Genre/Influences: Electronic, electro-wave, minimal-electro, experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Fulvio Guidarelli has been active since 1980. He released productions at irregular basis, stopped with Lisfrank and stuck back, his album being released in 2014 (cf. “Elevator”).

Content: “The Human” moves on there where “Elevator” left off. Lisfrank is an artist with a strong 80s imprint and that’s an aspect that mainly comes through with the vintage synth lines. The songs are diversified, clearly revealing an artist who doesn’t care about styles and labels. His music is minimal, but can touch ground with experimental stuff while harder cuts reminds me of 80s EBM. I still notice elements of electro-pop while another song sounds like the electronic edit of Joy Division. Fulvio Guidarelli’s way of singing can be commanding and charismatic, and also still spoken like.

+ + + : This artist already reveals a great taste for vintage electronic at his previous work and that’s again what I like at “The Human”. From the crescendo going opening track to the pure retro-styled “Feel It (Your Body, My Body)” to the early EBM sound at “I Was Looking For Me” to the surprising dark-like and somewhat Joy Division evoking “Everything Passes”, this album has a lot to offer. The tracklist is varied and the analogue sound treatments get it fascinating.

– – – : When experimenting with such a huge amount of influences and music styles you’ll take the risk of getting a few tracks that don’t totally work or fit. I’m especially referring to some of the most experimental cuts like “The Voices Of Tragedy (Never Forget)” and “Mask’s Solitude”.

Conclusion: Lisfrank remains an interesting experience in retro-electronics.

Best songs: “I Was Looking For Me”, “Everything Passes”, “I Hate”, “Feel It (Your Body, My Body)”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/lisfrank.official

Labels: www.finalmuzik.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Final-Muzik/85814529244 / http://store.silentes.it

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, electro-minimal.

Content: Lisfrank is an Italian project that was set up more than 30 years ago! Fulvio Guidarelli set up Lisfrank in January 1980 and later on started with his own label Mask Productions. Like numerous 80s formations the band stopped its activities, but it all seems like the fans never forgot Lisfrank pushing Guidarelli to reactivate his project in 2008.

“Elevator” reflects the true spirit of the 80s and that’s quite understandable. Good-old instruments were used to compose new songs and the vinyl format makes it all vintage and authentic-like. I was a bit afraid to discover the work of this band, which I honestly never heard of before, but the opening songs only awoke my curiosity. It all sounds like this artist never stopped composing 80s music. You immediately recognize typical 80s sounds and arrangements while the rather sterile way of singing is fitting to the sound. It’s cold and into the purest tradition of new-wave music.

“War” is a great opener featuring a cool chorus. “Anna O” sounds a bit harder and into early EBM. This is for sure one of the absolute attention grabbers and a song that really will bring you back to the true spirit of the 80s. This is pure nostalgia, but still a great and well-crafted composition. “Joy’s Room” is another tip for its melodic and somewhat evasive treatments.

The B-side features 5 more songs opening with the title-song, which is a new melodic experience driven by typical 80s sequences. The other songs left are a bit similar to each other. The atmospheres remain pretty dark, but always achieved with a melodic approach. “Light And Shade” is the ultimate track and still the last attention grabber of this ‘resurrection’.

Conclusion: “Elevator” is much more than simply a comeback, this is a real well-crafted new opus evoking the spirit of the golden 80s!

Best songs: “War”, “Anna O”, “Elevator”, “Joy’s Room”.

Rate: (DP:7)DP.

Band: www.facebook.com/pages/LISFRANK/354609820150

Label: www.finalmuzik.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Final-Muzik/85814529244

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