John Fryer is a multi-platinum, internationally successful record producer, musician, singer-songwriter, and part-time rock star. He has been making music since 1980—dating back to what we might consider the first wave of New Wave. Working out of Blackwing Studios in London (UK), he collaborated with bands such as Depeche Mode, Fad Gadget, Cocteau Twins, and This Mortal Coil, as well as with groups like Nine Inch Nails, Stabbing Westward, and HIM.

He is also featured on the “Resurgence” compilation box with his notable project BLACK NEEDLE NOISE, released by COP Intl. We sat down with John to reminisce about the good old days.

SL: Tell us more about your current music-related priorities in 2024.

JF: My priority is to make beautiful music with the love of my life, Lady Trace.

SL: What do terms like “post-punk,” “cold wave,” “new wave,” etc., mean for you in your own musical career?

JF: That’s a good question. These labels were coined outside the studio, and while I now realize I was at the epicentre—or the eye of the storm, if you will—at the time, none of that really mattered to me. I was constantly moving from one project to the next, often not even realizing how big some bands became because I was knee-deep in follow-up work. Looking back today, I’d associate those labels with two distinct decades. New wave and post-punk correspond with my time at Blackwing Studios and my work with labels like Mute, Beggars Banquet, Rough Trade, and 4AD in the ’80s—think Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins, and This Mortal Coil. Cold wave, however, started for me after I left Blackwing and became a freelancer. I spent considerable time in the United States working with Nine Inch Nails, Gravity Kills, and Stabbing Westward—that was the ’90s. After that, the lines began to blur, and music became much more fragmented. Nowadays, almost every month a new label emerges; for instance, what we once called This Mortal Coil is now considered Dreampop—a genre that didn’t even exist when we made the music. In effect, we created Dreampop.

SL: According to you, which elements made those good old days so special?

JF: I believe a major factor was time. Studio time was incredibly expensive, so bands had to come well-prepared, which meant we captured their true essence. Today, you can spend months with your laptop tweaking tracks to the nth degree, but we didn’t have that luxury back then. Another major difference was that you needed to be signed to afford a good studio and producer; if you weren’t signed to a record label, it was much harder to get quality production. Today’s music landscape is entirely different. There are no more “gatekeepers”—those curators with the taste to select bands. Now, it’s hyper-democratic, and everyone can produce and release music almost instantly. Unfortunately, this also tends to dilute quality, making it harder to stand out above all the noise.

SL: Do you see any technological reasons—such as new instruments or recording techniques—that impacted the evolution of post-punk music from the late ’70s and early ’80s?

JF: Absolutely. One of the main reasons was the rapid advancement in recording technology and synthesizers from the ’70s onward. In the late ’70s, more synthesizers from various companies emerged, alongside evolving drum machines and the introduction of early samplers. When I started at Blackwing Studios in London, we recorded on an 8-track tape machine (for example, on Depeche Mode’s first album), and there weren’t any sync options available in the early ’80s for running the sequencer more than once—so everything had to be played live over the top. Companies like Roland and Yamaha eventually developed ways to sync their machines together during the ’80s, albeit independently of each other, which made life a bit easier. Working with Fad Gadget—who blended punk attitudes with electronics—broke new ground and opened doors for others. Before samplers became common, we even created tape loops on a 2-track machine; I remember one loop we did with Fad that went around the room, out into the corridor, and back. We always pushed the boundaries with the technology we had. We also saw tremendous improvements in tape machines—moving from an 8-track to a 16-track, then later combining two 16-track machines to create 32 tracks, and eventually linking two 24-track machines together. By then, we had SMPTE, which became the language of sync, allowing us to lock all tape machines, synths, drum machines, samplers, and sequencers together. What a luxury that was!

SL: What were some of the challenges and obstacles you faced back then, for instance when working as part of This Mortal Coil?

JF: One major challenge was making a string quartet sound like a 40-piece string section. When recording on 24-track tape, we’d record the other parts on the 24-track machine, then bounce that onto a 2-track as a stereo mix. I’d then record that onto a fresh 24-track tape and layer multiple versions of the strings on the remaining tracks. Once the strings were recorded, I’d make a stereo mix of them on the 2-track machine, then manually bounce and sync that mix back onto the original 24-track. That process was extremely challenging—truly a headache trying to get it to sync and sound as if it were recorded on the same machine. Another challenge was performing all the crossfades for the album release. Today, it’s so easy with computers, but back in the ’80s, I had to do it all manually with tape machines. I would mix the tracks, ensuring the levels were even, then record the end of the first track onto the 24-track, and finally record the beginning of the second track manually in the correct spot so I could mix the crossfade back onto the 2-track machine and integrate it into the original mix. Dealing with tape and cutting it with a razor required a steady hand and clear mind—any mistake could be disastrous since you were working with the masters, unlike today with non-destructive edits on computers.

SL: Can you share any stories about collaborations or rivalries within the post-punk scene that have stayed with you?

JF: There are a few memorable ones, though I can’t name names. One session stands out: I worked with a band or duo that couldn’t stand each other and simply couldn’t be in the studio together. They ended up recording one after the other, day in and day out. I spent one day recording with one member, and the next day the other member came in, listened to what we had recorded the day before, and declared, “That is shite—erase it all, and let’s start again.” That was not an easy record to make.

SL: What do you see as the main similarities and differences between today’s alternative music scene in 2024 and what it used to be back in the late ’70s/early ’80s?

JF: The times are radically different. In the ’70s and ’80s, the entry barrier for bands was quite high. That is no longer the case today. Also, the value placed on music has changed. Back then, music was much more central to culture—fashion and music went hand in hand. There were no mobile phones, video games were just emerging in the ’80s, and entertainment options were limited. People like John Peel had an outsized influence; if he played your record on Friday, you could sell 150,000 singles by Monday and become an instant star. I don’t see that kind of impact anymore. Social media can certainly boost artists, but it feels like there is less staying power now, and with so many distractions, an artist can vanish in an instant.

SL: If you could describe this musical movement in just a few words, what would you say?

JF: I’d say that punk—essentially, pop with attitude—kicked the doors of the music industry wide open. Musicians realized they could do whatever they wanted without conforming to the major labels’ mould. A slew of indie labels emerged, giving artists opportunities to express themselves in new ways, sparking tremendous creativity. While punk was raw and brazen, post-punk evolved into something more sophisticated and multilayered, incorporating diverse stylistic ideas and allowing for new forms of self-expression. Additionally, the advent of keyboards and computers in music expanded our musical horizons to where we are today.

Side-Line also covered John Fryer’s ‘Not Another Vampire Song’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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It all began in 1983 under the name Xymox, a musical project founded and spearheaded by Ronny Moorings. Shortly after, the project evolved into Clan Of Xymox, marking the birth of a band destined to leave an indelible mark on the Dark-Wave scene. Signed by the legendary British label 4AD, the band released two seminal albums that would become classics in the genre. While they briefly returned to the original name, since 1997, they have been known exclusively as Clan Of Xymox. What makes Clan Of Xymox truly special is not only their pioneering role in the New/Dark-Wave movement but their unwavering ability to create valuable and impactful music over the decades.

Unlike many of their contemporaries, who often rely on the nostalgia of 80s hits, Clan Of Xymox has consistently released strong, fresh material, proving that their creative spirit remains as vibrant as ever. With a career spanning over 40 years, Clan Of Xymox has firmly established themselves as one of the most influential forces in Dark-Wave. Ronny Moorings has remained true to the essence of his sound while allowing it to evolve, ensuring a timeless yet contemporary edge. Their latest and 18th studio album, “Exodus”, released via Trisol (Germany) and Metropolis (USA), is a testament to this balance. Featuring a collection of masterful tracks, the album combines melancholic, dark, atmospheres with Pop-infused arrangements that are both haunting and danceable.

I felt it was the perfect time to take a retrospective look at Clan Of Xymox’s incredible journey. In this interview, Ronny Moorings graciously shared his insights, reflecting on the band’s beginnings, their evolution, and their current work. I am deeply thankful for his enthusiastic cooperation and for taking the time to answer in such detail. His dedication to crafting inspired music over such a long period is remarkable, as is the man behind the artist. Respect! (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

‘I Wanted To Be A Part Of Things Which Were Happening In Front Of My Eyes’

Q: Getting back to the early 1980s which marked the rise of New-Wave music and subgenres like Dark-Wave, Cold-Wave, and Post-Punk. How do you reflect on those formative years and what do you recall from the very beginning of your career? Specifically, what events or circumstances led to the formation of Xymox and, later, Clan Of Xymox and what was your original dream when you first started making music?

Ronny: I will make this a short story because there is so much to say about how it came to be. I was in bands from on my childhood in my birth town Roosendaal (NL) where I already played live at the age of 11 with older 15 year old friends. When it was time for me to study, I first moved to The Hague, deciding after a year of Social Academy that I’d rather do a Sociology study in Nijmegen.

In the early 80’s there was a lot going on. Musically we had the Deutsche Welle and from the U.K. came New-Wave. This appealed a lot to me and DJed (what I also already did in Roosendaal as a teenager) this type of music in the local venue Doornroosje. It was volunteers work, but I got to see all the cool bands coming in.
The alternative scene was thriving in the whole of The Netherlands. Naturally many British bands were on the fore front of innovation. The Goth / Wave movement came also to Doornroosje. I remember especially Bauhaus and The Virgin Prunes making a big impression on me because they sounded and looked visually stunning. The Virgin Prunes making a complete theatre out of their show; it looked like genuine madness with a lot of stuff flying about on stage. With Bauhaus, Peter Murphy just looked the ideal part, a new ‘thin white duke’ with white light shining under his chin and the rest of the band in fluorescent colours, exposed with a black light.

Every week there was a brilliant band to be seen in Paradiso (Amsterdam) or in Doornroosje, like Echo And The Bunnymen In an army outfit with camouflage nets hanging over the stage, The Sound, Dance Society, The Birthday Party with Nick Cave swinging like a monkey from left to right from the light supports, giving it a high energetic performance, Siouxie And The Banshees, The Cure ( they played in a circus tent) and later seeing Robert Smith playing guitar with Siouxie in Rotterdam , Theatre Of Hate, Eyeless In Gaza, Black Flag, The Comsat Angels, Sisters Of Mercy, in the Milkyway Amsterdam,  of course with Wayne Hussey,  Further The Slits, Liaison Dangereuses, U2 ( played in Arnhem for 400 people) who was pretty unknown still etc. Too many to mention!

All bands not jet known by the majority of people but making a big impact on everyone alternative seeing them live. New-Wave, Deutsche Welle, Punk, Synth-Pop and New-Romantics was now a major alternative movement perfectly fitting the times we were living in.

Also the Netherlands produced influential bands who made quite an impression on me, like I already mentioned Mecano & Minimal Compact from Amsterdam, Nasmak from Eindhoven, Coitus Interruptus from Utrecht, and ‘famous’ local bands from Nijmegen like Mechanic Commando and Vice.

By seeing all these brilliant international and national bands I knew there and then that I had to start something new and interesting too. I wanted to make music like these bands. I was totally inspired. I wanted to be a part of things which were happening in front of my eyes. I wanted a band instead of just making things late at night on my own on a 4 track for no one else to hear.I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. It seemed that nearly anyone in the local scene started a band. In every squat people started a band and rehearsing was no problem in these industrial buildings we all occupied. Music was becoming a way of life, a means to express your views. There were enough opportunities for bands to play. There were always some old factories freshly squatted. One of the first shows I did was on a festival in De Plu Fabriek, a desolate disused umbrella factory. The festival had a social awareness theme about ‘Acid Rain’ of which maybe a handful had heard about. It was not taken very serious yet by the general public. It was the first ever show of Xymox there.

Round the same time at the University we had to do a video project. We had to film something about a socially significant social subject, so I started filming and interviewing the squatters local bands I knew. I still have the V2000 video tape but because of its backdated discontinued format, I haven’t been able to see it since the presentation at the University of Nijmegen.

In the beginning of 1980 in Nijmegen I had no real serious relationship with anyone. I was fairly new in town and most people I found quite uninteresting. The typical jeans and long hair student types, freshly coming from their cosy parental homes, with only one aim in life and that is to study, graduate and getting a job. Also most people were just coming out of the seventies and their clothes reflected that, very colourful shirts, a lot of blue jeans and mostly having long hair. In Rotterdam long hair in the back and short in the front was accompanied by a little moustache was the local fashion there.

Anyway, just after my initiation weeks of the University back in Nijmegen, one night I went out, going to a bar where I would normally not come with my fellow student friends. I was standing there drinking beer with my mates until I spotted this girl in the distance. She had the same kind of image as me. Out of place I thought. I simply had to talk to her and soon we were engaged in conversation and ended up spending the night together in her basement flat.. She told me she came from Nuenen, a small village close to Eindhoven but very famous for the house of Vincent Van Gogh. Her name was Anke.

In this period I wanted to start a Live band with the name I already had:  Xymox.  One day I showed her my songs I had recorded and asked if she would want to be in my ‘band’ which was just me at the time 😉 I said it would not matter that it was only the two of us because a lot of bands played with a drum machine and it would be a cool thing to do; she agreed. The songs were most of the time two or three chords so it was not too difficult for her to learn the tracks. I released this tape at the time, sold it for cheap (some people still have it). She liked the songs and decided to learn and play the bass guitar so she could play live. We started rehearsing together in 1982. I started sending my old Xymox demos to various venues and to my surprise a dozen clubs or so liked it.

Soon we played live with the two of us in various alternative clubs. I was singing, playing guitar and the synth plus operating the rhythm box. She played the bass by now and did some backing vocals . The songs were all mine, if you could call them songs 😉 For transportation I had my old cheap orange Renault 4 with a shift stick. All the equipment fitted in beautifully. Because we were just with the two of us and the fuel was very cheap, the money earned was very reasonable for those days.

Later we got asked by the locally known band Vice to support them. We did so and managed to play quite a bit of shows in the South of the Netherlands again. We felt we were getting somewhere.

Later a few friends to join our ‘band’ live. They were hitting metal pieces or doing backing vocals etc. Inspired of course by Einstürtzenden Neubauten. We started rehearsing in the empty vaults of a squatted bank building. Soundproof and safe it luckily was 😉

Anke wanted to move to Amsterdam in 1983, when she changed her study. She wanted to study Psychology and since I finished my Sociology ‘Candidates’ phase holding an official diploma. I was looking for a relevant Masters study so I decided to go to Amsterdam as well, I chose for  ‘Media Studies’ at the ‘University of Amsterdam’. Apparently you would have a lot of freedom with this study as well.

In Amsterdam I was asked by a friend in 1983, if I wanted to DJ for a local pirate radio station WHS. The show; ‘De Lege Huls’, translated ‘The Empty Shell’, would be late at night which of course I gladly accepted. I did this for quite some time well into 1985 until I got too busy with Clan Of Xymox and its many obligations.

As I already said I saved for a while every penny in order to buy my much desired object, a Teac 4 track multi tape recorder. I bought it in Antwerp, Belgium, November 1982. After many recordings of songs and ideas in Nijmegen I started a new In April 1983, frantically starting to record some new songs; the old ones were already more than a year old and I wanted to have new ones. With the help of the Teac 4 track recorder I could be more creative with writing and recording, bouncing previous recordings and build on that.

The instruments I had access to were: a Yamaha synth, Korg Poly 6 Synthesiser, Korg MS10 and MS 20, a rhythm box K500 , an electric Framus guitar, Welson Keyboard, a standard Shure 58 mike of course, my fantastic vintage space echo, melodica, guitar pedal effects and a bass guitar. A later valuable asset was later a Solina Strings but this one was borrowed once and a while.

All instruments were played in real time on tape. No sequencer used. That was too expensive.
These were the days computers were only academic and hardly used by anyone at all. Computers were just those big main frames standing in a government building or only portrayed in science fiction. Today our ears are completely trained to sequenced patterns, then it was something new, the ear was untrained to these sounds and pattern uses.

Soon things were ready. I asked Anke if she wanted to sing one song on the track I already prepared for her. It ended up with the title “Call It Weird “, so now  all tracks were done and everything was set up to bring these recordings to a mastering plant near Amsterdam called  Dureco. This was a vinyl factory specialised in producing Dutch product, the type like ‘Dutch Schlager’ like Vader Abraham known internationally for his “Smurf” songs. He was prominent on the wall everywhere in the factory offices. The main earner. Newer versions of this first EP exist: “Muscoviet Musquito” ( deliberately spelled this way) and “Going Round”. Both have various versions over the years.

‘I Felt That The Xymox Days Were Not The Right Way To Go’

Q: Xymox became Clan Of Xymox when you signed to 4AD, but later you reverted to Xymox before ultimately returning to Clan Of Xymox in the late ’90s. How do you view these shifts in retrospect? What, in your opinion, distinguishes Xymox from Clan Of Xymox?

Ronny: I started with the name Xymox and released my first EP “Subsequent Pleasures“ under this name. When Xymox got signed by 4 AD and the first debut album was called “Clan Of Xymox” I decided it was a slightly better name also because I had found people to play the songs live, so hence the ‘Clan’. I considered Xymox as my Pseudonym.

When Clan Of Xymox got signed by Wing / PolyGram USA I felt this was a significant change and wanted to underline this with shortening the name and perhaps with the reasoning that it would be easier for people in general to remember our name when it was shorter.

After 4 albums under the name Xymox, with the album “Phoenix” it had gotten too commercial in my opinion. With the 2 UK releases “Metamorphosis“ and “Headclouds” which were too Experimental and nothing much to do with the early material on 4 AD I decided in 1997 it was time to reintroduce Clan Of Xymox again with the same approach and attitude as in the earl 80’s. I felt that the Xymox days were not the right way to go and that it was better to stick to my own opinion instead of letting people influence me in one way or the other.

The result was the album “Hidden Faces” released worldwide on Tess Records and Pandaimonium Records in Germany in 1997. This was the start of Clan Of Xymox again. Since Phoenix I didn’t tour anymore. Had actually no live band anymore. I started to find again people who could play live with me and soon I had a live band ready to start promoting “Hidden Faces” and the older works on 4AD. Mojca my partner was there already since 1991 with me learning to play an instrument, keys and bass. She already designed the artwork from on 1992. In 1995 I decided to play in The Netherlands and promote “Metamorphosis” and “Headclouds”. The old live members from the 80’s Frank Weyzig and Will Anvers joined me on stage together with Mojca on Keyboards. This tour made me realise I missed playing live and soon since 1997 Clan Of Xymox played live each and every year till now and will keep on playing live.

I have a steady crew for more than a decade now with Mojca from on 1991 (of course), Mario ( more than 20 years), Sean and Daniel. I stay with the labels Metropolis (USA ) and Trisol (Germany ) as well as I run my own label Xymox Control now for decades a steady course with Clan Of Xymox, only expanding with my band, slowly but gradually. It manifests in the vast amount of sold out shows we are having each year.

‘We Were In Our Extravaganza’

Q: You were closely associated with 4AD, one of the most groundbreaking labels of the early New-Wave era. How did an unknown band from the Netherlands find its way onto such an iconic label? And how did your time with 4AD influence your evolution as an artist?

Ronny: Back in 1983 I felt that my former town Nijmegen ‘deserved’ a few copies of “Subsequent Pleasures” too. I was doing all the distribution myself. I sold 150 through Rough Trade UK, 150 in New Waves France and 150 export to Essen in Germany. Anyway, so I went to Nijmegen the night of the ‘Day of the Dead’, 1st of November.
I decided to visit a friend but he was not at home so not knowing what was going on that evening  I soon found out The Cocteau Twins were playing in Doornroosje that night, so I had to see them. There was still plenty of time left so I decided to have something  to eat in my favourite eating cafe De Plak. Whilst having dinner I heard English was spoken on another table, so my interest was aroused. Maybe this couple were The Cocteau Twins? Had to be! An English male and female.  Without any hesitation I went to their table and asked them all sorts of questions about their band The Cocteau Twins. They informed me politely that they were not The Cocteau Twins but were their supporting act called Dead Can Dance and if I wanted they could put me on the guest list; which I naturally did not decline since I was no longer active in Doornroosje anymore. In return I gave them a copy of “Subsequent Pleasures” for them to listen to.

Having seen Dead Can Dance they blew me away, just like of course The Cocteau Twins. After the show I went boldly to the dressing room and drank some beer with both the bands as they were sharing the dressing room and already established that we were all like-minded, talking to each other, or trying to, because Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau’s had a very heavy Scottish accent. Difficult to understand for a  Dutchman who knew and spoke only ‘school’ English. That night I learned then that Brendan was Irish, lived in New-Zealand, moved to Australia, met Lisa in Melbourne and moved to London to work on their musical career. A similar story was true for The Cocteau Twins who moved from Scotland to London to work on their career. All was very interesting and at the end of the night we swore to keep in contact and said our goodbyes.

During that time I kept in contact with Brendan and Lisa who lived together on the Isle Of Dogs. They invited me to their London home and I stayed at their place quite a few times. In those days I had to travel by ferry to the UK, a long journey. They lived on the 11th floor with a fantastic view over London. The flats were those typical council flats, ashen grey and reeking of urine in the elevators. They had a staggering amount of locks installed on their front door. With all their equipment at home I could understand their mistrust of their surroundings. It was all very depressing but very exciting for me. Brendan worked the same way as I did. We ended up with almost the same equipment in 1986. Brendan and Lisa were then still living together and were really dedicated to music. Every day they recorded or rehearsed. Lisa mainly singing and playing the Yang Ching. I slept in the living room and later on some visits they had a closet, like the one of “Harry Potter”. I slept there and was pretty cosy;)

Xymox started playing live in 1984 again. One day Brendan Perry called me up and asked me if we wanted to support them on a tour in the UK.  Without any hesitation I agreed to do it and almost a week later we were in London. Unfortunately when we arrived nearly all the dates of Dead Can Dance got cancelled and there were only three dates left:  one in London, Huddersfield and one in Dudley. We stayed with Brendan and Lisa, sleeping all on the floor in the living room, which I knew already too well.

During our first concert In London I nearly disappeared through the hole in the stage, I had to walk very carefully  because they did not manage to cover all the holes under the stained carpet. The father of Brendan was I believe the tour manager and his mother made sandwiches for Dead Can Dance when we went on the road to Dudley. The town looked nothing much and the bar we had to play likewise.. our dressing room was between beer barrels and if we wanted to have a drink we had to buy it at the bar said the promoter resembling “Dell Boy” of “Only Fools And Horses”. Still we had a great time hanging out with Brendan and Lisa, who were very generous to give us some money for covering our ferry expenses, which I know for sure they were paying out of their own pockets. After that we did more shows all over The Netherlands till summer.

Brendan Perry was the first one who told me about 4AD.  Before that I only paid attention to bands and not too much to record labels strangely enough.  He said he gave “Subsequent Pleasures” to Ivo Watts Russell , the label boss of 4AD, and so I followed up with sending a demo to 4AD with some newer additional tracks in July 1984, recorded in the Amsterdam Octopus 8 track studio. The demo I had sent 4AD after our shows in Paris’ old theatre La Seballe Club, several Dutch and the 2 UK dates. I was getting impatient as always. I gave Ivo Watts Russell a phone call. I was complaining about how the Dutch music industry sucked and that his label was the only independent label appealing to me. A week before that,  I had a meeting with the Dutch division label EMI but this meeting reminded me of all the cliches I ever heard about Major labels. To my absolute delight and surprise Ivo told me he liked what he had heard from the demo so far and wanted to meet, to see us in person and talk about it.

Ivo wanted to meet the band, so arriving in London, me and Anke  were heading to the private home of Ivo Watts Russell and his girlfriend Debby who also worked for 4AD as their press agent. They lived together in a residential SW12 London area. We stayed in their house for a week.

Anke and I had placed these long extra hair extensions in our hair so we looked a bit like ‘Uber Goths’ with a lot of make-up and special clothing we had designed for us by a friend who was handy with the sewing machine and wanted to become a fashion designer. I saw the surprise on Ivo’s face when he saw us for the first time. We were obviously not looking the way he expected us to look. Most of his bands on the label looked actually quite normal with no real image to speak of; so here we were in our extravaganza.

Luckily Ivo and Debby liked us or the music enough to offer Xymox a record deal and with that great news we went back home. The news had spread that we were the first band 4AD signed since two years of their last signing of Dead Can Dance. After this published fact my phone started to ring frequently and offers for radio and new Dutch live shows offers came in by the plenty.

When the self-titled album “Clan Of Xymox”’ was released funny enough nearly all the journalist thought we were Scottish by origin judging by their reviews. An Englishman is always very sensitive to accents. I saw it as a compliment though. Of course ‘Clan Of’ was suggestive enough 😉 . Most reviews were ecstatic, full of praise with five star ratings, the highest you could get. I guess we got lucky with my intention not to advertise we were Dutch. Having no names on the artwork and let the album speak for itself.

The British can be real chauvinists regarding their music industry, they didn’t take foreigners making music too seriously in those days. Of course the weekly music magazines Sounds, Melody Maker, New Music Express etcetera made up their ‘mistake’ in the eye to eye interviews, clearly pointing out us being Dutch and using the usual stereotype references, with headlines like ‘Dutch Bake’, ‘Dutch Courage’, ‘Going Dutch’, ‘Hollandaise Sauce’ and any phrase relating to the war between the Dutch and the Brits a few centuries ago. Anyway it did not matter anymore because we got the attention;  had a proper selling debut album. We did a lot of photo shoots with an English photographer using drapes in the back ground giving us a more Gothic image. This was used as our promo picture.The Music Maker and Sounds were giving us regular features and interviews afterwards, which gave us finally an international standing. Soon 4AD set up a few shows in Croydon and the University of London plus a John Peel session, which was very important to establish up and coming bands.

‘We Had To Prove Ourselves Time And Time Again’

Q: You’ve already mentioned several legendary British bands that were prominent in the 1980s and shared strong connections and camaraderie. What was your experience of the Dutch music scene during that time? How do you reflect on it now?

Ronny: I only had French, British and Scottish bands as friends. I could not get along with any band in The Netherlands in the mid-eighties. In the Netherlands there was a very strong Rock culture with no space for bands like us. We had to prove ourselves time and time again. I didn’t understand the provincial attitude towards synths coming from the Dutch critics. In a very first review the national music magazine Oor reviewed synths as magic boxes which made them nervous listening to them. When our first album came out we finally got greeted by the more alternative media which just got a foot in the door and were played on radio and TV, MTV and the like. Suddenly we were part of a movement to be reckoned with. Sometimes we even played live twice on a day in The Netherlands.

‘The Only Disappointment For Me Was That I Actually Never Got To Meet John Peel’

Q: During that period, you worked with or crossed paths with notable figures like the aforementioned Brendan Perry. But what about John Fryer, David M. Allen and John Peel? What can you share about those interactions and their impact on your journey?

Ronny: Our first John Peel session was in the beginning of  November 1985. It was pretty stressful for me. We had to record 4 to 5 songs with the live band in one working ‘BBC’ day of 6 hours or so. It didn’t occur to me that I should have taken adaptors for English power plugs with me.  Because it is the BBC, no one is allowed to change a power plug without the assistance of a fully qualified engineer, so it took them already one hour to find such a person as labour union regulations dictated that the technician supposed to have his tea break of an hour. We were already losing valuable time! We didn’t have computers in those days. My first Commodore computer with TV monitor I got in 1988 when I wrote the “ Twist Of Shadows“ album.  The Macintosh 128K a normal mortal could not afford. Clan Of Xymox did however use an 8 track recorder for the backing tracks, like Depeche Mode or The Cocteau Twins used as well. It consisted of individual drum tracks, sequenced bass triggers and strings. This made life a bit easier.  We could thanks to the ‘eight track’ finish within the timeframe of the BBC.

The only disappointment for me was that I actually never got to meet John Peel. Even then he was a legend, especially to me, because it was the best program for discovering new exciting bands. I only got to call him from the 4AD office, thanking him for the opportunity he gave us. He declared in his program that we were the pioneers of Dark-Wave. That was a huge compliment and recognition for Clan Of Xymox. Soon Dutch radios started to follow suit. We got to record a live show for Radio Veronica in Hilversum. Several TV shows invited us for music programs like the VARA. MTV picked us up too. We felt we were on a roll!

John Fryer I instantly liked as a person and sound engineer. He was the in house sound engineer of 4AD and knew what he was doing. He was not afraid to experiment with sampling sounds and replacing them. The AMS delay was his secret weapon. I remember sitting evenings together with John mixing tracks by hand. So I had to pull and push knobs on my side and he on his side. It was a lot of fun and very educational. Later in live John made me a remix for “Big Brother“ from the album “Limbo” (2021).

I worked with David M. Allen on tracks like “Out Of The Rain” and “Sing A Song” together with Jools of Nitzer Ebb. It was in Leamington Spa in John Rivers’s studio. I worked with John Rivers already on the “Blind Hearts”-EP for 4AD and several B-sides for later PolyGram. Now I was working with John on the “Hidden Faces”-album (1997) and we thought it would be very cool to have Dave M. Allen involved. This certainly worked. I wished we had the budget to work on all the songs but I was already glad these two songs worked out fantastically. Dave is a very likeable person with an air of mystique around him. He gives suggestions for you to try and they always make sense. He taught me to delve deeper when needed.

‘Without Me There Is No Clan Of Xymox’

Q: Both Xymox and Clan Of Xymox included founding members Anke Wolbert and Pieter Nooten. What role did they play in shaping the band’s identity, and how do you reflect on the line-up changes over the years?

Ronny: They were both not founding members. They joined me in the beginning of the Xymox period. First Anke as I told you and later in 1985 Pieter. Because they were the first ones joining they are seen as founding members but I am sorry to say; it was always my thing. I was and still am the driving force behind the band and it’s musical direction. No one else. They concentrated mainly on their own songs like “Masquerade” or “Stumble” and “Fall” back in the days. The bulk I wrote. I participated also on their songs as well.

Regarding the songs it is true we worked more together like a band should. In the beginning we rehearsed the songs for live shows and many got changed during this process. This was only sustainable for a short while as nobody liked to rehearse together.

We ended up as 3 individuals writers with different taste and musical directions so it was inevitable it wouldn’t work out long because we were all to egocentric to begin with. When I officially broke up with Anke it was also the end of working together as a collective. We all went our own way.

Indeed we had many changes but maybe the irony is in the word ‘Clan’, a group of close knitted people. So in the end there were many LIVE musicians joining the band for a short or longer period. Joining ‘the Clan’. The red line was and is simple: without me there is no Clan Of Xymox.

All happened really fast in those days. It was a learning process for all involved. Books about the music industry and bands hardly existed. Everyone was left to do whatever with their experiences, positive or negative.
I never knew or expected that just making music could make me enemies but also gaining a lot of friends of course. Jalousie and spite can make people really vicious and vindictive and yet equally so many fans or friends treat you with the utmost respect or even adoration. To me it is just music but soon you realise it is something more than that. 

Former friends or partners turning into your personal enemy. It is the worst thing that can happen, because they know your weaknesses and irritation points and will not shy away from using this against you if they have no pride, dignity or integrity.

Thinking back on this short period between 1985 and 1989 stir more negative emotions then positive ones in me. It wasn’t all bad of course but I can’t remember real long good periods. I realise looking back that I am only happy with the band since the beginning of the  mid 90’s to now, at least 33 years so far:)

Q: How does the young Ronny Moorings compare to the musician you are today? What traits have endured, and which aspects of your younger self do you miss in your music or approach to life?

Ronny: I was definitely very naive in the beginning. When I wrote a song for example I just split the rights between the band members because I thought it would motivate my band to pull more their weight in the band and…. after all I was a socialist and not a capitalist 😉

Soon I discovered that when people sense they don’t have to do too much and can simply lay back whilst I do the heavy lifting because they get paid anyway.

I started to get annoyed with this uneven situation and learned from this that I should not give away my rights that easily just to please band members or partner. So I ended this naive approach and never looked back.
Equally I used to work with bigger crews, managers, tour managers, lawyers and all the professional people they told you would need to have in order to make it as a band.

After many annoyances about the enormous bills I decided I could do most jobs way better. I know I am a control freak. You have to be. You have to understand the way things work. Now I have a lean machine and I like it a lot. Later I also learned to delegate things and that is also very rewarding. I guess ‘live and learn’ is true in my opinion.

‘Dark-Wave Has A Strong Hold All Over The World Like In The 80’s’

Q: Many legendary New/Dark-Wave bands achieved their greatest success in the ’80s. Why do you think those years were so special and unique for the genre? How do you see the evolution of New/Dark-Wave music from its origins to today, particularly in terms of its spirit and cultural significance?

Ronny: Yes, it was a new style taking over with fashion unseen before, It was against the Hippy culture, the jeans wearing long haired pot smokers. It was a clean break from all of this, plus the ‘no future’ feeling with all the political turmoil and nuclear threats hanging over our heads. Remember Thatchers England. Ronald Reagan as president.

These bands made the sound track of our lives and guess what? It is happening again. Dark-Wave has a strong hold all over the world like in the 80’s. Yes, it’s not on the dying radio or TV stations as we know it but streaming like crazy, this time on internet radios, YouTube, Spotify It feels a bit like maybe the pirates in the 80’s.

It feels the same to me and also we have the same nuclear threats back again. In a way it feels coming ‘full circle’.

Q: Over the decades, the music industry has undergone tremendous changes -rising social media, streaming platforms, declining physical album sales, advances in technology, and shifts in performance venues from intimate gigs to massive festivals. How have you navigated these transformations, and what are your thoughts on the (r)evolution of the industry?

Ronny: I navigate these changes just fine I think. I always welcomed change and will ever do. We need to improve. We need to move forward and not backward. When for the very first time in the 80’s I could get my hands on a computer I embraced it as a big help with sequencing and programming. It made endless rehearsing patterns on keyboards so much easier. Later it became my entire virtual studio platform. Streaming is now the most important thing now in the music industry and some artists do not like it, but remember when music was pirated and artists would get nothing from it financially and no insight how many like to listen to your music etc. I love Spotify and as an artist you have access to all date regarding what your fans are listening to.
Most music I listen to these days is from platforms, on my phone with airpods. This gives me more time to listen to music when I am on the move or outside. Everything in one device is just brilliant I think. Of course I have at home all old media devices still in place. I do play vinyl as well when I am in the mood. I still love vinyl and the looks of it. The best format for the artwork to shine.

Q: While it’s difficult for any musician to choose a single album or song as their best, is there a particular piece in your discography that holds special significance for you? Or do you believe that your most recent work is always your finest?

Ronny: I have to agree with my fellow musicians. My recent is indeed the best so far as I can see and feel 😉 It is simply because new songs are for the one who wrote and recorded it the most exciting, the most fresh and recent to your current experiences. You have to play them live which you haven’t done before and in the end they will sound different then when it came out. If you don’t have that feeling the artist should not release the album in the first place 😉

‘I Let The Listener Feel What I Feel’

Q: Your lyrics often feel deeply expressive, sometimes addressing social and political themes, other times delving into introspection. Do you see your lyrics as a reflection of your true self? What value and purpose do they hold for you?

Ronny: Sometimes yes and sometimes no. It’s complicated 😉 I definitely sing about emotions I feel or felt. Say I sing about Evelyn, Louise or Michelle. That doesn’t mean I know a person with that name or sing about a real person. All these names are fictional but the feelings and thoughts what went into these songs are real. Sometimes more than one person I think about finds its place into a song lyric. It all depends. Political themes are the ones which affected me like in the Lockdown periods in the early 20’s. It comes home, becomes personal and I describe more the situation than anything else. I let the listener feel what I feel.
Sometimes I write a song to blow off steam and feel good afterwards. Most of the time it’s about a person who doesn’t want to leave me alone almost my entire life 😉 I can keep going on like that. I always delve the lyrics out of the depths of my mind where it lay buried until I get it out through some type of instrumentation deciding for me what the topic is going to be. A new to be written song has most of the time its own will and direction.

Q: Clan Of Xymox has consistently attracted new fans over the years. What do your fans mean to you, and how does it feel to have a lasting influence on the Dark-Wave scene?

Ronny: Fans are the most important to me. Without a doubt. We meet so many dedicated fans, traveling to all of our shows they can reach within reason. We always talk to anyone after the show who’s interested, have selfies taken, give autographs, give something a fan would like to experience, a closeness you can’t give onstage. A hand shake, a look in the eye.

I am honoured to contribute to the Dark-Wave scene as it is today. All bands who are now big I met when they were still beginning and were our support one time or the other. I know that we had an influence on them but now they are an influence on me the same. So it works in the end both ways. To me this scene is the best scene ever for me.

Q: Looking back on your career, what do you consider to be your biggest milestones? And what were the most significant disappointments?

Ronny: I am still working on my biggest milestone 🙂 My quest is to see how long I can still play live with the band. That is my ultimate quest in life. Disappointments enough, especially in people, but to me that is also an inspiration to write songs about so in the end all turns out for the best. I am lucky I have many good friends in my life to compensate for the negative. Unfortunately I am a person who has to be on the darker side of things in order to feel inspired. So I don’t mind 😉

Q: How have you managed to keep finding fresh ideas and challenges over the years? Were there periods where inspiration waned, and if so, how did you overcome those creative blocks?

Ronny: I think in the beginning it was harder to write as it is now. To me writing comes very natural I think. Maybe because I have more to say now than when I was in my twenties. In that time I read a lot of books in order to get lyrically inspired. For a long time now I just write from what comes up in my mind and put it into lyrics. Way easier I think and less time consuming 😉 The music was never a problem. Finding words to it is a harder nut to crack sometimes.

A creative block I handle very easy: I put the song away and start with something else. Sometimes its years later that I have a look at it again, if I can do something with it and often that’s the case. So for me I don’t like to force a song if it doesn’t present it by itself.

‘Joy Division, The Sisters Of Mercy And The Cure Were Very Important To Me’

Q: One of the most surprising entries in your discography is “Kindred Spirits” (2012), a cover album featuring renowned songs and artists. How did you choose the tracks, and what connection do you have to those songs? Would you consider them key sources of inspiration?

Ronny: When I was young, the only means of getting to know music was the radio or “Top of the Pops” later in the 70s. In the Netherlands we had bands like Shocking Blue, Brainbox, Earth And Fire, Focus, The Golden Earring and such, which appealed to me a lot. These were the bands I was interested in. On TV we grew up with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and of course The Monkees especially grouped for US TV. These bands made me want to play an instrument at a very young age. After that I always stayed on the alternative side of music. On my album “Kindred Spirits“ you can see and hear which artist influenced me in the direction I was going. Bands for example like Joy Division, The Sisters Of Mercy and The Cure were very important to me.

I gave or restricted myself to make a choice for ten songs of bands who had in one way or the other an impact on my musical taste. I wanted to give an ode to these bands and revive these songs in my memory to keep and make them as my own. In the end I did 11 tracks of my all-time favourite bands or songs.

Too many bands like to hide their influences or deny them. I decided to give them my own pedestal.

Q: This year marks the release of Clan Of Xymox’s 18th album, “Exodus”. What does this album represent within your extensive discography? Can you share insights into its creation?

Ronny: I finished and released the album “Limbo” in 2021 and I wrote the “Exodus” album after writing “Save Our Souls” in 2022 in 2023. The last song I wrote for this album was in January 2024 and here we are. In a way keeping the tradition of one album release in every two or three years.

We toured an awful lot so the little time I had, I spend in the studio taking my mind of things. The late general developments in the world I felt writing about. Instead of introspective lyrics I felt more like describing our current times we live in. After “Save Our Souls” I wrote “Fear For A World At War”, especially after all the rhetoric of Putin threatening Europe or the world with nuclear strikes. Because the world is massively gearing up for war.

When I was born there was the biggest world crisis between the Soviet Union and the USA about the missiles in Cuba.

It is ironic that now we are living with almost the exact conditions but this time closer to home, having a nuclear missile threat. History repeats itself . I certainly hope this is not getting out of hand but the signs are that we seem to step up our war talk more and more. SOS indeed. The world is at turmoil and nothing good will come out of this. Exodus for me as well when it gets out of hand. Anyway, this is the back ground for writing all these songs for “Exodus”.

Q: Talking about “Save Our Souls”, there clearly is a sense of commentary on the state of the world. Do you see music and this album as a unifying force in troubled times? How do you perceive its broader impact on society?

Ronny: “Save Our Souls” was specific about the invasion of the Russians into the Ukraine. It was a shocker for me. Especially after just having toured there in September 2021. I see music in troubled times more as a safety blanket you can wrap yourself in. It gives comfort and soothes your mind and well-being. An escape as it were from the daily sorrows we get bombarded with each and every minute. So far music can change or influence politics when masses cry out for social change. I don’t see that happen with this album or any of my albums;) Never intended for it either.

Q: Authenticity seems to be a hallmark of your music. Many fans describe a sense of genuine emotion and connection in your work. How do you experience this dynamic and interaction with your audience? How powerful or influential do you think music can be in bridging gaps and inspiring change?

Ronny: Wow, if you talk about the grand scale of things you might have a chance to do so but in the cult circuit we are maybe just the inspiring factor. That which might work on a small scale. I should certainly hope that our fans and other listeners get the music of Clan Of Xymox and feel the emotions I feel when I perform these songs with my band. Live you notice this the best. During the show I always look at people and there are so many various expressions on people faces, you feel that you are almost privileged to see an expression of someone when they sink into the song with mind and body. I love it!

‘Contrast Works Always The Best In A Way’

Q: Your music often combines dark, melancholic themes with an energy that makes people dance and feel alive. How do you reconcile these contrasting elements?

Ronny: Contrast works always the best in a way. I defines, it outlines. I have a lot of slow songs with equally dark lyrics but playing live I want to entertain people, want to make them move inside and out. I have luckily lots and lots of songs to choose from and during the years it taught me a lot about which songs people like to hear when they go to our concert. That means the classics are always included and never ignored.

Q: Finally, let’s end with a few rapid-fire questions:

• ‘Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘N’ Roll’: does this resonate with you?

Ronny: During my long career all certainly resonates at one time or the other. Experimenting with drugs I steered away long time ago. It was perhaps hip in the 80’s or attractive to experiment but the same goes for smoking or anything else unhealthy. I value a healthy life style with perhaps an alternativee: Sex, Wine and Wave 😉

• Is there a band or artist you would have loved to collaborate with?

Ronny: It’s a shame I never got to work with David Bowie. I met him once in LA when he came to see our concert in the Palace. I was too starstruck to even think of asking him. What a missed chance !

• Do you feel a spiritual connection with any particular artist or band?

Ronny: Yes, plenty! I have got so many great friends in the current scene who make great music. Backstage is always fun when we meet.

• In a world without music, what do you think you’d be doing?

Ronny: Not breathe.

• Which Clan Of Xymox song would you recommend to someone who has never heard your music before?

Ronny: “A Day”, “She” or “Loneliness” as a starter.

• How many albums has Clan Of Xymox sold, and which remains the most successful?

Ronny:  Wouldn’t you like to know 😉 “Twist Of Shadows” was still the most successful in terms of hard record-CD/Cassettes sales because it was at the time people could only buy that and did. There was no piracy then, apart from the classic copying on a blank cassette. In terms of streaming and overall impact I have to point to my later works.

• What is the ultimate dream for Clan Of Xymox?

Ronny: To carry on like the last two years.

• What would you want written on your epitaph and that of Clan Of Xymox?

Ronny:  

See you on the other side.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am not there, I didn’t go.

I didn’t die, so you know. 

See you on the other side.

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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The Prague-based gothic rock band Cathedral In Flames has released their third album “Count to Nine”, offering a blend of dark and gothic influences. Known for their fusion of traditional gothic rock with a “cowboy” flair, the band delves into contemporary psychological issues, Lovecraftian mysticism, addictions, and magical sexual practices.

The title itself is symbolic, referring to the mystical number 9, representing fulfillment, closure, and the connection between different dimensions and stages of life.

The material was mixed by producer John Fryer, who has worked with influential bands like Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode.

Lead vocalist Phil Lee Fall says that the album represents their deepest creative journey yet, taking nearly three years to complete. His bandmate Gatsby emphasized that each track reflects the mood in which it was written, a catharsis for the emotions stirred by modern life’s confusion and darkness.

Count to Nine is available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Bandcamp, and includes the standout single “Dreaming in the Witch House”, for which they’ve also released a music video.

You can download the album below on Bandcamp or order it on CD.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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The Leeds-based post-punk act Red Lorry Yellow Lorry have just released “Driving Black (Ding’s Remix)” – their first new single since “Talking Back” which was released in 1991.

“Driving Black (Ding’s Remix)” is an exclusive mix by the band’s bassist and producer, Simon ‘Ding’ Archer (The Fall, Pixies, PJ Harvey, 1919, etc.). The new track is out now and comes hand in hand with the presales for Red Lorry Yellow Lorry’s forthcoming EP, “Driving Black”.

About this single the band says: “We never wrote songs with singles in mind. To us they are just songs that we thought good enough to release. Some songs seem better suited as singles. I think when everything is ready you pick what seems suitable. For a single, you want the maximum impact in a short space of time, and to get people curious about the other stuff.”

The Driving Black EP will be out 6 December via COP International, in 12” vinyl and digital download formats. The EP also announces the band’s new album, “Strange Kind of Paradise”, due out February 2025.

The six-track “Driving Black” EP offers three exclusive, non-album tracks (“Safe as Houses”, “Living with Spiders”, and “Piece of My Mind”) alongside three mixes of songs from the forthcoming album. The lead single “Driving Black” receives two exclusive mixes for the EP: one from Ding, and the other from producer John Fryer (Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, and Cocteau Twins). “Chickenfeed” gets the remix treatment from German dark indie rock outfit The Halo Trees.

Featuring a cover painting by Wolfie, the “Driving Black” EP has been pressed as a limited-edition coloured vinyl 12” EP – only 1,000 copies available worldwide.

About Red Lorry Yellow Lorry

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry formed in 1981 and soon got known for their dark, minimalist sound, mixing punk, post-punk, and industrial influences. The band is led by founding member and vocalist Chris Reed and longtime guitarist and cowriter Dave ‘Wolfie’ Wolfenden.

The band released such albums like “Talk About the Weather” (1985), “Paint Your Wagon” (1986), “Nothing Wrong” (1988), and “Blow” (1989), before calling it a day with fifth album, “Blasting Off” (1992).

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

The Brussels-based Spleen+ label (a division of Alfa Matrix) has prepared a deluxe 7CD collector’s edition – “Resurgence” – which brings together 133 active bands from across the globe, spanning the diverse sub-genres born from post-punk’s iconic roots. You can order it now from the Alfa Matrix webstore and in digital download format from Bandcamp.

The release comes housed in a luxurious vinyl-sized box, and comes accompanied by a 28-page book. The book holds interviews from renowned producers like John Fryer and Jean-Marc Lederman, label managers, journalists, and iconic artists (including Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, William Faith, No More, Skeletal Family, Mona Mur, KaS Product, And Also The Trees, Clan Of Xymox, Attrition, Das Ich, Merciful Nuns, The Names, The Breath Of Life, etc).

Spanning 23 different nationalities, the music included is a genre-spanning mix of post-punk, cold wave, dark synth, ethereal, and minimal EBM with such bands like Boy Harsher, A Cloud Of Ravens, No More, Skeletal Family, Collection D’Arnell Andrea, Underviewer, Attrition, Merciful Nuns, Lederman/De Meyer, Local Suicide & Sekelesys, Star Industry, Ataraxia, Czarina, Helalyn Flowers, Ascii.Disko, Je T’Aime, The Ultimate Dreamers, Lycia, Opera Multi Steel, The Breath Of Life, Auger, The Names, Whispers In The Shadow, Lovelorn Dolls, Astari Nite, Chiasm, Saigon Blue Rain, Omnimar, Still Patient, Creux Lies, Golden Apes, and many more.

You can already check out a few tracks here.

Apart from the 7CD vinyl size deluxe carton box format, “Resurgence” will not be available on mainstream digital platforms, except exclusively via the label’s Bandcamp page.

There is also a special combi pack including the 7CD set plus Darkness On Demand’s “Panic In Reserve” CD and To Avoid’s “All Gods Are Gone” 2CD.

“Resurgence” Tracklist

Cd 1

1. Bestial Mouths . Hex (The Spell)
2. A Cloud Of Ravens . Parable
3. Boy Harsher . Give Me A Reason
4. Czarina . Wonderland
5. Collection D’arnell Andrea . Waiting For Meaulnes
6. Krystal System . La Lame Dans Ta Main
7. Je T’aime . Out Of Sight
8. Aeon Rings . Fully Operational
9. The Ultimate Dreamers . Polarized
10. Partikul . Nothing Good In Me
11. Cosmobrigade . Spacepit
12. Aeon Sable . From Witchcraft To Deviltry
13. Stereoskop . Deep Down
14. The Breath Of Life . Slowly Crushing
15. Faust Project . Rats Lullaby
16. Al . Mistake
17. N.E.L. & J.P . Desinteresse
18. Zeitgeist Zero . Scream
19. Voyna . Moulding Heart

Cd 2

1. Blackbook . You Are Strange
2. Auger . My Heart Is Glass
3. Dekad . A Deadly Show (Video Edit)
4. Love In Cage . A Logical Secret Collection
5. Helalyn Flowers . Halos
6. Soft Scent . No Wounds
7. Sweet Ermengarde . Sweet Sacrifice
8. Martin Dupont . Bent At The Window (2023)
9. The Names . Far From The Factories
10. Boxes Of Blow . Melting Faces
11. Mirror Of Haze Feat. Primitive Heart . Reckless
12. A Slice Of Life . Seven Days
13. Then Comes Silence . Pretty Creatures
14. Nite . Inside Of My Head
15. Astari Nite . Bowie In Daydreams
16. Korus . Złote Światło Pierwszego Zachodu
17. Lovelorn Dolls . A Heart Cries
18. Whispers In The Shadow . Revenants
19. Merciful Nuns . Oneironauts

Cd 3

1. Lederman – De Meyer . Heartbeat
2. Local Suicide & Skelesys . Surface Of The Sun (Radio Edit)
3. Punx Soundcheck Feat. Ascii.Disko & Princess Superstar . Gasoline
4. No More . Sleepers And Trains
5. Mitra Mitra . Memories For Company
6. A Copy For Collapse Feat. Simona Pietrucci . Faded
7. Alien Skin . Depress Me
8. White Mansion . Cancel The Sky
9. Apnoie . Splash Your Bile
10. Celluloide . Compte Les Ombres
11. Risk Risk . Streetwalk
12. Total Chroma . Northern Lights
13. Opera Multi Steel . À Nos Moments Perdus
14. Lycia . Simpler Times
15. Noemi Aurora . Blood As Lipstick
16. Novus . Ess
17. I Ya Toyah . Death’s Kiss
18. Katcross . Rest
19. Winter Severity Index . Speak To Me

Cd 4

1. Systeme Paradoxe . Comme Le Sable En Hiver
2. Aiboforcen . Break The Black Ice (Original Mix)
3. Chiasm . Cut Right Through (Emileigh Rohn Edit)
4. Saigon Blue Rain . Dolls Dresses
5. Her Own World . Mistrust
6. Still Patient Feat. Minu-Schirin Samimi . Blind Vision
7. Creux Lies . Playtime
8. Der Klinke . Curtains (Your Life On Hold Remix)
9. On The Floor . Crying On The Dancefloor
10. Numa Echos Feat. Red Zebra . Waisted Items
11. Factheory . The Day (Ok Lion! Mix – Short Version)
12. Antiflvx . Crystal
13. Flor Concreta . She’s Closer
14. Golden Apes . Ash Trees
15. Glis . Blue Sky Night
16. Ataraxia . The Source
17. Hanging Freud . Grooming
18. Ok Lion! . Get Away
19. Yuzna . Queen Of The Eels

Cd 5

1. The Breath Of Life Feat. Implant . The Last Record
2. The Halo Trees . Happy Man
3. Palm Ghosts . Tilt
4. Your Life On Hold . Imprisoned (Merciless Radio Edit)
5. Götterdämmerung . Common Existence
6. Jenni Sex . Sin Chimes
7. Denner . She Radiates Darkness
8. Imjudas . I Love You
9. Black Needle Noise . Dollhouse On Fire
10. Dead Souls Rising . Dysmorphobia
11. The Waning Moon . Annabel
12. Korinthians . Leader Of The Night
13. Elektrostaub Feat. Stefan Netschio . Mantis (Auger Remix)
14. Omnimar . The Matrix
15. Synapsyche Feat. Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost) . The Last Dying Flame
16. Dance My Darling . Criminal
17. First Aid 4 Souls Feat. Emke Of Black Nail Cabaret . Das Messer
18. Supernova 1006 . Tell Your Name (Mix)
19. Suicidal Romance . Runaways

Cd 6

1. Ascii.Disko . Loslassen
2. Vioflesh . Emotions
3. Dina Summer . Who Am I (Club Version)
4. Pleasure Victim . Rascheln
5. Pink Opake . Pronta
6. Thewalkingicon . The Trail (Radio Edit)
7. Psy’aviah Feat. Sorrow Stories . Healing
8. Seasurfer . Collapsing
9. Lakeside X . Fire In The Sky (Radio Version)
10. Darkness On Demand . Hang On (Winterhart Remix)
11. Star Industry . Selling Icons (The Dreamside Remix)
12. Alphavox . Dark Satellite
13. Yama Uba . Shapes
14. Lifeless Past . Anxiety
15. Pink Turns Blue . Not Gonna Take It
16. Social Union . Waiting For Red
17. Sine . Until (Clan Of Xymox Remix)
18. Sorry, Heels . She Burns (We Burn) Version
19. Lights A.M . Clouds

Cd 7

1. Useless/You . Echo
2. Attrition . The Great Derailer
3. Children Of Zeal . Taking Over
4. Octolab . Friend Or Foe
5. Vague Phonique . The Last Man
6. Midnight Poetry . Black Hole
7. The Overlookers . Undercover (Edit)
8. La Machine . Vamos A La Playa (Radiomix)
9. Die Sexual . House Of God
10. Carrellee . Morning Sun
11. Underviewer . Was Soll Ich Tun (Aiboforcen Remix)
12. Night In Athens . Words Unspoken
13. Neila Invo . Alienation
14. Skeletal Family . My Own Redemption
15. The Murder Mystery . A Girl Named Red
16. Princess Ugly . For A Moment I Forgot The Desolation
17. Instant Lake . Ivory Dreams
18. Vision Video . Balaclava Kiss
19. La Scaltra . Dancing On Debris

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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The new album from Prague gothic cowboys, Cathedral In Flames titled “Count To Nine”, is out now on the Musicraft label. It’s the follow-up to the 2021 released “Hang Me High And Bury Me Deep”. On this album the two key members, Phil Lee Fall and Gatsby, are accompanied by the voice of Ambra von Bernstein and guitarist Billac deVille.

Thematically the album covers contemporary psychological problems and addictions, mysticism and magical sexual practices. The nine tracks were mixed by John Fryer (Fields of the Nephilim, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, Paradise Lost, Cradle Of Filth and more).

Vocalist Phil Lee Fall says this of the album: “On Count To Nine we tried to cross boundaries. We ventured further and deeper than ever before. Musically, lyrically and sonically. It took us almost three years, but we are extremely happy with the result. Dark, mystical and monumental gothic rock for the 21st century.”

Gatsby adds: “Each track is heavily influenced by the mood and situations in which it was created. That’s why I make music, to get the emotion out. So the fact that it’s dark is probably natural. In a way, it’s a catharsis of the disgust and confusion we live in.”

Count To Nine is available on all major digital outlets worldwide including Spotify and Bandcamp.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Prague-based gothic rock band Cathedral In Flames has released a new single titled “Pale Rider”. The song pays homage to classic western films and composer Ennio Morricone. It narrates a dark story involving an occult battle with cancer, with production by John Freyer.

The single’s release is accompanied by a horror-themed music video set in a graveyard, featuring characters inspired by Cthulhu mythology and a reference to Clint Eastwood through the use of a replica of his hat. The band members involved in the video are Ambra, Phil, Gatsby, and Billac, with Gatsby portraying a grave desperado character.

Vocalist and lyricist Phil Lee Fall says of the record, “We’ve always loved and used the western aspects in our take on gothic rock and we’ve taken it to the max in Pale Rider. Cowboy guitars, screaming cowboys, Clint Eastwood and Lovecraftian poetics. Total country overkill. And yet it fires like a very black devils hog on all cylinders.”

And Gatsby, author of the music, adds: “I love westerns, Ennio Morricone, and I put all that into “Pale Rider.” I wrote a darkly gothic cowboy shuffle with an eerily demonic chorus. The mix was an uphill battle, with John having to dip into his reserves of patience a lot to be satisfied, but the result is worth it! After all, it is the title track of the forthcoming album.”

“Pale Rider” is available for streaming and purchase on all major digital platforms, including Bandcamp and Spotify, under the Musicraft label.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Iranian musician Azam Ali has signed with COP International, and is set to release her first studio album since 2019’s “Phantoms”. You might know Azam Ali also as member of the bands VAS and Niyaz.

“Being an independent artist for years now after breaking away from the industry model of releasing my music through record labels, meeting COP founder Christian Petke and seeing his great passion for the music he meticulously curates and releases on COP International, reawakened the joy I experienced in the early days of my career when I would collaborate with a label to produce a body of work that raised the bar artistically,” explains Ali.

Ali has collaborated either in-studio or on stage with Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Peter Murphy of Bauhaus, The Crystal Method, Mickey Hart, among many others. Her soundtrack work in film and television includes “Thor – The Dark World”, “Matrix- Revolutions”, “300”, “The Fight Club”, “Dawn of the Dead”, “True Blood”, “Alias”, “The Agency”, and “Prison Break”. She is also a well-known musical force in the video game world, having composed music for “Uncharted 3”, “Call of Duty”, “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands”, and “Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow”.

Currently in the studio, Azam Ali is crafing her new album, planned for release later in 2024. John Fryer will be producing the 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. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The Prague-based gothic rock band, Cathedral In Flames is back with a cover of Billy Idol’s classic, “Rebel Yell”.

In their version of the song, Cathedral In Flames toyed with tempos, added strings and flirted with blast-beats for the first time in their history. The track was produced by John Fryer and comes hand in hand with a comic book video.

Singer Phil Lee Fall says, “The songs were basically made to order. And we had a lot of arguments over it, we couldn’t figure it out for a long time, but when Gatsby threw in the tempo changes, everything clicked. And John added the blast beats symbolically at the very end.”

And Gatsby adds, “I’ve never liked this song, so I approached it in the end in the style of seeing if something interesting could be made out of a thousand times stale little ditty. How it turned out, judge for yourself. I’m washing my hands!”

Here’s the comic book video.

And here is the track for download on Bandcamp.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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(Photo by Kevin Condon/WeirdHours) Fresh off of tour runs in Europe and North America with The Sisters of Mercy, Clan of Xymox, and Then Comes Silence respectively, Metropolis welcomes Brooklyn’s A Cloud of Ravens to the Metropolis Records family. Side-Line covered this band several times already.

Singer/guitarist Matt McIntosh and bassist Beth Narducci formed A Cloud of Ravens in the autumn of 2018. The 2021 full-length album “Another Kind of Midnight” was their breakthrough release merging classic and contemporary post-punk and darkwave. A remix EP followed, featuring reimagined tracks by artists such as Actors, Clan of Xymox, Chris Vrenna, John Fryer, and Ritual Howls.

A Cloud of Ravens’ most recent album “Lost Hymns” was released by Schubert Music Europe’s Nexilis imprint, and is now being brought to North American audiences by Metropolis Records in its original form on all digital platforms. Expect an extended version of the album with bonus remixes and a new exclusive track from Metropolis in the coming months.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Synical, the dark wave industrial act, is set to release their fifth album, ‘This Will All Happen Again’, today on Cleopatra Records. The album promises a unique blend of goth, dark-wave, and post-punk genres.

Based in Los Angeles, California, Synical draws inspiration from a diverse range of artists, including Depeche Mode, New Order, The Cure, Prince, Joy Division, and Kraftwerk.

A string of collaborations on new album with members from Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, …

Synical was founded in 1989 by singer/songwriter, producer, and engineer, Brian Haught, after his departure from the electronic funk band AC Black, which was signed to Motown Records. Since its inception, Synical has evolved significantly, featuring a variety of band members and transitioning through numerous sounds over the years. What started as a solo act for Brian eventually expanded into a duo, then a trio, and finally a full five-piece band.

For their latest album, Brian Haught split his time between LA and Atlanta, writing new songs and recording in both cities. Collaborating with David Black, Jimi Echo, Eric Griffin (Muderdolls), and former Synical drummer Cheney Brannon (Collective Soul), the band also welcomed Noel Page during the recording sessions.

Over the years, Synical has collaborated with a host of musicians, including John Fryer (NIN, Love & Rockets, Depeche Mode), Ivan De Prume (White Zombie), Roy Mayorga (Ministry, SoulFly, Stone Sour), Alex Carapetis (NIN, Julian Casablancas), Robin Finck (NIN, Guns N’ Roses), Cheney Brannon (Collective Soul), and Racci Shay Hart (Dope).

The new 10-track album features guest appearances from members of Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Mary My Hope, Faster Pussycat, Genitorturers, and Murderdolls.

Guns N’ Roses demos for “Chinese Democracy”

In the late nineties, Brian Haught collaborated with Robin Finck (Nine Inch Nails/Guns N’ Roses Guitarist) on some of the Guns N’ Roses album demos for “Chinese Democracy”. This collaboration led to the recruitment of new band members to continue his vision for Synical. Joined by guitarist Eric Griffin, bassist Brent Ashley, and Ben Graves, they released their third album “Synical Forever” in 2004 and their fourth “Quit While You’re Behind” in 2012. Following a tumultuous tour of Italy, Brian decided to further reconstruct and update Synical’s members, leading to the current lineup.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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The 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. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Here’s an odd duck on COP International label: the Fort Worth, Texas based act G.W. Childs IV. This project delivers electro country or synthwave with a disco falsetto actually. Behind the buttons we also notice John Fryer (Depeche Mode/NIN/Yazoo) and Rodney Orpheus (The Cassandra Complex).

The 7-track EP will be out next Friday (7th of April) on Bandcamp Day and features 2 original tracks (“You don’t know” and “Infinitely You”) plus “Tarrrant County” remixed by Rodney Orpheus / Cassandra Complex, DJ Joe Virus / Solemn Assembly, Josh Pyle (Aphorism), Ashes Fallen and one by by G.W. Childs IV itself.

You can already check the title track itself.

Here’s the previous single of the project, the 5-track EP “Tarrant County”.

Christian from COP International comments: “When John Fryer send me the first track I was blown away. We both had discussed the direction we expected COP to go for but this was something else entirely. Or was it? John always finds the emotional core in a track and brings it to the surface. But he also helped GW rediscover his roots and embrace them at the same time – what a beautiful gift. With his new band everything that has shaped GW is coming together. He grew up on a ranch among farmhands and livestock. He joined the Army and they took him all over the globe. His Passion for music brought him to California and gave him the opportunity to work for Lucas Arts as a sound designer. His love for his family brought him back home to Texas. GW Childs IV “Tarrant County” is the sum of all these experiences. GW Childs IV and COP have been working together for 20 years (GW was half of the storied Dark Wave Band Soil and Eclipse). But I feel that his new band is the first time we see the real person behind the music. It combines his early love for 4AD, the great balladeers of historic country music and his love for catchy melodies.”

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

(Photo by Kevin W Condon) As we mentioned earlier, the Brooklyn post-punk pair A Cloud of Ravens recently released their latest single, “Parable,” following “Requiem For The Sun.” We also indicated that a video was being produced. Today, we have the exclusive premiere of this new video.

The band shares their thoughts on the song: “While rich in metaphor, ‘Parable’ poses the question – how extreme must circumstances become in our world for us to recognize, both socially and culturally, that perhaps we need a shift in how we respect each other, the pointlessness of war, and our treatment of the environment? We share one planet, and we’re all in this together, whether we like it or not. Isn’t the path of least resistance ultimately the most logical choice?”

“Parable” serves as the final single from their upcoming “Lost Hymns” LP. Recorded between spring and autumn 2021 and mastered by Actors’ Jason Corbett at Jacknife Sound studio, this 11-track album will be released through Nexilis Records / Schubert Music Europe on April 28.

Here’s the “Parable” video.

Formed in 2018 by Matthew McIntosh (guitar and vocals) and Beth Narducci (bass guitar), the Brooklyn-based duo released a series of self-released offerings that led to their 2021 album “Another Kind of Midnight”. A Cloud of Ravens’ subsequent remix-based EP featured contributions by legendary producer John Fryer and such prominent artists as Clan of Xymox, Actors, Chris Vrenna and Ritual Howls.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

(Photo by Kevin W Condon) The Brooklyn post-punk duo A Cloud of Ravens has a new single out, “Parable”. “Parable” comes following “Requiem For The Sun”. A video is in the making, watch out for a premiere on Side-Line.

Here’s what the band says about the song: “Though dense in metaphor, ‘Parable’ is asking – how dire do things need to get in this world for us to realize, as a society and culturally, that maybe something needs to shift as far as how we honor each other, the futility of war, and how we treat the environment? We’ve got one planet, and we’re on it together whether we like it or not. Doesn’t the path of least resistance ultimately make the most sense?”

“Parable” is the final single from their forthcoming “Lost Hymns” LP. Recorded from spring to autumn 2021 and mastered by Actors’ Jason Corbett at his Jacknife Sound studio, this collection of 11 tracks will be released via Nexilis Records / Schubert Music Europe on April 28.

Formed in 2018 by Matthew McIntosh (guitar and vocals) and Beth Narducci (bass guitar), the Brooklyn-based duo released a series of self-released offerings that led to their 2021 album “Another Kind of Midnight”. A Cloud of Ravens’ subsequent remix-based EP featured contributions by legendary producer John Fryer and such prominent artists as Clan of Xymox, Actors, Chris Vrenna and Ritual Howls.

A Cloud of Ravens will launch a European tour with Then Comes Silence in April-May, followed by North American dates with Clan of Xymox and Curse Mackey in May-June.

Tourdates

• Apr 15 Baltimore, MD – Dark Spring Baltimore
• Apr 22 Stockholm, Sweden – Klubb DÖD *
• Apr 29 Madrid, Spain – DarkMad *
• Apr 30 Madrid, Spain – DarkMad *
• May 05 Hannover, Germany – Subkultur *
• May 06 Liège, Belgium – Le Garage Creative Music *
• May 07 Liège, Belgium – Le Garage Creative Music *
• May 09 Hamburg, Germany – Headcrash *
• May 10 Hamburg, Germany – Bastard Club *
• May 11 Berlin, Germany – Wild at Heart *
• May 12 Antwerpen, Belgium – Fetish Café *
• May 13 Köln, Germany – Artheater *
• May 31 San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger **
• June 01 Houston, TX – Numbers Night Club **
• June 02 Austin, TX – Elysium Austin **
• June 03 Dallas, TX – Granada Theater **
• June 05 Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad **
• June 06 Denver, CO – Oriental Theater **
• June 07 Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall **
• June 09 Seattle, WA – El Corazon **
• June 10 Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre **
• June 11 Portland, OR – Star Theater **
• June 13 San Francisco, CA – August Hall **
• June 14 Costa Mesa, CA – The Wayfarer **
• June 15 San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick **
• June 16 Los Angeles, CA – Regent Theater DTLA **
• July 21 Meschede, Germany – Live Am See *

* tour dates with Then Comes Silence
** tour dates with Clan of Xymox & Curse Mackey

Videos

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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“Rise Up” is the latest in a long line of tracks from producer legend John Fryer and his Black Needle Noise project. For his new EP, he teamed up with Basement Jaxx vocalist Lisa Kekaula (feat; on the album “Kish Kash”) to create a version of Andra Day’s “Rise Up”. You can expect electro gospel, a style Fryer is mastering extremely well so we noticed.

John Fryer (Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Fad Gadget, Cocteau Twins) created his own project Black Needle Noise in 2016, where he invites different guest vocalists on his songs.

You can download the full EP below.

About Lisa Kekaula

From 2003 to 2007, Kekaula joined a cast of vocalists guesting at live performances by the surviving members of the MC5.

Kekaula has featured on two singles by British house music band Basement Jaxx, most famously “Good Luck”.

She appeared on the tracks “Realizer” and “High and Low” by The Crystal Method, on their 2004 album “Legion of Boom”.

She performed “Talkin” in My Sleep” on The Bloody Beetroots’first studio album “Romborama“. She has also been featured on The Legendary Tigerman’s fifth studio album, “Femina”, released in 2009.

In 2014, Kekaula contributed vocals to two tracks for the Re-Licked album of Iggy Pop and the Stooges songs re-recorded by former Stooges guitarist James Williamson. The songs were also released as a 7″ single. In 2016, Kekaula and Williamson collaborated again, releasing a single in aid of a Hawaiian homeless charity.

Lisa Kekaula has been a vocalist with the Bellrays since 1990.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Cold War Night Life’s Simon Helm has written a book that traces Depeche Mode’s steps through London in a rather peculiar way. The book is called “Walking in their shoes: a Depeche Mode fan’s unofficial guide to London” and explores the band’s connections to London through the studios they recorded in and the stages on which they performed, plus the book ends with a list of places that played a role in the band’ history.

In order to prepare the book Helm went through piles of records and CDs and talked with friends of the band and key personalities from their history. Add to this the detailed archives collected by enthusiasts for websites and fanzines.

Available as an ebook from all leading platforms from 27 January 2023 it has turned out to be a true guide for fans interested to trace the steps taken by the band around the city. You’ll be guided from the studio where the first demos were recorded to the stadiums where their tours have landed, with details being provided for each and every location. The whole is documented with exclusive photographs to help identify the correct spots.

Simon Helm is the editor of Cold War Night Life, and an occasional Side-Line contributor. Through Cold War Night Life he has released records, produced films, and promoted shows in London and Sweden. He has worked as a record store worker, music journalist, and lawyer but remained a big fan of Depeche Mode throughout his professional career.

Helm explains why he focused on London: “Depeche Mode’s history is closely connected to London. They are often thought of as a Basildon group, but many of the studios they recorded in and the venues where they made their reputation are in the city. This guide is for fans who want to stand where their classic recordings were made and their legendary shows were staged. It’s all there.”

Note that although many of the studios and venues have been erased by time, the book puts them right back on the map together with pictures so you get a good idea where the exact location was.

An indispensable guide for Depeche Mode fans visiting London! Available as an ebook from all leading platforms from 27 January 2023.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘s ’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Prague’s gothic rock band Cathedral In Flames have just revealed their new single, “Not Another Vampire Song”. The single follows the release of their Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds cover of “The Weeping Song”. John Fryer (Fields of The Nephilim, Peter Murphy, Nine Inch Nails) produced the new recordings.

The lyrics of the track poke fun at typical gothic rock themes as well as stories of closed rock clubs and churches.

Phil Lee Fall explains the track: “The song is based on a memory of the nineties, when we used to travel (not only to play) around Bohemia, and after a night of drinking we would go the next morning to the only place that was open (on Saturday or Sunday) at that time, so to church. It’s also about booze, or rather about alcoholics and how after a few drinks quiet introverts turn into raging sovereign steamrollers. And how they turn into pale, hungover vampires the next day, afraid of daylight and looking in the mirror.”

Below is the video for the song.

For more on John Fryer, see John Fryer interview: ‘Punk (pop with attitude) kicked the doors of… on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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(Photo by Kevin W Condon) NYC-based post-punk duo A Cloud of Ravens present their new single “Nature of Artifice”, the second single of their third full-length album “Lost Hymns”, to be released in early 2023 via Berlin-based Nexilis Records, a division of Schubert Music Europe. The single follows the release of the lead track “The Blackest Mantra”. “Nature of Artifice” will be available across digital outlets, including Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon and Bandcamp from tomorrow on but you can already check it below.

“The song ‘Nature of Artifice’ is about choosing to bury your head in the sand, rather than confronting glaring societal ills and moral injustices. It’s easier to get lost in the minutia of our click and swipe modern world than watch its blessings crumble around us. To some extent, none of us are blameless,” says founding member Matthew McIntosh.

Formed in 2018 in Brooklyn by Matthew McIntosh (guitar and vocals) and Beth Narducci (bass guitar), the duo began work on this new album in the spring of 2021. Completed by autumn, the LP was mastered by Actors’ Jason Corbettat Jacknife Sound studio in Vancouver. The new album is the follow-up to the 2021 LP “Another Kind of Midnight”. Their subsequent remix-based EP featured reimagined tracks by John Fryer and artists like Clan of Xymox, ACTORS, Chris Vrenna and Ritual Howls.

The full “Lost Hymns” album will be released on February 24, 2023.

Here’s the vide for “Nature of Artifice”

And this is the video for the previous single “The Blackest Mantra”.

Tour dates (with Clan of Xymox & Curse Mackey)

• Wed, May 31 – San Antonio TX
• Thu, June 1 – Houston TX
• Fri, June 2 – Austin TX
• Sat, June 3 – Dallas TX
• Mon, June 5 – Albuquerque NM
• Tue, June 6 – Denver CO
• Wed, June 7 – Salt Lake City UT
• Fri, June 9 – Seattle WA
• Sat, June 10 – Vancouver BC
• Sun, June 11 – Portland OR
• Tue, June 13 – San Francisco CA
• Wed, June 14 – Costa Mesa CA
• Thu, June 15 – San Diego CA
• Fri, June 16 – Los Angeles CA

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Genre/Influences: Gothic, Ethereal, Dark-Wave.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Vaselyne is a Dutch duo driven by Yvette Winkler and Frank Weyzig (known from Born For Bliss and formerly involved with Clan Of Xymox). Nine years after the debut-album “The Fire Within” -released on Echozone, the duo strikes back after having released a few EP’s.

Content: In between the intro- and outro cut you’ll discover a sonic universe touched by grace and delicacy. A melancholic composition mixing Gothic, Ethereal and Dark-Wave. Electronics, guitar and acoustic instruments have been merged together while Yvette’s timbre of voice emerges at the top of the work. Frank is singing as well on several songs. Notice by the way the album also features cover versions from Tori Amos,PJ Harveyand Oceansize.

+ + + : I like the authenticity of the production, which is mainly due to the magic of piano-, violin- and guitar sounds. The work reflects maturity and refinement. The absolute highlight is “Forever After”, which reminds me a bit of the particular, graceful and sensual sphere created by Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. And Vaselyne didn’t spare any effort and asked John Fryer to join in for a cool mix of “Down”.

– – – : I experienced the debut songs as a bit hesitant so you better remain patient to discover the beauty of this work. I’m missing an absolute hit.

Conclusion: Sadness and melancholia have been transposed into an artistic creation called “The Sea Says”.

Best songs: “Forever After”, “Down”, “Surrender”, “One Day All This Could Be Yours”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.vaselyne.com / www.facebook.com/vaselynemusic

Label: www.facebook.com/copint Read the news on ‘The Sea Says’.

About Vaselyne

Vaselyne is a Dutch duo formed by Yvette Winkler, also known from John Fryer’s Black Needle Noise project, and Frank Weyzig, formerly of Clan Of Xymox. The duo signed to COP International on the recommendation of John Fryer, who had worked with Winkler on a Black Needle Noise release. Debut album “The Fire Within” was released on Echozone. Three EPs followed: “Winter” (a Tori Amos cover), “Here To Begin” and “Shame” (a PJ Harvey cover), the latter released in 2023 as part of the “Under Your Skin” EP. Second album “The Sea Says” holds 13 tracks including covers of Tori Amos, PJ Harvey and Oceansize, with guest vocals from Lynette Cerezo, Michael Aliani and Searmanas, string arrangements by Einar Ihle, flute by Rina Vervoort, and production on “Down” by John Fryer.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Dark-Electro, Dark-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: We welcome the debut album of American project Silver Walks. Guest singers Stella Soleil, Eva X, Coral Scere + Tim Heireth and Marc Heal (Cubanate) contributed to the opus.John Fryer did the mixing.

Content: This work covers different influences, which have been masterly adapted into a very own creation. Most of the songs are powerful and mainly carried by Electro-Industrial sound treatments, but there’s also a pop touch emerging now and then. Most of the songs are cold and danceable. The different vocalists are adding diversity to the work; from pure sensuality to total rage.

+ + + : This is a well-crafted work with a very own approach. I like when a band is trying to do things a different way. The contribution of different singers brings different accents to the work, but I have to admit I remain impressed by the violence and rage by Marc Heal singing on “In Consequence”. This song is comparable to Industrial-Pop music. Another great cut is “Mirrortowne” featuring Industrial guitar riffs and cool electronic sequences.

– – – : There are no major minus points, but I got the feeling this project has the potential to do even better. But it’s a successful debut!

Conclusion: Distortion Productions has a nose for interesting, new, artists and Silver Walks definitely is one to keep an eye on.

Best songs: “In Consequence”, “Mirrortowne”, “Tear Me Down”, “Albatross”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: http://silverwalks.net / www.facebook.com/silverwalks

Label: www.distortionprod.com / www.facebook.com/distortionproductions

About Silver Walks

Silver Walks is a Philadelphia-based (USA) act blending EBM, industrial music, electronic psychedelia, punk and analog noise. The project’s debut LP “Various Positions” was mixed by John Fryer, known for his work with Nine Inch Nails, Stabbing Westward and Depeche Mode.

The album was preceded by the single “In Consequence”, featuring guest vocals from Marc Heal of Cubanate, and was released on Distortion Productions, reviewed here as the project’s debut full-length.

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

Out on the 2nd of September via COP International is the Rohn – Lederman album “Rage!”.

Behind Rohn – Lederman we find Jean-Marc Lederman (Fad Gadget, The Weathermen, The The, Gene Loves Jezebel, Ghost & Writer + numerous solo records) and Emileigh Rohn (Chiasm) who started this project to bring catchy electropop. More recently, Emileigh Rohn recently also completed an album with John Fryer titled “Missed The Noise”, and since has been working with Jean-Marc Lederman on this project.

Here’s a first preview of the Porno For Pyros track “Pets” by Rohn – Lederma. Read the review of ‘Rage’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Out via COP International on October 21st is the all new EP for Mark Hockings (mesh) and more precisely for his side-project Blackcarburning.

The opener “Divide Us” is a collaboration with Mari Kattman (of Helix with Tom Shear of Assemblage 23) in a production by John Fryer. The other tracks have Hockings on vocals. All versions are exclusive to this EP and only “Divide Us” will be on his upcoming album.

The project launched its very first release in 2021 with the self-released singles “The Mirror (Shattered Tones)” and “The Mirror”. After signing with COP International the project released the singles “All About You”, “Reset” and “Everything Worked Out”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

“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. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Italian singer Elena Alice Fossi has released a new single, “Poison Fresh”, which is taken from the forthcoming new full-length of her dark electro project SPECTRA*Paris. The fifth album of that band is entitled “Modernism” and will be released on August 26.

The “Poison Fresh” video can be viewed right below.

Elena Alice Fossi says this about the single: “It is a journey to unknown shores, where you learn how to free yourself from reptilian and poisonous empires. Getting on that spaceship has a price and takes you away from the known side of the world. But the dream is well worth living. ‘Plant your stigma on all dogma’!”

The new album “Modernism ” will have the following guest musicians on board: Angelo Bergamini (Kirlian Camera), John Fryer (This Mortal Coil), Fakeba, Project Pitchfork, Seasurfer, Alison Bergamini (Fleurida Videogame Music), Michael Ciravolo (Beauty In Chaos) And John Rox & Oxydion.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

US goth rock act The Wake return to the stage for two shows only this year, in New Jersey, USA, and Madrid, Spain. These are The Wake’s first live shows since 1999, and the first time the band’s classic line-up has been reunited live onstage since 1994.

Frontman Troy Payne says: “If what Violet Fane said is true, and “all things come to those who wait” – then surely, we are all in for one hell of a good time. This has been so long in coming that, by the time we step on stage, I expect to be sweating venom.”

The two dates are:

• New Jersey, USA – 22 October 2022: QXT’s Nightclub, Newark, New Jersey, USA (With special guest: Caroline Blind)
• Madrid, Spain – 4 November 2022: NAZCA Music Live, Madrid, Spain (With special guests: NU:N)

About The Wake

The Wake is an American gothic rock band from Columbus, Ohio, United States, and should not be mistaken with the British post-punk act with the same name.

Formed in 1986 by vocalist Troy Payne and guitarist Richard Witherspoon in Columbus, Ohio USA – The Wake made its first studio recording “Procession” using session musicians on drums and bass in 1987. Bassist James Tramel and electronic drummer Scott Rozanski were recruited later the same year. This lineup quickly recorded first versions of tracks like: “Burial”, “Shelia”, and “Locomotive Age”, creating a rough template for what would become The Wake’s signature sound.

Acoustic drummer Daniel C. replaced Rozanski early in 1989. Driven forward by Daniel’s acoustic drum sound, the band moved substantially towards the rock and roll end of the sonic spectrum. Hoping to add yet another dimension to their sound, keyboardist Robert Brothers was added to the mix in 1990.

In a move to gain exposure, the band started Blaylox Records, named after the band’s mascot cat. The label released their demo cassette and the 7” vinyl single “Harlot” in 1990. Following on the success of “Harlot”, the band released a second 7”, “Sideshow”, on their Blaylox Records label in 1992 which led to the band signing with Cleopatra Records in 1993. The Wake’s debut album “Masked” was released in October 1993. After the completion of the “Masked” tour, the band parted ways with bass player James Tramel and a new bassist, Steven Creighton, was brought into the fold before the release of the “Christine” EP in 1995 with re-mixes supplied by Rosetta Stone.

In 1996, The Wake joined forces with former Ministry engineer “Fluffy” on their third CD, “Nine Ways”. The album was recorded and mixed at both Chicago Trax, and the Chicago Recording Company. Just before the release of “Nine Ways”, guitarist and co-founder Rich Witherspoon left the band and former MCA recording artist Mark Gamiere was enlisted to take over at guitar. Though no studio recordings were made with this lineup, Gamiere provided live tour support from 1996 to 2000. Other lineup changes include the late J.T. Murphy replacing Steven Creighton on bass in 1998. The band turned bass playing duty over to a hard-disk recorder in 1999 before giving way to a hiatus in 2000.

In 2008 “Blacklist” was released on MVD/Cleopatra, it was a ‘best of’ compilation DVD with bonus unreleased material, rare tracks and video. In 2010 Blaylox Records released The Wake’s single “Emily Closer” featuring the reunited lineup of Payne, Witherspoon, Tramel, Brothers, and Daniel C.. In December 2013, The Wake announced the release of a new single, “Rusted”, remixed by John Fryer. Released on Blaylox Records, the single features the lineup of Troy Payne, Rich Witherspoon, and Daniel C..

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, Wave-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Kirlian Camera singer Elena Alice Fossi strikes back with the fifth album of her SPECTRA*paris sonic alter ego. Her partner in crime Angelo Bergamini contributed to the work while other famous names like Project Pitchfork, John Fryer and Seasurfer ao contributed as well.

Content: The sound universe of SPECTRA*paris is clearly driven by Electro-Pop elements but also feature other sources of inspiration. Retro passages have been alternated with heavier, dramatic, parts while there’s also space for evasive, Cinematic, tracks and last, but not least a great club-driven cut with sensual, Eastern, atmospheres on top.

+ + + : The main strength of the album is its diversity. But I also salute the way this artist -and her guests, achieved a reinterpretation of Electro-Pop music. On top of it all you get Elena’s magic, sensual, fragile timbre of voice. “MoRoDERN” clearly sounds as a potential hit; it sounds clubby and driven by a hot, Eastern sound atmosphere. Another noticeable cut is the “Doctor Phibes Mix” of “Poison Fresh” which sounds much more club-driven than the original, drama-sounding, edit.

– – – : I was less convinced by the softer, Cinematic passages of the album.

Conclusion: SPECTRA*paris remains a very unique formation and definitely more than simply a side-project. It sounds like the ‘sonic boudoir’ of Elena Alice Fossi.

Best songs: “MoRoDERN”, “Poison Fresh – Doctor Phibes Mix”, “Graphic Music 1.0”, “Moondrops”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/spectraparis.official

Label: www.dependent.de / www.facebook.com/dependent.records Read the news on ‘Modernism’.

About SPECTRA*paris

Spectra*Paris is the electronic rock project led by Italian singer, composer and producer Elena Alice Fossi, who also fronts Kirlian Camera. Discogs describes the project as having grown out of Fossi’s earlier Siderartica work. Kirlian Camera’s Angelo Bergamini contributed to “Modernism”.

The first album, “Dead Models Society (Young Ladies Homicide Club)”, came out on Trisol in 2007. “Christmas Ghouls” and “License To Kill” followed on Out Of Line in 2010, and “Retromachine Betty” appeared on Dependent Records in 2017. “Modernism” is the fifth album and the project’s second for that label.

The album was preceded by a second single, “Poison Fresh”. Fossi has also recorded outside the project with Beauty In Chaos and with Solitary Experiments.

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

Out now is the Vaselyne album “The Sea Says”. The album was preceeded by 3 EP’s “Winter” (originally by Tori Amos), “Here To Begin” and “Shame” (originally by PJ Harvey).

Behind Vaselyne we find Yvette Winkler (you know her from John Fryer’s Black Needle Noise project and few others) and Frank Weyzig (ex-Clan of Xymox). They are currently signed to COP International, recommended by John Fryer who had worked with Yvette Winkler on a Black Needle Noise release.

The “The Sea Says” album holds 13 tracks including a cover of the Oceansize track “One Day All This Could Be Yours” and the aforementionned Tori Amos and PJ Harvey covers. Guest vocals on “Here to Begin” are by Lynette Cerezo and you can hear Michael Aliani on guest vocal on “Forever After” and Searmanas on “Love Failed to Save Me”.

Additional string arrangements on “Under Your Skin” and solo violin on “Waiting to Exhale” and “Forever After” were executed by Einar Ihle. You will also find Rina Vervoort on flute on the track “One Day All this could be Yours” and “Pair of Three”.

Finally, John Fryer took care of the complete performance, arrangements and production on the track “Down”.

Check out the full album below. Read the review of ‘The Sea Says’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Two charity releases to help Ukraine have taken the Bandcamp charts by storm in the past few weeks. There is the Side-Line powered “Electronic Resistance” compilation (and book and T-shirt) featuring 55 Ukrainian bands, and there’s the COP International powered 3-track single “Come Together” featuring members of bands including Faith No More, Stabbing Westward, Rammstein, Black Needle Noise and others.

The two releases have three things in common, they come from the indie scene, they have been created and released in record time, and both people behind the release are actually longtime friends. We decided to talk with both initiative takers, our very own chief editor Bernard Van Isacker and producer and musician John Fryer who both invested their time in creating two extremely successful charity projects.

SL: John and Bernard, you were the very first people to launch a charity project in the metal/rock and darkwave scene to help the Ukrainian people and also the ones that made it a huge success. What was the decisive moment when you said, ok, let’s do this?

John: It was late one Sunday evening and I was talking to Christian from COP International records on the phone and as always we were discussing many thing that are happening to us and the world and we got talking about the invasion and all the people suffering the effects it was having on them. So we decided to do a song to raise money. We were like yeah let’s do a song get it recorded and out by Friday of that week.

We were totally nuts to think it could have been done in such a short time. It took as 3 weeks and working around the clock not just on the music side of things but calling, emailing and texting people to get them involved in the project.

Bernard: The moment I saw the first images of the bombing, the dead civilians, I was like, I have to do something, and I have to do it right now. It took roughly 2,5 weeks to get everything done as far as the compilation goes, because I’m still working on the photo book itself which is also going to be released.

I honestly never thought Putin would actually invade Ukraine… who on earth can be so sick? It came as a big blow in my face when I heard the news. I was like, WTF, we are in the year 2022 and some lunatic still thinks it is OK to just invade another country. Looking back, we should have known this was going to happen, all the signals were there for years, especially after he invaded the Crimean with his ‘green’ men. Putin has a track record which is just plain wrong in all its facets and that was just one of the examples that should have made us realize far worse was bound to happen. Add to that that Europe acts like a junkie when it comes to oil and gas…

SL: I know you know each other rather well, it’s like same minds think alike?

John: I have known Bernard for many a moon now and he has a big heart also. Even though we didn’t discuss this with each other we have both come to the same conclusion of what a terrible thing that is happening in Ukraine and want to help in some way.

Bernard: I appreciate John a lot as well and I know he has the heart at the right place. It didn’t surprise me that he ended up with a similar idea. I think we both are very much affected by what is happening so it came as a natural thing to help in the way we know best, John by making music, me by setting up a project and use the Side-Line promo machinery to turn the project into a success.

SL: Can you both describe how you set up your projects?

Bernard: Within 3 days most of the tracks were delivered by the participating bands, some even recorded new material during those 3 days. I then had to literally chase for the necessary paperwork, because the last thing these Ukrainian bands are busy with or need now is bureaucracy, which I totally understand, but it is and was a necessary evil which took me around 2 extra weeks. In the meantime I had contacted Erlend Eilertsen (Lights A.M, Essence Of Mind) in Norway if he could make sure the sound would be ok because some of the sourced material literally was recorded while the bombs were falling like I said. Other bands had nothing left but rough demos, so there was some work needed to get everything polished.

John: Christian and I had done a similar thing before but on a smaller scale. This time we wanted to reach a much bigger audience so we decided to reach for the stars. I’ve known some of the artists for a long time but we also got a lot of help from people we asked like Geno Lenardo, Marija Buljeta, Rod Saez Chavez who also joined in asking people to join our project and we thank them and everyone else who has helped along the way and the people who have donated money to the project.

Side-Line: Bernard, you decided to get to work with Ukrainian bands only. How on earth did you get hold of 55 bands in such a record time?

Bernard: Ah yes, I forgot to tell that. Very simple, I contacted a few bands in direct, but most were actually triggered by a Facebook message I spread in Ukraine. People there reacted very quickly from allover Ukraine, also fans contacted bands after seeing the message. That’s one of the few times when I thought that Facebook did a proper constructive job.

Side-Line: John, you chose to work on a cover of John Lennon’s “Come Together”…

John: John Lennon wrote “Come Together” and we re-imagined it and added Queens [we will rock you]. It is a cover of the Beatles song mixed with a Queen song and we changed the words to [we will stop you]. As in the name, we wanted people to come together to help. This kind of invasion should not be happening. It’s horrifying to think that things like this can still happen in this day and age.

Side-Line: John, you made a supergroup – à la Bruderschaft – but this time from the metal scene featuring members of Faith No More, Stabbing Westward, Rammstein, and a lot more bands. How did this process technically work?

John: I wouldn’t say Metal Scene I would say Alternative Music Scene.

Doing this kind of thing these days is much easier I would say as you have the internet and that’s how we got everyone from around the world on the track. We would email, text or call and if they were willing to be involved we would send them the track and they would record their parts as most people these days have the ability to record at home. I ended up with about 200 tracks of audio and it was like fitting a jigsaw puzzle together and everyone is super happy with the end result.

Bernard: Now that you mention Bruderschaft, I worked on that charity project when it was released on Alfa Matrix back in 2003. You know, working on projects like these makes you realize that you can indeed help people, you just have to use your talents and network. And if everyone would do this, the world would be a much better place anyhow.

Side-Line: If I’m not wrong, this is the first time that 2 band scene players, COP International and Side-Line took the number 2 and 3 spot at the same time on Bandcamp. Kinda huge. What is your feedback on this?

John: In fact “Come Together [we will stop you] reached number 1 on Bandcamp and we have raised around 10,000$ and the artists that are involved with us in this have donated 100% from the money raised but unfortunately Bandcamp have taken their % from the donated sales and we are probably going to have to pay the publishers too even though it’s a god damn charity record to raise money for those who are suffering from this horrific and despicable war.

Bernard: Bandcamp and Paypal indeed take a big chunk. Luckily Bandcamp Friday helped a lot to recoup some of the costs that were involved.

As of this morning, Side-Line has already donated over 8000 EURO (8674,96 US$) to Ukrainian aid. Our compilation is still doing very well and I foresee to be sending hundreds of parcels with merchandise by mid-May as well.

As far as Bandcamp goes, it does make sense that we both stormed the charts there. You don’t find an artist like Rihanna on Bandcamp do you, I think she doesn’t even know it exists. Bandcamp mainly is a platform for the indie crowd, whether it is darkwave, metal, folk, jazz, blues or any other alternative (sub)style that often is not captured by the mainstream charts. So, we charted right in the indie scene, and that’s a very good thing.

Side-Line: Bernard, Side-Line is not a label, but a magazine, why was this project not released via a label?

Bernard: Good question but very easy to answer as well. These kind of projects need a very short roadmap from idea to execution, and since I worked with 55 bands things needed to be done quickly. In short you can not wait for months to get the ball rolling with these kind of projects, you need to act fast and thus instead of having this project go through various hands with different views and ideas, I decided to do it myself and handle everything from A until Z. Luckily Benoit Blanchart (Alfa Matrix, Aiboforcen) quickly volunteered to work on the book layout when I told him about the idea late February this year. Lots of work, which basically happened during long nights after my daytime job and all other work I have. But since I’m also responsible for the ‘Face The Beat’ compilation series, compiling it was not really different as far as the approach goes, just a lot faster when it came to releasing it.

The major difference however was the multitude of charities that had to be funded this time. I usually donate towards 2 or 3 charities per release. But here I spent a whole morning wiring money to all kind of Ukrainian organizations and also to bands who then did local charity. Lots of work, but I guess it’s more than worth it.

Side-Line: How do you both see things evolve in Ukraine?

John: We are hoping this ends now and the killing must stop and Ukraine can be re-built and bring back the misplaced people to their land and rebuild their lives. It’s amazing to see the resolve of these people through this tragedy.

Bernard: I’m personally not really optimistic as far as the length of this full blown war goes. If I see the increasing aggressive tone from all parts in the Russian society – just look how they have set up this huge Z-propaganda – I don’t think this will be over pretty soon. Hence why we need to support the population right now and continue to do so. The country is under heavy shelling in the east since a few days now and there is more happening. Putin started to roll a snowball downhill that is increasing in velocity and size.

I would not be surprised they’ll do sabotage acts inside Finland and Sweden to disrupt the society there since those countries clearly will choose to adhere to the NATO. Railway sabotage, massive hacking of public service networks, etc., they have done it in the past in the Baltic states so I see them returning to that modus operandi with Finland and Sweden especially. This is just the beginning. And we haven’t talked about how China is behaving in all of this.

But, one thing is quite clear, Putin seriously miscalculated what a courageous people the Ukrainians are. And especially because of that we have to start thinking of how to help Ukrainians to rebuild their country after this mad war is over and done.

Side-Line: Bernard, you are still in contact with all the band’s on a weekly basis, how are they?

Bernard: At least once a week they receive an update on the compilation, and I usually get a lot of messages back from the bands telling me how they are, where they are, where they have fled to this week, etc.. I wouldn’t say it is depressing, but it’s not really uplifting either. Having said that, I’m here, safe in my attic, they are there, unsure what will come next. So who am I to complain? I’m proud of every single one of those bands.

Side-Line: Is this the final word or do you plan to continue with this?

Bernard: I don’t know for you John, but I will most probably work on another project in the near future to help and collect funds for Ukraine. The first plans are on the table as we speak. Honestly, I am very positively surprised how our scene has been showing that they really care for the idea and purpose behind these 2 releases. A BIG thank you to all those who donated and who made these projects big successes.

John: We hope the song will continue to keep raising money. So if you have read this and want a way to help please head over to Bandcamp and buy the songs as every little bit will help in the long run. A big thank you again for everyone involved and those who have donated and to those who be donating in the future.

Below are the two charity releases.

Side-Line also covered John Fryer’s ‘Not Another Vampire Song’.

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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COP International presents Blackcarburning’s EP “Reset”. Blackcarburning is the solo project of Mark Hockings, frontman of UK electropop outfit mesh. The EP features a single mix by John Fryer, a club remix by SOMAN, and two original tracks that will not appear on the forthcoming album including the track “Get Ready!” performed by Neil Francis.

In this latest work, Hockings takes on multiple roles including writing, singing, and programming, and describes the tracks as “electronic music written around songs, emotion, and energy.”

He further adds, “The tracks were written to see what I could achieve by working primarily on my own. It’s been a vehicle for exploring new songwriting and programming ideas, to experiment with sound design and to develop some exciting new directions.”

A video for “Reset” was created by visual artist Howie Venton using some cutting-edge AI. Check the result below.

You can download the release 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. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Mari Kattman has joined COP International. “Is It Really That Bad” will be the first EP on COP International and will be released on the 13th of May and will feature remixes by Neuroticfish, Rotersand and John Fryer.

Christian Petke / Founder COP International: “Mari brings incredible talent and drive to the table. I absolutely adore the fact that she is not just the singer but the principal songwriter and visionary in this project. She is a force to be reckoned with!”

Mari Kattman has been self-recording, writing, composing, and live performing music since 2012. Currently, she operates under the Mari Kattman name as a solo artist and works with Tom Shear, of Assemblage 23, on a project called Helix. In the past she has collaborated with many artists, including Assemblage 23, Mesh, Ivardensphere, Jean-Marc Lederman, Psy’Aviah, Aesthetiche, Neuroticfish BlackCarBurning, Cassetter, This Morn Omina, Solitary Experiments, Mephisto Walz, Aiboforcen, Interface and Comaduster.

She has worked on many label releases including ones for Metropolis Records, Alfa Matrix, FiXT and now she will call COP International her new home for her solo work.

Here’s the track “Objectified”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Out via Cop International is the 2nd single for the industrial / goth metal act Suicide Queen: “She Haunts You”.

Suicide Queen is an act from San Francisco featuring Kay Dolores on vocals, programming and guitars, Tony Havoc on drums, and Scarr Kevorkian on keys. The trio was assisted on the track by producer and engineer John Fryer (Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, Love And Rockets).

The single holds 3 tracks, “She Haunts You”, “The Reaper” and “She Haunts You” in a Stabbing Westward remix. You can check the single 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. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Out now is “Behind The Veil” by Beauty In Chaos, the brainchild of and curated by guitarist Michael Ciravolo, which features an all-female cast of vocalists. Earlier the band previewed two singles featuring Whitney Tai and Elena Alice Fossi (Kirlian Camera, SPECTRA*paris).

The 13 tracks also involve vocalists Cinthya Hussey, Tish Ciravolo, Pinky Turzo and Caterwall’s Betsy Martin, the last one is also presented in Beauty In Chaos’s newest video “Grasp the stars” which you can see below. The video is a “homage to the ’87-’88 Scream scene in Los Angeles” so Ciravolo says.

The 6 original tracks are also re-envisioned by the following producers: Tim Palmer and John Fryer, as well as MGT, Julian Shah-Tayler, Statik, Tommy Hatz and Michael Rozon.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Black Needle Noise have an all new video ready for you featuring Anjela Piccard on vocals. The track is called “Black Magic” and the video for the track was animated and directed by Katherine Sweetman. The track furthermore features Sean Haezebrouck on drums with all other noises being executed by John Fryer.

“Black Magic” is taken from the album “These Mortal Covers” out on COP International. The song was originally written by Joseph Lee Wood, Michael Paul Roche, Mitchell Dean Margolin and Ronald Lewis Emory from the American punk rock band T.S.O.L. (True Sounds of Liberty).

John Fryer exolains his choice: “Black Magic cover was made as a homage to T.S.O.L.. For their continued punk attitude and music in California. It’s a great pop song with bundles of energy. We had a lot of fun making this and our award winning director friend Katherine Sweetman took it to another level of fun with the animated video. Hope you enjoy watching it as we did making it.”

Here’s the video.

You can download “These Mortal Covers” right 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. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Out now is the newest Stabbing Westward single “Ghost”. Included on the single is also the reimagined version of “Why” from their 1996 album “Wither Blister Burn & Peel”, their second album released on Columbia Records.

The single is rounded out by the Assemblage 23 / Tom Shear “Ghost” remix and Christopher Hall’s own reinterpretation of the title track. The single acts as a teaser for the band’s fifth studio album “Chasing Ghosts”. The original version of the title track was mixed and produced by John Fryer.

Besides the download, the single is also available as a limited CD release in a 4 panel digipack with signed postcard and magnet.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Ethereal, Cinematographic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: American formation The Blue Hour signed to Dark vinyl to unleash their newest opus “Lore”. The band set up in the late 90s and driven by Brian Hodges and singer Marselle Hodges invited an impressive number of guest musicians. Among those artists I’ll mention Pieter Nooten (Clan Of Xymox) and John Fryer.

Content: The Ethereal voice of Marselle Hodges supports the composition with grace and mysticism. The addition of acoustic instruments is fully complementary with her singing while the drums create an interesting duality for the bombastic production. “Lore” leads the listener into an imaginary world of reverie. The last song features both protagonists singing. 

+ + + : The Blue Hour has achieved a work filled with reverie, but still revealing a subtle songwriting. Marselle’s vocals rapidly appear to be the main strength of the work, alternating fragility and elevation. The contrast with the heavier, bombastic drum sections sounds surprising although it has something symbiotic. This is a delicate production, filled with emotions and accentuated by neo-classic inspired sound treatments.

– – – : The album is maybe missing an ultimate point so I’m sure there’s even more potential hiding in The Blue Hour.

Conclusion: “Lore” takes the listener away to visit a prosper, dreamy sound universe supported with graceful singing.

Best songs: “Moving Forward”, “Lockdown”, “Embrace Not The Hand”, “These Four Walls”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/bluehoursongs

Label: www.darkvinyl.de / www.facebook.com/darkvinylrecords

About The Blue Hour

The Blue Hour is the American project of Brian Hodges, started in the summer of 1993 under the name The Dawn. Hodges handles voice, classical and acoustic guitars, flutes, tapes, programming, keyboards, mandolin and percussion, and has worked with Christoph Gladis, Zaac Aubrey and Tom Moller.

The first release was the 7” “Balaëna / The Price Of Time” in 1994, followed by “Evensong” in 2001 and “The Windless Path” in 2003. After a long gap the project returned with “Moonsong” in 2016, “Always” in 2017 and “In Every Breath” in 2019, alongside singles including “Moving Forward” in 2018, a John Fryer remix of “Embrace Not The Hand” and a Pieter Nooten remix of “One More Mystery”, both in 2019.

Marselle Hodges also sang on Black Needle Noise’s “I Am God” in 2019. “Lore” was issued by Dark Vinyl on CD in 2021.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, Cinematographic, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Jean-Marc Lederman has achieved a new work featuring guest singers. In the past few months he released similar albums like “13 Ghost Stories” and “Letters To Gods And Fallen Angels”, and also “Venus Chariot” as a collaboration between him and Emileigh Rohn. “The Raven” is driven by a new concept where Lederman asked his guests to work on old texts from poets like (Byron, Poe, Plato, Shelley, de Froidmont ao.

Content: The guest singers for this album areMari Kattman (Helix, Mari & The Ghost), Christopher Hall (Stabbing Westward), Mark Hockings (Mesh), Elena Alice Fossi (Kirlian Camera, Spectra*Paris), Azam Ali (Niyaz), Dr. Strangefryer (aka John Fryer), Jim Semonik (Red Locust), Lis Van Den Akker (Misery, Psy’Aviah), Ken Mageman, Jean-Luc De Meyer (Front 242, 32Crash), Stefan Netschio (Beborn Beton), Emileigh Rohn (Chiasm), Christina Z.

Sound-wise the work is pretty eclectic, moving in between a free interpretation of Electro-Pop compositions and more pronounced Cinematographic music. The songs feature numerous, typical Cinema music arrangements, which are sometimes bombastic, but also pretty evasive. I also noticed very Minimal-Electro driven pieces. The songs have been sung/performed in English, French and Italian.

+ + + :Each time,  Jean-Marc Lederman Experience again sounds like a new and fascinating journey. First there is always an interesting concept and I like this one for mixing old poems together with music, which as an imaginary Soundtrack has been performed by the artist. There’s once again a true symbiosis between music and vocals, seeing Jean-Marc transforming himself into a sonic chameleon. Music and performer are totally complementary, now resulting in a sensual composition like the one with Mari Kattman, then into a kind of Lounge approach with Mark Hockings, becoming totally minimal with Dr. Strangefryer, getting us into a dreamy part with Lis Van Den Akker. But the most surprising- and poignant track is the one with Jean-Luc De Meyer inspired on a poem of Hélinand de Froidmont. It’s an old and tenebrous poem, which has been masterly interpreted by the Front 242 lead singer and adapted into a horror-like music composition. There are several noticeable cuts on this album, which is more an album to listen to instead of dancing.

– – – : The album once more creates the illusion listening to a compilation instead of an album composed by one artist. That’s part of this concept and I’m sure Jean-Marc Lederman still has enough ideas and creativity to move on with it.

Conclusion: Jean-Marc Lederman Experience and his guest singers stand for a true sonic intercourse. This is a new brilliant piece of music and the perfect successor to “Letters To Gods And Fallen Angels”.

Best songs: “The Worms Of Death”, “Invocation”, Frankenstein”, “Smouldering Corpse In The Morning Sun”, “The Cold Heart Slept Below”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.jmlederman.com / www.facebook.com/Music-composer-Jean-Marc-Lederman-1585277635023000 / www.facebook.com/jeanmarc.lederman

Label: www.facebook.com/copint

About Jean-Marc Lederman Experience

Jean-Marc Lederman is a Brussels-based Belgian keyboard player, composer and producer. Active since the late 1970s, he worked with Fad Gadget, The The, Gene Loves Jezebel and Front 242, and co-founded projects including The Weathermen, Kid Montana, Jules et Jim with Julianne Regan, Ghost & Writer with Frank Spinath, Lederman / De Meyer with Jean-Luc De Meyer, and the Jean-Marc Lederman Experience. He also composes for film and videogames.

The Jean-Marc Lederman Experience is built around invited vocalists. “13 Ghost Stories” appeared in 2019 on Dependent and “Letters To Gods (And Fallen Angels)” in 2020 on Wool-E Discs, both with a large cast of guest singers. “Venus Chariot”, his 2021 duo album with Emileigh Rohn of Chiasm, came out on COP International, the same label releasing “The Raven”.

Lederman’s later solo work includes “The Bad-Tempered Synthesizer” in 2021, “Night Music for Seahorses and Manatees” in 2022, “Soul Music For Zombies” in 2023, “Sci-Fi Revisited” in 2024 and “Electronic Slipper Music” in 2025. The Rohn-Lederman duo continued with “RAGE!” in 2022, “Black And Bleu” in 2024 and “Forbidden Planet” in 2025. “The Raven” sits in that sequence as the third Jean-Marc Lederman Experience album built on guest performances.

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

Out now is the Black Needle Noise album “These Mortal Covers” which holds a collection of cover version made the past few years for TV, movies, and fun.

You will find songs originally penned by Sonny Bono, Bob Thiele / George Douglas / George Weiss, Farrar John / Farrar John Clifford, Joseph Lee Wood / Michael Paul Roche / Mitchell Dean Margolin / Ronald Lewis Emory, M. L. Gore, Miles Gregory, W.T. Ward / John Osbourne / Tony Iommi / Terence Butler, R. Robinson / C. Robinson, Peter Lawrence Buck / Michael E. Mills / William Berry / Michael J. Stipe, Russ Conway / Lyndon Haley and Chris Butler.

The vocal lines were executed by Anjela Piccard, Dr Strangefryer, Tom Berger, Beca, Anjela Piccard, Rebecca Coseboom, Pinky and Betty X.

You can check out the 12 covers right below.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘We’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Out via COP International is the new Deathline International “Parasite” remix EP featuring a remix by Stabbing Westward. For the occasion the California based act worked with Christopher Hall [Stabbing Westward], John Fryer, and Sick Jokes who all reworked the Deathline International track.

Deathline International also produced a short film based on the Stabbing Westward remix which brings a visual statement to the message of climate change.

Check out the EP.

Right now Deathline International are working o the release of the forthcoming album, “Pax Americana” together with legendary producer John Fryer. The new album is due out on COP International in February, 2022.

Deathline International are Th3Count, SLam, James Perry (Ashes Fallen), and John Fryer. The American industrial rock group is based in Oakland, California and is known for experimenting with multiple electronic music styles. The band released four studio albums on COP International: “Reality Check” (1993), “Zarathoustra” (1995), “Arashi Syndrom” (1997) and “Cybrid” (2001).

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Out via the Oakland-based label COP International Records is Johnny Tupolev’s first proper release “Desperate – The Ep”. For this release the German trio (Tom Berger, Jens Grebe and Dietmar ‘Didi’ Noack) worked together with John Fryer in the production seat. You may expect early nineties American cold wave augmented by 21st-century production skills.

Also on board is Christopher Hall (Stabbing Westward) as a remixer while label mates Sick Jokes completed a ‘Dark Star’ remix of “Shot in Black and White”. The accompanying video for “Desperate” was directed by Frank Petzold and Christoph Vitt.

You can download the full EP 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. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

To be released March 18, 2022 via COP International Records is Stabbing Westward’s first new album, in 20 years: “Chasing Ghosts”. The release is produced by John Fryer, who was also a collaborator on the band’s best-selling early releases. The album will hold 10 tracks that have the industrial rock band’s characteristic sound with a modern touch that picks up right where they left off.

But right now you can alrready enjoy the band’s newest single “I Am Nothing” and its lyric video. Note there is also a limited edition physical copy of the single.

A number of limited-edition physical copies for “I Am Nothing” are available for sale on Bandcamp.

Back with a winning team

“Chasing Ghosts” will feature brand-new songs as well as re-workings of the band’s 2020 reunion EP “Dead And Gone” that finds original founding members Christopher Hall (vocals/guitar) and Walter Flakus (keyboards/programming) working together with legendary producer John Fryer. Fryer, whose production credits include Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, 4AD, Cocteau Twins and Love and Rockets, originally worked with Stabbing Westward on their best-selling early releases “Ungod” (1994) and “Wither Blister Burn + Peel” (1996).

“Chasing Ghosts” was mastered by Tom Baker who, like Fryer, worked with Stabbing Westward on their early releases and is part of the reassembled production team on the latest album. The current Stabbing Westward band lineup includes Carlton Bost (guitars and programming) and Bobby Amaro (drums).

Presales for “Chasing Ghosts” will begin in early January. The album, featuring artwork by David Seidman (an artist who has also worked with Coheed And Cambria and is known for his ethereal and surrealistic imagery) will be available in digital, CD and vinyl formats, with full details and exclusive, limited-edition merch to be announced soon.

Stay tuned for more news!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

COP International has announced the signing of the Dutch band Vaselyne. The duo came recommended by John Fryer who had worked with Yvette Winkler on a Black Needle Noise release.

“Waiting to Exhale” is the first single taken from Vaselyne’s upcoming album to be released in 2022. The video for the single, which you view below, was shot by dutch filmmaker Dorothée Meddens.

Through Pieter Nooten Winkler came into contact with Frank Weyzig who was Clan of Xymox’ original guitarist. They decided to write music together and Vaselyne was born in 2011. As well as being Vaselyne’s singer and lyricist, Yvette does guest vocals and lyrics.

Vaselyne has so far released four albums/EPs on the German label Echozone: the “Earthbound” EP (2012), their full-length debut album “The Fire Within” (2013), the “In Dreams” EP (2015) and the “Fragile” EP (2016). In the spring of 2018, after a two-year hiatus, Frank and Yvette Winkler picked up things where they left and Vaselyne contributed to the Textbeak (Michael Szewczyk) album, “Sick for Songs a Season Eats”, produced by John Fryer.

About Yvette Winkler

Yvette Winkler is a Dutch singer/lyricist and artist. After being a nightclub singer in her teens performing covers with a tape, she formed her first band Dazzle & Delight. In the following years, she did musical theatre, recorded with Orphan Amp and co-founded Sea Of Souls.

After meeting Pieter Nooten of Clan of Xymox on Myspace, she started a collaboration for his album “Here is Why” for which she did lead, backing vocals, and wrote lyrics.

She has collaborated with Textbeak, John Fryer’s Black Needle Noise, IAMTHESHADOW, Junksista, Jean-Marc Lederman and Attrition.

About Frank Weyzig

Weyzig started his music career in 1985 with the Dutch electronic wave band Clan of Xymox when they were signed with the English independent label 4AD, which released their first album, “Clan of Xymox” that year. Weyzig played guitar and keyboards on the first album and performed with the band on stage as a live guitarist and keyboard player until 1990.

From 1995 until 1999 he played as vocalist and guitarist with Dutch indie-wave band Born For Bliss which you will surely remember from the track “Arabia” (released via Nuclear Blast / Death Wish Office).

In 1998 German Goth rock legends ‘Love Like Blood’ asked Frank to write a song for their “Snake Killer” album, “Ylene”.

In 2009 Frank co-wrote and produced the album “Spiders in the MindWeb” for White Rose Transmission, the band founded by Carlo van Putten (at that time vocalist of The Convent; later the singer of Dead Guitars) and the late Adrian Borland (frontman of English 80’s cult band The Sound). Other notable endeavors include the StarGazing Project with Remco Helbers and The White Rose Transmission live album “Spinning Webs at Night”.

In 2020, Frank started to work with Kelly Cook (ex-MOEV) on their new project Tearing The BlackBox. So far, TTBB released two EP singles; “Devil World” and “Breathe”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

After her work with Chiasm and John Fryer’s album ” Missed the Noise”, Emileigh Rohn has jumped right into her next adventure with Jean-Marc Lederman (The Weathermen / Fad Gadget / Front242 / Ghost & Writer with Frank Spinath from Seabound) to launch a new band: Rohn-Lederman.

Their first offering is an EP named “Watch Out!” Which comes in 4 reworked versions on the EP. Remixers on duty include Claus Larsen (Leaether Strip), Tom Shear (Assemblage 23), Mark Hockings (Mesh, Black Car Burning) and an own Rohn-Lederman remix. Also Krischan Jan-Eric Wesenberg (Rotersand) made a remix which will be released later this year.

Here’s the video for the remixed version of “Watch Out!”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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What happens when you mix a Star Wars composer with hybrid country music, and an English producer plus a banjo player annex Sly Cooper game composer? Then you probably get what the duo GW Childs IV and John Fryer came up with.

G.W. Childs IV is one of the founding members of the electro-industrial, synthpop band, Soil and Eclipse. In 1997 they released their debut album, “Necromancy” on COP International Records, followed by “Meridian”, “Archetype”, “Purity”, and “The Mirror”. But more important in this news story of today is that G.W. Childs IV has also worked for LucasArts/LucasFilm, creating games and processing character voices for Star Wars (“Star Wars: Battlefront”, “Star Wars Knight of the Old Republic 2”, and many more).

Comes in notorious English producer John Fryer: “I’ve always been interested in making some country music and working on this track with GW was like a dream come true. I hope you love it as much as I do.”

The third musician in the ploy is Peter McConnell who added a banjo performance. Peter McConnell also known as Peter Mc, is an American video game composer and musician, best known for his work at LucasArts and for composing the soundtracks for every Sly Cooper game.

Here’s the unexpected result.

For more on John Fryer, see How the alternative scene launched two mega-projects to gather funds… on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Dutch darkwave duo Vaselyne has just unveiled their new digital maxi-single for the track, “Waiting To Exhale”, a ballad. “Waiting To Exhale” – which is available here on Bandcamp – tells a story of breaking free from whatever is holding you back. Moving on, transforming into someone or something new. Whether that’s a unhealthy relationship, not being able to be your true self, the listener is invited to decide what that means to them.

The video sees Yvette Winkler walking through forests and dunes, a heavy cape trailing behind her. Winkler comments: “Carrying the weight on my shoulders whilst I walk towards the sea. Morphing into a butterfly. But do I transform or disappear?”

About Vaselyne

Vaselyne consists of singer Yvette Winkler and musician Frank Weyzig who formed the band in the spring of 2011. While Yvette Winkler was co-founder of the Dutch band Sea of Souls (2006) and her contribution to Pieter Nooten’s latest album, “Here is Why” (2010), you might also know here from the Black Needle Noise track “Gone” on which she sung.

We don’t really have to introduce Frank Weyzig we would think. He started his music career with Dutch electronic wave legend Clan of Xymox from way back at the time they were signed with the infamous English 4AD label in the mid-eighties.

Together the duo so far released 4 albums on the German Echozone label: “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 they contributed to the new Textbeak (Michael Szewczyk) album, “Sick for Songs a Season Eats”, produced by John Fryer.

The video for “Waiting to Exhale” was created by Dutch filmmaker Dorothée Meddens. In 2021 a full album will also see the light of day. 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. And if all goes well, the duo will hit the road again in 2021 with a new live band.

Below is the video for “Waiting to Exhale”.

You can download the full maxi-single 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. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Today, the Brooklyn-based gothic rock duo A Cloud of Ravens have released “Another Kind of Midnight: The Remixes”, I an EP featuring remixes by Clan of Xymox, Actors, Chris Vrenna, John Fryer, Ritual Howls, Tummyache and Ego Likeness.

Formed in the fall of 2018 by Beth (bass guitar) and Matthew (guitar/vocals) the band is centered around their longstanding and shared admiration of bands and artists that defined the stark, minimal dramaticism of the initial post-punk era, and all its related subgenres. The band quickly self-released their first single, closely followed by the “Sacred Hearts” EP and their full-length album “In the Wicked Hours”.

The duo signed with American independent label Cleopatra Records to issue their new full-length offering “Another Kind of Midnight” and now they offer the remix EP “Another Kind of Midnight: The Remixes”.

The release is available from Cleopatra Records on all digital and streaming platforms.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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(Courtesy Attasalina) Black Needle Noise’s first release on COP International Records is a fact. Out now is a new single “Machine” featuring vocalist Attasalina and violinist Meredith Yayanos. The “Machine” EP features remixes from Christopher Hall (Stabbing Westward), Mark Hockings (Mesh/Blackcarburning), Sick Jokes, Soman and (London DJ) Samantha Togni.

Says Fryer of “Machine”: “It’s taken a while to find the right song for Attasalina so we could collaborate again. She did an amazing job on ‘Messages By Dreams’ and she has done an exceptional job on ‘Machine.’ It’s always a pleasure working with Attasalina, and it’s been great having Meredith Yayanos on board this time around playing violin on the track, adding another dimension.”

Attasalina, best known for her collaboration with Daniel Ash (The Soldiers of Everyday), has also released music with her band The Seraphim Rising and is currently working on her first solo record in collaboration with John Fryer, to be called Freed From Rage and Sorrow. She previously collaborated with Fryer on the Black Needle Noise track “Messages By Dreams.”

See the video for “Machine” below.

About John Fryer

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 achievement in helping develop the latter’s pioneering ethereal and ambient sound ultimately led Watts-Russell to recruit Fryer as his partner for This Mortal Coil.

Since then, Fryer has produced many iconic artists, including Love and Rockets, HIM, Cradle of Filth, Clan of Xymox, Nitzer Ebb, Dead Can Dance, Yaz (Yazoo), Xmal Deutschland, Fields of the Nephilim, De/Vision, Stabbing Westward and many others. Fryer has also produced many film soundtracks, such as Seven, Clerks, Johnny Mnemonic, Mortal Kombat, Faust and Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

Currently Fryer also works closely with COP International and its roster and this debut Black Needle Noise release on the label is being hailed by COP founder Christian Petke who says, “I know how much this project means to John and I think it represents some of his finest work. Black Needle Noise is his vehicle to execute his artistic visions. It is not bound by style or fashion but represents the distilled essence of a man honing his craft for 40-plus years. To say it is an honor to represent Black Needle Noise on COP International is an understatement.”

Fryer recently celebrated a #1 entry on the German DAC Charts with the Chiasm & John Fryer album “Missed The Noise”. Good to know, Fryer acts as an A&R and a producer at COP International Records, helming the work of artists such as Stabbing Westward, Azam Ali, Chiasm, Stoneburner, Blackcarburning and more.

For more on John Fryer, see A Cloud Of Ravens release remix EP feat. remixes by Clan of Xymox,… on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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COP International Records has announced the signing of Blackcarburning, the latest electronic project of Mark Hockings, better known as the frontman of Mesh. Coming up is a first album, “Watching Sleepers” which will be co-produced by John Fryer.

Hockings is responsible for writing, singing and programming and describes the tracks as “electronic music written around songs, emotion and energy.” He further adds, “The album was written to see what I could achieve by working primarily on my own. It’s been a vehicle for exploring new songwriting and programming ideas and to develop some new directions.”

All songs were recorded in Hockings’ personal studio in Bristol, UK that he built right before the pandemic lockdown. For the album, Hockings also worked remotely alongside with Mari Kattman (Helix), Janne Marvannen (Lakeside X) and Howie Venton (newwt), who provided vocals and piano accompaniment, respectively.

A first self-released 3-track single, “The Mirror”, can be heard below.

COP International Records founder Christian Petke says this about his latest signing: “Mark Hockings performed with his band Mesh at a festival that I was attending years ago. He walked onto the stage and, 30 seconds later, I was utterly impressed. His voice has that special something that immediately captures your undivided attention. What I didn’t realize at the time is the fact that he is also an incredibly accomplished songwriter and musician. So, when Jean-Marc Lederman introduced me to Mark’s Blackcarburning project I was immediately interested. He brings an unbelievable amount of talent, passion and experience to the table. Mark is exactly the kind of artist we are trying to have in the COP family.”

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Genre/Influences: Shoegaze, Dream-Pop.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: After having released two noticeable studio-albums on Saint-Marie Records the German duo Seasurfer (Dirk Knight and singer Apolonia) signed to Reptile Music to unleash their third album at the end of 2020. “Zombies” features an extra disc, which is a kind of mini-album of eight songs featuring Elena Alice Fossi (Kirlian Camera, Spectra Paris).

Content: The main disc features 16 songs and reveals a rather classical mix between Shoegaze and Dream-Pop. The tracks have been accomplished with Electronic arrangements often injecting an extra melodic touch. Some tracks have something dual for the mix of melodies and raw sound treatments. Most of the songs have been sung by Apolonia, but you’ll also hear Dirk Knight singing.

The second disc features Elena Alice Fossi and brings 6 extra songs plus two noticeable remixes by John Fryer (the legendary producer of bands like Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins, NIN ao). The sound isn’t that different compared to the main disc, but is maybe more accentuated around the Dream-Pop style.

+ + + : “Zombies” is a brilliant, creative exposure of modern Shoegaze and Dream-Pop music. It also is the magnum opus from this band. The album took me by surprise for its extended tracklist of 16 (!) songs (some cuts have been previously released as single), but also for the constant, high qualitative level of the production. I can’t say there’s one single track to throw away while there are several potential hits featured. The production sounds pretty 80s like, but with this extra, contemporary production on top. This album is dark and sensual, revealing a great fusion between guitar play and Electronic arrangements. There also is a fascinating sphere recovering the album, but which will maybe remind you of the famous “Twin Peaks”-tune at “Love Me… Dead!”. I however prefer the songs like “Tears & Happiness”, “Zombies”, “Venusberg”, “Time After Time”, Heaven”, “Dead In The Garden”.

The bonus disc is more than a little extra. Getting Elena Alice Fossi on board while getting two remixes by John Fryer makes this mini-album interesting. Dream-Pop cuts like “Fairies In Twilight” and “Blue Days” both are pretty cool songs.

– – – : Elena Alice Fossi is a great and sensual singer, but I prefer the original singer of the band: Apolonia. Her timbre of voice and especially the way of singing is more appropriated to this kind of production. I also expected a bit more from the John Fryer remixes.

Conclusion: If you like Shoegaze and Dream-Pop and you think there’s much more to find beyond Jesus And Mary Chain and The Cocteau Twins, “Zombies” is definitely an album to purchase!

Best songs: “Tears & Happiness”, “Zombies”, “Venusberg”, “Time After Time”, Heaven”, “Dead In The Garden” + “Fairies In Twilight”, “Blue Days”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.seasurfermusic.com / www.facebook.com/seasurfer

Label: www.reptile-music.net / www.facebook.com/reptile.music

About Seasurfer

Seasurfer is a Shoegaze and Dream-Pop project led by Hamburg, Germany-based musician Dirk Ritter. Two earlier Seasurfer albums were released on Saint-Marie Records before the band signed to Reptile Music for “Zombies,” issued in digital and 2CD formats at the end of 2020. Vocalists on past Seasurfer releases have included Dorian E and Julia Beyer, with Apolonia singing on “Zombies.” The album was mixed with input from Robin Guthrie of The Cocteau Twins, and its bonus disc, titled “The Dreampop Day,” features guest vocals from Elena Alice Fossi plus two remixes by John Fryer. In a Click Interview with Seasurfer, Ritter said the gloomy mood of the first Covid-19 wave shaped the sound of the album during final mixing. “Zombies” is Seasurfer’s third full-length and the release under review here.

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 Steven Archer) Coming up later this year on COP International Records is the Stoneburner album “Apex Predator” which will be produced by John Fryer. The album will be a follow-up to Stoneburner’s last self-released LP “Technology Implies Belligerence”.

Stoneburner is the project by Steven Archer, also known for co-founding the darkwave gothic rock duo Ego Likeness with Donna Lynch.

As for why he started this particular project Archer says: “For this album, I decided to write music that I feel addresses the ways modern industrial music falls short. Focusing not on dance floors and clubs but writing songs with intelligent lyrics that speak to the human condition, both in general and based on my own personal experience.”

In the past year, he has produced 3 EPs, a mini full-length of original Stoneburner material, two records of instrumental soundscape tracks, and three EPs of covers, along with 15 videos.

More announcements regarding Stoneburner will be forthcoming in 2021.

Side-Line also covered John Fryer’s ‘Machine’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com