Sacramento, CA-based act Genre Peak, the brainchild of musician Martin Birke, has announced the release of its 6th album titled “Gnosis”. Scheduled for release on January 30th, 2024 will offer a journey through dark, cinematic soundscapes. The album is the follow-up to “Psychopathy” (2022).

Birke has crafted eight tracks that explore the expansive theme of knowledge and its acquisition. “Gnosis” features a collaboration with guest composers such as Richard Barbieri of Japan and Porcupine Tree fame, Stephen Sullivan from Nus, and Daniel Panasenko from Sandbox Trio.

Produced by Christopher Scott Cooper for In Code Music, “Gnosis” will be available both as a CD and in digital formats. The release should be available soon from the Genre Peak Bandcamp page.

Martin Birke’s project Genre Peak has been a platform for numerous guest musicians, including Mick Karn, Jon Hassell, Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri, Matt Malley, Dean Garcia, and others. The project debuted in 2006 with the album “Ends Of The Earth”. And you will probably also know him from Casualty Park whose debut “Clutch” EP opened many doors.

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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Set for release on 5th May through Seattle-based label Coitus Interruptus Productions, the Japan tribute album “Still Life in Polaroids” pays homage to the influential band.

Over a period of four years and five albums, David Sylvian (vocals), Steve Jansen (drums), Richard Barbieri (keyboards), Mick Karn (saxophone/bass), and Rob Dean (guitars) explored a diverse range of sounds that went on to shape numerous New Romantic and New Wave bands that followed in their footsteps.

“Still Life in Polaroids” will be available as a Pay-What-You-Want release, featuring an array of bands and tracks.

1. White Rose Transmission – “Transmission”
2. The Essence – “Quiet Life”
3. Dogtablet (feat. Marselle Hodges) – “Despair”
4. C Z A R I N A – “Halloween”
5. Blackcarburning – “The Other Side of Life”
6. G.W. Childs IV – “Gentlemen Take Polaroids”
7. Pedro Code & Herr G – “Methods of Dance”
8. The Blue Hour – “Nightporter”
9. Melodywhore – “Ghosts”
10. CODENAME:LOLA – “Canton”
11. Tom Berger (Johnny Tupolev) – “Visions of China”
12. Tenderlash – “Life In Tokyo”
13. Krate – “Oil on Canvas”
14. Ashes of Youth – “His Box”
15. Pieter Nooten & Marselle Hodges – “Let The Happiness In”
16. Pete Burns (Kill Shelter) – “Waterfront”
17. Vaselyne – “Riverman”
18. AttasalinA – “Blackwater”
19. Tearing The Blackbox (feat. Yvette Winkler) – “Back In The Beginning”
20. Stefano Panunzi & Nicola Lori (feat. Yvette Winkler) – “Damage”
21. Michael Alan Giller – “Closer Than ‘I’
22. David Scott Keller – “God Man”
23. Unwoman – “Darkest Dreaming”
24. Dreamscape Invocation – “World Citizen (I won’t be disappointed)”

Japan were an English new wave band formed in 1974 in Catford, South London by David Sylvian (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steve Jansen (drums) and Mick Karn (bass guitar), joined by Richard Barbieri (keyboards) and Rob Dean (lead guitar) the following year. Initially a glam rock-inspired band, Japan developed their sound and androgynous look to incorporate electronic music and foreign influences.

The band split in December 1982 having released 5 albums and just as they were beginning to experience commercial success in the UK and abroad. Its members went on to pursue other musical projects, though they reformed briefly in the early 1990s under the name Rain Tree Crow, releasing an album in 1991.

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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Sacramento, CA based musician Martin Birke from the Genre Peak project informs us that 6 years after the “Your Sleekest Engine” album, Genre Peak has recorded an all new album called “Psychopathy”. The record is out on CD and Digital from the band’s own label In Code Music. For this new album Birke collaborated with producer and co-writer Aaron Kinney.

Right you can download it on Bandcamp or order it on CD, with all other platforms following later in the month.

Martin Birke is an electronic percussionist and composer of electronic/experimental and ambient music, residing in Sacramento, CA. And you will probably also know him from that other project Casualty Park whose debut “Clutch” EP opened many doors. Over the years the Genre Peak project has seen a lot of guest musicians involved in the recordings like Mick Karn, Jon Hassell, Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri, Matt Malley, Dean Garcia and many more. The project debuted in 2006 with the album “Ends Of The Earth”.

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: Electro-ambient, cinematographic, IDM.

Background/Info: Martin Birke, better known under the Genre Peak moniker is back on track unleashing a new full length. The previous EP “Fix Me Deeper” was an exciting exploration into sophisticated electro fields so I was really wondering what the new album would sound like. The main particularity of the work is the contribution of some several –and some famous, guest artists. Musicians like Steve Jansen (Japan), Jon Hassell (Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno), Richard Barbieri (Japan, Porcupine Tree), Matt Malley (Counting Crows) and singers like Lesley Braden (Fast Arrow) and Charlie Woodward are rather good company to accomplish an album.

Content: Genre Peak is always on a new sonic voyage and you never know what kind of influences he will explore. The new work is a new exploration and I dare to say a sonic exorcism of diverse ideas.

The opening tracks are more into cinematographic passages leading the listener to discover psychedelic guitar parts and evasive atmospheres. The work moves from trip-hop rhythms towards IDM treatments. The songs are diversified as the vocals.

“Fix Me Deeper” remains a brilliant and mysterious song carried by the Arabian chants. Genre Peak now visits pure electro-ambient fields, which are intelligent and complex. You’ll also notice a flavor of dub music and new electro-ambient creations revealing impressive sound treatments.

+ + + : Diversity for sure is the keyword of this work, but it also is one of the main strengths. Genre Peak experiments with multiple influences, but the more electro-ambient and few IDM tracks are the most accomplished ones. “Fix Me Deeper” plus the “Richard Barbieri Mix” both remain the most noticeable and intriguing songs. The contribution of all the famous guests will for sure bring this album into the spotlights.

– – – : Diversity also is the little minus point as I personally prefer the more sophisticated and intelligent electronic cuts of Genre Peak. If you already know the EP “Fix Me Deeper” you already know the best cuts of this album. It could have been more interesting adding a new (re)mix of this great song.

Conclusion: Genre Peak is a kind of sonic chameleon, which can transform its sound into multiple exposures. This is a versatile album revealing several noticeable cuts.

Best songs: Fix Me Deeper”, “Fix Me Deeper – Richard Barbieri Mix”, “Metanoia”, “American Civil Rage”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www.genrepeak.net / www.facebook.com/GenrePeak

Label: www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk / www.facebook.com/Gonzo–Multimedia-304756449589666

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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Recoil and Japan fans, this is something for you. Electronic music act Genre Peak (who recently was featured in our industrial music Spotify playlist with the track “Portal Groove”) has collaborated with a variety of musicians for the new album “Your Sleekest Engine”. Genre Peak’s Martin Birke (formerly active with the electropop act Casualty Park) worked with a huge list of people including Steve Jansen (Japan/David Sylvian), Jon Hassell (Brian Eno/Peter Gabriel), Richard Barbieri (Japan/Porcupine Tree), Matt Malley (Counting Crows) next to Lesley Braden (Fast Arrow), Charlie Woodward (Falco/Strinx), Palestinian artist Manal Deeb and the late Mick Karn (Japan/Dalis Car/David Torn).

The release was co-produced by Christopher Scott Cooper and Martin Birke for In Code Music (Publishing) over a period of 3 years. The album will be released on Gonzo Multimedia UK on March 4, 2016 and is the follow-up to the ambient album “9 Microspheres”, released in 2013.

Here’s how the new album started to take shape: “I wanted to get back to where I could collaborate with singers and players. I approached Steve Jansen to remix a track off “Preternatural” I did with the late Mick Karn, Steve agreed but did much more than a remix, he composed a whole new original song which blew me away. I had Lesley Braden of the Seattle band Fast Arrow write & sing over it and I think it’s dark and glorious much like most of the songs I write. I then contacted Jon Hassell who has been a huge influence and is the reason I’m an electronic-percussionist, and we came up with the instrumental “Metanoia”. I started writing more songs with singer Charlie Woodward who sounds a bit like Jon Anderson of Yes to me (another favorite band) and we just clicked – thanks to Edo Castro (Pat Metheny Band) for introducing us.”

Rob Ayling of Gonzo Multimedia introduced Martin to Matt Malley of the Counting Crows and he delivered the bass on “God Fearing Men” and “American Civil Rage”. Award winning poet Michael Spring spoke his poem “First Born of the New Millennium” Martin wrote the music for that one, and Richard Barbieri did a remix of “Fix Me Deeper”.

Speaking of “Fix Me Deeper”, it’s not the first time that Birke has collaborated with Manal Deeb. Last summer Martin also recorded a track with the Palestinian-American multi-media artist for the Arabesque song “Fix Me Deeper”, which you can hear below.

Birke modelled Genre Peak after Alan Wilder’s Recoil and Massive Attack: “I find this the most exciting way to work, it’s always different and working with artists you grew up listening to is quite rewarding for me. I like to call Genre Peak’s music ‘electronica-organica’ as I use electronics with a warm live cinematic sound.”

This is what our Side-Line reviewer said about the project a while back: “Genre Peak realised a quite diversified piece of music, mixing different vocal, ambient and rhythm elements. There also is a real will and attention to distill great sound treatments. This is modern music covering a wide range of influences.”

You can order the “Your Sleekest Engine” CD right here on Amazon.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: IDM, cinematographic.

Content: I already had the opportunity to discover previous work of Genre Peak, but this newest opus is without a shadow of a doubt the one that I’ll keep in mind. Behind this American band is operating Martin Birke. He’s used to work with guest musicians and mainly singers. He now joined hands with Manal Deeb who’s a Palestinian American artist who has exposed his artwork all over the world.

“Fix Me Deeper” is inspired on an original artwork of Deeb, which is the front cover of this EP. Genre Peak composes a slow tempo driven sound with some epic and drama-like sound creation, which is pretty cinematographic-minded. The half spoken-like lyrics have been sung by Martin Birke and create a delicious match with the female, Arabian chants of Manal Deeb.

There also is a remix by Richard Barbieri, which is a fascinating trip through mysterious astral atmospheres carried by bombastic rhythms. This mix is pretty dark and a bit like a raw and unpolished version of a Massive Attack-song.

Both songs left are brilliant pieces as well. Birke seems to unleash his most sophisticated writing getting into pure IDM. I really love the sound sculptures and global production, which is brilliant.

“Portal Groove” is a great piece in the genre while “Egg’s First flight” is a little more into danceable vibes. The only regret I have about both songs is that they are a little bit too short and that’s especially because they are great pieces of intelligent electronic music.

Conclusion: Genre Peak took me by surprise revealing a highly creative and poignant work, which mixes elements of IDM, ambient electronics and cinematographic music.

Best songs: “Portal Groove”, “Fix Me Deeper featuring Manal Deeb”, “Fix Me Deeper – Richard Barbieri Mix”.

Rate: (DP:9)DP.

Band: www.genrepeak.net / www.facebook.com/GenrePeak

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