The French label Unknown Pleasures Records, run by Pedro Peñas y Roble aka HIV+, stops its activities this summer. They are currently emptying their last stocks before closing for good. The label which started in 2013 was based in the south of France was dedicated to the production of material from the post-punk, minimal wave and EBM scene. Their final release is a Tribute to Death In June.

In the past the label has released albums of bands like Norma Loy, David Carretta, Blind Delon, Adan & Ilse, Hausfrau, Black Egg, European Ghost, Ono Scream, Antipole, Kill Shelter, Vogue Noir, Ohota, Wendy Bevan, Alek Drive, Art Kinder Industrie, Baroque, Maman Küsters, Japan Suicide, Follow Me Not, Der Himmel über Berlin, Dave Inox, Mr Nô, None, Velvet Kills, Selfishadows, Container 47, The Shyness Of Strangers, Secret Sight, La Main, Fluxus, Grand((Ø))Signal, Neon Electronics, Hardlab, Judith Juillerat, Monolog and Love In Prague.

The label has also worked and collaborated with several musicians such as Alan Vega, Gabi Delgado, Dirk Da Davo, Eric Van Wonterghem, Jurgen Engler, Richard 23, Patrick Codenys, Marc Hurtado, Arturo Lanz, The Hacker, Dirk Ivens, The Horrorist, Haujobb, Position Parallèle, John Lord Fonda, Dominique Nicolas, Marc Collin, Michaël Theis, Radical G, Növö, Millimetric, In Death It Ends, In Aeternam Vale, Sonic Area, Adriano Canzian, Alice Botte, Versari and many more.

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: Minimal-electronics, experimental, ambient, technoid, industrial.

Background/Info: The French band In Aeternam Vale has been active since the early 80s and went through numerous line-up changes and different music styles. The early stuff was released on the good-olds cassette format revealing an experimental sound with some gothic elements on top. More than 30 years later the band is still alive and still driven by core member Laurent Prot. “Pink Flamingos” is their newest opus, which is also available on vinyl format.

Content: “Pink Flamingos” features 16 songs, which directly reveal a minimal electro-dance style. The tracks have been constructed by repetitive loops and cool, little bleeps. It’s minimal approach, but still pretty evasive and somewhat technoid as well. The experimental input of the band emerges at the surface on a few cuts and is accomplished by field recordings and numerous noise treatments.

The work moves on different influences, visiting ambient passages and total experimentalism, but remains always compact and minimal like. The only exception to the rule is the final song (cf. “La Pluie”) which is more reminding me of the earlier years of new-wave and led by French vocals.

+ + + : In Aeternam Vale is a band striking back with an interesting and renewed sound approach. The early fans will not exactly recognize the dance-minimalism and experimental-ambient compositions from this album. I like their composing and especially the more danceable loops featuring good-old analogue treatments and whispering, spooky vocal parts.

– – – : The work is pretty versatile although compact. Some of the soundscape experiments are not the most exciting parts of the album while the final song sounds like it is emerging from nowhere…or maybe from a somewhat forgotten past.

Conclusion: This album sounds like a proof that In Aeternam Vale moved on with new influences and with time. This is a pretty contemporary and personal composition.

Best songs: “181”, “Autour Du Signal”, “B”, “Clobenzorex”, “Feed Me”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.facebook.com/inaeternamvale

Label: www.dement3d.fr / www.facebook.com/DEMENT3D

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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