(Photo by Lindsay Ann Snyder) Atlanta-based darkwavers Now After Nothing have shared a new video for “Criminal Feature”. The song is about the enmeshment of politics and religion and a commentary on the “Damn, the separation of Church and State” mentality in the USA.

Matt Spatial explains: “I’m not anti-religion per se but I am very anti-abuse of religion, abuse of politics, or abuse of anything for that matter, when it’s (mis)used to manipulate, and/or harm others for some sort of personal gain as its end goal.”

The “Criminal Feature” video is a true story of ‘everything happens for a reason’ so Spatial explains: “I had commissioned a videographer to lead the charge on the video from concept to completion. I wasn’t in love with the concept they had presented to me but knowing that I had an EP to complete and only so many hours in a day, I apprehensively agreed. The videographer mysteriously ghosted me as I tried to get the ball rolling on the video, however, and I was left again to my own creativity to get it completed. The resulting video is something that I can now look at and feel quite thankful that I was gifted the opportunity to present my original vision for.”

“Criminal Feature” is taken from Now After Nothing’s debut EP “Artificial Ambivalence”, out September 13 on the band’s own label Living On Neptune(s). The EP will be available on all digital platforms and vinyl. “Artificial Ambivalence” was written and performed by Spatial along with drummer Michael Allen and also features additional guitar work by Mark Gemini Thwaite, who has played with Peter Murphy, The Mission, and Gary Numan.

Now After Nothing live dates

• September 14 – Atlanta, GA – Vinyl/Center Stage with Glass Spells and DJ Goth Dad
• October 9 – Savannah, GA – Lodge of Sorrows with Al1ce and DJ Syntax Error
• October 19 – Charleston, SC – The Garden with Academy Order

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

The cult goth band Rosetta Stone returns this month with a new album on Cleopatra Records on August 30. It is 25 years since the group debuted with the EP “Darkness and Light” after having released five cassette tapes and having developed a loyal following around their hometown Liverpool.

Now they release “Under The Weather”, which will be Rosetta Stone’s seventh studio album, and their first since 2020’s “Cryptology”. The new full length will be out on CD and vinyl.

The band’s new single and video for the title track “Under the Weather” is released today.

About Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone emerged from the vibrant musical landscape of the late 1980s in the UK. Founded in 1988 by Porl King and Karl North, the band quickly garnered attention for their dark, atmospheric sound and compelling live performances.

Porl King, the creative force behind Rosetta Stone, played guitar and took on vocal duties, while Karl North handled the bass. The band’s lineup saw various changes over the years, but these two remained the core members during the formative period. Drawing inspiration from gothic pioneers like The Sisters of Mercy and The Mission, Rosetta Stone carved out a niche with their ethereal melodies and brooding lyrics.

Their debut album, “An Eye for the Main Chance”, was released in 1991. Throughout the 1990s, Rosetta Stone continued to evolve, experimenting with electronic elements and darker, more complex compositions. Their subsequent albums, “The Tyranny of Inaction” (1995) and “Chemical Emissions” (1998), reflected this progression.

Despite lineup changes and the shifting musical landscape, Rosetta Stone maintained a dedicated following. After a brief hiatus in the early 2000s, Porl King revived Rosetta Stone, releasing new material and performing live again.

In 2019, the band released “Seems Like Forever”, marking a return to their roots while embracing contemporary production techniques. It was followed by 2020’s “Cryptology”.

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

LA-based collective Beauty In Chaos has released their fourth album, “Dancing With Angels”, via 33.3 Music Collective. The album, featuring eight tracks, comes hand in hand with the video for “Holy Ground“, featuring Patrik Mata of Kommunity FK.

Formed in 2018 by guitarist Michael Ciravolo and Grammy-nominated producer Michael Rozon, Beauty In Chaos is a revolving collective of artists. The new album features contributions from returning members and new collaborators, including Wayne Hussey (The Mission), Ashton Nyte (The Awakening), Kat Leon (Holy Wars), Cinthya Hussey, William and Sarah Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate), Leo Luganskiy (Strangelove), Julian Shah-Tayler (The Singularity), Cynthia Isabella, and Patrik Mata (Kommunity FK).

Ciravolo describes the album as both a “sonic regression and a sonic progression,” blending elements from their previous works with new influences. The album includes unique interludes, or “Halos”, that connect the tracks.

The lead track, “Diving For Pearls“, features Wayne and Cinthya Hussey, with a single version mixed by Tim Palmer. As of July 24, ‘Dancing With Angels’ is available on limited edition multi-color vinyl and CD from the Beauty In Chaos store, where the ‘Diving For Pearls’ limited edition CD single is also available. Digitally, the album can be found on Bandcamp, Apple Music and Spotify. The first 100 vinyl copies come with two posters signed by the artists. Vinyl and CD purchases also include the full digital version of the album (with Halos and two bonus tracks).

Track List:

1. Present Tense ft. William Faith and Sarah Rose Faith
2. The Devil You Know ft. Kat Leon
3. Diving For Pearls ft. Wayne Hussey and Cinthya Hussey
4. Echoes and The Angels ft. Leo Luganskiy
5. Kiss Me (Goodbye) ft. Julian Shah Tayler
6. Hollow ft. Cynthia Isabella
7. Holy Ground ft. Patrik Mata
8. Made of Rain ft. Ashton Nyte

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

(Photo by Lindsay Ann Snyder) Atlanta-based darkwave act Now After Nothing has announced the release of their debut EP, “Artificial Ambivalence”, set to drop on September 13 on their own label, Living On Neptune(s). The EP will be available on all digital platforms and vinyl.

Frontman Matt Spatial and drummer Michael Allen have released a series of singles, showcasing the band’s goth and post-punk influences. This debut EP features additional guitar work by Mark Gemini Thwaite, known for his collaborations with Peter Murphy, The Mission, and Gary Numan.

Here’s the video for “Sick Fix”.

The band plans to tour in support of the EP, starting with a hometown show on September 14 at Center Stage. They will be joined by Glass Spells and DJ Goth Dad (Dusty Gannon from Vision Video).

In addition to their music, Now After Nothing supports Atlanta’s Lifeline Animal Project, a non-profit organization with a no-kill mission for animal shelters in Atlanta’s main counties. The band will sell a special ‘Meow After Nothing’ cat design T-shirt at shows and online, with a portion of proceeds donated to the organization.

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

(Photo by Kevin Estrada) Los Angeles-based collective Beauty In Chaos has released the music video for “Holy Ground” featuring Patrik Mata of Kommunity FK. This track is part of their upcoming fourth album, “Dancing With Angels”, set to be released on July 24, 2024. “Holy Ground” showcases a departure from BIC’s usual goth rock/post-punk sound, diving into the darkwave genre.

Here’s the video for “Holy Ground” featuring Patrik Mata of Kommunity FK.

“Dancing With Angels” includes contributions from artists such as Wayne Hussey of The Mission, Kat Leon of Holy Wars, Ashton Nyte of The Awakening, and more. The record follows the release of the single “Diving For Pearls”, which also features Wayne Hussey.

Beauty In Chaos was formed in 2018 by guitarist Michael Ciravolo, known for his work with Human Drama and Gene Loves Jezebel, alongside producer Michael Rozon. The collective has involved various prominent musicians from bands like The Cure, Ministry, and Nine Inch Nails.

Track Listing

1. Present Tense ft. William Faith and Sarah Rose Faith
2. The Devil You Know ft. Kat Leon
3. Diving For Pearls ft. Wayne Hussey and Cinthya Hussey
4. Echoes and The Angels ft. Leo Luganskiy
5. Kiss Me (Goodbye) ft. Julian Shah Tayler
6. Hollow ft. Cynthia Isabella
7. Holy Ground ft. Patrik Mata
8. Made of Rain ft. Ashton Nyte

The album will be available on limited edition multi-color vinyl, CD, and digital formats. The first 100 vinyl copies include two signed posters.

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

(Photo by Kevin Estrada) Beauty In Chaos has teamed up with The Mission’s Wayne Hussey and Cinthya Hussey on the “Diving For Pearls” single. Cinthya is Wayne’s wife and partner in Archeometre. This is the fourth song Wayne Hussey has fronted with Beauty In Chaos.

The new single goes accompanied by a video which you can view below. This is the first offering from the forthcoming record by Beauty In Chaos, formed in 2018 by guitarist Michael Ciravolo. Entitled “Dancing With Angels”, the full-length album is set for world-wide release on July 24.

The ‘single version’ was mixed by Tim Palmer, whose production and mixing credits include The Cure, U2, David Bowie, Robert Plant, HIM and The Mission, among many other artists.

“When Michael first sent me the music track, I was on tour with The Mission. I had a few listens and thought, yes, this is good, I can find something to sing to this easy enough. And then nothing. For months, I’d listen, and I would come up with melodies aplenty, but no words. More time passed and Michael would ask how I was getting on and each time I’d reply, “I’ve got vocal melodies but no lyrics, absolutely nothing is coming”. I must confess that I was getting worried that I’d never be able to write another song – ever,” recalls Wayne Hussey.

“I was raking over all my old lyric notebooks and various word documents on old hard drives and still nada. I was bemoaning my situation to Cinthya one evening and she suggested I write about a personal situation I’d found myself in a few years back. I got my mind focused in the right direction, and while in the studio singing along to the track, I soon got the first line, with the rest following fairly easily…and quickly. It was a huge relief to have the elusive muse visit me again. I played it to Cin and she suggested a couple of small changes and voila, here you have it! I won’t explain what or who the song is about, there’s no need for that, I’ll just leave the listener to make up their own mind, and take from it what they will”.

Cinthya Hussey adds “When I first heard the instrumental track for this song I immediately fell in love with Michael’s guitars. It’s the kind of song that embraces you… and I could listen to it all day long. Wayne was a bit stuck for ideas so I threw an idea at him that was relevant and would be good to get out of his system… And off he went… majestically so! This is probably one of my favourite Beauty In Chaos songs!”

As of June 4, “Diving For Pearls” will be available a limited edition CD single and also digitally everywhere, including Bandcamp, Apple Music and Spotify via 33.3 Music Collective.

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

(Photo by Neil Chapman) COP International has announced the signing of the British post-punk band Red Lorry Yellow Lorry to its roster. The label is set to release Red Lorry Yellow Lorry’s final album “Strange Kind of Paradise”. Additionally, fans can look forward to the release of two EPs.

Formed in Leeds, England, in the early 1980s, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry emerged as pioneers of the post-punk movement.

“As the founder of COP International, I am thrilled beyond measure to announce the signing of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry to our label. This is more than just a professional endeavor for me; it’s a deeply personal milestone. Red Lorry Yellow Lorry’s music served as the soundtrack to my formative years and inspiring my own musical journey. The chance to contribute to the legacy of a band that has influenced me so profoundly is an honor I can scarcely put into words. To all the fans who have been touched by Red Lorry Yellow Lorry’s music, I extend my deepest gratitude for joining us on this exhilarating adventure.” says Christian Petke, COP International.

About Red Lorry Yellow Lorry

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, briefly known as the Lorries, emerged as an English rock ensemble from Leeds in 1981, crafted by guitarist/songwriter Chris Reed, vocalist Mark Sweeney, bassist Steve Smith, and drummer Mick Brown. Despite disbanding in 1991, they reunited in 2003 and have since released five studio albums throughout their career.

The band came to life through the efforts of Chris Reed, Mark Sweeney, Steve Smith, and Mick Brown, with Brown later joining The Mission. Sweeney’s departure in late 1981 led Reed to assume vocal duties, alongside the addition of Martin Fagan as a second guitarist.

The group caught the eye of Red Rhino label’s Tony Kostrzewa in 1982 after their manager, Dave Hall, shared their demo tapes, leading to the release of their debut single, “Beating My Head”.

Despite several lineup changes, the band saw consistent contributions from Dave Wolfenden, enhancing their creative output. In the mid-1980s, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry delivered a series of successful singles and their debut album, “Talk About the Weather”. Their journey continued with the release of “Paint Your Wagon” and subsequent albums under the Situation Two label, though mainstream success eluded these releases.

After a hiatus, Chris Reed reignited Red Lorry Yellow Lorry in 2003, unveiling new tracks and engaging in tours across the UK. Despite hints at more upcoming material, further releases have been sparse, with their last notable output being the live DVD “Thunder in the Black Cave” and Reed’s solo venture, “Minimal Animal” under the Chris Reed Unit moniker.

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

(Photo by Justin Minister) As we reported earlier, Toronto’s The Shadow Majlis released a debut album, “The Departure”, on which he collaborated with Bauhaus, The Mission, and DakhaBrakha members. Out now is the video for “Mazdur”. Musically, this project fuses elements of Eastern modes with post-punk.

Here’s what Ali Jafri says about the new “Mazdur” single: “It means ‘labourer’, which came to me as I watched how hard it was for Oisín to fight his losing battle to cancer. All the changes and adjustments. I chose to have the song ‘mutate’ through the different styles it weaves through. From the classical guitar to the dub reggae and ending on industrial with MRI sounds mixed in. MRIs were hard on Oisín. Existing became hard labour for him but he wasn’t ever far from having a laugh. He had a gracefulness about him which became apparent when it was observed by us as one of the constants through all the change. I dream of him sometimes, he’s ever graceful then.”

And he adds: “Going ‘dub’ on this was David J’s idea – hard to refuse. When I realized he wanted to play dubby stuff, my reaction was ummm hello?? Yes please! My demo was originally more like the first half of the song, which Bottrill and I had worked on. We saw Skinny Puppy during our sessions, which inspired the industrial ending. We recorded it the next day as a good way to conclude the ‘mutation’ furthest away from its original form. The ending was also a good place for some of the angst I was feeling and that Oisín was feeling. The machine voices say ‘We Come To Leave’, a recurring line on the album – making it a concept, I guess.”

Revolving around Ali Jafri (known as a member of David J’s live band, Pigface and various other projects), this record was produced and mixed by David Bottrill (Peter Gabriel, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Tool, David Sylvian, Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, Real World Studios).

Also on board are David J (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets) and drummer-percussionist Rakesh Tewari (Jaffa Road, The Special Interest Group) next to Dakhabrakha’s Olena Tsybulska, Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission, Peter Murphy, MGT, Tricky), Anne Bourne (Loreena McKennitt, Jane Siberry), Tuvan throat singer Soriah and more.

The full album marks the 2-year birthday of Jafri’s son Oisín, who passed away in September 2022 after battling a highly aggressive form of brain cancer. The recording helped Jafri work through grief over this and the dissolution of his conjugal relationship.

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

Toronto’s The Shadow Majlis presents his debut album “The Departure” fusing elements of eastern modes with post-punk. Revolving around Ali Jafri (known as a member of David J’s live band, Pigface and various other projects), this record was produced and mixed by David Bottrill (Peter Gabriel, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Tool, David Sylvian, Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, Real World Studios).

Also on board are David J (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets) and drummer-percussionist Rakesh Tewari (Jaffa Road, The Special Interest Group) next to Dakhabrakha’s Olena Tsybulska, Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission, Peter Murphy, MGT, Tricky), Anne Bourne (Loreena McKennitt, Jane Siberry), Tuvan throat singer Soriah and more.

This release marks the 2-year birthday of Jafri’s son Oisín, who passed away in September 2022 after battling a highly aggressive form of brain cancer. The recording helped Jafri work through grief over this and the dissolution of his conjugal relationship.

You can check out the release on Bandcamp and other platforms.

Below are various videos for this album.

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-Wave, Post-Punk.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Hailing from the Budapest, the capital of Hungria,  Utolsó Hullám has been set up in 2019. They last year unleashed their self-released debut album which can be translated as “Wingles Angel”. The themes of inspiration are about lovers, existentialist crisis situations, and endless good times.

Content: The album features 9 songs which from the first notes reveal the Dark-Wave inspiration. The tracks are rather slow and supported by a dark, sinister mood. The vocals have been sung in their Mother tongue.

+ + + : This band might catch the attention of Sisters Of Mercy- and The Mission fans; there’s this somber, deep, vibrating bass playing with typically 80s Cold-Wave guitar play on top. The songs are into melancholy. The guitar parts inject the true spirit to the work and excels in tracks like “Ez A Reggel Sem Az Enyém” and “Utolsó Hullám”.

– – – : I think the single but essential element the band can improve is the production of the vocals. I’m missing a bit more passion in it. The Hungarian language makes it impossible to understand what the lyrics are dealing with but that’s not really a major point.

Conclusion: Utolsó Hullám is a name to keep in mind; they’ve achieved an excellent and promising debut-album which I can only but highly recommend to Post-Punk lovers.

Best songs: “Utolsó Hullám”, “Ez A Reggel Sem Az Enyém”, “Egy Szép Napon”, “Oly Mélyen Alszol”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/utolso.hullam.official

Listen to “Szárnytalan Angyal”:

About Utolsó Hullám

Utolsó Hullám is a dark-wave and post-punk band from Budapest, Hungary, formed in 2019. The band self-released its debut album, “Szárnytalan Angyal”, in 2023. In December 2023, Utolsó Hullám launched its first gothic rock video clip, for the track “Ez A Reggel Sem Az Enyém”, taken from that same album.

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 gothic rock ensemble The Waning Moon has recently launched their inaugural album titled “A Dream Or A Vision”, showcasing a collection of ten tracks. “A Dream or a Vision” is released through Danse Macabre Records and lLyrically wanders through dark and haunting emotional landscapes, tragic love stories and deep dark introspections.

The Waning Moon, primarily driven by guitar, revives the quintessential gothic rock sound of the 80s and 90s, infusing it with a contemporary essence. The band features a global collaboration with Ariel Maniki from Costa Rica, known for her work with Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos, and Zac Campbell from the USA, associated with The Kentucky Vampires. The group’s live performances are further enriched by Ian Joseph on bass and Maggie Campbell on keyboards.

Their debut album, available for digital download and in limited vinyl and CD formats, should resonate with enthusiasts of bands like Nosferatu, Christian Death, The Mission, Suspiria, and others from the gothic rock domain.

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

Premiering today via Side-Line, downtempo / ambient-electronic duo Voidant share the Kubrick-inspired surreal Sci-Fi video for ‘La Loba (Decommissioned Forests Remix)’.

Voidant are Leeds UK post-punk pioneer David ‘Wolfie’ Wolfenden of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry fame (also of The Rose of Avalanche, The Mission, et al); and New Jersey US goth-rock / darkwave / folk-noir chanteuse, Caroline Blind from Sunshine Blind.

The remix of ‘La Loba’ from London’s Decommissioned Forests is taken from Voidant’s new remix EP, “Abandon Hope”, which also features Robots In Love (New Zealand), CWHK from Sunshine Blind (US), 2 Forks (US), and Max Rael (UK), along with a new remix from Voidant’s own Wolfie.

The new video has been created by New York visual artist and filmmaker, Tintin; a regular collaborator with Caroline Blind.

Caroline says: “Tintin heard all the layers in the music and incorporated that into his video. The alienation and dark harmonies in the music are well echoed by the outer space theme. He tied it in beautifully with the Voidant logo and this weekend’s solar eclipse.”

On the new remix of ‘La Loba’, Daniel Vincent of London outsider electronic trio Decommissioned Forests says: “Remixing tends to fall into two categories: augmenting material with new elements like drums, or leaning into the existing material and finding a slightly different interpretation. Given the strength of Caroline’s vocal and Wolfie’s instrumentation, it was easy to follow the latter path and lean into the inherent drama and mystery of the music and subject matter. Adding layers of reverb and modulation transformed the track into an ethereal slowcore murder ballad which hopefully stacks up well alongside the other remixes on the EP.”

Caroline adds: “I never know what people will do with a remix. My partner in Sunshine Blind, CWHK, used to do drone / ambient music pieces… one of them, “Chimera” opens our album Liquid. It was great to hear someone do that with one of these vocal tracks; it’s perfectly suited for it. Was a pleasure to hear.”

The Voidant EP ‘Abandon Hope’ is available now from Bandcamp: with Spotify and all the usual digital music stores to follow.

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

English vocalist and violinist Erica Nockalls releases the official video for cover of Roxy Music’s “In Every Dream Home a Heartache”. The video follows her recent single, “Build Me a Ship”, which was released in September to celebrate the announcement of Erica’s UK tour supporting Echo and the Bunnymen.

“In Every Dream Home a Heartache” was originally penned by Bryan Ferry, and initially featured on Roxy Music’s second album, “For Your Pleasure”.

Erica Nockalls is an English violinist, vocalist, songwriter, and visual artist. She is best known as the violinist in The Wonder Stuff, one-half of acoustic duo Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls, and as a live fiddle player for The Proclaimers. Nockalls is also the lead vocalist, violinist, and guitarist in her self-titled art-rock band. Her solo work has explored a dark, intense style of alternative-pop embracing electro, synth and industrial elements into her unique approach.

“In Every Dream Home a Heartache”, also featuring Parisian studio producer and artist Jean-Charles Versari, is a twisted duet between the main protagonists where Erica takes on the role of the doll with Jean-Charles her male counter-point. A bleak, dystopian interpretation of Roxy Music’s original, “In Every Dream Home a Heartache” showcases Erica Nockalls’ sound perfectly.

Here’s the video for the track.

About Erica Nockalls’ solo career

Erica Nockalls unveiled her maiden solo album, “Imminent Room”, under the banner of Independent Records in 2013, offering a collection of eleven original tracks penned and rendered by her, rooted in the realms of art-rock and alternative genre.

Nockalls candidly shared that her journey towards solo creation matured at 27, spurred by a blend of boredom and disappointment stemming from the prevailing musical landscape. As elucidated in the artwork of “Imminent Room”, she transitioned from a mere critic to a creator, embracing her intrinsic musical leanings that transcended her classical violinist training.

“Imminent Room” boasted collaborations with notable artists like Jeff Walker (Carcass) on “Neon Crucifix”, and Wayne Hussey (The Mission) along with Mark Thwaite (Tricky/Peter Murphy/Mob Research) on “I Am Me, This Is Now”.

The album’s mixing and co-production were helmed by TV composer George Taylor (Fratelli Brothers), with whom Nockalls initially crossed paths in 2008. Taylor enlisted Nockalls to lend her string expertise for his diverse TV endeavors, encompassing BBC Arena documentaries such as “The Dreams of William Golding” (2012) and “The Hunt for Moby Dick” (2009), among others.

Post the release of “Imminent Room”, Nockalls assembled a live band, embarking on a UK tour as a supporting act for The Wonder Stuff, and further shared stages with artists like Toyah, Public Image Ltd, Pop Will Eat Itself, and Miyavi, while her live performances showcased her artistic flair with personal artwork adorning the stage.

Her sophomore solo album, “EN2” (2014), encapsulates eleven original compositions, with Nockalls orchestrating every aspect from writing to releasing. January 2014 marked the onset of a new musical chapter as she produced and self-released an album within the one year. “EN2” was funded entirely by sales of her artwork and album pre-sales through her website.

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

Celebrating the two-year milestone of their debut self-titled album, the ambient-electronic duo Voidant has just dropped their latest remix EP, “Abandon Hope”. The EP features contributions from remix artists such as Robots In Love, CWHK (Sunshine Blind), 2 Forks, Decommissioned Forests, and Max Rael, as well as a fresh remix by Voidant’s own Wolfie.

Voidant is a transatlantic collaboration between UK post-punk musician David ‘Wolfie’ Wolfenden, renowned for his work with Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, and US dark folk/trip-hop/goth rock vocalist Caroline Blind of Sunshine Blind. The “Abandon Hope” EP showcases six revamped tracks from their initial Voidant album.

Caroline reflects on the emotional depth of both the original album and the new EP, stating, “The process of writing these lyrics and vocal melodies was a therapeutic way to confront sadness and grief. It’s a farewell; there’s no turning back. The remix artists have perfectly understood the standalone power of the vocals.” She adds that the EP’s title, “Abandon Hope,” is inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, encapsulating the theme of surrendering to the inevitable.

David ‘Wolfie’ Wolfenden, the co-founder and instrumentalist of Voidant and a veteran guitarist for bands like Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and The Mission, contributes the ‘Birch Remix’ of “Phantom Ex” to round off the EP.

New video in the making

A forthcoming official music video for the Decommissioned Forests remix of “La Loba” is in the works, set for an October release. This will coincide with the debut of all Voidant’s music on digital streaming platforms for the first time.

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-Ambient, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD. 

Background/Info: Belarus artist Pavel Mal(yshkin) is probably more renown for his Ugasanie project but is now striking back with a new work of Silent Universe. This is the first new album in six years. The title indicates what it’s all about; referring to immensity of universe. 

Content: You clearly and rapidly recognize the main source of inspiration which has been transposed into explicit cosmos atmospheres. Dark humming sound waves are opening an imaginary gate to a dark cosmos. The work is switching in between floating- and anguishing passages. 

+ + + : I mainly like the visual strength of the production which has been accomplished by delicate sound treatments. I like both debut cuts  and “Dead Astronaut” for their darker side but there’s also worth listening to the more relaxing “A Thousand Light Years Of Emptiness”. 

– – – : It took me some time and a few new listening to get into “Immensity” which is however missing an total climax. 

Conclusion: This astral sonic journey is certainly pleasant although setting the world of Cinematic music alight. 

Best songs: “Dead Astronaut”, “The Mission”, “Astrosphere”, “A Thousand Light Years Of Emptiness”. 

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/silentuniverse.by 

Label: www.cryochamberlabel.com /  www.facebook.com/CryoChamber 

Listen to “Immensity” below:

About Silent Universe

Silent Universe is a project of Belarusian artist Pavel Malyshkin, who is better known for Ugasanie, formed in autumn 2010. For Ugasanie, Malyshkin uses synthesizers, field recordings, and live instruments including khomus (jaw harp), ocarina, zhaleyka, and guitar, drawing on time spent in the Arctic Circle on the Yamal Peninsula. Side-Line has previously covered Ugasanie releases including “Border of Worlds” on Cryo Chamber.

“Immensity” is Silent Universe’s first new album in six years, also released via Cryo Chamber, and continues the cosmos-themed direction of the project.

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 fine people at Audioglobe inform us of a new release that is out now via Young & Cold. Leeds-based band Deathtrippers have released their latest 2022 album, “Passion & Fire”, in a limited edition offering of 250 copies on black vinyl.

This record follows their 2017 debut EP “Unity of Light” and their 2018 single “Disintegrate / Hand In Hand”. The group, which emerged in 2015, is led by Sasha Raoul and has experienced several lineup changes since the start. The current formation includes Sasha on vocals and instruments, Rick on guitar, and Oli on bass and drum machine.

“Passion & Fire” is a collection of new tracks in a classic UK-style goth rock which is not really a surprise as they hail from Leeds, a city renowned for its gothic music scene in the 80s with bands like The March Violets, The Three Johns, Salvation, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, and The Sisters of Mercy. Deathtrippers continue this tradition while blending it with guitar wave influences from bands like Lowlife and Sad Lovers & Giants.

The band has been working on the new material throughout 2021 and recorded the material with legendary producer Choque Hussain. Choque Hussain, a British music producer and sound engineer, has worked with numerous alternative / gothic bands in the past including Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, The Mission, and Claytown Troupe, among others.

Listen to “Shadows & Whispers” from the album right below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

Scenius, a collaboration between UK producer Steve Whitfield (The Cure, The Mission, Yann Tiersen) and French singer Fab Nau, is set to release their second album, “Life Is A Thing”, following their 2020 debut, “Enough Fears”. Based in Leeds, UK, the electronica duo will launch the new album on MMXX Records on 19th May.

In anticipation of the album’s release, Scenius has shared the music video for their single “Chinese Room”, which is scheduled for release on 21st April. The video was created by Scenius themselves, in collaboration with Cotton Bro.

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

(Photo by Manolo Chrétien on Unsplash) English act The Chameleons, which formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester in 1981, are often considered one of the most underrated Manchester bands of the 1980s. Though they did not achieve the commercial success of other bands from the Manchester scene, they have cultivated a loyal cult following.

In May 2021, The Chameleons officially reformed as Burgess and Smithies joined forces with guitarist Chris Oliver and drummer Stephen Rice, both previously part of Burgess’ ChameleonsVox group. Together, they recorded a live album, “Edge Sessions (Live from the Edge)”, which was released on 25th April 2022 through Metropolis Records.

Featuring Oliver and Rice, The Chameleons announced their first tour in two decades, initially set to perform in the United States during autumn 2022 alongside The Mission and Theatre of Hate. However, the tour was later postponed to 2023.

But now there is this short UK tour. During their live performances, the band’s new line-up will showcase a mix of classic hits such as “Up The Down Escalator”, “Swamp Thing”, “Second Skin”, “Don’t Fall”, “P.S. Goodbye”, “Perfume Garden”, “In Shreds”, “Soul in Isolation”, and “Less Than Human”.

Joining The Chameleons on this tour is special guest support Lesley Woods, guitarist, singer, and songwriter of post-punk band Au Pairs. Lesley Woods and Au Pairs were active between 1978 and 1983, releasing two albums, “Playing with a Different Sex” and “Sense and Sensuality”, as well as memorable singles like “You”, “It’s Obvious”, and “Inconvenience”.

Tourdates

• Wednesday 21 June 2023 – Liverpool, Hangar 34
• Thursday 22 June 2023 – Newcastle, Riverside
• Friday 23 June 2023 – Edinburgh, Liquid Room
• Saturday 24 June 2023 – Glasgow, The Garage
• Monday 26 June 2023 – Aberdeen, Lemon Tree
• Wednesday 28 June 2023 – Norwich, Epic Studios
• Thursday 29 June 2023 – Cambridge, Junction
• Friday 30 June 2023 – Leamington Spa, The Assembly
• Saturday 01 July 2023 – London, Islington Assembly Hall
• Monday 03 July 2023 – Bristol, The Fleece
• Tuesday 04 July 2023 – Brighton, Chalk

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-Wave, Post-Punk.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Fourth official album by Swedish formation The Secret French Postcards. The work was released by the end of 2022 and deals with troubles perturbing our daily life.

Content: The work brings us back to 80s Dark-Wave / Post-Punk influences which might remind bands like The Cure and early The Mission. The songs have been recovered by dark, melancholic, moods accentuated by deep bass lines, guitar and synth play. The band’s inspirator, Olli Ohlander, sings with a deep, timbre of voice creating a perfect match with the sound of the work.

+ + + : I like this melancholic side which is never boring but accentuated by harder, powerful passages. The guitar play and bass lines bring this plaintive impression alive. The work features a few irresistible cuts like “Strain”, “Complete Confusion” and “Go away” but I also have to mention “Sides” which is also driven by Shoegaze elements.

– – – : The work is featuring 10 songs and only the very last cut (cf. “A Searching Kiss”) is the single piece which can’t totally convince me and serves as a minus end.

Conclusion: If you’re into 80s Dark-Wave nostalgia “Life Got Claws” definitely is a work to discover.

Best songs: “Sides”, “Strain”, “Complete Confusion”, “Go away”, “Parasite”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/mukosound

Label: www.coldtransmission.com / www.facebook.com/coldtransmissionmusic

About The Secret French Postcards

The Secret French Postcards is a Swedish band founded in 2016 by Olli Ohlander, who returned to music after a decade-long break. The band’s name comes from a set of Art Deco-style photographs Ohlander found at an online auction, titled “Secret French Postcards” and depicting two brothers whose work and fate caught his attention. “Life Got Claws” is the band’s fourth full-length album, released in late 2022 via Cold Transmission Music.

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

London’s Cadiz Music label in conjunction with Merciful Release has announced that a re-mastered version of the “Gift” album by The Sisterhood, the musical project formed by Andrew Eldritch after the demise of The Sisters of Mercy, will be re-issued on the 26th of May 2023. Originally put out on Eldritch’s own Merciful Release label in 1986, the album will now be available digitally, on CD, cassette and limited clear vinyl and features five tracks including the extended mix of the band’s first single ‘Giving Ground’.

Track listing:

1. ‘Jihad’
2. ‘Colours’
3. ‘Giving Ground’
4. ‘Finland Red, Egypt White’
5. ‘Rain From Heaven’

Controversy

In 1985, after the release of the first Sisters of Mercy album “First and Last and Always,” the band prepared for a follow-up. Singer Andrew Eldritch saw it as an opportunity for a change of direction, wanting to explore recording songs without typical rock structures and guitars. However, the band’s musical differences grew, ultimately leading to guitarist Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams leaving the band.

The pair had expressed their intentions to form a new band and use the name “The Sisterhood.” In an attempt to prevent them from capitalizing on The Sisters of Mercy’s success, Eldritch swiftly formed his own band under the same name, effectively blocking Hussey and Adams from using it.

The formation of The Sisterhood caused a rift among the members of The Sisters of Mercy, ultimately leading to the departure of Hussey and Adams. They went on to form the successful gothic rock band The Mission. The controversy surrounding The Sisterhood’s formation led to speculation that the project was an act of revenge by Eldritch. However, Eldritch has downplayed these claims, stating that The Sisterhood was a creative response to the situation and a way to protect the legacy of The Sisters of Mercy.

Gift: The Sisterhood’s Only Album

The Sisterhood’s sound was a departure from the typical gothic rock sound of The Sisters of Mercy, incorporating electronic elements and a more experimental approach. Next to Eldritch the band’s lineup included Alan Vega (Suicide), Lucas Fox (Motorhead), Patricia Morrison (Sisters Of Mercy), James Ray (Gangwar) and Doktor Avalanche (the Sisters’ drum machine).

“Gift,” The Sisterhood’s sole album, was released in 1986. The album features a mix of gothic rock, electronic, and experimental music, with lyrics that touch on themes of religion, love, and betrayal. The album was not a commercial success and received mixed reviews from critics. However, it has since gained a cult following among fans of The Sisters of Mercy and the gothic rock genre. Some notable tracks from “Gift” include “Giving Ground,” “Dance on Glass,” and “Jihad.” “Giving Ground” features a driving bassline and dark, atmospheric synthesizers, while “Dance on Glass” is an uptempo electronic track with a catchy melody. “Jihad” stands out for its haunting and atmospheric sound, featuring spoken-word vocals and Middle Eastern-influenced instrumentation.

Merciful Release announced the single’s release with a press statement: “From among the forces allied to Merciful Release we bring you the Sisterhood. capturing (in this instance) the musical bile of Andrew Eldritch, and introducing James Ray and the Performance … of whom more soon.”

The original “Giving Ground” version is expanded to a seven minute long take here while the lyrics of “Finland Red Egypt White” are taken from the manual of the AK-47 machine gun and a version of “Colours” was later included as a bonus track on CD versions The Sisters of Mercy album “Floodland” in 1987 only this time sung by Andrew Eldritch.

Aftermath and Legacy

Following the release of “Gift,” The Sisterhood disbanded, and Andrew Eldritch returned his focus to The Sisters of Mercy. The band underwent significant lineup changes, with Patricia Morrison joining as bassist. Eldritch has been relatively quiet about The Sisterhood project in interviews, stating that it served its purpose and that he has moved on from that chapter of his career.

Despite its short-lived existence and limited output, The Sisterhood remains an interesting and controversial part of gothic rock history. The band’s formation, the tension between Eldritch and his former bandmates, and the release of “Gift” have all contributed to a mythology surrounding The Sisterhood that continues to fascinate fans and music historians alike.

Reflecting on The Sisterhood later, Eldritch stated: “The Sisterhood album was a weapon in this corporate war. That’s why I called it Gift (in German: poison) But I still like the record. It’s weird but it’s fine. I see it as a techno record. Or what I thought to be techno at the time. The Sisterhood project was born out of a certain period of upheaval and conflict within the band. It was a way to assert control over the situation and protect the legacy of The Sisters of Mercy. It’s interesting how The Sisterhood has developed its own mythology over the years. People have their own interpretations and theories about it, which is something that has always fascinated me. The Sisterhood was a response to a particular moment in time. It served its purpose, and then we moved on. I don’t spend much time thinking about it these days.”

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

The UK goth rock act Salvation will play at the ‘Tomorrow’s Ghost Festival’ in Whitby on Oct 28th with The March Violets.

For those who missed it, the band released the live album “We Gave You Diamonds​.​.​. Live at De Casino!” on CD and purple vinyl in late 2021. There are still a few copies available from this limited vinyl edition of 300 copies. The first 100 copies came with a free Salvation Tote Bag. The CD version holds a 12-page colour booklet with exclusive photos of the band on stage and the fans.

The live recording itself was made at De Casino in Sint-Niklaas (BE) on March 7th 2020 on the final night of a four-date tour supporting The Mission.

About Salvation

Salvation was formed in 1983 by Danny and James, who experimented with noise using bass guitar, synths, and pedals. They recorded their first single, “Girlsoul” on Merciful Release, with the help of Andrew Eldritch from The Sisters of Mercy, and recorded six songs for an album, “Clash of Dreams”, that was ultimately shelved. Only 4 ‘test pressings’ were made at the time and the release was shelved. The album remained unavailable until it was remastered and released in October 2014.

Mike left the band, but Choque joined with his 12-string guitar and pedals, and the band continued to produce recordings with a psychedelic goth sound.

In 1987, James left and was replaced by Ben and Richard, transforming Salvation into a well-oiled rock ‘n’ roll machine. The band’s “Diamonds Are Forever” album sold solidly at home and abroad and breached the indie charts.

The band continued to tour and record, but Paul left and Choque left for his mistress, The Hollow Men. The band underwent serious auditions and brought on new members, Andy M and George Schultz. The band released their “All And More” EP and in 1989, the band was signed to Miles Copeland’s IRS label and released their album “Sass”. Salvation from then on toured extensively with The Alarm, Fields of The Nephilim, New Model Army and The Wonderstuff.

Constant gigging took its toll, and the band’s groove machine reached terminal meltdown. Danny left the band in mid-1990, signalling the end of their IRS contract. The band recruited another singer, but things were never the same, and the final curtain soon descended.

In March 2020, the band played 4 shows supporting The Mission in France and Belgium.

The current line-up consists of Daniel Mass, Benoît Farvak, Paul Lavender, Nic Bate and Stuart Owen.

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

The Awakening has just released a new music video for the 4-part title track of their new double album, “The Passage Remains”. The video, “Passage (Part I – IV)”, is a teaser for the return to the band’s gothic metal roots. “The Passage Remains” is The Awakening’s 11th album.

“The essence of the song came to me in a dream, and I have taken that inspiration and woven it through the album. Dreams, our hopes, needs and desires, and personal journeys, in the face of adversity and other obstacles,” says The Awakening’s frontman, Ashton Nyte.

The physical album is packaged as a deluxe double CD (with double vinyl scheduled for next year). “The album was created to be enjoyed either as a whole, in two parts, or as two separate entities, each complete within themselves. It is a project I have wanted to create for many years, and I am delighted with the outcome,” Ashton Nyte adds.

Watch “Passage (Part I – IV)” below.

Now based in the U.S., The Awakening is a musical project born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the late ’90s. Ashton Nyte has also released 7 solo albums, a book of poetry, and short stories, and has collaborated on various projects with members of The Cure, The Mission, Bauhaus, Beauty In Chaos, and many more.

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

(Photo by Kieron Brennan) Following their debut album, the Anglo-French dark pop act Scenius – initially a studio project – have become a live band. Their first official gig took place in Angers, France, on the 30th of March 2022 and it was recorded and filmed – on a static single camera.

Released now as the EP “Live in Angers” you get 4 tracks taken from this gig. Musically the band is making electronic dark-pop out of vintage synths and rhythm machines, blending the spirit and sounds of early electronic outfits with a modern approach.

You can download the EP right below.

Here is the live video for “Cookie Cutter”.

About Scenius

The duo is composed of UK producer Steve Whitfield (The Cure, The Mission, Yann Tiersen) and French singer Fab Nau. They released their debut album in December 2020. In 2021 Scenius remixed tracks for BlakLight (US) and Projekt Ich (DE) and got remixed by Nature of Wires (UK), Klammer (UK) and Black Boiler (FR). The duo also contributed a new track to the Generation Blitz compilation. In March 2022, Scenius embarked upon their first series of gigs, in France.

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

The 2022 edition of the Sinner’s Day Summer Festival will take place from 24th until 26th June 2022 at the Maria-Hendrika Park in Oostende, Belgium. About 28 new wave, EBM, industrial, post-punk, synth-pop and eighties bands are featured on 2 stages.

This year the line-up includes: Front 242, IAMX, The Mission, Nitzer Ebb, Diary Of Dreams, VNV Nation, Public Image Limited, Aesthetic Perfection, Dive, Merciful Nuns, Nosferatu, Stabbing Westward, The Danse Society, The Stranglers, Aroma Di Amore, Trans-X, Torul, Ultra Sunn, Saint Agnes, Boytronic, Test Department, Tyske Ludder and more!

There is also The Batcave, the dance-area where you can party while DJ’s spin their finest tracks. A camping area is available if you want to stay next to the festival area at night!

Tickets can be ordered here

Genre/Influences: Dark-Wave, Post-Punk.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Klammer is a UK band from Leeds which was set up by Steve Whitfield (who did some production work for bands like The Cure, The Mission ao). They’ve already released a few albums and now strike back with thirteen new tracks.

Content: When I hear Leeds I immediately think of The Sisters Of Mercy, The March Violets, The Mission and so many more great formations. Klammer is clearly driven by the good-old Dark-Wave spirit although their sound comes closer to the guitar magic of The Cult. You can also hear it a bit in the production of the vocals.

+ + + : No innovation but just well-crafted and efficient Cold-Wave music. The album is carried by low, resonating bass lines and impressive guitar parts injecting the true spirit to this work. There are several great songs featured, but  I especially recommend listening to “The Insider”.

– – – : There’s no real surprise listening to this album. It even has something predictable although it’s cool Dark-Wave stuff.

Conclusion: If you’re an 80s die-hard fan you are for sure going to like Klammer’s new opus.

Best songs: “The Insider”, “Oblivion”, “Broken Dreams In A Crashing Car”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: https://www.klammer.co.uk /  www.facebook.com/klammerband

Label: https://revolverrecords.com / www.facebook.com/HeavyMetalRecs 

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

(Photo by Gary Bandfield) Bauhaus have announced additional tour dates in Italy, Germany and the US. You can check all of the dates below, the new ones are indicated with a **.

Tickets can be ordered from Friday on via this link.

• June 6 – Alcatraz (Milan, IT) **
• August 22 – Zitadelle Spandau (Berlin, DE) **
• May 14 – Cruel World Festival (Pasadena, CA) – SOLD OUT!
• May 15 – Cruel World Festival (Pasadena, CA)
• May 17 – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (Portland,OR)
• May 19 – Paramount Theatre (Seattle, WA)
• May 21 – The Masonic (San Francisco, CA)
• May 22 – The Masonic (San Francisco, CA)
• May 25 – The Mission Ballroom (Denver, CO)
• May 27 – The Marquee Theatre (Tempe, AZ)
• June 4 – Primavera (Barcelona, ES)
• June 8 – Release Festival (Athens, GR)
• August 4 – W Festival (Oostend, BE)
• August 28 – EDP Vilar de Mouros (Vilar de Mouros, PT)
• Sept. 6 – History (Toronto, ON) **
• Sept. 8 – Kings Theatre (New York, NY)
• Sept. 9 – Kings Theatre (New York, NY)
• Sept. 10 – The Met (Philadelphia, PA) **
• Sept. 12 – Anthem (Washington, DC) **
• Sept. 13 – MGM Music Hall (Boston, MA) **
• Sept. 14 – College Street Music Hall (New Haven, CT) **
• Sept. 16 – Masonic Theater (Detroit, MI) **
• Sept. 18 – Palace Theatre (Minneapolis, MN) **
• Sept. 20 – Southside Ballroom (Dallas, TX) **
• Sept. 21 – 713 Music Hall (Houston, TX) **
• Sept. 23 – Tabernacle (Atlanta, GA) **

New video

Last month, Bauhaus released the new song “Drink The New Wine” which was recorded last year during lockdown with the four members sharing audio files. The track employs the Surrealists’ ‘Exquisite Corpse’ device whereby each artist adds to the piece without seeing what the others have done. Bauhaus have used this technique in the past as well.

The title of the song refers to the very first ‘Cadavre exquis’ drawing rendered by André Breton, Marcel Duchamp, Jacques Prévert and Yves Tanguy which included words which when strung together made up the sentence, ‘Le cadavre exquis boiara le vin nouveau’ (‘The exquisite corpse will drink the new wine.’).

For the recording, the four musicians each had one minute and eight tracks at their disposal plus a shared sixty seconds plus four tracks for a composite at the end. All done without hearing what the others had laid down. The only common link being a prerecorded beat courtesy of Kevin.

Check it out below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Metropolis Records has announced the signing of the legendary English post-punk act Chameleons (UK).

In 2000 however, Chameleons (UK) had their first of a few subsequent reunions which led to “Edge Sessions (Live From The Edge)” a collection of seven classic Chameleons songs performed live in May of 2021 by founding members Mark Burgess and Reg Smithies, joined by recent members Chris Oliver on guitar, and Stephen Rice on drums. Also added are three additional bonus tracks of ChameleonsVox era live recordings.

The set will be out as download, CD and vinyl.

Chameleons (UK) will be touring the United States and Canada in 2022 with The Mission UK and Theatre of Hate. “Edge Sessions (Live From The Edge)” will be released on CD, limited edition vinyl as well as through all streaming and digital platforms on April 15, 2022 by Metropolis Records. A live MP3 of the classic 1985 song “Return of the Roughnecks” from “Edge Sessions (Live From The Edge)” is included herein.

And if you don’t like post-punk, then watch fotyval the English soccer fans would say 🙂 !

Chameleons (UK) was formed in Manchester, England in 1981, with vocalist/bassist Mark Burgess, guitarists Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding, and drummer John Lever (who quickly replaced founding member Brian Schofield). The band released three classic albums: “Script of the Bridge” (1983),”What Does Anything Mean? Basically” (1985) and “Strange Times” (1986) before breaking up.

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

In 2019 the Swedish gothic rock band Brotherhood  released their second album “In The Violet Hour” which was followed by the single ”More”; The band was consequently booked to support The Mission at their live shows in Sweden.

When the pandemic struck the world, the founding members of Brotherhood – Stefan Eriksson and Micke Lönngren – have been busy recording, remixing and producing other artists and focusing on their solo projects Sister Electra and Lønnkrog. But in Autumn 2021 the duo met up again in the studio to record and write new Brotherhood songs.

The first single to be released is the double A-side “Valentine” / “Breakdown”. Mastered by Arcana’s Peter Bjärgo the artwork for the single was created by the painter Sackarias Luhanko and will remind you of a certain album cover.

Below is a video for “Valentine” which was filmed by Engin Akyurt (and Pixabay).

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

Massive Ego is back with a new EP, “The New Normal”, which is out on February 11th on Out Of Line. The 5-song EP will also be released on CD next to being made available digitally.

The new EP comes after a long period of forced isolation, distanced from a pandemic weary society, which is basically ‘the new normal’. The band takes a clear stand in what that meant for people, it suffices to check out the first track “You Will Comply” to know what they mean. The track was also released as a single on the 1st of October.

Marc Massive: “It certainly wasn’t anti-vac as some seemed to think, instead it asked that we remember to question authority instead of being silenced for fear of being coined ‘tin foil hat wearers’ or being shut down by a public that’s quick to jump on those who speak up in today’s cancel culture. The lyrics are ambiguous to open dialogue, and not just accept being under the rule of corrupt Governments, the powerful and global pharmaceutical companies.”

Here’s the video for the opening track.

Other tracks include “Fake Star” which “reflects on an ever-changing night sky overpopulated with Elon Musk’s man-made machines circling above our heads questioning mankind’s interference with the solar system given our track record here on Earth” so Marc adds. Also included is “Dead Eyes Black” revisiting a familiar subject matter for the band. Also this track (and previous single) got the video treatment (by Javier Gallego Escutia).

And the EP is rounded up by the tracks “The Vampires Wife” and “Not Without Consequence”.

The new songs on the EP are characterised by catchy synth-pop melodies, but with a sprinkle of darker 80’s sounds. Not that that 80s links is all that surprising since Marc Massive also made a cameo appearance in the latest video for Duran Duran for their single “Anniversary”.

What’s next for Massive Ego?

Massive Ego has already began working on a new album for 2022 with a new line-up and a returning familiar face in the form of Lloyd Price who was a major contributor to the sound and production of their first album on Out of Line. A fourth new member in the shape of Porl Young comes with a healthy goth-pop history behind him as an ex member of the 90’s UK goth band Rosetta Stone, and guest appearances on tracks by The Mission, bringing a guitar element to the Massive Ego sound ahead of a string of festival appearances in 2022.

The band is expected to play at Plage Noire (Germany 6-7th May), Out of Line Weekender (Germany 12-14th May), Castle Party (Poland 8-10th July) alongside other European festivals to be announced and a European tour later in the year. Read the review of ‘The New Normal’.

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

Trevor Ristow is the American author, based in New-York, of the Sisters Of Mercy biography: “Waiting For Another War: A History of The Sisters Of Mercy Vol. I: 1980-1985”. He is a television and film producer at GKW Filmworks and was the editor of “Loudquietloud: A Film About the Pixies”.

Ristow has produced and/or edited over one hundred television episodes, documentaries or narrative films for History Channel, National Geographic, PBS, NBC, Discovery Channel, E! Network, and HBO. Series he’s worked on have won six Emmy Awards, three Telly Awards, and multiple festival prizes. The book has now also been released as a numbered limited edition paperback via Rough Trade, including a special stamp and signature and unpublished photo of the band. Side-Line already did a review of his excellent book and had a chance to do a small interview as well!

Q: Is Andrew Eldritch aware of the release of your book? Did you ask him if he was interested to work together on it or was he against it?
Trevor: He is aware of the book but I doubt he knew about it before it was announced. Therefore he did not have an opportunity to be in favor of the book, or opposed to it. It just arrived, rather unexpectedly, out of the sun. At least that is how it feels to most people who have read it.

Q: Why do you think Andrew Eldritch does not like to be associated with the “Goth” scene?
Trevor: I think he finds it limiting. In Germany the goth scene is vibrant and large, but in most of the rest of the world it is a small, somewhat unserious ghetto of mediocre bands. I imagine he considers Sisters music bigger than that scene, and I agree with him.

Q: What do you think of the quality of the current concerts of The Sisters Of Mercy, compared to the old ones? According to many fans, the first line-up would still be the best?
Trevor: Obviously I have a deep love for the early years but I have seen The Sisters many times over many decades and I’ve never walked away disappointed. It’s a whole experience that is larger than simply hearing the songs performed.

Q: What side do you prefer most? Eldritch as lyricist or as composer?
Trevor: This is a very difficult question because he’s a superb lyricist, but most of my favorite songs are his compositions also. This is the man who wrote the entire “Reptile House EP”, “Train”, “Body Electric”, “Blood Money” and “Bury Me Deep”, “On The Wire”, “Floodland”, and many more. For me, personally, it’s hard to overstate his talent as either a lyricist or a composer.

Q: How do you see the future of the band?
Trevor: Mostly on YouTube, sadly.

Genre/Influences: New Wave, Gothic Rock.

Format: Book (paperback) – also available as kindle.

Background/Info: The Sisters Of Mercy are still a cult-band nowadays, although they officially only released 3 studio-albums and started their career back in 1980. They are worldwide seen as one of the founders of the gothic rock genre and are also one of the most bootlegged bands ever. The American author Trevor Ristow was already a huge fan of the band in his teenage years and released a Sisters’ fanzine in the ’80s. He collected lots of press articles, stories from close friends of the bandmembers and his own live experiences to write this book.

Content: First we learned to know the importance of certain people in the beginning period of the band as Claire Shearsby (dj, keyboard-player, sound-mixer and ex-girlfriend of Andrew Eldritch), Ruth Polsky (booker, tourguide, fixer, photographer), Kenny Giles (sound-engineer, studio-owner), Jon Langford (Mekons, The Three Jons) and many others. But most of all we experienced mastermind Andrew as the control freak inside the band which caused lots of conflicts with other people. The stories that are being told are not only about frontman Andrew Eldritch, but also about the other (former) band members Wayne Hussey, Craig Adams, Gary Marx and Ben Gunn.

Many other topics are covered such as The God Squad and The Sisterhood, the very strong Sisters-fanbases, the first American tour (September 1983) and the tough negotiations between Andrew and some major record-companies. The start and rise of the band is very well clarified, starting from the first gig on February 16th, 1981 (Alciun College – York) until the “final” concert at the Royal Albert Hall on June 18th, 1985. Here, the legendary video “Wake” was recorded and it was also the final concert for founding member Mark Pearman alias Gary Marx. Later the split with Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams would also follow, deciding them to continue as The Mission.

+ + + : We get a deeper look into parts of the private life of the band members at that time, as well as interesting stories of what sometimes happened backstage, the tension between the band members and also the relationships of the band members at that time with their girlfriends. About 50 rare pictures, very detailed information on gigs, special anecdotes, explanation of the deeper meaning of the lyrics, the founding of the Merciful Release label … it’s all there.

– – – : Most of the covered topics are about the genius Andrew Eldritch, always driven on amphetamines and not too shy to say how much he hates being labelled as “goth-band”. Some parts of the book are written from the own perceptions of the author, which can of course be different from your own point of view.

Conclusion: Every old-school Sisters-fan should own this 270 pages entertaining masterpiece for sure! The added context that the author provides to song-texts and many other topics is amazing! We are already looking forward for the release of volume II that will cover the ’90’s era.

Artist: www.thesistersofmercy.com
Label: www.gkwfilmworks.com/sisters – www.facebook.com/waitingforanotherwar

Genre/Influences: Cold-Wave, Gothic.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Hailing from the Isle Of Man, Mark Sayle and Phil Reynolds strike back with their second full length. The work appears to be an engaging album about the human condition and the fight against fascism, which stands for the title “Old Blood”.

Content: “Old Blood” holds on the music influences revealed on the debut opus “Refer”. The music remains driven by some good-old 80s reminiscences, which might remind you of legendary formations such as The Mission and The Sisters Of Mercy. The guitar playing, by its typical mewing and melancholic sound, brings these memories alive. The songs have been accomplished by Electronic arrangements, which are often injecting a melodic and heavenly final touch to the composition. The production of the vocals has this deep timbre, which is perfectly matching with the music.

+ + + : Mark E Moon didn’t change a successful formula, but clearly remains a band devoted to the 80s Cold-Wave style. They perfectly know how to bring this dark era back alive. I get the impression that the songs feature more electronic arrangements than the previous work, but it creates a complementary effect with the guitar. There are several cool songs featured, but I would especially recommend “Salvation”, which sounds pretty The Mission-like, “Human” featuring excellent female backing vocals and “Goodbye” for its more explicit melodic touch.

– – – : I didn’t get a similar surprising effect as for the debut album, but Mark E Moon remains a great ambassador of contemporary Cold-Wave music.

Conclusion: I personally prefer Mark E Moon’s debut album “Refer” although I still recommend this work, which is a great one as well.

Best songs: “Salvation”, “Human”, “Goodbye”, “The Eye (The Picture Fades)”, “Oblivion”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/MarkEMoon1

Label: www.coldtransmission.com / www.facebook.com/coldtransmissionmusic

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

(Photo by McLean Stephenson) Liars have launched their new track, “From What The Never Was”, the latest single from their forthcoming album, “The Apple Drop”, ahead of its release August 6 on Mute.

“From What the Never Was” is accompanied by the last in a trilogy of films directed by Clemens Habicht. This interstellar horror prequel covers the time leading up to “Sekwar” and “Big Appetite”. In it, we find Angus Andrew, Laurence Pike, and Cameron Deyell traversing deep space when the mission goes terribly wrong. This chapter takes place in the futuristic interiors of Phoenix Central Park in Sydney, Australia, who commissioned the film.

Watch the film below.

Watch the previous videos here.

“The Apple Drop” follows 2017’s “TFCF” and 2018’s “Titles with the Word Fountain”. The new album finds Angus working with avant-garde jazz drummer Laurence Pike, multi-instrumentalist Cameron Deyell, and lyricist Mary Pearson Andrew.

Liars is an Australian-American project which was formed in Brooklyn, New York in 2000 by Angus Andrew who is also the only constant member of Liars. Liars have released nine studio albums and are signed to Mute Records. Musically the band is inspired by artists such as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), The Cure, PJ Harvey, Underworld, The Doors and Michael Franks.

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

Noone else but XTC’s Andy Partridge has been working with the 80s pop infused act Darling Boy (aka Alexander Gold) for the new single “Breaking Into Forever” as far as production goes.

Not all that surprising as we have seen Partridge’s credits popping up allover the place in the past few years namely in records by (and we limit to those which will interest the scene public more or less): Tricky, Blur, Thomas Dolby, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Icehouse, Primus, Sarah McLachlan, Bad Company, The Stranglers, The Mission, The Residents, and many many more.

Not sure if you will like the bubblegum pop produced here though.

On a side-note, Darling Boy refers to “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)”, a song written and performed by John Lennon. It was released on the 1980 album “Double Fantasy”, the last album by Lennon and Ono released before his death. Paul McCartney has stated this is one of his favourite songs composed by Lennon, and when he appeared on Desert Island Discs in 1982 included it as his favorite in his selection, as did Yoko Ono as the only John Lennon song in 2007. It was used as the B-side of “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” to promote the compilation album “The John Lennon Collection” in November 1982.

Music history, it never stops to amaze us doesn’t it.

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: Electro-Pop, Indie-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Scenius is a duo driven by British producer/engineer Steve Whitfield and French singer Fabrice Nau. Whitfield has worked with numerous famous artists like The Mission, The Cure… but also The Drift (a project Fabrice Nau has been involved with). Scenius released a few singles and unleashed this debut album at the end of 2020.

Content: The main influences from this band are clearly Electro-Pop driven. “Enough Fears” stands for an open-minded Pop approach, which can be dark, but still pretty Indie-like. The last song “Darkest Lines” even reminds me of I AM X. You’ll also discover a few minimal-driven passages while supported by mysterious atmospheres. Most of the songs have been sung in English, but you’ll also notice some French words.

+ + + : Scenius isn’t a ‘typical’ Electro-Pop formation; there’s no real emulation here, but simply a duo with a personal approach, mixing different elements together. I like the atmospheric touch hanging over the songs, which injects a rather surprising Ambient touch to the work. It also creates a cold impressum, which comes through in songs like “Wild & Wooly” and “Enough Fears”. There for sure is more potential in the Indie-driven “Darkest Lines”, which is a great final part of this work. I also have to say a word about the production of the vocals, which have something emotional and passionate.

– – – : Scenius will now have to catch the attention of the Electro-Pop audience, which isn’t an easy thing in times of Covid-19.

Conclusion: “Enough Fears” is a rather accomplished debut album revealing a band with an own Electro-Pop style. Let’s keep an eye on Scenius.

Best songs: “Darkest Lines”, “Wild & Wooly”, “Enough Fears”, “Some Of Your Nights”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/sceniusband

Label: www.facebook.com/MMXXRECORDS

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

Tony Young started writing music under the AUTOCLAV1.1 moniker in 2004. Since the first album released in 2005 on Crunch Pod, the creativity of the British artist has no limits. AUTOCLAV1.1 is a prolific project releasing new material nearly every single year. Dealing with different, but related music genres and influences like IDM, Industrial, Electro-Ambient ao Tony Young released his albums on different labels; the already mentioned Crunch Pod, Tympanik Audio,  but also Hive Records and WTII Records. EP’s were released on other labels. This year AUTOCLAV1.1 joined hands together with Audiophob to unleash the new album “Nothing Outside”, which is without a shadow of a doubt the most intimate work so far. I talked with Tony Young about his new work and a few more things.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: “Nothing Outside” has been released during the Covid-19 pandemic, which clearly also inspired this work. How do you as citizen and as artist experience this situation?

Tony: Yeah, this was written as the initial lockdown took hold over here. It’s been tough for everyone really; but I do have the luxury of enjoying my own company. As far as writing music is concerned, there has been little difference for me. I spend a lot of time just messing with music and not really recording it; and this album just came into being. I remember thinking I may write an EP of just piano and Ambient music and when I started I just got out the bass guitar and then of course, beats followed. Covid-19 or no Covid19 there would have been a new album; just probably with a different concept if there hadn’t been a pandemic.

Q: The album also wants us to reflect about what is going on in the world, but I’m afraid less politicians and/or leaders feel really concerned. What’s your critical perception about it all and how do you see things evolving? Do you also see positive things evolving?

Tony: Well, it’s more about my own experiences and environment really than asking anyone else to reflect. It would be cool if it has meant something to anyone else though with regards to his or her own personal experiences in this time. As far as how the pandemic has been dealt with… well, our government has been shocking from start to finish.  They’re a bunch of over privileged Tories who just look out for their own; and are now maxing out on an opportunity to stamp out those less fortunate. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from a UK Conservative government. I don’t see anything positive on the horizon really. It makes me wish I lived in New Zealand. The UK really is a shambles; and with the compete clusterfuck of Brexit tag-teaming with the pandemic, it’s only gonna get worse.

Q: I’m not affirming that you reinvented the AUTOCLAV1.1-sound at “Nothing Outside”, but the composition sounds more intimate and Cinematographic than ever before, which is probably due to the piano play and arrangements. What did you try to accomplish and did you handle specific references and/or criteria to compose the album?

Tony: I do try to make each release different, but in all honesty, when I start a new album I have no real idea how it’s going to end up sounding at the start, with just a general impression of what I am after.

I wasn’t really planning of having a lot of piano in my newer songs; and “Makeshift Splint” was my first in a while where I only utilized it a small amount. However, I was having an afternoon just playing around with piano giving my fingers a workout, so to speak; and I just hit record and it went from there. I really enjoyed making this one. Song titles are personal reference points in my home environment, apart from the non-piano track “Hiraeth”, which was a nostalgia-fest for me personally speaking. There’s so much I write that I normally just bin; but for the first time ever, I was genuinely happy with everything I was writing. There’s so much I have released in the past that was below par; and if I had chance to re-write a couple of those albums with what I know now programming wise, I would.

Q: You’re a prolific artist, but you don’t exactly repeat yourself; it feels like every single album reveals new ideas while it remains difficult to label your music as one specific music genre. How comes you’re that prolific and where does this eclecticism comes from?

Tony: I listen to a lot of styles of music; and this keeps new ideas forming in my head. I haven’t listened to anything really Industrial in a long time and a lot of my songs are written in the formula of a lot of music I listen to. I listen to more guitar-based music than electronic really. Don’t get me wrong, I still listen to Dark-Ambient and stuff like that; but you’re more likely to catch me blasting out New Model Army, The Wonderstuff, PWEI and The Mission over any Industrial band nowadays. Although I still adore Coil and Swans. 

I like to think an appreciation of different styles means I am going to be more adventurous when I write. Although I know I can’t write as well as half the bands I listen to.

Q: As I just said you’re a prolific artist and even started a side-project NATURA EST together with Andreas Davids from XOTOX. What does this project bring you next to AUTOCLAV1.1 and what makes the chemistry between you and Andreas?

Tony: Andy is one of my best friends. We don’t see each other much, but it doesn’t really matter. I always wanted to do a Dark-Ambient project, knowing one day I will stop writing Autoclav1.1; so I wanted a project that seemed more fitting of someone growing older. 

I knew Andy liked his Dark-Ambient stuff too. I asked him just the once, if he wanted to do this and got an emphatic ‘Yes!’ immediately. We work well together and I don’t see it as a side-project. It is its own beast, running on its own steam.  The possibilities are endless; and we cannot wait for “Real Seasons” to be released. I think because Andy and I have a different style of writing on our respective solo-projects, it filters into a different kind of Dark-Ambient when we combine the stems we write. “We both have had the same vision when writing each album too. I am really proud of the project and I know he is too. There’s a lot of snobbery within Dark-Ambient circles as with other scenes, but we appear to have got our followers now.

Q: Covid-19 is definitely a curse for artists, but don’t you think it’s also a kind of blessing? An opportunity to work on new material, remixes, clips, revisiting old- and/or unachieved songs? What brings the future for AUTOCLAV1.1?

Tony: In no way, shape or form is this a blessing; but I think I see where you are coming from. As far as writing goes, it shouldn’t have an impact on anyone writing Electronic music as most have their own home studios. But I can definitely see how it affects bands playing live. I have missed many a show this year and I am sure I won’t see many next year either.

The future of Autoclav1.1? Who knows? I always say after each release that it will be my last; but I always find myself playing my bass or keyboards one miserable Yorkshire afternoon, where I more often than not, hit the record button once more.

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-Wave, Cold-Wave.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: 2020 has been a prolific year for this Italian project driven by Marco Cattani (Halo Effect, The Mark). Next to the album “Even When we Fall Apart” released on Unknown Pleasures Records, the band also released this other album on the Russian label ScentAir. Marco Cattani composed the music while he again worked with guest singers.

Content: The vocals have been done by Ill Humans, Pedro/IAmTheShadow (2 songs), Gentle Ropes, L’Avenir, The Sea At Midnight and Kiss the Whip. The work also features 3 instrumental cuts. Sound-wise the songs are not as dark compared to the previous album. The songs sound more melancholic and sensible, but the main characteristic is the duel between guitar and electronics sometimes creating an elevating effect.

+ + + : The melancholic feeling of the work brings us back to the 80s, but Chemical Waves is much more than simply a copyist. The songs still have a ‘modern’ touch and especially the Electronic arrangements create this feeling. The melodies have something magical, which mainly comes through at “To the Deep” feat. Pedro/IAmTheShadow. This song makes me think of an Electronic edit of early The Mission. Another attention grabber is, “Statues” feat. The Sea At Midnight, which has something heavenly-like. Last, but not least, I also want to mention the slow, refined and emotive “Lasting Forever”, which is a noticeable instrumental song.

– – – : This opus is a pleasant listening, but I’ve to admit I prefer “Even When We Fall Apart”, which is darker, but still more poignant.

Conclusion: This album is not exactly the kind of stuff I’m used to hearing from the ScentAir Records roster, but it brings an interesting diversity to the label. 

Best songs: “To The Deep”, “Statues”, “Lasting Forever”, “Slit”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/chemicalwaves

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

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Gothic, goth-rock.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Greek formation The Black Capes saw the light of day in 2016. The band’s debut album “All These Monsters” released in 2017 by darkTunes got a very positive response. The band did successful live performances and tours, and are now back on track unleashing their second opus. 

Content: “Lullabies For The Dead” moves on there where the previous album stopped. This band knows exactly how to compose a perfect mix between gothic music –often reminiscent of 80s formations such as The Mission and The Sisters Of Mercy, and dark-rock. I think it’s not a coincidence that they bring the legendary “Rain”-song from The Cult back to life. The work features 10 songs, which are characterized by carrying choruses resulting in a few cool songs.

+ + + : The Black Capes don’t really strive for innovation, but simply deal with the music they like. You can feel some passion for 80s cold-wave music, but they simply adapted this influence into their very own interpretation, which is a little bit more rock driven. I especially like the guitar  injecting this typical dark mood. The cover version of “Rain” is an excellent song, but I also have to mention “The Blood Is Life” and especially “Gotham”. This last mentioned song is pure passion!

– – – : You don’t exactly listen to The Black Capes for their originality! But if you’re nostalgic of the dark/cold-wave years you for sure gone like this work. I think the production of the vocals can be just a bit better, maybe just a more powerful way of singing.

Conclusion: The Black Capes confirm the strong potential showed at their debut work and will definitely increase their popularity.

Best songs: “Gotham”, “Rain”, “The Blood Is Life”, “Welcome To The Necroclub”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/Theblackcapes

Label: www.darktunes.com / www.facebook.com/darkTunesMusic

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

Wayne Hussey, frontman of The Mission, will soon have a new single out in support of key workers dealing with Covid-19 globally. He has remade the classic Mission anthem “Tower Of Strength”, joined by members of The Cure, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Slowdive, Bauhaus / Love and Rockets, The Smiths, The Twilight Sad, Depeche Mode, The Cult, The Wonder Stuff, Gary Numan, Evi Vine, Midge Ure (Ultravox), Spear of Destiny / Theatre Of Hate, Beauty In Chaos, The Soft Cavalry, All About Eve, Guns N’ Roses, Nine Inch Nails and Gene Loves Jezebel.

The actual collaborators include: Andy Rourke, Billy Duffy, Budgie, Evi Vine, Gary Numan, James Alexander Graham, Jay Aston, Julianne Regan, Kevin Haskins, Kirk Brandon, Lol Tolhurst, Martin Gore, Michael Aston, Michael Ciravolo, Midge Ure, Miles Hunt, Rachel Goswell, Richard Fortus, Robin Finck, Steve Clarke, Tim Palmer, Trentemøller

Produced by Wayne Hussey, this release features mixes by Tim Palmer and Trentemöller. This is also the first time brothers Jay and Michael Aston (of Gene Loves Jezebel) have recorded anything together since parting ways many years ago.

Here’s a preview of the song featuring for instance Martin Gore.

The single itself will be out on August 28 on all digital platforms followed by a 12” vinyl and CD on October 2.

Wayne Hussey: “When Covid-19 hit I started receiving messages asking ‘why don’t you re-issue Tower Of Strength for the front line workers?’ The song had apparently been adopted as an anthem by some NHS workers, and it got me thinking that I would like to contribute something to the greater cause at this unprecedented time and the only thing I could really contribute is music. So in conjunction with my good friend Michael Ciravolo, I came up with the idea of recording a new version of Tower Of Strength for charity by enlisting the help of musician friends and acquaintances. Tower Of Strength was first released by The Mission as single in 1988 and then again in 1994. It charted twice in the UK top 40 and has proved to be probably our biggest song and the one we generally close our shows with. It is anthemic. I wondered if recording a more well known song might have a greater reach but neither Michael or I could come up with any suggestions that seemed to fit lyrically without getting too corny. So Tower Of Strength it was then.

Usually I detest things that are done for charity that are also self-serving, but I came up with a plan that satisfied my conscience. I spoke with my fellow Mission band members who co-wrote the song – Craig Adams, Mick Brown and Simon Hinkler – and we agreed to give up any publishing income generated by the new version to nominated charities, including mechanical and performance royalties and 100% of any revenue raised by sales. TOS2020 has been renamed to divert funds from the original version, and the charities will all be personally nominated by the people involved in its recording and release. Because the musical contributions are global our idea is that the proceeds will be divided and distributed equally among all the beneficiaries.”

Tracklist for the vinyl:

Vinyl Side A

1. TOS2020 (Beholden To The Front Line Workers Of The World mix)
2. TOS2020 (single)

Vinyl Side B

1. TOS2020 (Trentemøller remix)*
2. TOS2020 (Albie Mischenzingerzen remix)**

Tracklist for the CD:

1. TOS2020 (Beholden To The Front Line Workers Of The World mix)
2. TOS2020 (Trentemøller remix)*
3. TOS2020 (Albie Mischenzingerzen remix)**
4. TOS2020 (single)

Tracklist for the digital bundle:

1. TOS2020 (single)
2. TOS2020 (Beholden To The Front Line Workers Of The World mix)
3. TOS2020 (Trentemøller remix)*
4. TOS2020 (Albie Mischenzingerzen remix)**
5. Tower Of Strength (original new remaster) – The Mission (free bonus track with bundle only)

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘s Martin Gore launches new solo track ’.

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: Post-punk, rock-goth, cold-wave.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Swedish formation Then Comes Silence has already been active for a couple of years now. “Machine” is the band’s fourth full length, released in Europe by PSP/Oblivion and in the US by Metropolis. Alex Svenson (vocals, bass and synthesizers), Jonas Fransson (drums), Mattias Ruejas Jonson (guitars) and Hugo Zombie (guitars) worked together with producer Alex Svenson while the album has been mixed by Stefan Glaumann (who already worked together with bands such Rammstein, Clawfinger, The 69 Eyes, Killing Joke ao).

Content: “Machine” moves on there where previous albums stopped. You’ll rapidly recognize the band’s main influences, which are moving from typical post-punk and cold-wave music towards rock-goth. I’ve always recognized some elements in the composition –and still in the way of singing, reminding me of The Mission. It’s not that different for “Machine”, but I think it’s mainly because of the mixed influences. The songs are carried by solid guitar parts, injecting the true spirit of Then Comes Silence in the songs. It’s even fascinating to hear the way guitar playing can bring you into trance, “In Your Name” being the ultimate cut in the genre. This album stands for power, rage and darkness.

+ + + : This album stands for a great production devoted to the so-called post-punk genre. The guitar parts are simply amazing. The mewing guitar parts are leading the songs towards a higher dimension. I already mentioned the sublime “In your Name”, but “Ritual” featuring duo vocals with Karolina Engdahl is another outstanding cut. Both songs are leading the album towards climaxes and that’s precisely what makes music lovers happy when listening to music. A few more songs are featuring female backing vocals –by guest singers, which each time again are injecting a heavenly touch to the work.

– – – : I don’t see any significant minor point to mention.

Conclusion: “Machine” is what I would label as a ‘great’ album when it comes to evoke post-punk, cold-wave and related music genres.

Best songs: “In Your Name”, “Ritual”, “I Gave you Everything”, “Dark End”, “Devil”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.facebook.com/thencomessilence

Label: www.metropolis-records.com / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords Read the news on ‘Machine’.

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

Scenius is a synth-pop / dark-wave duo composed of Leeds (UK) based producer Steve Whitfield (The Cure, The Mission, Jane Weaver…) and French singer Fabrice Nau (Boutique Du Tao, Kyu, The Drift). The duo is about to release their 3rd single on the 8th May. Below is already a video for the new single, “Held”.

You can check out the first two first singles below. A debut album is scheduled for the end of the Summer.

Scenius draws inspiration from pre-punk (Kraftwerk, Brian Eno) and post-punk (New Order, Depeche Mode) electro outfits through to contemporary bands (LCD Sound System, Boards Of Canada) using vintage synths and drum machines.

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

Raffaelle Pezzella is an Italian artist (Sonologyst) and label owner. He set up Unexplained Sounds Group in 2015. The goal and concept of the label became a kind of investigation of contemporary world-wide underground music related with experimental-, industrial- and dark-ambient stuff. The compilation series make you discover underground music from very distant and unknown underground scenes. According to me it’s one of the most fascinating compilations I’ve ever heard. I highly support the work of Raffaele Pezzela for the original concept, but also for the efforts he put in it. Respect!

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I think it’s now five years ago you started compiling the “Survey”-compilation series. Can you briefly remind us what it’s all about? What has been the original purpose of this compilation series?

Raffaele:Yes exactly. Everything started in the month of February 2015. The first “Survey” was focused on the Italian experimental music scene. Back in time I had no idea what kind of project I would working on during the following years. This first “Survey” was made just to collect music from my country, made by various musicians I was in contact with. The release got good reactions online (it was a digital release only). Next I decided to continue exploring other music scenes like the ones of France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Scandinavia, UK etc..

At a certain point, after working on a Russian ritual ambient compilation, I realized that there was much more to do in terms of concept; not just limiting to compile anthologies, but thinking about how the new and experimental music could be rooted and connected to the folk music traditions of the places musicians come from. That was the reason why I began to look at the non-Western countries, where that connection is more evident and meaningful, as on the musical side, as well on the social and political side. Eventually the whole project is under the name “Sound Mapping Project”.

Q: How do you proceed to find and select the artists for your compilations? Do you’ve some specific criteria when it comes to influences, sound & production? And what about the place where the artists stay (I mean do all the artists featured on the compilations reside in their own country or abroad)?

Raffaele: The majority of them lives in the origin country; actually only a few of them live abroad, I’d say less than 20%. Of course Internet is a powerful media to be in touch with people from all over the world, and managing various social pages, I have daily contacts with artists from everywhere, since many years.

Currently the most important criteria I have in mind to produce a new “Anthology”, is the connection of the contemporary music research with the folk music roots of the country the “Anthology” is dedicated to. If you like, it’s in a certain way like the Unexplained Sounds Group label is (or would like to be) a sort of Folkways or Ocora label of the experimental and alternative music.

The most interesting aspect of this research criteria is that the music is not caged in a globalized approach; in every “Anthology” you have to feel and taste the culture of the country in question, and not music that is substantially very similar to the most trendy music coming from US or UK. There is a form of political resistance behind this, even though often it’s not present at a conscious level. Some artists like Ghazi Barakat (Pharoah Chromium) from Palestine, or the Mohammad and Mehdi Mehrabani-Yeganeh brothers (Saint Abdullah) from Iran, are politically involved in an explicit way, while many others aren’t. But all of them have in common the same love for the musical traditions of their birth places.

In terms of sound, that means I won’t ever release a compilation totally focused on the noise scene of a non Western country, simply because noise music is more or less the same everywhere.

Q: I can imagine you must have discovered some interesting artists and eventually unknown scenes? What have been your greatest discoveries and experiences thus far?

Raffaele: No doubt about it, the discovery of the Iranian experimental music scene. The number of musicians playing electronic music, electro-acoustic, dark-ambient and avant-garde is simply impressive there. I wouldn’t ever imagine a such abundance of projects. So I began to study the evolution of new music in Iran and found that in 70’s the government provided a home for the flowering of electronic music and avant-garde arts. An officially sponsored arts festival (the “Shiraz”-festival) featured music, at times commissioned, by musicians such as Iannis Xenakis, John Cage, Gordon Mumma, David Tudor and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Western works were programmed alongside traditional Persian music, dance and drama, and contemporary Iranian cinema. Plans were developed for a significant arts center, which was to include state of the art electronic music and recording studios. A new generation of Iranian composers and artists were inspired by the festivals to integrate contemporary techniques and aesthetics, often including electronics. Further developments within Iran came to a halt with the coming of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Q: I can easily imagine it’s not an easy job compiling such a compilation series so what are the main difficulties you encountered? And what about the artists, which are sometimes living in hostile political regimes (think about Iran, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon etc…)?

Raffaele: Of course artists are extremely happy their music can be highlighted to the Western audiences. The biggest difficulty is when you face a project regarding places where there are still not so many avant-garde musicians. For example Africa is a continent with a great potential, but if you exclude the African musicians living outside their countries, you can’t find hundreds of people to work with. It’s the reason why I still couldn’t find a single African country to focus on (maybe Egypt could be an exception), and preferred to consider the entire continent. Probably in Africa the history was different than in some regions of Middle-East (Iran or Lebanon), but on the other hand that is an exciting aspect too, for I’m sure in the near future we’re going to be very surprised by the African musicians in terms of experimental music. The Unexplained Sounds Group’s radar will be pointed to them for sure.

Q: Referring to label deals, airplay, concerts etc… what’s the impact of such a compilation series and what have been the reactions you and the bands got?

Raffaele: At the moment I’m still not involved with events and the organization of live concerts. I hope to work on that in the future, but at the moment time is barely enough to manage all the things I already do, including my own music project Sonologyst.

The impact was very good thusfar, and the resonance of these projects is spreading more and more by the time passing. Hundreds of people contacted me to tell they had no idea of the existence of such music in places like Iran, Lebanon, Cameroun, Kuwait, Afghanistan and so on, and even though the label is very small and self financed, the exposure is coming to grow. Official magazines are still partially absent, but new media like ‘Bandcamp daily news’ already gave much result to the “Sound Mapping Project”, alongside with many music critics like you. And we all know that digital media are the future.

Q: Are there some countries and/or places on earth you’ll not try to get on board and what are the further compilations we might expect?

Raffaele: Absolutely not. My dream is to publish “Anthologies” covering the most distant and unknown corners of the world, from Alaska to North-Korea. Just I hope to live enough to complete the mission (lol). The next compilation is going to be released while I’m having this interview with you. It’ wil be an anthology focused on experimental music from Indonesia. Stay tuned!!

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: Gothic, dark-wave.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Set up in 1995, On The Floor went into hibernation for several years, but struck back unleashing a new album in 2017, “Made Of Scars”, followed in 2018 by “Lifetime”. At the end of 2019 they’re back on track unleashing this new opus.

Content: The influences haven’t really changed, On The floor is still injected by the dark-wave virus from the 80s. The songs have been composed with guitar and bass, but still feature electronic arrangements. This album  now and then reminds me of The Mission. Notice by the way Thomas Lücke (Girls Under Glass) did some guest vocals on 2 tracks while another song is featuring Johan Sjöblom.

+ + + : This album is definitely the most accomplished work from the German formation. It reflects the good-old and dark 80s, but the production sounds more mature and accomplished. The addition of Thomas Lücke who was completely disappeared from the radars is a nice little extra. Even if this band is first of all driven by 80s guitar parts, they also added some cool electronic sequences. I like Helge Jungmann’s vocals, which reminds me a bit to the passion of Wayne Hussey. “Gimme” and “Lights Give In” both are brilliant exposures of this new work.

– – – : This album is fully enjoyable although it doesn’t bring that much new; I mean you rapidly get the impression to have already heard hundreds of similar albums so even if there are excellent songs featured there’s not an absolute hit!

Conclusion: From a very personal point of view, this is without a shadow of a doubt the darkest and most accomplished work from On The Floor thus far!

Best songs: “Gimme”, “Lights Give In”, “Chain”, “We Love The World”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.onthefloor.de / www.facebook.com/floorification

Label: www.darkdimensions.de /  www.facebook.com/pages/Dark–Dimensions–Label–Group/486014725206

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: Cinematographic, ambient, psychedelic.

Format: Digital, CD, vinyl.

Background/Info: This is the debut album of a so-called enigmatic solo-artist, who achieved a conceptual album as a kind of imaginary soundtrack ‘based around the end of the world and a zombie takeover’. However it has been introduced as a solo-work, some famous artists like Wayne Hussey (The Mission), Simon Hinkler (The Mission), Julianne Reagan (All About Eve) ao contributed to this work.

Content: The dystopian and somewhat SI/FI theme of the work resulted in a deeply, cinematic inspired work. From vintage electronic sounds to psychedelic guitar play, this work sounds a bit like the offspring between Tangerine Dream and Pink Floyd. There are numerous, noticeable piano arrangements. While most of the songs are instrumentals edits, you also will notice a few tracks with vocals and/or chants.

+ + + : The music has been conceived as a soundtrack and it clearly sounds that way. I like the vintage electronics and multiple effects while the psychedelic passages inject an exciting 60’/70’ touch. One of my favorite cuts is the extra elaborated “Don’t Look Now”. This song is more melodic as well. The contribution of all the guest musicians for sure is an extra attention grabber.

– – – : The album is easily enjoyable, but there’s no truly climax. It’s an ambitious work, but without becoming a real soundtrack it might get lost in anonymity.

Conclusion: This album will appeal for lovers of dark soundtrack music and psychedelic experiences.

Best songs: “Don’t Look Now”, “Inferno”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.lecygnenoir.co.uk / www.facebook.com/lecygnenoirmusic

Label: www.cherryred.co.uk / www.facebook.com/CherryRedRecords

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-metal, industrial-rock

Background/Info: Al Jourgensen is the charismatic pioneer, musical genius, innovator and iconic founder of the industrial-metal genre (the fusion of repeating metal guitar riffs, samples, keyboards and distorted vocals on a danceable beat). This fully authorized visual history with 248 pages of rare and unseen photos, artwork, and other stuff that spans Ministry’s entire career, shows how the band (that everyone wanted to sound like) evolved from ’80s synth-pop, over EBM/industrial to trash-metal. Ministry has been nominated six times for a Grammy award and is definitely a band you must have seen live at least once in your life!

Content: The four-pages introduction is done by Al’s good old friend Jello Biafra, explaining some hilarious anecdotes. Then this limited 9″ x 9″ casebound book is divided into six chronological chapters starting from the early Wax Trax! era (1981) until the latest release “AmeriKKKant”. We get to see lots of nice rare (promo and live) pictures, cut-outs, artwork, flyers and posters. On almost every page there are interesting quotes or anecdotes from befriended artists like Charlie Clouser (Nine Inch Nails), Moby, Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Ian MacKaye (Fugazi), Gary Numan, Perry Ferrell (Jane’s Addiction), Jaz Coleman (Killing Joke), Phildo Owen (Skatenigs), Jeordie White (Marilyn Manson), Alexander Hacke (Einsturzende Neubauten), David J (Bauhaus), Robin Zander (Cheap Trick), Paul D’Amour (Tool), Page Hamilton (Helmet), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Franz Treichler (The Young Gods), Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers), Sean Yseult (White Zombie), Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Till Lindemann (Rammstein), Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission), Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks) and many more. Just like the music of Ministry changed from soft to very hard, it is clearly shown how Al’s style has changed all over the years ending up with dreadlocks, tattoos and piercings. The author of the book is Aaron Tanner (who also created a visual history for Pixies) and features artwork from Brian Shanley and Paul Elledge.

+ + + : We get an exclusive look at Uncle Al’s personal collection of behind-the-scenes pictures together with contributions from band members past and present.

– – – : Although many well-known artists are featured in this book, some (expected ones) are missing …

Conclusion: There’s only one thing we can conclude: Ministry has had a huge influence on many artists and Al is still going strong after all these years! This book is definitely a must have for the fans!

Artist: www.ministryband.com / www.facebook.com/WeAreMinistry
Label: www.melodicvirtue.com / www.facebook.com/melodicvirtue Read the news on ‘Prescripture: The Visual History’.

The Awakening will be supporting Wayne Hussey (The Mission) on the European dates of his upcoming Salad Daze Tour! The Awakening will be playing over 30 shows across Europe from 3 September – 16 October 2019.

The Awakening is a musical gothic / dark rock project founded in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1995 by vocalist, songwriter, guitarist and producer Ashton Nyte. As of 2008 The Awakening has been based in the United States.

Wayne Hussey: “I met Ashton and that beautiful baritone voice of his a few years back and we have since remained friends and supporters of each other’s work. Of course we both also continue to be heavily involved with Michael Ciravolo’s ‘Beauty In Chaos’ project. So it is with huge pleasure I can confirm that Ashton will be supporting me on the mainland Europe (except Greece & Sweden) leg of my ‘Salad Daze’ tour. It’ll be great to have him along for the ride. Bring your driving license, Ashton, you can share the driving, there’s an awful lot of it.”

Here are the tour dates:

• 3 SEP – KULTURFABRIK – KREFELD, GERMANY
• 4 SEP – MTC – COLOGNE, GERMANY
• 5 SEP – MUK – GIESSEN, GERMANY
• 7 SEP – SING SING – PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
• 8 SEP – OLD MONASTRY – WROCLAW, POLAND
• 9 SEP – POGLOS – WARSAW, POLAND
• 11 SEP – BINUU – BERLIN, GERMANY
• 12 SEP – MUZ – HANNOVER, GERMANY
• 13 SEP – KULTUURKELLER – FULDA, GERMANY
• 14 SEP – MONKEY’S MUSIC CLUB – HAMBURG, GERMANY
• 15 SEP – MOVIE – BIELEFELD, GERMANY
• 17 SEP – VICTORIE – ALKMAAR, NETHERLANDS
• 18 SEP – PAARD – DEN HAAG, NETHERLANDS
• 19 SEP – LIMBURG THEATRE – HEERLEN, NETHERLANDS
• 20 SEP – JK2470 – RETIE – BELGIUM
• 21 SEP – ENTREPOT – ARLON, BELGIUM
• 22 SEP – B53 – EERNEGEM, BELGIUM
• 23 SEP – GARAGE CLUB – SAARBRUCKEN, GERMANY
• 24 SEP – KOHI – KARLSRUHE, GERMANY
• 26 SEP – LE BUS PALLADIUM – PARIS, FRANCE
• 27 SEP – CABARET VAUBAN – BREST, FRANCE
• 28 SEP – THE JOKER’S CLUB – ANGERS, FRANCE
• 29 SEP – VENUE TBC – BORDEAUX, FRANCE
• 30 SEP – SECRET PLACE – MONTPELLIER, FRANCE
• 1 OCT – LA NAU – BARCELONA, SPAIN
• 2 OCT – TONELADOS – VALENCIA, SPAIN
• 3 OCT – STAGESOUND – MADRID, SPAIN
• 5 OCT – RCA CLUB – LISBON, PORTUGAL
• 6 OCT – HARD CLUB – PORTO, PORTUGAL
• 8 OCT – LE ROCK ‘N EAT – LYON, FRANCE
• 9 OCT – LIGERIA – MILANO, ITALY
• 10 OCT – FREAKOUT – BOLOGNA, ITALY
• 11 OCT – CARACOL – PISA, ITALY
• 13 OCT – ROBOT – BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
• 15 OCT – CHELSEA – VIENNA, AUSTRIA
• 16 OCT – DER CULT – NUREMBERG , GERMANY

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

Klammer are about to release a new single on 3rd June on Under Dogz Records. It’s a very different version of The Human League’s classic early single “Being Boiled”. You can watch the video below.

Hailing from Leeds, Klammer have been previously described as the love child of XTC and Gang Of Four. Formed by UK Producer Steve Whitfield (The Cure/The Mission/Jane Weaver) in 2014, they have already released 3 albums, with last years “You Have Been Processed” being their most recent one.

The band is currently writing their 4th album but in the meantime they are releasing their version of The Human League’s early classic single “Being Boiled” on June 3rd 2019.

The cover reminds us a bit of the great cover made in 1992 by Terry Hoax of the Depeche Mode track “Policy Of Truth”… remember that one?

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: Gothic, goth-rock.

Background/Info: Originally set up in the late 80s, The Cascades released their most significant material during the early new millennium years. After a hiatus of 10 years they struck back in 2016 (cf. “Something To Happen”). Echozone also released the great ‘best of’ album “Diamonds And Rust” (2017) while we here welcome the new album of the trio lead by M.W. Wild.

Content: “Phoenix” is an album without real surprises, but simply revealing efficient gothic- and goth-rock music. The cavernous vocals and dark guitar parts will rapidly remind you bands such the Mission, The Sisters Of Mercy and The 69 Eyes.

One of the most noticeable cuts from the album is the cover version of Hüskur Dü’s legendary hit “Diane” (and which has been already covered one hundred times before). The cover features female backing vocals while there also is a remix by M.W. Wild.

+ + + : This band deals with good-old goth-rock music, which will clearly ravish all dark souls. The songs are accomplished by great choruses and the charisma of their singer. There are numerous cool songs on this album, but I have to say the adaptation of “Diane” into the style of The Cascades is absolutely brilliant. It all sounds they they’ve written this song. Another noticeable piece is the pretty Sisters Of Mercy-like “Phase 4”.

– – – : My only reproach to The Cascades is that they hold on to the same-old sound formula. The songs are pretty similar and rapidly predictable.

Conclusion: This is an album without surprises if you refer to the genre this band is dealing with, but it also is an album filled with great tracks. Absolutely recommended!

Best songs: “Diane”, “Phase 4”, “Avalanche”, “Blood Is Thicker Than Blondes”, “Ihr Werdet Sein”, “Diane – M.W. Wild Version”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.thecascades.de / www.facebook.com/thecascadesofficial

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

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: Gothic, cold-wave, rock-goth.

Background/Info: After having released three albums on Black Rain and one album on Holy Hour Records, German formation Atomic Neon now joined hands with Alice In… The band driven by singer Rio Black (still involved with No Trust In Dawn), ex-The House Of Usher guitarist Lars Kappeler plus 4 more members have already been active for more than 10 years.

Content: “Remember Me” is carried by good-old and pure nostalgia-like cold-wave music. It’s impossible to not have The Cure in mind when listening to Atomic Neon. Rio Black is once again reminding me of Robert Smith, but several songs feel like touched by the hand of The Cure. Other songs are closer to darker approach of The Sisters Of Mercy. The vocals are a bit different as well, becoming deeper and more depressed.

A few more songs, probably the most personal ones, reveal some dark-rock touch on top. And there also is one single track sung in German, which also is one of the attention grabbers. The work features 10 songs plus 2 bonus cuts, revealing a symphonic version and an extended version.

+ + + : This album is not that different from previous releases. You don’t listen to Atomic Neon for the originality, but for their great 80s spirit reminiscent to The Cure, The Sisters Of Mercy, The Cult, The Mission ao. They bring the dark 80s hours alive with passion and talent. I especially like the guitar playing, which has this dark magic from the cold-wave years while some passages are also a bit psychedelic-like. Singer Rio Black also remains a great and charismatic singer, which can now remind me of Robert Smith and then to Andrew Eldritch.

– – – : As I already said and often mentioned, Atomic Black is one of the numerous 80s copyists. There’s no explicit trace of originality, but we’ve to admit they bring the cold-wave style back to life with style and conviction. One thing they maybe have to reconsider is to improve the poorly inspired artwork from the album. The front cover is definitely too simplistic and that’s a pity in times CD sales are going downwards.

Conclusion: If you’re infected with the 80s cold-wave nostalgia, Atomic Neon will give you a very efficient remedy called “Remember Me”. This is a great album in its genre!

Best songs: “Blue Angel”, “Romy’s Dead”, “Decay”, “Keine Lügen”, “Not Real”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.atomicneon.de / www.facebook.com/theatomicneon

Label: www.darkdimensions.de /  www.facebook.com/pages/Dark–Dimensions–Label–Group/486014725206

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: Gothic, cold-wave, goth-rock.

Background/Info: German formation Sweet William saw the daylight in 1986. Set up by Oliver Heuer and joined by Marius Nagel and Bodo Rosner the band started composing their first songs. While their now can look back at a serious discography, this work brings us back to the first hours of the band. Eleven songs have been selected and recorded for the very time in studio quality.

Content: The album indeed sounds as the ‘early days’ of the band, getting us back in the dark magic of the 80s new-wave & cold-wave music. But Sweet William also added certain rock elements in their work. The guitar play brings the 80s nostalgia back alive while Oliver Heuer’s vocals have been performed with passion. The song “Coloured Feelings” will maybe appeal for some fans of The Mission.

+ + + : I’m always a bit skeptical when a band moves back to the early days of their history, but I’ve to say that this album is a fascinating and fully entertaining piece of music. The rock-wave mix sounds great and passionate. It has been a real good idea to release this album. I don’t know how the original versions sounded, but this album has a typical 80s flavor carried with a real good production. No doubt Sweet William did a great job to improve the original sound quality of the songs. The artwork of this digipak also features several pictures from the band’s early days.

– – – : I’m now always a huge fan of bands releasing their ‘old’ and forgotten stuff, but I’ve to admit that there’re always a few exceptions to the rule and this album makes sense.

Conclusion: This album doesn’t bring anything new and yet it’s an opportunity to discover ‘old’ songs of this band for the very first time. This is a cool look back!

Best songs: “Coloured Feelings”, “Another Place”, “Nailed To The Ground”, Four Days”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.sweetwilliam.de / www.facebook.com/sweet.william.dianthus.barbatus

Label: www.d–monic.net / www.facebook.com/dmoniclabel?fref=ts

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