The Brussels-based Spleen+ label (a division of Alfa Matrix) has prepared a deluxe 7CD collector’s edition – “Resurgence” – which brings together 133 active bands from across the globe, spanning the diverse sub-genres born from post-punk’s iconic roots. You can order it now from the Alfa Matrix webstore and in digital download format from Bandcamp.

The release comes housed in a luxurious vinyl-sized box, and comes accompanied by a 28-page book. The book holds interviews from renowned producers like John Fryer and Jean-Marc Lederman, label managers, journalists, and iconic artists (including Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, William Faith, No More, Skeletal Family, Mona Mur, KaS Product, And Also The Trees, Clan Of Xymox, Attrition, Das Ich, Merciful Nuns, The Names, The Breath Of Life, etc).

Spanning 23 different nationalities, the music included is a genre-spanning mix of post-punk, cold wave, dark synth, ethereal, and minimal EBM with such bands like Boy Harsher, A Cloud Of Ravens, No More, Skeletal Family, Collection D’Arnell Andrea, Underviewer, Attrition, Merciful Nuns, Lederman/De Meyer, Local Suicide & Sekelesys, Star Industry, Ataraxia, Czarina, Helalyn Flowers, Ascii.Disko, Je T’Aime, The Ultimate Dreamers, Lycia, Opera Multi Steel, The Breath Of Life, Auger, The Names, Whispers In The Shadow, Lovelorn Dolls, Astari Nite, Chiasm, Saigon Blue Rain, Omnimar, Still Patient, Creux Lies, Golden Apes, and many more.

You can already check out a few tracks here.

Apart from the 7CD vinyl size deluxe carton box format, “Resurgence” will not be available on mainstream digital platforms, except exclusively via the label’s Bandcamp page.

There is also a special combi pack including the 7CD set plus Darkness On Demand’s “Panic In Reserve” CD and To Avoid’s “All Gods Are Gone” 2CD.

“Resurgence” Tracklist

Cd 1

1. Bestial Mouths . Hex (The Spell)
2. A Cloud Of Ravens . Parable
3. Boy Harsher . Give Me A Reason
4. Czarina . Wonderland
5. Collection D’arnell Andrea . Waiting For Meaulnes
6. Krystal System . La Lame Dans Ta Main
7. Je T’aime . Out Of Sight
8. Aeon Rings . Fully Operational
9. The Ultimate Dreamers . Polarized
10. Partikul . Nothing Good In Me
11. Cosmobrigade . Spacepit
12. Aeon Sable . From Witchcraft To Deviltry
13. Stereoskop . Deep Down
14. The Breath Of Life . Slowly Crushing
15. Faust Project . Rats Lullaby
16. Al . Mistake
17. N.E.L. & J.P . Desinteresse
18. Zeitgeist Zero . Scream
19. Voyna . Moulding Heart

Cd 2

1. Blackbook . You Are Strange
2. Auger . My Heart Is Glass
3. Dekad . A Deadly Show (Video Edit)
4. Love In Cage . A Logical Secret Collection
5. Helalyn Flowers . Halos
6. Soft Scent . No Wounds
7. Sweet Ermengarde . Sweet Sacrifice
8. Martin Dupont . Bent At The Window (2023)
9. The Names . Far From The Factories
10. Boxes Of Blow . Melting Faces
11. Mirror Of Haze Feat. Primitive Heart . Reckless
12. A Slice Of Life . Seven Days
13. Then Comes Silence . Pretty Creatures
14. Nite . Inside Of My Head
15. Astari Nite . Bowie In Daydreams
16. Korus . Złote Światło Pierwszego Zachodu
17. Lovelorn Dolls . A Heart Cries
18. Whispers In The Shadow . Revenants
19. Merciful Nuns . Oneironauts

Cd 3

1. Lederman – De Meyer . Heartbeat
2. Local Suicide & Skelesys . Surface Of The Sun (Radio Edit)
3. Punx Soundcheck Feat. Ascii.Disko & Princess Superstar . Gasoline
4. No More . Sleepers And Trains
5. Mitra Mitra . Memories For Company
6. A Copy For Collapse Feat. Simona Pietrucci . Faded
7. Alien Skin . Depress Me
8. White Mansion . Cancel The Sky
9. Apnoie . Splash Your Bile
10. Celluloide . Compte Les Ombres
11. Risk Risk . Streetwalk
12. Total Chroma . Northern Lights
13. Opera Multi Steel . À Nos Moments Perdus
14. Lycia . Simpler Times
15. Noemi Aurora . Blood As Lipstick
16. Novus . Ess
17. I Ya Toyah . Death’s Kiss
18. Katcross . Rest
19. Winter Severity Index . Speak To Me

Cd 4

1. Systeme Paradoxe . Comme Le Sable En Hiver
2. Aiboforcen . Break The Black Ice (Original Mix)
3. Chiasm . Cut Right Through (Emileigh Rohn Edit)
4. Saigon Blue Rain . Dolls Dresses
5. Her Own World . Mistrust
6. Still Patient Feat. Minu-Schirin Samimi . Blind Vision
7. Creux Lies . Playtime
8. Der Klinke . Curtains (Your Life On Hold Remix)
9. On The Floor . Crying On The Dancefloor
10. Numa Echos Feat. Red Zebra . Waisted Items
11. Factheory . The Day (Ok Lion! Mix – Short Version)
12. Antiflvx . Crystal
13. Flor Concreta . She’s Closer
14. Golden Apes . Ash Trees
15. Glis . Blue Sky Night
16. Ataraxia . The Source
17. Hanging Freud . Grooming
18. Ok Lion! . Get Away
19. Yuzna . Queen Of The Eels

Cd 5

1. The Breath Of Life Feat. Implant . The Last Record
2. The Halo Trees . Happy Man
3. Palm Ghosts . Tilt
4. Your Life On Hold . Imprisoned (Merciless Radio Edit)
5. Götterdämmerung . Common Existence
6. Jenni Sex . Sin Chimes
7. Denner . She Radiates Darkness
8. Imjudas . I Love You
9. Black Needle Noise . Dollhouse On Fire
10. Dead Souls Rising . Dysmorphobia
11. The Waning Moon . Annabel
12. Korinthians . Leader Of The Night
13. Elektrostaub Feat. Stefan Netschio . Mantis (Auger Remix)
14. Omnimar . The Matrix
15. Synapsyche Feat. Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost) . The Last Dying Flame
16. Dance My Darling . Criminal
17. First Aid 4 Souls Feat. Emke Of Black Nail Cabaret . Das Messer
18. Supernova 1006 . Tell Your Name (Mix)
19. Suicidal Romance . Runaways

Cd 6

1. Ascii.Disko . Loslassen
2. Vioflesh . Emotions
3. Dina Summer . Who Am I (Club Version)
4. Pleasure Victim . Rascheln
5. Pink Opake . Pronta
6. Thewalkingicon . The Trail (Radio Edit)
7. Psy’aviah Feat. Sorrow Stories . Healing
8. Seasurfer . Collapsing
9. Lakeside X . Fire In The Sky (Radio Version)
10. Darkness On Demand . Hang On (Winterhart Remix)
11. Star Industry . Selling Icons (The Dreamside Remix)
12. Alphavox . Dark Satellite
13. Yama Uba . Shapes
14. Lifeless Past . Anxiety
15. Pink Turns Blue . Not Gonna Take It
16. Social Union . Waiting For Red
17. Sine . Until (Clan Of Xymox Remix)
18. Sorry, Heels . She Burns (We Burn) Version
19. Lights A.M . Clouds

Cd 7

1. Useless/You . Echo
2. Attrition . The Great Derailer
3. Children Of Zeal . Taking Over
4. Octolab . Friend Or Foe
5. Vague Phonique . The Last Man
6. Midnight Poetry . Black Hole
7. The Overlookers . Undercover (Edit)
8. La Machine . Vamos A La Playa (Radiomix)
9. Die Sexual . House Of God
10. Carrellee . Morning Sun
11. Underviewer . Was Soll Ich Tun (Aiboforcen Remix)
12. Night In Athens . Words Unspoken
13. Neila Invo . Alienation
14. Skeletal Family . My Own Redemption
15. The Murder Mystery . A Girl Named Red
16. Princess Ugly . For A Moment I Forgot The Desolation
17. Instant Lake . Ivory Dreams
18. Vision Video . Balaclava Kiss
19. La Scaltra . Dancing On Debris

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

Two years after their debut album, “Confessions Of The Innocent”, the enigmatic Swiss duo Blackbook returns with a follow-up that builds on their signature sound. Drawing heavily from ’80s Wave-Pop, they’ve transformed these influences into what can only be described as a near-supernatural copy. At times, the sounds feel so familiar that it seems as if they’ve borrowed elements from existing songs, only to reimagine them in their own unique way. The result is nothing short of stunning, enhanced by professional production. This album encapsulates everything that great Electro-Pop should be: melodic, danceable, filled with memorable choruses, and led by a compelling voice. The main downside is the total absence of originality. So, who exactly are Blackbook? Aliens? AI enthusiasts? Or simply genius copyists? Everyone will have to decide for themselves. (Rate:8).

Listen to “Painkiller”:

https://blackbookofficial.bandcamp.com/track/painkiller-2

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

Blackbook is a mysterious Swiss duo which last year released their official debut album “Confessions Of The Innocent” on DarkTunes Music Group. They were introduced as having been part of famous bands and having composed hits. Hidden behind masks and keeping their identities secret we can only but focus on the music. An impressive number of singles were already released before the album. So “Confessions Of The Innocent” is a kind of compilation from all these singles. The work reveals an impressive maturity in writing and production and is one of the best Electro/Wave-Pop albums from the last months. I talked to both protagonists who revealed their first names.  

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You clearly don’t want to reveal your identities, preferring to hide behind masks and mystery. Is it a kind of marketing strategy or what is it really all about? And are there details you want to reveal?

Matthias: When we started Blackbook, we had already played in several other Swiss and German acts. We didn’t want the public or the media to focus on that. That way we had a fresh beginning and we could create a little mystery. But it’s okay now, we usually say our first names. You can’t hide for long in the era of the internet.

Albert: Not revealing your identity and even wearing masks is also a great way of saying: just listen to the music!

Q: What you for sure can reveal is how Blackbook saw the daylight and what brought you to work together? Was there a kind of guiding line and specific sources of inspiration in the writing of the songs?

Albert: Years ago we were playing in a band together and decided that at some point we would start a duo project. We had no idea what it was going to be but we liked the idea of planning something that would involve just the two of us. It’s very efficient, working as a duo.

Matthias: If you listen to our album I think it’s clear that we are inspired by 80s and 90s music. It’s the music we grew up with. But our inspiration for specific songs can come from anywhere: books, TV series, songs, anything we come across. When we began, we didn’t know yet what our sound would be but as soon as we had “Love Is A Crime”, which later became our first single, we knew what Blackbook would sound and look like.

Q: You already mentioned to have been involved with other projects so how do you see yourselves as musicians and what does Blackbook mean in addition to your other projects?

Albert: At the moment it’s the only really serious musical project I’m working on, so I reserve a lot of time to work and reflect on it. I am basically a songwriter and a singer, so that’s my thing.

Matthias: I am not a car-person, but if I where, Blackbook would be my favorite car that I polish every weekend and drive to work every day, although I told myself to only drive it on special occasions and use my shitty car instead.

Q: Your debut album “Confessions Of The Innocent” was preceded by an impressive number of singles. So how did the album finally take shape and how do you look back at the writing and production of the songs and album?

Matthias: Actually, it did start out as just a series of singles, starting with “Love Is A Crime”. At some point we said, let’s just pack them all on an album, add a few songs and that’s it. But I think the reason it works so well as an album is the fact that our songs have a red thread in terms of thematic content and production style.

Albert: When it comes to the lyrics, I like to think of an album as being a reflection of what I or we have been through in a certain period of time. It’s a mood piece that covers a part of our lives.

Q: Your songs are clearly into Synth-Pop music but what does this genre of music mean to you? And what are the elements you need to speak about a great Synth-Pop song?

Albert: To be honest, I don’t even care that much about genres. It’s obvious that you can label our music as Synth-Pop and that’s fine, but what I care about more is to make something that’s consistent, recognizable and true to our inner bearings as a musician.

Matthias: I grew up in the 80’s, so synthesizers, gated reverbs and drum machines from that era still make me feel good, in a nostalgic but also rejuvenating way.

Q: I noticed you’re planning your first live shows this year. What might the audience expect from Blackbook on stage and will you try to keep your identities secret -which I think is nearly impossible?  

Matthias: We’re preparing these shows at the moment and we’re totally freaking out.

Albert: I really can’t sleep anymore.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

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

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Blackbook is a new Swiss duo which has been introduced as having composed famous hits and even the title song for a famous Netflix series. However, who they are remains unknown. They released several singles during the past four years and are now unleashing their debut album.

Content: Blackbook is clearly driven by good-old Electro-Wave/Pop influences. It sounds like the common thread throughout the entire album. Most of the songs sound like ‘happy-pop’ music although I also noticed a few harder passages driven by EBM-orientated bass lines. It’s a catchy and danceable production which might appeal to Elegant Machinery fans although I don’t want to make any further comparison. 

+ + + : Blackbook took me by surprise. The album is a succession of great and fully accomplished songs. This is an outstanding production moving from catchy, happy, sounding tunes to harder, danceable cuts carried by menacing bass lines. The global spirit however remains ‘happy-pop’-like. The songs have been meticulously crafted revealing maturity and creative writing. The choruses mainly have an elevating effect. Last but not least there also is a talented and experienced singer on top of the work.

– – – : We get 14 songs but only both last cuts can’t totally convince me. I don’t have any single reason to complain!

Conclusion: “Confessions Of The Innocent” sounds like a blast in Electro-Pop land. This album definitely belongs to the very restricted list of ‘best of’ Synth-Pop albums of the year.

Best songs: “Lab Rats”, “Love Is A Crime”, “Minefield”, “My Beautiful Witch”, “Minefield”, “I Dance Alone”.

Rate: 9.

Artist: www.blackbookmusic.ch / www.facebook.com/blackbook

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

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

(By Stéphane Froidcoeur for Inferno Sound Diaries/Side-Line Reviews) 2022 has been once again a sad, bloody and terrible year. Living in a mad world music once more remains a true therapy to appease pain and frustration. Concerts and festivals came back; the perfect place to meet friends again. Artists remain prolific releasing great studio work. So I’m once more closing the year by a personal selection of my very own ‘best of’-albums of the year.

Over 700 productions have been selected while 540  reviews have been made all over the year. Some productions have been refused because the style of music didn’t fit, while other reviews will be postponed to 2023. I’m really grateful to all labels, bands and promoters considering my work and efforts and I hope you’ll go on providing me new promos next year.

I one again have to express my deepest gratitude to Rich Bova (NEIKKA RPM) who for years and years now is reading, correcting and improving my reviews. Without Rich there would be no reviews. I also want to thank Bernard Van Isacker – chief redactor Side-Line Music Magazine – for the successful collaboration. 

Up now to 2023. I already reduced my activities this year and will move on reducing it in 2023. I made my first reviews and interviews back in 1991 (!). Some of the readers and artists weren’t even born when I wrote my first review for Side-Line. So after more than 30 years non-stop activities I think it’s not that strange to move on slowly.

I also want to express a big ‘F*** you’ to so-called ‘artists’ and label owners who don’t realise and appreciate the work I’m doing by making reviews and preparing interviews to get them in the spotlights. The attitude and less of respect shown by those people – luckily a very few number – is just unacceptable… but I’m afraid it reflects the world we’re living in… Behind a genius artist is not always hiding a great person… It’s quite strange to realise the ’biggest’- and long-time established artists from this scene often are the most accessible ones.

Writing reviews remains very ‘subjective’ and always a source of discussion, but keep in mind it will be always the perception of the reviewer. I can assure you I’m always trying to argue my reviews the best as possible. A review will be never objective, but has to be honest!

Like every year I’ve made a selection from the best albums of the year. This ‘TOP 25’ covers different styles like EBM, Dark-Electro, IDM, Synth-Pop, Ethereal, Dark-Ambient, Industrial, Cinematographic, Gothic, Post-Punk, Cold/Dark-Wave, Dark-Techno and a few related genres. It remains an exciting but tough exercise.

This ‘TOP 25’ is taken from the promotional material I got while compilations, ‘best of’-productions, EP’s and singles were not considered.

So, here’s my ‘TOP 25’ from 2022 and don’t forget to share it with your friends….

Top 25 albums 2022

1. IVARDENSPHERE: “Ragemaker” – Metropolis Records
2. DIE ROBO SAPIENS : “Robo Sapien Race” – Alfa Matrix
3. EBE04 : “Inrush – Give/Take
4. CALDON GLOVER: “Labyrintia” – Cyclic Law
5. ROME: “Hegemonikon” – Trisol
6. NEIKKA RPM: “Scorpio In The Hourglass – Alfa Matrix
7. VANGUARD: “Spectrum” – Infacted Recordings
8. SUICIDE COMMANDO: “Goddestructor” – Out Of Line
9. ELM: “Penetrator” – Alfa Matrix
10. OBERER TOTPUNKT: “Totentanz” – Danse Macabre Records
11. THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE: “Fascination” – Metropolis Records
12. BLACKBOOK: “Confessions Of The Innocent” – DarkTunes Music Group
13. BEYOND THE GHOST: “Sundown” – Cryo Chamber
14. THEN COMES SILENCE: “Hunger” – Metropolis Records
15. PRINCIPE VALLIENTE: “Barricades” – Metropolis Records
16. DAWN OF ASHES: “Scars Of The Broken” – Artoffact Records
17. MONSTERGOD: “Ozymandias” – Space Race Records
18. STATIQBLOOM: “Threat” – Sonic Groove Records
19. AXIOME: “Field Guide To Alien Planets And Other Disco Balls – Audiophob
20. REICHSFEIND: “Darken” – Alfa Matrix
21. FIRST AID 4 SOULS: “I Am The Night” – Alfa Matrix
22. ORDO ROSARIUS EQUILIBRIO: “Nihilist Notes And The Perputual Quest 4 Meaning In Nothing” – Out Of Line
23. KILL SHELTER: “Asylum” – Manic Depression Records / Metropolis Records
24. JAGATH: “Svapna” – Cold Spring Records
25. KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND: “Voodoo” – Shyrec

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

Out via the nice colleagues of darkTunes is a compilation called “Hard Pop, Vol. 1”. The compilation basically turns radio hits from the past 3 decades into metal and goth.

The compilation starts with “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes covered by Blackbook. What follows is a series of bands including Omnimar, Dust In Mind, Toal, Extize, Basszilla and many more taking us on a journey through nostalgia up to today’s tunes by artists such as Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Katy Perry, Lmfao, t.A.T.u, P!Nk, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna & Calvin Harris.

Further covers include “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day, and even “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne.

Next to these ‘older songs’ we also find modern era covers songs such as “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, “Around the World” by Daft Punk and “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele.

In total 17 pop hits were reimagined by the metal and gothic bands signed to the darkTunes label.

The compilation is also available as a 6 sided digipak (500 copies only) with 16 pages booklet and stickers and of course as download.

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