Celebrating its 30th year, Audioglobe, the most important distributor in the darkwave scene, just shared a statistical review, revealing the shifts and trends in the darkwave (and related) music genre.

Our readers will surely remember that we have reported on these stats for years, until 2018, the first year that Audioglobe didn’t communicate these stats. Sebastian Koch from Audioglobe explains: “Some customers never really cared that much about these, as they have better things to do than reading boring mails from the undersigned. But… Surprisingly there are quite a high number of customers, that sort of ‘complained’ about the fact, that no stats were being done any longer… The reason is: I was simply always far too busy in past years. Anyway: Here we go with the first new stats since 2017!”

So here are some export facts.

Top 10 Bestselling Labels of 2023 (export)

1. FABRIKA/DEAD SCARLET
   • She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Selofan, Kaelan Mikla, M!R!M, Doric…
2. METROPOLIS
   • Birthday Massacre, Delerium, Front Line Assembly, A Projection, KMFDM, Legendary P.D…
3. ICY COLD/MANIC DEPR.
   • Twin Tribes, Je T’aime, Traitrs, Kill Shelter, Closed Mouth, Talk to Her, Schonwald…
4. ALFA MATRIX
   • Alien Vampires, Front 242, Metroland, Die Robo Sapiens, Elm, 808 Dot Pop, Helalyn Flowers…
5. RUSTBLADE
   • Claudio Simonetti, Ennio Morricone, Lycia Lunch, Spiritual Front, Ketvector, Legendary Pink D…
6. OUT OF LINE
   • Blutengel, Hocico, Solitary Experiments, Suicide Commando, Signal Aout42, Erdling…
7. TRISOL
   • Sopor Aeternus, Rome, Clan of Xymox, Asp, Ostara, Skinflicks, Nachtmahr, Mantus, Soman…
8. DEPENDENT
   • Kirlian Camera, Girls Under Glass, Spectra*Paris, Mildreda, Black Nail Cabaret, Beborn Beton…
9. ARTOFFACT
   • Actors, Noise Unit, cEvin Key, Kaelan Mikla, Ploho, Sacred Skin, Kauan, Ken Mode, Spectres…
10. AUERBACH
    • Spiritual Front, Sol Invictus, Tenhi, Moon and the Night Spirit, Haavard, Hekate, Orplid…

Best Export Territories of 2023

If we look at the Audioglobe stats, we notice that Germany and Greece remain the company’s strongest markets, continuing a trend that has been consistent for ages. However, the 2023 statistics reveal some notable shifts.

Canada, once a prominent market for Audioglobe, has surprisingly disappeared from the export landscape. In contrast, the United States and the United Kingdom have re-emerged as significant territories, marking their return to prominence in the darkwave music scene after several years.

The most unexpected development in 2023 is the rise of Australia as a key market. This growth stands in stark contrast to Switzerland, which, despite its affluence, has seen a sharp decline in sales. Sebastian Koch adds: “The (by far!) lowest sales of all countries where we export to, was to Switzerland… The rich Swiss don’t buy records! Since I left the country (1990), something is wrong back home!”

Here is the top 10 list of export territories:

1. Germany
2. Greece
3. Netherlands
4. Portugal
5. USA
6. United Kingdom
7. Australia
8. Spain
9. Russia
10. Poland

Not in the top 10, but France, Japan, Malta, Brazil, Sweden, Mexico, and Perù are also good export territories for Audioglobe.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Out via Rustblade on November 3rd is the Ketvector album “Emergent Properties” in a limited edition of 300 copies on white vinyl. Ketvector is the brainchild of drummer and producer Justin Bennett (Skinny Puppy, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Banhtier, Askew) and offers a mix of psychedelic electronica, acid jazz, ambient soundtracks, theoretical cosmology and much more.

Accompanying Justin are his long time musical partners Stefano Rossello and Filippo Corradin (Bahntier, Motion Kapture).

The release also comes in a special limited Edition of 99 copies hand-painted box (each copy is unique) by the artist Matilde Giudicelli. This box-edition includes the regular album on exclusive purple marbled vinyl plus the exclusive bonus-CD “Input/Output”, featuring a medley [approx. 25 minutes] of 4 unreleased b-sides. The box also contains a big sized booklet with informations and images about the concept of this album.

Check the first tracks already right 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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Out this Friday is a special steel box version of the Rustblade released tribute album to John Carpenter, “The Way Of Darkness”. This special Halloween release comes in a heavy steel deluxe box limited to just 33 copies only. It contains a special transparent marble orange vinyl, a silver poster of The Thing, Halloween silkscreen poster and a John Carpenter silkscreen poster.

This musical tribute combines some of Carpenter’s best musical atmospheres executed by Claudio Simonetti (Goblin), Leather Strip, Motion Kapture, Ketvector, as well as artists of the new retro wave scene such as Code Elektro, Tibia, Simulakrum Lab, Mythical Vigilante and Keith Mccoy.

Tracks covered include “Halloween”, “Matthew Ghost Story”, “Christine”, “Night”, “Laurie’s Theme”, “Assault On Precinct 13”, “The Fog”, “Chariots Of Pumpkins”, “The Thing” and “1997 Escape From New York”.

About John Carpenter

John Howard Carpenter is an American filmmaker, actor and composer. Although Carpenter has worked with various film genres, he is associated most commonly with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. Carpenter is generally recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre.

Most films of Carpenter’s career were initially commercial and critical failures, with the notable exceptions of “Halloween” (1978), “The Fog” (1980), “Escape from New York” (1981), and “Starman” (1984). However, many of Carpenter’s films from the 1970s and the 1980s have come to be considered as cult classics, and he has been acknowledged as an influential filmmaker.

The cult classics that Carpenter has directed include “Dark Star” (1974), “Assault on Precinct 13” (1976), our absolute favourite “The Thing” (1982), “Christine” (1983), “Big Trouble in Little China” (1986), “Prince of Darkness” (1987), “They Live” (1988), and “In the Mouth of Madness” (1995). He returned to the Halloween franchise as both composer and executive producer for the horror sequel “Halloween” (2018).

Carpenter composed or co-composed most of his films’ music. Carpenter has released four studio albums, titled “Lost Themes” (2015), “Lost Themes II” (2016), “Anthology: Movie Themes 1974–1998” (2017) and “Lost Themes III: Alive After Death” (2021).

Check the below trailer of “The Thing”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Genre/Influences: Cinematographic, Ambient-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Rustblade Records pays tribute to John Carpenter, the legendary film director and composer. “Christine”, “Halloween” and “The Thing” are just some films from his impressive career as film director and composer. Ten artists contributed to this compilation.

Artists: Claudio Simonetti, Leather Strip, Simulacrum Lab, Mythical Vigilante, Ketvector, Code Elektro, Motion Kapture, Keith McCoy.

Content: Some tunes became as popular as the movies and that’s perfectly transposed in the edits by the artists featured at this compilation. Most tracks hold on to the original tune and atmosphere of the composition while some extra –and more personal, elements can be heard on top. This is a modern Soundtrack for horror music.

+ + + : I like the concept and the idea to see varied artists creating their sonic interpretation of legendary tunes like “Christine”, “Halloween”, “Assault On Precinct 13”, “1997 Escape From new York”, “The Thing” ao.  Danish project Code Elektro did a great job on “Assault On Precinct 13”. I especially like the deep bass line running through the song. Another attention grabber is the opening song by Claudio Simonetti reinterpreting “Halloween”. Leather Strip put some extra bombast in “Matthew Ghost Story” while Ketvector’s “Laurie’s Theme” is another noticeable cut.

– – – : This compilation is more for the Carpenter fans and lovers of soundtrack music.

Conclusion: This is a cool homage to one of the true Masters of Horror music/movies.

Best bands: Code Elektro, Leather Strip, Ketvector, Claudio Simonetti.

Rate: 7.

Label: www.rustblade.com / www.facebook.com/rustbladerecords

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 is Black Sabbath’s “Rarities & Demos” deluxe gatefold double vinyl. These 2 LPs contain the first Black Sabbath singles with alternative versions and outtakes.

Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music but are also considered to be the band which recorded the first ever ‘Goth-rock’ record, namely “Black Sabbath” (1970). “Paranoid” (1970), and “Master of Reality” (1971) further shaped their legacy and sound.

The band had multiple line-up changes following Osbourne’s departure in 1979, with Iommi being the only constant member throughout its history.

Track list:

LP 1 – Black Sabbath (s.t.)

1. The Rebel
2. When I come down
3. Black Sabbath
4. The Wizard
5. Evil Woman
6. Early one morning
7. Behind the wall of sleep
8. N.I.B
9. Wicked World

LP 2 – The Last Judgemant

1. Evil Woman
2. Wicked World
3. Black Sabbath
4. Let Me Love You Baby
5. Blue Blooded Man
6. N.I.B. (Alternative Mix)
7. Behind the wall of sleep (outtakes)
8. Warning (pt.1 outtakes)
9. Sleeping Village (intro alternative 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!

side-line.com

I discovered David Christian aka Cervello Elettronico by his official debut-album “Negate The Instigator” released in 2007 on Crunch Pod. The debut of the American producer based in Los Angeles (USA) revealed a visionary approach mixing industrial- together with techno music. Throughout the years the different albums of Cervello Elettronico released on Crunch Pod, Rustblade and HANDS only confirmed the growing talent of this artist. His newest opus “TOP DED CTR” again reveals an industrial-techno fusion, which will made you dance.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: What do you keep in mind from the writing, sources of inspiration and global production process from your new album “TOP DED CTR”?

David: My third full length album on HANDS (“TOP DED CTR”) continues Cervello Elettronico’s minimal-techno path, but progresses with more rhythmic-noise and dark-ambient sounds. I’m very much inspired by primal drums and restrained composition aimed to provoke a dance floor. There are themes, samples, and sound designs that tie “Anima Meccanica”, “Logical Fears”, and “TOP DED CTR” together. The core process has been the same for all of them. I imagine the tracks as a whole in my mind before anything is programed or recorded. They are realized through using software, field and media samples, and some hardware toys I have acquired through the years creating multiple versions until I’m happy with a cohesive concept. Percussion is usually first and the rest follows. I am part of a monthly industrial techno party in Los Angeles called “Distorted Disco” and DJ. This has heavily influenced the sound and purpose of the project in its current state.

Q: After your previous album “Logical Fears” you said it was your best album. So what about “TOP DED CTR” and are there some aspects you tried to improve and maybe others you tried to innovate?

David: Looking back at all three HANDS releases I think I am happy with them each in a different way. I’ve found a comfortable skin since “Anima Meccanica” and have the support of a wonderful label with amazing talent to inspire me. Cervello Elettronico began with progressive compositions, but now minimalism intrigues me. Sound design is vital and this kind of sound requires the producer to immerse themselves in feeling every beat. Technical aspects can always be improved, but I think I have tried to innovate sampling and experimentation in Cervello Elettronico’s sound.

Q: “Logical Fears” was your ‘political’ album so what is “TOP DED CTR” all about and what’s the significance of the cryptic title?

David: “Logical Fears” was politically influenced, but was merely a reflection and not a platform. “TOP DED CTR” is similar, but more indicative of humanity’s current state of peril. It feels like as a whole the world is on a superficial upswing of propelled activity and we are inevitably going to free fall back to bottom dead center. There are so many possible catastrophes that can happen, but I’ve highlighted a few through abstract interpretations. Personally my biggest fear is nuclear fallout from war or negligence.

Q: In which way do the title and eventually concept/main themes of an album influence the writing (considering aspects like sound creation & -treatments, kicks, samplings etc)?

David: Since day one Cervello Elettronico releases started first on paper and then in the studio. I find it easier to write that way instead of free form jam sessions.

Most of the field sampling I layer is relevant to the theme of the song and is mainly just entertaining to me as a composer, but there are times a sound really fits with everything and is completely unrelated. The same with kicks and other percussion. It’s no different from paint choices on a canvas.

Q: As a composer what are your references (considering other artists) and eventually criteria in the writing process to consider your songs/music as accomplished?

David: It’s difficult to completely explain, but there’s a feeling when you know something is complete during the writing stage. On the other hand the technical aspects can be a never ending battle even after the music is released. My references are all the tracks I spin as a DJ or listen to during my free time which I examine in an analytical way (you can’t help not to after being a composer). You never want to outright copy other work, but learn from it and apply techniques to your own sound.

Q: Cervello Elettronico is active for nearly 20 years (!) now so how do you see yourself evolving? Are there some ‘big dreams’ you still want to accomplish and what brings the future?

David: I have lots of plans for the future of this project. This period just happens to coincide with a techno renaissance which hasn’t really gone away, but collided with experimental music in a major way the last decade or so. No sound or style is completely ruled out for the future. My biggest dream is to inspire other artists which will have the most impact on Cervello Elettronico’s relevance. Working in today’s scene I’ve absorbed so much energy in recent years from brilliant local and international artists who in the past might have been dismissed or neglected because of their race, sexual identity, or sexual orientation. This is where industrial music is at today. Where better to hear subversive music than from individuals who’s people have had a history of cultural oppression. I hope someday I can redistribute that energy out to others. That is my dream and what I am trying to do with my music.

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 biggest distributor for the industrial electro scene, Audioglobe, has announced its Top 10 in best selling industrial music labels. The numbers were already out there for the labels to look at it, but here they are also for the regular fans. Note that with 2018, Audioglobe also enters it’s 25th year of existance as the distributor set up shop on 6 December 1993. We will of course have a big extended interview and more with Sebastian Koch regarding this great achievement in a very tough market.

But now the numbers many of you have been waiting for!

The Top 3

First the Top 3. The number 1 label in sales is Trisol which has bands such as Clan of Xymox, Rome, Project Pitchfork, Sopor Aeternus, Nachtmahr, Rotersand, Asp, Mantus etc. under contract. The second label in the list is the Belgian based Alfa Matrix which nurtures the talent of Front 242, Underviewer, Daniel B Prothèse, Metroland, Alien Vampires, Ayria, Leatherstrip, Psy’Aviah, Kant Kino and so many other acts. Note that this label also has a very strong e-shop presence (direct sales are not included in this Top 10 list). The 3rd label is Out Of Line with Blutengel, Combichrist, Hocico, Solar Fake, Heimataerde, Unzucht, Solitary Experiments. Also this label has an own e-shop.

The rest of the Top 10

The 4th label is Fabrika/Dead Scarlet (She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Selofan, Kaelan Mikla, M!R!M, Doric…) followed by ArtOfFact (Legend, Frontline Assembly, Haujobb, Psyche, Noise Unit, Dead When I found her, Pankow…) and Metropolis (Birthday Massacre, Aesthetic Perfection, God Module, Lords of Acid, Skinny Puppy, Delerium…). The 7th place is occupied by Rustblade (Morricone, Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, Leaether Strip, Lydia Lunch, Legendary Pink Dots, Merzbow…). Also Dependent is still in the Top 10, namely on spot 8 with their label roster (Covenant, Mesh, Pride & Fall, Beborn Beton, Seabound, Encephalon, Frontline Assembly, Clicks..). Place 9 and 10 finally are for Manic Depression (Winter Severity Index, Ash Code, Schonwald, Box and the Twins, Sjoblom, Dear Deer…) and Undo (Marsheaux, Girl One and the Grease Guns, Mesh, Fotonovela, OMD, Nikonn, Mikro, Vienna, Liebe…).

And on spot 11 and 12…

2 labels didn’t make the Top 10, namely Hall Of Sermon (Lacrimosa, Snakeskin, Black Moon Secret, Eyes Shut Tight) and Infacted (NamNamBulu, Grendel, Torul, Reaper, Frozen Plasma, Ruined Conflict, Orange Sector, Syntec…). Both labels ended on place 11 and 12.

Here’s the complete list again. The bands next to the label are listed in order of sales results/total turnover per band in 2017 via Audioglobe.

01 TRISOL (Clan of Xymox, Rome, Project Pitchfork, Sopor Aeternus, Nachtmahr, Rotersand, Asp, Mantus…)
02 ALFA MATRIX (Front 242, Underviewer, Daniel B Prothèse, Metroland, Alien Vampires, Ayria, Leatherstrip…)
03 OUT OF LINE (Blutengel, Combichrist, Hocico, Solar Fake, Heimataerde, Unzucht, Solitary Experiments …)
04 FABRIKA/DEAD SCARLET (She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Selofan, Kaelan Mikla, M!R!M, Doric…)
05 ARTOFFACT (Legend, Frontline Assembly, Haujobb, Psyche, Noise Unit, Dead When I found her, Pankow…)
06 METROPOLIS (Birthday Massacre, Aesthetic Perfection, God Module, Lords of Acid, Skinny Puppy, Delerium…)
07 RUSTBLADE (Morricone, Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, Leaether Strip, Lydia Lunch, Legendary Pink Dots, Merzbow…)
08 DEPENDENT (Covenant, Mesh, Pride & Fall, Beborn Beton, Seabound, Encephalon, Frontline Assembly, Clicks..)
09 MANIC DEPRESSION (Winter Severity Index, Ash Code, Schonwald, Box and the Twins, Sjoblom, Dear Deer…)
10 UNDO (Marsheaux, Girl One and the Grease Guns, Mesh, Fotonovela, OMD, Nikonn, Mikro, Vienna, Liebe…)
11 HALL OF SERMON (Lacrimosa, Snakeskin, Black Moon Secret, Eyes Shut Tight)
12 INFACTED (NamNamBulu, Grendel, Torul, Reaper, Frozen Plasma, Ruined Conflict, Orange Sector, Syntec…)

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

Leæther Strip belongs to the collective memory of all EBM fans. After nearly 30 years of existence, multiple hits and referential albums this Danish band set up an driven by Claus Larsen hits already back with a new album entitled “Spæctator”. The new work has been released on Rustblade and appears to be one of the best productions from late Leæther Strip work.

You can order all of his material right here. and a lot of his material can be downloaded right here from Bandcamp (use the code january50432 to get 50% off)

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: After years of commitment and an impressive discography what does the new work “Spæctator” means to you?

Claus: Yeah 2018 will make it 30 years since my first release as Leæther Strip. Releasing a new album has, since my first album, always been a personal landmark for me. I am very blessed to have been able to do this for so long and still have listeners. There is not a day that I don’t feel grateful.

Q: I got the feeling “Spæctator” is a real intimate album because of some recent tragic events you went through. What is it really all about and does music has this kind of magic power to heal wounds?

Claus: Yes, I lost my mother 2 years ago. Some very serious and suppressed events, and thoughts mainly from my childhood and teens, needed to be dealt with. Stuff that I should have handled many years ago, or events where people didn’t believe me. But I guess we all push stuff like that in the background because some things are just too painful. Most of my songs are very personal and kind of a diary of my life and what was going on around me, near and far. Composing songs has been my way of dealing with life events and also an escape from myself and my dark clouds. The best weapon for me against the dark clouds is being creative.

Q: One of my favorite cuts “Luc Van Acker” sounds less intimate, but what’s the story behind this song?

Claus: That song is the album’s ‘fun’ song. Back in ‘91 Leæther Strip opened up for the Revolting Cocks, and all I can say is that is sure wasn’t boring backstage. I cherish that gig so much and it’s one that stands out as one of the most fun gigs I played. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a band having so much fun both backstage and on stage. They were all super nice to us. I got kind permission from Luc and Chris to use that iconic ‘Luuuc Vaaaan Ackerrrrr’ shout from the Cocks’ love album in the song. I will be adding the song to my live set soon so I bet that will be fun.

Q: I already mentioned your impressive discography, but do you see one or more releases, which have been more important than others?

Claus:  For me they are all very special of course, and sure there are some more successful than others, and yes I do know that album like “Solitary Confinement”, “Self Inflicted” and “Legacy Of Hate And Lust” stand out in many of my listeners minds. These albums are still opening doors for me. I learn a lot doing each new song, so for me the old albums have their own life bringing back memories of good or bad times in people’s minds. I know that, because people write to me about what certain songs mean to them personally. I love getting these messages.  It’s what it’s all about. The power of music is so very strong, and it’s my therapy too.

Q: During the past few years you’ve released an impressive number of (mainly digital) cover songs from 80s formations like Simple Minds, Front 242, Skinny Puppy, Talk Talk, Yazoo, Depeche Mode ao. What do these covers mean to you and what do you precisely try to inject in a cover version?

Claus: Doing cover version of my favorite songs is kind of my hobby, and also a way to train my skills as a musician. I’ve done it for many years. I am a self taught musician and I do it all by ear, so diving into someone else’s song is good training and very inspiring. I mostly only cover songs that has had a special meaning for me and I am not trying to make the original better, as some think, I do it all with love and respect and I hope it might spark some new life into the songs and maybe make some new listeners check the original band out, in case they haven’t discovered them yet.

My cover album “Æppreciation”, which I released on Emmo.biz Records and on my Bandcamp site a few years ago is one of my most successful albums to date. Love doing them, so that won’t stop.

Q: I also noticed several songs composed for your husband Kurt. How is he doing and what’s the importance of your beloved –especially in your artistic activities?

Claus: Yes, his medicine costs are sky high and we’re struggling to make it work financially, so instead of doing a ‘go fund me’ or something like that to help him. I wrote some songs so people could support him, and us that way. All income from Bandcamp sales goes directly to his medicine account. People have been so very kind and many have been very supportive. We are still waiting for a kidney transplant, from me to him, but the doctors still do not want to do it. This sadly also means that Kurt can’t perform with me outside the EU, because he can’t get travel health insurance. It’s very hard for us, but it would be too risky to travel without insurance sadly.

It’s hard for us both being apart in this situation, but I need to make a living supporting us both. Right now he is stable, but that can change very fast, but we live one day at a time, with our heads held high. We got a live full of love and people who care about us all over the world. As long as we get each other and our friends support, nothing can beat us.

Q: What are the further plans for some of your side-projects like Am Tierpark, Klutæ and the (digital) label Body Music Records.?

Claus: I’ll soon starting to work on a new Klutæ album. It’s going to be a ‘back to the roots’-album, heavy and aggressive. That’s the plan.

With Am Tierpark, John and I just released a new EP titled “Cherry Blossom” on limited edition vinyl and digital. The next Am Tierpark is also composed and ready, so we are hoping it will be out soon too. We also hope to get some concert jobs with Am Tierpark during new year. We have had so much positive response so it’s time we take it to the stage.

With Body Music Records we have lots of exciting releases out and more to come in the next months.

As for Leæther Strip, the songs for the next album has also been composed and the tour will soon continue with shows in Madrid, Poland, Mexico, Germany, USA and many more booked. And in planning. So 2017 is going to be a busy year too. 2016 has been the best concert year for Leæther Strip ever, playing all over the world has been yet another dream come true. Thanks to my supporters I am still living my teenage dream still after almost 30 years.

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

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro, EBM, dark body-pop.

Background/Info: Claus Larsen is back on track unleashing his newest full length and the first album released on Rustblade. Leæther Strip remains one of the absolute leading 90s EBM formations, but remains very hot since his comeback in 2006. “Spæctator” has been introduced as a very special album, which took 2-3 years to achieve and meant as a mental exorcise after the loss of Claus’ mother and severe health problems of his husband.

Content: “Spæctator” reveals 10 new songs plus 2 remixes. The opening song reveals a typical EBM bass line, which reminds me a bit to Front 242, but rapidly moves into the typical Leæther Strip sound formula. The sound remains carried by hard, danceable kicks and these typical dark and bombastic bass lines. All Leæther Strip albums since the comeback of the band don’t feature the aggressive taste of the Zoth Ommog years although it remains a dark and exciting experience in sound. It’s quite similar for the vocals, which are no longer enraged, but definitely charismatic and spooky-like.

You’ll notice some songs with a kind of melodic and even dark-pop flavor on top while other passages are pure vintage-like. Claus Larsen also knows the right formula to compose carrying choruses, which remains an essential element in his work.

You’ll also feel some drama running through the work, which finally ends with a crazy song entitled “Luc Van Acker” featuring explicit samplings.

Next to the regular edition of this new opus there also is a box featuring a vinyl, an extra disc entitled “Yes I’m Limited VIII” plus the regular CD with 2 extra remixes by Retrogramme and Digital Anodyne.

+ + + : What I’ve always liked in Leæther Strip is the very own and recognizable sound-DNA created by Claus Larsen. You directly recognize the bass lines and the kicks while there also is this kind of unique arrangements on top plus Larsen’s very unique timbre of voice.

“Spæctator” sounds like a successful return revealing an elaborate album mixing different dark electro elements. There are a few potential hits featured, but I’ve a little preference for “Luc Van Acker” and the dirty samplings running through the song.

– – – : I can’t say that Leæther Strip innovates, but just holds on a successful sound formula that has been improved all over the years. Both remixes don’t exactly add a bonus to the album.

Conclusion: Claus Larsen is an EBM veteran who hasn’t lost his initial magic. The work became less aggressive and in a way somewhat inspired by 80s pops elements, but it still has this irresistible power to make people dance!

Best songs: “Luc Van Acker”, “Same Old Shit”, “So Beautiful”, “Obligate”, “Victorious”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.leaether–strip.com / www.facebook.com/LeaetherStrip

Label: www.rustblade.com / www.facebook.com/rustbladerecords

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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