The Klinik’s compilation “Box” returns on October 30, 2026 as a remastered triple-vinyl edition through Antler Records, the label that first released it in 1990. The set brings together 19 tracks that Marc Verhaeghen and Dirk Ivens recorded between 1984 and 1988 at The Lab, a period in which the duo developed the cold, stripped-down electronic sound that the band became known for within the Belgian EBM scene. Music on the original recordings is credited to Verhaeghen, lyrics to Ivens.

The original “Box” sold out in its limited pressing and became a sought-after collector’s item; it was later reissued on Hands Productions in 2004. This new edition comprises three heavyweight black 12-inch records in an expanded single sleeve carrying the original front cover, with a double-sided printed inner sleeve featuring previously unpublished photographs by Inge Bekkers. The recordings were digitally remastered by Pieter De Wagter (Equus) in 2026. “Box” is available to pre-order through Antler Records.

About The Klinik

The Klinik was formed in Belgium around 1982 by Marc Verhaeghen. In 1985, Verhaeghen, Dirk Ivens and Eric van Wonterghem of Absolute Body Control joined Sandy Nijs of The Maniacs under the name Absolute Controlled Clinical Maniacs, soon shortened to The Klinik. Nijs left the following year to form Hybryds, and van Wonterghem left in 1987, leaving Ivens and Verhaeghen as the duo behind the band’s best-known work, released through Antler.

The Klinik’s 1991 album “Time” was the last the Ivens/Verhaeghen duo made together before the pair went separate ways; Ivens went on to form Dive, while Verhaeghen continued the project, dropping “The” from its name. Ivens and Verhaeghen reunited for live shows in 2003 and 2004, and again for the album “Eat Your Heart Out” in 2013, their first studio album together in 22 years. Side-Line reported in 2017 that the band remained active without Ivens.

Britta Pirkko

For almost 15 years I’ve been writing about music, interviewing artists and reviewing releases for Peek-A-Boo Magazine. Recently, I also launched my own WordPress website, where I continue to share interviews, reviews and news from the underground scene. The darker side of music has been part of my life for more than 30 years, with a passion for everything from ’80s synthpop and New Wave to EBM, Futurepop and dark electronic music in general. Also Metal and Rock is part of my world. Away from the scene, I work in a public library, where books are part of my everyday life. I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction, especially books on politics, religion, health and travel. I’m also a fan of thrillers and horror films. When I’m not listening to music or reading, you’ll usually find me exploring nature, enjoying a good sauna, experimenting with vegan cooking, or travelling to my second home, Finland. I’ve always believed the underground has the best stories. My job is simply to help tell them

Censor is the brand new project from the Swedish musician Jouni Ollila who we known from his work with Pouppée Fabrikk, mz.412 and the recent solo project Ulvtharm. With Censor he tries “to capture the RAW vibes of late 80s, early 90s electronic music.”

Musically you will notice the DNA similarities with such bands as early Skinny Puppy, The Klinik, Frontline Assembly and Cabaret Voltaire.

Out now is a video for the track “Black Needles” taken from the upcoming album “Swarm” to be released on June 28 on all major streaming platforms and Bandcamp.

You can pre-order the album below on Bandcamp.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Michael Renfield has been active with various music projects for several years. Some will no doubt remember Noise Process, but he is now back with a new album from R010R. “Total Disinformation Awareness” was released by Electro Aggression Records and delivers us 16 songs driven by intelligent, old-school EBM with a touch of Dark-Electro on top. This interview gives us a broader view of this in my opinion underrated musician.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: It’s been a while ago now you set up R010R. What were the triggers and influences to start this solo-project and how did you see R010R evolving throughout the years?

Michael: Hello, and thank you for this interview opportunity. R010R happened gradually after my previous music project Noise Process ran its course. I moved to New York, and started working with I, Parasite, an Industrial-Metal project. I wanted to create a solo endeavour that had no alignment to a genre or expectation. My initial album “Gradual Destabilization” (2008) was an experiment in deconstructing how I created music while I was also learning a DAW approach for the first time.

Previous to R010R, everything was hardware sequencers, synths, and drum machines. The software world was an interesting challenge. Since I was working with Christopher Jon and “I, Parasite, performing live noise/synths, the album was released on the Dark Vision Media imprint.

As far as an evolution, that is the very nature of R010R. I am not trying to make a product or sell a gimmick. I am just forging ahead and doing various audio experiments. Not everything works as an album or EP format. However, I do make new music consistently. I am just very selective about what I release.

Q: What means music to you? And tell us a bit more about the achievement of your new album “Total Disinformation Awareness”?

Michael: I do music for the love of it and mainly enjoy experimenting in the studio environment. My SoundCloud account has tracks that are only temporarily available, and it is not always feasible to make these into a cohesive release. I enjoy the temporary format and mainly use these as a springboard for new concepts.

After “Gradual Destabilization”, I created another album called “End Of All Reason” (2010). However, I decided to shelve the entire thing and go in another direction. The “Urban Renewal Program”-EP (2012) led to “Daybreak”, and “Unyielding” (2016). I made these while I was collaborating with Dejan Samardzic (Haujobb/DSX), and Martin Sax (Valhall/Ekobrottsmyndigheten) on their projects. “Unyielding” was polished up with Dejan’s feedback and released on their Basic Unit Productions imprint.

“Total Disinformation Awareness”, originated as a series of EP’s that I wanted to release through Bandcamp exclusively. In 2021 I sent a handful of tracks to Dejan again as well as Nader Moumneh (Electro Aggression Records) just to get some feedback as the music was a sort of ‘old school’, return to that 90’s Electro-Industrial sound. Basic Unit at that time was inactive as a label, but EAR had some plans for R010R because Nader stated that he loved the tracks, wanted more, and was considering releasing a CD of the material. I have worked with Nader and EAR for many years, doing artwork and remixes for bands on the label. So it seemed a perfect opportunity to create another album.

Q: What have been the different stages, challenges and difficulties you’d to go through to achieve this new work?

Michael: So now we get to the heart of it all. The challenge in creating “Total Disinformation Awareness” was not the music at all. It was the theme. With “Unyielding”, I was rattled by the Edward Snowden revelations. This led to reading about Thomas Drake and Bill Binney who were also NSA whistleblowers. This led to Wikileaks and Julian Assange, the Hillary Clinton emails, and Vault 7. Without getting into those details for the sake of your readers, my worldview journey eventually got to “Total Information Awareness”. A DARPA program of mass surveillance that utilized several defence and intelligence contractors that were also in Wikileaks documentation of interest. “Total Disinformation Awareness” is a nod to that program and the idea that social media took up where that program ended.

Q: Anything more we’ve to know about the lyrical content?

Michael: I think I made it clear with the press release. ‘There is a ton of disinformation being pushed through official channels and it is designed to keep us in a state of confusion and belligerence towards each other. It is imperative that we recognize and call out this attempt at deceit or we are going to become victims of oppression within our own ‘democratic’ systems.’

This has only become even more apparent with current news cycles where anti-war protesters are identified as anti-Semitic, COVID conspiracy theories are revealed to be factual, and politically aligned individuals are termed ‘a dangerous cult’. Meanwhile, all sides are pushing lies and misinformation frequently and without remorse. This is the art of destabilization that we must defend against. How can we be informed citizens and make informed decisions in our countries when our worldview is illusory?

Q: Sound-wise there clearly is a sophisticated, ‘old-school’, EBM sound running through the songs which might remind to legendary bands from the Canadian EBM school but also to bands like Mortal Constraint, The Klinik ao. What does it say about your perception of sound, sound creation and global production?

Michael: This is always interesting to me, the alignments that the audience hears in my music. Of course, I am aware of and listened to this style of music decades ago. However, if you ask me what inspired me to write “Total Disinformation Awareness” I would say Modeselektor, Ben Frost, and Bosse De Nage. I listen to a great deal of music 24/7 and only a small percentage of it is still Electro-Industrial. I honestly love this modern landscape of music. Independent music has never thrived like this. I have several webzines and platforms I visit every week just to keep up.

Q: What comes after “Total Disinformation Awareness” and do you’ve plans to bring the music on stage?

Michael: Next up on the worklist, I continue the R010R EP’s I was writing before Total Disinformation Awareness”. I already have several new tracks that will drop on Bandcamp later this year. These will be more Techno and Noise-related than EBM or Electro-Industrial. However, I have been tasked with a handful of new remixes for EAR artists as well as some additional Electro tracks for the upcoming EAR compilation. Those will be along the lines of “Total Disinformation Awareness”. I also have plans to start doing live Noise webcasts through my Youtube channel, as well as a new free-form Noise project I call Diminished Bastard Sword. The best way to keep track of what I am doing is through SoundCloud and Youtube. I will drop a link below.

Lastly, negative. I have no plans to play out live. I have done that thoroughly in my youth and I rather stay in a controlled studio environment. I also have a family and a ‘day job’. Arranging shows or a tour schedule is not possible.

Thank you again for reaching out and arranging this interview. I very much appreciate it. https://linktr.ee/soillodge

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro, EBM.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/R010RNOISE

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

About R010r

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

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Carl Nilsson strikes back with the fifth full length album of his EBM project Lucifer’s Aid. Ten new songs have been achieved.

Content: “Destruction” remains faithful to the dark and harsh EBM sound of the Swedish artist. Throughout the years the songs have been more elaborated mixing power and impressive, dark atmospheres punctuated by harsh vocals. The work also reveals minimalistic passages which might remind you of the spirit of The Klinik.

+ + + : This album -and project, is much more than simply old-school EBM. The writing is mixing EBM and Dark-Electro with some extra Industrial sound treatments on top but it also reflects a true sound intelligence. The songs are featuring multiple effects while the structures have been progressively built up. The tormented atmospheres accentuated the darkness hanging over the work. “Obsesssion” is my absolute favorite track for its sonic welfare and the way it moves crescendo. Other essential cuts are “In this Room”, “No Return”, the more minimal sounding “Desire” and “We Are Strong” for its Klinikal-touch.

– – – : The very first songs of the album are more than okay although rather an appetizer for what’s coming next.

Conclusion: Lucifer’s Aid confirms its strong potential and talent to compose intelligent ‘old-school’ EBM.

Best songs: “Obesesssion”, “In this Room”, “No Return”, “Desire”, “We Are Strong”, “Give You Control”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.lucifersaid.com / www.facebook.com/lucifersaid

Label: www.progress-productions.com / www.facebook.com/progresspro

About Lucifer’s Aid

Lucifer’s Aid is a Swedish solo project founded in 2016 by Carl Nilsson, who was also involved with Lithium and The Operating Tracks. Since its founding the project has released several albums and EPs on Progress Productions, each built around a fusion of EBM and Dark-Electro.

“Destruction” is Lucifer’s Aid’s fifth full-length album, featuring ten new songs that continue the project’s dark, harsh EBM sound.

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: Industrial, Industrial-Techno, Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Eric van Wonterghem (Absolute Body Control, Sonar, The Klinik, Insekt, Detune-X ao) doesn’t need any further introduction. The Belgian veteran strikes back with the twelfth full length album of his Monolith solo-project.

Content: The work takes off with a Cinematic-Industrial piece which sounds like an intro. We next embark on a dark sonic journey made of Industrial sound treatments, obscure and sometimes mystic atmospheres, menacing, low, bass lines and danceable rhythms.

+ + + : The album features 17 tracks so no need to say Monolith remains creative and prolific after more than 20 years of involvement. The tracks have been slowly built up and feature ‘Industrial intelligence’. “Concrete Playground” is a diversified opus like illustrated by the clubby track “Push”, the heavy “Gallium Element” which sounds like Thomas P. Heckmann on an Industrial journey, the mystic-like “Take Me High”, the haunting “The Hunter” and “The Sky Turns Red” for its irresistible, low, sound treatments. The album illustrates the endless creative mind of this Belgian sound guru but also his open-minded spirit to compose Industrial music.

– – – : I regret some of the tracks aren’t a bit more extended. I’m also missing the Tribal influences from earlier releases.

Conclusion: Monolith took out a patent on Industrial music like no other artist can make. “Concrete Playground” is a new must have!

Best songs: “Push”, “Gallium Element”, “Take Me High”, “The Hunter”, “The Sky Turns Red”, “Concrete Playground”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/monolithrecords

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

About Monolith

Monolith is the solo project of Belgian musician Eric Van Wonterghem, started in 1997. Van Wonterghem began his career in the early 1980s as composer for the minimal synth act Absolute Body Control alongside Dirk Ivens, later joining Ivens and Marc Verhaeghen in The Klinik, and continuing to collaborate with Ivens in Sonar. “Concrete Playground” is Monolith’s twelfth full-length album, released on Hands.

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: Soundscape, Experimental.

Format: Digital,CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Norwegian project Are Mundal has been active since the ’90 and are releasing new stuff on an irregular basis.

Content: This work is featuring 2 extended cuts. The work is clearly conceived as a Soundscape or sonic collage. The first cut is more elaborated and diversified featuring freaky, spoken, samplings, electronic sequences and slow rhythms. The second cut is into pure Soundscape.

+ + + : I really like the first cut which is well-crafted and more accessible by the slow cadence and samplings. This track reminds me a bit of early, Experimental, work of The Klinik. I also have to say a word about the cool artwork from the vinyl format which is also including prints of artwork by the artist.

– – – : The second track left me rather unmoved for its more explicit Experimental approach. This cut would be more interesting when getting joined by visual work.

Conclusion: A dark and mysterious sonic travel which will appeal for Experimental lovers.

Best songs: “Kreis Part 1”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: https://aremundal.blogspot.com

Label: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090986418512

About Are Mundal

Are Mundal is a Norwegian experimental and soundscape artist based in Bergen, active since the 1990s and releasing material on an irregular basis. His work spans tape, electronics, guitar, Tibetan clarinet and singing bowls, and includes a self-titled album issued in 1996 in a limited pressing of 600 copies. He has also recorded under the names Irminsul and Nacht Und Nebel, and has appeared in the groups Brun Bønne and The Torske/Mundal Explosion. The “Kreis” EP continues that irregular release pattern with two extended soundscape pieces.

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: Tribal, Cinematic, Experimental.

Format: Digital, 3CD.

Background/Info: Polish Zoharum label moves on re-releasing albums from Vidna Obmana’s back catalog. Belgian artist Dirk Serries started this legendary project in the 80s and the “Dante Trilogy” belongs to the latest productions of the project. “Tremor” 2001), “Spore” (2002) and “Legacy” (2002) were originally released as separate albums by Relapse Records. Zoharum brings this trilogy now together in a massive, single, and remastered, work.

Content: There clearly is a connection between the 3 records. The albums can be described as an offspring between Dark-Ambient and Cinematic music with Tribal rhythms on top. Serries mixed electronics together with real instruments like overtune flutes, percussion, guitar, ebow harmonics, dreampipe ao. Several guest artists also contributed to a few tracks on the different albums. One of the most renowned artists was Marc Verhaeghen (The Klinik) who played trumpet on a song featured at “Spore”.

+ + + : This trilogy remains to me the most accessible and best work ever composed by Vidna Obmana. The artist composed a very unique sound experience which you can’t compare to any other artist. He brought genres together creating his own style and sound DNA. The slow rhythms definitely inject something special while the mysterious atmospheres created by overtone flutes were just like the red line throughout this trilogy. Sometimes anguishing and characterized by a strongly inhibited approach this work still sounds accurate today. It’s really great to see this trilogy being released as one album featuring a great, artistic, digipak. Zoharum did a great work on this.

– – – : The single reproach I would make is the rather repetitive and predictable sound which comes true after a while.

Conclusion: Back to the mysterious sound of Vidna Obmana which found its apotheosis by this magic, conceptual, trilogy.

Best songs: “Mindtunnel”, “The Seeker And The Spell” + Skin Strip”, “Beyond The Shaman”, “Resonant Gore” + “Bloodshift”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.dirkserries.com / www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063709950512

Label: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum

About Vidna Obmana

Vidna Obmana is the solo ambient/industrial project of Belgian artist Dirk Serries, launched in the early 1980s. Serries built a distinctive sound rooted in ambient, tribal and cinematic minimalism, working with real instruments such as overtone flutes, ebow and percussion alongside electronics. Guest contributors over the years included Marc Verhaeghen of The Klinik.

From the mid-1990s Serries also collaborated extensively with American ambient composer Steve Roach, releasing six joint studio albums on Projekt Records and performing live across Europe and the United States. He retired the Vidna Obmana project in 2007 to focus on other experimental and improvised music under his own name.

“Tremor” (2001), “Spore” (2002) and “Legacy” (2002) were originally released as separate albums on Relapse Records. Polish label Zoharum reissued the three as the single collection “Dante Trilogy”, reviewed here, on 3CD and digital formats.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: This EP brings us back to 1989. Scarecrow was a German duo set up by ‘Regan Eracs’ and ‘Sevren Ni-Arb’. “Black Door” was the single, official, Scarecrow work released on ZYX Records. They quickly changed the name into X Marks The Pedwalk which became one of the greatest EBM formations during the 90s.

Content: You definitely recognize the late 80s EBM sound which was dark and even tormented and featuring harsh vocals -however there’s one instrumental song featured. You clearly recognize the early X Marks The Pedwalk sound while it for sure will appeal for lovers of The Klinik and Skinny Puppy.

+ + + : The title song remains a great piece of late 80s EBM. The bass line, the rhythm and the anguishing vocals have something magic. It sounds retro-like and yet timeless. Among both songs left, I also want to mention “Revolting Silence” which sounds a bit similar.

– – – : This EP has already been re-released several times and it would have been cool to discover previously unreleased songs and/or edits but I guess there are none.

Conclusion: Scarecrow clearly had something special which would later on emerge in the X Marks The Pedwalk discography; this EP is part of EBM history!

Best songs: “Black Door”, “Revolting Silence”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.x-mtp.com / www.facebook.com/xmarksthepedwalk

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

Listen to “Black Door”:

About X Marks The Pedwalk

Originally named Scarecrow, X Marks The Pedwalk was the project of Sevren Ni-Arb, or André Schmechta, conceived in 1987. Schmechta undertook the composition, production and engineering of every track. The project’s debut single, “Black Door”, followed in 1988 before the name changed to X Marks The Pedwalk, drawn from Stephen King’s “Danse Macabre”, which references a Fritz Leiber tale titled “X Marks The Pedwalk”. Schmechta went on to release music under several further names, including PAX with Heiko Daniel, the solo project Ringtailed Snorter, Hyperdex-1-Sect with Stefanie Schmechta and Jonathan Sharp of New Mind, U-Tek with Alexis Schaar, A-Head, and the darkwave project Deluga with Thorsten Schmechta, Stefanie Schmechta and Falk Aupers. In 2012 he launched the solo electro-ambient project SN-A. Infacted Recordings reissued the original “Black Door” EP on Bandcamp in digital format in 2022.

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: Future-Pop, Dark-Electro.

Format: Digital, DCD & 3CD.

Background/Info: “Transcendent” is the eighth studio album by Berliner group Solitary Experiments. The album features an extra disc with remixes and guest singers while there’s also an extra disc available -which is an audio book.

Content: The main disc features 10 songs in the purest and unique tradition of the band. The Electro sound remains always catchy and danceable but still featuring ‘evil’ or call it darker parts. So there’s a song featuring Dirk Ivens (Dive, The Klinik,  Absolute Body Control). But there’s also a totally evasive song featuring Elena Alice fossi (Kirlian Camera, Spectra*Paris) reminding me of an imaginary mix between Delerium and Push.

The bonus disc features a few more guest singers. Among others you’ll discover songs with Patrik Hansson (Vanguard, Uncreated), Gabriella Aström (Me The Tiger) and Nina De Lianin (In Strict Confidence) while remixes have been accomplished by Supreme Court, Rob Dust, Grendel, MC1R, Run Level Zero, Controlled Fusion and Massiv In Mensch.

+ + + : Solitary Experiments remains an established name in Germany and according to me is still recognized enough abroad. The band however remains a great project when it comes to combining danceable vibes, melodies, darkness and Pop singing. The addition of Dirk Ivens and Elena Alice Fossi as guest singers accentuates the diversity of the album. I’ve been impressed by the somewhat Dance/Trance “The Great Unknown” featuring Elena Alice Fossi. Another great piece is “Self-Fulfilling Prophecy” which clearly sounds as a potential hit. Other noticeable cuts are “Wonderland” and “Heart Of Stone” but also the menacing sphere running through “Zeitgeist” featuring Dirk Ivens. The bonus disc brings a nice extra with more guest singers and a great selection of  remixers.

– – – : You can’t really blame Solitary Experiments for holding onto their sound which hasn’t changed throughout the years however the initial magic is a bit gone.

Conclusion: Solitary Experiments stands as an established value; you’ll be never disappointed as they’ve an imaginary qualitative label!

Best songs: “The Great Unknown”, “Self-Fulfilling Prophecy”, “Wonderland”, “Heart Of Stone”, “Zeitgeist”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.solitaryexperiments.de / www.facebook.com/solitaryexperiments 

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel Read the news on ‘Transcendent’.

About Solitary Experiments

Solitary Experiments formed in 1994 in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, and later settled in Berlin-Friedrichshain. Founders Michael Thielemann and Dennis Schober initially recorded under the name Plague before adopting the Solitary Experiments name. Vocalist Dana Apitz featured on the band’s first two demo tapes, “Risque De Choc Electrique” (1996) and “Death in Small Doses” (1998), before Steve Graeber joined on keyboards; Frank Glassl serves as live e-drummer.

The band signed to Maschinenwelt Records in 1999 and released its debut album, “Final Approach”, the same year. It was followed by “Paradox” (2000), “Advance Into Unknown” (2003), and “Mind Over Matter” (2005).

Solitary Experiments released its eighth studio album, “Transcendent”, via Out Of Line in 2022, featuring guest vocalists Dirk Ivens and Elena Alice Fossi alongside additional singers and remixers.

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: Industrial, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Ukrainian Dmytro Fedorenko has been active for numerous years now. He has been involved with different projects -you for sure know Cluster Lizard but is mainly releasing his work under the Kotra moniker. This new work is inspired by ‘ancient ideas of ritual drum music and rhythmic meditation techniques’.

Content: Kotra deals with a very personal sound which is mixing Industrial influences together with icy, electronic sound treatments. The coldness of the sound has something remixing me to The Klinik. I also noticed a few Experimental aspects. All tracks are instrumentals.

+ + + : The album reveals 7 songs which is a magical number in alchemy. And this work has something of alchemy in the way Fedorenko manipulates sounds and noises creating an incredibly unique, icy sound. The sounds have something metallic on top which makes it only sound colder. The Industrial rhythms inject power while accentuating the global darkness of the production. I like the minimalism of this production resulting in brilliant songs. I also have to say a word about the sober but intriguing artwork which is totally matching with the music.

– – – : The Experimental touch isn’t my favorite element of the work but it sounds in the background of the total production.

Conclusion: Kotra is based in Berlin (Germany) which remains a visionary city when it comes to music and that’s an aspect -next to the artist’s talent, you simply feel emerging at this work.

Best songs: “Phase Transitions”, “Assemblage Tremor”, “The Virtue Of Consistency” “Quantum Presence”.  

Rate: 8.

Artist: https://kotra.org.ua / www.facebook.com/kotra.artist

Label: https://prostir.art / www.facebook.com/prostir.art

“Radness Methods” was released on 7 April 2022 through Prostir. Fedorenko wrote and recorded the album in Berlin in 2021 and made the artwork, Zavoloka handled the design and Noel Summerville mastered the release.

Listen to “Radness Methods”:

About Kotra

Kotra is the main solo alias of Ukrainian electronic musician Dmytro Fedorenko, who is based in Berlin. The project works with industrial rhythm, noise manipulation and icy minimal-electro treatments, largely instrumental. His releases have appeared through Kvitnu and, in the case of this album, the Prostir imprint.

Fedorenko works with Ukrainian artist Zavoloka in the duo Cluster Lizard, whose releases Side-Line reviewed as Cluster Lizard – Prophecy in March 2019 and Cluster Lizard – Star Corsair in November 2021. The pair also released the single reviewed as Kotra & Zavoloka – Silence in December 2020. Zavoloka set out their shared working approach in the ‘Click Interview’ with Zavoloka in February 2019.

“Radness Methods” takes ritual drum music and rhythmic meditation as its starting point, described by the label as a series of abstract sonic actions rather than musical events.

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

After the previous album “Derailed” released in 2017, it seemed that there were no further plans for Instans. Luckily the Swedish project driven by Fredrik Djurfeldt has been reactivated and this year released a new album entitled “Trans Sector Hyperdrive”. The work released on Advoxya Records reveals a new opus filled with Minimal-Electro, which has been defined as ‘Neo-EBM’. The sound is miles away from EBM standards, which makes the album original, but also very efficient. I should say a great work, which also proves it’s still possible to remain creative in the rather conservative EBM scene. I talked about the album with Fredrik.  

(Picture credits by Bengt Rahm / Interview courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: “Trans Sector Hyperdrive” has been released a few months ago now so how do you look back at the album with hindsight? What are the main points of satisfaction?

Fredrik: I am quite happy with it, almost proud. I have always liked making thematic albums, and this time I decided the space race with all of it´s broken promises urgently needed to be dealt with. When I grew up, back in the 80´s, we were lead to believe that by the year 2000 everyone could travel to the moon and stuff like that. They lied to us, and now we are told how by 2030 anyone who really wants to will be able go on vacation on Mars. Same old story, and it is still a lie. This album is my reaction to it, and I think it came out the way I intended it.

Q: What have been the triggers to start composing this album? And how did the writing- and production process happened?

Fredrik:Fact is, Instans was meant to be dead by now. When we played at Front Fabrik Festival in Poland three years ago, we had planned for that to be the end. Then Dima, the brains and muscle behind Advoxya Records, somehow managed to kick me back into gear. We made up plans for nine shows in Russia and five in the United States, and I wrote half the album before lockdowns and travel bans came into effect. I completely lost motivation, and abandoned the project until Dima again kicked me into gear.

So there was a phase one, and a phase two. First, I enthusiastically wrote a bunch of tracks, then lockdowns, and then I wrote the rest of the album. The positive side effect of not playing live at all during phase two, is that I wrote slower tracks that I probably would not have otherwise.

Q: Are you a perfectionist? What are your personal criteria to say a song/album is finished?

Fredrik:I won’t not say perfectionist, no. Trying to be perfect tends to end up as self-censorship, and censorship is never a good thing. I tend to work the other way around, actually. First, I spend two or three hours working on the track. Then, some time later, I will go back and spend another hour working on it and it is usually done. In my experience, more work tends to ruin the track. There are of course exceptions from that rule, but it is the general idea.

I would also like to quote Steve Albini from his famous latter to Nirvana: ‘If an album takes more than a week to make, someone is fucking up.’

Q: Instans is a solo-project although for “Trans Sector Hyperdrive” you asked a few guests to join in. Tell us a bit more about these collaborative tracks and the input of Peter Mastbooms aka ‘Borg’ and Jonas Fredriksson?  

Fredrik: Both are good friends and we have been working together in other ways over the years. I am a full time member of ALVAR, and so I have been working actively with Jonas since 2014.

Borg and I have been playing the same venues many times over the years, him with The Juggernauts and The Klinik, and me with Boar Alarm, Alvar, Severe Illusion and No Sleep By The Machine. In the case of Borg, I found it particularly interesting to have a JUGGERNAUT perspective for one of the tracks, considering the overall theme of my album.

Q: The sound of INSTANS remains characterized by a minimal EBM approach, which isn’t comparable to any other EBM formation. I dare to say a band with an own sound-DNA! What makes this atypical EBM-sound and what’s your perception of contemporary EBM?

Fredrik: My first attempt at song writing was probably when I was four or five years old, that is when I could reach up from the floor to my fathers piano. I am not sure how much that influences me to this day. Then, when I was six or so years old, I started experimenting with left over electronic equipment my father brought home from work. He is a scientist, so the equipment was not meant for music production at all. Still, I was able to make lots of exciting noise with it. That is probably the earliest roots of my music. That is probably also the first time I experienced what 220 Volts through the human body feels like.

Then, when I got my first computer, a Commodore VIC-20, I wrote music with that, or at least I tried. It must have been a nightmare for anyone around at the time, because the sound chip in that machine is really stupid and I had to write the software in Basic. The C64 came after that, and I became a huge fan of Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway and all the others. Again I had to write all the software I needed, but the SID chip is far better, and working with machine language is far, far more exciting. That era was certainly influential on the future sound of Instans.

To be really honest, I don´t listen to much contemporary EBM. I am more fond of older music from when the sound was not so annoyingly perfect, clean and outright boring as is usually the case today. There are still a few bands around, who understands what music is all about, but we seem to be going extinct. Let´s hope the younger generation wakes up to how boring things have become, and start making music more painful again.

Q: What brings the future for Instans and your other projects? Might we expect a new Severe Illusion-album?

Fredrik: The world has changed in some dramatic ways in recent years. It was an ugly place before, for sure. But now, we are seeing repression on a level that will soon make fascism look like a walk in the park. Touring has become near impossible, and that makes it even harder for any independent musicians out there. As long as we accept lockdowns, vaccin passes, and all the other repression that came along with the Scam-demic, things will get progressively worse until live music is a thing of the past for all of us. If we have learned anything from history, it should be that you can not give that kind power to politicians and expect them to ever give it back without a fight. That is the grim question which determines the chances of future releases, and of course not just for me.

That being said, I am very happy with the new Instans album, and I would love to move forward with it now as it is again an active project. I have started the work on a new album by Analfabetism, that I am really excited about. I have made some field recordings at what remains of a weapons factory built in 1620. There, weapons were made for the Swedish army who spent over 100 years, plundering, pillaging and murdering in Western Russia. That will be the sound of the next Analfabetism album.

There are plans for a split-release between my project Boar Alarm, and Ulf Lundblad´s Two Dimensional Skull. Most of the music is ready for that one. We have also been talking about making a new Severe Illusion album, and there is a new label involved in that project. With a little luck, we should start working on it in January.

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: Industrial, EBM, Power-Noise.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Tangent Stratery is the newest signing to EK Product. Based in the US, this Japanese solo-project was set up in 1996 by chd.y. After several productions “Revenant“ is an album that will maybe catch the attention of a wider audience. 

Content: The album features 2 parts; brand-new songs and older cuts originally released on EP. The sound is hard to define yet always driven by Electro-Industrial elements. It takes off in a rather Dive style, but rapidly evolves incorporating other influences to the work. You’ll notice EBM bass lines, but still harder cuts coming closer to pure Power-Noise. Some of the older cuts also reveal a colder electro style, which might remind you of Mortal Constraint and The Klinik. On top of it all you’ll discover ghost-like vocals while a few cuts remain instrumental edits.

+ + + : The originality of this project is its atypical approach. It’s much more than simply Industrial music, but a true offspring between Industrial, EBM, Power-Noise, Dark-Electro and even vague Techno and Acid elements. This project is a sonic chameleon, which will however appeal for Industrial lovers. I like the album’s diversity and the spooky produced vocals. The album is a discovery and a true sonic trip in Industrial music. I personally like “Dead Reckoning (Reverse/Action)” for its harder, danceable approach with a kind of Acid sequence on top. In a more Dark-Electro way I recommend “Accept Death” and “Hark! For I Am The Portent Of Misery”; both songs having a strong 90s sound. Last, but not least I also want to mention “And The Lies”, which sounds to me like ‘Industrial Prodigy’.

– – – : The main strength of the album might be also be seen as its weakest spot: a mishmash of influences.

Conclusion: Tangent isn’t really innovating although creating an atypical, original Electro-Industrial sound.

Best songs: “Dead Reckoning (Reverse/Action)”, “Accept Death”, “Hark! For I Am The Portent Of Misery”, “And The Lies”, “Fountain Square”, “The Rising Sun And The Behemoth”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: https://tangentstrategy.net /  www.facebook.com/tangentstrategy

Label: www.ekproduct.com / www.facebook.com/EKProduct

About Tangent Strategy

Tangent Strategy is the solo project of chd.y. Discogs states that the project began in 1996 as an outlet for chd.y’s musical exploration, starting with guitars, bass and found percussion before moving into computer sequencing and sampling.

“Revenant” was released by EK Product on 26 November 2021 as a limited CD and digital download, and is the only Tangent Strategy release documented on Discogs. Bandcamp credits chd.y with voice, guitar, noise excavation and sound sculpture, and states that the songs were written and produced between 1998 and 2021, with the compiled recordings made between 2003 and 2021 in Washington State, USA, and Tokyo, Japan. The same page notes that tracks one to four come from lossy compressed sources and that “Serenade For Hana” is dedicated to Hana Kimura.

The seventeen tracks are “The Invocation”, “Engine”, “Un coeur de glace, un esprit d’hiver”, “Fountain Square”, “Dead Reckoning (reverse/action)”, “and the lies”, “The Doctrine of Overwhelming Force”, “The Execution of Zealots in the Marketplace Square”, “Angel of Black Desire”, “Meatgrinder”, “The Rising Sun and the Behemoth”, “Accept Death”, “Hark! for I am the portent of misery”, “Machigatta Guuzen”, “Floodgates Now Opened”, “MQ-9A” and “Serenade For Hana”.

This review is the first Side-Line coverage of the project, and no later Tangent Strategy release has been documented in the archive since.

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.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Fredrik Djurfeldt strikes back with a new album of his Instans EBM project. Known from his involvement with Severe Illusion, and also the Dark-Ambient project Analfabetism ao it took him four years to achieve the fourth opus of Instans.

Content: Instans stands for Minimal-EBM, which has been also labeled as ‘Neo-EBM’. However you want to label it, the sound is clearly driven by good-old EBM elements, but there’s something very personal running through the production. It sounds a bit ghost-like, the songs not being driven by fast BPMs but by oppressive atmospheres. It sometimes has something pretty Klinik-al-like, but also delicate. One of the songs features Belgian Peter Mastbooms aka ‘Borg’ from The Jüggernauts and live member of The Klinik while another cut is featuring Jonas Fredriksson –who  together with Fredrik Djurfeldt is involved with Alvar.

+ + + : I like EBM with such a minimal approach. It creates something different from the classical standards and that’s why the label ‘Neo-EBM’ makes sense. The songs are rather simplistic, but the strength emerges from the sphere and the power of the bass lines. It creates a freaky sensation and especially the second part of the album moves crescendo, “108 Minuter” featuring Jonas Fredriksson is an absolute highlight. But I also have to mention the next song “Monkeys In Space”, which has something Klinik-like. “Död Planet” is a dystopian title for another great piece of minimalism and “Space 1999” featuring Juggernaut Borg is also worthy of examination. 

– – – : The atypical EBM format might be less convincing for die-hard fans, but I don’t see real minus points here.

Conclusion: Instans holds on to this minimal taste for a different –and creative EBM format. Respect!

Best songs: “108 Minuter”,  “Monkeys In Space”, “Död Planet”, “Space 1999”, “The Eagle Never Landed”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/Instans

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

About Instans

Instans is the EBM project of Fredrik Djurfeldt, who is also part of Severe Illusion and the dark ambient project Analfabetism.

The project debuted with “Common Ground” on Advoxya Records in 2006, followed by the EP “Nuke Fight / Leading The Way” in 2010, “Understatement” in 2013 and the double CD “Derailed” in 2017, all on the same label.

“Trans Sector Hyperdrive” followed in 2021. Djurfeldt discussed his working method a month later in the Click Interview with Instans.

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: IDM, Industrial, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Irklis strikes back with their fourth full length album to date. The album was released four years after the great “Aus Dem Ruder”. It seems that the trio has been reduced to a duo, driven by Robin Brüning and  Aleksandrs Olgerts Berzins. The title of the album is a Finnish word describing a hiding place used by animals, but it’s also the name for the first final repository for nuclear waste in history.

Content: “Onkalo” features 11 songs moving on the sophisticated electronics of the Latvian formation. The songs are driven by retro sound treatments, which sometimes remind me of The Klinik, but also early Front 242 for the analogue sound treatments. The songs have been supported with dark atmospheres, which sometimes have something pretty Cinematographic. There’s a mix of instrumental tracks and sung ones; the vocals mainly produced in a half spoken way. The last cuts are more evasive while the title-tracks also is the last piece sounding as an outro.

+ + + : What I especially like with Irklis is the global intelligence of the production. This project is mixing great sound treatments together with poignant, dark atmospheres. The Klinik-al touch emerging at “Fahrt Ins Ungewisse”, and “Shine” bring some good-old memories alive. But Irklis has its own sound and approach; there’s a subtle and efficient mix of 80s influences with a contemporary touch on top.

– – – : The title song is nothing more than an outro and honestly not the best cut from this album. “Onkalo” is a great piece of music, but the last 3 songs are a little bit disappointing being a kind of antithesis to the main part of the work.

Conclusion: Irklis remains a great sound experience dealing with creative and sophisticated Electronics.

Best songs: “Fahrt Ins Ungewisse”, “Zintis Issüd”, “Shine”, “Pale”, “Omen”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.irklis.org / www.facebook.com/irklis

Label: http://sturm.lv /www.facebook.com/sturm.lv

About Irklis

Irklis is an electronic act releasing on the Latvian label Sturm. A trio on earlier releases including “Aus Dem Ruder”, the project appears as a duo of Robin Brüning and Aleksandrs Olģerts Bērziňš on “Onkalo”, its fourth full-length album, released on June 15, 2021, roughly four years after “Aus Dem Ruder”.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Out via Mecanica on July 20th is a 4LP and 2CD reissue of the Absolute Body Control collection “Lost / Found”. “Lost / Found” holds a total of 52 songs including 8 previously unreleased tracks.

The 4LP version is limited to 1,000 copies with 4 records inside individual sleeves, insert and numbered certificate. The 2CD digipak version is limited to 500 copies on vinyl record gatefold sleeve replica with 2 individual printed inner sleeves.

About Absolute Body Control

Absolute Body Control was formed by Dirk Ivens in 1980 influenced by the sound produced by the likes of Suicide, D.A.F. and the UK electronic scene. The project originally feature Marc De Jonghe (synths) and Veerle De Schepper (backing vocals), though Mark was replaced in 1981 by Eric Van Wonterghem, after the release of the debut 7″ “Is there an Exit?”.

The band split up in 1985.

Although they released a few cassettes, there was never a proper release on vinyl or CD. A compilation of tracks entitled “Eat this” was eventually compiled in 1993 and a first edition of the collection “Lost / Found” was issued on CD in 2005.

Dirk and Eric took the project back on stage in 2006 and decided to re-activate it. They first re-recorded some of their classic songs for the album “Wind[Re]Wind” and then continued releasing new material.

Side-Line also covered Absolute Body Control’s ‘Wind(Re)Wind’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Dark-Electro, Ambient.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Belgian Brainquake project has been driven by Marc Ceulemans since the late 80s – and who has been involved with countless projects, Psych Krist Kastrator being probably the most renowned. This new album features six songs.The Latin title can be translated as ‘a precipice in front, wolves behind’…

Content: Marc Ceulemans has great experience with Industrial- and related music genres. It remains an important basis in the composition of this new work, but you also will notice Dark-Electronic sequences reminding me of the atmosphere of The Klinik. The tracks have a retro feeling, which also comes through in the icy leads. The songs are instrumental edits –sometimes mixed with spooky samplings, which have been progressively built up and are all moving in between 6 and 9 minutes.

+ + + : I’m impressed by the creative spirit of the artist who after all these years and an endless number of releases, still has this creative fire to compose great music. It’s a unique production although featuring familiar influences. I especially like the phenomenal icy leads running through “Vae Soli” and “Deiecta Oculus”. Production wise I also have to mention the opening track “Fata Obstant” featuring overwhelming sound blasts and great stereo effects.

– – – : The single deception about this work is the last track, which is less inspired, more sounding like an outro.

Conclusion: This is a great and artistic underground production, which definitely deserves a wider attention. Rough and intelligent Industrial music with a retro-futuristic approach.

Best songs: “Vae Soli”, “Deiecta Oculus”, “Fata Obstant”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/brainquake.music

Label: www.facebook.com/camembertelec

About Brainquake

Brainquake is the solo industrial and dark-electro outlet of Belgian musician Marc Ceulemans, active since the late 1980s. Ceulemans has also recorded as Psych Krist Kastrator, an outlet active from 1992 to 1997 with a rotating line-up of vocalists, and released the Brainquake album “The Ongoing Sequence of Events” on Mahorka in 2020.

“A Fronte Praecipitium, A Tergo Lupi” appeared on Camembert Electrique in 2021. Brainquake followed it with “Excess Denied” on Mahorka in 2022.

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

There’s a hiatus of twenty four years between Seven Trees’ debut album “Embracing The Unknown” (1997, Zoth Ommog) and their new opus “Dead/End” released on Progress Productions. Johan Kronberg and Henrik Karlsson both remain the single members on board. It’s not an easy thing to label their music, but it sounds to me as the offspring between The Klinik, Project Pitchfork and Front Line Assembly. You never got the feeling this band has stopped composing music for such a long time; “Dead/End” has something retro-like, but still personal and featuring multiple great songs. I talked about it all with Henrik Karlsson.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: When evoking SEVEN TREES people are always getting back to your debut album “Embracing The Unknown” released in 1997 by Zoth Ommog. What did this album and the fact it was released by Zoth Ommog mean to you and what has been its further impact on your career?

Henrik: It meant a lot to us; it was the perfect label to be on at the time, and we got a lot of exposure. People seem to really like that album, which is equally important for a career in music; it acts as a mental booster for future compositions. Also, our tour with MENTALLO & THE FIXER most likely had an impact.

As for today… I think signing with a prominent label like Progress Productions most likely strengthened the interest in the first ‘come back’ release, the “Trauma Toxicity”-EP. Finally, the expanded re-release of “Embracing The Unknown” in Infacted’s “Classixx”-series was definitely very important too.

Q: There’s a hiatus of 24 (!) years between the debut album and your new opus “Dead/End”. Do you feel it’s still the same band with a similar approach and perception about music or is this something totally different? What are the most noticeable changes & evolutions?

Henrik: We have put a lot of effort into developing our sound to a more modern soundscape, while at the same time leaning towards the more old-school Dark-Electro. We still have the same visions for SEVEN TREES, while at the same time trying to break patterns and challenge ourselves. I think this is quite evident if comparing the EP and the new album, which has a more carefully considered neater production.

Q: Over now to “Dead/End”. What kind of album is it all about and did you’d specific ideas in mind about sound and production? In which way is there a connection between “Dead/End” and the “Trauma Toxicity”-EP from 2017?

Henrik: There is quite a strong connection, despite the differences in production. They both deal a lot with for example the consequences of being subjected to extensive and prolonged trauma. With the EP we were trying out our grounds, see how we wanted the ‘new’ SEVEN TREES to sound. It’s a very dark EP. When working on the new album we felt like we wanted to do something even darker, especially when it came to the lyrics, all the while making that work with our ‘new’ sound. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. We did not plan for a specific production, it came naturally as we were working on the album.

Q: I was just asking you about the ‘sound’ of SEVEN TREES, which according to me is hard to label, being more a kind of sonic osmosis between different music genres. What does it say about your potential sources of inspiration and do you handle specific criteria and/or references when it comes to writing and production?

Henrik: We don’t have much of criteria at all, except for that we will stay in the Dark-Electro realm. Also, we don’t really like doing club tracks or similar, it’s just not our thing. Honestly as for genre, we don’t really know where to place us either, but people say Dark-Electro so I guess that’s what we do.

We’re both very broad in our taste in music; my favorite band is PLACEBO, and Johan listens quite a bit to Black-Metal. We grew up on Electronic music of various kinds, but eventually broadened our horizons. We both listen to a lot of Electronic stuff nowadays too though, but varying it with other genres.

As for lyrics I draw inspiration from for example Brian Molko and Robert Smith, while incorporating my own style of writing.

Q: “Dead/End” is an intriguing title for lyrical themes, which are clearly evoking despair, disillusion… which can be summarized with one of your songs: dystopic illusions! What did you try to express and what does it reveal about your perception of life and society?

Henrik: Funny you should ask, because this particular song is something we’ve never done before, it’s very different from the other tracks on the album (the lyrics). It is very political, something I never thought we’d do, but with everything that was going on last year over here I guess I felt like trying it out. I wanted to do it in a rather cryptic way though, so it might not be very obvious. There’s quite the pitch black worldview in that song, and I guess in most of the other tracks too.

Q: What are the further plans and especially considering we’re actually going through this ongoing pandemic? Dystopia became reality don’t you think?

Henrik: Yeah, it certainly did. It’s been a crazy year, and it’s been tough for us all, especially being isolated, and to exercise every precaution to not get Covid. May this nightmare end soon! As for further plans, we do have a release coming up, but I can’t say anything about it yet.

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

Back in 1991 I started writing my first reviews for Side-Line magazine. I would have never thought to go on writing reviews and making interviews non-stop for 30 years. So 2021 is a special year to me, a kind of ‘celebration year’. I got the idea to celebrate this special event by interviewing people from the scene who all have a special meaning to me. I met Johan Van Roy even before I wrote my first review. He was busy composing music under the SUICIDE COMMANDO moniker. I liked the dark and tormented atmosphere of his early demos, which were reminding me of THE KLINIK. I got the chance singing on one of his early songs and we even set up together a music project. SUICIDE COMMANDO became one of the absolute leading formations from the Dark-Electro scene, playing as headliner at big festivals, selling thousands of albums and having an impressive word-wide fan base. Beyond the successful career hides an humble person. No star attitude, but an accessible and kind man who simply remains himself.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Thirty five years ago now you started experimenting with Electronic music while setting up SUICIDE COMMANDO. What incited you back in 1986 to experiment with electro sounds and noises? How did that happened and what equipment did you use?

Johan: I grew up in the early 80s with the in that time booming New-Wave scene, listening to bands like THE CURE, SISTERS OF MERCY, but also more Electronic sounding bands like DEPECHE MODE or FAD GADGET … It was because of these bands that my love for Electronic music started. Not much later I discovered bands like THE NEON JUDGEMENT, FRONT 242 and THE KLINIK (in those days these bands even got airplay on national radio stations like BRT…).

These bands had such a big impact on me that I also wanted to start making Electronic music. And so I bought my first keyboard back in summer 1986, the now legendary Roland SH101, not much later added with 2 drum machines, the Boss DR110 Dr. Rhythm and the Boss DR220E.

Very limited gear, but in those days very expensive equipment, so it wasn’t that obvious to buy more equipment. For example samplers were extremely expensive and even with a sampler you only could record a few seconds of sound…

Q: People maybe don’t realize it took you years and a lot of patience plus perseverance to get some recognition. I get the impression you couldn’t maybe directly break through because of a lack of equipment. As you said, electronic equipment was very expensive and there weren’t the same facilities as today. How do you look back at this period regarding equipment, the multiple cassettes you released, the first compilation features etc?

Johan: It obviously were totally different times, not just only because of the cost and the lack of equipment, as I already mentioned before. But there also wasn’t any social media, so that means it took way longer to get your music spread around. Everything still had to be done by post, so things took much longer then nowadays.
Today’s possibilities are unlimited, but nonetheless I don’t regret I had to start this way. It gave you much more freedom and time to work on music. You also had to be way more innovative and inventive to create and write music. Today almost everything is already canned, get yourself a PC and some music software and in one day you can write yourself a complete album …

Many bands had to start like I did, writing music with very limited gear and releasing it on tape… bands like FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, NITZER EBB… all started this way.
It also gave me time to improve and create my own style, something I do lack in today’s music scene.
So I definitely look back at it with pleasure.

Q: You became involved with LESCURE 13, which in a way -and right in the beginning became more recognized than SUICIDE COMMANDO. I was even sure LESCURE 13 would even become the Belgian ‘next big thing’, but it finally didn’t happen that way. How comes and what do you keep in mind from the LESCURE 13 experience?

Johan:I don’t think that SUICIDE COMMANDO was less recognized, but it was much harder to get the same recognition if you don’t do live shows, and I think that was the main reason why LESCURE 13 got picked up faster. Initially I never really planned on doing live shows with SUICIDE COMMANDO, but as our first live show with LESCURE 13 at the legendary Side-Line festival at ‘VK’ in Brussels became such a success, it convinced me to start doing live shows with SUICIDE COMMANDO as well. So in a way Side-Line is to blame for that 🙂

It was fun doing LESCURE 13 with Stefan Bens (STIN SCATZOR), but since SUICIDE COMMANDO got more and more successful in the years after, I got less and less time to focus on LESCURE 13, so on the long run the combination became too difficult and stressful for me. I’ll never forget our very first live show with LESCURE 13 in Brussels.

Q: I got the privilege to start another project with you, which was TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME. How do you look back at this experience and a few other side-projects like DB.F and KOMBAT UNIT?

Johan:I enjoyed doing them all, but just like with LESCURE 13, time became the biggest problem. The combination of doing music with SUICIDE COMMANDO + work + family just became too time consuming and stressful.

But like I said, I enjoyed doing all these side projects. As SUICIDE COMMANDO was my solo-project I enjoyed working together with others from time to time, even though it requires a different approach.

With LESCURE 13 we still do some live shows now and then, and also KOMBAT UNIT with Jan (NOISUF-X, X-FUSION) never really stopped, but it’s all just a matter of time.

Doing TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME was fun too, but in the end you have to make choices and set priorities, but I look back at it with lots of pleasure.

Q: The split-album/compilation “Induktion, Varianz Und Deren Folgen” released by Stefan Herwig on his early label Kugelblitz in 1993 made things change! Suddenly more people were discovering SUICIDE COMMANDO! How important was this compilation in the career and development of SUICIDE COMMANDO? And how important was Stefan Herwig who finally brought you to join his Off Beat label?

Johan: Oh, for sure this was a career changer and I’m sure that without Stefan Herwig, SUICIDE COMMANDO never would have become as big as today. I already knew Stefan Herwig for a few years after he discovered SUICIDE COMMANDO through my tapes released on the German ZNS tapes label, so when Stefan started his own label with Kugelblitz Records he soon invited me to join on his “Induktion, Varianz Und Deren Folgen” split-CD.

Not much later Stefan started working for the rising Off Beat label and so he was able to get me in there as well… and the rest is history I guess.

I’m aware I was pretty lucky, being at the right place at the right time I guess… so yes, without Stefan my career would have looked totally different I guess.

Q: SUICIDE COMMANDO was often compared to THE KLINIK, which has been one of your main sources of inspiration. What has been the real impact of THE KLINIK and eventually other bands –and maybe music genres, in the development and evolution of SUICIDE COMMANDO till today?

Johan:Well, no need to deny that bands like KLINIK or yet FRONT 242 (and others like THE NEON JUDGEMENT, FAD GADGET, SKINNY PUPPY, NITZER EBB…) had a major impact on me and my music throughout the years. They not only were a major source of inspiration, these bands also were THE main reason why I started doing ‘Electronic’ music in the first place. My older brother was playing guitar so my first steps into the music scene were as a bass player, but when I discovered bands like KLINIK, FRONT 242… a whole new world opened before my eyes (and ears).
Still in 2021 a band like KLINIK remains probably my biggest influence.

Q: You last year celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the “Mindstrip”-album. This production probably became the most successful one in the band’s history, but how do you look back at this album and did it make specific things/aspects changing?

Johan: Not sure if it was my most successful album, but it sure had the biggest impact on my career. We already gained some recognition with the huge success of “See You In Hell” and to a lesser extent “Desire” and “Better Off Dead”, but the release of the “Mindstrip”-album and the “Hellraiser”-single taken from this album certainly brought us to the top of the scene. Again I think Stefan Herwig had a big part in this success as he just started his own division with Dependent Records, gathering bands like COVENANT or VNV NATION… I think SUICIDE COMMANDO certainly benefitted from their success as well.

On top of that I think “Mindstrip” filled a gap between the at that time trending Future- and Synth-Pop acts and the more harder side of the Electro scene which was at a decline at that moment, and therefore “Mindstrip” marked an important milestone in the entire scene. All of a sudden bands started to copy SUICIDE COMMANDO and harsh electro was born. In the next years many bands would jump onto the harsh ‘Electro/Endzeit’ train.

So it not only marked the start of a new subgenre in the Electro scene, it also changed the expectations of the media and the crowd.

My follow up album “Axis Of Evil” was 8 weeks at the top of the at that time highly acclaimed German Alternative Charts (DAC).

Q: You’re organizing an interesting annual ‘SUICIDE COMMANDO poll’ where the fans can choose their favorite songs. In which way is it representative for your personal favorites and what are your favorite songs? And do you’ve some songs, which remained underrated?

Johan: It’s a good representation of what the fans consider the best SUICIDE COMMANDO songs, but that’s about all. It surely doesn’t reflect my personal favorites, even though a few of my personal faves are also in the top 10 of this list.

I’ve always enjoyed doing the more slower and atmospheric songs. A few of them like “God Is In The Rain” or “The Devil” also gained club success, but personal favorites like “Euthanasia” (1998), “Body Count proceed” (2000), “Until We Die” (2010), “Severed Head” (2010), “Repent Or Perish” (2013)… remained under the radar.

Q: SUICIDE COMMANDO became the absolute leading formation from the Dark-Electro scene! I can imagine it’s a deserved recognition for hard work, but what does this ‘status’ really mean to you? What has been the impact of this success on the person hiding behind the artist? In which way did it change your life?

Johan: I don’t think it had that much impact on me personally. I always remained (probably too) humble and down to earth. Of course I’m flattered by this recognition, but compared to some others in this scene, I always kept both feet on the ground. And let’s face it, compared with the mainstream Beyoncé’s and Madonna’s of this world we’re just tiny little dwarfs…lol

Q: Do you know how much SUICIDE COMMANDO-albums have been sold today? What have been the best-sellers?

Johan: With the rise of digital downloads and sales I have no idea anymore of actual physical sales. The market completely changed in the last 2 decades. Physical sales of CD’s completely collapsed and the digital market is so diverse that it’s hard to give any concrete numbers.

On platforms like Spotify… people don’t listen to complete albums anymore, they just pick their favorite songs. Not even sure if complete albums still will be released in 10 years from now…

So it’s hard to compare, I know an album like “Mindstrip” sold over 25.000 physical copies, but it never even reached the official album charts, while my latest 2 albums even made it to a position in the top 20 of the official German album charts, even though their physical sales are way less than the original “Mindstrip”-album for example, simply because digital sales totally took over the market.

Q: Is it possible for an underground artist to earn a living with music? How important is money when you’re a renowned artist?

Johan: Yes, (in non-Covid times!) I think it’s possible for the bigger acts in the underground scene, if you do it properly, which means doing regular live touring + releasing music on a regular base.

But it takes a lot of work, time and devotion. I’m still one of the lucky few who can live from music, but since I have a responsibility towards my wife and kid, I deliberately choose to keep doing a half time job to remain financially safe.

Q: SUICIDE COMMANDO is also a live band with a solid reputation. How important is it for you to play live shows and feel the interaction with the fans?

Johan: I find it very important and I realize it even more at times like these today with the pandemic. I do miss this interaction with the fans and the crowd. It gives so much satisfaction and energy to be on stage and interact with your fans.

Q: Torben Schmidt and Mario Vaerewijck are your long-time live mates. How does it happen when you guys are on tour and what makes the chemistry between you all (and the entire crew)?

Johan: I think we all enjoy it very much to be on the road, in a way it’s also our escape from boring daily work ‘eat-sleep’ routine. A big advantage also is that we’re not a conventional band, I mean, basically SUICIDE COMMANDO is just me doing all the music, so Torben and Mario only join in on stage, so we don’t have to sleep with each other (which does happen sometimes being on tour haha…).

Usually it’s all very easy going when we’re on the road and that keeps things pleasant.

Q: You played at numerous festivals and in very different countries all over the world. Do you see noticeable differences between countries and continents and are there some specific places/venues you would ever like to play?

Johan: There certainly are differences. Not specifically because of the crowd, although we do notice a difference between playing in countries where people hardly ever get to see live bands from other continents (like Mexico or Brazil…) or countries where you can watch the same band every 2 weeks (like Germany …).

The gratitude is  bigger in countries where you don’t get to play every month or year. I do notice more differences on the technical level. Clubs and venues usually are much better equipped in Europe then across the ocean. It’s a much bigger challenge to do shows in the US for example, but what counts in the end is the response from the crowd. I can be more satisfied playing in front of 100 people in a dirty basement with a crappy sound system then playing in front of 5000 people, as long as the people had fun I’m happy.

Q: What has been your biggest satisfaction and deception so far?

Johan: I’m overall happy that I could make my biggest passion a big part of my job and life. Music has always been my passion, so I feel privileged that I could make my music my (part time) job and life. I feel privileged that I can share my music and my passion with my fans, that’s probably my biggest satisfaction.

My biggest deception? Hard to say, maybe the fact that it also takes a lot of sacrifices to combine all these things (my daily part time job + music + family + …), it already got me into a severe burn-out few years ago, my knee is fucked up after the accident on stage in the US, my ears are fucked up because of the often too loud music on stages …

Q: A lot of things have changed/evolved since you set up SUICIDE COMMANDO in 1985! What’s your perception about it all and how did you see the scene and entire music business evolving throughout the years?

Johan: Oh for sure many things have changed throughout the years, it’s really been a technological revolution… The technological possibilities became endless, maybe not all for the best though.

We’re living in an ever faster society and that’s even reflected in our music. In 1985 a song had to be 120 bpm maximum, today we’re living at a speed of 135 bpm or more… lol

The rise of the digital media totally killed the CD and vinyl market, but also brought new possibilities, so I also try to see the positive effects of it.
Social media became the new normal and brought music & bands closer to their fans, but also gave us a shallow and resentful society.

So it all has it’s pro and cons… and there’s no way back.

Q: Do you sometimes imagine the end of SUICIDE COMMANDO and are there other things in life you would like to accomplish?

Johan: I don’t think SUICIDE COMMANDO will ever stop. I tried to split several times, but it’s so hard being a one man project…lol. No seriously, I can’t imagine my life without music, so I probably will continue writing music till I drop dead. 

Q: What might we expect from SUICIDE COMMANDO for the next few months?

Johan: I’m currently working on a new album, but I don’t want to rush things, so no idea when it will be finished.

I certainly do hope we can start doing live shows again sometime this Summer, so I’m really looking forward to that.
And there might be some more surprises coming up, but wait and see…

Side-Line also covered Suicide Commando’s ‘Trick or treat’.

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: Industrial, Electro-Industrial, Industrial-Ambient.

Format: Digital, CD, Box (CD, Vinyl, Vinyl 7”)

Background/Info: Dirk Ivens (The Klinik, Absolute Body Control, Sonar, Motor!k) is back on track unleashing a new album of his sonic alter-ego Dive! Throughout the years he collaborated with soul mates Eric Van Wonterghem (The Klinik, Absolute Body Control, Sonar, Monolith, Detune-X) and Ivan Iusco (Nightmare Lodge). There also was an album in collaboration with Sigillum S while the previous full length (cf. “Underneath”) also featured Rafael M. Espinosa (Geistform). Dirk this time joined hands together with Jan Dewulf (Your Life On Hold, Diskonnekted, Mildreda). It’s not their first collaboration as Diskonnekted in 2006 released the “Frozen”-EP featuring Dirk Ivens.  

Content: It doesn’t really matter with who Dive collaborates with; Dive remains Dive! Driven by an Electro-Industrial sound and the spooky vocals of the artist, this new work is directly linked to the particular ‘dark’ and ‘industrial’ sound of the Belgian sound terrorist. I however have to say that this work is probably the darkest Dive-album ever; you simply can hear it the tormented atmospheres, which became pretty explicit at some more Ambient-driven songs in the midst of the work.

“Underneath” was the most sophisticated Dive work so far, but some tracks from this opus are even moving a step further. The drum patterns from some tracks have never been that complex; even featuring a kind of slow Industrial breakbeats at “Black Star”. This work is filled with anguishing spheres, little sonar bleeps and ‘Klinik’-al’ sequences. Notice by the way, the title song is also an early Suicide Commando track on, which Dirk sung while “Inside Your Head” is an original Monolith-song featuring Dirk as guest singer.

The EP featured at the ‘Box’-edition reveals “EP Versions” of the songs “Inside Your Head” and “Black Star” plus remixes by Numb and Suicide Commando.

+ + + : The “Frozen”-EP from Diskonnekted already was a song that could have been released as Dive, but “Where Do We Go From Here?” confirms there’s a real connection and chemistry between both artists. Jan Dewulf injected a refreshing –although tormented, touch to the Dive sound. It’s the darkest and most disturbing work to date, which is accentuated by 3 more ‘ambient’-driven pieces on, which some background drones are empowering the darkness mixed with Ivens’ spooky vocals. But the best passages clearly are the most danceable cuts like the brilliant opening song “Inside Your Head”, but also “Black Star” driven by an Industrial –although breakbeat inspired, cadence. The minimalism running through “Invisible” is another remarkable cut while the title-song –as the last track, reminds me of good-old Klinik. On top of the production you still will notice the charismatic vocal performance of Dirk Ivens. From the EP-tracks I especially recommend the elaborated remix of “Death Machine” (one of the so-called ‘Ambient’-cuts) by Don Gordon (Numb).

– – – : I’m not as convinced by the softer, Ambient-driven songs. The production of Ivens’ vocals remains absolutely great, but I now and then miss the more enraged, shouting way of singing from the early years. The Suicide Commando–remix from “Leave Me Be” couldn’t convince me; the tune being a bit simplistic and not adding a bonus to the song.

Conclusion: The first self-named Dive album was released in 1990 (!), but 30 years later the Belgian Industrial ‘dino’ is still kicking ass. The collaboration between Ivens and Dewulf opens perspectives for the future!

Best songs: “Inside Your Head”, “Black Star”, “Where Do We Go From Here”, “Invisible”, “Leave Me Be”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.dirkivens.com / www.facebook.com/TheKlinikDiveSonarAbsoluteBodyControl

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

About Dive

Dive is the solo alter-ego of Belgian artist Dirk Ivens, also known from The Klinik, Absolute Body Control, Sonar and Motor!k. Past Dive collaborators include Eric Van Wonterghem, Ivan Iusco and Sigillum S, with Rafael M. Espinosa featured on the previous album “Underneath”.

“Where Do We Go From Here?” pairs Ivens with Jan Dewulf, known from Your Life On Hold, Diskonnekted and Mildreda. The two had already worked together on Diskonnekted’s 2006 EP “Frozen”, which featured Ivens as a guest. The album was released in December 2020 on Out Of Line in digital, CD and a limited box edition combining CD and vinyl formats.

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-Industrial, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Behind Frett ishiding Maciek Frett, a Polish artist who you may know from his involvement with Job Karma and 7JK (a collaboration with Matt Howden from Sieben). He’s also organizing festivals in his homeland.

Content: This album is driven by Electronics, which are now pretty minimal and then into Industrial. The songs are meticulously built up, achieved with multiple effects and vocals alternating spooky- and enraged passages. There’re also a few spoken female vocals injecting a cold and sterile touch to the work. The global sphere supporting this work is dark. One of the most Electronic pieces (cf. “Judge”) reminds me a bit of The Klinik. 

+ + + : This debut work sounds as a true revelation, but the artist is not a debutant, but an experienced musician. Maciek Frett brought different influences together, creating a perfect electronic osmosis between Industrial-, Experimental-, Minimal- and even Ambient Electronics. The work sounds mainly retro-like, which is mainly because of the sound treatments (analogue equipment has been used). There’s a great dynamic and bombast emerging from the drum sections, creating a cool contrast with the album’s minimal approach. “Isolation” is for sure the absolute masterpiece from this album.

– – – : There’s just one single song that couldn’t convince me and it unfortunately is the last one.

Conclusion: Frett has accomplished a work appealing for all lovers of early Electro-Industrial and Minimal-Electro music, transposing these influences into a refreshing approach.

Best songs: “Isolation”, “Two Cups”, “The Light”, “Trust”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/maciek.frett

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

About Frett

Frett is the solo project of Maciek Frett, a musician active on the Wrocław, Poland electronic music scene since the mid-1990s. He is also a member of Job Karma and of 7JK, a collaboration with Sieben’s Matt Howden, and curates the Wrocław Industrial Festival, Wrocław Underwater and Energy Of The Sound, performing and organizing concerts under the Industrial Art brand. According to Discogs, he has also mixed and mastered releases for a number of other Polish acts since 2001.

“The World As A Hologram” was composed, recorded and mixed by Frett at Sunsix Studio in Wrocław between December 2018 and March 2020, with additional vocals from Anna Frett, mastering by Eric Van Wonterghem at Prodam, and release on Ant-Zen on 4 September 2020 in collaboration with Gusstaff Records / Don’t Sit On My Vinyl. Frett went on to release the album “Nottwo” in 2023 and the single “End Beginning” on Ant-Zen in 2024. He appeared on the same festival bill as Liebknecht, Haujobb and Egoist at Energia Dźwięku in Wrocław, according to a 2021 Side-Line interview with the latter act.

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

Set up as a solo-project in 1997 by Eric Van Wonterghem MONOLITH became a true reference in the Industrial music genre. This dinosaur from the Belgian and international Electro-underground scene has been involved with numerous projects such as ABSOLUTE BODY CONTROL, THE KLINIK, INSEKT, SONAR, DETUNE-X while contributing to the writing of DIVE-albums. He this year strikes back with the eleventh (!) full length album of MONOLITH. “Unnatural Bodies” has been released on Hands and sounds like symbolizing the fusion between Techno- and Industrial music. I talked about it with Eric Van Wonterghem.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries) 

Q: “Unnatural Bodies” seems to be inspired by the work of Jim Whiting, which I remember from the great “Rockit”-clip by Herbie Hancock. What caught your attention by the work of Whiting and how do you transpose this inspiration into music?

Eric: Yes he did the “Rockit”-clip and the “Frankenstein”-movie effects I think. I liked his exhibition work in the 80s, the weirdness behind, and how he  created ‘human – machines’,

different from robots programmed  to do certain things. The “Unnatural Bodies” like Jim Whiting called it first were  combined mechanical elements with air-pressure  connected with  parts of ‘dummy’ bodies. His ‘moving art’ seemed  suddenly to be organic and alive.

I somehow liked to achieve something similar with my music, art without rules! When you follow the book how to make art or music, that will mostly never bring something interesting.

Q: What can you tell us about the different stages you’d to go through to release “Unnatural Bodies”? What have been the main difficulties and eventually challenges in the writing and production of the album? 

Eric: To produce a MONOLITH album, I know the creation of sounds is a progress that will take me the most of time. It also is the most difficult part for me, but also the most interesting one. There got always to be some excitement in hearing a melody or sound, if not I start the next day from scratch. After several albums, it can become sometimes more complex as the listeners often like to hear what they know you for, and as a artist I like to evolve,  I take my time until I’m satisfied with the creative part making sounds and feeling all fits into that album.

After that follows the editing, mixing and producing part, that goes fast. After all this year of studio work  for my projects and other bands it became something natural… almost immediately I create what I’ve in mind.

Q: I think it’s really interesting to see the evolution in sound and influences of early MONOLITH releases versus the productions from the past few years. Is that like you said because you like to evolve? And what has been the impact of the Berliner Techno scene on your music?

Eric: I was always interested in a wide spectrum of electronic sounds and music. I liked making the first albums with MONOLITH, back then I  searched  something new in sound, the ‘Tribal-Industrial’-sound was the result and it was not really fitting in any style, it got the attention by a certain audience, and that’s what you need as artist to keep on releasing albums. 

But after years of performing, underground parties and realizing by my own the evolution and concerts everywhere, Berlin was kind of heavier than most parts in the world, as the weekend counts 7 days there… There it was very nice to discover that the techno scene  start liking harder beats and harsher sounds, less melodic music was played, Ambient drone-sound mixed with loud reverbed kicks became a way to escape from reality  and in the Industrial scene there was also a search for a more open sound… less distorted! 

Both scenes crossed borders and started to experiment with their sound. Like many other Industrial artists I liked this evolution, it’s inspiring and so you can reach a new audience and more events. The music played in both scenes was pretty similar,  only the mixing was done a different way.

Q: It’s an evolution you can also hear on the HANDS productions, which became more Techno-driven. How do you explain this phenomenon and what’s the connection between both genres?

Eric: Like I said, both scenes are crossing their borders. Adam X’ label Sonic Groove created back then a good name for a party; it was called ”Crossing the Parallels”; different scenes that fit together, but have another audience. So that phenomenon was a normal thing to happen,  people  going out, meeting people and discovering that there’s more…

Q: You earlier this year also (self)released a digital productions entitled “The Disco Buddha Variations”, “Disco Buddha” being probably one of the biggest MONOLITH hits. What makes the magic of the original edit and tell us a bit more about the different variations/edits of the song?

Eric: The magic in that track was the never ending kick drum. The end of the sound was connected to the start, in that time a not so often heard, with a simple Noise hi-hat making the mechanical rhythm and when I created a singing Buddha on this beat, the track became very recognizable and hypnotic…

The “Disco Buddha”-variations were made 20 years later, although there were in already made some different versions in the years on request for compilations. I performed all these versions as a special on Udo Wiesmann’s birthday event from the famous industrial HANDS label. To keep this memory I released it also on my  SoundOfMonolith Label found on Bandcamp.

Q: The Covid-19 pandemic has seriously affected all artistic life –especially live performances for musicians, so what’s the impact on your own activities? How do you try to manage and face this fact and what are your plans for the coming months?

Eric: It’s heavy for all of us. I’m lucky to get my music, listening records, playing synths, creating sounds… The live action is gone for now and that’s very, very sad; unbelievable when thinking to all events and festivals that have been cancelled. I keep to be creative during- and after lockdown, but I’m patiently waiting with all of you together until this is over; till that moment that we can get back to concerts and festivals in the same way as in the past. We will enjoy that so much and even more than ever before!

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: Krautrock, Psychedelic Electro-Rock, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: One year after their self-titled debut release the Belgian Motor!k trio is back on track unleashing six new songs. Motor!k is the sonic brainchild of Joeri Dobbeleir  (guitar and synths), Dries D’Hollander (drums) and Dirk Ivens (guitar and effects). Especially the presence of Dirk Ivens (The Klinik, Dive, Absolute Body Control, Sonar ao) is quite surprising, but Motor!k definitely seems to be an extra project in his long career.

Content: I have to admit I wasn’t totally convinced after the debut work. The band defines their sound as Krautrock, which is probably the correct definition although it’s more accessible than numerous projects in this genre. The songs are once again instrumental edits revealing a perfect harmony between the guitar  –which clearly injects the style of Motor!k, the crescendo going drums and electronics. The tracks are progressively built up and are sometimes reaching a Trance-like sensation. I also noticed a more Ballad-like experiment (cf. “Memoria”) while the last song (cf. “Penta”) is more into Electro, the sequences adding an extra dimension to the song.

+ + + : The global approach and influences are exactly similar to the previous work, but this new album (which is more a kind of mini-album) is definitely more efficient. It all feels like there’s a better balance between the sound layers. The guitar playing is the most essential element of the work creating an elevating effect. The opening cut “Tyrants” is a cool song illustrating this hypnotic feeling, but “Ritual” even moves a step further leading the listener into trance. “Ritual” also has something pretty sensual, which is an aspect I especially like in music. But there’s also something to say about “Sundown”, which has a more dark Cinematic appeal. The already mentioned last song “Penta” reveals explicit Electronic sound treatments, which are in perfect balance with the guitar and drums.

– – – : The softer “Memoria” is the only song from this work that can’t convince me. It probably also is the most Experimental one.

Conclusion: “Motor!k 2” took me by surprise revealing a pretty accessible sound and the huge potential of Motor!k.

Best songs: “Ritual”, “Penta”, “Sundown”, “Tyrants”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/MOTORIKBELGIUM

Label: www.outofline.de / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

About Motor!k

Motor!k is a Belgian krautrock trio set up in 2018 by Joeri Dobbeleir (guitar and synths), Dries D’Hollander (drums) and Dirk Ivens (guitar and effects), the latter also known for The Klinik, Dive, Absolute Body Control and Sonar.

The trio released its self-titled debut album in 2019 on Out Of Line, followed by “Motor!k 2” in 2020, the “Odyssey” EP in 2022 on Ant-Zen, the albums “3” (2022) and “4” (2023), and “5” in 2024.

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-Techno, Industrial-Techno.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Do I really have to introduce Eric Van Wonterghem? I just prefer to remind you that this Belgian veteran of Electronic music has been involved in some of the most successful and visionary bands from the Belgian- and international underground scene; The Klinik, Absolute Body Control, Insekt, Sonar, Detune-X… and of course Monolith. “Unnatural Bodies” is the eleventh full length since 1997!

Content: It’s fascinating to see how Monolith has evolved in style and influences since the earliest works. The sound has always been dominated and carried by as strong rhythmic, being mainly driven by tribal rhythms. But quite progressively and probably because Van Wonterghem relocated to Berlin (Germany) the music got contaminated by what I should call ‘the Berliner Techno School’. That’s precisely what this album stands for; a constant energetic fusion of Techno kicks and dark sound treatments. There are no real moments of relief or yet, maybe one (cf. “Already There”). I also noticed a more minimal-driven cut (cf. “Crawl Back”), which reminds us of the Klinik-al period of the artist; icy sequences and a tormented sphere.

+ + + : This album is a threshold to move from Industrial music towards Techno. But this is not simple and cheap Techno music; Monolith has been infected by a subtle ‘bacteria’ called Dark-Techno music! Music with bollocks to make you dance! Music for dark cellar clubs, techno that will give you an electroshock! The sound formula might sound easy, but has been carefully adapted to fill the hiatus between Industrial- and Techno music. “Melting Mountains” will bring you a total climax; being driven by great sound treatments and supported with a mysterious sphere. I also have to mention “Crawl Back” for its minimalism and tracks like “Unnatural Bodies” and “Stop The World”. One thing is for sure, I won’t stop Monolith from composing this kind of Dark-Techno food!

– – – : If there’s one single minus point I can imagine, it’s for sure the rather repetitive sound formula. There’s not enough diversity between the tracks and that’s what makes “Melting Mountains” that special!

Conclusion: This work sounds as a sonic rotor that has been engaged!

Best songs: “Melting Mountains”, “Unnatural Bodies”, “Crawl Back”, “Stop The World”, “God Is Your Shield”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/monolithrecords

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official

About Monolith

Monolith is one of the projects of Belgian musician Eric Van Wonterghem, also known for his work with The Klinik and Absolute Body Control. Van Wonterghem’s relocation to Berlin is reflected in Monolith’s increasingly Techno-driven direction, and “Unnatural Bodies” is the project’s eleventh full-length since 1997, released through HANDS.

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, Experimental, Cinematographic.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Human Vault is driven by the Hungarian born Gyorgy Turoczy aka ‘Mortum’. Based in New-York (USA) Human vault has been busy since 1997 and has released an impressive number of productions –mainly on the Hungarian label Exabyss Records. This first work released on Aliens Productions is maybe an opportunity to discover this project.

Content: “Self Rust” is clearly driven by good-old and worked-out EBM. The project is reminding me of early Frontline Assembly, and also to the coldness of The Klinik. Some parts are exploring experimental fields while you also will notice industrial elements. The vocals have been produced in a rather spooky way while there are also numerous spoken samplings running through the album. The dark and ghost-like atmosphere is more present than any kind of hard-danceable stuff. 

+ + + : You clearly hear the maturity of this project. The songs are well-crafted and reveal a sophisticated format. There also is a kind of dramatic touch emerging at the surface, which is created by the dense ambient layers. This is accentuated by the ghost-like production of the vocals. Human Vault clearly reminds me of the magic of early EBM bands; comparing this music to FLA and The Klinik is more than simply a reference!

– – – : The album is maybe missing some hard-danceable cuts, but the strength of this album clearly lies in the impressive atmospheres instead of bouncing kicks and danceable tunes.

Conclusion: Human Vault confirms Hungary has a real talented and probably underrated electro-underground scene.

Best songs: “Damn You All”, “Fear Will Come”, “Self Rust”, “This Hate”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/mortum.exabyss

Label: www.label.aliens.sk / www.facebook.com/pages/Aliens-production-label/200028820052578

About Human Vault

Human Vault is driven by Hungarian-born musician Gyorgy Turoczy, who also records as Mortum, and has been active since 1997, releasing mainly through the Hungarian label Exabyss Records. Now based in New York, Mortum issued “Self Rust” as his first release for Aliens Production.

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

Circumpolar is a Swedish duo driven by Jonas Mattson and Patrik Wallin. They last year self-released their debut-EP “Until The End Of Time” and next got signed on Alfa Matrix, which re-released this work. The second EP “We Will Remain” was released nearly at the same time and revealed a more sophisticated sound approach. The intelligent sound treatments remind me a bit of bands such as Clock DVA, Haujobb and related formations. Circumpolar might be the next new sensation for all of those who like intelligent electronics!

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Circumpolar is a rather unknown name at the wider fields of electro-underground music so can you briefly introduce the band, the way you get contaminated by the ‘electronic virus’ and what were the original purposes when setting up Circumpolar?

Circumpolar: Circumpolar is a new Swedish dark-electro/wave act that consists of Jonas Mattsson and Patrik Wallin. We are old friends since way back in time. We started to make music together when we were about 18 years old, and then played in different bands for some years in the Northern part of Sweden. However, we never released any of that material on record. For years now we have been talking about getting back together again, and about two years ago we decided trying to make electronic music together again.

The purpose behind Circumpolar is to create interesting electronic music within our own conceptual format and sound, which hopefully will be enjoyed by people all over the world.

Q: The name of your band refers to astrology, but can you tell us a bit more about this name and the possible links with lyrical content and music style?

Patrik: The stars that circle around the celestial pole and never set below the horizon are called ‘circumpolarstars’. In ancient Egypt, the circumpolar stars in the Northern sky were called ‘jhmw-sk’, ‘the ones not knowing destruction’. The astronomical characteristics of these specific stars were used in numerous religious texts to express immortality and eternity, for example:

‘O uplifted one (i.e. the Pharaoh), being great among the circumpolar stars. You have not perished, you star of eternity’ (a citation from the so-called Pyramid Texts, 2300 BC)

I studied a lot of ancient history at university, and I have a PhD degree in Egyptology. Sometimes I use the imagery and concepts of life/death and space/time from ancient Egyptian religion in my lyrics.   

Q: Referring to the music style and/or the ‘sound’ properly speaking, I experienced your work as a fusion between different genres and influences; EBM, IDM, ambient, dark-electro… How do you perceive your own sound? Can you tell us a bit more about potential sources of inspiration? References? And how did the song writing happened?

Circumpolar: Bands like Skinny Puppy, Front 242, The Klinik, Twice A Man, Kraftwerk, The Neon Judgement and Portion Control have always been sources of inspiration to us. Further, The Fields Of The Nephilim, The Sisters Of Mercy, Swans, The Cure, Joy Division, Rome and Dead Can Dance are bands that we both like a lot.

Both of us are still buying lots of records and we constantly discover new electronic and dark-electro artists. There is so much great new music within our genre yet to discover.

We like to think that we somehow have created mix between EBM, dark-electro and dark wave/goth. However, this was not the intention when we started the band, it just happened.

The process of creating new songs usually starts with an instrumental loop or just single sample, which we successively develop into a song.

Q: You last year self-released the debut EP “Until The End Of Times” -which got next re-released on Alfa Matrix, plus another EP “We Will Remain”. Can you briefly analyze both EP’s? Was there a particular focus in writing and production? And how did you get the deal with Alfa Matrix?

Circumpolar: The first song we recorded as Circumpolar was “The Rain Will Burn” from the first EP, and then we realized that we had created a musical concept and sound that we really liked. After that moment, it was very easy to continuing writing new songs. 

On the “Until The End Of Time”-EP the foundation of our sound was built, whereas on the “We Will Remain”-EP the sound and concept evolved into something that will be even more present on our future releases.

We sent the songs from our first EP along with the songs to the “We Will Remain”-EP to about 15 different record labels. We got some offers, but when we got a positive response from Alfa Matrix we were overwhelmed.  

Q: I think there’s an interesting evolution in writing and production between both EP’s; “We Will Remain” being definitely more elaborated and subtle, reminding me to bands such as Haujobb, Mentallo & The Fixer and Clock DVA. What does it say about your approach, studio equipment and your own evolution as musicians?

Circumpolar: On the second EP we have worked more with the vocals, and experimented a bit more with reverb, delay and other effects, trying to create a more dynamic and atmospheric experience. The structures of the songs are also a bit different compared to the first EP. Further, we spent much more time on mixing and mastering.

We have bought a lot of new gear since we recorded the first EP, for example a Korg Minilouge XD, the fantastic Strymon Big Sky Reverb, and some Roland drum machines.

Q: I think you’re back again in studio, so I can imagine there’s an album in the pipeline? What brings the future and what might we expect regarding topics such as image, social media activity and live performances?

Circumpolar: For the moment, we are recording new songs for a forthcoming album release. We are constantly producing loads of loops and outtakes, but now we have selected about nine songs out of that material to be finalized for an album.  

It is quite possible that there will be some social media activities prior to our next releases, perhaps some live performances from the studio…

Yes, we will definitely play live in the future.  

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, dark-EBM.

Background/Info: Swedish musician Carl Nilsson released his third full length album since “New To Reality” (2016). He last year released the mini-album “Reconstruction”. According to Carl Nilsson panic resulted from the world in emergency we’re living in and, which is driving ourselves till the end of our existence.

Content: Lucifer’s Aid transposed this dystopian theme into the familiar dark-EBM style from this project. At first sight, it’s a rather easy constructed EBM. The songs are driven by menacing bass lines and are recovered with dark atmospheres. The rhythm is danceable and the cold, ghost-like vocals perfectly fit to the music.

+ + + : Lucifer’s Aid still has this retro-EBM feeling reminding me 90s productions. It makes me think of the offspring between Leather Strip (for some of the bass lines) and The Klinik (especially the last track, which is dark and more sophisticated). “Panic” is an album to dance on, but still featuring an impressive, cold atmospheric side. Most of the songs are featuring simplistic, but efficient structures although there are also a few more elaborated passages. “Backlash” is an absolute masterpiece reminding me the magic of The Klinik. 

– – – : The artwork is pretty simplistic and maybe not enough explicit and distinguishable (especially the front cover). The music has a         great retro-feeling, but is therefore also a bit predictable after a while.

Conclusion: Lucifer’s Aid is not exactly the most renowned EBM formation, but it definitely is a must have for truly EBM lovers with nostalgic feelings. I like this band!

Best songs: “Backlash”, “Slow Death”, “Discipline”, “Not Meant To Be”, “Agitate”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.lucifersaid.com / www.facebook.com/lucifersaid

Label: www.progress–productions.com / www.facebook.com/progresspro

About Lucifer’s Aid

Lucifer’s Aid is a solo project founded in 2016 by Swedish musician Carl Nilsson, who has also recorded as part of Lithium and The Operating Tracks. Working in EBM and dark-electro since “New To Reality” (2016) and the mini-album “Reconstruction” (2018), Nilsson released “Panic,” his third full-length, on Progress Productions in December 2019.

Nilsson discussed the 2025 Lucifer’s Aid album “Enter And Exit”, also released on Progress Productions, in a later Side-Line interview.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, dark-electro, industrial.

Background/Info: Behind Red Market is hiding Brandon Duncan who’s also involved with more familiar projects such as Nerve War, Sterilizer, The Sequence Of Prime and more recently NWvic. Red Market claims to be an electronic project dealing with lyrical themes such as Hollywood cults, rituals, elite blood transfusion, human trafficking ao. The album is available as a limited cassette release of 100 copies.

Content: This album is clearly driven by good-old dark-electro and EBM vibes. There also is a solid industrial flavor hanging over the production. Globally speaking this work reminds me of early 90s productions and especially Belgian grandmasters such as Vomito Negro and The Klinik. The harsh vocal parts are totally fitting to the sound although I noticed one song with robotic vocals. The work features 5 long-during pieces.

+ + + : I like this retro-electro approach where the dark atmospheres are making the essence of the work. The sound treatments are made of icy tones and cool sweeps accentuating the obscure approach of the work. The songs are rather elaborated. Globally speaking this work has something refreshing although it’s pure ‘old-school’.

– – – : There also is an experimental touch running through some songs, which is not my favorite aspect.

Conclusion: It’s quite funny to realize how a retro-inspired production might be original! Red Market is a new project with some potential so I really encourage this artist to move on. 

Best songs: “Learn The Signs”, “Humiliation Ritual”, “Weapon”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: https://nervewar.net

About Red Market

Red Market is the work of Brandon Duncan, also known for Nerve War, Sterilizer and The Sequence Of Prime, among other projects. Discogs lists The Sequence Of Prime as Duncan’s one-man industrial, death and thrash project based out of Kansas City, Missouri, active since the early 1990s. The self-titled Red Market album reviewed here was issued as a limited cassette edition of 100 copies.

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: Krautrock, psychedelic-rock, experimental.

Background/Info: Motor!k is one of the newest signings from Out Of Line and definitely one of the most surprising ones. We all know Out Of Line is no longer a ‘pure’ electronic underground label, but has opened its sonic horizon during the past few years. Motor!k is a Belgian trio featuring Joeri Dobbeleir  (guitar and synths), Dries D’Hollander (drums) and last, but not least Dirk Ivens (guitar and effects). Dirk Ivens (Dive, The Klinik, Absolute Body Control, Sonbar ao) indeed is going back to his early ‘love’ to play guitar while this band is inspired by 70s krautock! This album has been released on cassette format by Wool-E Discs while Out Of Line took care for the CD and vinyl formats.  

Content: The work features 6 cuts so in the end it’s more like a mini-album. All songs are instrumentals revealing certain harmony between guitars, electronics and  drums. The sound is rather dark and often moves into psychedelic passages.

+ + + : This work is something like a challenge, but krautrock seems to become ‘hot’ again. After Daniel B. who’s fully experimenting with the genre and other less familiar artists, it’s now up to Dirk Ivens together with a completely new formation to start the experiment. I especially enjoyed the opening song “Static”, which is progressively evolving towards a truly apotheosis of guitars and electronic effects. It’s quite interesting to see this move back to krautrock as in a way it sounds refreshing although very old-school like. The guitar playing and especially the sensation it creates is really important for this kind of music and that’s precisely one of this band’s main strengths. 

– – – : The opening track is great, but all other cuts left can’t really give me a similar feeling.

Conclusion: You sometimes have to get back to somewhat forgotten music genres to create a refreshing effect. I’m not saying krautrock is totally back, but it all looks like the genre is starting a second life.

Best songs: “Static”, “Stellar”, “Colder”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/MOTORIKBELGIUM

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel Read the news on ‘Motor!k’.

About Motor!k

Motor!k is a Belgian trio formed by Joeri Dobbeleir (guitar and synths), Dries D’Hollander (drums) and Dirk Ivens (guitar and effects), known for his work in Dive, The Klinik, Absolute Body Control and Sonbar. The project takes its cue from 1970s krautrock, with the debut album first released on cassette through Wool-E Discs before Out Of Line issued the CD and vinyl editions.

Motor!k continued with “Motor!k 2” in 2020, “3” and the “Odyssey” EP in 2022, and “5” in 2024.

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

Dive’s “True Lies” 1999 album gets a re-release on 2LP vinyl. The reissue comes as a limited edition of 550 copies on double blue vinyl with gatefold sleeve, printed inner sleeves and numbered card.

“True Lies” was originally released in 1999 on Daft Records and was produced by Ivan Iusco (Minus Habens Records, Nightmare Lodge) and Eric Van Wonterghem Insekt, Monolith).

“True Lies” is available here for the first time on vinyl with all original songs plus extra tracks from the singles “Two Faced Man” and “Broken Meat”, some old compilations and a bunch of cover versions to classics by Suicide, The Normal and The Klinik. You can order this set right here from Bandcamp!

Tracklist:

• A1. True Lies One
• A2. Sidewalk Sinner
• A3. Breathing
• A4. Give It To Me
• A5. Two Faced Man

• B1. Be Yourself
• B2. Dreamhunter
• B3. Voodoo Child
• B4. Are You Awake
• B5. True Lies Two

• C1. Waiting And Burning
• C2. Blindness
• C3. In The Glasshouse
• C4. The Human Race
• C5. Skullscraper

• D1. Obsession
• D2. Cheree
• D3. Warm Leatherette
• D4. Moving Hands
• D5. Ghostrider

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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Peter Van Bogaert set up Liquid G in 1986! Inspired by the early ‘Belgian EBM school’ he started to self-release his music on the good-old cassette format (Liquid Products). His sound always remained characterized by darkness. During the years Peter got involved with numerous other (side) projects such as Liquid Trauma, Hydrom Line, SubsecTion 1, Maxx:Impact, Trauma Sutra ao. But Peter always went on with Liquid G releasing new work (also on labels such as EK Product and Dark Entries Records). He this year released the album “Barbed Wire Scrap”, still available as a very limited cassette, featuring ‘revisited’ familiar songs next to previously unreleased tracks. I consider this work as his most accomplished production to date and asked a few questions to this Belgian electronic ‘dino’.  

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You set up Liquid G. in 1986! What did you keep in mind from the early days of Liquid G. and what do you see as the main changes/evolutions between making music in the 80s and today?

Peter: There is a great difference between 1986 and now. Back in the days I didn’t had a lot of money, so I had to make my music with limited resources. Sometimes I had to loan some synths from friends to make my music. These days I have enough resources to choose from, both digital and analogue synths. But sometimes I go back to the early days and work minimalistic with only a few little synths like Korg Monotribe and Monotrons. That also feels so good!

Q: You this year released the album “Barbed Wire Scrap”, which is a fine selection of previously unreleased material and alternative versions. Tell us a bit more about the idea of this album and the selection of the songs?

Peter: Well, the last year(s) I spent more time creating sounds om my synths and used them for Liquid Trauma. So I thought maybe it’s time to release some Liquid G. material that I made and never used. When I looked at the tracks, I find out that there were more than enough to have a new release.

Q: I sincerely think this album is your most accomplished work to date. The songs are more elaborated than ever before while I also get the impression you used some extra (maybe new?) equipment to achieve this album so what is it all about?

Peter: Some of the tracks I reworked and remixed, with some new equipment. When we were working on Hydrom Line songs, I asked Bart Verlent to play guitar on some tracks from Liquid G., that also make some different sound on those songs like “Rock N Roll Suicide Star” and “Fed Up!”.

Q: You released numerous albums on cassette format featuring different split-releases, but also a tape called “Musical Art Conjunct Of Sound” (1989) together with Vomito Negro! How do you remember this experience and did you ever got the idea to re-release this tape again on CD format? I think it’s something rare and precious, isn’t it!?

Peter: In that period of 1989, Vomito Negro and I worked with a DAW software on Atari called MACS, a very unstable program. I asked Vomito Negro if I could have some old midi tracks they never used. That’s how I created those songs and called the release “M(usical) A(rt) C(onjuct) of S(ound)” or “MACS”. But now to re-release those tracks, I don’t find them good enough, also the recording sound is very poor and I can’t rework them. But yeah, who knows, maybe someday..

Q: Nearly all of your work is self-released, but you also released two albums on EK Product and even a vinyl on Dark Entries Records. What do you see as the pros and cons working with labels and working the good-old ‘DIY’-way (especially today)?

Peter: I liked working together with labels, but when I have more than enough tracks to bring out a new release, I can’t wait until a label decides to bring  out the work in a couple of years. I know sometimes labels have too many bands on their label. And the sale of CD’s isn’t very OK at this moment, you only sell stuff when it’s something special or very limited. That’s why I only made a few tapes from “Barbed Wire Scrap”. 

Q: There’s one thing I’ve never understood with Liquid G.. Like several ‘great’ names from the Belgian EBM/dark-electro scene you started making music in the 80s and shared similar influences, but Liquid G. always remained pure underground. Why did all these other bands you’ve been in touch with (The Klinik, Insekt, Vomito Negro…) became recognized all over the world while you remained one of Belgium’s finest hidden secrets? What does it say about promotion, distribution, labels, image etc?

Peter: I always stayed low profile, didn’t do live performances in the early years, only some special guest performance with Vomito Negro. But I didn’t care, for me it was and still is a hobby. But I’m glad that the name Liquid G. is still known in some foreign countries. For next releases from Liquid G., Liquid Trauma and Hydrom Line, I normally will work together with Wool-E-Discs. If another label is interested to bring out some (old) material, they are always welcome.

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

Does the name Mark Burghraeve make ring a bell? No doubt about it, ‘older’ electro heads know this Belgian artist born in 1961! Together with Marc Verhaeghen he set up The Klinik and created the band’s original look. Both ‘old’ mates are now back again working on new Klinik-stuff. You might also know him from his work under the Somnambulist moniker and M.Bryo & D.M.T. He also worked with artists and bands such as Niki Mono, Bill Leeb, Insekt, Vomito Negro, For Greater Good, Mike Shelter, Brain Pilot, Dark Poem, Hybryds, Les Boufons Tristes ao. Mark Burghraeve is a man of many talents and next to his music activities he’s also active as a multimedia artist and graphic-, video- & sound-designer and sound & light engineering. But back to music! The French label Nuit Et Brouillard recently released the album “Things I Was Due To Forget 1979 – 2005”. The work has been released on different vinyl formats and is now planned to be released on CD format as well. The music brings us back to the early and original sound of electronic music… to the roots. This interview will give you more background information about this passionate, fascinating and visionary artist.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: The least I can say is that you’re involved with an impressive number of very different artistic projects. Do you’ve some preferences in your artistic creation, what’s the importance of music and do you still have secret dreams in mind?

Mark: My preferred creations are the ones where I could sit at home and work on them in my own tempo and atmosphere, without any unwanted interference from the outside world. The ones where I could set my own deadlines and delegate some of the time consuming work. I like to see myself as a multi-media artist in the broad sense of the word. Music is one of the media I use to evoke or reproduce feelings, visions and dreams, based on my experiences and observations. I jump from one medium to another, sometimes mixing them. And the more I can use in one project, the more satisfying it becomes. The final result grows into a part of a viewer’s or a listener’s precious time. The artist has only this short period to take them on a small journey by exposing himself.

I try to keep my mind and taste open. My dreams are no secret. It would be nice to have my work survive the times, interpreted by others as it has already happened. The best feeling one can have is that his work is appreciated by as many people as possible, I guess. Making an immersive VR experience is on the want-list. Another film score would be nice too. A book maybe? A golden tie?

Q: You’ve been inspired by early electronic pioneers, but you in a way became a pioneer yourself. How do you look back at the early years of electronic music? Was there a kind of particular ‘spirit’, ‘philosophy’, ‘goal’… and do you see common elements with what’s happening today?

Mark: I always felt as a pioneer, out to get a taste of the future. Electronic music was the most futuristic music then. That time,  synthesizers were expensive and not seen as a full instrument yet. They were more like an effect in a classic rock setting, an extra weird toy for the keyboard player, like Pierre Henry did in the sixties with “Psycho-Rock”. Or they were used as sound effect machines for cinema as Bebe and Louis Barron already did in the fifties for the movie “Forbidden Planet”. Apart from “Popcorn” by Anarchic System, full electronic music was not yet popular. There weren’t that many people in Belgium who had a synth and tried to make music that fitted the expectations of a new sci-fi future vision.

After the ‘No Future’-era, we were looking for one. Most of the guys who had synths made ‘cosmic’ music or just collected buttons. Pure electronic music was not regarded as ‘real’ music yet. But there was a kind of spirit of togetherness between the artists of that time in Antwerp, a lot of independent projects and disciplines crossed each other: theater, music, fine arts, fashion, performance. It was a period in time when we revolted more, as a group or as individuals, against anything we were opposed to. We used the new technologies. We walked away from tradition and uniformity. Sometimes we even had ‘goals’. From political- and ecological awareness to shared ethics and aesthetics. We were multicultural anarchists with a rainbow of tastes and opinions. We were the avant-garde. We were the underground.

I don’t see this anymore, it seems culture has been institutionalized, nationalized, censored and belonging to the happy few who get financial support from the government. I see increasing xenophobia and homophobia. I see aggression, racism, poverty and despair in this modern day dystopia. And cell-phones, lots of cell-phones. But then again, I don’t go out that much anymore, so I might miss out on a lot of what is happening today.

Q: One thing is for sure, the late 70s and early 80s were pure ‘underground’-like! I think it had something magic, connecting people a different way than today. Today we’ve the internet, electronic music became much more accessible… everything became that different. What’s your perception about this evolution? The pros and cons?

Mark: The pros are that it all became much more accessible and now more people can create, produce and put their stuff on the internet. One can reach a global audience immediately. A computer is now a household thing and most people have cell-phones. We are all connected by wire or by Wifi and have libraries of virtual synths and plug-ins at the touch of a button or screen, complete with professional production tools and low distribution costs, if any.  Also you can get direct feedback from people all over the world who value your stuff. One can communicate faster. Co-operations over great distances get easier. Tools are easier to find.

The contras are that anybody can make music and put videos on YouTube. But without talent, proper promotion or attention of the media one can get lost in the flood of banal information. Today’s internet has become a marketplace, a big and busy one. You need extra skills if you want to get noticed as an artist. Like for instance opening an e-mail account to get PayPal. It also still leaves a very big and bad ecological footprint. Think of the control knob you ordered on e-bay, transported by trains, planes and diesel trucks.

The search for new music has also dramatically changed, we have robot programs that search for everything we want, telling us what we are supposed to like, based on databases and tags. Before all this, we physically went to the record shop to buy what they were offering. We had magazines with no commercials. No cell-phones, no social media sites, no e-mail, no internet. Just telephone, fax, modems and walkmans. Cassettes were the independent medium of that time. The home-studio was born. Affordable, but still expensive. I was lucky to have Stefan Van Elsen (Trans-4M,  Brain Pilot, …) of Central Tapes who distributed my work. Teac, Tascam & Fostex competed with Revox. There were still U-matic, 12-bit Digital Recording, Commodore & Spectrum, Memorex. All these factories sold physical equipment. Nowadays, big companies sell or even just rent data for the same use.

It has it’s pros and cons. The thing is, it’s here. One has to use it as a tool and avoid distractions. It’s still very new and it already had a very radical impact on all our lives. Writers like Kafka, Orwell or Huxley couldn’t even have dreamt this up. It’s like their warnings became handbooks for the rulers. Are we in the hands of a system we don’t understand, own or even know anymore? Who collects and controls the data? Does all this ‘security’ make us feel safe or does it make us more scared or paranoid? Since the expression ‘Fake News’ has been introduced, nobody trusts the media anymore, from both sides. We have political propaganda and commercials in between the services we paid for. We’ve all seen how YouTube and Google have evolved from data providers to data collectors. Do we lose freedom and privacy and should we protect these values? What’s this thing with wars, money, power and persistent ecological & political unawareness?

We live in glass houses. Too many rats in a cage with an overload of information. Sorry, what was the question again?

Q: Nuit Et Brouillard recently released the double album “Things I Was Due To Forget”; I should say an appropriated title for songs taking us back to your first sonic compositions. How did this release come through and can you tell us something about the origin of the songs?

Mark: Sylvie, co-founder of the French Nuit Et Brouillard-label, once made a compilation tape from records she had borrowed from a friend to play in her car. One of the songs was “The Empty Street” by M.Bryo & D.M.T. from the “No Big Business” compilation. Years later she found me on Facebook on a picture with Marc Verhaeghen (the Klinik) and Bill Leeb (Frontline Assembly), from the time we worked together on Noise Unit. She knew both Marc and Bill, but had never heard of me until she did some investigations. Nuit Et Brouillard invited me to Lille to meet them in person, so I took all my courage, some luggage and a train to France. There I met Stéphane as well. We talked about music and politics and played with the idea of making a release. It was a bit like checking each other out, before we made this idea concrete.

For Nuit Et Brouillard it would certainly have been the most ‘commercial’ record they would have ever made, since they were mainly releasing more experimental and ‘obscure’ music. A bold step. They showed me their beautifully made releases. Some of them had handmade art covers. All their releases were treated as gems, showing a deep involvement and respect for the artist. They were not driven by money, but by passion. Of course I felt very flattered by the offer and I loved the people there in Lille who supported me. I had the chance to do everything from A to Z; music, lyrics, recordings, mastering and artwork. I am very lucky to have had this opportunity and I am proud with the result.

The songs had their origin in the late seventies, the start of punk, affordable synths, drum machines & multi track recorders. Bands like Kraftwerk, Tubeway Army, Ultravox and The Human League had just started and people like Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, Tomita and Walter Carlos had already opened the door to popular electronic music.

I lived in industrial Hoboken and was a DJ for some time, pretty up to date. By buying the ‘trash’ the record shop couldn’t sell on a Friday, I got a lot of weird unknown stuff. The weirder it was, the more I liked it. Anyway, I had fun in my room with my machines, later got into computers and now I’m still trying to use technology as a medium, not only for making sound.

Q: When it comes to music, I think there’re very different types of artists; classical schooled musicians, composers, producers, self taught artists and experimentalists who clearly break the codes. Where do you place yourself and tell us a bit more about the different aspects of being the musician/artist you are?

Mark: I’m a self-taught mad experimentalist, composer, bad musician, an OK writer and from time to time, if I may say so, a very able producer with neo-classical ambitions, and some more… I cherish my work as a musician as much as I like using other media. If I get bored or stuck with one medium, I jump onto another one. It keeps the creative ball rolling. Sometimes one inspires the other. Bringing as much art forms as possible into one project is the most satisfying, I think. To me, programming is an art form as well. Sometimes a program can be written as elegantly as a poem.

Q: You’ve been involved with different music projects; M.Bryo & DMT, The Somnambulist, The Klinik… and you’ve worked with an impressive list of artists. What did you keep in mind from all these projects and experiences and tell us something more about The House of the Thepaphone?

Mark: So many stories to tell. So many experiences. Every contact has its anecdotes. Sometimes, it seemed as if I lived in a soap opera, complete with the melodrama and the intrigues. But the fun part was the work itself, trying to get the best results with the tools I had. Having my own rock-band KOYT! was great, but what I liked especially were the one-on-ones, like Les Bouffons Tristes with Peter Geysels, whom I knew from For Greater Good or the ones with Sophie from Dark Poem.

With The House of the Thepaphone, I try to create a cosy place for my friends and I on Bandcamp, a popular music site for independent use, with a possibility to get some money for the music. Not big amounts, but since money seems to be a handy thing to have on this planet, any return is always welcome. It’s where I put some of the collaborations with other artists and completed works from my archive. On SoundCloud I put my most recent sketches and portfolios. ReverbNation was one of the first music libraries I used on the web. I forgot MySpace, but who didn’t? I think of building some more websites. They open possibilities for experiment and promotion. Recently, I got on Spotify and iTunes, to keep up with the new tools and platforms. I’m still learning.

The House of the Thepaphone :

Nuit Et Brouillard:

Other Links:

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: Experimental, minimal-electronics, electro-wave.

Background/Info: Belgian artist Mark Burghgraeve entered into history as an early member (together with Marc Verhaegen of The Klinik. He later on got some recognition under the ‘Somnambulist’ moniker. But this album moves back to the ‘origins’ of the artist; forgotten times when this multimedia artist was active as M.Bryo + D.M.T. This album is a fine selection of ‘lost’ or ‘forgotten’ songs that were originally released on cassette and vinyl, but still features a few previously unreleased songs. Notice by the way that M.Bryo & D.M.T. features other members; Marc Verhaegen is for sure the most famous one while Claire Vereecken, Jan Vanderstraeten and Gert Wyninckx were also involved. This double album features a selection of 18 songs and has been limited to 439 copies. Notice by the way that got released on the French label Nuit Et Brouillard, which gained name and recognition as ‘organization’ of events and parties.

Content: The songs were originally composed in between 1979 (!) and 2005. This work takes us back to the early years of electronics bringing the 80s spirit alive. Good-old analogue sound treatments, which are mostly experimental-like, but still into this typical electro-wave format. The songs are pretty minimalistic and mainly characterized by icy atmospheres and sterile vocals. 

The second disc is somewhat different for being mainly instrumental; revealing several instrumental versions from songs from the first disc. These songs are less accomplished, but still evoking the early magic from the 80s.

+ + + : If you like minimal compositions made by analogue gear, this album will sound as something magic. It brings the early years and experiments of electronic music alive. It was a time where bands got a unique sound and that’s an element you’ll rapidly perceive. I especially like the first disc, which is more accomplished and featuring vocals. The title song is a little sonic jewel, but I also have to mention “Show Me Your Hands” featuring lyrics by the famous Belgian artist Jan Fabre. “Shrinking Room” is another noticeable cut driven by a solid bass line. This album has something ‘historic’ and is an absolute must have for all 80s electro lovers.

– – – : The experimental aspect of the work is maybe not the most accessible one and especially for all of those who are less familiar with this unique period in music history.

Conclusion: This album is a way to realize where electronic music comes from. It’s an essential work getting us back to the origins and will be an item for collectors.

Best songs: “Things I Was Due To Forget”’, “Shrinking Room”, “Show Me Your Hands”, “Embryo”, “Things I Was Due To Forget – Instrumental Version”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.maarfo.com/mark–burghgraeve

Label: www.nuitetbrouillard.com / www.facebook.com/Nuit–et–Brouillard-251548154914441

About M.Bryo & D.M.T.

M.BRyo + D.M.T. is a project of Belgian multimedia artist Mark Burghgraeve, a founding member of Spierrelaxans, which was soon renamed The Klinik. Burghgraeve formed M.BRyo + D.M.T. with fellow art school students, including Marc Verhaegen, Claire Vereecken, Jan Vanderstraeten and Gert Wyninckx, at the end of the 1970s. “Things I Was Due To Forget,” reviewed here, compiles songs recorded between 1979 and 2005 and released on the Lille-based label Nuit et Brouillard; the track “Show Me Your Hands” is a collaboration with artist Jan Fabre for his installation “Homo Faber.” Burghgraeve discussed the project in a Side-Line Click Interview.

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 EBM.

Background/Info: Set up in 2007 by Stijn Szin and ‘Posse’ the Belgian Mirexxx duo has now finally released their official debut album. They started with self-released albums, but joining hands together with Echozone might bring them more recognition. After the “Inside You”-EP released in 2017, the album “Vault” features 10 songs.

Content: You immediately can hear this band is inspired by the dark-electronic roots of the Belgian electronic music. “Vault” also sounds pretty 90s and totally devoted to dark EBM. Icy sequences, cold strings and cavernous vocals are the main characteristics of this work.

+ + + : “Vault” will definitely catch the attention of some nostalgic EBM lovers and especially those who’re fan of the Belgian masters such as Vomito Negro, The Klinik and co. But Mirexxx sounds simpler and carried by 90s influences. I especially like some of their metallic-sounding bass lines. The best tracks are featured at the end of the album where I heard more elaborated songs referring to “Distraction” (featuring great strings), “Dimension” and especially the title song “Vault”.

– – – : Mirexxx is a band with an interesting retro-approach, but I’m missing a real elaboration in the writing process. Most of the songs remain too ‘simple’ giving me the impression that all songs sound the same.

Conclusion: Mirexxx reminds us of the glorious days of Belgian EBM. The approach is interesting, but needs some achievement. It however is a band to keep an eye on.

Best songs: “Vault”, “Distraction”, “Dimension”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/mirexxx.official

Label: www.echozone.de / www.facebook.com/EchozoneMusic

About Mirexxx

Mirexxx is a Belgian dark EBM duo of Stijn Szin and ‘Posse’, set up in 2007. The project self-released the albums “Erratica” (2008) and “Nine Angles” (2011) before signing to Echozone for the “Inside You” EP in 2017. “Vault”, reviewed here, is Mirexxx’s first full album for the label, followed in 2019 by “Chaos” and “Death Angel”.

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

Background/Info:

About Stave & Grebenstein

Stave & Grebenstein is a project pairing Chicago-based Jonathan Krone with Kassel, Germany-based Jan Grebenstein. This 12″ was released on Standards & Practices, Krone’s own label, which also carries releases by his side-project Talker. The record’s sound has been compared to the early work of The Klinik.

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-industrial.

Background/Info: The legendary The Klinik front man last year struck back as Dive unleashing a great new opus entitled “Underneath”. One of the album’s hits “Let Me In” has been now released as EP-title song featuring 2 remixes of “Let Me In” plus 2 cuts. Notice by the way the EP is only available on vinyl format and of course as a digital release.

Content: “Let Me In” was remixed by Mildreda, the electro-industrial project of Belgian artist Jan Dewulf (known from Diskonnekted) and Attacke. Dewulf and Ivens know each other from the successful EP “Frozen”, which was released as Diskonnekted vs. Dirk Ivens. It sounded pretty Dive-like so Mildreda could only re-industrialize “Let Me In” in a hard cut. The remix by Attacke sounds pretty club-minded.

Both other and new cuts are the instrumental and more experimental-like “Hollie” plus a new Suicide cover version. Dive this time covered “I Remember” together with Alvar.

+ + + : “Let Me In” is the best choice as EP title song. The original electro-industrial cut was masterly remixed by Mildreda and Attacke. This song sounds like pure electro-industrial featuring the spooky vocals of Dirk Ivens together with great music carried by a terrific chorus.

– – – : I was less captivated by both other cuts. “Hollie” sounds like a pure B-side while the cover version of Suicide is not the best one I’ve heard from Dive. If you remember “Rocket USA” for example and you compare it with “I Remember” you’ll notice the hiatus. From a very personal point of view I think it also is a pity an artist like Dive no longer releases this kind of EP on CD format.

Conclusion: This maxi is a perfect opportunity to get back to the “Underneath” album, which remains a great album symbolizing the comeback of Dive after more than 10 years!

Best songs: “Let Me In – Attacke Remix”, “Let Me In – Extended Mildreda Version”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.dirkivens.com / www.facebook.com/TheKlinikDiveSonarAbsoluteBodyControl / www.facebook.com/dirk.ivens.3

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

Read the news on ‘Let Me In’.

About Dive

Dive is the solo alter-ego of Belgian artist Dirk Ivens, also known from The Klinik, Absolute Body Control, Sonar and Motor!k. Ivens released the album “Underneath” in 2017 on Out Of Line.

“Let Me In” collects two remixes of the title track plus two additional cuts: a rework by Mildreda, the project of Jan Dewulf, who also records as Diskonnekted, and a version by Attacke. Dewulf and Ivens had already worked together on Diskonnekted’s 2006 EP “Frozen”, which featured Ivens as a guest. Dive’s next album, “Where Do We Go From Here?”, paired Ivens again with Dewulf and appeared on Out Of Line in 2020.

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-ambient, industrial, experimental.

Background/Info: Philipp Münch is one of those sonic enigmas to me. The German artist has been involved with such an endless number of bands/projects while he also started a prolific solo-career under his own name for a couple of years. He has dealt with multiple music styles he became somewhat unpredictable.

Content: This new opus takes off a rather dark and somewhat vintage-style, but rapidly moves towards dark, tormented and somewhat industrial-like sound treatments. Philipp Münch again brings different influences together, creating an imaginary sonic patchwork between ambient-, industrial-, experimental-, technoid- and cinematographic music. Some cuts remind me a bit of the darkest electronics of The Klinik with some extra industrial flavor on top. But other parts are moving into techno/acid experimentation while the last track is even more IDM-like.

+ + + : Philipp Münch is a long-time renowned and highly considered sound genius, which is already confirmed on “Greyscale”. He has a nose to create intelligent music compositions with a great vintage (analogue) touch. “Greyscale” sometimes sounds a bit like the offspring between different projects Philipp got involved with. It first of all remains a dark productions also characterized by German vocals. I like the ‘klinikal’ touch supporting the great “Tier” but also the pure industrial-like “Fangs”. The best cuts are right at the final part of the album and I here especially want to tip the techno-acid minded title track plus the more sophisticated “Keine Tränen”.

– – – : I don’t have real minus points to mention. This album reveals a succession of great and diversified cuts. So I can imagine the diversity and especially some of the featured influences will maybe not ravish all listeners.

Conclusion: Philipp Münch confirms his talent as musician, but most of all his sonic eclecticism making him one of the most unpredictable musicians from the industrial scene.

Best songs: “Greyscale”, “Keine Tränen”, “Alter Ego”, “Fangs”, “Nichts Dringt Mehr Durch”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/philippmuench.de

Label: www.ant–zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

About Philipp Münch

Philipp Münch is an electronic musician and sound artist from Bielefeld, Germany, active as a solo artist since the early 2000s, when he released his debut “Subversiv” in 2001.

His catalog on Ant-zen includes “Transcontinental Desperation” (2014) and “Elysium” (2016), preceding “Greyscale” in 2018.

Münch has remained prolific since, releasing “Autosymbiotisch” and the “Über Leben” series in 2020, followed by further albums including “New Ritual Music” (2023) and “Krankpop” (2026).

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

Suicide Commando is a long-time leading formation from the dark-electronic scene. The band is an important source of inspiration for numerous new bands. So I got the idea asking a question to artists who are or have been related to Johan Van Roy. What do they think about his music, about the man hiding behind the artist…

I got in touch with Torben Schmidt, Dirk Ivens, Jean-Luc De Meyer, Jan L., Nero Bellum, Markko Barientos and Sakis (aka SynthetiC).

Speaking for myself I got the opportunity to work with Johan on a common project called Toxic Shock Syndrome. That was quite a long time ago now, but all over the years Johan remained the same kind and accessible guy for which I can only express my admiration for the talented artist he is and my respect for the great person hiding behind the artist. There where some artists are ‘struggling’ with their egos, he simply remains himself…

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Torben Schmidt is the owner of Infacted Recordings, member of Lights Of Euphoria and Binnary Park plus long-time live member of Suicide Commando.

Q: We all know Johan Van Roy as an ‘artist’ and ‘performer’, but what kind of man is he behind the scenes?

Torben: I know Johan since more then 20 years now and I have to say that he is one of the most loyal and kind guys I ever met. In fact he turned from an artist I respect into a real friend. We experienced so many cool things in the last 17 years being a part of his band which really made us friends. I’m really happy that I got to know him and that we had the chance to expand our friendship.

Dirk Ivens is a living legend of the electronic underground scene, front man of The Klinik, but still involved with Dive, Sonar, Absolute Body Control… he also was a source of inspiration for Suicide Commando.

Q: The Klinik definitely was one of the main sources of inspiration for Suicide Commando. How much of The Klinik do you recognize in Suicide Commando?

Dirk: It looks like more than 30 years after the release of the first album of The Klinik that these songs are still very much alive and were a big inspiration for a lot of bands during the years.. including Suicide Commando. Johan was one of them and especially his early work before he developed and finally found his own musical touch.

Jean-Luc De Meyer is the singer of the pioneers of EBM, the one and only Front 242! He’s also involved with 32 Crash, Underviewer and Modern Cubism. Jean-Luc De Meyer did some guest vocals on the song “The Pain That You Liked”, which was originally released as EP and featured on the newest Suicide Commando album as well.

Q: Jean-Luc, you already sung in multiple projects and did multiple guest vocals, but I never expected you singing on a song of Suicide Commando. What kind of experience was it for you and what’s your perception of the Suicide Commando sound?  

Jean-Luc: I’m not that sociable you know so I lately met Johan, maybe 3 or 4 years ago now. But I’d seen numerous concerts of Suicide Commando before. Singing on “The Pain That You Like” was a rather easy job because music and lyrics both were already written and I only had to interpret the song. It was quite simple and a bit of an evidence for me as I felt like a fish in the water singing on this kind of music…

Jan L is for sure another leading artist from the electronic underground scene. From Noisuf-X to X-Fusion to Stoppenberg he ever ever set up Kombat Unit together with Johan Van Roy.

Q: You ever set up Kombat Unit together with Johan Van Roy. What did you keep in mind from this experience and what’s your perception of Johan Van Roy as an artist/performer?

Jan L: Yes, we started Kombat Unit some time ago.. and we had a lot of fun making music together. We both have very different ways of working.. but it worked very well in the end, even if we only finished 2 songs. Our problem was only our lack of time. That´s why we stopped with Kombat Unit.

You maybe know that we both know each other since a very long time and we are close friends. I respect Johan as a very nice person and as a great artist. I also love to work with him, when it comes to mixing/mastering his Suicide Commando stuff. His music inspired countless bands since a very long time and he is a very important person in our scene. Without him our scene would be very different.

Nero Bellum is the front man of Psyclon Nine and get featured on the opening song of the new album.

Q: How did you get in touch with Johan Van Roy and what kind of experience was it for you contributing to the opening song (cf. “The Gates Of Oblivion”) of the new album?

Nero: I believe that my first correspondence with Johan took place just as “Mindstrip” was being released. I had just formed my band Psyclon Nine and had just begun work on our first album. Suicide Commando was one of my biggest influences at the time and Johan was happy to give me advice.

“The Gates Of Oblivion” gave us an opportunity to collaborate in a much deeper way. While Johan had most of the music written when he approached me, I was able to bring live, modular synthesis into the picture as well as my lyrical contributions. Performing the track at ‘Wave Gotik Treffen’ 10 minutes before my shuttle arrived was something that I won’t soon forget.

Markko Barientos is without a shadow of a doubt one of the leading artists from the Mexican dark-electro scene, but he in the meantime became a word-wide recognized artist involved with C-Lekktor, Circuito Cerrado and Kromak.

Q: Do you remember the first time you’ve heard Suicide Commando and what did you think? What means this band to you?

Markko: Yeah I still remember that day, the first time I heard Suicide Commando here in Mexico city we have a ‘Music Market’ named “El  Chopo” and I got the “Critical Stage” CD by luck. At that time there wasn’t internet and to find original CDs was something that became a real pain in the ass, but fortunately I found it and it was so blasting that it changed my own panorama from what I was listening to those days. ‘COLD-VIOLENT AND CATCHY’ are my favorite 3 words when it comes to dark electronic music. I just wanted to get more and more from Suicide Commando.

Suicide Commando had already released the “Stored Images”-album around that time I found the “Critical Stage”-album (so you can see how hard it was to find music in Mexico during that time?) From that day I always knew that I was so engaged with his sound and after all these years I still consider it as one of my biggest pleasures and influences in my music. For me “Construct-Destruct” is and will be always one of the best albums. To keep it short, ‘I’M A SUICIDE COMMANDO ADDICT, aren’t you?

Sakis aka SynthetiC from Nano Infect is a Greek artist who definitely found his inspiration in the cold electro sound of Suicide Commando. Johan Van Roy was guest singer on the Nano Infect’s song “Lifeless”.

Q: Suicide Commando clearly sounds like a source of inspiration for numerous dark-electronic bands. What makes the sound of Suicide Commando that special and what specific elements in this sound do you like?

Sakis: What makes Suicide Commando so special to a point that, at least to me, literally everybody is inspired, is the man behind the project; Johan Van Roy himself. He’s a loyal and simple guy while his sound features a straight forward structure plus a melody that gets stuck in your head from the very first moment. Needless to mention the groovy bass lines and that super fat sounding signature snare!
As for the lyrics, you get to see that Johan Van Roy is an everyday normal guy with thoughts like yours and mine… Songs about depression, death, the way the mind works… simple thoughts of a man who feels he has to express them…

It has been an honor to know him and I would like to thank him in public again for everything.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Side-Line also covered Suicide Commando’s ‘Hellraiser’.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

The Klinik (or Klinik as you want) no longer has Dirk Ivens in the line-up so it seems. The duo Marc Verhaeghen and Mark Burghgraeve (member of the band in 1981–82, 1995, present) have been working on brand new material, of which the track below, “Don’t look back”, is already a nice teaser.

To many the line-up that delivered such albums as “To The Knife” and “Stitch” (along with early Noise Unit) is considered to be the project’s finest. The band itself was originally formed around 1982 by Marc Verhaeghen, who is the only constant member. Previous members included Dirk Ivens (1985–1991 and 2003–present), Eric van Wonterghem (1985–87), Sandy Nys (1985), Thorsten Stroth (1995), Tom Claes (1996), Stefan Mertes (1996) and Nickanor (2002).

Verhaeghen has been involved in several projects outside Klinik, including Noise Unit (with Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber of Front Line Assembly), D.Sign (with Philippe and Eliane Fichot of Die Form), X10 (with Niki Mono, Marc Ickx of A Split-Second and Vidna Obmana), and Para (with his own wife Sabine Voss).

For now enjoy this track, “Don’t look back”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark EBM, ambient-EBM.

Background/Info: Liquid Trauma is a Belgian formation resulting from the common efforts between old electro-servant Peter van Bogaert (Liquid G, Hydrom Line..) and Peter De Koning (Hybryds, Hedera Helix, Crossvaults, TraumaSutra). “Distorted Memories” is the official debut work of this brand-new project, which has been released on the Belgian label Wool-E Discs.

Content: If you’re a bit familiar with the work of both musicians, you’ll quickly agree to say “Distorted Memories” is the perfect sonic symbiosis between their own influences. The songs mix good-old and pure vintage electronics together with dark, haunted atmospheres and a little experimental flavor on top.

This album brings us back to the early hours of dark EBM. The icy electronics and spooky vocal parts are more than once reminding me of early Klinik stuff. But you’ll also find a few more experimental and instrumental pieces, where the ambient input has been accentuated. The most original song is “Gazelle” for the lyrics in Dutch (which is one of the trademarks from Hedera Helix).

+ + + : This album will appeal to all 80s freaks and early lovers of The Klinik and related formations. The vintage sound remains something unique and that refreshing when you’re used to hear the contemporary dark-electronic productions, which sound all the same. There’s a perfect twist between the coldness of the synth atmospheres, the somewhat industrial rhythms and the ghost-like vocals. Liquid Trauma sounds like the good-old Belgian electro, which conquered the world during the 80s!

– – – : Skeptical minds will say that this album features no real innovation. The album is maybe missing an absolute hit. I guess the main point is that this band should for sure get word-wide enthusiastic feedback during the 80s while it’s quite difficult to get into the spotlight today!

Conclusion: Liquid Trauma sounds like a truly resurrection of old Belgian electronic standards, but it first of all is a successful fusion between both artists. I really encourage Liquid Trauma to move on because this album is ‘too good to be true’.

Best songs: “Ghost Cities”, “Funny Song”, “Don’t Eat Meat”, “Transfiguration”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.facebook.com/liquidtrauma / www.facebook.com/liquidgarbage / www.facebook.com/TempelKoor

Label: www.wool–e–shop.be / www.facebook.com/woolediscs

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

It’s now 27 years ago that Dirk Ivens (the legendary singer of The Klinik) took the world by surprise unleashing the self-titled debut album “DIVE”. The sound revealed a heavy, industrial and unpolished production mixed with  charismatic vocals. This work was the debut of a successful career featuring numerous great albums and essential songs. The music remained dark and industrial, but still featuring electronic treatments. But after the “Behind The Sun”-album (2004) the fans had to wait for 13 years to get new studio material. “Underneath” has been released on Out Of Line and is featuring good-old guest contributor Ivan Iusco (Nightmare Lodge and owner of Minus Habens Records) and Rafael M. Espinosa (Geistform) who already collaborated on “Behind The Sun”.

You can order the latest Dive releases right here on vinyl.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Did you ever thought to come back with a new Dive-album and what was the ‘click’ to start working again on new stuff?

Dirk: . After the definitive chapter to stop The Klinik from my side and the decision to take a long break with Absolute Body Control after the intensive touring, I suddenly realized I had all the time of the world to work in all quietness and peace on a new DIVE album. People asked me for years about new material and I realized it was more than a decade ago since the last album “Behind The Sun”.

Q: What kind of album did you’d in mind (sound- & lyrical wise) when starting the composition of “Underneath”?

Dirk: The ingredients are always the same; dark atmospheric electronics with a haunting voice. Of course there was a lot happening in the world during the last decade. We got confronted with terrorism, which is heavy cutting in the minds of Western people. The world will never be the same as we knew it and I try to capture that image and feelings also in my lyrics.

Q: You asked Ivan Iusco and Rafael M. Espinosa to help a hand. What’s the real impact of both musicians on “Underneath”, which according to me became your most accomplished album ever?

Dirk: As a non-musician I like to work together with other people otherwise every album would sound like the first DIVE record. With Ivan I used to work a lot in the past and with Rafael I collaborated on the last one. This time I asked them both to send music in the style that would fit in the DIVE concept, we discussed about the tracks and made changes where needed, I wrote the lyrics and did the singing. Beside that I also composed a few tracks and this way of working is perfect because this brings variety in sound and structures and keeps it very interesting. On stage DIVE is and will always be a one man project, but on recordings I always worked together with others.

Q: “Underneath” also sounds as a refreshing work and a kind of antidote to all dark-electro and industrial-like bands which all sound pretty similar to each other. What’s your perception of the ‘scene’ today?

Dirk: I don’t listen that much to other electronic bands because there is not much development in that genre, everything has been already done thousands times before. Originality is the keyword, bands like Twice A Man or Portion Control are still making excellent albums, but most of the younger generation sounds like a copy of Nitzer Ebb or DAF, really not my thing. For the “Underneath” album I went to a factory and recorded the banging noise on my discman, just like during the old days. So, be creative instead of using all the same sounds.

Q: I noticed there’re 27 (!) years between your self-titled debut-album and “Underneath”. How would you analyze the evolution of Dive throughout the years and what does it mean to you as an artist/performer?

Dirk: The very first DIVE gig was indeed in 1990, it’s unbelievable how time runs fast. For me music is the red wire in life, I feel like a fortunate person who could do musically what I wanted to do with all of my projects. I have seen a lot of technologic changes, from recording on two track tape desks to digital with all formats in between. The world changed and so do I, my wish is to continue another 3 years and celebrate 30 years of DIVE on stage, a nice way to end this story, right?

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

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

Background/Info:

Read the news on ‘Underneath’.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

The Psychic Force is back alive! Twenty one years after their last album they earlier this year unleached their third full length album “Welcome To ScarCity” on Alfa Matrix. Set up by Jörg Charnowski and Michelle Christiansen the band became a respected and praised EBM act during the 90s. The albums “Mutilation” (1992) and “Traces” (1994) both released on KM-Musik became praised underground items. This new opus is maybe the start pf a new and successful chapter.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: What incited you to reactivate The Psychic Force after more than 20 years of silence and did you keep an eye on the evolution of electronic-underground music during this long break?

Michelle: After our second album in 1993, I started a DJ career and up to today I have played in a lot of scene clubs all around Germany. So I have naturally kept an eye on electronic-underground music all the time.

Actually Jörg and I only stopped making music for a few years. The work on the current album and on the EP which was released in 2015 started already around 2003, but we didn’t release the music back then.

We adopted a completely new workflow with software music production, which is a contrast with the 90s when we used mainly hardware. But to be able to produce, mix and master music professionally enough, which was our goal, it nearly took a decade. We had to build a new studio from ground up and learn all the skills to make it better this time than in the 90s.

Q: So it seems that the main changes/evolution concern technical elements, right?

Michelle: Actually the process of getting the sounds, melodies and rhythms somehow stayed the same, only the technical methods to achieve this changed dramatically. In the early days we used an Atari ST 1024 with Cubase and lots of hardware. Nowadays we make music on a Mac with software daws, but the soft synths still act like hardware instruments. So yes, it was and still is fun plus a great satisfaction to compose music and we still feel a big desire to create music.

Q: What can you tell us about the potential sources of inspiration (music & lyrics) behind “Welcome To ScarCity”?

Michelle: Well over the years we gathered a lot of inspiration from various music we listened to. In our early days we listened a lot to The Klinik and Skinny Puppy. Then over the years we also liked the sound of newer bands like Suicide Commando, Hocico, VNV Nation or Combichrist and so many more. This has surely influenced our way of making music, too. Sometimes we also feel inspired by film music and classical music. There are really lots of influences and I guess I can’t mention them all in this frame.

Q: Compared to your debut work I noticed a serious evolution in the global sound writing and the way of singing, but I’ve the feeling the album could have been even better with the involvement of a producer. Any reaction about this point?

Michelle: During the beginning phase of the new production we sometimes thought about that too. But we decided that we were better off doing everything by ourselves. First because we have much more control over every aspect this way and also because we want to be independent from any third person as a producer.

Finally, the financial aspect also played a role in our decision not to go that path. The Psychic Force was always a more or less non-profit project and so we don’t want to invest in anything else than in our own equipment, merchandise and things like that. This even means that we do not intend to go into an external studio as we don’t expect making money with our music anyway. It’s fun and it should stay fun. And so we don’t need a professional production to sound polished and commercial like tons of other bands.

Q: While your previous work got released on a small label (KM-Musik) you now joined hands with one of the leading formations of underground electronics (Alfa Matrix). It all looks like a late consecration don’t you think? What are your expectations?

Michelle: As I have already indicated, we don’t expect to be the next Skinny Puppy or The Klinik. We are really happy that Séba of Alfa Matrix took us under contract and that we’re now on one of the greatest labels in the electronic underground music genre, together with Front 242 and so many other great artists. We always liked the Belgian scene and a Belgian label really fits great to us. Alfa Matrix distributes their releases worldwide and as we already had an international fan base in the 90s, this also fits very good. So I hope we can manifest this great cooperation even more and become one of the well known artists of Alfa Matrix in the future so that everybody can listen to our music.

Q: Next to The Psychic Force I also remember some other projects you’ve been involved with like Nuclear Error and the more industrial-like Systemfehler. Do you have any plans to reactivate these bands as well or rework some songs?

Michelle: As Systemfehler consists of the same members as The Psychic Force, namely Jörg and I, we may also produce and release some more industrial-like music again in the future. But not under the name Systemfehler, because this name has now been taken by another music project for a movie in Germany. We might release it under a different name though.

Nuclear Error also involved Marc Ilsemann who is deeply into cycling sports nowadays and we don’t think he is interested in continuing the project. But who knows. Maybe some time this will still happen anyway.

Thank you a lot for your interview!

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

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

Background/Info:

Read the news on ‘Welcome To ScarCity’.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

The 45th track on our free download compilation “Face The Beat: Session 4” (featuring 92 tracks) is by the Belgian cult darkwave act Mildreda.

In the early 90’s Jan Dewulf started making electronic music under the Mildreda moniker. What he offered was dark electro / dark wave following the Belgian tradition of bands like The Klinik but with more melody. Although the act gathered a loyal following in no time and that his demo tapes (“II Castrado” and “De Laffe Denker”) became well sought after collector items (we have them in the office actually), a label deal was surprisingly never concluded (back then at least) for this excellent project.

Frustrated by the lack of decent studio gear and by the absence of any label deal, Jan Dewulf decided to set the project on hold. In the meantime he joined Heyaeb as producer and live keyboard player and later on started his own new project, Diskonnekted.

In November 2009 however Mildreda had a surprise reunion gig and the virus spread as he revived the project for good. Last year the project finally got an official release via the massive “Coward Philosophy” download album which became the biggest selling download album for Alfa Matrix breaking all records. There was indeed a huge cult following awaiting!

You an find out more on the band on their official website and on Facebook.

Listen to “Erazor” below and download it right here.

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

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Read the review of ‘Welcome To ScarCity’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Background/Info:

Read the news on ‘New To Reality’.

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: Artoffact Records moves back into history. Together with the re-release of “Deceit / Struktur” we now get the digital version of “Agitate / In Vain”, which was the second and last 12” by the duo Bill Leeb (FLA) and Marc Verhaeghen (The Klinik). Both songs also appeared on the album “Response Frequency” originally released on Antler-Subway.

Content: Both songs were released in 1990 and that’s for sure an element you’ll easily notice. This work clearly sounds like late 80s – early 90s EBM and is the perfect offspring between both artists main bands. The sequences and of course the vocals by Bill Leeb are into pure FLA while Marc Verhaeghen injected his darker, experimental and more industrial tricks from The Klinik.

+ + + : Especially the song “Agitate” reveals early, but great and worked-out EBM. The sound also revealed a more elaborate writing and more harmony between the influences of FLA and The Klinik. Bill Leeb’s vocals on this release were also more mature and charismatic.

– – – : Even if both songs remain great early EBM pieces they for sure suffer from the weight of time.

Conclusion: We’re getting back into time awakening during the early magic of EBM and the common efforts between 2 of the greatest artists in the genre!

Best songs: “Agitate”, “In Vain”

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.facebook.com/Noise–Unit-178935318858983

Label: www.artoffact.com / www.facebook.com/artoffact

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: Noise Unit was set up in the late 80s by two ‘giants’ of the early EBM/dark-electro scene. Bill Leeb (Frontline Assembly) and Marc Verhaeghen (The Klinik) joined hands composing 2 full lengths together. “Grinding Into Emptiness” and “Response Frequency” both entered into the collective memory of the late 80s. They also released 2 maxi’s. “Deceit / Struktur” released in 1989 on Antler-Subway was the first one. Both songs were also the first cuts from the CD-format of their debut album –but didn’t originally appear on the vinyl format of the album.

Content: Great music and great memories! That’s for sure what I felt when getting back to this typical late 80s sound. The music is closer to early FLA instead of The Klinik. The bass line running throughout “Struktur” even reminds me of Die Krupps.

Both songs are definitely driven by the typical late 80s spirit of EBM. I like some drum passages adding some extra elaboration to the work. A last essential aspect of this band remains the vocals by Bill Leeb, which were a bit spooky and cavernous.

+ + + : Noise Unit never gained the fame and popularity of FLA and The Klinik although it remains a genius band driven by 2 masters and visionary artists. Both songs sound pretty old-school like, but there’s still some magic emerging. I like the typical EBM format and the great drum arrangements.

– – – : There’s nothing really negative to say about this release, but you better avoid it if you’re tired of early EBM.

Conclusion: “Deceit / Struktur” was a perfect appetizer or little bonus to the album “Grinding Into Emptiness”. Noise Unit belongs to the history of ‘body-music’ and I’m sure I’m not the only one missing this legendary- and original duo today.

Best songs: “Struktur”, “Deceit”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www.facebook.com/Noise–Unit-178935318858983

Label: www.artoffact.com / www.facebook.com/artoffact

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

Read the review of ‘New To Reality’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com