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

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

Scooter is in Ukrainian trouble now that the Kyiv-based Crimean Department of the Prosecutor’s Office opened a criminal investigation against all three participants of the German electronic band Scooter for illegal border crossing and entering the Russian-occupied Crimea without Ukrainian authorities’ permission. If found guilty musicians could face up to eight years in prison under the Ukrainian law. Scooter took part in the music festival ZBest held in the town of Balaklava and .

Scooter lead singer H.P Baxxter told he was surprised his arrival caused an international scandal: “We are not going to Crimea to engage in politics there, but because we have a fan base there. We want to give them something.” On his official Instagram account Baxter posted a photo from his August 5 concert in Crimea with the caption: “Thank you Crimea! Amazing crowd!”

One thing is clear, Scooter will now be banned from entering the territory and they can forget about performing ever again in Ukraine.

Here’s the original post on Instagram.

Thank you crimea, amazing crowd!

A post shared by H.P. Baxxter (@hpbaxxterofficial) on Aug 5, 2017 at 5:30am PDT

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: Industrial-body-music, industrial new-beat, EBM.

Background/Info: Vasi Vallis became a praised and recognition musicians as a member of Frozen Plasma and NamNamBulu. He started Reaper in 2005 as a kind of ‘industrial’ answer to his electro-pop music. The debut album “Hell Starts With An H” became an instant sonic hit, but the past few years we didn’t hear any new work by Reaper. But last year Reaper struck back with a new EP entitled “Der Schnitter” and here’s finally the long-awaited new album.

Content: Vasi Vallis seems to have exorcised his most hidden and evil sonic fantasies. “Babylon Killed The Music” is a varied composition moving from dark-electronics into industrial-techno to next experiment with pure trance leads. And the crazy sonic ride is only at the beginning. Reaper also deals with dance and acid influences while even getting back to new-beat elements.

The work sometimes sounds pretty dance-like, but later on totally minimal and hard EBM to finally reach a rather relaxing and evasive style.

+ + + : Reaper merges an impressive arsenal of influences with each other. Whatever the ingredients are, Vasi Vallis has the skills to transpose it into heavy dark dance vibes. The sound treatments remain one of his greatest talents. Every single song is accomplished with a true passion to create blasting sound vibes. But I don’t know of many underground artists who on the same work can mix new-beat and pure dance/trance influences together with harder industrial elements. Reaper sounds like the offspring between Scooter, Front 242 and Adam X. This album features many potential hits.

– – – : There maybe are one or two songs, which don’t totally work, but globally speaking this album has no real major minus points. I however can imagine that some narrow-minded underground lovers will find this work too versatile and mainly experimenting with music styles they can’t link with ‘dark’ music.

Conclusion: You can really feel Reaper is simply fun project for Vasi Vallis, but the results sound like a supreme new opus, which will be without a shadow of a doubt become one of the best albums of the year. This artist is a sound wizard belonging to a real restricted number of artists like Jan Loamfield and Seb Komor.

Best songs: “We Are Reaper”, “Sechzehn Punkte Plan”, “Neophyte”, “Farewell”, “The Sound Of IDS”, “Sledgehammer”.

Rate: (9).

Band: www.facebook.com/pg/reaperelectro

Label: www.infacted–recordings.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Infacted–Recordings/124099254321690

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