(Interview by Karo Kratochwil) Recently, I was given the chance to listen to “4S (Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome)”, the new TC75 album due out on 15 May, and it felt like the perfect occasion to ask Tino Claus, the mind behind the project, a few questions. What struck me first was how fresh and uncompromising this record sounds: harsher, rougher, and more abrasive than anything I had previously heard from him, yet still held together by a strong inner discipline. That very tension, between pressure and precision, noise and control, became one of the central themes of our conversation. We spoke about the paradox built into the album’s title, the unusually difficult process of finishing the record, the refusal to repeat old patterns, the role of contrast in both sound and artwork, and the broader artistic space Tino moves through between TC75, collaboration, and Amnistia. “4S” feels like an album that pushes his language into a more severe and exposed territory, and that is precisely what makes it so compelling.

TC75 interview

Karo: “4S (Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome)” is a telling title because it creates an immediate contradiction: an album built from force, pressure, and noise is named after a condition defined by hypersensitivity to sound. Was that contrast mainly an intellectual gesture for you, or did it also express something deeper about how overwhelming the contemporary world has become, even for people who are not clinically affected by misophonia?

TC75: The Plan was to name the album “Misophonia” with no deeper meaning or the plan to create a kind of concept-album. Finally I decided to change the name into that little letter monster. I thought it is a good idea to name my album after that condition even I know that my music causes such itches for some people.

Karo: You have said that this album was unusually difficult to finish, and that at one point you had only four songs and doubted the record would ever come together. Looking back now, was the resistance mainly musical, or was it also about finding the right emotional and conceptual language for where you were at that point in life?

TC75: It was just about the music. I did not find the right sounds or hooks to build songs on / out of it. Emotions mostly come on the table when we are talking about the lyrics.

Karo: What makes “4S” especially compelling is that it seems to treat hypersensitivity as more than a medical condition. The album often feels like a portrait of overload itself: too much noise, too much pressure, too much input, too little silence. At what point did the record begin to grow beyond its initial concept and become a wider reflection on the violence of constant stimulation?

TC75: I am not afflicted by misophonia but I know people who are. And believe me this is no fun. Some people are lucky when they know what the reason for their suffering is. I mean misophonia hasn’t even been properly researched yet, and not all medical professionals recognise it as a condition or even a symptom. Yet A LOT of people have health issues because of noise. Everyone is familiar with the sound of fingernails scratching a blackboard, a dripping tap, smacking lips while eating, or snoring. Imagine being hypersensitive to such noises and having nowhere to escape to… A nightmare scenario!

Karo: Compared to earlier TC75 material, this record feels harsher in structure, more stripped down, more abrasive, and at times almost closer to noise in its musical effect, even when the arrangements remain tightly controlled. Was that sonic severity a conscious production decision from the beginning, or did the material itself demand a rougher architecture as it developed?

TC75: I mean deep in my heart I am a Pop-Guy. It means normally I like songs with a clear structure and I don’t need any fancy stuff like the third or fourth bridge, a 5^th break and constantly changing rhythms or something similar. And I am not a musician. That’s why the structures are more or less simple. On the other hand I like noise in music and there are a lot of artists I adore for there works with and in noise. You are right the approach was to change my music a bit because I don’t want to – and can’t – keep drilling the same board over and over again. Your question makes me think I’ve managed to do that.

Karo: You have spoken very openly about not wanting to repeat yourself, not wanting to overthink the music, and not being interested in fulfilling expectations. At this stage, what does artistic progress actually mean to you? Is it about changing your sound, changing your process, or simply refusing to become predictable, even to yourself?

TC75: That is the question! It is the tragedy of artists that they cannot influence how the audience decides – have they found their style, or are they just repeating the same thing over and over? 

For me, it’s important that I can recognise an artist’s music by their style. That could be the music itself, the choice of sounds, and of course the voice. However, I’m not keen on knowing the song before I’ve heard it. Every new release should have some fresh element to it, without the style changing too drastically. Believe me – that’s not easy when you’ve released more than two albums.

Karo: One of the most striking aspects of “4S” is the tension between discipline and intensity. The tracks feel highly constructed, yet never sterile; emotionally charged, yet never chaotic. When you are building a TC75 track, how do you negotiate that balance between control and release in practical production terms?

TC75: My songs are driven by an initial sound. When I have a sound, a rhythm a “something”  instantly the lyrics come to my mind and the process of “composing” is done. I never use the word compose for my works I prefer the term “string sounds together” because this is what I actually do.

Karo: There is also a very deliberate sense of contrast around the album as a whole, not just in the title, but in the decision to avoid scene-typical artwork and to use pink and white rather than expected visual codes. How important is contradiction for you as an artistic method? Do you consciously work against expectation in both sound and image?

TC75: The artwork is still very important for listeners and byers of music. That’s why I try to create something that the people keep in mind. And if, in the end, I’m the crazy guy with the pink industrial pop record then it’s worked.But seriously – the same goes for the artwork… should I cut a piece out or not?

Karo: Songs such as “The Core” “In Parallel” or “Empty Eyes” suggest not just personal unease, but a much broader discomfort with the way people move through society now: overstimulated, performative, disconnected, permanently exposed. Do you see “4S” as your most explicitly social album so far, even if it never becomes didactic?

TC75: I wouldn’t say that. When we are talking about my lyrics – I write them when I have an itch, when something pisses me off. Good for me there is A LOT going on in the world which “inspires” me to write. 

Karo: Your work exists in several different constellations: TC75 as a solo project, collaborations, remixes, guest appearances, and of course Amnistia. When you move between those formats, what remains irreducibly “TC75” for you, the element that survives every different context and still makes the result unmistakably yours?

TC75: I would describe it like this… I feel it when a track is a TC75 song. On the other hand a rarely write songs for Amnistia that’s why I rarely have to decide…

Karo: Because you are also one half of Amnistia, I’m curious whether moving between the duo format and your solo work sharpens different parts of your artistic identity. Does Amnistia feed TC75 in hidden ways, and are there any new Amnistia plans or other collaborations currently taking shape that you can already hint at?

TC75: It is necessary that the solo work have to be different to the work with the main band/project. Otherwise it makes no sense. Thank God I work with very talented people in all my bands, as I don’t make the music there – because my friends do a brilliant job.

Karo: After “4S”, what do you feel has shifted most for you as an artist – not in terms of sound, but in terms of how you understand what you are doing and why you are still doing it?

TC75: To be honest… I still don’t know what I am doing exactly. I try to do my best when I work on music and artwork. It has to please me. I do what I want, I don’t want to think about my music to much because otherwise it would lose its spontaneity.

Karo Kratochwil

Based in Wrocław, I work as a music journalist and photographer covering electro, industrial, EBM, gothic, and darkwave. My work includes features and live coverage, as well as concert, portrait, promo, and theater photography. What interests me most is the connection between artistic intention, what the work communicates, and what unfolds live on stage, all in pursuit of the bigger picture behind the music.

Ner\Ogris has been set up by Kai Neugebauer who you probably remember from Les Berrtas. He got company from singer Tino Claus who’s involved with Amnistia, TC75, MRDTC. They early this year released the debut album “I Am The Shadow – I Am The Light” on Dependent. The work is driven by retro-like EBM & Dark-Electro influences reminding legendary bands like Skinny Puppy and Yelworc… The power of the production emerges from bombastic drum sections, Industrial sound treatments and dark atmospheres. I talked with the German duo about this promising debut.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Both of you are experienced artists active in Electronic music for years. How did you get in touch with each other and where did the need come from to set up a new project? What does Ner/Ogris stands for by the way?

tinoC: We met the first time in 2014 at a Tommi Stumpff show. We talked about the ‘good-old days’ and had some fun. We have been in contact since then and did remixes for each other. In 2021 Kai sent a couple of instrumental tracks to get some feedback. His idea was to release an instrumental album. I had an idea of one of the tracks, asked if I should try something, got a GO and 90 minutes later I sent a vocal demo for “Shadowlight” to Kai.

kaiN: I was blown away, because I never thought that vocals fit into that song. And of course I asked Tino if he might want to try some more songs. At the end we had 6 songs. It was more than obvious that we could not call it a ‘featuring’… Ner\Ogris was born. This was in February 2022. The meaning of Ner\Ogris is simply Nero for black and Gris for grey. That’s it –no mystical meaning.

Q: I noticed you speak about Ner/Ogris as ‘always about contrasts and opposites’. What are these contrasts all about and how do you reflect it in your sound and lyrical content?

tinoC: First of all the contrast is that we both have our own ‘playground’ in the project. kaiN is the music and I am the voice. We don’t have the same age so our influences are different. We like the same artists but we have some addictions to artists the other will never listen too. So the base is quiet interesting and a great seed for creativity.

kaiN: The second point is that the album was not planed to the songs where there and tinoC added his vocals to an almost finished painting in some ways. We did not change anything on the tracks. This is (maybe) a bit unusual but this was a great challenge for us.

Q: The theme of contrast is clearly related in the album title “I Am The Shadow – I Am The Light” but what is the deeper significance of the title? And how did this album took shape?

tinoC: The name of the album is one line from the track “Shadowlight”. We called the album like the track but the label asked to name it “I Am The Shadow – I Am The Light”. And they were right. A strong name that reflects our philosophy. Sometimes the label guys have good ideas 😉

Q: I noticed a very strong, powerful, and overwhelming, ‘dark atmospheric’ side running through the composition which sometimes remind me a bit of early Canadian EBM formations. Can you give us more insight about the sound properly speaking and eventually influences/references?

kaiN: My influence is of course Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, The Tear Garden, Schnitt 8 and all the other Belgian, American or European bands of the 90s. That’s what I grew up with. I absorbed all those songs and it’s obvious that it has to come out again. Maybe the sound is like that because I’ve been collecting studio equipment since the 90s and of course I use it. That makes for this exciting mixture of old, perhaps familiar sounds and fresh sounds from modern DAWs.

Q: The album is also available as a special edition featuring an extra disc. What is the bonus of this extra disc all about and how did the selection of the songs for this bonus disc happened?

tinoC: To be honest… the label deal came very fast and was a big surprise. We did not think about the possibility of a release at Dependent. But when Dependent asked for songs for a special edition we had not so much material… ok we had a bunch of instrumentals but we thought that an instrumental bonus disc is maybe not sexy for most of the people. So we decided to record vocals for at least 2 songs. And here we are now with a bonus disc. Our label says that the tracks of the bonus disc are very good, so you guys should give it a try.

Q: I noticed you played your first concerts so what have been your experiences and reactions? How does it feel to go on stage with a ‘new’ project and what brings the future considering live shows, new songs, remixes, clips etc..? 

tinoC: We both are active in other bands so it is exciting to bring Ner\Ogris on stage. We are a bit nervous of course but we are no newbies. We believe that the concert will be as good as possible for us. And we hope and believe that all will work properly.

kaiN: Playing live and having a direct line to the fans is the greatest thing. We really want to do that. Besides the concert on 18.3.2023 in Naumburg/Saale, the NCN Festival in Deutzen on 31.8.2023 is also confirmed for this year. I’m currently working on a few remixes for a few bands I’m friends with, and of course I’m already working on more material.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro, EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Ner\Ogris is a new German duo featuring established names. It’s the meeting between composer Kai Neugebauer (Les Berrtas) and singer Tino Claus (Amnistia, TC75, MDDTC). The debut album features eleven songs.

Content: The sound of the album is clearly driven by old-school Electro elements which remind me of early Skinny Puppy with obscure atmospheres à la Yelworc on top. There’re also bombastic-like arrangements running through the songs. Most of the songs are featuring vocals but you’ll also notice instrumental cuts -which like on the last track are a bit into Trance and Ambient influences.

+ + + : I can’t say this project innovates but clearly brings a well-crafted and intelligent Dark-Electro format. There’s a perfect balance between power and dark atmospheres. The Industrial-like sound treatments and other bombastic arrangements plus some menacing bass lines accentuate the obscurity of the production. One of my favorite cuts is the instrumental “Cuervo Nada Mas” but I also recommend listening to “Shadowlight” (which is now released as a single), “Reality & Fiction” and “Silent Anguish”.

– – – : I’m a bit wondered about the last track “Mundo Oscuro” for its totally different approach -being more Trance/Ambient like. It’s a cool cut but it has less in common with the rest of the tracklist.

Conclusion: “I Am The Shadow – I Am The Light” is more than a promising debut for this experienced duo. Ner\Ogris clearly sounds like having a strong potential.

Best songs: “Cuervo Nada Mas”, “Shadowlight”,  “Reality & Fiction”, “Silent Anguish”, “Down”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.nerogris.com / www.facebook.com/ner.ogris

Label: www.dependent.de / www.facebook.com/dependent.records

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Dark electro newcomer Ner/Ogris have launched a video clip for the track “Deepest Fear” as the first single taken from their debut “I Am The Shadow – I Am The Light”. The band consist of Kain (Les Berrtas) and Tinoc (Amnistia, TC75, MRDTC). The album itself was mastered by 2nd Face.

The band’s debut will land on December 24th via Dependent.

You can check the video for “Deepest Fear” right below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Belgian EBM duo Wülf7 has had little success in their homeland. They strike back with four new songs plus seven bonus cuts.

Content: The songs are driven by solid- and typical EBM bass lines. The global sound atmosphere is dark and accentuated by synth lines and deep, resonating, vocals. Among the other songs left we get two collaborative pieces -one with Tankt and the other together with TC75. Remixes have been accomplished by First Aid 4 Souls, Sleepwalk, Astma, Plastic Noise Experience and To Avoid.

+ + + : The main strength of the duo is that they’re mixing a pure, old-school, EBM style together with an atypical approach, which sounds more sophisticated while recovered with strings. The title song is a cool cut, but I also have to mention “EBM Nation”. Among the remixes I noticed a great job done by First Aid 4 Souls -especially for the sound production and Astma which also boosted the original edit by a professional sound production.

– – – : The only point Wülf7 has to be reconsider is the mix of their work. It has a dirty sound, which is clearly reminding me of retro-productions from the 90s, but it’s suffering from a lack of professionalism.

Conclusion: The only -but essential thing, Wülf7 has to improve is the technical part of their work, but this band has a true potential.

Best songs: “I Don’t Want (Anymore)”, “EBM Nation” + “I Don’t Want (Anymore) – Remix by First Aid 4 Souls”, “Morbide – Remix by Astma”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/Wulfe7

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, Cassette.

Background/Info: Two years ago Mirko Hentrich celebrated the twenty fifth anniversary of his Spherical Disrupted project by the massive release “25” featuring three albums. He for the very first time collaborated with singers. The songs “Basalt” and “Transneptunian Objects” was featured on this album and a few months ago now re-released as EP.

Content: “Basalt “ is featuring TC75 while “Transneptunian Objects” features Darkrad. You’ll find 2 remixes and an instrumental version of each song. “Basalt” sounds a bit EBM-driven but remains pretty minimal-like. One remix was accomplished by Trilogy.  “Transneptunian Objects” is more into overwhelming atmospheres although still pretty minimal-driven. One of the remixes has been made by Phasenmensch.

+ + + : This tape is a nice addition to the great “25”-production and for the biggest fans of the project. “Basalt” remains a cool song revealing a rather unfamiliar EBM-touch for Spherical Disrupted. The “Xenocryst”-edit has a pretty cool retro-EBM sound.

The ”Sednoid”-edit of “Transneptunian Objects” is another cool cut for its Industrial sound treatments and ghost-like vocals.

– – – : The original version of “Basalt” but also the remix that was made by Wesenberg (released at “25”) both were more convincing than these EP-edits.

Conclusion: I’d rather see this item as a collector’s item or a little bonus to “25”.

Best songs: “Basalt – Xenocryst Edit”, “Transneptunian Objects – Sednoid”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.disrupted.de / www.facebook.com/sphericaldisrupted

Label: www.audiophob.de / www.facebook.com/audiophob

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: This new EP by German EBM legend Orange Sector was accomplished together with another legend of the genre, Armageddon Dildos. Both bands remind us of the great Zoth Ommog label.

Content: The title song is pure EBM adrenaline, carried by a solid bass line, dancefloor rhythms and charismatic vocals. There also is a cool spoken sampling. The song has been remixed by Rob Dust, TC75 and Puppenjungz. The B-side song is heavier than the “War Of The Religions”, sung in German, but with a less carrying chorus.

+ + + : To see both EBM Grandmasters united is a pretty cool thing and for sure a very good reason for EBM fans to purchase this work. The title song also is a great piece of music, which is the right song as the EP title track. Among the remixes I heard a cool contribution by Rob Dust and a short, but powerful EBM remix by the unknown Puppenjungz.

– – – : The B-side song “Alles Ist Grau” is nothing less than an EP-filler with less substance.

Conclusion: Orange Sector had a great idea to ask Armageddon Dildos to work together; this is good-old EBM.

Best songs: “War Of The Religions”, “War Of The Religions – Puppenjungz Remix”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/OrangeSector

Label: www.infacted-recordings.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Infacted-Recordings/124099254321690

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Mirko Hentrich last year celebrated the twenty fifth anniversary of his sonic brainchild SPHERICAL DISRUPTED. Better than unleashing a ‘best of’ he released a totally new album plus two extra discs featuring remixes and previously unreleased material. The box has been released on Mirko’s own label Audiophob and is a new sonic exploration and mix of different Electronic styles. With this interview I want to pay homage to a talented and visionary artist who released numerous great productions.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You last year celebrated the 25^th anniversary of your main music project SPHERICAL DISRUPTED. What comes directly into mind when evoking these 25 years of commitment and what have been the main facts and best memories?

Mirko: 25 years ago the first public release came out. I’d started to make music a couple of years earlier. It is a pretty long journey so far and the beginning is really far away. But on the other hand me and all the other contributors on the release are thinking that the time went by really fast. Yes, it’s very ambivalent. So, all the thoughts about the past time of making music and the past of the project is the main thing that comes to my mind regarding the anniversary.

Of course every new release was an important moment for me and the founding of my label Audiophob with Carsten Stiller, which is already 17 years ago as well. But the best memories are mostly all the great live experiences, especially the ones at “Maschinenfest”-festival or the journey to Moscow and so on. It’s always great playing live and getting the reactions by the audience immediately.

Q: Do you notice main changes/evolutions in your approach of composing music between 1995 and today?

Mirko: The way I’m producing my music evolved not that much. Of course the gear and software have changed from time to time, which brings some changes in workflow naturally. But the main approach and even the master keyboard is still the same than over 25 years ago.

Q: You celebrated this 25^th anniversary by the release of a very special album featuring new work, but also remixes. Tell us a bit more about the new songs and the entire concept of “25”?

Mirko: The concept itself changed during production process. The initial plan was to release a double CD compilation with only a couple of new tracks plus some of my remixes for other artists, which are very important to me. There are some tracks I’m still liking a lot, but they weren’t available anymore or were even unreleased, like the remixes for THE_EMPATH and MIMETIC or for my own band from the 90s, EXPERIMENTUM CRUCIS.

But due to some serious health issues I wasn’t able to go to work in my regular job for several months last year and so there was the time for more new music and for more research in the archive, which resulted in a lot more tracks I originally wanted to put on “25”. Finally I decided that the box will contain a completely new album plus the two CD compilations.

For the first time there were two tracks with vocal contributions. This idea came before the whole box thing. I had to do a remix for the project PHASENMENSCH and I liked the music I had done for it, but something was missing to make this remix complete. So I had the idea to add some vocals by Jana Komaritsa from DARKRAD. We both liked the result a lot and so we wanted to do a completely new track in this combination as well.

The other vocal track was first planned as an instrumental for which I liked to have a remix by Tino Claus from TC75, AMNISTIA etc.. But when I’d asked him, he said, that he would rather do vocals for it instead. And yes, it worked very well.

Q: SPHERICAL DISRUPTED has been always a kind of ‘sonic enigma’ to me; a true fusion between different influences. How do you perceive your own music and the ‘sound’ you create? What kind of musician/producer are you?

Mirko: I’m very open minded to much kinds of music and all of them are influencing the music of SPHERICAL DISRUPTED. Besides these influences I’m experimenting with and trying to find new sounds or a unique combination of them. But the main aim with this project is to create dark and cold atmospheres, sometimes in a quieter more Ambient style, sometimes more rhythmic or noisier.

It’s an Electronic project and so it should sound like this, influenced by the machines themselves or astrophysics themes, in which I’m personally into.

Q: I can imagine you would have liked to celebrate this anniversary by doing live performances, which due to Covid-19 hasn’t been possible so far. How do you experience the artistic restrictions due to the pandemic and how do you see things evolving for your own activities and the music scene?

Mirko: Yes, there was planned a very nice event at the venue where the very first SPHERICAL DISRUPTED live appearance took place in 2000 with some other projects who had played back then as well plus other live shows, which all had to be cancelled. I’m missing a lot to play live and of course all the nice festivals where our other label bands should have played.

I really hope that all these events can be held very soon when we all got our vaccination. But due to the mentioned health problems I personally would have had to cancel most of the events last year anyway. And so I was able to concentrate more on creating music and doing label work and so on.

Q: You are still active as DJ and busy with other music projects. But you are also together with Carsten Stiller running Audiophob. Do you still have time for non-music related activities and what means music and these different projects to you? 

Mirko: Yes, sometimes I’m pretty busy, but never that much that there is no time for other things. But of course music is an extremely important part in my life: Making music, running two labels (Audiophob and its sub label Krater Recordings), DJing, some sound engineer jobs. Besides that I’m a manic music collector and this needs a lot of time as well. A life without music is simply unthinkable!

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Ambient, IDM, Industrial, Cinematographic, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, 3CD Box.

Background/Info: Mirko Hentrich set up Spherical Disrupted in 1995. He later on became co-owner of Audiophob and moved on releasing new works as Spherical Disrupted, but also still with side-projects like Sick En For and Capsular. “25” is celebration record featuring a new album plus two more discs with remixes and songs that are now released on CD for the very first time.

Content: The first disc “25 (Future)” features 11 new songs, which clearly expose the project’s diversity. There’s a constant mix between genres; moving from freaky Ambient-Electronics to Klinik-al Electro sequences to cinematographic passages to pure Electro-Minimalism to some groovy parts. The major innovation consists of 2 songs featuring guest singers. Tino Claus (TC75, Amnistia, MRDTC) and Jana Komaritsa (Darkrad) have been invited to join in.

The two other discs are titled, “25 (The Past)” bring us back to 25 years of history although a few songs have been previously unreleased (mainly live versions). You’ll also (re)discover songs spherical disrupted has remixed for other artists such as Bloody Dead And Sexy, Experimnetum Crucis, Yipotash, The Trial, Kiew, Mimetic Dancing, The_Empath, Xabec, Mandelbrot and Still Patient?

+ + + : The new album, which stands for “Future” reveals Mirko Hentrich in a good light. The work is accomplished with an impressive arsenal of influences, which I think is pretty characteristic for this project. Spherical Disrupted is not easy to seize and often resulted from a true sonic symbiosis of multiple ideas. I like the haunting atmospheres and icy, ‘klinik-al’ sequences emerging at “Basalt” featuring Tino Claus. “Transneptunian Objects” featuring whispering vocals by Jana Komaritsa is another successful collaboration. I here especially like the atmospheric side of the song. The remixes by Disharmony and especially Wesenberg at the end of the first disc are worthy of examination.

The 2^nd disc features several attention grabbers, but here again I like the variety of influences. From the cold-like and Industrial sounding “Monasteria” to the metallic sound treatments of “Yderligere Oplysninger”, this disc brings some essential –although often forgotten and unknown, pieces back to life. I’m especially fascinated by the icy, analogue sound treatments supported with an anguished sphere.

The 3^rd disc is more diversified and that’s because of the many bands Spherical Disrupted has accomplished remixes for. If there’s one song I would recommend (re)discovering is the Cinematographic rework of Mimetic Dancing’s “Small Spherical”.

– – – : Referring to the new tracks from this album I have to admit I already heard more convincing works from Spherical Disrupted. But as a celebration release this album is a real must have as it’s not a ‘best of’, but a true gift for the fans.

Conclusion: Spherical Disrupted probably is the kind of project you can label as ‘difficult music’ and that’s maybe the reason why this German artist never got a wider recognition. I can only express my respect for 25 years of great music!

Best songs: “Basalt”, “25”, “Basalt – Wesenberg Rework” + “Monasteria”, “Yderligere Oplysninger”, “Cavity block (Not The :W: Master)”, “Solar Luminosity – Terminal Mix” + Mimetic Dancing: “Small Spherical – Extended Nova Stella Mix”, “Kiew: “Zentrifuge – Inertia Mix”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.disrupted.de / www.facebook.com/sphericaldisrupted

Label: www.audiophob.de / www.facebook.com/audiophob

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, body-pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: German duoMaikko Advance (Mind.Area, Human Decay ao) and ‘Flesh Wire’ have been active since 2014, which was the year they also released their debut album “Reality Design”. They released this EP as a teaser to their new full length “There Will Be Solutions” asking Uwe Kanka (Armageddon Dildos) to sing on the title song while he also did some additional production.

Content: “No Pain Forever” is an EBM-inspired song, which is mainly carried by a solid bass line. The vocals are featuring harsher passages and clear ones. The song has been remixed by Sceptica and TC75. About the other songs left you’ll get an exclusive cut (cf. “Obsolete Cyborgs”), which sounds soft and 2 more remixes from a song (cf. “Soon You’re Mine”) that will be featured on the new album as well. Remixes have been done by The Negativity Bias and Photic Sonar.

+ + + : There’s no better way for a rather ‘unknown’ formation than asking a famous guest to get featured on one of your songs and in this case, the title song! There also is some potential in this track and especially the EBM-driven bass line sounds cool. It also becomes pretty rare to see Armageddon Dildos collaborating or doing remixes.I also have to say a word about the rough and yet melodic remix of “Soon You’re Mine” by The Negativity Bias.

– – – : The title song reveals some good ideas, but globally speaking this song is under produced. The chorus is missing a true climax and even the remixes don’t bring any real improvement. The B-side (exclusive) song is poorly inspired and the remixes of “Soon You’re Mine” don’t bring any real bonus.

Conclusion: to feature a renowned artist is for sure a good strategy, but when the result is disappointing, it feels like a total failure!

 Best songs: “Soon you’re Mine – The Negativity Bias Remix”, “No Pain Forever feat. Armageddon Dildos”

Rate: (5).

Artist: www.ai–zero.de  / www.facebook.com/aizero.music

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

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, minimal-EBM.

Background/Info: TC75 is the solo-project of Tino Claus (MRDTC, Amnistia). After a few EP’s released on 9XO Media TC75 joined hands together with the Russian Razgrom Music label to unleash this album featuring 10 tracks.

Content: Tino Claus remains faithful to the EBM influences he already deals with on Amnistia and MRDTC, but his solo-work is more minimal and personal-like. The song “Forge Ahead” perfectly illustrates the simple, but intelligent approach. Most of the cuts are ‘soft’, driven by slow rhythms and simple structures. A few harder cuts featuring some industrial sounds bring diversity to the tracklist. The last song is a long-duration, repetitive and atmospheric creation from more than 20 minutes.

+ + + : I’ve always like a minimal approach in EBM. Tino Claus has accomplished a few cool cuts, but I especially refer to “Forge Ahead”, which is an absolute masterpiece made with brilliant sound treatments. The global production reveals a retro-touch and haunting sound atmospheres sometimes reminding to Belgian electronic artists. The somewhat harder cuts bring extra variation and definitely belong to the most noticeable cuts of the work.

– – – : Some songs are maybe a little bit too simple, like suffering from a lack of elaboration. The last song, which also is the title track is too long in duration. I don’t have anything against long and elaborated ‘ambient’ pieces, but “Tension” is too repetitive.

Conclusion: I have a double feeling with this album; there are a few great ideas and songs at one side, but still a few less inspired cuts on the other side. I however think TC75 is an interesting project for its different approach so I’m really looking forward to see how this artist will evolve.

Best songs: “Forge Ahead”, “Ghost In The Machine”, “Death”, “Hall Of Shame”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/tc75.music

Label: www.razgrom.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Razgrom–Music/218060094876247

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Background/Info: Fredrik Djurfeldt got some underground recognition as the instigator of the EBM project Severe Illusion while dark-ambient and industrial-lovers know him as the creative force behind Analfabetism. We sometimes forget the Swedish artist is also involved in Instans, which is another EBM-driven band. Instans doesn’t really release new stuff on regular basis, but is now back on track unleashing a completely new album plus an extra disc with some extra songs and mainly remixes.

Content: I know it’s easy to make comparisons when you know that a musician is involved in different bands. But there clearly is an easy recognizable link between Severe Illusion and Instans. Most of the arrangements, but especially the minimalism shared by both projects is quite recognizable. Severe Illusion is more into industrial-fields while Instans is maybe a tiny bit more melodic and into ‘pure’ EBM. The work sounds pretty retro-like and evoke multiple 90s formations.

The sound formula is based on solid bass lines, raw electronic treatments and minimal-like leads plus spooky vocals. The remixes on the 2nbd disc have been accomplished by No Sleep By The Machine, Alvar, Amnistia, Antibiosis, TC75 and Severe Illusion.

+ + + : I like this good-old dark-EBM approach, which is somewhat evoking the glorious 90s. I like the raw and unpolished production, which sounds a bit evil-like and in perfect harmony with the ghost-like vocals and atmosphere hanging over the tracks. Fredrik Djurfeldt is a real creative and talented sound engineer who creates alluring, minimal tunes. I like this minimalism, which often makes the difference with all those bands of today, which simply sound the same. The new songs on the 2^nd disc are quite noticeable pieces.

– – – : The songs and sometimes sounding a bit too similar revealing an artist who’s maybe a bit abusing of his secret sound formula. The work features numerous cool songs, but not many potential hits. I expected much more out of the remixes.

Conclusion: Instans has released without a shadow of a doubt its best album to date. This is alluring retro-minded EBM with a raw and uncompromised sound.

Best songs: “Destruction Manual”, “Closing In”, “Wrecked”, “Bullet Full Of Holes”, “Painless”, “Wir Sterben, “Wrecked – Remix by Antibiosis”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.facebook.com/Instans

Label: www.advoxya–records.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Advoxya–Records/265765706059

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com