Genre/Influences:  Electro-Pop, Dance-Pop, Indie-Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: “Bittersweet” is the final part of a trilogy which started with the album “Lightflare” (2018) followed by “Soul Searching” (2019). But the work is also meant to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Belgian project. There’s a bonus disc featuring fifteen surprising songs while the digital version  reveals fourteen extra tracks.

Content: The working formula of Psy’Aviah hasn’t really changed. Yves Schelpe composes the music while working with an impressive list of guest singers. The opening piece again features cavernous, spoken vocals by Dutch psychiatrist Dirk De Wachter. It’s a dark, dreamy intro followed by twelve, mainly, danceable cuts. The songs are meticulously elaborated and mainly Dance-driven, sometimes reminding me of the magic of Delerium. Olivya Nicole, Mari Kattman, Saydi Driggers, Lumi, Huong Su, Maysa, Marieke Lightband, Tina Forlorn, Eli Rho (2 songs), Rebecca Schneider and Addie Nicole contributed guest vocals while there also guest artists featured playing violin and cello. Notice by the way the tracklist features 2 ‘older’ reworked songs.

The bonus disc features Psy’Aviah songs taken from the wide discography of the band which have been all reworked -and in a way covered by an impressive list of artists. Madil Hardis, The Breath Of Life, Clairval, Your Life On Hold, IC434 (2 songs), Digital Factor, Aesthetische, KC Woong, Implant and Leather Strip contributed to this celebration while you’ll also hear collaborative tracks with Implant, Cat Hall and Bow Ever Down.

The digital format reveals extra songs featuring 808 Dot.Pop, Impulse Control Disorder, Fakzillity, Llumen, Miseram Mortem, Designer Violence, Hartung & Schleinitz, Y-Luk-O, Cosmic Armchair, Huilende Wolf, The Breath Of Life and Leather Strip plus 2 collaborative cuts together with Leather Strip and Implant.

+ + + : The main strength of “Bitter Sweet” is its ‘easy listening’ format. Psy’Aviah is nearly impossible to label -although hardly driven by a very personal approach of Dance music, but simply following its path. The project has seriously evolved throughout the years and the sound often appears a true challenge. The composition is well-crafted, styled, sensual for the slow rhythms and here again reveals an interesting and diversified list of talented singers. “Can we Make It Rhyme ” featuring Mari Kattman is a great piece of music reminding me a bit of Delerium. And I also want to mention “Tired” which is an older song that has been reworked and features passionate vocals by Addie Nicole (Hallocene).

I also have to salute the original concept of the bonus disc (and bonus songs for the digital edit) where the artists totally reworked the older Psy’Aviah songs while putting their own voice on it. The result is diversified but I especially recommend both cuts by IC434 and the one by Your Life On Hold.

– – – : The main strength of Psy’Aviah also appears to be its biggest weakness; hard to label and sometimes dangerously moving to the edge of pure ‘commercial’ Dance music. That’s why I often wonder if this is the right scene and label for this project? The bonus songs are a pretty cool commemoration although I’m missing Emélie Nicolaï who was the singer of the band during the first decade.

Conclusion: Psy’Aviah remains a true challenge although we can’t be unmoved by the creativity, ideas, concept and sound intelligence of this artist.

Best songs: “Can we Make It Rhyme”, “Tired – Rediscovered”, “Cold Summer Nights”, “The Wildness In Me” + “Broken Child” (IC 434), “Anger Management” (IC 434), “Our Common End” (Your Life On Hold), “The Worst In Me” (Leather Strip), “Wild Ride” (Llumen).

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.psyaviah.com / www.facebook.com/psyaviah

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

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Out now is the debut single “Telos” by the new industrial pop project ¡-PAHL-! as first track of the forthcoming album. ¡-PAHL-! is the unconventional collaboration of Olaf Parusel (sToa), Peter Hardlab and Leo von Leibnitz (Digital Factor, Y-Luk-O, Promo.Fabrik).

You can watch the video below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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

This double vinyl holds tracks from such EBM bands as Leaether Strip, Tyske Ludder, Prager Handgriff, NZ, Nordarr, Sturm Cafe, Steril, Frontal, AD:Key, Digital Factor, Amnistia and Zweite Jugend. Also included are the newcomers ManMindMachine, Zweistürzende Alltbauten and Harm Joy next to submissions by Overgament and Y-Luk-O. Included are exclusive or rare tracks and remixes.

Side A:

1. TC75 – Count the Clock 3:04
2. Leaether Strip – Same old Shit 4:13
3. NZ – One Of Us (Album Version) 5:06
4. Nordarr – Die Erde Brennt (Edit) 3:22
5. Frontal – Was Bleibt 4:16

Side B:

1. Tyske Ludder – An Vorderster Front (Rework 1.0) 3:43
2. Prager Handgriff – Bis an das Ende der Welt (Exit Freedom Mix) 6:05
3. Overgament – Sorrounded by Darkness – Moshi Remix 6:29
4. Digital Factor – Wrong Space 3:44

Side C:

1. AD:key – Elitaer (10th_anniversary-Video-Edit) 2:39
2. ManMind Machine – Steam On (EBM Remix) 4:40
3. Steril –Black Jesus 4:54
4. Sturm Cafe – Traummann (Spark Remix) 3:22
5. Amnistia – Kraft (Werk 2007) 4:29

Side C:

1. Orange Sector – Götter (EBZ Mix) 2:55
2. Zweite Jugend – Hoch Die Tassen 03:12
3. Zweistürzende Altbauten – Ss’jabroka 03:29
4. Harm Joy – Only the Nightmare survive (Tyske Ludders “Schmetterlingsmaschine” Remix) 4:57
5. Y-Luk-O – Autark (Static Violence Remix)4:13

The release comes in 3 versions: the Special Edition (available here), the Black Edition (available here) and the Red Edition (available here).

And that’s not all.

The label has also planned a live release event for this compilation which takes place on October 14, 2017 in Kassel/Germany during Summer Stomp 2017 which is organised by Daniel Buff from EBM Stomp. You’ll be able to see bands from Austria, Sweden and Germany such as Proleturan (a side project of Andreas from Full contact 69). They will be followed by the Austrian guys Daniel and Jürgen from NZ. The third act will be Amnistia and the fourth the oldschool heroes from Steril.

Between the co-headliners and the headlining gig of Agrezzior, a special midnight-act named Das_dreckige_dutzenD is planned and will be a big surprise for the audience. After this, Agrezzior from Sweden will be finishing the live part of the evening and then you will have more time to drink and dance at an EBM-Aftershowparty. You can order tickets at: www.EBM-Stomp.de or www.facebook.com/ebmstomp.

Here’s the poster for the event:

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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German-American industrial act Y-Luk-O will release their next video single “Lipstick Lie” on Valentine’s Day 2017 (February 14). “Lipstick Lie” offers a blend of industrial, electronic and metal.

Says the band: “The soundtrack and video are an alternative for Valentine’s Day for those, who are bored to watch 50 Shades of Grey in the cinema.”

The video has been directed by Michael Herrmann of ABGedreht Productions. You can watch a first trailer below:

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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