CHICKEN ACCELERATOR is the first release of a new German label called Astro Chicken. Dedicated to spaced out disco/electro sounds the label starts its journey presenting four cool tracks brought to us from four different bands: Hyboid, Starlight Hammer Sounds, Telebot and Sternrekorder. "Vogon poetry" by Hyboid has the task to start the dances and does it with an electro spacey upbeat tune. "Starlight Hammer Sounds" with "Turrican 2" sounds a little more robotic but always upbeat, with cool melodies and nice arpeggiator progressions. Telebot's "Disco dump" is a mid tempo with moog solos and alternates disco 70's atmospheres to dark atmospheres. Sternrekorder close the compilation with their "Geh lieber nie", which is the only song to have vocals and it's an upbeat song with 80's electro melodies and nice echoed German vocals. Sebastian Hübert of Astro Chicken Records did a great job gathering four bands that will be able to make you enjoy even more your galactic trips!

The international promotion campaign of the Brazilian label Wave Records (among others PECADORES) made it possible to discover Brazil's biggest talent in the Synth-/Futurepop-genre since the renowned trio of the 3 COLD MEN: DAWNFINE, also operating as a trio, have released their debut album under the flag of small local labels/record shops like Hybrido, in collaboration with Soulshadow store and Sensorial Discos (distribution in Brazil). Although a debut release, the three members of DAWNFINE seem to be friends since the mid-90ies. Hailing out of Goiana City, Marcus Paulo (vocals), Jeovane Cazer (synths, guitars) and Jethro Mendonca offer a catchy form of Alternative-/Pop-music mayhem, which draws a strong influence out of the golden 80ies with acts like DEPECHE MODE (of course!), AND ONE, or some of the Scandinavian-based idols like early APOPTYGMA BERZERK or NEUROACTIVE. Quite big and international renowned names for possible comparisons, this trio perfectly blends the best extracts to integrate them into their own sound. Synth arrangements and their sound environment are professionally chosen and are satisfying higher musically tastes ' while I wouldn't go that far to call this band in any form innovative. DAWNFINE are experienced and matured musicians, who know well, how to push the right buttons, without touching new or before undiscovered music paths. The completely in English offered lyrics provided through a smooth and well sounding male vocalist are too witnesses for their longing for international recognition ' since all terms of the production are flawless, this target should be reached soon. Keep an eye and an ear on them!

A download-only release from Sweden's Progress Production seems to be a new method for them to publish some appetizers. After more than 5 years and a glorious past signed to the Swedish label giant Memento Materia, this Swedish/Norwegian Synth-/Futurepop project starts a comeback ' nowadays with the integration of the new singer B. M. Borg who replaces Henrik Piehl. And to say it quite clear ' this new vocalist does his best to convince the listeners already with the both featured tracks 'Stasis' and the exclusive b-side 'Game Over'. While this b-side turns out to be a bit harder, more edgy, compared to the main title, 'Stasis' is a catchy club-hit with a sweet Alternative-/Pop-attitude, presented in four different versions. Asides the 'normal' Radio Edit especially the KARANDA remix caught my attention. I normally do not like too many unnecessary remix contributions, but this remix adds a chilling impression to the rather straight oriented original version. In all a quite promising appetizer for the upcoming third album of this project, which will be named 'Trialogue', to be released via Progress Productions in early autumn.

Rutger Zuydervelt started working as Machinefabriek in 2004 and since then he realized twenty four albums. DAAS is his first on Cold Spring and it isn't properly a new one, even if its tracklist sounds homogeneous. Anyway... DAAS collects unreleased tracks (which is the opening self titled one) and tracks released on limited releases ("Flotter", "Koploop" and Grom were previously released on a 3" CDRs while "Onkruid" appeared on "A Room Forever" 12"). In balance from modern classic music, minimal ambient and experimental, Machinefabriek's music is like a soundtrack for the mind or music you only heard on your psychedelic dreams. Formed by progressive minimal variations of sounds produced with cello, violin, guitar and processed sounds the five long suites you can find on DAAS sound like your life in stop motion. Growing slowly like a blade of grass, the sound pass from delicate moments to compressed wall of sounds (like on the final part of "Groom") without the violence you should think it could come from a wall of sound. Instead, it will seems a normal thing, like the increasing movement of an hand that closes and become a fist...

CONFESSIONS OF A NARCISSIST is the final full length for Fire In The Head, after six years of sonic savaging. Michael Page plus guest appearances of Nick Blinko (Rudimentary Peni) and J. Randall (Agoraphobic Nosebleed), recorded these tracks during the 2007-2008 period and then dedicated himself to the composition of epic" length industrial / ambient compositions with another project. These thirteen new tracks follow the path he pursued since the beginning, under the same manifesto as he created these sounds as "cathartic outlet to explore and ratify the delusions and social perversions resultant of psychosis and the darker side of man's conflicted dual nature, to fan the flames which engulf the borders between obsession, compulsion, lust and need". Mixing destructive explosions typical of power industrial (which here sounds like digital grinding sounds with filtered vocals on top) with industrial ambient looping sound (which recall me the loops used by Boyd Rice), Fire In The Head finish his mission with a blast, recording a violent record that doesn't find its force into the amount of noise used but into the success of finding a good formula which could translate the cover Nick Blinko did into sound.