Genre/Influences: Trip-Pop, Dark/Cold-Wave.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Israeli-Russian duo The Walking Icon released their newest opus by the end of 2023. Sasha Rempel and Dmitry Osipov are already active for a while now and released eight new songs plus two remixes.

Content: It’s not that easy to catch the sound of this work which rather sounds like the offspring between different influences; definitely Electronic by mixing Pop and Trip-Pop but still Dark/Cold-Wave with a song reminding me of Trisomy 21. On top emerges Sasha Rempel’s fragile, sweet timbre of voice. Remixes have been done by Ner/Ogris and Sonum Unum.

+ + + : The fragile and passionate vocals are for sure one of the main strengths behind this project but there also is a true communion with the music -which is mainly electronic, although featuring subtle guitar play. “Stratosphere” sounds like a cool Club-song driven by danceable vibes and angelic vocals.

– – – : The last part of the work but especially the remixes don’t add any bonus.

Conclusion: The Walking Icon stands for a very own approach to Electronic music.

Best songs: “Stratosphere”, “Neurome”, “The Trail”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/thewalkingicon

Label: www.negativegain.com / www.facebook.com/NegativeGain

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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Belgian ambient drone artist Stratosphere, known off-stage as Ronald Mariën, has unveiled his latest album, “Cyclus”, on the Portland (Oregon) based label Projekt Records. This marks his first full solo release since the release of “Rise” in 2016. The new album is available on a name-your-price basis at Bandcamp.

“Cyclus” is a concept piece, with recurring themes, infinite delays, and everlasting soundscapes that reflect the unsettling times and various crises of recent years. It is structured around five main themes, interspersed with short intermezzos that serve as bridges between the tracks. Stratosphere’s elaborate soundscapes, occasionally supported by minimal arpeggios. For your info, an arpeggio in music is a type of broken chord where the notes are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously.

“Cyclus” contains both Stratosphere’s shortest and longest track to date.: “Intermezzo 4” (01:16) and “Cyclus 5” (20:31).

Here’s a video for the track “Intermezzo 1”.

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: Experimental, dark-ambient, cinematographic, industrial, ritual.

Background/Info: Italian label Unexplained Sound Group is used to familiarizing us with compilations based on the underground scene of one ‘target’ country. The label now invites us to visit the experimental scene from my own country featuring 26 (!) Belgian bands. The sampler saw the light of day thanks to the contribution of Peter Verwimp who’s active in different formations and featured on this new series by Ashtoreth.

Bands: Barts + Treha Sektori, Yannick Franck, Ripit, Hybryds, Ashtoreth, TraumaSutra, Fissures, Innerwoud, Aponogeton, Owann, TZII, Stratosphere ao.

Content: The titled indicates a vision on the ‘experimental’ scene, but this sampler has much more to offer. It’s a travel throughout the most hidden and unknown projects active on the Belgian underground soil. The common ground between all bands is the dark creation of their work, which can be dark-ambient for some, somewhat ritual for others, into cinematographic exposures for some, even minimal-electro like for a few ones and definitely experimental for the rest.

+ + + : The strength of this sampler is its diversity in styles, and also the discovery of unknown bands. You really have to be addicted to experimental underground music to have ever heard of all those bands. Well, that’s precisely what makes the compilation essential for people like me. It’s a kind of sonic documentary revealing several sonic treasures. The biggest treasures –even in music, are not always that far to find. It would take me too long analyzing all of the bands, but I’ve been seduced by anguishing opener by Barst + Treha Sektori, the haunting style of Yannick Franck, the minimal approach from Ripit, the always ritual-sounding Hybryds, the pure filmographic Innerwoud, the subtle treatments from TZII, the minimalism and oriental driven Massimo Amato + Cheri Gao + Peter Wullen and another experiment by Trauma Terrestrial.

– – – : This kind of sampler remains a truly experimental release accessible for a very restricted number of music lovers. Some cuts are very experimental and not always my cup of tea while 26 songs is a sonic orgy you can better avoid if you’re not into this extreme underground format.

Conclusion: Unexplained Sound Group is not the most familiar label from the underground scene although one of the most interesting ones I got the opportunity to discover. This is a label inciting the listener to purchase new bands discovered on this kind of conceptual sampler.

Best bands: Hybryds, Barst + Treha Sektori, Innerwoud, TZII.

Rate: (7½).

Label: www.facebook.com/unexplainedsoundsgroup

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, nu-disco.

Background/Info: Vogue Noir is a new project set up by Dominique Cologne who’s operating from London. He was previously involved in Sato Sato and has now set up this solo-project releasing his debut-EP on Unknown Pleasures Records.

Content: If you’re a bit familiar with the French label Unknown Pleasures Records you’ll easily recognize the ‘vintage’ taste of the label in the sound of Vogue Noir. This EP takes us back in time, awakening good-old memories and sounds from the 80s electro-pop & new-wave music. Some cuts also reveal a kind of nu-disco flavor, which makes it pretty sexy.

The songs are pretty danceable revealing catchy structures and great, analogue synth lines, which sometimes remind me of Gary Numan. The vocal parts are pretty wafting and even a bit elevating. One song features vocals by Tullia Benedicta (Italian producer who’s also based in London).  And here again there’s this evasive sensation carried by sublime analogue tones. The final song remains pretty electro-pop like, and features female vocals by Drift.

+ + + : Vogue Noir is a fascinating formation, which brings the spirit of the 80s electro-new-wave alive while adding some elements of nu-disco music on top. It’s sounds vintage-like revealing outstanding synthesizer sounds. The songs are driven by sexy, danceable rhythms and the bewitching vocals of Dominique Cologne.

– – – : My single regret is that such great music has only been released on digital format. It once again seems to prove that there’s less interest for physical releases, which is a pity because “Vogue Noir” really deserves to get eternalized on CD.

Conclusion: I already discovered many interesting formations on the Unknown Pleasures Records roster and Vogue Noir is just one more to add on the list. If you think that contemporary electro-pop bands are all sounding the same, you should purchase this little retro-minded pop jewel.

Best songs: “Belief”, “Stratosphere”, “Crush!”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.facebook.com/vogue.noir.music

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