It all began in 1983 under the name Xymox, a musical project founded and spearheaded by Ronny Moorings. Shortly after, the project evolved into Clan Of Xymox, marking the birth of a band destined to leave an indelible mark on the Dark-Wave scene. Signed by the legendary British label 4AD, the band released two seminal albums that would become classics in the genre. While they briefly returned to the original name, since 1997, they have been known exclusively as Clan Of Xymox. What makes Clan Of Xymox truly special is not only their pioneering role in the New/Dark-Wave movement but their unwavering ability to create valuable and impactful music over the decades.

Unlike many of their contemporaries, who often rely on the nostalgia of 80s hits, Clan Of Xymox has consistently released strong, fresh material, proving that their creative spirit remains as vibrant as ever. With a career spanning over 40 years, Clan Of Xymox has firmly established themselves as one of the most influential forces in Dark-Wave. Ronny Moorings has remained true to the essence of his sound while allowing it to evolve, ensuring a timeless yet contemporary edge. Their latest and 18th studio album, “Exodus”, released via Trisol (Germany) and Metropolis (USA), is a testament to this balance. Featuring a collection of masterful tracks, the album combines melancholic, dark, atmospheres with Pop-infused arrangements that are both haunting and danceable.

I felt it was the perfect time to take a retrospective look at Clan Of Xymox’s incredible journey. In this interview, Ronny Moorings graciously shared his insights, reflecting on the band’s beginnings, their evolution, and their current work. I am deeply thankful for his enthusiastic cooperation and for taking the time to answer in such detail. His dedication to crafting inspired music over such a long period is remarkable, as is the man behind the artist. Respect! (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

‘I Wanted To Be A Part Of Things Which Were Happening In Front Of My Eyes’

Q: Getting back to the early 1980s which marked the rise of New-Wave music and subgenres like Dark-Wave, Cold-Wave, and Post-Punk. How do you reflect on those formative years and what do you recall from the very beginning of your career? Specifically, what events or circumstances led to the formation of Xymox and, later, Clan Of Xymox and what was your original dream when you first started making music?

Ronny: I will make this a short story because there is so much to say about how it came to be. I was in bands from on my childhood in my birth town Roosendaal (NL) where I already played live at the age of 11 with older 15 year old friends. When it was time for me to study, I first moved to The Hague, deciding after a year of Social Academy that I’d rather do a Sociology study in Nijmegen.

In the early 80’s there was a lot going on. Musically we had the Deutsche Welle and from the U.K. came New-Wave. This appealed a lot to me and DJed (what I also already did in Roosendaal as a teenager) this type of music in the local venue Doornroosje. It was volunteers work, but I got to see all the cool bands coming in.
The alternative scene was thriving in the whole of The Netherlands. Naturally many British bands were on the fore front of innovation. The Goth / Wave movement came also to Doornroosje. I remember especially Bauhaus and The Virgin Prunes making a big impression on me because they sounded and looked visually stunning. The Virgin Prunes making a complete theatre out of their show; it looked like genuine madness with a lot of stuff flying about on stage. With Bauhaus, Peter Murphy just looked the ideal part, a new ‘thin white duke’ with white light shining under his chin and the rest of the band in fluorescent colours, exposed with a black light.

Every week there was a brilliant band to be seen in Paradiso (Amsterdam) or in Doornroosje, like Echo And The Bunnymen In an army outfit with camouflage nets hanging over the stage, The Sound, Dance Society, The Birthday Party with Nick Cave swinging like a monkey from left to right from the light supports, giving it a high energetic performance, Siouxie And The Banshees, The Cure ( they played in a circus tent) and later seeing Robert Smith playing guitar with Siouxie in Rotterdam , Theatre Of Hate, Eyeless In Gaza, Black Flag, The Comsat Angels, Sisters Of Mercy, in the Milkyway Amsterdam,  of course with Wayne Hussey,  Further The Slits, Liaison Dangereuses, U2 ( played in Arnhem for 400 people) who was pretty unknown still etc. Too many to mention!

All bands not jet known by the majority of people but making a big impact on everyone alternative seeing them live. New-Wave, Deutsche Welle, Punk, Synth-Pop and New-Romantics was now a major alternative movement perfectly fitting the times we were living in.

Also the Netherlands produced influential bands who made quite an impression on me, like I already mentioned Mecano & Minimal Compact from Amsterdam, Nasmak from Eindhoven, Coitus Interruptus from Utrecht, and ‘famous’ local bands from Nijmegen like Mechanic Commando and Vice.

By seeing all these brilliant international and national bands I knew there and then that I had to start something new and interesting too. I wanted to make music like these bands. I was totally inspired. I wanted to be a part of things which were happening in front of my eyes. I wanted a band instead of just making things late at night on my own on a 4 track for no one else to hear.I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. It seemed that nearly anyone in the local scene started a band. In every squat people started a band and rehearsing was no problem in these industrial buildings we all occupied. Music was becoming a way of life, a means to express your views. There were enough opportunities for bands to play. There were always some old factories freshly squatted. One of the first shows I did was on a festival in De Plu Fabriek, a desolate disused umbrella factory. The festival had a social awareness theme about ‘Acid Rain’ of which maybe a handful had heard about. It was not taken very serious yet by the general public. It was the first ever show of Xymox there.

Round the same time at the University we had to do a video project. We had to film something about a socially significant social subject, so I started filming and interviewing the squatters local bands I knew. I still have the V2000 video tape but because of its backdated discontinued format, I haven’t been able to see it since the presentation at the University of Nijmegen.

In the beginning of 1980 in Nijmegen I had no real serious relationship with anyone. I was fairly new in town and most people I found quite uninteresting. The typical jeans and long hair student types, freshly coming from their cosy parental homes, with only one aim in life and that is to study, graduate and getting a job. Also most people were just coming out of the seventies and their clothes reflected that, very colourful shirts, a lot of blue jeans and mostly having long hair. In Rotterdam long hair in the back and short in the front was accompanied by a little moustache was the local fashion there.

Anyway, just after my initiation weeks of the University back in Nijmegen, one night I went out, going to a bar where I would normally not come with my fellow student friends. I was standing there drinking beer with my mates until I spotted this girl in the distance. She had the same kind of image as me. Out of place I thought. I simply had to talk to her and soon we were engaged in conversation and ended up spending the night together in her basement flat.. She told me she came from Nuenen, a small village close to Eindhoven but very famous for the house of Vincent Van Gogh. Her name was Anke.

In this period I wanted to start a Live band with the name I already had:  Xymox.  One day I showed her my songs I had recorded and asked if she would want to be in my ‘band’ which was just me at the time 😉 I said it would not matter that it was only the two of us because a lot of bands played with a drum machine and it would be a cool thing to do; she agreed. The songs were most of the time two or three chords so it was not too difficult for her to learn the tracks. I released this tape at the time, sold it for cheap (some people still have it). She liked the songs and decided to learn and play the bass guitar so she could play live. We started rehearsing together in 1982. I started sending my old Xymox demos to various venues and to my surprise a dozen clubs or so liked it.

Soon we played live with the two of us in various alternative clubs. I was singing, playing guitar and the synth plus operating the rhythm box. She played the bass by now and did some backing vocals . The songs were all mine, if you could call them songs 😉 For transportation I had my old cheap orange Renault 4 with a shift stick. All the equipment fitted in beautifully. Because we were just with the two of us and the fuel was very cheap, the money earned was very reasonable for those days.

Later we got asked by the locally known band Vice to support them. We did so and managed to play quite a bit of shows in the South of the Netherlands again. We felt we were getting somewhere.

Later a few friends to join our ‘band’ live. They were hitting metal pieces or doing backing vocals etc. Inspired of course by Einstürtzenden Neubauten. We started rehearsing in the empty vaults of a squatted bank building. Soundproof and safe it luckily was 😉

Anke wanted to move to Amsterdam in 1983, when she changed her study. She wanted to study Psychology and since I finished my Sociology ‘Candidates’ phase holding an official diploma. I was looking for a relevant Masters study so I decided to go to Amsterdam as well, I chose for  ‘Media Studies’ at the ‘University of Amsterdam’. Apparently you would have a lot of freedom with this study as well.

In Amsterdam I was asked by a friend in 1983, if I wanted to DJ for a local pirate radio station WHS. The show; ‘De Lege Huls’, translated ‘The Empty Shell’, would be late at night which of course I gladly accepted. I did this for quite some time well into 1985 until I got too busy with Clan Of Xymox and its many obligations.

As I already said I saved for a while every penny in order to buy my much desired object, a Teac 4 track multi tape recorder. I bought it in Antwerp, Belgium, November 1982. After many recordings of songs and ideas in Nijmegen I started a new In April 1983, frantically starting to record some new songs; the old ones were already more than a year old and I wanted to have new ones. With the help of the Teac 4 track recorder I could be more creative with writing and recording, bouncing previous recordings and build on that.

The instruments I had access to were: a Yamaha synth, Korg Poly 6 Synthesiser, Korg MS10 and MS 20, a rhythm box K500 , an electric Framus guitar, Welson Keyboard, a standard Shure 58 mike of course, my fantastic vintage space echo, melodica, guitar pedal effects and a bass guitar. A later valuable asset was later a Solina Strings but this one was borrowed once and a while.

All instruments were played in real time on tape. No sequencer used. That was too expensive.
These were the days computers were only academic and hardly used by anyone at all. Computers were just those big main frames standing in a government building or only portrayed in science fiction. Today our ears are completely trained to sequenced patterns, then it was something new, the ear was untrained to these sounds and pattern uses.

Soon things were ready. I asked Anke if she wanted to sing one song on the track I already prepared for her. It ended up with the title “Call It Weird “, so now  all tracks were done and everything was set up to bring these recordings to a mastering plant near Amsterdam called  Dureco. This was a vinyl factory specialised in producing Dutch product, the type like ‘Dutch Schlager’ like Vader Abraham known internationally for his “Smurf” songs. He was prominent on the wall everywhere in the factory offices. The main earner. Newer versions of this first EP exist: “Muscoviet Musquito” ( deliberately spelled this way) and “Going Round”. Both have various versions over the years.

‘I Felt That The Xymox Days Were Not The Right Way To Go’

Q: Xymox became Clan Of Xymox when you signed to 4AD, but later you reverted to Xymox before ultimately returning to Clan Of Xymox in the late ’90s. How do you view these shifts in retrospect? What, in your opinion, distinguishes Xymox from Clan Of Xymox?

Ronny: I started with the name Xymox and released my first EP “Subsequent Pleasures“ under this name. When Xymox got signed by 4 AD and the first debut album was called “Clan Of Xymox” I decided it was a slightly better name also because I had found people to play the songs live, so hence the ‘Clan’. I considered Xymox as my Pseudonym.

When Clan Of Xymox got signed by Wing / PolyGram USA I felt this was a significant change and wanted to underline this with shortening the name and perhaps with the reasoning that it would be easier for people in general to remember our name when it was shorter.

After 4 albums under the name Xymox, with the album “Phoenix” it had gotten too commercial in my opinion. With the 2 UK releases “Metamorphosis“ and “Headclouds” which were too Experimental and nothing much to do with the early material on 4 AD I decided in 1997 it was time to reintroduce Clan Of Xymox again with the same approach and attitude as in the earl 80’s. I felt that the Xymox days were not the right way to go and that it was better to stick to my own opinion instead of letting people influence me in one way or the other.

The result was the album “Hidden Faces” released worldwide on Tess Records and Pandaimonium Records in Germany in 1997. This was the start of Clan Of Xymox again. Since Phoenix I didn’t tour anymore. Had actually no live band anymore. I started to find again people who could play live with me and soon I had a live band ready to start promoting “Hidden Faces” and the older works on 4AD. Mojca my partner was there already since 1991 with me learning to play an instrument, keys and bass. She already designed the artwork from on 1992. In 1995 I decided to play in The Netherlands and promote “Metamorphosis” and “Headclouds”. The old live members from the 80’s Frank Weyzig and Will Anvers joined me on stage together with Mojca on Keyboards. This tour made me realise I missed playing live and soon since 1997 Clan Of Xymox played live each and every year till now and will keep on playing live.

I have a steady crew for more than a decade now with Mojca from on 1991 (of course), Mario ( more than 20 years), Sean and Daniel. I stay with the labels Metropolis (USA ) and Trisol (Germany ) as well as I run my own label Xymox Control now for decades a steady course with Clan Of Xymox, only expanding with my band, slowly but gradually. It manifests in the vast amount of sold out shows we are having each year.

‘We Were In Our Extravaganza’

Q: You were closely associated with 4AD, one of the most groundbreaking labels of the early New-Wave era. How did an unknown band from the Netherlands find its way onto such an iconic label? And how did your time with 4AD influence your evolution as an artist?

Ronny: Back in 1983 I felt that my former town Nijmegen ‘deserved’ a few copies of “Subsequent Pleasures” too. I was doing all the distribution myself. I sold 150 through Rough Trade UK, 150 in New Waves France and 150 export to Essen in Germany. Anyway, so I went to Nijmegen the night of the ‘Day of the Dead’, 1st of November.
I decided to visit a friend but he was not at home so not knowing what was going on that evening  I soon found out The Cocteau Twins were playing in Doornroosje that night, so I had to see them. There was still plenty of time left so I decided to have something  to eat in my favourite eating cafe De Plak. Whilst having dinner I heard English was spoken on another table, so my interest was aroused. Maybe this couple were The Cocteau Twins? Had to be! An English male and female.  Without any hesitation I went to their table and asked them all sorts of questions about their band The Cocteau Twins. They informed me politely that they were not The Cocteau Twins but were their supporting act called Dead Can Dance and if I wanted they could put me on the guest list; which I naturally did not decline since I was no longer active in Doornroosje anymore. In return I gave them a copy of “Subsequent Pleasures” for them to listen to.

Having seen Dead Can Dance they blew me away, just like of course The Cocteau Twins. After the show I went boldly to the dressing room and drank some beer with both the bands as they were sharing the dressing room and already established that we were all like-minded, talking to each other, or trying to, because Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau’s had a very heavy Scottish accent. Difficult to understand for a  Dutchman who knew and spoke only ‘school’ English. That night I learned then that Brendan was Irish, lived in New-Zealand, moved to Australia, met Lisa in Melbourne and moved to London to work on their musical career. A similar story was true for The Cocteau Twins who moved from Scotland to London to work on their career. All was very interesting and at the end of the night we swore to keep in contact and said our goodbyes.

During that time I kept in contact with Brendan and Lisa who lived together on the Isle Of Dogs. They invited me to their London home and I stayed at their place quite a few times. In those days I had to travel by ferry to the UK, a long journey. They lived on the 11th floor with a fantastic view over London. The flats were those typical council flats, ashen grey and reeking of urine in the elevators. They had a staggering amount of locks installed on their front door. With all their equipment at home I could understand their mistrust of their surroundings. It was all very depressing but very exciting for me. Brendan worked the same way as I did. We ended up with almost the same equipment in 1986. Brendan and Lisa were then still living together and were really dedicated to music. Every day they recorded or rehearsed. Lisa mainly singing and playing the Yang Ching. I slept in the living room and later on some visits they had a closet, like the one of “Harry Potter”. I slept there and was pretty cosy;)

Xymox started playing live in 1984 again. One day Brendan Perry called me up and asked me if we wanted to support them on a tour in the UK.  Without any hesitation I agreed to do it and almost a week later we were in London. Unfortunately when we arrived nearly all the dates of Dead Can Dance got cancelled and there were only three dates left:  one in London, Huddersfield and one in Dudley. We stayed with Brendan and Lisa, sleeping all on the floor in the living room, which I knew already too well.

During our first concert In London I nearly disappeared through the hole in the stage, I had to walk very carefully  because they did not manage to cover all the holes under the stained carpet. The father of Brendan was I believe the tour manager and his mother made sandwiches for Dead Can Dance when we went on the road to Dudley. The town looked nothing much and the bar we had to play likewise.. our dressing room was between beer barrels and if we wanted to have a drink we had to buy it at the bar said the promoter resembling “Dell Boy” of “Only Fools And Horses”. Still we had a great time hanging out with Brendan and Lisa, who were very generous to give us some money for covering our ferry expenses, which I know for sure they were paying out of their own pockets. After that we did more shows all over The Netherlands till summer.

Brendan Perry was the first one who told me about 4AD.  Before that I only paid attention to bands and not too much to record labels strangely enough.  He said he gave “Subsequent Pleasures” to Ivo Watts Russell , the label boss of 4AD, and so I followed up with sending a demo to 4AD with some newer additional tracks in July 1984, recorded in the Amsterdam Octopus 8 track studio. The demo I had sent 4AD after our shows in Paris’ old theatre La Seballe Club, several Dutch and the 2 UK dates. I was getting impatient as always. I gave Ivo Watts Russell a phone call. I was complaining about how the Dutch music industry sucked and that his label was the only independent label appealing to me. A week before that,  I had a meeting with the Dutch division label EMI but this meeting reminded me of all the cliches I ever heard about Major labels. To my absolute delight and surprise Ivo told me he liked what he had heard from the demo so far and wanted to meet, to see us in person and talk about it.

Ivo wanted to meet the band, so arriving in London, me and Anke  were heading to the private home of Ivo Watts Russell and his girlfriend Debby who also worked for 4AD as their press agent. They lived together in a residential SW12 London area. We stayed in their house for a week.

Anke and I had placed these long extra hair extensions in our hair so we looked a bit like ‘Uber Goths’ with a lot of make-up and special clothing we had designed for us by a friend who was handy with the sewing machine and wanted to become a fashion designer. I saw the surprise on Ivo’s face when he saw us for the first time. We were obviously not looking the way he expected us to look. Most of his bands on the label looked actually quite normal with no real image to speak of; so here we were in our extravaganza.

Luckily Ivo and Debby liked us or the music enough to offer Xymox a record deal and with that great news we went back home. The news had spread that we were the first band 4AD signed since two years of their last signing of Dead Can Dance. After this published fact my phone started to ring frequently and offers for radio and new Dutch live shows offers came in by the plenty.

When the self-titled album “Clan Of Xymox”’ was released funny enough nearly all the journalist thought we were Scottish by origin judging by their reviews. An Englishman is always very sensitive to accents. I saw it as a compliment though. Of course ‘Clan Of’ was suggestive enough 😉 . Most reviews were ecstatic, full of praise with five star ratings, the highest you could get. I guess we got lucky with my intention not to advertise we were Dutch. Having no names on the artwork and let the album speak for itself.

The British can be real chauvinists regarding their music industry, they didn’t take foreigners making music too seriously in those days. Of course the weekly music magazines Sounds, Melody Maker, New Music Express etcetera made up their ‘mistake’ in the eye to eye interviews, clearly pointing out us being Dutch and using the usual stereotype references, with headlines like ‘Dutch Bake’, ‘Dutch Courage’, ‘Going Dutch’, ‘Hollandaise Sauce’ and any phrase relating to the war between the Dutch and the Brits a few centuries ago. Anyway it did not matter anymore because we got the attention;  had a proper selling debut album. We did a lot of photo shoots with an English photographer using drapes in the back ground giving us a more Gothic image. This was used as our promo picture.The Music Maker and Sounds were giving us regular features and interviews afterwards, which gave us finally an international standing. Soon 4AD set up a few shows in Croydon and the University of London plus a John Peel session, which was very important to establish up and coming bands.

‘We Had To Prove Ourselves Time And Time Again’

Q: You’ve already mentioned several legendary British bands that were prominent in the 1980s and shared strong connections and camaraderie. What was your experience of the Dutch music scene during that time? How do you reflect on it now?

Ronny: I only had French, British and Scottish bands as friends. I could not get along with any band in The Netherlands in the mid-eighties. In the Netherlands there was a very strong Rock culture with no space for bands like us. We had to prove ourselves time and time again. I didn’t understand the provincial attitude towards synths coming from the Dutch critics. In a very first review the national music magazine Oor reviewed synths as magic boxes which made them nervous listening to them. When our first album came out we finally got greeted by the more alternative media which just got a foot in the door and were played on radio and TV, MTV and the like. Suddenly we were part of a movement to be reckoned with. Sometimes we even played live twice on a day in The Netherlands.

‘The Only Disappointment For Me Was That I Actually Never Got To Meet John Peel’

Q: During that period, you worked with or crossed paths with notable figures like the aforementioned Brendan Perry. But what about John Fryer, David M. Allen and John Peel? What can you share about those interactions and their impact on your journey?

Ronny: Our first John Peel session was in the beginning of  November 1985. It was pretty stressful for me. We had to record 4 to 5 songs with the live band in one working ‘BBC’ day of 6 hours or so. It didn’t occur to me that I should have taken adaptors for English power plugs with me.  Because it is the BBC, no one is allowed to change a power plug without the assistance of a fully qualified engineer, so it took them already one hour to find such a person as labour union regulations dictated that the technician supposed to have his tea break of an hour. We were already losing valuable time! We didn’t have computers in those days. My first Commodore computer with TV monitor I got in 1988 when I wrote the “ Twist Of Shadows“ album.  The Macintosh 128K a normal mortal could not afford. Clan Of Xymox did however use an 8 track recorder for the backing tracks, like Depeche Mode or The Cocteau Twins used as well. It consisted of individual drum tracks, sequenced bass triggers and strings. This made life a bit easier.  We could thanks to the ‘eight track’ finish within the timeframe of the BBC.

The only disappointment for me was that I actually never got to meet John Peel. Even then he was a legend, especially to me, because it was the best program for discovering new exciting bands. I only got to call him from the 4AD office, thanking him for the opportunity he gave us. He declared in his program that we were the pioneers of Dark-Wave. That was a huge compliment and recognition for Clan Of Xymox. Soon Dutch radios started to follow suit. We got to record a live show for Radio Veronica in Hilversum. Several TV shows invited us for music programs like the VARA. MTV picked us up too. We felt we were on a roll!

John Fryer I instantly liked as a person and sound engineer. He was the in house sound engineer of 4AD and knew what he was doing. He was not afraid to experiment with sampling sounds and replacing them. The AMS delay was his secret weapon. I remember sitting evenings together with John mixing tracks by hand. So I had to pull and push knobs on my side and he on his side. It was a lot of fun and very educational. Later in live John made me a remix for “Big Brother“ from the album “Limbo” (2021).

I worked with David M. Allen on tracks like “Out Of The Rain” and “Sing A Song” together with Jools of Nitzer Ebb. It was in Leamington Spa in John Rivers’s studio. I worked with John Rivers already on the “Blind Hearts”-EP for 4AD and several B-sides for later PolyGram. Now I was working with John on the “Hidden Faces”-album (1997) and we thought it would be very cool to have Dave M. Allen involved. This certainly worked. I wished we had the budget to work on all the songs but I was already glad these two songs worked out fantastically. Dave is a very likeable person with an air of mystique around him. He gives suggestions for you to try and they always make sense. He taught me to delve deeper when needed.

‘Without Me There Is No Clan Of Xymox’

Q: Both Xymox and Clan Of Xymox included founding members Anke Wolbert and Pieter Nooten. What role did they play in shaping the band’s identity, and how do you reflect on the line-up changes over the years?

Ronny: They were both not founding members. They joined me in the beginning of the Xymox period. First Anke as I told you and later in 1985 Pieter. Because they were the first ones joining they are seen as founding members but I am sorry to say; it was always my thing. I was and still am the driving force behind the band and it’s musical direction. No one else. They concentrated mainly on their own songs like “Masquerade” or “Stumble” and “Fall” back in the days. The bulk I wrote. I participated also on their songs as well.

Regarding the songs it is true we worked more together like a band should. In the beginning we rehearsed the songs for live shows and many got changed during this process. This was only sustainable for a short while as nobody liked to rehearse together.

We ended up as 3 individuals writers with different taste and musical directions so it was inevitable it wouldn’t work out long because we were all to egocentric to begin with. When I officially broke up with Anke it was also the end of working together as a collective. We all went our own way.

Indeed we had many changes but maybe the irony is in the word ‘Clan’, a group of close knitted people. So in the end there were many LIVE musicians joining the band for a short or longer period. Joining ‘the Clan’. The red line was and is simple: without me there is no Clan Of Xymox.

All happened really fast in those days. It was a learning process for all involved. Books about the music industry and bands hardly existed. Everyone was left to do whatever with their experiences, positive or negative.
I never knew or expected that just making music could make me enemies but also gaining a lot of friends of course. Jalousie and spite can make people really vicious and vindictive and yet equally so many fans or friends treat you with the utmost respect or even adoration. To me it is just music but soon you realise it is something more than that. 

Former friends or partners turning into your personal enemy. It is the worst thing that can happen, because they know your weaknesses and irritation points and will not shy away from using this against you if they have no pride, dignity or integrity.

Thinking back on this short period between 1985 and 1989 stir more negative emotions then positive ones in me. It wasn’t all bad of course but I can’t remember real long good periods. I realise looking back that I am only happy with the band since the beginning of the  mid 90’s to now, at least 33 years so far:)

Q: How does the young Ronny Moorings compare to the musician you are today? What traits have endured, and which aspects of your younger self do you miss in your music or approach to life?

Ronny: I was definitely very naive in the beginning. When I wrote a song for example I just split the rights between the band members because I thought it would motivate my band to pull more their weight in the band and…. after all I was a socialist and not a capitalist 😉

Soon I discovered that when people sense they don’t have to do too much and can simply lay back whilst I do the heavy lifting because they get paid anyway.

I started to get annoyed with this uneven situation and learned from this that I should not give away my rights that easily just to please band members or partner. So I ended this naive approach and never looked back.
Equally I used to work with bigger crews, managers, tour managers, lawyers and all the professional people they told you would need to have in order to make it as a band.

After many annoyances about the enormous bills I decided I could do most jobs way better. I know I am a control freak. You have to be. You have to understand the way things work. Now I have a lean machine and I like it a lot. Later I also learned to delegate things and that is also very rewarding. I guess ‘live and learn’ is true in my opinion.

‘Dark-Wave Has A Strong Hold All Over The World Like In The 80’s’

Q: Many legendary New/Dark-Wave bands achieved their greatest success in the ’80s. Why do you think those years were so special and unique for the genre? How do you see the evolution of New/Dark-Wave music from its origins to today, particularly in terms of its spirit and cultural significance?

Ronny: Yes, it was a new style taking over with fashion unseen before, It was against the Hippy culture, the jeans wearing long haired pot smokers. It was a clean break from all of this, plus the ‘no future’ feeling with all the political turmoil and nuclear threats hanging over our heads. Remember Thatchers England. Ronald Reagan as president.

These bands made the sound track of our lives and guess what? It is happening again. Dark-Wave has a strong hold all over the world like in the 80’s. Yes, it’s not on the dying radio or TV stations as we know it but streaming like crazy, this time on internet radios, YouTube, Spotify It feels a bit like maybe the pirates in the 80’s.

It feels the same to me and also we have the same nuclear threats back again. In a way it feels coming ‘full circle’.

Q: Over the decades, the music industry has undergone tremendous changes -rising social media, streaming platforms, declining physical album sales, advances in technology, and shifts in performance venues from intimate gigs to massive festivals. How have you navigated these transformations, and what are your thoughts on the (r)evolution of the industry?

Ronny: I navigate these changes just fine I think. I always welcomed change and will ever do. We need to improve. We need to move forward and not backward. When for the very first time in the 80’s I could get my hands on a computer I embraced it as a big help with sequencing and programming. It made endless rehearsing patterns on keyboards so much easier. Later it became my entire virtual studio platform. Streaming is now the most important thing now in the music industry and some artists do not like it, but remember when music was pirated and artists would get nothing from it financially and no insight how many like to listen to your music etc. I love Spotify and as an artist you have access to all date regarding what your fans are listening to.
Most music I listen to these days is from platforms, on my phone with airpods. This gives me more time to listen to music when I am on the move or outside. Everything in one device is just brilliant I think. Of course I have at home all old media devices still in place. I do play vinyl as well when I am in the mood. I still love vinyl and the looks of it. The best format for the artwork to shine.

Q: While it’s difficult for any musician to choose a single album or song as their best, is there a particular piece in your discography that holds special significance for you? Or do you believe that your most recent work is always your finest?

Ronny: I have to agree with my fellow musicians. My recent is indeed the best so far as I can see and feel 😉 It is simply because new songs are for the one who wrote and recorded it the most exciting, the most fresh and recent to your current experiences. You have to play them live which you haven’t done before and in the end they will sound different then when it came out. If you don’t have that feeling the artist should not release the album in the first place 😉

‘I Let The Listener Feel What I Feel’

Q: Your lyrics often feel deeply expressive, sometimes addressing social and political themes, other times delving into introspection. Do you see your lyrics as a reflection of your true self? What value and purpose do they hold for you?

Ronny: Sometimes yes and sometimes no. It’s complicated 😉 I definitely sing about emotions I feel or felt. Say I sing about Evelyn, Louise or Michelle. That doesn’t mean I know a person with that name or sing about a real person. All these names are fictional but the feelings and thoughts what went into these songs are real. Sometimes more than one person I think about finds its place into a song lyric. It all depends. Political themes are the ones which affected me like in the Lockdown periods in the early 20’s. It comes home, becomes personal and I describe more the situation than anything else. I let the listener feel what I feel.
Sometimes I write a song to blow off steam and feel good afterwards. Most of the time it’s about a person who doesn’t want to leave me alone almost my entire life 😉 I can keep going on like that. I always delve the lyrics out of the depths of my mind where it lay buried until I get it out through some type of instrumentation deciding for me what the topic is going to be. A new to be written song has most of the time its own will and direction.

Q: Clan Of Xymox has consistently attracted new fans over the years. What do your fans mean to you, and how does it feel to have a lasting influence on the Dark-Wave scene?

Ronny: Fans are the most important to me. Without a doubt. We meet so many dedicated fans, traveling to all of our shows they can reach within reason. We always talk to anyone after the show who’s interested, have selfies taken, give autographs, give something a fan would like to experience, a closeness you can’t give onstage. A hand shake, a look in the eye.

I am honoured to contribute to the Dark-Wave scene as it is today. All bands who are now big I met when they were still beginning and were our support one time or the other. I know that we had an influence on them but now they are an influence on me the same. So it works in the end both ways. To me this scene is the best scene ever for me.

Q: Looking back on your career, what do you consider to be your biggest milestones? And what were the most significant disappointments?

Ronny: I am still working on my biggest milestone 🙂 My quest is to see how long I can still play live with the band. That is my ultimate quest in life. Disappointments enough, especially in people, but to me that is also an inspiration to write songs about so in the end all turns out for the best. I am lucky I have many good friends in my life to compensate for the negative. Unfortunately I am a person who has to be on the darker side of things in order to feel inspired. So I don’t mind 😉

Q: How have you managed to keep finding fresh ideas and challenges over the years? Were there periods where inspiration waned, and if so, how did you overcome those creative blocks?

Ronny: I think in the beginning it was harder to write as it is now. To me writing comes very natural I think. Maybe because I have more to say now than when I was in my twenties. In that time I read a lot of books in order to get lyrically inspired. For a long time now I just write from what comes up in my mind and put it into lyrics. Way easier I think and less time consuming 😉 The music was never a problem. Finding words to it is a harder nut to crack sometimes.

A creative block I handle very easy: I put the song away and start with something else. Sometimes its years later that I have a look at it again, if I can do something with it and often that’s the case. So for me I don’t like to force a song if it doesn’t present it by itself.

‘Joy Division, The Sisters Of Mercy And The Cure Were Very Important To Me’

Q: One of the most surprising entries in your discography is “Kindred Spirits” (2012), a cover album featuring renowned songs and artists. How did you choose the tracks, and what connection do you have to those songs? Would you consider them key sources of inspiration?

Ronny: When I was young, the only means of getting to know music was the radio or “Top of the Pops” later in the 70s. In the Netherlands we had bands like Shocking Blue, Brainbox, Earth And Fire, Focus, The Golden Earring and such, which appealed to me a lot. These were the bands I was interested in. On TV we grew up with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and of course The Monkees especially grouped for US TV. These bands made me want to play an instrument at a very young age. After that I always stayed on the alternative side of music. On my album “Kindred Spirits“ you can see and hear which artist influenced me in the direction I was going. Bands for example like Joy Division, The Sisters Of Mercy and The Cure were very important to me.

I gave or restricted myself to make a choice for ten songs of bands who had in one way or the other an impact on my musical taste. I wanted to give an ode to these bands and revive these songs in my memory to keep and make them as my own. In the end I did 11 tracks of my all-time favourite bands or songs.

Too many bands like to hide their influences or deny them. I decided to give them my own pedestal.

Q: This year marks the release of Clan Of Xymox’s 18th album, “Exodus”. What does this album represent within your extensive discography? Can you share insights into its creation?

Ronny: I finished and released the album “Limbo” in 2021 and I wrote the “Exodus” album after writing “Save Our Souls” in 2022 in 2023. The last song I wrote for this album was in January 2024 and here we are. In a way keeping the tradition of one album release in every two or three years.

We toured an awful lot so the little time I had, I spend in the studio taking my mind of things. The late general developments in the world I felt writing about. Instead of introspective lyrics I felt more like describing our current times we live in. After “Save Our Souls” I wrote “Fear For A World At War”, especially after all the rhetoric of Putin threatening Europe or the world with nuclear strikes. Because the world is massively gearing up for war.

When I was born there was the biggest world crisis between the Soviet Union and the USA about the missiles in Cuba.

It is ironic that now we are living with almost the exact conditions but this time closer to home, having a nuclear missile threat. History repeats itself . I certainly hope this is not getting out of hand but the signs are that we seem to step up our war talk more and more. SOS indeed. The world is at turmoil and nothing good will come out of this. Exodus for me as well when it gets out of hand. Anyway, this is the back ground for writing all these songs for “Exodus”.

Q: Talking about “Save Our Souls”, there clearly is a sense of commentary on the state of the world. Do you see music and this album as a unifying force in troubled times? How do you perceive its broader impact on society?

Ronny: “Save Our Souls” was specific about the invasion of the Russians into the Ukraine. It was a shocker for me. Especially after just having toured there in September 2021. I see music in troubled times more as a safety blanket you can wrap yourself in. It gives comfort and soothes your mind and well-being. An escape as it were from the daily sorrows we get bombarded with each and every minute. So far music can change or influence politics when masses cry out for social change. I don’t see that happen with this album or any of my albums;) Never intended for it either.

Q: Authenticity seems to be a hallmark of your music. Many fans describe a sense of genuine emotion and connection in your work. How do you experience this dynamic and interaction with your audience? How powerful or influential do you think music can be in bridging gaps and inspiring change?

Ronny: Wow, if you talk about the grand scale of things you might have a chance to do so but in the cult circuit we are maybe just the inspiring factor. That which might work on a small scale. I should certainly hope that our fans and other listeners get the music of Clan Of Xymox and feel the emotions I feel when I perform these songs with my band. Live you notice this the best. During the show I always look at people and there are so many various expressions on people faces, you feel that you are almost privileged to see an expression of someone when they sink into the song with mind and body. I love it!

‘Contrast Works Always The Best In A Way’

Q: Your music often combines dark, melancholic themes with an energy that makes people dance and feel alive. How do you reconcile these contrasting elements?

Ronny: Contrast works always the best in a way. I defines, it outlines. I have a lot of slow songs with equally dark lyrics but playing live I want to entertain people, want to make them move inside and out. I have luckily lots and lots of songs to choose from and during the years it taught me a lot about which songs people like to hear when they go to our concert. That means the classics are always included and never ignored.

Q: Finally, let’s end with a few rapid-fire questions:

• ‘Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘N’ Roll’: does this resonate with you?

Ronny: During my long career all certainly resonates at one time or the other. Experimenting with drugs I steered away long time ago. It was perhaps hip in the 80’s or attractive to experiment but the same goes for smoking or anything else unhealthy. I value a healthy life style with perhaps an alternativee: Sex, Wine and Wave 😉

• Is there a band or artist you would have loved to collaborate with?

Ronny: It’s a shame I never got to work with David Bowie. I met him once in LA when he came to see our concert in the Palace. I was too starstruck to even think of asking him. What a missed chance !

• Do you feel a spiritual connection with any particular artist or band?

Ronny: Yes, plenty! I have got so many great friends in the current scene who make great music. Backstage is always fun when we meet.

• In a world without music, what do you think you’d be doing?

Ronny: Not breathe.

• Which Clan Of Xymox song would you recommend to someone who has never heard your music before?

Ronny: “A Day”, “She” or “Loneliness” as a starter.

• How many albums has Clan Of Xymox sold, and which remains the most successful?

Ronny:  Wouldn’t you like to know 😉 “Twist Of Shadows” was still the most successful in terms of hard record-CD/Cassettes sales because it was at the time people could only buy that and did. There was no piracy then, apart from the classic copying on a blank cassette. In terms of streaming and overall impact I have to point to my later works.

• What is the ultimate dream for Clan Of Xymox?

Ronny: To carry on like the last two years.

• What would you want written on your epitaph and that of Clan Of Xymox?

Ronny:  

See you on the other side.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am not there, I didn’t go.

I didn’t die, so you know. 

See you on the other side.

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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History Of Guns comes from the 1990s UK EDM / electronic scene and became famous thanks to their ‘meta-modernist’ industrial sound. Their new (and eighth) album “Half Light” out via the Liquid Len Recording Company follows the singles “No Longer Earthbound” and “When You Don’t Matter”. Mixed by Max Rael and Caden Clarkson, this album was mastered by Pete Maher (U2, Pixies, Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails).

On this album, founding members Del Alien (vocals) and Max Rael (keyboards, programming) are joined by guitarist Caden Clarkson (the newest member of History Of Guns). We also hear Andy Webster and Marnie from Spucktute on vocals on “Never Give it Up”, Amon Ásentir and Mark Eris from Xykogen on vocals on “Arcadia” joined by the Arcadia Choir (Emma Mills, Priyanka O’Neill, Sohm O’Neill and Ninotschka G.) and finally Nykky Spectre on vocals on “An Invitation”.

“When we came back from hiatus in 2022, we wanted a completely fresh start so we wrote the industrial rock / metal album ‘Forever Dying in Your Eyes’ from scratch. We had half of ‘Half Light’ at least sketched out as an electronic album back in 2008/2009,” explains Max Rael.

“Fortunately, people seem much more comfortable with us being genre-fluid these days and it’s less cause for criticism. Back in the day, certain camps seemed to have a definite need for bands to fit neatly into particular genres and not stray too far outside of it, which meant some of our early stuff was maybe a bit misunderstood because people didn’t know where to put it. We’ve been genuinely amazed by the reaction to the first two singles and are in nervous anticipation for what people will make of the album”.

Formed in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire in 1996, the duo became frontrunners of the Wasp Factory / FuturePunk scene of the early 2000s. The band went on hiatus in 2012, returning with 2022’s album “Forever Dying In Your Eyes” before setting about finishing an electronic project they’d begun in 2008 – resulting in “Half Light”. The starting point for this album lays in Robert Anton Wilson’s words “The future is up for grabs; it belongs to any and all who will take the risk and accept the responsibility of consciously creating the future they want.” The release contains elements of a story currently being written as a novel by Max Rael, with these 10 tracks exploring inner and outer space.

Below is the video for the single “When You Don’t Matter”.

And this is the video for “No Longer Earthbound”.

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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Underground 90s industrial legends History Of Guns present “When You Don’t Matter”, previewing their “Half Light” album – their eighth to date. This is the second taster of their “Half Light” album, following the lead track “No Longer Earthbound”. “Half Light” will be out June 20 via Liquid Len Recording Company.

On hiatus from 2012 to 2022, they finally had the opportunity to finish off an electronic project they’d begun in 2008. The result is the “Half Light” album, which also presented the opportunity to work with Pete Maher (U2, Pixies, Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails). On this album, founding members Del Alien (vocals) and Max Rael (keyboards, programming) are joined by guitarist Caden Clarkson, the newest member of History Of Guns. The whole was produced by Max Rael, mixed by Max Rael and Caden Clarkson.

“I think most people know of either a moment, or something sadly longer, when you’re on your own, and no one knows where you are, how you are, or even if you’re alive or dead. I think this like a History Of Guns version of a ballad, for abandonment. But whenever we have something we think is beautiful, we always have to smash it up somehow. From an existential point of view it might be true, maybe we don’t matter. We are meaning-seeking creatures in a world with no objective meaning. Ultimately we have to find a way to make ourselves matter to ourselves,” says multi-instrumentalist Max Rael.

Del Alien adds, “It’s like the vain attempt to help people. Maybe they know it, maybe they don’t. It’s not a personal thing is it? Is this what society has done to us? Is it worth you thinking about? Getting cold in a box just to be burned and scattered to the wind, only to end up in the mouth of a dying junkie… or like sleeping with the sanest lunatic you ever met, but there’s no one there in the morning to make you breakfast. If the product is not good from the start, how can it be in the end? Losing the place you stand, just to hold another’s hand.”

History Of Guns was formed in Hertfordshire in 1996 becoming the frontrunners of the UK’s Wasp Factory / FuturePunk scene of the early 2000s. After going on hiatus in 2012, they returned in 2022 with a new album – “Forever Dying In Your Eyes”.

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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UK electro-goth post-punk act History Of Guns presents “No Longer Earthbound”, the first taste of their eighth album, “Half Light” out June 20 via Liquid Len Recording Company. “Half Light” was mastered by Pete Maher (Pixies, U2, Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails).

History Of Guns was formed in Hertfordshire in 1996 becoming the frontrunners of the UK’s Wasp Factory / FuturePunk scene of the early 2000s. After going on hiatus in 2012, they returned in 2022 with a new album – “Forever Dying In Your Eyes” – then set about finishing an electronic project they’d begun in 2008. The result is this “Half Light” album, produced by Max Rael and mixed by Max Rael and Caden Clarkson with mastering by Pete Maher (U2, Pixies, Nick Cave, J&MC, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails). On this new album founding members Del Alien (vocals) and Max Rael (keyboards, programming) are joined by guitarist Caden Clarkson, the newest member of History Of Guns.

On the album we also noticed a guest performance by Andy Webster and Marnie from Spucktute on “Never Give it Up”, Amon Ásentir & Mark Eris from Xykogen on “Arcadia”, the Arcadia Choir (Emma Mills, Priyanka O’Neill, Sohm O’Neill and Ninotschka G.) on “Arcadia” and Nykky Spectre on “An Invitation”.

Max Rael says this about the new single: “This is a song about shifting focus away from this planet and to other places or realities.The existentialist question about why worry about saving the planet and endangered species when ultimately life will be unlivable on Earth in 1.3 billion years? If everything ends anyway, where else could we go? We pictured escaping the planet either through space travel, virtual reality or death. It is also about what we choose to leave behind as we shed one existence and go looking for another. That’s not to say History Of Guns don’t care about the planet. We recycle! Though apparently most of it ends up in landfill anyway.”

You can check the video for the new single “No Longer Earthbound” below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Survivorship bias. Most have never heard of this term, but it really does impact the music industry where a striking 90% of artists, even the talented ones, fail to achieve major success. Over the years, many have questioned me why certain bands with strong music and substantial label support do not become significant acts.

Time and again, I have pointed to survivorship bias, or survival bias, as a key explanation. Yesterday the question also came up in a conversation with my colleague Nele Bonte with whom I run the social media consultancy FOX DS.

Survivorship bias is the logical error of focusing only on the entities that have passed a selection process while ignoring those that did not. This can lead to incorrect conclusions due to incomplete data. In the music industry, this manifests when people only consider the artists who have achieved fame and visibility, neglecting the vast majority who have not. This bias can result in overly optimistic beliefs by overlooking multiple failures, such as excluding bands that left the roster of labels, or simply stopped playing music altogether. It may also foster the false belief that the successful few in the industry possess some unique qualities, rather than acknowledging the role of chance or misinterpreting correlation as causation.

It’s a logic you do not need to explain to most label owners. They know very well that successful bands are not born using just a magic formula, it’s a mix of things, and luck is often one of them. It also explains why many indie labels usually have only one or two well performing bands, while other bands on the same label – who get the same support – do not perform as well. If you look at Mute for instance, in their most successful years there were only a few bands keeping the label afloat: Depeche Mode, Erasure and Nick Cave. And that’s fine.

An Example of Survivorship Bias from the Military

A easy understandable example of survivorship bias can be found in military history. During World War II, statistician Abraham Wald incorporated survivorship bias into his calculations when determining how to minimize bomber losses to enemy fire. Working with the Statistical Research Group at Columbia University, Wald examined the damage on aircraft that had returned from missions and recommended adding armor to the areas that showed the least damage.

The rationale was that the bullet holes in the returning aircraft represented areas where a bomber could take damage and still fly well enough to return safely to base. If the aircraft was reinforced in the indicated areas, it was a result of survivorship bias because crucial data from fatally damaged planes was missing; those hit in other places did not survive.

Survivorship Bias in the Music Industry

To reiterate, 90% of all artists fail to make it big, a fact underpinned by the reality that 45.6 million tracks on Spotify had zero streams in 2023, and 158.6 million tracks received less than 1,000 plays.

The music industry is highly competitive, with countless individuals aspiring to become successful artists. However, only a small fraction achieve noticeable success or become household names.

We often also forget that there’s a vast middle ground of musicians who manage to make a living from their art but aren’t widely known or considered “successful” by mainstream standards.

Survivorship bias often leads to the overlook of these careers, even though they might offer valuable insights into sustainable practices within the music industry. The stories we often see and hear tend to homogenize the narratives about success, emphasizing certain themes like overnight success or the importance of never giving up, over more nuanced or less glamorous but equally valid experiences.

Here’s a video which was posted by Haulix a few years ago. Although it only garnered 470 views in 4 years, it’s worth it to check it out.

And then There is Failure Bias and the Underdog Effect

On the flip side, the opposite of survivorship bias is often referred to as failure bias or the underdog effect. While survivorship bias focuses only on the successes, thereby overlooking failures or those who did not make it, failure bias emphasizes the failures or the unsuccessful attempts, possibly at the expense of understanding the full range of successful outcomes.

This could demotivate musicians by presenting an overly pessimistic view of success rates. However, focusing on failures provides an opportunity to learn from mistakes. Understanding why things didn’t work out for some can provide valuable lessons that can be applied to avoid similar pitfalls. However, without a balanced view that also considers success stories, the lessons might be incomplete or misdirected.

Balance and Perspective

The most effective approach to understanding success and failure, whether in the music industry or any other field, is to maintain a balanced perspective that considers both survivorship and failure biases.

Recognizing the successes and understanding the failures, while also taking into account the various factors that contribute to these outcomes, offers a more nuanced and realistic view of what it takes to succeed or fail in a given endeavor.

This balanced perspective is crucial for setting realistic expectations, making informed decisions, and fostering a healthy and realistic ambition. But never forget, the core of your carreer should always be that you love creating music. If your music gets traction, the better, if it doesn’t you at least can blame it on… survivorship bias.

PS: The eighties really weren’t better, you just remember the best songs and bands, whereas you have forgotten the vast amount of very bad synthpop that got released back then.

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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Out 10 May on Mute is “Five Ways to Say Goodbye“, the first solo album from Mick Harvey in over 10 years. Today Mute has launched the video for “We Had an Island”. The new track is Harvey’s interpretation of Bruno Adams (Fatal Shores)’s “We Had an Island”.

The track follows the original composition “When We Were Beautiful & Young”, plus “Setting You Free” by the late David McComb (The Triffids / Blackeyed Susans), and “A Suitcase in Berlin”, a translation and reworking of Marlene Dietrich’s 1950s ode to Berlin, “Ich Hab’ Noch Einen Koffer in Berlin” which all feature on the new album

Mick Harvey’s Five Ways to Say Goodbye is out on vinyl, CD and digitally on 10 May 2024.

Mick Harvey (born 29 August 1958) is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his long-term collaborations with Nick Cave, with whom he formed The Boys Next Door, The Birthday Party and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Mich Harvey Tourdates

• 14 May – Antwerp (BE), Legendarische Dinsdag Club – short cabaret set
• 16 May – Valencia (ES), 16 Toneladas
• 17 May – Barcelona (ES), Sidecar
• 18 May – Madrid (ES), Sala el Sol
• 19 May – Zaragoza (ES), Bombo Y Platillo
• 23 May – Stockholm (SE), Bar Brooklyn
• 24 May – Copenhagen (DK), Loppen
• 25 May – Paris (FR), Petit Bains
• 26 May – London (UK), Omeara
• 29 May – Coimbra (PT), Nereida Fest (free concert)
• 31 May – Leiria (PT), Teatro José Lúcio Da Silva
• 1 June – Espinho (PT), Auditório de Espinho – SOLD OUT
• 2 June – Espinho (PT), Auditório de Espinho
• 7 June – Milan (IT), Arci Bellezza
• 8 June – Brno (CZ), Mersey Gathering
• 11 June – Florence (IT), Scandicci Nazionale Park
• 12 June – Fano (IT), Bagni Elsa
• 13 June – Bologna (IT), Frida Parco
• 14 June – Pula (HR), Rojc Community Centre

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Matthew Ellery) Mick Harvey has announced details of his first solo album in over 10 years, “Five Ways to Say Goodbye”. The album will be the final release in a series of releases that feature a blend of originals and interpretations of pre-existing songs. The new 12-track collection, out on Mute on 10 May 2024, will include original compositions alongside tracks written by such artists as Ed Kuepper (co-founder of The Saints), Fatal Shore (Phil Shoenfelt and Bruno Adams), David McComb (The Triffids / Blackeyed Susans), Lo Carmen and Lee Hazelwood.

Check the video for the new track “When We Were Beautiful & Young”.

The album also features “A Suitcase in Berlin” – originally released in early 2023 – which is a reworking of Marlene Dietrich’s 1950s ode to Berlin, “Ich Hab’ Noch Einen Koffer in Berlin”.

“(The album) is kind of about farewells or saying goodbye,” explains Harvey, “There’s a lot around that subject so it’s got a kind of melancholy and sentimentality around it.” You could also just click here for a more entertaining moment.

The new album follows Harvey’s recent collaboration with Mexican artist Amanda Acevedo, who features on “Five Ways to Say Goodbye”, and will be accompanied by a UK and European tour dates in May and June.

Mick Harvey tour

• 16 May – Valencia (ES), 16 Toneladas
• 17 May – Barcelona (ES), Sidecar
• 18 May – Madrid (ES), Sala el Sol
• 26 May – London (UK), Omeara
• 29 May – Coimbra (PT), Nereida in Jardim de Sereia (free concert)
• 30 May – Leiria (PT), Teatro José Lúcio Da Silva
• 1 June – Espinho (PT), Auditório de Espinho
• 7 June – Milan (IT), Arci Bellezza
• 8 June – Brno (CZ), Mersey Gathering

More dates to be added.

Michael John Harvey is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his long-term collaborations with Nick Cave, with whom he formed The Boys Next Door, The Birthday Party and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: This album comes two years after the official debut-full length “Blacken The Skies”. Terminal is a project based in Pretoria (South-Africa) and driven by Thomas Mark Anthony. “The New Republic” features thirteen new cuts and is dedicated to Dave Heckman -Metropolis Records owner who passed a way last year.

Content: The work sounds as the logical follow up to “Blacken Skies”. From Industrial-Metal passages to more explicit Industrial-Pop Terminal is revisiting Electronic standards. The tracklist reveals a few instrumental cuts, kind of intermezzos.

+ + + : I first of all have to salute the deep, charismatic, timbre of voice of the artist. It now and then evokes Nick Cave. Sound-wise this album is more consistent than its predecessor. It sounds more mature and accomplished but also reveals an original composition. It’s neither Industrial nor Pop but somewhere in between. The guitar injects power and the electronic sound treatments create a cool atmosphere while creating harmony. I like the work for its overwhelming bombast.

– – – : It’s not an ‘easy’ work to listen to; it might take time to seize the essence and strength of the production. Terminal sounds like mixing opposites but in the end it all sounds complementary.

Conclusion: The new Terminal-album sounds like a step forward and is definitely an accomplished production experimenting with opposite poles.

Best songs: “Smart Weapons”, “Dirty River (Necrosis)”, “Testify”, “Did We Ask For Truth”, “Disproportionate Response”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.terminalnoise.com / www.facebook.com/terminal.industrial

Label: www.metropolis-records.com / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords Read the news on ‘The New Republic’.

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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(Photo by A.J. Barratt) In 1986, a unique 2LP set titled “Walls Have Ears” captured the performances of Sonic Youth from three UK gigs in 1985. Initially a bootleg release on 2×12″ vinyl, unauthorized and without the band’s consent, this album will officially release on February 9, 2024, through Goofin’ Records.

The album documents Sonic Youth’s dynamic live energy. Tracks 1–7, recorded on October 30, 1985, in London, showcase the band’s raw sound. Track 8 captures the intensity of their November 8, 1985, performance at Brighton Beach, Brighton. Tracks 9–17, from an April 28, 1985, concert in London, where they supported Nick Cave at Hammersmith Palace, feature Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, Kim Gordon, and Bob Bert. Later tracks introduce new drummer Steve Shelley, who replaced Bert.

Stevie Chick, in his book “Psychic Confusion: The Sonic Youth Story,” asserts that “The Walls Have Ears” is a crucial and electrifying document of the group at their live best. Despite being unloved by its creators, this album captures Sonic Youth playing with a violent and ecstatic abandon, proving that sometimes artists are not the best judges of their own work.”

This album marks Sonic Youth’s second UK appearance, building upon their high profile from their 1983 London debut. Despite facing technical challenges and overwhelming volume, the band significantly impacted the audience.

Sonic Youth bootleg gets second chance

“The Walls Have Ears” is a compilation of Sonic Youth’s early classics, including “The Burning Spear”, “I Love Her All The Time”, “Death Valley 69”, and “I’m Insane”. The raw recordings, interspersed with Madonna tape segues and vocal loops, reflect the band’s inventive approach before having a full stage crew. The album also includes an introduction by Claude Bessy, the French punk raconteur, humorously critiquing the indie label scene during their October 30th ULU London gig.

You can now watch a teaser for the album, featuring recovered VHS footage from these iconic 1985 performances.

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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Shane MacGowan, the renowned Irish singer-songwriter, poet, and frontman of The Pogues, passed away at the age of 65. His death was announced by his wife, Victoria Mary Clarke. The Pogues also released a statement confirming his peaceful passing with his family by his side.

You can read the statement by Victoria Mary Clarke below.

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A post shared by Victoria Mary Clarke Angels (@victoriamaryclarke)

Below is the statement by The Pogues.

pic.twitter.com/1OPVekSDyX

— The Pogues (@poguesofficial) November 30, 2023

About Shane MacGowan

MacGowan, born on Christmas Day in 1957 in Kent, was celebrated as one of Ireland’s most influential songwriters and poets. Despite a challenging upbringing, which included being expelled from school and struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, he made a significant impact on the arts and entertainment world through his work with The Pogues and collaborations with a host of musical legends.

Throughout his career, MacGowan battled various health issues, leading to multiple hospital stays in recent years. He was treated for viral encephalitis, a condition causing brain swelling, and also suffered from shingles. Moreover, a severe pelvis injury in 2015 left him wheelchair-bound during his final years. Despite these challenges, MacGowan achieved sobriety in 2016 following a serious bout with pneumonia and a long hospital stay due to his hip injury. His wife, Victoria, with whom he shared a decades-long relationship and married in 2018, frequently updated fans on his health struggles.

MacGowan’s legacy, marked by hits like “Fairytale of New York” and “A Pair of Brown Eyes,” and his collaborations with artists such as Kirsty MacColl, Joe Strummer, Nick Cave, Steve Earle, Johnny Depp, the late Sinéad O’Connor, and Ronnie Drew, leaves a lasting impression on music and culture​.

The below “Haunted” was the soundtrack of both the lives of Sinéad O’Connor and Shane MacGowan.

About The Pogues

The Pogues, an Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band, was led by Shane MacGowan and other members. It was established in King’s Cross, London, in 1982 under the original name “Pogue Mahone,” an anglicized version of the Irish phrase “póg mo thóin,” meaning “kiss my arse.” The band gained international fame in the 1980s and early 1990s, producing several successful albums and singles. MacGowan departed from the group in 1991 due to issues with alcohol, and the band continued with Joe Strummer and later Spider Stacy as vocalists until their initial breakup in 1996. They reunited in late 2001 and performed regularly in the UK, Ireland, and the US East Coast until their final disbandment in 2014, not recording new material in this latter period.

Their music, which carried political undertones, was shaped by MacGowan and Stacy’s punk roots. However, they uniquely blended this style with traditional Irish instrumentation, incorporating the tin whistle, banjo, cittern, mandolin, and accordion into their sound.

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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British actor and comedian Stephen Fry has quoted the response Nick Cave gave on Chat GPT at the recent Letters Live event. Cave more specifically addressed fans’ inquiries about ChatGPT’s impact on human creativity. The backdrop of these questions is the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence and its implications, highlighted by ongoing developments at OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT.

Nick Cave, known for his engagement with fans through The Red Hand Files – his interactive blog forum – recently (August 2023) responded to two fans, Leon and Charlie, about the use of ChatGPT in creative processes. In his reply, Cave expressed deep skepticism about the increasing reliance on AI for artistic creation.

At the Letters Live event which took place on November 16th, marking its 10th anniversary, at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Fry read Cave’s letter during the second part (“We are fighting for the very soul of the world”) of his speech, emphasizing the musician’s concerns about AI’s role in the arts. Letters Live is renowned for its celebration of literary correspondence, featuring a variety of performers reading significant historical and contemporary letters.

Nick Cave skeptical about the use of AI in the creative process

In his response, Cave critically addresses the issue raised by Leon, who works in the music industry and discussed the growing use of ChatGPT for songwriting, noting its efficiency. Charlie’s question sought advice for a young songwriter just starting out. Cave’s reply, as read by Fry, highlights his stance on the matter.

Cave argues that AI, like ChatGPT, is accelerating the commodification of human creativity, reducing the value and necessity of human participation in the creative process. He criticizes the use of AI for art creation as a threat to the essence of human spirit and creativity.

Earlier, responding to a fan named Mark who shared an AI-generated song in the style of Nick Cave, Cave had dismissed the piece as lacking authenticity and depth. He expressed his unease with the enthusiasm surrounding AI in creative fields, fearing that its perpetual infancy and relentless advancement could undermine the essence of human artistic expression.

Below is Nick Cave’s original response.

“Dear Leon and Charlie,

In the story of the creation, God makes the world, and everything in it, in six days. On the seventh day he rests. The day of rest is significant because it suggests that the creation required a certain effort on God’s part, that some form of artistic struggle had taken place. This struggle is the validating impulse that gives God’s world its intrinsic meaning. The world becomes more than just an object full of other objects, rather it is imbued with the vital spirit, the pneuma, of its creator.

ChatGPT rejects any notions of creative struggle, that our endeavours animate and nurture our lives giving them depth and meaning. It rejects that there is a collective, essential and unconscious human spirit underpinning our existence, connecting us all through our mutual striving.

ChatGPT is fast-tracking the commodification of the human spirit by mechanising the imagination. It renders our participation in the act of creation as valueless and unnecessary. That ‘songwriter ‘you were talking to, Leon, who is using ChatGPT to write ‘his’ lyrics because it is ‘faster and easier ,’is participating in this erosion of the world’s soul and the spirit of humanity itself and, to put it politely, should fucking desist if he wants to continue calling himself a songwriter.

ChatGPT’s intent is to eliminate the process of creation and its attendant challenges, viewing it as nothing more than a time-wasting inconvenience that stands in the way of the commodity itself. Why strive?, it contends. Why bother with the artistic process and its accompanying trials? Why shouldn’t we make it ‘faster and easier?’

When the God of the Bible looked upon what He had created, He did so with a sense of accomplishment and saw that ‘it was good‘. ‘It was good ‘because it required something of His own self, and His struggle imbued creation with a moral imperative, in short love. Charlie, even though the creative act requires considerable effort, in the end you will be contributing to the vast network of love that supports human existence. There are all sorts of temptations in this world that will eat away at your creative spirit, but none more fiendish than that boundless machine of artistic demoralisation, ChatGPT.

As humans, we so often feel helpless in our own smallness, yet still we find the resilience to do and make beautiful things, and this is where the meaning of life resides. Nature reminds us of this constantly. The world is often cast as a purely malignant place, but still the joy of creation exerts itself, and as the sun rises upon the struggle of the day, the Great Crested Grebe dances upon the water. It is our striving that becomes the very essence of meaning. This impulse – the creative dance – that is now being so cynically undermined, must be defended at all costs, and just as we would fight any existential evil, we should fight it tooth and nail, for we are fighting for the very soul of the world.

Love, Nick”

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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This is something for fans of Nick Cave and related. Chicago-based artist Leon Frear presents the single “Secret Second Moon”, along with a comic strip-styled video created by French animator Ronald Grandpey. This album represents a new start for him under this moniker. Frear has a voice which somewhat recalls Marty Willson-Piper of The Church fame and his side project Nocturum.

“Secret Second Moon” is the first offering from his debut album “Wild Rice”. The album is lyrically based on his own personal experience, Frear’s speaks of love, lust, broken promises, broken phones, and multiple incinerated bridges. This 10-track collection was produced by Frear in his home studio in Chicago, playing every instrument during a recording process that took years in isolation to complete.

“I picked up my belongings, changed my name and moved to Chicago. I just wanted to get lost in the crowd. It took a decade to get sober, restore my health, sanity and put together enough equipment to make this record,” says Leon Frear. “Wild Rice is the story of those times, but told in reflection. The songs came from a place of true grief, regret and a little bit of anger. But through all of those things, I gained wisdom and became a better person. And while the details may be different, I think every human on this planet shares in the experience of feelings of grief. Ultimately, I think it is an album about empathy.”

Sonically, he was inspired to make “Wild Rice” while listening to old Leonard Cohen albums, Harvest by Neil Young, Stories from the City by PJ Harvey and lots of old ballads by Nick Cave.

As of November 21, “Secret Second Moon” is out, the album will be available from all music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. The “Wild Rice” album will be released – on vinyl and digitally – on February 2, 2024.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Harry Stafford and Allie Butcher) Inca Babies are an English deathrock / post-punk band from Manchester, England. Initially active between 1982 and 1988, the band reformed in 2007 featuring founder member and original songwriter Harry Stafford (guitars, vocals).

But now Harry Stafford has collaborated with US-based but Brazil-born trash blues guitarist Marco Butcher to release the single “Walk Among The Spectres”, taken from the duo’s forthcoming album “We are the perilous men” coming this Fall (September 8) via Black Lagoon Records. The material should please Nick Cave fans for sure.

In the video for the single you see Stafford who travels across town to put an electric piano-keyboard on his grave “discovering his own fragile mortality along the way” as the duo explains. The video was directed by Harry Stafford with cinematography by J.P. Conway and filmed in the expansive Southern Cemetery in Didsbury South Manchester, which dates back to 1700 and was used throughout the Victorian era. Stafford: “Now a public park, people are invited to wander among the tombstones… to literally Walk among the Spectres.”

The new album is the follow-up to their debut album from 2021, “Bone Architecture”.

“I have discovered that I spend a lot of my time knowing what I don’t want to sound like. My musical education began with punk and then, when I came to University in Manchester in the early 80s, I found myself submerged into the strange beat infused darkness of the Big city post punk music scene (Joy Division, ACR, The Fall) and I had to form the Inca Babies to make sense of it all,” says Harry Stafford. “Now 40 years later, while I have never forgotten that seismic guidance, my interests, and influence stretch so far, I need someone like Marco to constantly surprise me.”

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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Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan pays tribute to The Gun Club with his rendition of “Mother of Earth”, the closing track from the A-side of the 1982 album “Miami”. The cover is part of ‘The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project’, a tribute to the late frontman of The Gun Club which so far already delivered 3 tribute compilations.

The release of Gahan’s version of “Mother Earth” is set for this Friday on various streaming platforms. Originally conceived in 2006 by the late Gun Club titan’s guitarist Cypress Grove this new tribute has been nearly ten years in the making and is the fourth volume in ‘The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project’ series. “The Task Has Overwhelmed Us” will be available on Glitterhouse Records from Sept. 29.

The Gun Club was an American rock band hailing from Los Angeles, California, active from 1979 to 1996. The band’s founder and lead singer-songwriter, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, continued to lead the group until his passing in 1996. The Gun Club’s musical style was influenced by punk rock, blues, rockabilly and swamp rock, and encompassed post-punk,punk blues, cowpunk, blues rock and gothic country. They were also called a “tribal psychobilly blues” band.

In the video for Gahan’s cover, you’ll see Suzie Stapleton on piano and backing vocals, James Johnston on violin, Gavin Jay on bass, and Ian White on drums.

For a visual treat, you can check out the video of Dave Gahan’s cover.

The album features other notable artists like The Coathangers, Jeffrey Lee Pierce (feat. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis), The Amber Lights, Mark Lanegan (feat. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis), Jim Jones and the Righteous Mind, Peter Hayes, Leah Shapiro & Humanist, Suzie Stapleton (feat. Duke Garwood), Hugo Race, Nick Cave & Debbie Harry, Cypress Grove, Alejandro Escovedo, Mark Stewart, Lydia Lunch, Jozef van Wissem, Jim Jarmusch, Chris Eckman & Chantal Acda, Pam Hogg (feat. Warren Ellis & Youth), and Sendelica (feat. Wonder & Dynamax Roberts).

You can also already check the version Nick Cave & Debbie Harry recorded of “On the other side”.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Music For The Masses’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Ben Wilkin) Out via Plastic Sound Records is Belle Scar’s newest single “I’ve Been Here Before”, the track is taken from the debut album “Atoms”. The Montreal born but now London-based singer-songwriter Belle Scar brings dark pop that indeed – just like the press release says – sounds like a mash-up between Nick Cave, Björk and Portishead.

Scar’s new single, “I’ve Been Here Before”, is about the acknowledgement and acceptance of the ‘black dog’ of melancholy. The video for it captures London at night, with Scar playing the lead role of a wanderer and actor JD Haymer representing her shadow.

Scar studied classical piano as a child before having to abandon it due to challenges related to ADHD and dyslexia that also affected her schooling. She eventually began writing poetry and composing music, to the point where it became an obsession and she left Montreal to head over to Europe for a lengthy tour armed with just her keyboard, a fistful of dark electronic pop songs and her distinctive voice. She finally ended up in the UK where “I could truly push myself to take risks and work on my most ambitious music; I began meeting lots of incredibly talented musicians, singers and artists with whom I have collaborated.”

There she started working with musician and producer Marc Olivier to create “Atoms”, her upcoming 11-track counting debut album. “I wrote ‘Atoms’ after my son was born, the aftermath of cancer in the family, life in the pandemic as well as acknowledging and accepting my continuing cognitive challenges,” explains Scar. “These songs are about my identity and trying to navigate the cycles of life, as well as my fascination with and awe of the universe, space and time in all its mysterious ways.”

Here’s the video for the new single.

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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Mark Stewart, a pioneering figure in post-punk and industrial hip-hop, passed away in the early hours of Friday, 21 April 2023. Born on 28 April 1960, Stewart was an English singer and founding member of The Pop Group.

Mute label boss Daniel Miller, a close friend of Stewart, shared his fond memories: “I’ve known Mark as a mate and fellow traveller for over 40 years since he was the lead singer of The Pop Group. I have countless brilliant memories of him – some odd, some outrageous, but always inspiring and somehow purposeful. His musical influence has been far greater than often recognised. He was always supportive of young artists, particularly those local to him in Bristol – many have gone on to become international stars. His warmth and kindness as a friend have always been incredibly important to me. We had so many laughs together, and he had such creative energy. The last time I saw Mark was a few months ago in Bristol, performing an improvised set with Lee Ranaldo. He was nothing short of hilarious, his piece essentially a stand-up routine, and after the show, we spent hours putting the world to rights, a fantastic memory. I’ll miss him dearly. Mark, I can’t imagine you being anything other than restless, but I hope you find your unique peace.”

Gareth Sager, founding member of The Pop Group adds: “Mark was the most brilliant mind of our generation, rest in peace.”

Adrian Sherwood, who collaborated with Stewart via his On-U Sound Records label, expressed his heartfelt appreciation: “Cheers, my brother. You were the most significant musical influence in my life, and our extended family will miss you dearly. Eternal love.”

Stewart formed The Pop Group in Bristol in 1977 as a teenager. Influenced by dub and reggae, driven by political conviction and sonic experimentation, the band released their debut album, “Y”, that same year – a defining album of its era. After The Pop Group disbanded following a final performance at a significant CND rally in 1980, Stewart continued working with CND and, inspired by the emerging hip-hop scene in New York, collaborated with dub pioneer Adrian Sherwood to create the 1983 album “Learning to Cope with Cowardice”. His solo discography continued with 1985’s “As the Veneer of Democracy Starts to Fade” and spanned the next two decades, culminating with 2012’s “The Politics of Envy”.

In 2010, The Pop Group reformed, driven by renewed political disillusionment, and delivered a series of incendiary live performances, recording two new studio albums. Their last performance with Stewart took place in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral, invited by Terry Hall for Coventry UK City of Culture 2021.

Stewart recorded for On-U Sound Records and Mute Records during his career. He leaves behind a unique and significant body of work, encompassing The Pop Group, his solo efforts, collaborations with artists such as Trent Reznor, Tricky, Massive Attack, Chicks on Speed, ADULT., and Primal Scream, and his conceptual art. Mark Stewart’s creative impact has been immense – as Nick Cave stated, he “changed everything” – and his influence will continue to resonate through the music, art, and political activism of generations of artists inspired by his creative work, energy, and spirit.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Renaud Monfourny) The 35th anniversary release of Suicide’s third studio album, “A Way of Life”, will be available on May 26th, 2023 through Mute/BMG. The album has been remastered and includes previously unreleased tracks. Suicide, consisting of members Alan Vega and Martin Rev, was a pioneering duo in the punk and synth-pop scene.

The anniversary edition of “A Way of Life” will be released on transparent blue vinyl (including an art card and two bonus tracks), CD (with a 4-page booklet and five bonus tracks), and digitally. Jared Artaud discovered the unreleased bonus tracks while working on the Vega Vault archives. Denis Blackham of Skye Mastering, who worked on the recent remastered reissues of Suicide’s first and second albums, remastered the album. The album’s artwork design and concept were created by Artaud and Michael Handis.

Listen to the unreleased version of Suicide’s 1988 live cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” right below.

“A Way of Life,” originally released in 1988, more than a decade after their groundbreaking self-titled debut, features classic Suicide tracks like “Surrender”, “Jukebox Baby 96”, and “Dominic Christ”. For the production of the album, Alan Vega and Martin Rev collaborated once again with Ric Ocasek, frontman of The Cars.

Suicide, formed in the early 1970s, became an integral part of the New York punk scene by 1976. Their debut album has since been recognized as a significant influence on countless artists and musicians, such as New Order, Depeche Mode, Bruce Springsteen, KLF, Spiritualized, Moby, Soft Cell, The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Sisters of Mercy, Primal Scream, and Nick Cave.

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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BXL Central and Pias are collaborating to host a special musical event that brings together Dan Lacksman and Michel Moers of the renowned Belgian synth-pop trio Telex, and Daniel Miller, the founder of Mute Records.

The event aims to provide an insight into Telex’s lasting impact on electronic pop music and their groundbreaking contributions. Olivier Monssens, a respected journalist and filmmaker, will be interviewing the artists during the discussion. The event is free to attend, however, reservations are required.

Event Details:

• Title: A Night with Telex & Daniel Miller
• Date: April 17
• Venue: BXL CENTRAL [CHEZ PIAS], Rue Saint-Laurent 36-38, 1000 Brussels

Schedule:

• 6:00 PM – Doors open
• 6:30 PM – Talk and interviews
• 8:00 PM – Event concludes

The event is free to attend; however, reservations are required.

Telex, consisting of Marc Moulin (1942-2008), Dan Lacksman, and Michel Moers, formed in 1978 in Brussels. As electronic pop pioneers, they played a key role in popularizing the genre. Their discography includes six albums, which Mute Records is reissuing in various formats on April 14, 2023.

Daniel Miller founded Mute Records in 1978 with his 7″ single ‘Warm Leatherette,’ released under the name The Normal. Mute has since evolved from a one-man label to a global group, with Miller remaining focused on the creative output. The label’s catalog features prominent artists such as Fad Gadget, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Erasure, Goldfrapp, and Yann Tiersen.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Matthew Ellery) Out on September 1st 2023 via Mute is the all new 14-track album by Mick Harvey and Amanda Acevedo, “Phantasmagoria in blue”.

The album follows a European tour that will see Harvey and Acevedo join J.P. Shilo and Berlin band Sometimes with Others, presented as the Invisible Blue Unicorns throughout May with further dates in Autumn across the UK, Ireland and beyond. Here’s already their interpretation of Jackson C. Frank’s “Milk & Honey”, taken from his 1965 debut.

Mexican singer and filmmaker Amanda Acevedo met Mick Harvey several years ago in Mexico City while Harvey was on tour with P.J. Harvey, but it wasn’t until 2021 that their current project burst into life. After Acevedo initially suggested the collaboration, Harvey sent over some ideas and, Acevedo explains, “The first recording we did was amazing, our voices matched very well”. Harvey expands, “Little by little it started to feel like something that could be an important project and gradually became the dominant focus for the following 18 months.”

Following their initial long distance collaborative work, Harvey and Acevedo met up in Los Angeles so they could continue work in person. Harvey explains, “We aimed big, I wanted it to be a big production to match the level of ambition in the whole idea. I think it’s one of the best things I’ve been involved in, for a long time”.

In LA they worked with Alain Johannes (Eleven, Mark Lanegan, Queens of the Stone Age), recording most of the vocals at Norm Block’s Happy Ending studios in Silverlake. Late in 2022 they continued work in Melbourne, while also playing some shows in Australia together with J.P. Shilo (Hungry Ghosts, Rowland S. Howard) who is also featured on the album playing guitar and miscellaneous instruments. Harvey finished mixing the album, and coordinated the mastering with Mikey Young, before Acevedo returned to Mexico.

About Mick Harvey and Amanda Acevedo

Mick Harvey is renowned as a musician, record producer and composer who has been active for the last 45 years and is perhaps best known as a member of The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds and for his long term collaborative work with PJ Harvey and Nick Cave. Aside from scoring a dozen feature films and numerous short films and documentaries, split almost evenly between Australia and Europe, Harvey has also released eight solo albums in the last two decades.

This is Mexican artist Amanda Acevedo’s first project, and sees her stepping out onto the international stage for the first time. After spending 2020/21 studying film in her home town of San Luis Potisí, Acevedo has teamed up with one of her heroes to create a thematically rich collection of duets.

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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Prague’s gothic rock band Cathedral In Flames have just revealed their new single, “Not Another Vampire Song”. The single follows the release of their Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds cover of “The Weeping Song”. John Fryer (Fields of The Nephilim, Peter Murphy, Nine Inch Nails) produced the new recordings.

The lyrics of the track poke fun at typical gothic rock themes as well as stories of closed rock clubs and churches.

Phil Lee Fall explains the track: “The song is based on a memory of the nineties, when we used to travel (not only to play) around Bohemia, and after a night of drinking we would go the next morning to the only place that was open (on Saturday or Sunday) at that time, so to church. It’s also about booze, or rather about alcoholics and how after a few drinks quiet introverts turn into raging sovereign steamrollers. And how they turn into pale, hungover vampires the next day, afraid of daylight and looking in the mirror.”

Below is the video for the song.

For more on John Fryer, see John Fryer interview: ‘Punk (pop with attitude) kicked the doors of… on Side-Line.

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.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Raymond Watts has written this new PIG album during the ongoing pandemic. He got some help from precious and long-time collaborators En Esch and Steve White while  Jim Davies (Pitchshifter, The Prodigy ao) joined in as well.

Content: Twelve songs of typical Industrial power, mixing guitar riffs with electronics, this work of course will make you think of KMFDM. But Watts takes us by surprise achieving softer -and even cabaret-like cuts.

+ + + : The sound universe of PIG is one familiar for fans of KMFDM, Pitchshifter and co. A dark, Industrial sound in which Watts excels. His passionate vocals -sometimes reminding me to early Nick Cave, are totally matching with the violent sound whereon you’ll also notice subtle, sound arrangements. “The Dark Room” and “Tarantula” both are brilliant pieces but I also have to mention the solid opener “No Yes More Less” and “Obliteration Liberation” for its elevating sensation.

– – – : PIG stands for great music although it became a bit more predictable throughout the years.

Conclusion: PIG sounds dirty and passionate, evil and merciless!

Best songs: “The Dark Room”, “Tarantula”, “No Yes More Less”, “Obliteration Liberation”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/pigindustries

Label: www.metropolis-records.com / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords Read the news on ‘The Merciless Light’.

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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The Montreal born but London based artist Belle Scar is back with an all new single.

“Where Do We Begin” is the first single to be issued from a new album due out in early 2023. Having previously released an album of dark electronic pop entitled “Light Bulbs” (2015), Scar is now sounding more like a female version of Nick Cave with the songs containing a wider range of instrumentation and more complex arrangements. On this single she collaborates with her husband, musician and producer Marc O (Olivier), whose roots were as a classically trained musician in Paris prior to his own relocation to London.

The single was recorded at Plastic Sound Studios in London and produced/mixed by Marc O, with guest appearances from Finnish rock bassist Sami Yaffa, French drummer Christophe Deschamps and Italian opera soprano Francesca Matta.

Here’s the video for “Where Do We Begin”.

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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English musician Barry Adamson came to prominence in the late 1970s as a member of the post-punk band Magazine and went on to work with Visage, The Birthday Party, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and the electro musicians Pan Sonic. In addition to prolific solo work, Adamson has also remixed Grinderman, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Recoil and Depeche Mode. He for instance created the seven-minute opus “Useless (Escape From Wherever: Pts. 1 & 2!)” remix for the latter band in 1997. He also worked on the soundtrack for David Lynch’s surrealistic crime film Lost Highway.

He has now announced details of a series of long out of print catalogue releases on Mute, starting with the white vinyl edition of his 1996 album, “Oedipus Schmoedipus”, limited to 1000 copies, out on 29 July 2022. This 1996 album features collaborations with Nick Cave, The Associates’ Billy Mackenzie and Jarvis Cocker. You can listen to a new edit of “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis” featuring Cocker right below.

The reissue series continues on 23 September with the “Stranger on the Sofa” album (2006), available for the first time on vinyl (pressed initially as double red vinyl), and “Back to the Cat” (2008) on clear vinyl – both originally on Adamson’s own Central Control label – alongside a strictly limited edition (1000 copies) antique blue vinyl issue of 2021’s “Steal Away” EP of new songs, originally released digitally on Mute.

Then, on 2 December “I Will Set You Free” (2012) and “Know Where To Run” (2016), get the reissue treatment (on curacao and silver vinyl, respectively) before Mute continues the series, reissuing Adamson’s entire catalogue.

Currently working on a new album, Barry Adamson published the first part of his memoir “Up Above the City, Down Beneath the Stars” (Omnibus press) in 2021.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Rant Salt Casey) Out on May 6th is the newest EP from the Seattle dark folk duo Love & Pain. The “It Comes in Waves” EP comes hand in hand with the new single “Exit Scene”.

Love & Pain was formed in 2018 out of the union of Seattle musicians Natalia Czajkiewicz and Brad Clifford. Taking inspiration from dreamy 60’s doo wop and artists like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and PJ Harvey, Love & Pain’s debut release “Shivers” delivered 5 songs.

The band’s new 2022 release, the EP “It Comes In Waves”, finds them purifying their sound even further through 5 songs.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The French formation The Funeral Warehouse once started as a solo-project set up by singer/guitarist /keyboarder Sébastyén D. Later on the solo-project evolved into a real band. Aurélien Jobard on bass/keyboards and Rodolphe Goujet on drums joined in.  They by the end of 2021 unleashed their debut album “Hours & Days”. The album has been released by Icy Cold Records and reveals a great mix between Shoegaze and Dark-Wave with a strong Indie touch on top. This interview is an introduction to The Funeral Warehouse.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I noticed you guys are already active for a couple of years now. How did The Funeral Warehouse see the daylight and what did you want to express through your music?

Rodolphe: First of all I would like to say that it is a real pleasure for me to answer to a Belgium website because a lot of bands from your beautiful country have educated my ears since the 90’s: Deus, ZITA SWOON, VENUS, SOULWAX, GHINZU, GIRLS IN HAWAÏ…

As an answer to your question, I would say that I am the last member to join the band. They wanted to see if a real drum could surpass a drum machine… the used one in the first releases of the band. As I’m still here, I guess I passed the test. I really think that drums are underrated instruments to express emotions. I’m not a real drummer so I have a rhythmical and melodical approach to it. To be fair I should say since I’m technically limited, I have to find something to make an illusion.

Sébastyén D: Yes Belgium has so many great bands. Last one I saw was Annabel Le. Real cool band and nice people. Well, The Funeral Warehouse was born not exactly but almost a side-project from my main one at that time, Opium Dream Estate – though now both are equally important to me. I was writing Post-Punk/Cold-Wave-like songs and I thought of keeping it for a new project, then making an EP. I met Aurélien Jobard (bass) in a club and then he introduced me to Rodolphe, we rehearsed and that was it. The alchemy was right there. We started doing some live shows, things went great and it still is today. I think I need to express feelings, or images, sensations… things I experienced in my life but not things too real. I’m not quite good at it. Music is perfect to express immaterial things, to make people feel pure sensations, like a trance, to let go.

Q: You last year released your debut album “Hours & Days” which I think has been composed over several years. Tell us a bit more about the composition, the input of each member and the different stages you’d to go through to achieve this album?

Rodolphe : At the beginning, The Funeral Warehouse was a one-man band… Seb’s. So a good part of “Hours & Days” are his songs. But some others have been composed by the whole band as we got to know each other’s. Now every new song can come from a guitar riff, a bass sound or a drumbeat. Personally, I see myself as the cardiovascular system of the band.

Sébastyén D: Yes, most of the songs on “Hours & Days” are ‘mine’ but apart from “Stop” and maybe “In Love” we reworked most of the songs and three out of ten are by the band. “Hours & Days” is a full band composition album and the next one will probably the same. We just brought ideas, we play them, see if it works out or not. We already have new stuff on the table…

About the making of the album, it was collective work. We recorded our part in our places during the lockdown and our bass player mixed it, send us mixes to see how the songs sounded, made some changes, etc. We were involved in the process of the record. And it went super well. I am quite proud od it.

Q: How do you perceive “Hours & Days” compared to the early stuff of the band? What have been the main changes and evolutions in song writing and global production?

Rodolphe : As I said it’s more the result of a team work now. Each one of us has brought his own world and influences. So I’m a bit responsible for the indie part of our sound as I’ve always listened to that kind of music. Now The Funeral Warehouse sounds much Rock-like and less New-Wave than in its early days.

Sébastyén D: The first releases were a solo effort. Pretty good I think but it lacked something. As a band songs just reached a far upper level. Louder, better… More organic, more lively. And others’ members influences. We shared a lot of influences but we all have our vision of ‘what good music is’, how to play, etc.

Q: “Hours & Days” reveals a true sonic canvas of influences; Dark-Wave for sure, but Shoegaze inspired with an Indie-touch on top. Where do all these influences come from and how would you describe/define your album to people who never heard of you before?

Rodolphe: I notice that I’m still a step ahead of the expected answer. I have a real problem of synchronicity! Is it bad for a drummer? Please guys don’t fire me! I have a wife and two children to feed.

Sébastyén D: Sorry mate, we gonna use a drum machine now!! Haha. More seriously like I said, we share influences, bands like Nirvana, The Cure, The Beatles. I’m really into Post-Punk/Goth and Grunge music. Rodophe is sharing similar influences but he’s more into Indie music and Aurélien is into Shoegaze and Industrial, Post-Punk. Rodolphe and I are also Pearl Jam and Tom Waits fans. I like also bands like Nick Cave, 16 Horsepower, Depeche Mode, Chris IsaaK, Psychedelic music, Blues-stuff… Many different things. We tried to combine almost all these things in our music. Also all these songs from the album has been writen through out many years so it reflects how we evolved, how some influences came and go, how we kinda grew up. Yes I think this could define our album. An Indie and dark reflection of us and how getting old haha. “Hours & Days” is just a combination of all Indie music can make.

Q: What inspires you in the lyrical part of the work and how important are the lyrics?

Sébastyén D: Images, feelings. I like when lyrics are kinda blurry. It makes people think, reinterprete them, appropiate them. Nothing fancy, snobby or pretentious. I’m not teaching anyone. To me lyrics are just part of the process, the sound of words, lines… it must fit the atmosphere of the song. I always write the lyrics and the vocals are kinda like another instrument. But I sure have my influences: art, some writers, nature, some themes like death, madness, love, wandering… and other happy things that happened in life…

Rodolphe: The fact that Seb’s shrink failed.

Sébastyén D: Hahaaaaa!! Gotta find a new one…

Q: Your album has been released during the ongoing pandemic. I know there’s a lot to do about it in France, but in which way did it affect you as citizens at one side and musicians at the other side? And how do you manage the release of an album considering promotion, live shows etc in times of Covid?

Sébastyén D: This was a hard period for all of us and many of my friends to come through. Making the record during the lockdown kinda helped us I guess. Lots of my friends (and I) were tired of streaming live sessions. It felt kinda nice at the beginning but then… No crowd, no interraction, nothing. When we played our show for the release of our album, hundreds of people came and it was a very powerful and emotional moment that proved live music is only vialable onstage with people and not behind a screen and also people need music, to party, to dance so much in their life. It was cathartic and liberating.

Now things got better and fortunately, webzines, magazines, venues are helping us. We normally have some shows to come to promote our music. Let’s hope that there’ll be more.

Rodolphe: “Hours & Days” is a pandemic album. We finished it when we were each one of us were in our homes. So it helped a lot to overcome that weird period. We all know that it was a difficult period for artists and the whole music industry. Personally, it was time to open back concert halls cause I couldn’t stand any more all the videos on social medias by frustrated and too serious artists whose ego needed to share their production: a little bit invasive and without any sense of humor unfortunately.

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

(Photo by Jaron Baker) The Los Angeles based post-punk band Still has released their new EP, “A Symptom Of Fate”. The EP release follows recent single “Daylight” which was accompanied by a music video of the band performing the song in a natural landscape as a rainy night transitions into the foggy morning.

“The Symptom of Fate” EP follows the band’s debut self-titled EP “Still” from 2019. The EP holds 3 tracks: “Daylight”, “Misplaced Devotion” and “In Vain”. Here’s the video for “Daylight”.

About Still

Still formed when lead vocalist Daniel McDonough was looking to put together a band to turn the song ideas he was beginning to put together on piano into a full band post-punk sound, and reached out to Adrian Johnson and Julian Johnson who had both been playing in bands since they were high school classmates of Daniel, recruiting Wesley Wheeler shortly after to be their drummer.

The band cites influences like The Cure, Cocteau Twins, and Joy Division, as well as various revival bands since like Interpol and Beach Fossils.

The band began sporadically recording the new EP during 2020 at the home studio of Neil Popkins, after producer Nick Launay (Nick Cave, Gang of Four, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) introduced the band to Neil and recommended they record together while Nick was occupied with other projects. Towards the end of the recording process, Nick Launay himself came back to add his production touch and polish the final mix.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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In the past week, several acts have canceled upcoming shows in Russia. While some artists point towards the war in Russia for canceling their concerts, others just removed the dates from their agenda without any explanation, such as The Pixies. Nick Cave for instance has canceled his summer tour dates in Russia and Ukraine, while praising the “brave people of Ukraine.”

Other bands like Laibach, Godflesh, Static-X, Till Lindemann, Lebanon Hanover, She Past Away, Oscar & the Wolf, Disclosure, Lacrimas Profundere, Tricky, Morcheeba, Fatboy Slim, Bjork, My Chemical Romance, Behemoth and Slipknot are still scheduled to play though this can change anytime as we pulled this info from ticket vendor websites who still offer tickets.

At the same time Live Nation Entertainment has announced that it will cease all business activity with Russia.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Out now is the brand new single by Lakeside X, “Rising”. The single release goes hand in hand with a brand new video shot in Berlin. Included in the single release is also a remix of the title track by Mesh’ Mark Hockings as Blackcarburning.

The single is a new teaser for the band’s forthcoming album “Love Disappears”. The new album will be produced by Daniel Myer (Haujobb , Liebknecht , Covenant , Architect). The Prague based synthpop act made a comeback last December with the release of “Fire in the Sky”, the first single after 11 years since their last studio album.

The single is available via all digital platforms.

Video out as well

The trio Janne Marvannen, Robert Broj and Igor Dvorsky have taken to the streets of Berlin to shoot a completely self-produced music video with a few very special cameo appearances.

“This was the first track that Janne demoed to us and also the first track we started our collaboration with Daniel on. I knew right from the start, that this was going to be a single”, says Robert Broj, the keyboard player.

Jane adds: “I wandered through the streets of Berlin, headphones on my ears and listening to Nick Cave, David Bowie, U2, Depeche Mode – all those giants, who recorded their fundamental albums in Berlin – and I wrote glimpses of thoughts that would later become song lyrics. Somewhere there, in the middle of cold nights of November 2019, shortly before the circumstances were about to lock us at home for a long time, I have decided to work on new things for Lakeside X, on new songs about a journey, about disappearing from this world, about falling down and rising up from the ashes and about new hopes. I wanted to shoot the video just in Berlin, and by doing that we could, in a symbolic way, pay a tribute to all those, who went this path before us and to whom we owe a lot.”

Crowdfunding campaign

To help with funding the whole project a crowdfunding campaign was launched with tons of exclusives, unreleased material, artwork or even a lifetime access to any and all of their upcoming live appearances.

“This time we are going full electronic-synth way. “Rising” is a “flagship” track for us. This is Lakeside X in 2022. It’s a story that can be purely personal but also it’s a story of a band, that has risen from the ashes and it’s stronger than ever before. The video to the single contains apart from many pop-cultural references on our famous colleagues, also remarkable amount of mixing present and past. We are a band coming from the country that once was part of the Eastern block, we all do remember the Wall, cold war, state police agents and the atmosphere of fear that ruled our homelands. The divided Berlin was a symbol of this time and of it all. At the same time it was a place where at that time, Bowie, Cave or DM created something that inspired not just us, but a whole generation of artists. We tried to concentrate this all into the video, and for us, Berlin is and always will be a city, that has risen from the ashes and is a never-ending inspiration for everyone”, says Janne Marvannen.

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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Out via House of Mythology is the all new Current 93 album “If a City is set upon a Hill”. The album is being released on March 11th on 3 different formats, a CD and 2 vinyl versions (crystal clear and curaçao transparent). Note that the Cd and vinyl versions are very expensive, thanks to the Brexit that is.

David Tibet says the following about “If a City is set upon a Hill”):

“If A City Is Set Upon A Hill was given to me by YHWH G+D through my endless readings within the Akkadian Omen series šumma ālu ina mēlê šakin (“If A City Is Set Upon A Height”), my endless obsession with the story of Cain Killing Abel (Genesis IV: 8), and my endless rewatching of the same ten supernatural films. wayyōˀmer qayin ˀel heḇel ˀāḥîw wayhî bihyôṯām baśśāḏeh wayyāqām qayin ˀel heḇel ˀāḥîw wayyaharḡēhû I and the Perfect C93 FamilyOrgasm have been leaping higher than hares to bring you this Obsessive, Incomprehensible, DreamText. It must make NoSense AtAll! Beyond that, I have nothing to say except: There Is No Zodiac. And Hey AnyWay, Kids, We’re All Dust.”

We are still looking for a translation…

Here’s a track from the album.

About Current 93

Current 93 are an English experimental music group, working since the early 1980s in folk-based musical forms. The band was founded in 1982 by David Tibet, who has been Current 93’s only constant member, although Steven Stapleton (of Nurse with Wound) has appeared on nearly every Current 93 release. Michael Cashmore has also been a constant contributor since “Thunder Perfect Mind”. Douglas P. of Death in June has played on well over a dozen Current 93 releases, and Steve Ignorant of Crass (using the name Stephen Intelligent), Boyd Rice, runologist Freya Aswynn, Nick Cave, Björk, Andrew W.K., Anohni, Baby Dee, Will Oldham, Ben Chasny, Rose McDowall, have also lent their talents over the years.

Current 93 have released over twenty albums and many singles as well. Much of Current 93’s early work was similar to late 1970s and early 1980s industrial music: abrasive tape loops, droning synthesizer noises and Tibet’s distorted, excoriating vocals.

The earlier recordings reflect his preoccupation with death, Christ, mysticism, Aleister Crowley (Tibet borrowed the term “93 Current” from Crowley – the 93 Current being the current of Thelema or Agape), Tibetan Buddhism, Gnosticism, runes, swastikas, Noddy, The Wicker Man, and a variety of other ridiculous occult notions. The later to present-day period of Current 93’s recordings increasingly reflect Tibet’s interest in Christian mysticism and apocalypse.

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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Out on 25 March 2022 on Mute / BMG is the official collection, “Surrender”, by Suicide (Alan Vega and Martin Rev). The release holds sleeve-notes by longtime fan and friend of the band, Henry Rollins. As Rollins explains: “This gathering of songs is not a ‘best of’ nor is it a ‘definitive’ all-you-need-to-know compilation. It is an introduction that will hopefully compel you to explore the albums.”

“Surrender” includes tracks from their debut album “Suicide” (1977), through to their final studio album release, “American Supreme” (2002), plus two brand new, unheard tracks: “Girl (Unreleased Version)” and “Frankie Teardrop (First Version)”. The track-listing has been collated by Martin Rev, Liz Lamere (Alan Vega’s collaborator and wife), Henry Rollins and Jared Artaud.

All in all 16 tracks which will be released on blood red double vinyl with an embossed, mirror-boarded gatefold sleeve; CD with embossed outer sleeve and digitally.

Here’s already a previously unreleased version of “Frankie Teardrop”, with alternative lyrics. The accompanying short film was directed by Douglas Hart (My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream, The Jesus & Mary Chain).

About Suicide

Suicide formed in the early 70s, reemerging in 1976 at the heart of the New York punk scene.

Their debut album – which was given barely any credit at the time – has had an incalculable influence since its release in 1977, and went on to feature in numerous magazine’s Greatest Albums of All Time lists. The volume of artists and musicians they went on to inspire throughout the decades is huge, with New Order, Depeche Mode, Bruce Springsteen, Moby, Soft Cell, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Primal Scream and Nick Cave just a few who have acknowledged their debt to the duo.

The band continued releasing and performing for 40 years, until Alan Vega’s passing in July 2016.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Joe Dilworth) Out 10 December 2021 is the 20th anniversary reissue of “Sex O’Clock”, the second album by the late Anita Lane who has been Nick Cave’s musical muze for over a decade. Mute will reissue this studio album for the first time on vinyl.

The album was initially released in 2001 and work began with Anita Lane on the reissue before her untimely passing earlier this year, at the age of 61. Recorded with long time musical partner, Mick Harvey, the album was the final release in a solo career that began in 1988 with the release of the “Dirty Sings” EP.

Emerging from Melbourne’s post-rock scene, Anita Lane was one of the co-founders of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, co-writing “From Her To Eternity”, the title track of their debut album and “Stranger than Kindness” from “Your Funeral… My Trial”. Arriving in London in 1980 with The Birthday Party, she’s credited with co-writing several of their tracks – “A Dead Song”, “Dead Joe” and “Kiss Me Black” before re-locating to Berlin.

In Berlin she developed a series of collaborations that included work with Einstürzende Neubauten, Chrislo Haas, Gudrun Gut and Die Haut, a cover of “These Boots Were Made for Walking” with Barry Adamson and vocals for Mick Harvey’s first two Serge Gainsbourg albums, “Intoxicated Man” and “Pink Elephants”.

Check out “Home Is Where the Hatred Is”.

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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(Screenshot Reuters) Nick Cave has created an installation for the New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The permanent, two-dimensional, mosaic display is called “Every One” and is the first of a three-piece installation, the others titled “Each One” and “Equal All” which will be completed early next year.

“Every One” covers almost 300 square meters and runs along the corridor under 42nd Street connecting the Times Square and Bryant Park subway stations. When completed, the three installations will cover almost 430 square meters and will extend from the Times Square to Grand Central subway stations.

It’s clearly inspired by Nick Cave’s Soundsuit sculptures showing costumes that completely covers the model’s body. The costumes are made from sisal, dyed human hair, beads, plastic buttons, wire, feathers, and sequins. To date, Cave has created over 500 Soundsuits since the first creation in 1992.

Here’s an impression.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have recorded a soundtrack for Andrew Dominik’s upcoming “Blonde” film about Marilyn Monroe.

Cave and Ellis previously worked with the director and screenwriter on his 2016 documentary “One More Time With Feeling”, which chronicles the recording of Cave’s “Skeleton Tree” in the aftermath of his son Arthur’s death.

“Blonde” is a biographical drama film written and directed by Andrew Dominik and based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates. Based on the life of American actress Marilyn Monroe, it stars Ana de Armas as Monroe. Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale and Julianne Nicholson appear in supporting roles.

Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Tracey Landon, Brad Pitt, and Scott Robertson serve as producers on the film, which, after a lengthy period of development that began in 2010, began production in Los Angeles, California in August 2019. It is scheduled to be released in 2022 by Netflix.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Gulvøss is a brand new one-person electropop act based in the Nordics and in Berlin. Pushed by Nik Page (Blind Passenger) to release the first material, a first album by Gulvøss aka Sven Wittmiß will be out later in August: “Sinners vs. Saints”.

For the occasion Sven Wittmiß was assisted by producer Thommy Hein who we know from his work with Zeraphine, Peter Heppner, Corvus Corax, Tanzwut, Nina Hagen, Extrabreit, Blind Passengers, Nick Cave, Extrabreit and many others.

A 3rd official videoclip is out now for the track “Walking On Water”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

(Photo by Sofie Amalie Klougart) Out since today is the new single “Closed Eyes” by the Norwegian post-punk act Permafrost. The new single is again produced by Permafrost and mixed by Paul Corkett (The Cure, Placebo, Nick Cave) and is released on the band’s own Fear of Music label, through TBC Records/Secretly Noord distribution.

Note that Daryl Bamonte is also involved in this project. We all know Daryl as the artist manager, known for working for Depeche Mode and the Cure. And of course also als the musical replacement for Andrew Fletcher in 1994 for the second leg of the US Devotional Tour, as well as six shows in South America.

About Permafrost

Permafrost is a post-punk band, originally from Molde in Norway, which was formed in 1982 by school friends Frode Heggdal Larsen & Kåre Steinsbu. Robert Heggdal & Trond Tornes joined in 2001 and Daryl Bamonte in 2016. They take their name from a song by Magazine and have been influenced by Joy Division, The Cure, Talking Heads, Pere Ubu, Yello, Fad Gadget, The Residents, Wire and Wolfgang Press.

To date they have released the “Godtment” EP (on a limited edition of 50 numbered cassettes) in 1983, the “Permafrost” EP (on vinyl only) in 2019 and the “Femme Fatale” single in the spring of 2021. The band are scheduling more releases on their own Fear of Music label, beginning with “Closed Eyes”, available on 7th June 2021.

Below is also a video for the new single.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-Rock, Chanson.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: “How’s The View There?” is the debut-album –which rather looks more like a mini-album, by Fritch. The band consists of Will Wilkinson, Stephen Tee, Anna Cotten, B.H Mistry,​ Achille Dunoyer de Segonzac and Phil Booth. Their names don’t make ring a bell and unfortunately there’s less info available about the background of the band; ‘what began on a laptop in the U.S. and Vietnam found a home in the U.K. and collaborative works’.

Content: The work takes off with a song mixing elements of Dark-Rock and Chanson. The low timbre of voice, and also the song, will appeal for fans of Nick Cave. The album is diversified, but the influences remain. Some passages are more into minimalism, others have been mixed with Eastern-like reverie (cf. “Imperfect Love”) while the title song is accomplished with epic arrangements. The last song makes me think of a piano ballad and has something Bowie-like.

+ + + : Fritch is a cool discovery and an interesting newcomer. The global atmosphere hanging over this work has something ominous, but the songs reveal something fragile. This album makes me think of music for film-noir. It’s emotional, which is mainly due to the use of real instruments. The opening song “Heat On A Leash” sounds brilliant, but I also recommend listening to “Imperfect Love”.

– – – : Fritch is hard to catch and hard to label; the album needs a few listening, but in the end you’ll have to recognize it’s a great piece of music.

Conclusion: Fritch appears to be the perfect match between Dark-Rock and Chanson; an emotional and dreamy voyage.

Best songs: “Heat On A Leash”, “Imperfect Love”, “Fracture so Easy”.

Rate: (8).

Label: www.othervoicesrecords.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Other-Voices-Records/196767663702999

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

UPDATE: We wrongly published that the David Tibet album reissue of “Ferelith” came in 2 versions. In fact there are no two versions, but 2 different albums, the second being “Fontelatus”. The text has been adapted.

(Photo via Discogs) Out on April 30th is a reissue of the 2020 David Tibet (Current 93) albums “Ferelith” and “Fontelatus”. Originally released by Cashen’s Gap, House of Mythology now re-issues both albums.

The releases come in two different vinyl editions, the first is a transparent marbled vinyl (111 copies), the second version is a clear and black marbled vinyl.

The “Ferelith” album has a printed insert on Japanese style paper and a small card, with the album’s cover on one side, and the name of the album on the other side. Each card is hand signed by David Tibet.

This is the first and 2nd part in a series of 5 releases. Note that every single track is untitled and this on all 5 of the albums.

About David Tibet

David Tibet is a British poet and artist who founded the music group Current 93, of which he is the only full-time member. He was given the name “Tibet” by Genesis P-Orridge, and in January 2005 he announced that he would revert to the name David Michael, although he continues to use the well-known “Tibet” in his public career to date.

Early in his career, he collaborated with Psychic TV and 23 Skidoo. Tibet left Psychic TV in 1983 and founded Current 93 the same year. He has worked with Steven Stapleton of Nurse With Wound (of which band he is a member), Michael Cashmore, Douglas P. (of Death in June, on whose albums he has appeared several times), Steve Ignorant of Crass (using the name “Stephen Intelligent”), Boyd Rice, Little Annie, Björk, Nick Cave, Rose McDowall, Tiny Tim, Annabella Lwin (of Bow Wow Wow) and Ian Read of Fire and Ice.

Tibet is more recently also part of a project called Nodding God, whose debut album, “Play Wooden Child”, was released in 2019. Tibet provided the vocals for this album, singing in the Akkadian language. Nodding God also features Andrew Liles, and an anonymous artist credited as the “Underage Shaitan Boy”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Chanson, Dark-Folk.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Jérôme Reuter has been extremely prolific during the past few years, even releasing several works a year. “Parlez-Vous Hate?” opens the year 2021 with a new album featuring twelve songs.

Content: Rome strikes back with a very intimate work; the kind of music you imagine the musician playing alone –or just accompanied by an extra musician, in a dark and cozy pub. This work again is pretty engaged, the artist getting back to the past of his family fighting against the oppression of Totalitarian regimes. But Rome is first of all music to listen to while enjoying his somewhat Cave-like way of singing. The songs are minimal, sometimes more Noir/Dark-Folk than ever before. They’re mixing passion and emotion. Notice by the way the album is once again featuring multiple guest musicians and singers.

+ + + : The more this artist is prolific, the more he excels achieving true masterpieces. I’ve already heard numerous ‘essential’ and ‘important’ works from Rome, but “Parlez-Vous Hate?” moves beyond all expectations. It’s intimate, passionate and therefore sometimes revealing certain fragility. Jérôme Reuter has accomplished his magnum opus by maybe his most authentic work. You feel it comes right from the heart! It sounds simple, honest, but right. Every single song hides a part of magic like the accordion play at the end of “Toll In The Great Death” and the inhibited character of “Der Adler Trägt Kein Lied ” ending in a true apotheosis by the samplings. “Alesia ” is one of the most emotional pieces of the work, but I also have to mention “Death From Above”. This song is the absolute highlight; Noir-Folk in its purest format and definitely a track appealing for the fans of Nick Cave. I also have to mention the title song, which clearly stands for the album’s intimacy and engagement.

– – – : No minus points here!

Conclusion: I don’t know the point where Jérôme Reuter will ever stop, but the more he composes and releases new songs, the more I become addicted to his work. This album is touched by the talent and the grace of a true genius.

Best songs: “Death From Above”, “Toll In The Great Death”, “Der Adler Trägt Kein Lied”, “Alesia”, “Parlez-Vous Hate?”, “Born In The E.U”.

Rate: (9½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/romeproject

Label: www.trisol.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Trisol-Music-Group/104166526285471 Read the news on ‘Parlez-Vous Hate?’.

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

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds have cancelled their UK & European 2021 Tour. The info was posted earlier this morning on the band’s official website. Concertgoers are asked contact their point of purchase to get refunds.

The tour is canceled due to the ongoing situation with Covid-19 the band says: “The complexity and scale of the tour we had planned, combined with the continued uncertainty around the pandemic means that despite the hard work of everyone involved we have not been able to guarantee that the shows can happen.”

The band will continue to work on alternative plans for 2021 and 2022.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds had already cancelled their North American 2020 tour as well due to the ongoing pandemic. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds then said they were working on plans to return to North America in 2021, but it’s far from sure it will happen.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

(Interview by János Janurik) About a year ago, I had the honour to ask Gareth Jones about his studio work on Erasure’s legendary “Wild!” album. Back then he mentioned his upcoming solo electronic music project. The long wait is finally over. The studio magician’s long-awaited debut album will be released on the 18th September. On that occasion, I asked him my questions again.

SL: In our last conversation last year, you summarized your memories of working on Erasure’s “Wild!” album. The Erasure guys have just released their new album “The Neon”. At the online launch party they also mentioned your name concerning a new remix to “Nerves Of Steel”. Could you please tell us a few words about this project?

GJ: Andy had an idea for an approach to a remix, and I was delighted to help him realise that idea. It is a mix full of respect. It’s an homage in fact. I love Andy and Vince. It’s family.  It’s always amazing to work with them, so I jumped at the chance to collaborate on this remix.  I also created a second ElectroGenetic remix, which is a different kind of thing. Darker perhaps. 

SL: When we run back over the past and take a look at your massive CV, we can see that you have been active in the music biz for four decades. You were the sound engineer on John Foxx’s cult debut album from 1980. Do you remember how you got your first studio job?

GJ: A musician and record producer called Mike Finesilver owned a small 8 track studio in Newington Green called Pathway. He generously gave me a chance to work in his studio. Thank you Mike! I’m forever grateful.

SL: Your name is closely linked to the Hansa Studios in Berlin where you experimented with recording atmospheres and the method of sampling. In 2018 the film “By The Wall” was screened, which narrated as a kind of documentation what had happened musically in the Hansa Studios between 1976 and 1990. What are your most noteworthy experiences about these legendary Hansa times?

GJ: So many great musicians from whom I learned so much. Diamanda Galás, Depeche Mode, Einstürzende Neubauten, Adrian Sherwood, Ideal, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Conny Plank, Roma Baran, Daniel Miller, Fad Gadget, Palais Schaumburg, Wire, Holger Hiller, Crime and the City Solution. These are my teachers.

SL: Through your work with Depeche Mode, Erasure, Einstürzende Neubauten, and also with Nick Cave you have made a name for yourself among music producers. But your portfolio also includes younger artists and bands like Apparat, Wovoka Gentle, Compact Disk Dummies, and Polly Scattergood. Do you receive these requests for joint work directly from the newer generation of musicians? I mean, do they know you and your previous work well? And vice versa, do you have your finger on the pulse of contemporary pop music? Could you name some new pop artists who you think are exciting enough?

GJ: I do get approached directly and many of the younger generation know some of the amazing musicians I have worked with in the past. I don’t have my finger on the pulse. I’m a drifter. A feather on the breath of God.

SL: When I got the news about your solo album, I immediately got interested. I belong to the generation that not only appreciates albums of their favourite bands, but also the work of those who work in the production background. So you’ve always been a hero of mine. As I said, I was curious how this personal work would sound from you. How long have you been working on this album? What was the main motivation behind its creation?

GJ: I made a commitment to myself to complete an album in the year 2019. This personal contract with myself helped me to cross the finish line. I’ve been working on the album for 50 years. The motivation was not to let myself down.

SL: To what extent was this work different from your previous studio works on the albums of different artists? How did it feel for the first time being your own boss and that having an opportunity to realize your own ideas without compromise?

GJ: I really enjoy working with collaborators. And getting hired to work for other artists. One of the great things about it is that the person you are working with always inspires you and pushes you forward. My ELECTROGENETIC project is a solo work, so I was stuck alone with myself (and my dreams and fantasies) and this meant that I had to inspire and encourage myself. Not always easy. I learnt a lot about the creative process, the joy and pain of commitment, and had to negotiate intensively with my inner critic in order to get anything done. Also, I acquired an even deeper understanding of the challenges that so many of my dear friends and colleagues have been through over the years in making their own music and art.

SL: The album title “Electrogenetic” can have several meanings. Through creation we, humans, are similar to God – at least for a certain period of time. I thought of something spiritual when I had a first look at the album cover. What about you? What were you trying to say with it? What`s behind the title and the cover?

GJ: With the title I am trying to express my feelings about the generative power of modular electronic synthesiser patches. Often, when working with modular synthesisers, we build a patch and it offers something beyond what we could imagine or expect. This certainly happens for me often and it is part of the deep power of the modular synth creative process. So in a sense the electronics give birth to the music, and I am a kind of midwife, a birth father to the process. I am trying to emphasise and echo this process in my choice of name: ELECTROGENETIC.

The ankh and the wedding ring in the photograph on the cover hang of a lamp over my desk where I write my journal and create music at home, so I see them every day and when I took a series of photographs of these powerful symbols I realised I had my album cover right there. The wedding ring was my father’s. The font that I use for ELECTROGENETIC is from an old fashion stencil that I found in the basement of my father-in-law’s house. I love the dirty analogue outlines of the font – it enhances and reflects my aesthetic and music.

SL: When I first listened to the album, I immediately got a “this is the kind of atmospheric electronic music with goose-skin effect I’ve long missed” thought. Everything is very poetic and the listener is immediately tied up. Where did your ideas, themes and musical expression come from to this work?

GJ: This is my first solo LP, so it probably contains images and feelings from my entire life, and it is inspired by everything I have experienced, so that would be a very long list! 

The album emerged because I made a commitment to myself to complete a project within that year. I found this to be a very powerful process, the contract with myself. I really wanted to honour that contract and this which drove me forwards to completion, to the finishing line. Also my mother and my mother-in-law had recently died (my father and father-in-law died some years before) so in some way everything changed. This experience distilled into the entire project. In some sense I hope it is a loving Requiem for my parents and all the ancestors, the four billion year chain of life that precedes me.

SL: It’s hard to choose “favourite tracks” from the album because it’s a coherent musical concept, but are there parts of the whole that are of very personal importance to you?

GJ: Every track on my LP connects to every other track. In some sense they’re all important to me, and in another sense it’s “all for nothing“ – supremely important, and completely insignificant at the same time. That’s my life. I hope some listeners will go the whole journey with me and listen to the LP from top to bottom, that is how it is designed to be listened to. And I hope you will enjoy the journey.

SL: The last thing I want to ask is about your collaboration with Daniel Miller under the pseudonym “Sunroof”. Your special performance of the Depeche Mode album “Construction Time Again” 10 years ago in Berlin attracted the attention of Depeche Mode fans. Just as popular are your joint remixes. Are there such works still to be expected from you? And what are your further plans for the near future?

GJ: “Sunroof” goes back many years now and I hope it will extend many years into the future. My musical relationship with Daniel is one of the great important relationships of my life and we have always enjoyed making music together, and I hope we always will. Watch this space!

For more information on ELECTROGENETIC, including Gareth’s notes on each track, visit the album website.

Track list: 

1. The Beginning 
2. Trinity 
3. Mercury 
4. Michigan 
5. Farewell 
6. Goonhilly 
7. Safe Travels 
8. I Believe 
9. Alone Together 

You can pre-order / buy the album on Bandcamp.

János Janurik

I began my career in online music journalism in 2001, writing about artists I had followed since the late ’80s and early ’90s, including Depeche Mode, Erasure and The Cure. I later edited the Hungarian Mute microsite for EMI Music Hungary. This led to interviews with Erasure, Nitzer Ebb and Alan Wilder, and some of those collaborations developed into lasting friendships. Since 2014, I have been part of the editorial team of depechemode.de. I also contribute interviews to Reflections of Darkness, Peek-A-Boo Magazine and Kaput Mag. I maintain a close connection to Mute Records artists and have also supported releases on Very Records. I am proud to collaborate with Side-Line Magazine, where I regularly publish interviews and features.

Genre/Influences: Chanson, cinematographic, neo-folk.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Hailing from Luxemburg, Rome, the project set up by Jérôme Reuter, this year celebrates its fifteenth anniversary. The band rapidly gained a name in the neo-folk scene by the early works released on the defunct Cold Meat Industry. Rome next moved to Trisol while the music progressively evolved, touching ground with different music genres. “The Lone Furrow” is Rome’s newest work, which comes as a (new) critical perception of the world we’re living in.

Content: One of the main elements of this work is the presence of multiple guest artists. Some of them like Alan Averill (Primordial) and Adam Nergal Darski (Behemoth/Me And That Man) are active in the wider fields of metal music. Other guests areLaure Le Prunenec(Rïcïnn),Joseph D. Rowland (Pallbearer) and J.J. (Harakiri For TheSky).

Sound-wise the album is getting back to the influences from the past few years, which means elements of dark-chanson and neo-folk, but the global production has been seriously boosted by impressive bombastic arrangements. There also is a more cinematic part running through the work. The songs have been mainly sung in English, but Jérôme is also singing in French and German. The contributions of numerous guest singers injects some extra diversity to the album.

+ + + : Rome has released an impressive number of works over the past 15 years and I’m each again surprised by the quality and artistic level of the work. Jérôme Reuter is not repeating himself; he’s in a constant move and tries to accentuate each of his productions with different elements. He on this time realized a new tour de force mixing different influences from his career thus far. The overwhelming orchestral treatments are impressive and very powerful. This bombast sounds a bit like the red line throughout the work. The diversity of the singers is also a noticeable element. I’ve to mention the song “Achtung, Baby” (which is a wink to the legendary U2 album) featuring Alan Averill. But one of the absolute highlights is without a shadow of doubt “The Angry Cup” featuring Adam Nergal Darski. “On Albion’s Plain” is just Jérôme Reuter and himself, but it also is a brilliant song. Some of the songs and Jérôme timbre of voice are once again evoking Nick Cave to me, but the work also reveals cool cinematic passages.

– – – : I don’t have real minor points, this artist just moving on his artistic voyage accomplishing a new masterpiece.

Conclusion: Rome remains a prolific project, but the quality of each production remains top-notch.

Best songs: “The Angry Cup”, “Achtung, Baby!”, “On Albion’s Plain”, “Kaili Yuga Über Alles”, “Tyriat Sig Tyrias”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/romeproject

Label: www.trisol.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Trisol-Music-Group/104166526285471 Read the news on ‘The Lone Furrow’.

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

Nick Cave is in the middle of a mediastorm after responding to the question as to ‘why he writes‘. Cave responded, and said that both Antifa and the Far Right are engaged in the same dynamic: Wokeness.

Cave: “Wokeness, for all its virtues, is an ideology immune to the slightest suggestion that in a generation’s time their implacable beliefs will appear as outmoded and fallacious as those of their own former generation. (…) Some of us, for example, are of the generation that believed that free speech was a clear-cut and uncontested virtue, yet within a generation this concept is seen by many as a dog-whistle to the Far Right, and is rapidly being consigned to the Left’s ever-expanding ideological junk pile.”

And he adds: “Living in a state of enquiry, neutrality and uncertainty, beyond dogma and grand conviction, is good for the business of songwriting, and for my life in general. This is the reason I tend to become uncomfortable around all ideologies that brand themselves as ‘the truth’ or ‘the way’. This not only includes most religions, but also atheism, radical bi-partisan politics or any system of thought, including ‘woke’ culture, that finds its energy in self-righteous belief and the suppression of contrary systems of thought. Regardless of the virtuous intentions of many woke issues, it is its lack of humility and the paternalistic and doctrinal sureness of its claims that repel me.”

You can read the full response on Cave’s blog.

Facing anti-Israel boycotters and anti-Morrissey sentiments

Nick Cave has a history of not doing what the mainstream music scene is expecting him to do. He has for instance also stood up to anti-Israel boycotters after he was criticized for playing a pair of concerts in Tel Aviv in November 2017 with his band the Bad Seeds.

Cave then replied: “I do not support the current government in Israel, yet do not accept that my decision to play in the country is any kind of tacit support for that government’s policies.”

He furthermore argued in the past that Morrissey’s music should not be ditched just because of his controversial views.

Cave: “Views and behaviour are separate issues – Morrissey’s political opinion becomes irrelevant. Whatever inanities he may postulate, we cannot overlook the fact that he has written a vast and extraordinary catalogue, which has enhanced the lives of his many fans beyond recognition. This is no small thing. He has created original and distinctive works of unparalleled beauty, that will long outlast his offending political alliances.”

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Cinematographic, electro, wave-pop, experimental.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: After his last year released album “13 Ghost Stories” Jean-Marc Lederman strikes back with a somewhat similar concept album. He asked an impressive number of guest singers to write lyrics about the theme ‘letters to gods and fallen angels’. The ‘old’ Weathermen protagonist took care of the music composition and he also wrote a few lyrical parts. The double CD features twenty four songs while twenty two singers contributed to the album plus Jo Quail playing cello on one song.

Content: This album is quite diversified, mixing very different genres. Jean-Marc Lederman transforms himself into a sonic chameleon who now moved back to the 80s and next experimenting pure soundtrack music. But I also noticed a song with a jazzy-like atmosphere while others are more into a kind of dreamy pop music. I also noticed some electronic minimalism and even a very personal cover version of Nick Cave’s “Into My Arms”.

The real tour de force is the impressive list of singers featuring names such as Tom Shear, Mark Hockings, Rodney Orpheus, Elena Alice Fossi, Frank M. Spinath, Stefan Netschio, Claus Larsen, Mari Kattman ao. Most of the singers also wrote the lyrics for their song.

+ + + : I like conceptual albums, but I have to admit, this one by Jean-Marc Lederman is a true original idea. He once again brought an impressive number of great names together, and also a few unknown names. The album sounds as a compilation, but it first of all reveals a musician who feels comfortable dealing with very different music genres. I noticed several jazzy-driven cuts, but also cool ‘film-noir’ compositions. It’s hard to give a favorite song, but I’ll go for “Heaven” featuring Scottish artist Lucia Fairfull on vocals. It’s also quite surprising to hear Tom Shear (Assemblage 23) singing on “Answer Me” in a different way we’re used to hearing from this artist. By the way, this song could be the perfect EP-title track. The very personal interpretation of Nick Cave’s “Into My Arms” sung by American singer Jenna Fearon is also worthy of examination for its intimate mood. 

– – – : If there’s one single point you can discuss about is the feeling you might be listening to a compilation.

Conclusion: This album even touches me deeper than “13 Ghost Stories”; it’s not an album with ‘hits’, but simply a genius concept featuring a great and renowned musician joined by a great selection of singers. Respect for this work Mr. Lederman!

Best songs: “Letter from Lucia Fairfull: Heaven”, “Letter from Tom Shear: Answer Me”, “Letter From Mark Hockings: Don’t Collect Me”, “Letter from Emma Barson: Under A Glass Sky”, “Letter from Rodney Orpheus: Sophisiticated Evening”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.facebook.com/jeanmarc.lederman

Label: www.wool-e-discs.be / www.facebook.com/woolediscs Read the news on ‘Letters To Gods [And Fallen Angels]’.

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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(Photo by Emil Daniel) Swedish alt-folk artist Nicky William has a new video/single out, “I Fell In Love With Her”. The tracks is a bittersweet love ballad – reminiscent of Nick Cave – layered with strings and rather husky vocals. The single is out now via Icons Creating Evil Art.

A video is now available and was directed by Claudio Marino who portrays William as a ghostlike figure, who fails to be recognised by his love interest.

Nicky William’s sound is inspired by older americana and folk artists and is clearly influenced by artists such as Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith and Nick Cave. Nicky William released his debut album in 2017, the melancholic alternative-folk record “Set your loved ones free, we have you surrounded”.

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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Following a handful of formative sessions with prolific drummer/producer Jim Sclavunos (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Sonic Youth), the Brooklyn-based Bootblacks released its first EP “Narrowed” in the fall of 2012. The debut full-length eVeinse came next in 2016 and was backed by extensive touring. 2017’s “Fragments” found the band expanding to a more synth-heavy sound.

Out on October 9th on Artoffact Records is the new album release of “Thin Skies” by Bootblacks. With “Thin Skies”, the band’s first album for Artoffact Records, they continue where “Fragments” left off. The whole was produced by Jason Corbett of Artoffact labelmates Actors with backing vocals courtesy of Shannon Hemmett (Actors) and Kennedy Ashlyn (SRSQ, Them Are Us Too).

You can stream the new track “Traveling Light” right below and pre-order the album right here on Bandcamp in various formats.

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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This is quite a nifty idea from the Nick Cave HQ. Available now is Bad Seed Teevee, a stream of videos, concerts, interviews, film, and more from the world of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, playing on random shuffle 24 hours a day with new footage being added regularly.

You can view Bad Seed Teevee right here. Enjoy!

The 17th Bad Seeds album “Ghosteen” was released last year and (rightfully) extremely well received. Produced by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, “Ghosteen” was written in the aftermath of the death of Cave’s son Arthur in 2015. It was recorded primarily in Malibu and West Hollywood, California in the United States, with further sessions in Germany and England.

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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Bedless Bones is the sonic brainchild of Estonian female artist Kadri Sammel. There isn’t an elaborate story behind the band name. As Kadri explains ‘I wanted to have a moniker for my solo project, that would evoke a certain unease and would have a murky undertone, and also an unexpected element – sort of like my music, I guess. I basically just needed a name to upload my first experimental / ambient tracks on SoundCloud. I didn’t really expect that it would develop much further from that, but now I am stuck with this name’. The debut album “Sublime Malaise” released on Cold Transmission Music is a refreshing piece of music inspired by dark-wave, cold-wave and a few more related genres. I talked about it all with Kadri Sammel.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: First things first, can you give us some brief background information how you got in touch with underground/electronic music and how did you come to set up Bedless Bones?

Kadri: I have always been drawn to alternative and underground stuff, ever since I consciously started listening to music. But I only ever got around to electronic music that I actually liked sometime in the second half of my teen years. Before that I was into punk, post-punk, alternative-rock. A massive change happened, when I started to visit Beats From The Vault party series here in Tallinn, led by Anders Melts, who later became my partner and bandmate in industrial/deathbeat band Forgotten Sunrise. Anders introduced me to an array of EBM and old-school industrial bands, black-metal, and lots of other obscure & unknown underground music. I had the urge to make my own music for years before, but it was then when I felt really inspired to start my solo project.

Q: Tell us a bit more about the sources of inspiration and possible influences plus the kind of sound you try to create?

Kadri: I never follow a sound, but rather a feeling, and a context in which a sound could be placed. It doesn’t excite me to mimic (or create) a style and then make all songs in that way. I like to see where the music takes me and experiment. I’d say all my songs sound a little different, but they have a certain atmosphere. Again, I usually don’t have direct references in mind while I write music, but now and then I hear things that trigger ideas. My conscious and unconscious inspirations have been Nick Cave, early Fever Ray,  Dead Can Dance, Einstürzende Neubauten, nighttime wanderings, my own experiences, people I’ve met, films I’ve seen, art, dreams and nightmares.

Q: You last year released your debut full length “Sublime Malaise”. The title has something intriguing, but what kind of album did you want to accomplish and how do you look back at the global production process?

Kadri: This is such a funny question to me, because I literally had no clue what I was doing. I recorded the album at home and my only goal was to find a label to release it in physical format, so I could show it to my parents -here is the reason and purpose of why I was wasting so much time on this music thing. I was lucky that Cold Transmission Music allowed me to fulfill my vision and put it out just like it was. They have also done all the work with promotion and sales.

Q: I noticed you already composed a new song/single (cf. “The Pyre”), which hasn’t been featured on the album. What is this song all about and do you notice main evolutions compared to “Sublime Malaise”?

Kadri: “The Pyre” is more like a breath in between, not an indicator of where my music is going. I have been surrounded by a lot of dance music recently, because I’ve been playing more as a DJ, so creating something slow, cinematic and quiet was a nice stopover. That is why I released it separately. It was written in the beginning of the virus quarantine and lockdown, so it has a reference to these times as well.

Q: You also have something with clips. The clips are dark and even somewhat tormented, but still artistic (cf.  “Limbs Entwined”). What do you want to express throughout the clips and is there a link with the lyrical content of the songs? 

Kadri: The visuals come as a reaction to the music, but I don’t follow the lyrics strictly, if at all. With “Limbs Entwined” I always envisioned bizarre movements of the body, and I developed the idea from that. Sometimes I want to have more narration in the visuals (like my first video for “True Devotion”), and sometimes it’s very subtle. But I never want to go too far with the visual implications, because I want the viewer to have their own thoughts and ideas of what it is about -triggering others’ imagination is my main interest and excitement.

Q: I’m always wondered why there’re less women involved with electro-underground music and especially when it comes to the composition process! Do you’ve an explanation and does it mean this scene is just a man- or macho thing?

Kadri: I don’t know. I mean it’s quite hard to do everything yourself, it takes time and work, especially when your previous knowledge and skill set has been quite limited (like it was in my case). It’s much easier to join a band and be the token singer or synth player. I wouldn’t have been able to do it if there weren’t female visionaries, composers, producers & one-woman-armies before me, and they are the ones I look up to the most. I hope there are more to come.

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

( Photo by L.J.Spruyt Photography) Mick Harvey (Nick Cave) has launched a new track, ‘Turkish Theme’, from his forthcoming album, ‘Waves of ANZAC / The Journey’, out on Mute on 17 April. “Waves of ANZAC / The Journey” was composed, arranged and produced by Mick Harvey and mastered by Loki Lockwood at Creepy Hollow.

The album features two recent soundtracks recorded by Mick Harvey. The first, “Waves of ANZAC” looks at Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, The Piano)’s personal family history interwoven with the history of the First World War and the ANZACs through to the modern era. The second, “The Journey”, is a four-part composition released in support of #KidsOffNauru, a campaign working for the child refugees and people seeking asylum who find themselves in offshore detention.

You can listen to the track right here.

Mick Harvey is a founding member of The Birthday Party, Crime and the City Solution and The Bad Seeds and has collaborated extensively with PJ Harvey, Rowland S Howard and Anita Lane. His solo releases began in 1995 with the first in a series of Serge Gainsbourg interpretations and translations which he recently revived with two acclaimed releases in 2016 and 2017. Harvey has been scoring film and television since 1988’s ‘Ghosts… of the Civil Dead’ (Dir. John Hillcoat) and a collection of his soundtrack work – featuring music from ‘Chopper’ (Dir. Andrew Dominik, 2000), the award-winning soundtracks for ‘Australian Rules’ (Dir. Paul Goldman, 2002) and ‘Suburban Mayhem’ (Dir. Paul Goldman, 2006) and more – was released by Mute in 2006.

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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“Desertland” is the all new album for Shadoworld, which is actually the duo consisting of Roberto Del Vecchio and Old Boy aka Claudio Carluccio. Especially Roberto Del Vecchio will ring a bell, he is an Italian composer since 1994 and founded projects such as Gothica (Cold Meat Industry), The Last Hour (Other Voices Records / Seventh Crow Records) and Les Jumeaux Discordants (Athanor Records). Claudio Carluccio from his side is an Italian multi-instrumentalist he worked with various musicians.

Shadoworld debuted in 2017 with a self titled album on The White Room Netlabel, followed by the “Silver Rain” in 2018.

On “Desertland” you can expect dark folk with a touch of western style and modern electronica, combined with neo-classical. The band’s label describes it as music that “in some parts reminds of Nick Cave, Death in June, Depeche Mode, Johnny Cash, Ennio Morricone, Mark Lanegan.”

Check it for yourself below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Out of the blue, well not entirely as we knew Cave had been working on this album for a while, , that is the least what you can say about the news that a brand new Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds album will be released next week. The double CD set will be called “Ghosteen” and was announced in a Q&A on Cave’s website The Red Hand Files.

Part 1 of the new album will be comprised of eight songs while part 2 consists of two long songs, linked by a spoken word piece. The line-up for this album consists of Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Thomas Wydler, Martyn Casey, Jim Sclavunos and George Vjestica.

Ghosteen was recorded in 2018 and early 2019 and is the band’s 17th studio album. The vinyl is a gatefold package and will come with a download code. The physical release date is 8 November 2019. You can order the vinyl right now on Amazon.

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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