(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange / Techomancer press release. Photos: Tarjei Krogh) Out now is the new album from the Norwegian synthwave act Technomancer a.k.a. Alexandria “Alyxx” Digre (she/her). She debuted with the album ‘System Failure’ in 2013, and now, almost 10 years later, the second album ‘Hyperfuel’ is finally being released!

Originally from the Northern town of Mo I Rana, Norway, Alyxx moved to Sarpsborg in 2014 and had already started working on the album at that point. Realizing that the next album had to be of much higher quality than the debut album, Alyxx started working on honing her production skills, getting plenty of practice on her side projects Zone Tripper and Laboratory 5, as well as doing numerous remixes for bands/artists such as Die Krupps, Nitzer Ebb, Anne Clark, Naked Lunch, Attrition, Robert Marlow (RIP), Apoptygma Berzerk and several others.

After ‘System Failure’, a departure from the former sound was set almost immediately. The sleek futurepop style was cast aside in favour of a heavier influence from the 80’s, with The Sisters Of Mercy providing a strong influence on the new sound. Together with Zone Tripper, Technomancer adopted very much an early synthwave sound which since then has become a signature sound for Alyxx’ productions as a whole. The new album relies heavily on sampled guitars and drum machines to give a much heavier retrowave feeling, which should please fans of synthwave acts such as Dance With The Dead and Scandroid.

The album has been co-produced by Stephan L. Groth (Apoptygma Berzerk) and his brother Jonas Groth (Piston Damp, Apoptygma Berzerk) who both have also provided guest vocals on the album. Frequent collaborator Per Aksel Lundgreen (Angst Pop, Cronos Titan, Chinese Detectives, Shatoo) has also been involved.

Ole-Espen Kristiansen (OK Minus, Elec This!) has mastered the album and also mixed a couple tracks. Ole-Espen has also done mastering and live mixing for Apoptygma Berzerk and Piston Damp.

Wanting to know more about this release, we contacted Alyxx to have some questions answered.

S-L: You’ve gone from furutepop to synthwave – what’s the next step in your evolution?

Alexandria Digre: Well, I really don’t know. I’ve been listening to harder stuff lately. I especially loved REIN’s album, ‘Reincarnated’ and really loved that kind of old school EBM sound making a comeback. I also finally got around to listening to some Nitzer Ebb stuff, especially their legendary ‘That Total Age’ album. Some of my recent demos have been more in the vein of that, combined with some influences from Empirion.

I also saw Sierra in Gothenburg this summer and really loved the harder synthwave sound she had going. I’m definitely still in the synthwave scene and been listening to a lot of stuff there lately, so that might still be an influence going forward. I don’t think the next album will take a decade to make so I also doubt it will be as much of a new direction. But we will see, it all depends on where my writing takes me.

Right now I have some ideas for a new album but nothing solid, as I rarely do in the early stages. I actually wrote a few futurepop/techno tracks at the start of making ‘Hyperfuel’ that ended up not really fitting in, but I might use some of that for the next album if I can find a new sound they would fit in. But so far I’ve been wanting to draw more on early 90s EBM influences like Front Line Assembly and that early EBM sound.

S-L: How has the feedbacks on the album been so far?

AD: Well, even as the singles came out, it was usually positive. But as for the album, it really seems people are loving it. Everyone I’ve sent it to has enjoyed it and hasn’t really had much bad to say about it. Which is both flattering and a bit concerning. I really hope someone really goes into depth on the album at some point. I love praise and knowing people are connecting with the music, but I also love to know where I can improve going forward. After all, ‘Hyperfuel’ wouldn’t be the album it is without the criticism I got from ‘System Failure’.

S-L: You got some covers here – tell us more about how they came to life!

AD: ‘Puppets’ came to life as I was invited to contribute to a Depeche Mode tribute project. I made the original version on my own in my studio and on a journey with Stephan (Apoptygma Berzerk) I played it for him and Per Aksel (Angst Pop) and Stephan really loved what he heard. He not only advised me to release the cover myself, but also allow him to do it together with me. I was floored by the fact Stephan straight up asked to work with me on something, so naturally I agreed.

He spent a few days in his studio recording some additional synth riffs on his Korg MS-20 and recording the vocals, which we then added to the mix. We then spent a while in my studio producing the track with Per Aksel.

So yeah, very glad I didn’t just release it as a tribute album track. It ended up becoming a lot more than that, and I have so many good memories with ‘Puppets’. Only downside is I doubt I could perform it live without Stephan. It wouldn’t feel right, haha!

‘Ecstasy’ was a song I’ve wanted to cover for a long time. I’ve been a fan of Black Lab since I heard their cover of the Transformers Theme from their ‘Technologie’ EP, where ‘Ecstasy’ was also featured. I immediately connected with the song and it has always been my favourite Black Lab track.

‘Ecstasy’ was actually always intended to be on the album. I think it was on the first demo I brought Per Aksel right after I had moved to Sarpsborg. On the demo version, I did all the vocals myself, but I always wanted someone with me on it. Per Aksel suggested Stian Joneid as a candidate, and we also considered Dag Brandth (Shatoo) to do it with me. Honestly, Dag might have been perfect for it, but due to circumstances that never worked out, so I ended up choosing Jonas Groth (Piston Damp) since I was recording my final vocals in his studio for the song and he’s the best singer I know.

Jonas’ vocals really helped bring the song to another level and I am so happy we got to work together on it. Him and Truls Sønsterud did an amazing Piston Damp remix of it by the way that you can find on the single.

‘The Outsider’ was a song I originally did for a Psyche tribute album, ‘Unforgotten Rhymes’. It was also the second music video I did after moving to Sarpsborg, with Per Aksel directing and shooting it. It sort of became the first single from the album actually, featuring the signature sound I would be going for. It’s always been a song I connected with on a personal level, so having it on the album felt natural to me.

S-L: What’s next up for you?

AD: Working on a new Zone Tripper album and some other side projects. Lab5 has been dormant for a while and I am itching to get some of our material out there. Also working on a synthwave project called Neo Hyperdrive together with Hexebyte and Max Static from Lab5. There will also be a 2CD Deluxe Edition of Hyperfuel that will also be available on my Bandcamp. I’ll announce a release date for that later on.

The album was released digitally worldwide on November 4^th 2022, with a Deluxe Edition also available on 2xCD via Sector Industrial (www.sector-industrial.com) and digitally exclusive via the Technomancer Bandcamp, which includes 5 additional tracks and remixes by Machinista, Echo Image, Piston Damp, Substaat and Christian Espeland of Code 64. Release date for the Deluxe Edition will be revealed later.

Get it at Bandcamp along with more of the discography, or have a listen at Spotify!

Jan Ronald Stange

Sometimes – when I’m not cooking, biking, listening to music or attending concerts, I write stuff for Side-Line.com. Mostly about Norwegian bands, but it’s been some Swedish, English, American, Danish, German and others too… 😉

www.facebook.com/jrstange

Out via Armalyte Industries is the new album, “Prey Later”, by former Pitchshifter/The Prodigy guitarist Jim Davies.

“Prey Later” is the second solo album from Davies with guest appearances from Tut Tut Child and Bullet for My Valentine bass player Jamie Mathias. Sound-wise you can expect a mix of dirty beats, EDM and industrial.

Says Davies: “On my first solo album ‘Headwars’ I covered quite a few styles as I’m into a wide range of music, but on ‘Prey Later’ I found myself naturally gravitating towards the more dirty industrial side, where I feel most at home! It was great to collaborate with industrial legends Empirion on a few tracks. We first met back in 1995 when they were the main support to Prodigy on the first tour I ever did with them, so it’s cool to be working together after god know how many years! Just like working with Bullet For My Valentine Bass player Jamie Mathias on the track ‘The Killing Way’, his vocals were incredible.”

You can check out the lyric video for the single “The Bar Is Low” right 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. 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

(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange) Oslo Synth Band from Norway have been quiet for a time now, but today they released their EP ‘Stress’ on digital platforms, including three remixes and an instrumental version of the song.

We got hold of Tarjei Krogh to elaborate on this release and the process leading up to these tracks!

S-L: Long time since last OSB release – what have you been up too?

Tarjei Krogh: OSB has always been more focused on live gigs, than producing music. We love that type of energy that we get from the crowds and see that most of the fans tending our gigs are punkers and rockers. Our goal is to express a kind of kick-ass party vibe which our fans deliver the minute we start playing! That said, we have currently been occupied with other projects in the electronic genre, mostly due to the pandemic which inhibits gathering of crowds, but this track felt so good we had to get back into the game and release it even though we can’t play it live at any venue for the time being. People will with this release be able to play our music at home and still always have the same kind of kick-ass party available.

OSB was established in 1993, were we started with picking up dull moralistic Norwegian songs and tried to make them harder sounding, industrial and more electronic. We have been making these cover songs and our own material side by side without any bigger vision. The track ´Stress´ is one our own creations, a kind of art by accident if you will.

S-L: Tell us more about ‘Stress’ – and the remixes!

TK: ´Stress´ is a crazy story. This is originally one of the most kick-ass basslines I have ever come up with and was recorded on a cassette / tape back in 1996. It was supposed to be used in either one or two other bands I´m involved in: Anstalt and Solar Temple / Order of the Solar Temple. But nothing really happened at that time. I found the tape a few years ago, sampled the whole track and tried to make something new out of it. On a road trip to Norway’s highest mountain, vocalist Jomar and I stopped his car and totally improvised the whole lyrics screaming them out loudly.

I must admit that a car is a brilliant place to record hard and punky vocals if you don´t mind the staring of all the people around your parked car. In our case we were two grown-ass men screaming our heads off, all the while surrounded by Norway’s, or even Scandinavia’s highest beautiful mountains where people surrounding our car usually come to find their bliss with the breathtaking silence and views of our remarkable nature, at that moment we couldn´t care less, we had art to make. We hope that that feeling of freedom that comes from letting all aggression out in an unorthodox matter like this can inspire others in our genre to try it, and just se what happens.

All remixes on this track are made by our own collective / family. For people who are into the electronic genre, Anstalt first appeared on the ´Sex, Drugs & Ebm´ compilation under three different projects: Hexagon, Agenda & Aggressiva, together with bands like Apoptygma Berzerk back in 1992. Also participating on lots of compilations and releasing their own album in 1995, ´Brilliance without fase´.

Stanley Cupid is a project focused on taking ebm and mixing it with house/techno music and bringing it to the clubs as Empirion did with their remix of Prodigys ´Firestarter´ back in the days. Or like Primal Scream did with their fantastic ´Miss Lucifer´. Stanley Cupid is most known for remixing of Apoptygma Berzerk and Substaat (also released on all digital platforms). Cupid will in the near future release a 4th album, this time focusing purely on electronic body music.

´Norwegian chill´ is a project trying to take ambient/chillout in the direction of more experimental/industrial soundscapes and has already released 4 albums on our label: Norwegian Giants. 

S-L: Other releases or plans now that restrictions are being lifted?

TK: OSB will in the near future focus on making a digital collection of the best tracks from 1994 to present time… and we will definitely play live again, now for a bigger audience than ever before screaming our lungs out and loving every minute of it!

Do also check out another project Tarjei has been involved in – Norwegian Beats by Norwegian Giants, 20 volumes released so far! Also read our story about the project from a year ago: Norwegian Giants beats up the summer with weekly album releases.

Jan Ronald Stange

Sometimes – when I’m not cooking, biking, listening to music or attending concerts, I write stuff for Side-Line.com. Mostly about Norwegian bands, but it’s been some Swedish, English, American, Danish, German and others too… 😉

www.facebook.com/jrstange

Genre/Influences: Industrial, industrial-trance.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Speed Injektion is a side-project of Alien Vampires members Nysrok Infernalien and Nightstalker. “Death’s Dance” has been inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic while the sound of this project is dancefloor-orientated.

Content: If alien vampires already took me by surprise with their overwhelming dark-electro & aggrotech sound, Speed Injektion moves towards a total sonic cataclysm! The opening title-song is a merciless fusion between industrial- and trance music. The track has been progressively built up, but the danceable vibes are constant. The other tracks coming up are still mixing influences, but also evoke the rough techno side of Empirion (cf. “Crept Into Your Thoughts”) while “Evil Wins Anyway” has something groovy-industrial like. This is also the perfect club song! The song “King Of entropy” features Hungarian metal singer Attila Csihar.

+ + + : Don’t expect those Italians composing ordinary industrial-techno music; the compositions are well-crafted and masterly produced. They reveal great sound treatments, which have something rough and clearly menacing. The title song is an absolute masterpiece for the way it has been built up and sound treatments that have been used. But “Crept Into Your Thoughts” featuring a few harsh vocals, “Apocalypse (Has Arrived)” and “Evil Wins Anyway” all are sublime tracks as well.

– – – : I don’t see real minus points at this EP.

Conclusion: Speed Injektion takes off with a phenomenal and overwhelming debut EP. This project has the potential to gain a similar reputation as Alien Vampires.

Best songs: “Death’s Dance”, “Crept Into Your Thoughts”, “Evil Wins Anyway”, “Apocalypse (Has Arrived)”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.facebook.com/SpeedInjektion

Label: www.digitalworld.audio /   www.facebook.com/DigitalWorldAudio

About Speed Injektion

Speed Injektion is a side-project of Italian act Alien Vampires, formed by members Nysrok Infernalien and Nightstalker. “Death’s Dance”, released through Digital World Audio in 2020, is the project’s debut EP.

Nysrok Infernalien and Nightstalker have since continued Speed Injektion’s remix work, including contributions to Alfa Matrix compilations “Evil Lasts Forever” (2017), “Witchy Bitchy” (2023) and “Sounds From The Matrix 24” (2024).

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: Industrial-techno, techno-body-music, techno-rock, breakbeats.

Background/Info: “ADSR” –which stands for ‘Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release’ is the second EP taken from the “Resume”-album. This album stands for the ‘resurrection’ of the British formation driven by Oz Morsley and Jamie Smart.  

Content: “ADSR” was not exactly my favorite track from “Resume”, but there are so much great songs featured on this album! It however remains a hard piece of techno-body music driven with some breakbeats and a few vocals, which are more produced as a kind of effect. Remixes have been accomplished by Cubanate, Leeroy Thornhill (ex-Prodigy) and Seething Akira. Empirion remixed the title song as well and delivers 3 different versions!

Last, but not least the EP also features an exclusive B-side song with the song “I Just Like The Noise” and a remix of the song “Too Many Masters” (taken from the bonus disc of “Resume”) remixed by XMSB (aka Xavier Morel).

+ + + : Empirion stands for modern electronics, mixing multiple genres together to get a powerful and ultra-danceable result! “ADSR” symbolizes the power and energy from the band and their last album. The song is driven by an alluring bass line and terrific sound effects while the vocals also are an essential aspect of the song. Among the remixes Cubanate did a great job while I also highly recommend the “Clubbed Up Mix” from Empirion! The new song “I Just Like The Noise” is much more than simply a B-side cut, but another punchy cut to dance to!

– – – : Empirion stands for me as the ‘masters of modern electronic music’ and I don’t see any single minus point in their work or this EP.

Conclusion: “ADSR” brings us back to one of the best- and most essential electronic releases from the year! This is progressive techno/body/industrial music; music with attitude made by truly sound gurus!

Best songs: “ADSR – Empirion Clubbed Up Mix”, “ADSR – Cubanate Remix”, “ADSR”, “I Just Like The Noise”, “Too Many Masters – XMSB Rmx”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.empirion.org / www.facebook.com/empirion.music

Label: www.dependent.de / www.facebook.com/dependent.records

About Empirion

Empirion was founded in 1993 in Essex, England, by Oz Morsley, Jamie Smart and Bob Glennie. The trio released the “Narcotic Influence” EP on Wanted Records in 1994 before signing to XL Recordings, which issued the debut album “Advanced Technology” in 1996.

A US tour was cut short when Bob Glennie was diagnosed with cancer; he died in 2005. Oz Morsley went on to form Kloq, while Jamie Smart stepped away from music for a period before the pair revived Empirion as a duo in November 2010. The band released the double-sided EP “I Am Electronic / Red Noise” in 2018, followed by the album ““Resume”” on Dependent Records in 2019.

“ADSR” is the second EP drawn from “Resume”, featuring remixes by Cubanate, Leeroy Thornhill and Seething Akira alongside Empirion’s own reworks of the title track.

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

Empirion saw the daylight in 1993. Set up by Oz Morsley, Jamie Smart and Bob Glennie the band became quite famous thanks to the legendary “Narcotic Influence”-EP released in 1994 on Wanted Records. They next signed to XL Recordings unleashing in 1996 their debut album “Advanced Technology”. Bob Glennie lost his battle with cancer in 2005, which also seemed to announce the end of a great band. Oz Morsley moved on setting up Kloq, but since 2010 Empirion came back to life doing live performances. They last year came up as a duo releasing new material featured at the EP “I Am Electronic / Red Noise” and here’s now their first new album since “Advanced Technology”. “Resume” (Dependent) mixes early, analogue sound treatments together with solid EBM bass lines resulting in a high-tech, energetic production for the dancefloors. I talked about “Resume” with Oz and Jamie.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Empirion was already active again since a couple of years now, but when did you finally get the idea to compose new songs and how did the entire writing process of “Resume” happened? 

Oz: We had played a few gigs and festivals over the last few years nd at the beginning of us getting back together we didn’t really have a plan to release music. Further along to way we started to think that we should possibly write some new music because the response was good with the live shows, old and new fans made it clear they wanted new material. We wrote a couple of tracks then we thought we could release an EP, then we wrote some more and started to think we could do an album! At that point we really started to think about what the album should be in terms of the Empirion sound… what would we be writing if we had carried on from the 90’s? How would we sound? It sorted itself out after being in the studio together a few times, we wrote a couple of things that didn’t work, but then we just came together and we found our sound again… we just relaxed and it came back to us… but a more contemporary up to date polished version of Empirion.

Q: We all know what happened with Bob Glennie, but what has been the impact of his loss on both of you and on the band? How did it feel to set up Empirion again without him and tell us a bit more about the ‘new’ line-up? 

Jamie: Myself and Oz hadn’t seen each other for many years after Empirion finished at the end of the 90’s. I got in touch because of a gig offer that had come my way so it was the perfect moment for us to meet up and discuss things. It was cool to see each other again and obviously we had a chance to discuss what people (and us) would think it we restarted the band without Bobby. We came to the immediate conclusion that Bob would want us to take this chance and get Empirion back in the game. It was a difficult one, some friends and family may have not been completely happy with us carrying on, but to be honest everyone has been cool, plenty of encouragement and positive vibes especially now the album is out and it’s gathering force… we’re ok with doing this to keep the name alive, he would be to. 

Q: Tell us a bit more about “Resume”? What kind of work did you had in mind and how did you finally (sound-wise) filled the gap between the early work and “Resume”?

Oz: We wrote some of the tracks for “Resume” a real long time ago actually. We did have a very short period of time where we had to play about with sounds/production to get back in the right frame of mind, but as we mentioned before once we got it back they just started to flow. We didn’t want to write a whole bunch of tracks that we just like the early stuff or even come back with music that didn’t relate to it, so as you can imagine having to make up for 23 years of lost time was quite a challenge. If we’d been writing for all those years we would have naturally and gradually morphed the sound of the band, but this way was a lot harder to produce… having to think about every sound, every riff and every type of style.

Q: When listening to “Resume” I get the feeling to hear songs reminding me to the legendary “Narcotic Influence”-hit and to the 90s breakbeats of The Prodigy, but still other songs with a modern techno/EBM approach and driven by solid bass lines! Is this the essence of “Resume” and can you give a few more details about the sound creation properly speaking? 

Jamie: Yeah it’s a blend of old and new, that’s what we wanted to create for the listeners. The whole feel of the album had to have something for the old-school fans to connect with and also new fans to feel there is a link to what’s going on now in a way. Obviously we were using old technology to create the early music so keeping the same essence was important to us. 

Q: I think “Resume” is an appropriated title for this new album. Another appropriated title could have been “Challenge” as I can imagine it must be not that easy to reactivate Empirion, which had such a successful career! How does it really feel? Is it a challenge or is it just about ‘passion’ and ‘artistic creation’?

Jamie: As mentioned earlier it was a little bit of a challenge, but we just stay true to what we want to write and the rest seems to follow. We can only write what we feel, we’re not interested in doing what everyone else is doing, in some ways we don’t care as it’s not going to change what we want to do.

Q: How do you as artists and band evolve throughout the years? Do you focalize on different aspects or do you have other influences and references when it comes to composition and production?  

Oz: We both feel it’s important to have standards with what we create. Have a balance of old and new as we said earlier, take on some new influences of what’s going on, but ultimately do something as fresh as you can, don’t worry too much or over think it all… push the production as much as you can to deliver the proper sound that people get off on.

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: Industrial-techno, techno-body-music, techno-rock, breakbeats.

Background/Info: Empirion saw the daylight in 1993. Back in time there were a trio consisting of Oz Morsley, Jamie Smart and Bob Glennie. They became quite famous thanks to the legendary “Narcotic Influence”-EP released in 1994 on Wanted Records. They next signed to XL Recordings (know for The Prodigy) unleashing in 1996 their debut album “Advanced Technology”. Empirion did a support tour for The Prodigy and did a lot of remixes for great names (Front 242, Praga Khan, Cubanate…). Bob Glennie lost his battle with cancer in 2005, which also seemed to announce the end of a great band. Oz Morsley moved on setting up Kloq, but since 2010 Empirion came back to life doing live performances. They last year came up as a duo releasing new material featured at the EP “I Am Electronic / Red Noise” and here’s now their first new album since “Advanced Technology”.

Content: It always is a risky business for a band with such a great past to strike back after such a long hiatus. But those who know the sonic skills of Oz Morsley know his potential. Empirion is back and “Resume” is the ultimate release to join the past with the present. The album has something retro like featuring a few cuts with breakbeats (reminding me of The Prodigy) and the typical raw, analogue sounds, but also contemporary mixing elements of techno, industrial and EBM. This is music to dance! The songs don’t feature that much vocals, but samplings and vocals have been used more as an extra effect.

+ + + : I always get the feeling of losing my ‘objectivity’ when listening to music Oz Morsley has been involved with. But that’s because this guy is a real sonic alchemist. He transforms sounds into gold! This gold has something transcendental and hypnotic. “Resume” is mixing elements reminding me of Front 242 (for some analogue treatments), The Prodigy (for the breakbeats) and Thomas P. Heckmann (for the bass lines), but it’s first of all Empirion! It sounds retro-like and still visionary because there are not many bands in the line of Empirion. This album is total club-power featuring multiple outstanding cuts such as “S.E.T.I.”, “They’re In My Dreams”, “Stepper” and the already known “I Am Electronic” and “Red Noise”. The vocals aren’t the major element of the work and yet they’ve been produced with care; now with robotic effects and then just like a sampling effect.

– – – : I think a few more vocals could have been added now and then, but you don’t hear me to complain!

Conclusion: Empirion is back and that’s damn great news, but when a back strikes back with such a work filled with high-energy and sonic-magic you can only but be thankful. “Resume” will be without a shadow of doubt become one of my 2019’s favorites!

Best songs: “They’re In My Dreams”, “S.E.T.I.”, “Stepper”, “Red Noise”, “I Am Electronic”, “Sideswipe”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.empirion.org / www.facebook.com/empirion.music

Label: www.dependent.de / www.facebook.com/dependent.records Read the news on ‘Resume’.

About Empirion

Empirion formed in 1993 as a trio of Oz Morsley, Jamie Smart and Bob Glennie. The “Narcotic Influence” EP followed on Wanted Records in 1994, then the debut album “Advanced Technology” on XL Recordings in 1996, with a support tour alongside The Prodigy and remix work for acts including Front 242, Praga Khan and Cubanate. Glennie died of cancer in 2005; Morsley went on to set up Kloq before Empirion resumed live performances in 2010 and returned as a duo. Following “Resume”, the duo released the “ADSR” EP in December 2019.

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 later in August is the newest Empirion album by the Essex duo Austin “Oz” Morsley and Jamie Smart. “Resume” is announced as being ‘a stylish hybrid between dance and industrial’ influenced by bands such as Future Sound Of London, Nitzer Ebb and The Prodigy.

Next to the regular album (available here) you can also expect an artbook with a bonus CD (available here) holding 6 bonus tracks, including a remix by Marc Heal of Cubanate.

Empirion was founded in 1993 at the pinnacle of the acid house scene in the UK by Oz Morsely, Jamie Smart and Bob Glennie. Smart, who was at the time touring the world as a tour support DJ with fellow Essex boys The Prodigy, got a track (“Narcotic Influence”) released on the newly created label Wanted Records and followed this up with 3 more techno tracks.

Empirion finally signed with XL Recordings in 1995 and released their debut album “Advanced Technology” in 1996.

Touring America was a bittersweet moment for the band as member Bob Glennie was diagnosed with cancer shortly before the tour. Unable to join the band on the road and in the studio had its effect on the band as a whole and as a result Empirion was in a state of limbo. Bob’s battle with cancer ended in 2005.

While Oz started a new band, Kloq, Jamie stepped away from the music scene for a while before coming back alongside Victory Pill’s Pete Crossman in their joint project Controlled Change in 2001. In November 2010 the duo revived the project and started recording new material. The rest is history! Read the review of ‘Resume’.

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: Industrial, crossover.

Background/Info: Twenty one years after their last studio work under the Cubanate moniker, core members Marc Heal and Phil Barry are back on track unleashing new work. This EP features five new songs plus two remixes.

Content: Cubanate is back and the least I can say is that it doesn’t sound at all as this band has been inactive for more than twenty years. “Kolossus” still sounds pretty Cubanate like; a sound which is powerful, merciless and hard to define. The compositions sound like the offspring between multiple influences; a sonic fusion between industrial-, techno-, EBM and metal music. Aggressive sequences and some EBM-driven bass lines have been mixed with guitar assaults –which might appeal to KMFDM fans, plus the harsh screaming vocals of Marc Heal.

Remixes have been made by Rhys Fulber and Drownd.

+ + + : The violence emerging from this production is absolutely terrific. But there’s a perfect balance between the power and the different influences running through the work. Compared to the 90s productions of the band, this work maybe sounds a little tiny bit more electro-like and less metal-inspired. The five new songs are absolutely amazing. It’s an overwhelming production reminding me of an imaginary fusion between KMFDM and Empirion, but in the end it’s just Cubanate ano 2019! The songs are well-crafted, intelligent and literally exploding during the choruses –and I here especially refer to “Missing Persons” and “Vortex”.

– – – : When listening to this EP –which more appears to be a mini-album, you just want to hear more! The remixes are pretty cool as well, but not of a same level as the original songs.

Conclusion: I didn’t know what to expect from this comeback and I even was a bit skeptical. The result left me breathless and I even dare to affirm “Kolossus” is probably the best production I’ve heard from Cubanate! You guys rule!

Best songs: “Missing Persons”, “Vortex”, “Kolossus”, “Split Second”.

Rate: (9½).

The new EP (available here on MCD) contains five new songs plus remixes of the title track by Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly, Delerium, Conjure One) and DROWND.

Artist: www.facebook.com/cubanate

Label: www.armalyte.com / www.facebook.com/ArmalyteIndustries Read the news on ‘Kolossus’.

About Cubanate

Cubanate is the British industrial duo of Marc Heal and Phil Barry, active from 1992 to 1999 with albums including “Antimatter”, “Cyberia” and “Barbarossa” on Dynamic Records, and “Interference” on Wax Trax! Records. A later member, Julian Beeston (also of Nitzer Ebb), went on to front the project Featured. Cubanate reactivated for live shows in 2010 and issued the retrospective “Brutalism” in 2017 before “Kolossus” (2019, Armalyte Industries), its first new material in over two decades, featuring remixes by Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly) and DROWND.

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

Solitary Experiments is a band I’m following from their very early debut. The German formation was set up in 1994 releasing their debut work on Maschinewelt Records. They later on joined hands together with the major company Out Of Line. Solitary Experiments never stopped increasing recognition and popularity. All over the years their music has evolved from dark EBM to future-pop and electro-pop. They last year released new opus “Future Tense” reveals a new vintage of great, danceable and melodic songs. I asked a few questions to singer and head of the band Dennis Schober.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Solitary Experiments will celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2019! What have been the most important facts, songs & records, events ao you kept in mind and how do you see the future of the band?

Dennis: None of us would have believed that we would even get as far as the 25th anniversary. So many things have happened and it is hard to focus on one thing. I can definitely say that it wasn’t an easy path. We will always remember the foreign shows, beginning with Arnhem in Holland in 1999. Then our record deal with Out Of Line was the next milestone and then it went steadily uphill. The resulting album “Advance Into Unknown” which is still praised by critics must be mentioned, but it was the next one which included some of our biggest hits like “Delight” or “Pale Candle Light” that really brought us forward.

Next to seven studio albums, we also released some collaborative compilations, a retrospective box set and a live DVD for our 20th anniversary, plus the symphonic CD to the “Gothic Meets Klassik” event, which we are all very proud of. I also need to mention the jubilee shows (which started with our 10th anniversary celebration) and for which we always release a free compilation featuring all collaborating artists and friends. As you can see, there have been quite a lot of releases and we are planning to continue down this path.

Q: When I go back to the early work released on Maschinenwelt Records I first of all remember a band, which was more involved into EBM-influences although there was already an electro-pop touch on top. The style became more future-pop like throughout the years, but how do you perceive the evolution in sound and as musicians over the years?

Dennis: In the beginning we tried to sound like our idols. But we soon found our own stylistic path and through the growing experience we have learned to concentrate on what suits us best. This best explains the logical development of our music. We always put a focus on melodies and I have always tried to improve and develop my vocal skills. Throughout the years, we have noticed that the style that has changed has become increasingly popular with audiences.

Q: Your new album “Future Tense” took me by surprise; the sound and influences aren’t that new, but especially the global production process sounds to me as one of your most accomplished works in history. What can you say about the writing of this work and what has been the main focus in the production process?

Dennis: I take this as a compliment. What I can say is that we have been mastering the CDs in the same studio since “Phenomena”. With that album, we were overlooking the entire process and have been working with the producer to give it just the right sound. We have learned a lot from this, also in regard to pre-production. Michael has put all this collected knowledge into the production of the new album. It is good to hear that it was worth it.

Q: The title of the album “Future Tense” has something intriguing, even a bit symbolic and in a way related to the main source of inspiration, which remains future-pop music. What is it really all about and what did you try to accomplish releasing this album?

Dennis: We only tried to keep the standard of the last release, as we knew that it would be hard to top. We didn’t want to create a masterpiece, but just another waypoint on our journey. The main topic was clear from start on with the title and lyrics deliberately chosen to make you think about them. Basically, it’s about life and its transience. There is also an in-depth description to find in the booklet of the CD.

Q: The second disc reveals an impressive list of remixers. Did you have personal criteria to ask and/or choose bands to get remixed by and what have been the most surprising remixes from the album (which according to me are Empirion and Mono Inc.)?

Dennis: We always choose remixers with care. A lot of them have been on our wish list for a long while, like British act Empirion. I have to like the remixer’s style… like with Rob Dust or Raul Parra. Other mixes were part of an exchange with the artist. We wanted to give some newcomers a chance, as well, like German band ES23. Their track was a pleasant surprise, but I also have to mentions the versions of L’Âme Immortelle and the superb interpretation of Mono Inc.

Q: Solitary Experiments also became an experienced- and popular live band in the electro-pop scene. What makes the magic of playing live and what do you need, to speak about a successful concert?

Dennis: Being on stage is most important thing to us, as we have a direct feedback from the audience and are able to interact with them. A good show must include a solid stage performance, next to professional lights and sound. That is why we are using live drums, for instant. But one of the most important things is that we are all having fun. The feedback from the audience is the biggest thank you we can think of. The next big party is already booked – we will celebrating on November 8th and 9th in Berlin… with anybody who wants to attend.

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: Future-pop, electro-pop.

Background/Info: Solitary Experiments is a band I’m keeping an eye on since their very early years. The German formation became a recognized band dealing with electro/body-pop. “Future Tense” is their newest studio album, which was released 3 years after “Heavenly Symphony”.

Content: “Future Tense” is an interesting album title for featuring songs and a sound, which clearly bring us back to the past… This work isn’t retro-like, but seems to shout hard and loud that ‘future-pop’ is alive more than ever before. The album reveals a succession of great and carrying future-pop pieces, which will clearly appeal for the fans of VNV Nation and co. Sometimes a bit more dreamy-like, but mainly danceable, “Future Tense” is a noticeable album in its genre.

The second disc features remixes by ES23, Mental Discipline, Empirion, Binary Park, Freunde Der Technik, Mono Inc,  People Theatre, Rob Dust, L’Âme Immortelle, Beborn Beton, Paul Parra, Hartung & Schleinitz and Uniik.

+ + + : You immediately will notice the maturity of this band. They’ve accomplished a major album, which –even if doesn’t bring anything new, maybe is one of their best productions in history. It’s a melodic and danceable piece of work, but still a work filled with sensibility and emotions. There are several songs illustrating the talent of the band. I for sure can refer to the already know “Crash & Burn” (featuring female vocals by Tea F? Thimé from Ashbury Heights), but also “Brace Yourself!”, “Shelter”, “I Am”, the harder sounding “Double Dealer” and my personal favorite one “Every Time”.

Among the remixes I especially recommend the harder and darker sounding remix of “Double Dealer” by Empirion, but I also noticed cool contributions from Mental Discipline, Rob Dust, People Theatre, Paul Parra and a surprising acoustic remix by Mono Inc.

– – – : I don’t see real minor points although Solitary Experiments became a little bit predictable in their composition while a few songs are moving on the ‘commercial’ edge of dance music.

Conclusion: Solitary Experiments have already released great and noticeable productions, but I consider “Future Tense” as one of their best in history. Future-pop is alive and this album clearly symbolizes this fact.

Best songs: “Every Time”, “Brace Yourself!”, “Shelter”, “I Am”, “Crash & Burn”, “Double Dealer”  + “Double dealer – Empirion Remix”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.solitaryexperiments.de / www.facebook.com/solitaryexperiments

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

About Solitary Experiments

Solitary Experiments is a German band formed in 1994 around singer Dennis Schober, releasing its debut material on Maschinewelt Records before signing to Out Of Line for the 2003 album “Advance Into Unknown”. The band’s sound evolved from early EBM influences toward the future-pop and electro-pop style of later albums including “Cause & Effect” (2004), “Immortal” and “The Beauty Lies…” (both 2009), and “Phenomena” and “Trial And Error” (both 2013). “Future Tense”, reviewed here, arrived as a double-CD in 2018 alongside the single “Crash & Burn”, three years after “Heavenly Symphony”. Solitary Experiments marked its 25th anniversary in 2019 and returned in 2022 with the album “Transcendent”, preceded by the single “Wonderland”.

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

Empirion, the techno industrial hybrid project from Essex, UK is coming back with a double A-side E.P., “I Am Electronic/ Red Noise”. To be released on vinyl (4 Tracks) and CD (6 track) format on September 21st, this is a first glimpse of Empirion’s forthcoming album “Resume”.

The 2 new tracks come paired with remixes and two exclusive tracks. You can order the CD version right here and the vinyl version right here.

Here’s the video for “I Am Electronic”.

The band formed in 1993 and debuted with the track “Narcotic Influence”. Note that the original line-up consisted of Austin Morsely, Bob Glennie and Jamie Smart. Nowadays the line-up is stripped down to Austin Morsley and Jamie Smart due to the death of Glennie 2005 after battling a brain tumor.

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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Infest is the UK’s premier festival of alternative electronic music. This year the 20th edition takes place from 23-26 August with an amazing line-up featuring: Empirion, Peter Hook & The Light, Zeitgeist Zero, Grave Diggers Union, Cubanate, Iszoloscope, Siva Six, Def Neon, SΛRIN, Mesh, Liebknecht, ACTORS, YURA YURA, Adam Is A Girl, Flesh Eating Foundation, Aesthetic Perfection, This Morn’ Omina, Strvngers, Elegant Machinery, VaLHaLL, Massenhysterie and Promenade Cinema.

The venue is the University of Bradford Students’ Union, in the City of Bradford (near Leeds), West Yorkshire, UK. Besides concerts there are also afterparties featuring renowned DJ’s from all over the world.

Additional info on the official website
Tickets are available here

Hungarian duo Karl Zack and Victor Miller set up Schyzzo.Com in 2004. ‘Schyzzo’ stands for musical schizophrenia; the band wants to react against the different musical styles they like. It sounds a bit weird, but the music featuring heavy breakbeats and icy synth lines is hard and dynamic. The last year released “Clash”-EP is a terrific piece of music, which I can only, but highly recommend. I’ve been in touch with Karl Zack who has a real clear opinion about the electronic underground scene.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Schyzzo.com has been set up in 2004. How did you guys get in touch and what have been the main facts from your career thus far?

Karl: The main fact is the long road and the footsteps. We are trying to release the break of people, set the energy free… and our live shows where we can see the energy of the audience. This is really fascinating and definitely the most important thing we want.

Q: You definitely are the most atypical band from the Advoxya roster so how does it feel to have label mates mainly dealing with dark-electronics & EBM and how would you define the sound of Schyzzo.com?

Karl: Haha yeah, we are ‘different’ from the other bands signed at Advoxya. Well, I think the electronic underground is funny and deplorable nowadays; different bands with dozen music and without creativity. We don’t want to join this ‘club’. We are trying to make an aggressive fusion with breakbeat, punk, electro and EBM… with a minimal dark feeling while not following the temporary, bored stupid fashion.

Q: Your music often reminds me to early The Prodigy (for the breakbeats) and Empirion (for the raw electronic leads). What fascinates you in breakbeats and can you give us more details about your sound properly speaking?

Karl: Hmm it’s so strange because I think we are not similar to Prodigy, but this is the first impression for many people. Well, it’s so honorable and I’m proud of it… Its sounds good…lol. The breakbeat is the basic rhythm form for many styles; full of power and strength, classic and modern in one time. For Schyzzo the most important things are energy, force, craft.

Q: Tell us a bit more the composition and recording of “Clash” and what do you consider as being the strongest elements of the album and maybe aspects you want to improve in the future?

Karl: The recording of the new album was a little bit complex because of using that different instruments and hard vocoder themes… It wasn’t an easy task.

We definitely use only hardware equipment, but sometimes this aspect is useless. I think on further stuff we’ll include some software solutions, but the main thing remain the synthesizers!

Q: I noticed you don’t release new work on regular basis so what are you doing in the meantime and what have been the elements that inspired you to start writing “Clash”?

Karl: The inspiration is constantly present, but the main point is time! It’s not a secret we need much more time to compose then others and the reason simply is quality. Sometimes the full scoring will be changed.

For “Clash” I wanted to write the hardest underground electronic release of 2017. I’m fed up with the endless list of boring productions released over the past few years; it sucks.

Q: The sound of Schyzzo.com is the perfect music to play live. How do you see yourself as live band and what kind of shows do you try to bring? Any further live plans?

Karl: Because of this political environment it’s definitely complicated. Some gigs and the organization are suffering from a lack of professionalism and I think the shows are sometimes useless. I know this scene, and we don’t want to elevate just the number of shows, we want to elevate the quality and the size of the shows.

Believe me, the time in the studio is priceless for a musician.

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: Breakbeat, industrial, techoid.

Background/Info: Schyzzo (also known as Schyzzo.com) are back on track after a hiatus of four years. After having released three albums (all on Advoxya) the Hungarian duo brings us an EP featuring a title track plus 2 alternative versions and 5 more songs.

Content: The influences running through “Clash” are easily recognizable and rapidly remind early Prodigy and Empirion. The songs are driven by breakbeats creating a dynamic production plus raw sound treatments. There’re less vocals on “Clash”, but you’ll notice robotic vocal treatments and samplings.

+ + + : It’s hard to innovate when dealing with breakbeats, but the least I can say is that Schyzzo took me by surprise. Their retro approach revealing great, raw sound treatments is absolutely amazing. It reminds me to Prodigy’s “Voodoo People” or Empirion’s “Narcotic Influence”. That’s more than simply a reference, but the songs are really well-crafted and this is the kind of stuff I’m missing today. It’s compact and accomplished production where you also can hear a few refined passages and numerous sound treatments.

– – – : I’m not saying that I’m missing more vocals, but it for sure can be an aspect the band has to reconsider and especially empower.

Conclusion: The shadow of some famous and legendary breakbeat pioneers is recovering this production, but Schyzzo confirms it’s still possible to compose good-old breakbeat stuff with an extra and more personal dark touch on top.

Best songs: “Clash”, “Worst Conflict”, “Antropy”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.shyzzo.com / www.facebook.com/SchyzzoCom-207779565905268

Label: www.advoxya–records.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Advoxya–Records/265765706059

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

Oz Morsley will be always linked to Empirion while he is the creative drive behind Kloq for years now. After an astonishing, hard electro-danceable debut-album (cf. “Move Forward”) released in 2008 on Out Of Line, the second full length (cf. “Begin Again”) released in 2013 on Metropolis Records moved towards electro-rock fields. “Behind The Screams” is the third opus of this band and a kind of move back to harder electronics. I got in touch with Oz Morsley and asked him a few questions about the new work.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Your new album “Behind The Screams” has been released a few months ago now and it all looks like the first reactions are very positive. What kind of album did you want to achieve?

OZ: The feedback has been good but again it’s a step away from the second album as that was from the first album. I wanted to add some more electronics to the writing process and I think I managed that. I wanted to create something still quite commercial but make sure it could appeal to the more left field people. I’ve always thought that KLOQ has a more ‘band’ feel to it, even on the first album I created the tracks so they could be played live with a full band so continuing that element for each album has always been important to me. The new album in my opinion is still a big step away from what I really want to do for KLOQ…..if I’m honest I don’t think we have completely hit the mark musically and I can see much more to come from this band. It’s about learning and growing with the feedback and reactions from people and it’s all being noted down !

Q: I personally experience “Behind The Screams” as a kind of ‘back to harder and raw electronics’ (reminding me of your debut-album “Move Forward”) while keeping on the rock-orientated approach of “Begin Again”?

OZ: Yeah absolutely and I’m encouraged that you can see and hear the same thing because it’s exactly where we were heading with this one. We had to bridge the gap between the first and second album. The new album could have actually been the second album when it comes to style. The second album was such a big step away that it frightened people away that were used to the original KLOQ sound so I was hoping that this time we could bring a bit of balance back. We have to bear in mind that after the first album we lost out original singer Greg Cumbers and our drummer Steve Wilson, we also changed our management and decided to try and branch out to a more ‘mainstream’ audience…..all of these factors have massive effect on where you go as a musician/producer/writer.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of the music we wrote for the second album but we all feel it was slightly ill timed because of how far the first album had amerced us in the dark electro scene.

Q: You sometimes speak about Kloq as ‘punktronica’, but where’s the real ‘punk’ aspect of the sound or is it also a kind of ‘stage’ attitude?

OZ:  It’s not so much in musical style I guess….it’s just a word that stuck really. Someone was describing the attitude around the band and it just came from there. We do like to have a bit of attitude on stage so it’s probably more suited to that.

Q: What have been the main reasons and motivation to release this new album by your own and what did you keep in mind from your experiences with labels?

OZ: Main reasons were that we were out of contract with our label, we didn’t want to rush and sign with just anyone, we had bad experience with our last label in promoting the album to the right crowd and that if we get it wrong it would probably do us much more harm than if we organised it ourselves and also I felt that any labels I knew wouldn’t be able to work the now more mainstream commercial sounding KLOQ. I only know the more darker electro underground labels so we needed to take on the tasks ourself and work it out. Larger labels want a complete full sales package nowadays so you pretty much have to have sold a ton of units before getting picked up.

The best label that I ever worked with was Out of Line on the first album, they did a brilliant job organising and working the product but obviously the second KLOQ album wasn’t the right sound for that label. The one thing that you miss when you self release is the network of other companies that also work the product such as booking agents/live promotion, publishers, distributers, mercy etc. We pretty much had to start from scratch and do all of this ourselves in the KLOQ camp. I spend most of my time in the studio or doing artwork/live work and quite a lot of the day to day is down to the other guys and our manager to handle so it’s quite a larger machine that keeps going. I kinda like going back to self releasing though, it’s very rewarding knowing that it’s all down to us.

Q: How are you managing important aspects like distribution, promotion, social media, streaming platforms etc?

OZ: Like most bands you just have to keep pushing, make the best of what’s available when it comes to promotion. It’s constant work as you know……at the time of the build up to a release you have to get out in people’s faces and do plenty of pissing them off in order to get the product to the right place, loads of gigs, videos, social media blah blah…..I kinda get a bit bored of it all but it comes with the territory when you release your own material independently. We didn’t do a physical release this time but we are planning to re release next year as a physical CD along with a couple new tracks and remixes.

Q: I noticed an interesting quote at your Facebook-page telling that ‘Kloq are forged from three key elements. The love of alternative electronic music, growing up in and around Essex and the determination to create something new and expressive for the masses.’ The 1^st element seems logic, the 2^nd one needs a bit more details while the last one is rather ambitious?

OZ: The Essex music scene has been really strong over the decades but there’s been so many live venues closing down that its harder for bands to get any help along the way, there’s a load of cool bands that we know and the people here are very focused on what they want to achieve. There’s also healthy competition which makes you want to do better and stand out from the rest. Trying to create something fresh is always a double edged sword because for every person you please there’s always another person that you can’t please but we do have the determinations to create something that appeals to the masses while still holding on the whatever makes you cool and not to cheesy. If you don’t have the vision to create something better then what’s the point of even being in a band? You may as well do what everyone one else if doing and copy each other just in case you get it wrong maybe ? ……Nuh…….fuck it…….we’ll do what we’re doing and keep working at it until we get it completely right thanks. I’m not saying I think we’re 100% right in the way KLOQ is going but at least we’re following our hearts and working it our as we go.

Q: I get the impression that Empirion was more into the creation of something  ‘new and expressive’ while today it’s really hard to innovate. What’s your perception on this point?

OZ: Very true. Back when we started Empirion it was a lot easier to stand out from the rest of the bands out there. I mean, we started using guitar samples and heavier noises and people were just freaking out about it, even the way you’d program your hi hat and snare patterns were ground breaking back then! The whole way of making music on limited equipment back then really worked in our favour, using samplers that had 15 seconds of sample time etc…..it created new and exciting genres! it made you work bloody hard to get good result……..something you don’t get today. Having said that, it does make you create music differently and you should use that to your advantage.

I had a conversation recently with a friend and we were discussing how a lot of ‘producers’ now days are using certain software/programs to create their music and the over use of ‘pre made’ loops and samples. The conclusion was that if your mind is set on creating the generic music that you think the audience wants then that’s fine as it leaves plenty of room for other people to carry on trying to push the envelope and stand out. I may not the best producer in the world but I really do try and put thought into what I’m doing. I always want people to feel that when they listen they can hear something original of different to what else is going on musically………it may not work all the time but even if it works some of the time I’ll be happy.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Breakbeats, electro-rock, technoid-rock.

Background/Info: The 3^rd full length album of Kloq is a fact. The band driven by producer Oz Morsley (founder of the legendary band Empirion) and completed by singer Dean Goodwin, guitarist Tim Jackson and drummer Chris Jacobs have decided to self-release their new opus.

Content: Kloq is a band, which doesn’t repeat itself and simply goes in search of a new challenge on every single new full length. They once started a pure techno-body style, but progressively moved towards a rock-minded approach with electronics treatments on top. “Behind The Screams” sounds this way as well, but is more electro-minded than the previous “Begin Again”-album (2013).

Kloq even moves back to the magic of breakbeats, which is a dynamic way to start off. The influence of The Prodigy hangs over the debut song, but quite progressively Kloq shows their own approach. Great electronic manipulations lead to heavy sound blasts. Oz Morsley is turning on the knobs of his equipment like mad. The sounds are irresistible and revealing a raw technoid texture. It sometimes evolves into a trance-minded break to move on with powerful drums and passionate vocals.

Singer Dean Goodwin again sings in a rather clear way. This guy has a unique timbre of voice and doesn’t necessary need all kinds of effects as a camouflage.

+ + + : This new album sounds like the offspring between the early Kloq sound for its technoid approach and the rock-touch of the previous work. The real bass playing adds a real dark and freaky touch, but the global production remains dominated by the magic of the electronics. I especially like the monstrous electro blasts, which can’t leave you unmoved.

– – – : This new album only features 8 cuts including the already familiar “The Gun” (previously released as EP title-song). I’m still convinced that Dean Goodwin is a real talented singer, but I sometimes get the impression his way of singing and the powerful sound of Kloq doesn’t always match. It makes the particularity of this band, but maybe also one of the only aspects making me a bit skeptical about the possible success.

Conclusion: You sometimes need to pick up the best elements from the past and mix them with ‘new’ ideas to create a successful sound formula. “Behind The Screams” sounds like filling the gap between “Move Forward” and “Begin Again”.

Best songs: “We Are Now”, “Drive”, “Behind The Screams”, “Black Slab”.

Rate: (7½). 

Band: www.facebook.com/Kloqmusic

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

(By Fiona K.) Looming on the summer horizon is the UK’s premier electronic music festival, Infest, on 26th – 28th August in Bradford, near Leeds in northern England. Now in it’s 18th year, Infest’s now fully-announced 2016 line-up is 3 glorious days of heavyweights of the electronic music genre, old and new.

Playing are Pop Will Eat Itself, Atari Teenage Riot, 3Teeth, Dead When I Found Her, Leaether Strip, Vigilante. to name but a few; and you’ll also get 3 days of top quality DJ’s to add to the fun.

Last year’s festival continued Infest’s long-standing reputation of impeccably-chosen line-ups of musically interesting and entertaining bands. Some of the highlights from last year included:

• a beautifully messed-up and rowdy electronic assault by ex-Ministry/Revolting Cocks’ frontman’s current incarnation, COCKSURE;
• a darkly-twisted techno set by the electronic trailblazers EMPIRION;
• an introduction to the primal industrial sound of CHANT all the way from Texas (which was a festival highlight);
• a sojourn in the incredibly polished theatrical-gothic niche that Germany’s L’Ame Immortelle dominate;
• the intense, emotive and diverse sound of KLANGSTABIL;
• the Pink Floyd of dark electronica, MIND IN A BOX, delighted with an intelligent, diverse and musically-rich performance.

And then there was the karaoke (yes, your read that correctly!), the dance-floor shenanigans and the after-parties and mayhem.

Here’s the thing about Infest though. It’s human-scale. It’s one stage. There’s no running around from venue to venue; no having to chose which of your bands you are prepared to miss because of cross-over scheduling. The staff are super-friendly; there’s food stalls and shots and outdoor seating and a general welcoming party atmosphere. If you haven’t been, go. It’s not one to miss.

Additional info on the official website. Tickets can be purchased right here. You can already watch here what to expect!

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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