Every year there are some records and bands that are pleasantly surprising. Elend manages to do that with this new record. The theatrical and neo-classical metal music has been replaced by pure beauty. The music on Winds Devouring Men is still theatrical and bombastic. All metal influences are gone and have been replaced by a Dead Can Dance inspired sound…
OhGr – SunnyPsyOp
October 24, 2003 by
OhGr is the new name by which former Skinny Puppy member Nivek Ogre produces his music nowadays. Two years ago the cd Welt was released with material that had been lying around for quite some time. On that record Ogre presented his new sound: weird electropop songs that had very little in common with the dark music he made with Skinny Puppy…
Stille Volk – Maudat
October 22, 2003 by
Stille Volk is a French (neo)folk and medieval group. Their music is for the greatest part based on the Keltic tradition, but the group is not afraid to use other (traditional) influences in their music. Maudat is their fourth cd and like the previous records a concept album…
Synapscape – Hands on Centrozoon
October 22, 2003 by
Synapscape is well known for its industrial and noise sounds. This EP is not a new record by the band but a collection of reworks they did for the electronic pop group Centrozoon. According to the liner-notes Synapscape manipulated and mutated the original songs. The new version of ‘Pop killer’ is indeed extremely mutated. This version has nothing in comparison with the original version…
Erase Errata – At Crystal Palace
October 18, 2003 by
We live in a recycle age. From time to time certain decades are in the spotlights again, and the music and fashion from that era are being made and sold again. The 80’s revival has been going on for some time now. A thing like the electro(clash) hype is linked with this replay…
Beta Evers – Confusion
October 16, 2003 by
This is the third lp in the Crème Eclipse serie, and the most interesting until now. The Crème Eclipse serie, is being released in a mysterious form: black sleeve (only with small sticker), black label, transparent vinyl and no track listing. Part one and two were by The Omni Incentive and Kassen. Beta Evers took care of this third release…
Antimatter – Lights Out
October 16, 2003 by
Antimatter is the new band by ex-Anathema bassist and songwriter Duncan Patterson. The symphonic rock of the Anathema albums Eternity and Alternative 4 is continued and further worked out by Antimatter. The band plays very slow and tranquil music. Luckily Antimatter doesn’t use as much notes in each song as some symphonic and progrock bands do…
Skanfrom – Soothing Sound for Robots
October 16, 2003 by
Skanfrom describes himself as a human robot. His music is a sort of robot pop, somewhere between electro(pop) and electronica, with an accessible character. Soothing Sound for Robots is a re-issue on cd of the limited edition 12” EP with the same title, that was released last year. On this cd there are also some bonus tracks added…
Laibach – Laibach
October 13, 2003 by
Laibach is one of the pioneering bands for the industrial scene, not only when it comes to music, also their (controversial) imagery has had a deep impact on the genre. Even nowadays bands still make use of their heritance. The band themselves also think it is still interesting to play the same music and stage the same show…
GD Luxxe – The 21st Door
October 13, 2003 by
GD Luxxe is the 80’s inspired synth/electro project by Austrian citizen Gerhard Potuznik. For years he has been releasing music on various labels and producing other musicians, among them Chicks on Speed. Recently the compilation album Snow Robots 3 was released by Suction Records on which the poppy track ‘Compulsion’ by GD Luxxe appeared…
Baard – Life in a goldfish bowl
October 13, 2003 by
Next to loads of new electro that is being released there is a definite increase in interest in the predecessor and pioneers of the genre. The German Genetic Music label releases next to new, but clearly 80’s inspired, synth/electro pop also obscure 80’s electro…
Legowelt – Tower of the Gipsies EP
October 7, 2003 by
Legowelt had become more or less the biggest export product of The Netherlands when it comes to electro. The sound of Legowelt has changed a bit during the past years, from more techno orientated electro towards italo disco influenced electro nowadays. This new Tower of the Gipsies EP is not like most Legowelt records filled with dance tracks…
Corona Borealis – Corona Borealis
October 6, 2003 by
Folk and medieval music is gaining popularity again since some time. Amongst others hardrock and metal fans are showing interest in this music, probably due to the fact that bands like In Extremo, Subway to Sally and Tanzwut make use of folk influences in their rockmusic. Both some labels and fans are looking for more traditional forms of folk and medieval music as a reaction to this…
O Quam Tristis – Le Rituel Sacré
October 2, 2003 by
“O Quam Tristis…” is a French group that plays medieval music with strong electronic influences. Their albums are released by the Italian Palace of Worms label. Le Rituel Sacré is their second cd and quite a step forward for the band. In comparison with the first album Funérailles des Petits Enfants there are a lot of changes for the better…
Shine Dión – Wyn
October 1, 2003 by
Shine Dión is a folky duo from Norway that releases their music on their own label. On their records they get assistance from guest musicians on instruments like flutes, mandolin and hardanger fiddle. The name of the group means ‘shining moon’ and refers to the pagan goddess of the moon Diona. Their lyrics and music are inspired by the Norwegian landscape, fairy tales and mysticism…
Charly Kent – Mein Zeichen
September 30, 2003 by
When you are familiar with the dark and mostly distorted electro sounds from the Kommando 6 label, you will need some time to get accustomed to this record. The sound of Mein Zeichen by Charly Kent is in comparison with the other Kommando 6 releases quite light. Besides that the recognizable minimal electro sound is also not very present…
Rorschach Garden, The – Flow of Life
September 30, 2003 by
Just a little while ago the German The Rorschach Garden released a 7” EP called Far Away From Paradise. On that record were three wonderful electro-wave songs. Now there is already a new mini-lp with new songs on it and a couple of remixes. The record opens with a nice and atmospheric pop song, ‘Solarize’. Rhythmic and melodic this song is (again) an example of perfect popmusic…
Television Set – Moscow at midnight
September 30, 2003 by
This is the second release by electro/synth pop act Television Set. The name of the band is taken from an old and obscure Depeche Mode song. Their music also goes back to early day Depeche Mode style and other electro pioneers from the late seventies and early eighties. The (analogue) drum machine, bass lines and simple, but excellent, melodies sound wonderfully old-fashioned…
Faun – Zaubersprüche
September 29, 2003 by
Faun is an ensemble from Germany that plays medieval and pagan folk music. Most pieces on Zaubersprüche are written by themselves, so are not traditional. The medieval feeling is nonetheless evident through the use of hurdy-gurdy, bagpipe, flutes, percussion and nyckelharp. There are, mostly in Germany, many groups that play music inspired by The Middle Ages…
V/A – Snow Robots Volume 3
September 29, 2003 by
Suction Records is a Canadian label that is specialized in melodic electro(pop). Snow Robots Volume 3 is not for sale in record stores, but can be obtained directly through the website of the label…
