Genre/Influences: EBM, Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Finnish Neuroactive last year released the album “Minor Side-Effects”, which saw the band getting back to the original line-up “Minor Side-Effects”: Jarkko Tuohimaa, Vesa Rainne and Ville Brusi. Thirty years after the band’s set up they have now revisited their very first album “Morphology”, released in 1994 by Cyberware Productions.  

Content: The tracklist is somewhat different than the original album. The songs have been seriously boosted, some passages being recorded while the work has been remastered. “Morphology” doesn’t exactly suffer from the weight of time, but remains a great work driven by a mix of EBM and cold Electro-Pop with ghost-like vocals on top. Sometimes into minimal passages (cf. “Wrecked”) and also featuring sensual parts (cf. “Logic”), the album is first of all featuring some of Neuroactive’s biggest hits ever like “Burning” and “Obsession”.

+ + + : I first thought ‘oh no’: not again one of these bands re-releasing their back catalogue. But I invite you to take the original album and once you’ve listened to a song you go to the redux-edit. The result is unbelievable! Thanks to technology, but also thanks to the band, which had the will to improve the sound and recording of their debut opus. It sounds like a different work and yet the tracks are exactly the same, but I’m wondering how contemporary “Morphology” sounds. “Burning” and “Obsession” both remain great songs, but I was more impressed by the harder and EBM driven “Manipulator”, which also has an elevating chorus.

– – – : I definitely prefer this ‘old’ work instead of Neuroactive’s last album. “Morphology” had something magical and visionary resulting in great hits. 

Conclusion: Unbelievable to see how an album of nearly thirty years can be still accurate today; great Electronics from Finland!

Best songs: “Manipulator”, “Burning”, “Obsession”, “Wrecked”, “Logic”, “Clone”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/neuroactive.band

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Right on the heels of their new studio album “Minor Side-Effects” (available here on Bandcamp) with the original line-up of the band, Jarkko Tuohimaa, Vesa Rainne and Ville Brusi from Neuroactive are now revisiting their cult debut album “Morphology” that was initially released in 1994 on Cyberware Productions.

“Morphology (redux)” is available for immediate download from Bandcamp with other services to follow in the next weeks.

The material was instead of being simply remastered completely re-recorded using today’s technologies and the artists accumulated studio experience and know-how over the last 27 years.

“The project started with the original multitracks. We went through old masters and decided what we wanted to keep and what we wanted to record again and we ended up with good mashup of old and new”, says Jarkko Tuohimaa.

On this new album you’ll hear the more banging EBM approach of Neuroactive from the early days with metallic beats, punchy analog basslines and smooth long lead vocals.

You can check it out below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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Finnish electro/EBM/pop formation Neuroactive this year released its seventh studio album entitled “Minor Side Effects”. I think we might consider this new album as a real special one as master mind Jarkko Tuohimaa reunited with his two original band mates Vesa Raine and Ville Brusi. It also is the first album released on the Belgian leading electro label Alfa Matrix.  “Minor Side Effects” is a mature production revealing multiple noticeable songs with a very own sound DNA. Jarkko Tuohimaa answered a few questions about the new work.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Whilst reading this interview, you can check out the album below.

Q: The new album “Minor Side Effects” is for sure a special one and even a milestone in Neuroactive’s history as all original- & core members have been reunited. How did this happened and how did it feel to work back again after all these years?

Jarkko: First of all I must say it’s been really fun working with all of them again after all these years. And it’s great if it raises some interest among listeners too. That said I have been in contact with them most of that time. During these past years I have done some remixing and mastering work for their music projects: Huminoida, Flux Fin and Aeronaut V.

Biggest difference on working with them is: everything is now done separately. We communicate thru web and send back and forth audio files. We used to record all stuff in my studio. I think it gives vocal recordings more privacy to concentrate on performance.

Q: Neuroactive no longer release albums at regular basis, but we now had to wait for six years on the new work. I can imagine there’re other things in life than only music, but how does it feel as a musician/artist to remain all these years without holding a new album in your hands? When did you finally start the writing and recording of the new work?

Jarkko: I must say it’s always intriguing feeling to have a new album in your hand. There is a very special feeling about this one. I feel it holds some legacy ingredients of Neuroactive thrown in a new bag.

When you have done as many albums as I, you end up having quite a lot material in the drawer. There are many songs which are quite old and refreshed for this album. Newest material is the songs Vesa is singing. In my head I’m always working on a new album; never really stopped doing new music. I have just said to myself: don’t push it. It will be ready when it’s ready. There isn’t really a point trying to make an album every year. That’s not something I want from music. There is certain beauty over a long period music creation. You must know when it’s done.

Q: Tell us a bit more about “Minor Side-Effects”? What is this album all about? What did you try to reflect by the title of the album and the explicit link with the artwork?

Jarkko: There has been a lot of connection with Neuroactive releases to medical things and human anatomy. That’s kind of history speaking there. First connection you can draw from the album title is: there are Neuroactive drugs which might have some minor side-effects (probably quite big ones -I assume). Artwork was made from that initial idea. Second bit ironic idea of the title is that these tracks should create some sort of addiction (as good music usually do). The album was at first titled as: “Side-effects”, but after one doctor prescribed me some drug and said: ‘this drug is known to have only minor side-effects’. I ended having quite serious side-effects. So there is a real life connection to this title. It’s funny that way…

Q: Two songs from the album have been sung by guest singer John Peverieri from Halo Effect. How did you came in touch and what did John added you don’t have? How did this collaboration happened?

Jarkko: I came in contact with John when I did a remix from Halo Effects ”Again”. I was really fond of his vocal style. So I asked him if he could sing a song for the next Neuroactive album. John agreed to work with me. John did really a great performance and lyrics on both songs. I have enjoyed working with him. This is quite common for me to work with people whom I worked in the past.

Q: Neuroactive is a band you can directly recognize because of the typical sounds and arrangements. What makes this particular sound DNA? Can you reveal specific tricks and maybe some criteria when it comes to production? What about specific equipment?

Jarkko: There are certain things in sound that intrigue me: Clarity, Crispiness, Some Saturation, Punctual Clear Bass. That is the essence of my sound. That’s what I seek for in mix. I have worked as a professional sound designer over 2 decades now. So mixing is quite important to me and comes with the profession. During the recent years I’ve been interested in modular synths. It’s the uniqueness of these self built and collected systems that makes it interesting. The latest album is made with hybrid setup. There is some hardware and some software. Mixing is done in the box with Logic Pro.

Q: The new album also is your first album released on Alfa Matrix. After having worked with smaller –and unfortunately defunct labels like Cyberware Productions and A Different Drum, you’re now (finally) signed to leading label. How do you look back at label experiences and what’s the importance of a label today?

Jarkko: Call me old-fashioned, but I see lot of relevance working with a label. Importance is same as it has always been. Usually the biggest pros are connections and client base that already exist. I see Alfa Matrix as a movement… it draws like minded. I’m very glad to be on this label… it’s been amazing.

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

After the recently released 2-track download single “Night Flights”, Neuroactive now announces a full blown studio album: “Minor Side​-​Effects”! The album will be out on March 20. Important detail, Neuroactive recorded this album in its original line-up.

Leadvocals by Kimmo Karjalainen, Vesa Rainne… and Halo Effect’s singer John Peverieri

For the album Jarkko Tuohimaa reunited with his 2 original bandmates Kimmo Karjalainen and Vesa Rainne and decided to go for a harder edge through punching electro sequences and kicking beats compared to the band’s most recent softer dance pop releases through the US-based A Different Drum label. This new 7th full length studio album is a logical and natural evolution in the band’s impressive music repertoire. Invited as well is Halo Effect’s singer John Peverieri performing guest vocals on 2 songs.

The album is available in 2 versions, a CD version (available here in pre-order) and a download version (via Bandcamp and other services once it’s released). Note that the Bandcamp pre-order comes with an immediate download of two tracks: “In Rust We Trust” and “Night Flights” (the album version).

For those who haven’t yet downloaded the 2-track download single “Night Flights”, you can do that right here, or via Spotify of course.

Neuroactive, delivering outstanding synth pop since 1991

It’s back in 1991 that Vesa Raine, Ville Brusi and Jarkko Tuohimaa created the now cult synth pop / EBM band Neuroactive. Signing their first album, “Morphology”, in 1994 with Cyberware Productions, the group went on to produce “Phonic Trace” in 1997. Shortly thereafter, Brusi and Rainne left the group, and Kimmo Karjalainen came on board to sing for the next two albums “Fiber Optic Rhythm” and “Transients”. Note that “Fiber Optic Rhythm” also featured Geoff Pickney of The Nine on guest vocals.

“Fiber Optic Rhythm” was a huge breakthrough for Neuroactive, and they gained new fans worldwide. The album’s popularity also attracted the attention of U.S. Synthpop record label A Different Drum who signed them, and released “Transients” in 2001, “N-Gin” in 2005, “Antidote” in 2009; and “Electra” in 2014.

“Transients” was the final album to feature Kimmo Karjalainen as vocalist for the band. The albums “N-Gin” and “Antidote” both included several guest singers, including Christopher Anton (Information Society), Kirk Taylor (The Dignity of Labour), Marcus Fellechner (Rename), and Albert Martinez (Neuropa) just to name a few. “Electra” featured all female vocals by Sonja Myers.

Neuroactive signed with A Different Drum in 1998, and continued to release material under that label until its closing in 2014. Now they are on board of one of the most prolific labels in the electronic scene, Alfa Matrix.

Welcome back guys!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

side-line.com

Neuroactive, the cult synth pop, futurepop band from Finland is back! For the comeback headmaster Jarkko Tuohimaa joined hands with long time vocal collaborator Kimmo Karjalainen and the duo signed up with the Belgian electronica label Alfa Matrix.

Out now is a 2-track download single (available via Bandcamp), “Night Flights”, which offers a harder edged electro style through punching sequences and kicking beats compared to the band’s most recent softer dance pop releases through the US-based A Different Drum label.
 
The “Night Flights” single also announces a forthcoming new album “Minor Side-Effects” announced for a Spring release.

You can download the single right now from Bandcamp.

Video teaser new single

Here’s the video teaser for “Night Flights”.

Neuroactive, delivering outstanding synth pop since 1991

Neuroactive was formed in 1991 by Jarkko Tuohimaa, Ville Brusi, and Vesa Rainne. Signing their first album, “Morphology”, in 1994 with Cyberware Productions, the group went on to produce “Phonic Trace” in 1997. Shortly thereafter, Brusi and Rainne left the group, and Kimmo Karjalainen came on board to sing for the next two albums “Fiber Optic Rhythm” and “Transients”. Note that “Fiber Optic Rhythm” also featured Geoff Pickney of The Nine on guest vocals.

“Fiber Optic Rhythm” was a huge breakthrough for Neuroactive, and they gained new fans worldwide. The album’s popularity also attracted the attention of U.S. Synthpop record label A Different Drum who signed them, and released “Transients” in 2001, “N-Gin” in 2005, “Antidote” in 2009; and “Electra” in 2014.

“Transients” was the final album to feature Kimmo Karjalainen as vocalist for the band. The albums “N-Gin” and “Antidote” both included several guest singers, including Christopher Anton (Information Society), Kirk Taylor (The Dignity of Labour), Marcus Fellechner (Rename), and Albert Martinez (Neuropa) just to name a few. “Electra” featured all female vocals by Sonja Myers.

Neuroactive signed with A Different Drum in 1998, and continued to release material under that label until its closing in 2014. Now they are on board of one of the most prolific labels in the electronic scene, Alfa Matrix.

Welcome back guys!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

side-line.com