Here’s a band which hasn’t been featured before on Side-Line: Mad Masks. Mad Masks is a french industrial noise act from Annecy (located in the French Alps). The project is the creation of Fabrice R. and Dominique S. and is clearly inspired by dark soundtracks.

The band’s first EP was released in June 2015 as a free digital (holding 7 tracks – you can download it here). A few months later a CD album was released with 11 tracks (get it here) by the UK label Minimal Peripheral Records.

2 years later we are informed that they are now working on a new album to be released soon, but for now here’s already the brand new Mad Masks track “Prurit”.

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

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Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, minimal-electronics.

Background/Info: “Synthétique” is a kind of sonic ‘documentary’ featuring 13 French formations dealing and/or inspired by electro-pop. The main particularity of the sampler consists of a truly travel throughout the years. It starts in 1982 and stops in 2016. The sampler starts off with Philippe Laurent and comes to an end with the same artist, but with a song from 2016. In between both tracks you’ll discover 12 artists. All the songs have been remastered (by Martin Bowes) while it also is an opportunity to discover numerous previously unreleased songs from somewhat forgotten –or simply unknown, formations.

Bands: Philippe Laurent, X-Ray Pop, Atom Cristal, Adn’Ckrystall, Love In Cage, Guerre Froide, Mad Masks, No Unauthorized ao.

Content: This is an interesting testimony from the French electro-pop underground scene, mainly revealing minimal electronic tracks composed with good-old analogue gear. It creates this unique sterile- and cold sound color reminding me of the early years of new-wave and electronic music, but it also is a kind of sonic bridge between bands active during different periods.

Next to several familiar names it also is an opportunity to discover forgotten or simply unknown formations.

+ + + : I really like and fully support this kind of ‘conceptual’ compilation revealing forgotten and sometimes unknown sonic treasures from the past mixed with contemporary formations with an intelligent approach in sound. Most of the bands belong to the 80s generation of electronic pioneers, but it also is encouraging to see that contemporary formations are still fascinated to re-produce and experiment with the old standards. This is an exciting and fully recommended sampler featuring numerous great songs. Multiple bands are singing in their Mother tongue (French) giving a particular touch to the release.

– – – : I noticed a little error in the tracklist as 2 bands have been switched with each other. You also will notice some differences in the sound quality from band to band. This is not due to the mastering of Martin Bowes, who for sure did a great job, but you simply can’t transform a poorly and old recorded track into a high tech piece.

Conclusion: I simply like this sampler for its concept and I think it would be great –although a tough job, to release similar compilations featuring other countries. But who knows… that’s maybe an idea… Respect to Peripheral Minimal for this great work!

Best bands: Love In Cage, X-Ray Pop, Guerre Froide, And”Ckrystall.

Rate: (8).

Label: www.peripheralminimal.co.uk / www.facebook.com/PeripheralMinimal

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

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Genre/Influences: Experimental, cold-wave.

Background/Info: I wasn’t able to find a lot information about Mad Masks, but it concerns a French band, which released their debut full length album on Peripheral Minimal. This is a British label devoted to minimal formats of cold-wave- and post-punk music.

Content: Mad Masks deals with a pretty minimal and experimental format of dark music reminding me of some late 80s productions. The low, bass lines clearly evoke the darkest hours of new-wave music. The songs sometimes sound pretty demo-like giving the impression to be unfinished. But on the other side it also reveals a cold and somewhat disturbing atmosphere, which clearly reminds me of all those unknown 80s formation rehearsing in a cellar or in a wet garage box.

“Mad Masks” is an instrumental work carried by simple structures and frightening sound atmospheres. The work starts to fascinate when it all becomes a bit more elaborated and/or joined by extra noise sources. I here refer to a kind of trumpet sound on “Chasse”.

+ + + : I like the obscure 80s spirit hanging over the songs.

– – – : “Mad Masks” however reveals an unaccomplished format; most of the songs remain pretty simplistic while the absence of vocals only accentuates the ‘demo’ format of the album.

Conclusion: I’m sincerely convinced that there’s much more potential hiding inside this band. Mad Masks has to improve the main aspects of their work, but especially has to elaborate the global writing with some extra ingredients and eventually adding a few vocal lines.

Best songs: “Khinar”, “Tragodia”.

Rate: (6).

Band: www.facebook.com/MadMasks

Label: www.peripheralminimal.co.uk / www.facebook.com/PeripheralMinimal

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