(Photo by Berry Behrendt) Frankfurt-born but Berlin-based artist En Esch (PIG, former KMFDM) has signed with the LA/Minneapolis-based label GIVE/TAKE (home to Justin K Broadrick’s Pale Sketcher, David J of Bauhaus and more). His new single “Push” drops March 3rd, with a full EP forthcoming later in 2023.

“Push” will also hold a remix from dark electronic artist KPT. Maintaining a steady output of solo work, beginning with 1993’s “Cheesy” on TVT Records, En Esch’s new LP, his first in over seven years, is slated for release in 2023 on GIVE/TAKE.

En Esch is Nicklaus Schandelmaier, a German drummer, programmer, producer, guitarist and singer who has been a member of the bands KMFDM, Pigface, Slick Idiot, and . And more recently with NUKES, a 16 member band that includes Chris Connelly, John Bechdel, Mario Alberto Cabada, David J and more. It was KMFDM’s Sascha Konietzko who claims to have given Esch his nickname because the latter felt that his real name was inappropriate for the stage.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Genre/Influences: IDM, Experimental, Industrial, Ambient.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: After the sensational second album (cf. “Inrush”) of the American EbE404 project we get this EP featuring four remixed songs from the original tracklist plus a live cut as a little extra.

Content: The four debut songs of “Inrush” have been remixed by ManifestiV, Tiree & Hutch (as a collaboration with EbE404),  Dissociate and KPT. Each remix brings a different approach to the original edits although it still sounds as an offspring between Ambient, IDM, Experimental and Industrial for the sound treatments. The last cut sounds like an improvised, extended track from 21 minutes.

+ + + : “Inrush” sounded as a true revelation to me and this EP brings a great bonus to the album. I like the slow cadence running through the work mixed with raw, Industrial, sound treatments and an ominous sphere recovering the production. The deep, dubby, bass line at the “Dissociate Mix” of “Zoom Team” is another great moment of the listening.

– – – : The last cut is a little extra, but not exactly my favorite part. It sounds like a  total improvisation revealing the less exciting, Experimental, side of the project.

Conclusion: I’m not that fond of remix-EPs but this one is the exception to the rule; great, intelligent, Electronic stuff.

Best songs: “Zoom Team – Dissociate Mix”, “Slipping By One –ManifestiV Traction Mix”, “After Zoom Team – KPT Purify Mix”.

Rate: 8.

Artist:  https://ebe404.com / www.facebook.com/EbE404

Label: www.givetake.life /  www.facebook.com/givetakelife

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

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Genre/Influences: Electro-Ambient, Cinematographic, IDM, Experimental.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: American KPT (pronounced ‘KEPT’) is back on track unleashing eleven new songs.

Content: KPT already composed Soundtrack music and that’s for sure an influence you’ll find back at “Big Witch”. The influences are multiple and touching ground with different kinds of music. The album gives me the feeling to have been conceived as a single long-during piece that has been divided in 11 chapters. We’re entering a strange music universe, haunted by Ambient atmospheres, which are sometimes interrupted by nervous Jungle-like rhythms. The spooky atmosphere is reinforced by spoken samplings from beyond the grave. Some IDM passages can be noticed as well.

+ + + : KPT remains a true sonic enigma, but the main strength of this project definitely appears to compose Cinematographic related music. It sounds a bit experimental, sometimes hard to catch, but definitely original and that is different from established music standards. “Big Witch” is an album you’ve to discover as a compact entity; the tracks are like little pieces of a puzzle so you better can’t lose one.

– – – : Some passages are definitely pretty Experimental, which is not always the best sound to catch a wider audience. I guess KPT is not driven to reach wider audiences, but just doing its very own thing.

Conclusion: If you like sonic enigma’s, you better try the “Big Witch” from KPT.

Best songs: “Initiation”, “Invite”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: http://kptfrsh.com / www.facebook.com/kptfrsh

Label: https://www.givetake.life /

www.facebook.com/givetakelife

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: IDM, experimental, deep-techno.

Background/Info: KPT (pronounced as ‘kept’) is an American project I never heard of before. It seems like an album entitled “Blk Eye” was released in 2016, this EP December 2017 (!) and the single “Fluid Bonded/Disarm” in 2018. It’s a bit strange to have gotten this production a long time after its release, but it’s an opportunity to discover a promising artist.

Content: “Sequel” was composed for a short film. It features the title track plus 4 remixes. I discovered a somewhat IDM-inspired track, driven by a slow rhythms and featuring industrial sounds.

The remixes bring a real diversity to the title song. From the bombastic “Deathdance Mix” to the experimental “Makr Mix” to the more elaborated “Sweet Boys Mix” to the deep-techno like “DJ Esp Woody McBride Mix” this EP has a lot to offer.

+ + + : “Sequel” is an interesting title song, which is experimental, but accessible. I like the industrial sound treatments and the global minimalism of the song. The remixes bring a real great diversity and I especially recommend the “Deathdance Mix” and “DJ Esp Woody McBride Mix”.

– – – : I wanted to hear more songs so I had to visit the Bandcamp page of KPT and I was not deceived. There’s a noticeable minimal touch inspiring this artist.

Conclusion: KPT is an easy name to keep in mind and I definitely want to hear more new stuff from this project. This EP stands for a nice twist between different influences.

Best songs: “Sequel – Deathdance Mix”, “Sequel”, “Sequel – DJ Esp Woody McBride Mix”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: http://kptfrsh.com / www.facebook.com/kptfrsh

Label: www.givetake.life / www.facebook.com/givetakelife

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Officially out today is the brand new Junksista album “Promiscuous Tendencies”. The LP is the follow-up to the band’s 2014 album “High Voltage Confessions” and offers 12 brand new songs, on the regular CD edition that is. On the bonus disc of the deluxe edition you get some 12 bonus tracks on top.

Available now on Bandcamp and via the Alfa Matrix webstore for the CD and 2CD sets. Do you use the discount code sideline2518 to get a 25% discount on Bandcamp.

On the album the duo, Diana S. and Boog, continues to venture into their well received mix of club anthems, melancholic electro-pop songs, funky electro tunes and ballads. The band worked with several artists on this new album, amongst them LayZee (Mr. President), the international Eurodance superstar of the 90s, best known for the hit single “Coco Jamboo”, Noemie Aurora (Helalyn Flowers), Emke (Black Nail Cabaret) and Erlend Eilersten (Essence Of Mind).

But that’s not all. Out as well now is the 4-track download single “Fuck for Love” which you can download right now from Bandcamp. And again, do you use the discount code sideline2518 to get a 25% discount. Next to the title track you get the exclusive B-side “Tip Top” next to two excellent bonus remixes by Aesthetische and KPT.

You can check out the new single below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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The 42nd track on our free download compilation “Face The Beat: Session 4” (featuring 92 tracks) is by the dark hypnotic electronic Minneapolis based act KPT (pronounced ‘Kept’).

KPT is a real discovery for so many reasons. This one-man project has so far released 2 albums and one EP and the track we feature here comes from the excellent “BLK Eye” album released last year. It’s not a coincidence that many consider this act as a frontrunner of what electro music might sound like in the future although it has so far passed largely under the radar of the other scene magazines. Sound wise KPT mixes breakbeats, dark synth layers with almost tribal like beat assaults and scarcely placed vocals.

A band you need to keep an eye on for sure! You can learn more from this very fine act right here on Facebook.

Listen to “Innermost” below and download it right here.

Check our “Face The Beat: Session 4” page on Bandcamp to discover the other 91 bands. All donations will go to charity.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com