wax trax – SIDE-LINE

Front 242 announces final concerts, check the list now

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 18:08:24 +0000

(Photo by Mothmeister) In a message posted on their Facebook yesterday evening at 7 PM, the Belgian cult EBM act Front 242 have announced that they will hold their last concerts ever.

Here’s the statement which is being announced as a ‘Black Out’: “Today, we reach out to you, our fans, with a heavy yet hopeful heart to share the news of our final concerts. Now, we are preparing to bring down the curtain on our live performances as FRONT 242, we find ourselves navigating a sea of emotions.

For nearly four decades, we’ve journeyed together, creating unforgettable moments and sharing the profound joy of music. You’ve been more than an audience; you’ve been a part of our extended family, witnessing our evolution and sharing in our highs and lows.

The decision to step back from performing live has not been easy, but we believe it’s important to end this chapter on a high note, preserving the essence of Front 242 that you’ve grown to love. We want to leave you with memories of our band at its peak, full of energy and passion.

So, we are extending our invitation to you: join us for one last adventure. Let’s make these final shows a celebration of the incredible journey we’ve shared. We promise to deliver performances that capture the heart and soul of Front 242, a fitting farewell to a story we’ve written together.”

The band has announced a string of concerts, which will serve as the band’s live farewell.

EU24

04 Aug LOKEREN – Lokerse Feesten – B
10 Aug HILDESHEIM – M’Era Luna – DE

US24

06 Sept TAMPA – Jannus Landing – US
07 Sept PHILADELPHIA – Union Transfer – US
08 Sept CLEVELAND – Agora Theater – US
13 Sept LOS ANGELES – Mayan Theater – US
14 Sept PORTLAND – Roseland Ballroom – US
15 Sept SAN FRANCISCO – Great American Music Hall – US

EU24

12 Oct HAMBURG – Markthalle – DE
17 Oct UTRECHT – Tivoli Ronda – NL
18 Oct BERLIN – Huxley’s Neue Welt – DE
19 Oct OBERHAUSEN – Turbinnenhalle – DE
25 Oct MÜNCHEN – Backstage Werk – DE
26 Oct LANGEN – Neue Stadthalle – DE

US24

08 Nov HOUSTON – Rise Rooftop – US
09 Nov DALLAS – Granada Theater – US
10 Nov DENVER – Reelworks – US
15 Nov CHICAGO – Metro – US
16 Nov CHICAGO – Metro – US

EU24

29 Nov GOTHENBURG – Film Studios – SE (FutureRetro)
30 Nov STOCKHOLM – Berns – SE (FutureRetro)
06 Dec LILLE – Black Lab – FR
07 Dec PARIS – Le Trianon – FR
08 Dec LONDON – UK
13 Dec BARCELONA – Sala Apolo – SP
14 Dec MADRID – Sala La Paqui – SP
25 Dec CHEMNITZ – Dark Storm Festival – DE

EU25

10 Jan COPENHAGEN – Pumpehuset – DK
24 Jan BRUSSELS – Ancienne Belgique – B
25 Jan BRUSSELS – Ancienne Belgique – B

About Front 242

Front 242, a vanguard Belgian electronic music group, emerged in the 1980s, pioneering a genre they dubbed “electronic body music” (EBM). Their innovative approach not only defined a new sound but also left a lasting impact on electronic and industrial music genres worldwide.

Founded in 1981 in Aarschot, near Leuven, Belgium, by Daniel Bressanutti and Dirk Bergen, Front 242 set out to explore music and graphic design with emerging electronic tools. Bressanutti’s prior engagement with Prothese laid a foundational stone for what was to become a monumental journey in electronic music. The duo named the project Front 242, embedding a vision of organized popular uprising within their name, which resonates universally across languages.

Their debut single, “Principles”, released in 1981, marked the inception of their distinctive sound. The addition of Patrick Codenys and Jean-Luc De Meyer in 1982, from the group Underviewer, enriched the band’s sonic and creative depth. This formation solidified Front 242’s lineup and set the stage for their groundbreaking work.

Front 242’s first album, “Geography”, released in 1982, showcased their unique blend of sound, which was further developed in their subsequent releases. Their pioneering sound was characterized by the innovative use of synthesizers, samplers, and sequencers, creating a powerful, danceable, and at times, confrontational sound that became synonymous with EBM.

The release of “No Comment” in 1984 was a critical moment, with the album’s liner notes introducing the term electronic body music for the first time. This period also saw the band’s expansion into international markets, signing with American label Wax Trax! and embarking on tours that included supporting Ministry, marking their rising global influence.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Front 242 continued to innovate and evolve. Albums like “Tyranny (For You)” reached new heights, charting in the United States. The band’s willingness to reinvent themselves was evident in their shift towards a more techno-oriented sound with the “Re:Boot” tour, acknowledging influences like The Prodigy.

Side projects and collaborations flourished during this time, with members engaging in diverse musical endeavors that included forming bands like Revolting Cocks, C-Tec, and Cobalt 60.

The band’s last studio album was “Pulse”, released in 2003 and re-released by Alfa Matrix in an extended version. Also check the various extended reissues and Front 242 live releases.

Front 242 studio albums

Geography (1982)
No Comment (1984)
Official Version (1987)
Front by Front (1988)
Tyranny (For You) (1991)
06:21:03:11 Up Evil (1993)
05:22:09:12 Off (1993)
Pulse (2003)

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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PIG and KMFDM reissue 1994 LP with bonus tracks + launch party for new release

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 18:30:33 +0000

Tomorrow night (Sunday 14th January 2024 at 7pm GMT) there will be a Bandcamp Listening Party to announce the impending launch of the PIG versus KMFDM release “Sin Sex & Salvation (The Conflict Continues)”.

You’ll be able to hear the 8-track release in its entirety. The release was originally issued in 1994 as a 5-track release on TVT Records / Wax Trax! Records but comes augmented with 3 extra tracks now with an official release date on January 19th.

All you need to join this release party is a Bandcamp account, which is totally free, and head over to this link to RSVP.

The new album will be available as download but also as a deluxe vinyl (with a signed screen print) which comes in two colour (red/black) vinyl and with a 4 colour, hand-pulled screen print of the cover artwork on 300gsm somerset satin paper. This deluxe edition comes signed and numbered by Raymond Watts.

Next is a CD version which comes as a 6 panel digipack with UV spot-gloss elements. All orders for the digipack come with a sticker signed by Watts, exclusive to this edition. There will also be a regular black vinyl edition.

The tracklist of this KMFDM / PIG collaboration album is as follows (in bold the bonus tracks):

Secret Skin
Fuck Me
Rape Robbery & Violence
Fuck Me Hoghunter
Secret Skin (PIG Version)
Brute (PIG Version)
Disobedience (PIG Version)
Secret Sin (Sex & Salvation)

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult – Sinister Whisperz 4: The Bedroom Tapes 1987-1988 (Album – Sleazebox Records)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 30 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Electro, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: This album of legendary American formation My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult bring us back to the early years of the band. These tracks are rarities and jam sessions that were originally recorded before their legendary debut album “I See Good spirits And I See Bad Spirits” originally released in 1988 by Wax Trax! Records.

Content: The album features 13 tracks and brings us back to the essence of the band’s early sound. It was an Electro-Industrial approach which couldn’t have been released on another label than Wax Trax!. It reminds me of the golden 80s and other label bands such as Revolting Cocks and early Ministry. The songs were already characterized by an impressive sound canvas carried by very personal and imposing drum sections and ghost-like vocals on top.

+ + + : It’s really great to see the band releasing these rarities which are featuring alluring songs revealing the ‘early’ and growing genius of the band. This work sounds like My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult at its best; a band with a very own sound that has been never totally emulated. A creative way to compose Electronic music creating a kind of controlled and harmonious chaos.

– – – : I’m sometimes missing a bit diversity between the tracks but I don’t really care.

Conclusion: A great work evoking the early and ‘forgotten’ period of a legendary 80s formation.

Best songs: “Monster Man”, “Invocation”, “Baby Casanova”, “Sermon 4 None”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.mylifewiththethrillkillcult.com / www.facebook.com/thrillkillkult

Label: www.sleazebox.com / www.facebook.com/sleazeboxrecords

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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Chris & Cosey continues remastered limited edition vinyl series with ‘Technø Primitiv’, ‘Trust’ and ‘Pagan Tango’ in August

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 07:48:12 +0000

(Picture by Kevin Westenberg) Out 4 August via CTI are 3 newly mastered reissues on vinyl of the following Chris & Cosey albums: “Technø Primitiv” (Rough Trade, 1985), “Trust” (Play It Again Sam / Nettwerk, 1989) and “Pagan Tango” (Wax Trax!, 1991).

All releases are available on vinyl for the first time since their original release. The remastered albums will be available on coloured vinyl, each with a printed inner sleeve of archival photos via CTI.

“Elemental 7”, “Muzik Fantastique!” and “Feral Vapours of The Silver Ether” were released earlier this year.

Check out the videos for the following tracks from said albums.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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New album from My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult: ‘Sinister Whispers 4’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 11:51:04 +0000

Chicago-based My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult is set to release their album “Sinister Whisperz IV: The Bedroom Tapes (1987-1988)” on May 9, 2023. The fourth installment in the artist’s retrospective series focuses on the pre-band days when the duo was just beginning to collaborate. The collection consists of rare live recordings made in a small Chicago bedroom during the winter of 1987-88. The 13 songs, jams, and grooves highlight TKK’s industrial origins, featuring heavily distorted vocals, jackhammer percussion sounds, and a good dose of Satanic adoration.

Buzz McCoy explains, “These tapes were working ideas… our first few jams together. We hadn’t really begun writing songs yet. Many times Groovie had no lyrics and would make them up as he went. We had no multitrack recorder. Everything was mixed ‘on the fly’ to a cassette deck with a 12-channel mixing board while I attempted to play samples, keyboards, and occasionally bass at the same time. Many of the tracks aren’t mixed at all. They were spontaneous live recordings for reference, but looking back, they don’t sound half as bad as I thought. And they really do capture that manic, youthful angst swirling around in us at the time.”

The band will also embark on the “Evil Eye Tour” with special guests Adult. and Kanga, with tour dates starting on May 14 at the Nile Theatre in Mesa, AZ.

My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult has been part of Chicago’s renowned Wax Trax! Records stable of artists since 1987, helping to develop the industrial music genre while continuing to expand their style. Their sound can best be described as electronic rock heavily influenced by both disco and funk, featuring spoken-word samples lifted from B-movies as their signature mark. They have released 14 studio albums, numerous remix compilations, and contributed to various soundtracks and film scores, including a cameo performance in the 1994 cult movie classic “The Crow”.

Evil Eye Tour with special guests Adult. and Kanga tour dates:

05/14 – Nile Theatre – Mesa, AZ
05/15 – Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
05/17 – House of Blues – Houston, TX
05/18 – The Rock Box – San Antonio, TX
05/19 – Mohawk – Austin, TX
05/20 – The Echo Lounge – Dallas, TX
05/22 – Oriental Theater – Denver, CO
05/24 – Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT
05/26 – McMenamins Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR
05/27 – The Crocodile Showroom – Seattle, WA
05/30 – Ranch House – Sparks, NV
05/31 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA
06/02 – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA
06/03 – Music Box – San Diego, CA
10/19 – Turner Hall Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
10/20 – Fine Line – Minneapolis, MN
10/21 – Wildwood – Iowa City, IA
10/23 – Vogue – Indianapolis, IN
10/24 – King Of Clubs – Columbus, OH
10/25 – Mr Small’s – Pittsburgh, PA
10/26 – SoundStage – Baltimore, MD
10/27 – Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
10/28 – Underground Arts / Dracula’s Ball – Philadelphia, PA
10/29 – Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre – Somerville, MA
10/31 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
11/01 – HMAC – Harrisburg, PA
11/02 – The Asylum at Masonic Temple – Cleveland, OH
11/03 – Crofoot Ballroom – Pontiac, MI
11/04 – Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult announces spring 2023, ‘Evil Eye Tour’ with special guests Adult. And Kanga

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 13:42:01 +0000

In celebration of 36 years, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult will hit the road this Spring after a four year hiatus. The “Evil Eye Tour” kicks off May 14th, 2023 at the Nile Theater in Mesa, AZ. The set list for the 14-date western US tour will focus heavily on the band’s early career on both the Wax Trax and Interscope record labels (1987 – 1997). Joining the band as direct support will be Detroit’s avant-garde electronic duo Adult. and Kanga.

Evil Eye Tour 2023 dates:

05/14 @ Nile Theatre – Mesa, AZ
05/15 @ Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
05/17 @ House of Blues – Houston, TX
05/18 @ The Rock Box – San Antonio, TX
05/19 @ Mohawk – Austin, TX
05/20 @ The Echo Lounge – Dallas, TX
05/22 @ Oriental Theater – Denver, CO
05/24 @ Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT
05/26 @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR
05/27 @ The Crocodile Showroom – Seattle, WA
05/30 @ Ranch House – Sparks, NV
05/31 @ Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA
06/02 @ Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA
06/03 @ Music Box – San Diego, CA

My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult is an American electronic industrial rock band originally based in Chicago and founded by Groovie Mann (born Frankie Nardiello) and Buzz McCoy (born Marston Daley). They became known in the 1980s as pioneers of the industrial music genre – although by the early 1990s they had changed to a more disco-oriented sound – and as a frequent target of censorship groups, including the PMRC, which objected to the band’s humorous and satirical references to Satan, Jesus and sex in their song lyrics and stage shows.

During the early 1990s, Thrill Kill Kult had several hits on the U.S. dance club and alternative charts. They also contributed songs to several movie soundtracks and appeared in the 1994 film “The Crow”. The band has continued to record and tour with a rotating lineup in addition to core members Mann and McCoy.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Seattle’s industrial act Black Agent launches debut album ‘Industrial Ruination’ – pre-orders available now

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 05:54:00 +0000

Out on April 15 is the album “Industrial Ruination” by Seattle’s Black Agent (signed to Re:Mission Entertainment).

Their debut album, “Industrial Ruination”, combines 1980s sampling and analog synthesizer technology with modern modular synthesizers and production techniques. Influences include industrial pioneers Skinny Puppy and EBM classics from labels like Wax Trax and PIAS, with lyrical content ripped from today’s headlines.

The album will be out as download and on a limited edition CD which you can pre-order on Bandcamp. Check out already 2 tracks from the album below.

Industrial Ruination by Black Agent

Formed in the Pacific Northwest in 2016, Black Agent began as the dark techno solo project of producer and synthesizer influencer Lawrence Kleinke (Computer Controlled: Urban Kickz Recordings, Subsonic, Acid Jack Recordings). In 2019, multi instrumentalist Neil Parker (MiDi, Optimus Prime, Space Kitty Studio, KBRR) and vocalist J Pit (polygraaf discoteq:RBR, Black Laser Kult:RBR, Lateral Tension:Doppler Effect Records, Bloop:Trax Records) joined Kleinke and Black Agent’s sound started to echo the dark industrial sounds of the late 1980s.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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’30 Years Of Journalism – Celebration Interview’ with Uwe Kanka / Armageddon Dildos: ‘We Were In The Right Place At The Right Time!’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 18:00:00 +0000

Back in 1991 I started writing my first reviews for Side-Line magazine. I would have never thought to go on writing reviews and making interviews non-stop for 30 years. So 2021 is a special year to me, a kind of ‘celebration year’. I got the idea to celebrate this special event by interviewing people from the scene who all have a special meaning to me. EBM formation Armageddon Dildos definitely is a band I had to interview. The German band, which started as a duo, composed a very dynamic EBM sound and got rapidly famous for their impressive live shows. The band never stopped to evolve and rapidly started experimenting with harder Industrial elements to finally move towards a more ‘Poppy’ production. Uwe Kanka kindly accepted to look back at the impressive career of ‘the dildos’.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Armageddon Dildos was originally set up in 1990 (!) by you and Dirk Krause. How did you guys meet and what was your music background?

Uwe: Dirk and I met us in 1986 in the same rehearsal room in Kassel. I played guitar/vocals in a classic three-man band (Beat The Beat) and Dirk keyboards/synths in a Synth-Pop group.

We liked each other immediately and very quickly it became clear to us that we wanted to explore new musical ways. Harder and more aggressive Electronic sounds and harder beats, that was the plan. After a few jam sessions, we knew that it worked great!

Q: Armageddon Dildos became an instant successful EBM band; you got directly signed to Zoth Ommog, releasing the EP’s “Never Mind / Pressure”, “East West”, “Resist” and of course the debut album “That’s Armageddon”. According to you what made the success formula of the early productions and what has been the impact of Talla 2XLC who produced your first works?

Uwe: I am still firmly convinced that it was largely due to the symbiosis between Dirk and me – added to that the incredible energy of that time.

Actually, something new was always happening; musical as well as social (fall of the Berlin Wall) changes certainly played a part in it. It was an unbelievable dynamic, open and wild time. Being signed to Talla 2XLC and Musik Research/Zoth Ommog was a blessing for us. It was the perfect timing for Armageddon Dildos. Talla and its staff convinced us with their high level of competence and passion for music. Frankfurt and the Techno Club, for example, was, along with Berlin, the measure of all things in Germany for us at that time. Looking back, I am sure that the success of Armageddon Dildos was largely due to Talla 2XLC and his team. We were in the right place at the right time!

Q: Zoth Ommog was one of the absolute leading labels from the 90s Electro underground scene. How do you look back at this period, the 90s, Talla 2XLC, the label and label mates?

Uwe: Zoth Ommog was very important for the development and spread of Electronic music at that time worldwide. Label bands like Leather Strip, X Marks The Pedwalk, Bigod 20, Orange Sector, Consolidated, Psychopomps, The Armageddon Dildos to name a few, played an important role in the scene in the late 80s to the mid 90s. Those were very exciting times.

Through Talla’s contacts and our gigs at the New Music Seminar 1991 and 1993 in New-York, Howie Klein became aware of us and we got a contract with Sire Records in the U.S.A. Rüdiger Ladwig took over our management and booked our concerts. “Homicidal Dolls” was released by Sire Records in 1993 in The States and “Lost” followed in 1994. After the release of “Lost” we went on tour and played among others at the Zillo Festival in December 1994 at the Zeche Karl. We were accompanied at the Zillo gigs by Markus Hartmann, who would play an important role for us in the next few years.

Q: Quite progressively the band evolved towards harder music, still EBM driven, but with an Industrial input with guitar play and samplings. What made this evolution towards a more ‘Industrial’ sound?

Uwe: We have always worked with samples. That was our usual way of working. Sampled speech, noises but also instruments like guitars were part of almost every production.

On some tracks I played the guitars later myself. In 1994, for the production of “Lost”, we went to Chicago to Wax Trax Studio to work with Keith ‘Fluffy’ Auerbach (producer/sound engineer of Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Pigface, Skinny Puppy etc.). During this time we recorded guitars and drum sequences instead of sampling them. To bring the production to the stage, Vom, who now drums for The Toten Hosen, and Uwe Osterlehner, played guitars, joined the band.

Q: You also started working with another producer; Sevren Ni-Arb produced several productions and I remember a lot of bands wanted to record in his studio. What made him that special and what has been his true impact on the final production? Are you still in touch with him?

Uwe: Most of our albums/EP/singles from ’89 to ’99 were produced by different producers. However, Dirk and I were always significantly involved.

We met Andre Schmechta (Sevren Ni-Arb) through Talla in Frankfurt. We immediately got along really well, had a very consistent understanding of music and, not to be underestimated, a very similar sense of humor. Therefore we decided to produce “Homicidal Dolls” with Andre. Working on the album was a lot of fun, full of energy and musical creativity. Later on we worked again with him on “Fear” and “Homicidal Maniac”. Besides, it always smelled wonderfully of freshly baked goods in the studio because there was a bakery in the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, we lost track of each other over the years and are no longer in contact.

Q: I got the impression the “Speed”-album (my favorite by the way) released in 1997 was a kind of turning point in the band’s early years. You signed to a major company (BMG), got produced by Bob Kraushaar and Andy Gill (Gang Of Four). The sound became ultra-professional, but how did you experience the “Speed”-album and the move to a major company?

Uwe: Through Markus Hartmann (see above) we got the contract with Metronome and later also with BMG Ariola in Hamburg. The move from Zoth Ommog to a major label changed a lot for us: first of all, of course, the financial means for production, marketing etc.. We travelled to London in search of the right producer and met Bob Kraushaar (Pet Shop Boys, Paul McCartney, ABC etc.) among others. Bob had very concrete ideas about the production of the new Armageddon Dildos album and suggested to have one half of the CD produced by himself and the other half by Andy Gill, the legendary guitarist of Gang Of Four. We agreed immediately and went to London in the Summer of 1996 to produce “Speed”. But some tracks on the album were also produced at Skyline Studio in Düsseldorf. “Speed” is, and I agree with you 100%, a very professional production and an excellent album.

Q: Do you remember how much albums you were selling at that time and was it possible to earn a living from your music?

Uwe: We had very good sales at times and could also live on it during such periods. However, the consistency was missing. I think many artists are in the same situation. You should always have a plan B in mind. But let’s be honest: there were never enough albums sold to be able to make a living from it in the long run.

Q: BMG became a one-shot experience, you get back to Zoth Ommog, revisiting some of your early songs by the album “Re:Match”. It also was the last work together with Dirk Krause. How do you explain the split of the band and are you still in touch with Dirk today?

Uwe: In hindsight, I think the events following the completion of “Speed” were key to the band’s development. We had a fantastic team behind us at the Metronome, a killer production and a very good video for “Open Up Your Eyes” recorded in Kenya. Everything was great and then we got the devastating news: Metronome was dissolved!

What a bummer. We got the rights for “Speed” and ended up with BMG Ariola, but that didn’t work out. The label split up with us and we had to look for a new label. All that was hard stuff and the band didn’t take it too well.

Dirk decided to leave the Dildos to start a new project. I wanted to continue. We decided to do one last release together and that became “Re.Match” on Zoth Ommog in 1999. Dirk and I have hardly any contact today.

Q: “Morgengrauen” released in 2003 on Electric Blue was the first album you were totally involved in the song writing. That was something new and without offending you Uwe, I think the only Armageddon Dildos-album that couldn’t convince me. What’s your personal analysis about this work?

Uwe: I underestimated, as I see it not only now, that this kind of music definitely does not fit to an EBM/Industrial band like The Armageddon Dildos.

I like “Morgengrauen”. It’s an Electro album with good songs, artwork and photos. However, I should have released it as a new project with a different name. But as we all know, hindsight is always the wiser!

Q: “Sangreal” got released in 2005 on Ausfahrt, but it finally was the “Untergrund”-album released in 2011 on Alfa Matrix that put you back on the map. You joined back hands with a leading label from the scene and for the very first time you also produced the album. What does this album mean to you and where do you place this work in the band’s discography?

Uwe: “Untergrund” is a very important album for me. It combines interesting Electro sounds and beats with hard guitars without slipping too much into pure Industrial. Unfortunately, I could not convince Ausfahrt/Electric Blue with this production. I asked for a termination contract, got it and signed with Alfa Matrix a short time later.

However, this is not the first independently produced album. I have been working with sound engineer and producer Mathias Black since 1997, who mixed and co-produced all Armageddon Dildos albums from “Re:Match” onwards.

Q: After “Untergrund” it took your nine years to strike back with the “Dystopia”-album, which became one of the most achieved, diversified and professional albums. Do you feel this album as different from the others? And tell us a bit more about the ‘teamwork’ to achieve “Dystopia”?

Uwe: “Dystopia” is the first Armageddon Dildos album where I did everything on my own until the mixing phase. From the composition/lyrics to the recording and programming of the instruments to the recording of the vocals including Malin’s vocals for “Neon”. I had quite clear ideas in which direction “Dystopia” should move. Mathias changed or added vocals and some sounds later while mixing the tracks. We had a very good division of labor. I am really satisfied with the result of this production!

Q: Armageddon Dildos always had a strong live reputation. How did you see the shows evolving throughout the years and what’s your connection with the fans?

Uwe: What has changed over the last thirty years is the number of musicians on stage: Dirk and I started in ’89 as a duo. In the mid-90s, there were four of us for a while with Vom and Uwe Osterlehner. After that with Vom it was three.

At the first gig without Dirk at the beginning of 2000, Malin and Dave Anderson were there with me. Then Ulf Häusgen joined on guitar/vocals. A short time later Rene Nowotny took over the keyboards. On our five-week U.S. tour with Inertia in 2007, Gabriel Shaw joined me and Ulf Häusgen.

And for almost ten years now, it’s been just the two of us on stage again: Uwe Kanka and Sven Mouhcine. Last but not least, it is very important to say that Mathias Black has been responsible for the sound of the Dildos as a member of the band for 99% of the gigs since 1996.

What has not changed at all during this time, thank God, is the energy and power of every Armageddon Dildos show, which also includes the very close contact to the audience and the fans.

Q: I remember there was an Armageddon Dildos fan-club. How important is it for a band to have a fan club?

Uwe: I think that a fan club is very important for artists. In our case it was phenomenal. The Armageddon Dildos Fan Club was founded in Aachen after our gig in Übach-Palenberg on 24.06.1991. After that, regular meetings took place in Düsseldorf or Aachen. The fan club did unbelievably good public relations work, e.g. published an info letter. Members of the fan club were at almost all the band’s concerts until the middle of the ’90s. Due to personal changes and also due to the musical development of the band from the middle of 90s onwards, the interest of the members of the Fan Club in the band waned.

Q: If you had to introduce Armageddon Dildos to people who never heard of the band before, what song and album would you choose first?

Uwe: It depends on the people. I have friends who can’t do anything with our older songs; I would play “Stay” or similar tracks for them. People from the scene who don’t know us, mmhm, that’s not so easy. Maybe “I Can’t Remember” or “White Room”. But I could also think of pieces by “Speed” and “Homicidal Dolls”. I personally like “Gottland” very much.

Q: Do you’ve other passions in life next to music?

Uwe: Ride a motorbike, skiing and enjoy the tranquility of nature.

Q: Did the success of the band had an impact on you as human being?

Uwe: I don’t think so. Rather the failures. Because those were the ones that kept me going.

Q: What’s your best- and worst memory after more than thirty years Armageddon Dildos? And do you still have secret wishes and dreams?

Uwe: I would like to mention two of the many wonderful memories: the fantastic concert in Übach-Palenberg together with And One, when we met the people from the later Fan Club, and our performance at the Roskilde Festival at midnight in front of about 10,000 spectators. That was gigantic.

The worst was definitely the moment when we were informed about the closure of Metronome.

Secret wishes and dreams? Yes, I do. And they should be kept secret.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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‘Never trust a white man’, the all new Pankow album is finally about to arrive after lots of delay – check a first teaser

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 12:40:58 +0000

Originally planned for a July 17 release to coincide with Record Store Day, but now postponed for a few weeks due to various technical problems, is the all new Pankow album, “Never trust a white man”. The new album will be out in 3 versions: CD, regular vinyl and limited coloured vinyl. Note that the CD version will also contain the EP “Der Doctor Schnabel von Rom”.

“Never trust a white man” has been recorded by FM (aka Maurizio Fasolo) and Alex Spalck in Melbourne at Rosanna Studio and Daylesford at The Oak House Studio between 2016 and 2019. It was mixed and mastered in Firenze (Italy) at SSS Lola Studio in 2021.

Pankow anno 2021 consists of FM, Alex Spalck, EN and Bram Declercq. Guests included Cosimo Barberi, Antonio Bacchiddu, Alessandro Cellai and Roberto Toccafondi.

Here is the album teaser:

About Pankow

Pankow, often written in Cyrillic as ПAНКОВ, is an electronic music act from Italy which formed in Florence in 1979. The band is considered as one of the most influential electronic acts from Italy.

The band made its debut in 1982 with a split 7″ with Diaframma entitled “Closed Circuit / Wither” with a line-up that featured Mario Massa on bass, Mauro Fasolo on drums, Sergio Pani on saxophone, Massimo Michelotti and Maurizio Fasolo on synthesizers and Valerio Viti on vocals. In this first phase the band was still far away sonically speaking from the sounds that would characterize it later on and drew its influences from darkwave acts like Joy Division.

Throughout this first phase, the line-up changed various times, until it was composed of Maurizio Fasolo (FM), Alex Spalck, Paolo Favati and Alex Gimignani. Nevertheless guest musicians kept on participating and at a certain point in time we also find Audioglobe’s Sebastian Koch as one of the guest musicians. The world is very small in industrial land 🙂 .

The band’s first album “Throw Out Rite”, out via Electric Eye, would be released in 1983. It was that electro-industrial album that defined the band’s sound as well.

After their debut these albums followed:

1987 – Freiheit fuer die Sklaven – Contempo Records, Zyx records
1989 – Gisela – Contempo Records (ITA), Wax Trax! (USA), Play It Again Sam (Belgium), Cashbeat (Germany)
1990 – Omne Animal Triste Post Coitum – Contempo Records, Cashbeat (D), ROIR (USA)
1992 – Treue Hunde – Contempo Records, Cargo (USA)
1996 – Pankow Iptarro – BIM (Germany)
2003 – Life is Offensive and Refuses to Apologise – Minus Habens records
2007 – Great Minds Against Themselves Conspire – Wheesht
2013 – And Shun The Cure They Most Desire – Out Of Line

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Croc Shop launch ‘Midnight’ video for song from new album ‘Perpetual Sequence’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 12 May 2021 09:17:17 +0000

“Perpetual Sequence” is the ninth full-length album by Croc Shop, the electronic based act featuring long time members Mick Hale and vMarkus. From that new album the band now presents a brand new track and video: “Midnight”.

The 11-track album itself is available from Bandcamp. You’ll notice that the band goes for a post-electro, pop & synth-rock approach with occasional nods to their goth-rock and electro-industrial origins.

Perpetual Sequence by Croc Shop

From Crocodile Shop to Croc Shop

Originally formed as Crocodile Shop in a flat above a record store in West Berlin, the band was formed after Hale and Werner ended their previous new wave project, Mod Fun. Originally a three-piece band (guitar, bass and drums) with drummer John Figlar of Lord John fame, the group’s first release was the 1987 EP entitled “Head” released on the Minneapolis-based Susstones Records. The band released their debut album, “Lullaby”, in 1988. Produced by Dave Fielding of The Chameleons, the record displayed dark goth-rock influences, but they subsequently transitioned towards an electronic-industrial sound as they began replacing band members with machines, releasing “Celebrate the Enemy” in 1993.

Crocodile Shop’s debut on CD came about in 1993 with the release of the album “Celebrate the Enemy” on Tinman Records. The album was produced by Chris Randall of Wax Trax! Records and Sister Machine Gun. The album was followed up by the remix EP “Crush Your Enemies”.

In 1995 they signed to Metropolis Records and issued the albums “Beneath”, “Pain”, “Everything Is Dead And Gone”, “Order + Joy” and “World”. The last of these was their first album under the shortened name Croc Shop. On a sidenote, Side-Line magazine called “Order + Joy” Crocodile Shop’s “best album ever”, hailing it as a return to their earlier and gritter EBM sound.

As the band’s popularity in the electro-underground grew, Mick Hale began working on other side projects releasing two electro-dub albums under the name Division #9, and teaming up with V. Markus as progGREX.iv.

2004 saw the release of “SEA” (Self Extracting Archive), which was a double CD “Best Of”. Pursuing other musical interests, group mainstays Hale and vMarkus then took a longer than expected break from recording together.

Fifteen years later the band began to work on new material that resulted in “Resist!”, a nine song digital album released in 2020, followed by “(TRiP): The Rest In Pieces”, a thirty track “Rest Of” Croc Shop that featured tracks not included on “SEA” as well as a number of remixes.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Noise Unit announces first new album in over 15 years: ‘Deviator’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Sun, 09 May 2021 23:21:00 +0000

Front Line Assembly’s Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber have just announced “Deviator”, the first new Noise Unit record in over 15 years. The duo will release the new album on Toronto-based Artoffact Records on double vinyl, CD digipak, and digital formats.

The new album features exclusive artwork by Dave McKean (see below), and one of the announced tracks is a collaboration with KMFDM / PIG vocalist Raymond Watts. The first single to drop from the record is “Body Aktiv”.

About Noise Unit

Noise Unit was founded by Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly as a side project. The project has seen several changes in line-up, with Bill Leeb being the only permanent member.

Noise Unit’s first album, “Grinding into Emptiness”, for instance arose from the collaboration between Leeb and Marc Verhaeghen of Belgian industrial band Klinik. It was released in 1989 through Wax Trax! and Antler-Subway. The 1990 album “Response Frequency” included Rhys Fulber. While Verhaeghen left Noise Unit for several years, Fulber remained with the band for the next three releases. Verhaeghen resumed his collaboration with Noise Unit for the 1996 album “Drill”, which also featured members of German industrial band Haujobb.

After an eight-year hiatus, Leeb teamed with former Front Line Assembly member Chris Peterson in 2004 to release “Voyeur” in 2005. Jason Filipchuk and Michael Balch also contributed to the album.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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‘Click Interview’ with KREIGN: ‘I Like That It Is Simple And Minimal’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 27 Feb 2021 18:00:00 +0000

KREIGN is an American set up in 2010 by featuring Ryan Hutman and Xiån Austin. They met thanks to a mutual friend. Ryan was involved with HARDWIRE and in search of a drummer. Xiån was drumming for Sang:Rael and Alter Der Ruine at the time and finally joined HARDWIRE. Some HARDWIRE songs were pretty EBM-driven, which was the reason to start a side-project. KREIGN was born and asked Dave Strand (THE STRAND) to join in as singer. But he finally decided to move on with THE STRAND. Being a side project, KREIGN didn’t really move anywhere for 10 years even though they had quite a few songs started and set aside. But KREIGN finally released their self-titled and self-released debut album in 2020, which got rapidly re-released by Scanner (Dark Dimensions). The work is a powerful mix of good-old EBM with an impressive sophisticated production on top. “Kreign II” is a true masterpiece and one of the best EBM releases from the past years.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: KREIGN has been set up as a tribute to ‘old-school’ EBM. What makes this ‘old-school’ style that special and what do you like in EBM sound?

Ryan: It evokes aggression from me and I like that. I like the groove. I like that it is simple and minimal.

Xiån: I grew up a New-Waver… in Utah of all places. My first glimpse of EBM and I’m not sure if it could be categorized as such, but it was MINISTRY’s “Twitch”-album. I could not stop listening to “We Believe”. It was the driving bassline and simplicity of the beat that gripped me. I wanted to hear more. I was now on the hunt for something similar. Back then there was no Internet. The only way to find new music at the time was via magazines, clubs and/or word of mouth. A friend of mine had a DJ buddy in New York City. He would send him mixtapes of music he was spinning. I discovered bands like FRONT 242, NITZER EBB, DAF, PANKOW, SKINNY PUPPY, FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY and more. I would comb through record stores for hours and I would buy anything with cool cover art that looked Industrial or EBM. That’s how I discovered the now legendary Wax Trax Records.

In the late 80’s, early 90’s, Salt Lake City spawned a killer Industrial club called ‘The Pompadour’. We would go religiously every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. The DJ was awesome and he knew his shit. Funny thinking about it now, he was probably more annoyed at the fact that, almost every song, we’d go to the booth and ask who he was spinning. Haha!

Q: You guys got both involved with HARDWIRE while you were still active in other projects as well. What did you learn out of these previous experiences and what makes the difference with KREIGN?

Ryan: Jonah from HARDWIRE taught me to not always use the ‘easy’ word to make a rhyme and to put more thought into my lyrics. Now, I am proud of my lyrics, even though they are usually simple. I can say more with less words.

Mike from HARDWIRE and I learned early on that a live drummer can take a show to the next level. Even though I admit I suck at playing drums, I do it for KREIGN when Xiån sings “Disco King” and “In That Frame Of Mind”.

Xiån: I learned that it’s very difficult to manage multiple projects. Haha! All good though, the experience was worth every moment. I enjoyed traveling, playing shows and meeting cool peeps. As far as the difference with KREIGN, I think Ryan and I have very similar mindsets. When we hook up to write, it just flows. It’s a freak of nature I suppose.

Q: Old-school EBM often sounds simple and powerful; solid bass lines mixed with a danceable tempo plus harsh vocals and eventually metallic percussion parts. I consider KREIGN as one of the first bands breaking the codes; your music being definitely old-school like, but much more sophisticated and elaborated. Tell us a bit more about ‘sound’ and writing/production of the songs?

Ryan: I figured out how to bend notes with soft synths in Cubase and I couldn’t stop doing it. We then translated that forced portamento back into the Nord Lead 2. Then Xiån and I would grab a few knobs on the Nord while the computer played the midi and recorded whatever we thought sounded cool. Fucking with FM, octave selector, pitch, and cutoff was so fun. We couldn’t do it without four hands on it and us laughing at the crazy sounds it made as we pushed the keyboard to it’s limits. It became a signature bass sound in most of the songs. It is rare for us to leave a bass sound without at least messing with the cutoff. Almost every sound is modulated by hand or is programmed to modulate.

Our formula also includes a few other hallmarks like basslines that play for just one verse, break downs that go to ultra minimal and then build up bigger, random sounds that only happen once in the song, ambient creepy background noise, and lead synth lines.

Q: How did the self-titled debut album “Kreign” see the daylight? What have been the influences, triggers, maybe references, lyrical themes and criteria to achieve the album?

Ryan: I was really influenced by WULFBAND and GESSAFELSTEIN. I went back through a bunch of our songs and randomly detuned them after hearing WULFBAND for the first time. GESSAFELSTEIN influenced me to go back and crank the treble on the synths.

Lyrically, most of the songs have an upbeat message about how to deal with stress, anxiety, and tragedy. “Live Fast” is about my love for my Harley Davidson. “Disco King” is a fun song written with tongue in cheek.

Xiån: The push came from our good friends in HOCICO. Erk invited us to play a show with them in Mexico City. We couldn’t decline the offer. We only had a couple finished tracks at that time. I think we had three or four months to complete the album, learn the songs, and rehearse them enough to perform a decent show.

It was an amazing experience. To this day I can’t believe we pulled that one off. (Still breathing heavy)…

Q: The limited edition of the album is something really special featuring only great remixes by mainly great names from the EBM scene. How did this bonus disc see the daylight and tell us a bit more about the different artists and the remixes they made?

Ryan: We had previously done a remix CD and an EP with some remixes with HARDWIRE. We met Jürgen Engler first through Facebook when we asked him to remix HARDWIRE. We got to meet him in person on the FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY-tour. When we asked him to take a look at KREIGN, he liked it and wanted to remix “5 Layers Of Chaos”. He also wanted to sing a duet with Xiån on “Disco King”. I thought it would be cool if he would sing it in German and he agreed, even though he was unsure if German lyrics would even fit the song. I think it sounds perfect.

I had worked with REACHING FOR SHADOWS on some of the songs on her debut album. We met SPANKTHENUN, NZ, and NOVA STATE MACHINE through Facebook and Bandcamp. As much as I hate Facebook, sometimes it comes in real handy.

Xiån: Peter ELM and I have been friends for many years. He was one of the first people we asked to do a remix. His amazingness never fails. A number of years ago I was invited to play drums for VOLVO:242 (a side-project of SPETSNAZ) at ‘Familientreffen 5’ back in 2009 (there’s a couple of cornball videos on YouTube) and I met the guys in AUTODAFEH who were also on the bill. These guys are top notch! Loved their music and performance. They later asked me to play drums on a couple tracks for their upcoming album, “Identity Unknown”. (“Evil Doll & Love Hate” and “Pain” to be exact). I was honored to do so.

Q: 2020 has been for sure a horrible year to release a debut album. How do you experience the pandemic versus your artistic activities? And what are the plans for post-Covid 19?

Ryan: We would like to play more shows. We did a livestream show called “Isolation Room” and it was fun, but it was in an empty room. We usually feed off of the energy of the audience. It pushes us further to perform harder. We’d like to eventually play shows in Europe.

Xiån: Luckily we’ve stayed healthy throughout the pandemic and have spent a lot of time in the studio writing for our next album. Hope you will all stay tuned. New ideas and sounds are brewing…

Inferno Sound Diaries

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My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult announce upcoming new compilation album: ‘Sleazy action’ – check teaser

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 15:52:18 +0000

Gothic-Disco legends My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult will release “Sleazy Action”, a compilation of 12 previously unreleased remixes by TKK’s Buzz McCoy, highlighting the group’s past 12 years on SleazeBox Records. The album also includes tracks from related side-project Bomb Gang Girlzand new songs by Buzz McCoy and Groovie Mann’s Darling Kandie.

Track List:

“Bella Piranha (Hot Shot Mix)” – My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
“Studio 21 (Titan Mix)” – My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
“Hell Kat Klub (Klit Klub Mix)” – My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
“Want (Cockadoodledoo Mix)” – Bomb Gang Girlz
“Royal Skull (Karmakazi Mix)” – My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
“My Wicked Ways (Babylonia Mix)” – Darling Kandie
“Witchpunkrockstar (Heavy Mental Mix)” – My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
“Monti Karlo (Kasino Mix)” – My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
“Prism (Mata Hari Mix)” – Buzz McCoy
“All The Way (S.T.R.U.T. Mix)” – Bomb Gang Girlz
“Suite 16 (Love To Love Mix)” – Buzz McCoy
“Lone Road (Dead End Mix)” – My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult

Here’s the album teaser.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpibbFivDDU&feature=youtu.be

About My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult

Hailing from Chicago’s renowned Wax Trax! Records stable of recording artists, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult (the brainchild of Franke Nardiello and musician Marston Daley) have been active since 1987. Along with label mates such as Front 242, KMFDM and Ministry, TKK (as often abbreviated), helped develop the industrial music genre.

The band however continued to evolve and today their sound can be described as electronic rock, heavily influenced by both disco and funk. One of their most distinctive characteristics is the use of spoken-word samples lifted from B-movies laced throughout their songs.

Since debuting, they have released 13 studio albums, and their music has been featured in a variety of films, television/cable shows and soundtracks.

The band continues to release new material via their own SleazeBox Records label and tour extensively with a rotating cast of musicians, however the core of the project has always been Nardiello and Daley, both on record and in the live act. The current line-up is Groovie Mann (vocals), Buzz McCoy (keys), Mimi Star (bass), Justin Thyme (drums), Arena Rock (Bomb Gang Girl).

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Choke Chain – Chain Tactics (EP – Choke Chain)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 18:30:44 +0000

Genre/Influences: EBM, Industrial.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: “Chain Tactics” is the debut-EP by American artist Mark Trueman aka Choke Chain.

Content: All songs have a retro-feeling getting me back to the late 80s – early 90s and the early work of Revolting Cocks. I got the feeling listening to one long duration song split in 3 chapters. The vocals feel like expressing pain and rage.

+ + + : This is old-school EBM made in America and reminding me the golden years of Wax Trax! and more specifically Revolting Cocks; the mix of European EBM and American Industrial music! Even if this is old-style Electro, it has something refreshing.

– – – : There’s no real diversity between the songs.

Conclusion: Choke Chain is an interesting newcomer so I’ll keep an eye on this band.

Best songs: “Struggle”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/chokechain

Inferno Sound Diaries

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Alka interview: ‘Working with Vince Clarke has been an absolutely amazing experience and completely inspiring’

János Janurik — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 16:47:39 +0000

(Text by Janos Janurik / Photo by Erika Tele) Vince Clarke has not only worked diligently on the current Erasure album “The Neon”, but he has also taken care of the artists of his own label, VeryRecords. After Brook’s debut album from 2019, he is going to release the second LP by Alka („Regarding The Auguries”) on 9^th October. The mysterious young musician named Bryan Michael, who is behind the pseudonym Alka, was briefly interviewed by our co-editor, Janos Janurik on the occasion of his upcoming album release.

SL: Three years after your first release on Vince Clarke’s Very Records label, you`re dropping a new album this October. If we include your previous releases too, this is already the fourth Alka album since 2007. When was the first time you started making music? Who were the musical heroes in your youth? For example, I saw some old photos of you wearing Nitzer Ebb T-shirts. Or was it just a coincidence?

BM: Very observant. I started with music production as soon as I got my first CASIO SK-1 and later SK-5 and loaded them up with Art Of Noise samples. I have always been a fan of diverse music in general but growing up there was something about the electronic sound that intrigued me and I was definitely drawn to obscure acts (for the states at least) such those on Nettwerk, Wax Trax!, Play it Again Sam, and Mute.

SL: After his musical cooperation with Paul Hartnoll and the release of Reed & Caroline’s debut album, Vince Clarke took you under his wing. I remember well when he told me in the late summer of 2017 with a smile in his eyes that the next Very Records release will come from a gifted librarian. How did you get in touch with him? Were you a fan of his works? What was he like as a mentor?

BM: I was just telling him how, when his Lucky Bastard sample CD was released, it was like a gateway to an off-limit universe of analogue synth heaven for me. His work was profoundly rooted in my love of electronic music. It wasn’t merely that he was an amazing tunesmith and producer but I really valued his love and appreciation for synthesisers great and small. Working with Vince has been an absolutely amazing experience and completely inspiring.

SL: I think your new work will make the heart of all electro fans beat faster. It captivates the listener from the very first minute and unites many different styles of electronic music: ambient, industrial, synth-pop and so on. Who else was involved in the experimentation, who else was working on the production?

BM: For a bit now I’ve been rethinking Alka as a solo project and more of a collaborative unit. I had been working closely with fellow electronic music artist Todd Steponick but it wasn’t until we found Erika Tele, who we initially signed on for live video performance, that things really clicked. When she started contributing vocals and other elements we were excited about this progression in sound. We like to avoid beat-based genre prisons and favour diversity in our sound.

SL: The first single, “Faito” (“Fight!” in English) is perhaps the craziest song from your new album and the Japanese voice samples make it even more mysterious. The minimalist, computer-animated video also perfectly fits with the mood of the song and Vince Clarke has created an excellent mix of it too. Do you have a special affinity for Asia, or is that some kind of homage to Kraftwerks “Dentaku”, or did your fellow musician, Erika Tele (artist and vocalist of Japanese origin), just influence you?

BM: At risk of being labelled a weeb 😉 my other love growing up, alongside synths and electronic music, was mecha design, anime in general, and a healthy dose of tokusatsu. I think that influence never really left me. Working with Erika was a coincidence but I value her multicultural input to Alka and we definitely bond with our mutual love of anime and Japanese culture. ‘Faito’ was one of those tracks that developed organically out of layers of EMS Synthi recordings and a discarded Japanese vocal take from another track through the magic of Todd’s sleek production.

SL: The album title “Regarding The Auguries” can be explained in different ways. Some think that what is happening in the world at the moment has already been prophesied by the wise men, while others think that it is almost impossible at this time to plan even for a week. And what do you think? How do you see our current life? What did you want to teach the listeners with your music?

BM: One of the things that kept reoccurring during the production was the theme of birds and in particular the Japanese Tengu mythology, where a sort of demon is thought to transform into a bird. An augury was an ancient Roman form of interpreting omens or divination through the observation of birds. ‘Regarding The Auguries’ is just a poetical take on this process often referred to as “taking the auspices”. Had we all being paying closer attention to the auguries, however, we would’ve foreseen the woes of the current world. In retrospect, the album can be seen as a sort of real-time interpretation of how we got where we are today.

SL: And what do you do when you are not actually making a new album? Do you still make remixes for other artists? Or do you put together DJ sets? I know it’s almost impossible to talk about tours right now, but would you like to do live sets with the new album? Are there at least any plans to do something like this in the (hopefully) near future?

BM: I’ve recently finished up some remixes with my mate Roger O’Donnell, the keyboardist for the Cure, along with some other projects. I’m currently working on a DJ set for air in November but mostly I’m always working on new music along with my various synth building and repair projects. We had been working up our live set and playing out a few select shows before the pandemic and would love to continue that in the future, but for now we must heed the auguries and all be safe.

Track list:

Fractured Time
Widthchild
Faito
Earth Crisis
Scrapple
Sourcery
My Heart
Solfège
Doubt
Dead Like Me
King Card
Solfège (Fujiya & Miyagi Remix)
Faito (Vince Clarke Remix)
Fractured Time (DJ Jekyll of Shelter Remix)

Regarding The Auguries will be released as a limited-edition CD, download and stream through VeryRecords on 9th October 2020 .

Or check here on Spotify.

János Janurik

I began my career in online music journalism in 2001, writing about artists I had followed since the late ’80s and early ’90s, including Depeche Mode, Erasure and The Cure. I later edited the Hungarian Mute microsite for EMI Music Hungary. This led to interviews with Erasure, Nitzer Ebb and Alan Wilder, and some of those collaborations developed into lasting friendships. Since 2014, I have been part of the editorial team of depechemode.de. I also contribute interviews to Reflections of Darkness, Peek-A-Boo Magazine and Kaput Mag. I maintain a close connection to Mute Records artists and have also supported releases on Very Records. I am proud to collaborate with Side-Line Magazine, where I regularly publish interviews and features.

KMFDM reinterpretes back catalogue hits on ‘In Dub’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 18:49:21 +0000

Out now is KMFDM’s newest album “In Dub”. Well, new? On the follow-up to 2019’s “Paradise” the band is reinterpreting a selection of the group’s best known songs from their 36 career.

These are the tracks available and reinterpreted on the “In Dub” album.

KMFDM (originally Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid, loosely translated by the band as “no pity for the majority”) was founded by Sascha Konietzko in 1984 as a performance art project.

The band’s earliest incarnation included German drummer En Esch and British vocalist Raymond Watts, the latter of whom left and rejoined the group several times over its history. The trio recorded the band’s earliest albums in Germany before Konietzko and Esch moved to the United States, where they found much greater success with the industrial record label Wax Trax!.

The rest is history.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb working on a new Noise Unit album

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 05 May 2020 15:35:01 +0000

Good news, the duo Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb are working on a brand new Noise Unit album and this 15 years after the last album “Voyeur” was released on Metropolis. Precise details are not yet known though, more news as we get it.

Noise Unit: a continuously evolving project

Noise Unit is a Canadian industrial project founded by Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly as a side project. The band has seen several changes in line-up, with Bill Leeb being the only permanent member.

Noise Unit’s first album, “Grinding into Emptiness” was a collaboration between Leeb and Marc Verhaeghen of Belgian industrial band Klinik and was released in 1989 through Wax Trax! and Antler-Subway. For the 1990 album “Response Frequency” Leeb was joined by Rhys Fulber. After the completion of the album, Verhaeghen left Noise Unit for several years while Fulber remained with the band for the next 3 releases.

Verhaeghen resumed his collaboration with Noise Unit for the 1996 album “Drill” which also featured members of German industrial band Haujobb. Leeb finally teamed up with former Front Line Assembly member Chris Peterson in 2004 to release “Voyeur” in 2005 with further help from Jason Filipchuk and Michael Balch.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult to release 3rd installment in retrospective Sinister Whisperz series: ‘The Rykodisc Years’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 14:26:46 +0000

Thrill Kill Kult will release “Sinister Whisperz III: The Rykodisc Years”, the third installment in their retrospective Sinister Whisperz series. The album features 19 previously unreleased mixes highlighting the band’s time on the Rykodisc label (1997 – 2007). The compilation includes songs from the LP’s “A Crime For All Seasons”, “Dirty Little Secrets”, “Diamonds & Daggerz”, “Gay, Black & Married”, “The Resurrection Of Luna” and “The Filthiest Show In Town”.

Previous releases in the series are 2011’s “Sinister Whisperz: The Wax Trax! Years” and 2016’s “Sinister Whisperz II: The Interscope Years”. All albums are distributed via the band’s label, SleazeBox Records.

Track Listing

Girl Without A Planet (Lost Satellite Mix)
Fangs Of Love (Bite Me Mix)
Freaky Fever (Shake ‘N Bake Mix)
Untouchable Class (Scum World Mix)
My Kinda Guy (Sex Box Mix)
Flesh Star (Ooh Ahh Mix)
Young Tongue (All Nighter Mix)
Dirty Little Secrets (Lonely Lolita Mix)
Jet Set Sex (Runway Mix)
Lucifer’s Flowers (Blood Money Mix)
Operation: Sextrip (Pluto’s Mix)
Magic Boy Magic Girl (oXY Mix)
Blondes With Lobotomy Eyes (Kandi Kiss Mix)
Cadillac Square (Two 4 One Mix)
Dope Doll Jungle (Hi Fi Mix)
Seduction 23 (Kool Sweat Mix)
Covergirl Blues (Return To Tomorrow Mix)
Sci – Fi Affair (Pinot Noir Mix)
Hard, Fast & Beautiful (Hellza Poppin’ Mix)

Below you can check out the 2 previously released sets.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT: The Story Of Wax Trax! Records (DVD – Wax Trax! Records)

Filip Wildhoney — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 07:43:23 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial-metal, industrial-rock, EBM

Background/Info: The famous Wax Trax! Records label was originally much into new wave and punk music and was founded by Jim Nash and his partner Dannie Flesher in Denver in 1975. In 1978 the independent label moved to Chicago and became the most important record label and store/boutique for industrial music in the US that served as the headquarters of underground electronic and industrial bands in the eighties and nineties. The strong brand Wax Trax! offered record deals to the artists they liked (as fans) and also licensed European artists in America. The very impressive Wax Trax! catalogue featured well-known bands like Ministry, Front 242, Revolting Cocks, KMFDM, Front Line Assembly, Coil, Chris & Cosey and more!

Content: Industrial Accident has contributions of Al Jourgensen (Ministry/Revolting Cocks), Paul Barker (Ministry/Revolting Cocks), Chris Connelly (Ministry/Revolting Cocks), Luc Van Acker (Ministry/Revolting Cocks), Richard23 (Front 242/Revolting Cocks), Patrick Codenys (Front 242), Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Bill Leeb (Front Line Assembly), Groovie Mann (Thrill Kill Kult), David J. Haskins (Bauhaus), Sascha Konietzko (KMFDM), En Esch (KMFDM), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Steve Albini (Big Black), Cosey Fanni Tutti (Throbbing Gristle), Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi) and more. It explains the rise and fall of an important musical movement as well as the details and artifacts of this entire Wax Trax! Records history that was nearly lost forever.

A lot of hilarious anecdotes are explained by the contributing artists which makes it fun to watch! Al Jourgensen: “I played in Divine’s band by the way, playing guitar for Divine was … bizarre!”. Luc Van Acker, when speaking about Laibach: “How provocative can you be? It takes intelligent people to understand that! Wax Trax! created a space where we could do whatever we wanted!”. Unfortunately the label without business model (operating on trust, without contracts with their artists) declared bankruptcy in 1992 and Jim and Danny sold it to TVT Records. Jim Nash passed away on October 10, 1995 and Dannie Flesher deceased on January 10th, 2010.

+ + + : This 94 minutes (+ 75 extra minutes bonus material) documentary was directed by Julia Nash (daughter of Jim Nash) and won awards on the Santa Cruz Film Festival and Chicago Underground Film Festival. It is also available on Blu-Ray and as download on AppleTV, Amazon Prime and Google Play/YouTube Streaming.

– – – : Just one minor point: to make the circle complete, maybe an interview with some licensed European bands that were released by Wax Trax! (The Neon Judgement, The Young Gods, A Split Second, Laibach and more) would have been interesting, to hear their point of view.

Conclusion: Although it’s a huge story to tell the complete Wax Trax! history, this documentary gives a pretty good overview of what happened in the old days. Jim and Dannie “accidentally” built up the industrial scene in the US due to their passion and love for this music and bands and will never be forgotten!

Label: www.waxtraxchicago.com / www.facebook.com/WaxTraxRecords.Chicago/

Ministry – Prescripture: The Visual History (Book – Melodic Virtue)

Filip Wildhoney — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 21:22:17 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial-metal, industrial-rock

Background/Info: Al Jourgensen is the charismatic pioneer, musical genius, innovator and iconic founder of the industrial-metal genre (the fusion of repeating metal guitar riffs, samples, keyboards and distorted vocals on a danceable beat). This fully authorized visual history with 248 pages of rare and unseen photos, artwork, and other stuff that spans Ministry’s entire career, shows how the band (that everyone wanted to sound like) evolved from ’80s synth-pop, over EBM/industrial to trash-metal. Ministry has been nominated six times for a Grammy award and is definitely a band you must have seen live at least once in your life!

Content: The four-pages introduction is done by Al’s good old friend Jello Biafra, explaining some hilarious anecdotes. Then this limited 9″ x 9″ casebound book is divided into six chronological chapters starting from the early Wax Trax! era (1981) until the latest release “AmeriKKKant”. We get to see lots of nice rare (promo and live) pictures, cut-outs, artwork, flyers and posters. On almost every page there are interesting quotes or anecdotes from befriended artists like Charlie Clouser (Nine Inch Nails), Moby, Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Ian MacKaye (Fugazi), Gary Numan, Perry Ferrell (Jane’s Addiction), Jaz Coleman (Killing Joke), Phildo Owen (Skatenigs), Jeordie White (Marilyn Manson), Alexander Hacke (Einsturzende Neubauten), David J (Bauhaus), Robin Zander (Cheap Trick), Paul D’Amour (Tool), Page Hamilton (Helmet), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Franz Treichler (The Young Gods), Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers), Sean Yseult (White Zombie), Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Till Lindemann (Rammstein), Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission), Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks) and many more. Just like the music of Ministry changed from soft to very hard, it is clearly shown how Al’s style has changed all over the years ending up with dreadlocks, tattoos and piercings. The author of the book is Aaron Tanner (who also created a visual history for Pixies) and features artwork from Brian Shanley and Paul Elledge.

+ + + : We get an exclusive look at Uncle Al’s personal collection of behind-the-scenes pictures together with contributions from band members past and present.

– – – : Although many well-known artists are featured in this book, some (expected ones) are missing …

Conclusion: There’s only one thing we can conclude: Ministry has had a huge influence on many artists and Al is still going strong after all these years! This book is definitely a must have for the fans!

Artist: www.ministryband.com / www.facebook.com/WeAreMinistry
Label: www.melodicvirtue.com / www.facebook.com/melodicvirtue

Killing The Joke: The John Bechdel Story (DVD – Furnace Records)

Filip Wildhoney — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 21:06:05 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial-metal, industrial-rock

Background/Info: John Bechdel is an American keyboard-player, known for his work with the industrial-metal acts Ministry, Prong, Fear Factory, Killing Joke, Murder Inc, Ascension Of The Watchers and False Icons.

Content: A bit later than expected (but better late than never) we finally present this review. Director/producer Darryl Hell was so kind to send us 3 dvd’s with not only the 2 hours documentary but also 4 hours (!) of extra interviews (including a 50 minutes talk with Al Jourgensen of Ministry), raw footage and pictures. “Killing The Joke: The John Bechdel story” features more exclusive interviews with Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory), Alison Bechdel (FUN HOME / award winning writer), Greta Brinkman (L7, Pigface, Debbie Harry, Moby), Charlie Clouser (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson), Martin Atkins (Public Image Limited, Killing Joke), Sean Roberts (Wax Trax! / TVT Records) and others. There’s also a lot of backstage footage in the venue (The Fillmore, Washington DC) and on the tourbus, meet & greets with fans, interviews with John in his home studio and we also get to see the other Ministry members Sin Quirin, AAron Rossi, Tony Campos and Cesar Soto. Everyone knows John in their own special way, some for more than 30 years! Those connections are explained clearly without any scrupules.

+ + + : The Director’s Cut features 3 dvd’s and contains a lot of extra footage to watch. Going behind the scenes is always fun and shows another side of the artist. The documentary is also available as digital download (video on demand) on Vimeo.

– – – : Just because of the overload of footage it takes a lot of time to watch all the stuff so one might lose the track a bit.

Conclusion: This documentary shows a clear image of John Bechdel as artist but also as a father, family-man and friend. It is definitely not the usual tour-story that you expect!

Label: www.s6k.com

Chmcl Str8jckt – Wrtchd Thngs (CD Album – Cleopatra Records)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 19:30:22 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial-rock, crossover

Background/Info: After a promising self-titled and self-released album released in 2017, this American formation went on with another self-released album with remixes. This year they signed to Cleopatra Records to unleash their official debut album, which has been produced by John Bechdel (keyboardist of Ministry, ex-Fear Factory, ex-Killing Joke).

Content: “Wrtchd Thngs” is a diversified piece of music. It takes off with an intro followed by an electro cut reminding me of the good-old days of Skinny Puppy. But the album rapidly moves into the familiar industrial-rock style of the band. The songs are driven by heavy guitar riffs and enraged vocals. Some cuts might appeal for fans of KMFDM while other songs are more into an atmospheric approach.

+ + + : Chmcl Str8jckt has a typical industrial sound and it’s not surprising the band claims to be inspired by some Wax Trax band. They have a similar approach although I have to say the album is pretty diversified. I like the electro-driven “Ode To Peckinpah (Bloody Sam)”, and also the KMFDM-reminding “Bomb Cyclone” for its right balance between guitar and electronics. Another fascinating cut is “Black Vulture”, which moves crescendo till a furious final part. Chmcl Str8jckt has improved most aspects of the production, which result in a meaningful work.

– – – : Even if “Ode To Peckinpah (Bloody Sam)” is definitely my favorite song (I’m mainly an electro-lover!) it’s not entirely representative for the approach of the band. The album is however a solid and accomplished piece of music, but without an absolute hit!

Conclusion: Chmcl Str8jckt is what I would call ‘controlled power’; it sounds heavy and powerful, but never becomes industrial mayhem.

Best songs: “Ode To Peckinpah (Bloody Sam)”, “Baphomet”, “Fantasy”, “Black Vulture”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www .facebook .com /chmclstr 8 jckt

Label: www .cleopatrarecords .com / www .facebook .com /CleopatraRecords

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‘Click Interview’ with Cubanate: ‘Cubanate Has To Give You A Rush’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 17:00:51 +0000

British formation Cubanate were active in between 1992 and 1999! It were seven years of sonic terror; pure crossover like we used to call it in the 90s. A harsh and unpolished sound mixing electronics and guitar with a f****ing, enraged singer and live performer as image of the band. The band released successful albums (cf. “Antimatter”, “Cyberia” and “Barbarossa” all released on Dynamic and a last album “Interference” released on Wax Trax! Records). Songs like “Body Burn” and especially “Oxyacetalene” became some of the band’s greatest hits. After a long hibernation the ‘Cubanate-monster’ got reactivated in 2010. Marc Heal and Phil Barry first started to play some live gigs, but 2019 is for sure the year of the ‘real’ come-back. This is their first new work in twenty one years! The EP “Kolossus” released on Armalyte Industries reveals five new songs plus two remixes. I didn’t know what to expect from this new release, but one thing is for sure, this is probably the best production I’ve heard from Cubanate! I got in touch with Marc Heal.

The new EP (available here on MCD) contains five new songs plus remixes of the title track by Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly, Delerium, Conjure One) and DROWND.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Cubanate was already back to business for a couple of years now, but “Kolossus” is the first new work since 1998! How did it feel to be back and where do you place this work in the band’s discography?

Marc: We decided that we were only going to do Cubanate again if it was fun and good. We were persuaded to play the “Cold Waves”-festival in Chicago back in 2016. Chicago always felt like a home city for us, because we were signed to Wax Trax and all that. I hadn’t played live at all in about 17 years at that point. I mean, not just with Cubanate, nothing at all! But I was curious to see how it would feel. I was nervous that first time. I was living in Singapore, Phil was in London, so we both flew over, did a few days rehearsal, then – bam! Scary.

But after we had dipped our toe in the water we decided to do some more. We played with FLA, Revolting Cocks, some UK dates.

Same with “Kolossus”. It’s a test. I wanted to try an EP first, to see how it felt, before committing to making an album.

Q: I think to remember you once said (back in 2011) that no new Cubanate album would be ever released! And look now, here’s “Kolossus”, which is according to me the best Cubanate stuff in history. How did it finally happened and what will be next?

Marc: Thank you. I think it was important to reconnect as a band first. We didn’t mind playing a few retrospective dates. The old songs still sounded fresh. Also we had released the “Brutalism”-compilation, which was a remastered “Best Of” from the days we were signed in Berlin to Dynamica, so all good.

But after a while we became curious about what new material would sound like. We needed to find a way to record. I was in California by then so it was still hard to find a way to work together.

I had made a few new songs with Jean-Luc Demeyer for my other project, C-Tec. So I realized working at such distance could be done, so long as you trust the other person artistically. That’s very important, because you aren’t in the same room together to persuade or negotiate. Next up, we will try an album.

Q: How much of the ‘early’ Cubanate sound, the way of composing and producing songs do you recognize in “Kolossus”? And what have been the main changes/evolutions?

Marc: Cubanate has to give you a rush. It has to be nasty and thrilling in your gut. But these days we feel able to throw anything together to get there. Any sound, any influence, any instrument. We’re more experimental now.

There are a lot of technical changes since the 90s. In those days we would write in the studio and whatever came out at the end, we released! That was because you couldn’t take the mix down from the desk without losing the whole sound. These days, with digital, it’s easier to go back to a mix. But we still try to keep things loose, not to over-think everything, to keep it raw. We still have to work with my ragged old voice, of course. And Phil’s guitar, So it’s never going to sound too polished!

We’re older and more experienced. We’ve learned to work harder at making things better, but also to know when to stop.

Q: How did the writing of the new songs happened? What has been the main focus and possible sources of inspiration?

Marc: I write the bones of an idea, with a rough lyric and vocal. Then I send it to Phil, who adds guitar. Then I rearrange and often re-do some vocals and lyrics to make it all work together. Then Phil will finish it off and do the final mix.

I’m always interested in the dynamics of power, within relationships, within society. I always thought you had to be messed up to write dark lyrics. As it turns out, it’s easier when you’re not. You can visualize more clearly. And your moral perspective is less blurred.

Q: What did you try to express on the “Kolossus”-clip and what’s the importance and impact of making clips today?

Marc: It’s good, isn’t it? Gabriel Edvy directed the video. I’d used her for “Adult Fiction”, which was one of my solo songs and she did an amazing job. So I learned to trust her and give her freedom. I told her wanted something that merged a kind of industrial, factory feel but with a threatening feminine contrast. Also, Phil and I had to record our parts separately, which I thought would be tricky, but it adds a feeling of isolation, which I like. Then she just got on with it.

Back in the old days, people were impressed by just seeing you mime along in the video. These days there is so much video online that I think you need to approach the moving image as integral with the music, or else there’s no point. It’s almost like Gabby is an extra band member in charge of film.

Q: Cubanate has been active and successful during the 90s. It was a decade wherein it was easy to sell CD’s while today it rather appears to be an item for collectors and die-hard fans! How do you perceive this evolution, but also social media, streaming etc?

Marc: We ended up making a lot of money in the 90s, mainly through games music. I bought a couple of houses. But I have no expectations about making money from music now. I do it because I love it and I like the people I work with. Our label, Armalyte are into what we do and we split any profits with them. There’s no contract, everyone does it because they enjoy it and they get off on the music. It’s like going back to the old punk rock days. I much prefer that.

Also I like social media. I can talk directly with people on the Facebook page. And they can compliment or insult me directly. It’s almost like starting a new band again, really. And it feels better than it ever did.

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Cubanate is back with ‘Kolossus’ EP : the first new release since 1998 + video for ‘Missing Persons’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 15 May 2019 12:17:12 +0000

The industrial techno-rock duo Cubanate have announced the release of their first new music in over two decades in the form of an EP entitled “Kolossus”. It follows their “Brutalism” retrospective collection in 2017 and a brief return to live action for the first time since the late 1990’s to promote it.

The new EP (available here on MCD) contains five new songs plus remixes of the title track by Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly, Delerium, Conjure One) and DROWND. Out on 7th June, it will be previewed at a co-headlining London date with PIG on 1st, plus an appearance at the Wave Gotik Treffen festival in Leipzig, Germany. Orders are available here, but be fast!

Working with an ocean inbetween

Marc Heal and guitarist Phil Barry had started thinking about writing new material after the positive reaction to their initial comeback shows, but as they live on separate continents these days (Heal is currently based in San Francisco while Barry is in Cambridgeshire) it wasn’t all that easy.

Marc Heal: “I set up a vocal booth in Palo Alto and sketched out the ideas. Phil took them forwards in Cambridge and added guitar. Once I heard that I added some more vocals and tweaked the structure before he then finished the mixes. We’re pleased with the results but I feel we will get stronger now we’ve done these five tracks. It’s a psychological barrier. The EP still sounds like us but inevitably we’re older and hopefully wiser. The wisdom thing is tricky, because a lot of early Cubanate was about relishing a ride towards self-destruction. It’s still like that, but smarter. These days we’re more confident that we can do whatever we want, both musically and lyrically. So long as it keeps being fun and we think we can keep being nasty, we’ll keep doing it.”

Here’s the track “Missing Persons” which is featured on the EP.

The early beginning, the split and resurrection

Formed in the summer of 1992 as a four piece centred around Marc Heal (vocals) and Phil Barry (guitar), their early sound fused the rhythms of the then nascent techno scene with the lo-fi grunge rock sound emanating from the US. Although the band later became adopted by Goth audiences, early Cubanate was more influenced by Joey Beltram, Baby Ford and Nirvana.

Following a UK tour with electronic duo Sheep on Drugs, they signed to the Berlin based Dynamica label and released their debut album, “Antimatter” (1993), which included the single “Body Burn”. The second Cubanate album, “Cyberia” (1995), featured the single “Oxyacetylene”. The band’s third album, “Barbarossa” (1996) contained the single “Joy” and was promoted with live dates supporting Gary Numan, Rammstein, The Sisters of Mercy and Front 242. Heal struck up a friendship at this time with Jean-Luc De Meyer of Front 242 and the pair subsequently released two albums as C-Tec.

In 1997, seeking a change of label and direction, Cubanate signed to Wax Trax! for what was to be their final album to date, “Interference” (1998). Splitting in 2000 but reforming in September 2016 for a set at the Cold Waves Festival in Chicago, they subsequently played several UK and North American dates in 2017 to promote a retrospective compilation entitled “Brutalism”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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C-Tec sees ‘Darker & Cut’ re-released as a 2CD set with bonus

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 12:38:16 +0000

Following on from Armalyte’s “Brutalism” retrospective of Cubanate’s early works, “Darker + Cut” sees the original two C-Tec albums (1997 + 2000), completely re-mastered and re-branded as a 2CD set with bonus tracks in deluxe digipak packaging designed by Jim Marcus of Die Warau / Go Fight.

You can order the set right now on Bandcamp!

The material features Jean-Luc De Meyer (Front 242), Marc Heal (Cubanate / Pigface) and Ged Denton (Der Prosector / Crisis NTI) and holds two bonus, previously unreleased tracks (“My unbreakable Code” and “Until we disappear”). C-Tec are co-headlining a series of festival dates across North America this Summer, with possible European dates to follow.

C-tec were an electro-industrial supergroup, originally formed as a side project to the Cyber-Tec Project in 1995 by Jean-Luc De Meyer (Front 242, Cobalt 60, etc.), Jonathan Sharp (New Mind, Bio-Tek, etc.) and Ged Denton (Crisis NTI). After the first album release, Jonathan Sharp left the band and Marc Heal (Cubanate) joined as a full-time member. They shortened the name to C-Tec and released two albums on Synthetic Symphony (Europe) and Wax Trax! (U.S.).

Check out “Brutal”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult – In The House Of Strange Affairs (CD Album – Sleazebox Records)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 20:30:52 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial, industrial-pop, electro-rock.

Background/Info: Set up in 1987 and hailing from Chicago (USA) Groovie Mann and Buzz McCoy became with their band one of the flag holders of the legendary Wax Trax! label. More than 30 years later they’re still in business and never stopped releasing new work –even if it’s not at a regular basis. “In The House Of Strange Affairs” is their first album in five years.

Content: I’m familiar with the early work of the band but I have to admit to have a bit lost their trace during the past years. There’s one constant aspect in their work, MLWTTKK always experimented with new ideas and challenges. You can’t consider them as belonging to one specific music style as they’re simply bringing multiple influences together. It remains something ‘industrial’, but still rock- and pop driven.

The songs are driven by deep bass lines, now revealing great vintage synth lines and then groovy sequences. Sometimes a bit funky and then definitely electronic; sometimes featuring a guitar solo and next moving into symphonic and bombast arrangements.

+ + + : One thing is for sure, this is a band that simply doesn’t care about fashion trends and other established music genre. MLWTTKK is a genre on their own and that’s why it’s hard to define their sound. The songs sometimes feel like very different parts, but on the other side these parts can’t stand on their own. There’s a real cohesion between them all creating a compact work carried by good-old ‘industrial’ music and supported by many other influences. That’s why even more than 30 years after their set up, this band still sounds refreshing. I especially like the great bass playing and some of the electronic bleeps and arrangements. The song “Forbidden Saints” is the absolute highlight!

– – – : The main thing with such a band, which entered into history with their debut work “I See Good Spirits And I See Bad Spirits”, is that the initial magic is gone for years now.

Conclusion: I think it’s no longer about magic today, but about a band that is still having fun by doing what they like to do… and I’d some real fun listening to this work.

Best songs: “Forbidden Saints”, “Studio 21”, “The Chains Of Fame”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www .mylifewiththethrillkillkult .com / www .facebook .com /thrillkillkult

Label: www .sleazebox .com / www .facebook .com /sleazeboxrecords

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Trash Deity – Cross & Divide (CD Album – Metropolis)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 21:00:19 +0000

Genre/Influences: EBM, electro-rock.

Background/Info: Behind this new project and the debut album “Cross & Divide” is hiding the duo ‘Groovie Mann’ aka Franke N. Nardiello (My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult) and ‘JDN’ aka John D. Norten (Blue Eyed Christ). They started Trash Deity a few years ago and released a few digital EP’s. This album wants to be a wink to Wax Trax!-sound ‘updated with a heavy electronic/guitar groove & modern production.’

Content: The goal of the Trash Deity has been successfully accomplished. There for sure is something Wax Trax!-like running through their work and I especially refer to My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult because of Groovie Mann particular, harsh timbre of voice. I also can mention they early –and electro-driven, sound of Ministry, but you also will maybe notice typical arrangements and sounds reminding to Blue Eyed Christ.

The work mixes harder- and more EBM-orientated songs together with some rock-driven cuts on, which the guitar is more dominating.

+ + + : The debut cuts are absolutely magnificent, revealing great electronic sound treatments, icy sounds, danceable rhythms and passionate vocals. The leads running through this album are quite noticeable as well. The guitar mostly empowers the electronic structure of the music.

– – – : The more electro-rock cuts (such as “Icons & Idols”) aren’t exactly my favorite tracks for being less original and simply average-like. These are maybe the more ‘American’-like cuts.

Conclusion: I didn’t know what to expect from both veterans, but “Cross & Divide” is according to me one of the best works they’ve accomplished in years.

Best songs: “Run For Your Lies!”, “Cross & Divide”, “Frantic Child”, “Finger On The Trigger”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www .facebook .com /Trashdeity

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

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Coil’s ‘Love’s Secret Demise’ hits the CD format – updated

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 15:34:05 +0000

UPDATE: We have removed the links as it appeared that this was a bootleg release.

The recordings on “Love’s Secret Demise” were initially titled “The Side Effects of Life”, which was a working title for Coil’s legendary album “Love’s Secret Domain”.

The music presented here are demos / mixes of material that was later released as the “Love’s Secret Domain” album and includes parts of the “Wrong Eye/Scope” 7″-single. The original cassette (only a handful are known to exist) was sent to WaxTrax! records in 1989 ahead of the planned future release of “Love’s Secret Domain” on the label.

The track ‘Fidget’ was subsequently released on the “WaxTrax!Sampler#2” cassette in 1989. The album was finally released by Torso (Europe) and Wax Trax! (USA) in 1991. These recordings and mixes are incredibly rare, and demonstrate Coil working towards the final pieces that would make up “Love’s Secret Domain”.

Here’s a 2006 edit of the title track.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Cyberaktif – Tenebrae Vision (DCD Album – Artoffact)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 18:30:33 +0000

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Background/Info: Can you imagine Bill Leeb (FLA) joining hands together with cEvin Key and Dwayne Goettel (both members of Skinny Puppy)? Well, that’s what happened in 1990 when those 3 Canadian EBM pioneers set up Cyberaktif. Two 12” (cf. “Nothing Stays” and “Temper”) got released in 1990 while the album “Tenebrae Vision” came next in 1991. All works got released on Wax Trax! Records, but unfortunately no other new production saw the light of day. Artoffact brings us back in time with this remastered version of “Tenebrae Vision” plus both maxi’s and a rare song on the bonus disc. Notice by the way that Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten) was featured on 2 songs.

Content: “Tenebrae Vision” reflects the true EBM spirit from the late 80s, but more than this it simply reveals the dark and typical Canadian EBM sound. And I here might affirm that Skinny Puppy and Frontline Assembly both were the pioneers and instigators of this specific ‘sound’, which is still inspiring bands today.

This album sounds dark and danceable. It reminds me more of FLA than Skinny Puppy. It also is an opportunity to rediscover some essential songs/hits such as “Nothing Stays” and “Temper”.

Both 12” (on the second disc) feature alternative edits and extra songs plus a remix of “Nothing Stays” by Beatbox Inc.

+ + + : This album is an essential EBM testimony from the late 80s – early 90s genre. As already mentioned it also brings two of the most legendary and praised Canadian bands together. You can hear it here consists of an ‘old’ release, but EBM die-hard fans will be pleased rediscovering this album and some of its greatest hits. This is where EBM comes from and those artists were the Canadian answer to European formations such as Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, DAF, Die Krupps and co.

– – – : “Tenebrae Vision” sounds a bit dated and that’s why I’m afraid it will probably not convince younger fans, which weren’t even born when the album came out.

Conclusion: Artoffact made a judicious choice re-releasing this great EBM opus. This is a part of the EBM history!

Best songs: “Nothing Stays”, “Temper”, “Paradiessiets”, “Dis Coarse Illusion”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www .facebook .com /Cyberaktif -151519201683340

Label: www .artoffact .com / www .facebook .com /artoffact

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Artoffact Records to re-issue collected works of Cyberaktif (feat. Skinny Puppy, FLA members)

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 14:08:45 +0000

Toronto-based Artoffact Records has announced that it will re-issue a deluxe double-CD edition of the collected works of Cyberaktif. This following an earlier vinyl edition that sold out in a matter of weeks.

The deluxe, 18-track version of “Tenebrae Vision” is expanded to include all tracks from the Cyberaktif’s singles, as well as a bonus remix from Beatbox Inc.. The release is scheduled for September and is available for pre-order digitally on Bandcamp right here and on other platforms.

Formed briefly in 1990, Cyberaktif was an experiment to see what would happen had Bill Leeb (of Front Line Assembly) continued as a member of Skinny Puppy. Leeb was joined by Skinny Puppy personnel Cevin Key and Dwayne Goettel on the recordings, which were released on the Wax Trax label. The album was released in 1991 following two singles, Nothing Stays and Temper. Two tracks on the Artoffact expanded edition feature Blixa Bargeld (Einsturzende Neubauten, Nick Cave).

Check out the full album below.

Tenebrae Vision by Cyberaktif

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Side-Line presents: 10 free tickets for W-Festival – Amougies (BE)

Filip Wildhoney — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 12:57:44 +0000

From 15th until 19th August 2018 the third edition of the W-Festival takes place at the festival-area in the Rue Couture d’Orroir in Amougies, Belgium. More than 60 new wave, EBM, industrial, post-punk, synth-pop and eighties bands are featured on 3 stages.

This year some of the confirmed artists are: Bauhaus (Peter Murphy 40 years of Bauhaus celebration feat. David J.), Anne Clark, DAF, Clan Of Xymox, DIE KRUPPS, Dive, Front Line Assembly, Suicide Commando, Covenant, Lords Of Acid, Vive La Fête, A Split Second, Project Pitchfork, Trisomie21, She Past Away, Chameleons Vox, Red Zebra, Kim Wilde, Paul Young, Marc Almond, Midge Ure, A Flock Of Seagulls, Heaven 17, ABC, …

Besides watching concerts you can also visit markets and merchandise shops, signing-sessions, afterparties and other exclusivities like the daily screening of “Industrial Accident – The story of Wax Trax ! Records” documentary (94 min.) from the 16th till the 19th of August at 10:30am.

Side-Line gives away 10 free tickets (for 4 days)! Just enter the contest below. We will choose the winners on June 18.

Information and tickets can be found here

“Killing The Joke: The John Bechdel story” documentary coming soon!

Filip Wildhoney — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 07:54:27 +0000

John Bechdel is known as “the invisible man on the keys” for many bands, mainly industrial-metal acts, like Ministry, Prong, Fear Factory, Killing Joke, Murder Inc, Ascension Of The Watchers and False Icons.

Framed as a “day-in-the-life” of 36-hours on tour in Ministry from the meet & greet before playing The Fillmore in D.C. to leaving New York City after playing Irving Plaza, this documentary is a thrill ride through the life of John, those in and connected to his life and career; the world travelers and those behind the scenes.

“Killing The Joke: The John Bechdel story” features also exclusive personal interviews with Al Jourgensen [Ministry, Revolting Cocks], Burton C. Bell [Fear Factory], Alison Bechdel [FUN HOME / award winning writer], Greta Brinkman [L7, Pigface, Debbie Harry, Moby], Charlie Clouser [Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson], Martin Atkins [Public Image Limited, Killing Joke], Sean Roberts [Wax Trax! / TVT Records] and others.

The dvd is directed and produced by Darryl Hell for s6k Media and Furnace Records and can be ordered here soon! The digital download will be available on May 19, 2018. A special issue 3-dvd set will be released on August 23, 2018 as well.

Chmcl Str8jckt – Chmcl Str8jckt (CD Album – Chmcl Str8jckt)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 20:45:52 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial-rock, cross-over, EBM.

Background/Info: Chmcl Str8jckt is an American duo inspired by the good-old days of the Wax Trax industrial bands. This self-titled debut work features 8 songs.

Content: You rapidly will recognize the rather typical American ‘industrial’ style, which might evoke the early years of Ministry, Skinny Puppy and co. It’s a harsh industrial sound dominated by industrial guitar riffs and accomplished with electronic arrangements. A few tracks are more into electronic music, injecting an extra EBM touch to the work. It sometimes remind me of Birmingham 6, but globally speaking “Chmcl Str8jckt” remains industrial-like and even moving on the edge of metal.

+ + + : This is an interesting debut revealing band with a real potential. Chmcl str8jckt convinced me by their empowering guitar parts, which have been joined by cool electronic arrangements. I especially the “House Upon The Hill”-song, which sounds a bit more electro-like and maybe a bit more personal. Another main characteristic is the programming of the drums. You sometimes get the impression of hearing a real drummer playing. Last, but not least I also have to say a word about the great digipak format revealing the artistic approach of the band.

– – – : There are many positive points about this album, but you still can hear this is a debuting band. Some songs are missing that little part of production work, which could make a song successful. I now heard cool cuts, but not really one I’ll keep in mind.

Conclusion: This debut work of Chmcl Str8jckt revealed interesting ideas the band now will have to elaborate. This band has something for sure!

Best songs: “House Upon The Hill”, “The Fell Apothecary & The Sodomy Narc.

Rate: (6).

Band: www .facebook .com /chmclstr 8 jckt

Inferno Sound Diaries

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Controlled Bleeding interview: ‘It was hard finding my bearings after losing my two long time collaborators’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 18:09:32 +0000

The fine Toronto-based label Artoffact Records is not only reissuing a significant portion of the Controlled Bleeding catalogue (check here for more info on which titles), they also will release the first proper complete studio album by Controlled Bleeding since 2002’s “Can You Smell The Rain Between (Tone Casualties)”.

Titled “Larva Lumps and Baby Bumps”, the brand new album will be released on double vinyl (available here for the USA, and right here for Europe) and double CD (available here) in August.

Both vinyl and CD come with an album of bonus material, out-takes from the “Larva Lumps” sessions that both label and artists felt were far too strong to keep off the release. The bonus material was engineered by New York producer Martin Bisi (Swans, John Zorn, Boredoms, White Zombie, Bill Laswell, Foetus).

Side-Line talked to Controlled Bleeding’s Paul Lemos who originally co-formed the band in Boston around 1978. Thanks to Artoffact Records for helping out.

SL: A brand new album after about a decade of no new releases. Why is now the time for Controlled Bleeding to return?

CB: Well, a few years back we did issue the “Odes to Bubbler” CD which included several pieces of new music and Vinyl on Demand released a vinyl box set with some new stuff mixed in with ancient archive recordings… So, I have been active through the decade, but it was hard finding my bearings after losing my two long time collaborators. The new album reflects the fruits of the music I have made in the past few years with my new collaborators, Chvad SB, Mike Bazini and long time drummer Tony Meola.

SL: Larva Lumps is an interesting blend of jazz improv, industrial, and even prog rock elements. What inspired this eclectic blend of styles?

CB: I have always had a pretty low boredom threshold and enjoy moving in whatever direction strikes me at the moment… the music has always been intuitive, spawned from the chemistry that exists between me and my collaborators, so “Larva Lumps” was the outcome. For me, it is a very cohesive, unified set of pieces…Also, I guess the music reflects my personal tastes at any given time, and this time out I was listening to a lot of free jazz and fairly aggressive music.

SL: The cover art is really creepy. Can you tell us more about it?

CB: Gregory Jacobsen of Lovely Little Girls is a truly talented artist and when I saw his portraits, immediately I wanted to use them for the record… They don’t relate to the music on any conscious level though… I just was drawn to the images.

SL: Why “Larva Lumps”? Is there any significance to the title?

CB: Well, Larva Lumps is my made up name for the young man on the front cover… Baby Bumps might be his female companion. The title just appeared in my brain one morning and that was it.

SL: How did you hook up with Artoffact Records and how has that been so far?

CB: Artoffact has been nothing less than fantastic. It is so rare these days to find a label that is really committed to and driven by the music it releases. These days, most labels are strictly looking at profit margins and ways to reduce costs, which makes sense in the present marketplace, but Artoffact really cares about the aesthetics of the music and its presentation. Working with them has inspired me to create new music again and to return to live performance with an actual band.

SL: Artoffact is also re-issuing several older Controlled Bleeding releases. Can we expect more reissues in the future?

CB: I hope so… We have been talking about what might appear next. Perhaps we will again dig into the archives of old cassettes for one release along with music from our Wax Trax days… It is too early to say though.

SL: Famed NYC producer Martin Bisi engineered the bonus disc on the new album. How was it working with someone as renowned as Bisi?

CB: Bisi is just a great, down to earth guy who accurately captures a band’s sound in the moment. We miced amps and drums, played live for a few hours, and some of the results were pretty stirring. Martin is a friend of Mike Bazini so he arranged the session which was a lot of fun, but absolutely exhausting. It must have been 90 degrees in the studio that day.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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ex-Revolting Cocks members reunite for 6 USA dates as The Cocks

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 17:52:34 +0000

Celebrating the 30 year anniversary of the Wax Trax! release “Big Sexy Land”, several ex-Revolting Cocks members will reunite under the The Cocks flag to start a very short tour through 6 US-cities. The Cocks are Front 242’s Richard 23, Luc Van Acker, Chris Connelly and Paul Barker. Barker played bass, keyboards and did programming for Revolting Cocks between 1987 and 1993.

“Big Sexy Land” was originally released in 1986 and was the band’s first major release. At that time Revolting Cocks were Luc Van Acker, Richard 23 and Alain Jorgensen. Make sure to check these other Revolting Cocks related releases.

The band will play the following 6 dates in the USA:

September 16 New York – Stimulate
September 17 Houston – Numbers
September 18 San Fran – DNA
September 20 Tampa – Orpheum
September 21 Baltimore – Ottobar
September 24 Chicago – Metro/CWV

Revolting Cocks was founded by Richard 23 and Luc Van Acker with Al Jourgensen as their producer. Their first release was “No Devotion” on Wax Trax records in 1985. The single was quickly followed by an album, “Big Sexy Land” (1986), featuring a mix of Wax Trax-industrial, hard rock, and EBM with dominating sampling and strong synthesized beats. Richard 23 quit in 1986 due to creative differences, but joined the band on stage on April 17 2011 during the “Wax Trax! Records Retrospectacle: 33 1/3 Year Anniversary”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Noise Unit’s ‘Decoder’ album sees reissue as double vinyl – find your ordering info here

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 12:57:24 +0000

ArtOfFact will release the 2LP vinyl reissue of Noise Unit’s “Decoder”, the project’s 4th album, originally released in 1995 via Dossier and Cleopatra. The line-up for the “Decoder” album consisted of Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber. The re-release will include 2 unreleased bonus tracks (“Falling” and “Lifetime”) and will be available in 2 versions, a black double vinyl and an orange one (only version in the EU).

You can order this vinyl right now from ArtOfFact (for EU orders) or from Storming The Base (non-EU orders) where you can buy both version in one go too. Shipping is expected in February 2016. And while you at it, both stores have other Noise Unit vinyls on offer too!

Noise Unit is a Canadian industrial band, founded by Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly as a side project. Over the years the band has seen several changes in line-up, with Bill Leeb being the only permanent member. The first album, “Grinding into Emptiness”, arose from the collaboration between Leeb and Marc Verhaeghen of Belgian industrial band Klinik. It was released in 1989 through Wax Trax! and Antler-Subway. The 1990 follow-up, “Response Frequency”, was the last release to feature Verhaeghen until 1996 and included Rhys Fulber who would remain with the band for the next three albums. Verhaeghen resumed his collaboration with Noise Unit for the 1996 album “Drill” which also featured members of German industrial band Haujobb.

After an eight-year hiatus Leeb teamed with former Front Line Assembly member Chris Peterson in 2004 to release “Voyeur” in 2005. In 2014, Front Line Assembly announced that a new Noise Unit album is in the works and the line-up is the same as on Front Line Assembly album “Echogenetic”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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