Such is the beauty of Resistanz, the coming together of the most wonderful Gothic souls - People who genuinely care for one another, and about the music; Artists that play out of love for what they do, and the people they play to. It's always a soul nourishing journey, a pilgrimage to a bountiful Oasis for our true selves..
For another year.. It is finished. Just like recovering from any journey of the soul.. It's been a long couple of weeks. A lot of us, myself included have come down with varying illnesses and general mental fatigue - Once again having to live in the mundane world.
This may have very well been the best Resistanz Festival of all time, from the crowds, to the bands, the atmosphere, and the camaraderie, there is nowhere on Earth that hits like Tanz.
I made a Pre-Tanz article with all the band info in as well as a playlist if you want further reading HERE
I spent a lot of the weekend interviewing bands and fighting fatigue so although this article will review the live performances, I am sorry to say they will be short on my part, especially as the illness I've suffered has tampered with my already fragile memory. However, some of my wonderful FB friends have kindly added a few sentences here and there of band's performances, mostly for bands I was not able to catch much or any of but there are a few extras sprinkled in too. The video interviews I managed are of course under each artist below!
A huge thank you to Leighton for asking me to be an official sponsor this year and for putting on this Heaven on Earth once more. Also to Mark (Of Corporation) who did a fair bit of running around for me. I appreciate you both immensely.
Also a massive thank you - that I cannot put in to words - to Kevin Stevens of Musique Non-Stop for taking breath-taking pictures of the Friday and Saturday bands. I cannot thank you enough for providing these photos to me. You really are one of absolute best photographers around. (So if any of you need a photographer, especially for music events, hit this amazing man up!)
What do you mean you haven't listened to the 2023 soundtrack album?!!
WULFBAND - Musik Ist Das
HELIX - Run (PEOPLE THEATRE's Sprint Mix)
MECHANICAL VEIN vs MORIS BLAK - Cemetery Wind (DNB VIP)
BIOMECHANIMAL - From The Mouth Of Beasts (ANTIBODY Remix)
RATIO STRAIN - Electronic Music (Tanz Mix)
VUXNUT - Exsanguination
BLINK 242 - Dark Forever
W.A.S.T.E. - Seeping
SERAPHIM SYSTEM - Limitless
DARK MACHINE NATION - F
I put the album on in my car which had a couple of bonus tracks having been the physical copy and I was in no way disappointed! (Even after the 4th play) Just the Antibody remix of Bio's 'From The Mouth Of Beast' is reason enough alone to get this album but each track on the album is pure fire. I especially love the anger and passion in Dark Machine Nation's 'F' which he discusses in our interview.
Each artist really outdid themselves with this.
10/10
STOP A MOMENT!
Please consider donating or fundraising for Beyond Reflections who are a charity run by friends of Elektro Vox and they supply an essential service to so many.
www.beyond-reflections.org.uk @BeyondReflectUK
Their support really does save lives!
Friday
Seraphim System
Ser-Sys is the one I coined as the overall must watch artist for the weekend and he sure as hell didn't disappoint. John Stancil is a machine, he may be eccentric to the point that our 'European mind's cannot comprehend' but he is also a tech wizard with a heart of Gold, blasting out incredible tracks in the time it takes others to get out of bed with a hangover.
Seraphim System has so many different sounds to choose from and fitting them all in to such a dance fuelled rave in the way he did was nothing short of mind-blowing. There were two tracks that stood out. The Ruinizer remix of his track 'Spunk For Cyborgs' and a cover song that he blasted out after an 'all American' sample to troll the crowd.. The track in question? John belted his lungs out to Slipknot's 'Surfacing'. Never thought I'd hear the industrial crowds singing along to that, what a great moment!
The man obliterates, and after nearly giving up on Ser-sys, not only did he smash out a country music industrial track like lighting (Which we briefly touch on in the interview) He has also showed me some of the next album and I sh*t you not.. It's already sounding like his most boots on the floor, wall to wall rave album yet!
"Seraphim System.. Hard, heavy collaboration of all different genres of stomp music that will keep you buzzing days afterwards! No way of describing it to give it real justice...GO LISTEN!!!" - Kirsty Thewlis "Seraphim System filled my brain with noise and turned me into an EBM redneck and I am very happy with this new life I have been gifted. Yeehaw." - Taz marriot
"What a rootin, tootin' good challenge. Canis from Elektro Vox challenged me to do something with country and industrial, and here we go. The idea came to me while riding in an Uber and listening to this song. Knew exactly how I wanted to play it out when I heard it. Enjoy, cowborgs." - John - Seraphim System
Pretty Addicted
There's a whirlwind of fun to be had whenever Vicious Precious takes the stage. Fury at religion, fury at her family, fury at misogyny, fury at mis-directed recognition, but above all else fury in those vocals! Vish belted out each track with her entire soul, her heart bleeding out of her lungs. This woman knows how to perform and own a stage. There were many laughs to be had asking her best friend Paul to get her tequila and then instantly regretting it when she had it which was a nice comic break.
Did I mention Fury? Well when it comes to animal right there is also compassion and a touching speech was given, as a fellow Vegan, I fully approved of her message.
Banger after banger, she rocked the crowd with the new singles with Chris drumming as hard as he could behind her. It's wonderful to see the chemistry these two have on stage, even if it borders on the vulgar, who cares?
And of course, as ever - 'Mania' made the crowd rave hard, even those who had held back couldn't help themselves dance to this all time classic with crowd members singing along strong! Make sure you catch one of her Summer Goth tour dates across the country.
HARLEYLIKESMUSIC
I was not able to catch this band unfortunately but I have heard many good things!
"Harleylikesmusic was just as impressive as the last time he played in the back room of Tanz 15.
His performance was lifted with the use of visuals.
Looking at the sense of enjoyment of people who had not seen or heard of harlylikesmusic shows how using old tech is moving." - Ryan Fordman
Randolph & Mortimer
"I DO NOT NEED MY BODY!" Well apparently my dopamine / serotonin receptors didn't seem to think so and ignored my aching knees in order to dance hard to the classic track 'Body' I only managed to catch about four tracks at the end but I was incredibly impressed with how crisp and clear their sound was, I have never in all my time witnessing electronic music live, heard a band's bass sound THAT perfect. They were full of energy and had some very impressive visuals to keep the crowd just as engaged in the lyrical content as the beauty of what they were hearing and feeling.
Amazing set, wish I had seen all of it!
