Another dark flower from RUSSIA, this coming to my desk thanks to SHADOWPLAY and I think that's a good gothic label, full of very interesting artists, another demonstration of the vitality odf the Russian world. West State project is smooth and full of strange fashion not easy to find out in projects that are very well focused in terms of art and ideas involved into. The synths here are showing a form of thought similar to some tracks of Future Sound of London but the arena in which West State move is very different and their result has the Smoothness of FSOL but not the unique energy of the London Group. West Side are walking towards a different state of Synth/Mind and electronics and I like it so much, in some ways they are in the path of 80ies electronic music produced in Europe and specially in French. I appreciate so much the graphic package of the audio cd, another time it's the proof of a project that has legs to move ahead. It's great music to write about the secret sides of our daily world.

SAN DIEGO I LOVE YOU! This CD is an homage to psychedelic party life, sounds and electronic carpets are really, the voice follows the rules of NEW VAWE, but the sound atmosphere wanna be huge like Pacific Ocean; great work, easy to listen and easy to love above all. For sure they will play a lot in club this project is made to dance over beach. It's the proof that a dance project has to be SIMPLE AND DEVOTED TO FUN first to be a complex structure of glitch and other electronic strange entities. The DUO behind the name: "She is the composer and producer of AntiQuark music. Sergio, the voice, joined the project in 2006. He formally studied singing at the University of Texas and garnered extensive experience performing with a variety of bands. He also worked as a radio-DJ and sound-engineer before moving to California." From the website of the LABEL, Hungry Eye rec., a small but intelligent USA label devoted to underground ideas and content with a god attitude for booking.

A project from Germany that wanna be very clear and straight, there is not misconception in their art and their love for goth elements is not disturbing or provocative. I appreciate this kind of approach especially when to many people/band scream loud in the same way. Bionic Angel's music also is well defined and above all well recorded, the synth ( so 80ies so lovely ;) ) aren't destroyed by other instruments and the melodic patterns move very well. I gotta say that is hard to find a track not well managed or hard to hear. For sure I will appreciate more BA if the next work will try to experiment more in this area they know so well anyway. It is only a question to get deep in the secrets of Electro Goth without the fear to be misunderstood. Anyway this "Digital Violence" is pleasurable well done and easy to listen and that's not a mistake but in my opinion a very good feature of this work. My favorite track: TRANSIT TO HELL but BITCH LIKE YOU has a very strong and well carved voice/intention.

It's great how "grey area" is able to bring together many kind of music. Here's we have something that WOLFRAM von Eschebach could really love. Dunkelshoen is a band, or a fellowship to be more precise, that plays celtic music with great passion and results. The use of lyrics from Carmina Burana and also German folksong and Swedish too make out this project something precious, not only music indeed but even a cultural project probing the roots of our Europe. The art to record ancient/traditional instruments, played following ancient rules, and a voice so crystal-clear is not a cup of tea for a sound engineer, another time Dunkelshon made a great work offering us a soundscape really accurate not simply traditional and well focused. Their aim is to create a dimension of knowledge about the Celts world and vibes and they achieved it passionately in this work. My favorite track: SATOR AREPO, but the reason has remain a secret related to my love for French Bretagne ... I gotta mention the very look good show they make, see the photo gallery of their website to give a look to perfect atmosphere they done to their live acts : http://www.dunkelschoen-musik.de/Englisch/Framepage%20Wald%20engl/Waldframe%20engl/Framepage%20Wald%20engl.htm

I was reading a scrbd pdf about the dark side of Walt Disney, something so bad that is better not to write down, this work from SECOND SKIN given to me the same incredible sense of wonder and dark, the same pleasure to discover the Hell inside BAMBI. They play with Hollywood darkside, with ballads-punk-wave-dark so great and well played that is not possible to say "I dont like it". This work is F.... GREAT, I love it. The guitar, Lynchesque with some New Order influence is pure "black velvet", the voice and the choir around is spine chilling. I have to say that Second Skin makes my day opening a whole world of great media icons like: Greta Garbo, Dalì, Brothers Marx and the ghosts of Old Hollywood...; believe me when I say that this band is showing and researching for us an area really interesting of death beautiful myths of our dying world. Best track...I cannot say bullshit, all the tracks are hypnotic, pure controlled madness inside the perfect dome of wave-death-rock. Thank you Second Skin.