Synapscape, the German industrial duo of Philipp Münch and Tim Kniep, releases its new album “The Future” on 10 September 2026 through Ant-Zen. The 11-track record arrives on CD in a six-panel digipak and as a digital download.

“The Future” mixes mechanical industrial resonance, glitch electronics and rhythm structures rooted in early EBM and downbeat minimalism, then pushes those elements through fractured textures and dark, atmospheric sound treatments. The tracklist runs “Moreish,” “Melting,” “Spring,” “Five Four,” “Dark Alliance,” “Disappear,” “Valley,” “Pick,” “To the Stars,” “Move” and “Work.”

The album is the duo’s first full-length since “Still” in 2018, continuing a catalog that Philipp Münch and Tim Kniep have built almost entirely on Ant-Zen, their home label since 1995.

About Synapscape

Synapscape formed in Bielefeld, Germany, in 1994, when Philipp Münch and Tim Kniep began working together on rhythmic-noise and industrial material. The duo debuted on Ant-Zen with its self-titled album in 1995 and followed it with “Rage” in 1997 and “So What” in 1999, records that paired heavy sequenced beats with noise and power-electronics textures. “Positive Pop” followed in 2001 and “Raw” in 2002, before “Act!” in 2005 and the collaborative “Scenes From a Galton’s Walk,” made with Asche, in 2006.

The project continued through “Now” in 2007 and “Again” in 2009, then “Traits” in 2011 and “Rhythm Age” in 2015, moving its sound gradually from early EBM and power noise toward the more technoid, glitch-inflected direction it has kept since. “Still” appeared in 2018 as the duo’s most recent album before the current release. Münch, who also records as The Rorschach Garden and Mandelbrot, discussed his broader catalog in Side-Line’s Click Interview with The Rorschach Garden. “The Future” extends that three-decade run on Ant-Zen with its 10 September 2026 release.

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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 German Synapscape duo strikes back with 2 digital EPs entitled “Dressur” and “Catwalk Massacre” that are also available as a double CD called “Dekadenz”. “Dressur” sounds more complex and raw creating a fusion between Industrial- and Experimental music. There is a dark atmosphere running through the instrumental compositions driven by bombastic rhythms.

“Catwalk Massacre” also contains 6 songs but sounds completely different. Here we discover a rather retro-Electro/Industrial sound with hard vocals. It is a hard and brutal composition that also features some additional influences such as Acid sequences and Tribal elements. The brutal and unpolished work is also refined with some subtle arrangements. (Rate:8).

Listen to “Last Night”:

About Synapscape

Synapscape is a German duo working at the harder end of Industrial and Experimental electronic music, longtime associated with the Ant-Zen label. “Dekadenz” brings together two digital EPs, “Dressur” and “Catwalk Massacre”, on a single double-CD release, spanning a raw Industrial/Experimental fusion and a harder, retro-leaning Electro/Industrial sound.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Minimal-Electro, Industrial-Wave.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Creativity has no limits for German duo Synapscape. After having released a great new full length (cf. “The Stable Mind”) Philipp Münch – Tim Kniep are already back on track unleashing four new songs.

Content: This EP is an interesting experiment and is a step forward in the long career of the project. The familiar Minimal/Electro-Wave sound has been mixed with harder Industrial sound treatments and Acid passages. The vocals inject a ghost-like effect on top.

+ + + : The songs are made of retro elements like 80s/Wave-Electronics, Industrial sounds and Acid (which also brought us back to the late 80s) and yet Synapscape never sounds that refreshing. I think it’s all in the mix of influences and the way they bring it together in a flexible approach. “Instructed To Run” is an absolute masterpiece and the perfect exposure of their creative mindset.

– – – : Only the last track “Of Facts And Circumstances” sounds like the less convincing one; kind of B-side song next to 3 smashers.

Conclusion: Synapscape is recycling retro-influences to create new sonic paths.

Best songs: “Instructed To Run”, “Peyote Calls”, “Face On”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.synapscape.org / www.facebook.com/synapscape

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

Listen to “Instructed To Run”:

About Synapscape

Synapscape is a post-industrial and power noise project from Bielefeld, Germany, formed by Philipp Münch and Tim Kniep. The duo also records together with Imminent as The Incredible Three.

Synapscape released its self-titled debut album on Ant-Zen in 1995, followed by “Rage” in 1997, “So What” in 1999, “Positive Pop” in 2001, “Raw” in 2002, and “Act!” in 2005. Later full-lengths include “Now” (2007), “Again” (2009), “Traits” (2011), “Rhythm Age” (2015), “Still” (2018), “A Journey Through Concern” (2020), and “The Stable Mind” (2022), all on Ant-Zen. The four-track EP “Close To Comfortable Distance” followed on the same label in September 2022.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Minimal-Electro, EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: German duo  Philipp Münch – Tim Kniep strikes back with a new album of their beloved Synapscape sonic brainchild. They accomplished ten new cuts.  

Content: Synapscape have experimented with an endless list of influences during their career. This album sounds a bit as summarizing this impressive career. The work became a melting pot between EBM, Industrial, Minimal-Electro/EBM and Experimental music. Some passages have been mixed with Acid sequences. You’ll notice vocals with harsh vocals next to instrumental cuts.

+ + + : The common thread between the diversified tracklist of this work is the global sound intelligence. Synapscape transforms genres like EBM and Industrial into a very own thing. It feels like they’ve put all these influences and styles into a personal sonic mould. Some passages remind me a bit of the EBM-style of Portion Control, but with this little extra Synapscape touch on top. The harsh, shouting, vocals inject extra power, but are totally matching with the sound.

– – – : The first half of the work is absolutely great, featuring a succession of brilliant songs while the second part is less punchy.

Conclusion: I’m not saying Synapscape caught me off guard, but each new album definitely features cool surprises. The creative mind of this duo has no limits and is the perfect equivalent of their talent.

Best songs: “Wastelands”, “Revive”, “Talk To Your Crow”, “Listen”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.synapscape.org / www.facebook.com/synapscape

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

About Synapscape

Synapscape is the post-industrial and power noise duo of Philipp Münch and Tim Kniep, based in Bielefeld, Germany. The pair also record with Imminent as The Incredible Three.

The self-titled debut appeared on Ant-Zen in 1995 and every album since has come out on the same label: “Rage” in 1997, “So What” in 1999, “Positive Pop” in 2001, “Raw” in 2002, “Act!” in 2005, “Now” in 2007, “Again” in 2009, “Traits” in 2011, “Rhythm Age” in 2015, “Still” in 2018 and “A Journey Through Concern” in 2020.

Collaborative records include “Scenes From A Galton’s Walk” with Asche in 2006 and “The Humanoid Problem” with Imminent in 2017. “The Stable Mind” followed on Ant-Zen in 2022.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial,Experimental, Electronic.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info:  Tim Kniep and Philipp Muench are back on track unleashing four new songs.

Content: Synapscape has already experimented with different influences and has now accomplished a true sonic melting pot. The work has something chaotic and yet controlled; heavy rhythms have been merged with Psychedelic- and Industrial sound treatments. Other passages are more into minimalism while there’s another piece (cf. “Flight From Disunity”) reminding me of Insekt while the last cut (cf. “Demons Of The Past”) is reminding me of The Executive Slacks mixed with Snog.

+ + + : Synapscape is a sonic chameleon; every single work sounds a bit different and yet it remains driven by recognizable elements. Synapscape has a kind of sound DNA and remains a creative project. I like the minimalism and also the retro touch emerging at “Interactive Paradox” -featuring cool, screaming like vocals, and “Demons Of The Past”.

– – – : The opening piece “Nightfall” has something chaotic which I don’t like that much.

Conclusion: Synapscape are once again taking their fanbase by surprise; mixing retro-Electro with delicate minimalism.

Best songs: “Interactive Paradox”, “Demons Of The Past”.

Rate: 7½. 

Listen to “Point Me To Nowhere”:

Artist: www.synapscape.org / www.facebook.com/synapscape

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

About Synapscape

Synapscape is a post-industrial duo from Bielefeld, Germany, formed by Tim Kniep and Philipp Münch. The project has released almost its entire catalogue through the German label ant-zen, starting with the self-titled CD in 1995.

The 7” “Helix / Merging” appeared in 1997 and the 10” “Remix Item” in 1998, followed by the albums “So What” (1999), “Screenwalking” (2000), “Positive Pop” (2001) and “Raw” (2002). The CD EP “Hands On Centrozoon” arrived in 2003. Later albums include “Act!” (2005), “Now” (2007), “Again” (2009), “Traits” (2011), “Rhythm Age” (2015), “The Humanoid Problem” (2017) and “Still” (2018).

Kniep and Münch also record with Imminent as The Incredible Three, a trio that issued two 7” singles on Ant-Zen in 2005. Synapscape released the album “A Journey Through Concern” and the EP “A Mutual Disagreement” in 2020, and returned in 2022 with the album “The Stable Mind” and the EPs “Close To A Comfortable Distance” and “Point Me To Nowhere”.

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 Rorschach Garden can be seen as an ‘old’ project. Set up in 1988 by Philipp Münch (Synapscape, Ars Moriendi, Mandelbrot, Rasputin ao) and joined throughout the years by different extra members, The Rorschach Garden has been also put on hold and next reactivated. Philipp Münch remains the single member on board. He this year released a new opus “We Are Vanishing” (Ant-Zen), which is a new exploration of retro-Electronics, getting us back to the golden years of Electro/Minimal-Wave music. I’d a chat with this prolific and talented artist.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: The Rorschach Garden was originally set up in the late 80s. Several members joined in and left, the project was put on hold and reactivated. Can we speak about a turbulent history and how do you see The Rorschach Garden ano 2021?

Philipp: I would not speak about a turbulent history. Most of the time I was inspired and willing to do The Rorschach Garden, but there were times when there was nothing to say or to sing or other music was more important to me. So I announced the end of the project two or three times since I have no masterplan and most things are going to happen.
That was similar with my co- members. We had a good time doing this together, but after a while it was time to move on.

So in 2021 The Rorschach Garden is 33 years old. I do not need anything to prove anymore. If I’m inspired it’s a lot of joy to do this kind of music.

Q: Philipp, you’ve been involved with an endless list of bands/projects, but I always considered The Rorschach Garden  as something different. What does it mean to you and what makes the difference between this project and all the others?

Philipp: The Rorschach Garden always was and still is my musical diary. A blend of everything I notice and feel, of course in my own weird view. It is like a never ending journey. The longing to arrive is always there and gives it a bittersweet melancholic blend.

Also as a person I remain unfinished. I still oscillate between different states like young, old, male, female, tired, awake and so on. This is reflected in my music.

Q: Let’s talk about the new album “We Are Vanishing”. What did you try to express by the title and what kind of album did you want to accomplish sound-wise?

Philipp: The title is about my fascination for Autumn. I love falling leaves and the smell of rotting organics. Strong fog when everything is blurring engages my imagination. Yes, you can consider me as a romantic and of course I agree with gothic clichés. Back in the 80s I was a New-Wave guy. I still have this in my heart.
Originally this album was supposed to be released somewhere else, but we never really got into a proper way of communication. So I cancelled this when Stefan Alt (Ant-Zen) who also did the artwork, invited me to do it on his label. A vinyl edition would have been too much, so we made a CD album with 4 additional songs which were not on the original album.
Sure you hear my way of New-Wave/Synth-Pop. Some songs are a bit more modern, others very typical. I want it that way and since I’m not bound to success, why should I change this?

Q: How much of the early The Rorschach Garden do you still recognize in “We Are Vanishing” and how do you analyze the evolution of the project –versus your own evolution as musician/artist, throughout the years?

Philipp: In the early days The Rorschach Garden was not bound to New-Wave and Synth-Pop. I also did this, but also a lot of Experimental stuff. Also when I met friends to record some music, The Rorschach Garden was still my vehicle for things I wanted to do on my own. Since my Experimental strains got a home elsewhere, the song oriented styles remained. And yes, there is still something in it you also can find in my early times. Maybe I’m not that desperate anymore…

Q: I noticed more and more artists are getting back to the 80s, using analogue equipment/sounds to compose their music while even famous artists are again releasing their work on cassette format. What do you think about it all and how do you look back at this unique decade when it comes to music and the evolution of Electronic music?

Philipp: It’s good to see young people doing this in their way. The 80s were an intense decade with all the coldness, fear and paranoia. The end of the cold war, the fall of the iron curtain led to the 90s spirit of limitless freedom and life as an ongoing party. It was nice indeed, but those times are gone.
Also today we are aware of eminent major threads and we need to get along with it. So it is a plausible way to express feelings and emotions.

Analog equipment is very handy and I like it a lot, although I record my music into a DAW because it gives me flexibility and total recall. I would not swap that with a 4-track cassette recorder. It astounds me that people are paying insane prices for those. But it’s totally ok.
You can also have all those reissued or cloned analog synths. It never was that easy to dive into this kind of sound. Happy times.

Q: The ongoing pandemic and especially the quarantine has been inspiring and a very prolific period for a lot of artists. What has been the impact on your own work and activities? What did it change for you as musician and human being?

Philipp: It’s still difficult to play some shows and I’m happy to say ‘I had my times’. It is about time to respect the young generation and give the stage to them. I’m not in an urgent need to play on stage. Music will always be important to me like breathing or sleeping.I still feel a bit uncomfortable when I see crowds but I’m also happy to meet friends again. We will see where this all is leading to. Thank you for your questions!

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Wave, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Originally set up in 1988 by Philipp Münch and disabandoned in 1996, The Rorschach Garden was reactivated twenty years ago now. Münch is one of the most prolific artists from this scene I know; he has been involved with a countless number of projects (Synapscape being probably his most famous one) and now already strikes back with a new The Rorschach Garden album.

Content: The album features 14 songs, which sound in the classical retro-Electro line of the project. The easy recognizable analogue sound treatments bring the 80s Electro-Wave spirit back to life. The artist reminds us that he belongs to this legendary decade of early electronic music. Mixing a few EBM elements with mainly Electro-Wave/Pop, the songs mix danceable passages with pure space-atmospheres. The songs have been sung in English.

+ + + : I remain an absolute lover of good-old analogue sound treatments. Even if these sounds are pure old-school driven it always sounds magic because of the unique sound. And The Rorschach Garden has always been devoted to the good-old 80s spirit although it never has been an emulation. It remains a refreshing experience in sound although a bit cold and sterile, but enlightening. The album also reveals a few sonic pearls like the ‘harder’ “Concrete City Concrete Walls”, the soft “The Great Fog” and cold, danceable and melodic “Rattlesnake”, which clearly sounds like a potential hit.

– – – : The tracks are somewhat similar while this is not the most recommended album from this project, but in the end The Rorschach Garden will never disappoint you.

Conclusion: A cool retro-Electro sensation.

Best songs: “Rattlesnake”, “Concrete City Concrete Walls”, “The Great Fog”, “Things I Always Wanted To Do”, “A Means To A Start”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/TheRorschachGarden

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

About The Rorschach Garden

The Rorschach Garden is the electronic project of German musician Philipp Münch, started as a one-man project in 1988 and first distributed through the underground tape scene. The initial phase ended in 1996 while Münch worked on other projects, among them Synapscape. He revived the project in 2001 with a move toward synth-pop and minimal-electro, opening with a 7” single on the Bazooka Joe label. B. Teichner and N. Pohlmann later joined for studio recordings and live appearances.

“We Are Vanishing” was released by Ant-Zen on 21 June 2021 in digital and CD formats. Philipp Münch handled all voices, synths and programming, and Stefan Alt produced the artwork. The fourteen tracks run “Winter Requiem”, “Merry Go Round”, “Concrete City Concrete Walls”, “Temple Dance”, “The Grey Array (In Between Dreams Mix)”, “The Great Fog”, “Rattlesnake”, “End Of The Story”, “A Means To A Start”, “Magic Side”, “Another Way To Say I Love You”, “Things I Always Wanted To Do”, “Drowning In The Lake Of Our Mistakes” and “Glacier”.

The album arrived two months after the EP reviewed here as The Rorschach Garden – Dangerous Isolation Site (EP – Ant-Zen). Münch discussed the project in the November 2021 ‘Click Interview’ with The Rorschach Garden: ‘The Rorschach Garden Always Was And Still Is My Musical Diary’.

Ant-Zen continued the run with The Rorschach Garden – Stealth Black (Album – Ant-Zen) in 2022, The Rorschach Garden – Pleasure Under Pressure (Digital/CD Album – Ant-Zen) in 2025 and The Rorschach Garden – Trust The Process (Digital/CD Album – Ant-Zen) in 2026. Münch also releases under his own name, including Philipp Münch – Plays Ars Moriendi (Album – Ant-Zen).

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, Trance, EBM, Experimental, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, Cassette.

Background/Info: Philipp Münch –known from so many bands and projects, moves on the recipe he already had been experimented with earlier this year released EP “Über Leben 3” on, which he reworked old songs from his old project Ars Moriendi. This album and its title speak for itself, the artist revisiting twelve songs from Ars Moriendi. The project was set up in the late 80s and mainly active during the 90s.

Content: Philipp Münch doesn’t simply recover the songs from dust by doing a new mastering; he simply reworked and revisited the old songs into a very own approach. This approach is a bit comparable to the influences revealed at the new Synapscape album. It’s a mix of Electronic influences; from Industrial to Trance to EBM to pure Electronic minimalism. Some songs are clearly evoking the early 80s and a band as Throbbing Gristle comes into mind when discovering “Stimulation”. Other cuts are more into heavy Industrial outbursts, sometimes becoming pretty Trance-driven. Both debut songs are there to illustrate this heavy sound. “Splatter Me!” and “Meiner Selbst” both will appeal to open-minded EBM lovers.

+ + + : I think it must be a true challenge revisiting old songs from a project you’re no longer involved with by transposing them into something different. Philipp Münch fully succeeded in his goal and just as on the new Synapscape-work I’m totally conquered by the artist’s way of working; mixing styles and just following his own intuition. But the songs also reveal impressive sound treatments. It’s an overwhelming production that mainly comes through at the beginning. “Bewegung” and “Deeper Trance” both are phenomenal pieces of modern Industrial music. “Stimulation” sounds like a wink to early 80s stuff, keeping the original spirit of the song alive. And even the EBM approach shown at “Splatter Me!” and “Meiner Selbst” stands for sound intelligence.

– – – : There’re a very few pieces that can’t fully convince me, but globally speaking it’s just a detail when listening to this great piece of music.

Conclusion: “Plays Ars Moriendi” is a great and creative ode to the memory of Ars Moriendi while confirming the genius of Philipp Münch. This album has something schizophrenic, but it sounds better than any kind of madness…

Best songs: “Stimulation”, “Bewegung”, “Deeper Trance”, “Splatter Me!”, “Meiner Selbst”, “Armageddon”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.facebook.com/philippmuench.de

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

About Philipp Münch

Philipp Münch has been active across numerous projects including Synapscape, Ars Moriendi, Asche and Templegarden’s. Ars Moriendi began in the autumn of 1989 as a collective with Sven Pügge, Andrea Börner-Schramm and Andreas Schramm, releasing cassette albums on its own Fich-Art label through the early 1990s before later reunion shows at Maschinenfest in 2002 and 2008.

“Plays Ars Moriendi” re-records twelve original Ars Moriendi tracks with contemporary production, released in November 2020 on Ant-Zen and Raubbau (catalog ant-zen act388 / raubbau raub-079) as a cassette. Guest contributions come from former Ars Moriendi members and collaborators including Tim Kniep, Babsi Teichner and Asche.

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, Minimal-Electronics, EBM, Technoid.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Philipp Münch and Tim Kniep are back on track unleashing a new album. The German duo is now active for more than twenty five years and became a true reference at the wider fields of Industrial music.

Content: Synapscape has already experimented with multiple influences. Therefore you can’t say they belong to one specific genre rather than being a sonic hybrid. This new work is the ultimate confirmation; taking off with pure Acid sequences to move on with harsh Electro-Industrial sound treatments to next walk at Experimental paths to some EBM to Techno-driven passages to pure Electronic minimalism and finally getting back to Acid.

The album features 9 songs plus 4 remixes by Cervello Elettronico, Imperial Black Unit, Hypnoskull and Orphx.

+ + + : The previous album “Still” on, which Synapscape reworked earlier songs into a refreshing and modern approach already was a great surprise, revealing the band’s diversity and eclecticism. This totally new work moves a step further, the influences becoming hard to tell, but the result left me breathless. There’s no stop on this project’s creativity. They’re mixing influences together like a master cook preparing a meal with the finest spices. There’s not one single song to throw away, but I’ve a preference for the minimal-sounding “Uprise” and the somewhat EBM-driven “It Ain’t Right”. The songs stand for a great sound production. A great band can be only remixed by great names and the list is impressive! My favorite remix is the one by Cervello Elettronico, which sounds like a sonic climax between Minimalism and Techno.

– – – : I can’t say there’s a true minus with this work, but I just will mention the more experimental driven “Confessions”, which is the single track that left me unmoved.

Conclusion: Synapscape moves on exploring new sonic grounds and mixing genres together. This band is constantly reinventing its sound and yet holding on a very proper and easily recognizable sound DNA.

Best songs: “Uprise”, “It Ain’t Right”, “A Crack”, “Dirty Deal”, “Triturate”, “The Claw – Cervello Elettronico Remix”, “Uprising Confessions – Orphx Remix”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.synapscape.org / www.facebook.com/synapscape

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

About Synapscape

Synapscape is the German duo of Tim Kniep and Philipp Münch, active for more than twenty-five years across the wider fields of industrial and rhythmic noise.

“A Journey Through Concern” was released in September 2020 on Ant-Zen (catalog act387), the follow-up to “Still”, an album on which the band reworked its own earlier material. It includes remixes by Cervello Elettronico, Imperial Black Unit, Hypnoskull and Orphx.

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-techno, rhythmic -noise. 

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: The last Synapscape album (cf. “Still”) was already released nearly two years now ago. Philipp Münch and Tim Kniep are back on track unleashing four new cuts of their Synapscape project.

Content: Synapscape explores the harder fields of techno music while holding on to good-old industrial elements. They mixed it all with acid sequences, which are mainly emerging at the surface of the opening cut. Two tracks are featuring harsh vocal parts by Tim Kniep, which are perfectly matching with this kind of production –although not many artists are using vocals when it comes to industrial-techno.

+ + + : When I hear a project like Synapscape, which is already active for more than a quarter Century experimenting with new styles or simply transposing existing genres into a very personal adaptation, I can only, but express my respect. The way they bring industrial (and rhythmic-noise) together with hard-techno and acid music is absolutely phenomenal. But it’s more than simply a fusion between different genres, it also becomes a fully styled, intelligent and accomplished production. The vocals are also adding a nice little extra on top of two songs.

– – – : When I hear such a brilliant production featuring only 4 cuts I can only regret it’s not a full length album. But who knows, this is maybe a teaser for a greater work?!

Conclusion: Synapscape has experimented with different influences during the past twenty five years and they’re clearly not ready to stop with this sonic voyage. “A Mutual Disagreement” is a terrific industrial-techno release!

Best songs: “They’ll All Be Gone”, “What Are We Doing”, “Related Belief”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.synapscape.org / www.facebook.com/synapscape

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

About Synapscape

Synapscape formed in Bielefeld, Germany, in 1994, when Philipp Münch and Tim Kniep began working together on rhythmic-noise and industrial material. The duo debuted on Ant-Zen with its self-titled album in 1995, followed by “Rage” (1997), “So What” (1999), “Positive Pop” (2001), “Raw” (2002), “Act!” (2005), the Asche collaboration “Scenes From a Galton’s Walk” (2006), “Now” (2007), “Again” (2009), “Traits” (2011) and “Rhythm Age” (2015), before “Still” in 2018 and “The Future” in 2026. Münch, who also records as The Rorschach Garden and Mandelbrot, discussed his broader catalogue in Side-Line’s Click Interview with The Rorschach Garden.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-industrial.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Philipp Münch has been involved with an endless number of projects. From Ars Moriendi to Mandelbrot to Rasputin to The Rorschach Garden to Synapscape I here only enumerate some of his most famous projects. “Über Leben 3” sees the artist getting back to some 90s stuff; songs that were originally composed by Ars Moriendi, The Rorschach Garden and  Moata Omen got reworked by Phillipp Münch.

Content: The first track “Erste Liebe Neu” was originally composed by the Ars Moriendi gang and reworked by Münch into an electro-industrial approach featuring harsh, spooky vocals. The song is filled with an impressive number of noises and analogue sweeps. The 3 cuts left were originally written by The Rorschach Garden –while one was together with Moata Omen. As The Rorschach Garden was Philipp’s solo-project you in a way can say he remixed the original songs or simply reworked them in a different approach. It remains pretty industrial-like, but still darker than the original versions.

+ + + : I think this EP rather sounds as a production achieved during the lockdown, the artist revisiting some of his early compositions. But Philipp Münch also confirmed his natural talent to switch from one genre till another. He feels comfortable dealing with different projects and very different music styles. The way he reworked “The Drowning” has something visionary, but I also can mention the other Rorschach Garden track “No Story (Not At All)”, which is really sophisticated and yet pretty accessible. 

– – – : All I can say is that I personally prefer the original edits from The Rorschach Garden, but I’ve always been a huge fan of this retro-like project. The work doesn’t really bring anything new, but it’s fun!

Conclusion: When a prolific artist simply reworks some of his very own compositions, you get “Über Leben 3”. This is a cool intermezzo for more work by this musician.

Best songs: “No Story (Not At All)”, “The Drowning”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/philippmuench.de

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

About Philipp Münch

Philipp Münch is a German musician who has recorded under numerous names, including Synapscape, Ars Moriendi, Mandelbrot, Rasputin and The Rorschach Garden, the last of which he set up in 1988 and has described as his musical diary. “Über Leben 3” reworks material originally written for Ars Moriendi and The Rorschach Garden, one track composed together with Moata Omen. He later continued The Rorschach Garden with the 2021 Ant-Zen album “We Are Vanishing”, another exploration of retro Electro and Minimal-Wave sounds.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

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

Background/Info: Synapscape this year celebrates its 25th anniversary. Set up and driven by Tim Kniep and Philipp Münch the duo decided to rework tracks that were originally released in between 1994 and 1999. These tracks originally appeared on “Synapscape” (1995), “Rage” (1997), “So What” (1999), but also on the single “Helix / Merging” (1997).

 Content: If you know the original versions, which clearly deal with an electro-ambient side, you really will be surprised discovering the content of “Still”. The songs have been transposed into a heavy and ultra-danceable fusion between IDM, industrial EBM (which sometimes even reminds me to early Revolting Cocks) and techno. The work also features harsh vocals creating a great match with the music.

+ + + : “Still” is so much more than a poorly inspired ‘best of’ album. This work brings old songs back alive, but especially giving them another dimension. It also reveals the evolution in sound and influences from the German duo. “Still” is an intelligent production and in a way it also has something visionary. It’s not that common a band reinvent its own sound by a total rework of early tracks. “Still” also stands for a modern blend of electronic styles. Last, but not least I also like the effect on the vocals production.

– – – : I can imagine this album also is a kind of challenge. Some fans will maybe get shocked discovering the new edit of early songs.

Conclusion: Recycling is also true in music business and “Still” clearly reveals old tracks that have been totally reworked and transposed into a modern and exciting format. A class-act!

Best songs: “No Fright”, “Helix”, “Rage”, “Dream”, “I Want To”, “No Sin”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.synapscape.org / www.facebook.com/synapscape

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

About Synapscape

Synapscape formed in Bielefeld, Germany, in 1994, when Philipp Munch and Tim Kniep began working together on rhythmic-noise and industrial material. The duo debuted on Ant-Zen with its self-titled album in 1995.

The catalogue continued with “Rage” (1997), “So What” (1999), “Positive Pop” (2001), “Raw” (2002), “Act!” (2005), “Now” (2007), “Again” (2009), “Traits” (2011) and “Rhythm Age” (2015). “Still”, reviewed here, marked the project’s 25th anniversary and reworked tracks from across that catalogue; Ant-Zen followed it with “A Mutual Disagreement” in 2020 and “A Journey Through Concern” in 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

Genre/Influences: Electro-ambient, rhythmic-ambient, cinematographic.

Background/Info: Brien Hindman  is an artist involved with video creation (having made clips for bands such as Asche, Morgenstern, Synapscape, Monokrom, Mandelbrot) and music composition. Together with Philipp Münch he released an album under the Colony Collapse Disorder while he also collaborated with a few other artists. Brien Hindman has now accomplished his debut solo-work revealing 6 tracks plus one remix.

Content: Brien Hindman clearly sounds inspired by different electronic ambient formats. His work is mainly cold and even icy-like while driven by slow rhythms. The tracks are slowly evolving mixing refined sound treatments and harsher industrial sounds. Both last cuts are elaborated pieces of music reflecting mysterious moods and nihilistic feelings. The ultimate cut is a remix by his old mate Philipp Münch, which also is the single track featuring ghost-like vocal parts.

+ + + : “Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis” is a work with a bizarre, mysterious sphere with a strong visual content. The icy sound treatments feature a vintage approach, which has been merged with cool industrial components. The slow cadence makes the tracks more accessible. The track “Heterodoxies (Parts 1-7)” is getting the listener away for a grandiose sonic voyage over the 15 minutes.

– – – : The song are elaborated and reflect an intelligent sound approach, but maybe missing a total apotheosis. I’m missing a few little details to speak about a fully successful work.

Conclusion: “Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis” makes me think to an imaginary sonic labyrinth where the listener will have to endure icy and mystifying atmospheres.

Best songs: “Heterodoxies (Parts 1-7)”, “Trophic Cascade”, “Anthrocene”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/brienhindman

Label: www.ant–zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Out in a few weeks is “Maschinenfest 2017”, a compilation including all artists who have performed at Maschinenfest 2017. You can order this set right here. This year’s event will take place from Friday 27 October 2017 until Sunday 29 October 2017 at the Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen, Germany

On the compilation you’ll find material from the following bands: Ah Cama-Sotz, Alarmen, Aphexia, Dive, Empusae, Esplendor Geometrico, Gatto Nero, Geneviéve Pasquier, Gold, Goreshit, Greyhound, Haus Am Rand, Horskh, Imminent/Synapscape, In Slaughter Natives, Lustmord, Meta Meat, Mono No Aware, Monolith, Nur Zwei Linien, S.K.E.T., Siamgda, Somatic Responses, Suicide Inside, Sutcliffe Jügend, Yura Yura and more.

Maschinenfest is a yearly, 3-day underground music festival in Germany, featuring industrial, power electronics, noise and other alternative electronic performers.

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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Mecanica Records, originally a Mexican label, but now run from somewhere deep in the woods in Poland, has prepped a The Rorschach Garden compilation which holds tracks from out-of-print records released in the early 2000’s (“Flow of Life”, “Far Away from Paradise”, “State Protection”, “Motorcircle”, …) plus some rare and unreleased stuff. 21 tracks in total.

The CD comes in a limited edition of only 500 copies in a digipak with booklet. You can place your order right here.

Founded in 1988, The Rorschach Garden was the solo project of Philipp Münch, mainly known from his works as Synapscape. In 1997, he stopped the project due to personal reasons. The Rorschach Garden was reactivated in 2001, and made its first public appearance at the Maschinenfest 2002 festival in Aachen, Germany. Ever since, The Rorschach Garden has grown into a proper band with a steady lineup. Since its reactivation, the project has released 8 regular albums.

You can listen to an audio preview right 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!

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