Belgian electro-industrial act Suicide Commando and US EBM project Assemblage 23 released the collaborative single “I Am Your Darkness” on October 30, 2026, via Out Of Line Music, pairing a radio edit with an extended “Kill Your Demons” version. Side-Line contributor Karo Kratochwil reviews the single below.

Forty years into Suicide Commando’s existence, Johan Van Roy has found an intriguing counterpart in Tom Shear of Assemblage 23. Their respective musical languages are instantly recognisable, although they approach intensity from different directions. Van Roy’s harsh, almost punitive vocal delivery and relentless electronic rhythms contrast with Shear’s more melodic, emotionally articulated approach. On “I Am Your Darkness,” these characteristics meet in a collaboration that makes considerably more sense than the stylistic differences might initially suggest.

The “Radio Edit” wastes little time establishing its intentions. The rhythm is fast, tightly programmed and characteristically uncompromising, while the synthesizers introduce a melodic urgency that has more in common with contemporary futurepop than traditional harsh electro. The vocals retain that familiar abrasive quality associated with Suicide Commando, yet the melodic construction carries a distinctly Assemblage 23 sensibility. The arrangement does not let one musical personality dominate the other; it preserves their differences. The resulting tension is precisely what gives the track its character.

The extended “Kill Your Demons” version develops the melodic side more fully. The electronic arrangements feel more expansive, with a sweeping, anthemic quality that contrasts rather effectively with the aggression of the vocals. Its forward momentum is practically irresistible, but the emotional register is more complicated than the rhythm initially suggests. There is an interesting ambiguity in transforming such difficult psychological material into music designed for collective movement. The dancefloor becomes a place where distress and exhilaration can occupy the same few minutes.

The collaboration is particularly successful because neither musician has attempted to disguise his musical identity. The familiar elements are all present, but their combination introduces a different balance between vocal aggression, melodic accessibility and rhythmic force. “I Am Your Darkness” is a convincing piece of contemporary electro-industrial music, direct enough to make an immediate impression and sufficiently well constructed to reward repeated listening.

Tracklist

1. I Am Your Darkness (Radio Edit)
2. I Am Your Darkness (Kill Your Demons)

About Suicide Commando

Founded in 1986, Suicide Commando has become one of the defining projects of European dark electro. Belgian musician Johan Van Roy has spent four decades developing a sound built around distorted vocals, confrontational lyrical subjects and meticulously programmed electronic aggression. From Critical Stage and Mindstrip to Axis of Evil and Goddestruktor, his recordings have helped establish a musical vocabulary that remains instantly identifiable. The new collaboration arrives during the project’s 40th anniversary year.

About Assemblage 23

Assemblage 23 is the long-running project of American musician Tom Shear, whose work occupies a fascinating intersection between electronic body music, synthpop and emotionally driven futurepop. Since the project’s beginnings in 1988, Shear has demonstrated a particular ability to combine muscular electronic arrangements with unusually personal songwriting. His 2025 album “Null” continued that trajectory.

Interestingly, this is not the first musical connection between the two projects. Assemblage 23 previously remixed Suicide Commando’s “One Nation Under God” in 2004 and “I’d Die for You” for the 2022 album Goddestruktor. “I Am Your Darkness” develops that existing artistic relationship into a direct collaboration. A five-track physical EP follows on December 3, 2026, with additional interpretations by DSTRTD SGNL, KLLSIGNL and J Wølf.

Karo Kratochwil

Based in Wrocław, I work as a music journalist and photographer covering electro, industrial, EBM, gothic, and darkwave. My work includes features and live coverage, as well as concert, portrait, promo, and theater photography. What interests me most is the connection between artistic intention, what the work communicates, and what unfolds live on stage, all in pursuit of the bigger picture behind the music.

Belgian electro-industrial act Suicide Commando and US EBM project Assemblage 23 released the collaborative single “I am your Darkness” on October 30, 2026 through Out Of Line Music. The digital release pairs a radio edit with an extended “Kill Your Demons” version. A five-track physical EP follows on December 3, 2026, available for pre-order now.

Suicide Commando mainman Johan Van Roy wrote the track as a confrontation with depression and self-doubt, set against pounding industrial rhythms and EBM programming. Assemblage 23 is the solo synthpop and EBM project of US musician Tom Shear, who joins Van Roy on the collaboration; Shear’s own project most recently released the album “Null” via Metropolis Records.

The lyrics present the inner voice of depression as an external presence, with lines such as “I am your darkness / I am your pain / I am your master / and I am your reign,” while the chorus, “Kill your demons / kill your fear,” reads as defiance, not resolution. “The song deals with depression and our constant fight against our own monsters and demons,” Van Roy and Shear said of the collaboration.

The physical EP adds three remixes: DSTRTD SGNL reworks the track for the dancefloor, label mate KLLSIGNL delivers a “Wendigo Cut,” and J Wølf contributes a further remix alongside the Kill Your Demons version, the radio edit and the DSTRTD SGNL mix.

“I am your Darkness” is available as a digital single on Bandcamp, with the physical EP open for pre-order there ahead of its December 3, 2026 release.

About Suicide Commando

Suicide Commando is the solo project of Belgian musician and producer Johan Van Roy, formed in 1986. Beginning with a series of self-released demo tapes in the late 1980s, the project has released music in the harder electro and EBM underground for four decades. The 1994 debut full-length “Critical Stage” started that run, followed by releases including “Mindstrip,” “Axis of Evil,” “Bind, Torture, Kill,” “Implements of Hell” and the 2022 album “Goddestruktor,” which reached number 9 on the official German album charts. Club tracks such as “See You in Hell,” “B.T.K.,” “Die Motherfucker Die” and “Hellraiser” remain staples of the dark electro scene.

Side-Line has tracked the project’s recent catalogue work, including the “Final Stage” EP revisiting the debut album, the 20th-anniversary reissue of “Axis of Evil” and the single “God Of Destruction.” Suicide Commando marks its 40th anniversary in 2026, the same year “I am your Darkness” brings Van Roy and Shear together for the first time.

Suicide Commando tour dates

Suicide Commando is on tour across Europe through 2027, with dates confirmed as follows:

• November 7, 2026 – Zürich, Switzerland
• November 14, 2026 – Rotterdam, Netherlands
• December 11, 2026 – Bielefeld, Germany
• December 12, 2026 – Oberhausen, Germany (sold out)
• December 19, 2026 – Milan, Italy
• January 15, 2027 – Barcelona, Spain
• January 16, 2027 – Madrid, Spain
• January 30, 2027 – Aarschot, Belgium
• February 11, 2027 – Glasgow, UK
• February 12, 2027 – Sheffield, UK
• February 13, 2027 – London, UK
• February 14, 2027 – Bristol, UK
• May 7, 2027 – Berlin, Germany
• August 7-8, 2027 – Hildesheim, Germany (M’era Luna)
• October 23, 2027 – Jönköping, Sweden

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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Belgian electro-industrial act Suicide Commando releases “Destroyer of Worlds (SGNLS Version)” via Out Of Line Music on 7 August 2026. The track is a collaboration with dark techno and EBM project DSTRTD SGNL, who rework the industrial architecture Johan Van Roy built for the original.

“Destroyer of Worlds” first appeared on Suicide Commando’s most recent studio album, “Goddestruktor,” released in 2022, which reached number 9 on the official German album charts. For the SGNLS Version, DSTRTD SGNL apply their dark techno and EBM production approach to the track, reshaping its structure for club and festival play while keeping Van Roy’s original vocal and industrial framework intact.

DSTRTD SGNL is the German duo of Stephan Kessler and Torben Schmidt, active since 2021 in techno, EBM and dark electro, with a catalog of singles, EPs and remixes released mainly through Infacted Recordings, including collaborative work with acts such as Ruined Conflict and Mängelexemplar.

The release arrives as Suicide Commando marks 40 years of activity, having formed in 1986. The project’s recent anniversary release, “Collective Suicide Vol. 1+2,” gathers material spanning early demo tapes through reworked classics alongside the new track “Control & Consent.” It is available on limited colored vinyl and as a strictly limited Wooden Fan Box Set restricted to 200 copies, containing a Digipak CD, colored double vinyl editions of both volumes and a 36-page photo book covering the band’s history.

Suicide Commando live dates

Suicide Commando has confirmed the following live dates:

• 22.08.2026 – Sao Paulo, Brazil
• 29.08.2026 – Mexico City, Mexico
• 11.12.2026 – Bielefeld, Germany
• 12.12.2026 – Oberhausen, Germany
• 15.01.2027 – Barcelona, Spain
• 16.01.2027 – Madrid, Spain

About Suicide Commando

Suicide Commando is the solo project of Belgian musician and producer Johan Van Roy, who began experimenting with electronic music in 1986. He self-released demo tapes through the late 1980s before being signed by the German label Off Beat, where his 1994 debut full-length, “Critical Stage,” marked a turning point for the project. A second album, “Stored Images,” followed in 1995 and included one of Van Roy’s most enduring songs, “See You in Hell.” Van Roy co-founded the Dependent label in 1999, releasing “Mindstrip” in 2000, which reached number one on the German alternative chart, alongside the singles “Hellraiser” and “Comatose Delusion.” The 2003 album “Axis of Evil” was voted album of the year by the Deutsche Alternative Charts, and 2006’s “Bind, Torture, Kill” reached the top of the same chart on the strength of the single “Godsend + Menschenfresser.”

In 2009, Van Roy signed Suicide Commando to Out of Line Music, releasing the 7″ “Severed Head / Until We Die” followed by the EP “Die Motherfucker Die,” which also topped the German alternative chart. “Implements of Hell” followed in 2010, then “When Evil Speaks” in 2013, “Forest of the Impaled” in 2017 and “Goddestruktor” in 2022, which reached number 9 on the official German album charts. For live performances, Van Roy is joined by Torben Schmidt on keyboards and Mario Vaerewijck on drums. “Destroyer of Worlds (SGNLS Version),” released as Suicide Commando marks its 40th anniversary, continues the project’s recent run of anniversary-focused releases alongside “Collective Suicide Vol. 1+2.”

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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Suicide Commando, the Belgian electro-industrial project of Johan Van Roy, released its debut album Critical Stage on 1 August 1994 through the German label Off Beat. The CD turns 32 this year.

“Critical Stage” contains 12 tracks, all written and performed by Van Roy, recorded and mixed by Eric Van Wonterghem at E.M.P.-studio. Cover design and layout came from Beyond > Mixed Data and Koen Cant. Track ten, “Where Do We Go From Here?”, carries voice and lyrics by Dirk Ivens, known from Dive, The Klinik and Absolute Body Control. Off Beat, a division of the German company Westcom, distributed the album through SPV GmbH.

The original CD is out of print. The album can be streamed today via Bandcamp as part of “The Suicide Sessions 1 (Critical Stage)”, a 2011 reissue that restores the original twelve tracks alongside eleven bonus recordings. Out Of Line reissued “Critical Stage” separately on limited red and yellow vinyl in 2025.

About Suicide Commando

Johan Van Roy started experimenting with electronic music in Belgium in 1986 under the name Suicide Commando. His first tape followed two years later, and a track from it appeared on the vinyl compilation “Electronic.” After several more self-released tapes, Off Beat signed Van Roy, and Suicide Commando’s debut album, “Critical Stage,” followed in 1994.

A second album, “Stored Images,” arrived in 1995 and included “See You in Hell.” In 1996, Van Roy marked the project’s tenth anniversary with the compilation “Contamination.” “Construct-Destruct” and its companion release “Reconstruction” followed in 1998, carrying the club tracks “Desire” and “Better Off Dead.”

Van Roy co-founded the label Dependent in 1999. Suicide Commando’s next studio album, “Mindstrip” (2000), reached number one on the German Alternative Charts and was licensed for North America by Metropolis Records. Dependent also released the singles “Hellraiser” and “Comatose Delusion,” the EP “Love Breeds Suicide,” and the 2002 compilation “Anthology.” The 2003 album “Axis of Evil” was voted album of the year by the Deutsche Alternative Charts.

“Bind, Torture, Kill” followed in 2006, preceded by the single “Godsend + Menschenfresser,” and reached number one on the DAC albums chart. Suicide Commando marked its 20th anniversary in 2007 with the “X20” boxset, including a remix disc, a “best of” disc, the “Fuck You Bitch” EP and the project’s first live DVD. In 2009, Van Roy signed with the German label Out Of Line, starting with the 7″ “Severed Head / Until We Die.” The album “Implements of Hell” followed in 2010, again licensed to Metropolis Records in the US.

In 2011, Suicide Commando reissued its first three studio albums, “Critical Stage,” “Stored Images” and “Construct-Destruct,” as the six-CD box “The Suicide Sessions,” each remastered and paired with a disc of bonus and previously unreleased material. “When Evil Speaks” followed in 2013, led by the single “Attention Whore” and reaching number 47 on the German Media Control Charts. “Forest of the Impaled” (2017) included “The Pain That You Like,” a single featuring Jean-Luc De Meyer of Front 242 as guest vocalist, and reached number 28 on the same chart. Suicide Commando released the album “Goddestruktor” in 2022. For live shows, Van Roy performs alongside Torben Schmidt on keyboards and Mario Vaerewijck on drums. “Critical Stage,” the album that started the project’s studio discography, turns 32 on 1 August.

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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Forty years is an absurd lifespan for a project that has never been built for comfort. Suicide Commando began in the Belgian underground of the 1980s, shaped by closed factories, unemployment, Cold War tension, terror and the hard electronic language of bands such as Klinik, Front 242 and The Neon Judgement. In 2026, Johan Van Roy is not polishing that history into a safe anniversary narrative. With “Collective Suicide Vol. 1+2”, he opens the archive, lets the early rough recordings stand next to reworked material and new tracks, and treats four decades of darkness as something still active rather than neatly resolved.

The new retrospective looks back without turning Suicide Commando into a museum piece. It includes demo material, rare versions, reworked classics and the new track “Control & Consent”, while the anniversary concerts, including the WGT 2026 show at Agra Halle and the announced Oberhausen date, place that history back where it has always had its most violent physical charge: in front of an audience.

In this interview for Side-Line Magazine, Johan Van Roy talks about anger, darkness, old tapes, physical formats, AI, injury, the voice as weapon, copycats, WGT, the thin line between good and evil, and the one thing that has remained unchanged since the beginning: passion.

Suicide Commando interview

Karo: Forty years is a strange number for a project built on anger, darkness, speed and confrontation. Many artists soften with time, while Suicide Commando still seems to carry a very hard emotional charge. When you look at the project from 1986 to 2026, do you feel you have changed the sound, or has the world changed enough to make the same darkness sound different?

Johan: I grew up in the eighties with lots of factories closing down, lots of unemployment, but also the rise of terror organisations, even in Belgium, the cold war tensions … so it was a really dark period in history which you also could hear in the music of that decade with bands like Klinik, Front 242, The Neon Judgement … all coming from Belgium.
It definitely also had a big impact on me as a person and on my music.
I guess you’ll never hear happy pop tunes coming from my hand. It’s still the same darkness just wrapped in a different packaging, but the core remains the same, pitch black !

Karo: “Collective Suicide Vol. 1+2” documents a huge part of your history, from early demo material to rare versions, reworked classics and the new track “Control & Consent”. How did it feel to open the archive again after the 30th anniversary collection? Was it more like revisiting old evidence, cleaning old wounds, or finally accepting the full weight of what you have created?

Johan: Opening the gates of my musical hell made me realise how much my sound changed throughout the years. The atmosphere remained the same, but musically my sound did change a lot.

Ofcourse I see my own creations differently, not like a normal listener at home. You also have to see them in their own time period. It’s obvious that a song like “suicide” from 1987 sounds poorly recorded and outdated, but nonetheless I think it was essential to put some of these early recordings on “collective suicide” as well. And even though it sounds poorly recorded it still has a lot of value for myself and I’m still proud of it today.

Karo: A retrospective can easily become a monument, but “Collective Suicide Vol. 2” does not feel frozen because it includes new and reworked material. Why was it important for you to place “Control & Consent” inside an anniversary release, instead of keeping the collection purely historical?

Johan: For me it was essential to have material on both compilations covering the complete 40 years, so it had to include also some new material, even though “control & consent” goes back to my earlier works from the nineties, it also has this old school F242 vibe from the early days.

Karo: Suicide Commando has always dealt with violence, death, control, religion, obsession and human cruelty, yet the songs became club anthems for many people. After four decades, how do you understand that contradiction between brutal subject matter and collective dancefloor release?

Johan: I always liked to walk the line between good and evil, and sometimes it’s a very thin line.

I think we all have a negative side, we all have a yin and a yang … while most people would prefer to write about the birds and the bees, I was always more fascinated by the dark side of life.

Karo: Some of the reworked tracks, like “Come Down With Me”, “Jesus Freak” and “Death Lies Waiting”, return through your current production perspective. When you rebuild an older song now, what are you listening for? The weakness of the original, the energy that survived, or the person you were when you first made it?

Johan: Feel free to call it a professional quirk, but usually I only listen to my own songs searching for things that could be done differently or better, so reworking my old songs usually means trying to get an even better version or result.
But I always try to keep the original vibe of a song alive and intact.

Karo: The WGT 2026 anniversary show at Agra Halle was a symbolic moment, because Leipzig has always carried a special emotional weight for the dark scene. How did that concert feel from your side? Did it feel like a celebration, a confrontation with your own history, or simply another Suicide Commando show that had to hit with full force?

Johan: It certainly felt as a celebration, thinking back at it it still gives me goosebumps. Seeing the Agra Halle completely packed for our show (I was told maximum capacity of the Agra Halle is 10000 people), chanting along to the songs, seeing all those hands in the air … it simply was incredible and unforgettable.

WGT always had a special meaning for us. I think we meanwhile played there about 12 times, including the year the festival (almost) went bankrupt and we decided to play in total chaos.

Karo: After WGT, one more German anniversary show was announced for Oberhausen rather than turning the 40th anniversary into a large nostalgia tour. Was that selectiveness important to you? Do you prefer these anniversary shows to remain rare, almost ritual events, instead of becoming a routine celebration?

Johan: We’ll do a couple more anniversary shows, but mainly abroad (like the Netherlands, Spain …) but I explicitly wanted to keep these 40 years of Suicide Commando shows rare and special. So the one in Oberhausen will be the last special anniversary show, the other planned shows will be different.

Karo: Suicide Commando started with self released tapes in a very different underground, before streaming, social media, instant visibility and permanent digital noise. What do you miss from that earlier scene, and what do you definitely not want to romanticise about it?

Johan: What I certainly miss from those early times is the creativity you had to have to make music. Nowadays it became way too easy to make music, get yourself a decent pc and some software and next week you can have your first songs ready, and with the rise of AI it even became worse. So I certainly lack the innovation you had to have back in the old days, you had to be way more creative to make music, instruments costed a fortune and were extremely limited in their possibilities, so you basically were obliged to be innovative and creative. The music was definitely more experimental in those days.

What I don’t want to romanticise about it ? Well, buying a sampler that costed a fortune and just be able to sample 3 seconds of sound … 🙂

Karo: You had a serious knee injury and surgery years ago, and there was even a moment when pain forced you to stop a show. Yet Suicide Commando live performances still demand physical intensity, control and aggression. Has your relationship with your body on stage changed with age, injury and experience?

Johan: Of course I feel that age takes its toll, I’m not 25 anymore … and sure my live shows demanded concessions from my health, the knee injury and surgery was probably the biggest one, but I also remember ending up in hospital with bruised ribs during a tour which made it almost impossible to breath, or with a bruised foot or leg as I always prone to doing stupid things on stage …

But nonetheless it was all worth the sacrifices.

Karo: Your voice has always been one of the most recognisable weapons in Suicide Commando: harsh, venomous, direct, almost disciplinary. After forty years, do you still experience the voice as a weapon, or has it become something more complex, maybe a mask, a confession, or a survival mechanism?

Johan: To be honest, I never really saw myself as a “real” singer. I know my limitations as a singer, so I had to find ways to turn this disadvantage into an advantage and make it a weapon, with using an old pitch shifter (many people still think I’m using distortion or whatever) it perfectly worked out for me and my sound.

Karo: The new anniversary box set also treats Suicide Commando as a visual and physical archive, with vinyl, CD, photo book and certificate. In a digital era, why does the object still matter? Is it mainly for collectors, or does physical format preserve a kind of seriousness that streaming cannot carry?

Johan: I still think it’s important to myself to be able to hold something physically in your hands, and whether that is a tape, a vinyl or a CD doesn’t really matter, they all have/had their own flair. For me it’s not only about the music, also the package, the artwork, the lyrics … are part of the whole.

Karo: Many younger dark electro and aggrotech acts grew up with Suicide Commando as part of their musical DNA. Do you hear your influence in the current scene with pride, discomfort, distance, or surprise? Are there moments when you feel the genre has understood your legacy, and moments when it has misunderstood it?

Johan: I’ve always been proud of the legacy that Suicide Commando left behind. It started to get a bit annoying when this style became immensely popular after the success of the “mindstrip” and “axis of evil” albums in the early 2000’s. All of a sudden you got a lot of copycats and in a way Suicide Commando got the blame. But trends come and go, so I’m happy things calmed down again. Nothing against copycats, but I still prefer bands with an own identity, doing the thing they like, not because it is popular at that time or not.

Karo: Looking back across four decades, which part of Suicide Commando has remained most stubbornly unchanged: the anger, the discipline, the fascination with death, the need for control, or the refusal to become safe?

Johan: For sure the passion ! Music is my passion, music is my therapy, always been, always will!

Karo: If “Collective Suicide Vol. 1+2” gives listeners a near complete map of where Suicide Commando has been, what should remain unmapped? What part of the project still has to stay dangerous, private or unresolved for you to continue?

Johan: I’m in a luxury position where I can do whatever I want with Suicide Commando. My label gives me total freedom in what I do, so I’m a happy (old) man !

The passion will never die, so I simply can’t imagine a life without doing (my) music.

Side-Line also covered Suicide Commando’s ‘Collective Suicide Vol. 1+2’.

Karo Kratochwil

Based in Wrocław, I work as a music journalist and photographer covering electro, industrial, EBM, gothic, and darkwave. My work includes features and live coverage, as well as concert, portrait, promo, and theater photography. What interests me most is the connection between artistic intention, what the work communicates, and what unfolds live on stage, all in pursuit of the bigger picture behind the music.

Earlier Belgian electro-industrial project Suicide Commando released “Come Down With Me (V2025)“. The track previewed “Collective Suicide Vol. 1+2”, an anniversary release out now, June 5, 2026. The earlier released EP also included “Jesus Freak (Die In Agony)”, “Death Lies Waiting (Death Will Find You Remix)” and the new track “Control & Consent”.

Suicide Commando now marks the 40th anniversary live during 2026. Confirmed dates include a São Paulo show at VIP Station on August 22, 2026.

“Come Down With Me” was originally released on “Implements Of Hell” in 2010.

“Collective Suicide Vol. 2” is out as digital, CD, double vinyl and as part of the limited “Collective Suicide Vol.1-2” wooden fan box set (limited to 200 copies). The box includes the “Collective Suicide Vol. 2” digipak CD, yellow 2LP, red 2LP of “Collective Suicide Vol. 1”, a 36-page photo book and a hand-numbered certificate.

“Collective Suicide Vol. 1” was first issued for the project’s 30th anniversary in 2016 and now receives a vinyl edition for the 40th anniversary. The collection covers recordings from 1987 through 2016, while “Collective Suicide Vol. 2” focuses on later material, rare tracks and reworked versions.

Below is the vinyl tracklist.

“Collective Suicide Vol. 1” tracklist

• Side A: “Suicide”, “Industrial Underground”, “Incinerate”.
• Side B: “T.V. Obsession”, “Come To Me”, “Kevorkian”.
• Side C: “Disposable Paradise”, “Body Count Proceed (2007 Re_Count)”, “Hate Me”.
• Side D: “Until We Die (Single Edit)”, “Body Machine Body (Demo Version)”, “My New Christ”.

“Collective Suicide Vol. 2” tracklist

• Side A: “Infliction Of Pain”, “Severed Head”, “Come Down With Me (2025 Version)”.
• Side B: “Kill All Humanity (Short And Painless)”, “Evacuate”, “Unterwelt (Apocalypse)”.
• Side C: “Control & Consent”, “Fate (Death is coming…again!)”, “Face Of Death (2023 Mix)”.
• Side D: “Death Lies Waiting (Death Will Find You Remix)”, “Jesus Freak (Die In Agony)”, “Better Off Dead”.

About Suicide Commando

Suicide Commando is the electro-industrial project of Belgian musician Johan Van Roy. The project started in Leopoldsburg, Belgium, in 1986.

Van Roy began experimenting with electronic music in 1986 and released his first tape under the Suicide Commando name two years later. He bought a Roland SH-101 in summer 1986 and then added Boss DR-110 and Boss DR-220E drum machines. He also named The Cure, Sisters Of Mercy, Depeche Mode, Fad Gadget, The Neon Judgement, Front 242 and The Klinik as early influences.

Before the 1994 debut album “Critical Stage”, Suicide Commando released a run of cassette material, including “Suicide Commando”, “This Is Hate”, “Industrial Rape I”, “Crap”, “Go to Hell”, “Into the Grave”, “Industrial Rape II”, “Black Flowers” and “Electro Convulsion Therapy”. “Critical Stage” was released on Off Beat and was followed by “Stored Images” in 1995 and “Construct-Destruct” in 1998.

The later releases includes “Mindstrip” in 2000, “Axis of Evil” in 2003, “Bind, Torture, Kill” in 2006, “Implements Of Hell” in 2010, “When Evil Speaks” in 2013, “Forest of the Impaled” in 2017 and “Goddestruktor” in 2022.

For more on Suicide Commando, see Suicide Commando interview – Johan Van Roy opens the gates of his… on Side-Line.

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!

side-line.com

Belgian electro-industrial act Suicide Commando will release a new EP titled “Final Stage” on July 18, 2025 via Out Of Line Music. The EP will be available as a limited edition CD and red transparent vinyl.

The release marks a return to the project’s early roots, with frontman Johan Van Roy calling it “back to the essence, back to the core! No compromises, no frills, no stupid fashion show…”

The six-track EP features five reinterpretations of songs originally released on the 1994 debut album “Critical Stage”. According to the label, these are not standard remixes but “full-scale modern reinterpretations.” The EP also includes a new track, “De weg”, which is notable for being the first Suicide Commando song performed in Van Roy’s native Dutch. “De weg” was released ahead of the EP on June 5, 2025.

Tracklist for “Final Stage” EP:

1. Where Do We Go From Here? [Final Stage]
2. H.I.V.+ [Disease Disease]
3. Traumatize [Shaking 2025]
4. Fate [Death is Coming… Again!]
5. Necrophilia [Body to Body]
6. De weg

The EP follows earlier work including the 2025 reissue of “The Pain That You Like” featuring Jean-Luc De Meyer.

Suicide Commando 2025 tour

• 20 July – Cologne, Germany
• 22 August – Leiria, Portugal
• 5–7 September – Deutzen, Germany
• 12 September – Karlsruhe, Germany
• 13 September – Lindau, Germany
• 11 October – Montreal, Canada
• 8 November – Liberec, Czech Republic
• 14 November – Hameln, Germany
• 15 November – Weissenhäuser Strand, Germany
• 27 December – Langen, Germany

About Suicide Commando

Suicide Commando was founded in 1986 by Johan Van Roy in Leopoldsburg, Belgium. Initially self-released on tape, the project quickly became a cornerstone of the electro-industrial scene.

After signing with Off Beat in the mid-1990s, Van Roy released “Critical Stage” in 1994, followed by albums such as “Stored Images” (1995) and “Mindstrip” (2000), the latter via Dependent Records.

Later releases like “Bind, Torture, Kill” (2006), “When Evil Speaks” (2013), and “Forest of the Impaled” (2017) solidified the project’s fame. Read the review of ‘Final Stage’.

Side-Line also covered Suicide Commando’s ‘Collective Suicide Vol. 1+2’.

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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The title of this EP already offers a strong clue to its concept. On “Final Stage”, Johan Van Roy revisits his official debut album “Critical Stage”, originally released in 1994 on Off Beat. He selected five tracks from that era and completely reworked them—as if they had been written today. As a bonus, the EP includes the new and surprising track “De Weg” (translated “The Way”)—Suicide Commando’s first-ever song sung in Dutch.

The reimagined versions of early tracks like “Traumatize” and “Necrophilia” undeniably sound different. You can recognize their original structure and energy, but the absence or transformation of certain familiar sounds may take some modification. Still, the brilliance of this Belgian Dark-Electro master lies in his ability to recreate the original intensity in a modernized framework. These songs don’t feel dated—they’ve been reborn in a crisp, chilling new soundscape. The haunting “H.I.V.+ (Disease Disease)” is a particularly powerful example of this.

Then there’s “De Weg”, a track that stands out both musically and linguistically. Though the distorted vocals sometimes obscure the Dutch lyrics, the atmosphere remains unmistakably dark, bleak, and evocative—fully in line with Suicide Commando’s signature sound.

For decades, Suicide Commando has been the unchallenged standard-bearer of harsh Electro and “Final Stage” is a bold reminder of why that legacy still matters. (Rating:8½).

Listen to “De Weg”: 

Read the news on ‘Final Stage’.

About Suicide Commando

Suicide Commando is the Belgian electro-industrial project of Johan Van Roy, formed in 1986. Van Roy signed to Off Beat for his official debut album, “Critical Stage”, in 1994, followed by “Stored Images” in 1995, featuring “See You In Hell”, and “Construct/Destruct” in 1998. He signed to Out Of Line in the 2000s, releasing “Implements Of Hell” in 2010, “When Evil Speaks” in 2013, and “Forest Of The Impaled” in 2017, which reached number 28 on the German album chart. “Final Stage” revisits five tracks from “Critical Stage” alongside the new Dutch-language song “De Weg”.

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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Out on February 21 via Out of Line is a vinyl reissue of “Critical Stage”, the third in a series of classic Suicide Commando Albums – available for the first time on vinyl.

Johan Van Roy founded the project in 1986 in Leopoldsburg, Belgium. Initially, Van Roy began experimenting with electronic music, releasing his first demo tape under the moniker Suicide Commando in 1988. Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, he self-released several tapes, gradually building a reputation within the underground electronic music scene.

In 1994, Suicide Commando released its debut studio album, “Critical Stage“, under the German label Off Beat. The material on this debut was mixed and recorded by Eric Van Wonterghem (Absolute Body Control, Monolith, Insekt, The Klinik…) at the E.M.P.-studio in 1994.

While the original album holds 12 tracks – all written by Johan Van Roy, except “Where Do We Go From Here?”, co-written with Dirk Ivens – this double-vinyl version contains 4 bonus-tracks on Side D.

“Critical Stage” was already once reissued in 2000 by Synthetic Symphony, a division of SPV GmbH. In 2011, it was included in “The Suicide Sessions”, a special limited six-CD box set featuring remastered versions of Suicide Commando’s first three albums, along with bonus material and previously unreleased tracks.

Tracks:

Side A

1. Critical Stage
2. Sheer Horror
3. H.I.V.+
4. Traumatize

Side B

1. So many Questions
2. Time
3. Fate
4. Necrophilia

Side C

1. Revenge
2. Where do we go from here?
3. Under God’s Eye
4. The Dreamhouse (mental version)

Side D

1. Take my God away
2. Never get out
3. The ultimate Machine
4. Sweet Jesus

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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The American Dark-Electro project Protokoll 19 has already released several singles and EPs, and this summer they returned with their debut album, “Mental Decay”. The album features seven tracks plus three remixes. The sound immediately captures the essence of ‘Hell-Electro,’ with icy, dark atmospheres, hard-hitting rhythms, and menacing bass lines. The harsh, relentless vocals further amplify the tormented mood that permeates the album. Remixes have been exposed to C-Lekktor, Frontal Boundary and Midnight Nightmare. Protokoll 19’s style feels like a hybrid of Suicide Commando, Acylum, and Centhron. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Clairvoyance”.

Read the news on ‘Mental Decay’.

About Protokoll 19

Protokoll 19 is an electro-industrial project based in Tampa, Florida. Founded prior to 2024, the band centers its work around harsh electronics and lyrical themes of mental disintegration and psychological trauma.

In 2024, Protokoll 19 released their debut EP “Mental Decay” and a full-length digital album of the same name via Danse Macabre Records. The album version reviewed here expanded the EP into seven tracks plus three remixes.

The singles “Witch”, “Connect” and “Trivialized” later formed part of the staggered rollout for the 2025 EP “Somewhere Between Purgatory and Hell”. The band remains independent, while working with Danse Macabre Records for select releases.

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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VampireFreaks have announce the line-up for the 3-day music festival Dark Force Fest which takes place in Parsippany, NJ (one hour from NYC) on May 2nd to 4th, 2025.

The festival features 35 bands performing across two stages: including ORGY, The Birthday Massacre, Covenant, Suicide Commando, Aesthetic Perfection, Genitorturers, Funker Vogt, Razed In Black, Calabrese, SITD, Haujobb, Klutæ, TRAITRS, Beborn Beton, God Module, Flesh Field, Dead On A Sunday, Rosegarden Funeral Party, Amelia Arsenic, NYXX, Panic Priest, 2 Shadows, Seraphim Shock, Dancing Plague, genCAB, Occults, SINE, Circuit Preacher, Corbeau Hangs, Die Sexual, Frenchy and the Punk, Everything Goes Cold, Contracult, Project .44, and Whorticulture.

You can order your tickets here.

Dark Force Fest takes place at the Sheraton Parsippany, a castle-style hotel that features 44,000 square feet of event space and 370 hotel rooms. While the hotel rooms in the main venue sold out within days of announcing the festival, there are still overflow hotels in the surrounding area.

In addition to 35 bands, Dark Force Fest activities include:

• Over 100 Vendors
• Sideshow Performances
• Drag Queens
• DJ Club Events (Playing Goth-Industrial Music)
• Classes & Activities
• Panels and Presentations
• Food Trucks

Below is a preview of what to expect.

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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We talked to Aleksi Martikainen, frontman of the Finnish dark elektro duo MISERIA ULTIMA who recently returned in full force with their 4th studio album, “Arctic Esotericism” (out now on Bandcamp and on CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore).  An aggrotech tour de force through which they also  expands their sonic palette with deeper, sorrowful atmospheres and fiery cold melodies.

SL. Your new album “Arctic Esotericism” seems to take listeners on an existential journey through the cold ethos of the North. Can you tell us more about the philosophical and emotional themes you wanted to convey with this album?

MU. We think the philosophy of the album has a tie to our roots in the northern Finland. Especially the landscapes, long winter times and suddenly changing sceneries and long dark seasonal times. In a way the ethos represents death and birth. The north is a metaphor for many of these natural events. There are emotions from highs to lows represented here.

SL. From the harsh aggrotech of “Displayed For Punishment” to the melancholic atmospheres of “The Cruel Beauty Of Reverence,” the album showcases a diverse sonic palette. How did you approach expanding your sound on this release while staying true to your signature style?

MU. It was a natural continuation for us. We think it felt right to keep to what we are, but also offer something new, we don’t want to make the same album twice, but this does not mean that we abandon what we are. 

SL. The track titles, like “Spiritual Nailbomb” and “Storms of Atonement,” suggest a strong narrative element. How do you develop the themes in your music—do they evolve naturally during the writing process, or do you start with a specific concept in mind?

MU. For us the lyrical themes come naturally. It is tied to something creative within. Usually these are some philosophical concepts (like lost control) which awake the spark, but of course like said before, nature is also a great inspiration for us. For example the “Storms of Atonement” is about losing your will and abandoning your reach for the “knowledge”, “wisdom” or “black/ inner flame”. 

SL. Vocally, this album appears to offer more diversity compared to your previous works, from aggressive harsh tones to more disillusioned and noir styles. What inspired this shift, and how do you see your vocal expression evolving in future projects?

MU. Yes! We are always processing our music and like said before, sometimes diversity comes naturally. We have a plan to continue this evolving path, but we also will keep of course our own sound and style within these changes. There will be more change of style for the vocals, but only if it suits the “song” — no reason to push something that does not suit the theme or song. We are although very happy with our progression in music.

SL. You’ve mentioned influences from bands like Suicide Commando and Skinny Puppy, yet MISERIA ULTIMA has its own distinct sound. How do you balance paying homage to the genre’s pioneers while carving out your own musical identity? 

MU.  We think our roots in doom-metal music back in the years still affect our sound quite heavily. We will keep our own Dark electro / electronic music as part of our music, which opens a way for us to keep loyalty to our genre. But, aside from that we always try to open doors for something new, which comes naturally and keep the doors open to our past style in music. We think this is the key to our musical identity.

SL. As you gear up for the release of “Arctic Esotericism,” can fans expect any special live performances or a tour? What can we anticipate from your upcoming shows in terms of atmosphere and setlists?

MU. There are upcoming shows announced (tour supporting our friends of King Satan) and some unannounced ones. We never take these kind of opportunities for granted and are always happy to play. For new shows, you can still expect the energy combined with coldness (and of course bad Finnish jokes), but in addition new songs will be pushed even more to setlist.

SL. Looking ahead, do you have plans for future collaborations or releases—such as an EP or remixes? Are there any particular artists or producers you’d love to work with to continue evolving the MISERIA ULTIMA sound?

MU.  Yes, we have some smaller plans for the upcoming EP, but let’s see how that works out. Alfa Matrix has done more than perfect job. We truly appreciate them and usually working with them includes some more releases too! We are always open for new suggestions of a collaboration, so if you have interested, don’t hesitate to take contact. (laugh)

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!

side-line.com

Miseria Ultima, the Finnish dark electro revelation, has just released its fourth studio album, “Arctic Esotericism”. This album continues their exploration of the cold ethos and philosophy of the North, diving into themes of existence from birth to death.

The album is available now on Bandcamp and on CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore.

The album opens with the powerful track “Displayed For Punishment”, setting a harsh aggrotech tone. This is followed by “In Murder” and “Virtue And Desolation”, featuring fast-paced, icy melodies. “Thorns And Tragedy” stands out with its grief-laden atmosphere, offering the band’s signature Skinny Puppy like style. Other tracks such as “Spiritual Nailbomb” carry desperate undertones, while “Storms of Atonement” is a mid-tempo, depressive piece.

“Arctic Esotericism” will for sure appeal to fans of bands like Amduscia, Suicide Commando, C-Lekktor, Alien Vampires, and especially early Skinny Puppy. You can already check out a few tracks below.

About Miseria Ultima

Miseria Ultima is a Finnish industrial electro band formed in 2016 by Aleksi Martikainen (vocals) and Kimmo Huhtala (synths). Their music blends elements of EBM, aggrotech, and dark electro, creating a unique sound characterized by cold, melancholic atmospheres and intense, aggressive beats.

The band has released several well-received albums, starting with their debut “Phosphor” in 2017. This was followed by “Graygarden” in early 2020, which continued to build their reputation in the dark electro scene. In 2022, they signed with the Alfa Matrix label and released their third album, “In Colors of Void”​​.

Miseria Ultima draws inspiration from the harsh, cold environment of northern Finland, translating the stark beauty and desolation of their surroundings into their music. Their lyrics often explore themes of mortality, grief, and introspection, influenced by their experiences and philosophical reflections​. Read the review of ‘Arctic Esotericism’.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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C-Lekktor, a leading name in the dark elektro scene alongside Hocico, Rabia Sorda, and Amduscia, celebrates its 20 years anniversary. Markko B. has now released a special “2.0” double-CD deluxe digipak on Alfa Matrix. This release includes fan-favorite club hits and revamped versions of 12 classic tracks.

This 2CD version is available now via the Alfa Matrix website, the download version via Bandcamp. The album is also available in a special combi pack along the new releases from AD:keY and Miseria Ultima.

On this new album Markko B. has breathed new life into frequently requested songs performed at concerts. Updated tracks such as “An Empty Soul”, “Infected”, “Paralisis”, “See My Hate”, “El Comienzo De La Muerte”, and “Our Dark Side” are reimagined and rearranged, while classics like “World Of Fantasy”, “Juicio Final”, “Hellektro Convulsion Therapy”, “Solo En La Oscuridad”, and “Silence Remains” have received powerful makeovers.

The release also features harsh elektro tracks in their original form from recent albums, including fresh tracks like “God Killer” and “Are You Ready For The Bass?” alongside dancefloor cuts “Out Of My Way”, “Cyborgs”, and the track “Animals”.

Additionally, the double-CD set includes the exclusive unreleased track “I Don’t”, originally written during “The Silence Procession” era, and a cover of Depeche Mode’s “Always You”.

You can listen to all of the tracks below.

Fans of dark hellektro music, especially those who enjoy Suicide Commando, Hocico, Alien Vampires, or Noisuf-X, will find this double-CD essential.

About C-Lekktor

C-Lekktor, spearheaded by Marco Antonio Barrientos (Markko B.), has been an important force in the dark elektro scene for over two decades. Emerging from the vibrant Mexican electro scene of the 1990s, C-Lekktor made its first appearance with the demo CD “Re-a-Gression”.

Known for its aggressive and energetic sound, characterized by harsh vocals, pounding beats, and dark, atmospheric melodies, the project gained widespread recognition with performances across Mexico and internationally.

In 2005, the project released the maxi-CD “Words of Evil” and participated in the “Electro Map-Latam Compilation”. The following years saw C-Lekktor performing extensively, including concerts in Peru and Chile, and performances on major events like the “Necropolis Fest”.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

“The Breaking Waves” is the title of the new Llumen album which comes as a 2CD set / Bandcamp download and which is available now. The album was already teased in November with the EP “Die Stille Totgeschwiegen”.

Llumen is the project by Belgian artist Pieter Coussement who brings a very updated EBM blending it with influences from old-school EBM, techno, and future pop. Influenced by acts like Front 242, Haujobb, Diorama, Assemblage 23, Suicide Commando or yet Covenant, Pieter has been able to develop an own mature sound.

Following the 2017 debut album “The Memory Institute” and the 2021 release “Polygon Heart”, “The Breaking Waves” is his 3rd album to date.

The accompanying CD holds remixes, edits, reinterpretations plus collaborations with Grendel, Aesthetische, Aiboforcen, Neuroactive, Implant, Mind.Divided, Dimethoxy, J Wølf, Nacht Nackt and The Saint Paul.

You can check out the full album below. Recommended!

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Celebrating its 30th year, Audioglobe, the most important distributor in the darkwave scene, just shared a statistical review, revealing the shifts and trends in the darkwave (and related) music genre.

Our readers will surely remember that we have reported on these stats for years, until 2018, the first year that Audioglobe didn’t communicate these stats. Sebastian Koch from Audioglobe explains: “Some customers never really cared that much about these, as they have better things to do than reading boring mails from the undersigned. But… Surprisingly there are quite a high number of customers, that sort of ‘complained’ about the fact, that no stats were being done any longer… The reason is: I was simply always far too busy in past years. Anyway: Here we go with the first new stats since 2017!”

So here are some export facts.

Top 10 Bestselling Labels of 2023 (export)

1. FABRIKA/DEAD SCARLET
   • She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Selofan, Kaelan Mikla, M!R!M, Doric…
2. METROPOLIS
   • Birthday Massacre, Delerium, Front Line Assembly, A Projection, KMFDM, Legendary P.D…
3. ICY COLD/MANIC DEPR.
   • Twin Tribes, Je T’aime, Traitrs, Kill Shelter, Closed Mouth, Talk to Her, Schonwald…
4. ALFA MATRIX
   • Alien Vampires, Front 242, Metroland, Die Robo Sapiens, Elm, 808 Dot Pop, Helalyn Flowers…
5. RUSTBLADE
   • Claudio Simonetti, Ennio Morricone, Lycia Lunch, Spiritual Front, Ketvector, Legendary Pink D…
6. OUT OF LINE
   • Blutengel, Hocico, Solitary Experiments, Suicide Commando, Signal Aout42, Erdling…
7. TRISOL
   • Sopor Aeternus, Rome, Clan of Xymox, Asp, Ostara, Skinflicks, Nachtmahr, Mantus, Soman…
8. DEPENDENT
   • Kirlian Camera, Girls Under Glass, Spectra*Paris, Mildreda, Black Nail Cabaret, Beborn Beton…
9. ARTOFFACT
   • Actors, Noise Unit, cEvin Key, Kaelan Mikla, Ploho, Sacred Skin, Kauan, Ken Mode, Spectres…
10. AUERBACH
    • Spiritual Front, Sol Invictus, Tenhi, Moon and the Night Spirit, Haavard, Hekate, Orplid…

Best Export Territories of 2023

If we look at the Audioglobe stats, we notice that Germany and Greece remain the company’s strongest markets, continuing a trend that has been consistent for ages. However, the 2023 statistics reveal some notable shifts.

Canada, once a prominent market for Audioglobe, has surprisingly disappeared from the export landscape. In contrast, the United States and the United Kingdom have re-emerged as significant territories, marking their return to prominence in the darkwave music scene after several years.

The most unexpected development in 2023 is the rise of Australia as a key market. This growth stands in stark contrast to Switzerland, which, despite its affluence, has seen a sharp decline in sales. Sebastian Koch adds: “The (by far!) lowest sales of all countries where we export to, was to Switzerland… The rich Swiss don’t buy records! Since I left the country (1990), something is wrong back home!”

Here is the top 10 list of export territories:

1. Germany
2. Greece
3. Netherlands
4. Portugal
5. USA
6. United Kingdom
7. Australia
8. Spain
9. Russia
10. Poland

Not in the top 10, but France, Japan, Malta, Brazil, Sweden, Mexico, and Perù are also good export territories for Audioglobe.

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-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The fourth album of Stupre was already released a while ago; by the end of 2021 to be exact. “Make Nazareth Great Again” is a free-interpretation of bible themes by this French project. Notice by the way a double album has been released as well featuring songs from two unreleased EP’s. Multiple guest singers contributed to the album.

Content: Stupre moves on exploring paths of Dark-Electronics. The bible themes are easily recognizable throughout the song titles, samplings and atmosphere hanging over the work. The sound reveals a haunting Electro-format featuring, hard, pumping, kicks and enraged vocals in French and English. This is the kind of music appealing for fans of Hocico and Suicide Commando. The last 3 songs are remixes by Gunmaker, Larva and Suspifun.

+ + + : I’ve been never a huge Stupre fan but this work took me by surprise. The artist isn’t reinventing Dark-Electro but clearly transformed its own sound into a mature, elaborated, and efficient production. This is powerful and haunting dancefloor stuff driven by pumping kicks and icy, elevating, leads. I like the bible sphere running through the work like a red line. It injects a particular touch to the album. There are numerous attention grabbers featured but I’ll recommend listening to “Mathieu 23.10.2” which is the absolute club-song featuring an irresistible, cold, lead. Other essential cuts are “Corinthiens 10.3.5”, “Galates 5.19” and “Galates X Mathieu 2.0”.

– – – : The remixes don’t exactly add a bonus to this cool work.

Conclusion: Stupre has accomplished a great piece of work which is an album Dark-Electro fans need in their collection.

Best songs: “Mathieu 23.10.2”, “Corinthiens 10.3.5”, “Galates 5.19”, “Galates X Mathieu 2.0”, “Psaumes 90.12.4”, “Proverbes 18.3”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/STUPREofficial

Label: www.advoxya-records.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Advoxya-Records/265765706059

About Stupre

Stupre, also styled STPR, is the dark electro and EBM project of French musician Nico, based in Strasbourg. The debut album, “Priceless”, was released in 2009 on Cortex Records.

Stupre moved to Advoxya Records for “Das Ist Electro Dark” in 2013. The 2019 album “You Are Made For Me” followed on the same label, with Notreguide of the French crossover act Dolls of Pain contributing lyrics and vocals to half of the tracklist. “Make Nazareth Great Again”, a concept album built around bible themes, arrived on Advoxya Records at the end of 2021.

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

Out on October 13th is the 20th anniversary re-release of the Suicide Commando album “Axis of Evil” on 2CD. “Axis of Evil” is fifth album by the Belgian act and was released in 2003. 20 years ago, it is like it was just yesterday really.

CD1 comes in a brand new remastered version while CD2 contains b-sides, previously unreleased versions and 3 new 2023 remakes of songs from the “Axis of Evil” campaign in 2003.

Here’s the tracklist for CD2

1. Deliver us from Evil
2. Disposable Paradise
3. The killing Game
4. Face of Death (Torment 01)
5. One Nation under God (Off Beat)
6. Cause of Death: Suicide (Club edit)
7. Plastik Christ (instrumental version)
8. Face of Death (2023 mix)
9. Evildoer (2023 mix)
10. Deliver us from Evil (2023 mix)

Suicide Commando was formed by Johan Van Roy in 1986. Two years later he released his first tape under the moniker Suicide Commando.

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!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial-Metal, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Neo Bellum last year released the newest album of his main music project Psyclon Nine. This EP is featuring remixes from songs originally released at “Less To Heaven” plus a few new cuts.

Content: The new songs could have been originally released on the last album; a powerful, dark and tormented debut cut while both songs left are moving into the Cinematic side of “Less To Heaven”. Other tracks are remixes from “See You All In Hell”, “Money And Sex And Death” and “Catastrophic” all originally released on the album. Remixes have been accomplished by Suicide Commando, Skold, Jay E, Snakes Of Russia and Pitch Black.

+ + + : Among the new songs I especially recommend listening to the debut track “For The Night Is Dark And Full Of Terrors”; this is pure sound terror with a tormented sphere on top. This one sounds as Psyclon Nine at its best. Among the remixes I recommend both remixes of “Money And Sex And Death”; one by Jay E and the other by Suicide Commando.

– – – : From a very personal point of view the songs that were chosen to remix aren’t my favorite ones from the album.

Conclusion: This a nice bonus to the last album although not the best work I’ve heard from Psyclon Nine.

Best songs: “For The Night Is Dark And Full Of Terrors”, “Money And Sex And Death – Jay E Remix”, “Money And Sex And Death – Suicide Commando Remix”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/psyclonnineofficial

Label: www.metropolis-records.com / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords Read the news on ‘More To Hell’.

About Psyclon Nine

Psyclon Nine is an American band formed in 2000 in San Francisco, California, blending electronic and industrial metal. Their early work was defined by terror EBM with melancholic atmospheres and black metal-style vocals; over time the band evolved toward a more industrial metal sound incorporating black metal elements. The band’s primary creative force is lead vocalist, lyricist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Nero Bellum, its only original member.

The band’s studio album chronology runs from “Divine Infekt” (2003) and “INRI” (2005) through “Crwn Thy Frnicatr” (2006), “We the Fallen” (2009, the band’s only album to reach the Billboard charts), “Order of the Shadow: Act 1” (2013), “Icon of the Adversary” (2018) and “Less to Heaven” (2022, Metropolis Records). The “More To Hell” EP followed in 2023, collecting new tracks alongside remixes of “Less to Heaven” material by Suicide Commando, Skold, Jay E, Snakes Of Russia and Pitch Black.

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 Belgian electro-industrial act Suicide Commando releases an all new song “God Of Destruction (Lies Lies Lies)” through Out Of Line. The EP deals with issues of religion and mankind.

Johan Van Roy: “While religion is meant to be something constructive, positive and should bring people hope, it unfortunately often is destructive and one of the biggest dangers of mankind. Whether you believe in a Jesus or a God in whatever religion. Religion often brings war, destruction, pain … just think about all those terrorist attacks of the last decades, think about all those wars going on in Africa or elsewhere, and not to speak about the 2 faces of the church and their years of child abuse etc …”

Musically you can expect Johan Van Roy’s signature dark electro.

Besides the main song, the EP contains remixes by the American EBM project Kreign and the Greek act Siva Six. Furthermore you can find a new remake in 2 chapters of “Destroyer of worlds”.

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: EBM, Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: Berlin trio Any Second released in December 2022 their third album to date. Oliver Senger, Thomas Beschoner and Jan Kluge left Out Of Line and joined hands together with Infacted Recordings to unleash “Enemies”. The opus was preceded by the powerful EP-teaser “Scalpel”. “Enemies” is available as a double disc featuring remixes on the bonus disc.

Content: If you know the band from their previous works you immediately will recognize the perfect mix between EBM and Dark-Electro. Nearly all the songs have been sung in English but there’s also one track with German vocals. Any Second don’t reinvent the music genres they’re inspired by but they mix it in a unique way while adding a catchy touch now and then.

The bonus disc features remixes by Suicide Commando (same one as on the EP), Blutengel, Darkness On Demand, Trensity, Die Braut, Captive Of Society, Digital Energy, Seelennacht, Batavia, Ma=st+er and TerrorFrequenz.

+ + + : The global production has been improved in comparison with previous works. There’s a perfect balance between all the different influences while in the end it remains an ultra-danceable work featuring noticeable songs. My absolute favorite cut is probably the most unusual one; “Cornered” is driven by an irresistible, catchy and Pop-driven lead. I also recommend “I Shout”, “Where Is God” and the Tyske Lüdder-sounding “Subtil 19”.

Among the remixes you’ll find great names like Suicide Commando and Blutengel but my favorite remix is the one by Die Braut.

– – – : I expected a bit more out of the bonus disc. Any Second has made a serious progression while I’m sure they still can do better.

Conclusion: A fully accomplished work featuring several, potential, dancefloor killers.

Best songs: “Cornered”, “I Shout”, “Where Is God”, “Subtil 19”, “Enemies Among Friends” + “Scalpel – Die Braut Remix”, “Me And My Enemy – Suicide Commando Remix”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.anysecond.eu / www.facebook.com/anysecond.berlin

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

Listen to “Enemies”:

About Any Second

Any Second is a Berlin-based EBM and dark-electro project founded in 2009 under a different line-up. Jan Kluge, a founding member, is now joined by Oliver Senger and Thomas Beschoner. The band released “Dein Schicksal” as a self-released debut in 2012 and the double-disc “Sünde: Mensch” through Out Of Line in 2018, before signing to Infacted Recordings for “Enemies”, released in December 2022 as its third album, preceded by the EP “Scalpel”.

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: Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: MissFit Toys is a band based in Florida (USA). Active since 2007 they already self-released different productions and finally signed to Distortion Productions to unleash this official debut album at the end of 2022.

Content: From the very first notes and vocals you clearly will recognize the Dark-Electro approach. The cadence and cold melody lines are mainly reminding to Suicide Commando but I can also mention early Grendel as a potential source of inspiration. The work is characterized by carrying, linear, leads and bombastic drum sections.

+ + + : MissFit Toys sound to me as belonging to the class of Suicide Commando. The songs are well-crafted and efficient. There’s nothing truly original but it’s an efficient and noticeable production in its genre.

– – – : The main strength of the album also is its major minus point; no real innovation or originality. The songs are sometimes a bit too linear and predictable after a while.

Conclusion: If you like good-old Dark-Electro style MissFit Toys and “The Nine”-album will definitely catch your attention. This is a band with potential.

Best songs: “Blithe Din”, “Binary Binding”, “Red Dragon”, “Tulpa”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/MissFitToys

Label: www.distortionprod.com / www.facebook.com/distortionproductions Read the news on ‘The Nine’.

Listen to “The Nine”:

About MissFit Toys

MissFit Toys was formed in Orlando, Florida in 2007 by Richie V. Suriv. The aggrotech/industrial act self-released a string of productions before signing to the Pittsburgh-based Distortion Productions for its official debut album, “The Nine”, released December 9, 2022. The band has played live with Dope, Pig, Skold, Psyclon Nine, Combichrist, Grendel and Wednesday 13, and served as direct support for Hocico in spring 2022, with additional Hocico support dates in Mexico announced for 2023.

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

Out via Metropolis Records is “More To Hell”, the newest EP by Psyclon Nine, the project by Los Angeles based musician Nero Bellum. The EP is a 30 minute 8-track companion piece to 2022’s “Less To Heaven”, the current album by Psyclon Nine. It includes new tracks plus remixes by Skold, Suicide Commando, Snakes Of Russia, Jay E and Pitch Black, as well as Bellum himself.

Psyclon Nine is an American industrial metal band formed in 2000 in San Francisco, California. The band was initially founded by musician Nero Bellum and has gone through numerous lineup changes throughout its history.

Psyclon Nine’s music is characterized by its heavy use of electronic instruments, aggressive guitar riffs, and distorted vocals. The band’s early work was heavily influenced by black metal and industrial music, but they have since incorporated elements of other genres such as power electronics, techno, and gothic rock into their sound.

You can check the new EP out below. Read the review of ‘More To Hell’.

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!

side-line.com

(By Stéphane Froidcoeur for Inferno Sound Diaries/Side-Line Reviews) 2022 has been once again a sad, bloody and terrible year. Living in a mad world music once more remains a true therapy to appease pain and frustration. Concerts and festivals came back; the perfect place to meet friends again. Artists remain prolific releasing great studio work. So I’m once more closing the year by a personal selection of my very own ‘best of’-albums of the year.

Over 700 productions have been selected while 540  reviews have been made all over the year. Some productions have been refused because the style of music didn’t fit, while other reviews will be postponed to 2023. I’m really grateful to all labels, bands and promoters considering my work and efforts and I hope you’ll go on providing me new promos next year.

I one again have to express my deepest gratitude to Rich Bova (NEIKKA RPM) who for years and years now is reading, correcting and improving my reviews. Without Rich there would be no reviews. I also want to thank Bernard Van Isacker – chief redactor Side-Line Music Magazine – for the successful collaboration. 

Up now to 2023. I already reduced my activities this year and will move on reducing it in 2023. I made my first reviews and interviews back in 1991 (!). Some of the readers and artists weren’t even born when I wrote my first review for Side-Line. So after more than 30 years non-stop activities I think it’s not that strange to move on slowly.

I also want to express a big ‘F*** you’ to so-called ‘artists’ and label owners who don’t realise and appreciate the work I’m doing by making reviews and preparing interviews to get them in the spotlights. The attitude and less of respect shown by those people – luckily a very few number – is just unacceptable… but I’m afraid it reflects the world we’re living in… Behind a genius artist is not always hiding a great person… It’s quite strange to realise the ’biggest’- and long-time established artists from this scene often are the most accessible ones.

Writing reviews remains very ‘subjective’ and always a source of discussion, but keep in mind it will be always the perception of the reviewer. I can assure you I’m always trying to argue my reviews the best as possible. A review will be never objective, but has to be honest!

Like every year I’ve made a selection from the best albums of the year. This ‘TOP 25’ covers different styles like EBM, Dark-Electro, IDM, Synth-Pop, Ethereal, Dark-Ambient, Industrial, Cinematographic, Gothic, Post-Punk, Cold/Dark-Wave, Dark-Techno and a few related genres. It remains an exciting but tough exercise.

This ‘TOP 25’ is taken from the promotional material I got while compilations, ‘best of’-productions, EP’s and singles were not considered.

So, here’s my ‘TOP 25’ from 2022 and don’t forget to share it with your friends….

Top 25 albums 2022

1. IVARDENSPHERE: “Ragemaker” – Metropolis Records
2. DIE ROBO SAPIENS : “Robo Sapien Race” – Alfa Matrix
3. EBE04 : “Inrush – Give/Take
4. CALDON GLOVER: “Labyrintia” – Cyclic Law
5. ROME: “Hegemonikon” – Trisol
6. NEIKKA RPM: “Scorpio In The Hourglass – Alfa Matrix
7. VANGUARD: “Spectrum” – Infacted Recordings
8. SUICIDE COMMANDO: “Goddestructor” – Out Of Line
9. ELM: “Penetrator” – Alfa Matrix
10. OBERER TOTPUNKT: “Totentanz” – Danse Macabre Records
11. THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE: “Fascination” – Metropolis Records
12. BLACKBOOK: “Confessions Of The Innocent” – DarkTunes Music Group
13. BEYOND THE GHOST: “Sundown” – Cryo Chamber
14. THEN COMES SILENCE: “Hunger” – Metropolis Records
15. PRINCIPE VALLIENTE: “Barricades” – Metropolis Records
16. DAWN OF ASHES: “Scars Of The Broken” – Artoffact Records
17. MONSTERGOD: “Ozymandias” – Space Race Records
18. STATIQBLOOM: “Threat” – Sonic Groove Records
19. AXIOME: “Field Guide To Alien Planets And Other Disco Balls – Audiophob
20. REICHSFEIND: “Darken” – Alfa Matrix
21. FIRST AID 4 SOULS: “I Am The Night” – Alfa Matrix
22. ORDO ROSARIUS EQUILIBRIO: “Nihilist Notes And The Perputual Quest 4 Meaning In Nothing” – Out Of Line
23. KILL SHELTER: “Asylum” – Manic Depression Records / Metropolis Records
24. JAGATH: “Svapna” – Cold Spring Records
25. KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND: “Voodoo” – Shyrec

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: EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Berliner trio Any Second strike back with a new EP as a teaser to their second official album. The work features two original songs plus three remixes.

Content: Any Second moves on mixing pure EBM together with Dark-Electronics. The harsh vocals in English and German accentuate rage hanging over the work. Next to both new cuts we get remixes of other songs taken from the upcoming album. Suicide Commando, Chains Of Agony and Error State have been asked to do the job.

+ + + : Any Second strikes back with a strong teaser to their new album. The songs have been well-crafted resulting in a perfect sonic osmosis of EBM and Dark-Electro. The sound might appeal for lovers of Tyske Ludder. Both new, original, songs are worthy of examination while I highly recommend the remix of “Dreamer” by Error Fate -this project was featured on one of the “Face The Beat”-samplers. I prefer “Teufelskreis” to the title song.

– – – : I’m missing power in the remixes and expected a bit more out of the Suicide Commando-remix which however remains a big name.

Conclusion: This is a powerful teaser to the upcoming album; great Dark-Body-Music made in Germany.

Best songs: “Teufelskreis”, “Scalpel”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.anysecond.eu / www.facebook.com/anysecond.berlin

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

Listen to “Scalpel”:

About Any Second

Any Second is a Berlin-based EBM and dark-electro project founded in 2009 under a different line-up. Jan Kluge, a founding member, is now joined by Oliver Senger and Thomas Beschoner. The band released “Dein Schicksal” as a self-released debut in 2012 and the double-disc “Sünde: Mensch” through Out Of Line in 2018, before signing to Infacted Recordings. The label first issued the “Scalpel” EP, a teaser featuring two original songs and three remixes, ahead of the band’s third album “Enemies”, released in December 2022.

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

From March 31 until April 2, 2023 included you will be able to attend the US festival, Dark Force Fest, a three-day goth-industrial music festival. The festival takes place in Parsippany, NJ (one hour from NYC), at the massive Sheraton Parsippany, an imposing castle styled hotel that features 44,000 square feet of event space with 370 hotel rooms (which are however already sold out, but there are enough hotels in the neighborhood).

Organized by VampireFreaks, the team that brought you the Triton Festival and Dark Side of the Con, this brand new event features a lineup of international bands from the gothic, industrial, darkwave and post-punk scenes. In the line-up we find such bands as HEALTH, Combichrist, Suicide Commando, ACTORS, Rabbit Junk, Vision Video, Empathy Test, Solar Fake, BILE, Psyclon Nine, Das Ich, Bootblacks, Leathers, Josie Pace, God Module, Bella Morte and many more.

In addition to 30+ bands, Dark Force Fest will also feature over 100 vendors, a costume contest, cosplay guests, sideshow performers, fun activities and informative panels. More info can be found at https://darkforcefest.com and you can order your tickets right here.

Below is the poster for the event.

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!

side-line.com

Polish Monstergod-duo this year released their third official full length album “Ozymandias” by Space Race Records.  Miłosz and Marek don’t exactly release new work at regular basis, which probably explains the sound is in constant progress. “Ozymandias” is mixing an impressive number of influences resulting in a kind of ‘Epic-Industrial-Pop-Metal’-work. It’s a major production mixing sensuality and bombast. I talked about this masterpiece with Marek.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Let’s get back to the origins of Monstergod. How did it all started and what was the main purpose when it comes to composition and production? And how did you see the project evolving?

Marek: Me and Miłosz have met about 2000, we became friends, talked about music, books, life etc and in 2003 or 2004 we decided to try making music together. We didn’t have any particular purposes, just wanted to make some music for fun and maybe play a few gigs around. So, it’s going. As well, we usually work on albums together. This time, during recording “Ozymandias”, I was more involved than before. For example I’ve recorded as a few of vocals.

Q: Let’s talk about your sources of inspiration, which are going further than only music. Literature and poetry seem to be very important for Monstergod. Tell us a bit more about these influences and the way you transpose literature and poetry into sound?

Marek: At the beginning of our music journey, we just wanted to make some music inspired by The Sisters Of Mercy, Suicide Commando and Laibach with great poetry of William Blake and Charles Baudelaire.

The general idea is still evolving by adding new inspirations and new poets. On “Ozymandias” we have added, for example, Friedrich Nietzsche to our lyric sources. 

We usually make music first and after that we try to find lyrics for it. It’s not a sophisticated process. Much more interesting is how to find a unique sound to be not just a copycat of other bands but try to make something fresh. That’s why we try to use different instruments on our albums. Of course, what we do is based on electronic, computer-generated sounds but we’re not afraid to play bass, guitars, harp or even banjo or baglama. If something adds something unusual to the music – we would like to use it.

Q: How did the writing and production of “Ozymandias” happened? And tell us a bit more about the title, which must be inspired by  Percy Bysshe Shelley?

Marek: “Ozymandias” is, in my opinion, the most dark and depressive album we have ever done. I started to work on demos back in 2018 but most of the material was created in Covid pandemic. Title song “Ozymandias” was composed as one of the last songs. I wanted something to open the album, to show how we evolve from electronic to epic choir, bass and guitar sound.

I always liked Shelley’s poem. I had no idea how to use it on music. After watching “Alien Covenant” with so great opening scene and declamation of this poem by one of main characters –David, I knew I have to use it at least as a vocal sample. After recording music I added vocals, choirs and used the whole poem as lyric.

Q: Sound-wise this album is a great mix of influences resulting in a kind of ‘Epic-Industrial-Metal-Pop’-production. What is the sound all about and what have been the input of all members and guests -but especially Dariusz ‘Daray’ Brzozowski in the final production? 

Marek: When we started to mix this album I had all of the songs as open music projects ready to be changed if any ideas come up. Once I asked Cesar Soto from Ministry to help me record guitars for “Austere”. He agreed, but after receiving tracks I decided to change a bit an arrangement. Filip ‘Heinrich’, who mixed the album, added bass, some synths and asked me to record live drums with his friend. A moment later, we called Daray to help us.

Daray is a great drummer, probably the best I’ve ever met. He’s a true professional. I had all the drum parts written in midi, Daray played them all adding his own flavor, music sense and feelings. After recording I was more than surprised how it all sound together.

The real hero in this album production was Filip Heinrich who spent hours on calls with me but was also open to record some additional instruments or even changed some arrangements. Without him the album wouldn’t sound as it is. 

Q: I experienced “Ozymandias” as a noticeable evolution in sound, but where do you place this work in the band’s history? And how did you see Monstergod evolving over the years?

Marek: Creating music for fun as I do means to find new ideas. I don’t want to record another identic album. It’s boring. I’m not focused on selling CDs or counting streaming incomes so I can experiment, I can always try to add something new to the sound or sing in German, hahaha. But, at the moment, I see “Ozymandias” as a final chapter of Monstergod history. I have no idea how to evolve further with this project.

Q: “Ozymandias” has been released in dark- and uncertain times. Do you think music and arts generally speaking can bring relief and maybe a solution by connecting people?

Marek: “Ozymandias” is also a reflection of times we live in and my own personal problems I was struggling with. I make music for myself to deal with my own demons and it’s my way getting a relief. If somebody else could get it in the same way –great, but if you feel it too depressive –sorry, do not blame me. Read the review of ‘Ozymandias’.

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

American  Paul M. Graham this year unleashed the fourth album of his Tragic Impulse sonic project. It’s the third opus released by Distortion Productions. “Distant Worlds” takes the listener away to visit a dark- and danceable experience of EBM empowered by Dark-Electronics and Industrial, but also polished with Pop elements. Most elements of the production process have been improved so in the end you get a varied, danceable and efficient work.

(Picture credits by Sergei Photography / Interview courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I remember a previous interview you were talking about growing maturity and studio equipment, which both are essential aspects in the evolution and development of an artist. How did you see both elements evolving from your very first song till the new album?

Paul: I’ve definitely had growth in my production skills since the first album (“Machine Parts”). I felt great about the writing on the first album, but I just didn’t feel the mixing and such was at a similar level. I was still very much a newbie at the time. Rather than farm out that work to a more accomplished producer, I’ve stuck with it and feel pretty good about where things are now. There’s always lots of room for improvement though and I’ll never consider myself a finished product.

As for studio equipment evolution, almost all of that has happened in the form of soft-synths and software tools. I’ve found that I can create the music I want without the extra expense and physical space it takes to keep all the hardware. There are advantages to hardware for sure, but I’ve found that for my needs, I really don’t need that anymore. “Distant Worlds” was done entirely without any hardware synths.

Q: I can imagine “Distant Worlds” was mainly –or entirely, written during the ongoing pandemic. In which way did COVID affected your artistic activities and your mood plus creativity when composing the opus?

Paul: The album is definitely a product of the pandemic and the track “Oubliette” is a great example of that. The term by definition means: ‘a dungeon with the only entrance or exit being a trap door in the ceiling’. It’s a dark song that parallels the confinement, fear, and uncertainty we all felt/have been feeling during this time. Other tracks also have hints of this mood and feel as well.

Q: What have been the different stages from the moment you started writing the first song for “Distant Worlds” till the moment you got the production finished? What have been the main challenges when composing this album and what are your biggest points of satisfaction?

Paul: I tend to ‘nibble’ with my song creation, moving around from one song to the next and back again, and this album was no different. Sometimes everything falls into place with a song and I finish it in one pass but that’s rare. Giving me time between songs helps me prevent listening fatigue and keeps me inspired. My method might seem strange to some artists, but it works for me.

For “Distant Worlds”, the bulk of the album writing was done during the pandemic and since I had spent more time indoors, I created lot more material I considered viable for the album. At one point, I had considered doing a double-album but the ten I went with just felt right. Having all that material is both a blessing and a curse because while I had a lot to choose from, deciding what stays and goes is always hard.

I’d say the biggest point of satisfaction is that the album seems to have successfully provided a little something for everyone and avoids pitfalls like repetition and predictability. I asked fans shortly after the album was released what their favorite songs were, and the answers were all over the place. Hearing that kind of feedback is always very satisfying and rewarding. 

Q: I experienced “Distant Worlds” as your most diversified album to date; from familiar EBM/Dark-Electro songs to sophisticated passages reminding me Clock DVA to a furious cover version of Ministry. Tell us a bit more about the content and different influences running through the work?

Paul: I touched on this a little bit in the last question, but I feel great about the diversification on this album and that’s probably because that’s an approach I favor in the artists I listen to as well. “Oubliette” is dark and brooding, “Failed Reality” up-tempo/high energy, and “Dance Till You Die” stompy so there’s some ground covered there. “Parasite” is also an interesting example of that diversification because it feels so very different than the rest of the album. It’s actually been a very popular track and that’s probably because of the throwback EBM vibe it has to it. As for the Ministry cover of “Just One Fix”, I really wanted to pay homage to a song that was a gateway for me getting into Industrial music. I was mostly into Metal music back-in-the-day and when I transitioned on from that I was looking for something with an edge to it and bands like Ministry, Front Line Assembly and KMFDM bridged that gap. To this day I’m still heavily influenced by those bands.

Q: I think you’ve live dates planned in the US so tell us a bit more about Tragic Impulse on stage? What might people expect when going to a live show and how do you transpose the studio sound to the stage? What about European shows?

Paul: Our live shows have always translated well from the studio and part of that is by design. For example, I never use too many FX or heavily process my vocals for that reason. When you hear me sing live, I want you to have a similar experience to our recorded material, so I put an emphasis on that. Also, I’m not sure why, but we tend to surprise people (in a good way) with our live shows. It’s happened so many times, we started referring to it as “The Response” lol.  I think this may happen because we don’t have the same name recognition as some of the bigger bands so we surprise people when they see us. So while they expect someone like Suicide Commando to be amazing (and rightfully so), us…?, not so much. We’re working hard to change that however!

As for live dates, a few months ago we played the Dark Side of the Con festival and that was an amazing experience. We also just finished performing at the Distortion Productions (Jim Semonik) 200^th show extravaganza and we had an awesome and energized crowd for that one as well.  Upcoming shows in 2022 include a date in New-York City with Rain Within, Red Lokust and Interface, and one in Pittsburgh with Solar Fake. We had hoped to tour more in support of the album this year but have had some unexpected interruptions in our schedules so we’re looking to hit that hard next year.

We haven’t played anywhere in Europe yet but that’s definitely on our ‘to-do’ list. Playing at something like WGT would be a dream for us. For you promoters out there, we can be contacted at info@tragicimpulse.com 

Q: What place did Tragic Impulse take in your life? What are the further plans and ultimate goals? 

Paul: Since the live show is my wife Heidi on keys, and me on vocals, it’s been a great way for us to travel and meet new people. The recorded music is great but the real thrill for us is live shows since we get to connect with fans, other bands, promoters, DJ’s, etc. We’ve been into the Goth/Industrial scene the entire time we’ve been together (almost 19 years) and the band is just another way we get to spend time together doing what we love.

As for the future, we’ll keep making music and keep playing shows with the intention of playing more gigs in more places. Hopefully we can keep that momentum going!

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: Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl, Cassette.

Background/Info: Five years have passed since the last studio album “Forest Of The Impaled”. In the meantime the army of Suicide Commando fans got a few noticeable singles and the “Mindstrip Redux”-album.

Content: Suicide Commando strikes back with a hard and merciless work. Inspired by themes which stand for the loss of the world Johan Van Roy has found his inspiration he transposed into solid bass lines with EBM influences, dark melody lines, aggressive sequences, banging rhythms and enraged, cavernous vocals. One of the exceptions are the female vocals by guest singer Charlotte Nuytkens injecting a ‘human’ and artistic touch to one of the songs. You’ll rediscover the latest hits “Bang Bang Bang”, “Trick Or Treat” and “Bunkerbitch”.

+ + + : Suicide Commando strikes back with rage and fury, which both were elements I was missing at “Forest Of The Impaled”. This is Suicide Commando at its best; a great sound DNA, well-crafted Dark-Electro cuts accentuated by some solid bass lines, freaky samplings and tormented, icy, sound atmospheres. The best cuts remain the aforementioned ‘singles’ although I also like the opening piece “Kill All Humanity”, “Jesus Freak” and especially “Destroyer Of Worlds” which is carried by an irresistible bass line and pumping kick.

– – – : The softer “Land Of Roses” featuring female vocals byCharlotte Nuytkens is a cool experiment revealing a talented singer, but this is Suicide Commando and I’m missing rage!

Conclusion: Suicide Commando feeds its inspiration by world dramas, horror, religious fanatism and other related themes so how would this project sound-like when living in a happy, shining and bright world? Terror rules and so does Suicide Commando!

Best songs: “Trick Or Treat”, “Bang Bang Bang”, “Destroyer Of Worlds”, “Kill All Humanity”, “Jesus Freak”, “Bunkerbitch – Censored”.

Rate: 9.

Artist: www.suicidecommando.be / www.facebook.com/IIXIII

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel Read the news on ‘Goddestruktor’.

About Suicide Commando

Suicide Commando is a Belgian electro-industrial project formed by Johan Van Roy in Leopoldsburg in 1986. Van Roy released his first tape under the name in 1988 and signed to the German label Off Beat, releasing debut album “Critical Stage” in 1994, followed by “Stored Images” in 1995 and “Construct-Destruct” in 1998. Van Roy co-founded the Dependent label in 1999, releasing “Mindstrip” in 2000, “Axis Of Evil” in 2003 and “Bind, Torture, Kill” in 2006. In 2009 the project signed to the German label Out Of Line, releasing “Implements Of Hell” in 2010, “When Evil Speaks” in 2013 and “Forest Of The Impaled” in 2017, the latter featuring guest vocals from Jean-Luc De Meyer of Front 242 on lead single “The Pain That You Like”. “Goddestruktor” follows on Out Of Line five years later, with guest vocals from Charlotte Nuytkens.

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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The small Belgian label Walhalla Records announces a limited run of the Suicide Commando vinyl “Industrial Underground” featuring the very first 4-track home recordings of Suicide Commando from 1987. This is a real treat for those of you who like the very minimal and old school sounds of Suicide Commando.

The first 100 copies contain an extra insert signed by Johan Van Roy. Below are some visuals.

The LP will officially be presented from 6 pm tomorrow on in Djingel Djangel on the Walhalla Records Label Night and you will also be able to buy the release during this event. Unfortunately Johan Van Roy will not be able to attend the event. The music during this free event will be provided by DJs Aimé (Walhalla Records) & Baxter (Wave Frequencies).

Full info on the event can be found right here.

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-Electro, EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Four years after the official debut album “Do Not Pass That door” German duo Björn Miethe (vocals) and Daniel Gosewisch (machines) are back on track unleashing the second full length of System Noire.

Content: The main sources of inspiration remain pretty similar to the debut album, but the global writing- and production process both have been improved. The songs are carried by danceable vibes and melodic sequences reminding me of Mordacious. The songs have been sung in English and German. There also is one cut featuring female vocals.

+ + + : The music sounds pretty cliché, but there’s an audience for it. This is danceable Dark-Electro spiced with EBM elements. I like the production of the vocals which create a zombie-like effect. It makes the band easily recognizable and that’s for sure a very positive evolution. System Noire will appeal to lovers of Stahlnebel vs. Black Selket and Suicide Commando.

– – – : This band brings nothing new so the work becomes quickly predictable.

Conclusion: System Noire has seriously improved the production and has even accomplished a few potential dancefloor killers.

Best songs: “Tarantallegra”, “Katharsis”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/SystemNoire

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

Listen to “Zeitgeist”:

About System Noire

System Noire is a dark electro and synthpop project from Hanover, Germany, formed in 2012 by singer Björn Miethe. Keyboard player Daniel Gosewisch joined in 2016, turning the project into a duo.

The pair released the debut EP “On The Other Side” through DarkTunes, with Henrik Iversen of NamNamBulu guesting on the title track. A remix of that song by Desastroes was included on the free Side-Line download compilation “Face The Beat: Session 4”, where the project was introduced in July 2017. The first full-length album “Do Not Pass That Door” followed on Danse Macabre. In 2021 the duo also appeared as guests on “Extraterrestrial BIOS Systemshell” by Colombian act Alien:Nation.

“Zeitgeist” was released on 3 June 2022 on Danse Macabre in digital and CD formats and runs twelve tracks: “War Never Changes”, “Katharsis”, “New Dark Nation”, “Killing Game”, “Lullaby”, “Absolution”, “Throw The Dice”, “Perfektion”, “Sea Of Tears”, “Tarantallegra”, “Weltenbrand” and “Zeitgeist”. It is the album on which the band first added guitar riffs and German-language lyrics to its sound.

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: Dark-Electro, EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: This is album number seven for the Belgian solo-project “Normative Conformity”. It also is the second work released by Russian label Insane Records.

Content: If you’re already familiar with the sound of this artist you’ll be pleased to discover a new dark and haunted production. The songs are switching between EBM and Dark-Electro. Imagine the bass lines of Leather Strip together with the darkness of Vomito Negro and the icy leads of Suicide Commando and you’ll get an idea about this work.

+ + + : Reality’s Despair is progressively growing in writing and global sound production. I like this album for its wider range of influences which are moving in between EBM and Dark-Electro. I noticed great bass lines and overwhelming, cold, melodic leads. The sound perfectly matches with the spooky production of the vocals. I’ll mention “The Other Side” and “A Great Resist” as absolute attention grabbers.

– – – : I’m sometimes missing a bit innovation with this kind of productions, but at the other side Reality’s Despair is simply improving itself in its beloved Dark-Electro & EBM style.

Conclusion: Reality’s Despair remains one of the most underrated bands from the Belgian Dark-Electro scene.

Best songs: “The Other Side”, “A Great Resist”, “Strahlenflught”, “Gulf Breeze”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/realitysdespair

Label: www.insane-records.com /  www.facebook.com/InsaneRecordsEU Read the news on ‘Normative Conformity’.

Listen to “Normative Conformity”:

About Reality’s Despair

Reality’s Despair is a Belgian one-man EBM and dark electro project run by Tom. It was formed in 1997 and independently released several titles over the following three years, after which the project was put on hold for eighteen years.

Tom picked the project back up in 2018 and self-released three further albums and a single. Insane Records signed him in 2021 and issued the label debut Perfidious Depopulation on 17 April 2021, an eleven-track album with three reworked versions, on CD and download.

“Normative Conformity” followed on 31 May 2022 as the project’s seventh album and its second for Insane Records. The CD edition was limited to 100 copies, with a digital release on the usual platforms. The album holds eleven new dark electro tracks plus three alternate versions of “Gulf Breeze”, “Conformity” and “When Your Eyes Are Closed”.

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

(Photo by Nihil Media / artwork by Pixelbreed) Out now from the German industrial veteran Rüdiger Schuster is his third and final solo album in the ‘industrial tracks’ trilogy, “Schuster III – Final Ten Industrial Tracks” on Bandcamp.

You will know Schuster for both “Trauma” and “Drown” which were featured on “Face The Beat: Session 7” and “Face The Beat: Session 5”, but he’s been around the scene for 40 years with bands like Stumpff, ULAA, Die Guten Deutschen and also starred in cult movies like “Kinder der Nacht” I and II.

This new album offers raw and heavy Industrial / EBM in the spirit of Youth Code or Revolting Cocks. 7 tracks are sung in English and 3 tracks in German.

Rüdiger: “It´s a concept album about my near death experience and brain damage I suffered from a cerebral haemorrhage.” And his producer Nihil adds: “We created a stripped-down record, designed as a tour-de-force experience for the audience. Raw, live and authentic.”

All instruments on this record were recorded live and intentionally produced without the use of quantization or copy & paste. No synthesizers and no keyboards were used, either. Next to Schuster on vocals, we find Nihil on sample duties and Flexxxis Maschine on noise. The record was mixed by Nihil Media and mastered by Ben Blutzukker.

The artwork was delivered by German designer Pixelbreed (Deadcibel, SITD, Funkervogt). All interior art is based on Schuster´s authentic medical scans visualizing his injuries. The full booklet includes all lyrics and is includes as a ready to print PDF.

The first music video for “Trauma” was already released on YouTube with one music video for each song on the record soon to come.

Here is the full album to check out.

About Rüdiger Schuster

Rüdiger has been active in some of the best-known scene bands over the past 40 years.

He started his career working with Die Guten Deutschen (1979 – 1986), a band which gained a cult following in the alternative scene of Düsseldorf.

You also find him back with Garden Of Delight (1991 – 1992) where he recorded all bass tracks on their debut album.

A few years later he joined U.L.A.A (1994 – 1998) with whom he released three albums and toured in Germany and Benelux countries supporting acts like Suicide Commando, Thumb and Dance or Die.

Schuster was also a live-musician on synthesizers in EBM-pioneer Tommi Stumpff´s live band during their comeback period (2015 – 2021).

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!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Suicide Commando is working on a new full length and that’s a damned good thing as the last ‘new’ album already dated from 2017 (!). This new EP features next to the title song the previously released single “Trick Or Treat” (released for Halloween 2021).

Content: The title song is not a cover version of the famous “Bang Bang”-song but a merciless Dark-Electro assault inspired by war and gun violence. A remix has been made by C-Lekktor. “Trick Or Treat” is another violent piece. Next to the original version there’s a surprising and totally different version/remix by Fuckbot.

+ + + : Suicide Commando strikes back with a bang. If both songs are teasers to the upcoming full length it will be one of the most violent works ever released by Johan Van Roy. “Bang Bang Bang” is a terrific piece of Dark-Electro; powerful, dark, danceable and tormented. I also want to say a word about the cool remix of “Trick Or Treat” by Fuckbot which even features a few Acid sequences.

– – – : Two singles instead of one so no reason to complain.

Conclusion: Suicide Commando added two more hits to its endless list; the true power of Dark-Electro!

Best songs: “Bang Bang Bang”, “Trick Or Treat”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.suicidecommando.be / www.facebook.com/IIXIII

Labels: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel / www.metropolis-records.com / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords Read the news on ‘Bang Bang Bang’.

About Suicide Commando

Suicide Commando was founded in 1986 by Johan Van Roy in Leopoldsburg, Belgium. The project started out self-released on tape before signing to Off Beat in the mid-1990s.

Van Roy issued the debut album “Critical Stage” in 1994, followed by “Stored Images” (1995) and “Mindstrip” (2000), the latter via Dependent Records. Later albums include “Bind, Torture, Kill” (2006), “When Evil Speaks” (2013) and “Forest Of The Impaled” (2017), the last full-length before this EP.

The “Bang Bang Bang” EP appeared on Out Of Line in 2022. The full length it previewed followed later the same year as “Goddestruktor“. Van Roy returned to the earliest material again in July 2025 on the “Final Stage” EP, which reworked five songs from “Critical Stage” and added “De weg”, his first Suicide Commando song sung in Dutch.

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

Out on July 22 is an all new Suicide Commando album and this time Johan Van Roy also hired the voice of Charlotte Nuytkens, finalist of the Belgian edition of “The Voice” on the track “Land of Roses”.

The regular edition comes as double-CD in digipak, featuring a full length bonus-CD with exclusive remixes of album tracks by Suicide Commando itself and befriended artists such as Cryo, Assemblage 23, C-Lekktor, Dead when I found Her, Tactical Sekt and others.

The album is also out as a limited edition double clear vinyl featuring all 10 main tracks of the new album, 3 tracks from 2 deleted singles and an exclusive version of “Kill all Humanity”.

And finally there is also a limited deluxe boxset (666 copies worldwide) which contains:

• The regular digi2CD
• Exclusive bonus 2CD: CD1 contains a ‘Collective Suicide Best of” Album, featuring a selection of the most popular tracks by Suicide Commando, while CD2 is a ‘Collective Suicide’ of rare tracks-compilation
• Customized Suicide Commando cross body bag
• Hand-numbered certificate

Below are some visuals from the 3 versions. Read the review of ‘Goddestruktor’.

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!

side-line.com

(Photo by Sandra Sturm) To kick off the forthcoming album by Belgian hard-electro pioneer act Suicide Commando, Johan van Roy and co. present a foretaste of what to expect: “Bang bang bang”. This 4-track maxi CD is available now on MCD in strictly limited edition of 500 copies worldwide.

Johan explains the track: “Each day too many people die from gun violence! Even though the song actually is about gun violence, it now also got an extra dimension with the current war in Ukraine. How power, greed, and hate can cause destruction & war. Make music, not war!”

In addition to “Bang bang bang”, the single “Trick or Treat” which was released on Halloween 2021 is also included on the maxi, along with a remix of each of these tracks.
Watch the video below.

You can check the full MCD below. Read the review of ‘Bang Bang Bang’.

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!

side-line.com

Carlos Ruiz got involved with the Spanish Dark-Electro duo Dioxyde. The band gained recognition in its genre, but Carlos left in 2004 to move on with his solo-project Asseptic Room. The sound became different although still driven by good-old Dark-Electro vibes. The albums “Morbid Visions” (2006) and “Visceralophobia” (2011) saw the daylight. It next took ten years to Asseptic Room to strike back. Carlos Ruiz got joined by Mario González to compose the new work “Extinction Or Reawaken”. The opus has been again released by Advoxya Records and became a double album revealing next to the Dark-Electro influences at the first disc a more Cinematic exploration at the second disc. I asked a few questions about the past, the present and the future to both protagonists.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I noticed you first started in the scene as DJ. What kind of music were you playing and how did you finally made the step to compose your own music and getting involved with Dioxyde?

Carlos: I started as a professional DJ in a famous club in Madrid somewhere at the end of 1987 – beginning of 1988. I started collecting vinyls since I was 14 years old and my ear was always attracted by genres that were not very commercial at that time. One day a couple of vinyls came into my hands in an import store, (“Party Hate” from Click Click and “Freiheit Fuer Die Sklaven” from Pankow), which made me listen to genres such as Industrial, EBM from the 80’s and especially Dark-Electro from the 90’s.

I started to compose my first tracks in 1991, when I was able to buy my first great computer ever and a Kawai keyboard. But it wouldn’t be until 1998 when I would meet Marcos Calvo and decided to take the leap to produce an album. During one of my sessions as a DJ in a famous Club in Madrid, I met Marcos Calvo who told me about the idea of ​​making music together. In a short lapse of time we had a lot of good songs; Marcos had already composed some good songs, and at that time I had many bases and consolidated themes, which we finally managed to adapt to create the first Dioxyde album “Torschlusspanik”.

I decided to send a cassette with a small sample to Johan Van Roy (Suicide Commando). I never thought  he would answer that soon with the intention to know more about the project. It was the beginning of a beautiful story.

Q: How did you finally come to set up Asseptic Room and what makes the difference in sound and approach with Dioxyde?

Carlos: My experience with Dioxyde was incredible. It allowed me to grow as an artist and develop all my creativity and to create my own compositions. Time passing by I found the need to do something on my own and create that dark sound that had been spinning around in my head for so many years. So in 2006 I decided to take a leap into the void and started working for my most personal project.

With Asseptic Room I wanted to explore other types of genres, perhaps more retro, Experimental, more Ambient, but without neglecting the hardness of the percussion and the melodies that have been so successful in my previous work with Dioxyde and used to create songs. such as “Acto Primero”, “Angel (Espina Mortal)”, “Panzerfaust”, “Primary Structures” or “Torschlüsspanik”, a track that I had created for a long time and which has a lot of strength.

That same year (2006) I sent my first demo to Tommy T (DSBP Records) to release the first album “Morbid Visions”. The album responded satisfactorily to my expectations and proof of this is the long list of compilations that wanted to include songs from that first album.

Also, it gave me the opportunity to do some remixes for bands like: Alien Produkt, Vigilante, Aengeldust, Haushetaere, Tyske Ludder or Acylum (Pedro Engel’s project with whom I have had contact on several occasions to create some of my best remixes). Nor will I forget, the magnificent remixes that have been created for Asseptic Room, to highlight among others those of Totalverlust, Acylum, Hioctan, Reality, Suicide Solution, Proyecto Mirage, Larva and many others.

During these years I got in touch with my great friend, Mario González and we had the opportunity to work together in the studio, developing a track for this album. Next I personally went through dark and very difficult years. It was like this until 2011 and the release of the second album “Visceralofobia”. It was a difficult album, like a challenge going through a restless and desperate period. But in the end and with a lot of efforts I was able to release the album thanks to Advoxya Records. After this album I’d to go though the most difficult moments of my life resulting in abandoning the creation of music for many years.

Q: So does the new album you released last year feel like a new beginning? How did it feel all these years without releasing new material? What brought you back to compose new songs?

Carlos: Finally, after the loss of my partner and two years of mourning I came back to surface. One night some musical notes began to sound that I could not stop listening to over and over again. I had to get up and play it in the middle of the night. The first thing I thought was that it was different and it was born from deep within. Those were the first notes of “The Memory Of Silence”; I even imagine to play it in a great philharmonic. A nice dream;)

Around the same time I got back in touch with Mario after many years and everything started flowing quickly. The Covid 19 pandemic came into our lives and for us there were moments of great creativity that helped us to create many new songs.

Q: The new album “Extinction Or Reawaken” has been released as a double album and there clearly is a difference between both discs; than main disc is pure Dark (h)El(l)ectro music while the second disc sounds more into Soundtrack. Tell us a bit more about both discs and the global production process of the work?

Carlos: When we began to develop the songs for the new album, we realized that we had a lot of material and we did not want to leave any song off the album, for this reason we had to think that “Extinction Or Reawaken” should be a double one. It is true that in a few months we had a large and varied number of songs, some songs are pure Dark-Electro, but I incorporate new elements to the compositions that make them different from other personal works.

We had to stop for a moment to reflect if we wanted to create classic dark music or experiment to achieve what our heads wanted with these new compositions. We finally decided to open up and experiment with a multitude of genres.

We had classic songs, perfect to be played in an orchestra, with epic choirs and we had to learn to work with this type of instrument. We also had tremendously hard and dark tracks and other ambient and epic songs.

In the end, all those tracks were a mixture of feelings and emotions, which tell a story full of symbolism for us. It has been a very hard job that has lasted many months, and we are very satisfied with the final result.


Q: What have been the main sources of inspiration to compose this new work and what did you try to express by the title? What has been the input of Mario González and how did you get in touch?

Mario: The inspiration came mainly from the recent loss of our family members. They were very hard times for both of us, but thanks to this we have done our best work.
We explore many sounds with our equipment and for the first time we did not dare to put any limits on creativity and we were open to explore and experiment   even antagonistic genres.

We try to go beyond the Dark-Electro genre by simply trying to imprint the soul of Asseptic Room by using influences from classical music, epic passages, Tibetan sounds and even pure noise.

The album title was chosen on the edge of life’s bad circumstances and somehow represents the nature of human life that transcends good and evil to survive/self-extinct.

Carlos: Mario and I got in touch at the end of 2019 at a perfect time and with all the past experience we had making some tracks for the “Morbid Visions”-album. The process happened automatically and we rarely even talked about how to make music because of a very special connection. We really enjoy doing these things.

Q: How do you see Asseptic Room evolving and what are the further plans –especially in times of ongoing pandemic? 

Mario: Our next plans are to prepare the concert in Madrid with Hocico. We have finished taking up the album “Visceralofofia” with a new production. Eight tracks are included in this new work and our idea is to release it in a special vinyl edition. Now we have to assess the budget to launch it in the coming months.
We have also started working on new songs for Asseptic Room and doing a review of tracks created in my period with Dioxyde. A special way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the project.

Carlos: The pandemic has not stopped our illusion of continuing to do what we like and now our creativity is at a high level and we are excited about the amount of work we have in our hands. The pandemic has been very hard, as for everyone, but thanks to music we have been able to escape from this madness.

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

By the end of 2021 Mexican formation Sodomy Down The Cross unleashed the gfull length album “Sodomy Down The Cross”. The album was released by Insane Records revealing a powerful and enraged Dark-Electro format. The band introduced their work as ‘Reborn from the ruins of a country consumed by violence where every day crime steals the front pages of the main national newspapers, where people live in fear of being riddled with bullets, where the sound of bullets becomes in the usual aural landscape inside and outside the big cities Sodomy Down The Cross explores through a new sound the reverberation of constant fury and aggression in a corrupt society.’ This is a production I highly recommend to all lovers of great Dark-Electro music. I asked a few questions to ‘BlackNeyton’ and ‘Ivanov Scylla’.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Can you tell us a bit more about the origins of Sodomy Down The Cross? How did the band saw the daylight and what have been the main sources of inspiration?

BlackNeyton: The origins of Sodomy Down The Cross are going back to 2001 at the border between Mexico and the United States, Texas and Tamaulipas to be more exact.

My personal influences that in turn gave life to the project initially were bands like Mysticum, Samael, Limbonic Art, Ulver, Burzum, Arcturus, Satyricon, Marduk, Deicide, Aura Noir, Nocturnal Breed, Morbid Angel, Mayhem etc and of course bands like Wumpscut, Skinny Puppy that allowed me to merge styles. I was looking for a new sound that combined the brutal atmospheres and riffs of Metal with Industrial and rhythmic sounds, with a heartbreaking voice, a theme of incitement to violence, the macabre, obscurantism, evil and thus influence the music to the listener.

Ivanov Scylla: Sodomy Down The Cross serves as an opportunity for me to share that dark vision of the world through music, to generate a catharsis and allow a bit of liberation for the alter ego that we all have inside.

The inspiration comes from my observation of the world and reality that often surpasses fiction and invites us to reflect, to annoy each other and shout at the world with the things that we do not agree with, the things that we continue to allow to happen thanks to the selfishness that becomes like the hydra in our consumerist society. My influences are bands like Tactical Sekt, Aslan Faction, Hocico , Suicide Commando , Skinny Puppy , Ministry etc…

Q: The name of the band definitely has something aggressive and provocative, which also comes back in the lyrical themes of the album “The Dead Live The Living Kill”. What do you try to express and what’s the importance to externalize aggressive topics throughout your music?

BlackNeyton: The name itself is a metaphor that can have the meaning each person wants to give it, the image that each one forms in its mind, perhaps something religious, satanic, worldly, sexual or perverse.

For me personally it reminds me of the story of Genesis 18.20.21 of Sodom and Gomorrah, everything that these cities represent in other cultures, starting from there I imagine music taking that place as a reference but besieging it in the present and future.

Ivanov Scylla: The lyrics are a reflection and a projection of human wickedness, that which causes us to continually stay at war, that which allows us as humans to remain stoic in the face of human pain, all that anger that remains imprisoned every time we see the news and we realize the decadence in which we live, it is a scream of fury!

The aggression in our lyrics is an invitation! To know and investigate what each of the stories we want to tell with our music is about.

Q: What kind of album did you’d in mind when starting the writing of “The Dead Live The Living Kill”? What’s your way of working and what’s the input of each member?

BlackNeyton: From the beginning we thought of making an album with Industrial rhythms and EBM overtones, more urban sounds and gloomy atmospheres, focused on the dancefloor as an experiment to give way to a new sound and new releases to come.

My way of working could be said to be that of any composer, on a day-to-day basis I begin to create sounds and melodies in my mind, which later accompany me, I put together like a puzzle and you focus on them in the studio until you create and polish what you imagine. There are sessions of 6 hours per day, non-connective, but most of the composition is mental, I travel a lot and my team always accompanies me, that is my case. I’m in charge of music production.

Ivanov Scylla: Definitely something Industrial!! There is no aspect that represents technological evolution and social involution as much as Industrial music, the automatism of the roar and the creak of the machines, mixed with harmonies, melodies and dark atmospheres, the human part of the band.

I try to contribute in the vocals, lyrics and visuals, everything that the musical part of Sodomy Down The Cross projects to me. It is an intense conversation between the rhythmic and melodic sequences, with the lyrics in each of the songs, my job is to achieve that our visions merge to make the message of the band unify, to enter the same journey.

Q: What elements of the album make you proud and what are the elements you would like to improve?

BlackNeyton: The songs give me a good feeling which makes the music more expressive. It creates emotion and allows you to escape from reality. We try to do something different than the standards so we experiment with other styles. The response of the people has been surprising in such a short lapse of time.

Artem from Sleetgrout mastered the album and did a great job. He managed to give quality and strength to the sounds. His work was very professional and got my my respect.

The improvements like new rhythms and more elaborated atmosphere will be heard at the next album which we are working on.

Ivanovscylla: I love listening to the album over and over again and never got a bored feeling. It makes me think that there is something special and addictive coming through the music.  I can’t help it but I move, dunk, sing… so every time I can it feels exciting to rediscover the album again.

If there was something that I wanted to improve, maybe it would be personal. Sometimes it is difficult to deal with that alter ego that we constantly talk about in our songs and let him allow us to work in peace haha it is a constant internal struggle, the point will be to agree more with us ourselves to be able to express everything we still can, through music.

Q: I noticed there’s a lyrical clip for the song “Die Fünfte Sonne”, which I think is not exactly the most representative song for this aggressive album, but it also is the opening track. Why did you make a clip of this song and what’s the importance of a debut track?

Blackneyton: “Die Fünfte Sonne” is a song that tells a story about our culture. We are part of that ‘Preshispanica Aztec, Mayan, Olmec’ culture. We see it everywhere, we live it, eat it and breathe it, it flows in  our blood and spirit. We wanted to tell the story of the fifth sun, the story of a new beginning. People who know that story will understand the clip as it is a journey, which we were looking for to share.

Ivanov Scylla: “Die Fünfte Sonne” is the door that allows us to enter our musical journey, we try to tell a story about our traditions, our past, one that is often unknown even to our own society that allows us to illustrate how life acts in a cyclical way; create and destroy , remember and forget. It is our metaphorical way of creating a bridge between albums (a new beginning).

Q: The album has been released during the ongoing pandemic so I can imagine it’s not an easy thing considering aspects as promotion and live shows. How do you manage this situation and what are the further plans about shows, remixes, releases etc?

BlackNeyton: The theme of the show, which is something that interests us in the future, as soon as conditions allow us. Without a doubt, we will enjoy that energy that is felt in the live shows, but at this moment our priority is to compose music.

It was because of the pandemic that Sodomy Down The Cross began to work on new music and become interested in new projects. This was possible thanks to meeting interesting and talented people like Vladimir Mironov, who introduced us to Evgeniy Fesslav Vorozheykin from Insane Records, who is a very  professional and good friend.

Insane Records is a very good label doing a professional job. We we are already working on remixes and very soon on the next album.

Ivanov Scylla: The pandemic has reduced on a large scale the way in which society relates and we are not the exception, but in pandemic times we have found new ways of working, of conversing and of meeting again musically, it has not been easy by any means, but we will focus our batteries on new releases, on the visual accompaniment of our music, and continue doing what we like. Sodomy Down The Cross is our revulsive, our way of liberating, our way of putting society in front of a mirror to realize how terrific it can be.

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

Over the past 12 months Inferno Sound Diaries‘ Stéphane Froidcoeur selected nearly 750 productions of which 600 also got a review on Side-Line. Some productions have been refused because the style of music didn’t fit, while a lot of reviews are still to be published in 2022.

Stéphane: “I’m really grateful to all labels, bands and promoters considering my work and efforts and I hope they’ll keep on providing me new promos next year. My greatest gratitude and thank goes once again to Rich Bova (NEIKKA RPM) who for years and years now is reading, correcting and improving the reviews. I don’t have enough words to express my gratitude and without Rich I simply would have to stop this job. No need to say I’ve been once again disappointed by a few so-called ‘artists’ and label owners. The attitude and lack of respect shown by those people -luckily a very few number, is just disgusting… but I’m afraid it reflects the world we’re living in… Behind a genius artist is not always hiding a great person…”

2021 has been also a very special year for Stéphane as he celebrated his 30th anniversary of journalism with an impressive series of interviews featuring very different people from this scene. Stéphane : “Big thanks to Séba Dolimont, Suicide Commando, Juno Reactor, Raison D’Être, Jürgen Vanvlasselaer, Rich Bova, Armageddon Dildos and Bernard Van Isacker who kindly accepted to contribute to this celebration.”

Here are the interviews conducted:

• Celebration Interview with Bernard Van Isacker (Side-Line & Alfa Matrix)
• Celebration Interview’ with Uwe Kanka / Armageddon Dildos
• Celebration Interview’ with ‘Music Lover’ Jürgen Vanvlasselaer
• Celebration Interview’ with Rich Bova / Neikka RPM
• Celebration Interview’ with Peter Andersson / Raison D’Être
• Celebration Interview’ with Ben Watkins aka Juno Reactor
• Celebration Interview’ with Johan Van Roy (Suicide Commando)
• Celebration Interview’ with Seba Dolimont (Alfa Matrix)

Like every year Stéphane has made a selection from the best albums of the year. This Top 25 covers different styles like EBM, Dark-Electro, IDM, Synth-Pop, Ethereal, Dark-Ambient, Industrial, Cinematographic, Gothic, Post-Punk, Dark-Techno and a few related genres and is taken from the promotional material we got while compilations, ‘best of’-productions, EP’s and singles were not considered for this ‘best of’.

But now, here are the 25 best albums!

1. Rome – “Parlez-Vous Hate?” – Trisol
2. Circumpolar – “Awaiting The Dawn” – Alfa Matrix
3. Clicks – “Goth” – Dependent Records
4. Of The Wand And The Moon – “Your Love Can’t Hold This Wrath Of Sorrow” – Heidrunar Mykrunar
5. Crystal Geometry – “Distressing Visions” – Sonic Groove
6. Mechanimal – “Θόρυβος” – Inner Ear Records
7. Raison D’être – “Demonum“ – Cyclic Law
8. Zwaremachine – “Conquest 3000” – Phage Tapes
9. Eclipsed – “Holyiens” – Electro Frequent
10. Nattskiftet – “Stamplar In” – Progress Productions
11. Nnhmn – “Deception Island 2” – Zoharum
12. This Morn’omina – “The Roots Of Saraswati” – Dependent Records
13. Skrika – “Fifth Nature” – Cryo Chamber
14. Llumen – “Polygon Heart” – Alfa Matrix
15. Not My God – “Simulacra” – Metropolis
16. Seasurfer – “Metropolis” – Reptile Music
17. Ps Stamps Back – “Au Bout De La Nuit” – Ant-Zen
18. The Illusion Of Silence – “Gardens In The Dark” – Shadowplay
19. She Spread Sorrow – “Huntress” – Cold Spring Records
20. Blutengel – “Fountain Of Destiny” – Out Of Line
21. Agonoize – “Revelation Six Six Sick” – Reporecords
22. The Force Dimension – “Mortal Cable” – Sonic Groove Experiments
23. Cubic – “The Cubic Alphabet” – Alfa Matrix
24. Pyrroline – “Struggling” – Electro Aggression Records
25. Beckahesten – “Tydor” – Cyclic Law

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Back in 1991 I started writing my first reviews for Side-Line magazine. I would have never thought to go on writing reviews and making interviews non-stop for 30 years. So 2021 is a special year to me, a kind of ‘celebration year’. I got the idea to celebrate this special event by interviewing people from the scene who all have a special meaning to me. The last interview in this series is one with Bernard Van Isacker. I definitely had to close the circle with this interview. Being active as Side-Line’s chief redactor and as one of the Alfa Matrix label owners, Bernard and I became close friends. We didn’t always agree on some topics, which finally brought me to leave Side-Line as staff member in 2016. We remained in touch and decided to move on working together, but in a different format. A lot of things have been said and written about Bernard -not always kind things – but I got the privilege and opportunity to see how he’s working and all what he’s doing. I can only, but deeply respect his involvement. Time to ask him some questions.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Lots of people from this scene know who you are, but how would you introduce yourself and how did you get in touch with the Electro/Industrial/Gothic scene? 

Bernard: My name is Bernard Van Isacker, 47 years old, and I have 2 kids. Magnus, 4 years old, and Sebastian, 16 years old, from my first marriage. I work currently as a social media manager, web developer and CRM admin for a multinational. I also run 2 holiday houses, but for the past 2 years they have been empty due to the corona pandemic. That was a big blow to our budget, so I had to take extra work to keep on paying our bills. But we survive.

I sleep basically 5 hours per night, take a small breakfast and lots of coffee at 6 in the local Panos –both the owners Mario and Hannelore are sweethearts -before I start work at 7:30 until, 10, 11 at night. I’ll probably die working (laughs).

I first got introduced to the Dark-Wave scene when I was 14 years old and was sitting next to a guy in class who said he had heard a really sick tape. That was Nitzer Ebb’s “That Total Age”. But you have to know that I was already heavily into Depeche Mode and New-Beat (yes!) so the ‘move’ to more industrial sounds was not really a surprise. Anyhow, Nitzer Ebb had more or less the same BPM as new beat so that was easy (laughs). By the time I was fifteen I was listening to Cat Rapes Dog. Their “Maximum Overdrive” remains legendary as far as I am concerned. And after that I got hooked to Inside Treatment, Pouppée Fabrikk, and other bands from Scandinavia. I only started to listen to German acts when I went to university, and that included bands such as Fortification 55, Project Pitchfork, Psychic Force, Trial, etc..  

As we speak I’m in the middle of compiling our newest volume in the “Face The Beat”-series for Side-Line. The 7^th so far. But shoot with the questions Stephane!

Q: I guess less people know you graduated in journalism so what did you try to add/change when joining Side-Line? And how did you happen to join Side-Line magazine? 

Bernard: That’s correct, I graduated in journalism and worked at a couple of newspapers before diving into the startup world of ecommerce. That was pre-Google so SEO was still something very rudimentary and traffic was basically created via price comparison sites and massive mailings, you can call it pure spam (laughs). 

But I worked for 4 years as a journalist, was able to write a lot of solid articles, but I got fed up with the easy way things were covered (while we all knew it were lies) and the easy way things were NOT covered (because some bishop threatened to sue the newspaper –and me, for defamation). I left that world disgusted. Add to that it is one of the worst paid jobs ever. 

I got fed up with the easy way things were covered in the press

Anyhow, whilst studying one of my friends, Yves Van De Veken, told me there was this magazine that was going to be published with an attached CD compilation full of Dark-Wave music and that they would have the first issue with the sampler later that week in the Metrophone cellar, in Antwerp that is, where I studied. I got the magazine, which was in a very stylish layout, liked the CD sampler and was hooked on the review section to read about new bands. I was at that time already working part-time as journalist whilst studying, and I got access to bigger bands which I thought could fit Side-Line pretty well, so I sent a mail to Seba (who I thought was a girl) and told ‘her’ that I could arrange bigger interviews for them. Seba wanted to test the waters I guess, and I told that I could do Hooverphonic, but could also check with Dirk Da Davo  in the next week to show what I was capable of. Apparently ‘she’ really liked what I wrote and asked for more. Paradise Lost, Marc Almond, Bel Canto, … the list of interviews I did for Side-Line grew by the day.  

But I had never met any of the team. The first time I met someone from the Side-Line team back then was actually you, but I can’t recall where that was, I think it was in Brussels, but for what exactly?

A few weeks later I met Seba –who you told was NOT a girl, at a Die Form concert in Ghent I think. If I’m not wrong Cédric and Benoit were also there. Since then we were like a band of brothers who went to concerts, either together or with one or two others. Sweet times I must say, we were all very young, had not yet lived ‘real’ life with all its hurdles and accidents.

Q: Early 2008 was a turning point in the magazine’s history. Former chief-redactor Séba Dolimont decided to stop his involvement so you became the new chief-redactor. The printed magazine definitely stopped and Side-Line remained only active as online magazine. How do you look back at the loss of the printed magazine and how did the transition happen? 

Bernard: I basically had always pushed to keep the magazine alive as a print magazine, but at the same time I had launched www.side-line.com in 1999 because the initial Side-Line website –on a different url, was basically just a page, looked bloody awful and served no purpose –no offense Ronan Harris. So when Seba told me that he had decided to stop with the printed magazine, my mental switch was fast and I decided to focus on the online magazine which by then was attracting a tenfold of the printed magazine anyhow. It was a no-brainer.

Going online only? It was a no-brainer.

With Seba stopping, we also lost most of the external contributors, which is logical since a print magazine has a more loose team whereas a news website has to work with a very productive small team, as Side-Line.com was by then already producing daily news updates. A small team is always easier to work with, and I had seen that with the print version of Side-Line I was already doing most of the interviews, delivering 99% of the news, while you already did most of the reviews. So, we had a winning team anyhow, why change that?

In short, yes, it had an emotional impact, but not a practical one. We had a good run, but the times were changing. And I for sure was not planning to miss the online train as you know.

Q: I think there’re significant differences between a printed magazine and an online page. Can you give us the pros and cons especially from your perspective? 

Bernard: Yes, the differences are there for sure and I think you will agree with me, but tell me if you don’t! I will give you the pros and cons as far as online is concerned, the cons will largely cover the pros for print.

Pros: 

• Write, enter it in the CMS, add a picture and post. Simple. In short: it’s fast.
• The news goes out instantly via a wide array of tools. One post on Side-Line reaches around 5000 people in the next few minutes via our different channels, above and under the hood. By the end of the day –when syndication and newsletters have kicked in, we have a 10.000 reach per item. This doesn’t mean people have read it, it means that they have at least seen the picture and title.
• The articles can be as long or as short as you want.
• We can add multimedia, which is a good way to add metadata to your articles. This was limited back in 1999 when we went online though.
• A small team can move mountains.

Cons: 

• There is a strict daily deadline to maintain each day.
• The rapidness also gives room to errors you might not have noticed or simply wrong info (although we only had a few incidents with that).
• Getting decent daily news is sometimes difficult, other times you get inundated by news,
• Some labels and bands have no clue how to write press texts and fill it with promo blabla. If there are no 4 lines of good solid facts, I usually do not publish it.
• In our case I have to be technically savy, have seo skills and have IT skills. And I know how to write. That’s a lot if something goes wrong, and we have had times when it really went wrong.
• Online income generation as a news website is not easy. Most of the labels still have no clue what online means and still think in an old school way. 
• A small team means problems when one leaves or falls sick.
• A magazine accept slow reading, a website not.

Q: Do you’ve an idea who’s reading Side-Line and is there a kind of reader’s profile? 

Bernard: Actually I do, thanks to a combination of datasets, which are limited as I hate being followed myself. The last dataset of November shows that 31% is female, 67% is male and 2% identifies not as male or female. Most readers come from the USA, followed by the UK, Canada, Germany, France, Australia, Mexico, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Poland, Holland, Greece and Denmark. We got data from 45 countries in total once we filtered out the accidental and spam traffic.

When it comes to the profiles, we have data of a survey that happened a few months ago on our website. 8200+ respondents later we see that half (51%) has an office job, 36% has an outside or factory job and 11% is unemployed and 2% is enjoying their pension. 

The same survey also showed us info regarding age and it goes synchronically with the data from our Facebook page: 4% is between 18-24, 34% is between 25-34, 25% is between 35-44, 27% is between 45-54, 5% is between 56-64 and 3% is older than 64. That info again corresponds more or less with the survey we did.

It shows we have mostly a very active public between 25 and 54 years old.

Q: Back in time the Side-Line forum was quite ‘popular’, but unfortunately also a place for bullshit and conflicts. Did you expect this evolution and was it the main reason to stop the forum? 

Bernard: The Side-Line forum was indeed very popular and at times had 20 to 50.000 visits a day. It was so popular that it had become a full time task to keep the spammers out, to keep things civilized, etc.. The discussion there were legendary. Some were in it for the fun, others to learn something new, and others just to anonymously troll. It was the graveyard of subtleness though (laughs).

The Side-Line forum was the graveyard of subtleness…

It ran its course, but I was so glad I could kill that baby. Just with one click: bye bye! By the end it had become uncontrollable and we had to delete 90% of all posts because the trolling really went overboard. No loss, it’s part of history, but I still have to laugh when I think of the silliness of it all.

Do you know that we once launched a T-shirt line where you could have your nickname printed on it? We sold a few hundred of those… really fun times!

Q: In the meantime, you also became one of the owners of Alfa Matrix, which became one of the leading labels of underground Electro music. What’s your input and impact in the label activities? 

Bernard: I take care of the IT, web dev, communication and digital distribution. I leave the A&R to Seba, as we each have our own department. But we do have to agree all 3 for signing a band or not. I also often am abroad and try to hook up with the bands in real life.

Q: Let’s go on with a rather tricky question. I think it’s very confusing for a lot of people to understand you’re chief-editor of Side-Line and still one of the Alfa Matrix owners. That sounds pretty incestuous, don’t you think? How do you manage both activities without too much conflict of interest?  

Bernard: Nothing tricky at all. I have never hidden the fact that I’m also behind Alfa Matrix and I am proud of it. Actually, I am not the only label guy behind a magazine, check Blabbermouth for instance, it is also successfully run by label people, possible because we have intel on both sides of the medal.

As far as conflict of interest is concerned: there is none. I don’t intervene in the reviews at all, and that’s where there could be a conflict of interest because reviews are subjective an sich. When it comes to news articles, Alfa Matrix gets as much attention as for instance Metropolis, and I bring it as dry as I do with all the other articles: facts, facts, facts and no promo speech.. Actually, sometimes Alfa Matrix bands complain because they have not gotten a good score on Side-Line. I then have to explain that reviews are completely out of my control to keep a healthy balance in the magazine.

I have a very clean conscience.

That other people claim otherwise on Facebook or so is their problem. I have a very clean conscience regarding this. 

Q: It’s also interesting to see next to Alfa Matrix, Side-Line is actually releasing digital compilations; the magazine also became a kind of label! The “Face The Beat”-series became a real success story. What’s the main goal of this compilation series and how do you select the artists? 

Bernard: Well, the move is not so strange I must say. In the early days there was Side-Line Records, some kind of precursor to Alfa Matrix. Then Side-Line produced compilations to go with the magazines. I just brought it to the 21^st century when I took over and compiled and launched the first “Face The Beat” as a Facebook compilation, hence the name, 10 years ago. 

The main goal is reflected by what Side-Line has all been about even when Seba first launched it: get people to know music from established and new bands. It’s a vision I embraced since the start. I added an extra touch and that is that all revenue goes to charity. 

The compilations are compiled like this: I do a call for submissions on all channels we have, there is one reminder and then I lock myself up for weeks with the material that I have received, usually thousands of demos and completed tracks. Once a first selection is made, I go through the material again that is selected and do an extra selection to make sure the best tracks are included. After that I send out the necessary paperwork and then usually almost everyone responds quickly. There are usually only 2 or 4 bands that are too late or never respond. It’s always a race to meet the deadline I have in my mind, but I usually make it on time. In the meantime, I usually have worked on the artwork and worked through the material with Erlend Eilertsen from Essence Of Mind and Lights A.M to make sure the tracks get the best possible sound on the compilation.

After that I launch it on Bandcamp basically and the platform does its work, with some help of me (laughs). It’s all a very intuitive process where clear communication is king. 

A lot of labels and bands still haven’t learned from ecommerce.

Q: You definitely were one of the first from this scene to have understood the impact streaming platforms would have. I remember you got a lot of hard reactions about it, but today you can tell to all of your critics you were right! How do you look back at this period and how do you expect things evolving during the next few years? 

Bernard: Yes, I must say that the short sight of a lot of people in the record business was reflected in the harsh attacks I got in interviews, on radio programs and on social media. Some even went so far to send me mails accusing me of killing the industry, that I was a traitor. One of my biggest critics in the end contacted me back years later saying that he was wrong and that I was right. I still appreciate him till the day of today. Only great people can apologize and say they were wrong.

The thing is, it’s not that I like this or that evolution, it is that I just can see what is going to happen and where our music industry is heading towards. Some new techniques will never take off, but it is my job at Alfa Matrix to keep an eye on what is happening in the industry and what is going to happen and see if we should invest time and money in it.

My hunch that propriety was going to be over and done with except for a solid and loyal base has proven to be correct. The success of both Spotify and Bandcamp show that my theory on mixed digital music consumption was spot on and that my critics didn’t have a clue what was going to happen.

It’s actually not the first time that I have had a conflict with my colleagues in the music sector. Back when I worked at an ecommerce startup, some shop owners said that we were killing their business. But when I once worked together with such a critical shop owner annex distributor he was unable to deliver the goods… because we sold tenfold of what he was able to get (laughs). One of the biggest channels of sales for that ecommerce shop was actually Side-Line. To give you an idea, when Depeche Mode released their single boxes, Side-Line single handedly sold all, but literally all of the stock available in Belgium in just a few days. They had to restock with copies from all over Europe because they were in limited supply. The same for the Erasure single boxes. And as far as the Covenant boxset “Synergy: Live In Europe” is concerned. That is the release we sold 10 times what the Belgian distributor had promised he was able to get… (laughs). And still we were the bad guys (laughs even louder).

I have to thank Warren Harrison from Hungry Lucy for that way of forward thinking. He opened my eyes as far as digital music is concerned and taught me to dissociate my own wishes from that of a public’s wish, and to open my eyes for new technologies. I doubt he realizes the impact he had on me. Now he knows (smiles). A good guy he is, a pity we lost contact a bit.

And the future will continue, but more in the propriety field where things are moving rapidly, think of NFT’s. Len Lemeire planted that seed in my head actually. Add to that that we will sooner or later be faced with cryptocurrency payments on a larger scale. I have a few other new technologies in mind that might be big in the near future.

One thing though that will remain key, is data. A lot of labels and bands still haven’t learned from ecommerce –namely that it is an opportunity to know who your fans are, and  they are now again missing the boat as they have put all their money on Facebook and other platforms that lock their fans into their platform without offering you any way to communicate except via their own platform. Deadly on the long run.

There is a story to this actually. I was approached by at least 2 major Indie labels in the past few years asking if I would be willing to –listen well, sell all of Side-Line’s data in order to set up an own label of Electro-Pop music. And these are indies who have had BIG artists on their roster. But they have never ever gathered data, never had a decent newsletter, in short they were flying blind once things went sour. 

Having said that, I also see bad evolutions, the platforms work more and more via AI to push releases to people in order to keep them as much as possible on their platforms. It unfortunately also leads to tracks, which are made to trigger these AI powered algorithms. The first automatically generated tracks are very ‘promising’ and they have been released for quite some time now. I personally am not happy with this evolution, as it removes the human genius from it, but like I said, we risk to see this more and more.

Q: It all looks like ‘younger’ people show less interest to write for a magazine. Why is it and how do you expect things evolving? 

Bernard: If we look across the board, most print magazines from our scene are gone, and when we look to the online press, most online magazines from our scene are gone or are unable to keep up with the daily news pace like we do for instance. I often get requests from people if they can start writing for us, but their mail always ends with this question: ‘How much do you pay?’ Knowing that we have never received any money, it’s rather cynic that people who have never proven a thing think they can ask money… So I will repeat it again, THERE IS NO MONEY TO MAKE with an online magazine about Dark-Wave. 

As far as contributors is concerned, I am happy with the team I work with now. I can count on you and Jan-Ronald, basically the main contributors next to me. You both have a very professional attitude and we are friends most and first of all.

The evolution will depend on the fact if there will be more people willing to invest money and time in these kind of projects like running a magazine. We all know that nowadays you will not earn a living from it, on the contrary, you need some financial backup to keep a website up and running, pay the licences for plugings, data storage, and so on. And that’s without the hours of unpaid work on top each day.

Q: I already had discussions with people –including label owners, who no longer belief in the real impact of magazines today because of streaming platforms and other channels like YouTube. What’s your point of view and do you think magazines are enough taking care to adapt and renew themselves? 

Bernard: Well, this is not a problem for us honestly. Side-Line online is still about kickstarting new and young bands. And that’s mainly why people check Side-Line as we have the finger on the pulse to know what might become hot and what not. Remember Suicide Commando, Apoptygma Berzerk, etc..? They got pushed by Side-Line back in the days when they were largely unknown. Once we give these small bands an initial push they have to continue and work from their side as well and that’s when they get in the flow of things with the streaming platforms for instance nowadays.

Side-Line online is still about kickstarting new and young bands.

Take a magazine like Side-Line away and many small bands will never ever get a platform to develop. The same goes for our compilations, they serve to push smaller bands to a wider public. Consider us as an incubator for talents.

Know that I also regularly get contacted by the biggest bands in the scene directly with news, because they know we will publish it and they know we have a very good reach on a daily basis.

The AI used by streaming companies is a very big part in the music consumption and trying to trigger it is not something that is easily done especially with smaller bands on indie labels like I said earlier. The streaming Ais therefore still leave a lot of pearls untouched. Roughly 5 to 7 million songs on Spotify have never been played you know… That is HUGE.

That’s where magazines enter. Take me for instance, I basically have no time to start looking for new music, and I always look into our own review section for new material. So as a gatekeeper a magazine still has its purpose, at least from my point of view. I once did a test and played a few tracks and checked what the services would deliver as suggestions. They didn’t offer anything extra that interested me compared to what I got from your reviews, but instead offered a lot of junk extra so that I would have to weed out anyhow. It kinda proves that these Ais are still not capable of matching the human ear and feeling. Maybe that will happen in the future, I think so, or I would be really disappointed in our human genius (laughs).

That is of course as far as my own consumption goes. 

Now, I talked about the gate keeping function which has been the purpose of a good magazine. It’s my belief that a niche magazine which has a steady output of well selected news and articles will keep that gatekeepers function intact. Let me explain, most music magazines have over the years changed their focus on more popular bands, new music styles, added games, clothes, TV and showbiz in their mix just to get traffic. Look at NME for instance that is now ruled by clickbait articles and rubbish content. It has nothing left that reminds of the good old NME. All of its roots have been removed for the sake of clicks.

Another example is Techcrunch. This online tech magazine was the best back in time, but then it got taken over, and suddenly they started to pour out tons of clickbait articles, which had nothing to do with what the magazine was about in its early days and that was: talking about startups. I used to be a daily reader, I stopped simply because I couldn’t keep up with all the extra news being posted that was way out of the scope they had in the past. 

Less is often more, also for magazines. 

It comes to this, stick to your roots and make sure you have a continuous and regular number of articles posted.

From a label’s point of view, I have always worked on both. Now, since I usually work with new bands, it’s not always easy to have them launched rapidly like we could in the past. It now takes time. And I also understand the labels when they no longer see clear. There are roughly 1500 journalists out there that claim to have a magazine that handles Dark-Wave. 80% of which basically has a blog that has 10 visitors a day. Good for them, but I don’t believe in them. Basically, and we have to be very honest, there are close to no magazines left in this scene with a wacky team like ours that is day in day out constantly working to get a certain number of articles online.  

Those left still reach around 50.000 people daily on their websites and socials combined per day. And that’s a rough estimate but I’m very close, I think. Not exactly peanuts in a scene this small like ours. And quite a good crowd to for instance push smaller, unknown bands to.

In short, yes, I do believe in our future, as long as we stay loyal to our vision and mission. The numbers show it, we are reaching more people than ever, and not thanks to Facebook, but thanks to our daily newsletter, push notifications and all the other channels combined.

Q: Next to Side-Line and Alfa Matrix you’ve been also involved as organizer -and later as organizer ad hoc, of the now defunct famous Belgian underground festival ‘Eurorock’. A lot of things have been said about that festival. How do you look back at this event(s) with hindsight? 

Bernard: A bit like SABENA, such a bad experience never again (laughs). 

I’m still unable to talk about the first 2 editions I invested money in, due to some legal matters, but suffice to say you always have to look out who to trust. I lost a lot of money there, and evicted myself right on time from that very toxic situation. The 3^rd time, I was contracted – as I never wanted to be an investor again- but never got paid. In the end I had to solve most of the shit together with the stage managers who just like me were contracted and never paid. The shit thrown at us afterwards by people who have no clue is  exemplary yet not exceptional in this or any other scene. 

I made sure that every single band I had placed there was paid correctly. Most were grateful I made this happen, others cashed in and badmouthed me in public. So far for the thanks (grins). But I never forget… nor forgive (laughs).

Q: I know you prefer avoiding the question, but next to music you’re also politically engaged. What can you tell us about the subject?

Bernard: I’m not really trying to avoid it, I just think it’s not part of my work for Side-Line or Alfa Matrix, period. I always have tried to never mix it with both although some people are trying to frame me one way or another, usually because they don’t get my sarcasm. But now that you ask about it, yes I’m politically active in one of the biggest elected and ruling parties here in Flanders. That has been an excuse from extremists and activists to attack me in public, call my employer and frame me as ultra conservative, ultra catholic or even a pur-sang fascist. Well, sorry for those lunatics, but I’m as much a nationalist as any Norwegian hanging the Norwegian flag in their garden (that’s roughly every Norwegian with a garden) and as catholic as Macron. And as far as the other words used by ‘my’ critics, I don’t like the woke culture that is being pushed in our faces. Period.  

For the rest I’m happily married with a Mexicana, one of my best friend is a Turkish Muslim, one of my closest friends is transgender, and in my scarce free time I help people with learning disabilities to learn social skills. That should say enough. For the rest, I keep politics out of Side-Line and far away from Alfa Matrix because it’s basically not music. I don’t ask our readers about their political ideas either and I frankly don’t care.

However, I must say that over the years we never had remarks from readers when we post reviews or news from hardcore communist bands, but that we always get harassed by a very tiny group when a more conservative band is being covered. That’s a pure fact. I never discriminate, but I see some others discriminating people because they don’t agree with the ideas of this or that band. Rather disturbing…

I have a very good story actually regarding this. I once got an email from a guy, who started a rant because we had posted a review of a certain band on Side-Line. He called them fascists, racists, etc, etc.. But when I went checking his Facebook profile, I immediately understood why he was specifically attacking that band. His Facebook was filled with anti-semitic and anti-Israel rants… and the band he talked shit about had a Jewish singer. Shocking, but reality. 

The same for some BLM activists who have been attacking Side-Line in the past because we talk about –and I quote: ‘White men bands’. It is the same as attacking Motown Records because they have a  black repertoire. Most of the criticism can be explained by checking who is saying what about whom.

I know 2 famous bands in this scene who have made anti-semitic rants behind closed doors, I was shocked and told them this was really not right. One band member –member himself of a communist party, has since then been talking shit about me whenever and wherever he can, I guess in order to cover himself in case I make his name and emails with rants public. I also know bands who are very homophobic, but for the sake of things pretend they are pro LGTB-rights. In short, if I would write a book about the dirty wash I have witnessed over the years I think I would have a bestseller (grins). 

I personally don’t believe in left or right. I believe in doing good or doing bad.

Anyhow, I personally don’t believe in left or right. I believe in doing good or doing bad. I prefer doing good, under what political umbrella that may be. I also believe in taking responsibility for your own actions, and hard work. Locally I’m quite appreciated because I talk and listen to everyone, what their skin color, political belief or sexual orientation may be. And if they have a legitimate claim or need, I will try to help.

Q: Quite recently the Side-Line server crashed and you started a crowd funding to pay the costs. Your action was quite successful and Side-Line has been reactivated, which seems to prove Side-Line still means a lot to labels/artists and readers. How do you look back at this stressed period? 

Bernard: I was like ‘NOT AGAIN!’ when I realized it was not just an issue of rebooting the server when the server didn’t fire up as planned. We already had lost our previous site years ago due to a server issue and lost years and years of data… so you can imagine I was kinda stressed (laughs). But luckily enough, I had been working with this software engineer (editor’s note: Martin Rosselle) in another IT project. He is working for some of the biggest companies I know and he literally has made a name as being somebody who solves problems, a Winston Wolf in the software sector as you wish. I contacted him and told him we really needed the site back operational pretty fast and if he could help out. He canceled all his freelance work he had planned and asked me to come over so I could follow closely and help with the work. The error we had, was even for the engineers at our hosting company quite a real conundrum. Hell, they even asked us to please keep them informed as to how we would solve it because they had run out of options.

I took a 5 days unpaid leave, jumped in my car at 5 in the morning and drove 3,5 hours to set up shop at Martin’s place. In the car I was thinking of how to finance this endeavor… I’m already pumping thousands of Euros into Side-Line each year, but corona made that a lot of my income had completely vaporized so an extra financial blow like this was just very, very difficult. 

Then while I was having a coffee at a motorway restaurant, somebody sent me a WhatsApp message saying: ‘Hey Bernard, I saw your message that the site is down and that you guys are working on it. If you set up a crowdfund, I’ll gladly help!’ I was like, ‘really would people help out?’ So whilst doing the last hundred kilometers I was thinking ‘why not, if it gathers enough to pay half of the bill then that would already help a lot ‘. 

But it turned out to be really overwhelming… I’m still emotional when I think of it really… I saw the donations pouring in, from readers, bands, small labels, small PR companies, artists. I was actually very positively surprised that it were the smaller labels and bands next to lots of readers that came forward to support this crowdfund. I haven’t heard a word from the big labels… One of the biggest label bosses in this scene did send me an email… asking when their news would be up… no help, no question, nothing. It strengthens me in my vision that we have to stay an incubator for new talents and new and smaller labels, as they are definitely more connected with us… 

I did learn another lesson from this though, and that is that I need to delegate more. Jan-Ronald Stange has been helping with design, and I contracted Martin for our server maintenance and security so that we can intervene directly with the right people when needed. 

Q: What have been the best and worst memories from all the years you’ve been involved with Side-Line? 

Bernard: The worst: seeing others suffer. You know what I mean. 

The best: it is wonderful to stay friends for all these years with people with such different characters inside the team. And Side-Line also opened the gate towards other people I respect, I got in contact with Jan-Ronald Stange thanks to a lunatic groupie, so that ended well (laughs). And I shouldn’t forget Anne-Laure, Erlend, Marianne, Leydi, Simon and so many other people who have become close and reliable friends thanks to Side-Line.

Basically, working at and with Side-Line is the proof for me that one doesn’t need to stay in his/her own echo chamber to respect and be respected. You know that as well, I have told you that in a recent text message remember?

Q: Are you sometimes thinking about the end of Side-Line and also the end of Alfa Matrix? What should be the best way to say goodbye? 

Bernard: I have a pretty compulsive character, however, Side-Line has been a constant element in my life for the past 30 years. I always dedicate 2-3 hours per day to the magazine, writing articles, working on the site’s cms and machinery behind it, answering a ton of emails… It survived 2 marriages so far as well (laughs)! So no, it’s a part of me, and I haven’t really thought about stopping although there have been moments that I think, who the hell am I doing this for… But then you get a big thank you mail from a band or reader or label and that’s enough to kill off those negative feelings.

But if we would close shop, I guess it will be with a big bang (smiles). But so far so good.

If we would close shop, I guess it will be with a big bang.

The same goes for Alfa Matrix, as long as we can find good bands to push, we’ll continue.

Q: You and I have had some personal issues, but I think that thanks to Side-Line, we became and still are good friends. Any specific souvenir or anecdote you want to share? 

Bernard: Ah yes, we have gone through some turmoil you and me. I guess that is just part of good friendships, it’s like a marriage I guess, either you make up or you go to a lawyer (laughs). I guess we both learned from our private wars and have learned to respect each other. And that is what counts, we learned to see what unites us, not what divides us. And we never had to hire a lawyer (laughs)!

But speaking about the special moments… Well, racing on a German motorway at 200 km/h in a BMW to get home in time to drop of some equipment and then realize we could have delivered it 2 days later as well…. That was quite a memorable and especially dangerous moment we shared (laughs). Honestly, it was completely irresponsible, and I would never do it again, whatever the reason. Had we crashed, a magazine would have disappeared, a label and a few bands would never have seen the light of day and my sons would for sure never have existed and most importantly this: some others could have been injured or killed. I never drive fast nowadays, if I’m too late for a meeting so be it, but usually I start on time, it also avoids unnecessary stress and gives me the option to also have a coffee underway.

I also remember some sectarian veggie restaurant somewhere in Brussels where we ended up via John Sellekaers I think? That was quite weird for me… the food was ok though, but I’m not really into sects (laughs). But aside from that, I kinda miss sitting in a restaurant with all of us, you, Seba, Benoit, Cedric, and a few others which are still part of my inner circle, but who I don’t see enough. Luckily at least you and me did a good restaurant now !

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: Future-Pop, Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: Twenty years ago Assemblage 23 released the successful opus “Failure”. Today this legendary album by Tom Shear got a new mix and mastering plus an extra disc featuring remixes.

Content: “Failure” has to be considered as an album that was originally released in the early years of Future-Pop. I know Tom Shear doesn’t care that much attention about the label of his music, but he was often linked with VNV Nation, Neuroticfish and co. With some recoil this album was a hard-banging Pop format, a kind of evil Electro-Pop sound infused with Industrial components, but still melodic and ultra danceable.

The second disc features exactly the same tracklist, but all of the tracks have been remixed in chronological order by DTSR, Interface, Antiscion, Mari Kattman, Rotersand, Clan Of Xymox, The Gentry, Suicide Commando, patrick codenys and Assemblage 23.

+ + + : “Failure” remains a ‘great’ piece of music. The original magic of songs like “Naked”, “House On Fire”, “Disappoint”, “Divide” and “Awake” hasn’t really changed. It’s even a wonder to see how songs of twenty years old still have this effect. It simply reveals the talent and genius of Tom Shear who’s not only a great musician, but also an artist who is writing intelligent and touching lyrics. I think a band like Assemblage 23 brought us a different kind of Electro-Pop, miles away from the established standards and Depeche Mode-clones. “Failure” can be easily seen as a true reference in this genre.

Among the remixes there’re not only great names, but also a very diversified number of artists. It’s also cool to see Tom’s wife (cf. Mari Kattman) remixing one of the songs. My personal favorite is the most unknown project from the list; UK project Antiscion boosting “House On Fire”. Tom Shear did also a great job remixing “King Of Insects”, which sounds definitely better than the original version.

– – – : I’m not sure this remixed and remastered edition will have a similar effect and impact than 20 years ago, but it’s a homage to a great artist and an essential work in his career.

Conclusion: “Failure” has been brought back to life and it still sounds up to date!

Best songs: “House On Fire”, “Naked”, “Disappoint”, “Awake” + “House On Fire – Antiscion Remix”, “King Of Insects – Assemblage 23 Remix”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.assemblage23.com / www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100044546464584

Label: www.accession-records.de / www.facebook.com/accessionrecords

About Assemblage 23

Assemblage 23 is the electronic project of Tom Shear, who began writing under the name in 1988 in Exton, Pennsylvania. The project mixes futurepop, electro-industrial, synth-pop and EBM. Early demos and compilation tracks were later gathered on “Early, Rare, and Unreleased 1988-1998”, and the debut album “Contempt” appeared in 1999 on the Canadian label Gashed!.

“Failure” followed in 2001 and opened a long partnership with Metropolis Records in North America and Accession Records in Europe. “Defiance” came in 2002 and “Storm” in 2004, followed by “Meta” in 2007, “Compass” in 2009 and “Bruise” in 2012. “Endure” was released on 28 August 2016 and “Mourn” on 11 September 2020.

Shear also records as Nerve Filter and Surveillance, and since 2017 as Helix with vocalist Mari Kattman. Side-Line reported in August 2021 that Assemblage 23 sees ‘Failure’ released as a 20th anniversary edition on 2LP and 2CD. The next full-length, “Null” on Metropolis Records, arrived on 7 November 2025.

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

Out now is the newest single by the Belgian electro act Suicide Commando. “Trick or treat” is taken off the project’s upcoming album (the first since 2017’s “Forest of the Impaled”) and comes accompanied by a video which you can see below.

The track is a classic Suicide Commando track, no surprises, but it serves the Halloween purpose.

Suicide Commando is a Belgian electro-industrial music act formed by Johan Van Roy in 1986. For live shows, it consists of Van Roy himself on vocals, Torben Schmidt on keyboards, and Mario Vaerewijck on drums.

Here’s the video for the single.

Side-Line also covered Suicide Commando’s ‘Bang bang bang’.

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!

side-line.com

The 2021 edition of the Sinner’s Day Festival will take place from 30th October until 1st November 2021 at The Max in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium. About 53 new wave, EBM, industrial, post-punk, synth-pop and eighties bands are featured on 2 stages.

This year the line-up includes: Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft (Robert Goerl & DAF world premiere), Gary Numan, Clan Of Xymox, Praga Khan, Covenant, Fields Of The Nephilim, Suicide Commando, Funeral Dress, The Arch, The Bollock Brothers, Your Life On Hold, Ground Nero, Absolute Body Control, A Slice Of Life, Astrasonic, Blancmange, Diary Of Dreams, Agent Side Grinder, Red Zebra, Siglo XX, The KVB, And Also The Trees, La Muerte, UK Subs, Glen Matlock, IAMTHESHADOW, A Split Second, BFG, Then Jericho, She Past Away, The Foreign Resort, Minuit Machine, Leaether Strip, Haujobb, Gene Loves Jezebel, Twin Tribes, La Lune Noire, Empathy Test, Jah Wobble and more!

There is also The Batcave, the dance-area where you can party while DJ’s spin their finest tracks 13h/day. A camping area is available if you want to stay next to the festival area at night!

Tickets can be ordered here

Be aware that you need to show a valid Covid certificate/Covid Safe Ticket to get access to the festival!

Genre/Influences: Industrial-Pop, Electro, Experimental.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: Belgian Implant duo is back on track, unleashing their eleventh album in history. Len Lemaire and Jan D’Hooghe have been inspired by the ongoing pandemic and the impact on humans. It resulted in a double disc featuring numerous remixes on the second disc. Noemi Aurora (Helalyn Flowers) contributed to some songs of the album.

Content: Implant already revealed a different approach in sound on the previous –and great, album “Oxynoxe-X” while the last year released EP “Phantom Pain” confirmed this evolution although getting more into Electro-Pop fields. It’s quite significant for this new opus, which is bringing elements such as Minimal-Electro and a kind of Industrial-Pop together. The ‘Trance’ roots of the band are far away, but still present on a few cuts. The main evolution of the sound is due to the use of analogue gear, which becomes pretty explicit at a few shorter, instrumental pieces. Noemi Aurora is singing on 3 songs, creating a weird, but cool match with the growls of Len Lemaire.

The work features remixes by Suicide Commando, Signal Aout 42, Aiboforcen, Q’Pnz, 808 Dot.Pop, Növö, Armageddon Dildos, AD:Key, Neuroactive and Helalyn Flowers. The second disc also features a few extra songs by Implant. Last, but not least The Breath Of Life simply covered one of the songs instead of making a remix.

+ + + : I truly respect the global evolution in sound Implant has made during the past years. It still sounds Implant-like, but the Belgians seem to have found new sonic paths to explore. The analogue sound treatments create this minimalism, but also very original sequences emerging at the shorter ‘intermezzo’ cuts. Noemi Aurora remains to me one of the most talented singers in this scene and she adds a graceful-, sensual- and artistic touch on top of the songs. “Phantom Pain” remains a cool track, but she also sings on “The Last Record”, which clearly appears to be a potential hit –and has been remixed by several artists. One of my favorite songs however is “The Room” for its extra robotic dimension plus deep, resonating bass line and “Nutshell” for its minimalism. The opening song “I Don’t Trust The Machine” is another attention grabber with a strong dance/club appeal and driven by an amazing lead.

The list of remixers is also a noticeable aspect of the album. I here want to mention the work by Suicide Commando and Trance-driven remix by the Belgian producer Q’Pnz. The Breath Of Life did a great job covering “The Last Record”; this is a beautiful and sensitive version. Last, but not least Implant put 2 more great pieces on this disc (cf. “Censorship Through Noise Part III” and “Lied 13”.

– – – : I regret some short, instrumental cuts from the main disc haven’t been more worked out; “Nutshell” is not only one of the best tracks, but unfortunately it’s just a kind of break. Despite the impressive list of remixers, I definitely expected a bit more.

Conclusion: Implant is now active for nearly 30 years and has already found new new horizons to explore.

Best songs: “The Room”, “I Don’t Trust The Machine”, “Nutshell”, “The Devil Made Me Do It”, “The Last Record”, + “The Last Record – Cover by The Breath Of Life”, “Run To The Lights – One Messed Up Mix by Suicide Commando”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.implant-music.be / www.facebook.com/Implantmusic

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘Cognitive Dissonance’.

About Implant

Implant is a Belgian electronic act formed in 1992 by Geert Machtelinck and Len Lemeire (spelled Lemaire in the review above), mixing dark electro roots with dance-oriented electronics. The debut album “Soft Flesh-Hard Steel” appeared in 1996 on Celtic Circle Productions after the single “Fun”, followed by the “BrainFX” EP in 1998. “Kmputor” (2000) moved toward goa trance influences, and the double CD “Unidentified Flying Frequencies” was released via Flatline Records. When that label closed, Implant moved to Alfa Matrix and released “Planet Euphoria” (2002), featuring Canadian singer Jennifer Parkin, then “Horseback Riding Through Bassfields” (2003), “Self-Inflicted” (2005), “Implantology” (2009) and “The Productive Citizen” (2013). The double CD “Oxynoxe-X” (2017) was reviewed on Side-Line in January 2018.

The EP “Phantom Pain”, announced in Cult Belgian electro act Implant breaks silence with brand new EP ‘Phantom Pain’ in December 2020, preceded “Cognitive Dissonance”, which Alfa Matrix released on 26 March 2021 as a download and as a limited deluxe double-CD digipak. The thirteen album tracks are “I Don’t Trust The Machine”, “Phantom Pain”, “The Shipwreck”, “Nutshell”, “Hell Hole”, “The Devil Made Me Do It”, “The Drums Have Been Talking”, “The King And The Rebel”, “The Room”, “Run To The Lights”, “Censorship Through Noise (Part I)”, “Censorship Through Noise (Part II)” and “The Last Record”; Noemi Aurora sings on “Phantom Pain”, “The Shipwreck” and “The Last Record”. The bonus disc “When Prophecy Fails” holds the remixes and cover named in the review plus the exclusive tracks “Censorship Through Noise (Part III)” and “Lied 13”. No further production credits are listed on the Bandcamp page.

The single “The Drive” followed in December 2023, leading into the trilogy No More Flies On The Windscreen -The Chaos Machines Part 1 (2024), Scratching The Surface – The Chaos Machines Part 2 (2024) and Judging Sinners / The Chaos Machines Part 3 (2025), all reviewed on Side-Line; Lemeire discussed the series in the Implant interview of May 2024. “Cognitive Dissonance” is the band’s eleventh album and its fifth Side-Line review.

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: Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: “666 Degrees Below” was a solid teaser to Agonoize’s seventh album to date. The Berlin-based combo released their second album on RepoRecords and again asked Gerrit Thomas (Funker Vogt, Eisfabrik) to mix and master the album. The album again included a second disc featuring six extra tracks.

Content: The influences and sound formula of the ‘Hellectro’ band hasn’t changed. Frontman Chris L. seems to be warding the sound formula to remain the same. The sonic universe of Agonoize is made of provocation, which you can notice in the titles, artwork and of course the songs versus lyrics. The sound remains driven by furious beats overloaded by dark strings and carried by heavy, melodic sequences. On top of it all you’ll hear Chris L.  singing in his familiar enraged way. The songs are sung in German, but some choruses feature English words while there also is one song in English. Some of the melodies are reminding me of Suicide Commando, but where Johan Van Roy also likes calmer, moody songs, Agonoize holds on a constant and merciless power. The album features 13 songs and among the tracklist you’ll recognize the already familiar “666 Degrees Below” plus the original edits of “Komakind”, “Angst Ist Macht”, “Faux Amis” and “Dein Gott”, which were featured in an alternative- and/or remixed version at the EP.

The bonus disc brings a bit more diversity revealing a few ‘softer’ songs, but the main trend remains harsh and merciless. The tracklist features and “Frozen”-edit of “666 Degrees Below” plus alternative edits of “Mststck” and “L.ove I.s L.ost” plus 3 real new songs. One of these songs (cf. “Every Day, I Die”) is a kind of hell-electro ballad while both other cuts are pure rage.

+ + + : I think it was not easy releasing a new album after the successful“Midget Vampire Porn”, released in 2019. But Agonoize seems to like challenges and did it again. The work doesn’t innovate, but the band simply becomes better and better. The songs are just what you might expect from Dark-Electro music; harsh, dark, powerful and provocative. Agonoize brings all these ingredients together in a perfect, balanced work. “666 Degrees Below” remains an absolute hit, but I also want to mention “Faux Amis”, the English sung “Love To Hate”, which is a song that will appeal to Suicide Commando fans and “The Age Of Depression”. On the bonus disc I recommend “Tease & Denial” and Krank”, the last cut featuring cool epic chants. “Mststck – Sucht” sounds also more convincing than the original version on the main disc. The nearly constant power of this album is great. I also highly recommend the CD-version for its –once again, great, artistic digipak and artwork.

– – – : You get a total amount of 19 songs and there’s only one single piece –the atypical ballad-like “Every Day, I Die”, which couldn’t convince me. So you’ll have to agree there’s no reason to complain.

Conclusion: Agonoize moves on there where the previous album stopped, and it’s again an undeniable masterpiece and for sure what will become one of the best Dark-Electro albums of 2021!

Best songs: “666 Degrees Below”, “Love To Hate”, “Faux Amis”, “The Age Of Depression”, “Mststck”, “A Hole” + “Krank”, “Tease & Denial”, “Mststck – Sucht”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.agonoize.berlin / www.facebook.com/AgonoizeOfficial

Label: www.reporecords.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Repo-Records/119590774857404 Read the news on ‘Revelation Six Six Sick’.

About Agonoize

Agonoize is a Berlin-based Dark-Electro/’Hellectro’ band fronted by Chris L. The group released the EP “666 Degrees Below” as a teaser before this seventh studio album, “Revelation Six Six Sick”, which followed 2019’s “Midget Vampire Porn” on RepoRecords. As with the prior album, Gerrit Thomas of Funker Vogt and Eisfabrik handled mixing and mastering. Agonoize marked the album’s release with a streaming concert on 1 May 2021.

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

While the Italian dark electro act Synapsyche are currently locked in the studio to record all new material, the band’s label Alfa Matrix has re-released the band’s 2016 album “The Abyss Effect” with a bonus track, a rather surprising cover of Moby’s hit “Lift Me Up”.

The reissued album is available on Bandcamp and all other platforms such as Spotify.

Originally released on May 13th 2016, “The Abyss Effect” is the trademark album for Synapsyche offering their by now well known mix of dark electro and harsh EBM. Included are such tracks as “We All Suck”, “Venereal”, “The Flesh Party” and the hit single, “Hate And Psyche”.

The album will certainly please the fans of Combichrist, Alien Vampires or yet Suicide Commando.

You can check out the album below on Bandcamp and Spotify.

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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While the Italian dark electro act Synapsyche are currently locked in the studio to record all new material, the band’s label Alfa Matrix has re-released the band’s 2016 album “The Abyss Effect” with a bonus track, a rather surprising cover of Moby’s hit “Lift Me Up”.

The reissued album is available only on Bandcamp for now.

Originally released on May 13th 2016, “The Abyss Effect” is the trademark album for Synapsyche offering their by now well known mix of dark electro and harsh EBM. Included are such tracks as “We All Suck”, “Venereal”, “The Flesh Party” and the hit single, “Hate And Psyche”.

The album will certainly please the fans of Combichrist, Alien Vampires or yet Suicide Commando.

You can check out the album below, right now exclusively available on Bandcamp, later on on other platforms.

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: Metal, EBM, Dark-Electro, Industrial.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Mexican band God Destruction released this newest EP during the last days of 2020. “Unholy Trinity” features three songs.

Content: Since the band’s last album “Redentor” released in 2016, God Destruction has already released a few EP’s. This new production brings new songs filled with rage and hate. But it also remains a very particular mix of influences; EBM bass lines have been mixed doom atmospheres while the last song features Suicide Commando-like sequences. This work is a new fusion between Dark-Electronic treatments and furious guitar playing with enraged –and mainly Spanish, vocals on top.

+ + + : God Destruction is a band that has seriously improved the global aspects of their production over the years. This EP reveals 3 different songs featuring a similar power, rage and aggression. The way the songs have been built up is absolutely impressive; the balance between Electro and guitar is perfect. I have a preference for the second song “Carnage”, which is a perfect title to express the listening experience of God Destruction. It’s an overwhelming song with menacing sequences and a mix of Spanish and English vocals. The epic arrangements on top of the production are also an important element of the production.

– – – : The fusion between all different influences might be confusing, but I like it!

Conclusion: “Unholy Trinity” is a great work revealing a band in constant progression; dark and powerful stuff!

Best songs: “Carnage”, “Frankenstein”, “Suicide King”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/GodDestruction666

Label: http://insane-records.com / www.facebook.com/InsaneRecordsEU

About God Destruction

God Destruction is a dark electro / black metal project from Mexico City, Mexico, active since 2009. The band debuted with the demo “Satan Before To Destroy The World” and released the album “Redentor” through Insane Records in 2016, followed by “Reincarnated” in 2018. Side-Line featured the track “Kakuma (The Unholy Land)” in its 2017 “Face The Beat: Session 4” compilation series.

Insane Records issued the singles “Panzerfaust” and “Cyborg” in 2022. “Unholy Trinity”, released in December 2020, is a three-track EP the band dedicated to the memory of Charles Black.

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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(Picture by Renee Parkhurst ) Let’s hope this article doesn’t get flagged by Google, Facebook and related because the follow-up of words in the title is rather worrysome (joke aside).

Adult has launched a remix of the Bestial Mouths song “Unshivered”. A video was equally made and can be seen below. The song is included in Bestial Mouths’ remix album “Thousandneedles” that features collaborations with SRSQ, Ash Code, Void Vision, Light Asylum, and more and which dropped earlier this month.

“Thousandneedles” will be available on vinyl and cassette versions this August via Fill-Lex Records and Soil Records.

In a reaction Adult says: “We got this remix request in the summer from Bestial Mouths and it was just the thing we needed to get us back in the studio again. It wasn’t like looking at a blank canvas and it felt more like collaboration in a way, which was much needed during such an isolating time.”

The track’s visual counterpart offers a psychological portrait of a person clawing their way to meaning. Director Jamie Parkhurst, who has previously worked with Los Angeles post-punk outfit, Death Bells, and experimental electronic artist Trevor powers, was helped by producer Yelena Akopian, stylists and designers Bradley Soileau and Elliott Evan, photographer Renee Parkhurst, DP Connor Ellman, and camera operator Alex Van Putten. The video was edited by editing is by Alex Nicolaou (Drab Majesty).

Here is the video.

Tracklist “Thousandneedles”

1. Grendel – Ruins Remix
2. Adult – Unshivered (If I Could Feel Mix)
3. Rodney Anonymous Or 7th Victim (Of Dead Milkmen) – Withiin Remix
4. Plackblague – Heavy Coil Mix (Industrial Waste Remix)
5. Ash Code -The Bleed Remix (Mixed/Mastered By Doruk Ozturkcan From She Past Away)
6. Nnhmn – The Loss Remix
7. Statiqbloom – The Falls Remix
8. Buzzkull – Lain To Rust Remix
9. Srsq – Reimagination (Souls Take Remix)
10. Shannon F /Light Asylum – Industrial Waste Remix
11. Kontravoid – Dry As Dust Remix
12. Void Vision- (A) Siren Calls Remix
13. Crowhurst – 23 Hours Before Resurrection Bestial Mouths Remix
14. Melania – Inshroudss

About Bestial Mouths

From their inception in 2009, the core root of Bestial Mouths has combined Lynette Cerezo’s voice with several genre influences across the spectrum of goth, industrial, post-punk, new wave, noise, metal, and other underground sounds using live acoustic and electronic drums and analog synthesizers. Since 2018, Bestial Mouths has been the sole project of Cerezo.

2019’s “Inshroudss” EP was the first Bestial Mouths release entirely written and conceived by Cerezo. The EP was released on the independent label RuneE & Ruin, which Cerezo formed together with friend and frequent collaborator Alison Lewis (Linea Aspera / Zanias / Fleisch Records).

In their decade-plus existence, Bestial Mouths have worked with a long list of producers and artists. Zola Jesus, Mick Harvey, Egyptrixx, Boy Harsher, Die Krupps, Mater Suspiria Vision, Zanias, The Horrorist, and Ludovico Technique are just a few collaborators, while they’ve shared the stage with the likes of Psychic TV, Austra, Chelsea Wolfe, DAF, 3 Teeth, OAKE, Front Line Assembly, White Ring, Suicide Commando, David J, King Dude, Youth Code, Cut Hands and Light Asylum.

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!

side-line.com

Stefan Herwig once started Kugelblitz Records and moved on with Off Beat. He set up Dependent Records in 1998. The label got an instant success thanks to famous bands like  VNV Nation, Covenant, Mesh, Velvet, Acid Christ And Suicide Commando. Dependent became a great home for intelligent Electronic artists. Other ‘big’ names like Pride And Fall, Seabound, Mind.In.A.Box, Rotersand, Click Click, Front Line Assembly, Decoded Feedback, Fïx8:Sëd8 ao joined in.

(Stéphane Froidcoeur / Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Was there a kind of ‘philosophy’ when you set up your label and did it evolve over the years? How would you define your label activities today?

Stefan: Yes, absolutely, there was a ‘label philosophy’ and it did evolve over the years quite a bit, it did actually evolve 3 times and it continues to evolve right now. When we founded Dependent we only had the plan to sign with 5 artists (hence the hand as a logo, originally) and work very intensively with those artists. We signed the artists for short-term deals, brought some of them to quite a big status and then found out that they used the first option to hop out of deals and sign with Major label companies for bigger advances. That was disappointing. Also, some artists developed a real problematic persona, when they became successful, and we struggled to deal with that as well.

So, as hard as it sounds: we had to ‘ditch’ the idealistic approach. On top of that came the industry crisis in the early 2000s, which made life as a record label very difficult. Well, to put it short: we learned a lot since then.

Q: I can imagine you must have specific and explicit criteria to sign an artist/band. Can you give us more details about this aspect and how important is it for you to know the person(s) hiding behind the ‘artist(s)’?

Stefan: Well, we are always looking for good vocals and a decisive artistic vision at first. The project has got to ‘make sense’ to us, not only the music, but everything. Sometimes we receive good demos, but they are all over the board stylistically, and then we will struggle to market this kind of stuff properly. But then again: GOOD VOCALS are one of our prime conditions. And yes, the dealings with the artists have to be smooth. If you dislike artists from the get-go, it will end up being a difficult collaboration, so if artists appear ‘difficult’ during the first talks, we will think twice.

Q: You are already active for numerous years now so you must have seen a lot of things changing and evolving; think about social media, streaming platforms, Youtube channels… but also economic crisis etc. What are the pros and cons of these changes/evolutions and in, which way did you had to adapt/change your strategy and activities?

Stefan: Well, all the promotion strategies, the timings, the ideas behind it, the distribution channels, etc… have changed -drastically. The music industry from 20, from 10 or even from just 5 years ago has little in common with what we do now. Be available on very channel, digital and physical. The one thing that has not changed is that we are being committed to great artists and releases in the long run.

Dependent has an own fanbase from people that have recognized this, this makes us very proud. But we also stick to physical release, vinyls and special editions. It is a better form to release music.

Q: The ongoing pandemic has affected all artistic life and activities so what’s the true impact on your label activities and do you think it will also affect your long term objectives?

Stefan: Well, people stay more at home, so they also listen to more music. They buy a better stereo, buy albums on vinyl, etc. Also the shortfall of festivals means that some people have more money in their budget to spend on recorded music. It is kind of ironic, but the shortfall of concerts gives the labels and the recording artists a little boost. Obviously for everybody who is in the live performance and booking business, this situation is entirely catastrophic, and I sincerely hope that it will evolve soon.

Q: Do you think media (magazines, online platforms etc…) still have an impact and a role to play today? What’s your relationship with ‘journalists’ and how important is their work?

Stefan: Well, it’s been a tough place for music magazines, especially printed ones for years now, and we have seen many big print magazines go under, that is no secret. I do have a soft spot for good journalism & good reviews that bring good music recommendations to the people. But I see that for instance streaming recommendation algorithms have become so good, that the air gets even thinner for music magazines. I hope the magazines and print people will evolve and survive. One step would be to curate own playlists on Spotify, to keep the magazine identity and recommendation function alive. But also better reviews would be helpful; some reviews are being too optimistic and not critical enough.

Q: What do you consider as your biggest accomplishment(s)? Do you have specific goals/dreams you want to achieve and how do you prepare and see the future of the label(s)? And what are your biggest regret(s)?

Stefan: Well, we have had our fair share of chart successes, and this is nice (and keeps us afloat, obviously), but the real accomplishment is to ‘develop’ artists to enable them to have a successful career and have a good input on the music scene, instead of watering it down. I think some labels are in the process of watering down the scenes’ identity instead of strengthening it. Artist development is STILL the goal, after all, we still love Electronic music. The moment from when you get a REALLY good demo is almost like the moment you fall in love with someone: your hair starts to stand up, the heartbeat is rising, you have this big smile on your face. It is amazing that music can do this to us still.

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