The Bleak Assembly, a collaboration between Kimberly Kornmeier (Bow Ever Down) and Michael Smith (Fiction8), return with a new album “Until The World Stops Hurting”.

The darkwave duo added lyrical references to light and the Sun so vocalist and lyricist, Kimberly says: “I have always come from a dark place especially with my lyrics because that’s where I put all my pain — into the music. It’s my release. Whenever you have total darkness there must be some form of light. Its lyrically on so many various levels all about love which I think is the answer to the title of the album “until the world stops hurting.”

“Until The World Stops Hurting” is available on all major digital platforms including Bandcamp and Spotify.

The Bleak Assembly formed in August 2022. The duo collaborates entirely remotely—Kimberly writing and recording from Kurdistan, and Michael from Denver, CO, USA. Previously, both artists were on the Nilaihah Records label in separate bands: Kimberly with Bow Ever Down and Michael with Fiction 8. They originally connected through the Sounds & Shadows social media group. The two also collaborate as the current lineup of Bow Ever Down.

The Bleak Assembly’s name loosely references the Charles Dickens novel Bleak House.

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: Wave-Pop, Dark-Wave.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: One year after their debut-EP “We Become Strangers” Kimberly Kornmeier of Bow Ever Down and Michael Smith of Fiction8 are back on track unleashing their second EP -which looks like a mini-album format.

Content: The EP features 6 songs including the previously released single “Alibi”. Sound-wise the band reveals 80s influences reminding me of Electro-Wave/Pop and Dark-Wave. Guitar and synth lines create an evasive sound with Kimberly’s vocals on top.

+ + + : I especially like the debut-song “A Night Like This” which is driven by a Depeche Mode-touch. Another attention grabber is the totally vintage -80s, like “Homesick”. This duo clearly has found a true chemistry composing a darker but evasive Electro-Pop style carried by 80s influences.

– – – : The previously released single “Alibi” isn’t the best track while the second part of the EP is a little bit too dreamy for my taste.

Conclusion: The Bleak Assembly is a band with a true potential which isn’t still totally coming through.

Best songs: “A Night Like This”, “Homesick”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/TheBleakAssembly

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

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: We welcome the debut-EP from American duo The Bleak Assembly. Behind this new formation hides Kimberly Kornmeier (Bow Ever Down) and Michael Smith (Fiction8).

Content: The work features 4 songs which are clearly inspired by good-old New/Dark-Wave. The evasive and melancholic guitar playing reminds me of The Cure.

+ + + : The songs are literally carried by the charismatic vocals of Kimberly. The songs are covered by a delicious, melancholic, perfume which is mainly emerging at the opening song. The 4 songs are an interesting introduction to this new formation.

– – – : I like evasive productions in the Dark-Wave style however I’m missing a true climax here.

Conclusion: Let’s keep an eye on this new project which must have more potential than what came out at this debut.

Best songs: “Slow Down Time”.

Rate: 6½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/TheBleakAssembly

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, Ambient, Pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Set up in 2017 by Chris Shortt (Verin) and Roland Zwaga (Acidrodent, Construct) Krate has already released a few productions. For their new work they got joined by contributors Anatoly Grinberg (Dead Voices On Air), drummer Dan Milligan (The Joy Thieves) plus members of Bow Ever Down, Slighter, Liquid Black Goo and Numbered Men.

Content: The work is diversified and hard to label. Every single song sounds a bit like a new sonic exploration; the common threat might be the atmospheric dimension of the songs which is now carried by D’n’B patterns, then by a kind of Ambient-Pop approach and next a very evasive sensation.

+ + + : What I mostly like is the poignant dark sphere supporting the songs. It sounds a bit like announcing a nearby disaster which is mainly emerging at “Horizon Sinking” and “The Needle”. I also want to mention the passages featuring ghost-like vocals which are accentuating the obscure touch of the work.

– – – : Despite of their efforts and multiple contributors the work is however missing a true climax.

Conclusion: I think there’s more potential hidden in this band than what came out here.

Best songs: at “Horizon Sinking”, “The Needle”.

Rate: 6.

Artist: www.facebook.com/KrateBand

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

“We Become Strangers” is the debut EP from the new darkwave project, The Bleak Assembly, a collaboration between Kimberly of Bow Ever Down and Michael Smith of Fiction8. You may expect a mix of post-punk and darkwave.

Regarding the nature of “change” that inspired the EP, Michael Smith states: “If there’s a theme to this EP, it’s in recognizing how we’ve changed as artists and as people. What if you met your younger self and your younger self didn’t even recognize you? That’s what “We Become Strangers” is about.”

Kimberly goes on to say: “It’s “a strong feeling of being cut from the past”. It’s a little alienating but also very liberating.”

We Become Strangers is available in digital format on all major platforms including 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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The Dutch electro-industrial band Krate (Chris Shortt from VERIN and Roland Zwaga from Acidrodent and Construct) is back with their fourth release, the 5-track release “It’s The Hope That Kills You”.

On the title track we find Anatoly Grinberg (Dead Voices On Air) and drummer Dan Milligan (The Joy Thieves). Other tracks feature members of Bow Ever Down, Slighter, Liquid Black Goo and Numbered Men.

The initial concept of the band was to compose a dark ambient project. They both quickly agreed that a rhythmic element would be required to augment the sounds thus far created, leading to the abandonment of the original ambient goal and the introduction of dark electro/industrial beats.

Here’s the video for “And All The Prayers Lost” featuring Anatoly ‘Tokee’ Grinberg and Dan Milligan.

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, Dance-Pop, Indie-Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: “Bittersweet” is the final part of a trilogy which started with the album “Lightflare” (2018) followed by “Soul Searching” (2019). But the work is also meant to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Belgian project. There’s a bonus disc featuring fifteen surprising songs while the digital version  reveals fourteen extra tracks.

Content: The working formula of Psy’Aviah hasn’t really changed. Yves Schelpe composes the music while working with an impressive list of guest singers. The opening piece again features cavernous, spoken vocals by Dutch psychiatrist Dirk De Wachter. It’s a dark, dreamy intro followed by twelve, mainly, danceable cuts. The songs are meticulously elaborated and mainly Dance-driven, sometimes reminding me of the magic of Delerium. Olivya Nicole, Mari Kattman, Saydi Driggers, Lumi, Huong Su, Maysa, Marieke Lightband, Tina Forlorn, Eli Rho (2 songs), Rebecca Schneider and Addie Nicole contributed guest vocals while there also guest artists featured playing violin and cello. Notice by the way the tracklist features 2 ‘older’ reworked songs.

The bonus disc features Psy’Aviah songs taken from the wide discography of the band which have been all reworked -and in a way covered by an impressive list of artists. Madil Hardis, The Breath Of Life, Clairval, Your Life On Hold, IC434 (2 songs), Digital Factor, Aesthetische, KC Woong, Implant and Leather Strip contributed to this celebration while you’ll also hear collaborative tracks with Implant, Cat Hall and Bow Ever Down.

The digital format reveals extra songs featuring 808 Dot.Pop, Impulse Control Disorder, Fakzillity, Llumen, Miseram Mortem, Designer Violence, Hartung & Schleinitz, Y-Luk-O, Cosmic Armchair, Huilende Wolf, The Breath Of Life and Leather Strip plus 2 collaborative cuts together with Leather Strip and Implant.

+ + + : The main strength of “Bitter Sweet” is its ‘easy listening’ format. Psy’Aviah is nearly impossible to label -although hardly driven by a very personal approach of Dance music, but simply following its path. The project has seriously evolved throughout the years and the sound often appears a true challenge. The composition is well-crafted, styled, sensual for the slow rhythms and here again reveals an interesting and diversified list of talented singers. “Can we Make It Rhyme ” featuring Mari Kattman is a great piece of music reminding me a bit of Delerium. And I also want to mention “Tired” which is an older song that has been reworked and features passionate vocals by Addie Nicole (Hallocene).

I also have to salute the original concept of the bonus disc (and bonus songs for the digital edit) where the artists totally reworked the older Psy’Aviah songs while putting their own voice on it. The result is diversified but I especially recommend both cuts by IC434 and the one by Your Life On Hold.

– – – : The main strength of Psy’Aviah also appears to be its biggest weakness; hard to label and sometimes dangerously moving to the edge of pure ‘commercial’ Dance music. That’s why I often wonder if this is the right scene and label for this project? The bonus songs are a pretty cool commemoration although I’m missing Emélie Nicolaï who was the singer of the band during the first decade.

Conclusion: Psy’Aviah remains a true challenge although we can’t be unmoved by the creativity, ideas, concept and sound intelligence of this artist.

Best songs: “Can we Make It Rhyme”, “Tired – Rediscovered”, “Cold Summer Nights”, “The Wildness In Me” + “Broken Child” (IC 434), “Anger Management” (IC 434), “Our Common End” (Your Life On Hold), “The Worst In Me” (Leather Strip), “Wild Ride” (Llumen).

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.psyaviah.com / www.facebook.com/psyaviah

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

Waterloo, Iowa based electro-Industrial band Microwaved has just unleashed their new EP, “Save Me”. The video for the title track featuring Kimberley of Bow Ever Down can be seen below.

The EP contains 16 tracks, 14 of which will be available on streaming platforms June 12th. The Bandcamp release – which you can check out right below – will contain two bonus tracks: a collaboration with Liebchen on a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” and an additional remix from the remix artist Steven Olaf.

The Ep sees the band collaborating with Kimberley of Bow Ever Down as we said earlier but also with Nathan of Milkfixer and Mitch of Doomslayer. Save Me also has many different remixes from varying artists starting with PilgrimOmega (keyboard player for Monster Voodoo Machine) to I Ya Toyah and SpankTheNun plus many of the friends that founder Gabe Wilkinson has made through the years.

“Save Me” refers to the album’s theme of loss. Gabe Wilkinson, the founder of Microwaved says: “All of my songs seem to be about loss, addiction or monsters. These songs fall into the loss of love category. This record for me is also about taking these songs and expanding my musical vocabulary. It’s about stretching some mental muscles and playing with ideas I may not have been very comfortable with.”

Here’s the video for “Save Me”.

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