In 2023, Dancedelicd collaborated with Brussels-based Je M’en Fish Records on three vinyl releases. Among these, The Neon Judgement’s compilation “Blue Screens” is scheduled for November 5th. This release will be on a 180-gram vinyl format and will come in three different colors.

In the early 1980s, Dirk Timmermans, also known as Dirk Da Davo, and Frank Vloeberghs, known as TB Frank, founded The Neon Judgement. They initially gained attention for their unique blend of stark industrial elements with intricate guitar and synthesizer work.

During the 1990s, the duo shifted their musical direction and also changed labels. They released Dazsoo under KK Records, known for artists like Bauhaus and Frontline Assembly; At Devil’s Fork with Synthetic Symphony, home to Die Krupps and Welle: Erdball; and Smack on LC Music/Dancedelic-D, Dirk Da Davo’s own label.

This 10-track compilation features a curated selection from these latter three albums, all of which have been fully remastered and are making their debut on vinyl.

Earlier this year Dirk Da Davo’s album “Retrospective 1987 – 2023” album was released in April. Additionally, June saw a reissue of The Neon Judgement’s “PIAS 40” vinyl, which includes several tracks from the 1980s.

A digital EP is planned for November 20th, involving Dirk’s side project DDDJMX and Jean-Marie Aerts (JMX). The EP is titled “23”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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Genre/Influences: Synth-pop.

Background/Info: Set up in 2012, Quieter Than Spiders is a Chinese-Anglo band unleashing their debut album. The songs have been composed and recorded in Shangai and London while mastered in Germany by   Stefan Bornhorst (The Silicon Scientist). Next to the CD format the album is also available as vinyl edition.

Content: Quieter Than Spiders clearly deals with synth-pop music. The songs reveal a truly vintage approach featuring multiple analogue sound treatments. It brings us back to the early years of synth-pop music although there also is something more contemporary on top. Quieter Than Spiders might be the ‘Chinese answer to Welle: Erdball and Celluloide’.

The album features 10 songs plus experimental intermezzos while the second disc features 10 remixes. Some remixes have been done by the band itself, but you also will find remixes by Delayscape, Jonteknik, Kevin Komoda, Micro Cheval, Vile Electrodes and The Silicon Scientist.

+ + + : This is music for 80s lovers and other synth-pop freaks with a taste for retro-music. It’s a soft expression of electro music, but which sometimes feels like a blessing. The songs have been composed with delicacy. The vocals are alternating male- and female parts. I’ve a preference for the graceful and yet sterile female vocals. There are several cool cuts features, but my favorite track is “The Statues” for the dreamy atmosphere and sexy vocals. Among the remixes I heard great contributions from Vile Electrodes and Kevin Komoda (Rational Youth).

– – – : The experimental intermezzos are easy to listen to, but not exactly adding a bonus. I don’t understand why artists are adding these kinds of short cuts in their work! The ‘real’ songs are cool, but this album is missing a potential hit or a kind of ‘club-mix’ among the remixes.

Conclusion: Quieter Than Spiders is an interesting name and also a cool ambassador from the Chinese electro scene. This is a band to keep an eye on!

Best songs: “The Statues”, “The Land Of Lost Content”, “Shangai Metro” + “Shangai Metro – Vile Electrodes Remix”, “Hibakusha – Kevin Komoda Remix”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/QTSpiders

Label: www.facebook.com/annaloguerecords

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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Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, electro-punk.

Background/Info: Kid Knorke is a German project releasing its first full length album. After a previously released EP this new work will be an introduction to particular sound universe of Kid Knorke.

Content: The music has been defined as ‘electro-punk’, but it first of all resulted from a truly passion for vintage gear like gameboys sounds and the famous C64. It creates a link with Welle: Erdball, but the approach is globally speaking totally different. Kid Knorke is pure fun, featuring easy recognizable passages from bands such as Depeche Mode, Soft Cell and even 2 Unlimited. Nothing is crazy enough and that’s an aspect that also comes through  in the lyrics (all sung in German).

+ + + : If you like early electro-pop music with a funny punk attitude on top, this album will give you full satisfaction. This vintage sound approach remains something really unique and definitely easily recognizable. It’s vintage-like and pure nostalgia. One of my favorite cuts entitled “Undertaker vs. Cpt. Einsicht” is probably also the most serious one (sound-wise).

– – – : Good-old gameboys sounds are cool, but Kid Knorke is really abusing of these old effects. It starts to become a little bit annoying after a while. You sometimes get the impression that you are walking on a fairy ground instead of listening to an album.

Conclusion: I like this album for a couple of songs, untill it all becomes a little bit repetitive and predictable. It however is a funny experience.

Best songs: “Undertaker vs. Cpt. Einsicht”, “Jesus Christus – Sunflowers Of Death Cover feat. Jan Off”.

Rate: (6).

Artist: www.facebook.com/kidknorke

Label: www.kompuphonik.de / www.facebook.com/Kompuphonik

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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Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, body-pop, experimental.

Background/Info: Massiv In Mensch has already been active since 1993; but the German electro formation disappeared a bit from the radar during the past few years. This new opus stands for a ‘symbolic’  new beginning and the first album they ever released on Swedish label Katyusha Records.

Content: Massiv In Mensch moved a bit towards ‘classical’ electro-pop with a typical German flavor on top. The band has used to familiarize us with trance-driven electro-techno music, but now comes closer to the ‘nintendo’-pop of Welle: Erdball. I guess it’s not really a coincidence if ‘Honey’ (from Welle: Erdball) contributed to one of the songs.

Massiv In Mensch accomplished their work with several ‘guests’ while the second album reveals a festival of remixes by new label mates Trakktor and other artists such as Stefan Poiss (Mind.In.A.Box, Thyx), Kontrast, Ginger Snap5, Tritoxin and a few more less familiar names.

+ + + : This is probably one of the most versatile productions by Massiv In Mensch. I like their move towards a more ‘classical’ electro-pop sound, which is however strongly inspired by a typical German sound, which will appeal to lovers of Kraftwerk, Welle: Erdball and co. The work features great sound treatments accentuated by cool bleeping sequences and a few alluring choruses. I like most of these songs and especially the ones featuring male- and female vocals. Other cool cuts are the ones with great narrating voices (like the opening track).

The second disc is much more than simply an extra disc with remixes. There’s a cool diversity running through the songs and especially the song “Hamburg” appears to be a great source of inspiration for remixes. But my favorite track of the album is the “Altlast-Maschinen-Boss-Mix” of “Aggressive Leader” by Mirco Osterthun… who’s an ex member of the band.

– – – : I get the impression that Massiv In Mensch deliberately moved from their trance-techno music to get back to pure electro-pop. I didn’t have anything against their previous work and even believe it also made their originality. That’s a bit what I’m missing on “Am Port Der Guten Hoffnung”.

Conclusion: Not sure if “Am Port Der Guten Hoffnung” is announcing a new era for Massiv In Mensch, but it clearly sounds as something different and a kind of rupture with the past.

Best songs: “Hamburg”, “Türkis Ist Das Neue Schwarz”, “Port der guten Hoffnung”, “Le-Rav II” + “November – Tritoxin Remake”, “Aggressive Leader – Altlast-Maschinen-Boss-Mix”, “Telespiel Am Timmendorfer Strand – Bonus Track”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.massivinmensch.de / www.facebook.com/massivinmensch

Label: www.katyusha.se / www.facebook.com/katyusharecords

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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Genre/Influences: Synth-pop.

Background/Info: Deadbeat is a Swedish synth-pop project driven by the creative spirit of Magnus Norr. “Reflektioner” is my personal introduction to this formation although a few previous work has been released. The main particularity of this work is the contribution of several guest singers. This is an opportunity to (re)discover Compute, Frl. Plastique (Welle: Erdball, The Girl & The Robot), Toril Lindqvist (Alice In Videoland) plus two less familiar artists Ida Lagerlöf and Millie Ajanovic Nordh.

Content: Deadbeat took me by surprise. I didn’t know what to expect, but I discovered a mature and well-crafted electro-pop composition in the truest Swedish tradition. The main particularity is the Swedish language. It’s not that new, but it always injects a surprising and somewhat exotic effect for non-Swedish music lovers.

From happy sounding pop songs, which now and then remind me of Erasure to vintage passages to songs with subtle sound arrangements and delicate bleeps plus a few alluring vocal parts this work really has a lot to offer.

The final songs are remixes by Lackan, Mats Forsell and Kloon.

+ + + : Sweden remains one of the most prolific grounds for great synth-pop music. Deadbeat is not reinventing the genre, but is an accomplished ode to synth-pop music. The global production process is absolutely perfect while we get multiple great songs revealing “Den Brända Jordens Taktik” as absolute apotheosis. Most of the guest singers are adding a real bonus and I mainly think about the charismatic Compute and the particular timbre of voice of Frl. Plastique. The least I can say is that there’s a real symbiosis between the musician and the singers.

– – – : I like the digipak format, but unfortunately it’s not that easy to fully distinguish the band name. It’s maybe a detail, but it has its importance. All remixes are okay, but not exactly adding a real bonus.

Conclusion: Deadbeat is a band I highly recommend and especially for all those who like Swedish electro-pop. This is a band with a real professional and accomplished sound.

Best songs: “Den Brända Jordens Taktik”, “En Fallen Dröm”, “Makt”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: https://deadbeatexhibit.bandcamp.com/album/reflektioner

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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Genre/Influences: Electro-pop.

Background/Info: One of the most unique electro-pop formations from the scene strikes back with a new (mini)-album. The Welle: Erdball crew consists of ‘captain’ Honey on vocals accompanied by ALF behind the machines and programming plus backing vocalists Fräulein Venus and Lady Lila.

Content: Welle: Erdball remains unique because of their typical electro-sound. The vintage approach resulting in easy recognizable ‘Amiga’-like bleeps remains the essence of this band. Honey’s vocals sung in German and sometimes joined and/or alternated by female vocals is another typical trademark of the band.

I discovered that ”Gaudeamus Igitur” was a Latin song sung by students and now reworked and transformed by Welle: Erdball. It totally fits to the global approach of Welle: Erdball. It all sounds fun- and party like. The album is one more electro-pop exploration sometimes alternated by retro-like and totally funny psychedelic-pop passages (cf. “Die Letzte Chance Zu Leben”). But this German formation also knows the secret to compose more danceable club-tracks.

+ + + : The main strength of Welle: Erdball is the quite recognizable song. Once you’ve heard this formation you simply will never forget it and always recognize it. All kind of comparisons with Kraftwerk and co are easy to make, but in the end there’s only one Welle: Erdball. This new opus –or should I say ‘cantus’, is diversified. You’re now going to dance and next you gone laugh and have fun. I still like the female vocals and especially the delicious and sexy-like “L’Inconnue De La Seine” partially sung in French language.

– – – : The main strength of Welle: Erdball also is the main weakness. Once you’ve heard one of their songs, you can get the impression it all sounds the same like a copy from a copy.

Conclusion: Welle: Erdball no longer innovates, but simply composes the music they’re familiar with and which the fans are asking for.

Best songs: “Die Allerletzte Chance”, “L’Inconnue De La Seine”, “20000 Meilen Unter Dem Meer”, “Vespa 50N Special”. “Stirb Mir Nicht Weg C=64”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.facebook.com/WelleErdball

Label: www.spv.de / http://de–de.facebook.com/spvhannover

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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Genre/Influences: Electro-pop.

Background/Info: “1000 Engel” was originally released as a box including the EP “1000 Engel” plus a 7” vinyl. A few months later “1000 Engel”was re-released as a ‘normal’-CD version featuring the 10 original songs.

Content: If there’s an active electro-pop band we’ve decrypted all of their secrets, it for sure must be Welle: Erdball. Their unique electronic approach remains characterized by their very personal bleeping sequences, retro-electro style and German vocals. Once you’ve heard a song of this band you never will forget their sound formula.

“1000 Engel” is a classical Welle: Erdball release on, which I prefer the both remixes of the title song instead of the original mix. I personally prefer harder and more passionate cuts revealing a kind of ‘naughty’ production. They here don’t reinvent their sound, but seem to inject an extra boost upon the electro-pop basis. The mix of (mainly) male- and female vocals remains another familiar aspect, which is once again well-produced and efficient.

+ + + : This is not the ‘classical’-EP featuring a title song and multiple remixes. It looks a bit like an album as “1000 Engel” features several new songs and only a few remixes. Especially the remixes of “1000 Engel” by Massiv In Mensch and Rötkappchen are adding a real bonus to the EP. The work of Welle: Erdball remains well-crafted and masterly produced.

– – – : Despite of the great sound treatments, carrying tunes and exciting bleeps, this EP doesn’t innovate and sounds pretty predictable. A few songs are driven by some childish and cheep commercial tunes.

Conclusion: Welle: Erdball sounds like an experienced driver; you know that nothing can happen and that you’ll safely arrive after a cool trip. I have some doubts this band will ever experience new sound formula, but it remains a fully enjoyable experience.

Best songs: “Die Neue Welt”, “Re-Animierung”, “1000 Engel – Rötkappchen Version”

Rate: (7).

Band: www.welle–erdball.de / www.facebook.com/WelleErdball

Label: www.spv.de / http://de–de.facebook.com/spvhannover

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com