Darkness is the second EP from the enigmatic Californian duo known as Diana Jr. and Jackie Jr. Much has been said about this project—particularly the claim that it is entirely AI-generated. While the cover art certainly reinforces that impression, I remain skeptical when it comes to the music and vocals, especially given the involvement of the label Les Disques De La Pantoufle…

The EP features four brief tracks that channel a dark, raw, and at times brutal Electro-Pop aesthetic. The soundscape leans into a menacing atmosphere, occasionally brushing up against Industrial textures. There’s a clear willingness to experiment, with harsh, unpolished elements that challenge the listener’s expectations.

When people think of Electro-Pop, melody is often central—but here, that role is intriguingly taken over by the vocals. The singer’s delivery suggests experience and nuance, casting further doubt on the idea that this is purely an AI creation. On the closing track, she recites a poem by Lord Byron, which also serves as the EP’s title—“Darkness”.

While perhaps less accessible than its predecessor, “Darkness” stands as a compelling, unconventional, and anarchistic entry into the Electro-Pop world—a genre too often plagued by formulaic repetition. (Rating:7).

Listen to “Future Crusher”:

https://intrusivepinky.bandcamp.com/track/future-crusher

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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Note: This article is an opinion piece. It reflects the personal views of Jean-Marc Lederman and is intended to provoke reflection and discussion within the industrial and electronic music communities.

On Les Disques de la Pantoufle – my very small label serving as a release outlet for my own productions and those of Rohn-Lederman – there’s a band called Intrusive Pinky. They use AI-generated images for cover art and are reportedly fronted by two women from Long Beach, California. Their names – clearly puns – are meant to amuse, stir curiosity about their authenticity, and pay homage to a seminal electropop project: Daniel Miller’s Silicon Teens.

All of this should signal to the listener a carefully constructed concept and an intentional artistic approach—regardless of how you feel about the music.

But no.

As often happens on social media, where outrage spreads faster than understanding, a musician took offense at the cover of Darkness, the new Intrusive Pinky EP, because it was AI-generated. They also objected to the synthetic sounds, claiming the synths “don’t physically exist.” We’re all aware by now that AI occasionally creates people with six fingers. So what?

Look at the moon, stupid. Don’t look at the hand.

Of course it’s AI, punk.

I know there’s an ongoing debate about the use of AI in art. I’m happy to discuss that via email. But I won’t attempt it here, because online discourse rarely leaves space for reasoned thought before outrage takes over. Still, let’s talk plainly—for the record—about why the industrial/EBM/electropop scene may be the last place to lecture others about the ethics of AI.

Let’s play a game of subtractive synthesis. Peel away layers of what makes up this scene and see what’s left.

Start with sampling—a foundational technique in which bands lift snippets from movies, TV, or music, often without permission. Sound familiar? That’s how AI models are trained—by scraping data, without royalties or consent.

Remove that, and you erase “Hey Poor, You Don’t Have to Be Poor Anymore”, much of Front 242, NIN’s Head Like a Hole, and giant chunks of Ministry, The Young Gods, and more. Industrial and EBM thrived on cultural theft dressed up as innovation.

Next, eliminate conceptual or fictional bands. Goodbye to The Normal, Silicon Teens, Spinal Tap, The Blues Brothers—and the dozens of acts that have used pseudonyms or alter egos to release work.

Cleaner yet?

Now scrap all bands that use stock imagery because their visuals can’t match their sonics. What about the endless parade of EBM releases featuring busty goth models who’ve never heard the band in question? That wipes out about 80% of EBM covers.

Let’s keep going: factory presets. Sequential’s own survey showed that 90% of users don’t modify presets. With today’s VSTs, that percentage is probably higher. We hear the same patches in club tracks, YouTube ads, and TV scores.

Originality? Good luck with that. Another pile of bands wiped out.

Let’s also acknowledge how many songs begin with a hook you heard on a playlist. You got inspired, tinkered with your gear, and birthed something new. Is that theft—or just the same iterative process AI uses?

Sounds like you’re your own AI engine, doesn’t it?

The point isn’t to preach pro- or anti-AI. It’s a tool. A brilliant one, when used well. But let’s be honest: the industrial scene was built on the exact same instincts—collection, reinterpretation, identity play, and defiant reinvention.

The real debate should be about compensation, not purity.

Intrusive Pinky is real. The gear is real. The lyrics are more human than most EBM acts muster. And Darkness is anything but a soulless, machine-spat output. The decision to use AI visuals doesn’t invalidate the music. It expands the concept.

AI, like any tool, can be abused. But used deliberately, transparently, and creatively, it can also be revolutionary.

Unless, of course, your definition of art begins and ends with lashing out at blurry fingers on a digital cover while ignoring the layers beneath.

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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Long Beach-based synth punk duo Intrusive Pinky has released their second EP, “Darkness”, available digitally via Bandcamp and major streaming platforms.

Intrusive Pinky first emerged in March 2024 as the debut signing of the boutique label Les Disques De La Pantoufle — a collaboration between Jean-Marc Lederman and COP International. Their first EP, “I Hate You, Patriarch Fuck!“, was released on April 5, 2024.

With “Darkness”, the duo continues their raw modular synth-driven aesthetic. The EP features four tracks that combine analog modular textures with dystopian spoken-word vocals. Thematically, it is anchored by Lord Byron’s 1816 poem “Darkness”, drawing parallels between post-Napoleonic despair and modern anxieties over climate collapse and cultural fatigue.

The EP includes the following tracks:

1. “Hoops On Fire”
2. “Future Crusher”
3. “fAITHkidnAPPER”
4. “Darkness” (based on the poem by Lord Byron)

Produced entirely on analog rigs and recorded live with minimal overdubs, “Darkness” builds on the duo’s sound introduced in their debut. According to the band, it reflects a world where “hope is a far away signal jammed beyond recognition” and “relationships [are] a block of ice floating away from the polar floe.”

Jackie Jr of Intrusive Pinky says: “This isn’t just music for the end of times. It’s what end times feel like in your veins — cold, disjointed, but maybe also beautiful in its collapse. And then fuck off, make up your own mind, if you still have one.”

About Intrusive Pinky

Intrusive Pinky is a two-member project based in Long Beach, California, blending modular synth, industrial, and spoken-word elements. The duo is signed to Les Disques De La Pantoufle, a label founded by Jean-Marc Lederman in partnership with COP International.

Here’s their first EP “I Hate You, Patriarch Fuck!“.

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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Intrusive Pinky is a new female duo releasing their debut EP on Jean-Marc Lederman’s new Belgian label. We get to hear 5 songs that bring a somewhat experimental form of Electro-Pop. It’s a Minimal-Electro approach with some funny lyrical passages on top. There’s something of Miss Kittin in this promising debut. (Rate:7)

Listen to “We’re The Meow Meow Generation”:

https://intrusivepinky.bandcamp.com/track/were-the-meow-meow-generation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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