Horror & Opera, brainchild of Siberian-born classically trained operatic singer, multi-instrumentalist, experimental electronic musician, and multi-disciplinary mixed-media artist, Alia Synesthesia, premieres the track “Incantation”, launching the new immersive multimedia release, “The Lost Opera“.

An immersive, multimedia storytelling event, “The Lost Opera” by Horror & Opera is a ‘Haunted Box’ project, combining audio drama and an operatic composition, “Mortuus Messis”, with both physical artifacts and digital media. “The Lost Opera” tells the story of a mysterious opera known as “Mortuus Messis”, thought to have been lost forever, and the research of the passionate PhD student determined to uncover its secrets.

Project mastermind, Alia Synesthesia of Horror & Opera, says: “There’s something captivating about uncovering lost histories, hidden stories, and forgotten art. For the past year, I’ve been immersed in half composition, half research project that taps into a myriad of exciting for me themes, blends fact and fiction, myth and reality. Today, I’m excited to share the culmination of that journey: The Lost Opera Project – an exploration into the hauntingly beautiful and enigmatic world of Mortuus Messis, an opera that was performed just once in 1916 in Blackwater, Massachusetts, before vanishing into obscurity.”

The Lost Opera ‘Haunted Box’ is made available in both fully virtual (digital) and physical forms. The digital version includes audio downloads of both the opera itself, and the protagonist’s dissertation tapes, along with digital artifacts. The physical version of the box includes everything available in digital form, as well as physical cassette tapes, photographs, letters, and other ephemera.

About Alia Synesthesia aka Horror & Opera

The Lost Opera by Horror & Opera is composed, performed, produced, mixed and mastered by Siberian-born artist Alia Synesthesia; a classically-trained operatic singer, multi-instrumentalist, experimental electronic musician, and multi-disciplinary mixed-media artist, now based in Toronto, Canada.

Alia was born in Yakutsk (Sakha Republic), where she began her formal musical education at the age of 6. Alia started making electronic music in 2011, inspired and influenced by acts like Skinny Puppy, Depeche Mode, Chelsea Wolfe, and others.

Her music blends elements from classical music to musique concrète; from blackmetal to progressive rock; from synthpop to darkwave; from industrial to dark ambience.

Since 2017, Alia has toured from Hawaii to New Zealand and Japan, and as a live touring member Attrition. She is about to join this UK act as they embark on their first ever tour of Australia, and a return trip to New Zealand, from 24 October – 9 November 2024.

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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Or0-KUS4K1 is a newly formed electronic band that blends techno, EBM, and EDM with psychedelic influences to create a unique sound. The band was formed in July 2024 as a sub-unit of the artist collective Slugger Punch. Initially, the band consisted of two members, USHIO (vocals, lyrics, and visual concepts) and RYU (beats, engineering, and visual concepts). They were later joined by Mónu Chan as vocalist.

The band’s debut EP, titled “Open the Gateway”, is out now and showcases the band’s eclectic mix of electronic sub-genres, alongside their thematic use of mystical and spiritual symbolism. The 5-track EP is available on all streaming platforms​.

Here’s some more info about the band members. Mónu Chan was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1993, and is a Chinese rapper and singer currently based in Umbria, Italy. She also contributes to another sub-unit of Slugger Punch and Witch Division​. RYU (a.k.a. Isezaki 137) is a U.S.-born Japanese music producer and beatmaker. He spent much of his life in Japan, where he began his career creating synthwave tracks. Now based in Spain, he works under the alias “Isezaki 137”. USHIO (a.k.a. Ushio SP) is the leader of the band, USHIO, and skilled in producing, rapping, and sampling. He has a 20-year career in the music industry, specializing in Asian electronic music. Aside from his work with Or0-KUS4K1, he has collaborated with a variety of international artists and created musical pieces for well-known cosplayers and influencers. USHIO has also produced official music trailers for publishing houses like Star Comics​.

Check out the band’s videos 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.

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Raymond Watts, better known as PIG, has released a fully remastered version of his iconic 1995 album, “Sinsation“. Out via Metropolis Records (CD, digital) and Armalyte Industries (deluxe 2xLP vinyl), this reissue arrives nearly three decades after the original, just in time to coincide with Watts’ forthcoming North American tour.

“Sinsation” originally hit the scene on Nothing Records, the label spearheaded by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor. The album emerged shortly after PIG opened for NIN, and as a result PIG found himself labelmates of acts such as Marilyn Manson, Autechre, and Einstürzende Neubauten.

Watts says this about the actual album: “Every record I make is PIG through a different noose, and when I made ‘Sinsation’ the noose hung high. It was born at Ranch Apocalypse in London, a place where creation and cremation coexisted. I was locked inside both the studio and myself, with only [guitarist] Steve White and a large box of drugs for company. ‘Sinsation’ was the sound of the last card turning and burning. The only way out was through. I had to give birth to the noise inside my head and record it.”

The remastering process was an emotional experience for Watts: “I was surprised and saddened to revisit ‘Sinsation’. Surprised by the energy and invention and saddened to hear the pain. But, I was strangely glad to have visited hell, and blessed that I didn’t stay.”

The original ‘Sinsation’ was a collaborative effort, recorded and mixed by PIG and Helen Woodward, featuring contributions from Karl Hyde (Underworld), Jimmy Cauty (The KLF), Steve White (KMFDM), Carol Anne Reynolds (Sow), and Japanese artists Imai Hisashi (Buck Tick) and Hoppy Kamiyama.

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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(The visual is AI generated) In July 2024, German composer, musician and producer of electronic music Uwe H. Schmidt (aka Lassigue Bendthaus, Atom™, Atom Heart, or Señor Coconut) headlined the Russian Outline festival, which returned after its last edition in 2016, and this amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

Run by the team behind Moscow club Mutabor, the house, techno and experimental festival took place last week (18-24 July) in Taldom, a small town on the outskirts of the capital. Playing were international acts like Atom™, Margaret Dygas and Le Syndicat Electronique who joined local DJs and live acts including Tim Aminov, Denis Kaznacheev and Sofia Rodina.

Present at the festival also was a military recruitment tent and vehicles marked with the letter “Z”, symbols associated with the Russian military effort against Ukraine.

Moscow region July 2023. Outline festival. I pointed out that u should remember those artists in the lineup. Can we tell now that they are officially support genocide of Ukrainians and act as an entertainment at the points of recruiting (mobilization) of russians for the war? pic.twitter.com/gxi5G6SgJf

— Maya Baklanova (@mayabaklanova) July 7, 2023

It didn’t take long before critics, such as Ukrainian activist Maya Baklanova, said that Western artists performing in Russia were normalizing the war and supporting the Russian regime by their participation.

Schmidt responded to the criticism by calling it a “smear campaign” against him. He defended his performance, implying that the accusations were unfounded and intended to damage his reputation. And he added: “It is also painful that at this point in my career I have, for the first time, to make a non-musical public statement of that sort, yet it seems that times require this to be done. (…) I consider myself a profoundly non- or rather trans-political person. Many years ago I had decided to take the path of making true human bonds through music. Unlike politics, which is the mode of separation, I had chosen music, which is the mode of connection.”

Surprisingly Schmidt’s recent performance in Russia was backed by an official support letter, issued by the German Embassy in St. Petersburg.

Liebe deutsche Techno-Community, um @Atom_TM_news, liebes deutsches Generalkonsulat in Sankt Petersburg @germania_online, habt ihr sie noch alle? Im kriegführenden russland die kriegsbejahende Masse mit deutschen Techno-Acts belohnen und damit diesen Terrorstaat normalisieren? pic.twitter.com/8BdGFjA7z8

— Ukrainki_UA (@Ukrainki_UA) July 28, 2024

This letter was accompanied by a meeting with the general consul Mr. Schimandl of which an official post was made on VK by the German Embassy itself. We took a screenshot of said post below.

Criticism continues as for instance even Russian techno producer Pavel Milyakov (aka Buttechno) accused the artists at the festival of attracting people to a war effort, stating that their performances indirectly supported the military budget used for the invasion of Ukraine.

Und wie wird sich versucht rauszureden? @Atom_TM_news will Verbindungen schaffen. Ich bezweifle, dass auf dem Festival Ukrainer sind. Zwischen wem werden also diese Verbindungen geschaffen? Zahlenden Kunden und einem deutschen DJ…? pic.twitter.com/9rfXdDRLaC

— Ukrainki_UA (@Ukrainki_UA) July 28, 2024

His official statements contains some disturbing clues, such as, “this link may be blocked in your free, democratic country,” “this situation, the one of being forced into political obedience,” and “(it) has poisoned music and other arts as it enslaves them to ideology.” He seems to suggest that condemning Russian aggression equates to political obedience.

And that is when, regrettably, we recognize a kind of responses that are typical among artists who support Russia, like for instance Simone Salvatori (Spiritual Front). It’s clear now that Uwe H. Schmidt decided to follow the Russian propaganda narrative instead of using is name and fame to condemn the Russian invasion. His defensive line as if music should be non-political is hereby completely destroyed. Rumor has it also that the DJs playing at the fest received exceptionally high fees.

Sad to see this happening from an artist we used to admire. Not anymore after this.

About Uwe H. Schmidt

Uwe H. Schmidt, born on August 27, 1968, in Frankfurt, Germany, began his musical journey in the early 1980s. Initially playing drums, he soon transitioned to programming a drum computer inspired by the sounds of the Linn Drum. In 1986, Schmidt co-founded the cassette label N.G. Medien, releasing works by international artists, including Frontline Assembly, and his own project Lassigue Bendthaus with “The Engineer’s Love”. His first official Lassigue Bendthaus album, “Matter”, was recorded over four years and released in 1991, establishing his early career.

Living in Frankfurt, Schmidt was influenced by the burgeoning house and acid house scenes. He adopted the alias Atom Heart and released several dance-oriented 12-inch vinyl records under various project names. In 1992, he produced tracks for DJs Pascal F.E.O.S., Ata, and Heiko M/S/O, contributing to the early trance movement. Collaborations with Tetsu Inoue led to the formation of the Datacide project in 1993. Despite challenges with record labels, Schmidt continued to innovate, founding his own label, Rather Interesting, in 1994 to explore diverse musical ideas.

In the mid-1990s, Schmidt collaborated with artists like Bill Laswell and Haruomi Hosono, producing albums under multiple aliases. He met Chilean musician Dandy Jack, and in 1997, they relocated to Santiago, Chile, where Schmidt completed the first Señor Coconut album, “El Gran Baile”. This period marked the creation of his “electrolatino” style, blending traditional Latin music with electronic elements. He continued to release a monthly album on Rather Interesting.

Schmidt’s last Lassigue Bendthaus album, “Pop Artificielle”, released in 1999 under the name LB included electronic cover versions of famous pop songs. His next major project, “El Baile Alemán” by Señor Coconut, featured cha-cha-cha versions of Kraftwerk songs and received approval from Kraftwerk themselves. The album’s success led to international tours, including Europe and an intended U.S. tour. During this time, Schmidt also released innovative works like Geeez ‘n’ Gosh and collaborated with Bernd Friedmann on the Flanger project.

Schmidt continued to remix prominent artists, including Depeche Mode and Air, while touring extensively with his 9-piece Señor Coconut orchestra. The album “Yellow Fever!”, featuring covers of Yellow Magic Orchestra songs, became a major hit in Japan. Schmidt also released the Señor Coconut album “Around the World”, collaborating with artists like Stephan Remmler and Louie Austen.

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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Martin Bowes and his main music project Attrition have been part of the collective memory of many Electro fans since the 80s. This year, Attrition released their first new studio-album in years. “The Black Maria” sounds on the one hand like a ‘classic’ Electro-Wave-Pop album but on the other hand also as a refreshing and sensual production with some Cinematic parts. The work became a truly collective production with the contribution of female singers Emke (Black Nail Cabaret), Yvette (Vaselyne), Joanne Wolf and the return of the original Attrition-singer Julia Niblock Waller. Guest musicians Alia Miroshichenko, Annie Hogan, Vancorvid and Marietta Fox, Ian Arkley, Steve Clarke and Kris Force joined forces together with Attrition. I asked Martin Bowes some questions about this new and fantastic work released on Two Gods. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Attrition has now been active for over 40 years. Can you draw up a preliminary and concise overview of this exceptional career with the highs and lows that spontaneously come to mind? And how do you feel Attrition and its work has influenced the music scene over the years?

Martin: I started out in music inspired by Punk… first running a local music fanzine here in Coventry, between 1979-81 (Alternative Sounds ran for 18 issues). I knew that I had to make my own music so started Attrition in 1980 with Julia Waller, and her brother Ashley. We were totally influenced by Electronics and Post-Punk by then. It wasn’t easy to get gigs for music like this in the early 80’s, at least not around here… it would take a while for the music to take hold… and Industrial, Dark-Wave, whatever you may call it gradually became a lot bigger; lot was so good to be there at the beginning.

We have gone through many record labels, booking agents and even band members since those early days. It’s never been an easy road but it has taken us all over the world and we have released a lot of albums… and scored some film soundtracks along the way.

I hear that Attrition has influenced bands and the scene… I remember Skinny Puppy writing to us back in the mid-eighties… which is a wonderful thing to know.

Q: “The Black Maria” is your first new studio album in quite a long time. Why did this take so long and what sparked the new work?

Martin: The last full studio album was the “Millions Of The Mouthless Dead” album of First World war poetry and sounds I recorded as Attrition with Anni Hogan (of Marc And The Mambas amongst many projects she has done over the years). Since then we have toured a lot and released various singles and live recordings, and I have put out a side project… The Engram-album of 2018, and the DPM improvisational collective I was a part of in more recent years.

Recordings were slowed by covid, and the tragedy of my ex-wife, and Attrition collaborator Kerri Bowes untimely death in 2022. And also by increasing production and mastering work for other bands here in my studio The Cage. So yes it was high time for another Attrition album!

Q: I think I can say that it became a collaborative album. Tell us more about the choice of singers and other musicians? How did this collaboration go and did you discover new facets of yourself as a musician and producer?

Martin: I have been the main person in Attrition for many years, and with knowing so many musicians after all this time, and the ease of recording remotely these days, I found myself working with guest musicians more and more. Since our original singer Julia dropped out of the music scene 20 years ago I have recorded with a succession of guest female vocalists…  I think “The Black Maria” is the peak of that phase… as Julia… and her brother Ashley… after decades… have rejoined the band! They came back recently and have been playing live again with me and Julia sang on 2 songs on the new album… so Attrition is now the original line up, augmented by more musicians… a good place to be.

Q: “The Black Maria” is an interesting title with a whole background and meaning. What exactly inspired you and what did you try to express with this title and entire album?

Martin: “The Black Maria” was the name for a mythical figure that would come to take away ‘wrongdoers and miscreants’. Later it was used for the name of the  UK Police vans in the 1970’s… Kerri and I had a clash with our local corrupt Police a few years ago… hence the inspiration for the title… The album is, like all our albums, very personal… like an audio photo album of the time if you like. And it also looks at issues of state and religious corruption and control. Nothing really changes…

Q: What comes next after this album and what dreams or expectations do you have for the coming years?

Martin: Next on the agenda… we are planning shows and tours in The UK, Europe (next is The Castle Party in Poland July 12th – 14th) then The USA (Cold Waves festival Chicago and Dark Arts Festival Salt Lake City and more) then we are looking at Australia/New Zealand and Japan for the end of 2024/start of 2025…  Meanwhile I am releasing a double album of remixes from “The Black Maria”, also on my own label, Two Gods. And have started recording a Dark-Ambient Soundtrack work.

After all these years I can still get that same feeling of excitement with music and of only just beginning… and I love being a part of a wonderful world community.  I never have expectations, but plenty of dreams.

Thank you for the interview! Interested parties please check out our online sites!

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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Australian-based industrial synth outfit Schkeuditzer Kreuz, alias Kieren Hills, has today announced dates for a first tour of Japan, between August and September 2024.

Kieren says: “I’ve been to Japan three times with other bands, and every time I have always been totally blown away by the bands I’ve seen or played with. Every show – whether a death metal fest or a small bar full of chaos – has featured incredible and inventive bands, from beginning to end. That’s what I want to throw myself into – to get in there and amongst it all and make my music. I want to delve into the noise scene, into the grind, into the experimental and electronic, and just take it all in, to experience what is happening there. I want to fill myself with everything that Japan has to offer in the world of extreme music.”

The announcement follows Schkeuditzer Kreuz’s most recent single and video, “Ratchet” which was released in April 2024, and a string of Australian tourdates.

Following the completion of the tour to Japan, Schkeuditzer Kreuz returns to the studio in late 2024 to record their third album.

Below are the concert dates.

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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“Ratchet” is the new video and digital single from Australian-based industrial synth outfit Schkeuditzer Kreuz, alias Kieren Hills. It’s the third and final promo single from the project’s latest album, “No Life Left” (2023) after having already released the two video-singles “Joy” and “Second Life”.

The single – available on Bandcamp as well – comes backed by “Amerika 24”, a reworking of an earlier track taken from the debut Schkeuditzer Kreuz 12” EP, “Give Me Nothing” (2021).

The video for “Ratchet” was produced and directed by David Xuereb of Sydney’s Grim Reflections.

Now in its second pressing, “No Life Left” is out now on vinyl LP, double CD, and cassette, through Bad Habit Records (Australia), and is available directly from Schkeuditzer Kreuz on Bandcamp, along with digital download versions. The CD version also includes the remixes as a bonus disc, while the vinyl LP is distributed in the US through Sorry State Records, and in New Zealand by Centennial Conflict.

Schkeuditzer Kreuz also recently released the remix EP “Second Life: No Life Left Remixed” in December featuring guest collaborators Distruster (US), Max Rael (UK), Creassault (NZ), Non-Bio (UK), and Crash-Scan (NZ).

More touring across Australia is currently underway, with shows in Japan scheduled for August-September.

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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“Unbreakable” is the new industrial rock video and remix EP from New Zealand’s Robots In Love, led by Elenor Rayner. Elenor Rayner explains the meaning of teh single as follows: “‘Unbreakable’ is about how we feel the minute we walk on stage. It’s about being in the place where you feel at your strongest, and connecting with other people to increase that strength.”

The three-track EP release also includes an EBM remix by Elenor and a dance remix by drummer Alex Burchell. Below is the video.

Musically speaking Robots In Love bring a mix of electro rock fusing the raw energy of live drums, bass and guitar with electronics. They incorporate everything from moody, sensuous grooves to rock, techno, EBM, jungle, punk, industrial, alt pop, goth and electro.

Elenor Rayner (vocalist/producer) has credits on more than 70 releases as producer, vocalist or remixer and has toured throughout Europe, USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. On this release she is joined by Alex Burchell (drums) who is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist. As part of a symphonic orchestra, he recently played to a crowd of 20,000 in Christchurch, supporting The Chemical Brothers. Also part of the band is Tony Lumsden (bass), a highly regarded session musician who has toured with a plethora of musicians including Hello Sailor, Shona Laing and Rikki Morris. Last but not least there is Brett Lemmon (guitar), a former London-based guitarist/songwriter. He has worked with world renowned producers Hugh Padgham, Mike Chapman and Adrian Bushby and artists including Ellie Goulding and F.K.A. Twigs.

Robots In Love have released three EPs and tracks on several compilations, and routinely play live around New Zealand and Australia.

The new EP is available now.

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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Out on February 23rd is the new and also the trees album “Mother-of-pearl Moon”. The tracks on “Mother-of-pearl Moon” were born from a series of electric guitar improvisations created in during a month of solitude in 2020. “Mother-of-pearl Moon” will be promoted with tours throughout the year, beginning with a UK show in Birmingham on 24th March followed by six dates in Belgium and France in early April.

and also the trees formed during the original post-punk era in rural Worcestershire. The band immediately caught the attention of Robert Smith of The Cure, who invited them to tour with his group on several occasions. Smith was also involved with their early recordings alongside his bandmate Lol Tolhurst, who produced their first records. The band was also invited to perform at the 2018 edition of the Meltdown festival in London, an event that Smith curated.

Founded by singer Simon Jones and his guitarist brother Justin, and also the trees have released fifteen studio albums and toured frequently throughout mainland Europe, as well as North America and Japan.

Here are two tracks from the new album.

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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Eighties techno-pop band Vivabeat announced today that it will release remastered reissues of much of their back catalog via 80s-centric Rubellan Remasters on March 1. Founding members Marina Muhlfriedel (Marina del Rey) and Mick Muhlfriedel spearheaded the projects using material they found on some lost tape masters.

Vivabeat’s debut album “Party in the War Zone” comes with ten bonus tracks dating from the years after the original release. “The House is Burning” comes as a limited edition, purple and blue colored-vinyl, best-of package, which includes four previously unreleased songs.

“We never stopped believing in the music we made back then, and when a Vivabeat fan reached out on social media last year, urging us to connect with Rubellan Remasters’ founder Scott Davies, we did,” says Vivabeat keyboard player and vocalist Marina Muhlfriedel. “Scott was enthusiastic about working together, and seeing these projects get a second chance 40 years on is a remarkable gift.”

“After transferring the tapes to a digital format, I remixed two of the songs, one with the support of legendary producer Earle Mankey,” says bass player and lead songwriter Mick Muhlfriedel. “Then, Scott Davies’ expert remastering really breathed new life into the tracks.”

The CD and vinyl reissues serve as tribute to Terrance Robay, Connie DiSilva, and Alec Murphy, who died of AIDS, and to Doug Orilio, who succumbed to complications years after a motorcycle accident that left him as a paraplegic. Of the later members, guitarist Rob Dean, guitarist Jeff Gilbert (who also passed away), and drummer Chris Schendel figure most prominently in these recordings.

About Vivabeat

Vivabeat was formed in L.A. in 1978 as a hybrid of Los Angeles and Boston musicians playing in local punk/new wave bands and was active until the mid-1980s. Marina Muhlfriedel founded the seminal LA punk/pop band Backstage Pass; drummer Doug Orilio was in Boston’s Reddy Teddy, and Mick Muhlfriedel and Alec Murphy played with various Boston bands. When he joined the band, lead singer Terrance Robay was fresh off playing James Dean on the London stage. Connie DiSilva was a prodigy synth player and radio DJ.

Their debut album, “Party in the War Zone”, included the group’s most successful song, “Man from China” — a tune that first captured Peter Gabriel and Charisma Record’s attention.

The band continued to record, including an eponymously titled EP featuring Earle Mankey’s production and former Japan/Gary Numan/Sinead O’Connor guitarist, Rob Dean. It featured the song “The House is Burning (But There’s No One Home)”, which appears in the movie “Body Double” and has recently been licensed for Amazon Prime’s new animated series, “The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy”.

By 1982, Vivabeat found its footing alongside mainstream New Wave bands and spent a few years touring and playing shows with B-52s, Depeche Mode, Gang of Four, Human League, The Thompson Twins, R.E.M., Gary Numan, Wall of Voodoo, and others.

In 2001, Permanent Press Records released a best-of Vivabeat album titled “The Good Life 1979 – 1986”, which also featured tracks from See Jane Run, a Vivabeat spin-off band.

Marina is currently a writer living in Los Angeles. She occasionally performs with a Backstage Pass reboot and hosts Our Lips Unsealed, a rock and roll storytelling show. Mick is the president of a large youth soccer non-profit, the Downtown L.A. Soccer Club, and is working on a second album with his experimental Buff Roshi project.

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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Sacramento, CA-based act Genre Peak, the brainchild of musician Martin Birke, has announced the release of its 6th album titled “Gnosis”. Scheduled for release on January 30th, 2024 will offer a journey through dark, cinematic soundscapes. The album is the follow-up to “Psychopathy” (2022).

Birke has crafted eight tracks that explore the expansive theme of knowledge and its acquisition. “Gnosis” features a collaboration with guest composers such as Richard Barbieri of Japan and Porcupine Tree fame, Stephen Sullivan from Nus, and Daniel Panasenko from Sandbox Trio.

Produced by Christopher Scott Cooper for In Code Music, “Gnosis” will be available both as a CD and in digital formats. The release should be available soon from the Genre Peak Bandcamp page.

Martin Birke’s project Genre Peak has been a platform for numerous guest musicians, including Mick Karn, Jon Hassell, Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri, Matt Malley, Dean Garcia, and others. The project debuted in 2006 with the album “Ends Of The Earth”. And you will probably also know him from Casualty Park whose debut “Clutch” EP opened many doors.

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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King Yosef and Trace Amount recently announced a special limited run of shows in Japan during the last week of January.

While King Yosef blends elements of industrial, hardcore, metal, and even hip-hop, Trace Amount merges the likes of experimental harsh industrial. If you are in Japan or are travelling there during this last week of January, don’t miss the shows.

The Japanese tour dates are as follows:

• Jan 25: Osaka – special showcase – Fragile Store
• Jan 26: Osaka – w/ local supports – Hokage
• Jan 27: Shinjuku – w/ locals – Ochiai Soup (curated by Groundcover)
• Jan 28: Koiwa – w/ locals – Bushbash

Here are two videos from King Yosef and Trace Amount to give you an idea.

About King Yosef and Trace Amount

King Yosef is the solo project of musician, producer and singer Tayves Yosef Pelletier from Portland, Oregon, USA. His music can be best described as a mix of noise-rap, industrial-metal and bleeding-throat metallic hardcore.

Trace Amount is the solo project of Brooklyn-based producer, vocalist, and visual artist, Brandon Gallagher. First conceived in 2019, Trace Amount took shape just before the early stages of the pandemic, but has already moulted various exoskeletons in its brief time of existence. “Simulation Fetish” will be the first new material since “Anti Body Language”, the debut full-length album released in April 2022 via Federal Prisoner, a label founded by Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Black Queen) and visual artist Jesse Draxler. The “Simulation Fetish” EP will be released in its entirety before a yet-to-be-announced April USA tour on Friday, March 22nd.

“Simulation Fetish” was mixed by Rhys Fulber of Front Line Assembly. Trace Amount will be releasing the tracks intermittently throughout another leg of international touring, featuring dates in Australia with Greg Puciato, Japan with King Yosef, and the United Kingdom again with Greg Puciato in January through March. The first track “Living Accessory” has reached all streaming platforms on Wednesday, January 10th.

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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Celebrating its 30th year, Audioglobe, the most important distributor in the darkwave scene, just shared a statistical review, revealing the shifts and trends in the darkwave (and related) music genre.

Our readers will surely remember that we have reported on these stats for years, until 2018, the first year that Audioglobe didn’t communicate these stats. Sebastian Koch from Audioglobe explains: “Some customers never really cared that much about these, as they have better things to do than reading boring mails from the undersigned. But… Surprisingly there are quite a high number of customers, that sort of ‘complained’ about the fact, that no stats were being done any longer… The reason is: I was simply always far too busy in past years. Anyway: Here we go with the first new stats since 2017!”

So here are some export facts.

Top 10 Bestselling Labels of 2023 (export)

1. FABRIKA/DEAD SCARLET
   • She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Selofan, Kaelan Mikla, M!R!M, Doric…
2. METROPOLIS
   • Birthday Massacre, Delerium, Front Line Assembly, A Projection, KMFDM, Legendary P.D…
3. ICY COLD/MANIC DEPR.
   • Twin Tribes, Je T’aime, Traitrs, Kill Shelter, Closed Mouth, Talk to Her, Schonwald…
4. ALFA MATRIX
   • Alien Vampires, Front 242, Metroland, Die Robo Sapiens, Elm, 808 Dot Pop, Helalyn Flowers…
5. RUSTBLADE
   • Claudio Simonetti, Ennio Morricone, Lycia Lunch, Spiritual Front, Ketvector, Legendary Pink D…
6. OUT OF LINE
   • Blutengel, Hocico, Solitary Experiments, Suicide Commando, Signal Aout42, Erdling…
7. TRISOL
   • Sopor Aeternus, Rome, Clan of Xymox, Asp, Ostara, Skinflicks, Nachtmahr, Mantus, Soman…
8. DEPENDENT
   • Kirlian Camera, Girls Under Glass, Spectra*Paris, Mildreda, Black Nail Cabaret, Beborn Beton…
9. ARTOFFACT
   • Actors, Noise Unit, cEvin Key, Kaelan Mikla, Ploho, Sacred Skin, Kauan, Ken Mode, Spectres…
10. AUERBACH
    • Spiritual Front, Sol Invictus, Tenhi, Moon and the Night Spirit, Haavard, Hekate, Orplid…

Best Export Territories of 2023

If we look at the Audioglobe stats, we notice that Germany and Greece remain the company’s strongest markets, continuing a trend that has been consistent for ages. However, the 2023 statistics reveal some notable shifts.

Canada, once a prominent market for Audioglobe, has surprisingly disappeared from the export landscape. In contrast, the United States and the United Kingdom have re-emerged as significant territories, marking their return to prominence in the darkwave music scene after several years.

The most unexpected development in 2023 is the rise of Australia as a key market. This growth stands in stark contrast to Switzerland, which, despite its affluence, has seen a sharp decline in sales. Sebastian Koch adds: “The (by far!) lowest sales of all countries where we export to, was to Switzerland… The rich Swiss don’t buy records! Since I left the country (1990), something is wrong back home!”

Here is the top 10 list of export territories:

1. Germany
2. Greece
3. Netherlands
4. Portugal
5. USA
6. United Kingdom
7. Australia
8. Spain
9. Russia
10. Poland

Not in the top 10, but France, Japan, Malta, Brazil, Sweden, Mexico, and Perù are also good export territories for Audioglobe.

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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And Also The Trees returns with all new album ‘Mother-of-pearl Moon’ in 2024 and today launch a video for “This Path Through The Meadow”. The tracks on “Mother-of-pearl Moon” were born from a series of electric guitar improvisations created in the pre- and post-dawn hours during a month of solitude in 2020.

“Mother-of-pearl Moon” will be promoted with tours throughout the year. Here’s the video for the track “This Path Through The Meadow”.

About And Also The Trees

The band was founded by singer Simon Jones and his guitarist brother Justin during the original post-punk era in rural Worcestershire. The band immediately caught the attention of Robert Smith of The Cure, who invited them to tour with his group on several occasions. Smith was also involved with their early recordings alongside his bandmate Lol Tolhurst, who produced their first records. They have released fifteen studio albums and toured frequently throughout mainland Europe, as well as North America and Japan.

The band nowadays consists of Simon Huw Jones, Justin Jones, Paul Hill, Grant Gordon and Colin Ozanne.

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: Noise, Experimental, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: This is a split release featuring Italian Experimental/Noise veteran Maurizio Bianchi aka MB and the Philippines project Coalminer. Two tracks by MB and four cuts by Coalminer featuring collaborations with Gnaw Their Tongues (Netherlands), Richard Ramirez (USA), Torturing Nurse (China), Zenabi (Philippines), Grodock (Germany), Toshiji Mikawa (Japan),
Many Blessings (USA) and Unsignified Death (Thailand).

Content: The album takes off with 4 merciless Noise Coalminer cuts. We get monstrous Noise treatments empowered by screaming vocals. Both last cuts by Maurizio Bianchi are totally different revealing a more Experimental-Cinematic style.

+ + + : Noise lovers will be pleased (re)discovering Coalminer. The list of contributors is impressive, delivering a good balance between recognized artists and discoveries. The tracks invite the listener to face a merciless wall of sound built up with boiling noises and enraged screams. MB serves a bit as an antithesis to the Noise aggression although bringing an enigmatic touch to “Antimateria”. I like both cuts which sound to me as an inner reflection. I also want to say a word about the great artwork of the vinyl release strictly limited to 50 copies.

– – – : The sonic violence of Coalminer and ‘friends’ is clearly meant for a very restricted number of music lovers.

Conclusion: “Antimateria” sounds as an extreme sonic exposure mixing Noise and Apocalyptic Cinematic work.

Best songs: Coalminer feat. Richard Ramirez and Zenabi: “Gaping Crevism” & Maurizio Biancho: “Gnayang”.

Rate: 6.

Artists: www.menstrualrecordings.org/maurizio_bianchi.htm / https://coalminer.bandcamp.com

Label: www.facebook.com/grubenwehrfreiburg

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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Berlin’s Night Nail has just released their new single, “Narcoleptic Dream Catcher”. This track is a sneak peek of their upcoming album, “Fates Explained”, set to be launched later this autumn under Metropolis Records.

Accompanying the single is a video that features Pete Burns from Kill Shelter, Valentina Veil from VV & the Void, and Cylian Wednesday. The video was both shot and edited by Jean De Oliveira.

You can watch the video below.

“Narcoleptic Dream Catcher” delves into the dangers of online addictions. The song alternates between Brandon’s deep bass tones and his higher-pitched falsetto. Brandon’s lyrics express his personal fears of confronting his inner demons and the risk of getting lost in a digital realm where genuineness is scarce. The musical style of the track draws inspiration from iconic bands like The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Japan.

You can also already download the single on Bandcamp (as part of the album pre-order or separately).

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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The dark wave / post-punk duo Vaselyne are back with a brand new album op COP International, the 3-track EP “Under Your Skin”. The EP is available now in pre-order and ready for release on the 5th of May 2023 (Bandcamp Day), tomorrow that is.

The EP holds the title track “Under Your Skin” followed by a cover of David Sylvian’s “Riverman” and an instrumental version of “Under Your Skin”. Note that the “Riverman” cover was created for the Japan cover compilation “Still Life in Polaroids” which we covered earlier this week. That compilation is curated by Yvette Winkler and Coitus Interruptus Production.

“We are both very much influenced by Japan. Their ability to mix musical genres, and their impact on the future of new wave, was very important. Especially considering the fact, they were all self taught. It’s an honour to be able to play their songs, but also a scary thing. As you feel you are touching the Crown Jewels 🙂 You want to do them and their music justice.”

This new EP follows the release of their full length “The Sea Says”. Vaselyne has now finished recording their upcoming album. The first single of that album is a ballad “Waiting to Exhale”. The video for this track was made by Dutch filmmaker Dorothee Meddens. The new album includes collaborations with Lynette Cerezo from Bestial Mouths, Searmanas, John Fryer ( Black Needle Noise, NIN, Prayers, This Mortal Coil and HIM) and Michael Aliani from Chiron/Ikon.

Vaselyne is a collaboration between Dutch singer Yvette Winkler and Dutch musician and producer Frank Weyzig. Yvette Winkler was co-founder of the Dutch band “Sea of Souls” (2006) and Frank Weyzig is a Dutch producer, composer and band member, known for his contribution to the original line-up for Clan of Xymox and his work for indie new wave band Born For Bliss. Vaselyne has so far released four albums on the German label Echozone: “Earthbound” EP (2012), their full length debut album “The Fire Within” (2013), “In Dreams” EP (2015) and “Fragile” EP (2016).
​
In the spring of 2018, after a two year hiatus, the band picked up things where they left and Vaselyne contributed to the new Textbeak (Michael Szewczyk) album, “Sick for Songs a Season Eats”, produced by John Fryer. For this album, Yvette wrote and sung the lyrics for “Legion_err” and both Frank and Yvette have written and sung the lyrics for “Information Medicine” a track with Mark Stewart of “The Pop Group”. Yvette also collaborated with IAMTHESHADOW, John Fryer’s Black Needle Noise, Jean- Marc Lederman, Attrition and Junksista. Frank worked with Kelly Cook (ex- Moev) on their new project “Tearing The BlackBox”.

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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Set for release on 5th May through Seattle-based label Coitus Interruptus Productions, the Japan tribute album “Still Life in Polaroids” pays homage to the influential band.

Over a period of four years and five albums, David Sylvian (vocals), Steve Jansen (drums), Richard Barbieri (keyboards), Mick Karn (saxophone/bass), and Rob Dean (guitars) explored a diverse range of sounds that went on to shape numerous New Romantic and New Wave bands that followed in their footsteps.

“Still Life in Polaroids” will be available as a Pay-What-You-Want release, featuring an array of bands and tracks.

1. White Rose Transmission – “Transmission”
2. The Essence – “Quiet Life”
3. Dogtablet (feat. Marselle Hodges) – “Despair”
4. C Z A R I N A – “Halloween”
5. Blackcarburning – “The Other Side of Life”
6. G.W. Childs IV – “Gentlemen Take Polaroids”
7. Pedro Code & Herr G – “Methods of Dance”
8. The Blue Hour – “Nightporter”
9. Melodywhore – “Ghosts”
10. CODENAME:LOLA – “Canton”
11. Tom Berger (Johnny Tupolev) – “Visions of China”
12. Tenderlash – “Life In Tokyo”
13. Krate – “Oil on Canvas”
14. Ashes of Youth – “His Box”
15. Pieter Nooten & Marselle Hodges – “Let The Happiness In”
16. Pete Burns (Kill Shelter) – “Waterfront”
17. Vaselyne – “Riverman”
18. AttasalinA – “Blackwater”
19. Tearing The Blackbox (feat. Yvette Winkler) – “Back In The Beginning”
20. Stefano Panunzi & Nicola Lori (feat. Yvette Winkler) – “Damage”
21. Michael Alan Giller – “Closer Than ‘I’
22. David Scott Keller – “God Man”
23. Unwoman – “Darkest Dreaming”
24. Dreamscape Invocation – “World Citizen (I won’t be disappointed)”

Japan were an English new wave band formed in 1974 in Catford, South London by David Sylvian (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steve Jansen (drums) and Mick Karn (bass guitar), joined by Richard Barbieri (keyboards) and Rob Dean (lead guitar) the following year. Initially a glam rock-inspired band, Japan developed their sound and androgynous look to incorporate electronic music and foreign influences.

The band split in December 1982 having released 5 albums and just as they were beginning to experience commercial success in the UK and abroad. Its members went on to pursue other musical projects, though they reformed briefly in the early 1990s under the name Rain Tree Crow, releasing an album in 1991.

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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Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg has collaborated with Japanese painter / designer Solid Blackline to design a unique mask specifically for the band’s two Knotfest shows in Japan this past weekend. Slipknot performed on Saturday night (April 1) and took the stage again the day after (Sunday, April 2) at Makuhari Messe in Chiba for Knotfest Japan. Both days showcase Slipknot as headliners, accompanied by a lineup of Japanese and international rock bands.

Earlier on Saturday, Weinberg shared a few photos of his new mask on Instagram, writing in an accompanying message: “It’s an honor to collaborate with Japanese painter @solid_blackline for my mask this weekend, specially designed for @knotfestjapan. The organic, flowing shapes of his high-contrast designs evoke feelings of mysticism and beauty, balanced within the duality of chaos and order one feels as a visitor in this wondrous country. There’s truly no better way to further immerse ourselves within everything that @knotfestjapan stands for — to share our love for Japan and its rich artistic culture — than to welcome local talent through collaboration with our own expression during this weekend’s performances.”

In further Slipknot news, the lost album “Look Outside Your Window” should be out sometime later this month. “Look Outside Your Window” was recorded by four members of Slipknot. The material was written and recorded concurrently with the sessions for the band’s fourth studio album “All Hope Is Gone” (2008). However, its emphasis on experimentation and a more melodic rock style kept it classified as a separate body of work from Slipknot’s aggressive heavy metal sound. The album was scheduled for release during the latter half of the band’s “We Are Not Your Kind” touring cycle, which was delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but has since remained unreleased throughout 2022.

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A post shared by Jay Weinberg (@jayweinberg)

And Solid Blackline posted this picture.

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A post shared by SOLID BLACKLINE (@solid_blackline)

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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Extremely sad news reaches us from Japan where renowned composer and producer Ryuichi Sakamoto, a pioneer in incorporating electronic production into popular music, has passed away at the age of 71. On March 28, Sakamoto succumbed to cancer after a years-long battle, as reported in a statement on his website on Sunday.

The statement shared one of Sakamoto’s favourite quotes: “Ars longa, vita brevis,” which translates to “Art is long, life is short.” The full statement was also published on Twitter as you can see below.

pic.twitter.com/Fq0hRyp5F4

— commmons (@commmons) April 2, 2023

Composer and actor

Born on January 17, 1952, Sakamoto enjoyed a culturally rich upbringing, with his father working as an editor for postwar Japanese novelists like Kenzaburo Oe and Yukio Mishima. He began taking piano lessons at the age of six and later started composing his own music. As a teenager, he became captivated by the work of Claude Debussy, a composer who drew inspiration from Asian musical aesthetics, including Japanese styles.

Sakamoto, who was based in Tokyo and New York, began his career as a member of the legendary Japanese electronic music trio Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). He made his film composer debut with “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” (1983), in which he also starred as an actor alongside David Bowie. The main theme was adapted into the international hit single “Forbidden Colours,” featuring vocals by David Sylvian. Sakamoto continued his successful film composing career with works such as “The Last Emperor” (1987), “The Sheltering Sky” (1990), “Little Buddha” (1993), and “The Revenant” (2015).

Last album released in January

In January Side-Line presented Sakamoto’s last album, “12”, out via Milan Records. The 12 compositions were recorded by Ryuichi Sakamoto in Tokyo during his 2-year long fight with cancer throughout 2021-2022. The album, his 15th, was the first of new solo material since 2017. The album’s twelve tracks are titled and sequenced by the dates each were written, culminating in a diary-like collection of music that provides an intimate snapshot into this period of Sakamoto’s life.

Prior to the release of his album, Sakamoto debuted a special solo piano concert that was streamed online to over 60,000 viewers worldwide. His first live performance in two years, the concert was recorded at Tokyo’s renowned 509 Studio over a week and featured an hour of the composer playing new arrangements from his extensive repertoire and new album.

Watch “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” from the live-streamed “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Playing the Piano 2022” on Sunday, December 11, 2022.

Ryuichi Sakamoto will be dearly missed.

「どこにいても、元気でいてね」

“Time is so short, and I’m sure that I don’t have much time left. So I’m doing my best to enjoy every day.”

– Ryuichi Sakamoto, as quoted in an interview with Asahi Shimbun in 2017 –

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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We are still getting quite a few questions regarding this, so here it is again. The “Celebrating David Bowie” tour has been postponed to the fall due to headliner Peter Murphy undergoing “an unexpected medical procedure that prevents his ability to travel as planned,” as announced by the his management. The Bauhaus frontman is recovering well and is expected to be fully fit to tour the U.S. in the fall.

The tour, which also features guitarist Adrian Belew and members of Spacehog and A Perfect Circle, was initially scheduled for April and May. The rescheduled dates now begin in October and continue through late November. The tour itinerary remains largely unchanged, albeit in a different order, and has expanded from 26 to 27 dates with the addition of a concert in Chicagoon November 21st. The planned San Antonio, Texas, stop has been moved to nearby Austin. More information can be found at celebratingdavidbowie.com.

The assembled musicians will highlight David Bowie’s greatest hits during the tour, with a strong emphasis on Ziggy Stardust, the Berlin trilogy (“Low”, “Heroes”, and “Lodger”), and his later Trent Reznor-inspired years. Murphy and Belew, who have both played with Bowie and Nine Inch Nails, will be joined on stage by guitarist Scrote, Spacehog frontman Royston Langdon, A Perfect Circle members Matt McJunkins (bass) and Jeff Friedl (drums), saxophonist Ron Dziubla, and guitarist Eric Schermerhorn, who played with Bowie’s Tin Machine.

Murphy had been touring with the reunited Bauhaus last year, but the journey fell apart when Murphy entered rehab in late August. The other members of Bauhaus have since agreed to reform as Love and Rockets.

Initial Rescheduled Appearances are:

• 10/10 Tacoma, WA Temple Theatre
• 10/11 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
• 10/14 San Francisco, CA The Regency Ballroom
• 10/16 Anaheim, CA City National Grove of Anaheim
• 10/17 San Diego, CA Music Box – San Diego
• 10/18 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre
• 10/20 Austin, TX ACL Live at The Moody Theater
• 10/21 Tulsa, OK Tulsa Theater
• 10/22 Grand Prairie, TX Texas Trust CU Theatre
• 10/24 Houston, TX House of Blues
• 10/25 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
• 10/26 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
• 10/29 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Broward Center – Parker Playhouse
• 10/31 St. Petersburg, FL Mahaffey Theater
• 11/03 Chattanooga, TN Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium
• 11/05 Virginia Beach, VA Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
• 11/06 Washington D.C. The Hamilton Live
• 11/10 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
• 11/11 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse
• 11/12 Westbury, NY NYCB Theatre at Westbury
• 11/14 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie Center for the Arts
• 11/15 Englewood, NJ Bergen Performing Arts Center
• 11/16 Lynn, MA Lynn Auditorium
• 11/17 Staten Island, NY St. George Theatre
• 11/20 Munhall, PA Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
• 11/21 Chicago, IL Copernicus Center %
• 11/22 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre

% – New Confirmed Performance – On-Sale 4/14

About Peter Murphy

Born on July 11, 1957, Peter Murphy is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist for the post-punk goth rock band Bauhaus. When Bauhaus initially split up, Murphy collaborated with Japan’s bassist Mick Karn to form Dali’s Car, releasing one album titled “The Waking Hour” (1984). Subsequently, Murphy embarked on a solo career, releasing several albums, such as “Should the World Fail to Fall Apart” (1986) and “Love Hysteria” (1988).

In 1990, Murphy found mainstream success with his hit single “Cuts You Up”, which topped the American Modern Rock Tracks for seven weeks, and the album “Deep” also achieved commercial success. In 1992, he released “Holy Smoke” along with the lead single “The Sweetest Drop”.

In 2002, Murphy collaborated with Turkish-Canadian composer and producer Mercan Dede on the – excellent – album “Dust”, which showcased a departure from his previous pop and rock styles. The album incorporated traditional Turkish instrumentation and songwriting, blending elements from progressive rock, trance, classical music, and Middle Eastern music with Dede’s signature atmospheric electronics. In 2014, Murphy released “Lion”, produced by Killing Joke’s Youth.

With his thin frame, striking cheekbones, deep baritone voice, and affinity for dark poetry, Murphy is often referred to as the “Godfather of Goth”.

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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Out via Out Of Line Music is the all new single by Sweden’s industrial metal act Rave The Reqviem: “Anti-Savior”. You may expect down-tempo industrial beats meet heavy guitars and catchy hooks featuring opera vocals by former lead singer The Holy Mother.

It was the Japan-based label DWA that first discovered the band and released their debut album in 2014. They signed with the German label Out Of Line Music in 2017. After gaining access to a wider audience with their albums “Fvneral [Sic]” (2018) and “Stigmata Itch” (2020), the band led by songwriter Filip Lönnqvist is now back with new material.

The band was formed in Kalmar, Sweden in late 2011 by lead singer and guitarist Philip Lönnqvist, who also provides the electronic elements.

Below is the band’s newest single, “Anti-Savior” featuring two other tracks as well.

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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Pete Burns started playing guitar when he was nine years old and has always retained a passion for creating music. He was the outsider kid at school who listened to alternative music and didn’t conform even at that age. Some things never change. Pete was (and still is) a big fan of Modern Eon’s “Fiction Tales” and that album epitomises Post-Punk for him. Other notable and influential releases from that time included “Quiet Life” and “Gentlemen Take Polaroids” by Japan, “Systems Of Romance” by Ultravox, “JuJu” and “Peek-A-Boo” by Siouxsie And The Banshees, “Black Celebration”, “Music For The Masses” and “Violator” by Depeche Mode, and the early Sister Of Mercy singles as well as “First And Last And Always”. Laterally bands like She Past Away, Trentemøller, The Soft Moon,  Soft Kill, M!R!M and the now disbanded Ascetic have all, amongst many others, played a part in refueling Pete’s for the genre. Kill Shelter stands for pure Cold-Wave music. A first album “Damage” got released in 2018 by Unknown Pleasures Records. Four years later he strikes back with “Asylum” –released by Manic Depression Records for Europe and Metropolis for the US. Pete Burns worked together with guest singers and accomplished a true masterpiece. I talked about Kill Shelter with this genius Scottish multi-instrumentalist and producer.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You’re a so-called ‘multi-instrumentalist’ playing guitar, bass, e-bow, synths. Do you’ve a favourite instrument and is there a kind of hierarchy in the instruments when composing songs?

Pete: Definitely. I always start on the guitar. In some cases like “The Necklace”, it’s the bass but mainly my go-to instrument is the guitar. I’ll write the main riffs and themes first and once I’ve got those down, that forms the basis of the demo. In some cases those guitars will stay to the final edit or some may be completely removed. I’ll put down the bass after that and then start to work on the drums. Synths, guitar processing and textures come last. The vocals will always come in after the song has most of the parts written. I’ll then arrange the song around the vocals before doing final production work.

Q: I’m deeply impressed by your guitar play injecting a true, dark, spirit into your work. How do you see yourself as a guitarist? Who are your favorite guitar players and what do you especially like in their play?

Pete: Thank you so much. That really means a lot to me. I still see myself as a guitarist first but I think most people know me for my production work.

When it comes to guitar I will happily listen to a lot of stuff even if I don’t particularly like it from a style perspective. I’m always open to learning. I prefer guitarists who have tried to do something different like Christian Fennesz, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Robin Simon, Rob Dean, Tony Iommi, Mick Karn, Andy Summers and John McGeoch. Gary Marx wasn’t a technical guitarist but he had a wonderful sense of melody and he’s one of my favourite guitarists because of it.

I’ve been working on something that isn’t for Kill Shelter which is mainly guitars. I’ve developed Dupuytren’s disease and arthritis in my hands so I’m keen to get as much recorded as possible before playing becomes impossible. I already struggle on some days but, whatever happens, I’ll find a way to make a noise in one way or another.

Q: Your new album “Asylum” comes four years after the great debut album “Damage”. How do you look back at “Damage” and how did the transition in between both albums happen? Did you focus on new/different elements of the production?

Pete: I was extremely fortunate with “Damage” to have the support and buy-in from so many like-minded people from around the world. I am still very grateful that they agreed to work with me, especially as I was (and still am to some extent) a totally unknown artist. I think I was finding my feet with Kill Shelter through “Damage” and the early remixes but I’ve had a plan for the trilogy of multi-collaboration albums from the outset.

At the time, “Damage” focussed solely on emerging talent. In contrast, I wanted “Asylum” to reflect the last four decades of Dark-Wave. At first I thought “Asylum” was going to be a double album but the delivery was fraught with difficulties as people who were scheduled to appear could no longer commit for one reason or another. It wasn’t straightforward and that’s one of the reasons it was four years in the making.

I think I was more confident and determined tackling “Asylum”. Adding my own vocals and having a guitar-only track (“Time Will Come”) were very conscious decisions that pushed me out of my comfort zone. I think working with others always pushes my production skills but I find that harder to achieve when I’m working on my own, especially when it comes to gauging if it’s good or not. I am undoubtedly my harshest critic.

Q: “Asylum” sounds like a dark and tormented title which is also reflected in the lyrical themes. What did you, together with the guest singers, try to express and/or eventually externalize? What is it all about?

Pete: I always work with an overriding concept when I tackle albums be it “Damage”, “A Haunted Place” or “Asylum”. It makes the collaborations more cohesive. The core approach with “Asylum” was to explore the duality of the meaning of the word, highlight global humanitarian issues such as human trafficking, domestic violence, exploitation and the plight of asylum seekers, as well as exploring themes of personal disillusionment and mental health. For example, domestic abuse has risen by 33% and over 75,000 migrant deaths have been recorded globally – these numbers speak for themselves.
Remembering that “Asylum” was written with the backdrop of a global pandemic, Brexit here in the UK, destructive international politics, Black Lives Matter, Me Too, increased effects of global warming and, more recently, the war in Ukraine.

We’ve seen a lot of things happen in the last few years. It’s not an overtly political album but these threads run through the overall themes and narrative and, as with many of my lyrics, they can be interpreted in various ways.

Q: Kill Shelter is much more than simply a solo-project as you’re working with guest singers –and even very famous ones like Ronny Moorings. What are your main criteria to work with a guest singer and how do the collaborations happen? The most surprising name among the list is for sure Stefan Netschio so how did you come to work together?

Pete: The starting place for me is always people with outstanding vocals and that have written songs that I think ‘I wish I’d written that’. I’m not a great singer and I also like to work with other people – it always takes the material in an unexpected direction and I can listen more objectively when someone else is involved.

I write demos with specific people in mind and I think that really helps the process. I don’t just write a track for the sake of it then try to desperately find someone to sing on it. It’s far from that. I’ll either have the demo ready or float the idea with the artist first. I always ensure that they are part of the process and that they are totally happy with the way that they are represented.
Stefan has an incredible voice and “Daisy Cutter” is one of my all time favourite songs. He is very personable and professional and is a producer’s dream to work with. I was delighted he was so open-minded as he hadn’t heard of Kill Shelter when I originally spoke to him so there was a big leap of faith on his part to work with me. We got on really well through the process and I had the absolute pleasure of meeting up with him recently. They say never meet your idols but in this case I would say that definitely doesn’t apply.

I was absolutely delighted when “In This Place” reached number one in the Deutsche Alternative Charts and I really hope we can work together again soon.

Q: In between “Damage” and “Asylum” you also released an album together with Antipole. I noticed a true chemistry between both of you, but how do you look back at this experience, which I think was inspired by personal themes like loss, addiction, isolation and remorse? Can we expect a new album? Any other plans in the pipeline?

Pete: Karl has become a really good friend of mine. After sharing the same label (UPR) for our debut albums, working on remixes together then Karl appearing on “Damage” we have kept in touch for years now. We got the chance to meet at the Cold Transmission Festival in 2019 where I did a Rule of Three DJ set. We got on incredibly well over that weekend and decided there and then we should do an album together. We are very like-minded. Troubled and sensitive but determined at the same time. We share a lot of ideals and philosophies.

Karl really supported the idea of me doing vocals on “A Haunted Place” even though it was originally going to be an instrumental album featuring mainly guitars. Because it was entirely my voice on the album, the songs had to be very personal to me. I always wear my heart on my sleeve and, in a way, writing the songs on “A Haunted Place” was a very cathartic process for me.
We still chat most days and I’m looking forward to the day I either head to Norway or he visits here. We do have plans to do another album together but there’s no immediate rush or pressure on that. I have the working title and concept and we have a few demos already so the process has started. I want it to be different from our last album though. It needs to feel like a development not more of the same.

I contracted Covid in August and have had some ongoing issues following that so, unfortunately, I’m having to take some time away. Both my hearing and voice have been affected so I need that to settle down before I begin that journey again. I’ve had to pull quite a few things from my schedule and it’s never great to have to let people down but things aren’t great at the moment.
I’m looking forward to things getting better all round for all of 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.

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(Photo by Jürgen Sieckmeyer) Out on February 17 2023 on Mute is the reissue of Phew’s 1992 album, “Our Likeness” which was recorded at Conny Plank’s studio in Cologne. On this album avant-garde vocalist, electronics innovator and post-punk artist Phew was joined by Jaki Liebezeit, Alexander Hacke, Chrislo Haas and Thomas Stern.

Phew first came to the fore as the vocalist of Japanese post-punk group Aunt Sally (whose 1979 debut was reissued last year on Mesh-Key) before going on to record a solo single with Ryuichi Sakamoto. Her 1981 self-titled album, recorded with Liebezeit and Holger Czukay, was engineered by Conny Plank, and was followed by 1987’s “View”.

It was Chrislo Haas (D.A.F. / Liaisons Dangereuses / Der Plan), who had met Phew briefly when Plank engineered her debut solo album in 1981, who arranged for Alexander Hacke (guitar / Einstürzende Neubauten) and Thomas Stern (bass / Crime & the City Solution) to join. Can’s drummer Jaki Liebezeit also reunited with Phew to collaborate alongside this new generation of German experimental musicians. Chrislo Haas also introduced Phew to Daniel Miller, for the original release of “Our Likeness”.

Phew remembers: “When I was recording at Conny’s Studio in 1981, a young German man came to visit, sat quietly in the studio for a while and left without saying a word. His politeness was long remembered and can still be recalled. It was when he came to Japan that I discovered he was Chrislo Haas of D.A.F. At the end of the 1980s he visited me in Tokyo, then we decided to make something together, and a few months later we were recording at Conny’s Studio. Chrislo contacted the musicians who took part, Alex Hacke, Jaki Liebezeit and Thomas Stern, told Mute about the project and Our Likeness was released. I often wonder what kind of music Chrislo would have made if he had still been here on earth. Twenty-four years later, I met Alex Hacke again at a festival in Poland, where I got to play with hackedepicciotto. And now I am working with Danielle de Picciotto. More to come!”

You can check out the title track 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.

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(Visual by Toei) Here’s something that will interest the anime fans amongst our readers. After the extremely well received one shot comic “Goldorak” (UFO Robot Grendizer) in France – the comic book by author Xavier Dorison and a trio of 3 illustrators (Denis Bajram, Brice Cossu and Yoann Guillo) sold 228,700 copies last year – it’s now also the return to the small and big screens of this Japanese Super Robot.

The new anime iteration of the most famous of the Mechas will be called ‘Project G’ and the announcement came from Go Nagai, aged 76, himself. The Japanese creator of Grendizer has posted a video in which he reveals the development of a brand new anime dedicated to this pioneer of the Mecha series. A release date is scheduled for 2023 and the return of Grendizer comes almost 45 years after the end of the original anime which was originally broadcast in Japan from 1975 to 1977.

It’s still unclear if we can expect a film or actually a full series. Below is the teaser trailer.

A true French love affair

Whereas the series didn’t really connect with the US audience, the French audience went mad on it. The French dub titled Goldorak was the first anime series to be telecast in France and legend goes that the series was so popular among French viewers that several episodes scored a 100% TV rating. Like the Italian dub, it changed all of the characters’ names and inserted additional songs, although it did translate the series’ original opening and ending themes into French.

Some versions of the dub have a completely different theme simply titled “Goldorak”, which was sung by Franco-Israeli singer Noam Kaniel. Kaniel’s performance earned him unprecedented celebrity status in France; by the time Goldorak had ended its original run on French TV, its theme song achieved platinum status in France. The Francophone dub was also one of the first anime programs to be a major success in Canada where it was broadcast on Quebec’s TVA network. When the first of 3 films was released, “UFO Robot Grendizer Raid”, it became a hit at the French box office, selling 922,964 tickets upon release in 1979.

In 2005, a major crisis led Toei to take legal actions against all French megastores, and two major French anime publishers in France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Luxembourg. The crisis started with the official release of unlicensed Goldorak DVDs by Manga Distribution and Déclic Images. By November 28, 2005, Manga Distribution and Déclic Images were ordered to pay €7,200,000 (later lowered to €4,800,000) to Toei and Dynamic Planning for selling unlicensed DVD boxes. Déclic Images has since gone through a number of restructurings and recovery proceedings, but finally threw the towel in 2012.

As of 2013, following an agreement with Toei, an official “fully remastered and uncensored” DVD release of the complete series is available on the French market. The series has also aired on the French Mangas anime TV channel.

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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(Photo by Helen Kincaid) Out on 30 September via London Records is Blancmange’s upcoming album “Private View”. Benge returns as a key collaborator, and David Rhodes (Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Scott Walker) returns as the guitarist, having previously performed with the band on 1982’s debut “Happy Families” (as well as several other Blancmange albums). The new album will be followed by an extensive UK tour that runs from 1 October through to a London Assembly Hall appearance on 10 December, with Stephen Mallinder, Bernholz, Oblong, Rodney Cromwell and Alice Hubble as special guests across the tour.

But first they release a new single, “Reduced Voltage”, alongside a John Grant remix of the track. You can view the accompanying video, created by Harvey Wise, right below.

The new single is accompanied by a remix from long-time collaborator, John Grant who adds: “I have loved Blancmange for close to four decades, so it’s such an honor to be asked to remix a track off the new record. It was a blast and it’s my first. Hope you enjoy.”

You can listen to the John Grant remix below.

Blancmange formed in Harrow, London, in 1979. The band were a duo for much of their career, composed of Neil Arthur (vocals) and Stephen Luscombe (keyboards). Their first real exposure came via the track “Sad Day” on the “Some Bizzare Album” compilation, alongside acts such as Soft Cell and Depeche Mode. This led to them signing a recording contract with London Records. In December 1981 they supported Japan on their “Visions of China” UK tour. What followed were five UK top-20 singles: “Living on the Ceiling”, “Waves”, “Blind Vision”, “Don’t Tell Me” (their best single we would say) and of course also their excellent cover of ABBA’s “The Day Before You Came”. They released three albums during that decade: “Happy Families” (1982), “Mange Tout” (1984) and “Believe You Me” (1985).

The duo parted in 1986 but reformed in the late 2000s, and in 2011 released their fourth album, “Blanc Burn”. Luscombe left following the release due to ill health, and since then Arthur alone has continued to perform under the Blancmange name, releasing nine new studio albums along with a re-recording of the band’s debut album, titled “Happy Families Too…”. He has also been involved in a further three collaborative albums as Fader (with Benge) and Near Future (with Jez Bernholz).

An instrumental album by Blancmange, “Nil by Mouth II”, was released on 22 November 2019 as a limited-edition run of 1000 copies. The album was released on a larger scale on cd in June 2020. A new album, titled “Mindset”, preceded by a single with the same title in February, was released in June 2020.

Extensive UK tour throughout October, November and December

Here are the upcoming UK dates.

• 1 Oct – Rough Trade East, London
• 6 Oct – The HMV Empire, Coventry – w/ Bernholz
• 7 Oct – The Junction, Cambridge – w/ Oblong
• 8 Oct – Subscription Rooms, Stroud – w/ Oblong
• 13 Oct – Arts Centre, Colchester – w/ Oblong
• 14 Oct – University Y Plas, Cardiff – w/ Oblong
• 15 Oct – Cheese and Grain, Frome – w/ Oblong
• 20 Oct – Sub 89, Reading – w/ Oblong
• 21 Oct – The Level, Nottingham – w/ Oblong
• 22 Oct – Glassbox Theatre, Gillingham – w/ Oblong
• 27 Oct – The Fleece, Bristol – w/ Alice Hubble
• 28 Oct – The Boilerroom, Guildford – w/ Alice Hubble
• 29 Oct – Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne – w/ Alice Hubble
• 4 Nov – Exeter Theatre, Exeter – w/ Rodney Cromwell
• 5 Nov – The Brook, Southampton – w/ Rodney Cromwell
• 10 Nov – The Mill, Birmingham – w/ Alice Hubble
• 11 Nov – Kanteena, Lancaster – w/ Alice Hubble
• 12 Nov – The Forum Theatre, Barrow-in-Furness – w/ Alice Hubble
• 17 Nov – Corn Hall, Diss – w/ Rodney Cromwell
• 18 Nov – Gorilla, Manchester – w/ Stephen Mallinder
• 19 Nov – Hangar 34, Liverpool – w/ Stephen Mallinder
• 24 Nov – The Wardrobe, Leeds – w/ Stephen Mallinder
• 25 Nov – The Leadmill, Sheffield – w/ Stephen Mallinder
• 26 Nov – The Riverside, Newcastle – w/ Stephen Mallinder
• 1 Dec – The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen – w/ Stephen Mallinder
• 2 Dec – The Liquid Room, Edinburgh – w/ Stephen Mallinder
• 3 Dec – Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow – w/ Stephen Mallinder
• 9 Dec – Concorde 2, Brighton – w/ Stephen Mallinder
• 10 Dec – Islington Assembly Hall, London – w/ Stephen Mallinder

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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“Fair Winds”, a Black Needle Noise track originally written to be the theme song for a TV show about the history of the Isle Of Man is out now. John Fryer adds: “Unfortunately it has been put on the back burner because of Covid. Hopefully, this will happen down the line, but I decided to release this piece in the meantime.”

The record features two other musicians: female vocalist Ruby Friedman and Colin McGuinness (live musician for Japan amongst many other acts).

John Fryer started his career in 1979 at London’s Blackwing Studios (London) and soon began working with seminal bands on 4AD, Mute, Rough Trade, and Beggars Banquet, including Depeche Mode, The Wolfgang Press, and Cocteau Twins. His work led Watts-Russell to recruit Fryer as his partner for This Mortal Coil. Currently, Fryer works closely with COP International and its roster and this is the label debut release for Black Needle Noise on COP International.

You can get the 4-track single right now from 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.

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Industrial outfit Noise Unit shares a new single “Dub It Up” today. This is the second single off of the group’s upcoming full-length “Cheeba City Blues” out October 21st via Artoffact Records. In July, Noise Unit already released “Alone Again”, the first single off of their upcoming album.

The album “Cheeba City Blues” was recorded by Bill Leeb and the late Jeremy Inkel (also of FLA fame). It references William Gibson’s 1984 science fiction novel “Neuromancer” set in Chibi City, Japan and is considered one of the first in the cyberpunk genre. It was Gibson’s debut novel and the beginning of the ‘Sprawl’ trilogy. Set in the future, the novel follows Henry Case, a washed-up hacker hired for one last job, which brings him in contact with a powerful artificial intelligence.

“Cheeba City Blues” is the follow-up to Noise Unit’s 2021 record “Deviator”, also released via Artoffact Records. “Deviator” was the first full-length from Noise Unit in over 15 years and included work by Leeb and Rhys Fulber.

Here are the two singles.

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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In April 1984 Sandra and Michael Cretu, romantically involved, released a first single together, “Japan ist weit”, a German cover of the Alphaville song “Big in Japan” which had been released in January of that year and which was equally the debut single for the German synth-pop band. If you listen closely you’ll hear that the timing of the song was influenced by “The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats, but that’s another story. While the Alphaville original sold over 250.000 copies in Germany, the German cover by Sandra failed to chart with only a miserable 125 copies sold.

The duo understood that they should do things differently and by 1985 Sandra gained international success with the song “(I’ll Never Be) Maria Magdalena” and the follow-up singles, “In the Heat of the Night” and “Little Girl”. Also the next album sparked a string of successful singles such as “Innocent Love”, “Hi! Hi! Hi!”, “Loreen” and “Midnight Man”. In 1987, the duo released a cover version of “Everlasting Love” which became a major success. The rest is history. Sandra sold over thirty million records in the 1980’s and topped the charts in twenty one countries in a career that began for her at the age of thirteen.

Here’s Sandra’s “Japan ist weit”, which remained quite loyal, musically then, to the original.

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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DALMA.NET is Sunao Inami’s sub live unit from Japan. The band reunited for the first time in 15 years on December 2021 and played live in Osaka on December 19th 2021. That recording has now been released.

You can order the download or the CD right now from Bandcamp.

In case you don’t know DALMA.NET, it has a sound close to early ‘80s Cabaret Voltaire. Sunao Inami himself has been featured two times already on our free charity download compilations, including on “Face The Beat: Session 6”.

The live recording and concert itself is their personal tribute to Richard H. Kirk from Cabaret Voltaire.

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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Out via Veronica Vasicka’s Minimal Wave is “A Compilation of Minimal Wave From Around The World (1980-1991), The Bedroom Tapes”. This release, originally first released in 2018, features rare, unreleased, and licensed tracks all the way from Belgium to Australia to Japan.

This compilation is a follow-up in the series to “The Lost Tapes”, “The Found Tapes”, “The Hidden Tapes”, and “The Minimal Wave Tapes”. The twelve artists on this compilation mostly recorded their music onto 4-track tape in their bedroom studios. Musically you can expect German new wave, experimental electronic, early industrial body music from the Swedish countryside and melodic minimal synth.

“The Bedroom Tapes” presents songs from Pink Elln, Karen Marks, Disque Omo, Vorgruppe, Iham/Echo, Perfect Mother, Arvid Tuba, Subject, Denial, Unovidual, Aural indifference, and Autumn. All the material has been remastered and comes in a limited second edition of 999 copies, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in heavy printed jacket accompanied by printed inner jacket with artists photos and info.

Full tracklist 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.

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Earlier this year we reported about the new 2nd single from the Bergen (NO) based darkwave trip-hop act Melt Motif. Out now is the album “A White Horse Will Take You Home” on CD, vinyl and as download.

Melt Motif started as an experiment by Rakel and Kenneth Rasmus Greve. Apollon Records (Zeromancer, Sonisk Blodbad, Sleepyard, Bithammer, Richard Gjems, Green Sky Accident) signed the band while it still was a studio project with no official releases out. The material was mixed by São Paulo producer and musician, Joe Irente. Irente is now a permanent member of the band.

The 9-track release offers quite a diverse pallet, from dreamy and cinematic to aggressive and industrial. Unpredictable is the best label you can put on this excellent new discovery.

You can order your copy straight from the band on CD, vinyl, Minidisc, cassette and as download.

After the album release, a remix album album will be dropped, with contributing artists from around the world, like Russia, Japan, Brazil and Norway. Since the vinyl plants had some delay in pressing up their debut, the band has already started on their second album.

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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From the rainy west coast of Bergen, Norway, and the dusty cityscapes of São Paulo, Brazil comes the trip-hop act Melt Motif.

Melt Motif was founded early 2021 by Kenneth Rasmus Greve, and soon Rakel joined on vocals. After demoing their first material they got picked up by Apollon Records. For their upcoming debut album “A White Horse Will Take You Home” the band collaborated with the Brazilian mixing engineer and artist Joe Irente. Trente has by now also joined the band as a real member even before their debut is released, speaking of a very symbiotic endeavour in the studio!

The debut single, “Everything Will Disappear” was released in December 2021 and will be followed by “Mine” (which also got the video treatment as you can see below) in February 2022 and which we present today. Coming up in March will be the band’s 3rd single, “Andalusian Dog” and in April you can expect “Sleep”.

After the album release, a remix album album will be dropped, with contributing artists from around the world, like Russia, Japan, Brazil and Norway. Since the vinyl plants have some delay in pressing up their debut, the band has already started on their second album.

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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Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. During the late 1970s bands such as the Human League, Kraftwerk, and later on Gary Numan, Soft Cell and John Foxx helped pioneer a new synth-pop style that drew more heavily from electronic music and emphasized primary usage of synthesizers. Developed in the late 1970s it has seen several revival periods up until now.

We picked out the best synthpop albums from the past 4 decades (!!!). Here’s our list.

The Human League – “Dare” (1981)

The Human League are ‘oldies’ when it comes to synthpop. Formed in Sheffield in 1977 and initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group attained widespread commercial success with their third album “Dare” in 1981. The album contained four hit singles, including the UK/US number one hit “Don’t You Want Me”. The band’s third studio album, it was recorded between March and September 1981 following the departure of founding members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, and saw the band shift direction from their prior avant-garde electronic style toward a more pop-friendly, commercial sound led by frontman Philip Oakey. A remix album based on “Dare”, “Love and Dancing”, was released in 1982.

Talk Talk – “It’s My Life” (1984)

Talk Talk were an English band formed in 1981, led by Mark Hollis (vocals, guitar, piano), Lee Harris (drums), and Paul Webb (bass). The group achieved early chart success with the synth-pop singles “Talk Talk” (1982), “It’s My Life”, and “Such a Shame” (both 1984) before moving towards a more experimental approach in the mid-1980s. Not surprisingly that our next pick is “It’s My Life”, the second studio album by Talk Talk, released in 1984. The album enjoyed an enormous succes thanks to the big international success of its singles (notably “Such a Shame”). We have a soft spot for the tracks “Dum Dum Girl”, “Such a Shame”, “Renée”, “It’s My Life” and “It’s You” although the entire album is just extremely enjoyable.

Alphaville – “Forever Young” (1984)

The German synth-pop band Alphaville, which formed in Münster in 1982, achieved chart success with the singles “Forever Young”, “Big in Japan”, “Sounds Like a Melody”. All these were taken from their 1984 debut album “Forever Young” which was produced by Colin Pearson, Wolfgang Loos and Andreas Budde. Despite the success of the album and its singles, the band did not tour as they felt more like ‘studio rats’. It remains the band’s best output to date.

a-ha – “Scoundrel Days” (1986)

The Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha was formed in Oslo in 1982 by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards and guitars), and Morten Harket (vocals). “Scoundrel Days” is the second studio album by the trio and offered a more mature sound compared to their debut “Hunting High and Low” (1985). “Scoundrel Days”, recorded in England in early 1986 and produced by Alan Tarney, sported such singles as “I’ve Been Losing You”, “Cry Wolf” and “Maybe, Maybe” which was released solely in Bolivia. “Manhattan Skyline” was the forth and final single released from the long-player.

Erasure – “Wonderland” (1986)

“Wonderland” is the debut studio album by the English synth-pop duo Erasure and was released in 1986. Although it was not an immediate success, the three singles released from it did become cult tracks overtime: “Who Needs Love Like That”, “Oh L’amour” and “Heavenly Action”. Although “Wonderland” was considered a failure, especially when comparing it to Clarke’s prior successes with Depeche Mode and Yazoo, the album became an all time favourite that laid the fundament of what was to follow in 1987 with the release of “The Circus”. The album was produced by Flood who would become a long-time collaborator.

Pet Shop Boys – “Actually” (1987)

Pet Shop Boys, the English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981, broke all records when they released “Actually”, their second studio album, in 1987. It was pushed forward by such great tracks as “One More Chance”, “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” (with Dusty Springfield), “Shopping”, “Rent”, “It Couldn’t Happen Here”, “It’s a Sin”, “Heart” and the majestic “King’s Cross”. In short an album filled with hits.

New Order – “Technique” (1989)

New Order was formed in 1980 by vocalist and guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. The band formed after the demise of Joy Division, following the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis and were joined by Gillian Gilbert on keyboards later that year. Their experience of the early 1980s New York club scene saw them increasingly incorporate dance rhythms and electronic instrumentation into their work which resulted in their 1983 hit “Blue Monday” becoming and absolute monster hit. However, we picked out “Technique”, their fifth studio album. Released in 1989 by Factory Records, the album incorporates Balearic beat and acid house influences into the group’s dance-rock sound. “Technique” was the first New Order album to reach the number one spot on the UK charts and had such excellent singles as “Fine Time”, “Round and Round” and “Run 2”.

Depeche Mode – “Violator” (1990)

“Violator” is the seventh studio album by England’s Depeche Mode. It was first released on 19 March 1990 through Mute Records internationally, and through Sire and Reprise Records in the United States. Preceded by the singles “Personal Jesus” and “Enjoy the Silence” (a top-10 entry in both the United Kingdom and the United States), the album propelled the band into international stardom, and also yielded the singles “Policy of Truth” and “World in My Eyes”. The album is generally considered as their most accomplisched electropop album before they encorporated more rock elements in the next album, “Songs of Faith and Devotion”. The role of Alan Wilder was crucial in “Violator”, you only have to compare the first and final version of “Enjoy The Silence” to notice the huge difference.

Bel Canto – “Birds of Passage” (1990)

Bel Canto is a Norwegian music duo, originally a trio, fronted by vocalist Anneli Drecker and musically powered by Geir Jenssen and Nils Johansen. Signed originally to Crammed Discs, their second album “Birds of Passage” is considered as an absolute pearl holding an excellent production (aided by Giles Martin) and a long list of guest musicians who added acoustic elements to the cold nordic synths Jenssen and multi-instrumentalist Johansen. It was also the last album featuring Geir Jenssen. It holds the hits “Intravenous”, “Birds of Passage”, “A Shoulder to the Wheel”, “Time Without End”, “Continuum” and “The Suffering”. The band remains an often well-hidden pearl in electropopland.

De/Vision – “Fairyland?” (1996)

De/Vision, a German synthpop act formed in 1988, was at the peak of its electropop stardom around the mid-nineties culiminating in the outstanding “Fairyland?” album which had such great tracks as “I Regret”, “Sweet Life”, “Today’s Life” or “Bleed Me White”. The band was fronting a new wave of electropop bands in Germany but was generally considered to be the most consistent one as far as quality and output. Sadly enough the release, and also the band’s earlier material, are no longer available on Spotify.

Wolfsheim – “Spectators” (1999)

Wolfsheim was a synthpop duo from Hamburg, Germany, that consisted of Markus Reinhardt and Peter Heppner. Their fourth studio album was “Spectators” (1999) preceeded by two ‘pre-release’ singles from the album. “Once in a Lifetime” was released on October 16, 1998 and “It’s Hurting For The First Time” followed on November 30th. The LP was produced by Wolfsheim and José Alvarez-Brill and held 11 new songs. To this day, “Spectators” is the best-selling album by Wolfsheim with over 250,000 copies sold. The third single, “Künstliche Welten”, was released in 1999.

Iris – “Disconnect” (2000)

“Disconnect” is the debut album by the electropop group Iris. Released in 2000 via the US label A Different Drum, the synthpop label by excellence, its success was guaranteed by the now cult synthpop jewels “Annie, Would I Lie to You?”, “Lose In Wanting” and “Danger Is The Shame”. Originally formed by Reagan Jones and Mat Morris in 1993, after the release of their first album “Disconnect”, Matthew Morris was replaced with Andrew Sega, who pushed the band’s sound in a more experimental electronic direction. Sadly enough the release, and also the band’s earlier material, are no longer available on Spotify.

Elegant Machinery – “A Soft Exchange” (2008)

The Swedish synthpop band Elegant Machinery defined the Swedish synthpop movement along with such bands as Page, S.P.O.C.K, Sista Mannen På Jorden and Kiethevez. Heavily influenced by acts like Yazoo, The Human League, Depeche Mode and Rational Youth, the trio Robert Enforsen, Richard Jomshof and Leslie Bayne started the band in 1988 under the name Pole Position. The band was very successful in Sweden, with a number of successful singles and various awards. But it is their 2008 album “A Soft Exchange” that earned them a place in our list. The album was extremely mature yet very melodic and features such pearls a “With Grace”, “Do You Know”, “Feel The Silence”, “Bleeding Words” and “Is This The Way”.

Electro Spectre – “Dangerous Game” (2012)

The Norwegian electronic music duo Electro Spectre fronts the 3rd electropop wave. Isak Rypdal (writer-producer) and Alexander Björneboe (writer-singer) debuted in 2009 with the album “Watch It All Turn” (which was later reproduced and re-released in 2010). The duo has secured us from a steady and consistent output ever since. In our list we picked the band’s 2012 release, which is their second studio album entitled “Dangerous Game”. Included are such pearls as “Love Thief”, “Dancing Girl”, “World Keeps Turning” and “Tokyo Shuffle”.

Mondträume – “Empty” (2014)

Mondträume is the creative outlet of 2 Spanish talented artists Pikotto Vond Mond and Damasius Venys. In only a few years, the duo rapidly caught the attention of concert organizers, released several songs on compilations, and secured a label contract with Belgium’s electronic label Alfa Matrix where they debuted with the album “Empty”. The hits “Life Is Short”, “Parasite” and especially the synth pop pearl “Far From Pain” showcase why this band became one of the strongholders in the 3rd electropop wave together with such bands as Electro Spectre, and more.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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Back in the good old days, there was BONG, the official Depeche Mode fan club magazine which ran from 1988 until the closure of the club in 2002. Not that there was nothing before that as the magazine was previously distributed as a newsletter format publication known as the Depeche Mode Information Service, which ran from 1981 through early 1988. Anyhow, that all lays now in the past. Many friendships were built via the magazine, many relations as well and many readers were introduced to other bands such as Nitzer Ebb, Front 242, Pouppée Fabrikk, Cat Rapes Dog via the magazine’s penpal section. The last editor was Michaela Olexova (1994 – 2002) who also closed the doors of the magazine in 2002 with BONG 52, in beauty we must say and with a special attached CD holding 3 rare promo only remixes. Over the years we all also got to see her photographic skills as she became the in-house photographer for the magazine.

20 years later, Michaela revisited her photo archives and compiled the best pictures she took of the band during her reign in BONGland to publish them as “Dream”, a curated collection of Depeche Mode photographs from the period 1994 – 2002. You can order your copy right here: www.michaelaolexova.com.

We hailed Michaela who lives in London with her husband, daughter and cat.

Professionally you work as a website designer, photographer, digital creator, educator, and founder & creative director of Feel Good Websites these days. I see you deliver website templates, is that for WordPress only or for several different CMS types?

Michaela Olexova: My expertise is a brand and website design using the Squarespace platform which is a modern, clean and user friendly strategic tool to help you launch and grow your online business. I’m also about to introduce a new online course to help people create an authentic brand from the scratch that ignites their creativity, inspires them to dream big and believe that anything really is possible.

Let’s dive into the past. Being the former editor of the official Depeche Mode official fan club magazine Bong in 1994 – 2002, you have had some really direct access to the band. Is that still so now, I guess not, do you miss it?

Michaela Olexova: It’s been 20 years since the Bong magazine finished and we’ve all moved on, both professionally and personally. So although I’m still in touch with a few people I used to work with and may catch up with the Band members when they tour, we don’t have any more direct contact. It was a really exciting period in my life and I do miss it occasionally but it gave me so many wonderful memories which I wanted to bring back to life in this book.

Is the Depeche Mode era for you closed with this book now?

Michaela Olexova: I’m still a big fan of Depeche Mode and their solo projects so it can never really be closed… However, this book is one of my dreams come true, as the book title suggests, so I’m super happy and grateful that I can share this personal tribute with the world after all those years as a celebration of Depeche Mode, their music and their fans.

One thing I have realized when going through the book is that those past 20 years have flown away as if it all happened just yesterday. I guess it was also a trip down memory lane for you? How do you look back at that period?

Michaela Olexova: Yes, you’re absolutely right, it doesn’t feel like 20 years ago at all! The Bong magazine gave me a creative platform to explore my many passions and skills, whether it was design, photography, writing, music or production, and I was really lucky that I had the freedom to develop lots of my ideas and the Band trusted I was doing a good job. I guess this experience significantly influenced not only my life but also my career as it lead me to where I am today, running a creative design business and empowering women to dare to live their dreams.

How did you pick the pictures for this book and what order did you go for to present them in the book? I guess you ‘sit’ on a lot more material? What material did not make it and why?

Michaela Olexova: When I started organising my photo archive during the Covid lockdown, I realised I’ve got over 1,000 Depeche Mode photos. There are lots of photos from various tours, studio, behind the scenes and private photo sessions, so I decided to organise them in two chapters – Live and Life. I also had a good idea of the book format and knew I wanted to include about 70-80 photos in the final book so I made several shortlists. First, I went from 1,000 to about 300 photos based on my personal preferences, but also the quality of negatives, and then from 300 to the final 73 photos based on my intuition which then had to be scanned and digitally restored.

Your main focus is on Martin Gore and David Gahan, am I wrong these are also your favourite band members? By the way, where were those Martin Gore pictures taken, was/is that his own house’s garden?

Michaela Olexova: It’s funny you say that but it never really was my intention! The reason you see so many photos of Martin and Dave is simply because they’re both centre of the stage during the live shows and that’s all to it. There are also some great photos of Andy Fletcher on and off the stage – I especially like the ones from his visit to Prague – or Alan Wilder who left the Band soon after I started working with them. As for the photos of Martin Gore, they were taken at his country house in May 1995 when I was preparing my photo exhibition of portraits in Prague at the time and he kindly agreed to do a quick photo session to support my project.

I especially like that you also included non live pics in “Dream”, including studio sessions pictures made in a more relaxed atmosphere, or was that just the surface?

Michaela Olexova: The studio photos were taken over two days I spent with them at Rak Studios in London during the recording session of their album ‘Ultra’. I was there to do interviews with all the Band members for the Bong magazine and everyone was really relaxed and happy for me taking photos of the creative process. My favourite pictures are of Dave rehearsing for the song ‘The Love Thieves’, it was just him on the mic and me taking the photos inside the vocal studio which was a really special moment and I’m glad the relaxed atmosphere shows through these candid pictures.

I don’t know if you have a preferred era of the band visually? I personally was always quite attracted by the 1987 and 1989/1990 visual era of the band, I guess because that’s also when they released my preferred Depeche Mode albums. What about you and why?

Michaela Olexova: I guess the time around ‘Music For The Masses’ is really close to my heart as it’s when I discovered Depeche Mode and got attracted to their music. Growing up in the communist Czechoslovakia with hardly any access to the music or culture from the western part of the world, I was fascinated by their music, fashion, style and visuals. With Anton Corbijn’s moody black & white photos and videos, they managed to create a unique brand that was so different to anything or anyone else out there.

Doing promo for this book from the UK has been a postal nightmare, I see it happen with lots of products being shipped to the EU from outside the EU which don’t get delivered or in the best case get returned. Having your own company Feel Good Websites in the UK as well, do you see more of this Brexit ‘fun’ happening?

Michaela Olexova: Yes, I do but it’s not fun at all! To be honest, I was shocked how difficult it is to deliver a book from the UK to Europe. It’s still a mystery to me that the fans in USA, Brazil or Japan can receive their book within a few days while some of the fans in Europe have to wait for weeks or months because their delivery is stuck at the customs. Luckily, I run a digital business so I don’t have to deal with things like that on daily basis but there’s other post-Brexit issues which make things complicated for both, business owners and customers, and that’s a real shame.

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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Omicron is causing a lot of tour and concert cancelations caused by lockdowns etc.. Today the Norwegian band a-ha is also the victim of the new corona variant as their Japanese tour has been canceled.

Due to the omicron variant’s aggressive spread worldwide, the Japanese government has suspended all entries for foreign nationals as a preventive action against the omicron variant. As a result the band cannot enter the country for the moment, and the local promoters have had no other choice but to cancel the complete tour.

a-ha last performed in Japan in 2010, two of those shows at Summer Sonic. Before that, a-ha played in Japan in 2000, during the “Minor Earth Major Sky” tour.

Since the corona outbreak, the tour has already been postponed and rescheduled.

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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Out on December 3rd via the Geometrik label are two vinyl releases by Esplendor Geométrico, the cult pioneers of industrial rhythms, the first being “Live in Utrecht” which comes in an expanded edition. The original album was released in 1990 (Discos Esplendor Geometrico), re-released in 1999 (Geometrik) and in 2010 (Captain Trip Records, Japan).

Recorded 25th November 1989 in the Cultural Centre EKKO, Utrecht – Holland, it was produced for the program De Bovenbouw/Nos-Radio, Hilversum, Holland. Except for “Signos de Energía” (a faster version than the one in the “Mekano Turbo” album) all of the tracks were completely new at the moment this record was released.

This special “expanded” edition comes additionally with an extra LP, featuring not less than seven tracks from the late 80’s, that were originally released on cassette only: four tracks are from 1987, the other three are from the studio sessions of “Mekano Turbo” (1988), but were not included on that album.

Next is the 40th anniversary edition of “EG-1” which comes in a limited and numbered edition of 500 copies.

After their first single, “Necrosis en la poya” (1981), Esplendor Geométrico released their first cassette that same year: “EG-1”. The first edition of “EG-1” (300 copies) quickly sold out in the international underground circuit of cassette labels that was emerging during those years. It was reissued on the same format by different labels, such as Datenverarbeitung (Germany, 1982), Ortega y Cassette (Barcelona, 1985), EGK (Madrid, 1987) and Línea Alternativa (Madrid, 1989), and later on there would be two CD editions – equally deleted for ages.

For this special limited reissue on vinyl, the material got remastered from the original tapes. It also includes an exclusive insert and each copy has been individually customized with stickers and hand-stamped.

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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The Detroit based synthpop duo Shoestrings finally return after a very long break (24 years!) and launch the all new synthpop single “Gone”. The duo has also announced a new album, “Expectations”, to be released via the Shelflife label. The first single, “Gone”, is also the opening track to the album.

The band’s second album will be available from November 5th on, on CD and digital formats. The LP vinyl will be co-released with Discos de Kirlian (Europe) and Fastcut Records (Asia), and will be available in early 2022.

Check out the video for “Gone” right below.

About Shoestrings

Shoestrings is Mario and Rose Suau. In the early 90s, both played supporting roles in a mutual friend’s somber, 4AD-leaning band. The duo debuted with a 7” single “Some Things Never Change” in 1994, several contributions to indie compilation albums, and a full-length debut album, “Wishing On Planes” (1997), on Le Grand Magistery (US) and Flavour of Sound (Japan).

In the early 2000s, the band wanted to evolve their naïve, homespun sound to feel more consistent and sophisticated overall. Rather than immediately release a pastiche follow-up album, the pair shifted focus to progressing their engineering and production skills as they had reached the limit with their analog 8-track.

By 2011, under the moniker Invisible Twin, they started remixing tracks for Acid House Kings, Alpaca Sports, Red Sleeping Beauty, and Dylan Mondegreen. In 2015, longtime friend, Johan Angergård (Acid House Kings, Club 8, The Legends), asked Rose to contribute lyrics and vocals for the synthpop project, Djustin. From Stockholm, Johan composed and offered up tracks. From Detroit, Rose wrote lyrics and sang vocals, while Mario engineered the recordings. And it seems that collaboration ignited the spark to restart Shoestrings. As soon as the production of Djustin was wrapped, Mario and Rose began writing new material.

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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Dark alternative electronic band Sine to release upcoming album “Desire, Denial and Paramania”, an 11 track collection featuring select songs from the group’s albums, “Insomniæ” and “Injected”, recorded between the years 2016-2020.

The album includes collaborations with Curse Mackey (Pigface, Evil Mothers, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult), producer Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, 3Teeth, Slayer) and Chris Connelly (Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Pigface) with remixes by Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto), DÐ, and dark pop duo, Nite.

“Desire, Denial and Paramania” will be released in CD form as well as digitally worldwide on October 7, 2021. The release is out via Emergency Hearts, an indie collaborative music label/ media project in Austin, TX founded by author, musician and gallery owner Scott Crow (Lesson Seven, Audio Assault).

Here is a video to check out, “Desolate District” featuring Chris Connelly in a Meat Beat Manifesto remix.

About Sine

Sine is an alternative rock/electronic band created and led by singer and drummer, Rona Rougeheart. She has stepped from behind the kit to create her own female fronted project that weaves dance beats with industrial noise and layers of booming bass, synths and guitars.

Rougeheart, born in New York, grew up as a military child, living all over the U.S. and in Okinawa, Japan. Her father was a musician who taught her how to play keys and guitar. Early in her musical career, she played drums for multiple bands in Austin, TX, catching the eye of Gretsch Drums who, in 2012, gave her her first endorsement. Gibraltar hardware also added her to their roster.

In April, 2019, she landed a direct support slot for Peter Murphy in Orlando, FL for the 40th Anniversary of Bauhaus Ruby Tour with David J. The night seemed ill-fated when Peter was unable to perform, but was revitalized when she joined David J, Curse Mackey, Mark Gemini-Thwaite and Marc Slutsky for an impromptu performance of Bauhaus tunes.

From that night, a new project emerged between David J, Curse Mackey and herself.

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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Out on September 17th is the re-release for the first time ever on (double)CD of two legendary, historical Merzbow tapes, documenting the first Japanoise era.

Special guest on “Solonoise 1” was Kiyoshi Mizutani. This albums offers pure analog noise with varied timbre and string, keyboard, percussion additions. These early tracks are not the overwhelming electronic noise which dominated the project’s late 1980s & 1990s work.

All the material from the tapes was remasteredd by Masami Akita in 2021 for this 2CD re-edition.

Here’s what you can expect.

About Merzbow

Merzbow is the main recording name of Japanese noise rock artist Masami Akita. The pseudonym is derived from an artwork by the German Dadaist Kurt Schwitters, de Merzbau.

He mainly uses this name for his experimental noise albums. His huge catalog of CDs, LPs and cassettes makes him one of the most important figures in today’s noise scene. He got his greatest inspiration from the band Les Rallizes Denudes, which also came from Japan.

Akita has also collaborated with other artists, such as Otomo Yoshihide and Mike Patton, but most of the albums under his Merzbow pseudonym were made by him alone.

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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(Photo by Philip Larsson) Swedish artist Josefin Runsteen debuts with the album “Hana – Three bodies (Original Soundtrack)” on October 6 via Pacaya records, in digital and on vinyl.

The album was originally composed as a soundtrack to a Butoh dance piece by choreographer / dancer Frauke. Butoh being a minimalistic performance dance created in Japan in 1959. The dance piece is “an ode to the innate intelligence of nature dedicated to its 5 elements (air, earth, water, fire, and void), mixing largely electronics with pop, ambient, modern classical, post-rock and experimental music elements”.

The 1st video single “Banyan – Scene V (Air)” iso out now and will pop up on all digital platforms from September 3rd on. Below is the video directed by Tuva Björk.

Josefin Runsteen is a multi-instrumentalist (drums, violins, guitars, piano, electronics, vocals…) who has toured with several indie pop acts such as Feist, Damien Rice, Ane Brun, Loney Dear and Frank Ocean. She has also been very active in the jazz/avant garde scene. In 2020, she also released an acoustic album with Charles Spearin (founding member of Canadian indie elite Do Make Say Think & Broken Social Scene).

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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(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange/Motlys press info) ‘a-ha The Movie’ is scheduled for cinema openings this week in over 130 cinemas across Norway, and has been picked up for screenings in multiple countries. Among these are USA, UK, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Luxemburg, Hungary, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany, where it opens on 80 screens on September 14th. The movie is being met with raving reviews after previews and early screenings at film festivals like Filmfest München and Tribeca Festial (New York), where it also became the runner up to the Audience Award.

The directors Thomas Robsahm and Aslaug Holm wanted to tell the full story of how three young men followed their impossible dream of becoming world famous pop starts outside Norway – a country known for “zero points” in the Eurovision Song Contest.

When ‘Take On Me’ reached nr 1 on Billboard in the US in 1985, the dream came true. Or did it? The band was not prepared for what the success could bring, including tension between the three band members. The film team travelled with a-ha for almost five years, and we had a quick mail chat with Thomas Robsahm to get some details.

Side-Line: How did this movie come about?

Thomas Robsahm: I’ve always wanted to make a film about the making of an album, and the original idea was to make one about a-ha´s 10th album, after the success of ‘Foot of the Mountain’ (2009). But they decided to split in 2010, and then the album ‘Cast in Steel’  from 2015 was made in secrecy before the band did they comeback the same year. When we started filming in 2016, we were hoping for a new album to be made during the years we were planning to film, but one said yes, one said maybe and one said no…

So, instead we followed them on the road, told the whole story of a-ha and continued hoping.

S-L: It took several years to finish – lots of obstacles along the way?

TR: The main obstacle was actually the financing, because in the documentary world everybody wants to see more and more finished work before they want to commit, so the film was made very much piece by piece. The three members of the band were lovely to deal with all the way. It’s only when they have to be all three together as a-ha that things turn dark.

S-L: How much did the corona situation affect the launch?

TR: The premiere sold out in ten minutes and was supposed to happen in November 2020, but we had no choice but to postpone.

S-L: What was the best and the worst parts of doing this movie?

TR: The best part was to be around the band for so long, to study their work even harder, including tons of archive material. The worst part was not getting them to make more music, of course. It was close, but didn’t happen.

S-L: I saw the movie will be shown on NRK (Norwegian public broadcasting) too, split in four parts. Is it the same as the cinematic version, or some extra content added? Is it scheduled for TV/streaming abroad too?

TR: Yes, that’s right, the NRK-version is a little bit longer, but not that much. Also structured a bit different since it’s in four parts. It will be released in theatres and on television in around 30 countries (so far) and eventually it will end up at some streaming service, but it will not be for a while.

S-L: Collectors of a-ha music and memorabilia will definitely ask this right after the openings: when is it coming on DVD/BluRay? Any extra content there?

TR: DVD and BluRays will be released in several territories. I am not a big fan of adding deleted scenes, cause it actually affects how you remember the film. Like the scenes were actually in the film. But, let’s see.

S-L: Other plans/upcoming projects with a-ha or other bands?

TR: I would love to do more music films and have a couple of ideas, but nothing is confirmed, yet.  Oh, yes, I have one in development already; The Punk Pensioners. The title says it all, right? Let’s see if anybody wants to fund it.

S-L: Which band(s) would be your dream project(s) for next music movie(s)?

TR: If I could choose I would make the definitive film about ABBA. Or Everything But The Girl, the most underrated band ever. Or Cocteau Twins.  Or Motorpsycho. Yeah, plenty of great bands.

Get yourself to the cinema and enjoy the movie!

PS! Thomas Robsahm is also a musician, involved in several punk, gothic and dark wave bands since the 80’s, and together with Arvid Skancke-Knutsen their band White Lord Jesus is actually busy crowdfunding their 1984 album ‘Amen’ in the series Norwegian Album Classics On CD – get yours there!

We also wrote about the project some months ago – after a summer break they’re at it again, have passed 130 releases, the next 20 lined up!

jrstange

Sometimes – when I’m not cooking, biking, listening to music or attending concerts, I write stuff for Side-Line.com. Mostly about Norwegian bands, but it’s been some Swedish, English, American, Danish, German and others too… 😉

www.facebook.com/jrstange

Out now is Duran Duran’s newest single “More Joy” taken from their upcoming 15th studio album “Future Past” to be released on October 22 via Tape Modern for BMG. You can expect that band’s signature pop blended with a flavor of J-pop-disco-punk with collaborators Chai.

Keyboardist Nick Rhodes explains: “The song was born out of a crazy jam with Duran Duran, Graham Coxon and Erol Alkan. It was such an unusual piece we weren’t quite sure if it would fit in at first. It reminded me of one of those retro Japanese video games, which I always found quite uplifting. We came up with the chant “more joy” early on, and that became the key to the rest of the track. We all agreed that it would sound really great with Japanese female voices on it, and that’s when Simon had the inspired idea to ask Chai if they would possibly collaborate with us. To our joy they agreed, and the result most certainly brought an incredible new energy to the song.”

For the new material the band has been working with British DJ / producer Erol Alkan and Italian composer / producer Giorgio Moroder. The band has also enlisted the help of Swedish qrtist Tove Lo, Ivorian Doll, and of course Japan’s Chqi< In addition, Blur’s Graham Coxon co-wrote and lends his guitar to several tracks on the record, and David Bowie’s former pianist Mike Garson plqyed on the album closer “Falling”. The record, which was recorded across studios in London and LA over lockdown, also features long-time collaborator Mark Ronson who co-wrote and played on “Wing”, and was mixed by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent.

Here’s the new 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.

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The UK electronic indie outfit H2SO4, via a collaboration with production duo Bombay Monkey (Guy Martin and Andrew Phillips), have recorded a new album of ’80s tinged electronic prog-pop interlaced with atmospheric soundscapes. Entitled “Love And Death”, it will be released on 23rd July 2021. The band has now released the video for their forthcoming single “Don’t Delete Me”.

The ‘nuclear option’ video was directed by Mogston showing terrifying images of real-life nuclear explosions.

About H2SO4

The UK electronic indie outfit H2SO4 isn’t all that new, they started releasing their first material in the late ’90s. H2SO4 began in 1998 as a remix project when electro pioneers Code (signed to the cult label Third Mind Records) reworked songs by indie group Sulphur (then signed to Rhythm King). Their debut full-length, “Machine-Turned Blues” was released in 1999 and included the well known single “Imitation Leather Jacket”.

Co-writer and producer Andy Phillips broke away from H2SO4 after the release of the Japan-only follow-up album “Glamtronica” in 2000 and formed the production partnership Bombay Monkey with Guy Martin, leaving Graham Cupples and James Butler to continue making music as H2SO4. A full two decades later, the two camps have combined forces.

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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Out on June 18 via Blind Mice Productions is the new Shiv-r album, “Kill God Ascend”. The Sydney based electro-industrial act is again self-releasing this 6th album. The duo consisting of Pete Crane and Ben Bulig promised that the album will bury “any criticism that the band have gotten less heavy”.

The new album counts 10 tracks and will be out on CD in a clear jewel case with 6-page insert, with artwork by Natalie Shau and layout by Juan Espinosa.

You can already check 2 tracks.

About Shiv-r

Shiv-r was formed in 2008 in Sydney, Australia by Pete Crane, Lee Bulig and Wendy Leaver. The were signed in 2010 to Infacted Recordings (Germany), Metropolis Records (North America) and Deathwatch Asia (Japan/Oceania).

Lee Bulig was already known for his work with Stark, which released 2 albums and 1 EPCD on GUP, and Neon Womb, releasing 1 album on Cranial Fracture Recordings. Pete Crane from his side was responsible for creating all music for The Crystalline Effect, releasing 2 albums and 1 EPCD on different labels, and Plague Sequence, with 1 EP and 1 album released on digital labels.

After 4 albums on Infacted the band founded Blind Mice Productions to release their new material. The first 2 releases were the singles “Eye Of The Needle” (2015) and “Cheshire Grin” (2017) followed by the album “Requiem For The Hyperreal” (2017).

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: Industrial, Experimental, Industrial-Trance.

Format: Digital, Cassette.

Background/Info: We all know Richard Oddie for his involvement with Orphx, but he’s also busy with other projects. He together with Dave Foster (Huren, Teste ao) set up Ontario Hospital (O/H). They did some live performances and released a few EP’s. This album features live tracks recorded between 2011 and 2019 in Japan, Russia, Holland and Canada. Notice by the way Richard Oddie released this work on his own label, which is meant for his different projects and friends.

Content: O/H is clearly driven by good-old Industrial music and retro Electro experiments. There’s an 80s touch running through the work, but still a more contemporary Trance/Techno aspect emerging during the last part of the album. The tracks have been progressively built up and are often ending into a sonic climax of Electro-Noise. The songs are mixed with harsh, disturbing vocals injecting an extra dose of terror to the composition.

+ + + : This project stands for intelligent Industrial music. It feels like O/H creates a sonic bridge between the past –sometimes reminiscent of SPK, and more contemporary Industrial sounds. A few songs are musically pretty Dive-like, but globally speaking this project has a very own sound and approach. I like the progression in the tracklist, which is definitely important when playing live. The songs progressively evolve until reaching hard Industrial dance passages with some extra Trance structures on top. O/H sounds like controlled chaos or simply transposing a sonic mayhem into dark, danceable stuff. The vocals are adding a little extra on top.

– – – : I don’t see any minus point, but simply regret I wasn’t that familiar with O/H before.

Conclusion: This project is meticulously mixing old- and modern Industrial influences together creating a rough although intelligent Industrial sound dimension. It’s a true masterpiece!

Best songs: “Supply / Demand”, “Generic Expectations”, “Worthless Scam”, “Safety Net”, “Power Starved / Human Waste”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.facebook.com/ontariohospital

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

Back in 1991 I started writing my first reviews for Side-Line magazine. I would have never thought to go on writing reviews and making interviews non-stop for 30 years. So 2021 is a special year to me, a kind of ‘celebration year’. I got the idea to celebrate this special event by interviewing people from the scene who all have a special meaning to me. ‘Journalists’ have to remain neutral, but it doesn’t take a way we all have our own favorite artists. Juno Reactor is one of my all-time favorites. Instigator Ben Watkins is an artist who each time again takes me by surprise. His work is mixing influences like Psy-Trance, Tribal and Cinematographic music. The Juno Reactor sound has something special featuring elements you directly recognize; a true sound-DNA. I already got the opportunity to interview Ben Watkins before, but I’ve been deeply touched he accepted to answer questions for this special interview. Great artists aren’t only composing great music; they’re still accessible and humble persons. I’d an endless number of questions to ask. Ben took his time to answer and it finally resulted in one of the most informative and complete Juno Reactor interviews ever. Thanks Ben and respect!

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

‘I Was Smitten By Girls And Rock’

Q: What have been your first experiments as a musician? What have been the triggers and, which were your favorite bands as a teenager? 

Ben: I was born into a family of five kids, I was the second, my parents had both been actor’s. When I was between 5 and 6 years old I would wait for my brother in my classroom to finish his school -I would have about an hour, so about 10 of us kids and a teacher would do drawing, games etc. One day I suggested we do a “Top Of The Pops” (a popular TV show); I formed a band with air-minus-everything, sat my mate Jason down on drums as he had the biggest nose like Ringo Star, can’t remember the others; we would make what surely was a cacophony of made-up words and stamping to the beat. “She Loves You Yeah Yeah Yeah” must have rung out beyond the classroom as the headmaster, a demonstrative man, with a liking for beating kids with his sports shoe would appear at the window looking very irritated. As it was not the first time I had had the unwarranted shoe across my backside, a shiver would go down my back as his eyes and Hitler moustache bobbed above the door partition. 

These pleasant heady afternoons were soon banned due to the repetition of “She Loves You Yeah Yeah Yeah”. I noticed the rather large female teacher was pretty good at the piano, So I asked if I could have lessons, even her non-stop smoking didn’t not put me off. 

The headmaster had too much of a liking for giving me a sore ass, so I asked my parents if I could move school. I had joined the parish choir, the choirmaster was a man named Roy Massey. Roy Massey was cool and pushed me as he liked my voice. He suggested I go to a Cathedral Choir school and apply for a scholarship. 

First I went to audition at St Pauls Cathedral in London. It was a bleak audition, I didn’t prepare enough, and glad I escaped what reminded me of a Charles Dickens movie. Next was Chichester. I could breathe in this atmosphere, I passed the audition of 200 kids for one place and felt very puffed up with myself, knowing my parents didn’t have to pay for my education. 

Violin followed, along with daily practise -7 am wake up, 30 minutes piano or violin practise. 8 am breakfast, 8:30 practise piano violin, 9 am going to the classroom, 12:00 choir practise, lunch then school, sports, choir practise, choir service, dinner, do homework, play free games, practise then bed. This went on for 4 years along with a new disciplinary teacher who equally enjoyed punishment -this time a cane, up the wide massive stairs of the bishops palace, down a long dark corridor, knock, explain my crime, ‘Ben-d over Watkins’, a leather chair which when bent over lifted my behind into the perfect position. 6 whacks later, my hands firmly on my butt, dark bruises would appear later in the night. I had been born again to the boy I should have been in the first place. 

Music school and punishment always seemed interlinked. Even now it annoys me that the first headmaster refused to put my name on the scholarship board, what a cunt. His name was Mr. Sandford.

 I survived Chichester, I became the head of House, by this time I was no longer beaten, and had a champion in Mr. Ross, the disciplinary teacher, sports freak alto in the choir with a certain eye for pubescent males. I was good at winning in Rugby, as we had the biggest 13-year-old god or whoever made him, like a superhero he would destroy other schools and me riding on his coattails basked in his glory. Mr. Ross showed me how to take down a man, so we did with as much aggression as possible when he joined in. 

I left Chichester, a remnant from the stone age of how not to teach a dyslexic kid like me through corporal punishment on how to learn -I didn’t. My choirmaster at Chichester I must say was equally odd, looking like Eric Malcombe (a British comedian). He again had a draconian delight in making sure the boys of the choir feared him, his eyes would hover over you like the follow spots of a prison camp from high above us in the organ loft. He had two mirrors focused on us, and if you looked up, the Vampire of Bela Lugosi would be there. I can’t say I cried when he died a few years ago, as I still hold a dagger that was thrown too many times my way. 

So Wells Cathedral school was next, my introduction to the female sex… well, bye bye learning, OK practise the violin, do all the rest, then focus on bands, Led Zep, David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Alice Cooper, Queen, glam rock. I was smitten by girls and rock. My mate Simon Baggs was older and had a car, we would venture out of the school across to Glastonbury plateaus, a labyrinthian set of roads through old mash lands, country pubs to drink cider, smoke John Players Special fags, and listen to his 8 tracks (?) as the beams of his car entered the mists of the backcountry lanes. Alice Cooper’s “Love It To Death” album never sounded so sweet. I continued exploring musical possibilities by experimenting with my first band Spiritual Sky, influenced by David Bowie, whose concerts was the first I went to, the Aladdin Sane tour at the Earls Court Stadium.

‘I Was Listening To D.A.F. And I Realised This Is The Future’

Q: Hailing from London (UK) I can imagine the late 70s and 80s have been fascinating years when it comes to music and the (r)evolution of Electronic music. What did these years mean to you and do you still feel an impact today? 

Ben: I left school when I was 16/17 with the intent of going to a music college. At that time I played classical guitar, and would practise 8 hours a day, and got quite OK on it. I flunked the first audition as I didn’t present a second instrument. This depressing point changed the course of my life, I was so annoyed by myself, I stopped playing classical guitar and got more into songs of Dylan and people like John Martin. Smoked a ton of dope, started busking, went off to Paris with a semi pyscho guy called Lynn, a man with an addiction to Valium and a crushing right hand as a rhythm guitarist, and spent the summer playing on the streets of Saint Michelle and the Champs Elysée. After months of being arrested (and sometimes put into prison -the police were quite nice and would give me beers to play) I had had enough. I wanted to form a band! Due to my parents lengthily separation and all the conflicts attached to it, starting since I was 9, and final divorce shortly after my return home from Paris, life diverted and I ended up establishing a rehearsal room in the now deserted parental house, where I and my older brother would continue living alone, experiencing the newly found peace and evolving musical projects while rehearsing with my first band Panther. I started gigging, Punk-Rock was kicking off! I was playing, now with my band Rainstorm, the same pubs as the Sex Pistols, Japan, The Stranglers amongst others, we did a tour withThe Frankie Miller Band. A Glasgow singer that should have been born in Memphis -a great singer, wild and very much a Glaswegian. Back then I was booking shows from a red phone box -coins every 30 seconds. Rainstorm turning into I.O.U., we played pretty much every music pub in the country. I really wish I’d kept my bass player from I.O.U. for my next musical project, a guy named Ian Taylor, who I had a natural affinity with.

I was bored of being skint and driving up and down the country for 2 years in our Box Transit with 6 aircraft seats, a PA we had on HP (higher purchase/credit) and going nowhere, fun but nowhere. One time we had to be rescued by the police near Shropshire in Winter, heavy snow blocked the roads at midnight, and the Transit was stranded and being snowed in, the guitarist, also called Ben, had icicles forming on his moustache. I remember crossing fields alone to find a house, first one wouldn’t help us, onto another who did ring the rescue, six of us stuff into a police car -never felt so good.

I partnered up with some musicians an A&R man from CBS suggested. The A&R man was a guy called Chas de Whalley, the brother of a friend of mine from back in the days of the headmaster with a penchant for corporal punishment. We, The Hitmen, went on to be signed to CBS after a year of rehearsals and songs that sounded like a primitive AI had made for a pop audience. Much to the chagrin of CBS, the management and the band, we were incredibly unsuccessful despite all the money and machinery CBS provide. I hated it, the mentality of playing the same notes, in-jokes and seriously underwhelming emotions. I had to leave as I couldn’t stomach The Hitmen any more, the characters in the band were the antithesis of my mental state or desire. Luckily the second album decided to shoot itself in the head, due to too much fighting, no focus and CBS’s realisation The Hitmen were doomed.  

Phil Manzanero’s studio (the guitarist of Roxy Music) was a white circular house -I had never seen anything like it! The engineer was a guy called Ian Little. We had made the last Hitmen record there, and I got on with him well. We talked nearly the same language, as opposed to the disconnect with the band. He wanted to make an avant-garde album, free of doctrine -just do what you want. So for a few tracks I threw away all concern and I was to be David Bowie, imagining myself on an alternative “Lodger”-album. Nothing was written, all just improvised. The band was called New Asia… This set my brain off into new ways of writing, like Brian Eno, as studios were expensive and this gave me a chance to experiment. 

So in the ’70s and ’80s it felt like I was always playing catch up with what other people were doing. I had had the band signed to CBS – it sounded like another band (Elvis Costello mix), or my previous bands -we didn’t sound particularly individual. It was only when I was sick enough of all the ego’s, bullshit or the hatred that you got from possibly jealous band members, that when I got introduced to a drum machine and a sequencer I realised I could get rid of half the band. I was listening to D.A.F. -it was a two-piece and I realised this is the future.

I met Youth (the bass player of Killing Joke) in ’82, around the time when he had just left Killing Joke and was looking to start a new band, which became Brilliant. I was the only guy he knew with a sequencer so for a short time I joined. Toured UK and Spain. We went on to record under the Name The Youth & Ben Watkins on the “The Empty Quarter”-album and “The Empty Quarter” on the “Delirium” album. Both albums were extremely quick in making;  first album -the official soundtrack to Jonathan Moore’s stage play “Street Captives” -2 days. Written, recorded and mixed with predominantly pulsating bass lines, drums, early Greengate samplers and synthesizers. Second album -5 days. We recorded “Delirium”, focusing more on rhythms and Electronic elements with still some instrumental aspect, ranging from Tribal to Industrial to Gothic-Funk. So many funny stories with Youth -the time in Spain on the evacuation of the tour, as it all fell apart after Barcelona; we took all our equipment back on the train, decided to eat all of our dope before the French border. By the time we arrived at midnight, the French border police wanted to play games with this group of English stoners. ‘Who is this woman’ they said, referring to a passport. We all looked and couldn’t identify her? ‘Go find her…’ so we all went looking on the train platform, bewildered and laughing, about an hour later we returned to their pigeon hole and asked to look again, as no way was she still on the platform. Upon second look we realised it was me they were referring to… Ha. Ha.

I heard DAF and Suicide around this time, I was saved! This music spoke to me. My grandmother died and left me 200£ which I immediately spent on a Roland MC 202, a sequencer with one monophonic synth. On HP I bought a cheap drum machine and a Moog Rogue. I formed The Flowerpot Men with Adam Peters, a classical cellist, who later became Echo And The Bunnymen’s orchestrator. 

 Our first single sold well for an underground track. We toured with Dead Or Alive and Siouxsie And The Banshees. Steven Severin of the Banshee’s produced the first “Single Joe’s So Mean to Josephine”, a dark murderous story I had read in the papers. The police knew who had killed the woman in bed, but couldn’t work out how Joe had managed to tie himself up. For the track I expanded on the story a bit. The 202 was driving this with the added influences of T.Rex, sort of a suicide inspired track. It charted in the indie charts and you could hear it being played by John Peel on BBC Radio 1 and loads of underground Gothic Dj’s. “Jo’s So Mean (to Josephine)” was also on our own independent record label, Compost Records.

In 1985 we recorded a cover of Dr Johns “Walk On Gilded Splinters” with Dr John on guest vocals, at Run DMC’s Studio In Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn NY. The B side featured a track called “Melting Down On Motor Angel” which was an elongation of the new drug MDMA, which we sampled on a roof garden on 8th Street watching a shoot-out down below. “Melting Down On Motor Angel” was also the album title to Sunsonic’s only album.

Around this time also, Sigue Sigue Sputnik started turning up to our gigs in full dress, noting down all we were doing, later to make their own version of our madness. A single a year, then along came Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in 1986 completely out of the blue.

Another EP “Alligator Bait”, four songs inspired again by the time in New York… what wasn’t great about New York at that time? So much vibe, parties, gigs, the Danceteria, hanging out with artists, musicians, actors, painters, just walking down the street was like being in a Kojak episode, I loved it!

We were building a nice audience when Adam decided to go produce a Punk band in Denmark instead of headlining the Temple of Gothic achievement -the Camden Palace. The Flowerpot Men were no more.

 Yello had come into my life with the “80 – 85”-remix album, it never left the record player, Sonic Youth, Front 242, most of the Mute Records catalogue, Beggars Banquet label, ZTT were making records I could only dream of creating…

So rethink time, 9 months of thinking, writing; rave music came in 86/87, early parties hanging out with KLF in their squat. Sometimes engineering their remixes, or going on the highland adventures with the KLF, making a copy of “The Wicker Man” for all KLF’s licencees, flown onto a small island on the Western Isles (the same place they burnt a million pounds in the name of art and cocaine), so like a twat, as again I was skint I did the opposite of good, and tried and succeed in going and signing with another major label, this time Polydor Records and with my Flowerpot partner, I started Sunsonic. Part of the deal was they build us a studio to save on costs, so what seemed a cool idea -and was in some ways -was us investing into learning how (and not) to become an engineer, an album that should have taken a few months turned into two years and sounded like it: over thought under inspired.

I worked with Alex Paterson (The Orb) again and formed a short-lived band called Peace In The Middle East, same name as the track we created, a sort of goodwill floppy dance sounding workout, nothing special.

 When there was so much great quick music being made we were in creative limbo. So the impact changed. Find a new way to present a band, no longer did I want the ego of one partner, I wanted a collective or collaborators and keep the vibe and atmosphere good and exciting. 

Adam left for the USA, I stayed and started Juno Reactor.

‘Juno Reactor Was Set Up As An Art Collective’

Q: I think Juno Reactor was originally set up as an art collective/gallery, right? Who was involved? What was it all about and how did it finally become a music collective centred around you? 

Ben:  Juno Reactor was set up as an art collective, with writers, installation artists, filmmakers, etc. Norma Fetcher, my girlfriend, took a surface to air missile and we drove it around London down past Parliament Square, Big Ben, Whitehall on a flatbed truck, with armoured personal carriers front and back whilst dressed as Arabs -an anti Gulf War protest, and installed it into an art Gallery, the Diorama, that was owned by the Queen and had a perfect silo shape in the middle where the rocket was newly erected. For this, I wrote “Luciana” -really Juno Reactor’s first album, which was also a suggestion of Jimmy Cauty (KLF) that I should do an hour mix as he had just done, as an experiment. The trouble with art was funding and much easier for me to get musical backing so it folded as soon as it began. Although R&S Records did sponsor that show as I had released a track called “I Love You” under the name of Electrotete with future JR musician Stephan Holweck (who later became Total Eclipse), a crazy French guy and brilliant bass player who also lived in the Benio squat with Jimmy.

The main people in the first two Juno Reactor albums were: Mike Maquire, a great guy I met at the distribution company Greyhound, when releasing a self-released title “Pycho SlapHead”, a brutal rave track with a sense of murderous humour. Mike was great, he had been in India many times and loved the early scene where DJ’s were already playing my tracks. I had to find out more, so we went into my studio in Bowl Court and Mike turned me on to the current sound of India. As it was so close to my Electronic sound it was an easy hop onto a train – Sci-Fi Landscapes, my 202 still purring like a train, we made the track “High Energy Protons”. Mike took it to India and immediately it became a big track there and abroad: Japan, Greece, France, Germany and UK. Tracks kept on hoping out in two or three days, with Stephan Holweck and Mike and soon we had about nine or ten tracks, so I took them up to Mute Records, intending to only perhaps sell one track. They loved it and wanted the album!

No one knew what this music was, so they called it intelligent Techno, albums were selling, gigs were happening, I was feeling more comfortable about the debts of Sunsonic being paid off. 

‘For Me It Was A Sci-Fi Scene For Acid Party People’

Q: The singles “Laughing Gas” and “High Energy Protons” plus the debut album “Transmissions” (1993) were into Goa-Trance. Back in time this genre was something totally new and often introduced as ‘Electronics for hippies’. What did you keep in mind from this album and how did you see the Goa-Trance movement evolving? 

Ben: Well, I never saw it as music for hippies -for me it was a Sci-fi scene for acid party people, hippies were still listening to Dylan in my mind. I had come from the Industrial-Rock routes, with heavy sense or brutal Electronica, which was also being played out in India, so for me, it was not much of a diversion, more like an extension of what I had already been doing. So I hooked up with Mike and Johann Bley, a great writer and drummer, who lived in Goa for 6 months of the year whilst I stayed in the UK and carried on writing tracks. Youth by this time was also indulging in holidays out there. It was a great way to write with no commercial interest, and just get what was great feedback from India and the parties. Essentially it was a very positive way of producing after what was a rather grim time whilst with Sunsonic. 

“Transmissions” was the first real beginning of something special, Mike Maguire – Stephan Holweck – Johann Bley even Turnip the Swede Jens Walderbeck, had an important part to play in the new playground. Mike and Johann would go to Goa and live there for 6 months of the year, send feedback on tracks, that even in these days of fire hilltop communication, managed to pass on the vibe of the parties, as I worked on new tracks to send out, or wait for their return. I had no idea of the lazy days on the beaches, rented houses year round, with cleaners and cooks, small or large jungle parties where monkeys would be interactive with the monkeys our tracks (“Jungle High”) -I have sampled a lot of monkey sounds.

These new Cyber-Punks would network in the blessed out Goa sun, to return to their homelands, far away from paradise and the free love of this un-celebrated underground unknown music, their generation accepting of all ages, colours race. Would telegraph their passion, create parties in on hidden mountains in Japan, sex clubs in L.A, warehouse London, gymnasiums in Paris, disused airports in Germany, Outback volcanos in Australia. We were invisible to the industry of wannabe stars and bankrupt music.

This kinetic energy of knowing you were onto something new was the drug, like a secret society that anyone could join, if you had digested the shared psychedelic values.

Our new world was fresh, driven, invited around the world, “Transmissions” was transmitting on a global level, that music magazines and house DJs couldn’t fathom.

 The studio building was from the time of Jack the Ripper, a 3 story warehouse used for  god knows what, the atmosphere had not left it, along with some of the rather back street people you might expect in that area of London. Prostitutes would use the car park at the back, working their trade. Sometime city guys in suits would be aggressive and attack the women, so we kept a baseball bat by the door and if we heard their screams we would run out in the name of protection.

Q: Your next album “Luciana” (1994) was something totally different and not exactly the most familiar album from your discography. But I think there’re a few interesting things to say about this work; it revealed your interest in Soundtracks while it got released on Alex Paterson’s (The Orb) own label Inter-Modo. What brought you to write this album and how did you get in touch with Alex Paterson? 

Ben: This goes back to the Missile Project and the involvement in installation art. Alex (THE ORB) heard the album and loved it, he said ‘Can I release it?’, why not I thought, so I spent an afternoon with Alex in the studio, he added some elements over the stereo track and that became the album. I met Alex in 1986, as he is Youth oldest and best friend, an ex roadie of Killing Joke with an amazing record collection, a massive ability to smoke more than London can produce and speak in a way you need a hearing aid to listen. 

Q: I’ve always linked Juno Reactor with solid bass lines and transcendental drums. “Beyond The Infinite” (1995) perfectly symbolizes these elements, but also your interest to explore new ideas like Tribal drums. What did this work say about your perception of ‘sound’ and eventually your passion for drums? 

Ben: “Beyond The Infinite”, by this time Mute and cool London were not fans of Goa or Trance anymore, and decided to call it ‘Tarquin Techno’ in the media, because of the image that rich kids were behind the scene, which -looking at myself, was obviously bollocks, but in Goa there certainly were a few, and maybe the other scenes sensing danger, ridiculed it. They were about to steal the name of trance. Paul Oakenfold(like ‘Sique Sique Sputnick’) was hanging out at parties, listening, collecting ideas and tracks, the house was moving to Trance. Clever, to take this and add all the crap vocals and sell it off to the sheep… Their power and media savvy then became ‘Trance’. Not sure what our scene was, Psychedelic-Trance? Along come all these pigeon holes. Name it, sell it. We didn’t give a shit and stayed as far away from the cliché as possible. Mike was so great at this time, he had the best tunes of anyone, and was in great demand as an international DJ, from the USA to Japan and sometimes we would join him as a live three-piece. Brilliant days, we were a family. 

Q: I think you’re an artist with a very unique sound DNA! What I’m trying to say is that I instantly can recognize your work by the bass lines, the orchestral arrangements, the hypnotic drum sections… What makes this DNA and where does it come from? 

Ben: I have no idea. Like all musicians, I have collected and been inspired by what I needed and wanted. I love all types of music, still do, these DNA strands are unique, the hard part is how to lay them out for others to share and enjoy. I wanted to be a photographer when very young, my dad said it was too expensive, so film, TV, pictures, music all collided and formed whatever I am in my tastes for music.

‘I Decided To Become More Grounded In Earthly Sounds From The Percussion’

Q: It’s impossible not evoking “Bible Of Dreams” (1997), which revealed new ideas and collaborations. I consider this work as your magnum opus, which even today hasn’t lost its original magic. How do you look back at this work 24 years later and are there some aspects of the production you would do differently? 

Ben:  So the time of “Bible Of Dreams” came along. Robert Trunz, CEO of MELT2000 -the umbrella company which ran Blue Room, and Simon Ghahary, the managing director of Blue Room -a sub-label based in the UK specialising in Electronic music, had signed Juno Reactor to Blue Room/Melt 2000 for “Beyond The Infinite”, as Mute didn’t want it. Robert was a jazz freak, and he got me involved in his great love for African music. Robert and Simon were different, business was easy, as Robert was pretty loaded and loved to invest in his artists. He took over my shabby warehouse studio, put in a massive Raindurk Symphony Desk, massive monitors that would be anyone’s wet dream, 9 bass drivers aside, they blew the roof off. He took over landlord costs, God I was free of all these costs, and could make music without the fear of losing it all.  

I had been introduced to the African musicians on Melt 2000. All the scene was doing was still making chemical noises, and stick in an alien landscape for the acid heads. Although this is enjoyable, it became very repetitive. So I decided to become more grounded in earthly sounds from the percussion. The only percussionists I had been introduced to before Amampondo were generally white guys, flipping away on drums in a sloppy-sloppy fashion, or German-style timpani military way which I had found pretty useless and saw no advantage in it on a track. So my mind was blown away by Mabi -power, rhythmic complexity, fun, tradition, amazing rhythms that propelled the track! My eyes were opened and I felt stupid I had not seen what so many others had -say for example my favourite drummer Ginger Baker -why hadn’t I noticed African drumming that years before? Anyway, I was now awake to its potential in my world of cross over, not interested in world music in its pure form and wanted to create a fusion with electronic music and see what comes out. 

Working with Mabi was so instinctive, we both saw tracks in the same way as pictures and thoughts, I literally fell over him in a music studio corridor where he was asleep on the floor when I was producing a Zulu Band for Melt 2000 in South Africa. We got talking and I invited him and Amampondo to play all the percussion, so in a way, our future was laid out there.

I felt I knew what I was doing, none of my UK band wanted to tour the USA with Moby for just 30 minutes a night, so I called Mabi and Amampondo , did a few rehearsals and off on tour! This moment diverted the future of the project for the next 12 years where I would tour with Amampondo.

 “God Is God” could finally be added to a Juno Reactor album, as now JUNO RREACTOR was more interested in the earth sounds, leaving sci-fi behind. “God Is God” was written around the end of “Transmissions”, needed a better mix, but was ready. The album fell into place so easily. 

I wouldn’t touch “Bible Of Dreams” as it is a record of where I was musically at the time. I firmly believe people walk on our path for a reason, be it for a short or long period. How we interact with them is up to us. Some people unexpectedly turn out to be far more important than you could ever have imagined. Some you will love until you die, while other return to the mist of being.

Q: I read somewhere that after “Bible Of Dreams” you got the feeling to be done with Electronic music. What was it all about? Was it a kind of exhaustion or blank page syndrome?

Ben: It happens a lot to me, especially with Electronic music. Far too many people seem to be happy to create a platform. Be it Trance, Techno, Ambient, Drum’n’Bass, Bass music, whatever. It gets like an L.A motorway full of polluting gases all sounding the same. So I go left, maybe my mistake there, but as I am totally useless at being commercial, I prefer my way. And hope others enjoy it.

‘The Track Was Built Around My Love For Tarantino And Westerns, Clint Eastwood And “Once Upon A Time In The West”’

Q: The opening song “Pistolero” from the “Shango”-album (2000) probably became your biggest hit ever. It sounds differently because of this guitar play and yet it remains 100% Juno Reactor! I remember my reaction when I heard it for the very first time: ‘this guy is crazy’! Was this song a kind of antithesis to all what you’ve done before? And how did you imagine the future of the project right at the new millennium? 

Ben: On tour I met up with Steve Stevens. After speaking with him on the phone about the recent Traci Lords album that I produced, I invited him to play on a show in L.A, a great venue, like an old-fashioned sports hall with a running track above. Now, I think how freaked out he must have been, as I patched him into my desk, he would play, and I would cut him off at random, he kept on looking over as if to say ‘WHAT THE FUCK?!’, he must have thought I was crazy, he didn’t complain but you don’t do this to a Rock Legend. Anyway, we got on, he asked me to produce a track for his album – yep, “Pistolero”.

Steve wasn’t used to my regime of endless hours in the studio and I think after six days his eyes were somewhere down near his guitar swaying hips, exhausted he returned to the USA. He wasn’t that impressed, so I agreed to pay his costs, and I would release it. I worked on it a ton more, and out popped the track we know.

The track was built around my love for Tarantino and Westerns, Clint Eastwood and “Once Upon A Time In The West”. When it was released I named it the “Tarantino Radio Edit”. Quentin loved it and Robert Rodriguez and Tarantino then wrote “Once Upon A Time In Mexico” after being inspired by my “Pistolero” track, which they credited in the CD booklet.

Currently, I’m working on the new album, Steve Stevens, Sugizo and Amir Haddad will hopefully all on the same track.

Working with Amampondo was a dream, we never argued, just laughed a lot, after having lived in each other’s pockets on tour we got on well. I learnt more from them than they did of me. Their sense of rhythm, spontaneity, improvisation, the humour of dance, the humour of anything. We would do shows, stop the machines and go into full-on Tribal rhythms, songs of the Pondo’s. Every night was different. Mandla and Simpewe would perform acrobatics when we played “Feel The Universe”, crowds loved this, even though injuries happened, the next night they would do it again. I carried on working with them for 12 years until it became impossible to bring them from South Africa due to rising costs and falling promoters budgets. 

I should add that Traci Lords was also very cool to work with, and had several enjoyable sessions with her, which led to a top 5 USA billboard track titled “Control” and a number of movie syncs from these sessions.

‘“Matrix” Was Like Being Shot And Landing In Heaven With A Ticket Back To Earth’

Q: Your songs got more and more featured in movies and you wrote different songs for Soundtracks. I can imagine the “Matrix”-experiences must have been a kind of ultimate dream and accomplishment? But what has been the impact of all these experiences –and more especially “The Matrix”, on your career?

Ben: I love films, first of all, so for it to combine with my music is a dream job no matter what the film is. I will score a bug on a wall, and still enjoy it. “Matrix” was like being shot and landing in heaven with a ticket back to earth. After the initial meeting with the Wachowski’s I had to smash nails into my boots to keep me from flying off to the stars. Reality hit in a good way and was the toughest discipline mixed with the excitement of being able to please the directors and myself. What do I take away from it? A sense of achievement that I did something very special. I still get composers coming up to me and saying it is a landmark film for integration of Electronics and orchestra which is what the Wachowski’s wanted. It helped me believe in my writing al lot more, although confidence is like the wind, some days you have it others not.

The daily routine of waking up in heaven is not always as easy as it sounds, as even in my camp I would experience jealousy, I had brought with me a programmer (Stephan Holweck) an engineer (Greg Hunter) Singer (Taz) Stephan more turned into a cook and this frustrated his, as he wanted to be more involved, but the way out worked out there was no real room for him. Greg brought in his friend, which added to the annoyance of Greg; Greg would come in and say as I was working on “The Burly Brawl”, ‘that is a load of crap’ in-front of his friend as a light heated joke, which they all found very funny, I took Greg outside and suggested he return back to London as he wasn’t on my team, either buck up or go home. I should have sacked Greg as he would do things like after a mix was finished, he wanted to polish it more, so first time I agreed and I went back to the Paramore to sleep. I got a call from the dub stage early in the morning saying ‘what is this mix, it is horrible!!!’ I asked what time it was made they said 8 am, I replied please listen to mix from 1:00 am . They did and said thank you this is great.

Greg Hunter had in the hours between, added noises, effects I knew would be unwanted, and a rebalance uncalled for. He had become a liability to me, as now Warner were clocking his over times. I could not get rid of him as I didn’t know another great engineer in L.A. I would never use him again. These unexpected invasions add a colour I would have preferred had not happened, as these were not the only times he tried to unravel the job.

 Zig Gron (my Music Editor)  on the other hand, a man I did not know previously was my guardian angel. He walked me through all of the landmines, I asked him to teach me all he could, and I was in a 100 milesper hour world on information upload. Zig was funny, informative and such a bloody relief to have near me. God save Zig Gron and all who sail around him.

Q: The Soundtrack you composed for the “Brave Story”-animation film (2006) must have been something really special. For the very first time you composed the entire Soundtrack and here again I discovered some new aspects like the song “Juno Waltz”. How did you prepare and finally composed this work? 

Ben: This was composed under my name Ben Watkins rather than Juno Reactor. I had done another one, like “Beowulf”. I asked them why they wanted me to write for mainly orchestra, and they said we would like to hear how it sounds. So I sort of did my impression of ‘a man who knew what he was doing and what they were talking about’. There were a few production problems re-budget, as it wasn’t cheap for an Anime film. Once that was over, it was surprisingly easy, maybe a lot easier than writing for pure Electronics as the orchestra tone is defined by what you want, and once set, you have your pallet of sounds more or less. “Juno Waltz”, funny you mention that one, as it was the one I most feared to write, as again it has been so defined by other writers. I wrote it last, and it just popped out, it was also the one I felt the orchestra liked the most as they would tap their music stands like clapping. 

We recorded the Orchestra and choir in Bratislava, The Bratislavian Symphony Orchestra and a Vienna choir. I remember on the way to the massive radio sound stage all the older ladies at the bus stops had bright blue/purple hair. A hangover from communist times maybe, thought it looked great and definitely a way I wouldn’t mind my hair, like Quintan Crisp on acid.

Q: You also composed music for animation games. Does it need a different approach than for soundtracks? Any preference and/or favorite? 

Ben: “The Mark Of Kri” was a sort of nightmare, in as far as I had to create on each level two hours of non repeating music, on 0.5 MB, which now sounds insane huh. So you have an excitement engine, 0 – 100, fight mode is 50 plus. I had to build the macros to enable this. So deep learning curve, endless nights on the phone to Scott in San Francisco. This is a bit like the early beginning maybe of programs like WWise.com -which is a sampler on Crack, and hold so many possibilities for AI and VR, which makes me really excited for the future of music and sonic displacement for composers. My preference for games is really to write and hand over in stereo or 5.1. 

“PS4 Gran Turismo” -I made special mixes of tracks from the not so soon to be released album “The Mutant Theatre”, I didn’t have much involvement on this as they loved the tracks I presented and it was done.

Thanks of the Galaxy was a scored mobile game. Despite it being for mobile-only, I really enjoyed working with the team in Finland, in which I presented a Sci-fi industrial orchestral score made from orchestra libraries by George Strezov well worth checking out.

www.strezov.net  www.strezov-sampling.com

‘“Navras” Is The Biggest Track I Have Written’

Q: “Labyrinth” (2004), “Gods & Monsters” (2008), “Inside The Reactor” (2011), “The Golden Sun Of The Great East” (2013) and “The Mutant Theatre” (2018) are the studio-albums released after 2000. How would you analyze the evolution of these productions considering items like influences, technology vs. production and new collaborations? 

Ben: “Labyrinth” is “The Matrix”-album, and after the experience of the last track for “The Matrix Revolutions”, “Navras”, I couldn’t write a thing. “Navras” is the biggest track I have written, or been involved in with 120-piece orchestra, 80-piece choir, soloists, percussionists… So for three months after that I was bashing my head against a wall back in the UK. I think mainly as I was still missing the vibe of L.A, the people always around, the buzz. Until “Conquistador” Parts 1 & 2 came to save me along with guitarist Eduardo Niebla. I was mainly working very analogue, real drums, humans playing, and I still do, but now I am 75% out of the box and 25% in the box. Loads of new software have enabled me to make it more expansive. 

“Gods & Monsters”-I wanted it less epic than “Labyrinth”, write some songs that spoke to me at the time, and try a sort of Jazzy feel to some of it. Not very popular with the Juno Reactor dance crowd at the time, I still love certain tracks. A lot of artists musicians feel constrained by the genre they are in, main thing to me is to stand by what you write, and try it, it ain’t going to kill you. 

One track for example, “Tanta Pena” from “Gods & Monsters” -I was driving to the studio at Ridge Farm when a voice came on the BBC world music show, I had to stop and listen. A cross between a butterfly and a thunderstorm, it took the wind out of my lungs. As soon as the song was over I rang the station and asked who it was. Yasmin Levy! I contacted her husband who was also her agent/manager and asked if she would be interested in recording with me. 

Yasmin and the manager arrived on a beautiful Summer’s day. Ridge Farm is in the Surrey countryside, an Elizabethan Estate with grounds, a swimming pool, beautifully landscaped gardens, all made possible by Frank Andrews never-ending building work on his estate. 

I had moved into Ridge Farm after “The Matrix” films when I heard the studio on the estate was laying bare. I was able to bring my equipment and use one of Englands classic studio’s. Muse, Queen, Ozzie Osbourne and so many more had recorded here… 

Yasmin was shy, and maybe only 20yrs old when she visited the farm. I played her my idea’s, talked a little, not much really and went into record! With one take it was done on both tracks, no need to do any more, she had nailed it! It is quite amazing when this happens, like Lakshmi Shankar on “Navras”. 

I carried on working the track to bring it to her level, with an amazing Zook player from Arminia, Tigran Aleksanyan with the merciless drumming of Greg Ellis, who, when I started working with him in the studio, sounded a bit like a session player. His appearance was that of a typical tattoed L.A drummer, calm, spiritually balanced in appearance -and a very amiable personality.

I asked Greg to let his rage out for this track, really hit those fuckers! I unleashed a beast, a monster, his whole countenance changed, Fire and brimstone drumming, an apocalypse of anger and frustration came out! Drum skins didn’t last long, an inverted blister would appear on the snare within one take! Greg loved this approach, which you can also hear on “The Immaculate Crucifixion”. After this, “Tanta Pena” was complete. 

The original song dates back to the time when the Spanish ejected the Jewish population or made them convert to Christianity around 1492. It is sung in Ladino by Yasmin Levy whose father was a famous archivist of Ladino music, “No More Blood” –“Tanta Pena”.

 “Golden Sun Of The Great East” -I went to India to record a lot of the soloists, and this opened up my world to new horizons, as I found Bombay very “Blade Runner”-ish, ancient and modern all running parallel, crazy, mad, tragic and beautiful. 

Magical things happen, even when you are not looking, I was on a day trip around the studio’s of Mumbai with a potential agent for me in India. We entered a black and gold studio, very camp, I would expect Freddie Mercury of Queen to pop out and say ‘Hello darlings, welcome to my fuck fest!’ instead it was a wonderful Panjabi singer being recorded for a film. Our next appointment was with the Mozart of Indian film music, A R Rahmen. Excited I jumped in the taxi, horns blaring, rain falling, a bright night journey. Next to me in the taxi was the Panjabi singer, ‘Hey can you sing me a song into my zoom recorder, as we wait for my agent to say his goodbyes’. 4 minutes later, a song that never varied off its pitch, was in my data control. Leaving out the A R Rahmen meeting as it was nice, but nothing special, I returned to the hotel where eagles would fly high above in the morning light, I listened back, to the Mumbai traffic and the voice of a celestial being. I started writing “Invisible”, the second track on the album.

“The Mutant Theatre” was written for the show -a Sci-Fi extravaganza where choreographed performance really took over the direction. 

For me, the last two albums speak to me how I want to hear them, and possibly my favourite albums.

“The Mutant Theatre” was designed as a show album. In 2015 I was asked by the Ozora Festival to come back the next year with a new show, I had thought of a show to be called “The Mutant Theatre” 5 years before when in Russia and working with two amazing Performance groups, Agnivo, from Moscow, and Stigma Show from St.Petersburg. I presented this idea in pictures to Ozora, which they loved. It was expensive as it involved around 18 people.

Eyal Yankovich had been my agent for 5 years or so, also the head of Hommega Records. He was an OK agent, getting me the occasional gig or tour, what he was really good at was igniting my imagination with tunes, and suggest I listen to many great tracks, ‘How about a new “Pistolero” Ben?’

Eyal Hung himself before he could listen to the final “Return Of The Pistolero”-version or the album, which still a saddens me.

 Sanja Music, our tour manager, started to really help me, not only from a business perspective, but also from a listening view point. Despite being unable to discuss in a musical language, she would always hit it on the head, find a way to describe the best versions, enthusiasm, insights, referenced insights how fans can view it, how it might work on stage. Spend hours discussing and evolving ideas. I met Sanja many years before in Slovenia when we were playing with Laibach. A tall shiny girl in Japanese fashion appeared solo waiting for the doors to open, a Sugizo fan I believed. We stayed in contact through Myspace and later meeting up in Japan when I was having tours there. She came to the 2015 Ozora Festival and I’ve asked her to photograph Juno Reactor. After we went to Budapest to sight see the city, when I realised what a great addition she would me to Juno Reactor, little did I know how central to my thinking and the project she would become.

‘I Want To Give Something To The Audience That They Might Not Have Seen Before’

Q: You’ve always worked and composed your albums with guest musicians and –singers while going on tour with dance companies, drummers ao. It all feels a bit like the initial goal of creating a ‘collective’ has never changed. What did you learn from all these meetings, collaborations and exchanges? 

Ben: I want to give something to the audience that they might not have seen before. Maybe this goes back to my days of loving David Bowie, and his great performances, always looking for a new way. I feel a sense of family when we are on the road, not always possible with some people, but when it is good it is great. I am still learning how best to be, and how to navigate the waters of human interaction. I feel most comfortable in my studio along with all the other me’s talking.

Q: Your brother Simon Watkins has been often involved in the artwork of Juno Reactor. It all looks like arts is a family thing. Where does it come from and is there a next Watkins generation to hold on this artistic fire? 

Ben: Simon, my brother, helped me focus on art and how to look at it. He always had an unusual taste, a black comedy in his work that I loved. My parents were actors, and despite we were a family of 5 kids, and totally squint, I have no clue why our blood directs us to the arts, as it would be much simpler if we had just wanted a normal life. My parents gave up on their careers too early I always felt, and so I have to live with the musical sword in my hand.

Django, my younger son, is at film university learning the art of script writing and direction, Tim, my older son, is a great musician and records tracks I love. Scarlet and her friend wrote a track for a Japanese singer that was pretty successful. Scarlet at one time wanted to take over Juno Reactor, maybe she still does who knows, but she has chose marine photography for now.

‘AI, VR & AR Have So Much Potential For Young Musicians To Escape The Old Models Of Creation And Start A New Chapter In Music’

Q: A lot of things have changed/evolved since the early Juno Reactor years; think about technology, new equipment & music programs, streaming, social media etc… What have been the pros and cons? 

Ben: I started out on an MC 202 and now I have a museum, a laboratory, loads of instruments that I play. I miss the hangouts in the studio, as everyone has a studio, so we became moles. I love the independence of starting a Juno Reactor label, which I and Sanja Karin Music, who is my manager and for a number of years has also collaborated on artwork, future NFTs on knownorigin.io and other platforms, and a variety of creative projects and activities, which we will be rolling out in the coming year.

The new possibilities of NFT’s and blockchain, which might well help the independent musician into a new economic model. AI, VR & AR have so much potential for young musicians to escape the old models of creation and start a new chapter in music, independent from middlemen and greedy manipulators from the dark alleys of the old music industry. A new world awaits in the decade to come, and I am excited by it, and what it will become. This doesn’t in any way exclude the old ways, or purity of the orchestra, classical musicians, just a new voice in the galaxy.

Q: Covid-19 has seriously affected artistic activities all over the world. How did you keep yourself busy and what are you actually working on? 

Ben: I am learning the Viola, this has kept me in focus at times, writing new tracks with this has been very enjoyable, as well as testing, as I am still learning, and it will take me a long time to play the way I would like. I swim in the sea, this I love when I can afford the time -a sea swim now takes me about 2:30 hours compared to the pool of 1 hour. It blows all the cobwebs and bad thoughts away -of which there have been many through the past year, no question. I think a lot of artists had a very hard time, a lot of artists might have been forced to stop doing what they love, which is very sad. Like many others as well, I have been forced to look into the paperwork side of the project and face all the different misdemeanours and manipulations from a number of people I preferred not to face while gigs were still bringing in enough money to keep going.

‘Sooner Or Later An Autobiography Could Certainly Happen’

Q: I read in a post you got the idea to write an autobiography, which I think is a real interesting idea. Is it something concrete and are there some next ‘big’ dreams you want to accomplish?  

Ben: Well, it is odd, as I have lived long enough to tell stories other people find interesting, or so they say. Sometimes I get caught up in them, and it reminds me of talking to family members before they died. As you can ask them a historic question of how life was, and you can see their eyes glaze over as they reminisce as if they are walking the streets and cafes they used to. It is beautiful to see and hear. I don’t want to become a broken record and recite story after story, so maybe one time if I can write it OK, it might be interesting. My manager Sanja has been pushing me to write down or talk about times in my life and slowly collect all these to be turned into an entity at some point, so sooner or later an autobiography could certainly happen. It might have been silly of me to suggest I’m writing it on a simple social media travel picture that looked to me like a book cover, but perhaps having the public know and expect it will give me an extra boost to keep working on it, with my managers help, as an dyslexic person I was surprised to find that I’m really enjoying this process.

‘The Older I Get The More I Want To Do Music, Scuba, Swim, And Exploring New Horizons’

Q: An interesting item for the autobiography could be to know what you would have done in life without music? And do you have specific hobbies/passions next to music? 

Ben: I remember one day my father said ‘If you pass this exam, I will buy you a pony’. I tried my best, but still failed, and thus had to grow up pony-less. I wonder what would have happened had I passed the exam. Would I really have gotten a pony? Would I perhaps be in a completely different profession today? I should ring up my dad and ask if he actually planned to get that pony …

A lot of people through-out my life have mistook my dreamy exterior to think I am lazy, when in fact my brain has never stopped talking, the conversations I have in my mind seem to me to be more interesting than the ones outside, so I can be non responsive, come over as aloof. The reality is I have drifted off into my own world again. Where I might think I have answered a question asked by someone, just to realise it was only answered in my head. Dyslexia has strange traits, and for me it is this, I am word blinded sometimes that also raises my pulse to a train, panic. I envy people who can be logical, and competent in social exchanges. Stage is my way out, a sort of nether world between reality and dreams where I feel confident of its power.

Without music, I would be a shadow, maybe worked in a stable or farm all my life, something that didn’t need a searching brain. The older I get the more I want to do music, scuba, swim, and exploring new horizons.

Q: “Pistolero” is the Juno Reactor-song I make people listen to, who aren’t familiar with your work. Which one would you choose? 

Ben: At the moment, Ummm my latest one: “Coyote You Me And The Stars”. As it was written for a very special moment and one I will forever remember. I bought an amazing keyboard at the beginning of the crisis, which has been my main frame and primary sound source, the Quantum keyboard by Waldorf, it is such an unusual instrument. It is possible to create sonic textures I haven’t heard before, a 3D motion I have been looking for, this along with the viola.

I am more interested in how I can hold the sound in the stereo field to give depth and spatial pleasures. Political events don’t usually invade my thoughts yet this has been unavoidable.

Witten by: Ben Watkins

Co-editor: Sanja Karin Music (management & shrink services)

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

UK electronic indie outfit H2SO4 are back with a brand new single and video “Machines Love”. For this they collaborated with the production duo Bombay Monkey (feat. also H2SO4 co-founder Andy Phillips). The duo also worked on H2SO4’s upcoming album “Love And Death” to be released on 23rd July 2021.

“The work process was fast and fluid,” says Phillips of his role as co-producer/mixer. “I picked out some key songs that Graham and James had already recorded and got a few raw ideas together before playing them to Guy, who would either do nothing at all or completely turn them on their head. Neither of us was sure what we were dealing with but almost every track we worked up sounded great. However, it wasn’t until we played them to a friend who came up with the final album running order that we knew we’d got something special on our hands.”

The accompanying video for “Machines Love” features H2SO4 vocalist James Butler battling with dancer Lydia Savva.

About H2SO4

H2SO4 began in 1998 as a remix project when electro pioneers Code reworked songs by indie group Sulphur (then signed to Rhythm King). After the singles “I Need Love” and “Little Soul”, a subsequent series of 12” white labels followed prior to the release of their 1999 debut full-length, “Machine-Turned Blues”.

Co-writer and producer Andy Phillips broke away from H2SO4 after the release of the Japan-only follow-up album “Glamtronica” in 2000 and formed the production partnership Bombay Monkey with Guy Martin, leaving Graham Cupples and James Butler to continue making music as H2SO4. A full two decades later, the two camps have combined forces to make a new album.

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.

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Glitch, IDM.

Format: Digital, Vinyl (7”).

Background/Info: This work is a collaboration between Japanese artists; there’s the music created by Junji Ono aka Noiseconcrete while female singer 3CHI5 is doing the vocals. Both artists have already released a few previous works on the Japanese label SSSM (run by Hiroshi Hashimoto aka Contagious Orgasm).

Content: This work features 3 compositions. Especially both debut cuts are catching the attention for the mix of influences and ideas. It makes me think of a sonic hybrid between Glitch and IDM driven by slow rhythms and featuring female vocals in Japanese. The rhythm has something sensual, which is accentuated by the vocals while the music is hard to catch. The last track is a very short one, kind of outro.

+ + + : The sound is hard to grasp, but it has something original. The Japanese vocals by the mysterious 3CHI5 are fitting to the music. I especially like the sensual aspect of the work created by the slow cadence. It’s a dark and sexy production, both main songs being a cool discovery.

– – – : It’s just a pity we only get 3 songs from this project and the last one is just a forgettable outro.

Conclusion: I’m used to discovering complex and less accessible Noise projects from Japan, but this new production is definitely something different; original and refreshing!

Best songs: “With Our Own Words”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/NOISECONCRETEx3CHI5-110963780515370

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

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

Australian formation DANDELION WINE is now active for more than twenty years. The Ethereal-Folk formation based in Melbourne released several successful albums during the early Millennium years, but nothing really new got released since 2010. The newest opus “Le Coeur” was originally released as a limited CD edition in 2018 on the Lithuanian label Dangus. Since this year the work is available in a digital format featuring nine songs mixing Ethereal, Folk and Electronic influences. The current line-up of the band consists of core members Naomi Henderson (voice, wind, electronics) and Nicholas Albanis (strings and electronics) plus Francesca Mountfort (cello and voice) while “Le Coeur” also featured a fine selection of guest musicians.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: DANDELION WINE has been set up more than twenty years ago now and yet, it seems that less happened since your previous album “All Becompassed By Stars” (2010). Can we speak about a ‘resurrection’ or a ‘second life’? What does the band stands for today (I also refer to the new line-up)?

Nicholas: It really was a longer gap than we had anticipated! Between 2006 and 2010 we were really busy writing, recording and touring -we released three albums on the German label Ars Musica Diffundére / Black Rain and were going back and forth between Australia, Japan and Europe so often that we ended up moving to Germany. It was all quite manic (and incredible!), but in 2010 we moved back to Australia and set to work on a new album. Along the way a bunch of other things happened with children being born and stuff like that.

We weren’t completely inactive and we still managed to do a couple of European tours and play at some festivals in that time, but it was a much slower pace. We ended up throwing out about 80% of what we had recorded and starting again, which is not something we had ever done before, but was the best thing we could have done.

The other big important change was that we went from a duo to a trio -cellist Francesca Mountfort did a guest spot with us at a concert at a castle in Estonia and it went so well she ended up joining the band. The addition of Francesca has really been incredible both in the studio and live. Naomi often layers multiple vocal parts in the studio and Francesca also sings those parts live, as well playing hammered dulcimer. She also takes quite an electronic approach to her cello with various effects and loopers, which is perfect for Dandelion Wine.

Q: Your new album “Le Coeur” was originally released in 2018 as CD format on the Lithuanian label Dangus while you now re-released it as digital album. Tell us a bit more about the original release and the re-edition?

Nicholas: Well we actually anticipated that the digital release would happen soon after the Dangus CD-edition, but it didn’t quite work out that way. It was anticipated that the digital release would happen in late 2018, but we wanted to have a CD edition for our 2018 European tour so people at our shows could buy it before anyone else.

We were going to have it manufactured in Europe, but the people from Dangus offered to handle the release for us -we have known them for many years from the festivals Menuo Juodaragis and Kunigunda Lunaria and we have become friends over the years so we thought it would be a great idea. Dangus have released some really interesting bands such as Spanxti and Undan too. The Dangus edition had a slightly different track listing -it featured a folkier song called “Prelude To Sleep” which was a rare track that was originally on a French Prikosnovenie compilation, but the full digital edition includes “Persistence Of Vision”, a cover of the Australian band Clowns Smiling Backwards, which was always intended to be on the album.

Q: What does the album “Le Coeur” stand for? What kind of album did you want to achieve and how did the collaborations with the numerous guest musicians took shape?

Nicholas: We had always intended that this album would be quieter and darker than previous albums. When we wrote and recorded “Selected Anachronism” and “All Becompassed By Stars” we were touring a lot, playing at outdoor festivals and noisy clubs and very much in the mindset of our live show. Sure there were more ambient pieces and acoustic songs on those albums, but there was more of a focus on what we were playing live.

With this one we wanted to slow things down a bit, have some space, focus on the atmospheres even more and also to be a bit more focused and consistent. Rather than mixing big danceable tracks with more introspective elements, we wanted to keep the mood a bit more consistent.

Having the guest musicians was great and was really about trying to make each track the best it could be. Sure, I can play bass but I’d much prefer to have Denni from Brillig or Pete McKeown add their genius to it instead. It’s funny, Denni actually came around to meet up and have some beers in the backyard when we said ‘so we’ve got this song that needs a bassline…’ Haha! On “Hall Of Leaves” we kept thinking that end would be great with Rüdiger Maul playing percussion on it so we just asked him -we’d met when we’ve played with Faun and had a great time together at Festival Mediaval and luckily he was up for it. I used to play with Phil Coyle in a Psych-Folk band called Trappist Afterland and we knew his frame drum style would be ideal for “Pilgrimage”. Having HakGwai from Hong Kong play erhu (two string Chinese fiddle) was more experimental -he’s a good friend and we loved his playing so we actually got him to improvise over “One Of My Friendly Days” without really knowing where it was going to lead and the result was incredible.

Q: A word about the great, artistic artwork of “Le Coeur” and especially its front cover. What do the pregnant women stand for and what’s the link between the artwork and the lyrical themes of the album?

Naomi: We were so happy with how the artwork photographs turned out! The original idea began with Salvadore Dali’s “In Voluptas Mors” or “Desirable Death”. It’s a photograph of several naked women forming the shape of a skull with Dali in the foreground. I was pregnant at the time, so the idea of life and death was quite apparent and I thought what if you could do this with pregnant women? How strong would the idea’s of life and death be if we created a skull (a symbol of death) out of women about to give birth (a symbol of new life)? Of course that’s not exactly what we ended up with, apart from the fact that I could only find two other pregnant women to model with me, I wasn’t sure we could have formed a skull anyway… I mean, you’re not exactly the world best contortionist when you’re pregnant! So we had envisaged creating shapes to collage into a skull or maybe a heart, still with the life and death theme, but the images Colin Page produced were so beautiful and stunning in their own right, that we went with that for the “Le Cœur” cover art.

When trying to come up with a name for the album we realised that we already had a heart theme within the collection of songs. We’d used a heart image for the cover of the album’s first single “One Of My Friendly Days”which had already been released, we had used in-utero heart beat recordings for two of the tracks, our dear friend Robert ‘Bo’ Bohem had passed away from heart issues and we have a cover of one of his songs on the album (“Persistence Of Vision”), and much of the lyrical content was around affairs of the heart- the heart fearing or craving something, be it loss or fear of loss, missing people or yearning for something/someone that you haven’t meet yet. And it fitted beautifully with the artwork photos where each body has not one, but two hearts beating inside it! The heart being one of the main things that separates us from life and death. So we chose to name thealbum “Le Cœur” (the heart).

Q: An important aspect in your composition is the use of acoustic/traditional instruments. I get the feeling it reminds us what is a ‘musician’ while today more and more so-called ‘artists’ are losing this aspect, composing their music only with computers and software. I would like to get your perception about this difference?  

Nicholas: We’ve always loved acoustic, electric and electronic music and have been influenced by all of them, but the combination of the three is really what excites us the most. I guess that the three of us would consider ourselves instrumentalists first and electronic artists second. I think there is something really special about the relationship between a musician and their instrument… I would put it this way – I enjoying working with synths, samplers and computers but I really NEED to play guitar, lute, dulcimer etc. I really start to lose my mind if I don’t. I often find that the electronic musicians that speak to me the most also have a background in playing more traditional instruments -quite often I find that someone who creates great purely electronic music is also a guitarist, drummer, classical pianist or something and it really shows.

For us it has always been a matter of going with what works sonically, emotionally and in terms of atmosphere -usually the initial idea from a song will spring from a particular instrument or a particular beat. From there, it’s a matter of going through and adding different textures to achieve the atmosphere and emotion we’re trying to convey. For example, a renaissance lute says very a different thing to a distorted analogue synth, but sometimes the marriage of the two of them is absolutely what is needed.

Q: Like all artists you must be frustrated and impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. How do you experience this situation when you’ve a new album out and live performances are no longer possible? How do you see things evolving and what comes next for DANDELION WINE?

Naomi: Yes it’s been a completely weird and strange time to be an artist! We had an Australian tour booked which had to be cancelled, which was disappointing and a European festival postponed to 2022, we stopped planning for our 2021 European tour. We initially delayed the release when Covid-19 broke out, I think we kind of hoped it would blow over! But I went for a walk one day (in my allowed one hour of exercise during lockdown) and listened to the album. I realised that so many of the themes were quite relevant to the situation – “Persistence of Vision” is all about the things you should have already done but haven’t, “Pilgrimage” is about isolation and making a journey to be with the ones you love, “Too Late She Cried” is about missing opportunities and so on. So we decided perhaps it was actually quite timely to release it during the pandemic. And in a way it was a very positive thing to do for us personally, it gave us purpose and aim to be doing the publicity and making a little iso film clip and a live (no audience) video while we couldn’t play proper concerts and the world had gone topsy turvy!

So in Australia we hope to re-book a national tour, our city has had zero cases quite a few times in the last few weeks and most of Australia have had no cases for quite a while, so we expect that things will open up here again in the near future. But we have been entertaining the idea of writing/recording our next release by sending files back and forth to each other. And I think we (along with everyone one else) are crossing our fingers for a good vaccine to get back to Europe in late 2022!

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