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

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

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

You can already check out a few tracks here.

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

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

“Resurgence” Tracklist

Cd 1

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

Cd 2

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

Cd 3

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

Cd 4

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

Cd 5

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

Cd 6

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

Cd 7

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

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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This summer, I came across “I’m Too Young to Die”, the debut album by German artist Oliver Decrow. His Minimal-Electro/Wave music evokes an ’80s flashback, enhanced by a modern and personal touch through its gritty analog synth sounds. Released by the renowned Cold Transmission label, the album captivated me with its cold, sterile aesthetic layered over deep, human themes. It felt like the perfect opportunity to reach out to this promising artist. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Can you introduce us to the musical world of Oliver Decrow? Where are you from, and how did you first get drawn into the world of electro music?

Oliver: I’m from Dresden, East Germany. I began producing music at an early age at school, but it really took off when I studied fine arts at the Art Academy in Dresden. During that time, I met several DJs and shared a studio with a local DJ and tattoo artist. He introduced me to music from the 80s, Italo-Disco, Cold-Wave, and Minimal-Wave like Decadance, Medio Mutante, S.M. Nurse, John Maus, SS-Say, Deux, Eleven Pond, Knight Action, Charlie (Spacer Woman), Moderne, and Linea Aspera.

During this period, I also spent time in shared apartments (WG’s), moving from one party to another. I had no money, and survival was hard, but discovering and enjoying music became a release, helping me get through each day and deeply impacting my personality.

While painting, we would listen to Intergalactic FM or Bohren & der Club of Gore (Piano Nights).

During my studies, I decided to leave Germany and moved to Montreal, where I lived in a tiny flat and made music every day. It was there, and in New-York, that I filmed my first music videos. I’ve always been a computer guy, but I try to bridge the digital and analog worlds. So, making music as an art form or expression felt natural for me. I did many collaborations and projects back then. I also worked with opera singer Annette Jahns, who would visit my cheap basement in Dresden once a week, bringing a bottle of good wine and something to eat and then we produced music together. Rest in peace, Annette! Around this time, I also met Sneaker DJ, who gave me valuable production tips and mastered my first tracks.

Q: You released your debut album “I’m Too Young To Die” this year. A first album is always special, so how does it feel to have it out, and what was the journey like in creating it?

Oliver: ‘Stress test’ is the first thing that comes to mind, especially in the last few weeks. My first album is like a retrospective of three years of making music. There are songs where, as soon as I hear them, memories of specific stories and situations come rushing back. For example, the suicide of my best friend is reflected in the track “Horse Hoof,” and “In My Room” deals with experiences I had with my mother.

The journey to my first album was full of doubts, joy, depression, anxiety, and great moments. Yin and yang -it was a rollercoaster, much like my life. Nothing was stable; everything was questioned. But I’m glad I made it. It was also a relief to finally finish something after such a long time.

One of the most rewarding parts of the journey was meeting new people and connecting with positive individuals worldwide who shared my interests, experienced similar situations, and could relate to my music. I learned a lot during the process and fulfilled a long-term dream. In the end, everything came together. You know, making an album is personal -you open your heart for everyone to see, and that often comes with a price. But I’m already looking forward to the next chapter of my life.

Q: Your sound echoes ’80s Electro-Wave with a modern twist. Which artists or albums have had the most significant impact on you, and how do they influence your music?

Oliver: Life has influenced me the most. I make music primarily to express my emotions or to lose myself in my inner world. If I had to name a few artists who have impacted my style or approach to music, they would be Boy Harsher, Sneaker Dj, Joy Division, Jennifer Touch, Molly Nilsson, Boan, and DAF. But my influences often change, and I love discovering new artists like VOID Palace, Abu Nein, Nights In Athens, Lila Ehjä, Laura Krieg, Kris Baha, Lovataraxx, Asymetric80, Years Of Denial, ManMachine, and Curses.

I’m drawn to artists who present their music in a way that feels authentic, not just like another copy. For example, I met ManMachine at the Ombra Festival in Barcelona last year, and after chatting with him, I saw his music differently. A man, a father, a keyboard -it felt warm and pure. My music is more influenced by emotions and life events than by specific artists, so to speak.

Q: Many of the album’s tracks were performed live before being recorded. How did these songs evolve during the recording process, and what changes or improvements did you make?

Oliver: That’s an interesting observation, and you’re right. The songs on my album really grew during live performances. I redid some finished tracks, adjusting the vocals and synth parts after realizing during live performances what could add that final touch. Every track underwent a few makeovers after live shows. I see the process like painting. You build something up and then destroy it to create something unique and new. The challenge is knowing when to stop.

Q: You already evoked some lyrical themes in your songs which are quite dark and intense. What drives these narratives, and how does turning personal struggles and dark subjects into music serve as a form of therapy or healing for you?

Oliver: Yes, your question holds the answer. I won’t go into detail about how difficult my life was because everyone has their own stories, struggles, and fate. Music is definitely a form of therapy for me. It’s an art form and a way to break out of daily routines and the system we live in. I often wonder what the world will look like in 10 or 20 years, with all the technology, greed, commercialism, and hate. But I know that there will always be people searching for real emotions, analog experiences, and real intelligence or just something like breathing fresh air in the woods.

Q: Are you already working on new material? What can we expect in terms of singles, remixes, videos, live shows, and future projects with your label G50 Records?

Oliver: Of course! A remix tape is coming out, and new tracks are in the works. I love diving into music, especially when life hits hard, and right now, it definitely does. This year, you can catch me playing in Nuremberg at the Bunker Rituals Festival (28th of September), in Dresden with Lovataraxx (20th of October), and in Chemnitz with Left For Pleasure (14th of December). G50 Records is like a DIY label with no aspirations for profit. I’m not sure if there will be any projects with my old friends, like the Klassenfeind-project, but who knows?

I’m really happy with the guys from Cold Transmission Music, namely Andreas and Suzy. It’s like a real family feeling, and we talk daily about the scene and our next creative ejaculations.

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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(Photo by Elemental Eyes Photography) Negative Gain Productions recording artists Bestial Mouths have an all new remix album, “Backbone”, out tomorrow. But you can already stream it exclusively via Side-Line today.

The release is the follow-up (or rather companion) to their latest LP, “R.O.T.T.(inmyskin)” and offers reworks mixing darkwave-industrial with synthpop elements. The remixes were executed by Broken English Club, Actors, Rebeka Warrior, Curses, XTR Human, Modern Men, Lana Del Rabies, IV Horsemen, Crune, Orphx, GenCAB, Trace Amount, Carrellee, Daniel Myer, Maduro, Snowbeasts and Bedless Bones.

“Backbone” will be available tomorrow on all major digital platforms including Spotify and Bandcamp. Stream the full release below.

Fronted by Lynette Cerezo the band formed in 2009 and has mixed a number of elements in their work, from goth, industrial, post-punk, New Wave, noise, metal, to other underground sounds using live acoustic and electronic drums and analog synthesizers.

In their decade-plus existence, the band has worked with myriad of producers and artists including Zola Jesus, Mick Harvey, Rhys Fulber, Egyptrixx, Boy Harsher, Die Krupps, Mater Suspiria Vision, Zanias, The Horrorist, and Ludovico Technique to name but a few.

Here’s the video for the genCAB remix of “iNNARDS”.

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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Cologne’s Blue Shell hosts a brand new event series: The Neue Klangordnung (New Sound Order, NKO). The newly founded NKO collective brings the “Blue Shell” back to its roots: rough industrial underground sound, rooted in body music (EBM), post-techno and the new cold / dark wave.

The NKO sees itself as a space for dance and sound experiments, “in which people regain control of their smartphones and their heads are freed for the experience.”

Max Esser explains: “By mainstreaming underground music genres such as techno, the NKO wants to shape new, alternative music styles of tomorrow with its DIY approach. This is inspired by sound pioneers such as Cabaret Voltaire, DAF, Test Dept. and Esplendor Geómetrico, and the next chapter of Industrial is to be entered into at NKO under the term Post-Techno. This is implemented behind the mixing desks of DJ and darkwave performer BORGBORG, the industrial-purified mixing master Hugo Dirac, the Cologne selector Klaus F., and the sound researcher MX Probe.”

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Neue Klangordnung (@neueklangordnung) • Instagram photos and videos

For fans of: Einstürzende Neubauten, Esplendor Geométrico, NAKED, Spit Mask, Broken English Club, Parrish Smith, Bauhaus, Severed Heads, DJedjotronic, ADULT, Fixmer/McCarthy, Boy Harsher, Alessandro Adriani, Ancient Methods, Randolph & Mortimer, Unconscious, Sarin, Alen Skanner, Years of Denial, Whitehouse, Throbbing Gristle/Psychic TV, Qual.

This is what the NKO Spotify playlist sounds like.

What, where and how of The Neue Klangordnung

• When: 24. November 2023 – 22:00 o‘clock
• Where: Blue Shell, Luxemburger Str. 32, 50674 Cologne
• Cost: 8€ Box office, 6€ limited presale via Rausgegangen

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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Out now from the London-based alt.goth act Ray Noir, is a second single, “Latency”. The track is taken from the project’s forthcoming mixtape, “Scorpio”.

Ray Noir: “‘Latency'”‘ is more than just a song; it’s a voyage into the space where the elusive meets the profound. It encourages listeners to delve into the shadows, confront uncertainty, and ponder a mysterious question: Will it become reality, or vanish into obscurity?”

Originating from Oslo, Ray Noir’s musical odyssey is deeply connected to the Norwegian Black Metal scene. His sound also holds a fusion of diverse influences, ranging from The Prodigy and Boy Harsher to Nine Inch Nails.

The new single was again produced and mixed by KANGA just like the previous single “Pity Party”. The track was written by the usual duo consisting of Ray Noir and Madeleine Wood. Mastering was executed by Joe Farr. You can download it below 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. 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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(Photo by Ashley Alvarez) Los Angeles-based darkwave artist Caress has announced details of her debut album “Night Call” and also releases the first single “Mortal Flaw” today. “Night Call” was written and produced by Caress and will be released on Negative Gain Productions November 24.

Caress explains the new single’s theme like this: “‘Mortal Flaw’ is a song about destruction. I was inspired musically by goth industrial and dark pop. It’s packed with a lusting obsession to destroy and danceable pulsating rhythms I hope people can enjoy.”

Listen to “Mortal Flaw” on YouTube.

About Caress

Caress is the solo darkwave electronic project from Tara Jane, inspired by dreamy vintage 4AD goth as well as more contemporary dark pop artists such as TR/ST, Kontravoid and Boy Harsher. Jane also fronts the LA-based shoegaze act Blood Candy and with Caress. Her solo-project focusses more on eighties dark wave, industrial and modern synth pop.

Talking about the album, Caress says: “For the album ‘Night Call’ I wanted to explore different themes of being drawn to the dark. Each song on the album explores a unique subject of interest: heartbroken love spells, cold city nights, obsession, destruction, vampires and my relationship with myself and experiences as a queer woman.”

Her solo work first got some attention during the pandemic with her rework of Patti Smith’s “Dancing Barefoot”.

“For the production, I used a variety of synths mainly my vintage 80’s Korg Poly-800 and Casio CZ-101 which created this cohesive sound. I wrote and recorded all of the songs in my old apartment called ‘The Dungeon’ where I had only one barred window in this little loft in Echo Park with these crazy high ceilings and my home studio was built underneath the loft bed where I tracked and recorded everything in this pretty confined space.”

And she adds: “I’ve always been drawn to darkness in multiple forms if it’s humor, aesthetic, interests and the album so reflection of that, so I wanted the compositions to be energetic, dark and tender but wrapped in this like cloak of mystery and sensuality which really resonates with my personality and the whole essence of Caress. So it’s exciting to share this whole goth party that’s the ‘Night Call’ 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!

side-line.com

Korinthians is a Belgian formation from Ghent. The band name refers to the Corinthian people in antiquity. The band comments: ‘They were called barbarians by the Athenian elite, but actually they had a very egalitarian society. They tossed out their kings and ruled as a group. They gave women a prominent role in decision-making. And then you have the Letter to the Corinthians in the Bible, which many know as an ode to love. But it also contains a series of guidelines to the women in Corinth. That they should wear a veil, and pray, and are not allowed to speak up. Isn’t that ironic?’ In that case, Korinthians prefer to be barbarians of Corinth. After having released a promising debut album “Chaos Control” in 2020 they this year stroke back unleashing “A Major Walk”. This self-released new opus sounds as an offspring between different music genres like Post-Punk, Electronics, Indie-Pop/Rock, Cold-Wave… but as Mattias (vocals & guitar) and Kenny (drums) say:

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Who’s hiding behind Korinthians and what’s your musical background and eventually references when it comes to song writing?

Kenny: I was always a rock drummer. I had no background in the genre whatsoever. To not mess things up, I try to play as little as possible, which is always a good thing in the end. Plus, when I’m with other drummers discussing their gear and chops and shit, I honestly think I’m not a real drummer. When you add those things up, I get something that seems to work just fine for the band. When it comes to songwriting, I stay away from the lyrics as far as a can, but do my part when it comes to the arrangements. I know a good synth hook when I hear or play it, and I’ve been known for throwing out a verse or two to keep the song short and sweet, or, in case of the previous record, making Mattias play five-minute guitar solos.

Mattias: I suppose I am the songwriter of the band. As all four of us, I wasn’t ‘born’ into 80s music. I think we’re all kids of the 90s, really, which meant that we grew up with the sound of overdriven guitars, rather than analogue synths. I got into the music much later, when I discovered bands like The Soft Moon, Agent Side Grinder, Linea Aspera And Boy Harsher. Also acts outside of the genre are an inspiration, such as Mogwai, Goose, Kite and M83. In terms of song writing, I went from doing straightforward hardcore riffs in the 90s, to being in awe of compositions with many layers –Electric Light Orchestra, was an example for some time.

Q: Interesting to read you claim to be ‘children of the 90s’ as your music still sounds 80s Post-Punk-like with a catchy Electronic touch on top. What is it really all about?

Mattias: We definitely do not confine ourselves to the genres of Wave or Post-Punk. I spoke to a music journalist recently who declared himself a ‘fake goth’, since he liked so much music outside of the genre. To some extent, I identify with that term. Personally, I’ve never liked being put in one category. And I think that for the Post-Punk and Goth scene, which distances itself from the dominant Pop culture, it really makes no sense to put people in boxes.

Q: What’s the usual procedure to write a song?

Kenny:In terms of songwriting, the procedure has changed dramatically during the pandemic. Nowadays, Mattias brings his Ableton creations to the rehearsal, and then there’s three scenarios. One, we think it’s crap, don’t say it out loud, but waste a rehearsal to let Mattias notice for himself. Two, the composition is totally perfect and we have a new song within minutes. Three, I or someone else ends up re-arranging the song in Cubase or something, and Mattias approves, or not. Then of course, when we play through the song during rehearsals and each band member cleans up their parts. We also try to take the songs to the stage asap, to see how the audience responds.

Q: How do you perceive the evolution from your debut album “Chaos Control” towards “A Major Walk”? Did you want to improve and/or change certain elements of the production? 

Mattias:I think it’s very clear that this is a much more synth-driven album. Contrary to our debut album, on “A Major Walk” the guitar is subservient to the overall sound. Often guitar play is limited to an eerie Post-Rock tune.

Overall, the album also sounds a bit more Electronic, something we’ve trying to do from the start; play music with a classic trio of instruments (acoustic drums, bass, guitar) and then add synths and samples, so it starts to sound more Electronic. I didn’t realize until after the record was finished, but it also contains a lot of straightforward, punchy songs. Dance music, really.

Q: The lyrical content of your work clearly reflects a darker side and/or -perception of our society. Where does it come from and what did you try to express and maybe exorcize? 

Mattias:I don’t necessarily intend to write dark and brooding lyrics. I guess that is what happens spontaneously when I write. What I usually do is writing one specific scene and develop lyrics from that. For instance, for a new song we’re working on, I use a snippet of a newspaper article I found a while back, talking of a newborn baby found dead in the dunes of the Belgian coast. I imagine what it must be like to give birth to a baby, all alone, crying, bleeding. And leave it behind. In “No Future”, our latest single, I describe the scene of a guy sitting in his house, smoking cigarette after cigarette, watching the news, while the ground floor is on fire. And he stays where he is. Sometimes I write something which comments on broader social issues, but usually it’s just about a compelling story.

Q: How would you define Korinthians as a live band and how do you transpose the songs from the studio to the stage? 

Kenny:I would certainly define Korinthians as a live band. The songs are created during rehearsal with the instruments we have, and all of the songs have been played live many, many times before we end up recording them. And during recording, we try not to go overboard with overdubs and stuff. Firstly, because we cannot afford to go overboard with anything during expensive studio time, and secondly, we also can’t afford to hire additional musicians.

Q: Korinthians clearly seem to be a ‘Do It Yourself’ band. Is it a deliberate choice you made or just because there has been no interesting label deal so far? How do you manage all different aspects of being ‘independent’?

Mattias:Well, it’s not that we oppose the idea of having a label. But I’ve come to realize that I like to control as much as I can the artistic and commercial process. That means, indeed, that you’re keeping a lot of balls in the air. You write songs, you record them, you make art work, you make music videos, you launch online promotion campaigns, you release albums and singles, you write press sheets and send them to journalists, online magazines, labels and whatnot, you reach out to other bands, venues and promoters, you make dedicated merchandise and offer it to your audience, you send parcels all over the world from sales on the band website.

Running a band is hard work. On the other hand, it’s wonderful to have gathered around us a group of people who believe in us; our sound guys Björn and Bart, William at Sonic Rendezvous, our distributor, Malcolm Nix our booker and tour manager, Klaas at RUZD who has been doing a lot of our artwork and design lately. We couldn’t do what we do without their quality work and their dedication.

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 Simon Marter) London-based goth artist Ray Noir is gearing up to launch his latest single “Pity Party” on September 29th. This track is taken from Noir’s upcoming mixtape “Scorpio” and will soon be accompanied by a club remix from Gothminister, set to release on October 13th.

The production and mixing of “Pity Party” were handled by KANGA, while the songwriting credits go to Ray Noir and Madeleine Wood. Additional keyboard contributions come from Bjørn Heden of Combichrist, and the track features guitar work by Christer Krogh and mastering by Joe Farr.

Originating from Oslo, Ray Noir’s musical odyssey is deeply connected to the Norwegian Black Metal scene. His sound also holds a fusion of diverse influences, ranging from The Prodigy and Boy Harsher to Nine Inch Nails.

Speaking about the forthcoming club remix, Gothminister said, “Ray and I have had our share of memorable parties. So, when he asked me to remix ‘Pity Party,’ I couldn’t resist. This remix is a tribute to our good times in Norway and across Europe, and it’s my gift to Ray and club DJs everywhere. Enjoy!”

Below is the video for the single which will be out on all platforms on September 13.

Ray Noir is also excited to announce his debut UK tour, commencing this October. He will be the opening act for Vampires Everywhere from the US and RXPTRS from the UK. The tour dates are as follows:

• October 18, 2023: Manchester, Factory
• October 19, 2023: Edinburgh, Bannermans
• October 22, 2023: London, O2 Islington Academy
• October 23, 2023: Milton Keynes, Craufurd Arms

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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(Photo by Chris Hogge) Hailing from Brooklyn, the minimalist post-punk/synth-pop duo, The Vacant Lots, have unveiled their upcoming fifth studio album, “Interiors”. Alongside the announcement, they’re also premiering a video for the album track, “Amnesia”.

Set for release on October 13th through Fuzz Club, the 8 tracks of “Interiors” represent, in the words of duo Jared Artaud and Brian MacFadyen, their “darkest and most visionary” work to date. Their collaboration with Maurizio Baggio, known for his work with The Soft Moon and Boy Harsher, continues as he takes on the mixing role once more, having previously contributed to the band’s “Closure” (2022) and “Interzone” (2020) albums.

Diving into the depth of “Amnesia”, Jared Artaud explains: “It’s about dealing with duality and integrating the conflicting feelings within a relationship. It’s about feeling dissociative and getting burned by the fire. Then coping with how this inevitably leads to the dissolution of the relationship. This is a mantra for all the songs on the album.” Further speaking about the video for “Amnesia”, Artaud praises the visionary behind the camera: “Alex Schipper is a master of taste. Our collaborative ventures from the ‘Closure’ album videos were truly harmonious. He perfectly encapsulates our minimalist aesthetic. A guiding principle for the band is ‘through darkness, light.’ Alex’s rendition in the Amnesia video, complemented by Mateen Ismail’s performance, truly resonates with this sentiment.”

The “Amnesia” video, created by Alexander Schipper and featuring model and actor Mateen Ismail, can be watched below:

For those eager to catch The Vacant Lots’ electrifying live performances, here are their upcoming tour dates:

• Oct 19 – London, UK @ The Shacklewell Arms
• Oct 21 – Paris, FR @ Supersonic
• Oct 23 – Berlin, DE @ Urban Spree

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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Out on Fuzz Club Records on September 30th is “Closure”, the fourth album of the New York City based post-punk act Vacant Lots. The album is the follow-up to the 2020 album “Interzone”. The record was mixed by Maurizio Baggio (Boy Harsher, The Soft Moon, Merchandise) and all songs were written, performed and produced by The Vacant Lots.

The minimalist post-punk/synth-pop duo, Jared Artaud and Brian MacFadyen, caught the attention of the bigger public thanks to their collaborations with Suicide’s Alan Vega. Today Jared has joined Alan’s widow and longtime musical ally Liz Lamere in curating the Vega Vault of unreleased material, culminating in co-producing and mixing 2021’s lost album, “Mutator”.

Out now is the new single “Thank You”.

This is the previously released single “Chase”.

The duo will embark on a tour in September/October through North American supporting The Black Angels with UK/Europe tour dates in November/December.

Upcoming UK/EU/US/CA Tour Dates

• Sep 30 – Dallas (US) – Granada*
• Oct 1 – Lawrence (US – Bottleneck*
• Oct 3 – St Louis (US) – Delmar Hall*
• Oct 4 – Omaha (US) – Slowdown*
• Oct 5 – Minneapolis (US) – First Avenue*
• Oct 7 – Madison (US) – Majestic*
• Oct 8 – Cleveland (US) – Beachland*
• Oct 10 – Detroit (US) – Majestic*
• Oct 12 – Toronto (CA) – Phoenix*
• Oct 13 – Montreal (CS) – Corona*
• Oct 14 – Boston (US) – Paradise*
• Oct 15 – DC (US) – 9:30 Club*
• Oct 17 – Brooklyn (US) – Brooklyn Steel*
• Oct 18 – Philadelphia (US) – Union Transfer*
• Oct 19 – Chapel Hill (US) – Cat’s Cradle*
• Oct 21 – Atlanta (US) – Variety*
• Oct 22 – Nashville (US) – Brooklyn Bowl*
• Oct 23 – Birmingham (US) – Saturn*
• Oct 24 – Baton Rouge (US) – Chelsea’s Live*

(*) with The Black Angels

• Nov 11 Dijon (FR) – Consortium Museum
• Nov 12 – Paris (FR) – L’International
• Nov 13 – Le Havre (FR) – Mc Daid’s
• Nov 16 – Maastricht (NL) – Muziekgieterij
• Nov 18 – Dordrecht (NL) – Popcentrale x Bibelot
• Nov 19 – Berlin (DE) – Synästhesie Festival
• Nov 22 – Halle (DE) – Hühnermanhattan
• Nov 24 – Copenhagen (DK) – Loppen
• Nov 26 – Stockholm (SE) – Debaser Bar Brooklyn
• Nov 30 – Haarlem (NL) – Patronaat
• Dec 1 – Hastings (UK) – The Piper
• Dec 2 – London (UK) – Strongroom
• Dec 3 – Manchester (UK) – SOUP
• Dec 4 – Glasgow (UK) – The Flying Duck
• Dec 5 – Nottingham (UK) – The Chameleon
• Dec 6 – Bristol (UK) – The Crofters Rights

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

By the end of 2020 Transmission unleashed the debut album “Cosmos” on Wave Records. The French solo-project is driven by Sandrine Deville. She’s dealing with a rather Minimal-Electro/Wave style with some violin tunes on top. It’s a fascinating- and accomplished experiment revealing an artist with a very own and creative approach. Here’s what Sandrine has to say about Transmission.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: How did you get contaminated by the music virus and finally come to set up your own music project?

Sandrine: I began to learn how to play violin at the Ferney-Voltaire regional conservatorium of music, in France, when I was ten years old, during four years. And, this was the time I listened to bands like A-Ha, Alphaville, U2, Pink Floyd, The Cure at the junior high school of my city, and, maybe one of the most influent band that led me to practice guitar, Dire Straits and the song “Money For Nothing”, for which I recorded a tape with this same only track, that I listened to for hours, showing me the power of music to immerse myself in a very special universe, at a high noise levels of my headphones.

I could define for Dire Straits a word that I will use to define my own music project: ‘soundscape’, when you discover landscapes from beautiful sounds. There also was Depeche Mode with the track “Never Let Me Down Again”, and, of course, Joy Division with the incredible bassline of “She’s Lost Control” were offering beautiful soundscapes to my ears when I was a teenager. Today I feel the same, but with other bands like Massive Attack, Bauhaus, Bowie, Linea Aspera, The Soft Moon, Kraftwerk, PJ Harvey, Nine Inch Nails, Kas Product.

On one hand, I wanted to play guitar in a band when I was teenager, but on the other hand, there were a lot of excellent guitarists and I was not, so, I decided to learn playing bass guitar. First, I was a bass player in a Funk/Folk /Psyche band called Hopupu and later on in between 2011 and 2016 in a Cold-Wave duo called Rive Droite Rive Gauche.

Then, I wanted to create my own music project and, after a few years of involvement with various bands, from Post-Punk to Punk, I decided to create the Electro/Dark-Wave solo-project called Transmission, recording first the track “Cosmos”.

Q: The name of your project is clearly reminding one of Joy Division’s legendary songs. Is it just a coincidence or clearly a link with some of your main sources of inspiration? What kind of sound did you’ve in mind when setting up Transmission?

Sandrine: Joy Division is one of my favorite bands. I adore all their songs and the atmosphere of “Shadowplay” gives me goosebumps each time I listen to this track. As I passed my bachelor in design in Toulouse (France) in 2018, I presented “Transmission”, the all white 3D printed Electro-Acoustic violin I created, inspired by pulsars shape, those mysterious white lines that we can see on the artwork of the LP “Unknown Pleasures” from Joy Division, and designed by Peter Saville. So, in this way, I could say that the name of my project is inspired by Joy Division, but mainly the white lines of the artwork of “Unknown Pleasures”. We can discover more about my violin called ‘Transmission’ on my own artist website here:

https://www.bluefactoriz.com/transmission

And we can discover more about my violin too, from pages 277 to 286 of the book of Pedro Peñas y Robles called “Joy Division, Paroles De Fans”, Editions Camion Blanc, 2018, here:

http://www.camionblanc.com/detail-livre-joy-division-paroles-de-fans-1216.php

Regarding the sound of my project, the effects are allusion to any effects used by the brilliant Martin Hanett for the soundscape of Joy Division, but, the kind of sound, the essence of the sound, come from a lot of references, as Kraftwerk, Nitzer Ebb, Covenant, Nine Inch Nails, Massive Attack, Linea Aspera, Boy Harsher, Buzz Kull, Minuit Machine, Years Of Denial, Kas Product.

Q: You last year released your debut album “Cosmos”. Tell us a bit more about the writing- and production process of this opus and what did you try to express lyrical wise?

Sandrine:The process of the composition was the same for all the tracks; I switched on my Korg Minilogue, synchronized with the little Korg Volca Sampler for the drums, and I tried to play live with this set up, recording a bass line using the Minilogue when I thought I could have something interesting. Then, recording this on my PC using Ableton software, I began to look for a structure, and sing the violin line, and the melody, or writing the words for the future track. Many times, I wasn’t able to record the exact bassline I wanted on the synth, and then, I tried to do my best with this new sound. Tracks like “Cosmos” and “Désuétude” both are like soflty spoken words; tracks like “De Stijl” or “Echouées” both are using punchy spoken words. As a reference, I could say that “Désuétude” is inspired by the way Anne Clark is ‘screaming’; “Cloud 9” and “Illusion” are both mixing spoken words, and a melodic chorus. I was very happy, too, in the way I used different languages: French, English, German, and Spanish too. For the lyrics, sometimes, first, I wrote them, and sometimes, they came after the soundscape, it depended of the feeling I had at the moment of the creation phase.

Q: I’m always wondered why there’re no more female artists composing Electronic underground music? Do you’ve an explanation and what have been your experiences as female artist in this scene so far?

Sandrine: I really don’t know why there are no more female artists composing Electronic underground music. Well, one of the most iconic is Anne Clarke, but today, we have the excellent solo-project of Alison Lewis called Zanias who’s also involved with the excellent duo Linea Aspera and Keluar. In France we have the excellent female duo from Paris, called Oktober Lieber. And there is also the excellent female solo-project called Hante from Hélène De Thoury who’s also member of the female duo Minuit Machine.  In the USA, even if it is a mixed duo, there is the excellent Boy Harsher. And I recently discovered the solo-undergound artist from New-York called Ani Klang. I also think to the excellent first LP “Push” from the L.A based Iranian producer and DJ Maral. In Germany there is in a dark, clubby style Ellen Allien.

So even if there are less female artists involved, I think that there will be more and more female Electronic underground artists. As I am beginning in this scene, I don’t have yet a lot of experience, the only thing I could write, is that I think that maybe women have to forget their shyness (if they are), and to prove by themselves that they can make Electronic underground music as well as male artists.

Q: Transmission has been introduced as a solo-project although you got some help to achieve “Cosmos”. Tell us a bit more about this collaboration and what has been the impact and bonus on the final result?

Sandrine: At the beginning of the year of 2019, I had a first demo of the track “Cosmos”, and I was wondering how to go on with this project. Thanks to my duo Rive Droite Rive Gauche I met a lot of people of the Gothic scene of Bordeaux who became good friends. In January, I went with two friends to the Nitzer Ebb gig in Bordeaux, and, then, we met a lot of friends of the Gothic scene of the city like Jean-Philippe Torres who has his Drone Studio. He is also one of the musicians of the excellent duo Dark Line Spectrum; Speaking with him, it became to me an evidence that he could be the most appropriate friend to achieve “Cosmos”. I sent him the demo of “Cosmos”, “Désuétude” and “Echouées” in order to know if this project could have an interest for him, and, as he was enthusiastic about this, then, we began a very friendly and productive collaboration.

The process was for each track the same; I sent to Jean-Philippe the ‘pre-mixed tracks’ by wetransfer, and then, he added his additional synths and old-school rhythm box, made the sound design and the arrangements, and the mix and mastering. It was perfect! I am used to comparing him to Martin Hanett. Martin Hanett defined the special soundscape of Joy Division, and Jean-Philippe defined the special soundscape of “Cosmos” and I think that he made my dream come true: having my debut LP realized on a good label.

Q: It’s probably a bit risky and also a true challenge to release a debut album during the ongoing pandemic. How do you –and Wave Records, manage this aspect and how do you expect things evolving considering live performances, further releases and  plans?

Sandrine: I really thanks so much Alex from Wave Records. I know that, in this special context of this long pandemic, the action of releasing albums for new artists, is a very risky business for the labels, moreover, for independents labels, as they don’t know how they can sell the albums and if people will buy or not a debut work.  Alex is doing his best for the promotion of the album with a large number of contacts, with an effective sharing on the social network, on Youtube too for the videoclips of various tracks I realized myself.

I gave my first gig on the 2^nd of July, thanks to the association Distopia Mutante of San Sebastian in Spain, and it was an unbelievable good moment as there was a good interaction between the public and me. It is since January that Distopia Mutante tried to organize a gig for my project. But finally we did it, at the beginning of July, and we hope that there will be others. I hope I will be able to perform at other places and in other countries, even if we don’t know what the future will be.

Thinking about the second album of Transmission, I will not change the way I am using to create the sounds, and I am thinking about around ten tracks that could explain a lot of feelings that we are facing to in a whole life, using various BPM’s.

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

Sun’s Spectrum is an Italian duo set up in 2016 by Livio Caenazzo and Daniele Iannacone. After having self-released their debut album they next got signed on Final Muzik unleashing at the end of 2020 their new album “Don’t Chase The Light”. The work features a selection of songs from the debut album plus new compositions. The sound is hard to define, definitely open-minded and mixing elements of Cold-Wave together with Techno, Industrial arrangements and even some Acid sequences. It’s an original opus featuring multiple noticeable songs. I got in touch with the band to get more info about their work and sound.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: How did Sun’s Spectrum saw the daylight and what kind of band and sound did you had in mind?

Sun’s Spectrum: The project was born in 2016 after an almost casual meeting. From the first minutes after we met, we immediately realized that we could have a very fruitful exchange of ideas for both of us. A few days later we started working together on a track that Daniele had sketched, without really intending to form a band. The idea was to produce something interesting, Dark-Wave melodies with the attention to detail of the finest Electronic music.

Q: What can you say about your newest album “Don’t Chase The Light”? What did you keep in mind from the writing-, recording and production process and how do you guys work together?

Sun’s Spectrum: “Don’t Chase The Light” is the natural continuation of our first album. Our intention was to create new songs trying to focus on a sound that makes us recognizable. We usually start from either one’s or the other’s idea, which can be a simple melodic line or a more structured track. Working in solitude is fundamental for each of us, both in the advanced phases of songwriting and in the technical ones, such as mixing. Meeting at least once a week to debate on what has been done and working together in order to produce something that is satisfying for both is crucial and creates a good syntony.

Q: I experienced your album as an offspring between different influences. How do you explain this eclecticism and what does it reveal about potential sources of inspiration?

Sun’s Spectrum: Our sources of inspiration range from dystopian novels to Detroit Techno. Between these two extremes we can include various musical genres in most of which the Electronic component is dominant. While this on the one hand can provide us with many interesting ideas, on the other it risks making us lose our bearings with the result of producing tracks that can be too different from each other. Aware of this fact, we always try to keep the contemporary scene as a reference, in particular artists such as Soft Moon, Trentemøller, Boy Harsher.

Q: I’ve been deeply impressed by the global sound production of the album, which is absolutely high-tech. What are your main criteria and references when it comes to sound production and what does it say about your studio equipment?

Sun’s Spectrum: We strive every day to improve both as a producer and as musicians in the strict sense. This prompts us to be curious about studio production techniques. Fortunately, nowadays there are many easily available resources, books, videos, it is up to the musicians to make the most of them. As for our equipment, when we produce we always try to give priority to the analog hardware we own. In addition to this, the guitar is almost always present in our songs, introducing a ‘human’ element that adds depth to the songs.

Q: I noticed you recently released a video so how do you choose the song for the clip and what did you try to express?

Sun’s Spectrum: The video is the result of our collaboration with the Mold Records label whose guys did a really great job and we are truly grateful for that. “Torch# 1” is probably the most aggressive track among those we produced however we believed it was very suitable for a video clip, because of its atmosphere and its immediacy. We didn’t want to give any constraints to the guys from Mold Records, neither on the subject nor on the style of the video. The product is therefore the result of the emotions that the song has created in them, a free association of images and sounds.

Q: Releasing an album during the ongoing pandemic is not an easy thing. How did you experience the impact of Covid-19 and especially on your artistic work?

Sun’s Spectrum: The album release was planned in Spring 2020, which as we all know was not going to be a good time. It would have been difficult for our label Final Muzik to distribute the CD and for us to promote the record with live gigs. We know that organizing concerts is still extremely difficult, but at least it was possible to launch a good web promotion. During the most difficult period of the pandemic, our production was also slowed down as Daniele found himself at the forefront as a nurse to tackle the problem. However, we managed to release a single, the cover of “Fade To Gray” and to create the basis for what will be the next album, which we can’t wait to let you listen to

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

(Picture by Renee Parkhurst ) Let’s hope this article doesn’t get flagged by Google, Facebook and related because the follow-up of words in the title is rather worrysome (joke aside).

Adult has launched a remix of the Bestial Mouths song “Unshivered”. A video was equally made and can be seen below. The song is included in Bestial Mouths’ remix album “Thousandneedles” that features collaborations with SRSQ, Ash Code, Void Vision, Light Asylum, and more and which dropped earlier this month.

“Thousandneedles” will be available on vinyl and cassette versions this August via Fill-Lex Records and Soil Records.

In a reaction Adult says: “We got this remix request in the summer from Bestial Mouths and it was just the thing we needed to get us back in the studio again. It wasn’t like looking at a blank canvas and it felt more like collaboration in a way, which was much needed during such an isolating time.”

The track’s visual counterpart offers a psychological portrait of a person clawing their way to meaning. Director Jamie Parkhurst, who has previously worked with Los Angeles post-punk outfit, Death Bells, and experimental electronic artist Trevor powers, was helped by producer Yelena Akopian, stylists and designers Bradley Soileau and Elliott Evan, photographer Renee Parkhurst, DP Connor Ellman, and camera operator Alex Van Putten. The video was edited by editing is by Alex Nicolaou (Drab Majesty).

Here is the video.

Tracklist “Thousandneedles”

1. Grendel – Ruins Remix
2. Adult – Unshivered (If I Could Feel Mix)
3. Rodney Anonymous Or 7th Victim (Of Dead Milkmen) – Withiin Remix
4. Plackblague – Heavy Coil Mix (Industrial Waste Remix)
5. Ash Code -The Bleed Remix (Mixed/Mastered By Doruk Ozturkcan From She Past Away)
6. Nnhmn – The Loss Remix
7. Statiqbloom – The Falls Remix
8. Buzzkull – Lain To Rust Remix
9. Srsq – Reimagination (Souls Take Remix)
10. Shannon F /Light Asylum – Industrial Waste Remix
11. Kontravoid – Dry As Dust Remix
12. Void Vision- (A) Siren Calls Remix
13. Crowhurst – 23 Hours Before Resurrection Bestial Mouths Remix
14. Melania – Inshroudss

About Bestial Mouths

From their inception in 2009, the core root of Bestial Mouths has combined Lynette Cerezo’s voice with several genre influences across the spectrum of goth, industrial, post-punk, new wave, noise, metal, and other underground sounds using live acoustic and electronic drums and analog synthesizers. Since 2018, Bestial Mouths has been the sole project of Cerezo.

2019’s “Inshroudss” EP was the first Bestial Mouths release entirely written and conceived by Cerezo. The EP was released on the independent label RuneE & Ruin, which Cerezo formed together with friend and frequent collaborator Alison Lewis (Linea Aspera / Zanias / Fleisch Records).

In their decade-plus existence, Bestial Mouths have worked with a long list of producers and artists. Zola Jesus, Mick Harvey, Egyptrixx, Boy Harsher, Die Krupps, Mater Suspiria Vision, Zanias, The Horrorist, and Ludovico Technique are just a few collaborators, while they’ve shared the stage with the likes of Psychic TV, Austra, Chelsea Wolfe, DAF, 3 Teeth, OAKE, Front Line Assembly, White Ring, Suicide Commando, David J, King Dude, Youth Code, Cut Hands and Light Asylum.

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

The Brussels based dark pop act Partikul announce that their debut album, “Related memories” will be released this Summer on Exit does not exist Records. But before that the band releases a new single, “Curse”, which is out now together with a video. Two more videos will follow later this year.

In a chat we had with the band they say that they draw musical influences from such bands and artists like Lydia Lunch, Boy Harsher, Tuxedomoon, Nitzer Ebb, The Smiths, Moon Duo, The Soft Moon and so on.

The band was formed 2 years ago in Brussels. That same year, in June 2019, they recorded 4 songs that appeared on the “Venus Virus” EP which was released in October 2019. The band took the time this year to record their debut album “Related Memories”.

Here’s the video for “Curse”.

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: Shoegaze, Post-Punk, Dream-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Seatemples is a Chilean formation active since 2014. Three years later they released the debut album “Down Memory Lane” on Custom Made Music. “Trópicos” was released in 2020, the CD format by Icy Cold Records (France) while there’s also a cassette format released by Blackjack Illuminist (Germany).

Content: The album takes off with a rather evasive piece carried by guitar playing reminding me of the 80s spirit of Dream-Pop and Shoegaze. The songs are diversified, but constantly switching from Dream-Pop to Shoegaze. I also noticed Cold-Wave influences, which are mainly emerging at “Beagle”. Most of the songs have been sung in English, but you’ll also notice several cuts sung in Spanish.

+ + + : Seatemples didn’t spare any effort to get a professional production. Daniel Knowles (known from Amusement Parks On Fire) took care of the mixing while Maurizio Baggio (The Soft Moon, Boy Harsher, Holygram) did the mastering. The global production brings us back to the dark, evasive part of 80s Shoegaze and Dream-Pop. The guitar playing creates this retro sensation, which has been masterly accomplished at different tracks. I also want to mention the cool production of the vocals, featuring male- and female vocals.

– – – : Seatemples released a fully enjoyable album, but unfortunately without a potential hit.

Conclusion: I think there’s something hiding inside this band, which doesn’t totally emerge. Let’s keep an eye on the evolution of Seatemples.

Best songs: “Holograms”, “Beagle”, “Desierto”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/seatemples

Label: www.facebook.com/icycoldrecords

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, electroclash, minimal-pop.

Background/Info: Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller set up Boy Harsher in 2014. They released several EP’s and a debut album (cf. “Yr Body Is Nothing”) in 2016. They this year unleashed the new full length “Careful” featuring ten songs and available in all formats (digital, CD, vinyl and cassette).

Content: If you don’t know Boy Harsher and you’re into retro electro-pop music with a strong 80s influence, this is definitely an interesting duo to discover. The band’s influences are clearly getting back to the 80s electro-pop and cold-wave electronics. The songs have been spiced with some extra little elements such as an EM bass line on one song and a harder kick on another one. One of the band’s main characteristics remains Jae’s timbre of voice. She has a kind of androgenic way of singing, which will appeal to fans of Mr. Kitty.

+ + + : This is not a stereo-typical electro-pop release, but a work mixing different elements and especially vintage influences together. It sounds minimal-like, extremely evasive and yet featuring a few harder club-tracks. The sensuality of the vocals has something sterile and yet creating a part of this duo’s sound and spirit. If you’re into retro-electronics, you better watch out for “LA” while the harder “Come Closer” is carried by a superb EBM-like bass line. In the ‘harder’ genre I also recommend “Tears” which is also featuring a solid bass line.

– – – : I can’t say that there’s one single song to throw away although the more experimental “Crush” is probably the single deception from the work.

Conclusion: Boy Harsher injects a fresh breeze by retro elements in the stagnating electro-pop genre.

Best songs: “Come Closer”, “LA”, “Tears”, “Face The Fire”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.boyharsher.com / www.facebook.com/boyharsher

Label: www.nuderecordlabel.com / www.facebook.com/Nude–Records-557806830992252

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 its fourth year, the Verboden Festival will be taking place April 11th-13th at The Astoria and April 14th at the Ricksaw Theater in Vancouver, BC (CA). Verboden was founded by Robert Katerwol of the EBM/Darkwave Vancouver based band Wire Spine and the festival features Darkwave, Post-Punk, and EBM artists from all across Canada and around the world.

Headlining Verboden this year are artists Boy Harsher, Light Asylum, and Mr Kitty. Verboden furthermore also features performances from up and coming Danish Post-Punk artists The Foreign Resort. Toronto EBM/Darkwave artist Kontravoid as well as local Vancouver artists such as The Gathering, SIGSALY, and Ivory towers.

The full festival line up looks like this: Boy Harsher, Light Asylum, Mr.Kitty, The Foreign Resort, Kontravoid, SPECIAL INTEREST, SIGSALY, Visit0r Youryoungbody, Physical Wash, Webdriver Torso, Oceanside85, DRI HIEV, Sex Park, Seventeen at This Time, Ex-SOFTESS, The Gathering, Voight, Total Chroma, Boys In Blush, Ivory Towers, Nouveau, Poly Dactic, Monashee, Brutes, Xybling, Redress.

Tickets can be ordered right here.

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 a journalist I think it’s not my goal to only speak about ‘famous’ and/or ‘established’ artists, but still to make you discover new talents. Egoprisme is a French solo-project set up and driven by Jean-Marc Le Droff. The debut album “Among Noise” released on the French label Manic Depression Records revealed a great mix of cold, vintage electronics and typical dark-wave guitar parts. Egoprisme is not innovating, but simply getting us back to the thrilling period of the 80s. It’s a great sonic trip, which got me curious to know a bit more about this project.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Can you briefly introduce yourself and give us some background information about your music ‘career’ which finally lead to Egoprisme?

JM: I am a 39 years old French musician based in Brest, France. I have a classical music background, then I moved to Rock and Electronic music. Egoprisme is a recent solo-project, and the result of various musical experiments and collaborations. It started in my home studio three years ago. Since then, I’ve been performing in many clubs in France and more recently in Berlin and Warsaw. I released two EP’s in 2015 and 2016 on Beko Disques, a French label based in Brest. My third EP, “Once You Get There”, was released in 2017 on TONN Recordings, an independent label based in Belfast, Ireland. Last January, I released a 15 tracks album, “Among Noise”, on Manic Depression Records, an independent label based in Paris.

Q: What means Egoprisme to you and what kind of music/sound did you want to compose?

JM: The word Egoprisme is a reminder that you’re always influenced by your own background, which often leads to false appreciations of situations. According to me, it’s a synth-wave project, rather club-oriented, and merging a post-punk guitar, cold-wave electronic sounds and lyrics in French and English.

Q: The influences running through “Among Noise” clearly sound pretty 80s inspired. Tell us a bit more about the inspiration, writing and global production of this work?

JM: I grew up in the early 80’s, so I guess I’ve been highly influenced by the emergence of midi-synths that were used at this time. The inspiration came out of artists like John Maus, the KVB, Boy Harsher, Lebanon Hanover, but also Prince, David Bowie or Depeche Mode. Inspiration also came from collaborations, like the one we have with Mode in Gliany in our side project called Premier Mouvement, or with the performer Rula El Bahr. The composition has been quite a long process that oscillated between home studio and stage, as I like to test new songs on stage before working on them back in studio. I produced this album mostly alone in my home studio, but always submitted new songs to a short panel of friends, among whom Christophe Galès which helped me with the mixing and did the mastering.

Q: Egoprisme is a solo-project although you got some help from a few guest artists to achieve the album. What are the main advantages and disadvantages to compose songs on your own and how do you transpose a solo-project on stage?

JM: I like to be autonomous in the various processes of composition, but I also feel the need of working with other artists, to confront ways of working and find new directions. It’s not a problem for me to be alone on stage, as I always plan the way I’m gone play a new song on stage while I compose new tracks. But it’s also always fun to have guests on stage when possible, even if it’s often more difficult to achieve in terms of logistics…

Q: I noticed some discrepancy between your music which is pretty ‘retro/80s’ like and the cover/artwork of the album, which is more styled and into ‘modernism’. Tell us a bit more the artwork and its importance?

JM: The artwork has been made by a friend of mine called Baptiste Stephan. I like the way he graphically interpreted my universe without using the general codes of cold-wave or dark-wave. I like the elegance of his work on this album, which reminds me of Bauhaus and looks timeless to me.

Q: We all know it’s pretty hard for ‘new’ artists/bands to catch the attention of a wider audience. Are you aware of this aspect and how do you manage it plus what do you expect from “Among Noise” for the further development of your career?

JM: Indeed, it’s pretty hard to catch attention, but it is definitely not my first goal. I’m a rather discreet person, and don’t like excessive promotion. My music is spread around so sometimes people who like it are spreading it again so in the end you can catch a wider audience.. My goal isn’t to become famous, but to share feelings through music, to have fun, to meet fantastic people and to travel thanks to my music. I see “Among Noise” as good way move forward in this approach, and Manic Depression Records helped me a lot in making my work visible to a wider audience.

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

Synths Versus Me is a duo formed by Vanessa Asbert and Nico Cabañas and based in Lloret de Mar (Spain) – yep Benidorm style that is. In the past they had several releases out via Oráculo Records and now have moved onto Mecanica to release a fresh 12″ vinyl release: “1987” (which can be ordered now).

The music is a mix of minimal synth, EBM and cold wave and this 12” EP includes 2 brand new tracks and 2 exclusive remixes. The original version of “1987” is pure vintage EBM in the vein of Signal Aout 42 and Front 242. The track was remixed by Dirk Da Davo from The Neon Judgement adding some drums, guitar samplers and sequences.

On the B-side there is the original mix of “Aimless Device”, which is a rather catchy electro-pop tune featuring female voices. The remix version was delivered by American artist Boy Harsher.

Here’s what you can expect on this vinyl release.

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