The Belgian electro label Alfa Matrix releases the twelfth volume in its “Matrix+ Downloaded” series to coincide with the label’s 24th anniversary. The digital-only set collects 69 tracks across the label’s current spectrum – EBM, dark elektro/industrial, synth pop – and newer Spleen+ additions spanning post-punk, goth rock and coldwave. The compilation is offered as a free/pay-what-you-want download via the label’s Bandcamp page and also includes a PDF booklet.

On the cover you will recognize Erica Dunham from Unter Null.

Artists included on this free download compilation include: Studio-X (feat. Kyoko Baertsoen), Rector Scanner, Aesthetische, Cut.Rate.Box, Kant Kino, Frontal Boundary, C-Lekktor, Acylum, Diffuzion, Implant, Neikka RPM, First Aid 4 Souls (feat. Aux Animaux), Noemi Aurora, Suicidal Romance, Llumen, Hanging Freud, Lederman/De Meyer, The Ultimate Dreamers, Aiboforcen, Digital Factor, Armageddon Dildos, Helalyn Flowers, Krystal System, The True Union, Freakangel, Totem Obscura, Lovelorn Dolls (feat. Dero Goi), The Breath of Life, The Names, ImJudas, Synapsyche, Miseria Ultima, Unter Null, Alien Vampires (feat. Dani Divine), Venal Flesh, Helle9, To Avoid, Pouppée Fabrikk, Stahlgeist, Nigra Nebula, Aengeldust, Circuito Cerrado, Matthew Creed, Cubic, Metroland, The Psychic Force, Komor Kommando, First Aid Tech, Die Robo Sapiens, ELM, Plastic Noise Experience, AD:Key, Elektroklänge, 808 Dot Pop, Avarice in Audio, Elektrostaub (feat. Echo Image), Cryogenic Echelon, Entrzelle, Neuroactive, Technoir, Mondträume, Star Industry, Stray, Psy’Aviah (feat. Sorrow Stories), Zombie Girl, Darkness on Demand, Circumpolar, Dunkelwerk, and Lights A.M.

A&R manager, Sebastien Dolimont says: “In 2025, Alfa Matrix proudly celebrates 24 years of existence. Nearly a quarter of a century fighting for dark alternative music, discovering new talents, and keeping the underground alive. This anniversary is not just about us and our artists – it’s about you, our fans. Because without your constant support, there would be no label, no releases, no future for the scene we all love.”

And he add: “In a world where indie labels are disappearing, streaming revenues collapse, and risks of signing new talents are higher than ever, we are proud to still stand strong — but we can only do it with you by our side. By downloading this compilation, you are not just enjoying music — you are actively supporting 69 artists and helping keep our scene alive, fresh, and forward-looking. From all of us at Alfa Matrix and Spleen+, and on behalf of all our artists: thank you for 24 years of loyalty, passion, and support. Together, we’ll keep writing the future of the dark underground.”

About Alfa Matrix

Alfa Matrix is a Brussels-based independent label founded in 2001. The catalogue focuses on electronic subgenres including industrial, EBM, dark elektro, and synth pop, later expanding into post-punk/coldwave via the Spleen+ division. The label’s team includes label & artists manager Seba Dolimont, promo manager Bernard Van Isacker, and head of design Benoît Blanchart.

From the early 2000s, Alfa Matrix used series-based releases to build international reach. Notable strands include “Sounds From The Matrix” (label samplers), “Re:Connected” (digital label overview), and the club-oriented “Endzeit Bunkertracks” multi-CD anthologies (first “Act” released 21 March 2005, featuring 60 tracks with 50 exclusives).

In 2023, Alfa Matrix inaugurated Spleen+, a division centred on post-punk and adjacent styles, and followed with multi-artist projects and catalogue building, including the “Resurgence” 7-CD box that assembled 133 contemporary bands from the post-punk family.

The label has since the very start focused on a direct contact with its fans and customers via their online webstore and Bandcamp.

Eldrina Mich

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

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Italian dark electro duo Synapsyche has released its latest EP “Muteness”, the second installment in a conceptual trilogy exploring themes of miscommunication. The digital EP – out first via Bandcamp – follows 2024’s “Deafness” and continues the band’s exploration of modern anxieties around truth, repression, and social silence.

Out now “Muteness” includes two new original tracks that confront the fear of self-expression, or as the band puts it: “Silence is complicity, it’sabout those who never speak up, afraid to lose acceptance. But in the end, hiding means surrender.””. In addition to the title track, the EP features two reinterpretations: a dark-pop rework of Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies,” and a remix of “Anti Manifesto” by Statik Sekt.

Here is the previous 3-track single, “Deafness”.

About Synapsyche

Synapsyche is an Italian dark electro and industrial duo formed in Milan in 2014 by Stefano “Mannequinetik” Puri (vocals, lyrics) and Marco Mantovani (keyboards, programming). The band initially self-released early works like “Crashdown Connected” before signing to the SkyQode label, which issued their second full-length album “The Abyss Effect” in 2016.

Synapsyche’s music blends harsh EBM rhythms and melodic synth lines.

Their discography includes the albums “The Abyss Effect” (2016), “In Praise of Folly” (2018), and the “Miscommunication” EP series which began with “Deafness” in 2024 and continues with 2025’s “Muteness.” The trilogy is expected to conclude with a third installment currently in production.

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.

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The Brussels-based Spleen+ label (a division of Alfa Matrix) has prepared a deluxe 7CD collector’s edition – “Resurgence” – which brings together 133 active bands from across the globe, spanning the diverse sub-genres born from post-punk’s iconic roots. You can order it now from the Alfa Matrix webstore and in digital download format from Bandcamp.

The release comes housed in a luxurious vinyl-sized box, and comes accompanied by a 28-page book. The book holds interviews from renowned producers like John Fryer and Jean-Marc Lederman, label managers, journalists, and iconic artists (including Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, William Faith, No More, Skeletal Family, Mona Mur, KaS Product, And Also The Trees, Clan Of Xymox, Attrition, Das Ich, Merciful Nuns, The Names, The Breath Of Life, etc).

Spanning 23 different nationalities, the music included is a genre-spanning mix of post-punk, cold wave, dark synth, ethereal, and minimal EBM with such bands like Boy Harsher, A Cloud Of Ravens, No More, Skeletal Family, Collection D’Arnell Andrea, Underviewer, Attrition, Merciful Nuns, Lederman/De Meyer, Local Suicide & Sekelesys, Star Industry, Ataraxia, Czarina, Helalyn Flowers, Ascii.Disko, Je T’Aime, The Ultimate Dreamers, Lycia, Opera Multi Steel, The Breath Of Life, Auger, The Names, Whispers In The Shadow, Lovelorn Dolls, Astari Nite, Chiasm, Saigon Blue Rain, Omnimar, Still Patient, Creux Lies, Golden Apes, and many more.

You can already check out a few tracks here.

Apart from the 7CD vinyl size deluxe carton box format, “Resurgence” will not be available on mainstream digital platforms, except exclusively via the label’s Bandcamp page.

There is also a special combi pack including the 7CD set plus Darkness On Demand’s “Panic In Reserve” CD and To Avoid’s “All Gods Are Gone” 2CD.

“Resurgence” Tracklist

Cd 1

1. Bestial Mouths . Hex (The Spell)
2. A Cloud Of Ravens . Parable
3. Boy Harsher . Give Me A Reason
4. Czarina . Wonderland
5. Collection D’arnell Andrea . Waiting For Meaulnes
6. Krystal System . La Lame Dans Ta Main
7. Je T’aime . Out Of Sight
8. Aeon Rings . Fully Operational
9. The Ultimate Dreamers . Polarized
10. Partikul . Nothing Good In Me
11. Cosmobrigade . Spacepit
12. Aeon Sable . From Witchcraft To Deviltry
13. Stereoskop . Deep Down
14. The Breath Of Life . Slowly Crushing
15. Faust Project . Rats Lullaby
16. Al . Mistake
17. N.E.L. & J.P . Desinteresse
18. Zeitgeist Zero . Scream
19. Voyna . Moulding Heart

Cd 2

1. Blackbook . You Are Strange
2. Auger . My Heart Is Glass
3. Dekad . A Deadly Show (Video Edit)
4. Love In Cage . A Logical Secret Collection
5. Helalyn Flowers . Halos
6. Soft Scent . No Wounds
7. Sweet Ermengarde . Sweet Sacrifice
8. Martin Dupont . Bent At The Window (2023)
9. The Names . Far From The Factories
10. Boxes Of Blow . Melting Faces
11. Mirror Of Haze Feat. Primitive Heart . Reckless
12. A Slice Of Life . Seven Days
13. Then Comes Silence . Pretty Creatures
14. Nite . Inside Of My Head
15. Astari Nite . Bowie In Daydreams
16. Korus . Złote Światło Pierwszego Zachodu
17. Lovelorn Dolls . A Heart Cries
18. Whispers In The Shadow . Revenants
19. Merciful Nuns . Oneironauts

Cd 3

1. Lederman – De Meyer . Heartbeat
2. Local Suicide & Skelesys . Surface Of The Sun (Radio Edit)
3. Punx Soundcheck Feat. Ascii.Disko & Princess Superstar . Gasoline
4. No More . Sleepers And Trains
5. Mitra Mitra . Memories For Company
6. A Copy For Collapse Feat. Simona Pietrucci . Faded
7. Alien Skin . Depress Me
8. White Mansion . Cancel The Sky
9. Apnoie . Splash Your Bile
10. Celluloide . Compte Les Ombres
11. Risk Risk . Streetwalk
12. Total Chroma . Northern Lights
13. Opera Multi Steel . À Nos Moments Perdus
14. Lycia . Simpler Times
15. Noemi Aurora . Blood As Lipstick
16. Novus . Ess
17. I Ya Toyah . Death’s Kiss
18. Katcross . Rest
19. Winter Severity Index . Speak To Me

Cd 4

1. Systeme Paradoxe . Comme Le Sable En Hiver
2. Aiboforcen . Break The Black Ice (Original Mix)
3. Chiasm . Cut Right Through (Emileigh Rohn Edit)
4. Saigon Blue Rain . Dolls Dresses
5. Her Own World . Mistrust
6. Still Patient Feat. Minu-Schirin Samimi . Blind Vision
7. Creux Lies . Playtime
8. Der Klinke . Curtains (Your Life On Hold Remix)
9. On The Floor . Crying On The Dancefloor
10. Numa Echos Feat. Red Zebra . Waisted Items
11. Factheory . The Day (Ok Lion! Mix – Short Version)
12. Antiflvx . Crystal
13. Flor Concreta . She’s Closer
14. Golden Apes . Ash Trees
15. Glis . Blue Sky Night
16. Ataraxia . The Source
17. Hanging Freud . Grooming
18. Ok Lion! . Get Away
19. Yuzna . Queen Of The Eels

Cd 5

1. The Breath Of Life Feat. Implant . The Last Record
2. The Halo Trees . Happy Man
3. Palm Ghosts . Tilt
4. Your Life On Hold . Imprisoned (Merciless Radio Edit)
5. Götterdämmerung . Common Existence
6. Jenni Sex . Sin Chimes
7. Denner . She Radiates Darkness
8. Imjudas . I Love You
9. Black Needle Noise . Dollhouse On Fire
10. Dead Souls Rising . Dysmorphobia
11. The Waning Moon . Annabel
12. Korinthians . Leader Of The Night
13. Elektrostaub Feat. Stefan Netschio . Mantis (Auger Remix)
14. Omnimar . The Matrix
15. Synapsyche Feat. Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost) . The Last Dying Flame
16. Dance My Darling . Criminal
17. First Aid 4 Souls Feat. Emke Of Black Nail Cabaret . Das Messer
18. Supernova 1006 . Tell Your Name (Mix)
19. Suicidal Romance . Runaways

Cd 6

1. Ascii.Disko . Loslassen
2. Vioflesh . Emotions
3. Dina Summer . Who Am I (Club Version)
4. Pleasure Victim . Rascheln
5. Pink Opake . Pronta
6. Thewalkingicon . The Trail (Radio Edit)
7. Psy’aviah Feat. Sorrow Stories . Healing
8. Seasurfer . Collapsing
9. Lakeside X . Fire In The Sky (Radio Version)
10. Darkness On Demand . Hang On (Winterhart Remix)
11. Star Industry . Selling Icons (The Dreamside Remix)
12. Alphavox . Dark Satellite
13. Yama Uba . Shapes
14. Lifeless Past . Anxiety
15. Pink Turns Blue . Not Gonna Take It
16. Social Union . Waiting For Red
17. Sine . Until (Clan Of Xymox Remix)
18. Sorry, Heels . She Burns (We Burn) Version
19. Lights A.M . Clouds

Cd 7

1. Useless/You . Echo
2. Attrition . The Great Derailer
3. Children Of Zeal . Taking Over
4. Octolab . Friend Or Foe
5. Vague Phonique . The Last Man
6. Midnight Poetry . Black Hole
7. The Overlookers . Undercover (Edit)
8. La Machine . Vamos A La Playa (Radiomix)
9. Die Sexual . House Of God
10. Carrellee . Morning Sun
11. Underviewer . Was Soll Ich Tun (Aiboforcen Remix)
12. Night In Athens . Words Unspoken
13. Neila Invo . Alienation
14. Skeletal Family . My Own Redemption
15. The Murder Mystery . A Girl Named Red
16. Princess Ugly . For A Moment I Forgot The Desolation
17. Instant Lake . Ivory Dreams
18. Vision Video . Balaclava Kiss
19. La Scaltra . Dancing On Debris

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.

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For the occasion of the release of “Anti”, the 4th studio album already from the Italian dark industrial pop act Synapsyche, we talked with Marco and Stefano about this quite conceptual album announcing the arrival of a modern Messiah as anti-hero who will save our world… or exactly not!? 

The album is available via Bandcamp, and as a 2CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore plus of course on all other platforms.

SL: “Anti” is described as a conceptual album that explores the odyssey of a 21st-century-born Messiah. What inspired you to create this modern twist on the story of Jesus Christ, and what message do you hope to convey through this narrative?

Marco: Everything started from the title of a song that seemed cool to me, “God In Vitro”. I was thinking about socio-cultural implications if only we could artificially create an almighty entity. At this stage, I started to think about a concept that revolves around the existence of this new messiah, and as a good Italian I quickly felt a correlation with Christianity. The final passage was to retrace the main steps of the Gospels, reinterpreting them with a modern mentality and, so to speak, in opposition to the sacred texts. The coming of the feared antichrist will be wanted by us and then denied, the same way as 2000 years ago. What makes us human beings is not shaped by the divine, but instead by free will, religious or not religious. Our destiny (insignificant out of ourselves) is only in our hands anyway, let’s not give credits or blame elsewhere. Anyway, every song has a double meaning, so each one can stand on its own with a different intrinsic meaning besides the “anti-christian” one. 

SL: Each track on the album carries a double meaning, touching on themes like euthanasia, betrayal, and occultism. How did you approach writing lyrics that balance these complex and provocative themes?

Marco: The basic concept was already written in my head, track by track, but obviously I needed the songs! So, to every base that Stefano sent to me I associated a concept’s theme which I felt “related” to the song’s mood. At this point, from excerpts of phrases and abstract ideas I switched to the drafting of lyrics, rhymes and vocal melodies exactly the same way, suggested by the feeling of the music and rhythm. Once finished the song, I forwarded it to Stefano, we discussed democratically about it and in the end we carried on with the recording process.

SL: You once again blend various genres such as dark-electro, synthpop, industrial, and EBM in “Anti”. Can you discuss the process of integrating these different musical styles to create a cohesive sound for the album?

Stefano: I’ll be honest, it’s not a programmed process from the beginning but the result of many factors that sum up during the making of the track. For sure my personal tastes play a key role, since I like all those genres. Usually, when I write the songs, I also imagine fictional situations and I try to write their soundtrack (it’s difficult to explain), so to musically describe that, maybe even complex and dynamic, I have to range a bit between genres, from the most aggressive to the softest. Obviously, last but not least, vocal lines and lyrics of Marco drive my taste to a more accurate direction, it’s important that music has the sound of what lyrics want to communicate.

SL: The album features vocal guest appearances by Aesthetic Perfection and Lord Of The Lost. How did these collaborations come about, and what was it like working with these artists on “Silvertongue” and “The Last Dying Flame”?

Marco: I state that I’m a fan of both bands, so to me it’s an honour to have Daniel and Chris in this album, I’d say it’s a dream come true. I wanted Daniel for “Silvertongue” from the beginning of the writing process of the songs, ‘cause it sounded very “industrial pop” and the references to his style are evident. In the midst of Covid period I took advantage of the world block to write him and he accepted immediately, he loved the song and sent his vocals very fast, he also helped us “spamming” a bit in his social media pages when the single was released. With Chris was different: a couple of years ago he set up a contest: after having collected hundreds of songs he would have picked some of them to record featuring vocals… We were chosen with “The Last Dying Flame”! After the Eurovision he sent us very detailed vocals and reworked the song in such a brilliant way. Both were really available, helpful and professional, the best possible choice to play the Devil (Daniel) and the Lord (Chris) in our concept!

SL: The concept of the “Anti-hero” is central to this album. How does this character’s journey reflect or contrast with contemporary societal issues or personal experiences?

Marco: The artificial messiah is engineered to bring back in line a world in decay and with no principles and morale anymore. Despite good resolutions and an alternative way focused on respect, satisfaction and self-worship, the people, which first acclaimed him as enlightened, will then see him as a deceiving guru and sentence him to death, befooled by cheap entertainment over and over and forgetting soon the history. Moral teachings and scientific progress won’t help to make us better because the human dark side evolves, despite realizations we always find new ways to hurt ourselves, the others and what surrounds us.

SL: Your sound is known for its ability to blend distorted darkness with catchy melodies and ecstatic grooves. How do you strike a balance between these contrasting elements to maintain both intensity and accessibility in your music?

Stefano: Easy! As a song may be distorted, aggressive and fierce, I like when the listener has a melody or a riff to sing along throughout the day, something to remember. Even if we make music for dancefloor mainly, it would be a failure if we have not a good melodic line. And it’s not just for a purely aesthetic taste, pay attention; music is made of notes and rules that govern them. We love when inside all that noise there are parts that I could easily play on a piano, alone, without disfigure. Moreover, despite some of our songs could seem “nasty”, very often the lyrics hide complex feelings… What better way to highlight them than by an energetic but maybe melancholic riff with synths and pad?

SL: The statement “God is dead, long live Synapsyche!” is quite provocative. Can you elaborate on what this phrase means to you and how it encapsulates the essence of “Anti”?

Marco: That sentence was written by our label to sponsor the album, so you should ask them! (laugh) No seriously, I’d say it’s a beautiful sentence which summarize the mood of this work. The album starts precisely with that “God is dead!” yelled to the world, opening the doors to the lyrical concept of the band. We put our souls into this album, trying the best way to insert memorable melodies and vocals, which could draw from the most various range of styles and sounds. We wanted it to enclose our tastes and our art in their entirety. We believe we succeeded and we’re very proud of it, this album will be the one to beat in our discography for the next years, but the final verdict is up to you all. Anyway, it’s seems that people enjoyed “Anti” a lot and we can’t be anything but pleased of this! To those who have not listened to “Anti” yet, please do it without prejudices and with open mind. You won’t regret it!

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.

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The 4th Synapsyche studio album, “Anti”, is out now as a 2CD set and as download on Bandcamp. The first disc holds 12 tracks of melodic dark elektro / industrial pop, while the second disc in this limited edition 2CD digipak, titled “Apocryphal Psalms”, features unique versions and remixes by artists such as Darkness On Demand, Lovelorn Dolls, Aiboforcen, Acylum, Miss Suicide, Fragile Child, Zeitgeist2511, Statik Sekt, Matt Hart and Dilatory Destruction.

“Anti” turns out to be a conceptual release which – and we quote the Italian duo – “delves into the rebellious odyssey of a 21st-century-born Messiah, diverging from the path of Jesus Christ.” As a result each song carries a double meaning, touching on provocative themes such as euthanasia, betrayal, adultery, feminism, love’s demise, and occultism à la Lavey/Crowley. All tracks were written and composed by Synapsyche (Marco Katatronik and Stefano Mannequinetik) except for “The Last Dying Flame” written and composed by Synapsyche and Chris Harms.

Below is the Bandcamp version, you can get the 2CD set from the Alfa Matrix webstore.

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.

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Alien Vampires out of print 2010 album “Harshlizer” is available again in a 2CD deluxe version this coming February 14th (pre-orders available now). The re-release comes in brand new uncensored artwork taken from the original photo sessions of the models featured on the album’s original cover.

This reissue holds the “Industrializer” bonus disc, featuring additional tracks and remixes created during the same period as the original release.

This 2CD version is available now from the Alfa Matrix webstore in pre-order, as download via Bandcamp and in a combi pack together with the all new albums from Acylum (2CD), Synapsyche (2CD), and Implant (CD).

To give you an idea what this album was about, check out the below videos.

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.

side-line.com

Alfa Matrix, the renowned Belgian label, commemorates its 22nd anniversary with yet another mastodont compilation on Bandcamp. The latest installment in the acclaimed “Matrix Downloaded” series, titled “Matrix+ Downloaded 011”, is now available as a free download on their Bandcamp page. Packed with 60 tracks, including new signings and a preview of the upcoming Spleen+ label releases, this compilation showcases Alfa Matrix’s diverse music repertoire.

“Matrix+ Downloaded 011” soared to the top of the industrial Bandcamp charts within hours of its release, claiming the coveted number 1 position.

The collection holds 60 tracks in total including several new signings. These are the bands present on this brand new free download compilation: Hanging Freud, The Ultimate Dreamers, The Breath Of Life, Psy’Aviah Feat. Sorrow Stories, ImJudas, Star Industry, Halo In Reverse, Lovelorn Dolls, The True Union, Freakangel, Avarice In Audio, Siva Six, Alien Vampires, Synapsyche, Helalyn Flowers, Neuroactive, Elektrostaub Feat. Stefan Netschio, Technoir, Entrzelle, Llumen, Noemi Aurora, Aiboforcen Feat. Jan D., Reichsfeind, Mondträume Feat. N-Frequency, The Psychic Force, Digital Factor, Implant, Darkness On Demand, Aesthetische, Komor Kommando Vs. The True Union, Matthew Creed, C-Lekktor, First Aid Tech, Pouppee Fabrikk, ELM, Die Robo Sapiens, Plastic Noise Experience, Armageddon Dildos, Stahlgeist, AD:keY, Kant Kino, Suicidal Romance, Miseria Ultima, First Aid 4 Souls, Neikka RPM, Circumpolar, Venal Flesh, Helle9, Diffuzion, Acylum, Circuito Cerrado, Aengeldust, Studio-X, 808 Dot Pop, Cubic, Metroland, Rector Scanner, Elektroklänge, Cosmic Armchair, Lights A.M.

You can download “Matrix+ Downloaded 011” for free via Bandcamp.

Eldrina Mich

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

www.side-line.com

Out now are 2 new EPs from the Italian dark electro act Synapsyche, that includes an extended reissue of their 2017 EP “This Is Gonna Hurt”.

But first things first with the all new EP “Silvertongue” on which the duo Stefano ‘Mannequinetik’ (machines) and Marco ‘Katatronik’ Mantovani (vocals) reveal the first two songs from their much anticipated 4th studio album “Anti” that is announced for release later this year. You get two dark elektro songs, “Silvertongue” which features Daniel Graves (Aesthetic Perfection) on guest vocals, and “Anti Manifesto” which turns out to be a fast hard-hitting industrial track with heavy beats.

The EP features a total of 10 songs including a large diversity of bonus remixes and is also accompanied by the release of a highly professional video clip for the title-song “Silvertongue” which you can see below.

The full EP can be downloaded right below.

Reissue of 2017 single ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ with bonus material

Together with new material, Synapsyche also continues their re-release series. Originally released on April 7th 2017, the “This Is Gonna Hurt” EP now gets re-released featuring the exclusive bonus track, the ‘xeno flesh’ remix by Alien:Nation of the song “The Flesh Party”.

Remixes on the original release were delivered by C-Lekktor, Freaky Mind, Unity One and fellow countrymen T-Error Machinez.

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.

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Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro, Aggrotech. 

Format: Digital, CD. 

Background/Info: “Damnation” is the fifth album by Martin Schindler aka SynthAttack. We get twelve songs plus six remixes.

Content: I realize that SynthAttack isn’t really innovating, the sound and approach being comparable to the previous album. SynthAttack is once more mixing Dark-Electro elements with pure Dance music reminding me of the 90s. They already illustrated it on their previous albums and even dares to go a step further now. The ‘90s tribute’ “Call Me Insane” is a parody of Culture Beat’s “Mr. Vain”. I already thought to have heard a comparable connection to the previous album so they now simply covered this song into a very own, but recognizable style. “Damnation” also features a few heavenly female vocals next to the cavernous, pitched vocals of Martin Schindler. 

Remixes have been accomplished by Basscalate, [X]-RX, C-Lekktor, Synapsyche, Reactor7x and Freaky Mind. 

+ + + : This band remains a true challenge, but it clearly becomes a successful formula to conquer the dancefloors. So the title of the album is totally matching with the ongoing pandemic and its consequences for the music scene: closed clubs and no more dancefloors. SynthAttack sounds like food for dancefloors; the sound formula is a true challenge, but it has this terrific kind of dance elixir, which will make you dance. I personally like the tracks with male- & female duo vocals, “Dark Days” being one of my favorite cuts. It also sounds a little bit different from the rest, but the female vocals are adding an artistic and heavenly touch on top of the work. The list of remixers is an extra noticeable element of the album.

– – – : The work sometimes sounds like a copy-paste of its predecessor; no single innovation, but why changing a winning formula? The work becomes a bit predictable and that’s a pity as this band also shows a few ‘different’ ideas, which are more than promising. Despite the great list of remixers, none of them really add a bonus to the album and the original edits. 

Conclusion: I would be not surprised to see SynthAttack once covering some of the greatest 90s Dance-hits and reworking them in their typical darker Dance style. God was a DJ and SynthAttack must be Judas…

Best songs: “Dark Days”, “We Are SynthAttack”, “Dirty Dark electro – Stomp Edition”, “Magic vs. Toal – Special Edit”. 

Rate: 7½. 

Artist: www.facebook.com/synthattack 

Label: www.darktunes.com / www.facebook.com/darkTunesMusic

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

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

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

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

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

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

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

side-line.com

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

The reissued album is available only on Bandcamp for now.

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

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

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

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, Body-Pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: This new EP by the Australian duo Avarice In Audio is a song taken from their last album “The Rib Of Adam” (2020). The particularity of the song is that Tom Shear (Assemblage 23) joined in to sing. The EP features next to the title track four remixes plus one extra song.

Content: “I Pray” already was one of the best cuts from the band’s last album. The sound reveals the familiar beating Dark/Electro-Pop from the band while the vocals are mixing rough parts by the clearer and charismatic vocals of Tom Shear. Remixes have been accomplished by Synapsyche, Malcaar, Angel Theory and Elektrostaub. “Thanatos drive” is the single song left, which is a kind of dynamic sound Experiment featuring D’n’B influences.

+ + + : The title song is a right choice to get released as an EP and especially because of Tom Shear. It will for sure catch the attention of a wider audience. So it will be for sure an opportunity to gain new fans. “I Pray” is a solid piece of raw, beating Electro-Pop. I also like the more Techno remix by Synapsyche and the groovy exposure from Angel theory.

– – – : The remixes don’t really add a bonus to the EP, the original edit remaining the best one! The B-side cut is just forgettable.

Conclusion: Good and judicious idea to release “I Pray” as an EP-title song, but I expected a bit more from the remixes.

Best songs: “I Pray”, “I Pray – Synapsyche Remix”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/avariceinaudioaus

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro, EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: This EP by Italian formation Synapsyche was originally released in 2015 on skyQode. The re-release features one extra song.

Content: This EP hasn’t lost its original magic, mixing brutal beats together with raw leads and aggressive bass lines. The songs are mixing elements of EBM and Dark-Electro, the vocals being totally devoted to Dark-(h)El(l)ectro. All the songs are cool and even the remixes by Zweifelhaft and Device Noize are worthy of examination. The extra song at this re-release is a surprising cover version of Apoptygma Berzerk’s early hit “Bitch”.

+ + + : This EP brings us back to the ‘early’ years of the band and I personally prefer this work to what they’ve done during the past years. I even consider this work as the best one they ever released; a perfect and heavy mix between EBM and dark-Electro. “Whore Wide Web” is a true smasher and especially its harsh, scratching lead sounds phenomenal. “Breath Control” is another great song while I also recommend listening to the remix of “Blame Index 100%” by Device Noize. The original version was featured on the band’s debut album “Crashdown Connected” (2014).

– – – : Quite surprisingly, the title song isn’t my favorite one. The cover version of “Bitch” is cool, but clearly more efficient for live performances.

Conclusion: Synapsyche brings us back to their past, revealing an essential piece in their discography.

Best songs: “Whore Wide Web”, “Breath Control”, “Hate And Psyche”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/synapsyche

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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

Alfa Matrix is re-releasing another EP from Synapsyche’s back catalogue with as exclusive bonus track, their cover version of Apoptygma Berzerk’s classic cult song “Bitch”. The release can now be downloaded from Bandcamp with other platforms to follow in the next week.

Originally released on December 4th 2015, the “Hate And Psyche” EP was a real milestone in the band’s discography as the EP announced the band’s progression from their harsh dark elektro past to a new and more melodic attitude.

The Italian act is currently working on new material.

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.

side-line.com

Avarice In Audio has returned with a second and final single from their latest album “From The Rib Of Adam”.

The title track “I Pray” originally started out as the very first instrumental made under Avarice In Audio and was originally a remix for another band.

Since then the track has undergone numerous rewrites but it was eventually defined by the chorus, written by Gerry, and performed by Ben alongside Assemblage 23’s Tom Shear.

The EP comes augmented with remixes by Synapsyche, Elektrostaub, Angel Theory and Maalcar. You can download the EP right now from Bandcamp with other platforms to follow in the next weeks.

Below are the first single, “Trojan Horse”, and the album, “From The Rib of Adam”, itself.

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.

side-line.com

It has been a hectic year, also for Alfa Matrix, but luckily their bands took the time to work in their studio to record new material. Out now via the Alfa Matrix Bandcamp page is the label’s 10th edition in the “Matrix Downloaded” compilation series, again offering you a – free – insight in what the Belgian label is all about. You can discover 64 tracks right here on Bandcamp.

The download holds tracks from Cubic, Psy’Aviah, Aesthetische, Digital Factor, Reichsfeind, Llumen, Zombie Girl, Diffuzion, Matthew Creed, Circuito Cerrado, Circumpolar, Venal Flesh, Mentallo & The Fixer, Freakangel, Alien Vampires, I:Scintilla, Schwarzblut, Totem Obscura, Reactor7X, First Aid 4 Souls, Lederman / De Meyer, Implant, AD:keY, Kant Kino, Die Robo Sapiens, ELM, Pouppee Fabrikk, Armageddon Dildos, Plastic Noise Experience, Synapsyche, Avarice In Audio, Elektrostaub, Junksista, First Aid 4 Souls, Benestrophe, Mental Exile, Star Industry, Halo In Reverse, Lovelorn Dolls, Helalyn Flowers, Essence Of Mind, Rector Scanner, Elektroklänge, Metroland, Lights A.M, Cosmic Armchair, Aiboforcen, H.O.W., 808 DOT POP, Suicidal Romance, Entrzelle, Technoir, Neuroactive, Mondträume, The Psychic Force, Studio-X, Studio-X Vs Simon Carter, Neikka RPM, Komor Kommando, Siva Six, Aengeldust, Acylum, Dunkelwerk and Növö.

Exclusive face masks

Next to that you can also get the download together with a face mask, out in a very limited series. You can either buy them separately or get all 3 in one. Check the set of 3 Face Masks (Blue Matrix + Endzeit + Red EBM Alert) or the separate masks.

Note that EVERY face mask order comes with a free compilation CD on top: “Sounds from the matrix 022” with 20 extra tracks.

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.

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital, Double CD.

Background/Info: Armageddon Dildos is back on track unleashing the first ‘new’ studio album since “Untergrund” (2011). Uwe Kanka introduced the new album by the solid EP “Heut Nacht” released earlier this year. “Dystopia” wants to be a critical reflection about the dystopian world we’re living in. The front cover clearly reminds me of the legendary “1984” novel of George Orwell.

Content: The regular album features 13 songs while the bonus disc features 12 extra songs/remixes. The album takes off with a unique song for the band, but still a great and overwhelming piece of music. Armageddon Dildos next moves from harder EBM cuts –including the already known “Heut Nacht”, towards slower pieces. I also noticed some interesting experiments like the minimal driven “Night People”, which sounds a bit 80s like. The song “Neon” is also a noticeable cut featuring female vocals by Malin Kanka (Uwe’s daughter). “Stay” is already something totally different and brings a surprising guitar Electro-Rock style. The work ends with a hard “Club Mix” of the title song.

The bonus disc is featuring remixes by Schramm, Intent:Outtake, First Aid 4 Souls, Inertia, Dave Anderson, Digital Factor, Orange Sector, AD:Key, Fredrik Söderberg, Lights Of Euphoria, Rico Ferenc Piller and Synapsyche.

+ + + : “Dystopia” is a diversified album driven, by good-old EBM sequences mixed with eclectic elements. The die-hard fans will be ravished discovering songs such as “Dystopia” and “Heut Nacht”. “High Up In The Sky” stands for modernism while “Night People” is a great ode to 80s electronics. “Heut Nacht” and “Destruction” both reveal noticeable melody lines. Last, but not least “Ohne Dich” is a cool Body-Pop song sung in German while featuring female French samplings. Among the remixes I want to mention the devastating remix of “Dance Of Dead Bodies” by Lights Of Euphoria. Intent:Outtake did also a great job remixing “Dystopia”.

– – – : Some cuts are clearly unexpected, and not totally convincing. I of course refer to the already mentioned “Stay”. The early and successful days of this band are clearly a way behind us.

Conclusion: I remember to have been disappointed when discovering the “Untergrund”-album while “Dystopia” reconciles me a bit with the true spirit of the band.

Best songs: “Ohne Dich”, “Dystopia – Club Mix”, “Heut Nacht”, “Night People”, “Destruction” + “Dance On Dead Bodies – Light Of Euphoria Stadium Mix”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.armageddondildos.info / www.facebook.com/armageddondildos

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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

In March 2020 Düsseldorf’s leading EBM act Armageddon Dildos launched a brand new download EP, “Heut Nacht” (available here on Bandcamp). Today the band releases a new album. Uwe Kanka takes the opportunity to protest against our world’s dystopia in general, and socio-political issues in particular like intolerance, abuse, disinformation or yet selfishness.

For the occasion he surrounded himself with studio gurus and old time friends Mathias Black and Sven Mouhcine. You can expect 80’s melodic influences with the 90’s power of industrial dark techno.

Below you can listen to the complete album.

The limited edition of the album includes a bonus album featuring one remix of each album song by a wide range of collaborators including Orange Sector, Digital Factor, Ad:Key, Lights Of Euphoria, Schramm, Intent:Outtake, First Aid 4 Souls, Inertia, Synapsyche, Dave Anderson, Rico Piller and Fredrik Söderberg.

Available formats:

Armageddon Dildos – Dystopia Download
Armageddon Dildos – Dystopia CD
Armageddon Dildos – Dystopia 2CD

And here are the first 2 tracks to check out.

Slowly but steadily

Armageddon Dildos was formed in 1988 in Kassel Germany, and the name comes from the slang term for intercontinental ballistic missiles. The band has always been popular within their native Germany but also outside of Germany they have a cult following among industrial music lovers. They released their first album, “That’s Armageddon”, in 1990 on the cult label Zoth Ommog. The rest is history.

Noticeable is that the band has always taken it time to record and release new material. Their latest full album already dates from 2011 when they released “Untergrund”, also on Alfa Matrix.

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.

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Italian Synapsyche project is back on track unleashing the final chapter from their trilogy based around madness and psychiatry. This last chapter was preceded by the  “Mirror Terror”-EP and the last year released “Praise Of Folly”-album –all released by the band’s new label Alfa Matrix.

Content: “Viva Insanity” features the title song, which is taken from the band’s last album plus 3 new songs. We next get 8 remixes of “Viva Insanity” and a few other familiar cuts like “Who The Fuck Are You Now?” and “They Made Me Do It”.

The sound of Synapsyche remains driven by fast, linear rhythm sections, typical dark-electro trance leads, some guitar riffs and enraged vocals. The new songs are quite in the same line as the album while “Attack” is a cover version  from the American formation  30 Seconds To Mars.

Remixes have been done by Aiboforcen, Technoid, Circumpolar, Antibiosis, Statik Sekt, Schwarzstern, Exemia and T-Error Machinez. The different bands bring diversity to the original songs.

+ + + : If you like dark-electro with melodic leads and harsh vocals, “Viva Insanity” will definitely bring you joy for the dancefloor. I like the diversity of the remixes, but have a preference for the sound intelligence of Aiboforcen and its remix of “Who  The Fuck Are You Now?”. Circumpolar did another great remix of the same song, transposing the original version into a more ambient-like cut. T-Error Machinez has been inspired to transpose this song into a different, but still very danceable piece. Among the new songs I especially recommend “Time Destroys Everything”.

– – – : I’m not a huge fan of Synapsyche, which composes an old-styled and less inspired dark-electro style. All the songs are based upon similar melody lines, hard-stumping kicks and enraged vocals. It sounds linear so it’s not a surprise I prefer some of the remixes for injecting diversity and some sound intelligence.

Conclusion: Synapsyche will set dark-electro dancefloors on fire with their hard-hitting dance vibes.

Best songs: “Who The Fuck Are You Now?  – Aiboforcen Remix”, “Who The Fuck Are You Now? – Circumpolar Remix”, “Who The Fuck Are You Now? – T-Error Machinez Remix”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/synapsyche

Label: www.alfa–matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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 Italian electro industrial band Synapsyche joined the Belgian electro industrial label Alfa Matrix in 2018. Since then they released the highly successful “Praise Of Folly” album and its two related EPs “Mirror Terror” and the most recent “Viva Insanity”. The label has now also reissued the band’s previously released material including bonus material.

Already released by Alfa Matrix are the following releases:

In praise of folly (Bonus Tracks Version)
Viva Insanity EP
Mirror Terror EP

So what do we find in this reissue series? Let’s have a look.

First there’s the “Wait / Hate” EP (available here on Bandcamp) which was originally released on January 31st 2013. The “Wait/Hate” EP is the very first self-released EP from Synapsyche from their early days offering upbeat harsh and noisy dark elektro EBM.

Next is the “Crashdown Connected” album (available here on Bandcamp) which was originally released on December 19st 2014, and also includes their cover of HIM’s “Your Sweet 666” in a rather well-executed way. The re-release of this album features the exclusive bonus “requiem version” of “Suicyber Girl” by First Black Pope.

Next is the “Meds” EP (available here on Bandcamp) which was originally released on September 30th 2015 and which features a stunning cover version of Placebo’s “Meds”. Next to 4 new tracks, including the other club hit “Push”, this 9-track EP also served exclusive bonus tracks from the “Crashdown Connected” album recreated by dark industrial/elektro friends like Chamaeleon, First Black Pope, Binary Division, M.O.D. and Thornsectide. The re-release of this EP features the exclusive bonus remix of “Hyperfuck” by T-Error Machinez.

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.

side-line.com

Available now for free (or pay-what-you-want) via Bandcamp is the 9th volume in the “Matrix Downloaded” compilation download series by the Belgian electro label Alfa Matrix. In the past these compilations have been downloaded by ten thousands of fans around the world and we don’t expect it will be different this year.

The label also announces that it will invest all donations in nurturing new bands and getting their careers launched.

Here’s what Seba Dolimont, A&R at Alfa Matrix, has to say about it: “The music market has shifted a lot over the years and in many ways losing its solid footing. CDs sales are collapsing entirely and the shift from downloads to streaming has not yet shown a revenue that is replacing what has been lost. (…) This evolution has created an environment where many labels have almost stopped playing their key-role of talent scouting, no longer daring to invest in new talents who deserve to be heard by you! Alfa Matrix is one of the very few record companies in this scene who try to keep the right balance between releasing renowned artists and supporting younger bands who still need to catch the attention and reach your ears.”

61 bands and tracks

The compilation holds the work by 61 label bands who joined hands to deliver you 61 songs representing the label’s most recent singles and albums while giving a preview of some promising forthcoming 2020 productions including announced new releases by POUPPEEE FABRIKK, NEUROACTIVE, ALIEN VAMPIRES, HELALYN FLOWERS, DIE ROBO SAPIENS, IMJUDAS, 808 DOT POP, ACYLUM, ARMAGEDDON DILDOS, PSY’AVIAH, AVARICE IN AUDIO, SIVA SIX, NEIKKA RPM, AESTHETISCHE, KANT KINO, KOMOR KOMMANDO, AD:KEY, H.O.W., CIRCUMPOLAR, SYNAPSYCHE, LLUMEN, ENTRZELLE, LIGHTS A.M, REACTOR7X, FIRST AID 4 SOULS, etc.

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.

side-line.com

Out now (via Bandcamp for now) is the new extended “Viva Insanity” EP by the Italian dark electro duo Synapsyche. The EP is the last chapter in their conceptual trilogy around madness and psychiatry after the “Mirror Terror” EP (you can download it here) and their last album “In Praise Of Folly” (available as a 2CD set right here).

New video

At the same time the band also releases a brand new videoclip for the EP’s title track “Viva Insanity”. You can view the video below. The video clip was shot in a sanitarium showcasing – and we quote the band – “a locked-up psychiatric patient struggling with his delirium where deviant reality and hysteric imagination blur and intertwine in our human sick minds.”

Besides the title-track and 8 bonus remixes by artists as diverse as Aiboforcen, Technoid, Circumpolar, Antibiosis, Statik Sekt, Schwarzstern, Exemia or yet T-error Machinez, this new EP also offers us some 3 exclusive bonus brand new tracks. Included is a cover of 30 Seconds To Mars’ 2005 song “Attack” giving it a EDM/synth pop twist.

Download EP available via Bandcamp

You can check and download the complete EP below. Recommended for those looking for quality dark electro!

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.

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro.

Background/Info: Stefano ‘Mannequinetik’ and Marco ‘Katatronik’ (vocals) better known as the Italian formation Synapsyche joined Alfa Matrix last year to unleash the EP “Mirror Terror” as an appetizer to this new album. It’s the band’s third full length, which has been released as a limited edition as well.

Content: Synapsyche remains faithful to their sound exposed at the previous album “The Abyss Effect” released in 2016 on SkyQode. The songs are driven by pumping dance kicks, harsh vocals and the unavoidable cold-trance like leads. It’s an ultra danceable piece of music, which however contains a few ‘softer’ cuts such as “Diva Paranoia” sung in Italian and featuring guest vocals by ‘Noemi Aurora’ (Helalyn Flowers).

The second disc is the remix section. We get 13 remixes by Venal Flesh, Nano Infect, Complex Mind, Technoid, Neikka RPM, Pax Sono, Marcoda, H.O.W., Aiboforcen, Shades Of Hell, UCNX, Tolchock and Avarice In Audio.

+ + + : If you like ‘dark’ dance music Synapsyche will be a perfect company to get you on the dancefloor. Hard and pumping, but still elevating and well-produced. This is the perfect dark-electro cliché without any pretension to innovate, but just to give people fun on the dancefloor. I’ve been impressed by the list of remixers featured on the bonus disc. I here especially like the somewhat surprising remix of “Mirror Terror” by Venal Flesh, which has something psy-trance driven. Last, but not least, I also have to say a word about the cool, artistic digipak.

– – – : Alfa Matrix definitely pushes Synapsyche to the forefront, releasing a double disc for their debut album on the label. I’m sure this is the perfect ‘dancefloor’-album, but the songs all sound pretty similar and are just as on their previous album dominated by the same kind of easy-trance leads. The work becomes rapidly predictable and that’s why I definitely prefer the bonus disc.

Conclusion: “In Praise Of Folly” would have been a possible class-act 10 years ago, but ano 2019 I’ve heard too much similar albums.

Best songs: “Mirror Terror”, “Paraphiliac”, “Diva Paranoia feat. Noemi Aurora” + “Mirror Terror – Venal Flesh Remix”, “Who The Fuck Are You? – Complex Mind Remix”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/synapsyche

Label: www.alfa–matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Out now via Bandcamp first is “Tetrachromatic”, a brand new EP from the italian electro rock duo Helalyn Flowers. The title song is taken from the band’s last “Nyctophilia” and has been a fan favourite soon after the release. Expect a mix of fast-sequenced electro dance grooves, catchy sensual female pop vocals mixed with powerful electric guitar riffs.

The title track has been reworked by a lot of bands including Metroland, Aesthetische, Aiboforcen, Mental Exile, Junksista and Synapsyche, next to reworks by the band itself. The Bandcamp version includes an exclusive extended 18-page booklet design with conceptual band photos & design by Toxic Visions.

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.

side-line.com

Italian duo Synapsyche has signed with the Belgian electronic label Alfa Matrix. And the label immediately also announced the release of the band’s 3rd full length studio album: “In Praise Of Folly”, for which pre-orders are accepted now.

The new album will hold 13 new songs and a special 2CD limited edition (which is available here) will come with a bonus disc featuring a diverse selection of some 13 remixes by bands in the likes of Aiboforcen, Tolchock, Avarice In Audio, Venal Flesh, H.O.W., Neikka RPM, UCNX, Nano Infect and many more.

Here’s what the label says about the concept album “It brings us on a freaky journey through the somber corridors of a psychiatric hospital, allowing us room after room to penetrate into the weirdest corners of the human sick minds of the psychiatric patients. Each track brings us step by step to the alarming but obvious conclusion that we are all a bit mad in some way or another…”

You can already listen to 2 tracks below!

Check also the following videos on YouTube:

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.

side-line.com

After 2 highly successful Depeche Mode tributes (you can find more details here), the Belgian label Alfa Matrix is now back with a 3rd volume. Titled “Alfa Matrix Re​:​covered Vol​.​3 – A Tribute To Depeche Mode”, the tribute is a 2CD with 32 brand new cover versions reinterpreted by Alfa Matrix artists.

Since the label has since added a lot of new names (Mental Exile, Imjudas, Synapsyche, Llumen, H.O.W., …), you can enjoy renditions of your favourite Depeche Mode tracks in a total new sound pallet.

The tracks have been covered in different ways: from electro pop to dark elektro, from pop wave to goth metal, from industrial to techno pop. Below is the total tracklist of this brand new tribute which can be ordered as a 2CD via the label’s webstore, and as download via Bandcamp).

Available formats for this new Depeche Mode tribute:

• V/A – Alfa Matrix Re​:​covered Vol​.​3 – A Tribute To Depeche Mode (Bandcamp download)
• V/A – Alfa Matrix Re​:​covered Vol​.​3 – A Tribute To Depeche Mode 2CD

The 2 previous compilations can be found here:

• Alfa Matrix Re​:​covered – A Tribute To Depeche Mode (Bonus Tracks Version)
• Alfa Matrix Re​:​covered – A Tribute To Depeche Mode – Vol. 2 (Bonus Tracks Version – 2013 edit)

Here’s a preview of the complete album!

Different title on other platforms

Note that the release has a completely other name on other digital platforms where it comes as “Alfa Matrix Re:Covered (Vol. 3)”.

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.

side-line.com

After 2 highly succesful Depeche Mode tributes (you can find more details here), the Belgian label Alfa Matrix is now back with a 3rd volume. Titled “Alfa Matrix Re​:​covered Vol​.​3 – A Tribute To Depeche Mode”, the tribute is a 2CD with 32 brand new cover versions reinterpreted by Alfa Matrix artists.

Since the label has since added a lot of new names (Mental Exile, Imjudas, Synapsyche, Llumen, H.O.W., …), you can enjoy renditions of your favourite Depeche Mode tracks in a total new sound pallet.

The tracks have been covered in different ways: from electro pop to dark elektro, from pop wave to goth metal, from industrial to techno pop. Below is the total tracklist of this brand new tribuet which will be out later in March but which can be pre-ordered already (as a 2CD via the label’s webstore, and as download via Bandcamp).

Available formats:

V/A – Alfa Matrix Re​:​covered Vol​.​3 – A Tribute To Depeche Mode (Bandcamp download)

V/A – Alfa Matrix Re​:​covered Vol​.​3 – A Tribute To Depeche Mode 2CD

The 2 previous compilations can be found here:

Alfa Matrix Re​:​covered – A Tribute To Depeche Mode (Bonus Tracks Version)

Alfa Matrix Re​:​covered – A Tribute To Depeche Mode – Vol. 2 (Bonus Tracks Version – 2013 edit)

Here’s a preview of 2 tracks already!

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.

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Those familiar with ordering directly with the Belgian label Alfa Matrix know they will always get a free CD sampler from the “Sounds From The Matrix” series with each purchase. With the 20th

With the 20th volume of the “Sounds From The Matrix” label compilation series, being made available for their online CD store customers, the label has now also launched the release as a standalone download via Bandcamp (with other stores to follow).

On this 20th volume Alfa Matrix highlights its current hot releases (from Alien Vampires to Helalyn Flowers and I:Scintilla through Metroland and other Circuito Cerrado, Implant or yet Psy’Aviah) and gives us an insight on what 2019 will sound like.

Alfa Matrix also reveals recent signings like Synapsyche, Reactor7X, Mental Exile or yet the very promising newcomer H.O.W.; and also letting us discover first songs from forthcoming releases by bands like Aesthetische, Dunkelwerk, Llumen, Junksista, Kant Kino, Ad:key, Avarice In Audio, Imjudas, etc..

This new download counts 19 fresh electronic tracks.

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.

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With the 8th edition of their now classic free “Matrix Downloaded” label digital compilation, Belgium’s Alfa Matrix label presents a selection of 55 songs via Bandcamp.

The 55 songs represent the label’s most recent singles and albums while giving a preview of some promising forthcoming 2019 productions including announced new releases by Helalyn Flowers, Synapsyche, Avarice In Audio, H.O.W., Llumen, Mental Exile, SD-KRTR, Diffuzion, Reactor7X, Aesthetische, Armageddon Dildos, Die Robo Sapiens, Junksista, Imjudas, Alien Vampires, Mondträume, Aiboforcen, Dunkelwerk, Komor Kommando, Neikka RPM, Acylum, etc.

You can download it for free or as a what-you-want-to-pay from Bandcamp.

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.

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Genre/Influences: Dark-electro.

Background/Info: Set up in 2008 Italian duo Stefano ‘Mannequinetik’ (machines) and Marco ‘Katatronik’ Mantovani (vox) joined hands with Alfa Matrix to unleash their third full length album. After a first self-released opus and a second album (cf. “The Abyss Effect”) released in 2016 on SkyQode, this EP serves as teaser to the announced “In Praise Of Folly”.

Content: The EP features 2 new songs plus 7 remixes. Synapsyche moves on dealing with dark and bouncing dancefloor electronics. Hard kicks, cold trance leads and harsh vocals remain the main ingredients of their sound. The rough and unpolished approach reminds me once again of early Combichrist.

Remixes have been accomplished by Neikka RPM, Avarice In Audion Eggvn, UCNX, H.O.W., Tolchock and Vested Serpent.

+ + + : Synapsyche has released the right EP to introduce their next album, but also their sound to all of those who never heard of them before. It’s a dark, aggressive and I should say ‘classical’ dark-electro format made for the dancefloors. The main song “Mirror Terror” is an accomplished piece of music, which will incite you to dance. Among the remixes I would recommend Neikka RPM (for their very unique sound DNA), Eggvn (an interesting and unfamiliar name to discover) and H.O.W. (another less familiar band) for their ultra-hard remix. The remixes bring a little extra and I especially like the diversity of the bands and also the less famous names featured here.

– – – : I can’t get away from the idea that there numerous bands in the Synapsyche-style. They don’t bring anything new –except dealing with cool and clubby ‘endzeit-electronics’, but they’ve been the lucky ones to become one of Alfa Matrix newest signings.

Conclusion: Let’s wait for the announced album to really get an idea about this band’s maturity and evolution in sound. This EP is an interesting production, which will easily finds its way to dancefloors.

Best songs: “Mirror Terror”, “Mirror Terror – Neikka RPM Remix”, “Mirror Terror – Remix & featuring by H.O.W.”, “The Ghost DNA – Eggvn Remix”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/synapsyche

Label: www.alfa–matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro, industrial.

Background/Info: ‘Nysrok Infernalien’ and ‘Nightstalker’ are back on track preparing their upcoming full length “London Paranormal” announced for early 2019. No better way than releasing an EP with new songs, but next to this new work there also is the ‘twins-EP’ entitled “Evil Twins”.

Content: This is an opportunity to discover 4 new songs by Alien Vampires. The influences are diversified, revealing a more eclectic approach in sound. From the heavy, dark-electro and industrial-like “Bring On The Apocalypse” to the more melodic and accessible “Ready To Die” to the hard-banging industrial-rave driven “Hyperbolic Doubt” featuring Chainreactor this EP has a lot to offer.

The original version of the last new song entitled “Fuck Borders” is available at the “Evil Twins”-EP, but you here get remixes by Studio-X and Venal Flesh. Other remixes from songs originally featured have been provided by Acylum, Synapsyche and DKAG.

+ + + : The songs are diversified, which I think is a good thing. The Alien Vampire fans are going to love “Bring On The Apocalypse” for its merciless, industrial style. The more melodic “Ready To Die” sounds as one of the band’s ‘sweetest’ cuts, but it remains a great danceable track. Among the remixes I especially like the obscure and tormenting Acylum remix of “Bring On The Apocalypse” while new Alfa Matrix band Synapsyche did a good job remixing “Ready To Die”.

– – – : Some of the remixes are very different from the traditional Alien Vampires-style and I especially refer to the techno-driven remix by DKAG. But at the other side that’s also the goal of remixes, isn’t it? This is the perfect stuff for DJ’s.

Conclusion: Alien Vampires are back and they’re still driven by provocation and merciless electronics. The new cuts smell like they’re announcing a great new album.

Best songs: “Hyperbolic Doubt featuring Chainreactor”, “Bring On The Apocalypse”, Bring On The Apocalypse – Acylum Remix”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/AlienVampires

Label: www.alfa–matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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 electro industrial Italian band Synapsyche has joined the Belgian electro industrial label Alfa Matrix. The band’s label debut is the single “Mirror Terror” – out now as download via Bandcamp – which announces the duo’s forthcoming 3rd full length album “In Praise Of Folly”. “In Praise Of Folly” will deal with the difficult but intriguing themes of psychological and mental diseases.

You can listen to the single/EP below and download it from Bandcamp.

On the single/EP the duo Stefano ‘Mannequinetik’ and Marco ‘Katatronik’ Mantovani offer two new songs which hold a perfect balance between melodic synths and massive heavy beats, between addictive catchy pop choruses and harsher vocal outbursts. The two new songs are called “Mirror Terror” and “The Ghost DNA” and they come backed by remixes from Neikka RPM, Vested Serpent, Avarice In Audio, UCNX, EGGVN, the cult Swedish act Tolchock and the Polish dark elektro wave act H.O.W. with additional backing vocals by their female singer.

The band also released 3 video’s, an official music video for “Mirror Terror”, a teaser for the EP and a making of. You can watch them 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.

side-line.com

Since the release of their last studio album “Drag You To Hell” and their most recent deluxe anthology box “Evil Lasts Forever”, Alien Vampires (aka Nysrok Infernalien and Nightstalker) have toured a lot but were also working hard in their studio on their forthcoming album “London Paranormal” announced for a Spring 2019 release.

Out now as digital only releases are 2 concept EPs which act as true twin EPs. The first is “Fuck the revolution bring on the apocalypse” (available for download on Bandcamp, with other services following in the next few weeks), a new 8-track EP holding not less than 4 new songs including a collaboration with Chainreactor (on “Hyperbolic Doubt”). The band furthermore joined hands with dark elektro remixers like Acylum, Venal Flesh, Studio-X, Synapsyche and London’s famous Slimlight DJ’s DKAG.

This EP is also available in an alternative “Evil Twins” with 5 other exclusive tracks (available for download on Bandcamp, with other services following in the next few weeks). The EP offers you a second potential interpretation of their “Fuck The Revolution Bring On The Apocalypse” EP, delivering besides the 3 songs it has in common with the original version of the EP, the exclusive studio version of “Fuck Borders” plus 4 additional exclusive club remixes of the more catchy songs from the new EP in collaboration with label mates Aesthetische and Diffuzion, and also with the London-based harsh dance act Biomechanimal and American outfit of DV8R.

You can listen to both EPs 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.

side-line.com

Unity One have announced the release date for their highly anticipated debut album “Awakening”. The album features 12 tracks and is to be released on April 27th by SkyQode, the home of Mental Discipline, Cold In May, Synapsyche, to name just a few bands.

Unity One is the futurepop/synthpop project formed by musician Mike-E (Russia) and vocalist Rush (Moldova) who have diverse musical backgrounds. But you’ll clearly recognise the duo’s shared love for such bands as VNV Nation, Neuroticfish and Colony 5. We have been following this band for a while now and so should you.

The band already released a single for the track “Infrared” which spent several weeks in the Top 10 of the Deutsche Alternative Charts. In 2016, they also released the single, “Tomorrow” which equally got very good feedback from the DJs.

The band’s debut album comes after a string of festival appearances including Resistanz (UK), Children of the night (UA) and Synthetic Snow (RU), as well as concerts supporting Covenant, Assemblage 23, SITD, and Solar Fake.

Their upcoming debut “Awakening” is clearly drawing inspiration from synthpop, EBM, futurepop and modern club music and will please many who want something else then the harsh electro which is flooding the scene these days.

Recommended! “Awakening” is avalaible for preordering right here.

Here’s the album preview.

And for those who missed the “Infrared” video, watch it 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.

side-line.com

The 75th track on our free download compilation “Face The Beat: Session 4” (featuring 92 tracks) is by the Italian hard electro duo Synapsyche.

The italian duo Synapsyche was formed in the late 2008 by Stefano Mannequinetik, soon joined by singer Marco Katatronik Mantovani (formerly in Zona Traffico Libero and Ultima Necat). Their first release is the self-produced 4-track EP “Wait/Hate” released in 2013. In 2014 Synapsyche releases its self-produced full-length debut album “Crashdown Connected”.

In march 2015, the brand new track “Breath Control” is included in the Alfa Matrix compilation “Endzeit Bunkertracks VII – The Bonus Tracks” and becomes a hit in the industrial clubs. That same year a new self-produced/self-mixed/self-mastered EP “Meds” comes out. The Russian label SkyQode picks up the band and issues the EP “Hate And Psyche” in December 2015. In 2016 SkyQode releases “The Abyss Effect” mastered by Jan L. at X-Fusion Music Production. In 2017 they produce the EP “This Is Gonna Hurt”.

You can find the project back on Facebook, make sure to check it out.

Listen to “We All Suck” below and download it right here.

Check our “Face The Beat: Session 4” page on Bandcamp to discover the other 91 bands. All donations will go to charity.

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.

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Genre/Influences: Dark-electro.

Background/Info: Italian formation Synapsyche was set up in 2008 by Stefano Mannequinetik and joined by singer Marco Katatronik. After a few self-released EPs and the album “Crashdown Connected” (2014) they joined hands with Skyqode. “The Abyss Effect” is their official debut album featuring 12 songs.

Content: The sound formula of Synpsyche is a rather familiar and successful one. This band is driven by dark-electronics and aggrotech influences resulting in a powerful and pumping sound. This is the kind of music that might appeal for fans of C-Lekktor, Hocico and even Combichrist. The songs are carried by endless leads and danceable rhythms. The harsh vocals totally fit with the sound.

A few passages reveal orchestral arrangements and piano parts as well. I also noticed some dance/trance elements while the final song is a surprising cover version of Moby’s “Lift Me Up”.

+ + + : “The Abyss Effect” is for sure an album, which thanks to its pumping kicks, hopping sequences and typical melody lines will set dancefloors on fire. There are many songs in this vein on “The Abyss Effect” and I highly recommend “We All Suck”, “Self-Worship Doctrine” and “In Apocalypse We Trust”. The cover of Moby is not exactly the kind of song you expect to be covered by this band, but it’s also worthy of examination although a bit different in genre. The album is available in a cool and artistic digipak, which is a nice, little bonus.

– – – : The main point that hurts is that most of the songs are pretty similar and I especially refer to the never-ending leads.

Conclusion: Synapsyche has accomplished a rather exciting album although I think this band still has work towards creating a more personal sound.

Best songs: “We All Suck”, “Self-Worship Doctrine”, “In Apocalypse We Trust”, “Hate And Psyche”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www.facebook.com/synapsyche

Label: http://skyqode.com / www.facebook.com/skyqode

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

More good news from the final label SkyQode. Italian harsh EBM act Synapsyche has now released their second full-length album “The Abyss Effect”.

Described by the band as “a descent to the modern Inferno”, “The Abyss Effect” invites the listener to a journey ‘through the 9 circles of Hell’. You can expect a mix of stomping beats, heavy grooves and melodic synth lines blended with clean and harsh vocals. The mastering was done by the X-Fusion Music Production.

The digital version of the album consists of 11 original tracks, while the CD version of “The Abyss Effect” (in a limited digipak) features a special bonus track – the cover version of Moby’s hit “Lift Me Up”. Both versions can be ordered straight from the label.

The album should especially please all fans of Grendel, Amduscia, Eden Synthetic Corps, and the like.

Below is a preview:

Synapsyche was started in 2008 by Stefano ‘Mannequinetik’ and Marco ‘Katatronik’. After they put out a couple of self-releases (including the debut full-length album “Crashdown Connected”) in 2014, in 2015 the band got signed to SkyQode and released the EP “Hate And Psyche”.

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.

side-line.com