After one year from their debut EP "Plecked Medium", Long Distance Analog are back on Mullet Records with a new EP titled WALK THE NIGHT. Trio coming from Massachusetts, Long Distance Analog are the funkiest band of the Mullet's roster. Mixing rock syncopated drums and guitar solos with deep synth bass lines and Rhodes piano (like on the opening "You Got The Look" and on the following " Need Somebody To Funk") the band goes electronic thanks to a drum machine mid tempo rhythm on Shadow Crawler and on the upbeat "Wayfarer", a song that sounds so warm thanks to its sax inserts duetting with the seducing Curtis Black's vocals. After listening to these four songs, you'll realize that WALK THE NIGHT is a very appropriate title for this EP, as it sound smooth, warm and energetic at the same time.

Dedicated to our beloved star, center of our universe and to its processes, FUSION is the newest Axess album which is released almost two years after "Voices of dawn". Having a photo of the sun on its cover, FUSION could be seen as "Voices of dawn" counterpart both visually and musically. Sounding upbeat and intense the six tracks of the album show Axess dealing with classic late 70s / early 80s analog synth instrumental tracks (see also Zombi/Steve Moore, Gatekeeper, Antoni Maiovvi or Umberto which all refer to the classic sound of Klaus Schulze or Vangelis mixed to the synth horror tracks composed by Carpenter). Arpeggiators create rhythmic patterns while beautiful synth pads paint sidereal dreamy scenarios. "Speed of light", "Fusion", "Pictures", "Nefilim", "Schwerelos" and "Under a starry star" are long suites which sound modern and classic at the same time and here and there the synth sounds are joined by arioso guitar solos (like on "Pictures"). There are also darker moments like the opening part of "Nefilim", track which lighten its atmosphere as soon as the synth bleeps and the bass waves leave for making space to the rhythmic patterns. FUSION is a great album and it doesn't need you to be a synth fanatic to like it. You should only be ready to let yourself go and start a voyage thanks to Axess...

After their well recognized appetizer 'Stasis', released earlier this year as being a 5-track download-EP, the new formatted trio of CODE 64 offers a new and long awaited studio-album. As expected, this album follows the mood and impression already discovered from the 'Stasis'-EP, while it has some additional outstanding tunes to consume. Telling the listeners some tiny and charming sci-fi related stories of the how to leave our home world and to settle down in indescribable different worlds, CODE 64 offer a skilful and very modern form of Synth-/Futurepop-music, which is able to rival with the biggest names out of this music genre. Highly polished synth arrangements, diverse and intelligent chosen sound programs, and the crystal-clear performance by the new vocalist Hendrik Piehl - these all are ingredients featured here to cook a delicious ear-dinner. 'Stasis' is one hit, but 'Deviant', 'Higher Ground', or the fantastically arranged 'S.O.L.' can easily follow and should be ideal tracks, to safe any Synthpop-party. Highlight is nevertheless the sentimental ballad-like tune 'Oblivion', which slows down the rushing action and spends a spectacular, nearly chill-out like atmosphere with perfect synthesizer drops and a catchy vocal performance. Although that this album looses a bit of intensity after the 8th track, and yes, I don't think, that the half-baked tune 'Masquerade' isn't an ideal Single-follower to 'Stasis', the first half of this album I tend to call as being one of the most impressive Synth-/Futurepop-albums ever released. CODE 64 has had a good name in the past, but it won't wonder too much, if they will be able to enhance their international reputation. The band can already report about Chart-entries in Sweden's official album-charts. The talent is featured in this new band formation, so don't miss this album!

First production of the Rockgarage label and produced back in 1984, NO INZRO has been the first and only album released by Degada Saf on the last century (as you may know because of my review and my interview, they released a great new comeback album the last year), album that now is reissued by one of the most active Italian labels, Mannequin. Inspired by the dada movement, the band wrote lyrics using "phonemes and puns on words from different languages", as Fausto told us in our interview. The eight songs you can find on the album are amazing because of their mix of new wave/no wave melodies along with synth sounds inventive solutions. Using Simmons pads as well as different drum machines, guitars and keyboards, they created a wide palette of atmospheres. Tracks like "Loda loda", "Om" or the main tune, are almost industrial wave because of their saturated sounds and for the will of experimenting with sounds ("No inzro", for example is a nightmarish atmospheric electronic piece which step by step becomes more obsessive and dark). The opening "La rhumba de Shang Hai", "Tri banal" or "Zom Africa", instead, incarnate the pop soul of the band where Fausto's deep vocals are well backed by never predictable melodies. I think that for these reasons Giusto Pio (Franco Battiato long time collaborator) accepted to produce the single they released a couple of years later. Do yourself a favor and if you have the money to purchase only a CD this month, check this one first!

Spruke is Bill Boulden from Buffalo, NY. Hey, that's not all that far away. Nice to get something from New York State artists now and then. Bill's DIY project is obviously geared for the dancefloor with big-beat synthpop leanings. The title track might be a bit spazzy for club play, but it's certainly catchy. Nicely processed vocals too. 'Wir Konnen Nicht Deutsch' remedies the dance beat situation and adds a bit of satire lyrically concerning Teutonic Industrial music. 'Eight Above or Twenty Below' is a very cool synthpop gem with vocoder enhanced vocal. A bit more production work and it could have monster hit potential. 'Motorcade' (featuring Digital Geist with the F-16 Remix) has a compelling club techno beat and choppy processed vocals. Sounds kind of future-poppy with an old skool vibe. Very infectious dancefloor fodder. Digital Geist's remix of 'Infektipede' is more straight ahead and upbeat than the original, definitely geared for the dancefloor. At 9:28 it's also the longest track on the EP. Since the bass has changed along with the rhythmic momentum, it bears little similarity to the original except for touches here and there. My problem with remixes (and if you read my reviews with any regularity, you know how I usually loathe them) is that you can take nearly any piece of music and turn it into something else, and it usually isn't better. Such is the case with this one. Except for the odd sample here and there, this isn't even the same song. It's just another club groove. Why even bother?

Still, there is enough on this EP that shows promise. It is interesting to hear an artist (this is only Boulden's Spruke project's sophomore release even though he's been at it ten years) honing his craft and working through ideas to establish an identity. Few artists have risen overnight to create sonic masterpieces. It merits checking out and keeping an eye on. That goes double for DJs. I think Spruke needs to focus on a theme or concept and run with it. The talent is there. What follows next could be really interesting. I believe the EP is available on iTunes.