Before Gerry Hawkins began making music under his sonic alter egos Avarice In Audio, Prozium, and Dream Recall, he was active between 2008 and 2013 as Cryogenic Echelon. This album pays tribute to that period and invites us to listen to no fewer than 37 tracks. It doesn’t seem likely that the project will be revived, but the release serves as a kind of testament.

And what a testament it is. Although the album contains a truckload of remixes created by other artists, the original tracks hit like a sonic bomb. G. Hawkins had been influenced by a track from Grendel, and from that starting point he began shaping his own sonic DNA. The result is highly energetic and powerful—a blend of genres such as Dark-Electro, EBM, Dark-Techno, and even Dance. At times it’s downright stunning, as if you were to throw Suicide Commando into a cement mixer filled with Techno. The vocals are divided between a male voice and a female voice that adds an Eastern atmosphere reminiscent of Ofra Haza.

There are also quite a number of collaborations with artists such as Psykkle, MiXE1, vProjekt, Lucidstatic, Sleepless Droids, and Ascension EX. As for the remixes, you’ll find names like Grendel, Psyclon Nine, Dawn Of Ashes, Freakangel, Modulate, Studio-X, Sirus, Ruinizer, Nitronoise, Biomechanimal, and others. The remix section is a bit much for me, especially since few of the tracks truly stand out, but the rest of the album is more than worth discovering.

All I can say is that it’s a pity Cryogenic Echelon isn’t being revived with new compositions — though you never know… (Rating:8).

Listen to “Fall Of The Reptiles”:

Read the news on ‘A Monument To Me’.

About Cryogenic Echelon

Cryogenic Echelon is a dark electronic project founded in 2008 in Launceston, Australia by Gerard (Gerry) Hawkins, who started it at seventeen after discovering the aggrotech scene through a Grendel track. Working with composer and programmer Ayax Ascension, Hawkins built the early catalogue around the 2011 EP “Fall Of The Reptiles” and the 2012 album “Costume Of A Saviour”, followed by a run of digital albums and EPs through 2013 on labels including CRL Studios.

Hawkins later shifted his focus to Avarice In Audio, Dream Recall, and Prozium on Alfa Matrix, turning Cryogenic Echelon into an archival project. “A Monument To Me”, released in 2025 on Alfa Matrix, gathers 37 tracks of core songs, collaborations, and remixes from that period.

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Australian dark electronic project Cryogenic Echelon has released the digital album “A Monument To Me“via the Belgian label Alfa Matrix. The 37-track set appears as a long-form collection of core songs, collaborations and remixes, and focuses on the period when Cryogenic Echelon operated as the main outlet of Australian musician Gerry (Gerard) Hawkins, with composer and programmer Ayax Ascension co-writing the early catalogue. The project was formed in 2008, when a 17-year-old Hawkins discovered the aggrotech scene via a Grendel track on the file-sharing service Limewire, leading to early demos that evolved into the first Cryogenic Echelon EPs and later albums on CRL Studios.

“A Monument To Me” is available as a digital album via Bandcamp with streaming through all other main platforms.

The tracklist combines the original versions of songs such as “Zaibatsu”, “Fall Of The Reptiles”, “Hate Yourself”, “Elixir”, “Kill The Camera” and “Fucking Money” with collaborations featuring Psykkle, AJ Afterparty, MiXE1, vProjekt, Lucidstatic, Ascension EX and Sleepless Droids. A large section of the album is dedicated to remixes by artists including Grendel, Psyclon Nine, Modulate, Studio-X, Sirus, Vicious Alliance, Biomechanimal, Blast Radius, Defeat, Nitronoise, Dawn Of Ashes, Machine Rox, Sagitario, Heartwire, Ruinizer and Freakangel.

About Cryogenic Echelon

Cryogenic Echelon is a dark electronic project founded in late 2008 in Launceston, Australia by musician Gerard (Gerry) Hawkins. It was at that time Hawkins’ main creative and critical outlet, combining elements of industrial, hard dance, ambient, EDM and adjacent electronic styles.

Early work includes the 2011 debut EP “Fall Of The Reptiles”, released digitally and later folded into the full-length “Costume Of A Saviour”, issued on 24 June 2012. These releases established Hawkins’ collaboration with composer Ayax Ascension, who co-wrote the material.

Through 2013, Cryogenic Echelon issued a run of digital albums and EPs including “Taste Of Failure”, “From Comatose”, “Heartless Disaster” and “Counterfeit God”, some of them released via Static Distortion Records and CRL Studios. The 2013 album “Anthology” collected collaborations with Sleepless Droids, MiXE1, Lucidstatic, [Aphelion], Blast Radius, Biomechanimal, Studio-X, Puzzlehead, K-Not and Human Error, and included remixes by Statik Sky, Ruinizer and Heartwire, with CRL Studios handling the release.

Other titles include “Pandora & Persephone”, “Antipode”, “Demigod”, “Atop The Ivory Tower”, “Quia Multi Sumus”, “Sleepwalking Societies”, “Crawling Through The Dust”, “There Will Be No Mercy”, and earlier work like “DMP Mecha[Nized] 2010”. Across these records, the project worked closely with producers and remixers including Lawrie Bayldon (Studio-X) and Tokee, and with guest vocalists and collaborators such as AJ Afterparty, MiXE1, Lucidstatic and Sleepless Droids.

As Hawkins’ focus shifted towards new projects on Alfa Matrix, Cryogenic Echelon’s role changed from primary band to archival project, while he launched Avarice In Audio, Dream Recall and Prozium. Read the review of ‘A Monument To Me’.

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The Belgian electro label Alfa Matrix releases the twelfth volume in its “Matrix+ Downloaded” series to coincide with the label’s 24th anniversary. The digital-only set collects 69 tracks across the label’s current spectrum – EBM, dark elektro/industrial, synth pop – and newer Spleen+ additions spanning post-punk, goth rock and coldwave. The compilation is offered as a free/pay-what-you-want download via the label’s Bandcamp page and also includes a PDF booklet.

On the cover you will recognize Erica Dunham from Unter Null.

Artists included on this free download compilation include: Studio-X (feat. Kyoko Baertsoen), Rector Scanner, Aesthetische, Cut.Rate.Box, Kant Kino, Frontal Boundary, C-Lekktor, Acylum, Diffuzion, Implant, Neikka RPM, First Aid 4 Souls (feat. Aux Animaux), Noemi Aurora, Suicidal Romance, Llumen, Hanging Freud, Lederman/De Meyer, The Ultimate Dreamers, Aiboforcen, Digital Factor, Armageddon Dildos, Helalyn Flowers, Krystal System, The True Union, Freakangel, Totem Obscura, Lovelorn Dolls (feat. Dero Goi), The Breath of Life, The Names, ImJudas, Synapsyche, Miseria Ultima, Unter Null, Alien Vampires (feat. Dani Divine), Venal Flesh, Helle9, To Avoid, Pouppée Fabrikk, Stahlgeist, Nigra Nebula, Aengeldust, Circuito Cerrado, Matthew Creed, Cubic, Metroland, The Psychic Force, Komor Kommando, First Aid Tech, Die Robo Sapiens, ELM, Plastic Noise Experience, AD:Key, Elektroklänge, 808 Dot Pop, Avarice in Audio, Elektrostaub (feat. Echo Image), Cryogenic Echelon, Entrzelle, Neuroactive, Technoir, Mondträume, Star Industry, Stray, Psy’Aviah (feat. Sorrow Stories), Zombie Girl, Darkness on Demand, Circumpolar, Dunkelwerk, and Lights A.M.

A&R manager, Sebastien Dolimont says: “In 2025, Alfa Matrix proudly celebrates 24 years of existence. Nearly a quarter of a century fighting for dark alternative music, discovering new talents, and keeping the underground alive. This anniversary is not just about us and our artists – it’s about you, our fans. Because without your constant support, there would be no label, no releases, no future for the scene we all love.”

And he add: “In a world where indie labels are disappearing, streaming revenues collapse, and risks of signing new talents are higher than ever, we are proud to still stand strong — but we can only do it with you by our side. By downloading this compilation, you are not just enjoying music — you are actively supporting 69 artists and helping keep our scene alive, fresh, and forward-looking. From all of us at Alfa Matrix and Spleen+, and on behalf of all our artists: thank you for 24 years of loyalty, passion, and support. Together, we’ll keep writing the future of the dark underground.”

About Alfa Matrix

Alfa Matrix is a Brussels-based independent label founded in 2001. The catalogue focuses on electronic subgenres including industrial, EBM, dark elektro, and synth pop, later expanding into post-punk/coldwave via the Spleen+ division. The label’s team includes label & artists manager Seba Dolimont, promo manager Bernard Van Isacker, and head of design Benoît Blanchart.

From the early 2000s, Alfa Matrix used series-based releases to build international reach. Notable strands include “Sounds From The Matrix” (label samplers), “Re:Connected” (digital label overview), and the club-oriented “Endzeit Bunkertracks” multi-CD anthologies (first “Act” released 21 March 2005, featuring 60 tracks with 50 exclusives).

In 2023, Alfa Matrix inaugurated Spleen+, a division centred on post-punk and adjacent styles, and followed with multi-artist projects and catalogue building, including the “Resurgence” 7-CD box that assembled 133 contemporary bands from the post-punk family.

The label has since the very start focused on a direct contact with its fans and customers via their online webstore and Bandcamp.

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