The Greek musician and composer of electronic Vangelis is no more, he died on 17 May 2022, aged 79, at a hospital in France while receiving treatment for COVID-19.

Vangelis, or Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou as his real name was, was best known for his score to “Chariots of Fire” (1981), as well as for composing scores to the films “Blade Runner” (1982), “Missing” (1982), “Antarctica” (1983), “The Bounty” (1984), “1492: Conquest of Paradise” (1992), and “Alexander” (2004).

Vangelis began his career working with several pop bands of the 1960s such as The Forminx and Aphrodite’s Child. Throughout the 1970s, Vangelis composed scores for several animal documentaries, including “L’Apocalypse des Animaux”, “La Fête sauvage” and “Opéra sauvage”.

In 1975 he set up his new 16-track studio, Nemo Studios in London and by the early 1980s, Vangelis formed a musical partnership with Jon Anderson, the lead singer of progressive rock band Yes, and the duo released several albums together as Jon & Vangelis.

Vangelis composed (and performed on) more than 50 albums.

Below are some of his best-known tunes.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Techno, Electro-Clash, Techno-Body.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Cyril Thévenard aka ‘John-Lord Fonda’ never expected to release a new full length after “Supersonique”. But ten years later the French producer unleashed this new opus featuring eleven new cuts.

Content: John-Lord Fonda composes Techno music with multiple influences on top. He first of all achieved an impressive production, the album revealing overwhelming, blasting sound treatments. It all remains Techno from a darker edge, but still features Electroclash reminiscences while other passages are into pure reverie, becoming pretty Cinematographic. Some of the most danceable tracks even lead the listener into Trance. A few tracks feature guest vocals by Gabriel Afahti and Veronika Nikolic.

+ + + :  As I already said the work is characterized by a high-tech sound production. Not sure if John-Lord Fonda is only using hardware equipment, but the production clearly sounds this way. I was impressed by some humming bass lines and vintage/analogue sound treatments. Just pay attention to “Antarctica”, which is a total fusion between old Electroclash and Techno music. But I also recommend listening to “Les Dunes d’Altaïr” (previously released as a single), which features vocals while the structure of the song is ending in a transcendental effect. The album is also featuring cool, melodic sequences (cf. “Together Again”) and harder, bouncing passages (cf. “We Can’t Breathe”) here again with vocals on top.

– – – : It’s a pity we had to wait for such a long time to welcome a new album by this great artist. The work is diversified so you’ll all find some favorite cuts while I’m less convinced by the very few Cinematographic passages.

Conclusion: An album is more and becoming ‘old-school’, but it still remains a total work and when it’s accomplished with such passion as for “Walk Again” I think it still makes sense to go on releasing it.

Best songs: “Antarctica”, “Les Dunes d’Altaïr”,  “Together Again”, “We Can’t Breathe”, “Race For Nothing”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/johnlordfondaofficial

Label: www.citizen-records.com / www.facebook.com/citizenrecords

About John-Lord Fonda

John-Lord Fonda is the project of French producer Cyril Thévenard, credited on Discogs and Bandcamp as John Lord Fonda. Discogs lists “Voltage E.P” in 2004 and “DeBaSer” in 2005, followed by “Voltage E.P 2” on Citizen Records in 2007 and the mixed compilation “Composite” on Module and Citizen Records in 2009.

The album “Supersonique” appeared on Citizen Records in 2011, the same year as the digital EP “What’s Going On ? Part 1”. Two further EPs followed in 2013, “Ondes” on Boxon Records and “Electronic Ballet EP” on A-Traction Records. The producer returned to Citizen Records in 2021 with the “Altaïr” 12″ EP.

“Walk Again” was released on 30 November 2021 through Citizen Records. Discogs lists a 2021 digital edition and a 2022 vinyl LP. The review above counts eleven cuts, while the Citizen Records Bandcamp LP page lists ten: “Introïtus”, “A Descent Melody”, “Antarctica”, “Together Again”, “We Can’t Breathe”, “Walk Again”, “Les Dunes d’Altaïr”, “Race for Nothing”, “They Will Fight for You” and “Crème”. Beatport credits the title track to John Lord Fonda and Gabriel Afathi.

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-ambient, soundscape.

Background/Info: Chris Sigdell better known as B° Tong is a prolific artist dealing with dark-ambient and dark-soundscape experiments. This new work is the first production released on the brand-new Spanish label Hots. The vinyl format is strictly limited to 100 copies.

Content: This work features 2 long duration cuts. Both tracks reveal a slow progression inviting the listener to walk through a dark and somewhat mysterious soundscape. You’ll notice industrial sound elements and numerous field recordings. It totally fits with the conceptual approach behind this work dealing with a German expedition early 1939 throughout an uncharted area of Antarctica.

The track was played during live concerts and had to be separated in 2 cuts for this vinyl release.

+ + + : You feel a kind of improvisation in the writing, which is however pretty accessible. I like the progression throughout the cuts and especially the harder passages featured at the B-side cut. Both cuts are pretty complementary so I wasn’t surprised discovering that it originally featured one single cut. You feel like being lost in a dark sonic labyrinth. I like the somewhat dark-abstract artwork of this vinyl.

– – – : This kind of production remains pretty minimal and mainly conceived for a very restricted number of music lovers.

Conclusion: B° Tong remains a particular experience in sound so if you’re in search of something ‘extreme’ and yet still accessible this is an interesting release to look out for.

Best songs: “The Sun Is A Hollow Fetish Of Mine”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.btongmusic.com / www.facebook.com/btongmusic

Label: https://hots.bandcamp.com

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-ambient, dark-soundscape.

Background/Info: Pavel Malyshkin is an artist hailing from Belarus and who next to Ugasanie –which can be seen as his main project, is also involved with side-projects such as Polterngeist and Silent Universe. This is Pavel’s fifth full length released on Cryo Chamber, but he also released multiple other productions on other labels.

Content: Antarctica definitely is a continent inspiring much artists involved in the ambient scene. It’s not always that easy for listeners to feel the transposition of the concept into music. However Ugasanie has accomplished a dark and buzzing soundscape featuring crushing sound blasts. It’s an album you’ve to (re)discover by using headphones so you can discover the multiple little details like crispy noises, sound waves reminding me of a swarm of bees, aquatic field recordings and other noises.

+ + + : “Ice Breath Of Antarctica” stands for an overwhelming darkness in sound. Carried by deep, vibrating sound waves and accomplished by an impressive sound- and noise canvas this album is a fascinating experience. Just like any other successful ambient production it also has this visual appeal leading the listener to explore his deepest inner thoughts and secret images. It’s a well-crafted composition confirming the talent of this musician.

– – – : Some passages are a little less monotonous revealing the similar sound formula this album has been made of. But you don’t hear me to complain, but it’s just that a few passages are a little less too long creating this monotonous effect.

Conclusion: Ugasanie hasn’t surpassed itself, but accomplished a well-crafted album with some real great and overwhelming sound treatments.

Best songs: “Shores Of Antarctica”, “The Boundless Snows”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/uga5anie

Label: www.cryochamberlabel.com /  www.facebook.com/CryoChamber

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: Experimental, minimal-electronics, ambient.

Background/Info: Robin Rimbaud better known under the Scanner moniker is a long-time praised artist active at the wider paths of experimental music. He’s one of those visionary artists operating like a real sonic architect, which has pushed the boundaries of electronic music towards a new dimension. He joined hands with the Italian label Glacial Movements to unleash this new opus, which is inspired by the tale about strange circles appearing in Antarctica.

Content: Scanner remains a creative project, which each time again seems like exploring new paths. The work is sophisticated, sometimes extreme, but then refined with subtle bleeps and field recordings. Rimbaud transforms noises into new tones, creating an abyssal sound universe, which is now quiet and prosper and next creating mystery and paranoia.

“The Great Crater” is bringing different- and sometimes opposite elements together. Next to the familiar experimental sound manipulations he achieved his work with other elements such as epic- and cinematographic arrangements and even the sound of classical instruments.

+ + + : Scanner remains one of the most prolific, and creative spirits of the experimental scene. His work brings electronics towards a higher dimension where multiple influences and an impressive noise canvas have been merged together. This is an album with a visual strength, which you can relax on, but still getting frightened. Experimental music becomes a great artistic creation, which is the mark of all music geniuses. I like this album’s diversity for its global sound production, but once again for belonging to no single established music genre.

– – – : Robin Rimbaud is such a prolific artist it becomes more and more difficult to get surprised by his work. It’s not that it becomes predictable, but I can’t say that Scanner is renewing his sound.

Conclusion: “The Great Crater” reassembles different facets of ambient music; the visual approach evokes mystery, prosperity, reverie, delicacy, but still a very abstract composition.

Best songs: “Exposure, Collapse”, “The Scar”, “Strange Circles”, “Lakes Under Lakes”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.scannerdot.com / www.facebook.com/scannerdot

Label: www.glacialmovements.com / www.facebook.com/glacialmovements

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

(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange. Photo + MUA: Pernille Jensen. Hair: IcyDreads.)

Komputergirl´s debut album “POLARPOP” narrates a metaphysical voyage through different planes of consciousness towards spiritual enlightenment. It is also a physical journey exploring a wild and cold Antarctica, beginning at the open plains of Dome A, through icy terrain, ending at the mythical pyramid structures of the Cosmic Mountain. Musically, this translates into a tracklist of eight songs, stretching from dreamy electronica and psychedelic club beats, to sci-fi inspired ambient and uncompromising dronescapes.

Komputergirl is a Norwegian electronica artist, composer and producer. Since 2004, she has explored ways to communicate her fascination with arctic landscapes, space and spirituality, through music. Over the years she has developed a progressive electro sound which she refers to as “new age futurepop”, combining the traditional arrangement of contemporary dance music, with a wide array of elements from genres such as ambient, noise and experimental.

POLARPOP is a musical embodiment of Komputergirl´s raw and boreal universe, a cool, etheral place where she warmly invites you in to reconnect with Love, Light and your Spiritual Self.
Listen:

Watch:

Download:

https://komputergirl.bandcamp.com/

Jan Ronald Stange

Sometimes – when I’m not cooking, biking, listening to music or attending concerts, I write stuff for Side-Line.com. Mostly about Norwegian bands, but it’s been some Swedish, English, American, Danish, German and others too… 😉

www.facebook.com/jrstange

Genre/Influences: Experimental, IDM, glitch, abstract.

Content: Big Brother On Acid is a project set up by Brooklyn (USA) based producer ‘Mister G’. The debut album has already been released a few months ago, but has finally reached our headquarters.

Big Brother On Acid is using several influences so it’s nearly impossible to define the sound as one established genre. You many have to listen carefully for the influences running through the work, but it will be a hard labor as this band is literally working on a real big sound platform. I think we might easily speak about a kind of abstract electronic format, but other passages move into IDM and minimalism. Electronics and guitar manipulations cross each other.

A saxophone can be heard as well, which creates a kind of experimental and totally free-jazz like style.

Nothing seems to be weird enough for Big Brother On Acid and I’m sometimes really wondering if the main inspiration behind this creation is not the use of some hallucinogenic substances. I honestly don’t care because this album walks on new sonic paths. If experimental music often became the offspring of pure improvisation this “Big Brother On Acid”-CD is pushing experimentalism into a coherent production. It remains pretty weird, but made with a great sound intelligence and the passion to create unique sound treatments.

The work more appears to be a sonic patchwork featuring many influences and opposite styles. This is all a bit like music without compromises and no rules. It becomes a kind of pure anarchy in sound spiced with some delicious mystic elements –which mainly comes through during the final tracks.

When Mister G was asked what his music is all about he answered ‘it is all about life, stupidity, and the Antarctica dream’! I think there’s no better and more confusing way to describe the work of this sonic chameleon.

Conclusion: Big Brother On Acid is a total sonic enigma, but one that will get you in its grip like watching a David Lynch movie.

Best songs: “Friday Night”, “Order-Sigil-9”, “Sanity-Hidden”, “Binary”, “It Was All Very Good”.

Rate: (DP:8)DP.

Band: www.bigbrotheronacid.com / www.facebook.com/bigbrotheronacidny

Label: www.alrealonmusique.com / www.alrealon.co.uk / www.facebook.com/alrealon

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