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I'm pleased to be writing about one of the most interesting and unique bands to come out of the USA in recent times. Although they have a retro edge to their sound, it never feels out of place and always leaves you hungering for a little bit more. You can't get much more rock n' roll than this duo. You can read our previous articles on them here: Spotlight article Unicorn Bones EP review 2020 was a year where most bands could be excused if they decided to take time off and hope for the best in 2021, but then again BELLHEAD isn’t most bands. The critically acclaimed duo of Karen and Ivan are following up their highly successful regarded 'Unicorn Bones' EP and subsequent "Sanity Assassin" single, with a new EP titled 'Remix with Guns' + an additional EP's worth of Bonus content for free. While 'Remix With Guns' will be available on all platforms, the bonus content ‘Remix With Guns: Part 2’ will be available completely for free only through BELLHEAD's brand new mailing list. BELLHEAD burst onto the scene in late 2019 with the release of two strong singles released back to back, “Fire Control” and “Runaway”. They fast tracked their rise to prominence with the release of their debut EP, ‘Unicorn Bones’ in July of 2020. Crossing over fan bases and genres from the post-punk, gothic, industrial, alternative and metal scenes, ‘Unicorn Bones’ opened many doors for the band as they started to reach the mainstream with articles and reviews in such high profile media outlets as Bass Magazine, WhiteLight/WhiteHeat, Post-Punk.com and many more. BELLHEAD were recognized with some prestigious awards during the summer and fall months of the year; “Band of the Month for August” by Music Eternal and winner of September's “Artist of the Month” award from the esteemed Deli Magazine. Their songs were featured on several radio stations including Q101 Chicago with many stations keeping BELLHEAD in constant rotation. BELLHEAD also worked with two very talented directors; John Weaver and Scott Fedor (who has also worked on multiple MCU films) for music videos in support of their releases. The “Unicorn Bones” video quickly garnered over 1,000 views in just two weeks time, while their cover of the Bauhaus fan favorite “Sanity Assassin” debuted on the highly respected White Light/White Heat website. BELLHEAD completed a remix of their own song "Knife" for the Cancer benefit compilation 'Electronic Saviors Volume 6: Reflection (Metropolis Records). The band was approached to do further remixes throughout 2020 by artists such as Stoneburner and Attrition. After the release of the ‘Unicorn Bones’ EP, thought was given to putting together a remix EP to share BELLHEAD songs and shine a light on the talent of other related artists and ‘Remix With Guns’ was born. ‘Remix With Guns’ EP features not only the new title song “With Guns” but also a remix done by the band themselves of the previously unreleased song “Drugstore Keri”. The EP is rounded out nicely by remixes from musicians that BELLHEAD has hand-selected including artists from the esteemed Side-Line Music Magazine ‘Face The Beat’ Series. Across ‘Remix With Guns’ and ‘Remix With Guns: Part 2’ listeners will hear the work of contributors, producers, or members of: Chemlab, Sister Machine Gun, Pigface, Hip Deep Trilogy, Mnpltr, The Final Cut, Bounte, I:scintilla, Atomica Project, Missing In Stars, Emulsion and more! As large corporations' algorithms throttle communication via Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter the band decided to take things into their own hands with an old school guerrilla mailing list. Karen and Ivan wanted to give something back to their long time fans and reward new listeners by creating an email mailing list kicking off with an EP of bonus material ‘Remix With Guns: Part 2’ The band describes their mailing list as: “Part mailing list, part free patreon, and part secret Santa. We want to be able to give our fans something special, so they realize they are important to us. You may get a random song emailed to you, an exclusive mailing list advance to our new releases, or stickers or holiday cards from us in the mail.” The band further states “We are thinking of making it monthly, we don’t want to fill your inbox. We may also take the opportunity to turn the spotlight on other creators both musical and visual. It’s very exciting to have a direct dialog with our listeners and let them know directly how much we appreciate each of them as individuals and their feedback.” For those fans who sign up to the mailing list now at the address below they will receive the Bonus EP ‘Remix With Guns: Part 2’ content for FREE in the spring. This supplemental EP to ‘Remix With Guns’ sees the band deliver a more throwback industrial dance remix EP that will be right at home for old school fans of import singles. Seven tracks available directly to listeners stylized as an exclusive European import extended play. You can sign up for the mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/hndoUr For “With Guns” BELLHEAD returned to their trusted production team of Neil Strauch (production / technical assistance for Counting Crows, Iron and Wine) and Car Saff (production / technical assistance on Acid Mothers Temple, Smoking Popes, Red Fang, Guided by Voices). BELLHEAD are a Post-Punk duo made up of two Chicago music scene veterans who have left their mark across the tattered music landscape. Consisting of High Bass/Lead Vocalist Ivan Russia, formerly of the infamous Ahab Rex, Mr. Russia, and Sheriff Scabs; partnering with Low Bass/Vocalist Karen Righeimer who has been a member of bands such as Fashion Bomb, Team Cybergeist, W.O.R.M, and Bethany Thomas. BELLHEAD’s releases are for download and streaming on all major platforms. Review 'With Guns' returns to that creepy horror ambience BELLHEAD seem to be establishing themselves in rather well. It instantly puts me in the mind of films like 'House of a thousand corpses' Or 'From dusk 'til dawn'; In fact the moody 90's feel would probably have done well in classic shows like 'Buffy the vampire slayer'. Whereas in a modern show, it would be the track playing over the final few minutes of montage for a shocking TV thriller. The pace is slow and seductive, dangerous yet enticing and makes for an impressive opener. The remix makes it even more sinister like a haunted fairground theme but also adds an interesting effect that makes the brass wind instrument they have used sound almost dub-step like to a certain degree and to quite a slow paced song this is something much different to what I've ever heard before. It's almost like BELLHEAD want to be 'THE' go to Halloween band and I'm all for that! 'Drugstore Keri' is a dark ballad with a great vocal effect at the start of the chorus. Definitely one for the darker, slower, more edgy nightclub dancefloors to which the night time denizens would no doubt join in with singing 'She's my Drugstore Keri!' In contrast 'Fire Control' has a nice - fast and filthy cyberpunk edge that adds some real fist pumping, boot stomping rhythms and loops. The lyrics work so well in the aggressive undertone mixed with chaotic electronic samples creating a digital art piece exploding in your mind through the medium of sound. I imagine this is what an Android's dreams might sound like. That quintessential and all American voice that was on every horror and blockbuster film trailer since the 70s and 80's (And As recent as the film Machete I think) introduces us to 'Snuff Film'. The nostalgia and feel good factor is instantly off-the-charts. What an incredible choice of sample to include in a song!! This is a flaming dragster race of powerful rock and metal that only the USA can produce. It is by far my favourite track on the EP. Finishing off is a remix of 'Sidewinder' from the 'Unicorn Bones' release. It has a smooth and mellow vibe that brings a wonderful relaxing and fresh end to the EP. Like a pallet being cleansed after a meal by an expensive drink. A rather impressive and somewhat more industrial pop angle that proves BELLHEAD will throw some curve balls now and then to keep you guessing with each release! Tracklist With Guns Drugstore Keri (BELLHEAD Remix) Fire Control (Ordinary Mammal Remix 2) Snuff Film 1974 (Sister Sarin Remix) Sidewinder (Bounte Remix) With Guns (Afterbirth Remix 2) Conclusion If there really is another 'Nightmare before Christmas' film being made then BELLHEAD neeeed to be on the soundtrack. They have the perfect level of grit and spine chill levelled out by easy listening. Rock and roll, punk, metal, and spike of industrial make for a unique and rather charming EP which is at direct odds with the lyrical horror content. BELLHEAD do far more than impress with every release, they also set the foundations for a very strong future with a great variety of direction. I really hope I get to see them perform live one day. Whether that be with them pacing around fancy lounge bar tables playing to the horror concept and bringing the audience in to their performance, or be it a packed out venue in a much heavier setting; Either way Karen and Ivan would slay any performance for sure! Scores: Technicality: 7/10 Dance factor: 7/10 Energy: 8/10 Vocals: 7/10 Re-playability: 8/10 Overall score: 7.4/10 Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. You can also list your band or business on our Alternative Directory! Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Get yourself listed with us! Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

The machine God will see you now.. What is it to be human and what is it to compete with ever prevalent machinery and biological obsolescence? What use is the flesh against these aural shockwaves and legions of electric belt fed riffs delivering shock and awe munitions of ever increasing guitar magnitude? Join the assembly line and find out. Interview: Q. You have mentioned to me before that ‘Machine ready’ is not just about A.I, algorithms, and machines manipulating our future lives more than they already do but that being human is about the ability to lose control and that a lot of recent events have set the foundations of the future your album seeks to explore. Do you see this as an ironic and accidental planned obsolescence of the human race, and can you elaborate more on the core concept of Machine ready as a whole in regards to this theme? A. Machine Ready is about the omnipresence of AI and algorithms, and what it means to be human in the emerging machine age. We thought creating artificial intelligence, we would be creating life, we would become gods. But instead, we are becoming Neanderthals – where it dawns on us that were are not the smartest entity on the planet. We will not be able to compete with super intelligence. We shouldn’t try, its a losing game. Instead we should focus on what makes us truly human, It's not our logic. The last few years has defo shown us that. What makes us really human is our soul – the ability to lose control, which machines will never do. The ability to create and imagine. Machines will never be created to feel loss, nor grieve nor experience those micro-bonds that even we don’t have words for – the touch of a hand, the smell of a new-born. A machine will never feel the joy of sweat, breathlessness, and ten thousand people in a field dancing to the same beat. It's these that makes us human, from when we first walked on the planet - not our ability to count. These are the signatures of our soul. To be machine ready we need to have soul. Machine Ready is a soul album. Q. In the release notes you say that you always tried to recreate what you imagined as a child when you read a Christian propaganda book about the dangers of Punk music. Do you feel like you’ve achieved that with this album and do you feel like the Mad Max style world your album plays out points out the absurdity of the world and how that kind of propaganda across many different aspect is actually pushing our world to the brink of destruction? A. The propaganda from that Christian book worked in ways they didn’t expect. Reading and re-reading it I got a sense that these dangerous punks and rock stars were vulnerable creatures, trapped in their own hell-scapes, the anxiety of falling out of Heaven, never being able to fit in. Fallen angels hiding in plain sight. I fell in love with the fragility of these characters and wanted to reflect the fragility in my album too. They never wanted to be bad, not all were lost, just made a few wrong turns. Years later you see sex drugs ‘n roll killed too many of them. So much propaganda today is trying to portray groups like Extinction Rebellion, Trans Activism, Black Lives Matters or Left wing thinking as some form of evil. We aren’t. In a way, we believe in a heaven too. We just want all to be part of that heaven, even if it feels Heaven kicked us out as we wouldn’t wear a tie! (Therapy?- ‘Going Nowhere’) I’m gonna leave this question with a quote from Mathew 9:12 – It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. If we don’t all work together, and give help where it's needed then it's game over for mankind, as a species and as individuals too. Q. This album has a lot of variety in it and the format of each track has very clearly had a lot of thought put in to each one. We see post rock with ‘Imitating art’ horror punk predominantly, Hip-Hop, and even a synth wave style intro/outro with ‘Disassemble me.’ With so many different instruments and styles, was this album a project to prove just how much you could push yourself musically or did it all just come naturally without much thought to variety? A. That’s a real good question and one I’m still trying to explore. I’m slightly autistic and dyspraxic. I used to have seizures as a kid. Its taken me until my 40’s to realise I experience the world differently to everyone I know. I dream in sound. The music in my head never stops. As I get older I’m more confident to talk about all the music that inspires me, because no-one likes the guy that says.. “Hey, I like all kinds of music”. I’m old enough to not give a crap. So once the song writing floodgates open, I just see wherever it takes me. It's fully natural and like visiting the 4th Dimension that no-one else can see. Image: William Mawdsley Photography Q. A lot of the guitar riffs in this album would give Doof warrior some real pangs of jealousy. Which track was your favourite guitar wise and would you say the album was written more around the sound or more around the lyrics? A. Ah waay cool. That’s a super compliment, thank you. The lyrics were written last for each track. I’d just create these soundscapes and listen to them repeatedly until the lyrics come to me. Normally I’d improvise the lyrics, but this time I had to force myself to get into deeper memories and revisit empathetically the events I’m singing about. I do love some of the solos as they capture experiences I’m reliving, such as one ‘As They Let You Down’ as it sounds like I’m hugging my partner. It’s a solo with love in mind. My proudest moment though is probably the intro to Collapsing New Stars. Nothing too complex, it just syncs together perfectly – lead, rhythm, and noise. Same with 'It Came To This' – my bass, rhythm and, lead all blend together satisfyingly. Q. What sort of people do you feel would benefit the most from the messages of these songs? A. Not that I want to exclude any demographic, but I really hope young men listen to this – masculinity can be so tragically defined by ‘being tough’ or ‘manning up’. There are gonna be times that are so incredibly hard that it feels like it will destroy you. You don’t need to compete, nor ever need to be shamed about being vulnerable. All the lyrics are true stories and about real people. Some heavily disguised for reasons of anonymity. These are events people went through too, just like young folk are going through today. Q. Are there any music videos and merchandise for this release in the works? A. Oh yes!! T-shirts and CDs to support the album and a video too. As long as lockdown lets us record the video. So far, all I can say about the video is that its going to include a LOT of fire and LOT of petrol. It's being done by one of the best metal video makers. If you have seen any Napalm Records videos, you will have probably seen his work. As an artist I guess I'm supposed to do merch as it’s the done thing. But I want to create merch that's worthy of people’s support. It means everything to me when people buy it and I want to give people something to love, art that means something. Image: Nigel Messenger Q. What do you see the world being like in five years and how do you think SYD.31 and musicians in general will adapt and change accordingly? A. Reality is going to hit hard for many people at the top. Brexit is an utter failure for the arts and I can't see any way forward than for the government to make big changes for us. In addition, the streaming industry is starting to be held to account and its inequitable distribution of income. Both of these are going to change, thanks to pressure from artists and movements like The Musicians Union. I’m part of the MU and glad to see them make progress. I think in five year’s time there will be even more progress on mental health and music. Most large employers have Mental Health First Aiders in the workplace and I would like to see MHFA being part of health and safety at gigs and creative spaces. Its something I’ve taken the first steps to try and arrange. As part of positive mental health, I think in the next five years we will also see a Post-Marilyn Manson world where misanthropy and intention to cause harm isn’t seen as cool anymore. Q. Is there a favourite funny or important moment that you like to tell people in regards to SYD.31? A. Haha, yeah. Its when I played Infest. A load of pals went to town and bought loads, and I mean LOADS of granny pants. I was trying so hard to keep a serious punk face when a wall of pants just kept flying at me. I did what any professional musician would do – I put a pair on and twerked! Q. What difficulties with lockdown have you had in putting this album together? “I don’t see problems, I see opportunities” and other bullshit catchphrases; But I’ve had to take a strategic view of this and its worked out well for me. What would Sun Tzu do? One of the biggest obstacles I’ve overcome is people saying over the years that you can't do things by yourself. I realised that’s more about their own limits and insecurities. You certainly can do what you need to do, even if it means doing things differently. The biggest difficulty was doing everything by myself – no signature yobbie crowd vocals as we couldn’t socialise or meet up. But I made that work, I could do vocals that are very ‘me’ instead. If you listen to the album closely there are layers of different vocals low in the mix, some spoken, some shouted. It means every time I listen to it myself I hear something different. Sadly though, it’s the first recording I’ve done since the 90’s without sharing a microphone. A strangely lonely experience and you have to be very content with your own company to do that. Q. Which track/s are you most proud of with this album and which has the most personal meaning to you? Is it a cop-out to say I’m proud of them all? I don’t want to release tracks that I can write, I release tracks I want to write. I don’t see myself as limited by my ability to craft a song. This really helps when I’m telling a personal story. I enjoyed ‘Demon Night’ as it was about a haunted house we lived when I was a kid. I shivered all the way through recording the vocals on that. ‘Collapsing New Stars’ is probably my most personal though. A true story about being in my first band and thinking we were going to change the world. Remembering that optimism, bravery and ultimate failure was cathartic and gave me a sense of closure on that time of my life. Q. What artists are you listening to most right now? I’m currently writing my follow-up album, so far entitled ‘Prayer Songs’. As part of that I’ve been re-visiting all the Grebo bands I heard when I first came back to the UK, especially Pop Will eat Itself, Gaye Bikers On Acid, early KLF, and Neds Atomic Dustbin. Incredible crossover artists with a sense of groove and fun. If you want a taste of what the next Syd album will sound like, check out PWEI’s ‘Dos Dedos Mos Amigo’. I really miss the sense of groove that’s absent in a lot of contemporary alt-artists. Q. What venue has been your favourite to play at? Jeez, that a tough question. I’ve had so many good gigs, it's hard to say. Sometimes the smaller gigs have more soul, just a handful of genuinely like-minded people. Other times bigger venues and stages make you feel like a total rock star. Tomorrow’s Ghost festival was like that. We sold out of merch as everyone came over and just wanted to talk and to support us. It was phenomenal. I also loved playing Coalville Bikers bar, lots of punk, ska, and metal bands. A genuine rock ‘n roll venue. More of this please. Dr.Magic when I first met him at Resistanz 2016 Q. What life lessons has being in music taught you over the last year? This has been my most creative year and probably the biggest for my self-awareness. None of us have to return to doing things the old way – we can rebuild and better. But we have to accept that extinction exists and WILL happen unless we wake up. We can't just plod along, we have to keep progressing, building, creating – making things that inspire others; And it starts with ourselves. Q. What (provisional) plans do you have for 2021 if things improve? I just want to at least rehearse the Machine Ready tracks together with my Kara Wolf and Harry Shavo. The album is out on Easter Friday. Ha, more religious themes around resurrection and re-awakening. I just plan on being part of the musical resurrection, get out gigging again and putting on a show for people that makes it worth coming back out for. Harry Shavo, Dr.Magic, and Kara Wolf Q. Anything you’d like to say to your fans? Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge thanks for supporting us during the lockdown and still buying merch too. I can't put into words what it means when people dig the lyrics and art, even though I’m a millions miles away. A big thank you. Review Rolling thunder, an eerie desolate and seemingly digitalised wind sweeps across the landscape of the album's opening track. Despair and foresight given life through reverbing, pulsating soundwaves. With a devastating clap of lighting that shatters the artful construct, the guitars herald the telling of the end times; With unchained guitar fury, SYD.31 return. 'Broken Blank' is wasteland aggression fury going toe to toe with drum and bass lunacy. Back when mosh pits in punk and metal were crucibles of friendship and anarchistic brotherhood against a common foe. This track breathes remembrance in to that golden era of better times in direct contrast to the album's concept of an increasingly screwed up and divided world where such things are becoming obsolete. 'It came to this' feels very much like a continuation of the previous track and brings forth another of the shout your heart our chorus' that SYD.31 is known for. Controlled chaos and over bearing remembrances of pain reforged and crafted with passion in to a dance floor boot wrecker. These guitar riffs are pure Doof Warrior frenzy. How loud is too loud, how fast is too fast?.. Image: Mad Max Fury Road - Doof Warrior A real change of pace and a blind-siding of emotion comes from 'Imminent failure'. There is the familiarity of classic Goth Depeche mode and The cure but in a more early 2000's dramatic style the likes of which AFI and Slipknot used to implement to tug on heartstrings everywhere. The pace is soft and slow like a warm depression blanket lulling you to sleep only to be suddenly torn off and thrown to the fire with nitro injected aggression and guitar dismay. If this isn't a perfect metaphor for mental health bad days, I'm not sure what is. 'As they let you down' and 'Demon night' continue the same onslaught; Pouring forth pure fuel from flaming guitars, speedy drums, and throat tearing vocals. If you're a fan of the heavier fist pumping, leg kick, chaotic concert madness then these tracks will get you swinging. Retro kicks are abound in 'Collapsing New Stars' with a track somewhere between 'Video killed the radio star' mashed with Duran Duran, Frankie goes to Hollywood, and The Human League all pretending not to stare at the Sex Pistols pissing in the corner. Slide guitars and slap bass goodness. It's a real feel good vibe and a track that would rock a summer drive in a convertible. With that euphoric rush of endorphins we are now suddenly brought down to beautiful, sorrowful depths in the post rock ballad of 'Imitating Art'. The vocals are incredibly soft and heartfelt, it no longer feels like a SYD.31 song. It seems to return once again to that AFI like emo style. Its depth may be sorrowful but it is just as vindicating and uplifting as the previous songs - just in contrary style. It is self reflective and serene; I love it! 'Disassemble me' teases a synthwave chillout vibe that is to die for and continues to re-emerge throughout. However the aggression kicks back in but at half the intensity of previous tracks, there's some real horror punk influence here and the overall vibe is a dark, spiralling descent in to a screwed up wonderland. Where the guitars really shine on this album is with 'Machine ready' this track brings to the imagination an orchestral army of robots riffing in concert. Possibly doing the 'robototron' dance of Evil Scarecrow. See HERE. The lyrical content is clear in its quite literal rage against the machine and that standing up against this horrific change is in itself seen as a rebellious act. Imagine a bunch of Mad Max warboys trying their best to smash up some Terminators in full scale urban warfare and you 'might' be close to the scale and scope of the intelligent musical storytelling on offer. Finally we have 'We Turned The Lights Out' which is a very different track to anything you would expect. Influenced by Dub reggae and Zimbabwe culture. It feels like an 80's time warp that throws slightly different ska at you from different angles. Quite an odd choice but SYD.31 is quite experimental and odd Indeed! Tracklist (With notes!) 01 - Intro (A Night Visitor) Setting a mood - capturing the feeling that ‘something’ was coming. Borrowing a lot from 1950s and 1960s sci-fi horror shows, with a modern feel rather than nostalgia. 02 - Broken Blank A true story based on a pal who came off their medication just so they could do recreational drugs at a party. It was horrid for them and frightening to see as they fell into a mental health crisis. The dramatic collapse of their health made an impact on me and I wanted to channel some of the turmoil I saw them going through. Musically, it was wonderful to do some hardcore punk guitars, merged with some classic Chuck Berry riffing. 03 - It Came To This Based on some pals, you know the types, they wont help you when you need them. In the end its never the words from our enemies that cause pain, but the silence from friends. On the musical side I wanted to channel Troublegum era Therapy?, tracks like ‘The Knives’, one of the nastiest songs ever written. I struggled to get a perfect snare sound as the track was very busy and any distinct snare hogged the mix. The solution was to use samples of sticks and metal spoons hitting tin buckets. It works. It shouldn't, but it does. 04 - Imminent Failure Based on when I realised what my ex-wife had done and that its over. I’ve always been interested in capturing the thoughts and feelings as something happens - that split microsecond when we realise something has ended. Most songs talk about fear of something happening, or their feelings after the events - reflective and thought provoking. But this is the penny dropping moment, that moment of utter vulnerability. The bassline for this just happened straight away, almost as if the song had already been written - pure Joy Division stuff. Listen out for the huge door slamming sound effect. Its inspired by Discharge lyrics ‘Can You Hear the Sound of an Enormous Door Slamming in the Depths of Hell’. That slam was the starting point of the whole song and it built up from that. 05 - As They Let You Down A love song of sorts. People can be so cruel. This is a true story about when people ganged up on a partner. High school never ends really. The track is written in the style of my first band (Freaks Union), an angry pop-punk band, mixing hardcore punk with Depeche Mode and Duran Duran. It was great to do this style of song writing all over again. 06 - Collapsing New Stars A true story about being in Freaks Union all those years ago. A tale of being young, ambitious and believing you can change the world. The music was written in the style of 70’s glam rock meets Transvision Vamp. Its probably my favourite intro to any song I’ve written. 07 - Demon Night When I was about 10 years old, we moved into a house which was just horrible. Some ‘thing’ would come into my room every night and stand by my bed. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it was terrifying. Other people saw it too, including family, but we didn't talk about it until years later. I loved doing the vocals on this. You can hear the genuine fear in my voice as I remembered how it felt to be a scared kid again hiding under my blankets. I shivered all the way through the vocal recording. I still cant sleep with the lights out. The ‘spooky’ lead guitar was inspired by The Cramps and surf/punk, using a little bit of extra reverb and using the wonderful Gretsch Bigbsy tremolo arm. 08 - Imitating Art My and my partner got stranded at a party one freezing winter. We decided to walk home, it was only a 20 min walk. Being young punks we had just ripped jeans and t-shirts. The cold hit us hard, seizing up our muscles and turning a short walk into a 2 hour ordeal. Yup, we nearly died. The guitar solo was taken in one take. I was going to delete it as I thought it was too emotional and not exciting enough. Oh boy, was I wrong. I loved it and captures the feeling of being lost and cold. 09 - Disassemble Me A partner became very ill which led to crippling depression. They couldn't see a way forward and wanted help in passing. It was a crisis moment we got though. I wrote the song in the style of Amy Whinehouse as modern blues and soul is a big influence on me, artists like as Michael Kiwanuka and Charles Bradly. Some added guitar chuggyness works wonders for capturing the essence of the song. 10 - Machine Ready Social media algorithms are incredibly harmful - creating pain, drama and distress to ensure we react in certain ways. Imagine that some point in the future, when machines, droids and artificial life has the same capability to manipulate us at every level, using our own souls against us. The song is simply made from layers and layers of guitars over tribal drums, detuned brass instruments and some cinematic braaams. 11 - We Turned the Lights Out A theme I wrote in 2016 after the Brexit vote and Trump’s election win. A dark moment for me. I just wanted to turn the lights out on their world, burn it all down. Years later, when it came to recording the vocals, I doubted I could capture that vibe and was planning on ad-libbing some new lyrics instead. That morning I woke up to see the news that Trump tried to manufacture a coup, with the far right attacking the Capitol, trying to hunt left-wing politicians. Well, those original lyrics came right back to me and seemed perfect. I recorded them while watching the news unfold and I was furious. The music is inspired by growing up in Zimbabwe, surrounded by incredible dub artists like Yellowman. It is my tribute to heavy dub plate sounds. The lyric ‘them the rules, them the brakes’ is a reference to hip-hop pioneer Kurtis Blow. 12 - Outro (A Visitor Departs) I used to wake up around dawn and my bedroom lamp was still on. I’d finally turn it off and get a bit more sleep, feeling much better knowing daytime was a better place for me. Whatever it was in my room would be gone. Conclusion SYD.31 has presented the apocalyptic future we really don't need, but sure as hell deserve. Although not my usual taste in music the interlaying complexity of story, instruments, concepts, inspiration, musical 'Easter eggs', emotion, and experience have amalgamated in to one impressive construct that any cyborg would be glad to have backing their slaughter. In the same way 'Djent' is seen as intelligent metal, I would say SYD.31 have created intelligent Punk. (Well, more intelligent, Punk has always had some incredible minds in the scene and I certainly wouldn't want to diminish that.) let's call it AI-Punk maybe? I'm sure others could come up with a better subgenre name. Machine ready is the formidable devastation of machine enhancement interjected with authentic Human soul, passion, and what it is to survive in the evolutionary war between creation and creator. It is pain and ecstasy, tragedy and beauty, fear and hope. The machines are already here. Mankind.. 'This is what you want? This is what you get'... Machine ready is available for pre-order on March 5th and releases April 5th. Bandcamp page: HERE Scores Technicality: 8.5/10 Dance factor: 8/10 Energy: 8/10 Vocals: 8/10 Re-playability: 8/10 Overall score: 8.1 / 10 Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. 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I was asked to write up this review of the new NIN double album Ghosts V: Together and Ghosts VI: Locusts. This is my first EVER proper article, so yeah, no pressure right? I’ve been listening to NIN on and off for a long time so I’ve always been a fan, but I’m not familiar with every album they have produced. So admittedly I did do some extra research especially for this article, as I’m not exactly reviewing a mate of a mates band who played open mic night that one time... Ghosts V and VI continues the collected instrumental works of NIN after releasing Ghosts I - IV back around 2008. This first collection stuck to the more industrial metal side of NIN in several mid tracks, with the deep, dark, and drifting stuff collected within the start and finish. A huge collection of well varied but signature sound pieces of music. Trent Reznor describes Ghosts as “a soundtrack for daydreams”. These new albums however do not really feature any of the aggressive Nails sound we are so familiar with; Guitars are replaced with pianos, sharp beeps and crashes have now become softer, muffled, and distant. I realise I might not be selling it well so far to the old schools Nails fans out there so I’ll try and go into some more depth. The opening track of the first - Ghosts V conjured up some great visuals in my mind, like floating in shallow waters on the shoreline at 3am, spooky and beautiful. It led me to feel that as the album progressed I should expect similar sounds to that of the latter half of With Teeth (2005), mixed with the strong eerie sadness of selected tracks from The Downward Spiral (1994).. I could tell it was going to be emotional. Further listening revealed Ghosts V to be an overall sleepy sounding album that gets deeper the longer you listen. Very closely mirroring the instrumental sounds of How to destroy Angels (a post-industrial band and project of Trent, Atticus, and Trent's wife - Mariqueen.) Check out their album 'Welcome Oblivion' if you do not already know of this group and want to hear more. Moving on to the second album - Ghosts VI. What stood out to me the most was the change in tempo and further depth, this album has woken up a bit. In the 4th track titled ‘run like hell’, there’s a sound to it that I can only describe or compare to that of some of the tracks from Massive attack's 'Mezzanine', deep drums, strong build up, and a lovely trip-hop/industrial fusion. Overall, these albums are very much a soundtrack or a background accompaniment, probably not interesting at all to the old school NIN fans who favour the aggro - mechanical - metal of all well known NIN productions. Ghosts V is definitely a sleepy evening or misty morning album, but we know NIN has always had two very different musical sides. When it comes to criticisms, I don’t really have any. I always got the impression that Trent wanted to do classical/concept focused work. He clearly has always had a passion for eerie atmospheres and exploring great depth in his music, but also a great sadness, pushing boundaries to achieve great emotional responses to his music. It's honestly beautiful. Trent’s more recent works consist of other interesting pop ups in tv & cinema, having worked on the scores for The girl with the dragon tattoo and the hit Netflix series Gone Girl (as well as many, many other projects that I really enjoyed learning about). I’m excited to see what else will happen, and hopefully for those of us who still hold a lot of love for the classic sound of 'Pretty hate machine', maybe something fierce and angry will come out of the deep dark waters of present day NIN? I certainly hope so! Scores: (As this album has no singing or dance factor to it, we are changing the scores for this one slightly.) Sound quality: 9.5 Enjoyment factor: 5 Energy/Depth: 6.5 Satisfaction: 5 Re-playability: 5 Overall score: 6.2/10 A message from Trent: Friends- Weird times indeed… As the news seems to turn ever more grim by the hour, we’ve found ourselves vacillating wildly between feeling like there may be hope at times to utter despair – often changing minute to minute. Although each of us define ourselves as antisocial-types who prefer being on our own, this situation has really made us appreciate the power and need for CONNECTION. Music – whether listening to it, thinking about it or creating it – has always been the thing that helped us get through anything – good or bad. With that in mind, we decided to burn the midnight oil and complete these new Ghosts records as a means of staying somewhat sane. Ghosts V: Together is for when things seem like it might all be okay, and Ghosts VI: Locusts… well, you’ll figure it out. It made us feel better to make these and it feels good to share them. Music has always had a way of making us feel a little less alone in the world… and hopefully it does for you, too. Remember, everyone is in this thing together and this too shall pass. We look forward to seeing you again soon. Be smart and safe and take care of each other. With love, Trent & Atticus HERE’S WHERE YOU CAN LISTEN RIGHT NOW: FREE DOWNLOAD FROM US #NineInchNails #Ghosts #Review #NIN #together #Locusts #Industrial #Ambience #Soundtrack

BLACK ANGEL is an English goth rock band that came onto the scene in 2018 with their debut album The Widow. It was well received and inspired them to get back into the studio for 2020, working on their follow-up record, Kiss of Death. As mentioned in their biography, the band wanted to capture the essence and sound of the 80’s goth style, but to not sound outdated or like a carbon copy of the bands that were most popular in the scene back then. I believe they have done just that, bringing everything fundamentally goth and refining it in this album. Black Angel’s music has been a recommended listening for fans of The Sisters of mercy and Bauhaus, after listening to the new album I can completely agree but also suggest this style of goth rock to be very suitable for listeners who like a deep, echoey and melancholic sound to their music, so I personally recommend this album for fans of Clan of Xymox too, as just one example out of many I could put here. Review The title track ‘kiss of death’ pulled me in straight away and made me want to dance. Immediately you hear all the key components that make up the gothic sound, deep and gloomy, clear bass, guitar melodies that echo with lyrical content focused on passion. I could definitely see this track working it’s way into the essential DJ playlists of the UK's most popular goth clubs. The same can be said for the second track ‘Animal’, both have a fantastic moderate dance beat and complement each other perfectly. The album then takes us somewhere different. It hops from the echoed melancholy sound of Xymox to the fast and aggressive Sisters, then to a baseline dominated Bauhaus sound. Tracks 3 and 5 - ‘Alchemy’and‘Hurricane’ show clear influence from The Sisters of Mercy and Bauhaus; Staying true to what they claim by indicating a huge understanding of what great goth music sounds like. The guitars become more aggressive, the bass is a faster more dominant element, and the overall sound & structure just screams classic 1980s goth rock. Strong female backing vocals are present in tracks 4 and 6 -‘Call the night’/‘want for more', very recommendable to anyone who was a fan of the sisters 1990 album ‘Vision thing’. The rest of the album continues in this wonderful way, jumping between recognisable sounds and influences of these great goth bands. Tracklist Kiss of Death Animal Alchemy Call The Night Hurricane Want for More Put Your Lips On Me She Said Prisoner Black Angel Conclusion Every single track is enjoyable in its own, and overall I found it to be an absolute treasure. This is an album I can honestly say I will be listening to for a long time and is sure to be a fantastic addition to the music libraries of individuals young and old who adore gothic music that stays true to its origins. Scores Technicality: 8/10 Dance factor: 8/10 Energy: 6.5/10 Vocals: 6.5/10 Re-playability: 9/10 Overall score: 7.6 / 10 Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider making a small donation - The price of a single drink - to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox #BlackAngel #KissOfdeath #Gothic #Classic #Goth #review #album #releases #darkwave

We bring you a musical selection from our inbox and elsewhere that has come to our attention! (whether they are freshly released or a few months old now) It can often be overwhelming with the amount of requests we get and how many awesome things we get sent. Some artists that you may expect on this list might have already had a recent full article by us and therefore not be in this section. Here are a selection of releases and suggestions that have slipped through the full article cracks or we haven't quite got round to just yet! Proximity Alert! (we love) This Morn' Omnia - The Roots Of Saraswati (Single) Agonoize - 666 Degrees Below (EP) I Ya Toyah - Out Of Order (Single) Hatari - Neyslutrans Remixed (Album) Gohma - Mancer (Single) Pretty Addicted - Dickhead (Single) Combichrist - Not my enemy (Single) BlutEngel - Fountain Of Destiny (single) Nature of Wires ft.Madil Hardi - Through someone else's eyes(Single) Eggvn - La Era de la Bestia (Single) Ludovico technique - Embrace (Single) Kiberspassk - Kikimore (Single) Massiv In Mensch - Monkey Islands (Single) The Gothsicles - Animal Songs (Album) OMNIMAR - DARKPOP (Album) Jameson Nathan Jones - Things I Wanted To Be (Single) Nytt Land - Ohne Dich (Single) Remember you can get you band listed on our Alternative directory and have a slice of our website dedicated to advertising your music! Short range sensors (We recommend) FRONT 242 - Ancienne Belgique 89-Front By Front (Album) Acylum - Kampf Dem Verderb (Album) Airghoul + PRIEST - Pusher (Single) Fury Weekend ft. Scandroid - Save The Queen (Single) EDDIE - Boondoggle (Single) Love + Revenge - Angel (EP) Tyler Cantrell - Color Into Space (EP) Renard - Waking Up In A Different World (Album) Still Forever - Witch (Single) Long range sensors (Worth mentioning) Orbit Service - Don't get lost (EP) Eye Steal - No Hope No Future (EP) A Cloud of Ravens - When it Comes (Single) Black Dresses - Forever In Your Heart (Album) ph4nt. - Viel Lärm um Nichts (Album) Rose Bonica - Send Forgiveness / Disengage (Single) Balvanera - Courses of Action (Album) Did we miss any out? Let us know for the next one! Or Commission an article from us (See the button below) Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Get yourself listed with us! Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

It's been almost two years since my best friend and I flew over to Germany for E-tropolis festival in March 2019. It was there that I finally got to see Solar Fake live and it was because of their wonderful performance I first thought of writing about music shows. Sven's crystal clear voice and humble blushes at the audience contrasted with André's incredibly infectious smile from ear to ear as he urged on the crowd. The band wasn't just performing their music and going through the motions, they were doing so with love and as much heart as musicians could possibly muster. It was indeed magical. So it was that my first (and very amateur!) Elektro Vox article (HERE) was born out of writing about Solar Fake, PRIEST, Suicide Commando, Welle:Erdbal and so many other great artists on that day. So it's quite an honour to have reviewed their latest album before it released on Friday the 12th of February. It feel like a nice 'full circle' Three years after the release of "You Win. Who Cares?", Solar Fake announce their new album "Enjoy Dystopia" - an album that consistently follows the path of its popular predecessor and even takes it several steps further. Singer Sven Friedrich agrees: "Some of the new songs are more close to "You Win. Who Cares?", others however are a bit more different. With each new album I always look a little bit beyond the horizon and attempt to bring new elements into the music, but without compromising the Solar Fake sound." There is a special new element that has a great importance for the sympathetic singer: "For the first time, there is a song with German lyrics on the album. We have never had that before with Solar Fake. I had the chorus lines right in my head when I wrote the song. And somehow, I didn't want to translate it into English, that would have been a compromise and with Solar Fake, I don't make any compromises. Ever." Strong words, but in fact, the song ‘Es geht dich nichts an’ fits perfectly on the album and shows a previously undiscovered aspect in the Solar Fake sound. Fans of Solar Fake can look forward to some rage infused melodies and beats: "The album is dominated by aggression, which is sometimes more obvious and sometimes more subtile. Of course, there are also calmer and sorrowful moments. Nevertheless, the ones who do not know where to put their feelings, their aggression, their despair of humankind, their vulnerability to an overall stupidity, will feel understood.” Left: André Feller (keyboards,bass) Right: Jens Halbauer(drums) Centre: Sven Friedrich (vocals) Photo: Melanie Haack Interview (With Sven Friedrich) Photo: Melanie Haack Q. In the latest music video for 'It's who you are' we see a small continuation of Jean's sinister character, will there be more music videos to further tell this story and how do the videos relate to the album theme as a whole? A. Oh, I don't know. We just thought it's funny to have this small part in the new clip to underline Jeans' psychopathic character, hahaha... Not really, he's a totally nice guy... Just with a light weakness for girls locked up in basements ;-) We have ideas for 2 more clips, one will be rather visual, the other has a cool story, but we're not sure when we can shoot... So far we haven't planned on continuing this, but who knows... Q.You have commented before that.. "The ones who do not know where to put their feelings, their aggression, their despair of humankind, their vulnerability to an overall stupidity, will feel understood." With the album being named 'Enjoy Dystopia' is the concept of the album an observation of the world around us, and was it easy to find inspiration for this album in the huge amounts of drama we have seen in the past few years? A. Oh, there was almost too much inspiration, lyric-wise... It sometimes seems that people become more and more self-absorbed and not even recognise there's a world around with other people in it, with animals in it... And honestly, four years of Trump could alone be enough inspiration for hundreds of songs; And the last year brought so many disgusting and horrible people to the surface... It's unbelievable... Q. The second CD has a lot of remixes by some incredible artists such as BlutEngel and Massive Ego. Which of the mixes is your favourite and what artists do you most enjoy working with both in album production and performing live? A. I really can't say that I'd pick one remix over another. I think they are all amazing and I was completely overwhelmed by the musical quality of every single remix and how much creativity the artists have been putting into their work. I'm totally honoured to have these great artists on the album and I hope that in the future we might perform one of those mixes live together. I never had many live collaborations, but I've had some with Aesthetic Perfection, with Project Pitchfork, with SITD, and Daniel Myer. All of them were totally great and challenging, but I enjoy doing something special and surprising... So I hope there will be more of this in the future. Photo: Melanie Haack Q. Since the last release 'You win, Who cares?' has there been a change in the message and themes of your music? -Also- 'Enjoy Dystopia' has that incredible signature sound of Solar Fake but also feels really fresh in a lot of ways, you always strive to make your music sound fresh isn't that right? A. Yes, I try to work on my own skills all the time. I've been working in a huge pro audio recording studio for a couple of years, so I do know what I'm doing in my own studio. But I always try to get better, to make my music sound better, to become a better composer and lyricist. I do love the Solar Fake sound, but I also want to bring new elements into the music... let's put it this way... I don't want to release an album twice. So I always want to make something new, without 'betraying' the style... And well, I think my lyrical themes are still in the same corner... It's about people's behaviour, mental issues and how people deal with it, about all the nasty abysses of human beings... haha... Q. Is there a favourite funny or important moment story that you tell people about Solar Fake that you can tell us too? A. Oh, when we're on tour we always have funny moments, we're like a family, band, crew, and even record company and booking agent. It's really hard for me to pick one story... And I think most of the funny stories we've already told in our weekly podcast, but of course, it's German language only, but a friend of ours usually translates some parts of it... With important moments... well there are a few... One is definitely when André joined me for live performances, the next was signing with Out Of Line and the next was Jeans joining us as a live drummer; And of course there were the many support tours that helped us being noticed... Q. What difficulties with lockdown have you had in putting this album together? A. Well, my deadline has been moved to a much earlier day than expected, because all manufacturers needed much more time. And that was because they had to work with a significantly reduced staff, in order to fulfil the covid requirements. For example, the vinyl master I had to hand-over one month before I had expected... That put me indeed under quite some pressure and I've been working nearly around the clock to get everything done. But that was all. I have my studio at home and I don't depend on musicians or technicians or anyone else to produce music, so I wasn't affected by the lockdown, except for the deadlines. Photo: Melanie Haack A. That's something I can't say. You know, I'm doing literally everything on my own. Writing, performing, mixing... So each SF song is 100% me and each song is like a part of me. So they are all equally important and I couldn't pick one song over another. For live performance we'll see... Of course some songs are more fun to play live than others... But since we can't play gigs at the moment, it's too early to say ;-) Q. What artists are you listening to most right now? A. At the moment it's Iris, Metric, and Soft Kill. Q. What venue has been your favourite to play at? (I was blown away by your performance at E-Tropolis 2019!) A. Oh yes, that's an awesome venue! Well, this is also hard to say for me... I love playing live so much, that I usually don't care so much, hahaha. But some very impressive venues were the Corona gig last year at Parkbuehne Leipzig, or our performance at Haus Auensee and the day after at Gewandhaus Leipzig; Or at Lido in Berlin... It's really hard to say... The funny thing is, that I don't recall one concert of Solar Fake that I didn't like... Q. What life lessons has being in industrial taught you over the years, and what would you change about the scene if you could? A. Well, I've learnt that people in this scene are very sensitive, sometimes a bit broken, but they're by far the most lovely people at all. You always find open arms and hearts and they usually look beyond facades. For me it's like a huge family... And it's the most interesting music also, hahaha Q. What (provisional) plans do you have for 2021 if things improve? A. We have some gigs planned, most of them were actually scheduled for 2020 and we have to wait and see, if they can take place. If not, we'll try to find some gigs under covid requirements and our next tour is being re-planned for next winter and we really hope that gigs will be possible by then. I think for this year we'll just try to take opportunities if there are any. Maybe we record another streaming gig... Q. Anything you’d like to say to your fans? A. I hope you'll like our new album and I also hope that our gig in Bradford can take place in August. We were also planning on more gigs in the UK, but well, it's all complicated right now... Let's hope this nightmare ends soon and we can see each other again on concerts, festivals and parties! Dankeschön Sven! Photo: Melanie Haack Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. You can also list your band or business on our Alternative Directory! Thank you! Review Before we begin it's worth noting that there are 3 CD's overall to this album. The full release includes a second CD with a couple more new songs and a lot of remixes of the main album. The 3rd CD which is only available in the now sold out limited edition box set contains Piano and acoustic versions. A full track list can be seen near the end as well as embeds to the Solar Fake Podcasts and Spotify player. The album opens with a resume of their previous sounds packed in to one song, it's the audio equivalent of the first taste or smell of food bringing back swarms of memories. It has the more aggressive and distorted -almost- aggro vocals that 2015's 'Fake to be alive' had which is wonderful to hear again. There is also those oh so welcoming keyboard notes that hint at the likes of 'Such A Shame'. Finally there is of course the soft melodic tones that only Sven can give voice to in such pure ways. This track feels like a "welcome back", or even a "welcome home" which gives juxtaposition to the darker lyrical content about mental health. Who doesn't like upbeat songs with sinister lyrics? 'At least we'll forget' provides just that. The first track that came to mind hearing the keyboard intro was Apoptygma Berzerk's 'Kathy's song' (Victoria mix by VNV Nation). Where that track had long sweeping and darker tones, this Solar fake track is faster and free flowing but both sound very similar. However that could just be a pleasant memory hook, APOP having been the headliner band at the E-tropolis fest I mentioned at the beginning. It seems to be an overall feel to the album that the melodies make you want to dance, to smile at the friends you care about on a dance-floor in adoration and gratitude; and yet the lyrical content is far more tragic and darker than the melodies. This album is a beautiful tragedy. I feel like it is a perfect album metaphor for the state of the world at the moment and how much we long to be free again in music drenched clubs. This Pretty Life Music Video The first single for the album 'This Pretty Life' is upbeat and has that energetic flare and catchy lyrical hook in both verse and chorus that Sven nails every time with his crystal clear voice. That's one thing I also love about Solar Fake, I can always precisely hear what words are being sung with his wonderful annunciations. The video is also a rather accurate depiction of the side effects of anti-depressants.. "The individual 'home scenes' we each filmed separately, except for a few scenes we captured while shooting 'This Pretty Life' and of course, the clip is an exaggeration of the image of what everyone probably has of our private life through our podcast. The song itself is about unpleasant and slimy people who permanently try to manipulate their environment." - Sven I don't think I can quite describe to you with any real justice how incredible the synths that come in at the 29 second mark are on 'Arrive Somewhere'. They have the pure euphoric power of trance music and yet carry the depth and emotion that only electronic industrial music can convey in just a few notes. There is something about the bass and 'surround sound' feel of this track that resonates deep within like being in a huge concert venue by yourself. How apt that seems in the Dystopia of today.. 'Es geht dich nichts an' (It doesn't matter to you)as mentioned earlier is Solar Fake's first all German track. It's quite different than their usual offerings and justly so with its underlying aggression and sense of dread. It will be very interesting to see how well this will sound live in future. It's Who You Are Music Video The second single's video sees a slight continuation of the story from the previous music video for 'This Pretty Life'. The track has a profound chorus that personifies Solar Fake's signature sound like a golden example of how 'Industrial Pop' can and should be. This band set the bar very high, that's for sure. Once again a song that has deep meaning lyrically and yet you find yourself dancing away oblivious to them at first.. 'Cause this is who you are And this is how you fall And this is what you get I wish we'd never met 'Cause it's just who you are You looked stronger from afar And this is how you crawl 'Cause that's just who you are The next few tracks are still very good content for an album but don't stand out as much as the first half of the album, except perhaps for the rather enjoyable second half of 'Implode'. The album wraps up with 'Wish Myself Away'. Solar Fake may be known for their energetic up tempo beats but they are equally known for their ability to create some real heart wrenching songs that rip your emotions wide open. This track is another fine example of just that. It is a sorrowful reflection of ones life and will touch a deep sense of association with many of those who hear it. It reminds me just a little of David Bowies' 'Lazarus'. This is definitely a track you all have to her for yourselves. And of all the right words I could have spoken over the years when I was broken. I always picked the ones that would lead me further away. With CD 2 we have a euphoric opening track followed closely by an incredible cover of the Pixies''Where is my mind?' There are so many great remixes in here that I won't waffle about each track, however I will sat that Solitary Experiments' remix of 'Arrive Somewhere' makes that track so much more dance worthy than it already was. Also the Massive Ego remix of 'I despise you' puts such an edgy vibe to the song with some heavier retro twists that really does the Dystopia concept justice. It's impressive to see how many talented artists can really add to an already outstanding release. Tracklist CD 1: At Least We‘ll Forget I Despise You This Pretty Life Arrive Somewhere Es geht dich nichts an It‘s Who You Are Trying Too Hard Implode Just Leave It Wish Myself Away CD 2: Join Me In Death Where Is My Mind Es geht dich nichts an (Faelder Remix) Implode (Blutengel Remix) Arrive Somewhere (Solitary Experiments Remix) This Pretty Life (Iris Remix) I Despise You (Massive Ego Remix) Trying Too Hard (Dunkelsucht Remix) At Least We‘ll Forget (Backline Remix by Blood & Tears) It's who you are (Random Starlight Remix) I despise you (Vintage Remix by NAN) At least we'll forget (Uplifting Emotional Mix by Anja & Alex) It's who you are (Ost+Front Remix) Just leave it (Lord of the Lost Version) CD3: 'Masked' (Limited box set only, now sold out) I despise you (Piano Version) This pretty life (Acoustic Version) Arrive somewhere (Acoustic Version) Implode Just leave it (Piano Version) It's who you are (Acoustic Version) Wish myself away (Acoustic Version) Conclusion I have struggled for several days to review this album because it is BLISS. The perfectionist in me wanted to write it perfectly, yet my inner CyberGoth just wanted to boom-box the hell out of it down a busy Camden high-street screaming at random strangers.. "WHAT? THIS IS A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT YOU UNCULTURED SWINE!" Whilst dancing like an idiot. Perhaps not my most professional start to a conclusion but you get the idea! This album is very familiar with that wonderful Solar Fake blend of ingredients and dishes they are well loved for but it is also just as fresh and surprising as Sven said aimed for. If there was ever a band's album to play to people new to the genre in the hopes to get them to love it, then Solar Fake's 'Enjoy Dystopia' would be a perfect choice. Dystopia has never sounded so inviting! Scores Technicality: 8.5/10 Dance factor: 9/10 Energy: 9/10 Vocals: 9/10 Re-playability: 10/10 Overall score: 9.1 / 10 See Also Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Get yourself listed with us! Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

In a slight branching off for Elektro Vox, I am going to write articles on the other half of my music heart.. Nordic and 'Viking' era inspired music. I soon plan to write an in depth look in to the strong connection industrial music fans also have towards Nordic music and the Aesir and Vanir polytheism; As well as the Animism both cultures display in different ways. There are so far four short episodes to do with the nature and inspiration behind KVITRAVN, the first of which you can see here: Episode one For me Wardruna is not about empty rituals or reciting the past or empty symbols. That doesn't carry any meaning any more. It's about giving voice to the thoughts and ideas that we still have use for; They still carry the same relevance as they did when they were a living tradition. I make music for those who are here and now and not as a form of escapism. - Einar episode IV We are very happy to finally share this long-overdue album with you all. In this past period leading up to the release, it has been truly overwhelming to see how well you have received the songs we have shared so far. We sincerely hope you will enjoy the rest! For me personally, this album represents a natural continuation and development of everything we have done so far. Through experience, reflection and hungry curiosity, we potentially continue to grow as humans, scholars and musicians and with this constant movement, our ability to dive deeper into our work also grows. More clearly than before, does this album and its songs address us as humans in our own time. And even though the songs convey ways and words originating from a distant past, they are still just as much ways and words for the “now”. They are ideas born out of the very grounds we still tread, which is also what gives them the ability to speak to and resonate within us still. Let us listen carefully, and sow or reaffirm the idea or attitude that nature is something sacred. -Einar Review This album will be so very familiar with fans of Wardruna and of course the History channel show 'Vikings'. Einar having written a lot of the music for the show and for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. Many of the songs and melodies having been used in the Vikings TV show or played out in a similar fashion in previous Wardrunna releases. To this effect the entire album draws you in like a Siren's call. Each track feels well known to you and yet so new that your mind craves to hear more. It is hard to gauge space and time once you settle in to the living history weaving its way through your entire being. When I first listened to this in its entirety I was in a candle lit bath with the steam producing swirling images dancing to the tales being sung. Imagination was not hard to stretch with such a profound and enthralling soundscape. Now as I finally sit down to put some semblance of justice in to the words of this review I look out upon a snow storm and feel the same connection to the Gods, myself, and the spirit of all things around me that this album invokes. 'Synkverv' is a more haunting direction than we are used to with Wardruna but sets this album up for the mysteries of the listener own self and the knowledge within the music that one with an open mind might hope to find. Although the tracks are not sung in English of course, (Norwegian) the lyrical expression of the music still caries through and the following lyrics encompass that overall feel for the album: The harp plays Luring and drawing Winding you in In an imaginary spin Woven and tied Switched in a poem-spindle Desire for knowledge Playing in your mind Tones themselves Playing in your eyes Mistruths and lies Lure you in With the title track Kvitravn (White Raven) we find a journey all unto itself. From the deep ambient horns, the resonant lyre, to the choral depths, and Einar's and Lind-Fay's pure emotion provoking vocal talent; This track has all of the hallmarks that Wardruna is loved for. Be it intentional or not, As we later have a song titled 'Munin' which sings about Hugin and Munin (Odin's Ravens Thought and Memory) both, I find myself drawn toward the meaning of the album as a whole in that we should all be more thoughtful of our place in the world and our impact. Such a striking image to visualise Hugin (Thought) as the white raven in the artwork and music video, and therefore reflect on our own thoughts when listening. KVITRAVN music video Which leads us to 'Skugge' which is possibly my favourite track on the album. It brings out that primal urge to fight and stamp out injustice. The song “Skugge” (“Shadow”) is an eerie sonic journey voicing a dialogue between man and shadow or as Einar puts it; “It is a song about shadows, echoes, and the balance between seeking answers and wisdom internally and externally." The song starts very slowly, with the deep echoing resonance that seems to be their signature style. The deep voice introduces the story of being approached by a shadow and asking it for answers. Einar's voice then pierces your heart with an incredibly emotional and almost heartbroken sounding change of vocals before becoming ritualistic in its tribal drumming. Finally fading out in to whispers at the shadow reminds him their are answers to be found in ones-self. Skugge Official Lyric Video Grá (Grey) is our song to the wolf. It speaks about the ancient bond and relationship between man and wolf. It seeks to address and acknowledge the cost and responsibility of being part of, and not above nature. Once again, we were given the opportunity go to Finland and work with a beautiful and brave rescued wolf called Tihu and her caretakers. The video was directed by our friend Tuukka Koski and his fantastic team at Koski Syväri. Powerful and invocative, 'Grá' uses an impressive sound mix of wolf, drum, breaths, vocals, and ambience to create a masterful delve in to the psyche. If you don't feel at least a moderate chill in your spine to this one, are you even alive? Grá music video The songs 'Fylgjutal', 'Kvit Hjort', 'Viseveiding', 'Ni', and 'Vindavlarljod' continue with this theme of nature and finding the knowledge both in the land around us and from tales of the past. Each is a complex layering of traditional sound finely crafted to evoke emotional response. Each is beautiful in uniquely different ways. 'Munin' is a song that will strike deep in to the hearts of any who follow Odinism / Asatru / Norse paganism in that it quotes the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál in which Odin describes his news bringing Ravens, as well as the connection they have with his own being. I own two ravens They are my dearest One for my memory One for my thought In each wind, from me flying their own way They chant songs to me when they come home Sometimes I fear, that Thought will not return home but more I worry, that Memory will lose his way Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. You can also list your band or buisness on our Alternative Directory! Thank you! Einar and the wolves Tihu and Siida.. Photo by Kim öhrling // Koski Syväri Finally the album is wrapped up with 'Andvevarljod' (Song of the Spirit-Weavers).. 'The song is a central piece on the new album KVITRAVN. It explores the Nordic deities of fate; the Norns, the spinning of life threads and the Norse and Sámi common idea that a person´s spirit is connected to wind, both before and after birth. The song features guest appearances by a small group of prominent Norwegian traditional singers, Kirsten Bråten Berg, Sigrid Berg, Unni Løvlid, Ingebjørg Reinholdt alongside our own Lindy-Fay Hella. "On a personal level, Andvevarljod is a song I hold very dear and it was also my starting point on the new album. Musically, it gives voice to very old song traditions and on top of that it is voiced by some of the most central reasons why these traditions are being kept alive for us and the generations to come. So, special thanks go out to our guest singers for lending us their talents and for the invaluable work they do for keeping our traditions alive!" - Einar At just over ten minutes long, this track is a crowning achievement to the entirety of the album. What are songs for if not story telling, and how have the Norse gods become known to us if not through story and song? This song tells of the Nine Norns, also know as the women of fate who weaved the destiny of all things. Another song that starts slow as it builds a strong foundation to hit deeper and deeper in to the listener as Einar's almost tragedy filled voice enriches the song here and there bringing a huge inexplicable sense of pride to the listener with drive and purpose. Here is a more acoustic and shorter version sung by Einar: Andvevarljod (Skaldic version) Nine Norns – hear me Guard my path and lead with alleviating hands and in healing footsteps Tracklist Synkverv Kvitravn Skugge Grá Fylgjutal Munin Kvit Hjort Viseveiding Ni Vindavlarljod Andvevarljod Conclusion In a horrifically fast changing world and mankind's failure to protect the Earth we find ourselves in desperate need of things that will bring about the connection and Animism mankind once had for nature. Wardruna have created a complex yet beautifully simplistic way to connect with the spirits around us with their music once more. The deep serenity and spiritual tidings felt throughout their melodies and vocal story telling can teach us all to be far more considerate and mindful to the effect we have on the world around us. If mother Earth could use a voice to appeal to us all, then Wardruna seem to have found it and given voice to her woes. Einar continues to be the profound master of ancient music set amongst our electric chaos.. Scores Instruments: 9.5/10 Soul/Spirit: 10/10 Energy : 8.5/10 Vocals : 9 / 10 Re-playability: 9/10 Overall score: 9.2 / 10 Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Get yourself listed with us! (Click the logo) Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

We bring you a musical selection from our inbox and elsewhere that has come to our attention! It can often be overwhelming with the amount of requests we get and how many awesome things we get sent. Some artists that you may expect on this list might have already had a recent full article by us and therefore not be in this section. Here are a selection of releases and suggestions that have slipped through the full article cracks or we haven't quite got round to just yet! Proximity Alert! (we love) Seraphim System - Cyberpunk & Chill Vol.1 (Album) Wardruna - Kvitravn (Album) "Even though the songs convey ways and words originating from a distant past, they are still just as much ways and words for the 'now'. They are ideas born out of the very grounds we still tread, which is also what gives them the ability to speak to- and resonate within us still. Let us listen carefully, and sow or reaffirm the idea or attitude that nature is something sacred." - Einar Aesthetic Perfection - Party Monster (Single) "I am elated to announce “Party Monster”, the second installment of Aesthetic Perfection’s 12 singles in 12 months project. My most ambitious effort to date, “Party Monster” is an industrial rock anthem that honestly and earnestly details my struggles with drugs and alcohol. Mechanized drums set against swirling, tortured vocals explode into a bombastic chorus, driven by guitars provided by none other than Jinxx of Black Veil Brides and crescendos with a blistering solo from former live member Elliott Berlin." - Daniel Graves. Solar Fake - It's who you are (Single) A single from the new album out February 12th 'Fans of Solar Fake can look forward to some rage infused melodies and beats: The album is dominated by aggression, which is sometimes more obvious and sometimes more subtile. Of course, there are also calmer and sorrowful moments. Nevertheless, the ones who do not know where to put their feelings, their aggression, their despair of humankind, their vulnerability to an overall stupidity, will feel understood.' Ethseq - Connection (Album) L.B.One,Datamotion,Perly I Lotry - My mother told me (Vikings anthem)(Single) Remember you can get you band listed on our Alternative directory and have a slice of our website dedicated to advertising your music! Short range sensors (We reccommend) BlutEngel - Nobody's Diary (Single) MATT HART - TERRORFYING (MOAAN EXIS remix) (Single) Dav Dralleon - Vampyr Golgotha (Single) † 𝕯𝖔𝖓'𝖙 𝖇𝖊 𝖆𝖋𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖉... 𝕺𝖓𝖈𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖇𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖘𝖔𝖚𝖑 𝖍𝖆𝖘 𝖇𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖘𝖚𝖒𝖊𝖉, 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖗𝖔𝖗 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖈𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖊𝖝𝖎𝖘𝖙 † The 4th song from "FALL OV MEN" the upcoming album † Aesthetic Perfection - No Boys Allowed (Empirion remixes) (Single) "I am happy to present to you the long lost "No Boys Allowed" remixes from Empirion. Initially slated for the deluxe edition of Into the Black, these remixes were never officially released via Close to Human Music." - Daniel Tyske Ludder - Ungewiss (Single) Mechanical Vein - TAKN (Panic lift remix) (Single) 'With this wild remix, Panic Lift has completely flipped Mechanical Vein's metal DNB track 'TAKN' into a massive industrial hip-hop banger, infusing it with swagger & gritty synths, which powerfully highlight it's deeply political call-to-arms. Crank this one loud!' A Projection - Darwin's Eden (Single) Neptune - My Heart Beats (Single) Piston Damp - Loose Ends (Single) Piston Damp is a side project of Apoptygma Berzerk League of Lights - Modern Living (Single) DEF NEON - War Beats (Album) Batavia - Batavia and their friends (EP) TERMINAL - Blacken The Skies (Album) NOIR - Just Fascination (Single) Long range sensors (Also in our inbox) Scenius - Make it shiny (Nature of wires remix) (Single) Vexillary - SurViolence (Album) In a darkened room - Final Vows (Single) The Other La and SINthetik Messiah​ - ​In My Dreams (Single) Total Chroma - Body Relics (Album) Dissonance - Damage 1st Assault (Single) Null Cell - Eternally ill (Album) Astari Nite - All Else Is A Curse (Single) Night Terror - Freak on the inside (Album) Modal Citizan - Control Alter Deplete (Album) Did we miss any out? Let us know for the next one! Or Commission an article from us (See the button below) Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Get yourself listed with us! Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

J:dead is the solo project from Jay Taylor, live drummer of EBM/Synthpop bands such as Tactical Sekt, Tyske Ludder and Harmjoy. For the last 16 years Jay has frequented many stages across the world performing in his own signature style of aggressive, hard hitting acoustic noise to the forefront of electronic acts. Now, with the creation of J:dead, there is an opportunity to show his ability in developing music which is at the core and drive behind his musical ambitions. J:dead is whatever it needs to be: without labels, stereotypes, scene driven boxes or goals other than to inspire others. J:dead’s ambition is to make others feel alive by listening and feeling the creation of someone losing themselves. The first release from J:dead (HAUNT), is a reflection on how we can try to push our own thoughts, actions and emotions down. However, we all know these never rot in the ground; they always come back to HAUNT you. HAUNT is available for free download. Bancamp page here Expect to hear and see from J:dead more as the first album is expected to be released in Spring 2020 Review: This track has a very addictive quality to it. The metronomic nature of the beat is both enticing and enticing as it almost brings around a sense of dissociation as you continue to listen. This is ironically a strangely euphoric feeling in contrast to its dark meaning and ambience. Several times I have found myself singing this out of nowhere, or listening to it on repeat without realising how fast the time is going. There is indeed the personal turmoil and almost supernatural element to the tone it creates and is one hell of an impressive opening for Jay to introduce J:dead with. Though a slow tempo song, it would never go amiss on a more chilled vibe dance floor amongst the older, slower goth classics. It is a perfect balance between old and new synthetic crafts that will bend your ear to its enthralling melody time and again. Interview: Q: You’ve described HAUNT as hidden thoughts and actions coming back to haunt people. How is that reflected in what we see in the video and i s there more meaning to it beyond this as there is obviously a form of covetous conflict between the two characters? A: Yes the video is strongly linked to the song and I particularly didnt want to release a video of me/a band playing for this track. The item in which the characters are searching for within the video is representing the thought, emotion, behaviour etc that you have tried to hide away without actually dealing with it. The conflict within the video represents greed, as I strongly believe that sometimes we dont know what we truly want hence why we bury these things. The symbol that moves from the item to the characters is the final evolution and represents that when these things come back to Haunt us they either come in different forms or become part of us. In this instance this is shown as the tattoo on my wrist. Q: J:Dead already sounds like a project that wont have one set sound of style is that right? And if so, what kind of an album can we expect to hear? A: You are right the album wont follow the same line as Haunt. Im 3/4 of the way through the album and at the moment Haunt is probably one of the darker tracks. There are quite a few which are more upbeat in their feel and others which are more emotional. Don't get me wrong, all will sound like what i want J:dead to be but it will be a mixture of what inspires me within the music style I want to portray. The album will be 8 tracks long and released in Spring next year all being well. Q: What was the inspiration and desire behind forming this project? A: The inspiration has always been there as i have been making music and composing songs since I was 13. Alot of it is situational as I now have the space, (limited) time and drive to do it personally. I have had the pleasure in playing with touring bands for 17 years and I have been eternally grateful for that, but now I want something i can call my own. Something I can be proud of, and someplace where i can store/bank my own songs. Q: What do you hope to get from this new branch of music and what do you hope to bring to your existing fans of the other bands you are in? A: Firstly this project is kinda a selfish journey. This project is for me, and I'm making the music that i want to hear and doing it in a way that makes me feel the emotions when listening back to them. I am very lucky to have so much support from friends that I have met along my musical journey and without them i wouldn't be able to release J:dead in the way i want. I know there will be a alot of fans of my other projects that wont like what im doing in J:dead and others that will, as i cant say that it mirrors anything im doing at the moment - however it of course inspires what i want to achieve. Q: Is there a particular band or album that has helped inspire you? A: Half of the songs so far are segments of songs which I composed from many years ago so my inspiration doesn't follow I guess what is popular in what is "new" at the moment. Im a music fan through and through and my taste in music is varied. An easy and stereotypical way to sum up my sound is that I want to make music that makes people feel the way i do when I listen to NIN, combined with how i want to dance round my studio when I listen to Depeche Mode. There are plenty of scene bands which I listen to daily which of course effect what im making but there isn't a desire to sound like anything else. Its more about how a track can make you feel and forget your surroundings. Q: Is it yourself we can hear singing in HAUNT and is there anyone else involved in J:Dead or is it strictly solo? A: Yes it is me singing on the track and at present J:dead is a solo project (hence the overly selfish name! haha). Most of my vocals have been used within harsh electro or metal bands and i really wanted to push myself with my singing voice. I wanted to try something new so I could explore what i am able to achieve (or not) - that challenge for me is inspiration in itself. Who knows what will happen in the future as the project will continue to evolve but for now this is my outlet? Thank you for your time Jay! I look forward to hearing the full album. Event page and tickets: https://www.facebook.com/events/424028331822849/ Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox Like Elektro Vox's content? Please help keep us running as it is a very costly and time consuming process. Thank you! You can also support E.V by buying products through my page, including cruelty free and award winning makeup brand 'Artistry', plant based nutrition supplements, and other home and living items! Everything will help E.V to continue to afford to keep the site running and the news, interviews, and reviews flowing! https://www.amway.co.uk/user/canislewis

It's been ten years since Imperative Reactions' album opened up with the now instantly recognisable track 'Side effect' which I'm sure we have all danced out one hell of a rhythm to more than once on a club dance floor, not to mention how many times we must have danced to 2008's 'Minus All'. That self titled album was released in the golden hour of industrial where almost every album had at least one dance floor filler that set myself and other fellow cyber-goths off twirling about to the beat. So many bands have left that golden formula in the past and I can't seem to understand why as it was the base of industrial becoming far more prevalent and successful. I hate to say it but Imperative Reaction seem to have left that style behind as well. That's not a negative reflection upon this new album however, in fact, it's a product of it's time with lower BPM, more complex layering, smoother vocals, and a sprinkle of synthwave with dystopia; Which we have to admit, is the signature sound of this particular time when it comes to Goth electronics. In this article we write an in depth review of the new album and had the chance to ask Ted Phelps some questions of our own. Following a near decade long hiatus, the Los Angeles based electro-industrial act Imperative Reaction finally release their long-awaited seventh album. Featuring eleven new songs, ‘Mirror’ was released on 15th January 2021 via Metropolis Records. Band co-founder and sole studio member Ted Phelps states that.. “I’ve never been as happy with an album as I am with this one, and I do think it is the most diverse album we’ve released.” Imperative Reaction was formed in 1996 by Phelps and David Andrecht from the remains of Digital Neural Assault. Their debut album, 'Eulogy For The Sick Child’, was released in 1999 by Zoth Ommog Records, following which they signed to Metropolis, who issued Ruined’ in 2002, ‘Redemption’ (2004), ‘As We Fall’ (2006), ‘Minus All’ (2008), and a self-titled album in 2011. Then, silence. In 2016, the band confirmed on their social media channels that another album was being recorded, but it has taken five more years to see it released. The good news? It’s worth it, with ‘Mirror’ setting a new standard for Imperative Reaction’s blend of emotionally intimate yet anthemic electro-EBM. Interview Q. What is the story and message behind 'Mirror’ and how does the amazing artwork tie in to those concepts? TP: My good friend and former-IR keyboardist, Clint Carney developed the concept for the cover. Clint has been working in visual effects for years now and he’s extremely good at it. When it was time to start thinking about the cover art, I had a couple of conversations with him about what the art should look like. I actually hired my wife who helped develop some great ideas. I knew I liked the idea of an “infinite reflection” type image but Clint is the one who took those ideas and came up with presenting it as an infinity mirror room. He proceeded to create a virtual room in a 3D space. He created the “man” with the match in his hand staring at his reflection. I really liked the idea of having many exact reflections with only one catching on fire. After the image was finished, it went to our graphic designer, Sam Pffankuche. He added some treatments and really drove the whole thing home and now we have my favorite cover to date. Each time I look at the cover I seem to see different ways it relates to the album theme. Presently the art shows a person who is forced to see himself as he is with no escape. The reflection in the background is starting to burn as a result. Q. Since the last release in 2011, has there been a change in the message and themes of your music? TP: I’d say more has been added to the message. While both albums are relatively personal, Mirror is much more so as it is based on my relationship with my wife. It chronicles a two year separation which was very hard at the time. We’ve been together for the better part of 28 years (met in high school) and we have a very intense bond. I’m not really into New Age all that much but we definitely fit the description of twin flames. Beyond that, Mirror looks at getting older and looking at life from a different perspective. Q. Tell us about the history of the band. Where did it all start, and what inspired you to start making industrial music? TP: When I was about 13 I was really into Depeche Mode and other synth bands but I also liked bands like Metallica. I discovered The Land of Rape and Honey by Ministry the summer I turned 14 and I was hooked. It combined all of the elements of the styles I liked and it was like the world just opened up. I started a band called DNA when I was 15 with a friend from high school. We recruited a third member the next year named Dave Andrecht. Dave and I hit off and soon found ourselves wanting to go in a different direction so, we left DNA and started Imperative Reaction in 1996. From there we started playing as many shows as possible in LA and worked to get the name out. After a botched signing with a shitty label in 1998, we signed with Pendragon Records. Pendragon was soon purchased by Metropolis Records where we’ve been ever since. Q. Are there any music videos planned for this album? TP: Yes, although Covid has made it difficult to plan the way we usually would so at this point, I would say – hopefully soon. Q. Which songs are you most proud of in this album? TP: Glass, Split, and Intertwined. I’ve always chickened out when it comes to releasing songs like Glass (plus early attempts at that style weren’t that great). But I really wanted to do it this time and I’m very happy with how it came out. Split to me is the perfect IR album opener and concert intro so I’m happy with it. Intertwined gets stuck in my head when I hear it so I’m happy about that. Q. What difficulties with lockdown have you had in putting this album together? TP: Due to the approach I employed with Mirror, the lockdown really didn’t affect production. On the last album I recorded in a studio outside of my home and brought the band in to record parts. If I had planned something like that for this album, it would have been problematic. Mirror was written, recorded, mixed and mastered in my home studio. Q. What artists are you listening to most right now? TP: I always listen to the top three for me – NIN, Nitzer Ebb, and Depeche Mode. Lately I’ve also been listening to Aesthetic Perfection and Horskh a lot. It’s exciting to hear their takes on this type of music. My wife plays me a lot of cool stuff that while not always “industrial” is close enough. Strvngers is cool too. Q. Who has been your favourite industrial artist to share a stage with and who would you still want to play alongside? TP: Back in 2008 SITD and Aesthetic Perfection provided support for our US Minus All Tour. That was a lot of fun. Daniel and I have been friends for a long time so I’m always open to playing with them. SYSTEM SYN is another band that I love sharing the stage with. Q. What life lessons has being in industrial taught you over the years, and what would you change about the scene if you could? TP: Being in this band and in this scene definitely taught me how to deal with different types of people. I’ve made a lot of really good friends through it and I have to say that industrial bands are spoiled by the support the scene gives us. I was pleasantly shocked at the fan support after being gone for 10 years. It’s a great feeling. Like any underground scene there is definitely some elitism out there which always sucks so if I could change something, I guess it would be that. Q. What (provisional) plans do you have for 2021 if things improve? TP: We will be touring as soon as possible. We will hit North America as always but I also want to get back to the other side of the Atlantic. Q. Anything you’d like to say to your fans? TP: Thank you so much for your amazing support. You guys make all of this so much more fun. Thank you for your time Ted! Review There's nothing quite like a jaw dropping electro EBM beat to say 'Damn right we're back!' 'Split' has all the power and dance happy goodness that Imperative Reaction left us with before but with a brand new flavour. It's a real nod to their past work and fans that has a somewhat Nine Inch Nails feel to it vocally. 'Here is somewhere else' is quite similar in this following but it has more of an Aesthetic Perfection industrial pop coating and it makes for a delightful surprise. It showcases the feel good energy of I.R whilst dealing out new inspirations of tastes for a varied and discerning market. VNV and Depeche Mode come to mind with the track 'Glass'. There is emotion twisting between schools of music both old and new. This feels as modern as it comes but also feels like it could be played in the 80's and no one would be any the wiser. It seems somewhat timeless and unlimited in scope to say the least. I know I've compared the previous songs to other bands which I don't like to do too much as I don't want to water down the weight of my words in regards to the talent and skill of the artist. However I have to say that 'Alter Ego' is as if all the best parts of AFI and Apoptygma Berzerk created a child. I am in love with the Davey Havok like vocals, and swept away by the Apop style melody. It's a dance anthem pure and simple and it's very different in that it doesn't pin itself to one style, anyone could dance happily to this; From the heaviest rivet-head, to the most gate keeping of elder Goths, and even to the every day person who hasn't heard industrial before. Lyrically it really brings in to focus the idea of the mirrored self to tie in with the album art and reflects upon who we see, and even don't see when we oureslves look in to a mirror. Now we stand eye to eye and I see it.. This version of me was always a lie. I don't believe in you, I wasted all my faith just to watch you throw it away. -'Alter Ego' lyrics. There is definitely more anger and 'stomp' factor in the track 'The Scales' and 'Stranger' with the artist weighing up his life as well as the lives of others which leads perfectly in to 'Like Swine' which is a scathing attack on the laid back and careless society we find ourselves in. Like Swine Lyric Video Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! 'Ignite' certainly brings the tempo and enjoyment factor up a couple of notches from the last couple of tracks. This time it feels like a Faderhead and 3TEETH mash-up. Telling the story of two sides at war, the drum and electronic samples set an imaginative recreation of futuristic battlefield sounds with laser fire and heavy calibre ammo belts being expended. What would a modern day industrial album be without mid tempo cyberpunk keys opening up at least one track? Like I said before, a product of our time. 'Intertwined' hits you with that exact cyberpunk aspect but it also brings a heavy mix of synthwave and dare I say Human League like nostalgia to the same package. It really is quite beautiful yet hard to describe. Listen for yourself, you'll see what I mean. 'Disavow' has some VERY impressive electronic bass samples that have to be played loud to fully appreciate. It hits a very satisfying deep corner of your core being and if you haven't fallen in love with this album yet, surely this will be the song to hook you and change your mind. It awakens all those wonderful memories of everything that has been well loved across all genres of alternative music over the years from Emo, to EBM, to rock, to industrial pop, and more. In a word.. Magical. The album wraps up with a rather emotional number in the form of 'Half of one' It feels like a celebration of all things alternative and gives the listener a chance to really self reflect and process the themes in this album. It's an ideal cool down of contentment as opposed to an encore 'bang'. Welcome back Imperative Reaction, you have been sorely missed! Tracklist Split When Here Is Somewhere Else Glass Alter Ego The Scales Stranger Like Swine Ignite Intertwined Disavow Half Of One All songs written, produced, mixed and mastered by Ted Phelps at The Composite Conclusion I've seen a few people refer to this release as 'lacklustre' and I can see why if they only skimmed through the album looking for those old familiar rave beats Imperative Reaction was made famous for. I've also heard many artists call themselves 'more mature now' in regards to leaving dance floor filling industrial behind and to be honest, I couldn't roll my eyes any harder if I tried each time I hear it. Yet this album, this wonderful album genuinely feels like the real maturity or evolution from the previous years that the other artist claim to. It doesn't just throw those foundations away in some form of snobbery and the band certainly doesn't spout that maturity angle. It simply weaves a new modernised pattern to keep the music relevant to today yet faithful to the past. If you listen to this album with an open mind and let it wash over you a few times, what you will discover is a hidden garden for your mind, a place to dance, to reflect, and make accounts for the story of the album and the story of you, the listener. Imperative Reaction have crafted a truly fine collection with an intricate tapestry of musical and emotional complexity. It is a truly beautiful return in style. Scores Technicality: 8/10 Dance factor: 8/10 Energy: 8/10 Vocals: 8/10 Re-playability: 9/10 Overall score: 8.2 / 10 See Also Imperative Reaction Website: HERE Imperative Reaction Facebook: HERE Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Get yourself listed with us! Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

Ludovico Technique last blessed us with a full album back in 2012 which drifted in and out of several styles of industrial, many of the tracks aggrotech and most akin to Psyclon Nine. In November last year they returned with the first single of the next album and in a very different style. The first of many singles that will eventually lead to the next album. In this article, we review the second such single recently released. LUDOVICO TECHNIQUE have just released their newest single entitled 'Up to the Flames', accompanied by a lyric video that offers stunning visuals that are intensified by the song's poignant lyrics. This goth tinged metal opus is a reflection of our times, where a world set aflame proves inescapable. This is the second single released from their forthcoming full-length album "Haunted People." Bringing his dark mystique to goth industrial metal, Ben V-, along with his band Ludovico Technique, showcase a thoughtful depth and complexity unmatched by many bands. With haunting music accompanied by beautiful, cinematic visuals; Ludovico Technique is the very embodiment of the Gothic aesthetic in its purest form. In the beginning, the band drew inspiration from goth industrial bands such as Skinny Puppy and Marilyn Manson, yet now, the future for Ludovico Technique moves towards a world more akin to fans of Type O Negative, Rob Zombie, and Slipknot, bringing a taste of the underground to the forefront of what goth industrial metal can achieve. Cover of the Novemeber 2020 single 'Live as Myself' Review The change in style Ludovico Technique have taken is instantly obvious because you'd have no idea that it was the same band. The piano most vintage teases a haunted atmosphere before kicking in the drums before the thought has even finished registering. Corrupting Gothic honey is the only way to describe the deep, sensual vocal tone used to draw you in to this song. There is that nod to the era of the Sisters of Mercy and the dance floor classics of the elder Goths. The vampiric feeling of an empathic predator preying upon your innermost thoughts and using them to ensnare you further adds to the moth to the flame imagery of the single. When everything around you.. Is cast further aside. When feelings that surround you.. Are where you try to hide. Don't close your eyes.. I've come. The chorus has that more recognisable lighter tinge to his voice that almost brings about familiarity of early 2000's emo music. Which surprisingly, adds quite well to the overall effect even if a tad nasally for my liking. These become the predominant vocals over the earlier beautiful deep style that put me in the mind of Type O negative. It seems a little messy in the change between the two styles of singing but as I said, it seems to work so well for the overall track, I can't exactly describe that as a negative in any way. Sort of how a moth flutters skittishly in distress over reaching the flame and the danger it perceives in doing so.. Conclusion This is a very different form of musical art from Ludovico Technique and one that will be loved by fans, just as much as it may be shunned by others. Perhaps the change is an attempt to open in to a wider audience or perhaps it is to reflect the growth the band has felt over the last decade. Either way there is a lot of promise here if the band can nail down an overall signature sound for the rest of the album. An exciting time for Ludovico Technique, exploring a new direction that takes inspiration from some of the best predecessors in Goth, metal, and Industrial music. This is going to be an album bursting with potential and dark Gothic desire. SCORES Technicality: 6/10 Soul factor: 7/10 Energy : 6/10 Vocals : 7.5/ 10 Re-playability: 7.5/10 Overall score: 6.8 / 10 See Also Bandcamp: HERE Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Get yourself listed with us! Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

Front Line Assembly have long since been part of the strongest foundations of Industrial having been making music since the 80's; With this latest release FLA prove that they are just as strong as ever. I will admit that the old school generation of industrial is ironically still quite new to me. When I started Elektro Vox I was listening to industrial and aggrotech bands from the last 15 years that were more akin to dance floor raves than the slower, grittier talent that came before them; So FLA is not a band I am all too familiar with but none the less this album has made a fan out of me, that much is certain. I think that's an important aspect for bands, the ability to draw in new fans from different generations and backgrounds, and not just survive through a very select few original listeners. The Canadian industrial outfit Front Line Assembly have been fearlessly pushing the boundaries of that musical description for more than three decades, exploring all manner of styles and influences since forming as a purely electronic based concern in the mid-80s. Helmed by founder Bill Leeb with long-time cohort Rhys Fulber, the legendary Vancouver based act have just released the brand new album entitled ‘Mechanical Soul’ on 15th January 2021. A masterful work from one of the greats of the genre, it can be seen as the zenith of the duo’s artistic endeavours together. The album also includes guest appearances from Jean-Luc De Meyer of Front 242 (on ‘Barbarians’) and Dino Cazares of Fear Factory (on ‘Stifle’). Produced by Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber Mastered by Greg Reely Album design and illustration by Dave McKean Metropolis records Review 'Purge' has that electronic edge that follows the modern popularity of cyberpunk. There is no escaping it from the popularity of the style, to modern games, films, and the crumbling world around us, cyber punk IS NOW. It keeps the tempo down enough to keep the original FLA feel to it however and it really feels like a narrator's introduction in terms of lyrics and ambient mood setting of a world at war. 'Glass and Leather' picks the energy up a few notches, like the first rush of intoxication whilst you're on a stomping club dance floor lost amongst the rhythm and the darkness; The fact the song's first lyric is.. "I'm driving naked, I'm driving naked, I'm driving naked in my car" Certainly adds to that visualisation. The beat and sounds used are so perfectly punctuated by the sighs and gasps placed amongst the verses. If I had a playlist for the bedroom, this would be on it, that's for sure! In 'Unknown' we hear some very strange mechanical and otherworldly sounds, when watching the fan music video, it's easy to realise why. The world is at war, and there is a resistance doing what they can. This has all the hallmarks of some damn good old school EBM, the gritty vocals, the bass heavy beats, a distorted chorus, dance worth synths, and a scary dystopia. There is nothing not to like about this track.. Even with the amusing "Huuaah" Exasperation at one point haha! 'Unknown' Mindphaser fan music video Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! We are taken on a stellar like voyage with the slower, peaceful 'New World', which is a real contrast to 'Rubber tube gag' because as the title would imply, it sets the mood for a darkened fetish club with some very heavy emotion hidden amongst the lyrics. When it comes to the heavy riffs of 'Stifle' it's good to know I was on track when I mentioned Cyberpunk before because I stumbled upon this answer in an interview with soundscape magazine at the same time as getting the above music video.. The song Stifle was originally part of the sessions I did for the Cyberpunk 2077 video game. I contributed tracks for the soundtrack and this was one that did not get used. I played it for Bill and he liked it. [Bill] wrote the lyrics and the song took on new life. He suggested we get some guitar stabs on it so I called Dino from Fear Factory who did his thing and it all fell into place. - Rhys Fulber Which brings us to 'Alone', a track that creates a cave dive into the depth of human emotion and mental health. It envisions a hopeless despair with a beat tempo that magnifies that feeling. By itself the track didn't stand out to me but after watching this brilliantly made fan music video that follows a soldier's exploration of a destroyed city, it adds many more layers of meaning and enjoyment for me. 'Alone' Mindphaser fan video 'Barbarians' feels like a further delve in to rich tales told by a sci-fi version of a bard; and 'Komm, Stirbt Mit Mir' resurrects that oh so familiar and classic 90's industrial dance floor vibe that is still as vibrant and enjoyable as it ever was. 'Time Lapse' puts me in the mind of everything we have lost over the past couple of years and yet everything that still could be lost, it is a nostalgic and yet defiant piece of music that cools the main album down and gives the listener time to reflect on all they just heard. Finally 'Hatevol (Black Asteroid Mix)' pounds out a solid encore at first but then goes silent for around 30 seconds followed by an injection of nostalgia to send you on your way. Tracklist + Featured instrument per track 1.Purge Elektron Analog Rytm mk2 2.Glass and Leather Studio Electronics Omega 3.Unknown Roland Alpha Juno 2 4.New World Mutable Instruments Shruthi 5.Rubber Tube Gag Waldorf Pulse+ 6.Stifle Noise Engineering Basimilus Iteritas, Ormsby DC7 7.Alone Moog Model 15 reissue 8.Barbarians Mutable Instruments Clouds 9.Komm, Stirbt Mit Mir Waldorf Q+ 10.Time Lapse Doepfer A100 11.Hatevol (Black Asteroid Mix) Conclusion This album has many complex layers to it, from the instruments to the lyrics, the emotions, the originality, but also the crucial signature sound that has made Front Line Assembly enjoy such widespread fandom. When a band has been going this long and can still put out new and genuinely interesting music, you know there is a lot of genius going on behind the scenes. FLA have once again proven themselves to be a lighthouse shining the way in to the future for bands both old and new. Scores Technicality: 8.5/10 Dance factor: 7.5/10 Energy: 8/10 Vocals: 7/10 Re-playability: 8/10 Overall score: 7.8 / 10 Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Get yourself listed with us! Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

With this album Elektro Vox brings you the second in a series of several 'Guest' review articles trying their hand at their first reviews for our site to help us with the large volume of requests we have had this month! This incredibly in depth review of '‘Whorl Clock - A Time Travel Themed Compilation Album' is written by Redthir Jerdisheim. Released Monday January 11th 2021'Whorl Clock' is the debut release from charity electronic label Three Eyed Cat Records. All the songs on it are time travel inspired with all musicians providing an original song. The album has all sorts- songs about the future, past, present, clocks, dinosaurs, robots, time machines, the big bang and much more- and it's wonderful to see what different artists do with the same simple brief. If you love your music with blips, chips, synths, beats and bass then you will be sure to discover something you love on this album! Featuring synthwave, chiptune, breakcore, ambient and other electronic music from all over the world- UK, Siberia, Arizona, Hungary, Sweden and more. All money made on Bandcamp will be donated to Doctors Without Borders- an international, medical humanitarian organisation working in more than 65 countries around the world. Their medical teams work to save people’s lives in conflict zones, natural disasters and epidemics. Find out more at https://msf.org.uk/ Review Fancy travelling to a time without coronavirus? From the wires of powering machinery to the exotic landscapes of times past and present, this cute, time-travel themed compilation showcases it all. Beautifully eclectic, awesomely eccentric, and electrically futuristic. This compilation nails its invocation of a surreal sci-fi world. (Short, factual paragraph): This is a charity compilation where all sales will go to Doctors Without Borders; who provide medical attention in over 65 countries around the world: for those people stuck in warzones, natural disasters and epidemics. For that in and of itself, it's well-worth chipping in a small fund (there's no minimum!) to help the cause. Shoutout to Sam Bradbury for his cartoon-y and very detailed artwork. The colourful selection of wires and the somewhat psychedelic vortex serve as a nice backdrop for this compilation, especially to the glitchier, mechanical-sounding tracks on here. Anyhow, onto the review: I personally found this to be a charming, playful compilation. Having known none of the twelve artists contributing their works before, it was awesome to venture into a complete unknown… Which, come to think about it, is exactly what time travel, the theme of the compilation, is. The theme is complemented perfectly by the compilation's sheer unpredictability: after one track finishes, you have no idea what sort of wacky soundscape is gonna come next. Yet in spite of that, the tracks all fit together seamlessly… Or do they? It's arguably the tracks being slightly unfitting that gives this compilation its charm. I like to think of this as an unintentional concept album that continuously derails itself: at least, that's my perception of it, and I'm sticking with it. There's no better example of this unpredictability than Track 4: 'One Night on the Earth'. After three instrumental tracks: the last of which is the glitchy, bleepy-bloopy, science-infused 'Reverse Engineer'; suddenly the listener is thrust into a nostalgic throwback to bright, catchy 80's synthpop. This upbeat, vocal, melodic song comes out of nowhere and completely throws off the listener. In order to really understand how this whole compilation fits together (or doesn't fit, depending on your perception!), a track-by-track analysis (with a shoutout to each artist!) is perhaps the best means. Chorus1986 sets the scene with Track 1, the retro-sounding, ambient 'School Night Dreams', which begins with a rhythmic ticking clock which gradually fades as the song evolves into a simple melody immersed in trance-esque sweeping strings. Gradually, the melody builds up, with a nice arp punctuating the crescendo at the end. Pretty good? Yeah. In truth though, this track does nothing to prepare you for the weird and wonderful delights in this Pandora's Box. Track 2 is 'The 61st Second', by S A Z E R. As a synthwave lover, it should be no surprise that I thoroughly enjoy this track. This is a bite of dark synthwave, that sounds straight out of any of today's retro wave labels. This track nicely bridges the retro feel of 'School Night Dreams' and the dark and distorted... 'Reverse Engineer', which I can only assume is a field recording. A field recording of the time machine of the great scientist Elkingtit. (Or maybe Elkingtit is the lab assistant. Or a bad guy who wants to steal time travel for his own selfish means. You can decide on that one!). This otherworldly, interdimensional track is a chiptune-y festival of glitches, bleep-bloops and Ozric Tentacles-esque modulation experiments. I could imagine this is the sound of a time machine in motion, especially with the track's paradigm shifts. What time you'll end up in after listening to this, is anyone's guess. I ended up back in my own space and time, although my pen has mysteriously disappeared. ...Except I didn't end up in my own time. As the crystal-clear voice of Alexandra Esakova informed me, aliens have arrived to enjoy "One Night on the Earth". I love Spaceman 1981's power ballad to bits. It's awesomely different from the rest of the album and I guarantee that this euphoric, fun song will have you grinning from ear-to-ear. Three eyed cat records The euphoria of this track vanishes as suddenly as it appears. Before you know it, the euphoria vanishes and a tribal beat plays. This is Track 5, Humm Bugg's primitive-futuristic 'Primordial Ooze' which, with its rhythmic, percussive soundscape invokes a tribal ritual on some exotic planet. For the duration of this track, I find myself wanting to be a tribal shaman. Let's recap. In the last three tracks, we've experienced a time machine in motion, followed by two lovestruck aliens partying on Earth, to the ritual of an Eldritch Abomination. As I'm sure you've worked out by now, this is a compilation that keeps you guessing what's to come next. Good luck to anyone who guesses any genre that Track 6, 'The Future a Petra Dish' resembles. The work of Petra Dish and The Nicotine Tingles, this song is… what IS it supposed to be, exactly? It's a minimalistic-experimental track with an erotic-sounding android intermittently talking over the subtly-changing glitchy instrumental field, which has a drum fill midway-through that never comes back again? Is this what floating aimlessly through space and time feels like? I have never in my life heard any song like this one. This song is an experience that all people should hear at least once. As the last of this bizarre soundscape fades out, we return to retrowave in the form of Track 7, 'Timefall' by Endless Wires. This isn't anything too wild, but it's a very well-composed track. The composition is somewhat simple with few structural changes, but Endless Wires does an excellent job of evolving the increasingly rich, detailed soundscape. By the end, there's multiple melodies neatly mixed together, which is neat. Next is Murgatroyd's 'Derailment'. As the title suggests, this is a track that becomes increasingly more chaotic. Similarly to the previous track, it begins quite minimally, only to add more and more detail to the sound as it progresses (or derails!). However, here we see a much more chaotic arrangement with bitcrushed percussion and a slightly discordant mix. This one sees an intro of bleep-bloops and chiptunes slowly make way for a melody. This composition becomes increasingly chaotic and discordant with repeated rising and falling notes in a chromatic scale. Onto Track 9, and we find ourselves with Riddlis' offering of atmospheric trance, with the grand strings of 'Strawberry Galaxy'. The brightest track on the compilation, this makes for a delightfully melodic, luscious composition. If you close your eyes while you listen to this, you WILL feel like you are floating in a galaxy. I guarantee it. Quite simply, this track is glorious. It's back to chaos and distortion with Bitrotator's 'Quite Simple', which is a hybrid of genres that excites my love of unpredictability in music. After a deep, ambient intro, a heavy guitar begins to form… until it builds into an industrial metal of sorts, somewhat like Celldweller. Then we get samples from NES Tetris amidst this metal, which fast turns into a beautiful mud bath of distortion. In short, kinda like chiptune metal: which is practically custom-made for someone like me who grew up on retro gaming and metal. Now I have an overwhelming urge to blaze through time at 88m/ph... We continue through hyperdrive, with the bright, melodic chiptune-fest that is Track 11, '4D Nausea'. Putting aside that Creepy Pizza is an awesome artist name, this track is short but sweet. The last minute, transitioned into by the sweep of a speeding time machine, is the highlight: it will make you grin and wildly flail your arms about. You can absolutely imagine the people onboard the machine dancing with joy as they see an era unlike their own! Eleven down, one to go… the last track is 'Henry Hassel' by Matthew Collington. This one is almost electro-acoustic in its composition. It's very atmospheric, discordant and disorienting - more of a noise experiment than a song as such. However, some of the sounds used in creating a noisescape are utilised in the final two minutes, where the track unexpectedly turns into a burst of experimental techno. This is an unskippable finisher and is one of the standouts of this compilation. Tracklist: Chorus 1986- Schol NIght Dremas SAZER- The 61st Second Elkingtit- Reverse Engineer SpaceMan 1981- One Night on the Earth Humm Bugg- Primordial Ooze Petra Dish and the Nicotine Tingles- The Future a Petra Dish Endless Wires- Timefall Murgatroyd- Derailment Riddlis- Strawberry Galaxy Bitrotator- Quite Simple Creepy Pizza- 4D NAUSEA Moths!- Henry Hassel Conclusion: I am exceedingly thankful to have discovered this slick compilation. The playful energy on this is infectiously awesome, the compositions are mostly very original and there's not a single track on here that I'd consider filler. This is a thoroughly enjoyable, eclectic experience from start to finish. Hats off to Three Eyed Cat Records for getting these artists onboard, and a personal thanks from me for allowing me to experience time travel! Scores: Technicality: 9.5/10 Dance factor: 10/10 Energy: 9.5/10 Vocals: n/a - most tracks are instrumental Re-playability: 8/10 Rating: 9/10 Now, how do I get back to my own time?... Three eyed cat / Whorl Clock Bandcamp: HERE See also chorus1986.bandcamp.com sazer.bandcamp.com elkingtit.bandcamp.com spaceman1981.bandcamp.com hummbugg.bandcamp.com petradishandthenicotinetingles.bandcamp.com endlesswires.bandcamp.com murgatroyd.bandcamp.com riddlis.bandcamp.com bitrotator.bandcamp.com creepypizza.bandcamp.com mcollington.bandcamp.com Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Get yourself listed with us! Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

With this single Elektro Vox brings you the first of a series of several 'Guest' review articles trying their hand at their first reviews for our site to help us with the large volume of requests we have had this month! This review is written by 'Death Awaytz'. As a huge fan of IAMX it is interesting to see another person's perspective who was not familiar with Chris' work at all - Canis E.V Review Angers is an Acid (with IAMX) is the first song from the upcoming album Resonance from cEvin Key, out on February 19th and available on Spotify, Youtube, Itunes and Bandcamp. The start of the track is quite chaotic, a bit messy and sounds like a melancholic storm is about to break up above. This continuous storm beat carries on for the whole song, it's like a scourge that will develop as more instruments enter into the melody, creating a very nice mix of harmonies. The tempo is really slow and the vibes it gives to the whole song is quite melodramatic. From the very first verse the reverb given, is quite 'resonating' to play upon the title of the album. The various added chords; that, fade in and out, give the song a climax that explodes into the second verse and the piano gives a nice orchestral touch while the succession of the various instruments reaches out at the end of the song. The soul singing (Chris of IAMX - E.V) seems very much in pain throughout the whole track, like he is tormented by something irreparable and keeps wandering around for answers in an endless nightmare; Pursuing some sort of light in the anguish his soul seems to be trapped in. There's lot of work behind this single but you'll need the right time to listen to it and appreciate it in the way it deserves. It definitely is not the kind of music you'd play just anywhere, but I'd say you need to be open to the dark and gloomy vibes of this tune to feel most at home listening to it. Overall the song is well structured with many elements; It could definitely sound a bit out of place by itself and might seem a little hard to get in to on the first listen but it eventually gets very catchy by the time it's been played more than twice. For sure it's a track that will grow on you the more tries you allow it. Personally it's not an every day listen, hence why I'd most likely give it a overall score of 7.3; The song isn't quite my cup of tea but it is pretty interesting and I would recommend giving it a go whether you are a fan or not. After giving the track several listens these are my thoughts about it and below you can see how it scored in my opinion. SCORES Technicality: 7/10 Soul factor: 7.5/10 Energy : 7/10 Vocals : 7 / 10 Re-playability: 8/10 Overall score: 7.3 / 10 See Also Bandcamp: HERE cEvin kEy Patreon: HERE IAMX website: HERE Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Get yourself listed with us! Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

I've been a fan of Aesthetic perfection for quite a few years now, I can't remember exactly when but I think around the time of the release of 'A violent Emotion' in 2008. I had a mix CD a friend had given me with no idea who half the artists on it were but now I know that one of those songs was 'Coward' from the first A.P album 'Close to Human' and when I put two and two together (Eventually) it was the foundation being laid for my later love of all things industrial. It wasn't until a few years later when I discovered Combichrist that I really began to leave metal behind for this scene and A.P probably helped that transition a lot more than I realised looking back. It was a real honour for A.P to be my first real text and then first real video interview too, small world! Why do I mention all this? Well the scene we find ourselves in is a strange one. Half the fans of industrial wish for the golden days of the early 2000's to come back with the hellektro and aggrotech style vocals and fast BPM. Whilst the other half bemoan such days and well.. pretty much anything that gets released by anyone actually; Always claiming some undiscoverable (to the rest of us) maturity in their music that apparently makes them feel superior, but rather creates unnecessary gate keeping and frankly.. they're full of bullshit. Serious, what do those people even listen to happily anyway?? Recently Daniel has been poking fun at people on social media constantly telling him to make more music like 'A violent emotion', with this release soon after that he says.. "Me: Hrm, this new song resurrects the vocal style from A Violent Emotion, I wonder if it will appease old fans... Old fans: We still hate you." I can't see why because this release brings together that gorgeous blend of old school A.P with the incredible boundary defying skill put in to the 'Into the black album' and I for one love it and can't see the reason why people need to be so toxic. Not only is the title song a great release but this also comes with a remix by none other than the rising star of Moris Blak! Words from Daniel Graves: "I am beyond excited to announce my new single “S E X” which drops worldwide on January 8th, 2021. Featuring guitars by Sebastian Svalland (Pain, IN MOURNING & formerly Lindemann) this new song continues in the industrial metal tradition of tracks like Rhythm + Control while expanding on my ever broadening vocal and production horizons. This is the first installment of my 12 singles in 12 months project that is being fully funded by my Patreon supporters. Each single is unlocked every time our community gains 10 new members, and, hopefully, will result in a full-length album at the end of the year. Also included is a blistering club remix by MORIS BLAK! To join our community, help unlock future singles and ensure another Aesthetic Perfection LP, visit www.imperfect-society.net. Another great way to support independent artists is to presave and preorder releases before they drop." You can do that right here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/aestheticperfection/s-e-x #IndustrialPop Review First of all this track is pay what you want on Bandcamp so go get it.. Seriously! The robotic vocalisations of Daniel's voice are such a signature and nostalgic opening to this track but is also very familiar in the likes of the recent 'No boys allowed' song. It opens with subtle yet powerful little guitar riffs that add a real sense of foreplay before dropping that S E X bomb main riff and heavier vocal style. It contains all the elements that makes industrial pop so catchy and enjoyable but then throws in the passion and ferocity we all love about metal, all be it a little too short for a full head bang session though. Daniel has achieved the best of both worlds in bringing together the old school vocals and beats with the more recent melodies and depth of his work and I think this is some great skill that shows so much potential for the rest of the eleven singles scheduled for release this year! This is one of those tracks that can't be fully appreciated without large club amps to belt it through your very core but I'm sure that day will come because there's no doubt that this or at least the Moris Blak version will be on many a club DJ's set-list when they re-open. As for the Moris Blak version, there is the undeniable cyberpunk mid tempo action steadily powering up the track to one hell of a break down of break beat and using those screams of Daniel to reach a brand new height of remix potential; It is masterfully done. It brings A.P in to a direction it's never been pulled in to before and it's quite a lot to swallow at first when at around 3:40 it almost sounds like Faderhead singing with the way it's been manipulated! After a few very loud play throughs I can tell you this much.. This is incredible! Scores Technicality: 8.5/10 Dance factor: 8/10 Energy: 8/10 Vocals: 8.5/10 Re-playability: 9/10 Overall score: 8.4 / 10 See also Released on Christmass day: Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Get yourself listed with us! Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

This has been an album I have looked forward to since first hearing Witch of the Vale's track 'Fever' back in 2018. This was back when we had a nice collection of fresh and intriguing bands becoming widely known on the lips of the Gothic community in the UK seemingly overnight; Witch of the Vale, and SKYND being two prime examples. This debut album brings together 8 songs from previous EPs and a remix release, as well as adding five new tracks, and an incredible cover of Lana Del Rey's 'Gods and Monsters.' Most impressively for this album and the band themselves is being signed to Cleopatra records, a label which has some huge names on it with Witch of the Vale currently sat at the top of their Bandcamp page: cleorecs.com cleopatrarecords.bandcamp.com Erin and Ryan Hawthorne bring together two forms of theme in their music. The two sides being the beautiful tragedy of Gothic music and the ancient instinctual atmosphere of paganism in to a rather ethereal blending of spiritual with electronic. Perhaps this kind of soul touching and otherworldly music is only possible living in a remote and beautiful land, such is their location in the Outer Hebridean Isles of Scotland. Recently the band took part in Beat:Cancer at home, performing another magical cover, this time of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt' and were interviewed by one of the B:C DJs - Duracell Bunny. Hurt: Interview: Review 'Something Lost' is an ambient track that perfectly establishes the magical landscape, harmoniously mixing electronics with nature, and the soul. 'Fever' and 'Trust the pain' are two tracks that anyone familiar with Witch of the Vale will already know well and for good reason. The slow majestic beats, alongside the melodic grace of Erin's voice, makes it quite easy to close your eyes and drift away on a personal journey without realising where the time went. They are truly relaxing and feel like a bath for the soul that you can happily drown in. The same is true of 'The way this will end.' The string sections alongside the rest of the musical ensemble creates a deep, deep emotional well that is so incredibly easy to fall in to but so hard to get out of. It's Gothic perfection.. 'Undressed' is the first new song we come across in this album and follows the same formula of the previous two Vale classics I just spoke about. There is a real sense of impending dread but it is mesmerizing regardless of the atmospheric and lyrical content. Like a vampire hypnotising their next victim, you feel drawn in and smile at the enthralling tone of voice even though you know something isn't right. How on Earth Vale manages to blend the juxtaposition of making music that should be depressing or sinister in to something rather spiritually uplifting and positive, is beyond me. Perhaps it is an album to vindicate emotions, to sooth and balm with empathy through shared experience, or maybe I am looking too deep in to the music. Who knows? In fact most of the album continues this rather similar template but this is far from a bad thing. One would not expect to be disappointed if all they ever found in their gold mine was gold. After all, if something is working and working extremely well, then keep it going. 'The sky and the sea' deviates slightly in that it feels like a ghost story backed with an air of chillstep which is coincidentally rather fitting in name. This next to one of their older songs 'Your voice' definitely adds to that chillstep vibe with the relaxing beats, sweeping synths, and rain drop perfect piano. The title track 'Commemorate' is a little bit heavier. Musically it feels a lot more industrial on Ryan's part and somewhat Madonna esque on Erin's. There is even a faint underlying aggrotech growl to some the vocals echoing behind Erin's which is a much welcomed addition for those who love the harsher side of industrial and vocals like myself. It is very faint, but mixed in with pure skill. Commemorate music video: 'Gods and monsters' is one of my favourite songs. Not only did Lana Del Rey captivate me with it originally but so too did the American Horror Story version shortly after. Recently Daniel Graves of Aesthetic Perfection covered this majestically in his Cellar session so you think I would have had enough of this song, and how you would be wrong. It's so easy for people to use the word angelic to describe a voice but never has it been more appropriate or deserving to say that Erin's voice is beyond angelic, it is ethereal and completes something inside of those who hear her sing. She therefore covers this song in top form. 'The Ghosts Won't Know' is another classic of theirs that I am so happy is included on this album. 'Live Again' finishes off the album with a dash of classical strings, much to my pleasure. Tracklist Something Lost Fever Trust the Pain Undressed Death Dream Crash The Sky And The Sea Your Voice Commemorate Suffocation The Way This Will End Gods & Monsters The Ghosts Won't Know Live Again Conclusion In a world overrun by dystopia and cyberpunk themes, with Witch of the Vale we see the element that is lost in amongst the technocracy of entertainment.. Magic. There is a real sense of fantasy, of spirituality, and of hope in amongst the dark mystery and tragedy of Witch of the Vale's music. This album is beautiful in it's Gothic tragedy and cinematic scope. Erin is pitch perfect and plucks at the heart strings of every listener. Ryan masterfully wraps his instrumental sections around you like a warm blanket, or like a vine of thorns in equal measure making this a truly emotional complex album to process. Witch of the Vale are true pioneers of blending the line of reality and a real testament to the powerful talent that can be found in the most distant corners, deep in the forests, and away from the mainstream. Scores Technicality: 8/10 Soul factor: 9/10 Energy: 8.5/10 Vocals: 10/10 Re-playability: 10/10 Overall score: 9.1 / 10 See also witchofthevale.com www.facebook.com/witchofthevale Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Get yourself listed with us! Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

It's quite a rare and high praised statement to say that an artist reminds me of The Human League not just because of the immense gravity of what a legendary act that band was but also because it is one of the first ever artists I can remember hearing as a child so it has far more gravitas to me in that respect; So it's not something I would ever say lightly. Yet in the first few opening lines of this single, that's all that is going through my head.. Jay has brought Vintage Human League emotional story telling in to modern day synthwave production. The Grendel remix only adds further to that aspect of wanting to bob along happily to a modern song that sounds like a real vintage classic. It's quite an emotionally complex package to unwrap in my head and even more so for it being an unexpected blindsider. Not as unexpected however as to have the Tactical Sekt remix continuing to deepen the synthwave and retro chill vibes rather than mixing in the more aggressive side of industrial stuff that they are known for. The video and lyrics take us on a journey of a stalker's obsession with a Goth girl and it is a story that is sadly, probably quite relatable for a lot of people in either experience or genuine concern in modern society. Quite an impressive second release from J:Dead who is no doubt going to hit us with an incredible debut album at some point if he continues with this high performance work. Being a 'single' song release I won't review it in my usual fashion but I give it.. 7 / 10 J:dead is the solo project from Jay Taylor, live drummer of EBM/Synthpop bands such as Tactical Sekt, Tyske Ludder and Harmjoy. For the last 16 years Jay has frequented many stages across the world performing in his own signature style of aggressive, hard hitting acoustic noise to the forefront of electronic acts. Now, with the creation of J:dead, there is an opportunity to show his ability in developing music which is at the core and drive behind his musical ambitions. J:dead is whatever it needs to be: without labels, stereotypes, scene driven boxes or goals other than to inspire others. J:dead’s ambition is to make others feel alive by listening and feeling the creation of someone losing themselves. J:dead provides emotional and lyric driven tracks with a dark synthpop vibe, inspired by a range of artists and genres. J:dead announced signing to Infacted Recordings in Nov 2020 alongside the release of their next single Feeding on me on 19th Dec. The single release will also include remixes from Grendel and Tactical Sekt, two acts which are close to the heart of Jay, as they were the first acts he played in (Tactical Sekt) and alongside (Grendel) when he first started playing live shows. J:dead will release their first full length album via Infacted Recordings in early 2021, which hosts 11 original songs. The physical release will also hold 4 additional remixes (2 being those mentioned above) as bonus tracks. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jdeadband Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdeadband/ Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

It's been a tough year and I have not kept as up to date with the wider spectrum of industrial and electronic music as I would have liked to in order to call this a true 'Best of' list. However these are my personal favourite and best from 2020, many of them related to the work I have done with the bands throughout the year, and some of them I just enjoyed amongst all the rest and didn't get round to writing about. So here's my short set of lists with no explanations to get in the way. Enjoy! Best albums 1. ESA: Electronic Substance Abuse - Burial 10 Review HERE 2. Hatari - Neyslutrans Review HERE 3. Seraphim System - Mutant Mthrfkr 4. Auger - Insurgence Review HERE 5. Witch of the Vale - Commemorate 6. Corlyx - Together apart Review HERE 7. Black Angel - Kiss of death Review HERE 8. Jameson Nathan Jones - Signals Review HERE 9. MENSCHDEFEKT - Empty World Review HERE 10. MORIS BLAK - Irregular Revisions vol.1 Best Singles / EP 1. Aesthetic Perfection (For X-RL7) - Digital Deities Read about X-RL7 HERE 2. Biomechanimal featuring Nysrok Infernalien - End you life Review HERE 3. Blutengel / Massive Ego - Nothing but a void Review HERE 4. Analogue Blood - Kill those beats Review HERE 5. Faderhead Featuring Solar Fake - I did not know Top 3 music videos 1. ESA - THE SCORN 2. Hatari - Engin Miskunn 3. Pretty Addicted - 'Tones and Whiskey Top 3 Cyber EVM acts 1. Iszoloscope - Cyber EVM 2.0 2. ESA - Cyber EVM 2.0 3. Corlyx - Cyber EVM Best unexpected pleasure The Weeknd - 'Blinding lights' This has brought synthwave in to the main stream and I think we can all agree that it's incredible! Thank you We were able to bring you events like Cyber EVM due to some incredible bands, thank you to all of those involved. Especially a huge thank you to Scott of iVardensphere and Jasyn of God Module for being our first headline acts; putting your trust in a brand new online event! Also a big thank you to Iszoloscope, ESA, and Memmaker for headlining EVM 2. Most important thanks go to the Karkasaurus duo Mark and Peter, and Matt of Biomechanimal for all of your hard work and help this year in putting together so many streams to keep people entertained. Thank you to both bands for going out of their way to make rare industrial specific shows for us especially back when lockdown began as some small replacement for Elektro Vox (live) Festival having to be postponed. A huge thank you to everyone who donated to Cyber EVM to help Slimelight and of course to the late, and great legend Mayuan Mak for everything he has done for our community. Thank you to everyone who has a listing on the Alternative Diectory, I hope to really push that next year! Finally thank you to everyone who has listened, supported, read, donated, submitted music, emails, and commissions to us etc, etc; And thank you to my friends and loved ones, I couldn't do any of this without you! <3 - Canis DJ Elekto Vox Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox

Muta-scuM describes himself as.. 'Noise, breaks, the occasional melody and something that sounds a bit like tinnitus' as well as 'Industrial Break-Beat' which is an interesting adaptation of experimenting with the raw tools and essence of what industrial music comes down to.. The harsh and unrefined, being hammered in to something complex and workable. With this two track single released earlier this month it's almost like listening to a blacksmith hammering out his latest inventions. Review: Adam's music has a Christian theme which is something quite unknown in the industrial world and with this release we have the tracks 'Bad Friday' and 'Magnificat v2'. The former being a possible play on Good Friday, and the later referring to the hymn to Mary 'Magnificat'. Although it may be rare, it works surprisingly well. Have you ever played an epic game battle with Choral Hymn music that has a metal or alternative edge to it? I remember most of the Ace Combat series of games having epic Hymn music during the final battles and often wish they had just that slight edge to them to add to the effect. Well in 'Magnificat v2' this is exactly what we have with its heavy and raw drum beats breaking it apart and reforging it with that 'break-beat' as mentioned before. It really is quite enjoyable and I can imagine cyberpunk Knights Templar preparing for a fight with the kind of vibe the music gives off. 'Bad Friday' mixes elements of the old school in to an amalgamation that reminds me of Velvet Acid Christ fighting with Nero's day at Disneyland for supremacy with it's dark ambience but somewhat upbeat and at odds synths thrown in. Overall, a refreshingly different sub genre to grace my inbox that creates a lot of ambience in such a small package. Quite impressive! 6.5/10 https://www.reverbnation.com/mutascum https://www.facebook.com/Muta.scuM https://muta-scum-music.bandcamp.com/music Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox #MutaScuM #ElektroVox #Review #BadFriday #BreakBeat #Industrial

One of the true masters of industrial returns yet again, never slowing down, never resting; The album's name may as well be a description of the man himself. For those who are new to his music, they are ambushed by the sheer ferocity and skill, drumming up primal fury inside of listeners with each beat. He can attack you not just with industrial, but power noise, dark synth, and a vast array of vocal and metal ranges. Looking at the beautiful artwork of the latest album I find myself marvelling at the coincidence that before I even knew about this album, some of what I had written up for #Cyber EVM 2.0 said: "Seraphim System is an apex predator of industrial music. One who may not be known far and wide but neither is the panther until it’s at your throat in full force and aggression." This self released album releases on the 22nd of December and is available for pre-order on both CD and digital format over at Bandcamp HERE. John played a lot of the new tracks from this album on his first ever online show for Cyber EVM in aid of Slimelight which can be seen in the video below: For the full Cyber EVM 2 article where you can watch the exclusive sets from Seraphim System, Iszoloscope, Memmaker, and Zeitgeist Zero as well as stage show from ESA, and DJ sets from myself, DJ Elektro Vox; click the image: Review First of all this album seems very much a return to the hard to swallow vocals of raw aggression heard in previous albums such as 'Relay Toxicity' and 'Xibalba' but very much blended in to the crunchy industrial stomp goodness of 'Obsidian Frontline.' It is therefore not the usual industrial of 'Friendly Fire' and 'Phoenix.' Once you get that assumption out of your mind, you're a lot more free to enjoy what is on offer. Having heard a lot of these played for Cyber EVM 2 I can honestly say this music is perfect for clubs and to be shared! It's not music to sit down and chill out to that's for sure (Unless you need a real good angry soundtrack to vent with). Look at it like instead of grabbing a cold beer to chill with, it's like shooting ten flaming tequilas in a row and when done at the right time, it's exactly what you need. This is music you want to gather up your tribe to and share in the primal fire flowing through the seemingly elemental music. If I were to coin a new phrase, perhaps 'Social power-industrial' might be fitting. It's sounds, drops, and samples like these that make you want to turn to your friends and pull these kind of faces to as you dance: This album, much like 'Obsidian Frontline' seems to be a concept album that each song carries on from and therefore to review individual tracks would be difficult as the sound and feel of this album comes at you as a whole. If you were in a city being attacked by the likes of Starcraft Zerg, or Starship trooper 'bugs' then each road or alleyway you run down is gonna be variations on the same feral carnage, you understand? Having said that I do think the opening samples about cops in the first track 'THE PRIMAL' and the relentless onslaught of industrial tones in the ending track 'RUTHLESS ORDER' frame this album perfectly and stand out for me as tracks I would happily DJ with the first opportunity I get in a club or shared online event. Tracklist THE PRIMAL THE PREY COMMAND NATURAL PREDATOR THE WORM THE POISON THE AMBUSH IN FOR THE KILL SCENT OF BLOOD RUTHLESS ORDER Conclusion No one quite writes music like John Stancil. I'd be hard pressed to relate his constant stream of new and experimental music to any other artists. He truly does stand alone just as the apex predators do, hiding in the shadows and not quite straying in to the limelight. The anger at the world and political climate is a recurring theme even in this album and you can tell there's no stopping Seraphim System as he constantly evolves and adapts his music style to the world around him. This album is peak fury and shows that he deserves to be put in to aggressive soundtracks like the DOOM franchise. If one day I find myself in a Seraphim System mosh pit or wall of death, I expect that frenzied crowd to show each other no mercy... You can grab some Seraphim System merch HERE Scores Technicality: 7/10 Dance factor: 7.5/10 Energy: 8/10 Vocals: 6.5/10 Re-playability: 6/10 Overall score: 7 / 10 Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVo #SeraphimSystem #NaturalPredator #ElektroVox #Review #industrial #IndustrialMetal

If you threw 3TEETH, Ministry, Skinny Puppy, SYD.31, and a few punk bands alongside a heavy dose of 'new and unique individuality' sauce in to a blender, you end up with Moaan Exis by the time the noise and blades come to a halt. Failing that imagine a modern remake of The Crow. A Moaan Exis track would make a perfect replacement to My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult's 'After the flesh' track during the nightclub massacre.. On the 15th of November the French power duo released this, their third album, NECESSARY VIOLENCES with 8 tracks of stunning brutality. In their own words: Duo Vox/machines + drum oriented industrial, techno, hardcore, cinematic atmosphere, tribal or experimental sounds. Since its beginnings, Moaan Exis explores genres, integrates them, in fact something that someone can not define so easily. A sound object burning melancholy with the violence of a catastrophe. There is little respite, yet so much urgency. This is manifested by a powerful beat, confusing rhythms, strange sounds, a brutal distortion or not soothing soundscapes; Because the motor is emotion. Ultimately, Moaan Exis desires to sublimate sound into fury, rage and sweat. Moaan Exis is: Mathieu: Programming, synth, percussions. Xavier: Drum. Review: At the 3:39 mark, even on low volume 'Everyday is a simulation' did something no song has ever done, it caused my heavy mahogany desk to vibrate and shake beneath me with is descending bass frequency. It is precisely THIS kind of sound that we go to clubs for, to feel that deep penetrating bass resonate within us and massage that deep rooted need for aural satisfaction; That first sip of a beer, the first mouthful of a good meal to a starving man, and with this.. The tension release of the first felt vibrations on a dance floor to the heavier dark synths our souls long for. 'Alone Together' brings the dark synth and heavy drum fuel to the fire in a steady and impressive dark dance offering of modern technological tribal spirit. 'Divine Automation' is a modern punk vocalisation of pure chaos. The vocals, drums, and samples are thrown around like a mosh pit. There is a delicate order that only just keeps the track together long enough to end and it is a very, very impressive balance. Divine Automation music video: 'Blind' and 'Necessary Violence' slow the pace down to an ominous, overbearing anticipation of danger only to have 'Coercion' speed the tempo back up in to that very '2020' sound of industrial with the high level synths and almost happy hardcore style drumming, all glued together with a little dub-step; and its thoroughly enjoyable. 'Love Witches' does much the same but with added old school EBM feel and a distorted Choir thrown in. Finally the album wraps up with Electronic Substance Abuse's remix of 'Divine Automation' which sounds more like a mash up, or live battle between the two bands. I feel sorry for my speakers now... "I would say the remix I'm most proud of to date is this little angry snapper." - Jamie of ESA. Tracklist Everyday Is A Simulation Alone Together Divine Automation Blind Coercion Necessary Violence Love Witches Divine Automation rmx by Electronic Substance Abuse Conclusion Moaan Exis are a very professional band who have brought forth an album that may not be to everyone's taste and liking but for those of us who appreciate the nuances and beauty within the maelstrom of the chaos, it is a fine addition that stands out in an already flooded market. With NECESSARY VIOLENCES, they have proven themselves to be effective predators in our concrete music jungle. Scores Technicality: 7.5/10 Dance factor: 8/10 Energy: 8/10 Vocals: 7/10 Re-playability: 8/10 Overall score: 7.7 / 10 Click for event page Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox #MoaanExis #NECESSARYVIOLENCES #ElektroVox #Industrial #EBM #PUNK #Review

On the 11th of December 2020 we had 4 Exclusive first online shows in aid of Slimelight London hitting the donation goal! Below you can re-watch each bands' performance and there is an embed link to donate to Slimelight and Mak's family. Thank you. DJ Elektro Vox opening set Set list: Eggvn - Mantis Hocico - Damaged Menschdefekt - Black harvest Synapsyche - Push! Detroit diesel - Crash and burn Distatix - Disappear Biomechanimal - End your life ESA - We are Elektro Vox Zeitgeist Zero Due to a muted track issue with twitch and technical issues this is a slight re-work and does not therefore show the chat and emojis on screen as when it was live. Seraphim System 20 seconds of intro cut due to copyright. Electronic Substance Abuse Professional stage performance Memmaker Mixed DJ set Iszoloscope Incredible online first and pure fire! DJ Elektro Vox closing set Set list: Suono - Battle iVardensphere - Thin Veil We are magonia - The living will envy the dead Blutengel / Massive Ego - Nothing but a void Pretty addicted - Scapegoat Pretty addicted - Too much (90 days a cycle) Gasoline invertebrate - Headschatten Faderhead - Home of the creeps Rein - I don't get anything but shit from you Combichrist - Every day is war Analogue blood - Until the sun (Ending not seen was Human league - Electric dreams and a Candle vigil to Mak) Thank you all so much for watching, sharing, and donating. I’m so, so humbled and emotional. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting not just me but the artists, Slimes, and Mak We hit the $1000 donation goal. You’re all amazing! To donate to Slimelight and Mak's family: And a big thank you to Mechanical Vein for hosting our after party! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox #Slimelight #CyberEVM #ElektroVox #iszoloscope #memmaker #esa #seraphimsystem #zeitgeistzero #DJ #EVM

This release is one destined for greatness, that pivotal point in an artist's career where all the hard work has paid off and they spring board in to the pond not just as another little fish, but as one of the mighty Megaladons of recent times. BIOMECHANIMAL join forces with hedonistic legend Nysrock Infernalien to bring you ‘End Your Life’, a brutal, filthy expression of electronic music. This aggressive collaboration brings together elements of industrial, extreme metal, and both artists’ visceral vocal performances. It's rounded out by a selection of explosive remixes from both established and fresh artists across the alternative electronic sphere. Written by Matt & Nysrok, produced by Biomechanimal, post production from X-Fusion Music Production & Keith/Mechanical Vein, and some incredible artwork from returning artist Midiankai Arts, the single hosts a large array of scene talent: DIE SEKTOR, JAVI SSAGITTAR (Terrolokaust, Killus), MOAAN EXIS, XM.H, XOTOX, and new labelmates KALC End your life releases November 27, 2020 Support the release by pre-saving the track below (It's one of the most important ways to help bands at the moment so try to always pre-save upcoming releases!) Edit: Now it's been released, add it to your playlist! Review Something Biomechanimal have always stood at the edge of and not quite took the plunge in to, is Aggrotech. With 'End your life' they do so with reckless abandon thanks to the Nysrock Infernalien influence of this release. The undeniable Bio tones and synths ring true as ever but the vocals retch out viscera and vulgarity as never before in a track that ends far too short; Like catching yourself on a rusty razor blade, it's brutal and gets pulled away too quick. I'm not quite sure to rave dance, head bang, or spin the hell out as the tempo and direction of the track is as fluid as a storm wave, rising, falling, changing direction, calming, and swelling. This is what happens when the unstoppable force of Biomechanimal meets the immovable Nysrock Infernalien. The power held within and spilling out of the speakers is far more than teen angst could ever hope to be. This is fury and frustration at everything wrong with the world. It is unadulterated, battle frenzy bliss. The Die Sektor remix only adds further fire and brimstone to an already deadly track and the Moaan Exis mix brings us a more experimental yet wonderfully familiar feel with its industrial dance feel aspect. XMH turns the track hardcore style, Xotox takes us on an OLD school EBM nostalgia trip of industrial sound, and KALCYFER keeps truest to the original but seems to sharpen that rusty razor in to a dance floor stomping aural killing machine! Tracklist End Your Life End Your Life (KALCYFR Remix) End Your Life (Die Sektor Remix) End Your Life (Ssagittar Remix) End Your Life (Moaan Exis Remix) End Your Life (XMH Remix) End Your Life (Chaosmix by Xotox) Conclusion I said a while ago that Biomechanimal were the rising stars of Industrial and the band to watch out for. I have not been proven wrong. The more they work with well established artists in their music and the more incredible acts they find themselves supporting or hosting on their streams recently has proved that once and for all. Biomechanimal is among the UK's utmost finest and important crop of industrial artists. 'End Your Life' is their defining moment of not just taking a well deserved seat at the table but storming in, kicking the table over, slamming themselves down backwards on that chair and mouthing.. 'F**king deal with it!' Scores Technicality: 8.5 /10 Dance factor: 8 /10 Energy: 9 /10 Vocals: 8.5 /10 Re-playability: 9.5 /10 Overall score: 8.7 / 10 Also check out Biomechanimal's other recent release of their Deathstars remix, and their Alternative directory listing with us, both below: Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox Biomechanimal's Listing: Click for event page #Biomechanimal #NysrockInfernalien #EndYourLife #ElektroVox #Review

Although released in March, this EP is still as powerful now as on its release. It has grown on me in many different and interesting ways. We speak to Derek Williams about the EP and the brand new released music videos for each track. If you haven't heard of Jan Doyle Band before, I described them as the following and Derek absolutely loves to share this quote around, much to my appreciation! "A band half way to old school goth Sister's of Mercy but got snagged on David Bowie, and slipped in a puddle of glam; in a sense... The Clash on acid." Interview Q. What exactly is the concept of Insurrectionary Neo Futurism? It all came about through the idea of many bands such as Naked Lunch, Depeche Mode, Blancmange and so on often being called Futurist and indeed there was a Futurist chart in certain music publications. I felt that in the same way as those bands were looking to the future, we were occupying a similar thought space so we’re NEO futurist.. Insurrectionary because so much out there is incredibly boring. So few acts seem to really put on a show (Legpuppy and Holy Braille being two notable exceptions mind you) and seem so stuck in a rut of one track turned into an album (Good friend The Alpha Video being decidedly opposite though). I felt that we were insurrectionary in terms of shaking things up a bit - cause a bit of mayhem and be unpredictable. This isn’t entertainment, it’s war! Q. You briefly described each track on the body balanced in our early listen article HERE. Would you say since it's release in March that any meaning to those songs has changed in any way and which track are you most proud of? In ways tracks can take on different meanings over time and it’s sometimes exciting to try and imbue meaning into random words but with 'Body Balanced' it’s stayed the same. However we like to leave it open to listeners to possibly apply it to themselves in whatever way they see fit and indeed in our obfuscatory obliqueness we may not always give the same definition. Q. Can you tell us about the filming process behind the new music videos? The filming process itself was pretty obvious of course - point a video recording device at JDB record. However to go into more detail about how it came about is perhaps more interesting. What with one thing and another, Goth City festival, which was supposed to be featuring JDB this year, moved to being an online affair and so required people to pre-record their performances. Now I’d done a couple of okay-ish live stream performances from a specially decorated spare room at home but the thought struck me that this wasn’t a live stream so why not do something different.. There was opportunity for something a bit more and to try and truly represent the EP well. It didn’t have to be a live performance I figured so why not make a mini movie or series of music videos to the EP? Now, Doncaster (where I live) is a place full of concrete, glass and metal architecture which provides the perfect setting for things with a cyberpunk flavour so why not do some performances among that and overdub them with the studio audio? So we gathered on a sunday, recorded and performed (with the aid of a bluetooth speaker - thanks to Jamie Mann in Sheffield) and by the Thursday I’d somehow made 5 music videos. The most challenging of which was for the currently unreleased instrumental track Distance. Considering I was editing on almost every kick drum with that, it took most of the day to do a 2 minute track. The videos were all recorded by good friend Alan Morgan who makes incredible abstract paintings and fascinating musical experiments HERE and his Facebook page can be found HERE. I had so much anxiety about doing them before hand just thinking 'oh it’s stupid and pointless and will look rubbish anyway' and VERY nearly called off the band meeting up to do them. However I feel the results surpassed what I expected and give a good flavour of what JDB can provide as a performance. Q. You also have a regular radio show, can you tell us about that and what's included? I typically broadcast on monday nights at 8pm on.. mixcloud.com/live/jdbradio It’s a rather ambivalent show but may veer mostly toward the electronic side of things just as my tastes due. I try to play the most interesting new music as well as unusual selections from the past. It’s probably the only place you’ll hear such as Girls Aloud alongside say Skinny Puppy. But all music exists in the same place for me, I don’t feel the need to distinguish between genres. If it’s good, I’ll like it. Q. You put a lot of effort and fake blood in to your live peformances how have you found the change from playing in venues to occasional live shows online and have you any new ideas for when venues open again for live shows? (See the below music video of 'Yes sir, I can boogie to see what I mean!) I have done a lot of shows with blood but IS IT FAKE? There’s no vials of fake blood found at my performances and there’s a big knife involved.. I think though the days of that style may be over as I try to rely less on simple shock factor and just have more confidence in ending a show on my own material. For too long I’ve been ending shows with the medley (if you like) of Assimilate (Skinny Puppy) and Yes Sir I Can Boogie (Baccara) which were done together for the absurd juxtaposition of harsh industrial and camp disco. It’s awfully fun going up to someone whilst covered in blood after Assimilate and saying.. “Mister, I see your eyes are full of hesitation..” a bit of audience intimidation is a good thing, wake them up a bit and destroy the barrier between band and audience! Q. What artists are you listening to most atm and who are your all time favourites? I don’t listen to music very often these days unless doing a radio show but some of the absolute top current bands I’d say are Arch Femmesis, Holy Braille, Legpuppy (watch out for their next album it’s their best), Madmoizel, Meganoke, Punkdisco, Tokyo Witch Hunt, Dead blood cells, POLIS and hypersunday/NIET (those two are the work of syl NIET). All time favourites are Kylie, Cyndi Lauper and Saint Etienne. Among other things. Q. What direction will JDB take in future musically as you are quite a diverse artist? JDB will take whatever direction happens at the time. As I say I tend to be stylistically agnostic and will just pursue whatever happens to interest me at the time. If I fancy making a synthpop track I will, if I fancy trying my hand at glam metal I will.. Who knows maybe it’ll be freeform jazz? It would be interesting to try and write with the rest of the band so maybe we’ll try that in time. Q. Any plans to bring out that incredible Skinny Puppy cover of 'Assimilate' of yours? Probably not as it’s really not much more than a note for note replication of the original. Except it has a guitar on it. Seems a bit too obvious. E.V: (That's a shame because it's personally one of the best covers I've heard! Derek was even kind enough to surprise me with putting this cover of 'Assimilate' on my copy of The body balanced!) Q. Tell us about the other members who join you for live shows and who we see in the videos? The other members of JDB (who do feature on the new cd) are Kelly on guitar duties who I stole from The Way of All Flesh - a renowned Goth band from Sheffield (he’s my wife now, Dave). I give him quite a bit of free reign (i.e. offer no help) to come up with guitar parts on tracks that have never previously had one. He’s risen to the challenge wonderfully. Lady LD50 is on backing vocals and extra performance (and possibly bass at some point) who adds almost as much glamour as myself and has fabulous performance ability that is great to feed off on stage. It all helps add that extra bit of drama to performances, especially as she has rather a background in improv theatre too. Occasional guests include such as Zmora on backing vocals who is normally found in Dicepeople. She often joins in London gigs. Igor often plays bass in London and is normally found in Tantrumzentrum these days (or Autorotation). Jason Gorgonzola normally found in The Electric Cheese has often added bass in Manchester. The videos can be found HERE Which also happens to be the facebook page which you can give a like to… We’re also on instagram and twitter at /jandoyleband Q. What life lessons have you learnt from JDB? BE AMAZING. BE TERRIBLE. NEVER BE BORING. Q. Anything youd like to say to your fans? Out there, there’s mundanity. Out there, there’s blandness. Somewhere else the tea’s getting cold; Come on futurists! We’ve got work to do! Thank you Derek! Review I cannot begin to describe how much I LOVE the guitar throughout the song 'The body balanced.' There is so much pain and devastation felt in those riffs and in the lyrics; It is a cacophony of emotion and brings incredibly strong nostalgia for the 80's golden era of Goth to the forefront of your chest. This is what Goth music is all about, the emotion, the passion, the story and that flirtation of skirting so close to 'The Void' in our minds. The second that guitar starts, it strikes a chord somewhere deep within and allows you to feel a real connection with the message of the song. It's quite beautiful even with its raw edges. The body balanced music video: 'Confusion' brings those same nostalgic overtones only in the much more fun and absolutely zaney punk way of getting up and throwing your body around. It's a real trip of 'what the hell was that?' and it works so, so well! Confusion music video: 'Reflections' is a much more slow ensemble of slipping slowly in to a bath with a glass of far too much wine. A superb juxtaposition from the previous song and perhaps the metaphor of a huge drop after a supremely manic moment making its title perfect for the feel the track has. Reflections music video: 'Play pretend' is pure, pure fun. It's like the theme song to a sci-fi theme park which is all so much more sinister than it seems. The light hearted notes strike well against the lyrics and pulls the album in yet another wonderful direction. Play Pretend music video: I think we all know 'Yes sir, I can boogie' by Baccara and Derek does it a whole galaxy of justice. Derek and JDB was a complete unknown to me until I saw them play just before AlterRed and Syd.31 at the Fiddlers Elbow in 2019 and it was the bizarre mix of a blood soaked Derek jumping from singing 'Annihilate' to throwing himself in to the crowd to this track that made me absolutely pull the trigger on calling this the best performance I'd seen in 2019 beating Rammstein from the top spot. Yes, honestly! Review of that day HERE. All of this blood and frivolous nonsense can be seen in the video below! Yes sir, I can boogie music video: Tracklist Conclusion Jan Doyle Band is a concept, an expression of art, a non stop crucible of creativity and the chaos of disorder shooting off in different musical journeys. This EP wraps all of that in to one small bundle barely able to contain the mind expanding trip in which it holds. If you're gonna listen to this EP, I suggest you do so responsibly; At an exceptionally loud volume so that you can share the love with your entire street. <3 Scores Technicality: 5/10 Dance factor: 9/10 Energy: 10/10 Vocals: 5/10 Re-playability: 9/10 Overall score: 7.6 / 10 Jan Doyle Band Facebook HERE Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox #JanDoyleBand #JDB #TheBodyBalanced #Derek #Interview #Review #EP

It's not often I get this excited about a single, usually I tend to stay clear of writing about singles as there's not a lot to write about but this release has A LOT of content with seven variations. Not only that but this is a future hit, there's no doubt about that in my mind and I am so pleased to see/hear one of my favourite artists (Massive Ego) being so strongly recognised and rewarded in their efforts by one of biggest bands on the scene in the form of Blutengel. It is a story that is almost too beautiful, too perfect to be true: Blutengel singer Chris Pohl and Massive Ego frontman Marc Massive go on tour together, become friends, and in the end, they become so close that they write a song together. With 'Nothing But A Void' they made this story come true and wrote a Dark Wave Club hit that can only be created by the cooperation of two like-minded creative heads. So it was only logical for both of them to join forces and now was the right time for it: "Whilst we’ve all been unable to play live it was cool to be contacted by Chris who suggested we work together as a way to beat the pandemic blues with creativity.“, Marc remembers. It is this creativity that brings together the punching Future Pop of Massive Ego with the dark romantic of Blutengel – a collaboration on one level unifying the best of two worlds. Massive Ego 2020 (Photo : Zara Lipstixx) 'Nothing But A Void' will be released on November 13th as a limited, hand-numbered CD club single with no fewer than six remixes and an official video to follow very soon! Link tree HERE 'Nothing but a void' music video: Interview Q. What's the story and message behind 'Nothing but a void? Chris: Marc wrote the lyrics but I totally agree with the subject! The relation between 'star' and 'fan' is a very energetic thing... The fan gives you the power to carry on what you are doing but the fan can also become obsessed to the point they can become frightening ;-) we had some fans once who were standing outside my apartment! I don't know where they got my address, it was strange. But the good thing is the feedback that you can get when you are on stage in front of thousand cheering fans! Marc: The song is very much about hero worship, the adoration of a pop star and the obsession that can create. That’s the theme when you take the lyrics at face value but it also plays on the notion that the ‘pop star’ needs the fan for the union to work, and fans need to attend the concert for the singer to be able to perform as in the lyric ‘Without you there is nothing, when the stage lights fade away’ it has a double meaning. Q. How did this collaboration manifest, was it something you discussed when Massive Ego and Blutengel toured together or afterwards? Chris: Well I think we said that we should do something together, but this is a sentence that is often said. But we kept up the contact after the tour and than Marc asked me to take part in a song he wrote 'For the blood in your veins.' When I wrote the songs for my new album, I found this track I had written one year ago and I thought this could be a good song where Marc could bring up his vocals and his lyrics because I had no idea for words as I spent all my creativity on the rest of the album. ;-) Marc: The song is a child of ‘lockdown’ for sure. I was really happy when Chris suggested it as we’d just had a load of shows and festivals for the year postponed and unlike many other bands who threw themselves into writing their next albums, I didn’t feel particularly inspired to start that daunting task of working on a whole new album so soon after our last album release. So a single was a perfect idea to bridge the gap and round off the year with at least some positivity. Q. Which parts of the melody and instruments/samples are both bands responsible for? Chris: The song was nearly 'ready' but it sounded like Blutengel (naturally as it was a Blutengel song). Massive Ego gave me some synth licks and I mixed everything together. When it was done it sounded like a cool collaboration! Marc: The track was pretty much fully formed when Chris sent us it, we simply added a few sounds, I went up to our friend Kyle’s (from the band Auger) studio in Blackpool to record my vocals as we’d recorded the last album with him and it worked really well. Q. What artists have contributed remixes to this release and have they taken it in directions that you wish you had thought of yourselves? Chris: I was so busy with the work on my new album and new EP that I found no time to think about remixes. But Marc was so fast and mentioned some names that could do remixes for us and I said well ok. And they are really good mixes! Auger did a really cool mix with a nice guitar line, Rob Dust did a cool electro dance mix and Alex VRT totally changed the mood with this dub step version. Good mixes! All of them :-) Marc: I’ve always wanted to work with and I’m a big fan of Rob Dust and felt this was the perfect vehicle to ask him for a remix, as ever he doesn’t disappoint. Omnimar were a new band to me who I’ve only just got into thanks to them being on the same label as our friends Auger. I liked their work and asked Alex VRT about a remix, he liked the track so much he delivered two mixes both with very different vibes. Our very own Scot went quite mad with his remix.. I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a fast drum roll :) I’m a big fan of dance/club remix packages as it’s a great way to hear a track interpreted in many different ways and for different scenes. Q.'Nothing but a Void' has both artists' unmistakable signature sound entwined within it but this is a real club dance hit of a track that is a somewhat different direction than usual. Was it your intention to make a dance heavy song and will we see more of this collaboration between you both in future? Chris: Blutengel has changed its style a little during the last years. We use more guitars now both acoustic and electric guitars. I want to create a more organic style with some rock elements like on the latest album songs like 'Morningstar' or 'Into the void.' And this song felt a little ‘back to the roots’ and is more electro/pop/dance than the latest albums; Together with Marc it has a cool 80’s or even 90’s feeling. So for me it was going back to my roots :-) Maybe we should start a new project together.. MASSIVE BLOOD – 80’s / 90’s Electro clash! Marc: I think our last album was very much geared towards the darker club dance floors, and we’d made a concerted decision to go harder with it. I think Chris’s backing for this track had a huge commercial club dance attraction to it already, mixed with some very pop elements. Once I’d written the lyrics they in turn take it down a familiar 80’s pop route. There’s something almost Pete Burns about the acidic vocal ‘to & fro’ myself and Chris deliver. Q. What (provisional) plans do Massive Ego and Blutengel have for 2021? Chris: It's impossible to plan anything but at the moment our LIVING THE DARKNESS Tour with Hocico is still planned for April / May but I don't think that it will take place. It was already postponed two times :-( We want to release an EP in February with some 80’s cover versions and we postponed our regular album to summer. A tour is planned for November but........ Marc: It’s all very up in the air for everyone, who can say what we will or won’t be allowed to do next year. We have re-scheduled shows and festivals lined up from May but wether they will have to be moved back again, I hope not. Also add to the uncertainty of what Brexit will bring, will UK bands be able to enter Europe without hassle, particularly Germany which is our main market. It’s all looking very ‘paper work’ heavy now we’ve stupidly left the EU, I feel some bands just won’t be able to afford to travel in or out of Britain anymore. Apart from the planned shows we are writing and working towards an EP and have an interesting announcement to make shortly about the band. Q. I know Massive Ego are not in a position until next year to give online performances, but when you are what can we expect and will we be seeing any Blutengel live streams or online performances in the near future? Chris: We are working on an online concert but this is not that easy. Its like a normal concert with the normal costs. So we are looking for a venue and someone who can organise everything, for a camera team and an online distributor. We have some offers and try to do a stream at the beginning of next year. But the fans will sadly have to pay a little for the ticket otherwise it would not be possible to set up a BE show :-/ Marc: I’m not a huge fan of live streams. I think to do it well you need a crew, sound engineers, a decent venue, and a budget that we sadly just don’t have to do it justice. I think they were novel and exciting at the beginning of lockdown measures whereas now everyone seems to be charging for access and approaching it as something you have to do to survive and the new norm. I personally would prefer to wait till we can actually do it in front of a live audience with the realtime feedback that enjoys. Equally we’re in limbo as a band right now as there’s some big changes being made that will effect how we perform again in the future Thank you Marc and Chris for speaking to us! Communion after dark interview with Marc: Review Marc and Chris sing so well together that it's hard to differentiate between the two as you listen to this song. The passion for music and genuine friendship between these two as you listen is palpable. The signature keyboard and mid tempo vocals of Marc really brings across that most beloved Massive Ego sound we all know and love; This being complimented by the deep and flowing, almost classical melodies of Blutengel and blended up in to a delicious and easy to consume dance anthem. The beat is incredibly satisfying, as is the tempo and rhythm of the song; not only that but the lyrics are well thought out and make 'Without a void' feel like all the best parts of Gothic music sprinkled on to a solid future club hit. Blutengel - Chris Pohl (Photo : Annie Bertram) Alongside the original we are gifted with five remixes and an alternative version of the track meaning there is a spin for everyone, no matter what sub genre fits best with the listener. The Alex VRT remix appeals to the slower dub step crowd whereas the Auger remix takes us in a Trance direction which is a wonderful twist of expectation. The alt. version takes us in to EDM territory as does the Omnimar mix. Rob Dust is clearly bringing the heavy rave spirit to the mix and brings it so well. Finally Scot Collins (Himself of Massive Ego) has thrown in a heavy dose of STOMP, rave, and EDM creating my favourite mix of them all. Tracklist Nothing But A Void (Original) Nothing But A Void (Alex VRT Remix) Nothing But A Void (Auger Remix) Nothing But A Void (Alternative Version) Nothing But A Void (Omnimar Remix) Nothing But A Void (Rob Dust Remix) Nothing But A Void (Scot Collins Remix) Conclusion I expect to hear this in clubs regularly in future with its ideal tempo, its upbeat nature, and its dark emotion. I can imagine this would hit me in the most deep and satisfying way possible when I hear this first played in a club one day; Like a beautifully refreshing shower in summer time - it flows through you magestically and is a real testiment to the talent and skill of both bands. Scores Technicality: 7.5/10 Dance factor: 9/10 Energy: 9/10 Vocals: 8/10 Re-playability: 9/10 Overall score: 8.5 / 10 Pre-order and pre save link tree HERE Blutengel Facebook HERE Massive Ego Facebook: HERE Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox #NothingButAVoid #Blutengel #MassiveEgo #Industrial #Goth #Collaboration #Review #Interview #MarcMassive #ChrisCohl

Here's where Instagram tags can do wonders, the video below was suggested to me on my feed and autoplayed. Now I will admit, when it comes to modular synthesisers, the equipment, and indeed the music, I know very little. What I can say without a doubt is that something in the tones I was hearing hooked me and resonated deep inside of me on a level I haven't felt in a while. I instantly felt the need to share this masterful album with you all. Jameson joins us for an interview about his music and I have also included a review. The video that instantly hooked me on his music: "Not just an atmospheric pad machine. The Iridium can get downright nasty in some wonderful ways.. Using a couple S&H lfos to rhythmically modulate a gnarly wavetable. The 2nd oscillator is sampling a very clean cello part from one of my albums. Oscillator 3 brings in a granular variation of that same cello sample. I love the way certain filter models drive the signal in very hard, and overload the filter past the point of distortion. Add a little (or a lot) of the digital former post filter and you have one filthy machine." - Jameson's description on Instagram Play the album as you read to soak up the beautiful atmospherics and relate to the words of the article. Interview Q. What is the emotional and or story telling concept being told in Signals as it seems to be an incredibly deep piece or artistic expression? A. 'Signals' is a collection of electronic-based improvisations. Many of the tracks were in collaboration with the popular Youtube urban explorers, The Proper People. They used some of my music in their videos, and I reached out to them to see if they wanted to provide some footage to accompany some new pieces. They were kind enough to agree, and thus, the album was heavily influenced by the beautiful imperfections of the abandoned places they explore. As you were music video: Q. Am I correct in that this is your first release focusing mainly on synthesises, electronics, etc and what made you chose to release this album? A. While I've used synths and electronics quite a bit in past releases, most of my previous work is more of a hybrid, modern classical blend of electronics with organic instruments. All my training is Classical, so synths are something I've just gotten into in the past 4-5 years. As I fall farther and farther down that rabbit hole, I've been enjoying relying on them more and more. It's been a refreshing departure from my previous work. Q. You clearly have a deep passion for music that resonates within your work, can you tell us how you became involved in music and what it means to you to be able to create the different styles of music that you do? A. I started studying piano at the age of 8, so I can't really remember a time when music wasn't a major part of my life. As I mentioned, I was really just in the Classical world all the way through my university years. I began studying composition while still in college, and then after I graduated I started to get into recording, production, and scoring to picture. Q. I have also discovered your unbelievably beautiful track ‘What dreams may come true’ can you tell us the story behind this piece of music and what your inspiration was. A. My track 'What Dreams May Come' was the title track from my first full length album (2017). That was also the first album in which I started using hardware synths, so it taught me a lot about making music in that way. There are still a lot of modern classical elements, with quite a bit of piano and a string quartet appearing on several of the tracks, but I think I was already breaking out of that mold a bit and going in some unexpected directions. 'What dreams may come' Video: Q. What have you been working on and what plans do you have for the near future? A. I've put out several singles and reworks over the past few months, including my newest ambient single 'All Things Fade.' Found HERE I've also got a new album in the latter stages of development, and I had the opportunity to score my first feature film this year. The film is an indie horror/thriller called Concrete Savanna. Both of those should be out early next year. The old and the new combined.. Review: 'One' has the effect of plucking somewhere deep in your core, that imaginary organ of the soul that resonates whenever it is strummed correctly by music as if someone were dancing upon your diaphragm; The sensation is as surreal as it is deeply satisfying to experience, as if you're suddenly part of something magical. This is a beautiful blending of nature and technology in an almost cyberpunk meets fantasy soundscape. It tugs and pulls at you in all the right ways. 'Two' is a spa like relaxation whereas 'Dismember' and 'Impend' are like hiding in an industrial underground complex with rusted walls and dripping pipes, the ominous atmosphere of pain and sorrow coating the historied walls as you try desperately to escape a killer or supernatural entity. 'Machina' is a playful experimentation of sound that reminds me of early 2000's album intros and outros in the likes of Linkin Park, or even Nine Inch Nails. 'Grounded' is the ultimate cyberpunk city soundscape with it rolling synthwave vibes and enthusiastic tones; all disguising the dark and overbearing oppressive atmosphere. 'Springs' and 'Expanse' bring that sandbox gaming feel similar to the game 'No Man's sky'. 'Out of time' Has a very similar sound and vibe to the likes you hear throughout the incredible German Netflix show 'Dark' about alternate realities and timelines. 'Still here' and 'As you were' are tracks full of hope and a positivity even with some heavier, deeper base tones in the latter. 'Monuments' seems to incorporate the emotional content of all the previous tracks in to one. 'Signals' rounds the album off with just that, the sound of distant signals being received, almost like an ominous message from the stars that there is so much more yet to be discovered.. Tracklist One Two Dismember Machina Grounded Springs Expanse Impend Out of Time Still Here As You Were Monuments Signals Conclusion Jameson Nathan Jones has created something that has opened up a whole new avenue of music for me. I have found myself listening to this album for many different reasons. It has helped me concentrate when working, much like a gamma waves YouTube soundtrack; It has helped me drift off to sleep, and it has helped me feel energised to carry on with my daily tasks. 'Signals' is like a piece of ancient technology found in a dense forest, magical and out of place but so very, very welcome once you open up to it. Overall score: 8.5 / 10 Jameson Nathan Jones' Links: Website//Bandcamp//Spotify//Instagram//YouTube Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox #JamesonNathanJones #Signals #Modulator #Oscillator #ModularMusic #SynthMusic #Synthesiser #Album #Review #Interview #Classical

In their own words: The first single from Zeitgeist Zero’s highly anticipated 4th album. ‘Satanic Sex Witch’ will enthral with its sleazy bass and bewitching vocals. This is a classic menage-a-trois of heavy guitars, entrancing haunting vocals and industrial electronics. Coming together to cast a seductive spell to evoke the senses. This song is about setting the mood, getting caught up in the moment and tuning into your darkest desires. From left to right: Corin Zero, Teresa Dead, Bex Noire If deep bass lines and dirty lyrics get you in the mood then this is the track for you. It hits a deep part of your core as you listen bringing about a sudden need for satisfaction and energetic action in equal measures. Released last week, this track is an ideal stay in and get busy soundtrack for the spooky season and I look forward to reviewing the full album release in future properly. 7/10 Music video: The band's singer Teresa Dead has been interviewing bands that played Stay-Infest. Below is the most recent with Jamie of ESA. Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and music streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox #ZeitgeistZero #SatanicSexWitch #TeresaDead #Goth #IndustrialRock

Here we bring you one of the most talented and ambitious projects in recent times that deserves a whole lot of love. I have been enjoying this show not only for it's story and novel artwork, but the voice acting and songs are packed full of incredible talent. Some of the tracks in the series, especially 'Digital Deities' sung by Daniel Graves of Aesthetic Perfection and 'Flicker' sung by Amie Evans have BLOWN ME AWAY. It is therefore your duty as a music fan to go and check this series out, subscribe, and appreciate the artistic glory on offer. Trailer: The series, created by Mike Evans of UK based electronic rock act MiXE1, chronicles the exploits of the fictional band X-RL7 in a mix of comedy, social commentary and original music. ​ The show follows the enigmatic X-RL7 frontman Omega as he navigates the trials and tribulations of the music industry alongside guitarist/producer PJ and flamboyant larger-than-life band manager Alfie in their journey to make it to the top of the musical foodchain. X-RL7 facebook page: Here ​ Musicians whom have lent their voices to the show so far include: ​ Jimmy Urine (Mindless Self Indulgence) Rob "Rawrb" Kersey (Psychostick) Daniel Graves (Aesthetic Perfection) Lauren Babic (Red Handed Denial, Crazy Eighty Eight) Nyxx (Nyxx) Erlend Eilertsen (Essence of Mind, Lights A.M.) Mikey AlterRed (AlterRed) Richard Kaltenhauser (Machine Rox) Natasha Cox (AL1CE, Mankind Is Obsolete) Sasha Travis (AL1CE) Pete Crane (SHIV-R) Craig Owens (Chiodos, D.R.U.G.S) Roman Marisak (Professional Murder Music, Space Time) Lawrie Bayldon (Studio-X) Bridgette Hill (Studio-X) Mike Evans (MiXE1) Lee Towson (MiXE1) Amelia Arsenic (Amelia Arsenic) Chris Voigt (Greasy Tales, Sexual Lobster) Michael Joseph (Rockstar Esoterica) As I mentioned at the beginning, the track 'Digital Deities' has really stood out. Aesthetic Perfection has always been a favourite of mine and this track stands alone from the rest in that it keeps the genuine Daniel Graves signature sound but the song heads in a direction the artist has never quite gone down and I love it. Digital Deities Lyric video: Not only does this series provide some great entertainment and the ability to listen to the songs separate from the show, but Mike has taken a lot of time to make behind the scenes videos with interviews from the artists themselves. I genuinely enjoyed the video below with Daniel Graves telling us about his character and how he has always wanted to voice act. In so watching I have come to appreciate just how much skill, dedication, and genuine passion for story telling and intelligence Mike has put in to the lyrical content of the show. I really look forward to seeing how this develops in future! Backstage with Daniel Graves: To top this all off the show has the first collection of tracks gathered in to the album 'Apotheosis music' available on all the usual digital outlets. On their patreon there is also the ability to discover tracks unreleased anywhere else! Click to be taken to the patreon And click here to go subscribe to the show! Episode 1: Words from Mike: "I'm absolutely delighted (and terrified) to launch X-RL7 at last. The series has been in development for over a year and a half and represents the amalgamation of so many of my passions - my love of pixel art, music, comedy, social commentary, romance, cyberpunk and conspiritorial themes all coming together in one unique pixelated cocktail. I am very blessed that so many super talented artists have taken the time to lend their voices to the project, embracing the world of X-RL7 and the music. The series is free to watch and any support from sharing, subscribing to social media, commenting, liking, streaming the music, etc is very, very much appreciated - please do consider supporting us on Patreon for exclusive rewards and content. Much love. Mike" ​ The origins of the project can be traced back to 2016 in the form of an unfinished point and click adventure game developed by Evans - the concept revolving around a music journalist and other fictional bands with original music. After moving on from this, Evans formed Youtube video series Project Anything, honing his animation skills, whilst still creating music in his band MiXE1. Still enamoured by one of the songs he penned for the game ("Apotheosis Man"), Evans picked up the remnants of the project in late 2018 and started repurposing it as a video/music series with a brand new story, focusing largely around one specific band - X-RL7. Along the way Evans approached musical friends and past collaborators to lend their voices to various characters and songs. As the series took shape, he approached others in the alternative music scene, some of whom he has been a fan of for many years, who kindly got involved and delivered fantastic performances as their animated counter parts. From the retro-inspired visual style and cyberpunk aesthetic, the comedy, the eccentric characters, the references to musician life, the original electronic-rock music, the awesome guest appearances, X-RL7 is a unique a project which is well worth a look. Sub series X-RL7 Backstage goes deeper with regular mini-documentaries about the making of the series, as well as official Lyric video and more. Join X-RL7 on their journey. Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider commissioning an article, making a small donation to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox #X-RL7 #MikeEvans #YouTube #AnimatedSeries #DanielGraves #AestheticPerfection #Industrial #News #Discover

In the spotlight this time is BELLHEAD and their tag line of "Male-female duo band. Two basses and a drum machine. No Guitar, No BS." is one of the most effective and accurate I've come across. Never sticking to one genre or style, the band is difficult to pin down and label but with their no B.S approach to their music, you can tell there's no need for labels. I recently reviewed their EP 'Unicorn Bones' which I suggest should be read first HERE; In which I stated.. "Bellhead are an unexpected find who have impressed me almost instantly with a twist on traditional genres that I have not quite heard before and the passion Ivan and Karen have is very clear throughout." Now the band have struck us with the tolling of their new EP in which they cover Bauhaus' legendary 'Sanity Assassins' as a Halloween offering; Still being fairly relevant today despite the original song arriving in the 80's. The very real exploitation of people's fear by the media and building upon the strength of those in power as they continue to stamp out opposition. Sound familiar? The visual effect compositor Scott Fedor has directed the music video for the cover. Fedor’s impressive resume includes working on movies such as Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America 2, Bloodshot, X-men: Apocalypse, and Stranger Things. 'Sanity Assassins' music video: Complimenting this track is 'Knife (Beware the Light)' which is another take on the track 'Knife' from the previous EP. This time twisting it in to a more upbeat, dancier and even darker evolution to the original. Check out our full review of 'Unicorn Bones' HERE Interview Q. For those who don’t know you, who are the real Ivan and Karen and how did you come to find yourselves in the alternative and Gothic world, and who have been your inspirations in the past? Karen: Growing up I was surrounded by good music, crazy fashion, and the alternative scene. I’ve always been heavily influenced by the 70’s glam and post punk into 80’s goth and synth. Honestly, if it wasn’t for artists like David Bowie, Marc Bolan, and Lou Reed, I probably wouldn’t be doing music. Being a Chicago native shaped my view in music; We’ve always had a strong scene that’s rooted in alternative, industrial, and metal. As for who the 'real' Karen is, I’m not sure yet. When I find her I’ll let you know. Ivan: What Karen says and add Todd Rundregen & XTC. I read a lot of comics so Dazzler & Kid Eternity were my friends. I spent a lot of time at the library, the thrift store and anywhere else that didn’t cost much money. I’m left handed but learned bass on the right cause I would never afford a left handed bass. I found myself at shows gravitating towards acts that brought a showman ship to performing. Anything done with panache from David Bowie to Ministry. Q. Bellhead is a band that really stands out by not sticking to any particular genre and indeed, blending genres in such a way that there isn’t any one easy label to place upon your sound. Is this the way you intended to be and is it the direction you will continue to follow? Karen: When we started the band, we never really had an intention to be in a specific genre, or blend genres- we just wanted to make music that was enjoyable for us, and that we hoped people would also like. Ivan and I both have so many influences and music experiences that it just makes sense you’ll hear aspects of anything from Nine Inch Nails, to Magazine, to Death from Above, to Johnny Cash. It’s actually pretty freeing not to have to be pigeon holed in one specific genre. Ivan: If ‘Zooropa’ was a genre we would fit right in. Unfortunately you’d never find us at the end of the search engine, so we pursue whatever excites us on any given song. It all makes sense from the crows nest. Q. Have there been any special moments or turning points that really made Bellhead materialise and any subsequent moments that made you feel that all the hard work was paying off? Karen: Everything has really been a special moment for me. The first time Ivan and I got into a studio together we actually wrote the beginnings of 'Knife'. It was a quick realization that this was going to work, and be a fun project. I think recently, all the press and positive reviews from ‘Unicorn Bones’ EP has really been humbling (and a bit of a driving fire combined with more pressure and higher expectations) to want to keep writing material everyone will continue to love. Ivan: I got Karen to finally talk to me about a future project outside of the bands we were in at the time, it was delayed by her being hit by a car. Karen is an unstoppable force...or maybe an immovable object...either way her stranglehold on a Thunderbird bass was immediately a lighting bolt for me creatively. We are both lifers musically so teaming up doubled our personal enthusiasm to create. First day in the room 'Knife' was born and the songs keep spilling out there after. Q. With Unicorn Bones and now Sanity Assassins, there seems to be a recurring serial killer type vibe, almost in the way SKYND sing directly about certain individuals, Bellhead seem to have a love for the darker side of the world in general, would you say this is the case? Karen: It never really was our intention to be on the darker side of things, and actually, we didn’t even realize that this was the case until it was pointed out to us. There was a show we played at a really cool microbrew outside of Chicago where we debuted a cover of Prince’s 'I Would Die4 U', and I thought it was a pretty and lovely cover. After the show, my fiancee said.. “That was unnerving and super dark”. I guess we’ll keep doing what we’re doing since people enjoy it so much. Ivan: This band is a lot like the Addams Family, It may seem dark from the outside but from the inside we are having a really great time being ourselves. I’ve been told we are dark and I understand where people are coming from as they tell it, but for me, Karen, and the audience, we are the Addams Family. Click the pic for some cool merch! Q. From each of you, what would you say are three bands everyone should go and discover right now if they haven’t already? Karen: I’ve been listening to a lot of different stuff on my playlists lately, but maybe a few artists which are inspiring lately are: July Talk, The Kills, and The The. Ivan: I play bass in a band called [ m e l t e r ] I am really proud of. I recommend the band Plexi to anyone who has not heard of them as they are amazing. I just came back from a road trip and Uncle Alice Cooper keeps finding new ways to give back to me. I met him last year and got to speak with him about Neil Gaiman’s contributions to ‘Last Tempation’. Q. Tell us about the music video for Sanity assassins, the imagery used, and the thought process behind it. Also what made you choose this song specifically to cover? Karen: For me, I took a back burner on the creative process and trusted Scott to make the video. That’s something important, that I think a lot of bands don’t do; Which is trust the people who are experts and don’t try to do it all yourself. Ivan: The fans picked the song. Much like the old Marvel comics `Because you demanded it'. After the announcement of the Bauhaus tour last year, we asked what song we should cover live as a tribute. We took suggestions to heart, not only performing the track live, but then recording it. 'Sanity Assassin' was originally a non-album fan club release with only 300 copies by Bauhaus. We are grateful for the listener's participation and enthusiasm. Q. Which track are you most proud of so far and why? Karen: For me it’s Sidewinder off of the Unicorn Bones EP. This was really the first track where I took 'lead' in vocals for a verse and pushed out of my comfort zone. It’s also a really good song that showcases how well Ivan and I work together complimenting each other's playing and singing styles. Ivan: 'Runaway' was a great moment. I lied to Karen about where her vocal would sit in the mix. It’s an old producer’s trick but I need her to hear herself the way I hear her. From there forward she’s moved from a secure backing vocalist to a co-vocalist in the band. No regrets. I’m not done pushing her and she’s not done pushing me. I am proud of what we have done and very excited about what we are up to next. Music video for 'Unicorn Bones': Q. If you could work / collaborate with any other artist, who would it be? Karen: I’ve been pretty lucky in my career to have been able to collaborate with a lot of really great artists already, from Chris Connelly (Ministry, Revolting Cocks), to our sound engineer Neil Strauch (Counting Crows’ engineer), a wonderful singer like Bethany Thomas, to remixing Stormburner/Ego Likeness. I never turn down a fun opportunity to play or record with someone. But if I could have my choice, I’d love to work with Butch Vig in the studio. Ivan: I’ve made a lot of records working with a variety of talent from Martin Atkins (Ministry / PiL / Pigface) to Dylan Ryan (Man Man / Cursive). One day I would like to tentatively hand the production rains to Tony Visconti, Dr. Dre, Aesop Rock, Trent Reznor or Butch Vig. Someone with a defined style but would still let us bleed through. It’s hard for me to think about anyone else being involved as making a record is just me Karen and Neil Strauch engineering. The idea is exciting to consider though. We’ve done a few remixes for other artist and I look forward to more offers to remix other peers in the future. Q. What life lessons has Bellhead given you so far? Karen: Get inspiration from everywhere, accept help from people who are willing to offer, eat healthy on the road, and always double check that your fog machines are plugged in correctly. Ivan: Enthusiasm can not be bought. Leave nothing on the table. Play in your band like it’s your last. Q. Anything you would like to say to your fans? Karen: Thank you for all the love and support, and we really hope to return it in person in 2021. Ivan: I was in a St. Louis museum exhibit a bit ago on Miles Davis reading a Columbia Records memo that said.. “Just got off the phone with Mr. Miles Davis, He intends to call the new album ‘Bitches Brew’, Please advise.” A recent video interview with the band with Micheal Nagy: You can check out BELLHEAD's catalogue of music on the bandcamp plug-ins below: BELLHEAD, Chicago’s rising Dark Post Punk duo, followed their critically acclaimed Unicorn Bones EP with a special release of the Bauhaus cover, 'Sanity Assassin' exclusively on Bandcamp on October 12th, and collaborated with The Marvel Universe Effects compositor on the music video. Amid the unprecedented year of shut downs, natural disasters, and political unrest, Bellhead has continued to entertain and grab the attention of the international music community with their debut EP, 'Unicorn Bones' which was released this past July. Unicorn Bones was quickly seized upon by critics, and both the EP and the band saw reviews, articles and accolades from such media outlets like Post-Punk.com,The Deli Magazine (also featured September Band of the Month), Divide and Conquer, Bass Magazine, Breathing the Core, Chicago Music Guide, Music Eternal (August Band of the Month) and Radio veteran, James VanOsdol’s Car Con Carne(WXRT, the Loop, Cumulus Media, WZZN radio). Songs from the Unicorn Bones EP have been in constant rotation on MMH Radio (UK), Hard Rock Hell Radio (UK), Lincoln City Radio (UK), Demo312 WKQX (Chicago), Deep Ellum Radio (Texas), and WXNA (Nashville). The video for Unicorn Bones had over 1000 views in less than a month and a recent live streamed 'quarantine' show performance in support of a local music venue in late September hit over 2000 viewers in less than 24 hours, showing that the demand for Bellhead wasn’t slowing down but instead just heating up. After the announcement of the Bauhaus tour last year, Bellhead reached out to their loyal fans to ask what song they should cover live as a tribute to one of the bands main influences at an upcoming high profile gig. Based on fan social media feedback, Bellhead took the suggestion to not only perform the track live, but then record, 'Sanity Assassin'. The Bauhaus song was originally released as a non-album fan club release with only 325 copies ever pressed (the same amount as the physical release of this EP), and it has gone on to be a deep cut favorite for Bauhaus fans. Filling out this EP is the Unicorn Bones album track, “Knife” along with a remix entitled 'Knife (Beware the Light)'. To commemorate this release, the band has also joined up with Teespring.com for a merch line that includes shirts, socks, totes and mugs. HERE Bellhead reunited with their faithful recording and mastering team of Neil Strauch (production/ technical assistance of Iron and Wine, Counting Crows, Owls, Joan of Arc, Walking Bicycles) and Carl Saff (production/ technical assistance on Acid Mothers Temple, Smoking Popes, Red Fang, Guided by Voices,) who have worked on all the previous releases for the band but this time they added a third member to their production team in visual effect compositor Scott Fedor in crafting the 'Sanity Assassins' music video. Fedor’s impressive resume includes working on movies such as Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America 2, Bloodshot, X-men: Apocalypse, and Stranger Things. Bellhead are a Post-Punk duo made up of two Chicago music scene veterans who have left their mark across the tattered music landscape. Consisting of High Bass/Lead Vocalist Ivan Russia, formerly of the infamous Ahab Rex, Mr. Russia, and Sheriff Scabs; partnering with Low Bass/Vocalist Karen Righeimer- who has been a member of bands such as Fashion Bomb, Team Cybergeist, W.O.R.M, and Bethany Thomas. Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider making a small donation - The price of a single drink - to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox #BellHead #UnicornBones #SanityAssassins #Bauhaus #Industrial #Interview #spotlight

Cyber E.V.M (Elektro Vox Music) ended up being a great success raising well over £1000 for the Slimelight London (Elektrowerkz) survival fund. Here A huge thank you to the performers, to the viewers, and to the donators! Below are the bands available to rewatch in order: DJ Elektro Vox First industrial set Set list: Pretty Addicted - Filthy whore mouth Binary Division - Midnight crisis Priest - Vaudeville ES23 - Sweetmeat Seraphim System - Militant Hatari - Spillingardens (E.S.A remix) E.S.A (Electronic substance abuse) - I remember GOHMA - Bone monitor Grausame Töchter - Ich darf das! Aesthetic Perfection - The dark half (Seraphim System remix) Menschdefekt - Plague (The human parasite) Synapsyche - Meds (Placebo cover) Spooky Scary Skeletons Remix (REMOVED DUE TO COPYRIGHT)) Corlyx Exclusive full band show Modulate First performance since Resistanz 2016 Set list: Citizens (Schwefelgelb remix) - Randolph & Mortimer Zero Ground - Fractions Under Marble - Phase Fatale 2nd Limit - Cleric Mort Vivant - Stonith Death By Techno - Io Killer Queen - Joyhauser Wir Leben Fur Die Nacht - Dax J Slamming - Rendered Do You Read Me (Thomas P Heckmann remix) - Niereich/Hackler & Kuch Zurig (Thomas P Heckmann remix) - Acid Junkies What Time Is Love? - Antidote Raving - Ghost Dance Divine (Modulate remix) - Soman The White Rose - Imperial Black Unit Biomechanimal Rare industrial set Set list: Ghost.exe - HVDES X CRIMSON CHILD Equilibrium (Made By Tsuki Remix) - ATLiens Into the Void (SWARM Remix) - Celldweller Full Scale Revolt - Sirus Sex Sick - Hocico On Fire - MOAAN EXIS Feel Your Noise - Mechanical Vein ft. Faderhead Ego Sum Deus - Unholy Against - Horshk Perverse Party - Amduscia Religion (Far Too Loud Remix) - Black Tiger Sex Machine The Age Of Hell (Original Mix) - Belzebass The Just Will Be Silenced (Album Version) - Die Sektor Kangra Valley - Biomechanimal Halluzinogen - S.A.M Blood Spatter - Shiv-R Blitzkrieg (Biomechanimal Flip) - Deathstars Granfalloon - Biomechanimal Chemicals + Circuitry - Grendel End Your Life (KALCYFR Remix) - Biomechanimal X Alien Vampires See You In Hell (Cover Version with Suicide Commando) - Alien Vampires Enter the Animal (C-Lekktor Remix) - Biomechanimal iVardensphere Scott Fox asked that the set not be posted but here is his very touching end message. God Module First performance since Covid-19 lockdown/s Set list: God Module - Ouija God Module - Perception God Module - Extinct Dismantled - The Swarm (easy to swallow mix) God Module - Minute to Midnight (SHIV-R mix) God Module - Plastic SYSTEM SYN- Knives God Module - Red Ribbons God Module - Into the outside God Module - M.D.K. (Cell Mod mix) God Module - Phenomonon (Amnestic mix) God Module - Wasteland ESA: Electronic Substance Abuse - Like Meat (spoiled) Wolftron - Ragnator (God Module mix) Karkasaurus Rare industrial set DJ Elektro Vox Set list: Rein - Electric Hocico - I Abomination 3TEETH - Ballroom Blitz (The sweet cover) Hatari - Engin Miskun (Sound removed due to copyright) Third realm, Chiasm - Bipolar Pop (Aesthetic Perfection remix) Promenade Cinema - Cassette conversation (Cyferdyne mixtape remix) Deviant UK -Wreckhead The Birthday Massacre - Endless Sirus - Neon Dominion (Aesthetic Perfection remix) Seraphim System - Burn it down E.S.A - The Scorn Santa hates you - Scum (Sound removed) Seven Lions - Serpent of old (Feat. Ciscandra Nostalgia) (Sound removed) Nature of Wires + Leather Strip - A heart so divine The Protomen - Hold back the night And a big thank you to Mechanical Vein for hosting the after party on their channel! Event poster Quick note: Elektro Vox is an ad free site that costs a lot to run and get content for. If you like our work please consider making a small donation - The price of a single drink - to keep us running, or sub to our YouTube for band interviews and streams. Thank you! Check out the alternative directory for E-stores, online Goth goods, and new bands to discover. Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox #CyberEVM #ElektroVox #DJElektroVox #GodModule #iVardensphere #Modulate #Biomechanimal #Corlyx #Karkasaurus #MechanicalVein #SliemlightsLondon #limelight #Elektrowerkz #LiveStream #Charity #Industrial #EBM #Darkwave