Out now is “Early Demons & Demos” the 10th anniversary collection by the Los Angeles-based darkwave act Night Nail album. This collection holds remastered, rare and reworked tracks.

One such track, “Nowhere,” originally recorded in 2014, has now been reworked by Pete Burns of the UK band Kill Shelter, who also remastered the entire collection. Brandon Robert, the leader, vocalist and guitarist of Night Nail, never feeling satisfied with the final original recordings, recently said “some songs take longer than others to finish, even 10 years might be required.”

Now based in Berlin, Night Nail’s “Early Demons & Demos” (10th Anniversary Edition) was released by Metropolis Records on all digital and streaming platforms along with a video for “Nowhere (Kill Shelter Remix)” , that features Brandon Robert with appearances by Pete Burns (Kill Shelter) and Valentina Veil (VV & the Void).

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

Berlin’s Night Nail has just released their latest video for the ballad “Cracks In My Heart”, that features Luna De La Torre.

“Cracks In My Heart” is taken from the album “Fates Explained” which was co-produced, mixed, and mastered by Pete Burns (Kill Shelter) with additional contributions by Valentina Veil (VV & the Void), Justin Deactivere and Ilija Gavrilenko. The album “Fates Explained” is available from Metropolis Records on CD, limited edition colored vinyl and on all digital and streaming platforms since mid-November 2023.

The darkwave band Night Nail formed in 2013 in Los Angeles, CA. After Night Nail moved to Berlin, Germany in April, 2018, “LA Demons” was released on Cleopatra Records and their second album “March To Autumn” was released in Oct, 2020 on Cold Transmission.

Here’s the video for “Cracks In My Heart”.

You can check out the full album 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

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

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

So here are some export facts.

Top 10 Bestselling Labels of 2023 (export)

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

Best Export Territories of 2023

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

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

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

Here is the top 10 list of export territories:

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

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

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. 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 Olivia Van Der Will) The Berlin-based darkwave act Night Nail has just released a new single, “Fates Explained”, which is also the title song of the band’s new album out November 17 on Metropolis Records. A video for the title track is also out now, you can check it below.

Lyrically, the song paints a picture of frontman Brandon Roberts’ relocation from Los Angeles to Berlin: “Our move to Berlin had an impact on the themes of anger and frustration directly expressed in the lyrics for this song,” states frontman Brandon Robert. “I could not have written this and some of our other new songs against the backdrop of LA, which has something unique about it that limits you from exploring those scarier places inside yourself. Berlin can be harsh, cold and predictable, lending itself to anger, frustration and resentment, but in that can be a creative liberation.”

New Night Nail album on Metropolis Records

Night Nail recently signed to Metropolis Records to release what will be their third album. “Fates Explained” has been mixed, mastered and co-produced by Pete Burns of Kill Shelter, with additional instrumentation provided by Valentina Veil (VV & the Void), Ilija Gavrilenko and Justin Deactivere.

The song “Narcoleptic Dream Catcher” was issued in September as its first single.

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

Ahead of the forthcoming limited edition 5th anniversary release of “Damage”, Kill Shelter has launched an official video for “In Decay [ V ]” featuring Antipole and Delphine Coma. The new version is taken from the “Damage [ V ]” CD which features new versions and remastered tracks.

The original debut CD release was launched in November 2018. Released again on Unknown Pleasures Records, “Damage [ V ]” features vocal contributions and collaborations from a host of global underground artists including; Hante. (FR), Buzz Kull (AUS), Delphine Coma (US), Antipole (NOR), undertheskin (PL), Killjoi (US), The Shyness of Strangers (CA), Iamtheshadow (PT), Ultrviolence (CA), New Haunts (UK) and Bragolin (NL).

“Damage [ V ]” is slated for release on 1st December 2023 with pre-orders starting on 27th October 2023.

Below is the official video for “In Decay [ V ]” featuring Antipole and Delphine Coma.

Kill Shelter is UK based alternative artist and producer Pete Burns. His work blends elements of darkwave and contemporary electronica with processed guitars.

His debut album “Damage” (2018) was originally released by Unknown Pleasures Records. This was followed up by the 2021 release, “A Haunted Place” with Antipole. His 2022 release “Asylum” is currently available via Metropolis Records and Manic Depression Records. In 2023 Kill Shelter released “The Sex Tape Sessions” EP and VHS with Death Loves Veronica on Cold Transmission.

Following a series of remixes including She Past Away’s “Soluk” for their tenth anniversary release “X” on Metropolis and Fabrika Records, The Wake’s “Emily Closer” and “Spectre (Love is Dead)” by Christian Death on Cleopatra Records amongst many others, Kill Shelter is currently working on new material.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. 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

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

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

You can watch the video below.

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

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

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. 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: Cold-Wave, Dark-Wave.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl, Cassette, USB.

Background/Info: German label Cold transmission Music welcomes a collaborative project between Pete Burns aka Kill Shelter (Scotland) and Veronica Campbell aka Death Loves Veronica (USA).The work is meant as ‘a commentary on the artistic process and the commoditisation of personality in music.’

Content: The work features 4 songs and 4 alternate edits/remixes plus a hidden cut. Two songs were originally written by Veronica Campbell while 2 others have been written together. The songs sound pretty Electronic and driven by aggressive sequences while featuring an EBM touch on top. There’s some guitar play as well but it’s not predominant. Veronica Campbell sings in her familiar, sensual, spooky, way. The “Extended Mix” and “Kill Shelter” edits/remixes don’t bring that much diversity. The bonus cut sounds more into Experimental/Industrial music.

+ + + : I was surprised to see both artists working together but the biggest surprise is the explicit electronic approach of the band -which sounds far away from Kill Shelter. Pete Burns clearly transformed himself into a genius Electronic composer and especially the opening cut “Sex Tape” is a great, raw, bouncing piece of music featuring fuzzy guitar on top. This is the perfect match between Cold- and Dark-Wave with extra EBM on top. “The Sinner” is another great piece of music which is carried by a solid chorus. Both other cuts are darker and definitely much more than B-side cuts.

– – – : The bonus cut “La Petite Mort” is a sexy and explicit title but unfortunately not that inspired. But my single regret is that there are no more songs featured.

Conclusion: This is a surprising but impressive collaboration which I can only hope both artists will renew.

Best songs: “Sex Tape – Extended Mix”, “Sex Tape”, “The Sinner – Kill Shelter Extended Remix”, “The Sinner – Kill Shelter Remix”.

Rate: 8½.

Artists: www.facebook.com/killshelterofficial / www.facebook.com/deathlovesveronica

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. 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

(By Stéphane Froidcoeur for Inferno Sound Diaries/Side-Line Reviews) 2022 has been once again a sad, bloody and terrible year. Living in a mad world music once more remains a true therapy to appease pain and frustration. Concerts and festivals came back; the perfect place to meet friends again. Artists remain prolific releasing great studio work. So I’m once more closing the year by a personal selection of my very own ‘best of’-albums of the year.

Over 700 productions have been selected while 540  reviews have been made all over the year. Some productions have been refused because the style of music didn’t fit, while other reviews will be postponed to 2023. I’m really grateful to all labels, bands and promoters considering my work and efforts and I hope you’ll go on providing me new promos next year.

I one again have to express my deepest gratitude to Rich Bova (NEIKKA RPM) who for years and years now is reading, correcting and improving my reviews. Without Rich there would be no reviews. I also want to thank Bernard Van Isacker – chief redactor Side-Line Music Magazine – for the successful collaboration. 

Up now to 2023. I already reduced my activities this year and will move on reducing it in 2023. I made my first reviews and interviews back in 1991 (!). Some of the readers and artists weren’t even born when I wrote my first review for Side-Line. So after more than 30 years non-stop activities I think it’s not that strange to move on slowly.

I also want to express a big ‘F*** you’ to so-called ‘artists’ and label owners who don’t realise and appreciate the work I’m doing by making reviews and preparing interviews to get them in the spotlights. The attitude and less of respect shown by those people – luckily a very few number – is just unacceptable… but I’m afraid it reflects the world we’re living in… Behind a genius artist is not always hiding a great person… It’s quite strange to realise the ’biggest’- and long-time established artists from this scene often are the most accessible ones.

Writing reviews remains very ‘subjective’ and always a source of discussion, but keep in mind it will be always the perception of the reviewer. I can assure you I’m always trying to argue my reviews the best as possible. A review will be never objective, but has to be honest!

Like every year I’ve made a selection from the best albums of the year. This ‘TOP 25’ covers different styles like EBM, Dark-Electro, IDM, Synth-Pop, Ethereal, Dark-Ambient, Industrial, Cinematographic, Gothic, Post-Punk, Cold/Dark-Wave, Dark-Techno and a few related genres. It remains an exciting but tough exercise.

This ‘TOP 25’ is taken from the promotional material I got while compilations, ‘best of’-productions, EP’s and singles were not considered.

So, here’s my ‘TOP 25’ from 2022 and don’t forget to share it with your friends….

Top 25 albums 2022

1. IVARDENSPHERE: “Ragemaker” – Metropolis Records
2. DIE ROBO SAPIENS : “Robo Sapien Race” – Alfa Matrix
3. EBE04 : “Inrush – Give/Take
4. CALDON GLOVER: “Labyrintia” – Cyclic Law
5. ROME: “Hegemonikon” – Trisol
6. NEIKKA RPM: “Scorpio In The Hourglass – Alfa Matrix
7. VANGUARD: “Spectrum” – Infacted Recordings
8. SUICIDE COMMANDO: “Goddestructor” – Out Of Line
9. ELM: “Penetrator” – Alfa Matrix
10. OBERER TOTPUNKT: “Totentanz” – Danse Macabre Records
11. THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE: “Fascination” – Metropolis Records
12. BLACKBOOK: “Confessions Of The Innocent” – DarkTunes Music Group
13. BEYOND THE GHOST: “Sundown” – Cryo Chamber
14. THEN COMES SILENCE: “Hunger” – Metropolis Records
15. PRINCIPE VALLIENTE: “Barricades” – Metropolis Records
16. DAWN OF ASHES: “Scars Of The Broken” – Artoffact Records
17. MONSTERGOD: “Ozymandias” – Space Race Records
18. STATIQBLOOM: “Threat” – Sonic Groove Records
19. AXIOME: “Field Guide To Alien Planets And Other Disco Balls – Audiophob
20. REICHSFEIND: “Darken” – Alfa Matrix
21. FIRST AID 4 SOULS: “I Am The Night” – Alfa Matrix
22. ORDO ROSARIUS EQUILIBRIO: “Nihilist Notes And The Perputual Quest 4 Meaning In Nothing” – Out Of Line
23. KILL SHELTER: “Asylum” – Manic Depression Records / Metropolis Records
24. JAGATH: “Svapna” – Cold Spring Records
25. KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND: “Voodoo” – Shyrec

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

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

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Cold-Wave, Post-Punk.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Four years after the astonishing debut album “Damage”, Pete Burns strikes back with his second full length. He also released a collaborative work with Antipole (2021). The new work has been released by Manic Depression Records for Europe and Metropolis Records for the USA. Notice by the way there are a few different songs in the tracklist of both edits.

Content: Kill Shelter renewed the experience of working with guest singers from the underground scene. The work includes inspiring collaborations with Ronny Moorings (Clan Of Xymox), Agent Side Grinder, Ash Code, Stefan Netschio (Beborn Beton), William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate / Faith And The Muse), Valentina Veil (VV & the Void) and Antipole are the guests. Sound-wide the work didn’t really change and remains driven by the overwhelming sound production of this Scottish artist. The tracks reflect pure Dark-Wave carried by dark guitar  and low bass lines. The album also features a few short instrumental songs.  

+ + + : Pete Burns first of all confirms to be one of the hottest new coming artists from the Cold-Wave scene. He’s a great guitarist who injects a poignant, dark, spirit to the composition. The production is also powerful and creates a perfect match with some of the singers. I mainly refer to the cavernous vocals of Antipole and the top notch contribution of Ronny Moorings. It’s also interesting to hear the song (released as a single) together with Stefan Netschio.

– – – : The very few, short, instrumental cuts don’t really add a bonus to the work.

Conclusion: “Damage” took me by surprise and “Asylum” only confirms my surprise: Kill Shelter is a growing project in the Cold-Wave scene.

Best songs: “Time Will Come”, “All Of This”, “Cover Me”, “The Necklace”, “Queen Of Hearts”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/killshelterofficial

Labels: www.manicdepressionrecords.com / www.facebook.com/manicdepressionrecords / www.metropolis-records.com / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords

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

Taken from Kill Shelter’s sophomore album “Asylum” is the brand new single “The Necklace” (featuring Agent Side Grinder).

Pete Burns, Kill Shelter, explains: “The new single with Agent Side Grinder is very reflective of the overall tone of the forthcoming album. All the tracks delve into different interpretations of the word asylum and highlight challenging themes such as human trafficking, domestic abuse, seeking refuge, disillusionment, bedlam and redemption. It definitely has a dark energy.”

Johan Lange, Agent Side Grinder, from his side says: “The Necklace is a metaphorical vehicle for building personal resilience when dealing with violence and abuse on a daily basis. We had a shared vision for both the song and the video and it is a collaboration in the truest sense of the word.“

“Asylum” celebrates over 40 years of alternative and underground music and includes collaborations with Ronny Moorings (Clan of Xymox), Agent Side Grinder, Ash Code, Stefan Netschio (Beborn Beton), William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate / Faith and the Muse), Valentina Veil (VV & the Void) and Antipole.

“Asylum” is available now in pre-order in 2 versions: via Metropolis Records in North and South America, and Manic Depression Records in Europe and the rest of the world , both on vinyl and CD and download, and will be officially released on July 15th.

Here’s a video for “The Necklace” featuring Agent Side Grinder.

About Kill Shelter

Kill Shelter is UK based alternative artist and producer Pete Burns. His work blends elements of darkwave and contemporary electronica with heavily processed guitars.

He debuted with “Damage” and collaborated on Antipole “A Haunted Place”. His remix portfolio includes cult names such as Christian Death, The Wake and Aleister Crowley as well as She Past Away, Agent Side Grinder and many more. He is currently working at The Shelter on two full length albums and a series of new collaborations.

About Agent Side Grinder

Agent Side Grinder is a Swedish electronic band formed in 2005. The band consists of Johan Lange, Peter Fristedt and Emanuel Åström and their music has been described as a mix of post-punk, industrial and dark electro. They have released five albums to date.

They are currently in the studio recording material for a new full length release.

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 Vlimmer release “Nebenkörper”, the debut album by the Berlin based act Vlimmer. You might kn ow Vlimmer from our Face The Beat 6 compilation on which the project was featured with the track “Passagier”.

The release comes after an 18 EP series and marks a departure from the atmospheric post-punk/goth/shoegaze/electronics. Alex: “You can expect a more aggressive approach of intense (tribal) drumming, contemporary synth sounds (the new Arturia Polybrute) with vocals that oscillate between lamenting gloom, feral energy and ethereal pop, creating a vibrant, dystopic industrial atmosphere.”

Here you can listen to the 12-tracker (mastered by Pete Burns, Kill Shelter).

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: Dark-Wave, Post-Punk.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: This album resulted from the common efforts between Pete Burns (Scotland) and Karl Morten Dahl (Norway). Their respective projects Kill Shelter and Antipole both released an album each  on Unknown Pleasures Records. They now joined hands together to achieve eight songs inspired by personal themes like loss, addiction, isolation and remorse.

Content: Kill Shelter reminded me of The Sisters Of Mercy while Antipole is more connected with The Cure. Both artists together achieved a pure Dark-Wave production featuring slower, melancholic pieces at one side and a few harder cuts at the other side. Pete Burns is singing with an expression of sorrow, but still passion. The guitar play brings us back to the darkest hours of the 80s.

+ + + : I’m often skeptical about collaborations, which often result in one shots and poorly inspired songs. “A Haunted Place” doesn’t sound like an occasional collaboration, but reveals a mature production resulting in a few great songs. It reminds me more of Kill Shelter than Antidote and especially the last part of the album is worthy of examination. The dark sphere supporting “The Edge Of Reason” and “Every Walking Hour” will give you goosebumps. And there also is the great and more passionate “Of Roses And Thorns” carried by cool, mewing guitar play reminiscent of the 80s.

– – – : The first part of the album is less convincing, the slower “Into The Fire” sounding less inspired in comparison with the great final part.

Conclusion: “A Haunted Place” is a fully accomplished, dark work, which will appeal for lovers of Dark-Wave and Post-Punk. I hope this duo will renew their collaboration.

Best songs: “Of Roses And Thorns”, “The Edge Of Reason”, “Every Walking Hour”, “Raise The Skies”.

Rate: 8.

Artists: www.facebook.com/killshelterofficial / www.facebook.com/antipoleband

Label: www.manicdepressionrecords.com / www.facebook.com/manicdepressionrecords

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

Cleopatra Records has gathered a group of electronic, rock and industrial artists to remix some of the only surviving recordings legendary occultist Aleister Crowley made. The historic wax recordings date back from 1910-1914 and are all featured on the brand new release “Black Magic”. Artists included in this project are Jozef van Wissem, Hawkestrel, Ritualz, Umberto, ∆AIMON, Neoslave, Ainoma, VV & The Void, Witch Of The Vale and Kill Shelter.

The album also features an all-new denoised and remastered collection of the original wax recordings.

For a sneak preview of what’s in store, check out this new video for Neoslave remix “Rise Above You”.

In further news, a full-length biopic on Aleister Crowley, directed by The Cordero Brothers, is in the making. The screenplay is based on the Boleskine House where Crowley used to practice his ‘black magic’ rituals. The house, which was later purchased by Jimmy Page.

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

British darkwave and Scandinavian coldwave fuse as Kill Shelter (UK) and Antipole (Norway) announce a new collaboration album entitled “A Haunted Place” to be released March 26th on Manic Depression Records with limited edition variants available via the artists bandcamp pages. Having worked together on various projects since 2018, Kill Shelter and Antipole decided to join forces after meeting up in Cologne at the Cold Transmission Festival in 2019.

The album itself deals with personal themes of loss, addiction, isolation and remorse.

Karl Morten Dahl, Antipole: “A Haunted Place was a real journey for both of us. I’d just completed Radial Glare and I had some ideas that I wanted to explore in a different way. Pete and I had often discussed working together so we formulated a plan to write an album together that reflected both the Antipole and Kill Shelter aesthetics. The end result is definitely so much more than just the sum of its parts. It’s an album that I’m deeply proud of.”

Pete Burns, Kill Shelter: “The concept for the album was born out of some of the conversations that Karl and I were having at the time. The lyrical sentiment on A Haunted Place is reminiscent of Keats and the dark romantics and reflects heavily on the fragility of human life. I wear my heart on my sleeve and the lyrics come from a very personal place. Musically, I wanted to make sure we struck a balance in influences and sonic signatures whilst delivering something unexpected in the process.”

To support the new album Kill Shelter and Antipole release the music video for the first single, “Raise the Skies”.

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 French label Unknown Pleasures Records, run by Pedro Peñas y Roble aka HIV+, stops its activities this summer. They are currently emptying their last stocks before closing for good. The label which started in 2013 was based in the south of France was dedicated to the production of material from the post-punk, minimal wave and EBM scene. Their final release is a Tribute to Death In June.

In the past the label has released albums of bands like Norma Loy, David Carretta, Blind Delon, Adan & Ilse, Hausfrau, Black Egg, European Ghost, Ono Scream, Antipole, Kill Shelter, Vogue Noir, Ohota, Wendy Bevan, Alek Drive, Art Kinder Industrie, Baroque, Maman Küsters, Japan Suicide, Follow Me Not, Der Himmel über Berlin, Dave Inox, Mr Nô, None, Velvet Kills, Selfishadows, Container 47, The Shyness Of Strangers, Secret Sight, La Main, Fluxus, Grand((Ø))Signal, Neon Electronics, Hardlab, Judith Juillerat, Monolog and Love In Prague.

The label has also worked and collaborated with several musicians such as Alan Vega, Gabi Delgado, Dirk Da Davo, Eric Van Wonterghem, Jurgen Engler, Richard 23, Patrick Codenys, Marc Hurtado, Arturo Lanz, The Hacker, Dirk Ivens, The Horrorist, Haujobb, Position Parallèle, John Lord Fonda, Dominique Nicolas, Marc Collin, Michaël Theis, Radical G, Növö, Millimetric, In Death It Ends, In Aeternam Vale, Sonic Area, Adriano Canzian, Alice Botte, Versari and many more.

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 on February 14th is the a tribute to The Legendary Pink Dots & The Tear Garden. “Love Notes to a Velvet Apocalypse” will feature over 18 renditions of some of their most well known and rare tracks. Note that the release will be offered 100% free of charge via Bandcamp.

The release is a collaboration between Coitus Interruptus Productions and Auricle Media and features a wide range of various artists and genres from around the world, such as post-punk, industrial, ambient and experimental. Contributing artists include: Chase Dobson and Curse Mackey, European Ghost, Dreamscape Invocation, Kill Shelter, Zeitmahl, The Present Moment, Broken Fabiola, The Rorschach Garden, Factice Factory, The Midnight Marionettes, The Strange Walls, Bioassay, Tearful Moon, DACID, Fluxion AD, Dead Receptors, Night Terrors, Sol Sirenn and Manufactura.

Coitus Interruptus Productions has released 3 tribute compilations in the past dedicated to Fad Gadget, Cabaret Voltaire and Klinik/Dive/ABC.

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

Canadian musician Francis Nothingwater set up La Mécanique in 2016. He got featured on a few samplers, released a few EP’s and finally joined hands together with the German label Cold Transmission Records to unleash earlier this year the debut album “Dernier Voyage”. The songs have been sung in French (Francis Nothingwater hailing from Quebec) and reveal an extremely dark sound reflecting feelings of despair and solitude. If you’re into cold-wave and post-punk, you definitely have to discover La Mécanique.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: La Mécanique is a rather new name active at the wider fields of cold-wave/post-punk music so how did this project saw the daylight? What inspired you to choose the band name? What have been the main sources of inspiration?

Francis : In the past, I was only collaborating with singers, but since 2017, I decided to integrate my own voice into my compositions. In May 2018, I released an album titled “Vie De Rêve” that had 10 songs at the beginning (it’s an EP of 3 songs now). At the end of this album, I saw the numbers of plays on Bandcamp raising and some labels contacted me for for collaborations. For example, I did a cover version of “Lady Shave” from the good old Fad Gadget in collaboration with R3 Records in early 2019. Also, towards the end of 2018,  Cold Transmission Music contacted me and offered me to redo a few songs with them that were first released on the “Vie De Rêve”-album and make a new 12 tracks album with additional new songs  that would come out in 2019 and which would be mastered by Kill Shelter’s Pete Burns.

I accepted right away and started working on “Dernier Voyage”. It’s really since this album that La Mécanique has seen the daylight. The band name was inspired by a sentence of the philosopher Epicurus: ‘Dreams are not to be feared, life is a simple mechanics’. The mechanisms of life fascinate me! From the cell to the image of the universe, everything that has been a good mechanism and nothing can escape… so I live my life as if every day would be the last.

Music has always been part of my life. I started playing guitar and creating my own songs at a very young age. I lived in a small village where there was not much to do so I practiced and I repeated a lot. The bands I was listening to at the time were: Bérurier Noir, Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys, The Exploited, The Damned… Around the age of 19, I went to live in France in the city of Marseille for 2 years. This is where I discovered the cold-wave, dark-wave, post-punk music. I started listening to bands like Joy Division, Bauhaus, Television, New Order and a little later, I had a revelation when I saw Interpol live in Lion/France with Bloc Party in the first part. After this show, I think I became another man! (lol) I was listening to their song “Leif Erikson” on repeat and I started working on that dark musical style and that deep voice I loved so much. I think it’s really “Turn On The Bright Lights” of Interpol that set the stage for the musician I am today.

Q: You released a few EP’s before your debut album. What have been the most noticeable evolutions and changes in the writing process and sound production?

Francis: Before “Vie De Rêve”, I didn’t think that I had a talent to sing… I left that to the most talented. I made instrumental pieces with very dark flavor and which progressively became a little bit more electro-driven. One day, I sat in front of the computer with a microphone and started mumbling on my beats. I discovered a technique and a style that allows me to write in French while having a sound that is close to what we can hear from the English bands.

There is a particular song that made me want to sing in French: “Dernière Nuit” of the Belgian band Message (1988). By the way the title of my last album is a direct reference to this song.

Q: Talking about production, I think it’s not a coincidence you asked Pete Burns (Kill Shelter) to produce the album. You both are sharing a similar ‘obscure’ sound approach, but how did you get in touch with him and what has been his impact on “Dernier Voyage”?

Francis: Pete Burns and Christian Schaefer are the two guys from R3 Records who wrote an article about a single that I released in 2018 on their blog “Rule of Three”. When we came to the mastering step, Cold Transmission and I immediately thought about Pete who is the guy behind Kill Shelter. I’m a big fan of “Damage”, his new album in which he collaborated with big names in the current scene.

Q: I think to have understood the album has something personal and intimate. Can you give us more details about the lyrical content?  

Francis: I am someone who loves having crazy adventures. Two years ago, I went to live in western Canada. I left everything behind -I had been working for television for almost 10 years and I felt like I had nothing more to do on it. I went to live on a small sailboat for almost a year alone all around the Vancouver Islands. It is aboard this tiny boat that I wrote the majority of the texts that are on my latest album. It’s about freedom, nature, ocean, extreme journey and obviously… women. Just before heading back to the studio to finish “Dernier Voyage”, I was coming back from a 3600 km cycling trip across Canada… When listening to this album, I think one can feel the loneliness and the mysterious vibe that’s surrounding the great Canadian plains.

Q: I noticed there’s fan video from the song “BlaBlaBla” on Youtube. What do you think about ‘fans’ making their own videos and what did you keep in mind from the ‘official’ video from “You & I”, which I think was one of your first songs?  

Francis: Small bands like La Mécanique do not have a lot of budget, so DIY is a good way to produce and share our passion. The videos, the DJ sets in clubs, the reviews and interviews like this one are enormously appreciated because it’s a beautiful proof of love by people that are doing it with pleasure and for the love of music. Without them, I would probably still play in my living room.

Q: You already did a few gigs in Europe. What did you keep in mind from these live shows and are there much differences between playing in Quebec and Europe? What kind of live artist are you?

Francis: In Canada, the crowd is similar, but I find the scene much more active in Europe. We just have to watch all the activity around the post-punk music, cold-wave, dark-wave on social networks… it’s moving in Europe! For the moment, La Mécanique is much better known in Europe than at home, but in recent years, I have noticed an interest in dark music in Montreal. Several good bands have emerged like The City Gates, Scene Noir, Sarajevo & Moi with whom I had the chance to play in Montreal recently.

I am a guy who loves to be on stage. When I was younger, I regularly did auditions and played in some television series. Today, when I get on stage it is to share my music and vomit my guts. I believe that the concerts of La Mécanique are quite intense because all my songs are the symbol of every moment lived and felt intensively.

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: Cold-wave, gothic.

Background/Info: Pete Burns is a multi-instrumentalist and producer operating from Edinburgh (Scotland). “Damage” is the first album of the artist and has been released at the end of 2018. The main particularity of the work is the contributions of different guest singers from very different countries. The songs have been sung by Hante (France), Buzz Kull (Australia), Delphine Coma (USA), Antipole (Norway), Undertheskin (Poland), Killjoi (USA), The Shyness Of Strangers (Canada), Pedro Code (Portugal), Nate Jespersen (Canada), New Haunts (UK) and Bragolin (The Netherlands).

Content: Kill Shelter is clearly driven by good-old cold-wave music while characterized by an extremely dark sound creation. This artist can easily compete with the darkest groups from the 80s. The guitar playing is predominant while the low, vibrating bass lines are chilling. The songs are moving from fuzzy guitar parts to other typically, mewing passages while I also noticed a more psychedelic play as well. The different vocalists seem to have been chosen with care and all totally fit to the work of Pete Burns. Notice by the way the last song is an instrumental..

+ + + : Pete Burns plays guitar, bass, e-bow and synths. He appears to be a talented guitarist, but also a genius bass player. The typical e-bow effect injects a great fuzzy touch and the electronic arrangements feel like the cherry on the cake. Kill Shelter as accomplished a masterpiece piece. The music is much more than simply an 80s emulation; it stands for the truly 80s spirit. If cold-wave has been always obscure, “Damage” must be an apotheosis in darkness. You’ll feel the bass lines vibrating in your throat while the guitar has something elevating. I also have to say a word about the vocalists, which nearly all feel like being part of the band. They clearly have been selected for their great vocals skills, creating a perfect match with the music.

– – – : It’s not really a regret, but I hope Kill Shelter will find its singer.

Conclusion: This album is without a shadow of a doubt the most accomplished- and simply best work I’ve heard in the genre on Unknown Pleasures Records. But it also is one of the best releases in its genre for quite a long time ago. “Damage” stands for the birth of a new gothic icon!

Best songs: “Get Down ft. The Shyness Of Strangers”, “The Happening ft. Killjoi”, “Black String ft. Nate Jespersen”, As Trees Do Fall ft. Bragolin”, “No Regret ft. Undertheskin”, “Sever ft. New Haunts”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.facebook.com/killshelterofficial

Label: www.unknown–pleasures–records.com /  www.facebook.com/Unknown–Pleasures–Records-566180440115465

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