Hamburg, Germany–based Michael Schrader remains very active with his EBM project Tension Control. “Freiheit”, released at the end of 2025, is already his fifth full-length album.

The 13 tracks deliver Tension Control’s familiar recipe: old-school EBM that once again evokes memories of legendary bands such as DAF, Die Krupps, and others. Compared to previous releases, however, “Freiheit” sounds somewhat calmer and more minimalist. Some of the songs could have benefited from more elaborate arrangements. It is therefore no coincidence that the tracks with an extra touch—such as the phenomenal closing track—stand out as highlights. Schrader continues to sing primarily in his native language, but this time he also performs a few songs in English.

In my opinion, Tension Control remains a fantastic EBM project; however, “Freiheit” is not quite my favorite album in the discography. (Rating:7).

Listen to “Der Rhythmussmann”:

https://tensioncontrol.bandcamp.com/track/der-rhythmussmann

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

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Berlin-based industrial band To Avoid recently released the single “Diatribe” and the “1989” EP ahead of their album “All Gods Are Gone”, out December 6, via Alfa Matrix. We now have more details on that new album.

“All Gods Are Gone” will be out as a double-CD digipak. While the first CD holds 13 tracks, the bonus CD features remixes by a rather impressive lineup, including Haujobb, Portion Control, Mildreda, Circumpolar, Kifoth, Sleepwalk, Severe Illusion, Ice Ages, Forgotten Sunrise, Object, Kalt, Gettner, Tension Control and Chrome Corps.

Thematically the album tackles dark themes such as crime, corruption, and environmental destruction.

You can pre-order the album via Bandcamp or order it on CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore.

Formed in 1998, To Avoid gained early recognition with their debut “Resurrection” (2002), followed by the albums “Passion and Pain” (2009) and recent singles such as “1989”. The new album continues their legacy of hard-hitting sound and thematic intensity, further solidifying their place in the global industrial music scene. Known for pushing the boundaries of dark electro since 2000, the band fuses late ’80s EBM with ’90s melodic dark electro, creating intense soundscapes.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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(Photo by Esme Bones) To celebrate hitting the 100.000 streams milestone London-based alt.goth and electro-metal act Ray Noir will release his mixtape “Scorpio” in a deluxe edition this Thursday.

The deluxe edition holds the bonus track “All Alone” featuring Mariann Rosa from Surferosa and a brand new remix of “Double Trouble” by alt.rockers TOVA. Additionally, it includes remixes by Gothminister, Corlyx, Tension Control, and others, along with the track “You, Me & The Devil” featuring Tom Saint.

Ray Noir will be playing some shows in August with Combichrist at Underworld and a headline show in Oslo, Norway.

• 7th of August – London, UK – Underworld, supporting Industrial Core legends Combichrist
• 31st of August – Oslo, Norway – Revolver, co-headlining with Piston Damp

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Out soon is “Körperkommando”, the newest single from the German Augsburg-based EBM duo Bagger 258. The single is set to be released on June 28 and includes three remixes by Kreign, Tension Control, and Gamma Vortex.

This release will be available only in digital format through Bandcamp and on all major streaming platforms. The single was mixed by Daniel Hallhuber (Young & Cold Studio, Augsburg) and mastered by Stefan Poiss (Nicelabs, Vienna).

Nico von der Eisenmühle and Tim Schmelzer released their debut album “Ode an die Arbeit” on November 24, 2023. You can check that one out below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Michael Schrader strikes back with the fourth album of his sonic alter-ego Tension Control. The album features thirteen new songs.

Content: If you’re familiar with this German project you’re expecting new ‘old-school’ EBM. And that’s precisely what “Industrielle Revolution” stands for; good-old EBM reminding the energy and power of bands like DAF, AD:Key and co. The work is carried by solid bass lines and danceable kicks. The lyrics are switching from English to German and vice versa.

+ + + : Tension Control sounds as an ode to good-old EBM; a ‘pure’ EBM format which is however more and more accomplished. Tension Control is evolving throughout the years while remaining faithful to its initial approach. The album brings a succession of danceable, hitting, cuts. It’s not easy to give you favorites but I particularly like “Your Voice”, “50 Hertz”, “Feel The Rhythm” and “Survivor”. A last and essential point is the artwork of the album which is in the continuation of previous albums. I like this standardized  and recognizable approach.

– – – : I think that if the album would have been recorded with better equipment and/or in a better studio it would reach an extra -and higher, level.

Conclusion: Tension Control remains a solid ambassador of the contemporary ‘old-school’-EBM.

Best songs: “Your Voice”, “50 Hertz”, “Feel The Rhythm”, “Survivor”, “Form Folgt Funktion”, “Und Keiner Geht Hin”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.tensioncontrol.de / www.facebook.com/tension.control.ebm

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, CD.

Background/Info: “Ton Aus Strom” is the third album by German project Tension Control which is driven by Michael Schrader. This is also the first self-released opus.

Content: If you’re familiar with the band you exactly know what to expect. This is pure old-school EBM. No tricks nor complexity but just straight forwarded EBM with DAF as their ultimate reference and source of inspiration. Most of the songs are sung in German but you’ll also find a few sung in English. You’ll also find cover versions from Der Plan and Michael Matters.

+ + + : Tension Control stands for pure 100% old-school EBM. The songs are moving on where the previous album stopped, same sources of inspiration, same fascination for DAF. This is an album appealing for fans of Orange Sector, AD:Key, Armageddon Dildos ao. It’s not hard-core but simply powerful music featuring carrying choruses. The title song is a great piece of music but my personal favorite one is “kRaNK KrANk” driven by a great bass line.

– – – : Tension Control avoids any innovation but simply keeps the true EBM spirit alive. I was less convinced by the few English sung tracks but you don’t hear me complaining. I can’t understand why this band hasn’t been signed to a ‘big’ label.

Conclusion: Tension Control stands for pure EBM and is a band deserving more recognition.

Best songs: “kRaNK KrANk”, “Ton Aus Strom”, “Kraftwport”, “DAF Im Plattenbau”, “Deutschland, Bleiche Mutter”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/tension.control.ebm

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

Michael Schrader set up Tension Control in 2016. The German project directly moved towards EBM paths reminding some pioneers in the genre. A first album “Im Rhythmus Der Maschinen” got released in 2017 on Brandsatz Records. And a second opus “Fortschritt  Durch Technik” saw the daylight by the end of 2019. The retro-EBM format got a very positive response among the German EBM lovers. Tension Control can be the best introduced by one of the album titles: “Make EBM Great Again”!

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You’re a rather active artist, involved with different EBM projects. Tell us a bit more about your music background and your input in all the projects/bands?

Michael: Tension Control is my main project. I set up Tension Control in 2016 and it were also my very first steps in producing music. I’ve bought all the stuff including my first synthesizer and started from zero to figure out how it works. This is why you can hear a strong development between the first and the second album.

I have defined the pitch for Tension Control very tightly for myself. No revolutionary innovations when it comes to content or composing. Typical scene subjects and also critical- or reflecting views on current themes with simple danceable synth sequences with analog sound generators. My intention is to keep the old-school EBM alive.

The restrictions do not apply for my new project Michael Matters. The sound is influenced by modern techno music and the instrumental and thematic corridor is open here. The typical non-complex old-school EBM sequences are the connecting element. The first previews will be released in the next weeks and the album will be probably finished until the end of 2020.

Q: You started from zero, but how did you get the idea to set up Tension Control and what’s the main focus when it comes to sound and song composition?

Michael: Since I was listening to electronic music in the early 90s, I had a clear preference how a synth should sound like. A lot of commercial techno music had interesting sequences, but covered with a lot of useless rubbish. During the same period I discovered dark-electronic music, which according to me left the goofiness behind, at least mostly. Aggressive energy was added and from this moment I got infected. But it took many years to make the decision to leave my own footprints in this scene. Let’s see how it sounds when I try to arrange structures by leaving away what distracts me from the important components. I can say that’s not as easy as you might think, but now, with “Fortschritt Durch Technik” I’m getting closer to the matter!

Q: Over now to “Fortschritt Durch Technik”. What have been the main sources of inspiration and eventually criteria and references when it comes to production?

Michael: The second album ‘accomplished itself’ without a concrete concept. For me it was a ‘Fortschritt’ -a ‘progress’,  getting better in working out the sequences as they sound in my mind. Meanwhile I think, a never ending development. How deeper as I get into it, how more demanding I become… While doing that with a second synthesizer now, I processed the things which got be told and what was happening around me. The unimaginable luck I had, was to get on stage with my heroes, DAF! Can you imagine the feeling to get on a stage as singer the second time in your life with the chance to present your own art as support for one of your all time idols? Everything in 2018 and 2019 went in a breathtaking speed for me; I had to process what was happening musically.

Q: And your music reminds me to DAF. The song “DAF Ist Ewig” definitely sounds as an ode to this EBM pioneer so I can imagine you must have been –like many others of us, particularly shocked by the sudden loss of Gabi Delgado. What can you say about this song and the tragic loss of the DAF leader?

Michael: As I just told you, I had the chance to meet Robert Görl and Gabi Delgado in person. Robert’s unique style on the drums has given a direct impulse for this song to me. I put some simple synth sequences on top of it and diversified them in a DAF-untypical way, but wrote a text which is condensed to the minimum in best manner of Gabi.

In my perception, he was very balanced and an introverted, quiet man. But on stage he was totally different, like getting mad and showing his feelings. It’s unforgettable! Yes, I am deeply shocked by this sudden loss. It was much too early in his life. I am almost thankful for all the moments of joy while listening to Robert’s an Gabi’s music, to experience their concerts and for all the inspiration that DAF has given to my art.

Q: Another interesting song and according to me, one of the best from the album is  “Brexit! Implosion Initialised”! Is it something like a political song? What did you want to express here and what have been the other lyrical themes on the album? 

Michael: Many thanks, I’m very glad to hear that! Unfortunately it’s not common to deal with political issues in the EBM scene. But what kind of idiotic attitude is that please? Most people have an opinion. Let’s discuss the arguments and even if they are incompatible it’s a chance to improve our tolerance for ambiguity. “Brexit!” is a song from the first album. This first version paints a picture of Great Britain’s self chosen suicide by leaving the EU. Everything arranged around the core message ‘cause of death suicide – the sun shines on a dying might’. The second version -“Brexit! Implosion Initialised” also puts speech recordings from nearly the same actors around exactly the same core message. But now with a completely different result. It is the EU that is committing suicide by acting like this against its member states.

All lyrics on this album are about love, hate, war, EBM itself or social criticism. In detail or in whole. Everything that has moved me during the last 2 years.

Q: You’re signed on Brandsatz Records, which appears to me as a small label devoted to electro-punk & EBM. Can you introduce the label and do you feel being part of a so-called EBM community?

Michael: Brandsatz Records indeed is a small label, run by a good friend of mine. For Michael Matters I’m looking for a label dealing with more contemporary electronic music. All this organizational tasks around making music annoy me and steal my time and creativity.

Yes, of course I feel being a part of the EBM community! It’s a very familiar scene where you know each other. I’m just worried that younger generations seem to find it hard to access to this kind of music. But life is like this, perhaps the less adapted young people will develop their own electronic punk one day.

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, CD.

Background/Info: Here comes the second full length album by Tension Control. The album was released at the end of 2019 and got very positive reactions in their homeland, Germany.

Content: “Fortschritt Durch Technik” is what I should call ‘old-school EBM’. The songs have been sung in German and English, but you clearly will recognize the ‘German touch’ reminding me of famous bands such as DAF, Die Krupps and Orange Sector. Some of the songs are driven by a minimal touch, which might remind you of DAF. There’re softer cuts and ultra-danceable ones featured. The lyrical themes seem to be important and especially the song “Brexit! Implosion Initialised” mainly featuring samplings around the Brexit featuring Boris Johnson, is worthy of examination. I also noticed funnier cuts such as “DAF Ist Ewig” and “Make EBM Great Again”.  
The album ends with a surprising cover version of The Doors’ “Love Me Two Times”.

+ + + : Such old-styled EBM productions aren’t original at all, but when the songs are accomplished and carried by a mature production you finally get a pleasant and danceable production. That’s precisely what this opus stands for. I noticed several cool cuts, but will especially tip the aforementioned “Brexit! Implosion Initialised”, the title song and “Make EBM Great Again” for the kind of martial rhythm. I also have to mention the cool artwork of the CD.

– – – : I think the cover version of “Love Me Two Times” is neither the most exciting nor successful work from the album. “DAF Ist Ewig” is another forgettable cut.

Conclusion: I can fully understand why this album got positive reactions in Germany; it’s a cool and highly recommended old-school EBM work!

Best songs: “Brexit! Implosion Initialised”, “Digitaler Bürgerkrieg”, “Fortschritt Durch Technik”, “Make EBM Great Again”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/tension.control.ebm

Label: www.brandsatz–records.org / www.facebook.com/BrandsatzRecords

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