Caustic, the industrial and powernoise project of Madison, Wisconsin musician Matt Fanale, released the single “It’s Not Gatekeeping If You’re a Douchebag” on June 24, 2026. Fanale wrote and produced the track and is donating all profits from it to The Trevor Project, the nonprofit that runs suicide-prevention and crisis services for LGBTQIA youth.

The digital single arrives after Fanale had suggested the 2025 FIEND records might be the last work under the Caustic name. It is the project’s first new music of 2026 outside a reissue.

‘It’s Not Gatekeeping If You’re a Douchebag’: release details and credits

“It’s Not Gatekeeping If You’re a Douchebag” is a digital single, released June 24, 2026 through Caustic’s Bandcamp page. Fanale wrote and produced the track, with mixing and mastering by Eric Oehler at Submersible Studios.

The single follows the two-part FIEND set, “FIEND I” (August 20, 2025) and “FIEND II” (September 24, 2025), which Fanale had described as potentially the project’s final releases. In February 2026, Caustic also issued a 20th-anniversary “Turd Polish” remaster of the 2006 debut album “Unicorns, Kittens, and Shit”.

Fanale’s full statement and the donation details appear on the single’s Bandcamp page. All profits go to The Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide-prevention services for LGBTQIA young people.

What Caustic’s Matt Fanale said about the single

The track addresses intolerance within the goth and industrial community and points back to the scene’s roots in LGBTQIA culture. Fanale describes acceptance as a condition of belonging to that community: “You can’t call yourself a weirdo if you don’t love weirdos, and you aren’t going to be accepted if you can’t be accepting.”

He draws a line between nonconformity and political conservatism in the same statement: “Being conservative is not ‘weird’ – it’s the status quo that has marginalized and hurt innocent, harmless people for centuries for a variety of reasons beyond their control.” Fanale calls the song an effort to “protect our own” and closes with “Happy Pride Month.”

About Caustic

Caustic is the industrial and powernoise project of Matt Fanale, who also records under the name Eurotic. He formed it in Madison, Wisconsin in 2002 and has remained its only constant member; the live lineup changes from show to show. The project pairs abrasive electronics with humorous, often self-deprecating lyrics.

Early EPs appeared on Sonic Mainline from 2004. The debut album “Unicorns, Kittens, and Shit” followed in 2006 as a co-release between Static Sky Records and Crunch Pod, with “Booze Up And Riot” on Crunch Pod in 2007. Caustic then moved to Metropolis Records for “The Golden Vagina of Fame and Profit” in 2011, issued in Europe through L-Tracks, and “The Man Who Couldn’t Stop” in 2012. “Industrial Music” came out on Negative Gain Productions in 2015, and recent albums “Buggy” (2023) and “Thirsty Dog” (2025) were released through Submersible Studios. In 2010, Fanale publicly stopped drinking and addressed the experience in later material, including “White Knuckle Head Fuck” on the 2011 album.

Outside Caustic, Fanale has worked in the side projects m00ntz! with Eric Oehler of Null Device and Chuck Spencer of Stochastic Theory, Parasite Twin with Brian Schuh, and Prude with Chemlab’s Jared Louche, Cyanotic’s Sean Payne and Plastic Heroes’ Marc Plastic. Oehler, his m00ntz! bandmate, mixed and mastered the new single at Submersible Studios. Side-Line previously reported on the project in 2016, when Fanale staged a “Caustic caught up in Facebook drama” April Fools prank announcing that everyone had been fired from the one-man band.

“It’s Not Gatekeeping If You’re a Douchebag” continues Caustic’s run after the FIEND records and ties the project’s first 2026 single to a fundraising effort for The Trevor Project.

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 Bobby Talamine) Metropolis Records announces the signing of industrial-electronic Vancouver-based music legend Bill Leeb for his debut solo effort “Model Kollapse”, out September 13.

“The album explores the intricacies of artificial intelligence and the survival of humanity itself,” says Bill Leeb.

The first single “Terror Forms” features Shannon Hemmett of Actors and Leathers and will be out on July 9. This album also involves Front Line Assembly / Delerium cohort Rhys Fulber, mixing engineer Greg Reely, Actors’ frontman Jason Corbett, and LA artist Mimi Page.

“We are proud to announce that Metropolis Records has signed Bill Leeb for his first solo project. Bill Leeb has had a prolific career as a founding member of Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly and Delerium. His music has been highly influential, and we are excited to see what this new chapter in his career will bring for him and his listeners,” says Nina Heckman of Metropolis Records. “I’m honored to fulfill my father’s (Dave Heckman who died in the summer of 2022) lifelong vision and to be doing this project with a lifelong family friend I can honestly call family (Bill Leeb). This project is near and dear to all of our hearts here at Metropolis and I know it would make my father proud.”

“Model Kollapse” marks Leeb’s very first solo venture since the mid-80s days of Front Line Assembly, when he used to make recordings in his bedroom and released them on limited edition cassette format. Almost four decades on, his new album was recorded and produced in Vancouver, Toronto and Los Angeles with assistance from Vancouver/Toronto-based production duo Dream Bullet.

The “Terror Forms” single will be unleashed digitally everywhere on July 9. The full “Model Kollapse” album will be released on vinyl and CD, as well as digitally, on September 13.

About Bill Leeb

Bill Leeb, born Wilhelm Anton Leeb on September 21, 1966, in Vienna, Austria, is best known as the founder and lead member of the industrial music group Front Line Assembly (FLA). Leeb moved to Canada in the 1980s, where he began his music career.

Before forming Front Line Assembly in 1986, Leeb was a member of the influential industrial group Skinny Puppy, where he performed under the pseudonym Wilhelm Schroeder. His departure from Skinny Puppy marked the beginning of his career with Front Line Assembly.

In addition to Front Line Assembly, Leeb has been involved in several other music projects, including Delerium, which achieved commercial success with its fusion of ambient and pop music elements. Leeb’s other projects include Noise Unit, Intermix, and Conjure One, each exploring different facets of electronic music.

Bill Leeb discography

Bill Leeb has had a diverse range of musical projects, each with its own unique style and sound. Here’s an easy-to-read breakdown of the differences between his major projects:

Front Line Assembly (FLA) is characterized by a dark and aggressive style, blending industrial, Electronic Body Music (EBM), and electro-industrial sounds. The music features heavy use of synthesizers and electronic beats, often exploring dystopian and sci-fi themes.

Delerium, on the other hand, focuses on ambient, ethereal, and electronic music with a new age twist. Its sound is soothing and atmospheric, emphasizing melodies and textures. Delerium often incorporates world music elements and features various guest vocalists, achieving mainstream success with tracks like “Silence” featuring Sarah McLachlan.

Noise Unit features a mix of industrial, EBM, and techno influences. Over time, the project’s sound has varied, combining harsh industrial elements with more danceable EBM and techno beats. Collaborations with artists like Marc Verhaeghen of Klinik add to its diverse range of styles.

Intermix leans more towards techno, ambient, and electronic music. This project focuses on instrumental tracks, blending electronic and ambient music with techno rhythms. It is generally less aggressive than Front Line Assembly.

Conjure One presents a melodic and ethereal sound, incorporating ambient, electronic, world music, and pop influences. It features prominent guest vocalists and offers polished production with a radio-friendly appeal, blending electronic beats with organic instruments.

Cyberaktif, a collaboration with cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy, delivers a dark and experimental sound. Combining the signature styles of Front Line Assembly and Skinny Puppy, Cyberaktif features heavy use of samples and aggressive beats, resulting in a dense, experimental industrial sound.

Equinox focuses on ambient and atmospheric soundscapes, similar to early Delerium works but more abstract and experimental. It emphasizes creating immersive sound environments with a minimalistic approach.

Pro>Tech is a dance-oriented project with techno and trance influences. It features high-energy beats and repetitive, hypnotic structures, offering a clear departure from the darker styles of Leeb’s other projects, aiming for a more mainstream dance music appeal.

Below are the releases.

Front Line Assembly

• The Initial Command (1987)
• State of Mind (1988)
• Gashed Senses & Crossfire (1989)
• Caustic Grip (1990)
• Tactical Neural Implant (1992)
• Millennium (1994)
• Hard Wired (1995)
• FLAvour of the Weak (1997)
• Implode (1999)
• Epitaph (2001)
• Civilization (2004)
• Artificial Soldier (2006)
• Improvised. Electronic. Device. (2010)
• Echogenetic (2013)
• Wake Up the Coma (2019)
• Mechanical Soul (2021)

Delerium

• Faces, Forms & Illusions (1989)
• Morpheus (1989)
• Syrophenikan (1990)
• Spiritual Archives (1991)
• Stone Tower (1991)
• Spheres (1994)
• Spheres 2 (1994)
• Semantic Spaces (1994)
• Karma (1997)
• Poem (2000)
• Chimera (2003)
• Nuages du Monde (2006)
• Music Box Opera (2012)
• Mythologie (2016)

Noise Unit

• Grinding into Emptiness (1989)
• Response Frequency (1990)
• Strategy of Violence (1992)
• Decoder (1995)
• Drill (1996)
• Voyeur (1998)
• Dead Sector (1999)
• Deviator (2021)

Intermix

• Intermix (1992)
• Phaze Two (1993)
• Future Primitives (1995)

Conjure One

• Conjure One (2002)
• Extraordinary Ways (2005)
• Exilarch (2010)
• Holoscenic (2015)
• Innovation Zero (2023)

Cyberaktif

• Tenebrae Vision (1991)
• Temper (EP) (1990)

Equinox

• Holon (1998)

Pro>Tech

• Orbiting Cathedrals (1997)

Side-Line also covered Front Line Assembly’s ‘Molotov (Remixed)’.

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: EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Brazilian duo Fabricio Viscardi – Guilherme Peres strike back with a completely new work of their Aesthetische sonic alter ego. “Boiling Over” features five songs and comes one year after the ‘back to the roots’-album “RVPRTY”.

Content: “Boiling Over” moves on there where the last album stopped. A sophisticated EBM sound which comes closer to the great Aghast View period instead of the early Aesthetische Techno-Body releases. The title song features 3 edits -one of them being a remix by Sebastian Komor. All versions stand for alluring and well-crafted, powerful, EBM. There still is a more Techno-Body driven new song and one pumping instrumental one. 

+ + + : “Boiling Over” is a great title song and I really enjoy both edits by the band and the remix of Seb Komor. This is a meticulously crafted EBM format which might appeal to lovers of Front Line Assembly during the “Caustic Grip”-period. Both songs left are much more than EP-fillers but still great cuts to get people dancing. If this EP is a teaser to a new album I can only say it will be for sure a great vintage.

– – – : No real minus points here as this is exactly what we might expect from an EP: danceable and intelligent stuff.

Conclusion: I’ve never been disappointed discovering new Aesthetische stuff and this is once more a great, modern EBM work driven through some retro elements.

Best songs: “Boiling Over – Celsius Version”, “Boiling Over – Sebastian Komor Remix”, “Boiling Over – Fahrenheit Version”, “Dopamine Hyperdrive”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/aesthetische

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘Boiling Over’.

About Aesthetische

Aesthetische is a Brazilian EBM/industrial duo formed by Gui Pires and Fab Viscardi in 2012. Both musicians were previously known for their work in Aghast View and Biopsy, one of Brazil’s pioneering electro-industrial acts of the 1990s. After Aghast View, the duo launched Aesthetische as a new vehicle for modern EBM fused with trance, techno-body music, and industrial atmospheres.

The band signed with Belgian label Alfa Matrix in 2012 and has since maintained an exclusive release partnership with them, issuing a steady discography of albums, EPs, and digital singles across physical and digital formats.

Albums

• “Powerswitch” (2012, Alfa Matrix) – Issued in multiple editions, including a box version.
• “HybridCore” (2014, Alfa Matrix) – A follow-up blending hard-hitting EBM with more melodic synth textures.
• “Co3xist3ns3” (2019, Alfa Matrix) – Marked a return after several years, further exploring hybridized EBM and trance.
• “Rvprty” (2022, Alfa Matrix AM 3400DJ) – A digital-only release containing ten tracks.

Singles & EPs

• “Nachtbrenner” (2013, Alfa Matrix)
• “Statement / Amplitude Zero” (2013, Alfa Matrix)
• “Colder Lights EP” (2014, Alfa Matrix)
• “Dirt And Basslines” (2015, Alfa Matrix)
• “Cold Is Clean” (2015, Alfa Matrix)
• “We Follow Blindly” (2016, Alfa Matrix)
• “In My Aurora” (2017, Alfa Matrix) – Featuring Noemi Aurora on vocals.
• “MMXX” (2020, Alfa Matrix)
• “Overflow” (2021, Alfa Matrix)
• “Boiling Over EP” (2023, Alfa Matrix)
• “Confidence Is Silent” (2024, Alfa Matrix)

Split EP

• “4.4U [2012.11]” (2012, Alfa Matrix) – Digital compilation shared with Metroland, Mentallo & The Fixer, and Daniel B. Prothèse.

“Boiling Over”, the EP reviewed here, arrived in 2023. Alfa Matrix followed it with “Confidence Is Silent” in 2024 and “Selling Fear” in 2025.

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: Experimental, Abstract, Electro-Acoustic.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: Giuseppe Verticchio is involved since the nineties and has been active in numerous projects. This ‘new’ work by Nimh brings us back to some forgotten and previously unreleased tracks from the early days.

Content: The first disc “Caustic” features 3 tracks and the second one “Composite” 8 tracks. The tracks remain untitled while sound wise Verticchio invites the listener to embark for a deeply Experimental work which becomes Electro-Acoustic. The composition is recovered by a dark and sometimes tormenting atmosphere accentuated by effects and sweeps. I also noticed a very few passages with rhythms.

+ + + : This album show us the way it all started for Nimh; pure Experimental and somewhat improvised works which are hidden the Ambient approach he would develop later on. I’m more into the most accessible cuts from “Composite” featuring a slow cadence and more accentuated Electro sounds.

– – – : This album is a piece of history but not exactly the work I would recommend to discover this passionate and talented musician who released greater works in the Ambient and Ritual style.

Conclusion: Memories and nostalgia for the artist versus discovery for the listener and fans.

Best songs: “Composite #8”, “Composite #6”.

Rate: 6.

Artist: www.oltreilsuono.com /  www.facebook.com/giuseppe.verticchio.31

Label: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum

Listen to “Early Electronic Works – Caustic / Composite”:

About Nimh

Nimh is the main moniker of Italian artist Giuseppe Verticchio, active since 2001 across ambient, industrial and ritual-leaning work released on numerous labels. “Early Electronic Works – Caustic / Composite”, released June 27, 2022 via Zoharum, collects two previously unpublished purely electronic recordings, “Caustic” and “Composite”, made as live takes without overdubs in the early 1990s, before Verticchio adopted the Nimh name, when he began exploring electronic synthesizers, effects, software, ethnic instruments and sound objects.

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

Har Belex is the meeting between Manix S. (Pail and Caustic Records owner) and Salva Maine (Culture Kultür). Eight years ago now they released the debut album “Chandelle” revealing a surprising Neo-Folk driven work. The music genre sounds as a true antithesis to their respective, Electro-driven, projects. The new opus “Campo De Urnas” –released again by Caustic Records, is a judicious mix of Neo-Folk, Ballads and Chanson which might appeal for lovers of Rome and related bands. It’s a beautiful, sensible, and passionate album which brought me to ask a few questions to both protagonists.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I’ve always considered Har Belex as an atypical project. I mean you don’t exactly expect two artists involved with EBM/Industrial music setting up a Neo-Folk driven project. What brought you to set up Har Belex and what does the project mean to you next to your respective bands?

Manix S.: Har Belex is born mainly from the friendship that has united me and Salva for many years. We are two people who have in common social, economic and ‘NO’ religious positions, who have great respect and passion for nature and everything related to it, and who are also passionate about dealing with issues related to the dark, evil and insane nature of our society.

I have been a guitarist since I was 14 years old and although I didn’t play this instrument live for many years, I have been composing with the guitar continuously. So in 2012 I already had a handful of songs written with acoustic- and classical guitars and I wanted to do something different from my Pail Electronic project. Probably the germ of Har Belex was a vacation in the South of Spain. Meeting with Salva there, I suggested to him, half seriously, half jokingly, that he improvise to sing over a couple of songs I had composed on acoustic guitar. From the first second we both saw that it could work and we began to shape all this.

Currently Har Belex is my main project and Pail is on standby. I have some new songs that will probably be released in the future… or not.

Salva: I’ve always had quite eclectic taste in music, so I have no problem delving into other styles. On the contrary, it is interesting because it offers different possibilities when it comes to interpreting the songs. When Manix approached me with the idea of forming Har Belex and showed me the songs he had, I was instantly interested. For me Har Belex and Culture Kultür go in parallel, each one with its own sensibility.

Q: The new album “Campo De Urnas” has been released after a long break. What incited you to start writing new songs again and what kind of album did you’ve in mind?

Manix S.: Writing new songs is never something planned. It is simply an ongoing process throughout my life. When I have enough material that I consider to be of quality, it is proposed to close an album. It was clear to us that Har Belex was not going to be a one-album project since the first album had quite an impact, which allowed us to play in Spain, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and Portugal. And besides, we are really enjoying this project.

The period of time until this second album was finished has been long. Both Salva and I have other projects and activities, in addition to the day to day in our respective jobs and with our respective families.

Q: What did you try to express by the title of the work and what have been your lyrical sources of inspiration -which I think are not that typically Neo-Folk like?

Manix S.: For the title we were inspired by the culture of ‘Urn Fields’ (literally “Campo De Urnas”), a period of the bronze age with  a new funeral rite in which the corpses were cremated and the ashes were deposited in urns, which were semi-buried in fields and mountains.

We found it interesting to associate this concept with the current ‘urn field’ that the planet as a whole is becoming: social, religious and moral necropolis, devastation of ecosystems and nature, wars continue with their battlefields full of ‘urns’ (unfortunately today more topical than ever), death, mythology and megalithic architecture… all this is in our songs, and the title “Campo De Urnas” includes all of it.

Salva: There are four themes on the album: existentialism, history/legends, nature and war. In the end I guess it’s all about what the human being is, what he does and why he does it.

Q: “Campo De Urnas” has something deeply sensitive and even emotional-like. I should say it sounds more ‘authentic’ in comparison with Electronic music. Is it something you recognize? Do you have to be in a particular mood or state of mind when working on Har Belex?

Manix S.: Yes, indeed the mood is essential to be able to compose something emotional and dark in Har Belex. It is very different from composing Electronic music, where the emotional state is also important, but the transmission of this state to the music is more direct and more precise when you write ‘acoustic’ music.

In Har Belex, we try to directly and accurately convey to the listener, both musically and vocally, the intensity, passion and feelings that we ourselves have experienced when writing and creating those songs. We maintain a criterion of ‘less is more’ to try to reach those sensations with the right and necessary amount of instrumental tracks, arrangements and voices.

Salva: As I said before, different styles allow different nuances when interpreting the songs. If we go to the extreme of the most ‘harsh’ Electronic music, a distorted voice offers little room for details. Singing with acoustic instruments gives you much more range: you can sing very softly or harshly, depending on the song, and it opens up more possibilities to express feelings more precisely and in a more intense way.

Q: How did you guys work together? What’s the input of each other and do you handle specific references and/or criteria in the composition- and production process?

Manix S.: Salva and I live 800 km apart. I live in the Basque Country, in the north of Spain, and Salva in Granada, in the south.

The composition process is always the same. I write, compose and arrange all the tracks and play all the instruments in my studio. When I consider that a song is finished, I send it to Salva so that he can write the lyrics and take out the vocal melodies. On some occasions I also write some lyrics or propose the main idea to Salva in order to develop it.

For the composition of the songs, I record the string lines with synthesizers, but for the album we have the help of Lucas Valera, a violinist from Granada, who is the one who records the tracks of real violins on the album. In addition, Lucas is the one who currently accompanies us to live shows to play the strings in our concerts.

Salva: When Manix sends me a song, the first thing I do is taking out a melody and send a working mix to Manix to see if he likes it or if he wants to make any changes. Then, depending on what music inspires me, I think of a theme to develop the lyrics.

Q: How did you see Har Belex evolving from the “Chandelle”-album to “Campo De Urnas”? And do you already have ideas for further productions?

Manix S.: The truth is that even with all the time that has elapsed between the two albums, the album has remained very ‘Har Belex’ for us. The instruments used in both works are practically the same, as well as the structures of the songs, the theme, the arrangements, etc. I think that with only two released works we have achieved our own sound that is easily recognizable in each of the songs. I don’t see big differences between the two works, except for technical aspects of production and mixing.

At the moment I’m not working on new ideas in the studio. Now we must focus on organizing and structuring the format and the songs that we are going to take live, and continue with the promotion of this new album “Campo De Urnas”.

Salva: Yes, the main difference I see is the mix, although on this album we’ve used fewer literary references in the lyrics, so I guess in that sense this album is more ‘us’.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Neo-Folk, Chanson.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Eight years after the debut album “Chandelle” Spanish duo Har Belex strikes back with a new opus. This side-project by Manix S. (Pail and Caustic Records owner) and Salva Maine (Culture Kultür) is a true antithesis to their respective projects dealing with styles like EBM, Future-Pop and Industrial.

Content: This album features 10 songs which are rapidly leading the listener into a dreamy universe of Neo-Folk, Chanson and Ballads. The songs are mainly driven by acoustic guitar and electronic arrangements but also by violin parts played by a guest musician. Most of the tracks are sung in English but also in their Mother tongue.

+ + + : I wasn’t that convinced by the debut album of Har Belex but this new opus took me by surprise. It’s not the typical Neo-Folk production but a fusion between different influences. Some passages remind me of the latest works of Rome although Har Belex sounds more dreamy, light and evasive. The songs are touched by a sensitive side which is also injected by the melancholic melodies of the violin. The work reveals different beautiful songs and I especially like the ones sung in English. “Waves” is a brilliant and sensitive piece of music but I also have to mention “One More Nail” which sounds more passionate and ending into an elevating effect with the strings on top of the work. Last, but not least I also have to say a word about the great artwork of the CD format.

– – – : I was less convinced by the softer, ballad-like songs and especially the ones sung in Spanish.

Conclusion: Har Belex is a surprising project especially if you know who’s hiding behind but it also reveals the eclecticism of both protagonists who have achieved a beautiful album.

Best songs: “One More Nail”, “Waves”, “Jentilarri”, “The End Of The Summer”, “El Corazon Del Bosque”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.harbelex.com / www.facebook.com/harbelex

Label: www.causticrecords.com / www.facebook.com/CAUSTICRECORDS

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

Caustic Records presents “Campo de Urnas”, the second full-length of the Spanish dark folk act Har Belex. In its new songs the band handles the relationship of Humanity with itself and its environment. The new album holds 10 new songs and will be available on CD and vinyl.

The CD digipak comes in an embossed six panel digipack including a 12 pages booklet and limited to 500 copies. The vinyl version is limited to 200 units in 180 grs. black vinyl and 100 units in 180 grs. colored vinyl (green). An ultra-limited edition including the vinyl (available colored or black), t-shirt and tote bag will also be released.

Har Belex is formed by Manix S. and Salva Maine who earlier in their career worked in the EBM scene before turning dark folk.

Here’s “The End of The Summer”, the first single from their new 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

Cult industrial act Consolidated have reunited for a studio sessions in San Francisco last Summer that resulted in a new album “We’re Already There” and now a series of remixes. The 6th one was released July 26 and is called “The Machine (Caustic Remix)”.

The remixes are being commissioned and released by the Austin, Texas-based eMERGENCY heARTS label. The release series culminates in September in conjunction with Consolidated’s live performances at the Cold Waves Festival in Chicago September 24.

The main musicians on the original sessions were Adam Sherburne (guitar/vocals) and Mark Pistel (synths/beats) backed by Lynn Farmer (Meat Beat Manifesto) on drums, who replaces the original Consolidated drummer Phil Steir. “We’re Already There” was recorded, mixed and mastered by Mark Pistel at ‘Room 5’ in San Francisco. These recordings offer a mix of danceable industrial, jams, Hip-hop, Rock and funky Pop performed on a mixture of live instruments and electronics, topped with their radical left-wing activist lyrics.

Here’s “The Machine (Caustic Remix)”.

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: EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Klack is the meeting between Eric Oehler (Null Device) and Matt Fanale (Caustic). Their work has been introduced as new-beat. “2400bps 8-N-1” has been released as an EP, but it rather looks as a mini-album featuring five songs. It was their second work released in 2019.

Content: Klack is filled with EBM retro-elements. It doesn’t directly make me think to new-beat, but sounds like good-old ‘funky’ EBM with vocals reminding me of Jean-Luc Demeyer. The songs are well-crafted, driven by a rather slow cadence and yet being very danceable. Klack sounds like the imaginary fusion between Front 242 and Kode IV.

+ + + : I like the global approach of this work, which is definitely retro-like, but accomplished with intelligence. Even if it’s old-styled, it sounds original and refreshing. This is the kind of project the electronic scene is missing. I was impressed by the songs “Discipline” and “The Games We Play”.

– – – : This is a great work, but maybe without the ‘ultimate’ hit!

Conclusion: Call it EBM or new-beat, either way you’ll have to agree this duo has been touched by a great creative spirit accomplishing a cool production. I can only encourage Klack to move on!

Best songs: “Discipline”, “The Games We Play”, “Take Me Now”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.klackprodukt.com / www.facebook.com/klackmusik

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: Experimental, industrial-ambient & punk-poetry.

Background/Info: This new project is the meeting between ‘punk poet’ Adam Probert and John E . Smoke (Flesh Eating Foundation). They already worked together on Adam Probert’s album “The Battle For Tomorrow”. This is the duo’s debut album featuring eleven cuts.

Content: The album sounds like a true challenge as it’s not usual to mix engaged narrative spoken lyrics performed with passion and rage at one side and an industrial/ambient music composition at the other side. The lyrics are clearly important for their social topics, but I can’t say they’re more important than the music. They are complementary and the dark-ambient and industrial sound are fitting with the critical perception of Adam Probert.

Notice that a few guest artists contributed to the album as well.

+ + + : I like challenges and even when they’re not ‘easy’ ones. This is the kind of album you have to listen very carefully so you’ll seize the acid content of the lyrics. From the very first track on Adam Probert catches the attention of the listener. He’s not just a narrator, but a true performer who has a critical eye upon different subjects. His performance is accentuated by the dark and industrial music of John E. Smoke. They are a perfect duo; a kind of artistic twins accentuating each other’s work.

– – – : As I already said this kind of work remains a truly challenge, which will clearly catch the attention of a very restricted number of listeners.

Conclusion: The Mannequin factory stands for an original sonic challenge featuring caustic lyrics and dark music.

Best songs: “Mad As Hell ’19 featuring The Percy Vermin Experiment”, “I Found God”, “Black Stork”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/themannequinfactory

Label: www.facebook.com/sonicentrails

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: Epic, experimental, neo-classic, neo-folk, industrial.

Background/Info: Catalonian artist Sathorys Elenorth formed Der Blaue Reiter in 2005. Two albums were released by Caustic Records, one by Ars Musica Diffundere and two albums by Neuropa Records. Three years have passed since the last work. Sathorys Elenorth joined hands again with Swedish artist Cecilia Bjärgö (Sophia, Arcana). Notice by the way the album has been mastered by Peter Bjärgö and that it’s the first album from the band released by Dark Vinyl. 

Content: The least I can say is that Der Blaue Reiter is an ‘engaged’ formation or simply a band with a meaning. “United, Yet Divided” sounds as one of the most ‘political’ albums of this Catalonian project. It rapidly creates a link with neo-folk music, but the influences are more diversified while the result is hard to define. From epic- to neo-classical arrangements, from melancholia to overwhelming passages, this work also reveals a kind of dark-wafting sensation. The songs have been sung by both members while sometimes performed as a real duo.

+ + + : There’s an exciting duality between the epic parts and refined, neo-classic driven arrangements. A few guest artists added an extra touch, reflecting the authenticity of the work. Der Blaue Reiter is coming closer to the selected area featuring artists such as Rome and Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. It’s much more than simply neo-folk, but a truly chemistry between different styles. It sometimes becomes a bit ‘chanson’-like, but I like it. The themes and lyrical content might be interpreted as a bit controversial, but here again this duo first of all is an engaged formation.

– – – : I can’t say there are avoidable track featured here. I personally consider this work as the best album in the list!

Conclusion: On “United Yet, Divided” Der Blaue Reiter has reached a high artistic degree, which makes me easily say it’s the best album from this project thus far.

Best songs: “The Hungarian Revolution”, “United, Yet Divided”, “East And West”, “Prologue.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/derblauereiterband

Label: www.darkvinyl.de / www.facebook.com/darkvinylrecords

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

When it comes to EBM, Front Line Assembly weren’t only pioneers, but still a formation that never stopped exploring new sonic paths. For more than 30 years now the Canadian formation driven by Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber is taking us by surprise. Albums such as “State Of Mind” in the early years and later on “Caustic Grip” and of course” Hard Wired” entered into history. More than 20 albums later Front Line Assembly this year released “Wake Up The Coma” (Metropolis Records), which is for sure one of the most atypical albums in their discography. Robert Görl (DAF), Nick Holmes (Paradise Lost), Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks, Ministry, Cocksure) and Jimmy Urine (Mindless Self Indulgence) have been featured while it also is the last FLA-work featuring additional programming by Jeremy Inkel. Time for an interview with Rhys Fulber.

“Wake Up The Coma” is released by Metropolis Records and you can order the 2LP vinyl version right here.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I think “Wake Up The Coma” has something special because of the famous ‘guests’ you invited, but also because of Jeremy Inkel who for the very last time did some additional programming on a few songs. What does it all evoke to you and how will you remind Jeremy Inkel?

Rhys: Jeremy had sent Bill some ideas he had, I think ones he had worked on with Jared a couple years ago, so we thought in his honor we should finish them because we know he would have loved that.  We still miss him.  He was a sweet and energetic guy and its very sad he left so soon.

Bill wanted to try some different things on this record and after the Amadeus track with Jimmy came together so well, thought it would be interesting to try a few other guests.

Q: The song “Wake Up The Coma” clearly appears to be a reflection about a ‘certain’ system while it also became the title of the album. Tell us a bit more about it?

Rhys: Yes, it’s pretty much hinting at the future dystopia we are heading towards apathetically. It will take a lot of waking up on humanity’s part, or more specifically the wealthy ones who control everything. However, when brought into that context it may never happen. Also, starting a revolution might cut into binge watching your favorite Netflix series.

Q: You asked Robert Görl to contribute to “Eye On You”, which has been also released as EP title song right before the album. How did this collaboration and the global writing/production of the song happened?

Rhys: This was something Bill set up with Robert. Robert then sent us some analog synth and sequence recordings and I cut them up and added to them to make what you hear now.  Bill later added his vocals in Canada. A global file sharing collaboration, which is the norm now.

Q: The cover version of Falco’s “Rock Me Amadeus” featuring Jimmy Urine is definitely one of the most surprising songs you ever accomplished. Who got the idea of this, what makes it that ‘special’ to FLA and how was it working on the song?

Rhys: Bill had been talking about doing a cover of this for a little while, so we finally got around to it.  The track went through a few different versions before we arrived on the one you hear now. I think it was also his idea to get Jimmy in, who I have worked with a lot in the studio before, because his style would work for the ‘rap’ parts.  I don’t know anyone else who could have pulled this off the way Jimmy did now that I think about it. We recorded his vocal at my studio and I tried my best to get the German close, with my limited grasp of the language. Bill added the low backing vocals in the chorus later. It was actually nice to work on a fun song for FLA, that isn’t too serious for a change.

Q: You also did a clip of “Rock Me Amadeus”, which is pure fun and quite surprising as well. You clearly don’t care about ‘image’ and some of your fans who’re desperately waiting for a new “Hard Wired”. I experienced it as pure ‘artistic freedom’, but what does it really mean to you?

Rhys: This had a lot to do with the director Jason Jensen. We weren’t sure where to take a music video for the song. He proposed something bright and 80s themed so we went with it. I think it’s like a classic ‘music video’ in the old MTV style and we really like it. You can’t always worry about what people will think when you want to try new things, and its liberating to do so. We knew it might confuse a few people, but that was also part of the appeal.

Q: FLA has been set up more than 30 years ago now. I think you accomplished a lot of great things, which make me say you no longer have anything to prove, but what are the focuses and main goals when working on an album and how do you see the future?

Rhys: It’s never really mapped out too much. We just start and see where it leads. Maybe deeper into an album we might go ‘we need another fast one’, but that’s as far as that goes. We just do it and organize the music after. Again, after this long you are never sure. We don’t worry about it too much. Like you said there isn’t much left to prove other than, ‘we can still do this’….

Side-Line also covered Front Line Assembly’s ‘The Industrial Strength’.

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.

Background/Info: Frontline Assembly have been active for more than 30 years now. They don’t exactly release a new album every single year and got also involved with ‘special’ releases like the “WarMesh”-album released last year on ArtOffact Records and, which was a kind of soundtrack. They last year also released the EP “Eye On You” announcing this new studio work.

Content: FLA no longer has anything to prove. Even if the fans are sometimes desperately waiting for a new “Caustic Grip” or “Hard Wired”, Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber are simply moving on, accomplishing new studio albums from time to time. We already discovered Robert Görl (DAF) who was featured on the last EP, but the album also features Nick Holmes (Paradise Lost), Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks, Ministry, Cocksure) and Jimmy Urine (Mindless Self Indulgence) who sings on a surprising cover version of Falco’s “Rock Me Amadeus”.

It all resulted in a pretty diversified work, which also features ‘typical’ FLA-song; sophisticated song structures recovered with dark atmospheres and the spooky vocals of Bill Leeb.

+ + + : The best part of the work remains the more ‘traditional’ FLA songs, which bring all the familiar sound elements together. Great bass lines, obscure electronic atmospheres, complex, but danceable rhythms and Bill’s great timbre of voice. The sound production is absolutely impressive confirming the experience of this band. “Eye On You” featuring Robert Görl remains a great collaboration. My favorite song is the easy recognizable “Mesmerized”, but I also have to mention the more into bombast driven “Living A Lie”.

– – – : Speaking for myself I expected a bit more out of the other featuring. The songs together with Nick Holmes and Chris Connelly bring some diversity, but aren’t exactly the most convincing cuts. I’m missing a climax. I also have to say a word about the cover version of Falco. The adaptation itself is pretty cool, but not exactly what you can expect from FLA so in the end I can say this song took me by surprise…

Conclusion: When you realize the impressive discography of this band, “Wake Up The Coma” is probably not the production that will enter into history although it reveals a few brilliant songs. I’m afraid a few great songs don’t make a Spring, but in the end there only is one Frontline Assembly!

Best songs: “Mesmerized”, “Living A Lie”, “Eye On You”, “Arbeit”, “Tilt”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.mindphaser.com / www.facebook.com/frontlineassembly

Label: www.metropolis-records.com / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords

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 Spanish formation Culture Kultür saw the daylight in 1992. Josua Clotet remained the single core member while singer Salva Maine joined the band in 1999. The early releases revealed a mix of EBM and dark-pop elements, but quite progressively the songs became more electro/future-pop inspired. After a hiatus of nine years Culture Kultür are finally back on track releasing a new full length on Caustic Records. “Humanity” is an album that will appeal for all future-pop fans. It’s a danceable- and melodic composition, but still a work reflecting serious lyrics. Culture Kultür is back with a great new opus so time for an interview with both members.  

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Music always has been very important to you so I can imagine it means a lot to have released a new album after nine years of ‘absence’? What do you keep in mind from this long break?

Josua: You are right. Looking back, we never really stopped. We always had a slow working pace due to being extremely focused on the details when arranging songs. Of course, real life came into place with personal- and health issues along this time, but “Humanity” is the reflection of all this. So.. it was NOT a break… we care (maybe sometimes too much) about our songs and what they become while creating it. Now those songs are free to fly to the world and we hope the best for them.

Q: Nine years is quite a long lapse of time so what are the main changes/evolutions/innovations you noticed in the music scene and are there still changes in your way of composing music?

Salva: I see the scene quite the same. The production has improved and the sound is better, even with new bands, but regarding composition and style I feel that everything is similar to ten years ago. I don’t see many innovations. Regarding our working method, usually we pass our ideas back and forth until we have a clear song structure and then we finish and polish it.

Josua: Production qualities are improving every year and that is happening even at very modest setups…. and this is GOOD. Now that the tools are more or less ‘democratized’, let’s wish we all together can advance a scene, which is a little bit ‘frozen’ into time and their own symbols and icons.

Q: What kind of work did you wanted to accomplish for the “Humanity”-album and what have been the main sources of inspiration –sound- and lyrical wise?

Salva: Regarding the lyrics, I like to deal with what’s wrong inside our heads and inside our hearts. That’s why there are songs that talk about the refugees problem, sexism, violence… The themes are dark, but there is always a bright side that is fitting with the uplifting music. For example, in “Refugee” we talk about the tragedy to leave your home and risk your life, but in the chorus there is a hope that one day we, the humanity, will be able to solve it.

One source of inspiration was the work of the buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. I use his ideas (or the Buddhist ideas he teaches) in the song “Seeds Of Violence”, that talks about the negative emotions that lays inside everyone, and “The Sun Is My Heart” that talks about how everything is connected.

Q: The lyrical content of “Humanity” indeed deals with dramatic subjects while the sound gives people a real ‘feel good’ sensation. What says your psychiatrist about it (lol) and how do you perceive this interesting contrast?

Salva: I don’t have a psychiatrist (yet)! For me, the result of upbeat music and serious lyrics melt into some form of melancholy. But it doesn’t have to be bad: you can face sad things and still find a positive side about it. You can have a deeper understanding of the problems and eventually have some hope in that they can be solved. Music can be cathartic in that way.

Josua: In retrospective… we did that since the very beginning. Maybe we had darker music tones before –like the “Reflex”-album, but our lyrics always talked about human behaviour and strong emotions. Maybe we try to be ‘dancing with tears in our eyes’.

Q: You released a very surprising and highly professional clip of the song “Refugee”. Tell us a bit more about the clip and the link with the vocals?

Josua: We are very proud of the clip. Being ‘children of the 80s’ you can imagine having a clip so strong on FX, but with a deep message, suits us nicely. As always in our works, we put up front stories and ideas, which mean something to all of us. We cannot be blind as persons, as society to those human brothers being rejected. It’s so easy to let this pass by while we are worried just on the quality of our 5G connection. We are NOT blind to reality even if this modern world only wants us to consume and enjoy our first world status while letting the rest to be destroyed.  

Salva: We approached the producers Anim8tion and Fabulama and they came up with the visual idea for the videoclip. It was filmed in the Tabernas’ Desert, in Southern Spain with some extra shoots with chromas. The location is very beautiful, and in fact has served to background for videos of Depeche Mode, Front 242 or Joy Division, to name some.

The idea was telling the history of refugees, but in a tone of Sci-Fi, to soften the message and also for allowing them more creative space to work with.

Q: Because of the reduced CD sales it’s more important than ever before to play live and going on tour etc. What do you think about this evolution and what are the plans when it comes to live shows?.

Josua: REALLY looking forward to that. I’m rejoining Culture Kultür as live keyboardist and this after an absence of many years wherein I was only active in the studio. I really need to get back in touch with the crowd.

Salva: For us, being located in Europe’s ‘periphery’, it’s difficult to do gigs in Central Europe. German bands just have to take a car ride, but we have to fly, and that increases the costs a lot. I’m afraid that the compensation for the lack of physical sales can only come from online streaming, which is the tendency nowadays.

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, future-pop, wave-pop.

Background/Info: Hailing from the beautiful Malaga (Spain) and set up in 1992 by Josua Clotet and Salva Maine, Culture Kultür became a recognized electro-pop formation. They released their work on Out Of Line and Caustic Records. After the “Spirit”-album released in 2010 it all seemed that the band disappeared from the radar. But now, nine years later they’re back on track unleashing this new work featuring 13 new tracks.

Content: If you’re familiar with the music of Culture Kultür, “Humanity” will not have that many surprises for you. It’s a well-crafted composition carried by melodic leads and danceable rhythms. Some tracks are definitely holding on to future-pop influences and might appeal to fans of Assemblage 23 while other and somewhat darker cuts make me thing to a 100% edit of Diary Of Dreams. The album clearly deals with serious themes although the music will give you a ‘feel good’ sensation.

+ + + : One of the main things about this work is the comeback of this formation, which might be considered as one of the most successful Spanish electro-pop bands. Sound-wise the duo illustrates great skills in composing efficient melodies and carrying melodies. Salva Maine is also a talented singer. This work doesn’t really feel like Culture Kultür has disappeared for years. It’s a refreshing piece of danceable music. 

– – – : Time didn’t really affect the sound and influences of the band. I should think it rather appears to be a positive point, but at the other side the work doesn’t clearly innovate.

Conclusion: Culture Kultür makes me think of my favorite meal: you know what you get, it’s a bit predictable, but you’re looking forward to hear it.

Best songs: “Refugee”, “Keep Yourself Alive”, “The Sun Is My Heart”, “Broken World”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.culturekultur.com / www.facebook.com/pg/culturekultur

Label: www.causticrecords.com / www.facebook.com/CAUSTICRECORDS Read the news on ‘Humanity’.

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, industrial.

Background/Info: Matt Fanale strikes back with a new creation of his sonic brainchild Caustic. This is the tenth full length album to date.

Content: “American Carrion” covers different influences, which are taking off with pure EBM, but next moving into more sophisticated electronic fields. The EBM inspiration however seems to have been the main one for “American Carrion”. There are more EBM cuts running through the work, but I also heard some retro-like sequences reminding me of early Ministry and The Revolting Cocks. “American Carrion” becomes a much diversified piece of music and that’s not surprising if you’re a bit familiar with the Caustic discography. Let’s say that Matt Fanale has been more focalized on EBM instead of harsh industrial assaults.

+ + + : I like the album’s diversity, but especially the EBM influence, which is pretty sophisticated and efficient. “Drugskill” and “Fuck That Fascist Beat” both are impressive examples of the artist’s EBM approach. “Angel Grinder” sounds somewhat different, but here again you’ll notice the great sound treatments this work has been made by. I also enjoyed the tracklist, which is progressively evolving towards a sensational final part. I there noticed cool, menacing bass lines sometimes reminding me to Leather Strip.

– – – : It’s hard to say that this is the best Caustic album in history, but I know for sure there are less songs to throw away.

Conclusion: Caustic remains faithful to certain electronic eclecticism mixing industrial music together with EBM, dark-electro and a few more influences for the ride, but “American Carrion” also is a work with several great songs on it!

Best songs: “Fuck That Fascist Beat”, “Angel Grinder”, “Drugskill”, “One Nation Under Fear”, “Purgative”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/causticmusic

Label: www.negativegain.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Negative–Gain/212061438836984

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

Kneel In Front Of The Hangman, later on renamed into Kneel In Front Of The Executioner is already active since 1993. Set up by K-head (music) and mirColon (vocals) the Slovakian duo rapidly caught the attention of the international EBM community. After self-released albums, 2 albums released on Out Of Line and 2 more full lengths released on Vendetta Music, KIFOTH is back on track releasing “Extensive Report” on EK Product. That is what they’ve to say about it.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Can you remind us how K.I.F.O.T.H. saw the daylight and what have been your sources of inspiration?

K-head: It all happened on a hot Friday in the Summer of 1994 when the festival “Young Apollo” featured amateur bands. Two teenagers put on their Amigas doing their first live show. Some people couldn’t believe what they heard. But a few enthusiastic people started to dance on the last songs. Nevertheless, the show finished the fans wanted more songs. So after the official end of the festival at 10PM both guys again expand their system. Youthful blond mirColon began to sing the songs again as it was the first time. When they started the song “Ježiš Kristus” (Jesus Chirst), the lyrics start with ‘heaven is crying …’, the storm has been started.

mirColon: We launched the first recording tracks somewhere during Spring 1993. We were classmates. We had different ways to attract, amuse and express ourselves. Firstly, we talked about improvisation. After a time, the song arose spontaneously thoughtfully. At that moment some famous albums resonated in our minds: “Last Rights”, “Too Dark Park”, “Tactical Neural Implant”, “Caustic Grip”, “Tyranny For You”. We lived for concerts of local groups like The Dark, Morbid Fancy, Vanessa, Ocean. The philosophy of KIFOTH is not a mainstream one, but it is direct and very rough. Therefore the choice of the EBM style sat very properly.

Q: There’s a hiatus of 7 years between your previous album (cf. “Violence Corporation”) and the new work “Extensive Report”. What happened in the meantime and what does this new album mean to you?

K-head: We’d to go through different phases during that break. The last album was released in 2010 and the next 2 years we played mainly live gigs, however in parallel more changes started to happen in our private lives and we both became fathers. mirColon moved from Slovakia to Czech Republic, where his leaving now. As we are not a professional band, you can imagine what happened; work, family, concerts… there was not so much time for a creative process. That was the first phase.

At 2012 started the next phase, the creative one. We composed 8 tracks from the new album until the end of 2013. The 3 tracks left were achieved in 2014 and then all material landed in the shelf for one year. Even if the style remains the same, the new tracks had far different sound from previous work and we got the idea to rework old tracks to make them fit for the next live shows.

KIFOTH played several gigs in 2015 to test how the new set list works. It worked perfect and to be honest with you during that time we also recorded material for an entire live CD, which we plan to release after “Extensive Report” as there are included tracks from that album. At 2015 we added some new layers to the tracks to get a more common sound and recorded the vocals as well. Honestly, we struggled with the final mix during an entire year because each of us had a different idea about the mixing. Once we finally finished our work our label had stopped their activities. Luckily for us we have very good friends who put us in touch with EK Product, which is a very flexible label. So, the new alum has been released on March 3rd 2017.

Q: “Extensive Report” sounds to me as your post accomplished and sophisticated work to date. Tell us a bit more about the composition of the album and how do you see this work in the long career of K.I.F.O.T.H.?

K-head: This is the album on, which I put the most efforts in production and mixing. Maybe that’s why it took so much time to get released. It’s something special to me as l had the complete sound in my head since the first day I composed the first song “Proxy War”. I had a clear image about the mood and sound of the album.

mirColon: “Extensive Report“ is clearly a shifting; desired shift. I’m talking about shifts in our sound bank. Developments in sound engineering, recording, mixing and working together. Similarly, the shift in the main concept of the album. “Extensive Report” is a call to use new methods of writing, designs, programming. The album is written in journalistic style and with a view to processing the summary report on the state of the world. It deals with the topic of overpopulation of the planet, depletion of resources necessary for our civilization. The album tells the story of manipulation, coercion, enslavement, but also the mad devastation of the planet Earth.

And back to the previous question. What means to me this album? Today, it is satisfaction. Feedback from fans, reviewers, professionals in the industry proclaims that this step didn’t work sick at the same time, it’s not a step towards the mainstream. I am happy to get notes from fans telling “I was expecting this …”. I am satisfied that there is a debate of the songs and I am pleased that despite 7 years processing of the topic, the subjects are recorded to date.

Q: I’ve been impressed by all synths and equipment you’ve collected over the years. Tell us a bit more your studio, favorite gear and global production of your work?

K-head: To be honest with you I like to buy just a few synths to get a good sound especially for the bass & strings and now I realized I got 22 synths! Bob from Samhain is currently abroad, so he brought over some equipment to my studio. We have currently around 50 PCs, so it all looks like we became collectors. On one side it’s nice to have such a variety of sounds, but on the other hand it’s disturbing in creativity. Many times when I’m in the studio I’m spending just 1-2 hours to play with sounds. It’s lot of time. I’m not composing on piano, but I just need some interesting sounds which can inspire me. Next comes a melody line and I’m already thinking about arrangements. I’m often spending a few hours to create just a loop, but sometimes when I get a good sound I can compose an entire song just in 2 days.

Usually before we release an album I create around 50 short tracks from 2-3 minutes, but in the end the album will maybe feature 12 songs from the list. I previously made more music on computer, except for “Fundamentum Divisionis“. Now all samples are made on hardware synths and I use Cubase just as sequencer.

About favorite gear I have some typical patterns, which are probably used by other musicians dealing with EBM. I like the Moog, Virus B and Nordlead for the bass lines and Yamaha, Roland plus some VST to be more complex for the strings. Aggressive synth leads are mainly taken form Waldorf or DSI and of course drums are from any gear supported with samples. To put a bit of old-school elements it’s cool to use Proteus or Ensoniq and than mixing and layering. For analogue sound effects, which I’m doing all live, there is no real programming, but just recording by turning knobs from the MS20 though Moog and Waldorf up to Novation. On the new album 16 different synths were used and some VST’s, what need a lot of effort in mixing to get a consistent sound.

Q: You’ve worked with multiple labels (VUZ Records, Out Of Line, Vendetta Music and now EK Product) so what have been your experiences so far and what do you expect from a label?

mirColon: I would take the opportunity to thank them all to have ever got the chance to get in touch with all those great label owners. I highly appreciate all of their efforts. KIFOTH is not the band in search of a full time activity (I mean we are not professional musicians). So far, we maybe have disappointed some labels, but our experiences remain positive. Fact is that KIFOTH and the label both are one team. We support each other, we spend and share energy, we love and hate as well.

About expectations: cooperation is important, positive influences, the music is made by KIFOTH, design by the team, marketing by the label; the will to make it next time different but better.

Q: A last word about the side-projects you’ve been involved to. Is there anything new in the pipeline and what will be the next steps for K.I.F.O.T.H.?

K-head: There are few: Eclipsed, Baphomet, Mindscape, but I have not that much time and I’m also doing some remix works for friends active in different groups while I’m also doing some technical support for The Dark which would like to publish some unreleased 90s tracks.

I can tell you Eclipsed, which I’m doing together with Solo  (Samhain, Last Influence Of Brain) is planning an album for next year.

I hope Baphomet will finally release some material later on this year, but I first have to see if one other member will join in; I can’t say who right now, but it will be announced soon.

For Mindscape (has been never released, but played many times live) which I’m doing together with Bop and Solo, we have tons of sessions recorded, but no idea how to use it now. We don’t know if we would just release a kind of ‘archive’ or mixing new ideas.

We plan to do a short live tour in Autumn with KIFOTH and maybe also a few gigs in Spring 2018. Then we will work on the next album. I already have some ideas in mind. It will be for sure different than “Extensive Report”; at least I will try to make as much sound design as possible.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

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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The 52nd track on our free download compilation “Face The Beat: Session 4” (featuring 92 tracks) is by the Canadian act nTTx.

Stealing elements of EBM, synthpop and industrial, nTTx completes this sonic landscape with strong, melodic vocals, that range from soft and delicate, to powerful and in your face. nTTx is the new solo project of Gord Clement (Toronto,Canada) who was the former singer/songwriter for the band Atomzero.

nTTx’s first single, “Falls Beautiful” with a b-side Depeche Mode cover was released independently in May 2015. The single spent 4 weeks in the top 15 on the German Electronic Webcharts (GEWC) and received some great feedback. This lead to being signed to WTII Records and the release of his debut EP “Objective” in April 2016. The EP features remixes by Caustic, Stars Crusaders and Kiss is Kill.

A four piece band has been put together for entertaining live shows featuring lighting/lasers which Clement has individually programmed for each song. You can find the band right here on Facebook and on Twitter.

Listen to “cRave (Touched By Stahlnebel & Black Selket)” below and download it right here.

Check our “Face The Beat: Session 4” page on Bandcamp to discover the other 91 bands. All donations will go to charity.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Genre/Influences: Electro-rock, rock-pop, hard-rock, synth-pop, punk, experimental.

Background/Info: Fast forward 30 years.  Industrial music scene promoter, cancer survivor and musician, Jim Semonik (label owner of Distortion Productions and active in multiple bands) has brought his fundraiser “Electronic Saviors: Industrial Music To Cure Cancer” to the aid of many a cancer victim.

It is with this intent that his label, Distortion Productions, LLC and Electronic Saviors offer up a tribute to the robots in disguise with “Respect The Prime: 1986 Revisited”. For the first time ever, the classic soundtrack from 1986’s “Transformers”-movie has been rebuilt from the ground up.

Bands: Xenturion Prime feat Trulos Haugen, Ghostfeeder, Bella Morte, Victor Love, Caustic, Everything Goes Cold, Latexxx Teens, am.psych ao.

Content: This sampler features 17 formations dealing with a rather diversified inspiration. No doubt about it, the original songs probably influenced the bands to experiment in sound and style. This album reveals several hard-rock minded pieces, which is a total surprise.

Other cuts move into electro-rock and vague electro-pop. But you also will hear some elements of metal music and even punk. Several songs are instrumentals, which accentuate the soundtrack feeling. Only one band (cf. am.psych) has been featured with two songs. One of them is the theme of “The Transformers”.

+ + + : The idea to release a music compilation as a way to bring some aid to cancer victims is not new, but still a great mark of solidarity and commitment. This is a record you’ll buy because of its initial concept while the content will for sure deliver a few nice surprises. am.psych is not exactly a newcomer although not exactly a familiar name and their electro-rock music reminding me a bit of The Swamp Terrorists.

– – – : Sound-wise this sampler is really versatile and simply mixes the most different and sometimes opposites genres together. There’s not much cohesion between some songs.

Conclusion: I’m definitely into the goal and concept of “Electronic Saviors” although the content of this edition can’t totally convince me!

Best bands: am.psych, Everything Goes Cold, Thoughtform, Ghostfeeder.

Rate: (7).

Label: www.distortionprod.com / www.facebook.com/distortionproductions

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: Body-pop.

Background/Info: nTTx is a solo-project set up by Gord Clement who was previously involved in the promising Atomzero. Based in Toronto (Canada) nTTx already made a few noticeable remixes while the single “Falls Beautiful” released last year received instant success. Because of this success the title song has now been re-released on the “Objective”-EP featuring 3 extra songs and 3 remixes.

Content: “Falls Beautiful” is a solid piece of body-pop music, which also appears to be the main influence behind the other cuts. The composition is well-crafted and features a powerful production. The vocals are rather clear and charismatic. Gord Clement is definitely a good singer with a timbre of voice, which is totally appropriated for the sound.

The remixes have been made by Caustic, Stars Crusaders and Kiss Is Kill. I noticed a brilliant remix of “Falls Beautiful” by Stars Crusaders, which features terrific sound treatments.

+ + + : nTTx confirms the potential revealed on its single “Falls Beautiful”. This band composes a powerful body-pop style based upon a mature and detailed writing with great sound treatments. “cRave” is a noticeable song with a great progression in structure. The remixes add some extra power and other influences to the work.

– – – : “Objective” reveals multiple cool songs, but not a kind of hit from which you can’t escape.

Conclusion: nTTx confirms to be a real interesting ‘new’ body-pop formation and I’m really looking forward to discovering their debut full length. This is a band with huge potential.

Best songs: “cRave”, “Falls Beautiful”, “Falls Beautiful – Stars Crusaders Remix”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.nttxmusic.com / www.facebook.com/nttxmusic

Label: www.wtiirecords.com / www.facebook.com/WTIIRecords

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

Funny times for Caustic, an American industrial band based out of Madison, WI. Both remaining members, Matt Fanale and Eric Gottesman, are caught up in some well provoked bogus EBM drama which unfolded on the Caustic bandpage in the past few hours.

All started with a Facebook update by founding member Fanale which read like a real joke: “Today I fired Eric Gottesman from Caustic for making a stupid pun. He then did it again so I double fired him, which I forgot meant he was back in Caustic. He then fired me, so Eric is now in charge of Caustic. Nobody donate to the next Kickstarter to have me punched in the nads.” Yes, it does sound like a joke, and probably is one.

Another update followed: “Okay, since I’m fired from Caustic Eric Gottesman is being a douche and making me give up my Caustic page at midnight. He’ll be posting after that. And this is real. And it’s stupid. I’ll be posting on my Undustrial page until I can figure out how to get Caustic back. Sorry for whatever bullshit he posts. It’s out of my hands.”

On the Undustrial page he posted the following: “My people are trying to talk to Eric’s people to get this resolved quickly. Knowing Eric he’s going to be a dick about this as long as he can. Here’s hoping for the best.”

And this is what Gottesman posted a few hours ago: “Arright crapmonkeys, this is Eric Gottesman. You know, from Caustic. As the new sole proprietor of Caustic, I’m gonna be making some changes around here (…)”

Clickbait for sure. But let them have some fun, it’s already difficult for small bands to get some attention these days.

Caustic was created in 2002 by DJ Matt Fanale (AKA Eurotic), who is the sole consistent member. The band’s live lineup varies quite a bit, largely depending on the location of the show. One of those live members is Eric Gottesman.

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