After 29 years in existence as a band, the UK act Inertia are back with a brand new single, released on their very own label, Cryonica Music: “Scowl”. “Scowl” features bandleader, Reza Udhin with members Ollie Cater (Guitars), Andrew Lowlife (Keyboards) and Circus performer Blue Jigsaw on drums. And, good news, coming back to the Inertia fold after 7 years is co-leadsinger and ex drummer, Alexys B, lending her vocals to the track.

And that’s not all, we also hear 3 more guitarists: Steve White (KMFDM and PIG), Tim Stephens (ex-Inertia, ex-EMF, Mojiles) and Nick Bayford from Alexys B’s own Rockabilly band Lady Luck Lexy & the Riverside Boys.

Next to the title track we also get 2 remixes by CyberIndustries and Modulate. Out today, you can check the lyric video below, and get the 3-track single right here on Bandcamp.

Welcome back guys!

About Inertia

Inertia was formed in 1992 Reza Udhin and was signed to Germany’s Celtic Circle Productions in 1994 through which the debut MCD “Infiltrator” was released in June 1995. This CD was actually a re-recording of the band’s first demo tape. The band returned to the studio in February 1996 to start work on the “Programmed to respond” album and the “Mind-Energy” MCD. The album and MCD were released respectively in February 1997 and December 1996. By then 1996 Alexys B had joined Inertia on electronic drums.

1997 Mark Barrett leaves Inertia., Ed Luxmoore joins Inertia on Synths.

February 1999, the band released the remix album “Demagnetized / Remagnetized” which featured remixes by artists such as Das Ich, Spahn Ranch and Julian Beeston (Nitzer Ebb). The same year a brand new album, “Negative Prime”, was released in May 1999 on Nightbreed Recordings. A year later the remix CD “Positive Angel” was released on Inertia’s own label Cryonica Music.

November 2001, the new single “No Defect” is launched while the band complete their brand new album “Advanced Revelation” due for release in February 2002. In 2004, the album “Black Ice Impact” hits the streets followed in December 2005 by a best of Double CD “Decade of Machines – 1994-2004”. This DCD is released by Cryonica Music in Europe and Cleopatra Records in the USA.

May 2007, a brand new self titled album “Inertia” is released on Cryonica Music. The album features several guest musicians, including Kneill Brown (Killing Joke), Client E / Emily Strange (Client) and Phill Good (Libitina/Pinion). Inertia also recruit a new member, Bob Malkowski as guitarist. 2 years later the remix album “Interpret”, with remixes from Youth (Producer/Killing Joke), Die Krupps and Armageddon Dildos featured, is released by the Japanese label Deathwatch Asia. In the meantime Reza Udhin becomes the keyboard player for the legendary band Killing Joke.

2010, Inertia emerge with a new line up with Kneill X on Guitar (ex Killing Joke, Killer B Movie) and Andrew Lowlife on Synths (Swarf). In early 2010, they release the covers album “Kloned”, it is followed by the single “Repeat & Follow” later that year. November of the same year sees the new album “Deworlded” being released. At at the end of the year they collaborate with UK band Mechanical Cabaret to release a cover version of the classic John Leyton/Joe Meek track “Johnny, Remember Me”.

2012 Inertia signs with Metropolis Records. A new single “Alive” is released in October, followed by a brand new album “Universal Blood” in November 2012. 2 more albums follow on Metropolis, “Existential” (2015) and “Dream Machine” (2017), plus a string of singles, the last one being “Only Law” in 2017.

4 years later the band returns with the single “Inertia” featuring Sieben on Cryonica Music, and now the new single “Scowl”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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

Background/Info: “Ortonesque” is the seventh full length released by London based Mechanical Cabaret. Set up in the late 90s by Roi Robertson (ex-Nekromantik) he now together with Steve Bellamy released the first new Mechanical Cabaret work on WTII Records.

Content: Mechanical Cabaret has always dealt with a unique approach to electro-pop music. “Ortonesque” doesn’t sound that different and has been introduced as being their darkest work to date. I experienced the new songs as some of their most intimate work to date. There’s a twist between slower and minimal-like cuts, which are sometimes a bit cabaret-like at one side and more danceable and purer electro-pop sound at the other.

Some songs might appeal to lovers of De/Vision and even Depeche Mode, but globally speaking “Ortonesque” sounds more experimental and unpolished.

+ + + : Mechanical Cabaret will never become the most typical formation in their genre and there is the feeling of defying the pop standards a bit. That’s an approach I’ve always liked instead of becoming a new Depeche Mode clone. It sounds minimal although always connected with electro-pop. I like some of their melancholic passages, but I’m more into tracks like “Protect And Survive” and “Beautiful and Boring”.

– – – : I experienced the opening cuts as hesitant, but especially produced in a raw and unpolished way. No doubt about it this has been a deliberate choice, but it can’t convince me. The softer cuts, which sometimes make me think of a kind of cabaret style are a nice experiment, but here again not the most convincing part of the work.

Conclusion: Mechanical Cabaret remains a good alternative to the classical synth-pop music, but this new work can’t totally convince me. I’ve heard much better albums from this formation. Nevertheless the final part of the “Ortonesque” features a few cool cuts.

Best songs: “Protect And Survive”, “Beautiful And Boring”, “Sabrina”.

Rate: (6).

Band: www.machanicalcabaret.com / www.facebook.com/mechanicalcabaret

Label: www.wtiirecords.com / www.facebook.com/WTIIRecords

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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