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

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: German trio Fractal Age strikes back with their second opus. Markus Horschig (Neuroklast, ex-ReAdjust), Jens Minor (Chainreactor) and singer Sascha Tümmler released the debut album “Modern World” in 2019.

Content: Even if this album is driven by Electro-Pop influences, the sound became harder and more future-Pop driven than its predecessor. It’s a catchy production carried by bouncing kicks and revealing a few harder elements like EBM bass lines. There are a few ‘softer’ pieces featured but the main part of the work stands for powerful Electro/Future-Pop music which sometimes reminds me of Neuroticfish. The 3 last songs are remixes by Intent:Outtake, Absurd Minds and Blue Images.

+ + + : There’s an evolution from the debut album towards the new one; it’s more into Future-Pop and I experienced this evolution has ‘harder’ which I prefer. The songs are well-crafted and there are a few noticeable songs featured like “The Beauty Of Truth” and “Sign”. “Another Way” reveals EBM influences and is another attention grabber.

– – – : Fractal Age isn’t exactly setting the world of Electro/Future-Pop music alight. The work even has something predictable but globally speaking it’s a fully enjoyable work. I’ve been less convinced by the softer parts like “Spiegelbild”.

Conclusion: If you like Electro-Pop with a heavier touch and a darker side “Another Way” is an album to discover.

Best songs: “The Beauty Of Truth”, “Sign”, “Another Way”, “Questions”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/FractalAge

Label: www.darkdimensions.de /  www.facebook.com/pages/Dark-Dimensions-Label-Group/486014725206

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: EBM, Dark-Electro, Electro-Pop, Body-Pop, Electro-Wave.

Format: Digital, 2 CD.

Background/Info: Scanner is a subdivision of Dark Dimensions, which this year celebrates its twentieth anniversary. Set up by Francesco D’Angelo, Scanner has been always and mainly devoted to Electronic genres like EBM, Dark-Electro and Electro-Pop. The compilation features twenty six artists and songs reminding us of the great artists from this label.

Artists: Gin Devo, BhamBhamHara, Autodafeh, Kreign, DSTR, Fractal Age, Destin Fragile, Blue Images, Twins In Fear, Cyan Inc, Vomito Negro, [:SITD:], Eden Synthetic Corps, Mechanical Moth, Centhron, Intent:Outtake, Disorder:Mankind, Das Werk, X-Fusion, Spetsnaz, Grausame Töchter, Epinephrin, Black Heaven, A Spell Inside, Absurd Minds, Straftanz. 

Content: This sampler is a perfect way to (re)discover the Scanner label roaster, which features some great EBM names such as Autodafeh and Spetsnaz while other names such as [:SITD:], Vomito Negro + Gin Devo, Eden Synthetic Corps and Absurd Minds were more active in a darker EBM format, getting pretty close with pure Dark-Electro. Centhron and X-Fusion are for sure Dark-Electro! Other bands like BhamBhamHara and Straftanz are more representative of the progressive (Techno)-EBM format. A Spell Inside remains one of the ‘oldest’ bands from the roster and still one of the few to deal with Electro-Pop. And then there’s Grausame Töchter, which remains a very unique experience in sound. The compilation also features a few bands we’ve a bit forgotten like Fractal Age, Destin Fragile, Epinephrin. It’s also a while ago we’ve heard something from Cyan Inc. And there’re new signatures like the promising EBM formation Kreign and the Experimental-Electro Twins In Fear plus a few totally unknown names like Das Werk and Disorder:Mankind.

+ + + : When you take a brief look at the names featured at this compilation you can only, but agree Scanner has been for numerous years one of the leading labels from the Dark-Electro scene. But this compilation becomes really interesting when you’ll know that nearly all of the tracks are exclusive ones and/or rare edits. Frank D’Angelo always has had a nose to sign great artists, Kreign being the new sensation! My favorite cuts from the album are the ones by X-Fusion and Grausame Töchter remixed by And One.

– – – : This compilation doesn’t cover the entire Scanner roster, which says something about the Electronic welfare from the label. Some artists that haven’t been featured (because they’re no longer part of the label) are Amnistia, Stromkern, Distorted Reality, Sleepwalk, Page 12, The Eternal Afflict, Cycloon, Sara Noxx, Re:Work, Spiritual Reality, Inside, Das Präparat.. More than enough to fill an extra disc and they all are still part of this great label’s history.

Conclusion: This compilation is a part of history; 20 years of great underground music by Scanner!

Best bands: X-Fusion, Grausame Töchter, Autodafeh, Straftanz, BhamBhamHara, [:SITD:].

Rate: (8½).

Label: www.darkdimensions.de /  www.facebook.com/pages/Dark-Dimensions-Label-Group/486014725206

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, EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: American future-pop project Unitcode:Machine is the sonic brainchild of Eric Kristoffer. The project is already active for a couple of years now, but it seems that the past few years weren’t very prolific. Anyway, “Tyranny” is the project’s debut album released by the end of 2019. The work features twelve songs plus four extra (remixes) on the CD format.

Content: Unitcode:Machine is not exactly what I should call a traditional electro-pop project. The music sounds definitely too raw for that and is even mixed with elements of EBM. The vocals are perfectly matching with this rough approach. You also can hear some anger in the way of singing. The cadence of some songs is also pretty fast, empowering the global production. I also noticed some good-old 80s elements emerging at a few cuts and especially in the leads. Notice by the way three songs are featured by Blue Images, Antonym and Databomb.

+ + + : The least I can say is that this official debut album is well-crafted. But I also like the power of this album and its harsh production, which also comes through in the vocals. “Survive” is my favorite song for its remarkable sound treatments and its danceable tempo. Among the remixes I noticed a real cool one by Provision.

– – – : I think some cuts might have been a little bit harder or into EBM vibes. I think the ‘harder’ side of this album is also the most convincing one.

Conclusion: “Tyranny” is an interesting and rather cool debut for a project with potential!

Best songs: “Survive”, “This Truth”, “Instinct”, “Instigator”, “This Truth – Brighter Future Mix by Provision”, “Damnatio Memoriae – Seeming Remix”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/unitc0de

Label: http://skyqode.com / www.facebook.com/skyqode

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

The US-based Unitcode:Machine joins the SkyQode family of artsts. The band is the brainchild of Eric K, who has been producing electronic music since 2000.

With their first official release in 2004, Unitcode:Machine established themselves as mix of multiple genres that inspire the group blending elements of EBM and industrial with synthpop, and many other styles.

Currently the label is preparing a reissue of the band’s debut album “Nosophobia”, while the band itself is laying the final touches to the sophomore album “Tyranny” featuring guest artists Dre Robinson (Databomb, Cylab, Download), Alex Virlios (Blue Images), and Antonym. The release dates will be announced soon.

You can follow Unitcode:Machine on Facebook.

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, wave-pop.

Background/Info: It all started in 2013 as a solo-project, but New-York (USA) based Blue Images finally became a duo. They signed a label deal with Scanner to release this first official work featuring 12 songs.

Content: “Her Light” is a pure electro-pop oriented work with a wink to the 80s new-wave music. The songs are inspired by retro-like synth lines. Some of the songs are carried by a harder and danceable kick, but there also is a softer side running through the production, which is more into melancholia.

Two from the harder –and best cuts, feature noticeable guest singers. First there’s Reagan Jones (Iris) and next Jürgen Engler (Die Krupps) singing each on one cut.

+ + + : Blue Images first of all stands for beautiful synth-pop music. Mainly inspired by 80s reminiscences, the tracklist is switching from danceable songs to sweeter, easy listening cuts. I especially like the refreshing effect from songs like “Irrational Thoughts” and the harder “False Illusion” featuring Jürgen Engler. The last mentioned song is also carried by a solid bass line.

– – – : The album is fully enjoyable, but doesn’t bring that much innovation in a music genre, which unfortunately already features a countless list of bands sharing the same passion for synth-pop music.

Conclusion: If you’re a synth-pop die-hard fan you for sure are going to like this album, which is fully entertaining, featuring noticeable guest singers and a few cool songs.

Best songs: “False Illusion feat. Jürgen Engler”, “Irrational Thoughts”, “Don’t Forget Me feat. Reagan Jones”, “Forgotten”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/BlueImagesMusic

Label: www.darkdimensions.de /  www.facebook.com/pages/Dark–Dimensions–Label–Group/486014725206

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