Lords Of Acid, now featuring the new vocalist Gigi Ricci, are set to embark on a tour across North America with their ‘Make Acid Great Again’ tour together with Praga Khan. The upcoming Lords of Acid tour, starting on April 26 in the US and including several dates in Canada, marks the band’s return to the stage after the cancellation of their previous tour due to the global pandemic.

In a reaction the band says: “This tour embodies our resilience and dedication to our fans as we eagerly look forward to reconnecting with our audience and delivering unforgettable performances. It is a testament to the timeless power of music to inspire and unite, and we are greatly anticipating embarking on this journey together, spreading joy, excitement, and an unbridled spirit of creativity wherever our music takes us.”

Praga Khan (Maurice Engelen) and co-composer Oliver Adams are set to kick off each night of the tour. For Praga Khan as a band it will be the last time you will be able to catch them live.

Maurice Engelen explains: “As the opening act of the Lords of Acid tour, I will be performing for the last time in the USA. Two years ago, I bid farewell with a memorable series of sold-out concerts in Belgium. Now, for the final time, I will be performing our songs with my musical partner, Oliver Adams, in the USA and Canada. After 35 years of touring all over the world, I have decided to retire completely from live concerts as Praga Khan. On the MAGA tour, Oliver Adams and I will be performing some of our classics, as well as songs from the legendary Mortal Kombat album, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. This promises to be an unforgettable evening in honor of our legacy and the iconic Mortal Kombat soundtrack.”

The “Make Acid Great Again” tour will kick off on April 26, 2024 in Pomona, CA before hitting the Las Vegas Sick New World festival, then will traverse major cities across the country, including New York, San Francisco, Orlando, and Chicago. Tickets for the “Make Acid Great Again” tour are on sale now.

Lords Of Acid ‘Make Acid Great Again’ tour with Praga Khan

• 04/26 – The Glass House Concert Hall – Pomona, CA
• 04/27 – Sick New World Festival – Las Vegas, NV
• 04/28 – The Nile Theater – Mesa, AZ
• 04/30 – Meow Wolf – Santa Fe, AZ
• 05/01 – Lowbrow – El Paso, TX
• 05/02 – Vibes Event Center – San Antonio, TX
• 05/03 – The Echo Lounge & Music Hall – Dallas, TX
• 05/04 – Last Concert Café – Houston, TX
• 05/06 – Chelsea’s Live – Baton Rouge, LA
• 05/08 – The Abbey – Orlando, FL
• 05/09 – Culture Room – Fort Lauderdale, FL
• 05/10 – Orpheum Tampa – Tampa, FL
• 05/11 – Masquerade Hell – Atlanta, GA
• 05/12 – The Underground at the Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
• 05/14 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC
• 05/15 – Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA
• 05/16 – Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA
• 05/17 – Racket – New York, NY
• 05/18 – S.A.T. – Montreal, QC
• 05/19 – Lee’s Palace – Toronto, ON
• 05/21 – The Magic Bag – Ferndale, MI
• 05/22 – The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN
• 05/23 – The Rave II – Milwaukee, WI
• 05/24 – Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
• 05/25 – Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN
• 05/28 – Reelworks – Denver, CO
• 05/29 – Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT
• 05/30 – Neurolux – Boise, ID
• 05/31 – Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
• 06/01 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA
• 06/02 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC
• 06/04 – Wow Hall – Eugene, OR
• 06/05 – Goldfield Trading Post – Roseville, CA
• 06/06 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA
• 06/07 – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA

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 legendary Belgian label Antler returns. Pioneering in the 80s and 90s and an absolute vanguard in the world of post-punk, cold- and new wave, EBM, electro… a series of albums and compilations from the extensive Antler archives are now being re-released. Following the earlier released remastered version of the double album of the Limburg Cold Wavers Siglo XX, a first compilation of tracks from the early period of the label: “Antler Records – Early Years Vol. 1” is now following.

Roland Beelen: “For almost half a century, Antler has been my life, my love, and my soul. I founded Antler Records more than 40 years ago. In the early days, I was not only chasing my own dreams, but those of many new and groundbreaking bands in Belgium in an exciting new world of music and an emerging music scene. After the collaboration with Maurice Engelen, there was no turning back. Our label has broken barriers in many different genres with our joint forces, from dark electro, EBM, pop, dance and techno, singer-songwriter to even reggae. It’s now 2023 and I’m proud to put parts of this legacy back in the spotlight with a series of releases and reissues. After more than 40 years, Antler will come back to life and bring joy to all fans who have cherished the label over the years.”

The history of Antler

Neue Sachlichkeit and their single “Ice/Painless Rage” was the last release on Roland Beelen’s Kleo Label and came out in 1981. It also became the first release on the Antler label founded after a meeting in café De Knoet in Aarschot with Maurice Engelen. Kleo Records became Antler Records and both gentlemen entered into a collaboration that would last until 2005. Beelen had a serious accident and withdrew from the music biz in 2005, Engelen continued with Praga Khan and Lords of Acid.

In 1995, Antler (by then transformed into Antler-Subway Records) entered into a collaboration with EMI Records. The legendary Belgian alternative-new wave catalog was supplemented with a series of striking and still current and unforgettable Belpop hits in 2023. From 1995 onwards, even more Belgian and international hits were scored and millions of records and CDs were sold, including Black Uhuru, 2 Fabiola, Kate Ryan, Milk Inc, Lasgo, Ian van Dahl, but also Praga Khan, Lords of Acid and in Belgium Leopold 3)

With the disappearance of EMI Records and EMI Music, the label was swept under the rug, archives were lost and Antler eventually ended up at Warner Music via Universal after wanderings.

Starman Records acquired the right from Warner Music in 2022 to use the name Antler and Antler-Subway again to breathe new life into the more than 40-year-old label. Two compilations (vinyl only) with the rarest and long-lost tracks from the early Antler period were compiled by Lieven De Ridder (Walhalla Records) with the greatest care and remastered by Pieter De Wagter. The first of these: “Antler Records – Early Years Vol. 1” will be released on January 5, 2024.

The logo has now a very sustainable green colour.

Siglo XX returns as well, more or less

Also to be re-released on Antler will be the Siglo XX “Double album” which is the last album of the Limburg coldwave band that appeared on the Antler label. The release is the result of the last artistic collaboration between Roland Beelen and Siglo XX in the mid-1980s. The record is considered a masterpiece and numerous renowned artists from the then Belgo-Manchester Scene collaborated on it.

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 Mika Baumeister) Erhan Kurkun, a former member of Praga Khan and guitarist for Lords of Acid, will face trial in a Belgian court in September over a MeToo case. He is accused of sexual assault, rape, and inhumane treatment. Four women have come forward in the case Nancy Swerts of the Leuven prosecutor’s office confirms.

It’s uncertain if Kurkun will play on Lords of Acid’s forthcoming 53 concerts in the USA this autumn.

For years, there have been rumours about Erhan Kurkun’s violent behaviour, often alleged to be due to alcohol and drugs. In late 2020, a former singer from Lords of Acid claimed he had assaulted her. She alleges that Kurkun, with whom she had a brief relationship, had mutilated her. A total of four female victims have come forward. Another woman who joined the lawsuit had previously worked with Kurkun.

Erhan Kurkun was Praga Khan’s primary guitarist. After being released from custody, he played during Praga Khan’s final live show, The End, in Brussels.

A few months back, Deborah Ostrega, former lead singer, spoke on the radio about her time with the band in the late ’90s. She mentioned selecting men from the crowd to join her on stage and possibly be invited to her hotel room afterwards. Ostrega acknowledged the era’s difference, suggesting such actions today might lead to MeToo allegations.

About Praga Khan

Praga Khan is the stage name of Maurice Engelen (born 7 January 1959), a Belgian electronic musician and one of the pioneering figures of Belgium’s new beat and acid house scene, active as a DJ at Brussels’ Happy House club in the late 1980s. Working with vocalist Nikkie van Lierop, known as Jade 4U, he released material under multiple aliases, including Praga Khan, Jade 4U, Major Problem and Channel X, between 1988 and 1991. In late 1988, Engelen formed Lords of Acid in Brussels with programmer Olivier Adams and Jade 4U, debuting with the new beat single “I Sit on Acid.”

Lords of Acid’s debut album, “Lust” (1991), became an underground hit, followed by “Voodoo-U” (1994), “Our Little Secret” (1997) and “Farstucker” (2000). Under his own name, Praga Khan’s best-known track is “Injected with a Poison” (1992), which reached number sixteen in the UK and number one in Japan. A former Lords of Acid guitarist, Erhan Kurkun, was tried on sexual assault charges brought by four women and sentenced by a Belgian court in 2024.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Four years after their last album, the German act Darkness On Demand (ex-Dance Or Die) moved from RepoRecords to Alfa Matrix. “Final Way” is meant as a teaser to announce their upcoming album “Digital Outcast”.

Content: The work features 6 tracks taking off with hard, dark, overwhelming EBM. That’s the trademark of the band but next to powerful songs you’ll also discover the previously released single “Hang On” remixed by Winterhart -which is a Neo-Folk-driven side-project of the band. There’s also a remix of VDOC featured.

+ + + : I especially like the powerful side of the band which they masterly exposed on the solid opener “Female Grace – Single Version” but also on “Fools” and “Final Way”. The last mentioned cut is driven by a heavy, scratching, lead reminding me of Praga Khan while showing a modern touch on top of the production. Gary Wagner’s powerful and passionate vocals inject an extra, naughty, and essential aspect to the production.

– – – : I’m not convinced by the few, softer, cuts while the ballad-like remix of “Hang On” by Winterhart sounds like a true antithesis to the rest of the work.

Conclusion: “Final Way” shows Darkness On Demand in great shape and is a strong appetizer to the new full length.

Best songs: “Female Grace – Single Version”, “Final Way”, “Fools”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.darknessondemand.com / www.facebook.com/darknessondemand

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘Final Way’.

Listen to “Final Way”:

About Darkness On Demand

Darkness On Demand is a German dark electro and industrial project formed in 2017 by three members of the band Dance Or Die: Gary Wagner, Falgalas (Heiko Duus) and Chris L. Chris L. left in 2018 and was replaced by Seba, and the band has continued blending old-school electro with contemporary dark electronic sounds and dystopian, socially engaged lyrics. Four years after their previous album, the band moved from RepoRecords to Alfa Matrix and released the “Final Way” EP in 2023 as a teaser for the following album, “Digital Outcast”.

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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Serbian industrial rock/electronic project dreDDup have released a new video “Roots of Them” to end this year, their 25th Anniversary celebration, in style.

The music video is mostly edited from video material shot in the period spanning the years 1998 to 2012, 70% of which was never before released to the public, with some new video footage as well. The whole was directed by a film director Mihajlo Obrenov.

This year the band has been shooting 10 music videos for some old songs that didn’t have a visual presentation yet but which are present in their live sets all the time.

“Roots of Them” was originally released in 1998 when the dreDDup members were just 16 years old. on the self-titled cassette. It was re-released later in 2019. by Librarion Records on a compilation which featured only 90s dreDDup tracks. Around that period the band was mostly influenced by Prodigy, Chemical Brothers and Praga Khan.

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 May 20th is the Lords of Acid compilation “Beyond Booze” featuring singles, remixes and other tracks as you can see below.

Lords of Acid is a Belgian/American electronic music group led by musician Maurice Engelen. They debuted with the new beat single “I Sit on Acid” in 1988 and then in 1991 launched their debut album “Lust”. Their second album “Voodoo-U” (1994) features a more industrial sound. This was followed by “Our Little Secret” (1997), a b-side compilation titled “Heaven Is an Orgasm” (1998), and a remix album titled “Expand Your Head” (1999). In 2000 they released a more rock-influenced fourth album titled “Farstucker” and in 2003, after being in the business for fifteen years, released a greatest hits album called “Greatest T*ts”.

A new EP, “Little Mighty Rabbit”, got a September 2011 release followed by their fifth album “Deep Chills” in April 2012. In 2018, Lords of Acid released their sixth album “Pretty in Kink”.

Tracks included are:

1. I sit on Acid (Insider is Inside Mix)
2. The Crablouse, (Ludo’s It’s here to stay Mix)
3. Rubber Doll (Back Off! The Bith Is Mine!)
4. Scrood Bi U (Hush’s Scroo All Y’all Mix)
5. The Power is Mine (In Your Hand Mix)
6. Hell does exist
7. Do what you wanna do (DO’s Pain & Pleasure Mix)
8. Pussy (We want some Mix)
9. Rough Se (Beltram Whip Mix)
10. Se* Cam Girl (Need to have Se* right now! Mix)
11. Am I se*y (Yes Mistress Nikkie, May I have another Mix)
12. I must increase My Bust (The Lords like ’em large Mix)
13. Gimme Gimme (Erhan’s the One Mix)
14. Lover Boy Lover Girl (Beat Me up Mix)
15. Ma Fille de Joy (Hey Ho! Let’s go 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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The 2021 edition of the Sinner’s Day Festival will take place from 30th October until 1st November 2021 at The Max in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium. About 53 new wave, EBM, industrial, post-punk, synth-pop and eighties bands are featured on 2 stages.

This year the line-up includes: Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft (Robert Goerl & DAF world premiere), Gary Numan, Clan Of Xymox, Praga Khan, Covenant, Fields Of The Nephilim, Suicide Commando, Funeral Dress, The Arch, The Bollock Brothers, Your Life On Hold, Ground Nero, Absolute Body Control, A Slice Of Life, Astrasonic, Blancmange, Diary Of Dreams, Agent Side Grinder, Red Zebra, Siglo XX, The KVB, And Also The Trees, La Muerte, UK Subs, Glen Matlock, IAMTHESHADOW, A Split Second, BFG, Then Jericho, She Past Away, The Foreign Resort, Minuit Machine, Leaether Strip, Haujobb, Gene Loves Jezebel, Twin Tribes, La Lune Noire, Empathy Test, Jah Wobble and more!

There is also The Batcave, the dance-area where you can party while DJ’s spin their finest tracks 13h/day. A camping area is available if you want to stay next to the festival area at night!

Tickets can be ordered here

Be aware that you need to show a valid Covid certificate/Covid Safe Ticket to get access to the festival!

The industrial/techno acid-house band Lords Of Acid has dropped an NFT on the Cardano Blockchain. The Children of Acid coin, a cartoon homage to the 1964 sci-fi movie “Children of the Damned”, depicts what the band calls ‘angelic school children with a psychedelic gleam in their single-eyes’. The kids are part of the band’s fictional universe of kinky songs and characters.

The illustration was designed to have thousands of versions (with different backgrounds, hair colors, clothes, etc.) so that each one is a totally unique, one-of-a-kind work of art. All of the 2000 coins are now sold out.

For the NFT the band worked together with KKryptowave, aka Karl Kotas, a digital artist who has created art, videos and games for Lords of Acid for over a decade.

In a reaction Praga Khan says: “I’ve always been interested in the newest stuff and I was really intrigued by the concept of NFT’s. So I thought of Karl immediately, as we worked together years ago on a CD cover and game and I loved it. So it was a no-brainer.” Praga adds that the next step is to add music to the NFT’s, but new versions of tracks which haven’t been released before.”

Karl from his side says: “An absolute no-brainer… I was going to contact Praga but I held off. A few days later he contacted me. So I knew we were both on the same page.”

The platform used is the Cardano Blockchain via Digital Syndicate.

What is an NFT?

A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique and non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a digital ledger (blockchain). NFTs can be used to represent easily-reproducible items such as photos, videos, audio, and other types of digital files as unique items (analogous to a certificate of authenticity), and use blockchain technology to establish a verified and public proof of ownership. Copies of the original file are not restricted to the owner of the NFT, and can be copied and shared like any file.

The lack of interchangeability (fungibility) distinguishes NFTs from blockchain cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin.

The first NFT project was launched in 2015 on the Ethereum blockchain, and interest grew with the rise of interest in cryptocurrencies. In 2020, the NFT market value tripled, reaching more than $250 million. During the first quarter of 2021, sales exceeded $2 billion, more than 20 times the volume of the previous quarter.

NFTs have drawn criticism with respect to the energy cost and carbon footprint associated with validating blockchain transactions.

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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Belgian photographer GNY (aka Gwenny Cooman, also known for her work in the band Mildreda) recently organized an exhibition of her work under the conceptual title “Steden Schuilen Niet Wanneer Het Regent” (Cities don’t seek shelter when it rains) in Wetteren (B).

For this project she also collaborated with artist and musician Yves Schelpe of Psy’Aviah who wrote a dark ambient soundtrack inspired by her work that played during the exhibition, reinforcing the atmosphere of the photographs, adding a unique sonic dimension to the exhibition, giving tones of hope and peace, but also of darkness and melancholy highlighting the contrasting sides of city and nature.

That soundtrack, “The Earth Keeps Spinning, Without Being Noticed”, is out now on Alfa Matrix as a download album (via Bandcamp) or as streaming via Spotify. Good to know, the Belgian national radio broadcast Klara already took one track, namely “The Escalator”, from the album to be used in a show for which you can see a video below.

We had a talk with both artists regarding this special collaboration.

SL: You never released an instrumental let alone an ambient album before, how did this one come about?
 
Yves/Psy’Aviah: After my previous, more or less traditional, album “Soul Searching” I set my eyes on working more on theatre soundtracks or atmospherical pieces. I did that a lot more in the early stages, but now I felt a need to go back to supporting a story, to collaborating on a different level and letting the music be supportive instead of dominant. I loved her photography work, and so when Gwenny asked me to do something for her closing night, I of course jumped on the opportunity.

SL: I presume you also listen to ambient then, many preferences?
 
Yves/Psy’Aviah: My ears are open to anything I like, so ambient is in the collection too… Let me say that I’m hugely inspired by work from Moby: I love how he layers piano and a ton of strings and pads. His ambient work is something I was drawn to from the get go. Other artists I like a lot are Mark Isham (his work for Black Mirror’s “Arkangel” for example), Eric Serra, Inon Zur (his soundtracks and solowork, especially the Dragon Age works are very much my cup of tea) Deuter (certainly albums “Prana Yoga” and “Atmospheres”), the more poppy Enigma (but check out his less beat-driven tracks like “The Dream Of The Dolphin”), Dirk Veulemans, Vangelis, and I could go on and on…

SL: I was actually quite surprised by this album, ambient tends to go nowhere in a lot of cases, but this one really has a true destination with tracks that develop nicely, I guess that your dream pop heart lays enough structures in there?
 
Yves/Psy’Aviah: Well, I think ambient is such a big umbrella term that people don’t find their way anymore in the vast amount of work and variety that exist in the genre, let alone what it means, or can mean, and end up listening to ambient music that isn’t their cup of tea… Just like every music genre ambient has so many genres, it’s impossible to describe them all.

There are indeed a few big broad distinctions: either you have a clear study of sound and sound patterns, in which it isn’t really music but a research project of what can be done. Then there’s the very experimental electro-acoustic work I know of Dirk Veulemans for example (he’s a fellow Belgian talent and well known for his work) – and apologies Dirk if I’d describe it wrong – but I feel their storytelling in the work is a big focus as well as experimentation – finding the boundaries of what music is. And then I think we have the more chill-out or soundtrack synthesizer music. We all know Vangelis and JMJ did pioneering work, it is a lot more focused on melodic elements. For me personally the storytelling is present, but also creating a kind of mood is important, certainly because it was written based upon existing photography work.

SL: How did you start on this one? Did you get to see Gwenny’s material on forehand?
 
Yves/Psy’Aviah: One can’t write music for an exhibition (unless that is the experiment of course) if you don’t know what the source material is, and if you don’t understand what the artist wants to evoke in terms of emotions. All this music is driven by Gwenny’s photography, by her vision and talking about her work. I do need to be drawn to something before it can inspire me, so it goes without saying that the emotions I experienced with the selected photography work of Gwenny on that exhibition were really strong, and very relatable. I could imagine certain things right off the bat. It’s in subtle ways such as the angles the photos are taken at, as well as the general subjects and the stories one can see behind them.

Gwenny Cooman: I think I saw Psy’Aviah’s first gig, and I was immediately overwhelmed. I remember thinking ‘okay, the new Praga Khan is born’. Psy’Aviah evolved and made their own sound and story, and I always liked the look and feel of the artwork and the content of the songs. Also, I noticed Yves carrying out street experiments and having other original crossover ideas. So I knew something exciting could be done.
 
SL: Did you use any specific techniques as far as the sound collages go?

Yves/Psy’Aviah: When I knew what the themes were I knew I had to incorporate a lot of field recordings – which meant going outdoors and recording sounds in train stations, elevators, nature, fields, underwater, on the bus, in supermarkets etc… As they’d be an underlying tone in either rhythmic elements (such as an electric escalator with its clicks and clacks tuned to a nice clock as if it were a drum machine, or train tracks repeating over and over, water streams that have a natural tendency to emulate a sort of repeating vibe, yet always with a little tonal difference…).

Those natural rhythms of nature and city were a perfect match and were for me personally the technique I had to use to get in tune with the photography of Gwenny.

Of course that is not everything, using those sounds and creating a compelling storyline in a track, using my background of chord progressions I like and basslines (either slowed down very much, or sped up a lot), to evoke emotions and contrast them to the sometimes dull machinal sounds, is what the motivation (or technique) was in the end.

SL: Gwenny, I know you have been busy with photography for quite a few years, but it’s the first time you are in the spotlights yourself with that expo. How different do you consider the material for this expo compared to what you did in the past?
 
Gwenny Cooman: I guess the way I look at things, and the stuff that draws my attention has not changed. But the last couple of years I’m more focussed and spending more time and effort to enhance my work. I discovered how different a picture can be in its digital form from one in printed media. The printing process was really a search for pictures with printing results that matched my expectations, and same for the framing.

SL: Did you select the pictures for the expo or were they made with the intention to organise an expo?
 
Gwenny Cooman: My partner convinced me to have an exposition now instead of postponing things until, say, the year 2080 (I tend to keep thinking I can improve something). Most pictures were not made especially for the expo, they were selected to fit the idea I had under the title ‘cities don’t take shelter when it rains’.
 
I am currently working on a new expo (aiming to exhibit summer 2021 in Ostend) which will have a different setup. I have a concept in mind and all pictures will fit that new story and concept and will be made with that purpose. I can’t reveal yet what I have in mind, but I can say it will involve topics such as science and superstition, some astronomy and astrology so to speak. 

SL: What subjects do attract you the most? I see a few with buildings, but it’s the stray dog that has triggered quite some feedback from our readers on Facebook. Care to explain?
 
Gwenny Cooman: I guess it’s about the questions that come to mind. Is it an abandoned dog? Are there houses in the neighbourhood where he could find a home? What kind of life has he had?
 
The expo showed pictures of abandoned places and the less attractive aspects of citylife in black and white. In contrast to these pictures, there were colourful pictures of nature (this use of black and white versus colours is reflected in the movie Yves made).

I was very lucky to have been able to do some travelling, and especially to visit some weird or abandoned places in the United States. The Salton Sea for example is one of those places where I can just sit and watch the emptiness, the leftovers of thrilling lives and expectations that place once held. So afterwards, when people look at a picture from that kind of abandoned place, they also start making up their own stories and interpretations of what happened.   

SL: Every photo artists probably dreams to have his/her pictures released in a photo book. A dream or something you might want to materialize in the nearby future?
 
Gwenny Cooman: Indeed! Working with Yves/Psy’Aviah really added value to everything. We inspired each other and that really is the most joyful feeling. If I make a picture and then look at it once I’m home and if it’s a good one, it makes me smile. But if someone else feels that way about my work, or even better, if they are inspired by it, that beats it all. So the movie and soundtrack that resulted out of our collaboration was really a very nice piece of art. Of course, a book would also be great. For my next project, I have some ideas on a catalogue which should be a crossover between photographs, poetry and literature. Still dreaming…

SL: What’s your favorite setup and why?
 
Gwenny Cooman:  I try to take silent, subdued pictures. Most of the time unintended. So I don’t go out thinking ‘now I will photograph this place or that person’, but the subjects are more or less random encounters. Of course I tend to go places where these encounters are more likely. But that means I travel with a wonderful and compact Leica camera so that I can always capture the moment.

You can check out the complete album 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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The Belgian producer/composer/musician Oliver Adams, known for his work for techno project Praga Khan and post-industrial/techno band Lords of Acid has released a complete remake of his Mortal Kombat movie theme song ‘Techno Syndrome’.

The song is called ‘Mortal Virus Techno Syndrome Covid-19’ and is, as the title already explains, a song about the actual Covid-19 corona-virus.

And here is the original version of ‘Techno Syndrome’ released under the artist-name ‘The Immortals’ in 1994.

Lords Of Acid will be making a return to the US with the ‘Make Acid Great Again Tour’. Praga Khan will be joined on stage by Marieke Bresseleeres, DieTrich Thrall and Galen Waling together with Mark Gemini Thwatte and Ashley Bad. Aesthetic Perfection and MXMS will be acting as support act.

Launching March 13th in Los Angeles, the tour will make it’s way throughout the US, finishing April 15th in San Francisco.

Tickets are available right here.

Tourdates:

• 03/13 – EchoPlex – Los Angeles, CA
• 03/14 – Hard Rock Live – Las Vegas, NV
• 03/15 – Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
• 03/17 – Club Red – Mesa, AZ
• 03/18 – Sunshine Theatre – Albuquerque, NM
• 03/19 – Rockhouse – El Paso, TX
• 03/20 – Trees – Dallas, TX
• 03/21 – Scout Bar – Houston, TX
• 03/22 – Paper Tiger – San Antonio, TX
• 03/23 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
• 03/25 – Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• 03/26 – The Orpheum – Tampa, FL
• 03/27 – Music Farm – Charleston, SC
• 03/28 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
• 03/29 – The Broadberry – Richmond, VA
• 03/31 – Theatre Of Living Arts -Philadelphia, PA
• 04/01 – Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA
• 04/02 – The Rapids Theatre – Niagara Falls, NY
• 04/03 – Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY
• 04/04 – Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
• 04/05 – Crafthouse – Pittsburgh, PA
• 04/06 – Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
• 04/07 – The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE
• 04/08 – The Oriental Theater – Denver, CO
• 04/09 – The Complex – Vertigo – Salt Lake City, UT
• 04/10 – The Bluebird – Reno, NV
• 04/11 – Dante’s – Portland, OR
• 04/13 – The Crocodile – Seattle, WA
• 04/15 – Slim’s – San Francisco, CA

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

Belgian Psy’Aviah is driven by the creative spirit of Yves Schelpe. The project is already busy for several years now and this year unleashed its seventh full length album. “Soul Searching” –released on Alfa Matrix, can be easily considered as a conceptual album for its lyrical content, but still for the renewed experience with multiple guest singers. Sound-wise the work remains a truly sonic enigma, which might be simply called ‘electro-pop’, but when you listen more carefully you’ll notice an amazing amount of influences. But more than the result of multiple influences, Yves Schelpe has for sure released his most mature work to date, which might appeal for lovers of Delerium, Conjure One, Lunascape and related bands. On stage Yves Schelpe (electronics) has been joined by singer Marieke Lighband  and guitarist Ben Van de Cruys. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: When you’ve a new album out, do you consider it as the best one you’ve ever released? Where do you place “Soul Searching” in your growing discography?

Yves: Honestly rating your own work, I think most musicians will tell their latest is the best as it sounds fresher to their ears, because as a musician you grow in technique, songwriting and taste. Hence why most musicians would rate their latest work as either their best or among the best if they’d had to choose. But in the end it comes down to the listener, I do my thing in my small bedroom studio, try to learn every day, try to bring new ideas, fuse genres and create stories.

As for where I place it in my discography, that’s an interesting one. I think it’s on the list of albums between 2013-present vs 2007-2012. As of 2013 with “Future Past” I radically changed in both style and wanted to bring the EBM and electro into different genres from jazz, to trip-hop, to classical, to pop.. Always with a dark hint and with a wink to the past. And that’s why I split my discography in those two ‘eras’ internally in my head. Since 2013 it’s also more focused in stories per album, as well as inviting guests to sing instead of just one lead vocalist.

Honestly maybe this could be the start of a third era in Psy’Aviah’s discography, where I go even further and incorporate even more other sounds and songwriting styles. Who knows, an artist always evolves… That’s so fascinating about music.

Q: What have been the influences and challenges to write and accomplish “Soul Searching”?

Yves: Writing the basic songs wasn’t the biggest challenge -as I always write the basic chords and melodies on piano first. You have to know that with “Soul Searching” it was the intention to create a soundscape that is radically different and alienates the listener from the daily Western sounds they hear -both so the sound from song to song is coherent, even if ‘styles’ change, and as well to transport the listener in a different ‘space’. Pull them out of the traditional Western sounds they’re so familiar with, I wanted to introduce something fresh. So finding those right instruments to tell the story was a big challenge. We have all the tools available: samplers, effects, digital instruments…

But I went for a radical approach to use real instruments, either pre-recorded or played by real people.

Q: I can imagine finding the right match between the songs and guest singers must be one of these challenges, but how did the final selection happened? Is there something like a cast? Are there specific criteria to choose a singer? What about the lyrics and how did the recording with The guests happened?

Yves: I always write the songs first on piano sounds, then the search for the ‘sound’ begins. Once I have a rough demo then I send either one or more demos to the singer I think they match with. About 90% of the time I have a strong feeling of how the melody of the lead vocals and backings should sound and I prerecord those with my own voice. But some guests do write their own lyrics -I do always give them pointers how I want it to sound or what lyrics need to deal with to match the story and to inject my ideas as well. But for Mark Bebb and Lis van den Akker they wrote their lyrics, vocal melodies and harmonies. Sometimes I co-write, as with Roeland van der Velde and Ellia Bisker -exchanging lyrical notes and adapting them.

The fact is that for each song I know the tone of the vocalist, and know what they can bring to the table by listening to their work and -with most of them -knowing them already for a long time. It’s a collaboration in the end, of course I do have my veto, as do they if they’re not happy. I always brief them of the concept of the album, the intent of the song -it’s maybe very over the top micromanagement sometimes, and maybe taken too seriously, but when you’re that passionate about what you do, you can’t help it (lol).

As for recording, most people record at their own home studio, or the studio of the band they play in. We exchange via the internet, and I give my feedback whether I want some extra adlibs, or extra shouts or harmonies… I once did a video with Mari Kattman on how we collaborate: [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_NMFZZ9a-A ] -it’s explained how she works, and how I work -it’s generally 95% the same for each song…

Q: Sound-wise, I don’t know if “Soul Searching” is my favorite Psy’Aviah album, but it for sure sounds as the most mature one! I get the feeling you’ve found ‘your’; sound while other albums were more like the exorcism of ideas and influences. How does it feel at your side and what did you finally try to achieve with this work?

Yves: Every album has a different sound, but it always has the ‘Psy’Aviah’ stamp on it. Maybe the reason why it sounds more mature is the fact that I wanted to draw people out of this world and this gave every song the alienated Eastern vibe -and that gives an extra layer of coherency. As for an eclectic approach on other albums, that’s part of the deal with Psy’Aviah. And I’m not alone -check for example the mélange of trip-hop to ambient to ballads to electroclash and to pure dancefloor driven tracks to even rock tracks by Moby, Praga Khan, Bowie, Die Antwoord, Junksista or Faithless on a single album, that mix given with their own take on it and their own sound, as I do as well, is not so weird in my mind… So I don’t get why people are so hung up on the fact a band has to stick to one genre, for me that is boring and hence why the bands listed before are prime examples why I’m a big fan of their albums, they can be on repeat for days because of the diverse take rather than a rehash of 12 tracks in the same genre with the same sounds being reused over and over again… 

Q: The opening song “Becoming Human” is for sure an essential track from the album. I get the impression this song with spoken words by the famous and mediatized Flemish psychiatrist Dirk De Wachter is the heart from the album to understand the concept, right? Tell us a bit more about this surprising guest vocalist and how did you get in touch with him and finally convinced him to contribute?

Yves: I saw some of his lectures online, then started reading his books “Borderline Times” and “De Wereld van De Wachter”, as well as his newest work “De Kunst Van Het Ongelukkig Zijn”. There were so many ideas in there that it already inspired my work on “Lightflare”, when writing songs for the EP “Looking For The Sun” I wrote a mini essay in the booklet (PDF in bandcamp release) on how these ideas are reflected in the songs on the EP, and by then I did contact Dirk to get his approval, because when you mention someone -I feel it’s only appropriate to ask for advice and approval. Later that year I met him at a lecture he gave at the University of Antwerp, and by then I had already written half of the songs for “Soul Searching”. We talked about the ideas, and then set a date via mail to meet & record -he lives just two blocks away so that was easy. We talked about the concept of the album, the reason behind those words, not a lot of convincing was needed -you have to know Dirk is a really nice and warm person.

The poem I wrote as an introduction to the rest of the album’s lyrical content as you understood correctly, but his deep voice as well as his attachment to the lyrical content, for me was a trigger to ask and include him. Recording was fun though, at his cabinet, cosy, greeted with a smile and coffee. Talking about each other’s interests, and then record. I’m grateful to have him included in this concept album as it really makes the journey complete from start to finish. But that fact is essential for each vocalist, the match in voice and passion for the lyrics has to be there -otherwise it does not work.

Q: You mentioned Dirk De Wachter’s book “Borderline Times” where he makes an interesting link between BPS (Borderline Personality Disorder) and the Western World we’re living in. I realized there also is a possible link between this psychiatric disorder and the music business from today. What does it inspire to you as an artist?

Yves: You are correct, he essentially goes through each of the symptoms of BPS and then diagnoses our Western lifestyle to come to the conclusion that we live in ‘borderline times’. Every part of it, from medical institutions, business world, politics – and of course the music business. It is the whole of our Western world that is affected by these symptoms, and especially when it comes to the ego: everything revolves around the ‘I’, the ‘Me, Me, Me’ culture. I see it a lot in this music business from small to big; it hurts the way we interact with each other unfortunately.

As an artist I try to break that cycle by not making this project about me alone, although I do have ambitions and try to put ‘myself’ into each and everything of what Psy’Aviah is -that in essence is no problem. But you should never ever forget the people around you that are helping you around the way, I guess that’s what I try to hold in higher regard after reading his books. Being a lot humbler towards achievements, because what are you with achieving something when you can’t share it but yourself. At the end a good relationship with the musicians I work with, the artwork artist, the live band Marieke & Ben, the fans… that relationship is important. Not for sales, but to stay grounded. And if you can help out other bands, then why not. I have no interest in beef or drama, so that’s how I try to act in this business as an artist. To give a concrete example, we played a benefit concert at the British American Theatrical Society (or BATS in short, yeah, they’re a bit gothic too then ;-)), as the theatre is in need of funds to move location (as their rent is being raised). We played there for free, [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ROR9lWOCXo ], we helped them out, they helped us out reaching a new audience. We had fun, it was a concert that’s on my high all-time list because of this fact. There is a ‘Great Disconnect’ in this society at the moment, and not only in the music scene. So looking out for each other is something that I take away from it, without devaluing/patronizing the person or organization you’re helping or listening to. Doing small good things should become a natural habit again instead of the ‘bol.com’ instant delivery for the ‘me me me’ society we are creating.

In that sense you could say that Psy’Aviah lyrics are of great importance to highlight these issues as well: “Voodoo Love”, “Becoming Human”, “Hold On” (as written by Mark Bebb) or even “City In Flames” are prime examples of that.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial-trance, dark-electro.

Background/Info: This is Stoneburner’s (aka Steven Archer from Ego Likeness) sixth full length album (the second one released by Negative Gain). The work got preceded by a few EP’s.

Content: This is probably the most versatile work from Stoneburner, but without losing its original magic made of heavy, industrial-trance rhythms, bombastic sound arrangements and dark-electronic sequences. The compositions are dark, sometimes joined by mystic chants and Eastern-like sound atmospheres. I also discovered songs, which are more orientated into ‘dance/techno’ –even reminding me of Praga Khan and Leftfield, but always mixed with the industrial basis of Stoneburner. The vocal parts are harsh and sometimes even a bit enraged.

+ + + : Stoneburner no longer has something to prove. Steven Archer is a genius when it comes to create industrial-trance/tribal structures and there’re less similar bands. Just pay attention to “Dry Gun”  (previously released as EP) to seize the magic of the artist. The Eastern sound atmosphere injects an extra load of mystery. This album is an overwhelming production and Stoneburner has never deceived me. Each album again sounds as pure lust!

– – – : I noticed a few tracks, which doesn’t sound to me like ‘classical’ Stoneburner-music, but on the other hand, it also reveals an artist who doesn’t want to repeat himself.

Conclusion: Stoneburner remains a great sound experience in a music genre less artists are dealing with.

Best songs: “Dry Gun”, “The Structure Itself Is In Pain”, “Apocalypse Ennui”, “Minor Monsters”, “World Of Mirrors”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.stoneburnerband.com / www.facebook.com/stoneburnerofficial 

Label: www.negativegain.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Negative–Gain/212061438836984

About Stoneburner

Stoneburner is the primarily solo project of Steven Archer, also known for Ego Likeness. Archer launched Stoneburner in 2012 around the question of what music inspired by Frank Herbert’s “Dune” might sound like, releasing the debut album “Songs In The Key Of Arrakis” in 2014. The project moved toward heavier, guitar-driven industrial material in later years, documented on “The Great Filter” EP (2023, COP International) and the book-and-CD release “Red In Tooth And Claw” (2024). The latest album, “Post.Industrial.Occult” (2025, COP International), prompted a Side-Line interview in which Archer discussed the project’s move away from its tribal roots. “The Structure Itself Is In Pain”, reviewed separately on Side-Line as a teaser EP for this album, preceded it by a day.

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

Lords Of Acid has announced that they will be returning stateside with their ‘Make Acid Great Again Tour’. The act will be joined by Aesthetic Perfection, Praga Khan and MXMS March 13th in Los Angeles, CA, with the tour circling through the US, wrapping up April 15th in San Francisco, CA.

Tickets are available right here !

Lords of Acid is a Belgian/ American electronic music group, led by musician Praga Khan. They debuted with the new beat single “I Sit on Acid” in 1988. Created by Praga Khan, Olivier Adams, and Jade 4U; their debut album, 1991’s “Lust” (along with additional singles “Rough Sex” and “I Must Increase My Bust”) got notorious for their sexual lyrics and sound samples. Their second album was “Voodoo-U” (1994), which featured a more industrial sound. This was followed by “Our Little Secret” (1997), “Heaven Is an Orgasm” (1998) and “Expand Your Head” (1999). In 2000 they released a more rock-influenced album titled “Farstucker” and in 2003 the band released a greatest hits album called “Greatest T*ts”.

Then it became silent around the band until 8 years later a new EP, “Little Mighty Rabbit”, emerged. The new album, “Deep Chills”, was released on 10 April 2012. After that it again took 6 years of studio silence until “Pretty in Kink” saw the light of day in 2018.

Here are the full concert dates (click here for the tickets).

• 03/13 @ EchoPlex – Los Angeles, CA
• 03/14 @ Hard Rock Live – Las Vegas, NV
• 03/15 @ Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
• 03/17 @ Club Red – Mesa, AZ
• 03/18 @ Sunshine Theatre – Albuquerque, NM
• 03/19 @ TBA – El Paso, TX
• 03/20 @ Trees – Dallas, TX
• 03/21 @ Scout Bar – Houston, TX
• 03/22 @ Paper Tiger – San Antonio, TX
• 03/23 @ House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
• 03/25 @ Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• 03/26 @ The Orpheum – Tampa, FL
• 03/27 @ Music Farm – Charleston, SC
• 03/28 @ The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
• 03/29 @ The Broadberry – Richmond, VA
• 03/31 @ Theatre Of Living Arts -Philadelphia, PA
• 04/01 @ Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA
• 04/02 @ The Rapids Theatre – Niagara Falls, NY
• 04/03 @ Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY
• 04/04 @ Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
• 04/05 @ Crafthouse – Pittsburgh, PA
• 04/06 @ Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
• 04/07 @ The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE
• 04/08 @ The Oriental Theater – Denver, CO
• 04/09 @ The Complex – Vertigo – Salt Lake City, UT
• 04/10 @ The Bluebird – Reno, NV
• 04/11 @ Dante’s – Portland, OR
• 04/13 @ The Crocodile – Seattle, WA
• 04/14 @ Ashland Armory – Ashland, OR
• 04/15 @ Slim’s – San Francisco, CA

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-techno, techno-body-music, techno-rock, breakbeats.

Background/Info: Empirion saw the daylight in 1993. Back in time there were a trio consisting of Oz Morsley, Jamie Smart and Bob Glennie. They became quite famous thanks to the legendary “Narcotic Influence”-EP released in 1994 on Wanted Records. They next signed to XL Recordings (know for The Prodigy) unleashing in 1996 their debut album “Advanced Technology”. Empirion did a support tour for The Prodigy and did a lot of remixes for great names (Front 242, Praga Khan, Cubanate…). Bob Glennie lost his battle with cancer in 2005, which also seemed to announce the end of a great band. Oz Morsley moved on setting up Kloq, but since 2010 Empirion came back to life doing live performances. They last year came up as a duo releasing new material featured at the EP “I Am Electronic / Red Noise” and here’s now their first new album since “Advanced Technology”.

Content: It always is a risky business for a band with such a great past to strike back after such a long hiatus. But those who know the sonic skills of Oz Morsley know his potential. Empirion is back and “Resume” is the ultimate release to join the past with the present. The album has something retro like featuring a few cuts with breakbeats (reminding me of The Prodigy) and the typical raw, analogue sounds, but also contemporary mixing elements of techno, industrial and EBM. This is music to dance! The songs don’t feature that much vocals, but samplings and vocals have been used more as an extra effect.

+ + + : I always get the feeling of losing my ‘objectivity’ when listening to music Oz Morsley has been involved with. But that’s because this guy is a real sonic alchemist. He transforms sounds into gold! This gold has something transcendental and hypnotic. “Resume” is mixing elements reminding me of Front 242 (for some analogue treatments), The Prodigy (for the breakbeats) and Thomas P. Heckmann (for the bass lines), but it’s first of all Empirion! It sounds retro-like and still visionary because there are not many bands in the line of Empirion. This album is total club-power featuring multiple outstanding cuts such as “S.E.T.I.”, “They’re In My Dreams”, “Stepper” and the already known “I Am Electronic” and “Red Noise”. The vocals aren’t the major element of the work and yet they’ve been produced with care; now with robotic effects and then just like a sampling effect.

– – – : I think a few more vocals could have been added now and then, but you don’t hear me to complain!

Conclusion: Empirion is back and that’s damn great news, but when a back strikes back with such a work filled with high-energy and sonic-magic you can only but be thankful. “Resume” will be without a shadow of doubt become one of my 2019’s favorites!

Best songs: “They’re In My Dreams”, “S.E.T.I.”, “Stepper”, “Red Noise”, “I Am Electronic”, “Sideswipe”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.empirion.org / www.facebook.com/empirion.music

Label: www.dependent.de / www.facebook.com/dependent.records Read the news on ‘Resume’.

About Empirion

Empirion formed in 1993 as a trio of Oz Morsley, Jamie Smart and Bob Glennie. The “Narcotic Influence” EP followed on Wanted Records in 1994, then the debut album “Advanced Technology” on XL Recordings in 1996, with a support tour alongside The Prodigy and remix work for acts including Front 242, Praga Khan and Cubanate. Glennie died of cancer in 2005; Morsley went on to set up Kloq before Empirion resumed live performances in 2010 and returned as a duo. Following “Resume”, the duo released the “ADSR” EP in December 2019.

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

Read the review of ‘Pretty In Kink’.

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: Techno-body, body-pop.

Background/Info: Modulo One Is A Norwegian duo set up in 2013 consisting of producer and singer Anders Schau Knatten and keyboarder (and still DJ) Tom André Solli. This is the first EP of the band. Notice by the way the work has been mastered by Seb Komor.

Content: The sound is clearly mixing EBM and techno music. It’s pretty danceable, sometimes a bit moving to the edge of ‘dance’ music, but still pretty techno-like à la Praga Khan. I also noticed some acid sequences while “Cyclotron” is maybe not the most noticeable cut although the darkest one.

We get 3 songs plus 4 remixes. Modulo One remixed the song “The Touch” while other remixes have been done by Lug00ber and Bitbear. Last, but not least there also is a remix of the title song by Assemblage 23.

+ + + : The production of the sound is amazing. This makes me think of a band that has taken the time to take care about every single detail while asking Seb Komor to master the EP is great. The songs are well-crafted and with a real good harmony between all influences. The previously mentioned “Cyclotron” is maybe not the biggest potential hit, but I really like this kind of ‘B-side’ for its darker side. The great atmospheric lead is irresistible, but I also enjoyed the effect on the vocals. This EP is made to dance and the big kicks are more than a simple invitation to move. Among the remixes I especially like the one by Lug00ber, which has this Praga Khan touch.

– – – : I can’t get away that some passages are pretty commercial/dance driven, which makes me say this is the kind of music that will be not timeless.

Conclusion: Norway has already featured multiple fascinating formations. It’s impossible to say if Modulo One will be the Norwegian next big thing, but I think we better can keep an eye on it.

Best songs: “The Touch – Lug00ber Remix”, “Cyclotron”, “Ten Thousand Meters Of Desert”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: http://moduloone.com / www.facebook.com/ModuloOne

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

Background/Info:

Read the news on ‘Pretty In Kink’.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial-metal, new-wave, electro.

Background/Info: Third self released album (EP) of this underestimated Belgian band, described as Praga Khan meets Rammstein, that was formed in 2010. Twincest Games is a story about a twin of which one doesn’t survive the pregnancy. The other one gets born with a tremendous sense of loss and needs to fill that void. A cocktail of beauty and strange relationships are destructive but a good surrogate. Every song tells another chapter of this story.

Content: “Cupid’s Dance” opens the album in a brilliant way: synth- and guitarriffs are perfectly combined with the harsh voice of singer Karl. “Twincest” is released as a first single and carries the typical Doganov concept: slowly built up verses followed by an exploding climax in the choruses. The guitars are more dominant on “Grimm”, while “Take The Night Away” has a very melodic chorus. “Receiver” is a track that easily can fill a dancefloor, a nice combination between electro and guitars, in the Goose-style! Track 6 is a smashing remix of “Endear You” (from the first album “Something Dark To Dance To”) done by Jürgen Engler of DIE KRUPPS. The very danceable Doganov-remix of “What You Need” from Goose is also featured while the last track “Whack This Guy” from La Muerte also got a nice Doganov remix-treatment.

+ + + : 8 high-quality songs are presented on this limited edition EP that was produced by the band itself. Doganov keeps following the same road as before, bringing danceable dark songs, full of modern electronics with a layer of smashing guitar-riffs over it!

– – – : This band should already have been picked up and signed by a label for a long time!

Conclusion: If you’re into electronics combined with guitars, check out Doganov! Step by step this promising band is reaching a wider audience. Make sure you see one of their explosive live-gigs as well!

Best songs: “Cupid’s Dance”, “Twincest Games”, “Receiver”, “Endear You (DIE KRUPPS remix)”, “What You Need – Goose (Doganov remix)”.

Rate: (9) WH.

Band: www.doganov.be / www.facebook.com/doganov.be

Label: www.doganov.be

Genre/Influences: Alternative-rock, electro & rock, dub, funky.

Background/Info: TB Frank known as one of the legendary Neon Judgement members and Baustein (Wouter Berghmans) are musicians from a different generation and yet connected by the fascination of sounds and simply writing songs. This debut album got introduced by the EP “Mother Of Earth” (cover from The Gun Club).

Content: “Tock” is a crazy work symbolized by the weird front cover. Both artists seem to have exorcised a lot of ideas, which are moving from funk to dub to minimal electronics to a great final technoid cut reminding to Praga Khan.

+ + + : “Tock” sounds like pure fun and I can imagine that’s what musicians like when working together. The album is bringing music genres closer to each other. There’s no real main style running through this work rather the love for music. I especially like the final track, which is a great electro/technoid song that might appeal for Praga Khan lovers. I also like the more minimal-like “I Didn’t” while the electro-wave driven “Margarita” is another noticeable piece. Sound-wise there’s a great twist between the easy recognizable guitar playing of TB Frank and the electronic parts.

– – – : The main strength of an album can be also its main point of discussion. There’s less cohesion between the songs so in the end it’s pretty hard to label this project. No doubt about it the artists don’t really care about labels and music genres!

Conclusion: “Tock” sometimes sounds as a compilation instead of a real album, but in the end it’s a pleasant release.

Best songs: “Do I Do It”, “I Didn’t”, “Margarita”, “Hotel Called Hell”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.tbfrankbaustein.com / www.facebook.com/tbfrankbaustein

Label: www.trackandtraces.se / www.facebook.com/tracksandtraces

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

The Belgian cult act Lords of Acid returns with an all new album, “Pretty In Kink”. The new album features the new singer Marieke Bresseleers next to Praga Khan and longtime collaborator Erhan Kurkun.

You can pre-order the album now, either on CD (available here) or on vinyl (available here).

The band finished the album in last December says Maurice Engelen aka Praga Khan: “We know the wait can be frustrating but our focus is on delivering a premium quality product that will be worth the wait!” Engelen took in the meantime also some time off to mary his girlfriend Inja Van Gastel who is also a member of the band.

Here’s a glimpse of Marieke Bresseleers.

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

Coming out this Friday is the brand new Psy’Aviah album “Lightflare”, and as announced a while back, we are today offering you an exclusive insight in the deluxe version of the album itself (with the exception of 3 tracks thanks to SABAM). The album is available on CD, 2CD (order right here via the Alfa Matrix webstore) and as download on Bandcamp.

Attention when you buy via Bandcamp, don’t forget to use the special code sideline2518 and you’ll get an immediate discount of 25%.

We contacted the Belgian artist behind this international project, the Antwerp based Yves Schelpe. You can preview the album here (the interview is right after this embedded player):

SL: Yves, your new album has been a personal journey through the ups and downs you experienced. How has life been treating you the past few years?

YVES: Life throws all kind of unexpected situations at you, and the older you get the more frustration creeps in, or the more you look at things from a different perspective. I can’t complain, I think I did get bored with certain situations and that I grew frustrated with stale situations. My albums have always included personal stories – whether autobiographical stories or things I’ve seen from friends & family in daily life. But “Lightflare” is a more in depth look where I take the listener through the emotions of “feeling lost” towards strategies one evolves to “cope with life” to end with “happiness and joy”.

SL: Was this something you also transmitted to the guest singers? How did they react?

YVES: For sure, almost all the lyrics and vocal guides are written by me, and I explain the meaning behind my intent with some words in details to the vocalists. Mari Kattman & I did a video to explain the process, where she talks about those vocal guides & the explenations I give her (she starts talking at 104sec).

When the lyrics are written by the guests themselves (such as Ellia Bisker of Sweet Soubrette or Michael of MiXE1) – I do give them artwork snippets, reference to other lyrics on the album I wrote and a vision I have for the lyrical content I’d like to have on the album. So it’s an intense journey working with them, and as far as I know they all appreciate that way of working, being part of telling a story.

SL: The album has been receiving raving reviews the past few weeks from all kinds of press. Was that something you had expected or was it rather the result of hard work?

YVES: This album is far more delicate than the previous two, it touches upon personal topics and while it’s still “dark pop music with an adge” and rooted in EBM, there’s also triphop, pure pop and electronic rap on there. Which made it again an evolution in my exploration of boundaries in sound. But to be able to tell a story like I wanted on Lightflare I had to seek out those genres, as they convey the emotions – it was this a lot of hard work: two years went into the album, from recording, writing, sepending time on the artwork to have a visual image for the vision & story. So when I first sent out the album and received the reviews I was very nervous – but I am so happy things are positive and that Lightflare is being appreciated a lot – both on radio, podcasts and reviews! It’s strange to think of it as the songs I made in my “bedroom studio” are being played in clubs all over the world, and listened to people from all over the world – I couldn’t be happier to with the reaction I receive from those listeners and DJs as well.

SL: What kind of influences have played a role for creating the songs for this album?

YVES: Musically I drew inspiration from Moby’s & Faithless’ triphop sounding songs, as well as Röyksopp, Tove Lo and the classics as always such as Praga Khan & Lords Of Acid which triggered me to write my own music as a yound kid. Fun fact is that I always send off songs to Ludo Camberlin (aka CS Johansen), producer on PK & LOA as well as Poésie Noire and The Neon Judgement – a very influencial person for me, but for a lot of others too I guess. Ludo always gives me very good feedback and thus is a big influence for me.

But I guess the main influence of course is the story, and for each chapter in this Lightflare story I make a song, with the lyrics in mind shaping those sounds & hits and build ups to match the mood. Not always with a vocalist in mind directly – but when I have a demo finished I usually know immediately who to ask. David from Entrzelle was perfect for Ghost, I know that there I can create an electro track with a lot of ambience, and a riff but rely on his vocal performance a lot – the emotions. Same with Mari Kattman’s “Lost At Sea”, when getting back those vocals I usually change and shape the demo around their vocals so they fit perfectly.

The vocalist that pushed me most this album for sure was with my live vocalist Marieke Lightband, we had multiple sessions and recordings at her studio in Antwerp, trying to figure out together what would be the best – giving feedback to each other and coming to a song that is very much full of soul, triphop and influences of jazz. The same happened with Michael of MiXE1 – bouncing off ideas back and forth and the song was then shaped more and more tightly around his vocals – but in stead of doing it in person like with Marieke, the process with Michael was done online: Facebook is dead – long live facebook messenger ?.

SL: You’re very active on social media, with the recent ‘reach crash’ it seems that personal contact via the profiles is back. How do you look at the way all these platforms change the rules all the time from an artist’s point of view?

YVES: It’s frustrating indeed, but I’ve always been active on all kinds of social media. Instagram & my personal profile now play a more crucial role – as well as our own website. Most people forget they signed a contract when they register to a social media platform, it’s their right to change the algorithm. So be it, but I’ll abuse the system and use the medium the way I want it – game the system, and be honest. I love it that this time around a lot of people have more immediate contact with me through facebook (facebook.com/yves.schelpe) and instragram (instagram.com/psyaviah) – sending me pictures, their personal stories on how they interpret and experience the songs and lyrics. I don’t mind adapting thus, I still think social media is a cool medium.

SL: When and where can we see Psy’Aviah live again?

YVES: We will do some shows in Belgium being booked by private companies (so sadly those are private shows) and we’re in talks to visit Germany. But we’re always open for opportunies and kick some ass on stage with our dedicated live band: Marieke, Ben and me.

You can also check out the following videos on YouTube:

“Reboot Reset Relay ft. Fallon Nieves”

“Lost At Sea ft. Mari Kattman”

“Aftermath ft. Ellia Bisker”

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 on November 17 is the single “Mother of Earth” by the duo TB Frank (The Neon Judgement and also bass player from Praga Khan, Jade4U and Lords of Acid) and Baustein. The single is taken from the upcoming album “Tock !” which will be released on 26th January, 2018. The album will be released under the bandname “TB Frank & Baustein”, the album will be followed by a series of live concerts.

Born and raised in Germany, Baustein moved to Hollywood Los Angeles where he graduated at Musicians Institute of Technology in performing, songwriting & music business by Kenny Kerner (producer KISS). He later on hooked up with Christopher Franke (Tangerine Dream, Babylon 5) at Sonic Images Records located in his Hollywood studios.

Since 2000 Baustein is running his own recording and production studio “Baustein Guitar Studio”, offering contemporary music training, teaching guitar, drums, songwriting, production and bandcoaching.

The track “Mother of Earth” is a cover from a The Gun Club original. Here’ the video for “Mother of Earth”.

The original by The Gun Club sounds like this.

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: EBM.

Background/Info: Transponder is ‘Freund 242’ aka Stefan Rukavina (also known from Rhesus Factor and the industrial formation Bleiburg) plus ‘Hanz Acid’ (Werksfront). The band released an impressive number of productions in a rather short lapse of time while featuring Claus Larsen (Leather Strip, Klute) as guest singer on multiple songs. Notice by the way this album has been released already a few months ago now.

Content: The first disc features cover versions from Tragic Error, Depeche Mode, Front 242, Hubert Kah, 2 Live Crew and Leather Strip plus collaborations with Les Berrtas, Zynik 14 and Engelsstaub. All songs remain driven by good-old EBM power reminding to DAF, Pouppée Fabrikk ao. But there still is a solid flavor of minimalism recovering the composition plus some new-beat elements (and not even on the cover version of “Tanzen” by Tragic Error). The song “Good-Bye” reminds me a bit of early Praga Khan.

Lyrically Transponder mixes explicit lyrics with funny themes and even a somewhat cynical view on politics.

The second disc is mainly featuring Claus Larsen as the vocalist. We here get a kind of ‘best of’ from Transponder singles. Claus Larsen already collaborated with Freund 242 for Rhesus Factor. And here again the music remains driven by retro-inspired EBM. It remains pretty minimal-like and sometimes as a wink to new-beat. You’ll also discover remixes by Sixth Comm, Parralox and Bleiburg.

+ + + : Transponder probably is an EBM project deserving a wider recognition. It’s good-old EBM with a very personal approach resulting in great minimalism. But I also like the somewhat new-beat inspiration as well. The sound formula is pretty simple, but damned efficient. The lyrics also have this magical effect to get listeners singing. Just pay attention for songs such as “Bewegt Euch” or “Stomp The Cybers” and you’ll understand what I mean. Some of the cover versions on the first disc have been pretty well reworked into the Transponder EBM mould, but I especially recommend the collaborations with Les Berrtas and Zynik. Claus Larsen also feels really comfortable singing on Transponder. And here again you’ll discover many great songs!

– – – : I sometimes get the impression that Transponder is just a ‘fun’ band. It doesn’t always sound that serious and I refer to some of the cover versions, but at the other side I’ve to admit that this kind of EBM is really efficient.

Conclusion: Transponder is not reinventing the receipt of electronic body music, but it definitely is a great and contemporary ambassador of this music genre. This work is a must have for all EBM freaks!

Best songs: “Lerchenzungen feat. Les Berrtas”, “Auf Der Jagd feat. Zynik”, “Photographic – Original by Depeche Mode”, “When We Return To Bleiburg feat. Human Nihil & Leather Strip” + “Bewegt Euch feat. Leather Strip”, “Stomp The Cybers feat. Leather Strip”, “The Return Of The New Beat feat. Leather Strip”, “The Return Of The New Beat feat. Leather Strip – Remix by Parralox”, “Man Zane Iraniam”.

Rate: (8½).

Band: www.transponder–music.de / www.facebook.com/transponder242

Label: www.scent–air.com / www.facebook.com/ScentairRecords

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

Out by mid-September are 2 brand new reissues from Lords Of Acid: “Our little secret” and “Farstucker”. Both releases will be released on CD but also as limited double vinyl editions, which you can already order right here.

“Our Little Secret” is the third studio album from Lords of Acid. Originally released in 1997, the album maintains the industrial music and sexually charged songs found on their previous album “Voodoo-U”. The album features one of their most recognizable hits, “Pussy”. The material for this reissue has been remastered and comes released as a special remastered band edition.

Here’s a video to plunge you back in acid time.

The second reissue planned is “Farstucker” which is the fourth studio album from Lords of Acid. Originally released in 2000, it marks the bands full transition from the techno of their earlier work to an industrial music outfit, with use of more live instruments. Though the sound evolved, the band maintains its trademark themes of sex, drugs and hedonism. Also this release comes remastered and is being released as a special remastered band edition.

Check one of highlights from this release 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

“Lust” is the debut album by Belgian electronic band Lords of Acid. Originally released in 1991 “Lust” spawned a series of club hits. As the album’s title implies, the tracks touch upon various sexually-related topics, complimented by hardcore techno/new beat/rave electronica sound.

The album is being released as a 2LP vinyl set (available here) and also as a CD (available here) both also featuring B-sides from the album’s singles.

Below is the album’s biggest hit (already released as a single in 1988), sit down and relax… Lords of Acid is a Belgian and American post-industrial/techno band, led by musician Praga Khan and created by Jade 4U, Praga Khan and Olivier Adams.

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

Background/Info:

Read the news on ‘Chasing The Speed Of 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.

www.side-line.com

Set up and driven by the creative spirit of Yves Schelpe, Psy’Aviah is already active since 2004. The band has been inspired by numerous influences becoming a kind of sonic chameleon or simply a pure sonic ‘pop’ enigma. Electro-pop has been often the basis of their work while multiple influences like electro-clash, trance, electro-rock, trip-hop and even dance have been explored. The new opus “Seven Sorrows, Seven Stars” again is a new sonic exorcism of new influences while featuring multiple and talented guest singers. Time for a chat with Yves Schelpe.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: What were the main ideas and purposes when starting the writing of the new album “Seven Sorrows, Seven Stars”?

Yves: After writing the 6^th album “The Xenogamous Endeavour”, which came out in 2014, I was suffering from ‘blank-paper-syndrome’ or commonly known as writer’s block. I did make music, but I just had no connection emotionally to it. The turning point came after watching the movie “Interstellar”, the atmosphere really inspired me and kickstarted the first song “Alcubierre Drive” (look at our video), in which both the music and lyrics are my personal soundtrack for the movie. After that the process shifted gears, most of the other tracks are also loosely based on the movie, yet, if you don’t know it you won’t notice it – as every lyric can be translated to the ‘real world’. I like it that they have this double meaning.

Q: So what is this new album dealing with and what’s the deeper meaning behind the title?

Yves: The title refers to several things. The most obvious is that this is my seventh studio album. “Sorrows vs Stars” alludes to the fact that the songs are sometimes positive, and sometimes totally depressing, just like life. The album itself is of course inspired by the events and atmosphere of the movie “Interstellar” as I mentioned before – but each and every track can be interpreted as if it would happen in the ‘real world’.

“Alcubierre Drive” for example deals with lovers, people, friends, slowly growing apart – whilst “Stronger” is a song about rising again after a deep fall. Every song has each own unique story to share.

Q: You again worked with multiple guest singers (and a lot of male vocalists this time). I can’t imagine it’s possible to get a similar connection with a guest singer instead of a band singer so how did it happen and how did the recording and production of the vocals happened?

Yves: You’d think it isn’t easy to connect, but when recording and preparing to record I always have lengthy mails or sometimes skype or telephone calls with the vocalists so that we connect and understand each other. As I write most of the lyrics myself I do also explain what’s behind it, record a demo guide vocal for them to interpret.

This makes it so that the sound stays true to my songwriting ideas. It’s actually the very same way I worked before with a ‘fixed’ singer, the only upside now is that I have a lot more creative freedom and a range of talented vocalists who each have their unique strengths.

Q: I got the impression every new album by Psy’Aviah sounds like a new sonic travel where you explore different influences. How do you see this evolution as composer and master mind of the band?

Yves: It’s a deliberate choice from the inception of the band. I always wanted to incorporate styles and not pin myself down to just one genre, as it limits my songwriting and storytelling. I think it’s because of listening to bands like Faithless, Moby, The Chemical Brothers, Praga Khan and Soulwax – who showed that you don’t have to keep to just one genre. A mix of ambient, trip-hop, dance anthems, aggressive tunes is possible and keeps it fresh and more interesting for me as well. Whilst I do mix up the genres, I always try to keep that certain ‘Psy’Aviah’-sound though.

Q: You once posted an interesting quote about the reason(s) you stopped playing live with Psy’Aviah. I think it’s an interesting point to share with us and what’s your opinion about the subject right now?

Yves: I still think it’s true, there’s a lot of promoters that don’t take their job seriously. In the end it then always reflects on the band when the sound is off, the lights don’t work, the soundcheck settings weren’t recorded, or the PA just walks out… And there’s a lot more. You might argue it’s part of the job, but in all honesty, I loathe that part and it lacks of professionalism.

Mind, I’m not talking about all promoters, but it’s always a gamble what you’ll be facing. Hence we’re always double prepared with our own mixing engineer, etc… Part of the reason might also have been a lack of motivation of the previous ‘live band vocalist’ to continue to push and go for it.

But, surprise, surprise, after three years (our last gig was with Praga Khan at ‘Anciennce Belgique’), we’ll be back on stage on September 9^th, 2016 at ‘Kinky Star’ Ghent with a new live band: Marieke Lightband on vocals (winner of several singer/songwriter awards, and has massive experience outside the ‘scene’ as well), my favorite live guitarist Ben Van de Cruys and me behind the keys. Very much looking forward to this new journey! And bookings are open at http://www.psyaviah.com/contact/live-bookings/.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

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

Out by mid-May is a best of Lords of Acid titled “Smoking Hot”. The 11 tracks on the album were picked by Maurice Engelen (aka Praga Khan) and were taken from the 5 studio albums the project released so far, including from the project’s last album “Deep Chills” (2012). It’s not the first time the band sees a bed of released, in 2003, after being in the business for 15 years, they released a greatest hits album called “Greatest T*ts”.

The tracks included are 01. Voodoo U, 02. Rover Take Over, 03. Sole Sucker, 04. She And Mr. Jones, 05. Lover, 06. Most Wonderful Girl, 07. Hot Magma, 08. Fingerlicking Good, 09. Sexbomb, 10. Drowning In Ecstacy, 11. Stripper.

“Smoking Hot” can be pre-ordered right now.

The Belgian / American post-industrial/techno act Lords of Acid debuted with the controversial new beat single “I Sit on Acid” in 1988. Back then the band consisted of Jade 4U, Praga Khan and Olivier Adams. Their debut album “Lust” (1991) and the videos from the singles went mainstream due to the outrageously sexual lyrics and sound samples.

In October 2013, Lords of Acid announced on their social media accounts that a new album was in the works. No news since.

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: Nu-metal, breakbeats.

Content: Nervenbeisser is a German band set up by Olaf Seider. I’m sure it will be hard to keep the title of the album in mind for non-Germans, but I can assure you “Geschlechterschlacht” is worthy of examination. This is a rather surprising work as it concerns a re-release of an album that was originally released in 2004 by ZYX-Music. So this is an opportunity to (re)discover this somewhat forgotten album.

Olaf Seider mixes interesting influences together, which sound a bit like an offspring between Rammstein and The Prodigy. It’s a strange and powerful hybrid driven by energetic and often breakbeat-minded beats while the furious guitar playing reveals the metal inspiration. The global production is achieved by great electronic treatments. The electronic element of the work also is a main aspect and not just a detail. All those elements together create an explosive fusion, which you can hear in several songs.

“Feuerteufel” is without a shadow of a doubt, my favorite. It sounds like it symbolizes an ultimate symbiosis between the different sources of inspiration while it will maybe appeal to fans of Rammstein. I think there’s no better song than “Feuerteufel” to get an idea about the sound creation of Nervenbeisser. I also have to mention songs like “Genug Ist Genug” and “Prinz Der Nacht”. The last mentioned track also reveals a great harmony between the rough male vocals and female backings reminding me a bit of Jade 4U (Praga Khan). The female vocals inject a kind of sexy, but sterile touch.

This album clearly evokes the influence of Rammstein, but “Geschlechterschlacht” sounds sexier because of its rhythmic and electronic arrangements.

Conclusion: This album is a real nice surprise, which in my opinion has the potential to appeal to a wider audience than only German speaking fans. The main basis of the work is inspired by familiar influences, but mixed together to get a refreshing sound.

Best songs: “Feuerteufel”, “Deine Angst”, “Genug Ist Genug”, “Prinz Der Nacht”Fileg Mit Mir”, “Nervenbeisser”.

Rate: (Elise Din:8)Elise Din.

Band: www.facebook.com/nervenbeisser

Label: www.dansemacabre-group.de / http://de-de.facebook.com/pages/Danse-Macabre-Records/161032440594773

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