Let's have at first a look on the publishing label Nadanna which is kind of joint venture between the German Marc Schaffer with his famous Anna Logue record label, and the Canadian Nader Moumneh, who's better known as Mr. EAR and label owner of the classic Dark Electro / old-school EBM institution Electroaggression Records. While Marc's Anna Logue label focuses since its initiation in 2005 to release mostly undiscovered, rare gems of early 80's analogue Electropop, Synthpop, Cold Wave and/or Technopop artists and music projects, their mutual joint venture Nadanna concentrates to represent the styles in between the above mentioned like Italo Pop, Minimal Synth and Electropop.

A well recognized name here on our site is the Swedish contemporary artist Tobias Bernstrup who nowaddays returns to Nadanna after his 2019 album release „Technophobic”. Bernstrup is one of the very few internationally renowned artists who has been touring worldwide since the late 1990s providing visually his artistic vision. He has positioned himself successfully as one of the leading re-inventors of Italo Disco music provided through with his unique mix of Italo, Synthpop and Gothic Noir. Not to forget his own unmistakable stage persona wearing androgynous outfits in shiny latex and heavy make-up.

“Petrichor” is his 6th full length release and continues globally his musically outfit although a development can be noticed on here too. Although still relying on his pretty 80s inspired equipment with the beloved analogue warmth of among others the Oberheim DMX and/or the legendary LinnDrum drum machine, Bernstrup seems to reduce the often recognized tendencies to perform his artistic expression mostly into the Minimal Synth genre. „Petrichor” doesn't sound too minimal and it looks that he turns his head forward and allows himself to install contemporary styles like Synthwave-/Outrun-inspired genres too („Loderunner”).
The music arrangements, the sequenced bass-lines and pad programmings are sounding more opulent and better placed into the mix than ever before, maybe also because „Petrichor” got meticulously mastered by Doruk Ozturkcan (She Past Away). This album sounds more charming and catchy produced than ever before while he generally acts under his Neo-Italo- / melancholic Synthpop-style umbrella completed with up-to-date production skills. So „Petrichor” offers the listener quite entertaining 11 tracks of well-arranged, contemporary Synthpop music under the influence of his beloved Italo impact and with the analogical warm sounds of his 80's synthesizers.

Since Bernstrup can count on a wide ranging internationally based fellowship and thanks to the fact that he has released a few teaser tracks digitally before (“Challenger”, “Private Eye” or “Stranger”), this album collects his work of the last two years. Asides my personal, quite futuristic sounding favorite “Loderunner”, I tend to name “Only One” to be one of the catchier sounding highlights, while the more raw and cold sounding synthesizer lines of “I am Become” are sounding impressive.

This CD release is limited to 300 exemplars and offers additionally an extremely interesting bonus section with various remix contributions by such internationally renowned projects like Xeno & Oaklander, Ash Code, Qual, Supermatik (Doruk of She Past Away), We The North, Mexican DJ DMT Berzerk and Westcoast based DJ legend SanFranDisko. The Ash Code remix of “I Am Become” has my vote for its layered pad programming and the supportive guitar drops thrown into the mix.
Qual's so-called “World Wide Web Killer-Remix” on “Private Eye” is surely the most drastically formulated interpretation on a Bernstrup composition with its slow stalking kick-and-snare work and the harsh robot-like noisy placed in.

The good things do not end here as there will be two different vinyl editions of this Bernstrup album available, first, a black vinyl edition (limited to approx. 100 copies with printed lyrics inner sleeve, DIN A3 poster, hand-numbered and signed double-sided postcard), and secondly, a colored vinyl edition (limited of approx. 200 copies 140 grams transparent magenta, DIN A3 poster, hand-numbered and signed double-sided postcard).
Difficult to say, which of the both vinyl releases are the “must-have” item but I guess true collectors have to take both of them.

It also comes to the quintessence of this review because you also need this CD version of “Petrichor” too, especially with a fair look on the valuable bonus content featured here. Of course, this one can be directly purchased by Marc Schaffer's well working mail-order service reachable at the given contact details here.