C-Lekktor, a leading name in the dark elektro scene alongside Hocico, Rabia Sorda, and Amduscia, celebrates its 20 years anniversary. Markko B. has now released a special “2.0” double-CD deluxe digipak on Alfa Matrix. This release includes fan-favorite club hits and revamped versions of 12 classic tracks.

This 2CD version is available now via the Alfa Matrix website, the download version via Bandcamp. The album is also available in a special combi pack along the new releases from AD:keY and Miseria Ultima.

On this new album Markko B. has breathed new life into frequently requested songs performed at concerts. Updated tracks such as “An Empty Soul”, “Infected”, “Paralisis”, “See My Hate”, “El Comienzo De La Muerte”, and “Our Dark Side” are reimagined and rearranged, while classics like “World Of Fantasy”, “Juicio Final”, “Hellektro Convulsion Therapy”, “Solo En La Oscuridad”, and “Silence Remains” have received powerful makeovers.

The release also features harsh elektro tracks in their original form from recent albums, including fresh tracks like “God Killer” and “Are You Ready For The Bass?” alongside dancefloor cuts “Out Of My Way”, “Cyborgs”, and the track “Animals”.

Additionally, the double-CD set includes the exclusive unreleased track “I Don’t”, originally written during “The Silence Procession” era, and a cover of Depeche Mode’s “Always You”.

You can listen to all of the tracks below.

Fans of dark hellektro music, especially those who enjoy Suicide Commando, Hocico, Alien Vampires, or Noisuf-X, will find this double-CD essential.

About C-Lekktor

C-Lekktor, spearheaded by Marco Antonio Barrientos (Markko B.), has been an important force in the dark elektro scene for over two decades. Emerging from the vibrant Mexican electro scene of the 1990s, C-Lekktor made its first appearance with the demo CD “Re-a-Gression”.

Known for its aggressive and energetic sound, characterized by harsh vocals, pounding beats, and dark, atmospheric melodies, the project gained widespread recognition with performances across Mexico and internationally.

In 2005, the project released the maxi-CD “Words of Evil” and participated in the “Electro Map-Latam Compilation”. The following years saw C-Lekktor performing extensively, including concerts in Peru and Chile, and performances on major events like the “Necropolis Fest”.

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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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Raymond Watts, better known as PIG, has released a fully remastered version of his iconic 1995 album, “Sinsation“. Out via Metropolis Records (CD, digital) and Armalyte Industries (deluxe 2xLP vinyl), this reissue arrives nearly three decades after the original, just in time to coincide with Watts’ forthcoming North American tour.

“Sinsation” originally hit the scene on Nothing Records, the label spearheaded by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor. The album emerged shortly after PIG opened for NIN, and as a result PIG found himself labelmates of acts such as Marilyn Manson, Autechre, and Einstürzende Neubauten.

Watts says this about the actual album: “Every record I make is PIG through a different noose, and when I made ‘Sinsation’ the noose hung high. It was born at Ranch Apocalypse in London, a place where creation and cremation coexisted. I was locked inside both the studio and myself, with only [guitarist] Steve White and a large box of drugs for company. ‘Sinsation’ was the sound of the last card turning and burning. The only way out was through. I had to give birth to the noise inside my head and record it.”

The remastering process was an emotional experience for Watts: “I was surprised and saddened to revisit ‘Sinsation’. Surprised by the energy and invention and saddened to hear the pain. But, I was strangely glad to have visited hell, and blessed that I didn’t stay.”

The original ‘Sinsation’ was a collaborative effort, recorded and mixed by PIG and Helen Woodward, featuring contributions from Karl Hyde (Underworld), Jimmy Cauty (The KLF), Steve White (KMFDM), Carol Anne Reynolds (Sow), and Japanese artists Imai Hisashi (Buck Tick) and Hoppy Kamiyama.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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The Dortmund-based post-punk / darkwave act Days of Sorrow has a new single and video out for “Tears”. It is the first release of the forthcoming two vinyl EPs out later this year. The video was filmed and directed by luigsfilms.de.

The release comes after their comeback three years ago. This new single also means the introduction of a new member, Kati von Schlotterstein on bass and keyboards. “Tears” is now available on all major streaming platforms.

The band says this about the new single: “We wanted to create a song that speaks to the enduring human experience of heartache and hope. “Tears” is a testament to our journey as a band and our connection with our audience. It’s about finding beauty in the midst of pain and using music as a means to heal.”

In addition to the single, Days of Sorrow are working on two vinyl EPs, set to be released later this year. The two EPs will hold a collection of new material.

About Days of Sorrow

Days of Sorrow is a post-punk and dark wave band originating from Dortmund, Germany. Formed in 1981 by William Lennox (vocals, keyboards) and André Schreiber (bass), the band quickly became a notable name in the German post-punk scene during the 1980s. They were heavily influenced by the burgeoning post-punk and new wave movements, which were at their peak during that time.

The band’s first lineup was rounded out by Wolfram Hubert on guitar and Nicolai Sabotka on drums. Their break came in 1984 when they were discovered by John Tollhaus, who overheard them playing their song “Wild World” and decided to produce and release it as a full 12″ EP titled “Remembering the Days” under Tollhaus Records. This release featured tracks like “Wild World” and “War” and saw the band performing extensively across Germany.

In 1985, the band underwent lineup changes with the addition of Claudio Stöber on keyboards and Kurt Voigt on drums, which allowed Lennox to focus more on vocals. They signed with Rough Trade Records and recorded new material, including a reworked version of “Wild World”. This led to the release of their second EP, “A Thousand Faces”, in 1987. However, the band split shortly thereafter, just before a planned tour in Spain.

After a long hiatus, Lennox and Schreiber reunited in recent years, joined by Frank Junge, and began working on new music. In 2023, they released the album “Soulmate Sister”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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“Viscerheart” is the second album by Italian artist Maxx Maryan, well known for his work with Helalyn Flowers. Released by Spleen+ (a subdivision of Alfa Matrix), this new project revisits the 80s Electro-Wave nostalgia but infuses it with a personal, harder Pop style. Compared to its predecessor, “Viscerheart” has a slightly softer edge and explores a kind of ‘freestyle’ that adds a touch of originality to the album. The opening tracks are particularly compelling, and the production quality is noteworthy, especially the vocals, which are both sensual and powerful. (Rate: 7½).

Listen to “Red Bridge”:

https://alfamatrix.bandcamp.com/track/red-bridge

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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Genre/Influences: Ambient-Electro, Cinematographic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Rhea is a Belgian solo-project driven by Mark De Wit. This artist also released Ambient-Electro under the  Purfoze moniker. “Close To Moving Ice” is meant as a tribute to the massive eternal ice of Greenland. The album features one single live track played during a Littl’Antenna happening. It’s the third production in this series set up by Littl’Antenna and Belgian NeuMusik (Wool-E Discs). 

Content: The sound universe of this artist is clearly reminiscent of the early Ambient experiments from the Berlin School. The composition has been slowly built up, creating a dreamy, abyssal universe where a few voices are emerging at the surface. The track creates a compact production, which sounds like belonging to a greater concept devoted to the beauty of Greenland.

+ + + : The composition has a very intimate and personal feeling. It feels a bit like the artist sounds in perfect harmony with the theme of his concept. It clearly has a visual appeal and I can imagine this work being accompanied by a visual production. Rhea doesn’t deliver any surprising effect, but brings Ambient-Electro how it has to sound: pure vintage sound treatments leading the listener into dream and evasion.

– – – : This is an easy and entertaining listening, but I’m missing just a climax. Everything remains sterile as the images we all have in mind from eternal ice masses.

Conclusion: This album is the perfect way to forget the daily routine and stress; a relaxing experience!

Best songs: “Close To Moving Ice”.

Rate: (7).

Labels: www.wool-e-discs.be / www.belgianneumusik.be /

www.facebook.com/woolediscs / www.antennafestival.be

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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In honour of the 20th anniversary of the first volume of “The Unquiet Grave”, Cleopatra Records presents “The Unquiet Grave 2019”, a compilation that features 25 international Post-Punk, Goth, Industrial, Darkwave and Experimental artists from across the dark music spectrum.

The label’s original concept behind “The Unquiet Grave” varied from other Cleopatra compilations they completed such as “The Goth Box” (1996) as well as “The Black Bible” (1998), that included legacy acts such as Bauhaus, Virgin Prunes and Legendary Pink Dots along with a variety of up-and-coming bands. On the other hand, “The Unquiet Grave” (1999) exclusively featured new artists that deserved the opportunity for exposure to a larger audience. That original 1999 edition would include such bands as Bella Morte, Diary of Dreams, Android Lust and Rhea’s Obsession, to name a few.

“The Unquiet Grave 2019” applies the same formula as that original volume by showcasing 25 artists that equally deserve your attention. “The Unquiet Grave 2019” will be available on June 14th via all digital and streaming outlets.

The Unquiet Grave 2019 features: The Ink Bats, Social Station, The Sedona Effect, Antidote for Annie, Silver Walks, New Zero God, The Long Losts, Schedule IV, Hypofixx, Lorelei Dreaming, Fear Incorporated, Metamorph, Angel Metro, Abbey Death, The Drowning Season, May May Graves, Red Lokust, Acclimate, Traumabond, ENGRAM, Tragic Impulse, Spider Lilies, RCH IV, Dreamchild, Moss Garten.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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Genre/Influences: Ethereal-wave, trip-pop, experimental.

Background/Info: Some of you might remember Rhea’s Obsession, a Canadian band that was mainly active in the second part of the 90s. They released two albums. Indarra is not really a resurrection of this band, but it features singer Sue Hotton who has been joined by numerous guest artists.

Content: “Walk On Fire” is a truly music trip mixing multiple influences. Most of the songs are pretty dreamy-like, mainly driven by a slow rhythm and Sue Hotton’s sensual timbre of voice. The compositions have been composed with electro gear, and also with authentic instruments. The dreamy atmospheres are sometimes a little bit mysterious, which might remind you of Delerium. I can also mention Massive Attack for the darker and trip-pop driven passages.

+ + + : This album is al cool surprise. The music has something pretty authentic and artistic. The songs are styled and refined. It often sounds as a delicious sonic caress, which is accentuated by the impressive vocals of Sue Hotton and the mysterious atmospheres. The album is progressively growing reaching multiple states of climax.

– – – : There’s some versatility running through this work, which I can imagine might not please all listeners.

Conclusion: This is an album I highly recommend to music lovers in search of a truly artistic creation. Indarra brings different influences together on a graceful and fully enjoyable work.

Best songs: “Colour Of The Rising Sun”, “Melody Of The North Winds”, “To Make Change”, “An Innis Aigh”, “Falling Into You”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/indarramusic

Label: www.metropolis-records.com / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords

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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Didier Dewachtere is a Belgian artist from 53 years old. He started to like electronic music at his 15th birthday. It was the good-old time of new-wave music, which still remains a source of inspiration. Later on he discovered artists such as Jean-Michel Jarre, Klaus Schulze ao. The ‘Berliner School’ had a real great impact on Didier. It is very obvious, that BySenses was partly taken from a song from Schulze entitled “Sense”. BySenses now has released its third full length entitled “People” on the Belgian label Wool-E-Discs. It’s a beautiful and styled ambient release, which also brought me in touch with the artist.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: BySenSeS has been featured at the Wool-E-Discs series “Belgian NeuMusik”. How would you introduce the sound and approach of BySenSeS and what does it mean to you to be part of this label-series devoted to Belgian ambient music?

Didier: My first album came out on an independent label Multidisc. But when Dimitri Idunno told me he would start up a new label Wool- E Discs, pure Belgian music, I thought it would be nice to be part of it. So he said yes and now “People” and a lot of other albums have been released on his label. I’m thinking on Sensory++ , Venja or Galactic Underground, The Rosswell Incident, Rhea and a lot of other.

Mostly they say ‘Berlin School’ is the base of ‘Belgian Neu Music’, but that is not really right.. If you listen to Nothing But Noise, another Belgian group, I think there is no Berlin School in it. It is a great honor to be part of it. I think Belgian Electronic Music can be placed amongst the German School, or French School.

My sounds and my music is how I feel… how I think, how it is in my mind. Starting a song is searching for sounds and I use this bases to create songs. It can start with a melody or with a simple rhythm… or something that comes into mind while going home.

Q: What means music to you and what importance does it take in your daily life?

Didier: Music is very important to me. It has always been a part of my life. When I was a young boy, I spend all time at my bedroom listening to music, playing cards with headphones or going to sleep with music and getting up with music… I just came home in the weekends, because I was at a boarding school, but over there they played music as Vangelis.. At that time I didn’t pay any attention to it. I was nearly 9 years, but later on it got really an impact. I still think that I kept this music in my mind. When I was 20 years old, I started living on my own and the first thing I did was buying a Korg MS20 and MS50. In the beginning I made some tracks with the Korg MS20, but they are all lost. My parents didn’t believe in the music I wanted to make and certainly not in ‘the synthesizer’. Because my life at that time was a bit other than it is right now, all my money went to discotheques and going out.. Later on, when I came back from Afghanistan, I decided to buy more instruments, and my son Pieter did all the technical support. It was great to see him doing these things although he never made music (lol).

Q: The first BySenses production were released in 2014. How do you look back at the earlier work and what have been the main evolutions and steps forward towards “People” and is there a hidden message behind the front cover?

Didier: My first album “InSense”, which is only available at Bandcamp was not mastered. I made the music and put it on Bandcamp. It was only a bit later I got in touch with some people like Dries De Vreeze, who do some mastering. “Frigmants Fragments” is mastered by Dries and is a bit different, more experimental. It tells us the story of a part of my life, a moment where during a short time things were not so good… a story about good and bad things… “Slaap Stil Mijn Kind” can been considered as an example. The track is dedicated to a child I lost.

Next to Dries, Sarah Joos came into the picture. Sarah is incredibly good in what she’s doing. She makes really dreamy pictures and has her own style. I think there is a mutual respect for each of our work. In these times people are living so separated, living all alone without contacts etc… People are so tired of politics. People are scared and getting afraid while I think politicians should bring people together and help them. I don’t like populism and I don’t like Nationalism… not in that way… Using migration to get votes is abusing people. That’s a bit the hidden message. So quite progressively, the idea came to make an album for all people around the world. I asked Sarah if she would make some pictures of people; just their faces and all colors while I asked a friend to be on front. His  has a real expressive face.

Alain Kinet, who I already knew from earlier times, did the sleeve design. He listened to my story and so the artwork got created. I wanted to make an album from birth to death, from loneliness to happiness, from feelings to non-feelings, from things that happened in my life such as relations etc. So “People” was born.

I really think that music can feature a message. I want to put a message in it, but also maybe a message that people has to find listening to the music… that message is not necessarily the same as I want to give. Nothing around us reflects the open-mind of humanity. We are not chosen, we are people.

Q: Tell us a bit more about the global production process of this work; potential sources of inspiration, way of composing, addition of guest artists and how do you look back at the album right now?

Didier: To be honest, it has been a lot of work producing “People”. It took me 2- 3 years to have it all done. It is not a secret that I’ve been seriously impressed by Klaus Schulze, but also Vangelis, Roedelius, Tangerine Dream ao. So am I influenced about them? Maybe, but I really try to put my own ideas and feelings in the compositions. It’s always a pleasure when someone says that he can hear BySenses in my music.

As I said I start with some sounds, looking for some nice patterns and work on it. Sometimes the melody comes, like on “Nightdancer”, where I played the melody in one night. I surely can not replay it again, I was in ‘The Zone’ and when you are there, you can do a lot of things. So ‘Frakke’ came in for drumming on “Nightdancer”, as he already did on “OGF” on “Frigments Fragments”. I know Frank De Coster (‘Frakke’) as a collegue and he’s really rock and roll.

Next came Thomas Betsens. I saw him live at a little festival in Drongen (Belgium), where I played live with my other project The Tower Tree (collaboration between BySenses and Owann). I asked him if he was interested for singing on “People”. So he came over and had a listen. The music was already composed and then it happened… It blew me away. He never heard the song which I wanted him to sing. And he also sung on “Sensitivity”, which I think is the best song I ever made. There’re so much feelings in it, which doesn’t mean that the other songs are less important. The song “Birth” was made when my son told me he was becoming father himself and I became grand-father. So all feelings are in it. I like to work with other musicians and I like to give them enough space to do their own thing. So did Thomas and Frank.

When I look back, I think it is a step forward comparing to “InSense” and “Frigmants”; technically and musically I think all albums have their a different sound.

Q: When I hear ambient music I often think to concepts featuring diversified forms of arts like films, documentaries, pictures, paintings, sculptures, theatre etc… What’s your perception about it and what are your further plans?

Didier: The 80’s music of Klaus Schulze, Vangelis, J.M. Jarre was played on the radio. I even heard Tangerine Dream on ‘Studio Brussel’ (national broadcasting). Later on I discovered other programs late at night. I remember I was 15 years old and asked my teacher if I could listen to these programs. As he was fan of Vangelis he let me listen to it, but It was forbidden to say it to my friends. Nowadays there is a totally different way of making radio.. It all is about how many listeners you can reach, money etc. So nowadays our music is played on internet radio, even Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream. I really respect that, but it’s a pity that national broadcasting is not giving time to this kind of music. There is a lot of beautiful- and modern electronic music.

When people ask me what ‘ambient music’ is all about, I often say that they can listen to the music of a documentary etc.. but it’s much more than that.

Nowadays I take some rest and simply enjoy spending some time with my little daughter Eleonora. I’m still searching for new sounds and there’ll maybe a new album from The Tower Tree. I really would like to see “People” getting released on vinyl format. I remixed some songs, made them a bit different and now they’ll be mixed by Alain Wymeels. I’m just waiting what Wool-E-Discs will say.  Don’t expect a new BySenses-album within one year.

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 Awakening, South Africa’s best known gothic metal export product, is set to release a new single, “The Carriage”, this Halloween. The single will act as the lead single for their full-length album, set to be released March 2016.

“The Carriage” was mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More, Sepultura, and Therion) in Los Angeles and the band could count on a guest appearance by Mark Gemini Thwaite (guitarist for The Mission, Peter Murphy, and Gary Numan). The single also is the first recording to feature The Awakening’s new bassist, Chela Rhea Harper (previously of Coal Chamber).

Since relocating to the US in 2008, The Awakening have released their eighth album “Tales Of Absolution + Obsoletion” in 2009, toured extensively, and released “Anthology XV” in 2013. In addition, front man and songwriter Ashton Nyte released 3 solo albums, “The Valley”, “Moederland” and “Some Kind Of Satellite”.

“The Carriage” will be available on iTunes and at www.theawakening.com on Halloween, October 31st.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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