“Progress” is the sixth album from the German band Evo-lution.

The record features a fairly diverse take on Electro, leaning more heavily toward German EBM. At times, it comes across as somewhat minimalist, but as the album progresses, we encounter harder-and in my opinion, stronger-tracks. The songs are performed in both German and English and are featuring Lis Van Den Akker. While the album includes some solid tracks, it lacks a definitive standout or hit. The main drawback, however, is the weak mixing, particularly noticeable in the opening tracks. This results in a somewhat flat and muted sound that undermines the impact of the music. Notice by the way there’s also a limited edition of this work available featuring some extra songs.

Overall, “Progress” didn’t blow me away, but it does contain a few worthwhile tracks. (Rating:6½).

Listen to “Raise Your Hands”:

About Evo-lution

Evo-lution was founded in Kassel, Germany, in 1996 by Klaus Schwarz, initially as a synth-pop band. The line-up changed over the years, and in May 2016 Micha Meyer and Heiko joined, pushing the sound toward a harder mix of dark electro, EBM, and distinctive synth arrangements. Heiko left at the end of 2018, and Björn Miethe, also known from System Noire, joined in September 2019.

The band’s discography includes “Changing Memories” (2011), “Jahreszeiten” (2015), and “Navigator” (2018), followed by the “Commander” EP in May 2019. Evo-lution signed to Danse Macabre Records for the album “Mind Machines” (2022), and the band supported Nachtmahr on tour across Germany that year.

Evo-lution’s current line-up is Klaus Schwarz (vocals), Micha Meyer (keyboards), and Björn Miethe (keyboards), the trio behind “Progress”, reviewed here as the band’s sixth album.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

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Out via the Köthel (GER) based label NoCut on December 3rd is the 2CD Depeche Mode tribute album “Music for Constructions”. NoCut invited 31 bands, including MONO INC, AD:keY, MajorVoice, Crematory, Heimataerde, Psyche, Plastic Noise Experience, Beyond Obsession, DMK, Evo-Lution and many more for this tribute release.

All bands submitted rare tracks, most of them specially recorded for this compilation.

The tracklist:

CD1

1. MONO INC. – I feel You
2. MajorVoice – It’s no Good
3. Crematory – Black Celebration
4. Beyond Obsession – The Bottom Line
5. Vainerz – Insight
6. Blind Passenger 80s Express feat. Nigel Wheeler – Photographic
7. Love? – In your Memory
8. Darkness on Demand – Behind the Wheel
9. Evo-Lution – Stripped
10. Julian Shah Taylor – In your Room
11. Psyche – Lie to Me
12. Any Second feat. Iggi – To have and to hold
13. Scheuber & Wollank – Heaven
14. Electronic Frequency – Ice Machine
15. Strangelove The Depeche Mode Experience – Sister of Night

CD2

1. Heimataerde – Ice Machine
2. Plastic Noise Experience – Get the Balance right
3. ADkeY – Nodisco
4. The Promise – But not Tonight
5. The Psychic Force – Blasphemous Rumors
6. DMK – Black Celebration (2021 Poly Gore Remix)
7. Mauricio Tamblay – Rush
8. Superikone feat. Puppekopp – The Things you said
9. Monsmeg – Where’s the Revolution
10. Blue Forge – Waiting for the Night
11. Stage Of Theed – My Secret Garden
12. White Noise TV – World in My Eyes
13. Ha[a]rp – The Sun and the Rainfall
14. District 13 – The Bottom Line
15. Twilight-Images – Fly on the Windscreen
16. Diarblack – But not Tonight

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Enjoy The Silence’.

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: Electro-pop, future-pop.

Background/Info: The Spanish Mondträume duo strikes back with their second full length, which comes five years after the promising debut “Empty”. In the meantime front man Damasius Venys also started with a solo side-project Mental exile, which released its debut-EP in 2018.Notice by the way this new album was preceded by the singles “Still Beating” (2014) and “Free” (2016).

Content: Pikotto Vond Mond and Damasius Venys remain faithful to their electro/future-pop style they introduced on “Empty”. The influences remain identically the same, but the global writing- and production process have been seriously improved. The songs are featuring danceable beats and melancholic, but melodic leads and choruses. I however noticed a fewer ‘happy’-like passages (cf. “Nothing”) and even a simply beautiful song (cf. “Let Me Go”), which has something sensible and poignant.

The limited edition features a bonus disc with remixes by Crytek, Massive Ego, Kant Kino, X-O-Planet, Avarice In Audio, Headzor, Evo-Lution, Octolab, Any second and Elektrostaub. Both previously released single-songs are the main songs exposed to the remix skills of other artists.

+ + + : I already talked about the impressive evolution in sound and composition. If Mondträume was announced by their label as a ‘hot’ newcomer in 2013, they for sure confirm this potential with this great work. The album brings a perfect twist between danceable songs and softer, deeply melancholic pieces. Most of the choruses have an elevating sensation, and I especially want to mention the title song, the already known “Free”, “Nothing” and the beautiful “Le Me Go”. A good ‘pop’ band needs a talented singer and here again Damasius Venys confirms to be the right man in the right place. I think it’s not a coincidence he has already been asked by numerous bands to do some guest vocals. Among the remixes I’ll mention the great contribution by X-O-Planet (featuring male-female duo vocals), Octolab for the groovy approach and Crytek for their punching remix.

– – – : This album also features a cover version of The Cure’s “Lament”, which is not my favorite song from the tracklist.

Conclusion: This album sounds as an invitation to dance to melancholia and it’s weird to say, but it will make you feel good!

Best songs: “Lovers, Sinners & Liars”, “Free”, “Nothing”, “Let Me Go”, “The Center Of Your World” + “Still Beating – X-O-Planet”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/Mondtraeume

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

About Mondträume

Mondträume is a Spanish synth-pop and future-pop duo of vocalist Damasius Venys and producer Pikotto VondMond. The project’s debut album, “Empty”, appeared in 2014, followed by the singles “Still Beating” (2014) and “Free” (2016). Venys also records under the solo alias Mental Exile, which released a debut EP in 2018. Mondträume is signed to Alfa Matrix, which issued the duo’s limited 2CD edition of “Lovers, Sinners & Liars” in 2019 and later released the EPs “The Unknown Path” (2022), “Heart Machine” (2023) and “Poisoned Love” (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

Read the news on ‘Detoxination’.

About Darkness On Demand

Darkness On Demand pairs Gary Wagner and Falgalas, who worked together from 1993 as Dance Or Die before retiring that name. Their debut album as Darkness On Demand, “Post Stone Age Technology,” arrived in 2018, with this “Detoxination” single serving as the lead taster for the full album of the same name.

The duo went on to sign with Alfa Matrix, releasing the “Final Way” EP, the “Hang On” single, the “White Clouds” EP and the album “Digital Outcast.” The full “Detoxination” album followed this single by a matter of days.

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.

Background/Info: German duo ‘Freund 424’ (music) and HanZ AciD (vocals) have released multiple albums in just a few years. “Body Music” is their latest creation –again featuring Claus Larsen (Leather strip) singing on multiple tracks. This album features a total of 36 tracks.

Content: If you’re already familiar with the work of Transponder you perfectly know what to expect. This band brings good-old EBM that will remind you of the golden decade of the 80s. But they also dare to inject a few other influences such as new-beat, electroclash, techno and even a song featuring rap vocals.

The album reveals multiple familiar- and new songs. Several tracks have been sung by Leather Strip, but you also will get tracks featuring Les Berrtas, Zynic, Engelsstaub and Human Nihil.

The vocals are pretty fun-like and even like promoting the Belgian W-festival (cf. “At The W-festival). This song is featuring samplings of the legendary new-beat project Tragic Error (which they already covered in the past).

+ + + : If you like the pure and authentic EBM, Transponder will fully satisfy you. The sound is simple, but the songs are efficient. The lyrics will rapidly push you to sing along. I also have to say that Claus Larsen’s enraged vocals are totally matching with the music. Transponder is fun, but also a great project, which I can imagine on stage leading body freaks into wild dancing. They have many potential hits and especially some of the familiar cuts will again bring you into action. The sound is driven by great bass lines, typical 4×4 rhythms, metallic percussion parts, cool (and hot) samplings and furious vocals.

– – – : You really have to like this band to enjoy both albums each featuring 18 songs. It might become a little bit repetitive after a while.

Conclusion: One of the most familiar EBM slogans makes sense again: ‘move your body’!

Best songs: “Totally Bass”, “When We Return To Bleiburg feat. Human Nihil & Leaether Strip”, “Bewegt euch feat. Leaether Strip”, “Lerchenzungen feat. Les Berrtas”, “Auf der Jagd feat. Zynik”, “At The W-Featival feat. evo-lution & Tragic Error”, “The Return Of The New Beat feat. Leaether Strip”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.transponder–music.de / www.facebook.com/transponder242

About Transponder

Transponder is the German duo of Hanz Acid, from Erbach, and Freund 424, from Kassel, according to Discogs. Side-Line previously reviewed the project’s digital album “The Strength Of My Fist” in 2016 and the double-CD “Hammer And Anvil”, released on ScentAir Records, in 2017.

Claus Larsen, who records as Leaether Strip, is among the featured vocalists on “Body Music”.

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

UPDATE: The ‘blue version’ was sold out, but our mail-order partner succeeded in securing 25 more copies, order it right here if you want one.

While Front 242 is reigning the Bandcamp charts with their free EP “Detix Static” a small German label has announced the release of a 3CD tribute to Front 242. The first edition comes in a blue design and is limited to just 242 copies (you can order it right here).

The 3CDs feature 16 bands on each CD for a total of 48 bands (you’ll recognise various more well known bands such as Leather Strip, PNE, Kant Kino, Machinista, etc). In total you get 48 covers of Front 242 classics. The brain behind this project is Stefan Rukavina whom you might know from the German Radio Body Music, a label and radio station entirely dedicated to the genres EBM, Anhalt EBM, dark electro, synthpop, futurepop, N.D.W., electronic 80s, industrial and experimental music.

You can order this limited edition set right here.

Artists/ Tracks CD2:

01 OVERGAMENT–Body to Body
02 MECHATRONIC–Operating Tracks
03 THE PAIN MACHINERY – U-Men
04 MRDTC-Least Inkling
05 D-F-O-W–He runs too fast for us
06 LEAETHER STRIP – Don’t crash
07 KANT KINO–Lovely Day
08 EUFORIC EXISTENCE–No Shuffle
09 HUMAN NIHIL – Quite unusual
10 SUBSTAAT-Circling overland
11 RHESUS FACTOR & RIO BLACK-Headhunter
12 VAINERZ-Sacrifice
13 NEOTEK feat. MACHINE SOLDIER-Moldavia
14 BICHROM-Gripped by Fear
15 POST MACHINERY ENVIRONMENT-Tragedy for You
16 GIMME SHELTER–Soulmanager

Artists/ Tracks CD2:

01 TOLCHOCK-U-Men
02 KAPITAL-Kinetics
03 SHARON NEXT-GVDT
04 PLASTIC NOISE EXPERIENCE-Operating Tracks
05 SYSTEM 84-No Shuffle
06 56 DEGREES NORTH-Don’t crash
07 EVO-LUTION-Controversy between
08 VAYLON feat. LEAETHER STRIP-Quite unusual
09 747 FEDERALES-Circling overland
10 TRILOGY-Im Rhythmus bleiben
11 AD:KEY-Work 242
12 WERKSFRONT-Never stop
13 IN GOOD FAITH-Masterhit
14 VUDUVOX-Headhunter
15 STERIL-Animal
16 PATENBRIGADE: WOLFF-Mutilate

Artists/ Tracks CD3:

01 LES BERRTAS-U-Men
02 reADJUST-Take One
03 MACHINISTA-No Shuffle
04 26Z-Until Death (us do Part)
05 NINE CIRCLES-U-Men
06 THE FORCE DIMENSION-No Shuffle
07 MORTAL MEMORIES-Quite unusual
08 R.B.M.K.-Punish Your Machine
09 SCHRAMM-Headhunter
10 NAKED TEARS-Moldavia
11 DKDENT-No Shuffle (Electone Mix)
12 K-BEREIT-Together
13 DPOINT-U-Men
14 AUDIOTHERAPIE-No Shuffle
15 LASTRAX-Circling overland
16 DROID SECTOR DECAY-Neurobashingc

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

UPDATE: The ‘blue version’ is almost sold out, 5 copies left, order it right here if you want one.

While we are all waiting for news from the Front 242 front (update: the news is live now, there’s a new free downloadable remix EP) a small German label has announced the release of a 3CD tribute to Front 242. The first edition comes in a blue design and is limited to just 242 copies (you can order it right here).

The 3CDs feature 16 bands on each CD for a total of 48 bands (you’ll recognise various more well known bands such as Leather Strip, PNE, Kant Kino, Machinista, etc). In total you get 48 covers of Front 242 classics. The brain behind this project is Stefan Rukavina whom you might know from the German Radio Body Music, a label and radio station entirely dedicated to the genres EBM, Anhalt EBM, dark electro, synthpop, futurepop, N.D.W., electronic 80s, industrial and experimental music.

You can order this limited edition set right here.

Artists/ Tracks CD2:

01 OVERGAMENT–Body to Body
02 MECHATRONIC–Operating Tracks
03 THE PAIN MACHINERY – U-Men
04 MRDTC-Least Inkling
05 D-F-O-W–He runs too fast for us
06 LEAETHER STRIP – Don’t crash
07 KANT KINO–Lovely Day
08 EUFORIC EXISTENCE–No Shuffle
09 HUMAN NIHIL – Quite unusual
10 SUBSTAAT-Circling overland
11 RHESUS FACTOR & RIO BLACK-Headhunter
12 VAINERZ-Sacrifice
13 NEOTEK feat. MACHINE SOLDIER-Moldavia
14 BICHROM-Gripped by Fear
15 POST MACHINERY ENVIRONMENT-Tragedy for You
16 GIMME SHELTER–Soulmanager

Artists/ Tracks CD2:

01 TOLCHOCK-U-Men
02 KAPITAL-Kinetics
03 SHARON NEXT-GVDT
04 PLASTIC NOISE EXPERIENCE-Operating Tracks
05 SYSTEM 84-No Shuffle
06 56 DEGREES NORTH-Don’t crash
07 EVO-LUTION-Controversy between
08 VAYLON feat. LEAETHER STRIP-Quite unusual
09 747 FEDERALES-Circling overland
10 TRILOGY-Im Rhythmus bleiben
11 AD:KEY-Work 242
12 WERKSFRONT-Never stop
13 IN GOOD FAITH-Masterhit
14 VUDUVOX-Headhunter
15 STERIL-Animal
16 PATENBRIGADE: WOLFF-Mutilate

Artists/ Tracks CD3:

01 LES BERRTAS-U-Men
02 reADJUST-Take One
03 MACHINISTA-No Shuffle
04 26Z-Until Death (us do Part)
05 NINE CIRCLES-U-Men
06 THE FORCE DIMENSION-No Shuffle
07 MORTAL MEMORIES-Quite unusual
08 R.B.M.K.-Punish Your Machine
09 SCHRAMM-Headhunter
10 NAKED TEARS-Moldavia
11 DKDENT-No Shuffle (Electone Mix)
12 K-BEREIT-Together
13 DPOINT-U-Men
14 AUDIOTHERAPIE-No Shuffle
15 LASTRAX-Circling overland
16 DROID SECTOR DECAY-Neurobashing

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

Out via KL-Dark-Records is the new album “Seasons” by German electro pop act evo-lution. The album is available both as a download and on CD (you can order both right here).

Included also on the album are bonus remixes by Beborn Beton, !distain, Eisfabrik, Leichtmatrose, Per Anders Kurenbach and Rob Dust.

A preview teaser for the album can be viewed 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