After years of releasing only singles, the darkwave project Deus Ex Lumina present its first full album “As Above So Below” on Cold Transmission Music. The album holds 18 tracks including re-mastered versions of some the singles combined with new tracks.

Hailing from the shadows of Berlin but with roots in Buenos Aires, Deus Ex Lumina is the solo-project of Del Darkwave, a graduated music producer and former post-punk drummer. Deus Ex Lumina was launched in 2020 as his primary solo venture.

The album is out now on vinyl, CD and in digital format.

Deus Ex Lumina will present his new album live at Amphi Festival in Cologne/Germany this weekend on July 28th.

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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Genre/Influences: Industrial, Cinematic, Electronic.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: “Obverses” is the third and final album by Not My God. This American project driven by  Tim Skold (Marilyn Manson, KMFDM, Motionless In White, FLA, Skold) and Nero Bellum (Psyclon Nine) has announced a live tour for the end of the year to call it quits. This is the band’s second album released by Metropolis Records.  

Content: “Obverses” moves on where the previous opus “Simulacra” (2022) stopped. The sound remains a true sonic enigma although clearly infused by Industrial sound components the duo now mixes together with bombastic sound arrangements and then with surprising Ballad style. Deep bass lines, icy sequences and slow rhythms come together in pure minimalism with the unique vocals of Nero Bellum on top.

+ + + : Not My God is one of these bands which has created a very personal sound, kind of Industrial sound DNA bringing different genres and subgenres together. It sounds heavy and bombastic on one side and still subtle and refined and the other side. The atmosphere supporting the work remains cold and even a bit tormented. It’s not exactly the kind of music that makes people happy although Industrial-minded music lovers are going to like it. I’m fascinated by the composition and the style of the band which resulted in a few new masterpieces like “Unwind The Helix” and “Hyacinth”. “Deus Vult” is another masterpiece I want to mention for its more club-minded approach. This band is driven by a true creative spirit which needs a few minutes till you really catch the genius and potential of the composition.

– – – : The sound of Not My God remains a bit of a challenge but it makes me sad such a unique formation finally decided to stop their activities. Marketing wise it’s maybe not the best choice to announce the end of the band while the album is just out.

Conclusion: If “Obverses” will be really the band’s final album it will be for sure part of a great sonic legacy consisting of 3 fantastic albums.

Best songs: “Deus Vult”,“Unwind The Helix”,  “Hyacinth”, “Carnations”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/notmygodofficial

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

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

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The French formation The Funeral Warehouse once started as a solo-project set up by singer/guitarist /keyboarder Sébastyén D. Later on the solo-project evolved into a real band. Aurélien Jobard on bass/keyboards and Rodolphe Goujet on drums joined in.  They by the end of 2021 unleashed their debut album “Hours & Days”. The album has been released by Icy Cold Records and reveals a great mix between Shoegaze and Dark-Wave with a strong Indie touch on top. This interview is an introduction to The Funeral Warehouse.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I noticed you guys are already active for a couple of years now. How did The Funeral Warehouse see the daylight and what did you want to express through your music?

Rodolphe: First of all I would like to say that it is a real pleasure for me to answer to a Belgium website because a lot of bands from your beautiful country have educated my ears since the 90’s: Deus, ZITA SWOON, VENUS, SOULWAX, GHINZU, GIRLS IN HAWAÏ…

As an answer to your question, I would say that I am the last member to join the band. They wanted to see if a real drum could surpass a drum machine… the used one in the first releases of the band. As I’m still here, I guess I passed the test. I really think that drums are underrated instruments to express emotions. I’m not a real drummer so I have a rhythmical and melodical approach to it. To be fair I should say since I’m technically limited, I have to find something to make an illusion.

Sébastyén D: Yes Belgium has so many great bands. Last one I saw was Annabel Le. Real cool band and nice people. Well, The Funeral Warehouse was born not exactly but almost a side-project from my main one at that time, Opium Dream Estate – though now both are equally important to me. I was writing Post-Punk/Cold-Wave-like songs and I thought of keeping it for a new project, then making an EP. I met Aurélien Jobard (bass) in a club and then he introduced me to Rodolphe, we rehearsed and that was it. The alchemy was right there. We started doing some live shows, things went great and it still is today. I think I need to express feelings, or images, sensations… things I experienced in my life but not things too real. I’m not quite good at it. Music is perfect to express immaterial things, to make people feel pure sensations, like a trance, to let go.

Q: You last year released your debut album “Hours & Days” which I think has been composed over several years. Tell us a bit more about the composition, the input of each member and the different stages you’d to go through to achieve this album?

Rodolphe : At the beginning, The Funeral Warehouse was a one-man band… Seb’s. So a good part of “Hours & Days” are his songs. But some others have been composed by the whole band as we got to know each other’s. Now every new song can come from a guitar riff, a bass sound or a drumbeat. Personally, I see myself as the cardiovascular system of the band.

Sébastyén D: Yes, most of the songs on “Hours & Days” are ‘mine’ but apart from “Stop” and maybe “In Love” we reworked most of the songs and three out of ten are by the band. “Hours & Days” is a full band composition album and the next one will probably the same. We just brought ideas, we play them, see if it works out or not. We already have new stuff on the table…

About the making of the album, it was collective work. We recorded our part in our places during the lockdown and our bass player mixed it, send us mixes to see how the songs sounded, made some changes, etc. We were involved in the process of the record. And it went super well. I am quite proud od it.

Q: How do you perceive “Hours & Days” compared to the early stuff of the band? What have been the main changes and evolutions in song writing and global production?

Rodolphe : As I said it’s more the result of a team work now. Each one of us has brought his own world and influences. So I’m a bit responsible for the indie part of our sound as I’ve always listened to that kind of music. Now The Funeral Warehouse sounds much Rock-like and less New-Wave than in its early days.

Sébastyén D: The first releases were a solo effort. Pretty good I think but it lacked something. As a band songs just reached a far upper level. Louder, better… More organic, more lively. And others’ members influences. We shared a lot of influences but we all have our vision of ‘what good music is’, how to play, etc.

Q: “Hours & Days” reveals a true sonic canvas of influences; Dark-Wave for sure, but Shoegaze inspired with an Indie-touch on top. Where do all these influences come from and how would you describe/define your album to people who never heard of you before?

Rodolphe: I notice that I’m still a step ahead of the expected answer. I have a real problem of synchronicity! Is it bad for a drummer? Please guys don’t fire me! I have a wife and two children to feed.

Sébastyén D: Sorry mate, we gonna use a drum machine now!! Haha. More seriously like I said, we share influences, bands like Nirvana, The Cure, The Beatles. I’m really into Post-Punk/Goth and Grunge music. Rodophe is sharing similar influences but he’s more into Indie music and Aurélien is into Shoegaze and Industrial, Post-Punk. Rodolphe and I are also Pearl Jam and Tom Waits fans. I like also bands like Nick Cave, 16 Horsepower, Depeche Mode, Chris IsaaK, Psychedelic music, Blues-stuff… Many different things. We tried to combine almost all these things in our music. Also all these songs from the album has been writen through out many years so it reflects how we evolved, how some influences came and go, how we kinda grew up. Yes I think this could define our album. An Indie and dark reflection of us and how getting old haha. “Hours & Days” is just a combination of all Indie music can make.

Q: What inspires you in the lyrical part of the work and how important are the lyrics?

Sébastyén D: Images, feelings. I like when lyrics are kinda blurry. It makes people think, reinterprete them, appropiate them. Nothing fancy, snobby or pretentious. I’m not teaching anyone. To me lyrics are just part of the process, the sound of words, lines… it must fit the atmosphere of the song. I always write the lyrics and the vocals are kinda like another instrument. But I sure have my influences: art, some writers, nature, some themes like death, madness, love, wandering… and other happy things that happened in life…

Rodolphe: The fact that Seb’s shrink failed.

Sébastyén D: Hahaaaaa!! Gotta find a new one…

Q: Your album has been released during the ongoing pandemic. I know there’s a lot to do about it in France, but in which way did it affect you as citizens at one side and musicians at the other side? And how do you manage the release of an album considering promotion, live shows etc in times of Covid?

Sébastyén D: This was a hard period for all of us and many of my friends to come through. Making the record during the lockdown kinda helped us I guess. Lots of my friends (and I) were tired of streaming live sessions. It felt kinda nice at the beginning but then… No crowd, no interraction, nothing. When we played our show for the release of our album, hundreds of people came and it was a very powerful and emotional moment that proved live music is only vialable onstage with people and not behind a screen and also people need music, to party, to dance so much in their life. It was cathartic and liberating.

Now things got better and fortunately, webzines, magazines, venues are helping us. We normally have some shows to come to promote our music. Let’s hope that there’ll be more.

Rodolphe: “Hours & Days” is a pandemic album. We finished it when we were each one of us were in our homes. So it helped a lot to overcome that weird period. We all know that it was a difficult period for artists and the whole music industry. Personally, it was time to open back concert halls cause I couldn’t stand any more all the videos on social medias by frustrated and too serious artists whose ego needed to share their production: a little bit invasive and without any sense of humor unfortunately.

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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Genre/Influences: Cinematographic, Dark-Ambient.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: “Ellipsis” is the third album ever released by this Italian project driven by Andrea Bellucci –who’s more knows for his involvement with Red Sector A and an endless number of projects like Dioxide, Nerva, Vetropaco, QOD ao. “Ellipsis” is the first new work in thirteen years and a rather special one as it features five tracks, which have been composed with five other artists. The title of the album refers to ‘cyclical themes or events in life and how we face these situations in a similar way.’

Content:  Paolo L. Bandera (Sigillum S ao), New Risen Throne, Exit In Grey, Nimh and Lunar Abyss Deus Organum contributed in chronological order to the work. The tracks are rather different from each other and yet connected by the Dark-Ambient plus Cinematographic approach of the composition. From icy atmospheres supported with field recordings to an organ sound in the background to the very explicit, dreamy guitar, this work has a lot to offer.

+ + + : I was especially impressed by the numerous details and sonic welfare of this work. You better use headphones to experience the impressive sonic canvas this album has been made with. There’s a perfect harmony between electronics and field recordings. “Oblivion” featuring Exit In Grey (Russian project) is a poignant cut that has something sacred because of the organ play in the background while the track goes over the 15 minutes. Another noticeable cut is “Ocean Chants & Ghosts” featuring Nimh. The guitar playing on this song creates a dreamy darkness.

– – – : I personally expected a bit more out of the collaboration with New Risen Throne, which I consider as a master in Dark-Ambient.

Conclusion: “Ellipsis” is a noticeable comeback for Subterranean Source and also an interesting concept for featuring other artists.

Best songs: “Oblivion”, “Ocean Chants & Ghosts”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/subterraneansource

Label: www.winter-light.nl / www.facebook.com/winter.light.1

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

The Force Dimension is without a shadow of a doubt the most famous Electronic band from The Netherlands. Set up by René Van Dijck in the late 80s, the self-titled debut album (recorded as the ‘Red Version’), released in 1989 became an instant success. The music was labeled as EBM. The Force Dimension got signed to the legendary KK Records. After the debut album they released “Deus Ex Machina” in 1990. We next had to wait till 2017 to see the band releasing the album “Machinesex” on Daft Records followed by the self-released “Sorcery Pigs” in 2018. This year René Van Dijck strikes back with a new album released on Sonic Groove. “Mortal Cable” is hard to label, different from other albums, but it’s a great and minimal creation mixing elements of EBM, Techno and pure Minimal-Electro. I’d a chat with René.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Thirty two years are separating your very first self-titled debut album and your newest full length “Mortal Cable”.  Can you compare both albums with each other and how much of the early Force Dimension-sound and way of working do you still recognize in “Mortal Cable”? 

René: It is not so easy to compare as each album has its own -so to say- soul, spirit or energy. I am 32 years older so my mind and way of composing has changed as well. But instrument-wise there is a big difference: the instruments from KK020, the first album, are totally absent in “Mortal Cable”, which is fully composed on 1 laptop, 1 notebook (for the lyrics) and 1 singer, me. Very minimal!

Q: The Force Dimension belongs to the history of EBM. What does that music style mean to you today and what’s your perception of contemporary Electro-Underground music? 

René: I have nothing with boxes, niches or pigeonholes like EBM or whatever name you give to some kind of music. I listen to songs or to bands, to artists, not to styles. I have no notion of contemporary Electro-Underground music. I do not know. 

Q: Over now to “Mortal Cable”! What have been the sources of inspiration to compose this work (sound- & lyrical wise) and what kind of album did you’d in mind? 

René: My inspiration sources are in my life, what I experience or what I feel or think at the moment when I make a song. I improvised a lot when composing for that album. So I had no idea in mind what was coming out or would be the result. I listen to a lot of music, to a lot of artists and bands, all kinds of styles and maybe that influenced me on a subconcious level. 

Q: How did the album took shape? What have been the different stages you’d to go through to achieve “Mortal Cable”? What instruments and programs did you use and did you encounter major difficulties and/or challenges in the production? 

René: In most of the songs I started with the rhythm, mostly danceable. Then I started improvising melodies and singing the lyrics. I only use Cubase to make music and I use my vocals of course. The lyrics are in most of the cases also improvised. I use a lot of automatic writing and composing, to let my intuition speak. The difficulty in making this album in my home studio was making it with good EQ-levels and mastering. But it turned out quite ok…I hope.

Q: “Mortal Cable” sounds to me as an artist who reinvented his own sound; still pretty vintage-like, but also deeply minimal-sounding and with some extra Techno elements on top. What does this album mean to you and how would you compare it with previous releases? 

René: For me the album, like all songs I create, is a kind of expression for my feelings, ideas and so on. Because of this, the album stands on its own. It is in that sense difficult to compare “Mortal Cable” with previous releases. I did this album mostly on my own and by myself, in contrast with the other albums, which were collaborations with Betty, Tycho and Armin. So this was completely new to me and challenging. 

Q: Music clearly is a perfect remedy for a lot of music lovers to forget the ongoing pandemic. What’s your personal experience about the question and what’s the impact on your activities? How do you expect things evolving? 

René: It is hard to say anything on what people experience when listening to music. It is a personal thing in the end. I have no expectations on how things will evolve in the future. But I hope the world will get better soon. 

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

TINEIDAE is a project I discovered back in 2012 by the “Lights”-album released on the now defunct Tympanik Audio. The next album “Shadows” released in 2014 featured a similar taste for IDM and Electro-Ambient Electronics. But after that second album and the end of Tympanik Audio it became quite silent in the TINEIDAE circle. A lot of things happened and one of the main changes was Pavlo Storonsky left his homeland, Ukraine, to relocate in Warsaw (Poland). He started to compose new music and this year signed to Cryo Chamber to unleash the Cinematographic work “Exo”. The opus reveals an important evolution in sound, but a similar passionate and overwhelming sound experience.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: After the “Shadows”-album released in 2014 it took you several years to release a new full length. You last year released “Slowly Drown In Static”, which already was like a real album and this year you released “Exo”. Why did it take that long to release a new full length and what kind of work did you want to accomplish with “Exo”?

Pavlo: A lot of things have changed since the last full-length album released on Tympanik Audio; from moving to other countries and a job change to having a family life and becoming a dad. So quite naturally it wasn’t an easy thing to come back to music the way I did it before. There was a lot of getting used to, a lot of changes in habits and especially, time management (which I’m still pretty bad at, I have to admit). Music-wise there were small bits and pieces that I’ve started every now and then, but a lot of bigger ideas had to be postponed. Some are still a work in progress since early 2015 to this day and some were finished.

When it comes to “Exo”, initially it was an experiment with a limited amount of tools to be used. You know with a lot of possibilities come an everlasting problem of choice, while limiting yourself you both eliminate that problem, as well as getting deeper understanding of the tools. Well, first iterations of it were just that –seeing what can be accomplished with the bare minimum. Later on it started to grow into something more personal, more meaningful.. There is the narrative, ‘lore’ of sorts, which describes the imaginary story behind the album, but also it is a tribute to my father.

Q: I already mentioned “Slowly Drown In Static” released in 2019, which revealed a different sound approach than what you released in the past. Tell us a bit more about this work and the move towards a more Cinematographic/Soundtrack driven work?

Pavlo: “Slowly Drown In Static” was a change indeed. It is mostly the way it is due to all of the above, like when things change in life drastically, it has an impact on creative output for sure. And this EP/album, I don’t know how to call it myself, is a catharsis of all those happenings. It’s rather short, but I would say it’s condensed, a brief summary of metamorphosis if you can call it that way. We tend to perceive life as a journey from A to B, or at least I was like that, but then you suddenly realize that in the wait of that B point you actually miss your life passing by each second, and this exact moment is the meaning, all that you feel and all who you are in this moment, and not the imaginary point B.

As for the Cinematographic/Soundtrack driven work, it really is something that shapes to be a thing on its own, meaning I don’t really aim to make that, it just becomes what it is naturally. I think it’s fair to say that I’m into more melodic stuff rather than technical and I love telling stories with melodies, so if you take away all the fanciness (which was there at times) of the older works, it will likely result in, maybe less refined, but still quite Cinematic sound.

Q: Your early albums were released by the defunct Tympanik Audio while you now signed to Cryo Chamber. How did you feel about the end of Tympanik Audio, which was like a kind of ‘family label’ and how do you see Cryo Chamber, which is another ‘family label’?

Pavlo: Tympanik Audio is being missed by many for sure (as well as some other labels close in the genre at that time, which do not function anymore). It was an era in Electronic music for me at least which kind of ended at that time, the very mixture of Glitch, IDM and Ambient with a more Industrial sound was introduced and carried over the years by those labels. Some artists still continued making music and experimenting with sound; many stopped and those who continued were harder to find and follow.

It was pretty big at least in my eyes, that too, at least partially, caused a halt in my musical endeavors. The decisions were made, there were personal reasons behind those, so I can understand why it was that way. No hard feelings, only hopes for good future of the people behind Tympanik Audio, including artists. It did feel like a family after all.
Cryo Chamber is another tight-knit bunch of friendly people. We share the same goal –retelling stories with our music. The label is known for a less flashy/synthy music compared to what I usually do, but it turned out my stuff fits in 🙂

Q: “Exo” is for sure your most ‘cinematic/soundtrack’-driven album. What have been your main influences to compose this work and how do you see your evolution as musician/artist from previous releases towards “Exo”?

Pavlo: From Original Soundtracks my main influences were mostly sci-fi/cyberpunk films, games and animation (suffice to say I’m quite a bit into cyberpunk and sci-fi genre in books and films), namely “Ghost In The Shellt, both Bladerunners, Tarkovsky’s “Stalker”, Deus Ex: “Human Revolution”, Nier: “Automata” and some others. When it comes to musicians it’s mainly Access T Arasaka, Lorn, Bad Sector and older works of Atrium Carceri. In general –a pretty mixed bag, but all these are melody-centric and very immersive if you consider the storytelling aspect, and I enjoy it a lot.

Q: Tell us a bit more about the writing- and production process of “Exo”? What have been the different stages to release this album and tell us a bit more about your way of composing (equipment, noise sources etc)?

Pavlo: Starting off as an experiment “Exo” (it didn’t have a name at the time) quickly formed into a rather long monolithic track, which I later on separated. At that point I realized that it sounds good enough to make something bigger so some parts were dropped (those that clearly were out of the realm of sci-fi) and new parts/movements were created. You know swhen you make something without a bigger idea initially, not all of it fits, and you don’t often know what sounds good and what is just some, what I call, artistic bullshit. So you then work in iterations, creating more stuff and then filtering out and changing and separating what doesn’t fit. Some of the tracks that are now part of “Exo” were the filtered out older stuff which didn’t quite fit the more dynamic earlier sound, so I resampled/re-recorded a bit and it started fitting the mood/narrative after some adjustments.

I feel like I’m in a forge talking about how I hammer some metal parts and what not, but essentially it’s almost like that. Like whenever you create a sound, or work on some recordings/samples and tie them together you act more on what ‘sounds good’ in the moment and only later on you piece the whole picture together, if that makes sense.

Equipment is scarce –most of the stuff is in the box, I only have my Roland JD-XI and some guitar pedals (old Boss distortion and chorus). For the noise sources I try to have my Zoom h2n at hand, good enough field-recording device for most of my needs. I also enjoy lurking on websdr’s and recording some radio static, occasionally some weird modulated voices.

Q: Artistic life has been badly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. How do you look back at this experience and how do you expect things evolving? What are the further plans for TINEIDAE?

Pavlo: I am thankful for what I have: family, music, work. The lockdowns and all the things happening around helped me to re-evaluate what’s worth in life. As a pretty closed/introverted person, I can’t say that the lockdown impacted me a lot psychologically. I’m still member of online communities I was in previously, I still try to stay in contact with people close to me and also my wife and kids are a tremendous support and help as well as I try to be for them. Hard to say how things will pan out, I’m not sure everything will return back to how they were pre-Covid, or at least not suddenly. Or maybe they won’t at all. I’m trying to keep on creating regardless, monthly singles that are way further from what one could expect genre-wise from me, remixes, collaborations, but also bigger works too, likely back with Cryo Chamber if I don’t go too far off with my artistic bullshit 😀

Thanks for taking your time and asking me some questions. Stay safe!

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 in late September will be a wooden box, limited to 500 copies, including the entire Orplid discography on 12 individual vinyls. The set comes with a 84-pages hardcover book, 3 art prints and numbered and signed certificate.

The majority of the works available in this set are released on vinyl for the first time ever. It contains all of the group’s 5 studio albums, including their new work “Deus Vult”, and all EPs, alongside 16 additional tracks, partly rare (compilation contributions, bonus tracks), partly unreleased.

The 84-page book holds all lyrics, illustrations by Uwe Nolte and an Orplid artist photo gallery. Furthermore, “Legatum” features three prints with art by Uwe Nolte, a certificate of authenticity, hand-signed and numbered by Orplid themselves, as well as a branding on the lid.

Included works:

• “Orplid”
• “Das Schicksal” (EP)
• “Geheiligt sei der Toten Name” (EP)
• “Barbarossa” (EP)
• “Nächtliche Jünger” (incl. 3 bonus tracks)
• “Sterbender Satyr” (incl. etching)
• “Greifenherz” (incl. 3 unreleased bonus tracks)
• “Deus Vult” (incl. unreleased bonus track)
• “Donum” (rarities 1996-2000, 9 tracks incl. 1 unreleased)

Orplid is a neofolk, martial, post-industrial and experimental music group of German musicians, Uwe Nolte and Frank Machau. The name is drawn from the poem “Gesang Weylas” by Eduard Mörike, beginning “Du bist Orplid, mein Land” (‘You are Orplid, my land’). The band has progressed over the course of their discography from acoustic folk peppered with instruments like the piano, organ, and cello, to a more experimental minimalistic style.

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

Genre/Influences: EBM, industrial.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Hypermond is a project set up by  Masha TZKTLPK (ex-0Kontrol) and Nick Zoll. They present themselves as a Russian analogue EBM internet project with female vocals between Brussels (Belgium) by Masha TZKTLPK and Michigan (USA) by Ann Arbor. “D.” is the project’s debut work featuring five songs plus five remixes.

Content: The songs are clearly inspired by EBM, but feature heavier, industrial sound treatments. The songs are carried by solid bass lines while the vocals have been performed in different languages –which already was one of the main characteristics of 0Kontrol.

The remixes have been accomplished by Stahlschlag, Asdean, Bloodconnek7ion, Dreadfool and Okkulta. 

+ + + : This debut work took me by surprise! The songs are original, well-crafted and reveal a unique approach with the rough, industrial aspect on top. The writing is pretty elaborated and never falls into easy EBM clichés. I like the solid bass lines mixed with dark sequences while the diversity of the vocals and languages make it all more diversified. I also have to say a word about the remixes, revealing rather unknown names, but great songs. Bloodconnk7ion did a great job remixing “Deus” with an extra boost. Another attention grabber is the remix of “Définition” by Asdean. And last, but not least I also want to mention the remix of “Deus” by Dreadfool.

– – – : I don’t have real minor points to mention. It’s just a pity such a great EP is only available in a digital format.

Conclusion: Hypermond reveals a great potential, dealing with a very own and solid format of industrial EBM.

Best songs: “Deus”, “Définition”, “Disturbio”, “Deus – RMX by Bloodconnek7ion”, “Définition – RMX by Asdean”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/hypermond

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Experimental, soundscape.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Lunar Abyss or Lunar Abyss quartet or Lunar Abyss Deus Organum… it’s all about the same project active since 1998 and ‘that came from dreams’. Hailing from Finland, they’ve released a countless number of productions.

Content: This album –with a real weird name, features 5 cuts. Lunar Abyss Deus Organum first collected sounds and noises from very different origins, which they next transformed and manipulated in studio. The tracks are clearly experimental-like, but still into soundscape. The tracks are progressively built up, easily going over the 15 and even 20 minutes. You’ll easily recognize field recordings, which have been mixed with low sound resonations, a few percussive parts which rather sound as an effect and long during sound waves. One of the cuts is featuring Tanith.

+ + + : The track “Zazemlya” featuring Tanith is without a shadow of a doubt my favorite piece from the work. This track is a bit darker, but the slow progression is more noticeable and therefore more efficient. I however can imagine this is the kind of album that will please fans of soundscapes.

– – – : I’ve never been a huge fan of soundscape-like experiences and that’s again the feeling I got listening to this work. I too often get the impression the tracks are endless and without a real evolution in structure and sounds.

Conclusion: This album moves on a monotonous trip without any trace of a climax.

Best songs: “Zazemlya”.

Rate: (6).

Artist: www.facebook.com/lunar.abyss.deus.organum

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

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, electro-wave, minimal-electro.

Background/Info: Slovakian label 4mg Records started this series in 2017. It’s a way to support the ‘real’ underground scene revealing bands from all over the world –but mainly Europe. We get a compilation featuring ten bands hailing from Germany, The Netherlands, France, Colombia, Slovakia, USA, Austria, Belgium and Finland. 

Artists: Staatseinde, Képeslap, Trois Traffic, Hexe, Prof. Great & Niki Noodles, Beta Evers, Arsenic Of Jabir, Deus Faust, End Off… Exist Not, Abstract Deity.

Content: The bands aren’t the most familiar names from the scene and that’s precisely the purpose of this sampler. From 90s-inspired EBM to late 80s electro with a touch of nu-disco on top to wave-pop to psychedelic experiments, this compilation will let you discover hidden talents.

+ + + : I’m a huge fan of this compilation series, which according to me is one of the most original ones. It’s also a way to discover bands you never heard of before, but I would like to hear more from Hexe, Prof. Great & Niki Noodles, Beta Evers, Arsenic Of Jabir and Staatseinde. I like their global approach and vintage-like sound treatments. There’s an info sheet included with the vinyl, which gives you a brief info about all artists.

– – – : Just like with other compilations there’re always a few cuts which can’t totally convince me, but there’s no reason to complain.

Conclusion: If there’s a compilation I would be missing, “Wave Earplug” would be a potential winner.

Best bands: Hexe, Prof. Great & Niki Noodles, Beta Evers, Arsenic Of Jabir

Rate: (8).

Label: www.facebook.com/4mgRecords

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, symphonic-pop.

Background/Info: The best way to introduce Axel Samano is to read what he has to say: ‘despite the fact I was born somewhere you call a country; I consider myself a trans-human and a global citizen, I do not have country, I do not have religion; I believe in nothing else but in the pure essence of freedom and love, kindness and good actions towards my Universe. – And nothing else.’ This album features two discs; first you have the “Deus Ex Machina”-CD and next the more conceptual “The Storyteller”.

Content: “Deus Ex Machina” is clearly driven by electro-pop music, but it also is much more than that. There’s a clear link with 80s influences and especially some electro effects. The main particularity is the somewhat symphonic-inspired arrangements. The album features 9 songs sung in English and 9 more songs sung in Spanish. The Spanish cuts are more dance-like and less ‘inspired’. The vocals are sometimes a bit whispering-like.

“The Storyteller” is what I would call a conceptual album and, which can be resumed as a transgender committing suicide and who has to face God. The tracks are separated in 5 chapters. Each song is preceded by a narration dealing with the concept. The songs reveal a surprising, but explicit symphonic-pop approach. All lyrics are in English.

+ + + : The least I can say is that Axel Samano deals with a rather unusual and original approach in electro-pop music. The symphonic arrangements are not exactly what you expect by this kind of music. The songs also reflect a real mature writing. I like the 80s effects running through the first disc while the concept of the second disc appears to be a real accomplishment.

– – – : Despite of this artist’s original approach and a fascinating conceptual disc, I’m not entirely convinced. The Spanish songs featured at the first disc remain a bit flat and sometimes sound a bit ‘cheap’. I get the impression the artist has used a lot of simple preset sounds and that’s a pity as I really believe Axel Samano is a talented musician. So I expected a bit more in the global sound treatments.

Conclusion: I feel a bit embarrassed about this work; on one side I especially appreciate the symphonic element, which has something refreshing, but on the other side the songs don’t sound fully accomplished.

Best songs: “The Hunter”, “Power And Glory” + “Fundamentals”.

Rate: (6).

Artist: www.axelsamano.com / www.facebook.com/axelsamanomusic

Label: www.scent-air.com / www.facebook.com/ScentairRecords

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 now on 4mg Records is “Wave Earplug No.3”, the third volume of the vinyl series which started in 2017. The compilation brings synth-pop, minimal wave, old school EBM, and more from across Europe. This time the label united bands, producers and projects from Germany, France, Belgium, Finland, Slovakia, USA, Austria, Colombia and the Netherlands.

Bands included are Staatseinde, Képeslap, Trois Traffic Soul, Hexe, Prof. Great & Niki Noodles, Beta Evers, Arsenic Of Jabir, Deus Faust, End Off, Abstract Deity. The compilation was compiled by Imrich Végh and mastered by Mikuláš Bernáth.

You can preview the album right below. You can order the vinyl right here.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Genre/Influences: Soundscape, ambient, experimental.

Background/Info: When Australian artist Paul Schütze released his debut album “Deus Ex Machine” in 1989 on Extreme no one probably thought that this musician should become a reference in experimental and ambient music. Schütze has released numerous productions and worked with some real noticeable artists –and I here especially remember his album together with Lisa Gerrard. Paul Schütze is now back on track and this after a hiatus of 8 years and even longer if it comes to his last solo-album.

Content: “The Sky Torn Apart” totally fits to the conceptual approach of the Italian label Glacial Movements. So the work becomes conceptual as well, a reflection about the world we’re living in and the nature around us. Sound-wise it sometimes makes me think of a space-walk created with surgical electronic noises. Field recordings and an impressive canvas of sounds have been used to bring the listener into a state of pure contemplation. From dreamy passages to definitely darker and even freaky parts, the work reveals only one single cut from nearly 60 minutes.

+ + + : Paul Schütze is a truly sound surgeon. His creation remains faithful to his experimental-ambient creation. He once again excels in the way he’s manipulating noises to become now evasive and then anguishing. I especially like the darker passages featuring crispy noises and dark-humming sound waves. It also remains a work with a strong visual appeal leaving the listener in his own inner world.

– – – : The minimalism and experimental approach of the musician aren’t always easy to seize and to listen to. It’s a very weird trip, which might become a little bit monotonous after a while.

Conclusion: The fans of Paul Schütze will be ravished to discover a new opus from this renowned artist while I also have to congratulate Glacial Movements to have released this album. Paul Schütze is composing again with the same creative mind as in the past.

Best songs: “The Sky Torn Apart”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.paulschutze.com /  www.facebook.com/pages/Paul–Schütze/113391962004577

Label: www.glacialmovements.com / www.facebook.com/glacialmovements

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

Belgian musician Thomas Andrew Barman,better known as Tom Barman, is caught up in the #MeToo storm as he has been unmasked as a stalker and sexist. When after expressing strong opposition towards male sexual harassment on Belgian national tv, several women came forward accusing him of sexist and stalking behaviour including a scene where Barman insisted to get a blowjob from a young woman in order to have access to a cafe toilet. He also followed a women for hours yelling sexist comments all the time.

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg so many believe.

The story doesn’t come as a surprise, Barman was also part of the close friend circle of the notorious Belgian politician Steve Stevaert. The socialist politician committed suicide after – surprise, surprise – it was revealed he was a serial rapist, something the Belgian press had known for years but which had always been covered up.

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

Genre/Influences: Ritual, dark-ambient.

Background/Info: Cryo Chamber has signed an interesting formation from Ukraine. Tim Six aka Creation VI started his first experiments in 2006 and has released an impressive number of production on different, small and obscure companies. “Deus Sive Natura” is his debut work on Cryo Chamber and definitely an opportunity to reach a wider audience.

Content: “Deus Sive Natura” is mixing different styles and can be defined as the osmosis between dark-ambient, ritual and drones. It’s a diversified piece of work carried by dark sound resonations and awakening the curiosity by ritual chants and slow, tribal rhythms.

On top of the composition you’ll notice numerous field recordings, but the main particularity is the use of authentic/acoustic instruments like blockflute, Chinese flute (hulusi), shruti-box, harmonica, ocarina, kazoo, bells, chimes, seeds & seedpods. It injects an extra dimension to the work while creating a real complementary feeling together with the electronic manipulations.

+ + + : I can’t say that Creation VI sounds atypical, but Tim Six is bringing different- and related music genres together. But he also mixed different ways of composing by using electronics, field recordings and authentic instruments. The result is absolutely fascinating and efficient. It feels like every music genre and every single instrument are simply empowering the next one. “Deus Sive Natura” also is a work with a strong visual aspect accentuated by an overwhelming sound production.

– – – : There are only 5 cuts featured on this album so you can easily imagine Creation VI is the kind of project composing extra long duration pieces. The final track holds you in its grip for more than 23 minutes, but unfortunately it’s not exactly my favorite one.

Conclusion: Creation VI is a fascinating experience in sound, which has found the right label to reach the audience that will recognize and adore its sound.

Best songs: “Cycles Of Life”, “Divine Intervention”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.facebook.com/sixcreationsix

Label: www.cryochamberlabel.com /  www.facebook.com/CryoChamber

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

Drone veteran act Creation VI (started in 2006 by the duo Tim Six & Aloe, based in Yaroslavl, Russia) presents us with his debut album on Cryo Chamber: “Deus Sive Natura”. Interesting to know for the audio fanatics, the material has been recorded on old tapes “for a fuzzy warmth” as the band describes it.

On the album you’ll find an abundant use of acoustic instruments like blockflute, chinese flute (hulusi), shruti-box, harmonica, ocarina, kazoo, bells, chimes, seeds & seedpods. Add to that tribal drums and you recognise immediately that this is hypnotic ritual shaman material. Especially – and warmly – recommended for those of you who enjoy Ugasanie, Paleowolf and field recordings.

You can order the album right here on Bandcamp as a high quality audio download or as a 6-panel digital (limited to just 500 copies) with splendid artwork by Cryo Chamber boss Simon Heath.

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

Genre/Influences: Dance-pop, power-pop, future-pop.

Background/Info: Based in Glasgow (Scotland) Tom Perrett and Kimberly Copland took us by surprise with their debut album “Deus Ex Machina” originally released in 2014. The band is now back on track unleashing new songs and 2 remixes on this EP.

Content: This EP sounds a bit like picking up where “Deus Ex Machina” left off. The duo reveals a real powerful and masterly produced kind of dance-pop music. It sounds pretty dance and techno minded while the leads are pure dance-trance. The heavy, danceable kick will drive numerous club visitors into wild and insane moves. The work remains however spiced with (future)-pop influences. It’s not only about the passionate and pop-like vocal parts, but still some of the arrangements and beautiful synth-line reveals their poppy influence.

The final chapter of the EP features great remixes by Biomechanical and Nature Of Wires. Notice by the way this EP has been mixed by Andy McBain (Cyferdyne) and mastered by the great Jan Loamfield (Noisuf-X, X-Fusion).

+ + + : The global production work is absolutely phenomenal! There’s an impressive and powerful sound coming through, which reveals a great balance between all the influences. The passionate and somewhat enraged vocals are excellent. Both remixes are absolutely essential and injecting some diversity to the original version of the song.

– – – : I can easily imagine Advance is going too far in the exploration of dance and trance music for some ‘classical’ pop lovers.

Conclusion: If you’re a club visitor and you like to dance, you’re going to like this EP by Advance revealing a dynamic offspring between dance/trance music and electro-pop.

Best songs: “Trying To Live”, “Calm Before The Storm – Biomechanical Remix”, “Grey Dawn – Nature Of Wires Remix”.

Rate: (8).

Band: http://advanceaudio.co.uk / www.facebook.com/Advanceaudio

Label: www.analoguetrash.co.uk / www.facebook.com/analoguetrashofficial

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

The new Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio album “Vision: Libertine – The Hangman’s Triad” will be released in 3 different formats – all in special deluxe packagings: a deluxe digipak 2CD (available here), a limited doubled coloured vinyl (including an extra 2CD – available here but close to being sold out) and a limited wooden box holding 3CDs (available here but almost completely sold out).

The 3rd disc in the wooden box holds “Deus Otiosus” in an extended long Friday, Pagan day version and was recorded live in Rimini in 2003.

Originally planned as an EP, over a course of 3 years Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio’s new album “Vision: Libertine – The Hangman’s Triad” grew into a double album, comprised of the two separate, yet connected entities. You’ll also be able to hear the contributions by Empusae’s Sal-Ocin on percussion and other acoustic instruments.

Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio is a neofolk and martial industrial music group from Stockholm. The band is composed of its founding member and vocalist Tomas Pettersson, and Rose-Marie Larsen, who replaced Chelsea Krook on backup vocals. In 2008 Fredrik Leijström and Ronnie Bäck joined the band on bass and guitar.

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

Genre/Influences: Industrial, soundscape, Indus-ambient, tribal.

Content: “Deus Irae” resulted from the common efforts of Gwenn Trémorin (Flint Glass) and Thibaud Thaunay (Collapsar, Maculatum). Both French artists have not been very prolific during the past few years when it comes to release new music. They joined forces to accomplish this noticeable sonic trip inspired by the novel “God Of Wrath” written by Phillip K. Dick & Roger Zelasny.

It’s all about an apocalyptic voyage in search of the God of Wrath, which has been transposed by both musicians into a poignant and diversified musical voyage mainly characterized by two long duration compositions. Both tracks simply entitled “Servants Of Wrath” (part I & II) will hold you in their grip for nearly 50 minutes.

We enter a fascinating universe of freaky sound treatments mixed with aquatic sounds and other field recordings. It allows the visitor to explore an obscure and somewhat surreal universe, which progressively evolves towards harder industrial rhythms and overwhelming dark-ambient like sound waves. The visit becomes progressively more tormenting by the injection of hard, crashing sound treatments.

The music becomes more visual-like, which is an element reinforced at “Servants Of Wrath Part II”. This track sounds a bit harder and more into industrial influences, but it also reveals more complexity and industrial sound intelligence. The slow rhythm makes it fully accessible while some kind of breathing blasts again reinforce the feeling of horror. You feel the symbiosis of both artists coming through more strongly on this 2nd cut.

We next get 5 remixes of “Servants Of Wrath” although it’s more appropriated to speak about a real rework. Spherical Disrupted is the first band on the list accentuating the mysterious mood of the track while the industrial style sounds more like manipulated by an acid bath. It’s an interesting cut followed by a cool remix of Hologram.

One of the most noticeable remixes was accomplished by another French project. Sylvgheist Maëlström is a real genius when it comes to create outstanding sound treatments and that’s precisely what comes through on this remix. It sounds harder and totally industrial-like while getting closer to the spirit of Flint Glass. Ah Cama-Sotz did a great job as well accentuating the percussion parts while the ambient element gives this mix a dark shadow.

Last, but not least Iszoloscope brings this album to a great end reinforcing the rhythmic and the industrial components of the track. This version is more into tribal-industrial influences and comes closer to the usual work of Flint Glass as well.

Conclusion: “Deus Irae” stands for a great sonic symbiosis between two complementary bands plus several noticeable and intelligent remixes. This is the kind of collaboration I can only, but encourage to regroup for another release.

Best songs: “The servants Of Wrath Part I”, “The Servants Of Wrath Part II”, “The Servants Of Wrath – Olden Wrath Of The Great Ones Mix by Iszoloscope”, “The Servants Of Wrath – Opening Of Wrath Mix By Sylvgheist Maëlström”.

Rate: (DP:8½)DP.

Bands: www.flint-glass.fr / www.facebook.com/FlintGlass / https://myspace.com/collapsardrones / www.facebook.com/pages/Collapsar/159467040799701

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

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