the last 6-8 months have been some of the busiest ones in quite a long time, releasing 2 singles, our new album and shipping out orders to all over the world. I also just moved back to my hometown Gävle after 8 years in the Southern Swedish city of Lund. Since I’m back, just a few minutes apart from Jonatan, you can probably expect new music somewhat more frequently from Sturm Café in the future.

]]> Amphi Festival 2021 canceled again and postponed, to 2022 now https://www.side-line.com/amphi-festival-2021-canceled-again-and-postponed-to-2022-now/ Wed, 26 May 2021 14:55:13 +0000 https://www.side-line.com/?p=30791 (Photo by Claudia Schöne) We were informed earlier today that the Amphi Festival 2021 edition...]]>
Amphi Festival 2021 canceled again and postponed, to 2022 now

(Photo by Claudia Schöne) We were informed earlier today that the Amphi Festival 2021 edition has again been canceled and postponed to 2022 for which a new date has also been announced: 23 and 24 July 2022. All tickets remain valid. The reason for the cancellation: the ongoing Corona pandemic.

In a reaction the festival PR team says that “the (also politically) ever-changing pandemic situation still leaves a multitude of uncertainties and question marks, all of which could spoil our great reunion and the intended festival enjoyment literally up to the very last minute.”

As it seems over 90% of all bands from the present line-up would have already confirmed to play next year. “Meanwhile we are diligently in contact with the remaining bands and will presumably be able to give you the final state of the line-up at some time in June 21,” so the festival says.

All purchased Amphi-, Call The Ship To Port- and Pre-Party-tickets of 2020 and 2021 will remain valid.

]]> ‘Click Interview’ with Rroyce: ‘When You Are Not Constantly Moving, You Might Get Fat And Dull’ https://www.side-line.com/click-interview-with-rroyce-when-you-are-not-constantly-moving-you-might-get-fat-and-dull/ Fri, 20 Mar 2020 18:00:46 +0000 https://www.side-line.com/?p=24074 André Lellitko, Kay Lipka and Casi Kriegler set up Rroyce a few years ago now....]]>

André Lellitko, Kay Lipka and Casi Kriegler set up Rroyce a few years ago now. The band’s debut album “Dreams & Doubts & Fears” got released in 2014 on Thexoomo.net. The second full length “Karoshi” got released two years later on Kayal Records and got re-released in 2017 on Infacted Recordings. The growing enthusiasm in their homeland, Germany, brought the band to perform at bigger festivals. The electro/future-pop sound of the band stands for the revival of future-pop. Their newest album “Patience” only confirms the growing talent of the trio. This work has been again released on Infacted Recordings, which is a label with a nose for talented electro-pop music. The songs remind me to an imaginary hybrid between Mesh, OMD and Beborn Beton. I asked Casi Kriegler for more info.  

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: How did the story of Royce all started and what have been the main facts in this story so far?

Casi: Our journey started exactly seven years ago, where we participated in a band contest, which was called ‘UNBACO’. We won the contest out of  numerous bands coming from the wave- and synth-pop-genre and we played the fifth gig in the band’s history at the ‘WGT 2013’, which was quite impressive for us. Later on we went on tour by supporting great bands like Eisfabrik, Solitary Experiments and Welle:Erdball.

We are glad to work together with our label Infacted Recordings. Our booking agency is Eisland Entertainment, which provides us with memorable festival appearances, like ‘Amphi Festival’, ‘E-tropolis’, ‘Plage Noire’, ‘NCN’ and many more. We´re glad that we found reliable partners to work with on our way whatever the future will bring.

Q: You’ve already released three full length albums so what’s your personal analysis from the evolution in sound and production from the debut album “Dreams & Thoughts & Fears” to “Karoshi” to “Patience”?

Casi: Our first album was self-produced, which was quite exciting as we didn´t know the people´s reaction on that. Okay, at that time our fanbase was quite small, but we already set ourselves high standards in the production.

For the 2nd album we convinced Dirk Riegner to work with us as a producer. The outcome was fantastic and we decided to rerun the collaboration for the 3rd album. Our success confirms that this was the right approach.

I think the evolution is quite obvious, because we always want to improve ourselves as musicians and our products and we´re working every day to achieve that.

Q: “Patience” has been preceded by the EP “Parallel Worlds”, which can be easily considered as your biggest ‘hit’. Tell us a bit more about this song, its writing, the lyrical content and the clip that has been made?

Casi: The song is based on our private experiences in keeping up the balance between the daily routine on the one hand and being a musician on the other hand. Sometimes it´s hard to switch from one world to the other, especially when you spent a weekend on stage and you´ll find yourself exactly 24 hours later, sitting in an office, in front of a computer and you ask yourself: ‘What the heck I am doing here’??!

So I had the idea to point out the inner struggle in a visual way by setting up two dancers dressed in black and white, fighting with each other –but also in very close interaction to underline how close the feelings and emotions are linked together, while hopping in between these two worlds. We wanted to produce a very clear and stylish video. We are grateful that we could achieve these visions with our friends from Tiefgang Erleben, who realized this lovely video project.

Q: When you listen to “Patience” right now, what are your biggest satisfactions and do you also notice some elements you want to improve?

Casi: We’re satisfied with all the different aspects from the album, otherwise we wouldn´t have released it. As I said, there are always aims for improvement, in song writing and in setting up the lyrics, as well. When you are not constantly moving, you might get fat and dull. That´s not our intention.

Q: So far you did interesting tours, but always as support band from a bigger name like the aforementioned bands Eisfabrik, Solitary Experiments and Welle:Erdball. How do you look back at these tours and live experiences generally speaking? How do you see yourself as stage band?

Casi: We love being live on stage. I love to see these faces, the reactions, the smiling people having fun. For us it has been a great honor to perform on huge stages, in front of hundreds of people. The number of supporters is steadily increasing and we are grateful for every occasion to present RROYCE live on stage. When I think of all these special tour-life/live-moments, I can say that we made friends with the bands. One could even go so far as to say we became good friends. Without exception. memories, that will stay with me forever.

Q: I noticed you already did an impressive number of live performances during the past years, but mainly in Germany! What about RROYCE and live shows abroad Germany? Do you feel to be unknown or misunderstood outside Germany? What brings 2020?

Casi: We already played in Switzerland, The Netherlands and England and we would love to play wherever you can imagine. Every gig abroad was a big success. If there´s any promoter, who wants to see us on its stage, feel free to contact our agency. But to see it realistic and considering the costs (flights, hotels, fees) it´s not that easy for a quite unknown band to realize these dreams –apart from their outstanding live qualities (lol).

]]> The Cassandra Complex re-release 20-year old ‘Wetware’ in 3 linked releases https://www.side-line.com/the-cassandra-complex-re-release-20-year-old-wetware-in-a-3-linked-releases/ Mon, 25 Nov 2019 18:44:25 +0000 https://www.side-line.com/?p=22602 (Picture by Daniela Vorndran) Almost 20 years ago (it’s like yesterday if you ask us)...]]>
The Cassandra Complex re-release 20-year old 'Wetware' in a 3 linked releases

(Picture by Daniela Vorndran) Almost 20 years ago (it’s like yesterday if you ask us) the influential goth-electro-industrial-cyberpunk band The Cassandra Complex released “Wetware”, a milestone in the dark wave scene. Now it is finally being made available again, fully remastered and resequenced, in three linked releases.

First up is the 3 track “Twice As Good” EP on November 22, featuring legendary electronic acts Front 242 and Apoptygma Berzerk, who were now both called in to do remixes. December will see the release of the other songs from “Wetware” split into two parts: “Hardware” and “Software”.

Rodney explains this special re-release treatment of the “Wetware” material: “When we were originally working on Wetware we ended up writing so many great songs that we couldn’t fit them all into one 70 minute CD, so we had to leave some songs off. When it came time to remaster it for streaming I realised that I could now add in the missing stuff, and split the whole thing into two albums instead. So now Hardware contains the harder, faster, more in-your-face songs, while Software contains the longer, slower, more psychedelic pieces. Listening to each one individually is a much more coherent experience – it’s the two halves that make up the totality of The Cassandra Complex.”

“We had gotten fairly burnt out”

The “Wetware” songs were originally written in 1999 in Los Angeles and Hamburg, and were seen by the band as the culmination of the work they had been doing in the previous 15 years of near-constant recording and touring.

Rodney Orpheus: “From the moment I started The Cassandra Complex we had basically never stopped working on music – when we weren’t touring we were in our studio in Hamburg doing production and remix work for other European alternative bands. I literally lived in our studio. We had gotten fairly burnt out by that stage which left us wondering where to go next.”

With the band lineup down to just Rodney and guitarist Volker Zacharias, Rodney was offered a job with music software company Steinberg in Los Angeles, and things looked bleak for the band’s future.

“Getting out to LA forced me to look at our past from a new perspective. I started listening to our older records in order to rediscover what had made them so good in the first place. I had also been doing some work with Kraftwerk, which got me involved with their interest in the Man Machine interface. I realised that was something also intrinsic to what we were doing with The Cassandra Complex – the synergy between very rigorous and computerised rhythms and human improvisation and emotion. That got me thinking about computer systems, where you have Hardware, which is the chips in the machine; Software, which is the information running on it; and Wetware, which is the biological operator controlling and directing the whole thing i.e. us. That became the working basis and title for what we wanted to do next.”

Working on the record meant frequent trips back to Hamburg where Rodney and Volker would feverishly work on finishing songs in the limited time they had together. The final mix was then completed back in LA.

Formed in 1980, still going strong today

The Cassandra Complex was originally formed by Rodney Orpheus, Paul Dillon, and Andy Booth in 1980 in Leeds, England. Over the years, the band’s sound has included elements of EBM, industrial, goth rock, new wave and synthpop.

Earlier in 2019 the band remastered and re-released their two earliest albums “Grenade” and “Hello America”. In recent months Rodney and Volker have again joined up along with band co-founder guitarist Andy Booth and keyboard player and “button-pusher” Axel Ermes to tour across Europe with The Cassandra Complex. This year they have successfully played to thousands of fans at WGT Festival and Amphi Festival in Germany, W Festival in Belgium, and DarkMAD Festival in Spain; and have a forthcoming headline performance in December at BIMFest in Belgium. Coming into next year the band have already committed to major shows in Germany and Greece, with more European dates to be confirmed.

You can view a full video of the band’s recent concert at WGT Festival in Leipzig, Germany below.

]]> Nitzer Ebb plans US tour – here are the dates https://www.side-line.com/nitzer-ebb-plans-us-tour-here-are-the-dates/ Fri, 01 Feb 2019 08:05:07 +0000 http://www.side-line.com/?p=18023 Nitzer Ebb has announced that they’ll be performing two legs of a U.S. tour this...]]>
Rare Nitzer Ebb video for 1985 single 'So Bright So Strong' resurafces - watch it here

Nitzer Ebb has announced that they’ll be performing two legs of a U.S. tour this year – the first in May and then again in September. McCarthy and Harris will be joined onstage by original founding NEP members David Gooday and Simon Granger.

Nitzer Ebb 2019 tour dates

U.S. [First Leg]

  • 05.09 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston MA
  • 05.10 – Elsewhere – Brooklyn NY
  • 05.11 – SAT (Societe des Arts Technologiques) – Montreal QC
  • 05.12 – Theatre of the Living Arts – Philadelphia PA
  • 05.14 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto ON
  • 05.15 – Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore MD
  • 05.17 – The Oriental Theater – Denver CO
  • 05.20 – The Orpheum – Tampa Bay FL
  • 05.21 – Terminal West – Atlanta GA
  • 05.24 – The Ground at Space – Miami FL
  • 05.25 – Numbers – Houston TX
  • 05.26 – Trees – Dallas TX

EUROPE

  • 05.30 – Primavera Sound – Barcelona, Spain
  • 05.31 – Nuits Sonores 2019 – Lyon, France
  • 06.07 – Wave Got Treffen 2019 – Leipzig, Germany
  • 06.30 – Val de Rock – Chessy, France
  • 07.20 – Amphi Festival – Cologne, Germany
  • 08.03 – Bergfest – Thale – Germany
  • 08.04 – Dekmantel Festival – Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • 08.17 – W-Fest – Amougies, Belgium
  • 08.24 – Infest 2019 – Bradford, United Kingdom

U.S. [Second Leg]

  • 09.19 – The Mohawk – Austin TX
  • 09.20 – Metro – Chicago IL
  • 09.21 – St. Andrew’s Hall – Detroit MI
  • 09.23 – VENUE – Vancouver BC
  • 09.25 – Neumos – Seattle WA
  • 09.26 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
  • 09.27 – Slim’s – San Francisco CA
  • 10.05 – The Regent Theater – Los Angeles CA

EUROPE

  • 10.25 – Soundedit Festival – Klub Wytwórnia – Łódź, Poland
  • 11.17 – La Machine – Paris, France
  • 11.18 – La Laitrie – Straßburg, France
]]>