Electro Aggression Records (EAR) has announced the upcoming releases of several albums. Founded and operated by Nader Moumneh, EAR specialises in EBM and dark electro with bands such as Synaptic Defect, Serpents, R010R, and so on. But coming up now are new releases from T.A.N.K., Trilogy and Sleepwalk.

T.A.N.K., the project formed in 2001 in Dessau, Germany is an industrial project heavily influenced by EBM. Primarily a one-man studio endeavor, the project now lands its third album, “Broken Mirror”, scheduled for release in early Summer.

Next is Trilogy, a new project featuring Erick Miotke, known for his work with the EBM band Trial, and vocalist Jens Müller, the former vocalist for Human Resource. Their debut release, “Forced Perspective”, is a 2CD album set to be released in early Summer as well.

The third release comes from Sleepwalk. Hailing from Bern, Switzerland, Sleepwalk has been active since the 1990s. The band brings dark electro soundscapes and rhythmic structures, and their upcoming release, “Dystopia”, will be a 2CD album.

In late 2024, Synaptic Defect already returned with the “Initializing Insanity/Restoring Sanity” 2CD on Electro Aggression Records.

About Electro Aggression Records (EAR)

EAR was founded in early 2006 by Nader Moumneh. The label specialises in EBM and dark electro with bands such as Synaptic Defect, Serpents, R010R, and so on.

Originally it was a subdivision of Vendetta Music. A slew of releases followed, namely Grandchaos’ “In Sedens” DCD, Brain Leisure’s “Methods of Madness” DCD & Object’s “The Ethane Asylum” CD.

In late 2008, EAR and Vendetta Music parted ways and the label has since mainly been focusing on Europe where the EBM scene is still the most vivid..

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro, EBM.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: Released by the end of 2023 this is the third full length album of German solo-project Synaptic Defect. Driven by Marc Tater (previously involved with Evil Sermon this is the first new album since 2008.

Content: This work takes us back in time awakening somewhere in the midst of the 90s. This is old-school EBM appealing for fans of bands like Skinny Puppy, Mortal Constraint and even Cat Rapes Dog. The songs are well-crafted, sometimes moving into a minimalistic approach. The second features a few more songs in the same vein plus remixes by Second Disease, Sleepwalk, Plastic Noise Experience, Serpents, T.A.N.K., Terminal State, R010r, Trilogy, tEaR!doWn and 2 remixes by Pyrroline (which co-produced and mastered the album).

+ + + : Synaptic Defect isn’t maybe the most renowned project although it deals with good-old EBM built up with elegance and knowledge. This project is part of an imaginary ‘Skinny Puppy’-academy and will please the fans of haunting Electronics. The bonus disc features cool songs as well plus a great selection of artists for the remixes. I especially recommend the remixes of Sleepwalk and Plastic Noise Experience.

– – – : The album is maybe missing a real ‘potential’ hit.

Conclusion: This album stands for an appreciable come-back and will be pleased by old-school EBM supporters.

Best songs: “Morphine”, “Sniper”, “Killing Tides” + “Man Is Machine”, “Tacky Games – Sleepwalk Remix”, “Combat War – Plastic Noise Experience Remix”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/marc.tater.14

Label: www.electroaggressionrecords.com /  www.facebook.com/ElectroAggressionRecords

About Synaptic Defect

Synaptic Defect is the solo project of German musician Marc Tater, founded in 1996. Tater started out in 1994 with the dark EBM duo Evil Sermon, which released a split tape, “Godfeeler / Psychological Warfare”, with LPF12 before splitting up in late 1997. He then began releasing solo material as Synaptic Defect, issuing “Mechanical Oppression” (BLC Productions, 2004) and “World-Wide Life & Death” (Advoxya Records, 2008). The project went quiet until 2020, when Tater started recording new songs, a process that led to “Initializing Insanity”, released through Electro Aggression Records at the end of 2023.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro, EBM.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: After a silence of a few years Michael Renfield -who you might know from his involvement with Noise Process, strikes back with a new opus featuring sixteen songs and four more songs plus twelve remixes at the bonus disc. 

Content: The album deals with an elaborated and intelligent approach of EBM/Dark-Electronic music. The sound is totally retro-like, reminding me of bands like The Klinik, Skinny Puppy and Mortal Constraint. On top of the icy sequences and dark strings you’ll notice harsh, haunted, vocals. The second disc features remixes by tEaR!doWn, Pyrroline, Index AI, Trilogy, Serpents, G.O.L.E.M., Terminal State, Second Disease, Testube, T.A.N.K., Sleepwalk and Synaptic Defect.

+ + + : I salute the intelligent approach in the global production of this work. Even if it sounds cliché and evokes the sound of some legendary formations, it has been meticulously built up resulting in several outstanding songs. “Litany Of Greed” is my absolute favorite one but there’s more stuff to enjoy like a few extra cuts at the second disc. There also is a cool selection of remixers and I especially like the Serpents-one.

– – – : Some might say the album sounds too stereotypical but I don’t care. It’s good to see this artist is back on track. I expected a bit more from the remixes.

Conclusion: “Total Disinformation Awareness” is a fully achieved piece of retro-EBM.

Best songs: “Litany Of Greed”, “Memory Palace”, “Scorched Path”, “Body Politic” + “Total Enslavement”, “Was Carbon-Based”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/R010RNOISE

Label: www.electroaggressionrecords.com / www.facebook.com/ElectroAggressionRecords

About R010r

R010r is the solo project of Michael Renfield, a musician originally from Phoenix, Arizona, and also half of the Harsh EBM duo Noise Process. After Noise Process ended in 2007, Renfield launched R010r, releasing the albums “Gradual Destabilization” (Dark Vision Media, 2007) and “Unyielding” (Basic Unit Productions, 2016) along with several digital EPs. He has been part of the Electro Aggression Records roster since the label’s founding in 2011, a run that continues with “Total Disinformation Awareness”.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, 3CD.

Background/Info: German Serpents were set up in 1988 featuring Kazim Sarikaya, Stefan Kuboteit, Frank Heiner and Nicole Altmann. After a few demo tapes they released their debut album “Terminal Breath” at the legendary Gothic Arts Records. Despite different line-up changes the band moved on releasing new works on an irregular basis. This album is a fine selection -kind of ‘best of’ from tracks that have been featured on their different releases. Both bonus discs feature remastered songs from early demos. The title of the album also was the title of their last demo (cassette) released in 1992.

Content: The main disc brings a fine selection of Serpents-songs getting us back to the early sound revealing a sophisticated and robotic EBM. There has always been a connection between Serpents and Plastic Noise Experience and that’s an element which is clearly noticeable in the global production process. There also is one previously unreleased (new)-song entitled “In Your Mind”. Two remixes have been accomplished by label mates Synaptic Defect and R01t0r. The remastered demo songs are an opportunity to (re)discover the very first steps of the band.

+ + + : Serpents remains a band which I think should have deserved a wider recognition although 90s EBM fans for sure known most of the prominent songs they’ve ever written. Serpents had their own elaborated and styled Electro sound. Another main characteristic is the typical 90s EBM sound. This work will bring you back to songs like “Kill What Kills You”, “Cyberspace”, “Gib Mir Alles”, “Resistance”, “Violence” ao. Both bonus discs let us discover the way this band has accomplished over the years. It’s definitely stuff for the band’s die-hard fans but also for retro-EBM lovers.

– – – : The single ‘new’ song is not exactly the best one ever composed by Serpents. The remastered demo songs are a nice gift for the fans but quite long to endure if you’re not a die-hard.I also salute the booklet featuring essential information about the band’s history but it’s a pity it’s only written in German.

Conclusion: This is a real cool ode to a prominent EBM formation which got mainly success during the 90s;

Best songs: “Kill What Kills You”, “Resistence”, “Protection”, “Das Zweite Leben”, “Violence”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/serpents.de

Label: www.electroaggressionrecords.com / www.facebook.com/ElectroAggressionRecords

About Serpents

Serpents is a German EBM act founded in March 1988 by Kazim Sarikaya and Stefan Kuboteit; Frank Heiner and Nicole Altmann joined a few months later. The band self-released the tapes “The Clock Strikes the Midnight” (1989), “Until Eternity” (1990) and “L’Âge D’Or” (1992) before signing to Gothic Arts Records for the debut album “Terminal Breath” (1993), followed by the “Have Fun” mini-CD (1995). Out of Line released “What’s Fear?” in 1999, and the digital-only “Immer Voran!” followed in 2010. Electro Aggression Records issued the fourth album, “State Of War”, in 2015 alongside a revised edition of “Immer Voran!”. The label’s 2024 3CD “L’Âge D’Or” reuses the title of that 1992 demo tape for a compilation of reworked tracks, the new song “In Your Mind”, and remastered early tapes alongside “Terminal Breath” and “Have Fun”.

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