Take That &#8211; SIDE-LINE

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!

www.facebook.com/jrstange

‘Terminal Love’ – third consecutive Zeromancer EP including surprising remixes

Jan Ronald Stange — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 17:30:00 +0000

(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange) June 25^th saw the release of ‘Terminal Love’, the third EP this year from the Norwegian industrial synth rockers Zeromancer, a worthy follow up to their previous releases ‘Damned le Monde‘ and ‘Mourners‘. In addition to interviewing the band about the EP, we also got hold of the guys behind the L’âme Immortelle and Architect remixes to get their thoughts on the song and the remix process.

Side-Line: ‘Terminal Love’ – feels like it’s a continuation of ‘Mourners’, like the next chapter or a different view of a similar story – an ongoing theme there? Or coincidence?

Alex Møklebust: Some of the continuation feeling you also get is probably how the song opens. Like ‘Mourners’ it starts with only synths and vocals, before the chorus hits. The chorus melody line on ‘Terminal Love’ is taken from a unreleased ZMR song during the making of ‘Sinners International’. Kim gave it another chance on ‘Terminal Love’ and the chorus finally made sense. Felt so good singing that melody line 12 years later. Never throw away ideas!

Kim Ljung: Alex has a memory like no other. All the time he surprises me with stories I have forgotten a long time ago. Though in this particular case I believe he’s a couple of years off 😉
The chorus of ‘Terminal Love’ is taken from a demo originally named ‘Collider’, which then again was a spin-off of an old Red 7 track (Lorry and Dan played in this band). Quite sure it was written in the aftermath of the ‘Death of Romance’ album. The pre-chorus of ‘Terminal Love’ I found on my phone where I always tape simple ideas with acoustic stuff, me singing on top. The date was June 26, 2014. One day later than the official release date which was about a week ago. Not so strange maybe, that musicians lose their minds carrying all this stuff around for years and years.
Regarding the connection with ‘Mourners’, I’m blind to those aspects. Just another Zeromancer song written in a fashion that suits that particular track. What we always do. People has a tendency to ask what song or album we prefer ourselves. That’s irrelevant. I never set them up against each other. Not my job 🙂

S-L: When hearing the main synth melody line my first thought was “this is something Vince Clarke would’ve wished he made himself for a Yazoo song!”

AM: Thanks! I’ll take that as a huge compliment. The synth needed lots of movement to carry the first verse by itself. The modular setup works well for that and blends in with all the other instruments in a good way. The analogue imperfection is key.

KL: Word, Alex!
We had a lot of sessions at Room 13, Alex’s studio, where Alex sat and tweaked those knobs on the modulars. The idea was to create a signature sound for the intro of the song. Something significant that opens a track, and when you hear it, you instantly know which song it is.

S-L: The external remixes were both quite down-tempo and atmospheric, which also suits this track very well. Surprising that both chose this direction?

AM: It was a very pleasant surprise. Love the way it turned out. Both Thomas and Daniel had a short deadline, but managed to make two beautiful remixes. Thomas made it so personal that you immediately hear it’s a L’âme Immortelle remix. Respect.
Daniel also made ‘Terminal Love’ his own. The deep sub version takes you on this beautiful ride into Daniels universe. Love it. So talented musicians. We are so grateful for having friends all over the world collaborating with us. Musically, but also on a personal level.

KL: Both versions blew me away. I didn’t expect it at all. Pure genius. You can hear in an instant how much love and passion they put into this track. Fold my hands for those guys.

S-L: Alex, your alter ego SnifferGod ends the EP with an up-tempo remix, a good contrast to the other remixes, with great beats and rhythms! Some elements here puts me back to the end of the 80’s/early 90’s, like Nitzer Ebb doing a 90’s rave with S’Express and a touch of acid house, but layered in a 2020’s updated soundscape. Tell us what you did here!

AM: I had to work on this one in-between mixing the Zeromancer album. Mixing daytime and remixing nighttime.
You are absolutely spot on. Because of the high tempo, I wanted to get that 90’s techno feel combined with some 80’s EBM. Nearly all synths are from my modular and semi-modular setup. No samples, except sampling ourselves. It’s an up-tempo remix, maybe close to stress-techno, but the «party boy» Alex kicked in. Blame the late night sessions.

KL: Stress-techno or stress-synth. Hahaha….it’s an internal wordplay on a comment by the Foo Fighters-drummer in a recording session with good, old Rick Springfield. He calls Springfield’s style stress-rock. And he does so as a kind of a compliment. However, who wants that type of label 🙂

Yeah, SnifferGod is Alex going back in time. A real killer version. Lots of raving flashbacks, with the God himself on the dancefloor.

S-L: Kim, where’s your mother this time on the cover photo? Vacation in the fjords, or where she’s originally from?

KL: This time the photo is taken on the roadside near Odda in Hardanger. The roads were obviously a lot more curvy back in 1957. Though they still are…
The family took these endless road trips from Sauda all around Norway every summer holiday. My mom is on the left, my uncle at the right of the photo. They are facing the glacier, Buerbreen. Both of them are carsick as hell. My grandfather took the shot, as he did with the previous singles.

I think the distance and the vibe of the photo suits perfectly with title of the song.

Check out this playlist of Zeromancer and SnifferGod remixes!

As with all three EPs this year, this one also features brilliant remixes, which made an easy decision to repeat the remixers part from the ‘Mournes’ article. Both Thomas Rainer (L’âme Imortelle/Nachtmar) and Daniel Myer (Architect/Liebknecht/Haujobb/Covenant etc.) had some to say about their contributions.

First off is Thomas Rainer from Vienna, Austria:

S-L: What’s your relation to Zeromancer before this remix?

Thomas Rainer: They already made 2 remixes for my band L’âme Imortelle and are also label mates, so it was kind of obvious that we would also collaborate the other way around one day. It also didn’t hurt that I have also always really liked the music of the band.

S-L: How did you like the new song ‘Terminal Love’?

TR: I really liked the song from the very beginning. The vocals immediately caught my ear, but after further listening I really enjoyed listening to all the small details in the very sophisticated production.

S-L: The other ZMR releases in 2021 – what’s your opinion so far?

TR: I enjoyed all of the new material so far especially since it shows an even more mature form of the band. Something I greatly appreciate.

S-L: What was your main idea with your remix?

TR: I usually approach all remixes by listening to the vocals alone first, and Alex’ stellar performance made it clear that it needs to be given as much space as possible with the music just being a supporting element.

Check Thomas’ playlist of his remixes!

Next remixer were Daniel Myer from Leipzig, Germany:

S-L: What’s your relation to Zeromancer before this remix?

Daniel Myer: I’ve known Zeromancer since they came to the scene. It’s a fairly small scene, so of course you know every new act that comes out, especially back in the day;)

We also share the same booking agency, so I went to see them live quite often when they were in town or at festivals. I always liked their style and I really like the songs and Alex’ voice.

S-L: How did you like the new song ‘Terminal Love’?

DM: Terminal Love had a real anthem feel to me. That’s why I approached a friend of mine to do this remix with me. I wanted to make it really big, like a “Pop Hymn” in the style of Imagine Dragons. But my friends was busy with her release, so I did the remix by myself.

S-L: The other ZMR releases in 2021 – what’s your opinion so far?

DM: I haven’t heard it all, only the last single, and I love Krischan Wesenbergs remix. He is one of my favourite producers at the moment.

S-L: What was your main idea with your remix?

DM: For the remix, like I mentioned above, I had something big in mind, but I only had a very limited amount of time.
I was on vacation with my girlfriend and we had very specific plans for this time. I started the remix with this Imagine Dragons idea in mind and then send it off to my friend in NYC. She came back to me after a few days, telling me that she couldn´t work on it, so I had to finish it by myself. By that time I was in a very strange headspace, a lot of things went wrong on our vacation trip, so I was stressed out and I had to go see my mother.

So I actually finished the remix on the train to Bielefeld one morning, on the day of the deadline. Overall I had only 12 days to do the mix, Alex came basically in the last minute to ask me for it 😉 And my mother lives in the woods, so there was no good internet connections. I actually used the hotspot from my phone to deliver the remix to Norway! 😀

Check Daniel’s playlist of his remixes!

Listen to and buy the ‘Teminal Love’ EP from Spotify, Apple music and other services – click here!

Jan Ronald Stange

Sometimes – when I’m not cooking, biking, listening to music or attending concerts, I write stuff for Side-Line.com. Mostly about Norwegian bands, but it’s been some Swedish, English, American, Danish, German and others too… 😉

Dramatic – Trauma (Album – Sector Industrial Producciones)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 16 May 2021 19:30:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Gothic, Cold-Wave.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Dramatic is a Mexican trio, which released this debut production right at the end of 2019. It rather looks like a mini-album featuring five songs plus three remixes.

Content: It doesn’t take that long to realize Dramatic is inspired by some icons of the 80s Cold/Dark-Wave scene and especially Joy Division comes to mind. The guitar playing, the deep vibrating bass lines and deep, growling vocals are definitely getting us back to the darkest hours of the 80s. Some guitar parts also evoke the spirit of early Neon Judgement. All remixes are Electro-like and made by SFX DJ, Dimitri Berzerk and Modelo De Placer.

+ + + : If you like ‘classical’ Cold-Wave music Dramatic might catch your attention. It’s an honest emulation of the typical cold 80s ‘wave’-spirit. The guitar play on songs like “Hate” and “The Night” feel like awakening in the 80s. Among the remixes I especially recommend listening to the EBM-driven edit by DMT Berzerk and the more sophisticated remix by Modelo De Placer.

– – – : The sound production and mix of this work could me more professional. I personally like the Electronic-driven remixes, but I can imagine it’s not exactly what guitar lovers are going to like.

Conclusion: This album is an honest debut for Dramatic.

Best songs: “The Night”, “Hate”, “Into Darkness – DMT Berzerk Remix”, “Into Darkness – Modelo De Placer Remix”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.dramatic.band / www.facebook.com/dramaticband

Label: www.sector-industrial.com / www.facebook.com/sector.industrial.producciones

About Dramatic

Dramatic is a Mexican Gothic and Cold-Wave trio with Diego Canales on vocals and lyrics, alongside Jorge Led and Ivan Martinez. The band draws on early-1980s Cold-Wave and post-punk reference points, built around guitar, bass and drum-machine arrangements.

“Trauma”, covered here, is the band’s debut release, issued on 20 December 2019 through Sub Culture Records and Sector Industrial Producciones, with remixes contributed by SFX DJ, Dimitri Berzerk and Modelo De Placer.

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.

‘Click Interview’ with KLONAVENUS: ‘Cinema Is Probably The Main Influence On Our Music’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 17:00:00 +0000

KLONAVENUS is an Italian duo set up in 2005 by Paolo Chemnitz (vocals, lyrics, samples) and Saffio (music, programming, mixing). During the early years of the band they self-released an impressive number of EP’s. They finally signed to EK Product and released their official debut album “Klonawelt” in 2012. The next album “Angst” got released in 2015 on Space Race Records (subdivision of EK Product). The sound of the band has been often described as a mix of EBM and Electro-Pop. And that’s what they also revealed at the last year released new album “Motion:less”. I’d a chat with Paolo and Saffio.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: KLONAVENUS is active for numerous years now. Do you notice important changes/evolutions in your sound and influences? And what have been the main facts coming directly into mind?

Paolo: Since the first days, we always have alternated a more sunny component with a more introspective one (Dark-Wave influences were prominent). Our debut album “Klonawelt” is full of funny and powerful Synth-Pop anthems. Then, starting with the second album “Angst”, our darker side prevailed. An aspect related to our growth and our awareness, perhaps we have understood that the era of light-heartedness was gone! Years ago I personally also started to read many books about existentialist philosophy (from Schopenauer to Cioran and Caraco), a mental influence that helped the evolution of the conceptual aspect of the band.

Q: You last year released your newest album “Motion:less”. 2020 has been a hard year because of the pandemic so did it have an influence and impact on your artistic activities/life and the achievement of the album?

Paolo: The new album was written before the pandemic, although its release was postponed from April 2020 to September 2020, considering that during last Spring everything was completely closed. The filming of the first video clip (cf. “My Crying Bride”) has also been postponed for several months, a situation that initially made us lose some enthusiasm. We haven’t been able to play the new songs live yet and we are very sorry about this, we hope to be able to do it as soon as possible.

Q: What kind of album is “Motion:less” all about and why did it take that long to achieve this new opus?

Paolo: After the release of the debut album “Klonawelt”, our paths divided because I stayed in Rome, while Saffio moved to Berlin. If “Angst” was composed within two years, with the third album we wanted to wait for the right moment. Living far away, is not easy to discuss ideas directly, plan/play concerts or share time in the rehearsal studio, that’s why “Motion:less” was born without any rush. We have also been really still for months, writing only one unreleased track for a compilation powered by our label and a single track released in a very limited 7” vinyl. Paradoxically, when we only did demos or EP’s ten/fifteen years ago, we played a lot in Italy and we were able to give more continuity to our project.

Q: I’ve always experienced KLONAVENUS as the perfect mix between EBM and harder Electro-Pop influences. What does it say about the sound you try to compose and do you have personal references and criteria when composing your music?

Saffio: I think our sound is not easy to label, despite being classified as EBM and Electro-Pop by the fans and critics. We certainly have a wealth of influences, first and foremost 80s New-Wave, which over the years has grown and opened up to different sounds, but always with a Dark-Electronic character that also draws on genre films, especially horrors and thrillers. The incipit of the musical composition therefore stems from the visual suggestions and soundtracks of the films we love, especially those of the 70s and 80s.

Q: What’s your way of working and what’s the input of each member in the writing/production process?

Saffio: Each KLONAVENUS song usually follows these steps: the instrumental composition that I elaborate very instinctively following my mood, but also respecting the concept of a new album defined together with Paolo, who takes care of writing the vocal melodies and the lyrics. At the same time he chooses some samples, inspired by some movies he likes (we can say there’s a touch of Industrial music in KLONAVENUS).

Q: You guys have already released several clips. What do you like in making clips and what do you try to express? What’s the link between the lyrical content of the songs and the clips?

Saffio: As explained above, cinema is probably the main influence on our music. We wouldn’t know how to create our songs without the suggestion of watching films we love. Consequently, our clips best represent the union of the two arts: cinema and music.

Morrissey’s manager not amused by ‘The Simpsons’ parody

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 17:04:35 +0000

Screenshot

The Simpsons’ episode “Panic on the Streets of Springfield” is not really welcomed by Morrissey’s manager. In the episode, with a title referring to The Smiths 1986 single, you see Morrissey satirized as an imaginary depressed friend of Lisa Simpson. Named Quilloughby, the character is the lead singer from a fictional band called the Snuffs. The character was voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch.

Morrissey had an update posted on his Facebook by Peter Katsis, his American manager. It’s not the first time Katsis (of Deckstar Management) takes to the public forum to complain about a press article (see this article against The Independent) or in this case a TV-show.

Before the episode, show writer Tim Long said that Morrissey, Cure singer Robert Smith and Joy Division’s Ian Curtis were among the character’s inspirations.

Here’s the full post:

“Surprising what a “turn for the worst” the writing for The Simpson’s tv show has taken in recent years.
Sadly, The Simpson’s show started out creating great insight into the modern cultural experience, but has since degenerated to trying to capitalize on cheap controversy and expounding on vicious rumors.
Poking fun at subjects is one thing. Other shows like SNL still do a great job at finding ways to inspire great satire.
But when a show stoops so low to use harshly hateful tactics like showing the Morrissey character with his belly hanging out of his shirt (when he has never looked like that at any point in his career) makes you wonder who the real hurtful, racist group is here.
Even worse – calling the Morrissey character out for being a racist, without pointing out any specific instances, offers nothing. It only serves to insult the artist.
They should take that mirror and hold it up to themselves.
Simpson’s actor Hank Azaria’s recent apology to the whole country of India for his role in upholding “structural racism” says it all.
Unlike the character in the Simpson’s “Panic” episode…….
Morrissey has never made a “cash grab”, hasn’t sued any people for their attacks, has never stopped performing great shows, and is still a serious vegan and strong supporter for animal rights.
By suggesting all of the above in this episode…the Simpson’s hypocritical approach to their storyline says it all.
Truly they are the only ones who have stopped creating, and have instead turned unapologetically hurtful and racist.
Not surprising…… that The Simpsons viewership ratings have gone down so badly over recent years. – Peter Katsis”

Viewership ratings have indeed gone down

Katsis’ comment as if the Simpsons viewership ratings have gone down, is actually pretty correct. A few weeks ago Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons, has spoken out in defense of the long-running cartoon’s lower rated recent seasons.

The series, which was recently renewed for two years, has long faced accusations from fans and critics that the quality has dipped from its seminal heyday.

Asked about the series’ decline in viewership ratings from its earlier seasons’ peak, Groening said: “I don’t think about that stuff at all. (…) If big numbers come with it, that’s great, if they don’t, well, let’s keep that a secret.”

‘Click Interview’ with Tineidae: ‘I Love Telling Stories With Melodies’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 18:00:00 +0000

TINEIDAE is a project I discovered back in 2012 by the “Lights”-album released on the now defunct Tympanik Audio. The next album “Shadows” released in 2014 featured a similar taste for IDM and Electro-Ambient Electronics. But after that second album and the end of Tympanik Audio it became quite silent in the TINEIDAE circle. A lot of things happened and one of the main changes was Pavlo Storonsky left his homeland, Ukraine, to relocate in Warsaw (Poland). He started to compose new music and this year signed to Cryo Chamber to unleash the Cinematographic work “Exo”. The opus reveals an important evolution in sound, but a similar passionate and overwhelming sound experience.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: After the “Shadows”-album released in 2014 it took you several years to release a new full length. You last year released “Slowly Drown In Static”, which already was like a real album and this year you released “Exo”. Why did it take that long to release a new full length and what kind of work did you want to accomplish with “Exo”?

Pavlo: A lot of things have changed since the last full-length album released on Tympanik Audio; from moving to other countries and a job change to having a family life and becoming a dad. So quite naturally it wasn’t an easy thing to come back to music the way I did it before. There was a lot of getting used to, a lot of changes in habits and especially, time management (which I’m still pretty bad at, I have to admit). Music-wise there were small bits and pieces that I’ve started every now and then, but a lot of bigger ideas had to be postponed. Some are still a work in progress since early 2015 to this day and some were finished.

When it comes to “Exo”, initially it was an experiment with a limited amount of tools to be used. You know with a lot of possibilities come an everlasting problem of choice, while limiting yourself you both eliminate that problem, as well as getting deeper understanding of the tools. Well, first iterations of it were just that –seeing what can be accomplished with the bare minimum. Later on it started to grow into something more personal, more meaningful.. There is the narrative, ‘lore’ of sorts, which describes the imaginary story behind the album, but also it is a tribute to my father.

Q: I already mentioned “Slowly Drown In Static” released in 2019, which revealed a different sound approach than what you released in the past. Tell us a bit more about this work and the move towards a more Cinematographic/Soundtrack driven work?

Pavlo: “Slowly Drown In Static” was a change indeed. It is mostly the way it is due to all of the above, like when things change in life drastically, it has an impact on creative output for sure. And this EP/album, I don’t know how to call it myself, is a catharsis of all those happenings. It’s rather short, but I would say it’s condensed, a brief summary of metamorphosis if you can call it that way. We tend to perceive life as a journey from A to B, or at least I was like that, but then you suddenly realize that in the wait of that B point you actually miss your life passing by each second, and this exact moment is the meaning, all that you feel and all who you are in this moment, and not the imaginary point B.

As for the Cinematographic/Soundtrack driven work, it really is something that shapes to be a thing on its own, meaning I don’t really aim to make that, it just becomes what it is naturally. I think it’s fair to say that I’m into more melodic stuff rather than technical and I love telling stories with melodies, so if you take away all the fanciness (which was there at times) of the older works, it will likely result in, maybe less refined, but still quite Cinematic sound.

Q: Your early albums were released by the defunct Tympanik Audio while you now signed to Cryo Chamber. How did you feel about the end of Tympanik Audio, which was like a kind of ‘family label’ and how do you see Cryo Chamber, which is another ‘family label’?

Pavlo: Tympanik Audio is being missed by many for sure (as well as some other labels close in the genre at that time, which do not function anymore). It was an era in Electronic music for me at least which kind of ended at that time, the very mixture of Glitch, IDM and Ambient with a more Industrial sound was introduced and carried over the years by those labels. Some artists still continued making music and experimenting with sound; many stopped and those who continued were harder to find and follow.

It was pretty big at least in my eyes, that too, at least partially, caused a halt in my musical endeavors. The decisions were made, there were personal reasons behind those, so I can understand why it was that way. No hard feelings, only hopes for good future of the people behind Tympanik Audio, including artists. It did feel like a family after all.
Cryo Chamber is another tight-knit bunch of friendly people. We share the same goal –retelling stories with our music. The label is known for a less flashy/synthy music compared to what I usually do, but it turned out my stuff fits in 🙂

Q: “Exo” is for sure your most ‘cinematic/soundtrack’-driven album. What have been your main influences to compose this work and how do you see your evolution as musician/artist from previous releases towards “Exo”?

Pavlo: From Original Soundtracks my main influences were mostly sci-fi/cyberpunk films, games and animation (suffice to say I’m quite a bit into cyberpunk and sci-fi genre in books and films), namely “Ghost In The Shellt, both Bladerunners, Tarkovsky’s “Stalker”, Deus Ex: “Human Revolution”, Nier: “Automata” and some others. When it comes to musicians it’s mainly Access T Arasaka, Lorn, Bad Sector and older works of Atrium Carceri. In general –a pretty mixed bag, but all these are melody-centric and very immersive if you consider the storytelling aspect, and I enjoy it a lot.

Q: Tell us a bit more about the writing- and production process of “Exo”? What have been the different stages to release this album and tell us a bit more about your way of composing (equipment, noise sources etc)?

Pavlo: Starting off as an experiment “Exo” (it didn’t have a name at the time) quickly formed into a rather long monolithic track, which I later on separated. At that point I realized that it sounds good enough to make something bigger so some parts were dropped (those that clearly were out of the realm of sci-fi) and new parts/movements were created. You know swhen you make something without a bigger idea initially, not all of it fits, and you don’t often know what sounds good and what is just some, what I call, artistic bullshit. So you then work in iterations, creating more stuff and then filtering out and changing and separating what doesn’t fit. Some of the tracks that are now part of “Exo” were the filtered out older stuff which didn’t quite fit the more dynamic earlier sound, so I resampled/re-recorded a bit and it started fitting the mood/narrative after some adjustments.

I feel like I’m in a forge talking about how I hammer some metal parts and what not, but essentially it’s almost like that. Like whenever you create a sound, or work on some recordings/samples and tie them together you act more on what ‘sounds good’ in the moment and only later on you piece the whole picture together, if that makes sense.

Equipment is scarce –most of the stuff is in the box, I only have my Roland JD-XI and some guitar pedals (old Boss distortion and chorus). For the noise sources I try to have my Zoom h2n at hand, good enough field-recording device for most of my needs. I also enjoy lurking on websdr’s and recording some radio static, occasionally some weird modulated voices.

Q: Artistic life has been badly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. How do you look back at this experience and how do you expect things evolving? What are the further plans for TINEIDAE?

Pavlo: I am thankful for what I have: family, music, work. The lockdowns and all the things happening around helped me to re-evaluate what’s worth in life. As a pretty closed/introverted person, I can’t say that the lockdown impacted me a lot psychologically. I’m still member of online communities I was in previously, I still try to stay in contact with people close to me and also my wife and kids are a tremendous support and help as well as I try to be for them. Hard to say how things will pan out, I’m not sure everything will return back to how they were pre-Covid, or at least not suddenly. Or maybe they won’t at all. I’m trying to keep on creating regardless, monthly singles that are way further from what one could expect genre-wise from me, remixes, collaborations, but also bigger works too, likely back with Cryo Chamber if I don’t go too far off with my artistic bullshit 😀

Thanks for taking your time and asking me some questions. Stay safe!

Killing Joke bassist Youth to launch new record label: Youth Sounds

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 17:27:38 +0000

(Photo by Glen Burrows) Killing Joke bassist and producer Youth has announced that he will launch a new record label in December 2020.

The Youth Sounds imprint will release a varied array of artists on vinyl, CD and DVD over the next six months and beyond, beginning with “I Have A Voice”, a 12 inch vinyl EP from Vivien Goldman.

It’s a taste of what to expect from Goldman’s label debut album “Next Is Now” which is due early next year. “I Have A Voice” also comes with additional mixes by Youth and Toby Andersen together with a whattodo V’s Massive dub re-work.

More releases in 2021

January and February 2021 will see the release of “Interstellar Energy” an album Youth has recorded with Hawkwind’s Nik Turner, and the Youth Meets Jah Wobble album “Acid Punk Dub Apocalypse” which also includes singers and players such as Hollie Cook, Richard Dudanski, Andrew Weatherall, Nina Walsh, and The Orb’s Alex Paterson.

The label will furthermore release new records from Blue Pearl, Mad Professor, Lee Scratch Perry, Big Paul Ferguson (Killing Joke) and “Youth – Sketch, Drugs & Rock N Roll” The latter is a DVD that charts the life of Youth himself with contributions from Boy George, Paul McCartney, David Gilmour and Alan McGee.

Next Spring will also see the arrival of Youth’s debut album – the first ever solo outing from Youth (aka Martin Glover), the musician, producer and mixer after a genre-bursting career that spans forty years including work with Alien Sex Fiend, Art of Noise, The Charlatans, The Cult, Erasure, Marilyn Manson, The Orb, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Sugarcubes, U2, The Verve etc..

And that’s just a small list of what Youth has been up to. He was for instance – and not many people will know this – also behind Butterfly Records, the label that has produced artists such as Take That, Wet Wet Wet, Tom Jones, The Orb, System 7, Maria McKee and Heather Nova. From gothic icon to popstars, Youth knows all about it.

More info at https://youthsounds.net .

‘Click Interview’ with Heimstatt Yipotash: ‘We Do Not Look For Disco Suitability Or The Satisfaction Of Listening Habits Or Expectations’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 15 Nov 2020 18:00:02 +0000

André Matthes and Thomas Niedballa started their music activities in 2001. A few years later they singed to HANDS and started to release heavy Industrial & Experimental productions under the HEIMSTATT YIPOTASH moniker. The new work “Brankmanship” is their first new album in six years, but also a work revealing a more sophisticated sound mixing Industrial, Rhythmic-Noise, Experimental and Industrial-Techno. I experienced the work as the fusion between power, melody and intelligence. Both artists had a lot to say about their work.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: “Brinkmanship” is your first new album in six years! How does it feel to have released this new work after such a long time and why did it take that long?

André: I’m surprised myself that there’s such a long time between the two albums. The selective sense of time is sometimes very relative, I don’t feel that the time span since our last release “Mecanismos De Control” is that long. Nevertheless, six years is of course a long time in which a lot has happened, both in the small private sphere and on a global scale.

After “Mecanismos De Control”, which dealt in the broadest sense with the financial crisis in 2008 and the actions of the responsible actors behind it, we worked together with Mike Erkau (The_Empath) on our joint project Trackologists. The work on Trackologists’ debut album “No Surrender, No Retreat” proved to be very fruitful, inspiring but also time-consuming, so there was space for new HEIMSTATT YIPOTASH ideas during this time. It then took some time until we had enough material for new songs, and above all a unifying idea on the theme, a guide that should connect the tracks on the album.

We like to give our albums a story in which the songs are embedded and refer to each other. Storytelling is already important in our way of working, perhaps it also explains the longer intervals between our releases. In the early summer of last year we had all the songs ready, the tracklist was fixed and an intensive phase of fine-tuning followed. I listened to every song and the album almost every day for eight weeks and made some changes. It is really difficult for me to accept the track as finished and release it for mastering. That’s when the control freak in me comes through. Terrible 😉 Thomas does it a more Punk-style. Boarded up and good. Then I come and start to make some changes. But that’s only good up to a certain point, because at some point it gets smoother and more pleasing but not really better.

HEIMSTATT YIPOTASH has always stood for a certain amount of unspoken joy in experimentation, and of course I don’t want to and should not optimize it to the max. At the end of 2019 the master was finished and we were very proud to be part of it, I think I can speak for both of us. The album shows so many different facets and yet, in my opinion, never loses the red thread. It is an astonishing further development to its six years older predecessor, especially when you listen to both of them one after the other. Now, a good year after the completion of our songs, I can say for myself that I can still get excited about the titles, despite listening to them umpteen times. 🙂

Thomas: I feel like André: the previous album “Mecanismos De Control” is somehow still present and doesn’t seem so far away. However, after that album there was a bit of ‘air out’ and we concentrated on the joint project Trackologists with Mike. During this joint work we were able to benefit from Mike’s knowledge for our own composition and production process. Thanks to this input, we then invested much more time than before in the current album “Brinkmanship” to compose and produce the tracks as cleanly as possible without losing sight of the worn edges.

Q: That’s maybe why I experienced this new album as your most diversified production ever; a true mix between different influences. How do you explain the evolution from the early, rough Industrial productions till “Brinkmanship”?

André: I think the driving force behind our work is experimenting with our possibilities. Personally I was inspired by Rhythm Noise and related styles. Especially by the fact that you suddenly got the chance to become creative yourself. That was in the mid-nineties. Until then I was rather an enthusiastic consumer. Records and concerts -I took everything that excited me, and that was always very comprehensive. Whether AlternativRock, Grunge, Punk or Avant-Garde, EBM, DarWave, Rhythm Noise -I could and still can get enthusiastic about many styles.

That was my input, and has remained so to this day, with some small cutbacks. For every time and for every situation there is the right music for me. So at some point I started to become creative myself, using pickups and microphones to shape and record noises and soundscapes. In addition, I had the possibility to merge the whole thing together using simple PC tracker programs and thus record my first (mostly very repetitive) songs. In this phase I found a like-minded person in Thomas and from then on we complemented each other in initially still separate projects. In the following time we self-released some CDRs, which we mostly distributed to friends and acquaintances and played a handful of concerts in small clubs. Our equipment at that time consisted of two PCs including tube monitors, pickups and lots of stuff. At some point we were actually allowed to play at the “Maschinenfest 2004”, and so we joined the HANDS label there.

Label boss Udo Wiessmann offered us to release an album on HANDS. It was a huge thing for us, it was incredibly inspiring and expanded our possibilities enormously. From this time on we officially called ourselves Heimstatt Yipotash, in reference to the previous solo-projects. With the years and every further release the learning curve in what we did and how we made music increased. In addition to the initially dominant intuition and joy of experimenting, we also gained a growing understanding of songwriting. In principle, we taught ourselves to make music over time, we are the absolute autodidacts 🙂 And -as mentioned at the beginning, we experiment with the respective possibilities we have.

Thomas: Since the beginning of our musical journey together, we have loved jumping between drawers and playing with listeners’ expectations. We actually always do what we want to do and do not look for disco suitability or the satisfaction of listening habits or expectations. But at the same time we don’t turn a song around until it absolutely sounds “especially creative and different”. We are insanely happy that Udo has always allowed us this creative freedom and that we can release our albums on the HANDS label without ‘censorship’ or ‘creative guidelines’.

The songs of the first albums sound for us now, with the distance of the years, both from the composition rather ‘simple’ and low-fi. Also some of our own musical preferences are shifting, which is reflected in the current songs. You find more influences from IDM and other ‘song based’-styles than the more dominant Rhythm Noise of the earlier years. More stringency in sound and less jumping between genres could possibly be helpful to be more successful. But that has never been our motivation to make music. We want to entertain, but at the same time we want to encourage people to think, do research and also to exchange ideas. All the albums we have recorded so far reflect our view of society, the world and our environment at the time.

Q: Can you tell us a bit more about the writing and production process of the new songs? And what makes the chemistry between you both?

André: The driving force for each of our albums is usually to tell a story. The narrative element is already strongly pronounced. In the case of the debut “Storegga Effect”, for example, it was the cyclical sequence of major natural events with mass extinctions and the subsequent renewal or regeneration of the biosphere. The most narratively dense work to date, “Urban Night Motifs”, was a dystopian plunge through a dark, dirty and violent metropolis at night. We wanted to achieve a similarly dense atmosphere again on our current album, because I still like the soundtrack-like gloomy atmosphere very much.

The content of our songs is always close to the problems of the world and we have often addressed them. Also this time we created many songs that take a stand on global problems, so like new catchwords like genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, data surveillance or old scourges like war, corruption and abuse of power. Originally the album should be called “Tribunal” and it should be a kind of condemnation of the conditions. From today’s point of view, it seems to me to be richly bold and naively superficial. We had already taken this direction somewhat with “Mecanismos De Control” and we didn’t really want to go on further like this. We changed the context and formed the songs into a kind of taking status of the world today (“Artificial Ego”, “Fix, Find, Finish”, “Belt To Blender”). We contrasted this with our personal feelings, anger and powerlessness (“Progress”, “At the Edge Of Words”) and the desire to escape this mad world (“Step Into The Void”, “Separation”, “Trigger”).

Seen in this light, the current album is less combative than the previous one, but rather pessimistically resigned. Perhaps it results from the realization that no matter what happens, no matter how bad the disasters and wars will be, people still rarely learn from mistakes, and that in the end the predator prevails. Our way of working is usually to sit together (usually in Thomas’ arbor), connect our equipment and just jam away. Sometimes the first ideas come up, sometimes we just do sound exploration and fill our sample memory. The resulting song sketches are then moved back and forth a couple of times, and at some point the individual track develops its own character, which is then worked out. It’s not that we set ourselves a concept and then work it out, it all starts intuitively, almost like jazz from the gut. 🙂 If the track comes to life, it gets a name and is then shaped in the desired direction. When you finally compare the sketches and the finished track, you are amazed and get the impression that the song has a life of its own and we are just the obstetricians. It has always been like that, and I think that’s what makes up the way we work.

Thomas: Instead of the rehearsals and jam sessions that are usual with ‘classic’ bands, we have now established a well-functioning ping-pong method for us: if not out of jam sessions together, relatively many sketches are first created at my place. These are partly loops of only 10 seconds, but can also be rough song structures of three minutes. André takes over these beginnings and works on them with his own preferences and moods. This gives the sketches a completely new dynamic and complexity, which you often can’t even think of when you tinker with them alone. The nice thing about our joint work on songs is that nobody has a special role as ‘songwriter’ or ‘drummer’ or similar, but the songs can always develop without ‘selfish’ wishes or preferences. Neither of us has the claim to put more songs than the other on an album or to always have to listen to our own samples in the finished song. There are tracks that completely change their sound several times during their creation.

The possibilities of working with, in our case, Ableton Live are simply indescribably beneficial here. For us, it is amazing how the songs on the albums ultimately come together to form a harmonious product, without us planning it that way from the beginning. All our albums had a common thread, which we often only found during the ongoing creation process, without having to ‘bend’ the songs.

On “Storegga Effect” the mutual influences of environment and human beings on each other were the main theme. “Perpetual Beta” focused more on the mechanization of the world and the anonymization of the individual in society, but also on the simultaneous (self-zchosen) revelation of very private things, for example on the internet. “Urban Night Motifs” highlighted a modern and realistic, but also dystopian metropolis in the current time: psychological problems, pressure to perform, pollution of the environment, social injustice and increasing loneliness of people were the topics. “Mecanismos De Control” extracted this view on a political / social level, whereby we chose the situation in Argentina in 2001 as the main theme. “Brinkmanship” could now be interpreted as a once again ‘zoomed up’ view of the whole world politics and its influence on each and every one of us.

Q: “Brinkmanship” indeed appears to be a critical reflection about the world we’re living in. What’s your perception about the latest news events like the Covid-19 pandemic, the presidential election in the USA ao?

André: “Brinkmanship” is indeed a critical examination of the state of the world. The term means as much as the politics of absolute risk, the planning of one’s own destruction, the play with fire. There are many political examples, the policy of nuclear deterrence during the Cold War is only one of them. Even today, the term can be applied to many aspects. We have tried to cover some of the topics on the album, even if many things are missing (climate change, environmental destruction, etc.) There are many questions that most people are reluctant to ask, because the answers might question their way of living. Will artificial intelligence dominate us one day? Will we become slaves of omniscient networks and algorithms? How dangerous is genetic engineering? And is it ethically acceptable? What do animal experiments and factory farming and the perversities associated with them say about our humanity? These and countless other questions, some of them more or less philosophical, occupy our minds and are a recurring theme in our songs.

Much of this can be discussed controversially, and I too have no productive answers to many of them. Nevertheless it is important to ask these questions and to deal with them. Because if you don’t face it, you are much more receptive to ‘strong men with simple solutions’, which brings us back to the actual topic. The multitude of questions seems to overwhelm a large part of the people intellectually, there is no other way to explain, for example, a President Trump, Erdogan or Putin. In my view, Trump is one of the most stupid and incompetent people you can imagine at the head of such an influential superpower. But Trump is for me not the cause, but rather the symptom of a certain social and societal degeneration that can be observed throughout the Western world.

The most pressing current issue is the Covid-19 pandemic. The exceptional situation in which we are currently living is magnifying the acute social upheavals like under a burning glass and is a test of character for each individual. Whether and how measures to contain the infection will be effective will only be known when it is history, because much of it cannot yet be assessed. It is therefore easy to condemn decisions in retrospect and to know everything better. As a realist, I see the situation, recognize possible risks and try to avoid them without hysteria. In my opinion, it would sometimes be helpful for many people if they could look at things more soberly, abstractly and then stick to the facts. That way, prophets and conspiracy theorists of all colors would have less of an audience.

Q: Because of Covid-19 artists can’t no longer play live, which must be frustrating when you’ve a new album out. How do you try to face the situation and what do you expect from artistic activities during the next few months?

André: Of course this is extremely frustrating for us! Originally “Brinkmanship” was supposed to be presented at the “Elektroanschlag” festival or at the “Forms of Hands” and we had prepared some limited bundles with iron-on patches and stickers for the record release. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions, all this became obsolete. The release date was postponed to August, and unfortunately we had no chance to present the album live until now. And it’s through concerts that you can reach a larger audience. As far as that is concerned, we really fell victim to a bad time.

But it’s not just us! Much worse affected are artists who have to live from their art, who depend on the income. As far as that is concerned, we are well off as ‘amateurs’ and too much complaining would be somehow indecent. Well, what the future will bring, we will see. Maybe we will try ourselves as street musicians 😉 At the moment, it’s mid-October, the infection numbers are rising again and I don’t believe in a return of the festivals soon. What this means for the whole music industry, promoters and labels cannot yet be estimated, but the coming period will certainly not be easy. Many are acutely threatened in their existence. That is something you should bear in mind! Therefore: ‘Support your artists! Support your label!’

Thomas: Yes, it makes us sad not to be able to present the new material live and experience the feedback of the audience. But in the current situation we have the big advantage over musicians who have to earn their living by performing, that we both have regular jobs and therefore the band has been a pure hobby project from the beginning and doesn’t have to feed families. So we see the situation as very uncomfortable for us, but for the whole music industry, especially the independent labels and concert operators, with far greater concern and fear for the future of the many employees and enthusiasts.

We house label HANDS are also severely affected by cancelled concerts and closed clubs. This is the best way for each of us to help: Buy CDs and merchandise directly from the small, fine labels!

Q: Next to HEIMSTATT YIPOTASH you’ve been also involved with other projects. What can you express and maybe exorcize in these other projects –like TRACKOLOGISTS, and do you plan new releases?

André: I am cautiously optimistic when I say that there will be a sign of life from TRACKOLOGISTS in the near future. Optimistic, because all three of us have a great desire for it and already have concrete ideas for a release; cautious, because all three of us are involved in other projects and therefore many things simply go slower and need more time. It will probably be like with the first and so far unfortunately only TRACKOLOGISTS album: we will set ourselves a lot of goals, we will meet several deadlines and still get it finished. 🙂

Thomas: I think the chances of an upcoming release of the TRACKOLOGISTS are good. We love the project and the slightly different development process than at HYMSTATT YIPOTASH. TRACKOLOGISTS songs are much closer to the EBM and IDM than our own tracks, but working with Mike enriches our own way of working immensely as we benefit from his knowledge and set the bar high ourselves. Whether there will be another masterpiece of “No Go!” depends mainly on the simultaneous availability of (too) much time, extremely obscure sample collections and large amounts of alcoholic beverages…

André: Thanks for your questions and hopefully see you soon live!

Alien Skin – New Romance: 1984 (Album – ScentAir Records)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 20:00:01 +0000

Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: After the last year remarkable “P.O.P. Pop”-album, George Pappas (known from his involvement in Real Life) strikes back with a new work. But it’s not that totally new because as the title indicates, it brings us back to the early 80s when the Australian artist was a member of Strange Silence. The band played in the clubs of Melbourne. More than thirty years later the songs have been recovered from dust and reworked by Alien Skin while Aidan Casserly has been invited to do the backing vocals.

Content: It doesn’t take that long to notice the true 80s spirit supporting this album. This is pure old-school Electro-Pop featuring magic melody lines emerging from the analogue machines this work has been composed with. Some tracks are a bit darker while others reveal a sensual taste in the slow rhythmic and half spoken way of singing. Some of the melody lines remind me of OMD.

+ + + : No doubt about it, the 80s remain a reference when it comes to Electronic music. That’s because of the sounds of analogue equipment while today all sound treatments are nearly similar. This effect also comes through in the typical, deep carrying bass lines and some of the dry snare drums. The songs have been achieved with great effects bringing the early years of synth music back alive.

– – – : There’re numerous cool songs featured in this work, but maybe not a ‘good-old’ hit song.

Conclusion: “New Romance: 1984” sounds like pure nostalgia, reminding me of a great time when I was a teenager enjoying life and dark music…

Best songs: “When The Wind Blows Mary”, “She Lives In Tunnels”, “Stay Away From The Lollipop Clown”, “Waiting For Heaven”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.alienskinmusic.com / www.facebook.com/alienskinmusic

Label: www.scent-air.com / www.facebook.com/ScentairRecords

About Alien Skin

Alien Skin is the project of Australian musician George Pappas, who joined the Melbourne new wave/synth-pop band Real Life on keyboards in 1995, replacing Steve Williams. Real Life had earlier reached international chart success with “Send Me An Angel” and “Catch Me I’m Falling” from their 1983 album “Heartland”. “New Romance: 1984” revisits material Pappas wrote in Strange Silence, a Melbourne club act he played in during the early 1980s, reworked for the present day with Aidan Casserly on backing vocals.

‘Click Interview’ with Mondträume: ‘With This New Image And Artwork We Tried To Reflect The Birth Of The Hypocrisy Without Masks’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 17:00:12 +0000

Spanish duo Pikotto vondMond (music & programming) and Damasius Venys (vocals & lyrics) are back on track, unleashing their second album five years after the successful debut opus “Empty”. The new album “Lovers, sinners & Liars” (available here as a 2CD deluxe edition set) remains faithful to the melancholic future-pop style of the debut work, but the global production becomes more mature and accomplished. It’s a danceable piece of music revealing elevating choruses while driven by the impressive vocals skills of Damasius Venys. The album has been released by the Belgian label Alfa Matrix and simply confirms the growing status of Mondträume. Here’s what they’ve to say about their masterpiece.

Lovers, sinners & liars (Bonus Tracks Version) by MONDTRÄUME

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Five years have passed since your debut album “Empty” (2014). Why did it take that long to achieve this new opus? What have been the main difficulties and challenges you encountered?

Pikotto: The truth is that I am aware that a lot of time passed by ’till the release of the new album, but unfortunately I had health problems and there was a time where I had to consult doctors, do tests etc… Fortunately everything is okay with my health. But well, I also took the positive side of this circumstance and this means that I have been able to take more care of the songs and the arrangements to have the best results.

Q: I experienced “Lovers, Sinners & Liars” as ‘melancholia to dance on’ while the choruses have something elevating, even a bit transcendental. But what kind of work did you wanted to accomplish and what are your greatest elements of satisfactions?

Pikotto: Like you could observe during our path, I always like to add this melancholic touch to the songs, and I also wanted to do that on this new album too. But I also added something more danceable, a delicate piano melody, a melodic pluck that is sad, but also happy at the same time, etc, etc… I think that it is a point that defines us and when you listen to our songs you know that it is made by us. I always said that music is life and in this life always exists the lovers, the sinners, and the liars…

Q: So that’s what the album title is reflecting? But what have been the main sources of inspiration for the lyrics?

Damasius: With the album title I wanted to reflect three kinds of personalities who are behind the lyrical theme. It reflects things that we all experienced in our lives and that we have been or we are. The fastest way to explain it could be like, to give affection while I hold a knife hidden on my back telling you that I will never fail you. About the inspiration, everything came from things that happened around me. The last five years have been a period of many changes where I saw the true faces of some people next to me. The inspiration of all the lyrics of the album are really human, in a good- or a bad way.

Q: It all seems like image and artwork is an important item for Mondträume. Tell us a bit more about both aspects and a possible link between lyrical themes and the artwork of the new album?

Damasius: Of course, it is very important to me because in this aspect we can show a more metaphoric vision of the concepts, making it more dramatic and of course, more eye-catching. With this new image and artwork we tried to reflect the birth of the hypocrisy without masks, the lovers and the sinners, the original skin of our human debilities. An important point for me too, was to work again with my friend Lydia Solans. It is always great for me to tell her all my ideas and together ramble on about colors, textures, make ups, etc. The link between the lyrics and the artwork is exactly our dark side.

Q: Another essential element for bands is playing live. How would you define a live show of Mondträume and how do you transpose the songs from the studio to the stage?

Pikotto: I think the one who has the possibility to see us live will experience all the emotions about that we were talking about. The music gets the body dreaming and this is what we try to do live, to feel this goosebumps when you hear a melody, when you hear the great voice of my mate, to feel that the things you hear make you complete. As a band we try to offer everything of us so that the audience feels satisfied and proud to see us live. About the songs, we try to put the same energy like in the studio, but with this visual extra point that fills up the stage. In this aspect I have to congratulate my friend and mate Damasius for being a great showman and for his professionalism on stage. I think that until today the audience always responded very well to our shows and we are very thankful for that. I take the opportunity to send greetings and a big hug to our audience of Poland, Spain, Germany, etc. Thanks for your support!

Q: Do you’ve some plans in mind to next year celebrate the tenth Anniversary of Mondträume? What brings the future? And what might we expect from the Mental Exile album?

Damasius: We were really not aware of how time flies, but it doesn’t go that fast; our tenth anniversary will be 2021, there is still some time left to think about that. What the future will bring is always uncertain, we have our plans and our ideas, but we will see what will come. About my Mental Exile album, I can say that the release date is around the corner, but I prefer to tell you nothing about it yet. When it will see the light, I will be glad to enter into details about it and about everything you want.

‘Click Interview’ with Maschine Brennt: ‘Kraftwerk Is Very Important For Maschine Brennt’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 17:00:59 +0000

Behind Maschine Brennt is hiding Joacim Thenander. This Swedish musician has been involved with numerous bands and multiple music genres, but Cultivated Bimbo is without a shadow of a doubt the most famous name for all lovers of EBM and experimental electronics. Maschine Brennt has been set up around 1992 as a side-project to Cultivated Bimbo. And as Joacim explains ‘The main reason was to present music as if the machines had made it. In the beginning I used whole-tone scales and such, to remove the human feel and make it more mathematical. The rhythms were always hard-quantized and very seldom played on velocity sensitive keyboards or pads. The name Maschine Brennt is taken from a B-side of one of Falco’s singles’. Maschine Brennt released several singles during the past few years while the debut full length “The Hearing Aid” has been released during 2017. This is a great album appealing for all lovers of Kraftwerk-electronics’.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You’re kind of ‘electro-veteran’ who has been involved with multiple bands and projects since the late 80s. What have been your greatest satisfactions as an artist since then?

Joacim: Mainly I make music for my own pleasure. It has been loads of different styles and genres spinning from synth/electro to heavy metal. For a long time I did a lot of house/techno songs, and also drum’n bass. I do it for myself. But I also publish tracks on different sites and labels and love to get reactions. The greatest satisfaction is if I find out that my music actually appeals to people more than to myself. That is the main fuel for me making music.

Q: I noticed you are already composing music under the Maschine Brennt moniker since the 90s. What makes this project different from the other ones you’ve been involved with and why did it take that long to release your debut album?

Joacim:: I used the name Maschine Brennt during a few (three, I think) shows 1992-1994. I made music for the specific shows, and didn’t release anything at the time. After that I made other styles of music, mainly dance/club using different aliases. I released a few singles, but mostly digital on different community web sites and so on.

In 2014 I met Jonas Lund (Kretz) who asked me to join Plonk. I started using the old name again because the style Plonk aimed for, was very close to what I’ve made with Maschine Brennt. For instance, when I make drum’n bass I use the name Killa Dawgs and when I make house I use the name Joey Lucas. When it is ‘computer music’ I use the name Maschine Brennt.

The reason I made an album was simply because a friend of mine asked me when the full-length will be released. If it wasn’t for him I still would be doing singles only.

Q: “The Hearing Aid” has been released in 2017. Tell us a bit more about the writing, recording, influences and sound plus how do you look back at the work right now?

Joacim: “The Hearing Aid” is a collection of old tracks (mostly), but reprogrammed and remixed. To make a full-length album from scratch is a massive load of work, and I didn’t have the time or patience to do it all from start. I am proud of the album and I like it a lot. Maybe I would have done a couple of things differently today, but I see the project as a timestamp, and like to focus on NOW.
Because the album was a Plonk release from the beginning, I wasn’t too afraid to show the Kraftwerk influences, and actually did so frequently throughout the album.

Q: The sound of Maschine Brennt indeed clearly reminds to Kraftwerk. What does Kraftwerk means to you in terms of sound creation, impact on your own work and artwork?

Joacim: Kraftwerk is very important for Maschine Brennt. But they have a soul, and I want my music to sound less soulful. Remember -music by machines. I absolutely love some songs by Kraftwerk! Sometimes only fragments. But there are also songs I really don’t like.

My strongest influences are by artists that have been influenced by Kraftwerk; 2nd generation, so to speak. Afrika Bambaataa, Arthur Baker, John Robie, Man Parrish, Atom™ (especially Lassigue Bendthaus), Anthony Rother and more. If I was to create a list of the best synthetic computer tracks ever made, I’m not so sure Kraftwerk would be on that list. But if it wasn’t for Kraftwerk that list wouldn’t exist. I hope that makes sense.

Regarding the artwork, it felt natural to dress up like the Germans to reflect the sound of the album.

Q: Can you tell us a bit more about your way of composing, eventually personal references and criteria you’re using when writing songs, favorite equipment and what do you consider as the main strengths of the album?

Joacim: I am very satisfied with how I tied the tracks together on “The Hearing Aid”. It should be listened to in one take -as all albums. That is the main strength, I think.

My biggest disadvantage is that I don’t know how to write lyrics. I absolutely love computerized voices and would love to do standard pop songs with verse, bridge, chorus and so on, but I really can’t write lyrics. “Backspace” in fact reflects on that.

My music is very rhythm-oriented. It is hard to do melodies without sounding cheesy, so I usually don’t. Drums, bass and more percussion. Hopefully a voice saying something smart (but usually stupid), and the inevitable breakdown (with Kraftwerk’s “Home Computer” as the template). I like my music to be danceable. At least you should be nodding your head. I always start with the drums. The rhythm is very often programmed like “Numbers” (or Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock” if you wish). I use a lot of samples -sometimes from my own machines – and Ableton Live is my DAW. For some edits I use Propellerhead Reason which I absolutely love.
But I also use some hardware. Mainly Roland Boutiques and a few KORG synths. I like to have control with other than the computer mouse, so I use Novation controllers and Native Instruments Maschine (mkII and Jam) and Komplete Kontrol.

Some of my favourite pieces when making Maschine Brennt songs are Ableton Live and Novation LaunchControl, Roland TR08, Native Instruments Maschine mkII, Sonic Charge BitSpeek, Waves Pumper, iZotope Ozone. I also use Ableton’s Reverb, Ping Pong Delay, Utility, Limiter and Compressor on each and every track I make.

Q: Your album has been released on Razgrom Music while you were (or still are) part of the so-called ‘Plonk Community’. What is it all about? Why is it that much more than simply a label releasing ‘computer/robotic’ music?

Joacim: I was contacted by Alexey Ignatov of Razgrom Music. He wanted to release a full-length CD with a collection of my tracks. Maybe a single collection. I had just finalized the album for Plonk and was about to release it digitally. I suggested that we could release the very same album on Razgrom Music. To make it a little more special I added four more unreleased tracks, and the cover was made in color on the Razgrom Release. We postponed the digital release to be two weeks after the physical release.

So in short, the physical release is Razgrom Music. It contains four more (previously unreleased) tracks, and the cover is in color. The digital release is Plonk and the cover is made in black and white.

Plonk is a community with around ten members/artists. Every artist takes care of their own release. Plonk doesn’t have a leader or chairman. We have web meetings every now and then, to enlighten each and everyone what’s up and on. The aim for Plonk is to present music with a strong ‘Düsseldorf sound’ from one single place -Plonk. We support and help each other as much as needed. Every year we release a compilation with tracks from the current Plonk artists. We believe we are stronger as a whole and that if we help each other we can bring ‘Machine-Pop’ to the world!

‘Click Interview’ with Implant: ‘Music Is A Bit Like Sex In A Long-Term Relationship’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 18:00:48 +0000

Set up in 1992 by Len Lemeire and Geert Machtelinck, Belgian Implant celebrated their 25^th anniversary in 2017 releasing their 10^th official studio album “Oxynoxe-X” on Alfa-Matrix. Geert Machtelinck left the band during the early millennium years and got replaced by Jan D’Hooghe (previously involved with Vive La Fête). The sound and influences of Implant remained pretty similar, always mixing different influences together. From EBM to techno to trance to electro-pop, the new work however appears to be an ode to pioneers of electronic music and is according to me one of the best Implant releases ever. Enough reasons for a chat with Len Lemeire.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I noticed there’s a hiatus of four years between the past Implant albums. Len, you were definitely more prolific during the early years so did you become a bit lazy or do you simply need more time and reflection after having released a new work?

Len: I think it’s a combination of things. Life has a way of interfering with the things you love. Over the past 4 years we bought a new house and totally innovated it. A lot has changed in my professional life, giving me way less time for music. The kids are getting older, and that is not making things simpler and I find it harder to come home and spend hours in a studio after a day of work. And I know that goes for Jan too.

One could say that music is a bit like sex in a long-term relationship. It’s still there; it’s most of the times even better then before. But there is no more sex on a daily basis (laugh).

All this also forces you to rethink things more. In a way we have become our own worst critics. Since we’re not releasing at the same tempo, we want these releases to be worth it. And that takes more time.

Q: “Oxynoxe-X” is Implant’s 10^th official studio album, which is a real milestone in an artist’s career. Does it get you nostalgic or simply inspired to move on? Are there albums you would have accomplished another way today?

Len: Never look back in regret. 10 albums becomes a legacy. I was forced to change my car (after an accident) and the new one only has USB. So I filled a USB stick with a lot of music including all releases of Implant. At one point I played all, in one long go (over several drives). A lot of that time the kids were in the car, and discovered a big part of my releases (‘forced to listen to’ is a more accurate way of describing it). My son is 17 and very open minded in music. He was kind of impressed with the variety of things I did. I take that as a big compliment. Seems like Implant is accessible in a very alternative way (that were his words).

Would I have done things different? Sure, who wouldn’t? Music is a process of learning. It is the sum of your influences at that time. Struggling with your technological limitations and funds for instruments. That is how I see those 10 albums. One big process. And it was fun all the way.

And milestones. For me these are the people I met thanks to the music. Jan, Jean-Luc, Anne … etc. Those are the milestones for me. Sitting in a backstage with Claus Larsen and finding out he is a fan. Having Patrick Codenys come over to your studio to help you configure your new computer, while talking on how to make a baseline. But it’s also the friendship with people that started out being fans and ended up being friends. Those 10 albums enriched my life. And I have to thank music for that.

Q: “Oxynoxe-X” has been introduced as ‘a wink to one of the pioneers of electronica dance’. I think we all have understood who you’re referring about, but you also told me there’re more winks hidden behind the new work. What is it all about and why this ‘ode’?

Len: The concept of an ode came during the process of writing this album. Several times we asked ourselves, what made those classic ‘80’s albums so different?! And tried to take that legacy as part of composing a song. Resulting in some hidden winks to bands we both love. In the end, when we assembled an album out of the different studio sessions we both understood that this album reflected part of our love to electronic music.

This scene has changed dramatically over the years. Let’s face it, the cool kids are no longer attracted to this music. There is no real reason left to make this except for the love of this kind of music. This album is more of an album that will grow on you (or at least that is what we hope). Give it time to ripe. It became a passion thing. And I hope we figured a way to capture that feeling and share it.

And it’s a fun game too; you can try and find references some are obvious, others are more hidden. But admit, the lead on “Le Pouvoir” made you think of A Split Second.

Q: It might also explain the more experimental bonus disc, which sounds as Implant exploring the magic of analogue equipment, but it also became the most atypical Implant work ever. What can you reveal about the bonus disc “Oxynoxe-X²”?

Len: We are a bit fed up with releasing bonus disks filled with remixes. It’s a very simple way to release that little extra to have fans pay that little more for something they don’t really want. And it has become something nobody even questions. And as an artist it’s kind of a trap. You need 10 remixers, who will eventually ask for a remix for their own release. So you might as well write it yourself. On top I have to admit, I almost never play any of these 2^nd disk more then once.

Jan introduced me to the modular world. I was very reluctant in the beginning. Because this is a total different way of composing. The creation of sound with modular systems are endless. But there is a lot of room for error. Actually this modular world is all about sweet spots. If you find a sweet spot, things become real interesting. On disc one we tried a lot of stuff that resulted in very strange sounds and structures, but it was all a prolonging of the way we always composed. The difference was that we didn’t have to run through the sounds of synth for a new sound, but had to create the sounds themselves. We quickly understood that you could create sounds that had a life of their own. Adding layers of randomness. Resulting in very experimental stuff.

At that point the concept of this album being an ode to electronic music was a fact, and we realized that we didn’t ‘yet’ express our love to some of the real experimental music that was part of our youth. Bands like Coil, Throbbing Gristle, Klaus Schulze… ao.

A combination of these ideas led to composing disc 2. And I still think it’s way more interesting then yet another disc full of remixes. It was very time-consuming compared to sending out 10 mails to remixers. I hope people at least appreciate the idea.

Q: I like the sense of the title “I Sometimes Dream Of Imaginary Parties To Meat New People” featured at “Oxynoxe-X²”. What kind of parties and music do you have in mind and who are you dreaming of to meet?

Len: Haha, those titles are meant to be strange. But it has to be a party with long bearded woman and high-heeled men (laugh).

Q: “Oxynoxe-X” in a way clearly got inspired by a look back in the past, but what’s your perception about contemporary electronic music and all aspects related to a band, but maybe not relevant for artists such as social media, streaming platforms, image etc?

Len: It sure has changed a lot over the years. Net-presence seems to be more important then the actual music. Social media is a trap of likes. A study has proven that you judge people ‘more successful’ if they are your Facebook friends, but don’t really know them in real life. It’s fake! We only share what we think will look good on us. I think it has some good sides. Some bands are very creative with trying to get a Youtube presence. DIY clips are sometimes incredibly interesting. But far to often it’s not. And frankly, I hate people who mainly post with 15 hashtags in every sentence or every 2 words an emoji. Maybe I just have to admit I’m bad at this social media. I think it moved far away from the essence of making music.

Streaming platforms is something different. I do see the beauty of the availability of music. It’s an interesting platform to discover music. But as a service, it enhances the idea of music being a free commodity to people. And the business plan is mainly focused on maintaining the service, not the content. (the majority of the money is for an IT-center that makes it possible to actually stream music, only a small part is reserved for those that deliver content). I hear a lot of people comparing it to Netflix, but what people forget is that Netflix is also responsible for creating content. Comparing streaming to Netflix could result in a far more interesting experiment. Where streaming services had to sign artists to get content. I think music has lost a lot of filters these days. Everybody can upload a track and get some streams. I know, one might argue that the public is the ultimate democratic filter. Unfortunately democracy only works if everybody is capable of critical thinking.

But hey, just press ‘like’ on this interview, maybe press ‘play’ on my video or even press ‘like’ on Implant’s Facebook page. But most importantly keep scrolling; you never know what you might miss!

2nd collaboration Raison D’être & Troum out in late October: ‘XIBIPIIO’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 08:00:41 +0000

The second part of the collaboration that started in 2013 with the (now deleted) “De Aeris in Sublunaria Influxu” CD now sees the light of day under the title “‘XIBIPIIO'”.

For the new album Raison D’être source material was used, processed and mixed with additional recordings by Troum. You can take that literally as Troum added guitars, voices, flutes,accordion , cello, violin, didgeridoo, dombra, tapes and found sounds.

The release can be ordered right here with digipak artwork with extra silver pantone printing as created by Marcin Łojek. The final mix of the tracks was executed by Troum while the mastering was handled by Peter Andersson.

Khost – Governance (CD Album – Cold Spring)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 18:30:23 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial-doom, death-industrial, industrial-metal.

Background/Info: Hailing from Birmingham (UK), Khost has gained a serious reputation in a rather short lapse of time. Andy Swan and Damian Bennett released some real noticeable productions while they did some massive live performances. The apotheosis probably was when Justin Broadrick (Godflesh) reworked the work of Khost on the “Needles Into The Ground”-album (2016). Khost is now back on track with a somewhat intimate work, which was inspired by some personal drama like sickness and one near-death-experience.

They’ve asked a few guest musicians who by the way are already familiar with Khost. Eugene Robinson (Oxbow), Syna, Daniel Buess and Jo Quail already contributed to the “Corrosive Shroud”-album (2015).

Content: Khost is not exactly music for sensitive souls. The mix of heavy screams, dark and oppressive atmospheres, heavy industrial elements and drones and metal music all together create a rough sonic creation. You now and then will notice some unexpected elements such as a kind of esoteric chants and sweet female vocals.

The entire work remains driven and controlled by hard and merciless industrial-doom & metal music.

The last track is a remix of “Coven” by Adrian Stainburner (Israel).

+ + + : It didn’t take that much time to Khost to become experts in their genre. The music style is pure crossover featuring different influences, which might appeal to lovers of doom-metal music, but still to death-industrial. The sound is constantly recovered with heavy sound layers and oppressive atmospheres leading the listener into a vision of horror. I sometimes get the impression that Khost is starting there where their town mate Justin Broadrick is stopping. But on the other side I also like the few, more sensitive elements –such as the contribution of Jo Quail, running through the work.

– – – : Khost is one of those formations composing music for extreme souls! It means that it’s not exactly the kind of accessible release. Speaking for myself, it took some time to get into the sonic aggression created by this combo.

Conclusion: Khost are truly sound terrorists composing sonic bombs, which can provoke a serious brain damage!

Best songs: “Cloudbank Mausoleum”, “Redacted Repressed Recalcitrant”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www .facebook .com /khostband

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

BOREDOMproduct launches it’s yearly July 14 sales revolution – guillotine prices!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 08:30:54 +0000

Allons enfants de la Patrie, le jour de gloire est arrivé… chez the electropop label BOREDOMproduct home to such great electropop acts like Foretaste, Celluloide, Dekad, … !

The label’s yearly revolution will take place on July 14, that’s tomorrow. Just like every year since the label exists they will use the guillotine to cut off the head of the prices. Place to be tomorrow, the BOREDOMproduct label website!

On this special day all of the label’s catalogue will be available at a special price including 2CD limited sets, T-shirts and lots more, while supply last of course (and you can take that literally as there is only a very limited amount of some of these items!).

In short, it’s the occasion to complete your collection of some of the best bands on French soil.

Aux armes, citoyens…!

Nashville industrialheads from Fires return to school with ‘Red goes grey’ album

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 07:00:03 +0000

Out in September is the label debut album “Red goes grey” by Nashville’s industrial act Fires. Not that you should take that industrial tag literally as the band mixes American industrial with pop and dark electronic. According to the band you’ll be able to enjoy influences by the more pop elements of acts like Imperative Reaction, The Killers, Carpenter Brut, S U R V I V E, & Kesha. Fires is the project launched by Eric Sochocki, who has already contributed a few remixes and tracks to compilations in the past. The album can be ordered right here. Here’s an impression of what to expect:

Read the review of ‘Red Goes Grey’.

Interview – Erasure still believe in love – Andy and Vince talk about their new album ‘World Be Gone’

János Janurik — Fri, 19 May 2017 16:00:21 +0000

2 days after the free EP “50 Shades of Gay” by Junksista to celebrate the international day against homophobia and transphobia, we can present you an interview with yet another LBGT minded duo, namely Erasure.

(Interview by Janos Janurik) I can clearly remember the first time I met Erasure live as it was on my 18th birthday. OK, actually it was a one-sided meeting only because it happened at their Budapest concert in 1992 and I stood among the public with other fans and they were on stage performing live.

I was so impressed of what I saw and heard on that evening that I even wrote a fan-review on it – although I kept it in my drawer. Approx. 10 years later I started freelancing for various music sites – among others for example I was the editor of the Hungarian Mute microsite. I did several articles on Erasure and in March 2005 I finally got the opportunity to meet my heroes in Munich and I interviewed them face-to-face.

I have kept contact with their management/record company and our relationship slowly became amicable. I still help their work silently with my promo articles and it was evident for me that I would get in touch with them again to do another interview on the release of their new album “World Be Gone”. Maybe I have a soft spot for Erasure but “World Be Gone” is really one of their bests – both musically and lyrically. Let`s take a look in the minds of Mr. Vincent Clarke and Mr. Andrew Bell and let them tell us about their past, present and future…

SL: You recently had an important milestone in your career. You celebrated a big anniversary to mark 30 years of being together as a pop-duo. Have you ever thought you`d come this far? Are there any unfulfilled wishes in your life?

V: It would have been impossible to imagine (in the 80’s), that we’d still be around after 30 years. As for ambitions there’s just that elusive ‘perfect pop song’.

A: I didn’t really think about how long we’d last, whether it be 30 or 50 years to be honest I take each day as it comes I was just very honoured to be able to work with Vince Clarke in the first place! I think it is kismet & we were meant to be a song writing partnership. Sometimes I wish we had a bit more recognition within the industry but it’s not absolutely necessary!

SL: Sometimes you’re just ranked as a typical 80s band although your career mainly happened in the 90s and in the `00s – and you`re still present in today`s music business. Do you think radio stations are responsible for that? Do you get enough airplay nowadays?

V: The radio station ‘business’ is about playing the latest and newest. That’s totally understandable. More airplay would be nice, but that’s not the way of the world.

A: I think pop is mainly for teenagers so you are very lucky if you manage to keep some of those initial fans with you, for me being a gay man seems to keep you forever young so I don’t tend to think about things in a traditional way.

As for the radio etc it’s all up to them & it’s all very corporate & centralised I don’t need to be categorised in any way & take no notice any way!

SL: Do your supporting gigs with Robbie Williams have anything in common with making your music known for a wider public, with the newer “pop-kids”? How did you get to know each other with Robbie? What are your expectations of this tour?

V: We met Robbie once, when Take That first started their careers at a TV show in the UK. This tour is a fantastic opportunity for us to remind people of our music… I’m not sure Robbie’s fans are ‘kids’ anymore?

A: I think Robbie & his wife maybe slight fans, I like him & it’s a good opportunity for us to play to a million people without having to do 75 shows!

SL: There is a new Erasure album coming out on Mute on 19th May 2017. It`s titled “World Be Gone”. The title is not too optimistic but its content is full of hope – except for a few parts. How can you find optimism in the most unlikely circumstances?

V: I believe good and bad comes in waves. I’m a naturally optimistic person. I have to be, especially as I have an 11 year old son.
You have to otherwise you might as well pack it all in.

János Janurik

I began my career in online music journalism in 2001, writing about artists I had followed since the late ’80s and early ’90s, including Depeche Mode, Erasure and The Cure. I later edited the Hungarian Mute microsite for EMI Music Hungary. This led to interviews with Erasure, Nitzer Ebb and Alan Wilder, and some of those collaborations developed into lasting friendships. Since 2014, I have been part of the editorial team of depechemode.de. I also contribute interviews to Reflections of Darkness, Peek-A-Boo Magazine and Kaput Mag. I maintain a close connection to Mute Records artists and have also supported releases on Very Records. I am proud to collaborate with Side-Line Magazine, where I regularly publish interviews and features.

‘Click Interview’ with Model Depose: ‘The New Romantics Of The Present Time’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 19:30:30 +0000

Model Depose is a band from The Netherlands, which released their debut full length album “Splitting Light” on Dark Tunes Music Group and Trisol. This opus is a successful mix between good-old new-wave influences and a kind of electro/indie-pop music. I got in touch with guitarist Jobbe Holtes to get some more info about the band and this impressive album.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Who’s hiding behind Model Depose and what kind of band & sound did you had in mind when taking off?

Jobbe: Jobbe, David, Roeland, Mariët and Tim are Model Depose. We share a great passion for alternative music. Initially our music started as an electro project with new-wave guitars. Eventually, line-up changes and evolving writing skills change the way we compose. Our music became richer than we initially aimed for.

Q: You claim to be ‘the New Romantics of the present time’ so what does that mean and what’s the link with your music?

Jobbe: We never claimed to be ‘New Romantics of the present time’. The title was given by others just after the release of our EP “Nightwatch”, and it stuck with us. We feel that it is a beautiful way to define what kind of music influences you can expect.

We don’t necessarily claim that we’re the same or that we even have the same goals in our music, but people feel a lot of similarities with the way these bands sounded and gave way for their musical ideas.

Q: You’re already active for a couple of years now, but why did it take that long to achieve and release this debut album “Splitting Light”?

Jobbe: To cut a long story short; on the moment we wanted to start writing our debut album, we had some major changes within the band. Finally it all came down to the money; recording and other aspects of the music industry can be very expensive so it took some time before we organized ourselves.

We are very happy with the results we’ve achieved over the years and continue to write new music. We hope to release a new album in 2017.

Q: Let’s talk about “Splitting Light”; how did the writing happened and what are according to you the main strengths of this work?

Jobbe: We write our music quite intuitively. A song could start just with a great synth sound or riff. We compose a rough track and start to write lyrics. Later on we re-compose the song to match with our vocal ideas.

We think that the explicit vocals from Roeland are a great strength. The crossover between the polished new-wave sound and edgy rock riffs is another one. The variety of our sounds and contrasts within songs is something we’re pretty proud of as well.

Q: The last song of the album (cf. “Nightwatch”) is a look back at your self-released debut EP released three years ago now. Do you see any progress and maybe improvement in sound and production from “Nightwatch” till “Splitting Light”?

Jobbe: We’re constantly trying to improve our songwriting, the way we orchestrate or how we produce our music. We went from stripping everything to acoustic to full pull productions with many layers and synth textures in the details. From one man productions to group production sessions with collective lyric writing. This way, we learn from every song. But we still love the songs we wrote before, for different reasons obviously.

Q: Your sound clearly reminds me to bands like Depeche Mode, IAMX and Mesh… which I think says something about your potential sources of inspiration. What makes the fascination for some of these bands?

Jobbe: We’re very happy that people mention these great bands and you’ll find music from these bands in our collection although we never try to copy their music. We do what we please music-wise. That’s a quality we’re very proud of.

We think what we have in common with those bands is the interest in emotive music. A bit dramatic, or dark you might say, but furthermore intense.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Erasure on tour with Robbie Williams next Summer + finishing new album

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 19:24:15 +0000

Vince Clarke and Andy Bell will join Robbie Williams on a tour starting in the UK on June 2.

The tour continues through Europe in July, August and September 2017 with dates in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Finland, Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland and Russia.

It will be a good way for Erasure to get their electro pop hits back under the attention and in the ears of a whole generation which has probably never heard of this legendary act before.

The duo are currently putting the finishing touches to the 17th Erasure studio album, due for release on Mute in spring 2017. Below is a snippet!

Dawn Of Ashes – Theophany (CD Album – Metropolis Records)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 18:27:33 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial-black-metal.

Background/Info: Dawn Of Ashes is a band I discovered during the glorious days of the now gone NoiTekk label. NoiTekk was a reference when it comes to discovering dark-electornic talents during the early millennium years. Dawn Of Ashes already was a kind of exception for their metal-influence supporting their work. After NoiTekk closed its doors, Dawn Of Ashes signed to another label and finally joined Metropolis while their sound never stopped to get more metal minded.

Content: “Theophany” is the newest brain child of Kristof Bathory. He again acts and sings like he is possessed and it doesn’t take that much time to get the impression that you’re entering into hell. The songs are driven by furious rhythms, empowered by epic bombast, recovered by obscure atmospheres and accomplished by torturing guitar sounds.

A few softer cuts feel a bit like a short intermezzo, but it rather sounds like a short relief before getting back to aggressive, freaky power outbursts. A final and more ambient-inspired cut brings us to the exit of the “Theophany”-inferno.

+ + + : “Theophany” is not just only power, but confirming the conceptual and somewhat spiritual approach of Dawn Of Ashes. It reinforces the disturbing aspect of the work, which moves further than only metal. It feels like a devilish rite and a merciless experience in ‘modern’ metal-music. The opening cuts will really blow you away; the power is driven to its ultimate state and it feels great.

– – – : I was not especially impressed by the somewhat softer and moody-like cuts of this work. Dawn Of Ashes clearly feels more comfortable and efficient when dealing with rough power. “Theophany” is an accomplished work although not the best one from this band.

Conclusion: “Theophany” sounds like the power from the underground, an imaginary sonic temple known for obscure rites featuring Kristof Bathory as the guru of a dangerous sect.

Best songs: “Equilibrium”, “Tribe Of Chemosh”, “Rise Of The Ancient East”, “Fire Of The Phoenix”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www .facebook .com /Dawnofashes

Label: www .metropolis –records .com / www .facebook .com /MetropolisRecords

Pharyngeal – Pharyngeal (CD EP – Pharyngeal)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 21:45:48 +0000

Genre/Influences: Martial, death-industrial, metal.

Background/Info: Pharyngeal is a brand-new Swedish project that was set up in late 2015. It doesn’t take that much time to achieve this self-released and self-titled debut-EP featuring 5 tracks. The EP is available as a limited CD format.

Content: “Pharyngeal” sounds like a sonic fusion between different sources of inspiration. The work takes off in a rather martial style and progressively evolves towards hard and merciless death-industrial passages. A kind of horror theme hangs over the production while heavy, screaming vocals feel like a possessed soul in action.

The guitar playing is quite important and only reinforces the eclecticism of the work. It sounds now industrial and then into pure hardcore while the EP finally ends a neo-folk inspired way. There clearly is a constant switch and symbiosis between the multiple influences running through this work.

+ + + : Pharyngeal sounds like in search of a new ‘industrial’ and ‘ambient’ dimension, which has been approached by an impressive arsenal of influences. I like this diversity, but have a preference for the more death-industrial style. I also like the sober, but artistic digipak format of this work.

– – – : I’m missing a bit more cohesion between the tracks. Pharyngeal sometimes appears to be a sonic laboratory revealing multiple influences, but missing a kind of sound identity.

Conclusion: I think this EP is an interesting debut, which might serve as basis to elaborate a more specific style and approach.

Best songs: “Crimson Delights”.

Rate: (6).

Band: www .facebook .com /pharyngeal