After riding the synthpop waves for seven years Mark Nicholas decided to give an end to his project Cosmicity. For about a decade the name of the band has been linked to A Different Drum label as they kinda "grew" together. DEFINITIVE is a good sum of what Cosmicity have been but it hasn't been released by ADD as the Kiss My Asterix label released it giving to it also a visual counterpart because along with the nineteen songs compilation you can find an hour long DVD titled TWO CAMCORDERS & AN iMAC. The DVD contains different moments of private life deeply connected to Mark's music. It is a sort of home made documentary of the band story and by watching it you'll realize that behind the melancholy taste of Cosmicity's music there's a funny guy who's trying to have fun with people/friends bonding with them kindly. So, you'll find the different recording sessions of the five Cosmicity's albums (one of them actually is a fun re-creation of the recording session with trained actors....yeah, you wish they were! Actually they are Mark and his wife Sara). Along with tour shots and sessions you'll find also the "Technology" and "Sedgwick" videos. After watching this DVD you'll have the impression of knowing Mark a little more, you'll appreciate his attitude and you'll realize that his music is genuine. The CD compilation will make you know a little bit more the band's music, if you haven't listened to them yet. Only the first two pre A Different Drum CDs have been excluded, so if you want to check them you've got to get "The vision / The moment" double CD separately. Strangely enough, the compilation go backwards starting with the tracks from the last album "Escape pod for two" (four tracks are included from this album) and arriving to four tracks picked up from "Isabella" (passing through Pure's "I want you", "The princess of Detroit" and "Hotel Allegro Chicago", The Binary Language Of Love's "This city", "Digital delays" and "Technology", Resynthesized's "Orange", Reinassance's "Too far gone" and "Fate and time" and Forgive My Sins' "As long as it takes"). With nineteen tracks you'll have the opportunity to check Mark's synthpop dancey melancholy and you'll ask yourself how will sound the new tracks his preparing. Well, you can check two of them at his new website www.marknicholas.org: they sound less melancholy, they are more pumping and a bit distorted. Also the lyrics seem different: they sound darker than usual. Anyway... I think at this point if you have already checked the Kiss My Aterix website to purchase your copy for 18$ and checked the new tracks leaving to Mark your thoughts about his new stuff. ;-)

There's a big dub aftertaste hidden between the lines of Vex'd "Degenerate" (above all in the second of the two cds). This London duo has an interesting way to mold drum and bass and breakbeat to make it all sound "kicking ass" electronica "ready-made for any unconventional dancefloor" (!?). I can't say if this people has ever been into Adrian Sherwood, Photek or anything on Possible records (above all Mick Harris during is drum and bass trip), but somehow these could be some of the weapons from their arsenal. "Hard core" electronica for "diehard rave believer"!? sure this'an aggressive record, add some of these "old-synth" sounds (it's not the first time I'm saying that but have you noticed how many artists from the old school are reusing those sounds?). A friend of mine said if 808 State were from today and would have been more into breakbeat they could have sounded almost like that, personally I think that's a misleading description, but the idea of the "hard electronic beat" is similar and the dark mind-blowing atmosphere is there too (man..judging from the cover it could have been an industrial record!). If you hate "sassy electronica" and you're into rhythmical beats and jawbreaking beats you'd better give a listen.

I don’t like to hold back an original quotation by J. Ned Kirby, vocalist and main head behind STROMKERN out of the info sheet to this new release:

"In the past I was generally careful to keep politics out of STROMKERN but it has simply become impossible. I find myself struck dumb on an almost daily basis by the events that are taking place. It has become increasingly clear that a war is underway, a culture war, being waged by fanatical, hyper-religious conservatives against anyone who questions their religious, moral, political or economic agenda. All of which seem to have the maximum disregard for the personal freedoms of others as well as the safeguarding of the planet for future generations."

Well, I am not here to arguing on this. I would like to say: "Hello and welcome to the daily madness", because it seems to me that STROMKERN have developed a lot since their latest full length CD "Armageddon", which is already now three years old. To include some more or less decent guitar riffs into the already stylistically diverse sound of the multi-talented musicians, J. Ned Kirby and Kelly Shaffer, is surely more than a hint. "Electro/Industrial/Alternative" – well, so it is! Some European Electro purists will be surely get shocked by listening to the new STROMKERN sound, but here are still some remarkable tracks which can easily show all the rich musical talent in production and composition. STROMKERN have grown up not only musically, also for the lyrically content with a more critically interpretation of the current politically situation (excellent example: "Reminders"). This is surely not that typically STROMKERN release of early days, it needs some more rotations until it can satisfy. The title track of the previously released Single-CD "Stand Up" is of course still present here, as well as the track "Slow Cascade", both tracks can be called next to the already mentioned "Reminders" to the favorite of the purists. This been said we can noticed some prominent help on the vocals done by F. Spinath of SEABOUND performing on "Sentinel", while Victoria Lloyd (CLAIRE VOYANT) helped out on the slow "Hindsign". Also a favorite is the slow track and with a nice piano performance done by J. Ned Kirby, "Forgiven" which melodic insult will not leave your head... Congratulations again to the German label Dependent (for the USA: WTII Records, check out: www.wtiirecords.com) for picking up one of the leaders of complex and innovative electronic-minded music. Make sure to visit a gig of their current tour to watch these guys with the Metropolis recording artist BATTERY CAGE. Nice done!!!

Indicia is a relatively new duo from the west coast. They present a powerful, well-balanced, skillfully-produced and aggressive mixture of electronica and trip-hop. The band comes through as a professional act and their sound is very mature, more than you'd expect from a debut. Musically speaking Indicia is pretty minimal, but manages to still be pretty raw and powerful. Deep bass lines, sizzling drum sounds, careful and never excessive programming of pad layers and texture sounds all work together towards awesome sonics that are beautifully complemented by the sexy, versatile, eclectic and talented vocals of the female singer. Very impressive indeed.

After releasing three 12" ("Function" for Drum+Breaks and "Pop pop" and "Lion" for the Subtext label), Jamie and Roly landed on Planet Mu with the single "Gunman" / "Smart bomb". Now, after some months they release, for the same label, their first album titled DEGENERATE. The album contains new versions of their previous cuts "Pop pop" and "Lion" plus ten new tracks of grime sounds. The duo focus their music on low frequency sounds and on distorted tunes. The effect created make me remember of a distorted and dilated version of Prodigy of the "Fat of the land" era plus a dub attitude which gives to the tracks a dark intriguing aspect. About this, check the first part of "Thunder" where the dark ambient sounds are mixed with the distorted and pumping bass drum. Mostl of the tracks are instrumental ones and they create a strange ambience in the room while you listen to them. Is like a dreamy landscape disturbed by living nightmares that bleeps in and out of the room. If you are willing to try something different from the Cold Meat old dark ambient sound you could try Vex'd and even if dark ambient isn't exactly your cup of tea, DEGENERATE is always a good grime record full of breakbeat sounds and rhythms. If you are a vinyl purist you can get the ten tracks vinyl edition but I suggest you to get also the double CD edition as it contains twelve tracks on the first CD and the tracks coming from the two Subtext 12" plus "Smart bomb" (from their first Planet Mu's 12") and a new track titled "End of line" (which features Search & Destroy).