Cleopatra Records will issue “Drink the New Wine”, the last studio recording by post-punk and goth rock band Bauhaus, as a 12-inch vinyl single on 30 October 2026. The pressing comes in three hand-numbered, etched color variants – white, silver and red – capped at 150 copies each, for a total of 450.

Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins recorded the track separately during COVID-19 lockdown. The four traded audio files using the surrealist “exquisite corpse” method the band had used before. Bauhaus released it digitally in March 2022, its first new song since the 2008 album “Go Away White.”

No Bauhaus recording has followed. Ash confirmed in April 2023 that the band’s reunion had ended, with the surviving members reforming Love and Rockets.

‘Drink the New Wine’: a lockdown recording now on hand-numbered vinyl

Ash describes the track as typical of the band’s more playful side. “I always loved it when Bauhaus would go into art fart mode. Truly liberating and FUN!” he said.

Cleopatra Records calls the release “a music artifact […] created for the most dedicated Bauhaus fans and collectors.”

Side A of the single holds “Drink the New Wine.” Side B is etched with a reproduction of the Bauhaus logo and carries no audio.

Each copy is individually hand-numbered, one color per customer, with no repressing planned once the 450 copies sell out. The single is available for pre-order through Cleopatra Records ahead of the 30 October release.

About Bauhaus

Small Wonder Records released Bauhaus’s debut single, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” in August 1979, a year after Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, David J (David John Haskins) and his younger brother Kevin Haskins formed the band in Northampton, England. The single arrived before goth existed as a named scene.

Four studio albums followed in four years on 4AD and Beggars Banquet: “In the Flat Field” (1980), “Mask” (1981), “The Sky’s Gone Out” (1982) and “Burning from the Inside” (1983). Bauhaus split on 5 July 1983, a week before “Burning from the Inside” reached shops.

The pioneering band reunited for a 1998 tour and again from 2005 to 2008, a run that produced a fifth album, “Go Away White” (2008, Cooking Vinyl), released without a supporting tour. Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins had already carried their partnership into Love and Rockets, formed in 1985, and into separate solo careers. David J’s catalog includes the albums “Etiquette of Violence” and “Songs from Another Season,” plus a 2014 memoir, “Who Killed Mister Moonlight?”

The four original members reunited again in 2019, announcing Peter Murphy’s first live date with Bauhaus after a heart attack ahead of shows at the Hollywood Palladium that November. A further reunion tour followed in 2022, covering Europe and the US West Coast.

Months after the band released “Drink the New Wine,” Murphy’s rehab admission forced it to cancel the rest of its North American tour that August. Ash ended the reunion in April 2023, and the surviving trio returned to Love and Rockets.

David J has stayed active since. He revisited his own archive on the album ‘Tracks From the Attic Revisited’ and discussed the project earlier this year in a Side-Line interview.

This is the first time “Drink the New Wine” has been pressed to a physical format.

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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With Tracks From the Attic Revisited, David J Haskins does far more than dust off abandoned material. The album turns forgotten demos into living works, shaped by distance, experience, wit, and a willingness to let old songs evolve rather than remain sealed in amber. In this conversation, David J – the Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, and solo artist – reflects on rewriting the past without romanticizing it, the mischief and melancholy running through the record, the creative freedom of collaboration, and why songs, unlike paintings, are never truly finished. David J also looks ahead to new releases, visual art, and an ambitious stage project inspired by Egon Schiele.

David J interview

Q: Tracks From the Attic Revisited feels less like a return to old material and more like a conversation between different versions of yourself. When you began working on these songs again, did you feel more like their original author, their editor, or almost their collaborator from another lifetime?

David J: That’s a really good way of putting it. I never thought of it in that way, but it is like the latter, in a way. Yes. How interesting. What an interesting take on it. Yeah, it was like that because it’s so long ago and I’m so divorced from that person, although I still have connecting factors. But also the songs, when I listened to those songs again after laying them aside, really, with most of them, I had only listened to them a couple of times when I was writing them, and then I just put them away and never listened to them again. So I was not familiar with the material, even though I was the one who authored it. So it was a very different experience going back to these songs and then reimagining them. But when I was first appraising them, when we were putting together the Tracks From the Attic collection, ideas would occur to me just listening to them, and I would think, oh, if I’d fully made this, fully realized it, I would have done this or I would have done that. Just in the structure of some of the songs, I would listen to them and think, oh, I would do that differently. I would change this. I’d drop a couple of verses there or add a chorus here. So the process had been initiated right from the start when I first was appraising these old demos.

Q: You described the original attic recordings as neglected seeds and the new album as the bloom. That image is very beautiful, but gardening also involves pruning, patience, and loss. What had to be cut away for these songs to become fully themselves now?

David J: Well, yes, quite a bit. As I said, it’s just part of the process of honing and crafting. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about that, and so I applied that knowledge to the reimagining of these songs. It was not painful at all. I would make a snip here and a snip there, but it was just, oh, that’s necessary in order for this little rose to bloom. I did tweak some of the lyrics. In some cases I made them more contemporary, more relevant, because there were some references that were very much of the time when I wrote them in the ’80s and ’90s. I referred to people and situations that were relevant then. And so in order to make them contemporary, I made those changes here and there.

Q: Can you give an example?

David J: For example, in “New Year’s Day” I refer to Patrick Walker. It’s a rather sardonic verse where I talk about “what does Patrick Walker say?” about the future. Patrick Walker was a famous astrologer in the newspapers in England in the ’80s and early ’90s. I thought, well, Patrick Walker is not even around anymore. Nobody knows who Patrick Walker is. Maybe some people from my generation remember him. So I thought, who’s the equivalent today? So I put in Lisa Stardust.

Q: Is she also an astrologist?

David J: Yeah. In the original, I say, “Pass the paper” at the start of the verse, “Pass the paper, what does Patrick Walker say?” So in the new one I write, “Pass the smartphone, what does Lisa Stardust say? Lisa Stardust and her well-informed friends have run away.” That’s an example. Another example is in “I Wish Those Spacemen Would Come,” where I’m referring to Ronald Reagan. It felt appropriate to change the reference to Donald Trump, so “The corporation conmen have crowned a cowboy king for a day” became “The oligarchs and tech bros have crowned a conman king for four years.”

Q: There’s also another kind of change on the album, hearing the songs move from intimate home recordings into fuller ensemble arrangements with the musicians you invited into the collaboration. What did working with this group of artists make possible emotionally or musically that solitude could not?

David J: Well, it’s very much an extension of the palette. They brought different colors to it, so they made the painting that much richer. I always encourage the musicians I work with to be themselves and to bring their own creativity to bear. I instruct them to a degree, but I also let them have their own opportunity for self-expression. That’s what it’s all about. So they brought, I mean, they’re all great players and they all brought their expertise to bear. It was great because they were very much into the songs and the material, and I think that enthusiasm is very evident on the recordings. They were into it.

Q: And when you choose the artists to collaborate with, what makes you pick this or that artist and not somebody else?

David J: Well, I have a core group that I’ve been working with for, God, getting on for 20 years. They are my go-to guys. Although there was a new addition, an amazing guitarist I’ve been working with of late, Jason Roberts from Spoon. I’ve been working with him on my new album that’s coming out later this year, a double album. So we already had a musical relationship that was ongoing, and for this material I thought he would be perfect as well. Just the way he plays and his style would suit the material very much. And it did.

Q: There is this title that I profoundly like, “If Muzak Be the Junk Food of Love.” I have a feeling it is very you: witty, elegant, but also slightly subversive. Has revisiting these songs changed your relationship to irony at all? Do you hear them now with more tenderness, more distance, or even more mischief?

David J: More mischief, yeah. Kind of mischievous anyway. There is that element there and this sort of sardonic element to them. But they’re also very romantic as well. It is the juxtaposition of those kinds of extreme emotions that are evident throughout the album. With that title, I was paraphrasing Shakespeare, of course, from Twelfth Night, “If music be the food of love,” and adopting that in various ways. I’m using junk food and I’m referring to junk food and Muzak as they are cheap. The song is a kind of indictment of modern dating, as it was back in the 1980s when I wrote that song. Not that I was experiencing that, because I was in a relationship, but I saw it all around me and I was observing it.

And in Twelfth Night, the entreaty is for music to play on because the protagonist there, Duke Orsino, is obsessed with this melancholy countess, Olivia, and wants to be done with it all. So he wants music to play on until it becomes too much and he’s had enough of it, so that he can free himself from the obsession. So there’s a parallel there with somebody who’s going through the rigors of modern dating and wants to be done with it. He’s saying, bring it on and just bury me in this excess so that I can ultimately be rid of the whole sorry business.

Q: In what way do you feel dating in the ’80s and dating right now changed, in your perspective?

David: Again, I comment about this because I’m not actively involved, just an observer. I have friends, particularly women friends, and it sounds like a battlefield out there from what they tell me. I’m in a very steady relationship, I have been for eight years, so I’m not looking to be part of that scene, thank God. Can’t imagine. But yeah, it seems like these days especially it’s much worse because it’s all… I refer to computer dating in the song, but that was when it was kind of in its infancy. Now it’s very much part and parcel of that whole battleground. It seems to produce a lot of alienation and confusion and deception. I don’t envy anybody who’s experiencing that. It must be very hard these days in that regard.

Q: Because you played these songs live earlier this year, I’m wondering what these songs have shown you on stage that you could not have fully known while making the record.

David J: Well, when you play a song live, it always evolves. I have songs that I wrote, God, in the mid ’80s that I still play, and they’re still constantly evolving. So it’s just an evolution. That’s something I enjoy because it keeps the song alive. And I think it’s also a sign of a good song if it can evolve, if it has that potential to evolve.

Q: So for you, live concerts are not so much a dialogue with the audience as the way the songs themselves keep evolving?

David J: As far as the music is concerned, it’s not a dialogue. It’s just a musical evolution. Through playing and playing, you come up with ideas. You come up with ideas in the moment that work, and so you retain them. So that becomes the growth of the song. That’s what it is. Purely that. But there is a dialogue and interplay with other musicians, who bring something to it that you would never have thought of, and that is retained. Maybe even if they’re not playing with you anymore, you take that little element that they played, some little guitar riff, say, and incorporate it yourself. I really enjoy that process.

Q: Do you ever improvise on stage because of the particular atmosphere or the moment?

David J: Yeah, sometimes I surprise myself!

Q: Do you remember a particular moment?

David J: There are many moments where, in the moment, if I’m playing with another player, a keyboard player while I’m on guitar, I’ll just stop playing guitar in a verse or in the middle of a verse, or I’ll play something that I’ve just come up with, like a little lead lick that’s never been there before, that’s just created in the moment and it works. This is what I’m talking about, the constant evolution of music. I’ll also work with mistakes and things going wrong. These occurrences can actually be magic gifts that take you in a whole other inspired direction.

Q: Looking across your whole arc, from Bauhaus to Love and Rockets to your solo work now, what still fascinates you most about song as a form? After all these years, what can a song still do that no other artistic medium can quite manage?

David J: Well, again, it comes back to this potential for change and evolution. Once the painting is on the canvas, it’s on the canvas and it’s not going to change. Whereas with a song, that can change all the time. So it’s in a potential state of flux and is malleable in that way. So that’s the difference.

Q: Have you ever considered expressing yourself in other artistic areas beyond music?

David J: I do. I paint and I make collages as well. I was doing that before I was doing music, and I’ve kept that up to a great degree. I really got back into it during the pandemic. What I did was, I saw what was going on and I thought everything’s going to close down, so the last act I did was that I went to an art store and I bought a load of paints and brushes and canvases and an easel, and I set up the room I am in now as a little painting studio.That was a very therapeutic thing to do and very cathartic. After the pandemic ended, I kept on painting. The only thing that I could paint was about being in a pandemic. I painted that subject. And then after that, it was post-pandemic. I’ve had two art shows here in LA, one called Paintdemic, a little play on words, and then Post-Paintdemic.

Outside of that, I’ve been doing some collage work as well. That’s always been there, and sometimes the two resonate. I’ve done projects where the subject is kind of so big that it’s not contained by an album of music. It spills over into visual art. There was an album called An Eclipse of Ships, which is all about women. After I finished the album, I was doing paintings and collage pieces that I entitled In the Realm of the Muses. That was an extension of the music. It’s not the only time either. I’ve done that for other projects.

Q: Music is like painting with sounds, and painting is painting with paint. Do you approach those creative processes similarly, or differently?

David J: The biggest difference is, again, harking back to what I just said, that with music it can keep changing forever. There is obviously the recorded version, but then if you are working on a song and you play it live and it’s evolving, you can go back and do a new version. But with painting, that’s not really the case. Once it’s down and fixed on the canvas, it’s fixed and then you move on. The process of creativity has parallels there because you’re in this creative state where you’re expressing what you’re feeling and thinking, but once it’s down and fixed on the canvas, it’s fixed. Whereas the song can be in that state of flux indefinitely.

Q: Are there any current artists or bands that inspire you?

David J: Yeah. They have really blown up, but I discovered this band some time ago when they were not really known and they were just playing on the street. I immediately felt like this is the real thing, and that’s Geese, who are now massive. I think Cameron Winter is a really fascinating artist as well. His solo record is really great and very audacious.

I also like the fact that they’re kind of divisive. Many people love them, and more and more love them, but there’s also a lot of derision they get as well. I think that’s always a very good thing. Going all through the music that’s meant something, going back to the Velvet Underground, there’s haters and there’s lovers. If it’s all love, that’s not going to last very long, I think. Bauhaus as well certainly got our antagonizers and those that didn’t like it or didn’t get it.

Q: Do you ever feel the need to discuss those antagonists, or do you find any value in what they say?

David J: It’s not to say that I’m so bloody minded that I think I can do no wrong and my bands can do no wrong. You listen and then assess what’s being said and decide whether it’s valid or not. Quite often it’s not valid. So that makes you just go against the grain, really, and the thing that they’re criticizing, do it even more. It’s inspiring in that way. Kicking against the pricks, as it were.

Q: I wanted to come back to the album for a second, because the very image of the attic is such a potent one. It suggests both archive and subconscious, storage and forgetting. When you opened those boxes again, did you discover only the songs, or also recurring obsessions, patterns, or ghosts that made you recognize a hidden continuity in your own work?

David J: Absolutely. Ghosts, yes. Some that still haunt me. It was kind of poignant to revisit those ghosts. And also just situations. Listening to those songs and reading the lyrics again was very evocative of a time and place, like a diary entry, really. They’re like diary entries, some of them. But some of them are very surreal and don’t relate to what was going on outside of my subconscious. But then again, the subconscious, of course, relates to what is going on on a conscious level. Getting complex here! Some of them are very specific. They refer to situations that I was in that I hadn’t thought about for years and years. Then the song brings it all back, in fact in a more vivid way than a conventional diary entry, because the lyric is more potent than just “I went to London on this day and saw the Queen.” The lyrics are colored with poetic insight in some cases, and very evocative for that.

Q: And my final question: what’s next for you?

David J: Yeah, I have so much coming up. Initially, yes, I will be going out and doing a little mini tour in June on the back of this album, just me and different players in different areas. I do like to do that. Then after that, the next album that’s coming out is a concept album about the painter Egon Schiele. I might do some dates to coincide with that, although ultimately that was written as a theatrical piece and I would love to bring that to the stage at some point. Then later in the year, the big release for me is a new double album that will come out in the autumn, and I definitely want to do some dates then. I just had somebody, a promoter in England, who wants to bring me over to the UK, so I would like to do that, and I’d like to extend it into Europe and I’d love to come to Poland. As for the Egon Schiele project, I’ve been working on it with Paul Wallfisch, and Paul will be the person that I’ll be touring with in the UK and hopefully in Europe. I’ve worked with Paul for decades now, and he’s a brilliant musician and composer. We wrote the songs together. How that started was that Paul was the musical director at the Volkstheater in Vienna, and in conjunction with them, approached me with the idea of writing something for their stage, on any subject. So I chose Egon Schiele because it’s relevant to the location and also I love him and it’s a great story. I started writing this as a narrative and then I started writing songs, and then I brought Paul into it and we wrote songs together.

For the stage, what I want to have is traditional wooden marionettes representing key figures in the story. There will be a puppet theater on the stage, but there’ll be a camera inside the puppet theater that will blow up these puppets to life-size on the screen behind, and they will interact with a Butoh performer. I’ve worked with Butoh in the past. A great Butoh performer, Vangeline, she’s one of the best in the world, and she will be involved.

So it’s a song cycle, it’s a narrative, it’s Butoh, it’s marionettes. Also there’s a kind of shadow text, which is drawing from Arthur Rimbaud’s A Season in Hell, which was Schiele’s favorite book of poetry. I have certain lines from that that resonate with what was going on in Schiele’s own life, and that will be narrated by Gavin Friday.

There are other projects as well and several completed albums, also two new books in the works, so busy, busy, busy!

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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Founding member of Bauhaus and Love & Rockets, David J, will release the album “Tracks From the Attic Revisited” on May 22 through Independent Project Records. The album will be issued on black vinyl, gold vinyl, CD, and digital formats. The first single, “If Muzak Be the Junk Food of Love,” is set for April 15.

The new record reworks ten songs drawn from the 2024 archival set “Tracks From the Attic,” this time as full-band studio recordings. David J says the earlier demo songs were “neglected little seeds” and calls the new versions “the bloom.” The album was recorded at Ear Gallery Music in Los Angeles and produced by David J, with a lineup that includes Jason Roberts, Jon Bernstein, Tony Green, David Raven, Dan Clucas, Robert “Smokey” Miles, John Courage, and Stephen Perkins.

The tracklist:

1. “I Wish Those Spacemen Would Come (Revisited)”
2. “If Muzak Be the Junk Food of Love (Revisited)”
3. “The Most Beautiful Girls in the World (Revisited)”
4. “Leaning Towards the Falls (Revisited)”
5. “Homo Sapien Blues (Revisited)”
6. “I’ll Put Off Thinking About You for Awhile (Revisited)”
7. “New Year’s Day (Revisited)”
8. “All The Pilgrims (Revisited)”
9. “Vincent in the Flames (Revisited)”
10. “Punishment By Roses (Revisited)”

Below is the original release with the demo versions.

About David J

David J, born David John Haskins on April 24, 1957, in Northampton, England, is the bassist, vocalist, songwriter, producer, and writer best known as a founding member of Bauhaus. Bauhaus formed in 1978. In that group, he wrote lyrics for several key songs including “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” played bass, and also sang lead on “Who Killed Mr Moonlight?” He later expanded into theatre, film scoring, visual art, and writing alongside his music career.

He began issuing solo work while Bauhaus was still active, starting with the René Halkett collaboration “Armour”/”Nothing,” then moving into early solo releases such as “Etiquette of Violence” in 1983 and “Crocodile Tears and the Velvet Cosh” in 1985. After Bauhaus first split, he formed Love and Rockets in 1985 with Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins. That band released seven studio albums, including “Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven,” “Express,” “Earth, Sun, Moon,” the 1989 self-titled “Love and Rockets,” “Hot Trip to Heaven,” “Sweet F.A.,” and “Lift.” David J continued releasing solo material, including “Songs from Another Season” and “Urban Urbane,” while continuing to work across collaborations and reunions.

His later albums include the Alan Moore and Tim Perkins collaborations “The Birth Caul” and “The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels” in 1996 to “Not Long For This World” in 2011, “An Eclipse of Ships” in 2014, “What The Patrons Heard” in 2022, and the 2024 archival collection “Tracks From the Attic.”

David J also published the memoir “Who Killed Mister Moonlight? Bauhaus, Black Magick and Benediction” through Jawbone Press in 2014.

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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“White on White: A Literary Tribute to Bauhaus” is a brand-new book that is – you could guess it already – a tribute to Bauhaus. The book is officially endorsed by David J Haskins, founding member of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets.

The 284-pages book was edited by veteran journalist and dark fiction author Alex S. Johnson, whose books include “The Doom Hippies” and “Skull Vinyl: Poems 2012-2017”.

The book features a foreword by fiction author Poppy Z. Brite (“Exquisite Corpse”), and ‘a note from a fan’ by adult film industry journalist Ossiana Tepfenhart. Additional contributions include author Caitlin R. Kiernan, Señor Fluffy creator Hazel-Ann Lynch, Starblood series author Carmilla Voiez, Richard Modiano (“Beyond Baroque”), Kari Lee Krome (The Runaways), Jarboe, vocalist Athan Maroulis of NOIR and formerly of both Spahn Ranch and Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Ellyn Maybe, John Shirley, Bram Stoker (“The Crow),and Tara VanFlower (Lycia). Besides these there many more people featured in the book.

You can order the book here on Amazon.

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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It all began in 1983 under the name Xymox, a musical project founded and spearheaded by Ronny Moorings. Shortly after, the project evolved into Clan Of Xymox, marking the birth of a band destined to leave an indelible mark on the Dark-Wave scene. Signed by the legendary British label 4AD, the band released two seminal albums that would become classics in the genre. While they briefly returned to the original name, since 1997, they have been known exclusively as Clan Of Xymox. What makes Clan Of Xymox truly special is not only their pioneering role in the New/Dark-Wave movement but their unwavering ability to create valuable and impactful music over the decades.

Unlike many of their contemporaries, who often rely on the nostalgia of 80s hits, Clan Of Xymox has consistently released strong, fresh material, proving that their creative spirit remains as vibrant as ever. With a career spanning over 40 years, Clan Of Xymox has firmly established themselves as one of the most influential forces in Dark-Wave. Ronny Moorings has remained true to the essence of his sound while allowing it to evolve, ensuring a timeless yet contemporary edge. Their latest and 18th studio album, “Exodus”, released via Trisol (Germany) and Metropolis (USA), is a testament to this balance. Featuring a collection of masterful tracks, the album combines melancholic, dark, atmospheres with Pop-infused arrangements that are both haunting and danceable.

I felt it was the perfect time to take a retrospective look at Clan Of Xymox’s incredible journey. In this interview, Ronny Moorings graciously shared his insights, reflecting on the band’s beginnings, their evolution, and their current work. I am deeply thankful for his enthusiastic cooperation and for taking the time to answer in such detail. His dedication to crafting inspired music over such a long period is remarkable, as is the man behind the artist. Respect! (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

‘I Wanted To Be A Part Of Things Which Were Happening In Front Of My Eyes’

Q: Getting back to the early 1980s which marked the rise of New-Wave music and subgenres like Dark-Wave, Cold-Wave, and Post-Punk. How do you reflect on those formative years and what do you recall from the very beginning of your career? Specifically, what events or circumstances led to the formation of Xymox and, later, Clan Of Xymox and what was your original dream when you first started making music?

Ronny: I will make this a short story because there is so much to say about how it came to be. I was in bands from on my childhood in my birth town Roosendaal (NL) where I already played live at the age of 11 with older 15 year old friends. When it was time for me to study, I first moved to The Hague, deciding after a year of Social Academy that I’d rather do a Sociology study in Nijmegen.

In the early 80’s there was a lot going on. Musically we had the Deutsche Welle and from the U.K. came New-Wave. This appealed a lot to me and DJed (what I also already did in Roosendaal as a teenager) this type of music in the local venue Doornroosje. It was volunteers work, but I got to see all the cool bands coming in.
The alternative scene was thriving in the whole of The Netherlands. Naturally many British bands were on the fore front of innovation. The Goth / Wave movement came also to Doornroosje. I remember especially Bauhaus and The Virgin Prunes making a big impression on me because they sounded and looked visually stunning. The Virgin Prunes making a complete theatre out of their show; it looked like genuine madness with a lot of stuff flying about on stage. With Bauhaus, Peter Murphy just looked the ideal part, a new ‘thin white duke’ with white light shining under his chin and the rest of the band in fluorescent colours, exposed with a black light.

Every week there was a brilliant band to be seen in Paradiso (Amsterdam) or in Doornroosje, like Echo And The Bunnymen In an army outfit with camouflage nets hanging over the stage, The Sound, Dance Society, The Birthday Party with Nick Cave swinging like a monkey from left to right from the light supports, giving it a high energetic performance, Siouxie And The Banshees, The Cure ( they played in a circus tent) and later seeing Robert Smith playing guitar with Siouxie in Rotterdam , Theatre Of Hate, Eyeless In Gaza, Black Flag, The Comsat Angels, Sisters Of Mercy, in the Milkyway Amsterdam,  of course with Wayne Hussey,  Further The Slits, Liaison Dangereuses, U2 ( played in Arnhem for 400 people) who was pretty unknown still etc. Too many to mention!

All bands not jet known by the majority of people but making a big impact on everyone alternative seeing them live. New-Wave, Deutsche Welle, Punk, Synth-Pop and New-Romantics was now a major alternative movement perfectly fitting the times we were living in.

Also the Netherlands produced influential bands who made quite an impression on me, like I already mentioned Mecano & Minimal Compact from Amsterdam, Nasmak from Eindhoven, Coitus Interruptus from Utrecht, and ‘famous’ local bands from Nijmegen like Mechanic Commando and Vice.

By seeing all these brilliant international and national bands I knew there and then that I had to start something new and interesting too. I wanted to make music like these bands. I was totally inspired. I wanted to be a part of things which were happening in front of my eyes. I wanted a band instead of just making things late at night on my own on a 4 track for no one else to hear.I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. It seemed that nearly anyone in the local scene started a band. In every squat people started a band and rehearsing was no problem in these industrial buildings we all occupied. Music was becoming a way of life, a means to express your views. There were enough opportunities for bands to play. There were always some old factories freshly squatted. One of the first shows I did was on a festival in De Plu Fabriek, a desolate disused umbrella factory. The festival had a social awareness theme about ‘Acid Rain’ of which maybe a handful had heard about. It was not taken very serious yet by the general public. It was the first ever show of Xymox there.

Round the same time at the University we had to do a video project. We had to film something about a socially significant social subject, so I started filming and interviewing the squatters local bands I knew. I still have the V2000 video tape but because of its backdated discontinued format, I haven’t been able to see it since the presentation at the University of Nijmegen.

In the beginning of 1980 in Nijmegen I had no real serious relationship with anyone. I was fairly new in town and most people I found quite uninteresting. The typical jeans and long hair student types, freshly coming from their cosy parental homes, with only one aim in life and that is to study, graduate and getting a job. Also most people were just coming out of the seventies and their clothes reflected that, very colourful shirts, a lot of blue jeans and mostly having long hair. In Rotterdam long hair in the back and short in the front was accompanied by a little moustache was the local fashion there.

Anyway, just after my initiation weeks of the University back in Nijmegen, one night I went out, going to a bar where I would normally not come with my fellow student friends. I was standing there drinking beer with my mates until I spotted this girl in the distance. She had the same kind of image as me. Out of place I thought. I simply had to talk to her and soon we were engaged in conversation and ended up spending the night together in her basement flat.. She told me she came from Nuenen, a small village close to Eindhoven but very famous for the house of Vincent Van Gogh. Her name was Anke.

In this period I wanted to start a Live band with the name I already had:  Xymox.  One day I showed her my songs I had recorded and asked if she would want to be in my ‘band’ which was just me at the time 😉 I said it would not matter that it was only the two of us because a lot of bands played with a drum machine and it would be a cool thing to do; she agreed. The songs were most of the time two or three chords so it was not too difficult for her to learn the tracks. I released this tape at the time, sold it for cheap (some people still have it). She liked the songs and decided to learn and play the bass guitar so she could play live. We started rehearsing together in 1982. I started sending my old Xymox demos to various venues and to my surprise a dozen clubs or so liked it.

Soon we played live with the two of us in various alternative clubs. I was singing, playing guitar and the synth plus operating the rhythm box. She played the bass by now and did some backing vocals . The songs were all mine, if you could call them songs 😉 For transportation I had my old cheap orange Renault 4 with a shift stick. All the equipment fitted in beautifully. Because we were just with the two of us and the fuel was very cheap, the money earned was very reasonable for those days.

Later we got asked by the locally known band Vice to support them. We did so and managed to play quite a bit of shows in the South of the Netherlands again. We felt we were getting somewhere.

Later a few friends to join our ‘band’ live. They were hitting metal pieces or doing backing vocals etc. Inspired of course by Einstürtzenden Neubauten. We started rehearsing in the empty vaults of a squatted bank building. Soundproof and safe it luckily was 😉

Anke wanted to move to Amsterdam in 1983, when she changed her study. She wanted to study Psychology and since I finished my Sociology ‘Candidates’ phase holding an official diploma. I was looking for a relevant Masters study so I decided to go to Amsterdam as well, I chose for  ‘Media Studies’ at the ‘University of Amsterdam’. Apparently you would have a lot of freedom with this study as well.

In Amsterdam I was asked by a friend in 1983, if I wanted to DJ for a local pirate radio station WHS. The show; ‘De Lege Huls’, translated ‘The Empty Shell’, would be late at night which of course I gladly accepted. I did this for quite some time well into 1985 until I got too busy with Clan Of Xymox and its many obligations.

As I already said I saved for a while every penny in order to buy my much desired object, a Teac 4 track multi tape recorder. I bought it in Antwerp, Belgium, November 1982. After many recordings of songs and ideas in Nijmegen I started a new In April 1983, frantically starting to record some new songs; the old ones were already more than a year old and I wanted to have new ones. With the help of the Teac 4 track recorder I could be more creative with writing and recording, bouncing previous recordings and build on that.

The instruments I had access to were: a Yamaha synth, Korg Poly 6 Synthesiser, Korg MS10 and MS 20, a rhythm box K500 , an electric Framus guitar, Welson Keyboard, a standard Shure 58 mike of course, my fantastic vintage space echo, melodica, guitar pedal effects and a bass guitar. A later valuable asset was later a Solina Strings but this one was borrowed once and a while.

All instruments were played in real time on tape. No sequencer used. That was too expensive.
These were the days computers were only academic and hardly used by anyone at all. Computers were just those big main frames standing in a government building or only portrayed in science fiction. Today our ears are completely trained to sequenced patterns, then it was something new, the ear was untrained to these sounds and pattern uses.

Soon things were ready. I asked Anke if she wanted to sing one song on the track I already prepared for her. It ended up with the title “Call It Weird “, so now  all tracks were done and everything was set up to bring these recordings to a mastering plant near Amsterdam called  Dureco. This was a vinyl factory specialised in producing Dutch product, the type like ‘Dutch Schlager’ like Vader Abraham known internationally for his “Smurf” songs. He was prominent on the wall everywhere in the factory offices. The main earner. Newer versions of this first EP exist: “Muscoviet Musquito” ( deliberately spelled this way) and “Going Round”. Both have various versions over the years.

‘I Felt That The Xymox Days Were Not The Right Way To Go’

Q: Xymox became Clan Of Xymox when you signed to 4AD, but later you reverted to Xymox before ultimately returning to Clan Of Xymox in the late ’90s. How do you view these shifts in retrospect? What, in your opinion, distinguishes Xymox from Clan Of Xymox?

Ronny: I started with the name Xymox and released my first EP “Subsequent Pleasures“ under this name. When Xymox got signed by 4 AD and the first debut album was called “Clan Of Xymox” I decided it was a slightly better name also because I had found people to play the songs live, so hence the ‘Clan’. I considered Xymox as my Pseudonym.

When Clan Of Xymox got signed by Wing / PolyGram USA I felt this was a significant change and wanted to underline this with shortening the name and perhaps with the reasoning that it would be easier for people in general to remember our name when it was shorter.

After 4 albums under the name Xymox, with the album “Phoenix” it had gotten too commercial in my opinion. With the 2 UK releases “Metamorphosis“ and “Headclouds” which were too Experimental and nothing much to do with the early material on 4 AD I decided in 1997 it was time to reintroduce Clan Of Xymox again with the same approach and attitude as in the earl 80’s. I felt that the Xymox days were not the right way to go and that it was better to stick to my own opinion instead of letting people influence me in one way or the other.

The result was the album “Hidden Faces” released worldwide on Tess Records and Pandaimonium Records in Germany in 1997. This was the start of Clan Of Xymox again. Since Phoenix I didn’t tour anymore. Had actually no live band anymore. I started to find again people who could play live with me and soon I had a live band ready to start promoting “Hidden Faces” and the older works on 4AD. Mojca my partner was there already since 1991 with me learning to play an instrument, keys and bass. She already designed the artwork from on 1992. In 1995 I decided to play in The Netherlands and promote “Metamorphosis” and “Headclouds”. The old live members from the 80’s Frank Weyzig and Will Anvers joined me on stage together with Mojca on Keyboards. This tour made me realise I missed playing live and soon since 1997 Clan Of Xymox played live each and every year till now and will keep on playing live.

I have a steady crew for more than a decade now with Mojca from on 1991 (of course), Mario ( more than 20 years), Sean and Daniel. I stay with the labels Metropolis (USA ) and Trisol (Germany ) as well as I run my own label Xymox Control now for decades a steady course with Clan Of Xymox, only expanding with my band, slowly but gradually. It manifests in the vast amount of sold out shows we are having each year.

‘We Were In Our Extravaganza’

Q: You were closely associated with 4AD, one of the most groundbreaking labels of the early New-Wave era. How did an unknown band from the Netherlands find its way onto such an iconic label? And how did your time with 4AD influence your evolution as an artist?

Ronny: Back in 1983 I felt that my former town Nijmegen ‘deserved’ a few copies of “Subsequent Pleasures” too. I was doing all the distribution myself. I sold 150 through Rough Trade UK, 150 in New Waves France and 150 export to Essen in Germany. Anyway, so I went to Nijmegen the night of the ‘Day of the Dead’, 1st of November.
I decided to visit a friend but he was not at home so not knowing what was going on that evening  I soon found out The Cocteau Twins were playing in Doornroosje that night, so I had to see them. There was still plenty of time left so I decided to have something  to eat in my favourite eating cafe De Plak. Whilst having dinner I heard English was spoken on another table, so my interest was aroused. Maybe this couple were The Cocteau Twins? Had to be! An English male and female.  Without any hesitation I went to their table and asked them all sorts of questions about their band The Cocteau Twins. They informed me politely that they were not The Cocteau Twins but were their supporting act called Dead Can Dance and if I wanted they could put me on the guest list; which I naturally did not decline since I was no longer active in Doornroosje anymore. In return I gave them a copy of “Subsequent Pleasures” for them to listen to.

Having seen Dead Can Dance they blew me away, just like of course The Cocteau Twins. After the show I went boldly to the dressing room and drank some beer with both the bands as they were sharing the dressing room and already established that we were all like-minded, talking to each other, or trying to, because Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau’s had a very heavy Scottish accent. Difficult to understand for a  Dutchman who knew and spoke only ‘school’ English. That night I learned then that Brendan was Irish, lived in New-Zealand, moved to Australia, met Lisa in Melbourne and moved to London to work on their musical career. A similar story was true for The Cocteau Twins who moved from Scotland to London to work on their career. All was very interesting and at the end of the night we swore to keep in contact and said our goodbyes.

During that time I kept in contact with Brendan and Lisa who lived together on the Isle Of Dogs. They invited me to their London home and I stayed at their place quite a few times. In those days I had to travel by ferry to the UK, a long journey. They lived on the 11th floor with a fantastic view over London. The flats were those typical council flats, ashen grey and reeking of urine in the elevators. They had a staggering amount of locks installed on their front door. With all their equipment at home I could understand their mistrust of their surroundings. It was all very depressing but very exciting for me. Brendan worked the same way as I did. We ended up with almost the same equipment in 1986. Brendan and Lisa were then still living together and were really dedicated to music. Every day they recorded or rehearsed. Lisa mainly singing and playing the Yang Ching. I slept in the living room and later on some visits they had a closet, like the one of “Harry Potter”. I slept there and was pretty cosy;)

Xymox started playing live in 1984 again. One day Brendan Perry called me up and asked me if we wanted to support them on a tour in the UK.  Without any hesitation I agreed to do it and almost a week later we were in London. Unfortunately when we arrived nearly all the dates of Dead Can Dance got cancelled and there were only three dates left:  one in London, Huddersfield and one in Dudley. We stayed with Brendan and Lisa, sleeping all on the floor in the living room, which I knew already too well.

During our first concert In London I nearly disappeared through the hole in the stage, I had to walk very carefully  because they did not manage to cover all the holes under the stained carpet. The father of Brendan was I believe the tour manager and his mother made sandwiches for Dead Can Dance when we went on the road to Dudley. The town looked nothing much and the bar we had to play likewise.. our dressing room was between beer barrels and if we wanted to have a drink we had to buy it at the bar said the promoter resembling “Dell Boy” of “Only Fools And Horses”. Still we had a great time hanging out with Brendan and Lisa, who were very generous to give us some money for covering our ferry expenses, which I know for sure they were paying out of their own pockets. After that we did more shows all over The Netherlands till summer.

Brendan Perry was the first one who told me about 4AD.  Before that I only paid attention to bands and not too much to record labels strangely enough.  He said he gave “Subsequent Pleasures” to Ivo Watts Russell , the label boss of 4AD, and so I followed up with sending a demo to 4AD with some newer additional tracks in July 1984, recorded in the Amsterdam Octopus 8 track studio. The demo I had sent 4AD after our shows in Paris’ old theatre La Seballe Club, several Dutch and the 2 UK dates. I was getting impatient as always. I gave Ivo Watts Russell a phone call. I was complaining about how the Dutch music industry sucked and that his label was the only independent label appealing to me. A week before that,  I had a meeting with the Dutch division label EMI but this meeting reminded me of all the cliches I ever heard about Major labels. To my absolute delight and surprise Ivo told me he liked what he had heard from the demo so far and wanted to meet, to see us in person and talk about it.

Ivo wanted to meet the band, so arriving in London, me and Anke  were heading to the private home of Ivo Watts Russell and his girlfriend Debby who also worked for 4AD as their press agent. They lived together in a residential SW12 London area. We stayed in their house for a week.

Anke and I had placed these long extra hair extensions in our hair so we looked a bit like ‘Uber Goths’ with a lot of make-up and special clothing we had designed for us by a friend who was handy with the sewing machine and wanted to become a fashion designer. I saw the surprise on Ivo’s face when he saw us for the first time. We were obviously not looking the way he expected us to look. Most of his bands on the label looked actually quite normal with no real image to speak of; so here we were in our extravaganza.

Luckily Ivo and Debby liked us or the music enough to offer Xymox a record deal and with that great news we went back home. The news had spread that we were the first band 4AD signed since two years of their last signing of Dead Can Dance. After this published fact my phone started to ring frequently and offers for radio and new Dutch live shows offers came in by the plenty.

When the self-titled album “Clan Of Xymox”’ was released funny enough nearly all the journalist thought we were Scottish by origin judging by their reviews. An Englishman is always very sensitive to accents. I saw it as a compliment though. Of course ‘Clan Of’ was suggestive enough 😉 . Most reviews were ecstatic, full of praise with five star ratings, the highest you could get. I guess we got lucky with my intention not to advertise we were Dutch. Having no names on the artwork and let the album speak for itself.

The British can be real chauvinists regarding their music industry, they didn’t take foreigners making music too seriously in those days. Of course the weekly music magazines Sounds, Melody Maker, New Music Express etcetera made up their ‘mistake’ in the eye to eye interviews, clearly pointing out us being Dutch and using the usual stereotype references, with headlines like ‘Dutch Bake’, ‘Dutch Courage’, ‘Going Dutch’, ‘Hollandaise Sauce’ and any phrase relating to the war between the Dutch and the Brits a few centuries ago. Anyway it did not matter anymore because we got the attention;  had a proper selling debut album. We did a lot of photo shoots with an English photographer using drapes in the back ground giving us a more Gothic image. This was used as our promo picture.The Music Maker and Sounds were giving us regular features and interviews afterwards, which gave us finally an international standing. Soon 4AD set up a few shows in Croydon and the University of London plus a John Peel session, which was very important to establish up and coming bands.

‘We Had To Prove Ourselves Time And Time Again’

Q: You’ve already mentioned several legendary British bands that were prominent in the 1980s and shared strong connections and camaraderie. What was your experience of the Dutch music scene during that time? How do you reflect on it now?

Ronny: I only had French, British and Scottish bands as friends. I could not get along with any band in The Netherlands in the mid-eighties. In the Netherlands there was a very strong Rock culture with no space for bands like us. We had to prove ourselves time and time again. I didn’t understand the provincial attitude towards synths coming from the Dutch critics. In a very first review the national music magazine Oor reviewed synths as magic boxes which made them nervous listening to them. When our first album came out we finally got greeted by the more alternative media which just got a foot in the door and were played on radio and TV, MTV and the like. Suddenly we were part of a movement to be reckoned with. Sometimes we even played live twice on a day in The Netherlands.

‘The Only Disappointment For Me Was That I Actually Never Got To Meet John Peel’

Q: During that period, you worked with or crossed paths with notable figures like the aforementioned Brendan Perry. But what about John Fryer, David M. Allen and John Peel? What can you share about those interactions and their impact on your journey?

Ronny: Our first John Peel session was in the beginning of  November 1985. It was pretty stressful for me. We had to record 4 to 5 songs with the live band in one working ‘BBC’ day of 6 hours or so. It didn’t occur to me that I should have taken adaptors for English power plugs with me.  Because it is the BBC, no one is allowed to change a power plug without the assistance of a fully qualified engineer, so it took them already one hour to find such a person as labour union regulations dictated that the technician supposed to have his tea break of an hour. We were already losing valuable time! We didn’t have computers in those days. My first Commodore computer with TV monitor I got in 1988 when I wrote the “ Twist Of Shadows“ album.  The Macintosh 128K a normal mortal could not afford. Clan Of Xymox did however use an 8 track recorder for the backing tracks, like Depeche Mode or The Cocteau Twins used as well. It consisted of individual drum tracks, sequenced bass triggers and strings. This made life a bit easier.  We could thanks to the ‘eight track’ finish within the timeframe of the BBC.

The only disappointment for me was that I actually never got to meet John Peel. Even then he was a legend, especially to me, because it was the best program for discovering new exciting bands. I only got to call him from the 4AD office, thanking him for the opportunity he gave us. He declared in his program that we were the pioneers of Dark-Wave. That was a huge compliment and recognition for Clan Of Xymox. Soon Dutch radios started to follow suit. We got to record a live show for Radio Veronica in Hilversum. Several TV shows invited us for music programs like the VARA. MTV picked us up too. We felt we were on a roll!

John Fryer I instantly liked as a person and sound engineer. He was the in house sound engineer of 4AD and knew what he was doing. He was not afraid to experiment with sampling sounds and replacing them. The AMS delay was his secret weapon. I remember sitting evenings together with John mixing tracks by hand. So I had to pull and push knobs on my side and he on his side. It was a lot of fun and very educational. Later in live John made me a remix for “Big Brother“ from the album “Limbo” (2021).

I worked with David M. Allen on tracks like “Out Of The Rain” and “Sing A Song” together with Jools of Nitzer Ebb. It was in Leamington Spa in John Rivers’s studio. I worked with John Rivers already on the “Blind Hearts”-EP for 4AD and several B-sides for later PolyGram. Now I was working with John on the “Hidden Faces”-album (1997) and we thought it would be very cool to have Dave M. Allen involved. This certainly worked. I wished we had the budget to work on all the songs but I was already glad these two songs worked out fantastically. Dave is a very likeable person with an air of mystique around him. He gives suggestions for you to try and they always make sense. He taught me to delve deeper when needed.

‘Without Me There Is No Clan Of Xymox’

Q: Both Xymox and Clan Of Xymox included founding members Anke Wolbert and Pieter Nooten. What role did they play in shaping the band’s identity, and how do you reflect on the line-up changes over the years?

Ronny: They were both not founding members. They joined me in the beginning of the Xymox period. First Anke as I told you and later in 1985 Pieter. Because they were the first ones joining they are seen as founding members but I am sorry to say; it was always my thing. I was and still am the driving force behind the band and it’s musical direction. No one else. They concentrated mainly on their own songs like “Masquerade” or “Stumble” and “Fall” back in the days. The bulk I wrote. I participated also on their songs as well.

Regarding the songs it is true we worked more together like a band should. In the beginning we rehearsed the songs for live shows and many got changed during this process. This was only sustainable for a short while as nobody liked to rehearse together.

We ended up as 3 individuals writers with different taste and musical directions so it was inevitable it wouldn’t work out long because we were all to egocentric to begin with. When I officially broke up with Anke it was also the end of working together as a collective. We all went our own way.

Indeed we had many changes but maybe the irony is in the word ‘Clan’, a group of close knitted people. So in the end there were many LIVE musicians joining the band for a short or longer period. Joining ‘the Clan’. The red line was and is simple: without me there is no Clan Of Xymox.

All happened really fast in those days. It was a learning process for all involved. Books about the music industry and bands hardly existed. Everyone was left to do whatever with their experiences, positive or negative.
I never knew or expected that just making music could make me enemies but also gaining a lot of friends of course. Jalousie and spite can make people really vicious and vindictive and yet equally so many fans or friends treat you with the utmost respect or even adoration. To me it is just music but soon you realise it is something more than that. 

Former friends or partners turning into your personal enemy. It is the worst thing that can happen, because they know your weaknesses and irritation points and will not shy away from using this against you if they have no pride, dignity or integrity.

Thinking back on this short period between 1985 and 1989 stir more negative emotions then positive ones in me. It wasn’t all bad of course but I can’t remember real long good periods. I realise looking back that I am only happy with the band since the beginning of the  mid 90’s to now, at least 33 years so far:)

Q: How does the young Ronny Moorings compare to the musician you are today? What traits have endured, and which aspects of your younger self do you miss in your music or approach to life?

Ronny: I was definitely very naive in the beginning. When I wrote a song for example I just split the rights between the band members because I thought it would motivate my band to pull more their weight in the band and…. after all I was a socialist and not a capitalist 😉

Soon I discovered that when people sense they don’t have to do too much and can simply lay back whilst I do the heavy lifting because they get paid anyway.

I started to get annoyed with this uneven situation and learned from this that I should not give away my rights that easily just to please band members or partner. So I ended this naive approach and never looked back.
Equally I used to work with bigger crews, managers, tour managers, lawyers and all the professional people they told you would need to have in order to make it as a band.

After many annoyances about the enormous bills I decided I could do most jobs way better. I know I am a control freak. You have to be. You have to understand the way things work. Now I have a lean machine and I like it a lot. Later I also learned to delegate things and that is also very rewarding. I guess ‘live and learn’ is true in my opinion.

‘Dark-Wave Has A Strong Hold All Over The World Like In The 80’s’

Q: Many legendary New/Dark-Wave bands achieved their greatest success in the ’80s. Why do you think those years were so special and unique for the genre? How do you see the evolution of New/Dark-Wave music from its origins to today, particularly in terms of its spirit and cultural significance?

Ronny: Yes, it was a new style taking over with fashion unseen before, It was against the Hippy culture, the jeans wearing long haired pot smokers. It was a clean break from all of this, plus the ‘no future’ feeling with all the political turmoil and nuclear threats hanging over our heads. Remember Thatchers England. Ronald Reagan as president.

These bands made the sound track of our lives and guess what? It is happening again. Dark-Wave has a strong hold all over the world like in the 80’s. Yes, it’s not on the dying radio or TV stations as we know it but streaming like crazy, this time on internet radios, YouTube, Spotify It feels a bit like maybe the pirates in the 80’s.

It feels the same to me and also we have the same nuclear threats back again. In a way it feels coming ‘full circle’.

Q: Over the decades, the music industry has undergone tremendous changes -rising social media, streaming platforms, declining physical album sales, advances in technology, and shifts in performance venues from intimate gigs to massive festivals. How have you navigated these transformations, and what are your thoughts on the (r)evolution of the industry?

Ronny: I navigate these changes just fine I think. I always welcomed change and will ever do. We need to improve. We need to move forward and not backward. When for the very first time in the 80’s I could get my hands on a computer I embraced it as a big help with sequencing and programming. It made endless rehearsing patterns on keyboards so much easier. Later it became my entire virtual studio platform. Streaming is now the most important thing now in the music industry and some artists do not like it, but remember when music was pirated and artists would get nothing from it financially and no insight how many like to listen to your music etc. I love Spotify and as an artist you have access to all date regarding what your fans are listening to.
Most music I listen to these days is from platforms, on my phone with airpods. This gives me more time to listen to music when I am on the move or outside. Everything in one device is just brilliant I think. Of course I have at home all old media devices still in place. I do play vinyl as well when I am in the mood. I still love vinyl and the looks of it. The best format for the artwork to shine.

Q: While it’s difficult for any musician to choose a single album or song as their best, is there a particular piece in your discography that holds special significance for you? Or do you believe that your most recent work is always your finest?

Ronny: I have to agree with my fellow musicians. My recent is indeed the best so far as I can see and feel 😉 It is simply because new songs are for the one who wrote and recorded it the most exciting, the most fresh and recent to your current experiences. You have to play them live which you haven’t done before and in the end they will sound different then when it came out. If you don’t have that feeling the artist should not release the album in the first place 😉

‘I Let The Listener Feel What I Feel’

Q: Your lyrics often feel deeply expressive, sometimes addressing social and political themes, other times delving into introspection. Do you see your lyrics as a reflection of your true self? What value and purpose do they hold for you?

Ronny: Sometimes yes and sometimes no. It’s complicated 😉 I definitely sing about emotions I feel or felt. Say I sing about Evelyn, Louise or Michelle. That doesn’t mean I know a person with that name or sing about a real person. All these names are fictional but the feelings and thoughts what went into these songs are real. Sometimes more than one person I think about finds its place into a song lyric. It all depends. Political themes are the ones which affected me like in the Lockdown periods in the early 20’s. It comes home, becomes personal and I describe more the situation than anything else. I let the listener feel what I feel.
Sometimes I write a song to blow off steam and feel good afterwards. Most of the time it’s about a person who doesn’t want to leave me alone almost my entire life 😉 I can keep going on like that. I always delve the lyrics out of the depths of my mind where it lay buried until I get it out through some type of instrumentation deciding for me what the topic is going to be. A new to be written song has most of the time its own will and direction.

Q: Clan Of Xymox has consistently attracted new fans over the years. What do your fans mean to you, and how does it feel to have a lasting influence on the Dark-Wave scene?

Ronny: Fans are the most important to me. Without a doubt. We meet so many dedicated fans, traveling to all of our shows they can reach within reason. We always talk to anyone after the show who’s interested, have selfies taken, give autographs, give something a fan would like to experience, a closeness you can’t give onstage. A hand shake, a look in the eye.

I am honoured to contribute to the Dark-Wave scene as it is today. All bands who are now big I met when they were still beginning and were our support one time or the other. I know that we had an influence on them but now they are an influence on me the same. So it works in the end both ways. To me this scene is the best scene ever for me.

Q: Looking back on your career, what do you consider to be your biggest milestones? And what were the most significant disappointments?

Ronny: I am still working on my biggest milestone 🙂 My quest is to see how long I can still play live with the band. That is my ultimate quest in life. Disappointments enough, especially in people, but to me that is also an inspiration to write songs about so in the end all turns out for the best. I am lucky I have many good friends in my life to compensate for the negative. Unfortunately I am a person who has to be on the darker side of things in order to feel inspired. So I don’t mind 😉

Q: How have you managed to keep finding fresh ideas and challenges over the years? Were there periods where inspiration waned, and if so, how did you overcome those creative blocks?

Ronny: I think in the beginning it was harder to write as it is now. To me writing comes very natural I think. Maybe because I have more to say now than when I was in my twenties. In that time I read a lot of books in order to get lyrically inspired. For a long time now I just write from what comes up in my mind and put it into lyrics. Way easier I think and less time consuming 😉 The music was never a problem. Finding words to it is a harder nut to crack sometimes.

A creative block I handle very easy: I put the song away and start with something else. Sometimes its years later that I have a look at it again, if I can do something with it and often that’s the case. So for me I don’t like to force a song if it doesn’t present it by itself.

‘Joy Division, The Sisters Of Mercy And The Cure Were Very Important To Me’

Q: One of the most surprising entries in your discography is “Kindred Spirits” (2012), a cover album featuring renowned songs and artists. How did you choose the tracks, and what connection do you have to those songs? Would you consider them key sources of inspiration?

Ronny: When I was young, the only means of getting to know music was the radio or “Top of the Pops” later in the 70s. In the Netherlands we had bands like Shocking Blue, Brainbox, Earth And Fire, Focus, The Golden Earring and such, which appealed to me a lot. These were the bands I was interested in. On TV we grew up with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and of course The Monkees especially grouped for US TV. These bands made me want to play an instrument at a very young age. After that I always stayed on the alternative side of music. On my album “Kindred Spirits“ you can see and hear which artist influenced me in the direction I was going. Bands for example like Joy Division, The Sisters Of Mercy and The Cure were very important to me.

I gave or restricted myself to make a choice for ten songs of bands who had in one way or the other an impact on my musical taste. I wanted to give an ode to these bands and revive these songs in my memory to keep and make them as my own. In the end I did 11 tracks of my all-time favourite bands or songs.

Too many bands like to hide their influences or deny them. I decided to give them my own pedestal.

Q: This year marks the release of Clan Of Xymox’s 18th album, “Exodus”. What does this album represent within your extensive discography? Can you share insights into its creation?

Ronny: I finished and released the album “Limbo” in 2021 and I wrote the “Exodus” album after writing “Save Our Souls” in 2022 in 2023. The last song I wrote for this album was in January 2024 and here we are. In a way keeping the tradition of one album release in every two or three years.

We toured an awful lot so the little time I had, I spend in the studio taking my mind of things. The late general developments in the world I felt writing about. Instead of introspective lyrics I felt more like describing our current times we live in. After “Save Our Souls” I wrote “Fear For A World At War”, especially after all the rhetoric of Putin threatening Europe or the world with nuclear strikes. Because the world is massively gearing up for war.

When I was born there was the biggest world crisis between the Soviet Union and the USA about the missiles in Cuba.

It is ironic that now we are living with almost the exact conditions but this time closer to home, having a nuclear missile threat. History repeats itself . I certainly hope this is not getting out of hand but the signs are that we seem to step up our war talk more and more. SOS indeed. The world is at turmoil and nothing good will come out of this. Exodus for me as well when it gets out of hand. Anyway, this is the back ground for writing all these songs for “Exodus”.

Q: Talking about “Save Our Souls”, there clearly is a sense of commentary on the state of the world. Do you see music and this album as a unifying force in troubled times? How do you perceive its broader impact on society?

Ronny: “Save Our Souls” was specific about the invasion of the Russians into the Ukraine. It was a shocker for me. Especially after just having toured there in September 2021. I see music in troubled times more as a safety blanket you can wrap yourself in. It gives comfort and soothes your mind and well-being. An escape as it were from the daily sorrows we get bombarded with each and every minute. So far music can change or influence politics when masses cry out for social change. I don’t see that happen with this album or any of my albums;) Never intended for it either.

Q: Authenticity seems to be a hallmark of your music. Many fans describe a sense of genuine emotion and connection in your work. How do you experience this dynamic and interaction with your audience? How powerful or influential do you think music can be in bridging gaps and inspiring change?

Ronny: Wow, if you talk about the grand scale of things you might have a chance to do so but in the cult circuit we are maybe just the inspiring factor. That which might work on a small scale. I should certainly hope that our fans and other listeners get the music of Clan Of Xymox and feel the emotions I feel when I perform these songs with my band. Live you notice this the best. During the show I always look at people and there are so many various expressions on people faces, you feel that you are almost privileged to see an expression of someone when they sink into the song with mind and body. I love it!

‘Contrast Works Always The Best In A Way’

Q: Your music often combines dark, melancholic themes with an energy that makes people dance and feel alive. How do you reconcile these contrasting elements?

Ronny: Contrast works always the best in a way. I defines, it outlines. I have a lot of slow songs with equally dark lyrics but playing live I want to entertain people, want to make them move inside and out. I have luckily lots and lots of songs to choose from and during the years it taught me a lot about which songs people like to hear when they go to our concert. That means the classics are always included and never ignored.

Q: Finally, let’s end with a few rapid-fire questions:

• ‘Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘N’ Roll’: does this resonate with you?

Ronny: During my long career all certainly resonates at one time or the other. Experimenting with drugs I steered away long time ago. It was perhaps hip in the 80’s or attractive to experiment but the same goes for smoking or anything else unhealthy. I value a healthy life style with perhaps an alternativee: Sex, Wine and Wave 😉

• Is there a band or artist you would have loved to collaborate with?

Ronny: It’s a shame I never got to work with David Bowie. I met him once in LA when he came to see our concert in the Palace. I was too starstruck to even think of asking him. What a missed chance !

• Do you feel a spiritual connection with any particular artist or band?

Ronny: Yes, plenty! I have got so many great friends in the current scene who make great music. Backstage is always fun when we meet.

• In a world without music, what do you think you’d be doing?

Ronny: Not breathe.

• Which Clan Of Xymox song would you recommend to someone who has never heard your music before?

Ronny: “A Day”, “She” or “Loneliness” as a starter.

• How many albums has Clan Of Xymox sold, and which remains the most successful?

Ronny:  Wouldn’t you like to know 😉 “Twist Of Shadows” was still the most successful in terms of hard record-CD/Cassettes sales because it was at the time people could only buy that and did. There was no piracy then, apart from the classic copying on a blank cassette. In terms of streaming and overall impact I have to point to my later works.

• What is the ultimate dream for Clan Of Xymox?

Ronny: To carry on like the last two years.

• What would you want written on your epitaph and that of Clan Of Xymox?

Ronny:  

See you on the other side.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am not there, I didn’t go.

I didn’t die, so you know. 

See you on the other side.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

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Dark alternative / post-punk project …And We All Die, based between Texas and D.C., returns to celebrate Halloween with their new 4-track single / EP, “Static Age”. Musically the release blends hardcore, post-punk, noise-rock and industrial influences. “Static Age” by …And We All Die is available from 31 October 2024 via download from Bandcamp, and streaming from Spotify and all the usual digital music platforms.

You can however already catch an exclusive streaming of the …And We All Die feat. Gost track “TV Casualty (Industrial Mix)” right here on Side-Line!

The single is centred around covers of the Misfits’ “Static Age” and “TV Casualty”, augmented with two industrial-infused reworkings of the tracks featuring Metal Blade synthwave artist Gost. The Misfits are an American punk rock band often recognized as the pioneers of the horror punk subgenre, blending punk and other musical influences with horror film themes and imagery.

Founder Raymond Burton Estes, says: “We chose these Misfits covers because they’re great songs from the band’s early era that lend themselves to interpretation. We leaned into their heavier elements but chose a more post-punk or noise-rock approach, rather than a straightforward punk or metal one. Our releases usually come out in the Spring, but Halloween is a more appropriate time to share these songs and celebrate the Misfits.”

This release features Raymond Burton Estes on vocals and bass; joined by longtime friends and fellow East Texans, Walter Lee (Rockett Queen) on drums, and guitarist Guillermo Murillo (The Half Guided Hearts). Adding extra spice to the title track, the core trio is augmented by Shelby Cinca (catbeats) on additional guitar.

Both Estes and Lee play in Texas hardcore band Eleventh Hour together, while Estes has also been a touring bassist for Pop Unknown and Total Chaos. Cinca, now based in Sweden, previously played with D.C. post-hardcore outfit Frodus. Estes says: “…it was great having members of ‘90s hardcore bands collaborate on a Misfits song. Perhaps it’s a taste of what to expect with some …And We All Die in the future.”

James Lollar (a.k.a. Gost) has in turn been enlisted for synths on industrial versions of each song; with further synths and programming provided by William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate).

About …And We All Die

…And We All Die first took shape around the year 2000 as an effort to collaborate with a diverse group of friends and artists; and with the idea of fusing heavy music in the vein of UK82 punk rock, US hardcore, and industrial bands (Exploited, Integrity, Ministry) with darker, melodic post-punk music (The Cure, New Order, The Sisters of Mercy).

From their self-titled debut in 2016, to the “Modern Day Privateers (Remixes)” collection in 2018, …And We All Die in 2024 continues to develop a rather distinct combination of hardcore, post-punk, dark alternative, noise-rock, and industrial music.

Asked what …And We All Die has been up to since 2018, Estes says: “We have been busy recording songs and have several releases in the works, including a dark industrial rock album; an EP of Cure covers; a rock record; and at least one new punk rock song. Our next release will be this dark album with a broad range of influences – post-punk, industrial, and noise rock. John Gable of post-punk revival band Knifight did the bulk of the
production, and it’s headed to William Faith for post-production and mixing. We hope to get this record finished and released in 2025.”

“Static Age” is the first new release from …And We All Die since 2018’s “Modern Day Privateers (Remixes)”, which featured such acts and musicians as Daniel Ash (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, Tones On Tail), Assemblage 23, Gost, Ego Likeness, The Gothsicles, and others.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Belgian band Ground Nero is back with their first new album in 5 years -or is it four? “Blood Never Sleeps” was released digitally nearly a year ago, and now it’s finally getting a physical release through Danse Macabre. The main change is for sure that the band welcomed British Mark Sayle as new vocalist. Despite the lineup change, the band’s signature sound remains intact, rooted in the dark and moody influences of iconic ’80s bands like Bauhaus and The Sisters of Mercy. Ground Nero’s music blends pure Dark-Wave with an added touch of Rock, with several tracks driven by soaring guitar riffs and accented by synth lines that provide an extra burst, particularly in the choruses. This new release, already teased by several singles, includes standout tracks that are sure to expand the band’s fanbase. (Rating:7½).

Listen to “The Risen”:

About Ground Nero

Ground Nero is a Belgian band that mixes Goth-Rock, 80s Post-Punk and Cold-Wave influences into a dark, guitar-and-synth driven sound. The band debuted with the EP “Beyond” in 2016 and released the album “Divergence” through Danse Macabre Records in 2019.

“Blood Never Sleeps” first appeared digitally in 2023, and the CD edition followed through Danse Macabre Records in 2024, marking the band’s return to physical formats five years after “Divergence”. The current lineup consists of Mark Sayle (vocals), Peter Philtjens (bass) and Peter Smeets (guitars and synths), with Sayle joining as vocalist for this album. Earlier members include Danny Quentin and Guido Wampers.

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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(Photo by Bobby Talamine) Sine, the brainchild of New York-born drummer/multi-instrumentalist Rona Rougeheart, is back with an all new video, “Trauma Bondage”. Musically Sine mixes beats with industrial noise, Sub-bass and synthesisers.

Having issued records via the Austin indie media company eMERGENCY heARTS, Rougeheart recently signed to Metropolis Records and has released a brand new single entitled “Trauma Bondage” today. The track is taken from an album to be issued in early 2025. The self-written song was co-produced with US hip-hop producer AwareNess with musical contributions from Curse Mackey and mastering by Jürgen Engler of Die Krupps.

About Sine

2019 saw Rougeheart open for Bauhaus in Orlando, Florida, which led to the ongoing band project Shiva Saves SITE formed by their bassist David J that also features industrial darkwave artist Curse Mackey, plus a revolving cast that includes Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner.

Examples of other artists she has collaborated with are Adrian Sherwood, Meat Beat Manifesto, Clan of Xymox, Chris Connelly, (Pigface, Revolting Cocks), Mark Pistel (Consolidated), Andee Blacksugar (KMFDM, Blondie), Xiu Xiu and the late Mark Stewart (The Pop Group).

As Sine, Rougeheart recently opened for Nitzer Ebb and Clan Of Xymox and will support the latter on an American tour right after her debut appearance at the 2024 edition of the Cold Waves festival in Chicago on 29th September.

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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“Cooperation” is the second EP in a four-part series (“Industry” being the first) from the Belgian electronic act Metroland. The new EP emphasizes the key theme of the 2023 World Economic Forum: ‘Cooperation in a fragmented world’.

The purpose there is to encourage world leaders to join forces in tackling the complex challenges of energy, climate, and nature, in addition to investment, trade, infrastructure, emerging technologies, industrial resilience, job creation, skills development, social mobility, health, and geopolitical collaboration in a multipolar environment.

“Cooperation in a Fragmented World” as featured on the album “Forum”, has undergone significant alterations even after the initial mastering process. Metroland therefor opted not to assign specific remix names to each track. Instead, every version was designated with a distinctive and original title. Rather than the anticipated labels such as ‘radio version’ or ‘edit,’ the title was creatively transformed to “Cooperation in a shortened world”.

Also included is a 9-minute extended version, “Cooperation in a Lengthened World”. A gimmic that Metroland wanted to enhance can be heard in “Cooperation in a surrounding world”. This version is made up of a series of sounds that were featured in previous iterations before the original version was recorded.

The first part in the series was the “Industry EP.

The tracks are featured in their original version on “Forum”.

About Metroland

Metroland is a Belgian electronic band formed in 2012 by the duo Passenger A and Passenger S. Drawing heavy inspiration from the electronic pioneers Kraftwerk, their music combines elements of synthpop, minimal wave, and electronic body music (EBM). Metroland is known for their thematic albums, often focused on urbanization, technology, and transportation, particularly the metro systems that gave the band its name.

Their debut album, “Mind the Gap” (2012), explored themes related to subway systems and transportation, establishing their unique conceptual style. They continued this approach with subsequent albums such as “Triadic Ballet” (2015), inspired by the Bauhaus art movement, and “Men in a Frame” (2018), which centered around photography and the concept of framing.

Metroland’s sound is characterized by repetitive beats, analog synthesizers, and vocoder-treated vocals, staying true to a retro-futuristic aesthetic. They have released multiple albums and singles via the Belgian label Alfa Matrix.

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘Activity’.

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 on Metropolis Records on 19 July 2024 is the brand new album by the post-punk/goth legends The March Violets. The band signed to Metropolis Records in early 2024 and will release a brand new studio album entitled “Crocodile Promises” on 19th July. A single and video is available now, “Hammer The Last Nail”.

Describing the track’s lyrical content, singer Rosie Garland states: “There’s no time like now to break free of gaslighting; no time like now to untangle from toxic people. The March Violets are set to Hammer the Last Nail into damaging relationships that keep us in prison.”

The band will play seven UK dates in late July and early August prior to a US tour. Their schedule includes shows in London and Glasgow, the latter immediately preceded by a slot at Rebellion Festival in Blackpool (2nd August).

Regarding the band’s current line-up, Mat Thorpe (bass, vocals) joined band founders Rosie Garland (vocals) and Tom Ashton (guitar) as a permanent member of The March Violets in early 2024.

About The March Violets

The March Violets are a British post-punk band that emerged from the Leeds music scene in the early 1980s. They are often associated with the gothic rock movement and were contemporaries of bands like The Sisters of Mercy and Bauhaus.

The March Violets were formed in 1981 by Tom Ashton (guitar), Laurence “Loz” Elliott (bass), Simon “Si” Denbigh (vocals), and Rosie Garland (vocals). The band quickly gained a following with their unique sound characterized by a dual vocal approach and a blend of post-punk and gothic rock elements.

Their early singles, released on the independent label Merciful Release, which was also associated with The Sisters of Mercy, included tracks like “Religious as Hell” (1982) and “Grooving in Green” (1983). These releases helped establish the band’s dark and atmospheric style, marked by prominent bass lines, guitar riffs, and haunting vocals.

In 1984, The March Violets signed with a major label, London Records, and released the “Natural History” compilation, which included a mix of their earlier singles and new material.

Despite their early success, The March Violets faced numerous lineup changes and internal conflicts, which affected their stability and output. They released their only full-length album of the original era, “Electric Shades,” in 1985. The band disbanded in the mid-1980s but left a lasting impact on the gothic rock and post-punk scenes.

The March Violets reformed in 2007 and have since performed at various festivals and released new music. They released the album “Made Glorious” in 2013, which was funded through a successful crowdfunding campaign. The band’s recent work has continued to blend their signature gothic rock sound with modern influences. Read the review of ‘Crocodile Promises’.

The March Violets Discography

• Religious as Hell (1982)
• Grooving in Green (1983)
• Natural History (1984)
• Electric Shades (1985)
• Made Glorious (2013)
• Crocodile Promises (2024)

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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(Photo by Abby Laspia) Today, Cleopatra Records has reissued the Spahn Ranch album “The Coiled One”. “The Coiled One” by the Los Angeles-based electro-industrial act was originally released in 1995, and now comes with 8 bonus tracks that include album recording session outtakes that have previously never been released in any form.

The material on this reissue was digitally remastered by Jürgen Engler of Die Krupps and is now available for the first time on vinyl in a limited edition colored version that includes the original 10 songs, as well as a limited digipak “The Coiled One: Deluxe Edition” CD version (that contains the 8 bonus tracks). “The Coiled One” will also be available on all digital and streaming platforms.

Additionally, a seldom seen video created by a European fan for the song “Heretic’s Fork,” is now available once more.

“The Coiled One” was Spahn Ranch’s second studio album. Co-produced and engineered by Judson Leach, the album also included programming by Matt Green and Rob Morton, with vocals by Athan Maroulis (currently of NØIR).

About Spahn Ranch

Spahn Ranch was established in 1992 in Los Angeles by Matt Green and Rob Morton, his collaborator from New York. They pooled their savings to launch the band, having already worked together musically for the previous five years. That year, they inked a deal with Cleopatra Records and debuted with a self-titled EP featuring four tracks, with Scott “Chopper” Franklin—who would later join The Cramps as a bassist—on vocals. Franklin had left another band to join Spahn Ranch on vocals.

In 1993, Athan Maroulis joined Spahn Ranch as a vocalist, and the band recorded their first album, “Collateral Damage”. Maroulis had previously formed the New York-based group Fahrenheit 451 (1984–1986), with whom he recorded his first commercially available album. Over the ensuing years, Maroulis established himself in a number of alternative musical genres including gothic, industrial and electronic. Stints with the Philadelphia-based Executive Slacks (1987–1990), as well as Tubalcain (1991–1993), followed.

They released their second album, “The Coiled One”, in 1995 amidst Morton’s exit from the band over creative and logistical clashes. Following his departure, the lineup grew to include Christian Death’s drummer David Glass, Screams for Tina guitarist Kent Bancroft, and Tubalcain drummer Harry Lewis. This expansion ushered in a darker, more diverse electro-industrial sound that became Spahn Ranch’s hallmark. By 1997, the band had streamlined to a trio comprising Green, Maroulis, and Lewis.

Throughout the late 1990s, Spahn Ranch continued producing music. Their 1997 album “Architecture” featured contributions from Killing Joke/Prong bassist Paul Raven and Rockats/Nancy Sinatra guitarist Danny B. Harvey, taking a more experimental turn with the introduction of drum and bass, dub, and live guitar elements. “Beat Noir”, released in 1998, furthered this experimental direction and included collaborations with Bauhaus/Love & Rockets bassist David J. In 2000, the band released “Anthology 1992–1994”, a compilation including their first four releases and previously unreleased tracks.

Their final album, “Closure”, was recorded in 2000 and released in 2001.

In less than 8 years, Spahn Ranch completed a total of 5 studio albums, 4 EPs and performed more than 200 concerts in over a dozen countries before calling it a day in late 2000.

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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(Photo by Justin Minister) As we reported earlier, Toronto’s The Shadow Majlis released a debut album, “The Departure”, on which he collaborated with Bauhaus, The Mission, and DakhaBrakha members. Out now is the video for “Mazdur”. Musically, this project fuses elements of Eastern modes with post-punk.

Here’s what Ali Jafri says about the new “Mazdur” single: “It means ‘labourer’, which came to me as I watched how hard it was for Oisín to fight his losing battle to cancer. All the changes and adjustments. I chose to have the song ‘mutate’ through the different styles it weaves through. From the classical guitar to the dub reggae and ending on industrial with MRI sounds mixed in. MRIs were hard on Oisín. Existing became hard labour for him but he wasn’t ever far from having a laugh. He had a gracefulness about him which became apparent when it was observed by us as one of the constants through all the change. I dream of him sometimes, he’s ever graceful then.”

And he adds: “Going ‘dub’ on this was David J’s idea – hard to refuse. When I realized he wanted to play dubby stuff, my reaction was ummm hello?? Yes please! My demo was originally more like the first half of the song, which Bottrill and I had worked on. We saw Skinny Puppy during our sessions, which inspired the industrial ending. We recorded it the next day as a good way to conclude the ‘mutation’ furthest away from its original form. The ending was also a good place for some of the angst I was feeling and that Oisín was feeling. The machine voices say ‘We Come To Leave’, a recurring line on the album – making it a concept, I guess.”

Revolving around Ali Jafri (known as a member of David J’s live band, Pigface and various other projects), this record was produced and mixed by David Bottrill (Peter Gabriel, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Tool, David Sylvian, Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, Real World Studios).

Also on board are David J (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets) and drummer-percussionist Rakesh Tewari (Jaffa Road, The Special Interest Group) next to Dakhabrakha’s Olena Tsybulska, Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission, Peter Murphy, MGT, Tricky), Anne Bourne (Loreena McKennitt, Jane Siberry), Tuvan throat singer Soriah and more.

The full album marks the 2-year birthday of Jafri’s son Oisín, who passed away in September 2022 after battling a highly aggressive form of brain cancer. The recording helped Jafri work through grief over this and the dissolution of his conjugal relationship.

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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Lolita Terrorist Sounds – St. Lola (Album – Lolita Terrorist Factory)

Genre/Influences: Experimental, Dark-Wave, Post-Punk, Industrial.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Lolita Terrorist Sounds is driven by Italian musician Maurizio Vitale who got some assistance in the production by Roderick Miller. “St. Lola” is the debut album.

Content: It’s hard to catch the sound of this album which rather sounds like the offspring between different influences; from Dark-Wave & Post-Punk reminding me of Bauhaus and The Birthday Party to a more Industrial and experimental style.

+ + + : I like the ‘free-style’ the album has been made by. The Industrial and some Epic arrangements inject a powerful and bombast touch.

– – – : This is not the most accessible work but definitely out of the box.

Conclusion: A free transposition of Dark-Wave music and related genres into something personal.

Best songs: “Prison Song”, “Shaved Girl”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063482614013&fref=ts

About Lolita Terrorist Sounds

Lolita Terrorist Sounds was founded by Berlin-based Italian musician Maurizio Vitale. The band has collaborated with members of Einstürzende Neubauten, Iggy Pop, and PJ Harvey. The name combines Nabokov’s Lolita with cut-up techniques inspired by William Burroughs.

“St. Lola,” reviewed here, is the band’s debut album, released via Lolita Terrorist Factory with production assistance from Roderick Miller. Its closing track, “Living-in-glory,” later became the basis for a collaborative art-video with Berlin Wall artist Kiddy Citny, and the band toured Berlin, Poznań, Warsaw, and Prague in October 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

David J, known for his work with Bauhaus and Love and Rockets, is set to release a career-spanning triple album titled “Tracks from the Attic” on May 3. This release will be available in digital format, on CD, colored vinyl LP, and as a super deluxe box set art edition.

The album, which was initially released as part of Record Store Day’s RSD Black Friday 2023, comprises home demos recorded between 1984 and 2004. These tracks were personally selected by David J from his archives.

The super deluxe art edition, limited to 70 copies, will include triple colored vinyl and CD box sets, autographed artworks by David J, and original source cassettes. This special edition is exclusive to the Independent Project Records (IPR) store.

To celebrate the album’s release, a west coast tour will kick off on May 3 with an event at the Bodecker Foundation in Portland, OR, titled “Enter the Attic: an Evening with David J.” The evening will feature an interview, Q&A session, live performances, music video screenings, and an art gallery showing. The event will also be available via ticketed live streaming.

The album “Tracks from the Attic” features a variety of songs spanning David J’s career, showcasing his solo work outside of his contributions to Bauhaus and Love and Rockets. The full track listing (see below) includes titles such as “Punishment by Roses,” “The Dream Collector,” and “Oh No! Not Another Songwriter!” among others.

The triple album will be out on Independent Project Records. The label was founded in 1980 by Bruce Licher and is known for its distinctive hand-printed record covers. It has been relaunched to release new and archival content. The label is based in Bishop, California.

Tracklisting

1. Punishment by Roses
2. The Dream Collector
3. Blackmail
4. The Murders in the Rue Morgue
5. My Soul Was Still Shouting, ‘MORE!’
6. I Wish Those Spacemen Would Come
7. Badge of Lead (A Western)
8. Small Death Of a Broken Doll
9. She Calls the Morning Cruel
10. Lady Bureaux
11. Is There Anybody There?
12. The Wolf Knows
13. Castles of Limburg
14. If Muzak Be the Junk Food of Love
15. Homo Sapien Blues
16. This Town
17. Vincent In the Flames
18. They’ve Murdered Christ Again
19. Lucky Dog
20. Old Man in the Rain
21. Conspiracy of Shadows
22. The Long Ride Home
23. Cruel Britannia
24. All the Pilgrims
25. It’s Got to Be the Angels
26. I’ll Put Off Thinking About You for Awhile
27. Or Do I Speak Too Soon?
28. Oh No! Not Another Songwriter!
29. Diamonds, Black Eyes and Valentines Blues
30. The Most Beautiful Girls in the World
31. Before the Positive Was Negative
32. At Paradise
33. New Year’s Day
34. Leaning Towards the Falls
35. Dying Embers (Bonus Track – Digital Only)
36. The Rattler (Bonus Track – Digital Only)
37. The Wrecking Ball is Coming Down (Bonus Track – Digital Only)

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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Toronto’s The Shadow Majlis presents his debut album “The Departure” fusing elements of eastern modes with post-punk. Revolving around Ali Jafri (known as a member of David J’s live band, Pigface and various other projects), this record was produced and mixed by David Bottrill (Peter Gabriel, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Tool, David Sylvian, Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, Real World Studios).

Also on board are David J (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets) and drummer-percussionist Rakesh Tewari (Jaffa Road, The Special Interest Group) next to Dakhabrakha’s Olena Tsybulska, Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission, Peter Murphy, MGT, Tricky), Anne Bourne (Loreena McKennitt, Jane Siberry), Tuvan throat singer Soriah and more.

This release marks the 2-year birthday of Jafri’s son Oisín, who passed away in September 2022 after battling a highly aggressive form of brain cancer. The recording helped Jafri work through grief over this and the dissolution of his conjugal relationship.

You can check out the release on Bandcamp and other platforms.

Below are various videos for this album.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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(Photo via OMD) OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) have announced the North American dates for the North American leg of their Bauhaus Staircase Tour. The Glaswegian six-piece Walt Disco will once again be joining as their special guests for this leg of the tour, after being the opening act for the band in Europe.

OMD is promoting their latest album “Bauhaus Staircase“, the fourteenth studio album by the English electronic band. Released on 27 October 2023 by White Noise Records (and by 100% Records in the UK and Ireland), it is their first album in six years since “The Punishment of Luxury” (2017). The record was largely inspired by world politics during the late 2010s and early 2020s. Its release was preceded by three singles: the title track, “Slow Train”, and “Veruschka”.

Tickets for the North American leg of the Bauhaus Staircase Tour will go on sale on Friday at 10am local time.

OMD tour dates

EU dates

• Tuesday 27 February, 7:00 Pm: Belfast, Uk – Ulster Hall
• Wednesday 28 February, 7:00 Pm: Dublin, Ireland – 3Olympia Theatre
• Friday 1 March, 6:30 Pm: Manchester, Uk – O2 Apollo Manchester
• Saturday 2 March, 6:30 Pm: Manchester, Uk – O2 Apollo Manchester
• Sunday 3 March, 6:30 Pm: Liverpool, Uk – M&S Bank Arena Liverpool
• Tuesday 5 March, 6:30 Pm: Leeds, Uk – First Direct Arena
• Wednesday 6 March, 6:30 Pm: Edinburgh, Uk – Usher Hall
• Friday 8 March, 7:00 Pm: Glasgow, Uk – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
• Saturday 9 March, 6:30 Pm: Newcastle Upon Tyne, Uk – O2 City Hall, Newcastle
• Sunday 10 March, 7:30 Pm: Sheffield, Uk – Sheffield City Hall
• Tuesday 12 March, 7:30 Pm: Leicester, Uk – De Montfort Hall
• Wednesday 13 March, 7:00 Pm: Nottingham, Uk – Royal Concert Hall Notts
• Friday 15 March, 6:30 Pm: Wolverhampton, Uk – Wolverhampton Civic Hall
• Saturday 16 March, 6:00 Pm: Swansea, Uk – Swansea Arena
• Sunday 17 March, 7:00 Pm: Southend On Sea, Uk – Southend Cliffs Pavilion
• Tuesday 19 March, 7:00 Pm: Bristol, Uk – Bristol Beacon
• Wednesday 20 March, 7:00 Pm: Oxford, Uk – New Theatre Oxford
• Friday 22 March, 7:00 Pm: Portsmouth, Uk – Portsmouth Guildhall
• Saturday 23 March, 7:30 Pm: Ipswich, Uk – Ipswich Regent Theatre
• Sunday 24 March, 6:30 Pm: London, Uk – The O2
• Tuesday 26 March, 7:30 Pm: Brighton, Uk – Brighton Dome
• Wednesday 27 March, 6:30 Pm: Eastbourne, Uk – Winter Gardens

South Africa

• Thursday 18 April, 9:00 Am: Cape Town, South Africa – Green Point Stadium
• Saturday 20 April, 9:00 Am: Johannesburg, South Africa – Marks Park

North America

• Wednesday 11 September, 7:00 Pm: Vancouver, Bc, Canada – Orpheum Theatre
• Thursday 12 September, 7:00 Pm: Seattle, Wa, Us – Moore Theatre
• Friday 13 September, 7:00 Pm: Portland, Or, Us – Roseland Theater
• Sunday 15 September, 7:00 Pm: Oakland, Ca, Us – Fox Theater
• Tuesday 17 September, 7:00 Pm: Las Vegas, Nv, Us – House Of Blues – Las Vegas
• Thursday 19 September, 9:00 Am: Los Angeles (La), Ca, Us – Greek Theatre
• Friday 20 September, 8:00 Pm: Los Angeles (La), Ca, Us – Greek Theatre
• Saturday 21 September, 7:00 Pm: San Diego, Ca, Us – Balboa Theatre
• Sunday 22 September, 7:00 Pm: Salt Lake City, Ut, Us – The Union Event Center – Salt Lake City
• Wednesday 25 September, 7:00 Pm: Denver, Co, Us – Paramount Theatre
• Friday 27 September, 7:00 Pm: Dallas, Tx, Us – Majestic Theatre
• Saturday 28 September, 7:00 Pm: Austin, Tx, Us – Austin City Limits Live At The Moody Theater
• Sunday 29 September, 7:00 Pm: Houston, Tx, Us – Bayou Music Center
• Friday 4 October, 7:00 Pm: Minneapolis, Mn, Us – First Avenue
• Saturday 5 October, 7:00 Pm: Chicago, Il, Us – Riviera Theatre
• Sunday 6 October, 7:00 Pm: Royal Oak, Mi, Us – Royal Oak Music Theatre
• Tuesday 8 October, 7:00 Pm: Toronto, On, Canada – History
• Wednesday 9 October, 7:00 Pm: Cleveland, Oh, Us – House Of Blues – Cleveland
• Thursday 10 October, 7:00 Pm: New York (Nyc), Ny, Us – Terminal 5
• Saturday 12 October, 7:00 Pm: Huntington, Ny, Us – The Paramount
• Sunday 13 October, 7:00 Pm: Boston, Ma, Us – Citizens House Of Blues – Boston
• Tuesday 15 October, 7:00 Pm: Glenside, Pa, Us – Keswick Theatre
• Wednesday 16 October, 7:00 Pm: Washington, Dc, Us – Lincoln Theatre
• Friday 18 October, 7:00 Pm: Atlanta, Ga, Us – Buckhead Theatre
• Saturday 19 October, 7:00 Pm: Orlando, Fl, Us – The Plaza Live
• Sunday 20 October, 7:00 Pm: St Petersburg, Fl, Us – Jannus Live

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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Iranian musician Azam Ali has signed with COP International, and is set to release her first studio album since 2019’s “Phantoms”. You might know Azam Ali also as member of the bands VAS and Niyaz.

“Being an independent artist for years now after breaking away from the industry model of releasing my music through record labels, meeting COP founder Christian Petke and seeing his great passion for the music he meticulously curates and releases on COP International, reawakened the joy I experienced in the early days of my career when I would collaborate with a label to produce a body of work that raised the bar artistically,” explains Ali.

Ali has collaborated either in-studio or on stage with Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Peter Murphy of Bauhaus, The Crystal Method, Mickey Hart, among many others. Her soundtrack work in film and television includes “Thor – The Dark World”, “Matrix- Revolutions”, “300”, “The Fight Club”, “Dawn of the Dead”, “True Blood”, “Alias”, “The Agency”, and “Prison Break”. She is also a well-known musical force in the video game world, having composed music for “Uncharted 3”, “Call of Duty”, “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands”, and “Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow”.

Currently in the studio, Azam Ali is crafing her new album, planned for release later in 2024. John Fryer will be producing the material.

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 English gothic rock act Sirens Of Light has just released their rendition of the Led Zeppelin track, “In The Evening”. The cover is now available across major digital platforms, including Bandcamp.

Andy J. Davies, the driving force behind Sirens Of Light, expressed his admiration for the song: “This is possibly Led Zeppelin’s finest work, yet it remains underrated. Our cover takes inspiration from the original studio recording and the iconic live performance at the 1979 Knebworth concert. I have a personal connection with this song, having listened to it live from my garden, too young to attend the concert itself.”

Originating from London, UK, Sirens Of Light emerged in the gothic rock scene in 2004. The band’s sound is a blend of early gothic rock influences and the London Goth and Glam scenes of the 80s and 90s. They draw inspiration from icons like Sisters Of Mercy, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Southern Death Cult, March Violets, Rose Of Avalanche, and Bauhaus.

Their debut album, “Nullus Magis Gothica,” was recorded in 2004 and saw a limited release in 2005. The lost original recordings were discovered in 2021, leading to a new, re-mixed version being released on November 8, 2022.

Below is the track for download on Bandcamp.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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The Brescia, Italy-based goth act Ignis Absconditus has launched the official video of the song “Mr. Smith” is the first track from the band’s upcoming album “Golden Horses Of A Dying Future” scheduled for February 2nd, 2024 on the My Kingdom Music label.

Ignis Absconditus brings goth with influences from dark wave to post-punk, from black metal to avantgarde music and neo-folk. The band itself names bands such as Katatonia, Joyless, Christian Death, Bauhaus and Ved Buens Ende as influences. Behind the band we find Jack-G on electric guitars; Dani B-life on bass; and Henry Der Wanderer (Nebrus, Nott, Ad Omega) on drums, percussions, keyboards and 12 strings electric guitar.

This is the official video for “Mr. Smith”.

Here is what Henry Der Wanderer says about the album: “Our album “Golden Horses Of A Dying Future” is a work that shows the desire to find a personal way to express our deepest sensations and it is a source of great satisfaction for us to see it under the aegis of My Kingdom Music. Ignis Absconditus is a project that we care a lot about, it is extremely personal and, even if not immediate, I am sure that we will be able to bring it into the souls of as many people as possible and My Kingdom Music is the right label to be able to do this type of work, because a few ones are able to promoting the darkness like them.”

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Genre/Influences: Electro-Wave, EBM, Cinematic.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Hungarian First Aid 4 Souls remains ultra-prolific already releasing new work. Core member István Gazdag wanted to revisit his Electro-Goth roots and paying ‘tribute to the work of geniuses who laid the foundations of Synth Dark-Wave and to his personal heroes that are Bauhaus and Tones On Tail.’ The EP -which rather looks as a mini-album, features seven songs. Belgian singer ‘Vain Sacrosanct’  (Causenation) sung on five cuts while Canadian-Hungarian female vocalist Linda Daemon (Kr3ll, Black Mamba…) and UK Pop singer Mark Duffield each sang on one song.

Content: We’re used to hear First Aid 4 Souls dealing with sophisticated EBM but István Gazdag also took us by surprise exploring other sonic fields during the past years. The EBM influence is definitely present at this work but there indeed is a good-old 80s Electro-Wave influence as well. The work sounds more atmospheric and even evasive on a few passages. The Electro-Wave tribute is accentuated at a few cuts by guitar sounds.

+ + + : Gazdag has already accomplished a meaningful production which sounds different from the ‘traditional’ sound of the project although featuring cool cuts. There also is a true symbiosis between his music and the charismatic vocals of Vain Sacrosanct. My favorite cuts are the ones revealing an explicit EBM touch but there’s also something to say about both debut cuts featuring an ominous atmosphere.

– – – : I can’t say First Aid 4 Souls is too prolific but it sometimes becomes difficult to catch the red line between all the different albums and EPs of the project.

Conclusion: A very personal but accomplished tribute to some of István Gazdag’s favorite 80s artists.

Best songs: “Now You Can See Me”, “The Sweetest Temptation”, “Alpha Female”, “Laudator Temporis”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.firstaid4souls.com / www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063628544089

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘Laudator Temporis Acti’.

Listen to “Laudator Temporis Acti”:

About First Aid 4 Souls

First Aid 4 Souls is the project of Hungarian artist István Gazdag, signed to Alfa Matrix. The prolific project moves between EBM and Electro-Wave, and the “Laudator Temporis Acti” EP was described by Gazdag as a tribute to Bauhaus and Tones On Tail.

The seven-song release features Belgian singer Vain Sacrosanct (Causenation) on five tracks, with Canadian-Hungarian vocalist Linda Daemon (Kr3ll, Black Mamba) and UK singer Mark Duffield each contributing one song.

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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Cologne’s Blue Shell hosts a brand new event series: The Neue Klangordnung (New Sound Order, NKO). The newly founded NKO collective brings the “Blue Shell” back to its roots: rough industrial underground sound, rooted in body music (EBM), post-techno and the new cold / dark wave.

The NKO sees itself as a space for dance and sound experiments, “in which people regain control of their smartphones and their heads are freed for the experience.”

Max Esser explains: “By mainstreaming underground music genres such as techno, the NKO wants to shape new, alternative music styles of tomorrow with its DIY approach. This is inspired by sound pioneers such as Cabaret Voltaire, DAF, Test Dept. and Esplendor Geómetrico, and the next chapter of Industrial is to be entered into at NKO under the term Post-Techno. This is implemented behind the mixing desks of DJ and darkwave performer BORGBORG, the industrial-purified mixing master Hugo Dirac, the Cologne selector Klaus F., and the sound researcher MX Probe.”

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Neue Klangordnung (@neueklangordnung) • Instagram photos and videos

For fans of: Einstürzende Neubauten, Esplendor Geométrico, NAKED, Spit Mask, Broken English Club, Parrish Smith, Bauhaus, Severed Heads, DJedjotronic, ADULT, Fixmer/McCarthy, Boy Harsher, Alessandro Adriani, Ancient Methods, Randolph & Mortimer, Unconscious, Sarin, Alen Skanner, Years of Denial, Whitehouse, Throbbing Gristle/Psychic TV, Qual.

This is what the NKO Spotify playlist sounds like.

What, where and how of The Neue Klangordnung

• When: 24. November 2023 – 22:00 o‘clock
• Where: Blue Shell, Luxemburger Str. 32, 50674 Cologne
• Cost: 8€ Box office, 6€ limited presale via Rausgegangen

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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Former The Cure member Lol Tolhurst, former Siouxsie & The Banshees drummer Budgie, and producer Jacknife Lee have teamed up to create their debut album, “Los Angeles.” This 13-track album is out now through PIAS.

The trio describes the record as “a hard-hitting and compulsively exploratory 55-minute electronic mindscrew, founded on unrivalled rhythmic expertise, fleshed out with an armoury of synths, guitars (Jacknife’s forte) and supplementary percussion, often overlaid with elite-class strings and brass, then universally twisted, manipulated and quite masterfully sculpted by Lee, with his super-producer’s hat on.”

Joining forces with these music veterans are such artists as LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie, U2’s The Edge, IDLES’ Mark Bowen, Lonnie Holley, Mary Lattimore, Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock, and Pan Amsterdam.

The debut single, “Los Angeles”, features James Murphy’s lead vocals. The single comes accompanied by a music video, directed by John Liwag.

The tracklist for the album is the following.

1. This Is What It Is (To Be Free) (with Bobby Gillespie)
2. Los Angeles (with James Murphy)
3. Uh Oh (with Arrow de Wilde and Mark Bowen)
4. Ghosted at Home (with Bobby Gillespie)
5. Train With No Station (with The Edge)
6. Bodies (with Lonnie Holley and Mary Lattimore)
7. Everything and Nothing
8. Travel Channel (with Pan Amsterdam)
9. Country of the Blind (with Bobby Gillespie)
10. The Past (Being Eaten)
11. We Got To Move (with Isaac Brock)
12. Noche Oscura (with The Edge)
13. Skins (with James Murphy)

In related news, Lol Tolhurst, co-founder of The Cure, is to release a new book titled “Goth: A History” on September 23rd. The book is a historical account of the genre and culture of goth music, building upon his first memoir, “Cured”.

In it Tolhurst identifies key players in the establishment of the genre, referring to them as the “Architects of Darkness”. This group includes Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, and The Cure. He further discusses a group of bands he labels as the “Spiritual Alchemists”, which includes Depeche Mode and Cocteau Twins, indicating their role in extending the reach of goth culture. The book also tracks the genre’s expansion from England to New York, Los Angeles, and other locations.

Side-Line also covered The Cure’s ‘Paris’.

About Lol Tolhurst

Laurence “Lol” Tolhurst (born 3 February 1959) co-founded the Cure in 1976 alongside childhood friend Robert Smith, originally on drums, later switching to keyboards. He played on the band’s early albums, including “Three Imaginary Boys,” “Seventeen Seconds,” “Faith” and “Pornography,” and departed in 1989 following the recording of “Disintegration.” He rejoined the Cure for a 2011 reunion tour and was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, and published the memoir “Cured: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys” in 2016.

After leaving the Cure, Tolhurst moved to Los Angeles and formed the band Presence with singer Gary Biddles in 1990, releasing the album “Inside” (1993). In 2002 he and wife Cindy Levinson formed the electronica act Levinhurst, releasing “Perfect Life” (2004) and “House by the Sea” (2007).

Tolhurst’s most recent studio work is “Los Angeles,” a collaborative album with Siouxsie and the Banshees drummer Budgie (Peter Edward Clarke) and producer Jacknife Lee, released via PIAS Recordings on 3 November 2023. The album features guest contributions from James Murphy, the Edge, Bobby Gillespie and Isaac Brock. “Los Angeles” is billed as the first collaborative album between Tolhurst and Budgie, the longtime Siouxsie and the Banshees drummer.

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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Gothic rock band Black Angel has released its fifth studio album, “Lascivious”. This album is a follow-up to their prior work, “The Black Rose”. Maintaining the gothic rock essence evident in their earlier albums like “The Widow,” “Kiss of Death,” and “Prince of Darkness,” “Lascivious” promises the same signature sound.

Matt Vowles, the force behind the ten-track album’s production and writing, chose to revisit Black Angel’s earlier sound from the “Kiss of Death” days. He emphasizes staying true to the core gothic elements that inspire him, drawing from iconic bands such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, The Cult, and Sisters of Mercy.

Corey Landis, the band’s frontman and lead vocalist, collaborates with Maneesha Jones, who lends her voice for female backing vocals.

“Lascivious” can be purchased in CD and digital formats, and there are plans to release a vinyl version soon.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

In 2023, Dancedelicd collaborated with Brussels-based Je M’en Fish Records on three vinyl releases. Among these, The Neon Judgement’s compilation “Blue Screens” is scheduled for November 5th. This release will be on a 180-gram vinyl format and will come in three different colors.

In the early 1980s, Dirk Timmermans, also known as Dirk Da Davo, and Frank Vloeberghs, known as TB Frank, founded The Neon Judgement. They initially gained attention for their unique blend of stark industrial elements with intricate guitar and synthesizer work.

During the 1990s, the duo shifted their musical direction and also changed labels. They released Dazsoo under KK Records, known for artists like Bauhaus and Frontline Assembly; At Devil’s Fork with Synthetic Symphony, home to Die Krupps and Welle: Erdball; and Smack on LC Music/Dancedelic-D, Dirk Da Davo’s own label.

This 10-track compilation features a curated selection from these latter three albums, all of which have been fully remastered and are making their debut on vinyl.

Earlier this year Dirk Da Davo’s album “Retrospective 1987 – 2023” album was released in April. Additionally, June saw a reissue of The Neon Judgement’s “PIAS 40” vinyl, which includes several tracks from the 1980s.

A digital EP is planned for November 20th, involving Dirk’s side project DDDJMX and Jean-Marie Aerts (JMX). The EP is titled “23”.

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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Black Angel, the London-based gothic rock band, has just unveiled their fifth studio album, “Lascivious”, featuring 10 tracks.

Serving as the sequel to their previous album, “The Black Rose”, “Lascivious” marks a musical evolution for the band. They’ve returned to a lush, orchestral soundscape while maintaining their core Gothic influences, reminiscent of legendary acts like Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, The Cult, and Sisters of Mercy.

Available in both CD and digital formats, “Lascivious” is set to make its vinyl debut in the near future. In addition, Black Angel is actively seeking partnerships with touring companies for their upcoming tour later this year.

Watch the music video for their single, “Killer”, right below.

You can order the album and merchandise right below as well from Bandcamp.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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OMD is set to debut the music video for “Veruschka,” a sneak peek from their upcoming album “Bauhaus Staircase,” tonight at 7pm UK time / 8pm CET on YouTube. Andy McCluskey will be live online, providing commentary during the video premiere and interacting with fans.

The band’s forthcoming studio album, “Bauhaus Staircase,” is slated for release on October 27th, available in CD, vinyl, cassette, and digital formats. In a recent interview, McCluskey hinted that this could potentially be OMD’s final studio album, although that remains to be confirmed.

OMD has also previously released a music video for “Slow Train,” which you can watch below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Hungarian musician István Gazdag, in collaboration with Mortum, has unveiled a brand-new EP titled “Laudator Temporis Acti” under the First Aid 4 Souls banner. The EP is available for immediate download on Bandcamp.

This 7-track EP is a nod to the past, with the band embracing their electro-goth origins and paying homage to iconic bands such as Bauhaus and Tones On Tail. Additionally, István Gazdag has incorporated contemporary inspirations from the thriving post-punk cold wave genre, drawing from bands like Sextile and Paradox Obscure among others.

For this unique project, István Gazdag joined forces with old friends. This includes Vain Sacrosanct, the lead singer of the Belgian cold electro group Causenation, with whom Gazdag previously co-released an album titled “Stainless Steel Eyes”. The EP also showcases talents like the renowned industrial metal singer Linda Daemon, who has Canadian-Hungarian roots and is known for her work with Kr3Ll and Black Mamba, as well as UK’s noir pop artist Mark Duffield.

The fresh EP is available for listening below. Read the review of ‘Laudator Temporis Acti’.

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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OMD is set to release their 14th studio album, “Bauhaus Staircase”, on 27th October through White Noise Records. This new release will be a continuation from their 2017 album, “The Punishment of Luxury”, and represents their fourth album since the band’s 2006 reformation.

During the UK’s COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Andy McCluskey, OMD’s frontman, wrote the majority of “Bauhaus Staircase”. Concurrently, the band’s mixing of the album experienced a delay as Paul Humphreys, another key member, welcomed parenthood. It’s also worth noting that this upcoming album will incorporate older, previously unfinished tracks from the band’s archives.

McCluskey has indicated in an interview that “Bauhaus Staircase” willprobably be OMD’s final studio album. But that remains to be seen of course, never say never.

The title track, “Bauhaus Staircase”, is available now as a single.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Synical, the dark wave industrial act, is set to release their fifth album, ‘This Will All Happen Again’, today on Cleopatra Records. The album promises a unique blend of goth, dark-wave, and post-punk genres.

Based in Los Angeles, California, Synical draws inspiration from a diverse range of artists, including Depeche Mode, New Order, The Cure, Prince, Joy Division, and Kraftwerk.

A string of collaborations on new album with members from Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, …

Synical was founded in 1989 by singer/songwriter, producer, and engineer, Brian Haught, after his departure from the electronic funk band AC Black, which was signed to Motown Records. Since its inception, Synical has evolved significantly, featuring a variety of band members and transitioning through numerous sounds over the years. What started as a solo act for Brian eventually expanded into a duo, then a trio, and finally a full five-piece band.

For their latest album, Brian Haught split his time between LA and Atlanta, writing new songs and recording in both cities. Collaborating with David Black, Jimi Echo, Eric Griffin (Muderdolls), and former Synical drummer Cheney Brannon (Collective Soul), the band also welcomed Noel Page during the recording sessions.

Over the years, Synical has collaborated with a host of musicians, including John Fryer (NIN, Love & Rockets, Depeche Mode), Ivan De Prume (White Zombie), Roy Mayorga (Ministry, SoulFly, Stone Sour), Alex Carapetis (NIN, Julian Casablancas), Robin Finck (NIN, Guns N’ Roses), Cheney Brannon (Collective Soul), and Racci Shay Hart (Dope).

The new 10-track album features guest appearances from members of Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Mary My Hope, Faster Pussycat, Genitorturers, and Murderdolls.

Guns N’ Roses demos for “Chinese Democracy”

In the late nineties, Brian Haught collaborated with Robin Finck (Nine Inch Nails/Guns N’ Roses Guitarist) on some of the Guns N’ Roses album demos for “Chinese Democracy”. This collaboration led to the recruitment of new band members to continue his vision for Synical. Joined by guitarist Eric Griffin, bassist Brent Ashley, and Ben Graves, they released their third album “Synical Forever” in 2004 and their fourth “Quit While You’re Behind” in 2012. Following a tumultuous tour of Italy, Brian decided to further reconstruct and update Synical’s members, leading to the current lineup.

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 independent record label Massacre Records, known for its focus on heavier metal genres, is set to launch a cover album titled “New Wave Gone Metal” by James Rivera‘s Metal Wave in late August. This venture marks a new direction for the Germany-based label, introducing the concept of ‘metal wave’.

James Rivera, an American vocalist known for his role as the lead singer of the heavy metal band Helstar, is the brain behind this project. Rivera, who also lent his voice to Seven Witches from 2002 to 2005, has been part of numerous tribute bands throughout his career, which provides some context for this latest album.

Rivera, who has also been associated with bands like Helstar, Killing Machine, Seven Witches, and formerly Flotsam and Jetsam, shares, “I have always loved each of these songs in their original versions, but after reimagining them in our unique metal style, it’s challenging for me to listen to them as they once were. I believe that once these new wave classics grab hold of you in their metal wave form, you’ll never hear them the same way again!”

The album will feature ‘metal wave’ renditions of songs from bands such as Depeche Mode, The Cure, Tears for Fears, Echo & the Bunnymen, Bauhaus, The Sisters of Mercy, The Psychedelic Furs, Peter Gabriel, Ramones, and The Cult.

Here’s the video for the project’s ‘metal wave’ interpretation of Depeche Mode’s “Black Celebration”. The video was directed and edited by Larry Barragán for Hombre Malo Studios.

The release will be available in 3 formats, a black and red vinyl (250 copies) and on CD.

Tracks:

1. Black Celebration (Depeche Mode)
2. Love My Way (The Psychedelic Furs)
3. Lovesong (The Cure)
4. Shock The Monkey (Peter Gabriel)
5. Black Planet (The Sisters Of Mercy)
6. Everybody wants to rule the World (Tears For Fears)
7. Bela Lugosi’s Dead (Bauhaus)
8. The Killing Moon (Echo & The Bunnymen)
9. Pet Sematary (Ramones)
10. Rain (The Cult)

For more on The Cure, see The Cure has top grossing tour and gives the middle finger to… on Side-Line.

About James Rivera

James Rivera (born 15 April 1960) is an American heavy metal vocalist best known as frontman of Helstar, a power metal band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1982 by guitarist Larry Barragan, which Rivera joined shortly after formation. Helstar’s debut album, “Burning Star” (Combat Records, 1984), placed the band within the emerging US power metal scene, and Rivera and Barragan remain the band’s only original members across its subsequent lineup changes. Rivera has also fronted or guested with Vicious Rumors, Destiny’s End and Seven Witches, and performs with the project Distant Thunder.

Rivera’s covers project, credited to James Rivera’s Metal Wave, released the album “New Wave Gone Metal” via Massacre Records, reimagining 1980s new wave and post-punk songs in metal arrangements, including Depeche Mode’s “Black Celebration,” the Cure’s “Lovesong” and Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” alongside covers of the Psychedelic Furs, Peter Gabriel, the Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, Echo & the Bunnymen and the Cult. “New Wave Gone Metal” reworks songs originally by Depeche Mode, the Cure and Tears for Fears, among others, in metal arrangements.

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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Lol Tolhurst, co-founder of The Cure, is to release a new book titled “Goth: A History” on September 23rd. The book is a historical account of the genre and culture of goth music, building upon his first memoir, “Cured”.

In “Goth: A History”, Tolhurst provides a detailed exploration of goth music, using stories and anecdotes from his personal experience, as well as from the musicians and artists who have been part of the genre’s development.

The book begins by investigating the origins of Goth, with Tolhurst detailing the early art and literature that influenced the genre. He references the work of writers such as T.S Eliot, Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, and Albert Camus, suggesting their work had an impact on the formation of goth music.

Tolhurst identifies key players in the establishment of the genre, referring to them as the “Architects of Darkness”. This group includes Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, and The Cure. He further discusses a group of bands he labels as the “Spiritual Alchemists”, which includes Depeche Mode and Cocteau Twins, indicating their role in extending the reach of goth culture. The book also tracks the genre’s expansion from England to New York, Los Angeles, and other locations.

The author also discusses the fashion associated with the goth movement, indicating its role in complementing the music. The book concludes with a consideration of the legacy of goth music, highlighting its influence on contemporary music, film, TV, visual arts, and social media.

There are a limited number of signed copies available on Tolhurst’s website.

About Lol Tolhurst

Lol Tolhurst is a founding member of The Cure, a band formed in 1976 and recognized as influential in the alternative music scene. He has performed various roles within the band, including drummer and keyboard player. After leaving The Cure, he continued to write, record, and tour with his band, Levinhurst. More recently, he has reunited with former bandmates for a tour, collaborated with Budgie from Siouxsie and the Banshees, and released a new podcast series titled “Curious Creatures”.

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 London-based electro act Alien Creation is back with the previously unreleased track “Red Pill”. Taken from a well-known phrase in ‘The Matrix’ movies, “Red Pill” confronts the modern world and our inability to see an obvious scam in our internet-obsessed, neon-lit, high-tech society so Chris Clark says.

Chris Clark: “The lyrics in the song address the one mantra we should say to ourselves in the mirror every morning; there is a ‘scam in just about everything’ and no matter what happens in the world, someone somewhere is making money from the misery of others. “Wise Up Sucker!”” Take the Red Pill and see the scam in everything.”

“Red Pill” is available on all major streaming platforms and as a digital download from Bandcamp.

In 2019 Chris Clark recorded an album and released his first E.P. in 2020, “Unique Lab Accidents”. During the worldwide lockdown Alien Creation recorded and released another E.P. “Lust Locked Down” in 2021. The EP included several remixes. Since then, Chris got back out playing drums and touring again with The Nosferatu, She’s in Bauhaus and The Teenage werewolves as Alien Creation went into hibernation.

With an album “You’ve Been Probed” and other tracks that never really got a proper release because of the pandemic, Alien Creation is set to launch its campaign with releasing previously unreleased material and an entire new album that is already recorded.

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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(Photo by Tish Ciravolo) LA-based post-punk collective Beauty In Chaos is back with the new single “Kiss Me (Goodbye)” and a video filmed and directed by Vicente Cordero of Industrialism Films.

This track features Leeds-born Wales-raised artist Julian Shah-Tayler on vocals, as well as Pete Parada (Face To Face, The Offspring) on drums. The single was produced by Michael Rozon.

Julian Shah-Tayler, known for his electro rock new wave ‘intellipop’, has been collaborating with the likes of David J (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets), Alan McGee, Joaquin Phoenix and Antony Langdon (Spacehog), Siobhan Fahey (Bananarama, Shakespears Sister) and producer Robert Margouleff (Devo). Note that Shah-Tayler is also behind the Depeche Mode tribute band Strangelove.

“Kiss Me (Goodbye)” is out on May 5 via 33.3 Music Collective, available everywhere digitally, including Bandcamp.

Here’s the video.

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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We are still getting quite a few questions regarding this, so here it is again. The “Celebrating David Bowie” tour has been postponed to the fall due to headliner Peter Murphy undergoing “an unexpected medical procedure that prevents his ability to travel as planned,” as announced by the his management. The Bauhaus frontman is recovering well and is expected to be fully fit to tour the U.S. in the fall.

The tour, which also features guitarist Adrian Belew and members of Spacehog and A Perfect Circle, was initially scheduled for April and May. The rescheduled dates now begin in October and continue through late November. The tour itinerary remains largely unchanged, albeit in a different order, and has expanded from 26 to 27 dates with the addition of a concert in Chicagoon November 21st. The planned San Antonio, Texas, stop has been moved to nearby Austin. More information can be found at celebratingdavidbowie.com.

The assembled musicians will highlight David Bowie’s greatest hits during the tour, with a strong emphasis on Ziggy Stardust, the Berlin trilogy (“Low”, “Heroes”, and “Lodger”), and his later Trent Reznor-inspired years. Murphy and Belew, who have both played with Bowie and Nine Inch Nails, will be joined on stage by guitarist Scrote, Spacehog frontman Royston Langdon, A Perfect Circle members Matt McJunkins (bass) and Jeff Friedl (drums), saxophonist Ron Dziubla, and guitarist Eric Schermerhorn, who played with Bowie’s Tin Machine.

Murphy had been touring with the reunited Bauhaus last year, but the journey fell apart when Murphy entered rehab in late August. The other members of Bauhaus have since agreed to reform as Love and Rockets.

Initial Rescheduled Appearances are:

• 10/10 Tacoma, WA Temple Theatre
• 10/11 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
• 10/14 San Francisco, CA The Regency Ballroom
• 10/16 Anaheim, CA City National Grove of Anaheim
• 10/17 San Diego, CA Music Box – San Diego
• 10/18 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre
• 10/20 Austin, TX ACL Live at The Moody Theater
• 10/21 Tulsa, OK Tulsa Theater
• 10/22 Grand Prairie, TX Texas Trust CU Theatre
• 10/24 Houston, TX House of Blues
• 10/25 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
• 10/26 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
• 10/29 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Broward Center – Parker Playhouse
• 10/31 St. Petersburg, FL Mahaffey Theater
• 11/03 Chattanooga, TN Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium
• 11/05 Virginia Beach, VA Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
• 11/06 Washington D.C. The Hamilton Live
• 11/10 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
• 11/11 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse
• 11/12 Westbury, NY NYCB Theatre at Westbury
• 11/14 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie Center for the Arts
• 11/15 Englewood, NJ Bergen Performing Arts Center
• 11/16 Lynn, MA Lynn Auditorium
• 11/17 Staten Island, NY St. George Theatre
• 11/20 Munhall, PA Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
• 11/21 Chicago, IL Copernicus Center %
• 11/22 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre

% – New Confirmed Performance – On-Sale 4/14

About Peter Murphy

Born on July 11, 1957, Peter Murphy is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist for the post-punk goth rock band Bauhaus. When Bauhaus initially split up, Murphy collaborated with Japan’s bassist Mick Karn to form Dali’s Car, releasing one album titled “The Waking Hour” (1984). Subsequently, Murphy embarked on a solo career, releasing several albums, such as “Should the World Fail to Fall Apart” (1986) and “Love Hysteria” (1988).

In 1990, Murphy found mainstream success with his hit single “Cuts You Up”, which topped the American Modern Rock Tracks for seven weeks, and the album “Deep” also achieved commercial success. In 1992, he released “Holy Smoke” along with the lead single “The Sweetest Drop”.

In 2002, Murphy collaborated with Turkish-Canadian composer and producer Mercan Dede on the – excellent – album “Dust”, which showcased a departure from his previous pop and rock styles. The album incorporated traditional Turkish instrumentation and songwriting, blending elements from progressive rock, trance, classical music, and Middle Eastern music with Dede’s signature atmospheric electronics. In 2014, Murphy released “Lion”, produced by Killing Joke’s Youth.

With his thin frame, striking cheekbones, deep baritone voice, and affinity for dark poetry, Murphy is often referred to as the “Godfather of Goth”.

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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Metroland’s latest album, “0,” is now available on CD, double blue vinyl, and for download. During the pre-sale, those who pre-ordered the double vinyl received a complimentary “X” album CD. This exclusive 75-minute anniversary release features five mega mixes, each representing one of their five studio albums and highlighting the vintage synth music of Belgium.

The “X” album is now solely available as an independent album at the standard album price, on CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore and as a download via Bandcamp.

Both the vinyl and CD versions of “0” contain 12 tracks each, with Metroland making a conscious effort to differentiate them through subtly distinct artwork and varied track listings, showcasing that they are not just an ordinary computer pop band.

About Metroland

Metroland, a Belgian electronic duo, is known for their unique blend of minimalistic, melodic synthpop and a passion for transportation and urban themes. Formed in 2012, the duo consists of Passenger A and Passenger S, who have managed to make a name for themselves in the electronic music scene with their meticulously crafted soundscapes and engaging live performances.

Passenger A, a talented keyboardist and sound designer, and Passenger S, a skilled programmer and composer, met in the late 1990s while working at a local record store. Bonding over their shared love for electronic music pioneers like Kraftwerk, OMD, and Depeche Mode, they began to collaborate on music projects. This collaboration eventually led to the formation of Metroland.

Metroland’s debut album, “Mind The Gap,” released in 2012, received critical acclaim and solidified the duo’s reputation as a noteworthy electronic act. The album’s concept centered on urban living and public transportation, featuring tracks like “Enjoying the View” and “Inner City Transport,” which demonstrated the duo’s talent for crafting immersive, atmospheric soundscapes that encapsulate modern city life. In our review of “Mind The Gap,” we said: “Metroland’s music flawlessly merges catchy melodies with inventive sound design, channeling the essence of classic electronic acts while forging a fresh and contemporary soundscape.”

In 2015, Metroland unveiled their second album, “Triadic Ballet.” Drawing inspiration from the Bauhaus movement, this album delved into a more experimental and artistic realm, examining the confluence of art, design, and technology. Songs like “Zeppelin” and “Design” displayed the duo’s dedication to pushing electronic music boundaries while remaining true to their origins. The Electricity Club commented on “Triadic Ballet”: “Metroland demonstrates their capacity to evolve and innovate, while maintaining their roots, making this album a must-listen for electronic music enthusiasts.”

“Things Will Never Sound the Same Again,” Metroland’s third album, was released in 2016 as a homage to the late Louis Zachert, a dear friend and mentor of the duo. The album showcased a deeper, more introspective facet of Metroland, with tracks like “Under the Roof” and “Cube” delving into themes of loss and memory. Release Magazine remarked: “Metroland’s ‘Things Will Never Sound the Same Again’ is a poignant tribute to their friend, revealing an emotional depth and introspection seldom witnessed in electronic music.”

In 2018, Metroland returned with “Men in a Frame,” an album inspired by the realm of photography. Collaborating with various photographers, Metroland crafted a one-of-a-kind audio-visual experience, pairing each song with a specific photograph. Tracks like “Shades of Pale” and “Exhibition” underscored the duo’s prowess in evoking vivid visual imagery through their music. Peek-A-Boo Magazine praised the album: “The unparalleled audio-visual experience of ‘Men in a Frame’ cements Metroland’s position as an inventive and groundbreaking electronic duo.”

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘Industry’.

Eldrina Mich

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

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Back in the 80s I was a teenager who grow up with Dark/Cold-Wave and Post-Punk music. I bought a lot of records mainly from British formations. Dark and desperate music symbolising that era. One of these bands were The March Violets. Songs like “Religious As Hell”, “Walk Into The Sun”, “Snake Dance”, “Children On Stun”, “Fodder” and many others kept my dark thoughts alive. Forty years later I still have these songs in mind and I was pleased to hear The March Violets are still alive and kicking. Jungle Records recently released a massive collector’s box  featuring five CD’s. “The Palace Of Infinite Darkness” brings us back to the golden years of the band. And there’s more good news as The Violets are actually busy working on new songs which will be released later on this year. Core members Tom Ashton and Rosie Garland kindly accepted to answer my questions.

(Picture credits by Bobby Talamine / Interview courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: The March Violets saw the daylight in 1981. More than forty years later what do you still recognise from the early musicians you were at that time?

Tom: That’s a great question! I’d like to think that although 4 decades have passed I still retain my open-minded approach to doing music. It’s not easy to ignore all the influences that creep in over the years and The Violets had a very independent outlook as to what we were trying to achieve with our music. The new album has turned out to surpass our expectations and ticks all the boxes that I wanted to carry over to this decade.

Rosie: I recognise my determination to do things, and not let life drift by. I had a drive to create, which has never gone away. In fact, it’s intensified over the years. I don’t put things off till tomorrow. I say yes to opportunities, and seek out ways to grow and develop as a writer and performer. Life is precious… and short. Do it all, and do it now.

Q: What did you keep in mind from the 80s which were real special, dark, and historical years and what has been the impact on your music and lyrical themes?

Rosie: I’ve always been a cuckoo in the nest. I write about outsiders, whoever they might be. People who won’t (or can’t) squeeze into the one-size-fits-all templates on offer and the friction that occurs when they try. I know this comes from being an outsider myself! We all have cobwebbed dungeons in the psyche. They are frightening places, and we are sold the lie that if we paint our world pastel shades everything will be all right. We ignore personal darkness at our psychological peril. Far wiser, in my opinion, is to explore the haunted castle and face those fearsome ghosts…

Tom: For me it wasn’t just an 80s thing at all. A lot of bands that influenced my playing in The Violets were products of the late 70s. Joy Division, Bauhaus, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks etc. What was great was how we took those Punk and Post-Punk influences and tried to create something new and definitely dark! I was obsessed with VHS horror back then (Video Nasties, I had them all!) and some of my ideas came from the music in those mainly Italian films, Fabio Frizzi, Goblin etc.

Q: Your hometown Leeds was a prolific ground for legendary Post-Punk formations. Is there any specific reason to it and what did you keep in mind from the scene in Leeds and the UK?

Tom: In the early 80s Leeds was not the shiny and affluent city it is now. Back then the Victorian buildings in the centre were still covered in black industrial age soot from thousands of chimneys. I think that’s the image I’ve been seeing in my head as I’ve been working on this next album as a way to capture those feelings I had when I first arrived there. I also loved the sense of community the scene had back then. There was a tangible feeling of being in the right place and time, which has stayed with me too.

Rosie: Tom is absolutely right. Leeds in the 1980s was shabby, chaotic and poor. Which is a fair description of we four Violets: children on stun most of the time. The musical importance of the North can be summed up in a quote from the late great Tony Wilson: ‘In the North it rains and rains. And yet we managed to produce the best music, the Industrial Revolution, the trade union movement, the Communist Manifesto and even the goddam computer. Down South, where the Sun never sets, you took all our money and what did you produce? Chas and fucking Dave.’ (Tony Wilson, 2007)

Q: Considering important (r)evolutions like internet, social media, streaming platforms, modern technology and equipment… it all looks that different from the 80s spirit. How did you experience all these evolutions and what are the pros and cons?

Tom: Back when The Violets started it cost us an arm and a leg to do our recording, even on a relatively low budget. We had to be reasonably well rehearsed and very focused on what we wanted to achieve. This is great discipline for a band and one of the biggest differences that technology has brought to the table for musicians (since home recording is now such good quality) is how to not get pulled into floating on the luxury of that technology. It’s so much better to bang your stuff out in the moment and release it warts and all. Back then we had no choice.

I love that the internet has now empowered bands. You can promote yourself and communicate with fans on a direct basis anywhere in the world! Wonderful, except everyone is doing it and you now need to find a way to stand out from the crowd. Having said that it is still preferable to having the few gatekeepers we had to deal with in order to get noticed in the early 80s. We were one of the lucky ones!

Q: Your most prolific years and biggest success all happened in the 80s. How come?

Rosie: Sure, the 80s were a successful time for The March Violets, culminating in John Hughes’ ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’. It doesn’t get any better than featuring in a Hollywood movie! However, after The Violets, none of us stopped creating. Over the past 40 years, I’ve had three novels published with Harper Collins, plus a slew of award-winning poetry collections. Plus I’ve toured the USA, UK & Europe with queer cabaret. We are artists and musicians for life.

Tom: As Rosie says, we never stopped creating after The Violets folded. I played guitar in Clan Of Xymox for their US tour in support of the “Phoenix”-album. Got into FOH engineering and toured a lot in that capacity. I also spent a good few years scoring low budget horror movies culminating in the rather fab undiscovered jewel Accidental Exorcist in 2016.

Q: I think there was a real kind of unique 80s spirit. How would you explain it to kids today?

Rosie: All four Violets were at college. The Leeds Universities and colleges were massively important, bringing a diverse group of creative people together in a social environment without parental controls. The spread of Punk in the UK was initially through the universities. Also, I guess that if a band from your city makes it you subconsciously think well, if they can, why can’t we?

Tom: I’ve been out on tour in the USA a lot recently with the band Vision Video and I can actually attest that, having been there at the time, the spirit of the 80s is well and truly alive and kicking out there in the audience. It’s wonderful to see!

Q: Jungle Records recently released the massive box “The Palace Of Infinite Darkness” revealing next to the band’s biggest hits and singles still ‘Unreleased Rarities’. Who got the idea of this box and the unreleased songs? How did it feel getting back to the origins of the band and rediscovering these ‘rarities’?

Tom: The idea to do it actually came from Jungle Records, who we’ve worked with a lot over the years. Once we’d delved into the BBC Sessions vinyl album and “Play Loud Play Purple”-singles vinyl it made so much sense to dig deeper and see what we could find for the fans out there. It’s been a wonderful experience to go back and find all this stuff that never saw the light of day and shine it in public.

Rosie: Yes! I found a stash of 80s music cassettes down the back of a bookcase. Listening to them, we recovered songs we thought were lost forever. One example is “Virgin Sheep” from 1982. We’re recording it for the first time. It’s an example of how we are channelling March Violets’ history and bringing to it everything we’ve learned over the past 40 years.

Q: The box is also featuring BBC Recordings for the legendary John Peel sessions. What did it mean back then and especially getting in touch with John Peel?

Tom: John Peel gave me a huge chunk of my musical education like many others of my generation. On weekdays, aged 14 I was already in bed at 10 pm with the radio/cassette recorder under the covers, headphones on, listening raptly to his show until midnight. He would play a new album, side one and side two, without speaking between tracks because he knew we were all out there taping it! The name angel of the airwaves doesn’t even come close to describing how we felt about him. I finally got to meet him and his family when I was working on one of his Meltdown festivals on the South Bank in 1999. It was wonderful to be able to thank him in person.

Rosie: The Violets were one of many bands who thrived because of Peel’s enthusiasm and eclectic tastes. Whatever the musical style, all he demanded was it was good. We owe him everything. Simon sent him a copy of our demo tape tucked into a pot of Violets. Right away we got a phone call from him, inviting us to Maida Vale Studio. The rest is history. 

Q: I think it’s nearly impossible doing an interview without evoking Andrew Eldritch. How important has he been in the band’s history?

Rosie: Andrew supported The March Violets from the start. He even came in to KG Studios and helped us mix “Grooving In Green” and “Steam”, and we shared the bill with The Sisters on a number of occasions –including our first gig, in Keighley, Yorkshire.

Tom: I was in the Sisters briefly in ‘82 and played a couple of shows on guitar. I know he seems to have a bad rep out there but we always got on and frankly The Sisters at that moment were absolutely fantastic (not because of me lol)! A truly great band and off to do big stuff for sure no matter what. I was asked to join but it would have meant my leaving The Violets for sure and it was just too awkward to make the jump. We hung out a fair bit, lending each other records and watching movies on VHS at Village Place through the night. Stoned as idiots of course!

Q: What’s your vision about the contemporary music industry and underground scene? What do you feel when listening to young Dark-Wave / Post-Punk bands an do you sometimes recognize yourself in these bands?

Rosie: It’s encouraging to see new Post-Punk & Dark-Wave bands who honour the past whilst creating their own unique take on the scene. In fact it’s vital. Without new bands and new music, a musical scene atrophies and becomes a fossil of itself. It’s the reason why The March Violets keep writing new material, too. We are not and will never become our own tribute band, only playing the old tracks.

Tom: There is so much good stuff out there now! As I said earlier I’ve been out playing bass guitar with Vision Video in the USA. We did over 80 shows in 2022 and it’s been a revelation seeing and performing with so many great artists out on the road. Off the top of my head, Tears For The Dying, Entertainment!, Panic Priest, Secret Shame, Giallows, Bullet Ballet, Kaelen Mikla…I could go on… As far as recognizing myself in these artists, that’s too much self-ego, I’m just happy to be sharing the same dark outlook and dream and helping to translate it along with them.

Q: The March Violets are actually preparing a live tour. What might we expect and who’s coming to see you on stage today?

Rosie: Sure, we’ll play the classics. Our fans love them and we love our fans! We’re also excited to premiere new songs. And we also have numbers from the 80s no one has heard since 1982…

Tom: Yep all the classics and most definitely a couple of new numbers from the as yet unnamed 2023 album that we are currently working on. The line up for the tour in the UK is especially interesting as Vision Video are on the bill and we are thinking that we will see a fantastic mix of the old guard plus all the new acolytes to make the perfect crossover audience.

Q: You already mentioned working on a new album so can you give us more details?

Rosie: Tom, William and myself spent January 2023 in Tom’s studio in Georgia, creating and recording brand new material. It’s been so exciting: two of the most supportive, encouraging and talented guys I’ve ever had the honour to work with. Songs have been pouring out of us. Simply put, it’s been a revelation.

Tom: Yes, we just had a lot of fun in the studio and now I’ve got my nose down with writing/recording guitars and mixing for release later this year. As Rosie said, it has been wonderful to be creating under these circumstances and I think it will show in the new material. A new horizon for The March Violets!

Q: Ian Dury’s song “Sex, Drugs & Rock & Roll” became a famous quote connected to musicians. Also to The March Violets?

Rosie: Yes! To quote the title of a great movie, the 80s were “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once”. I’d always known I wasn’t like other girls, and came out in 1982. I had a gay old time exploring my sexuality. Still do!

Tom: Yes we have had our Rock ‘N’ Roll moments for sure, especially during the glorious 80s! I have many fond memories of parties and just general craziness that happened. Thankfully now we are more likely to be recording in slippers and drinking cups of tea. Maybe.

Q: If you look back to this amazing career, what comes directly into mind as most precious moment? And are you missing a few things you would like to have accomplished?

Tom: I can’t really imagine wanting anything to have worked out differently. It’s been a full life and I’ve met so many good people through music and this is going to keep on until I can no longer physically do it. Of course there are parts of the world I’d love to experience so here’s hoping we can get The Violets out to the Far East and South America and anywhere else that might have us!

Rosie: For me, a precious moment has to be getting back on stage in 2010, for the first time after throat cancer. I sang again, after fearing I’d never be able to. It was deeply emotional. As for goals – I have plenty. It’s important to have dreams, however may years pass. Right now, I’d love to play new cities and countries. Watch this space…

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

(Photo by Berry Behrendt) Frankfurt-born but Berlin-based artist En Esch (PIG, former KMFDM) has signed with the LA/Minneapolis-based label GIVE/TAKE (home to Justin K Broadrick’s Pale Sketcher, David J of Bauhaus and more). His new single “Push” drops March 3rd, with a full EP forthcoming later in 2023.

“Push” will also hold a remix from dark electronic artist KPT. Maintaining a steady output of solo work, beginning with 1993’s “Cheesy” on TVT Records, En Esch’s new LP, his first in over seven years, is slated for release in 2023 on GIVE/TAKE.

En Esch is Nicklaus Schandelmaier, a German drummer, programmer, producer, guitarist and singer who has been a member of the bands KMFDM, Pigface, Slick Idiot, and . And more recently with NUKES, a 16 member band that includes Chris Connelly, John Bechdel, Mario Alberto Cabada, David J and more. It was KMFDM’s Sascha Konietzko who claims to have given Esch his nickname because the latter felt that his real name was inappropriate for the stage.

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 Eugene, Oregon (USA) based post-punk / darkwave trio Stariana has just unveiled their new single, “Paradise Is Lost On You”. “Paradise Is Lost On You” is available digitally on Apple Itunes and Amazon.com and comes accompanied by a video which you can view below.

As far as the sound is concerned Stariana is heavily influenced by such bands as Depeche Mode, New Order, Bauhaus, Jesus And Mary Chain and 90’s era Britpop; Elastica, Blur, The Stone Roses “with just a little bit of Blondie and Joan Jett mixed in for flavor” as they put it.

Stariana is Nikki Brackett, Victor St. Petersburg (of Black Magdalene) and Tethys.

Here’s the video for “Paradise Is Lost On You”.

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 Awakening has just released a new music video for the 4-part title track of their new double album, “The Passage Remains”. The video, “Passage (Part I – IV)”, is a teaser for the return to the band’s gothic metal roots. “The Passage Remains” is The Awakening’s 11th album.

“The essence of the song came to me in a dream, and I have taken that inspiration and woven it through the album. Dreams, our hopes, needs and desires, and personal journeys, in the face of adversity and other obstacles,” says The Awakening’s frontman, Ashton Nyte.

The physical album is packaged as a deluxe double CD (with double vinyl scheduled for next year). “The album was created to be enjoyed either as a whole, in two parts, or as two separate entities, each complete within themselves. It is a project I have wanted to create for many years, and I am delighted with the outcome,” Ashton Nyte adds.

Watch “Passage (Part I – IV)” below.

Now based in the U.S., The Awakening is a musical project born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the late ’90s. Ashton Nyte has also released 7 solo albums, a book of poetry, and short stories, and has collaborated on various projects with members of The Cure, The Mission, Bauhaus, Beauty In Chaos, and many more.

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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Set up and driven by Mark Sayle and Phil Reynolds Mark E Moon is hailing from the Isle Of Man. After having released an impressive debut-album “Refer” in 2019 they two years later confirmed their strong potential by the opus “Old Blood”. The band is clearly driven by good-old Dark-Wave and Post-Punk reminding legendary acts like The Sisters Of Mercy, Bauhaus, Joy Division ao.  Earlier this year they did it again unleashing the mini-album “Lux Vindictae”. I consider Mark E Moon as one of the hottest contemporary formations in their music genre. I talked with Mark Sayle and Shelly Rourke.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Two years ago now we did an interview for the debut album “Refer”. A lot happened since then; lockdowns due to the ongoing pandemic, political scandals in the UK plus Brexit, the war in Ukraine… and you released a second album and now an EP while the line-up evolved as well. How do you look back at all these events?

Mark: The ancient curse ‘May you live in interesting times’ has certainly never been so apt. Don’t get me started on Politics or we’ll be here all day. Phil probably has something to say on Brexit but I doubt it’ll be anything complimentary.

The band line-up has certainly evolved, not that anyone was kicked out, we’d love the opportunity to work with Kieran or Steve again, but circumstances change and people aren’t always available for various reasons. The pandemic was, and is still, a terrible time for everyone. I know musicians moan a bit about not being able to be in the same studio but when you consider that more than a million people, in the US alone, have died from this disease it puts artists petty gripes into a more sobering light.

Q: Let’s get back to your second album “Old Blood” which was a rather engaged piece of music against fascism. Why did you feel the need to deal with this theme? And how did the transition happened from “Refer” to “Old Blood”?

Mark: After “Refer” we wanted to do a more cohesive album that felt like the sum of its parts. “Refer” was basically a bunch of, admittedly very well recorded, demo tracks. The title track “Old Blood” deals with this sea of right wing populism, white supremacy and outright fascism that has swept the western world, washing over some and sweeping away others in its spiteful currents. The incident that ignited the touch paper for me was the events in Charlottesville and the murder of Heather Heyer in 2017. The slogans chanted by the Neo-Nazis became a festering sore in my soul that wouldn’t go away. The only way I have to react to something like that is through music and my lyrics, so that is, eventually, what I did.

Q: Your newest work is the EP “Lux Vindictae”. It rather looks as a mini-album featuring six songs. What have been the main sources of inspiration for this work and its title? Was there any specific focus in the writing- & production process and were there aspects from previous albums you wanted to change/improve?

Mark: With “Lux Vindictae”, certainly from a writing perspective, some songs were created quite differently than the usual deal of me writing a bassline, a riff and some lyrics and taking it to Phil to transform it into a proper song. George, who happens to be Phil’s older brother, had joined us and had some fantastic musical ideas of his own. If you listen to “Anastasia”, for example, that’s George’s music and the Russian lullaby was Shelly’s idea.

Shelly: I was already a Mark E Moon fan, so being asked to add vocals to a track on “Lux Vindictae” was hugely exciting –and subsequently being asked to join the band as a permanent fixture was mind blowing for me! My first experience of being part of the creative process was everything I hoped it would be and I think some of our new dynamic shows.

Q: The lyrical themes featured at “Lux Vindictae” are quite different. ‘Depression, rage, assault, alcoholism, the murder of an innocent child and the sheer horror of life on an alien feudal world’. It all sounds more personal and intimate so did you have to chase inner demons? And how important is music to express inner thoughts?

Mark: I’m constantly battling my demons. Being bipolar and having ADHD gives me a certain perspective on situations I think, not a unique one by any means but they force me to try to think differently about subjects. My thoughts are generally pretty dark, even when I’m writing something quite upbeat, and I think that comes through.

Q: I noticed you also released a cover version of Soft Cell which has been released on a tribute-album. I didn’t exactly expect Mark E Moon covering Soft Cell. What did this band mean to you and how did you transform the original version into a personal adaptation?

Mark: I like to think of Mark E Moon as a fusion of Gothic-Rock, the darker side of Post-Punk and Synth-Pop. Soft Cell were (along with acts like Belois Some, Yazoo, Depeche Mode and Blondie) a very important band in my musical development. My sense of what Pop music could be had its roots firmly embedded in the darker (lyrically) themed bands. Of course, Soft Cell had had a massive hit with their cover of the Gloria Jones number “Tainted Love”, but it was “Bedsitter” that really turned me onto them. The cover we did of “Facility Girls” isn’t that dissimilar but we tried to put our own slant on it.

Q: I can imagine you guys must be excited to play on stage again. What are the plans and your expectations? What are the further plans for the second half of 2022?

Mark: We released “Dark Love” in September as a taster of the forthcoming album “Pop-Noir”. Whether the new album is ready before the year is up is anyone’s guess but we are beavering away to make it the best possible record it can be.

Shelly: 2022/23 will be busy and hopefully bear many fruits. We would like to add some UK gigs too. As Mark said, George is a wellspring of music so we have a deep pool of new songs to work on, and Phil’s excellent skills to weave them into a tapestry. After adding a few snippets of my own lyrics to some songs, the guys have given me the confidence to write more. Mark is always on hand to lend his expertise when I struggle. Writing about life from this woman’s perspective can be difficult as some of my past was painful and very dark, but I’ve found it cathartic. And if it gives the listener a new experience to explore then my worst moments will have purpose, whilst keeping the Mark E Moon sound ever evolving.

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: Cold-Wave.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Set up in 2020 the Italian Cold-Wave formation They Die strikes back with their second opus. One year after the remarkable “Deviant Love” they now joined hands together with Swiss Dark Nights. 

Content: They Die sounds like awakening from a long hibernation. The sound of this band brings us back to the midst of the 80s; obscure and moody atmospheres created by mewing guitar and melodic synth parts while low, vibrating, bass play only accentuate the dark approach. The band is once more reminding me of The Sisters Of Mercy but also The Virgin Prunes and more contemporary formations like Lebanon Hannover. They again put a cover song to the album and chose Bauhaus’ “The Passion Of Lovers”.

+ + + : I was already under the influence of “Deviant Love” but the new work moves a step further. It’s a great and mature production bringing the true spirit of the 80s alive. I especially like the guitar playing and bass lines on one side and the electronic arrangements bringing a refined touch to the other side. The album features the single “One Last Kiss” but there are more potential singles like “All Your Magic” and “Everything That Burns”. Both songs are potential hits. Last but not least they now also accomplished a cool cover version, “The Passion Of Lovers” being adapted into their own style.

– – – : The last song of the album sounds like an outro and rather an antithesis to the rest of this brilliant work. I would also like to see this band being produced by a renown name improving a few details in sound.

Conclusion: I already said to keep an eye on this band and the new work only confirms the huge potential of They Die. This is great Cold-Wave!

Best songs: “All Your Magic”, “Everything That Burns”, “One Last Kiss”, “Single frame”, “Done Done Done”, “Absolution”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064035960463

Label: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100060056806073

About They Die

They Die is an Italian Cold-Wave act set up in 2020. The project’s debut album appeared via Jetglow Recordings in 2021. “Emptiness Prevails” follows in November 2022, the band’s first release with Swiss Dark Nights, a partnership that continued with “Black Magic” (2024), “Darkroom Session” (2025) and “Smoke And Mirrors” (2026).

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

The English gothic rock band Bauhaus have canceled the rest of their North American tour in order for Peter Murphy to enter rehab. In a statement issued by the band’s management it is said that Murphy entering a rehabilitation facility was needed so that the frontman can “attend to his health and well-being.”

Bauhaus had recently embarked on their first extended North American tour in 16 years after originally reuniting in 2019. The band had already played a string of dates in the UK and Europe and the US and the band planned to return to America to restart touring there starting early September.

In August 2019, Murphy, 65, suffered a heart attack. In a statement at the time he told fans he had made a “full recovery” after experiencing shortness of breath that necessitated treatment for a myocardial infarction.

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 on August 26 is the full-length debut album “Display Model” by the US act Harsh Symmetry. It’s the second release for the band on Fabrika Records Following the release of the darkwave debut single “Mirror Twin”. The debut album is mixed and mastered by She Past Away’s Doruk Öztürkcan.

Hailing from Sacramento, California, the band’s founding only member Sharwarko was influenced by Siouxsie and The Banshees, The Birthday Party, Iggy Pop, Depeche Mode and Bauhaus, plus David Lynch’s work.

The new album will come out in 3 different vinyl versions as you can see below. A black vinyl, a white vinyl (limited edition of 300 copies) and a white and black splattered one (limited edition of 400 copies).

Check out the first single “Mirror Twin” below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Cleopatra Records presents “Corpus Delicti: The Complete Recordings 1992-1996”, a box set that includes the entire discography of this pioneering Darkwave band from the South of France. This set includes all 3 of the band’s original studio albums plus rarities, unreleased mixes, live tracks and more.

Packaged in a Gustave Doré illustrated clamshell box with individual wallet jackets for each of the 4 compact discs, this set also includes comments by Corpus Delicti vocalist Sébastien Pietrapiana, a full-color 16-page booklet of photos with art direction and liner notes by former Cleopatra Records A&R head Athan Maroulis (NØIR).

Right now, this limited edition box set can be pre-ordered on Bandcamp or directly though Cleopatra with the actual street date of July 15th, 2022 for the CD version and all digital and streaming platforms.

About Corpus Delicti

Corpus Delicti started in 1991 in Nice and broke up in 1996. In five years time they released four studio albums and two compilations on Cleopatra. Their sound was deeply influenced by Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Rozz Williams. The group nevertheless produced a last album under the name Corpus, with industrial, mechanical sounds, having no common feature with their previous works.

After the split Chrys (Christophe Baudrion) formed an industrial music project named Kom-Intern on the Brume Records label and Sebastian (Sébastien Pietrapiana) embarked on an indie pop/rock solo project, Kuta, Frank in Curl (D-Monic Records). Franck (Franck Amendola) and Chrys also formed Press Gang Metropol, a rock band in the tradition of Joy Division, The Cure, Interpol and Editors and were joined by Eric Chabaud on drums and Sebastian on vocals. A first album was released in early 2012 on the D-Monic Records label.

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

(Photo by Gary Bandfield) Bauhaus have announced additional tour dates in Italy, Germany and the US. You can check all of the dates below, the new ones are indicated with a **.

Tickets can be ordered from Friday on via this link.

• June 6 – Alcatraz (Milan, IT) **
• August 22 – Zitadelle Spandau (Berlin, DE) **
• May 14 – Cruel World Festival (Pasadena, CA) – SOLD OUT!
• May 15 – Cruel World Festival (Pasadena, CA)
• May 17 – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (Portland,OR)
• May 19 – Paramount Theatre (Seattle, WA)
• May 21 – The Masonic (San Francisco, CA)
• May 22 – The Masonic (San Francisco, CA)
• May 25 – The Mission Ballroom (Denver, CO)
• May 27 – The Marquee Theatre (Tempe, AZ)
• June 4 – Primavera (Barcelona, ES)
• June 8 – Release Festival (Athens, GR)
• August 4 – W Festival (Oostend, BE)
• August 28 – EDP Vilar de Mouros (Vilar de Mouros, PT)
• Sept. 6 – History (Toronto, ON) **
• Sept. 8 – Kings Theatre (New York, NY)
• Sept. 9 – Kings Theatre (New York, NY)
• Sept. 10 – The Met (Philadelphia, PA) **
• Sept. 12 – Anthem (Washington, DC) **
• Sept. 13 – MGM Music Hall (Boston, MA) **
• Sept. 14 – College Street Music Hall (New Haven, CT) **
• Sept. 16 – Masonic Theater (Detroit, MI) **
• Sept. 18 – Palace Theatre (Minneapolis, MN) **
• Sept. 20 – Southside Ballroom (Dallas, TX) **
• Sept. 21 – 713 Music Hall (Houston, TX) **
• Sept. 23 – Tabernacle (Atlanta, GA) **

New video

Last month, Bauhaus released the new song “Drink The New Wine” which was recorded last year during lockdown with the four members sharing audio files. The track employs the Surrealists’ ‘Exquisite Corpse’ device whereby each artist adds to the piece without seeing what the others have done. Bauhaus have used this technique in the past as well.

The title of the song refers to the very first ‘Cadavre exquis’ drawing rendered by André Breton, Marcel Duchamp, Jacques Prévert and Yves Tanguy which included words which when strung together made up the sentence, ‘Le cadavre exquis boiara le vin nouveau’ (‘The exquisite corpse will drink the new wine.’).

For the recording, the four musicians each had one minute and eight tracks at their disposal plus a shared sixty seconds plus four tracks for a composite at the end. All done without hearing what the others had laid down. The only common link being a prerecorded beat courtesy of Kevin.

Check it out 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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David J’s latest album, “What The Patrons Heard”, will be a storied collection of originals and covers recorded over the timespan of 34 years. These 10 songs were originally only available digitally to David J’s Patreon subscribers.

The founding member of Bauhaus was one of the first of Bauhaus’ members to actively release music outside of the band. He went on to put out solo work and collaborations with various authors, poets and indies such as 4AD. In 1985, David regrouped with two former Bauhaus members to form Love and Rockets.

“What The Patrons Heard” includes a rendition of Neil Young’s “Vampire Blues”, the John Lennon classic “Gimme Some Truth” and the folk punk track “Lay Over And Lay” plus 7 other tracks.

The release will be available as download, on CD and on vinyl, a limited numbered edition snow white vinyl that is. The CD and digital formats will be available worldwide on March 25th, 2022 with the vinyl shipping as soon as it becomes available.

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

To celebrate 40 years of Glass Records, Venus Fly Trap (Andy Denton & Alex Novak) have covered a Religious Overdose song (“Control Addicts”) that was originally released as a 7″ single in 1980. Alex Novak is/was vocalist in both bands. The Glass Records compilation will be called “Glass: Remake/Re Model” and will be out later this year.

A video for “Control Addicts” was also produced by Graham Bentley (ex-Bauhaus manager/videomaker) while the single will be out on February 18th.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Out now is DHI (death and horror inc)’s latest EP, “The Idiot Parade”. The song is described by frontman Vicar as “a condemnation of grotesque ideologies and their disturbing intertwinement. It’s a protest against fact denialism, Hollywood-esque conspiracy theories, anti-science activism, mob rule mentality, and the delusion of white supremacy.”

The EP’s four remaining tracks include a new ‘Desolate’ version of last year’s “Losing” single, “Chosen Ruler (Shameless)”, and 3 remixes: “Chosen Ruler (Mix V2)”, “Losing (Mix V2)” and “The Idiot Parade (Virulent)”.

As Vicar explains: “Once the EP’s title track and new remixes were completed, I went back and listened to the two singles from last year. Which, compared to the new material, almost sounded like demos to me. Ultimately, I ended up mixing the original versions of ‘Chosen Ruler’ and ‘Losing’ all over again, from the ground up. I’m happy to say that the ‘V2’ mixes do a better job at capturing the energy and emotion of those songs. And, hey… they’re louder now!”

About DHI

Formed in 1987 in Toronto’s early electronic industrial scene, DHI (death and horror inc) released four CDs on Fringe Product (the Canadian home to Black Flag and The Dead Kennedys) in the nineties. They also appeared on Belgium’s Kk Records (Front Line Assembly, Bauhaus).

In 2019, the group released expanded editions of its entire 1990s catalogue, including remixes and rare early tracks. In response to the renewed interest in DHI that followed, and with the blessing of his cofounding band member, frontman Vicar is once again creating new material under the DHI banner. Read the review of ‘The Idiot Parade’.

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 goth rock/post-punk act The Funeral March Of The Marionettes, or short The Funeral March, are releasing “Flood”, the 6th release already for the Rockford, Illinois based band.

Joe Whiteaker explains the process of this new EP: “The initial concept/demo for ‘Flood’ occurred in the same sessions as ‘Useless’. When it comes time to make ‘Flood’, one goal I had was to take a look/listen to where we have been, and see how the path might diverge… I didn’t want to just make another song like the ones that came before it.

I also had been struggling with what the song ‘Flood’ was going to be titled. I kept coming back to the refrain ‘In the flood of our end times…’ So ‘Flood’ just stuck. At the same time, however, since my producer and I kind of threw it all in a blender, I think you start to hear some of the newer things I am really into.”

The “Flood” single also features a remix by Hide Tepes from the band Carrion.

About The Funeral March Of The Marionettes

Formed in 1987 in the post-industrial city of Rockford, Illinois, their work has blended elements of gothic rock and post-punk music, combining a number of early gothic and post-punk influences (The Cure, Bauhaus, Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees) to create a dark sound, appealing to contemporary audiences.

The band took its name from a Charles Gounod composition best known as the theme music for the television program Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The band’s current lineup consists of Joseph Whiteaker (Vocals, Bass, Synths), Frederick Love (Guitar, Synths, Programming), Mark Tenin (Drums, Percussion), and Wayne Thiele (Guitar).

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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Dark alternative electronic band Sine to release upcoming album “Desire, Denial and Paramania”, an 11 track collection featuring select songs from the group’s albums, “Insomniæ” and “Injected”, recorded between the years 2016-2020.

The album includes collaborations with Curse Mackey (Pigface, Evil Mothers, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult), producer Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, 3Teeth, Slayer) and Chris Connelly (Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Pigface) with remixes by Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto), DÐ, and dark pop duo, Nite.

“Desire, Denial and Paramania” will be released in CD form as well as digitally worldwide on October 7, 2021. The release is out via Emergency Hearts, an indie collaborative music label/ media project in Austin, TX founded by author, musician and gallery owner Scott Crow (Lesson Seven, Audio Assault).

Here is a video to check out, “Desolate District” featuring Chris Connelly in a Meat Beat Manifesto remix.

About Sine

Sine is an alternative rock/electronic band created and led by singer and drummer, Rona Rougeheart. She has stepped from behind the kit to create her own female fronted project that weaves dance beats with industrial noise and layers of booming bass, synths and guitars.

Rougeheart, born in New York, grew up as a military child, living all over the U.S. and in Okinawa, Japan. Her father was a musician who taught her how to play keys and guitar. Early in her musical career, she played drums for multiple bands in Austin, TX, catching the eye of Gretsch Drums who, in 2012, gave her her first endorsement. Gibraltar hardware also added her to their roster.

In April, 2019, she landed a direct support slot for Peter Murphy in Orlando, FL for the 40th Anniversary of Bauhaus Ruby Tour with David J. The night seemed ill-fated when Peter was unable to perform, but was revitalized when she joined David J, Curse Mackey, Mark Gemini-Thwaite and Marc Slutsky for an impromptu performance of Bauhaus tunes.

From that night, a new project emerged between David J, Curse Mackey and herself.

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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