The Brussels-based Spleen+ label (a division of Alfa Matrix) has prepared a deluxe 7CD collector’s edition – “Resurgence” – which brings together 133 active bands from across the globe, spanning the diverse sub-genres born from post-punk’s iconic roots. You can order it now from the Alfa Matrix webstore and in digital download format from Bandcamp.

The release comes housed in a luxurious vinyl-sized box, and comes accompanied by a 28-page book. The book holds interviews from renowned producers like John Fryer and Jean-Marc Lederman, label managers, journalists, and iconic artists (including Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, William Faith, No More, Skeletal Family, Mona Mur, KaS Product, And Also The Trees, Clan Of Xymox, Attrition, Das Ich, Merciful Nuns, The Names, The Breath Of Life, etc).

Spanning 23 different nationalities, the music included is a genre-spanning mix of post-punk, cold wave, dark synth, ethereal, and minimal EBM with such bands like Boy Harsher, A Cloud Of Ravens, No More, Skeletal Family, Collection D’Arnell Andrea, Underviewer, Attrition, Merciful Nuns, Lederman/De Meyer, Local Suicide & Sekelesys, Star Industry, Ataraxia, Czarina, Helalyn Flowers, Ascii.Disko, Je T’Aime, The Ultimate Dreamers, Lycia, Opera Multi Steel, The Breath Of Life, Auger, The Names, Whispers In The Shadow, Lovelorn Dolls, Astari Nite, Chiasm, Saigon Blue Rain, Omnimar, Still Patient, Creux Lies, Golden Apes, and many more.

You can already check out a few tracks here.

Apart from the 7CD vinyl size deluxe carton box format, “Resurgence” will not be available on mainstream digital platforms, except exclusively via the label’s Bandcamp page.

There is also a special combi pack including the 7CD set plus Darkness On Demand’s “Panic In Reserve” CD and To Avoid’s “All Gods Are Gone” 2CD.

“Resurgence” Tracklist

Cd 1

1. Bestial Mouths . Hex (The Spell)
2. A Cloud Of Ravens . Parable
3. Boy Harsher . Give Me A Reason
4. Czarina . Wonderland
5. Collection D’arnell Andrea . Waiting For Meaulnes
6. Krystal System . La Lame Dans Ta Main
7. Je T’aime . Out Of Sight
8. Aeon Rings . Fully Operational
9. The Ultimate Dreamers . Polarized
10. Partikul . Nothing Good In Me
11. Cosmobrigade . Spacepit
12. Aeon Sable . From Witchcraft To Deviltry
13. Stereoskop . Deep Down
14. The Breath Of Life . Slowly Crushing
15. Faust Project . Rats Lullaby
16. Al . Mistake
17. N.E.L. & J.P . Desinteresse
18. Zeitgeist Zero . Scream
19. Voyna . Moulding Heart

Cd 2

1. Blackbook . You Are Strange
2. Auger . My Heart Is Glass
3. Dekad . A Deadly Show (Video Edit)
4. Love In Cage . A Logical Secret Collection
5. Helalyn Flowers . Halos
6. Soft Scent . No Wounds
7. Sweet Ermengarde . Sweet Sacrifice
8. Martin Dupont . Bent At The Window (2023)
9. The Names . Far From The Factories
10. Boxes Of Blow . Melting Faces
11. Mirror Of Haze Feat. Primitive Heart . Reckless
12. A Slice Of Life . Seven Days
13. Then Comes Silence . Pretty Creatures
14. Nite . Inside Of My Head
15. Astari Nite . Bowie In Daydreams
16. Korus . Złote Światło Pierwszego Zachodu
17. Lovelorn Dolls . A Heart Cries
18. Whispers In The Shadow . Revenants
19. Merciful Nuns . Oneironauts

Cd 3

1. Lederman – De Meyer . Heartbeat
2. Local Suicide & Skelesys . Surface Of The Sun (Radio Edit)
3. Punx Soundcheck Feat. Ascii.Disko & Princess Superstar . Gasoline
4. No More . Sleepers And Trains
5. Mitra Mitra . Memories For Company
6. A Copy For Collapse Feat. Simona Pietrucci . Faded
7. Alien Skin . Depress Me
8. White Mansion . Cancel The Sky
9. Apnoie . Splash Your Bile
10. Celluloide . Compte Les Ombres
11. Risk Risk . Streetwalk
12. Total Chroma . Northern Lights
13. Opera Multi Steel . À Nos Moments Perdus
14. Lycia . Simpler Times
15. Noemi Aurora . Blood As Lipstick
16. Novus . Ess
17. I Ya Toyah . Death’s Kiss
18. Katcross . Rest
19. Winter Severity Index . Speak To Me

Cd 4

1. Systeme Paradoxe . Comme Le Sable En Hiver
2. Aiboforcen . Break The Black Ice (Original Mix)
3. Chiasm . Cut Right Through (Emileigh Rohn Edit)
4. Saigon Blue Rain . Dolls Dresses
5. Her Own World . Mistrust
6. Still Patient Feat. Minu-Schirin Samimi . Blind Vision
7. Creux Lies . Playtime
8. Der Klinke . Curtains (Your Life On Hold Remix)
9. On The Floor . Crying On The Dancefloor
10. Numa Echos Feat. Red Zebra . Waisted Items
11. Factheory . The Day (Ok Lion! Mix – Short Version)
12. Antiflvx . Crystal
13. Flor Concreta . She’s Closer
14. Golden Apes . Ash Trees
15. Glis . Blue Sky Night
16. Ataraxia . The Source
17. Hanging Freud . Grooming
18. Ok Lion! . Get Away
19. Yuzna . Queen Of The Eels

Cd 5

1. The Breath Of Life Feat. Implant . The Last Record
2. The Halo Trees . Happy Man
3. Palm Ghosts . Tilt
4. Your Life On Hold . Imprisoned (Merciless Radio Edit)
5. Götterdämmerung . Common Existence
6. Jenni Sex . Sin Chimes
7. Denner . She Radiates Darkness
8. Imjudas . I Love You
9. Black Needle Noise . Dollhouse On Fire
10. Dead Souls Rising . Dysmorphobia
11. The Waning Moon . Annabel
12. Korinthians . Leader Of The Night
13. Elektrostaub Feat. Stefan Netschio . Mantis (Auger Remix)
14. Omnimar . The Matrix
15. Synapsyche Feat. Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost) . The Last Dying Flame
16. Dance My Darling . Criminal
17. First Aid 4 Souls Feat. Emke Of Black Nail Cabaret . Das Messer
18. Supernova 1006 . Tell Your Name (Mix)
19. Suicidal Romance . Runaways

Cd 6

1. Ascii.Disko . Loslassen
2. Vioflesh . Emotions
3. Dina Summer . Who Am I (Club Version)
4. Pleasure Victim . Rascheln
5. Pink Opake . Pronta
6. Thewalkingicon . The Trail (Radio Edit)
7. Psy’aviah Feat. Sorrow Stories . Healing
8. Seasurfer . Collapsing
9. Lakeside X . Fire In The Sky (Radio Version)
10. Darkness On Demand . Hang On (Winterhart Remix)
11. Star Industry . Selling Icons (The Dreamside Remix)
12. Alphavox . Dark Satellite
13. Yama Uba . Shapes
14. Lifeless Past . Anxiety
15. Pink Turns Blue . Not Gonna Take It
16. Social Union . Waiting For Red
17. Sine . Until (Clan Of Xymox Remix)
18. Sorry, Heels . She Burns (We Burn) Version
19. Lights A.M . Clouds

Cd 7

1. Useless/You . Echo
2. Attrition . The Great Derailer
3. Children Of Zeal . Taking Over
4. Octolab . Friend Or Foe
5. Vague Phonique . The Last Man
6. Midnight Poetry . Black Hole
7. The Overlookers . Undercover (Edit)
8. La Machine . Vamos A La Playa (Radiomix)
9. Die Sexual . House Of God
10. Carrellee . Morning Sun
11. Underviewer . Was Soll Ich Tun (Aiboforcen Remix)
12. Night In Athens . Words Unspoken
13. Neila Invo . Alienation
14. Skeletal Family . My Own Redemption
15. The Murder Mystery . A Girl Named Red
16. Princess Ugly . For A Moment I Forgot The Desolation
17. Instant Lake . Ivory Dreams
18. Vision Video . Balaclava Kiss
19. La Scaltra . Dancing On Debris

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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Yishai Sweartz of Tomorrow’s Rain and Berlin-based singer/composer Mona Mur are releasing a new album on June 20 via Soleilmoon Recordings. Titled “Clouds Of War,” the album is inspired by the life of Sweartz’s grandfather, Moshe Szniecki, a WWII Partisan. The music includes spoken word and experimental arrangements.

Yishai explains in the press release that “Clouds Of War” emerged from the compelling stories in his grandfather’s diary. During WWII, Moshe left his hometown at 17 after his family was murdered. He survived by joining a Partisan group in the Belarusian forests. He later settled in Israel, living peacefully until his death at 94. Yishai explains further: “During World War II, 17-year-old Moshe Szniecki left his hometown when all other members of his family were murdered by Nazi hordes. In the depths of the Belarusian forests, Moshe joined a Partisan group and fought boldly. Guided by what he called ‘The Codes of the Woods,’ Moshe survived.” He made it to Israel, married, and had a family with his wife Hanna and two daughters. He died peacefully at 94, at ease with himself. He survived.”

“To me, music is a sacred art form. You can transmit and connect on a level of empathy. Violence, cruelty, greed, ego, hate, contempt, hostility dissolve for a fleeting moment that still might change things profoundly,” explains Mona Mur reflecting on the conceptual side of the collaboration that lead to the release of “Clouds of War”. “What is the right look at the atrocities of war, holocaust, genocide ? Moshe Shnitzki, 17 years old, had to transform in a split second, in order to survive, from a pious teenage boy into a warrior. Fight back or die, head into the deep dark forest, leave a civilization that failed to rise up to its proper meaning. And survive. How does that feel, how does that sound ? This is what “Clouds of War” is about.”

The collaboration between the two musicians began in summer 2021 when diary excerpts, translated into English, were recorded by Yishai Sweartz and sent to Mona Mur. In her studio KATANA, Mona Mur used these as the basis for the album, adding layers of voices, guitar, and electronic sounds.

As the project evolved, Anja Huwe of X-mal Deutschland contributed her voice. The album is also already featured in Elfi Mikesch’s documentary “War or Peace”. You can pre-order their album below on Bandcamp and check out the first 2 songs already.

About Yishai Sweartz and Mona Mur

Yishai Sweartz is a musician, performer and music promoter from Tel Aviv, Israel. He is the vocalist of the bands Tomorrow’s Rain and Nail Within and the avant-garde dark ambient project Thy Mesmerized. A frequent collaborator of a large number of artists including Mille Petrozza (Kreator), Attila Csihar(Mayhem), Fernando Ribeiro (Moonspell), Gregor Mackintosh (Paradise Lost), Michael Denner (Mercyful Fate / King Diamond) and many others. Yishai has promoted hundreds of Rock and Metal shows in Israel for more than 25 years.

Mona Mur from her side is a singer, musician, composer and producer, famous for her collaborations and live shows with the likes of FM Einheit (Einstürzende Neubauten), En Esch (KMFDM), Grzegorz Ciechowski (Republika) or JJ Burnel (The Stranglers). She also created film music (“Last Exit: Space”) and video game soundtracks (“Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days”).

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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(Photo by WDR / Becker) Out now is a live LP+DVD holding Alan Vega’s Rockpalast concert from 1982. The concert, titled “Live at Rockpalast 1982”, was filmed on June 4th, 1982 at Sartory in Cologne (Germany) during the 82′ ‘Collision Drive’-Tour. In 1981 Alan Vega had released his second solo LP under the title “Collison Drive”.

The vinyl LP comes with an eight-page booklet and a DVD, containing the entire live show. Also on the DVD is the art exhibition ‘Alan Suicide: Collision Drive 2002’ at Deitch Projects in New York. It was Alan Vega ́s first exhibition after 18 years.

The release itself is part of the ‘play loud! (live) music series’ which is based on three precepts: Alan Lomax´s work as an archivist and chronicler, John Peel´s BBC radio sessions, and the work of Direct Cinema pioneers, such as the Maysles Brothers, Leacock, Wildenhahn, Blank and Pennebacker. Other artists that have seen releases via this series include Mona Mur, Familie Hesselbach, Friedman + Liebezeit:, but also the Tapetopia compilation series.

Rockpalast (Rock Palace) is a German music television show that broadcasts live on National German TV since 1974 and continues to this day. Hundreds of rock, pop, heavy metal and jazz bands performed on Rockpalast.

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: Industrial, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Sabine Bredy known as ‘Mona Mur’ is what we might call a veteran from the Industrial scene. She worked with some of the greatest and legendary names of the Industrial scene and is still doing her own thing. She remains actively involved in composing music and strikes back with “Snake Island”. For this work she collaborated with Goldkind while a few guests have been invited to join in.

Content: Mona Mur first of all remains a charismatic female artist with an alluring timbre of voice. Sound-wise the album sounds like it was written without true compromises. A free-Industrial style now empowered by heavy, menacing, guitar play and next moving into Ballad-style. In between you’ll discover a cover version of Motörhead. Gary Schmalzl and the unavoidable En Ensch collaborated on one song each.

+ + + : I remain a true adept to the vocals of Mona Mur. She injects passion, sensuality and rage. The way she’s singing on the cover version of Motörhead’s legendary “Ace Of Spades” says it all. Sound-wise I like the way this Industrial sound format has been adapted into a very intimate sound; menacing guitar riffs and terrific bass lines but always with a refined touch on top. Sometimes moving at the edge of chaos but never losing control!

– – – : The ‘free-style’ needs time to really get into it. I’m less convinced by the ‘softer’, ballad-styled, tracks.

Conclusion: Industrial music with a visionary appeal.

Best songs: “Dream Rider”, “Ace Of Spades”, “Venus And Mars”, “Shades”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/monamur.official

Label: www.givetake.life /  www.facebook.com/givetakelife

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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(Photos by E Gabriel Edvy) Raymond Watts will return with “The Merciless Light”, the new album by PIG, on September 23rd. For the release Watts was joined by En Esch and Steve White, and also go extra help from ‘the new swine to the trough’ Jim Davies (Pitchshifter/The Prodigy).

Other musicians involved include Michelle Martinez, Mike Watts, Enrico Tomasso, Abbie Aisleen, Marc Heal, Jimmy Livingstone and Mona Mur.

The most recent full-length PIG studio album, “Pain Is God”, was released in 2020.

Three teasers from the album are available now in the form of video snippets, with a new single to follow in early September ahead of the album.

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

To support Namenlos and BLA, two clubs/live venues in Bonn (GER) a sampler has been released to donate towards the the 2 clubs who face financial problems due to the corona crisis. The bands featured include Flesh Wire, Armageddon Dildos feat. Melting Rust Opera, Mona Mur, Mind Area and Melting Rust Opera.

Every track on the sampler was written before the corona crisis took place and are previously unreleased tracks.

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

PIG is back in business. Raymond Watts will be releasing the album “Risen” later in June. For this album he collaborated with Ben Christo, Z.Marr, En Esch, Tim Skold, Marc Heal, Phil Barry, Mark Thwaite, Anita Sylph and Emre Ramazanoglu.

The new album is already up for pre-order and will count 14 tracks including 5 remixes.

Watts was an early member and periodic collaborator of KMFDM, and has been a visible part of the industrial music scene since the early 1980s. He has toured with KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails, Schaft, Schwein, and Einstürzende Neubauten and is basically the founding and sole member of the post-industrial music project PIG, sometimes written as <PIG> as well.

Some trivia you ought to know from Watts in case this is the first time you hear about him:

• From 1984 to 1986 Watts was sound engineer for Mona Mur.
• From 1985 to 1989 Watts was a sound engineer for Einstürzende Neubauten.
• Watts has occasionally collaborated with J. G. Thirlwell, briefly playing bass in Foetus Corruptus and co-writing songs for Steroid
• Maximus on the album “Gondwanaland”. Thirlwell, in turn, has cowritten and remixed songs for PIG.
• Watts recorded music for ex-girlfriend spoken-word artist Sow (aka Anna Wildsmith)’s 1994 album “Je M’Aime” and again for her
• 1998 album “Sick” and 2010 album “Dog”. “Je M’aime” was reissued under the name “Pig/Sow” in 1999.
• PIG’s 1995 album “Sinsation” was released in the US on Trent Reznor’s label Nothing Records.
• Several of his albums were originally released in Japan.
• Watts has performed with KMFDM as part of the touring lineup, with the concerts billed as “KMFDM featuring PIG”. The setlists for those shows feature KMFDM songs alongside Pig songs.

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

In collaboration with Side-Line Magazine, the Norwegian musician Håvard Ellefsen aka Mortiis releases the free 3-track charity single “Too Little Too Late” via the magazine’s Bandcamp page.

The single features 3 tracks including a remix by En Esch (KMFDM, Pigface, and Slick Idiot) which is exclusive to this single.

The 2 other tracks are the album version of “Too Little Too Late” which is taken from the album “The Great Deceiver” (Omnipresence Productions) and “The Ugly Truth (Je$us Loves Amerika Remix)” which is taken from the album “The Great Corrupter” (Omnipresence Productions). Also included in the full download of the single is the back of the cover artwork featuring full credits.

This free single is part of a series of singles which will be released over time via Side-Line by bands who support the charity projects Side-Line is backing. Feel free to donate if you want to, you’ll be making a difference for someone else in need.

Be sure to check www.mortiiswebstore.com and mortiis.bandcamp.com for further good music!

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, industrial, rock.

Background/Info: Klaus Schandelmaier better known under his artist name En Esch and his involvement in bands such as KMFDM, Pigface and Slick Idiot is back on track with a new full length under his own name. While En Esch released a few productions together with other artists, “Trash Chic” is his third album.

Content: “Trash Chic” is a solo-album although accomplished by the help of multiple ‘familiar’ contributors/guests such as Mona Mur, Guenter Schulz (ex-KMFDM), more collaborations with Trixie Reiss (Crystal Method), Alison Mack (Honest Marquee), Tasha Katrine & Rob Zilla (both More Machine Than Man), Raymond Watts ao.

The album became quite diversified although featuring the familiar ingredients of En Esch. The typical guitar riffs –which remain pretty close to KMFDM, mixed with electronic loops and an industrial sound atmosphere are still making the essence of this work. The vocals are mainly spooky while the female guests inject a more sensual touch.

There also is a remix of “Do Me” (which is a song that was originally released on the previous album “Spänk!”) by Leather Strip.

+ + + : En Esch is an artist I respect for having created his own style. It remains an essential aspect of this album, which  mixes electronics with guitar, alternating harder, danceable cuts with softer and sometimes more experimental pieces. I’m still totally wild about the guitar riffs creating this industrial touch. There’re a few great cuts featured and I especially want to recommend “Sweet Lord” and “Super Ego” while the Leather Strip remix is another attention grabber. The fans will be pleased to discover an album featuring 18 songs.

– – – : I like the title of the album although the title-song is a rather disappointing cut. A few more experimental-minded tracks aren’t exactly the best exponents of this work. En Esch remains pretty faithful to his sound formula so there’s no real trace of innovation here.

Conclusion: “Trash Chic” is an appropriated title for an album moving in between hard, familiar and typical En Esch songs at one side and softer cuts where he likes to experiment on the other side. The fans will get what they want!

Best songs: “Sweet Lord”, “Super Ego”, “A Bullet Fires In One Direction”, “Sucker”, “Do Me – Leather Strip Rmx”.

Rate: (7)

Band: www.enesch.de / www.facebook.com/slick.idiot.1

Label: www.distortionprod.com / www.facebook.com/distortionproductions

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