Scenius, a collaboration between UK producer Steve Whitfield (The Cure, The Mission, Yann Tiersen) and French singer Fab Nau, is set to release their second album, “Life Is A Thing”, following their 2020 debut, “Enough Fears”. Based in Leeds, UK, the electronica duo will launch the new album on MMXX Records on 19th May.

In anticipation of the album’s release, Scenius has shared the music video for their single “Chinese Room”, which is scheduled for release on 21st April. The video was created by Scenius themselves, in collaboration with Cotton Bro.

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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(Photo by Kieron Brennan) Following their debut album, the Anglo-French dark pop act Scenius – initially a studio project – have become a live band. Their first official gig took place in Angers, France, on the 30th of March 2022 and it was recorded and filmed – on a static single camera.

Released now as the EP “Live in Angers” you get 4 tracks taken from this gig. Musically the band is making electronic dark-pop out of vintage synths and rhythm machines, blending the spirit and sounds of early electronic outfits with a modern approach.

You can download the EP right below.

Here is the live video for “Cookie Cutter”.

About Scenius

The duo is composed of UK producer Steve Whitfield (The Cure, The Mission, Yann Tiersen) and French singer Fab Nau. They released their debut album in December 2020. In 2021 Scenius remixed tracks for BlakLight (US) and Projekt Ich (DE) and got remixed by Nature of Wires (UK), Klammer (UK) and Black Boiler (FR). The duo also contributed a new track to the Generation Blitz compilation. In March 2022, Scenius embarked upon their first series of gigs, in France.

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: Dark-Wave, Post-Punk.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Klammer is a UK band from Leeds which was set up by Steve Whitfield (who did some production work for bands like The Cure, The Mission ao). They’ve already released a few albums and now strike back with thirteen new tracks.

Content: When I hear Leeds I immediately think of The Sisters Of Mercy, The March Violets, The Mission and so many more great formations. Klammer is clearly driven by the good-old Dark-Wave spirit although their sound comes closer to the guitar magic of The Cult. You can also hear it a bit in the production of the vocals.

+ + + : No innovation but just well-crafted and efficient Cold-Wave music. The album is carried by low, resonating bass lines and impressive guitar parts injecting the true spirit to this work. There are several great songs featured, but  I especially recommend listening to “The Insider”.

– – – : There’s no real surprise listening to this album. It even has something predictable although it’s cool Dark-Wave stuff.

Conclusion: If you’re an 80s die-hard fan you are for sure going to like Klammer’s new opus.

Best songs: “The Insider”, “Oblivion”, “Broken Dreams In A Crashing Car”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: https://www.klammer.co.uk /  www.facebook.com/klammerband

Label: https://revolverrecords.com / www.facebook.com/HeavyMetalRecs 

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, Indie-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Scenius is a duo driven by British producer/engineer Steve Whitfield and French singer Fabrice Nau. Whitfield has worked with numerous famous artists like The Mission, The Cure… but also The Drift (a project Fabrice Nau has been involved with). Scenius released a few singles and unleashed this debut album at the end of 2020.

Content: The main influences from this band are clearly Electro-Pop driven. “Enough Fears” stands for an open-minded Pop approach, which can be dark, but still pretty Indie-like. The last song “Darkest Lines” even reminds me of I AM X. You’ll also discover a few minimal-driven passages while supported by mysterious atmospheres. Most of the songs have been sung in English, but you’ll also notice some French words.

+ + + : Scenius isn’t a ‘typical’ Electro-Pop formation; there’s no real emulation here, but simply a duo with a personal approach, mixing different elements together. I like the atmospheric touch hanging over the songs, which injects a rather surprising Ambient touch to the work. It also creates a cold impressum, which comes through in songs like “Wild & Wooly” and “Enough Fears”. There for sure is more potential in the Indie-driven “Darkest Lines”, which is a great final part of this work. I also have to say a word about the production of the vocals, which have something emotional and passionate.

– – – : Scenius will now have to catch the attention of the Electro-Pop audience, which isn’t an easy thing in times of Covid-19.

Conclusion: “Enough Fears” is a rather accomplished debut album revealing a band with an own Electro-Pop style. Let’s keep an eye on Scenius.

Best songs: “Darkest Lines”, “Wild & Wooly”, “Enough Fears”, “Some Of Your Nights”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/sceniusband

Label: www.facebook.com/MMXXRECORDS

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

Scenius is a synth-pop / dark-wave duo composed of Leeds (UK) based producer Steve Whitfield (The Cure, The Mission, Jane Weaver…) and French singer Fabrice Nau (Boutique Du Tao, Kyu, The Drift). The duo is about to release their 3rd single on the 8th May. Below is already a video for the new single, “Held”.

You can check out the first two first singles below. A debut album is scheduled for the end of the Summer.

Scenius draws inspiration from pre-punk (Kraftwerk, Brian Eno) and post-punk (New Order, Depeche Mode) electro outfits through to contemporary bands (LCD Sound System, Boards Of Canada) using vintage synths and drum machines.

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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Klammer are about to release a new single on 3rd June on Under Dogz Records. It’s a very different version of The Human League’s classic early single “Being Boiled”. You can watch the video below.

Hailing from Leeds, Klammer have been previously described as the love child of XTC and Gang Of Four. Formed by UK Producer Steve Whitfield (The Cure/The Mission/Jane Weaver) in 2014, they have already released 3 albums, with last years “You Have Been Processed” being their most recent one.

The band is currently writing their 4th album but in the meantime they are releasing their version of The Human League’s early classic single “Being Boiled” on June 3rd 2019.

The cover reminds us a bit of the great cover made in 1992 by Terry Hoax of the Depeche Mode track “Policy Of Truth”… remember that one?

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: Goth-rock & electro;

Content: Leeds based Zeitgeist Zero seems to have awakened from hibernation. The band remained pretty busy, but this is their first new album since 2008 (cf. “Dead To The World”). In 2012 they released the “Blackout”-EP, but since then nothing new really happened in the studio.

This self-released 3rd full length looks very artistic. Zeitgeist Zero didn’t spare any effort to deliver a great digipak format while the songs were mixed by Steve Whitfield (The Mission, Terrorvision) and once again mastered by John Dent (Goldfrapp, PJ Harvey).

It has been never easy to qualify Zeitgeist Zero as one particular genre as this band covers many different influences, which often move in between gothic, rock and electronic. I dare to say that “Ghosts Of Victory” is somewhat more electro-minded when it comes to the arrangements. Globally speaking the songs are quite powerful and mainly driven by heavy guitar and dynamic drum sections. Singer Teresa Dead appears to be a gothic diva singing in a real passionate way. She’s the soul of the band and that’s an element, which is more explicit on this new release.

The songs are mixing rough and powerful passages together with delicate elements. Most of the choruses are into a dynamic explosion of drums and electro manipulations on top of the guitar playing. There’s a well-crafted balance between the different layers, which makes for the originality of the album.

Zeitgeist Zero clearly reveals a mature production and styled composition. From a pure technical point of view this work is absolutely successful. But a well-crafted and produced album also needs potential hits. I can’t say that the album is filled with hits, but it does have many cool songs. I’m referring to the energetic and gothic minded “The Jekyll In Me”, the more electro achieved “Don’t Pop My Bubble” and the delicate sounding “A Last Farewell” revealing a dense flavor of melancholia.

Zeitgeist Zero also tries to surprise their fans by the somewhat Rock-a-Billy inspired “Dust And Bone”, which also has something cabaret-like through the piano parts.

No real hits thus far till you discover “United In Black – Dance Or Die Mix”. This song was originally released on their last EP (cf. “Blackout”) and boosted to a great club version on this album. This song is more into a mix of cyber-goth and pop-rock influences. It was a great idea to put this song back on the album with a new mix.

“When The Lights Go Down” is another song from their EP, which has been mixed as a new version as well, but this “Bump ‘N’ Grind Mix” is not as successful.

Conclusion: Zeitgeist Zero has a unique style covering different dark musical grounds. There’s no real innovation at “Ghosts Of Victory”, but it’s a well-crafted and fully accomplished piece of work. This is a band with a strong image so they now only need a main hit to reach a wider (international) audience.

Best songs: “United In Black – Dance Or Die Mix”, “Don’t Pop My Bubble”, “The Jekyll In Me”, “Dust And Bone”.

Rate: (Elise Din:7½)Elise Din.

Band: www.zeitgeistzero.com / www.facebook.com/ZeitgeistZero

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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