The Belgian electro label Alfa Matrix releases the twelfth volume in its “Matrix+ Downloaded” series to coincide with the label’s 24th anniversary. The digital-only set collects 69 tracks across the label’s current spectrum – EBM, dark elektro/industrial, synth pop – and newer Spleen+ additions spanning post-punk, goth rock and coldwave. The compilation is offered as a free/pay-what-you-want download via the label’s Bandcamp page and also includes a PDF booklet.

On the cover you will recognize Erica Dunham from Unter Null.

Artists included on this free download compilation include: Studio-X (feat. Kyoko Baertsoen), Rector Scanner, Aesthetische, Cut.Rate.Box, Kant Kino, Frontal Boundary, C-Lekktor, Acylum, Diffuzion, Implant, Neikka RPM, First Aid 4 Souls (feat. Aux Animaux), Noemi Aurora, Suicidal Romance, Llumen, Hanging Freud, Lederman/De Meyer, The Ultimate Dreamers, Aiboforcen, Digital Factor, Armageddon Dildos, Helalyn Flowers, Krystal System, The True Union, Freakangel, Totem Obscura, Lovelorn Dolls (feat. Dero Goi), The Breath of Life, The Names, ImJudas, Synapsyche, Miseria Ultima, Unter Null, Alien Vampires (feat. Dani Divine), Venal Flesh, Helle9, To Avoid, Pouppée Fabrikk, Stahlgeist, Nigra Nebula, Aengeldust, Circuito Cerrado, Matthew Creed, Cubic, Metroland, The Psychic Force, Komor Kommando, First Aid Tech, Die Robo Sapiens, ELM, Plastic Noise Experience, AD:Key, Elektroklänge, 808 Dot Pop, Avarice in Audio, Elektrostaub (feat. Echo Image), Cryogenic Echelon, Entrzelle, Neuroactive, Technoir, Mondträume, Star Industry, Stray, Psy’Aviah (feat. Sorrow Stories), Zombie Girl, Darkness on Demand, Circumpolar, Dunkelwerk, and Lights A.M.

A&R manager, Sebastien Dolimont says: “In 2025, Alfa Matrix proudly celebrates 24 years of existence. Nearly a quarter of a century fighting for dark alternative music, discovering new talents, and keeping the underground alive. This anniversary is not just about us and our artists – it’s about you, our fans. Because without your constant support, there would be no label, no releases, no future for the scene we all love.”

And he add: “In a world where indie labels are disappearing, streaming revenues collapse, and risks of signing new talents are higher than ever, we are proud to still stand strong — but we can only do it with you by our side. By downloading this compilation, you are not just enjoying music — you are actively supporting 69 artists and helping keep our scene alive, fresh, and forward-looking. From all of us at Alfa Matrix and Spleen+, and on behalf of all our artists: thank you for 24 years of loyalty, passion, and support. Together, we’ll keep writing the future of the dark underground.”

About Alfa Matrix

Alfa Matrix is a Brussels-based independent label founded in 2001. The catalogue focuses on electronic subgenres including industrial, EBM, dark elektro, and synth pop, later expanding into post-punk/coldwave via the Spleen+ division. The label’s team includes label & artists manager Seba Dolimont, promo manager Bernard Van Isacker, and head of design Benoît Blanchart.

From the early 2000s, Alfa Matrix used series-based releases to build international reach. Notable strands include “Sounds From The Matrix” (label samplers), “Re:Connected” (digital label overview), and the club-oriented “Endzeit Bunkertracks” multi-CD anthologies (first “Act” released 21 March 2005, featuring 60 tracks with 50 exclusives).

In 2023, Alfa Matrix inaugurated Spleen+, a division centred on post-punk and adjacent styles, and followed with multi-artist projects and catalogue building, including the “Resurgence” 7-CD box that assembled 133 contemporary bands from the post-punk family.

The label has since the very start focused on a direct contact with its fans and customers via their online webstore and Bandcamp.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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Belgian electronic duo Metroland has released “Reset”, the fourth and final EP associated with their concept album “Forum”. Available digitally via Alfa Matrix, and first on Bandcamp before hitting all other platforms next week, the EP continues the band’s thematic exploration of global industrial transformation, drawing inspiration from the World Economic Forum’s “Great Reset” initiative.

“Reset” features two new versions of the title track: “The Smaller Reset”, a condensed edit, and “The Greater Reset”, a high-tempo remix designed for club settings. Additionally, the EP includes an exclusive non-album track, “Improving the State of the World”, which references the WEF’s tagline and aligns with Metroland’s ongoing critique of techno-industrial idealism.

This release concludes the four-part EP series linked to the “Forum” album, which has addressed themes such as data governance, urban transformation, and digital control.

About Metroland

Metroland was established in 2012 in Belgium by members known as Passenger A and Passenger S. The duo focuses on minimalistic synth structures and conceptual electronic music, initially centering on urban transportation systems, as showcased in their debut album “Mind The Gap”.

Subsequent albums such as “Triadic Ballet” (2015), “Things Will Never Sound The Same Again” (2016), and “Men In A Frame” (2018) expanded their thematic scope to include subjects like the Bauhaus movement and digital surveillance. In 2023, they released “0”, followed by the 2024 album “Forum”, each accompanied by a series of digital EPs.

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘Activity’.

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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Following their “Forum” album, the Belgian electro pop / minimal electro duo Metroland returns with “Activity”, the 3rd single from the release. Inspired by “Activity as a Timetrigger”, this EP explores the concept of real-time trigger notifications in business, particularly in banking, where rapid response is key.

The new EP is out exclusively via Bandcamp first, with other platforms to follow on February 28th.

On this new EP Metroland presents three tracks: “Activity as a Short timetrigger”, the extended “Activity as a Long Timetrigger”, and the exclusive bonus track “Conference of the Parties”, a track reflecting on climate change.

About Metroland

Metroland, a Belgian electronic duo, formed in 2012. It features Passenger A and Passenger S and they have been releasing their material under the Alfa Matrix label. Musically they fuse minimalistic synthpop with urban and transportation motifs. Early attention centered on “Mind the Gap”, from 2012, which launched the band, especially among Kraftwerk fans.

In 2015, they unveiled “Triadic Ballet”, referencing Oskar Schlemmer’s Bauhaus explorations. Their third release followed in 2016, “Things Will Never Sound the Same Again”, which honored their late mentor Louis Zachert and probed loss and memory. “Men in a Frame” followed in 2018 and harnessed collaborations with photographers, each track paired with an image to forge an evocative audio-visual experience.

Their most recent work, “Forum”, was released in 2024 and continues their tradition of conceptual themes. This time, they focus on the 21st-century industrial revolution, examining automation, rapid manufacturing, and global connectivity.

What does ‘Activity as a Timetrigger’ mean?

To understand the concept ‘Activity as a Timetrigger’, picture an automated system that tracks user behaviors (clicks, scrolling, keystrokes) and uses each detected action to start or reset a countdown. This countdown might control session timeouts, trigger a reminder, or set off a data collection process.

Activity-based Timetriggers rely on precise event detection:

• When you perform an action—like moving your mouse—a timer starts or restarts.
• If a specific period passes without more actions, the system executes an outcome. That might be an auto-logout, a pop-up message, or a queued alert.
• This approach boosts efficiency because it aligns processes with real user activity rather than arbitrary intervals.

Example: An online dashboard logs users out after 10 minutes of idle time. Each click resets that timer. If no more clicks occur, the system removes access at the 10-minute mark.

Timetriggers are used to optimize workflows, improve security, and make interactions more responsive. This framework applies to web applications, mobile apps, and broader business operations where automated tasks depend on continuous engagement.

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘Forum’.

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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“Cooperation” is the second EP in a four-part series (“Industry” being the first) from the Belgian electronic act Metroland. The new EP emphasizes the key theme of the 2023 World Economic Forum: ‘Cooperation in a fragmented world’.

The purpose there is to encourage world leaders to join forces in tackling the complex challenges of energy, climate, and nature, in addition to investment, trade, infrastructure, emerging technologies, industrial resilience, job creation, skills development, social mobility, health, and geopolitical collaboration in a multipolar environment.

“Cooperation in a Fragmented World” as featured on the album “Forum”, has undergone significant alterations even after the initial mastering process. Metroland therefor opted not to assign specific remix names to each track. Instead, every version was designated with a distinctive and original title. Rather than the anticipated labels such as ‘radio version’ or ‘edit,’ the title was creatively transformed to “Cooperation in a shortened world”.

Also included is a 9-minute extended version, “Cooperation in a Lengthened World”. A gimmic that Metroland wanted to enhance can be heard in “Cooperation in a surrounding world”. This version is made up of a series of sounds that were featured in previous iterations before the original version was recorded.

The first part in the series was the “Industry EP.

The tracks are featured in their original version on “Forum”.

About Metroland

Metroland is a Belgian electronic band formed in 2012 by the duo Passenger A and Passenger S. Drawing heavy inspiration from the electronic pioneers Kraftwerk, their music combines elements of synthpop, minimal wave, and electronic body music (EBM). Metroland is known for their thematic albums, often focused on urbanization, technology, and transportation, particularly the metro systems that gave the band its name.

Their debut album, “Mind the Gap” (2012), explored themes related to subway systems and transportation, establishing their unique conceptual style. They continued this approach with subsequent albums such as “Triadic Ballet” (2015), inspired by the Bauhaus art movement, and “Men in a Frame” (2018), which centered around photography and the concept of framing.

Metroland’s sound is characterized by repetitive beats, analog synthesizers, and vocoder-treated vocals, staying true to a retro-futuristic aesthetic. They have released multiple albums and singles via the Belgian label Alfa Matrix.

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘Activity’.

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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Three years after his promising debut album “The Cubic Alphabet”, Franky Deblomme returns with a compelling follow-up album, “Back To Basic”. Preceded by two well-received releases (an EP and a single), this album solidifies the Belgian artist’s status within the growing Kraftwerk-inspired Synth-Pop movement. Alongside label mates like Metroland, 808 Dot Pop, and Elektroklänge, Deblomme emerges as a strong ambassador of this retro-futuristic sound. Back to Basic pays homage to vintage synthesizers and early computer music, weaving together an array of bleeps, cold retro sequences, and solid basslines. The melodies are simple yet effective, enhanced by the occasional robot vocals that add a splash of color to the mix. Cubic expertly blends Synth-Pop and EBM, delivering a mature and efficient production. However, the album’s only drawback is that the tracks can start to feel repetitive over time. (Rate:8½).

Listen to “Off Line (Basic Edit)”:

Read the news on ‘Back To Basic’.

About Cubic

Cubic is the Belgian electronic project of Franky Deblomme, who previously worked in the Belgian EBM project Darkmen. Deblomme began working with Alfa Matrix in 2021, starting with the EP “Alphabet Hymn” in March 2021. His debut album “The Cubic Alphabet” followed in June 2021 via Alfa Matrix, continuing with the EP “Phonic Lessons Part 3” in December 2021. In 2022, Deblomme expanded into a location-themed EP series with “Exit: Frankfurt”, “Exit: Ghent”, and “Exit: Manchester”.

The project returned with the EP “c64” in September 2023 and “c128” later that year, as teasers toward a full-length album. That album, “Back To Basic”, arrived in May 2024 via Alfa Matrix in digital and CD editions. In 2025, Cubic handed the “Back To Basic” source material to 808 Dot Pop’s Passenger S for a full rework, released as the album “Back To 808”.

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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The Belgian Metroland has been highly active in recent years. Their latest album -“Forum,” directly inspired by the economic forum in Davos, delivers a fresh dose of Robotic/Kraftwerkian-Electro. This album was preceded by the “Industry” EP, a song which offers different versions depending on the format (digital or CD). The other tracks remain the same, showcasing a rich and sometimes complex sound. Ranging from Experimental to Kraftwerk-Pop, this new work has much to offer, including a few standout tracks towards the end of the album. Metroland stays true to its signature sound and influences while embracing unexpected concepts. The Belgian duo continues to be a leading force in Electro-Pop, though they no longer surprise me as much as they did in their early years. (Rate:8).

Listen to “World Economic forum”:

Read the news on ‘Forum’.

About Metroland

Metroland is a Belgian electro-pop duo on Alfa Matrix, working in a Kraftwerk-influenced robotic electro style. The duo released the album “Forum,” inspired by the Davos economic forum, in 2024, and discussed their approach in a Side-Line interview that July, where they described every new release as “a fresh new audio canvas.” Metroland followed “Forum” with the second EP in a four-part series, “Cooperation,” in September 2024, the single “Activity” in February 2025, and the digital EP “Reset” in June 2025, which concluded the “Forum” cycle.

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 Belgian electro-pop duo Metroland released “Forum” a few months ago, an electrifying conceptual hymn to the industrial revolution of the 21st century, a sonic journey exploring the crossroads of innovation and nostalgia. Fresh and experimental vintage electronic prowess for fans of the melodic Düsseldorf synth style. We talked with Passenger A and Passenger S about this new album, while new singles from this album are in the pipeline. 

The album is available on Bandcamp and on CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore.

SL. “Forum” is described as a continuation and evolution of your previous work “0”. Can you explain the conceptual link between these two albums and how the EP “Industry” serves as a bridge between them?

Passenger A&S: When “0” was not yet released and seriously delayed by many different factors, we were toying with the idea to extend the ‘World Economic Forum’ concept around the industrial revolutions. We planned 5 EP’s, each with a variance of the song “Industry 4.0” alongside new tracks. However, once “0” was out, we no longer had the urge to release these foreseen EP’s. We both felt it was simply not enough and, to be honest, it was close to being even pointless. After some creative discussions and a Belgian beer or 2 (make that 4) an album felt better, more significant and certainly in the afterglow of “0”, unfinished business.

The album indeed draws inspiration from the World Economic Forum in Davos. How did this influence shape the themes and musical direction of “Forum”?

Passenger A&S: It is in fact almost never the theme itself that shapes the songs or the direction. We mostly start from a sample, a sound, or a title. While building the song we come across other sounds and samples and even then what we had in mind to start with could turn out totally different from that. “Forum” is an album which is not as dark as its predecessor, but you can surely put it alongside the atmosphere and direction of it.

Tracks like “Happy Nothing”, “The Great Reset”, and “Infotainment” showcase your melodic side. Can you discuss the inspiration and creative process behind these particular songs?

Passenger A&S: These 3 songs all started from a totally different base. “Happy Nothing” came from a textual idea, whereas “The Great Reset” was built on a sampled baseline and “Infotainment” started from a melody. While melodies are a continuum of Metroland’s way of working, we don’t really have 1 way to go about a song, nor do we start together in the studio every time. It is quite possible that a Passenger comes up with a demo or a loop of a few seconds.

“Forum” includes experimental song structures and fresh sounds. What new techniques or approaches did you explore in this album that differ from your previous work?

Passenger A&S: Every album is an occasion to broaden our sound palette and discover new electronics. However, we never set out from the start with a clear goal; it mainly comes along during the creative process; our more ‘experimental’ side you could say. Sometimes, we even delete parts of a song or a sound, and yes, even sometimes a complete song is being omitted. We have around 5 to 6 songs that never make it on a release, and we never re-use any of these either. We do have our special things and tricks that we tend to do with shifting notes, trying different layers or strange effects. But we never look back, never try to copy something from our past, or use any of the sounds we used before. Every new release is a fresh new audio canvas where we use different approaches in sound scaping.

The EP “Industry” features different versions of the industrial revolutions, culminating in a 10-minute epic experience on the CD edition. How did you conceptualize and create this multi-part industrial journey?  And why these different versions always between CD, digital, vinyls… it’s quite conceptual for METROLAND isn’t it?

Passenger A&S: Apart from the music, there is art, there is concept, there is hard work. So, if you “only” want digital, you might get less. We strongly believe in the item as an entity to complete our message. It is only by holding, reading the booklet and seeing the full package that you understand what that message ought to be. Digital platforms should be an argument to buy a physical version on an album and not “the end”. We want to deliver value to those who appreciate it. That requires much more input from our end, more songs, more art, but in the end, it brings much more value. And yes, this is a harsh view, we confirm. But since we entered the music business in 2012 with “Mind The Gap” we get the appraisal for that from our loyal fan base.

Your music often reflects a blend of innovation and nostalgia. How do you balance these elements to create a sound that feels both fresh and rooted in the vintage electronic tradition?

Passenger A&S: It is the blend of our very rich background and music collectors from 80s to modern, from dark wave to electronics and everything in-between that results in the typical Metroland sound. Where Passenger S is inspired by dark music but loves the high-pitched sequences, Passenger A loves club stuff but prefers not to make things too jolly. We push each other in both directions and extremes, but we meet each other in the middle. It is that synergy that keeps us going, that delivers that Metroland attitude.

The tracks “Activity as a Timetrigger,” “Baukultur,” and “Quantum” continue the trajectory set by “Industry.” Can you delve into the themes and messages you wanted to convey through these electro-infused pieces?

Passenger A&S: We never thought of it that way. We never make a song, deliberately thinking of a message or a link with another album track. We do read and discuss often about the concept and about what would/could be the right direction to take, both music and art wise. Things just happen, albeit everything is linked to the theme. The current concept we are creating songs for is basically an easy one, opens a lot of opportunities, but is the hardest one for us to give it the right approach in art, when looking at all our endeavours.

As a duo, how do Passenger A and Passenger S collaborate in the studio? Can you share some insights into your creative dynamic and how it influenced the making of “Forum”?  And how different is it for both of you compared to your respective solo-projects?

Passenger A&S: Usually, we meet up weekly in the Underground Studio and work on no matter what upcoming release. There is never any pressure, but once someone holds the final result, he or she can be sure that everything is meticulously planned to the hilt, from every little stroke of art to the very last second of every song. But we never follow the same pattern or path; nor for music nor for art, and the further we can step outside of the box the more we like it!  The solo-projects are clearly without the influences of the other Passenger and music wise, although both electronic, it is very different for 90% (some things are in our DNA and we cannot ignore it. But that feels natural after working together for more than 30 years). The biggest difference is that the synthpop from 808 DOT POP (Passenger S) is built around concepts and more sequence based, whereas LECTREAU (Passenger A) works in singles only and aims for the club floors. The mutual aspect is electronics; that will remain a fact, no matter what.

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘Cooperation’.

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 Swedish minimalistic electro-pop act Elektroklänge have just released their second conceptual album “Motorik”. The album is the follow-up to their 2022 album “Komposituation” and was already teased by the recently released the “Abfahrt” EP.

Musically the project revives the vintage Kraftwerkian “Düsseldorf sound” adding an own signature style. And if you pay attention it will not exactly be a secret that “Motorik” is inspired by Kraftwerk’s groundbreaking “Autobahn” album, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Even the cover artwork is close to that of the 2009 remastered version.

The album holds 10 tracks. You can order the album on CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore, or as download via Bandcamp. And for those who want some more electropop in one go, Alfa Matrix also offers a packet holding this album for a very limited time plus the new full lengths from Metroland, Cubic and Aiboforcen at a special price.

You can check out the band’s previous album right below. Read the review of ‘Motorik’.

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

Alfa Matrix, the Belgian label, has embraced a Kraftwerk-inspired mode, marking the announcement of its third electro-pop release reminiscent of Kraftwerk’s iconic sound. Following Elektroklänge and Cubic, it’s now the turn of Metroland to take the spotlight.

The Belgian duo, comprising Passenger A and Passenger S, is back with a new album, “Forum”, the follow-up to their March 2023 released “0” album. The new album was already teased by the 3-track single “Industry” (which was released earlier on Bandcamp exclusively first and will from tomorrow on hit all other platforms).

The new Metroland album is available on CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore and as download / streaming via Bandcamp (and all other platforms).

Originally considered as a potential concluding single for “0” in 2023, “Forum” has since then evolved into a full-fledged album with a distinct concept. Drawing inspiration from the World Economic Forum in Davos, as their previous album did, “Forum” aims to explore the convergence of innovation and nostalgia, described by the label as ‘a hymn to the 21st-century industrial revolution.’

It’s important to note that “Forum” is available in 2 different versions: the download and streaming formats will feature a unique tracklist compared to the CD version. That’s why the Bandcamp release of “Industry” includes two versions of the title track (5.0 and 6.0), while the CD edition offers a comprehensive 10-minute experience encapsulating all six industrial revolutions, exclusively for CD listeners.

Tracklist CD:

1. Cooperation in a fragmented world
2. The great reset
3. Activity as a timetrigger
4. Happy nothing
5. Baukultur (the davos declaration)
6. Infotainment
7. Quantum
8. World economic forum
9. Industry 1.0 *
10. Industry 2.0 *
11. Industry 3.0 *
12. Industry 4.0 *
13. Industry 5.0
14. Industry 6.0

(*) exclusive tracks for the CD version – NOT available on digital platforms

In case you missed the “Industry” single that preceded the album, check below. Read the review of ‘Forum’.

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘Every new release is a fresh new audio canvas’.

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 on March 22 is the new album from the electropop act Kraftman, “Chernobyl”. The physical edition is limited to 300 hand-numbered copies and comes in a jewel case holding an 8-pages booklet.

Based in Manchester, UK, this is the music project of Gary Hunter who now offers his 3rd studio album, the follow-up to “Giro d’Italia” (2022) and the debut “Electrique Fabrique” (2021). Musically this should appeal to fans of Metroland, 808 Dot Pop or Kraftwerk.

This time Gary produced an album centered around the Chernobyl disaster, that occured in 1986. The album touches on subjects such as “Radiation”, “Anatoly Dyatlov” (Chief Engineer on duty in Reactor 4, on the night of the incident), “Uranium-235”, “Acute Radiation Syndrome” and more.

The CD edition not only includes the 10 main tracks, recorded for the project, it also includes a special 39 minute “Concept Version” of the album, that features all the main CD tracks, with additional recorded elements, so the listener, can immerse himself into the events that occurred at Chernobyl on that fateful night, as well as, the aftermath and consequences of the disaster.

Check out the album teaser below.

And this is the videoclip for “AZ-5”.

To get an idea what to expect you might also want to check out the “Meltdown To The Core” EP relased in November last year.

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 Swedish minimalistic electro pop act Elektroklänge is back with a brand new 6-track EP, “Abfahrt”. This is one of my favourites on the Alfa Matrix label next to their buddies and sonic twins from Metroland and 808 Dot Pop.

The new EP is the first new release from this act since their debut album “Komposituation” was released in 2022.

Besides typical Kraftwerkian music, you can expect – if you listen closely – authentic traffic sounds from German highways, vintage speech synthesis courtesy of the Texas Instruments Language Translator and the Chrysler Electronic Voice Alert system next to flutes and vocoded vocals.

The EP holds 5 new tracks and a remix of “Bordcomputer” as 6th track. The EP is downloadable now from Bandcamp and will be available via other platforms in the next two weeks. Warmly recommended! Read the review of ‘Abfahrt’.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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The Belgian electro-pop duo Metroland returns with a new 3-track single, “Industry”, which is a teaser for their forthcoming conceptual album, “Forum”, slated for release later in 2024.

For this single the duo collaborated with Motor!k (Dirk Ivens side-project) and AK/DK. Complementing the EP is a video clip crafted by Passenger S.

The new single is available for immediate download from Bandcamp. Check out the single below.

And this is the video.

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘Forum’.

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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Celebrating its 30th year, Audioglobe, the most important distributor in the darkwave scene, just shared a statistical review, revealing the shifts and trends in the darkwave (and related) music genre.

Our readers will surely remember that we have reported on these stats for years, until 2018, the first year that Audioglobe didn’t communicate these stats. Sebastian Koch from Audioglobe explains: “Some customers never really cared that much about these, as they have better things to do than reading boring mails from the undersigned. But… Surprisingly there are quite a high number of customers, that sort of ‘complained’ about the fact, that no stats were being done any longer… The reason is: I was simply always far too busy in past years. Anyway: Here we go with the first new stats since 2017!”

So here are some export facts.

Top 10 Bestselling Labels of 2023 (export)

1. FABRIKA/DEAD SCARLET
   • She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Selofan, Kaelan Mikla, M!R!M, Doric…
2. METROPOLIS
   • Birthday Massacre, Delerium, Front Line Assembly, A Projection, KMFDM, Legendary P.D…
3. ICY COLD/MANIC DEPR.
   • Twin Tribes, Je T’aime, Traitrs, Kill Shelter, Closed Mouth, Talk to Her, Schonwald…
4. ALFA MATRIX
   • Alien Vampires, Front 242, Metroland, Die Robo Sapiens, Elm, 808 Dot Pop, Helalyn Flowers…
5. RUSTBLADE
   • Claudio Simonetti, Ennio Morricone, Lycia Lunch, Spiritual Front, Ketvector, Legendary Pink D…
6. OUT OF LINE
   • Blutengel, Hocico, Solitary Experiments, Suicide Commando, Signal Aout42, Erdling…
7. TRISOL
   • Sopor Aeternus, Rome, Clan of Xymox, Asp, Ostara, Skinflicks, Nachtmahr, Mantus, Soman…
8. DEPENDENT
   • Kirlian Camera, Girls Under Glass, Spectra*Paris, Mildreda, Black Nail Cabaret, Beborn Beton…
9. ARTOFFACT
   • Actors, Noise Unit, cEvin Key, Kaelan Mikla, Ploho, Sacred Skin, Kauan, Ken Mode, Spectres…
10. AUERBACH
    • Spiritual Front, Sol Invictus, Tenhi, Moon and the Night Spirit, Haavard, Hekate, Orplid…

Best Export Territories of 2023

If we look at the Audioglobe stats, we notice that Germany and Greece remain the company’s strongest markets, continuing a trend that has been consistent for ages. However, the 2023 statistics reveal some notable shifts.

Canada, once a prominent market for Audioglobe, has surprisingly disappeared from the export landscape. In contrast, the United States and the United Kingdom have re-emerged as significant territories, marking their return to prominence in the darkwave music scene after several years.

The most unexpected development in 2023 is the rise of Australia as a key market. This growth stands in stark contrast to Switzerland, which, despite its affluence, has seen a sharp decline in sales. Sebastian Koch adds: “The (by far!) lowest sales of all countries where we export to, was to Switzerland… The rich Swiss don’t buy records! Since I left the country (1990), something is wrong back home!”

Here is the top 10 list of export territories:

1. Germany
2. Greece
3. Netherlands
4. Portugal
5. USA
6. United Kingdom
7. Australia
8. Spain
9. Russia
10. Poland

Not in the top 10, but France, Japan, Malta, Brazil, Sweden, Mexico, and Perù are also good export territories for Audioglobe.

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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Before the release of the new “Back To Basic” full length album, Belgian electronic artist Franky Deblomme aka Cubic comes out with a second 4-track EP. Titled after the legendary Commodore C128, this EP is the obvious logical successor to the previous “c64” EP.

The new EP features exclusive club oriented and extended versions of “Art In” and “Human Computer”. While “MF2HD” is an exclusive non-album track, Cubic also offers a powerful EBM/industrial dance mix of “B C L” by label-mates Diffuzion.

Kraftwerk comes to mind but with a very refined contemporary sound. The EP is now residing in the Top 10 best selling downloads on Bandcamp in the industrial section. You can find it here on Bandcamp.

About Cubic

Franky Deblomme started out with his EBM-project Darkmen. After having stopped the project he started working under the Cubic moniker. After the excellent “Alphabet Hymn”-EP and having revisited the 808 Dot.Pop-album “Cubic Temperature”, Franky launched Cubic’s debut album “The Cubic Alphabet”. The sound has a clear connection with 808 Dot.Pop and Metroland; a kind of Kraftwerk-Pop with a personal and more diversified touch on top.

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

Every time Side-Line releases a new compilation, I seize the chance to interview Bernard Van Isacker, the chief compiler for Side-Line and our editor-in-chief. This time around, he has curated the comprehensive 88-track “Electronic Bodies” compilation, predominantly focusing on EBM with a hint of New Beat. I must say, I’m perpetually amazed at how he juggles his time. Not only does he supervise Side-Line, but he’s also engaged with Alfa Matrix, holds a full-time role in online marketing with an international firm, and has recently founded the digital marketing agency, Fox DS.

SL: With such a packed schedule, how do you find the time for these compilation projects?

BVI: Honestly, I often ponder how I muster the time and enthusiasm to initiate and oversee projects of this magnitude, given their time-consuming nature. The motivation largely stems from the Side-Line community; I sometimes feel I owe them my time (laughs). I genuinely enjoy these projects; I’m a person who thinks in terms of projects and concepts rather than daily routines. This mindset is evident even in my day job, where I’m known to favour large-scale, impactful projects over short-term tasks. This approach ensures consistency in my endeavours. As I age, I notice this trait becoming more pronounced.

SL: Merely 12 hours post-release, the “Electronic Bodies” compilation has already clinched the top position on the industrial charts. How do you maintain such consistency?

BVI: The credit goes entirely to our audience. Time and again, I observe the active engagement of the Side-Line community. The volume of personal emails from readers is staggering, and I make it a point to respond to each one, even the occasional critiques regarding our editorial decisions. A prime example is our decision to remove ads from Side-Line, a move purely based on reader feedback. In hindsight, it was probably our best decision, eliminating those intrusive Adsense ads that marred our magazine for years.

Returning to your question, we can now engage tens of thousands of fans with a single click. I always strive for transparency in our communication. For instance, if a project gets shelved (which has happened once in the past two decades), I explain the reasons behind the decision. Honest communication is paramount in everything we do at Side-Line. I’m fortunate to run this magazine alongside one of the most principled individuals I know, Stephane Froidcoeur. I highly regard his opinions, and despite our occasional disagreements, we remain an inseparable duo, frequently deliberating on our future direction. This long-term planning is crucial to our operations.

SL: What drove your decision to spotlight EBM and a bit of New Beat?

BVI: The idea dates back a few years. Sven Lauwers, Andy De Decker (Ionic Vision / Metroland), and Franky Deblomme (Cubic, Darkmen) once suggested that Side-Line should explore EBM and New Beat. This concept lingered in my mind, but with the “Electronic Resistance” projects consuming a significant portion of my time over the past 18 months, it took a backseat. However, a recent conversation with Sven reignited this dormant idea. A brief poll on Side-Line’s Facebook page indicated the potential success of this project. While the popularity of our compilations has been on an upward trajectory, I’m acutely aware that success shouldn’t be taken for granted. It’s imperative to consistently deliver value.

SL: On that note, I was surprised to discover the new Ionic Vision track “Deathrow” in the compilation. How did that inclusion come about?

BVI: When I informed Sven about this upcoming project, I inquired if he had any unreleased tracks to contribute. He mentioned their unreleased album and promptly sent over a track. Ionic Vision has been a staple in my EBM mix from the outset, so it’s gratifying to feature this iconic Belgian act in the compilation. Additionally, Andy contributed a track from his project, Him+He, which leans more towards New Beat.

SL: ELM, which kicks off the compilation, is widely regarded as a trailblazer in today’s EBM scene. Would you concur?

BVI: Absolutely. Musically and in terms of production, Peter is top-tier. Had ELM been active in the 80s, he’d undoubtedly be a superstar. I recently discussed ELM during an interview for Canada’s DJ Moose’s The Gothic Moose podcast. Fabrício Viscardi from Aesthetische was also a guest, and we delved into the production quality of various releases. Fabrício (just like Peter), in my opinion, possesses exceptional production skills. Both ELM and Aesthetische consistently deliver top-notch productions.

SL: Not surprisingly that I also see Aesthetische featured on this compilation.

BVI: Indeed. Upon hearing the masters for “Boiling Over (Celsius Version)”, I was convinced it deserved a spot on the compilation. I sought Seba Dolimont’s (Alfa Matrix) opinion, and his response echoed my sentiments. This track epitomises the evolution of EBM in 2023, infusing a contemporary touch while preserving its roots. Coupled with superior production, it’s undeniably a gem.

SL: I’ve observed that only a handful of bands in the compilation are established names in the scene. Are other labels hesitant to collaborate?

BVI: I never pressurise scene labels to contribute. They receive an invitation, and their participation is entirely voluntary. Our compilation series has always been independent of label contributions, although a few labels consistently support our vision and concept. The majority of submissions are from emerging bands eager to expand their audience. Our primary objective remains to nurture and promote new talent. We’re always open to collaborations, and labels willing to contribute are always welcome.

SL: Do you maintain communication with all these numerous bands post-release?

BVI: I consistently encourage bands involved to keep me informed about their subsequent activities once the release is out. Many do, and this way we ensure to track their progress and share updates when there’s noteworthy news. Our approach isn’t just a one-off; it’s only fitting that these bands know they can rely on our continued support.

SL: Was the process of selecting bands for this compilation straightforward?

BVI: The response we receive when we issue a call for submissions is always overwhelming. Sifting through the plethora of material is a weeks-long endeavour. Once I’ve shortlisted the bands, the next step involves securing contracts, which proved challenging this time around due to the sunny weather. Chasing contracts during the summer holiday season is far from ideal, that I knew and know now even more. One contract eluded us, resulting in 88 bands on the compilation instead of the initially announced 89. So, for those fixated on the number 88, the missing 89th slot isn’t our oversight but a consequence of the band’s oversight (laughs).

SL: What inspired your focus on Ukrainian victims of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

BVI: I recently came across an article detailing the psychological toll of the war initiated by Russia against Ukraine. The repercussions are devastating, with families torn apart and a surge in divorces and suicides. Many are grappling with PTSD, a condition that arises after experiencing traumatic events. Symptoms disrupt daily life, manifesting as flashbacks, avoidance behaviours, and a host of other issues. If we’re in a position to assist, we should.

SL: Doesn’t immersing yourself in such grim realities depress you?

BVI: While it’s undeniably sombre, it’s essential to recognise our privileged position compared to their plight. Rather than symbolic gestures, I advocate for tangible action. The West should be doing more. The disparity between resources squandered on frivolities and the valiant efforts of the Ukrainian populace defending their homeland infuriates me.

SL: I’ve noticed a decline in the presence of Russian bands in this scene. Have you observed this trend?

BVI: They haven’t vanished; they’ve chosen to either keep a low profile or relocate from Russia. In a few instances, some even openly support the controversial regime led by Putin. For example, Side-Line has a policy not to feature bands that align with Putin’s views. I’m in regular contact with many Russians. A majority express their dismay at the current situation, foreseeing significant repercussions as their nation faces increasing isolation, contrary to what some media outlets suggest. Do you think the BRICS nations appreciate having such an outlier in their midst? A few others I converse with remain reserved, but their sentiments suggest they don’t necessarily disagree with their nation’s actions in Ukraine. It’s disheartening, but I believe in maintaining open communication, hoping they’ll recognize the gravity of the situation. Decades of propaganda have left a profound impact.

The future of Russia’s dark music scene remains uncertain. I hope they recognize the extensive damage their nation has inflicted. With a death toll exceeding 300,000, there’s no room for national pride. The current oppressive environment will likely stifle these bands’ voices, leading me to anticipate a decline in activist lyrics and public positions in their work. This shift should serve as a stark indicator for those still questioning the integrity of their government and its societal constraints.

SL: Why hasn’t Side-Line ventured into establishing a full-fledged label? Given the magazine’s dedicated readership, it seems like a logical progression, doesn’t it? I remember discussing this with you before.

BVI: Yes you did, and my stance hasn’t changed (laughs). Side-Line collaborates with thousands of bands. Focusing on a select few could compromise our credibility. I’m meticulous about ensuring my involvement with Alfa Matrix doesn’t influence Side-Line’s operations. Managing bands under the Side-Line banner would blur these lines further. While I frequently receive proposals to release albums, I remain committed to Side-Line’s vision of being a platform for all bands within our genre. Our audience’s trust and respect are paramount. Their unwavering support is the lifeblood of Side-Line. Without them, there’s no magazine, and consequently, no compilations.

SL: During this project, were there any bands that particularly resonated with you?

BVI: Conditions Extrm and their side-project Balsab, both hailing from Bordeaux, intrigued me with their raw EBM sound. Their music evokes memories of the tape demos Side-Line received in the early 90s. They encapsulate Side-Line’s ethos of amplifying young bands’ voices. Numerous other bands contributed, but these two immediately come to mind due to their interconnectedness, despite submitting their tracks separately.

SL: What’s on the horizon for Side-Line? I’ve heard whispers of a potential Turkish compilation. Can you shed some light on this?

BVI: Those aren’t mere whispers; I’ve alluded to it occasionally. I’m liaising with Turkish partners to assess its feasibility. I often encounter criticism for not featuring bands from the Muslim world in our compilations. While I’m open to the idea, the scene in these countries isn’t as expansive. However, the prospect intrigues me, and I’ve initiated preliminary research. No promises, but the groundwork has begun. For now, enjoy the current compilation, it holds plenty of good stuff!

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Alfa Matrix, the renowned Belgian label, commemorates its 22nd anniversary with yet another mastodont compilation on Bandcamp. The latest installment in the acclaimed “Matrix Downloaded” series, titled “Matrix+ Downloaded 011”, is now available as a free download on their Bandcamp page. Packed with 60 tracks, including new signings and a preview of the upcoming Spleen+ label releases, this compilation showcases Alfa Matrix’s diverse music repertoire.

“Matrix+ Downloaded 011” soared to the top of the industrial Bandcamp charts within hours of its release, claiming the coveted number 1 position.

The collection holds 60 tracks in total including several new signings. These are the bands present on this brand new free download compilation: Hanging Freud, The Ultimate Dreamers, The Breath Of Life, Psy’Aviah Feat. Sorrow Stories, ImJudas, Star Industry, Halo In Reverse, Lovelorn Dolls, The True Union, Freakangel, Avarice In Audio, Siva Six, Alien Vampires, Synapsyche, Helalyn Flowers, Neuroactive, Elektrostaub Feat. Stefan Netschio, Technoir, Entrzelle, Llumen, Noemi Aurora, Aiboforcen Feat. Jan D., Reichsfeind, Mondträume Feat. N-Frequency, The Psychic Force, Digital Factor, Implant, Darkness On Demand, Aesthetische, Komor Kommando Vs. The True Union, Matthew Creed, C-Lekktor, First Aid Tech, Pouppee Fabrikk, ELM, Die Robo Sapiens, Plastic Noise Experience, Armageddon Dildos, Stahlgeist, AD:keY, Kant Kino, Suicidal Romance, Miseria Ultima, First Aid 4 Souls, Neikka RPM, Circumpolar, Venal Flesh, Helle9, Diffuzion, Acylum, Circuito Cerrado, Aengeldust, Studio-X, 808 Dot Pop, Cubic, Metroland, Rector Scanner, Elektroklänge, Cosmic Armchair, Lights A.M.

You can download “Matrix+ Downloaded 011” for free via Bandcamp.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Nine years after the release of their first tribute to The Cure, titled “A Strange Play – Tribute to The Cure“, Alfa Matrix and Spleen+ have joined forces to create a follow-up tribute album. The second volume in the series, “A Strange Play (Vol. 2) – Tribute to The Cure“, features 27 tracks, including electro, synth pop, EBM acts from Alfa Matrix and cold wave, post-punk, and gothic rock bands from their Spleen+ division and is out now via Bandcamp, the label’s webstore and all other platforms.

The album includes reinterpretations of classic hits and lesser-known B-sides, shedding new light on the original tracks or giving them an entirely different sonic perspective. The tribute album itself this time is a collaborative effort between both established and emerging artists from the Alfa Matrix and Spleen+ rosters.

Compiled by and for The Cure fans, this new tribute adventure brings together a growing roster of Spleen+ artists, including Noemi Aurora, Star Industry, Imjudas, The Ultimate Dreamers, The Breath of Life, and Lovelorn Dolls. Additionally, the album features synth and electro cult acts, as well as upcoming Alfa Matrix artists, such as Neuroactive, Armageddon Dildos, Implant, Darkness on Demand (formerly Dance or Die), Helle9 (an Alien Vampires side-project), Metroland, Aesthetische featuring Zombie Girl, Aiboforcen, Technoir, Kant Kino, Digital Factor, Regenerator, Lights A.M (an Essence of Mind solo project), Neikka RPM, First Aid 4 Souls, Diffuzion, Avarice in Audio, Elektroklänge, Circumpolar, and Cosmic Armchair.

In conjunction with the release of “A Strange Play (Vol. 2),” goth-metal/darkwave act Lovelorn Dolls has released a single and accompanying video clip for their cover of “Lullaby.” The music video, created entirely using artificial intelligence, tells the story of a girl pursued by a mysterious, threatening, yet alluring man. The video’s creator, Kristell, was inspired by her own childhood experience of being both fascinated and frightened by The Cure’s original “Lullaby” music video.

Here’s the track list for the new volume which is available now on 2CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore and as download via the Alfa Matrix Bandcamp page and the Spleen+ Bandcamp page.

Here’s the first volume.

Side-Line also covered The Cure’s ‘s ’.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

The Belgian dark pop act Psy’Aviah is now closing the “Bittersweet” album chapter in beauty with a collaboration with Tina Forlorn of Sorrow Stories. The new EP is called “Healing”, is available now in an exclusive format on Bandcamp and is one of the most representative songs from the band’s conceptual album “Bittersweet “.

For the occasion of this new EP release, both Yves Schelpe and Tina Forlorn recorded together an exclusive bonus song: “Heaven Is Not Enough”.

Yves Schelpe explains: “‘Heaven Is Not Enough’ mixes metaphorical lyrics, sorrowful atmospheres with more upbeat dark electronics. In the song we played with double meanings and questioning whether dreaming of death to feel alive makes any sense when ‘Heaven is not enough’ and might be your new Hell… a sort of beginning of the finale in a place where there is no conclusion because you need to recreate yourself altogether.”

On the new 15-track strong EP we find remixes from such bands as Aesthetische, People Theatre, Aiboforcen, Eric C. Powell, Eva X, Natures Of Wires, Enemy Infestation, 13th Angel and 11Grams.

Note that the Bandcamp release includes an exclusive booklet with lyrics plus 2 bonus remixes by Lectreau (Passenger A from Metroland) and Dynalectric Orchestra.

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: Electro-Pop.

Format: CD. 

Background/Info: Belgian ‘Passenger S’ has been very prolific the past few months. Next to a new Metroland-album plus different EP’s he also released a new album of his 808 Dot Pop project. The album is a kind of trilogy dealing about crystal radio and related themes. The album got the contribution from Kraftman and guest vocals by Lis Van Den Akker on a few songs. 

Content: The format and approach remains the same. The songs are mixed like a broadcasting revealing the light and melodic, robotic, pop style of this artist. You’ll find similar songs with a few little nuances at the ‘AM frequency’ as on the previous ‘FM frequency’ but there’re also different songs. This work sounds a tiny darker but is perfectly recognizable and complementary to the previous opus. 

+ + + : I refer to the “FM 88.2” album, the songs being similar although a bit darker -especially for the bass lines. I like the sound treatments but also the great writing skills of the artist. I got impressed by the elaboration and intelligence of “Sinpo” which is maybe one of the most sophisticated songs ever written by the 

artist although Gary Hunter (Kraftman) contributed to the song. I personally prefer this album to the “FM-88.2” the ‘new’ songs being also the best ones. 

– – – : Just as for the first album I’m not entirely convince by Lis Van Den Akker singing on 808 Dot Pop. I would have prefered another singer like Noemi Aurora who sung on the first album “The Colour Temperature”. 

Conclusion: A different frequency but similar music which became a bit darker although still pretty retro-pop like.   

Best songs: “Sinpo”, “Radio Waves”, “AM/FM”, “Jan Moedwil – Radio Belgie”, “Germanium”. 

Rate: 8½.

Artist: https://808dotpop.com / www.facebook.com/808dotpop 

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

About 808 DOT POP

808 DOT POP is the solo electro-pop side-project of Metroland’s Passenger S, signed to Alfa Matrix. The debut album, “The Colour Temperature”, followed three singles, “Blackbodies – pulsation”, “Blackbodies – variation” and “Jingle Pop”, and was released in 2020 on CD and via Bandcamp, with the download edition including an exclusive 20-minute megamix. Passenger S described the project as lighter and more playful than Metroland, built around the TR-808 drum machine, with Noemi Aurora on guest vocals for that first album. The crystal-radio-themed “Pop Radio” project followed, released on 25 March 2023 in three variants, “FM 88.2”, “AM 1350” and the download-only “MW720”, each featuring contributions from KRAFTman and guest vocals by Lis van den Akker. The project includes a cover of OMD’s “Radio Waves”, recorded with permission from Andy McCluskey.

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.

Format: CD. 

Background/Info: Nearly three years after the promising debut album “The Colour Temperature”, Metroland’s ‘Passenger S” strikes back with a new album of his solo-project 808 Dot Pop. It’s a conceptual work devoted to the magic of crystal radio and related themes. But there’s a kind of concept behind the concept as three album have been released; two on CD format and one as digital work. Each album is related to a frequency, FM, AM and MW.A few songs have been written together with Gary Hunter (Kraftman). 

Content: 808 Dot Pop remains driven by the retro robotic style of Metroland although this project  sounds ‘poppier’ and more accessible. The songs are carried by low, dark, bass lines mixed with melodic tunes and the unavoidable computer voices dealing with the concept. All songs have been mixed like a true radio broadcasting. Two songs are featuring real vocals by Lis Van Den Akker -who already contributed to the single “Suncatcher”.

+ + + : The concept is great and I salute the intelligence it has been transposed into this album. The booklet gives us brief, but essential information about topics related to the concept. It has a strong retro-like feeling which also comes back in the sound treatments. The robotic music becomes pretty accessible by its melodic side and danceable rhythms. I personally prefer 808 Dot Pop to the latest Metroland’s releases for being more polished, poppy and globally more accessible. 

– – – : I like the music and I like the heavenly voice of Lis Van Den Akker but I’m not totally convinced both are matching. I would have liked a more sterile timbre of voice. 

Conclusion: 808 Dot Pop strikes back in style dealing with a fascinating concept and simply good Electro-Pop. 

Best songs: “Heinrich Hertz”, “RCA AR-812”, “Capacitor”, “Österreich 3”. 

Rate: 7½.

Artist: https://808dotpop.com / www.facebook.com/808dotpop 

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

About 808 Dot Pop

808 Dot Pop is the solo electro-pop side-project of Metroland’s Passenger S, signed to Alfa Matrix. The debut album, “The Colour Temperature”, followed three singles, “Blackbodies – pulsation”, “Blackbodies – variation” and “Jingle Pop”, and was released in 2020 on CD and via Bandcamp, with the download edition including an exclusive 20-minute megamix. Nearly three years later, the crystal-radio-themed “Pop Radio” project arrived on 25 March 2023 in three variants, “FM 88.2”, “AM 1350” and the download-only “MW720”, each featuring contributions from KRAFTman and guest vocals by Lis van den Akker. The project includes a cover of OMD’s “Radio Waves”, recorded with permission from Andy McCluskey.

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

Metroland’s Passenger S his first solo album, “The Colour Temperature” (2020), and its companion remix album “The Cubic Temperature”, were extremely well received by the electronic music scene. Three years later 808 Dot Pop returns with three albums in one on Alfa Matrix.

Both “AM 1350” and “FM 88.2” are available only on compact disc while “MW 720” is available as a download only. The two CD albums are complementary conceptual releases and are also produced and mixed like a broadcasting where all songs float into each others to guarantee the ultimate radiophonic experience. The download album has seperate tracks that stand on their own.

The project is driven by his passion for vintage sounds and draws inspiration from renowned acts such as Orbital, Komputer and the pioneers of Kraftwerk. The sound is characterized by warm sequences, melodic synth layers, and robotic vocoders. The entire auditory experience is enhanced with the addition of analog drums, paying homage to a legendary drum machine.

Passenger S: “The idea for a pop radio show initially started when I asked (and also received) permission from OMD’s Andy McCluskey in person to cover their track ‘Radio Waves’. However, since the original was so darn good, the decision was soon taken to drop the cover idea. Still the interest to take a deeper dive into the matter of radio waves remained. A further push by Gary Hunter (Kraftman), who co-wrote on several songs, did finally lead to the birth of a new concept around the 1920’s crystal radio and the inventions of Guglielmo Marconi, who paved way for many things in our modern era.”

Guest singer on the release is Lis van den Akker who you can hear on the titles “Marconi”, “The Detector” and “Distant Voices”.

You can check the download only version of “MW 720” below.

Here’s the official videoclip for “Marconi”.

2 new singles available as well

You can also downbload 2 new singles: “FM 101.4” and “AM 685”. “FM101.4” and “AM 685”.

The 3-track EP “FM 101.4” holds the single version of “Marconi” (aptly entitled ‘on the radio’) backed with the song “The Detector”, which also features the voice of Lis Van Den Akker. The 4-track maxi EP “AM 685” holds two extended versions, a remix with a clear wink to Passenger S and his love for a particular 80s band and his favourite 12inch (one of their 1983 songs was the very start of the entire concept), and an exclusive 3rd song entitled “Voices”, all referencing to the album’s concept.

Check out the singles below. They are available for immediate download via Bandcamp.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Metroland’s latest album, “0,” is now available on CD, double blue vinyl, and for download. During the pre-sale, those who pre-ordered the double vinyl received a complimentary “X” album CD. This exclusive 75-minute anniversary release features five mega mixes, each representing one of their five studio albums and highlighting the vintage synth music of Belgium.

The “X” album is now solely available as an independent album at the standard album price, on CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore and as a download via Bandcamp.

Both the vinyl and CD versions of “0” contain 12 tracks each, with Metroland making a conscious effort to differentiate them through subtly distinct artwork and varied track listings, showcasing that they are not just an ordinary computer pop band.

About Metroland

Metroland, a Belgian electronic duo, is known for their unique blend of minimalistic, melodic synthpop and a passion for transportation and urban themes. Formed in 2012, the duo consists of Passenger A and Passenger S, who have managed to make a name for themselves in the electronic music scene with their meticulously crafted soundscapes and engaging live performances.

Passenger A, a talented keyboardist and sound designer, and Passenger S, a skilled programmer and composer, met in the late 1990s while working at a local record store. Bonding over their shared love for electronic music pioneers like Kraftwerk, OMD, and Depeche Mode, they began to collaborate on music projects. This collaboration eventually led to the formation of Metroland.

Metroland’s debut album, “Mind The Gap,” released in 2012, received critical acclaim and solidified the duo’s reputation as a noteworthy electronic act. The album’s concept centered on urban living and public transportation, featuring tracks like “Enjoying the View” and “Inner City Transport,” which demonstrated the duo’s talent for crafting immersive, atmospheric soundscapes that encapsulate modern city life. In our review of “Mind The Gap,” we said: “Metroland’s music flawlessly merges catchy melodies with inventive sound design, channeling the essence of classic electronic acts while forging a fresh and contemporary soundscape.”

In 2015, Metroland unveiled their second album, “Triadic Ballet.” Drawing inspiration from the Bauhaus movement, this album delved into a more experimental and artistic realm, examining the confluence of art, design, and technology. Songs like “Zeppelin” and “Design” displayed the duo’s dedication to pushing electronic music boundaries while remaining true to their origins. The Electricity Club commented on “Triadic Ballet”: “Metroland demonstrates their capacity to evolve and innovate, while maintaining their roots, making this album a must-listen for electronic music enthusiasts.”

“Things Will Never Sound the Same Again,” Metroland’s third album, was released in 2016 as a homage to the late Louis Zachert, a dear friend and mentor of the duo. The album showcased a deeper, more introspective facet of Metroland, with tracks like “Under the Roof” and “Cube” delving into themes of loss and memory. Release Magazine remarked: “Metroland’s ‘Things Will Never Sound the Same Again’ is a poignant tribute to their friend, revealing an emotional depth and introspection seldom witnessed in electronic music.”

In 2018, Metroland returned with “Men in a Frame,” an album inspired by the realm of photography. Collaborating with various photographers, Metroland crafted a one-of-a-kind audio-visual experience, pairing each song with a specific photograph. Tracks like “Shades of Pale” and “Exhibition” underscored the duo’s prowess in evoking vivid visual imagery through their music. Peek-A-Boo Magazine praised the album: “The unparalleled audio-visual experience of ‘Men in a Frame’ cements Metroland’s position as an inventive and groundbreaking electronic duo.”

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘Industry’.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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Don’t miss your last chance to get Metroland’s album “X” for free with your double blue vinyl pre-order.

Metroland’s brand new album “0” is set to be released on March 25th, available on CD, double blue vinyl, and as a download. During the pre-sale period, the double vinyl pre-order comes with a free bonus: the “X” album CD. This 75-minute exclusive anniversary release features five mega mixes, each representing one of their five studio albums and showcasing vintage synth music from Belgium.

After the pre-order period, the release will be available as a standalone album at the regular album price. You can also get the “X” album as part of a Metroland / 808 Dot Pop exclusive pre-order 4CD pack, which includes the free X album CD as a bonus. But also these packages are only available in pre-order.

Good to know: though both the vinyl version and CD album each contain 12 tracks, Metroland has made a deliberate distinction with subtle alternative artwork and a different track listing, demonstrating that they are not your average computer pop band.

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘s new ’.

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.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: After having released a few noticeable EP’s as countdown to Belgian Metroland’s fifth album here it is: “0”. There’s a new conceptual theme behind the work. Zero is pronounced in very different ways as it all depends on the language but the album also is anticipating the future announced by Metroland as ‘the fourth industrial revolution’.

Content: Metroland symbolizes the adoration for Kraftwerk; an Electro-Pop style which sounds ‘robotic’ and intelligent. No simple poppy tunes nor catchy lyrics in choruses but  a sterile type of Electronics carried by solid bass lines, endless bleeping sequences, dry, danceable kicks and robotic samplings or spoken vocal parts.

+ + + : I can’t say that Metroland are repeating themselves; the concept becomes sophisticated and even complex and so the music is. This is their most Experimental work to date although there are danceable passages which are my favorite parts of the work. “4ir Intelligence”, “Machine 2 Machine”, “Modularity”, “The 2^nd Machine Age” and the more poppy “7 Principles” are the highlights from “0”.

– – – : I’m missing a melody line here and there or simply a more rudimentary approach. This album is not exactly a bite-sized-chunks of songs and needs a few more listening before you can get into it.

Conclusion: “0” sounds like the least accessible work of Metroland although I salute their efforts to be more than a Kraftwerk copy; they definitely have found their own ‘retro-futuristic’ style.

Best songs: “4ir Intelligence”, “Machine 2 Machine”, “Modularity”, “The 2^nd Machine Age”, “7 Principles”, “Big Data”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/metrolandmusic

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

Listen to “0”:

About Metroland

Metroland is a Belgian electro-pop duo formed by Passenger A and Passenger S, who entered the music business together in 2012 with the release “Mind The Gap”. Passenger A also records solo as LECTREAU, aimed at club floors, while Passenger S releases concept-driven, sequence-based music as 808 DOT POP. Following “0”, Metroland extended its ‘industrial revolution’ concept through the “Industry” EP, the album “Forum” (2024) on Alfa Matrix, the “Cooperation” EP (2024), the single “Activity” (2025), and the “Reset” EP (2025) that concluded the “Forum” cycle.

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Mid 2022 Belgium’s minimal electro duo Metroland started the countdown with 2 different color 12inch vinyl versions of “4″, a 1st EP in a countdown (3, 2, 1…) series towards a new conceptual album, aptly called after the digit “0”. That new album will be released on March 25th via the Belgian label Alfa Matrix.

The new album will be out as download (available now as pre-order via Bandcamp), on CD and on solid blue vinyl (both versions are available now in pre-order via Alfa Matrix’ webstore). All formats will carry 12 tracks. Note that the pre-order of the vinyl includes the free “X” album CD as a bonus. This CD offers a a 75 minutes one-off, neatly consolidated into 5 mega mixes, each presenting one of their 5 studio albums. Note that that bonus CD is also available in a exclusive pre-order Metroland / 808 Dot Pop 4CD pack.

But before this album is being released, you can enjoy the all new singles “1.0” and “1.1”. As always with Metroland and their recurrent conceptual artistic approach, this EP is out simultaneously in two different versions each holding exclusive edits and remixes.

You can check the previous singles below (with “4.0” being available on two different vinyls, a transparent chrystal vinyl version and a red vinyl version).

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘ album by Metroland with double blue vinyl pre-order of ’.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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The post-punk scene has a new recordlabel with Alfa Matrix launching a sublabel created to accomodate this specific genre and its varieties including coldwave or even minimal synth. Called Spleen+ you can already find 2 bands signed to it, the Belgian post-punk act The Ultimate Dreamers, who launched their label debut with the EP “Polarized”, and the Italian new wave act ImJudas who presents 2 new EPs, “People Of The Blame” and “So Untrue”.

We sat together with Seba Dolimont who is the A&R behind Spleen+ (and Alfa Matrix).

SL: Congratulations Seba with the new endeavour. Why start a side label next to Alfa Matrix?

SD: Since 2001, Alfa Matrix has been showing a quite eclectic approach of our music repertoire and label artist roster. We release EBM music from FRONT 242, POUPPEE FABRIKK, ELM or DIE ROBO SAPIENS, but also harsh dark elektro with ALIEN VAMPIRES, ACYLUM or C-LEKKTOR, minimal vintage synth with METROLAND, future pop with REICHSFEIND, NEUROACTIVE, MONDTRÄUME, BRUDERSCHAFT… Modern avantgarde electro with RECOIL, IMPLANT, KOMOR KOMMANDO, PSY’AVIAH or yet CUBIC! But also without forgetting our darker acts merging industrial with goth darkwave guitars like STAR INDUSTRY, HELALYN FLOWERS or FREAKANGEL.

We have been toying with this idea for this Spleen+ division for many months. It’s not something that comes out on the spur of the moment, you need to prepare such additional activity within our whole Alfa Matrix Label Group concept. We have been following and enjoying this continuous resurgence of the cold wave / post punk / minimal synth scene for some time. We also noticed that new sub-scene walls started emerging from the ground where the fans do not look much over the walls. Dedicated events and festivals get organised. Dedicated blogs, playlists, etc. start gathering more and more dark souls… So the idea from our side is to simply contribute to this movement offering it some structured and more targeted approach cos there are so many talented artists out there in need of support in their DIY efforts. This focused approach should allow us better supporting artists playing this kind of sound and reaching out to a boiling sub-scene, enlarging our scope of activities and bringing complementary fanbases together because eclecticism remains a core value for our work… And this without bringing us too far away from our roots cos the label team is made of 3 friends born in the early 70’s who were fed on JOY DIVISION, THE CURE, SIOUXSIE, SISTERS OF MERCY and other GHOST DANCE, X-MAL DEUTSCHLAND and SKELETAL FAMILY and not only on 80’s synth pop and the Belgian Electronic Body Music movement!

SL: What (new) signings can we expect?

SD: The very active Belgian act THE ULTIMATE DREAMERS is our first new signing in the genre (see the number of concerts they already played this year only! They are amazing! Their new album comes out in March…) while some current Alfa Matrix artists are potential candidates for a next release on Spleen+ including IMJUDAS or yet STAR INDUSTRY for example. Together with Frédéric Cotton (known for decades of activities as concert & party promotor in Brussels behind the famous “Fantastique Nights” but also as lead singer of THE ULTIMATE DREAMERS) we will also release this year a mega compilation devoted to the cold wave/post punk genre showing how prolific this scene can be anno 2023! We are working on it as we speak…

Since the announcement of this new label division, I am also quite happy and positively surprised by the number of proactive connections we got from very great bands who showed interest in working with us. That’s really exciting. Of course some of them are cool Belgian bands, some being living legends, cos it’s always easier collaborating with a local label speaking your language, but we are also in contact with artists from the UK, Italy, South America, etc. Nothing I want to reveal yet, but we will do this on due time. Keep an eye on our pages at https://www.facebook.com/spleen.plus and https://spleenplus.bandcamp.com . A website will follow soon as well.

SL: Will this also mean extra vinyl releases?

SD: The vinyl format is part of the equation on today’s music market. A portion of music fans who are collecting physical products do prefer the vinyl format but not all of them. So already with Alfa Matrix we have been issuing vinyls for some time for selected bands with own fanclubs and/or who are touring a lot. The vinyl format is also very appropriate to the cold wave/post punk genre that is uniting past, present and future. So my answer is a big YES. Absolutely!

Below are the first releases from the brand new label:

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, Minimal-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Swedish Elektroklänge project formerly released a few EP’s -the first one being released by Plonk, and now signed to Alfa Matrix to unleash the debut album “Komposituation”. The work is inspired by German painter, poet and audio-visual artist Emil Schult -who in the 70s worked together with Kraftwerk.

Content: There’s a connection between Emil Schult and Kraftwerk. Soundwise the album is clearly driven by the legacy of the legendary Düsseldorf band. This is pure ‘Kraftwerk’-pop mixing astral atmospheres and melodies together with the unavoidable robotic vocals. The album sounds ‘easy going’ but also features a few more danceable cuts.

+ + + : There’s nothing more to say about the sound production mixing the minimalism in Electro-Pop of Kraftwerk with a more contemporary, and personal touch. I like the vintage sound treatments and the subtle sound arrangements. “Musik Kosmik” and “Dürerchen’s Mondfahrt” both are the most noticeable tracks for being a bit ‘harder’ and dancefloor orientated.

– – – : After Metroland, 808 Dot.Pop and Cubic Alfa Matrix already found a new band involved with the Kraftwerk spirit but Elektroklänge is the less convincing so far. It all sounds a bit too cliché without absolute master tracks.

Conclusion: “Elektrosituation” is an honest debut album but I think there’s more potential hiding behind this project then what came out.

Best songs: “Musik Kosmik”, “Dürerchen’s Mondfahrt”, “Einklinkt”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.elektroklange.com / www.facebook.com/Elektroklange

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘Komposituation’.

About Elektroklänge

Elektroklänge is a Swedish minimalistic electro-pop project. Before signing to Alfa Matrix, the act released a series of digital EPs, including “Kosmische Musik” and “Mechanische Tänze Nos. 1-4”, the first through Plonk. The debut album, “Komposituation”, followed on Alfa Matrix, conceptually built around German painter, poet, and audio-visual artist Emil Schult, known for his early-1970s collaborations with Kraftwerk founders Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Elektroklänge released the EP “Abfahrt” in 2024, followed by the second album “Motorik”, built around Kraftwerk’s “Autobahn” album for its 50th anniversary, and a stand-alone “Autobahn” tribute single.

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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: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Four years after their impressive debut EP Die Robo Sapiens are back with their debut album. The German side-project of Die Krupps featuring Jürgen Engler, Ralf Dörper and Marcel Zürcher brings us an album of ten songs plus an extra disc (available on CD and digital edits) featuring ten extra songs.

Content: Die Robo Sapiens stands for pure EBM. Good-old and elaborated songs from Düsseldorf which sometimes to me sound like a homage to legendary town mates Kraftwerk and DAF. Pure Electronic music mixing the robotic side and atmospheres of Kraftwerk together with the power of DAF. Engler’s captivating and alluring vocals on top will bring you to dance.

The extra disc features remixes by Seb Komor, Aiborforcen, Orange Sector, AD:key, Implant, Aesthetische, Cubic, Kant Kino, Metroland and Plastic Noise Experience.

+ + + : The already familiar songs “Teufelskreis” and “Tanz Mit Dem Roboter” both remain alluring cuts but I also have to mention “Transrapid Rapid”,  “Robotimierung”, “Robo Normativ”, “Niemals Stillstehen” and  “Automatenland” which all are outstanding pieces. It feels like Die Robo Sapiens moved on there where Die Krupps decided to experiment with guitar and Metal/Industrial music. You can feel the guys had some fun composing this album while the ‘Düsseldorfer’-sound reminding Kraftwerk but also DAF is a pretty cool wink. The bonus disc brings an impressive selection of great remixes in different genres; from EBM and sophisticated EBM to Minimal-Electro it’s nearly impossible to say which one sounds the best.

– – – : No minus points to mention.

Conclusion: When ‘veterans’ are teaching EBM artists how to compose great stuff!

Best songs: “Transrapid Rapid”, “Teufelskreis”, “Robotimierung”, “Tanz Mit Dem Roboter feat. JG. & The Robots”, “Robo Normativ”, “Niemals Stillstehen”,  “Automatenland” + “Teufelskreis – Sebastian Komor Rmx”, “Robotimierung – Orange Sector Rmx, “Transrapid Rapid – Aiboforcen Rmx”, “Niemals Stillstehen – Kant Kino Rmx”.

Rate: 9.

Artist: www.facebook.com/DieRoboSapiens

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘Robo Sapien Race’.

About Die Robo Sapiens

Die Robo Sapiens is a German side-project of Die Krupps, formed by Jürgen Engler, Ralf Dörper and Marcel Zürcher. The project debuted in 2018 with the single “Teufelskreis – Tanz Mit Dem Roboter” before releasing its debut album, “Robo Sapien Race”, through Alfa-Matrix in 2022 on digital, CD and vinyl formats, accompanied by a bonus disc of remixes. Side-Line spoke with the band about the project’s Düsseldorf-rooted EBM approach in a 2023 Click Interview.

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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The Belgian electronica act Metroland is a step closer to their upcoming album “0” now that they have released yet another double EP: “2​.​0” and “2​.​1”. The double EP comes after both 12-inch vinyl versions of “4” and “3” (“Modularity”).

This 3rd release holds the single “Davos” for which also a video has been released which you can see below. “Davos” reveals a more harsh sound side compared with many other tunes from the Belgian duo, bashing beats accompanied with a dry hitting bass.

Next to the title song, each member, ‘passenger’ as they say, reshaped “Davos” into their very own personal view. The band also invited the young Belgian LOXS as external remixer. LOXS is nothing else but the dark electronic project of Passenger S’s eldest son.

The two different versions (“2.0” and “2.1”) hold each exclusive edits and remixes.

Here’s the official video clip for “Davos”.

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘ on March 25th – new singles ’.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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After a couple of teasing EP and video clip releases, the Belgian Alfa Matrix label releases today the full length debut album by Die Robo Sapiens, the ultimate EBM project by the members of Die Krupps. “Robo Sapien Race”. The release is available now on a fan edition Vinyl (with lots of extras such as a DJ Turntable slipmat) and as a limited 2CD box set pressing next to download.

Behind Die Robo Sapiens we find the Die Krupps members Jürgen Engler plus Ralf Dörper and Marcel Zürcher.

The 10-track “Robo Sapien Race” album offers a blend of minimal, vintage and powerful synth music with harder, stronger and angrier EBM assaults made of fat and ripping basslines, powerful German vocals and upbeat synth sequences. The artwork was rendered by the talented Japanese designer Tomoki Hayasaki.

Jürgen Engler: “The idea for us was to have an outlet for songs that couldn’t be used in a Die Krupps context. The use of guitars in Die Robo Sapiens music being taboo In a way, it’s a return to our electro roots, but with a twist. Imagine the Duesseldorf sound of Kraftwerk mixed with hard Die Krupps EBM. This combination of styles has been spooking around my brain for a while, and it was time to put it into action.”

The album’s first pressing comes out as a limited deluxe double-CD Digipak holding a bonus disc featuring each album song remixed by an impressive list of electro artists in the likes of Sebastian Komor, Orange Sector, Plastic Noise Experience, Metroland, Aiboforcen, Ad:Key, Implant, Aesthetische, Kant Kino and Cubic.

The album also gets released on vinyl format as a fan edition pack limited to 333 units worldwide including the 10-track album on black vinyl in a deluxe gatefold packaging (with full lyrics) with a bonus DJ turntable slipmat, a page marker and a numbered postcard, plus the new 20-track “Sounds From The Matrix 023” label CD compilation which for now is exclusive to this release.

You can check the tracks right below. Read the review of ‘Robo Sapien Race’.

Videos

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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The Belgian technopop act Metroland has been active for over a decade now. The duo have now started working on a new concept for a new album. The theme that they started off with the previous EP (and limited vinyl) “4” this year will only be fully revealed when the upcoming album is released.

Unlike the other single, in this second wave of singles, called “3” and split up between “3​.​0” (available right here on Bandcamp) and “3​.​1” (available right here on Bandcamp) , the title track has an actual name: “Modularity”.

Good to know, during the studio sessions for this album’s singles, both members (Passenger A and Passenger S) have each separately recreated each single into a vision of their own and edited it for each digital release. On top of that in the remix section we have for you a version by none other than ASPRA, also known as Sophia from Marsheaux, turning the song into a dreamy synthpop tune. Also find on remix duties is the techno act Q’PNZ.

The two 4-track singles each hold exclusive edits and remixes by both members, ASTRA and Q’PNZ. Soundwise the new tracks combine the typical Metroland darker bass sounds with their trademark bleeps and analogue sequences.

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘2​.​0’.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: After having released several productions under the 808 Dot Pop moniker, ‘Passenger S’ moves back to the Metroland duo. Together with ‘Passenger A’ the band is now working on a new album, but first unleashes this new single/EP featured in different formats and revealing different mixes.

Content: The title song is carried by a dry, solid, bass line and the familiar ‘robotic’ Metroland components. It remains pure ‘Kraftwerk’-Pop accentuated by a melodic tune on top. The 3 other mixes featured on the digital format brings different accents. The vinyl release is a bit different revealing an extended mix at the main side and a more experimental mix as B-side.

+ + + : Metroland remains faithful to their ‘initial’ sound and yet they don’t repeat themselves. I still like the minimalism of the sound, but also the perfect harmony between different ingredients like melody and bass line. It’s also a danceable piece, which especially comes true at both first mixes and the main side of the vinyl format -which the band consider as being the ‘true’ release.

– – – : I’ll never become a fan of songs that have been remixed in and endless number of versions… but that’s just what makes Metroland and 808 Dot Pop different.

Conclusion: The Belgian Electro-robots are back on track and it sounds like they’ve found great inspiration during their break.

Best songs: “1.1”, “2.2.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.metroland.com / www.facebook.com/metrolandmusic

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

About Metroland

Metroland was established in 2012 in Belgium by members known as Passenger A and Passenger S. The duo focuses on minimalistic synth structures and conceptual electronic music, initially centering on urban transportation systems, as showcased in their debut album “Mind The Gap”.

Subsequent albums such as “Triadic Ballet” (2015), “Things Will Never Sound The Same Again” (2016), and “Men In A Frame” (2018) expanded their thematic scope to include subjects like the Bauhaus movement and digital surveillance. In 2023 the duo released “0”, followed by the 2024 album “Forum” and an accompanying series of digital EPs.

The “4.0” EP was released on Alfa Matrix in digital and vinyl formats, featuring four mixes of the title track.

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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: Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital, USB.

Background/Info: Three years after the successful debut album “Weltall: Erde: Mensch” Berliner formation Reakton joined hands with Out Of Line and have now unleashed their second opus.

Content: Referring to the influences and sound production, the new work is a copy-paste of the debut album. The songs remain inspired by the magic of Kraftwerk, resulting in ‘Robotic-Pop’ or simply ‘Kraftwerk-Pop’ music. Pure minimalism accentuated by bleeping sequences and the magic of the vocoder to produce the vocals -while other passages are featuring computer vocals.

+ + + : If you already like Metroland, Deutsche Bank and related formations, you for sure are going to like Reakton. This album confirms the genius of their debut work. It’s a styled and intelligent production, which isn’t innovative although refreshing and bringing the 80s spirit back alive. The simple fact they got signed to Out Of Line definitely appears to be a consecration for their efforts and talent.

– – – : If you aren’t into Kraftwerk-like Electro-Pop music you’d better avoid buying this album.

Conclusion: Kraftwerk remains a huge source of inspiration for the ‘younger’ generation of artists, but some like Reakton, are definitely more inspired and intelligent in the way they create their own sound.

Best songs: “Deep Learning”, “Aerosol”, “Entertainment”, “Nano”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.reakton.de / www.facebook.com/ReaktonMusic

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

About Reakton

Reakton is a Berlin-based electro-pop project inspired by the sound of Kraftwerk. The project debuted with the album “Weltall: Erde: Mensch” in 2019 on Electro Shock Records, originally released digitally and as a limited USB-stick edition before a CD version followed.

Reakton released the single “Entertainment” in March 2022, and signed to Out Of Line for the second album “Micro: Macro: Nano”, reviewed here.

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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Throughout his work with Cubic, the Belgian artist Franky Deblomme always has distilled his own eclectic influences within the wide spectrum of electronic music into his material. The result is a mix of melodic techno, minimal synth pop, hypnotic trance and 808 electro with a darkish touch of underground body music in the background.

With the ‘Exit’ series, which started with the “Exit – Frankfurt” 4-track single, Cubic goes on a journey to all the influential electronic music cities. After a first stop in Frankfurt (Germany) with the first edition, the next stop is Ghent (Belgium).

Here’s what Franky Deblomme says about the “Exit: Ghent” single: “Although Ghent already played an important role during the New Beat period, the seeds for what would later become what we know today as “electronic music” really started to blossom in the early 90s. In 92, when I went to study in Ghent , I was at the right place at the right time to see the whole culture blossom. Although we were still in the grunge and guitars era in terms of mainstream music electro started to bubble up. Ghent was then the home of some iconic record labels (Music Man, R&S records), specialized record shops, small bars and (after-)clubs (such as Zodiac, Les Enfants Terribles, etc.).”

One of the most talented electronic musicians active in today’s dark scene

This new 4-track EP offers 4 tracks. Especially the second track “One For Greg (zodiac mix)” has a special meaning for the musician: “This track is dedicated to a good friend of mine who died far too young. In the early 90’s we used to visit the Zodiac club in the center of Ghent. These DJ’s inspired me. Definitely one of the reasons I got involved in electronic music later…”

This EP also features once again another Belgian guest behind the remixing console, with Metroland reworking “Asteroids” into a 9-minute plus version divided into 2 parts with a rather great tempo change.

This EP proves once again that Deblomme is one of the most talented electronic musicians active in today’s dark scene.

Out now exclusively via Bandcamp, soon also on all other platforms.

Do also check out his first single in the ‘Exit’ series, called “Exit – Frankfurt”. Read the review of ‘Exit: Ghent’.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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The Belgium-based techno pop act Metroland are back with an all new single “4”. “4” acts as the first of an announced series of 4 singles in total to announce the duo’s new album.

“4” in its original form is a 20-minute song where the same arrangement is reworked 4 times, tied together as one complete song. The B-side holds two 6-minute-plus versions subtitled “countdown a” and “countdown s”.

This exclusive 12-inch vinyl comes out in two different colors (solid red & transparent crystal), each strictly limited to 150 copies worldwide. This release is part of a special vinyl series marketed by the Alfa Matrix label for the occasion of the label’s 20th anniversary.

A digital-only 4-track companion EP is also available in pre-order via Bandcamp exclusively featuring different tracks and versions.

Available formats:

• Metroland – 4 (Solid Red) Vinyl
• Metroland – 4 (Transparent Crystal) Vinyl
• Metroland – 4​.​0 EP (Bandcamp download)

Side-Line also covered Metroland’s ‘3​.​0’.

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

Today Belgium’s electronica pop act 808 DOT POP launched their newest single “Suncatcher” in no less than four 3-track EP versions via the Alfa Matrix Bandcamp page. For the single Passenger S worked together with Lis van den Akker.

“Catching The Sun” as well as “Looking For The Sun” are songs originally from the hand of label mate Psy’Aviah. They were re-arranged by 808 DOT POP during the summer of 2021 to coincide with “Bittersweet”, the celebration album for the 20 years of Psy’Aviah.

As explained, this 3-track EP is part of a series of 4 different releases revealing the same songs each time from an all-new sonic perspective and offering them a different shed of light.

Next to the normal version you also get the “(Extended)” version of the EP bringing 3 extended versions clocking up to 8 minutes. The “(Remixed)” version of the EP will please DJ’s by letting 3 other artists remixing one EP song: label mates Rector Scanner and Elektrostaub, plus a trance remix by Tom Bro. Finally, the 4th version is the “(Lectreau)” version and features a unique set of ‘Lectreau’ versions (the side project of Passenger S his Metroland partner in crime Passenger A).

You can check out all 4 singles right below on Bandcamp.

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: Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Driven by the German EBM veteran René Nowotny (AD:KeY), this year Rector Scanner returned with the excellent album “Radioteleskop”. This EP is part of a ‘twin-EPs’ release getting us back to some of the main songs from the album.

Content: Next to the title song, you’ll also hear a “Single Edit” and/or alternative edits of the songs “Epsilon Tucanae” and “Utopia”. These songs perfectly illustrate the retro-Pop approach, reminding me of the genius of Kraftwerk with an extra, bouncing touch on top. The robotic vocals –also featuring Andrea Nowotny, accentuate the vintage style of the work. We next get an instrumental exclusive song and finally 3 remixes of the title song. Metroland and Datapop have been given the job while René Nowotny accomplished one remix as well.

+ + + : First of all I should say the EP features some of the hottest songs from the album. It also is a perfect way to discover Rector Scanner and its own interpretation of Kraftwerk-ian Pop music. The songs are meticulously composed and I should say it’s an intelligent and ultra catchy retro-sound. René Nowotny is much more than an EBM composer, but also a talented Electro-Pop artist. He also made a great remix of the title song while I also have to mention the darker and more bombastic edit by Metroland.

– – – : The instrumental “Sternenschiffe” is the single new song from the EP, but not exactly the most successful one.

Conclusion: This EP is a great addition to the album “Radioteleskop”.

Best songs: “Das Mädchen Aus Dem All – Single Edit”, “Das Mädchen Aus Dem All – Andromendanebel”, “Epsilon Tucanae – Single Mix”, “Utopia – Part II Tribute to Iwan Jefremow”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/rectorscanner

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

About Rector Scanner

Rector Scanner is a German electronic project built around Rene Nowotny, who also records as AD:keY, with Andrea Nowotny credited on vocals. Discogs lists Nick and Jirka of Legacy Of Music as additional live members.

The project self-released the CDr titles “Digital-Hertz”, “Molekül” and the EP “Eisplanet” in 2001, followed by “Vocoder” in 2002. “Kontrastprogramm” and “Herzschlag” appeared in 2015, and in 2018 Alfa Matrix digitally reissued the back catalogue, including the EPs “World Wide Web” and “Komm Zu Mir”.

New material returned in 2021 with the EP “Der Dichter Und Die Frau” and the third album “Radioteleskop”, issued as a limited 2CD and as a download. The twin-EPs “Das Mädchen aus dem All” followed on 5 November 2021, with EP I holding seven tracks and EP II eight. The EP “Fluormenschen” came in 2022.

Side-Line published a Click Interview with Rector Scanner on 23 October 2021, two weeks before these EPs appeared.

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 Berlin-based vintage electronic project Rector Scanner (the retro electropop side-project of the EBM duo AD:keY) has released two complementary twin-EP’s today under the title “Das Mädchen aus dem All”.

Both EPs are available now on the Alfa Matrix Bandcamp.

The EP1 edition offers 6 new versions/remixes of tracks taken from the band’s recent comeback album “Radioteleskop” plus the exclusive instrumental “Sternenschiffe”. Besides the single and maxi versions of the title song you also get upbeat remixes by Datapop, Metroland, plus new editions of “Utopia” and “Epsilon Tucanae”.

The EP2 edition offers 7 new versions/remixes of tracks taken from “Radioteleskop” plus the exclusive “Sattelit”. Included are 3 versions of the title song featuring an extended remix by 808 Dot Pop, a Düsseldorf-like mix of “Radioteleskop” next to 3 different takes of the song “Epsilon Tucanae” including a techno dance remix by Berlin electro musician and producer Eric Masch, who operates here under the name “MA = ST + ER”.

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

Rector Scanner  was the first project set up by René Nowotny. Known from his EBM project AD:KeY, Rector Scanner is driven by the sound and influence of Kraftwerk. Active since 1997, René Nowotny this year released the third album of his sonic brainchild on Alfa Matrix. “Radioteleskop” is a great and intelligent work, which became a conceptual opus inspired by René’s fascination for sci/fi literature. There also is a second disc featuring remixes by AD:KeY, Massiv In Mensch, Metroland, Merry Chicklit, Letal 30 and 808 Dot.Pop.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: We all know you from your involvement with AD:KeY although Rector Scanner was your first project ever. You don’t release new work at regular basis with Rector Scanner so what does this project mean to you and how does it feel getting back to your first love?

René: Rector Scanner is my very own ‘baby‘. On one hand, I made my first steps here in the production of Electronic music and, on the other hand, I was able to realize all those ideas that did not fit into any specific box. Here I was and am completely free; I can let off steam and do whatever I want. It’s a great feeling to finally have a new Rector Scanner album in my hands after a long time. 

Q: I’m always fascinated by artists getting involved with different projects/bands. What makes the difference(s) to you between the projects and do you need any kind of preparation and/or mental spirit to work on it?

René: Actually there is not much difference to AD:KeY, only that I can implement my own ideas completely independently at Rector Scanner without having to take Andrea into consideration. Of course, she also influences the songs at Rector Scanner. After all, she contributed to a number of ideas, wrote the lyrics fort wo songs of the new album and is featured on several tracks with her vocals. But she has no right of veto. There are phases when I like to work alone in the studio -and sometimes I find it nice to exchange ideas about what I’m doing and ask for opinions.

Q: Over now to the new album “Radioteleskop”. What has been the ‘click’ to start composing this new album and tell us a bit more about the subjects, which seem getting back to the origins of human mankind? Is it a conceptual work?

René: Yes, “Radioteleskop” is a conceptual album. The idea for it had slumbered in me for years. There are two things that strongly influenced me with “Radioteleskop”: my love for science fiction literature and my admiration for the band Kraftwerk.

I have been reading science fiction novels since I was a child and I have a large collection of books in my private library. And I know that many people will immediately turn up their noses when they read these lines, because they immediately think of “Star Wars“; of lightsabers and spaceship battles and space monsters. But such stories don’t interest me.

Perhaps I should rather say that I like Social Fiction; great world designs that anticipate the future of mankind and deal critically with the present, such as the books by Neil Stephenson, Kim Stanley Robinson, or the great authors of the East: the Strugatzki brothers or Stanislaw Lem.

Above all, my favorite author Ivan Yefremov had a great influence on the Rector Scanner album. In his great novel “Andromedanebel” –in “Das Mädchen aus dem All”, he describes a future communist society that, despite all progress, is not free from problems. This novel was the template for some of the songs that can be heard on “Radioteleskop”.

We are constantly on the lookout; it is curiosity that drives mankind to the stars. In books and novels we long for discovery, for communication with other civilizations. In science we observe the sky with the same longing, hear and see into space with radio telescopes and send probes to distant celestial bodies. I wanted to put this passion into music with the Rector Scanner album.

Q: Tell us a bit more about the writing of the album; the equipment you used, the different stages of song writing, vocals- and global production?

René: A lot of synthesizers have accumulated in our studio over the past few years. I particularly like to use the Waldorf MicroQ and the Waldorf Pulse 2. The Waldorf STVC vocoder and the Arturia MicroFREAK were responsible for the electronic voices. Many analog synthesizers such as Behringer’s ModelD, the Deepmind 6 or the Neutron can be heard very often on “Radioteleskop”. But it would be going too far to name all the devices.

The work on the album was not a continuous process, but dragged on over several years. The oldest song on the album is track number 11, “Stories About A Blue Planet”. He is well over 10 years old. Other songs were created during a recording session for an AD:KeY album. Originally, “Maschinen Sind Treu” was an AD:KeY song. But we then added more and more playful elements, including a Kraftwerk-reminiscent snare drum ‘Tschakkk‘. So we gave the song new lyrics and it became a Rector Scanner song.

During the lockdown in winter 2020/2021, when we were stuck in the studio, we wrote the last 5 songs. I think you can hear that when you look at “The Girl From Space”, “Epsilon Tucanae” and “Utopia”. They belong together both in terms of content and music. I consciously say ‚we‘ because Andrea and I were stuck in the apartment -and we had to keep ourselves busy somehow. We worked on AD:KeY and Rector Scanner songs in parallel.

Q: Compared to previous releases there’s a noticeable evolution in the artwork of the new album -and the EP “Der Dichter Und Die Frau”. What makes this evolution and in, which way is there a connection between the concept and the artwork?

René: For AD:KeY we do the artwork completely ourselves. For the Rector Scanner publications we have given the artwork to an artist, Thomas Franke. Thomas Franke is a graphic artist, book illustrator and theater actor. I met him years ago at a vernissage where his work was exhibited and I was totally enthusiastic about him and his work. Without further ado, I asked him if he would make some of his work for Rector Scanner available to me. After he listened to our music, we agreed. Thomas Franke had already designed the artwork for the second Rector Scanner album “Herzschlag” -and since we had developed a friendship, we just continued our collaboration.

There is always a connection between the concept and the work of art, simply through the fact that one consciously chooses an image or a graphic. Thomas Franke’s work has a high recognition value, which is associated with the music. If you look at the artwork, you link it to the music -and vice versa. I think we made an excellent choice to give our music a fantastic image.

Q: The EP “Der Dichter Und Die Frau” is only available as digital work. What do you think about this ‘digital era’ wherein less physical productions are released? Does it have an influence and/or impact on your artistic work? What do you expect from the future and what are the further plans with Rector Scanner?

René: I am aware that modern times rely on modern technologies. Digital publications are very efficient. You have instant access to music anywhere, anytime, anywhere in the world.

However, I love physical records, which is possibly due to the fact that I am still a ‘Stone Age‘ collector and hunter deep down. We humans want to own something, touch something and show it as a trophy. Actually, this is no longer necessary. We have everything on the smartphone or in the cloud and on the web. But I still feel that way.

However, it is also a fact that music is consumed differently through digital media than it was in the days of CDs or vinyl records. Albums in the classic sense follow a structure and have a dynamic like a play. While listening to the music, you look at the artwork, turn pages through the booklet, read texts.

All of this no longer works like this due to digital consumption. It’s all about clicks and downloads. There is no longer a total work of art.

However, this has hardly any influence on my artistic work. I enjoy producing music -even if I’m my only listener.

This year there will be a double download EP “Das Mädchen aus dem All” with 7 tracks each. We are also working on a new AD:KeY album and you won’t have to wait 7 years for a new Rector Scanner album. (laugh)

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

Franky Deblomme got some recognition with his EBM-project Darkmen. After having stopped the project we didn’t hear new stuff from this musician till he started working under the CUBIC moniker. After the excellent “Alphabet Hymn”-EP and having revisited the 808 Dot.Pop-album “Cubic Temperature”, Franky unleashed CUBIC’s debut album “The Cubic Alphabet”. The work has been released by Alfa Matrix, which in a way is a kind of consecration for the artist and a promising start for Cubic. The sound has a clear connection with 808 Dot.Pop and Metroland; a kind of Kraftwerk-Pop with a personal and more diversified touch on top. “The Cubic Alphabet” is a refreshing opus, which brings something extra to traditional Electro-Pop.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Franky, I think you started experimenting with music in 1981! What kind of musician are you and how did you see yourself evolving throughout the years? 

Franky: The fascination for synthesizer started in ‘81 (seeing Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran behind a prophet 5 synth); the experimenting followed a few years later .

At first with toy machines: a casio SK5 and some cassette players, as the years passed I was able to buy the real stuff. I’ve always been a collector of hardware synths, samplers and sequencers (even now). Getting to know these machines inside out is something that drives me.

I’m not a trained musician, but with 30 years of knob twiddling and a trained ear, I dare to say that I know what I’m doing. Even now I’m still eager to learn, especially in the mixing and mastering process where there’s still room for improvement .

Q: EBM fans for sure remind you from your involvement with Darkmen. How do you look back at this project and how did you finally come to set up CUBIC, which is still Electronic although quite different –and your first new music experience in years? 

Franky: I did the Darkmen-thing for 10 years together with one of my best friends, Thomas Vrambout. We managed to meet or play live with bands we admired ( like DAF, Nitzer Ebb, Orange Sector, SA42, Terrence Fixmer…) and we travelled the world for free to do something we liked to do. So you can say It was a wonderful experience.

The downside, EBM is a quite restricted genre in terms of artistic freedom. EBM is almost like a mathematical formula (in sound, structure, artwork and lyrics ). In the end I felt too restricted. So when we both turned 40, It was time to pull the plug and leave EBM to the ‘Jügend’.

With CUBIC I wanted to incorporate a lot of my other musical influences and preferences .

Q: I experienced a kind of duality in the sound of Cubic; pretty old-school driven and yet a pretty refreshing sound. Tell us a bit more about Cubic-sound and the different sources of inspiration? 

Franky: Like most of us I was influenced by Synth-Pop (Duran Duran, Depeche Mode), the dark Belgian sounds (Front 242, Neon Judgement, New-Wave).

But the Electronic sounds and bands that emerged in the early 90’s, were the ones that had the most impact on me; think Orbital, Leftfield, System 7, The Orb or labels like Warp or R&S Records .

In that period I also was a ‘Techno’-DJ, playing in clubs and parties so the whole 90s club sound is something that I still like .

Not that I’m into EDM or the current Techno sounds, but bands like Der Dritte Raum, Steven Rutter or Extrawelt can inspire me.

All those influences I wanted to incorporate in the Cubic sound. With the first album I still had to find my musical direction, but the new demo’s will be a 100 % Cubic.

Q: Behind your debut album “The Cubic Alphabet” is a kind of concept, but what is it really all about? And how did the writing and production of the album happen? 

Franky: Well, the alphabet has 26 letters so I’ve intended to write 26 letters/songs ,  each one referring to one letter of the alphabet.

So the first full album (with 13 letters / songs on it ) is the first part . In a later stage a second full length album with 13 letters will be released, forming the whole alphabet .

The album was written/mixed and mastered in my ‘Bong 13’ studio over a period of 12 months. All songs are based on hardware synths, drum machines and effects, recorded to a digital platform. Half of the songs already existed in demo form, and were rearranged for the album, others were newly written .

Q: I think you’ve always been pretty close with Sven Lauwers aka ‘Passenger S’ from Metroland and 808 Dot.Pop (and formerly Ionic Vision). You even reworked all songs from his 808 Dot.Pop-album  “The Colour Temperature” into a new work entitled “The Cubic Temperature”. What can you reveal about this ‘musical friendship’ and how did “The Cubic Temperature” see the daylight? Any plans to set up a common project? 

Franky: It must have been 16 years ago now I got in touch with Sven (he was running the EBM sublabel Machineries Of Joy). From the beginning It was clear that we had the same taste (in music, humor and beer). So many years later, he’s one of my closest friends. His musical ear for details in his music and the way he translates concepts into sounds and songs both are a real inspiration. We both push each other to a higher level.

I have made a lot of remixes for all of his projects, and  “The Cubic Temperature” is to my opinion the highlight of our collaboration over all the years. That album is not a remix album. I wanted to keep a lot of the original 808 signature sounds and add layers of Cubic on top. It started out with one song (cf. “Placnk’s H”) and the result was so exciting the idea grew to do the whole album.

I still think it’s a great concept, one artist doing an interpretation of another artist without losing the soul of the original songs (and remixing it to death). It took almost 6 months to finish, but it was worth it.

Other plans? Yes and now: we have to be careful not to overdo this collaboration. When we get together it often results in crazy ideas or concepts, maybe some of those will see the light of day.

Q: What brings the future? Do you’ve concrete plans to go with Cubic on stage? How do you expect Cubic evolving after the debut album?

Franky:Playing live is for sure something I want to do in the future, full live or a mixture of DJing and live, everything could be possible.

The fist focus is now releasing some more music, and creating the real ‘cubic’-signature sound and creating something of a following.

Let’s hope to get some live action in 2022 .

Some remixes I’ve done for fellow Alfa Matrix bands will probably be released soon… and some more Cubic sounds.

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, Body-Pop.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: Set up in 1997 by Rene Nowotny –who’s actually more known from his involvement with the EBM project AD:Key, Rector Scanner doesn’t release new material on a regular basis. “Radioteleskop” is the third album by the German artist, which is inspired by sci/fi and the origins of mankind and outer space life forms. The album features eleven songs plus eleven extra songs/remixes on the extra disc. 

Content: Rector Scanner is clearly inspired by vintage Electronics, which might remind bands like Kraftwerk and Welle:Erdball. The songs have been achieved with space-like bleeps and atmospheres –which totally fits the concept, while the harder songs feature an EBM touch on top. The vocals have been produced with a robotic effect while you also will notice female backings.

The second disc reveals a few alternative edits and an important load of remixes from AD:Key, Massiv In Mensch, Metroland, Merry Chicklit, Letal 30 and 808 Dot.Pop.

+ + + : Scanner brings vintage Electro with a refreshing approach. The sound isn’t innovative and yet, this ‘time-travel’ approach has something magic. The songs are well-crafted featuring great sequences and solid sound treatments, and also great atmospheres. The robotic effect on top of the vocals accentuates the retro-approach of the work. The opening part of the album is simply brilliant. You will (re)discover the EP-title song “Der Dichter Und Die Frau”, but also other great songs like the title song plus “Die Eisigen Ufer Des Titan”, “Minus 180 Grad (Celsius)” and “Das Mädchen Aus Dem All”. Among the remixes I noticed great contributions from AD:Key transforming “Radioteleskop” into a solid EBM piece, Massiv In Mensch putting their sonic stamp on the title song and Metroland revisiting “Das Mädchen Aus Dem All” in a minimal format.

– – – : The first part of the album is absolutely phenomenal while the second part is more stagnating and sometimes becoming a bit repetitive.

Conclusion: Rector Scanner is back on track with an intelligent, uplifting and alluring Electro-Pop work.

Best songs: “Radioteleskop”, “Der Dichter Und Die Frau”, “Die Eisigen Ufer Des Titan”, “Minus 180 Grad (Celsius)”, “Das Mädchen Aus Dem All” + “Radioteleskop – AD:keY Wow!-Signal Mix 3”, “Radioteleskop – Remix By Massiv In Mensch”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/rectorscanner

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘Radioteleskop’.

About Rector Scanner

Rector Scanner was founded in 1997 by René Nowotny in Germany and is now based in Berlin. Discogs lists René and Andrea Nowotny as members; the two also form the EBM duo AD:keY, which started around 2007 and signed to Alfa Matrix in 2017.

Rector Scanner self-released the CDrs “Digital-Hertz”, “Molekül” and the EP “Eisplanet” in 2001. The album “Vocoder” was released by Pandailectric in January 2004 and “Herzschlag” by Emmo.biz and Kompuphonik Musik in September 2015. In March 2018 Alfa Matrix reissued the back catalogue digitally, including the EPs “Komm Zu Mir” and “World Wide Web”.

The EP “Der Dichter Und Die Frau”, released on 4 March 2021, was the first new Rector Scanner material in fifteen years. “Radioteleskop” followed on 18 June 2021 as a limited 2CD and download with 22 tracks, the second disc collecting remixes and alternative versions. Later in 2021 the project released the twin EPs Das Mädchen aus dem All and gave Side-Line a ‘Click Interview’. The eight-track EP Fluormenschen came out in June 2022. “Radioteleskop” is the album that reactivated the project.

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.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: After the excellent “Alphabet Hymn”-EP and having revisited the 808 Dot.Pop-album “Cubic Temperature” Belgian solo-project Cubic now unleashes his own debut-album. It’s a conceptual work wherein Franky Deblomme (ex Darkmen) put some letters of the alphabet into music.

Content: Franky Deblomme already gives us an idea of his sound approach on previous releases. He’s clearly inspired by the Minimal-Electro/Pop approach of his label mate Metroland (and 808 Dot.Pop) getting back to the sound of Kraftwerk, mixed with his own Dance & New-Beat influences plus a harder EBM touch (as a kind of wink to Darkmen). Vocals have been replaced by robotic/computer vocals, which are just adding a cool effect to the songs.

+ + + : Cubic has achieved a well-crafted and intelligent piece of retro/modern Electro. The influences are moving much farther than simply Kraftwerk, but I also want to mention some bass lines reminding me of Front 242 and Dance sequences à la Niels Van Gogh. It creates a diversified opus with as common thread a sophisticated and refreshing Electro production. The work reveals different potential hits such as “X – Album Edit”, “W”, “S”, “D – Delta Dub” and “F – French Dub Mix”. The concept has something funny, but the music is definitely more interesting. This is a surprising production mixing refinement and subtlety at one side and danceable songs with a refreshing Electro-Pop style at the other side.

– – – : Cubic belongs to this growing wave of Robotic/Kraftwerk-ian projects so it’s not that renewing although Cubic has something of its own!

Conclusion: Cubic brings Electro-Pop music to a higher dimension and level by mixing different- and related influences together. This is for sure one of the hottest newcomers from the Alfa-Matrix roster.

Best songs: “X – Album Edit”, “W”, “S”, “F – French Dub Mix”, “D – Delta Dub”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/franky.deblomme.3

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘The Cubic Alphabet’.

About Cubic

Cubic is the Belgian electronic project of producer Franky Deblomme after his earlier involvement in the EBM outfit Darkmen. Working with hardware synths and drum machines, the project draws on the Düsseldorf electro tradition with Kraftwerk as its best known ambassador.

Deblomme joined Alfa Matrix in early 2021 and issued the label debut EP Alphabet Hymn in March. Shortly afterwards he reworked material by Passenger S (808 DOT POP and Metroland) on the cross-project album The Cubic Temperature.

The first full-length, “The Cubic Alphabet”, was released on 18 June 2021 on CD and as a download. Deblomme explained the concept in the October 2021 ‘Click Interview’ with Cubic. Later that year came the EP “Phonic Lessons Part 3”, and in 2022 a series of location-based EPs starting with “Exit: Frankfurt”, followed by “Exit: Ghent” and “Exit: Manchester”. The same year Deblomme remixed the Side-Line charity single “Ukraina”.

Ahead of the 2024 album Back To Basic, the digital EPs “c64” and “c128” were released. Deblomme later handed the “Back To Basic” stems to Passenger S for the rework album “Back To 808” (2025), followed by the EP “EFM02” and the twin EPs “CB-708” and “CB-128” in 2026. “The Cubic Alphabet” remains the project’s debut album.

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

KRAFTman aka UK based artist Gary Hunter will be releasing the album called “Electrique Fabrique” on August 13th. The album will be out as a digital download and as a limited edition CD via Bandcamp and other services. The CD Edition will feature 5 additional bonus tracks. Good to know, it was Passenger S (Metroland & 808 Dot Pop) who kept on pushing Gary to release an album. Readers will surely know the project as the excellent track “Waiting For The Day” was featured on the Face The Beat 6 compilation, released by Side-Line magazine.

The album features 9 original songs, an english language version of the Kraftwerk track “Electric Café”, as well as, a cover of the 808 Dot Pop track “Gamma Rays”. Needless to say that this project has a very Kraftwerkian influence.

We talked with Gary who has this to say about the new album’s approach: “The album isn’t a concept album in the traditional sense, however, it is a kind of concept album, as a lot of the songs are inspired by the subject matter of Kraftwerk releases over the years, for example, songs about telephone communication, robots, cycling, German motorways, nuclear energy etc, the closing song “Florian”, started this whole process off, and is my tribute to Kraftwerk’s Florian Schneider, the track was written and recorded not long after his passing, a true music hero of mine.”

Notice that in respect to this, “Florian” was also released as a 7 track single which you can download right here.

The album “Electrique Fabrique” is available below via Bandcamp or right here on all other services.

It is an album, that will certainly appeal to Kraftwerk, and electronic music fans.

The bonus tracks on the CD (limited to just 20 copies) are:

1. Electric Café (English 7 Inch Version)
2. A Face I Knew (7 Inch Version)
3. Bundesautobahn 52 (Radio Edit)
4. Florian (808 Dot Cut)
5. Florian (Maschine Brennt Remix)

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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We are in 1991 and the Swedish label Energy Rekords releases what becomes their biggest hit ever, the compilation “I Sometimes Wish I Was Famous – A Swedish Tribute To Depeche Mode”. On that compilation we also find a cover of “Shouldn’t Have Done That” by an obscure Swedish band, Systema The Affliction which would in the end only release on Strontium Records, the vinyl “Summoning For The Files…”. And of course also Cultivated Bimbo with “New Life”.

Systema The Affliction featured musicians who also popped up in such bands as Cultivated Bimbo to name the most famous one. More precisely Joacim Thenander was active in both bands and actually the driving force behind the thrash synth/hip hop crossover duo Cultivated Bimbo. He now revives his other 1991 project Behind Maschine Brennt.

Maschine Brennt started out as a project on the side of Cultivated Bimbo and Systema The Affliction. Maschine Brennt did a few gigs and a handful of tracks were recorded during the ‘90s. After the turn of the millennium he concentrated more on his other more commercial projects including dance music, house, techno stuff, but also a few drum n bass tracks.

Until 2014…

Until 2014 that is when Maschine Brennt came back with new material, on the Swedish label Plonk. Later he joined forces with Kretz and started releasing tracks on Encrypted Records. The first album was eventually released in 2017 both digitally (Plonk) and on CD (Razgrom Music). A few remixes followed including work for Metroland, Deutsche Bank, Datapop and so on.

7 years later (!) a second album, “Puls” (CD + digital), will see the light during Summer of 2021 via Plonk and Razgrom Music. The influences on the new album will be early 80’s electro, and of course that special german Düsseldorf sound.

The CD will feature a bonus track not available anywhere else. In total you can expect 12 tracks spinning from 100 to 143 BPM. Released digitally on July 2. The CD will be available on July 7.

Here’s a preview.

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

Founded in 1997, Rector Scanner was actually the very first music project of Berlin-based artist Rene Nowotny who then redirected all his energy over the last years on his more EBM-oriented band AD:keY together with his wife Andrea.

Anno 2021, Rector Scanner returns to reveal their much anticipated 3rd studio album “Radioteleskop”, a 2CD set. The first CD holds 11 new songs that offer vintage electronic music with vocoders and German-sung synth music in line with Welle:Erdball and And One. The songs on this release are strongly influenced by science and social fiction literature from the early 20th century and novelists in the likes of Russian author Ivan Yefremov.

The second CD features another 11 tracks which are exclusive versions and diverse collaborations with Metroland, 808 Dot Pop, Massiv In Mensch, AD:keY, Letal 30 as well as a featuring of the toitronic electropunk diva Merry Chicklit.

Also notice the design work by artist, illustrator and theatre actor Thomas Franke.

You can check out all the new tracks below. The limited edition 2CD (there is no 1CD version) set can be ordered via the Alfa Matrix webstore, and the download version via the Alfa Matrix Bandcamp page. Read the review of ‘Radioteleskop’.

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

After some compilation appearances, including our very own “Face The Beat 6”, and a collaboration with 808 Dot Pop on the upbeat “Cubic Temperature” album plus a first EP (“Alphabet Hymn”), the Belgian dark electronics act Cubic has released its debut album: “The Cubic Alphabet”. The debut album features 13 tracks.

Behind Cubic we find Franky Deblomme (ex-Darkmen) who in Cubic makes a dark mix of melodic techno and 808 electro. Add to this touches of underground body music in the background and you know what to expect. If we have to name two artists that could act as a sonic reference it would be Gesaffelstein and Terence Fixmer.

The album “The Cubic Alphabet” is out now via Alfa Matrix in 2 formats: CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore and download via Bandcamp (and of course all the other digital services). We were quite impressed!

You can listen listen to the album right below. Read the review of ‘The Cubic Alphabet’.

Other Cubic releases

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Alfa Matrix has been set up in 2001 by three friends. Séba Dolimont, Benoît Blanchart and Bernard Van Isacker were all involved with Side-Line magazine, but decided to start an Electronic label. The label became a home for artists dealing with EBM, Dark-Electro and Electro-Pop, but throughout the years the label welcomed other genres like Gothic, Ambient and Industrial. Front 242, Ayria, Pouppée Fabrikk, Plastic Noise Experience, Armageddon Dildos, Unter Null, Acylum, Implant, Metroland,  Zombie Girl, Helalyn Flowers, I:Scintilla, Mentallo And The Fixer, Leather Strip, Star Industry, Alien Vampires and many others joined the ‘matrix’. And I nearly forget to mention Aiboforcen which was set up by Benoît Blanchart and Séba Dolimont.

(Stéphane Froidcoeur / Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Was there a kind of ‘philosophy’ when you set up your label and did it evolve over the years? How would you define your label activities today?

Seba. Alfa Matrix was created in 2001 with 2 key values: running the label from an artist perspective in our collaboration approach, and focusing on a direct servicing of our customers. All this with the aim to support and market underground Electronic music with attitude with an eclectic approach. Twenty years later, and although the music market situation has drastically changed, we are still active on the same Indie music scene, we still dare signing newcomers and our repertoire confirms our quite open-minded sound range of interest. We do run the label in mutual respect and care with our roster of artists and developed a quite strong direct sales approach for both digital and physical releases.

So we quite sticked to our original mission and simply adapted our operational mode to the constantly evolving music consumption habits and we keep anticipating new trends in order to stay relevant and future proof.

Q: I can imagine you must have specific and explicit criteria to sign an artist/band. Can you give us more details about this aspect and how important is it for you to know the person(s) hiding behind the ‘artist(s)’?

Seba: Through the years, it has become harder and harder to open the gate of the ‘matrix’ simply because we want to stick to a certain maximum number of bands, but also because any new signing to the label should bring something new to the label family, add a new color to our sound/artistic palette. Also important for us is that any new addition to the label must get the green light form the 3 members of the label management team.

The art must touch us for sure, but personally, in my role of artists manager, I pay a lot of attention to the personalities of the artists, probably more today than 20 years ago! Simply because we believe in long term collaborations and to achieve such goal we better construct our relationship on solid foundations and values. So that personal click is also something I need to give my vote…

Bernard: Nowadays it takes time to launch a new unknown artist, and we work slowly, but steadily to get their music heard to the public. There is no magic formula to create instant success, it’s continuous work both by the label and the band. The first has to use the best channels to create the best value for the band while the bands have to work on social presence, and the interaction with fans on several platforms. It’s also why we have started releasing lots of singles, so bit by bit we reach a bigger audience this way via all platforms.

When we started the music market was already in decline so we had to start early on with a new model to get the word out. Know that there are many bands out there and if you actually look at it, too few labels to manage all those great talents.

Q: You are already active for numerous years now so you must have seen a lot of things changing and evolving; think about social media, streaming platforms, Youtube channels… but also economic crisis etc. What are the pros and cons of these changes/evolutions and in, which way did you had to adapt/change your strategy and activities?

Seba: As owners of a company several dozens of artists gave their trust to, the least we can do is running this company professionally through a strong overall financial management and anticipating business and market evolutions to remain future proof. This is why Alfa Matrix was one of the first labels from our scene to be on digital platforms, and I even remember some were laughing about us, especially when we decided to invest a lot in streaming that is still seen as a danger by some today. Like other labels we also went through some tough economic challenges when we faced several bankruptcies from big CD distributors in Germany or in America. But with our strategy of focusing on an international market rather than putting all eggs in one or two baskets, it was easier for us going through all this, and especially with the unmatchable force of having a strong fanbase buying in direct from our e-shops and giving us more financial independence.  So the decisions we make are more guided to the way we adapt our ‘go to market’ strategy: changing distribution channels, deciding how we spread our budgets and investments, etc…

Bernard: In respect to that, we have been continuously checking out new platforms to vet if they were adding value to our media mix or not. For instance Facebook was quickly used by us, but we also knew that this free ride would not continue and that at some point Facebook would close the open gates and restrict the organic reach from their pages. That happened, a bit later than we anticipated, but it did happen. The same for Instagram for example. The free rides are over and done and you can no longer count on getting free unpaid reach for every communication you do. During that process we continued to work on a direct relation with customers. So while some bands and labels have gone that far to only have Facebook as their window we never neglected the own properties we can manage for the full 100%: an own e-shop, a very active Bandcamp page which both have given that what we are looking for, namely a direct link with the fans. So, suppose that Facebook or any other social media platforms stops their activities, we won’t feel any impact as we have a direct link with customers. This under the hood approach has been working very well for us and is something we will continue to do. Social media for us are a nice extra, but nothing more than that, the real value lays elsewhere for us.

I also strongly believe in the streaming market for the future, it’s how most of the music will be digested by music fans alongside HQ audio which people will find on Bandcamp and via physical products. As far as YouTube is concerned, I share the same comment and idea which Dave Heckman made earlier this week to you. This Google moloch pays really peanuts, 10 times less than Spotify, it also offers poor audio, but surprise surprise… everybody wants to be on it. It’s maybe good for the image but not so good for your wallet in the end if you consider the production cost of a video versus the extremely low return you get from it. It doesn’t mean we don’t have to be present there, but I seriously doubt that a lot of money should be thrown at it, it’s not our preferred medium.

Q: The ongoing pandemic has affected all artistic life and activities so what’s the true impact on your label activities and do you think it will also affect your long term objectives?

Seba: First of all the pandemic affected every person behind our Alfa Matrix bands and the label staff itself, most probably first on a personal level, cos they themselves struggled against Covid-19 or lost loved ones around them. What obviously hurts the most is the recurrent cancellation of tours, festivals, shows… this is hard for all bands. The stage remains the ultimate place of communion between artist and fans. The duration of the pandemic crisis also makes it more and more complex for artists releasing new albums and not being able to perform the new songs live.

Economically, so far we have been working hard and increased our promotional efforts to support the bands. As a result we actually managed increasing our label turnover between 2019 and 2020 with over 15% although the lockdown hit us all heavily. It was a combination of efforts: we continued to deliver CD’s to shops in direct -when some of our distributors were obliged to keep doors closed for example, but also from our bands who released more digital music to also bring some nice entertaining moments to their fans in these difficult moments, but also from our fans who continued supporting us massively.

Now unfortunately we all know that the economic crisis that will follow will hurt at all levels, but we will only start experiencing the real impacts in the second half of this year. It’s then that more and more people will continue loosing their jobs, loosing a portion of budgets they usually put into art and leisure. I also hope that this sanitary crisis will lead more people to pay more attention to their health in general. So yes, the world will change for sure, and we will all need to adopt and adapt at some point.

Q: Do you think media (magazines, online platforms etc…) still have an impact and a role to play today? What’s your relationship with ‘journalists’ and how important is their work?

Seba: Media changed a lot in 20 years indeed! Print magazines have been going through tough times. The major challenge is remaining relevant as a print magazine coming out monthly while online news get published instantly and spread a few clicks further. Combining digital with print is not easy. Integrating social medias, streaming platforms, etc… in the overall journalistic equation is tricky.

It’s just like for music, the new generations tend to consider that art and information should be free of access. As a label, of course journalists still play an important role for a certain portion of music fans who still enjoy turning pages while reading and enjoying the pleasure of holding a magazine or a book in your hands. They then also reach out to the digital audience via their blogs and other websites. But the readers tend to identify themselves less than before to some specialized journalists, but will rather trust and follow the advise of some friends posting on social medias, other buyers leaving comments on webstores or other influencers. They also tend to trust themselves more and more and believe in algorithms recommending them the next music to play on their own music radar.

Bernard: Many online magazines do not publish news daily or even regularly which makes it difficult for them to stay relevant in these days of social media. In the past we were able to work with a lot of great web magazines, but these days we have to work with hundreds and most really have a very very small readership, while others have been smart enough to evolve, develop, stay relevant. Those online magazines from the past who did not evolve have seen their visitors go to Facebook and never have seen them back. Most also ceased all activity. It shows clearly that Facebook for instance is not the booster that most had hoped, on the contrary, and it also explains why many magazines are increasingly negative towards Facebook because they have now largely decided what you get to see, what you discuss about etc..  

As a label we must combine all these elements to reach out to our customers/fans and make choices based on gathered experience and acquired know-how, while exploring new grounds… 

Q: What do you consider as your biggest accomplishment(s)? Do you have specific goals/dreams you want to achieve and how do you prepare and see the future of the label(s)? And what are your biggest regret(s)?

Seba: I think our biggest accomplishment is to be talking with you today and celebrating 20 years of Alfa Matrix, each release from our music repertoire between 2001 and now each contributed to this success, from newcomer acts to living legends from our beloved music scene.

The only regrets I might have are first of all not to have 10 days in a week to do all I’d like to do, and maybe having put a couple of friendships in danger by starting a label collaboration with friends without having been enough aligned and synched together on strategic elements. As far as the future, I hope we will still be able supporting talents as long as possible and having the chance to release the great work from our artists, and working with experienced music supporters like you…

Bernard: I personally never expected that this story that started as an idea amongst friends would turn out to be that successful and long-lasting. Seba had the basic idea and then pitched it to Benoit and me. Since I knew Seba as a very trustworthy guy (you introduced him to me remember!) it didn’t take long for me to decide to get on board and invest in it.

As far as the future for the label, or any label, I guess that the love for what we and the bands do will be the biggest power behind it all. I still discover great music in this scene so we are not in desert modus. The biggest challenge will be to keep on making new people warm for this scene’s music. Not a simple task, but we’ll manage alright I think.

My biggest regret… we all know it’s very time consuming and it’s not always easy to find a good balance between family life and work. As far as my two colleagues is concerned, I know how to separate my private life from work, so even if we have some catfights about certain things (we have to agree all 3 on something or it doesn’t happen), we remain loyal friends above all. And as far as how we function together, you can say that the structured thinking of Seba combined with the fuzzy logic style of thinking of Benoit and myself is an ideal breeding platform for great adventures!

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.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Cubic is a Belgian solo-project driven by Franky Deblomme. EBM freaks will remind him as the frontman of Darkmen. “Alphabet Hymn” is the first work released by Cubic on Alfa Matrix. There’s a kind of concept about the alphabet.

Content: Cubic rapidly reminds me of Metroland and 808 Dot Pop. It’s not a coincidence Franky Deblomme has remixed the entire 808 Dot Pop debut album into the so-called “Cubic Temperature”. There’s a similar approach in the ‘robotic-pop’ featuring computer spoken vocals and a Kraftwerk-ish styled composition. The work features 5 songs –including a remix by 808 Dot Pop while the other versions are pretty diversified.

+ + + : Cubic has something special; it’s not just a copy of Metroland and 808 Dot Pop, but a more diversified composition, which is also getting back to some EBM roots (cf. “X – Edit”) and Techno (cf. “F – French Mix”). The last mentioned cut is a pure sonic jewel; the fusion of Kraftwerk inspired Electro-Pop together with Techno vibes. The tracks are carried by impressive bass lines, which is another great element of the work. Last, but not least 808 Dot Pop did a great remix of “F”.

– – – : The ‘robotic-pop’ army has been joined by one new adherent so in the end Cubic is not really innovating although still taking me by surprise.

Conclusion: Cubic clearly sounds as a project with a huge potential and this EP is a solid teaser to await the album.

Best songs: “F –French Mix”, “F – 808 Dot Mix”, “Alphabet Hymn – Edit”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/franky.deblomme.3

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘Alphabet Hymn’.

About Cubic

Cubic is the solo project of Belgian musician Franky Deblomme, previously the frontman of EBM act Darkmen, self-released via his own BONG13RECORDS imprint before signing to Alfa Matrix. Discogs lists the self-released “Cuboids EP” (2020) as Cubic’s first release, followed by “Alphabet Hymn” and the single “E” in 2021.

Cubic’s debut album, “The Cubic Alphabet”, followed in June 2021, and Deblomme discussed the project’s direction in an October 2021 Click Interview.

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.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: We discovered 808 Dot Pop –side project of Metroland’s ‘Passenger S’ with the successful debut album “The Colour Temperature”. One year later the Belgian artist strikes back with a new album entitled “The Cubic Temperature”, which is a collaboration with Cubic. And Cubic is another Belgian project driven by Franky Deblomme (previously involved with the EBM project Darkmen) and recently signed to Alfa Matrix. “Ultraviolet” is featuring three separate although connected releases: “Phototonic”, “Pentatonic” and “Diatonic”.

Content: “Ultraviolet Phototonic” features the title song plus 3 remixes. “Ultraviolet Pentatonic” is a single featuring 2 songs and “Ultraviolet Diatonic” is the final production revealing 3 more tracks.

The music remains in the line of 808 Dot Pop’s debut album; pure robotic Electro-Pop, which sounds catchy and full of bleeping sequences and some computer vocals. Remixes have been made by Implant and the German artist My.Cosmo while 808 Dot Pop accomplished alternative edits as well. The most surprising work is “Ultraviolet Diatonic” featuring a piano edit by My.Cosmo plus 2 surprising cover versions from classical pieces. First Erik Satie’s famous “Gymnopedie” and next Johan Pachelbel’s “Canon In D”. Both tracks have been transposed into robotic-pop.

+ + + : The title song has been masterly reworked by Cubic and will appeal for all lovers of 808 Dot Pop and Metroland. This is catchy, robotic music featuring sophisticated passages, but especially entertaining, danceable Electro. Among the remixes I especially want to mention the harder version by Implant and the more elaborated “Suntanned”-version. From the 3 productions I especially recommend the “Phototonic”-one. The reworked of “Gymnopedie”-theme from Erik Satie is cool and original.

– – – : I know Passenger S likes releasing different edits from the same title-song, but I personally prefer one great piece with consistence instead of different digital formats. The classical covers are cool and original, but not exactly adding a true bonus to the work.

Conclusion: These works –but especially “Ultraviolet –Phototonic” only confirm the potential of 808 Dot Pop and the talent of Cubic.  

Best songs: “Ultraviolet – Photonic”, “Ultraviolet – Implant Remix”, “Ultraviolet – Suntanned”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/808dotpop

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

About 808 Dot Pop

808 Dot Pop is the solo electropop project of Metroland member Passenger S, who launched the project with the album “The Colour Temperature” in March 2020 and discussed his approach in a July 2020 Click Interview.

The “Ultraviolet” single was issued across three separate download EPs, “Phototonic”, “Pentatonic” and “Diatonic”, taken from the collaborative album with Cubic, “The Cubic Temperature”, released on Alfa Matrix in March 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

Following on from the release of the KRAFTman single “Florian” (which included remixes by 808 Dot Pop and Maschine Brennt) and the appearance of a brand new track called “Waiting For The Day” on the Face The Beat 6 compilation, released by Side-Line magazine, KRAFTman is set to release a new 4 track EP of music heavily inspired by Kraftwerk: “Electrique Musique EP”.

This new EP will feature 7 Inch versions of 4 tracks featured on the forthcoming KRAFTman album “Electrique Fabrique”.

The “Electrique Musique EP” features the tracks “Bundesautobahn 52”, “A Face I Knew”, “Gamma Rays”, a cover of a recent 808 Dot Pop song, as well as, the KRAFTman take on the Kraftwerk track “Electric Cafe, which is unique, as Kraftwerk never released an English language version of the track.

The album, whilst not a concept as such, has a theme, most of the songs are inspired by subjects Kraftwerk have used in some of their songs, so you can expect songs about German motorways, telephones, cycling, nuclear power etc.

For now do check out “Waiting For The Day” taken from our free download compilation “Face The Beat 6”.

Other KRAFTman releases

The debut single by KRAFTman, “Florian”, was released as a 7-track Digital Download on August 14th 2020, the single featured KRAFTman’s original version (which is featured on the “We Are Machine Pop 6” compilation) and the KRAFTman Matrix 12 Inch Version, in addition the single featured remixes by Metroland and Maschine brennt, a combination mix was also included, which was the song constructed using sections of 3 of the mixes included in the release.

On September 11th 2020, KRAFTman released the single “The Robots (7 Inch Version)”, a cover of the Kraftwerk track,again as a Digital Download, that featured the lead track, as well as, a 7 Inch version of Kraftwerk’s track “Metropolis” and a special Re-Programmed 12 Inch Version of “The Robots”. This was the lead single from the album “The Man Machine (Recreated)”.

The album “The Man Machine (Recreated)” was released on October 30th and features a complete recording of all the tracks featured on the iconic Kraftwerk album, as well as, 12 Inch versions of all 6 tracks, all of which are unique arrangements. The Digital Download is available via Bandcamp 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