The Brussels-based Spleen+ label (a division of Alfa Matrix) has prepared a deluxe 7CD collector’s edition – “Resurgence” – which brings together 133 active bands from across the globe, spanning the diverse sub-genres born from post-punk’s iconic roots. You can order it now from the Alfa Matrix webstore and in digital download format from Bandcamp.

The release comes housed in a luxurious vinyl-sized box, and comes accompanied by a 28-page book. The book holds interviews from renowned producers like John Fryer and Jean-Marc Lederman, label managers, journalists, and iconic artists (including Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, William Faith, No More, Skeletal Family, Mona Mur, KaS Product, And Also The Trees, Clan Of Xymox, Attrition, Das Ich, Merciful Nuns, The Names, The Breath Of Life, etc).

Spanning 23 different nationalities, the music included is a genre-spanning mix of post-punk, cold wave, dark synth, ethereal, and minimal EBM with such bands like Boy Harsher, A Cloud Of Ravens, No More, Skeletal Family, Collection D’Arnell Andrea, Underviewer, Attrition, Merciful Nuns, Lederman/De Meyer, Local Suicide & Sekelesys, Star Industry, Ataraxia, Czarina, Helalyn Flowers, Ascii.Disko, Je T’Aime, The Ultimate Dreamers, Lycia, Opera Multi Steel, The Breath Of Life, Auger, The Names, Whispers In The Shadow, Lovelorn Dolls, Astari Nite, Chiasm, Saigon Blue Rain, Omnimar, Still Patient, Creux Lies, Golden Apes, and many more.

You can already check out a few tracks here.

Apart from the 7CD vinyl size deluxe carton box format, “Resurgence” will not be available on mainstream digital platforms, except exclusively via the label’s Bandcamp page.

There is also a special combi pack including the 7CD set plus Darkness On Demand’s “Panic In Reserve” CD and To Avoid’s “All Gods Are Gone” 2CD.

“Resurgence” Tracklist

Cd 1

1. Bestial Mouths . Hex (The Spell)
2. A Cloud Of Ravens . Parable
3. Boy Harsher . Give Me A Reason
4. Czarina . Wonderland
5. Collection D’arnell Andrea . Waiting For Meaulnes
6. Krystal System . La Lame Dans Ta Main
7. Je T’aime . Out Of Sight
8. Aeon Rings . Fully Operational
9. The Ultimate Dreamers . Polarized
10. Partikul . Nothing Good In Me
11. Cosmobrigade . Spacepit
12. Aeon Sable . From Witchcraft To Deviltry
13. Stereoskop . Deep Down
14. The Breath Of Life . Slowly Crushing
15. Faust Project . Rats Lullaby
16. Al . Mistake
17. N.E.L. & J.P . Desinteresse
18. Zeitgeist Zero . Scream
19. Voyna . Moulding Heart

Cd 2

1. Blackbook . You Are Strange
2. Auger . My Heart Is Glass
3. Dekad . A Deadly Show (Video Edit)
4. Love In Cage . A Logical Secret Collection
5. Helalyn Flowers . Halos
6. Soft Scent . No Wounds
7. Sweet Ermengarde . Sweet Sacrifice
8. Martin Dupont . Bent At The Window (2023)
9. The Names . Far From The Factories
10. Boxes Of Blow . Melting Faces
11. Mirror Of Haze Feat. Primitive Heart . Reckless
12. A Slice Of Life . Seven Days
13. Then Comes Silence . Pretty Creatures
14. Nite . Inside Of My Head
15. Astari Nite . Bowie In Daydreams
16. Korus . Złote Światło Pierwszego Zachodu
17. Lovelorn Dolls . A Heart Cries
18. Whispers In The Shadow . Revenants
19. Merciful Nuns . Oneironauts

Cd 3

1. Lederman – De Meyer . Heartbeat
2. Local Suicide & Skelesys . Surface Of The Sun (Radio Edit)
3. Punx Soundcheck Feat. Ascii.Disko & Princess Superstar . Gasoline
4. No More . Sleepers And Trains
5. Mitra Mitra . Memories For Company
6. A Copy For Collapse Feat. Simona Pietrucci . Faded
7. Alien Skin . Depress Me
8. White Mansion . Cancel The Sky
9. Apnoie . Splash Your Bile
10. Celluloide . Compte Les Ombres
11. Risk Risk . Streetwalk
12. Total Chroma . Northern Lights
13. Opera Multi Steel . À Nos Moments Perdus
14. Lycia . Simpler Times
15. Noemi Aurora . Blood As Lipstick
16. Novus . Ess
17. I Ya Toyah . Death’s Kiss
18. Katcross . Rest
19. Winter Severity Index . Speak To Me

Cd 4

1. Systeme Paradoxe . Comme Le Sable En Hiver
2. Aiboforcen . Break The Black Ice (Original Mix)
3. Chiasm . Cut Right Through (Emileigh Rohn Edit)
4. Saigon Blue Rain . Dolls Dresses
5. Her Own World . Mistrust
6. Still Patient Feat. Minu-Schirin Samimi . Blind Vision
7. Creux Lies . Playtime
8. Der Klinke . Curtains (Your Life On Hold Remix)
9. On The Floor . Crying On The Dancefloor
10. Numa Echos Feat. Red Zebra . Waisted Items
11. Factheory . The Day (Ok Lion! Mix – Short Version)
12. Antiflvx . Crystal
13. Flor Concreta . She’s Closer
14. Golden Apes . Ash Trees
15. Glis . Blue Sky Night
16. Ataraxia . The Source
17. Hanging Freud . Grooming
18. Ok Lion! . Get Away
19. Yuzna . Queen Of The Eels

Cd 5

1. The Breath Of Life Feat. Implant . The Last Record
2. The Halo Trees . Happy Man
3. Palm Ghosts . Tilt
4. Your Life On Hold . Imprisoned (Merciless Radio Edit)
5. Götterdämmerung . Common Existence
6. Jenni Sex . Sin Chimes
7. Denner . She Radiates Darkness
8. Imjudas . I Love You
9. Black Needle Noise . Dollhouse On Fire
10. Dead Souls Rising . Dysmorphobia
11. The Waning Moon . Annabel
12. Korinthians . Leader Of The Night
13. Elektrostaub Feat. Stefan Netschio . Mantis (Auger Remix)
14. Omnimar . The Matrix
15. Synapsyche Feat. Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost) . The Last Dying Flame
16. Dance My Darling . Criminal
17. First Aid 4 Souls Feat. Emke Of Black Nail Cabaret . Das Messer
18. Supernova 1006 . Tell Your Name (Mix)
19. Suicidal Romance . Runaways

Cd 6

1. Ascii.Disko . Loslassen
2. Vioflesh . Emotions
3. Dina Summer . Who Am I (Club Version)
4. Pleasure Victim . Rascheln
5. Pink Opake . Pronta
6. Thewalkingicon . The Trail (Radio Edit)
7. Psy’aviah Feat. Sorrow Stories . Healing
8. Seasurfer . Collapsing
9. Lakeside X . Fire In The Sky (Radio Version)
10. Darkness On Demand . Hang On (Winterhart Remix)
11. Star Industry . Selling Icons (The Dreamside Remix)
12. Alphavox . Dark Satellite
13. Yama Uba . Shapes
14. Lifeless Past . Anxiety
15. Pink Turns Blue . Not Gonna Take It
16. Social Union . Waiting For Red
17. Sine . Until (Clan Of Xymox Remix)
18. Sorry, Heels . She Burns (We Burn) Version
19. Lights A.M . Clouds

Cd 7

1. Useless/You . Echo
2. Attrition . The Great Derailer
3. Children Of Zeal . Taking Over
4. Octolab . Friend Or Foe
5. Vague Phonique . The Last Man
6. Midnight Poetry . Black Hole
7. The Overlookers . Undercover (Edit)
8. La Machine . Vamos A La Playa (Radiomix)
9. Die Sexual . House Of God
10. Carrellee . Morning Sun
11. Underviewer . Was Soll Ich Tun (Aiboforcen Remix)
12. Night In Athens . Words Unspoken
13. Neila Invo . Alienation
14. Skeletal Family . My Own Redemption
15. The Murder Mystery . A Girl Named Red
16. Princess Ugly . For A Moment I Forgot The Desolation
17. Instant Lake . Ivory Dreams
18. Vision Video . Balaclava Kiss
19. La Scaltra . Dancing On Debris

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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Zeitgeist Zero have released their fourth album, “Meddling With The Forces”. Musically the album incorporates electronics and alternative rock, but containing a series of tracks with varied musical styles and thematic lyrics.

The band has produced a limited edition CD digipak which includes a fold-out lyric sheet that doubles as an Ouija board and an accompanying CD planchette. The band has also released video singles directed by band member Teresa, which serve as a visual complement to the album’s music.

Two tracks from “Meddling With The Forces” are featured in the film “How To Kill Monsters”, which premiered at Frightfest in Leicester Square, London, in August 2023.

Zeitgeist Zero has also distributed a music video for their song “Toxic Twisted” on YouTube. The video portrays a narrative consistent with the album’s themes.

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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(Photo by Stella Wembley) Out now is the all new single by the dark electronic musician Stella Wembley: “Wasting My Time” (you can get it here). The single with a medieval goth-inspired video. You can watch it below followed by a video interview on the new video with Leeds-based Italian-born artist Stella Wembley.

The video is set in Medieval 13th century England and was filmed at Kirkstall Abbey and Adel Woods in Leeds by Riccardo Cavani for London Filmmakers.

Stella Wembley interview on “Wasting My Time”.

The “Wasting My Time” EP features 4 tracks with the title track being about self-confidence, self-empowerment, hope, change and transformation so the musician explains. “Whenever there is a traumatic experience, I take the pain and put it into art, creating a song. The lyrics are autobiographical, and reference the difficulties I have gone through in the last 14 years, which I’ve finally overcome.”

“Betrayal, judgment and abandonment have been a constant in my life, and extremely painful, especially because it came from the people closest to me – family, friends- and having to manage this as well as my music career and record label wasn’t easy. This is how this song was born but, above all, it represents a new chapter in my life. Today, I feel powerful, and stronger than ever. I left the past in the past and cut all toxic relationships from my life. I love myself and I am finally free.”

Next to the title track the EP will feature 3 remixes: the “Cold Minimal Remix”, and the “Bionic Visions Electro Remix” and the “Bionic Visions Dark Ambient Remix”. The latter two ones were created by Enrico Knob aka Bionic Visions, an Italian music producer, arranger and re-mixer.

About Stella Wembley

Stella Wembley began her musical career in Italy as a soprano while studying opera at the Royal Conservatory of Music ‘San Pietro a Majella’ in Naples. Upon graduating, she moved to London in 2017 performing at venues in Leeds, Blackpool and London. She also started her own independent label Gothic Empire Records.

Armed with a MicroKorg synthesizer, she began writing and producing electronic music in 2018, resulting in her debut EP “All That I Need” (2019) and a video, followed by the “Images of Death” EP (2020) and “Loving The Alien” EP (2022).

She also collaborated and/or performed with Lloyd Price (The Frixion), Auger, Inkubus Sukkubus, Zeitgeist Zero, Last July, Rome Burns and Machine Rox. Stella is currently working on her new album ‘The Alchemy of the Dark Arts’, which will feature Michael Ciravolo (a.k.a. Beauty in Chaos) on guitar.

As of September 22, the “Wasting My Time” EP will be available everywhere digitally, including Apple Music and Spotify. On September 29, Stella will hold a release party online, followed by a live show at Leeds’ Eiger Studios on October 29.

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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Infest is the UK’s premier festival of alternative electronic music. This year the 20th edition takes place from 23-26 August with an amazing line-up featuring: Empirion, Peter Hook & The Light, Zeitgeist Zero, Grave Diggers Union, Cubanate, Iszoloscope, Siva Six, Def Neon, SΛRIN, Mesh, Liebknecht, ACTORS, YURA YURA, Adam Is A Girl, Flesh Eating Foundation, Aesthetic Perfection, This Morn’ Omina, Strvngers, Elegant Machinery, VaLHaLL, Massenhysterie and Promenade Cinema.

The venue is the University of Bradford Students’ Union, in the City of Bradford (near Leeds), West Yorkshire, UK. Besides concerts there are also afterparties featuring renowned DJ’s from all over the world.

Additional info on the official website
Tickets are available here

Genre/Influences: Goth-rock & electro;

Content: Leeds based Zeitgeist Zero seems to have awakened from hibernation. The band remained pretty busy, but this is their first new album since 2008 (cf. “Dead To The World”). In 2012 they released the “Blackout”-EP, but since then nothing new really happened in the studio.

This self-released 3rd full length looks very artistic. Zeitgeist Zero didn’t spare any effort to deliver a great digipak format while the songs were mixed by Steve Whitfield (The Mission, Terrorvision) and once again mastered by John Dent (Goldfrapp, PJ Harvey).

It has been never easy to qualify Zeitgeist Zero as one particular genre as this band covers many different influences, which often move in between gothic, rock and electronic. I dare to say that “Ghosts Of Victory” is somewhat more electro-minded when it comes to the arrangements. Globally speaking the songs are quite powerful and mainly driven by heavy guitar and dynamic drum sections. Singer Teresa Dead appears to be a gothic diva singing in a real passionate way. She’s the soul of the band and that’s an element, which is more explicit on this new release.

The songs are mixing rough and powerful passages together with delicate elements. Most of the choruses are into a dynamic explosion of drums and electro manipulations on top of the guitar playing. There’s a well-crafted balance between the different layers, which makes for the originality of the album.

Zeitgeist Zero clearly reveals a mature production and styled composition. From a pure technical point of view this work is absolutely successful. But a well-crafted and produced album also needs potential hits. I can’t say that the album is filled with hits, but it does have many cool songs. I’m referring to the energetic and gothic minded “The Jekyll In Me”, the more electro achieved “Don’t Pop My Bubble” and the delicate sounding “A Last Farewell” revealing a dense flavor of melancholia.

Zeitgeist Zero also tries to surprise their fans by the somewhat Rock-a-Billy inspired “Dust And Bone”, which also has something cabaret-like through the piano parts.

No real hits thus far till you discover “United In Black – Dance Or Die Mix”. This song was originally released on their last EP (cf. “Blackout”) and boosted to a great club version on this album. This song is more into a mix of cyber-goth and pop-rock influences. It was a great idea to put this song back on the album with a new mix.

“When The Lights Go Down” is another song from their EP, which has been mixed as a new version as well, but this “Bump ‘N’ Grind Mix” is not as successful.

Conclusion: Zeitgeist Zero has a unique style covering different dark musical grounds. There’s no real innovation at “Ghosts Of Victory”, but it’s a well-crafted and fully accomplished piece of work. This is a band with a strong image so they now only need a main hit to reach a wider (international) audience.

Best songs: “United In Black – Dance Or Die Mix”, “Don’t Pop My Bubble”, “The Jekyll In Me”, “Dust And Bone”.

Rate: (Elise Din:7½)Elise Din.

Band: www.zeitgeistzero.com / www.facebook.com/ZeitgeistZero

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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