Genre/Influences: Electro-pop.

Background/Info: This year Mind Machine released their first album in more than twenty years, this way pleasing all lovers of ‘classic’ electro-pop music inspired by bands such as Depeche Mode, New Order ao. This album is revisiting ten from the eleven album songs. Only a remix of “Decade”! We get a total amount of 16 remixes.

Content: This album is a different way to discover the work of Mind Machine; it’s the interpretation of other artists transposing the original electro-pop sound of “Return To The Machine” into their own approach. There’s an interesting twist of remixers featuring familiar, famous names such as Parralox, Frozen Plasma, Eisfabrik and People’s Theatre next to less familiar and/or renowned names such as Darwinmcd, Nature Of Wires, Fused, Provision, Mda, The Frixion, The New Division, Uncreated, Zoon Politicon, Graflex, The Grey Disorder and Circuit3.

+ + + : There’s an interesting diversity featured by the remix artists. It also is another way to get back to the band’s album. My favorite song from the ‘original’ album was the song “Here And There” and here again I have to say it’s a pretty cool track, which has been re-boosted by Parralox into a great retro-styled remix. Another cool song was “We Keep Walking” and here again I discovered a cool remix made by The New Division”.

– – – : I expected a bit more out of the remixes by Eisfabrik and Frozen Plasma.

Conclusion: Remixes are cool for DJ’s and die-hard fans. I discovered some cool remixes, but I prefer the original songs.

Best songs: “Here And There – Parralox Remix”, “We Keep Walking – The New Division Remix”, “The Pain You Feel – Scars Of Anguish by Provision”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/mindmachineband

About Mind Machine

Mind Machine is a Los Angeles-based synthpop duo of vocalist Brian Belknap and multi-instrumentalist Brian Olsen, established in 1989 and originally active through the mid-1990s, a period later collected on “Movement: The Very Best Of Mind Machine 1990-1995”. The band returned in 2019 with the album “Return To The Machine” after a 24-year hiatus, followed the same year by the companion remix set “Remix The Machine” and the EP “Clouds Of Doubt”, reviewed separately on Side-Line.

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

Background/Info:

About Hidden Souls

Hidden Souls is a trio formed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2005, with member Guillermo Pardo Neira. The band contributed remixes for Parralox and Zoon Politicon before signing to Echozone for “The Incorruptible Dream”. Hidden Souls discussed the Argentinian scene with Side-Line in a Click Interview.

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

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, EBM.

Background/Info: Dimitri (DMT) Berzerk is a Mexican DJ and producer you for sure already discovered by one of his endless remixes he made for other artists. He started assembling these remixes on albums and has unleashed the second volume in the “Remixes Collection”. The CD format is strictly limited to 200 copies and has been released on his very own label.

Content: This second edition features remixes Dimitri Berzerk made for Future Perfect, Reflection, Sinestar, Vox Humana, Cid Project, Want/ed, Devilsight, Dead Man Recovering, Zoon Politicon, Wumpscut, Data and Kromak. It’s an interesting selection of bands dealing with different kinds of electronic music; from electro-pop to EBM to dark-electronics.

DMT Berzerk seriously reworked the songs into mainly electro-pop driven edits, but he also added or hold on EBM influences on other cuts.

+ + + : Making remixes is a long-time habit in different music genres, but the interesting element about this artist is he has some particular skills to do the job. It’s not just a remix that has been made in a hurry, but you can feel a real sound approach and I dare to say ‘sound philosophy’ behind the remixes. Even if most of the songs have been restyled into danceable and sometimes clubby electro-pop, I also noticed a few surprising songs such as the minimal remix of Wumpscut’s “Wreath Of Barbs” and the trance vibes that have been held on at Kromak’s (side-project C-Lekktor) “Dying 4 U”. There’s a great diversity, which sometimes moves at the edge of electro-ambient and then becomes pretty vintage-like, but globally speaking there’s a real coherence between all remixes.

– – – : This is a fully enjoyable and entertaining album, but maybe without absolute hits although multiple tracks for DJ’s.

Conclusion: I’ve never fond of remixes, but this kind of concept is different. I think it’s a damned good idea to get the remixes Dimitri Berzerk made for others on one disc.

Best songs: Kromak: “Dying 4 U feat. Manriquez”, Sinestar: “Fortunes Faded”, Wumpscut: “Wreath Of Barbs”, Zoon Politicon: “Dreamer”, Devilsight: “This Is The Feeling Of My Hate”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.dmtberzerk.mx / www.facebook.com/dimitri.berzerk

Label: www.sector–industrial.com / www.facebook.com/sector.industrial.producciones

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

1. Farben
2. Götter V.02
3. Heute liebe ich dich
4. Ich sehe Dich sterben
5. Farben (Club 89 Mix)
6. Götter (Ad/key rmx)
7. Ich sehe Dich sterben (Zoon Politicon immortal mix)
8. Götter V.03
9. Farben (Blitzmaschine rmx)

Read the review of ‘Farben’.

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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