(Photo by David Kruschke) San Francisco-based artist Aursjoen presents her debut single “Nytår”. The new single comes complemented by a video created by filmmaker David Kruschke.

Aursjoen is the project of Ria Aursjoen, who is vocalist and keyboardist for the post-punk outfit Octavian Winters, who released their debut EP “The Line or Curve” in 2023, followed by their 2024 “Nebula / Velveteen” single with electronic-industrial legend Mark Pistel (Meat Beat Manifesto, Consolidated). A classically-trained singer and multi-instrumentalist, her musical past is steeped in genres ranging from Celtic and Nordic folk to darkwave and progressive metal.

Her debut “Strand” EP is slated for release on November 15 via Stratis Capta Records and was produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate, Faith and the Muse, Mephisto Waltz, Christian Death) at 13 Studio in Chicago. For this material Aursjoen is joined by Octavian Winters bandmate Stephan Bryan Salit contributing dynamic and atmospheric guitars on two songs.

This first single “Nytår”, which means “New Year” in Danish, was written on New Year’s Eve of 2022. Ria Aursjoen says this about the origins of “Nytår”: “This song started when I was experimenting with a slow-moving string arrangement that captured my imagination and made me think of walking down a dark road in winter, against the wind. The more I saw the image in my mind, the more it reminded me of Denmark, where I spent years as a child. It especially reminded me of how the world looked and felt when I would go out with my ice skates in the winter twilight to skate on the pond near my house at the outskirts of Copenhagen, so I wrote the lyrics in Danish. Midwinter in Denmark is very dark and very cold with short days. You spend time dreaming of the spring returning, waiting for it. My memories of that time as well as the language itself transported me back to those feelings and guided the way the song evolved both lyrically and musically.”

Aursjoen comes from a familial line of musicians, her grandmother Lillian an opera singer and grandfather Morris a singer and self-taught multi-instrumentalist. Having taught herself to play piano by ear at age three, she considers it her instrument of choice for songwriting; “I have been playing for as long as I remember, so piano feels like an extension of myself, a native language if you like.”

Nevertheless it was singing that unlocked something even more powerful within her: “The neighbours would complain about me singing loudly outside their windows while I waited for the school bus. They told my mother they didn’t know what I could possibly have to sing about that early in the morning. Fortunately, my mother never took the complaints seriously and never tried to discourage me. She has been my biggest supporter, and a great friend, and I wouldn’t be here today as an artist if not for her.”

As someone who has synesthesia, a rare neurodiverse condition in which senses overlap, Aursjoen experiences sound as visual structures, colours and textures. “I avoided regular music notation as much as I could. I coaxed my mother (a great sight reader) into playing my piano homework. Then I’d listen and learn it by ear – eventually my piano teacher discovered I had been faking note reading and I had to buckle down and really learn it… I am glad I did, but I still find it clunky and unintuitive, and still write music in my personal system of notation.”

As of today September 10, “Nytår” is available everywhere digitally, including Bandcamp. The full “Strand” album, out November 15 via Stratis Capta Records, is already available for pre-order.

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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American artist Mark Pistel (Meat Beat Manifesto, Consolidated) has joined San Francisco post-punk outfit Octavian Winters for the double single “Nebula / Velveteen (Mark Pistel Remix)”. Now his “Velveteen” remix also gets the video treatment thanks to filmmaker David Kruschke.

Mark Pistel is best known as founder of Consolidated and as a member of Meat Beat Manifesto since 1997. He has also worked with such artists as The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Grace Jones, Therapy?, MC 900 Foot Jesus, Machines of Loving Grace, Hector Zazou, Mark Stewart, Lee Scratch Perry, Cabaret Voltaire’s Stephen Mallinder and Fishbone’s Angelo Moore.

Formed in 2022, Octavian Winters is guitarist Stephan Salit (Thrill of The Pull), drummer Randy Gzebb (Thrill of The Pull, Love Club), bassist Jay Denton and Ria (Amenti) Aursjoen on vocals and keyboards.

Pistel explains, “Randy Gzebb called me about remixing one of the tracks off ‘The Line or the Curve’ EP. I was excited to do so, as we’d recorded some of these vocals at my Room 5 Studio in San Francisco. I chose to do ‘Velveteen’ as I already loved the track with its fantastic vocal melody and Stephan’s unstoppable guitar hook! I took on the track with pulsing analog synths and a slamming dance floor beat for the clubs.”

The A-side to this 2-track release, called “Nebula” began as an experiment: “I kept envisioning a sort of “last day at the end of the world” — what would the sky look like? Would we know and understand what was happening? There is this broadly Gnostic idea of the universe as unfolding and unfolding through what are called Aeons, essentially levels of manifestation, until we get this world we live in here. I imagined this world reaching the fullness of its life, that whole cycle ending — and then everything reversing, refolding back to the start to make way for the next universe,” says Ria Aursjoen.

This is not the first time Octavian Winters has worked with Pistel. Their debut EP “The Line or Curve” (released in late 2023) was mostly recorded at his Room 5 Recording before being mixed and mastered it at 13 Studio in Chicago, and co-produced by the band and William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate, Faith & the Muse, Christian Death). Octavian Winters’ members have a rich history of collaborating and touring with notable artists, including Nine Inch Nails, Killing Joke, Lords of the New Church, Savage Republic, Christian Death, The Frozen Autumn, Everything Goes Cold and Black Tape for a Blue Girl.

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 Abby Laspia) Today, Cleopatra Records has reissued the Spahn Ranch album “The Coiled One”. “The Coiled One” by the Los Angeles-based electro-industrial act was originally released in 1995, and now comes with 8 bonus tracks that include album recording session outtakes that have previously never been released in any form.

The material on this reissue was digitally remastered by Jürgen Engler of Die Krupps and is now available for the first time on vinyl in a limited edition colored version that includes the original 10 songs, as well as a limited digipak “The Coiled One: Deluxe Edition” CD version (that contains the 8 bonus tracks). “The Coiled One” will also be available on all digital and streaming platforms.

Additionally, a seldom seen video created by a European fan for the song “Heretic’s Fork,” is now available once more.

“The Coiled One” was Spahn Ranch’s second studio album. Co-produced and engineered by Judson Leach, the album also included programming by Matt Green and Rob Morton, with vocals by Athan Maroulis (currently of NØIR).

About Spahn Ranch

Spahn Ranch was established in 1992 in Los Angeles by Matt Green and Rob Morton, his collaborator from New York. They pooled their savings to launch the band, having already worked together musically for the previous five years. That year, they inked a deal with Cleopatra Records and debuted with a self-titled EP featuring four tracks, with Scott “Chopper” Franklin—who would later join The Cramps as a bassist—on vocals. Franklin had left another band to join Spahn Ranch on vocals.

In 1993, Athan Maroulis joined Spahn Ranch as a vocalist, and the band recorded their first album, “Collateral Damage”. Maroulis had previously formed the New York-based group Fahrenheit 451 (1984–1986), with whom he recorded his first commercially available album. Over the ensuing years, Maroulis established himself in a number of alternative musical genres including gothic, industrial and electronic. Stints with the Philadelphia-based Executive Slacks (1987–1990), as well as Tubalcain (1991–1993), followed.

They released their second album, “The Coiled One”, in 1995 amidst Morton’s exit from the band over creative and logistical clashes. Following his departure, the lineup grew to include Christian Death’s drummer David Glass, Screams for Tina guitarist Kent Bancroft, and Tubalcain drummer Harry Lewis. This expansion ushered in a darker, more diverse electro-industrial sound that became Spahn Ranch’s hallmark. By 1997, the band had streamlined to a trio comprising Green, Maroulis, and Lewis.

Throughout the late 1990s, Spahn Ranch continued producing music. Their 1997 album “Architecture” featured contributions from Killing Joke/Prong bassist Paul Raven and Rockats/Nancy Sinatra guitarist Danny B. Harvey, taking a more experimental turn with the introduction of drum and bass, dub, and live guitar elements. “Beat Noir”, released in 1998, furthered this experimental direction and included collaborations with Bauhaus/Love & Rockets bassist David J. In 2000, the band released “Anthology 1992–1994”, a compilation including their first four releases and previously unreleased tracks.

Their final album, “Closure”, was recorded in 2000 and released in 2001.

In less than 8 years, Spahn Ranch completed a total of 5 studio albums, 4 EPs and performed more than 200 concerts in over a dozen countries before calling it a day in late 2000.

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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Gothic rock band Christian Death has announced a series of European tour dates. Dubbed the ‘Armageddon Tour’, the run will take the band from Spain through Germany, Belgium, Poland, Italy, France, The Netherlands and Czechoslovakia before concluding in Ireland on June 3.

Regarding the title of the tour, Christian Death leader, Valor Kand says: “We do not claim to be clairvoyant, just look around. An eye for an eye, a pound for a pound.”

Christian Death will be supporting their most recent full-length album, “Evil Becomes Rule” while performing classic tracks from their extensive back catalog. “Evil Becomes Rule” is the band’s 17th studio album with a line-up consisting of Valor, Maitri, Chuck “Chains” Lenihan and Steve Kilroy.

Christian Death ‘Armageddon Tour’ Europe 2024

• Saturday, May 11 – Madrid, ES – DarkMAD
• Monday, May 13 – Bochum, DE – Matrix
• Wednesday, May 15 – Kassel, DE – Goldgrube
• Thursday, May 16 – Berlin, DE – Lido
• Friday, May 17 – Leipzig, DE – Wave Gotik Treffen
• Sunday, May 19 – Krakow, PL – Gwarek
• Tuesday, May 21 – Hamburg, DE – Bambi Galore
• Thursday, May 23 – Trier, DE – Mergener Hof
• Friday, May 24 – Martigny, CH – Sunset Bar
• Saturday, May 25 – Modena, IT – NotteTempio
• Sunday, May 26 – Milan, IT – Legend Club
• Tuesday, May 28 – Prague, CZ – Kasarna Karlin
• Thursday, May 30 – Drachten, NL – Iduna Poppodium
• Friday, May 31 – Eernegem, BE – B52 Music Club
• Saturday, June 1 – Paris, FR – La Boule Noire
• Monday, June 3 – Dublin, IE – The Grand Social

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: Neo-Classic, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: “The New Young Kings Of Midnight” was released by the end of 2023 resulting from a collaboration between famous vocalist Gitane Demone and Paul Roessler (who played with multiple great Punk- and other artists). This is a work about ‘death, mourning, transience and farewell’ and dedicated to their two friends Rozz Williams (Christian Death) and Darby Crash (The Germs).

Content: We’re listening to an intimate and poignant work featuring at one side the mysterious, and unique, vocals of Gitane Demone and at the other side Paul Roessler’s delicate music, accomplished with mainly piano but also cello. 

+ + + : When you know the album has been dedicated to two friends who passed away by suicide you can get an idea about the emotional content behind this production. Both artists are totally complementary; creating an artistic symbiosis between excelling vocals -and poignant lyrics, and melancholic music parts. I like the album for its sensitive format. Gitane Demone’s timbre of voice remains a very unique experience.  

– – – : This is an album you’ve to discover in the right circumstances. This is not a bite-sized piece of music.

Conclusion: A work filled with emotion and devotion; an artistic fusion between vocals and acoustic instruments.

Best songs: “April First”, “The New Young King Of Midnight”.

Rate: 7½ .

Artists: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013501260047 / www.facebook.com/paul.roessler.3

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.

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Out now via Dark Vinyl is the all new album by Gitane Demone (Christian Death, Rozz Williams) in collaboration with Paul Roessler (45Grave, Gitane Demone Quartet). The classically inspired album tackles about death, mourning, transience and farewell. The release is dedicated to Rozz Williams (Christian Death) and Darby Crash (The Germs).

The origins for this release can be found in 2017, when Gitane asked Paul to write orchestral music for a tribute she was writing for Rozz Williams, starting with his early life and his rise to goth stardom. When she brought up his suicide, Paul said, “This is something personal to me now, as I lost my dear friend Darby Crash to suicide as well.”

Together, Paul and Gitane explored the suicides: how they were affected, what Rozz and Darby could have accomplished had they lived (with such creative brilliance), the opportunities in life they missed by ending their lives, and rebirth.

Some time later, seeing Holst’s “The Planets” at the Hollywood Bowl and hearing the debut of Daniel Bjarnason’s Violin Concerto, they both decided to write orchestral pieces that became “The New Young Kings of Midnight”.

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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The Brescia, Italy-based goth act Ignis Absconditus has launched the official video of the song “Mr. Smith” is the first track from the band’s upcoming album “Golden Horses Of A Dying Future” scheduled for February 2nd, 2024 on the My Kingdom Music label.

Ignis Absconditus brings goth with influences from dark wave to post-punk, from black metal to avantgarde music and neo-folk. The band itself names bands such as Katatonia, Joyless, Christian Death, Bauhaus and Ved Buens Ende as influences. Behind the band we find Jack-G on electric guitars; Dani B-life on bass; and Henry Der Wanderer (Nebrus, Nott, Ad Omega) on drums, percussions, keyboards and 12 strings electric guitar.

This is the official video for “Mr. Smith”.

Here is what Henry Der Wanderer says about the album: “Our album “Golden Horses Of A Dying Future” is a work that shows the desire to find a personal way to express our deepest sensations and it is a source of great satisfaction for us to see it under the aegis of My Kingdom Music. Ignis Absconditus is a project that we care a lot about, it is extremely personal and, even if not immediate, I am sure that we will be able to bring it into the souls of as many people as possible and My Kingdom Music is the right label to be able to do this type of work, because a few ones are able to promoting the darkness like them.”

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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The gothic rock ensemble The Waning Moon has recently launched their inaugural album titled “A Dream Or A Vision”, showcasing a collection of ten tracks. “A Dream or a Vision” is released through Danse Macabre Records and lLyrically wanders through dark and haunting emotional landscapes, tragic love stories and deep dark introspections.

The Waning Moon, primarily driven by guitar, revives the quintessential gothic rock sound of the 80s and 90s, infusing it with a contemporary essence. The band features a global collaboration with Ariel Maniki from Costa Rica, known for her work with Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos, and Zac Campbell from the USA, associated with The Kentucky Vampires. The group’s live performances are further enriched by Ian Joseph on bass and Maggie Campbell on keyboards.

Their debut album, available for digital download and in limited vinyl and CD formats, should resonate with enthusiasts of bands like Nosferatu, Christian Death, The Mission, Suspiria, and others from the gothic rock domain.

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 Dina Marie Robinson) The San Francisco post-punk outfit Octavian Winters presents their new video for “Velveteen”, lifted from their debut 5-track EP “The Line or Curve”, recently released via Stratis Capta Records. In the lead up to the EP, the band released the singles “Undertow”, “Ondine” and “Surreal”.

Randy Gzebb explains the tone of this song: “Racing down a gloomy freeway on a grey evening, you walk up an alleyway and duck into a smokey casino, filled with like-minded people, an intense air of anticipation building as everyone gets ready to turn themselves loose, their insecurities, anxieties filled with emotions with driving drums and bass with serrated guitars, desperate vocals playing in the background.”

“We had just started working up the music for what would become Velveteen in the summer of 2022 and I was out in Vegas for a few days. I had driven out into the desert, musing on inspiration for lyrics, and was on my way back into the city when the signs for the casinos, shows and strip clubs started popping up. The idea for the lyrics coalesced then — there was an air of desperation in all the lights and billboards, a false lure to feel… good. To indulge in fantasy. The lyrics are about people trying to claim their dreams through escape, by avenues that lead down a rabbit hole of despair,” says Ria (Amenti) Aursjoen.

Here is the video for “Velveteen”.

The new material was recorded in San Francisco by Mark Pistel (Meat Beat Manifesto, Consolidated) at OW Studio and Room 5 Recording. Produced by Octavian Winters and William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate, Faith and the Muse, Christian Death, The March Violets) the EP was mixed and mastered at 13 Studio in Chicago.

About Octavian Winters

Formed in San Francisco in 2022 the band draws from darkwave and post-punk traditions. Octavian Winters is guitarist Stephan Salit (Thrill of The Pull), drummer Randy Gzebb (Thrill of The Pull, Love Club,), bassist Jay Denton and Ria (Amenti) Aursjoen on vocals and keyboards.

“The Line or Curve” EP is out everywhere, including via Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. The band plays Sacramento’s Cafe Colonial (with Ashes Fallen) on November 8.

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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Ahead of the forthcoming limited edition 5th anniversary release of “Damage”, Kill Shelter has launched an official video for “In Decay [ V ]” featuring Antipole and Delphine Coma. The new version is taken from the “Damage [ V ]” CD which features new versions and remastered tracks.

The original debut CD release was launched in November 2018. Released again on Unknown Pleasures Records, “Damage [ V ]” features vocal contributions and collaborations from a host of global underground artists including; Hante. (FR), Buzz Kull (AUS), Delphine Coma (US), Antipole (NOR), undertheskin (PL), Killjoi (US), The Shyness of Strangers (CA), Iamtheshadow (PT), Ultrviolence (CA), New Haunts (UK) and Bragolin (NL).

“Damage [ V ]” is slated for release on 1st December 2023 with pre-orders starting on 27th October 2023.

Below is the official video for “In Decay [ V ]” featuring Antipole and Delphine Coma.

Kill Shelter is UK based alternative artist and producer Pete Burns. His work blends elements of darkwave and contemporary electronica with processed guitars.

His debut album “Damage” (2018) was originally released by Unknown Pleasures Records. This was followed up by the 2021 release, “A Haunted Place” with Antipole. His 2022 release “Asylum” is currently available via Metropolis Records and Manic Depression Records. In 2023 Kill Shelter released “The Sex Tape Sessions” EP and VHS with Death Loves Veronica on Cold Transmission.

Following a series of remixes including She Past Away’s “Soluk” for their tenth anniversary release “X” on Metropolis and Fabrika Records, The Wake’s “Emily Closer” and “Spectre (Love is Dead)” by Christian Death on Cleopatra Records amongst many others, Kill Shelter is currently working on new material.

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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The solo synthwave project of Peter Endall, Suburban Spell presents the new single and video “Bright Gold Cross”, a teaser for the forthcoming “Falling Down” EP. The track’s title directly alludes to the long-lasting repercussions of poor decisions and succumbing to guilty pleasures. The accompanying video was crafted by Melbourne’s Dingo Cross Films, with production and direction by Paul Puccio and Cassie Dart.

From April 25, “Bright Gold Cross” will be accessible on various esteemed digital platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp. However, the video is already available for viewing today on Side-Line.

Suburban Spell, Peter Endall’s solo venture, melds numerous 80s synth-pop influences with a touch of noisy grind. Drawing inspiration from new wave’s golden era and 70s-80s electronica, his music is undeniably influenced by artists like Ultravox, OMD, Visage, Jean-Michel Jarre, The Cars, Gary Numan, and New Order.

Peter Endall explains that “the song ‘Bright Gold Cross’ symbolises absolution within a Christian religious context and how it can be employed to erase years of abhorrent behaviour. Absolution is a process that forgives mortal sins and allows one to perish in a ‘state of grace’, eventually gaining entry to heaven. This essentially serves as a ‘get out of jail free card’ for those inclined to exploit it.” He adds, “The peculiar circumstances of my childhood upbringing and the religious cult in which I was raised during those years have had a somewhat quixotic effect on me and Suburban Spell. Exposed to a belief system that ultimately proved to be flawed and maintained an inconsistent set of values throughout my formative childhood years, these challenges consistently resurface when creating music for the Suburban Spell project.”

Peter’s former band, Schizo Scherzo, was active during Melbourne’s vibrant 80s music scene, performing alongside acts such as The Eurythmics, Pseudo Echo, Real Life, and Fergal Sharky. Re-emerging on the music scene as Suburban Spell, Peter has discovered his niche in contemporary Australian electronica.

The “Falling Down” EP is set for release on June 23.

The “Falling Down” EP follows one year after his “Split Levels – Remixes” EP, a collection of reimagined tracks from his “Split Levels” album. The remixes feature goth-rock/post-punk legend William Faith (Christian Death, Mephisto Walz, Shadow Project, Faith & The Muse, The Bellwether Syndicate), as well as New Zealand’s Robots In Love, Australia’s Ontic, Pittsburgh’s Tragic Impulse, and Italian artist Kurs.

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: Death-Rock, Goth-Rock.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Valor Kand (vocals, guitars, violin, cello, piano, keyboards, percussion), Maitri Nicolai (vocals, bass guitar) and Pao (drums) composed and recorded the seventieth studio album of Christian Death.

Content: Despite the numerous line-up changes Christian Death has always held on to this typical and powerful Death-Rock style. The guitar parts create this furious and heavy impression while electronic arrangements achieve the work with a heavenly touch. Male- and female vocals are in perfect harmony although Maitri’s vocals have something bewitching.

+ + + : Christian Death has this atypical sound you directly recognize among others. The perfect fusion between Dark-Rock and Gothic music creating a heavy and sometimes merciless sound. The guitar playing dominates and even excels when carried by electro arrangements like on “Blood Moon” which is my personal favorite one. I also must mention “Abraxas We Are” which is another exposure of the band’s maturity and potential.

– – – : After all these years of commitment and an impressive discography Christian Death no longer takes me by surprise. The sound formula is a familiar one resulting in a predictable composition. The fans will not complain. 

Conclusion: Christian Death remains a unique experience in sound which still inspires other artists. The new album will not enter into history as their most successful one, but fans will not be disappointed.

Best songs: “Blood Moon”, “Abraxas We Are”, “Elegant sleeping”, “Beautiful”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.officialchristiandeath.com / www.facebook.com/christiandeath

Label: www.season-of-mist.com / www.facebook.com/seasonofmistofficial

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

Chicago based Post-Punk duo Bellhead have unleashed their new single, “Nothing As It Seams”.

“Nothing As it Seems” brings Bellhead back to their industrial roots so they say: “We never really had an intention to be in a specific genre, or even to blend genres. We just wanted to make music that was enjoyable for us, and that we hoped people would also like. You’ll hear aspects of anything from Nine Inch Nails to Magazine, to Death from above, from Killing Joke to Johnny Cash with a lot of 70’s Bowie thrown in.”

Bellhead are planning their 2022 touring dates which include providing support for Christian Death, Powerman5000, Stoneburner, Chant, Empathy Test and the Los Angeles dark electronic duo Night Club.

“Nothing As It Seems” is available now in digital and limited CD formats via Bandcamp.

For the occasion Bellhead enlisted Dean Garcia (Curve / SPC ECO), American industrial rock band Stabbing Westward’s Walter Flakus, I:Scintilla and Shawn Brice (Loveless Love / Bloodwire).

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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Taken from Kill Shelter’s sophomore album “Asylum” is the brand new single “The Necklace” (featuring Agent Side Grinder).

Pete Burns, Kill Shelter, explains: “The new single with Agent Side Grinder is very reflective of the overall tone of the forthcoming album. All the tracks delve into different interpretations of the word asylum and highlight challenging themes such as human trafficking, domestic abuse, seeking refuge, disillusionment, bedlam and redemption. It definitely has a dark energy.”

Johan Lange, Agent Side Grinder, from his side says: “The Necklace is a metaphorical vehicle for building personal resilience when dealing with violence and abuse on a daily basis. We had a shared vision for both the song and the video and it is a collaboration in the truest sense of the word.“

“Asylum” celebrates over 40 years of alternative and underground music and includes collaborations with Ronny Moorings (Clan of Xymox), Agent Side Grinder, Ash Code, Stefan Netschio (Beborn Beton), William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate / Faith and the Muse), Valentina Veil (VV & the Void) and Antipole.

“Asylum” is available now in pre-order in 2 versions: via Metropolis Records in North and South America, and Manic Depression Records in Europe and the rest of the world , both on vinyl and CD and download, and will be officially released on July 15th.

Here’s a video for “The Necklace” featuring Agent Side Grinder.

About Kill Shelter

Kill Shelter is UK based alternative artist and producer Pete Burns. His work blends elements of darkwave and contemporary electronica with heavily processed guitars.

He debuted with “Damage” and collaborated on Antipole “A Haunted Place”. His remix portfolio includes cult names such as Christian Death, The Wake and Aleister Crowley as well as She Past Away, Agent Side Grinder and many more. He is currently working at The Shelter on two full length albums and a series of new collaborations.

About Agent Side Grinder

Agent Side Grinder is a Swedish electronic band formed in 2005. The band consists of Johan Lange, Peter Fristedt and Emanuel Åström and their music has been described as a mix of post-punk, industrial and dark electro. They have released five albums to date.

They are currently in the studio recording material for a new full length 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!

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On Friday 26th and Saturday 27th August, the biggest gothic gathering in Central Europe will return to Prague. It will feature 11 bands (including scene mainstays Christian Death and The Frozen Autumn or contemporary cults Kælan Mikla or Minuit Machine), DJs and the traditional gothic picnic.

In a message to Side-Line the organisation says the following: “Who would have thought seventeen years ago that Prague Gothic Treffen would one day grow into the biggest event of its kind in Central Europe? That it would host the very bands we then used to play from Winamp for a few gothic enthusiasts with religious reverence. But it did. In fact, PGT started attracting so many people that after a few years it is moving from our beloved Futurum to a bigger club.“

In the two inter-connected venues, Fuchs 2 and Bike Jesus, you will be able to enjoy two concurrent stages covering everything from traditional goth to the hottest trends in the dark scene in terms of genre.

Tickets are available right here, you sign up to the Facebook event page right here.

The top 4 artists

The most recognizable name at this year’s PGT is Christian Death, the Apostles of deathrock defined the genre in the early 80s on the iconic albums “Only Theatre of Pain” and “Catastrophe Ballet”. The band continued on even after Rozz Williams left this world and Valor Kand took over the reins of the band. They will return to Prague six years after their excellent concert at Chmelnice.

The Italian The Frozen Autumn are the darkwave ambassadors. Originally a solo project of Diego Merletto the band was inspired by the European cold wave and bands of the iconic 4AD label. The duo perform very rarely, plus their concert at Prague Gothic Treffen will also be their Czech premiere.

The Icelandic women trio Kælan Mikla bring a unique and hard-to-define Nordic atmosphere  enhanced by abstract lyrics in Icelandic. Expect elements of post-punk, synthpunk, cold wave, ethereal to darkwave. The band recently released their fifth full-length album “Undir Köldum Norðurljósum”.

Rounding out the top four names on this year’s line-up is the French duo Minuit Machine who will bring their typical contemporary dark electronica.

And also…

The EBM side of things will be covered by the Swedish band Wulfband. The band will come to Prague for the first time. Another Czech premiere will be the performance of German goth rockers Wisborg and the Slovak deathrock act The Last Days Of Jesus. The Polish subculture will be represented by the dark electronic trio Her Own World and will present their current EP “This Fire”. From Ecuador comes Naturata Brutalismus mixing coldwave atmosphere with deathrock guitars and Spanish sung lyrics. More coldwave, postpunk and new wave will come from the Munich trio Paar. The Czech scene is also present thanks to the electronic act Isiolia.

DJ boots and more

After the live shows on both stages, the afterparties will commence with foreign and Czech DJs, spinning everything from classic goth/deathrock through dark/new wave and post-punk to various forms of dark electronica. The traditional Saturday afternoon gothic picnic is also an integral part of the PGT and a neat tradition – an ideal opportunity to meet and chat with other event visitors from all corners of Europe and tune in to the evening club scene. 

Here’s the video trailer for the event.

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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The debut single from the new Christian Death album “Evil Becomes Rule” – due out May 6 – is out now: “Blood Moon”. You can watch the video below.

In further news, here are the “Evil Becomes Rule” US tour dates (* with Luna13).

• 05/05: Akron, OH at Empire Concert Club
• 05/09: Denver, CO at HQ*
• 05/10: Salt Lake City, UT at Liquid Joe’s*
• 05/12: Albany, CA at Ivy Room*
• 05/14-15: Pasadena, CA at Cruel World Festival
• 05/17: San Diego, CA at Soda Bar*
• 05/18: Mesa, AZ at Nile Theater*
• 05/20: San Antonio, TX at Rock Box
• 05/21: Houston, TX at White Oak Music Hall
• 05/22: Ft. Worth, TX at Rail Club Live
• 05/24: St. Louis, MO at Red Flag
• 05/26: Pittsburgh, PA at Hard Rock Cafe
• 05/29: Brooklyn, NY at Saint Vitus

Here’s the video for “Blood Moon”.

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 April 1st as a very limited 2CD is the debut album by the Italian punk wave act ImJudas. ImJudas is the solo project of Italian artist Maxx Maryan, founding member and male half of the electro metal duo Helalyn Flowers.

Started as a noir dyed electro pop project back in 2016, ImJudas has gradually added a rough guitar component. On the debut album you can expect electronic dark wave mixed with guitar rock and dance elements.

The first pressing of this album comes as a limited double CD digipak holding the bonus album “Via Negativa” by Maxx Maryan’s pre-ImJudas project Black Shine Fever offering dark goth rock reminiscent of both Christian Death or even Quorthon and Bathory. “Via Negativa” holds 12 tracks. The limited double CD set holding this bonus album is available now for pre-order from the Alfa Matrix website.

On Bandcamp the double CD is available as 2 seperate downloads, the ImJudas album “Yrjudas” and the Black Shine Fever album “Via Negativa”.

Out now is also the band’s newest video for “People Of The Blame (Canned Anger)” which perfectly acts as a teaser from what you can expect on the debut album.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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The American death rock pioneers Christian Death are reissuing one of their most classic releases, the 1985 album “The Wind Kissed Pictures”. There will be 3 formats, a digipak CD, a black vinyl and a dark green vinyl, the latter is limited to 600 copies.

The offering was the first Christian Death release after Rozz Williams left the band and Valor K took over command. It features Valor’s girlfriend Gitane Demone on vocals on 2 tracks and on keyboards on 1 track and even their common child, Sevan Kand, has a vocal appearance on “Ouverture”.

Originally a 4-track mini-album (limited first edition with a bonus-track on a 7″) on the Italian Supporti Fonografici label, this album has seen countless re-releases on different labels: Chameleon (USA 1986), as a 7-track CD in 1988 (Supporto F. + Normal Germany), in the same version on Cleopatra USA (1999) and as a 8-track edition with 1 bonus live-track on Candlelight UK (1999) and on Candlelight US in 2002.

The tracklist of this new 2021 edition is identical to the album that was released via the Contempo Records label in 1990, under the album name “Past, Present and Forever”.

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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Gothic death rock pioneers Christian Death have revealed the special, limited edition “The Dark Age Renaissance” CD collections for Part 3 and 4.

“The Dark Age Renaissance Collection Part 4: The New Dark Age” combines their three most recent recordings – “Born Again Anti Christian” (2000), “American Inquisition” (2007), and “The Root Of All Evilution” (2015) – into one limited package. It will be released on September 3, 2021 via Season of Mist.

“The Dark Age Renaissance Collection Part 3: The Age Of Decadence” is a 4 CD jewel case set which features three of their middle-period recordings and 1990 demos/outtakes compilation – “Insanus, Ultio, Proditio, Misericordiaque” (1990), “Sexy Death God” (1994), “Prophecies” (1996), and “Pornographic Messiah” (1998) – into one limited package. This is set for release on October 8, 2021 via Season of Mist.

Parts 1 and 2 will be revealed at a later date.

This release series is part of an ongoing series of CD and vinyl reissues of Christian Death’s catalog via Season of Mist. Previously, the label reissued LPs for the band’s “Catastrophe Ballet” (1984) as well as “The Root of All Evilution”, “Ashes”, “The Scriptures”, and “Sex and Drugs and Jesus Christ” as well as CD and vinyl reissues for 1986’s “Atrocities”.

About the early Christian Death

Founded in Los Angeles in 1979 by Rozz Williams, Christian Death trail-blazed the American goth and death-rock movement with their debut album, “Only Theatre of Pain” (1982) and the genre-defining “Catastrophe Ballet” (1984) and “Ashes” (1985).

“Ashes” marks the final appearance of the classic band lineup and features the final recordings of founder Rozz Williams alongside current Christian Death main-man Valor Kand, vocalist-keyboardist Gitane Demone and drummer David Glass before Williams’ death in 1998.

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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Season of Mist is reissuing Christian Death’s “Atrocities” album on LP and CD on July 9. “Atrocities” was the fourth studio album by the American act and was released in 1986 through the record label Normal.

The album’s subject matter deals almost exclusively with the Holocaust, including songs about Auschwitz and Josef Mengele. Recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales it also featured the songwriting and arrangement skills of Barry Galvin, who, along with Johann Schumann, would leave the group upon the completion of “Atrocities”. Both went on to form Mephisto Walz.

It is the first Christian Death record with Valor Kand taking over main duties following Rozz Williams’ departure and also the first release with no original members of the band remaining. Some until today still doubt we can still speak of Christian Death at this point, but that’s another discussion.

The re-release is part of an ongoing series of vinyl reissues of Christian Death’s catalog via Season of Mist. Previously, the label reissued LPs for the band’s “Catastrophe Ballet” (1984) as well as “The Root of All Evilution”, “Ashes”, “The Scriptures”, “American Inquisition” and “Sex and Drugs and Jesus Christ”.

About Christian Death

Founded in Los Angeles in 1979 by Rozz Williams, the band formed the American goth and death-rock movement with their debut album, “Only Theatre of Pain” (1982), “Catastrophe Ballet” (1984) and “Ashes” (1985). The latter marked also the final appearance of the classic band lineup and features the final recordings of founder Rozz Williams alongside Valor Kand, vocalist-keyboardist Gitane Demone and drummer David Glass.

“Atrocities” was followed by 1987’s “The Scriptures”, recorded by a revamped lineup of Kand, Demone, Glass, guitarist James Beam and bassist Kota. Longtime drummer Glass left the group following the release of “The Scriptures” and returned to California, where he eventually worked with several Williams side projects.

During the late 1980s, while also recording as Shadow Project, Williams resurrected his own version of Christian Death, with his wife Eva O contributing guitar as well as vocals. Billing themselves as the original Christian Death, they were rejoined by first-album guitarist Agnew for a 1989 tour of Canada. The band was signed to Cleopatra Records, and released “The Iron Mask” album and “Skeleton Kiss” EP in 1992.

Williams’ reclamation of the Christian Death name sparked a fierce battle with Kand. However, Kand already had the rights to the name due to Williams’ departure from the band and subsequent neglect of the moniker. Williams consequently billed his version of the band as “Christian Death Featuring Rozz Williams”. After this, Williams’ version released “The Path of Sorrows” album in 1993 and “The Rage of Angels” in 1994.

Williams pursued other projects before committing suicide on April 1, 1998.

Meanwhile, Kand’s Christian Death continued performing and recording, issuing the 1990 album “Insanus, Ultio, Proditio, Misercordiaque”, on which Kand conducted the English Abbey Choir and the Commonwealth Chamber Orchestra. The band released the “Sexy Death God” album in 1994, the double-live set “Amen” in 1995, the Nostradamus-themed “Prophecies” in 1996, and “Pornographic Messiah” in 1998. “Born Again Anti Christian” followed 2 years later.

7 years later, in 2007, Christian Death released “American Inquisition” featuring a new drummer, Nate Hassan. In January 2015, Christian Death released “The Root of All Evilution” digitally via Knife Fight Media, and on vinyl via Season of Mist. A CD release followed on The End Records.

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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Cristian Camporesi is an Italian musician/producer/live performer/sound designer who has been involved with an endless list of projects. His latest solo-project CHRIS SHAPE is driven by old-school EBM, Minimal-Electro and Techno vibes. He last year released the debut album “Shaped To Deform” on Unknown Pleasures Records, which sounds a true masterpiece. Thirteen songs driven by power and danceable vibes featuring guest singers  HIV+, ALBERTO FRIGNANI, IV HORSEMEN, DAVE INOX, BLACK ASTEROID, RAFFAELLE VENTURELLI, VELVET KILLS and BLIND DELON. It for sure is one of the best EBM productions from 2020.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You’ve been involved with an impressive number of projects/bands dealing with very different music styles. What do you consider as your main accomplishments and how did you finally come to set up CHRIS SHAPE?

Chris: This is simple: I’m an old man with a long career: this is why I was involved in lots of projects. My roots are in the 80’s New-Wave, Electronic and Punk music. I started my career in some local New-Wave bands in late 80’s, but in the early 90’s I was hit by Techno music and started to work with the historic Cocorico Club resident DJ in lots of projects from Techno to Psy-Trance to Hardcore to Eurodance. I was involved in lots of projects ‘cause my goal was to raise money, lots of money’.

In the early 2000’s I was very disappointed by the Techno scene and my accomplishment. When I met DJ Franz I realized that my New-Wave origins could mix with Techno giving life to a project without any pretension. A new project made for the pleasure of writing music and not to earn money: FRANZ & SHAPE became one of my greatest success. We started a tour that lasted 10 years and that took us to play all over the world. After the split in 2011 it took me years to start again; I had to understand who I was and what I wanted to convey with my music. In 2017 I decided to start again on my own, continuing what I had done with FRANZ & SHAPE, but also emphasizing leaving messages to try to sensitize people on introspective ‘difficult’ issues and denounce a capitalism that has made us unaware slaves. The first message was ‘Eat the bankers’!

Q: What does this project brings you in comparison with all others you’ve been involved with? Did you’d a specific idea and sound in mind how CHRIS SHAPE had to sound?

Chris: Now I’m naked! I’m myself, without shame, no masks. I understood that art ends where the money goes and I do simply what I feel. Nothing is left to chance, from music production and the use of sounds from vintage analog gear to the production of contents, images, videos everything must follow a logical thread. It took me a long time to find my way, but now I see it well!

Q: You last year released the debut album “Shaped to Deform”, which is featuring an impressive number of guests/friends. Tell us a bit more about how this work took shape and how did the collaborations with the other artists happened? What have been their input?

Chris: During the years in which I was looking for my own way I produced a lot of music, but I left all these songs unreleased because I had to find a wire that could connect all or at least a lot of them. Once I ‘had enlightenment’ it was easy to adapt everything to fit into an album. I have always enjoyed working with singers despite having produced Techno music without vocals for years. I had lots of demos written on purpose to be sung so I started sending them to several friends put together with a long work on social media and it was easy to target the right demo to the right singer. Usually my collaborators send me a vocal part which I then readapted on the song. Except for the song “Mind” where BLIND DELON besides singing have also brought a notable sound contribution.

I have to thank very much Pedro Penas Robles who believed in me and gave me the opportunity to print my album on Unknown Pleasures Records helping me in all aspects of production and endure all my mistakes!

Q: Like you’ve said, the songs are clearly driven by 80s elements like EBM, but still by some Minimal-Electro approach and Techno influences. What does it say about your personal sources of inspiration, the love for analogue equipment and the connection with the 80s vs. the cover version of DEATH IN JUNE’s “Heaven Street”?

Chris: DEATH IN JUNE together with THE SISTERS OF MERCY, THE CURE, BAUHAUS, CHRISTIAN DEATH, DEPECHE MODE and many more… were one of my favorite bands during my New-Wave period. Then during the Techno years I put all these records of mine in a closet. Only recently I discovered that all these records have continued to play in my head and have always influenced my productions. There is no escape from the rule: black is forever! I often found in my productions parts of ideas that I unconsciously ‘stole’ from DEATH IN JUNE or those 80s New-Wave records. When Pedro from Unknown Pleasures Records asked to do a cover for a DEATH IN JUNE-tribute I was very happy because I was finally able to pay homage to one of the groups that influenced me the most. In 2 days I had the instrumental version ready, everything magically built itself.

About my love for vintage analog gear there isn’t much to say: I’ve worked years with digital synths, but when I went back turning on my old synths I discovered the warmth they give off that I wasn’t ready to perceive before. What I love is what drove so many musicians to digital: imperfection. For about 10 years I have forced myself not to use the computer anymore and I have begun to travel to the studios of friends who have mythical synths that I can’t afford or incredible self-built modular systems. I have recorded hours of sessions, a lot of my past and future music comes from these sessions.

Q: Can you give us an idea about your way of working? Do you follow a precise pattern and do you need to be in a specific mood to compose music? And when do you know a song/album is finished?

Chris: The first rule is: there are no rules. The second is: there are never rules. The third rule is: error is human, perfection is for robots. ‘Mr. Mistake’ and I have finally become good friends and have a great time in our studio.

HAHAH Inspiration is not something linear, it is a large sine wave with a variable wavelength. I write music only when it reaches its highest peaks, I have also spent dark years in which I did not see it return, then I realized that if you call it sooner or later it arrives. I have developed a quite effective recall system and now I can get it to arrive with a few days’ notice: I am a sponge and absorb everything I like until the moment when I am full and everything is downloaded in one or more songs.

Knowing when a song is over is like looking at a painting, seeing that every brushstroke and every nuance are put at the right place and the whole vibrates something inside you. It is something absolutely individual, but when someone who has listened to one of my songs writes to me telling me that he has felt the vibration, I have reached my goal and that pays for every effort of mine, much more than money.

Q: In which way have you been affected as artist and simple citizen by the ongoing pandemic? How did you try to keep yourself busy during the lockdown and what are your further artistic plans?

Chris: I have been living with my daughter and my wife in the countryside for almost 20 years, surrounded by nature between river and hills, I have no neighbors, I have no television, I have not been ill for decades, I cut wood in the woods for heating, I cultivate my vegetable garden. The only information that reaches me is what I decide to come from books or the internet. Living in lockdown is essentially my way of life. Only on weekends I go out to work in clubs. Thanks to all of this I can see this pandemic situation for what it is: a huge propaganda work to promote the globalist agenda. The virus exists, but it is only an excuse, it is not strong enough to justify what they are imposing on us. Democracy is dead; we are in full dictatorship, big pharma is more powerful than any state and can afford to corrupt everyone. I am very sad to see so many people plagiarized by propaganda, but also very pissed off: they have destroyed the art world and left millions of people unemployed. I had to look for a new job out of the club world and now I have a lot less time to devote to my music than before. We will never go back; we are in a new Middle Ages: social networks have replaced our constitutions and allow themselves to censor what they do not like. In any case, history teaches: truth always finds a way to come out and whoever seeks it will find it. I can’t live without music so I’m always working for new stuff, new album, new collaborations, new remix 😉

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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Altar De Fey originated in San Francisco in the early eighties as part of the emerging musical form that would come to be known as deathrock. Out of the Zeitgeist flash of 70’s Punk Rock the new sound took the darkest elements of the counter culture into ever deeper, gloomier and more mature territory. If you are into classic Christian Death, 45 Grave, Kommunity FK, Burning Image and son, then Altar De Fey was and probably still is your thing.

The original incarnation of the band passed through a rotating cast of characters centered strongly by the vision and experimental guitar of founding member Kent Cates. Add to that the tribal drumming of Aleph Kali and Butch Mason’s vocals.

Though the band had a strong base of support, no original recordings were ever released and the young members carried on into new musical endeavors. By 1988 Altar De Fey disbanded.

Out now on vinyl via Other Voices Records is “Original Sin – An Anthology of the early Years”, a compilation offering you 11 original Altar De Fey songs recorded between 1984 and 1986. Included are demos, rehearsal records and concert recordings. The material was already released in 2015 via the Russian label Wondervogel Records on cassette in 2015, and on CD via that other Russian label Other Voices Records in 2019. It was however never before released on vinyl until now. Note that a new mastering was applied for this vinyl release, by Martin Bowes in 2019.

The rehearsal songs on this vinyl were recorded at House of De Fey, while the demos were recorded on December 11th 1985 at Dragon Studios, Pacifica in California.

The vinyl set is limited to 250 copies.

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: Post-punk, gothic rock.

Background/Info: Third full-length album for Mychael Ghost (vocals), Illia Tulloch (drums), Howard Melnick (guitar) and Danny AE (keyboards) from Miami – Florida, including a cover of ‘Til Tuesday (“Voices Carry”). The first 5 tracks were produced and mixed by Tom Shear (Assemblage 23) while the last 4 tracks were earlier released as an EP “Dreams Of Majesty”, mixed by Rees Bridges.

Content: Highlights: first track and previously released single “Sunday Queen” is a worthly opener full of dark atmospheric vibes. The very danceable and melodic “Unfulfilled Promise” could become for sure a dancefloor classic in goth clubs. “I Am Nothing” is built on a nice synth-bass with a very melancholic and bombastic chorus including piano. The uptempo “Rosary Society” is another dancefloor filler in the traditional gothic rock style. On “Divination” Mychael’s voice sounds very good and deep while on “The Girl Who Tried” especially the synth-melodies play an important role.

+ + + : The sweet and warm voice of Mychael Ghost directly reminded me on the voice of Rozz Williams (Christian Death) and also of Sean Brennan (London After Midnight).

– – – : You might get the impression that after a while all songs start to sound a bit the same because of the way Mychael sings.

Conclusion: Astari Nite brings modern post-punk/gothic rock songs full of sensitive lyrics about love and despair in a soft and fragile way.

Best songs: “Sunday Queen”, “Unfulfilled Promise”, “I Am Nothing”, “Rosary Society”, “Divination”, “The Girl Who Tried”.

Rate: (8) WH.

Band: www.officialastarinite.com / www.facebook.com/astarinitemusic

Label: www.cleopatrarecords.com / www.facebook.com/cleopatrarecords

Genre/Influences: New-wave, rock-wave, rock-pop.

Background/Info: Palais Ideal is a ‘new’ formation set up by an experienced duo. John Edwards (guitars, vocals, synths, programming) and Richard van Kruysdijk (bass, baritone guitar, backing vocals, synths, programming) have already worked with an impressive list of ‘big’ artists such as Bauhaus, Christian Death, Coil, Clan Of Xymox, The Legendary Pink Dots, swans ao. Palais Ideal is inspired by post-punk and new-wave music.

Content: The 80s influences are rapidly coming through and are sometimes pretty explicit. But Palais Ideal is not just emulating the magic of new-wave music, but still has a more personal touch, which sounds in between rock- and pop music. Guitar and electronics are pretty complementary. The songs are sung by a great and charismatic singer, which directly reveals his deep timbre of voice on the opening cut while excelling on “Funtime”.

+ + + : Palais Ideal seduced by great guitar playing injects power and emotion. The low and resonating bass lines are in perfect harmony with the guitar and reinforcing the new-wave inspiration. I already mentioned the great vocalist of this band who’s a real essential element of this band’s sound. “No Signal” is clearly influenced by several 80s bands; now darker and then more pop-driven. One of my favorite cuts is “A Black Noise” evoking some aspects of the legendary “Alice”-song from The Sisters Of Mercy.

– – – : The album is well-crafted, but is maybe missing that ‘absolute’ hit that would bring the band into the spotlights.

Conclusion: “No Signal” is a noticeable debut for this duo. The album has this good-old vintage appeal, which will get new-wave nostalgic fans out of their sleep.

Best songs: “A Black Noise”, “Invisible Eye”, “Deity”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.palaisideal.net / www.facebook.com/Palais–Ideal-1587769398199336

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

Out on the 20th anniversary of Rozz Williams’ death, April 1st, 2018 , are “In the Heart”, recorded during the ‘Dream Home Heartache Tour’, and “On the Altar”, from Williams’ last European tour.

Both will be released on two limited Vinyls and a 2CD Set. All 3 releases features specially designed artwork by Herbert Starek. The limited 2CD comes as digipak with 3 bonus tracks (which are not on the vinyl edition) and a 16-page booklet (with liner notes by Nico B & Gitane Demone + Tour photos). The limited Vinyl comes with one bonus track each (which are not on the 2CD edition).

You can order the 2CD set holding both albums right here, the vinyl “In the Heart” can be ordered here and the “On the Altar” album right here.

The promotional video for the upcoming releases for the 20th anniversary of Rozz Williams legacy can be viewed below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27ppW6bx2HM

Rozz Williams was an American vocalist, musician, artist, and poet most known for his work with the bands Christian Death, Shadow Project (with musician Eva O), and with the industrial project Premature Ejaculation. Williams was also involved with Daucus Karota, Heltir, EXP, Bloodflag, and Christian Death Featuring Rozz Williams, along with recording a handful of solo albums.

Williams committed suicide in his West Hollywood apartment on April 1, 1998. He was only 34 years old.

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: Gothic.

Background/Info: Gitane Demone (ex-Christian Death) is a legendary Goth artist I don’t have to introduce. “Past The Sun” is an album that has been composed as a ‘quartet’ featuring Paul Roessler, Deb Venom and Rikk Agnew (ex-Christian Death). “Past The Sun” is an album revealing 8 songs.

Content: Gitane Demone remains a unique experience. This Gothic diva has this particular, bewitching timbre of voice you’ll immediately recognize. She reflects passion, anger, sensuality and still has a kind of ritual expression. She’s a real blessing for a gothic formation.

And the music definitely sounds gothic-like. It’s filled with bombast and obscure atmospheres, but I also noticed some psychedelic passages. The last song is a surprising cover version of Suicide’s “Ghost Rider”. It’s meant as a bonus track while revealing more electronic arrangements.

+ + + : The main strength of this work definitely is to be the maturity of the production. Gitane Demone Quartet is a band driven by experienced and talented musicians fronted by one of the most charismatic singers in gothic history. The songs are particularly elaborate and reveal a kind of ‘free-goth’ expression. You’ll notice some experimental passages and other psychedelic parts. I also like the somewhat ritual approach on a few cuts (cf. “Circle Ov Air”, “Lorca”) and the totally crazy, but genius “Eva Braun” on, which Gitane Demone literally excels. Last, but not least the cover version of “Ghost Rider” is a pretty cool finale.

– – – : One of the only cuts that couldn’t totally convince me is the more experimental-minded “Standard Upright”.

Conclusion: “Past The Sun” is a passionate, diversified and fully accomplished production, which will for sure please all fans of Gitane Demone.

Best songs: “Eva Braun”, “Man Made God”, “Lorca”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.gitanedemone.net / www.facebook.com/gitanegdq

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

Out via Season of Mist by early February are 2 reissues of the classic Christian Death albums “The Scriptures” and “Atrocities” on black and white vinyl.

All editions of “The Scriptures” come in a gatefold sleeve with leather lamination and 12-page vinyl size insert. The album is available in regular black vinyl and in a lovely white vinyl version. “The Scriptures” also includes the 10-minute cover version of The Jimi Hendrix Experience track “1983… (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)” which originally even went over 13 minutes in duration. The original song is featured on the 3rd album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Electric Ladyland”, released in 1968.

Next is the vinyl reissue of “Atrocities”. All editions of “Atrocities” come with 60 cm x 90 cm full colour poster inside. When “Atrocities” was originally released in 1986, it marked the transition after the decision of Rozz Williams to quit and Valor taking over as the leading figure in the band. “Atrocities” features the song writing skills of guitarist/vocalist Barry Galvin (Mephisto Walz) and also includes a rendition of “Gloomy Sunday” by Rezső Seress. This album is available on black vinyl and equally on white vinyl.

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: Cold-wave, post-punk.

Content: Dystopian Society is based in one of the most historical places of the renaissance (Firenze). The duo Max Skam and Sara Hexe have already released a few productions, but have now joined Danse Macabre to release their 2nd official studio album featuring 9 songs.

The sound of Dystopian Society is a kind of look back to the glorious days of post-punk and cold-wave music. They’ve emulated this truly spirit reminding me of legendary formations in the genre becoming idols of the 80s and the future generations. This album evokes to me distant souvenirs from bands like The Virgin Prunes, Christian Death and even our Belgian Red Zebra.

The moody atmosphere hanging over the songs deliver a dark composition, which is constantly moving in between new/cold-wave and post-punk. The deep timbre of voice of singer Max totally matches with the punkish guitar riffs and dynamic rhythms. Notice by the way that Sara is playing guitar and the drums.

The lyrical themes deals with the good-old themes of malaise that we were used to hearing during the dark era of the 80s. “Overturned Reality” is an album that would have got its success during that period, but it will also fullfill the expectations of nostalgic fans.

My only regret is the short tracklist only featuring 9 songs for a total duration time of 30 minutes. But here again it’s a formula that was rather familiar during the 80s and I personally prefer 30 minutes of great music instead of an endless tracklist without a climax.

Conclusion: If you don’t yet know Dystopian Society I’ll fully encourage you to discover this excellent “Overturned Reality”, which sounds like you suddenly awoke in the midst of the 80s.

Best songs: “The Buzzer”, “Resist”, “Violations”, “No Deliverance”.

Rate: (Elise Din:8)Elise Din.

Band: www.facebook.com/dystopiansociety11

Label: www.dansemacabre-group.de / http://de-de.facebook.com/pages/Danse-Macabre-Records/161032440594773

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

Up now, and available for listening below, is a first new track from Christian Death’s forthcoming album “The Root Of All Evilution”, the track “Illuminazi”. The 10-track album “The Root Of All Evilution” is scheduled for worldwide release on vinyl (silver and black) on the 16th of October (both version are available here – but be fast, there are only a few copies remaining) and is their first studio album effort after an 8 year hiatus following the release of “American Inquisition” (2007).

Here are some direct links to the vinyls: black vinyl and silver vinyl.

Christian Death will be headlining the “Hell Nights” tour in Germany with The Other, Nim Vind, and Argyle Goolsby and The Roving Midnight , which will be immediately followed by more European shows.

The line-up of Christian Death anno 2015 is Valor Kand (vocals, guitars, violin, strings, keyboards), Maitri (vocals, bass guitar, keyboards) and Jason Frantz (drums). More info at www.facebook.com/christiandeath .

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