Front 242 released the album “05:22:09:12 Off” on 23 August 1993 through Red Rhino Europe, with Epic issuing the record in the United States that November. The seventh studio album by the Belgian industrial/EBM group turns 33 this year. Its title is a substitution cipher spelling out the word “evil,” each letter replaced by its position in the alphabet.

“05:22:09:12 Off” was produced and mixed by Daniel Bressanutti and Patrick Codenys alongside John Dubs and Eran Westwood, with Bob Ludwig mastering. The album marks the only Front 242 studio release built primarily around a guest vocalist: Kristin “99” Kowalski of the New York band Spill sings lead on most tracks, with Jean-Luc De Meyer appearing only on the remix “Melt (Again).” The CD edition runs 16 tracks, including “Animal (Cage),” “Modern Angel,” “Junkdrome,” “Serial Killers Don’t Kill Their Girlfriend,” “GenEcide” and “Crushed.” The album reached number 27 on the CMJ Radio Top 150.

About Front 242

Front 242 formed in 1981 in Aarschot, near Leuven, Belgium, founded by Daniel Bressanutti (electronics, production) and Dirk Bergen (graphic design). Patrick Codenys (keyboards, programming) and vocalist Jean-Luc De Meyer joined in 1982, and Richard “23” Jonckheere (electronic percussion, backing vocals) joined in 1983 as Bergen moved into design and management. The band’s 1984 album “No Comment” was among the first releases to use the term “electronic body music” in its liner notes. Front 242 signed to Wax Trax! in the US in 1984, then released “Official Version” (1987) and “Front by Front” (1988) via Red Rhino Europe/PIAS, and “Tyranny (For You)” (1991) via Epic, its highest-charting album in the US.

“05:22:09:12 Off” followed in 1993, released in Europe by Red Rhino Europe on 23 August and in the US by Epic that November. Drummer Tim Kroker joined for live performances in 2008. The band’s most recent studio album, “Pulse,” followed via XIII Bis/Metropolis in 2003. In 2023, Front 242 co-headlined the “Join The Forces” tour of Europe with Nitzer Ebb, alternating headline sets across dates including Berlin, Amsterdam, Oslo and Munich. Front 242 announced its farewell “Black Out” tour in March 2024 and played its final three shows at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels on 23-25 January 2025, retiring from live performance with a lineup of Bressanutti, De Meyer, Codenys, Richard 23 and Kroker. The live album “Black Out”, drawn from more than forty farewell-tour shows, followed via Alfa Matrix on 19 June 2026. “05:22:09:12 Off” now marks 33 years since its original release.

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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Suicide Commando, the Belgian electro-industrial project of Johan Van Roy, released its debut album Critical Stage on 1 August 1994 through the German label Off Beat. The CD turns 32 this year.

“Critical Stage” contains 12 tracks, all written and performed by Van Roy, recorded and mixed by Eric Van Wonterghem at E.M.P.-studio. Cover design and layout came from Beyond > Mixed Data and Koen Cant. Track ten, “Where Do We Go From Here?”, carries voice and lyrics by Dirk Ivens, known from Dive, The Klinik and Absolute Body Control. Off Beat, a division of the German company Westcom, distributed the album through SPV GmbH.

The original CD is out of print. The album can be streamed today via Bandcamp as part of “The Suicide Sessions 1 (Critical Stage)”, a 2011 reissue that restores the original twelve tracks alongside eleven bonus recordings. Out Of Line reissued “Critical Stage” separately on limited red and yellow vinyl in 2025.

About Suicide Commando

Johan Van Roy started experimenting with electronic music in Belgium in 1986 under the name Suicide Commando. His first tape followed two years later, and a track from it appeared on the vinyl compilation “Electronic.” After several more self-released tapes, Off Beat signed Van Roy, and Suicide Commando’s debut album, “Critical Stage,” followed in 1994.

A second album, “Stored Images,” arrived in 1995 and included “See You in Hell.” In 1996, Van Roy marked the project’s tenth anniversary with the compilation “Contamination.” “Construct-Destruct” and its companion release “Reconstruction” followed in 1998, carrying the club tracks “Desire” and “Better Off Dead.”

Van Roy co-founded the label Dependent in 1999. Suicide Commando’s next studio album, “Mindstrip” (2000), reached number one on the German Alternative Charts and was licensed for North America by Metropolis Records. Dependent also released the singles “Hellraiser” and “Comatose Delusion,” the EP “Love Breeds Suicide,” and the 2002 compilation “Anthology.” The 2003 album “Axis of Evil” was voted album of the year by the Deutsche Alternative Charts.

“Bind, Torture, Kill” followed in 2006, preceded by the single “Godsend + Menschenfresser,” and reached number one on the DAC albums chart. Suicide Commando marked its 20th anniversary in 2007 with the “X20” boxset, including a remix disc, a “best of” disc, the “Fuck You Bitch” EP and the project’s first live DVD. In 2009, Van Roy signed with the German label Out Of Line, starting with the 7″ “Severed Head / Until We Die.” The album “Implements of Hell” followed in 2010, again licensed to Metropolis Records in the US.

In 2011, Suicide Commando reissued its first three studio albums, “Critical Stage,” “Stored Images” and “Construct-Destruct,” as the six-CD box “The Suicide Sessions,” each remastered and paired with a disc of bonus and previously unreleased material. “When Evil Speaks” followed in 2013, led by the single “Attention Whore” and reaching number 47 on the German Media Control Charts. “Forest of the Impaled” (2017) included “The Pain That You Like,” a single featuring Jean-Luc De Meyer of Front 242 as guest vocalist, and reached number 28 on the same chart. Suicide Commando released the album “Goddestruktor” in 2022. For live shows, Van Roy performs alongside Torben Schmidt on keyboards and Mario Vaerewijck on drums. “Critical Stage,” the album that started the project’s studio discography, turns 32 on 1 August.

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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Front 242, the Belgian electronic body music pioneers, now present their farewell live album “Black Out” on solid silver double vinyl as well, out on 25 September 2026 through Alfa Matrix. The new pressing follows the sold-out crystal clear and clear purple fanpack vinyl editions, and arrives alongside a Full Silver Pack bundle.

What the ‘Black Out’ silver editions include

Alfa Matrix pressed an additional 1,000 copies on solid silver vinyl after the earlier vinyl runs sold out ahead of the street date. The label states that demand was “nothing short of phenomenal”, with both the crystal clear transparent edition and the limited clear purple fanpack selling out before release. The solid silver 2LP carries 20 tracks across four sides and sells for 37,99 euro.

The Full Silver Pack collects the solid silver 2LP together with the “Black Out” 2CD digipak, the Front 242 tribute “Recovery For You 2” on 2CD, and the label samplers “Sounds From The Matrix 26” and “Sounds From The Matrix 27”. Both editions are open for pre-order and street on 25 September 2026.

Front 242, the ‘Black Out’ live album

“Black Out” documents Front 242’s final tour, recorded at AB Brussels (Ancienne Belgique) in January 2025 during the band’s last hometown shows. Side-Line covered the album and its seven formats on its first release in June 2026. The set draws on a farewell run of more than 40 performances across six months in Europe and the USA, and includes the first official releases of three tracks the band had played live in recent years: “Generator”, “Fix It” and “Hide and Seek”.

On stage for the recording, Patrick Codenys, Jean-Luc De Meyer and Richard 23 were joined by Tim Kroker on drums, with David Baboulis of SOLDOUT handling the studio mix and production. The double vinyl runs 20 tracks across four sides – “W.Y.H.I.W.Y.G.”, “Moldavia”, “Body to Body”, “Don’t Crash”, “Operating Tracks”, “U-Men”, “Funkhadafi”, “Quite Unusual”, “Generator”, “Commando Mix”, “Gripped by Fear”, “Take One”, “Red Team”, “Fix It”, “Punish your Machine”, “Tragedy for You”, “Hide and Seek”, “Welcome to Paradise”, “Happiness” and “HeadHunter”. The 2CD digipak extends the set to 23 tracks with three exclusives, “MasterHit”, “Soul Manager” and “No Shuffle”.

The band paired the farewell with a short statement. “It is with a heavy mix of emotion that we close this great adventure, some 40 years in the making. We realize that ending our journey at this time, when we are still vibrant and full of energy is how the band should be remembered,” Front 242 said when they announced the final tour.

About Front 242

Front 242 formed in 1981 in Belgium, founded by Daniel Bressanutti and Dirk Bergen. Patrick Codenys and Jean-Luc De Meyer soon joined, and Richard 23 completed the classic four-piece in 1982. The band were among the pioneers of electronic body music, and used the term as a self-description on the 1984 album “No Comment”.

Across the following decades Front 242 released “Geography” (1982), “No Comment” (1984), “Official Version” (1987) and “Front by Front” (1988), the album that carried “Headhunter”, followed by “Tyranny (For You)” (1991), the paired “06:21:03:11 Up Evil” and “05:22:09:12 Off” (1993) and “Pulse” (2003). Daniel Bressanutti stepped back from touring in 2018, and the group played its final concerts at Front 242’s hometown venue AB Brussels in January 2025. “Black Out” documents those shows, and the solid silver 2LP and Full Silver Pack are its newest editions.

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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Urban Spree was the right place for this night. Not just because it is a good venue for dark electronic music, although it obviously is, but because the whole area already feels half-staged before anything starts. RAW-Gelände has its own atmosphere: brick walls, graffiti, dust, metal, warm concrete, people moving between bars and club doors as if the evening has already begun before you have even gone inside.

For the Berlin release celebration of Front 242’s “Black Out”, with AD:keY playing live and Machineries Of Joy involved, the venue did not feel like a neutral location. It felt like it belonged to the event.

There was a small but lovely touch at the entrance. Early guests were given the new Alfa Matrix sampler, a 19-track compilation with Alien Vampires, Krystal System, Lovelorn Dolls, Digital Factor, Elektrostaub, First Aid 4 Souls and others. A CD at the door might sound like a minor detail, but in a scene like this it matters. It is physical. A little stubborn, even. It says: take this home, keep it somewhere, remember that music is not only a link, a playlist, or something that disappears from your feed tomorrow.

AD:keY live

When AD:keY came on, the room did not need a long introduction. Their language is direct by design: disciplined sequences, commands, economy, repetition sharpened until it becomes physical rather than merely mechanical. But what makes AD:keY work so well is that they do not treat EBM as a museum object or a costume kept safely behind glass. They know the tradition, but they play it with circulation, appetite and present-tense force.

The set had all the necessary strictness: the pulse, the forward push, the clipped energy, the body logic of classic EBM. Yet it never felt like imitation. There were no frozen poses, no dead reenactment of an older scene, no attempt to prove authenticity by simply sounding harder than everyone else. AD:keY understand that EBM is not only a sound vocabulary. It is also timing, attitude, sweat, discipline and the ability to make a simple command feel alive again.

That distinction matters. The best EBM does not become powerful because it is complicated. It becomes powerful because it knows exactly what to remove, what to repeat, where to strike and how to make the audience answer with the body before the mind has time to negotiate.

René gives the songs their structure. He holds the voltage together, keeps the grid tight, keeps the machinery moving. Andrea does something different. Calling her simply “the singer” feels inadequate, because live she is doing much more than delivering vocals. She works with the beat physically. She pushes into it, pulls away from it, smiles at it, challenges the audience with it. At times it felt like she was asking the room: are you actually here, or are you only watching?

That was one of the reasons the set worked so well. It had life in it. Not just volume, not just force, but life. Nothing felt preserved or over-rehearsed into stiffness. AD:keY played hard, but there was humour in it too, and warmth. Those are easy qualities to underestimate in this kind of music, but without them EBM can quickly become parody. Here, the songs hit because they are built to hit, but also because the two people on stage seemed genuinely present inside them.

When Andrea jumped into the crowd, it did not feel like a planned “frontwoman moment”. It felt like the obvious next move. The gap between stage and floor had already been getting smaller throughout the set. By that point, the room had almost pulled her in. That is what I keep enjoying about AD:keY live. They put the body back into electronic body music, but they also put some heart into it. I have seen them a few times now, and the impression has been consistent: they want to be in the room with people, not above them. The sound is muscular, the delivery is direct, the beats do their job, but the warmth is not decorative. It is part of the energy.

And it was fun. Not “fun” as a lazy word in a review, but actually fun. Sweaty, direct, unpretentious fun. People moved because the music made standing still seem slightly ridiculous. You could see recognition passing through the crowd, not only recognition of songs, but of old habits and reflexes, the kind stored somewhere in the body before the brain has time to explain them.

Front 242’s ‘Black Out’ on the floor

After the live set, the night moved further into the Machineries Of Joy and the link with Front 242’s “Black Out” became clearer. Tracks from the release came into the room during the afterparty: “W.Y.H.I.W.Y.G.”, “Quite Unusual”, “MasterHit”, “Welcome to Paradise”. In the wrong setting, those tracks could easily become heritage objects, brought out for polite appreciation. Here they were not treated like relics. They were used. That makes a difference.

“Black Out”, released by Alfa Matrix on 19 June 2026, documents Front 242’s final live chapter, recorded at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels during the farewell shows in January 2025. It is impossible to write that sentence without feeling some weight behind it. Front 242 are not just a name to drop in EBM. They helped define the grammar: sequenced force, voice as command, abrasion with groove, discipline that somehow still creates release.

But the album does not feel like something sealed and finished. It still has too much physical charge. The songs still work as machinery, not as archive material. “W.Y.H.I.W.Y.G.” does not need an introduction. “Quite Unusual” does not need explaining. “Welcome to Paradise” still has that strange poisoned theatricality, somewhere between warning, seduction and control mechanism.

Hearing those tracks at Urban Spree gave the night another layer, but not a sentimental one. Front 242’s live history may have closed, but the language they helped create is clearly still moving. It moves through labels like Alfa Matrix, through DJs who know the difference between history and decoration, through younger dancers discovering that pressure for the first time, and through older dancers whose bodies react before they have time to think about it.

What made the evening work was that it did not overstate itself. The sampler at the door, AD:keY’s generous and physical performance, the later Machineries Of Joy mood, the Front 242 tracks cutting through the floor after midnight – it all connected without anyone needing to explain it too much. That was the strength of the night. It allowed EBM to be what it is when it is at its best: intelligent but not cold, historical but still alive, severe but not joyless, physical without being stupid. This music does not belong under glass. It belongs in rooms where people answer it. By the time the Front 242 tracks hit the floor, nobody needed a lecture on why they mattered. The room already knew.

About Front 242 ‘Black Out’ and AD:keY

Front 242 are the Belgian group, formed in 1981, who helped define electronic body music with releases such as “Geography”, “Official Version”, “Front by Front” and “Tyranny (For You)”. “Black Out” is their final live album, recorded at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels during their January 2025 farewell shows and issued by Alfa Matrix on 19 June 2026 across multiple formats.

AD:keY are the EBM duo of René and Andrea, also on Alfa Matrix, whose recent releases include the single “Der Böse Gott”. Their live set anchored this Berlin release celebration, held at Urban Spree with DJ support around the Machineries Of Joy nights, and tied the evening to the catalogue Front 242 helped make possible.

Words and photos by Karo Kratochwil.

Karo Kratochwil

Based in Wrocław, I work as a music journalist and photographer covering electro, industrial, EBM, gothic, and darkwave. My work includes features and live coverage, as well as concert, portrait, promo, and theater photography. What interests me most is the connection between artistic intention, what the work communicates, and what unfolds live on stage, all in pursuit of the bigger picture behind the music.

Belgian EBM act Front 242 have released “Black Out” via Alfa Matrix. The live album was recorded at AB Brussels (Ancienne Belgique) in January 2025 and documents the band’s farewell run, with more than 40 performances across six months in Europe and the US.

For “Black Out,” Patrick Codenys, Jean-Luc De Meyer, and Richard23 are joined on stage by Tim Kroker, while David Baboulis of Soldout handled the studio mixing and production.

Across Bandcamp and the Alfa Matrix store, “Black Out” is available as a digital edition, a 23-track 2CD digipak, a crystal clear 2LP. The 2CD adds three exclusive tracks: “MasterHit,” “Soul Manager,” and “No Shuffle.”

The release came also out as a totally sold out limited clear purple 2LP fanpack, a totally sold out Core Selected Pack, and a totally sold out Total Access Pack. The limited purple-vinyl fanpack includes a tote bag, armband, 20x30cm art print, two glass coasters, and the label compilations “Sounds From The Matrix 026 & 027,” this edition was limited to 1,000 copies worldwide and sold out in just a few days. The Core Selected Pack combines the 2CD, the purple-vinyl fanpack, and the 2CD tribute “Recovery 2 For You,” while the Total Access Pack adds the crystal clear 2LP to that bundle.

A new fan pack for “Black Out” was made available as well. This updated ‘Essential Pack‘ includes the crystal clear double vinyl along with a selection of additional items and is still available.

• Black Out (incl. 3 bonus tracks) 2CD
• Black Out (incl. 3 bonus tracks) download
• Black Out (Core Selected Pack) SOLD OUT
• Black Out (Total Access Pack) SOLD OUT
• Black Out 2LP (limited fanpack edition clear purple vinyl) SOLD OUT
• Black Out 2LP (crystal clear vinyl)
• Black Out (Essential Pack)
  

Note that the special packs also include the new “Recovery 2 For You (Tribute to Front 242)” 2CD.

About Front 242

Front 242 started in Aarschot, Belgium in 1981. Daniel Bressanutti and Dirk Bergen launched the project first. Patrick Codenys and Jean-Luc De Meyer joined in time for “Geography” in 1982, and Richard Jonckheere, better known as Richard 23, followed in 1983.

The band’s first single was “Body to Body” in 1981. By 1984 Front 242 had signed to Wax Trax! in Chicago, and “Take One” became their first U.S. release. “No Comment” followed in 1984, “Official Version” in 1987 and “Front by Front” in 1988.

Front 242 continued with “Tyranny >For You<” in 1991, then “06:21:03:11 Up Evil” and “05:22:09:12 Off” in 1993. A hiatus followed, before the four core members reunited in 1997 with Tim Kroker on drums for the live setup. “Pulse” arrived in 2003.

Alfa Matrix, which had in the meantime release the band’s side-projects then started to release anniversary editions and vinyl reissues.

The band’s live career ended with the “Black Out” farewell run with the gig on January 25, 2025 at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels being the band’s final show.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

There is an official Berlin release event for Front 242’s new live album “Black Out“. The event takes place on Friday, June 26, 2026, at Urban Spree, Revaler Str. 99, 10245 Berlin. The German EBM act AD:keY will perform live during the event.

The event is presented under the Machineries Of Joy banner. Doors are listed for 22:00, with entry priced at €12 (tickets available here).

It will be the AD:keY’s first Berlin concert in nine years.

About AD:keY

AD:keY is a German EBM duo from Berlin, built around Andrea Nowotny and René Nowotny. The project was formed in 2007 after René Nowotny’s earlier project Rector Scanner, with Andrea joining him as the second core member. René was also active as keyboard player with Armageddon Dildos.

The duo first released the self-produced EP “Shout!” in 2008, followed by the debut album “Thema Nummer Eins” on Electric Tremor Dessau the same year. The album introduced the band’s male/female vocal format and German-language old-school EBM approach.

The project continued with “That’s It!” in 2010, “Astrogator” in 2012 and “Anthropozän” in 2015. In 2017 the duo signed to Alfa Matrix and released the download EP “Shameless”, followed by the fifth album “Reanimator”.

In 2018 Alfa Matrix reissued the AD:keY back catalogue digitally alongside the Rector Scanner catalogue. The same year, the duo released “10th Anniversary”, a 16-track collection of reworked material and new tracks. The later catalogue includes “Resonanz” in 2020 and “0609” in 2024, the band’s seventh album.

About Front 242 – ‘Blackout’

“Black Out” is Front 242’s final live album. Alfa Matrix releases it on June 19, 2026. The album was recorded at AB Brussels in January 2025 and documents the band’s farewell tour, which covered more than 40 performances across Europe and the United States.

For “Black Out,” Patrick Codenys, Jean-Luc De Meyer and Richard 23 are joined on stage by Tim Kroker on drums. David Baboulis of Soldout handled the studio mixing and production.

The release is available as a digital edition, 2CD digipak and vinyl editions. The 2CD version includes three exclusive bonus tracks: “MasterHit”, “Soul Manager” and “No Shuffle”. The album also includes official versions of more recent live tracks such as “Generator”, “Fix It” and “Hide & Seek”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Alfa Matrix will release the 32-track Front 242 tribute “Recovery >For You< 2” on June 19, 2026. The Front 242 tribute compilation appears as a digital album and 2CD edition, with artists from Alfa Matrix and its Spleen+ division reworking material from the Belgian cult EBM act.

Four tracks are available now: Kant Kino’s “Operating Tracks”, Krystal System’s “Headhunter”, The Breath Of Life’s “No Shuffle”, and AD:keY’s “Never Stop”.

About this new Front 242 tribute

The album follows the first Alfa Matrix Front 242 tribute “Recovery >for you<“. This time we find renditions by Implant, Aesthetische, Kant Kino, Krystal System, Nigra Nebula, Neikka RPM, Cubic, Frontal Boundary, To Avoid, Diffuzion, Aiboforcen, Llumen, Lovelorn Dolls, Cut.Rate.Box, Circumpolar, Armageddon Dildos, The Breath Of Life, The Names, Komor Kommando, Acylum, Star Industry, The Psychic Force, Alien Vampires, Darkness On Demand, C-Lekktor, First Aid Tech, AD:keY, Technoir, Digital Factor, and Elektroklänge.

The digital pre-order is available via Bandcamp and the Alfa Matrix webstore.

About Front 242

Front 242 started in Aarschot, Belgium in 1981. Daniel Bressanutti and Dirk Bergen launched the project first. Patrick Codenys and Jean-Luc De Meyer joined in time for “Geography” in 1982, and Richard Jonckheere, better known as Richard 23, followed in 1983.

The band’s first single was “Body to Body” in 1981. By 1984 Front 242 had signed to Wax Trax! in Chicago, and “Take One” became their first U.S. release. “No Comment” followed in 1984, “Official Version” in 1987 and “Front by Front” in 1988.

Front 242 continued with “Tyranny >For You<” in 1991, then “06:21:03:11 Up Evil” and “05:22:09:12 Off” in 1993. A hiatus followed, before the four core members reunited in 1997 with Tim Kroker on drums for the live setup. “Pulse” arrived in 2003.

Alfa Matrix, which had in the meantime release the band’s side-projects then started to release anniversary editions and vinyl reissues.

The band’s live career ended with the “Black Out” farewell run with the gig on January 25, 2025 at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels being the band’s final show.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Front 242’s 1982 debut album “Geography” is available again on clear transparent vinyl via Alfa Matrix. The label has released a 2nd pressing of this clear vinyl edition next to the September 6, 2024 pressing. You can order it right here via Alfa Matrix.

This vinyl reissue uses the 13-track configuration. Side A carries “Operating Tracks”, “With Your Cries”, “Art & Strategy”, “Geography II”, “U-Men”, “Dialogues” and “He Runs Too Fast For Us”. Side B holds “Least Inkling”, “GVDT”, “Geography I”, “Black White Blue”, “Kinetics” and “Kampfbereit”.

When Alfa Matrix launched the first pressing of this vinyl, the instant rush literally crashed the Alfa Matrix website.

About Front 242

Front 242 started in Aarschot, Belgium in 1981. Daniel Bressanutti and Dirk Bergen launched the project first. Patrick Codenys and Jean-Luc De Meyer joined in time for “Geography” in 1982, and Richard Jonckheere, better known as Richard 23, followed in 1983.

The band’s first single was “Body to Body” in 1981. By 1984 Front 242 had signed to Wax Trax! in Chicago, and “Take One” became their first U.S. release. “No Comment” followed in 1984, “Official Version” in 1987 and “Front by Front” in 1988.

Front 242 continued with “Tyranny >For You<” in 1991, then “06:21:03:11 Up Evil” and “05:22:09:12 Off” in 1993. A hiatus followed, before the four core members reunited in 1997 with Tim Kroker on drums for the live setup. “Pulse” arrived in 2003.

Alfa Matrix, which had in the meantime release the band’s side-projects then started to release anniversary editions and vinyl reissues.

The band’s live career ended with the “Black Out” farewell run with the gig on January 25, 2025 at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels being the band’s final show.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

On Saturday, February 1, 2025, from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM, the Maison poème in Saint-Gilles will host “C’est Belge Ce Que Tu Écoutes ?!”, a talk-show celebrating Belgian music. This event is part of the Semaine de la Musique Belge, running from January 25 to February 2, 2025. One of the four artists present will be Patrick Codenys from Front 242.

Apart from Patrick Codenys there will be 3 other artists, Julie Rains (Juicy) who is a Brussels-based singer and composer known for blending jazz, soul, and electro influences; Carl Roosens (Les Hommes-boîtes, Peritelle) who is illustrator, musician, and filmmaker active in various musical projects; and Alice Khol who is a Brussels-based photographer and director with a diverse portfolio in film and music videos.

All 4 guests will be sharing their favorite Belgian albums, discussing the records that have inspired, moved, or influenced them. They will delve into how they discovered these albums and the personal anecdotes or memories associated with them.

The discussion will be moderated by Chloé Payen from Radio Campus. Following the talk, the Discothèque Nationale de Belgique, a project by Médiathèque Nouvelle, will present a DJ set to conclude the evening.

Admission operates on a “Pay What You Can” model, with suggested contributions of €6, €11, or €16. Doors open at 7:00 PM, with the talk-show commencing at 8:00 PM. The venue is located at Rue d’Écosse 30, 1060 Saint-Gilles.

About Patrick Codenys

Patrick Codenys, born on November 16, 1958, in Brussels, Belgium, is one of the absolute pioneers in (Belgian) electronic music.

Before co-founding Front 242, Patrick Codenys collaborated with Jean-Luc De Meyer in a project called Underviewer, active from 1978 to 1981 and reactivated in 2016 for releases on Alfa Matrix.

As a founding member of Front 242, he co-engineered the emergence of Electronic Body Music (EBM), a genre that seamlessly fuses industrial rhythms with synthesized melodies.

In the early 1980s, Codenys, alongside Daniel Bressanutti, Jean-Luc De Meyer, and Richard Jonckheere, formed Front 242. The band’s innovative approach to electronic music, characterized by its aggressive beats and provocative imagery, quickly garnered attention. Their 1988 track “Headhunter” became an anthem of the EBM movement up until now.

In the early 2000s, alongside Daniel Bressanutti and vocalist Elko Blijweert, Codenys formed Male or Female. The group released multiple works, including an album, an EP, a double album, and a DVD/CD combo.

Partnering with Richard 23, Codenys also launched Coder23, a live DJ set project. And collaborating with South African artist Kendell Geers, Codenys co-founded Red Sniper, an interdisciplinary group based in Brussels.

Next to this he has also collaborated on sound installations and multimedia projects.

In 2024 Front 242 announced their “Black Out” tour. The tour included performances across Europe and North America, offering fans a final opportunity to experience their influential sound live.

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 Stéphane Froidcoeur) When I heard last year that FRONT 242 announced their farewell shows, I was devastated-a shock akin to losing a dear friend unexpectedly. And now, the unthinkable has happened: FRONT 242 has played their final shows. It’s over. The countless social media posts confirm it-this is the end of an era, the farewell of living legends. Fans are mourning. While I’ve never considered myself a devoted fan of any band, I felt compelled in recent months to write this open letter-a way to process my emotions and pay tribute to this monumental goodbye.

Discovering FRONT 242: A Defining Moment

The first time I heard FRONT 242, I was 15 years old. It was late at night in 1983, during an obscure radio program, when I stumbled upon their track “U-Men.” At the time, I was deeply immersed in the New-Wave and Dark-Wave scenes, captivated by legendary British bands. But FRONT 242 was something else entirely. Their electronic sound was alien and disruptive. I can’t say I immediately loved it, but it captured me.

Forty-two years later, that fascination endures-perhaps stronger than ever. While they’ve never been my absolute favorite band, they are the one I’ve seen live more often than any other, and I’ve long hailed them as the best live act in the Electro genre.

The Early Years: Shock and Awe

The first time I saw them live was in my hometown of Tienen, around 1984 or 1985, shortly after the release of their second album, No Comment. By then, FRONT 242 was already generating buzz and controversy. Their music was polarizing, and their militaristic image-complete with para-commando outfits and 242 armbands-sparked strong reactions. For the media, they were provocative; for fans like me, they were mesmerizing-or, more accurately, shocking.

That night in Tienen, their performance was more than just a show; it was an experience. Playing for no more than 20 minutes at a school-year-end event, they faced a crowd largely unaware of who they were. The performance was intense and unsettling, leaving many in the audience confused or dismissive. When they left the stage, visibly frustrated, I wanted to express my admiration but found myself too intimidated to speak.

Breaking Conventions

In the early years, FRONT 242 was intimidating. Their bold, uncompromising music and image shattered conventions. In a scene dominated by black-clad New-Wavers, they stood out with their para-military uniforms and stages draped in camouflage nets. It was pure sonic terror-but I was captivated.

Geography: A Masterpiece of its Time

While I wouldn’t call them my favorite band (I leaned more toward the darker tones of THE KLINIK), FRONT 242’s debut album, Geography, remains a groundbreaking masterpiece. It’s a record I’d save first in a fire, for its innovation and emotional resonance. The cold, piercing sounds of Geography seemed to echo the tensions of the 1980s-a decade marked by political instability, terrorism, and the looming threat of nuclear war.

From Cult Status to Legends

By the late 1980s, FRONT 242 had ascended to cult status. Albums like Official Version and Front By Front cemented their global influence. Yet, their growing fame came with controversy. Their militaristic aesthetic sparked debates, with some misguidedly associating them with neo-Nazi propaganda-an unfounded and damaging accusation. Despite criticism, FRONT 242 thrived, their success immune to such attacks.

Their hit Headhunter became the undisputed international EBM anthem, a track that still compels crowds to scream along with unbridled energy. Yet, for me, Take One from 1983 remains a personal favorite-a track that encapsulates the era’s anxiety and uncertainty.

The Power of Ambiguity

FRONT 242’s lyrics were as enigmatic as their music. They rarely explained their meaning, leaving them open to interpretation. Their work often explored the evolution of society, technology’s impact, and the human experience within totalitarian systems. While never overtly elitist, their lyrics were thoughtful and layered, always provoking reflection.

A Legacy Cemented

By the 1990s, FRONT 242 had become pioneers of EBM, inspiring countless imitators who never quite reached their level of brilliance. Their influence extended globally, and their live shows-particularly at venues like Ancienne Belgique in Brussels-felt almost sacred, creating an emotional bond between band and audience.

Reinvention and Evolution

FRONT 242 constantly evolved. Albums like Tyranny >For You< and :RE:BOOT: redefined their sound while retaining their core identity. Later works like Pulse showcased a more introspective, ambient approach, proving their refusal to stagnate.

The End of an Era

Now, over 20 years since their last studio album, FRONT 242 has stepped away from the stage. Internal tensions and the natural passage of time seem to have led to this decision. Their final performances, however, were nothing short of extraordinary-filled with energy, emotion, and unforgettable moments. At their age, they defied expectations, delivering a farewell worthy of legends.

A Lasting Impact

For me and my friends, FRONT 242 was more than a band-they were a shared sanctuary, a unifying force that brought us together. Their music is woven into the fabric of our lives. Even as we grow older, their legacy will endure, their beats forever echoing in our hearts.

To FRONT 242, we owe immense gratitude-for the music, the memories, and the moments that defined an era. There’s only one word left to say: respect.

Eternal Legends: A Tribute on International EBM Day

I love my country for many reasons-its beers, chocolate, cuisine, and sharp humor. But most of all, I love February 24th. Celebrated as International EBM Day (24.2), it stands as a timeless tribute to FRONT 242, the pioneers who shaped and elevated the genre forever.

‘AD PERPETUAM MEMORIAM VESTRAE MUSICAE’

About Front 242

Front 242 formed in 1981 in Aarschot, near Leuven, Belgium, founded by Daniel Bressanutti (electronics, production) and Dirk Bergen (graphic design). Patrick Codenys (keyboards, programming) and vocalist Jean-Luc De Meyer joined in 1982, and Richard “23” Jonckheere (electronic percussion, backing vocals) joined in 1983 as Bergen moved into a design and management role. The band’s 1984 album “No Comment” was among the first releases to use the term “electronic body music” in its liner notes. Front 242 signed to Wax Trax! in the US in 1984, then released “Official Version” (1987) and “Front by Front” (1988) via Red Rhino Europe/PIAS, and “Tyranny (For You)” (1991) via Epic, its highest-charting album in the US.

Drummer Tim Kroker joined for live performances in 2008. The band’s most recent studio album, “Pulse,” was released via XIII Bis/Metropolis in 2003. In 2023, Front 242 co-headlined the “Join The Forces” tour of Europe with fellow EBM group Nitzer Ebb, alternating headline sets across dates including Berlin, Amsterdam, Oslo and Munich.

Front 242 announced its farewell “Black Out” tour in March 2024 and played its final three shows at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels on 23-25 January 2025. The live album “Black Out,” drawn from more than forty farewell-tour shows, was released via Alfa Matrix on 19 June 2026. The band’s final lineup was Bressanutti, De Meyer, Codenys, Richard 23 and Kroker. Front 242 played its final three shows in Brussels on 23-25 January 2025, retiring from live performance after more than four decades.

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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István Gazdag, the mastermind behind First Aid 4 Souls, unveiled the debut EP of his latest project, First Aid Tech, last year. The 4 tracks from this self-titled EP are now featured on his ambitious full-length album, which boasts a staggering 22 songs. On this release, Gazdag dives headfirst into sonic experimentation, seamlessly blending genres like EBM, Hard-Techno, Acid, and Psy-Trance. His signature EBM basslines remain a standout feature, expertly intertwined with infectious, Acid-tinged sequences. These elements are propelled by thunderous Techno kicks and occasionally accented with trippy Psychedelic layers. While many tracks are instrumental, a few feature vocal elements that add a touch of accessibility to the album. The soundscape occasionally feels like a hypnotic fusion of Frontline Assembly and Juno Reactor, with subtle nods to Front 242. Gazdag’s brilliance as a sound architect shines throughout, demonstrating his boundless creativity and production prowess. Though additional vocal contributions might elevate the record even further, this album is already a triumph of composition and sound design. (Rating:8½).

Listen to “The Fortress”:

About First Aid Tech

First Aid Tech is a project of Hungarian electronic artist István Gazdag, who is also the driving force behind First Aid 4 Souls and Stahlgeist. Gazdag performed and DJed under the First Aid Tech moniker for years before the project’s first official release, the self-titled techno body EP, came out in December 2023 on Alfa Matrix with 4 tracks and 4 bonus remixes.

First Aid 4 Souls has been active since 2007, mixing industrial, EBM, dark ambient, trance, and new wave, often with guest vocalists. Stahlgeist delivers old-school EBM. In 2025 Gazdag discussed First Aid Tech in the Side-Line interview ‘Exploring a Pulsating Universe’.

“Tech Under Your Skin”, the first First Aid Tech full-length, expands the four EP tracks into a 22-track album and is the release reviewed here.

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

The Berlin-based dark electro act To Avoid have released their brand new album “All Gods Are Gone”. This new double album is out now via Belgium’s Alfa Matrix label.

“All Gods Are Gone” is available now in a double-CD digipak and as a download via Bandcamp.

The band mixes late ’80s EBM and ’90s melodic dark electro including elements from modern cross-genre influences. Thematically this release builds on their past explorations of dark themes—crime, corruption, and environmental destruction—delivered through hard-hitting EBM that will please fans of early Front 242, Skinny Puppy, Vomito Negro, and Grendel​.

The first disc offers 13 original tracks like “Trust”, “Fireball”, and “1989” (which got released as an EP earlier this year). Complementing these, the second disc features 14 remixes by a rather impressive lineup of electronic artists, including Haujobb, Portion Control, and Circumpolar.

Formed in 1998, To Avoid launched their debut album “Resurrection” in 2002, followed by “Passion and Pain” (2009). Following a period of hiatus, they returned in 2022.

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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Last September, Alfa Matrix released the 7th studio album from AD:KEY, “0609” (available via Bandcamp): a release full of energy, strong old-school EBM basslines, catchy synth melodies, and addictive choruses, all highlighted by their unique male/female vocal interplay. NITZER EBB’s power meets KRAFTWERK’s melody for a smashing album evoking AND ONE or FRONT 242!

S. First of all, congratulations on the release of “0609” and your wedding anniversary! September 6th must hold a lot of personal significance for you both. Can you share how you spent your anniversary this year and what this date means to you in both your personal and professional lives? 

R. Thank you for your kind wishes. September 6th has a very big meaning for us indeed. We wanted to show the whole world that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. This year we spent our 16th wedding anniversary at the NCN Festival. The night before I performed at the NCN with Orange Sector. Andrea and I met at a festival 17 years ago, married 16 years ago and gave our first AD:keY concert in Kassel on that very day. So a wedding concert!

S. “0609” is described as your most personal album to date, reflecting your deep bond as a couple and bandmates. How did your relationship influence the creative process behind this release? Were there any moments that felt especially emotional or cathartic during the making of the album?

R. We are married, but at the same time we are best friends. We can tell each other anything and don’t shy away from criticizing each other. Because we have set up our studio at home, we can work on music at any time. Alone or together, whatever suits us. Of course there are emotional moments. Especially when a track gives us goosebumps at the same time. I think especially with the songs “Your Eyes” and “Two Souls” we felt a sense of deep connection…

S. The male/female vocal interplay is a core element of your sound. How do you approach balancing your voices and perspectives in the music? Are there specific tracks on “0609” where you feel this dynamic really shines?

R. That’s a tough question! My favorite on the album is “Your Eyes.” The song is based on Andrea’s voice. My voice can only be heard in the background during the chorus. Where a female voice is needed or rather a male voice, we also use it. Andrea finds the outro of the album, the song “0609”, particularly successful. Here both voices appear in a balanced ratio…

S. This album celebrates not only your relationship but also your dedication to the EBM genre. How do you see your sound evolving on “0609,” and what were your main influences or inspirations while working on this album?

R. I think we have undergone a lot of development in the last few years. Our songs seem (at least we think so) more grown-up, more mature than on the first albums. They are more classic, melodic old school EBM songs with a somewhat rough instrumentalization. We only use hardware synthesizers, many of which are analog devices. This makes the sound warm and rich – and somehow everything sounds a little like electronics from the end of the 80s. I think this is a new quality feature of “0609”. We like that sound because we grew up with it. These are our sources of inspiration. Our song “The Evil God,” for example, makes me think a little of Bigod 20 with its sounds and samples, for example the tracks “Kreusch” and “The Big Bang.” I’m a big Bigod 20 fan. Or the sequencer runs on the songs “Heartbeat” and “By Your Side” could perhaps have come from Nitzer Ebb. Andrea has been a Nitzer Ebb fan since she was a child. Some of the sounds on “0609” sound a bit like Armageddon Dildos, which I was a keyboard player for on stage for years. Uwe Kanka, the mastermind of Armageddon Dildos, finally insisted on contributing the vocals for our song “Feel the Beat” in the chorus. We have been friends with Uwe for years; after all, Uwe is originally from Kassel, just like Andrea. They even attended the same school, except that Uwe learned there a bunch of years before Andrea (laugh).  I would perhaps mention Terence Fixmer and Miss Kittin as further influences – and of course Front 242 and Kraftwerk.

S. The album comes with a bonus CD featuring remixes by artists like ORANGE SECTOR, ZWEITE JUGEND, and even your side project RECTOR SCANNER. How did you decide which artists to collaborate with for these remixes, and how does it feel to have your music reinterpreted by others?

R. First of all, thank you again to all the remixers. Almost all of us know each others personally and are mostly friends with each other. Whenever we hear a remix for the first time, we are amazed at how different such new recordings are from the original and what new ideas the remixers have contributed. Since we know what our friends’ music sounds like with their own projects, we could already guess in advance which direction the mixes could go. With the Bodewell (Orange Sector) remix we knew it was going to be a club number that was going to be a blast. The TC 75 mix would be more ambient – and “Zweite Jugend” will sound like “Zweite Jugend”. “Aktion:Fiasko” definitely had to be there because the project is new, crisp and fresh. Franzi (the front woman) lives a few doors down from us. But we didn’t know that we would be presented with such a bright mix of “The Evil God” that will certainly attract attention in the club. The Miseria Ultima remix was also a big surprise because we had only known this band for a short time.

S. Considering the intimate nature of “0609” and your long-standing relationship as both partners and bandmates, how do you manage to maintain that balance between personal life and the creative energy needed for your music? 

R. For us, making music is part of our private lives. It mainly takes place on the weekends, after dinner on Friday or Saturday evening. If the creative energy isn’t there, we do something different: we meet up with friends, go to concerts, or go to readings in my favorite bookstore “Otherland” in Berlin Kreuzberg where we gather strength and find new ideas.

S. As you celebrate this milestone with “0609,” what does the future hold for AD:KEY? Are there any upcoming projects, collaborations, or special plans that fans can look forward to?

R. Of course we pause for a moment when a project like a new album that we have been working on for almost 4 years is finished. It’s like closing a book you’ve read. And then you look around for something new, you look around and start the next project. We will definitely play some concerts, for example in March 2025 at the E-Only Festival in Leipzig. We have some remixes in the pipeline for other bands. There are already a few song ideas for our Rector Scanner project. In the future there will be a new Rector Scanner album. At the moment we are planning another AD:keY single from the current album, which should be released in the next months.  Another AD:keY song is also finished, which was originally supposed to be on the album “0609”, but ultimately didn’t fit thematically. This song was sung by Martin Bodewell (Orange Sector). We also want to release this song somewhere!  Andrea has also been active as a guest singer with VillaBorghese (side project of Ex Trial / Trilogy) in recent months and will certainly be heard there more often. In addition, Andrea is planning a project that she would like to launch together with exclusively female musicians, including Franzi from Aktion:Fiasko and Lily from MDS 51. Female Electronic Music – “FEM”.

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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(Photo by Erik Jarrigeon) Out now on the VUZ label is an extended reissue of the debut album from Dark Minimal Project, “Cold Black Room”. The release comes out in a deluxe edition digipak with additional tracks and artwork.

Dark Minimal Project was formed in 2022 by the Lille (France) based duo Guillaume Vanderosieren and Ange Vesper. Their first material was produced by the French producer and musician Peter Rainman (People Theatre) and released as a collection which soon sold out.

Their music is influenced by Depeche Mode, Psyche and other darker synth bands. The band recently released a 10-track strong remix album featuring tracks from their 2023 album “Ghost Of Modern Times”. This remix album features remixes by People Theatre, Krieg-B, Front 242 / Patrick Codenys, Ruined Conflict, Dominatrix, XMS, Fatherless Child, Dark State, Ethan Wood and Résilience.

Check out the tracklist of this deluxe edition of their debut album below on Bandcamp where you can download the album or buy the CD version.

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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The Greek darkwave – minimal synth duo Incirrina is back with a new double single, “Immersion”, via Cold Transmission. The single holds the tracks “Presence” and “Alien Room”.

Incirrina consists of George Katsanos (synthesizers,drum machine, whaterphone, vocals) and Irini Tiniakou (synthesizers,vocals).

You can download the single right now from Bandcamp as well.

About Incirrina

Incirrina is a dark electronic/minimal synth duo based in Athens, Greece. They have appeared in gigs and live stages in Greece, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Croatia, and in Festivals such as Pliisken Festival, Morphic Festival, Cold Transmission Festival, Death Disco Festival- The Warm Up, and they have played as opening act for Front 242 and Ambassade.

Their first LP “8.15” – inspired by the poetry of the romantic poet of the 18th century William Blake – was released in 2019 by Geheimnis Records. In 2020 they released the digital maxi single “Utter”. In 2021 the split maxi single The Man & His Failures, ”Devastations / R.Daneel”, by Smash Records. Their second LP “Lip Led Scream” (2022) was released by Cold Transmission.

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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(Photo courtesy of Laibach) Laibach are further celebrating their classic 1987 album “Opus Dei” with “Opus Dei Revisited” which holds new versions of the source material. “Opus Dei Revisited” is set for release on Mute on December 13, 2024 on double vinyl and double CD.

“Opus Dei” was the band’s first album for Mute for the Slovenian collective. The first disc of the Double LP / CD is a reworking by Laibach themselves which was initially crafted, and then refined, for their current Opus Dei Revisited Tour. They for instance reimagined Opus’ “Live Is Life” (as “Opus Dei”) and Queen’s “One Vision” ( as “Geburt einer Nation”).

For the second disc they invited Rico Conning (Wire, Pere Ubu, Swans, Front 242, William Orbit), who produced and mixed the 1987 version, to also revisit the material. Conning was given an open brief to explore new territories with what was on the original master tapes. To coincide with the announcement of Opus Dei Revisited they have shared a taster track from the album, “Geburt einer Nation” (Rico Conning’s Inner Ear RMX 2024).

Tracklist “Opus Dei Revisited“

Opus Dei Revisited (Disc 1)

• A1. Leben heißt Leben RE 
• A2. Geburt einer Nation RE 
• A3. Leben-Tod RE 
• A4. F.I.A.T. RE 
• B1. Transnational RE 
• B2. How the West Was Won RE 
• B3. The Great Seal RE 
• B4. Opus Dei RE 

Rico Conning’s Inner Ear RMX 2024 (Disc 2)

• C1. Leben heißt Leben RMX 
• C2. Geburt einer Nation RMX 
• C3. Leben-Tod RMX 
• C4. F.I.A.T. RMX 
• D1. Opus Dei RMX 
• D2. Transnational RMX 
• D3. How the West Was Won RMX 
• D4. The Great Seal RMX 

Laibach Opus Dei Tour

2024:

• 9/14/2024 – Portorož, Avditorij, SI
• 10/4/2024 – Split, Club Porat, HR
• 10/5/2024 – Zagreb, Boogaloo, HR
• 10/10/2024 – Mežica, ND Mežica, Big Hall, SI
• 10/11/2024- Budapest, Dürer Kert, HU
• 10/12/2024 – Leipzig, Felsenkeller, DE
• 10/13/2024 – Prague, Roxy, CZ
• 10/15/2024 – Dordrecht, Bibelot, NL
• 10/16/2024 – Arnhem, Luxor, NL
• 10/17/2024 – Vauréal, Le Forum 2, FR
• 10/18/2024 – Toulouse, Le Metronum, FR
• 10/19/2024 – Wavre, La Sucrerie, BE
• 10/20/2024 – Bochum, Christuskirche, DE
• 10/22/2024 – Hannover, Music Pavillion, DE

2025:

• 2/16/2025 – Krakow, Kwadrat, PL
• 2/18/2025- Ostrava, Barrak, CZ
• 2/19/2025 – Vienna, Arena, AT
• 2/20/2025 – Jena, F-Haus, DE
• 2/21/2025 – Sittard, Poppodium Volt, NL
• 2/22/2025 – London, Islington Assembly Hall, UK
• 2/23/2025 – Manchester, Ritz, UK
• 2/24/2025 – Southampton, The 1865, UK
• 2/25/2025 – Bristol, Trinity Centre, UK
• 2/27/2025 – Lausanne, Les Docks, CH
• 2/28/2025 – Bologna, Link, IT
• 3/4/2025 – Skopje, Macedonian Philharmonic, MK
• 3/5/2025 – Athens, Gazarte, GR
• 3/6/2025 – Sofia, Pirotska 5, BG
• 3/7/2025 – Bucharest, Quantic Club, RO
• 3/8/2025 – Beograd, Dom Omladine, RS

Side-Line also covered Laibach’s ‘Opus Dei Revisited’.

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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(Photo by Bobby Talamine) Bill Leeb’s first solo album, “Model Kollapse”, drops tomorrow. Leeb, a Vancouver-based musician, is best known as the mastermind behind electro-industrial giants Front Line Assembly and ambient-pop duo Delerium. He’s also played a pivotal role in projects like Noise Unit, Intermix, and Cyberaktif.

This marks Leeb’s first solo effort since the early days of Front Line Assembly in the mid-80s, when he began recording in his bedroom and released his work on limited edition cassettes. Nearly four decades later, “Model Kollapse” was crafted between Vancouver, Toronto, and Los Angeles, with production support from Dream Bullet, long-time collaborator Rhys Fulber, and mixing engineer Greg Reely.

You can now stream the full album exclusively on Side-Line, including standout tracks like “Demons” and “Terror Forms”.

Today we can also present you this brand new video for “Muted Obsession”.

Musically, “Model Kollapse” taps into the legacy of post-punk electronic pioneers like DAF, Front 242, and Skinny Puppy (Leeb himself being an original member), while also drawing from more contemporary influences like Gesaffelstein and ADULT.

The album’s title refers to a phenomenon in artificial intelligence where trained models, particularly those dependent on synthetic or AI-generated data, degrade over time. Leeb elaborates, “As we push forward with unprecedented technological advances, I wonder how much longer we can truly stay in control. Automation has already consumed entire industries. With tech ruling much of the world, are we headed for a ‘Model Kollapse’? Chaos would surely follow.”

Released by Metropolis Records, Leeb notes the label’s crucial role in alternative music, saying, “This album was possible thanks to my long-standing friendship with the late Dave Heckman, who gave me complete artistic freedom.” Heckman, Metropolis’ founder, passed away in the summer of 2022.

Videos from “Model Kollapse”

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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Former OOMPH! frontman Dero Goi has released the video single for his latest track “Whistleblower”, a tribute to whistleblowers who risk their lives and freedom to expose serious crimes. This track is from his forthcoming debut double album, “1984”, scheduled for release on November 29, 2024.

“The lyrics of ‘Whistleblower’ and the theme of the video are directly related to the title of the track,” Dero Goi explains. “Julian Assange’s release was a surprise and a relief, but there are still many whistleblowers who continue to suffer in silence. It’s shameful that the German government remains indifferent to Edward Snowden’s situation, a critical voice in our fight for truth and transparency.”

“1984” marks GOI’s first major project since his departure from OOMPH! in 2021. Known for pioneering the Neue Deutsche Härte genre with his former band, GOI has since taken a different creative path, embracing electronic influences. His vast array of inspirations, ranging from industrial legends like Front 242 to icons like Depeche Mode and ABBA.

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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Belgian studio project Aiboforcen has been a fixture in the music scene for over 30 years. However, its operator, Benoit Blanchart, has taken a more relaxed approach to releasing new albums. Their latest, the 7th studio album, arrives after a six-year hiatus and features an impressive 22 tracks. Longtime collaborator Patrice Synthea (Regenerator) continues to contribute as a vocalist, appearing on several tracks. Blanchart also enlisted a wide array of guest artists, including Jan Dieckmann (Norderney), who shines on multiple tracks, Mari Kattman (Helix), Noemi Aurora (Helalyn Flowers), Emke (Black Nail Cabaret), Sorrow Stories, and even Patrick Codenys (Front 242), Implant & Pouppéé Fabrikk (singing together), and Numb.

The album primarily consists of original compositions, but it also features a few alternative versions, a remix by Patrick Codenys, and a cover of a Death In June-song. The sound remains unmistakably Aiboforcen—a blend of Electro influences that lies somewhere between EBM, Future-Pop, and their unique, freeform style. The music is intricate and sophisticated, offering a compelling mix of tracks that are both listenable and danceable.

Jan Dieckmann’s vocal performance left a lasting impression, his voice evoking shades of Ronan Harris but with a subtler, more sensual delivery. His duet with Noemi Aurora—unquestionably one of the finest vocalists in the scene—creates a truly euphoric moment. While I’m unsure if this is my all-time favorite Aiboforcen album, it certainly showcases some of the project’s best work to date. (Rating: 8½).

Listen to “Heaven Knows”:

About Aiboforcen

Aiboforcen is a Belgian electronic band founded in 1993 in Charleroi by Benoit Blanchart and Séba Dolimont. The project blends elements of electronic body music (EBM), industrial, and synthpop. Blanchart handled music, synths, and sampling, while Dolimont provided vocals, lyrics, and additional sampling. Their earliest work, the demo “Black Slang”, appeared in 1993 in fewer than 100 copies, released via Side-Line’s former tape label.

In 1995, Aiboforcen released their debut album “Elixir Lytique” through Khazad-Dûm, a sublabel of Celtic Circle Productions. Their second album, “Face (of) Death”, followed in 1996. After a period of inactivity, both members co-founded the Belgian label Alfa Matrix in 2001, the same year Aiboforcen returned with “Sons Palliatifs”, concluding the trilogy begun with “Elixir Lytique” and “Face (of) Death”. “Kafarnaüm” followed in 2004, then “Dédale” in 2011 and “Sense & Nonsense” in 2018.

“Between Noise & Silence” is Aiboforcen’s seventh studio album, arriving in 2024 to mark the project’s 25th anniversary. It features collaborations with Patrick Codenys (Front 242), Henrik Bjørkk (Pouppée Fabrikk), and Don Gordon (Numb), alongside vocal appearances from Mari Kattman, Noemi Aurora, Emke, and Sorrow Stories.

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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The iconic Belgian dark electro/future pop act Aiboforcen recently returned with their 7th studio album, “Between Noise & Silence”. Led by Benoit Blanchart and featuring the enigmatic Patrice Synthea (REGENERATOR), this album merges melancholic dark synth/EBM anthems with thrilling collaborations! Notable appearances include EBM/industrial legends like Patrick Codenys of FRONT 242, POUPPEE FABRIKK & IMPLANT (in a duet), and NUMB. The album also features outstanding female vocalists from the pop wave scene, such as Mari Kattman (HELIX), Noemi Aurora (HELALYN FLOWERS), Emke (BLACK NAIL CABARET), and SORROW STORIES… Without forgetting the splendid collaboration with Jan Dieckmann of NORDERNEY who sings on several songs and strongly contributes to crafting the album’s magic through moving lyrics, catchy dark pop melodies, and upbeat EBM sequences that often evoke the melodic and emotional depth of VNV NATION!  Benoit gave us more insights on his new album… 

You can order the new album now on Bandcamp as download and on 2CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore. Note that the 3CD version was sold out immediately.

S. “Between Noise & Silence” is your 7th studio album and features an impressive 22 tracks. Can you share the journey of creating such a substantial body of work, and what inspired the album’s title?

B. I started working slowly on what would become this new album during the covid period.  Like many bands, those very special times allowed me to concentrate and spend much mor time in the studio creating new sequences and sounds.  After a few months, what was started with no clear objective became to take shape and I started gathering several demo tracks thinking I could use them for an EP or album.  It was a very creative period and also (hopefully for me) the opportunity to learn/improve a bit more the mixing and production side of the aïboforcen sound…  I thus also started thinking about the right vocalist for each track.  The title track “between noise & silence” is actually a sentence coming from a demo track that Tina from SORROW STORIES was working on for me…  it became the title for the track but also for the album.  It’s a bit of a special track (a bit more complex) that I really wanted to be on the album but couldn’t find the right vocalist for it…   Then Tina did a test and she nailed it down!! 😊  It also has a double meaning because since I’m not considering myself as a musician what I create in a studio probably lies in the grey area between noise and silence! 😉

S. On this album it seems that Patrice Synthea and Jan D. play a key role as vocalists? Tell us more about these collaborations?

B. Well, Patrice (REGENERATOR) has been the main vocalist with aïboforcen for quite a long time now and she helped creating some kind of a trademark for us.  But I’m always interested in working for certain tracks with other vocalists, either male or female.  Of course it can break a bit the cohesion of the album but for me it’s more like trying to avoid the monotony of the album. I see/hear the different voices as new instruments I can play with, and it can totally change the result of the tracks.  I also appreciate the fact that I can offer a broader pallet of sounds and emotions. I was introduced to Jan while working on a remix for our label mates of ELEKTROSTAUB.  I knew a bit of his project NORDERNEY that I also appreciated a lot and I thought he would be the right vocalist for a track I was working on at the time.  I sent him a demo and after a few days he came up with something really brilliant for me. I was so pleased with the result that I asked him to do a second track and the result turned out to be even better…  He has such an emotional voice that it really adds another dimension to the song and brings them to a next level.  After a while we started swapping ideas but also sequences and sounds and he eventually became more and more involved in the whole process.  He helped me a lot giving advises and also programmed several synth lines, what was totally new and unusual for me… it was surprising, challenging and it contributed in creating a more mature and developed sound.  In the end he helped for a great bunch of the album in various forms…  Therefore the album is also much more balanced between male and female vocals.  He also made a duet with Patrice on the track “everything” and I’m pretty sure that it’s something we should try again in the future…

S. The album indeed boasts collaborations with a variety of other artists too, from EBM/industrial legends to outstanding female vocalists. How did these collaborations come about, and what unique contributions did each guest artist bring to the album specifically?  

B. As I said, when a demo is finished I try to think about what would be the right vocalist and what it would add to the sound of it.  Of course there are some people/singer I would dream of having on the album but sometimes I have to stick to reality.  My choice is influenced by the music I listen to, people I met through remixing, bands I know and so on… I’ve been blessed in the past working with great artists such as Jean-Luc from FRONT 242 and this album also gathers some legend from the scene such as Henrikk from POUPPEE FABRIKK or yet Don Gordon from NUMB who both helped me deliver the most aggressive cuts from the album.  Tina from SORROW STORIES was also really involved in the process, contributing to several tracks that we can find both on the EP and the album but also on the special 8cm cd available with the limited edition.  I had met her through a remix I had done for PSY’AVIAH actually and I had been mesmerized by her rather delicate and otherworldly vocals. She is also a very passionate and nice person, and meeting and exchanging  with people is another aspect of collaborating on tracks.  Then there is also Noemi Aurora who helped us with her very characteristic and powerful voice and it helped adding the extra touch to “cycle of life” and “heaven knows” you can find on the album.  It was a pleasure working with her and she’s a professional and also involved and more than passionate with music…  Also doing a track with Emese from BLACK NAIL CABARET was really an honor for me.  She has one of the most distinctive voice from the scene at the moment and the result is a very captivating cut with upbeat sequences.  I really hope listeners will like this track as much as I do…

Mari Kattman also lends her voice on the opening track as well as on a remix of “In My Arms” (a track from the previous album) and she also has a very distinctive and beautiful voice. Last but not least I also worked with Len from Implant since he is a long time friend of us and I was glad to have him back in one form or another.  With the lyrics of the track he did evoke, it’s like a celebration of a long-time relationship between us (including also Seba, Bernard, Stephan) and how it was when we started this all as students (the magazine, the label, the bands, the gigs).

S. Your sound is often compared to iconic acts like VNV NATION, FRONT 242 or yet COVENANT. How do you approach honoring these influences while still maintaining your own distinct identity as AIBOFORCEN? “Between Noise & Silence” seamlessly weaves between oppressive industrial assaults and catchy synth-pop tunes. Can you discuss the creative process behind balancing these contrasting elements to create a cohesive listening experience?

B. Well, it’s sure that I’ve been listening to those bands a lot (one of my first vinyl was 242’s politics of pressure, along with Kraftwerk radioactivity’s 7”) but I am also influenced by other acts from inside and outside the scene.  I listen to a lot of music from the EBM but also to darkwave, gothic, experimental, industrial or yet metal…  All this is ingested and some parts/influences appear here and there in my music.  Also I hope that with time I manage to create a bit of my own distinctive sound and style. 

As far as VNV NATION is concerned, I have to admit that Ronan has a deep sense for great melodies and a very emotional voice and is an example of what soulful music is. So if we sound a bit like this it’s a good point for us! 😊  Remember he remixed one of our track at our respective very beginning!  But I always try to balance catchier tracks/tunes with a rougher sound and more complex structures or experimentations.  For me it’s kind of logical and it can create a cohesion because some sounds, fx, way of treating things are the same and reflects the different side of one same “machine”.  Also  I tend to focus on recording an album with highs and lows rather than a succession of single tracks…  so this new album (especially the first disc) needs to be explored and listened as a whole, with the tracks kind of merging one into another.  I spent hours / days / months working on sometimes very little details of mixing, samples, eq’s to find the best result I could.  I like it when it takes several listening to really get all the details included in the tracks and hopefully surprise the listeners…

S. One of the tracks on the album is a cover of DEATH IN JUNE’s “Break The Black Ice.” What drew you to reinterpret this particular song, and how did you make it your own while staying true to the original?

B. We’ve always tried to include at least one cover song on any of our releases, either for fun or to show where our roots are…  I was introduced to DEATH IN JUNE’s music more than thirty years ago and the album “The World That Summer” from 1986 has always been a favorite of mine.  “Break the black ice” was an obvious choice because it is a rather simple, dark but catchy song, kind of desperate also and I really liked the version sung by Rose McDowall which is a fragile and delicate dark cut.  I thought that Patrice could do it as well and recorded a demo.  The first version was really slower and darker than the one on the album. We will feature it on a compilation from our label later this year actually.  The final version has a stronger beat and an aggressive lead sound while the original one is softer.  Both Patrice and I liked the version very much and what was a the beginning more like a “b-side” became one of the main important track from the album…  I hope fans of DEATH IN JUNE and AIBOFORCEN will be pleased by this tribute…  the structure is rather close to the original version from DEATH IN JUNE but of course it’s 100% electronics and there are some distortions here and there… 😊

S. The album is described as a high-tension dark elektro masterpiece. How did you approach crafting the sound production to achieve this level of intensity and maturity?

B. I always spend a long time editing, changing, mixing, adding details and I hope it can be reflected in the overall sound of the album.  I never intend to choose the easiest way while producing the music and I hope I raised the level a bit more on this new release.  I spent much more time on the vocals (cutting, eq’s , volumes, …) than on any other previous releases; there are lot of movie samples (hidden or not), lots of different synths and fx…  I can sometimes leave a track for one month and then come back with new ideas and Jan also helped me developing as much as possible this new sound which is probably more focused than before.  It still goes into any directions but with a common thread and overall atmosphere throughout the numerous tracks.  It was exhausting (especially at the end) but it was worth (at least personally) and I really hope our fans will like it… 

S. How important is the visual aspect of your music, and what role does it play in enhancing the overall experience for listeners?

B. It is important, not as much as the music, but it sets the tone for the whole album.  We always tried to have eye-catching sleeve or at least mysterious ones that will give the envy to enter into the universe of aïboforcen…  When I was a kid, I used to go to a place where you could rent vinyls and I would sometimes rent releases just because the sleeve would attract me in a way or another.  On this release we obviously used AI to create the graphics but it was intended and assumed. It was our easiest way to express and get the closest to the images we had in mind while creating the music.  And since our music relies on techniques, processors, synthetic soundscapes, it makes sense…

S. Lastly, the first 50 orders from the official Alfa Matrix e-shop received a signed version with an exclusive bonus mini-CD. Can you tell us more about the significance of this bonus content and what fans can expect from these exclusive tracks?

B. When the album was completed and sent to the mastering, I noticed that there were a few tracks left without vocals that couldn’t make it on the album but were a good insight of what it’s like being in the studio and working on new tracks.  It is more like demo’s but also I had the feeling that they could stand on their own and give another view on our music.  The first of those 4 tracks is called “eliza effect” and is a brand new one that maybe will give some infos of how the future sound of aïboforcen will be (or not).  The track “pulsions” (with vocals by Tina from SORROW STORIES) arrived too late in the process of the album but was good enough as well. In the end it gives the opportunity to the die-hard fans to have some extra tracks (unreleased) and have a bit more “intimacy” with the band…

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 via VUZ Records is “Words Sword Words”, a book about the Belgian electro band Parade Ground. The English written book counts 336 pages filled with more than 300 rare and unseen pictures, concerts posters, memorabilia, complete lyrics, biographical text and liner notes.

It comes printed on heavy, glossy, 135g artpaper, full color, hardcover with soft touch finish, thread stitching and bookmark. Measuring 17 cm x 24 cm in size, it weighs a little more than 1 kilogram. The book comes with a free CD (“Orange Et Labora”) with unreleased rehearsal tracks from the Rosary era.

Published by VUZ Records, the book was written by the band themselves.

Parade Ground says this about this publication: “And now the book , an autobiography. 1981, the hidden life of the band Parade Ground. The cursed brothers of the scene. 42 years, more than 2000 concerts. Pierre and Jean-Marc Pauly speak to you: overwhelming. A dive into an era, a thousand encounters, never had a band witnessed so closely, so intimately, the process of creation and the rise of another band: Front 242. A style like scalpel blows. One doesn’t ask a corpse what it is doing in its coffin. End so on. You will never be able to forget them again.”

You can order your copy now via VUZ 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!

side-line.com

In 2024, Front 242 will be re-releasing 5 timeless classics on classy crystal clear vinyl in their original vintage design artwork. Already out earlier this year are the titles “Endless Riddance EP”, “Politics Of Pressure” and “No Comment”. Coming up in September and now in pre-order via Alfa Matrix is a second batch holding “Two In One” and “Geography”.

The two vinyls will again be available in a combo 2-vinyl package offered with a second and different exclusive Front 242 tote bag limited to 500 units worldwide. This offer is strictly limited to sales via the official Alfa Matrix store and their official German e-shop www.deejaydead.de.

“Two In One” compiles the band’s two very first 2-track singles, originally released in 1981 and 1982. It also features founding members Dirk Bergen next to Daniel B. and announced the band’s classic debut album “Geography”. Originally released in 1982, the band’s debut album “Geography” is a true “classic” record in electronic music history.

The limited bag will also include the 25th edition of the “Sounds From The Matrix” CD compilation series featuring some 19 Spleen+ & Alfa Matrix artists including exclusive previews of new songs taken from forthcoming releases coming out later this year.

Alfa Matrix also included 4 exclusive 242 postcards to the first 242 bags. Below are the sets available.

• Front 242 – Crystal Vinyl Package with Tote Bag 2 (Two In One 12″ / Geography LP)
• Front 242 – Two In One 12″ (clear transparent vinyl)
• Front 242 – Geography LP (clear transparent vinyl)

Both Front 242 releases are of course also available via Bandcamp.

• Front 242 – Two In One
• Front 242 – Geography

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Belgian multi-talented artist Pieter Coussement recently released the 3^rd Llumen album. A very diversified piece of work where emotional intensity merges with poignant melancholic vocals and addictive dark synth melodies. Pieter opened us his door for an open-heart conversation revealing the abyssal depth of “The Breaking Waves”…

You can get the album on Bandcamp, from the Alfa Matrix webstore as a 2CD set and all other platforms.

SL: “The Breaking Waves” explores themes of internal turbulence, health crisis, and introspection. Can you share some personal experiences or inspirations that influenced the creation of this album?

P. For as far as I remember there’s always been an uneasiness within me when dealing with this world. For a long time I thought I handled it well and kept on living my life, but this somehow caught up with me (like these things tend to do) about a decade ago. Since then it’s been a rollercoaster of events and emotions that on many occasions brought me to my knees and that have felt quite a few blows to me. It started with my mother’s passing which shook my whole existence and I never really felt with it in a healthy way. A few years later I had 2 (minor) heart attacks (and heart surgery). As you can imagine this was a huge disruption and completely numbed me. Prior to these heart attacks I was writing music for my second album Polygon Heart but that process suddenly stopped for the better part of two years because I was completely broken.

The song “Lifeline” got me through it in the end and life went on its merry way again. The biggest thing I learned through all of this is that I needed to be true to myself, something that very much inspired my writing process. Where lyrics used to be more fictional almost everything these days comes from within and has a close connection to moments where I deeply felt what I’m singing. Personally I think it has been beneficial both in life as in music to get in touch with your true self. In that respect, The Breaking Waves is a sincere collection of deeply felt emotions that I’ve put to music the best way I could.

SL: Your music draws from old-school EBM, gothic, techno, and future pop. How do you balance these diverse influences to create a cohesive sound in “The Breaking Waves”?

P. I’ve searched long and hard for that particular LLUMEN sound. I often fall back on old-school EBM for its ice cold sequences and driving beats, but also find myself drawn to melody and chord progressions. Because of this, there are a lot of future pop or even trance influences in my music. Above all things, however, I like good songs and meaningful lyrics, most of which have a very deep melancholic layer, which comes from my (early) goth days. I try to tie all of this together using many layers and meticulous mixing. A tedious process I must add.

SL: You’ve mentioned influences from iconic acts like FRONT 242, HAUJOBB, and DIORAMA. How have these artists shaped your musical direction, and how do you incorporate their influence while maintaining your unique sound?

P. I take inspiration from many different things. The bands you mention are just a few out there, but all bands that I have a deep respect for. They say that plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery and I’m very interested in how other bands bring their music to life. But I’m easily distracted and every stylistic exercise that I try eventually fails and becomes a LLUMEN song.

SL: Tracks like “Desire” and “Bring Me Flowers” showcase a range of emotions and musical styles. Can you talk about the creative process behind crafting such varied yet emotionally rich songs?

P. Thank you for mentioning these songs and especially appreciating the variance and emotionality within the songs. In many of my songs, I seek some kind of contradiction between melody or musical theme and the lyrics to accentuate the emotions I want to convey. Often this leads to a complex writing process where I want to set the mood first before bringing in all the different elements. I’ve struggled a lot with Desire because the leading piano melody really pulled at me for a long time into a direction that I didn’t want to go to. It’s only when I started playing with the instrumentation that it fell into place. Bring Me Flowers on the other hand, was a song that almost instantly fell into place. The musical idea was very much to have a typical EBM feel to it and the sentence “she brings me flowers to ease the pain” had been running around my brain for months before (I think I picked it up from a Brendan Perry song). I wrote the chorus and tied it to the music.

SL: The album features collaborations and remixes with various artists such as GRENDEL, AESTHETISCHE, and IMPLANT. How did these collaborations come about, and what do you feel each artist brought to their respective reinterpretations?

P. The collaborations come from some kind of connection with my fellow artists. For starters I need to like what they do musically, if not there is no sense in handing your babies into their skillful hands. Next it helps when there is a good connection on a human level, Len (Implant) has been a good friend throughout the years and I know he’s going to do a stellar job from the get go. When playing Mechanismus in Seattle last year, I had a few long talks with JD from Grendel and I thought we hid it off quite good, so I asked him to remix Die Stille which he did brilliantly. Many of the remixers are friends or become friends throughout the process. It’s one of the things in this scene that always warms me, every fellow musician is very eager to share their insights and knowledge, even if it’s a constructive critique.

SL: “The Breaking Waves” concludes with the track “Harbour,” symbolizing life’s ebb and flow. What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from this final track?

P. There’s always a push and pull in life, an ebb and flow. The metaphor of the ocean, a harbor and a ship has been used to illuminate how people and feelings change over time. What once was a safe place can become very threatening and violent. At heart, I believe that we as people try to do what is best for each other, fighting the same struggles and living with the same amount of insecurities. At times you can be someone’s harbor, a safe haven for them to rest, but there is always going to be turmoil just beyond the bend. The main feeling people should get from this track is one of hope, everything is possible if you manage to stay afloat. 

SL: Following your previous releases, “The Memory Institute” and “Polygon Heart,” how do you feel your sound and artistic vision have evolved with “The Breaking Waves”?

P. It’s hard to pinpoint any definite aspects that evolved throughout this endeavor, but overall I think what changed is that there the songs now are closer to my heart and less fictional than they were when I started LLUMEN. The songwriting has evolved too, making better use of tonality, chords and melody to convey my thoughts. Polygon Heart was an album where the songs fitted well together and there’s a sense of unity. With The Breaking Waves I thought for a long time that the tracks were a bit harder to fit on one album. In the end I think it has become a diverse album with a broad variety of songs that earn a few listening stints.

SL: Your music is described as a profound exploration of human emotion and desire. What do you hope listeners experience when they immerse themselves in “The Breaking Waves,” and how do you want your music to impact them?

P. I first would be grateful if they truly immersed themselves into this music, on a quest for new elements in the songs with each time they listen. I also hope that the lyrics resonate with people and maybe help them to overcome some of the blows that are dealt throughout life. I certainly experience writing – or better finish writing- songs and lyrics as something cathartic. At the other hand, when listening or singing each of my songs, I’m also torn back into that mindset I had when writing it, which is often a very confronting emotion. For me, it’s a way to keep these memories and visit them from time to time, but also knowing that I can step away from these emotions when realizing I’m in a different mindset today. In this respect, I hope listeners can do the same and visit their memories good and bad from time to time, to become better versions of themselves. Read the review of ‘The Breaking Waves’.

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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“The Breaking Waves” is the title of the new Llumen album which comes as a 2CD set / Bandcamp download and which is available now. The album was already teased in November with the EP “Die Stille Totgeschwiegen”.

Llumen is the project by Belgian artist Pieter Coussement who brings a very updated EBM blending it with influences from old-school EBM, techno, and future pop. Influenced by acts like Front 242, Haujobb, Diorama, Assemblage 23, Suicide Commando or yet Covenant, Pieter has been able to develop an own mature sound.

Following the 2017 debut album “The Memory Institute” and the 2021 release “Polygon Heart”, “The Breaking Waves” is his 3rd album to date.

The accompanying CD holds remixes, edits, reinterpretations plus collaborations with Grendel, Aesthetische, Aiboforcen, Neuroactive, Implant, Mind.Divided, Dimethoxy, J Wølf, Nacht Nackt and The Saint Paul.

You can check out the full album below. Recommended!

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.

www.side-line.com

Out via Mannequin Records on vinyl on July 5th is “Voltage Control (1990-1992)”, a compilation of the Dutch EBM-Techno pioneers Voltage Control aka Arno Peeters & Tibor Fülöp. The compilation comes with a selection of their dancefloor tracks originally released on the legendary Belgian label Antler Subway.

The duo was inspired by Front 242, Skinny Puppy and Clock DVA and both Arno and Tibor were fellow students at the Centre of Electronic Music (CEM) in Arnhem/NL during the mid 80’s. After getting a record deal with Antler Subway, they started producing their first EP while acid house hit Europe. As a result they incorporated some of those influences in their first record, “Force d’Inquisition” released in 1990.

The compilation includes also the legendary “Apocalypse”, which was quite a hit at the time both in the EBM and acid scene. Arno Peeters was later part of Random XS and Urban Electro on Djax-Up-Beats. The release is dedicated to Tibor Fülöp, who died in 2010.

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 on May 3rd via Metropolis Records is the release of the 16Volt album”NegativeOnArrivals”.

It holds condensed versions of the two most recent albums are being reissued on 3rd May as the single disc “NegativeOnArrivals”, with Powell stating: “I am excited to get this material out to a larger base through Metropolis! The collection of tracks was created during a hard time in my life and to feel them set free together is a great exorcism, I hope everyone enjoys them as we get warmed up for our new album.”

You can pre-order the album right here. Below is the artwork.

In further news, after a period of inactivity that saw 16Volt unable to tour, Powell began working on new material in his studio and re-signed with Metropolis Records for a brand new album entitled “More Of Less” to be issued later in 2024.

Here’s already the video for “The Last Time” featured on the new album.

About 16Volt

With roots dating back to the early days of the industrial rock genre, 16Volt have been successfully crossing over into multiple related genres for over three decades and retained a healthy worldwide fanbase while doing so.

Group founder, songwriter, lead vocalist, programmer and rhythm guitarist Eric Powell actually signed his first record deal in 1991 while still in his teens and delivered three albums in swift succession – “Wisdom” (1993), “Skin” (1994) and “LetDownCrush” (1996) – that saw him working alongside co-producers such as David Ogilvie (Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy), Keith ‘Fluffy’ Auerbach (Ministry) and Jeff ‘Critter’ Newell (Ministry, Angels & Airwaves, blink-182), as well as guest musicians like William Tucker (Ministry), Marc LaCorte (Schecter Guitars) and Bryan Black (Black Asteroid). Earning both critical praise and pole positions on the US Alternative Chart and at College Radio, the band also built a significant live following as they toured extensively around North America and eventuallly signed a major deal with Mercury Records.

Producer Bill Kennedy (Nine Inch Nails, Megadeth, Sepultura, Mötley Crüe) was hired to help make “SuperCoolNothing” (1998), which featured appearances from film composer Joseph Bishara (Insidious, The Conjuring, Marylin Manson, Danzig), Chris Vrenna (Nine Inch Nails), Mike Peoples (Skrew) and Kraig Tyler (Crazytown), but the group soon found themselves in the middle of a legal battle shortly before album release when their label was bought by Seagram and its funding was cut. However, in a genius move, Powell was able to buy back the rights and made a deal with Sony to feature it within the Playstation game “Primal” as well as a two-disc European release that included both the album and the game with the band skinned in as characters and utilised as in-game bonus material.

The mid-’00s saw 16Volt sign to Metropolis Records and release the albums “FullBlackHabit” (2007), “American Porn Songs” (2009) and “Beating Dead Horses” (2012), which featured guests such as Paul Raven (Ministry, Killing Joke, Prong), Steve White (KMFDM) and Bildeaux (Lance Herbstrong), as well as mix engineer Shaun Thingvold (Strapping Young Lad, Lamb of God).

Meanwhile, an extensive touring schedule was maintained that included stints with KMFDM, Korn, Filter, Chemlab, Orgy, Prong, Stabbing Westward, Revolting Cocks, Fear Factory, Front Line Assembly, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Front 242 and more, as well as multiple successful headlining tours in their own right.

2016 saw the release of “The Negative Space”, produced by Marc Jordan (Velvet Revolver, The Cult, Hyro Da Hero, Die Antwoord), with “Dead On Arrivals” following a year later.

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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(Photo by Erik Jarrigeon) Dark Minimal Project is a French electro cold wave act consisting of Ange Vesper and Guillaume VDR, augmented with producer Peter Rainman. They formed in 2022 in Lille (France) and is currently signed to Infacted Recordings.

The band recently released a 10-track strong remix album featuring remixes by People Theatre, Krieg-B, Front 242 / Patrick Codenys, Ruined Conflict, Dominatrix, XMS, Fatherless Child, Dark State, Ethan Wood and Résilience. You can still get the vinyl version on Bandcamp too.

The tracks are taken from the band’s 2nd LP “Ghost Of Modern Times” released in May 2023.

A new video clip was also launched for the track “Ordinary Man” remixed by Ruined Conflict.

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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A group of former Google DeepMind developers released the beta version of their AI music tool Udio on Wednesday. The tool has certainly lived up to the significant buzz it generated over the past few months in the form of all kind of rumours, surpassing many expectations with its capabilities.

Here’s how Udio works. To create a track, you first type in a prompt. If you’re not sure what to type try clicking on the dice icon to populate the prompt box with a random example prompt which consists of a combination of free-form text and tags. Based on that, Udio creates two different 33 second tracks.

As far as lyrics is concerned, you can enter your own or have them AI generated. Vocals are generated in various languages, including Japanese and Russian (not the most attractive choice we’d say these days).

Afterwards, you can further work on the track or extend it by adding extra parts. Another cool feature of Udio is remixing, which generates a subtle (or not so subtle) variation of an existing clip.

The tool is currently free, and users can create up to 1200 tracks per month.

Good to know: Udio does NOT generate songs using artists’ voices and under the hood the style reference is replaced with a set of relevant tags.

Future Udio developments

The developers are primarily focusing on improving sound quality (which is not optimal right now) and adding more languages for now: “Our v1 model is capable, but not perfect. We’re iterating quickly, and working on longer samples, improved sound quality, supporting more languages, and next-generation controllability. Stay tuned for more features and improvements coming soon.”

Eventually, more tools will become available for musicians, including the ability to easily add external tracks. And especially this last thing could be interesting to see what it will be able to do. Suppose you upload a demo and let the AI tool work further on it, present a chorus, if that is what you are missing etc..

Introducing Udio, an app for music creation and sharing that allows you to generate amazing music in your favorite styles with intuitive and powerful text-prompting.

1/11 pic.twitter.com/al5uYAsU5k

— udio (@udiomusic) April 10, 2024

So how does Udio sound for industrial music?

The below track was created with Udio (plus cut-edits in FL20) with no additional effects or elements added after rendering. In total 6 snippets were rendered and the whole took this user 45 minutes including the Udio rendering. The prompt used to generate the tracks was this one: “an electronic body music song, in the style of front 242, from 1986, with lyrics about a quite unusual dawn.”

Key is the quality of prompts you give so the tool can really well understand what you expect.

However, no matter how detailed your text prompts are, they cannot fully define an actual piece of music because the same text can describe an infinite number of possible audio tracks. That’s why to get close to the music idea you have in your head you might want to create multiple clips with identical prompts (and other settings). But even that is often not enough, that’s why the state of the prompt box doesn’t reset after you click Create. This makes it easy to queue more generations with or without tweaks.

If you don’t feel like continuing working on the same prompt, click Reset – the prompt box will reset to its default empty state. A good opportunity to try something different.

We are at the moment testing out the tool to see how far it can be stretched or if it stays rather limited in output, but the first results are rather promising.

Clear is that once Udio rolls out the full quality version of its tool that we will see a lot of AI only music projects launching ‘their songs’ on the market. We are not so sure that Spotify, Apple, Deezer will welcome a new flood of tracks into their system although Spotify said that they have no plans to introduce an outright ban on AI-generated music.

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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(Interview by Evan South) In a candid discussion with Side-Line Magazine’s Evan South, Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber of Delerium and Front Line Assembly shared some insights into their recent tour with Ministry and Gary Numan. The duo also talks about the logistics of sharing resources like lighting and equipment, which contributed to the tour’s success. You’ll further hear more about Matthew Setzer joining the lineup, the revival of Cyberaktif with a new album, “EndGame”, and the potential for a Delerium tour. Lots and lots of info.

SL: It’s the final date of the Ministry/Gary Numan/FLA tour, how has your experience been?

BL: It’s the tour of a lifetime!

RF:  It really is, it doesn’t get much better. These kinds of bands and this kind of tour…

BL:  It’s almost impossible to get three bands to do a tour like this, because most bands at this level, financially it doesn’t work. But on this tour everyone was willing to make it work, hence all the shows have pretty much sold out.

RF: And there’s a lot of camaraderie. Everyone gets along. It’s what we established on the previous tour just carried over, everyone knows each other.  Compared to most tours I’d say it’s a really good group.

BL: It’s a family.

RF: And everyone helps. We get a lot of leeway from Ministry and their crew.

BL: They let us use their stuff, their projector, which is an amazing one! It just doesn’t happen with most bands, you know, everybody’s trying to outdo everybody. But this tour everybody wants everybody else to succeed!

RF:  Everyone knows who they are and where they fit in, and it’s great!

SL:  So you didn’t have to pack in as much equipment, you were able to share?

RF: They let us dip into their lighting production and things that a lot of times would not happen on package tours.  They realize we set the table too, so if we have a good night, they have a good night.  It’s a real cool system.

SL:  Any of these three bands could headline on a given night.  How do you like the supporting role compared to headlining?

BL:  There’s no question, both these artists are much bigger than we are, but it’s the perfect hierarchy, right?

RF: You can’t argue with Ministry, Al’s an icon, he’s a national treasure, Ministry established themselves over the years, and we’re not going to get in front of those kind of crowds on our own! And we’re in front of crowds that seem to like what we’re doing, so it’s just great for everybody, it’s like a win/win.  I personally like going on playing a quick set of all bangers, I like it!  The pressures not on us!

BL: And Gary’s an institution as well!  His history and his amount of hits he’s had…

RF: Everybody knows “Cars”!  Everyone knows that song.  Just to be part of that, it’s hard to believe sometimes.  We remember when that record was new.  And now we hang out with Gary Numan everyday, it’s wild…

SL: Expanding on what you said about a tight, “banger” type set…

RF: We keep our energy level up, so it hits hard the whole time.

SL: Rhys, during this tour you had your own “Tour within a tour” afterparty DJ sets…

RF: Those were just…  Some of them were great, some of them were… eh! (laughs) Sometimes you’re playing on a Tuesday night in the Midwest, so… The weekend ones were all pretty good!

SL: I was hoping there would be an Afterparty tonight, like a “wrap” party, being the last date of the tour!

RF: Honestly, we’re pretty tired… and doing both of those was… yeah.

BL: Gary (Numan) has booked a room in LA for an afterparty for when we play our last show there, it’s going to be a sold out show.  So there’s lots going on.  For Rhys it made sense to do those afterparty DJ gigs, because we were done at 8pm. So from 8 to midnight what do you do, right? Might as well be spinning…

RF: A couple of parties were really good… Montreal, Toronto…

BL: And a lot of fans came and would talk to us, and all the other bands would come down after.  Ministry would come down, Gary Numan’s crew.

RF: Yeah, Ministry’s band and Gary’s band would always be there. I think the first show in Portland even Al was there. Everybody was there, it was great!

BL: It was like an all night exclusive!

SL: You have a new guitarist on this tour, how did Matthew Setzer (Skinny Puppy, London after Midnight) come into the fold with you?

BL: We had Tim Skold for two years and we thought we had built up a really good rapport with him, and then all of a sudden he became unaffordable.  Me and Cevin (Skinny Puppy), had been pretty tight and lifelong friends, and we just finished the new Cyberaktif album, so we were talking every day for a full year. Puppy just finished their tour, so it was just natural, “Let’s ask Matthew,” he’s in our family.

RF: He stepped in pretty easily, he’s a great musician.

BL: And all our fans are Puppy fans, and vice versa, so it seemed like a perfect fit. And he’s skilled, right?

RF: I don’t think people realize he’s a very good musician, multi-instrumentalist.

BL: And he’s a tour guy. He goes on his own, he’s got friends everywhere… it’s amazing.

RF: He’s a real infectious, positive personality, and it’s great to have people like that on tour.  Matthew hasn’t had a bad day, he’s always upbeat, he’s always ready to go. He’s a good fit for us, he’s working out really well.

SL: Bill, you brought up Cyberaktif.  It had only been 33 years!

BL: At least 31 for sure… We go at this rate the next one we’ll be dead! Like Cevin said, the album is called “EndGame”.  Doesn’t sound very hopeful for the future, right?

SL: How did the new Cyberaktif come together? Was it a result of the end of Puppy?

RF: When Cyberaktif started (the new one) there was no end of Puppy.

BL: No, that’s true.

RF: We actually kicked stuff around a few years ago, so Puppy was not over at the time. It seems like it now, but when we started it…

BL: It was a lot of back and forth.

RF: Yeah, it wasn’t “Hey, Puppy’s over”, we just started doing it.

BL: And when Cevin sent tracks initially, me and Rhys looked at each other and we’re like “Well…”

RF: At first we had a hard time figuring it out, and then we just kinda isolated certain parts, and then all of a sudden it all came together really quickly!

BL: Rhys made it for me the way we understand each other, and how I know where I can sing, and what I can do, because at first they were these long jams…

RF: Cevin sent all these really interesting grooves and jams and ideas, so it was a question of taking those and giving them some structure so Bill can go “I got this part here and this part here” because I know that’s how Bill works and that’s what he’s comfortable doing, that’s sort of the sound of Front Line. So what we did was put a structure together and then Bill put the vocals on top of that structure.

BL: It was a real three-way collaboration.

RF: Cevin sent these, there were varying degrees of composition, but they’re all unique sounds and drums, then I put them to arrangement. It was Cevin→me→Bill. It was like a filter.

SL: At what point did you decide it was going to be under the Cyberaktif name?

RF: Pretty much right away.

BL: Yeah, it was definitely going to be Cyberaktif. Cevin just loves the project. He even talked about maybe doing it live, if we figure out how, when and what. He said it’s his favorite thing right now.

RF: Cevin’s very big on it right now. Not that we aren’t, but he’s already big on it.

SL: You think Cyberaktif might become a live project?

BL:  Maybe one time. Cevin wants to make it interesting. He said “I don’t just want two guys and a keyboard and a mic,” whatever that means. But right now we’re letting the album get out there and we’ll see…

RF: The (live) idea has been discussed.  That’s what we can say.

SL: It feels like the Cyberaktif album came together very quickly…

RF: Honestly, the Cyberaktif record we made quicker than any other record in recent memory. It came together really fast. Once we got an idea of what we were doing, we just banged it together. I don’t know why… I think everyone honestly was inspired by just working together.  It wasn’t hurried, it just rolled and fell into place. That doesn’t happen very often, but it happened on this one.

SL: Bill, was it surreal for you thinking this was going to be a Cyberaktif record after 3 decades?

BL: I think me and Cevin both felt like we just completed a big circle. We started Puppy 35-40 years ago, and everything that’s happened in-between, it felt like some kind of closure. It just felt right and good and something that we left unfinished now feels finished. If we don’t do another one, if it (Cyberaktif) doesn’t do anything else, it feels like it was the right thing to do at the time.  With Puppy calling it quits, for now… I’ve heard so many bands do this now. Front 242 has been doing it for a couple years now. I told Al, and he goes “Richard, he says that every year it’s the last tour.” (laughs) Motley Crue has done 4 of them (final tour) now, and now they have a new singer!

RF: Never say never I say…

BL: It was just the right time at the right place, Cevin had some things, Me and Rhys had time, we were all on the same page.  Maybe that will never happen again, but the energy was right, Greg Reely was available… It was like “Silence” (Delerium single), everything had to fall into place. It will probably never be like that again. So it’s a magic record for us, and people love it, and that’s all that matters, right?

SL: Since the Front Line tours have been going so well, what are the chances of another Delerium tour?

RF:  A tour is tough, a tour is way more complicated, especially for acts like that.

BL: That first Delerium tour we did was two tour buses, three singers…

RF: It was the right time, too, I don’t know if that’s possible now.

BL: It was kind of a money losing scenario, but the production was great! I just don’t think labels are willing to do that anymore.

RF: No, it’s a different time now.

SL: It’s been 30 years since your monumental releases “Millenium” and Delerium’s “Semantic Spaces.” You took risks in adding guitar to the FLA and vocals to the Delerium. How important were those releases?

BL: When we released “Millenium,” we did an online thing and people were calling in and it was pretty divided. People were going “What, they picked up guitars!” Remember?

RF: Yeah.

BL: But we knew we did the right thing. We felt like we had to change and do some different things, and no regrets, right?

RF: It expanded the fan base. Regardless of what those people had been like… When we did the Hard Wired tour we had double the audience! We got metal coverage, we were on a metal label that knew how to handle that kind of music… Metal and industrial is pretty interlinked now. A lot of metal heads love industrial music, and that maybe wasn’t the case then. It definitely is now.  Between Fear Factory and that record…

BL: And now “Millenium” is getting re-released by ArtofFact records! Picture disc, the whole thing, as of yesterday they announced it!

RF: It was the right move, because we had to progress. And like I said, when we did the Hard Wired European tour, especially in the UK, we had significantly more people. Also, I think it’s the biggest selling Front Line record. Again, people that don’t like the record they might not realize that was probably our biggest record! I know a lot of people that maybe wouldn’t have been listening to us that listened to that record, so it’s all good. And it all makes more sense now in the whole repertoire.

SL: What did you think of the changes of Delerium, taking it from old world instrumentals to adding the pop element and blowing things wide open?

RF: You can’t even compare the differences…

BL: We didn’t really plan it, either! The first Delerium was just a home project with a few synths and a tape recorder and Dossier records and I was just happy twiddling away and doing stuff, there was no concept of it ever being… with Puppy and the whole Nettwerk contact and we knew people and they were next door. We couldn’t plan it, and then Kristy (singer) showing up…

RF: Again it was just right time, right place. And then it took Delerium into the mainstream, in Canada at least. It completely changed everything. In Canada it really opened a lot of doors for us. It put us on the video channel, places that we had never been before.

BL: That’s the great thing about music and art. You just don’t know who you’re going to affect, who you’re going to reach. We enjoyed the process of making all that music, and then it just came back like that. We had no expectations. We weren’t trying to make singles or trying to be on a major label, we just had carte blanche on everything, right?

RF: Yeah, and it all came together! Anytime you force something, anytime you go out of your way to make a commercial record or commercial song it usually doesn’t work. It has to be a serendipitous event. That’s another example of that.

SL: So to wrap up, what’s next?

BL: The picture disc re-release of “Millenium” is pretty exciting. Rhys has a solo album coming out, right?

RF:  Yeah, more of the techno type stuff.  We got some more shows. We got Mexico with Front 242, we have some European festival dates…

BL: We’re playing the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas in 2 weeks… I’m excited about the 2 shows with Front 242 in Mexico!

RF: Yeah, more live shows and then I think we’re not really going to know until we get home and figure out what’s next. But we still have live shows booked even into November in Europe, I think.

SL: Anything as far as upcoming music?

RF: Not yet, we need to get off the road.

BL: I think we want to do a Delerium album.

RF: Yeah, we talked about that.

BL: And again, you always think you have to re-invent the wheel, because just the way the world is, I think we’ll try to find some sort of group, because everything’s been done now.  I think when we started Delerium, and with Karma, we were one of the first to do that kind of music. But now, if you go on internet radio, there’s channels with that music, right Rhys?

RF: Oh yeah, chill out music forever…

BL: So hopefully you can find your niche, but our sound, whatever that is, people respect that so we’re good with that.

Side-Line also covered Front Line Assembly’s ‘Molotov’.

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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Zwaremachine will be celebrating the release of their new single and music video for “A Sickness (Video Mix)” with a live concert on March 29th 2024 at Hook & Ladder Mission Room in Mineapolis, MN. USA. This song is the first single released from the new album and has been re-mixed and mastered.

The new Zwaremachine video features live concert footage from a recent sold-out performance in the Netherlands where they were direct support for Front 242 and will premiere on the band’s official YouTube channel Thursday March the 28th 2024 at 12.00 CET.

The new single and remixes along with previously released versions is also available from the band’s Bandcamp website with the proceeds from sales going to the Hematon Foundation on behalf of the band’s drummer Bas Mercx/Dein Offizier who passed away August 2023.

Zwaremachine is currently working on a new album they plan to release later this year. For now check their latest release, the 4-track EP “A Sickness”.

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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(Photo by Lina Gabrielli) The Swedish electropop trio Me The Tiger are to launch a second single, “I want it back”, taken from the upcoming album “Envy” expected to be released in Spring 2024. Earlier they released “Post Denial War”. The new single is also out via Progress Productions.

Below is already the cover artwork.

Me The Tiger (Gabriella Åström, Jonas Martinsson, and Tobias Andersson) was formed in Falun in the Spring of 2012 and has since released three full-length albums, a series of singles, and performed at festivals like M’era Luna (Germany), W-fest (Belgium), Eine Nacht im Bergwerk (Switzerland), Infest (England), E-Only (Germany), electriXmas (Sweden), and shared stages with Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yazoo), Front 242, Kite, and Emmon.

In 2024, they will tour in Europe, including a performance at Solitary Experiments’ 30th-anniversary festival in Berlin and their festival debut in Poland.

The message the band wants to spread via their material is the following: “In a time where individualism thrives, the trio aims to highlight values of solidarity and contribute to a fairer and warmer society. We live together and have a collective responsibility to care for one another, regardless of class, ethnicity, or gender.”

Here’s their previous single “Post Denial War”. Read the review of ‘Envy’.

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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With the Long Beach, California-based synth punk duo Intrusive Pinky, Les Disques De La Pantoufle announces its vey first signing. Out on April 5 is the duo’s “I Hate You, Patriarch Fuck!” EP.

Les Disques De La Pantoufle is a partnership between Jean-Marc Lederman and Christian Petke’s COP International label.

Christian Petke explains the collaboration as follows: “Running an indie label has always been a labor of love, especially in today’s challenging environment. Now, more than ever, we need individuals willing to support and nurture artists. It is with immense pride that we unveil Jean-Marc Lederman’s venture into the world of boutique labels with Les Disques De La Pantoufle. Few individuals are as well-equipped for this endeavor as Jean-Marc Lederman, who has dedicated a lifetime to the music industry. He collaborated with some of the most iconic figures in electronic music history: Fad Gadget, The The, Gene Loves Jezebel, The Weathermen, Front 242, Karl Bartos, Rohn – Lederman and many more. His extensive experience provides him with an intimate understanding of the intricacies of our industry, having navigated both sides of the table.”

Cop International will provide A&R and logistical support to the new label.

Jean-Marc Lederman adds: “I’m very happy Christian has understood my need to be able to release my works sooner than it could on a label with more acts and Les Disques De La Pantoufle being partnered with COP will provide me with the guerilla-label tactics that could work well with my relentless schedule. We have a busy year ahead as we are releasing “Intrusive Pinky” in April the brand new Rohn-Lederman double CD album “Black And Bleu” in May and, who knows, some exciting bands whose songs I love so much that LDP will release them within weeks.”

Here’s the first release which you can already pre-order on Bandcamp.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

This year Front 242 – who recently announced their farewell tour – will be re-releasing 5 classics on crystal clear vinyl in their original vintage design artwork. The first 3 releases (“Endless Riddance”, “No Comment” and “Politics Of Pressure”) were announced today for pre-order with 2 more releases to follow later this Summer.

The band and label (Alfa Matrix) say that “the importance of this re-releases for both the band and label is to make these titles available again on vinyl format at a correct price instead of the crazy pricing sometimes found on other platforms.”

Apart from the the 3 vinyls, there is also a combo 3-vinyl package offered with an exclusive Front 242 tote bag, which is limited to 500 units.

The rush for these new pre-orders caused the Alfa Matrix webstore to crash multiple times, while the label was constantly increasing the capacity of their servers to handle the wave of fans flocking to the website. In a reaction the label says: “We are used to quite some traffic when it comes to Front 242 and had already prepared the server capacity, but we never expected such a huge wave like we saw today. By noon we had all servers upgraded to keep on handling the traffic and orders.”

At the moment of writing the Alfa Matrix website was handling a whopping 40 orders per minute, 5 times more than usually happens when a Front 242 product is launched. It shows the rather huge demand for democratically priced vinyl releases.

• Endless Riddance EP (clear transparent vinyl)
• Politics Of Pressure EP (clear transparent vinyl)
• No Comment LP (clear transparent vinyl)
• Crystal Vinyl Package with Tote Bag 1 (Endless Riddance EP / Politics Of Pressure EP / No Comment LP)

“Endless Riddance” is available from Bandcamp in pre-order as well as a download in a re-mastered version. The remastered versions of “No Comment” and “Politics Of Pressure” were already made available as download in the past.

• Endless Riddance (Remastered) EP
• No Comment (Remastered) EP
• Politics Of Pressure (Remastered) EP

As an extra, the 24th volume in the “Sounds From The Matrix” CD compilation series will be automatically included in every order of any of the 3 first re-releases presented today. It features 17 label artists with a straight EBM / future pop teneur.

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.

www.side-line.com

Monospore is a Danish duo set up in 2009 by Jannik Vittrup and Søren Brandstrup. They last year released their second full length album “Into Darkness”. The opus features ten EBM songs driven by aggressive bass lines and carried by cold tunes. The vocals are harsh but not too much. “Into Darkness” is an accomplished production which I can only but recommend to EBM-lovers.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You guys seem to be involved with music since quite a long time and have been busy with multiple projects and music styles. Tell us a bit more about your background, the different projects and how did you finally come to set up Monospore?

Søren: Jannik and I started in 1986-87. We made music inspired by Depeche Mode and Camouflage and a bit of Front 242/Nitzer Ebb on an Amiga computer and we added two EMAX’s to the setup. However, we never actually got anything released. During the many following years, we made several different music styles with various singers, in styles like Ace Of Base, Paul Elstak etc.

I have only made some small project alone and with a few other people, but nothing was ever released.

Jannik: Besides the projects I did with Søren I also did some solo projects called, Executor, Bioreactor & Johhny Mnemonic amongst others. I also collaborated with other musicians most know is probably my collaborations with Thomas Elers on Cellblock X, Cbx Project and Latex Empire.

After a very long break we went to see a lot of live acts like Combichrist, Nitzer Ebb in the late 2000’s, and decided to follow our hearts in our new project just doing the music that gives us energy and that we love. We have always been huge fans of EBM (Nitzer Ebb, Front 242 etc.) We started to experiment with a lot of track, sounds and vocal styles before we found our style. First real Monospore track was “Blue Haze” which ended up as a bonus track on our debut album “Control The Game, Regain Control” from 2012.

Q: Monospore has been set up in 2009, but you’ve been mainly busy releasing singles and the album “Into Darkness” during 2023. How comes and how do you perceive the evolution from the band from the first albums till “Into Darkness”?

Monospore: We had a long break after our debut album “Control The Game… Regain Control!!!”. We both have families, and in that period we both build houses. At the same time, we both had professional careers as our day jobs. Søren finished his Master-degree in Building Physics in 2016, and Jannik finished his academy degree in Business IT a little earlier. We did do a lot of demos in the time in between the albums and one track (cf. “Fall For Me”) in 2018 for the Danish Electro v.2 compilation though.

There has been a huge leap in the production from our first album “Control The Game… Regain Control!!!” to the second album “Into Darkness”. First of all, we build a new studio in between the 2 albums and second, we also decided the overall sound to be more ‘old-school’ and less distorted than on our first album.

In our opinion the tracks on the new album have a much better and dynamic sound, but we appreciate both albums and are super proud of them. In the process for album 2, we did several new tracks that didn’t fit on the new album. These take Monospore in another direction and will be included on our next album.

Q: What more can you tell us about “Into Darkness” and what do you try to reflect by its title?

Monospore: We are very much into very hard music and find our inspiration in that as well as we wanted to evolve our sound. Nothing inspired us for the album as such except some of the bands we listen to ourselves. We love the soundscapes of Gary Numan’s productions as well as Alan Wilder’s and the album also has a much more dynamic sound than our first one. The title was mainly inspired by the cover photo location as well as it is the title of the last track on the album.

Q: What makes the chemistry between both of you and who’s taking care for the different aspects of the composing- and production process?

Jannik: I see it as a very shared process, we do a lot of demos separately and then work on them together. Often, we do some details on the tracks separately and then send it to each other to listen to. We always finish it together in the studio and do the mixing and mastering together as well.

Q: What about Monospore as a live band? How do you transpose the songs from the studio to the stage?   

Søren: We always strive to make our live set as hard as possible and bring some special versions for the audience though it is important for us to keep the sounds and vibe from the original track. It is always very motivating to feel the response from the audience and see the venue boiling of aggressivity and moving bodies. We are very grateful for the very positive responses we have got from our performances so far. Now we are working on getting booked outside of Denmark which is a bit hard when you are not yet an established name.

Q: All works have been released by Delta-Ego which I think is your very own label, right? How do you manage all the aspects aside of composing music like promotion, distribution, management etc…?

Monospore: You are right, Delta-Ego is our own label that we formed in 2012. To be honest our focus is writing the songs and creating the music and eventually playing it live.

The promotion and distribution are a necessity but often take away the focus from what we love, which is producing and playing the music and it can be hard doing promotion when having a full-time job and family.

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

The Belgian cult dark electro/future pop act Aiboforcen has announced its 7th studio album, titled “Between Noise & Silence”. The new release will be out via the Belgian label Alfa Matrix at the end of May, but can already be pre-ordered.

The 22-track album again shows a blend of electro pop, future pop and dark pop but also includes a cover of Death in June’s “Break The Black Ice”. The album is available as a double-CD digipak with a 16-page booklet and as a download via Bandcamp.

ATTENTION: The first 50 orders (!!) from the Alfa Matrix e-shop include a signed version with a bonus mini-CD “Eliza Effect” featuring four exclusive tracks.

Benoit Blanchart this time worked with Patrice Synthea from Regenerator, Patrick Codenys of Front 242, Poupee Fabrikk, Implant, Numb, and female vocalists Mari Kattman, Noemi Aurora, Emke, and Sorrow Stories. Also Jan Dieckmann of Norderney joined in.

This new album was teased earlier with the 7-track EP “Cycle Of Life” featuring collaborations with artists such as Jan of Norderney and Noemi Aurora. The EP included a mix of new songs and exclusive non-album tracks, and it’s still available on Bandcamp with a digital booklet containing lyrics and artwork.

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.

www.side-line.com

(Photo by Mothmeister) In a message posted on their Facebook yesterday evening at 7 PM, the Belgian cult EBM act Front 242 have announced that they will hold their last concerts ever.

Here’s the statement which is being announced as a ‘Black Out’: “Today, we reach out to you, our fans, with a heavy yet hopeful heart to share the news of our final concerts. Now, we are preparing to bring down the curtain on our live performances as FRONT 242, we find ourselves navigating a sea of emotions.

For nearly four decades, we’ve journeyed together, creating unforgettable moments and sharing the profound joy of music. You’ve been more than an audience; you’ve been a part of our extended family, witnessing our evolution and sharing in our highs and lows.

The decision to step back from performing live has not been easy, but we believe it’s important to end this chapter on a high note, preserving the essence of Front 242 that you’ve grown to love. We want to leave you with memories of our band at its peak, full of energy and passion.

So, we are extending our invitation to you: join us for one last adventure. Let’s make these final shows a celebration of the incredible journey we’ve shared. We promise to deliver performances that capture the heart and soul of Front 242, a fitting farewell to a story we’ve written together.”

The band has announced a string of concerts, which will serve as the band’s live farewell.

EU24

• 04 Aug LOKEREN, Lokerse Feesten, B
• 10 Aug HILDESHEIM, M’Era Luna, DE

US24

• 06 Sept TAMPA, Jannus Landing, US
• 07 Sept PHILADELPHIA, Union Transfer, US
• 08 Sept CLEVELAND, Agora Theater, US
• 13 Sept LOS ANGELES, Mayan Theater, US
• 14 Sept PORTLAND, Roseland Ballroom, US
• 15 Sept SAN FRANCISCO, Great American Music Hall, US

EU24

• 12 Oct HAMBURG, Markthalle, DE
• 17 Oct UTRECHT, Tivoli Ronda, NL
• 18 Oct BERLIN, Huxley’s Neue Welt, DE
• 19 Oct OBERHAUSEN, Turbinnenhalle, DE
• 25 Oct MÜNCHEN, Backstage Werk, DE
• 26 Oct LANGEN, Neue Stadthalle, DE

US24

• 08 Nov HOUSTON, Rise Rooftop, US
• 09 Nov DALLAS, Granada Theater, US
• 10 Nov DENVER, Reelworks, US
• 15 Nov CHICAGO, Metro, US
• 16 Nov CHICAGO, Metro, US

EU24

• 29 Nov GOTHENBURG, Film Studios, SE (FutureRetro)
• 30 Nov STOCKHOLM, Berns, SE (FutureRetro)
• 06 Dec LILLE, Black Lab, FR
• 07 Dec PARIS, Le Trianon, FR
• 08 Dec LONDON – UK
• 13 Dec BARCELONA, Sala Apolo, SP
• 14 Dec MADRID, Sala La Paqui, SP
• 25 Dec CHEMNITZ, Dark Storm Festival, DE

EU25

• 10 Jan COPENHAGEN, Pumpehuset, DK
• 24 Jan BRUSSELS, Ancienne Belgique, B
• 25 Jan BRUSSELS, Ancienne Belgique, B

About Front 242

Front 242, a vanguard Belgian electronic music group, emerged in the 1980s, pioneering a genre they dubbed “electronic body music” (EBM). Their innovative approach not only defined a new sound but also left a lasting impact on electronic and industrial music genres worldwide.

Founded in 1981 in Aarschot, near Leuven, Belgium, by Daniel Bressanutti and Dirk Bergen, Front 242 set out to explore music and graphic design with emerging electronic tools. Bressanutti’s prior engagement with Prothese laid a foundational stone for what was to become a monumental journey in electronic music. The duo named the project Front 242, embedding a vision of organized popular uprising within their name, which resonates universally across languages.

Their debut single, “Principles”, released in 1981, marked the inception of their distinctive sound. The addition of Patrick Codenys and Jean-Luc De Meyer in 1982, from the group Underviewer, enriched the band’s sonic and creative depth. This formation solidified Front 242’s lineup and set the stage for what followed.

Front 242’s first album, “Geography”, released in 1982, showcased their unique blend of sound, which was further developed in their subsequent releases. Their pioneering sound was characterized by the innovative use of synthesizers, samplers, and sequencers, creating a powerful, danceable, and at times, confrontational sound that became synonymous with EBM.

The release of “No Comment” in 1984 was a critical moment, with the album’s liner notes introducing the term electronic body music for the first time. This period also saw the band’s expansion into international markets, signing with American label Wax Trax! and embarking on tours that included supporting Ministry, marking their rising global influence.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Front 242 continued to innovate and evolve. Albums like “Tyranny (For You)” reached new heights, charting in the United States. The band’s willingness to reinvent themselves was evident in their shift towards a more techno-oriented sound with the “Re:Boot” tour, acknowledging influences like The Prodigy.

Side projects and collaborations flourished during this time, with members engaging in diverse musical endeavors that included forming bands like Revolting Cocks, C-Tec, and Cobalt 60.

The band’s last studio album was “Pulse”, released in 2003 and re-released by Alfa Matrix in an extended version. Also check the various extended reissues and Front 242 live releases.

Front 242 studio albums

• Geography (1982)
• No Comment (1984)
• Official Version (1987)
• Front by Front (1988)
• Tyranny (For You) (1991)
• 06:21:03:11 Up Evil (1993)
• 05:22:09:12 Off (1993)
• Pulse (2003)

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

The Porta Nigra Festival 2024 is scheduled at the Stadsfeestzaal Aarschot on the 1st and 2nd of March. This event features quite a varied lineup of electronic and industrial music acts.

First Day – 1 March 2024: The festival begins with Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, The Juggernauts, and Mirexxx. An afterparty follows, hosted by DJ Borg, with DJ sets by The Black Widow between performances.

Second Day – 2 March 2024: The lineup includes VNV Nation, Kosheen, The Arch, and The Obscure, with an afterparty by DJ Wildhoney. The Black Widow provides music between the day’s performances.

Entrance to the afterparties is included with each festival ticket.

Tickets for the event are available for purchase, offering access to both days of performances.

For more on VNV Nation, see VNV Nation launches extra North American tour dates with Traitrs 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!

side-line.com

Here’s an exclusive event we co-present with Cold War Night Life in London. Robert Görl (DAF) and Hanna Rollmann will read from their book, “The Voice That Dwells Within”, on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at The Strongroom in London (tickets available here). The duo will also sign copies of their book during this intimate event.

Robert Görl co-founded DAF (Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft) in 1978 — 45 years ago — with vocalist Gabi Delgado. The band started as a punk/experimental outfit, using a combination of conventional instruments and electronics, before relocating from Dusseldorf to London. After meeting Mute Records’ Daniel Miller, they released “Die Kleinen und die Bösen,” featuring production by Conny Plank. The group consolidated as the duo of Görl and Delgado, made the jump to Virgin Records, and released three albums that changed the face of German (electronic body) music. They formed the template for a line of bands, including Front 242 and Nitzer Ebb. They were working towards a new album at the time of Delgado’s sudden death in 2020, which Goerl completed alone as “Nur Noch Einer.”

In the spaces between DAF releases, Görl and Delgado each released separate material. Görl’s 1984 solo album, “Night Full of Tension,” featured an appearance by Annie Lennox of Eurythmics — returning the favor after Görl played drums on that band’s Conny Plank-produced debut, “In the Garden.”

“The Voice That Dwells Within” uses Görl’s memories to reconstruct stories from all these events. The book is centered around the 1989 car crash that almost killed Görl and led him to Buddhism.

The event will take place at The Strongroom, Curtain Road, London EC2A 3SQ, on Saturday, January 27, 2024. The starting time is 7 pm. Tickets are £15 in advance / £20 on the door.

Here’s a video trailer.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Celebrating its 30th year, Audioglobe, the most important distributor in the darkwave scene, just shared a statistical review, revealing the shifts and trends in the darkwave (and related) music genre.

Our readers will surely remember that we have reported on these stats for years, until 2018, the first year that Audioglobe didn’t communicate these stats. Sebastian Koch from Audioglobe explains: “Some customers never really cared that much about these, as they have better things to do than reading boring mails from the undersigned. But… Surprisingly there are quite a high number of customers, that sort of ‘complained’ about the fact, that no stats were being done any longer… The reason is: I was simply always far too busy in past years. Anyway: Here we go with the first new stats since 2017!”

So here are some export facts.

Top 10 Bestselling Labels of 2023 (export)

1. FABRIKA/DEAD SCARLET
   • She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Selofan, Kaelan Mikla, M!R!M, Doric…
2. METROPOLIS
   • Birthday Massacre, Delerium, Front Line Assembly, A Projection, KMFDM, Legendary P.D…
3. ICY COLD/MANIC DEPR.
   • Twin Tribes, Je T’aime, Traitrs, Kill Shelter, Closed Mouth, Talk to Her, Schonwald…
4. ALFA MATRIX
   • Alien Vampires, Front 242, Metroland, Die Robo Sapiens, Elm, 808 Dot Pop, Helalyn Flowers…
5. RUSTBLADE
   • Claudio Simonetti, Ennio Morricone, Lycia Lunch, Spiritual Front, Ketvector, Legendary Pink D…
6. OUT OF LINE
   • Blutengel, Hocico, Solitary Experiments, Suicide Commando, Signal Aout42, Erdling…
7. TRISOL
   • Sopor Aeternus, Rome, Clan of Xymox, Asp, Ostara, Skinflicks, Nachtmahr, Mantus, Soman…
8. DEPENDENT
   • Kirlian Camera, Girls Under Glass, Spectra*Paris, Mildreda, Black Nail Cabaret, Beborn Beton…
9. ARTOFFACT
   • Actors, Noise Unit, cEvin Key, Kaelan Mikla, Ploho, Sacred Skin, Kauan, Ken Mode, Spectres…
10. AUERBACH
    • Spiritual Front, Sol Invictus, Tenhi, Moon and the Night Spirit, Haavard, Hekate, Orplid…

Best Export Territories of 2023

If we look at the Audioglobe stats, we notice that Germany and Greece remain the company’s strongest markets, continuing a trend that has been consistent for ages. However, the 2023 statistics reveal some notable shifts.

Canada, once a prominent market for Audioglobe, has surprisingly disappeared from the export landscape. In contrast, the United States and the United Kingdom have re-emerged as significant territories, marking their return to prominence in the darkwave music scene after several years.

The most unexpected development in 2023 is the rise of Australia as a key market. This growth stands in stark contrast to Switzerland, which, despite its affluence, has seen a sharp decline in sales. Sebastian Koch adds: “The (by far!) lowest sales of all countries where we export to, was to Switzerland… The rich Swiss don’t buy records! Since I left the country (1990), something is wrong back home!”

Here is the top 10 list of export territories:

1. Germany
2. Greece
3. Netherlands
4. Portugal
5. USA
6. United Kingdom
7. Australia
8. Spain
9. Russia
10. Poland

Not in the top 10, but France, Japan, Malta, Brazil, Sweden, Mexico, and Perù are also good export territories for Audioglobe.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

“Digital Outcast” is the third album by German formation Darkness On Demand which is available now on Bandcamp and on CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore. After having released two albums on Repo Records ‘Falgalas’ and Gary Wagner signed to Alfa Matrix where they released the “Final Way” EP, the “Hang On (Winterhart remix)” and the “White Clouds” EP. The former Dance Or Die-members now strike back with “Digital Outcast”, a powerful, sophisticated and engaged EBM work. I talked about the album and other things with front man Gary Wagner.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: After a successful career as Dance Or Die you guys are now busy for a couple of years under the moniker Darkness On Demand. Do you perceive significant changes and/or evolutions between both bands or is just a natural evolution? And do you sometimes miss Dance Or Die?

Gary: We actually don’t miss anything of our former career with Dance Or Die. Falgalas and me played together since 1993 and the old producer and composer, who did not go on stage, had not enough material for new songs anymore… that’s why we decided to continue our story under the new flag Darkness On Demand.

The idea was to leave Dance Or Die as a Cult to start with the new material Falgalas had composed. The new songs are more Industrial and EBM and got much more melodies than before. The development of the new tracks started with our first longplayer “Post Stoneage Technology” continues the near future items. Just like the second one “Detoxination” which is concerned with man-machine themes we march on in that genre to keep Science Fiction alive. The astonishing thing was that the old fans expected the new start straight away. We still are the guys they know from stage and the short logo DOD is still up to date.

Q: I was surprised you signed to a Belgian label –Alfa Matrix. Why this move from a German label to a Belgian one and are there also plans for your side-projects?

Gary: Well the main reason for signing abroad was that Belgium is the Walhalla of Electronic Body Music. We are definitely inspired by Front 242, Klinik and A Split Second which come from Belgium. We planned to get the thing more international.

The former label was more concerned with Germany which was pretty all right for the start. But the fact that we were popular in countries such as Sweden, Mexico, USA and the European East pushed us forward to be promoted worldwide. There were music colleges who recommended Alfa Matrix to start that enterprise. We are very happy about that and we know that the label believes in our work.

By the way we still work on our other project Winterhart which is Martial, Industrial and Dark-Folk orientated.

Q: Over now to “Digital Outcast” which is the third full length by Darkness On Demand. The lyrical themes are –once more, very engaged and introduced as an ‘ invitation to reconnect with nature and reality, to escape from that digital world dominated by artificial social medias and credit card consumption’ is really interesting to me. I can imagine it’s a very personal reflection but can you give us more details? And how do you see it regarding the digital world and social media which is that important today for labels, bands  etc…?

Gary: “Digital Outcast” is the digital answer to the digitalized world. We fight fire with fire, like we use Electronix for creating our answer to Goth-Rock. Real life turns into a cyberworld which is mankind created and has nothing to do with the real world outside.

In Kraftwerk’s “Computerwelt” you heard the warning of observation and a transparent mankind. The more data they get the more you are controlled by them. The problem in Germany is that they consider you as a conspiracy freak when you know and talk about this. You can have an attitude but the mass medias tell you what your attitude has to be. Quite complicated for bands that came from Punk-Rock .

This moment I feel much more free to communicate with you in Belgium than in Germany.

Q: How do you look back to the writing and production of “Digital Outcast”? Do you’ve any experiences and/or anecdotes you encountered that come directly into mind?

Gary: During the lockdown we found ourselves in ghost towns. Everything was closed, life stood still people were ill and lots of people died. It was a terrible time, we hope it won’t repeat. But in somehow it changed the attitude towards the government. Some were absolutely into the rules of authority, the others questioned it like they did before. Feelings such as loneliness and depressions came to our mind and that influenced our album conception.

One day during that period they closed Schleswig Holstein after we finished our singing recording and I had to leave this Bundesland for a return to Berlin. What a strange situation…

The EP “White Clouds” exactly describes this time I mentioned before.

Q: “White Clouds” sounds as a solid addendum to “Digital Outcast”. Is there anything more you want to say about the EP?

Gary:The EP “White Clouds” exactly describes this time I mentioned before. In some of these happy pills you find a little picture of grey clouds turning to white to take the medicine regularly. Sometimes pretty necessary to avoid a serious illness. Anyway… we still stand for the idea to make great Clubmixes on our EP’s. The dancefloor is still an important fact to communicate with the fans, besides the live activities.

Q: Gary and Heiko, I think you’re now working together for thirty years –or even more. What makes the chemistry between both of you and how do you perceive each other as ‘artist’ and the person behind the artistic creation?

Gary:As I already mentioned we both played the Dance Or Die shows since 1993. After a long break in the early 20th we decided to make new music together. Falgalas created lots of material with Classic sounds and instruments. We added real acoustic guitars and trumpets to form Winterhart. We released our albums on Danse Macabre Records. But then, once upon a time we were a little frustrated that Dance Or Die stood still. Therefore we found Darkness On Demand to return to Body and Industrial music.

Those days Falgalas lived in the middle of Berlin and we worked together at new songs every afternoon. Then he moved to Tönning near the North-Sea und built-up a New Studio he calls Dreiklangstudio. So I got to travel to the North  for singing recordings. Less helter skelter than in Berlin. Silence enough for our future stories to keep the Dark Side alive. We turn Future into Reality

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

Following up on his previous single (“I Love You”) as ImJudas, Maxx Maryan (male half of the Italian electro rock industrial duo Helalyn Flowers) now releases a new wave ballad, “Stjudas”. The EP is out now via the Alfa Matrix sublabel Spleen+.

The EP, includes the previous single as well and a dark cover version of The Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry”. This EP is another teaser for the upcoming ImJudas album “Viscerheart” which will offer melancholic 80s pop-wave mixed with post-punk ingredients.

ImJudas was initially started as a noir-dyed electro-pop project in 2016 and has since incorporated a rough guitar component. The project’s debut album, “Yrjudas”, showcases a blend of electronic dark wave and a few rock elements. You can read a full interview with Maxx on ImJudas right here.

ImJudas discography

Albums

• Yrjudas: Released in 2022 under Alfa Matrix

Singles & EPs

• Tulpa (2017): This EP, consisting of 5 trackd files, was released under Alfa Matrix
• Ritual (2021): Another release under Alfa Matrix, “Ritual” is a 6-track EP
• People Of The Blame (2023): Released by Spleen+ holding 7 tracks
• So Untrue (2023): On Spleen+, “So Untrue” holds 6 tracks
• I Love You (2023): A single release under Spleen+
• Stjudas (2023): 3-track EP

Compilations

• Sonic Seducer Cold Hands Seduction – Vol. 246 – Various – Sonic Seducer (2023)
• Matrix + Downloaded 011 – I Love You – Alfa Matrix (2023)
• A Strange Play.2 – Tribute To The Cure – Boys Don’t Cry – Spleen+ (2023)
• Anthologies 4 – Ritual – Je M’en Fish (2023, JMF202302)
• The Zombietapes (Face The Beat 7 Megamix) – Various – Side-Line (2022)
• Gothic File 22 | 1 – People Of The Blame – Alfa Matrix (2022)
• Sonic Seducer Cold Hands Seduction – Vol. 237 – Various – Sonic Seducer (2022)
• The Dark Hits Of Tomorrow Vol. 4 – Ritual – Orkus (2022)
• Face The Beat: Session 7 – Ritual (Reichsfeind Remix) – Side-Line (2022)
• Sounds From The Matrix 21 – Apostatik – Alfa Matrix (2020)
• Matrix Downloaded 009 – Apostatik – Alfa Matrix (2020)
• matrixx – 20 Years Of Alfa Matrix (Best Of Electro, Synthpop, EBM, Darkwave) – Without Us You Are Nothing – Alfa Matrix (2021)
• Face The Beat: Session 5 – Various – Side-Line (2019)
• Endzeit Bunkertracks [Act VIII] – Tulpa (AD:Key Remix) – Alfa Matrix (2019, AM1276FCD, [Act VIII])
• Alfa Matrix Re:Covered Vol.3 (A Tribute To Depeche Mode) – Various – Alfa Matrix (2019)
• The Other Face Of Evil – Zombie – EK Product (2019, EKPCD062)
• Sounds From The Matrix 20 – Without Us You Are Nothing – Alfa Matrix (2018)
• Matrix Downloaded [008] – Without Us You Are Nothing – Alfa Matrix (2018)
• Matrix Downloaded [007] – Tulpa – Alfa Matrix (2017)
• Sounds From The Matrix 19 – Tulpa – Alfa Matrix (2017)
• Orkus! Compilation 127 – Tulpa – Orkus (2017/12-2018/01, 127)
• Matrix Downloaded [006] – People Of The Blame (Alfa Edit) – Alfa Matrix (2016)
• Recovery>For You< (An Alfa-Matrix Tribute to Front 242) – Various – Alfa Matrix (2016)

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.

www.side-line.com

(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange. Photos by Tarjei Krogh, Truls A. Bakken and Jan Ronald Stange) After the successful shows in Langen, Berlin, Leipzig, Hamburg, Amsterdam, and Oberhausen earlier this year, Front 242 and Nitzer Ebb started November 2023 with the second round of the ‘Join The Forces’ tour.

They kicked off in Oslo, the capital of Norway, and then headed to Sweden, offering fans in Gothenburg the chance to experience this unique package. The tour’s final shows in Germany will take place in Munich and Heidelberg, being the last opportunity to see these two legends share the stage in a single evening.

The opening act in Norway and Sweden were the up-and-coming Swedish queen of EBM, REIN, bringing her aggressive voice and beats. Douglas McCarthy’s longtime collaborator Terence Fixmer will open the evening at the German shows.

Like many in the audience, I too was curious about the health of Douglas when Nitzer Ebb entered the stage and how it would affect his performance. We all noticed a somewhat frail frontman at the start, but as the show progressed and both audience and band were warmed up, he seemed better and better, leaving us very happy with their concert.

Front 242 started, as usual, with their waving flashlight in ‘First In/First Out’, and was energetic throughout their whole show. The highlight for most was ‘Headhunter’, making the whole audience jump and the floor literally moving!

Must also mention that Tarjei Krogh, the photografer of the NEP/F242 photos (here caught on camera himself taking these photos), also are a musician and producer in various EBM/electronic bands since the 80’s! Do check out his most recent project Norwegian Giants!

About Front 242

Front 242 formed in 1981 in Aarschot, near Leuven, Belgium, founded by Daniel Bressanutti (electronics, production) and Dirk Bergen (graphic design). Patrick Codenys (keyboards, programming) and vocalist Jean-Luc De Meyer joined in 1982, and Richard “23” Jonckheere (electronic percussion, backing vocals) joined in 1983 as Bergen moved into a design and management role. The band’s 1984 album “No Comment” was among the first releases to use the term “electronic body music” in its liner notes. Front 242 signed to Wax Trax! in the US in 1984, then released “Official Version” (1987) and “Front by Front” (1988) via Red Rhino Europe/PIAS, and “Tyranny (For You)” (1991) via Epic, its highest-charting album in the US.

Drummer Tim Kroker joined for live performances in 2008. The band’s most recent studio album, “Pulse,” was released via XIII Bis/Metropolis in 2003. In 2023, Front 242 co-headlined the “Join The Forces” tour of Europe with fellow EBM group Nitzer Ebb, alternating headline sets across dates including Berlin, Amsterdam, Oslo and Munich.

Front 242 announced its farewell “Black Out” tour in March 2024 and played its final three shows at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels on 23-25 January 2025. The live album “Black Out,” drawn from more than forty farewell-tour shows, was released via Alfa Matrix on 19 June 2026. The band’s final lineup was Bressanutti, De Meyer, Codenys, Richard 23 and Kroker. The 2023 tour paired Front 242 with fellow EBM pioneers Nitzer Ebb across European dates, with onstage crossovers between the two bands.

Jan Ronald Stange

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

www.facebook.com/jrstange

Prior to the Nitzer Ebb concert at Respectable Street in West Palm Beach in November 2021, the band’s frontman Douglas McCarthy suffered complications from a pre-existing, non Covid related medical condition. He was admitted to hospital and was declared stable and undergoing continued treatment and observation so the band’s management informed.

Despite the illness of Douglas McCarthy, the tour continued with Bon Harris stepping in to perform lead vocals. This was a temporary lineup, yet a special one for those who were at the concerned shows. The band was at that moment on tour including the original band members David Gooday and Simon Granger.

Since then McCarthy has been working on his health and comeback. In a 2022 video he announced he was indeed coming back to the stage.

But he is back now, and we have seen him perform across Europe, including last night in Oslo together with Front 242. He is not the old one yet, but he’s clearly enjoying the shows. And that is what counts after all.

Welcome back Douglas!

About Douglas McCarthy

Douglas (John) McCarthy (born 1 September 1966) is the vocalist of the English EBM band Nitzer Ebb. Apart from Nitzer Ebb he has appeared on multiple recordings by Recoil (Alan Wilder) and has released material in collaboration with DJ Terence Fixmer as Fixmer/McCarthy. He also contributed vocals to tracks by Die Krupps, Motor, KLOQ (band), Client, and Kenneth James Gibson’s Reverse Commuter project.

After Nitzer Ebb originally split, McCarthy began his work with Recoil, then left the music business and focused on film studies and design in Cambridge. He moved to London in 2000 to work in the advertising field.

McCarthy’s first solo album was originally titled “Life Is Sucking the Life Out of Me”. The album was written, recorded and mixed at Easier with songwriter/musician/producer Stephen Papke and British house DJ/producer Mark “Blakkat” Bell. All songs were co-written by McCarthy, Papke and Bell. Performing as Douglas J. McCarthy, his first solo album, “Kill Your Friends”, was released in November 2012 on the Los Angeles-based label Pylon Records followed by the EP “Move On” in 2013.

McCarthy then collaborated with Headman and producer Scott Fraser on the “Noise” EP, and with Cyrus Rex on the “DJMREX” EP.

You can read a long interview with Douglas McCarthy here 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!

side-line.com

The Alton, Illinois-based experimental duo Alien Life Frequency have been hard at work the last few years and have released a few albums. While the self-titled debut featured a plethora of strange sounds and bass lines, the second album, “Evolution AI”, had a slowed down tempo to offer a more melodic sound. The band’s newest album “µ[SIC]” offer something more akin to cyberfunk and features Tabitha Turso on six string bass with Francesco Turso taken care of the beats and synths.

This album was created live during jam sessions, and each song has a live jam session video showing the creative process. You can view these on the band’s Youtube channel. You’ll notice that the videos incorporate trippy backgrounds and funny animations.

Francesco Turso might ring a bell with our readers as he was featured under his own name with the track “The 13th Floor” on the “Face The Beat 7” compilation released by Side-Line. He was born in Italy and raised in Chicago. During the 1990’s he played in a few industrial bands before forming Iago and Friends, which was a precursor to Alien Life Frequency. His influences include Depeche Mode, KMFDM, Project Pitchfork, Front 242 and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult.

Tabitha Turso was born and raised in the Saint Louis area and played in various rock and blues bands. Her major influences include Les Claypool, Bootsy Collins, Parliament-Funkadelic, Danny Elfman and Mike Patton.

Check out their new cyberfunk album below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Experimental, Industrial, EBM, Cinematic.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Galaxy Of flesh is a Polish project. This album is inspired by music video and commercial director Keith Schofield who posted ‘a series of images allegedly from David Cronenberg’s forgotten film, “Galaxy Of Flesh”. The production, which is a body horror set in a cosmic space, dates back to 1985. However, the picture was never made, and Schofield created the prepared frames using a program called Midjourney’. The album is a kind of Soundtrack to these images.

Content: I didn’t directly get the sensation listening to a Soundtrack although there are pure Cinematic elements running through the work. The tracks are instrumentals which cover a diversity of influences; from Industrial sounds to EBM sequences -even reminding me of early Front 242, to Minimal-Electronics and totally Experimental parts.

+ + + : Galaxy Of Flesh covers a wide and impressive range of influences which sometimes lead to surprising mixes like Industrial and Psychedelia. I like most of the tracks featuring Industrial sound treatments but also the EBM-driven “Cron” and the minimal-like “Anabiose”.

– – – : This is not the most approachable work although the diversity makes more accessible.

Conclusion: There’s an interesting concept hiding behind this production resulting in a modern Cinematic work.

Best songs: “Cron”, “Anabiose”, “Strange Mixture”, “Chase”.

Rate: 6½.

Label: www.uboczerec.pl

Listen to “Galaxy Of Flesh OST”:

About Galaxy Of Flesh

Galaxy Of Flesh, also known as Galaktyka Mięsa, is a Polish trio formed by Uchylak and Sleezy Dog, founders of the Ubocze REC netlabel, alongside members of Wczesna Jagielnicka and DustCats. The project takes its name from a supposed 1985 film by David Cronenberg that was never made; director Keith Schofield generated still frames from the non-existent film using Midjourney in early 2023, and Galaxy Of Flesh composed the soundtrack to accompany them. “Galaxy Of Flesh OST” was released on Ubocze REC in 2023, followed by “Galaktyka mięsa / von Hutten” and “Lejek bólu” in 2024.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-Techno, Techno-Body.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Italian producer Adriano Canzian strikes back with new work. The EP features five new cuts while the digital format features three extra cuts so in the end it more looks like a mini-album.

Content: If you know the work of Adriano Canzian you for sure know what to expect; dark and powerful Techno music from the underground! This production is maybe more Techno driven although there’re parts which are more sophisticated. The title song is the single cut featuring a spoken sampling -which is of course reminds me of Front 242 and their “Agressiva” (with a single “g”). The title cut also features some Acid sequences with an EBM element on top.

+ + + : “Aggressiva” is made to get people dancing and Adriano Canzian has the secret formula to succeed. The title song is a great piece of music which moves beyond simply Techno music; it’s a sophisticated and intelligent format mixing Techno together with other influences. I especially like the Acid-like sequences running through the cut. Canzian knows how to elaborate his work with extra sounds and effects. “He Want It” is maybe not the most danceable piece from the work although it’s a great exposure of the artist’s writing and production skills.

– – – : The bonus cuts from the digital edit aren’t exactly the most convincing ones; too repetitive and a bit predictable after a while.

Conclusion: Adriano Canzian remains a true sound guru from the Underground-Techno scene. “Aggressiva” is a perfect title to illustrate his approach.

Best songs: “Aggressiva”, “He Want It”, “Commodore 16”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/adriano.canzian.14

Label: www.51beats.net / www.facebook.com/51beats

About Adriano Canzian

Adriano Canzian is an Italian electro, techno and EBM producer, remixer and live performer, born in 1973 in Pieve di Soligo, near Treviso. He studied art in Rome and Paris and was the first Italian artist to release music on International Deejay Gigolo Records. He has also released material through Space Factory and is a member of the group The Fool’s Stone. Canzian has been active as a producer since the early 2000s, with releases spanning EBM, dark electro, and techno. His EP “Aggressiva” was released through the Italian label 51 Beats.

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

Swedish electronic act ELM follows up the success of its very well received 2022 album “Penetrator” with a new limited-edition release on black vinyl, titled “Penetrator – Fulmen Adveho!” Limited to just 300 units worldwide, the album is now available via the Belgian label Alfa Matrix on vinyl and as download via Bandcamp plus of course all other streaming services and platforms.

The “Penetrator – Fulmen Adveho!” release takes the original versions of songs from the “Penetrator” album and reimagines them with fresh energy. Some tracks have undergone only minor edits to adapt them for the dance floor and the vinyl format, while others have experienced more significant transformations. The result is a very powerful showcase of Electronic Body Music (EBM) at its finest, drawing comparisons to classic acts such as Nitzer Ebb, Front 242, and Pouppée Fabrikk.

You can expect intense basslines, forceful rhythms, and piercing vocals and lyrics.

The album is also available via Bandcamp as a download. Below is an idea what to expect. Read the review of ‘Penetrator / Fulmen Adveho!’.

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.

www.side-line.com

Who says Dirk Da Davo thinks The Neon Judgement! Even if this band remains one of the pioneers and true references in the Electro-Underground scene, Dirk has been involved with numerous other projects. The recently released album “Retrospective 1987-2023” is an opportunity to discover those projects; a fine selection from Dirk Timmermans’ (he’s real name) work over the thirty six past years aside from The Neon Judgement. The album has been released on vinyl format by Je M’En Fish and features ten songs. Each title of the work inspired me to ask a questions to Dirk. This is a short story of this Belgian living legend of Electronic music… and more…

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: The album takes off with “King Of Fools” which is probably the most surprising song from the album. It sounds sexy while the slide guitar has something pretty American-like. What is this song all about and what does it say about the music you’re listening to?  

DDD: The song is about the feeling that got created during the lockdown and the absurdity of certain measures taken which oppressed the people like never before. And I am questioning that in the song. ‘Will you obey the king of fools? Is there a way to neglect his rules? In a way he seems modified… Do you think he is justified?’ It is about this new created normality which I can’t get used to.

Musicaly it is not that far away for me. As a young kid I grew up with my father’s western music compilation records. And the music you listen to when you are a kid, stays forever in the back of your head… It’s a bit American/Western. It’s not the first time that it shows up. With The Neon Judgement we did the albums “Blood And Thunder” (1989) and “The Insult” (1991)who also have a American Tex Mex vibe in some album tracks. 

Q: “Ozz” is a track you composed together with Jean-Marie Aerts. I didn’t exactly expect you both composing music together. How did you get in touch and how was it working together? 

DDD: I know Jean-Marie already for a long time. He produced some album tracks for The Neon Judgement’s “Blood And Thunder”-album in 1989. He played the bass on The Neon Judgement’s “Jazzbox”-single in 1998 and we even did some experimental dub vinyl releases together in the 90s. And in a way we stayed connected. I live in Spain and Jean-Marie and his wife decided to come over for a vacation. I have a recording studio in the place where I live. It took exactly 2 days after his arrival and we started recording jam sessions. We finalized an EP and we decided to call our project DDDJMX. We released the digital EP in 2017 by the same title: “DDDJMX”. At the end he visited me 3 times which resulted in 10 recordings we digitally released in 2020 as the “Oceaned”-album. It was interesting. Jean–Marie left me completely free in production , arrangements and all regarding the tracks. An honor for me that he gave me his confidence! I feel flattered.

Q: “The Unreal” sounds to me as ‘modern’ The Neon Judgement. Are you sometimes nostalgic when evoking The Neon Judgement and do you think it’s really over now -especially because you went back on stage again since the so-called farewell concert in the A.B.? 

DDD: Oh really? It was not intended like that. No, I am not a nostalgic person at all or it must be about my childhood. I always prefer to look ahead and try to find new challenges. That is where the oxygen is! We had a fantastic trip with The Neon Judgement; I’m grateful to the fans but one day you have to call it a day. But never say never, I like to keep these things open… What I enjoy now is recording new music and develop myself further as a musician, not to play the same tracks over and over again. 

Q: “Where Even Angels Fall” sounds definitely 80s like. How much of the young Dirk Da Davo from the 80s do you still recognize in your music and approach today?  

DDD: That is a difficult question. I think through all my career I kept my personal touch, but it might have been influenced with the musical surroundings at certain periods… But I still carry the DDD label over all I think. No compromises for better business.

Q: “Sexhead” definitely is my favorite song from the album which reminds me of Cabaret Voltaire. I think to know Cabaret Voltaire have been one of your influences. What did you like in their sound and did you ever got the chance to get in touch with Richard H. Kirk -who passed away in 2021?  

DDD: An influence is perhaps a big word. We felt more like-minded. I liked the way they approached music from their first album on. The sound –experiments, the search for something new and with that sound they represented the times in which we lived. I met Richard once yes; I think that was during the first half of the 80s. We shared a venue in our hometown, Leuven, a venue named Lido with as line-up: The Neon Judgement, Cabaret Voltaire and 23 Skidoo. Oh what a night full of impressive music! ! 😉 

Q: “Meat Cathedral” is another 80s song which was released by your side-project If It Moves. It’s a project you set up with Glenn Frank -who also contributed to songs of The Neon Judgement right? What was this project all about?  

DDD: The project happened by coincidence. I joined Glenn’s band Street Ducks at the time as an extra guitar player. We shared a rehearsal room and one evening I was there alone with him. We started to program some industrial beats, I took a guitar and Glenn a microphone and what you hear happened on the spot. A week later we were recording the track together with Ludo Camberlin in his studio and it got released on vinyl. Glenn was part of The Neon Judgement for a short period as a bass player, but not as a song writer.  

Q: “157” reminds me of the early minimalism from Front 242. I can’t remember you ever did something together with the guys of ‘242’. Was there a connection or friendship? Rivalry? Just respect? 

DDD: There was an undercooled friendship, for sure no rivalry no. I remember a big party we had together in the 80s in Sweden, were we shared the stage in a double bill. We ended up throwing tables to each other during the after party, but it was just for fun! 🙂 Tour stress that is! 😉

Patrick Codenys also helped me out preparing the recordings of The Neon Judgement’s “Mafu Cage”-album. We were getting into sampling, but we didn’t have a sampler ourselves. That is when Patrick proposed that I could come over to his house to prepare samples for the “Mafu Cage”-sessions because they had a sampling machine.

“157”is one of my favorite Neon Electronics recordings produced by Glenn Keteleer (Radical G) who is my partner in the project now since 10 years. 

Q: “Strive” is one of your ‘new’ songs but what are you actually busy doing? And who are you working with? And is there an artist you really would like to work with?  

DDD: I am busy doing what a musician does: making music and enjoying it. And I try to run my digital label as good as I can. 

I am all the time working on songs and demos with Sanchez (the Mexican) under DD Sanchez, solo etc… Hopefully after summer we can produce new Neon Electronics music.. After summer I will release a digi-EP with new DDDJMX music. There is always something going! There’s not really a musician that I can directly think of , but for sure I would like to deliver music for a Quentin Tarantino movie if that counts also!  

Q: Talking about Sanchez, “Cities In Dust” is a song from your project together with him. The project DD Sanchez remains one of the most surprising ones and I dare to say a kind of antidote to your involvement with The Neon Judgement. What’s the ‘bonus’ in your career of DD Sanchez?  

DDD: It’s a challenge for myself. From the beginning of the project (first release 2019 “Z”-EP) I had the intention with DD Sanchez to write and create a less dark kind of music. A real challenge when you are mostly known in a darker scene and maybe not so wise but a musician should always follow his instinct and his heart . We released a full digi-album October 2022 and it got titled “HappyGrey” The title carries the load: it not really happy Pop music and neither very dark music. So it is “HappyGrey” music. 

Q: “In Dreams” was originally written in the early 90s and sounds to me as The Neon Judgement injected with Techno. What did you keep in mind from this (r)evolution in sound called Techno?  

DDD: “In Dreams” was recorded and released on vinyl format under DDD Program in 1992. During those times I was into club music and Techno. I think the Techno scene took over the thing that we started as the next generation. They distilled it down to its essence. Nowadays I still enjoy quality Techno music. I am a secret fan of Amelie Lens, also a Belgian DJ artist, but don’t tell anyone !

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

Aesthetische, the EBM/electro band from Brazil founded by former members of Aghast View & Biopsy, is back with a brand new EP: “Boiling Over”.

On this new EP, the Aesthetische duo (aka Fab Viscardi and Gui Pires) offer the follow-up to 2022’s full-length “Rvprty”. The new EP contains 5 tracks, with 3 versions of the title track – “Boiling Over” – including a smashing (!) remix by label mate Sebastian Komor and two other versions executed by Aesthetische themselves.

The title track can be described as a return to the roots of EBM, but with a range of modern elements mixed in. To complete the 5-track piece, you will find two other tracks – “Dopamine Hyperdrive” – a dark and moody technological piece, and “Final Flow” – an instrumental piece designed to fill club floors.

Not sure what to expect? Fabrício Viscardi explained the sound of the band a few months ago in an interview: “Aesthetische definitely has solid influences from Aghast View and Biopsy, but it is more polished and with influences from Trance and Techno too.” Add to that an exquisite production.

Personally, I’d describe their sound as a very clubby blend of Front 242’s “Front By Front” era mixed with catchy trance elements. A must-have for fans of Front 242, Front Line Assembly, and similar bands, especially if you are into a superior production approach.

Here’s the new EP “Boiling over”.

Signed to the renowned Belgian Alfa Matrix label, the duo draws on their rich history in the EBM and electro scenes. As a result, they have managed to forge a distinctive sound that sets them apart from their peers, all while staying true to their roots. With each release, the band continues to push the boundaries of the EBM and electro genres.

Starting in 2012, they made a powerful entrance with their debut album, “Powerswitch [LTDPWR]”. The following year, they expanded their sonic horizons with the release of the “Nachtbrenner EP” and “Statement / Amplitude Zero EP”, further showcasing their versatility. Building on this momentum, the band released the impressive “HybridCore” album in 2014, followed by the “Colder Lights EP” later that year. They continued to push their creative limits, delivering the mesmerising “Cold Is Clean EP” and “Dirt And Basslines EP” in 2015. Their 2016 release, “We Follow Blindly EP”, proved that they were far from slowing down.

Collaborating with Noemi Aurora in 2017, they introduced the appealing “In My Aurora EP” to their growing discography. The band then continued work on their 2019 album, “Co3xist3ns3”, followed by the “MMXX EP” in 2020. Entering the new decade, they didn’t miss a beat, releasing the excellent “Overflow EP” in 2021. Most recently, in 2022, the band has treated fans to yet another album, “Rvprty”, solidifying their place in the EBM/electro scene as innovative trailblazers who consistently deliver enjoyable and engaging music. They ended the year with a splendid remix of “Ukraina” from the charity EP with the same name, released via Side-Line’s own Bandcamp page. Read the review of ‘Boiling Over’.

Discography:

• Powerswitch [LTDPWR] (Deluxe edition) (2012)
• Nachtbrenner EP (2013)
• Statement / Amplitude Zero EP (2013)
• HybridCore (Deluxe edition) (2014)
• Colder Lights EP (2014)
• Cold Is Clean EP (2015)
• Dirt And Basslines EP (2015)
• We Follow Blindly EP (2016)
• In My Aurora EP (2017)
• Co3xist3ns3 (Deluxe edition) (2019)
• MMXX EP (2020)
• Overflow EP (2021)
• Rvprty (Deluxe edition) (2022)
• Boiling Over EP (2023)

Side-Line also covered Aesthetische’s ‘Confidence Is Silent’.

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.

www.side-line.com

The Swedish old school EBM act ELM is back with a second EP from the well-received, intense EBM album “Penetrator”. Expect powerful bass lines, a compelling drive, and commanding vocals and lyrics. Oldschool EBM like we like it.

The EP is available on Bandcamp from today on with other platforms to follow in the future.

The EP boasts a total of seven tracks, including remixes of the title track by J Wølf (Mildreda, Mildred in Oblivion, Your Life on Hold, Diskonnekted) and the iconic Swedish electronic act System. You’ll also find alternative dance floor mixes of “Excuses Excuses” and “Ha-Ha-Ha-Begär,” as well as the exclusive, heavy-hitting, DAF-inspired new track titled “For L…”.

Highly recommended for fans of early Nitzer Ebb, DAF, and Front 242.

Complete discography:

• Hardline (Deluxe edition) (2016)
• Edge EP (2016)
• Wapenrustning EP (2017)
• Kampftrinker EP (2017)
• Extreme Unspoken Tension (X.U.T. Remixed) EP (2019)
• Death Of The North EP (2019)
• Penetrator (Deluxe edition) (2022)
• Steel Hope EP (2022)
• Vessel Of Violence EP (2023)

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.

www.side-line.com