Genre/Influences: EBM, Body-Pop, Cinematic, Punk.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Fusspils 11 is a project driven by Gerrit Thomas (Funker Vogt, Eisfabrik, Ravenous, Fictional). Two previous albums were released by Fusspils 11 while this is the first new work since 2005. The work features three original songs and a majority of surprising cover versions featuring guest singers/artists. The contributors are Bastian Polak (Intent:Outtake), Andreas Engleitner (Intent:Outtake), Charly Barth-Ricklefs (Eisfabrik), Tim Schulschenk (Alienare), Dirk Scheuber (Scheuber, Project Pitchfork), Jan Bertram (Eisfabrik), Alexander ‘Fischy’ Fischer (Tourmanagement, Yeti), Stefan Winkel (Gecko Sector), René Dornbusch (Funker Vogt, Eisfabrik) and Stephan Herrmann (J-SOC, Scheuber).

Content: Soundwise this work has less in common with previous Fusspils 11 albums except Gerrit Thomas is the steersman. The cover versions are pretty diversified ranging from Rammstein to Kraftwerk to Bots to Torfrock. Most of those bands are pretty popular in Germany and inspired Gerrit Thomas to achieve an own interpretation. The original songs by Fusspils 11 are easier to recognize. Gerrit Thomas’ typical sound arrangements reminding Funker Vogt but still his other projects are coming through while these songs are more powerful as well. He sings on two of these songs. 

+ + + : This work was for sure pure fun; working on some funny- and other unexpected German covers while joined by some mates. I however prefer the original Fusspils 11 songs which are probably not as fun but definitely more powerful. It’s however cool to hear Gerrit Thomas transposing “Haifisch” (Rammstein) and “Das Modell” (Kraftwerk) into his own sound and approach. One of the most funny cuts might become a hit. I’m referring to the legendary “Sieben Tage Lang” originally written by Bots. If you remember the free adaptation of this song by Scooter (cf. “How Much Is The Fish?”) which became a famous hit you never know where the Fusspils 11-cover will end.

– – – : This album is fun and featuring some cool dancefloor cuts but it’s the less convincing work I ever heard from Gerrit Thomas -who I still consider as one of the greatest artists from this scene.

Conclusion: Definitely fun and something different from Gerrit Thomas’ studio but not totally convincing!

Best songs: “Die Drei Säulen Des Wahnsinns”, “Zombiewelt”, “Bambule In Kindergarten”, “Schwartz Zu Blau”, “Sieben Tage Lang”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/Fusspils11

Label: www.reporecords.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Repo-Records/119590774857404

“Halbwegs verpeilt” was released on 29 April 2022 by RepoRecords as a digital album and a CD, running sixteen tracks and just over an hour. The video for the album track “Die drei Säulen des Wahnsinns” is on YouTube.

About Fusspils 11

Fusspils 11 is the German side-project of Gerrit Thomas, who is also active in Funker Vogt, Eisfabrik, Ravenous and Fictional. The project has a thin discography: “Gib ihr einen Namen” appeared in 1998 and “Elektro-Polizei” in 2005, after which Thomas left the name dormant for seventeen years.

“Halbwegs verpeilt” is the third Fusspils 11 release. It was announced through the pre-single “Haifisch”, a Rammstein cover sung by guest vocalist Bastian Polak of Intent:Outtake, with a video produced by Gerrit Thomas. The album pairs three original Fusspils 11 songs with covers drawn from Rammstein, Kraftwerk, Bots and Torfrock, and lines up guest singers from Eisfabrik, Intent:Outtake, Alienare, Scheuber, Gecko Sector, Funker Vogt, J-SOC and Yeti.

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 now via RepoRecords is the brand new video by Fusspils 11 for the cover version of “Haifisch” which is originally from Rammstein. “Haifisch” as a pre-single for Fusspils 11’s new album “Halbwegs verpeilt”, which will be released on April 29th, 2022. On this track you will hear guest singer Bastian Polak (Intent:Outtake).

“Halbwegs verpeilt” is the third release for this project by Gerrit Thomas (Eisfabrik, Funker Vogt, Ravenous, Fictional) after “Gib ihr einen Namen” (1998) and “Elektro-Polizei” (2005).

On this new album you’ll find a long list of collaborators like Bastian Polak (Intent:Outtake), Andreas Engleitner (Intent:Outtake), Charly Barth-Ricklefs (Eisfabrik), Tim Schulschenk (Alienare), Dirk Scheuber (Scheuber), Jan Bertram (Eisfabrik), Alexander „Fischy“ Fischer (Tourmanagement, Yeti), Stefan Winkel (Gecko Sector), René Dornbusch (Funker Vogt, Eisfabrik) and Stephan Herrmann (J-SOC, Scheuber).

The video for “Haifisch” was produced by Gerrit Thomas.

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

Ravenous got some fame in the 90s. The German formation released three albums in between 1996 and 2000; “Mass Mental Cruelty” (1996, on Off Beat), “No Retreat And No Surrender” (1998, on Zoth Ommog) and “Phoenix” (2000, on Bloodline). The band next took a long break and got finally reactivated this year to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of their debut album. Björn Böttcher, Gerrit Thomas (Funker Vogt, Eisfabrik ao) and Tim Fockenbrock joined back hands together and released the ‘new’ album “Forward To The Roots” on RepoRecords. The band’s fourth album is a mix of new songs, previously unreleased tracks and rarities and the never released single “Frozen Tears”. The work remains a danceable mix between EBM and Electro-Pop. I got in touch with the band’s singer Tim Fockenbrock.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: After more than twenty years of silence, Ravenous has been recovered from dust. What have been the triggers and motivation to bring the project alive?

Tim: That´s pretty simple. We had our first CD-release in 1996 and so we´ve got our 25th anniversary in 2021. So Björn asked me, if I was interested to release some old Mix-Versions and unreleased material. I agreed and we took that chance to make some new stuff.

Q: What did you guys keep in mind from the early years, the ‘old’ releases and their sound approach and what does the band stands for today?

Tim: We were and still are incorrigible believers in hope and justice and that everything will turn out good in the end. We became older and wiser and our new songs are representing the powerful and uncomplicated faith in ourselves and our sound. 

Q: The album “Forward To The Roots” is a melting pot of new songs, rarities, remixes and even a previously unreleased single. What can you say about it?

Tim: We are all different characters in our band. We´ve got different stories to tell. We have internalized and accepted our past and our shadows. Now we are in peace with ourselves. Now the circle closes and we are ready to look forward without forgetting where we came from. “Forward To The Roots” reminds us of our strength and power.

Q: How comes the single “Frozen Tears” –meant to be released in 2001, never saw the daylight? And how comes Ravenous finally stopped its activities after three rather successful albums?

Tim: It´s because I started to make experiences in different bands. I was always open for good music, no matter what genre. So we had a break which took longer than we thought.

Q: How was it working on the new songs of the album? What’s the input of the different members and did you notice main changes with the old albums?

Tim: It was great to feel the power and inspiration again. In my opinion, the way we create our music, is now more effective. Gerrit creates the sound and I translate this on my piano to find the right melody. Afterwards we turn it back into the Electronic sound. This is a very special mix and typical for the Ravenous-sound. By writing the lyrics I also got another option to speak about my feelings, which is great.

Q: I noticed the single “Roots” has reached the Deutsche Alternative Charts while speaking right now, the album will probably enter as well. What does it mean to reach the DAC? What’s the true impact of these charts? And what brings the future for Ravenous?

Tim: It´s always good news if a lot of people recognize our music. Especially fans, DJ`s and Radio-Stations. There is no pressure and we will see what the future brings.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, Body-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Ravenous is back after a silence of more than twenty years! Tim Fockenbrock, Björn Böttcher and Gerrit Thomas decided to recover the project from the dust, releasing a few new songs plus previously unreleased tracks, rarities and remixes. Kai Schmidt is no longer involved. 

Content: The album is a way to get back to the 90s, the decade wherein Ravenous as a side-project of Funker Vogt released 3 albums in between 1996 and 2000. The songs are a softer and more Pop-orientated version of Funker Vogt, but you still recognize some typical bass lines and arrangements of Gerrit Thomas. The new songs are holding on to this approach. You can compare it with some older songs and the previously unreleased “Frozen Tears”, which was meant to be released as a single/EP in 2001. Remixes have been accomplished by Re/Work and The Dust Of Basement, both originally made in 2000. 

+ + + : It’s maybe not a good idea to compare Ravenous to Funker Vogt, but it definitely sounds like a softer and Electro-Pop driven edit. The drums, bass lines, strings and melody lines are clearly evoking Funker Vogt, but the songs are all more polished and driven by clear vocals. The new songs –and especially “Roots” are cool cuts carried by a strong chorus. The previously unreleased “Frozen Tears” is another cool song so in the end it sounds great this previously unreleased EP-title song finally saw the daylight. Among the other ‘older’ songs I especially recommend “Empire” for its harder approach and irresistible, icy lead. It’s also cool to remind us of bands like Re/Work and The Dust Of Basement. It’s also interesting to re-discover a few songs that were originally recorded in the studio of Sevren Ni-Arb (X Marks The Pedwalk) where numerous great artists recorded their work back in the 90s. 

– – – : The question is if this album will also stand for a new start of Ravenous? This one is a cool way to re-discover this project, but a totally new full length would be more interesting. 

Conclusion: If you like the work and sound of Gerrit Thomas, you for sure are going to like this album filled with rarities and some extra new songs. 

Best songs: “Empire – Unreleased Version 1999”, “Faster Than Time – Alternative Version 1996”, “Roots”, “Frozen Tears 2021”. 

Rate: 7½. 

Artist: www.ravenous.de / www.facebook.com/Ravenous-102636321922141 

Label: www.reporecords.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Repo-Records/119590774857404  Read the news on ‘Forward To The Roots’.

About Ravenous

Ravenous is a German electro-industrial and synth-pop project that Discogs lists with Gerrit Thomas, Kai Schmidt, Tim Fockenbrock and Björn Böttcher. Thomas is also a member of Funker Vogt.

The project released “Mass Mental Cruelty” in 1996, “No Retreat And No Surrender” in 1998, “Silverray” in 1999 and “Phoenix” in 2000. RepoRecords reissued the “Lemmings” EP in 2006 and released the 2021 singles “Roots” and “Frozen Tears” before the album.

The band spoke about the record in a Click Interview with Ravenous published in January 2022.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

(Photo by Ravenous & Pixel Breed) The second pre-release single “Frozen Tears” is now available everywhere as download or stream. You can watch the lyric video below. “Frozen Tears” was originally planned for a 2001 release but never got released in the end.

The new Ravenous album, “Forward to the Roots”, will be released this Friday (October 29th, 2021) on Repo Records for the band’s 25th anniversary. It is the 4th album of the trio consisting of Björn Böttcher, Gerrit Thomas and Tim Fockenbrock.

The album is a mix of new songs (“Roots”, “Here Again” and “Free Me”), unreleased tracks and rarities from the band archive ranging from unreleased versions of tracks from the 1996 debut (recorded by X-Marks the Pedwalk’s mind Andre Schmechta), to unreleased remixes, demos and rarities.

Here is “Frozen Tears”.

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 Ravenous & Pixel Breed) The new song “Roots” is the first new Ravenous release in over 20 years. It is available as a digital single in all relevant stores today. An official lyric video is available on YouTube and can be seen below.

“Roots” is the opening track for Ravenous’ upcoming 25 years anniversary album “Forward to the Roots” which will be released on 29 October on Repo Records and is the 4th album of the trio consisting of Björn Böttcher, Gerrit Thomas and Tim Fockenbrock.

The album is a mix of new songs (“Roots”, “Here Again” and “Free Me”), unreleased tracks and rarities from the band archive ranging from unreleased versions of tracks from the 1996 debut (recorded by X-Marks the Pedwalk’s mind Andre Schmechta), to unreleased remixes, demos and rarities.

Also included is the never released re-recording of the single “Frozen Tears” (originally planned for 2001 but never released).

Enjoy the official “Roots” lyric video.

About Ravenous

Ravenous was born somewhere in 1989 and after their debut album on Off Beat they would release a second album, “No Retreat And No Surrender”, on Zoth Ommog in 1998. “Phoenix” followed in 2000 on Bloodline. And after that the lights went out.

During these 20 years apart, the band members have musically gone their own ways: While Björn Böttcher, after an extensive live artist career with Funker Vogt, ultimately delved into label and artist management with RepoRecords, Gerrit Thomas took a career in music production. Tim Fockenbrock, for his part, worked with several bands outside the scene and even deployed a dubbing career.

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

The German electro band returns after 21 years of silence. Björn Böttcher, Gerrit Thomas and Tim Fockenbrock are to release a new album on the 25th anniversary of their 1996 debut album “Mass Mental Cruelty” (Off Beat), November 29th that is.

The new album, “Forward to the Roots”, will be released via Repo Records and is the band’s 4th album.

The album is a mix of new songs (“Roots”, “Here Again” and “Free Me”), unreleased tracks and rarities from the band archive ranging from unreleased versions of tracks from the 1996 debut (recorded by X-Marks the Pedwalk’s mind Andre Schmechta), to unreleased remixes, demos and rarities.

Also included is the never released re-recording of the single “Frozen Tears” (originally planned for 2001 but never released).

Tracks:

1. Roots
2. Here again
3. Frozen Tears (2021)
4. Free Me
5. If you believe it (2002)
6. Roots (Alternative Vocal Edit)
7. Frozen Tears (2001)
8. Violent World (Plain Real Remix 1996)
9. Faster than Time (Alternative Version 1996)
10. Flesh and Bone (Alternative Version 1996)
11. Silverray (Radio Edit 1999)
12. Empire (Unreleased Version 1999)
13. The Last (Demo 1999)
14. Between the Worlds (Re/Work Remix 2000)
15. My Name (The Dust of Basement Remix 2000)
16. The Loop (2002)

About Ravenous

Ravenous was born somewhere in 1989 and after their debut album on Off Beat they would release a second album, “No Retreat And No Surrender”, on Zoth Ommog in 1998. “Phoenix” followed in 2000 on Bloodline. And after that the lights went out.

During these 20 years apart, the band members have musically gone their own ways: While Björn Böttcher, after an extensive live artist career with Funker Vogt, ultimately delved into label and artist management with RepoRecords, Gerrit Thomas took a career in music production. Tim Fockenbrock, for his part, worked with several bands outside the scene and even deployed a dubbing career. Read the review of ‘Forward To The Roots’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro.

Background/Info: Stephen Bailey and Joel Walker aka ‘Svipal’ are back on track unleashing the second album from their Offerings To Odin project. I discovered the band a few years ago by their debut work “Ravenous”, which revealed some cool ideas although the global production suffered from a lack of professionalism.

Content: “Hoc Voluerent” features 10 songs plus 2 remixes. The sound is clearly influenced by dark-electro although the leads also have something cold-techno like. The global production process became more professional and also the songwriting has improved. Offerings To Odin doesn’t deal with the ‘classical’ harsh and merciless dark-electronics; the sound and especially the rhythmic is more controlled. The vocals remain however harsh and extremely distorted.

The tenth song is a cover version of the famous “Goodbye Horses” (originally performed by Q Lazzarus) followed by two remixes by Alien Vampires and Hocico.

+ + + : I noticed a serious improvement compared to the debut album, which might explain why this work has been promoted by X-Beats (Jan Loamfield from Noisuf-X). This album is totally devoted to dark-electronics and yet there’s something unique running through it. I think it’s maybe of the cadence, which is never exaggerated and the leads having something technoid on top. Both remixes are cool, but especially the one by Hocico, which also is the best song from the album.

– – – : There is still too much linearity in this work. The sound formula is repetitive, the songs becoming a bit predictable after a while.

Conclusion: I can’t say this album is a major success, but it clearly features a band that has made a serious step forward.

Best songs: “Death Throes – Hocico Deathfloor Remix”, “A Delicate Balance”, “Death Throes”, “Mad As Hell – Alien Vampires Remix”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.offeringstoodin.com / www.facebook.com/offeringstoodin

Promoter: www.facebook.com/xbeatspromotion

About Offerings To Odin

Offerings To Odin is a Denver, Colorado duo of Stephen Bailey and Joel Walker, who also performs as Svipal. Active since 2012, the project has drawn on mythology and runic themes alongside its dark-electro and EBM sound. “Ravenous,” the band’s 2016 debut album on Forced Music, was followed three years later by “Hoc Voluerunt,” which closes with remixes from Alien Vampires and Hocico.

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 ‘Code Of Conduct’.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark EBM.

Background/Info: Offerings To Odin is a Denver based band consisting of Stephen Bailey and Joel Walker aka Svipal. The band has been active since 2012 and claims to be inspired by themes like mythology, runes, art, misanthropy, dancing, video games, beer, wine, food, electronics, history, synth building, hockey while the music clearly sounds dark and electro-like. “Ravenous” is their debut-album, which was already released a few months ago.

Content: “Ravenous” clearly sounds inspired by elements of dark-electro and EBM. The songs are carried by melodic passages, which clearly is one of the album’s main characteristics. The sound is not exactly into the typical kind of dark-electro format, but remains rather ‘soft’, a bit moody-like, but danceable.

Most of the vocal lines are harsh and compressed although the band experiences with a few other ideas like whispering passages and an interesting half-spoken experiment on “Familiar Taste Of Blood”. This is an interesting cut as it was originally written by Enduser and Rachel Kann (cf. album “Comparing Paths”).

A few cuts are a little more powerful and fast, but globally speaking “Ravenous” remains driven by slow tempos.

+ + + : “Ravenous” features less surprises and no real innovation although the already mentioned “Familiar Taste Of Blood” is an interesting experiment accomplished with refreshing sounds and a different vocals production. Even the rhythms sound different and a bit broken-like. This is for sure the most original song of the album. About the other tracks, I especially like the melodic aspect supporting the songs, which makes Offerings To Odin quite accessible.

– – – : The ideas and intention is pretty okay, but you can hear that this is a debut album. Most of the songs suffer from a lack of elaboration. The global production remains a bit unaccomplished.

Conclusion: I don’t want to be severe; “Ravenous” is a debut album revealing a few cool ideas the band now has to elaborate and improve. Just put this work in the hands of an experienced producer and Offerings To Odin will sound different for sure!

Best songs: “Familiar Taste Of Blood”, “DMT”, “Stepping Stone”.

Rate: (6).

Band: www.offeringstoodin.com / www.facebook.com/offeringstoodin

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 complete “Trainspotting” cast is returning for a sequel as we reported a while back.

And now Sony also launched a first glimpse of “T2”, the sequel which takes place 10 years after the first film. Director Danny Boyle stays on board just like the original cast consisting of Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle.

You can view the 46 second long trailer below.

The 1996 British black comedy crime drama “Trainspotting” was based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh. Ewan McGregor (Rent Boy), Ewen Bremner (Spud), Johnny LeeMiller (Sick Boy) and Robert Carlyle (Franco) will again be featured in the sequel which will be loosely based on “Porno”, the novel published in 2002 by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh

The book describes the characters of Trainspotting 10 years after the events of the earlier book, as their paths cross again, this time with the pornography business as the backdrop rather than heroin use. The film will take place 9 years after the original film.

Here’s how “Trainspotting” looked like…

Since “Trainspotting” the leading characters have been doing quite some acting work. Bremner for instance has played supporting roles in blockbusters such as “Pearl Harbor” and “Black Hawk Down”, in which he appeared alongside Ewan McGregor (which he has again since, in “Perfect Sense” and “Jack the Giant Slayer”). Miller has risen to fame with his splendid acting work in for instance “The Flying Scotsman” (2006) and “Endgame” (2009). He currently stars as Sherlock Holmes in the CBS crime drama “Elementary”. Carlyle could be seen in “The Full Monty” (1997), “Ravenous” (1999), “28 Weeks Later” (2007) and many more films and television series. Finally there’s McGregor who has had success in mainstream, indie and art house films such as the young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999–2005), “The Ghost Writer”, and so on.

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