As you already know Prikosnovenie is a label dedicated to ethereal sounds and dark folk culture. Well this first Daemonia Nymphe's album couldn't fit this genre in a better way. The band is composed by Spyros Giasafakis and Evi Stergiou and for this release they have been aided by seventeen other musicians. The sound of the band is really particular because they wanted to base their sound on their Greek roots using uniquely reproductions of ancient instruments. Everything in this CD is based on ancient Greek culture, also the lyrics talk about ancient Goddesses, Nymphs, etc. Also from the titles you could get some hints. "Message Horn's Enchanting Echo", "Ida's Dactyls", "Summoning Divine Selene", "Hades", "Dance Of Satyrs", "Korai Rejoicing In Antron", "Nymphs Of The Seagod Nereus", "Hymn To Bacchus" and "Invoking Pan" are the titled of the inspired tracks of this Daemonia Nymphe's first album. You know that I don't love that much folk music and dark folk in general but I assure you that this CD contains nine thrilling tracks and if I say so, you've got to trust me! :)

Surely this project created by Konstantin Myzireb (sampling) and Vlad Buben (voice, programming, keys) will make the happiness of everyone who loves industrial music for it's coldness and hypnotic power. "Le Cauchemar" is a good trip between monolithic wheels and swirling loop sounds, sustained by filtered voices and some melodic lines.The first track "Porto"will introduce you in a synthetic nightmare with church choirs under decomposed patterns of noise. "Cointreau" and "Chartreuse" are mourning laments of dying ruined gears, but the best track maybe is the five one, "Play for it", where upon a trip-hop rithmic basement mount up obsessives keyboards, that remind me some good songs of the early Coil, very gloomy and threatening. However all the six tracks sounds dark and full of decadent spirit, ideal soundtrack for a slow descent into deep restlesness.

"Velvet" is an album oriented on a gothic rock/darkwave style, with metal influences, in the vein of late Tiamat and Moonspell. Some good melodies created by the keyboards offer some pretty cues, but the hard guitar riffing is too much expected and in it's totality this belgian band unfortunately don't convince. The songs structure remains always bounded to old schemes, denoting a lack of personality and a poverty of ideas. Moreover, Star Industry spoil the Roxette's best hits "The look", with a terrible cover.

It's good every now and then to take a break and revel in the joys of classical music, and I do this more often than no! I am a firm believer you can do anything to Beethoven's 5th and 9th symphonies! ANYTHING!And my worship of Das Ich is only further proof,and the almighty Helium Vola and Deine Lakaien. Two things are obvious with this group: (1). They have more melancholy than the usual classical group (2). They have all had some pretty thorough training to have done this. The man behind it spent several years in the oldest and most respected line of choir in the world, and it shows why they'd pick him. This music is very moody yet beautiful on top of it all, perfectly flowing and catching you in it's spell of violins and piano lines before you even notice it, you're jsut a little more peaceful. My favorite track is their splendid cover of Black Tape For A Blue Girl's "I wish You Could Smile", with it's plinking keys and ethereal atmosphere perfectly complimenting one another. Track 4 also is a highlight with it's Baroque style of playing, which seems to me like a lost art. Great little CD to listen to in the park or when you're meditating or just relaxing. Even for classical purists it's a pretty solid bet. Just gorgeous music for those who appreciate it! Rating:10. Recommended for those into Black Tape's "As One Aflame Laid Bare By Desire" and neo-classical in general.

Seeing they toured with Apop recently made me a bit worried considering my blood hatred of the new Apop stuff. But I'll give them this : they do the whole techno pop thing alot better than Apooptygma ever could! The lead singer is quite adept, and kinda reminds me of Rhea of La Floa Maldita with more of a swagger. To mention anyone in the same breath as La Floa Maldita is no light praise at all! The rest is just good simple pop pleasure, pure and simplely joyful. I wonder though when looking at the cover "Is that Jimmy Kimbell from the Man Show?" on the left,haha. The first single "It's Not Too Late" is probably a hit over in Germany since they actually go for good pop like this, and it's made for Euro radio,pure and simple. Painkiller also caught my attention as well as Obsession. Every track on here seems pretty solid and catchy except for Megaphone, which tends to mire a bit. I'd love to interview this group but someone already beat me to it! In short,nice and simple techno pop oldfashioned and simple,kinda like Beborn Beton or Anything Box but a bit with more techno feel, and a incredibly cute lead singer with alot more swagger than idiots like Apoop can ever think of touching! Rating:9. And also it comes with some goodies like a password for 10 free song downloads and 30 songs plus those. :) I say go for it!