Out via Mannequin Records on vinyl on July 5th is “Voltage Control (1990-1992)”, a compilation of the Dutch EBM-Techno pioneers Voltage Control aka Arno Peeters & Tibor Fülöp. The compilation comes with a selection of their dancefloor tracks originally released on the legendary Belgian label Antler Subway.

The duo was inspired by Front 242, Skinny Puppy and Clock DVA and both Arno and Tibor were fellow students at the Centre of Electronic Music (CEM) in Arnhem/NL during the mid 80’s. After getting a record deal with Antler Subway, they started producing their first EP while acid house hit Europe. As a result they incorporated some of those influences in their first record, “Force d’Inquisition” released in 1990.

The compilation includes also the legendary “Apocalypse”, which was quite a hit at the time both in the EBM and acid scene. Arno Peeters was later part of Random XS and Urban Electro on Djax-Up-Beats. The release is dedicated to Tibor Fülöp, who died in 2010.

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: DVD documentary about history of modular synthesizers.

Content: We’re not used to review DVDs and more especially when it concerns documentaries, but this film is one, which will interest all lovers of electronic music. “I Dream Of Wires” was made by an original idea of Robert Fantinatto and Jason Amm. Some of you probably know Amm as the hidden force and brain behind the Solvent music project.

The documentary is a search to understand the rise, fall and resurrection of THE machine that was the origin of electronic music. “I Dream Of Wires” is a fully appropriated title to remember us the history of the legendary modular synthesizer.

The documentary brings us back at the end of the 19th (!) Century and the creation of generators and electricity. They created a kind of noise, which was the basis to conceive machines able to create music. It was a purely scientific research that happened in laboratories. So we get informed about the creation of oscillators during the ’50s, which would become essential equipment in the construction of the first synthesizers.

One of the most important and definitely pioneers in the entire history of electronic music was a physician. Robert Moog was a serious impact on the electronic music and it remains a mystery how electronic music would have sound today without the work of Moog. We get an idea about how so-called Voltage Control Oscillators (VCO) got created and how a keyboard was used as a controller to the Moog ‘machine’. It all leads to famous machines that were used during the ’70s like the Minimoog and ARP2600.

A next interesting passage concerns the rise of punk music, which in a way became a serious obstacle against the evolution of electronic music, but modular synthesizers got also exposed to a new form of synthesizers, which were conceived in Japan. There’s an interesting talk about the legendary DX7 from Yamaha becoming the pioneer of programmed sounds (presets), the evolution into digital equipment and the first Workstations.

The documentary tells us that the rise and evolution of Acid music contributed to the rebirth of analogue machines and the use of the still famous 909 and 303.

The reliability of those machines and their maintenance both contributed to the extinction of modular machines till during the 90s Bruce Duncan came up with new evolutions, creating modern modular equipment (Modcan modular synthesizers). It all becomes rapidly clear for non-musicians that the modular synthesizers have been always more creative and unique to create unique sounds instead of presets.

A lot of famous and interesting artists have contributed to this documentary. I’m referring to Trent Reznor, Cevin Key, Chris Carter, Daniel Miller, Vince Clarke, Alex Empire, Gary Numan, Carl Craig, Flood and many more.

There also is an interesting extra featuring different passages like an interview with Trent Reznor & Alessandro Cortini (NIN) or a look at the studio of Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Erasure…), but also clips by Solvent, which is an opportunity to (re)discover the music of this great artist.

Conclusion: “I Dream Of Wires” is a real informative and fascinating view at the history of electronic music and more especially about the enigmatic and fascinating modular synthesizers. I’m not surprised this movie seems to have become a very successful item.

Rate: (DP:9)DP.

Label: www.monoduofilms.com / www.facebook.com/monoduofilms

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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