Genre/Influences: Techno, Electro-Ambient.

Format: Digital, Cassette.

Background/Info: Hexe Culto is an Italian project set up by Francesco Rispoli aka ‘Bharika’ and visual artist Salvatore Delle Femmine. “Tumulto” is their debut work featuring eight songs and released by the French label Tripalium Records.

Content: The opening piece reveals retro sound treatments. We’re progressively discovering space-like electro spheres mixed with Technoid elements. The rhythm is dynamic, sometimes even a bit nervous and injected with melodic sequences plus ambient loops.

+ + + : I get the feeling Hexe Culto is still a bit in search of their sound identity. But they reveal interesting ideas running through “Artefatto” and “Tumulto” while the last cut “Schiele” is also worthy of examination. I noticed some exciting Acid elements running through both first mentioned cuts.

– – – : The work is missing a true climax.

Conclusion: I’m not saying this work sounds like a debut release, but Hexe Culto clearly has to improve different details of their production, but you can feel they have potential. 

Best songs: “Artefatto”, “Tumulto”, “Schiele”.

Rate: 6½.

Label: www.tripaliumcorp.com / www.facebook.com/tripaliumcorp

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

Los Angeles-based industrial act Dawn Of Ashes have announced a 6-track remix EP based around the band’s most popular track, “Blood of the Titans”. Remixers include: Inva//id, Tactical Sekt, Die Sektor, Midnight Nightmare, H.Exe and Ritual Aesthetic.

Available now already is a remix by Inva//id.

The full EP will be available from September 3rd on.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Genre/Influences: EBM, electro-wave, minimal-electro.

Background/Info: Slovakian label 4mg Records started this series in 2017. It’s a way to support the ‘real’ underground scene revealing bands from all over the world –but mainly Europe. We get a compilation featuring ten bands hailing from Germany, The Netherlands, France, Colombia, Slovakia, USA, Austria, Belgium and Finland. 

Artists: Staatseinde, Képeslap, Trois Traffic, Hexe, Prof. Great & Niki Noodles, Beta Evers, Arsenic Of Jabir, Deus Faust, End Off… Exist Not, Abstract Deity.

Content: The bands aren’t the most familiar names from the scene and that’s precisely the purpose of this sampler. From 90s-inspired EBM to late 80s electro with a touch of nu-disco on top to wave-pop to psychedelic experiments, this compilation will let you discover hidden talents.

+ + + : I’m a huge fan of this compilation series, which according to me is one of the most original ones. It’s also a way to discover bands you never heard of before, but I would like to hear more from Hexe, Prof. Great & Niki Noodles, Beta Evers, Arsenic Of Jabir and Staatseinde. I like their global approach and vintage-like sound treatments. There’s an info sheet included with the vinyl, which gives you a brief info about all artists.

– – – : Just like with other compilations there’re always a few cuts which can’t totally convince me, but there’s no reason to complain.

Conclusion: If there’s a compilation I would be missing, “Wave Earplug” would be a potential winner.

Best bands: Hexe, Prof. Great & Niki Noodles, Beta Evers, Arsenic Of Jabir

Rate: (8).

Label: www.facebook.com/4mgRecords

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

Out now on 4mg Records is “Wave Earplug No.3”, the third volume of the vinyl series which started in 2017. The compilation brings synth-pop, minimal wave, old school EBM, and more from across Europe. This time the label united bands, producers and projects from Germany, France, Belgium, Finland, Slovakia, USA, Austria, Colombia and the Netherlands.

Bands included are Staatseinde, Képeslap, Trois Traffic Soul, Hexe, Prof. Great & Niki Noodles, Beta Evers, Arsenic Of Jabir, Deus Faust, End Off, Abstract Deity. The compilation was compiled by Imrich Végh and mastered by Mikuláš Bernáth.

You can preview the album right below. You can order the vinyl right here.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Genre/Influences: Cold-wave, post-punk.

Content: Dystopian Society is based in one of the most historical places of the renaissance (Firenze). The duo Max Skam and Sara Hexe have already released a few productions, but have now joined Danse Macabre to release their 2nd official studio album featuring 9 songs.

The sound of Dystopian Society is a kind of look back to the glorious days of post-punk and cold-wave music. They’ve emulated this truly spirit reminding me of legendary formations in the genre becoming idols of the 80s and the future generations. This album evokes to me distant souvenirs from bands like The Virgin Prunes, Christian Death and even our Belgian Red Zebra.

The moody atmosphere hanging over the songs deliver a dark composition, which is constantly moving in between new/cold-wave and post-punk. The deep timbre of voice of singer Max totally matches with the punkish guitar riffs and dynamic rhythms. Notice by the way that Sara is playing guitar and the drums.

The lyrical themes deals with the good-old themes of malaise that we were used to hearing during the dark era of the 80s. “Overturned Reality” is an album that would have got its success during that period, but it will also fullfill the expectations of nostalgic fans.

My only regret is the short tracklist only featuring 9 songs for a total duration time of 30 minutes. But here again it’s a formula that was rather familiar during the 80s and I personally prefer 30 minutes of great music instead of an endless tracklist without a climax.

Conclusion: If you don’t yet know Dystopian Society I’ll fully encourage you to discover this excellent “Overturned Reality”, which sounds like you suddenly awoke in the midst of the 80s.

Best songs: “The Buzzer”, “Resist”, “Violations”, “No Deliverance”.

Rate: (Elise Din:8)Elise Din.

Band: www.facebook.com/dystopiansociety11

Label: www.dansemacabre-group.de / http://de-de.facebook.com/pages/Danse-Macabre-Records/161032440594773

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