Out now via Spleen+ is a brand new EP from the cult Belgian post-punk/new wave band The Names: “Volume”. This new EP holds 4 tracks and can be downloaded right now from Bandcamp. This new EP comes just before the release of their upcoming studio album, “Encore!”.

Kicking off with “Far From The Factories” (which was earlier on released as a 2-track single backed by the track “Apophenia”), the three other tracks are “Mort D’Amour”, “Watching For The New World” and “Laudanum”.

This new EP now also offers a video for “Far From The Factories” set against the backdrop of Belgium’s industrial landscape.

The Names are legends of the post-punk / new wave scene and emerged from the iconic Factory Records label alongside the likes of Joy Division and New Order.

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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Out now via Spleen+ is a brand new single from the cult Belgian post-punk/new wave band The Names. “Far From The Factories” holds two tracks and can be downloaded right now from Bandcamp.

“Far From The Factories” evokes the characteristic sound style of the band mixing post-punk guitar work, new wave basslines and atmospheric melodic keyboard elements. The B-side is the track “Apophenia”.

Both tracks are a first sign of the new album which will be released later this year on Spleen+.

About The Names

Emerged during the late 1970s/early 1980s vibrant post-punk era on the legendary Factory Records label (Joy Division, New Order, …), The Names (formed around frontman Michel Sordinia) have continued to perform and release new material since the band reformed in the 2000s.

The initial lineup of the band included Sordinia, guitarist Marc Deprez, and drummer/keyboardist Christophe Den Tandt. Robert Frankson and vocalist Isabelle Hanrez were short-term members. Initially performing locally as The Passengers, they renamed themselves before releasing their first single, “Spectators of Life”, in 1979 through WEA to gauge interest in local new wave music.

Following a Joy Division performance in Brussels, Factory Records signed them. With new drummer Luc Capelle, The Names recorded “Nightshift” in Manchester with producer Martin Hannett in August 1980. This single exemplified their style: a dark, restrained modern rock akin to Magazine, Comsat Angels, and Joy Division/New Order. In February 1982, they recorded a session for John Peel’s BBC Radio 1 show, released as a digital EP, “Radio Session 1982”, in 2009.

Their collaboration with producer Hannett continued, overseeing their next single, “Calcutta” (Factory Benelux, 1981), and their first album, Swimming (Les Disques du Crepuscule, 1982). Their last single, “The Astronaut”, was released in 1982 on Les Disques du Crépuscule, produced by Hannett, who had left Factory Records. As the post-punk era waned, the band disbanded.

In 1985, LTM Recordings released “Postcard Views”, a cassette featuring studio and live tracks. Expanded versions of Swimming, renamed “Swimming + Singles”, were released in 1991 and 2000 by Factory Benelux and LTM Recordings, respectively. A 2013 reissue by Factory Benelux included the 1982 John Peel session.

In 1995, the original trio of Sordinia, Deprez, and Den Tandt formed Jazz, releasing “Nightvision”. LTM’s 2001 compilation “Spectators of Life” featured The Names’ B-sides, live tracks from 1979-1982, and two Jazz tracks.

The Names reunited for A Factory Night in Brussels in December 2007. In April 2009, they released “Monsters Next Door” on Str8line. After Den Tandt’s departure in December 2009, Christophe Boulenger joined. In 2015, now a quartet with new drummer Laurent Loddewyckx, they released “Stranger Than You” on Factory Benelux. A 2016 compilation, “In Mutation”, by Les Disques du Crépuscule included a Deprez 1981 solo single and a 1982 live performance.

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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Genre/Influences: Techno-Body, EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Back From The Wave is a French project which has already released a few works. They signed to Space Factory Records to unleash their newest EP featuring three tracks plus two remixes.

Content: All songs are driven by solid bass lines and Techno-Body vibes with space-like strings and effects on top. Remixes have been accomplished by Panthera and David Carretta.

+ + + : This project sounds like a true addition to the Space Factory roster. According to me all tracks could be used as title-song which says something about the potential of Back From The Wave. The sound is the perfect offspring between EBM and Dark-Techno influences. David Carretta boosted the title cut with a harder and faster kick while he also added extra, menacing sequences. This is the absolute highlight. Panthera also achieved a powerful remix of “Corrosives Influences”. Last but not least the last cut “C345B” sounds like an extra dancefloor cut.

– – – : I don’t have true minus points to mention nevertheless I always regret when a remix by another artist is more convincing than the original edit.

Conclusion: This is a solid EP for Techno-Body heads.

Best songs: “Psychic – David Carretta Remix”, “Corrosives Influences – Panthera Remix”, “Psychic”, “C345B”, “Corrosives Influences”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/bftwave.music

Label: www.facebook.com/spacefactory

About Back From The Wave

Back From The Wave is a French project that made its debut in the early 2000s on the electro and techno labels Goodlife and Scandium, exploring a mix of electro, techno, italo and EBM. The project later signed to Space Factory Records for the “Psychic” EP. Back From The Wave went on to team up with fellow French artist Umatik for “Tokyo Dream,” a Dark-Techno and EBM release also issued through Space Factory Records.

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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(Photo by Paul Husband) A Certain Ratio, commonly abbreviated as ACR, is an influential English post-punk band that originated in Flixton, Greater Manchester, in 1977. The initial formation featured Peter Terrell (guitar, electronics) and Simon Topping (vocals, trumpet), with Jez Kerr (bass guitar, vocals), Martin Moscrop (trumpet, guitar), Donald Johnson (drums), and Martha Tilson (vocals) joining shortly thereafter. In 1979, the band had the distinction of being among the first acts to debut on Tony Wilson’s iconic Factory Records, with their single “All Night Party” produced by Martin Hannett. During their early years with Factory, ACR achieved impressive success, securing seven Top Ten UK independent releases—most notably “Flight” and “Waterline”—and they initiated their album collection with “The Graveyard and the Ballroom” (1980).

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the band transitioned through phases with major label A&M and Rob Gretton’s independent label Robs Records. During these periods, ACR’s activity varied. They made a notable return with their ninth studio album, “Mind Made Up” (2008), and have remained active in performance since, with their extensive back catalogue being reissued through a partnership with Mute Records. In September 2020, they released “ACR Loco”, their first new studio album in twelve years, followed by three EPs titled “A”, “C”, and “R” in 2021. In 2023, they released their eleventh studio album, aptly named “1982”.

Today, A Certain Ratio has unveiled a new remix by Emperor Machine—a moniker for close friend and collaborator Andy Meecham—of their track “Constant Curve”. This track will be part of their forthcoming 4-track EP, set to be released both on limited edition 12” vinyl and digitally on 22 September 2023 via Mute.

This remix sees Meecham revisiting “Constant Curve”, a song from the 1982 album that he originally co-wrote and contributed keyboards and electronic percussion to.

Explaining the process, Meecham says: “After the success of our previous collaboration, Martin [Moscrop] asked if I would record some synths for a new track. I loved it on first listen, so obviously I said yes. While working and writing some synths, I thought this is a great track, but it’s too short—it needs a Pettibone-style extended Dub mix, a proper extended 12” version with Donald [Johnson]’s drums more upfront in the mix, dubbed out guitars, and new vocal edit sections. I suggested this idea to the band, and thankfully they gave me free rein.”

The track can be found below.

The EP follows their latest album “1982” (released in spring this year), and includes three newly commissioned remixes of tracks from the album – Emperor Machine’s reworking, Werkha mix of SAMO, and Manchester producer Jade Parker’s remix of “Waiting on a Train” (feat. Ellen Beth Abdi & Chunky), alongside a brand-new track “Day by Day”, written and recorded with Ellen Beth Abdi.

A Certain Ratio recently announced a tour that celebrates 45 years of the band’s career. The dates will see A Certain Ratio perform two separate sets each night: the first set will represent the early years of their career from their Factory releases and A&M. The band will then reconvene for a set representing ACR from the early to mid-‘90s to 2024 including unreleased forthcoming material.

• 10 November – London, Moth Club – SOLD OUT
• 11 November – Preston, The Ferret
• 12 November – Glasgow, Stereo
• 15 November – Gateshead, The Sage
• 16 November – Reading, Face Bar
• 18 November – York, The Crescent
• 25 November – Brugge (BE), Cactus
• 2 December – Liverpool, 24 Kitchen Street
• 10 December – Manchester, Band on the Wall

A Certain Ratio will also be appearing at the following festivals:

• 19 August – Luna Festival, Coimbra, Portugal
• 26 August – Shambala Festival, Northamptonshire
• 27 August – Wrexfest, Wrexham
• 19 November – Shiiine On Weekender, Minehead
• 24 November – BBMix, Paris (FR)

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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Soft Cell will perform live in an exclusive outdoor concert in the grounds of Rochester Castle, Kent on Friday 7th July 2023, with special guests Peter Hook & The Light who will perform music from Peter Hook’s first bands, New Order and Joy Division.

Tickets are available here.

First revisiting Joy Division’s seminal album “Unknown Pleasures” back in May 2010 for a commemorative charity concert and following it each year with new albums performed live from the repertoire of Hook’s bands, New Order and Joy Division, Peter Hook & The Light have now moved through each of the albums from those bands and recently finished up a world-wide tour of Factory Records “Substance” compilation albums.

Recently The Light have celebrated over four decades of Joy Divison’s and Ian Curtis’ continuing influence with the “Joy Division : A Celebration” concerts where they will play both of that band’s albums in full which continue in 2023.

Below is an idea 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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Wie Ein Gott Records’Johannes Stabel informs us that the all new album by legendary Japanese artist Baroque, “Overexposed”, will be out on April 21st via the Berlin (DE) based label. On “Exposed” Baroque offers 7 original tracks and 3 remixes from ÆON RINGS, Magnum Opus and Blac Kolor.

You can already check out this cut. The album itself will be out as a limited cassette edition of just 50 copies and as download.

Founded in 2009 as a solo project by Sannomiya, Baroque (not to be confounded with the Japanese electro rock act of the same name) has built a solid career as both a DJ and producer over the past decade. His signature sound fuses EBM, industrial, and dark techno and his music has been released by labels such as Mille Feuilles, La Bombe, Voxnox Records & Space Factory Records.

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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(By Janos Janurik) Temperatures are dropping, days are getting shorter and from now on the umbrella is a permanent accessory when you leave the house. Nevertheless, you can also love autumn. One reason for this can be a good book that you can pick up and read in front of the fireplace without a feeling guilty.

For us, lovers of electric music, the book by Richard Evans, published on 17^th November, would be the perfect read.

Setting out to chart a unique chapter in the history of popular music, “Listening To The Music The Machines Make” tells the story of a single generation of post-punk musicians, mavericks, visionaries and opportunists tinkering with primitive synthesisers in bedrooms, bedsits and basements around Britain, who assembled a potent cocktail of ideas and influences, took them apart, mixed them up, and reassembled them in entirely new ways to create a genuine golden age of British pop, and along the way creating some of the most enduring, iconic and influential records in pop history.

Drawing from years of extensive research, as well as from conversations with many of the movement’s key movers and shakers, “Listening To The Music The Machines Make” sets out to examine the multitude of influences that led to the synthpop revolution that spanned 1978 to 1983; tell the definitive story of a true golden age of British pop through the careers, releases and stories of the movement’s pioneers, mavericks and superstars; and explores the era’s lasting musical impact and enduring influence, including it’s role in the development of hip-hop, house, techno and beyond.

Richard Evans has worked in the music industry for over thirty years in a variety of roles, including positions at London Records, Factory Records and MTV Europe. In 1998 he set up marketing consultancy The Fan Base and has been connecting musical artists with their audiences ever since. He is the founder of the This Is Not Retro website and record label and has worked for Andy Bell, Vince Clarke and Erasure since 2009. Richard is based in Dorset where he lives in perpetual fear of being asked what his favourite record is.

I have known Richard for several years as a result of being an Erasure fan for many years. I emailed him a few questions about his upcoming book and you can read his answers here. Of course, I also asked him about his favourite record.

SL: Richard, you have been the leader of the international Erasure fan club (EIS) and the webmaster of Erasure’s homepage for several years. I think your name has become known to the general public through this activity. Did you make it to the top of your career?

It’s quite complicated to talk about my career as at any given time I’m usually working on a few different projects simultaneously and it’s always very likely that they are all shooting off in different directions. But you’re right that Richard from the EIS is much better known than the Richard Evans who wrote the book! I also think that having worked with Erasure for as many years as I have definitely represents a career peak.

SL: With a background like that, one would have thought that you would write a book about Vince and Andy, about Erasure. Have you ever thought about anything like that?

Vince and Andy get offers to write books every year, on their own or as part of Erasure, but at this point in time neither of them feel the time is right to tell their stories. However when the time is right I very much hope that I will be involved in some way.

SL: You must have a lot of funny or exciting stories about your collaboration with Erasure. Could you tell us a short story that you particularly like to think back to?

I think the best stories are the ones that I can’t tell…

SL: Have you always been a big fan of electro music? Where did your interest in this music genre come from?

I kind of have and I haven’t. My book covers the period 1978-1983 which coincides with the time I was starting to discover music for myself and I always  consider my musical tastes extremely varied. Looking back however and I can see that the music that I was drawn to often had a very noticeable electronic element even when it wasn’t electronic music as such, so although I would enjoy, for example, rock music, the actual songs I was listening to would be things like ‘Owner Of A Lonely Heart’ by Yes, or tracks from ZZ Top’s ‘Eliminator’ album. It turns out that those electronic elements run through a huge amount of my favourite music but I hadn’t really noticed it before. But I did always love ‘pure’ electronic music too. I can remember being blown away the first time I heard things like Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ and Kraftwerk’s ‘The Model’ for example.

SL: On 6^th November there will be a special event in London to launch your book “Listening To The Music The Machines Make” where you will interview Andy Bell and Martyn Ware (The Human League, BEF, Heaven 17) about their lives in electronic music. We already know about your connection with Andy, but what about Martyn? Have you known him for a while too?

I first met Martyn through a website I used to run called This Is Not Retro and I interviewed him a few times for that website, but I got to know him better through Vince Clarke who has a side-project with Martyn called Illustrious. Illustrious released a boxset called ‘House Of Illustrious’ under the name The Clarke & Ware Experiment a few years go and I was involved on the periphery of that release and got to know Martyn a little better through doing that. Then Martyn was working on his book, ‘Electronically Yours Vol. 1’, at the same time I was working on mine and I was able to introduce him to some helpful publishing people and also to share some of my research with him. We’ve only met in real life a couple of times so I’m looking forward to doing that at my launch in London and then again when we’re doing a joint event at the Louder Than Words Festival in Manchester the following week.

SL: Both Martyn Ware and Vince Clarke have special podcasts and radio programmes where they talk about synthesizer music, play such tracks and talk to famous artists. Do you listen to these programmes regularly?

I always listen to The Synthesizer Show, Vince’s radio show with Reed Hays, for pleasure of course because it can be very entertaining, but also so I can talk about it in the Erasure newsletter. I try to keep up with Martyn’s podcast Electronically Yours but he does so many of them that I’m always a few episodes behind!

SL: The foreword in your book was written by Vince Clarke who has been a living legend in the music industry over the last 40 years. How did he like your book? Has he already read it?

I sent Vince the manuscript so he would have an idea about what was in my book and I know that he has dipped into it, but I don’t know if he’s actually read it all… the book is 528 pages long so it takes a lot of reading and Vince is a busy man with a lot on his plate. I was delighted that he agreed to do the foreword though, as you say he is a legend and I’m extremely lucky to be able to call him a friend.

SL: Could you please name artists you met during your research or with whom you had conversations on the topic? By the way, who is your biggest hero from the electro music scene?

When I first started work on the book I did intend to talk to as many people from that time as possible, but I actually changed direction quite early on in the process simply because a lot of those people don’t actually remember the details very well after all these years. Instead I went to the original music and popular culture media from 1978 to 1983 and collected as many interviews, reviews, features and news pieces as I could – literally thousands of them – from magazines and papers from the NME, Sounds and Melody Maker to Smash Hits, The Face and ZigZag and constructed the narrative of the book from those original materials. Where I was fortunate was in having access to a number of those people who were available to answer questions, join the dots and provide extra clarification when I needed it. Vince Clarke and Andy Bell of course but also people like Martyn Ware, Neil Arthur, Rusty Egan and Daniel Miller.

I don’t know that I have a biggest hero as such, but in the summer Karl Bartos from Kraftwerk published a book, ‘The Sound of the Machine’, with Omnibus Press, the same publishers who are putting out my book ‘Listening to the Music the Machines Make’, and I was able to go to one of Karl’s events and was introduced to him afterwards which was a huge thrill. He was absolutely lovely and very funny.

SL: You jokingly said about yourself that you live in constant fear that people will ask you about your favourite record. Is that really such a difficult question to answer? Could you name at least three records that have had a big impact on your life?

It really is a difficult question to answer. There are so many great records and my favourite one day might not be favourite the next day depending on what I’m listening to, how I’m feeling and what sort of a mood I’m in. So here are three electronic records which I absolutely love and which I never get tired of listening to: The League Unlimited Orchestra’s ‘Love & Dancing’, Propaganda’s ‘A Secret Wish’ and Depeche Mode’s ‘Ultra’… but it really is an impossible question. If you were to ask me again in half an hour I would probably choose three completely different records!

SL: In the last two years, the music industry has also been hit hard by the pandemic. Many tours had to be cancelled or postponed. Which band did you see live for the last time from the electro music scene? Are there still concerts on your personal wish list?

A few weeks ago I saw Front 242’s concert in London which I think I was supposed to see in 2020 and which had been rescheduled four or maybe five times before it finally happened. It was a great show though. And I’m off to see Blancmange next week which I’m looking forward to as I really like their new album. As for a concerts wish list, I never saw the Eurythmics so I think they would be top of the list for me.

SL: We, electro music fans, are already very excited about your upcoming book. And what are you reading right now when you have a little “me time”?

I’m currently reading Martyn Ware’s ‘Electronically Yours Vol. 1’ as I will be interviewing him about the book at my event in a few weeks time. It’s very good, he has done some extraordinary things and has been involved in some amazing projects, so I’m very much enjoying it.

János Janurik

I began my career in online music journalism in 2001, writing about artists I had followed since the late ’80s and early ’90s, including Depeche Mode, Erasure and The Cure. I later edited the Hungarian Mute microsite for EMI Music Hungary. This led to interviews with Erasure, Nitzer Ebb and Alan Wilder, and some of those collaborations developed into lasting friendships. Since 2014, I have been part of the editorial team of depechemode.de. I also contribute interviews to Reflections of Darkness, Peek-A-Boo Magazine and Kaput Mag. I maintain a close connection to Mute Records artists and have also supported releases on Very Records. I am proud to collaborate with Side-Line Magazine, where I regularly publish interviews and features.

Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, the Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside, and (briefly) Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and James. Factory also ran The Haçienda nightclub, in partnership with New Order.

By 1992, the label’s two most successful bands caused the label serious financial trouble. The Happy Mondays were recording their troubled fourth album “Yes Please!” in Barbados and overspent their initial £150,000 budget with £230,000 reaching £380,000 in total. New Order from their side spent £430,000 on recording their comeback album “Republic”. London Records were interested in taking over Factory but the deal fell through when it emerged that, due to Factory’s early practice of eschewing contracts (New Order never had a formal contract with Factory), New Order rather than the label owned New Order’s back catalogue.

Factory Communications Ltd, the company formed in 1981, declared bankruptcy in November 1992. In 1994, Wilson attempted to revive Factory Records, in collaboration with London Records, as “Factory Too”. The first release was by Factory stalwarts the Durutti Column; the other main acts on the label were Hopper and Space Monkeys, and the label gave a UK release to the first album by Stephin Merritt’s side project the 6ths, Wasps’ Nests. A further release ensued: a compilation EP featuring previously unsigned Manchester acts East West Coast, the Orch, Italian Love Party, and K-Track. This collection of 8 tracks (2 per band) was simply entitled A Factory Sample Too (FACD2.02). The label was active until the late 1990s, latterly independent of London Records, as was “Factory Once”, which organised reissues of Factory material. Wilson founded a short-lived fourth incarnation, F4 Records, in the early 2000s.

Broken arms and drugs

Happy Mondays’ “Yes Please!” recordings are a story in itself. This was the fourth studio album by the Happy Mondays and Factory Records reckoned that following the succes of the non-album single “Judge Fudge”, the band deserved a budget of £150,000 for their next album, and as you read above, they didn’t spent £150,000, but £380,000 on their album.

After settling on producers Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, both members of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, Happy Mondays decamped to Blue Wave Studio in Saint Philip, Barbados in February 1992 where the sessions were plagued by a variety of issues. Frontman Shaun Ryder for instance developed a crack habit. A public relations representative from the band’s label Factory Records even had to issue a statement on Ryder’s behalf, denouncing his drug use. Dancer Bez from his side broke his arm three (!!) times. With little finished material and a lack of lyrics the band returned to the United Kingdom where Ryder was admitted into a detox centre. Recording continued for two weeks in May 1992 at Comfort’s Place Studio in Lingfield, Surrey, where Ryder did his vocals.

The album “Yes Please!” received mixed reviews from music critics. It did sell 50,000 copies by the end of the year but that wasn’t enough by far to keep Factory Records afloat. The band disbanded in 1993, and have reformed several times in subsequent decades.

Here’s some MTV coverage on the band’s “Yes Please!” from a time when the channel still was worth checking out.

And New Order?

They signed with London Records, the label that was initially going to save Factory Records. Apart from New Order also Morris and Gilbert separately signed with the label for their side project The Other Two, whose debut album was originally intended for release on Factory. “Republic”, released around the world in 1993, spawned the singles “Regret”, “Ruined in a Day”, “World”, and “Spooky”.

Tony Wilson made little money from Factory Records or the Haçienda

In the end Factory Records owner Tony Wilson made little money from Factory Records or the Haçienda, despite the enormous popularity and cultural significance of both endeavours. Both Factory Records and the Haçienda came to an abrupt end in the late 1990s.

Wilson died of a heart attack in Manchester’s Christie Hospital on 10 August 2007 aged 57 following kidney cancer for which he was unable to pay the treatment. A number of Wilson’s music industry friends, including former Happy Mondays manager Nathan McGough, their current manager Elliot Rashman and TV stars Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan, formed a fund to help pay for Wilson’s medical treatment.

Here’s a very rare interview with Wilson, one year before the label would fold followed by a splendid BBC documentary on Factory Records.

About New Order

New Order formed in Manchester, England, in 1980, founded by Bernard Sumner (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Peter Hook (bass) and Stephen Morris (drums), all former members of Joy Division, following the death of Joy Division vocalist Ian Curtis on 18 May 1980. Keyboardist Gillian Gilbert joined shortly after. Joy Division had released two studio albums on Factory Records, “Unknown Pleasures” (1979) and “Closer” (1980); New Order continued on the same label, releasing “Movement” (1981), “Power, Corruption & Lies” (1983), “Low-Life” (1985), “Brotherhood” (1986) and “Technique” (1989). The 1983 single “Blue Monday” became the best-selling twelve-inch single of all time.

Factory Communications Ltd declared bankruptcy in November 1992 with debts exceeding two million pounds, driven substantially by two of its flagship acts overspending on recordings: Happy Mondays’ budget for “Yes Please!” rose to around 380,000 pounds recording in Barbados, while New Order spent roughly 430,000 pounds on its comeback album, “Republic,” ultimately released in May 1993 via London Records rather than Factory. A proposed takeover by London Records fell through when it emerged that, because Factory had operated without formal contracts, New Order owned its own back catalogue, leaving the label nothing to acquire. In 2025, New Order issued expanded archival reissues of its four Factory-era albums via Warner Music.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. During the late 1970s bands such as the Human League, Kraftwerk, and later on Gary Numan, Soft Cell and John Foxx helped pioneer a new synth-pop style that drew more heavily from electronic music and emphasized primary usage of synthesizers. Developed in the late 1970s it has seen several revival periods up until now.

We picked out the best synthpop albums from the past 4 decades (!!!). Here’s our list.

The Human League – ‘Dare’ (1981)

The Human League are ‘oldies’ when it comes to synthpop. Formed in Sheffield in 1977 and initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group attained widespread commercial success with their third album “Dare” in 1981. The album contained four hit singles, including the UK/US number one hit “Don’t You Want Me”. The band’s third studio album, it was recorded between March and September 1981 following the departure of founding members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, and saw the band shift direction from their prior avant-garde electronic style toward a more pop-friendly, commercial sound led by frontman Philip Oakey. A remix album based on “Dare”, “Love and Dancing”, was released in 1982.

Talk Talk – ‘It’s My Life’ (1984)

Talk Talk were an English band formed in 1981, led by Mark Hollis (vocals, guitar, piano), Lee Harris (drums), and Paul Webb (bass). The group achieved early chart success with the synth-pop singles “Talk Talk” (1982), “It’s My Life”, and “Such a Shame” (both 1984) before moving towards a more experimental approach in the mid-1980s. Not surprisingly that our next pick is “It’s My Life”, the second studio album by Talk Talk, released in 1984. The album enjoyed an enormous succes thanks to the big international success of its singles (notably “Such a Shame”). We have a soft spot for the tracks “Dum Dum Girl”, “Such a Shame”, “Renée”, “It’s My Life” and “It’s You” although the entire album is just extremely enjoyable.

Alphaville – ‘Forever Young’ (1984)

The German synth-pop band Alphaville, which formed in Münster in 1982, achieved chart success with the singles “Forever Young”, “Big in Japan”, “Sounds Like a Melody”. All these were taken from their 1984 debut album “Forever Young” which was produced by Colin Pearson, Wolfgang Loos and Andreas Budde. Despite the success of the album and its singles, the band did not tour as they felt more like ‘studio rats’. It remains the band’s best output to date.

a-ha – ‘Scoundrel Days’ (1986)

The Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha was formed in Oslo in 1982 by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards and guitars), and Morten Harket (vocals). “Scoundrel Days” is the second studio album by the trio and offered a more mature sound compared to their debut “Hunting High and Low” (1985). “Scoundrel Days”, recorded in England in early 1986 and produced by Alan Tarney, sported such singles as “I’ve Been Losing You”, “Cry Wolf” and “Maybe, Maybe” which was released solely in Bolivia. “Manhattan Skyline” was the forth and final single released from the long-player.

Erasure – ‘Wonderland’ (1986)

“Wonderland” is the debut studio album by the English synth-pop duo Erasure and was released in 1986. Although it was not an immediate success, the three singles released from it did become cult tracks overtime: “Who Needs Love Like That”, “Oh L’amour” and “Heavenly Action”. Although “Wonderland” was considered a failure, especially when comparing it to Clarke’s prior successes with Depeche Mode and Yazoo, the album became an all time favourite that laid the fundament of what was to follow in 1987 with the release of “The Circus”. The album was produced by Flood who would become a long-time collaborator.

Pet Shop Boys – ‘Actually’ (1987)

Pet Shop Boys, the English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981, broke all records when they released “Actually”, their second studio album, in 1987. It was pushed forward by such great tracks as “One More Chance”, “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” (with Dusty Springfield), “Shopping”, “Rent”, “It Couldn’t Happen Here”, “It’s a Sin”, “Heart” and the majestic “King’s Cross”. In short an album filled with hits.

New Order – ‘Technique’ (1989)

New Order was formed in 1980 by vocalist and guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. The band formed after the demise of Joy Division, following the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis and were joined by Gillian Gilbert on keyboards later that year. Their experience of the early 1980s New York club scene saw them increasingly incorporate dance rhythms and electronic instrumentation into their work which resulted in their 1983 hit “Blue Monday” becoming and absolute monster hit. However, we picked out “Technique”, their fifth studio album. Released in 1989 by Factory Records, the album incorporates Balearic beat and acid house influences into the group’s dance-rock sound. “Technique” was the first New Order album to reach the number one spot on the UK charts and had such excellent singles as “Fine Time”, “Round and Round” and “Run 2”.

Depeche Mode – ‘Violator’ (1990)

“Violator” is the seventh studio album by England’s Depeche Mode. It was first released on 19 March 1990 through Mute Records internationally, and through Sire and Reprise Records in the United States. Preceded by the singles “Personal Jesus” and “Enjoy the Silence” (a top-10 entry in both the United Kingdom and the United States), the album propelled the band into international stardom, and also yielded the singles “Policy of Truth” and “World in My Eyes”. The album is generally considered as their most accomplisched electropop album before they encorporated more rock elements in the next album, “Songs of Faith and Devotion”. The role of Alan Wilder was crucial in “Violator”, you only have to compare the first and final version of “Enjoy The Silence” to notice the huge difference.

Bel Canto – ‘Birds of Passage’ (1990)

Bel Canto is a Norwegian music duo, originally a trio, fronted by vocalist Anneli Drecker and musically powered by Geir Jenssen and Nils Johansen. Signed originally to Crammed Discs, their second album “Birds of Passage” is considered as an absolute pearl holding an excellent production (aided by Giles Martin) and a long list of guest musicians who added acoustic elements to the cold nordic synths Jenssen and multi-instrumentalist Johansen. It was also the last album featuring Geir Jenssen. It holds the hits “Intravenous”, “Birds of Passage”, “A Shoulder to the Wheel”, “Time Without End”, “Continuum” and “The Suffering”. The band remains an often well-hidden pearl in electropopland.

De/Vision – ‘Fairyland?’ (1996)

De/Vision, a German synthpop act formed in 1988, was at the peak of its electropop stardom around the mid-nineties culiminating in the outstanding “Fairyland?” album which had such great tracks as “I Regret”, “Sweet Life”, “Today’s Life” or “Bleed Me White”. The band was fronting a new wave of electropop bands in Germany but was generally considered to be the most consistent one as far as quality and output. Sadly enough the release, and also the band’s earlier material, are no longer available on Spotify.

Wolfsheim – ‘Spectators’ (1999)

Wolfsheim was a synthpop duo from Hamburg, Germany, that consisted of Markus Reinhardt and Peter Heppner. Their fourth studio album was “Spectators” (1999) preceeded by two ‘pre-release’ singles from the album. “Once in a Lifetime” was released on October 16, 1998 and “It’s Hurting For The First Time” followed on November 30th. The LP was produced by Wolfsheim and José Alvarez-Brill and held 11 new songs. To this day, “Spectators” is the best-selling album by Wolfsheim with over 250,000 copies sold. The third single, “Künstliche Welten”, was released in 1999.

Iris – ‘Disconnect’ (2000)

“Disconnect” is the debut album by the electropop group Iris. Released in 2000 via the US label A Different Drum, the synthpop label by excellence, its success was guaranteed by the now cult synthpop jewels “Annie, Would I Lie to You?”, “Lose In Wanting” and “Danger Is The Shame”. Originally formed by Reagan Jones and Mat Morris in 1993, after the release of their first album “Disconnect”, Matthew Morris was replaced with Andrew Sega, who pushed the band’s sound in a more experimental electronic direction. Sadly enough the release, and also the band’s earlier material, are no longer available on Spotify.

Elegant Machinery – ‘A Soft Exchange’ (2008)

The Swedish synthpop band Elegant Machinery defined the Swedish synthpop movement along with such bands as Page, S.P.O.C.K, Sista Mannen På Jorden and Kiethevez. Heavily influenced by acts like Yazoo, The Human League, Depeche Mode and Rational Youth, the trio Robert Enforsen, Richard Jomshof and Leslie Bayne started the band in 1988 under the name Pole Position. The band was very successful in Sweden, with a number of successful singles and various awards. But it is their 2008 album “A Soft Exchange” that earned them a place in our list. The album was extremely mature yet very melodic and features such pearls a “With Grace”, “Do You Know”, “Feel The Silence”, “Bleeding Words” and “Is This The Way”.

Electro Spectre – ‘Dangerous Game’ (2012)

The Norwegian electronic music duo Electro Spectre fronts the 3rd electropop wave. Isak Rypdal (writer-producer) and Alexander Björneboe (writer-singer) debuted in 2009 with the album “Watch It All Turn” (which was later reproduced and re-released in 2010). The duo has secured us from a steady and consistent output ever since. In our list we picked the band’s 2012 release, which is their second studio album entitled “Dangerous Game”. Included are such pearls as “Love Thief”, “Dancing Girl”, “World Keeps Turning” and “Tokyo Shuffle”.

Mondträume – ‘Empty’ (2014)

Mondträume is the creative outlet of 2 Spanish talented artists Pikotto Vond Mond and Damasius Venys. In only a few years, the duo rapidly caught the attention of concert organizers, released several songs on compilations, and secured a label contract with Belgium’s electronic label Alfa Matrix where they debuted with the album “Empty”. The hits “Life Is Short”, “Parasite” and especially the synth pop pearl “Far From Pain” show why this band became one of the strongholders in the 3rd electropop wave together with such bands as Electro Spectre, and more.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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Good news for fans of the Belgian post-punk / new wave act Spiral of Silence. The band’s drummer Achiel Keppens informs us that they have a new single out, “Toll”, and this almost 20 years after their last studio effort, “Decadent” (2002), which got released back then on Purple Moon Records.

The new album will see also Kloot Per W joining on guitars and co-writing and half of Siglo XX will collaborate as well. In short a Belgian post-punk affair. But that’s not all, the band also plans a new tour for 2021-2022.

Here’ s a sneak preview of the band’s forthcoming single “Toll” out on the British label Jesus Factory Records.

About Spiral of Silence

Spiral of Silence is a Belgian post-punk / new wave group with strong influences from the Madchester scene of the late 70s and early 80s. Formed in 1991 their first demo was released under the name “Theater Of Pain”, but after the death of Bart Auwaerts (also in the group Spiritus Mundi) the band changed their name.

After one more demo, “Connection” (1996), the band released 2 albums, one on the Italian label Energeia (“Leap” – 1998) and one on the Belgian label Purple Moon Records (“Decadent” – 2002). Note that Antonio Palermo of that other Belgian new wave cult act Siglo XX also played in Spiral of Silence. His characteristic guitar sound can be heard on the album “Decadent” and the track “Echo” was entirely produced by Antonio.

In 2001 the band also self-released “The Early Years ’91-’95” compiling the previously released demo tapes “Theatre Of Pain” (1993) and “Connection” (1996).

By 2003 Spiral of Silence ceased all activities but later on did play some reunion concerts (including in London) without recording new material. In 2013 Spiral of Silence got back on track and started touring again.

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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Genre/Influences:  Minimal-electro, techno, techno-body.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Adriano Canzian, Massimo Bastasi and Mauro Copeta (both involved in Hard Ton) took the techno universe by surprise, setting up a new project and releasing their EP’s (cf. “Futura” and “Operating The Fool’s Stone”) in 2018. This debut album was released by the end of 2019 and features –as the title indicates, eleven tracks.

Content: This work sounds a bit like covering multiple sonic ideas. The mix of EBM and techno music comes back at several songs, but other cuts are leading the listeners throughout groovy passages and even very commercial-driven tunes. Some songs like the familiar “Futura” might even remind you of Tiga or Faderhead for the kind of pop approach on top of the production. Solid bass lines, icy tunes, robotic spoken parts are some of the most essential aspects to get an idea about the sound of this project.

+ + + : I remain a huge fan of solid bass lines, which are deeply vibrating in your throat. I can’t say it’s this project’s trademark, but they’re damn good in composing solid bass lines. I like the global sound production, which has this magic of analogue gear. The previously EP-title songs both remain absolute attention grabbers, but I also have to mention “Millenium” for its cold, robotic format and “Antrofobia” for the icy, groovy style.

– – – : I’m just a little less convinced by a few cuts, which are moving on the edge of more commercial tunes. “The Saint” is one of the ultimate cuts in the genre and not exactly my favorite track from the opus.

Conclusion: Globally speaking, “Eleven” reveals some great parts, but I’m less convinced by a few songs, which are ‘cheaper’ sounding. It however remains an album that will appeal to the fans of Space Factory Records.

Best songs: “Antrofobia”, “Operating The Fool’s Stone”, “Futura”, “Millenium”, “Necessary”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/thefoolsstone

Label: www.facebook.com/spacefactory

About The Fool’s Stone

The Fool’s Stone is an Italian electronic project centered on Adriano Canzian, Massimo Bastasi and Mauro Copeta, the latter two also known for Hard Ton; Discogs additionally credits Gaia Brigida among the group’s members. Canzian went on to release the solo EP “Aggressiva” on 51 Beats in 2023.

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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(Photos and text by our UK correspondent Simon Helm) Original posters from The Factory club, along with the first steps of the label that housed Joy Division, New Order and Section 25, are being shown by Chelsea Space in Pimlico. Part of London Design Week, the show coincides with the release of special box sets celebrating the influential label.

Called “Use Hearing Protection FAC 1 – 50 / 40″ and curated by Jon Savage and Mat Bancroft, the show covers the period between 1978 and 1982. Among the exhibits are original sketches by Peter Saville, Factory Records letterhead, an invoice for a Joy Division performance, the original Factory Sampler record, and covers from releases by many Factory artists. It provides a concise overview of the origins of the label, which took shape in the immediate aftermath of punk.

The start

The entrance to the show features Situationist material from the heady days of May 1968 that influenced Tony Wilson. The first item that captures attention, though, is a copy of the original poster from the poorly attended Sex Pistols show at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall. That 1976 performance inspired the legend that, although poorly attended, most of the attendees started a band. That list includes members of Buzzcocks, Joy Division and The Smiths.

The selection of merchandise available for sale at the venue includes Unknown Pleasures and Section 25 tea towels, “Use Hearing Protection” t-shirts, Factory badges and a keychain featuring the torch-carrying hound recognisable from the first New Order 12” single, “Ceremony.”

Designed by Peter Saville

A key presence in the exhibition is Peter Saville, the designer who shaped the look of Factory and created the iconic works reproduced in the merchandise. His use of found material and its reincorporation into the visual identity of Factory product is touched on, but in a more compact way than the extensive Peter Saville Show at London’s Design Museum. The show confirms that his eye and hand were integral to the way the label’s products were presented and appreciated.

Boxsets

The first box set to come out will be “Use Hearing Protection: Factory Records 1978-1979″. As well as four vinyl LPs, it will contain three posters, a short film, Factory stationery and an egg-timer design reproduced from the original Factory catalogue items. An included book will have photos by Kevin Cummins and interviews with Tony Wilson, Rob Gretton, Joy Division and others. It is released on 11 October 2019.

The second is “Factory: Communications 1978-1992“, which spans the label’s history. It will contain eight LPs with 63 tracks, including songs from New Order, Joy Division, Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Electronic, A Certain Ratio and Section 25. It was first released on CD in 2009 and comes out in the new format on 8 November 2019.

Use Hearing Protection FAC 1 – 50 / 40 continues at Chelsea Space until 26 October 2019.Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday 11am-5pm and Saturdays 10am-4pm. Official site: chelseaspace.org.

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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Genre/Influences: Techno-body, IDM.

Background/Info: Based in Sydney, Australia, producer Mikey Melas has released an impressive number of 12”/EP’s in a rather short lapse of time. His work was released on different labels such as Space Factory Records, Lone Romantic ao. For his very first full length he now joined hands with the Spanish label Lone Romantic.

Content: If you’re already familiar with the work of this artist you might know what to expect. His music is pure crossover; mixing techno music together with harder EBM elements, but still with some complex IDM influences. The album has been progressively built up and you’ll find the most sophisticated –IDM , cuts at the end of the ride.

+ + + : I like the minimal approach of Jensen Interceptor. The work is carried by solid bass lines and great retro-like synths sounds and effects. The most elaborated cuts such as “Shadow Network” and “Ufology” reveal an intelligent composition accomplished with great sound treatments. This album is going to make you dance, but also features cool sound atmospheres. 

– – – : Some passages are a bit repetitive. I think it could be interesting to hear a few vocal lines and/or spoken samplings.

Conclusion: Jensen Interceptor is a project you really have to discover if you’re fond of minimal techno-body experiences. I however expected a bit more out of this debut album; some maxi’s being more convincing.

Best songs: “Ufology”, “Shadow Network”, “Ultramax”, “Drip Freq”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/thejenseninterceptor

Label: www.facebook.com/loneromantic

About Jensen Interceptor

Jensen Interceptor is the alias of Mikey Melas, an electro and techno producer based in Sydney, Australia, who has released more than fifty records, mostly singles and EPs, and also records as Interceptor. “Mother” was his first full-length album, released through the Spanish label Lone Romantic. He later teamed up with DeFeKT for the EP “Free Your Mind” (2022, Tresor).

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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Set up in 1993 by Ken Evans and Georgina Emery, Australian formation Tycho Brahe recently released the “Triplex [complete]”-album on ScentAir Records. It’s without a shadow of a doubt their most accomplished work to date. The songs will probably ravish 80s synth-pop lovers, but it first of all is a great production the band might be proud of. This was a real good reason to organize an interview with the band.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Tycho Brahe saw the daylight in 1993. What have been the main facts about your career and how much of early Tycho Brahe do you still recognize in your writing today?

TB: We started off as something different and evolved into our current form. The consistent thing about us though, is that we have always approached every situation with a total sense of self-belief. We’ve never been afraid to take a risk and do something ‘crazy’ or to do the impossible when others might say it can’t be done eg like organize an international support in 2 other states with 5 days’ notice when we haven’t rehearsed in five months. Or organize an interstate gig for an international or interstate band whose promoters let them down with one weeks’ notice.

With this never say never and can-do attitude, we’ve ended up playing shows with other notable acts like The Human League, John Foxx, VNV Nation, Covenant, Real Life, Psyche, Pseudo Echo etc and made many great connections and strong relationships within the industry. We are self-taught in everything, including playing our instruments, programming, recording and production…everything…but have never seen that as a disadvantage. Through self-belief and determined application we have succeeded.

Compared to the earlier Tycho Brahe songs, some of the more recent work has been more unusual in structure (eg “1985” and “Valerie Perrine”), and that has been a deliberate decision to try and keep things interesting. There’s also more confidence these days in being more personal about song lyrics. But the biggest difference between the early Tycho Brahe releases and the more recently recorded work is the level of production we’ve achieved in an independent studio setting. We feel that “Triplex [complete]” is easily our most accomplished body of work so far on many levels.

Q: I noticed your early work has been released on cassette format. What does that evoke to you and what’s your perception about the evolution of technology (recording techniques, instruments, social media, streaming etc)?

TB: Our first two releases were on professionally duplicated cassette in 1996. This was the most affordable format at the time. We’d spent a lot of money in professional studios before that, which was fairly normal for a band in those days, however we made those recordings ourselves very cheaply on a borrowed 4-track system, with the intention that they would be used as demos. We were playing a lot of live shows, and we needed to be able to make our music available to promoters as well as fans, so we put the best of these recordings on a cassette – that first release is literally called “The Promotional Cassette”. The reaction was great, and we realized that for our purposes it didn’t matter if we recorded in a 24 track studio or on a home 4-track system, as long as the music was good, and was recorded and produced to a suitable standard. This appealed to our self-taught ‘do it yourself’ manifesto, so we decided to completely move away from expensive professional studios, and instead invest that money into achieving self-sufficiency for recording and producing. We were early adopters of the digital recording revolution, and the freedom to experiment with recording and production on our own time schedule was a total revelation. Our debut album “Cassiopeia” (released in 2000) was recorded on a PC running very basic 8-track recording software on Windows 98. Our studio setup has now evolved to the point where we’re able to integrate and centrally control all of our vintage hardware synths, drum machines, effects units, DAW software and VST’s etc quite seamlessly. We are living in a golden age of digital recording.

Social media is the great enabler for independent bands which allows us to not only connect globally with geographically dispersed fans, but to connect with other musicians and producers, creating great opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t exist. Before social media, in the early days of the internet, it was still difficult as an independent act to grow beyond our local area and we were still reliant on local gigs, press and radio to generate interest and connections, which of course is very limiting. Streaming services like Spotify are both a blessing and a curse – whilst they deliver practically no income for the artist, people who otherwise may not have listened to acts like Tycho Brahe can hear the music very easily for no cost. It’s just one aspect of the modern democratization of music distribution, although as an artist it is painful to see very little financial return on the recorded work through these streaming services.

Q: Your newest CD-album “Triplex [complete]” features your 3 latest digital EP’s. How important is to have these songs released on CD format and how did you get in touch with Russian ScentAir Records?

TB: Digital distribution is obviously a far more pragmatic way of distributing music, but it is killing the album format. The recordings on the “Triplex”-EP’s were originally intended for a cohesive album, so from an artistic perspective we feel that presenting them in a physical format such as a CD album encourages people to listen to that entire body of work rather than hearing random individual songs from a digital playlist, and that is very important to us. And to have a business external to the band share a belief in the recorded work to the point where they’re willing to invest money into manufacturing and distributing physical copies of that album is a very affirming and validating process.

We became aware that there was a synth-pop scene happening out of Russia, when we stumbled across a pirated Russian synth-pop compilation which we were on with the likes of Depeche Mode, Beborn Beton and Camouflage. It was completely illegal but somehow flattering. So our curiosity was piqued, and we investigated the Russian scene a little further and realized that our musician friends Empire State Human (ESH) had recently released an album through ScentAir, who appeared to be one of the few remaining independent synth-pop labels still releasing CDs. Tycho Brahe had previously collaborated with ESH/The Garland Cult when we remixed each other, so we contacted Aiden from ESH. After he said very positive things about ScentAir, we decided to directly approach them with the idea of compiling the “Triplex”-EP series into the proper complete CD album. This had been our original plan and ScentAir were very keen to do it, with distribution through Poponaut. We’re very happy in our relationship with ScentAir, and would like to release further albums through them in the future. If we could ever do so, we’d also love to tour in support of those releases in Europe, but living in Australia makes that a very expensive proposition.

Q: I’ve to admit I’m deeply impressed by this album revealing a perfect balance between electronics and guitar while featuring bombast and refined bleeps, alluring bass lines and catchy choruses, typical 80s arrangements with charismatic vocals on top. Tell us a bit more about the writing and recording of this masterpiece?

TB: Thank you, we’re glad that you like it! “Triplex [complete]” is our fifth album, and we actually started work on it immediately after our “Atlantic” album in 2006. The first song to be completed was “Loveless”, which debuted on Myspace way back in 2007, before our “Transatlantic”-remix album was released, and that recording set the writing and production standard that we wanted to achieve for the rest of the album. We were playing and refining songs from “Triplex” at live shows with bands like The Human League, Psyche etc, and that live work plus other commitments slowed progress on recording the album…

Before we knew it, four years had passed, and then our studio was flooded, completely submerged, under 4 metres of filthy flood water in the devastating Brisbane floods of January 2011. We saved all of the equipment, but then we were basically demolishing and rebuilding for the next year, but then decided to relocate to higher ground anyway as we were post-traumatic from losing a studio and a home to the flood… every time it rained we would freak out. The flood cost us two years of progress, and around that time Andy Walls (live keyboards and co-writer), decided to leave to ‘take up gardening’ which was another setback. We had a semi-functional temporary studio which wasn’t really set up for vocals during this time, so in 2012 we recorded and released the novelty song “Sex Rocket” as a single – which is one reason why it has a vocoder in place of vocals… it was remixed by Parralox, Neuropa and Psyche, we also did a follow up song in a similar style, “Super Hot Robot”, another fun novelty song but not representative of our usual work. (Both songs have videos on Youtube and were created by another talented member of the Tycho family, Thomas Evans.)

So as fate would have it, the album was shelved until we could get our studio and our lives back in order. When we finally re-established the studio and got back to the album, we found that we were being perfectionists wanting a very high production standard, and recording was slow and painstaking, so we became impatient to release something. That is when we decided to split the album into three parts, so we could complete four songs at a time and release three EPs over a longer period, maintaining some output. Georgina came up with the name “Triplex”, which means ‘having three parts’, or a house divided into three residencies. We digitally released each EP ourselves, with artwork by our friend Stig Olsen in Denmark, who has also done graphic design work for The Human League, and on our “Sex Rocket”-CD single. Each EP was mastered in Sydney by Kathy Naunton at dB mastering, who has worked on albums by Severed Heads, Boxcar, Midnight Oil… the songs themselves range from very personal, such as “No Love”, to “Castaway” which is about not fitting into society, to “Valerie Perrine” which is about the hot tub scene from the Village People movie, “Can’t Stop The Music”! Our favorite track on the album is probably “Metropolis”, the intro has a mobile phone recording from a New York subway which sets the mood perfectly.

Q: “1985” is an interesting song with references to the 80s. Are you guys nostalgic and what has been the impact of the 80s on you as teenagers and later on as musicians?

TB: We’re massive ‘80s fans, obviously music especially but also movies like “Buckaroo Banzai” and “Electric Dreams”, video games (Georgina has a vintage Galaga arcade machine), musical equipment… most of our synths are vintage ‘80s machines like the Prophet 5, Emax sampler, Juno-106, LinnDrum, Simmons, etc because we love how they sound… even the registration plates on our cars… Georgina’s is “80-MIX” which is the music she’s always playing in the car – a mix of ‘80s stuff; Ken drives a Mustang convertible with the plate ‘FAC-73’ which is the Factory Records catalogue number for the “Blue Monday”-single, the song that made him want to create music way back in 1983. Most people’s formative years are their teens, and the ‘80s certainly had a huge impact on us, but it was a groundbreaking era for music, with all of that incredible new technology becoming available and affordable in the post-punk years.

The song “1985” is deliberately nostalgic and is about specific events experienced in the ‘80s with various friends…”Park Avenue” is referenced in the song, it was a Hi-NRG club in Adelaide that played Man 2 Man, Dead Or Alive, early Stock Aitken & Waterman… we would actually dance all night and emerge at daybreak; the song is quite personal and about still being anchored to that era. In 2011 we were able to work with Giorgio Moroder’s 1980’s bass player/programmer Arthur Barrow, and we released a remix single for the song “1985” in the production style of Moroder in 1985, with Arthur Barrow contributing parts using the same bass guitar and Jupiter-8 synth he used with Moroder, and our LinnDrum loaded with custom Giorgio Moroder sounds used around the Scarface/Electric Dreams era. There might even be some sneaky “Back To The Future” samples hidden in that song too…

Q: I’ve to ask you a last question about a real exciting project consisting of doing some programming for the upcoming tour of Peter Hook. How did you get in touch with each other and what is it all about?

TB: We became friends with Peter Hook and The Light when they toured Australia in 2010, when we shared drinks and stories with them after their Brisbane show, and we’ve since caught up with various members socially and travelled to see the band play overseas. They’re wonderful people and an amazing, hardworking band, and one of our favorite live acts of all time. Some of the New Order songs that Peter Hook and The Light play require pre-programming and digital multi-track playback onstage (also known as backing tracks) to re-create the complex vintage sequenced synth and drum machine parts. Peter Hook initially became aware that Ken was an expert in recognizing the distinct New Order sounds and the synthesizers that made them, when he sought his help in clarifying how some early New Order equipment would have worked on certain songs for his latest book. Ken had also assisted in setting up a live vocoder system for their keyboard player, who also knew that Tycho had been covering “Bizarre Love Triangle” live. This led to Ken being asked in 2015 if he’d like to attempt new programming and backing tracks for “Bizarre Love Triangle” for them, as they weren’t particularly satisfied with what they’d been using. They were very happy with the result and so Ken has been creating backing tracks for Peter Hook and The Light ever since.

About half of the New Order songs from their recent international “Substance” tours in 2017 and 2018 featured Ken’s work. He’s been working on new backing tracks for the “Technique” and “Republic” albums since late 2017, for a tour commencing in September 2018. By the end of the current project, Ken will have re-created the synth and drum machine parts for over 30 classic New Order songs. It is incredibly challenging work, as everything has to be completely made brand new, from scratch, without access to any of the original source material due to legal reasons, with only the released versions from albums etc as a guide. The most complex of these can take around 60 hours of work, and it involves researching the original equipment used, detailed sound design, forensic listening techniques, and then the actual programming, sequencing, mixing and production to essentially build a new multi-track recording of the electronic parts, as close to the original as possible. Ken has set up a separate business called Tycho Sound Design to accommodate this work, and he has also now done similar work for Australian ‘80s band Machinations.

Tycho Brahe literally would not exist if not for New Order releasing “Blue Monday”, so to be working with Peter Hook brings us full circle and is a huge honor. Last year in our home town of Brisbane Ken was invited on stage to sing “Bizarre Love Triangle” with Peter Hook and The Light, which was a very surreal and emotional moment.

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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Here’s something for those Factory Records fans who want to collect everything related to the label and its personnel. “1965-1980” and the mini-album “In Dub”, 2 classic releases by the punk-dub rhythm act Basement 5, finally see a reissue.

The “1965-1980” album takes its title from the year frontman Dennis Morris (legendary photographer of Bob Marley and the Sex Pistols) arrived from Jamaica to its recording in 1980. Having secured the services of Factory Records renowned in-house producer, Martin Hannett (Joy Division) things looked good. However, the original drummer walked out on the first day of recording and was immediately replaced by the Blockheads Charlie Charles who went to finish the sessions. In the spirit of the day things didn’t last, underlying tension saw the band implode whilst touring through Europe. The final incarnation of the band lasted a mere eighteen months.

The “1965-1980” sessions also yielded dub versions of several of the main tracks and were later on released as “In Dub”.

The re-issue comes on vinyl and can be ordered right here.

Basement 5 formed in London in 1978. Their first vocalist was Winston Fergus, then Don Letts. One of their early performances was a support for Public Image Ltd.’s London debut at the Rainbow on Christmas Day 1978. Finally in 1979 Dennis Morris took over as creative force, lead vocalist and lyricist. He also designed the Basement 5 logo and created their image. The drums were played by Richard Dudanski, who had played in the bands 101ers, The Raincoats and Public Image Ltd. Their songs reflected the political situation of the time in Great Britain including youth unemployment and strikes. In 1980 they got signed to Island Records with vocalist Dennis Morris. Shortly after releasing the single “Last White Christmas” in 1980 the band broke up, with several members forming Urban Shakedown.

Here’s a video for “Riot” in a remastered version.

Side-Line also covered Joy Division’s ‘Atmosphere’.

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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Peter Hook & The Light return to North America from late April to early June 2018 with a run of shows performing Joy Division and New Order’s legendary Factory Records compilation album “Substance” live, sequentially and in their entireties. The tour sees Hook and The Light return to some of the venues which witnessed those acclaimed shows as well as adding new venues and cities.

The tour begins on the Northern West Coast in late April ’18 and sees The Light play a mammoth 28 dates over nearly seven weeks ending up in Florida in early June ’18.

Released in August 1987, New Order’s “Substance” was originally conceived as a way for Factory Records boss, Tony Wilson, to play the New Order singles on the CD player of his new Jaguar car. “Substance” became the best selling New Order album ever upon its release, the double LP going on to sell 2 million copies in America alone.

Peter Hook & The Light have toured Joy Division and New Order’s albums extensively since debuting “Unknown Pleasures” back in 2010 with dates all across the world.

Here are some videos to wet your appetite.

For more on Joy Division, see Reissue of two 1980 cult releases by Basement 5 imminent – both… on Side-Line.

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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Genre/Influences: Techno, dark-techno.

Background/Info: Luca Vollaro is an Italian DJ and producer who’s already been active for 10 years now. After having released an impressive number of EP’s he now unleashes his debut album featuring 2 discs and a total amount of 12 tracks simply entitled “Structure” from 0 to 11.

Content: The sound is clearly driven by techno vibes. The main characteristic of this work is the hard and somewhat bombastic kick, which is hardly resonating throughout the production. The electronic sequences are pretty repetitive, but often reveal a dark and sometimes icy texture.

There for sure is a kind of similarity with industrial production, but “Structures” definitely smells like pure techno music with a minimal approach. That’s more noticeable on the first disc, the second one being even more straightforward-like.

+ + + : The main strength of this album is the global sound production. The music is pretty rudimentary, but carried by an impressive powerful sound. The heavy kick sounds like pure bombast, which matches with some cold sequences. My favorite cut is “Structure 02” where a break progressively moves into a typical climax.

– – – : Aside of the great production, the writing of this kind of music is sometimes too linear and repetitive. There’s not a lot of  variation and too much focus on the heavy kicks.

Conclusion: “Structures” is a damn good illustration of how rudimentary techno music carried by a great production can become successful.

Best songs: “Structure 02”, “Structure 03”, “Structure 07”.

Rate: (7).

Band: http://electrorites.com / www.facebook.com/electrorites

Label: www.nightmarefactoryrecords.com / www.facebook.com/Nightmarefactoryrecords

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