Diamanda Galás announces the remastered release of “Saint of the Pit” on 13 September 2024 via Intravenal Sound Operations. This fifth studio album, originally released in November 1986, is the second part of her trilogy “The Masque of the Red Death.” The remastering was done by Heba Kadry.

“Saint of the Pit” was created during the HIV-AIDS epidemic and reflects themes of suffering and passion. The album includes compositions based on poems by Charles Baudelaire, Gérard de Nerval, and Tristan Corbière.

Galás began addressing HIV-AIDS in her work in 1984, with “Saint of the Pit” dedicated to her brother, Philip-Dimitri Galás, who died in 1986. The album was produced with the help of Gareth Jones and includes contributions from musicians like FM Einheit of Einstürzende Neubauten.

Here’s the video for “Cris d’Aveugle” (Blind Man’s Cry), a symphonic treatment of Corbière’s poem, about suffering and exclusion.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Yishai Sweartz of Tomorrow’s Rain and Berlin-based singer/composer Mona Mur are releasing a new album on June 20 via Soleilmoon Recordings. Titled “Clouds Of War,” the album is inspired by the life of Sweartz’s grandfather, Moshe Szniecki, a WWII Partisan. The music includes spoken word and experimental arrangements.

Yishai explains in the press release that “Clouds Of War” emerged from the compelling stories in his grandfather’s diary. During WWII, Moshe left his hometown at 17 after his family was murdered. He survived by joining a Partisan group in the Belarusian forests. He later settled in Israel, living peacefully until his death at 94. Yishai explains further: “During World War II, 17-year-old Moshe Szniecki left his hometown when all other members of his family were murdered by Nazi hordes. In the depths of the Belarusian forests, Moshe joined a Partisan group and fought boldly. Guided by what he called ‘The Codes of the Woods,’ Moshe survived.” He made it to Israel, married, and had a family with his wife Hanna and two daughters. He died peacefully at 94, at ease with himself. He survived.”

“To me, music is a sacred art form. You can transmit and connect on a level of empathy. Violence, cruelty, greed, ego, hate, contempt, hostility dissolve for a fleeting moment that still might change things profoundly,” explains Mona Mur reflecting on the conceptual side of the collaboration that lead to the release of “Clouds of War”. “What is the right look at the atrocities of war, holocaust, genocide ? Moshe Shnitzki, 17 years old, had to transform in a split second, in order to survive, from a pious teenage boy into a warrior. Fight back or die, head into the deep dark forest, leave a civilization that failed to rise up to its proper meaning. And survive. How does that feel, how does that sound ? This is what “Clouds of War” is about.”

The collaboration between the two musicians began in summer 2021 when diary excerpts, translated into English, were recorded by Yishai Sweartz and sent to Mona Mur. In her studio KATANA, Mona Mur used these as the basis for the album, adding layers of voices, guitar, and electronic sounds.

As the project evolved, Anja Huwe of X-mal Deutschland contributed her voice. The album is also already featured in Elfi Mikesch’s documentary “War or Peace”. You can pre-order their album below on Bandcamp and check out the first 2 songs already.

About Yishai Sweartz and Mona Mur

Yishai Sweartz is a musician, performer and music promoter from Tel Aviv, Israel. He is the vocalist of the bands Tomorrow’s Rain and Nail Within and the avant-garde dark ambient project Thy Mesmerized. A frequent collaborator of a large number of artists including Mille Petrozza (Kreator), Attila Csihar(Mayhem), Fernando Ribeiro (Moonspell), Gregor Mackintosh (Paradise Lost), Michael Denner (Mercyful Fate / King Diamond) and many others. Yishai has promoted hundreds of Rock and Metal shows in Israel for more than 25 years.

Mona Mur from her side is a singer, musician, composer and producer, famous for her collaborations and live shows with the likes of FM Einheit (Einstürzende Neubauten), En Esch (KMFDM), Grzegorz Ciechowski (Republika) or JJ Burnel (The Stranglers). She also created film music (“Last Exit: Space”) and video game soundtracks (“Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days”).

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Genre/Influences: Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Italian bass player and multi-instrumentalist Massimo Pupillo has released massive things, collaborations and productions in his career. He got involved with Zu and collaborated with an endless number of famous artists like  Mike Patton (Faith No More), Jim O’ Rourke (Sonic Youth), Guy Picciotto & Joe Lally (Fugazi), FM Einheit ( Einstürzende Neubauten), Damo Suzuki (CAN), David Tibet (Current 93), Mick Harris (Scorn), Gordon Sharp (This Mortal Coil & Cindytalk) etc etc.

Content: This work sounds in the true line of Glacial Movements; a sonic exploration of deeply Ambient and Cinematic fields. The work is fully evasive although featuring a few darker, mysterious, parts -which are mainly emerging at the end of the work. The wafting side of the work has been accentuated by the effect of voices. 

+ + + : This work has a true visual strength which is totally fitting with the great artwork of the album featuring landscapes and pictures of tribes. It feels like traveling through isolated spaces mixing mainly relaxing passages together with a few obscure parts.

– – – : The main point with this kind of productions is that there’s no visual content and that’s what I’m a bit missing; a wider conceptual approach mixing music together with other artistic creation like film, photography, ballet etc..

Conclusion: An album inviting the listener to dream away and visit other dimensions and cultures.

Best songs: “Ulda”, “Beaivi”, “Sami”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.zuism.net/massimo /  www.facebook.com/massimozu

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

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

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Out on September 8th is a brand new label sampler from the fine Cold Spring label. “Arise – A Cold Spring Sampler” is being released as a 2CD in gatefold ecopak and holds 33 tracks.

“Arise” is the first sampler in this 20+ years old label sampler series since the “Earthen”, which was released in November 2018. Included is material from Cold Spring’s current and forthcoming releases covering industrial, esoteric, dark ambient, noise, ritual, drone, doom metal, experimental, electronica, or yet dark soundtracks.

Included is work from Kollaps, Llyn Y Cwn, Khost, Jagath, Trepaneringsritualen, Coil, Merzbow, She Spread Sorrow, Frank Hall, Dead Voices On Air feat. Cevin Key, Lull, Mz.412 , The Circular Ruins And Mystified, Common Eider, King Eider, Colossloth, We Be Echo, George Fenton, Kristian Eidnes Andersen / Lars Von Trier, , Himukalt, Sonologyst, Satøri , 400 Lonely Things, Tunnels Of Ah, Sleep Research Facility, Burial Hex, Tenhornedbeast, Fm Einheit / Lee Ranaldo, Spk, Oleg Karpachov, Drew Daniel / John Wiese, La Breiche,
Neil Chaney, Gp-Orridge & Dave Ball.

Check out the tracks below. Warmly recommended!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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(Photo by Thomas Rabsch) Out on March 3rd via Rustblade is the all new album by FM Einheit. Released in a limited edition of 499 copies on grey marbled vinyl, it shows the co-founder and ex-percussionist of Einstürzende Neubauten mixing experimentation and metal percussions with art rock. You can expect a dissonant guitars mix with pianos, trumpets, and tightly wrapped rhythms with vocals by F.M. Einheit and Rica Blunk.

Rica Blunk is a German choreographer, dancer, singer and voice actress, and also the sister of that other musician Timo Blunk. And for the Depeche Mode fans, Blunk was the bassplayer in Palais Schaumburg, a new wave and post-punk band that gained some popularity in Germany in the early 80s. In 1981 the band signed with Daniel Miller’s Mute Records, after which they played support for Depeche Mode.

FM Einheit (real name Frank Martin Strauss) is a German musician and composer. He is best known as the former percussionist and “industrial” drummer for the influential German experimental rock band Einstürzende Neubauten. Einheit joined the band in 1981 and was a member for over a decade, during which time he played on some of their most celebrated albums, including “Halber Mensch” and “Tabula Rasa.”

In addition to his work with Einstürzende Neubauten, Einheit has also collaborated with a number of other musicians and artists, including Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, the German electronic musician Alva Noto, and the experimental filmmaker Heinz Emigholz. Einheit’s work often incorporates unconventional percussion instruments and found objects, and his music has been described as “industrial,” “experimental,” and “avant-garde.”

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Genre/Influences: Experimental, Abstract, Industrial, Jazz, Cinematographic.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: FM Einheit is an artist who needs no further introduction, but who will always be linked to Einstürzende Neubauten. He released multiple albums under his own name and this double CD is a reissue of “Exhibition Of A Dream” released in 2018 by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation on vinyl. The work has something conceptual as the idea consisted to transpose dreams from musicians, artists and filmmakers into music.

Content: The most famous names and contributors from the list are Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), Susan Stenger (Band Of Susans) and filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Most of the guests are using their voice in a half spoken – half sung way, but some passages are also deeply sensual. Sound-wise FM Einheit realized a work, which is hard to define, but mainly characterized by its diversity and eclecticism. Some songs are pretty Jazz-driven and even a bit into Lounge while others became darker, abstract and driven by down-tempo. But there’s also an interesting experiment bringing Jazz and Industrial music together.

+ + + : Interpreting dreams remains a fascinating exercise and often a favorite practice of psycho-analysts. FM Einheit transformed himself into the sonic reincarnation of Frëud and realized one of his most surprising works. I didn’t exactly expect him experimenting with Jazz and especially the mix of Jazz and Industrial on “Dream, 17 February 2017”. The opening piece “Memory” featuring Apichatpong Weerasethakul is somewhat different, but still very Jazzy as well. “Le Baiser Du Supion” featuring Emilie Pitoiset is another efficient song, mixing elements of Cinematic-, Lounge- and Jazz music. In a different style and even a bit trance-like “The Dungeon” is great to discover as well. The last track “Creation Re/Created” featuring the one and only Genesis Breyer P-Orridge has something emotional because of the tragic loss of the Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV front man. The way FM Einheit holds on Industrial and experimental influences while mixing them with other sources of inspiration are truly fascinating.

– – – : Even if this album is accessible it however remains hard to seize. You also feel this music is rather made to accompany a visual performance instead of listening to it from your lazy chair.

Conclusion: The concept is not new, but remains original while the content is totally surprising if you know it has been composed by FM Einheit.

Best songs: “Creation Re/Created”, “Un Sognio Tessuto In Tapeto”, “The Dungeon”, “FFW”, “Le Baiser Du Supion”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.fmeinheit.org / www.facebook.com/FM-EINHEIT-266076520078649

Label: www.coldspring.co.uk / www.facebook.com/coldspringhq

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

At the end of 2020 Cold Spring Records released the official debut album “Devalaya” from the Russian collective JAGATH. The band name is taken from Sanskrit and means ‘world’ or ‘universe’. Even if JAGATH doesn’t feel connected with the early Industrial music movement, the album and its global approach both reveal noticeable links like the use of recycled- and hand-crafted ‘instruments’. “Devalaya” is a true fusion between typical Industrial elements like percussion and Ritual elements accentuated by voices and didgeridoo-like sounds. I talked with Gregory Skvortsov about the album and the project.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Let’s start with the beginning; how did JAGATH saw the daylight? Can you introduce the band members and tell us something about the input of each other? And what’s the original goal of the project? 

Gregory: JAGATH never saw daylight, it is always in twilight… It started in 2014, we are urban explorers and we began to dig into construction shafts of a sewer collector nearly 30 meters deep. We found a very interesting reverb, I immediately decided to record something there, but Nils got ahead of me and wrote some music with a friend. It nudged me, and we began to go there and write sound samples, then made several jam sessions. Chaospasm and one of his friends brought ethnic instruments, then Max Wolf appeared with his homemade didgeridoo. We also played a big live show there, with lights, lasers and fire. All this material is still waiting to be released.

The guys wanted to make something more like Ethnic or Psychedelic, but I suppose my goal was to release inner demons, audiolize the feel of Post-Industrial age, ‘unveil life in the abyss’. I don’t really know why my concept won, and the other guys are sabotaging this interview.

Then I finally brought this party to the oil tanks located at an abandoned power station and we started recording material which later became “Devalaya”.

Q: You’re composing your music with hand-crafted instruments while recording in very special locations. This way of working clearly evokes the early spirit of Industrial music! Do you feel connected with the early Industrial music movement and tell us a bit more about this way of working? How does it happen? 

Gregory: We have only some Ethnic instruments and mostly use found objects -junk that lays in the tank like sticks, metal scrap, rocks, bottles, etc. We also make our own things, like a didgeridoo made of plastic sewage pipe (which was broken several times), a strange sounding thing consisting of an IKEA metal bowl and a bearing ball and a gong made of a metal tray. I also like using cheap contact mics, clamping it to everything.

I don’t really think JAGATH is connected with early Industrial music although the spirit still inspires me. Once when I lived in a commune in Saint Petersburg, I found some local junk and made a spring guitar-like thing, then I realized it is like one that FM EINHEIT used.

Q: You last year released your official debut album “Devalaya” which means “Temple”. Tell us a bit more about the writing and eventually concept of this work? How did you create and produce the different tracks of the album? 

Gregory: We were writing it for 5 long years, we have done multiple sessions. Then I just removed everything bad and stitched good parts together. Everything was (and still is) recorded on a single cheap Zoom H1 recorder, so it was hard to clean up the records, but I got a clear picture in mind how it should sound, and it worked. 

Some tracks were augmented with didgeridoo overdubs and smashes recorded in the final stage, like “Agadha” (Abyss). The track “Devalaya” consists of 3 parts -basically 3 different tracks from different sessions.

Our later albums –“Agni” (self-released on Bandcamp), “Inodaya” (upcoming on NEN Records) and “Svapna” (looking for a label) -were much easier for production, they were recorded fully live, because maybe we became more ‘professional’, but they sound not so rich and intense, as for me, though they are different, and that’s good. And the concept always stays the same.

Q: “Devalaya” clearly sounds Industrial, but there also is a Ritual element in the production. What does this Ritual part stands for and what means Ritual music to you? 

Gregory: Industrial Shamanism. We are getting really stoned during the recording process, by the way. It takes a lot of effort to get over the concrete fence in the end, and then get to home, especially during Winter.

Q: You already talked about abandoned industrial locations where you’re composing your music. How did you come to this idea and what’s the importance of such a location and the impact on the music? 

Gregory: Post-Industrial and Post-Cold War abandoned environments always inspired me -around Urals you may find enormously big desolated factories (like Uralmash), hundreds of dismantled nuclear ICBM positions. An abandoned power station and its tanks is one of such places showing power of something huge but eventually unneeded. (Last photos of it, 2020, before snowfall: https://yadi.sk/d/4ctzBoPGYNojeQ )

I recorded the reverb of the oil tank, so we can take it everywhere and play live.

Q: Do you’ve concrete plans to play live? And how would you transpose the sound of JAGATH in front of an audience? What brings the future?

Gregory: We’ve played live several times in Perm and in Saint Petersburg, played at an open-air forest festival Systo and at an abandoned Red Triangle factory in Saint Petersburg: https://youtu.be/okMVGH-kQb8 

We are going to perform at the Perm Wave-festival at a local jentrified factory on April, 24th, and at an abandoned warehouse, later in May, maybe we will even stream this.

I want to play live at huge Industrial locations officially, in front of the public, but I think it is impossible in our lovely totalitarian Russia, where everything must look nice. I hope someday we will play live in Europe in some Industrial museum (like Landschaftspark in Germany) or maybe even in an alive factory. Got some ideas of more electronic sound.

My personal future seems to be much more obscure than it usually is, I don’t have any job right now. And I see no future here in Russia.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, cinematographic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: “Hammerschlag” is a conceptual work recorded live by FM Einheit (ex-Einstürzende Neubauten) and Andread Ammer (author and writer of radio plays). They got some assistance from several extra musicians and vocalists. The concept is based around Soviet revolutionary poet and futurist Aleksej Kapitonovič Gastev who got executed under the orders of Stalin. This concert took place in Perm (Russia) in 2019 and served as the basis for a German-Russian radio play version.

Content: Except the debut- and final song you don’t really get the feeling listening to a live concert. The global atmosphere and used equipment are rapidly reminding the early days of industrial music. The influence of Einstürzende Neubauten is for sure easily noticeable, but this work moves a step further/. You somewhere notice the conceptual approach and radio play format. The charismatic, narrating female vocals by Rica Blunck inject a bewitching effect to the work. This work has been accomplished by industrial noises, percussion and recycled material. Some of the tracks have a ritual touch on top, but other, more electronic passages have something very cinematographic.

+ + + : I’ve been always fascinated by the early industrial music scene from the 80s and this album reminds me of this magic period. Einstürzende Neubauten comes into mind, which I think is unavoidable, but I can also mention Test Department and Raksha Mancham for the engaged approach. Next to the typical industrial elements you’ll also notice great orchestral arrangements by wind instruments injecting a solemn touch to the work. The tracks are meticulously elaborated and diversified. There are multiple cool tracks, but I especially have to mention the debut- and final cut, which are simply outstanding.

– – – : I noticed a few parts, which are maybe too explicitly experimental, but you don’t hear me complaining.

Conclusion: This is an album bringing the true spirit of industrial music back alive. Respect for this great work!

Best songs: “Amoeba”, “Epilogue”, “Cit”, “Order 05”, “Order 08”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.fmeinheit.org / www.facebook.com/FM-EINHEIT-266076520078649

Label: www.coldspring.co.uk / www.facebook.com/coldspringhq

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