The already third release of this German synth pop duo on the Polish label Black Flames proves persistence and loyalty. With a look on this and the overall reactions on every release this talented duo earns, FINAL SELECTION could easily named to be the outstanding act on this label. At first I want to praise the excellent artwork consisting of a four page folded digipack with an extra included inlay full of melancholic impressions besides the music done by Michael Schubert. There’s existing a special website, www.worldofmeridian.de, on which you have a look behind the great ideas and realm of this release. Musically FINAL SELECTION prove again that they are one of the best – if not THE BEST – Synthpop acts of our lifetime. Tracks are ranging from slow and contemplative songs like "Coming Home" (features a pretty female vocal duet with Diana Röppnack), "Jupiter’s Child" (could be also found on their last EP "Heading for Graceland"), "Thieves of my Soul" (very gloomy bass line sequence combined with marvelous atmospheric synth layers) or the very sad final track "Styx" (featuring vinyl-like scratches in an endless repetition...) up to more danceable Electro-Pop songs like "Lava" or "Daybreak" which could impress not only Synth Pop fans. In all 16 tracks with almost 70 minutes of finest Synth Pop/Electronica combined with real song compositions and excellent vocal performances should be reason enough to check this out. Although I do not too often listen to this style of Electronic music, I must admit that this release totally satisfied me. A marvelous album to suspend away... and also my wife likes it!

The debut of this trio hailing from San Francisco, CA, "Divine Infect" has gathered a lot of success and recognition, more than band and label could expect. The reactions were that fine that the US label Metropolis Records finally decided to make a license commitment with the German label Noitekk to release this new CD "INRI" under own flag as an Metropolis artist. Congratulations to this. Well, the band has worked on a new release and here it is. The look on the cover lets you already realize that you hold a kind of a conceptual album in your hands. A naked "female" Jesus Christ with the nails of the crucifixion pinned through her arms could cause trouble with several pseudo-catholic communities which are richly present in the USA. "INRI" takes up the essential questions of the bible and/or the Christian belief and the band reinterprets it new in their very own style. Musically the band seems to make a development since their debut which was based pretty much into the Terror-EBM style. The elements are still rich present here and also the vocals (are they high pitched?) haven’t lost any form of aggression, they are sounding a bit like the ugly neighborhood boy and need some rotations to find acceptance. PSYCLON NINE could fill in some more melodic synth layers which have won more and more meaning, and also here and there some guitar riffs to thicken the bass lines. "The Feeding" is finally the most guitar-driven track here and I am sure the short-hair Electro purists will get toothache by listening to this! But calm down, here is enough energetic Electro-infiltrated stuff to blow out your mind. My favorites can be found with the tracks which feature the most remarkable melodic content like "Lamb of God", "Harlot" or "Nothing Left". Mass movements on the dark club floors are guarantied with "Faith : Disease" or "You Know What You Are". Finally I understand the enthusiasm at the Metropolis base, this act with this quality release is a must-have!

French label La Chambre Froide proudly presents a new compilation of French-only Electro-/Industrial acts from which are a few already known through well recognized releases while others are totally new to me. There is a lot of excellent stuff coming or still to come out of this country and this compilation does very well and offers especially unknown acts a big chance to get heard worldwide. Already known acts are here to find with H.I.V.+ (in collaboration with WIRED BRAIN) which present here their track "Havoc 2027 (Drug Addict Remix by TAMTRUM)", a piece I have already discovered on the BLC compilation "Interbreeding V: Terrorland". Then we have here E.S.R., licensed from the US label DSBP, with an unreleased "Tactical Mix" of their track "Fight Power", which shows and presents the fine programming abilities this one-man act has as usually to offer. Marvellous new and still unreleased is also the track by the rising NEON CAGE EXPERIMENT from Cortex-Records, their "Breathing Cities" can easily deal with the best pieces from their strong debut "Oscillations". La Chambre’s very own TAMTRUM, just licensed to the US label DSBP for a special re-release of their fantastic "Some Atomik Songz" debut CD are of course also present with a new track and they push the speed again to a maximum pace. In all very good stuff by the already known acts, but as usual the more unknown acts have to offer the surprising appearances. However the name of the drug is which has made somebody to name a band ARSCH DOLLS, the music is finest Dark Electro with some nice sound ideas. EX_TENSION do make also a nice piece here – unfortunately the mixing quality of their track "Pixel" destroys a lot. ASEPTIE made their first comp appearance here with a strong Terror-EBM stomper a la SUICIDE COMMANDO or AGONOIZE and I am waiting to hear more from them, they are already signed to La Chambre Froide. Another highlight is finally the Dark Electro track "Life is Suffering" from PSY with excellent programmings, good chosen sounds and remarkable vocals. You see here the rich content of this compilation and I can only advise you to make your contact to La Chambre Froide to order this essential and very well compiled French band contest. Promising new acts and soon to be giants acts are well present here, so no time to hesitate if Dark Electro/EBM/Industrial music is the drug you need.


Tracklist:
01 - Shizuka - Les Souterrains
02 - Arsch Dolls - Fetish Process
03 - HIV+ vs Wired Brain - Havoc 2027 (Drug Addict Mix By Tamtrum)
04 - Bran Terror - Traieste
05 - Ex_Tension - Pixel (LCF Edit)
06 - Aseptie - Pray (This Agony)
07 - ESR - Fight Power (Tactical Mix)
08 - Wytlyt - So Many Lies
09 - Neon Cage Experiment - Breathing Cities
10 - Tamtrum - In This Terrific Cold Room
11 - I Am Noth - Mue Urae
12 - Psy - Life Is Suffering
13 - Void Kampf - Death At Corner (Schneller Mix By Skoyz)
14 - SCR - On My Own
15 - Muckrackers vs Lith - Hexe Nacht

DEPRESSIVE DISORDER is a newcomer duo hailing from Brno/Czech Republic. The more I listen to music coming from Eastern Europe in times of a filled EU with many new states and open boundaries I get the feeling that acts hailing out of these states do better and are still full of new and refreshing ideas. These bands are still not influenced by the use of repetitive sounds and monotonous song structures too many bands currently have to offer. So it was already with NO NAME DESIRE who gave us a strong old school EBM influenced debut release, so it is also with DEPRESSIVE DISORDER, although both Czech bands are not to compare musically. DEPRESSIVE DISORDER offer us a wide range of styles almost all based on different EBM/Electro themes but still with an own identity. "Ultima Ratio" is one of the very few albums on which nothing is foreseeable. Food for the dancefloors is strong available here with "Serial Killer", "Genocide" or my favorite track "Victim", which reminds me a bit on the latest tracks from RUN LEVEL ZERO. They do also serve some excellent pieces to satisfy the friends of dark and gloomy Electro with the amazing "Under Watch" or "Fallen City". Outstanding feature of DEPPRESSIVE DISORDER are without any doubt the marvelous performed vocals which can range from tremendous whispers to aggressive screams. The chosen sounds and especially the used drum patterns won’t also leave you unimpressed, they are up to date and no track here sounds comparable to any other. With more bands and releases like this little masterpiece the Czech label Monopolrecords will earn very soon the fruits of their work. DEPRESSIVE DISORDER are surely the best kept secret of the Czech Republic and now is the time for all of you readers to check this band out!

This is the new full length of one of the most acclaimed Electro/Industrial bands of the current club scene hailing from Germany. If you take a deeper look to the listing of all participated persons who are involved in and around this band you come clearly to the result that this product is far away from a comparable release of a scene newcomer. Examples? Okay, the booking is done by Kai Lotze of Project Management, there are multiple persons responsible for the Live Sound, Webdesign, Merchandising, and, and, and. Which newcomer act can have such a background? This CD was pre-produced by the band itself but the final production process, mixing and mastering was done by Krischan of the talented act ROTERSAND (look for reviews and interview with this act somewhere here on our site...). Thematically the tracks on this release try to follow more or less the conceptual idea of the use and meaning of the number "12" in political and/or religious aspects. The 12 stands for perfection and unity on one site, has its appearance in the bible, but it stands also for an underworld goddess of the old Babylon. Well, some tracks here are lyrically very close to the daily madness with which we have to live with like terror attacks ("Crusade") or arbitrary judgement ("Richtfest", which has indeed nothing to do with a feast for a new building...). Musically the SHADOWS IN THE DARK (so the full name behind this abbreviation...) offer us nothing surprisingly indeed. Their 12 tracks here offer mostly danceable club-compatible Electro/EBM tracks with a slight Futurepop reference a lot influenced by current hypes with loud bass kicks and tekknoid infiltrated sequencer lines. Like their environment so is the music: professional arranged and flawless recorded, while the vocals are sounding almost clear (very fine filled in on "Relief"...) and avoid the use of destroying FX. Music, production and release seems to me a bit like a calculate-able risk – in all not very risky. This is a product designed to get attention and the have success through good sales. So here I have found the very one and only flaw of this release: There is no place to take a musically venture like producing here and there a track which does not walk with the wanted lines. Everything is professional and calculated, a musically revolution is not what you can expect from this band. [:SITD:] are surely not the inventors of a new sound but they serve perfectly the current taste. This release is licensed and distributed by Metropolis Records for North America.