Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, indie-pop. 

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The New Division is the sonic brainchild of John Glenn Kunkel. The band can already look back on a respectable discography, the last productions having been released by Progress Productions. The Swedish label released the CD edit featuring ten songs plus six bonus cuts.

Content: The New Division moves on composing a very personal pop style, which can be the best described as merging different influences. The global work sounds pretty indie-pop like and reminds me now and then to IAMX. Some tracks are a bit more 80s driven -like on their previous album “Gemini” while others have been driven by groovy sequences.

+ + + : “Hidden Memories” is a well-crafted work revealing a diverse tracklist. I prefer the ‘retro’ style of the album, which you can hear on “Broken”,  but the last song from the regular album (cf. “Ride”) for its global elaboration. The bonus cuts are still worthy of examination and I even dare to say that is where you’ll discover the best songs on the album. “Worth It” is a fully appropriated title for one of the most danceable and achieved cuts of this album. I also have to say a word about the singing skills of John Glenn Kunkel who’s a real talented and captivated singer.

– – – : I’m less convinced by the groovy cuts featured at this work. They inject something extra danceable, but this is not the best side of the band.

Conclusion: The New Division deals with a very own pop approach, which clearly takes distance with most of the typical electro/dance-pop bands. This is an interesting experience however I prefer the previous album.

Best songs: “Worth It”, “Enough Is Enough”, “Ride”, “Glass Jaw”, “Over”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist:  www.newdivisionmusic.com /

www.facebook.com/thenewdivision

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

About The New Division

The New Division began in 2005 as a college dorm-room project for songwriter John Kunkel, who had moved from Uruguay to Southern California and started experimenting with synthesizers after hearing Joy Division, New Order and Depeche Mode. By the end of 2007 the project had grown into a four-piece with Michael Janz, Brock Woolsey and Mark Michalski. The band’s discography includes the albums “Gemini” (2015) and “Together We Shine” (2014) before “Hidden Memories” (2020), followed by “System Shock” (2021) and further singles and EPs into the mid-2020s, released through Progress Productions.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: German synth-pop duo Sea Of Sin were mainly active during the 90s, but struck back during the past few years, re-releasing their earlier work plus a new opus entitled “Unbroken” in 2019. Several EP’s were released as well. This new EP is a fine selection from the remixes that were originally released on these EP’s, but some little extras.

Content: “The Remixes” features 15 songs, but especially “What Are You Waiting For” has been put in the spotlights. The “Single Edit” is a fully enjoyable electro-pop track driven by a catchy chorus you can easily sing along. Remixes have been accomplished by Mesh, Paralyzed, Khibou, Oren Amram, Rotoskop and Mindbeat. Another song that has been featured is “You” that has been remixed by Blume, The New Division and Uncreated. You also will recognize older cuts from the early period like the unavoidable “I Live My Life” in a so-called “Neo Remix” and “Star” in an alternative edit. There also is a “Club Edit” of “Truth” (also originally released on the band’s debut album “Watch Out!”) and the new song “Only The Memory Remains”, which confirms the electro-pop skills of this band.

+ + + : The main strength of this EP is the diversity of the remixes. Sea Of Sin has chosen a very eclectic selection of bands so you don’t get the feeling all songs are similar. The contribution of Mesh is a nice little extra while their remix is pretty cool, but I also have to mention the club-friendly remix by Paralyzed and the groovy-one by Khibou. I also like the funky edit of Oren Amram. Sea Of Sin has a nose to compose catchy, danceable songs with great choruses so I can imagine it’s pretty inspiring to remix them. They also revealed a great new song “Only The Memory Remains”.

– – – : Luckily, this EP is a special fan edition because I became a bit saturated from all these remixes.

Conclusion: Sea Of Sin has made a noticeable comeback and this new EP only confirms their potential; this is fully enjoyable, classical electro-pop music.

Best songs: “What Are You Waiting For – Single Edit”, “Only The Memory Remains”, “What Are You Waiting For – Mesh Remix”, “What Are You Waiting For – Paralyzed Remix”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/seaofsinGER

Label: www.sevenus.de/7music  / www.facebook.com/7usMusic

About Sea Of Sin

Sea Of Sin is a synth-pop group formed in the mid-1990s in Germany by Klaus Schill and Frank Zwicker, both previously members of Covent Garden. The band debuted with the album “Watch Out!” in 1995, followed by “Illuminate” in 1997 and “Urban Chemistry” in 2000. Sea Of Sin returned in 2017 after a long hiatus and released the album “Unbroken” in 2019. “The Remixes,” reviewed here, gathers reworkings from the “Unbroken” singles alongside new material.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop.

Background/Info: This year Mind Machine released their first album in more than twenty years, this way pleasing all lovers of ‘classic’ electro-pop music inspired by bands such as Depeche Mode, New Order ao. This album is revisiting ten from the eleven album songs. Only a remix of “Decade”! We get a total amount of 16 remixes.

Content: This album is a different way to discover the work of Mind Machine; it’s the interpretation of other artists transposing the original electro-pop sound of “Return To The Machine” into their own approach. There’s an interesting twist of remixers featuring familiar, famous names such as Parralox, Frozen Plasma, Eisfabrik and People’s Theatre next to less familiar and/or renowned names such as Darwinmcd, Nature Of Wires, Fused, Provision, Mda, The Frixion, The New Division, Uncreated, Zoon Politicon, Graflex, The Grey Disorder and Circuit3.

+ + + : There’s an interesting diversity featured by the remix artists. It also is another way to get back to the band’s album. My favorite song from the ‘original’ album was the song “Here And There” and here again I have to say it’s a pretty cool track, which has been re-boosted by Parralox into a great retro-styled remix. Another cool song was “We Keep Walking” and here again I discovered a cool remix made by The New Division”.

– – – : I expected a bit more out of the remixes by Eisfabrik and Frozen Plasma.

Conclusion: Remixes are cool for DJ’s and die-hard fans. I discovered some cool remixes, but I prefer the original songs.

Best songs: “Here And There – Parralox Remix”, “We Keep Walking – The New Division Remix”, “The Pain You Feel – Scars Of Anguish by Provision”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/mindmachineband

About Mind Machine

Mind Machine is a Los Angeles-based synthpop duo of vocalist Brian Belknap and multi-instrumentalist Brian Olsen, established in 1989 and originally active through the mid-1990s, a period later collected on “Movement: The Very Best Of Mind Machine 1990-1995”. The band returned in 2019 with the album “Return To The Machine” after a 24-year hiatus, followed the same year by the companion remix set “Remix The Machine” and the EP “Clouds Of Doubt”, reviewed separately on Side-Line.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-wave-pop, indie-pop.

Content: The New Division is an American formation driven by John Glenn Kunkel. ‘New Division’ was meant as an artist working title for songs that would never be released.

All productions have been released by Division 87. “Gemini” is the 3rd opus, which has been licensed to Progress Productions for the European continent. This version features 4 extra and exclusive songs.

Progress Productions again confirms to have a nose for talented electronic formations, but they here have found a band with a different approach to pop music. The composition clearly evokes good-old 80s memories, but there also is a refreshing element on top of the work. It’s mainly due to the great guitar parts, which sometimes become a little bit psychedelic-like. Guitars and electronics together reveal a complementary writing. The vocals by Kunkel are clear and passionate, which totally fits to this kind of music.

The album features 13 songs plus the ‘European’ bonus of 4 songs. There’s not a single song to throw away. The intro-like cut is maybe the single song, which is not essential, but from “Killer” on you directly notice the pop orientation getting us back to some new-wave pop productions. It’s not a real kind of power-pop production, but there’s a kind of ‘volume’ emerging from the songs, which create a real powerful style.

The opening cuts reveal a mature and exciting production while “Iris” appears to be the first highlight. There’s no real difference with the other songs, but there’s a sort of ultimate harmony between the instruments and an elevating passage during the chorus. It’s a beautiful song, which I’m sure will catch your attention as well.

“Bloom” is a bit similar, but I here especially was fascinated by the global production revealing a perfect mix between electronics and guitar.

In a somewhat club-minded style “Introspective” is driven by a groovy kick, but especially “Golden Winter Child” has a strong dancefloor appeal. This is a great and totally accomplished pop song with danceable vibes.

The bonus features two cool remixes, but especially the ‘new’ cuts “Romantic” and “Holy” are both great songs. “Romantic” reflects a great psychedelic wave-pop style while “Holy” features a great chorus empowered by guitar and a solid lead.

Conclusion: The New Division doesn’t exactly sound like new pop music, but it brings an exciting alternative to the common electro-pop standards. “Gemini” fills the gap between 80s pop influences and contemporary productions.

Best songs: “Golden Winter Child”, “Bloom”, “Murder Shock”, “Iris”, “Romantic”, “Introspective”.

Rate: (Elise Din:8½)Elise Din.

Band: www.thenewdivision.com / www.facebook.com/thenewdivision

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

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