The German dark electro combo To Avoid has joined forces with the Belgian electro label Alfa Matrix for the release of their new studio album, “All Gods Are Gone”. Before that the label first releases “1989” which is a first taste of what is to come.

The track itself is a reflection on the enduring legacy of the fall of the Berlin Wall 35 years later. Through the lyrics they delve into the complexities of a society still grappling with the divisions between East and West, challenging the lofty ideals of German reunification.

The 9-track EP features the title track “1989” and a 2011 demo version of “Aerial Warfare”, plus 7 remixes of the title track by Erk Aircrag (Hocico, Rabia Sorda), Fektion Fekler, Ntrsn, Proleturan, Sluk Motoren, Synaptic Defekt, and Töt. You can order the download version now on Bandcamp with other platforms to follow.

For the die-hard fans and CD collectors out there, Alfa Matrix also offers a MCD version which is limited to 200 copies and which is normally only available at concerts by To Avoid.

A video was launched as well for the track “1989”.

About To Avoid

To Avoid was formed just outside Berlin in 1998 by GrandT and Marc. Musically the band fuses late 80s EBM industrial with 90s melodic dark electro. The aim was to create music that corresponded to the band’s own view of electro and to counteract the increasing wave of future pop.

Later on the duo was joined by producer Cheffe (DJ Starve) and Jean, who from then on also took over the design/graphics tasks in the band.

A first single was launched in 2000, “Aggressive Conglomerations”, and by 2002 their debut album “Resurrection” followed. Two more studio albums followed with the last one beging “Passion And Pain” in 2009 (followed by the mini live album “Live @ Luckenwalde” in 2010). In 2022 they resurrected with two singles, “Driver” and “Trust”.

Now they prepare a brand new album, their first in over 15 years.

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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Genre/Influences: EBM.

Background/Info: TöT is a French EBM formation from Marseille. The band consists of 3 members sharing a common passion for EBM, which resulted in a debut album featuring 10 songs plus 4 remixes.

Content: TöT clearly sounds like a faithful follower of old-school EBM. The music is inspired by living legends like Nitzer Ebb and Pouppée Fabrikk. They take off with a short extract of Carl Orff’s famous “Carmina Burana” to rapidly move into powerful electronic body music.

The work is carried by solid, dry sounding bass lines and a straight forward cadence. The lyrics are sometimes a bit simplistic and easy to remind. The Nitzer Ebb influence is not only noticeable in the music, but also in the vocals and some typical shout reminding me of Douglas McCarthy.

Remixes were accomplished by Kryptonia 85, Stolearm, Karne Metal Box and Engel 7.

+ + + : If you like good-old EBM inspired by some famous pioneers in the genre, TöT is definitely an exciting band to look out for. They don’t exactly innovate, but compose an honest copy of old-school body music. The sound formula is simple, but efficient featuring a few cool songs. “Raw” and “Outcast” both are noticeable songs with some power to set dancefloors on fire.

– – – : TöT doesn’t innovate at any single moment and there clearly are hundreds of bands in the genre. Some of the bass lines and sequences are a bit too Nitzer Ebb-minded. A bit more originality would be suitable.

Conclusion: TöT composes the music they like and who cares if it’s not that original when it simply kicks a***.

Best songs: “Raw”, “Outcast”, “Discipline”, “Kelb”, “Disposable – Kryptonia 85”.

Rate: (7).

Band: https://totmuzik.bandcamp.com/releases

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.

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