V/A Synth Slovakia Vol.2 (Album – Synth Slovakia)
Genre/Influences: Gothic, Minimal-Electro, Electro-Pop, Wave-Pop, EBM.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: The title of the album speaks for itself; this is Electronic music made in Slovakia! A first compilation was already released a few years ago while we now get a fine selection of eighteen bands hailing from Slovakia… and the Czech Republic.
Artists: Eight Chances, Adrian Ulik, 580 Miles, Eclipsed, Gladia Moony, Lightune, Grawlix, ImiAFan, BisTros, Havran228, IAmNot, MFLS feat. Milan Monte Bartalsky, Montage, Love My Science, The Silence, The Opposer Divine, The Roben, Chebeaff feat. Key Head feat. Solo.
Content: I have to admit I wasn’t familiar at all with most of the featured bands. I only knew ImiAFan, Eclipsed and The Opposer Divine, which both are great projects. But I now got the opportunity to discover numerous ‘new’ names. The bands are dealing with much diversified genres, but as the title of the compilation indicates it’s mainly Electro! A lot of songs have been sung in the artists’ Mother tongue while others sung in English.
+ + + : This is the kind of compilations I particularly like and support. This is a way to discover new artists from countries we’re not used to hearing Electronics… although I have to confess Aliens Production remains one of my favorite labels while 4mg Records is another (smaller) interesting label. So there’s a scene in Slovakia and thanks to this compilation I got the opportunity to hear a few cool songs. I want to mention the Minimal-Electro from Adrian Ulik, the somewhat harder Lightune, the instrumental track from Grawlix, the Front 242-reminiscent IAmNot, the intelligence of Montage and the Wave-Pop of Love My Science. ImiAFan remains another sensation if you’re into Minimal-Electro treatments.
– – – : There’re a few forgettable songs, but you don’t hear me to complaining as I truly like this kind of samplers.
Conclusion: Buy a sonic Electro ticket to discover unknown, but promising names from the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Best bands: ImiAFan, Grawlix, IAmNot, Montage, Love My Science.
Rate: (8).
Label: www.synthslovakia.sk / www.facebook.com/SYNTHSLOVAKIA
About Synth Slovakia
Synth Slovakia is a Slovak initiative, run together with Culture Point, that promotes electronic and synthesizer music from Slovakia. Its first compilation, released in 2017, was covered by Side-Line as a 30-year overview of Slovak electronic music.
“SYNTH SLOVAKIA Vol.2” followed on 12 December 2020, curated by Robert Herceg and expanding the selection beyond the first volume’s scope to include stage music, instrumental work, ambient, retro, synthwave, darkwave, electro and EBM, with eighteen acts from Slovakia and the Czech Republic represented, according to the compilation’s Bandcamp credits.
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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.
