Reviews: electro

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…

RA-X is the Dutchman Vincet Koreman, who is also known as a member of the bands The Travoltas and Speedboat F.C. The dark electronic music that he makes under the moniker RA-X has little resemblance to these two projects. For years he has released his music through well known labels as Bunker and KK Records…

When you put this cd on you might think you are listening to an updated version of Gary Numan. The opening track ‘Disconnection ­ Reinvention’ sounds like a modern version of ‘Down In The Park’…

Do you like infectious retro-style electro music? Then Legowelt is compulsory stuff. Legowelt is a project by Danny Wolffers from The Hague, who was making minimal danceable electro long before the electroclash hype of Miss Kitten, Felix da Housecat and the like became fashionable…

Nachtprogramm is the debut album by the German minimal electronics act Graphik Magazin. The minimal electro pop which Graphik Magazin plays is in the tradition of bands like The Normal and No More. On top of the tight rhythms and simple melodies the German lyrics are spoken in a fierce way…

With this split LP Invasion Planete brings together two of her darkest acts. The result might be clear: dark electro in the tradition of the label. Karl Kubler takes care of the A-Side with alternately dark atmospheric electro and harsh, almost industrial, electro…

For all that are not yet familiar with the German label Kommando 6 and their dark electro sounds this album is a welcome introduction. The A-Side is called the Augsburg Side. Augsburg is the hometown of the label. On the A-Side there are six artists featured that are on the Kommando 6 label…

On This Cold Floor is the third I, Parasite record and the first Christopher Jon has made without his companion Nurv. This progressive dark electro/industrial act had made a definite change in style since the last record. This was already evident with the 4-track promo that was released a couple of months ago as a teaser for this new full-length cd…

Grandchaos is related to IDLO, a Belgian project I reviewed earlier this year. Both projects have in common that they make rather minimal electronic music with a nostalgic 80’s sphere. Not so strange, because Tcheleskov Ivanovitch, the man behind this project, started his musical career in the 80’s…

The French label Invasion Planete is one of the most important outputs for (European) minimal electro. With the release of this single the label has broadened her repertoire a bit. Silent Signals still makes minimal electro but with a distinctive cold wave touch to it. The result is dark and moody electronic wave music…

The new German label Disorder Records is having a great start. So far this year two 7” EP’s has been released. Both singles feature electro music that is among the best that is being made at the moment. Next to the Grandeur Et Decadence EP by Le Syndicat Electronique there is this single from The Rorschach Garden…

Kommando 6 is a German label that is specialized in dark and minimal, mostly electro orientated, electronic music. This is the ninth release in their series. Junk Mail is a 4-track EP on which the act Manasyt manifests its dark and distorted electro. The overall sound is a bit hectic due to the lively rhythms, distorted beats and noisy sounds…

Le Syndicat Electronique is one of the most important and productive representatives of the European minimal electro scene. For the occasion of this 7” release A//, the one responsible for the music, has left his homebase and own label Invasion Planete. Grandeur Et Decadence is a limited edition single and all you might expect from Le Syndicat Electronique…

When I watched the movie ’24 Hour Party People’ recently, about the Manchester music scene, I was happy that I remained in my seat during the final credits. Because otherwise I wouldn’t have heard the latest New Order single ‘Here to Stay’. And a fine track it is! That New Order is ‘here to stay’ may be clear, though in the past things did not always look bright for them…

After the two very good singles Treat Me Better (just re-issued) and Reach The Sun, Northern Lite has released this third single from the yet to be released debut album. ‘My Pain’ is in the typical and already recognizable Northern Lite style with a clear and harsh electro beat, a minimal guitar riff and dark vocals. The band could be referred to as an updated New Order…

Sometime ago this band was recommended to me. Their debut album, a bit pretentious entitled EBM, was called a gain for the EBM genre. In a time when most EBM acts seem to be moving into easy to digest dance music this sounded very promising to me. So, I was very curious about this project and therefore a bit disappointed when I first heard this cd…

Dånzen Jetzt are four people from Berlin and Montreal, who have been involved in bands like Transformer Di Roboter, Ensemble and Chlorgeschlecht. On the A side of the record are minimal and sweet cut up sample songs, that will turn a smile on your face. Then you turn the record, and you’re in for a small surprise…

Electro is booming. Miss Kitten and the Hacker, Adult, and many more have their songs played at one of the numerous electro clash parties. And now there are two people who call themselves Hotleg and Erstkommunion from Germany , together they are Echokrank. They make some sort of electro, with as source of inspiration disorder and irritation…

A compilation full of exclusive tracks inspired by Steph Dumais’ alternative comic series ‘Zombie Commandos from Hell’. Dumais compiled this album himself. I don’t know this comic, but according to this ‘soundtrack’ and the comic previews I saw, it must be raw, violent and over the top…

This is not a new Wumpscut album. The work on a new album is in progress, but in the meantime :W: is doing in what is very good in, recycling old and obscure material. This double cd combines two new songs, hard to find tracks, old material and remixes. One of the new songs is ‘All Cried Out’, a cover version of a Alison Moyet (!) song…