Seasurfer is a band driven by Hamburger (Germany) based musician Dirk Ritter. He worked together with different female singers and musicians. Two noticeable albums were released on Saint-Marie Records. This label has a nose for talented artists dealing with  Shoegaze and Dream-Pop, both genres being SEASURFER’s main sources of inspiration. By the end of 2020 Seasurfer stroke back with the third album entitled “Zombies” released on Reptile Music. It’s a great piece of music released as double album. The bonus disc features guest vocals by Elena Alice Fossi (Kirlian Camera, Spectra Paris). The new work got produced by Robin Guthrie (The Cocteau Twins). No doubt about it, “Zombies” is one of the best productions in the Shoegeaze/Dream-Pop genre so I got in touch with Dirk.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: What kind of band did you want to set up with Seasurfer and how do you look back on the evolution of the band, the different albums and line-up changes?

Dirk: For many years I really worked as a band with my Dream-Pop band Dark Orange, each band member had something to say. With Seasurfer I wanted to build my own sound without compromises so it’s not easy for fellow musicians. After a while you notice whether it fits and is accepted or not. In arts, communities are often fragile. Most of the changes happened because for some reason it just didn’t fit anymore. It makes a difference whether you play in a democratic Punk band at the age of 18 or later when having your sound in your head and absolutely want to implement it.

Q: You worked with different singers, first Dorian E, then Julia Beyer and later on Apolonia. A singer often is the ‘image’ and ‘frontman (-woman)’ of the band. What has been the impact of each singer on the music and your work as musician? What makes the chemistry between musicians and singers?

Dirk:  A singer has to inspire me; there has to be a spirit and an atmosphere of its own. All three singers did that and I’m still grateful for it. After the intensive work on an album, you often fall into a hole and wonder what can come after that, how it will go on. If then you aren’t convinced, then you should better leave it.

With Apolonia everything is easier now, she lives around the corner and we meet up with our art community regularly to talk and to drink. She’s more than a singer to me, she’s also a very good friend.

Q: I noticed you consider Robin Guthrie as one of your mentors. What makes the magic of this artist and what exactly makes him a mentor?

Dirk: I grew up with bands like The Cocteau Twins and for me Robin Guthrie created one of the most beautiful guitar sounds ever. I also find his instrumental songs very inspiring. When he remixed and mastered something for me and I was allowed speaking to him, those were nice moments. A very friendly person… only his Scottish accent was sometimes hard for me 😉

Q: You last year released the album “Zombies”. How did the writing and production of the album happened and what do you try to reflect with the album title?

Dirk: I played all the instruments by myself and mixed everything alone. That was a challenge because you don’t get that much feedback and sometimes you don’t know whether something is good or crap. And I wanted to develop myself further, using more electronics. When the rather gloomy mood of the first Corona wave came during the final mixing, the sounds of the album developed by itself. “Zombies” represents how we all felt during this time.

Q: The bonus disc of “Zombies” is featuring Elena Alice Fossi as guest singer. How did this collaboration happened –especially in times of Covid-19?

Dirk: A very good friend, the photographer Christian Klepp, is a huge Kirlian Camera fan. He kept saying, ‘hey, do something with her, it will be cool’. The contact was made via Stefan Herwig from the record company Dependent and then it started. Elena Alice is a lovely woman and she was delightfully easy to work with. The songs were done before Corona and are therefore not as dark as the ones from the “Zombies”-album. The bonus-album is called “The Dreampop Day” by the way.

Q: You’re based in Hamburg, which always had a very important alternative scene although Seasurfer sounds more like a British Shoegaze and Dream-Pop band. What do you like in the ‘British’ sound and do you feel any kind of influence from the scene where you live? What brings the future?

Dirk: I was never at home in the German or Hamburg music scene. In Hamburg, many looked to England in the 80s. Guitar music from England was just cooler than German stuff. The Cure, The Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine…all right? If you grow up with it, then it shapes and you develop your own sound with these genes. Unfortunately all concerts have been canceled and it won’t start again until next year. I’m doing a real Dream-Punk EP with Apolonia this year, no song allowed to be slower than 180 bpm. And with the wonderful Gloria de Oliveira, she is also on our label, I work out Electronic songs at the moment that tend to go into the witch-house corner.

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: Shoegaze, Dream-Pop.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: After having released two noticeable studio-albums on Saint-Marie Records the German duo Seasurfer (Dirk Knight and singer Apolonia) signed to Reptile Music to unleash their third album at the end of 2020. “Zombies” features an extra disc, which is a kind of mini-album of eight songs featuring Elena Alice Fossi (Kirlian Camera, Spectra Paris).

Content: The main disc features 16 songs and reveals a rather classical mix between Shoegaze and Dream-Pop. The tracks have been accomplished with Electronic arrangements often injecting an extra melodic touch. Some tracks have something dual for the mix of melodies and raw sound treatments. Most of the songs have been sung by Apolonia, but you’ll also hear Dirk Knight singing.

The second disc features Elena Alice Fossi and brings 6 extra songs plus two noticeable remixes by John Fryer (the legendary producer of bands like Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins, NIN ao). The sound isn’t that different compared to the main disc, but is maybe more accentuated around the Dream-Pop style.

+ + + : “Zombies” is a brilliant, creative exposure of modern Shoegaze and Dream-Pop music. It also is the magnum opus from this band. The album took me by surprise for its extended tracklist of 16 (!) songs (some cuts have been previously released as single), but also for the constant, high qualitative level of the production. I can’t say there’s one single track to throw away while there are several potential hits featured. The production sounds pretty 80s like, but with this extra, contemporary production on top. This album is dark and sensual, revealing a great fusion between guitar play and Electronic arrangements. There also is a fascinating sphere recovering the album, but which will maybe remind you of the famous “Twin Peaks”-tune at “Love Me… Dead!”. I however prefer the songs like “Tears & Happiness”, “Zombies”, “Venusberg”, “Time After Time”, Heaven” and “Dead In The Garden”.

The bonus disc is more than a little extra. Getting Elena Alice Fossi on board while getting two remixes by John Fryer makes this mini-album interesting. Dream-Pop cuts like “Fairies In Twilight” and “Blue Days” both are pretty cool songs.

– – – : Elena Alice Fossi is a great and sensual singer, but I prefer the original singer of the band: Apolonia. Her timbre of voice and especially the way of singing is more appropriated to this kind of production. I also expected a bit more from the John Fryer remixes.

Conclusion: If you like Shoegaze and Dream-Pop and you think there’s much more to find beyond Jesus And Mary Chain and The Cocteau Twins, “Zombies” is definitely an album to purchase!

Best songs: “Tears & Happiness”, “Zombies”, “Venusberg”, “Time After Time”, Heaven”, “Dead In The Garden” + “Fairies In Twilight”, “Blue Days”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.seasurfermusic.com / www.facebook.com/seasurfer

Label: www.reptile-music.net / www.facebook.com/reptile.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

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, wave-pop.

Background/Info: Set up by Andrew Tomlinson (composer, songwriter, guitar and programming) and joined by female singer Louise Duffy-Howard the duo is back on track with a second full length album.

Content: The sound and influences of 4ourth4loor are clearly inspired by electro-pop standards, which also remind me a bit to new-wave/pop music. The songs are characterized by the sweet and yet charismatic vocals of Louise Duffy-Howard. Her way of singing sometimes reminds me of Elena Alice Fossi (Kirlian Camera, Spectra Paris). She definitely adds a sensual touch in the work while the lyrical content of the work clearly deals about love.

+ + + : Even if the band can be easily defined as electro-pop like they clearly deal with a unique format so in the end it’s not that easy to describe the sound of 4ourth4loor. That’s an aspect I rather like! The band definitely has an own style of music characterized by singer’s particular timbre of voice. It’s an easy listening opus featuring a few beautiful songs, but I especially recommend “Velvet Heart”.

– – – : I definitely like the singer although a few songs reveal a more hesitant performance. “Past Lives” is a sweet and gentle, easy listening album on, which I’m missing a climax.

Conclusion: I enjoyed the listening of “Past Lives”, but I’m missing something. The songs are nicely going by, but I’m missing some punchy elements in the global production.

Best songs: “Velvet Heart”, “The Call”, “The River”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: http://4ourth4loor.com / www.facebook.com/4ourth4looor 

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

SPECTRA*paris, the project of Elena Alice Fossi, lead singer of Italian outfit Kirlian Camera, is back with a 3rd album, produced by John Fryer. The 10-track release can already be pre-ordered.

The project was started in 2007 and so far released the MCD “Spectra Murder Show” (self-produced, 2007), the albums “Dead Models Society (Young Ladies Homicide Club)” (2007) and “License to Kill” (2010), plus the mini-album “Christmas Ghouls” (2010).

For now enjoy this older track:

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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Out now is “Heaven” a brand new track for the John Fryer powered Black Needle Noise project, this time with Jennie Vee on vocals.

The track is a slow darkpop track with excellent lush guitarwork by John Fryer. It has 4AD written allover it, but with a much cleaner sound. This is outstanding work from the now Oslo based musician/producer. Add to this excellent vocals by Jennie Vee and you know this is a must-have!

Not yet convinced? Check the download below, available via Bandcamp.

In the past Fryer has worked with several more guestsingers for this project, which all got released as seperate single. “She Stands On A Storm” featured Andrea Kerr, “Warning Sign” had Kendra Frost, “Treasured Lies” was with ZiaLand, “Naughty Girl” with Spectra Paris, “Dead Star” with Betsy, “Behind The 4th Door” with Elena Alice Fossi, “Messages By Dreams” with Attasalina, “Human” with Jarboe, “Queen Of Dust” with Antic Clay, “Mourning Morning” with Andreas Elvenes, “3 Steps Backwards” with Ledfoot, “Vexation” again with Jarboe, “Wild Stone” also with ZiaLand and finally “Bang Bang” featured Dr Strangefryer on vocals. All tracks are available right here on Bandcamp as pay-what-you-want downloads.

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