French “sound architect” Hervé Isar first released this album in 1997 as a tribute to Hungarian artist Victor Vasarely. In this work, Isar ingeniously translated Vasarely’s vibrant colors into sounds, creating an auditory ode to the artist. Notably, 1997 was also the year Vasarely passed away. The album has since been remastered and polished, and it’s remarkable how these analog sounds, despite their age, continue to feel fresh and innovative. The music is experimental yet accessible, with its slow rhythms and refined, astral tones and bleeps. Above all, this album is an intelligent and sophisticated creation that was far ahead of its time and perhaps resonates even more strongly today. In my view, it’s a masterful piece of work. (Rate:8½).

Listen to “Anfall”:

About Novocibirsk

Novocibirsk is the project of French musician Hervé Isar, built around a home-studio network of synthesizers and analog sequencers assembled between 1982 and 1993. Its debut album, “Excerpts And Experiments”, was released in 1997 as the first-ever release on the French label BOREDOMproduct, and remained Novocibirsk’s only CD release for more than two decades.

BOREDOMproduct later launched the subdivision productionB to reactivate Novocibirsk, releasing archival material on CD for the first time with “Télévision 1945 (Volume I)” and its follow-up, “Télévision 1945 (Volume II)”. “The Vasarely Project”, recorded live at the Vasarely Foundation in Aix-en-Provence in September 1993 and drawn from Novocibirsk’s cassette archives, followed on productionB/BOREDOMproduct in 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

“Silences We Shared” is not an entirely new album from the French Electro-Pop trio Celluloide but rather a tribute to their second album, “Words Once Said,” released 20 years ago. Instead of opting for a simple re-release or remastered edition, the band chose to remix and rework nine tracks from the original album, using period-specific materials and techniques. The result is quintessential Celluloide: refined, ‘bleeping’ Electro-Pop that deserves a spot in the BOREDOMproduct showcase. While the sound may evoke the robotic precision of Kraftwerk, Celluloide has taken that influence and crafted it into something personal. The album delivers a refreshing blend of sweet Synth-Pop, punctuated by harder, more intense passages. (Rate:8).

Listen to “Two Fridays A Week – Tuesday Mix”:

About Celluloide

Celluloide is a French synth-pop group formed in 2000, releasing its first demo that year and its debut album, “Naive Heart”, in 2002. The lineup consists of Darkleti, Member u-0176 and Patryck Holdwem. The band’s work has been released through the French label BOREDOMproduct, including the albums “Art Plastique” and, in 2020, the eighth album “Futur Antérieur”, which the band discussed in a Side-Line interview.

“Silences We Shared” reworks nine tracks from Celluloide’s second album, “Words Once Said”, using period-specific equipment and techniques, twenty years after that album’s original release.

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

Three years after his promising debut album “The Cubic Alphabet”, Franky Deblomme returns with a compelling follow-up album, “Back To Basic”. Preceded by two well-received releases (an EP and a single), this album solidifies the Belgian artist’s status within the growing Kraftwerk-inspired Synth-Pop movement. Alongside label mates like Metroland, 808 Dot Pop, and Elektroklänge, Deblomme emerges as a strong ambassador of this retro-futuristic sound. Back to Basic pays homage to vintage synthesizers and early computer music, weaving together an array of bleeps, cold retro sequences, and solid basslines. The melodies are simple yet effective, enhanced by the occasional robot vocals that add a splash of color to the mix. Cubic expertly blends Synth-Pop and EBM, delivering a mature and efficient production. However, the album’s only drawback is that the tracks can start to feel repetitive over time. (Rate:8½).

Listen to “Off Line (Basic Edit)”:

Read the news on ‘Back To Basic’.

About Cubic

Cubic is the Belgian electronic project of Franky Deblomme, who previously worked in the Belgian EBM project Darkmen. Deblomme began working with Alfa Matrix in 2021, starting with the EP “Alphabet Hymn” in March 2021. His debut album “The Cubic Alphabet” followed in June 2021 via Alfa Matrix, continuing with the EP “Phonic Lessons Part 3” in December 2021. In 2022, Deblomme expanded into a location-themed EP series with “Exit: Frankfurt”, “Exit: Ghent”, and “Exit: Manchester”.

The project returned with the EP “c64” in September 2023 and “c128” later that year, as teasers toward a full-length album. That album, “Back To Basic”, arrived in May 2024 via Alfa Matrix in digital and CD editions. In 2025, Cubic handed the “Back To Basic” source material to 808 Dot Pop’s Passenger S for a full rework, released as the album “Back To 808”.

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 Angela Conway) Duet Emmo have shared a new track from the remastered reissue of Daniel Miller, Edvard Graham Lewis and B.C. Gilbert’s sole collaboration, “Or So It Seems”, which is out 19 August 2022. “Or So It Seems” has been remastered from the original analogue tapes by Stefan Betke.

Available on vinyl for the first time since its original release, the album has been expanded to double vinyl and is released on special edition white vinyl, as a limited edition of 400 on orange vinyl via Bleep (both with high-definition download), CD and digitally on 19 August 2022.

This is a true classic which should be in your collection without any doubt. You will also recognize where Alan Wilder sampled some of the material for his very first Recoil album “1+2” from 1986. A must-have, and that first Recoil album too.

“Heart Of Hearts (Or So It Seems)” is an 8-minute remix of the album’s title track, originally available on the b-side of the 12” of “Or So It Seems”. You can check the remastered version below.

About Duet Emmo

Duet Emmo was a notable collaboration formed in 1982, comprising Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis, both members of Wire and Dome, and Daniel Miller, the founder of Mute Records and a member of The Normal. The name “Duet Emmo” is an anagram of “Dome” and “Mute”, reflecting the origins of the members.

Their only album, “Or So It Seems”, was released in 1983 by Mute Records and featured a unique blend of the abstract, minimal textures of Gilbert and Lewis, and the rigid, song-based electronics of Miller. This combination promised an engaging hybrid of styles. The title track of the album was also released as a 12″ single, and its B-side, “Heart of Hearts”, was included as a bonus track in CD releases of the 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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As the Belgian, Brussels based, Crammed Discs label turns 42 this year, they are taking this opportunity to focus the spotlight on certain areas of their catalog that have been somewhat obscured in recent years. Some music trends which are back popular now were originally explored by the label in the 80s and 90s, but were never released digitally before.

We are speaking of 250 tracks that were once only released on vinyl (or on CDs that have been discontinued for a long time) via SSR Records (Sampler & Sans Reproche) which released music covering a range of styles, from early new beat to downtempo, techno, house and hip hop.

These digital reissues will be released in different phases in the coming years, each consisting of a compilation plus a number of related EPs. They’re introducing the series with a sneak peek, the “Appetiser: Rare Early SSR Electronica” EP which is out today, May 27 and holds material from the era 1989-91.

This release will be immediately followed by the “Phase 1: Rare SSR Electronica”, which focuses on the early days of the ‘electronic’ SSR label from the period 1988-94 with a 24 track compilation and five standalone EPs or albums, all of which come out on June 17.

Here is the complete list of scheduled release waves:

• Appetiser: Rare Early SSR Electronica EP 1989-91 (Crammed Archives 0) out on May 27 – 22
• Phase 1: Rare SSR Electronica 1988-94 (Crammed Archives 1) out on June 17 – 22
• Phase 2 : Rare Global Pop 1980s (Crammed Archives 2) out in Autumn 2022
• Phase 3 : Rare Electronica 1994-01 (Crammed Archives 3) out in Spring 2023
• Phase 4 : Rare Electronica B-sides 1988-97 (Crammed Archives 4) out in Autumn 2023

What’s on the first EP out now?

Here is a description of the tracks on this first EP.

“Hallucination Generation” by The Gruesome Twosome : The GT were an outfit formed by Samy Birnbach/Morpheus with Norwegian techno whiz kid Per Martinsen, and later joined by Bertrand Burgalat. This track – as well as the Mr Big Mouse track mentioned below – enjoyed considerable club success in the US, where they made it into mainstream and underground charts, from Billboard to Rockpool etc..

“A Byte of AMC” by Bleep : Bleep aka Geir Jenssen was a member of Bel Canto. After several EPs and a debut solo album on SSR (as Bleep), he went on to become a leading ambient electronic composer under his Biosphere moniker. This track pays tribute to Manchester hip hop duo Kiss AMC and their cheeky track “A Bit of U2” and also includes an – authorized – sample from the Sussan Deyhim / Richard Horowitz album “Desert Equations” (recently reissued by Crammed). The debut singles by Geir Jenssen and Per Martinsen on SSR are considered as the first Norwegian techno tracks ever. You will notice some Bel Canto sounds too on it.

“Drop That Ghetto Blaster” by Mr Big Mouse feat. Karen Finley : Mr BM were none other than Crammed’s Vincent Kenis and Marc Hollander, and this song was conceived as an ‘answer track’ to the hit single “Theme from S’Express” (and to several other tracks) which had made extensive use of vocals by provocative NY performance artist Karen Finley (lifted from her “Tales of Taboo” EP, released by Crammed in 1986).

“Danger” by Alegria : This was the debut release by Bjørn Torske who, alongside the aforementioned Per Martinsen, is one of the godfathers of Norwegian techno. “Danger” came out as part of the T.O.S. EPs, which laid the foundations for what later became a vibrant electronic music scene, with the likes of Todd Terje, Lindstrøm, Prins Thomas, Röyksopp et al.

“Security” by Farida International : A track created by Mr Big Mouse aka Kenis and Hollander from elements of a song by Middle Eastern rock band Foreign Affair (a Minimal Compact splinter group) and from a bunch of other things.

About The Early Days Of SSR

The story of SSR in a nutshell: As soon as the first wave of Detroit techno hit Europe, and playful, sample-based electronic dance music started popping up in the UK, the people at Crammed Discs were immediately excited about these new combinations of sounds, and started their SSR division in on 1988.

In those early days of SSR, a Belgian-Norwegian axis emerged, when a handful of young Norwegian musicians and producers came to Brussels (in connection with Bel Canto, the electro-pop group then signed to Crammed), and sat down with central figures of Crammed Discs such as Minimal Compact vocalist Samy Birnbach (later known as DJ Morpheus), label owner Marc Hollander, and Vincent Kenis (Marc’s former partner in Aksak Maboul).

A series of hybrid electro EPs were released, mixing early techno styles with influences from around the world.

SSR (and its sub-labels Language and Selector) would release more than sixty albums and dozens of EPs, spanning various styles (from house and techno to downtempo, ambient, broken beats, drum’n’bass and hip-hop), featuring artists such as Carl Craig, Snooze, Juryman aka Ian Simmonds, DJ Spinna, 4hero and Tek 9, Bleep aka Biosphere, Telex, DJ Morpheus and many 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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Genre/Influences: Minimal-Electro, Experimental.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: “Black door” is a collaborative EP between Greek artist Themistoklis Altintzoglou aka Θ (Tetha) and German project Nyppy. It’s the fourth label installment in the ‘Music Book Series’ featuring a book plus download code to get music.

Content: “Black Door” features 4 Minimal-Electro cuts, which are characterized by mysterious, wafting atmospheres mixed with slow rhythms reminding me of a heartbeat. Subtle bleeps are merging now and then while dark, buzzing waves are emerging.

The book is an important part of this work featuring black & white pictures reflecting urban themes next to pictures of nature.

+ + + : The package of this limited edition is absolutely artistic. The black & white pictures reflect some desolation, which has been adapted into a deep and stylized sound. You get the sensation that the songs have been made with fewer sounds, but each sound, noise and bleep emerge at the surface with a powerful intonation. It’s a judicious composition, which is also pretty accessible because of the slow cadence. 

– – – : The last track is the single piece that couldn’t totally convince me. It’s a pity this work is only featuring a download code and not a real CD.

Conclusion: “Black Door” resulted from the creative efforts of visionary artists, their work sounding like an accomplished piece of Electro-Minimalism.

Best songs: “Nebulae”, “Four Carry One”, “No Floor”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: https://thetasounds.org

Label: www.adventurousmusic.com / www.facebook.com/adventurousmusic

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-Techno.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Auspex is a New York (USA) producer and DJ. He already released a few EP’s during the past few years and now strikes back with the EP “Bloodlines” featuring five tracks released on his own label.

Content: I wasn’t familiar at all with Auspex. The sound and influences are clearly driven by Dark-Techno fields with some Industrial- and EBM elements on top. The bouncing rhythm reminds me a bit of Neikka RPM, which is another New York formation, but involved with Industrial/EBM music. Next to the rhythm, the songs are driven by dark grooves and -atmospheres.

+ + + : Auspex stands for hard and merciless, pumping kicks. I especially like the atypical approach of the project, which is much more than simply Techno music. There’s an evil, Industrial dark side hanging over the production. There’s something to say about every single cut, but I’ve a preference for the harder “Mother May I” and “Never Is A Long Time” and “Seven Sisters” (inspired by the books of Lucinda Riley?), which are both featuring a raw, repetitive sonar bleep.

– – – : All songs are cool, but it’s just a pity the last track sounds a bit as an antithesis to the other ones.

Conclusion: If Auspex is Techno music, it clearly will appeal to a wider audience who are also familiar with darker music fields like Industrial and EBM.

Best songs: “Mother May I”, “Never Is A Long Time”,  “Seven Sisters”, “Bloodlines”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/djauspex

Label: https://oath-label.com / www.facebook.com/oathlabel

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

Based in Brussels, Belgium, the Belgian cult label Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 375 albums and 275 singles. Some of the bands that have seen releases via Crammed are Minimal Compact, Hector Zazou, Tuxedomoon, Bel Canto, Bleep by Geir Jenssen who is also active with the ambient project Biosphere, The Gruesome Twosome, Telex.

Crammed Discs is now reactivating its legendary composers series in 2021. You can expect the release of new albums, and remastered vinyl reissues of several classics including “Made To Measure Vol.1” featuring Minimal Compact, Benjamin Lew, Aksak Maboul and Tuxedomoon. Originally released in 1984, the first volume of the series included works commissioned as soundtracks for dance and theatre performances, films, and a fashion show.

Here’s a rundown of the tracks. Tracks 1 to 4 were made to measure for a ballet by Pierre Droulers. Track 5 was an aural backdrop made to measure for a fashion exhibition called “Huit Jeunes Stylistes Limbourgeois”. Track 6 was made to measure for The Honeymoon Killers’ “Pan! Dans Les Vacances” private movie with all of the sounds being generated with a turntable. Tracks 7 to 12 were made to measure for a play by Michel Gheude based on the life of Maïakovsky. And finally, tracks 13 to 15 were made to measure for “Het Veld Van Eer”, a film by Bob Visser.

It will be exciting to see what the label’s owners Marc Hollander, Hanna Gorjaczkowska and Vincent Kenis will come up with in the next few months.

Below is a preview of “Made To Measure Vol.1”

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, indie-pop.

Background/Info: Junksista Duo Diana S. and Boog are back on track and have unleashed their fourth full length album in five years. A few artists such as LayZee (Mr. President), Noemi Aurora (Helalyn Flowers), Emke (Black Nail Cabaret) and Erlend Eilersten (Essence Of Mind) have been invited on a few songs with guest vocals.

Content: The first (and regular) disc features 12 new cuts revealing the particular electro-pop approach Junksista has always deal with. It’s an pop format sometimes mixed with minimalistic elements, but also moving on the edge of indie music. Junksista is also in for some experiments such as Monster” featuring rap vocals by LayZee.

The bonus disc featured at the limited edition features 12 extra songs, which are remixes by Psy’Aviah, Metroland, Kant Kino, Ananel’s Voices vs. At0shima 3rr0r, Wasserkraft Manifest, T-Error Machinez, Space March, Technolorgy, Nerd Revolt, XMH and 2 remixes by Flesh Eating Foundation.

+ + + : Junksista has gained their success and reputation because they have their own style, which often was linked to punk meeting pop music. This new opus is less punk-like, but still revealing a proper sound DNA. It’s a well-crafted composition moving in between minimalism and even experimentalism at one side and indie-music at the other side. There are great sound treatments featured on this work, but I especially like the menacing bass lines from “Love Makes People Stupid”. I also like the duo vocals featuring Diana S. and Noemi on “Celebration Fornication”. Among the remixes I especially recommend the work accomplished by Psy’Aviah, Metroland and Space March.

– – – : Junksista remains a very particular experience in sound, but I regret they’ve lost a bit of their original naughty and punkish sound. This work sounds ‘softer’ while I personally prefer their darker and harder work from the early years.

Conclusion: Far away from the classical electro-pop standards and clearly sounding like a solid antidote to the numerous Depeche Mode clones, “Promiscuous Tendencies” is a shocking title for an intriguing band although this new work is not my favorite one!

Best songs: “Celebration Fornication”, “Freak At Heart”, “Control”, “Bitch This Is My Party” + “Love Makes People Stupid – Psy’Aviah Remix”, “Freak At Heart – Metroland’s Art Of Bleep Remix”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.junksista.de / www.facebook.com/Junksista

Label: www.alfa–matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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