The German female fronted electro dance outfit Junksista finally returns, not with 1 but with 2 EPs, including one which also sees a release as a very limited MCD version.

The first release is “Sinner’s Delight (decadence edition)”, which was originally self-released at the end of last year. The Belgian electro label Alfa Matrix is now releasing this gem to a wider audience. There are 2 versions available, a by 8 tracks extended “Decadence” edition of the mini-album “Sinner’s Delight” (pimping the tracklist up to 14 tracks in total) which has been released via Bandcamp and as an extremely limited 6-track MCD which you an order here exclusively straight from the label.

Next is “Live a little (more)”, which sees an extended re-release after being originally released as a single in September 2014. The track was the fruit of a very special collaboration of the band with renowned singer, actress and 80’s icon star Jane Badler (remember the sexually charged villain Diana of cult classic television program ‘V’?). That single has now been re-recorded and several artists joined this project to deliver their very own interpretation of “Live A Little”. This 8-track EP can be downloaded right here on Bandcamp.

The band has also released a video for the track “Drug”:

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: Dance-pop, synth-pop.

Background/Info: Spray is a British duo I discovered in 2002 when they released their debut album “Living In Neon” released on Ninthwave Records. A second album “Children Of Laser God” got released in 2007.  Jenny McLaren and Ricardo Autobahn who in a former life were members of The Cuban Boys are now back on track unleashing their third full length.

Content: The opening cuts clearly sound into dance-pop music. It’s a kind of ‘warm summer’ music on the edge of commercial dance music. This is the kind of well-crafted pop music with simply, carrying tunes that will bring you instantly to dance.

The second part of the work reveals a more interesting content, which is less ‘commercial’-minded. There also is a dub-minded cut, but the main part consists of more traditional electro-pop songs. It still feels ‘summer-like’ getting you in a happy mood, but in the end this is also what this kind of pop music stands for.

Notice by the way that Spray invited several guests to join in on a few cuts. One of the most surprising guests is Hollywood actress Jane Badler who’s featured on the intro-cut. One of the most familiar names is Hyperbubble, which is another electro-pop driven band.

+ + + : The global production reveals a high qualitative sound resulting in cool songs. I like the diversity from the album and especially the evolution from a more typical dance-pop style towards classical electro-pop fields. The song “The 80s Never Died” featuring Phil Fletcher and DonQuibeats sounds pretty vintage-pop like and is the best cut from the album. This is a pretty accessible electro-pop release.

– – – : Spray moves on the edge of commercial dance-pop music and that’s a kind of grey zone that will not convince all electro-pop lovers. The sound is pretty contemporary, but I’m afraid it will rapidly suffer from the weight of time.

Conclusion: If you’re in search of well-crafted dance-pop music that will appeal for a wider audience and make your friends dance during a warm Saturday night garden party, Spray will be your best friend.

Best songs: “The 80s Never Died”, “Fake controversy Coincendentally Moves Product”, “The Biggest Pool In LA”, “Overdramatic”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www.spraynet.co.uk / www.facebook.com/spraynet

Label: www.benoffeesound.co.uk

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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