Berlin’s avant-garde industrial band Lolita Terrorist Sounds has unveiled a new collaborative art-video with Berlin Wall artist Kiddy Citny. The collaboration, an art-video for the track “Living-in-glory”, merges Citny’s live painting performance with the experimental sound of the band.

Kiddy Citny, whose 3.6-meter-high painted heads on the Berlin Wall became iconic in 1985, joined forces with the band after a chance meeting in a Berlin train station last year. “This video is the visual translation of our most experimental track,” said band leader Maurizio Vitale. “It was captured in Kiddy’s Berlin atelier.”

“Living-in-glory” is the closing track from the debut album “St. Lola”. It combines meditative drone music, ASMR, and industrial sounds, recorded in an unconventional studio on Dresdener Strasse, once part of the Berlin Wall strip. Field recordings from the former East German secret service building also feature prominently in the piece.

Kiddy Citny expressed his admiration for the collaboration: “Creating this piece with Lolita Terrorist Sounds was an inspiring process. The sound and historical context gave my painting an exceptional energy.”

You can view the art-video below.

Lolita Terrorist Sounds / Kiddy Citny European Tour

Following this collaboration, Lolita Terrorist Sounds will embark on a European tour, performing in Berlin, Poznań, Warsaw, and Prague this October. Joining the line-up is drummer Kian Kiesling.

• Berlin: 22.10 – Hinterraum
• Poznań: 23.10 – CK Nowe Amore
• Warsaw: 24.10 – Chmury
• Prague: 29.10 – Café V lese

About Lolita Terrorist Sounds and Kiddy Citny

Founded by Maurizio Vitale, Lolita Terrorist Sounds has collaborated with members of bands like Einstürzende Neubauten, Iggy Pop, and PJ Harvey. The band’s provocative name stems from a fusion of Nabokov’s Lolita and the use of cut-up techniques inspired by William Burroughs. A debut album “St. Lola” was released in 2023.

Kiddy Citny is a German artist best known for his iconic paintings on the Berlin Wall in 1985. His work, characterized by his 3.6-meter-high heads, became world-famous through tourist photos and postcards. Citny’s art is part of collections at institutions like MoMA in New York.

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

(Photo via Magnum) Siouxsie Sioux and Iggy Pop have joined forces for a new advertisement for Magnum ice cream. The duo performs a duet of Iggy Pop’s iconic 1977 track, “The Passenger”, specially arranged for Magnum’s “Pleasure Express” campaign.

The arrangement was executed by composer Sarah deCourcy and transforms the classic into an ethereal track, featuring a slower pace on a backdrop of harps and strings. Both Pop and Sioux alternate vocals, building up to a joint performance of the song’s “La la la la” chorus.

Siouxsie Sioux seems to be quite happy with the collaboration, stating, “I love this song, and I’ve always admired Iggy’s voice. It’s truly magical to blend our voices in such an instinctive and spontaneous way.” Iggy Pop reciprocated, referencing Siouxsie and the Banshees’ 1987 cover of “The Passenger”. He says: “Siouxsie’s vocal prowess is truly bird-like. Her previous rendition was already exceptional, and this duet elevates it to something truly unique—like ‘Volare,’ it soars with an orchestral elegance and joyful spirit.”

While the track isn’t available on streaming platforms, fans can check out the “Pleasure Express” campaign through two versions of the advertisement currently available on YouTube. Below we offer you the extended version. In the advertisement itself the “Pleasure Express” campaign introduces Magnum’s new Euphoria and Chill lines (in case you’d be interested), showcased by two women enjoying these new flavors during a luxurious train journey setting.

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

Brooklyn-based post-punk outfit Clone (a supergroup featuring members of The Veldt, Dead Leaf Echo, Namesake and Pilot To Gunner) present “Dividing Line”. “Dividing Line” is a song “about how Donald Trump tried to start a class war within the USA,” says the band. It will be the lead track from their debut record “CL. 1”, out this summer via Portland’s Little Cloud Records and North Carolina’s 5BC Records.

Led by LG Galleon, frontman of Dead Leaf Echo, Clone started playing shows in summer of 2019. “CL.1” was recorded and mixed by NYC legendary producer Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Swans, Brian Eno, John Zorn, Herbie Hancock, Iggy Pop, Helmet, Dresden Dolls, Cop Shoot Cop) at his BC Studio (actually built by Brian Eno). The material was then and mastered by Fred Kevorkian, another name that will ring many bells. Besides LG Galleon we also find NYC musicians Gregg Giufree (Pilot to Gunner), Max Idas and Dominick Turi. Live, he is joined by Paul Liziragga (Namesake) and Alex Cox (The Veldt).

The video for “Dividing Line”, which involved claymation, drawing and digital rendering, was created by Preston Spurlock.

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 UK mourns the loss of Brian Griffin, a trailblazing British photographer who passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 29, 2024, at the age of 75. Born on April 13, 1948, Griffin carved a niche in photography with his distinctive portraits of 1980s pop musicians, earning him the title of “photographer of the decade” from The Guardian in 1989. His influential work now graces the permanent collections of esteemed institutions like the Arts Council, British Council, Victoria and Albert Museum, and National Portrait Gallery in London.

Griffin’s lens captured iconic images of music legends including Siouxsie Sioux, Kate Bush, Depeche Mode, Ultravox, R.E.M., Billy Idol, Iggy Pop, Ringo Starr, Queen, and Peter Gabriel. His collaboration with Depeche Mode notably shaped their visual identity in the early 1980s. He created compelling record covers that captivated audiences even before they listened to the music.

One of his most celebrated works is a record cover for Depeche Mode’s “A Broken Frame”, which, at the decisive moment, he captured with precision. This iconic photo was later acclaimed as the best photo of the 1980s by LIFE magazine. Griffin also ventured into video production, directing the mystical music video for Depeche Mode’s “Only When I Lose Myself”. His artistic contributions were recently compiled in the Depeche Mode book “Mode”.

Our readers will particularly remember Griffin for his significant impact on Depeche Mode’s image and style. Last year, we had the privilege of interviewing Brian Griffin, where he shared insights into his illustrious career.

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

(Photos by Brian Griffin, Interview by Janos Janurik for Side-Line) Brian Griffin was responsible for the visual perception of Depeche Mode for a while in the early eighties. He made record covers so interesting, you wanted to own them before you even heard the music. He also photographed one of the most famous record covers from pop history for our favourite group. He waited with his finger on the shutter release – then the perfect moment had come. The final result was then voted the best photo of the 1980s by LIFE magazine. Several years later, the music of “Only When I Lose Myself” was accompanied by his mystical video clip. And now his unforgettable artwork is being collected for Depeche Mode and these pictures, which are actually beautiful impressions of a wonderful journey through time, deserve to be immortalised in an album forever.

Brian Griffin book on Depeche Mode

The photo book is called “MODE” and made by one of the most important British photographers of his generation, who is also a poet and performance artist, Brian Griffin. I was very honoured when he responded positively to my contact request. In 2009, I had the opportunity to interview Anton Corbijn on the occasion of his exhibition opening in Budapest and now I was privileged to have the interview below with Mr Griffin, whose work I have admired since my teenage years. I asked him about his years with Depeche Mode and about this elaborate photographic book project. Enjoy the read!

SL: For more than 35 years, Anton Corbijn’s name has been closely associated with Depeche Mode as the band’s artistic director. From image photos to video production to stage design, he has done everything for the visuals and for the strong band branding. He took over this role in 1986, in the “Black Celebration” era, when you were last responsible for the cover design. Did you meet him back then, did you exchange ideas?

BG: I have never met Anton. Maybe after more than 35 years of Anton, Depeche Mode needs a change to freshen up. What ideas could I exchange with Anton…?

SL: Your work with Depeche Mode began in 1981 when you created the album cover for their debut album. How long had you been in the pop biz? Which famous artists have you worked with?

BG: I had been in the Pop business for only 2 years. It was only a small part of my photographic output when I shot “Speak And Spell”. In fact it remained that way throughout the 80’s. I worked with Iggy Pop, Queen, OMD, Echo & The Bunnymen, Kate Bush. Elvis Costello, John Foxx, Billy Idol, Devo, Ultravox and the list goes on and on. I think something like 200 to 300 record covers.

SL: Ultravox – a musical role model for Vince, Martin & Co – released their masterpiece “Vienna” even before your collaboration with the newly established Depeche Mode, who were signed by Daniel Miller to his recently created Mute label. The record sleeve for “Vienna” was also your work and it shows – at least for me – a bit of similarities to Depeche Mode’s “Speak And Spell” album cover. With Ultravox you used wrapping paper for the cover photo and with Depeche Mode a plastic foil. The difference is that with “Vienna” you wrapped the band Ultravox itself with wrapping paper and with “Speak And Spell” a swan was wrapped in a plastic bag. Did you want to visualise the “cool” synthesizer sound – described by some critics as “plastic pop” – of these two bands?

BG: I really loved the sound of the synthesiser from when I first heard Krautrock, and still do. However with “Speak And Spell” and “Vienna” I was not influenced in any way that can be connected with my use of wrapping paper or plasticated foil.I just did what I felt would be a good idea at the time.

SL: The album cover with the swan is perhaps not your most famous and most recognised work. But the subsequent album cover of “A Broken Frame”, which you photographed for Depeche Mode in 1982, has already stood the test of time. Almost everyone knows the story behind this breathtaking photo of the woman in the wheat field with the sickle in her hand, but maybe there are still “little stories about this big subject” that you have rarely told… So what would be your personal story in connection with this record cover?

BG: “A Broken Frame” is probably one of the most famous photographs on earth. I am so proud that I had the talent to produce that photograph. The secret being is there is something or someone watching over me. I have always felt that.

SL: The next time you were commissioned to do a Depeche Mode album cover, you had to go to Switzerland, to the Alps. The once again socialist realism photo was shot on top of the famous Matterhorn. By the way, my favourite photo of you would be the cover photo for the single “Love In Itself” from that era. It was 40 years ago. Looking back, how strong do you find this artistic period?

BG: I never listened to Depeche Mode’s music prior to photographing the covers for them. This period was certainly one of my most creative, especially with my ability in employing artificial light.

SL: The next chapter of Depeche Mode’s adventure in the world of “Industrial Pop” was the “Some Great Reward” album, to which they also owe their world fame. A young married couple in the middle of an industrial estate, perfectly fitting the album motto “The world we live in and life in general”. Romantic-dark, like Martin Gore’s lyrics. Most of the songs were about love, but not in the style of traditional pop music. They were self-experienced love and life stories of Martin Gore, in which thousands of fans could define themselves. Depeche Mode has been using this magical recipe for pop songs ever since, with great success. If you could just name one favorite song of Depeche Mode, which song would it be?

BG: “Somebody”

SL; Another milestone in the band’s history was the “Black Celebration” album. The main songwriter, Martin Gore, has repeatedly emphasized that he counts the most important and significant period of the band from the release of this record. Most fans also count this “black and gloomy” album among their personal favourites. You came up with your last cover design idea for Depeche Mode for this record. If I’m not mistaken, the final cover art wasn’t exactly the same as your concept art. Please tell us a bit about this cover story!

BG: All is revealed in my new book MODE.

SL: And now a few words about your band portraits of Depeche Mode. Were the boys – from a photographer’s point of view – treatable? Anton Corbijn once said that Alan Wilder showed the most interest in his work as a photographer/director at that time, the others almost didn’t care what he wanted to get out of a clip or a photo. And how did the band behave in front of your camera?

BG: Their attitude towards me was very similar to what Anton experienced. I preferred that attitude believe it or not, and found it most inspiring.

SL: You also shot a clip for Depeche Mode, the music video for “Only When I Lose Myself”. At that time the band was experimenting with other directors, because they had only worked with Anton Corbijn for more than 10 years and wanted to change the routine a bit. How did you get into the picture? Did you get a free hand in the production? What memories do you have of the shooting?

BG: It was wonderful in every way. I gave up photography for film making from 1991 to 2003. “Only when I lose Myself” is one of the best tracks by DM, it is also one of my best films by far. Daniel Miller freaked out when he saw the rough edit, as he had left me to let the creative juices flow. He made us cut the film drastically, but its strengths still shine through!

SL: Speaking of Anton, he has already released two photo albums (“Strangers”, “Depeche Mode by Anton Corbijn”) about Depeche Mode, the latter shortly before Andy Fletcher’s death. Why did you wait so long with your photo album (“MODE”)? You were part of the band growing up and also contributed to their image.

BG: My friend Vaughn George inspired and encouraged it to happen.

SL: This beautifully designed photo book of yours is the result of a huge fundraiser from the fans. I don’t think you could ask for more recognition as an artist. Please tell us about this project!

BG: This book “MODE” has been made with very little financial reward, and financed by the generosity of the fans. They have not been exploited, but have been rewarded with a beautiful book.

SL: According to your info mail, the photo album “MODE” will eventually be available in stores. Where can the book be ordered by those who did not participate in the fundraising?

BG: This book is self published and distributed by me and will not be available to be purchased in bookshops. For people who did not pledge to the Kickstarter of “MODE”, you can buy the book by visiting the the shop section of my website.

SL: Depeche Mode are currently on tour with their latest album, “Memento Mori”, which – albeit unintentionally – is heavily affected by Fletch’s death. When did you last meet the band – with or without Fletch? How will you keep them in your memory?

BG: I met Martin at the Olympic Stadium gig in London before lockdown. I will remember Depeche Mode as the band that inspired me to produce some of my finest album cover photographs.

János Janurik

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

(Photos from the personal archives of Jean-Marc Lederman) This article draws from various updates posted by Jean-Marc Lederman (The Weathermen, Kid Montana, Jules et Jim, Ghost & Writer, Lederman / De Meyer, Rohn-Lederman…) on his Facebook profile, which we’ve consolidated into a comprehensive piece. This compilation offers a profound understanding of the workings of the indie music industry during its ‘golden era’. Additionally, it provides specific insights into Mute Records, the label of Daniel Miller, as numerous individuals, including Fad Gadget, mentioned in this article have significant associations with the iconic UK label.

Digital Dance (1978-1979) / Daniel Miller

The year was 1979 and I had just quit, well I was sacked tbh, from Digital Dance , the first band I was in.

We were doing post punk/cold wave/new wave stuff and it was really exciting. I started doing bass with them on a..ARP 2600 whci I had bought working on building sites, yeah, far too much of an overkill I agree. We were rehearsing here and there but did a time at the famous Plan K where we supported Joy Division. Actually, that day I went to pick up Ian and Bernard Summers at the very seedy hotel they were in and I drove them to the gig.

They were laughing like kids, you know, young musicians being happy to play abroad. It was such a cold day, everyone was freezing and Ian even came close to Stefan Barbery (Digital Dance guitar player) who was close to an electric heater to tell him “Well, I guess this is why they call it Cold Wave…”

We also opened to Magazine and Fisher-Z and it was becoming too much of a routine for me: the Brussels band that does all the new wave support slots but hasn’t even got a decent recording contract…

Oh, we had one, and they made us record our very fast cover version of Kraftwerk’s “RadioActivity”. At the end of the session, they made me do some terrible sound effects, hoping to catch on the fad of the moment, and it just ruined the whole song. Tells you that if a thing sounds bad and contrived and cheesy on monday, still sounds the same the day after and 40 years later. Sorry Stefan, my fault.

Then Phil Wauquaire (whom I had met from Streets, the punk band he was in and I actually played with them live on a couple of songs with a…AKS, another overkill) joined us and I played synth with a Korg MS20 then with a Yamaha CS50M who weighted like half an olifant after a drinking binge.

Anyway, after a couple of gigs with Digital Dance at the Gibus in Paris, i was let go (which was fine, really). Two days later, I call Daniel Miller whom I had met in London a few months ago. Digital Dance had been foolish and crazy enough to believe that if you go to London you can pretty much be sure you’ll find a gig. All we did was rehearsing (below Beggar’s Banquet where I met Peter Kent from the future 4AD label) and waiting in our hotel off Kings Road. Anyway, we were trying to get Geoff Travis from Rough Trade to listen to our demo and he stopped it 20 seconds in and tell us: if you go to “Better Badges” now, you’ll see a man called Daniel Miller (from label MUTE RECORDS) and maybe he’ll like your stuff….

So, off we went to Better Badges and there we met Daniel, with a green basket full of The Normal badges.

Daniel and I hit directly like if it was an “International Conference Of Synths Fanatics”. I mean: synths weren’t as known or popular then as they were then. It was still a relatively rare sight on stage or in gigs or in bands that weren’t poppy or progrock. No, we’re talking new industrial scene in the UK: noisy and determined, not minimoogs played by long haired musos…

So, Daniel and I exchanged phone numbers and we traded letters and phone calls here and there. So, remember, I’m sacked from Digital Dance and I then realize that if I wanted to really go anywhere in music, Brussels isn’t the place to be and I must move to where things are happening. At that time, London was THE center of music in Europe and I decide that I want to try my luck and the two major chords I know there. I pick up the phone and call Daniel, asking him if he knew any musician that would be interested in moi ?

Yeah, I know someone, he’s on my label now, he’s looking for musicians, call him… His name is Frank Tovey….

Frank Tovey / Fad Gadget #1 (part 1)

The audition was simple: we didn’t even play a note or try to do a song, we just sat and drank coffee and laughed a lot. But there was no try-out, no keyboard or synths tickering… And that’s how Philippe Wauquaire and I became members of Fad Gadget #1 for a few months in 1980: a simple coffee cup meeting and an unmistakable good chemical feeling between us. Frank had played a few gigs on his own but wanted musicians around him so he could concentrate a bit more on being a little bit less concentrated if you know what I mean.

There was Frank: clever, astute, open, funny, with a lot of wit doubled with a good dose of sarcasm: totally my alley. But he knew what he wanted musically, there was no doubt about what he wanted to sound like. The plan was: rehearse at my place in Brussels, a first gig here, then play a few gigs as support for Deutsche Amerikanische Freundschaft in Germany and going to tour the UK as support for The Monochrome Set.

So, we start rehearsing in my attic: Frank on vocals, Pearl Syncussion and distorted electric piano, Phil on Fender bass and Korg MS 20 and myself on handling the cassette player (each song had its drums/rhythmic parts on a single cassette and I would feed the machine with a new cassette every song) and my 4 notes polyphonic, Yamaha CS 50M. Again, an overkill.

After a few hours of rehearsals, we have our first gig: support-act for Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark. We are all extremely nervous but the gig goes well: Frank doesn’t go into the mad behaviours he’s known for yet but you can see he’s holding up something big inside, something is boiling there. After the gig, we proceed to the German border and sleep in a motel there. In the morning, I’m being handed an envelope with my per diem (every day allowance a musician gets when on tour): it is the first time someone hands me money for doing something I love doing: playing music. I couldn’t believe it and I took a second piece of bacon and refilled my coffee cup. We are about to go to Dusseldorf to play The Ratinger Off as support for Deutsche Amerikanische Freundschaft.

Something started to happen at the Ratinger Hof: maybe it was the roughness of the place, the German lager (naaaaah) or the history of the place but this thing Frank had inside him but it slightly came out at that gig. See, there was an animal inside Frank, and that animal was as extrovert as Frank was introvert: Frank was then frontal and loud and, yes, obnoxious but in a gentle and friendly way but he wasn’t the shy Frank. In response to Frank’s changing live attitudes, Phil and I started to play loser and noisier and wilder (and there were far more bump notes on my part) but the band started to make sense.

The crowd wasn’t there for us, they were there for what would later become DAF, but the reaction was good and people liked us. I recall Frank and I going out in front of the place and that guy comes out dressed as a mod, full parka mode with a patch “Remember Brighton” which made Frank laughed a lot, people were out there with their beer and… Omg what am I saying: IT JUST FELT GREAT.

Deutsche Amerikanische Freundschaft at the time was a five piece band and they were fun and chaotic. You couldn’t miss Chris Haas, the synth guy, who was classy and special. He had a very specific body language when playing live: he would stand back, have a smile and just come here and there to play a few notes…He is the real grandfather of EBM as he introduced the famous 1/16th bass line (Korg MS 20 and SQ 10 sequencer) that will be the bone of so many records later on.

The morning after, we went out to the next gig. Daniel, Phil, Chris and myself embarked in my mum’s yellow Civic and we went down the motorway, singing loudly “Fahn Fahn Fahn Auf Der Autobahn” laughing and laughing… I guess Chris must have done that thousand of times before but, for Daniel, Phil and I it meant something different: we were doing it. We were travelling in Kraftwerk’s motherland and going to play electronic music there: it was immense.

We only played one more gig in Germany and then the whole tour was somehow cancelled… Roland Beelen: I saw the animal in Frank I guess a few months later at the Paasfestival in Koninfshooikt (organized by my friend Guy Vanwoensel) I was a stagehand there. Frank smashed a crucifix that was hanging above stage in the hall (parochiezaal)with his magic stick. The whole village was in shock when the news spread the next morning. The vicar organized a special service the next day to please the smashed fallen Christ ! they say he resurrected a few weeks later! All end, good end !

Frank Tovey / Fad Gadget 1980 (part 2)

Something had clicked in Frank after a few gigs: it’s like he had been showed by practice that it could work, that the songs were good, the voice was good but even more than that his FG personnae and ideas had an impact on the crowd. He would go out, do his thing, see people respond to his songs, lyrics and theatrics and then he would retrieve after the gig in the gentle and shy Frank Tovey. Phil and I were providing a background that wasn’t perfect but for Frank it was a great practice for FG future.

When we toured as support for The Monochrome Set, we were sometimes in fire and I could really feel people’s amazement at that born-to-be showman. He would play with the crowd and slowly take them into the show. Our sound might not have been very sophisticated but with Frank’s distorted piano, the CS50 brutal in and out sounds, Phil’s impeccable swirling bass, we were like The Stooges with synths and Frank was a perfect bionic Iggy Pop….I began to be very proud of us, we were quite something indeed and I was going on stage with a mission: to show people the songs and to let them fall in Frank’s performance.

I also remember that after the last show of the tour, possibly at the YMCA gig, one of the roadie came at the CS 50 and started to play some Bach’s prelude. I was stunned and shameful of the snobiness i may have shown the roadies on that tour, or before tbh. I learned a lesson that night and never again would I be feeling above anyone on a stage, or in studio, be them multiple charts success artists or simple roadie.

Something wild happened after our gig at the 100 club. Jock Mac Donalds (from the future Bollock Brothers) was very drunk and he started to look for a fight with us and being extremely aggressive, a bottle in his hand, waving it at us. Phil, FG’s bass player, was a karate black belt and he was looking very calm, coming closer to Jock inch by inch. Suddenly he jumped at Jock, put two fingers on his Adam’s apple and said with a slow voice: “OK, let’s kill”, his eyes deep into Mac Donald’s eyes.

The bottle instantly fell on the ground and the guy just ran out the club swearing loud and clear… Phil and I were sleeping at Daniel’s mom place for a few days and we were making music late at night. One of these nights, Daniel was on Phil’s MS 20, I was trying Daniel’s infamous Korg 700S (the one that was on TVOD and Warm Leatherette) and Phil was on the CS 50M but it was visibly too loud and too late as Daniel’s mum came down and asked us to PLEASE STOP !

Next gig to come was going to be the Clarendon, but we were told this would be our last gig with Frank as he wanted a full band behind him to totally free him from any other duties but vocals. I was devastated…

Frank Tovey / Fad Gadget #1 (part 3)

So, we were invited to headline Stevo’s kinda festival at the Clarendon, on June 27 1980. Stevo was a very colourful character who will make himself known later when managing bands like Soft Cell and The The. The bill was very symptomatic of the time: DAF, Naked Lunch, B.Movie, Vice Versa, Clock DVA,…

So, Fad Gadget #1 had started touring as a relative unknown a few months ago and we were by now talk of the town and headline this festival. It felt good and it felt also important and I was nervous. Everybody was. Frank had a song by Georges Folmby playing before we would go on. Folmby was a Lancarshire working class comedian and he was famous for playing double entendre ukulélé songs. It was a known and safe thing for British people and Frank used it as contrast as chaos would start when we would cut Folmby and go straight into “State Of The Nation” and follow that with most of what is on the album Fireside Favourites.

• State Of The Nation
• Back To Nature
• The Box
• Fireside Favourite
• Newsreel
• Pedestrian
• Coitus Interruptus
• Ricky’s Hand
• Back To Nature

Yes, Frank wanted shock and chaos, and he got that except that at the Clarendon it went a bit further than expected. During one of the early songs, Fad had already taken over Frank, he smashed up his face with one of the two Syncussion drums and it started pouring blood. Phil and I looked at him and he made us understand it was fine and let’s continue…So we continued until someone took Frank off stage as it was just like a fountain of blood by now. The gig was stopped.

We went backstage and Frank was adamant he was fine but Babra (his wife) disinfected the wound and placed a cloth on it. We went back on stage.

The crowd went MAD. Frank was standing there, his white clothes with red blood all over it, singing to the public that was all won. It was an incredible sight, and being on stage, playing the songs with a singer that went beyond the call of duty was something unexplainable. After the gig, we had to take the 5 am ferry. I was sitting on the stairs of the Clarendon and, yes, I was crying, letting all the tension, the fears of the gig off my system but also the sadness I felt after having lived some incredible times with
Frank, as synth player in Fad Gadget. I saw Frank playing with Fad Gadget #2 a few months later and he invited me to play in the encore: we were cool.

Still, I wasn’t done with London and would come back 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!

side-line.com

(Photo by Yuliya Skya) The Toronto-NYC indie trio ON present their fresh single “Gator”, released via the Toronto-based imprint Indiestructable Records.

“This song was written while the band was on a writing/recording session in Naples, Florida. We stayed in a gated community – meaning pass codes to enter the neighborhood and real “surveillance”. In the community was this pond – with freely roaming alligators. And there we have it – we think we are boundless and free – and yet we have lines and gates to keep us so called “safe”. There is the illusion – masking the element control as “safety”…. While the alligators roam freely. One begs to ask: who of the two “gators” is really free here?” says frontwoman Lucy Di Santo.

ON is a riveting power trio led by Lucy Di Santo (vocals, bass) with Dan Cornelius on drums and Steve Fall on guitars. Their latest music output sees the trio carry on the legacy of the band from which they were formed – 90’s Sire Records band Acid Test. Its members have also been in other popular Toronto bands Danko Jones and Deliuss. Musically the band is paying homage to their post-punk and grunge roots flavoured with some extra influences.

“Gator” follows up the band’s latest single “Make Me”, a song of frustration and wanting to recapture that euphoria.

The band is currently busy recording their next record at BC Studio in Brooklyn with legendary producer Martin Bisi, famed for his work with Sonic Youth, Swans, Brian Eno, John Zorn, Herbie Hancock, Iggy Pop, Helmet, Africa Bambaataa, Dresden Dolls, Unsane, Cop Shoot Cop and many other notable artists.

ON also recently completed an extensive US tour in support of their “ON” album, co-produced by Darius Szczepaniak (Sum 41, Black Crowes, Big Sugar, Bare Naked Ladies, Jann Arden) at Phase One Studios in Toronto.

Tour dates

• Fri 09/15 NYC, NY @Gold Sounds
• Sat 09/16 Flemington, NJ @Flemington DIY
• Tues 09/19 Baltimore, MD @The Crown
• Wed 09/20 Alexandria, VA @Galactic Panther
• Thurs 09/21 Winston-Salem, NC @Monstercade (with The Veldt)
• Fri 09/22 Raleigh, NC @Ruby Deluxe (with The Veldt)
• Sat 09/23 Atlanta, GA – Tiny’s Music (with The Veldt)
• Sun 09/24 Nashville, TN – TBA (with The Veldt)
• Tues 09/26 Cincinnati, OH @Northside Tavern (with The Veldt)
• Wed 09/27 Detroit, MI @Smalls (with The Veldt)
• Thurs 09/28 Toronto, ON – TBA (with The Veldt)
• Wed 10/11 Joiliet, IL @Drunken Donut (with Snailmate)
• Thurs 10/12 Port Huron, MI @Schwonk Stead Sound (with Snailmate)
• Sat 10/14 Peterborough, ON @Historic Red Dog (with Snailmate)
• Sun 10/15 Toronto @Bovine Sex Club (with Snailmate, Second Wife)
• Tues 10 /17 Ithaca, NY @Deep Dive (with Snailmate)
• Thurs 10/19 Kingston, ON @The Toucan (with Snailmate)
• Fri 10/20 Ottawa, ON @Avant-Garde Bar (with Snailmate)
• Sat 10/21 NYC, NY @Bar Frida (with Snailmate)

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

“Rise Up” is the latest in a long line of tracks from producer legend John Fryer and his Black Needle Noise project. For his new EP, he teamed up with Basement Jaxx vocalist Lisa Kekaula (feat; on the album “Kish Kash”) to create a version of Andra Day’s “Rise Up”. You can expect electro gospel, a style Fryer is mastering extremely well so we noticed.

John Fryer (Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Fad Gadget, Cocteau Twins) created his own project Black Needle Noise in 2016, where he invites different guest vocalists on his songs.

You can download the full EP below.

About Lisa Kekaula

From 2003 to 2007, Kekaula joined a cast of vocalists guesting at live performances by the surviving members of the MC5.

Kekaula has featured on two singles by British house music band Basement Jaxx, most famously “Good Luck”.

She appeared on the tracks “Realizer” and “High and Low” by The Crystal Method, on their 2004 album “Legion of Boom”.

She performed “Talkin” in My Sleep” on The Bloody Beetroots’first studio album “Romborama“. She has also been featured on The Legendary Tigerman’s fifth studio album, “Femina”, released in 2009.

In 2014, Kekaula contributed vocals to two tracks for the Re-Licked album of Iggy Pop and the Stooges songs re-recorded by former Stooges guitarist James Williamson. The songs were also released as a 7″ single. In 2016, Kekaula and Williamson collaborated again, releasing a single in aid of a Hawaiian homeless charity.

Lisa Kekaula has been a vocalist with the Bellrays since 1990.

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

Out on August 26 is the full-length debut album “Display Model” by the US act Harsh Symmetry. It’s the second release for the band on Fabrika Records Following the release of the darkwave debut single “Mirror Twin”. The debut album is mixed and mastered by She Past Away’s Doruk Öztürkcan.

Hailing from Sacramento, California, the band’s founding only member Sharwarko was influenced by Siouxsie and The Banshees, The Birthday Party, Iggy Pop, Depeche Mode and Bauhaus, plus David Lynch’s work.

The new album will come out in 3 different vinyl versions as you can see below. A black vinyl, a white vinyl (limited edition of 300 copies) and a white and black splattered one (limited edition of 400 copies).

Check out the first single “Mirror Twin” 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

The Berlin-based avant-garde band Lolita Terrorist Sounds have announced their second studio single “Red Carpet”. The new music video for the song goes live on March 25th on YouTube featuring odd characters dealing with the disastrous side effects of fast-rising fame.

Behind the avant-garde act we find Maurizio Vitale. Vitale’s past and present collaborations include work with members of bands such as Einstürzende Neubauten, Swans, Iggy Pop, Thåström, PJ Harvey and Faust. He also worked with Sabar percussionist Doudou N’Diaye Rose (SN), and he has played with German singer Andrea Schroeder both in the studio and live.

You can already view the video 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: Dark-Folk, Chanson

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Four years after the first edition of “Hansa Studios Session”, Jérôme Reuter moves back to the famous Hansa Studios to record some of his older songs. The studio is a legendary place where an endless list of great names (from Bowie to Depeche Mode to Iggy Pop to ZZ Top) have stayed to record their work. You better take a look at the studio’s homepage. Rome recorded eight songs in this studio.

Content: Just as for the previous work recorded in the Hansa Studios, Jérôme Reuter revisited some of his songs. The songs are taken from the
EP “Berlin” (2006) and albums “The Hyperion Machine” (2016), “Hall Of Thatch” (2018), “Le Ceneri Di Heliodoro” (2019) and “The Lone Furrow” (2020).

The songs still sound in the purest Rome vein, mixing elements of Dark-Folk, Ballads and chanson. It sounds minimal and driven by the passionate vocals of Jérôme Reuter.

+ + + : This work simply reveals the magic of a professional studio. I noticed artists like Das Ich and Deine Lakaien also recorded some of their works in this studio. I think Rome has gained a status he really deserves to record his work in a top notch studio. The production of the vocals is something magic; mixing passion and charisma. But the authenticity of the instruments is another essential element coming through. You can hear the perfectionist side of the artist. Rome’s songs are excelling in grace, emotion, sensibility, passion and melancholia. My favorite songs are “Blighter” and “West Knows Best”.

– – – : The oldest song from the album (cf. “Like Lovers”) originally released in 2006 on the EP “Berlin” (when Rome was still signed on Cold Meat Industry) is one of the few tracks that couldn’t totally convince me. It also was another period when Rome was dealing with a different sound approach than in the last years.

Conclusion: This release is an essential item in the impressive discography of Rome; this is much more than simply revisiting ‘older’ songs, but an artistic creation symbolizing the genius of Rome!

Best songs: “Blighter”, “West Knows Best”, “Skirmishes For Diotima”, “Who Only Europe Know”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/romeproject

Label: www.trisol.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Trisol-Music-Group/104166526285471

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

(Photo by Rama, Wikipedia) The singer of Les Rita Mitsouko was performing Thursday, November 25 on the stage of the Forum in Liège, Belgium, when she suddenly lost consciousness.

The singer is currently doing a string of concerts in France and Belgium where she covers the greatest hits of Les Rita Mitsouko which she formed alongside Fred Chichin, her husband who died in 2007.

The singer’s entourage in the meantime informed that she suffers from a great fatigue. Last spring, the 64-year-old singer had to postpone several dates on her tour for similar reasons but it soon became clear she had contracted Covid-19 without it developing into a serious form as she informed on her Facebook page.

About Les Rita Mitsouko

Les Rita Mitsouko were a French pop rock group formed by Fred Chichin and Catherine Ringer. The duo first performed as Les Rita Mitsouko at Gibus Club in Paris in 1980. They went on to become one of the most acclaimed musical acts in France. “Marcia Baila”, their debut single produced by Conny Plank, went to number 2 in the French singles chart in 1984.

They then started a collaboration with producer Tony Visconti on two albums: “The No Comprendo” and “Marc & Robert”. “Singing in the Shower”, sung as a duet with Sparks, was a commercial success in France and was then heavily played on US dance radio stations in 1988. Iggy Pop also collaborated with them on 1993’s “Système D”, duetting with Ringer on “My Love Is Bad”.

Chichin died from cancer in 2007. Instead of continuing as Les Rita Mitsouko, Ringer completed a final tour, “Catherine Ringer chante Les Rita Mitsouko and more” (Catherine Ringer sings Les Rita Mitsouko and more), and started a solo career.

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

Die Krupps is considered as one of the Godfathers of EBM. The German band from Düsseldorf (Germany) was set up in 1980 and experimented with much more styles than only EBM. Fourty years after their set up the band is still active and are actually promoting their newest album “Vision 2020 Vision” released by the end of 2019 on SPV GmbH / Oblivion & Metropolis Records. The album is driven by a furious mix of industrial/metal guitar play and EBM. Front man Jürgen Engler kindly accepted to answer a few questions about this new opus.

(Picture credits: Franz Schepers / Interview courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Die Krupps this year celebrates its 40th anniversary! What does it evoke to you and how much of the early Die Krupps and the ‘younger’ Jürgen Engler do you recognize in the new album “Vision 2020 Vision”?

Jürgen: The band went through many different phases, the noise-industrial phase of the early year, the pre-EBM electro style, the industrial-metal phase and so on. This new album picks up where we left it off in the 90s, but obviously with a modern twist and production. The songs still have the same spirit musically like “To The Hilt” and also lyrically, like “Fatherland”, the lyrics being political for most part of the album and verbalizing what is going on in these extremely troubling times.

So back to your question, I would say a lot of the original motivation is still intact, we still have something to say and you better count on Die Krupps, there’s no end in sight!

Q: Let’s talk about “Vision 2020 Vision”, which has been introduced as a dystopian vision of the world we’re living in. I get the feeling it’s not a dystopian-, but a rather realistic vision and maybe the most ‘engaged’ and ‘political’ album to date! Tell us a bit more about the content and the sources of inspiration?

Jürgen: I absolutely agree, it is not a dystopian vision, but rather it has become reality. We are moving towards exactly what the album lyrics prophetically suggested may happen. In my house the news are on from the second I get up to the moment I go to sleep. I have almost no doors in my house, so even when I’m working in the studio I can hear the TV somewhere in the background, so all the information that I absorb during the day or night will find its way into my lyrics and music. That is a very important part of my work and I could not have done the album without. This may very well be the most engaged and political album to date, but it’s no wonder given the political nightmares we are facing on a daily basis. Never did we have a more erratic madman controlling the button of the nuclear arsenal. It’s beyond crazy!

Q: The Trump administration is clearly not getting your support! But how do we have to understand Trump will probably reelected? What does it mean to you dealing with this theme and how do you transpose it into the song writing?

Jürgen: The problem lies in the American system, a so-called democracy which is not, where the power of the people doesn’t matter, and the popular vote doesn’t matter. What kind of democracy makes it possible for a non-politician with nothing, but money to run the world’s greatest country? A country that doesn’t know the difference between socialism and communism, where the pure thought of socialism scares 2/3 of the population away from the voting booth. This is not a democracy, the voting system is from the middle ages, and it’s run by a wanna be king! How fucked up is that?

Q: How did the composition of the album happened? Were there some basic ideas about ‘sound’ and ‘production’ properly speaking? Did you handle specific criteria and/or do you have explicit references to know a song/album is accomplished or not?

Jürgen: I wrote all my songs here in my studio in Austin (USA), Marcel and Nils contributed some songs or ideas, and Ralf and I shared the lyric writing. We didn’t meet until all songs were written, all basics recorded and when it was time to do the final recordings, vocals and guitars, and mixing the album, which was done in Hamburg Germany in our new drummer’s, Paul Keller’s, studio, who also engineered the mixes. The idea behind this production was to have an album that is like a snapshot of what the band is about at this very moment. The production did not last for two years or more, but rather three months max, so it really sums up best what Die Krupps 2020 is all about.

Q: You last year started with the “Vision 2020 Vision”-tour, which unfortunately was interrupted due to Marcel’s injury. How do you look back on the tour so far? And can you tell us a bit more about the preparation process of such a tour?

Jürgen: The European tour for the album was one of the best that I can remember. The audience response was amazing and in parts better than any other shows we’ve played in the past! We have a very loyal following and it’s amazing to see how younger generations and older generations, long-haired and shorthaired of both sexes and in-between, all come out to see us play. The audience ranges from the 20s to the 50s, and the shows usually end up with people dancing from the front to the very last row, and occasionally with 50 or more people dancing on stage, as happened in Budapest on the last day of the tour! It’s been a blast, and I cannot wait to play here in the U.S. later this year!

Q: I’ve always experienced Die Krupps as a band without real compromises and especially when it comes to ‘sound’ although you set up Die Robo Sapiens, which is pure electronic and should I dare to say ‘getting back to the EBM roots of Die Krupps ’? Can we expect new work from this side-project and do you’ve other projects/releases in the pipeline?

Jürgen: That is also true, I hate to compromise, we never played by the rules of the industry, we always did what we thought was right and best. A new EP will soon be released for the Robo Sapiens project. I’m still working on the rest of the tracks for the album, which should also see the light of day hopefully in late spring or summer. I’m also still playing and recording with my first band, which was Germany’s first Punk band from 1976, and we are still doing shows in May. Other projects are all Cleopatra Records related, because that is my main job! I’m one of their in-house producers and have been for over 10 years now, and a lot of their releases have my touch. It’s very diverse and interesting, and definitely my dream job! Who gets to work with William Shatner, David Hasselhoff, Al Jourgensen, Iggy Pop, Nik Turner and hundreds more? I can’t complain (lol).

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

Jérôme Soudan is one of those artists I personally consider as a ‘visionary’ artist. His Mimetic project is the best exposure to realize the constant avant-garde approach he tries to inject in his work. He belongs to the ‘pioneers’ who incorporated techno music in the industrial scene, but he later on moved on with elements of IDM. Mimetic is a kind of reference, but still a project that has the power to entertain different scenes: techno and industrial! He this year released the compilation-album “RVSTD1:1998-2019” on Les Arts Minis, which is an opportunity to seize the evolution of the artist and his strong connection with techno music. Jérôme Soudan is a fascinating man, but still an essential artist from the electronic-underground scene.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You this year released the compilation-album “RVSTD1:1998-2019”, which covers more than 20 years of Mimetic, but especially the ‘techno-driven’ tracks. How do you look back at more than 20 years of Mimetic and tell us a bit more about the main purpose of this album?

Jérôme: At the beginning I wanted to create a solo-project as I was involved in a lot of diverse collectives such as Von Magnet for instance, but after a few years I knew I wanted to keep that project alive no matter what direction I’ll take. During these 20 years I guess I was an alien on many different scenes. Right now I’m more into the techno scene as a DJ, but even here I’m not a typical one since I’m not that young DJ still at school, but more like a veteran who’s using his background in every set. I got a classical music education, but quite rapidly during my studies I got more interested into the experimental-, electro-acoustic- and at the same time rock- scene…

Mimetic is actually born in Berlin, but not from the techno scene. I was more into industrial-experimental. I was one of the members from the Berliner act Column One. But from the first Mimetic-album on I already incorporated some techno sounds or rhythms. Other productions were more into electronica or IDM, but still featuring techno-industrial elements. What I see nowadays is a lot of good techno-industrial acts such as Perc for instance or even Paula Temple who are directly influenced by those indus-techno sound we used to do in the beginning of the 2000’s…

The main purpose of this album was to show to the young generation what Mimetic was doing in the past, a  kind of hybrid techno that they don’t know since some of the releases were not available in digital format. And it was also important to me to release it with a common thread so everybody can feel the links between the years.

Q: Speaking about all these influences, I however noticed an evolution in sound/influences throughout the ‘Mimetic-years’. Right in the beginning your music was more into industrial/experimental and ambient music, but quite progressively techno- & IDM elements joined in. How do you analyze this evolution and the impact of techno music globally speaking?

Jérôme: Actually the German post-industrial movement leading by labels such as Ant-Zen, Hymen or Hands has a strong influence in the techno scene, but it’s a bit involuntarily unfortunately. Most of the strong techno artists of today never heard of “Maschinenfest” while actually when I play in a techno event I can play exactly the same sound than if I was in the merche area of “Maschinenfest”…. There are some people from that industrial scene who say to me that they have the feeling I get lost from their scene. I don’t think so, I actually think every movement has got their artists who tend to repeat their formulas while actually the style is moving quicker than artists who are representing that style…. Techno is like other styles, stealing from others. And besides, techno is not all the time a hype style… Every decade it’s coming back, with a young generation seeking to know more, but I remember times where only house-music was the hype, and techno was considered as a non-respectable genre.

I consider techno as really dynamic and a strong music style; a kind of political atmosphere close to punk-music. I know that Iggy Pop hates techno music. But I think he was never in a rave party so far, because he could have seen the same energy. For me DAF was more important than others in that way, they played basically on the punk scene for years while actually their sound is still really present in nowadays techno, in that sense, industrial-punk was maybe more involved in the future than they pretend to be! I’m not surprised to see DAF playing in a lot of techno festivals since 10 years now.

Q: You were one of the ‘pioneers’ to mix industrial- and techno music while today most of the industrial artists are adding techno music to their compositions. This evolution is quite interesting while at the other hand the ‘real’ industrial sound and spirit have been a bit lost. What makes the link between industrial- and techno music and what do you expect for the coming years?

Jérôme: Right at the beginning industrial-music was a music for and coming from the cities (‘industrial music for industrial people’). This movement was born with artists such as Throbbing Grristle in the UK and Einstürzende Neubauten in Germany, and it was during the same years of punk-music, because the attitude was punk, not the music of course. But those artists were using electronic sounds in a very creative way while in parallel in Detroit (USA) a few artists started to use electronic music, but more in a rhythmical way. If you take the song “Yü Gung Fütter Mein Ego” there is the techno energy in it, it is repetitive and strong as hell.

For me there is the link between industrial to techno; it’s definitely the city, the sounds of the city, the power and the violence of the city. The ‘real’ industrial sound and spirit, like you say, is still here, but actually more into a scene of ‘niche’. This is something you can maybe relate to contemporary art, there is a language you have to understand in order to feel that music and it’s actually not easy for everybody. Since life is becoming more and more an everyday fight, people feel more attract by a music which is talking directly to their body, with a strong bass and a strong repetitive rhythm. Instead of what people are usually thinking, techno is a cathartic music for every-day hard-worker, and not simple party music. It’s definitely not a surprise to me to see that techno music is going stronger and stronger in South-America or Asia as well. It’s very important for me to keep an urgency in the music, something that stays strong, powerful and alive. You can listen to Stravinsky’s “Le Sacre Du Printemps” or The Young Gods’  “Skinflower” or “Surgeon” and feel the same power!

Q: Over now to the writing of your songs. Can you give us a bit more details about the different stages you’ve to go through to compose a song/album and do you’ve special criteria/references when speaking about the global production process?

Jérôme: First there’s a long process of  prospection; listening to sounds, travelling, walking in a city, recording maybe etc… Next comes a long process again; working on a few sounds for days, experimenting, transforming the sounds etc.. Then, I’ve to build a track, a kind of montage like a film, with a ‘scenario’. Then I move on adding effects and giving a ‘heart’ to the whole track and doing a kind of pre-mixing. Then comes the mixing, which can be quite long. A track is never finished! And then I let it to the mastering experts. For me the global production has to include a good balance between frequencies, this is the only way. I love when you hear every details, for instance if you listen to a Max Cooper track, which is amazing…

Q: You also did an impressive number of remixes for other artists and among them Björk. What do you try to achieve when working on a remix and are there some remixes (maybe like the one for Björk) you kept in mind?

Jérôme: Well a remix is usually a very interesting operation, because you have to dive into somebody else’s universe and make it your own track without altering the original sense of the track. But sometimes it’s delicate to do, because you cannot adapt yourself to every style, so now I’m really choosing the artists with who I work on that remixing aspect. I usually keep only half of the sounds the artist gives me and re-write a few lines and create new sounds, and I basically change the structure too. At the beginning I listen and listen to the original track, trying to find in which direction I would have been if I was the composer and when I find my own focus then I can go on and re-create a new structure.

Q: I think to remember you lived a few years in Berlin, which is often considered as the ‘place to be’ when it comes to techno music. What has been the impact of your ‘Berliner years’ on your creation and your evolution as musician/producer and are there other places/people which/who had an important impact?

Jérôme: Yes Berlin was important, especially because it was right after the end of the Wall. I left berlin in 2000, and before that it was such a field of experimentation, it was a great time there, not only for techno-music, but also for experimental-music, architecture etc. There were so many unofficial clubs and parties, bars, events in some destroyed buildings… I was usually going out in Tresor Club and in E-Werk which was a few meters beside. But I was playing in the same time in Komische Oper and some experimental places such Podewill, NBI or Grüne Salon (VolksBühne).

Another aspect that was really important to me, is that I met a lot of people from East-Germany. They usually didn’t speak English very well, but they had another way to create and it was really interesting. Nowadays those artists usually left Berlin as it became after a while too hype and too expensive for them. A lot of those artists are now living in Poland or Praha or even Baltic Countries… Today I think Berlin is still interesting for techno-music, especially because there’re hundreds of clubs and it’s a good thing for music, but if you look for some good emergent artists and scenes, I think Europe has to check a bit more outside. Africa is bringing now some good electronic music, Asia and South-America are becoming strong. There are still wonderful events in Europe, especially in the Eastern countries, but the business is coming quick and even the underground events in countries such as Croatia are little by little leaded by West-European business men. Speaking about West-Europe, an important impact I don’t have to forget is the venue itself, and especially the ephemeral squats which are given an important place to experimentation. In the 90’s there were still a lot of squats in Europe and I knew a lot especially in Holland, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. Those places are more and more rare of course and it’s a pity as they were a teaming with great emergent artists….

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 is the 12 inch vinyl “Fall In Love With Me”, and Iggy Pop track, by Stark. The record itself is dedicated to the late Donald Rodie who was a good friend to all the people involved in these recordings.

Stark consists of David Gooday and Simon Granger who both recently rejoined Nitzer Ebb after they left early on in the band’s career. Out on Pylon Records, all proceeds from this recording will be going to cancer reseach uk. You can order your copy right here.

Tracklist:

• Side A: Stark (Featuring David Arscott) – Fall In Love With Me
• Side B: Stark (Featuring Nitzer Ebb) – Fall In Love With Me

Here’s the original track:

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

Today, on what would have been the 71st birthday of David Bowie, a previously unheard demo version of his 1983 hit single “Let’s Dance” has been released. You can listen to the demo below.

The demo was recorded on 19 December 1982 in Montreux, Switzerland featuring Turkish multi-instrumentalist Erdal Kizilcay and an unidentified session drummer and second equally unidentified session guitarist (too bad for their missed stardom although producer Nile Rodgers hopes they will come forward).

“Let’s Dance” would later on feature on the album with the same name in April 1983, co-produced by Chic’s Nile Rodgers. The album contains 3 of Bowie’s most successful singles; the title track, “Let’s Dance”, as well as “Modern Love” and “China Girl”. “China Girl” was a new version of a song which Bowie had co-written with Iggy Pop for the latter’s 1977 album “The Idiot”. It also contains a re-recorded version of the song “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)”.

The “Let’s Dance” demo as it is being released now has been mixed by Nile Rodgers and Russell Graham at Nile’s Le Crib Studios in Westport, Connecticut last year just before Christmas. The demo lasts for just over five minutes and gives a raw insight in what was to become a worldwide hit in a more polished and produced re-recorded version.

The track will only see a digital 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!

side-line.com

According to various reports, 66-year old industrial music pioneer and percussionist Stefan Joel Weisser (aka Z’EV) died yesterday. Last year Weisser survived a derailed Amtrak train accident in Dodge City. It took him months of revalidation but it seems that he was slowly recuperating. It’s yet unclear what caused his death.

In a reaction to the news Boyd Rice posted this: “Just received word that long time friend Z’EV just died. Cause uncertain at this time, but he had spitting up blood recently. He spent last winter in our guest bedroom pursuant to the train derailment he was airlifted from, because his doctor told him he met get not survive a winter in Chicago. And the man we met at Denver international airport was a shadow of the person I’ve known for over four decades. His spirit was still tough as nails but physically he seemed devastated and had difficulty ascending the stairs to his room.

Three and a half months later much of his strength seemed restored; he had survived the winter and the outlook seemed good. We had recently heard from him that he was doing some shows in Mexico and was going to spend this winter in Santa Fe. I’d assumed that even if he would never be 100% again he was at least back on his game. I had convinced him to release a box set of recordings through a German company that would chronicle his entire career and that I would write the perfect liner notes for it. I would say that Z’EV was to the avant garde what Iggy Pop was to rock and roll: total intensity, energy and raw power and he often left the stage in the early eighties cut up and bleeding from the injuries he received from his own instruments.

I’d made extensive notes for my text and look forward to promoting the life and career of a man I thought was one of the most under appreciated figures in modern music. A linguist, an ethnic musicologist, a scholar, a mystic; but a man who could distill all this into a performance so intense that it could captivate an audience in a punk rock venue. That was his unique gift. He was one of the most talented people I have ever met. And there has never been any performer akin to him.”

The Z’EV discography is spread over various labels: Backstreet Backlash Records, Subterranean Records, Staaltape, Coercion, Atonal Records, Dossier, Atavistic, Avant, Soleilmoon Recordings, Crippled Intellect Productions, Cold Spring, Tzadik, Touch, Die Stadt, SmallVoices, Blossoming Noise, Ars Benevola Mater and so 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. 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: Dark-rock, folk, chanson, ballad.

Background/Info: When Rome finished their last tour in Berlin they got the opportunity to visit and record some songs during a few hours at ‘Hansa Studios’. This is a legendary recording studio where famous and legendary names such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Depeche Mode, Killing Joke, Einstürzende Neubauten, Siouxsie & The Banshees ao recorded some of their material. Jérôme Reuter recorded some of the songs from the Rome tour plus a previously unreleased song while the work got mixed by Michael Ilbert (internationally recognized for his work as an engineer and producer). Notice by the way the album is also available in a strictly limited vinyl format.

Content: “Hansa Studios Session” is a kind of ‘live’ album recorded in the studio. You’ll discover a mix of ‘classical’ songs and some tracks from the last album “The Hyperion Machine” and one new song entitled “Mine”.

The new cut is more into rock music and sounds much harder than what we’ve used to hear from Rome thus far. The other songs are bringing the typical Rome sound made of dark, melancholic rock, elements of folk and ballads alive. Jérôme grave timbre of voice excels in passion while the whole composition is once again reminding me of Nick Cave.

+ + + : I think this album means much more for the artist himself than for the fans, but it’s a fully enjoyable work and a kind of wink to the last Rome tour. Rome probably realized an artistic dream, but the fans will get a beautiful gift reassembling some of the finest cuts from the last tour. Rome is an invitation to join in for a dark and elevating trip, which often ends into a real climax. There’s a harmony between the musicians, but the guitar definitely has a major role. The final- and classical song “A Legacy Of Unrest” is the absolute apotheosis to this great work.

– – – : I’m not that convinced by the ballad-style of “Stillwell”, but that’s just a personal taste. I prefer Rome playing his dark rock-folk songs joined by Jérôme’s captivating singing.

Conclusion: This is a particular work in Rome’s discography, but still a nice addition to the already wide repertoire of this artist. This is the meeting between dark elegance and artistic passion!

Best songs: “A Legacy Of Unrest”, “Der Brandtaucher”, “Querkraft”, “Transference”.

Rate: (8½).

Band: http://rome.lu / www.facebook.com/romeproject

Label: www.trisol.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Trisol–Music–Group/104166526285471

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

Toronto-based label Artoffact Records announces today (and already makes them available here) 2 additional reissues from the Nash the Slash discography.

1981’s hard-to-find EP “Decomposing” will be reissued on vinyl and, for the first time ever, on CD. “Decomposing” includes one of Nash the Slash’s biggest hits, “Womble”, and was, according to Nash, the first record ever released that was playable at three speeds: 33.3, 45, and 78 RPM.

The Artoffact Records CD will include the EP’s entire selection 2 times, once at each speed (check the details right here).

Another Nash rarity that will get the reissue treatment is “And You Thought You Were Normal”, Nash’s second full-length album, released originally in 1982. Notable in particular for Nash’s first major radio hit, the Daniel Lanois-produced “Dance After Curfew”, the album was released in Canada, the USA, and the UK, and would find an unexpected and devoted audience in Poland. The album would end up being Nash’s last for nearly a decade.

Digging into the Nash the Slash archives, Artoffact Records uncovered several previously unrelased mixes of “Dance After Curfew” produced by Daniel Lanois, and the best of these is included on the CD as a bonus track. As well, music from the Colin Brunton film “A Trip Around Lake Ontario”, as well as several cuts from the Bruce MacDonald film “Roadkill” have been added as bonus material. Each edition will be released on special vinyl, a yellow version for Decomposing, and a collectors’ “Vincent’s Splatter” (named after the track “Vincent’s Crows”) for “And You Thought You Were Normal”.

You can order the various versions of these 2 releases right here via Artoffact’s mail order store.

Nash the Slash, aka Jeff Plewman, was a rock and electronic musician famous for his masked-man stage persona who became famous for his touring and collaborating with Gary Numan. He also supported Iggy Pop in the 80s, worked with Canadian surrealist painter Robert Vanderhorst and recorded soundtracks for several independent Canadian films, including “Roadkill” and “Blood & Donuts”. Plewman passed away in 2014 at age 66. In 2016, Artoffact Records, based in Toronto, began to reissue Nash the Slash’s entire catalogue on vinyl and CD.

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

“Restless” is the first full track to be unveiled from New Order’s “Music Complete” album, you can view the promotional video below. “Restless” will be supported with a full remix package, available on vinyl, CD and digitally from October 9, 2015 on.

“Music Complete” will be released September 25, 2015 on CD, download and limited edition clear vinyl. You can order the vinyl right now on Amazon.

Here’s the promotional “Restless” video.

“Music Complete” is produced by New Order, except “Singularity” and “Unlearn This Hatred”, both produced by Tom Rowlands. “Superheated” features additional production by Stuart Price. The album was mixed by Craig Silvey, except “Plastic”, which was mixed by Richard X. Brandon Flowers provided vocals on “Superheated”, Iggy Pop is featured on “Stray Dog” and Elly Jackson (La Roux) is featured on “Tutti Frutti” and “People On The High Line” and backing vocals on “Plastic”. Strings on the album were performed by the Manchester Camerata and arranged by Joe Duddell. Long-term collaborator Peter Saville provided art direction.

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