Spanish electro-industrial act Larva have announced UK and Spanish live dates for autumn 2026, and the Larva tour dates pair a four-show UK run supporting Massive Ego with two hometown appearances in Barcelona. The Barcelona-based band confirmed the schedule through their official channels, with the UK leg running from 3 to 6 September and the Spanish dates set for late September and Halloween.

The UK shows place Larva on Massive Ego’s first headline UK tour, the “Symphony Of Flies Tour”, which the British darkwave act built around their 2026 album for Out Of Line Music. After four dates alongside Massive Ego, the duo return home for Barnadark Fest III and a DJ set at Barcelona’s Nocturna Festival.

Larva tour dates for autumn 2026

• 3 September 2026 – Nottingham, UK – The Old Cold Store (with Massive Ego)
• 4 September 2026 – Glasgow, UK – Ivory Blacks (with Massive Ego)
• 5 September 2026 – Sheffield, UK – Corporation (with Massive Ego)
• 6 September 2026 – London, UK – The Lexington (with Massive Ego)
• 26 September 2026 – Barcelona, Spain – Barnadark Fest III
• 31 October 2026 – Barcelona, Spain – Nocturna Festival (DJ set)

The four UK dates are support slots on the Massive Ego tour, which also carries Dead Lights and The Silent Era. Tickets for the UK shows are on sale through the venues. The Nocturna Festival appearance on 31 October is a DJ set rather than a live show; the Barcelona edition takes place at Sala Upload.

About Larva

Larva is a dark electro and electro-industrial project from Barcelona. InqUesT founded it in 1998 under the name Morbid Mind and reshaped it as Larva in 2003. Most of the catalogue has appeared through the Hungarian label Advoxya Records, and the project has worked the European dark-electro circuit for more than two decades, performing as a duo.

Side-Line covered the band’s eleventh studio album, “Void”, on its 2021 release through Advoxya, and spoke with the band for a ‘Click Interview’ in 2020. Larva followed “Void” with “The Rat King” in 2023 and the 14-track “Prescindibles”, issued on CD by Advoxya on 21 January 2025. The autumn 2026 dates take Larva back to the UK alongside Massive Ego and close the year with two Barcelona appearances.

Britta Pirkko

For almost 15 years I’ve been writing about music, interviewing artists and reviewing releases for Peek-A-Boo Magazine. Recently, I also launched my own WordPress website, where I continue to share interviews, reviews and news from the underground scene. The darker side of music has been part of my life for more than 30 years, with a passion for everything from ’80s synthpop and New Wave to EBM, Futurepop and dark electronic music in general. Also Metal and Rock is part of my world. Away from the scene, I work in a public library, where books are part of my everyday life. I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction, especially books on politics, religion, health and travel. I’m also a fan of thrillers and horror films. When I’m not listening to music or reading, you’ll usually find me exploring nature, enjoying a good sauna, experimenting with vegan cooking, or travelling to my second home, Finland. I’ve always believed the underground has the best stories. My job is simply to help tell them

Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The fourth album of Stupre was already released a while ago; by the end of 2021 to be exact. “Make Nazareth Great Again” is a free-interpretation of bible themes by this French project. Notice by the way a double album has been released as well featuring songs from two unreleased EP’s. Multiple guest singers contributed to the album.

Content: Stupre moves on exploring paths of Dark-Electronics. The bible themes are easily recognizable throughout the song titles, samplings and atmosphere hanging over the work. The sound reveals a haunting Electro-format featuring, hard, pumping, kicks and enraged vocals in French and English. This is the kind of music appealing for fans of Hocico and Suicide Commando. The last 3 songs are remixes by Gunmaker, Larva and Suspifun.

+ + + : I’ve been never a huge Stupre fan but this work took me by surprise. The artist isn’t reinventing Dark-Electro but clearly transformed its own sound into a mature, elaborated, and efficient production. This is powerful and haunting dancefloor stuff driven by pumping kicks and icy, elevating, leads. I like the bible sphere running through the work like a red line. It injects a particular touch to the album. There are numerous attention grabbers featured but I’ll recommend listening to “Mathieu 23.10.2” which is the absolute club-song featuring an irresistible, cold, lead. Other essential cuts are “Corinthiens 10.3.5”, “Galates 5.19” and “Galates X Mathieu 2.0”.

– – – : The remixes don’t exactly add a bonus to this cool work.

Conclusion: Stupre has accomplished a great piece of work which is an album Dark-Electro fans need in their collection.

Best songs: “Mathieu 23.10.2”, “Corinthiens 10.3.5”, “Galates 5.19”, “Galates X Mathieu 2.0”, “Psaumes 90.12.4”, “Proverbes 18.3”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/STUPREofficial

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

About Stupre

Stupre, also styled STPR, is the dark electro and EBM project of French musician Nico, based in Strasbourg. The debut album, “Priceless”, was released in 2009 on Cortex Records.

Stupre moved to Advoxya Records for “Das Ist Electro Dark” in 2013. The 2019 album “You Are Made For Me” followed on the same label, with Notreguide of the French crossover act Dolls of Pain contributing lyrics and vocals to half of the tracklist. “Make Nazareth Great Again”, a concept album built around bible themes, arrived on Advoxya Records at the end of 2021.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Carlos Ruiz got involved with the Spanish Dark-Electro duo Dioxyde. The band gained recognition in its genre, but Carlos left in 2004 to move on with his solo-project Asseptic Room. The sound became different although still driven by good-old Dark-Electro vibes. The albums “Morbid Visions” (2006) and “Visceralophobia” (2011) saw the daylight. It next took ten years to Asseptic Room to strike back. Carlos Ruiz got joined by Mario González to compose the new work “Extinction Or Reawaken”. The opus has been again released by Advoxya Records and became a double album revealing next to the Dark-Electro influences at the first disc a more Cinematic exploration at the second disc. I asked a few questions about the past, the present and the future to both protagonists.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I noticed you first started in the scene as DJ. What kind of music were you playing and how did you finally made the step to compose your own music and getting involved with Dioxyde?

Carlos: I started as a professional DJ in a famous club in Madrid somewhere at the end of 1987 – beginning of 1988. I started collecting vinyls since I was 14 years old and my ear was always attracted by genres that were not very commercial at that time. One day a couple of vinyls came into my hands in an import store, (“Party Hate” from Click Click and “Freiheit Fuer Die Sklaven” from Pankow), which made me listen to genres such as Industrial, EBM from the 80’s and especially Dark-Electro from the 90’s.

I started to compose my first tracks in 1991, when I was able to buy my first great computer ever and a Kawai keyboard. But it wouldn’t be until 1998 when I would meet Marcos Calvo and decided to take the leap to produce an album. During one of my sessions as a DJ in a famous Club in Madrid, I met Marcos Calvo who told me about the idea of ​​making music together. In a short lapse of time we had a lot of good songs; Marcos had already composed some good songs, and at that time I had many bases and consolidated themes, which we finally managed to adapt to create the first Dioxyde album “Torschlusspanik”.

I decided to send a cassette with a small sample to Johan Van Roy (Suicide Commando). I never thought  he would answer that soon with the intention to know more about the project. It was the beginning of a beautiful story.

Q: How did you finally come to set up Asseptic Room and what makes the difference in sound and approach with Dioxyde?

Carlos: My experience with Dioxyde was incredible. It allowed me to grow as an artist and develop all my creativity and to create my own compositions. Time passing by I found the need to do something on my own and create that dark sound that had been spinning around in my head for so many years. So in 2006 I decided to take a leap into the void and started working for my most personal project.

With Asseptic Room I wanted to explore other types of genres, perhaps more retro, Experimental, more Ambient, but without neglecting the hardness of the percussion and the melodies that have been so successful in my previous work with Dioxyde and used to create songs. such as “Acto Primero”, “Angel (Espina Mortal)”, “Panzerfaust”, “Primary Structures” or “Torschlüsspanik”, a track that I had created for a long time and which has a lot of strength.

That same year (2006) I sent my first demo to Tommy T (DSBP Records) to release the first album “Morbid Visions”. The album responded satisfactorily to my expectations and proof of this is the long list of compilations that wanted to include songs from that first album.

Also, it gave me the opportunity to do some remixes for bands like: Alien Produkt, Vigilante, Aengeldust, Haushetaere, Tyske Ludder or Acylum (Pedro Engel’s project with whom I have had contact on several occasions to create some of my best remixes). Nor will I forget, the magnificent remixes that have been created for Asseptic Room, to highlight among others those of Totalverlust, Acylum, Hioctan, Reality, Suicide Solution, Proyecto Mirage, Larva and many others.

During these years I got in touch with my great friend, Mario González and we had the opportunity to work together in the studio, developing a track for this album. Next I personally went through dark and very difficult years. It was like this until 2011 and the release of the second album “Visceralofobia”. It was a difficult album, like a challenge going through a restless and desperate period. But in the end and with a lot of efforts I was able to release the album thanks to Advoxya Records. After this album I’d to go though the most difficult moments of my life resulting in abandoning the creation of music for many years.

Q: So does the new album you released last year feel like a new beginning? How did it feel all these years without releasing new material? What brought you back to compose new songs?

Carlos: Finally, after the loss of my partner and two years of mourning I came back to surface. One night some musical notes began to sound that I could not stop listening to over and over again. I had to get up and play it in the middle of the night. The first thing I thought was that it was different and it was born from deep within. Those were the first notes of “The Memory Of Silence”; I even imagine to play it in a great philharmonic. A nice dream;)

Around the same time I got back in touch with Mario after many years and everything started flowing quickly. The Covid 19 pandemic came into our lives and for us there were moments of great creativity that helped us to create many new songs.

Q: The new album “Extinction Or Reawaken” has been released as a double album and there clearly is a difference between both discs; than main disc is pure Dark (h)El(l)ectro music while the second disc sounds more into Soundtrack. Tell us a bit more about both discs and the global production process of the work?

Carlos: When we began to develop the songs for the new album, we realized that we had a lot of material and we did not want to leave any song off the album, for this reason we had to think that “Extinction Or Reawaken” should be a double one. It is true that in a few months we had a large and varied number of songs, some songs are pure Dark-Electro, but I incorporate new elements to the compositions that make them different from other personal works.

We had to stop for a moment to reflect if we wanted to create classic dark music or experiment to achieve what our heads wanted with these new compositions. We finally decided to open up and experiment with a multitude of genres.

We had classic songs, perfect to be played in an orchestra, with epic choirs and we had to learn to work with this type of instrument. We also had tremendously hard and dark tracks and other ambient and epic songs.

In the end, all those tracks were a mixture of feelings and emotions, which tell a story full of symbolism for us. It has been a very hard job that has lasted many months, and we are very satisfied with the final result.


Q: What have been the main sources of inspiration to compose this new work and what did you try to express by the title? What has been the input of Mario González and how did you get in touch?

Mario: The inspiration came mainly from the recent loss of our family members. They were very hard times for both of us, but thanks to this we have done our best work.
We explore many sounds with our equipment and for the first time we did not dare to put any limits on creativity and we were open to explore and experiment   even antagonistic genres.

We try to go beyond the Dark-Electro genre by simply trying to imprint the soul of Asseptic Room by using influences from classical music, epic passages, Tibetan sounds and even pure noise.

The album title was chosen on the edge of life’s bad circumstances and somehow represents the nature of human life that transcends good and evil to survive/self-extinct.

Carlos: Mario and I got in touch at the end of 2019 at a perfect time and with all the past experience we had making some tracks for the “Morbid Visions”-album. The process happened automatically and we rarely even talked about how to make music because of a very special connection. We really enjoy doing these things.

Q: How do you see Asseptic Room evolving and what are the further plans –especially in times of ongoing pandemic? 

Mario: Our next plans are to prepare the concert in Madrid with Hocico. We have finished taking up the album “Visceralofofia” with a new production. Eight tracks are included in this new work and our idea is to release it in a special vinyl edition. Now we have to assess the budget to launch it in the coming months.
We have also started working on new songs for Asseptic Room and doing a review of tracks created in my period with Dioxyde. A special way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the project.

Carlos: The pandemic has not stopped our illusion of continuing to do what we like and now our creativity is at a high level and we are excited about the amount of work we have in our hands. The pandemic has been very hard, as for everyone, but thanks to music we have been able to escape from this madness.

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

The Spanish dark electro duo Larva – consisting of Marco InqUesT and Anoxia Larva – have been already been active for over twenty years since they formed in Barcelona in 1998. Out now via Advoxya Records is the band’s new album “Void” offering 12 new tracks.

“Void” is the band’s eleventh official studio album so far and the follow-up of 2017’s “Scars” album. It is out now as a double limited CD including the 3inch maxi “Into The Void” with 4 unreleased tracks.

Advoxya Records has also released a videoteaser to give you an idea what to expect.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Asdean is a Belorussian project originally set up in 2010 as Asdeandare and was renamed to Asdean in 2017. The debut album “Time.Space.Life” (“Время.Пространство.Жизнь”) was released last year and features nine songs plus five remixes.

Content: Asdean deals with a rather familiar Dark-Electro sound, which is dominated by harsh vocals –sung in their Mother tongue, and featuring some female backings. There’s a cool twist between powerful sequences plus hard kicking rhythms at one side and retro-melodic strings at the other side. Some of the strings remind me now and then of Gary Numan.

Remixes have been made by Outpost 11, Larva, Synthetische Lebensform, TomZigota and Object16.

+ + + : Asdean has found the right home at Advoxya Records, which is totally devoted to this kind of haunting Electro. I like the noticeable melodic side of the production, which has something old-school and creates a nice contrast with the global power of the production. Several songs are carried by cool melody lines. Among the remixes I especially like the ones accomplished by label mate Larva and the Russian project Synthetische Lebensform injecting an EBM touch to the original song.

– – – : I noticed a few slower passages, which aren’t the best ones. Some remixes are better than the original edits.

Conclusion: Asdean doesn’t innovate, but the sonic fusion between traditional Dark-Electro and retro melody lines sounds cool.

Best songs: “Shadow Guardian”, “Cosmos”, “Shadow Guardian – Sin Dios Mix by Larva”, “Imprisonment – Synthetische Lebensform Remix”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/asdeanofficial

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

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: EBM, Body-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: This EP is an addition to the “Resist”-EP by Dimitri Berzerk. “Resist” has been released in different formats, this extra EP bringing all different remixes together as a kind of compilation.

Content: The EP features a total amount of 20 songs including the 6 remixes from the download card, which was available together with the vinyl format. You’ll get 10 edits of the “Ctrl+Als+Del”-song, which clearly is the ‘hit’ of Dimitri Berzerk featuring Claus Larsen as the singer. The song remains driven by a solid EBM bass line and a catchy chorus with passionate vocals on top.

Remixes have been made by Neuvision, Die-Go, Hooverlordz, cid project, SFX DJ, Fire Walkers, Rebel Empire, Substaat, FortLeben (3x), Larva + JP90, Dramatic, Delectro, Judas 12, Eloquent, Rasec, Neroconcret, JP90 and Delete.

+ + + : It’s especially cool to get the remixes from the download card of the vinyl now released on CD. I still like the main song of the EP, which is a true sonic fusion between classical EBM and a catchy chorus. There’s real chemistry between Dimitri Berzerk and Claus Larsen. Among the different remixes I once again salute the great job done by Cid Project who injected a terrific extra sound to the song while the Cold-Wave and totally reworked edit by Dramatic is phenomenal.

– – – : I’m still not convinced by a few songs like the cover version of Nena and the song “Endurance” although there are worse B-sides.

Conclusion: “Resist” has been released in all imaginable formats –maybe except cassette, so time for another great work by Dimitri Berzerk!

Best songs: “Ctrl+Alt+Del – Cid Project Remix”, “Ctrl+Alt+Del – Dramatic Rework”,  “Ctrl+Alt+Del – Orange Sector Remix”, “Ctrl+Alt+Del – C-Lekktor Remix”, “Ctrl+Alt+Del – Neuvision Remix”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/dimitri.berzerk

Label: www.sector-industrial.com / www.facebook.com/sector.industrial.producciones

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: EBM, Body-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: We all know Dimitri Berzerk as a ‘remixer’ and also as a label owner. He recently also started releasing his own stuff, taking off with the single/EP “My Love Is Electric” featuring Franco Doglioli. He last year struck back with a new EP featuring Claus Larsen (Leather Strip) as a guest singer. “Resist” has been released in different formats and reveals some differences in the tracklists.

Content: “Resist” sounds much more EBM-driven than “My Love Is Electric”. Claus Larsen sings on two songs injecting his enraged way of singing on top of efficient EBM songs with some catchy choruses. Next to these songs you’ll hear more new songs including a surprising cover version of Nena’s “Just A Dream” featuring the childish-like vocals of Mexican guest singer Pamuk.

The EP also features remixes by Orange Sector, C-Lekktor, SFX DJ, Bishop UPG and Technomancer feat. Angst Pop. As bonus tracks we get more remixes by Cid Project, Substaat, Larva + JP90, Delectro, Dramatic and Fortleben.

+ + + : Dimitri Berzerk deals with a well-crafted and efficient EBM format; solid EBM bass lines and somewhat catchy choruses. Claus Larsen brings his great and passionate vocals giving an extra boost to the songs. Both songs featuring Claus Larsen are the best ones, but I also have to mention the powerful remix of Orange Sector and another one by C-Lekktor. Among the bonus remixes you’ll find at the CD and vinyl I especially recommend the divine remix of the title song by Cid Project. There’s an irresistible, blasting sound running through the remix. And there also is a surprising Cold-Wave styled remix by Dramatic with the input of another singer. Last, but not least I also want to say a word about the great digipak of the CD and the green picture disc of the vinyl format.

– – – : The cover version of Nena is an original, but not exactly the most convincing cut. Another song that couldn’t totally convince me is the somewhat electro-Punk driven “Endurance”, which is the other song with Claus Larsen singing.

Conclusion: “Resist” is definitely more convincing than the previous EP so I think this artist is progressively ready to release a full length album!

Best songs: “Ctrl+Alt+Del – Single Version feat. Claus Larsen”, “Ctrl+Alt+Del – Cid Project Remix”, “Ctrl+Alt+Del – Dramatic Rework”,  “Ctrl+Alt+Del – Orange Sector Remix”, “Ctrl+Alt+Del – C-Lekktor Remix”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/dimitri.berzerk

Label: www.sector-industrial.com / www.facebook.com/sector.industrial.producciones

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: 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 Read the news on ‘Kampf Dem Verderb’.

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

After some releases with their side-projects Totem Obscura and Aengeldust, plus the publication of rare early demo material through the “Filthy Memories 2” release, the Acylum duo (Pedro and Nadine Engel) are back with the successor of “Pest”. “Kampf Dem Verderb” is out now via Alfa Matrix.

The first edition of this 12-track album is released as a deluxe double-CD digipak edition offering some 14 exclusive bonus remixes by Suicide Commando, Armageddon Dildos, Implant, Aesthetische, Mental Exile, Nano Infect, Asseptic Room, Ice Ages, Larva, Advent Resilience, Project Erratic, Dirty K, Schwarzstern and David Blackstar.

Note that no less than 6 bands collaborated on the remake of the band’s classic song “The Enemy”, namely Nano Infect, Xentrifuge, Totem Obscura, Техногенетика (Technogenetica), Wolfchild and Viscera Drip.

You can check out the release below via Bandcamp or as a 2CD set via the Alfa Matrix web store.

For those who missed out on the digital only “Filthy Memories 2” release, you can grab it below. Read the review of ‘Kampf Dem Verderb’.

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

It all started in 1998 as Morbid Mind. They had less money and equipment, but a great motivation. Later on they changed the name of the band, moving on as LARVA. Driven by the creative impulses of Marco aka ‘InqUesT’ and assisted by ‘Anoxia’ the Spanish project from Barcelona (Spain) slowly conquered the dark-electro scene. Their newest full length “Desolation Road” has been already released on Advoxya and is for sure their most accomplished album to date. There’s still the initial power of the band, but the overwhelming atmospheres became more important and even an essential aspect of their work. Unfortunately 2020 hasn’t been the most happy year for the band’s front man…

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Spain has been seriously impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. How do you as Spanish citizens and artists experience(d) this drama?

Marco: Well, I suffered this pandemic in a different ways. I lost my mother because of a Covid-19 infection in May, and I got infected too.

And of course, all the shows, the tourism, the travels, etc were and are completely stopped. We had to postpone our tour through Mexico, USA and Perú for 2021. So, no shows from February on… In fact, 2020 is being a shitty year in a lot of ways.

Q: The good news is you this year released your newest album “Desolation Road”. Tell us a bit more about the way this album was conceived and what does the title stands for? 

Marco: This album is some kind of monographic. It’s about the feelings you experience when you take some decisions in your life. Sometimes these decisions make your way more lonely. But you can’t do another thing, because it’s your only way.

Q: I experienced the new songs as more ‘atmospheric’-like; it all feels like the songs are less aggressive, but more poignant and even emotional. Is it an aspect of the production you recognize and eventually work on? What do you perceive as the biggest changes/evolutions compared to previous albums? 

Marco: I think it’s evolution. I try to not over think things too much; I only do what I want to do in that specific moment. My tastes evolve, and that is reflected in production, composition, etc…

At the beginning we were really raw, we were younger and without that much experience, but we really wanted to shout, to experiment with everything, to be really direct. All these things are here today, but with another point of view. Maybe more refined.

Q: I noticed –like many other bands, you did some live streams. How does it feel playing without audience and what have been the reactions so far?

Marco: At the beginning it was really weird! To have only my two Chihuahuas as a crowd, hahaha. Streaming live shows is the only thing that we had until now from the beginning of the pandemic. That’s not so bad, but to me, a live show means LIVE, not only the band, but also the crowd. It’s another experience.

It’s not only about listening music, or watching a show; it’s about feelings, it’s a complete experience.

And I think you can only feel that if you are there. And of course, another important aspect is that in our live shows we need that feedback from the crowd, that you only can get when you are there, seeing them, feeling them and sharing that magic moment with them.

Q: Covid-19 and the lockdown inspired numerous artists to compose new songs or working on remixes and release new clips. What have you been doing and was the lockdown a creative period?

Marco: A lot of things! We have finished an EP that we plan to release before the end of 2020; working on two music videos, and of course lot of new songs (including remixes). What can you do when you live in a really small town, and lockdown in your studio all the day? 

Q: Larva seems to have a serious fan basis in Russia –next to other countries. How do you explain this success in Russia and in, which way is it related to your label Advoxya Records having a connection with Russia?

Marco: I don’t know really… I mean, in Mexico it’s easy for us to have a lot of followers because of the language, so the people can understand our lyrics easily. And because we share some kind of ‘social reality’ and ‘day by day base’.

But Russia was a surprise from the first day we played there. I don’t know, maybe because we understand the live performances the same way. They enjoy very powerful, visceral and raw performances. And that is what we do and what makes us happy.

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: Dark-electro, industrial-pop, EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Asdean is a formation hailing from Belarus. Originally set up in 2010 as Asdeandare they in 2017 changed their name into Asdean. The official title of their debut album is “Время.Пространство.Жизнь”, which means “Time.Space.Life”. The work features nine songs and five remixes. 

Content: One of the band’s specificities is that the songs are sung in their Mother tongue. The vocals are rough and often produced with harsh, distorted effects. Most of the songs are sung by the male singer, but you’ll also hear female backings. Sound-wise this work features a ‘harder’, dark-electro side driven by hopping rhythms and vaguely evoking the work of Amduscia. But there also is a more ‘melodic’ and pop-side resulting in a sort of industrial-pop sound.

Remixes have been done by Outpost 11, Larva, Synthetische Lebensform, Tom Zigota and Object 16.

+ + + : Asdean is an interesting discovery; the specificity of the language is a noticeable element, but I also like their dark-electronic approach, which is powerful, danceable and led by great melody lines. On the other side they also show an exciting pop-orientated sound, which is rough and a bit industrial-like. “Divine Engineering ” is a remarkable illustration of this approach. I personally prefer the harder side of the band and highly recommend songs as “Shadow Guardian” and “Imprisonment”. Among the remixes I heard some great contributions from Larva and the Russian formation Synthetische Lebensform.

– – – : I also noticed a very few cuts (cf. “My star” and “Discoverer”), which have something rock/metal minded and, which aren’t my favorites.

Conclusion: The debut work of Asdean features a few cool surprises, but I’ll especially recommend the darker electro parts.

Best songs: “Divine Engineering”, “Shadow Guardian”,  “Imprisonment”, “Hibernation”, “Shadow Guardian – Sin Dios Mix by Larva”, “Imprisonment – Synthetische Lebensform Remix”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/asdeanofficial

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

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: Dark-electro.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: The Spanish Larva duo consisting of ‘InqUesT’ and ‘Anoxia’ are now terrorizing the dark-electro community for more than twenty years. “Desolation Road” must be their ninth official studio album featuring thirteen new cuts.

Content: I often have compared Larva to Suicide Commando although the past few years saw the band evolving towards a more personal and elaborate sound. “Desolation Road” might be seen as the apotheosis of this evolution. The songs are meticulously composed, carried by great synth lines and often driven by a slower tempo. The real harshness emerges from the vocals, which are mainly in Spanish, but you’ll also notice a few English sung songs. The global sphere hanging over the work became more present –and important, than the power of the tracks. This album will make you dance, but it also dives into melancholic pieces as well.

+ + + : The sound formula of Larva hasn’t changed that much throughout the years, but the main difference hides in the global production process and the songs becoming more sophisticated and less powerful. Larva remains a band that will make you dance, but it’s no longer a dancefloor killer. This work also reveals more atmospheric pieces built up with great, dark synth lines. The songs are still featuring numerous Spanish spoken vocal passages, which in a way also reinforce the dark and somewhat mysterious sphere hanging over the album. Larva remains dark and tormented, but there also is something emotional in this album and that’s rather rare for this kind of production.

– – – : The harsh vocals remain a typical characteristic from the Larva production, but sometimes it all sounds a bit exaggerated. It’s hard to understand the lyrics.

Conclusion: It’s hard to say if this is Larva’s best album to date, but it for sure is the best produced opus in the band’s wide discography. Larva has found its own sound and style.

Best songs: “Falsa Realidad”, “El Decorado De Mi Fracaso”, “Solo Soy Un Recuerdo”, “Tan Alto”, “Burbuja de Cristal”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: https://www.larva.band/index.php/en /

www.facebook.com/larva.official

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

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: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Outpost 11 is the sonic brainchild of Moscow (Russia) based solo-artist Rodion Skityaev. On his debut album “Resonate” (2018) he added a fresh breeze to the Advoxya roster.  This new opus was released during the last days of 2019.                                        

Content: After a remarkable debut opus “Transition” again brings a refreshing touch to the dark-electro minded Advoxya Records. The album even has something versatile although mainly driven by an intelligent- and sophisticated EBM format. Some songs have been polished with a poppy touch while others have been mixed with astral lead and atmospheres. I also noticed songs with harder, industrial sound treatments and the most ‘complex’ structures even reveal elements of IDM. Most of the tracks bring retro-EBM elements to life, which sounds in the vein of the debut album. “Transition” features 12 songs plus 2 remixes by Asdean and Larva.

+ + + : If EBM appears to be this project’s main source of inspiration, the band still reveals its very own approach in the genre. It’s not just EBM, but retro-body-music elements merged with multiple other elements. Some songs are danceable while others have something dreamy-like. Some cuts are a little bit harder and rough sounding while others are accomplished with subtle arrangements. I however prefer the more danceable driven cuts at the last part of the work. “Rotten” and “Split” both are noticeable songs, but I also have to mention “Half-Life” for its global sound intelligence and IDM reference.

– – – : I can imagine some EBM purists will not find total satisfaction listening to Outpost 11. The project has something complex and appears to be a sonic challenge!

Conclusion: “Transition” might be seen as a prophetic title; the sound still has something retro-EBM like, but facing the future and some modernism!

Best songs: “Half-Life”, “Rotten”, “Split”, “Dopamine”, “Ready? Set! War!!!”, “Action”, “In The Woods”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/outpost11band                                                  

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

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: Dark-electro.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Larva is already active since the late 90s. The Spanish project driven by ‘InqUesT’ and assisted by ‘Anoxia’ has already released an impressive number of productions, becoming one of Advoxya Records’ flag holders. “Mundos Subterraneos” was already released a while ago, and it’s the latest Larva album to date.     

Content: Larva hasn’t lost its influences over the years although the global production became a bit different. I often experienced Larva as the Spanish answer to Suicide Commando; dark-icy electronics mixed with enraged vocals. This opus took some distance with the early sound of the band, becoming a more atmospheric production. There’s a dreamy element hanging over the songs while the melodies sound like expressing melancholia.  The vocals however remain harsh and enraged. It creates a certain duality, but in the end it remains Larva. I get the feeling this album is more a kind of soundtrack-inspired work.

+ + + : A few songs from the album remain faithful to the ‘classical’ Larva-sound, but globally speaking “Mundos Subterraneos” is a step towards new sonic –or different sonic horizons. I like the melancholia emerging from the melody lines, creating the most intimate Larva-work ever. The band took me by surprise, revealing subtle and refined sound treatments. “No Soy Yo” sounds like the ultimate song for an imaginary soundtrack.           

– – – : The production of the vocals still has this constant expression of shouting rage. It’s a familiar Larva-element although maybe a bit too harsh for the music of this work.

Conclusion: I never expected Larva composing a sensitive work; even if it remains dark and tormented, this album has something emotional!

Best songs: “My Old Demons”, “No Soy Yo”, “Guilty”, “Vidas Derribadas”, “Gritos Que Solo Las Paredes Oyen”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.larva.band /

 www.facebook.com/larva.official

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

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: Dark-electro.

Background/Info: Spanish formation Larva is already active since 1998. Set up and driven by the charismatic frontman ‘InqUesT’ the band has released an impressive number of productions and became a pretty popular formation on social network. This is probably the reason the band together with Advoxya Records released this DVD featuring extracts from live performances in Kiev (Ukraine), Dallas (USA) and Paris (France) plus two clips.

Content: This DVD is an opportunity to (re)discover 22 songs from Larva, but the main element is to see how the Spanish formation behaves on stage. Both cuts recorded in Paris are the oldest ones (2015) revealing a singer with a real ‘image’ plus a girl in the background behind a synth.

The gig in Ukraine has been filmed from the stage and brings 11 songs from the Larva repertory. The 9 cuts in the USA have been filmed from behind the hall and here again you can rediscover some of Larva’s dark-electro pieces.

Last, but not least you’ll get familiar clips from “Save Me From Myself” and “If I Only Could”.

+ + + : This DVD is clearly a fan item, but first of all a consecration for the Spanish project. Larva is a project I’ve seen progressively grow to reach a high level of dark-electronics. The band has composed some great pieces of music and can be considered a true reference in the ‘endzeit’ scene. I especially like both clips and more especially “Save Me From Myself”, which remains a true masterpiece!

– – – : I honestly expected a bit more from Larva on stage. The band already has an important live experience, but except for a singer with a great image, there’s not a lot happening on stage. Especially the performance in Paris is disappointing. The girl behind the synth clearly doesn’t play live and doesn’t look really motivated to be on stage. The performance in Kiev is much better, but I regret it’s filmed from the stage, which doesn’t really give us a good idea from the impact on the audience. 

Conclusion: I’m still considering Larva as a real interesting and referential band in its genre, but this DVD hasn’t really convinced me!

Best songs: “Save Me From Myself”, “Frio Y Oscuro Amanecer”, “You Are Alone”, “If I Only Could”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.larva.band/index.php/en /

www.facebook.com/larva.officia

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

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: Dark-electro, EBM, electro-industrial, techno-body, power-noise, IDM.

Background/Info: The first ‘act’ from this now legendary compilation was released in 2005. Fourteen years later Alfa Matrix released the eight edition of this series devoted to dark-electronics. The massive work features 72 songs on 4 discs and 40 extra songs available as download.

Artists: Suicide Commando, Blutengel, Zombie Girl, Funker Vogt, Komor Kommando, [SITD], Angelspit, Noisuf-X, Solitary Experiments, Ad:Key, Acylum, Phillip Münch ao.

Content: It’s impossible to go in detail when you’ve to review such a compilation featuring 112 songs! But “Endzeit Bunkertracks” remains faithful to a mix of music genres dealing with electronics and a fusion between great and established artists plus discoveries. No doubt about it, the some upcoming talents have been featured here. Next to a bunch of Alfa Matrix bands the compilation also features big names from other labels such as Out Of Line, Dark Dimensions, Infacted Recordings, Repo Records ao.

There’re a lot of exclusive cuts features and/or remixes while the best bands aren’t always featured on the discs.

+ + + : A great sampler and a hard copy means so much more than the digital version. The artwork by Japanse artist Tomoki Hayasaka is absolutely great and matching with the concept. Song-wise you’ll discover interesting young talents such as H.O.W., Complex Mind, Eexee, Suppressor, Playngrain, Pax Sono, Nitek, Fabrikmutter and C-Phalea. The diversity of the songs made this ‘sonic orgy’ more accessible then releasing such a box format with only dark-electronic bands.  

– – – : Even if this compilation remains a great and successful work, 112 songs is definitely too much so this is a compilation you’ve to listen spread over several days.

Conclusion: It has been my pleasure tipping some ‘unknown’ talents, which have been selected for the compilation while “Endzeit Bunkertracks” remains a sonic bible for all dark electronic souls!

Best bands: Komor Kommando, Implant, Noisuf-X, Electronic Frequency, Funker Vogt, [X]-Rx, Suppressor, Nitek, Ice Ages, Larva.

Rate: (8½).

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

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: Dark-electro.

Background/Info: Larva has been active since 2003 and is actually finishing their eight official full length. They became one of the most recognized dark-electro formations from Spain, which lead ‘Inquest’ and ‘Anoxia’ to play in different countries abroad their country. This album is meant as a gift to the Russian audience, which has always give them a warm welcome. That’s why it has been also released on a Russian label. You’ll get 9 remastered songs and 2 exclusive cuts.

Content: Larva is a band, dark-electro heads perfectly know. So this compilation is a great way to get back to their (h)el(l)ectro driven by furious rhythms, icy sequences, overwhelming leads and enraged vocals/screams. Both exclusive songs perfectly fits with the rest of the tracklist featuring some of their most famous songs.

+ + + : Larva is an interesting formation I’ve seen growing throughout the years to finally become an established band in their music genre. The sound is a rather ‘classical’ format of dark-electro and yet there’s something very personal and recognizable running through their songs. There for sure are explicit links in the sounds, leads and even some parts of the lyrics with Suicide Commando, but globally speaking Larva sounds more tormented and definitely harder. The songs are well-crafted and especially one of the exclusive tracks (cf. “My Old Demons”) is worthy of examination. Last, but not least Larva is definitely enlarging the sonic horizon of ScentAir records, which is mainly devoted to electro-pop music.

– – – : I’m not always a huge fan of the extremely distorted vocals as it becomes a little bit repetitive after a while. It’s nearly impossible to understand the lyrics and even the language –most songs are sung in Spanish, but there are a few English sung as well.

Conclusion: Larva doesn’t bring anything new when it comes to music genre, but at the other side they became very talented ambassadors in their genre.

Best songs: “A Piece Of Me Is Dying (Without You)”, “Save  Up”, “My Old Demons”, “Frio Y Oscuro Amanecer”, “You Are Alone”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.larvas.net / www.facebook.com/larva.official

Label: www.scent–air.com / www.facebook.com/ScentairRecords

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: New-wave, gothic, punk, electro-pop, dark-electro, wave-pop, future-pop, EBM.

Background/Info: I couldn’t resist reviewing this artistic double vinyl compilation featuring 20 international bands dealing with varied, but related music genres. This compilation released in 2016 (!) is a celebration of the 10^th anniversary of the Mexican organization “El Real Under”. This organization is totally devoted to the ‘underground’ music and brings parties and concerts. Sector Industrial Producciones is driven by Dimitri Berzerk. This vinyl was the first release from the label.

Artists: Carcrash International, Simi Nah, Attrition, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Apoptygma Berzerk, Cid Project, Trans-X, State Of The Union, Shiv-R, C-Lekktor, Larva, Tobias Bernstrup, Sturm Café ao.

Content: The tracklist is absolutely impressive, revealing a wide diversity of bands and music styles, but still a very international selection of bands and artists from the early new-wave years (Carcrash International, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Trans-X, Attrition…) and contemporary leading formations (Apoptygma Berzerk, C-Lekktor, Shiv-R, Sturm Café…).

The tracklist is composed by exclusive tracks and songs that have been featured for the very first time on vinyl. I’ve to say that several ‘exclusive’ songs are remixes.

+ + + : You just need a brief look at the tracklist to realize this compilation is featuring real great names, but the diversity of the artist is also worthy of examination. From 80s legendary formations dealing with new-wave and wave-pop to great electro-pop to pure EBM to powerful dark-electronics to future-pop (with a Spanish cover of VNV Nation’s “Honour” by State Of The Union) this album is filled with numerous great surprises. Another essential element is the ultra artistic artwork of this release featuring 2 picture discs.

– – – : I’ve been just less convinced by a few (I guess) Mexican formations dealing with poorly inspired punk music, but which are probably renowned and respected in their homeland. Another and very personal regret is that the informative booklet is only written in Spanish.

Conclusion: This is a great compilation and I also have to recommend you to discover the Mexican label Sector Industrial Producciones.

Best bands: Simi Nah, Cid Project, Trans-X, Shiv-R, The Ancients, C-Lekktor.

Rate: (8).

Label: www.sector–industrial.com / www.facebook.com/sector.industrial.producciones

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

Good news for those who want to see the Finnish based dark electro / aggrotech band Miseria Ultima live at work. The band has just confirmed that they have started rehearsing for shows in Spring 2018 and so far 4 shows have been officially announced (with at least 1 tbc).

The confirmed gigs include shows in Spain, Estonia and Finland – including some with acts like Larva and Noisuf-X. The first liveshow of 2018 for Miseria Ultima will be in the Tallinn Music Week 2018, Estonia on April 6.

The band is in the meantime working on new material.

Miseria Ultima was formed in Finland in 2016 by Aleksi Martikainen and Kimmo Huhtala. You can describe the band’s music as a combination of EBM and dark electro mixed with other electronic music genres. After forming Miseria Ultima, the band made a first demo, ”Unfocus”, which they released digitally in the beginning of 2017. As a result the band got signed on Advoxya Records and released their debut album “Phosphor” in October 2017.

You can check out the band’s official website or join them on Facebook. Downloads can be obtained via the band’s Bandcamp page.

We also just added them on our playlist on Spotify as opening act:

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro.

Background/Info: Larva officially started in 2003 and has released an impressive number of productions over the years. The new work from the Spanish duo reflects ‘the passage of time, and the damage done in our body and soul; during the years’. That’s what the title of the album is symbolizing.

Content: If you know the sound of Larva, you for sure expect a dark and tormented electro-format. “Scars” moves on there where previous work stopped. You get a new release filled with scary atmospheres, rough and angry vocals, icy sequences, cold leads and danceable rhythms. Most of the songs have been sung in English, but mastermind InqUesT is also singing his Mother tongue (what the band mainly did during the early years).

The main evolution with previous albums maybe appears in the more explicit synth lines. It feels a bit like “Scars” also wants to get back in time, using more ‘typical’ synth leads such as in the 90s.

+ + + : I wasn’t exactly a ‘fan’ of Larva in the early years. I often experienced the sound as stereotypical, but mainly unaccomplished. That’s precisely what the band has seriously improved during the past few albums. “Scars” is even moving a step further and rapidly appears to be a mature and well-crafted opus. The sound remains inspired by dark-electro standards, but in the end I always prefer a good copy of Suicide Commando instead of a boring and amateur-like ‘original’ composition. “Scars” is not exactly an emulation of Suicide Commando, but it will definitely appeal for fans of the Belgian master. The main –and interesting, evolution of this new opus appears in the great melody lines.

– – – : I think the main challenge for Larva could be to get a more personal sound instead of being compared to leading formations of dark-electronic music. “Scars” is a remarkable work, but you quickly get the impression it’s just one more work in a genre that is spoiled by similar albums for years now.

Conclusion: Larva is a band, which according to me has become a real reference in its genre. Originality is hard to find, but it’s 100% efficient!

Best songs: “Save Me From Myself”, “To Breath Is To Bleed”, “The Peace Of Suicide”, “El Singuiente (De La Fila)”, “Open Scars”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.larvas.net / www.facebook.com/larva.official

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

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: Dark EBM, dark-electro.

Background/Info: Set up in the 90s by Brazilian artist Giba Reys, Homicidal Feelings stopped all activities during a rather long lapse of time until the project got reactivated a few years ago. The album “Virtue To Vice” got released by Advoxya in 2014 while “Cognitive Disorders” saw the light of day at the end of 2016. The album is more a kind of EP featuring numerous remixes and only a few new cuts.

Content: Homicidal Feelings deals with a dark EBM format mixed with some classical dark-electronic elements. The sound is harsh and features various industrial sounds. The vocals are harsh as well. Next to the danceable aspect of the work there also is an obscure and sometimes disturbing atmosphere supporting the songs. The sampling ‘Allahu Akbar’ only accentuates the mystery and torment running through the songs.

Next to 4 new cuts there also is a song featuring Deadjump and a kind of cover/tribute of the :Wumpscut: song “Slave To Evil”.

The main part of the work features remixes by Cardinal Noire, Larva, Serpents, Cold Therapy, Subliminal Code, Brain Over Dust, Deadjump, Amorphous, Human Vault and Atropine.

+ + + : I really like the original edits by Homicidal Feelings. The dark and tormented EBM style was remarkably accomplished while the dense and heavy sound atmospheres inject this kind of angst feeling. This band deals with the coldest format of electronics and has composed a few brilliant cuts, “Sectarian Strife” being my personal favorite one.

Among the remixes I would especially mention the work of Larva and Subliminal Code plus the more minimal-like sounding remix of Atropine.

– – – : I would have preferred to hear an entire album instead of this remix orgy. The :Wumpscut:-tribute is for sure an original idea, but not exactly the best track from the list. I expected a bit more out of the remixes, the original versions being definitely better!

Conclusion: Homicidal Feelings in an interesting Brazilian formation if you’re in search of tormented EBM. The new songs are danceable and supported with frightening dark atmospheres.

Best songs: “Sectarian Strife”, “The Final Consummation”, “One Existence In Pain”, “One Existence In Pain – Myasis Mix by Larva”, “Cognitive Disorders – Atropine”, “Cognitive disorders – Subliminal Code”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.facebook.com/homicidalfeelings

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

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

Following 2016’s “Larva Lumps & Baby Bumps”, Controlled Bleeding returns with “Carving Songs”, a remix album totalling 20 tracks, including a 21st track, “TROD”, a brand new Controlled Bleeding composition by founder Paul Lemos.

The hand-picked cast of remixers includes Japanese noise-guru Merzbow, Justin K. Broadrick from industrial-metal act Godflesh (not to mention Jesu), as well as Monolake, Crowhurst, Ramleh, Child Bite, and many others. Even notorious experimental guitarist (and current Lydia Lunch Retrovirus member) Weasel Walter makes an appearance.

The remixes range from straight up power noise, to post-black metal, to industrial-influenced beats, and are as varied as Controlled Bleeding itself, a project known for being impossible to classify.

The album comes in a limited edition dark green double LP vinyl with insert, next to a normal dark vinyl version and a 2CD version which can all be ordered right here straight from the label itself.

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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OST+FRONT are back with a brand new maxi-single, “Fiesta de Sexo!”. The CD single comes in a strictly limited digipak and contains the title song, plus exclusive remixes, demos and cover versions as you can see in the tracklist below. You can already place your order right here. For the occasion the German act teamed up with Erk Aicrag (Hocico/Rabia Sorda).

The limited maxi CD contains the title track in the album version, a previously unreleased demo and three exclusive remixes (by Rabia Sorda, Larva and Among The Living). The band also turned Miley Cyrus’ hit “Wrecking Ball” into a metal-tune with the vocal assistance of Blutengel’s Ulrike Goldmann. Massive Ego from their side turned the song “Nein” into a club track while the band Krankheit (support act on OST+FRONT’s “Ultra”-tour) have recorded a cover version of “Liebeslied”.

Here’s the video for “Fiesta de Sexo (feat. Erk Aicrag)”:

Tracklist:

1. Fiesta de Sexo (Album Version)
2. Wrecking Ball
3. Fiesta de Sexo (Larva Remix)
4. Nein (Massive Ego Remix – Radio Edit)
5. Fiesta de Sexo (Rabia Sorda Remix)
6. Fiesta de Sexo (Among The Living Remix)
7. Liebeslied (Coverversion von Krankheit)
8. Fiesta de Sexo (Demo Version)

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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Background/Info:

Read the news on ‘Larva Lumps & Baby Bumps’.

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

The fine Toronto-based label Artoffact Records is not only reissuing a significant portion of the Controlled Bleeding catalogue (check here for more info on which titles), they also will release the first proper complete studio album by Controlled Bleeding since 2002’s “Can You Smell The Rain Between (Tone Casualties)”.

Titled “Larva Lumps and Baby Bumps”, the brand new album will be released on double vinyl (available here for the USA, and right here for Europe) and double CD (available here) in August.

Both vinyl and CD come with an album of bonus material, out-takes from the “Larva Lumps” sessions that both label and artists felt were far too strong to keep off the release. The bonus material was engineered by New York producer Martin Bisi (Swans, John Zorn, Boredoms, White Zombie, Bill Laswell, Foetus).

Side-Line talked to Controlled Bleeding’s Paul Lemos who originally co-formed the band in Boston around 1978. Thanks to Artoffact Records for helping out.

SL: A brand new album after about a decade of no new releases. Why is now the time for Controlled Bleeding to return?

CB: Well, a few years back we did issue the “Odes to Bubbler” CD which included several pieces of new music and Vinyl on Demand released a vinyl box set with some new stuff mixed in with ancient archive recordings… So, I have been active through the decade, but it was hard finding my bearings after losing my two long time collaborators. The new album reflects the fruits of the music I have made in the past few years with my new collaborators, Chvad SB, Mike Bazini and long time drummer Tony Meola.

SL: Larva Lumps is an interesting blend of jazz improv, industrial, and even prog rock elements. What inspired this eclectic blend of styles?

CB: I have always had a pretty low boredom threshold and enjoy moving in whatever direction strikes me at the moment… the music has always been intuitive, spawned from the chemistry that exists between me and my collaborators, so “Larva Lumps” was the outcome. For me, it is a very cohesive, unified set of pieces…Also, I guess the music reflects my personal tastes at any given time, and this time out I was listening to a lot of free jazz and fairly aggressive music.

SL: The cover art is really creepy. Can you tell us more about it?

CB: Gregory Jacobsen of Lovely Little Girls is a truly talented artist and when I saw his portraits, immediately I wanted to use them for the record… They don’t relate to the music on any conscious level though… I just was drawn to the images.

SL: Why “Larva Lumps”? Is there any significance to the title?

CB: Well, Larva Lumps is my made up name for the young man on the front cover… Baby Bumps might be his female companion. The title just appeared in my brain one morning and that was it.

SL: How did you hook up with Artoffact Records and how has that been so far?

CB: Artoffact has been nothing less than fantastic. It is so rare these days to find a label that is really committed to and driven by the music it releases. These days, most labels are strictly looking at profit margins and ways to reduce costs, which makes sense in the present marketplace, but Artoffact really cares about the aesthetics of the music and its presentation. Working with them has inspired me to create new music again and to return to live performance with an actual band.

SL: Artoffact is also re-issuing several older Controlled Bleeding releases. Can we expect more reissues in the future?

CB: I hope so… We have been talking about what might appear next. Perhaps we will again dig into the archives of old cassettes for one release along with music from our Wax Trax days… It is too early to say though.

SL: Famed NYC producer Martin Bisi engineered the bonus disc on the new album. How was it working with someone as renowned as Bisi?

CB: Bisi is just a great, down to earth guy who accurately captures a band’s sound in the moment. We miced amps and drums, played live for a few hours, and some of the results were pretty stirring. Martin is a friend of Mike Bazini so he arranged the session which was a lot of fun, but absolutely exhausting. It must have been 90 degrees in the studio that day.

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 Insane Records label and the Terror Night radio show have joined forces to release “Terror Night Vol.2 – Sounds Of Dead Future”, a compilation album that consists of 100% exclusive tracks by dark electro bands from all over the world. The release date is scheduled for June 30, 2016!

The compilation is the follow-up to the first compilation “Terror Night Vol.1 – Industrial Madness”. Compared to the first volume this volume has a more diversified tracklist catering to more styles related to dark electro. As a result you can expect aggressive Hellektro, but also more melodic songs.

A preview can be listened to below:

The compilation comes as a 6-panel 2 CD digipak limited to just 300 copies. The compilation album will only be available via the official Insane Records webstore as well as on the label’s Bandcamp page.

Here’s the track list:

CD 1
01. Reactor7x – Disorder (v20.16 Harsh Edition)
02. Encono – Visceral Absorption
03. Hell:Sector – ReHumanize
04. Alien Vampires – Harshlizer (Disorder Faith Remix)
05. 00TZ 00TZ – Ouroboros (Vocal Terror Mix)
06. PreEmptive Strike 0.1 – Death Of Talos Live Mas (feat. Totten Mechanismus)
07. Angels Of Suicide – Dancer Diabolus
08. Kill The Sleeper – I Am The Ocean; I Am The Sea
09. Asdeandare – Imprisonment
10. Larva – The Peace Of Suicide
11. Archazard – Revolution In Violence
12. Psyborg Corp. – Of Visions And Blizzards (Subliminal Code Remix)
13. T3RR0R 3RR0R – The God Of Fire (Terror Night Mix)
14. Schwarzblut – Vogala
15. Technolorgy – 23 (Club Mix)

CD 2
01. nolongerhuman – The Pawn
02. DYM – aDeiu (Terror Night Edition)
03. God Destruction – Redentor (A.D.R.O.N. Remix)
04. Bleeding Corp. – Automatic (Terror Night Edition)
05. Reaxion Guerrilla – Sacrifice (Asinaptico Remix)
06. Viscera Drip – Aggrosex
07. C-Lekktor – Juicio Final (Alien:Nation Remix)
08. Thornsectide – City Of Madness
09. Shadow System – Overkill (Exemia Remix)
10. Cygnosic – Crawl (Homicidal Feelings Remix)
11. Benjamin’sPlague – Sunday Night’s Slit Wrist Party
12. Sleetgrout – I Bought Coffins (feat. Cygnosic) (Destructive Noise Remix by Nero Bellum of Psyclon Nine)
13. Chamaeleon – Suppression (Hard Balls Remix by [ Sin.thetic Squad ])
14. Okkulta – Singularity-B
15. Vault-113 – Ami Go Home (Original by Ernst Busch)

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

Read the review of ‘Larva Lumps & Baby Bumps’.

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

Based in Barcelona InqUesT and Anoxia are better known as Larva. This dark-electro formation started in the late 90s as Morbid Mind, but changed their name into Larva. InqUesT got joined by 2 new members, but the current line-up consists of InqUesT (machines, vocals & lyrics) and Anoxia (sequences).

Larva became one of the ‘oldest’ servitors of Advoxya Records, on which they released an impressive number of productions. They last year released their most accomplished full length to date “Abominations” while the band is actually working on new material for their next album.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Larva is already active for quite a long time so what do you keep in mind from the early days, the way it all started and how do you see the evolution of Larva all over the years?

InqUesT: I always try to keep in mind how it all begun. I’m looking to the past in a sweet way; a period without money, without almost tools, but only with great energy and motivation.

And the way we evolved during the last years?  Mmmm…

I think age affects everything and also in our way of composing music. We of course have more knowledge now, so it van be noticed in the production and the overall sound of the new work. You can even notice it in the lyrical aspect; the lyrics becoming more elaborated and deeper whatever the subject.

Q: Right now you are in between 2 albums so how do you look back at the “Abominations”-album and what might we expect from the new work? Do you see an evolution regarding influences, sounds and production?

InqUesT: Yes, right. I think the fans and followers can expect more complex songs and structures. We didn’t lose our taste for experimentation and the exploration of new skylines.

Our influences are basically the same (and I’m even listening these days to more ‘conventional rock music’); but the knowledge it’s always growing. Maybe the new work will be a bit faster; but without losing the slow classic Larva’s songs.

Q: The image of Larva seems to be an important- and an essential element in your work. Tell us a bit more about it and what are the feelings/emotions you try to expose?

InqUesT: Well, our image was really natural to us…  it’s not really a thought concept. We try to incorporate the elements that we feel inherent to our music, and the things that make us feel comfortable. We are punks in essence (in a way of life, I mean).

And talking about our live performances; we try to offer something special (not just a usual live show). A complete experience for the audience. In the end we want to be loved or hated. Extreme positions!

Q: After a previous ‘tribute song’ to Placebo Effect, the song “In The Edge Of The Blade” (featured on “Abominations”) is featuring Axel M. from Placebo Effect. Tell us a bit more about the accomplishment of this ‘special’ song and your fascination for this band?

InqUesT: As teenagers we grew up listening to this kind of bands  (dark-electro or industrial bands from the 90/80). So, we felt paying a tribute to one of our favorite bands could be interesting. We knew Axel, and started to interact almost day by day to finally get the ‘tribute song’

Finally we ended doing a few songs together (or sketches as I say); and this one was the selected to be part of the CD. For us it was an immense honor to collaborate with a band that we liked and followed for all those years. That’s the magic of music!!

Q: In which way does the economic crisis in your homeland affect you as a musician?

InqUesT: In a lot of different ways… Economic crisis means less money for the people, which means less people paying for culture (as a music product, live show, merch., etc). We are lucky enough to have  a few countries with a consistent and growing fanbase. So they support us and make us feel loved, and of course, thanks to them, we can continue doing what we want to do.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

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: Dark-electro.

Background/Info: InqUesT (vocals, lyrics & sequences) and Anoxia (sequences) are already active since a couple of years now. Both mates from Barcelona have released an impressive number of albums in a rather short lapse of time. They definitely belong to the selected list of most ‘tormented’ dark-electro acts of the scene.

Content: This new opus clearly reveals a great evolution in the global sound production. “Abominations” definitely is their most accomplished and successful album to date. The sound and influences haven’t really changed, Larva remaining a sick format of dark-electronics. InqUesT sings like a possessed soul and you really feel all the rage and torment coming out of his throat. The songs are sung in Spanish.

The music is quite familiar for its power and coldness, but the main evolution appears to be the little and subtle arrangements this work has been made with. It all consists of little bleeps and delicate treatments injecting a refined and artistic touch to the work. It creates a delicious contrast with the main aspect of the composition, which moves into merciless and furious hell-electro music.

There also is a surprising song featuring Axel Machens from Placebo Effect. This is a rather experimental cut and one of the slowest pieces of the work revealing a kind of dark reverie.

+ + + : The power and global sound production is absolutely amazing. I’ve not always been an adept Larva, but this work is absolutely well-crafted and efficient. There’re multiple dancefloor killers on “Abominations”.

– – – : The softer and slower songs are not their most convincing side although I’ve to admit it brings some diversity to the album.

Conclusion: I can’t remember to have ever liked to hear “Abominations”, but Larva transformed pure horror themes and imagery into beauty and transcendental dark-electro music.

Best songs: “Mi Mundo Nunca Fue El Vuestro”, “La Vida Se Desmorona”, “Comfortably Broken”, “No Podran Conmigo”, “El Hombre Triste Que No Liora Jamas”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.larvas.net / www.facebook.com/larva.official

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

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