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

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Stefan Poiss has taken some of the best cuts from the latest Mind.In.A.Box album “Black & White” and remixed them himself. “Shades Of Gray” is also featuring one exclusive song.

Content: This EP comes as a ‘club’-addition to the latest album. Four songs have been remixes in a harder, club-friendly approach. “New Wave Propaganda” has been remixed in two different versions. “Fire And Lace” is a new song which serves as a cool gift.

+ + + : “Integrate” and “New Wave Propaganda” both were some of my favorite tracks of the album and has been adapted into great, danceable, Space-Pop with again the great vocals of Stefan Poiss on top. The remix of “Lost And Alone” is another great work and a strong debut to this EP. This EP features great dancefloor adaptations and brings Mind.In.A.Box back in the spotlight.

– – – : A new song is always a bonus to an EP but “Fire And Lace” isn’t exactly the best cut from this artist. 

Conclusion: This EP is an essential addition to the “Black & White”-album.

Best songs: “Integrate – Club Mix”, “New Wave Propaganda – Club Mix”, “Lost And Alone – Master Mechanic Remix”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist & Label: www.mindinabox.com / www.facebook.com/mindinabox.official

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, Ambient-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Stefan Poiss has taken some of the best cuts from the latest Mind.In.A.Box album “Black & White” and remixed them himself. “Shades Of Gray” is also featuring one exclusive song.

Content: This EP comes as a ‘club’-addition to the latest album. Four songs have been remixes in a harder, club-friendly approach. “New Wave Propaganda” has been remixed in two different versions. “Fire And Lace” is a new song which serves as a cool gift.

+ + + : “Integrate” and “New Wave Propaganda” both were some of my favorite tracks of the album and has been adapted into great, danceable, Space-Pop with again the great vocals of Stefan Poiss on top. The remix of “Lost And Alone” is another great work and a strong debut to this EP. This EP features great dancefloor adaptations and brings Mind.In.A.Box back in the spotlight.

– – – : A new song is always a bonus to an EP but “Fire And Lace” isn’t exactly the best cut from this artist. 

Conclusion: This EP is an essential addition to the “Black & White”-album.

Best songs: “Integrate – Club Mix”, “New Wave Propaganda – Club Mix”, “Lost And Alone – Master Mechanic Remix”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist & Label: www.mindinabox.com / www.facebook.com/mindinabox.official

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, Ambient-Pop. 

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: “Black & White” took a while to get achieved. Six years after the previous opus Stefan Poiss released “Black And White” in 2023 as the eighth album of the Austrian project. This is a new sci/fi story transposed into music.

Content: The album sounds like Mind.In.A.Box hasn’t been away for too long. This album sounds like the perfect offspring between Electro-Pop and space-like atmospheres. The tracklist alternates ‘harder’, danceable, songs and sweet, dreamy, cuts. On top you’ll Stefan singing while two guest singers joined in now and then.

+ + + : What I’ve always liked by this project is the very own sound DNA. Mind.In.A.Box deals with a sound you directly recognize. It’s a perfect offspring between danceable- and dreamy-like songs. But the main strength remains the unique sound treatments which have an elevating effect during the choruses and mixed with the vocals. Stefan Poiss is a talented and especially passionate singer. It’s impossible comparing this artist to another one but occasionally there’s a touch of Michael Cretu emerging at the surface. Speaking for myself I prefer the more ‘danceable’ cuts of the album.

– – – : I would have liked to get a few more danceable tracks but globally speaking this album sounds like ‘mission accomplished’.

Conclusion: It’s good to have this talented artist back on track; no true innovation although it remains a great and sexy sound experience composed by a visionary artist.

Best songs: “Integrate”, “Just Like You Always Wanted”, “New Wave Propaganda”, “Vertigo”, “Activate”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist & Label: www.mindinabox.com / www.facebook.com/mindinabox.official

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

By the end of 2023 I discovered the album “Ode An Die Arbeit” by German duo Bagger 258. This is a pure old-school EBM project driven by Nico von der Eisenmühle and Tim Schmelzer. Their self-released debut-album stands for a mature, well-crafted and professional EBM sound. “Ode An Die Arbeit” reached the first place from the famous DAC (Deutsche Alternative Charts) which for a self-released production is quite exceptional. But their work is exceptional and is for sure one of the best retro-EBM projects in quite a long time. I got in touch with Nico and Tim to introduce you to the sound universe of Bagger 258.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: How did you come to set up Bagger 258? And what can you say about your music background and connection with Projekt 26? Is Projekt 26 still active by the way?

Nico: Starting from the ground up –Projekt 26 is still alive and kicking, but our singer Timo had to relocate, making it a bit tricky to keep the groove going. The good news? We’re sitting on lots of unreleased stuff, so let’s keep our eyes on the horizon and see where the road takes us.

Tim: We’ve always vibed with the whole harsh and hard EBM scene, but Projekt 26 was more than just that. We were on a mission to resurrect something no one seemed to be messing with anymore –that punchy, in-your-face Anhalt EBM. We spent a good chunk of the last decade trying to cook up tunes together, but nothing really clicked. Then, like magic, Bagger 258 waltzed in, felt damn good, and the songs practically wrote themselves.

Q: Bagger 258 is clearly dealing with old-school EBM. What means EBM to you and what do you try to achieve in your very own song writing and sound production?

Nico: Just like Tim mentioned, we wanted to make music that’s totally us and kinda missing from the scene. Bagger 258 nails it with simple, old-school bass lines but a killer, in-your-face sound. Getting that unmistakable ‘Bagger-sound’ is the key for us. We’ve got some song ideas that just didn’t click, so we ditched them. Bottom line: we’re after basslines that make you stomp, a brutal vibe, and tunes that stick with you.

Q: You last year (self)-released the debut album “Ode An Die Arbeit”. Can you share with us the highlights and main things you kept in mind from the writing and recording of the album?

Tim: We messed around quite a bit, experimenting until we stumbled upon something we liked. There were moments when new samples or playful lyrics had us cracking up, but for the most part, our gut feeling steered us in the right direction, shaping the final drafts of the album. Surprisingly, we drew inspiration from genres way beyond EBM; things like Rock, Metal, or Indie music sparked our creativity.

Q: You asked Daniel Hallhuber (founder of Young & Cold Records) for the mixing and Stefan Poiss (Mind.In.A.Box) for the mastering of the album. What has been their true input and impact on the final result of “Ode An Die Arbeit”? And would you also consider working with a producer?

Nico: Let’s clear the air on this one: we had Gustav and Jonatan from Sturm Café, as our production advisors. And big shoutout to Daniel for weaving his magic in the mixing department. He sculpted the sounds and ideas just the way we wanted them. Major gratitude to him, and you bet we’re teaming up again.

Tim: Agreed. For mastering we were set on having Stefan as our engineer right from the get-go. His own projects are top-notch, and no matter the music vibes, his final mastering is always on point. The awesome back-and-forth communication, with him sending us options, helped us nail down the best results. Stefan, you’re stuck with us –round two is definitely happening!

Q: Did you get the opportunity to get signed to a label to release “Ode An Die Arbeit” or is it a deliberate choice to get active as D.I.Y. (do it yourself) project? Do you’ve further plans/perspectives about working with labels?

Nico: Honestly, starting from scratch was crucial for us. We craved the freedom to shape everything from the ground up, from the tunes to the artwork. The whole album, except for the mix and master, is our baby. We took things to the next level, turning our ideas into reality. Sure, it got challenging, like when we were in the trenches producing and cutting the music video for “Muskeln Und Maschinen”, but the whole experience was a wild ride, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

As for labels, we’ve kept it indie for now. We wanted our debut album to be a solo flight without any external pressure. Who knows what the future holds? Maybe down the road, Bagger 258 will be ready to team up with a label and start something epic. Let’s keep the door open for that possibility.

Q: I noticed “Ode An Die Arbeit” reached the first place of the famous D.A.C. right? This is quite unusual for self-released albums so what does it mean to you and what’s the impact of the D.A.C.? Can you also tell us what you’ve to do and manage (think about promotion, contacts etc…) to get selected for the D.A.C.?

Tim: This question hits the sweet spot. Landing in first place with our album is beyond thrilling, and we’re genuinely honored. Once the creative dust settled, Nico and I brainstormed how to unleash our music on the world. The immediate answer? A legit music video, of course. Surprisingly, it’s not a common move in the scene, probably because it’s a ton of work. But we were up for the challenge.

Nico: Absolutely. The video was a beast to tackle, but we knew it wasn’t the only card up our sleeve. Our solid connections in the music world, thanks to DJ gigs at ‘Melodrom’ and rubbing shoulders with awesome DJs like Clemens and Ric, played a crucial role. They, along with many others, helped us spread the Bagger 258 vibes far and wide.

Oh and not to forget: we do have quite a fanbase in Sweden, thanks to Gustav and Jonatan (Sturm Café) & Ronny (Radio Virus / Container 90).

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: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Bagger 258 is a German duo featuring members of the familiar EBM-band Projekt 26 – which released the album “Violets And Violence” in 2017 by EK Product. Bagger 258 released by the end of 2023 the debut album “Ode An Die Arbeit”. Notice by the way the album has been mixed by Daniel Hallhuber (involved with different projects and founder of Young & Cold Records) and mastered by Stefan Poiss (Mind.In.A.Box).

Content: The album is meant as an ode to the ‘pulsating rhythm of work’ but also to old-school EBM. The main sources of influences aren’t that different from their previous project but the global writing- and production process has been seriously boosted and improved. The songs are driven by solid bass lines, 4×4 kicks, metallic sound treatments and German ‘body’ vocals. Both last songs are remixes by Oldschool Union (who already did a remix on the Projekt 26-album) and Projekt 26.

+ + + : Bagger 258 doesn’t innovate but shares with us a mature, professional and fully accomplished production. This is top-notch EBM featuring all essential ingredients to get people into tough dancing. I especially enjoy the impressive, menacing, bass lines mixed with metallic percussion sounds and the few little extra noises and melodic sequences they’re adding on top of the work. Bagger 258 makes me think of an imaginary hybrid between Tyske Lüdder, Pouppéée Fabrikk and Orange Sector. The work features multiple outstanding songs. The album last year reached the highest place in the famous DAC which says enough about this band’s potential -and especially for a self-released album. I would be not surprised they’ll very soon get a label deal.

– – – : Some would say ‘nothing new’ but who cares; this is pure, authentic, old-school EBM.

Conclusion: There’s no doubt about it, Bagger 258 will be the next great big thing in EBM land.

Best songs: “Muskeln Und Maschinen”, “Stalhwerk, Jetzt!”, “Glück Auf”, “Geschafft!”, “Maschinentakt”, “Schlagwetter”.

Rate: 9.

Artist: www.facebook.com/bagger.258

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

Scheduled for a 30th August 2023 release through THYX Records is the latest album from the Vienna-based electronic act, mind.in.a.box. “Black and White” emerges nearly six years after their last studio venture “Broken Legacies”, marking the seventh album for the duo, Markus Hadwiger and Stefan Poiss.

The CD edition of the album is accompanied by a 20-page booklet, which encompasses lyrics as well as the seventh instalment of their cyberpunk narrative.

This chapter unfolds as follows: Mr. Black, an erstwhile agent of the “Agency” and now a rebel, is tasked with thwarting the designs of the machine that Mr. White crafted to penetrate the Dreamweb. Armed to the hilt, Mr. Black ventures to see his former ally in the development lab, setting the stage for an ultimate face-off.

A teaser video for the “Black and White” album is already available for viewing.

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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In a rather short lapse of time Greek solo-project Metal Disco has released an impressive number of productions. Driven by Werkstatt Recordings label owner -and involved with other music projects like Paradox Obscur, Beatbox Machinery, Resistance Of Independent Music, Hardware Pulse… Kostas Stavropoulos aka ‘Toxic Razor’, the sound of Metal Disco is composed by only hardware equipment. The sound features different influences mixing EBM, Minimal-Electro, Electro-Wave, Electroclash ao. 2021 has been an extremely prolific year for Metal Disco while a new EP has been already released this year. Time for an interview and introduction in the world of this great project. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You’re involved with multiple projects so what makes the specificity of Metal Disco in comparison with all others? What kind of sound and production did you have in mind when setting up Metal Disco?

TR: Metal Disco delivers a more darkened electro sound especially in the first releases. What I had in mind when starting this project was having punchy drum rhythms with dirty driven basslines in a kinda more minimal approach with not many instruments/sounds involved.

Q: The way of composing your music is very important and especially the use of hardware equipment! Tell us a bit more about your way of working? And does it mean you have something against software equipment and tools?

TR: Indeed hardware instruments is more fun to work with and play, feels like becoming one with a synth or a drum machine when recording or rehearsing and that is something that I can’t find in the virtual software world. The sound is much more richer and breathes like a living entity unlike the sterile virtual instruments which no matter how good they sound it’s like something’s missing..  sitting in front of a screen making music is not my cup of tea, I have tried it in the past and had absolutely no fun but I don’t have something against software as for other people might work better.

Q: Metal Disco has been very prolific during the past few years. Where does this inspiration come from and what’s the usual way of composing when working on Metal Disco?

TR: Inspiration comes mostly after jamming in the studio, synthesizers can offer a wide palette of sounds and mood, sometimes feels like these waveforms devour me, luring me into their deep endless spiral of synthesis.

When starting a new track I mostly give emphasis and work on the bassline parts along with some basic drum rhythm, from there I try to find a fitting lead/melody and later come back to the drums again in order to build the main groove, fills, changes etc. But once the main idea is set the song drives me by itself until it takes the final shape.

Q: You clearly like to release EP’s while each EP sounds like having a different focus and own influences. Tell us a bit more about the most recent productions and how did you see the project evolving throughout the years?

TR: 2021 was a very busy year with one compilation and 3 EPs released, while also working in the collaboration EP with Incirrina and trying to put together ideas for the next full-length album.

In the “Καμία Εξουσία”-EP I also tried for the first time Greek lyrics in the Metal Disco project since I had the self-titled track sitting for around a decade in my studio, so I thought why not record a few more tracks in Greek.. this how “Καμία Εξουσία”-EP was born.

The recent “Misbehave”-EP delivers a more Electronic sound with groovy basslines and I feel it turned out more melodic than what I expected and had in mind when started composing it.

As for evolving this is something I could say for my other band Paradox Obscur since we always try to explore new paths, but for Metal Disco things are simpler, music is more raw, stripped and direct.

Q: You already mentioned the new EP entitled “In Motion” featuring Incirrina. How did this collaborative work happened and what has been the input of Incirrina?

TR: I have collaborated with many other artists for the Metal Disco project in the past and Irini from Incirrina was also part of the latest full-length album “Sex, Drugs & Hardware”.

Since I was looking for someone to take over the vocals in the new EP I thought Irini would fit great in these new songs and all evolved very naturally.

She has taken over the vocal parts in all songs of the “In Motion”-EP and I think this must be the more melodic work for Metal Disco so far..

Q: I can’t get away from the idea you’re devoted to 80s Electronics. What made the magic of this decade and what are your personal ‘masters’ when it comes to musicians?  And do you have contemporary ‘masters’ or simply musicians/producers you respect for their way of working?

 TR: The 80s was a rather obscure weird era in many aspects but had a great renaissance in the music scenery in various genres It’s impossible to mention all the artists I listen but names like Mylene Farmer, Sandra, Jean-Michel Jarre, Pet Shop Boys, Yello etc are on my top preferences together with some Metal acts like Venom, Bathory, Celtic Frost, Slayer, W.A.S.P. which are not Electronic but evolved and experimented over the years and always has been a great inspiration to my musical ventures.

Concerning the contemporary scene I listen a lot to Electro, Tech-House, Progressive Techno, Trance, EBM, Future-Pop, Synth-Wave, Italo and artists like Motor, Arnaud Rebotini, Black Asteroid, John Dahlbäck, Mind.In.A.Box, Soman, Juno Reactor, Apoptygma Berzerk is always a pleasure to listen their work.

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

Stefan Herwig once started Kugelblitz Records and moved on with Off Beat. He set up Dependent Records in 1998. The label got an instant success thanks to famous bands like  VNV Nation, Covenant, Mesh, Velvet, Acid Christ And Suicide Commando. Dependent became a great home for intelligent Electronic artists. Other ‘big’ names like Pride And Fall, Seabound, Mind.In.A.Box, Rotersand, Click Click, Front Line Assembly, Decoded Feedback, Fïx8:Sëd8 ao joined in.

(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?

Stefan: Yes, absolutely, there was a ‘label philosophy’ and it did evolve over the years quite a bit, it did actually evolve 3 times and it continues to evolve right now. When we founded Dependent we only had the plan to sign with 5 artists (hence the hand as a logo, originally) and work very intensively with those artists. We signed the artists for short-term deals, brought some of them to quite a big status and then found out that they used the first option to hop out of deals and sign with Major label companies for bigger advances. That was disappointing. Also, some artists developed a real problematic persona, when they became successful, and we struggled to deal with that as well.

So, as hard as it sounds: we had to ‘ditch’ the idealistic approach. On top of that came the industry crisis in the early 2000s, which made life as a record label very difficult. Well, to put it short: we learned a lot since then.

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)’?

Stefan: Well, we are always looking for good vocals and a decisive artistic vision at first. The project has got to ‘make sense’ to us, not only the music, but everything. Sometimes we receive good demos, but they are all over the board stylistically, and then we will struggle to market this kind of stuff properly. But then again: GOOD VOCALS are one of our prime conditions. And yes, the dealings with the artists have to be smooth. If you dislike artists from the get-go, it will end up being a difficult collaboration, so if artists appear ‘difficult’ during the first talks, we will think twice.

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?

Stefan: Well, all the promotion strategies, the timings, the ideas behind it, the distribution channels, etc… have changed -drastically. The music industry from 20, from 10 or even from just 5 years ago has little in common with what we do now. Be available on very channel, digital and physical. The one thing that has not changed is that we are being committed to great artists and releases in the long run.

Dependent has an own fanbase from people that have recognized this, this makes us very proud. But we also stick to physical release, vinyls and special editions. It is a better form to release music.

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?

Stefan: Well, people stay more at home, so they also listen to more music. They buy a better stereo, buy albums on vinyl, etc. Also the shortfall of festivals means that some people have more money in their budget to spend on recorded music. It is kind of ironic, but the shortfall of concerts gives the labels and the recording artists a little boost. Obviously for everybody who is in the live performance and booking business, this situation is entirely catastrophic, and I sincerely hope that it will evolve soon.

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?

Stefan: Well, it’s been a tough place for music magazines, especially printed ones for years now, and we have seen many big print magazines go under, that is no secret. I do have a soft spot for good journalism & good reviews that bring good music recommendations to the people. But I see that for instance streaming recommendation algorithms have become so good, that the air gets even thinner for music magazines. I hope the magazines and print people will evolve and survive. One step would be to curate own playlists on Spotify, to keep the magazine identity and recommendation function alive. But also better reviews would be helpful; some reviews are being too optimistic and not critical enough.

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)?

Stefan: Well, we have had our fair share of chart successes, and this is nice (and keeps us afloat, obviously), but the real accomplishment is to ‘develop’ artists to enable them to have a successful career and have a good input on the music scene, instead of watering it down. I think some labels are in the process of watering down the scenes’ identity instead of strengthening it. Artist development is STILL the goal, after all, we still love Electronic music. The moment from when you get a REALLY good demo is almost like the moment you fall in love with someone: your hair starts to stand up, the heartbeat is rising, you have this big smile on your face. It is amazing that music can do this to us still.

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, EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: German-Swiss trio Nine Seconds announced their fourth full length album with the surprising EP “Love Will Tear Us Apart” featuring cover versions of legendary bands Joy Division, Bronski Beat, Trans-X and Starter. The new album moves on the same formula revealing a few more cover versions.

Content: Next to the already familiar cover versions from Joy Division, Bronski Beat and Trans-X the trio accomplished more cover versions from Fad Gadget, Propaganda, Fancy, Paul Hardcastle, Front 242, Depeche Mode and Mando Diao. This kind of experience is always fun for the band, but a challenge to convince the fans. Nine Seconds perfectly adapted most of the songs into a very own, Body-Pop approach sometimes adding female backing vocals next to Oliver Spring. Mind.In.A.Box made a remix of “Lie To Me” while the less familiar Membran 66 remixed “Living On Video”. 

+ + + : I’m always skeptical with this kind of releases and especially when it concerns legendary hits from the 80s like “Ricky’s Hand”, “Love will Tear Us Apart”, “Dr. Mabuse”, “Lie To Me”, “Living On Video” or “No Shuffle”. I must admit that the way they adapted Fad Gadget’s “Ricky’s Hand” is absolutely well done. But the most surprising and probably best song is the Italo-Disco hit “Slice Me Nice” from Fancy, which still sounds a bit Italo-Disco like, but with a naughty, evil and rough touch on top. Mind.In.A.Box did also a great job remixing Depeche Mode’s “Lie To Me” into something space-like and still danceable.

– – – : A few songs couldn’t convince me at all; the aforementioned “Lie To Me” and “Love will Tear Us Apart”. I’ve also some reservations about the impact of such a ‘conceptual’ work, but on the other side it’s also a way to pay tribute to bands and songs you like and bring young music lovers to discover legendary tracks from the Electronic scene.

Conclusion: I definitely prefer when Nine Seconds are composing their own music, but they for sure did an honest job covering such legendary bands.

Best songs: “Slice Me Nice”, “Ricky’s Hand”, “Dr. Mabuse”, “Hit That Perfect Beat”, “Lie To Me – Mind.In.A.Box Remix”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.nineseconds.de / www.facebook.com/nineseconds

Label: www.infacted-recordings.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Infacted-Recordings/124099254321690

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: EBM, techno-body, electro-pop, IDM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: After nearly seven years of silence, the recently self-released “Thanatosis”-EP put Blank back on the EBM map. Mastermind Davide Mazza accomplished the fourth full length album of the project resulting in eleven songs featuring a very special collaboration on one of the songs.

Content: “Thanatosis” revealed a mix of harder, danceable cuts and softer, elaborated cuts. The album moves on a similar formula featuring intelligent electronics mixing elements of EBM, techno, pop and even IDM. Elena Alice Fossi (Kirlian Camera) contributed here with a very unique and sensual way of singing to one of the –softer, cuts. This album has the power to make you dance, but still enough passages driven by down tempo rhythms to cool down. I don’t want to compare Blank and this new opus to another formation, but I’m sure it will appeal for fans of Rotersand and Mind.In.A.Box.

+ + + : “Thanatosis”-EP revealed a few great passages, but some didn’t totally convince me. “Drifting Slowly” left me breathless! This album stands for a sophisticated writing featuring intelligent sound treatments, danceable club-songs and softer breaks. I was impressed by the polished sound production and dance energy from the harder cuts such as “Hypnonaut”, “Nouronihar”, “Axiomatic” and “Struggle between Death And Night”. Davide Mazza is not only putting Blank again on the map of great electro productions, but he reveals himself as a brilliant sound architect. This album stands for an impressive sonic welfare. From space-like sounds to solid bass lines to meticulous sound arrangements and a somewhat spooky way of singing this work has a lot to offer.

– – – : Just as for “Thanatosis” I’m not a huge fan of the softer cuts and the EP-title song is one of the few songs that can’t totally convince me.

Conclusion: Blank strikes back with a bang! This Italian project already caught my attention in the past, but this album simply reveals the true potential of the band! The song with Elena Alice Fossi is cool, but unfortunately not a high light!

Best songs: “Axiomatic”, “Struggle Between Death And Night”, Hypnonaut”, “Nouronihar”, Faultlines”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/blankinyourmind

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: EBM, techno-body, electro-pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: This new work by Blank stands for the come-back of the Italian duo Davide Mazza –
Riccardo Mattioli. “Thanatosis” is also an appetizer to their new full length “Drifting Slowly”, the first one since “Dark Retreat” (2013).

Content: “Thanatosis” opens with the “Single Version” of the title song, which is a rather soft electro-atmospheric cut with piano arrangements. We next get a more pumping and dark-club driven track. “Olokun” brings us back to quieter fields featuring female spoken vocals. “Battlefeel” is just like the title song taken from the announced album although featured in a different mix. It reminds me a bit of the style and approach of Mind.In.A.Box. Last, but not least we get an updated version of “Visual Overflow” –originally released at the band’s debut album “Artificial Breathing” (2004).

+ + + : Blank is back and that’s a real good news as this band always seduced me by their modern- and intelligent EBM mixed with a few more elements. The work reflects the band’s sound intelligence and diversity. The tracks are moving in between softer, ambient-like electronics and ‘harder’, danceable pieces. “What If you’re Wrong?” is the real dancefloor killer from this work, but I also recommend “Battlefeel – Truth Decay Mix” and the new edit of “Visual Overflow”, which sounds as the sonic bridge between the early years of Blank and their resurrection.

– – – : The title song is a well-crafted composition, but unfortunately not exactly the kind of title-song I would have chosen for an EP.

Conclusion: Blank V.2 is a fact! The band strikes back with even more modernism and sound intelligence so I’m really wondering how their album will sound-like.

Best songs: “What If You’re Wrong?”, “Battlefeel – Truth Decay Mix”, “Visual Overflow (2020)”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/blankinyourmind

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, wave-pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Three years after their third full length (cf. “Agent Provocateur”) Nine Seconds (the members of No Comment plus Ex-Sleepwalk singer Oliver Spring) are back on track unleashing this new EP as a teaser to their upcoming album “That Perfect Beat Will Tear Us Apart”.

Content: The title of the EP directly will ring a bell. Nine Seconds are going back in time, and accomplished cover versions from what probably are some of their favorite 80s songs. You for sure remember the most legendary Joy Division hit, which has been also remixed by Mind.In.A.Box and Ruined Conflict. Bronski Beat’s “Hit That Perfect Beat” has been covered as well, but you’ll discover the Nine Seconds version on the album. We here get a remix framework. Next comes another cover version, but a less famous one this time. “Victim” originally composed by Starter is also a 80s song. The version features disco effects. We next get a remix of “Living On Video”. The original cover edit will be featured on the album as well. The main- and most famous original songs are easily recognizable for their melody line. 

+ + + : Nine Seconds did a cool ode to some legendary artists and simply to songs they seem to love. The main strength of the songs is the melodic aspect, but No Comment and later on Nine Seconds have always been talented melody makers. I personally like the “Victim”-song, and the Italo-disco homage to Trans-X’ “Living On Video”. 

– – – : This kind of cover concept is pure fun, but it has no real effect of surprise. I think some songs would for sure have their impact during a live show, but aren’t always convincing when you have the original versions in mind. It remains a challenge and covering an iconic song such as “Love Will Tear Us Apart” is somewhat tricky.

Conclusion: This EP is a perfect teaser to the new Nine Seconds album, which will bring us only cover versions. It’s not exactly the best way to discover Nine Seconds, which has previously released their own and original electro-pop music.

Best songs: “Victim”, “Living In Video – Remix”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.nineseconds.de / www.facebook.com/nineseconds

Label: www.infacted–recordings.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Infacted–Recordings/124099254321690

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

Out on February 14th will be a 6LP box set uniting the first 3 mind.in.a.box albums. The box will be limited to 300 copies and will hold several bonus tracks and 3 art prints. The 3 albums offered here are “Lost Alone” (2004), “Dreamweb” (2005) and “Crossroads” (2007).

It’s the first time that these releases are now available on vinyl. The bonus tracks are included on two of the three records (“Dreamweb” and “Crossroads”) and were taken from the deleted singles “Certainty” and “What used to be”.

It’s unclear whether “R.E.T.R.O.” (2010), “Arvika Live” (2010), “Revelations” (2012), “Memories” (2015) and “Broken Legacies” (2017) will see a reissue as well.

mind.in.a.box is an Austrian electronic music duo (Stefan Poiss and Markus Hadwiger) which was founded in 2002.

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.

Background/Info: Hand In Waves is a German electro-pop project driven by Felix F. I last year discovered this formation by the EP “Hover In Remedy” which revealed some interesting songs. After several digital EP’s Hand In Waves has now unleashed a self-released full length featuring 13 songs. The album has been mastered by Jan Loamfield who made me discover this band through his X-Beats Promotion service.

Content: I already noticed some common elements in the music of this project and the astral electro-pop of Mind.In.A.Box. Well, I think this comparison still makes sense although Hand In Waves hasn’t achieved a cheap emulation. This is cool and intelligent electro-pop music featuring moody atmospheres, cool leads, great sound effects and evasive vocals.

+ + + : If Hand In Waves is a name that still has to conquer the international electro-pop scene I can assure you this album has a real huge potential to fulfill all expectations. The songs are well-crafted, revealing great composing skills and an efficient space-pop sound. The songs have been composed with great leads and cool effects. I also enjoy the melancholic flavor hanging over the album. This is a delicate and refreshing electro-pop work. For so far I can see Hand In Waves has composed new songs for this album instead of putting all EP-track on CD.

– – – : I’m convinced Hand In Waves has the potential to become a real renowned formation. I’m maybe missing some little details in the global production.

Conclusion: If you want to discover an interesting new electro-pop formation dealing with a personal style I can hardly recommend this promising debut album by Hand In Waves.

Best songs: “Tears Become Shards”, “A Place Like Home”, “Frenemy”, “We Die Unborn”, “Dare To Sleep”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: http://handinwaves.com / www.facebook.com/pg/handinwaves 

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

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Genre/Influences: IDM, electro-ambient.

Background/Info: Hailing from the Czech Republic the Frontier Guards duo has released its fourth full length album. The audio-visual project featuring master mind Martin Pavlík (still involved with Beamship and H.E.E.L) and visual artist Tomas Galle (still involved with H.E.E.L) joined hands with Advoxya Records for their new work. I’ve been following this band since the very first album “Predestination” (released in 2008 on Aliens Production), which revealed a great and progressive electro-sound close to IDM.

Content: Frontier Guards hasn’t lost their initial taste for sophisticated electronics, which sometimes reminds me of Clock DVA, and has elaborated their work with dark-electronic influences. The evasive atmospheres and bombast also remind me of THYX. The vocals are more important on this album although the great final part of the work features several instrumental songs. The IDM touch is more present in this epilogue while the influences are moving towards technoid treatments and trance passages.  Both last songs are remixes by the Russian project Mirum Mulier.

+ + + : The sound intelligence of Frontier Guards remains the same, but the sound became more diversified throughout the years. They’ve created a very own sound approach and well-crafted song structures, which might be described as the offspring between Clock DVA and THYX. This band clearly strives for a very own sound approach based upon numerous little details, great sonic effects, evasive atmospheres and refined arrangements.

– – – : I still remain nostalgic of the debut-album, which was maybe less mature, but more into the Clock DVA sound intelligence.

Conclusion: Frontier Guards is one of those bands not a lot of people are probably familiar with and yet I’m nearly sure they have a sound that will catch the attention of a wider audience like music fans listening to Clock DVA, Mind.In.A.Box, THYX, Haujobb and related bands.

Best songs: “Seeker”, “Voyager Past”, “Voyager Eternity”, “Hashima”, “Madman”, “Ritualistic”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.frontierguards.eu / www.facebook.com/frontierguardscz

Label: www.advoxya–records.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Advoxya–Records/265765706059

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

Mind.In.A.Box has released its new album “Broken Legacies” on their own label THYX Records. It’s a new sonic voyage throughout futuristic- and psychedelic electronic-pop fields. The Austrian band set up and driven by the creative spirit of Stefan Poiss became an instant success after their debut work (cf. “Lost Alone”) released in 2004. Every new production only increased the recognition of the critics and the enthusiasm of the fans. I got in touch with Stefan Poiss to know a bit more about the new work.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Q: “Broken Legacies” is the newest Mind.In.A.Box album, which took 2 years to get achieved. Can you tell us a bit more about the procedure and the way it all happened to compose this work?

Stefan: There was no need to rush anything. I mean in the end only the quality counts. It just has to be as good as we can make it. So we really spend a lot of time fine tuning the album till we felt it was done.

For this album Josh Kreger wrote all the lyrics and also the story and I’m extremely pleased with it. He did a phenomenal job. But I expected nothing less from him if I’m honest.

Q: Are there some aspects of the production you wanted to improve? Or maybe change? And are there innovating elements running through the album as well?

Stefan: Some time ago I invested in new speakers and thats the first mind.in.a.box album I could mix on them. They are just amazing and they helped me a lot. Productionwise I still work like always. Adding stuff and removing what sounds bad.

Q: “Broken Legacies” has been introduced as ‘an album clarifying several major themes from previous albums’. It only becomes more confusing to me, so what is it all about?

Stefan: Yeah its not easy isn’t it? If you really want to understand it you have to read through all the stories we published, maybe several times. But even then I guess you have to ask me some questions.

“Broken Legacies” goes back in time about 20 years ago. It was even before “Lost Alone”. The Friend is this time our protagonist. He was the guy Mr. Black killed on the “Lost Alone”-album in the song “Forever Gone”. But he is not really gone. Don’t tell it to anyone.

Q: What does the title of the album reflect and how did you transpose this content into the artwork and the music?

Stefan: The Friend designed a system what the Agency is using to control everything. At that time he thought it was a good thing, but then he realized what he has done and joined the Rebels. Since then he is trying to repay his dept.

All the artwork was painted by Polina Sofronova. She is an unbelievable good painter. I Was very glad to had her onboard.

Q: You clearly are not a ‘typical’ electro-pop band so what’s your perception on electro-pop and where do you place M.I.A.B. on the map?

Stefan: Mind.in.a.box is more like an electronic music-movie for your mind. It’s more complicated but it still has some electro-pop elements. Its more soundtrack orientated.

Q: I don’t want to compare M.I.A.B. to another band because you simply are incomparable, but for the very first time I hear atmospheres, arrangements and even the vocals reminding me of Michael Cretu (Enigma). What makes your sound that ‘special’ and ‘different’ from other bands and did you find inspiration in the work of Cretu and/or other artists/genres?  

Stefan: Cretu is for sure an amazing producer. I liked a lot the album what he released with Peter Cornelius, a famous Austrian singer years ago. I think our understand for music is like everything else branded in our childhood. And I listened mostly computer music from the demo scene at that time. Thats the reason I think why mind.in.a.box sounds different. You want to arrange the music-puzzle pieces like you learned it in your childhood.

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.

Background/Info: Stefan Poiss is back with his ‘Mother ship’ project Mind.In.A.Box for a new voyage throughout sci-fi electro-pop fields. “Broken Legacies” has been presented as an album clarifying several major themes from previous albums. This album also is the first M.I.A.B. work released on Poiss own label Thyx Records.

Content: M.I.A.B. remains a very particular and rather unique experience in electro-pop music. This new album moves on there where previous work stopped. It’s a styled and somewhat complex pop format carried by great sound treatments and recovered with space-like atmospheres. I now and then also noticed a psychedelic touch, which is more familiar in Thyx (side-project).

The vocals of Stefan Poiss once more remain an essential aspect of the production. Next to the familiar robotic effects, he once more reveals great vocal capacities.

+ + + : “Broken Legacies” is a diversified piece of work, which remains one of the main characteristics of this formation. M.I.A.B. moves from danceable cuts to pure evasive tracks to pop-rock approach. The progression of the songwriting is absolutely impressive. This work sometimes reminds me to Michael Cretu (Enigma). There’s a similar genius emerging from the production characterized by an evasive/astral sound dimension and composed with great sound treatments. The ambient- and somewhat psychedelic touch is another element reminding me of Cretu’s work. But M.I.A.B. first of all remains a band taking some distance with the ‘familiar’ electro-pop standards. The final part of the album reveals the most danceable cuts, which I personally prefer. There are many noticeable songs such as “World Of Promises”, “Don’t Sleep” and “Arcade” featuring delicious female vocals.

– – – : This album needs a few listening before you really get into the sound universe of this band. It’s not a classical electro-pop album and that might be an obstacle for electro-pop lovers in search of new Depeche Mode clones.

Conclusion: While electro-pop music often is a genre that will make you dance and make you happy, Mind.In.A.Box more sounds as a voyage throughout new electro-pop paths. It remains one of the most atypical- and visionary projects dealing with electro-pop and therefore one of the few artists who dares to innovate.

Best songs: “World Of Promises”, “Don’t Sleep”, “Arcade”, “Icebox”, “Attack”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.mindinabox.com / www.facebook.com/mindinabox.official

Label: http://thyxmusic.com/store

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, experimental.

Background/Info: Massiv In Mensch has already been active since 1993; but the German electro formation disappeared a bit from the radar during the past few years. This new opus stands for a ‘symbolic’  new beginning and the first album they ever released on Swedish label Katyusha Records.

Content: Massiv In Mensch moved a bit towards ‘classical’ electro-pop with a typical German flavor on top. The band has used to familiarize us with trance-driven electro-techno music, but now comes closer to the ‘nintendo’-pop of Welle: Erdball. I guess it’s not really a coincidence if ‘Honey’ (from Welle: Erdball) contributed to one of the songs.

Massiv In Mensch accomplished their work with several ‘guests’ while the second album reveals a festival of remixes by new label mates Trakktor and other artists such as Stefan Poiss (Mind.In.A.Box, Thyx), Kontrast, Ginger Snap5, Tritoxin and a few more less familiar names.

+ + + : This is probably one of the most versatile productions by Massiv In Mensch. I like their move towards a more ‘classical’ electro-pop sound, which is however strongly inspired by a typical German sound, which will appeal to lovers of Kraftwerk, Welle: Erdball and co. The work features great sound treatments accentuated by cool bleeping sequences and a few alluring choruses. I like most of these songs and especially the ones featuring male- and female vocals. Other cool cuts are the ones with great narrating voices (like the opening track).

The second disc is much more than simply an extra disc with remixes. There’s a cool diversity running through the songs and especially the song “Hamburg” appears to be a great source of inspiration for remixes. But my favorite track of the album is the “Altlast-Maschinen-Boss-Mix” of “Aggressive Leader” by Mirco Osterthun… who’s an ex member of the band.

– – – : I get the impression that Massiv In Mensch deliberately moved from their trance-techno music to get back to pure electro-pop. I didn’t have anything against their previous work and even believe it also made their originality. That’s a bit what I’m missing on “Am Port Der Guten Hoffnung”.

Conclusion: Not sure if “Am Port Der Guten Hoffnung” is announcing a new era for Massiv In Mensch, but it clearly sounds as something different and a kind of rupture with the past.

Best songs: “Hamburg”, “Türkis Ist Das Neue Schwarz”, “Port der guten Hoffnung”, “Le-Rav II” + “November – Tritoxin Remake”, “Aggressive Leader – Altlast-Maschinen-Boss-Mix”, “Telespiel Am Timmendorfer Strand – Bonus Track”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.massivinmensch.de / www.facebook.com/massivinmensch

Label: www.katyusha.se / www.facebook.com/katyusharecords

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.

Background/Info: Hand In Waves is a German electronic music project mainly inspired and driven through electro-pop music. A few number of EP’s have been released thus far. “Hover In Remedy” was released earlier this year while there also is a brand-new EP. Notice by the way that the EP has been mastered by Jan L (Noisuf-X, X-Fusion, Stoppenberg)

Content: “Hover In Remedy” creates some distance with the classical electro-pop standards. The sound is inspired by more intelligent and sophisticated productions, which sometimes remind me a bit to the astral dimension of Mind.In.A.Box. There also is a kind of space-effect on top of the vocals, reinforcing this galactic dimension.

+ + + : What I especially like in the sound of this band is the creative spirit to compose a ‘different’ kind of electro-pop music. Even if some passages make me think of Mind.In.A.Box, Hand In Waves is not a copyist, but a project exploring refreshing electronic fields in pop music. The space atmosphere supporting the entire EP is quite exciting, but I also enjoyed the global sound treatments and the effect on top of the vocals. You here and there will notice a few more influences such as an EBM bass line and technoid arrangements, which is reinforcing the creative approach of the sound.

– – – : The single reproach I can make is a lack of diversity between the 4 songs. It all sounds cool, but without a real climax!

Conclusion: Hand In Waves is an interesting formation for their more personal electro-pop sound. It sounds a bit like an electro-pop alien surrounded by Depeche Mode clones. This is a band to keep an eye on!

Best songs: “Embraced By The Machines”, “Freethinker”.

Rate: (7).

Band: http://handinwaves.com / www.facebook.com/handinwaves

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.

Background/Info: Isak Rypdal is a name that will immediately ring a bell for numerous electro-pop lovers. Rypdal of course is one of the members of the famous Norwegian formation Electro Spectre. Model1 is a new side-project by this producer.

Content: The album takes off with an alluring space-pop cut, which reminds me to Mind.In.A.Box. The robotic vocals inject a good-old vintage touch to the work. This song however is not entirely representative for the rest of the work. Model1 deals with a rather soft, but fully evasive electro-pop format, which is carried by an outstanding production. The addiction of a few female vocals makes it even a bit transcendental. The clear and captivating male vocals totally fit the music.

Model1 brings pop music that will make you feel happy. Some hopping sequences and rhythms both inject some dynamics although the songs remain very sweet-like.

+ + + : “The Vocoders Strikes Back” is a beautiful piece of music carried by a real professional production. It sounds clean and accomplished revealing a few highlights on the second part of the album. The final (bonus) song featuring Kist (female singer singing on a few cuts) is the real apotheosis to this opus.

– – – : I honestly expected a bit more from this album. It for sure is an entertaining composition, but I’m missing elements like a carrying melody and other catchy ingredients. I sincerely get the impression there’s more potential inside this artist than what came out on this debut-album.

Conclusion: Isak Rypdal is an artist who no longer needs to prove anything, which doesn’t mean that all his work is successful. This is an entertaining album, but not exactly one that will enter into history.

Best songs: “River Of Men”, “I Need To be Found”, “Let Me Fly Away”, “If The Machines Comes Back”.

Rate: (6½).

Band: www.facebook.com/Model1Official

Label: www.razgrom.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Razgrom–Music/218060094876247

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: Dance-pop, electro-pop, future-pop.

Background/Info: Alexandr Krivoruko aka Alex Mental is the artist behind the Russian band Mental Discipline. I discovered this band on the debut album “Constellation” (2012), which had a great impact on me. The band released a few EP’s as well and is now ready to confirm its high electro-pop potential with this new full length. It looks more like an EP instead of an album because of the many remixes and no real new songs.

Content: A few songs have been previously released at EP’s and digital productions while other familiar songs have been remixed by an interesting list of bands featuring Assemblage 23, Mind.In.A.Box, Ginger Snap5 and [:SITD:] as most the famous names. Tess Fries (Dual Density) has been featured on two songs while another track features Pulcher Femina (remixed by [:SITD:]) and another one !Distain.

The hard dance-pop style of the Russian formation comes rapidly through. It’s an ultra danceable production merged with efficient and fully carrying leads. But Mental Discipline also deals with a few softer and beautiful songs.

The multiple remixes inject some diversity in the tracklist, sometimes seriously transposing the original versions into a more personal format. Paralyzed did a great job, but I especially have to mention Mind.In.A.Box achieving an amazing remix of “Precious Paradise”. I also –and quite logically, have to mention the great remixing skills of Assemblage 23. Some of the best cuts however remain the ones featuring the powerful vocals of Tess Fries.

+ + + : “Precious Paradise” features some beautiful ‘rare’ songs or simply songs you’ve missed if you’re not familiar with the entire discography of this band. This is why this album is fully recommended. I enjoyed the mix of dance- and future-pop, but still a few more evasive songs. There are a few great remixes featured and I especially want to mention the delicate work of Paralyzed, which reminds me a bit of Wolfsheim.

– – – : It’s just a pity the album has nothing that new to offer. The danceable aspect of the work also is an element that might took traditional pop lovers away. It injects a kind of commercial element, which is not that inventive.

Conclusion: If you like dance-pop music this is for sure a band that will fulfill all your expectations. Mental Discipline for sure is one of the hottest Russian electronic bands in the past few years.

Best songs: Precious Paradise – Mind.In.A.Box Remix”, “Over Horizon feat. Pulcher Femina – Paralyzed Remix”, “We Are No Machines feat. Tess Fries”, “Until The End”, “Pray For Me feat. !Distain – Island Chord Remix”, “Fall To Pieces”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.facebook.com/mentaldiscipline

Label: http://skyqode.com / www.facebook.com/skyqode

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 Russian synthpop / futurepop project Mental Discipline entered the scene with their debut album “Constellation” featuring collaborations with the vocalists from bands like Frozen Plasma, !Distain, Culture Kultür, Endanger, Pulcher Femina, Spektralized, and many others. The debut was followed by two digital-only EPs, “Fall 2 Pieces” (2013) and “Butterfly” (2014), featuring both new tracks and remixes of the tracks from the debut album.

Finally out via SkyQode now (you can order the release here) is a special CD (“Precious Paradise”) which consists of the tracks from both digital EPs, as well as a couple of previously unreleased tracks. This limited CD edition comes in a 6-panel digipak and contains 13 tracks in all. Among them are the collaborations with Swedish singer Tess Fries as well as remixes from such artists as Assemblage 23, Mind.In.A.Box, [:SITD:], and more.

“Precious Paradise” acts as a warm-up for the band’s upcoming second album “Past Forward” due later this year.

The tracklist:

01. Fall To Pieces
02. Butterfly (Unity One Remix)
03. WDYWFM (feat. Spektralized) (Assemblage 23 Remix)
04. We Are No Machines (feat. Tess Fries)
05. Over Horizon (feat. Pulcher Femina) (Paralyzed Remix)
06. Fall To Pieces (Warmer Mix)
07. God & Devil (feat. Cold In May) (Ginger Snap5 Remix)
08. Precious Paradise (Mind.In.A.Box Remix)
09. Over Horizon (feat. Pulcher Femina) ([:SITD:] Remix)
10. Give Me A Memory (feat. Tess Fries)
11. Pray For Me (feat. !Distain) (Island Chord Remix)
12. Pain & Regrets
13. Until The End

You can check a teaser 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

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro, apocalyptic-pop, industrial-ambient.

Content: Dead When I Found Her unleashes its 3rd full length album, which features 10 new songs plus a bonus disc (for the limited edition) with 6 extra songs.

Michael Arthur Holloway progressively becomes a real reference when it comes to speaking about intelligent electronic acts. This is not a stereotypical dark-electro formation getting the title of x-cheap emulation of an established band. “All The Way Down” confirms a sophisticated approach in writing and a great mixture of influences.

I don’t want to make any real comparison, but if you can imagine a hybrid between the evasive, icy sound of Haujobb, the complexity and industrial electro sounds of Skinny Puppy and the astral-pop style plus a similar way of singing as Mind.In.A.Box you’ll get an idea about this album.

“All The Way Down” is a perfect sonic balance between different elements, but where complexity remains fully accessible. Holloway composed a kind of sonic enigma, which is hard to decipher, but easy to listen. The work takes off a rather electro-rock way evolving into a complex cinematographic composition taking the listener in a dense sonic web for more than 6 minutes. “The Unclean” coming up next is quite different revealing a short and bombastic cut with samplings. The contrast between both songs already shows the eclecticism and impressive sound arsenal of this work.

Things progressively get more and more fascinating with the kind of space-like atmospheres upholding the songs with an icy blast. “Downpour” is an absolute masterpiece in the genre, but I also have to mention “Misericordia” for its beautiful sound treatments and intriguing choir parts while the vocals remind me of Stefan Poiss (Mind.In.A.Box).

“Blood Lesson” is one more song to pay attention to and I here got the impression of embarking on an apocalyptic-pop voyage mixing wafting atmospheres and beautiful sound sculptures.

The album finally comes to end a rather dreamy way. The sound comes pretty close to a real soundtrack experience at “The Noise Above Us” while there’s no better- and appropriated title than “At Rest” to bring this work to an end.

The extra disc features 6 songs, which you really have to discover. The limited edition of this album is a must have. The songs are a bit more danceable and harder while holding on to their main sources of inspiration, but they simply are beautiful songs as well.

The hardest cut probably is “Spitting Seeds”, which comes close to a kind of terror-electro creation. This is the kind of song that will more appeal for the real dark-electro heads. The most surprising song and yet one of the absolute attention grabbers is a cover version of Ministry’s “You Know What You Are”. This song is a kind of challenge as covering Ministry might be considered as a blasphemous exercise, but Michael Arthur Holloway did it with bombast and intelligence like injecting a new life to this legendary, early hit of Ministry.

The opening song “New Drugs” is one more noticeable song, which is a bit more into EBM. Last, but not least I also have to mention “So Cold” for its familiar complexity and brutal guitar riffs.

Conclusion: This album already got a very positive reaction and I can only, but agree that Dead When I Found Her has accomplished a brilliant opus. It’s not the most accessible song in the genre, but this is not electronic music for dummies, but for music lovers in search of creative, artistic minds.

Best songs: “Downpour”, “Misericordia”, “Bloodlesson”, “Threadbare”, “The Noise Above Us” + “Spitting Seeds”, “You Know What You Are”.

Rate: (DP:8½)DP.

Band: www.facebook.com/deadwhenifoundher

Label: www.artoffact.com / www.facebook.com/artoffact

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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