During the last year I've been reviewing at least three Ripabelli's releases and I've seen him once live, funny since despite the fact I happened to hear and read his name mentioned several times I didn't know how he sounded like or anything else about him and all of a sudden one listening after the other. This italian artist is quite well known for his activities in the dark ambient-post-industrial esoteric scene and I'm sure you will agree it emerges also by the musical aesthetic of his works. The positive thing about is works is that he's an incredible taste and he's far from the flashy of the genre, another great quality of his solo releases his the great sound quality of his productions so please don't mix him with many lo-quality sci-fi esoteric new-jacks dealing with power-noise or with the dark ambient thing. "Metamorphic Portrait" has been released with sound sources recorded in the lower Nasilica of Assisi and take for granted the esoteric factor of the whole cd is high on top, but as the artist himself writes in the line note of the release that's part of his personal research and explains the enormous religious feel of which this work is imbued. Despite some characteristic dark ambient sound and distortion I will somehow recognize in other works with the moniker K11, this cd is characterized by a large use of delays and echoes and by many vocal sound, gregorian chants, vocal singing and ancient ritual singing like that, but don't think it may resemble Rison D'Etre, everything is less clean, the original shape of the vocals drifts ashore and in some traces they've been submerged by some power distorsions that after a while live space to what sounds like an organ. The cocktail ends sounding really esthetic which is something that definitely lacks to many releases like that, plus you have to consider Ripabelli really knows how to build an emphatic and interesting structure fo tracks like those contained in this cd. If you've never gave him a listen maybe it's time to check how he sounds like.

Redrum Alone is an Italian duo active since 2006, formed by Tommaso "Qzerty" Danisi e Piero "Peet"Pappalettere. MY FIRST KERNEL PANIC is their second EP which follows their first one "Patchcord", released in 2007. The four original tunes of the EP take as reference dance electro and techno music, focusing the mid tempo tunes on catchy melodies, vocorder filtered and clean vocals, bouncing bass lines and 4/4 rhythms. The MCD is opened by "Fractured reality", a convincing song which with the following "Oniricact Part 3", recalled me someway The Presets, a bit of Tomcraft and a bit of Tiga. "Using interface" is nice but is missing something (the vocals don't convince me too much). "Oniricact Part 2" is a nice electro techno atmospheric tune with stops and go and good dance beats. The EP is closed by a remix of "Oniricat Part 3" reworked by Digitalica: they turned the original track into a dance cinematic electro tune thanks to syncopated bass line arpeggios and subtle synth melodies. A nice EP which is available on the major digital tune shops or as CDr directly from the label for 3 euros only.

COMPILATION 3 is the new Solar One Music CDr compilation issued as usual in a 100 copies run. This time, Robert and Nico packed the new release with thirteen new tracks and three remixes (you can find them into the 3" CDr attached to the inner cover of the hand made digipack package). The compilation is opened by an electronic atmospheric great tune titled "R.F.I.D.", by Miami electro techno enthusiast AS1. Atmospheric electro continues with Komarken Electronics with a robotic tune with 8 bit like sounds, titled "Spaciousness". The same atmosphere is produced by Destral, that with "I love your fat ass" produce nice Miami bass driven sounds with bleeps and long pads. =UHU= is here with a remix of "Lyntas jazz", a track which mix minimal techno, house and electro. Aratkilo with "Blood-feud" changes the atmosphere adding darkness (check the menacing vocals) and obsessive synth lines to bouncing bass lines and hard 4/4 beats. Kan3da with "Gbg" ease the atmosphere thanks to robotic sounds and pads arpeggios. Alek Stark with "Am I wrong" is here with an obsessive tune of dark electro with vocoder filtered vocals and techno intuitions. "Planet 3" by Planetwalker is an electronic tune with synth alternating sound, electro funk bass lines and robotic atmospheres. SLF's "Aurora Borealis" is based on a circular melodic mechanical structure almost dreamy. Vagon Brei with "Ascension" present a cinematic electronic mid-tempo with nice melodies. The Exaltics with "Second choice" break the delicate atmosphere of the track before with techno industrial rhythms and epic/dreamy syth lines. Zyntax with "Sunset walk" mix ambient cold atmospheres, techno experimentalism and hypnotic melodies. Crotaphytus with "Bite 6" close the first CD with dreamy atmospheres, grinding rhythmical samples and icy ambient sounds. The MCD is opened by Clatterbox's remix of "Science of the naked men", a dark mid tempo track with early electronic industrial atmospheres (do you remind Portion Control?). Crotaphytus remix "Plug", a track originally by Katelectro Vs. Jauzas The Shining. They made of it a mix of techno industrial and dry electronic music with orchestral inserts. The whole compilation closes with The Exaltics remix of David Rottemeyer's "Logo 81", a nice electro upbeat tempo track with catchy obsessive melodic lines, cold pads and rich rhythmic parts. Make your purchase... quality is here!

ELECTROMECH by Mirage is one of the most epic tunes you can find into the first Binalog Productions' vinyl release (I remember you that its digital edition has five bonus tracks/bands). On this EP you can check four remixes of that track (reworked by Diplomat, R21, George Tsakiris and Binalog Freq) along with a new version (the "EMP remix") made by Mirage. Diplomat's remix is giving to the tune a cool electrofunk flavor with melodic synth leads and robotic rhythms. R21 focused their remix on the epic atmospheres with punching 4/4, gated synth lines and fat bass lines (take a look to the EP's cover and you'll have the right idea of what I mean telling you that this is epic). George Tsakiris made a remix which is a balanced blend of breakbeat rhythms, fast arpeggios, samples and obsessive melodies. Binalog Freq's "Dark Funk" version has moments with fat distorted leads and others with bouncing bass lines (the "dark" and the "funk" elements). Mirage's "EMP mix" version is sounding saturated and epic with robotic rhythm patters and has also a sort of stop and go effect where you have only rhythms, samples and a synth line, just to explode soon after. You can purchase this cool EP directly here http://www.junodownload.com/products/electromech-remixes/1645729-02/?ref=dlk

Argentina's Tacuara Records (in conjunction with Germany's Fk Digital Records - www.fkdigitalrecords.com) releases this compilation of various goth-industrial artists from a number of different countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Estonia, France, Peru, Russia, Spain and Turkey. Of course, as on just about any compilation album, it's a mixed bag, and even moreso here with the diversity of nationalities. The opener by Division of Blue (Spain) has intelligibly spoken-sung lyrics in English over typical EBM style music. Not a lot of substance, but okay club fodder. Definitely reminds me of some late 80's or early 80's synth band, but I can't think of who offhand. LAP (Argentina) employ scary pterodactyl synth and morphing, ripping saw-bass over relentless breakcore beats'¦and that's about it. Unnerving, but not utterly convincing. Sadiztik Injection (Turkey) sound more conventionally dark-electro/EMB with 'Realize the Suicide,' a good dancefloor pounder with the requisite raspy vocals. Gee, I didn't know they went for this kind of stuff in Turkey'¦no baglamas, tars or davuls? Not even a sampled muezzin wail. I'm shocked!

Say Just Words (Chile) pull off a pretty intense and dramatic dark-electro number with 'The Perfect Killer,' raspy vocals and all, another track suitable for club play. Freakangel (Estonia) is up next with 'The Last White Dance,' typical Freakangel old-skool EBM. Freakangel is one of the (two) bands on this comp I've heard (and reviewed) previously, and they certainly belong on this compilation. Utero's (Spain) 'Sex Me' reminds me of Marilyn Manson for some reason, although they really don't sound like him. Maybe it's what you'd get if you combined Manson with Nitzer Ebb; it will surely keep those platform boots stomping at Club Dead. Good hook too. Lastrax (Argentina) actually seems to tell a story in 'Special Offer,' yet another old-skool dark electro number along the lines of Signal Aout 42. Nice track but lacks a potent hook. France's Ad Inferna sticks to French lyrically, and adds some ethereal wordless female backing vocals for their dark electro dance number, but I found the sub-bass overwhelming at times. DJ's - keep a ready finger on the EQ, depending on your system's requirements. Suicidal Romance (Estonia), the other of the two bands I reviewed previously, doesn't offer up one of their best tracks off 'Shattered Heart Reflections' for this comp, but 'Love Stays the Same' still isn't a bad song. It's dramatic enough and has Dimitry (Freakangel) on the verse vocals and Viktoria's vox on the chorus. It's Viktoria's voice that is the focal point of this band and she uses it to better effect on other songs off the album.

Matias Parisi (Argentina) offer a rather clubby bit of monotony with 'You can never stop me' with metered processed male & female vocal recitation. At least it has a good beat and groove. Slip it into a dance set and nobody will notice. Roppongi Inc Project (Russia) perform a 'Temporary Evacuation 27.04.86,' sort of an instrumental (except for the unintelligible Russkie PA warning vox) doomsday dance. Carlos Shaw (Argentina) begins 'Los Ninos Del Parque' with a groove that reminded me of Frontline Assembly. I was waiting for the vocoder to break in but all I got was the speak-sing of three amigos, and kind of low key at that. Except for some incidentals, the track didn't change much from its initial groove. Disappointing. Dj Quien (Bolivia) ups the BPM with 'Sudaca y parador,' spoken word over breakcore filled in by average synth and bass. Maybe if I understood Spanish it might have more impact, but it left me kind of flat. Back to Argentina with Plan Quinquenal and their chaotic offering 'Sudamerica Vanzaii'. Nearly relentless pounding beats and wildness until the 2 minute mark when it changes tempo and form into some type of doom metal pastiche. Code Name (Spain) must really think they're in an 'Arena' (yes, that's the title of the song), a jaw dropping supersonic high-energy disco song with 70's style male and female vocals! What the hell is this doing on this comp??? I'm flabbergasted. Maybe this is supposed to tongue-in-cheek, but I don't think so. Yikes! The comp concludes with Peru's Dj Lokuron & Chusma Crazy's 'Enterprise of Justice'. I'm not getting much justice out of this piece of insanity. It is pretty bizarre in its own headache-inducing way. It has a beat but you won't be dancing to it.

So as I said in the beginning, a mixed bag for sure but with enough worthies to check it out, if you can find it. If you're in the U.S. just go to the label website and they have a list of outlets. Better yet, just ask your local Goth-Industrial CD shop (if there even is one anymore by where you live) to order it for you.