Liars released a video for “Beat Creep Some Eyes”, the latest track from their forthcoming eleventh studio album, “A Ban On Plastic Bag Bans”, due 5 March 2027 on Mute.

The video was shot by visual collaborator Clemens Habicht on an obsolete 3D camera in and around Kalamazoo, Michigan, the city that inspired the album, after Angus Andrew relocated there with his family. Discussing the track, Andrew said: “Sometimes I think the strangest thing isn’t that the world is absurd, but how quickly we get used to it. You can find yourself living inside something completely ridiculous and, after a while, it just becomes Tuesday.”

Liars announced “A Ban On Plastic Bag Bans” in September; “Beat Creep Some Eyes” follows lead track “Ice Pick, Kalamazoo” as the second piece of music shared from the record. The album was written and recorded between the United States and Australia, where Andrew now lives, with Laurence Pike and Cameron Deyell, both collaborators on 2021’s “The Apple Drop”.

Liars also confirmed a London show at Village Underground on 15 May 2027, with tickets on sale from 10am on 6 November. The band play Drum’s Not Dead 20th-anniversary shows at Phoenix Central Park in Sydney on 26 and 27 November 2026.

“A Ban On Plastic Bag Bans” tracklist: “Happy Or Not”, “Ice Pick, Kalamazoo”, “Laced Plume”, “Urgent As Always”, “Deep Deeper”, “Disaster Tropes”, “Beat Creep Some Eyes”, “Real Time Trespasser”, “SHAME!”, “Retention Arc”, “Out Of Order”.

The album will be released on vinyl, CD and digitally through Mute.

About Liars

Liars formed in New York in 2000 around Angus Andrew. The band’s catalogue spans “They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top” (2001), “Drums Not Dead” (2006), “TFCF” (2017) and “The Apple Drop” (2021). After “The Apple Drop”, Andrew paused making music to found the record label No Gold, before relocating to Kalamazoo, Michigan, an experience that shaped “A Ban On Plastic Bag Bans”. The album reunites Andrew with “The Apple Drop” collaborators Laurence Pike and Cameron Deyell, and is set for release on 5 March 2027 through Mute, preceded by the singles “Ice Pick, Kalamazoo” and “Beat Creep Some Eyes”.

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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Liars will release their new album A Ban On Plastic Bag Bans through Mute Records on 5 March 2027. The band, now the solo recording vehicle of Angus Andrew, has shared the first single, “Ice Pick, Kalamazoo,” alongside UK and European tour dates in October.

“Ice Pick, Kalamazoo” takes its title from the city in Michigan where Andrew relocated with his wife and daughter. Soon after moving, he noticed a persistent smell around the family home and his daughter’s school, traced to hydrogen sulphide and other pollutants released by a local packaging factory at levels the state health department flagged as dangerous enough to advise residents to stay indoors. Andrew got involved in a campaign to hold the factory accountable, and the experience, and its tangle of environmental damage, corporate responsibility and bureaucratic inertia, became the starting point for the new album.

“A Ban On Plastic Bag Bans” takes its title from an actual Michigan statute that bars local governments from banning single-use plastic bags, a piece of legislation Andrew found emblematic of how attempts to reduce environmental harm can themselves become targets for prohibition. “You become so used to something, you lose your sense of it,” Andrew said of the theme running through the record: how injustice settles into the background of daily life, and how draining it becomes to keep pushing against institutions built to outlast that resistance.

The album was written and recorded across the United States and Australia, where Andrew now lives, in collaboration with drummer Laurence Pike and multi-instrumentalist Cameron Deyell, both of whom worked on 2021’s “The Apple Drop” and have toured with Liars since 2017’s “TFCF”. Rather than building the songs from finished demos, the three musicians worked through improvisation, developing material across continents by ear rather than by score. Andrew describes the result as a different kind of political record, one concerned less with protest itself than with the toll of sustaining it. “It wasn’t just the environment that was polluted,” he said. “It was also my mind.”

“A Ban On Plastic Bag Bans” will be released on white recycled and recyclable PET vinyl, CD and digital formats. The tracklist runs: “Happy Or Not,” “Ice Pick, Kalamazoo,” “Laced Plume,” “Urgent As Always,” “Deep Deeper,” “Disaster Tropes,” “Beat Creep Some Eyes,” “Real Time Trespasser,” “SHAME!,” “Retention Arc” and “Out Of Order.”

The period leading up to the album followed the disruption of the pandemic, when touring plans for “The Apple Drop” fell through and Andrew stepped back from making new Liars music for the first time since his teens. He spent the time on other projects instead, founding the record label No Gold and the experimental platform Essential Tremors. “Both of those things were really about listening,” he said, describing the shift away from being “a full-time creator” toward closer engagement with other artists and with his adopted surroundings in Kalamazoo.

Liars tour dates for ‘A Ban On Plastic Bag Bans’

The album announcement comes with UK and European tour dates, giving audiences a rare chance to see the band’s live show in intimate rooms, plus a one-off 20th-anniversary performance of “Drums Not Dead” with two Polish percussionists, including Macio Moretti, at Unsound Festival. Tickets go on sale from 10am local time on 11 September via the band’s official site.

• 2 October – Bucharest, Romania – Control Club (Opening Party)
• 3 October – Nantes, France – Le Lieu Unique
• 5 October – Milan, Italy – Arci Bellezza
• 9 October – Krakow, Poland – Unsound Festival (“Drums Not Dead” 20th-anniversary performance)
• 10 October – Belgrade, Serbia – Changeover Festival
• 12 October – Prague, Czech Republic – Punctum
• 13 October – Berlin, Germany – Neue Zukunft
• 15 October – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso
• 17 October – Kortrijk, Belgium – Atelier Nooitgedacht
• 18 October – Liege, Belgium – Kultura
• 20 October – London, UK – Moth Club
• 22 October – Paris, France – Boule Noire
• 24 October – Copenhagen, Denmark – Ideal Bar

About Liars

Angus Andrew and Aaron Hemphill met in the late 1990s in Los Angeles, where Andrew was studying photography at CalArts and Hemphill worked at a local record store. The two began recording together before relocating to New York, where they answered a musicians’ wanted ad from bassist Pat Noecker and drummer Ron Albertson. The four-piece was formally christened Liars in New York in November 2000. Working with producer Steve Revitte, the band recorded its debut album, “They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top,” in two days; it was released in October 2001 on Gern Blandsten Records, with Blast First and later Mute Records handling subsequent reissues.

Albertson left the band in 2000 before the debut’s release, and Noecker departed in 2002; multi-instrumentalist Julian Gross joined in 2003. Liars moved to Mute Records for 2004’s “They Were Wrong, So We Drowned” and continued releasing albums on the label through 2006’s “Drums Not Dead,” their self-titled 2007 album, 2010’s “Sisterworld,” 2012’s “WIXIW,” 2014’s “Mess,” 2017’s “TFCF” and 2021’s “The Apple Drop.” Hemphill left the band amicably around the release of “TFCF,” after which Andrew continued Liars as a solo recording project, working with a rotating cast of collaborators including Laurence Pike and Cameron Deyell.

Since “The Apple Drop,” Andrew has also run the label No Gold and the experimental platform Essential Tremors from Australia, where he now lives. “A Ban On Plastic Bag Bans,” due 5 March 2027 on Mute, is Liars’ tenth studio album and their first release since “The Apple Drop,” accompanied by their first UK and European live dates in years.

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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“Rhetoric & Terror” is the all new album from Nonpareils aka Aaron Hemphill (Liars co-founder) which is out 20 September via Mute. Available now is the new track “Predictable Pan (Theme From A Book Of Perfectly Drawn Lines)” taken from this album.

“Rhetoric & Terror” is Berlin-based Hemphill’s second album since leaving Liars back in 2016. The album has his wife Angelika Kaswalder on vocals throughout the album and multi-instrumentalist Morgan Henderson – a longtime friend of Hemphill’s since Henderson’s time in the post-hardcore band The Blood Brothers – adding woodwind.

Aaron Hemphill explains the album like this: “With ‘Rhetoric & Terror’, I wanted to start with emotions and feeling. I was playing with my kids, listening to Cocteau Twins, I have a wonderful partner, and it seemed very contrary to any sort of growth to sequester myself from this life in order to get into character as a musician. Instead, I tried to remove the boundaries between my creative life and my responsibilities and have it all be one fluid thing. All things at all times, and trust that this will guide my music rather than more intellectual concepts or limitations.”

“Rhetoric & Terror” will be out on Mute on vinyl, CD and digitally on 20 September 2024.

Here’s the previous released track, “Opening Chord”.

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 post-punk duo Supernova 1006 released their latest single, “How I Need You”, via Negative Gain Productions.

“How I Need You” was planned to be released as a bonus initially. “However, it looked isolated and self-sufficient. Therefore, we decided to make the song an independent work. Its distinctive feature was a return to the old sound, characterized by the “stringiness” and buoyancy of a cold sound. “How I Need You” gives the feeling of being immersed in a big cold black lake in which no one lives with the silence and comfort of a lonely existence. It is a sonic journey through a cyberpunk landscape, filled with pulsating rhythms and melancholic melodies.”

The single release also features remixes from artists such as Casket Cassette, Giirls, CULTTASTIC and Blind Seagull. “How I Need You” is available now on all major digital outlets including Spotify and Bandcamp.

About Supernova 1006

Supernova 1006 was established in September 2014 by Andrey Yukhovich (guitar, vocals), Anton Korchevsky (bass, synthesizer), and Elena Polupan (drum machine, synthesizer). In 2014, the band released their debut EP, “Morphine” (self-released), along with the single “Mistakes” and the full-length album “Bsides” under the Uncle Misha label.

In 2015, Elena Polupan departed the group and was replaced by Lisa Dolgikh. That same year, Supernova 1006 released their second LP, “Talons”. At the start of 2016, Anton Korchevsky left the band. Concurrently, the band began a partnership with Werkstatt Recordings, releasing the LP “Talons”, the EP “Ministry”, and singles “Feel” and “We Are Free”.

The album “Unique World” was released in 2017 through Werkstatt Recordings, Sierpien Records, Other Voices Records, and Orbita, available on CD, cassette, reels, and vinyl. Also in 2017, Supernova 1006 collaborated with Gothic Music to re-release “Unique World” on CD and recorded the single “Dope For Human”, which Other Voices Records issued on 7-inch vinyl. The LP “Blackout” came out later that year on Sierpien Records, featuring collaborations with Mr.Kitty, Paradox Obscur, and Kill Your Boyfriend. Alongside The Units, the group also released a remix of the 1979 track “High Pressure Days”. In the summer of 2018, they released the single “Gold” and the EP “Critical Distance”. That year, Supernova 1006 and Liars collaborated on remixes of “New Kind Of Cross – Buzz Kull”.

In 2019, the group started working with Young And Cold Records, releasing the experimental industrial album “Technical Support” on 12″ vinyl. In 2021, Supernova 1006 released the synth-punk album “History Of Supernova 1006” on Sierpien Records, drawing significant inspiration from The Units. From 2021 to 2023, the group was inactive, pausing concert activities while recording and developing new material.

In the summer of 2023, Sofia Merkulova replaced Lisa Dolgikh, and the group announced an upcoming album titled “Chains”, set to be released on October 2, 2023, under the Negative Gain label.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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On December 15th, 2023, at 8:00 pm (CET) Mondträume will present the exclusive YouTube premiere of “Heart Machine”, taken from the 6-track EP that will also be launched that day via Alfa Matrix on Bandcamp.

Founding member Pikotto and his new singer Nicky (N-Frequency) will be ready to chat with you about the music, share behind-the-scenes stories, and spill the beans on their plans for the upcoming year.

You can tune in via this YouTube link.

About Mondträume

Mondträume is a Spanish synthpop band that was formed in 2010. They offer a blend of dark, melodic synthpop music. Since then the band released two albums – “Empty” and “Lovers, Sinners & Liars” on Alfa Matrix.

They also released various singles and EPs: “Life Is Short”, “Still Beating”, “Free” and “The Unknown Path”. “The Unknown Path” featured a new lineup including Ivan Derbenev (Antilav, Himmash) and Madil Hardis.

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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Post-punk/synthwave band, Supernova 1006 recently unveiled their new album, “Chains” via Negative Gain Productions. “Chains” is about the struggle for your happiness, about the struggle for silence and harmony with oneself.

Out now is a brand new video single, “Before I’ll Make You Cry”.

And here is the album “Chains”.

About Supernova 1006

Supernova 1006 came to life in September 2014, through the collaboration of Andrey Yukhovich (on guitar and vocals), Anton Korchevsky (handling bass and synthesizer), and Elena Polupan (managing drum machine and synthesizer). The same year saw them self-releasing their debut EP “Morphine”, alongside the single “Mistakes” and a full-length album titled “Bsides” under the Uncle Misha label.

However, 2015 brought changes to the lineup with Elena exiting the band, making way for Lisa Dolgikh. With fresh energy, Supernova 1006 unveiled their second LP “Talons” that year. But as 2016 rolled in, Anton parted ways with the group. Despite the shift, the band forged a new alliance with Werkstatt Recordings, leading to the release of LP “Talons”, EP “Ministry”, and the singles “Feel” and “We Are Free”.

In 2017, the musical journey continued with the album “Unique World”, a collaborative release with Werkstatt Recordings, Sierpien records, Other Voices records, and Orbita. This album found its way to fans on a variety of formats – CD, cassettes, reels, and vinyl. Later that year, the band explored new horizons with Gothic Music, which saw the re-release of “Unique World” on CD. They also dropped the single “Dope For Human” on a 7-inch vinyl through Other Voices records, followed by the LP “Blackout” on Sierpien Records, featuring contributions from Paradox Obscur and Kill Your Boyfriend.

Keeping the creative momentum going, Supernova 1006, alongside The Units, introduced a remix of the classic 1979 track “High Pressure Days” in a single. The summer of 2018 saw the release of the single “Gold” and the EP “Critical Distance”.

Their collaborative spirit soared again in the same year when they, along with Liars, released remixes of “New Kind Of Cross – Buzz Kull”. 2019 marked the beginning of a new chapter with Young And Cold records, culminating in the release of the experimental industrial album “Technical Support” on 12″ vinyl.

Fast forward to 2021, Supernova 1006 launched the synth-punk album “History Of Supernova 1006” via Sierpien Records, drawing inspiration largely from The Units. While the group took a step back from active performances between 2021 to 2023, they were quietly brewing new material.

As summer 2023 unfolded, Sofia Merkulova replaced Lisa Dolgikh, injecting new life into the band. With renewed vigor, Supernova 1006 announced their upcoming album “Chains”, set to release under the Negative Gain label, marking a new phase in their ever-evolving musical saga. Read the review of ‘Chains’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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(Photo by LA Solano) Angus Andrew (Liars) has announced details of a new imprint, No Gold, and also offers more details of its first release, “Essential Tremors Sydney 2022”, due out digitally and as a 4-CD box set on 21 October 2022.

Talking about NO GOLD, Angus says: “We’re in the midst of a major cultural shift, not only within the music and arts community, but throughout society. Outdated and unfair systems are finally being uprooted and I’m excited to search for real, equitable and sustainable solutions.”

The “Essential Tremors Sydney 2022” box set collates performances by YL Hooi, Shoeb Ahmad, Chunyin, Del Lumanta, Clare Cooper, ∑GG√E|N, Cindy Chen, Salllvage and Wytchings from the three-day Essential Tremors festival that took place in Phoenix Central Park, Australia, in March 2022, curated by Angus Andrew.

You can listen to a sampler from “Essential Tremors Sydney 2022” right below.

Angus explains his curation: “I felt like I needed to connect with other artists and if at all possible, empower them. I was surprised by how important it felt to help uncover and expose the wealth of talented experimental musicians. And yeah, my mindset hasn’t changed since being back in America – it’s just broadened to a more global one.”

A NY edition of Essential Tremors has also been announced – with performances from Liars, MELT-BANANA, No Age, Armand Hammer, So!YoON!, YL Hooi, Faten Kanaan, Tarquin Manek, Dream_Mega and more. The event, at Knockdown Center in NY, takes place on Friday 21 October with tickets going on sale this Friday 5 August. The imprint is currently in talks to continue the series in other cities, including London, Seoul, Tokyo and Los Angeles.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Out today via Re:Mission Entertainment is the second album, “—-X—-“, in an ongoing collaboration between Dead Voices on Air and Snowbeasts. For this release the two bands took a slightly different approach during the recording. Most of the songs were passed back and forth via file transfer until the songs felt finished. “This resulted in a more composed, or thematic feel to the album, which features more lyrical content”, so the label emphasizes.

The release is out as a download and as a limited CD digipak (100 copies) via Bandcamp (where you can order it. A special T-shirt is also available for ordering.

Spybey’s lyrical content continues to be preoccupied by the political challenges of our time, believing that we have entered a new era of autocracy. He believes that we are in danger of being seduced by the incessant barrage of lies, half-truths, trolling and allegations. That we are being wilfully misled by petty tyrants, upper class twits, the filthy rich, pathological liars and narcissists.

The duo says: “We are oppressed through the weaponisation of fear, in a vain attempt to obscure the political and strategic ineptness of our politicians. The enemy is anyone who dares to think or act differently, or who challenges the kind of beliefs that have plagued mankind: hatred of others, hatred of minorities, hatred of those who seek to instil hope and compassion into our societies.”

Spybey specifies even further: “I’m 60 and I’m still pissed off. Perhaps more pissed off than ever. I confess I find it ever so hard to believe that with all of the advances that humans have made during my lifetime, all of the wonderful things we have achieved, that our countries (the USA and the UK) have ended up electing, being led and represented by people like Trump and Johnson. I can’t believe that anyone could be stupid enough to believe that the world is a safer and better place because of their contribution, or lack of it to the maintenance of peace, stability and wellness. To all of you who say that musicians shouldn’t get involved in politics, I have this to say. I make music because I am able to do it. It’s my right to create and by doing so I am afforded a voice and a platform. It’s one of the many privileges of living in a ‘free society,’ (whatever that means). I make music because I want to and if I didn’t think that by doing so that I couldn’t reach out to people and to respectfully challenge the status quo, in an attempt to make some kind of meaningful contribution to society, I’d quit tomorrow, pack up and go away. For Trump and Johnson, you can easily add another dozen or so ‘world’ leaders names to the list by the way. Politicians are not all the same, and if you think that, then I’d like to respectfully suggest that you might want to do something about it. We deserve better. So yeah, when I started to write lyrics for this record, I really couldn’t avoid mining some of these feelings and I’m kind of unapologetic about it. I don’t like to offend people but enough is enough folks, we deserve better.”

Simon Paul, a well known graphic artist from Toronto, Canada provided the artwork, which plays on a number of themes from the album. The CD was mastered by another member of the Dead Voices on Air family, Anatoly Tokee Grinberg from Moscow.

Here’s the album itself.

About Snowbeasts

Snowbeasts is the duo of Robert Galbraith and Elizabeth Virosa. The project was formed in 2014 in Providence RI after a series of heavy snowstorms. Earlier releases were cinematic modular landscapes and droning dark ambient while later tracks can be more beat oriented.

Snowbeasts has numerous releases scattered across their own Component Recordings and Paris’s MTronic. They have also recently completed a trio of albums with beat oriented noise artist, Solypsis including two for Ohm Resistance.

Along with Snowbeasts, Virosa and Galbraith produce techno under the name Obscure Formats and electronic dance as Pattern Behavior.

About Dead Voices on Air

Spybey started his career in the North-East of England with Zoviet France in the late eighties before moving to Vancouver. It was here that Dead Voices On Air were formed. Spybey also worked under the name Propeller and was an original member of Download, who included members of Skinny Puppy. Spybey was the voice of their 1996 release, “The Eyes of Stanley Pain”.

After leaving Download he started a series of collaborations, appearing on over 50 albums in a five-year period. Perhaps his most significant collaboration was being asked to be part of CAN guitarist Michael Karoli’s band Sofortkontakt! and appearing at the CAN 30th anniversary shows in 1999. Spybey was a close friend of Michael Karoli prior to his death in 2001 and had toured with him as part of legendary CAN vocalist Damo Suzuki’s Network in 1998 in North America, appearing in the German TV film by Peter Braatz, “On the Air”.

Spybey has recorded, toured and played live with numerous collaborators including Faust, Michael Rother (Neu!) and Dieter Moebius (Cluster), members of The Legendary Pink Dots, Mick Harris (Scorn, Painkiller), Jarboe (Swans), Simon Fisher-Turner, Richard Sanderson, James Plotkin (Flux, Old, Scorn), Robert Hampson (Loop/Main), Jochen Arbeit (Einzturzende Neubaten), Darryl Neudorf and Sugarpill (Abintra), Not Breathing, Pigface and Martin Atkins.

He has worked with a number of record companies, including Kranky, Nettwerk, Invisible, Cold Spring, U.M.P and Soleilmoon. Spybey was part of the band Beehatch with the late Phil Western of Download, who released three albums and toured Europe. In 2004 he formed Reformed Faction, a duo with founding member of Zoviet France and Rapoon mainstay Robin Storey. The band have released a number of albums and have played live in both Europe and North America. He now resides in his native Yorkshire, in the UK.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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(Photo by Clemens Habicht) While Liars’ latest album, “The Apple Drop”, is out today, the band has also now released the video of a secret show in Sydney, Australia: “Liars: Live at Phoenix”.

“Liars: Live at Phoenix” was directed by Clemens Habicht – who recently created a trilogy of films for “The Apple Drop” – and sees Angus Andrew, Laurence Pike, and Cameron Deyell perform “Murdrum” (from “Titles with the Word Fountain”), “Sekwar” and “Big Appetite” (both from “The Apple Drop”). The setting was the futuristic wood and concrete surrounds of Phoenix Central Park.

Angus Andrew: “It felt essential for the work to be performed in the nest at Phoenix Central Park. The hyper modern architecture intensified the drama and framed the whole evening in a spectacular sci-fi universe. I can’t express enough thanks and gratitude to Phoenix Central Park for the opportunity to debut The Apple Drop in such an awe-inspiring space.”

Here’s the live set.

About Liars

Liars is an Australian-American experimental noise band formed in Brooklyn, New York in 2000. Angus Andrew is the founding and only constant member of Liars, currently joined by multi-instrumentalist Cameron Deyell and drummer Laurence Pike.

Aaron Hemphill played with the band from its inception until his amicable departure from the project in 2017. Julian Gross joined the band for their second album “They Were Wrong, So We Drowned” in 2004, and played with the band until his departure in 2014.

Liars are signed to Mute Records and combine elements of punk-rock with electronica, with Andrew being inspired by artists such as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), The Cure, PJ Harvey, Underworld, The Doors and Michael Franks.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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(Photo by McLean Stephenson) Liars have launched their new track, “From What The Never Was”, the latest single from their forthcoming album, “The Apple Drop”, ahead of its release August 6 on Mute.

“From What the Never Was” is accompanied by the last in a trilogy of films directed by Clemens Habicht. This interstellar horror prequel covers the time leading up to “Sekwar” and “Big Appetite”. In it, we find Angus Andrew, Laurence Pike, and Cameron Deyell traversing deep space when the mission goes terribly wrong. This chapter takes place in the futuristic interiors of Phoenix Central Park in Sydney, Australia, who commissioned the film.

Watch the film below.

Watch the previous videos here.

“The Apple Drop” follows 2017’s “TFCF” and 2018’s “Titles with the Word Fountain”. The new album finds Angus working with avant-garde jazz drummer Laurence Pike, multi-instrumentalist Cameron Deyell, and lyricist Mary Pearson Andrew.

Liars is an Australian-American project which was formed in Brooklyn, New York in 2000 by Angus Andrew who is also the only constant member of Liars. Liars have released nine studio albums and are signed to Mute Records. Musically the band is inspired by artists such as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), The Cure, PJ Harvey, Underworld, The Doors and Michael Franks.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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(Photo by Sheffield Leithart) Gone to Color is an experimental rock/electronic music duo originally formed in Cincinnati and currently coexisting in Atlanta and Washington D.C. Core members Tyler Bradley Walker and Matt Heim frequently and they have just released their newest single “Illusions” featuring guest vocalist Ade Blackburn of Clinic.

The release acts as a teaser for Gone To Color’s debut LP will also feature Angus Andrew (Liars), Martina Topley-Bird (Massive Attack / Tricky), Kurt Wagner (Lambchop), Jessie Stein (The Luyas), Carson Cox (Merchandise) and members of Wilco and Guster. The record was co-produced by Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Grandaddy) with additional engineering from John McEntire (Tortoise).

“Illusions” is the band’s 3rd single so far from the forthcoming self-titled debut album, out October 15. Next to guest vocals from Ade Blackburn of Liverpool band Clinic, the song also features contributions from Pat Sansone of Wilco, Luke Reynolds of Guster, Brian Deck and Richard Devine.

You can check it out 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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Out now is “Sekwar”, the first track from Liars’ new album, “The Apple Drop”, out August 6 on Mute. The accompanying video, directed by Clemens Habicht, can be seen below.

“The Apple Drop” follows 2017’s “TFCF” and 2018’s “Titles with the Word Fountain”. For Liars’ 10th album, Angus Andrew however chose to collaborate with a few other musicians. The new album finds him working with avant-garde jazz drummer Laurence Pike, multi-instrumentalist Cameron Deyell, and lyricist Mary Pearson Andrew.

Here’s the video for “Sekwar”.

About Liars

The Australian-American electro punk-rock formed in 2000. Angus Andrew is the founding and only constant member of Liars. Previous members include Aaron Hemphill who played with the band from its inception until his amicable departure from the project in 2017, and Julian Gross who joined the band for their second album, “They Were Wrong, So We Drowned” released in 2004, and played with the band until his departure in 2014. Liars have released 9 studio albums and are signed to Mute Records.

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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Chicago based industrial rock/metal act Programmable Animal have released a new music video, “Backstabber” as a teaser for their new album “One Step to Hell” to be released later this year. “Backstabber”, the first song off the album, was produced by Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, 3 Teeth, Slayer etc) and is about those who hurt others for personal gain.

Vocalist Drepsea explains: “I’m tired of the polarization separating us one by one from each other. I’m tired of the liars, cheaters, backstabbers, abusers, narcissists, and everyone causing malevolent actions towards others. I am a product that has been lost, backstabbed, abandoned, deprived, cheated, hurt, haunted, and wronged.. though, I won’t allow that to subjugate me. I will keep on pushing.”

You can check the video below.

The band’s first album, “End of the Tail” was self-released/produced in 2018. Following the release, Programmable Animal has toured in the US.

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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Spanish duo Pikotto vondMond (music & programming) and Damasius Venys (vocals & lyrics) are back on track, unleashing their second album five years after the successful debut opus “Empty”. The new album “Lovers, sinners & Liars” (available here as a 2CD deluxe edition set) remains faithful to the melancholic future-pop style of the debut work, but the global production becomes more mature and accomplished. It’s a danceable piece of music revealing elevating choruses while driven by the impressive vocals skills of Damasius Venys. The album has been released by the Belgian label Alfa Matrix and simply confirms the growing status of Mondträume. Here’s what they’ve to say about their masterpiece.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Five years have passed since your debut album “Empty” (2014). Why did it take that long to achieve this new opus? What have been the main difficulties and challenges you encountered? 

Pikotto: The truth is that I am aware that a lot of time passed by ’till the release of the new album, but unfortunately I had health problems and there was a time where I had to consult doctors, do tests etc… Fortunately everything is okay with my health. But well, I also took the positive side of this circumstance and this means that I have been able to take more care of the songs and the arrangements to have the best results. 

Q: I experienced “Lovers, Sinners & Liars” as ‘melancholia to dance on’ while the choruses have something elevating, even a bit transcendental. But what kind of work did you wanted to accomplish and what are your greatest elements of satisfactions? 

Pikotto: Like you could observe during our path, I always like to add this melancholic touch to the songs, and I also wanted to do that on this new album too. But I also added something more danceable, a delicate piano melody, a melodic pluck that is sad, but also happy at the same time, etc, etc… I think that it is a point that defines us and when you listen to our songs you know that it is made by us. I always said that music is life and in this life always exists the lovers, the sinners, and the liars… 

Q: So that’s what the album title is reflecting? But what have been the main sources of inspiration for the lyrics? 

Damasius: With the album title I wanted to reflect three kinds of personalities who are behind the lyrical theme. It reflects things that we all experienced in our lives and that we have been or we are. The fastest way to explain it could be like, to give affection while I hold a knife hidden on my back telling you that I will never fail you. About the inspiration, everything came from things that happened around me. The last five years have been a period of many changes where I saw the true faces of some people next to me. The inspiration of all the lyrics of the album are really human, in a good- or a bad way. 

Q: It all seems like image and artwork is an important item for Mondträume. Tell us a bit more about both aspects and a possible link between lyrical themes and the artwork of the new album? 

Damasius: Of course, it is very important to me because in this aspect we can show a more metaphoric vision of the concepts, making it more dramatic and of course, more eye-catching. With this new image and artwork we tried to reflect the birth of the hypocrisy without masks, the lovers and the sinners, the original skin of our human debilities. An important point for me too, was to work again with my friend Lydia Solans. It is always great for me to tell her all my ideas and together ramble on about colors, textures, make ups, etc. The link between the lyrics and the artwork is exactly our dark side.  

Q: Another essential element for bands is playing live. How would you define a live show of Mondträume and how do you transpose the songs from the studio to the stage? 

Pikotto: I think the one who has the possibility to see us live will experience all the emotions about that we were talking about. The music gets the body dreaming and this is what we try to do live, to feel this goosebumps when you hear a melody, when you hear the great voice of my mate, to feel that the things you hear make you complete. As a band we try to offer everything of us so that the audience feels satisfied and proud to see us live. About the songs, we try to put the same energy like in the studio, but with this visual extra point that fills up the stage. In this aspect I have to congratulate my friend and mate Damasius for being a great showman and for his professionalism on stage. I think that until today the audience always responded very well to our shows and we are very thankful for that. I take the opportunity to send greetings and a big hug to our audience of Poland, Spain, Germany, etc. Thanks for your support! 

Q: Do you’ve some plans in mind to next year celebrate the tenth Anniversary of Mondträume? What brings the future? And what might we expect from the Mental Exile album? 

Damasius: We were really not aware of how time flies, but it doesn’t go that fast; our tenth anniversary will be 2021, there is still some time left to think about that. What the future will bring is always uncertain, we have our plans and our ideas, but we will see what will come. About my Mental Exile album, I can say that the release date is around the corner, but I prefer to tell you nothing about it yet. When it will see the light, I will be glad to enter into details about it and about everything you want.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, future-pop.

Background/Info: The Spanish Mondträume duo strikes back with their second full length, which comes five years after the promising debut “Empty”. In the meantime front man Damasius Venys also started with a solo side-project Mental exile, which released its debut-EP in 2018.Notice by the way this new album was preceded by the singles “Still Beating” (2014) and “Free” (2016).

Content: Pikotto Vond Mond and Damasius Venys remain faithful to their electro/future-pop style they introduced on “Empty”. The influences remain identically the same, but the global writing- and production process have been seriously improved. The songs are featuring danceable beats and melancholic, but melodic leads and choruses. I however noticed a fewer ‘happy’-like passages (cf. “Nothing”) and even a simply beautiful song (cf. “Let Me Go”), which has something sensible and poignant.

The limited edition features a bonus disc with remixes by Crytek, Massive Ego, Kant Kino, X-O-Planet, Avarice In Audio, Headzor, Evo-Lution, Octolab, Any second and Elektrostaub. Both previously released single-songs are the main songs exposed to the remix skills of other artists.

+ + + : I already talked about the impressive evolution in sound and composition. If Mondträume was announced by their label as a ‘hot’ newcomer in 2013, they for sure confirm this potential with this great work. The album brings a perfect twist between danceable songs and softer, deeply melancholic pieces. Most of the choruses have an elevating sensation, and I especially want to mention the title song, the already known “Free”, “Nothing” and the beautiful “Le Me Go”. A good ‘pop’ band needs a talented singer and here again Damasius Venys confirms to be the right man in the right place. I think it’s not a coincidence he has already been asked by numerous bands to do some guest vocals. Among the remixes I’ll mention the great contribution by X-O-Planet (featuring male-female duo vocals), Octolab for the groovy approach and Crytek for their punching remix.

– – – : This album also features a cover version of The Cure’s “Lament”, which is not my favorite song from the tracklist.

Conclusion: This album sounds as an invitation to dance to melancholia and it’s weird to say, but it will make you feel good!

Best songs: “Lovers, Sinners & Liars”, “Free”, “Nothing”, “Let Me Go”, “The Center Of Your World” + “Still Beating – X-O-Planet”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/Mondtraeume

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

About Mondträume

Mondträume is a Spanish synth-pop and future-pop duo of vocalist Damasius Venys and producer Pikotto VondMond. The project’s debut album, “Empty”, appeared in 2014, followed by the singles “Still Beating” (2014) and “Free” (2016). Venys also records under the solo alias Mental Exile, which released a debut EP in 2018. Mondträume is signed to Alfa Matrix, which issued the duo’s limited 2CD edition of “Lovers, Sinners & Liars” in 2019 and later released the EPs “The Unknown Path” (2022), “Heart Machine” (2023) and “Poisoned Love” (2024).

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

Earlier this year, in January to be precise, we posted this article “When an April Fools prank becomes reality: ‘STUMM433’ (feat. Laibach, Depeche Mode, …)” describing how Mute would release a box set featuring 50 Mute artists giving their interpretation of John Cage’s silent track “4’33”.

Today, The Normal aka Daniel Miller, has shared his tribute to John Cage’s “4’33””. It will be the first ‘music’ released by The Normal on Mute since the debut 7”. On Mute that is indeed because “Live at West Runton Pavilion”, The Normal’s second release, done with another Mute Records act Robert Rental, was released on Marat Records in Germany as Daniel Miller Robert Rental Live, with a black and white picture sleeve.

But back to 2019. Miller recorded his piece at a site in North London that will be familiar to fans of the label as the site of its foundation: 16 Decoy Avenue. Listen to The Normal’s take on “4’33”” right below.

Daniel Miller: “John Cage’s 4’33” has been present in my musical life for as long as I can remember as an important and inspiring composition. When the idea of every Mute artist doing their own interpretation of the piece came up during a conversation with Simon Fisher Turner, I immediately thought this was the perfect way to mark the label’s MUTE 4.0 (1978 > TOMORROW) series.”

Ironically, last year we had the idea to create an April Fools prank with a fake compilation with a lot of famous musicians covering John Cage 4’33 silent track. We decided not to do it, not sure if most of you would grab the irony.

Which Mute artists are featured in the boxset?

The boxset will feature over 50 Mute artists including A Certain Ratio, A.C. Marias, ADULT., The Afghan Whigs, Alexander Balanescu, Barry Adamson, Ben Frost, Bruce Gilbert, Cabaret Voltaire, Carter Tutti Void, Chris Carter, Chris Liebing, Cold Specks, Daniel Blumberg, Danny Briottet, Depeche Mode, Duet Emmo, Echoboy, Einstürzende Neubauten, Erasure, Fad Gadget, Goldfrapp, He Said, Irmin Schmidt, Josh T. Pearson, K Á R Y Y N, Komputer, Laibach, Land Observations, Lee Ranaldo, Liars, Looper, Lost Under Heaven, Maps, Mark Stewart / Sonskrif / The New Banalist Orchestra, Michael Gira, Mick Harvey, Miranda Sex Garden, Moby, Modey Lemon, Mountaineers, New Order, Nitzer Ebb, NON / Boyd Rice, Nonpareils, The Normal, onDeadWaves, Phew, Pink Grease, Pole, Polly Scattergood, Richard Hawley, ShadowParty, Silicon Teens, Simon Fisher Turner and Edmund de Waal, The Warlocks, Wire, Yann Tiersen and Gareth Jones.

The designers behind the visuals

Contributing designers include Simone Grant who worked with Miller on a lot of the early Mute artwork (The Normal, Fad Gadget and Depeche Mode); Steve Claydon, a member of Add N To (X) who designed for Goldfrapp; Slim Smith, who worked with Mute through the 1980s and 1990s; Malcolm Garrett, who designed the “House of Illustrious” box set for Vince Clarke and Martyn Ware; Tom Hingston, who has worked with Erasure and created the majority of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Grinderman artwork since the early 2000s; and Anton Corbjin, who has worked closely with Mute on many campaigns since the early 1980s, including those of Depeche Mode, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Fad Gadget.

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

“Lovers, sinners & liars” is the title of the brand new album by the excellent Spanish electropop act Mondträume. With their previous and highly successful “Empty” album, the Spanish duo established themselves on the top of the dark electro pop scene next to other acclaimed acts in the likes of De/Vision, Melotron, Mesh and other bands in the same league of excellence.

On “Lovers, Sinners & Liars” Pikotto Vond Mond and Damasius Venys continue to offer dark melodic electropop hovering between slower intimate synth pop songs and more dynamic upbeat club tracks. You get 12 tracks including the singles “Still Beating” and “Free” next to a cover version of “Lament” (The Cure).

Attention: There is also a limited 2CD edition (available here from the label) which comes with a 10-track bonus disc offering a variety of remixes by Massive Ego, Kant Kino, Crytek, Avarice In Audio and many more!

For now, enjoy these 2 tracks.

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

Last year we had the idea to create an April Fools prank with a fake compilation with a lot of famous musicians covering John Cage 4’33 silent track. We decided not to do it, not sure if most of you would grab the irony. You can imagine our surprise when Mute announced a box set this morning featuring 50 Mute artists giving their interpretation of… yes, 4’33.

From the artist that started Mute, The Normal, to the label’s newest signing, K Á R Y Y N, “STUMM433” will feature over 50 Mute artists – including Depeche Mode, Yann Tiersen, Liars, Silicon Teens, Irmin Schmidt – presenting their own interpretation of one piece of music: John Cage’s 4’33”.

Fortunately you’ll get a visual to accompany each ‘performance’ of 4’33”. The box set launches with a video from Laibach which you can see below.

Net profits from the release of STUMM433 will be split between the British Tinnitus Association and Music Minds Matter. These charities were chosen to honor Inspiral Carpets’ founding member Craig Gill who suffered from anxiety and depression as a result of his tinnitus in the years up to his untimely death. The box set will be released in May 2019.

Artists featured include: A Certain Ratio, A.C. Marias, ADULT., The Afghan Whigs, Alexander Balanescu, Barry Adamson, Ben Frost, Bruce Gilbert, Cabaret Voltaire, Carter Tutti Void, Chris Carter, Chris Liebing, Cold Specks, Daniel Blumberg, Depeche Mode, Duet Emmo, Echoboy, Einstürzende Neubauten, Erasure, Fad Gadget (tribute), Goldfrapp, He Said, Irmin Schmidt, Josh T. Pearson, K Á R Y Y N, Komputer, Laibach, Land Observations, Lee Ranaldo, Liars, Looper, Lost Under Heaven, Maps, Mark Stewart, Michael Gira, Mick Harvey, Miranda Sex Garden, Moby, Modey Lemon, Mountaineers, New Order, Nitzer Ebb, NON, Nonpareils, The Normal, onDeadWaves, Phew, Pink Grease, Pole, Polly Scattergood, Renegade Soundwave, Richard Hawley, ShadowParty, Silicon Teens, Simon Fisher Turner, The Warlocks, Wire, Yann Tiersen.

Side-Line also covered Laibach’s ‘Click Interview’.

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: Gothic, new-wave, cold-wave.

Background/Info: After having released their three previous albums on Echozone, Der Klinke joined hands with the Belgian label Wool-E Discs. I’ve not always been convinced by the earlier work of the band, but their previous full length (cf. “The Gathering Of Hopes”) was an interesting opus. Notice by the way there also is a tape entitled “The Unexpected Bonus Tape” that has been released featuring a few extra songs that haven’t been released on CD.

Content: The sources of inspiration don’t have really changed. Der Klinke remains faithful to their dark cold-wave sound carried by typical 80s mewing guitar play and cold synth parts. The dark sphere recovering the songs is an essential aspect of the work. The deep and somewhat growling vocals perfectly with the sound this Belgian band is dealing with.

+ + + : “The Unexpected” sounds in the purest tradition of gothic, cold-wave and related music genres. There’s this magic 80s spirit hanging over the songs. The guitar playing sometimes reminds me a bit of Sisters Of Mercy, but it’s especially the symbiosis between guitar and electronics which makes this work accomplished. The song “Liars” is a little jewel confirming this harmony. Two guest singers were invited to join in for a few cuts and I especially want to recommend the great twist between male and female vocals on “The River White”.

– – – : The only little minus about this album consists of the somewhat softer cuts, which can’t really convince me.

Conclusion: Der Klinke is a band that clearly progress on each new work. “The Unexpected” is without a shadow of a doubt their best work to date.

Best songs: “Faith Healer”, “The River White”, “Someone Who Smiles”, “My Frozen Heart”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.derklinke.be / www.facebook.com/DER.KLINKE

Label: www.wool–e–shop.be / www.facebook.com/woolediscs

About Der Klinke

Der Klinke is a Belgian gothic and coldwave band formed in 2009 in Ostend by producer and songwriter Geert Vandekerkhof, a club DJ since the 1980s. Earlier releases on Echozone included “Square Moon” (2011), “The Second Sun” (2012), “The Doll” (2013) and “The Gathering Of Hopes” (2014), before the band joined Wool-E Discs for “The Unexpected”. Der Klinke went on to release “Bridges” (2018), “Who To Deny” (2019), “Decade” (2019) and “Facing Fate” (2023).

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

Mute and Thames & Hudson have announced details of “Mute: A Visual Document”, a 320-page hardback book, available November 28, 2017 and ready for ordering right here.

“Mute: A Visual Document” is packed with artwork and photography – much of it previously unseen – from the Mute Archives and from Daniel Miller’s own archives, including photography and video stills from legendary photographers, conceptual artworks, rare ephemera and equipment.

The book features comprehensive discographies, a family tree of Mute artists, an extensive introduction and commentary by Daniel Miller – who has curated the materials for the book – plus anecdotal and photographic contributions from key figures in the label’s story, including Moby, Alison Goldfrapp, Anton Corbijn, Bleddyn Butcher, Brian Griffin, Jon Spencer, Barry Adamson, Ivan Novak (Laibach), Angus Andrew (Liars), Adrian Shaughnessy and Tom Hingston.

Mute was created by Daniel Miller to release his debut single as The Normal, “Warm Leatherette” / “T.V.O.D”, in 1978. The label quickly grew and established its reputation through the music of its community of artists – ranging from Fad Gadget, Goldfrapp, Moby, Can, Diamanda Galás, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds to Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure, Laibach, Liars and Ben Frost.

Here are a few teasers:

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Where I Wait’.

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

Australian electronica/punk act Liars aka the project of Angus Andrew, is back with the first excerpts of the project’s upcoming 8th album “TFCF” (out later in August).

The album will be out on CD, vinyl and MP3 and can be purchased right now.

Following an amicable parting of ways with Aaron Hemphill, Angus Andrew decamped to his native Australia to create an album that has a lot of electronics on it. Not surprising as Liars have, as a matter of course, sounded radically different with each album, pursuing new concepts. The album will again be released via Mute Records.

Listen to the excerpts below:

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

The Spanish dark electropop act Mondträume return with a brand new EP, “Free”, on November 4. Today Side-Line offers you a preview of the complete 5-track EP (which you can download right here on Bandcamp)! The material is the first new work from the band now that they are working on a new album, “Lovers, Liars & Sinners”.

Note that the Mondträume duo (Pikotto Vond Mond and Damasius Venys) have also decided to make this EP available as a (very limited!) physical release (available here). The CD version comes with a rather excellent bonus, the previously released digital EP “Still Beating” which will be available on CD for the very first time. That digital EP featured collaborations with Rotersand, Avarice In Audio, Aesthetische and Nordika.

But here’s already the exclusive preview of the digital version of the “Free” EP. The EP is out on November 4.

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

You can now listen to Erol Alkan’s extended rework of “Singularity” taken from New Order’s forthcoming single, out on March 25, 2016 and available right here on vinyl. The new single, available on 12” and download, features remixes from Erol Alkan, Liars, Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers and JS Zeiter, and is available now for pre-order in different versions.

The video for the original track (which you can see here) is a fast-paced collage of footage taken from “B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989”, the story of Mark Reeder’s life in 1980s West-Berlin. Damian Hale, the man responsible for the visuals that make up New Order’s stage show, edited the video. “Singularity” features scenes of a city divided by the Wall showing a cultural inter-zone in which everything and anything seemed possible.

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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