Klinik &#8211; SIDE-LINE

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.

Bill Leeb from Front Line Assembly and Delerium fame to release debut solo album on Metropolis Records

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 18:13:20 +0000

(Photo by Bobby Talamine) Metropolis Records announces the signing of industrial-electronic Vancouver-based music legend Bill Leeb for his debut solo effort “Model Kollapse”, out September 13.

“The album explores the intricacies of artificial intelligence and the survival of humanity itself,” says Bill Leeb.

The first single “Terror Forms” features Shannon Hemmett of Actors and Leathers and will be out on July 9. This album also involves Front Line Assembly / Delerium cohort Rhys Fulber, mixing engineer Greg Reely, Actors’ frontman Jason Corbett, and LA artist Mimi Page.

“We are proud to announce that Metropolis Records has signed Bill Leeb for his first solo project. Bill Leeb has had a prolific career as a founding member of Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly and Delerium. His music has been highly influential, and we are excited to see what this new chapter in his career will bring for him and his listeners,” says Nina Heckman of Metropolis Records. “I’m honored to fulfill my father’s (Dave Heckman who died in the summer of 2022) lifelong vision and to be doing this project with a lifelong family friend I can honestly call family (Bill Leeb). This project is near and dear to all of our hearts here at Metropolis and I know it would make my father proud.”

“Model Kollapse” marks Leeb’s very first solo venture since the mid-80s days of Front Line Assembly, when he used to make recordings in his bedroom and released them on limited edition cassette format. Almost four decades on, his new album was recorded and produced in Vancouver, Toronto and Los Angeles with assistance from Vancouver/Toronto-based production duo Dream Bullet.

The “Terror Forms” single will be unleashed digitally everywhere on July 9. The full “Model Kollapse” album will be released on vinyl and CD, as well as digitally, on September 13.

About Bill Leeb

Bill Leeb, born Wilhelm Anton Leeb on September 21, 1966, in Vienna, Austria, is best known as the founder and lead member of the industrial music group Front Line Assembly (FLA). Leeb moved to Canada in the 1980s, where he began his music career.

Before forming Front Line Assembly in 1986, Leeb was a member of the influential industrial group Skinny Puppy, where he performed under the pseudonym Wilhelm Schroeder. His departure from Skinny Puppy marked the beginning of his prolific career with Front Line Assembly.

In addition to Front Line Assembly, Leeb has been involved in several other music projects, including Delerium, which achieved commercial success with its fusion of ambient and pop music elements. Leeb’s other projects include Noise Unit, Intermix, and Conjure One, each exploring different facets of electronic music.

Bill Leeb discography

Bill Leeb has had a diverse range of musical projects, each with its own unique style and sound. Here’s an easy-to-read breakdown of the differences between his major projects:

Front Line Assembly (FLA) is characterized by a dark and aggressive style, blending industrial, Electronic Body Music (EBM), and electro-industrial sounds. The music features heavy use of synthesizers and electronic beats, often exploring dystopian and sci-fi themes.

Delerium, on the other hand, focuses on ambient, ethereal, and electronic music with a new age twist. Its sound is soothing and atmospheric, emphasizing melodies and textures. Delerium often incorporates world music elements and features various guest vocalists, achieving mainstream success with tracks like “Silence” featuring Sarah McLachlan.

Noise Unit showcases a mix of industrial, EBM, and techno influences. Over time, the project’s sound has varied, combining harsh industrial elements with more danceable EBM and techno beats. Collaborations with artists like Marc Verhaeghen of Klinik add to its diverse range of styles.

Intermix leans more towards techno, ambient, and electronic music. This project focuses on instrumental tracks, blending electronic and ambient music with techno rhythms. It is generally less aggressive than Front Line Assembly.

Conjure One presents a melodic and ethereal sound, incorporating ambient, electronic, world music, and pop influences. It features prominent guest vocalists and offers polished production with a radio-friendly appeal, blending electronic beats with organic instruments.

Cyberaktif, a collaboration with cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy, delivers a dark and experimental sound. Combining the signature styles of Front Line Assembly and Skinny Puppy, Cyberaktif features heavy use of samples and aggressive beats, resulting in a dense, experimental industrial sound.

Equinox focuses on ambient and atmospheric soundscapes, similar to early Delerium works but more abstract and experimental. It emphasizes creating immersive sound environments with a minimalistic approach.

Pro>Tech is a dance-oriented project with techno and trance influences. It features high-energy beats and repetitive, hypnotic structures, offering a clear departure from the darker styles of Leeb’s other projects, aiming for a more mainstream dance music appeal.

Below are the releases.

Front Line Assembly

The Initial Command (1987)
State of Mind (1988)
Gashed Senses & Crossfire (1989)
Caustic Grip (1990)
Tactical Neural Implant (1992)
Millennium (1994)
Hard Wired (1995)
FLAvour of the Weak (1997)
Implode (1999)
Epitaph (2001)
Civilization (2004)
Artificial Soldier (2006)
Improvised. Electronic. Device. (2010)
Echogenetic (2013)
Wake Up the Coma (2019)
Mechanical Soul (2021)

Delerium

Faces, Forms & Illusions (1989)
Morpheus (1989)
Syrophenikan (1990)
Spiritual Archives (1991)
Stone Tower (1991)
Spheres (1994)
Spheres 2 (1994)
Semantic Spaces (1994)
Karma (1997)
Poem (2000)
Chimera (2003)
Nuages du Monde (2006)
Music Box Opera (2012)
Mythologie (2016)

Noise Unit

Grinding into Emptiness (1989)
Response Frequency (1990)
Strategy of Violence (1992)
Decoder (1995)
Drill (1996)
Voyeur (1998)
Dead Sector (1999)
Deviator (2021)

Intermix

Intermix (1992)
Phaze Two (1993)
Future Primitives (1995)

Conjure One

Conjure One (2002)
Extraordinary Ways (2005)
Exilarch (2010)
Holoscenic (2015)
Innovation Zero (2023)

Cyberaktif

Tenebrae Vision (1991)
Temper (EP) (1990)

Equinox

Holon (1998)

Pro>Tech

Orbiting Cathedrals (1997)

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!

Censor offers new ‘Black Needles’ single ahead of ‘Swarm’ album

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 10:43:46 +0000

Censor is the brand new project from the Swedish musician Jouni Ollila who we known from his work with Pouppée Fabrikk, mz.412 and the recent solo project Ulvtharm. With Censor he tries “to capture the RAW vibes of late 80s, early 90s electronic music.”

Musically you will notice the DNA similarities with such bands as early Skinny Puppy, The Klinik, Frontline Assembly and Cabaret Voltaire.

Out now is a video for the track “Black Needles” taken from the upcoming album “Swarm” to be released on June 28 on all major streaming platforms and Bandcamp.

You can pre-order the album below on Bandcamp.

SWARM by CENSOR

Click Interview with R010R: ‘Our Worldview Is Illusory’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Mon, 27 May 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Michael Renfield has been active with various music projects for several years. Some will no doubt remember Noise Process, but he is now back with a new album from R010R. “Total Disinformation Awareness” was released by Electro Aggression Records and delivers us 16 songs driven by intelligent, old-school EBM with a touch of Dark-Electro on top. This interview gives us a broader view of this in my opinion underrated musician.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: It’s been a while ago now you set up R010R. What were the triggers and influences to start this solo-project and how did you see R010R evolving throughout the years?

Michael: Hello, and thank you for this interview opportunity. R010R happened gradually after my previous music project Noise Process ran its course. I moved to New York, and started working with I, Parasite, an Industrial-Metal project. I wanted to create a solo endeavour that had no alignment to a genre or expectation. My initial album “Gradual Destabilization” (2008) was an experiment in deconstructing how I created music while I was also learning a DAW approach for the first time.

Previous to R010R, everything was hardware sequencers, synths, and drum machines. The software world was an interesting challenge. Since I was working with Christopher Jon and “I, Parasite, performing live noise/synths, the album was released on the Dark Vision Media imprint.

As far as an evolution, that is the very nature of R010R. I am not trying to make a product or sell a gimmick. I am just forging ahead and doing various audio experiments. Not everything works as an album or EP format. However, I do make new music consistently. I am just very selective about what I release.

Q: What means music to you? And tell us a bit more about the achievement of your new album “Total Disinformation Awareness”?

Michael: I do music for the love of it and mainly enjoy experimenting in the studio environment. My SoundCloud account has tracks that are only temporarily available, and it is not always feasible to make these into a cohesive release. I enjoy the temporary format and mainly use these as a springboard for new concepts.

After “Gradual Destabilization”, I created another album called “End Of All Reason” (2010). However, I decided to shelve the entire thing and go in another direction. The “Urban Renewal Program”-EP (2012) led to “Daybreak”, and “Unyielding” (2016). I made these while I was collaborating with Dejan Samardzic (Haujobb/DSX), and Martin Sax (Valhall/Ekobrottsmyndigheten) on their projects. “Unyielding” was polished up with Dejan’s feedback and released on their Basic Unit Productions imprint.

“Total Disinformation Awareness”, originated as a series of EP’s that I wanted to release through Bandcamp exclusively. In 2021 I sent a handful of tracks to Dejan again as well as Nader Moumneh (Electro Aggression Records) just to get some feedback as the music was a sort of ‘old school’, return to that 90’s Electro-Industrial sound. Basic Unit at that time was inactive as a label, but EAR had some plans for R010R because Nader stated that he loved the tracks, wanted more, and was considering releasing a CD of the material. I have worked with Nader and EAR for many years, doing artwork and remixes for bands on the label. So it seemed a perfect opportunity to create another album.

Q: What have been the different stages, challenges and difficulties you’d to go through to achieve this new work?

Michael: So now we get to the heart of it all. The challenge in creating “Total Disinformation Awareness” was not the music at all. It was the theme. With “Unyielding”, I was rattled by the Edward Snowden revelations. This led to reading about Thomas Drake and Bill Binney who were also NSA whistleblowers. This led to Wikileaks and Julian Assange, the Hillary Clinton emails, and Vault 7. Without getting into those details for the sake of your readers, my worldview journey eventually got to “Total Information Awareness”. A DARPA program of mass surveillance that utilized several defence and intelligence contractors that were also in Wikileaks documentation of interest. “Total Disinformation Awareness” is a nod to that program and the idea that social media took up where that program ended.

Q: Anything more we’ve to know about the lyrical content?

Michael: I think I made it clear with the press release. ‘There is a ton of disinformation being pushed through official channels and it is designed to keep us in a state of confusion and belligerence towards each other. It is imperative that we recognize and call out this attempt at deceit or we are going to become victims of oppression within our own ‘democratic’ systems.’

This has only become even more apparent with current news cycles where anti-war protesters are identified as anti-Semitic, COVID conspiracy theories are revealed to be factual, and politically aligned individuals are termed ‘a dangerous cult’. Meanwhile, all sides are pushing lies and misinformation frequently and without remorse. This is the art of destabilization that we must defend against. How can we be informed citizens and make informed decisions in our countries when our worldview is illusory?

Q: Sound-wise there clearly is a sophisticated, ‘old-school’, EBM sound running through the songs which might remind to legendary bands from the Canadian EBM school but also to bands like Mortal Constraint, The Klinik ao. What does it say about your perception of sound, sound creation and global production?

Michael: This is always interesting to me, the alignments that the audience hears in my music. Of course, I am aware of and listened to this style of music decades ago. However, if you ask me what inspired me to write “Total Disinformation Awareness” I would say Modeselektor, Ben Frost, and Bosse De Nage. I listen to a great deal of music 24/7 and only a small percentage of it is still Electro-Industrial. I honestly love this modern landscape of music. Independent music has never thrived like this. I have several webzines and platforms I visit every week just to keep up.

Q: What comes after “Total Disinformation Awareness” and do you’ve plans to bring the music on stage?

Michael: Next up on the worklist, I continue the R010R EP’s I was writing before Total Disinformation Awareness”. I already have several new tracks that will drop on Bandcamp later this year. These will be more Techno and Noise-related than EBM or Electro-Industrial. However, I have been tasked with a handful of new remixes for EAR artists as well as some additional Electro tracks for the upcoming EAR compilation. Those will be along the lines of “Total Disinformation Awareness”. I also have plans to start doing live Noise webcasts through my Youtube channel, as well as a new free-form Noise project I call Diminished Bastard Sword. The best way to keep track of what I am doing is through SoundCloud and Youtube. I will drop a link below.

Lastly, negative. I have no plans to play out live. I have done that thoroughly in my youth and I rather stay in a controlled studio environment. I also have a family and a ‘day job’. Arranging shows or a tour schedule is not possible.

Thank you again for reaching out and arranging this interview. I very much appreciate it. https://linktr.ee/soillodge

Implant interview: ‘Embrace chaos through the machines!’

Eldrina Mich — Mon, 27 May 2024 10:21:38 +0000

When a band signs his 12^th studio album, “The Chaos Machines Part 1 – No More Flies On The Windscreen”, and can be proud of an impressive eclectic discography and music legacy ranging from industrial dance to harsh EBM through electro pop and dark synth, we could not resist to meet with Len Lemeire, the voice and driving force behind that unique Belgian sonic UFO called Implant … And before he asks me, yes Len, I did have my Implant today 😉!

The new “The Chaos Machines Part 1 – No More Flies On The Windscreen” album is out via Alfa Matrix and available from Bandcamp and from the Alfa Matrix webstore.

No More Flies On The Windscreen -The Chaos Machines part 1 by IMPLANT

SL: “The Chaos Machines Part 1 – No More Flies On The Windscreen” is the first chapter of a trilogy. What inspired you to embark on this ambitious project, and what themes or ideas can listeners expect to explore throughout the trilogy?

LL: It evolved into this indeed! We started composing on this album with the idea to release the typical Alfa Matrix 2CD limited edition. We have been doubting the concept of a CD and a remix CD for quite a while. With oxynoxe-x we wrote a 2^nd cd using only the modular synths. But we did this after we finished composing the first disc. This time we wanted to do something similar, but instead of composing 2 entities, we wanted to work on the 2^nd disc while working on the first one. To give the tracks more room to grow. At one point I started singing on these soundscapes, and it worked very well. And hence we started to re-arrange these tracks, but with vocals in mind. Along this process we realized that the 2 CDs were starting to intermix, to blend. So, the idea grew to release them as 2 separate albums. And somehow make clear they belonged together. We also wanted a 12” vinyl. Because we like to smell vinyl J. Alfa Matrix liked the idea, but only if the vinyl had some exclusive content. So, we decided to make a trilogy out of it.

SL: The album is described as a clash against algorithms and a journey into chaos. Can you elaborate on how you approached creating music that embodies these concepts of chaos and defiance against digital norms?

LL: It is a bit hard to talk about defiance against digital norms when a lot of the chaos is actually circuit based. Defiance implicates that one refuses to obey to something. I don’t think we are trying to refuse to be bound by norms or anything. It’s not a statement or a quest to redefine things. I think we embrace chaos more than we used to. We gave more space to the machines themselves. Sometimes synths can be rooted in such ways that chaos is more imminent. And we took that as a concept. we incorporated this while writing the songs. And eventually ended up adding chaos to unexpected places.

IMPLANT’s sound in this album ranges from psy-trance industrial cuts to electro-pop with influences from early SKINNY PUPPY and KLINIK. How did you blend these diverse styles to create a cohesive listening experience?

LL: I’m not sure if we always succeed in blending it all to a cohesive entity. But I guess that is one of the liberties you get if you work with chaos. You can hide behind the concept and claim that blending styles chaotically was part of the idea. The truth is far more pragmatic. Sometimes you must let a track take you on a little journey in the studio. And the final product should be judged by its quality, not its style. In the end the intersection between all the tracks is IMPLANT. It has always been a part of IMPLANT to experiment with elements from different styles. I think this has been our strength over the years. But I guess, one could easily argue that it is a weakness.

SL: Noemi Aurora’s lush vocals are a highlight on this album. How did her collaboration come about, cos it’s not the first time you guys work together, and what do you feel she brings to the overall sound and atmosphere of “The Chaos Machines”?

LL: I am a huge fan of Noemi’s voice, and she already collaborated with us on ‘phantom pain’. While writing the lyrics, I always had in mind to make it a duet. 2 sides of the story. She was the first one I had in mind. It took a while to set it up. But the result really works. She has this kind of power voice, and it was exactly what this track needed. She also collaborated on a track that will be released on ‘the chaos machines part 3’. It is very different from this track. But I think even more essential to the track than her contribution to ‘I wasn’t there’!

SL: Your declaration, “No boundaries, no compromises, only chaos and machines,” sets a powerful tone for the album. How does this philosophy influence your songwriting and production process?

LL: It is always a bit of a marketing tool to try and work with catchy slogans. But again, something I have always done with IMPLANT. The phrase ‘did you have your implant today?’ is something I have been using since the start. For the chaos machines I wanted to try and find a phrase that fits the concept. It’s kind of a justification for it all. We did not want to be restricted by boundaries, not in musical styles, not in sound design. We have tried to avoid compromises, although totally avoiding them is never possible. We did stress the limits of the technologies at hand. We never stopped taking a track into a certain direction because it was not scene friendly. And so on. And we did try and let the machines take over at some points. Most of the time this resulted in very chaotic sounds or textures. So, with all this in mind, the catchphrase does make some sense. And it can be used as a glue between the 3 releases.

SL: The album is filled with both dark moments and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. How do you balance these contrasting elements to maintain the album’s intensity while also keeping it engaging and enjoyable?

LL: A day without laughter is a day wasted. Or so they say. I think it’s trying to add another layer to the music. Lyrics is a place in art where an opinion, a vision, a feeling … can be expressed. But one can also use it for the obvious. Compare it to a painter. One can paint a very social critical painting, or one could draw a few lines on a canvas and claim it to be social critical. I never got the painter that painted lines and claimed to expand our thinking. To me, there are different mediums for different outlets of creativity. If lyrics is your forum for creativity, you should try and use it. A song is a little journey that can blend melodies with words. I’m not that keen on wasting this medium for the obvious. If it can make you smile or look at things differently it’s not wasted. If I use it to express some darker things, then It’s probably something that is bothering me or something that needs to be addressed. There is a lot of “me” in those lyrics. I hope I wrote them in such a manner that it leaves room for interpretation. I once read a scientific article on the correlation between dark humor and alzheimer disease, and I remember thinking: “shit, I’m going to die as a fool”. (laugh)

SL: Given that this is your 12th studio album, how has IMPLANT’s sound evolved over the years, and what new directions or experiments did you undertake specifically for this project?

LL: I always think it’s kind of impressive talking about a legacy of 12 albums. Not sure if that was the goal when I started all this. I guess this kind of happened. But yes, with each release I’ve tried to experiment with different things. The balance between soundscapes and more conventional tracks is the place we tried to experiment on these 3 releases. I think each song is a little experimental trip on its own. With its own merit. Either it’s the break, the intro, or the whole track. Or sometimes just the approach of the routing of the synths. To me the whole transition from the early years to now makes a lot of sense. It is what it is. We could not have made (or remade) the album we did 3 albums ago, and back then we would never have been able to create this album. if the creative process can be digitized, it will be done by machines. Surprising the algorithm is what differentiates us from automated processes.

SL: You mentioned that it’s always more fun to pick up the pieces with IMPLANT. Can you share an example from the making of this album where embracing chaos or an unexpected twist led to a particularly memorable or successful outcome?

LL: Ha, this might be the hardest question of the interview. Because you must understand how ‘intentional’ all this chaos actually is. Maybe I can explain this with a little example. If you work with modular synths, connecting cables is the routing of the sound. The fun thing is that anything can be connected to anything. So, if you have a hihat triggered by a clock-divider, you can feed it a clock (mostly the BPM of the track). But you can also feed it an LFO. If you do this with a modular, you can probably control the LFO-time or shape by a knob or connect another LFO to control the time or shape of the first LFO (and hence the rhythm of the hihat). Before you know it, you’ll end up with something very chaotic, but partially controllable. In like 99% of the cases this will turn into something that can’t be used (although some bands make full tracks out of this. And some of these tracks are surprisingly interesting). If you use the possibilities to control things (like a knob for the speed of the LFO), eventually you’ll end up looking for a sweet spot. Resulting in a sound or rhythm that can be blended with the track you are working on. All this is pretty time consuming. But the result no matter how chaotic it may sound, is very intentional. One could say that the chaos is planned, and the actual outcome more of a coincidence.Jan has this module called “morphagene” by Make-noise. This is one of those modules that create instant chaos. I have been nagging at him a lot to use this one in a track. Eventually he used it on the samples in ‘The drive’. And I think it works great. We remixed that track for the 12” and it has more of those samples. To me, this is a fine example of the beauty of a chaos machine.

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.

R010r – Total Disinformation Awareness (Album – Electro Aggression Records)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro, EBM.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: After a silence of a few years Michael Renfield -who you might know from his involvement with Noise Process, strikes back with a new opus featuring sixteen songs and four more songs plus twelve remixes at the bonus disc.

Content: The album deals with an elaborated and intelligent approach of EBM/Dark-Electronic music. The sound is totally retro-like, reminding me of bands like The Klinik, Skinny Puppy and Mortal Constraint. On top of the icy sequences and dark strings you’ll notice harsh, haunted, vocals. The second disc features remixes by tEaR!doWn, Pyrroline, Index AI, Trilogy, Serpents, G.O.L.E.M., Terminal State, Second Disease, Testube, T.A.N.K., Sleepwalk and Synaptic Defect.

+ + + : I salute the intelligent approach in the global production of this work. Even if it sounds cliché and evokes the sound of some legendary formations, it has been meticulously built up resulting in several outstanding songs. “Litany Of Greed” is my absolute favorite one but there’s more stuff to enjoy like a few extra cuts at the second disc. There also is a cool selection of remixers and I especially like the Serpents-one.

– – – : Some might say the album sounds too stereotypical but I don’t care. It’s good to see this artist is back on track. I expected a bit more from the remixes.

Conclusion: “Total Disinformation Awareness” is a fully achieved piece of retro-EBM.

Best songs: “Litany Of Greed”, “Memory Palace”, “Scorched Path”, “Body Politic” + “Total Enslavement”, “Was Carbon-Based”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/R010RNOISE

Label: www.electroaggressionrecords.com / www.facebook.com/ElectroAggressionRecords

Sonar – Future Cries (Album – Hands)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 08:00:00 +0000

#post_seo_title

Genre/Influences: Rhythmic-Noise, Industrial.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Dirk Ivens (Klinik, Dive, Absolute Body Control, Mororik ao) and Eric Van Wonterghem (Monolith, Absolute Body Control, Klinik, Insekt ao) are back on track unleashing the ninth Sonar-album in history. “Future Cries” comes twenty seven years after the self-titled debut-album (when Patrick Stevens of Hypnoskull was involved and later on replaced by Eric Van Wonterghem) and nine years after their previous full length (cf. “Shadow Dancers”). It also is the first album released by Hands.

Content: It all feels like years have no impact on the sonic ogre called Sonar. The Belgian duo bring us back to the essence of heavy, merciless, Rhythmic-Noise. Hypnotic noise sequences and distorted rhythms are leading listeners into a frenetic dance although the work also features ‘softer’ and rather Minimal driven cuts. “Future Cries” features 12 short but raw, brutal, cuts.

+ + + : Definitely the most ‘extreme’ common project of Ivens – Van Wonterghem but also with a similar chemistry as for Absolute Body Control. This album will appeal to the early lovers of the project and also for a wider Industrial audience preferring a ‘softer’ and more minimalistic approach. I like the ‘no compromises’ attitude of Sonar; you’re either going to like it or not. There’s no way in between but I experienced this album as more diversified. It’s not just brutal Noise power but still more ‘controlled’ tracks like the great “You Get Yours” and “Turn You On”. “Elevator” sounds more into the ‘early’ style and will just blow you away.

– – – : Sonar has always composed short cuts and that’s sometimes a pity when listening to a great track. It however remains a ‘heavy’ sound format reminding Industrial music from the 90s.

Conclusion: “Future Cries” stands for a heavy and murderous come-back of Sonar.

Best songs: “Turn You On”, “You Get Yours”, “Elevator”, “Modern Touch”, “Hold On”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/TheKlinikDiveSonarAbsoluteBodyControl

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

Lucifer’s Aid – Destruction (Album – Progress Productions)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: EBM, Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Carl Nilsson strikes back with the fifth full length album of his EBM project Lucifer’s Aid. Ten new songs have been achieved.

Content: “Destruction” remains faithful to the dark and harsh EBM sound of the Swedish artist. Throughout the years the songs have been more elaborated mixing power and impressive, dark atmospheres punctuated by harsh vocals. The work also reveals minimalistic passages which might remind you of the spirit of The Klinik.

+ + + : This album -and project, is much more than simply old-school EBM. The writing is mixing EBM and Dark-Electro with some extra Industrial sound treatments on top but it also reflects a true sound intelligence. The songs are featuring multiple effects while the structures have been progressively built up. The tormented atmospheres accentuated the darkness hanging over the work. “Obsesssion” is my absolute favorite track for its sonic welfare and the way it moves crescendo. Other essential cuts are “In this Room”, “No Return”, the more minimal sounding “Desire” and “We Are Strong” for its Klinikal-touch.

– – – : The very first songs of the album are more than okay although rather an appetizer for what’s coming next.

Conclusion: Lucifer’s Aid confirms its strong potential and talent to compose intelligent ‘old-school’ EBM.

Best songs: “Obesesssion”, “In this Room”, “No Return”, “Desire”, “We Are Strong”, “Give You Control”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.lucifersaid.com / www.facebook.com/lucifersaid

Label: www.progress-productions.com / www.facebook.com/progresspro

Spankthenun – The Bunkertapes Vol.3 (Album – Spank The Nun)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +0000

#post_seo_title

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: American brothers Eric and Jeremy Hanes are back on track unleashing the third installment of “The Bunkertapes”-series. This album features eleven songs plus eleven remixes.

Content: If you’re familiar with this formation you probably know what to expect. The work moves on where the previous album left off; elaborated EBM songs covered with cold, Klinik-al atmospheres, solid bass lines, Industrial sound treatments, and powerful vocals. Remixes have been accomplished by Mirland, Grendel, Ext!ze, Moris Blak, Blak Emoji, Mechanical Vein, Anthony [H], Batavia, Moaan Exis and Chris Vienna. The digital format is featuring 3 more remixes.

+ + + : Spankthenun is a band with its own approach although the sound might remind you of Leather Strip -and that’s not really a surprise as Claus Larsen was featured on their previous work. This is a familiar EBM format achieved with a true sound intelligence. There are several cool songs and also some exciting remixes. The remixes are adding a real bonus.

– – – : The songs are elaborated although the sound formula remains quite similar for all the songs. I think this band is even able to do better.

Conclusion: If you like well-crafted and powerful EBM and if you have never heard of this band before, I can strongly recommend listening to Spankthenun.

Best songs: “Blot Out The Sun”, “Fuck The Apocalypse”, “Crushing Blow”, “Madman”, “On The Run”, “The Grind” + “Chrome – Ext!Ze Remix”, “No One Survives – Grendel Remix”, “Blak Out The Sun – Moris Blak Remix”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/spankthenun

Click Interview with Darkness On Demand: ‘More Free To Communicate In Belgium Than In Germany’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 18:00:00 +0000

“Digital Outcast” is the third album by German formation Darkness On Demand which is available now on Bandcamp and on CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore. After having released two albums on Repo Records ‘Falgalas’ and Gary Wagner signed to Alfa Matrix where they released the “Final Way” EP, the “Hang On (Winterhart remix)” and the “White Clouds” EP. The former Dance Or Die-members now strike back with “Digital Outcast”, a powerful, sophisticated and engaged EBM work. I talked about the album and other things with front man Gary Wagner.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Digital Outcast by DARKNESS ON DEMAND

Q: After a successful career as Dance Or Die you guys are now busy for a couple of years under the moniker Darkness On Demand. Do you perceive significant changes and/or evolutions between both bands or is just a natural evolution? And do you sometimes miss Dance Or Die?

Gary: We actually don’t miss anything of our former career with Dance Or Die. Falgalas and me played together since 1993 and the old producer and composer, who did not go on stage, had not enough material for new songs anymore… that’s why we decided to continue our story under the new flag Darkness On Demand.

The idea was to leave Dance Or Die as a Cult to start with the new material Falgalas had composed. The new songs are more Industrial and EBM and got much more melodies than before. The development of the new tracks started with our first longplayer “Post Stoneage Technology” continues the near future items. Just like the second one “Detoxination” which is concerned with man-machine themes we march on in that genre to keep Science Fiction alive. The astonishing thing was that the old fans expected the new start straight away. We still are the guys they know from stage and the short logo DOD is still up to date.

Q: I was surprised you signed to a Belgian label –Alfa Matrix. Why this move from a German label to a Belgian one and are there also plans for your side-projects?

Gary: Well the main reason for signing abroad was that Belgium is the Walhalla of Electronic Body Music. We are definitely inspired by Front 242, Klinik and A Split Second which come from Belgium. We planned to get the thing more international.

The former label was more concerned with Germany which was pretty all right for the start. But the fact that we were popular in countries such as Sweden, Mexico, USA and the European East pushed us forward to be promoted worldwide. There were music colleges who recommended Alfa Matrix to start that enterprise. We are very happy about that and we know that the label believes in our work.

By the way we still work on our other project Winterhart which is Martial, Industrial and Dark-Folk orientated.

Q: Over now to “Digital Outcast” which is the third full length by Darkness On Demand. The lyrical themes are –once more, very engaged and introduced as an ‘ invitation to reconnect with nature and reality, to escape from that digital world dominated by artificial social medias and credit card consumption’ is really interesting to me. I can imagine it’s a very personal reflection but can you give us more details? And how do you see it regarding the digital world and social media which is that important today for labels, bands etc…?

Gary: “Digital Outcast” is the digital answer to the digitalized world. We fight fire with fire, like we use Electronix for creating our answer to Goth-Rock. Real life turns into a cyberworld which is mankind created and has nothing to do with the real world outside.

In Kraftwerk’s “Computerwelt” you heard the warning of observation and a transparent mankind. The more data they get the more you are controlled by them. The problem in Germany is that they consider you as a conspiracy freak when you know and talk about this. You can have an attitude but the mass medias tell you what your attitude has to be. Quite complicated for bands that came from Punk-Rock .

This moment I feel much more free to communicate with you in Belgium than in Germany.

Q: How do you look back to the writing and production of “Digital Outcast”? Do you’ve any experiences and/or anecdotes you encountered that come directly into mind?

Gary: During the lockdown we found ourselves in ghost towns. Everything was closed, life stood still people were ill and lots of people died. It was a terrible time, we hope it won’t repeat. But in somehow it changed the attitude towards the government. Some were absolutely into the rules of authority, the others questioned it like they did before. Feelings such as loneliness and depressions came to our mind and that influenced our album conception.

One day during that period they closed Schleswig Holstein after we finished our singing recording and I had to leave this Bundesland for a return to Berlin. What a strange situation…

The EP “White Clouds” exactly describes this time I mentioned before.

Q: “White Clouds” sounds as a solid addendum to “Digital Outcast”. Is there anything more you want to say about the EP?

Gary:The EP “White Clouds” exactly describes this time I mentioned before. In some of these happy pills you find a little picture of grey clouds turning to white to take the medicine regularly. Sometimes pretty necessary to avoid a serious illness. Anyway… we still stand for the idea to make great Clubmixes on our EP’s. The dancefloor is still an important fact to communicate with the fans, besides the live activities.

Q: Gary and Heiko, I think you’re now working together for thirty years –or even more. What makes the chemistry between both of you and how do you perceive each other as ‘artist’ and the person behind the artistic creation?

Gary:As I already mentioned we both played the Dance Or Die shows since 1993. After a long break in the early 20th we decided to make new music together. Falgalas created lots of material with Classic sounds and instruments. We added real acoustic guitars and trumpets to form Winterhart. We released our albums on Danse Macabre Records. But then, once upon a time we were a little frustrated that Dance Or Die stood still. Therefore we found Darkness On Demand to return to Body and Industrial music.

Those days Falgalas lived in the middle of Berlin and we worked together at new songs every afternoon. Then he moved to Tönning near the North-Sea und built-up a New Studio he calls Dreiklangstudio. So I got to travel to the North for singing recordings. Less helter skelter than in Berlin. Silence enough for our future stories to keep the Dark Side alive. We turn Future into Reality

Monolith – Concrete Playground (Album – Hands)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Industrial-Techno, Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Eric van Wonterghem (Absolute Body Control, Sonar, The Klinik, Insekt, Detune-X ao) doesn’t need any further introduction. The Belgian veteran strikes back with the twelfth full length album of his Monolith solo-project.

Content: The work takes off with a Cinematic-Industrial piece which sounds like an intro. We next embark on a dark sonic journey made of Industrial sound treatments, obscure and sometimes mystic atmospheres, menacing, low, bass lines and danceable rhythms.

+ + + : The album features 17 tracks so no need to say Monolith remains creative and prolific after more than 20 years of involvement. The tracks have been slowly built up and feature ‘Industrial intelligence’. “Concrete Playground” is a diversified opus like illustrated by the clubby track “Push”, the heavy “Gallium Element” which sounds like Thomas P. Heckmann on an Industrial journey, the mystic-like “Take Me High”, the haunting “The Hunter” and “The Sky Turns Red” for its irresistible, low, sound treatments. The album illustrates the endless creative mind of this Belgian sound guru but also his open-minded spirit to compose Industrial music.

– – – : I regret some of the tracks aren’t a bit more extended. I’m also missing the Tribal influences from earlier releases.

Conclusion: Monolith took out a patent on Industrial music like no other artist can make. “Concrete Playground” is a new must have!

Best songs: “Push”, “Gallium Element”, “Take Me High”, “The Hunter”, “The Sky Turns Red”, “Concrete Playground”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/monolithrecords

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

Are Mundal – Kreis (EP – Telesterion Records)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Soundscape, Experimental.

Format: Digital,CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Norwegian project Are Mundal has been active since the ’90 and are releasing new stuff on an irregular basis.

Content: This work is featuring 2 extended cuts. The work is clearly conceived as a Soundscape or sonic collage. The first cut is more elaborated and diversified featuring freaky, spoken, samplings, electronic sequences and slow rhythms. The second cut is into pure Soundscape.

+ + + : I really like the first cut which is well-crafted and more accessible by the slow cadence and samplings. This track reminds me a bit of early, Experimental, work of The Klinik. I also have to say a word about the cool artwork from the vinyl format which is also including prints of artwork by the artist.

– – – : The second track left me rather unmoved for its more explicit Experimental approach. This cut would be more interesting when getting joined by visual work.

Conclusion: A dark and mysterious sonic travel which will appeal for Experimental lovers.

Best songs: “Kreis Part 1”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: https://aremundal.blogspot.com

Label: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090986418512

Vidna Obmana – Dante Trilogy / Tremor – Spore – Legacy (Album – Zoharum)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 19:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Tribal, Cinematic, Experimental.

Format: Digital, 3CD.

Background/Info: Polish Zoharum label moves on re-releasing albums from Vidna Obmana’s back catalog. Belgian artist Dirk Serries started this legendary project in the 80s and the “Dante Trilogy” belongs to the latest productions of the project. “Tremor” 2001), “Spore” (2002) and “Legacy” (2002) were originally released as separate albums by Relapse Records. Zoharum brings this trilogy now together in a massive, single, and remastered, work.

Content: There clearly is a connection between the 3 records. The albums can be described as an offspring between Dark-Ambient and Cinematic music with Tribal rhythms on top. Serries mixed electronics together with real instruments like overtune flutes, percussion, guitar, ebow harmonics, dreampipe ao. Several guest artists also contributed to a few tracks on the different albums. One of the most renowned artists was Marc Verhaeghen (The Klinik) who played trumpet on a song featured at “Spore”.

+ + + : This trilogy remains to me the most accessible and best work ever composed by Vidna Obmana. The artist composed a very unique sound experience which you can’t compare to any other artist. He brought genres together creating his own style and sound DNA. The slow rhythms definitely inject something special while the mysterious atmospheres created by overtone flutes were just like the red line throughout this trilogy. Sometimes anguishing and characterized by a strongly inhibited approach this work still sounds accurate today. It’s really great to see this trilogy being released as one album featuring a great, artistic, digipak. Zoharum did a great work on this.

– – – : The single reproach I would make is the rather repetitive and predictable sound which comes true after a while.

Conclusion: Back to the mysterious sound of Vidna Obmana which found its apotheosis by this magic, conceptual, trilogy.

Best songs: “Mindtunnel”, “The Seeker And The Spell” + Skin Strip”, “Beyond The Shaman”, “Resonant Gore” + “Bloodshift”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.dirkserries.com / www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063709950512

Label: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum

Liebknecht – Fabrikat (Album – Ant-Zen)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: IDM, Dark-Techno, EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Daniel Myer (Huajobb, Architect ao) and Rinaldo Bite (Static Sky) know each other from Destroid. For a few years they set up Liebknecht and released noticeable high-tech productions. “Fabrikat” is a fine selection of songs from different releases.

Content: The sound universe of Liebknecht is an ultra-elaborated production mixing IDM and Dark-Techno vibes together while other influences like Acid, EBM and even Dubstep can be heard now and then. Most of the tracks are instrumentals but from time to time you’ll notice pitched, sampled (?), vocals. The last song is a remix by Syrte while we next get 3 remixes Liebknecht made for other artists (cf. Black Asteroid, Inhalt and the great Heckmann).

+ + + : I consider Liebknecht as one of the most sophisticated and intelligent Electronic projects from the past few years. They already made a great impression by the different edits of “Produkt”-album plus their different EP’s. You now get some of their finest tunes assembled featuring a true sonic symbiosis between Dark-Techno and intelligent/minimal Electronics. It resulted in different outstanding songs made by retro-elements and the magic of analogue gear. The simple fact they made a remix for Thomas P. Heckmann is the ultimate confirmation from this project’s potential.

– – – : The work doesn’t bring really new stuff and that’s maybe a pity as I really want to discover more music from this duo. The remixes they made for other projects are the less convincing pieces from this opus.

Conclusion: When danceable vibes and Electronic sound intelligence have been mixed together you simply get one of the finest projects from the contemporary Electronic underground scene: Liebknecht!

Best Songs: “Oberhausen”, “Barcelona”, “Essex”, “Voula”, “Klinik Michiels V2”, “Rhodos”.

Rate: 9.

Artist: www.facebook.com/LiebknechtOfficial

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

Scarecrow – Black Door (EP – Infacted Recordings)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: EBM, Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: This EP brings us back to 1989. Scarecrow was a German duo set up by ‘Regan Eracs’ and ‘Sevren Ni-Arb’. “Black Door” was the single, official, Scarecrow work released on ZYX Records. They quickly changed the name into X Marks The Pedwalk which became one of the greatest EBM formations during the 90s.

Content: You definitely recognize the late 80s EBM sound which was dark and even tormented and featuring harsh vocals -however there’s one instrumental song featured. You clearly recognize the early X Marks The Pedwalk sound while it for sure will appeal for lovers of The Klinik and Skinny Puppy.

+ + + : The title song remains a great piece of late 80s EBM. The bass line, the rhythm and the anguishing vocals have something magic. It sounds retro-like and yet timeless. Among both songs left, I also want to mention “Revolting Silence” which sounds a bit similar.

– – – : This EP has already been re-released several times and it would have been cool to discover previously unreleased songs and/or edits but I guess there are none.

Conclusion: Scarecrow clearly had something special which would later on emerge in the X Marks The Pedwalk discography; this EP is part of EBM history!

Best songs: “Black Door”, “Revolting Silence”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.x-mtp.com / www.facebook.com/xmarksthepedwalk

Label: www.infacted-recordings.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Infacted-Recordings/124099254321690

Solitary Experiments – Transcendent (Album – Out Of Line)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 08:00:00 +0000

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

Format: Digital, DCD & 3CD.

Background/Info: “Transcendent” is the eighth studio album by Berliner group Solitary Experiments. The album features an extra disc with remixes and guest singers while there’s also an extra disc available -which is an audio book.

Content: The main disc features 10 songs in the purest and unique tradition of the band. The Electro sound remains always catchy and danceable but still featuring ‘evil’ or call it darker parts. So there’s a song featuring Dirk Ivens (Dive, The Klinik, Absolute Body Control). But there’s also a totally evasive song featuring Elena Alice fossi (Kirlian Camera, Spectra*Paris) reminding me of an imaginary mix between Delerium and Push.

The bonus disc features a few more guest singers. Among others you’ll discover songs with Patrik Hansson (Vanguard, Uncreated), Gabriella Aström (Me The Tiger) and Nina De Lianin (In Strict Confidence) while remixes have been accomplished by Supreme Court, Rob Dust, Grendel, MC1R, Run Level Zero, Controlled Fusion and Massiv In Mensch.

+ + + : Solitary Experiments remains an established name in Germany and according to me is still recognized enough abroad. The band however remains a great project when it comes to combining danceable vibes, melodies, darkness and Pop singing. The addition of Dirk Ivens and Elena Alice Fossi as guest singers accentuates the diversity of the album. I’ve been impressed by the somewhat Dance/Trance “The Great Unknown” featuring Elena Alice Fossi. Another great piece is “Self-Fulfilling Prophecy” which clearly sounds as a potential hit. Other noticeable cuts are “Wonderland” and “Heart Of Stone” but also the menacing sphere running through “Zeitgeist” featuring Dirk Ivens. The bonus disc brings a nice extra with more guest singers and a great selection of remixers.

– – – : You can’t really blame Solitary Experiments for holding onto their sound which hasn’t changed throughout the years however the initial magic is a bit gone.

Conclusion: Solitary Experiments stands as an established value; you’ll be never disappointed as they’ve an imaginary qualitative label!

Best songs: “The Great Unknown”, “Self-Fulfilling Prophecy”, “Wonderland”, “Heart Of Stone”, “Zeitgeist”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.solitaryexperiments.de / www.facebook.com/solitaryexperiments

Label: www.outofline.de / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

Flint Glass – Azathoth (Album – Ant-Zen)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Ambient-Electro, IDM, Cinematic.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: After numerous collaborative productions and split-albums French artist Gwenn Trémorin strikes back with a new studio album of his sonic alter-ego Flint Glass. The album is also available on vinyl from Sealt (Russia). The work is the second chapter of a trilogy based upon H.P. Lovecraft’s “Cthulhu myth”.

Content: Flint Glass is not an artist who’s easy to catch and that’s mainly because of complex sound and writing. Numerous influences have been mixed together creating an imaginary soundtrack devoted to the genius of Lovecraft. From Klinik-al sequences to pure Ambient Electro-darkness to IDM to Experimental parts to Tribal sequences, the work covers an impressive sound canvas.

+ + + : Gwenn Trémorin is an artist who no longer has to prove his talent, but it’s just a pity he isn’t more recognized for his genius. You can’t define his music as one particular genre, but he simply collects genres and influences to create his own sound devoted to H.P. Lovecraft. I like the sound intelligence and poignant atmospheres emerging from this creation, which leads to an absolute climax on “The Troubler Of The Sands”.

– – – : This is the kind of record you have to listen to a few times before you totally get into it. It’s not the most accessible production, but I guess it’s not made to entertain a wider audience.

Conclusion: A sophisticated, diversified and fascinating production once more confirming the visionary style of Flint Glass.

Best songs: “The Troubler Of The Sands”, “The Nameless Mist”, “Xexanoth”, “Nyctelios”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/FlintGlass

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

Matter – Refrattario (Album – Subsidence)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 07:00:00 +0000

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

Format: Digital, Cassette.

Background/Info: Fabrizio Matrone has already released several productions under the Matter moniker on different recognized labels such as Ant-Zen, Kvitnu, Soviet Media Control, Le Petit Machiniste ao. “Refrattation” features eight tracks released on Matrone’s own label.

Content: Both last albums released by Ant-Zen revealed an explicit Industrial-Trance approach which is a bit gone with this new work. The composition brings different influences together. Taking off a Klinik-al way with dark noises in the background, the next cuts are mixing Industrial sound treatments together with dark atmospheres. You now and then will vocal passages. Repetitive loops remind us of the transcendental effect of previous works.

+ + + : Matter doesn’t exactly repeat itself but seems a project in constant evolution. The composition is meticulously built up revealing a true sonic arsenal. I like the uplifting effect of the Industrial loops. The opening piece “Inerte” is a great cut but I also recommend “Ostinato” and “Distanza”.

– – – : Speaking for myself the album “Primitive Forms” (2018) remains an absolute reference and I honestly miss this sensation at the new work. This is more Experimental like and less accessible.

Conclusion: Matter moves on taking its audience by surprise, having achieved a dark and diversified work.

Best songs: “Inerte”, “Ostinato”, “Distanza”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.matters.it / www.facebook.com/matter.it

Label: www.facebook.com/subsidence.rec

Kotra – Radness Methods (Album – Prostir)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Mon, 02 May 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Ukrainian Dmytro Fedorenko has been active for numerous years now. He has been involved with different projects -you for sure know Cluster Lizard but is mainly releasing his work under the Kotra moniker. This new work is inspired by ‘ancient ideas of ritual drum music and rhythmic meditation techniques’.

Content: Kotra deals with a very personal sound which is mixing Industrial influences together with icy, electronic sound treatments. The coldness of the sound has something remixing me to The Klinik. I also noticed a few Experimental aspects. All tracks are instrumentals.

+ + + : The album reveals 7 songs which is a magical number in alchemy. And this work has something of alchemy in the way Fedorenko manipulates sounds and noises creating an incredibly unique, icy sound. The sounds have something metallic on top which makes it only sound colder. The Industrial rhythms inject power while accentuating the global darkness of the production. I like the minimalism of this production resulting in brilliant songs. I also have to say a word about the sober but intriguing artwork which is totally matching with the music.

– – – : The Experimental touch isn’t my favorite element of the work but it sounds in the background of the total production.

Conclusion: Kotra is based in Berlin (Germany) which remains a visionary city when it comes to music and that’s an aspect -next to the artist’s talent, you simply feel emerging at this work.

Best songs: “Phase Transitions”, “Assemblage Tremor”, “The Virtue Of Consistency” “Quantum Presence”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: https://kotra.org.ua / www.facebook.com/kotra.artist

Label: https://prostir.art / www.facebook.com/prostir.art

Brainquake – Excess Denied (Album – Mahorka)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Electro, EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Belgian Marc Ceulemans has released a second album in 2021, which now has been released on the Bulgarian label Mahorka.

Content: Brainquake holds on its heavy Industrial sound treatments empowered by a raw, metallic atmosphere. But the tracks also feature slow EBM influences and some Electro-Minimal passages. The vocal parts have been produced in a rather ghost-like way, which is totally complementary with the darkness of the work. The last song features guest vocals by Humanfobia.

+ + + : Brainquake didn’t change its global approach and influences although this album sounds a bit different to its predecessor “A Fronte Praecipitium, A Tergo Lupi”. I however like the familiar cold atmospheres and raw sound treatments empowered with pure Industrial elements. “The Number 12” is a great piece, which has something Klinik-al, but I won’t make further comparisons. “Static” is another attention grabber for its sound treatments.

– – – : Some tracks aren’t always accessible for a wider audience, but Brainquake is definitely more suited for a restricted number of listeners. The global sound production can eventually be improved.

Conclusion: Brainquake definitely sounds as something different and apart from the rest of the scene; somewhere between Industrial and Dark-Electro.

Best songs: “The Number 12”, “Static”, “Humanfobia”, “Red Sprites”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/brainquake.music

Label: www.facebook.com/mahorka.org

Click Interview with Instans: ‘Trying To Be Perfect Tends To End Up As Self-Censorship’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 18:00:00 +0000

After the previous album “Derailed” released in 2017, it seemed that there were no further plans for Instans. Luckily the Swedish project driven by Fredrik Djurfeldt has been reactivated and this year released a new album entitled “Trans Sector Hyperdrive”. The work released on Advoxya Records reveals a new opus filled with Minimal-Electro, which has been defined as ‘Neo-EBM’. The sound is miles away from EBM standards, which makes the album original, but also very efficient. I should say a great work, which also proves it’s still possible to remain creative in the rather conservative EBM scene. I talked about the album with Fredrik.

(Picture credits by Bengt Rahm / Interview courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: “Trans Sector Hyperdrive” has been released a few months ago now so how do you look back at the album with hindsight? What are the main points of satisfaction?

Fredrik: I am quite happy with it, almost proud. I have always liked making thematic albums, and this time I decided the space race with all of it´s broken promises urgently needed to be dealt with. When I grew up, back in the 80´s, we were lead to believe that by the year 2000 everyone could travel to the moon and stuff like that. They lied to us, and now we are told how by 2030 anyone who really wants to will be able go on vacation on Mars. Same old story, and it is still a lie. This album is my reaction to it, and I think it came out the way I intended it.

Q: What have been the triggers to start composing this album? And how did the writing- and production process happened?

Fredrik:Fact is, Instans was meant to be dead by now. When we played at Front Fabrik Festival in Poland three years ago, we had planned for that to be the end. Then Dima, the brains and muscle behind Advoxya Records, somehow managed to kick me back into gear. We made up plans for nine shows in Russia and five in the United States, and I wrote half the album before lockdowns and travel bans came into effect. I completely lost motivation, and abandoned the project until Dima again kicked me into gear.

So there was a phase one, and a phase two. First, I enthusiastically wrote a bunch of tracks, then lockdowns, and then I wrote the rest of the album. The positive side effect of not playing live at all during phase two, is that I wrote slower tracks that I probably would not have otherwise.

Q: Are you a perfectionist? What are your personal criteria to say a song/album is finished?

Fredrik:I won’t not say perfectionist, no. Trying to be perfect tends to end up as self-censorship, and censorship is never a good thing. I tend to work the other way around, actually. First, I spend two or three hours working on the track. Then, some time later, I will go back and spend another hour working on it and it is usually done. In my experience, more work tends to ruin the track. There are of course exceptions from that rule, but it is the general idea.

I would also like to quote Steve Albini from his famous latter to Nirvana: ‘If an album takes more than a week to make, someone is fucking up.’

Q: Instans is a solo-project although for “Trans Sector Hyperdrive” you asked a few guests to join in. Tell us a bit more about these collaborative tracks and the input of Peter Mastbooms aka ‘Borg’ and Jonas Fredriksson?

Fredrik: Both are good friends and we have been working together in other ways over the years. I am a full time member of ALVAR, and so I have been working actively with Jonas since 2014.

Borg and I have been playing the same venues many times over the years, him with The Juggernauts and The Klinik, and me with Boar Alarm, Alvar, Severe Illusion and No Sleep By The Machine. In the case of Borg, I found it particularly interesting to have a JUGGERNAUT perspective for one of the tracks, considering the overall theme of my album.

Q: The sound of INSTANS remains characterized by a minimal EBM approach, which isn’t comparable to any other EBM formation. I dare to say a band with an own sound-DNA! What makes this atypical EBM-sound and what’s your perception of contemporary EBM?

Fredrik: My first attempt at song writing was probably when I was four or five years old, that is when I could reach up from the floor to my fathers piano. I am not sure how much that influences me to this day. Then, when I was six or so years old, I started experimenting with left over electronic equipment my father brought home from work. He is a scientist, so the equipment was not meant for music production at all. Still, I was able to make lots of exciting noise with it. That is probably the earliest roots of my music. That is probably also the first time I experienced what 220 Volts through the human body feels like.

Then, when I got my first computer, a Commodore VIC-20, I wrote music with that, or at least I tried. It must have been a nightmare for anyone around at the time, because the sound chip in that machine is really stupid and I had to write the software in Basic. The C64 came after that, and I became a huge fan of Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway and all the others. Again I had to write all the software I needed, but the SID chip is far better, and working with machine language is far, far more exciting. That era was certainly influential on the future sound of Instans.

To be really honest, I don´t listen to much contemporary EBM. I am more fond of older music from when the sound was not so annoyingly perfect, clean and outright boring as is usually the case today. There are still a few bands around, who understands what music is all about, but we seem to be going extinct. Let´s hope the younger generation wakes up to how boring things have become, and start making music more painful again.

Q: What brings the future for Instans and your other projects? Might we expect a new Severe Illusion-album?

Fredrik: The world has changed in some dramatic ways in recent years. It was an ugly place before, for sure. But now, we are seeing repression on a level that will soon make fascism look like a walk in the park. Touring has become near impossible, and that makes it even harder for any independent musicians out there. As long as we accept lockdowns, vaccin passes, and all the other repression that came along with the Scam-demic, things will get progressively worse until live music is a thing of the past for all of us. If we have learned anything from history, it should be that you can not give that kind power to politicians and expect them to ever give it back without a fight. That is the grim question which determines the chances of future releases, and of course not just for me.

That being said, I am very happy with the new Instans album, and I would love to move forward with it now as it is again an active project. I have started the work on a new album by Analfabetism, that I am really excited about. I have made some field recordings at what remains of a weapons factory built in 1620. There, weapons were made for the Swedish army who spent over 100 years, plundering, pillaging and murdering in Western Russia. That will be the sound of the next Analfabetism album.

There are plans for a split-release between my project Boar Alarm, and Ulf Lundblad´s Two Dimensional Skull. Most of the music is ready for that one. We have also been talking about making a new Severe Illusion album, and there is a new label involved in that project. With a little luck, we should start working on it in January.

Tangent Strategy – Revenant (Album – EK Product)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial, EBM, Power-Noise.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Tangent Stratery is the newest signing to EK Product. Based in the US, this Japanese solo-project was set up in 1996 by chd.y. After several productions “Revenant“ is an album that will maybe catch the attention of a wider audience.

Content: The album features 2 parts; brand-new songs and older cuts originally released on EP. The sound is hard to define yet always driven by Electro-Industrial elements. It takes off in a rather Dive style, but rapidly evolves incorporating other influences to the work. You’ll notice EBM bass lines, but still harder cuts coming closer to pure Power-Noise. Some of the older cuts also reveal a colder electro style, which might remind you of Mortal Constraint and The Klinik. On top of it all you’ll discover ghost-like vocals while a few cuts remain instrumental edits.

+ + + : The originality of this project is its atypical approach. It’s much more than simply Industrial music, but a true offspring between Industrial, EBM, Power-Noise, Dark-Electro and even vague Techno and Acid elements. This project is a sonic chameleon, which will however appeal for Industrial lovers. I like the album’s diversity and the spooky produced vocals. The album is a discovery and a true sonic trip in Industrial music. I personally like “Dead Reckoning (Reverse/Action)” for its harder, danceable approach with a kind of Acid sequence on top. In a more Dark-Electro way I recommend “Accept Death” and “Hark! For I Am The Portent Of Misery”; both songs having a strong 90s sound. Last, but not least I also want to mention “And The Lies”, which sounds to me like ‘Industrial Prodigy’.

– – – : The main strength of the album might be also be seen as its weakest spot: a mishmash of influences.

Conclusion: Tangent isn’t really innovating although creating an atypical, original Electro-Industrial sound.

Best songs: “Dead Reckoning (Reverse/Action)”, “Accept Death”, “Hark! For I Am The Portent Of Misery”, “And The Lies”, “Fountain Square”, “The Rising Sun And The Behemoth”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: https://tangentstrategy.net / www.facebook.com/tangentstrategy

Label: www.ekproduct.com / www.facebook.com/EKProduct

Rhys Fulber – Brutal Nature (Album – FR Recordings)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Ambient-Electro, Ambient-Techno.

Format: Digital, CD, 2 Vinyls.

Background/Info: Rhys Fulber (Frontline Assembly, Delerium, Conjure One ao) strikes back with a new album under his own name. He’s now self-releasing his work while previous productions were released by the excellent Sonic Groove. The Canadian producer recorded this album while staying in Canada and getting inspired by nature.

Content: Is it because of the pandemic wherein nightlife and clubbing was restricted and even forbidden for a while or the strength and beauty of nature, but this work sounds more driven by Ambient music. But it’s not pure Ambient as Rhys injected hard, beating kicks, creating a sonic fusion between Techno and Ambient. The work evolved into colder sound treatments, which even have something Klinik-al like. A few tracks feature vocals –which sound more like an extra effect on top of the music. The last cut is something totally different and more into harsh Techno-EBM featuring enraged vocals by Sara Taylor (Youth Code).

+ + + : How many years this artist is now active composing music for different projects? Years indeed, and he rarely repeats himself. That’s exactly what he’s doing again on this album. He holds on to the Techno influences from “Your Dystopia, My Dystopia” while adding a more explicit Ambient touch on top. Rhys Fulber explores the possibilities of Techno music by bringing influences together. But above all he remains a great sound producer, creating outstanding sound treatments with powerful beats and blasting sounds. “Marginalized” and “Pressure” both are great exposures of this work, but I also have to mention the very aggressive “Rogue Minority” and the ultra-violent Techno-Body “Stare At The Sun” featuring the demonic Sara Taylor.

– – – : I can’t say that I prefer this albumover “Your Dystopia, My Dystopia” or “Ostalgia”, but the more explicit ambient approach wasn’t necessary to me.

Conclusion: The ongoing pandemic inspires great artists to release great things; “Brutal Nature” is a perfect title to summarize this visionary work by Rhys Fulber.

Best songs: “Marginalized”, “Pressure”, “Rogue Minority”, “Stare At The Sun”, “Chemical”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist & Label: www.facebook.com/rhys.fulber / www.facebook.com/rhysfulbermusic

Bob Data – States Of No Matter (EP – Sturm)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: IDM, Experimental, Electro.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Bob Data is a side-project of Aleksandrs Oļģerts Bērziņš of Irklis. Last year he released the debut album “The Stars are Fire” and now strikes back with four new songs.

Content: The titles of the EP are somewhat confusing as each title features the same words, but in a different order. The music is quite similar, each track featuring a few differences or different accentuations. Sound-wise Bob Data invites the listener to explore a Minimal-Electro universe carried by slow rhythms. You will now hear a bass line in the forefront while other passages are darker, even a bit Klinik-al right at the end or simply supported with a string creating an Ambient universe.

+ + + : Irklis is a project I’ve always supported for its originality and Bob Data has my support as well, although somewhat different in the creative process. The German musician has a nose for creativity, which he also reveals with his creative –and funny approach in the titles of the songs. I like this work for its Minimalism, which comes close to IDM, but it also has something Cinematographic. The last piece “No Things Matter” is a cool apotheosis, but I also have to mention “Things No Matter” for its irresistible bass line.

– – – : With a little bit more diversity, this work would be a true masterpiece.

Conclusion: Bob Data brings an interesting mix of influences, which will be appreciated by lovers of intelligent and creative Electro underground music.

Best songs: “No Things Matter”, “Things No Matter”, “No Matter Things”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/bob.data.sound

Label: www.sturm.lv / www.facebook.com/sturm.lv

Instans – Trans Sector Hyperdrive (Album – Advoxya Records)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 27 Nov 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: EBM, Minimal-EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Fredrik Djurfeldt strikes back with a new album of his Instans EBM project. Known from his involvement with Severe Illusion, and also the Dark-Ambient project Analfabetism ao it took him four years to achieve the fourth opus of Instans.

Content: Instans stands for Minimal-EBM, which has been also labeled as ‘Neo-EBM’. However you want to label it, the sound is clearly driven by good-old EBM elements, but there’s something very personal running through the production. It sounds a bit ghost-like, the songs not being driven by fast BPMs but by oppressive atmospheres. It sometimes has something pretty Klinik-al-like, but also delicate. One of the songs features Belgian Peter Mastbooms aka ‘Borg’ from The Jüggernauts and live member of The Klinik while another cut is featuring Jonas Fredriksson –who together with Fredrik Djurfeldt is involved with Alvar.

+ + + : I like EBM with such a minimal approach. It creates something different from the classical standards and that’s why the label ‘Neo-EBM’ makes sense. The songs are rather simplistic, but the strength emerges from the sphere and the power of the bass lines. It creates a freaky sensation and especially the second part of the album moves crescendo, “108 Minuter” featuring Jonas Fredriksson is an absolute highlight. But I also have to mention the next song “Monkeys In Space”, which has something Klinik-like. “Död Planet” is a dystopian title for another great piece of minimalism and “Space 1999” featuring Juggernaut Borg is also worthy of examination.

– – – : The atypical EBM format might be less convincing for die-hard fans, but I don’t see real minus points here.

Conclusion: Instans holds on to this minimal taste for a different –and creative EBM format. Respect!

Best songs: “108 Minuter”, “Monkeys In Space”, “Död Planet”, “Space 1999”, “The Eagle Never Landed”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/Instans

Label: www.advoxya-records.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Advoxya-Records/265765706059

W056 – Twilight Ritual "1982-2021" by Wave Records

Belgian cult darkwave act Twilight Ritual compiled on ‘1982-2021’, out on Wave Records

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 16:27:44 +0000

Out on September 17 via the fine São Paulo, Brazil based label Wave Records is a ‘best of’ compilation from one of pioneers of Belgian darkwave/coldwave/synthwave, Twilight Ritual. Twilight Ritual was Geert Coppens and Peter Boone who formed the band Autumn in 1981 . By 1982 they named themselves Twilight Ritual and would record 9 albums and 2 singles. In 1985, Peter Boone aka Chrismar Chayell, founded A Split Second with Marc Ickx, and TR would stay as second choice for years.

Geert Coppens and Peter Bonne have been involved in many different projects since, including many different musical styles, e.g Zug Im Veins, Wasteland, New Busters, Linear Movement. They were also behind the 1977 founded Belgian publisher Micrart Group which was also a label and artist management. They released the A Split Second releases but also New Beat compilations such as the cult release “New Beat – Take 1”.

The new Wave Records released compilation holds 34 tracks from 1982 til 2021 and is also available in a limited edition 2CD+DVD with videos (100 copies). A very special and limited fanbox with the ltd edition 2CD+DVD and t-shirt plus stickers and numbered postcard is also available.

An essential release, without them there wouldn’t be Klinik, ABC, and so many other darkwave acts.

Here are already a few tracks to check out.

Irklis – Onkalo (Album – Sturm)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 19:30:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: IDM, Industrial, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Irklis strikes back with their fourth full length album to date. The album was released four years after the great “Aus Dem Ruder”. It seems that the trio has been reduced to a duo, driven by Robin Brüning and Aleksandrs Olgerts Berzins. The title of the album is a Finnish word describing a hiding place used by animals, but it’s also the name for the first final repository for nuclear waste in history.

Content: “Onkalo” features 11 songs moving on the sophisticated electronics of the Latvian formation. The songs are driven by retro sound treatments, which sometimes remind me of The Klinik, but also early Front 242 for the analogue sound treatments. The songs have been supported with dark atmospheres, which sometimes have something pretty Cinematographic. There’s a mix of instrumental tracks and sung ones; the vocals mainly produced in a half spoken way. The last cuts are more evasive while the title-tracks also is the last piece sounding as an outro.

+ + + : What I especially like with Irklis is the global intelligence of the production. This project is mixing great sound treatments together with poignant, dark atmospheres. The Klinik-al touch emerging at “Fahrt Ins Ungewisse”, and “Shine” bring some good-old memories alive. But Irklis has its own sound and approach; there’s a subtle and efficient mix of 80s influences with a contemporary touch on top.

– – – : The title song is nothing more than an outro and honestly not the best cut from this album. “Onkalo” is a great piece of music, but the last 3 songs are a little bit disappointing being a kind of antithesis to the main part of the work.

Conclusion: Irklis remains a great sound experience dealing with creative and sophisticated Electronics.

Best songs: “Fahrt Ins Ungewisse”, “Zintis Issüd”, “Shine”, “Pale”, “Omen”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.irklis.org / www.facebook.com/irklis

Label: http://sturm.lv /www.facebook.com/sturm.lv

Absolute Body Control – A New Dawn (EP – Wool-E Tapes, Mecanica, Noise Democracy)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 12 Jun 2021 18:00:00 +0000

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

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl, Cassette.

Background/Info: Dirk Ivens (Dive, Klinik, Sonar, Motor!k ao) and Eric Van Wonterghem (Monolith, Sonar, Insekt ao) have known each other for quite a long time and began making music together in 1980 as Absolute Body Control. The Belgian band hasn’t released that much new stuff in quite a long time, but are now back on track unleashing six new tracks, which have been released in different formats by different labels.

Content: “Waving Goodbye” is the opening track, which reminds me of the early years and probably the biggest hit of the duo, “Is There An Exit?”. There’s a similar icy sphere and vintage sound treatments with Ivens’ very own timbre of voice on top. This is Electro-Wave from the good-old days and both artists perfectly know how to bring this unique atmosphere alive. The songs are short, dark and evasive, but sometimes also pretty Experimental. There also is a short instrumental cut.

+ + + : Absolute Body Control takes us back in time, like bringing the 80s back to life and no one else but Absolute Body Control knows how to emulate this unique sphere. The typical sound of the good-old rhythm box and cold strings are pure 80s like. The main strength of the production hides in its simplicity. “Waving Goodbye” is a really great song, but I also have to mention “Earth Takes A Break”.

– – – : Some of the tracks are more Experimental and aren’t exactly my favorites. If you buy the vinyl you’ll hear a great A side and 3 less convincing cuts on the B side.

Conclusion: It’s good to see Absolute Body Control striking back with their pure retro driven Minimal-Electro-Wave style.

Best songs: “Waving Goodbye”, “Earth Takes A Break”, “Empty Cities”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/AbsoluteBodyControl

Labels: www.facebook.com/Wool.E.Tapes / www.mecanica-records.com / www.facebook.com/mecanicarecords / www.noisedemocracyrecords.com / www.facebook.com/NoiseDemocracyRecords

Brainquake – A Fronte Praecipitium, A Tergo Lupi (Album – Camembert Electrique)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 19:00:00 +0000

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

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Belgian Brainquake project has been driven by Marc Ceulemans since the late 80s – and who has been involved with countless projects, Psych Krist Kastrator being probably the most renowned. This new album features six songs.The Latin title can be translated as ‘a precipice in front, wolves behind’…

Content: Marc Ceulemans has great experience with Industrial- and related music genres. It remains an important basis in the composition of this new work, but you also will notice Dark-Electronic sequences reminding me of the atmosphere of The Klinik. The tracks have a retro feeling, which also comes through in the icy leads. The songs are instrumental edits –sometimes mixed with spooky samplings, which have been progressively built up and are all moving in between 6 and 9 minutes.

+ + + : I’m impressed by the creative spirit of the artist who after all these years and an endless number of releases, still has this creative fire to compose great music. It’s a unique production although featuring familiar influences. I especially like the phenomenal icy leads running through “Vae Soli” and “Deiecta Oculus”. Production wise I also have to mention the opening track “Fata Obstant” featuring overwhelming sound blasts and great stereo effects.

– – – : The single deception about this work is the last track, which is less inspired, more sounding like an outro.

Conclusion: This is a great and artistic underground production, which definitely deserves a wider attention. Rough and intelligent Industrial music with a retro-futuristic approach.

Best songs: “Vae Soli”, “Deiecta Oculus”, “Fata Obstant”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/brainquake.music

Label: www.facebook.com/camembertelec

Noise Unit announces first new album in over 15 years: ‘Deviator’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Sun, 09 May 2021 23:21:00 +0000

Front Line Assembly’s Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber have just announced “Deviator”, the first new Noise Unit record in over 15 years. The duo will release the new album on Toronto-based Artoffact Records on double vinyl, CD digipak, and digital formats.

The new album features exclusive artwork by Dave McKean (see below), and one of the announced tracks is a collaboration with KMFDM / PIG vocalist Raymond Watts. The first single to drop from the record is “Body Aktiv”.

About Noise Unit

Noise Unit was founded by Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly as a side project. The project has seen several changes in line-up, with Bill Leeb being the only permanent member.

Noise Unit’s first album, “Grinding into Emptiness”, for instance arose from the collaboration between Leeb and Marc Verhaeghen of Belgian industrial band Klinik. It was released in 1989 through Wax Trax! and Antler-Subway. The 1990 album “Response Frequency” included Rhys Fulber. While Verhaeghen left Noise Unit for several years, Fulber remained with the band for the next three releases. Verhaeghen resumed his collaboration with Noise Unit for the 1996 album “Drill”, which also featured members of German industrial band Haujobb.

After an eight-year hiatus, Leeb teamed with former Front Line Assembly member Chris Peterson in 2004 to release “Voyeur” in 2005. Jason Filipchuk and Michael Balch also contributed to the album.

‘Click Interview’ with Seven Trees: ‘Trying To Break Patterns And Challenge Ourselves’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 06 May 2021 17:00:00 +0000

There’s a hiatus of twenty four years between Seven Trees’ debut album “Embracing The Unknown” (1997, Zoth Ommog) and their new opus “Dead/End” released on Progress Productions. Johan Kronberg and Henrik Karlsson both remain the single members on board. It’s not an easy thing to label their music, but it sounds to me as the offspring between The Klinik, Project Pitchfork and Front Line Assembly. You never got the feeling this band has stopped composing music for such a long time; “Dead/End” has something retro-like, but still personal and featuring multiple great songs. I talked about it all with Henrik Karlsson.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: When evoking SEVEN TREES people are always getting back to your debut album “Embracing The Unknown” released in 1997 by Zoth Ommog. What did this album and the fact it was released by Zoth Ommog mean to you and what has been its further impact on your career?

Henrik: It meant a lot to us; it was the perfect label to be on at the time, and we got a lot of exposure. People seem to really like that album, which is equally important for a career in music; it acts as a mental booster for future compositions. Also, our tour with MENTALLO & THE FIXER most likely had an impact.

As for today… I think signing with a prominent label like Progress Productions most likely strengthened the interest in the first ‘come back’ release, the “Trauma Toxicity”-EP. Finally, the expanded re-release of “Embracing The Unknown” in Infacted’s “Classixx”-series was definitely very important too.

Q: There’s a hiatus of 24 (!) years between the debut album and your new opus “Dead/End”. Do you feel it’s still the same band with a similar approach and perception about music or is this something totally different? What are the most noticeable changes & evolutions?

Henrik: We have put a lot of effort into developing our sound to a more modern soundscape, while at the same time leaning towards the more old-school Dark-Electro. We still have the same visions for SEVEN TREES, while at the same time trying to break patterns and challenge ourselves. I think this is quite evident if comparing the EP and the new album, which has a more carefully considered neater production.

Q: Over now to “Dead/End”. What kind of album is it all about and did you’d specific ideas in mind about sound and production? In which way is there a connection between “Dead/End” and the “Trauma Toxicity”-EP from 2017?

Henrik: There is quite a strong connection, despite the differences in production. They both deal a lot with for example the consequences of being subjected to extensive and prolonged trauma. With the EP we were trying out our grounds, see how we wanted the ‘new’ SEVEN TREES to sound. It’s a very dark EP. When working on the new album we felt like we wanted to do something even darker, especially when it came to the lyrics, all the while making that work with our ‘new’ sound. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. We did not plan for a specific production, it came naturally as we were working on the album.

Q: I was just asking you about the ‘sound’ of SEVEN TREES, which according to me is hard to label, being more a kind of sonic osmosis between different music genres. What does it say about your potential sources of inspiration and do you handle specific criteria and/or references when it comes to writing and production?

Henrik: We don’t have much of criteria at all, except for that we will stay in the Dark-Electro realm. Also, we don’t really like doing club tracks or similar, it’s just not our thing. Honestly as for genre, we don’t really know where to place us either, but people say Dark-Electro so I guess that’s what we do.

We’re both very broad in our taste in music; my favorite band is PLACEBO, and Johan listens quite a bit to Black-Metal. We grew up on Electronic music of various kinds, but eventually broadened our horizons. We both listen to a lot of Electronic stuff nowadays too though, but varying it with other genres.

As for lyrics I draw inspiration from for example Brian Molko and Robert Smith, while incorporating my own style of writing.

Q: “Dead/End” is an intriguing title for lyrical themes, which are clearly evoking despair, disillusion… which can be summarized with one of your songs: dystopic illusions! What did you try to express and what does it reveal about your perception of life and society?

Henrik: Funny you should ask, because this particular song is something we’ve never done before, it’s very different from the other tracks on the album (the lyrics). It is very political, something I never thought we’d do, but with everything that was going on last year over here I guess I felt like trying it out. I wanted to do it in a rather cryptic way though, so it might not be very obvious. There’s quite the pitch black worldview in that song, and I guess in most of the other tracks too.

Q: What are the further plans and especially considering we’re actually going through this ongoing pandemic? Dystopia became reality don’t you think?

Henrik: Yeah, it certainly did. It’s been a crazy year, and it’s been tough for us all, especially being isolated, and to exercise every precaution to not get Covid. May this nightmare end soon! As for further plans, we do have a release coming up, but I can’t say anything about it yet.

UrZon – Gone Native (Album – UrZon)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 02 May 2021 19:30:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Experimental, Abstract.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: UrZon is a Belgian project based in Antwerp and driven by Kolja Aasgier. This self-released new work has been introduced as the artist’s ‘love for industrial EBM like Numb, Skinny Puppy, FLA, CLock DVA, CV and Dive/Klinik’.

Content: Regarding the aforementioned bands and sources of inspiration I expected an album driven by EBM and Dark-Electro. I discovered a more Abstract and hardly Industrial-inspired sound instead. The overture has something chaotic while the next track is driven by Industrial elements with vocals on top. The tracklist also reveals some Tribal passages, but the Industrial- and Experimental approach both remain the main styles to define the sound of UrZon.

+ + + : What I especially like in UrZon’s album is the rather personal style and approach. It’s an industrial-driven composition, now personalized with Tribal passages and next with Minimalism. “Down” is one of the most noticeable cuts featuring this Minimal touch. The last track “Win The Day” is another noticeable cut driven by broken, crashing beats and repetitive sequences.

– – – : I can’t get away from the feeling this album has been accomplished with not a lot of equipment. There’s nothing wrong with that, but globally speaking the production suffers from a lack of elaboration. Despite the personal approach I’m not sure to completely seize the essence of this work and its sound.

Conclusion: I probably expected much more from this album because of the revealed sources of inspiration. I think there’s still a way to go to reach a similar level.

Best songs: “Down”, “Win The Day”, “Werewolf Moshpit”.

Rate: (6).

Artist: www.facebook.com/UrZon93

’30 Years Of Journalism – Celebration Interview’ with Johan Van Roy (Suicide Commando): ‘I Probably Will Continue Writing Music Till I Drop Dead’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 02 May 2021 17:00:00 +0000

Back in 1991 I started writing my first reviews for Side-Line magazine. I would have never thought to go on writing reviews and making interviews non-stop for 30 years. So 2021 is a special year to me, a kind of ‘celebration year’. I got the idea to celebrate this special event by interviewing people from the scene who all have a special meaning to me. I met Johan Van Roy even before I wrote my first review. He was busy composing music under the SUICIDE COMMANDO moniker. I liked the dark and tormented atmosphere of his early demos, which were reminding me of THE KLINIK. I got the chance singing on one of his early songs and we even set up together a music project. SUICIDE COMMANDO became one of the absolute leading formations from the Dark-Electro scene, playing as headliner at big festivals, selling thousands of albums and having an impressive word-wide fan base. Beyond the successful career hides an humble person. No star attitude, but an accessible and kind man who simply remains himself.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Thirty five years ago now you started experimenting with Electronic music while setting up SUICIDE COMMANDO. What incited you back in 1986 to experiment with electro sounds and noises? How did that happened and what equipment did you use?

Johan: I grew up in the early 80s with the in that time booming New-Wave scene, listening to bands like THE CURE, SISTERS OF MERCY, but also more Electronic sounding bands like DEPECHE MODE or FAD GADGET … It was because of these bands that my love for Electronic music started. Not much later I discovered bands like THE NEON JUDGEMENT, FRONT 242 and THE KLINIK (in those days these bands even got airplay on national radio stations like BRT…).

These bands had such a big impact on me that I also wanted to start making Electronic music. And so I bought my first keyboard back in summer 1986, the now legendary Roland SH101, not much later added with 2 drum machines, the Boss DR110 Dr. Rhythm and the Boss DR220E.

Very limited gear, but in those days very expensive equipment, so it wasn’t that obvious to buy more equipment. For example samplers were extremely expensive and even with a sampler you only could record a few seconds of sound…

Q: People maybe don’t realize it took you years and a lot of patience plus perseverance to get some recognition. I get the impression you couldn’t maybe directly break through because of a lack of equipment. As you said, electronic equipment was very expensive and there weren’t the same facilities as today. How do you look back at this period regarding equipment, the multiple cassettes you released, the first compilation features etc?

Johan: It obviously were totally different times, not just only because of the cost and the lack of equipment, as I already mentioned before. But there also wasn’t any social media, so that means it took way longer to get your music spread around. Everything still had to be done by post, so things took much longer then nowadays.
Today’s possibilities are unlimited, but nonetheless I don’t regret I had to start this way. It gave you much more freedom and time to work on music. You also had to be way more innovative and inventive to create and write music. Today almost everything is already canned, get yourself a PC and some music software and in one day you can write yourself a complete album …

Many bands had to start like I did, writing music with very limited gear and releasing it on tape… bands like FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, NITZER EBB… all started this way.
It also gave me time to improve and create my own style, something I do lack in today’s music scene.
So I definitely look back at it with pleasure.

Q: You became involved with LESCURE 13, which in a way -and right in the beginning became more recognized than SUICIDE COMMANDO. I was even sure LESCURE 13 would even become the Belgian ‘next big thing’, but it finally didn’t happen that way. How comes and what do you keep in mind from the LESCURE 13 experience?

Johan:I don’t think that SUICIDE COMMANDO was less recognized, but it was much harder to get the same recognition if you don’t do live shows, and I think that was the main reason why LESCURE 13 got picked up faster. Initially I never really planned on doing live shows with SUICIDE COMMANDO, but as our first live show with LESCURE 13 at the legendary Side-Line festival at ‘VK’ in Brussels became such a success, it convinced me to start doing live shows with SUICIDE COMMANDO as well. So in a way Side-Line is to blame for that 🙂

It was fun doing LESCURE 13 with Stefan Bens (STIN SCATZOR), but since SUICIDE COMMANDO got more and more successful in the years after, I got less and less time to focus on LESCURE 13, so on the long run the combination became too difficult and stressful for me. I’ll never forget our very first live show with LESCURE 13 in Brussels.

Q: I got the privilege to start another project with you, which was TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME. How do you look back at this experience and a few other side-projects like DB.F and KOMBAT UNIT?

Johan:I enjoyed doing them all, but just like with LESCURE 13, time became the biggest problem. The combination of doing music with SUICIDE COMMANDO + work + family just became too time consuming and stressful.

But like I said, I enjoyed doing all these side projects. As SUICIDE COMMANDO was my solo-project I enjoyed working together with others from time to time, even though it requires a different approach.

With LESCURE 13 we still do some live shows now and then, and also KOMBAT UNIT with Jan (NOISUF-X, X-FUSION) never really stopped, but it’s all just a matter of time.

Doing TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME was fun too, but in the end you have to make choices and set priorities, but I look back at it with lots of pleasure.

Q: The split-album/compilation “Induktion, Varianz Und Deren Folgen” released by Stefan Herwig on his early label Kugelblitz in 1993 made things change! Suddenly more people were discovering SUICIDE COMMANDO! How important was this compilation in the career and development of SUICIDE COMMANDO? And how important was Stefan Herwig who finally brought you to join his Off Beat label?

Johan: Oh, for sure this was a career changer and I’m sure that without Stefan Herwig, SUICIDE COMMANDO never would have become as big as today. I already knew Stefan Herwig for a few years after he discovered SUICIDE COMMANDO through my tapes released on the German ZNS tapes label, so when Stefan started his own label with Kugelblitz Records he soon invited me to join on his “Induktion, Varianz Und Deren Folgen” split-CD.

Not much later Stefan started working for the rising Off Beat label and so he was able to get me in there as well… and the rest is history I guess.

I’m aware I was pretty lucky, being at the right place at the right time I guess… so yes, without Stefan my career would have looked totally different I guess.

Q: SUICIDE COMMANDO was often compared to THE KLINIK, which has been one of your main sources of inspiration. What has been the real impact of THE KLINIK and eventually other bands –and maybe music genres, in the development and evolution of SUICIDE COMMANDO till today?

Johan:Well, no need to deny that bands like KLINIK or yet FRONT 242 (and others like THE NEON JUDGEMENT, FAD GADGET, SKINNY PUPPY, NITZER EBB…) had a major impact on me and my music throughout the years. They not only were a major source of inspiration, these bands also were THE main reason why I started doing ‘Electronic’ music in the first place. My older brother was playing guitar so my first steps into the music scene were as a bass player, but when I discovered bands like KLINIK, FRONT 242… a whole new world opened before my eyes (and ears).
Still in 2021 a band like KLINIK remains probably my biggest influence.

Q: You last year celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the “Mindstrip”-album. This production probably became the most successful one in the band’s history, but how do you look back at this album and did it make specific things/aspects changing?

Johan: Not sure if it was my most successful album, but it sure had the biggest impact on my career. We already gained some recognition with the huge success of “See You In Hell” and to a lesser extent “Desire” and “Better Off Dead”, but the release of the “Mindstrip”-album and the “Hellraiser”-single taken from this album certainly brought us to the top of the scene. Again I think Stefan Herwig had a big part in this success as he just started his own division with Dependent Records, gathering bands like COVENANT or VNV NATION… I think SUICIDE COMMANDO certainly benefitted from their success as well.

On top of that I think “Mindstrip” filled a gap between the at that time trending Future- and Synth-Pop acts and the more harder side of the Electro scene which was at a decline at that moment, and therefore “Mindstrip” marked an important milestone in the entire scene. All of a sudden bands started to copy SUICIDE COMMANDO and harsh electro was born. In the next years many bands would jump onto the harsh ‘Electro/Endzeit’ train.

So it not only marked the start of a new subgenre in the Electro scene, it also changed the expectations of the media and the crowd.

My follow up album “Axis Of Evil” was 8 weeks at the top of the at that time highly acclaimed German Alternative Charts (DAC).

Q: You’re organizing an interesting annual ‘SUICIDE COMMANDO poll’ where the fans can choose their favorite songs. In which way is it representative for your personal favorites and what are your favorite songs? And do you’ve some songs, which remained underrated?

Johan: It’s a good representation of what the fans consider the best SUICIDE COMMANDO songs, but that’s about all. It surely doesn’t reflect my personal favorites, even though a few of my personal faves are also in the top 10 of this list.

I’ve always enjoyed doing the more slower and atmospheric songs. A few of them like “God Is In The Rain” or “The Devil” also gained club success, but personal favorites like “Euthanasia” (1998), “Body Count proceed” (2000), “Until We Die” (2010), “Severed Head” (2010), “Repent Or Perish” (2013)… remained under the radar.

Q: SUICIDE COMMANDO became the absolute leading formation from the Dark-Electro scene! I can imagine it’s a deserved recognition for hard work, but what does this ‘status’ really mean to you? What has been the impact of this success on the person hiding behind the artist? In which way did it change your life?

Johan: I don’t think it had that much impact on me personally. I always remained (probably too) humble and down to earth. Of course I’m flattered by this recognition, but compared to some others in this scene, I always kept both feet on the ground. And let’s face it, compared with the mainstream Beyoncé’s and Madonna’s of this world we’re just tiny little dwarfs…lol

Q: Do you know how much SUICIDE COMMANDO-albums have been sold today? What have been the best-sellers?

Johan: With the rise of digital downloads and sales I have no idea anymore of actual physical sales. The market completely changed in the last 2 decades. Physical sales of CD’s completely collapsed and the digital market is so diverse that it’s hard to give any concrete numbers.

On platforms like Spotify… people don’t listen to complete albums anymore, they just pick their favorite songs. Not even sure if complete albums still will be released in 10 years from now…

So it’s hard to compare, I know an album like “Mindstrip” sold over 25.000 physical copies, but it never even reached the official album charts, while my latest 2 albums even made it to a position in the top 20 of the official German album charts, even though their physical sales are way less than the original “Mindstrip”-album for example, simply because digital sales totally took over the market.

Q: Is it possible for an underground artist to earn a living with music? How important is money when you’re a renowned artist?

Johan: Yes, (in non-Covid times!) I think it’s possible for the bigger acts in the underground scene, if you do it properly, which means doing regular live touring + releasing music on a regular base.

But it takes a lot of work, time and devotion. I’m still one of the lucky few who can live from music, but since I have a responsibility towards my wife and kid, I deliberately choose to keep doing a half time job to remain financially safe.

Q: SUICIDE COMMANDO is also a live band with a solid reputation. How important is it for you to play live shows and feel the interaction with the fans?

Johan: I find it very important and I realize it even more at times like these today with the pandemic. I do miss this interaction with the fans and the crowd. It gives so much satisfaction and energy to be on stage and interact with your fans.

Q: Torben Schmidt and Mario Vaerewijck are your long-time live mates. How does it happen when you guys are on tour and what makes the chemistry between you all (and the entire crew)?

Johan: I think we all enjoy it very much to be on the road, in a way it’s also our escape from boring daily work ‘eat-sleep’ routine. A big advantage also is that we’re not a conventional band, I mean, basically SUICIDE COMMANDO is just me doing all the music, so Torben and Mario only join in on stage, so we don’t have to sleep with each other (which does happen sometimes being on tour haha…).

Usually it’s all very easy going when we’re on the road and that keeps things pleasant.

Q: You played at numerous festivals and in very different countries all over the world. Do you see noticeable differences between countries and continents and are there some specific places/venues you would ever like to play?

Johan: There certainly are differences. Not specifically because of the crowd, although we do notice a difference between playing in countries where people hardly ever get to see live bands from other continents (like Mexico or Brazil…) or countries where you can watch the same band every 2 weeks (like Germany …).

The gratitude is bigger in countries where you don’t get to play every month or year. I do notice more differences on the technical level. Clubs and venues usually are much better equipped in Europe then across the ocean. It’s a much bigger challenge to do shows in the US for example, but what counts in the end is the response from the crowd. I can be more satisfied playing in front of 100 people in a dirty basement with a crappy sound system then playing in front of 5000 people, as long as the people had fun I’m happy.

Q: What has been your biggest satisfaction and deception so far?

Johan: I’m overall happy that I could make my biggest passion a big part of my job and life. Music has always been my passion, so I feel privileged that I could make my music my (part time) job and life. I feel privileged that I can share my music and my passion with my fans, that’s probably my biggest satisfaction.

My biggest deception? Hard to say, maybe the fact that it also takes a lot of sacrifices to combine all these things (my daily part time job + music + family + …), it already got me into a severe burn-out few years ago, my knee is fucked up after the accident on stage in the US, my ears are fucked up because of the often too loud music on stages …

Q: A lot of things have changed/evolved since you set up SUICIDE COMMANDO in 1985! What’s your perception about it all and how did you see the scene and entire music business evolving throughout the years?

Johan: Oh for sure many things have changed throughout the years, it’s really been a technological revolution… The technological possibilities became endless, maybe not all for the best though.

We’re living in an ever faster society and that’s even reflected in our music. In 1985 a song had to be 120 bpm maximum, today we’re living at a speed of 135 bpm or more… lol

The rise of the digital media totally killed the CD and vinyl market, but also brought new possibilities, so I also try to see the positive effects of it.
Social media became the new normal and brought music & bands closer to their fans, but also gave us a shallow and resentful society.

So it all has it’s pro and cons… and there’s no way back.

Q: Do you sometimes imagine the end of SUICIDE COMMANDO and are there other things in life you would like to accomplish?

Johan: I don’t think SUICIDE COMMANDO will ever stop. I tried to split several times, but it’s so hard being a one man project…lol. No seriously, I can’t imagine my life without music, so I probably will continue writing music till I drop dead.

Q: What might we expect from SUICIDE COMMANDO for the next few months?

Johan: I’m currently working on a new album, but I don’t want to rush things, so no idea when it will be finished.

I certainly do hope we can start doing live shows again sometime this Summer, so I’m really looking forward to that.
And there might be some more surprises coming up, but wait and see…

Acylum – Kampf Dem Verderb (Album – Alfa Matrix)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 18:30:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD & 2CD.

Background/Info: The German band Acylum driven by Pedro ‘Acylum’ Engel and his partner in crime Nadine ‘Cooraz’ Engel strike back with the first Acylum album in nearly six years! “Kampf Dem Verderb” was introduced last year introduced by the EP “Sieg Oder Walhalla”. The work wants to be a reflection upon the ‘overall bloody atmosphere of hatred, violence, terror and war’.

Content: The return of Acylum is characterized by an extremely dark and tormented sound perception, which totally matches with the ‘concept’ of the album. The songs are constantly driven by harsh, Industrial kicks while similar desolate tunes are supporting the work with darkness. The use of mainly German samplings accentuates the horror of the war vision, but still appears to be provocative. The harsh vocals by Pedro Engel only accentuate the nightmarish atmosphere emerging at the surface of this opus. The main difference with the brilliant and previous album (cf. “Pest”) is that this work sounds less powerful, but more into an atmospheric approach. A few tracks are even harder! One of the most surprising cuts is a new version of “The Enemy” (originally released in 2009 at the same-titled album) and now reworked with the contribution of Nano Infect, Totem Obscura, Viscera Drip, Wolfchild, Xentrifuge and Technogenetika.

The bonus disc from the limited edition is featuring remixes by Suicide Commando, Armageddon Dildos, David Blackstar, Asseptic Room, Ice Ages, Larva, Advent Resilience, Schwarzstern, Project Eratic, Dirty K, Implant, Nano Infect, Aesthetische and Mental Exile.

+ + + : I was eagerly awaiting the sixth album of Acylum and especially after the brilliant “Pest”, which I consider as one of the best Dark-Electro productions from the past ten years. This new work sounds different, which in a way is a good thing, revealing a band which doesn’t want to repeat itself. But the good thing is you rapidly recognize the unique and extremely tormented horror vision emerging from the tracks. Acylum has its own sound DNA, which you’ll instantly recognize. The best cuts however are the hardest ones; “What Do You See?” is my favorite and for sure a song reminiscent of the glorious days of :Wumpscut:. I also have to mention “Violin Of Death” and the already known “Sieg Oder Walhalla”. The idea of reworking “The Enemy” by inviting multiple bands from the darkest Electro scene is a great idea.

Among the remixes I heard different inspired versions, but especially want to pick up Suicide Commando with the very ‘Klinik-al’ remix of “Masquerade”, some club-driven remixes by Armadeggon Dildos and Schwarzstern, the Industrial and instrumental transformation of “Venom” by Dirty K and the phenomenal EBM transposition of “Sieg Oder Walhalla” by Aesthetische. The last remix by Mental Exile is also worthy of examination as they remixed “Sieg Oder Walhalla” into an Electro/Disco-Pop edit.

– – – : I’m missing the power and rage of “Pest” while the melody sounds/tunes are pretty similar to each other. Acylum remains a particular experience, but this not my favorite album!

Conclusion: No doubt about it this harsh and provocative album will catch a wider attention, but I was less impressed. It however remains a particular experience in (h)el(l)ectro music!

Best songs: “What Do You See”, “Violin Of Death”, “Sieg Oder Walhalla”, “Venom – Album Version” + “Sieg Oder Walhalla – Aesthetische Remix”, “Hunter – Armageddon Dildos Remix”, “Schwarzer Adler – Schwarzstern Remix”, “Masquerade – Suicide Commando Remix”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/Acylum.Music

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

Spherical Disrupted – 25 (Album – Audiophob)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 20:30:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Electro-Ambient, IDM, Industrial, Cinematographic, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, 3CD Box.

Background/Info: Mirko Hentrich set up Spherical Disrupted in 1995. He later on became co-owner of Audiophob and moved on releasing new works as Spherical Disrupted, but also still with side-projects like Sick En For and Capsular. “25” is celebration record featuring a new album plus two more discs with remixes and songs that are now released on CD for the very first time.

Content: The first disc “25 (Future)” features 11 new songs, which clearly expose the project’s diversity. There’s a constant mix between genres; moving from freaky Ambient-Electronics to Klinik-al Electro sequences to cinematographic passages to pure Electro-Minimalism to some groovy parts. The major innovation consists of 2 songs featuring guest singers. Tino Claus (TC75, Amnistia, MRDTC) and Jana Komaritsa (Darkrad) have been invited to join in.

The two other discs are titled, “25 (The Past)” bring us back to 25 years of history although a few songs have been previously unreleased (mainly live versions). You’ll also (re)discover songs spherical disrupted has remixed for other artists such as Bloody Dead And Sexy, Experimnetum Crucis, Yipotash, The Trial, Kiew, Mimetic Dancing, The_Empath, Xabec, Mandelbrot and Still Patient?

+ + + : The new album, which stands for “Future” reveals Mirko Hentrich in a good light. The work is accomplished with an impressive arsenal of influences, which I think is pretty characteristic for this project. Spherical Disrupted is not easy to seize and often resulted from a true sonic symbiosis of multiple ideas. I like the haunting atmospheres and icy, ‘klinik-al’ sequences emerging at “Basalt” featuring Tino Claus. “Transneptunian Objects” featuring whispering vocals by Jana Komaritsa is another successful collaboration. I here especially like the atmospheric side of the song. The remixes by Disharmony and especially Wesenberg at the end of the first disc are worthy of examination.

The 2^nd disc features several attention grabbers, but here again I like the variety of influences. From the cold-like and Industrial sounding “Monasteria” to the metallic sound treatments of “Yderligere Oplysninger”, this disc brings some essential –although often forgotten and unknown, pieces back to life. I’m especially fascinated by the icy, analogue sound treatments supported with an anguished sphere.

The 3^rd disc is more diversified and that’s because of the many bands Spherical Disrupted has accomplished remixes for. If there’s one song I would recommend (re)discovering is the Cinematographic rework of Mimetic Dancing’s “Small Spherical”.

– – – : Referring to the new tracks from this album I have to admit I already heard more convincing works from Spherical Disrupted. But as a celebration release this album is a real must have as it’s not a ‘best of’, but a true gift for the fans.

Conclusion: Spherical Disrupted probably is the kind of project you can label as ‘difficult music’ and that’s maybe the reason why this German artist never got a wider recognition. I can only express my respect for 25 years of great music!

Best songs: “Basalt”, “25”, “Basalt – Wesenberg Rework” + “Monasteria”, “Yderligere Oplysninger”, “Cavity block (Not The :W: Master)”, “Solar Luminosity – Terminal Mix” + Mimetic Dancing: “Small Spherical – Extended Nova Stella Mix”, “Kiew: “Zentrifuge – Inertia Mix”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.disrupted.de / www.facebook.com/sphericaldisrupted

Label: www.audiophob.de / www.facebook.com/audiophob

Yura Yura – Substance Noire (Album – Hands)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 20:30:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Industrial-Trance, Rhythmic-Noise, IDM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: French solo-project Yura Yura is driven by Grégory Mousselle. Grégory doesn’t release albums on a regular basis and this third opus comes four years after the excellent “Rumu Namba”. The title is inspired by ‘substantia nigra’, a ganglia structure in the midbrain that is essential to both movement and reward.

Content: The new work sounds in the prolongation of “Rumu Namba”, which already revealed an impressive evolution in the production process. Yura Yura is still animated by a solid Rhythmic-Noise basis, but the tracks are accomplished with more –and complementary, influences such as Trance-structures, sophisticated IDM passages and even an Ambient touch. The album is diversified, moving from ‘classical’ heavy Rhythmic-Noise pieces towards more Electronic cuts. I even noticed some Klinik-al sequences running through “Flesh”. You’ll also notice spoken samplings and I even presume there are a few, rare, real, but manipulated vocals on the aforementioned track.

+ + + : Yura Yura moves on unleashing rough and brutal Industrial music mixed with intelligent Electronics. I especially like the songs with Trance passages (cf. “Shadow”, “Voodoo”), but I’ve been also surprised by the elaborated and more IDM-driven “Flesh”. This song sounds like revealing a hidden side of the musician. In a purer Rhythmic-Noise approach “Brume”, “Undead” and “Kalor” will ravish the die-hard of the genre. Somewhere in between there’s “Hypnasch”, which is a solid opener with a Trance apotheosis.

– – – : The album is for sure the most diversified Yura Yura work to date, which maybe explains it sometimes feels a bit like a mishmash of influences, but I’ve to admit it’s a great mishmash…

Conclusion: Yura Yura has accomplished a new, impressive work mixing different, related influences, but also mixing retro- and contemporary ideas. This is a great piece of music.

Best songs: “Flesh”,“Shadow”, “Voodoo”, “Hypnash”, “Lakrimal”, “Contakt”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/yuraruy

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

Dive – Where Do We Go From Here? (Album – Out Of Line)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 19:30:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Electro-Industrial, Industrial-Ambient.

Format: Digital, CD, Box (CD, Vinyl, Vinyl 7”)

Background/Info: Dirk Ivens (The Klinik, Absolute Body Control, Sonar, Motor!k) is back on track unleashing a new album of his sonic alter-ego Dive! Throughout the years he collaborated with soul mates Eric Van Wonterghem (The Klinik, Absolute Body Control, Sonar, Monolith, Detune-X) and Ivan Iusco (Nightmare Lodge). There also was an album in collaboration with Sigillum S while the previous full length (cf. “Underneath”) also featured Rafael M. Espinosa (Geistform). Dirk this time joined hands together with Jan Dewulf (Your Life On Hold, Diskonnekted, Mildreda). It’s not their first collaboration as Diskonnekted in 2006 released the “Frozen”-EP featuring Dirk Ivens.

Content: It doesn’t really matter with who Dive collaborates with; Dive remains Dive! Driven by an Electro-Industrial sound and the spooky vocals of the artist, this new work is directly linked to the particular ‘dark’ and ‘industrial’ sound of the Belgian sound terrorist. I however have to say that this work is probably the darkest Dive-album ever; you simply can hear it the tormented atmospheres, which became pretty explicit at some more Ambient-driven songs in the midst of the work.

“Underneath” was the most sophisticated Dive work so far, but some tracks from this opus are even moving a step further. The drum patterns from some tracks have never been that complex; even featuring a kind of slow Industrial breakbeats at “Black Star”. This work is filled with anguishing spheres, little sonar bleeps and ‘Klinik’-al’ sequences. Notice by the way, the title song is also an early Suicide Commando track on, which Dirk sung while “Inside Your Head” is an original Monolith-song featuring Dirk as guest singer.

The EP featured at the ‘Box’-edition reveals “EP Versions” of the songs “Inside Your Head” and “Black Star” plus remixes by Numb and Suicide Commando.

+ + + : The “Frozen”-EP from Diskonnekted already was a song that could have been released as Dive, but “Where Do We Go From Here?” confirms there’s a real connection and chemistry between both artists. Jan Dewulf injected a refreshing –although tormented, touch to the Dive sound. It’s the darkest and most disturbing work to date, which is accentuated by 3 more ‘ambient’-driven pieces on, which some background drones are empowering the darkness mixed with Ivens’ spooky vocals. But the best passages clearly are the most danceable cuts like the brilliant opening song “Inside Your Head”, but also “Black Star” driven by an Industrial –although breakbeat inspired, cadence. The minimalism running through “Invisible” is another remarkable cut while the title-song –as the last track, reminds me of good-old Klinik. On top of the production you still will notice the charismatic vocal performance of Dirk Ivens. From the EP-tracks I especially recommend the elaborated remix of “Death Machine” (one of the so-called ‘Ambient’-cuts) by Don Gordon (Numb).

– – – : I’m not as convinced by the softer, Ambient-driven songs. The production of Ivens’ vocals remains absolutely great, but I now and then miss the more enraged, shouting way of singing from the early years. The Suicide Commando–remix from “Leave Me Be” couldn’t convince me; the tune being a bit simplistic and not adding a bonus to the song.

Conclusion: The first self-named Dive album was released in 1990 (!), but 30 years later the Belgian Industrial ‘dino’ is still kicking ass. The collaboration between Ivens and Dewulf opens perspectives for the future!

Best songs: “Inside Your Head”, “Black Star”, “Where Do We Go From Here”, “Invisible”, “Leave Me Be”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.dirkivens.com / www.facebook.com/TheKlinikDiveSonarAbsoluteBodyControl

Label: www.outofline.de / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

Frett – The World As A Hologram (Album – Ant-Zen)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 03 Jan 2021 20:30:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Electro-Industrial, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Behind Frett ishiding Maciek Frett, a Polish artist who you may know from his involvement with Job Karma and 7JK (a collaboration with Matt Howden from Sieben). He’s also organizing festivals in his homeland.

Content: This album is driven by Electronics, which are now pretty minimal and then into Industrial. The songs are meticulously built up, achieved with multiple effects and vocals alternating spooky- and enraged passages. There’re also a few spoken female vocals injecting a cold and sterile touch to the work. The global sphere supporting this work is dark. One of the most Electronic pieces (cf. “Judge”) reminds me a bit of The Klinik.

+ + + : This debut work sounds as a true revelation, but the artist is not a debutant, but an experienced musician. Maciek Frett brought different influences together, creating a perfect electronic osmosis between Industrial-, Experimental-, Minimal- and even Ambient Electronics. The work sounds mainly retro-like, which is mainly because of the sound treatments (analogue equipment has been used). There’s a great dynamic and bombast emerging from the drum sections, creating a cool contrast with the album’s minimal approach. “Isolation” is for sure the absolute masterpiece from this album.

– – – : There’s just one single song that couldn’t convince me and it unfortunately is the last one.

Conclusion: Frett has accomplished a work appealing for all lovers of early Electro-Industrial and Minimal-Electro music, transposing these influences into a refreshing approach.

Best songs: “Isolation”, “Two Cups”, “The Light”, “Trust”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/maciek.frett

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

‘Click Interview’ with Monolith: ‘Art Without Rules’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 18:00:00 +0000

Set up as a solo-project in 1997 by Eric Van Wonterghem MONOLITH became a true reference in the Industrial music genre. This dinosaur from the Belgian and international Electro-underground scene has been involved with numerous projects such as ABSOLUTE BODY CONTROL, THE KLINIK, INSEKT, SONAR, DETUNE-X while contributing to the writing of DIVE-albums. He this year strikes back with the eleventh (!) full length album of MONOLITH. “Unnatural Bodies” has been released on Hands and sounds like symbolizing the fusion between Techno- and Industrial music. I talked about it with Eric Van Wonterghem.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: “Unnatural Bodies” seems to be inspired by the work of Jim Whiting, which I remember from the great “Rockit”-clip by Herbie Hancock. What caught your attention by the work of Whiting and how do you transpose this inspiration into music?

Eric: Yes he did the “Rockit”-clip and the “Frankenstein”-movie effects I think. I liked his exhibition work in the 80s, the weirdness behind, and how he created ‘human – machines’,

different from robots programmed to do certain things. The “Unnatural Bodies” like Jim Whiting called it first were combined mechanical elements with air-pressure connected with parts of ‘dummy’ bodies. His ‘moving art’ seemed suddenly to be organic and alive.

I somehow liked to achieve something similar with my music, art without rules! When you follow the book how to make art or music, that will mostly never bring something interesting.

Q: What can you tell us about the different stages you’d to go through to release “Unnatural Bodies”? What have been the main difficulties and eventually challenges in the writing and production of the album?

Eric: To produce a MONOLITH album, I know the creation of sounds is a progress that will take me the most of time. It also is the most difficult part for me, but also the most interesting one. There got always to be some excitement in hearing a melody or sound, if not I start the next day from scratch. After several albums, it can become sometimes more complex as the listeners often like to hear what they know you for, and as a artist I like to evolve, I take my time until I’m satisfied with the creative part making sounds and feeling all fits into that album.

After that follows the editing, mixing and producing part, that goes fast. After all this year of studio work for my projects and other bands it became something natural… almost immediately I create what I’ve in mind.

Q: I think it’s really interesting to see the evolution in sound and influences of early MONOLITH releases versus the productions from the past few years. Is that like you said because you like to evolve? And what has been the impact of the Berliner Techno scene on your music?

Eric: I was always interested in a wide spectrum of electronic sounds and music. I liked making the first albums with MONOLITH, back then I searched something new in sound, the ‘Tribal-Industrial’-sound was the result and it was not really fitting in any style, it got the attention by a certain audience, and that’s what you need as artist to keep on releasing albums.

But after years of performing, underground parties and realizing by my own the evolution and concerts everywhere, Berlin was kind of heavier than most parts in the world, as the weekend counts 7 days there… There it was very nice to discover that the techno scene start liking harder beats and harsher sounds, less melodic music was played, Ambient drone-sound mixed with loud reverbed kicks became a way to escape from reality and in the Industrial scene there was also a search for a more open sound… less distorted!

Both scenes crossed borders and started to experiment with their sound. Like many other Industrial artists I liked this evolution, it’s inspiring and so you can reach a new audience and more events. The music played in both scenes was pretty similar, only the mixing was done a different way.

Q: It’s an evolution you can also hear on the HANDS productions, which became more Techno-driven. How do you explain this phenomenon and what’s the connection between both genres?

Eric: Like I said, both scenes are crossing their borders. Adam X’ label Sonic Groove created back then a good name for a party; it was called ”Crossing the Parallels”; different scenes that fit together, but have another audience. So that phenomenon was a normal thing to happen, people going out, meeting people and discovering that there’s more…

Q: You earlier this year also (self)released a digital productions entitled “The Disco Buddha Variations”, “Disco Buddha” being probably one of the biggest MONOLITH hits. What makes the magic of the original edit and tell us a bit more about the different variations/edits of the song?

Eric: The magic in that track was the never ending kick drum. The end of the sound was connected to the start, in that time a not so often heard, with a simple Noise hi-hat making the mechanical rhythm and when I created a singing Buddha on this beat, the track became very recognizable and hypnotic…

The “Disco Buddha”-variations were made 20 years later, although there were in already made some different versions in the years on request for compilations. I performed all these versions as a special on Udo Wiesmann’s birthday event from the famous industrial HANDS label. To keep this memory I released it also on my SoundOfMonolith Label found on Bandcamp.

Q: The Covid-19 pandemic has seriously affected all artistic life –especially live performances for musicians, so what’s the impact on your own activities? How do you try to manage and face this fact and what are your plans for the coming months?

Eric: It’s heavy for all of us. I’m lucky to get my music, listening records, playing synths, creating sounds… The live action is gone for now and that’s very, very sad; unbelievable when thinking to all events and festivals that have been cancelled. I keep to be creative during- and after lockdown, but I’m patiently waiting with all of you together until this is over; till that moment that we can get back to concerts and festivals in the same way as in the past. We will enjoy that so much and even more than ever before!

Motor!k – Motor!k 2 (Album – Out Of Line)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 19:00:24 +0000

Genre/Influences: Krautrock, Psychedelic Electro-Rock, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: One year after their self-titled debut release the Belgian Motor!k trio is back on track unleashing six new songs. Motor!k is the sonic brainchild of Joeri Dobbeleir (guitar and synths), Dries D’Hollander (drums) and Dirk Ivens (guitar and effects). Especially the presence of Dirk Ivens (The Klinik, Dive, Absolute Body Control, Sonar ao) is quite surprising, but Motor!k definitely seems to be an extra project in his long career.

Content: I have to admit I wasn’t totally convinced after the debut work. The band defines their sound as Krautrock, which is probably the correct definition although it’s more accessible than numerous projects in this genre. The songs are once again instrumental edits revealing a perfect harmony between the guitar –which clearly injects the style of Motor!k, the crescendo going drums and electronics. The tracks are progressively built up and are sometimes reaching a Trance-like sensation. I also noticed a more Ballad-like experiment (cf. “Memoria”) while the last song (cf. “Penta”) is more into Electro, the sequences adding an extra dimension to the song.

+ + + : The global approach and influences are exactly similar to the previous work, but this new album (which is more a kind of mini-album) is definitely more efficient. It all feels like there’s a better balance between the sound layers. The guitar playing is the most essential element of the work creating an elevating effect. The opening cut “Tyrants” is a cool song illustrating this hypnotic feeling, but “Ritual” even moves a step further leading the listener into trance. “Ritual” also has something pretty sensual, which is an aspect I especially like in music. But there’s also something to say about “Sundown”, which has a more dark Cinematic appeal. The already mentioned last song “Penta” reveals explicit Electronic sound treatments, which are in perfect balance with the guitar and drums.

– – – : The softer “Memoria” is the only song from this work that can’t convince me. It probably also is the most Experimental one.

Conclusion: “Motor!k 2” took me by surprise revealing a pretty accessible sound and the huge potential of Motor!k.

Best songs: “Ritual”, “Penta”, “Sundown”, “Tyrants”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/MOTORIKBELGIUM

Label: www.outofline.de / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

Monolith – Unnatural Bodies (Album – Hands)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 17 Oct 2020 18:30:51 +0000

Genre/Influences: Dark-Techno, Industrial-Techno.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Do I really have to introduce Eric Van Wonterghem? I just prefer to remind you that this Belgian veteran of Electronic music has been involved in some of the most successful and visionary bands from the Belgian- and international underground scene; The Klinik, Absolute Body Control, Insekt, Sonar, Detune-X… and of course Monolith. “Unnatural Bodies” is the eleventh full length since 1997!

Content: It’s fascinating to see how Monolith has evolved in style and influences since the earliest works. The sound has always been dominated and carried by as strong rhythmic, being mainly driven by tribal rhythms. But quite progressively and probably because Van Wonterghem relocated to Berlin (Germany) the music got contaminated by what I should call ‘the Berliner Techno School’. That’s precisely what this album stands for; a constant energetic fusion of Techno kicks and dark sound treatments. There are no real moments of relief or yet, maybe one (cf. “Already There”). I also noticed a more minimal-driven cut (cf. “Crawl Back”), which reminds us of the Klinik-al period of the artist; icy sequences and a tormented sphere.

+ + + : This album is a threshold to move from Industrial music towards Techno. But this is not simple and cheap Techno music; Monolith has been infected by a subtle ‘bacteria’ called Dark-Techno music! Music with bollocks to make you dance! Music for dark cellar clubs, techno that will give you an electroshock! The sound formula might sound easy, but has been carefully adapted to fill the hiatus between Industrial- and Techno music. “Melting Mountains” will bring you a total climax; being driven by great sound treatments and supported with a mysterious sphere. I also have to mention “Crawl Back” for its minimalism and tracks like “Unnatural Bodies” and “Stop The World”. One thing is for sure, I won’t stop Monolith from composing this kind of Dark-Techno food!

– – – : If there’s one single minus point I can imagine, it’s for sure the rather repetitive sound formula. There’s not enough diversity between the tracks and that’s what makes “Melting Mountains” that special!

Conclusion: This work sounds as a sonic rotor that has been engaged!

Best songs: “Melting Mountains”, “Unnatural Bodies”, “Crawl Back”, “Stop The World”, “God Is Your Shield”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/monolithrecords

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

Human Vault – Self Rust (Album – Aliens Production)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:00:01 +0000

Genre/Influences: EBM, Experimental, Cinematographic.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Human Vault is driven by the Hungarian born Gyorgy Turoczy aka ‘Mortum’. Based in New-York (USA) Human vault has been busy since 1997 and has released an impressive number of productions –mainly on the Hungarian label Exabyss Records. This first work released on Aliens Productions is maybe an opportunity to discover this project.

Content: “Self Rust” is clearly driven by good-old and worked-out EBM. The project is reminding me of early Frontline Assembly, and also to the coldness of The Klinik. Some parts are exploring experimental fields while you also will notice industrial elements. The vocals have been produced in a rather spooky way while there are also numerous spoken samplings running through the album. The dark and ghost-like atmosphere is more present than any kind of hard-danceable stuff.

+ + + : You clearly hear the maturity of this project. The songs are well-crafted and reveal a sophisticated format. There also is a kind of dramatic touch emerging at the surface, which is created by the dense ambient layers. This is accentuated by the ghost-like production of the vocals. Human Vault clearly reminds me of the magic of early EBM bands; comparing this music to FLA and The Klinik is more than simply a reference!

– – – : The album is maybe missing some hard-danceable cuts, but the strength of this album clearly lies in the impressive atmospheres instead of bouncing kicks and danceable tunes.

Conclusion: Human Vault confirms Hungary has a real talented and probably underrated electro-underground scene.

Best songs: “Damn You All”, “Fear Will Come”, “Self Rust”, “This Hate”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/mortum.exabyss

Label: www.label.aliens.sk / www.facebook.com/pages/Aliens-production-label/200028820052578

Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb working on a new Noise Unit album

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 05 May 2020 15:35:01 +0000

Good news, the duo Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb are working on a brand new Noise Unit album and this 15 years after the last album “Voyeur” was released on Metropolis. Precise details are not yet known though, more news as we get it.

Noise Unit: a continuously evolving project

Noise Unit is a Canadian industrial project founded by Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly as a side project. The band has seen several changes in line-up, with Bill Leeb being the only permanent member.

Noise Unit’s first album, “Grinding into Emptiness” was a collaboration between Leeb and Marc Verhaeghen of Belgian industrial band Klinik and was released in 1989 through Wax Trax! and Antler-Subway. For the 1990 album “Response Frequency” Leeb was joined by Rhys Fulber. After the completion of the album, Verhaeghen left Noise Unit for several years while Fulber remained with the band for the next 3 releases.

Verhaeghen resumed his collaboration with Noise Unit for the 1996 album “Drill” which also featured members of German industrial band Haujobb. Leeb finally teamed up with former Front Line Assembly member Chris Peterson in 2004 to release “Voyeur” in 2005 with further help from Jason Filipchuk and Michael Balch.

‘Click Interview’ with Circumpolar: ‘There Is So Much Great New Music Within Our Genre Yet To Discover’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 17:00:40 +0000

Circumpolar is a Swedish duo driven by Jonas Mattson and Patrik Wallin. They last year self-released their debut-EP “Until The End Of Time” and next got signed on Alfa Matrix, which re-released this work. The second EP “We Will Remain” was released nearly at the same time and revealed a more sophisticated sound approach. The intelligent sound treatments remind me a bit of bands such as Clock DVA, Haujobb and related formations. Circumpolar might be the next new sensation for all of those who like intelligent electronics!

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

We Will Remain EP by CIRCUMPOLAR

Q: Circumpolar is a rather unknown name at the wider fields of electro-underground music so can you briefly introduce the band, the way you get contaminated by the ‘electronic virus’ and what were the original purposes when setting up Circumpolar?

Circumpolar: Circumpolar is a new Swedish dark-electro/wave act that consists of Jonas Mattsson and Patrik Wallin. We are old friends since way back in time. We started to make music together when we were about 18 years old, and then played in different bands for some years in the Northern part of Sweden. However, we never released any of that material on record. For years now we have been talking about getting back together again, and about two years ago we decided trying to make electronic music together again.

The purpose behind Circumpolar is to create interesting electronic music within our own conceptual format and sound, which hopefully will be enjoyed by people all over the world.

Q: The name of your band refers to astrology, but can you tell us a bit more about this name and the possible links with lyrical content and music style?

Patrik: The stars that circle around the celestial pole and never set below the horizon are called ‘circumpolarstars’. In ancient Egypt, the circumpolar stars in the Northern sky were called ‘jhmw-sk’, ‘the ones not knowing destruction’. The astronomical characteristics of these specific stars were used in numerous religious texts to express immortality and eternity, for example:

‘O uplifted one (i.e. the Pharaoh), being great among the circumpolar stars. You have not perished, you star of eternity’ (a citation from the so-called Pyramid Texts, 2300 BC)

I studied a lot of ancient history at university, and I have a PhD degree in Egyptology. Sometimes I use the imagery and concepts of life/death and space/time from ancient Egyptian religion in my lyrics.

Q: Referring to the music style and/or the ‘sound’ properly speaking, I experienced your work as a fusion between different genres and influences; EBM, IDM, ambient, dark-electro… How do you perceive your own sound? Can you tell us a bit more about potential sources of inspiration? References? And how did the song writing happened?

Circumpolar: Bands like Skinny Puppy, Front 242, The Klinik, Twice A Man, Kraftwerk, The Neon Judgement and Portion Control have always been sources of inspiration to us. Further, The Fields Of The Nephilim, The Sisters Of Mercy, Swans, The Cure, Joy Division, Rome and Dead Can Dance are bands that we both like a lot.

Both of us are still buying lots of records and we constantly discover new electronic and dark-electro artists. There is so much great new music within our genre yet to discover.

We like to think that we somehow have created mix between EBM, dark-electro and dark wave/goth. However, this was not the intention when we started the band, it just happened.

The process of creating new songs usually starts with an instrumental loop or just single sample, which we successively develop into a song.

Q: You last year self-released the debut EP “Until The End Of Times” -which got next re-released on Alfa Matrix, plus another EP “We Will Remain”. Can you briefly analyze both EP’s? Was there a particular focus in writing and production? And how did you get the deal with Alfa Matrix?

Circumpolar: The first song we recorded as Circumpolar was “The Rain Will Burn” from the first EP, and then we realized that we had created a musical concept and sound that we really liked. After that moment, it was very easy to continuing writing new songs.

On the “Until The End Of Time”-EP the foundation of our sound was built, whereas on the “We Will Remain”-EP the sound and concept evolved into something that will be even more present on our future releases.

We sent the songs from our first EP along with the songs to the “We Will Remain”-EP to about 15 different record labels. We got some offers, but when we got a positive response from Alfa Matrix we were overwhelmed.

Until The End Of Time EP by CIRCUMPOLAR

Q: I think there’s an interesting evolution in writing and production between both EP’s; “We Will Remain” being definitely more elaborated and subtle, reminding me to bands such as Haujobb, Mentallo & The Fixer and Clock DVA. What does it say about your approach, studio equipment and your own evolution as musicians?

Circumpolar: On the second EP we have worked more with the vocals, and experimented a bit more with reverb, delay and other effects, trying to create a more dynamic and atmospheric experience. The structures of the songs are also a bit different compared to the first EP. Further, we spent much more time on mixing and mastering.

We have bought a lot of new gear since we recorded the first EP, for example a Korg Minilouge XD, the fantastic Strymon Big Sky Reverb, and some Roland drum machines.

Q: I think you’re back again in studio, so I can imagine there’s an album in the pipeline? What brings the future and what might we expect regarding topics such as image, social media activity and live performances?

Circumpolar: For the moment, we are recording new songs for a forthcoming album release. We are constantly producing loads of loops and outtakes, but now we have selected about nine songs out of that material to be finalized for an album.

It is quite possible that there will be some social media activities prior to our next releases, perhaps some live performances from the studio…

Yes, we will definitely play live in the future.

Kryptogen Rundfunk – Tales From The Mirrored Spaces (Album – Zoharum)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 19:30:06 +0000

Genre/Influences: Experimental, industrial, dark-ambient.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Next to several split/collaborative releases, Kryptogen Rundfunk has now accomplished its third full length album. Operating from St. Petersburg (Russia) Artyom Ostapchuk set up this project in 2002. Next to his numerous activities in several projects he also set up the label Zhelezobeton. Notice by the way this album is also available as DCD featuring an extra live recording.

Content: The sound universe of Kryptogen Rundfunk stands for a truly sonic fusion. You get the impression listening to a sonic puzzle made of industrial noises, field recordings and the manipulation of sounds played by acoustic instruments. You’re walking through icy atmospheres reinforced with deep, vibrating sound resonances. Some passages have something more electronic-driven resulting in a ‘klinik’-al mood. The album finally ends in an ambient- & noise cataclysm.

+ + + : The work is diversified because of the interaction between the different influences. I enjoyed the low-frequency sound waves mixed with industrial sound treatments. “Transverter Waltz” is a somewhat different cut for being a little bit more electronic. It has been built up with cold electronics, creating a disturbing feeling. The last song “Palus Somni” is a heavy piece, which I especially like for its evolution into a noise climax. Production-wise I would say this album has been accomplished with real professionalism.

– – – : “Tales From The Mirrored Spaces” remains a hardly accessible work for a wider audience, but I’ve some doubts it’s the kind of album meant to please a wider audience.

Conclusion: Kryptogen Rundfunk has something fascinating, being a kind of sonic hybrid between different dark-minimal music styles.

Best songs: “Transverter Waltz”, “Attention Selector”, “The Ritual Of Dissolution”,“Palus Somni”

Rate: (7½).

Artist: http ://kr .radionoise .ru / www .facebook .com /kryptogenrundfunk

Label: www .zoharum .com / www .facebook .com /zoharum

A Tribute to The Legendary Pink Dots & The Tear Garden hits Bandcamp in February: ‘Love Notes to a Velvet Apocalypse’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 19:53:16 +0000

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.

Lucifer’s Aid – Panic (CD Album – Progress Productions)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 26 Dec 2019 19:30:24 +0000

Genre/Influences: EBM, dark-EBM.

Background/Info: Swedish musician Carl Nilsson released his third full length album since “New To Reality” (2016). He last year released the mini-album “Reconstruction”. According to Carl Nilsson panic resulted from the world in emergency we’re living in and, which is driving ourselves till the end of our existence.

Content: Lucifer’s Aid transposed this dystopian theme into the familiar dark-EBM style from this project. At first sight, it’s a rather easy constructed EBM. The songs are driven by menacing bass lines and are recovered with dark atmospheres. The rhythm is danceable and the cold, ghost-like vocals perfectly fit to the music.

+ + + : Lucifer’s Aid still has this retro-EBM feeling reminding me 90s productions. It makes me think of the offspring between Leather Strip (for some of the bass lines) and The Klinik (especially the last track, which is dark and more sophisticated). “Panic” is an album to dance on, but still featuring an impressive, cold atmospheric side. Most of the songs are featuring simplistic, but efficient structures although there are also a few more elaborated passages. “Backlash” is an absolute masterpiece reminding me the magic of The Klinik.

– – – : The artwork is pretty simplistic and maybe not enough explicit and distinguishable (especially the front cover). The music has a great retro-feeling, but is therefore also a bit predictable after a while.

Conclusion: Lucifer’s Aid is not exactly the most renowned EBM formation, but it definitely is a must have for truly EBM lovers with nostalgic feelings. I like this band!

Best songs: “Backlash”, “Slow Death”, “Discipline”, “Not Meant To Be”, “Agitate”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www .lucifersaid .com / www .facebook .com /lucifersaid

Label: www .progress –productions .com / www .facebook .com /progresspro

Red Market – Red Market (Cassette Album – Red Market)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 26 Oct 2019 19:00:34 +0000

Genre/Influences: EBM, dark-electro, industrial.

Background/Info: Behind Red Market is hiding Brandon Duncan who’s also involved with more familiar projects such as Nerve War, Sterilizer, The Sequence Of Prime and more recently NWvic. Red Market claims to be an electronic project dealing with lyrical themes such as Hollywood cults, rituals, elite blood transfusion, human trafficking ao. The album is available as a limited cassette release of 100 copies.

Content: This album is clearly driven by good-old dark-electro and EBM vibes. There also is a solid industrial flavor hanging over the production. Globally speaking this work reminds me of early 90s productions and especially Belgian grandmasters such as Vomito Negro and The Klinik. The harsh vocal parts are totally fitting to the sound although I noticed one song with robotic vocals. The work features 5 long-during pieces.

+ + + : I like this retro-electro approach where the dark atmospheres are making the essence of the work. The sound treatments are made of icy tones and cool sweeps accentuating the obscure approach of the work. The songs are rather elaborated. Globally speaking this work has something refreshing although it’s pure ‘old-school’.

– – – : There also is an experimental touch running through some songs, which is not my favorite aspect.

Conclusion: It’s quite funny to realize how a retro-inspired production might be original! Red Market is a new project with some potential so I really encourage this artist to move on.

Best songs: “Learn The Signs”, “Humiliation Ritual”, “Weapon”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: https ://nervewar .net

SPK 1986 album ‘Zamia Lehmanni’ reissued and also available on vinyl for the very first time

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 08:40:54 +0000

Originally released by Side Effects in 1986, “Zamia Lehmanni (Songs of Byzantine Flowers)” was the third (and final) core SPK
album and was Graeme Revell’s first truly solo project. On the day before this album was first released, this style of music, now ubiquitous (especially in soundtracks), did not exist.

The reissue now also has a mastering as it was originally intended, something quite noticeable on the track “In Flagrante Delicto” which was later used by Revell for his work on the soundtrack for the 1989 film “Dead Calm”, which won him Best Original Score from the Australian Film Institute.

Unavailable in any format since Mute’s 1992 CD edition, Cold Spring now presents this landmark album on newly remastered CD in a 6-panel digipak. The track “The Doctrine of eternal Ice” appears on CD only, but is included on the digital download for vinyl (limited gold and black).

Origins of the band

SPK were an Australian industrial music and noise music group formed in 1978. They were fronted by mainstay member, Graeme Revell on keyboards and percussion. In 1980 the group travelled to the United Kingdom where they issued their debut album, “Information Overload Unit”. In 1983 Sinan Leong joined on lead vocals. The group disbanded in 1988. Two years later Revell and Leong relocated to the United States, where Revell works as a Hollywood film score composer.

SPK stands for?

The meaning of the SPK abbreviation is deliberately unclear; the album covers suggest several different alternatives. The most well known is Sozialistisches PatientenKollektiv, but there are also others, such as Surgical Penis Klinik, Suave Poronga Kinoto, System Planning Korporation, SePuKku, Selective Pornography Kontrol, Special Programming Korps and SoliPsiK.

On Facebook the band has SozialistischesPatientenKollektiv in it’s url, so we guess that’s the most official interpretation.

New layouted artwork

Below is the cover artwork of the 1992 CD version. And below that the new layouts.

Check here for more information on Coitus Interruptus Productions.

Tribute to Legendary Pink Dots/Tear Garden coming out via Coitus Interruptus Productions: ‘Love Notes to a Velvet Apocalypse’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 12:22:01 +0000

Coitus Interruptus Productions in association with Auricle Media are currently working on a very special non-for-profit tribute album for the prolific Legendary Pink Dots and Tear Garden. In the last 40 years Legendary Pink Dots released well over 30 different albums touching on various styles and genres. Also the Tear Garden have left their mark on a multitude of electronic musicians over the last 30+ years.

Tear Garden was initially formed by Edward Ka-Spel of The Legendary Pink Dots and cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy in 1985. The duo released 7 heavily influential mind bending albums and many other collections and singles.

This special tribute compilation is titled “Love Notes to a Velvet Apocalypse” and will feature a wide range of various artists and genres from around the world, such as post-punk, industrial, ambient and experimental. It’s not the first time that Coitus Interruptus Productions has gone into tribute modus. The label released 3 tribute compilations already for artists such as Fad Gadget (released through Cleopatra Records), Cabaret Voltaire (released through Metropolis Records) and Klinik/Dive and ABC (released through Coitus Interruptus Productions). Auricle Media has been behind several large scale industrial music compilations as well, and is currently the marketing branch of the Crunch Pod Label based out of Los Angeles.