(Photo by Bobby Talamine) Metropolis Records announces the signing of industrial-electronic Vancouver-based music legend Bill Leeb for his debut solo effort “Model Kollapse”, out September 13.

“The album explores the intricacies of artificial intelligence and the survival of humanity itself,” says Bill Leeb.

The first single “Terror Forms” features Shannon Hemmett of Actors and Leathers and will be out on July 9. This album also involves Front Line Assembly / Delerium cohort Rhys Fulber, mixing engineer Greg Reely, Actors’ frontman Jason Corbett, and LA artist Mimi Page.

“We are proud to announce that Metropolis Records has signed Bill Leeb for his first solo project. Bill Leeb has had a prolific career as a founding member of Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly and Delerium. His music has been highly influential, and we are excited to see what this new chapter in his career will bring for him and his listeners,” says Nina Heckman of Metropolis Records. “I’m honored to fulfill my father’s (Dave Heckman who died in the summer of 2022) lifelong vision and to be doing this project with a lifelong family friend I can honestly call family (Bill Leeb). This project is near and dear to all of our hearts here at Metropolis and I know it would make my father proud.”

“Model Kollapse” marks Leeb’s very first solo venture since the mid-80s days of Front Line Assembly, when he used to make recordings in his bedroom and released them on limited edition cassette format. Almost four decades on, his new album was recorded and produced in Vancouver, Toronto and Los Angeles with assistance from Vancouver/Toronto-based production duo Dream Bullet.

The “Terror Forms” single will be unleashed digitally everywhere on July 9. The full “Model Kollapse” album will be released on vinyl and CD, as well as digitally, on September 13.

About Bill Leeb

Bill Leeb, born Wilhelm Anton Leeb on September 21, 1966, in Vienna, Austria, is best known as the founder and lead member of the industrial music group Front Line Assembly (FLA). Leeb moved to Canada in the 1980s, where he began his music career.

Before forming Front Line Assembly in 1986, Leeb was a member of the influential industrial group Skinny Puppy, where he performed under the pseudonym Wilhelm Schroeder. His departure from Skinny Puppy marked the beginning of his prolific career with Front Line Assembly.

In addition to Front Line Assembly, Leeb has been involved in several other music projects, including Delerium, which achieved commercial success with its fusion of ambient and pop music elements. Leeb’s other projects include Noise Unit, Intermix, and Conjure One, each exploring different facets of electronic music.

Bill Leeb discography

Bill Leeb has had a diverse range of musical projects, each with its own unique style and sound. Here’s an easy-to-read breakdown of the differences between his major projects:

Front Line Assembly (FLA) is characterized by a dark and aggressive style, blending industrial, Electronic Body Music (EBM), and electro-industrial sounds. The music features heavy use of synthesizers and electronic beats, often exploring dystopian and sci-fi themes.

Delerium, on the other hand, focuses on ambient, ethereal, and electronic music with a new age twist. Its sound is soothing and atmospheric, emphasizing melodies and textures. Delerium often incorporates world music elements and features various guest vocalists, achieving mainstream success with tracks like “Silence” featuring Sarah McLachlan.

Noise Unit showcases a mix of industrial, EBM, and techno influences. Over time, the project’s sound has varied, combining harsh industrial elements with more danceable EBM and techno beats. Collaborations with artists like Marc Verhaeghen of Klinik add to its diverse range of styles.

Intermix leans more towards techno, ambient, and electronic music. This project focuses on instrumental tracks, blending electronic and ambient music with techno rhythms. It is generally less aggressive than Front Line Assembly.

Conjure One presents a melodic and ethereal sound, incorporating ambient, electronic, world music, and pop influences. It features prominent guest vocalists and offers polished production with a radio-friendly appeal, blending electronic beats with organic instruments.

Cyberaktif, a collaboration with cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy, delivers a dark and experimental sound. Combining the signature styles of Front Line Assembly and Skinny Puppy, Cyberaktif features heavy use of samples and aggressive beats, resulting in a dense, experimental industrial sound.

Equinox focuses on ambient and atmospheric soundscapes, similar to early Delerium works but more abstract and experimental. It emphasizes creating immersive sound environments with a minimalistic approach.

Pro>Tech is a dance-oriented project with techno and trance influences. It features high-energy beats and repetitive, hypnotic structures, offering a clear departure from the darker styles of Leeb’s other projects, aiming for a more mainstream dance music appeal.

Below are the releases.

Front Line Assembly

• The Initial Command (1987)
• State of Mind (1988)
• Gashed Senses & Crossfire (1989)
• Caustic Grip (1990)
• Tactical Neural Implant (1992)
• Millennium (1994)
• Hard Wired (1995)
• FLAvour of the Weak (1997)
• Implode (1999)
• Epitaph (2001)
• Civilization (2004)
• Artificial Soldier (2006)
• Improvised. Electronic. Device. (2010)
• Echogenetic (2013)
• Wake Up the Coma (2019)
• Mechanical Soul (2021)

Delerium

• Faces, Forms & Illusions (1989)
• Morpheus (1989)
• Syrophenikan (1990)
• Spiritual Archives (1991)
• Stone Tower (1991)
• Spheres (1994)
• Spheres 2 (1994)
• Semantic Spaces (1994)
• Karma (1997)
• Poem (2000)
• Chimera (2003)
• Nuages du Monde (2006)
• Music Box Opera (2012)
• Mythologie (2016)

Noise Unit

• Grinding into Emptiness (1989)
• Response Frequency (1990)
• Strategy of Violence (1992)
• Decoder (1995)
• Drill (1996)
• Voyeur (1998)
• Dead Sector (1999)
• Deviator (2021)

Intermix

• Intermix (1992)
• Phaze Two (1993)
• Future Primitives (1995)

Conjure One

• Conjure One (2002)
• Extraordinary Ways (2005)
• Exilarch (2010)
• Holoscenic (2015)
• Innovation Zero (2023)

Cyberaktif

• Tenebrae Vision (1991)
• Temper (EP) (1990)

Equinox

• Holon (1998)

Pro>Tech

• Orbiting Cathedrals (1997)

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.

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(By Crypto News) Bitcoin’s entry into the music sphere could be compared to a fresh, rhythmic beat, heralding a new era of financial and creative freedom. It’s more than just a novel mode of payment—it’s about altering the traditional tune of the music industry. This piece delves into the potential resonance between crypto and music, exploring the already visible changes, and the possible harmonious future awaiting ahead.

The major allure of Bitcoin lies in its financial features: minimal transaction fees and the elimination of middlemen. This digital currency facilitates a direct financial rapport between artists and their audience, ensuring a larger share of the revenue lands in the creators’ pockets. Moreover, the ease with which cross-border transactions can be conducted is music to the ears of many musicians, especially those with a global fanbase. They can now effortlessly receive funds from admirers across the globe without being out of tune with currency exchange rates or enduring long waiting periods.

Further, the robust security architecture underpinning Bitcoin transactions, thanks to blockchain technology, acts as a formidable fortress against common financial woes like fraud, ensuring the integrity and safety of the funds involved.

Early birds: music labels embracing Bitcoin

Various music labels and platforms, both big and small, have begun to integrate Bitcoin as a payment method, resonating with the trend of leveraging cryptocurrencies in the music industry. Here are some examples:

1. Indie Rap Label TBT: An indie rap label named TBT (The Best Things) forged a partnership with SoundCloud to accept cryptocurrency payments for their music and merchandise. This move signifies a step towards embracing digital currencies within indie music circles.
2. Kobalt Music: On a larger scale, the British music label Kobalt has disclosed its intentions to include Bitcoin revenues, indicating a growing acceptance of cryptocurrencies even among more established labels.
3. Beatport: Beatport announced in April 2021 that it would start accepting Bitcoin as a new payment option from June 2021 onward. This initiative marked Beatport as one of the early digital music retailers to accept Bitcoin, paving the way for others in the sector.
4. Mastodon (Under Warner Brothers Records): The band Mastodon, under Warner Brothers Records, emerged as the first major label recording artist to accept Bitcoin. This Atlanta-based hard rock group collaborated with BitPay, a Bitcoin payment processor, to facilitate cryptocurrency transactions for their music.
5. Tradebit: Tradebit, a download store, has also opened its doors to Bitcoin payments. This platform provides a secure digital content marketplace for users to buy and sell music, among other digital products, using Bitcoin.

And don’t forget that artists also started embracing NFT. Rammstein singer Till Lindemann sold 10 non-fungible tokens of an unreleased music video for €100,000 including a dinner with him. The industrial/techno acid-house band Lords Of Acid has dropped an NFT on the Cardano Blockchain. And Chris Liebing did first NFT drop, “Another Day”, in 2022 in collaboration with XLR8R.

Bitcoin’s potential and that of other crypto in music

Bitcoin could potentially be the catalyst for a new age of musical entrepreneurship, where artists, unshackled from the traditional financial chains, take the helm of their creative and economic journey. The decentralized ethos of Bitcoin grants artists a higher degree of control over the distribution of their music, making them the true custodians of their art.

Moreover, the immutable and traceable nature of blockchain technology, which powers Bitcoin, provides a robust shield against potential copyright infringements or other industry-related disputes.

The global outreach of Bitcoin also composes a symphony of opportunities for musicians to tap into new markets without the cumbersome paperwork often associated with international financial arrangements. This new rhythm of global accessibility is a boon especially for indie artists, making the world a stage where the music, unhindered by geographical or financial boundaries, truly commands the spotlight.

This amalgam of benefits not only sketches a brighter economic horizon for individuals in the music industry but also heralds a more vibrant, secure, and inclusive global musical arena, resonating with the tunes of fairness, innovation, and unbounded creativity.

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.

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Here’s a project which kinda surprised us. Sam Rosenthal has signed a record deal… with his own cat Nova Cat for Projekt Records. Nova Cat is a 17 year old (87 in human years) American Shorthair Tuxedo Cat with a distinctive raspy purr, attributed to a health issue and the first release comes under the Nova Cat Purring Sounds moniker with the album “Relaxing Purring Cat for Sleep, Study, Healing Therapy (ASMR)”. The album is intended for meditation, relaxation, ASMR, healing and new age.

Sam explains: “Cat purrs relax and stimulate the brain through their rhythmic repetitions. These eight tracks (four designed to loop) are the ideal accompaniment to sleep, study and healing work. With close-miking recordings and subtle harmonic EQs, they are shaped for the complete dynamic experience of a cat right by your head showering you with affection. The artist Nova Cat has a unique raspy purr which is especially apparent on track 8. Two of the pieces include deep ambient music to further enhance the experience.”

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.

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Czarina is a project driven by Vero Faye Kitsuné. This New-York (USA) native artist is now based in Spain. She this year unleashed her second full length album entitled “Arcana” (darkTunes Music Group). Her work makes me think to an imaginary fusion between Qntal (for the Ethereal approach) and Pop/Rock influences. It’s a styled- and artistic production which I can only but highly recommend.  

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You’re dealing with different artistic forms; being involved as music composer and producer, designer, filmmaker, performer and creative director. Do I forget something? I can’t get away from the idea you must have a true artistic background, right? Tell us a bit more about it and what means artistic expression to you? 

Vero: Growing up in a very artistic and multi-faceted family, I have always had one foot in music and performance arts, the other foot in visual arts and design. I played in a Prog-Metal band in my early 20s for several years. However, during the last 2 decades, I have been serving as a creative director and designer in the fashion and footwear industry, while my musical endeavors receded into an on-and-off passion project. Ten years ago, I launched my own footwear and fashion label called Ivy Kirzhner, through which many of my followers actually have come to know me first. 

However, after a series of challenging chapters, I regret to say that my life went through a cataclysmic shift, and I was forced to fold this remarkable golden era in my career early 2018. Even though I continued to consult in the fashion industry, I found solace in making music again -writing, composing, producing and being fully creative without being tethered to a business construct. I’ve always felt that I was handed a very complex tapestry of life experiences to substantiate into a myriad of creative and artistic expressions. Thus, just like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Czarina was born.   

Q: Is it possible for you to earn a living with your artistic activities and especially with music? And do you think there’s enough recognition and support for contemporary (underground) artists? Do you see main differences between places and countries? 

Vero:  For me (and for now), it has always been about achieving a balance between earning and artistic passion.  I work as a creative director and designer for a living, whereas what I do in Czarina -music production, filmmaking and visual arts -are primarily for the sake of artistry and creative expression. 

I’m in my 4th year with this project, and I’m only beginning to see some quantifiable return in the investments, which is promising. What matters after all is fulfilling a vision and being fulfilled.  I’m finding that a lot of contemporary underground artists similar to me who are unique, genre-bending, carrying a refined point of view, and refusing  to fit in any bucket are often overlooked, only because we are hard to place in the current algorithmic system.  But I don’t think it’s impossible to make a breakthrough. It takes a lot more work and effort, but tapping directly into a pool of like-minded folks who are looking for more uniqueness out of art and music generates a much more fulfilling and rewarding experience. 

I think most artists are fixated over streaming metrics -which is fine, even if streaming often entails passive listeners. But I believe in developing a real tangible, fire-breathing, supportive fan base who genuinely connect with the music and craft. 

After moving from New York to Spain, I definitely have noticed that Europe in general tends to provide a more supportive and healthier incubation space for innovative, emerging artists.  Especially after signing with darkTunes Music Group, it’s the first time I felt both my music and I are finally getting embraced, and I am finding myself to be at the right place.  

Q: What kind of music project did you want to set up with Czarina? What have been the main sources of inspiration and how do you try to transpose these influences into music? 

Vero: When I started, I wanted to establish an artistic and creative DNA that is entirely unique to who I am and all my facets, and can transcend several adjacent genres and media. The project revolves around my music, songwriting and production, but it is intended to be a pure, artistic kaleidoscope containing layers upon layers of visual and experiential storytelling across several media.  I want folks to know and feel right away that it’s me -my very own sound, aesthetic, perspective, and vibe -free from prevailing constructs. A lot of my music and songwriting all contain particular messages and philosophies that honestly speak of my experiences -products of self-reflection and generated awareness and openness. My sources of inspiration change from time to time depending on where I am in life, but the thematic common denominator that ties everything together and keeps the project grounded is spirituality and wisdom gained thru a very vast and yet very specific set of life experiences. 

Q: I noticed an impressive evolution in sound/production from your debut album “Painted Holograms” (2018) towards “Arcana”. What happened in between both albums and how do you perceive your own evolution in the writing- and production process? 

Vero: A tremendous amount of growth has definitely happened. My records are true reflections of where I am in life. When I decided to work on Czarina early 2018, I was still living in New York City -raw and coming out of a very difficult period following a shatter. The songs in my debut record “Painted Holograms” were written and produced during this time, and they carry out themes of healing and piecing one’s life back together. I had just started dabbling with synths and was very much into nostalgia, so I decided to blend Cinematic ‘Neon Noir’ inspired by tech noir films like “Blade Runner” with contemporary Industrial, Trip-Hop and Dark-Wave. It was also my first time producing a full record, still harnessing my DAW (I use Logic Pro), grasping techniques in music production, and leaning on a couple of good friends to help bring it to the finish line. I would say that “Painted Holograms” truly represented where I was at the time.

Then the years that followed were remarkable –ultimately finding love, getting married, getting ushered to a much better place and turning my life around. In the midst of the COVID19 pandemic, my husband (the artist DeadlyKawaii) and I decided to live our dreams and move to his ancestral homeland in Galicia, Spain.  And this has been a massive turning point for me. Galicia is so beautiful, raw, and has a very magical vibe. I could not help but be inspired by my new home and this new-found elevation in life and spirit.  Shortly after the move, I was contacted by Raphael Beck of darkTunes Music Group and was signed to the label. I took the opportunity to redefine this project and allow its evolution to synchronize with where I now stand. If “Painted Holograms” was about piecing one’s self back together after a shatter, then “Arcana” is about finally becoming whole and completely renewed. I was feeling very confident, ambitious and resolved. I wanted a big new, monstrous sound that is inspired, ethereal yet heavy-hitting. I returned to my Prog-Metal roots, brought out all my guitars and my affinity for chamber music, new age choirs and Gothic-Rock –all to create a unique new sound that I can finally call my own.  

Q: How do you look back at the writing and accomplishment of “Arcana”? What have been the main challenges in the accomplishment of this opus and are there elements you’re not entirely satisfied with? 

Vero: I’m tremendously proud of “Arcana.” I felt really empowered the whole time I was writing, composing and producing it. I feel like I achieved a very particular and finite vision and intent. Everything felt aligned.  However, the ambitiously grandiose nature of its production definitely has posed challenges on the technical sound engineering end. The writing and production are very complex, with a lot of stems and sounds that needed to be mediated properly -guitars, chamber orchestra, drums, choirs, etc. It was not an easy task. I brought in my good friend Von Hertzog (VHxRR, Information Society) as co-producer, mixing and mastering engineer to bring his expertise, and harness and finesse the vast dynamics of the record.  He also provided additional production input and atmospheric sound designs on some of the tracks.  As much as I feel I reached a new summit with “Arcana,” I believe I just scratched the surface. There is still a lot of room for growth. I could now see where I could have pushed and also pulled more. So, I’m very excited to see where the next record will take me. 

Q: I’ve been also deeply impressed by the imagery and the clips which I can imagine are just two others facets of your creativity and art. It’s styled and revealing mystic- and ritual elements, right? What do you try to express by these aspects of your work and what’s the connection between music and imagery? 

Vero: I have been following occult, esoteric, mystical and new age studies and all things arcane. I often take inspiration from global mythology, legends and all sorts of wonders from the ancient world. Something about the wondrous nature of those worlds just fascinates me and keeps me inspired, curious and hopeful. Also Costa da Morte in Galicia where we live is actually known for its sorcery, magic and actual living and breathing mages. I definitely went through a shift when I moved here as though I answered a particular calling. So a lot of what has inspired me spiritually and philosophically, I try to embed them in my work. Art is magical and alchemical already on its own. Might as well take it to the next level and constructively embed rituals and magic into the music and imagery –may they help uplift spirits and call on others who can do the same.

Q: What are the further plans? 

Vero: I am very excited to showcase the universe within “Arcana” in its entirety. I am working on bringing “Arcana” to life as a full live stage performance, which I hope to be ready come fall. I am slated to drop at least 2 of them this year and the rest next year. I’m slated to drop 2 new music videos this year as well. So lots of fun stuff in the works. I feel like I’m only getting started.  

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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Galicia, Spain-based New York native and dark electro artist, Czarina (styled as C Z A R I N A on all platforms) has released her sophomore LP, “Arcana”, via the German gothic label darkTunes Music Group.

Expect a mix of dark electro, synthpop, orchestral baroque pop, gothic new age, and progressive rock and strong female vocals.

All songs in Arcana were written, composed, arranged, performed, recorded and produced by Czarina in her home in Galicia, except for “Cities In Dust” which was originally written by Siouxie Sioux, Budgie and Steven Severin. Von Hertzog (VHxRR, Information Society) of The Social Club (Reading, PA) served as co-producer, mixing, and mastering engineer, providing additional production input.

“Arcana” is available as a special limited edition CD package (with an exquisite super deluxe artwork we must say) featuring all 9 tracks on Bandcamp and darkMerch.com. The digital release includes a bonus instrumental track of “Lost Lands” and is available for download and streaming on all platforms.

As a nice extra touch, the record release is accompanied by a special limited distribution of Czarina’s very own branded Smoked Black Rosé Cider also called Arcana, handcrafted and distributed by Skald Cellars (PA) in the US only. The record will also be followed up with a series of new music videos which will be released throughout the year under darkTunes Music Group.

Order your album here or right below from Bandcamp.

Watch her newest video 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.

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Out on August 17th is a remix by the English avant-dub innovator Adrian Sherwood of International Thief Thief’s “Media Song”. Side-Line offers you an exclusive preview of this remix right below.

The remix is a result of the collaboration between Texas based label/creative hub eMERGENCY heARTS and Adrian Sherwood. Sherwood will work on a variety of tracks of the label’s artists and remixes for release during 2021-2022 including: Mark Stewart, Consolidated, Nun Gun, Stephen Mallinder (Cabaret Voltiare)/ Eric Random, scott crow/Energy Fools, SINE, Lesson Seven, International Thief Thief (see the below photo).

The label will be releasing one track per month, then will collect the entire series for release as two 12” vinyl LP compilations featuring the remixes and dub versions in 2022. Additionally, the label will issue a remix EP of Adrian’s collaboration with his daughter Denise from her 2020 album “This Road”.

Listen to this exclusive preview of Adrian Sherwood’s take on International Thief Thief’s “Media Song”.

About Adrian Sherwood

Producer, remixer, and founder of the British dub collective/record label On-U Sound, Adrian Sherwood has long been regarded as one of the most innovative and influential artists in contemporary dance music.

Born in 1958, Sherwood first surfaced during the mid ’70s and formed On-U Sound in 1981. While the On-U Sound crew’s original focus was on live performances, the emphasis soon switched to making records and Sherwood began mixing and matching lineups, resulting in new acts including New Age Steppers, African Head Charge, Mark Stewart & Maffia, and Doctor Pablo & the Dub Syndicate.

Sherwood’s distinctive production style soon began attracting interest from acts outside of the dub community and by the early ’80s Sherwood was among the most visible producers and remixers around, working on tracks for artists as varied as Depeche Mode (remember the completely bizarre “Are People People?” / the ON-USound remix of “People Are People”?), Cabaret Voltaire, Nine Inch Nails, Primal Scream, Einsturzende Neubaten, Ministry, Sinéad O’Connor, Skinny Puppy, The Stone Roses, and so on. This is kinda endless.

In 2003 he launched his solo artist career with “Never Trust a Hippy”, which was followed in 2006 by “Becoming a Cliché”. Both were released by On-U in conjunction with the Real World label. In 2012 he issued his third solo album “Survival & Resistance”, and began an ongoing collaboration with Bristol-based dubstep don Pinch. The pair released their debut album “Late Night Endless” in 2015.

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.

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Alphamay is first of all the story of two friends. Cris Frickenschmidt and  Henning Hammoor were already playing music together before a terrible car accident. Both friends survived the crash, but Cris is living in a wheelchair since this terrible drama. But he never lost the will to move on. Both mates went on making music together and set up Alphamay in 2013. They this year strike back with the sixth full length album entitled “Conformity” (Battersea) revealing thirteen new songs. Alphamay deals with an eclectic electronic style, but which is mainly driven by electro-pop and body-pop influences. Here’s an interview with Cris Frickenschmidt

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Alphamay is already active for a couple of years now. This year you released your sixth full length album “Conformity”, but how do you look back at the past years and previous albums? How did you see your band evolving throughout the years? 

Cris: The last seven years have been quite a journey for us. We never planned the sound of an album before we work on it. It was always a surprise for us to hear how the individual albums turned out.

It is also incredible to think back to our first live shows. In the first years we played very small and very few shows. Our equipment went through a lot of evolution before we were able to deliver the shows we intended. In the past three years we played a lot more and bigger shows and started to play different countries. Last year, for example, we played Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and Russia.

Q: Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 is a terrible year to release a new album. How do you feel about the situation and how do you try to face the situation as artists/band? 

Cris: I don’t know if I would call 2020 a bad year to release an album. Of course it is terrible not to be able to play live shows to promote our new stuff. But on the other hand we feel that the listeners have a huge demand for new music. After all we make music for the people.

But we also suffer from the situation that our music is very danceable and clubs are closed. This put us in the strange position that we have just been ranked eight weeks in the top ten of the German Alternative Charts (DAC), which is a DJ Chart -but we still could not profit from it…

We believe that we can still enjoy performing this new release at live shows as soon as this is possible again. 

Q: What were the plans about live concerts this year? Tell us a bit more about this essential part of Alphamay? 

Cris: We had more than 20 shows confirmed for 2020 and most of the dates have already been cancelled or postponed. It might turn out  we won’t be able to play live shows in 2020 at all. This seriously hurts like hell. We would have played in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Russia and had even more international shows planned. For a self-managed band, booking shows is a seriously, tedious business that takes a lot of time, money and efforts. It is a tragedy to lose it all and epecially with the fact that we are now entering a completely new age for live music. Lots of clubs will not be around when cultural life restarts. Each and every band is dying to play live so there will be more competition for shows and even less places to do so. 

Q: Over now to “Conformity”! What is the album all about and what were the initial ideas –and eventually influences, when you started with the writing? What are the different stages you’d to go through to achieve this opus? 

Cris: The main difference with all our prior albums was that we took a lot more time to write and to finish it. All Alphamay music starts in the same manner. I constantly compose songs and share these concepts with Henning who can always listen to them and decide to further develop a specific song. Once a song is chosen we move on to the next stage where we both sing to the music. Then we take a look at our takes and discuss which approach is the one we like the most. From this point on we write the lyrics, finish up the musical arrangements and then record the vocals.

The entire recording- and production process of the “Conformity”-album took 10-12 weeks. “Conformity“ was done over a period of 13 months. There are a lot of different reasons why it took so long this time. For example we decided to do a remix album (cf. “Trans/Fusion”) and then we later on had to prepare for our Russian shows. For these we needed to prepare a much smaller equipment to be able to travel by airplane. Finally we decided to release a double CD ‘best of’ for the Russian market (Ретрография). The reason was that we wanted our Russian fans (who’re earning less money) to get the maximum value for money with the two CD’s that are packed to the brim with songs from all of our previous albums.

But let’s get back to “Conformity“. After we finally finished recording we decided to move on a new way and worked with an external producer. We had the pleasure to work with Hilger Tintel (motel-music.de) for this album. After this highly interesting collaboration, “Conformity“ received a final polish when mastering was done by Krischan Wesenberg (Rotersand). We must say we are highly pleased with the result and fans from all over the world have given us very positive feedback.

Q: Alphamay has been always linked with electro-pop music, but I experience your sound –and especially “Conformity”, as much more than ‘classical’ electro-pop music. What are your main sources of inspiration, references and eventually criteria to know when a song is achieved or not? 

Cris: The question about music style is always the hardest one for an artist to answer. As I mentioned before we do not set an aim for the sound (or style) of a new album. We never sit down and talk about what kind of style to do next. A lot of artists have influenced us throughout all the years. Both of us are heavily influenced by the electronic sounds of the 80s and contemporary mainstream music.  This is quite simply the music we literally grew up with. Later on, in the 90s we got influenced by wonderful ‘dark’ electronic bands like the early works of Deine Lakaien. I guess you can hear in our music that we have always embraced many different styles of music, electronic or not. There is always so much amazing music around to draw inspiration from, and it is a great feeling to be able to contribute to the music world with your own compositions and sound.

Q: The name of your band refers to one of the most dramatic and horrible events you both had in life. How did you recover from such a drama and in, which way music has been the perfect cure to recover and to move on? What’s next on Alphamay ‘bucket list’? 

Cris: Alphamay was started after the accident. It was the result of my decision to pursue dreams instead of just dreaming about them. I always wanted to make electronic music, but never got around to it. By the time the accident happened I already made music with Henning for 20 years, and it is great that we were able to step into this whole new realm together. Alphamay has been an amazing experience ever since. We met great people from many different places. We have spent countless hours traveling from and to shows and constantly share thoughts.

When we look at the Alphamay bucket list, there is one entry we would have checked of this year: a full two week tour with consecutive shows. Next month would have been the “Luxfeste”-tour with three bands that are friends of ours. This is such a shame that we had to cancel this one. So yes, this one is back on the bucket list. 

Also we had plans to cross the Atlantic Ocean and play the US. This also has to wait. All in all we have a goal that will always be there, no matter what we achieve: To play more shows!

We love the interaction with our fans, many of them became friends by now. Nothing can replace a live show and we can only hope we all get through this pandemic safely. 

Please, everybody, take this seriously, protect yourself and the people around you. We will only pull through this one together. 

See you on a stage near you, hopefully rather soon!

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

Like many other music lovers, I discovered Mohamad Reza Govahi aka ‘Morego Dimmer’ as the great instigator behind the dark-ambient project Xerxes The Dark. But the artist is also involved with other projects. One of them is Morego, which is more influences by styles like IDM, psy-trance, ambient and experimental music. A Few months ago now Morego released its third full length album on Ovnimoon Records. The work sounds as a truely sonic fusion between different genres while carried by a slow cadence. The work is an absolute masterpiece and a good reason talking with Morego Dimmer.  

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: We mainly know you from your work under the Xerxes The Dark moniker, but you’re still active as Morego for a few years now. What was the main idea and eventually concept to set up Morego?

Morego: The reason can be divided into two parts: logically and emotionally! Logically I wanted to experience music in different styles and genres, for example I was also involved with some metal- & electronic bands during the past decade. Emotionally when you make music you are transferring energy from a sort to another sort. Simply, converting emotions into sonic and music mediums.

My long-time interest in progressive and rhythmic electronic music forced me to start Morego project. Morego is something groovy, energetic, modern and rhythm oriented. Xerxes The Dark is subtle, creepy and atmosphere oriented. Through these different portals, I can transform more different sorts of energy to another.

Q: I’m always fascinated by artists being involved with different projects. How do you transpose yourself from one project till the other? What are the differences when it comes to your way of working, the sound research and –production, equipment etc?

Morego: The production approaches are different; for Xerxes The Dark I use field recordings, my own sfx, I’m using analog synths to make pads, combine different lines to reach the desired sound experience. Usually I used specific tempos and notations. It’s a contrast with the Morego project, in which I’m using analogue synths to make arpeggios, sequences, etc. I used drum machines to make the basic drum/beat lines, then manipulate them with analogue/digital effects to the way that satisfy my taste.

The mixing process is also completely different. For Xerxes The Dark I use several, own created techniques based on the dark-ambient styles I’m working on (ex: space-ambient, experimental, industrial or ritual/drone). For Morego I use modern, mixing techniques, which follow the standards (but I add my own spices to the standards (lol).

Q: I noticed an interesting evolution in sound from your previous album “Solivagant” towards your new work “Astrophile”, which has something more psychedelic-minded. The album is also carried by an impressive sound production. Where does this evolution comes from and what kind of album did you wanted to achieve?

Morego: Haha, I think evolution is something natural, don’t you think? Sure, I’m educating myself in every aspects I can, music production techniques and modern electronic music mixing are evolving, you can mix different techniques to make a new unique one, so studying and practicing, researching, experiencing are always welcome to me. I love new ideas, I love to manipulate old techniques and tricks to make ‘new things’. But the new things are not necessary ‘correct things’ so they need to be evaluated, and sometimes I use them on my music and wait for feedback.

Another important parameter is upgrading gears and devices. A good studio can make the magic happen. My studio is not a  very top and expensive one, but it is standard and I can access basic and important options on my sessions, the more I have, the more I can use and improve my skills.

On “Solivagant” I wanted to compose short songs with a minimal approach and  a maximum rhythmic to create an optimum standard. “Solivagant” is a short trip for self-motivating everyday people who think different and they love their environment, they love nature as well as themselves.

“Astrophile” is a further step featuring the mix between more complex rhythms and deep emotions emerging at the surface. It’s all about nostalgic feelings and somehow uncertain feelings about the future are lurking behind each opus. “Astrophile” is not as happy as “Solivagant”, because when I started to produce “Astrophile” I was just informed that I’d a kind of rare cancer and it was bitter to me, so ‘trauma’ is dedicated to this bitterness. Hopefully, the situation is under control and not deadly at this phase, but it totally affected my mood and my life. So it feels that “Solivagant” is an intro for “Astrophile”.

Q: I can’t get away from the idea you’re definitely a freak when it comes to sound creation and –treatments. What’s your way of working and do you’ve specific references and criteria –or maybe artists, when it comes to sound?

Morego: I think it goes back to my taste of music, I love metal- and rock music since my childhood. Gradually I listened to other good genres like classic, jazz, blues, new age, folk and eventually electronic music. When I listen to music my mind starts to analysis music, the notes, the bars, melodies, rhythms, beats, ideas, intro and outro of songs, transitions, instrumentations, the way energy drops and how it rises ect. Many times I ask myself how they made that specific effect or technique, and how can I possibly made that with my low-budged instrumentation and studio?

Quite recently I started to use AI (Artificial Intelligence) for some lines of my music; it’s fun and I’ll consider it as a good assistance in my studio in the near future.

It’s really hard to mention specific bands or musicians, because there are too many, from classic rock bands like Pink Floyd to metal bands like Death, Esoteric, Void Of Silence, and from great electronic artists like Shpongle, Infected Mushroom, to Aes Dana, Carbon Based Lifeforms and Asura; Massive Attack, Archive, Portishead to Aphex Twin, Moderat to Jon Hopkins, Crippled Black Phoenix to Mono, Long Distance Calling and… are my favorite artists and their sound design and sound signatures are always magnificent and impressive to me and surely influenced my thinking.

Q: You also released a new EP “Blessed Seed”, which is even more psychedelic-minded. How did the title song saw the daylight and what is it all about?

Morego: Well the EP supposed to be released under my other side project Ostanes; but Amir HP who set up this project together with me left the project quite suddenly. So as this project no longer exists, I decided to polish those songs which were originally written and partially recorded during Summer 2016. So while I was working on them I decided to add more psybient/psydub elements to the mixes, also I made a new remix for our previous song and released it.

The EP is named after the first song entitled “Blessed Seed” and the name just presented the vibes, for blessing you need to catharsis and then ‘hemelvaart’ happens (lol).

Q: I guess it’s not a coincidence that the new album has been signed on Ovnimoon Records, which is clearly dealing with psy-trance artists. How did you get in touch with this label and what do you as an artist expect today from labels?

Morego: Firstly, I must thank Ovnimoon Records and parent label Geomagnetic Records for their supports and well-managed teamwork. I knew Ovnimoon for a while now and some of my friends worked together with them before, so I sent a demo to them and they said to love my album and to want it in their ‘chill out’ catalogue.

Generally speaking, finding a proper label is a serious thing for all musicians. Labels can be more supportive, and more innovative, they can promote in more effective ways, can help artists to book festivals and live shows.. But if you are from Iran things can be very weird or even crazy. That’s all because of the risk for sanctions; artists can’t breathe! There are no royalties as long as we are living in Iran, and you need a Paypal account for direct selling in music websites like Bandcamp.. I’m almost tired of being stuck in this situation (after 15 years of making music), most of my royalties are in hands of labels that can’t transfer money to an Iranian artist! On the other hand, many labels and many music providers and magazines are somehow afraid of Iranian musicians because of sanctions. Can you imagine I know some great record labels that didn’t work with me just because I’m from Iran… The only option I (and many other artists like me) have, is to be patient and earn money from other skills and invest this money for our music .

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:    Experimental, cinematographic.

Format: Digital, CD, vinyl.

Background/Info: German artist Günter Schlienz has released an impressive number of productions since 2010. Most of his works were released on cassette and a few on vinyl. This opus is his third album released by Zoharum. The vinyl edit has been released by Zuckerzeit Tonträger (as a collaboration between Cosmic Winnetou and Zoharum).

Content: I got the impression this album features 2 parts. The first tracks reveal a perfect twist between pure dark-ambient and –cinematographic music. The tracks have been achieved with a strong arsenal of electronic noises and astral bleeps. It has a retro-touch, which naturally comes from the artist’s passion for modular synthesizers. The last tracks of the work are more into minimalism. The sphere is more inhibited and revealing a kind of sadness created by the use of less sounds. 

+ + + : Even if I think I recognize two chapters in this album, it also sounds pretty compact. There’s a natural progression from the ambient/astral debut cuts to the intimate final tracks. It feels dreamy, relaxing and yet also mysterious. The minimalism of “The Prophet – Part Two” is really beautiful and artistic. A similar sensation emerges from the next cut (cf. “More Beautiful”) so the best part of the work is definitely the second one.

– – – : Some passages sound a little bit monotonous and that’s probably because this kind of music is suited as a part of a greater artistic performance featuring visuals or even theatre, ballet etc.  

Conclusion: Sadness can also be deeply artistic, when transposed into a beautiful sonic adaptation. That’s precisely what I feel when listening to this opus.

Best songs: “The Prophet – Part Two”, “More Beautiful”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.guenterschlienz.de

Label: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum

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 our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange. Photo + MUA: Pernille Jensen. Hair: IcyDreads.)

Komputergirl´s debut album “POLARPOP” narrates a metaphysical voyage through different planes of consciousness towards spiritual enlightenment. It is also a physical journey exploring a wild and cold Antarctica, beginning at the open plains of Dome A, through icy terrain, ending at the mythical pyramid structures of the Cosmic Mountain. Musically, this translates into a tracklist of eight songs, stretching from dreamy electronica and psychedelic club beats, to sci-fi inspired ambient and uncompromising dronescapes.

Komputergirl is a Norwegian electronica artist, composer and producer. Since 2004, she has explored ways to communicate her fascination with arctic landscapes, space and spirituality, through music. Over the years she has developed a progressive electro sound which she refers to as “new age futurepop”, combining the traditional arrangement of contemporary dance music, with a wide array of elements from genres such as ambient, noise and experimental.

POLARPOP is a musical embodiment of Komputergirl´s raw and boreal universe, a cool, etheral place where she warmly invites you in to reconnect with Love, Light and your Spiritual Self.
Listen:

Watch:

Download:

https://komputergirl.bandcamp.com/

jrstange

Sometimes – when I’m not cooking, biking, listening to music or attending concerts, I write stuff for Side-Line.com. Mostly about Norwegian bands, but it’s been some Swedish, English, American, Danish, German and others too… 😉

www.facebook.com/jrstange

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop.

Background/Info: Eden is an Irish duo driven by the creative spirit of Ian Henderson and Mark Power. They established themselves in Germany and had a rather successful career in the dance-scene where they released a few successful albums and did great live shows. “Outbound To Wonderland” is their first full length in five years.

Content: Eden clearly remains faithful to their electro-pop sound, which is quite danceable and carried by happy tunes with some retro influences. Some songs are more into a ballad style while others have this kind of evasive sensation.

The production of the vocals is another essential element of Eden. They have a great singer who sometimes reminds me a bit of Barry Gibb (Bee Gees) when singing ballads.

+ + + : “Outbound To Wonderland” is an entertaining album carried by a few cool songs like the opening song “Don’t Wanna Lose You”, which has been also released as EP-title song. I also have to mention the title track of this album and “A Heart Keeps Beating” plus “New Age”. I have a preference for “New Age”, which is a well-crafted song with a great progression. The somewhat retro style running through a few songs is another great element of the album.

– – – : Despite a few cool songs I didn’t really find an absolute hit on this album. The ballad-style and other softer cuts aren’t exactly the most exciting part of the work.

Conclusion: Eden achieved a mature and honest production, but without absolute highlights. I expected a bit more out of this work.

Best songs: “New Age”, “A Heart Keeps Beating”.

Rate: (6½).

Band: www.eden–info.com / www.facebook.com/Eden–Official-138585899549666

Label: www.triggertrax.com / www.facebook.com/Triggertrax-553304351485735

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.

Background/Info: French producer Remy Pelleschi is a veteran of the electronic & industrial scene. He released an impressive number of productions on different labels, but he also went through different period and influences.

It all started pretty EBM-like and progressively evolved into a harder and phenomenal tribal-industrial format. The past few years seem to be the start of a new age.

Content: “Outrun” features 11 cuts, which from start on reveal the impressive technical skills of Pelleschi as producer. He has this patience and knowledge to create blasting sounds, but he mixed them an extremely powerful way. When listening to Mlada Fronta you’ll notice the enormous ‘volume’ of the work and that’s exactly what comes through at “Outrun”.

The influences have been considerably changed. The tribal aspect of the work has been replaced by a heavy space-techno orientated sound, which has been mixed with a dark and somewhat industrial format. Mlada Fronta seems to prove that techno music can be still sophisticated and intelligent.

Some parts of the work have been joined by vague cinematographic elements, which bring a more relaxing touch to the work. The track remain however driven by deep, resonating bass sounds and numerous astral atmospheres carried by a danceable cadence.

+ + + : Mlada Fronta definitely is a band in progress. The new style was already noticeable at the past few releases, but is reaching its zenith at “Outrun”. Remy Pelleschi once more illustrates his genius as sound alchemist and producer.

– – – : If you’re a bit nostalgic you for sure will miss the furious tribal-industrial element of his early work. I can imagine some fans will find this new work a bit too techno-minded.

Conclusion: Mlada Fronta seems to reveal a new and maybe further vision of techno music, which has been simply industrialized and accomplished a more complex way. This album is a high-tech production!

Best songs: “Simulator 1983”, “Speed For Life”, “Dust Cloud”, “Melt Into The Road”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.mlada-fronta.com / www.facebook.com/Mlada-Fronta-official-304461652905453

Label: www.m-tronic.com / www.facedbook.com/mtroniclabel

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