(Photo via Magnum) Siouxsie Sioux and Iggy Pop have joined forces for a new advertisement for Magnum ice cream. The duo performs a duet of Iggy Pop’s iconic 1977 track, “The Passenger”, specially arranged for Magnum’s “Pleasure Express” campaign.

The arrangement was executed by composer Sarah deCourcy and transforms the classic into an ethereal track, featuring a slower pace on a backdrop of harps and strings. Both Pop and Sioux alternate vocals, building up to a joint performance of the song’s “La la la la” chorus.

Siouxsie Sioux seems to be quite happy with the collaboration, stating, “I love this song, and I’ve always admired Iggy’s voice. It’s truly magical to blend our voices in such an instinctive and spontaneous way.” Iggy Pop reciprocated, referencing Siouxsie and the Banshees’ 1987 cover of “The Passenger”. He says: “Siouxsie’s vocal prowess is truly bird-like. Her previous rendition was already exceptional, and this duet elevates it to something truly unique—like ‘Volare,’ it soars with an orchestral elegance and joyful spirit.”

While the track isn’t available on streaming platforms, fans can check out the “Pleasure Express” campaign through two versions of the advertisement currently available on YouTube. Below we offer you the extended version. In the advertisement itself the “Pleasure Express” campaign introduces Magnum’s new Euphoria and Chill lines (in case you’d be interested), showcased by two women enjoying these new flavors during a luxurious train journey setting.

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 UK mourns the loss of Brian Griffin, a trailblazing British photographer who passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 29, 2024, at the age of 75. Born on April 13, 1948, Griffin carved a niche in photography with his distinctive portraits of 1980s pop musicians, earning him the title of “photographer of the decade” from The Guardian in 1989. His influential work now graces the permanent collections of esteemed institutions like the Arts Council, British Council, Victoria and Albert Museum, and National Portrait Gallery in London.

Griffin’s lens captured iconic images of music legends including Siouxsie Sioux, Kate Bush, Depeche Mode, Ultravox, R.E.M., Billy Idol, Iggy Pop, Ringo Starr, Queen, and Peter Gabriel. His collaboration with Depeche Mode notably shaped their visual identity in the early 1980s. He created compelling record covers that captivated audiences even before they listened to the music.

One of his most celebrated works is a record cover for Depeche Mode’s “A Broken Frame”, which, at the decisive moment, he captured with precision. This iconic photo was later acclaimed as the best photo of the 1980s by LIFE magazine. Griffin also ventured into video production, directing the mystical music video for Depeche Mode’s “Only When I Lose Myself”. His artistic contributions were recently compiled in the Depeche Mode book “Mode”.

Our readers will particularly remember Griffin for his significant impact on Depeche Mode’s image and style. Last year, we had the privilege of interviewing Brian Griffin, where he shared insights into his illustrious 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.

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Former The Cure member Lol Tolhurst, former Siouxsie & The Banshees drummer Budgie, and producer Jacknife Lee have teamed up to create their debut album, “Los Angeles.” This 13-track masterpiece is out now through PIAS.

The trio describes the record as “a hard-hitting and compulsively exploratory 55-minute electronic mindscrew, founded on unrivalled rhythmic expertise, fleshed out with an armoury of synths, guitars (Jacknife’s forte) and supplementary percussion, often overlaid with elite-class strings and brass, then universally twisted, manipulated and quite masterfully sculpted by Lee, with his super-producer’s hat on.”

Joining forces with these music veterans are such artists as LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie, U2’s The Edge, IDLES’ Mark Bowen, Lonnie Holley, Mary Lattimore, Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock, and Pan Amsterdam.

The debut single, “Los Angeles”, features James Murphy’s lead vocals. The single comes accompanied by a music video, directed by John Liwag.

The tracklist for the album is the following.

1. This Is What It Is (To Be Free) (with Bobby Gillespie)
2. Los Angeles (with James Murphy)
3. Uh Oh (with Arrow de Wilde and Mark Bowen)
4. Ghosted at Home (with Bobby Gillespie)
5. Train With No Station (with The Edge)
6. Bodies (with Lonnie Holley and Mary Lattimore)
7. Everything and Nothing
8. Travel Channel (with Pan Amsterdam)
9. Country of the Blind (with Bobby Gillespie)
10. The Past (Being Eaten)
11. We Got To Move (with Isaac Brock)
12. Noche Oscura (with The Edge)
13. Skins (with James Murphy)

In related news, Lol Tolhurst, co-founder of The Cure, is to release a new book titled “Goth: A History” on September 23rd. The book is a historical account of the genre and culture of goth music, building upon his first memoir, “Cured”.

In it Tolhurst identifies key players in the establishment of the genre, referring to them as the “Architects of Darkness”. This group includes Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, and The Cure. He further discusses a group of bands he labels as the “Spiritual Alchemists”, which includes Depeche Mode and Cocteau Twins, indicating their role in extending the reach of goth culture. The book also tracks the genre’s expansion from England to New York, Los Angeles, and other locations.

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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This year saw the comeback – after a near decade absence – of goth rock/post-punk icon Siouxsie Sioux. Commemorating the occasion was the release of a brand-new tribute album, “Spellbound – A Tribute To Siouxsie & The Banshees”.

Also included was a cover by a former member of Siouxsie’s band, Jon Klein, who teamed up with veteran post-punker Jah Wobble on a version of “Monitor”. That track was originally released on the classic album “Juju” (1981).

Klein and Wobble’s version also includes Asian influences courtesy of Chinese harpist and the track’s vocalist Yijia Tu.

Klein, reflecting on his many performances of the song as a Banshees, adds “‘Monitor’ was always one of my favourite songs to play. On tour, we would sometimes ask the road crew to vote for which song should be the show’s encore. The crew (AKA the Road Filth) would always vote for ‘Monitor’.”

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 UK/Canadian/American group Tantrum Zentrum presents their latest single, “Don’t Be A Fascist,” along with a new video featuring animation, lyrics, and glimpses of despots like Mussolini and Vladimir Putin. The single is now available through Teknostan Records.

The band consists of Vaat Dafuq (vocals, guitar), Sabine de Rousseau (guitar, vocals), Valhalla Schimmer (bass guitar), and Kur Putchnik (drums).

“‘Don’t Be A Fascist’ is a love story set during wartime. Inspired by the 80s Yugoslavian pop hit ‘Fa Fa Fašista’ (performed by Sarajevo’s Plavi Orkestar), the song tells a timeless tale: boy meets girl, they fall in love, but then their country becomes occupied by the German forces of the Third Reich, and the girl falls for a tall, handsome enemy soldier in a splendid uniform. Needless to say, the boy is furious!” explains Vaat Dafuq.

And he adds: “We chose a grandiose title that may strike a chord with many, even today. The release is accompanied by a light-hearted ‘explainer’ video that shouldn’t be taken too seriously.”

Tantrum Zentrum creates high-energy post-punk infused with funk, goth, and krautrock influences. Based in London, their music draws inspiration from early 70s krautrock and late 70s New York no-wave bands. This single is the second in a series of songs recorded with producer Steve Evans (Robert Plant, Siouxsie Sioux, Goldfrapp). Their previously released single, ‘Der Leiermann,’ is performed in German. While the new single is in English, it includes a few Bosnian and corrupted German words for emphasis.

Here’s the video.

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: Cold-wave, post-punk.  

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Hailing from Helsinki (Finland) Masquerade has been active since 2012. A debut album (cf. “Ritual”) has been released in 2016 on Danse Macabre. They also released a few EP’s and finally unleashed their self-released next full length “Where Nobody Can Hear You Scream” in 2018. Later on the opus was released on CD by the Russian label Sierpien Records (2019) while Young And Cold Records this year released a new CD edit plus vinyl format.

Content: Masquerade composes a powerful mix of post-punk and cold-wave music. The songs are dominated by impressive guitar parts and the passionate –and sometimes enraged vocals of the female singer Suzi Sabotage. Her way of singing makes me think of the offspring between Siouxsie Sioux and Anne-Marie Hurst (The Skeletal Family). The work is also featuring dynamic drums and the rather typical low, vibrating bass lines. The tracks are rather short, but always powerful. There’s no break on this album, but just merciless, dark power!

+ + + : I really like this work for its power and rage. It’s the perfect fusion between post-punk and cold-wave, but first of all a great ode to the true spirit of 80s music. The guitar play is absolutely phenomenal and also reminds me of The Skeletal Family. Just pay attention to “Hallucinating”, which is a true masterpiece. This album sounds rough, but it’s a remarkable homage to the legendary 80s decade. The songs stand for passion and rage, for darkness and punch!

– – – : The only negative point –but is it really negative? I can imagine that originality is far to find. But does a band have to be original when composing this kind of music?

Conclusion: If you don’t know yet Masquerade, this album is an absolute revelation!We’re getting back to the darkest hours of post-punk, “Where Nobody Can Hear You Scream” being a little treasure.

Best songs: “Hallucinating”, “Faraway Lands”, “Too Depressed To Dance”, “Russian Roulette”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: https://masquerade.fi / www.facebook.com/masqueradepunk

Label: https://youngandcold.de /

www.facebook.com/youngandcoldrecords

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: Electro-pop, wave-pop, minimal-electro.

Format: Digital, vinyl.

Background/Info: We all know Henric de la Cour, but this project is the Swedish artist’s wife Tess de la Cour. “Cravings” is her debut work, which can’t be totally considered as a solo-work as most of the songs have been written together with producer Richard Lindh. Henric de la Cour contributed to the lyrical content of a few songs.

Content: I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this project, which sounds like a sonic offspring between different genres. There however is a solid retro-touch reminding some 80s productions, but especially Tess’ timbre of voice reminds me of the bewitching singing of Siouxsie Sioux. Sound-wise the album reveals a few cool minimal electro cuts while others are more into the darker dark-wave tunes from the 80s. One of the essential cuts is “Lights Out” for featuring Henric de la Cour singing together with Tess.

+ + + : The work is filled with 80s nostalgia with a very personal touch on top. I’m not saying that you can easily recognize the magic touch of Henric de la Cour, but you can feel his presence. The album is a dark, but subtle artistic testimony of Tess’ sonic ideas mixed with the beauty and magic of her vocals. She has a great timbre of voice, which is perfectly matching with the sound. The duo with her husband on “Lights Out” is a great performance and a sublime song.

– – – :  I don’t see real minus points; this is a great production.

Conclusion: This is more than simply a great debut work and I can only encourage Memoria to move on! What a good surprise!

Best songs: “Lights Out”, “Bound”, “Forever”, “Maskrosbarn”, “Splinter”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/memoriasthlm 

Label: www.novoton.se / www.facebook.com/Novoton

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: Electro-pop, experimental.

Background/Info: The French-Caribbean artist Valerie Renay is based in Berlin. She’s mainly known as one of the members from Noblesse Oblige. This debut solo-work seems to have exorcised private demons and has been introduced by Valerie as ‘the desire to explore my own limits and share intimate sensations’.

Content: The work is different with Noblesse Oblige, but the fans of the band will of course recognize the artist. Her work is characterized by slow rhythms, wafting electronics joined by guitar and Valerie’s sensual timbre of voice. But I have to say that the darkest passages of the album she sometimes remind me to Siouxsie Sioux. Most of the songs are sung in English, but there are  also French lyrical parts.

+ + + : I especially like the sensuality running through this work, which has something wafting and elevating. The songs also reveal a delicate writing, which especially comes through at “Sailor”. In a somewhat harder genre I recommend “Rough & Ready”

– – – : The last song of the album is not my favorite and even creates a kind of anti-climax. The absolute climax is however missing at this album.

Conclusion: I can’t say I totally enjoyed this debut work although Valerie Renay released a very personal, intimate and interesting work featuring a few noticeable and refined songs.

Best songs: “Sailor”, “Rough & Ready”, “Hollow”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/FemmeFacade

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: Industrial trip-hop, experimental.

Background/Info: Deer is a Mexican male-female duo based in Hong Kong. “Portraits” is the debut-EP featuring 4 songs. The title reflects imaginary stories inspired by the artists’ stay in Hong Kong.

Content: “Portraits” is a weird, but interesting mix between different influences. The songs merge rock-wave together with industrial sound treatments and bombastic trip-hop rhythms. The songs feature female vocal parts.

+ + + : I like Adriana Falcón’s timbre of voice, which sometimes reminds me a bit to the magic of Siouxsie Sioux. She brings something passionate to the production. The vocals are matching with the somewhat raw and industrial-inspired production. I like the mix between the different influences, revealing certain creativity of this duo. I already mentioned most of their influences, but I also like the more psychedelic touch running through the opening cut.

– – – : I regret this EP only features 4 songs so I’m really looking forward to hear more Deer –and hopefully an album. The only single, but important element thing is that this EP is missing a ‘hit’.

Conclusion: “Portraits” is mixing a rough and dirty sound inspired by different music styles together with passionate vocals and sensual beats.

Best songs: “Alive”, “Wild Eyes”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.deermx.com / www.facebook.com/Deer.Mx

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: Goth-rock, death-rock.

Background/Info: Dario Passamonti (music & arrangements) and Rosetta Garrì (lyrics, arrangements & percussions) are now already active for a couple of years under the Spiritual Bat moniker. They awoke my fascination with ftheir latest albums “Cruel Machine” and “Mosaic” so I was eagerly awaiting this new opus.

Content: The sound and influences haven’t changed, but there’s no real reason to change a successful sound formula. The songs have been carried by a raw, gothic expression while the bewitching and icy vocals of Rosetta are once again filling the work with coldness. Her timbre of voice always reminds me of Siouxsie Sioux, but it’s even colder and enigmatic.

+ + + : The Spiritual Bat without the vocals of Rosetta Garrì would definitely be different. This woman makes the splendor of the band injecting mystery and constant intrigue. The vocals also bring the passion to the album. But at the other side a good vocalist is also pretty abandoned without great music. The Spiritual Bat is not reinventing gothic music, but the power and darkness of the sound is cool and accomplished. Music and vocals together create a great sonic osmosis resulting in a few magical songs.

– – – : While previous work always took me by surprise, this album is a bit more predictable. The sound formula remains efficient, but it’s the kind of experience appealing for some extra elements on further work.

Conclusion: The Spiritual Bat is not exactly the most familiar and recognized band from the gothic scene, but they still get my entire support for being a band you directly recognize and that’s what makes the difference with other formations.

Best songs: “Intimacy”, “Killing”, “Your Own World”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.facebook.com/thespiritualbat.band.page

Label: www.dansemacabre–group.de / www.facebook.com/dansemacabrerec

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: Cold-wave, new-wave.

Background/Info: Velvet Kills is a Portuguese duo consisting of Susana Santos and Harris Iveson. They previously released an EP and are now unleashing their debut full length, which has been released on three labels (Unknown Pleasures Records, Oráculo Records and Black Verb Records.

Content: I first of all noticed the deep timbre of voice of Susana Santos, which sometimes reminds me of Siouxsie Sioux. Sound-wise Velvet Kills brings the 80s back to life. It sounds cold-wave like bringing back bands such as The Sisters Of Mercy, Siouxsie & The Banshees and Joy Division. It’s not that of a coincidence they covered the song “Shadowplay” from Joy Division.

The guitar playing is a quite important, but I also noticed elaborated percussion parts and cool electronic arrangements.

+ + + : “Mischievous Urges” clearly found its inspiration in the new/cold-wave music, but added a very own touch. Most of the songs evoke pioneers in the new-wave genre, but there’s this little extra touch on top mixed with charismatic, cold & sensual and intriguing vocals. I like the guitar playing and the electronic treatments (especially on “Eyes Of The Snake” and “Yellow And Purple”). There’re several attention grabbers featured on this work, which ends a great way.

– – – : One of the few cuts that couldn’t totally convince me is the cover version of Joy Division. It however is a song that will probably please the fans during live performances.

Conclusion: Velvet Kills sounds like a hot new comer at the wider fields of cold-wave music. They’ve accomplished a real interesting debut work, which I fully recommend to discover.

Best songs: “Eyes Of The Snake”, “Stoner Maniac”, “Yellow And Purple”, “Faster Speed Faster”, “Scorpio”, “Fill Me Out”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.velvetkills.com / www.facebook.com/velvetkills

Label: www.unknown–pleasures–records.com /  www.facebook.com/Unknown–Pleasures–Records-566180440115465

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: Gothic, electronic.

Background/Info: Bestial Mouths is a formation driven by the charismatic female singer Lynette Cerezo assisted by Christopher Myrick and Gustavo Aldena. The band previously released two albums plus one live opus and one remix album on vinyl format. The band joined hands with Cleopatra Records and unleashed the “Heartless”-album at the end of last year.

Content: The main characteristic of Bestial Mouths is the bewitching timbre of voice of Lynette Cerezo reminds me of Siouxsie Sioux. It injects a gothic flavor on top of the work, which is entire electro-like. The songs have been accomplished with dark and tortured sound atmospheres, where the voice sometimes becomes a bit ritual-like.

Sound-wise this work is driven by bombastic drum sections sometimes joined by epic arrangements. The electro style is now and then a bit retro-like. One of the most surprising cuts is without a shadow of a doubt the cover version of The Human League’s, “Being Boiled”, which was transformed into a totally new and obscure format.

+ + + : “Heartless” is an original opus for the mix of typically gothic-like female vocals and cold electronics. The songs are carried by heavy, bombastic drums injecting a very own style to the work. The songs are supported by overwhelming atmospheres, but other cuts are into pure vintage-like electronics. There are several cool cuts featured, but I have a preference for the somewhat ritual-orientated “Ceased” revealing a great balance between vocals and music. I like the icy synth lines and the global approach of this band.

– – – : “Heartless” is maybe missing what I would call a real hit although there are numerous noticeable songs. I’m not that fond of their Human League cover. It’s a creative transformation of the original song, but definitely not the best cut on this album.

Conclusion: “Heartless” is a successful album, which sounds like the offspring between a gothic-like singer and obscure electronic music. Both ingredients have been cemented with bombastic arrangements.

Best songs: “Ceased”, “Earth”, “Heartless”, “White Eyes”, “Small Prey”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.bestialmouths.com / www.facebook.com/BESTIALMOUTHS

Label: www.cleropatrarecords.com / www.facebook.com/CleopatraRecords

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: Cold-wave, post-punk.

Background/Info: Tisiphone is a French band from Lyon and has already released their official debut album. The band consists of 3 members and is driven by their female singer. Notice by the way that Automate Records is a French label devoted to music genres like indie-pop, cold-wave, post-punk and related genres.

Content: The post-punk and cold-wave influences are quite noticeable elements in the work of Tisiphone. They don’t reinvent the music styles they’ve been inspired with, but achieved a quite honest production in the genre.

The songs are carried by low, buzzing bass lines, raw guitar and some extra electronics on top. The vocals of Clara have this typical and delicious French accent, but also a timbre of voice, which is sometimes reminding me of Siouxsie Sioux.

+ + + : If you like cold-wave and post-punk music, Tisiphone will for sure catch your attention by their raw and rather unpolished sound. I especially like the cold and deep, vibrating bass playing, which is quite noticeable on both debut cuts. “Blind” might you remind you of Siouxsie And The Banshees, but sounds more bombastic.

– – – : The album takes off with two promising songs, but unfortunately I heard a few less convincing cuts next. The final part is a bit more convincing so in the end I would say Tisiphone is moving in between a few real successful tracks and a few average-like pieces.

Conclusion: Let’s keep in mind this is the official debut work from Tisiphone. It could have been more convincing, but globally speaking they have a few cool songs, which makes me say it’ll be a good idea to keep an eye on this band.

Best songs: “Looking Down”, “Where Are You”, “Blind”.

Rate: (6).

Band: www.tisiphone–faces.com / www.facebook.com/Tisiphonemusic

Label: www.facebook.com/AutomateRecords

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: Gothic, dark-wave, ritual-wave.

Background/Info: Lahka Muza is a Slovakian formation that was set up in 1984 in the now gone Czechoslovakia. The band went through numerous line-up changes, but Gudrun Snake and 677 both remain the leading members of the crew.  They don’t release new work on regular basis, but can already look back on 8 full length albums plus one album with their side-project Hieros Gamos. “Performance” is a DVD mainly revealing live material and a few clips plus a picture gallery.

Content: The main part of the DVD features a live performance that was given in Bratislava in 2013 revealing several songs from their last studio album “Byť Tvojím Zrkadlom” (cf. “To Be Your Mirror”). The music can be defined as gothic with a kind of ethereal and ritual element on top. One of the main characteristics and forces of the band remain the enigmatic vocals of Gudrun Snake. Live she’s dressed like a leather-diva. I don’t know if she’s a severe Mistress, but her bewitching vocals and the dark gothic sound create a dangerous, sensual rite. One of the song reveals a female performer with a fetish look.

The live performance remains rather sober revealing a high degree of concentration of the members consisting of both core members plus a female bass player and a drummer.

We next get a few tracks from the early years (1993) logically revealing songs from the first work. The image was different and Gudrun here reminds me of Siouxsie Sioux while the music remains pretty recognizable.

+ + + : Lahka Muza remains a single experience in music revealing a sensual and mysterious gothic sound carried by the enigmatic and mystical vocals of the singer/diva. This DVD is an opportunity to get an idea about the kind of live shows of the band. It looks sexy and yet sober leaving the audience with their perverted imagination. I think it’s a good idea to have shown a current live performance next to a few early live extracts. The DVD will hold you in its grip for nearly 2 hours.

– – – : One of my only regrets is the rather soft vision of fetishism and s/m that has been shown on stage. It however remains one of the band’s main elements from the image and that’s why I expected some more ‘explicit’ passages.

Conclusion: I already knew the sound of Lahka Muza and now got an idea of their live performances. I had a ‘harder’ idea of this band in mind although their music remains a fascinating and mysterious rite throughout our own fantasies.

Best songs: “When Dreams Were Screaming”, “Naplnenie”.

Rate: (7½).

Band & Label: www.lahkamuza.net / www.facebook.com/Lahka–Muza–projekt–Hieros–Gamos-103368653072959 / www.facebook.com/gudrun.snake

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 series finale of “Hannibal”, an American psychological thriller–horror television series based on characters and elements appearing in the novel “Red Dragon” by Thomas Harris, featured “Love Crime”, the first new song from Siouxsie Sioux in over 8 years. The track was co-written with “Hannibal” composer Brian Reitzell.

For those who wouldn’t know the series itself, it focuses on the relationship between FBI special investigator Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Dr. Hannibal Lecter (a fantastically performing Mads Mikkelsen), a forensic psychiatrist destined to become Graham’s most cunning enemy.

It was the series composer Brian Reitzell who reached out to see if Siouxsie Sioux would be interested in writing a song. In the end she wrote a love song between Will and Hannibal called “Love Crime”. NBC and Sky, the series American and UK broadcasters, decided to cough up the money to pay Siouxsie Sioux although the show will be discontinued.

And there’s more, the collaboration with Reitzell has apparently been such a goo experience that Siouxsie Sioux will be doing a few more tracks with him. For your info, it was also Reitzell who got Talk Talk’s Mark Hollis so far to contribute to the TV show “Boss”.

You can listen to “Love Crime” below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QodPtK1tpXc

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