Genre/Influences: EBM, Electro-Pop, Gothic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: This new chapter in the “Whispers Of The Future”-series reveals sixteen bands from the Mexican scene. These bands are mainly taken from the Sector Industrial Producciones roster.

Artists: Ego Bliss, Vyrtual Zociety, Neuvision, Depraved Priest, Hooverlordz, Infected Sound System, Bishop, SFX DJ, Dimitri Berzerk, Die-Go, Oxomaxoma, Dramatic, Radio Vampiro Internacional, Powerotik, Prostitutes & Proxenettes, Cid Project.

Content: This new compilation doesn’t feature as many other bands as the previous issue. It’s a new sonic visit of the Mexican underground scene and mainly Electronic artists have been featured. From intelligent Electro to heavy Dance-Pop and Body-Pop to Electro-Industrial and Techno-Industrial to EBM to Goth/Wave we get a fine selection of songs.

+ + + : I like this compilation series because the Mexican scene has a lot to offer when it comes to underground electro music, but also because Sector Industrial Producciones is worth to discover. This new compilation is also better than previous issues. Depraved Priest took me by surprise; this band can’t convince me with their last album, but they here unleash a solid Electro-Industrial-Techno cut. Hooverlordz is an interesting discovery for the dark-Electro approach mixed with some Acid sequences. Neuvision stands for alluring Body-Pop. Label owner Dimitri Berzerk is first of all a talented musician/producer, which perfectly knows how to mix solid EBM bass lines together with elevating Pop-driven choruses. I also want to mention the intelligent Electro approach of the opening song by Ego Bliss.

– – – : A few bands couldn’t convince me, but I guess that’s proper to all compilations. Prostitutes & Proxenetes is one of these bands, which has a lot to improve, but especially the production of the vocals, their vocalist singing out of tune.

Conclusion: I already like the previous compilation is this series, but this one is much better; great Mexican Electro!

Best bands: Depraved Priest, Hooverlordz, Infected Sound System, Dimitri Berzerk, Ego Bliss.

Rate: (8).

Label: www.sector-industrial.com / www.facebook.com/sector.industrial.producciones

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, Body-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: This EP is an addition to the “Resist”-EP by Dimitri Berzerk. “Resist” has been released in different formats, this extra EP bringing all different remixes together as a kind of compilation.

Content: The EP features a total amount of 20 songs including the 6 remixes from the download card, which was available together with the vinyl format. You’ll get 10 edits of the “Ctrl+Als+Del”-song, which clearly is the ‘hit’ of Dimitri Berzerk featuring Claus Larsen as the singer. The song remains driven by a solid EBM bass line and a catchy chorus with passionate vocals on top.

Remixes have been made by Neuvision, Die-Go, Hooverlordz, cid project, SFX DJ, Fire Walkers, Rebel Empire, Substaat, FortLeben (3x), Larva + JP90, Dramatic, Delectro, Judas 12, Eloquent, Rasec, Neroconcret, JP90 and Delete.

+ + + : It’s especially cool to get the remixes from the download card of the vinyl now released on CD. I still like the main song of the EP, which is a true sonic fusion between classical EBM and a catchy chorus. There’s real chemistry between Dimitri Berzerk and Claus Larsen. Among the different remixes I once again salute the great job done by Cid Project who injected a terrific extra sound to the song while the Cold-Wave and totally reworked edit by Dramatic is phenomenal.

– – – : I’m still not convinced by a few songs like the cover version of Nena and the song “Endurance” although there are worse B-sides.

Conclusion: “Resist” has been released in all imaginable formats –maybe except cassette, so time for another great work by Dimitri Berzerk!

Best songs: “Ctrl+Alt+Del – Cid Project Remix”, “Ctrl+Alt+Del – Dramatic Rework”,  “Ctrl+Alt+Del – Orange Sector Remix”, “Ctrl+Alt+Del – C-Lekktor Remix”, “Ctrl+Alt+Del – Neuvision Remix”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/dimitri.berzerk

Label: www.sector-industrial.com / www.facebook.com/sector.industrial.producciones

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: Dark-electro, EBM, techno-body, minimal-electronics.

Background/Info: Next to the first volume of this series, which is devoted to gothic music, we here get a new selection of 32 bands dealing with the underground side of electronic music. The compilation has been compiled by Dimitri Berzerk.

Artists: C-Lekktor, Circuito Cerrado, Cid Project, Electrovot, Dimitri Berzerk, Neuvision, Nordika, Vyrtual Zociety, Red Industrie, Oxomaxoma, Vox Humana ao.

Content: Mexico has always been a prolific ground for alternative electronics and this sampler reveals the welfare of the country when it comes to dark-electronics, EBM and related genres. The compilation brings a nice twist between famous and established names at one side and upcoming talents at the other side. It’s first of all an opportunity to discover great danceable songs from bands you better can keep their names in mind.

+ + + : Here again I have to congratulate the efforts of Dimitri Berzerk to release such an artistic and informative compilation; great artwork and a nice selection of bands. The booklet is an essential tool to get you a bit more familiar with the featured artists. It’s an opportunity to discover great, danceable songs, which will ravish DJ’s. It will lead me too far mentioning all noticeable artists, but I hear great work from La Bande-Son Imaginaire (probably the most original song from the sampler through the addition of violin sounds), Red Industrie (for the minimalism and sound intelligence) and Infected Sound System plus Chaotic Rave System (both for composing stumping ‘oontz’ electronics).

– – – : I think it’s a pity bands such as Hocico and Amduscia weren’t featured. I know they belong to the best Mexican exports from this scene so we all know them, but it would have been cool to get them on board.

Conclusion: This compilation is a terrific exposure of the talented Mexican electro scene! It’s an absolute must-have!

Best bands: Chaotic Rave System, La Bande-Son Imaginaire, Red Industrie, Infected Sound System, C-Lekktor, C-Phalea, Neuvision, Ego Bliss, SFX DJ.

Rate: (8½).

Label: www.sector–industrial.com / www.facebook.com/sector.industrial.producciones

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, body-pop, cinematic-EBM.

Background/Info: I discovered this Mexican project a few years ago now. The debut album “The Demon-Haunted world” released in 2015 by Advoxya Records was a rather disappointing introduction to the project’s sound universe. “Manifiesto” is the band’s second project, which has been released in their homeland by Sector Industrial Producciones.

Content: Compared to the debut album, the influences remain pretty similar, but the global production has been seriously improved. Neuvision still sounds inspired by EBM elements, which have been mixed together with an electro-ambient approach reminding me J.M. Jarre and related artists. On top of it all you’ll also noticed a few electro-pop elements injecting a catchy flavor to the work. The vocal parts are rather clear. Both last cuts are remixes by Dimitri Berzerk and Luis Bishop.

+ + + : First of all there’s a cool artwork. The digipak format says much more than the music you can hear on streaming platforms. Sound-wise Neurovision has made a serious progression. The carrying bass lines together with the retro-synth sounds create a surprising, but original match. I’m totally in the vintage-style of the work resulting in several noticeable cuts. “Eraser” is a truly attention grabber.  

– – – : I think it would be a little bonus getting more vocals. The mix of influences isn’t an easy thing, which I’m afraid will not convince everybody. I expected a bit more out of the remixes.

Conclusion: Neurovision has seriously improved and elaborated their sound. “Manifiesto” is a noticeable unique work, which I recommend for you to discover.

Best songs: “Eraser”, “Nukem”, “Sunblock 5000”, “Manifiesto”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/NEUVISIONofficial

Label: www.sector–industrial.com / www.facebook.com/sector.industrial.producciones

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: Dark EBM, body-pop, cinematographic EBM.

Background/Info: I guess that the title of this album by the Mexican solo-project Neuvision has been possibly inspired by the book of Carl Sagan “The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark”. This is the debut album for this band.

Content: This is a rather weird composition, which clearly finds its main inspiration in the darker fields of EBM and body-pop music. Some sequences and arrangements remind me of And One while other parts are more into the dreamy and catchy format of The Pet Shop Boys.

That’s not bad at all, but the most surprising element of the work progressively emerges from pure cinematographic melodic passages. The melodies are quite elaborate, but not exactly what I’ve heard so far in synth-pop music. It’s a strange match, which is definitely atypical and innovative, but not entirely convincing. It all sounds a bit like EBM and body-pop music mixed with movie tunes. There are different and quite opposite influences that come together.

The vocals are sometimes pretty harsh, but I prefer the passages with less effects on it.

The album also features a few remixes by bands like Nitronoise (adding some guitar riffs), Ygrod Droid and especially Electrovot.

+ + + : The idea to innovate while dealing with electro-pop music is absolutely great and a big challenge. I however think that the main strength of this band has to be finding in the harder cuts, which have less in common with the cinematographic melody lines. Great artwork by the way.

– – – : The melodies can’t always convince me as there’s no real harmony between the body-pop approach and this movie-tune like passages.

Conclusion: Neuvision is far away from the familiar synth-pop standards, but still far away from becoming convincing.

Best songs: “Body & Symphony”, “The Night Is Ours”.

Rate: (5½).

Band: www.facebook.com/NEUVISIONofficial

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