Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, Indie-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Scenius is a duo driven by British producer/engineer Steve Whitfield and French singer Fabrice Nau. Whitfield has worked with numerous famous artists like The Mission, The Cure… but also The Drift (a project Fabrice Nau has been involved with). Scenius released a few singles and unleashed this debut album at the end of 2020.

Content: The main influences from this band are clearly Electro-Pop driven. “Enough Fears” stands for an open-minded Pop approach, which can be dark, but still pretty Indie-like. The last song “Darkest Lines” even reminds me of I AM X. You’ll also discover a few minimal-driven passages while supported by mysterious atmospheres. Most of the songs have been sung in English, but you’ll also notice some French words.

+ + + : Scenius isn’t a ‘typical’ Electro-Pop formation; there’s no real emulation here, but simply a duo with a personal approach, mixing different elements together. I like the atmospheric touch hanging over the songs, which injects a rather surprising Ambient touch to the work. It also creates a cold impressum, which comes through in songs like “Wild & Wooly” and “Enough Fears”. There for sure is more potential in the Indie-driven “Darkest Lines”, which is a great final part of this work. I also have to say a word about the production of the vocals, which have something emotional and passionate.

– – – : Scenius will now have to catch the attention of the Electro-Pop audience, which isn’t an easy thing in times of Covid-19.

Conclusion: “Enough Fears” is a rather accomplished debut album revealing a band with an own Electro-Pop style. Let’s keep an eye on Scenius.

Best songs: “Darkest Lines”, “Wild & Wooly”, “Enough Fears”, “Some Of Your Nights”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/sceniusband

Label: www.facebook.com/MMXXRECORDS

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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Scenius is a synth-pop / dark-wave duo composed of Leeds (UK) based producer Steve Whitfield (The Cure, The Mission, Jane Weaver…) and French singer Fabrice Nau (Boutique Du Tao, Kyu, The Drift). The duo is about to release their 3rd single on the 8th May. Below is already a video for the new single, “Held”.

You can check out the first two first singles below. A debut album is scheduled for the end of the Summer.

Scenius draws inspiration from pre-punk (Kraftwerk, Brian Eno) and post-punk (New Order, Depeche Mode) electro outfits through to contemporary bands (LCD Sound System, Boards Of Canada) using vintage synths and drum machines.

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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