Genre/Influences: Rhythmic-Noise, Industrial-Techno, Techno.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Leif Künzel is back on track unleashing this year the eleventh installment on Hands of his Mono No Aware sonic alter-ego. The album which is Japanese for ‘solitude’ features thirteen songs plus one remix.

Content: For more than 20 years now Mono No Aware is taking the Industrial scene by force; composing merciless Rhythmic-Noise with some extra Techno-Industrial passages on top. The work is hard and driven by banging rhythms. A few tracks got a little elaboration by the addition of more explicit Electronic sequences and arrangements. Somewhere in the midst of the album you’ll find a remix by S.K.E.T.

+ + + : Mono No Aware stands for the ‘old-school’ sound of Hands; merciless rhythmic-Noise which comes over you like a big bang. There’s no real break,  just constant power which is from time to time boosted by extra Techno-Industrial influences. I also noticed cuts with broken rhythms but here again it all remains extremely powerful. The remix of “Surudoi” by S.K.E.T. injects a little diversity to the tracklist.

– – – : The previous album “Shinshoo” was my personal favorite from this artist. This new work sounds a bit like getting back to basics but is missing the magic I experienced at “Shinshoo”. This one sounds more repetitive and linear.

Conclusion: Even if this is not my favorite Mono No Aware production it still sounds like a dangerous sonic weapon; Rhythmic-Noise with a nuclear warhead!

Best songs: “(Das Ist) Neu”, “Surudoi – S.K.E.T. Remix”, “On The Peak Of My Int. Pitch Rate”, “Surudoi”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: https://mono-no-aware.bandcamp.com

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

About Mono No Aware

Mono No Aware is a rhythmic-noise project from Germany’s Ruhr area, founded by Leif Künzel in 1995 and joined for a period by Stefan Böhm before continuing as a solo project. The name refers to the Japanese aesthetic concept of mono no aware. Künzel has also released music as Norm and Ms MoNo. Mono No Aware has released numerous albums on Hands, including “Shinshoo”, followed by the eleventh album, “Koritsu”, which features a remix by S.K.E.T.

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: Industrial, Industrial-Techno, Rhythmic-Noise, IDM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: “Forms Of Hands” became a familiar compilation from the Dortmunder (Germany) based label Hands. Every year the label organizes a ‘family-festival’ featuring a list of bands from their roster. After the festival we always get a fine selection of bands which played at the festival featuring exclusive tracks for the compilation. Fourteen projects have been selected for 22-edition.

Artists: Strobo Lolita, Shrouds, Cervello Elettronico, MS Gentur, Greyhound, Nullvektor, Orphx, Sans-Fin, Phasenmensch + Antoine Saint-Martin, Monya, 16Pad Noise Terrorist, Maschinenkrieger KR52, Mono No Aware, Ah Cama-Sotz. 

Content: The compilation reveals familiar names featuring renowned projects from the ‘wider Industrial fields’ next to upcoming talents. But the sampler is also an opportunity to discover the sound of Hands; from good-old Rhythmic-Noise and harsh Industrial music mixed with extra influences like D’N’B and techno to more sophisticated compositions touching ground with IDM.

+ + + : Hands remains one of the ‘oldest’ and still leading labels from the Industrial fields. Old servants like Ah Cama-Sotz, Greyhound and Mono No Aware but also Maschinenkrieger KR52, MS Gentur, Nullvektor, 16Pad Noise Terrorist and the intelligent Industrial sound of Cervelllo Elettronico and Orphx will bring you power and joy. My personal favorites are Ah Cama-Sotz for its Technoid orientation revealing an artist who remains in constant progress and Maschinekrieger KR52 for its surprising Minimal/Techno-Industrial cut. Orphx remains another great and visionary formation revealing a Techno/EBM cut with Industrial elements on top. Other attention grabbers are Sans-Fin with a Technoid approach as well but also harsher cuts from Shrouds, Greyhound and the more Techno-Industrial MS Gentur. This compilation remains a must-have for all the exclusive cuts.

– – – : Still a great compilation, but from a very personal point of view not my favorite one from the impressive list which started in 2001.

Conclusion: This label compilation remains a great addition and souvenir to the festival night. Industrial rules!

Best bands: Maschinekrieger KR52, Ah-Cama-Sotz, Orphx, Sans-Fin, Nullvektor, MS Gentur, Greyhound, Cervello Elettronico, Strobo Lolita

Rate: 8.

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

About Hands

Hands is an electronic music and art label founded in 1990. The label organizes an annual Forms Of Hands family festival at which acts from its roster perform, with a compilation released afterward featuring exclusive tracks from the participating projects. The compilation series began in 2001 and is one of the longest-running annual industrial compilation series. The 22nd edition brings together fourteen projects from the label’s roster, including Ah Cama-Sotz, Mono No Aware, Sans-Fin, Shrouds, Orphx, Greyhound and Maschinenkrieger KR52.

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: Industrial, Rhythmic-Noise, Power-Noise, Industrial-Techno, Electro-Industrial.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The legendary “Forms Of Hands” festival got cancelled in 2020 because of the ongoing pandemic. So the 20^th edition took place in 2021 and was accompanied by the good-old compilation. We got fourteen projects and tracks.

Artists: <1979>, ICD-10, Hysteresis, Maschinenkrieger KR52, Heimstatt Yipotash, Mono No Aware, Monolith, Strobo.Lolita, 16Pad Noise Terrorist, Cervello Elettronico, MS Gentur, Greyhound, Nullvektor, Winterkälte.

Content: If you’re familiar with Hands you for sure recognize most of the bands. This new sampler is dominated by merciless Rhythmic/Power-Noise assaults from projects like Winterkälte, MS Gentur, Greyhound, Maschinenkrieger KR52, Mono No Aware and Strobo.Lolita. The Industrial-Techno format has been featured by ICD-10, HysteresisMonolith and Nullvektor. Other formations like <1979>, Heimstatt Yipotash and of course Cervello Elettronico bring a more sophisticated, minimal and intelligent sound. 16 Pad Noise Terrorist stands for the most Experimental touch of the compilation.

+ + + : Hands is a label I deeply respect for numerous reasons; first of all as leading label of qualitative ‘Industrial’ music, next for its longevity, but also for the will to innovate and give a chance to artists with a new and sometimes visionary approach of Industrial music. It has been perfectly represented by this new compilation. It’s interesting getting back to the first issues of this series and comparing it with this 20^th edition. It’s an amazing evolution in sound although the label always remained driven by Industrial music. The evolution of a band like Heimstatt Yipotash perfectly symbolizes the evolution of the label.

– – – : If you’re not into the harder Rhythmic-Noise side of the label, there are for sure better compilations in this series.

Conclusion: A hard, powerful and ultra-danceable vintage of Industrial music and who says Industrial, thinks Hands!

Best bands: Heimstatt Yipotash, Cervello elettronico, ICD-10, Nullvektor, Monolith, Hysteresis, >1979<.

Rate: 8.

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

About Hands

Hands Productions, known as Hands, was founded in 1990 by Udo Wiessmann in Fürth, Germany, as a platform for his own projects Atrum, Severance and Winterkälte. The label later moved to Dortmund and widened its catalogue to full-length artist albums, releasing early work by Orphx, Ah Cama-Sotz and S.K.E.T.

Since 2001 the label has issued an annual “Forms Of Hands” festival compilation gathering one track from each act on its roster. The 2020 edition of the festival was cancelled, so the twentieth edition took place in 2021. “Forms Of Hands 20 – 20th Edition” was released on 10 September 2021 with fourteen artists and fourteen tracks.

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: Rhythmic-Noise, Industrial, Industrial-Trance, Industrial-Techno.

Format: Digital, Cassette.

Background/Info: The ninth full length album by Mono No Aware is a fact! One year after the acclaimed “Mujoo”, German sound terrorist Leif Künzel strikes back with eight new cuts. The album has been digitally released, but is also available as a very limited cassette format of 100 copies.

Content: The work clearly sounds in the vein of “Mujoo”. Mono No Aware is not repeating itself, but moves on exploring the possibilities of Rhythmic-Noise. The work resulted in a few hard and ‘classical’ tracks in the genre, but again moves a step further by mixing elements of Trance-, Industrial- and Techno music. Mono No Aware has sophisticated some parts of the production during the past few years. It creates a more diversified and accessible work.

+ + + : Mono No Aware has released true masterpieces in the Rhythmic-Noise genre and gained a great live reputation. But I especially like the way Leif Künzel progressively explored and added new ideas to the basis of his work. “Kyouran”, “Freak Out” and “Why Do You Look At Me?” are representative and accomplished cuts revealing the ‘progressive’ sound of the artist. But the fans will be also pleased discovering good-old tracks symbolizing the furious Rhythmic-Noise approach; rough and unpolished, merciless and stubborn! If the previous album was a great one, I can tell you this new work is maybe even better!

– – – : The cassette format is cool for its old-school format, but it’s a pity this sonic jewel is not available as a CD or vinyl. I also regret the work only features 8 tracks, which stands for 38 minutes of music!

Conclusion: “Shinshoo” is the ultimate point of music, the threshold of sonic terror! This is for sure my favorite format of sonic terrorism.

Best songs: “Freak Out”, “Why Do You Look At Me?”, “Kyouran”, “Morph”, “Tonal Noise”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: https://mono-no-aware.bandcamp.com

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

About Mono No Aware

Mono No Aware is the German rhythmic-noise project of Leif Künzel. The project’s discography includes “Kitanai Yatsu” (2000), “Kika No Sekai” (2002, released as the LP “Kikai No Sekai” in 2003), “Kataku” (2005), “Ketoujin” (2008), the EP “Pachinko To Hanbaagaa” (2010) and “Tatemae” (2012), all on HANDS, followed by “Oto” (2017) and “Mujoo” (2019).

“Shinshoo” followed in December 2020 as an eight-track, 38-minute album, issued digitally and on a limited run of 100 hand-numbered cassette tapes.

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: Industrial, Industrial-Techno, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The German Hands label is without a shadow of a doubt one of the Industrial leading companies of this scene. Hands this year celebrates its 30^th anniversary while the legendary label compilation “Forms Of Hands” celebrates its 20^th anniversary. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the annual festival was postponed to 2020, but the compilation is still there to please the fans of Industrial music. Fourteen bands have been selected!

Artists: >1979<, Last Days Of S.E.X., Maschinenkrieger KR52, MS Gentur, Mono No Aware, Ah Cama-Sotz, Orphx, Strobo.Lolita, MDD, Proyecto Mirage, Greyhound, Nullvektor, Monolith, Winterkälte.

Content: This sampler gives the listeners a perfect summary and taste of the Hands roster. There’s a mix of ‘traditional’ Industrial and Rhythmic-Noise bands (Greyhound, Last Days Of S.E.X…) and more contemporary Industrial terrorists, mixing Industrial- and Techno music (Ah Cama-Sotz, Orphx, Strobo.Lolita, Monolith…). Somewhere in between you’ve the minimalism of projects such as Nullvektor and Proyecto Mirage. This compilation is hard and danceable, but still diversified.

+ + + : When you just have a look at the tracklist, you know why Hands is one of the leading labels of Industrial music –and probably ‘the’ leading one… the number of big names is impressive. Artists such as Orphx, Monolith, Winterkälte, Ah Cama-Sotz and Greyhound don’t need any further introduction, but can even after years of involvement still take me by surprise. I also have to mention one of the new signed bands, Strobo.Lolita also took me by surprise and has recently released a great debut opus. The comeback of Proyecto Mirage is another major thing.

– – – : Each compilation has its favorites and others that can’t totally convince me; luckily there’s nothing to throw away here.

Conclusion: No festival this year; but F*** the pandemic! Here’s the twentieth chapter of “Forms Of Hands” and I can tell you, it’s a great vintage!

Best bands: Strobo.Lolita, Proyecto Mirage, Monolith, Ah Cama-Sotz, MS Gentur, Orphx.

Rate: (8).

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

About Forms Of Hands

“Forms Of Hands” is the long-running compilation series of the German label HANDS, which marked its 30th anniversary in 2020, the same year the series reached its twentieth edition. That year’s usual accompanying festival was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the compilation itself still gathered fourteen acts from the HANDS roster, including Ah Cama-Sotz, Orphx, Monolith, Proyecto Mirage and Strobo.Lolita.

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: Soundscape, dark-ambient.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Italian ambient artist Paolo Iannantuoni aka ‘Nāda Mushin’has released several songs on digital platforms during the past few years. He joined hands together with KrysaliSound to unleash his debut album “Mono No Aware”, which has been introduced as‘ a soulful peregrination that constellate the emotional chrysalises of a two years existential journey, flanked by an experimental sound research aimed at the composition of sonic landscapes, which attempt to enclose and recall these states; the result of free and spontaneous improvisations from demanding pathos, then finely embroidered in ever changing sonic buds’.

Content: The sound universe of “Mono No Aware” is clearly leading the listener into a dark and mysterious voyage created by electronic manipulations –mainly resulting in endless sonic waves, guitar effects and field recordings. The songs are characterized by a slow progression where different noises are emerging at the surface. The field recordings are important here, but I also noticed multiple sharp noise treatments and boiling sound waves.

+ + + : The opening track “Kōun 行雲 | To Drift Like Clouds” is an overwhelming piece of music, which immediately takes you by the throat. It also has a strong visual appeal, which is one of the main characteristics of this album. The dark and low tones create this nihilistic vision. Next to the opening track I also have to mention “Dawn” and “Yūgen 幽玄”. This is the right music to complete a visual performance.

– – – : The sound formula is not new at all and has something a bit predictable after a while. That’s why some passages are a little bit boring.

Conclusion: “Mono No Aware” is an interesting release in its genre; definitely minimal-like, but worthy of examination if you’re into obscure soundscape productions.

Best songs: “Kōun 行雲 | To Drift Like Clouds”, “Dawn”, “Yūgen 幽玄”, “Hypnos”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/Nāda–Mushin-366440473454731  

Label: www.krysalisound.com / www.facebook.com/Krysalisound-1878260159069174

About Nāda Mushin

Nāda Mushin is the recording name of Italian ambient artist Paolo Iannantuoni, who released several tracks on digital platforms before signing to KrysaliSound for the debut album “Mono No Aware,” reviewed here. No further releases under the Nāda Mushin name are listed in Side-Line’s archive or on Discogs since.

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: Rhythmic-noise, industrial, industrial-trance.

Background/Info: The German sonic ogre is back on track unleashing the seventh album since “Kitanai Yatsu” (2000). 

Content: Operator Leif Künzel moves on mixing heavy industrial loops and pure rhythmic-noise patterns. There also is a more electronic touch emerging from a few songs while a minimal approach is also noticeable at a few other cuts. The power remains constant, but the rhythm can sometimes become a little slower. The work also features remixes by Hypnoskull and Cubic Nomad. 

+ + + : “Mujoo” is more than simply power; it sometimes feels as ‘controlled power’ but with overwhelming noise blasts. I like the explicit passages with minimal treatments like little bleeping sequences. The last few tracks are more into trance and electronics and I especially recommend listening to “Oh Boy” and “Pounding”. I can’t say that Mono No Aware has reinvented itself on these few tracks, but there’s a wider spectrum of influences that has been covered. Another highlight is the remix of “Impulse Response” by Cubic Nomad transposing the original edit into a heavy, danceable cut with filtered bleeps. 

– – – : If you’re not into heavy rhythmic-noise assaults, this album will maybe appeal to you for its trance-industrial part, but globally speaking it remains a brain-damaging experience!

Conclusion: Mono No Aware remains extremely powerful, but still revealing a refreshing touch. 

Best songs: “Pounding”, “Impulse Response – Cubic Nomad Remix”, “Oh Boy”, “A Good Decision”, “X”, “ISX”. 

Rate: (8½).

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

About Mono No Aware

Mono No Aware is a German power-noise and industrial project run by Leif Künzel. Early member Stefan Böhm left around 2002 to focus on S.I.N.A.; Künzel has run the project alone since. Its discography began with “Kitanai Yatsu” (2000) and continued through “Kika No Sekai” (2002), “Kataku” (2005), “Ketoujin” (2008), “Pachinko To Hanbaagaa” (2010), “Tatemae” (2012) and “Oto” (2017) before “Mujoo” (2019) on Hands.

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: Industrial-techno, IDM, rhythmic-noise.

Background/Info: Hands label has used to release this annual compilation, which is a look back at the “Forms Of Hands”-festival each year reassembling some of their hottest bands. Fourteen artists who contributed to the festival have been featured at this sampler.

Artists: S.K.E.T., Mono No Aware, Heimstatt Yipotash, Gatto Nero, Supersimmetria, Geistform, Winterkälte, Tomohiko Sagae, ICD-10, Katran, 16Pad Noise Terrorist, Sans-Fin, Yura Yura, Talvekoidik.

Content: Even if Hands remain one of the uncontested leading labels from the industrial music scene, industrial music has seriously evolved. The music style has been progressively, but severely contaminated by techno music, resulting in a harder, darker and underground format of industrial-techno. Most of the featured bands are clearly experimenting with techno while remaining faithful to darker influences. But a few die-hard bands or call them ‘purists’ are still into the familiar industrial format.

+ + + : If you compare early “Forms Of Hands”-compilations with this latest one, you only, but have to agree this is a label in progress. This is the new standard of industrial-music, one that will bring people to dance a frenetic way till reaching a state of trance. From the minimal-like techno format of Supersimmetria to pure techno by Gatto Nero to an experimental format by Mono No Aware to the sound intelligence of Geistform, the techno heads will be ravished. Sans-Fin, Yura Yura and even Tomohiko Sagae bring us a more ‘classical’ industrial style.

– – – : I sometimes ask myself what early Hands fans would think about this industrial (R)evolution! I’m not sure it will please all fans.

Conclusion: This is the kind of sampler simply confirming each year again that the label from Dortmund remains ‘the’ absolute reference in this kind of music!

Best bands: Geistform, Yura Yura, Sans-Fin, Katran, Heimstatt Yipotash, Talvekoidik.

Rate: (8).

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

About Forms Of Hands

“Forms Of Hands” is the annual compilation the Dortmund label Hands ties to its own festival of the same name, gathering acts from its roster each year. Later editions continued the series with “Forms Of Hands 20” (2021), “Forms Of Hands 21” (2022), “Forms Of Hands 22” (2023), “Forms Of Hands 23” (2024) and “Forms Of Hands 24” (2025). This 19th edition features several artists reviewed individually by Side-Line around the same release window: Geistform, Talvekoidik, Supersimmetria, Sans-Fin and ICD-10.

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, EBM.

Background/Info: Our Banshee is one of the newest signings on Dependent. The band seems to have been set up a while ago, but because of other involvement nothing really happened till now. The band features Agi Taralas (Greece) and Stefan Böhm (Germany). Böhm is a recognized and talented artist who got involved with bands such as Pzychobitch, S.I.N.A., Mono No Aware and of course Nullvektor. “4200” is the band’s debut full length.

Content: This album sounds clearly inspired by electronic-pop standards and might appeal to lovers of Mesh, Beborn Beton, Rotersand and Informatics. It’s a refreshing piece of work mixing melancholic tracks together with harder EBM-influences songs. The songs have been accomplished by empowering guitar playing, injecting a touch of wave-pop.

+ + + : The opening song reminds me of the cool “Accidents In Paradise” from Informatics. It sounds pure pop-like, but with this extra refreshing flavor on top. But this album is quite diversified, mixing different elements and emotions. Now into melancholia and next inciting you to dance, Stefan Böhm confirms to be a musician with an open-minded spectrum. I’ve a preference for harder cuts while I also like the delicate arrangements the songs have been accomplished with. From raw and analogue-like sound treatments to astral sweeps and solid bass lines this album also reveals a great singer, which can compete with more recognized electro-pop singers from this scene.

– – – : Our Banshee doesn’t stand for ‘traditional’ electro-pop, but it’s sometimes easier to be a Depeche Mode-clone instead of a band striving for originality. Therefore “4200” needs a few listenings before you can really seize the essence and beauty of the work.

Conclusion: Dependent Records once again confirms to have a nose for original and talented formations. Our Banshee is maybe not the ‘hottest’ newcomer of 2017 although it will ravish electro-pop lovers in search of something ‘different’.

Best songs: “Down & Out”, “The Answer”, “Christ”, “It’s Not Real”, “River”.

Rate: (8).

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

Label: www.dependent.de / www.facebook.com/dependent.records

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: Industrial-techno, rhythmic-noise.

Background/Info: Mono No Aware is not the kind of project unleashing new work every year. “OTO” is the sixth album since the year 2000 (when the band was still featuring Stefan Böhm). Leif Künzel is now back on track unleashing a new piece of extreme industrial stuff better known as ‘rhythmic-noise’ or ‘power-noise’.

Content: Mono No Aware strikes back without real surprises, but simply gives the fans what they expect: raw, unpolished, brutal and powerful noises driven by distorted rhythms. This artist also illustrates there are not many differences between hard-techno fields and this kind of music. Both genres are based upon- and driven by hard-banging kicks. “OTO” is just much darker and extreme although here and there mixed with a few minimal-like electro treatments. “F12” even reminds me of Suicide merged with an industrial sonic monster.

Notice by the way the album also features remixes by Philipp Münch and Project Erratic.

+ + + : Mono No Aware is one of those artists remaining faithful to hard-industrial formats. The artist likes to experiment with noises, manipulating his sounds till reaching a truly caphernaum. But he also takes care to inject a few more delicate and minimal elements, creating cool cuts such as “Furafurafura” remixed by Philipp Münch and “Red Devils With Blue Eyes”. Another great- and already mentioned cut is “F12”.

– – – : Mono No Aware seems to voluntary avoid any real innovation and that’s maybe a pity, especially after all these years of commitment. You know what the sound stands for and you know what you’ll get. The initial magic is a bit gone. But at the other side it rapidly becomes clear that Mono No Aware is the kind of project you going to like.. or not; there’s no way in between!

Conclusion: I compare “OTO” to industrial ‘art brut’. Somewhat abstract and driven by a kind of ‘free-industrial’ expression this artist doesn’t care about modern hypes and other forms of innovation.

Best songs: “F12”, “Aware”, “Furafurafura – Philipp Münch Remix”, “Red Devils With Blue Eyes”, “72”.

Rate: (8).

Band: https://mono–no–aware.bandcamp.com

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

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

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Out in a few weeks is “Maschinenfest 2017”, a compilation including all artists who have performed at Maschinenfest 2017. You can order this set right here. This year’s event will take place from Friday 27 October 2017 until Sunday 29 October 2017 at the Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen, Germany

On the compilation you’ll find material from the following bands: Ah Cama-Sotz, Alarmen, Aphexia, Dive, Empusae, Esplendor Geometrico, Gatto Nero, Geneviéve Pasquier, Gold, Goreshit, Greyhound, Haus Am Rand, Horskh, Imminent/Synapscape, In Slaughter Natives, Lustmord, Meta Meat, Mono No Aware, Monolith, Nur Zwei Linien, S.K.E.T., Siamgda, Somatic Responses, Suicide Inside, Sutcliffe Jügend, Yura Yura and more.

Maschinenfest is a yearly, 3-day underground music festival in Germany, featuring industrial, power electronics, noise and other alternative electronic performers.

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, noise, electro-industrial.

Background/Info: It took 8 years for Manos Chrisovergis to kick back with the third full length of Last Days Of S.E.X. This Greek project definitely belongs to one of the ‘hardest’ exposures of Hands so I was really wondering what the ‘new’ sound would sound like.

Content: Last Days Of S.E.X. still sounds hard and merciless, but I experienced the new tracks as more diversified and ‘structured’. This album definitely stands for heavy industrial music, but mixed with refreshing ideas leading the listener into trance parts and even noisy techno-grooves.

Some tracks might remind you of Sonar while there also is an industrial ‘ode’ revealing a cover version of the famous Einstürzende Neubauten ‘hit’ “Tanz Debil”. The main characteristic of this work is the constant sonic patchwork of noise.

The work ends with an important chapter of remixes accomplished by Maschinenkrieger KR52 vs. Disraptor, Mono No Aware, Unhuman, Thorivos and hyDrone.

+ + + : I have to admit I wasn’t a huge fan of this band before, but “Sabotage Normality” sounds a like an artist who has seriously elaborated and enriched his work. There’s a great and harmonious mix of influences carried by a solid noise basis. The composition is extremely powerful and still driven by rough sophistication. I here refer to some pitched vocal effects, cold and freaky sequences and even some technoid aspects. The cover version of “Tanz Debil” is an interesting ode to one of the industrial pioneers. Among the remixes I especially recommend the bewitching remix by Unhuman.

– – – : Even if this album sounds more structured and controlled I can’t get away from some improvised passages, which aren’t necessarily a bad thing. It remains music for familiar and experienced industrial fans.

Conclusion: Last Days of S.E.X. strikes back with a terrific sonic intercourse. This album will definitely bring this formation back on the map of hardcore industrial craftsmen!

Best songs: “Bash The Fash”, “Privilege Check”, “Personal Is Political”, “Tanz Debil”, “Maschinen – Unhuman Remix”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.facebook.com/lastdaysofsex

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.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.

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