BlakLight is an American Synth-Pop project I first discovered in 2020 with their debut album, “Music In A Time Of Uncertainty”. Founded by the duo Adam Collier and Brian Belknap, BlakLightnot only delivered a brilliant debut, but with each subsequent release they have continued to confirm their talent for crafting stylish, polished Electro-Pop. Late last year, they returned with their fifth full-length album, “The Haunting Of Us”, which also marks the official arrival of live member Omar Quiñones as a full-fledged part of BlakLight.

Once again self-released, BlakLight’s “The Haunting Of Us” is a meticulously crafted production, polished down to the finest detail. Brian Belknap proves once more to be a gifted vocalist for this genre, his voice shining even brighter thanks to the high-caliber musical backing surrounding it. BlakLight may not be reinventing the wheel, but they never pretend to: this is elegant, sophisticated Electro-Pop with all the ingredients the genre demands. Time for a chat with the entire band. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

BlakLight interview

Q: “The Haunting Of Us” is already the fifth studio album for BlakLight – along with alternative edits and numerous singles and EPs all released since 2020. How do you look back on this rapid development and remarkable productivity by BlakLight? And how did the transition from a duo to a trio for this new opus come about? Has this change had an impact on the roles and input of each member?

Adam: Looking back, the pace probably seems intense from the outside, but for me it’s always felt very natural. I tend to get deeply locked into ideas and sounds, and once I’m in that space, I don’t really switch it off. I’m constantly writing, refining, and building. We have  just followed that momentum wherever it goes. The transition from a duo to a trio came together pretty organically. Omar really understood the atmosphere and emotional tone we were aiming for. There’s more space now—more perspectives, more ways to approach a track. Everyone brings something distinct without losing our core identity.

Brian: It’s funny, but I think we’ve slowed down too much! We released the first two albums within the space of a year, and we had hoped to keep up that pace, but life got in the way. We’re not overly precious about the songs, there will always be another. Omar joined us as a ‘live member’ a few years back, as we needed more support in the live setting, and things evolved from there. He’s a fantastic musician and brings some great musical ideas and tight harmonies to the table.

Omar: I think the way BlakLight works as a band really comes down to trust. Each of us has a defined role, and that balance just clicks naturally. As for the frequency of releases, the process was already well established when I joined—Adam and Brian had a strong foundation and a deep catalog of material, which keeps the momentum going. My own process tends to be a bit more deliberate, but everything is now very structured. We have a clear release schedule this year, with a lot in the pipeline. It’s both exciting and creatively demanding. Honestly, it feels like a dream team.

Q: Tell us a bit about the new BlakLight album. Did the theme or the music come first, and how did both aspects evolve during the composition process? What stages did you go through to reach the final result?

Adam: The process starts by me writing a song or group of songs. The title tends to surface early, almost instinctively.  From there, I send the demos to Brian and Omar, and the songs start to shape. When their vocals and additional music come back, I move into production and mixing.  I will strip parts away, introduce new elements, or reshape entire sections. I hear changes constantly, and it’s difficult to leave anything untouched. We usually work right up until the deadline. The title track, “The Haunting Of Us” itself went through three distinct revisions. 

Brian: Adam brought the title “The Haunting Of Us” to the table a few years back, and we stuck with it. For nearly all of the lyrics I’ve written for BlakLight, I use Adam’s musical demo titles as the jumping off point for my lyrical ideas and song titles. I typically don’t have anything in mind when I start writing, I just begin riffing and singing nonsense over the track until some words eventually shoot out, then I refine them and define what the song will be about. However, there are two tracks on the album, “The Haunting Of Us” and “Judas Kiss”, that I went into with a spark of idea about what I wanted to convey.

Omar: It’s always fascinating to hear how a track evolves from demo to final version. The core elements are usually already there—it’s about expanding on that foundation and bringing it to life. I remember suggesting early on that we lean into a darker sonic direction, especially given the album title. It felt appropriate, considering the current climate. More than anything, what matters is that the music remains relatable while continuing to evolve. You can really hear that progression across each release.

Q: Speaking of the final result, how critical are you of yourselves and the production as a whole? Are there any external voices you consult, or specific references or criteria you use? And to what extent do these influence the overall outcome of BlakLight’s work?

Adam: ‘Critical’ feels too light—it’s more like something that never switches off. I’m always hearing what could shift, what needs to be removed or reworked. It’s less about perfection and more about whether it feels aligned with what we’re trying to capture. I don’t rely much on external references. The only real measure is whether the track feels complete within its own world. 

Brian: I’m probably the least critical of the three of us, not being a technical musician. Adam and Omar always deliver, and if I can listen to my voice on the track without cringing, I’ve succeeded.

Omar: I’d say I fall somewhere in the middle when it comes to being critical. When I’m adding parts to a song, my focus is on whether it truly fits the atmosphere and intent. The most critical aspect for me is sound design. I work with a range of hardware and modular gear, moving between them to shape textures and tones. It can be a time-intensive process, but it’s essential to achieving the right sound.

Q: Could you elaborate on the deeper meaning behind the title of the new BlakLight album? To what extent is it a metaphor for themes such as loss, memory, and emotional erosion? And how much do these themes reflect the introspective and uncertain world we live in today?

Adam:  The music came first, and as I was shaping the demos, certain moods kept emerging,  memory, loss, and things that linger longer than they should. The title, “The Haunting Of Us,” came afterward, almost as a way of naming what the music had already begun to express. For me, this album reflects more on an internal world than an external one, about the spaces we carry inside ourselves. The album translates that introspection into sound.

Brian: It’s all of those things. My original intention was to write ten songs about all types of loss, but the songs took me in different directions as I worked on them. I try to keep the lyrics vague enough so that I’m not spelling out the meaning, and each listener can find themselves in the songs.

Omar: To me, the title reflects something very real and personal. As a band, we’ve all experienced loss, illness, anxiety, and concern for the people we care about. Those experiences inevitably shape the music of BlakLight. At the same time, the title also serves as a reminder of resilience—despite everything we face, we find ways to move forward and overcome.

Q: Up until now, as BlakLight you have always released your music independently. To what extent is this a conscious decision to operate BlakLight as a DIY band? I can imagine there are labels that would be interested in releasing your work. On the other hand, a ‘good’ label could potentially give you broader recognition—unless that is not a priority for you at all?

Adam: I’ll let Brian and Omar speak to that. My focus is more on shaping the music that gives our albums their foundation. 

Brian: It’s a fairly conscious decision to remain DIY as BlakLight. My day job has kept me behind the scenes of the music business for over two decades, so I’m well versed on how things work. That being said, we’ve only ever been approached by one label. If someone wants to talk to us, we’re open ears.

Omar: We’re always having conversations about our long-term goals, including the possibility of working with a label. For now, keeping things in-house feels right. We have the ability to manage a lot on our own, and that independence has been important to us. That said, when the right opportunity comes along, we’ll be ready for it. At this stage, our biggest needs would likely be strong management and tour support.

Q: How does the energy of the studio recordings translate to the stage for BlakLight, and how is that divided between the three of you? And finally, what does the rest of the year have in store for Blaklight in terms of live performances and other plans?

Adam: For live performances, we enhance certain elements to give the songs more immediate energy, and they translate naturally to the stage. We have a great light show that shapes the atmosphere. Brian is one of the most commanding frontmen I’ve ever seen, he radiates energy that’s almost explosive. Omar and I anchor  the sound, shaping the textures and layers that give the performance its depth. Together, the three of us create a live version that feels like the music has grown larger and more alive than in the studio. We have a 4th member for live shows, our friend Suede, he fills in when I cannot make it. 

Brian: We turn the energy up for our live shows. I actually think that fans are surprised the first time they see us live, I’m not standing in the corner sulking in the fog. We’ve got a few festival dates (Dark Force Fest & Wave-Gotik-Treffen), UK and Mexico tours and hopefully some west coast shows before the year is up. There’s two more maxi-singles in the pipeline, an EP of covers, an EP of ‘re-imagined’ tracks, the follow-up to our ’nstrumental-ish’ album “tHE pADDED rOOM” and likely a new proper single and/or EP.

Omar: Performing live is incredibly important to me. One of the most exciting things has been watching Brian grow into such a powerful frontman of BlakLight—his energy is genuinely infectious. A lot of people don’t expect the intensity we bring, and the response has been amazing. On stage, everything is raw and immediate—all the emotion comes through at once, and that rush is addictive.

There’s also a real sense of connection with the audience. Brian has a way of making everyone in the room feel part of the experience. What we do has a certain elegance—it’s not overproduced, and it aligns naturally with our aesthetic. We all draw inspiration from the artists who shaped us, and those influences come through in subtle ways.

Performing alongside Adam is especially meaningful to me. There’s a strong emotional exchange between us, and it translates directly into the music. When all of us are on stage together, it feels like unveiling a painting for the first time—layered, expressive, and full of both precision and imperfection.

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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In just six years, BlakLight has built an impressive discography. The group, which for a long time remained a duo consisting of Adam Collier (Beautiful Crisis, SilverScene) and Brian Belknap (Mind Machine), has since grown into a trio with the addition of Omar Quiñones (Vain Machine). “The Haunting Of Us”, released at the end of 2025, is already their fifth studio album—not to mention the alternative releases, including remix albums and other projects.

For me, BlakLight remains an absolute guarantee of high-quality Electro-Pop. The songs are meticulously crafted across a broad sonic canvas and often explode during the choruses. Brian Belknap is a talented singer, ensuring that the vocals match the sophistication of the music. The tracks never grow boring, as they are infused with infectious, danceable energy. While I hesitate to make direct comparisons, certain sounds or arrangements occasionally remind me of Erasure and Depeche Mode.

I still find it surprising—and a bit unfortunate—that this group, especially in Europe, doesn’t receive the recognition it truly deserves. BlakLight belongs firmly in a higher rank of qualitative Electro-Pop. (Rating:8).

Listen to “The Haunting Of Us”:

https://blaklight.bandcamp.com/track/the-haunting-of-us

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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“Buried Alive” is the second preview of BlakLight’s upcoming album, “The Haunting Of Us”.

The American Electro-Pop band delivers a strong title track, marked by excellent production and a richly layered soundscape. Brian Belknap’s outstanding vocals elevate the song even further, completing an already impressive package. A second version of the track is also included—one I personally prefer, even though the differences are subtle.

The remaining two tracks are instrumental, which essentially makes this release feel more like a single than an EP. Still, both pieces are highly Cinematic and offer a chance to appreciate the depth of BlakLight’s composition style, with some truly beautiful piano work providing the finishing touch.

BlakLight continues to be a solid presence within the genre—though they remain criminally underrated on the European scene. It’s time for a new full-length album. (Rating:7).

Listen to “Buried Alive – Axe Mix”:

https://blaklight.bandcamp.com/track/buried-alive-axe-mix

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

Ex-Hyena, Bo Barringer and Reuben Bettsak, have just released the video for the “Spiral Down (Moris Blak Remix)” track which is taken from the duo’s recent single “Spiral Down”. “Spiral Down” is the second single from the forthcoming 3rd Ex-Hyena album, “A Kiss of the Mind” which will be out on Re:Mission Entertainment.

Ex-Hyena was formed in 2020, and since then released two albums (2021’s “Artificial Pulse” and 2022’s “Moon Reflections”), a remix album (2023’s “Moon Reflections Remixed”), and several singles and EPs. The duo also collaborated with Control I’m Here, Hororhaus, BlakLight, Pleasure Policy, Jackson VanHorn, Denial Waits, Blood Handsome, The Mystic Underground, Maduro, and others.

You can check out the new video below.

And here’s the single 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.

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(Photo by Ex-Hyena) Out via Re:Mission Entertainment is the newest single from the Boston duo Ex-Hyena. “In Slow Motion” is the inaugural single off Ex-Hyena’s forthcoming third album “A Kiss of the Mind: and comes backed with an exclusive remix of the title track by Ohio’s Child of Night.

This new single is the duo’s (Reuben Bettsak and Bo Barringer) debut for the Oklahoma-based darkwave record label Re:Mission Entertainment.

Since its inception in 2021, Ex-Hyena has delivered two albums (2021’s “Artificial Pulse” and 2022’s “Moon Reflections” plus a handful of singles and EPs, and collaborations with Control I’m Here, Hororhaus, The Gothsicles, BlakLight, Pleasure Policy, Jackson VanHorn, Denial Waits, Blood Handsome, and others.

“Things seem to move so fast sometimes and it’s hard to savor moments, or understand a magical day, a traumatic event, a breakup or a fight, etc.,” says Bettsak. “It’s kind of the whole imagining life as a movie where you could replay things in slow motion – with other psychedelic effects for good measure. In the lyrics ‘Leaning backwards / There’s impact from your words / They sneak into my brain like a scorpion,’ I was picturing an argument with a significant other in slow motion. With actual colorful letters coming out and such. The song is also a celebration of movement and cherishing life. And of course it delves into our fears and how they can be debilitating.”

The single was produced and mixed by Barringer, and mastered by Adam Stillson at Decade Music Studio.

And here is the video for the title track.

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.

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Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Adam Collier (Beautiful Crisis, SilverScene) and Brian Belknap (Mind Machine, SilverScene) strike back with a new opus of BlakLight. The album was originally conceived as an instrumental album.

Content: “The Padded Room” sounds different from the American formation’s previous works. It sounds more Minimal and even a bit Experimental although holding on to the strong Electro-Pop basis of the band. There indeed is a kind of Cinematic touch recovering the songs which has been created by wafting synth parts and an explicit atmospheric side. Vocals have been added in a totally different way by loops and ghost-like effects.

+ + + : I don’t know what has been the true purpose of this work but BlakLight in a way reinvented their sound or just evolved exploring new sonic paths. The work this way has a visionary appeal while it’s however dominated by Minimalism. The Cinematic and overwhelming “Alone Again” is the perfect illustration of this evolution. Another essential song is the danceable “Away From Me” which is carried by great, vintage, sound treatments. The vocals are just reduced into a loop of the song’s title. This song would be the right cut to get exposed to club-remixes.

– – – : This work sounds totally different than previous albums and is less accessible. It’s more an Experimental work of Electro-Pop.

Conclusion: “The Padded Room” has less in common with previous albums but remains a well-crafted and mature production revealing further paths of Electro-Pop music.

Best songs: “Away From Me”, “Alone Again”, “Breathe”, “Redefine”, “This Is The Place”, “Craving”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/BlakLightband

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

Originally conceived as an instrumental album in late 2022, BlakLight’s newest recording “tHE pADDED rOOM” has since mutated into a instrumental-ish album. Utilizing vocal loops and samples, the sound is moodier than BlakLight’s typical four to the four dark synthpop.

Adam Collier and Brian Belknap refer to this as being the album number 2.5, serving as both a stopgap between albums while working on other projects and as an exploratory exercise, breaking the norms of their previously recorded output.

Up next for BlakLight is “Prey”, a brand new track, which will be released on the forthcoming Darkness Calling curated Bandcamp charity compilation “Back From the Grave Vol. 1” on June 1st, with all proceeds donated to The Trevor Project in support of LGBTQIA+ youth and suicide prevention. On June 9th, the band will release “Prey” on all digital services.

On the horizon from their other projects, Mind Machine releases a new single, “Pry Your Eyes”, on May 26th, while SilverScene’s next single, “Dark Skies”, will be released on June 2nd.

Their third proper full length album, “The Haunting Of Us”, is scheduled for release on October 27, 2023.

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.

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Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Los Angeles (USA) duo Brian Belknap – Adam Collier aka BlakLight is back on track. After two successful albums they released this EP which features four songs. “Innocence Lost” was originally released at the charity compilation “Wrapped In Plastic”.

Content: We first get the original edit of the title song followed by an extended version. Both edits are into pure melodic Electro-Pop with retro-like elements in it. Both songs left are teasers to an announced, instrumental, album. 

+ + + : The title track is a great piece of music featuring a dry kick and snare, cool bleeps, an elevating lead and great vocals. It also confirms the professional production approach of the duo. Both songs left are more than simply B-sides. They’re not entirely instrumentals as the title of the songs have been used as punch lines.

– – – : Electro-Pop fields are definitely endless but I still don’t understand why BlakLight remains under the radar.

Conclusion: A new exposure of a great Electro-Pop formation with its own sound and approach.

Best songs: “Innocence Lost”, “Away From Me”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/BlakLightband

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 Kieron Brennan) Following their debut album, the Anglo-French dark pop act Scenius – initially a studio project – have become a live band. Their first official gig took place in Angers, France, on the 30th of March 2022 and it was recorded and filmed – on a static single camera.

Released now as the EP “Live in Angers” you get 4 tracks taken from this gig. Musically the band is making electronic dark-pop out of vintage synths and rhythm machines, blending the spirit and sounds of early electronic outfits with a modern approach.

You can download the EP right below.

Here is the live video for “Cookie Cutter”.

About Scenius

The duo is composed of UK producer Steve Whitfield (The Cure, The Mission, Yann Tiersen) and French singer Fab Nau. They released their debut album in December 2020. In 2021 Scenius remixed tracks for BlakLight (US) and Projekt Ich (DE) and got remixed by Nature of Wires (UK), Klammer (UK) and Black Boiler (FR). The duo also contributed a new track to the Generation Blitz compilation. In March 2022, Scenius embarked upon their first series of gigs, in France.

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.

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Out now is the remix album “Human​:​Resurrection (The Remixes)” by Sydney (Australia) based electropop artist Daniel Hall / Emerge1. The remix album holds remixed tracks from his previous album “Human” plus 1 new single, “Resurrection”. It is the 16th full length studio album for Daniel Hall.

The collaborators on this remix album include Blaklight, The Brute, People Theatre, Beyond Border, ee:man, Patrik Kambo, All Star Motivator, Eric C Powell, Emerge 1, Isunray, Nature of Wires and DJ Dorian Rangel.

Note that the release is also available as a CD.

Here’s the new single.

And here is the track listing.

On a sidenote, The Brute who completed a cover version of Hall’s track “Feeling Low” will release the track itself as well as a single with an official video on July 1st 2022.

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.

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The Los Angeles based dark electronic pop duo BlakLight, Brian Belknap (Mind Machine) and Adam Collier (Crush333, Full Frontal Disco and MDA), have released the first single from their forthcoming double remix album, “Out Of The Void – The Remixes”. “Waiting” in a Solar Fake Remix is available right here from Bandcamp.

“Waiting”, originally from the band’s second album, “Into The Void”, is remixed here by Solar Fake’s Sven Friedrich, and includes a bonus instrumental version exclusively on Bandcamp.

Also released today is a new, exclusive track, “Wicked Face”, taken from the forthcoming “Generation Blitz 2: Concrete and Chrome” compilation.

In further news the band makes their live debut on March 18th 2022, joining Matte Blvck and Vain Machine, presented by Luna Negra at Bart Lounge in Cathedral City, CA, followed by an appearance at Bar Sinister in Hollywood, CA and at the inaugural Darkness Calling Festival in Los Angeles, CA. You can find all dates and ticket info right here.

The duo will release an additional remix single on March 18th with a further remix single and Bandcamp album pre-order on April 1st. Adam and Brian are continuing work on their third and fourth albums.

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.

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Los Angeles based dark synthpop duo Mind Machine have contributed a cover of And One’s “Sometimes” to the recently released 10-track release “Anode (An Electrozombies Tribute To And One)”. “Sometimes” originally appears on German synthpop band And One’s 1997 album, “Nordhausen”.

Mind Machine consists of Brian Belknap (BlakLight) and Brian Olsen (Glasspool), and the duo is currently working on a new EP, their first release of all new material since their 2019 album, “Return To The Machine”.

Here’s the track as covered by Mind Machine.

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.

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Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: American Electro-Pop duo BlakLight took me last year by surprise releasing the album “Music In A Time Of Uncertainty”, which became one of my favorite full lengths of the year. Driven by Brian Belknap (Mind Machine) and Adam Collier (Crush333, MDA, Full Frontal Disco) BlakLight already released a few singles to introduce their second album.

Content: “Into The Void” is pure Electro-Pop music, which moves on there where the previous album stopped. The global sound production became more mature, the songs being more polished and elaborated with empowering guitar playing –by guest musician Pano Coromelas. Some songs have been accomplished with some retro elements. BlakLight invited two guest singers, Gene Serene (The Frixion) and Magnus Dahlberg (More) to sing each on one song.

+ + + : BlakLight again took me by surprise, but I now got more impressed by the professional approach of the song writing and global sound production. The album also takes off with the great “Paranoid” featuring an irresistible chorus and a powerful production. I also enjoyed tracks like “Nightmares” for its empowering guitar play and “Reset” which sounds more vintage-like. Both songs were also released as singles. There also is the more sensual and melancholic “Vampires” featuring male & female vocals. The production of the vocals is also great and totally matches with the Electro-Pop sound.

– – – : I’ve listened a few times to the new album and can’t get away from the idea “Music In A Time Of Uncertainty” featured more potential hits.

Conclusion: BlakLight confirms great writing and production skills; this is a band with an own and refreshing sound and I honestly can’t understand why this band isn’t signed on a leading label of the scene.

Best songs: “Paranoid”, “Vampires”, “Reset”, “Nightmares”, “Into The Void”, “Skin”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/BlakLightband

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

Los Angeles based dark electronic pop duo Brian Belknap (Mind Machine) & Adam Collier (Crush333, Full Frontal Disco & MDA) release their second album, “Into The Void” on Friday October 8th.

“Into The Void’ is available for Bandcamp pre-order since Friday October 1st, before its release everywhere on Friday October 8th. Fans get to hear a third track from the album, “World”, featuring Magnus Dahlberg from MORE, streaming on Bandcamp along with the two previous singles “Nightmares” and “Reset”.

BlakLight will also be releasing “Into The Void” on a limited edition signed digipak CD as well as launching a crowd funded vinyl campaign via Qrates.

The release comes after last year’s debut album, “Music in a Time of Uncertainty”. Featuring guest vocals from Gene Serene (The Frixion) on “Vampires” and Magnus Dahlberg (MORE) on “World”, the album also adds a layer of guitars, courtesy of Pano Coromelas.

The band will make their first live performance on November 20th, joining Vain Machine, at Bar Sinister in Hollywood, CA. BlakLight will also be releasing another single from “Into The Void” in December. And on the schedule for early 2022, is also an “Into The Void” remix 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.

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The song “Control” definitely was one of the best tracks from BlakLight’s debut album “Music In A Time Of Uncertainty”. The song has already been released as a single and is now offered to other artists to get remixed. The EP features six remixes plus two hidden bonus cuts. 

Content: I’ll take off with the hidden bonus songs of this EP, which both were originally released on the “Control”-single. It’s an opportunity to (re)discover a song, which wasn’t released on the album, but sounds in the same danceable, melodic Electro-Pop vein. The remixes of “Control” have been made by Scenius, Promenade Cinema, Beyond Border, Lloyd Price and Mind Machine (another project of the band’s singer Brian Belknap). Last, but not least there also is a so-called “Stripped”-edit, which has been adapted into a guitar-pop song without electronics.

+ + + : “Control” remains a great song released on a great album. It clearly inspired some remixes to achieve a cool job. My favorite remix is the one by UK producer Lloyd Price (previously involved with Massive Ego). This edit is more elaborate and features a true elevating effect. Another attention grabber is the remix by Mind Machine, which sounds pretty dynamic. The “Stripped”-edit is not my favorite one although it’s a cool and totally reworked version. It’s also cool that both songs from the single-format have been featured.

– – – : BlakLight has clearly chosen to ask less familiar names for the remixes –which is a great idea although I’m missing a few ‘hotter’ names. That could have been a better strategy to reach a wider audience, what this band deserves.

Conclusion: This EP is a cool addition to a great album. BlakLight have announced they are working on their second full length, so I’m really wondering how they’ll evolve after such a great debut.

Best songs: “Control – Lloyd Price Remix”, “Control – Mind Machine Remix” + “Control – Broken Mix”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.blaklightband.com / www.facebook.com/BlakLightband

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.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The American duo Brian Belknap – Adam Collier last year released the debut album “Music In A Time Of Uncertainty”. This production by the American BlakLight was one of my favorite Electro-Pop releases from 2020. “Unknown Love” is a song taken from this album. The CD format features ten remixes plus one extra untitled song.

Content: “Unknown Love” was not exactly my favorite song from the album although it’s a great Electro-Pop track with a carrying chorus. The song has been remixed by Nite, Matthias, Sea Of Sin, Darwinmcd, Obsession Of Time and Hallowlove –who made 4 remixes. There’s a great diversity between the different remixes, but all edits remain pretty Electro-Pop driven. The untitled song is a cover version of David Bowie’s “Ashes To Ashes”, which has been transposed into a pure Electro-Pop dimension.

+ + + : The opening remix by Nite is a first attention grabber for its overwhelming and blasting sound production. Another cool cut is the dreamy remix by Darwinmcd. But my favorite cut is without a shadow of a doubt the remix of Obsession Of Time, which is more club-orientated and mixed with retro-Pop influences. There’s also something to say about the Bowie-cover; it’s not an easy job to cover such a legendary track, but BlakLight did it with style.

– – – : I’m still convinced “Unknown Love” is not the best song taken from “Music In A Time Of Uncertainty” and I also expected a bit more from the remixes. I’m still not a huge fan of EP’s with an endless list of remixes from one and the same song. 

Conclusion: BlakLight remains to me a hot newcomer, but I should recommend discovering the band by their great album instead of this EP.

Best songs: “Unknown Love – Obsession Of Time Remix”, “Unknown Love – Nite Remix”, “Unknown Love – Darwinmcd Remix”, “Unknown Love – Matthias Remix”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/BlakLightband

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

From BlakLight member Adam Collier comes a brand new project: Frontal Disco. The idea for Full Frontal Disco already came in late 2019 and the basic aim behind the project is to have different singers from Collier’s favorite indie bands on vocals.

The first of those collaborations is now out on single: “Beautiful Crisis”. On vocals we find Ryan Slemko from Hollowlove, who personally selected “Beautiful Crisis” as the track to work on. The track throws you back in time, and if you ask us it reminds a lot of Erasure’s splendid “Always” period in 1994.

Adam: “I have other songs ready now with a couple more male vocalists and one female and I will be releasing those singles throughout 2021. There is another song called “Deep” that is slated as the next release with Mark Bebb of Shelter.”

The single release has the radio edit, an extended version, and a club mix. Warmly recommended to fans of Erasure and related acts!

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.

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BlakLight returns with “Control – The Remixes” later this month (next week actually). The EP revisits the track “Control” which the duo released earlier in May. The EP features remixes from Scenius, Mind Machine, Promenade Cinema, Beyond Border, Lloyd Price and the band’s very own “stripped” version. The Bandcamp pre-order has started today (download and CD).

You can already check out a first remix below.

BlakLight is an American duo from Los Angeles featuring singer Brian Belknap (Mind Machine) and Adam Collier (CRUSH333, MDA, Full Frontal Disco). Last year they self-released their debut full length “Music In A Time Of Uncertainty” offering ten tracks mixing retro electro-pop elements together with melancholic and danceable parts. A new album is already in the making.

Here’s an interview with the band.

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.

side-line.com

Los Angeles based dark electronic pop duo BlakLight aka Brian Belknap (Mind Machine)and& Adam Collier (Crush333, MDA and Full Frontal Disco) are prepping a new BlakLight single, “Control”. “Control” is the third and final single from their debut album, “Music in a Time of Uncertainty”.

To be released on Friday May 7th the single will feature a new mix of “Control”, the Broken Mix on the A-side, while the B-side is the band’s cover of Peter Murphy’s “Cuts You Up”. Below is the artwork.

In further news, the band have a brand new, exclusive track on the forthcoming charity compilation “Ice Planet Goth” curated by Darkness Calling. This one will be out on May 4th. For every cent after Bandcamp’s fees, Darkness Calling pledges to make a matching donation to The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people.

Check out their debut album, “Music in a Time of Uncertainty”, right 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.

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Last year Brian Olsen and Brian Belknap (who’s now also involved with BlakLight) wanted to go back on stage. Because of the pandemic concerts got cancelled and the American duo got the idea to rework older songs. The title song is one from the early days (1990), which has never been released.

Content: This EP feels a bit like a time-machine getting us back to the magic of the 80s Electro-Wave and Pop music. It sounds totally retro-like evoking Electro-Pop icons such as Erasure and Depeche Mode. The songs are catchy and danceable. All tracks are carried by great synth lines and low resonating bass lines with the perfect singing of Brian Belknap on top. You’ll rediscover more recent songs in a pure vintage outfit.

+ + + : The originality of this duo is hard to find, but they simply compose great Electro-Pop in the purest vintage style. “Saying Sorry” stands for this good-old spirit and is an excellent title song. But all other tracks left have been masterly reworked featuring danceable vibes and melodic leads. The EP is more a kind of mini-album of 6 cool songs and there’s not one single cut to throw away. If you don’t know Mind Machine and you like Electro-Pop in the good-old vein, you definitely have to give it a try!

– – – : I don’t have any real minus point to mention, this EP being the best work I’ve heard from Mind Machine.

Conclusion: Refreshing old-styled Electro-Pop music!

Best songs: “Swimming Pool – Deep End Version”, “Saying Sorry”, “Frustration – Vent Version”, “Face The Nation – Pearl Version”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/mindmachineband

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

BLAKLIGHT is an American duo from Los Angeles featuring singer Brian Belknap (MIND MACHINE) and operator Adam Collier (CRUSH333, MDA, FULL FRONTAL DISCO). They last year self-released the debut full length “Music In A Time Of Uncertainty”. The work reveals ten fully accomplished songs mixing some retro Electro-Pop elements together with melancholic and danceable parts. The album stands for a mature and professional sound featuring several brilliant songs. BLAKLIGHT definitely appears to be one of the most promising Electro-Pop formations from the moment.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: How did you guys get in touch and what incited you to set up BLAKLIGHT? What brings this new project compared to the others you’re involved with?

Adam: In 2019 I had been toying with the idea of starting a new project with multiple vocalists. Brian was on my list because I enjoy his other project, MIND MACHINE.  After hearing what he did with our first song, the musical ideas flowed easily and I kept sending him more music. Our musical tastes are similar, so this project is very easy for me to come up with ideas for and Brian has always brought back amazing lyrics and melodies.

Brian: Adam did a remix for MIND MACHINE back in 2019, but we’ve only met in person a few times, and both were brief and before BLAKLIGHT was born.  Adam sent me the first demo, which became “Under The BlakLight”, in February 2020. I sent him back something pretty quickly, and I guess he liked it because he sent me another, and another and we soon realized that we were onto something. I don’t write anything for MIND MACHINE, so this was the first time I’ve tackled lyrics and melodies, so I’m incredibly thankful to Adam for giving me a chance.

Q: Do you’ve specific references and handle explicit criteria when it comes to compose music as BLAKLIGHT?

Adam: There is a need deep within me for the music to come out. The only criteria I follow is how I feel. I write songs that I want to hear. I don’t follow any trends that are happening. I try to be as authentic as possible and hopefully that comes out.

Brian: Lyrically, I’m drawn to darker topics and images.  However, I am rather hopeful by nature, so I try to blend the two together, as I don’t believe that you can really have one without the other, you need light and shade. 

Q: How did you work together to achieve the debut album? How did you find a balance between music and vocals?

Adam: The process begins with me laying down the music. Once I am comfortable, I send the song over Brian to see if he feels anything from it. Luckily, he has liked everything that I have sent over.

Brian: Adam’s demos are pretty well fleshed out, but with plenty of room for me to fill in the gaps. I’m usually inspired by his songs straight away, and the vocal melodies come flowing. After I send him the final vocal files, he takes what I’ve done and adds layer upon layer, crafting the BLAKLIGHT sound.

Q: Tell us a bit more about the title of the album, which seems to perfectly summarize what 2020 has been for; of course Covid-19, but also maybe the turbulent political situation in your country?

Adam: The title came to me a short time after we decided to release a full album. The direction of the country looked very bleak already and then the pandemic added to the anxiety. There was a sense of urgency to finish the songs. To give people a distraction from what was going on.

Brian: I can definitely say that many of the lyrics were inspired by the current national and global situations.  That being said, it was important to me to keep the songs as open ended as possible, so listeners can still draw their own conclusions.

Q: You’ve just released an EP with “Isolation” as title track. Why this song and what can you say about the different remixes and the choice of the artists?

Adam: Brian came to me with the remixers. I completely trust any ideas that he has and he was spot on with everyone that he picked.

Brian: We’ve had plans to release remixes for “Isolation” for quite some time, as it was our first single. But we shuffled our release schedule around a bit so we could get the album out last year, before the holiday season. We’ve got an Excel sheet with a list of artists that we’d like to remix our songs, and we start by reaching out to artists we’d like to work with and who we think could bring something special to the song.  Some, like NATURE OF WIRES and PEOPLE THEATRE, we’re friends with, but others, like VAIN MACHINE and THE COWLS, we had only had some brief interactions with on social media. We did not know VON HERTZOG at all, but loved his work with VH x RR, and thankfully he said yes!

Q: How do you see the future for BLAKLIGHT and what about live plans? And what about your other music projects?

Adam: I am happy to say that BLAKLIGHT will continue. The response has been incredible. Again, the writing process is so easy and a complete joy. As soon as “Music In A Time Of Uncertainty” was completed, I immediately started writing songs for the next album. The direction of the next album is flowing nicely. The songs have a bit more weight to them. I picture us playing live with some nice projections in the background. I will be releasing singles from my multi vocalist project this year along with some videos to accompany them.

Brian: Adam is incredibly prolific, he has already sent me six songs for the second album, and we’ll also be including “The Fallen” from the “You Are Not Alone, Vol. 1”-compilation. Coming up in the next several months we’ve got an “Unknown Love”-remix EP, a yet to be determined third single with a new cover as the B-side and remix-EP for that one as well. We’re also working on tracks for a few tribute and charity albums.  MY MIND MACHINE bandmate, Brain Olsen, has just begun work on our next album too, and we expect to release something later this year.

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.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info:  BlakLight in a brand-new duo hailing from Los Angeles (USA). The band is driven by singer Brian Belknap (Mind Machine) and operator Adam Collier (Crush333, MDA and Full Frontal Disco). This self-released debut-album features ten songs.

Content: BlakLight is clearly driven by Electro-Pop music with a vintage touch on top. The songs are carried by melody lines and melancholic moods. The work has something dreamy and yet danceable. There are no real breaks in this work; there’s a non-stop succession of enjoyable and entertaining songs. Some passages remind me a bit of De/Vision.

+ + + : If the title of this work seems to be a clear indication about the horrible year 2020 has been, it also reflects a mature and impressive work. BlakLight is not reinventing the Electro-Pop style, but this is a mature composition made with great sound treatments, poignant melancholic atmospheres and a global refinement in the production. The songs are danceable, revealing several little jewels such as “Control”, “I Remember Nothing” and “This Lonely Night”. The album takes off with 3 great songs, but the final part of the work is also impressive. From a pure technical point of view this album sounds perfect; great music and a talented singer.

– – – : After the very strong debut tracks, “Unknown love” and “The Sound” both are the only cuts from the album with a little less potential.

Conclusion: BlakLight sounds as a refreshing breeze in Electro-Pop land; don’t expect that much innovation, but simply a brilliant production.

Best songs: “I Remember Nothing”, “Control”, , “This Lonely Night”, “Under The BlakLight”, “Isolation”,

Rate (8½).

Artist: www.blaklightband.com / www.facebook.com/BlakLightband

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