The Greek duo Incirrina, George Katsanos and Irini Tiniakou, formed in Athens in late 2017. On May 29, 2026 they released their third album, “Trace”, through the German label Cold Transmission Music on vinyl, CD, limited cassette and digital. Across three albums the pair have moved from darkwave towards minimal and electro-wave, built on analogue synthesizers, drum machines and Tiniakou’s vocals. I spoke to both of them about the record, the poet who writes their lyrics and what a two-person setup can carry onstage. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Incirrina interview

Q: “Trace” is already your third full-length album. Looking back on everything you’ve achieved so far, how do you view your journey as a band? And how would you describe and introduce this new record to people who may not have heard it yet?

George: Indeed, after the releases of the albums “8.15” (2019) and “Lip Led Scream” (2022), we are happy to have our third LP “Trace” out by the label Cold Transmission, released 29.5.2026.

We consider the band as a space for exploration, experimentation, personal expression, also as an inner journey and diving into our souls. Incirrina has brought us the joy of sharing our music with people across multiple countries. Until now we have toured in 12 European countries and played in many gigs and festivals, which led to beautiful and completely new experiences.

Irini: In this album, we experimented with instrumentation, rhythm and vocal approach. We used a combination of analogue synthesizers, drum machines, octapad, electric bass guitar, electric piano and acoustic instruments such as kantele, waterphone, melodica. “Trace” includes 11 songs written between 2023-2025 in a 24-channel console, that belong in the genres of dark electronic, synth-wave and cold-wave. The minimal-synth and post-punk roots of our previous albums are still obvious, yet the new songs are enriched with dynamism, depth, and rhythmic diversity and we also explored new ways of delivering the vocals for this album.

Also we would like to note that this album is the result of the collaboration of many people who put their heart and talent into it, and we are grateful to them – these people are Dimitris Dimitriadis (mixing), Anestis Psaradakos (mastering), uBuDancer (artwork, analogue collage), Nestor Theophilopoulos (photography), Maria Deligiorgi/Infrared Media (layout) and Suzy Hermann and Andreas Hermann of Cold Transmission.

Q: If I’m not mistaken, you’ve been active for almost ten years now. How did Incirrina come into being, and how have both your collaboration and the band itself evolved over the years?

George: Our common journey as Incirrina started in late 2017. Since both of us are professional musicians and music teachers, we’ve been involved in numerous bands and projects and music has always been the center of our lives, but neither of us had ever been in a purely synth band before. It was a great pleasure to discover already in our first meeting, in September 2014, that we had the exact same taste in music – we were talking for hours about Jean Michel Jarre, Joy Division, The Cure, Kraftwerk and numerous others…

We became a couple, still the timing for forming a band wasn’t right yet – we were working hard in teaching and the other projects, and simply didn’t have the time to start something new together. But in 2017 life brought things together in such a way that conditions were created for something new to be born. Incirrina came into life with the aim to make music in the style we’ve deeply loved since we were teenagers.

Irini: The first tracks were written right in our living room. Although I do write lyrics, we chose to base our songs on the poetry of William Blake, an artist we both deeply adore. After recording 6 songs, and without thinking twice, we uploaded them on Bandcamp (this was the first EP “8.15”, in December 2018), and suddenly something clicked. We received an unexpected wave of enthusiasm from complete strangers. Essentially, we started with no expectations other than making songs that we liked. It was magical how this evolved.

One year later, in late 2019, the Greek label Geheimnis Records released “8.15” as an LP – the first 6 songs plus 5 new ones. Then COVID hit. During those strange years of isolation, we wrote the songs for our second album, “Lip Led Scream”, which was released by Cold Transmission in August 2022. One thing naturally led to another; some months before the lockdown, we had received an invitation to perform in Germany, in Slow Club Freiburg, a show that finally came to life in May 2022. That was the spark that started this beautiful adventure of European tours and live shows.

In the years leading up to this year’s release of “Trace”, we focused on live performances as well as exploring new sounds and we also scored two theatrical plays in Athens. We are quite strict with our music, even though we compose new tracks very quickly, the ones we choose to release are very few (for every track we release, about four or five others are left behind).

George: We really enjoy jamming and playing together, most of our tracks come alive through this very process. But there are also songs written entirely by one of us, then the other one enriched or reshaped them, regarding arrangement or structure. While we co-write the harmonic and melodic elements of our songs and handle the arrangements together, our individual roles are quite distinct. I focus on the rhythmic side, taking care of the live drums and drum programming, also the basslines and the riffs, while Irini handles the vocals.

Q: One of the defining characteristics of your music is your use of analogue synthesizers. That seems like a very deliberate choice. What is it about analogue synths that continues to inspire you, and how has this aspect of your sound evolved over the years, particularly on “Trace”?

George: Indeed, we have a great love for analog sound and analog synthesizers. Of course, there are plenty digital instruments we really like and also use. I adore Moog synthesizers, their rich harmonic sound fills the ear with very distinct frequencies. I love that you can never have the exact same sound. The instruments that I use do not have a “preset” or “save” possibility, so every time I make the sound from the beginning and I find this really thrilling. Analog synthesizers have personality; I feel like I’m using a sonic canvas when playing them, their sound has so many shades and details.

Irini: We’ve used analog synths on all of our albums. In “Trace”, we paired them with acoustic instruments and also some digital synths, like the AKAI MPC and the Yamaha PS-55. Even though the Yamaha is digital, it’s from way back in 1983, and its sound has this nostalgic warmth that really speaks to us. Our relationship with instruments is just like with people… we have great chemistry and love for some, while others we just can’t connect with at all! An instrument is a whole world of its own, and a single sound can inspire an entire song.

Some tracks started out just from a single sound, like the song “She Is In The Dream”. We also love building lots of layers and textures when it comes to orchestration, and our analog synths are perfect for mixing and layering in different ways.

Q: Are you essentially a duo or more of a trio? I ask because I noticed that your lyrics are not always written by the two of you. Could you explain how that collaboration works, and how the lyrical themes develop in relation to your own musical ideas?

Irini: Musically speaking, we’re definitely a duo; the two of us write and play all the music, and we handle everything that goes into running a band. But at the same time we also have a “secret” third member. This is the poet Konstantinos Londos, whom we are lucky enough to have in our lives as a very special and dearly loved friend. He wrote the lyrics for our last two albums (with the exception of two songs, one on each record).

Konstantinos puts what we feel and want to communicate into words in the most wonderful way. Working with him is magical. A lot of times we’ll discuss a topic that’s really on our minds, and then Konstantinos will write a poem about it… and just like that, we have the lyrics for a song. Other times, we picked some of his existing poems that spoke to our hearts, set them to music, and turned them into songs (like “Mutate” and “Alien Room”).

But either way, there’s always an incredible creative process between the 3 of us – we listen together to the musical ideas, discuss the meaning of the lyrics, how the words flow melodically, and their deeper impact. In the end, after plenty of changes and fine-tuning (and sometimes after a lot of tears) the song finally takes its true shape. Konstantinos has a rare gift for clarity, simplicity, humor, sensitivity and working together with him is really a pleasure. He is an explosive mix of a brilliant Renaissance man, a Homo Universalis, and someone who genuinely prefers to stay out of the spotlight.

Q: Speaking of the lyrics, “Trace” is an intriguing title that can be interpreted in many different ways. The album also explores profound and, at times, rather introspective themes. Could you tell us more about the concept behind the album? And to what extent do the lyrics shape the atmosphere of the music, or is it sometimes the other way around?

Irini: Finding the right album title is usually a tricky process, since it needs to capture a lot of different concepts in just a few words. But with “Trace”, things were easier – the title came about completely spontaneously from Konstantinos, right after a chat about what making this album meant to us. The word means “imprint”, and that’s exactly what this record is: the footprint of a collaboration between people trying to capture in sounds and words the things that spark their thoughts and haunt their nights. This is also stated in the album’s back cover: “Trace” is the imprint of “searching for wondrous, meaningful diversions, novel transformations and transitory acts of care and defiance”.

Thematically the songs deal with the uniqueness of human experience and the struggle of not losing one’s inner freedom and individuality in dystopian times – the “seeming real” where all that is imposed and inhumane presents itself as the inevitable truth (“Always Here”). Celebrating diversity and self-expression, but always connecting and creating with other people, is a way out (“Mutate”). And the album itself is the result of such a process; we consider ourselves, against the odds, as artisans and friends who make music, share it and reinvent ourselves. Other songs cover universal, age-old themes like love, loneliness, the fear of loss, pain of death (“Sometimes”, “Region”), also the relationship with oneself and the connection with the world outside (“Diver”, “Find”), themes like the dream element, the urban landscape, and mysterious, fairy-like figures are touched upon in the songs “Alexia”, “Presence”, “She Is In The Dream”; burning issues of our time like domestic violence (“Alien Room”); and how the “self” connects with today’s world, showing endless introspection but a lack of empathy, human pain, and the way we try to hide it even from ourselves (“ΚΡΥΦΟ”, which means “Hidden”, the only track in Greek language).

George: Since songwriting is a two-way street, as we described earlier, the atmosphere that is created depends on each individual song. When we start composing music for an existing poem, we are influenced by the content, the meaning of the lyrics, and the rhythm of the words and syllables. Conversely, Konstantinos would often listen to a musical theme we had composed and write lyrics over it, based on a topic that was on our minds and that we had been discussing. However, since the general vibe of our music and lyrics is already introspective and relatively dark, we take it for granted that we won’t stray from that… not out of principle, but because the darker element simply speaks to us emotionally and temperamentally.

Q: How do you approach your live performances? More specifically, how do you translate the layered studio recordings, and especially the analogue elements, to the stage?

George: Being a duo has a lot of advantages, like flexibility with rehearsals, the creative process, and traveling. But also has plenty of challenges… Practically speaking, if we wanted to perform our tracks live with their full studio orchestration, we would definitely need at least one more musician on stage. Our compromise is to use backing tracks for the drums, or a portion of them while I play the rest, and then we perform the melodic and bass lines live. We inevitably have to skip several elements from the album… still that’s not necessarily a bad thing for a live performance, because different things take priority on stage. Also, for gigs, we bring along smaller gear. It would be practically impossible for just two people to travel carrying the actual instruments we used to compose and record, so we adapt our sound to smaller, more flexible instruments, which are a mix of analog, hybrid, and digital instruments. When we play in our hometown, things are much easier and we can bring along some of the original (and heavy) instruments used in the recording. But when it comes to touring abroad, since we travel by plane and train, doing that would totally be out of the question for practical reasons.

Irini: Over time, we’ve rearranged some tracks for our live shows to such an extent that they end up sounding quite different from the studio recordings, in terms of orchestration, tempo, and also vocals. This is especially true for songs from our first album. Also, since we love improvisation, we play the tracks a bit differently at almost every gig. We add intros, change up some riffs, and basically transform them depending on the mood of the moment. It would be really interesting at some point to make an album with our older songs exactly as they are played live, in a live recording setup. This happened already with one song, the “Only One Smile Alone”; the original one is “The Smile”, and following the suggestion of Andreas Hermann, we recorded it again in the way we play it live.

Q: Finally, with an album title like “Trace”, it seems only natural to ask: what kind of trace do you hope this album, and Incirrina’s music in general, will leave behind? And what lies ahead for the band in the coming months?

Irini: What we truly want with all our hearts is this: for people who will listen to our music, to feel something, to be moved, to dance, to feel good, or to find a personal meaning in our songs. Through our music, we aren’t seeking self-expression as much as we are seeking connection and co-motion, sharing in something as beautiful as music. We would love for the music of Incirrina to leave a small imprint of beauty in this world. Everything is fleeting and surely everything fades into the oblivion of time, but we would be incredibly happy if, even for just a few moments, we could bring joy to some people… just as we experience the joy of making songs and playing together, in rehearsals or in live shows.

George: In the coming months, we will mainly focus on presenting “Trace” through live performances in Greece and Europe. We definitely want to work on producing some new songs as well, and we also plan to celebrate our 10th anniversary as a band with something special, which we will announce in early 2027…!

Thank you for this interview, and we wish all the very best to you and your readers! Incirrina

About Incirrina

Incirrina is a dark electronic and minimal synth duo based in Athens, Greece, formed in late 2017 by George Katsanos (analogue synthesizers, octapad, drum programming, electric bass guitar, kantele, alto melodica, waterphone, samples, vocals) and Irini Tiniakou (synthesizers, vocals). The pair had met in September 2014 and were already working as musicians and music teachers in other projects before Incirrina became one of their own. Tiniakou first appeared as a guest vocalist on a release by the Greek act Metal Disco before the duo started releasing under their own name.

Their first six songs, built on the poetry of William Blake, went up on Bandcamp as the EP “8.15” in December 2018. The Greek label Geheimnis Records issued “8.15” as an LP in late 2019, adding five new tracks to the original six. The digital maxi-single “Utter” followed in 2020, and in 2021 the duo shared a split maxi-single with The Man & His Failures, “Devastations / R.Daneel”, on Smash Records.

Their second album, “Lip Led Scream”, arrived in August 2022 and was their first record for Germany’s Cold Transmission Music, which has handled their releases since. Reviewing it for Side-Line in 2023, Inferno Sound Diaries described it as “a pure Cold-Wave production which is sometimes reinforced with harder, EBM, elements” and “a well-crafted and fully enjoyable work without any single cut to throw away”. In September 2024 the duo returned with the double single “Immersion”, pairing “Presence” and “Alien Room”, again on Cold Transmission Music.

Incirrina have performed in twelve European countries, including Greece, Germany, Belgium, Hungary and Croatia, with appearances at Plíísken Festival, Morphic Festival, Cold Transmission Festival, Death Disco Festival – The Warm Up, Athens Music Week, Metavasis Festival and the Athens Digital Arts Festival. Their live show began with an invitation to Slow Club Freiburg, a booking made before the pandemic that finally took place in May 2022. In the years between “Lip Led Scream” and “Trace” they also scored two theatrical plays in Athens.

“Trace”, the duo’s third album, was released on May 29, 2026 on Cold Transmission Music across black and crystal-clear vinyl, CD, a limited cassette and digital. Its eleven tracks were written between 2023 and 2025 and recorded through a 24-channel console. Lyrics are by the poet Konstantinos Londos, except “Sometimes”, written by Incirrina. Dimitris Dimitriadis mixed the album and Anestis Psaradakos mastered it, with artwork by uBuDancer, photography by Nestor Theophilopoulos and layout by Maria Deligiorgi/Infrared Media. “Mutate” and “Always Here” preceded the album as singles, and “Mutate” was issued with a video. Side-Line’s review of “Trace” rated it 8/10. The duo say the next months go to live shows in Greece and Europe, with a tenth-anniversary announcement planned for early 2027.

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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“Trace” marks the third album by the Greek duo Incirrina. George Katsanos and Irini Tiniakou have crafted 11 tracks that naturally continue the musical direction established on their previous releases.

We are treated to a collection of well-crafted Electro-Wave compositions, distinguished above all by superb vintage synth sounds. These warm, analog textures create a captivating listening experience. The music is highly danceable, with several tracks even embracing a distinct club-oriented feel. Although the album also features a handful of more atmospheric and melancholic moments, its greatest strength lies in the harder, dance-driven songs. The vocal delivery occasionally recalls that of their compatriots Paradox Obscur, sharing a similarly detached yet sensual approach that perfectly complements the music’s atmosphere. A particularly nice touch is the closing track, performed in Greek, which provides a memorable conclusion to the album.

“Trace” is an infectious and accomplished release from a band that had already shown considerable promise. Offering greater variety than its predecessors, it successfully blends different influences into a cohesive, engaging, and highly enjoyable whole. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Presence”:

About Incirrina

Incirrina is a dark electronic and minimal synth duo based in Athens, Greece, consisting of George Katsanos (synthesizers, drum machine, waterphone, vocals) and Irini Tiniakou (synthesizers, vocals). The band has played gigs and festivals in Greece, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, and Croatia, including Pliisken Festival, Morphic Festival, Cold Transmission Festival, and Death Disco Festival – The Warm Up, and has opened for Front 242 and Ambassade.

Incirrina released its first LP, “8.15”, in 2019 through Geheimnis Records, followed by the digital maxi single “Utter” in 2020 and the split maxi single “Devastations / R.Daneel” with The Man & His Failures in 2021 via Smash Records. The second LP, “Lip Led Scream”, followed in 2022 on Cold Transmission, and the double single “Immersion” arrived in 2024 on the same label. The band’s third album, “Trace”, was released through Cold Transmission Music.

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

Athens duo Incirrina have released the album “Trace” on the German label Cold Transmission Music. The Incirrina “Trace” album runs to 11 tracks and follows the duo’s two previous albums, “8.15” (2019) and “Lip Led Scream” (2022).

The band describe “Trace” as built around freedom, identity and resistance. The 11 tracks were written between 2023 and 2025 and recorded through a 24-channel console, using analogue electronic instruments and the duo’s vocals. The album follows “Lip Led Scream” (2022), the duo’s first record for Cold Transmission Music.

“Trace” is issued on vinyl (black and crystal-clear), CD, a limited cassette and digital. “Mutate” and “Always Here” were released as advance singles, and “Mutate” has an accompanying video on YouTube. The album is available through Cold Transmission Music (coldtransmission.com) and the band’s Bandcamp.

About Incirrina

Incirrina is a dark electronic and minimal synth duo based in Athens, Greece, formed in late 2017 by George Katsanos (synthesizers, drum machine, waterphone, vocals) and Irini Tiniakou (synthesizers, vocals). The duo describe their work as “dark, poetic, electronic,” pairing analogue synth lines and drum-machine rhythms with Tiniakou’s vocals. Tiniakou first appeared as a guest vocalist on a release by the Greek act Metal Disco before Incirrina became a project in its own right.

The duo debuted with the album “8.15” (2019, Geheimnis Records), a record drawing on the work of the 18th-century poet William Blake. They followed it with the digital maxi-single “Utter” (2020) and a 2021 split maxi-single with The Man & His Failures, “Devastations / R.Daneel,” on Smash Records. Their second album, “Lip Led Scream” (2022), was their first release for Germany’s Cold Transmission Music, which has handled their releases since. In 2024 they released the double single “Immersion” (“Presence” and “Alien Room”), also on Cold Transmission Music.

In an April 2023 Side-Line reviewer Inferno Sound Diaries described “Lip Led Scream” as “a pure Cold-Wave production which is sometimes reinforced with harder, EBM, elements” and as “a well-crafted and fully enjoyable work without any single cut to throw away,” rating it 8/10.

The duo have performed in Greece, Germany, Belgium, Hungary and Croatia, with festival appearances at Plíísken Festival, Morphic Festival, Cold Transmission Festival. Death Disco Festival – The Warm Up, Athens Music Week, Metavasis Festival and the Athens Digital Arts Festival.

“Trace,” their third album, is their latest release for Cold Transmission 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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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!

side-line.com

Grey Gallows is a Greek duo hailing from Patras. The band is driven by Konstantin (vocals & keys) and Dionisis (guitar, bass & keys). They this year released their fourth full-length album “Strangers” which also is the second one released by Cold Transmission Records. The band take us back to the darkest hours of Dark-Wave and Post-Punk while adding a personal touch on top of the composition. “Strangers” deals about different themes which can be summarized to human psyche, love, pain, alienation, and the redemption of the individual, concerning social issues that plague the modern era. I got in touch with Konstantin to know a bit more about this cool formation.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Grey Gallows is now active for a couple of years. How did the band saw the daylight and what do you consider as your main accomplishments so far?

Dionisis: We formed as a band in 2016 when I moved to live in Patras and met Konstantin. We became close friends and as we understood that we shared the same taste in music, we decided that we would like to make our own band and express ourselves.

I believe that signing with a label like Cold Transmission and be given the opportunity to perform abroad and especially at WGT is something that we didn’t expect back then and that makes us really proud.

Q: I think your music sounds obviously 80s Dark-Wave / Post-Punk inspired with something extra on top which makes me think to an imaginary hybrid between The Sisters Of Mercy and She Passed Away. Does this description fits to your own perception of sound and what have been the main sources of inspiration?

Konstantin: Well, this is an interesting description, we definitely love The Sisters Of Mercy and we have high respect for She Past Away. We are obviously into 80s Dark-Wave / Post-Punk, listening all those great bands of the past, such as The Cure, Joy Division and Deine Lakaien, but we also like more recent bands, like Lebannon Hanover.

Τhe latest years, being on Cold Transmission, I think that we have been influenced by its distinctive sound and musical approach in general.

Q: You already released several albums but especially both last productions released by Cold Transmission Music give you a wider exposure. How do you analyze the evolution of the band and what’s the impact to be signed on a leading label of the Dark-Wave / Post-Punk scene?

Konstantin: Signing to Cold Transmission gave us both the artistic freedom to express ourselves musically without limits and, on the other hand, to have the chance to reach a broader audience, especially in Germany and central Europe. So, being on a label as supportive as Cold Transmission, is very benefic for us.

We share with Suzy and Andreas our music ideas, discuss the evolution of the band which resulted in friendship.  Moreover we are now family, we belong to the Cold Transmission family and we are very happy and proud of it.

Q: Tell us a bit more about your new album “Strangers”. How did this album saw the daylight and what did you try to express by its lyrical themes?

Konstantin: Some of the songs, for example “Strangers”, were written during the pandemic, so in one aspect they reflect a state of sentimental and social isolation we found ourselves being into those days.

Musically, we tried to evolve our sound, combining a traditional Dark-Wave sound with Cold-Wave and experimenting with more Electronic elements than our previous albums.

Of course we had the honor to have two great female singers in two songs, Kriistal Ann from Paradox Obscur and Irini Tiniakou from Incirrina, a fact that we believe gave a different kind of emotional approach to our songs.

Lats but no least, we had the opportunity to work again with Nick ‘TheMute’ Chalntoupis, our sound engineer, who gave to ‘’Strangers’’ its distinctive sound.

Q: I experienced “Strangers” as your most accomplished and best work to date. Do you think the last album is always the best one? Do you handle specific criteria and/or references when it comes to composition and production?

Dionisis : For Grey Gallows I think that this is true. “Strangers” is our most complete work until now in terms of composition and production. We tried to add more elements in our sound and explore more genres and so we loved that we were able to do different things in each song of this album.

We try in every release, to have let’s say a ‘pallet’ of songs that shows our influences and in “Strangers” we experimented more so that we could broaden our musical horizons.

Q: I noticed you last year also released a live EP/mini-album featuring five songs. How important are live shows to you -and especially after the lockdowns all over Europe? How do you look back at WGT you played this year?

Dionisis: These songs were recorded during the last lockdown for a stream event and later on we came up with the idea to release it as EP.

It was a strange and hard era during the covid for every musician and for their fans also, because gigs are the best way to share your energy and feelings with people who support you and listen to your music.

WGT was an amazing experience and I would say that it was the best gig we had until now. The feedback that we got and the support during the show was something that we really hadn’t expected so we couldn’t be happier. It was a really memorable experience.

Q: What comes next for Grey Gallows?

Dionisis: We are currently working on some new songs for our next album, this is our fuel that keeps us evolving and moving forward.

Furthermore, we have scheduled some live gigs for September, we are a band who loves playing live. In one of those we are supporting the mighty Covenant in Athens on December, along with our friend Night In Athens. So we would like to thank you for this interview, it was a real pleasure and honor for us.

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-Wave, Post-Punk.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: “Strangers” is the fourth official studio album by Greek formation Grey Gallows. It also is their second opus released by German label Cold Transmission Records.

Content: The work reflects the darkest hours of Dark-Wave music and especially the opening cut sounds like emerging from the grave. Guitar and singing are once again reminding me of The Sisters Of Mercy but the production also features very explicit electronic sound treatments. In the end you get a perfect twist between guitar and electronics; between dark power and melody lines. The work also features interesting collaborations with guest singers Kriistal Ann and Incirrina.

+ + + : This is a great dark production revealing a band which has seriously improved most aspects of their production. They first of all found a better balance between typical Dark-Wave guitar playing and elevating, melodic, Electronics. The low singing vocals only accentuate the darkness of the work while female guest singers -and especially Kriistal Ann, injects her familiar cold, sterile, and sensual way of singing.

– – – : Both last songs aren’t my favorites and a bit like an antithesis to a great piece of music.

Conclusion: Grey Gallows reinvents the 80s Dark-Wave spirit; kind of imaginary hybrid between The Sisters Of Mercy and She Passed Away.

Best songs: “Strangers”, “Lies”, “Spirits Feat. Kriistal Ann”, “Dying Light”, “Bare Inside Featuring Incirrina”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/greygallowsband

Label: www.darkdimensions.de /  www.facebook.com/pages/Dark-Dimensions-Label-Group/486014725206 Read the news on ‘Strangers’.

Listen to “Strangers”:

About Grey Gallows

Grey Gallows is a Greek dark wave duo from Patras, formed in 2016 by Konstantin (vocals, keys) and Dionisis (guitar, bass, keys). The band signed to German label Cold Transmission Records, which gave them a wider audience across Germany and central Europe and led to a performance at Wave-Gotik-Treffen. “Strangers”, released in 2023, is the band’s fourth full-length album and its second for Cold Transmission Records. Partly written during the pandemic, the record combines the duo’s Dark-Wave and Post-Punk foundation with Cold-Wave and electronic elements, and features guest vocals from Kriistal Ann of Paradox Obscur and Irini Tiniakou of Incirrina, mixed by longtime sound engineer Nick “TheMute” Chalntoupis.

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: EBM, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD, cassette.

Background/Info: Greek Kostas Stavropoulos aka ‘Toxic Razor’ is involved with numerous projects. Paradox Obscur is for sure the most familiar and successful one while Metal Disco remains the most prolific ones. The artist brings a fine selection together of songs that were released in between 2021 and 2022 on EP’s and singles. There’s also a previously unreleased song.

Content: Metal Disco stands for retro-electronics mixing minimalism and elements of EBM with rough vocals on top. You now and then will notice extra influences like Acid sequences and Techno vibes on top. The songs are short, cold, and dark. The new song “Marauder” is the last cut from the work.

+ + + : Metal Disco is a project I’ve always liked for its global approach in sound. This album features recently composed and released songs mixing different influences together but always remaining minimal, dark, cold, and into pure underground. The Greek sung “Μοιραία Στιγμή” featuring a great, cold, tune and “In Motion” featuring female guest vocals by Incirrina both are my favorite cuts. Other attention grabbers are “Metal Muscle”, the new cut “Marauder” and the retro Techno like “Acid Lord”.

– – – : As I’m always saying, I regret the tracks aren’t a bit more extended.

Conclusion: Metal Disco has got a damned good idea to compile most songs from the past two years as a full length; cool EBM minimalism.

Best songs: “Μοιραία Στιγμή”, “In Motion”, “Metal Muscle”, “Marauder”, “Acid Lord”, “Detest”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/metaldiscomusic

Label: www.facebook.com/werkstattrecordings

About Metal Disco

Metal Disco is a solo project of Greek musician Kostas Stavropoulos, known as ‘Toxic Razor,’ who also owns the Werkstatt Recordings label and runs the projects Paradox Obscur, Beatbox Machinery, Resistance Of Independent Music, and Hardware Pulse. Metal Disco is composed entirely on hardware equipment, mixing EBM, Minimal-Electro, Electro-Wave, and Electroclash.

Prior full-length “Sex, Drugs & Hardware” featured guest vocals by Irini of Incirrina, who returned for the “In Motion” EP. 2021 was a prolific year for the project, with one compilation and three EPs released, including the “Καμία Εξουσία” EP, Stavropoulos’ first use of Greek lyrics in Metal Disco, and the “Misbehave” EP.

“Technoid Electronics II 2021-2022”, reviewed here, compiles that run of EP and single material together with one previously unreleased track, “Marauder”, via Werkstatt Recordings.

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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Grey Gallows, the Patras, Greece-based darkwave duo (Konstantin and Dionisis), are back with “Strangers”, their fourth full-length album. The album will be released tomorrow, 5th May. With this album, the band has experimented with both hardware and software analogue synths, incorporating more electronic elements than in their previous albums.

Participating on the album are two female singers, Kriistal Ann (Paradox Obscur) and Irini Tiniakou (Incirrina). Also involved in the production and mixing of the release is sound designer Nick “The Mute” Chaldoupis, with whom Grey Gallows also collaborated on their last album “Garden of Lies”.

Lyrically, the album addresses both experiential and fantastical narratives about the human psyche, love, pain, alienation, and the redemption of the individual, concerning social issues that plague the modern era.

The album will be available on CD, vinyl, and digitally.

Grey Gallows released their first self-financed mini-album “Beyond Reflections” in September 2017. One year later, they released “Tears” via In Club Records on tape. Having spent almost a year producing their new material, they joined forces with the German label Cold Transmission Music to release their third album “Garden of Lies” in spring 2021.

Now, they are back with their fourth album, “Strangers”. Read the review of ‘Strangers’.

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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Genre/Influences: Cold-Wave, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl, Cassette.

Background/Info: Incirrina is a Greek duo driven by George K. and Irini Tiniakou. I discovered this formation -at least the singer Irini T. as a guest on an EP of Metal Disco. They however released a few productions and last year joined hands together with Cold Transmission Music to unleash this opus.

Content: The work is reflecting feelings we all felt during the pandemic and its lockdowns. This desolation and solitude is totally appropriated for the icy, electronics of Incirrina. It’s a pure Cold-Wave production which is sometimes reinforced with harder, EBM, elements. The work remains however retro-like. 

+ + + : Incirrina is another amazing new coming band signed on Cold Transmission Music. The retro Cold-Wave approach is danceable and supported with melancholic moods. The numerous string parts accentuate the desolate atmosphere while Irini’s passionate vocals let you feel different kinds of emotions running through the work. I prefer the harder and danceable cuts instead of the more evasive, melancholic pieces but the entire album is worthy of examination.

– – – : “Lip Led Scream” is maybe missing an absolute hit but trust me, you get only cool songs instead.

Conclusion: This is a well-crafted and fully enjoyable work without any single cut to throw away.

Best songs: “I Lick Rain”, “Dance Of The Dark”, “Hatred”, “Not Live”, “My Only Land”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: https://incirrinaband.wixsite.com/incirrina /

www.facebook.com/Incirrinaband

Label: www.coldtransmission.com / www.facebook.com/coldtransmissionmusic

About Incirrina

Incirrina is a Greek duo of George K. and Irini Tiniakou. Irini Tiniakou first appeared on Side-Line’s radar as a guest vocalist on a Metal Disco EP. The duo released several earlier productions before signing to Cold Transmission Music for the album “Lip Led Scream”, a Cold-Wave record reinforced with EBM elements and shaped by the isolation of the pandemic years.

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: Electro-Pop, Italo-Disco.

Format: Digital, CD, Cassette.

Background/Info: Greek project Metal Disco already has a new work out. ‘Toxic Razor’ (still involved with Paradox Obscur) joined hands with the singer of the Greek project Incirrina, Irini Tini to achieve this EP.

Content: Every new work by Metal Disco brings a different sonic focus. The main influences remain driven by raw Electro-Pop and EBM but we now get elements of Italo-Disco on top. It sounds refreshing retro like with great female vocals on top. The last song is a remix by Stutter Monk.

+ + + : Metal Disco has probably achieved one of its most elaborated works although it remains very accessible. The mix of Electro-Wave and Italo-Disco with the sensual vocals on top creates a great sonic symbiosis and the perfect music to dance. The pure vintage sound treatments inject this little touch of magic resulting in cool songs.

– – – : I still regret the songs remain pretty short. The Stutter Monk-remix doesn’t really sound like a bonus.

Conclusion: Metal Disco never stops to take me by surprise. This is a great retro-like Electro/Wave-Pop and Italo-Disco production.

Best songs: “Tension”, “Heavy Rain”, “In Motion”.

Rate: 8.

Artists: www.facebook.com/metaldiscomusic / www.facebook.com/Incirrinaband

Label: www.facebook.com/werkstattrecordings

“In Motion” was released on 20 March 2022 through Werkstatt Recordings. Metal Disco produced, mixed and performed the EP and wrote the music and lyrics, with vocals by Irini Tini of Incirrina and a remix of “Tension” by Stutter Monk. Nikolas “TheMute” Chalntoupis mixed the vocals and mastered the release at SoundCave Studios in Athens.

Listen to “In Motion”:

About Metal Disco

Metal Disco is the solo project of Athens-based musician Kostas Stavropoulos, who works under the name ‘Toxic Razor’ and runs the Werkstatt Recordings label. He is also involved with Paradox Obscur, Beatbox Machinery, Resistance Of Independent Music and Hardware Pulse. Metal Disco is composed entirely on hardware equipment, and the sound mixes EBM, minimal-electro, electro-wave and electroclash.

Stavropoulos set out the reasoning behind that hardware-only method in Side-Line’s ‘Click Interview’ with Metal Disco in March 2022, weeks before this EP was reviewed. He described the starting point for the project as “having punchy drum rhythms with dirty driven basslines in a kinda more minimal approach with not many instruments/sounds involved.”

“In Motion” pairs the project with Incirrina, the Athens electro and synth-wave act fronted by Irini Tini. Metal Disco continued the sequence in 2023 with the album Metal Disco – Technoid Electronics II 2021-2022, while Incirrina went on to release “Lip Led Scream” in 2023 and Incirrina release new album ‘Trace’ on Cold Transmission Music in 2026.

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

In a rather short lapse of time Greek solo-project Metal Disco has released an impressive number of productions. Driven by Werkstatt Recordings label owner -and involved with other music projects like Paradox Obscur, Beatbox Machinery, Resistance Of Independent Music, Hardware Pulse… Kostas Stavropoulos aka ‘Toxic Razor’, the sound of Metal Disco is composed by only hardware equipment. The sound features different influences mixing EBM, Minimal-Electro, Electro-Wave, Electroclash ao. 2021 has been an extremely prolific year for Metal Disco while a new EP has been already released this year. Time for an interview and introduction in the world of this great project. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You’re involved with multiple projects so what makes the specificity of Metal Disco in comparison with all others? What kind of sound and production did you have in mind when setting up Metal Disco?

TR: Metal Disco delivers a more darkened electro sound especially in the first releases. What I had in mind when starting this project was having punchy drum rhythms with dirty driven basslines in a kinda more minimal approach with not many instruments/sounds involved.

Q: The way of composing your music is very important and especially the use of hardware equipment! Tell us a bit more about your way of working? And does it mean you have something against software equipment and tools?

TR: Indeed hardware instruments is more fun to work with and play, feels like becoming one with a synth or a drum machine when recording or rehearsing and that is something that I can’t find in the virtual software world. The sound is much more richer and breathes like a living entity unlike the sterile virtual instruments which no matter how good they sound it’s like something’s missing..  sitting in front of a screen making music is not my cup of tea, I have tried it in the past and had absolutely no fun but I don’t have something against software as for other people might work better.

Q: Metal Disco has been very prolific during the past few years. Where does this inspiration come from and what’s the usual way of composing when working on Metal Disco?

TR: Inspiration comes mostly after jamming in the studio, synthesizers can offer a wide palette of sounds and mood, sometimes feels like these waveforms devour me, luring me into their deep endless spiral of synthesis.

When starting a new track I mostly give emphasis and work on the bassline parts along with some basic drum rhythm, from there I try to find a fitting lead/melody and later come back to the drums again in order to build the main groove, fills, changes etc. But once the main idea is set the song drives me by itself until it takes the final shape.

Q: You clearly like to release EP’s while each EP sounds like having a different focus and own influences. Tell us a bit more about the most recent productions and how did you see the project evolving throughout the years?

TR: 2021 was a very busy year with one compilation and 3 EPs released, while also working in the collaboration EP with Incirrina and trying to put together ideas for the next full-length album.

In the “Καμία Εξουσία”-EP I also tried for the first time Greek lyrics in the Metal Disco project since I had the self-titled track sitting for around a decade in my studio, so I thought why not record a few more tracks in Greek.. this how “Καμία Εξουσία”-EP was born.

The recent “Misbehave”-EP delivers a more Electronic sound with groovy basslines and I feel it turned out more melodic than what I expected and had in mind when started composing it.

As for evolving this is something I could say for my other band Paradox Obscur since we always try to explore new paths, but for Metal Disco things are simpler, music is more raw, stripped and direct.

Q: You already mentioned the new EP entitled “In Motion” featuring Incirrina. How did this collaborative work happened and what has been the input of Incirrina?

TR: I have collaborated with many other artists for the Metal Disco project in the past and Irini from Incirrina was also part of the latest full-length album “Sex, Drugs & Hardware”.

Since I was looking for someone to take over the vocals in the new EP I thought Irini would fit great in these new songs and all evolved very naturally.

She has taken over the vocal parts in all songs of the “In Motion”-EP and I think this must be the more melodic work for Metal Disco so far..

Q: I can’t get away from the idea you’re devoted to 80s Electronics. What made the magic of this decade and what are your personal ‘masters’ when it comes to musicians?  And do you have contemporary ‘masters’ or simply musicians/producers you respect for their way of working?

 TR: The 80s was a rather obscure weird era in many aspects but had a great renaissance in the music scenery in various genres It’s impossible to mention all the artists I listen but names like Mylene Farmer, Sandra, Jean-Michel Jarre, Pet Shop Boys, Yello etc are on my top preferences together with some Metal acts like Venom, Bathory, Celtic Frost, Slayer, W.A.S.P. which are not Electronic but evolved and experimented over the years and always has been a great inspiration to my musical ventures.

Concerning the contemporary scene I listen a lot to Electro, Tech-House, Progressive Techno, Trance, EBM, Future-Pop, Synth-Wave, Italo and artists like Motor, Arnaud Rebotini, Black Asteroid, John Dahlbäck, Mind.In.A.Box, Soman, Juno Reactor, Apoptygma Berzerk is always a pleasure to listen their work.

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