Genre/Influences: Future-Pop, Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Denver (USA) based Marc Sousa has unleashed the fourth opus of his sonic brainchild Voicecoil. The work is directly driven by the ‘dark days’ we’re going through.

Content: The work features 10 songs which seem clearly inspired by good-old Future-Pop reminiscences. Danceable rhythms, carrying leads and polished electronic sequences have been mixed with the hot vocals of the artist.

+ + + : Future-Pop is still alive and featured in a modern format by this American project. Some parts remind me of Neuroticfish. The production is styled and well-crafted. I like the half whispering vocals on top. The debut songs reveal a true potential of an artist who’s already been involved for several years.

– – – : The songs are cool, but similar and missing a true apotheosis.

Conclusion: This is an honest Future-Pop work although I’m sure there’s more in this project then what came out.

Best songs: “If/When”, “Witness”, “Why”, “Vesterbrogade”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: https://voicecoil.bandzoogle.com /  www.facebook.com/voicecoilmusic

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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Out now is the all new album from the Denver, Colorado based futurepop act Voicecoil titled “Strange Days”. This is the project’s fourth studio album. The release is available on CD and digital formats.

Musically Voicecoil is close to the futurepop scene with influences from dark electronic and dance music genres. The band first landed on the scene in 2014 with the radio mix of “Automaton”. Since then the project released 3 full albums: “Awakened” (2015), “Intertial Fault” (2016) and “Singularity” (2020).

You can check the new album 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.

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Mark Sousa, the Denver based mastermind behind futurepop act VoiceCoil, has just dropped the debut EP for his aggressive alternative electronic project, Gravity Corps: “Zero Grav”. Mark: “Gravity Corps is a different angle to what I do artistically. It’s a more aggressive, angrier side of my mind. It’s a more simplistic and raw presentation in its themes.”

About the EP Mark has this to say: “‘Zero Grav’ plays on various varied themes from track to track. ‘Thankful For Another Day’ is a simple statement of the same titled track. ‘Selling Sorrow’ and ‘Cold And Elegant’ focus heavily on themes of artistic integrity and disassociation respectively. ‘Scarred To Death’ – the first piece written for the project – was inspired by dark science fiction.”

Zero Grav is available now as a digital download via Bandcamp, you can check it below. The “Zero Grav” EP is to be followed in 2022 with a full length album.

And here is the video for “Another Day”.

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.

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Genre/Influences: Dark EBM, dark electro-wave.

Background/Info: Hexheart is a new project set up by God Module’s Jasyn Bangert assisted by Andrew Pearson (still active in God Module) and Patrick Hogan (Voicecoil). This is the debut full length, which has been introduced as inspired by bands like The Cure, Joy Division and co.

Content: When I started listening to this opus I honestly didn’t know it was a new work by Jasyn Bangert, but his typical timbre of voice and some music arrangements made me think that this work sounds pretty God Module-like although with some different influences on top. There also is a kind of bombast, which rather reminds me of Project Pitchfork. But globally speaking I don’t really see the link with Joy Division and co.

It more sounds like a mix of God Module and other dark EBM formations with some guitar on top. There’s a darker and somewhat gothic flavor recovering some of the songs.

+ + + : Whatever the inspiration of Hexheart and the sound they’d in mind, this album is an interesting production revealing great and accomplished electronic parts, sublime vocals and haunting atmospheres. Hexheart rapidly appears to be a mix between God Module, new-wave and gothic music. There are a few great cuts featured at their debut album.

– – – : “Midnight On A Moonless Night” is a cool work although not a project that will directly make an unforgettable impression. It’s maybe too close to God Module and too far away from their initial sources of inspiration for Hexheart.

Conclusion: Hexheart features elements and inspiration Jasyn Bangert couldn’t have experimented with on God Module. That’s maybe one of the main reasons why this project came alive; well at least that’s the impression I got!

Best songs: “Stars In Your Eyes”, “Nothing”, “Lunatix”, “Second Sight”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.hexheart.com / www.facebook.com/hexheart.official

Label: www.metropolis–records.com / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords

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