Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Jan Dewulf (Diskonnekted, Your Life On Hold, Mildred In Oblivion ao) strikes back with his Dark-Electro project Mildreda. Two years after the praised album “I Was Never Really There” Jan unleashed twelve new songs inspired by the concept of ‘hell’.

Content: Diskonnekted moves on composing Dark-Electronics in the line of previous albums “Coward Philosophy” (2016) and “I Was Never Really There” (2021). The production is recovered with dense, overwhelming, darkness boosted by Epic arrangements and refined with cool string parts. More than ever before Mildreda sounds as the imaginary offspring between Yelworc, The Retrosic and In Slaughter Natives. This work sounds even more ‘atmospheric’ which has been reinforced by multiple fragments featuring Gregorian- and other chants. It’s a slow, bombastic composition featuring Jan’s tenebrous vocals on top.

+ + + : Mildreda confirms the potential of previous albums. Jan Dewulf reactivated Mildreda in 2009 and since then never stopped taking listeners by surprise. I can’t say he’s really innovating but he achieved an original and creative production mixing typical Dark-Electro atmospheres together with heavy, bombastic, Epic, arrangements and Industrial noises. The power of the production lies in the tormented atmosphere which in a way perfectly symbolizes the concept of hell. The work however features a few more dancefloor-driven cuts like “Friendly Fire”, “Prophecies” and “A Dog From Hell”. Production wise I also consider this album as the best Mildreda-work in history. There’s a true chemistry between all different influences, the chants and Jan’s own voice.

– – – : This is not the ultimate album for dance floors although there are some club stompers featured.

Conclusion: There are probably not enough bands dealing with a similar approach of Dark-Electro as Mildreda. That makes precisely the originality and strength of the project.

Best songs: “Prophecies”, “A Dog From Hell”, “Friendly Fire”, “Damaged Goods”, “Mirror View”, “Huis Clos”.

Rate: 8½. 

Artist: www.mildreda.com / www.facebook.com/officialmildreda

Label: www.dependent.de / www.facebook.com/dependent.records Read the news on ‘Blue-Devilled’.

Listen to “Blue-Devilled”:

About Mildreda

Mildreda is the Dark-Electro project of Belgian musician Jan Dewulf, also known for Diskonnekted, Your Life On Hold and Mildred In Oblivion. Dewulf made his Mildreda debut with the compilation album “Coward Philosophy” on Alfa Matrix in 2016, before moving to Dependent Records for “I Was Never Really There” in 2021. “Blue-Devilled” follows in 2023, also on Dependent Records, alongside the video for “Devil’s Gaze”.

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 Swedish old school EBM act ELM is back with a second EP from the well-received, intense EBM album “Penetrator”. Expect powerful bass lines, a compelling drive, and commanding vocals and lyrics. Oldschool EBM like we like it.

The EP is available on Bandcamp from today on with other platforms to follow in the future.

The EP boasts a total of seven tracks, including remixes of the title track by J Wølf (Mildreda, Mildred in Oblivion, Your Life on Hold, Diskonnekted) and the iconic Swedish electronic act System. You’ll also find alternative dance floor mixes of “Excuses Excuses” and “Ha-Ha-Ha-Begär,” as well as the exclusive, heavy-hitting, DAF-inspired new track titled “For L…”.

Highly recommended for fans of early Nitzer Ebb, DAF, and Front 242.

Complete discography:

• Hardline (Deluxe edition) (2016)
• Edge EP (2016)
• Wapenrustning EP (2017)
• Kampftrinker EP (2017)
• Extreme Unspoken Tension (X.U.T. Remixed) EP (2019)
• Death Of The North EP (2019)
• Penetrator (Deluxe edition) (2022)
• Steel Hope EP (2022)
• Vessel Of Violence EP (2023)

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: Dark-Ambient.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Mildred In Oblivion is a new project driven by Jan Dewulf. This Belgian musician/producer gained recognition with his different projects; from Diskonnekted (Electro/Future-Pop) to Mildreda (Dark-Electro) to Your Life On Hold (Cold-Wave, Post-Punk). This debut work by Mildred In Oblivion is a conceptual work inspired by the concept that ‘Camus’ philosophy is linked to the Buddhist idea of the ‘bardo’.

Content: Jan Dewulf composed 10 songs. The opening part of the work is pure Dark-Ambient music revealing monstrous and overwhelming sound treatments. It’s an icy Ambient trip, which has been joined by Gregorian chants. The global atmosphere is clearly reminding me of early Raison D’Être although this work is more elaborated. Quite progressively we’re entering a still dark, but dreamier part with omnipresent strings. Tracks at the end are becoming heavier and have been accomplished with orchestra sound arrangements. There also is a track with fragmented vocal parts adding a Ritual touch to the work.

+ + + : The older he gets, the more Jan Dewulf take me by surprise. All his projects are quite different from each other revealing an artist who clearly feels fine dealing with different music genres. There for sure is a touch of Mildreda running through Mildred In Oblivion. The epic arrangements and tormented atmospheres from the new Mildreda-album “I Was Never Really There” have been extracted and transposed into a pure Dark-Ambient journey. The debut cuts are impressive; not that original as you easily recognize the influence of Raison D’Être and a bit of In Slaughter Natives, but the format sounds fully accomplished. The tracks are extremely elaborated for Dark-Ambient music, which in a way makes the originality of the work and the main difference with the aforementioned projects. This is a tenebrous experience reaching a new climax at “Death”. It also is an album with a strong visual appeal, creating visions of desolation and despair so this is not exactly the kind of work I would recommend listening to when having depressed feelings.

– – – : There’re a few cuts right in the midst of the album, which are more into dark, evasive fields that couldn’t convince me. There’s a kind of Cinematographic appeal emerging here, which might be an idea for another project…

Conclusion: “Sisyphus’ Journey” clearly reveals an artist who is familiar with Dark-Ambient music, and who has distilled an album with a few brilliant passages.

Best songs: “Death”, “Waves Of Bitterness”, “Conception”, “Transmutation”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.wolf-productions.be / www.facebook.com/mildredinoblivion

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

About Mildred In Oblivion

Mildred In Oblivion is the dark-ambient project of Belgian musician and producer Jan Dewulf, who works from his own Wolf Productions studio. Dewulf has run Mildreda since the 1990s, its first self-released cassette dating from 1995, and later added the electro-pop project Diskonnekted, the cold-wave and post-punk project Your Life On Hold, and the label-side work that goes with them.

“Sisyphus’ Journey” is the first Mildred In Oblivion album. It was issued in 2021 by the German label Ant-Zen, a long-running imprint for industrial, rhythmic noise and ambient releases. The project name links back to Mildreda, and Dewulf later brought Mildred In Oblivion into the Mildreda album “Blue-Devilled” in 2023.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com