Here we are, with the second release by War Office Propaganda after their name switch into Rage In Eden (they already used that name for their distribution/shop). The name changed but the catalog number is always under the WOP moniker. Anyway... Aethere is the musical project created by a guy called Emanuele Ratti, who's coming from Milan/Italy. He already released a couple of limited CD-Rs and a promo CD distributed by War Office but this newest one is his first proper distributed and promoted album. Before writing this review I read some of Emanuele's websites content and I became aware of his nihilistic/depressed/suicidal attitude. Lately (also because of Marco Corbelli's suicide) I'm always sorry when I see this kind of attitude into people and even more when it is a young guy. Aethere attitude don't interfere into the creation of a good album and on the six movements of "The Long & Dark Tea - Time of the Soul" the particular blend of '70s electronic mixed with dark ambient with a pinch of doom (see the vocals on track 4 and 5). The atmosphere created is always tense and Emanuele is good at creating a convincing alternation of calm moments which blast into a dark electronic mayhem made of sibilant synth sounds, reverbered percussions and growling vocals. Doom atmospheres are converted into electronic cosmic movements with industrial elements.

Storming out of Scottsdale, Arizona area that's rarely known as a thriving music scene, this goth band made their debut in the music industry by opening up for The Cruxshadows, Belle Morte, The Last Dance, and Faith and the Muse. Reliquary will take you on a cold icy chilling journey that will stir an emotional and powerful enchanted feeling. Their album "Winter World" is truly a benchmark in the history of Goth music and the dark subculture itself altogether. I worship this band because of the lyrics and the music that's strongly so very well written with enlightenment and visual images throughout. The band consists of: Kara-voice; Loki-guitars, programming; and Suriel-bass. All tracks on the cd are very honest, transparent, embellish, and spellbinding with capturing of its melodies and strong hooks. Kara's compassionate vocals so sultry, enticing, divine with beauty sung in soprano and opera. Sweet harmonies swoons in sadness, agony of pain, lost and dreams torn apart, which also faded away.

Reliquary really have the potential to go further with their music career. It's hard to resist from listening to this band. The first time you pop the cd in, you'll ended up having the cd player repeat the cd to play it over and over again and again. Their songs will heal you, make you cry, and make you think. Like in the lines of "Lost In Thought":

"Moments of sorrow falling like rain
Distances past and returned again
Colors of heartache stir beneath
Layers of numbness and spreading disease"

This album is highly recommended for goths who just got out of an relationship, lost, lonely, and sad. A brilliant superb album that's unforgettable.

Tracklistings:


1. Prelude
2. Destroy
3. Tell Me
4. Trinity
5. Change
6. Beyond Dreams
7. Undone
8. Winter World
9. Dreams Torn Away
10. Distant Land
11. Lost In Thought
12. Lakme

Funkwelten isn't a really active label, their past release was last year's Oil 10 album. Fortunately their releases are really good and I've been surprised by the sound and by the cinematic ambience created by their latest two releases. OTX, like Oil 10, is a project of a French guy (his name sounds so Italian as Stefano Piredda sounds coming from Sardinia, so I'm assuming he's French) which had at his active two other albums and an activity as graphic designer. Anyway, A WORLD IN RED contains 12 tracks and 2 remixes which will nail you to your chair because of their intensity. Being influenced by ambient and by techno, Stefano created tracks rich of sounds, rhythms and energy, where drums don't simply sound, but blast! On "Cyber murder" you can find his collaboration with Kenji Siratori (yes, again!) which duet with the apparent calmness of the choirs and guitars. When rhythm section starts, the track turns into a sort of new wave dreamy one with some industrial ambient inserts. If you love classic electronic music but you are also into techno and e.b.m. don't be afraid into checking this one. Great sounds and upbeat rhythms are waiting for you. Just loose yourself and follow the flow of sound...

Active since early '90s, PureH gathers members who during the last 15 years played into many musical projects as Inertia, KSVLKSV, Xarq, etc. Their latest album has been released in 2005 and was titled "Anadonia" (reviewed on Chain D.L.K. by Andrea Ferraris). This new CD isn't properly PureH new album, it is a collection of remixes of "Signia", the track which opened that album. I'm always picky with remix albums and this one has both the good and the bad sides of an operation like this could have. First of all, unfortunately, only one track has been reworked and this is a limit to audience who don't live out of bread and dub. The good point is that the label (or the band) chose the top notch of genre's artists to remix that track. Eraldo Bernocchi (you should know him for his work with Sigillum S, Bill Laswell, etc), P.C.M., South African Chris Wood, KK Null, Dj Surgeon, Wodan, Richard Dunlap, Burp, Mo Shang and Psychedelic Desert expanded, liquefied, raped the original track turning it into an ambient, industrial, dub, guitar i.d.m., experimental electronica, jazzy ambient track. On some versions you could still recognize the original tune which surfaces from layers of sounds. My preferred ones are the opening Eraldo Bernocchi "Vision rising" version, P.C.M.'s "Blue waters turn black" and Richard Dunlap's "East lands silent".

CUANDO EL TIEMPO SOPLA ("When the time blows") is the new full length by Demian's O Paradis. After the double CD "Las Nubes que Mueren" here we find fourteen tracks based on the time concept. The songs are inspired by time and by the effect of it on people's lives. Based on mid tempo ballads with electronic arrangements the tracks create a suspended effect where Demian's voice is slow and calm. During the fifty minutes of the album is like the time has stopped. Sometimes I suffered of this effect because the tracks create a similar atmosphere and it takes time to discover the different melodic layers. In fact, at the third listening, it was like I was discovering a new album. An interesting effect which you can avoid by listening few tracks at a time. On "Tiempo" you can find Punch Record's boss, Tairy, giving his help on vocals and I must admit that the first time I listened to it, I was thinking it was a sample of Papa Giovanni XXIII (best known as "Il Papa buono"/"The good Pope") because of his tone of voice.