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.

Poésie Noire was founded so long ago, not even its press release can tell the year for sure. The best it can do is dating the foundation to the early 80s. To the influences of black poetry belong Front 242 and Neon Judgement, but also pop artists such as Paul Haig and Fad Gadget. Soon enough the trio has obtained a small but loyal fan base. This is supposedly one of the most discussed Belgian acts according to Oor magazine.
Their sound can be best labeled as Electropop. Marianne voice will mesmerize you ' clean and feminine. The lyrics are so to say real life lyrics. They criticize the current state of the art in terms of norms and opinions in today's European society; they are dark, not very jolly and share honestly personal experiences.
The album has quite a number of songs that could be enjoyed while driving or in the club. To my personal faves belong 'Eurika', 'Dream One', melodic 'Uncertain Smile', somewhat Roxette-like 'The Radio Plays' and sung in German 'Die Sonne' (no, it is not a Rammstein cover).
'Sence of Purpose' is a totally pleasant album to listen to.

After few months after the release of their album "Modern Thrills", here's again Tesla Boy rocking your stereo system with a new EP of remixes. This time the Mullet's roster members have been called to remix LIBERATING SOUL and Tad Willy, Estate and FM Attack gladly replied. The EP contains five tunes: the first one is a "Radio edit" of the tune which let us remember how cool it was the original version. Estate are the first to work on it and they gave to the track a new melodic line keeping only the vocals and it sounds so fresh. They used their characteristic staccato keyboard style with cool moog like solos. Tad Willy remixed the track twice, giving to the audience a dance spacey remix with warm atmospheres and a dub remix which dilate the sound, opening it up with funky bass line, warm synth pads, tiny long leads, echoes and reverbs. The release is closed by FM Attack. They focused their remix on the warm pads and new wave clean guitars. Really nice release which is confirming once again Tesla Boy as one of the best pop wave act of the period. Exclusively available here http://www.junodownload.com/products/liberating-soul/1642340-02/?ref=dlk

This new EP of Moldavia's 'Rocking Futurepop project' ALPHA POINT acts a bit like a twin release to their first, also on Synthematik released EP 'Alive'. Two new and original tracks and the usual addition of 3 remix contributions on the title track by Mr. ALPHA 'Rush' POINT himself (Relaxed Mix), the label colleagues of [systemshock] (Devildance Mix) and from PERSONAL SPACE (Cuttin' Wings Mix). Mr Rush offers again his successful formula of Futurepop-inspired Electronic sounds, combined with gritty guitar riffs. He does this well sounding, but also relatively expected and without thrilling musically experiments. Compared to the powerful and with mighty guitars supported b-side tune 'God's Anger', I tend to rate the title track as being the better one, since it leaves a bit more room to take a deep breathe and it offers a bit more relaxing and catchy arrangements. While I'm not too impressed with the relatively uninspired Techno-/Trance-Electronica sound in use at the remix of [systemshock], and at Mr. Rush's own re-interpretation, I tend to declare the work of PERSONAL SPACE as being the discovery of this EP. May someone calls that remix a strong dedication to Alternative/Pop-related genres much based in a well-known British MODE-style - I call that a surprising good performance of the 'how-to-produce-an-authentic-sounding-remix' schoolbook, which explores a relatively different sound-environment compared to the original composing artist. Quality stuff of course, but the most remarkable surprise has been produced by a remixing artist ' strange, unexpected, but true!

If one of the oldest and best known Russian Goth-/Dark Wave-bands like PURPLE SIDE FOG (2 albums available on Shadowplay Records) decides to collaborate with Synthematik ' in no negative meaning a pure net-label ' then there must be growing a kind of sensible sensation in the minds of the responsible band-members. The certainty, that the days of the physical product, the CD, are counted, may can be taken as a reference, that this formation has documented the will to collaborate. On the other hand, Synthematik has made themselves a good name during the last half year, to be an excellent promoter by using multiple kinds of online resources to gain a maximum of attention, so why not to give it a try? This freely downloadable album consist of an experiment of PFS ' they have recorded all featured tracks in kind of a real-time mode, which means, that they have produced song by song in a strictly declared time window of 1 ½ months, starting all compositions completely from scratch. The band has used online communities and has uploaded any raw demo version of these tracks for their fans and listeners to start a mutual interaction. Completely remixed and mastered after this experimental phase, this 10 all new tracks (plus 3 remix contributions by ALPHA POINT, X-TI, and ELEKTRONNOE OBLAKO, plus an alternative radio version in Russian language on 'My Secret friend') are far away from being demos or uninspired stuff established out of a short expiration time. I am unable to draw comparisons to their Shadowplay recordings, as I am unfamiliar with them, but especially tracks like the already mentioned 'My Secret Friend', or 'Crystal Castle' offer enough potential to impress Goth-, Wave, and Electro-minded listeners completely. Especially the intended contrast between the raw- and dark-sounding male vocalist to the compelling, nearly angelic vocals of the female counterpart can be called exceptionally well-done. This album may needs 2 ' 3 spins more to disclose all good elements, but it is definitely worth to invest it. So there's only one thing I would like to know from the band: what is a 'PVC Slut'?