V/A Sonic Groove: 25 Years / 1995 – 2020 (Album – Sonic Groove)

Genre/Influences: Techno-Body, Industrial-Techno, Dark-Techno.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Sonic Groove is celebrating its 25^th anniversary with a compilation featuring 12 tracks. Set up by Adam Mitchell –better known under the Adam X moniker, the American label –now based in Berlin (Germany) became a visionary company mixing Techno music with darker/underground genres like EBM and Industrial music.

Artists: The Source Experience, Max Durante, Orphx, Diagenetic Origin, Panacea, Meadon, Rhys Fulber & Portion Control, Crystal Geometry, Monolith, Adam X, Dasha Rush, Realmz.

Content: The compilation brings familiar projects from the label together; from ‘earlier’ artists such as Max Durante, Orphx, Diagenetic Origin, Dasha Rush and Realmz… to artists who joined Sonic Groove during the past few years like Rhys Fulber, Crystal Geometry, Maedon… The common thread between all artists is Techno music, which they each mixed with a darker influence. The most surprising track is a collaboration between Rhys Fulber (Frontline Assembly, Delerium, Conjure One ao) and Portion Control.

+ + + : This compilation first of all is a way to discover the great label roster of Sonic Groove while it remains one of the very few labels, which welcomed artists mixing Techno music with darker genres. Sonic Groove has been a pioneer and still remains a reference today. When you hear Rhys Fulber together with Portion Control composing a true Techno-Body-Music song with harsh vocals on top, you get an idea what this label stands for. So far I can see the featured artists have composed an exclusive song for this sampler, which makes it only more interesting. I have a preference for the Industrial-Techno style of Crystal Geometry (one of the newest projects on Sonic Groove), but I also have to mention the rough exposure by Diagenetic Origin, the Dark-Techno approach from Panacea and a more explicit track by Dasha Rush. Adam X remains another attention grabber and who better than the label owner he stands for the sound of his label: Industrial-Techno!

– – – : I don’t have real regrets, but some extra artists and tracks would have been cool.

Conclusion: This sampler serves as a perfect shop window to give you an idea about the sonic strength and visionary style of the label. I can only express respect for what this label has accomplished so far.

Best bands: Crystal Geometry, Rhys Fulber & Portion Control, Diagenetic Origin, Panacea.

Rate: (8½).

Label: www.sonicgroove.com / www.facebook.com/Sonicgrooverecords

Since you’re here …

… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.

If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The donations are safely powered by Paypal.