About one year after "Dunklewissenschaft" Johan Sebastian Bot (who is also the guy behind the radio show “Dark Science Electro”), is back with a new album titled "The Electro Manifesto". Lately, Johan picks up a theme to develop his albums' theme: is three years ago we had Kraftwerk's reference with “Trans Asia Express” and the last year the Dopplereffekt's one with "Dunklewissenschaft", this year we don't have a musical reference as this time the latest DVS NME album is titled "The Electro Manifesto" after Karl Marx's 'The Communist Manifesto'. As Johan explains: " Every song title is a nod to the German philosopher's economic and political theory. Even the album cover borrows directly from Marx, re-adapting the original cover of the 1848 pamphlet entitled "The Communist Manifesto"". This time we have 25 new tracks composed with the classic sounds Mono/Poly, MS-20, SH-101, Jupiter-8, Juno-106, SH-2, System 100, Juno 60, JX-3P, TB-303, Polysix, TR-606, OB-8, TR-808, ARP Odyssey, as well as some contemporary additions to his studio like Hydrasynth, System 8, Novation Peak, Minilogue, SE-02, and Microkorg. With 25 tracks to check, we have a wide spectrum covered, as we pass from the cold robotic ones to the midtempo ones more atmospheric, driven always by the drumbeats but with a certain cinematic approach (for example I think that tunes like "Class Traitor" could fit well a Carpenter movie). We have also tracks like "Privatize Gain/Socialize Loss" where the atmosphere recalled me stuff like EOD (so, not strictly electro) and I think that this is good, because having a tracklist so loaded, it's good to be a little transversal. This is a nice album and you can check it at the DVS NME's Bandcamp page!

There's activity behind this Minneapolis-based electronic label established by Jason Hollis (Endif, Retcon) and Brooke R. Calder (Felipe & Brooke, Lolly Pop). As a result out of this, The Red Hour is a mutual project between both. “Cracks” is as far as I know their first release under The Red Hour moniker, a Maxi-Single release which surely is intended to gain some first recognition and to introduce a coming album.
While Jason's Industrial-/Noise-project Endif is rather intended to satisfy the needs of a small niche of specialized listeners, The Red Hour is surely destined to reach a wider audience with the clear intention to be successful. A "Femme-forward Darkwave duo from Minneapolis" so they call it, it needs to be said, that musically “Cracks” is a catchy and fast-forward marching Techno-/Electronic tune with a crafty produced dancefloor-compatibility.
Outstanding is the general nasty attitude provided through the raunchy vocals and BDSM-inspired lyrics of Brooke on here. Well, who won't like to lick her boots now...? ;-)
Already the chosen remix contributors speak for itself and the strategy behind, as there's prominence on this release available. The names of the remixers include the famous Belgian musician Jean-Marc Lederman (The Weathermen, Fad Gadget, Front 242), the UK-based and Analogue Trash-recording project Nature Of Wires, DJ Transporter, Steven OLaf (who has been around for years by remixing acts like Xorcist, Out Out or Hate Dept.), Prophei, and Badrich.
Both the remix contributions of DJ Transporter as well as Nature Of Wires bring in fresh club food while the interpretation of Jean-Marc Lederman unites Jazz and Big Beat elements and is surely the strangest and most unexpected contribution on here. Badrich tested diverse Glitch percussion elements on it, while Steven Olaf used a few Break-Beats and guitar loops on it to integrate a rather more classic Industrial-/Coldwave influence to this globally modern sounding track in.
Decent stuff available on here provided by all remix contributors available as download-only release available via the Bandcamp refrences of label and band project. A YouTube video to support this track and the project is in the works too. Give a try!

Only about a half year after their last album release „On The Move“, this German IDM duo returns with this rather companion-like remix output to reward us, the listener, with new, revamped and reinterpreted music stuff out of the Villaborghese sound universe. Friedhelm Kranz and Erick Miotke have collected various remixes by foreign and musically quite differently sounding bands and projects to add their point of view on the spherical and filmic on the Industrial-Ambient-driven compositions provided by this duo. The list of remix contributors consists mostly on projects out of their friendship-base, it lesser takes a note to add the most well-known and recognized remixer for another free slot.
As usual for Villaborghese, also this remix album stands rather for the attempt to provide alternative versions without having a sense on releasing “hit” songs on a loveless compiled collection of tracks. Since this “Remixed” album provides the track-list in the same row like the one being presented on “On The Move”, it is like a little quiz for the listener to figure out the pros/cons of a remix compared to the original track. Additionally as a bonus, also the non-album tracks like “Iced”, “Digitized” or “Beatboxed” which can be discovered on Villaborghese's single output “Close” and “Surrounded”.
So logically this album starts with “Open (Scalar Fields Mix by Spherical Disrupted)” which adds a well-balanced layered and slow-stalking EBM-like note to this track. Mirko Hentrich is the mastermind behind this Audiophob-recording project and he can already look back on a more than 25 years longing career into the experimental field of sound-manipulations out of the Industrial / Ambient / IDM music-genres. Interesting fact asides of this, he is also co-owner of the Audiophob label. “Extractor” then follows, this time remixed by Eli van Vegas who is to me better known as producer / shouter of the old-school EBM project Zweite Jugend. Under his Eli van Vegas pseudonym he flirts a lot of with a Techno-inspired dancefloor-compatibility in a straight 4-on-the-floor outfit filled with creaking 303-like bass line sequences.
Third track is “Amnesia” and indeed – this one is impossible to remix without ruining it completely. That's what I actually thought in advance. Also, I can't figure out who Chris-Rico is as being the responsible remixer - but who cares? To place some distinctive voice samples in a bleeping, strange algorithm-programs Trance-like sound environment and to bring in organic warmth with some vintage 70s-sounding pads was a good idea and unexpected method of resolution.
Germany's international renowned Electropop duo Alphamay follows with a reinterpretation on "Mourn", but yeah... they couldn't make it for me, sorry. But with “Mover”, one of the most action-driven tunes on the original album, I was pretty much excited that the German Dark Electro-virtuoso Nick Jonath aka MC1R would have the challenge to remix it. There's still the speed of the original, still the open/close hi-hats percussion elements, but generally this one sounds more intensely and darker-minded with its various vocal samples surrounded into the mix. Also - a tiny FLA reference can't be argued away.
The wobbling percussion elements in combination with the vocal sample snippets provided by Duo for the track “Give” are also causing attraction, furthermore with the inclusion of the some nice piano lines. “Rising” in its original version has been my personal favorite taken from “On The Move” and it has been surely a wise decision to let the German Dark Electro duo of Amnistia putting their hands on it. Another truly-Blade Runner-like soundtrack with precisely hacking bass line sequences and meticulously chosen FX elements thrown into the mix. Really fine worked out and far away from the original track.
Comes then one of the most unusual remix contributions to this album, Jan-Heie Erchinger and his interpretation on “Chants”. I'd like to pay respect to his musically career, Jan-Heie is a music teacher, has released 11 own produced CD albums, a long-year stage experience and his music-genres are rather based into Jazz and Funk music. Nice late-night entertainment and Lounge music, but not that stuff I'd prefer actually.
It follows the project Sebshow.net and their interpretation on the track “Gloom”. Once again, additional information on the projects, especially those flying a bit under the radar, would have been a great initiative. However, I assume that this another friendship-based collaboration between the Villaborghese gentlemen Kranz / Miotke with the Braunschweig / Germany-based diploma designer Sebastian Schollmeyer. This track is a straight 4-on-the-floor-based Electronic tune with various samples out of the original recording, not bad at all.
One of the best and most surprising contributions follows with the German Synthpop-duo Neocoma and their remix on “Surrounded”. Bleeping, hypnotic bass line sequences drilling its way into brain and leave the listener excited until the main lead synth of this track enters the scenery. The absolutely “WOW” effect so far!
Dubvisionist is a project of Felix Wolter, a drummer, producer and mixer since the early 80s and dedicated to Reggae and Dub music styles. Well... diversity to be added in is also an idea to extent ones musically horizon... so to say. Transmitter is a 3-piece-Electro-/Rock-outfit with a long-year-lasting career and stage experience. I have heard already some of their action-driven tracks with multiple beats and percussion elements and a brilliant vocalist. This slow-stalking version of “Close” is actually a totally difference to the original, but actually I was hoping to hear them hammering out with the speed of the original track.
SphÄrenwandler is a second project of Nick Jonath with which he concentrates rather more on IDM / Ambient music-genres. “Beatboxed” is one of those non-album tracks of “On The Move”, one of the more beat-driven tunes by Villaborghese. The FLA influence on Nick's remix takes a backseat although it is still percussive and beat-driven but now with more glitchy variations and samples thrown in. Trilogy is Erick Miotke's follow-up project to Germany's Dark Electro legend Trial and so he has remixed with “Iced” his own composition. He added a few howling wolves samples and an underlining dark EBM-minded bassline to the icy soundscapes of the original and brings in more movement.
Since Amnistia could put their fingers on “Rising” as written above, also Tino Claus aka TC75 and one half of Amnistia is on parade with an own interpretation of this track. Multiple percussion elements and pummeling bass lines once again awake reminiscences to some Belgian EBM traditionalists like Dive, Vomito Negro, or early Insekt. Awesome!
Last appearance belongs to the famous German radio moderator Ecki Stieg who is known for his long appearance of the prominent “Grenzwellen” radio show. “Digitizer” is another non-album track, a noisy one in its original. Also Ecki's version is noisy, nearly anarchic and reminds on some Powernoise collages comparable in some kind with some early-Dive recordings.

It shouldn't wonder anyone that this remix collection adds thanks the chosen contributors a much wider musically spectrum to the soundscapes of Villaborghese. Also the fact that almost all contributions add in some more percussive elements to the at times static and tricky compositions of this duo seems to be a logically consequence. This remix collection compared with the original album doesn't follow the worn-out “increase-sales” formula so often discovered, it rather more adds musically diversity in one or another variable style and finally turns out to be a valuable addition.

One of the things Spotted Peccary mainstay ambient electronic artist Deborah Martin is known for is her superb collaborations. Her last, with Dean De Benedictis (under the name Desensitized), 'Hemispherica Portalis' was a "wonderama of a dreamscape" as I put it. Here she combines her talents with oboist, English horn player, pianist and composer Jill Haley, who has a series of National Park soundscapes. Together they interact with the realms of nature in its pristine environs, inviting the listener into the depths of quiet beauty and graceful repose. Exploring various locations in the Pacific Northwest, these pioneering artists experienced first-hand the very essence of the natural world; steeped in these remote majestic settings culminated in their crafting colorful musical expressions that weave lush ambient textures and melodies layered together with recordings of Oboe, English horn and various percussion, tenderly revealing passions and emotions emanating forth from those moments.

With Haley's woodwinds as the main melodic instrument(s) there is a classical, or new classical element here that separates this work from more abstract, amorphous ambient soundscapes. Yet the melodic content is not necessarily strictly defined, but more interwoven with Martin's ambient electronics. To me, the oboe is one of the more melancholy orchestral instruments (I tried to play it for a time but with little success) lending a wistful aura to the sort of gentle pastoral themes explored on 'The Silence of Grace.' If you want to call this "New Age" music, well sobeit, but it is not of the clichéd and cloying variety. There is a richness throughout the eight compositions on the album that are like pairing an exquisite mousse with a fine dessert wine for a sophisticated palate. I was a little surprised, and delighted as well by "From Fire Into Water" with its primitive didgeridoo-like sounds, and could really have used more of that. In fact, if some of the music had gone the way of the Third Ear Band I would have been really excited. Still, there are so many fine moments on 'The Silence of Grace' that I can't complain. (Not much silence but a lot of grace.) If you're looking for an album that is elegant and quietly contemplative, this is certainly it.

'As Dusk Becomes Night' is New Zealand soundscape composer Rudy Adrian's 17th full length album and his 7th release on the Spotted Peccary label. This might be considered to be the darker side of Rudy Adrian, but you really couldn’t categorize it as "dark ambient." It is not what I would call ominous or malevolent. Yes, there is an aura of mystery and nocturnal secrets through the 11 tracks totaling 58 minutes, but all the evil spirits have gone somewhere else in this outing. Long, textured droney passages, occasionally punctuated by bells or wind chimes are the mainstay of the music here. When a lead instrument is called for, such as on "Conifer Grove," it's an exotic flue in the alto range, used more for atmosphere than melody. Sometimes Adrian's compositions can get deep and dense, as on "Starlane," in an almost cosmic way. Most of the album is a slow journey through night where shadows reach and stretch across the landscape, but it is not just dusk becoming night, but also night becoming dawn followed by a sunny day as evidenced by the titles of the last two tracks. "Night Becomes Dawn" still retains some vestige of darkness, while "Sunny Day" is a brighter awakening, putting the gloom of eventide to bed with a willingness to face the morning. Once again Rudy Adrian has proven adept at capturing a time and a mood, this one in the gloaming.