V/A Wave Earplug N°.3 (Vinyl Album – 4mg Records)
Genre/Influences: EBM, electro-wave, minimal-electro.
Background/Info: Slovakian label 4mg Records started this series in 2017. It’s a way to support the ‘real’ underground scene revealing bands from all over the world –but mainly Europe. We get a compilation featuring ten bands hailing from Germany, The Netherlands, France, Colombia, Slovakia, USA, Austria, Belgium and Finland.
Artists: Staatseinde, Képeslap, Trois Traffic, Hexe, Prof. Great & Niki Noodles, Beta Evers, Arsenic Of Jabir, Deus Faust, End Off… Exist Not, Abstract Deity.
Content: The bands aren’t the most familiar names from the scene and that’s precisely the purpose of this sampler. From 90s-inspired EBM to late 80s electro with a touch of nu-disco on top to wave-pop to psychedelic experiments, this compilation will let you discover hidden talents.
+ + + : I’m a huge fan of this compilation series, which according to me is one of the most original ones. It’s also a way to discover bands you never heard of before, but I would like to hear more from Hexe, Prof. Great & Niki Noodles, Beta Evers, Arsenic Of Jabir and Staatseinde. I like their global approach and vintage-like sound treatments. There’s an info sheet included with the vinyl, which gives you a brief info about all artists.
– – – : Just like with other compilations there’re always a few cuts which can’t totally convince me, but there’s no reason to complain.
Conclusion: If there’s a compilation I would be missing, “Wave Earplug” would be a potential winner.
Best bands: Hexe, Prof. Great & Niki Noodles, Beta Evers, Arsenic Of Jabir
Rate: (8).
Label: www.facebook.com/4mgRecords
About 4mg Records
4mg Records is the private label of Slovak electronic musician Imrich Vegh, also known for his project ImiAFan. The label started in Canada in 2003 and later moved to Slovakia, operating as a non-profit platform for underground electronic music, with past releases by artists including Edward Ka-Spel, Borghesia and Click Click. The “Wave Earplug” series began with “Wave Earplug No.1” in 2017 and continued with “Wave Earplug No.2” in 2018 before this third volume. 4mg Records went on to release “Wave Earplug No.4” in 2020, “Wave Earplug No.5” in 2021, “Wave Earplug No.6” in 2022 and, per a later Side-Line report, “Wave Earplug No.7” in 2025.
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