Genre/Influences: Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Italian bass player and multi-instrumentalist Massimo Pupillo has released massive things, collaborations and productions in his career. He got involved with Zu and collaborated with an endless number of famous artists like  Mike Patton (Faith No More), Jim O’ Rourke (Sonic Youth), Guy Picciotto & Joe Lally (Fugazi), FM Einheit ( Einstürzende Neubauten), Damo Suzuki (CAN), David Tibet (Current 93), Mick Harris (Scorn), Gordon Sharp (This Mortal Coil & Cindytalk) etc etc.

Content: This work sounds in the true line of Glacial Movements; a sonic exploration of deeply Ambient and Cinematic fields. The work is fully evasive although featuring a few darker, mysterious, parts -which are mainly emerging at the end of the work. The wafting side of the work has been accentuated by the effect of voices. 

+ + + : This work has a true visual strength which is totally fitting with the great artwork of the album featuring landscapes and pictures of tribes. It feels like traveling through isolated spaces mixing mainly relaxing passages together with a few obscure parts.

– – – : The main point with this kind of productions is that there’s no visual content and that’s what I’m a bit missing; a wider conceptual approach mixing music together with other artistic creation like film, photography, ballet etc..

Conclusion: An album inviting the listener to dream away and visit other dimensions and cultures.

Best songs: “Ulda”, “Beaivi”, “Sami”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.zuism.net/massimo /  www.facebook.com/massimozu

Label: www.glacialmovements.com / www.facebook.com/glacialmovements

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 dark wave / post-punk duo Vaselyne are back with a brand new album op COP International, the 3-track EP “Under Your Skin”. The EP is available now in pre-order and ready for release on the 5th of May 2023 (Bandcamp Day), tomorrow that is.

The EP holds the title track “Under Your Skin” followed by a cover of David Sylvian’s “Riverman” and an instrumental version of “Under Your Skin”. Note that the “Riverman” cover was created for the Japan cover compilation “Still Life in Polaroids” which we covered earlier this week. That compilation is curated by Yvette Winkler and Coitus Interruptus Production.

“We are both very much influenced by Japan. Their ability to mix musical genres, and their impact on the future of new wave, was very important. Especially considering the fact, they were all self taught. It’s an honour to be able to play their songs, but also a scary thing. As you feel you are touching the Crown Jewels 🙂 You want to do them and their music justice.”

This new EP follows the release of their full length “The Sea Says”. Vaselyne has now finished recording their upcoming album. The first single of that album is a ballad “Waiting to Exhale”. The video for this track was made by Dutch filmmaker Dorothee Meddens. The new album includes collaborations with Lynette Cerezo from Bestial Mouths, Searmanas, John Fryer ( Black Needle Noise, NIN, Prayers, This Mortal Coil and HIM) and Michael Aliani from Chiron/Ikon.

Vaselyne is a collaboration between Dutch singer Yvette Winkler and Dutch musician and producer Frank Weyzig. Yvette Winkler was co-founder of the Dutch band “Sea of Souls” (2006) and Frank Weyzig is a Dutch producer, composer and band member, known for his contribution to the original line-up for Clan of Xymox and his work for indie new wave band Born For Bliss. Vaselyne has so far released four albums on the German label Echozone: “Earthbound” EP (2012), their full length debut album “The Fire Within” (2013), “In Dreams” EP (2015) and “Fragile” EP (2016).
​
In the spring of 2018, after a two year hiatus, the band picked up things where they left and Vaselyne contributed to the new Textbeak (Michael Szewczyk) album, “Sick for Songs a Season Eats”, produced by John Fryer. For this album, Yvette wrote and sung the lyrics for “Legion_err” and both Frank and Yvette have written and sung the lyrics for “Information Medicine” a track with Mark Stewart of “The Pop Group”. Yvette also collaborated with IAMTHESHADOW, John Fryer’s Black Needle Noise, Jean- Marc Lederman, Attrition and Junksista. Frank worked with Kelly Cook (ex- Moev) on their new project “Tearing The BlackBox”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

The new Italian outfit My Absence By Now is premiering its very first video, today on Side-Line for the track “Behind” taken from the album “Bliss” which will be released on March 24.

Besides dark synth you can easily label their music as a blend between dream pop, some post-punk and a sound that reminds us very much of This Mortal Coil and related 4AD acts.

The project itself is the brainchild of Italian musician Emiliano Santoro, who is mainly known for his work as founder of doom/atmospheric post black metal/post rock Dead Summer Society and dark ambient Last Winter I Died. With this new project he is experimenting with new sounds which in his own words “result in an exemplary mix of dark synth that drags the listener’s feelings into a world where darkness contests the existence of the last faded sunbeams.”

For this project Santoro is joined by guest singers Graziana Oddo (Elektrovice, ex-Retina) and Andrea Maggioni (Icidar, The Harrowing Yearning and Astral Emptiness).

A band to keep an eye on as they are offering a really refreshing approach and this thanks to the union of 3 talented musicians.

Today we exclusively present you the track “Behind”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

“Fair Winds”, a Black Needle Noise track originally written to be the theme song for a TV show about the history of the Isle Of Man is out now. John Fryer adds: “Unfortunately it has been put on the back burner because of Covid. Hopefully, this will happen down the line, but I decided to release this piece in the meantime.”

The record features two other musicians: female vocalist Ruby Friedman and Colin McGuinness (live musician for Japan amongst many other acts).

John Fryer started his career in 1979 at London’s Blackwing Studios (London) and soon began working with seminal bands on 4AD, Mute, Rough Trade, and Beggars Banquet, including Depeche Mode, The Wolfgang Press, and Cocteau Twins. His work led Watts-Russell to recruit Fryer as his partner for This Mortal Coil. Currently, Fryer works closely with COP International and its roster and this is the label debut release for Black Needle Noise on COP International.

You can get the 4-track single right now from Bandcamp.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Italian singer Elena Alice Fossi has released a new single, “Poison Fresh”, which is taken from the forthcoming new full-length of her dark electro project SPECTRA*Paris. The fifth album of that band is entitled “Modernism” and will be released on August 26.

The “Poison Fresh” video can be viewed right below.

Elena Alice Fossi says this about the single: “It is a journey to unknown shores, where you learn how to free yourself from reptilian and poisonous empires. Getting on that spaceship has a price and takes you away from the known side of the world. But the dream is well worth living. ‘Plant your stigma on all dogma’!”

The new album “Modernism ” will have the following guest musicians on board: Angelo Bergamini (Kirlian Camera), John Fryer (This Mortal Coil), Fakeba, Project Pitchfork, Seasurfer, Alison Bergamini (Fleurida Videogame Music), Michael Ciravolo (Beauty In Chaos) And John Rox & Oxydion.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Italian multi-instrumentalist Luca Bonandini this year released his fourth production to date. He has been always attracted by every kind of sound, but got intrigued by silence, which is like a mystery that fascinates him. That brought him to the name of the project The Illusion Of Silence. The new album “Gardens In The Dark” is about the absence of connections between human beings and nature. In Luca Bonandini’s opinion nature is going the wrong direction, people thinking too much about economic issues getting unhappy and frustrated. They ignore the language and the rules of nature, its beauty and its gifts are wrapped in the dark of the time we live in. “Gardens In The Dark” has been released by Shadowplay Records and is a great artistic creation faturing elements of Neo-Classic, Neo-Folk and Cinematographic music. This work is one of the sonic jewels I got the opportunity to discover this year.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Can you briefly introduce us to the sound universe of The Illusion Of Silence? How did you get in touch with music and especially the sound you’re dealing with?

Luca: It is not easy to answer because for me music is a very intimate process as the melody changes time to time as I change. So it would be reductive to tell you that I produce Neo-Classical, Neo-Folk or Ambient music. The nature is the place where I have a true communication. I need this kind of contact and the main of my inspiration comes from nature. I like to alternate my productions with instrumental albums or with more Experimental music as I did for the album “Music For Certain Rituals”. 

My goal when I perform my music is to reach a state that I call ‘spirituality’. About the sound of TIOS, I can tell you when I was a baby I listened to a lot of kinds of different genres. At home my father listened to Classical music, Ennio Morricone, Wendy Carlos and  John Barry.  And I loved to listen to the radio where I discovered my favourite artists: Siouxsie And The Banshees, The Smiths, David Sylvian, Dead Can Dance, Franco Battiato, This Mortal Coil, Cocteau Twins, Harold Budd And many more.

Q: What are the instruments you’re playing and how do you explain this fascination for all these instruments? And do you’ve a favorite instrument or one you feel closer with?

Luca: My favorite instrument is the piano as its sound is close to my way of conceiving the music. I also play the bowed psaltery, the zither, the santoor, the kankles, percussions, the classic guitar, the flutes. These instruments have their own soul, their peculiar vibrations and I am attracted by their sounds.

Q: Next to music your new album also reveals a taste for poetry. What do you like in poetry and how do you try to transpose poetry into music? And do you think music can become a kind of poetry as well?

Luca: As for music, poetry can quickly describe a feeling or a condition with only a few words.  When I read a poem, I can feel a rhythm, a melody and it is normal to start playing and singing. I consider the music an arcane language that speaks to the soul, therefore it is also poetry.

Q: Let’s talk about this new album “Gardens In The Dark”. I can imagine it took you a lot of time to prepare, compose, record and produce this album especially because of the impressive number of guest musicians and –singers. How did it all happen and how did you manage all different aspects of the production?

Luca: “Gardens In The Dark” was mostly composed and recorded in a hilly area in the Northern Italy and I took over 3 years to achieve it. While I was at the end to record the instrumental album “The White Summer”, I started to write songs where I could sing my own lyrics and some of my favourite poems. At the beginning, I thought I wished to realise an intimate acoustic guitar album: all the songs where first composed with the acoustic guitar and when I focused on the melodies, I sent some of my compositions to Alex Popov and Tatiana Korotkova (Sunset Wings) who both helped me for the arrangements and recording. In the meantime I started to write and record with Aima Lichtblau our first opus “Music For Certain Rituals” so there was a pause of several months. Later I started to add some instruments and I got in touch with Andrey Torkunov and his wife Maria (Sever Ga); I asked them to help me creating some Neo-Classic arrangements with the strings and the flutes. Then other musicians joined in to complete the work.

Q: I’ve been impressed by the global evolution in writing and production from your early work till “Gardens In The Dark”. How do you look back at your early work and what did you try to accomplish with this new opus?

Luca: Thank you for your words! For the first album “Black Rainbow” I set to music some of the poems I had written and went in a studio to record the song, which felt like like closing a circle. “Black Rainbow” was a pure and naive album and I did not have any kind of expectation. As the first album was recorded in four very intensive days, with “Gardens In The Dark” I wanted to take all the time I needed to arrange the songs with a more dynamic and refined sound.

Q: Do you’ve specific references and/or criteria when composing your music? How do you imagine your further work and what are the further plans? 

Luca: I’m very instinctive when composing. I play music for some days and then try to forget about it. After some time, I listen to the demos; when some of them inspire me with new arrangements I finally decide to move on with the work.

About the future I have two albums ready. A new work for Aima & The Illusion Of Silence and an instrumental album inspired by the poem “Le Cimetière Marin” by Paul Valery. During the last few months I have been writing a lot of instrumental music with the piano, but it is too early to understand how the work will evolve.

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

Dutch darkwave duo Vaselyne has just unveiled their new digital maxi-single for the track, “Waiting To Exhale”, a ballad. “Waiting To Exhale” – which is available here on Bandcamp – tells a story of breaking free from whatever is holding you back. Moving on, transforming into someone or something new. Whether that’s a unhealthy relationship, not being able to be your true self, the listener is invited to decide what that means to them.

The video sees Yvette Winkler walking through forests and dunes, a heavy cape trailing behind her. Winkler comments: “Carrying the weight on my shoulders whilst I walk towards the sea. Morphing into a butterfly. But do I transform or disappear?”

About Vaselyne

Vaselyne consists of singer Yvette Winkler and musician Frank Weyzig who formed the band in the spring of 2011. While Yvette Winkler was co-founder of the Dutch band Sea of Souls (2006) and her contribution to Pieter Nooten’s latest album, “Here is Why” (2010), you might also know here from the Black Needle Noise track “Gone” on which she sung.

We don’t really have to introduce Frank Weyzig we would think. He started his music career with Dutch electronic wave legend Clan of Xymox from way back at the time they were signed with the infamous English 4AD label in the mid-eighties.

Together the duo so far released 4 albums on the German Echozone label: “Earthbound” EP (2012), their full length debut album “The Fire Within” (2013), “In Dreams” EP (2015) and “Fragile” EP (2016). In the spring of 2018, after a two year hiatus, the band picked up things where they left and they contributed to the new Textbeak (Michael Szewczyk) album, “Sick for Songs a Season Eats”, produced by John Fryer.

The video for “Waiting to Exhale” was created by Dutch filmmaker Dorothée Meddens. In 2021 a full album will also see the light of day. The new album includes collaborations with Lynette Cerezo from Bestial Mouths, Searmanas, John Fryer (Black Needle Noise, NIN, Prayers, This Mortal Coil and HIM) and Michael Aliani from Chiron/Ikon. And if all goes well, the duo will hit the road again in 2021 with a new live band.

Below is the video for “Waiting to Exhale”.

You can download the full maxi-single below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

(Courtesy Attasalina) Black Needle Noise’s first release on COP International Records is a fact. Out now is a new single “Machine” featuring vocalist Attasalina and violinist Meredith Yayanos. The “Machine” EP features remixes from Christopher Hall (Stabbing Westward), Mark Hockings (Mesh/Blackcarburning), Sick Jokes, Soman and (London DJ) Samantha Togni.

Says Fryer of “Machine”: “It’s taken a while to find the right song for Attasalina so we could collaborate again. She did an amazing job on ‘Messages By Dreams’ and she has done an exceptional job on ‘Machine.’ It’s always a pleasure working with Attasalina, and it’s been great having Meredith Yayanos on board this time around playing violin on the track, adding another dimension.”

Attasalina, best known for her collaboration with Daniel Ash (The Soldiers of Everyday), has also released music with her band The Seraphim Rising and is currently working on her first solo record in collaboration with John Fryer, to be called Freed From Rage and Sorrow. She previously collaborated with Fryer on the Black Needle Noise track “Messages By Dreams.”

See the video for “Machine” below.

About John Fryer

John Fryer started his career in 1979 at London’s Blackwing Studios (London) and soon began working with seminal bands on 4AD, Mute, Rough Trade and Beggars Banquet, including Depeche Mode, The Wolfgang Press and Cocteau Twins. His achievement in helping develop the latter’s pioneering ethereal and ambient sound ultimately led Watts-Russell to recruit Fryer as his partner for This Mortal Coil.

Since then, Fryer has produced many iconic artists, including Love and Rockets, HIM, Cradle of Filth, Clan of Xymox, Nitzer Ebb, Dead Can Dance, Yaz (Yazoo), Xmal Deutschland, Fields of the Nephilim, De/Vision, Stabbing Westward and many others. Fryer has also produced many film soundtracks, such as Seven, Clerks, Johnny Mnemonic, Mortal Kombat, Faust and Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

Currently Fryer also works closely with COP International and its roster and this debut Black Needle Noise release on the label is being hailed by COP founder Christian Petke who says, “I know how much this project means to John and I think it represents some of his finest work. Black Needle Noise is his vehicle to execute his artistic visions. It is not bound by style or fashion but represents the distilled essence of a man honing his craft for 40-plus years. To say it is an honor to represent Black Needle Noise on COP International is an understatement.”

Fryer recently celebrated a #1 entry on the German DAC Charts with the Chiasm & John Fryer album “Missed The Noise”. Good to know, Fryer acts as an A&R and a producer at COP International Records, helming the work of artists such as Stabbing Westward, Azam Ali, Chiasm, Stoneburner, Blackcarburning and 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.

side-line.com

“Pathways and Dawns”, the debut solo album from Peter Ulrich sees a re-release on vinyl via Infinite Fog. It’s the first vinyl edition of Peter Ulrich’s debut. Widely known for his past work as drummer/percussionist with legendary Dead Can Dance and contributor to 4AD’s This Mortal Coil, Ulrich here offered driving rhythms and meditative ritual patterns of percussion.

Also included was guitar-work, arrangement and production from Dead Can Dance mastermind Brendan Perry.

The album was recorded in two parts, the first in England in 1990, and the second after a long time break in 1996-97, by Brendan Perry at Dead Can Dance’s Quivvy Church studio in Ireland. The album was released on CD in 1999 on Projekt.

For this vinyl edition the tracks were mastered from the original master takes by Martin Bowes (Attrition).

When it was first released, Side-Line’s reviewer Deranged Psyche wrote this about it: “His first album is a remarkable piece moving on the edge between ethnic and medieval art pop music.”

For those wanting to listen to it on Spotify, the album is not available there.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Black Needle Noise, featuring legendary producer John Fryer (Cocteau Twins, Depeche Mode, This Mortal Coil), has teamed up with PIG for the download track “Seed Of Evil”. “Seed of Evil” features PIG vocalist Raymond Watts.

Watts explains how the collaboration started: “When John Fryer called, it was like cream was fed to my poison crop. I was thrilled to lend Satan’s little helping hand to Black Needle Noise,” says Watts of the devilish collaboration. “The result from this marriage made in hell was appropriately called ‘Seed of Evil’ … it pours out of me into the night, where the devil ties it nice and tight.”

Fryer meanwhile states: “After many a moon passing we finally get to work together again. I had to find the right song for Raymond but I think we have a great noise-pop hit on our hands. It’s been a real pleasure working with Raymond on this and I can’t wait to hear it in the clubs.”

Black Needle Noise has previously released music featururing a diverse who’s who of alternative vocalists such as Mimi Page (Delirium), Jennie Vee (bassist, Hole), Ana Breton (Dead Leaf Echo), Omniflux (Puscifer), Kendra Frost (Kite Base), Andrea Kerr (Colt), Sivert Hoyem, Antic Clay, and ZiaLand, among others.

“Seed Of Evil” is now available on Bandcamp, and you can 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.

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, experimental.

Background/Info: Black Needle Noise has been introduced as ‘music for the movies you haven’t dream of yet…’ It first of all is the music project set up by John Fryer who gained an international reputation as producer for legendary artists such as Fad Gadget, Depeche Mode, Clan Of Xymox, NIN, Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil ao. From time to time John Fryer also like to compose his own songs under the Black Needle Noise moniker.

Content: For “Lost In reflections” the legendary British producer invited some great artists to sing on his compositions. Bill Leeb (FLA, Delirium), Mimi Page (Delirium), Jennie Vee (Hole), Ana Breton (Dead Leaf Echo), Omniflux (Puscifer), Kendra Frost (Kite Base), Andrea Kerr (Colt), Sivert Hoyem, ZiaLand and Dr. Strangefryer joined hands with John Fryer.

The sonic universe of Fryer is clearly reflecting his passion for electronic sound creation. It sounds pretty pop-minded with a sensual touch on top because of the great singers. But the artists also like to create- and manipulate sounds and noises. It injects an experimental element to the songs, but also sounds minimal-like.
+ + + : What you expect from a sound producer is that he deals with a very own vision in sound and that’s precisely what comes through when discovering this album. John Fryer deals with pop, but composes his songs with industrial-like sounds. It creates a delicious contrast with the mainly female and sensual vocals. But the song featuring Bill Leeb (still released as EP title track) is also worthy of examination as it’s pretty hard to recognize Leeb singing in a different and still a bit sensual way as well. The singers have been chosen for their exceptional skills. Singers and music together create a styled sonic osmosis resulting in a few outstanding pieces such as “Teeth To Grey” featuring Omniflux, “Warning Sign” featuring Kendra Frost, “She Stands On A Storm” featuring Andrea Kerr and “Breathless Speechless” featuring Sivert Hoyem (reminding me of Nick Cave).

– – – : It’s not that easy to define the music of John Fryer. Even if I think that’s rather positive it’s not the most accessible pop releases and not the kind of songs you’ll directly keep in mind and sing along.

Conclusion: John Fryer accomplished an album filled with reverie, which also is an intimate composition featuring talented vocalists. But it mainly reveals a creative electro-pop process from one of the cult producers from the 4AD label roster.

Best songs: “Teeth To Grey”, “Warning Sign”, “She Stands On A Storm”, “Breathless Speechless”, “A Shiver Of Want”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/BlackNeedleNoise

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

To be released 3rd November on Bella Union is the debut album “Ojalá” by Lost Horizons. Lost Horizons is the project by Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins, Bella Union label) and drummer Richie Thomas (Dif Juz, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Moose, Felt). “Ojalá” incorporates a well known cast of guest singers: Marissa Nadler, former Midlake frontman Tim Smith, Cameron Neal (Horse Thief), Leila Moss of The Duke Spirit and Ghostpoet, Beth Cannon, Ed Riman, Gemma Dunleavy, Phil McDonnell and Karen Peris of The Innocence Mission.

As usual with Raymonde also this project hosts a varied mix of influences including of course dreamy pop. You can listen to the project’s first tracks from the album below. The tracks are “The Places We’ve Been”, featuring Karen Peris on vocals, and “Frenzy Fear”, featuring Hilang Child on vocals.

Many will know Richie Thomas from his work with Raymonde in the eighties, the songs unfortunately remained in the demo stage. One collaboration survived, namely “Ivy And Neet”, found on This Mortal Coil’s second album “Filigree & Shadow” (1986), with Thomas adding saxophone to Raymonde’s improvised piano. After that Thomas toured with The Jesus And Mary Chain, Moose, Felt and, in the nineties with Cocteau Twins.

The songs for “Ojalá” find their origin in a four-days improvisation session the pair booked in an east London studio, with Raymonde on piano and Thomas on drums. Raymonde then added bass, guitar and occasional electronics at his home studio in Brighton, turning improvisation into songs, and a second four-day session was booked – the day that David Bowie suddenly died. As the songs took shape, Raymonde approached the singers. The result is a 15-track 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.

side-line.com

“Artificial Man” is the newest single from The Peter Ulrich Collaboration. The track immediately also got the video treatment and you can view it below. The track features industrial, dark folk, gothic, post-rock and symphonic elements. The lead vocals are by David Steele who collaborated with the project for this recording.

You can download the track right here on iTunes.

The Peter Ulrich Collaboration is headed by Peter Ulrich, former percussionist for the iconic Dead Can Dance. The group has released two albums so far as part of a planned trilogy: “The Painted Caravan” (2013) and “Tempus Fugitives” (2015). “Artificial Man” is the first single release from “Final Reflections”, the final album in The Painted Caravan Trilogy

Peter Ulrich has already had a very rich career as a musician. After playing in a blues-soul band, Mischief, on the East London pub and club circuit in the early 1980s, Peter Ulrich joined Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard in London on drums and percussion and in 1983 was one of the members of Dead Can Dance to sign with the 4AD label. He played on Dead Can Dance’s first album, the “Garden of the Arcane Delights” EP, the albums “Within the Realm of a Dying Sun” and “Spiritchaser” as well as several live sessions and virtually on all live dates with Dead Can Dance from 1983 to 1990.

During the 1980s Ulrich also contributed a percussion piece called “At First, and Then” to the This Mortal Coil album “Filigree & Shadow” and made cameo appearances on albums by Wolfgang Press and Pieter Nooten & Michael Brook. In 1990 he released his first solo recording – a double A-sided 12″ vinyl single featuring his songs “Taqaharu’s Leaving” and “Evocation” which has since become a rare collector’s item.

His first solo album, the excellent “Pathways and Dawns”, was largely arranged, recorded and produced by Brendan Perry and was released on the fine Projekt label in 1999. His second solo album, “Enter The Mysterium”, was released in 2005 on City Canyons Records. In 2009 Ulrich made a guest appearance, together with Brendan Perry, on the Piano Magic album “Ovations” playing percussion and hammered dulcimer.

In his current project – The Peter Ulrich Collaboration – he has worked closely with City Canyons CEO Trebor Lloyd and a wide ranging group of artists including Sara Wendt, David Steele, Jen Elliott, Kingsley Sage of Anemo and Saskia Dommisse of Poets to their Beloved.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

The French neoclassical darkwave band Collection d’Arnell-Andréa break-through album was without any doubt the majestic 1994 release “Villers-aux-Vents”. It’s a key album from the band and contains several tracks which have become cult. “Villers-aux-Vents” was also a concept album that takes you to the frontline of World War 1.

That beautful album now finally sees a white vinyl release, with all the tracks mastered by Paul Fiction for perfect vinyl play. You can already place your order now via this mailorder. Years before the post-punk revival this band already offered a perfect mix between the early 4AD sound (Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, This Mortal Coil…) and the more contemporary darkwave/post-punk music.

Enjoy the multimedia promo video for “Verdun” which was released several years ago for the reissue on CD of this great release. Highly and warmly recommended!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9Xhrwi3vX4

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

“It is with deep sadness and sorrow that my dearest oldest mate in life and music passed away today after a long illness. please play our music very loud today.” That’s how Shelleyan Orphan’s Jemaur Tayle confirmed that his musical partner in crime Caroline Crawley has died after a long battle with an unnamed illness. Crawley gained instant cultstatus when she was invited as a member of the 4AD collective This Mortal Coil. This way a whole generation discovered her great voice on the 1991 This Mortal Coil double album “Blood”, which was the third and final album released by 4AD collective This Mortal Coil. Crawley also appeared in the video for the Syd Barrett cover, “Late Night” (which you can see below).

John Fryer: “She was a wonderful talented person and joy to be around. I was very lucky to know her and have worked with her on This Mortal Coil. Its another great loss this year.”

But before that in 1980, Caroline Crawley and Jemaur Tayle already had joined up to form Shelleyan Orphan after which the pair moved to London to seek out orchestral elements to add to their voices. In June 1984, the band got their first break and landed a session with Richard Skinner for BBC Radio 1. The band signed with Rough Trade Records in 1986 and released the singles, “Cavalry of Cloud” and “Anatomy of Love”. In 1987, the band would release their first of four albums: “Helleborine”.

After the band released “Humroot” in 1992 they disbanded. Tayle formed his own band, Elephantine, and Crawley, along with Williams and Soave, formed Babacar. Soon after, Tayle joined Babacar as a full-time member, though not contributing to the songwriting. In 2000, the band reunited to record a cover of Tim Buckley’s “Buzzin’ Fly” for “Sing a Song for You: A Tribute to Tim Buckley”. A new album, entitled “We Have Everything We Need”, was released in October 2008 on One Little Indian Records.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com

Out now as a free download is the track “Bang Bang” by Black Needle Noise which is actually John Fryer. The track is offered for free as a birthday gift from John Fryer.

On “Bang Bang” you can hear John Fryer on vocals himself “but the project will be many singers and what ever music style it turns out to be” Fryer says. And he adds: “No more bands and albums, just songs with different people all under the banner Black Needle Noise.”

You can download the rather delicious song below:

John Fryer is an English record producer. Best known for his production and engineering work (Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode), he also branched out as a musician as one of only two constant members of This Mortal Coil (along with Ivo Watts-Russell), providing keyboards, strings and synthesizer sequencing for the band, and its offshoot, The Hope Blister.

He has since worked on several projects of which Black Needle Noise is his latest.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

side-line.com