Pavlo Storonsky, an Ukrainian artist currently based in Poland, has been active under the moniker Tineidae for many years. I first discovered the project through “Lights”, his debut album released by Tympanik Audio in 2012. At the time, his music was heavily influenced by IDM, a style that continued to shape his subsequent releases. In recent years, Tineidae became part of the Cryo Chamber roster, marking a clear evolution toward a more Ambient and Cinematic sound. However, at the end of last year, Pavlo revisited his past, completing and refining some older compositions. The result, “Dead Chapters”, released on his own label Artificers, is a meticulously crafted IDM-driven album that brings us full circle—back to the intelligent Electro roots of the project. I had the opportunity to discuss this release, as well as other aspects of his music, with Pavlo. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: The war in your home country, Ukraine, is ongoing. Although you left Ukraine some years ago, it must be deeply painful to witness the devastation. How have you been coping with this personally, and in what ways does music serve as an emotional outlet or form of regulation for you?

Pavlo: It’s tough, honestly. During the last few years war has been one of those topics that filled the gaps in my own info-space daily, if not being the center point of it. Most of our family members, who are not in Poland, live in relatively safe regions of Ukraine, and those who were not, now have moved there. That said, it is hard to be fully safe, when missiles fly over your head. Every now and then I read about a death of someone I knew or someone my friends or relatives knew. That messes with my head.

Like, sure we’re all gonna die eventually, but when you think about how little value the human life has for a crazed old leader who misses the Soviet Union era, it’s quite scary… The horrors caused by the ‘unbrotherly’ neighbor impact everyday life pretty substantially. It’s not something I can properly describe with words (I’m generally bad at describing my feelings), so that is why there was a huge surge in my musical output recently. Music is that refuge for me, a relief, and a way to let out what I feel.

Q: Last year, you’ve been remarkably active, releasing multiple projects. Could you share the stories behind these releases? What does collaboration with other artists mean to you, and what criteria do you look for in a potential creative partner?

Pavlo: “Remnants Of War” is self-explanatory I think. It started some time ago but already during war in Ukraine. It’s a collaboration with Sole Massif, whose music I very much enjoy and I’m glad we got to do it, even though the topic is not a positive one. It’s a bit of a reimagination of the possible aftermath of war in a more futuristic setup.

Then “Dead Chapters” was one of those concepts that I’ve started working on a long time ago, but didn’t really flesh out until this year.

And “Reports From Isul” was started during covid lockdown, when Burma Project reached out to me.

Usually I’m quite open to collaborations, but I had to turn some down as I was already quite busy with the ongoing ones. If I like the idea and concept/sound, that to me is more valuable than potential ‘big name’ of the artist I’ll be working with. But lately I’m trying to limit the amount of collaborations, as I don’t have enough time and you can never predict which one will be finished or get stuck for whatever reason and nothing ever develops afterwards. I promised myself to be much more picky from now on.

Q: Your new album, “Dead Chapters”, marks a return to your IDM-influenced roots. I understand that some of the tracks are older pieces you revisited and reworked. Can you tell us about the process of rediscovering these songs? Why were they left unfinished, and what inspired you to breathe new life into them now?

Pavlo: Back in 2014 when the first demos were started, I quickly realized that I simply lack skill to finish those ideas the way I wanted. I really liked the sound and the story that started emerging in my head, but I didn’t want to mess it up with my lack of experience and technical abilities. Sure it had a lot in common with my previous works with a more glitchy or IDM sound, but my focus has already shifted towards bass design and heavier drums. I was revisiting the demos from time to time, but never had that final push. There was no huge turning point, aside from overall emotional tension, and also 2024 marked 10 years since I drafted the first demo (first two tracks of the album), so I felt like it’s way past its due.

The result is by no means perfect, but I’m quite happy about it. Some of the demos from that time were also the ones that pushed me towards Ambient music later on, which now resulted in a good few releases on Cryo Chamber. So all in all this album was something that further shaped the sound of Tineidae as a project in several directions.

Q: In recent years, your music has leaned more heavily into the Cinematic genre. How does it feel to reconnect with your earlier influences on “Dead Chapters”? Looking back at your early work from over two decades ago, how do you see your evolution as an artist?

Pavlo: I feel like these changes in sound -it’s all one thing, honestly. Just slowly evolving over time and slightly diverging into what my brain enjoys more in that moment. I’m still listening to stuff like Access To Arasaka, Candle Nine, Subheim, Hecq, Boxcutter, Broken Note and many others that had the most influence on my earlier works. Initial demos from “Dead Chapters” were similar to those, but as I mentioned there were also a few that gave me an early push into Ambient and Cinematic sound. Some of them ended up forming “Slowly Drown In Static” other ones were left untouched and remained a part of “Dead Chapters”. So in a sense these two albums are a bit related to each other.

That said, there is a change at least in terms of technical understanding of the issues I had back then and could not resolve, whether from the mix or sound design perspective. I’ve learned a bit from others, collaborations do help with that. Also tools got way better in the recent years, by which I mean VST plugins for the most part. It’s a constant learning process.

Q: “Dead Chapters” appears to center on a conceptual theme of a lost civilization possibly coming back to life. Could you elaborate on the background of “Dead Chapters” and how it might metaphorically relate to the modern world? And how important is it for you to work with concepts in your music?

Pavlo: Seeing ruins of once largely populated areas and modern metropolises being destroyed and devoid of life makes you reevaluate things that you take for granted. “Dead Chapters” is rather open to interpretation, and even I don’t know whether it’s going to be a story with a happy end. Maybe that civilization was never meant to come back to life. But there is always hope, as long as there is at least one living being, and those who live will always strive to rebuild and recreate.

For the concepts in general -it’s something that keeps me going. You have a story you want to tell, but instead of words, you rather try to evoke emotions with your music. And when the music resonates with the listener, it feels great and even therapeutic, as that is a way to share those emotions, feelings and stories.

Q: As such a prolific artist, it’s clear that music plays a central role in your life. What does Tineidae mean to you personally? What would you consider your greatest achievements so far, and what exciting projects are currently in the works?

Pavlo: Tineidae is a mechanism of emotional self-regulation where it happens to let out what I can’t let out otherwise. Hard to tell about achievements, it just feels good to finish things that were holding you back, and see people’s reactions.

With the future plans -Artificers is what comes to mind first. I want more great music released, doesn’t matter mine or not, and I want more people to hear that music. This is what I’m trying to achieve. I can’t really call it a label or collective as I don’t yet know how it’s gonna shape, but at the very least a platform through which I and a few of my friends would be able to release music and find a responsive audience.

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

Ukrainian artist Pavlo Storonsky has been active under the Tineidae moniker for several years, building an impressive and successful discography. A prolific musician, he has once again released multiple albums this year. His latest solo work, released on the Polish label Artificers, presents a distinct shift from his recent output on Cryo Chamber. Revisiting his roots, he has completed several ‘older’ tracks reminiscent of the IDM golden era, particularly the albums associated with Tympanik Audio. This album embodies sonic intelligence, minimalism, and creativity, all of which contribute to its visionary appeal. Tineidae excels in crafting brilliant, ice-cold soundscapes propelled by slow, deliberate rhythms. The vintage sound treatments, rich in texture, are at times overwhelming, delivering a profound auditory, blasting, experience. The music often takes on a ‘space-like’ quality, occasionally expanding into fully Cinematic passages. Deep, resonating vibrations seem to reverberate within you, amplifying the album’s almost mystical allure. “Dead Chapters” showcases Tineidae at his finest, a masterful work that truly captivates the listener. (Rating:8½ ).

Listen to “Call Of The Void”:

About Tineidae

Tineidae is the project of Ukrainian artist Pavlo Storonsky, based in Poland. Storonsky debuted with “Lights” on Tympanik Audio in 2012, working in an IDM-influenced style before moving toward Ambient and Cinematic sound as part of the Cryo Chamber roster, where he also recorded the collaboration album “Reports From Isul” with Burma Project.

“Dead Chapters” was released digitally on September 6, 2024 via the Polish label Artificers, returning to the IDM style of his early records. In a 2025 Tineidae interview with Side-Line, Storonsky described the project as a mechanism of emotional self-regulation. The album reviewed here is that Artificers release.

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

“Remnants Of War” is a collaborative effort between Tineidae (Ukraine) and Sole Massif (Lithuania), drawing inspiration from AI and its potential impact on the world. The album is a pure Ambient journey, tinged with a vintage feel that pays homage to early pioneers of the genre. The composition is personal and dark, with subtle ties to Experimental music. Some tracks are particularly striking due to their intense, sonic blasts. (Rating:7½).

Listen to “Signal Triangulation”:

About Tineidae & Sole Massif

Tineidae is the project of Pavlo Storonsky, a Ukrainian artist now based in Poland. He debuted in 2012 with the album “Lights” on Tympanik Audio, a release rooted in IDM, before the project became part of the Cryo Chamber roster and moved toward a more Ambient and Cinematic sound. In a prior Side-Line interview, Storonsky described “Remnants Of War” as a reimagining of a possible futuristic aftermath of war, a theme he linked directly to the ongoing war in his home country. Sole Massif is a Lithuania-based ambient 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

Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Two years after RGNMNN last album “The False Dawn” we get a revisited edit of the work featuring collaborations with other artists.

Content: The work sounds as an addition to the successful “False Dawn”-album. The tracks remain driven through Dark-Ambient influences and Cinematic passages but still by inhibited atmospheres. Quite logically the album is more varied than the original edit. Line Spectrum, Nam-Khar + Sielwolf, Sysselmann, Gydja, Tineidae, Gdanian, Onasander and Argyre Planitia collaborated on this opus by achieving reworked or remixed versions.

+ + + : Remixes and reworked versions by other artists are quite unusual for this kind of music and scene so in the end it’s pretty innovative. The reworked edits and remixes are holding on the original spirit of RNGMNN while adding a little extra. I enjoyed the apocalyptic reworked edit of “The Dawning Of Falsehood” by Nam-Khar and Sielwolf but also the remix of “Confusion & Desillusions” by Sysselmann, the evasive reworked version of “Bleak And Empty” by Tineidae and the Industrial/Drone-like “Down South”-remix by Gdanian.

– – – : This work also celebrates the fiftieth release by Winter-Light featuring a great artist, an interesting concept in this genre of music but definitely not the best album of Ronny Engmann. The original “False Dawn”-album remains better.

Conclusion: An interesting- and surprising addition to the “False Dawn”-album featuring a cool selection of artists.

Best songs: “The Dawning Of Falsehood – Sielwolf & Nam-Khar Re-Shape”,  “Confusion & Desillusions –  Sysselmann Remix”, “Bleak And Empty – Tineidae Rework”, “Down South – Gdanian Mix”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: https://1mhz.org

Label: www.winter-light.nl / www.facebook.com/winter.light.1

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: Ambient-Electro, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: “Simulation” is a collaborative work between American artist Derrick Stembridge aka Drifting In Silence and Ukrainian born Pavlo Storonsky aka Tineidae.

Content: The work sounds as a true melting pot between the experienced Ambient project Drifting In Silence and the more IDM/Ambient approach of Tineidae. The result covers a wider range of Ambient-Electronic music with a wink to pioneers like Tangerine Dream. Space-driven tracks, which are sometimes moving to a darker edge, but often getting back to ‘pure’ Ambient work.

+ + + : The debut track is an impressive opener revealing a true complementarity between both artists. The overwhelming sound production reflects maturity, but still vintage sound elements typified by astral sound effects and sweeps. The rhythmic running through the opus makes it all more accessible. 

– – – : The debut cut is also my favorite one and I’m missing similar sound blasts on the rest of the work.

Conclusion: This is a successful collaboration between two artists with a somewhat different background although totally connected with each other through the magic of Ambient-Electronics.

Best songs: “Reality”, “Dark Matter”, “Simulation, Pt.2”.

Rate: 7.

Artists: www.facebook.com/driftinginsilence / www.facebook.com/71ne1dae

Label: https://labilerecords.com / www.facebook.com/labilerecords

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: Cinematic, Dark-Ambient. 

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/info: After two albums released on defunct label Tympanik Audio “Mothership” is the second opus of Tineidae released on Cryo Chamber. “Mothership” was released right before the war in Ukraine. That’s an important element as Pavlo Storonskyi is Ukrainian, but now living in Poland.

Content: Previous album “Exo” (2020) revealed a sonic transformation from early IDM inspired stuff into a Cinematic music. “Mothership” moves on this evolution revealing a new overwhelming sound production and Cinematic influences. The work reveals heavy, epic blasts, buzzing sound waves, analogue sound treatments and field recordings.

+ + + : Pavlo Storonskyi has accomplished a new tour de force. He created a devastating sound production wherein the analogue sound treatments are essential. The writing is sophisticated and even complex, but still features a true harmony. This is a work with a strong visual power and featuring multiple great cuts like “Behind The Seal”, the extremely dark “Ellipsis”, “Manufacturing Facility” and “Reactor”.

– – – : I can’t say there are minus parts running through this work although a very few cuts remain a bit flat.

Conclusion: I’ve always liked and supported the work of Tineidae and it’s not different with this new masterpiece. The album also has something symbolic in times of war and oppression.

Best songs: “Behind The Seal”, “Ellipsis”, “Manufacturing Facility”, “Reactor”, “Biolab”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/71ne1dae

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

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, Dark-Ambient.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: “Quasi” is a collaborative work between Ukrainian artist Oleg Puzan aka Dronny Darko and Danish artist Johan de Reybekill aka Phaedrus.They also joined hands together with Tineidae, Hilyard, Phelios and Silent Universe who are each featured on one track.

Content: The work features 5 tracks, which are mainly characterized by dark prosperity. But just at the point you think it sounds relaxing you’ll notice some more obscure passages. The work has been accentuated by sweeps and boiling sound structures, the tracks being slowly built up.

+ + + : The work sounds at the edge of reverie and nightmare… a dark expression leading the listener to face his inner demons. A strong visual exposure, which especially shows on “Forbidden Symmetry” featuring Phelios is reaching a peak of coldness.

– – – : I expected a bit more out of this collaborative opus; it’s a fascinating experience in its genre, but without a true apotheosis.

Conclusion: This is a new Dark-Cinematographic experience perfectly illustrating the sound and approach of Cryo Chamber.

Best songs: “Forbidden Symmetry feat. Phelios”, “Xanthe Terra feat. Tineidae”.

Rate: 7.

Artists: www.facebook.com/dronnydarko / www.facebook.com/Johandereybekill

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

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: IDM, Minimal-Electro, Industrial, Ambient-Electro, Experimental.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Twenty seven tracks to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the French label M-Tronic. As the title indicates, it also is the fifth volume in the Compilation series “Table Of Elements” which started in 2004 with ten tracks.

Artists: C.H.District, Cathode Ray Tube, Alpturer, Amantra, An Hedonia, Plaster, Mono Peninsula, Valance Drakes, Nearfield, Syl Kougaï, Tineidae + Comforting Darkness, EKS Center, DEF, Obscure Formats, Snowbeasts, Martin Dupont & Philippe Petit, Xorcist, Flint Glass, Ermanspeed, Shizuka, Leitmotiv Rainbow, Lith, Cruise [ctrl], NSP.

Content: The impressive tracklist perfectly stands for the particular and minimal-driven sound of the M-Tronic roster. It’s an avant-garde vision of the Electronic underground scene featuring an intelligent, sophisticated and complex approach of Electronic music. Most bands are familiar names from the label roster although you’ll discover other bands as well.

+ + + : M-Tronic is a label I’ve always respected for its visionary approach. Electronic music is much more than artists repeating each other and music genres without innovation. M-Tronic brings visionary music and always have dared to sign unknown bands with an intelligent sound. But intelligent music often stands for a rather restricted number of fans. I however remain an adherent of this label and this compilation simply confirms the good taste of the French label. And when you realize the label also released albums of bands like Millimetric, Mlada Fronta, Ex_Tension, Displacer, Geomatic ao, which aren’t featured on this compilation, you only, but have to agree this label stands for high tech productions.

– – – : A few more explicit Experimental passages aren’t my favorites one, but you don’t hear me to complaining.

Conclusion: Electronic music with an uppercase E!

Best bands: Tineidae + Comforting Darkness, Ermanspeed, S.H.I.Z.U.K.A., Lith, C.H. District, Leitmotiv Rainbow.

Rate: 8½.

Label: www.m-tronic.com / www.facebook.com/mtroniclabel

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

TINEIDAE is a project I discovered back in 2012 by the “Lights”-album released on the now defunct Tympanik Audio. The next album “Shadows” released in 2014 featured a similar taste for IDM and Electro-Ambient Electronics. But after that second album and the end of Tympanik Audio it became quite silent in the TINEIDAE circle. A lot of things happened and one of the main changes was Pavlo Storonsky left his homeland, Ukraine, to relocate in Warsaw (Poland). He started to compose new music and this year signed to Cryo Chamber to unleash the Cinematographic work “Exo”. The opus reveals an important evolution in sound, but a similar passionate and overwhelming sound experience.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: After the “Shadows”-album released in 2014 it took you several years to release a new full length. You last year released “Slowly Drown In Static”, which already was like a real album and this year you released “Exo”. Why did it take that long to release a new full length and what kind of work did you want to accomplish with “Exo”?

Pavlo: A lot of things have changed since the last full-length album released on Tympanik Audio; from moving to other countries and a job change to having a family life and becoming a dad. So quite naturally it wasn’t an easy thing to come back to music the way I did it before. There was a lot of getting used to, a lot of changes in habits and especially, time management (which I’m still pretty bad at, I have to admit). Music-wise there were small bits and pieces that I’ve started every now and then, but a lot of bigger ideas had to be postponed. Some are still a work in progress since early 2015 to this day and some were finished.

When it comes to “Exo”, initially it was an experiment with a limited amount of tools to be used. You know with a lot of possibilities come an everlasting problem of choice, while limiting yourself you both eliminate that problem, as well as getting deeper understanding of the tools. Well, first iterations of it were just that –seeing what can be accomplished with the bare minimum. Later on it started to grow into something more personal, more meaningful.. There is the narrative, ‘lore’ of sorts, which describes the imaginary story behind the album, but also it is a tribute to my father.

Q: I already mentioned “Slowly Drown In Static” released in 2019, which revealed a different sound approach than what you released in the past. Tell us a bit more about this work and the move towards a more Cinematographic/Soundtrack driven work?

Pavlo: “Slowly Drown In Static” was a change indeed. It is mostly the way it is due to all of the above, like when things change in life drastically, it has an impact on creative output for sure. And this EP/album, I don’t know how to call it myself, is a catharsis of all those happenings. It’s rather short, but I would say it’s condensed, a brief summary of metamorphosis if you can call it that way. We tend to perceive life as a journey from A to B, or at least I was like that, but then you suddenly realize that in the wait of that B point you actually miss your life passing by each second, and this exact moment is the meaning, all that you feel and all who you are in this moment, and not the imaginary point B.

As for the Cinematographic/Soundtrack driven work, it really is something that shapes to be a thing on its own, meaning I don’t really aim to make that, it just becomes what it is naturally. I think it’s fair to say that I’m into more melodic stuff rather than technical and I love telling stories with melodies, so if you take away all the fanciness (which was there at times) of the older works, it will likely result in, maybe less refined, but still quite Cinematic sound.

Q: Your early albums were released by the defunct Tympanik Audio while you now signed to Cryo Chamber. How did you feel about the end of Tympanik Audio, which was like a kind of ‘family label’ and how do you see Cryo Chamber, which is another ‘family label’?

Pavlo: Tympanik Audio is being missed by many for sure (as well as some other labels close in the genre at that time, which do not function anymore). It was an era in Electronic music for me at least which kind of ended at that time, the very mixture of Glitch, IDM and Ambient with a more Industrial sound was introduced and carried over the years by those labels. Some artists still continued making music and experimenting with sound; many stopped and those who continued were harder to find and follow.

It was pretty big at least in my eyes, that too, at least partially, caused a halt in my musical endeavors. The decisions were made, there were personal reasons behind those, so I can understand why it was that way. No hard feelings, only hopes for good future of the people behind Tympanik Audio, including artists. It did feel like a family after all.
Cryo Chamber is another tight-knit bunch of friendly people. We share the same goal –retelling stories with our music. The label is known for a less flashy/synthy music compared to what I usually do, but it turned out my stuff fits in 🙂

Q: “Exo” is for sure your most ‘cinematic/soundtrack’-driven album. What have been your main influences to compose this work and how do you see your evolution as musician/artist from previous releases towards “Exo”?

Pavlo: From Original Soundtracks my main influences were mostly sci-fi/cyberpunk films, games and animation (suffice to say I’m quite a bit into cyberpunk and sci-fi genre in books and films), namely “Ghost In The Shellt, both Bladerunners, Tarkovsky’s “Stalker”, Deus Ex: “Human Revolution”, Nier: “Automata” and some others. When it comes to musicians it’s mainly Access T Arasaka, Lorn, Bad Sector and older works of Atrium Carceri. In general –a pretty mixed bag, but all these are melody-centric and very immersive if you consider the storytelling aspect, and I enjoy it a lot.

Q: Tell us a bit more about the writing- and production process of “Exo”? What have been the different stages to release this album and tell us a bit more about your way of composing (equipment, noise sources etc)?

Pavlo: Starting off as an experiment “Exo” (it didn’t have a name at the time) quickly formed into a rather long monolithic track, which I later on separated. At that point I realized that it sounds good enough to make something bigger so some parts were dropped (those that clearly were out of the realm of sci-fi) and new parts/movements were created. You know swhen you make something without a bigger idea initially, not all of it fits, and you don’t often know what sounds good and what is just some, what I call, artistic bullshit. So you then work in iterations, creating more stuff and then filtering out and changing and separating what doesn’t fit. Some of the tracks that are now part of “Exo” were the filtered out older stuff which didn’t quite fit the more dynamic earlier sound, so I resampled/re-recorded a bit and it started fitting the mood/narrative after some adjustments.

I feel like I’m in a forge talking about how I hammer some metal parts and what not, but essentially it’s almost like that. Like whenever you create a sound, or work on some recordings/samples and tie them together you act more on what ‘sounds good’ in the moment and only later on you piece the whole picture together, if that makes sense.

Equipment is scarce –most of the stuff is in the box, I only have my Roland JD-XI and some guitar pedals (old Boss distortion and chorus). For the noise sources I try to have my Zoom h2n at hand, good enough field-recording device for most of my needs. I also enjoy lurking on websdr’s and recording some radio static, occasionally some weird modulated voices.

Q: Artistic life has been badly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. How do you look back at this experience and how do you expect things evolving? What are the further plans for TINEIDAE?

Pavlo: I am thankful for what I have: family, music, work. The lockdowns and all the things happening around helped me to re-evaluate what’s worth in life. As a pretty closed/introverted person, I can’t say that the lockdown impacted me a lot psychologically. I’m still member of online communities I was in previously, I still try to stay in contact with people close to me and also my wife and kids are a tremendous support and help as well as I try to be for them. Hard to say how things will pan out, I’m not sure everything will return back to how they were pre-Covid, or at least not suddenly. Or maybe they won’t at all. I’m trying to keep on creating regardless, monthly singles that are way further from what one could expect genre-wise from me, remixes, collaborations, but also bigger works too, likely back with Cryo Chamber if I don’t go too far off with my artistic bullshit 😀

Thanks for taking your time and asking me some questions. Stay safe!

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-Cinematographic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Pavlo Storonskyi is a Ukrainian artist living in Warsaw (Poland). “Exo” is his third full length album and the first one in six years; his previous work being devoted to IDM and released on the defunct Tympanik Audio label.

Content: I didn’t exactly expect Tineidae getting signed on Cryo Chamber, but once you’re listening to “Exo” you rapidly see the link. This work is a well-crafted and overwhelming Cinematographic experience wherein dark reverie and space-like sound treatments are coming together. Some passages feel a bit like improvised while others have been accomplished with upcoming Electronic sequences. The work is filled with numerous little details and sound effects.

+ + + : I’m not affirming “Exo” sounds as a true sound reconversion, but Tineidae definitely reveals a different side of its artistic expression. The production was impressive and mainly carried by overwhelming sound treatments joined by great strings and astral effects. The songs have been meticulously constructed and achieved with analogue effects. There also is a strong visual appeal emerging at the surface. This is detailed Dark-Cinematographic composition featuring multiple outstanding tracks.

– – – : I can imagine some fans of the early work will be a little disappointed discovering an album totally devoted to Cinematographic music.

Conclusion: Tineidae is one of those projects I’ll always link with the great Tympanik audio, which is a label I’m definitely missing. But this is another time and still another Tineidae, which however remains fascinating!

Best songs: “Metal Claws”, “Battle Scars”, “Blacklight Trail”, “Patterns In The Sky”, “Reconnection”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/71ne1dae

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

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

Loyal Side-Line readers will remember that we always have had a soft spot for the now defunct idm, electro label Tympanik Audio which launched in September 2007. The Chicago-based electronic music label closed in March of 2016 and as a result its back catalogue ceased being distributed… until now!

The fine people from Storming The Base have taken over the complete back catalogue stocks and are selling it now at rock bottom prices (US,98 per CD album) via this hidden link.

Attention: For the US-readers, keep in mind that Storming The Base is offering free shipping from US$100 on, so you might want to take advantage of this by filling your basket with plenty of goodies. The same goes for overseas fans as the shipping diminishes a lot per item once you buy in bulk.

Tympanik Audio’s artist roster includes: Totakeke, Displacer, Ad·ver·sary, Stendeck, ESA, Unterm Rad, Pneumatic Detach, Broken Fabiola, Integral, Atiq & EnK, Geomatic, Flint Glass, Haujobb, Erode, Tangent, Normotone, Disharmony, Anklebiter, Comaduster, Tineidae, Known Rebel, C.H.District, MultiColor, Subheim, [Haven], Fractional, c.db.sn, EyeScream, Zentriert ins Antlitz, SE, Black Lung, Worms Of The Earth, r.roo, Access To Arasaka, Ex_tension, Candle Nine, Tapage, Zinovia, Meander, Dirk Geiger, Endif, Zeller, Lucidstatic, Undermathic, Autoclav1.1, Opposite Exhale, Pandora’s Black Book, Famine, and Aphorism.

Recommended!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

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Set up in 2007 by Paul Nielsen, the Chicago-based label Tympanik Audio rapidly became one of the most visionary underground labels dealing with electronic- and industrial music. I felt deeply sad when Paul Nielsen earlier this year announced to close the doors of the label. He has no further plans to continue in the music business. Paul has been involved in this field for over 20 years, from Dj-ing, to music journalism, hosting radio programs, organizing events, to eventually running Tympanik. I can only speak for myself but Tympanik Audio is a label I’ll seriously miss for its innovation and creative spirit. This interview is meant as a homage to this great label and his instigator. Respect Mr. Nielsen!

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: A few months ago now you made this terrible announcement about the end of Tympanik Audio. I guess it must have been one of the hardest decisions in life so how did you come to close the doors of the label?

Paul: Indeed it was a very difficult decision to close Tympanik – it affected me quite deeply on a personal level – like the end of a long relationship. I had been struggling to keep the label going for the last few years, but the financial burden finally took its toll on me and it reach a point where I really had no other choice but to shut down the label. I’m just glad I was able to get Tympanik this far.

Q: During the last year I noticed you started to release digital productions. Was it an option to keep the label running by releasing only digital work?

Paul: Yes, I began focusing on digital releases the last year in an effort to not only keep our costs down, but to cater to digital-only listeners. The interest in physical media such as CDs and vinyl have dropped significantly over the past few years so releases that I would have normally produced on CD had to be released digitally.

The important thing was to still have an outlet for the artist’s music under our banner. My main goal has always been to get the music out to our audience, so even thought the release format changed, I still felt the quality was there and the music was still accessible to our listeners, even more so since some of the digital releases were offered as ‘pay-what-you-want’ via Bandcamp.

Q: All labels are complaining about streaming and digital downloads getting CD sales downwards. What’s your point of view about it and is it indeed the main point that hurts?

Paul: I certainly understand the frustration of digital pushing CD releases into the background. This use to bother me quite a bit, as I had always intended Tympanik to be a CD-based label only. Eventually I realized that I couldn’t fight the digital music aspect of the business any longer and in order to perpetuate the label’s existence as well as meet the needs of our audience, I needed to adapt to the changes. Bandcamp was a great way for Tympanik to offer both CD and digital options to our listeners.

I’m still disappointed that CDs do not play such a significant role in music these days. I’ve always enjoyed holding music in my hands and exploring the visual aspect of it (artwork, booklets, tracklistings, credits, etc.). To me, digital music is a much colder medium; it’s a file on your device – very impersonal and in my opinion doesn’t allow that personal connection to the listener that physical formats do. Digital music is here to stay and label owners just need to accept that and meet the demand. There will always be collectors out there like myself who want to own CDs, tapes, vinyl of the music they love – I have no doubt that the demand for physical media will never go away, I just don’t think it will ever be as prevalent as it once was.

Q: What has been the feedback from ‘your’ bands so far and do you see new opportunities for some of them?

Paul: Honestly I think a lot of our artists saw this coming – I don’t imagine it was a big surprise for many of them when I made the announcement, but most have expressed gratitude for being a part of the Tympanik family. I think this closure has offered a lot of our artists new opportunities to project their music to even larger audiences by moving on to other labels and getting more involved in the promotion of their works. It’s good to see some of our artists like ESA, Autoclav1.1, Tangent, Subheim, Totakeke, Displacer, and others find new homes for their music, and I’m confident that many others will move on successfully as well.

Q: Tympanik Audio will be reminded as a label with a visionary taste so what was the original concept all about and did you notice an evolution throughout the years?

Paul: The original concept was to promote music that I felt deserved more attention – unknown and up-and-coming artists who were self-promoting and had no label to help them reach a wider audience. I was hosting a radio program in Chicago for many years in an effort to achieve this, but eventually I felt that starting a label and releasing music on CD would significantly expand the audience for these artists’ work. In the early days of the label, my music tastes were quite eclectic, ranging from industrial, ambient, IDM, rhythmic-noise, etc., so I was initially attracted to artists that not only fell into these broad genres, but were able to combine these styles successfully. I think in the first few years there was a larger focus on industrial-style music, but eventually I began choosing albums to release that weren’t so easily labeled; a hybrid of music styles set on a foundation of originality and accessibility. Artists like Zinovia, Tangent, Idlefon, Tineidae, and MultiColor, are a few that come to mind. Prior to my decision to close the label, I felt like I had found our niche style-wise and I was looking forward to progressing that in the future.

Q: What did you keep in mind from your activities as label owner and I’m especially thinking about some positive experiences?

Paul: I thoroughly enjoyed running Tympanik Audio. There was a lot of stress, financial investment, time, and hard-work involved, but it was a dream for me to work with so many talented and wonderful people over the years. It’s an experience that I feel very fortunate to have had. Everyone involved were so supportive and generous – Tympanik Audio would not have been what it was if it were not for the dedication of everyone involved. I will cherish it always, that’s for sure.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com