Experimental rock artist Jarboe (Swans) has released an official excerpt for “Vireo Serenade”, taken from her upcoming album “Sightings”, due on April 3, 2026 via Consouling Sounds. The release is tied to an expanded May 2026 European tour billed as Jarboe with Thor Harris and Joy Von Spain.

“Sightings” will be issued on black LP (200 copies), moss green LP (300 copies), and digipack CD (300 copies). The vinyl edition carries six tracks, while the CD and digital versions add “The Holy Waters (Sangha Mix)”. You can place your pre-orders now via Consouling Sounds.

Jarboe says that the album grew from field recordings and repeated encounters with a vireo: “The vireo is heard yet not easy to be seen as he blends into the green leaves. This is the heart of this project.” The album also features Thor Harris, Andrea Calderon, Brett Robinson, Chiara Lee, and Freddie Murphy, while Phil Puleo created the artwork.

The updated itinerary adds Sofia at Mixtape 5 on May 25 and Athens at Temple on May 27, while the Berlin date on May 14 is now confirmed for Genezarethkirche.

Jarboe 2026 tour dates with Thor Harris and Joy Von Spain

• 04/05/2026 (DK): Copenhagen – Rust
• 05/05/2026 (SWE): Goteborg – Oceanen
• 07/05/2026 (EE): Tallinn – Hungr
• 08/05/2026 (LV): Riga – 1983
• 09/05/2026 (LT): Vilnius – SODAS 2123
• 10/05/2026 (PL): Warsaw – Niebo
• 12/05/2026 (PL): Poznan – Blue Note
• 13/05/2026 (CZ): Prague – MeetFactory
• 14/05/2026 (DE): Berlin – Genezarethkirche
• 15/05/2026 (NL): Tilburg – Hall of Fame
• 16/05/2026 (BE): Brussels – Obsidian Dust Festival
• 17/05/2026 (UK): Folkestone – 20th Century Speedway
• 19/05/2026 (UK): Bristol – Strange Brew
• 20/05/2026 (UK): London – Cafè OTO
• 21/05/2026 (UK): Coventry – Just Dropped In
• 22/05/2026 (UK): Newcastle – The Star and Shadow
• 23/05/2026 (UK): Liverpool – Outer Waves Festival
• 25/05/2026 (BG): Sofia – Mixtape 5
• 27/05/2026: (GR): Athens – Temple

About Jarboe

Jarboe Devereaux is an American singer, composer, keyboardist, and visual artist whose recording history began with the cassette “Walls” in 1984. She joined Swans in 1985 and remained part of the group until its first breakup in 1997. During that period, she also launched her solo catalogue with “Thirteen Masks” in 1991, establishing a parallel body of work that moved across experimental rock, ambient, spoken word, and electronic music.

Her later solo releases include “Sacrificial Cake” (1995) and “Disburden Disciple” (2000), both of which were later revisited in vinyl reissues. She has also remained active through a long series of collaborations, including work with Black Needle Noise and other experimental projects. In 2026, Jarboe returns with “Sightings” via Consouling Sounds and a European tour alongside Thor Harris and Joy Von Spain.

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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Swans, the New York experimental rock group led by Michael Gira, are on a European tour with UK shows beginning next week. Support on all dates is Jessica Moss. The run is the final tour in this “big sound” configuration Michael Gira confirms: “It constitutes my final foray (as producer / impresario) into the all-consuming sound worlds that have been my obsession for years… After that, Swans will continue, so long as I’m able, but in a significantly pared down form.”

The touring line-up consists of Michael Gira, Kristof Hahn, Dana Schechter, Larry Mullins, Phil Puleo, Christopher Pravdica, and Norman Westberg.

Their seventeenth studio album, “Birthing,” was released on May 30, 2025 via Mute / Young God Records on triple vinyl, double CD, and digital formats. Initial CD/vinyl pressings include a bonus DVD. The material contained in this album was largely developed over the course of a yearlong Swans tour, during 2023–2024 and is coupled with the recent live release, “Live Rope”.

Produced by Michael Gira it was recorded at Soundfabrik Berlin (with engineer Ingo Krauss and assistant Kiron Gaudi), mixed at Candy Bomber Studio, Berlin (by Ingo Krauss) and mastered by Doug Henderson at Micro-Moose, Berlin.

Below is the video for the album track “The Healers”.

Swans Tour (Europe / UK)

• 31 Oct – Ljubljana (SI), Kino Šiška
• 1 Nov – Zagreb (HR), Boogaloo
• 3 Nov – Ferrara (IT), Teatro Comunale
• 4 Nov – Milan (IT), Auditorium di Milano
• 6 Nov – Paris (FR), Trabendo
• 7 Nov – Leeds (UK), Project House
• 9 Nov – London (UK), Electric Brixton
• 10 Nov – London (UK), Electric Brixton
• 11 Nov – London (UK), Electric Brixton
• 14 Nov – Leiden (NL), Nobel
• 15 Nov – Nijmegen (NL), Doornroosje
• 17 Nov – Copenhagen (DK), VEGA Store
• 19 Nov – Oslo (NO), Vulkan Arena
• 20 Nov – Stockholm (SE), Slaktkyrkan
• 22 Nov – Tallinn (EE), Paavli Kultuurivabrik
• 24 Nov – Vilnius (LT), Kablys
• 25 Nov – Warsaw (PL), Stodoła
• 27 Nov – Berlin (DE), Festsaal Kreuzberg
• 28 Nov – Berlin (DE), Festsaal Kreuzberg

About Swans

Swans was formed in New York City in 1981 by Michael Gira. Early line-ups featured Gira with drummer Jonathan Kane and guitarist Sue Hanel among others, emerging from the city’s no wave and post-punk milieu.

Their first phase (1982–1997) moved from the punishing noise of “Filth” and “Cop” to the hybrid industrial/atmospheric approach on “Children of God,” then acoustic-leaning material on “The Burning World,” followed by the melodic “White Light from the Mouth of Infinity” and “Love of Life,” and the expansive “The Great Annihilator.”

The period culminated in 1996 with the double-album “Soundtracks for the Blind,” after which Gira disbanded the group.

From 1997 to 2010, Gira recorded and toured as Angels of Light and developed Young God Records, releasing artists including Devendra Banhart and Akron/Family. Swans were reactivated in 2010 with “My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky,” followed by “The Seer” (2012), “To Be Kind” (2014), and “The Glowing Man” (2016/2017 live documentation). A revised, fluid line-up returned on “Leaving Meaning” (2019) and “The Beggar” (2023).

“Birthing” (2025) is the seventeenth studio album, issued by Mute / Young God. Current members are Michael Gira, Kristof Hahn, Christopher Pravdica, Phil Puleo, Larry Mullins, Dana Schechter, and Norman Westberg.

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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Swans have released their seventeenth studio album, “Birthing” today 30 May. It is out via Mute / Young God Records on triple vinyl (brown chipboard sleeve), double CD (brown chipboard digi-pack), and digital formats.

Early pressings of the vinyl and CD include a bonus DVD with “Swans Live 2024 (Rope) The Beggar”, a concert film directed by Marco Porsia, plus Christopher Nicholson’s documentary from Michael Gira’s 2022 solo tour, “I Wonder If I’m Singing What You’re Thinking Me To Sing.”

Below is the latest video from the band for the track “The Healers”.

Below is the video for “I Am a Tower”.

Michael Gira: “The material contained in this album was largely developed over the course of a yearlong Swans tour, during 2023 – 2024 (‘The Healers’, ‘I Am a Tower’, ‘Birthing’, ‘Guardian Spirit’, ‘Rope’, and ‘Away’), then recorded and further orchestrated and rearranged in the studio. Two pieces were created and performed in the studio (‘Red Yellow’, ‘The Merge’). 

In all cases the material began with me sitting in my office with an acoustic guitar, singing and dreaming about what would become of these skeletal songs. I’m blessed to have such a stellar group of musicians to work with live (listed below), and through improvisation, endless revisions and an intensity of focus in performance (not to mention endurance), over the course of time the music morphed into what you generally hear on this collection.

This album, coupled with the recent live release, Live Rope, constitutes my final foray (as producer / impresario) into the all-consuming sound worlds that have been my obsession for years. We’ll do a final tour in this mode towards the end of 2025, then that’s it. 

After that, Swans will continue, so long as I’m able, but in a significantly pared down form. Hints of that direction can be found in a few moments on the current album. In the meantime, my hope is that the music provides a positive and fertile atmosphere in which to dream.”

Gira produced “Birthing” which was recorded at Soundfabrik Berlin with engineer Ingo Krauss and assistant Kiron Gaudi. It was then mixed at Candy Bomber Studio, Berlin by Ingo Krauss. Doug Henderson at Micro-Moose (Berlin) mastered it.

Contributors on “Birthing” include Michael Gira (acoustic guitar, voice), Phil Puleo (drums, hammer dulcimer, flute, melodica, percussion), Kristof Hahn (lap steel, guitars), Dana Schechter (lap steel, bass), Christopher Pravdica (bass, loops, keyboards), Larry Mullins (Mellotron, keyboards, percussion), Norman Westberg (electric guitar), and guest musicians Jennifer Gira, Laura Carbone, Lucy Kruger, Andreas Dormann, Timothy Wyskida, and Little Mikey.

Final Swans tour

North American Tour – September & October 2025

The tour will have a confirmed line-up of: Michael Gira, Kristof Hahn, Dana Schechter, Larry Mullins, Phil Puleo, Christopher Pravdica, and  Norman Westberg (with Little Annie & Paul Wallfisch as support).

• 4 Sep – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
• 5 Sep – Washington, DC – The Howard Theatre
• 6 Sep – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa
• 9 Sep – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
• 10 Sep – Austin, TX – Mohawk Austin
• 12 Sep – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
• 13 Sep – Tucson, AZ – The Rialto Theatre
• 15 Sep – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
• 16 Sep – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
• 17 Sep – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
• 20 Sep – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
• 21 Sep – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
• 23 Sep – Seattle, WA – The Neptune Theatre
• 24 Sep – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall
• 27 Sep – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
• 28 Sep – Omaha, NE – Waiting Room Showroom
• 30 Sep – Chicago, IL – Cabaret Metro
• 1 Oct – Detroit, MI – The Magic Bag
• 3 Oct – Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre
• 4 Oct – Montreal, QC – Théâtre National
• 6 Oct – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
• 7 Oct – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel

UK / European Tour – October & November 2025

• 23 Oct – Leipzig (DE) – Haus Leipzig
• 24 Oct – Neunkirchen (DE) – Neue Gebläsehalle
• 26 Oct – Munich (DE) – Technikum
• 28 Oct – Prague (CZ) – Archa+
• 29 Oct – Graz (AT) – Halle Detroit
• 31 Oct – Ljubljana (SI) – Kino Šiška
• 1 Nov – Zagreb (HR) – Boogaloo
• 3 Nov – Ferrara (IT) – Teatro Comunale
• 4 Nov – Milan (IT) – Auditorium di Milano
• 6 Nov – Paris (FR) – Trabendo
• 7 Nov – Leeds (UK) – Project House
• 9 Nov – London (UK) – Electric Brixton
• 10 Nov – London (UK) – Electric Brixton
• 11 Nov – London (UK) – Electric Brixton
• 14 Nov – Leiden (NL) – Nobel
• 15 Nov – Nijmegen (NL) – Doornroosje
• 17 Nov – Copenhagen (DK) – VEGA Store
• 19 Nov – Oslo (NO) – Vulkan Arena
• 20 Nov – Stockholm (SE) – Slaktkyrkan
• 22 Nov – Tallinn (EE) – Paavli Kultuurivabrik
• 24 Nov – Vilnius (LT) – Kablys
• 25 Nov – Warsaw (PL) – Stodoła
• 27 Nov – Berlin (DE) – Festsaal Kreuzberg
• 28 Nov – Berlin (DE) – Festsaal Kreuzberg

About Swans

Swans, an American experimental rock band, was founded in 1982 by Michael Gira in New York City. Emerging from the no wave scene, the band is renowned for its evolving sound, encompassing genres like noise rock, industrial, post-punk, and post-rock. Gira has been the sole constant member, steering the band’s direction throughout its various transformations.

Early Years (1982–1985)

Swans’ initial lineup featured Gira on vocals and bass, Jonathan Kane on drums, and Sue Hanel on guitar. Their debut EP, Swans (1982), showcased a raw, abrasive sound characteristic of the no wave movement. This was followed by their first full-length album, “Filth” (1983), which intensified their sonic assault with grinding guitar noise and pounding rhythms. During this period, the band’s music was marked by themes of power, control, and human suffering.

Evolution and Jarboe’s Influence (1986–1997)

In 1986, vocalist and keyboardist Jarboe joined Swans, marking a shift in their sound. Her influence introduced more melodic and atmospheric elements, evident in albums like “Children of God” (1987), which blended harsh noise with ethereal passages and explored religious themes. The band’s experimentation continued with releases such as “The Burning World” (1989), incorporating folk and world music influences, and “White Light from the Mouth of Infinity” (1991), which delved into more melodic and intricate compositions. Swans disbanded in 1997 after releasing the expansive double album “Soundtracks for the Blind” (1996).

Reformation and Recent Works (2010–Present)

Gira revived Swans in 2010 with a new lineup, excluding Jarboe. This era saw the release of albums like “My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky” (2010), “The Seer” (2012), “To Be Kind” (2014), and “The Glowing Man” (2016). These works are characterized by lengthy compositions and complex soundscapes. In 2017, Gira announced a shift in the band’s structure, opting for a revolving cast of contributors for future projects. This approach led to the creation of “Leaving Meaning” (2019) and “The Beggar” (2023).

Their forthcoming album, “Birthing” is out now.

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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Ex-Swans member Jarboe has announced a remastered vinyl version of “Disburden Disciple” via The Circle Music and a new video for “Bound”. The album, originally released independently in 2000, will be available on 25 April 2025 via The Circle Music for the first time on vinyl.

The vinyl release of “Disburden Disciple” has been fully remastered by George Emmanuel (Pentagram Studio) and features brand-new artwork. The remastered album will be available in double gatefold orange vinyl and double gatefold red vinyl. Pre-orders are available now via the record label’s webstore.

“Recorded in both Israel and the United States, the songs on ‘Disburden Disciple’ express themes of longing and romance as well as metaphorical dismemberment, scars, and resuscitation,” Jarboe comments. “The album explores the victim of passion, the dangerous love affair, the death bed of a lover, the death of a loved one from disease set to maniacal piano, the false accusation of a murder and the haunting of a spirit who calls from the deep, and the sounds of rolling tanks and drums as backdrop of the war of the heart. The album begins with a list of things in a stylistic groove that merges to 70s rock yet the chorus reaffirms not being free at all – from love.”

A new video for the 2025 remastered version of “Bound”, directed by Wampyrion, has also been released. The video captures Jarboe’s first NYC solo performance post-Swans in a packed Knitting Factory in 2000.

The Circle Music adds, “Our ambition to release as many albums as possible from Jarboe’s long catalogue on vinyl continues with ‘Disburden Disciple’, a very special, personal and experimental album that appeared 25 years ago and today we realise how ahead of its time it was. We don’t think we need to talk about Jarboe’s influence in the field of avant-garde, industrial, dark gothic or however one would like to describe her music. After all, Jarboe’s music goes beyond boundaries. It’s not just heard, it’s experienced.”

At the core of the album is Jarboeon vocals, Brian Castillo who contributed both guitar and bass – while also serving as a recording engineer, Cedric Victor and Michael Courter on bass, Chandler Rentz on drums and percussion, Gabriel, Hamdi, and Ibrahim Ahmad on rhythm sections, Eva Sabon on violin, Diana Obscura on cello and backing vocals, and Renee Nelson contributing both harp and backing vocals.

The lineup also included Nick Pagan on piano, Rico on vocals, and Yariv Malka, who played guitar and percussion while also engineering the track “Forbid”.

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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Slovenian avant-garde collective Laibach has just shared the “Opus Dei Revisited 2024” version of their iconic track “Leben heißt Leben”, an reinterpretation of Opus’ 1985 hit “Live is Life”. This new release is part of the band’s “Opus Dei Revisited” project, a year-long tribute to their groundbreaking 1987 album “Opus Dei”. Laibach is currently on tour across Europe, revisiting the themes and tracks of this influential work.

“Opus Dei Revisited”, set for release on December 13, 2024, will be available as a double LP, double CD, and digitally via Mute Records. The album features two distinct reimaginings of “Opus Dei”, offering a radical interrogation of the original material. The first disc presents a modernized reworking of the tracks by Laibach themselves, which has evolved throughout their ongoing Opus Dei Revisited Tour. The band was so impressed with the live versions that they immediately entered the studio to record the fresh takes.

The second disc sees the original album’s producer, Rico Conning (known for his work with Wire, Pere Ubu, and Swans), invited back to re-explore the 1987 master tapes.

Formed in the industrial town of Trbovlje, Slovenia (then Yugoslavia), Laibach has long been one of the most influential bands from the former Eastern Bloc.

In addition to their upcoming Opus Dei Revisited release, Laibach has also been working on a potential performance of their original symphonic work Alamut in Tehran, in collaboration with Iranian composers. This year also saw performances of their score for Saint Joan of the Stockyards in Italy and an academic course at the University of Salerno delving into Laibach’s cultural significance.

Side-Line also covered Laibach’s ‘Strange Fruit’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo courtesy of Laibach) Laibach are further celebrating their classic 1987 album “Opus Dei” with “Opus Dei Revisited” which holds new versions of the source material. “Opus Dei Revisited” is set for release on Mute on December 13, 2024 on double vinyl and double CD.

“Opus Dei” was the band’s first album for Mute for the Slovenian collective. The first disc of the Double LP / CD is a reworking by Laibach themselves which was initially crafted, and then refined, for their current Opus Dei Revisited Tour. They for instance reimagined Opus’ “Live Is Life” (as “Opus Dei”) and Queen’s “One Vision” ( as “Geburt einer Nation”).

For the second disc they invited Rico Conning (Wire, Pere Ubu, Swans, Front 242, William Orbit), who produced and mixed the 1987 version, to also revisit the material. Conning was given an open brief to explore new territories with what was on the original master tapes. To coincide with the announcement of Opus Dei Revisited they have shared a taster track from the album, “Geburt einer Nation” (Rico Conning’s Inner Ear RMX 2024).

Tracklist “Opus Dei Revisited“

Opus Dei Revisited (Disc 1)

• A1. Leben heißt Leben RE 
• A2. Geburt einer Nation RE 
• A3. Leben-Tod RE 
• A4. F.I.A.T. RE 
• B1. Transnational RE 
• B2. How the West Was Won RE 
• B3. The Great Seal RE 
• B4. Opus Dei RE 

Rico Conning’s Inner Ear RMX 2024 (Disc 2)

• C1. Leben heißt Leben RMX 
• C2. Geburt einer Nation RMX 
• C3. Leben-Tod RMX 
• C4. F.I.A.T. RMX 
• D1. Opus Dei RMX 
• D2. Transnational RMX 
• D3. How the West Was Won RMX 
• D4. The Great Seal RMX 

Laibach Opus Dei Tour

2024:

• 9/14/2024 – Portorož, Avditorij, SI
• 10/4/2024 – Split, Club Porat, HR
• 10/5/2024 – Zagreb, Boogaloo, HR
• 10/10/2024 – Mežica, ND Mežica, Big Hall, SI
• 10/11/2024- Budapest, Dürer Kert, HU
• 10/12/2024 – Leipzig, Felsenkeller, DE
• 10/13/2024 – Prague, Roxy, CZ
• 10/15/2024 – Dordrecht, Bibelot, NL
• 10/16/2024 – Arnhem, Luxor, NL
• 10/17/2024 – Vauréal, Le Forum 2, FR
• 10/18/2024 – Toulouse, Le Metronum, FR
• 10/19/2024 – Wavre, La Sucrerie, BE
• 10/20/2024 – Bochum, Christuskirche, DE
• 10/22/2024 – Hannover, Music Pavillion, DE

2025:

• 2/16/2025 – Krakow, Kwadrat, PL
• 2/18/2025- Ostrava, Barrak, CZ
• 2/19/2025 – Vienna, Arena, AT
• 2/20/2025 – Jena, F-Haus, DE
• 2/21/2025 – Sittard, Poppodium Volt, NL
• 2/22/2025 – London, Islington Assembly Hall, UK
• 2/23/2025 – Manchester, Ritz, UK
• 2/24/2025 – Southampton, The 1865, UK
• 2/25/2025 – Bristol, Trinity Centre, UK
• 2/27/2025 – Lausanne, Les Docks, CH
• 2/28/2025 – Bologna, Link, IT
• 3/4/2025 – Skopje, Macedonian Philharmonic, MK
• 3/5/2025 – Athens, Gazarte, GR
• 3/6/2025 – Sofia, Pirotska 5, BG
• 3/7/2025 – Bucharest, Quantic Club, RO
• 3/8/2025 – Beograd, Dom Omladine, RS

Side-Line also covered Laibach’s ‘Opus Dei Revisited’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Fabio Calabretta) On September 13th, the Barcelona-based, post-industrial duo Dame Area will release their fourth studio album, “Toda la verdad sobre Dame Area” (“The Whole Truth about Dame Area”), a collaboration with the labels Mannequin Records and Humo Internacional.

The album serves as a companion piece to 2022’s “Toda la mentira sobre Dame Area” (“All The Lies About Dame Area” – Màgia Roja and B.F.E Records), which had a stronger focus on melody, while this latest record is more aggressive and industrial-influenced, with a greater emphasis on percussion.

Here’s already a new track, “Si No Es Hoy Cuándo Es“.

Formed in 2017 within the underground scene of Barcelona’s Màgia Roja club, Dame Area comprises the Italian-Catalan duo Silvia Konstance and Viktor Lux Crux. They fuse industrial-tribal polyrhythms with minimalist synth basslines, drawing inspiration from avant-garde masters such as Esplendor Geometrico, Throbbing Gristle, Suicide, Einstürzende Neubauten, Can, Coil, Swans, Big Black, and Wolf Eyes. Dame Area released their debut album “Centro di Gravità” in 2018 on Màgia Roja and B.F.E Records. This was followed by “Ondas Tribales” in 2021, released on the Berlin-based label Mannequin Records.

Dame Area Tour Dates

• 09/08/2024 – WINCHESTER (GB) Three Wheel Drive Festival
• 10/08/2024 – CASTELBUONO (IT) Ypsigrock Festival
• 16/08/2024 – ALVESTA (SE) Kalabalik på Tyrolen Festival
• 17/08/2024 – SAINT-MALO (FR) La Route Du Rock
• 23/08/2024 – TORREMOLINOS Canela Fest.
• 24/08/2024 – LEIRIA (PT) Extramuralhas
• 30/08/2024 – BIRMINGHAM (GB) Supersonic Festival
• 14/09/2024 – LEFFINGE (BE) Leffingeleuren Festival
• 19/09/2024 – MEXICO (MX) 316
• 20/09/2024 – SAN JOSE (CR) Edificio Steinvorth
• 21/09/2024 – BOGOTA (CO) Asilo
• 27/09/2024 – SANTIAGO (CL) TBA
• 28/09/2024 – SAO PAULO (BR) Club Madame
• 03/10/2024 – MUNICH (DE) Rote Sonne
• 04/10/2024 – BERLIN (DE) Neue Zukunft
• 05/10/2024 – HAMBURG (DE) MS Stubnitz
• 11/10/2024 – PARIS (FR) Petit Bain (Gonzaï Night)
• 12/10/2024 – AURAY (FR) Les Nuits Soniques
• 18/10/2024 – MADRID (ES) TBA
• 19/10/2024 – VITORIA (ES) TBA
• 24/10/2024 – BRUXELLES (BE) Beursschouwburg
• 25/10/2024 – CHARLEROI (BE) Le Vecteur
• 26/10/2024 – INNSBRUCK (AT) Positive Futures Festival
• 31/10/2024 – LUZERN (CH) TBA
• 01/11/2024 – LAUSANNE (CH) Le Romandie : Le Bourg
• 02/11/2024 – LONDON (GB) The Lexington
• 05/11/2024 – BRIGHTON (GB) The Hope and Ruin
• 06/11/2024 – LEEDS (GB) Headrow House
• 08/11/2024 – BRISTOL (GB) Strange Brew
• 09/11/2024 – COURTRAI (BE) Sonic City Festival
• 10/11/2024 – POITIERS (FR) Salons de Blossac – Groweekend
• 15/11/2024 – ARLES (FR) Cargo de nuit
• 23/11/2024 – LEEUWARDEN (NL) Explore The North
• 29/11/2024 – LORIENT (FR) Hydrophone – Soirée LFSM
• 30/11/2024 – SAINT-BRIEUC (FR) Pavillons des expositions Temporaires
• 01/12/2024 – ANGERS (FR) Joker’s Pub
• 14/12/2024 – MILANO (IT) Arci Bellezza

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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Out now via Discsalced Music is the brand new studio album by the legendary neofolk act Backworld and this over 7 years after the latest new recordings. The new album, “For the Life of the World”, holds 11 tracks.

Behind Backworld we find Joe Budenholzer who launched the project in the spirit of the World Serpent apocalyptic folk scene in London, combining traditional English folk, experimental and minimalist classical with fin-de-siecle mysticism.

Founder Joseph Budenholzer’s collaborators on this new album include David Tibet (Track 11), MAYa Hardinge (Track 8) and Laure Kyle (Track 1,2,7).

The American neofolk band Backworld was founded in 1993 by Joseph Budenholzer in New York’s East Village. Over the years, Joseph Budenholzer has collaborated with several artists, including David Tibet and Michael Cashmore (Current 93), Drew McDowall (Coil), Jarboe (Swans), Isobel Campbell (Belle & Sebastian), and Antony Hegarty (Anohni), among others. The band’s discography includes albums such as “Isles of the Blest”, “Anthems from the Pleasure Park”, and “The Fourth Wall”​.

The last album was 2016’s “The Hound Of Heaven – A Paraliturgical Opera In One Act”. Before that, there hadn’t been any new songs since 2011’s “Come The Bells”. 2020 had seen the release of “The Fourth Wall (Live at Bloomsbury Theater, London)”.

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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Finnish industrial pioneer, And Then You Die, continues the digitization of its early catalog, announcing the remastered release of the “Geisteskrank” EP via Skithund Records on digital channels on May 3, 2024, and this over 30 years after its originally sold-out cassette release. The EP was originally released as a MC-cassette in 1993 via Medical Records and offers dark and experimental industrial music.

And Then You Die was formed all the way back in 1990 and were one of the first electro/industrial acts in Finland. The roots of the project’s sound lie in dark music with such artists as Einstürzende Neubaten, Swans, Godflesh and Scorn. The group paints their soundscapes with loops and sequences, heavy bass, guitars, analog synthesizers and sometimes even real drums.

Over the years the And Then You Die has released limited edition VHS singles, vinyl’s and cd’s plus a wide bunch of digital releases. With minimal promotion they have gained a certain cult status and been referred as one the best kept secrets in Finland. And Then You Die released their latest album “Electric Uterus” on May 2021.

Here’s the remastered version of “Geisteskrank”.

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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Brooklyn-based post-punk outfit Clone (a supergroup featuring members of The Veldt, Dead Leaf Echo, Namesake and Pilot To Gunner) present “Dividing Line”. “Dividing Line” is a song “about how Donald Trump tried to start a class war within the USA,” says the band. It will be the lead track from their debut record “CL. 1”, out this summer via Portland’s Little Cloud Records and North Carolina’s 5BC Records.

Led by LG Galleon, frontman of Dead Leaf Echo, Clone started playing shows in summer of 2019. “CL.1” was recorded and mixed by NYC legendary producer Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Swans, Brian Eno, John Zorn, Herbie Hancock, Iggy Pop, Helmet, Dresden Dolls, Cop Shoot Cop) at his BC Studio (actually built by Brian Eno). The material was then and mastered by Fred Kevorkian, another name that will ring many bells. Besides LG Galleon we also find NYC musicians Gregg Giufree (Pilot to Gunner), Max Idas and Dominick Turi. Live, he is joined by Paul Liziragga (Namesake) and Alex Cox (The Veldt).

The video for “Dividing Line”, which involved claymation, drawing and digital rendering, was created by Preston Spurlock.

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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Laibach has released the two-track single, “Opus Dei Live 1987 – 1989 pt.1”, featuring two unreleased live recordings: “Leben heisst Leben (Opus Dei)” live from London, Queen Elizabeth Hall, 1987 and “F.I.A.T. (Let It Be)” live from Paris, Espace Ornano, 1992.

Both tracks are taken from the expanded edition of their 1987 album, “Opus Dei”, which is set to be released digitally on Mute on May 10, 2024 and on vinyl and as a 2CD box set on May 24, 2024. Additionally, the CD features 16 unreleased live tracks from 1987-1989 and 3 bonus tracks (which includes two that were previously unreleased).

The two-track single is accompanied by the below video of “Opus Dei (Life is Life)”, cut from live footage of Goran Gajić’s 1988 film “Pobeda pod suncem”, filmed in Belgrade, Münich, and Ljubljana.

“Opus Dei” was the band’s first album for Mute, and was mixed by Rico Conning (Wire, Pere Ubu, Swans, William Orbit) and opened up opportunities for the Slovenian collective to launch a first world tour. The re-release comes with a redesigned cover plus an extensive booklet with photographs, artwork inspired by the German anti-fascist visual artist John Heartfield, and new sleeve notes by the cultural theorist and author Alexei Monroe.

Laibach’s “Opus Dei (Remastered)” is out on Mute on vinyl (with 16-page booklet), 2CD box set (with 28-page booklet) on May 24, 2024 and digitally on May 10, 2024.

Bonus tracks on CD1

1. Geburt einer Nation (Eine Richtung und ein Volk Version)
2. Leben heisst Leben (Marche Funèbre Version)
3. Geburt einer Nation (3. Oktober – Kraftbach – Version)

CD2

1. Leben heisst Leben (London, Queen Elizabeth Hall, 1987)
2. Geburt einer Nation (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
3. Leben-Tod (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
4. F.I.A.T. (Paris, Espace Ornano, 1992)
5. Transnational (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
6. How the West Was Won (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
7. Opus Dei (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
8. Leben heisst Leben (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
9. Geburt einer Nation (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
10. Leben – Tod (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
11. How the West Was Won (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
12. Geburt einer Nation (Vienna, Messepalast, Kaiser Franz Josef Reitschule, 1988)
13. Leben – Tod (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)
14. Transnational (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)
15. How the West Was Won (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)
16. Opus Dei (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)

Laibach – Opus Dei Tour

• 5/14/2024 – Winterthur, Gaswerk Kulturzentrum, CH
• 5/15/2024 – Frankfurt, Batschkapp, DE
• 5/16/2024 – Berlin, Huxleys Neue Welt, DE
• 5/17/2024 – Copenhagen, Pumpehuset, DK
• 5/18/2024 – Gothenburg, Pustervik, SE
• 5/19/2024 – Stockholm, Nya Cirkus, SE
• 5/21/2024 – Helsinki, Savoy Theatre, FI
• 5/23/2024 – Oslo, Vulkan, NO
• 5/25/2024 – Cologne, Essigfabrik, DE
• 5/26/2024 – Dresden, Kultur Zentrum Strasse E, DE
• 5/27/2024 – Torun, CKK Jordanki, PL
• 5/28/2024 – Lublin, Radio Lublin, PL
• 5/29/2024 – Graz, Orpheum Big Hall, AT
• 7/3/2024 – Munich, Muffathalle, DE
• 7/4/2024 – Schorndorf, Manufaktur, DE
• 7/6/2024 – Halle, East Side Festival, DE
• 8/9/2024 – Jaromer, Brutal Assault Festival, CZ
• 10/5/2024 – Zagreb, Boogaloo, HR
• 10/11/2024- Budapest, Dürer Kert, HU
• 10/12/2024 – Leipzig, Felsenkeller, DE
• 10/13/2024 – Prague, Roxy, CZ
• 10/15/2024 – Dordrecht, Bibelot, NL
• 10/16/2024 – Arnhem, Luxor, NL
• 10/17/2024 – Vauréal, Le Forum 2, FR
• 10/18/2024 – Toulouse, Le Rex, FR
• 10/19/2024 – Wavre, La Sucrerie, BE
• 10/20/2024 – Bochum, Christuskirche, DE
• 10/22/2024 – Hannover, Music Pavillion, DE

Side-Line also covered Laibach’s ‘Opus Dei Revisited’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Andy Catlin – Ljubljana) Laibach has announced a remastered and redesigned edition of their 1987 album, “Opus Dei”, scheduled for release on Mute on May 10, 2024. This edition will be available on vinyl and as a 2CD box set. It includes 16 previously unreleased live tracks from 1987-1989 and three bonus tracks.

A new video has been released, featuring edits from “Victory Under the Sun” (Pobeda pod suncem), directed by Goran Gajić in 1988, for the remastered version of “The Great Seal”. Watch it below.

“Opus Dei”, Laibach’s debut album with Mute, was originally mixed by Rico Conning, known for his work with Wire, Pere Ubu, Swans, and William Orbit. The album includes Laibach’s interpretations of Opus’ “Live Is Life” (rendered in English as “Opus Dei” and in German as “Leben heisst Leben”) and Queen’s “One Vision” (reimagined as “Geburt Einer Nation”), propelling the band into the limelight with support from MTV and ITV’s The Chart Show. The mainstream exposure and memorable music press features led to their first world tour, with performances from London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, San Francisco, Berlin, Paris, and various locations across Europe included on the second CD of this expanded edition.

The remastered edition boasts a redesigned cover that enhances the original artwork, an extensive booklet filled with photographs and artwork inspired by German anti-fascist artist John Heartfield, and new sleeve notes by cultural theorist Alexei Monroe.

Formed in the year of Yugoslavian founding father Tito’s death, the band faced censorship and bans in Yugoslavia before releasing “Opus Dei”. They embarked on the Occupied Europe Tour, appeared in Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket”, recorded a Peel Session for the BBC, and performed in Michael Clark’s dance production “No Fire Escape from Hell”.

The band have also recently announced ongoing diplomatic negotiations for a performance in Tehran of “Alamut”, a collaborative symphonic work with Iranian composers and performers. A very weird choice given the geopolitical tensions, just like their concert in North Korea.

In April 2024, Laibach will perform their score for a new theatrical production of Bertolt Brecht’s “Saint Joan of the Stockyards” by ErosAntEros, with performances in Bologna and Ravenna.

“Opus Dei (Remastered)” by Laibach will be available on Mute in various formats, including vinyl with a 16-page booklet, a 2CD box set with a 28-page booklet, and digitally, on May 10, 2024.

Tracklist of the CD:

CD1

1. Leben heisst Leben (Opus Dei)
2. Geburt einer Nation (One Vision)
3. Leben – Tod
4. F.I.A.T. (Let It Be)
5. Transnational
6. How the West Was Won
7. Opus Dei (Life is Life)
8. The Great Seal

Bonus tracks:

1. Geburt einer Nation (Eine Richtung und ein Volk Version)
2. Leben heisst Leben (Marche Funèbre Version)
3. Geburt einer Nation (3. Oktober – Kraftbach – Version)

CD2

1. Leben heisst Leben (London, Queen Elizabeth Hall, 1987)
2. Geburt einer Nation (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
3. Leben-Tod (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
4. F.I.A.T. (Paris, Espace Ornano, 1992)
5. Transnational (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
6. How the West Was Won (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
7. Opus Dei (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
8. Leben heisst Leben (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
9. Geburt einer Nation (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
10. Leben – Tod (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
11. How the West Was Won (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
12. Geburt einer Nation (Vienna, Messepalast, Kaiser Franz Josef Reitschule, 1988)
13. Leben – Tod (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)
14. Transnational (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)
15. How the West Was Won (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)
16. Opus Dei (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)

Laibach ‘Opus Dei’ Tour

• 14 May – Winterthur, Gaswerk Kulturzentrum, CH
• 15 May – Frankfurt, Batschkapp, DE
• 16 May – Berlin, Huxleys Neue Welt, DE
• 17 May – Copenhagen, Pumpehuset, DK
• 18 May – Gothenburg, Pustervik, SE
• 19 May – Stockholm, Nya Cirkus, SE
• 21 May – Helsinki, Savoy Theatre, FI
• 23 May – Oslo, Vulkan, NO
• 25 May – Cologne, Essigfabrik, DE
• 26 May – Dresden, Kultur Zentrum Strasse E, DE
• 27 May – Torun, CKK Jordanki, PL
• 28 May – Lublin, Radio Lublin, PL
• 29 May – Graz, Orpheum Big Hall, AT
• 03 July – Munich, Muffathalle, DE
• 04 July – Schorndorf, Manufaktur, DE
• 06 July – Halle, East Side Festival, DE
• 09 Aug – Jaromer, Brutal Assault Festival, CZ
• 05 Oct – Zagreb, Boogaloo, HR
• 11 Oct – Budapest, Dürer Kert, HU
• 12 Oct – Leipzig, Felsenkeller, DE
• 13 Oct – Prague, Roxy, CZ
• 15 Oct – Dordrecht, Bibelot, NL
• 16 Oct – Arnhem, Luxor, NL
• 17 Oct – Vauréal, Le Forum 2, FR
• 18 Oct – Toulouse, Le Rex, FR
• 19 Oct – Wavre, La Sucrerie, BE
• 20 Oct – Bochum, Christuskirche, DE
• 22 Oct – Hannover, Music Pavillion, DE

Side-Line also covered Laibach’s ‘Opus Dei Live 1987-1989 PT. 1’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The Children – a project started by veterans of Swans and Cop Shoot Cop among others – are releasing their second album “A Sudden Craving” on March 8 on Erototox Decodings on 12” LP vinyl and digital download.

The Children are Michael Wiener, Jim Coleman and Phil Puleo. They have been making music together for over 15 years. Also added in the line-up are former Barkmarket bassist John Nowlin and drummer Rock Savage augmented with cellist Kirsten McCord and founding member John AndersenWe also find former Swans guitarist Norman Westberg and clarinetist Johnny Gasper provided parts during the recording sessions for this LP.

Wiener describes the project as follows: “We, The Children… like to call our music gothic blues ambient. This LP is a distillation of where we’ve been as a collective force in recent years, and a suggestive hint at where we might go together in years to come.”

More news later on.

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: Industrial, Apocalyptic-Rock, Experimental.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: Polish sonic project Whalesong has been active since 2009. The band is driven by Michal Kielbasa (vocals, guitars, lap steel guitar, bass, hammered dulcimer, tubular bells, vibes, mellotron, keys, lyra8, theremin, gong, percussion, zither, sitar, violin), Grzegorz Zawadzki (drums, percussion), Piotr Dziemski (guitars) and Elise Aranguren (vocals). This new opus has been accomplished by an impressive number of guest artists.

Content: The main disc stands for the ‘true’ face of Whalesong; a heavy, overwhelming, production moving from a Dark-Ambient opening cut to apocalyptic, Industrial-Rock music. Guitar and drums are often reminding me of early Swans. The few cuts featuring female vocals reveal a softer and even ‘catchy’ Industrial side. The second disc holds on similar influences as the main disc although it’s more Experimental and even touches ground with a kind of Free-Jazz style.

+ + + : I especially salute the multi-instrumentalism of this project and its core member Michal Kielbasa. Together with the multiple guest musicians it creates an impressive sonic canvas. I prefer the darker passages and especially the way guitar and drums create an uplifting effect. “Leaving A Dream” is a great track to experience -which also sounds like ‘Film-Noir’-music but I also recommend the more ‘catchy’ sounding “Hope”. From the second disc I enjoyed “From The Ashes” which also has this elevating effect.

– – – : Some parts are quite cacophonous and sound like improvised. I’m less into this complexity and Experimentalism.

Conclusion: This work reminds me to early Industrial experiments from the 80s.

Best songs: “Leaving A Dream”, “Hope”, “From The Ashes”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/whalesongofficial

Label: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum Read the news on ‘Leaving A Dream’.

About Whalesong

Whalesong is a Polish sonic collective founded in 2009 and driven by multi-instrumentalist Michal Kielbasa, alongside Grzegorz Zawadzki on drums and percussion, Piotr Dziemski on guitars, and vocalist Elise Aranguren. “Leaving A Dream”, the project’s third album, was released by Zoharum in cooperation with Old Temple on 14 July 2023, spanning two CDs and over 120 minutes. Guests on the record include Attila Csihar of Mayhem and Sunn O))), Steve Blanco of Imperial Triumphant, Wukir Suryadi of Senyawa, and Miro Snejdr.

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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(Photo by Yuliya Skya) The Toronto-NYC indie trio ON present their fresh single “Gator”, released via the Toronto-based imprint Indiestructable Records.

“This song was written while the band was on a writing/recording session in Naples, Florida. We stayed in a gated community – meaning pass codes to enter the neighborhood and real “surveillance”. In the community was this pond – with freely roaming alligators. And there we have it – we think we are boundless and free – and yet we have lines and gates to keep us so called “safe”. There is the illusion – masking the element control as “safety”…. While the alligators roam freely. One begs to ask: who of the two “gators” is really free here?” says frontwoman Lucy Di Santo.

ON is a riveting power trio led by Lucy Di Santo (vocals, bass) with Dan Cornelius on drums and Steve Fall on guitars. Their latest music output sees the trio carry on the legacy of the band from which they were formed – 90’s Sire Records band Acid Test. Its members have also been in other popular Toronto bands Danko Jones and Deliuss. Musically the band is paying homage to their post-punk and grunge roots flavoured with some extra influences.

“Gator” follows up the band’s latest single “Make Me”, a song of frustration and wanting to recapture that euphoria.

The band is currently busy recording their next record at BC Studio in Brooklyn with legendary producer Martin Bisi, famed for his work with Sonic Youth, Swans, Brian Eno, John Zorn, Herbie Hancock, Iggy Pop, Helmet, Africa Bambaataa, Dresden Dolls, Unsane, Cop Shoot Cop and many other notable artists.

ON also recently completed an extensive US tour in support of their “ON” album, co-produced by Darius Szczepaniak (Sum 41, Black Crowes, Big Sugar, Bare Naked Ladies, Jann Arden) at Phase One Studios in Toronto.

Tour dates

• Fri 09/15 NYC, NY @Gold Sounds
• Sat 09/16 Flemington, NJ @Flemington DIY
• Tues 09/19 Baltimore, MD @The Crown
• Wed 09/20 Alexandria, VA @Galactic Panther
• Thurs 09/21 Winston-Salem, NC @Monstercade (with The Veldt)
• Fri 09/22 Raleigh, NC @Ruby Deluxe (with The Veldt)
• Sat 09/23 Atlanta, GA – Tiny’s Music (with The Veldt)
• Sun 09/24 Nashville, TN – TBA (with The Veldt)
• Tues 09/26 Cincinnati, OH @Northside Tavern (with The Veldt)
• Wed 09/27 Detroit, MI @Smalls (with The Veldt)
• Thurs 09/28 Toronto, ON – TBA (with The Veldt)
• Wed 10/11 Joiliet, IL @Drunken Donut (with Snailmate)
• Thurs 10/12 Port Huron, MI @Schwonk Stead Sound (with Snailmate)
• Sat 10/14 Peterborough, ON @Historic Red Dog (with Snailmate)
• Sun 10/15 Toronto @Bovine Sex Club (with Snailmate, Second Wife)
• Tues 10 /17 Ithaca, NY @Deep Dive (with Snailmate)
• Thurs 10/19 Kingston, ON @The Toucan (with Snailmate)
• Fri 10/20 Ottawa, ON @Avant-Garde Bar (with Snailmate)
• Sat 10/21 NYC, NY @Bar Frida (with Snailmate)

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 experimental/metal band from Poland, Whalesong, has recently released their new full-length album, “Leaving A Dream”. Don’t be misled by the ‘metal’ label; the album offers a diverse range of sounds that fans of Swans or Einstürzende Neubauten should appreciate.

“Leaving A Dream” is an impressive 16-track strong album, spanning over 120 minutes. Yes, over 120 minutes! It was composed between 2016 and 2020 and recorded at Antisound Studio in Poland on various dates from 2020 to 2023.

The album features a range of guest artists, including Attila Csihar (of Sunn O))), Mayhem, and Tormentor), Steve Blanco (from Imperial Triumphant), and Wukir Suryadi (of Senyawa).

Whalesong is an experimental music collective hailing from Poland, led primarily by Michal Kielbasa, known for his work with Grave of Love, Lugola, Harmony of Struggle, and NHC. Established in 2009, from its inception, the band has drawn significant influence from genres such as industrial, noise rock, no wave, and drone. Over the years, they’ve forged a distinctive style that melds post-rock, doom metal, jazz, psychedelic rock, neofolk, and post-punk.

In recent times, they’ve collaborated with notable artists such as Thor Harris (of Swans and Wrekmeister Harmonies) and Wacław Kiełtyka (from Decapitated and Machine Head).

Warmly recommended! Also check out the new video for “Struggle”. Read the review of ‘Leaving A Dream’.

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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Next month, Swans will be embarking on their first North American tour dates since 2017 (having cancelled a 2020 tour due to lockdown). They sold out all the dates on a European tour this Spring.

The band recently released their sixteenth studio album, “The Beggar”, on Mute / Young God Records (North America) on double vinyl in a brown chipboard sleeve (with a download card for accessing an additional 44 minutes of music, also included on the album’s CD version), as a double CD in a brown chipboard digi-pack, and digitally.

Michael Gira gave some extra details: “After numerous pandemic-induced cancellations of tours for the previous Swans album leaving meaning, and an apparent bottomless pit of waiting, waiting, waiting, and the strange disorientation that came with this sudden but interminable forced isolation I decided it was time to write songs for a new Swans album and forget about everything else. They came relatively easily, always informed by the suspicion that these could be my last. When I finally was able to travel, songs in hand, to Berlin to work with my friends recording this record, the feeling was akin to the moment in The Wizard of Oz when the film changes from Black and White to Color. Now I’m feeling quite optimistic. My favourite color is pink. I hope you enjoy the album.”

“The Beggar” was recorded and mixed at Candy Bomber Studio, Berlin, engineered by Ingo Krauss and mastered by Doug Henderson at Micro-Moose, Berlin. The album was written and produced by Michael Gira and features contributions from recent and former Swans, members of Angels of Light, as well as Guest Swan Ben Frost.

You can check out the album below.

Swans North American live dates

• 2 Sep – Dallas TX, Granada Theater
• 3 Sep – Austin TX, Paramount Theatre
• 7 Sep – Phoenix AZ, Crescent Ballroom
• 8 Sep – Los Angeles CA, Lodge Room – SOLD OUT
• 9 Sep – Los Angeles CA, Lodge Room – SOLD OUT
• 12 Sep – San Francisco CA, Great American Music Hall
• 13 Sep – San Francisco CA, Great American Music Hall
• 15 Sep – Portland OR, Revolution Hall
• 16 Sep – Seattle WA, The Crocodile Showroom
• 19 Sep – Omaha NE, Waiting Room Showroom
• 20 Sep – Minneapolis MN, Fine Line Music Cafe
• 21 Sep – Chicago IL, Cabaret Metro
• 23 Sep – Detroit MI, Magic Bag
• 24 Sep – Cleveland OH, Beachland Ballroom
• 26 Sep – Toronto ON, Phoenix Concert Theater
• 27 Sep – Montreal QC, Theatre National
• 29 Sep – Brooklyn NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg – SOLD OUT
• 30 Sep – Brooklyn NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg – SOLD OUT
• 1 Oct – Brooklyn NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg – NEW DATE

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, Death-Industrial, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Gianluca Becuzzi is part of the Italian Experimental/Industrial scene. He’s been active since the 80s and has released an impressive number of productions by very different labels. This album is a reissue of “We Can be Everywhere” originally released in between 2012 and 2013 plus an extra disc featuring new material.

Content: Gianluca Becuzzi clearly has this typical ‘early 80s’ Industrial/Experimental sound running through his work. Heavy monstrous sound blasts, boiling noises, minimalistic passages, Industrial rhythms and heavy, shouts sound like a sonic offspring between Industrial, Death-Industrial and pure Experimental music. It reminds me a bit of an imaginary crossover between Dissecting Table and Brighter Death Now. Most of the cuts are collaborations with other artists featuring Deison.

The second disc  exposes 4 cuts written between 2022 and 2023. The sound remains Industrial-like but mainly carried by Industrial guitar play reminding me of early Swans.

+ + + : What I like with this album is the early Industrial spirit getting us back to the 80s. The work stands for a great melting pot between different related genres but also an impressive arsenal of noises and effects while the harsh shouts inject an extra, tormented, touch.This is a great work and I especially recommend listening to “Souls At Zero Density” and “Farer Than Ever”. From the second disc I’ll keep in mind “Be” and “Everywhere”. Last but not least I also salute the artistic digipak format of the work.

– – – : This is extreme music for a restricted number of music lovers. It might be too ‘extreme’ or Experimental for others.

Conclusion: This is a great album by a great artist and a true reference in the early Industrial music genre.

Best songs: “Souls At Zero Density”, “Farer Than Ever”, “In Black Two” + “Be”, “Everywhere”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/gianluca.becuzzi

Label: www.finalmuzik.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Final-Muzik/85814529244

About Gianluca Becuzzi

Gianluca Becuzzi is an Italian electronic/electroacoustic composer and sound artist active since the first half of the 1980s, working across electroacoustic composition, sound art, audio installations and sound design. Since 1999 his output has carried a strong experimental imprint with a clear aesthetic inclination toward abstract forms and micro/macro noise textures.

He has recorded under multiple names and projects, including Limbo (1984-2001), Saint Luka (1988-1992), Metaform (1995-1996), Kinetix (1999-present), Noise Trade Company (2008-2014) and Grey History (2010-2011), alongside work released under his own name since 2006. He has also been credited as a member of Kirlian Camera.

“We Can Be Everywhere 2014/2023”, reviewed here, reissues the original 2012/2013 release with a bonus disc of new material recorded in 2022 and 2023, released via FinalMuzik.

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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Swans have shared a new track from their sixteenth studio album, “The Beggar”, due for release on Mute / Young God Records (N America) on 23 June 2023. “The Beggar” will be released on double vinyl in a brown chipboard sleeve (with a download card for accessing an additional 44 minutes of music, also included on the album’s CD version), as a double CD in a brown chipboard digi-pack, and digitally.

Listen to “Los Angeles: City of Death” below.

The band’s extensive touring for 2023 started last week and continues through spring and summer with UK dates in August, and North American dates in September. In addition, Swans have confirmed a string of new dates across Europe in October and November – full details below.

“The Beggar” was recorded and mixed at Candy Bomber Studio, Berlin, engineered by Ingo Krauss and mastered by Doug Henderson at Micro-Moose, Berlin. The album was written and produced by Michael Gira and features contributions from recent and former Swans, members of Angels of Light, as well as guest Swan Ben Frost.

Michael Gira adds: “After numerous pandemic-induced cancellations of tours for the previous Swans album leaving meaning, and an apparent bottomless pit of waiting, waiting, waiting, and the strange disorientation that came with this sudden but interminable forced isolation I decided it was time to write songs for a new Swans album and forget about everything else. They came relatively easily, always informed by the suspicion that these could be my last. When I finally was able to travel, songs in hand, to Berlin to work with my friends recording this record, the feeling was akin to the moment in The Wizard of Oz when the film changes from Black and White to Color. Now I’m feeling quite optimistic. My favourite color is pink. I hope you enjoy the album.”

Primary contributors to “The Beggar” were Michael Gita, Kristof Hahn, Larry Mullins, Dana Schechter, Christopher Pravdica, Phil Puleo and Ben Frost. Backing vocals are provided by Jennifer Gira, Lucy Kruger and Laura Carbone.

Swans, an experimental rock band from America, was established in 1982 by Michael Gira, a multi-talented artist serving as singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. This band is one of the rare survivors from the no wave scene of New York City, successfully transitioning into the subsequent decade. They are renowned for their dynamic musical style, shifting and exploring across various genres including noise rock, post-punk, industrial, and post-rock.

Swans live dates

• 25 May – Zilina SK, New Synagogue
• 26 May – Ljubljana SL, Kino Siska
• 27 May – Innsbruck, AT, Heart of Noise Festival, Treibhaus
• 29 May – Bologna IT, Teatro Duse
• 31 May – Lyon FR, Transbordeur
• 2 June – Barcelona ES, Primavera Sound Festival
• 4 June – Lisbon PT, Culturgest – SOLD OUT
• 5 June – Lisbon PT, Culturgest
• 6 June – Faro PT, Teatro Das Figuras
• 9 June – Madrid ES, Primavera Sound Festival
• 11 June – Athens GR, Vraxon Theatre
• 13 June – Thessaloniki GR, Moni Lazariston
• 15 June – Antwerp BE, Bourlaschouwburg – SOLD OUT
• 16 June – Utrecht NL, Hertz Theatre – SOLD OUT
• 11 Aug – Brighton UK, St George’s
• 12 Aug – Manchester UK, Albert Hall
• 15 Aug – Newcastle UK, Boiler Shop
• 16 Aug – Glasgow UK, St Luke’s
• 18 Aug – Bristol UK, Arc Tangent Festival
• 19 Aug – Leeds UK, Belgrave Music Hall – SOLD OUT
• 21 Aug – Dublin IE, The Academy
• 23 Aug – Norwich UK, Waterfront
• 24 Aug – London UK, Troxy
• 26 Aug – La Tour-De-Peilz CH, Nox Orae Festival
• 2 Sep – Dallas TX, Granada Theater
• 3 Sep – Austin TX, Paramount Theatre
• 7 Sep – Phoenix AZ, Crescent Ballroom
• 8 Sep – Los Angeles CA, Lodge Room
• 9 Sep – Los Angeles CA, Lodge Room
• 12 Sep – San Francisco CA, Great American Music Hall
• 13 Sep – San Francisco CA, Great American Music Hall
• 15 Sep – Portland OR, Revolution Hall
• 16 Sep – Seattle WA, The Crocodile Showroom
• 19 Sep – Omaha NE, Waiting Room Showroom
• 20 Sep – Minneapolis MN, Fine Line Music Cafe
• 21 Sep – Chicago IL, Cabaret Metro
• 23 Sep – Detroit MI, Magic Bag
• 24 Sep – Cleveland OH, Beachland Ballroom
• 26 Sep – Toronto ON, Phoenix Concert Theater
• 27 Sep – Montreal QC, Theatre National
• 29 Sep – Brooklyn NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg
• 30 Sep – Brooklyn NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg
• 16 Oct – Hamburg DE, Kampnagel – NEW DATE
• 17 Oct – Copenhagen DK, Vega Store – NEW DATE
• 19 Oct – Oslo NO, Blå Residency – NEW DATE
• 20 Oct – Oslo NO, Blå Residency – NEW DATE
• 22 Oct – Stockholm SE, Slaktkyrkan – NEW DATE
• 24 Oct – Helsinki FI, Tavastia – NEW DATE
• 25 Oct – Tallinn EE, HALL – NEW DATE
• 27 Oct – Riga LV, Mežaparks Great Bandstand – NEW DATE
• 28 Oct – Vilnius LI, St John’s Church – NEW DATE
• 31 Oct – Warsaw PL, Progresja – NEW DATE
• 1 Nov – Praha CZ, Divadlo Hybernia – NEW DATE
• 3 Nov – Wien AT, Arena Wien – NEW DATE
• 4 Nov – Budapest HU, Akvarium – NEW DATE
• 7 Nov – Belgrade RS, Dom Omladine – NEW DATE
• 8 Nov – Zagreb HR, Kino Sc – NEW DATE
• 10 Nov – Foligno IT, Auditorium San Domenico – NEW DATE
• 11 Nov – Milano IT, Conservatorio di Milano – NEW DATE
• 13 Nov – Paris FR, Élysée Montmartre – NEW DATE
• 14 Nov – Metz FR, Les Trinitaires – NEW DATE
• 16 Nov – Brussels BE, Botanique – NEW DATE
• 18 Nov – Bochum DE, Christuskirche – NEW DATE
• 19 Nov – Den Haag NL, Amare – NEW DATE
• 21 Nov – Berlin DE, Admiralspalast – NEW DATE

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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As new addition to its list of programs, The Pit VOD platform presents “Where Does a Body End?”, a 2019 Canadian documentary directed by Marco Porsia about the American experimental act Swans. The film had its premiere on May 3, 2019, at the IndieLisboa Film Festival in Portugal and was released worldwide on September 11, 2020 before to land on the plaform in a two-parts version.

You can watch the official trailer of “Where Does a Body End?” right below.

“Where Does a Body End?” is an intimate portrait of the band Swans, from their roots as a brutal, confrontational post-punk band that emerged from the same early 1980s era NYC that gave us Sonic Youth and other acts. The biopic also includes the breakups and chaos (on and offstage), in short you get the full monty.

Swans was formed in 1982 by singer / songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. One of the few acts to emerge from the New York City-based no wave scene and stay intact into the next decade, Swans had an ever-changing sound, exploring genres such as noise rock, post-punk, industrial and post-rock. Initially, their music was known for its sonic brutality and misanthropic lyrics. Following the addition of singer, songwriter and keyboardist Jarboe in 1986, Swans began to incorporate melody and intricacy into their music. Jarboe remained the band’s only constant member except Gira and semi-constant guitarist Norman Westberg until their dissolution in 1997.

In 2010, Gira re-formed the band without Jarboe, establishing a stable lineup of musicians which has toured worldwide and released four albums. This iteration of the group performed its last shows in November 2017, ending the tour in support of its final album “The Glowing Man”. Since 2019, Gira has been touring and recording with Swans as “a revolving cast of contributors”. The band’s latest album, “The Beggar”, will be released on June 23, 2023.

Since 1990, all Swans records have been released through Gira’s own label, Young God Records.

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

Swans announce their sixteenth studio album, “The Beggar”, set for release on 23 June 2023 via Mute / Young God Records. The band also reveals an extensive 2023 tour across the UK, Europe, and North America.

“The Beggar” will be available on double vinyl in a brown chipboard sleeve, double CD in a brown chipboard digi-pack, and digitally. A download card offers access to an additional 44 minutes of music, also included on the album’s CD version.

Recorded and mixed at Candy Bomber Studio in Berlin, “The Beggar” was engineered by Ingo Krauss, mastered by Doug Henderson, and written and produced by Michael Gira. It features contributions from current and former Swans members, members of Angels of Light, and guest artist Ben Frost.

Michael Gira shares his experience of writing the album during the pandemic and forced isolation, expressing optimism and hope for the future: “After numerous pandemic-induced cancellations of tours for the previous Swans album leaving meaning, and an apparent bottomless pit of waiting, waiting, waiting, and the strange disorientation that came with this sudden but interminable forced isolation I decided it was time to write songs for a new Swans album and forget about everything else. They came relatively easily, always informed by the suspicion that these could be my last. When I finally was able to travel, songs in hand, to Berlin to work with my friends recording this record, the feeling was akin to the moment in The Wizard of Oz when the film changes from Black and White to Color. Now I’m feeling quite optimistic. My favourite color is pink. I hope you enjoy the album.”

Primary contributors to “The Beggar” include Michael Gira (vocals, words, acoustic guitar, production), Kristof Hahn (lap steel, various guitars, vocals), Larry Mullins (drums, vibes, orchestral percussion, Mellotron, various keyboards, backing vocals), Dana Schechter (bass guitar, lap steel, keyboards, vocals, piano), Christopher Pravdica (bass guitar, sounds, keyboards, vocals), Phil Puleo (drums, percussion, vocals, piano, exotic wind instruments), and Ben Frost (guitar, synthesizers, sound manipulations). Jennifer Gira, Lucy Kruger, and Laura Carbone provide backing vocals.

Listen to “Paradise Is Mine”.

About Swans

Michael Gira founded Swans in NYC in 1982 and underwent multiple transformations over the years. The band ventured into various styles and genres, culminating in “Soundtracks For The Blind” (1996) before disbanding. Gira then worked on Angels Of Light and his label Young God Records, discovering and producing acts like Devendra Banhart and Akron/Family.

Swans was reactivated in 2010, releasing the album “My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky” and touring worldwide. That album was followed by “The Seer” (2012), “To Be Kind” (2014) and “The Glowing Man” (2017).

Swans’ music style can be described as experimental, encompassing a wide range of genres over their career. Their early work was characterized by brutal, high-volume onslaughts of sound, often described as no wave or noise rock. Over the years, they have ventured into harshly mechanical proto-industrial rock, atmospheric idylls, martial stomps, acoustic-based meditations, grand melody-dense sonic whirlwinds, and dissonant sharp-edged compositions. This eclectic approach has led to their music being associated with post-rock, experimental rock, and avant-garde genres.

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

“Of Everything… and Nothing” is scott crow’s first collection as a solo artist outside of his other musical projects – Lesson Seven (darkwave, industrial), Audio Assault (industrial hiphop) and corporatE unclE (noise and experimental) – and some of his first music recordings since 1992. This album holds crow’s recent collaborations, and guest appearances, with other artists and producers spanning 2016 through to the present.

The collaborators on this album are Sole and DJ Pain 1, Chris Hanna (Propagandhi), Thor Harris (Swans, Thor & Friends), Dead Voices On Air, Televangel (formerly of the production team Blue Sky Black Death), Mark Pistel (Consolidated, Hercules and Love Affair), R34L, Time, David May (KBD, Liquid 25), birthCenter and Energy Fools. The music itself spans genres from techno to hip hop to ambient/experimental and spoken word.

“Of Everything…and Nothing” is being released as a digital download, to streaming platforms and on CD on January 20th on scott’s Austin-based label eMERGENCY heARTS and via Bandcamp.

This collection will be followed in April by “Of Everything… and Nothing: ReMixed” featuring remixes from Adrian Sherwood, Meat Beat Manifesto, Keith LeBlanc (Tackhead), Televangel, Dead Voices On Air, David May, Wanz Dover and David M. Williams.

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: Industrial, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: This work is a re-release of the album from 2014 and which is meant to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of Fragment King. The project driven by Mark Kammerbauer has released multiple works during the past years.

Content: The work features the original songs of the album. Kammerbauer creates a true bombast by mixing guitar playing and effects together with Industrial noises. The work has something chaotic and yet structured. It remains a bit to the bombast of The Swans and the cellar atmosphere of Sleep Chamber.The last song is a remix by Bazooka.

+ + + : Fragment King became an expert in the creation of overwhelming, bombastic, sound atmospheres. The way he manipulates guitar sounds into industrial noises is truly captivating. I recommend listening to “Greater Than Man” but also the opening piece “Mobilize” featuring screams instead of vocals in a noticeable cut.

– – – : You better like Industrial music and related genres otherwise Fragment King will be a bridge too far.

Conclusion: An apocalyptic sensation created by harsh, fuzzy, guitar playing and weird sonic treatments.

Best songs: “Greater Than Man”, “Mobilize”.

Rate: 6½.

Artist:  www.facebook.com/groups/60822702408/user/670376642

Label: www.nexialist.com 

About Fragment King

Fragment King is the industrial project of Mark Kammerbauer, who is also a member of Navicon Torture Technologies and co-producer, with percussionist Z'EV, of the site-specific project Critical Void. Kammerbauer’s work under the Fragment King name began with the 1997 recording “Demo That Exploded”, followed by albums including “The Cellmaker’s Sinister Jazz” (2001), “Anatomic Music”, and “Grey Album”.

“Angel Position” is a 2022 re-release, via Nexialist, of the original 2014 album, issued to mark Fragment King’s 25th anniversary.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Experimental.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Venil is a French trio unleashing their debut album inspired by the spoiled world we’re living in.

Content: The work features 9 songs driven by electronic sequences, Industrial bombast -which might remind you of Laibach and Swans, and an experimental touch on top. The work is driven by heavy blasting sound treatments accentuated by guitar riffs. The vocals express rage, which is fitting by the themes the album is inspired with. The album however ends with a ‘softer’ cut. 

+ + + : I like the way this opus has been built up. The hostile atmosphere supports a heavy, bombastic production empowered by repetitive, electronic sequences. Even if I aforementioned a few Industrial pioneers, Venil seems to strive for a very own sound identity. This is a great production featuring different noticeable cuts, but I especially recommend listening to “Enough”, “My” -which is a terrific opener, and “Not”.

– – – : I regret the work only features 9 songs including an  instrumental intermezzo.

Conclusion: This is a great debut work, which will appeal for open-minded Industrial lovers.

Best songs: “Enough”, “My”, “Not”, “Fears”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: https://venil.xyz / www.facebook.com/venil.band

Label: www.facebook.com/medicationtimerecords

About Venil

Venil is the French trio of Alan Billi, Mikel Perez and Txomin Urriza. “My Fears Are Not Strong Enough To Save Me” was written between 2019 and 2021 and recorded with Amaury Sauve at The Apiary in Laval, France, between November 2020 and March 2021. The album was mixed by Sauve and mastered by Thibault Chaumont at Deviant Lab. Medication Time Records released the debut in September 2022 on double LP, alongside a companion film directed by Alan Billi featuring Malandain Ballet Biarritz and painter Julien Jaca.

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 Austin, Texas based solo-act Sine has announced the release of a new five-song strong EP, “Mantis 2”. This EP is the second in a trilogy. Released by the Austin-based record label eMERGENCY heARTS it is available now.

“Mantis 1” and “Mantis 2” were produced by Sine founder, Rona Rougeheart in collaboration with audio engineer Charles Godfrey at Scary American Studio in Austin, TX. Godfrey, in his two decade plus career, has been engineer/producer on over 75 recordings, including the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “It’s Blitz!” and “Mosquito”, The Black Angels’ “Indigo Meadow”, and notable work for Trail of Dead, SWANS, among many more.

The new EP also has a cover of The Glove’s song “Sex-Eye-Make Up”.

Rona Rougeheart tells us why she chose that song to do a cover: “The Cure is one of my all time favorite bands. When I was growing up, I loved Robert Smith and followed everything he did musically, which led me to Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Glove. When I found out that The Glove was Robert Smith and Steve Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees, I had to get it! It’s still one of my favorite albums – the song “Sex-Eye-Make Up” is one of my favorites on the album, so it was a natural choice. I don’t usually do covers, but oddly enough, the only other SINE cover is of The Cure song, “Like Cockatoos”. I guess all roads lead to The Cure!”

In discussing the recording process, Rougeheart says: “I worked with producer Mark Pistel (Consolidated, Meat Beat Manifesto). He took my bare demo and added more instrumentation and those super cool, dreamy vibes you hear. When I heard our final mix, I felt like I wanted to cry tears of joy! I’ve imagined doing this cover for years, so it was an absolute thrill to have Mark help me with it.”

Here’s the video for “Virtual Realitease”.

And here is the new EP.

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

Driven by István Gazdag the Hungarian Electro project First Aid 4 Souls remains a prolific and top notch formation. For the new album “I Am The Night” –released by Alfa Matrix, István renewed the experience working with his compatriot ‘Mortum’ as vocalist. The main difference with previous productions, which were often driven by sophisticated EBM influences, is the evolution in sound. First Aid 4 Souls injected, heavy, epic/orchestral, arrangements to the sound resulting in a heavy, bombastic work. The music creates a perfect match with the conceptual theme of the album around paintings from different international artists. “I Am The Night” is a Soundtrack for these painting.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: First Aid 4 Souls is now active for 15 years. You released multiple productions so can you draw up the balance sheet of the past 15 years? What have been the highlights and biggest deceptions?

István: We’ve started at the apex, thanks to the legendary publisher Some Bizarre, publishing us with a double CD back in 2008. I’ve had the opportunity  to mix bands like Coil, Soft Cell, Cabaret Voltaire, Swans, Test Dept, Einstürzende Neubauten or Depeche Mode on the second CD. 

Our album “Deathstep” was also a big hit, and our latest joint work with Mortum (Human Vault) entitled “I Am The Night” is considered a great success within the industry.

In the name of being unpredictable we’ve published a Psy-Rock album, full of real guitar riffs and old-school sci-fi tones. This however, caught no one’s attention.

Q: Your newest album “I Am The Night” is a particular conceptual work which seems to be a Soundtrack for paintings from different artists, right? How did you get the idea of this concept and how did you manage the different stages from the choice of the paintings till the music?

István: Back in the days I was aiming to become an art historian; I’ve had forty conscious years of picking the right pictures. Amongst the main themes are manly attitude, and a darker viewpoint of our world.

Tracks are recomposing the original paintings to the smallest details. Light, bound to canvas, can morph back into vibration this way.

Q: You already experienced working with concepts and artistic themes (like “Keep This World Empty”). What makes a conceptual release that exciting and what means ‘arts’ to you -and especially during the lockdowns where people were no longer allowed to cultural events?

István: These days, culture is not a trendy call-sign. One can only rebel against apathy and ignorance through action. A higher level of this is ‘total art’, where high culture is a starting point in composing.

People are generally devoid of all presence, being in lockdown or not. COVID did not change much about this.

Q: “I Am The Night” also brings a different approach in sound which is clearly driven by Epic/Orchestral arrangements. What have been the main sources of inspiration and references to produce this work? And did you notice important changes/evolutions in the global writing process?  

István: Will, Coil, Laibach or the In The Nursery are all fantastic when it comes to harmony and Kevin Key is still an in exhaustive source of inspiration to me.

Nowadays symphony can fit on a pendrive. This  helps a tremendous amount when it comes to creating the euphony by producers.

Q: A few years ago now you signed to Alfa Matrix. Do you notice and experience major differences being signed to a leading label? And what do you expect from labels today?

István: Alfa Matrix represents a status for us. Being an important company, financial accounting is much more manageable. 

Underground publishers are fighting for their survival these days. Promotion may be better with them, but soon enough these stars will fade…

Q: You also started to re-release ‘older’ productions revealing ‘reworked’ songs. Does it mean you weren’t satisfied with the original recordings and do you see yourself as a perfectionist? What did you try to improve?

István: In the past ten years my knowledge of mastering and audio techniques have massively improved. Yes, I’m a perfectionist, and I have a strong inner drive to be able to roar louder and more effectively.

No one can tell that we haven’t said it enough times; there is trouble ahead…

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Polish formation Schröttersburg is back on track unleashing their sixth full length which comes pretty fast after the cool “Dalet”.

Content: “Om Shanti Om” sounds totally different from the Cold-Wave sound revealed at previous works. The album was composed during lockdown and became totally devoted to early Industrial music. You’ll also notice a few more influences running through the work which can be now Psychedelic and then Trance-driven. The lyrics are sung in Polish.

+ + + : You get the sensation listening to another band than on previous productions, but Schröttersburg still feel comfortable exploring Industrial paths. The use of authentic instruments and Industrial gear bring good-old memories alive, reminding me of Test Department and Swans for the guitar playing.

– – – : I can easily imagine fans of the band will be a bit shocked discovering an Industrial-minded opus.

Conclusion: This is an overwhelming album revealing elements of early 80s Industrial spirit.

Best songs: “V”, “I”, “II”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/schrottersburg

Labels: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum / www.facebook.com/DIYKoloRecords / www.batcaveproductions.pl / www.facebook.com/batcaveproductions

About Schröttersburg

Schröttersburg is a Polish band from Płock, formed in 2008 and settled in its current line-up from 2010. Discogs lists Krzysiek, Michał Majcher, Maciek Czerwiński, Rafał Strzemieczny, Czarek, Marcin and Rafał among its members. The group started from punk and post-punk and moved toward industrial, oriental and tribal material.

The band self-released the demo “Demencje” in 2013, then issued “Krew” in 2015 and “Ciało” in 2016 on Extinction Records. “Melancholia” followed in 2018 on ZIMA and No Pasaran Records, with the expanded “Melancholia / Dekonstrukcje” appearing on Zoharum in 2020. “Dalet”, written on its sleeve as “ד”, arrived in 2021 through Zoharum, DIY Koło, Bat-Cave Productions and N.I.C., the same grouping of labels behind “Om Shanti Om” in 2022.

A live album recorded at the XXI Wrocław Industrial Festival followed in 2023, as did “Kosmogonia”. Side-Line spoke to Krzysiek and Michał about that record in the Click Interview with Schröttersburg.

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: Experimental, Dark-Ambient, Industrial, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: NYIÞ is an Icelandic project you pronounce as ‘Neeth’. After several self-released productions this album is the official debut album featuring a selection of ‘older’ cuts.

The set brings together the project’s first four releases from 2011 to 2019 united on one album: the tape trilogy “Til eru hræ sem hafa aldrei verið menn og munu aldrei verða þó þau lifi enn” (2011), “Hati þá guð og helgir englar allir” (2012) and “Visni þitt hold svo betur megi hæfa þeim hug sem það hýsir” (2014), plus “Caput Mortum” (2018). Cyclic Law issued it as a 2CD edition of 300 copies in an 8-panel digisleeve with matt lamination.

Content: The sound universe of NYIÞ represents a wide sonic canvas which is however driven by darkness and oppressive atmospheres. They can be now into dark reverie accentuated by trumpet play and next into a personal interpretation of Folk mixed with Industrial elements. The Industrial exponent is next accentuated by guitar play reminding me of early Swans. The last part of the album evolves into Dark-Ambient and obscure cinematic passages.

+ + + : The work takes off by a great and original track with a brilliant trumpet sound which comes back into other cuts as well. “Hati Þá Guð Og Helgir Englar Allir” is another attention grabber with this magic trumpet sound. But I especially salute the open-minded approach of this project which is hard to label although related to familiar, darker, styles. You’ll also notice passages with vocals and chants accentuating the dreamy darkness of the work.

– – – : The work sounds a bit versatile as well and that’s maybe the tracks have been composed over different years.

Conclusion: NYIÞ is a particular project meant to entertain dark souls.

Best songs: “Decompose”, “Hati Þá Guð Og Helgir Englar Allir”, “Rót”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/NYIÞ-919034964844185

Label: www.cycliclaw.com / www.facebook.com/cycliclaw

About NYIÞ

NYIÞ, pronounced ‘Neeth’, is an Icelandic act whose music has been described as doom metal, drone rock and progressive rock alongside its dark ambient and industrial elements. Its first four releases appeared between 2011 and 2019 and were originally self-released.

Three of them formed a tape trilogy: “Til eru hræ sem hafa aldrei verið menn og munu aldrei verða þó þau lifi enn” in 2011, “Hati þá guð og helgir englar allir” in 2012 and “Visni þitt hold svo betur megi hæfa þeim hug sem það hýsir” in 2014. The fourth, “Caput Mortum” from 2018, breaks with the trilogy and carries no lyrical content.

The French label Cyclic Law collected all four on the 2CD album reviewed here, the first NYIÞ release to appear on a label.

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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(Photo by J. Williams) The Greek label, The Circle Music, has announced the first-ever reissue of one of the most iconic releases of Jarboe, the album “Sacrificial Cake” on double vinyl.

The 16-track strong album was originally released in 1995 and came out four years after the solo album “Thirteen Masks”. Jarboe who was at the same time working in Swans, recorded the album “Sacrificial Cake” in New York’s East Village at the analog home-studio of multi-instrumentalist Lary Seven. Swans founder, Michael Gira simultaneously releases his album, “Drainland”.

The Circle Music label says this about the re-release: “We are proud to release this legendary album for the first time on vinyl – on its own – and with new mastering, new lay out, luxurious packaging and of course in the color of lavender dedicated to the ‘Lavender Girl’.”

Commenting on the upcoming release, Jarboe says: “‘Sacrificial Cake’ is one of my most popular albums. The song, ‘Lavender Girl’ on this album, is the song fans tell me is one of their favorite songs, ever. As this album was never available on its own, I am thrilled for The Circle Music to have it be available and especially on lavender vinyl in homage to the beloved song.”

The double vinyl reissue is coming out on November 18th and is limited to just 500 copies. Note that the material was newly mastering by George Emmanuel (Pentagram Studio) with all new lay out by Riccardo Isolabella.

You can pre-order the record here.

About Jarboe

Jarboe La Salle Devereaux, known as Jarboe, is an American singer and musician who came to prominence as a member of the New York City experimental rock band Swans in 1985. Jarboe and Michael Gira, the founder of Swans, were the two constant members of the group until it broke up in 1997.

Although absent from the group’s lineup when the band reformed in 2010, Jarboe contributed background vocals and voice collage for the band’s 2012 album, “The Seer”. She has released numerous solo albums and collaborations, many of which have been self-published. She also co-composed the soundtrack of the 2009 psychological horror game “The Path”.

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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Out today via Re:Mission Entertainment is the second album, “—-X—-“, in an ongoing collaboration between Dead Voices on Air and Snowbeasts. For this release the two bands took a slightly different approach during the recording. Most of the songs were passed back and forth via file transfer until the songs felt finished. “This resulted in a more composed, or thematic feel to the album, which features more lyrical content”, so the label emphasizes.

The release is out as a download and as a limited CD digipak (100 copies) via Bandcamp (where you can order it. A special T-shirt is also available for ordering.

Spybey’s lyrical content continues to be preoccupied by the political challenges of our time, believing that we have entered a new era of autocracy. He believes that we are in danger of being seduced by the incessant barrage of lies, half-truths, trolling and allegations. That we are being wilfully misled by petty tyrants, upper class twits, the filthy rich, pathological liars and narcissists.

The duo says: “We are oppressed through the weaponisation of fear, in a vain attempt to obscure the political and strategic ineptness of our politicians. The enemy is anyone who dares to think or act differently, or who challenges the kind of beliefs that have plagued mankind: hatred of others, hatred of minorities, hatred of those who seek to instil hope and compassion into our societies.”

Spybey specifies even further: “I’m 60 and I’m still pissed off. Perhaps more pissed off than ever. I confess I find it ever so hard to believe that with all of the advances that humans have made during my lifetime, all of the wonderful things we have achieved, that our countries (the USA and the UK) have ended up electing, being led and represented by people like Trump and Johnson. I can’t believe that anyone could be stupid enough to believe that the world is a safer and better place because of their contribution, or lack of it to the maintenance of peace, stability and wellness. To all of you who say that musicians shouldn’t get involved in politics, I have this to say. I make music because I am able to do it. It’s my right to create and by doing so I am afforded a voice and a platform. It’s one of the many privileges of living in a ‘free society,’ (whatever that means). I make music because I want to and if I didn’t think that by doing so that I couldn’t reach out to people and to respectfully challenge the status quo, in an attempt to make some kind of meaningful contribution to society, I’d quit tomorrow, pack up and go away. For Trump and Johnson, you can easily add another dozen or so ‘world’ leaders names to the list by the way. Politicians are not all the same, and if you think that, then I’d like to respectfully suggest that you might want to do something about it. We deserve better. So yeah, when I started to write lyrics for this record, I really couldn’t avoid mining some of these feelings and I’m kind of unapologetic about it. I don’t like to offend people but enough is enough folks, we deserve better.”

Simon Paul, a well known graphic artist from Toronto, Canada provided the artwork, which plays on a number of themes from the album. The CD was mastered by another member of the Dead Voices on Air family, Anatoly Tokee Grinberg from Moscow.

Here’s the album itself.

About Snowbeasts

Snowbeasts is the duo of Robert Galbraith and Elizabeth Virosa. The project was formed in 2014 in Providence RI after a series of heavy snowstorms. Earlier releases were cinematic modular landscapes and droning dark ambient while later tracks can be more beat oriented.

Snowbeasts has numerous releases scattered across their own Component Recordings and Paris’s MTronic. They have also recently completed a trio of albums with beat oriented noise artist, Solypsis including two for Ohm Resistance.

Along with Snowbeasts, Virosa and Galbraith produce techno under the name Obscure Formats and electronic dance as Pattern Behavior.

About Dead Voices on Air

Spybey started his career in the North-East of England with Zoviet France in the late eighties before moving to Vancouver. It was here that Dead Voices On Air were formed. Spybey also worked under the name Propeller and was an original member of Download, who included members of Skinny Puppy. Spybey was the voice of their 1996 release, “The Eyes of Stanley Pain”.

After leaving Download he started a series of collaborations, appearing on over 50 albums in a five-year period. Perhaps his most significant collaboration was being asked to be part of CAN guitarist Michael Karoli’s band Sofortkontakt! and appearing at the CAN 30th anniversary shows in 1999. Spybey was a close friend of Michael Karoli prior to his death in 2001 and had toured with him as part of legendary CAN vocalist Damo Suzuki’s Network in 1998 in North America, appearing in the German TV film by Peter Braatz, “On the Air”.

Spybey has recorded, toured and played live with numerous collaborators including Faust, Michael Rother (Neu!) and Dieter Moebius (Cluster), members of The Legendary Pink Dots, Mick Harris (Scorn, Painkiller), Jarboe (Swans), Simon Fisher-Turner, Richard Sanderson, James Plotkin (Flux, Old, Scorn), Robert Hampson (Loop/Main), Jochen Arbeit (Einzturzende Neubaten), Darryl Neudorf and Sugarpill (Abintra), Not Breathing, Pigface and Martin Atkins.

He has worked with a number of record companies, including Kranky, Nettwerk, Invisible, Cold Spring, U.M.P and Soleilmoon. Spybey was part of the band Beehatch with the late Phil Western of Download, who released three albums and toured Europe. In 2004 he formed Reformed Faction, a duo with founding member of Zoviet France and Rapoon mainstay Robin Storey. The band have released a number of albums and have played live in both Europe and North America. He now resides in his native Yorkshire, in the UK.

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 Berlin-based avant-garde band Lolita Terrorist Sounds have announced their second studio single “Red Carpet”. The new music video for the song goes live on March 25th on YouTube featuring odd characters dealing with the disastrous side effects of fast-rising fame.

Behind the avant-garde act we find Maurizio Vitale. Vitale’s past and present collaborations include work with members of bands such as Einstürzende Neubauten, Swans, Iggy Pop, Thåström, PJ Harvey and Faust. He also worked with Sabar percussionist Doudou N’Diaye Rose (SN), and he has played with German singer Andrea Schroeder both in the studio and live.

You can already view the video below.

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: Neo-Folk, Chanson.

Format: Digital, CD, Cassette.

Background/Info: Four years after the debut-EP “Decay” (Rage In Eden) Polish musician Michal Kielbasa strikes back with his debut album featuring twelve songs.  

Content: The songs are mainly driven by good-old Neo-Folk influences, but Grave Of Love also injected other elements. There’s a kind of Apocalyptic-Rock supporting the songs, but also a kind of ‘Chanson Noir’. Without making too many comparisons we might speak about an imaginary hybrid between The Swans (for the heavy, apocalyptic composition) and Death In June (for the typical Neo-Folk style).

+ + + : There’s a dark, desperate and obscure sphere hanging over the album. It creates this ‘apocalyptic’ style, which I especially like on “Death Of Hope” and “Time Heals Nothing”. The titles and lyrics perfectly reflect the global approach of this work. I also have to say a word about the vocals, which have a very charismatic style.

– – – : Originality is hard to find, but Grave Of Love has seriously improved the global production.

Conclusion: “All Those Tears Ago” will catch the attention of Neo-Folk fans.

Best songs: “Time Heals Nothing”, “Remains Of Grief”, “Tears May Fall”, “Death Of Hope”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/graveoflove

Label: www.onlythesunknows.com / www.facebook.com/onlythesunknows

About Grave Of Love

Grave Of Love is the solo project of the Polish musician Michal Kielbasa. The project mixes Neo-Folk with apocalyptic rock arrangements and a chanson-styled vocal delivery.

The first release was the mini-album “Decay”, issued on CD by the Polish label Rage In Eden in 2017. Kielbasa also contributed to compilations, among them “The Collective IV” on Noctivagant in 2018, the boxed cassette set “D3” on Three Moons Records in 2020 and “Metal w czasach zarazy” on Left Hand Sounds in the same year.

“All Those Tears Ago” followed in 2021 through Only The Sun Knows Records in digital, CD and cassette formats, and is the project’s first full-length album.

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: Soundtrack, Cinematographic, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Polish formation Rigor Mortiss composed the music of this album for the film “Klechdy”. The movie was originally released in 2018 and was internationally acclaimed.

Content: From the very first notes you can easily recognize this album has been composed as a Soundtrack. The instrumental tracks are rather short, instrumentals (by the exception of the last song) and revealing dark atmospheres clearly appropriated for this kind of purpose. Rigor Mortiss mixes Industrial sound treatments and bombastic guitar and percussion –reminding me of The Swans, with some accordion sounds. The final cut is a mix of accordion creating a somewhat Folk touch together with a male rapper.

+ + + : The artwork of the album looks cool. Among the tracklist I’ve been especially fascinated and surprised by the last track. You don’t exactly expect a kind of accordion sound mixed with Rap vocals. It’s weird, but absolutely great!

– – – : This is the kind of music, which is hard to imagine without the images of the film.

Conclusion: Composing a Soundtrack often is like a dream coming true for artists. I’ve heard more exciting soundtracks, but it’s a pleasant listen.

Best songs: “I’ve Been Searching For Way Out”.

Rate: 6½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/RigorMortissOfficial

Label: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum

About Rigor Mortiss

Rigor Mortiss is a rock and industrial band formed in 1990 in Płock, Poland. Discogs lists Grzegorz Chudzik, Jacek Sokołowski, Małgorzata Florczak Tillbaka, Maciej Wasilewski and Maciej Stoliński as members.

The band issued a self-titled release in 1993. Requiem Records put out the CD and DVD set “Archive Series” in 2014 and the album “Brud” in 2015, the year the band also self-released a limited CDr edition of the same title. Zoharum issued the album “Wbrewny” on CD in 2019 and released “Klechdy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” as a limited CD mini-album on 31 August 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

Canadian industrial act, DI Auger has released a video for the track, “Piss & Vinegar”, which appears on the band’s latest album, “Under The Skin Of The World”. The album is the project’s first collaboration with producer and contributor Sean Beesley of Live Evil Productions.

C. Lefort: “The song is directed at the system – the governments of all nations that ignore the law of ‘governing’ the people but seem to want to rule them. I am interpreting this as a bastardized form of tyranny. This is a song for the people that are waking up and have had enough. The video concept was to capture the rage and anger at a system or against the system from the perspective of any individual interpreted by the viewer.”

The video was shot north of Toronto in Peterborough, Ontario and was directed and edited by Sean Beasley of Live Evil Productions. Watch the video for “Piss & Vinegar” below.

About DI Auger

DI Auger is the solo project by Toronto based musician C. Lefort. The project brings what Left calls “neo industrial gothic rock”. For the past several years released six full-length albums, six EP’s, as well as various remixes, singles and collaborations.

The project’s debut “Horse Storm Rising” was released in 2013 via Lefort’s own record label Crawlspace Productions (just like all the other releases). “White Label Black Noise” followed in 2014, “Black Swans At Dawn” in 2016, “Drinking Songs For The Dead” in 2017, “Graveyard Earth” in 2019 and in 2021 we got “Under The Skin Of The World”.

DI Auger also hosts and DJ’s events in the city Toronto under his banner ‘Rage’, and produces ‘DI Auger’s Ragecast’, a monthly podcast that brings new music, old favorites and new talent into the fold for two hours of dark dance in a streaming environment.

Check out his latest album below.

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

Tony Young started writing music under the AUTOCLAV1.1 moniker in 2004. Since the first album released in 2005 on Crunch Pod, the creativity of the British artist has no limits. AUTOCLAV1.1 is a prolific project releasing new material nearly every single year. Dealing with different, but related music genres and influences like IDM, Industrial, Electro-Ambient ao Tony Young released his albums on different labels; the already mentioned Crunch Pod, Tympanik Audio,  but also Hive Records and WTII Records. EP’s were released on other labels. This year AUTOCLAV1.1 joined hands together with Audiophob to unleash the new album “Nothing Outside”, which is without a shadow of a doubt the most intimate work so far. I talked with Tony Young about his new work and a few more things.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: “Nothing Outside” has been released during the Covid-19 pandemic, which clearly also inspired this work. How do you as citizen and as artist experience this situation?

Tony: Yeah, this was written as the initial lockdown took hold over here. It’s been tough for everyone really; but I do have the luxury of enjoying my own company. As far as writing music is concerned, there has been little difference for me. I spend a lot of time just messing with music and not really recording it; and this album just came into being. I remember thinking I may write an EP of just piano and Ambient music and when I started I just got out the bass guitar and then of course, beats followed. Covid-19 or no Covid19 there would have been a new album; just probably with a different concept if there hadn’t been a pandemic.

Q: The album also wants us to reflect about what is going on in the world, but I’m afraid less politicians and/or leaders feel really concerned. What’s your critical perception about it all and how do you see things evolving? Do you also see positive things evolving?

Tony: Well, it’s more about my own experiences and environment really than asking anyone else to reflect. It would be cool if it has meant something to anyone else though with regards to his or her own personal experiences in this time. As far as how the pandemic has been dealt with… well, our government has been shocking from start to finish.  They’re a bunch of over privileged Tories who just look out for their own; and are now maxing out on an opportunity to stamp out those less fortunate. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from a UK Conservative government. I don’t see anything positive on the horizon really. It makes me wish I lived in New Zealand. The UK really is a shambles; and with the compete clusterfuck of Brexit tag-teaming with the pandemic, it’s only gonna get worse.

Q: I’m not affirming that you reinvented the AUTOCLAV1.1-sound at “Nothing Outside”, but the composition sounds more intimate and Cinematographic than ever before, which is probably due to the piano play and arrangements. What did you try to accomplish and did you handle specific references and/or criteria to compose the album?

Tony: I do try to make each release different, but in all honesty, when I start a new album I have no real idea how it’s going to end up sounding at the start, with just a general impression of what I am after.

I wasn’t really planning of having a lot of piano in my newer songs; and “Makeshift Splint” was my first in a while where I only utilized it a small amount. However, I was having an afternoon just playing around with piano giving my fingers a workout, so to speak; and I just hit record and it went from there. I really enjoyed making this one. Song titles are personal reference points in my home environment, apart from the non-piano track “Hiraeth”, which was a nostalgia-fest for me personally speaking. There’s so much I write that I normally just bin; but for the first time ever, I was genuinely happy with everything I was writing. There’s so much I have released in the past that was below par; and if I had chance to re-write a couple of those albums with what I know now programming wise, I would.

Q: You’re a prolific artist, but you don’t exactly repeat yourself; it feels like every single album reveals new ideas while it remains difficult to label your music as one specific music genre. How comes you’re that prolific and where does this eclecticism comes from?

Tony: I listen to a lot of styles of music; and this keeps new ideas forming in my head. I haven’t listened to anything really Industrial in a long time and a lot of my songs are written in the formula of a lot of music I listen to. I listen to more guitar-based music than electronic really. Don’t get me wrong, I still listen to Dark-Ambient and stuff like that; but you’re more likely to catch me blasting out New Model Army, The Wonderstuff, PWEI and The Mission over any Industrial band nowadays. Although I still adore Coil and Swans. 

I like to think an appreciation of different styles means I am going to be more adventurous when I write. Although I know I can’t write as well as half the bands I listen to.

Q: As I just said you’re a prolific artist and even started a side-project NATURA EST together with Andreas Davids from XOTOX. What does this project bring you next to AUTOCLAV1.1 and what makes the chemistry between you and Andreas?

Tony: Andy is one of my best friends. We don’t see each other much, but it doesn’t really matter. I always wanted to do a Dark-Ambient project, knowing one day I will stop writing Autoclav1.1; so I wanted a project that seemed more fitting of someone growing older. 

I knew Andy liked his Dark-Ambient stuff too. I asked him just the once, if he wanted to do this and got an emphatic ‘Yes!’ immediately. We work well together and I don’t see it as a side-project. It is its own beast, running on its own steam.  The possibilities are endless; and we cannot wait for “Real Seasons” to be released. I think because Andy and I have a different style of writing on our respective solo-projects, it filters into a different kind of Dark-Ambient when we combine the stems we write. “We both have had the same vision when writing each album too. I am really proud of the project and I know he is too. There’s a lot of snobbery within Dark-Ambient circles as with other scenes, but we appear to have got our followers now.

Q: Covid-19 is definitely a curse for artists, but don’t you think it’s also a kind of blessing? An opportunity to work on new material, remixes, clips, revisiting old- and/or unachieved songs? What brings the future for AUTOCLAV1.1?

Tony: In no way, shape or form is this a blessing; but I think I see where you are coming from. As far as writing goes, it shouldn’t have an impact on anyone writing Electronic music as most have their own home studios. But I can definitely see how it affects bands playing live. I have missed many a show this year and I am sure I won’t see many next year either.

The future of Autoclav1.1? Who knows? I always say after each release that it will be my last; but I always find myself playing my bass or keyboards one miserable Yorkshire afternoon, where I more often than not, hit the record button once more.

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

Producer John Fryer (known for his work with Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Cocteau Twins, Fad Gadget, and many others) has released new material for his dark electronic project Black Needle Noise. Since launching in 2016, Black Needle Noise has been centered around the spirit of collaborations with various musicians including Swans vocalist Jarboe, Front Line Assembly’s Bill Leeb, Mimi Page and many others.

The latest effort is a version of the lovely Louis Armstrong’s classic “What A Wonderful World” featuring vocalist Tom Berger.

Fryer explains the concept behind the single: “I have always loved the Louis Armstrong version of ‘What A Wonderful World’ from when I heard it as a child and it has stayed with me ever since. So I wanted to make a very different cinematic version, a very depressingly apocalyptic version with an uplifting feel. I thought of Tom Berger, my friend for many a year to sing it and I think he has done an amazing job to convey those haunting sentiments.”

Tom Berger had this to say about the collaboration: “For me it was a real challenge to sing the vocals of a classical piece of music. After John sent me the instrumental version I thought it wasn’t possible – How can I transform such a fragile and innocent melody into such a massive wall of sound? And that was the thing: I sang it like I’d never heard the 1967 original. The result is not just a cover – it’s something new – and I’m very proud of the final result.”

You can stream the single below in a directed by Christoph Vitt and Alex Makarov.

You can download the single right below from Bandcamp.

In further news, John Fryer has been readying a new Black Needle Noise album for 2021 called “These Mortal Covers” that will feature all-new versions of well-known songs including the recently released Black Crowes’ cover “She Talks To Angels”.

Side-Line also covered John Fryer’s ‘Missed The Noise’.

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

Swans have announced a remastered reissue of “Children of God” on November 13, 2020 via Young God / Mute Records. The album, originally released on Product Inc. (a subsidiary of Mute) in 1987 will be available on vinyl in its original packaging for the first time since that release and both the CD and vinyl issues will include the live album, “Feel Good Now”, recorded on the 1987 Children of God European tour, in the CD version as an extra disc and in the vinyl version as a download card.

The remastered versions of “Children of God” and “Feel Good Now” will also be available separately on all digital services.

Not the first time the albums get reissued

“Children of God” was the fifth studio album by the American experimental rock band Swans. The album has already been reissued along with the “World of Skin” compilation (minus the covers) on CD in 1997 as “Children of God”/”World of Skin”. On this re-release, the original album version of “Our Love Lies” was replaced with the version included on the “Love Will Tear Us Apart” EP. Also, the re-release added “Damn You to Hell” and “I’ll Swallow You” (under one title as “I’ll Swallow You”) from the “New Mind” single as a bonus. Also, “Sex, God, Sex”, “Beautiful Child” and “Children of God” were shortened by several seconds with earlier fade-outs and “Trust Me” faded directly into the brief interlude at the end.

“Feel Good Now” is the second live album by Swans. It was recorded from shows on their 1987 ‘Children of God’ tour in Europe. The album was already reissued once by Atavistic Records in 2002, on CD, having been remastered. The track listing of the reissue was different from the original and counted less tracks.

It’s not sure what version Mute will release now.

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

Out in September is “Where Does a Body End?”, an intimate portrait of the band Swans, from their roots as a brutal, confrontational post-punk band that emerged from the same early 1980s era NYC that gave us Sonic Youth (and, somehow, Madonna) through their ill-fated bid at mainstream success in the 90s indie-rock gold rush. You’ll also get a glimpse of the breakups and chaos (on and offstage), in short the whole package.

For this concert film the editor waded through hundreds of hours of Swans (and singer-songwriter Michael Gira’s) archives of never-seen-before recordings, videos, and photographs. “Where Does A Body End?” has enjoyed festival success around the world from Chicago Underground Film Festival, Doc N Roll Festival (London and several other UK cities), Cinemateket Music Film Festival (Copenhagen), In: Edit Festival (Barcelona), Taoyuan Film Festival (Taiwan), Pop Kultur (Berlin), Sydney Underground Film Festival, Dok Station Film Festival (Bucharest), LUFF Lausanne Underground Film Festival (Switzerland) and many others.

The cast for this concert film includes: Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), Jehnny Beth (Savages), JG Thirlwell (Foetus), Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten), Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Kid Congo Powers (The Cramps / The Gun Club), Jim Sclavunos (The Bad Seeds), Daniel Miller (Mute Records), Steve Von Till (Neurosis), Dana Schechter (Angels Of Light), Devendra Banhart, Anna Von Hausswolff, Amanda Palmer, Ben Frost and Martin Bisi.

Below is a preview.

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 inventors of Death pop, Industrial pop and Dark pop from Los Angeles are back with a new single called ‘Impulse Control’ that can be ordered here. The new videoclip was shot by singer/musician Rizz and Jesse Draxler (Nine Inch Nails, Chelsea Wolfe, the Black Queen) in Little Tokyo just before the corona-crisis broke out.

Dark, doomy, dreamy, cinematic and mysterious is the style of VOWWS. Those elements can be seen again in the new clip. The band states: “It’s a unique time for humanity, the machine has stopped and we’re all in solitary having to deal with ourselves. There’s a lot of anxiety that we can’t really run from. Like everyone else, we’re processing a huge shock and experiencing things we’ve never dealt with before. We’re grateful to have an outlet for some of the angst, it feels like the best way we can work through something this intense is to capture the feeling. A lot of the song came out of nowhere, straight from the void probably.”

VOWWS earlier collaborated with Deftones singer Chino Moreno, New Wave icon Gary Numan, Danny Lohner (Renhölder) of Nine Inch Nails/Marilyn Manson and toured with The Cult in the US. Their first album ‘The Great Sun’ was co-produced by Kevin McMahon (Swans). Last year the band performed in Paris, London and Tokyo on fashion events and recently Rizz and Matt toured the US and Europe as support for Poppy.

Circumpolar is a Swedish duo driven by Jonas Mattson and Patrik Wallin. They last year self-released their debut-EP “Until The End Of Time” and next got signed on Alfa Matrix, which re-released this work. The second EP “We Will Remain” was released nearly at the same time and revealed a more sophisticated sound approach. The intelligent sound treatments remind me a bit of bands such as Clock DVA, Haujobb and related formations. Circumpolar might be the next new sensation for all of those who like intelligent electronics!

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Circumpolar is a rather unknown name at the wider fields of electro-underground music so can you briefly introduce the band, the way you get contaminated by the ‘electronic virus’ and what were the original purposes when setting up Circumpolar?

Circumpolar: Circumpolar is a new Swedish dark-electro/wave act that consists of Jonas Mattsson and Patrik Wallin. We are old friends since way back in time. We started to make music together when we were about 18 years old, and then played in different bands for some years in the Northern part of Sweden. However, we never released any of that material on record. For years now we have been talking about getting back together again, and about two years ago we decided trying to make electronic music together again.

The purpose behind Circumpolar is to create interesting electronic music within our own conceptual format and sound, which hopefully will be enjoyed by people all over the world.

Q: The name of your band refers to astrology, but can you tell us a bit more about this name and the possible links with lyrical content and music style?

Patrik: The stars that circle around the celestial pole and never set below the horizon are called ‘circumpolarstars’. In ancient Egypt, the circumpolar stars in the Northern sky were called ‘jhmw-sk’, ‘the ones not knowing destruction’. The astronomical characteristics of these specific stars were used in numerous religious texts to express immortality and eternity, for example:

‘O uplifted one (i.e. the Pharaoh), being great among the circumpolar stars. You have not perished, you star of eternity’ (a citation from the so-called Pyramid Texts, 2300 BC)

I studied a lot of ancient history at university, and I have a PhD degree in Egyptology. Sometimes I use the imagery and concepts of life/death and space/time from ancient Egyptian religion in my lyrics.   

Q: Referring to the music style and/or the ‘sound’ properly speaking, I experienced your work as a fusion between different genres and influences; EBM, IDM, ambient, dark-electro… How do you perceive your own sound? Can you tell us a bit more about potential sources of inspiration? References? And how did the song writing happened?

Circumpolar: Bands like Skinny Puppy, Front 242, The Klinik, Twice A Man, Kraftwerk, The Neon Judgement and Portion Control have always been sources of inspiration to us. Further, The Fields Of The Nephilim, The Sisters Of Mercy, Swans, The Cure, Joy Division, Rome and Dead Can Dance are bands that we both like a lot.

Both of us are still buying lots of records and we constantly discover new electronic and dark-electro artists. There is so much great new music within our genre yet to discover.

We like to think that we somehow have created mix between EBM, dark-electro and dark wave/goth. However, this was not the intention when we started the band, it just happened.

The process of creating new songs usually starts with an instrumental loop or just single sample, which we successively develop into a song.

Q: You last year self-released the debut EP “Until The End Of Times” -which got next re-released on Alfa Matrix, plus another EP “We Will Remain”. Can you briefly analyze both EP’s? Was there a particular focus in writing and production? And how did you get the deal with Alfa Matrix?

Circumpolar: The first song we recorded as Circumpolar was “The Rain Will Burn” from the first EP, and then we realized that we had created a musical concept and sound that we really liked. After that moment, it was very easy to continuing writing new songs. 

On the “Until The End Of Time”-EP the foundation of our sound was built, whereas on the “We Will Remain”-EP the sound and concept evolved into something that will be even more present on our future releases.

We sent the songs from our first EP along with the songs to the “We Will Remain”-EP to about 15 different record labels. We got some offers, but when we got a positive response from Alfa Matrix we were overwhelmed.  

Q: I think there’s an interesting evolution in writing and production between both EP’s; “We Will Remain” being definitely more elaborated and subtle, reminding me to bands such as Haujobb, Mentallo & The Fixer and Clock DVA. What does it say about your approach, studio equipment and your own evolution as musicians?

Circumpolar: On the second EP we have worked more with the vocals, and experimented a bit more with reverb, delay and other effects, trying to create a more dynamic and atmospheric experience. The structures of the songs are also a bit different compared to the first EP. Further, we spent much more time on mixing and mastering.

We have bought a lot of new gear since we recorded the first EP, for example a Korg Minilouge XD, the fantastic Strymon Big Sky Reverb, and some Roland drum machines.

Q: I think you’re back again in studio, so I can imagine there’s an album in the pipeline? What brings the future and what might we expect regarding topics such as image, social media activity and live performances?

Circumpolar: For the moment, we are recording new songs for a forthcoming album release. We are constantly producing loads of loops and outtakes, but now we have selected about nine songs out of that material to be finalized for an album.  

It is quite possible that there will be some social media activities prior to our next releases, perhaps some live performances from the studio…

Yes, we will definitely play live in the future.  

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

Drummer Bill Rieflin, know for his work with such bands like Ministry and Nine Inch Nails, died from cancer on Tuesday (March 24), aged 59. Besides working with Ministry and Nine Inch Nails he also played drums with the Revolting Cocks, Lard, KMFDM, Pigface, Swans, Chris Connelly, King Crimson, REM, among other projects.

Rieflin’s death was confirmed by Robert Fripp.

Born in Seattle, Bill Rieflin first joined The Telepaths and The Blackouts until he started working with Ministry, with whom he recorded albums like “The Land of Rape and Honey” (1988) and “In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up ” (1999). Over the years, he has been involved with several projects, especially industrial rock / metal related ones.

In the 2000s, Rieflin joined REM, recording albums like “Around the Sun” (2004) and “Collapse into Now” (2011). He then joined King Crimson, with whom he recorded live records and toured.

Rieflin was married to painter Francesca Sundsten until her death in 2019.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Jennifer Gira) Swans have announced a Summer tour to promote their new album “Leaving meaning” which is out now on Mute / Young God (N America). It’s the band’s 15th album.

The new album, “Leaving meaning”, was written and produced by Michael Gira and features contributions from recent and former Swans, members of Angels of Light, as well as Guest Artists Anna and Maria von Hausswolff, Ben Frost, The Necks, Baby Dee, and a Hawk and a Hacksaw.

Michael Gira explains: “leaving meaning. is the first Swans album to be released since I dissolved the lineup of musicians that constituted Swans from 2010 – 2017. Swans is now comprised of a revolving cast of musicians, selected for both their musical and personal character, chosen according to what I intuit best suits the atmosphere in which I’d like to see the songs I’ve written presented. In collaboration with me, the musicians, through their personality, skill and taste, contribute greatly to the arrangement of the material. They’re all people whose work I admire and whose company I personally enjoy.”

Listen to “It’s Coming It’s Real”

Listen to “The Hanging Man”

The band will be performing a series of festivals and dates from April on in Europe and North America before returning to the UK for a tour that will include Brighton, Bristol, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Manchester and Liverpool.

Swans live will be: Michael Gira (acoustic and electric guitar and voice); Kristof Hahn (lap steel guitar, electric guitar, loops); Phil Puleo (drums, percussion, gizmos); Dana Schechter (bass guitar, lap steel guitar, keys); Christopher Pravdica (bass guitar, loops, keys); Ben Frost (synthesizer, Mellotron, electric guitar).

The tourdates

EU tour

• 25 April – Nürnberg DE, Z-Bau – SOLD OUT
• 26 April – Krems an der Donau AT, Donau Festival at Stadtsaal Krems
• 28 April – Berlin DE, Festsaal Kreuzberg – SOLD OUT
• 29 April – Prague CZ, Divaldo ARCHA Theatre
• 30 April – Warsaw PL, Progresia
• 3 May – Stockholm SE, Nalen
• 4 May – Copenhagen DK, Vega Main Hall
• 5 May – Hamburg DE, Übel & Gefährlich
• 8 May – Barcelona ES, Razzmatazz
• 9 May – Madrid ES, KristonFest at Sala la Riviera
• 10 May – Porto PT, Hard Club
• 13 May – Zürich CH, Rote Fabrik
• 14 May – Milan IT, Santeria Social Club
• 15 May – Belfort FR, La Poudriere
• 18 May – Wiesbaden DE, Kulturzentrum Schlachthof
• 19 May – Paris FR, Le Trabendo
• 20 May – Amsterdam NL, Paradiso Music Hall
• 22 May – Brussels BE, AB
• 23 May – Cologne DE, Gebäude 9 – SOLD OUT
• 25 May – London UK, EartH – SOLD OUT
• 26 May – London UK, EartH – SOLD OUT
• 27 May – London UK, EartH – SOLD OUT

North American tour

• 5 June – Dallas TX, Granada Theater
• 6 June – Austin TX, Empire Garage
• 9 June – Los Angeles CA, Regent Theatre
• 10 June – San Francisco CA, The Fillmore
• 12 June – Portland OR, Revolution Hall
• 13 June – Seattle WA, The Neptune
• 16 June – Minneapolis MN, Varsity Theater
• 17 June – Chicago IL, Thalia Hall
• 19 June – Detroit MI, El Club
• 20 June – Toronto ON, Lee’s Palace
• 21 June – Montreal QC, Theatre National
• 24 June – Allston MA, Brighton Music Hall
• 25 June – Philadelphia PA, Underground Arts
• 26 June – Brooklyn NY, Warsaw
• 27 June – Brooklyn NY, Warsaw
• ** with very special guest Anna von Hausswolff

EU tour

• 2 Aug – Trondheim NO, Olavesfestival, Nidaros Cathedral Stage
• 5 Aug – Oslo NO, Parkteatret
• 6 Aug – Malmo SE, Plan B
• 7 Aug – Arhus DK, Voxhalle
• 8 Aug – Rees Haldern DE, Haldern Festival
• 12 Aug – Berlin DE, Festsaal Kreuzberg
• 13 Aug – Tilburg NL, 013
• 16 Aug – Budapest HU, A38 Ship
• 17 Aug – Dresden DE, Beatpol
• 19 Aug – Saint Malo FR, Route de Rock Festival, La Nouvelle Vogue
• 21 Aug – Brighton UK, Chalk
• 22 Aug – Bristol UK, ArcTanGent Festival
• 24 Aug – Newcastle UK, Boiler Room
• 25 Aug – Edinburgh UK, Summerhall Series
• 28 Aug – London UK, Islington Assembly Hall
• 29 Aug – Manchester UK, Stoller Hall
• 31 Aug – Liverpool UK, Invisible Wand Factory
• 1 Sep – Nottingham UK, Albert Hall
• 3 Sep – St Petersburg RU, Aurora
• 5 Sep – Moscow RU, Theatre

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

(Picture by Mehdi Benkler / Analog Photography) In 2007 The Young Gods released the album “Super Ready/Fragmenté”. “Super Ready/Fragmenté” was the sixth album by the Swiss industrial rock band The Young Gods and after it was released on April 16, 2007 via the Ipecac label, it spent 4 weeks on the official Swiss charts. Quite unusual for an industrial act.

Now, 13 years later, it is finally released via Two Gentlemen on double vinyl with artwork by Ich&Kar. The vinyl will hold the 12 original tracks from the album. You can check out the album below and buy the vinyl right here.

The Young Gods

The Young Gods are a Swiss industrial rock band from Fribourg. The band’s original lineup consisted of a trio composed by a vocalist, a keyboardist/sampler operator, and a drummer. Over the years the only constant member has been the frontman Franz Treichler. In 2007, a fourth member joined the band. Their instrumentation often includes sampled electric guitars, drums, keyboards, and other samples.

Their name is taken from an early EP by the no wave/noise rock band Swans. Coincidence or not, Roli Mosimann of Swans has worked with the group as a producer.

Artists influenced by the Young Gods include Pitchshifter, Mike Patton, Sepultura, The Edge (as stated in U2 by U2), Devin Townsend, Ithak, Econoline Crush and David Bowie. Asked in 1995 if his album “Outside” was influenced by Nine Inch Nails, Bowie answered: “The band that I was actually quite taken with was three guys from Switzerland called the Young Gods… I’d been aware of them previous to knowing about Nine Inch Nails.”

Interesting detail, the group supplied the original music for the 2012 animated short film, “Kali the Little Vampire”, which went on to win over 20 international awards.

Their eight album, “Data Mirage Tangram”, was also their last one for the moment being and was released a year ago. You can read an interview with the band right here talking of this album.

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-rock & shoegaze.

Background/Info: Rev Rev Rev is an Italian formation influenced by good-old shoegaze music. They self-released a debut album in 2013 and are now striking back –after having joined Fuzz Club, with their new opus. The title of the album is taken from a psychedelic drink used during rites in Ancient Greece.

Content: “Kykeon” is much more than simply shoegaze. There also is a solid industrial touch running through the work. It creates a real heavy production, dominated by industrial guitar play. The album features 10 songs, which are also characterized by an impressive production. It injects extra power in the songs. The vocals don’t exactly feel as the major element from the production, but they clearly inject some diversity.

+ + + : First there’s the package, which says that much more than listening to music on digital platforms. This is a cool and styled digipak. Next there’s the sound of this band, which brings industrial- and shoegaze music together. I don’t know that much formations mixing both influences together, creating an imaginary hybrid between Jesus & Mary Chain and The Swans. The guitar play is absolutely impressive, injecting a true spirit to the work. There are several cool songs featured, but I especially recommend “Sealand” ending into a great climax. 

– – – : Some parts are a little less repetitive, but you don’t hear me complaining.

Conclusion: Rev Rev Rev is an interesting discovery, which I strongly recommend. This is definitely a band to keep an eye on.

Best songs: “Sealand”, “”Adrift In The Chaosmos”, “One Illusion Is Very Much Like Another”, “3 Not 3”.

Rate: (8).

Artist:  www.revrevrev.org  / www.facebook.com/revrevrev.band

Label: https://fuzzclub.com /

www.facebook.com/FuzzClubRecords

About Rev Rev Rev

Rev Rev Rev is an Italian rock band that re-metabolizes shoegaze and psychedelic-rock influences into a fuzz-driven wall of sound. The band self-released its self-titled debut album in 2013, followed by “Des Fleurs Magiques Bourdonnaient” (2015) and “Nightwine” (2016).

After signing to Fuzz Club Records, Rev Rev Rev released “Kykeon” in 2019, its title taken from the psychedelic drink used in Ancient Greek rites.

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-ambient, ritual, industrial. 

Background/Info: I didn’t really find that much info about this German project releasing its debut album on Cyclic Law. “Bod” has been introduced as ‘the music, artwork and concept behind BOD serves as an exploration and installment of a new tradition of ritual and occult arts sourced from various ancient foundations. For this, a new culture with its own history, including a new language was constructed.’

Content: The album features one track taking the listener away for a trip of 51 minutes. It feels a bit strange as you clearly will notice there are multiple and very different tracks included. “Bod” moves from ritual passages with bells and spooky atmospheres into dark, humming sound waves with heavy blasts towards a heavy industrial bombast created by guitar and reminding to The Swans towards ritual throat singing à la Phurpa towards a new industrial passage à la Swans. 

+ + + : MUUR clearly reveals to be an eclectic project. I personally prefer the industrial side with great guitar playing à la Swans and the ritual passage with this enigmatic and sacred-like throat singing. 

– – – : Mixing different influences together feels a bit like listening to a compilation. There’s less cohesion between the tracks. 

Conclusion: MUUR sounds a bit like a summary of dark-ambient-, industrial- and ritual music. I think it would have been a better idea creating separate tracks instead of one long during piece. 

Best songs: “Bod”. 

Rate: (6½). 

Label: www.cycliclaw.com / www.facebook.com/cycliclaw

About MUUR

MUUR is a German project that released its debut album, “Bod”, on Cyclic Law in November 2019. No further releases or biographical details for the project have surfaced since.

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

Iconic UK post-punk/alt act The Membranes release an EP featuring two remixes of their song “Nocturnal” by goth rock/darkwave Goth DJ Kitty Lectro.

“Nocturnal” was originally released on The Membranes new album “What Natures Gives… Nature Takes Away” on June 7th this year. Having remixed artists such as Kommunity FK, Andi Sex Gang, Beauty In Chaos (Wayne Hussey, Simon Gallup and Michael Ciravolo) and more, Kitty Lectro adds a dance floor spin to “Nocturnal”.

Frontman and The Membranes founder John Robb explains why they chose to remix the song: “‘Nocturnal’ is our death disco dance with Pan, or our dark Dionysian dislocation of the senses that has been remixed to shadowy dance floor brilliance by Kitty Lectro. It is from our new double album “What Nature Gives… Nature Takes Away” and examines the beauty and violence of nature, in which we took our bass-driven post-punk and added choirs to it to create an epic brooding soundtrack to the theme of nature itself and its desperate struggle to survive the human race’s hell bent determination to destroy it.”

The Nocturnal EP will be available for streaming on all major platforms. You can here it right below.

Tracklist of the EP:

• Nocturnal (KITTY LECTRO Remix)
• Nocturnal (KITTY LECTRO Meow Meow Money Mix)
• Nocturnal (Album Version)

The Membranes will be on tour in Europe with Mark Lanegan Band in November/December.

About The Membranes

Formed in 1978 in Blackpool, England, The Membranes played classic bass-driven northern post-punk and were part of the same world as bands like Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Fall, Sisters Of Mercy, and Cabaret Voltaire, all inspired by the punk explosion of 1977 to launch their own idiosyncratic journeys. The band released a remarkable series of records throughout the ‘80s that combined their small town frustration with a love of heavy bass and distortion. This ultimately became a prime influence on such American noiseniks as Steve Albini, Swans and Sonic Youth.

The group reformed in 2010 at the request of My Bloody Valentine to play the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival, and have since made two albums, inspired by newer bands like Godspeed You Black Emperor, Mogwai, Ulver and Wardruna.

Membranes frontman/bassist John Robb is an acclaimed British musician/author/publisher and TV/radio commentator. He is the editor-in-chief of British music monthly Louder Than War and the author of the celebrated non-fiction work “Punk Rock: An Oral History”.

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, death-industrial.

Background/Info: Kollaps is an Australian trio operating from Melbourne. They describe their work as ‘creating a unique brand of primitive noise intended for degenerates and outsiders.’ Their first release was the cassette “Heartworm” (2015) followed by the debut album “Sibling Lovers” (2017) released on vinyl.

Content: “Mechanical Christ” evokes to me the early sound of industrial music. The bombastic approach created by self-made waste material merged with percussion, guitar, bass ao noises bring back to life the early spirit of industrial music close to The Swans. Heavy drones, harsh screams, multiple noises like Larsen effects are coming together into an apocalyptic creation.

+ + + : I’m really nostalgic of the early industrial music and that’s precisely why Kollaps caught my attention. They evoke to me this early spirit of real industrial music created by hand-made industrial and recyclable gear. They incarnate to me the resurrection of The Swans. The album features 7 songs, which all are worthy of examination. The percussion treatments and other drones are absolutely phenomenal, injecting this heavy bombast. The addition of industrial guitar- and bass play only empowers the bombast creating the magic of “Mechanical Christ”.

– – – : “Mechanical Christ” still has something ‘extreme’ and will be not suited for all music lovers. I can easily imagine young industrial music lovers will be not interested in this kind of production.

Conclusion: “Mechanical Christ” is a great production, which sounds a bit like escaped from the early industrial music corridors.

Best songs: “Crucify”, “Blood Premonitions”, “Traducer”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/Kollapsmusic

Label: www.coldspring.co.uk / www.facebook.com/coldspringhq

About Kollaps

Kollaps originated in Melbourne, Australia; its central figure, Wade Black, later relocated to Europe and continued the project from a self-built studio above a sculpture museum in Lugano, Switzerland, joined by Andrea Collaro on bass and Giorgio Salmoiraghi on percussion. Cold Spring released the project’s third album, “Until The Day I Die”, in June 2022, built from recordings of scrap metal, a rusted hoist and a self-constructed ‘metal coil’ and mastered by James Plotkin.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, doom.

Background/Info: Originally set up in 1990 Rigor Mortiss got their success in the early 90s. They finally split and came back more than 20 years later seeing some of the core members joined by new members. They released a new album called “Brud” in 2015 (Requiem Records) and are now back again with a new opus.

Content: “Wbrewny” stands for industrial and bombast and that’s exactly the way they take off. The typical heavy industrial guitar play has been joined by electronics and drums. Several members are singing, which injects some diversity to the songs. “Wbrewny” is not only into industrial music, but still covers cinematic parts and even a somewhat ritual-driven track (cf. “Sorgens Stigar”). Another noticeable cut is “Escape From The Flashback”, which sounds as the offspring between The Swans and The Young Gods.

+ + + : Rigor Mortiss always has had a very personal approach and this is an old tradition they simply hold on. It’s more than simply industrial music. I already mentioned “Sorgens Stigar” which is more into a kind of ritual sphere and I like the deep-throated voices running through this cut. It creates a hypnotic feeling. If you like bombast, this album will definitely give you satisfaction.

– – – : I noticed some experimental passages running through a few cuts, which aren’t my favorite ones from this album.

Conclusion: Rigor Mortiss has a very personal interpretation of ‘industrial’ music and that’s what this new opus is reflecting.

Best songs: “Sorgens Stigar”, “Cormorant Island”, “Escape From The Flashback”, “Incantations”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/RigorMortissOfficial

Label: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum

About Rigor Mortiss

Rigor Mortiss is a rock/industrial band formed in 1990 in Płock, Poland. The band released a self-titled debut in 1993 before splitting, then reformed more than two decades later with several new members alongside the surviving core lineup.

The comeback album “Brud” followed in 2015 on Requiem Records, and Zoharum has since issued “Wbrewny” (2019) and “Klechdy” (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.

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John Fryer’s project Black Needle Noise has a new song/video up for “That Which Watches”. The song features the vocals of Antic Clay which pairs up perfectly with the eerie, wild west themed video. “That Which Watches” follows his most recent video “La diosa y el hombre”, which featured Mexican vocalist Azzul Monra.

The song is part of the ongoing (splendid!) series of songs that Black Needle Noise is releasing consistently and regularly via Bandcamp.

John Fryer: “Like the 2016 single ‘Queen of Dust,’ I wanted ‘That Which Watches’ to have a kinda Alt-Country / Noir Americana feel to it so who best to get to sing it and add a bit of slide guitar, none other than Antic Clay. I originally got to hear about Antic Clay from (Swans vocalist) Jarboe who loves his voice and recommended I check him out. I liked what I heard and thought he could take the songs in the direction I was looking for and the rest is history.”

Here’s the track.

And here’s the video:

And this was the previous track, “La diosa y el hombre”, equally a pearl.

For more on John Fryer, see Stabbing Westward signs record deal with COP International to release… 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!

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Genre/Influences: Industrial, death-industrial, experimental.

Background/Info: The name of the project, the title of the album, the global impression and the symbolic on the front cover all remind me of the legendary Belgian band à; Grumh. Hà; People 3 55 (referring to one of the most famous titles of à; Grumh indeed features the legendary band singer J∆3 SEUQCAJ (Jacques Meurrens) and J∆55 EKOJ who joined hands with à; Grumh for a live gig during the past few years. The CD format has been strictly limited to 300, and features an artistic 6 panel DVD digipak.

Content: This work takes us back to the essence of early industrial music. It has an apocalyptic sound, which is heavily bombastic and sometimes reminding me of early Swans for its industrial guitar playing. Industrial percussions and an impressive noise canvas have been added to the composition. But the tracks also have something disturbing because of the freaky, obscure sound atmospheres hanging over the work.

Last, but not least J∆3 shows us to be a charismatic frontman. I can’t speak about ‘singing’ but more a kind of commanding and exclaiming type of vocals, which create a great match with the music.

+ + + : Hà; People 3 55 remind us of the power and essence of good-old and I dare to say ‘true’ industrial music. It’s much more creative and artistic than the industrial movement featuring an endless number of artists operating behind laptops. This is industrial music with a truly spirit and when it concerns à; Grumh with a huge rock’n’roll doses. The vocals are simply impressive for the passion and the power emerging from J∆3. You feel a kind of perverted intercourse between vocals and music. This is an overwhelming production featuring an impressive tracklist. I also have to say a word about the artistic and somewhat ritual-like artwork.

– – – : The artwork is great, but you need a magnifying-glass to clearly distinguish the name of the band.

Conclusion: Hà; People 3 55 is an absolute revelation and one of the most creative industrial releases I’ve heard in years. This album stands for the original spirit and sound of the industrial music movement and I’m convinced it still makes sense today. Brilliant!

Best songs: “Mörtsugel”, “Agony”, “Reveza”, “Traitors To God”, “Infierno”, “Forgive And Forget”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.facebook.com/hapeople355

Label: www.wool–e–shop.be / www.facebook.com/woolediscs

About Hà People 3:55

Hà People 3:55 is a Belgian industrial project formed by J△3 sEUQCAJ (Jacques Meurrens) and J△55 eKOJ, both associated with the Belgian EBM/industrial band à;GRUMH…, active between 1981 and 1991 and co-founded in Charleroi by Meurrens and Phillippe Genion. This debut Hà People 3:55 album, limited to 300 copies in a 6-panel digipak on Wool-E-Discs, was followed in July 2019 by a second album, “El Dia De La Bestia”, on which the duo was joined by J△57 nEAJ on electric double bass and C△56 sIRC on drums.

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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