Hailing from Washington, D.C., the band Retrogramme may be one of the best kept secrets in American darkwave, but with the release of their third full length, that may soon change. Do a quick Google on the band, and you’ll see the words synthpop, IDM, darkwave, and even electrogoth bandied about to describe the wondrous […]

The Italian duo of Public Domain Resource return with their sophomore offering in the form of ‘Six Years’. Formed in 2012, their début album, last year’s ‘Dead Surface’, was a promising one that comprised of a complex mix of 80s synthpop with 90s ebm that was both dance-friendly and intelligent in its construction. The band’s […]

Tornano i Public Domain Resource, ovvero Ugo Crescini e Pietro Oliveri, con la loro synth-wave leggera e piacevole che avevamo già sperimentato con il debut album Dead Surface del 2013. Con questo Six years i due continuano il discorso intrapreso a suo tempo ma, nel mantenersi in linea con le loro preferenze stilistiche, mostrano maturità […]

Mastodontico. Il nuovo album del duo bergamasco Public domain resource, Six years, rappresenta lo sforzo di condensare in quattordici brani un sound electro industrial piuttosto complesso e variegato, contraddistinto da una notevole ricchezza e complessità di soluzioni melodico-ritmiche, in cui le vocals di Ugo Crescini rappresentano solo un elemento aggiuntivo, per quanto gradevole e importante, […]

Oggi parliamo con i Klonavenus, un duo romano che, pochi giorni fa, ha pubblicato un nuovo album per la Space race records, Angst (qui la recensione), in cui musica electro e timbrica darkwave convivono perfettamente insieme: il gusto per l’electro di ispirazione canadese e l’utilizzo del sampling cinematografico non rinunciano alla melodia e al piglio […]

Public Domain Resource is back with their latest album, “Six Years”. And, what they have come striking back with is a much improved package that overcomes some problems from their previous release, “Dead Surface”. For once, each one of the songs are equally listenable and there is enough on this plate to serve out a […]

After the resounding success in the year 2013 of the previous album “Dead Surface”, the Italian power-duo Public Domain Resource returns offering a more and more perfect and intriguing sound. Six Years is the new album released in 2015, specially planned for conquering big masses of eletro-listeners and electro-dancers by fourteen songs of great technological […]

Новый альбом группы KLONAVENUS звучит как середнячковая работа с не самым интересным мужским вокалом. Выбрав для “Angst” стезю полностью электронного звучания, группа упрямо балансирует на тонкой грани между darkwave, future pop и электро-ЕВМ. При этом новые песни команды явно ориентированы на окологотические клубные танцполы, и пару-тройку их них можно даже назвать условно заразительными. Ровный и […]

Virginia’s Retrogramme have done well by keeping their genre options open on their new album Feed. The music on their third LP falls under the the broad category of dark electronic music, with liberal use of tropes from darkwave, EBM, futurepop, electropop and even a touch of electrogoth nicely accenting the band’s strength as programmers […]

I Retrogramme, quartetto di Alexandria, Washington D.C sono in attività dal 2007 e giungono quest’anno al terzo lavoro: Feed è un doppio CD di una certa consistenza, poiché comprende dodici tracce più sei remix, il tutto con una produzione assai curata. Si tratta di musica di ispirazione ’80, con riferimenti principalmente al synth-pop, ma non […]

Mi ricordo chiaramente il primo libro di cinema che lessi: iniziava dalla famosissima sequenza di Persona di Ingmar Bergman, ed è da qui che inizia l’analisi di questo nuovissimo lavoro del duo romano Klonavenus. E’ la medesima sequenza che chiude il video del loro nuovo singolo Hide. In questo album-film tributo al cinema più particolare […]

Space Race Records has already surprised me a few times with electro-pop and body-pop inspired formations, but this Leipziger duo is without a shadow of a doubt one of my favorites. After some self-released EP’s they joined the Italian label devoted to electro-pop to unleash their official debut. Robert Grolms and Niko “DrMOllE” Kötzsch clearly […]

After the great resonance obtained in 2012 with the previous “KlonaWelt”, the duo composed by Saffio and Paolo Chemnitz returns with “Angst“, a perfect work in which the sonic technology joins the pure energy, generating spectacular modulations that constitute one of the last frontiers of electronic avantgarde. Direct percussiveness, geometrically fractionated, dark vocals, gloomy keyboards: […]

by Marc Urban | Rob speaking for the whole band | Your third album is called “Feed”. Who do you want to feed and how does your feed look like?        We want the public to feed on our music with the obsession of a serial killer.  Just kidding (sort of)! That description DOES match the […]

Washington DC’s Retrogramme return with their latest full-length studio album and follow up to 2012’s ‘For Our Dearly Departed’. The band’s pleasing and original blend of synthpop, idm and darkwave has always had a lot of potential to offer and has developed a strong buzz that they now look to capitalise on with ‘Feed’. The […]

Il nuovo capitolo del trio Retrogramme si è fatto molto attendere: quello composto da Rob Early, Nikk Allen e Dmitry Pavlovsky è un progetto dai confini piuttosto labili, una strada in cui più sfaccettature della musica elettronica si incontrano continuamente all’interno di landscapes sempre attenti al lato catchy e melodico della proposta. Feed, questo il […]

I’ll start this review off by saying that I’ve always found Retrogramme to be capable and skilled, but I could never really get into their works completely. Potential was damn well lit throughout their discography thus far. They have been capable of attaining a natural fanbase and respectable favor among critics and musicians alike. But, […]

The Washington DC-based band Retrogramme possess the rare ability to surprise us. Always. Whenever they unleash their creativity we have to wait for a result far above our expectations. The antecedent album “For Our Dearly Departed” of 2012 is still considerated as an object of cult, but the new double full-length “Feed” promises to go […]

Warnemünde, il debut album del duo di Lipsia Gimme Shelter, è una delle prime proposte per il 2015 da parte della Space Race Records. Robert Grolms e Niko Kötzsch, che avevano diffuso il promo “Deep Pink Water” circa cinque anni fa, sono seguaci del ‘verbo’ del synth pop così come ci è stato insegnato dai […]

Mit Gimme Shelter gibt sich eine weitere Synthiepopband aus Good Old Germany die Ehre. Wobei die Bezeichnung Synthiepop nicht so ganz stimmt, da Gimme Shelter die Genregrenzen nicht ganz so Eng zieht und sich auch der EBM bedient. Robert Grolms und Niko Kötzsch konnte bereits einige Konzerte, darunter sogar ein Auftritt beim 2010er WGT, bestreiten […]

Lost Reality is not exactly the most familiar name active in the electro-pop scene. The Italian duo is already active since 1996 and has released several productions, which unfortunately for them never caught world-wide attention. The band joined Space Race Records and unleashed their new full length featuring 10 songs. The debut song is an […]

After the solid qualitative advancement of their electronic style manifested at the beginning of the third Millennium with the promo “Deep Pink Water”, the Leipziger duo Gimme Shelter is ready to surprise you by a new release designed with mental clarity and vanguard technologism. Robert Grolms and Niko Kötzsc present in 2015 a masterpiece simply […]

di Mrs. Lovett, 29 gennaio 2015 Terzo album per i Lost Reality, band italiana ideata da Garmo e Kaos K, ai quali si è aggiunto recentemente Dom. In attività dal 1996, i nostri si inseriscono nella tradizione synth-pop/new wave, come attesta anche questo Fleeting Awareness, contenente dieci tracce di matrice elettronica, gradevoli e dall’atmosfera malinconica. […]

German duo Gimme Shelter has unleashed their latest album Warnemunde onto the masses. And, seeing as I don’t have a whole lot to say about this release, I’m going to try and keep this review short and to the point. The vocals from Robert come off nice and well off, serving their purpose in smooth […]

Lost Reality is an Italian project that officially has been active since 1996. Since then, however, there has been a huge change in sound, lots of appearances in various places, including on television, and compilations. Now, however, they are on the Space Race Records label, putting out their third album, Fleeting Awareness. Ten tracks spanning […]

Lasciamo che il duo tedesco Gimme shelter ci accompagni verso Warnemünde (il debut album di cui vi parliamo) attraverso una strada costellata di episodi che, nella loro diversità, sono legati dal filo rosso del synth pop. Sì, la voce di Robert Grolms vi farà immediatamente venire in mente Dave Gahan, ed è anche ovvio se […]

„Bah, schon wieder eine neue Synthpop-Band!“ Wie oft musste ich derartige Aussagen, die mehr von Ignoranz und Neid, als von echter musikalischer Aufgeschlossenheit zeugen, in den letzten Jahren lesen, sobald ein vielversprechendes Release einer der breiten Öffentlichkeit eher unbekannten Formation in diversen Szenemagazinen besprochen wurde. Deshalb muss der Medienkonverter in unregelmäßigen Abständen für kritische Relativierungen […]

Descrivere in breve cosa racchiudono le 12 tracce di ‘Jedem Das Seine’ potrebbe risultare esercizio rischioso e riduttivo al tempo stesso. Le composizioni del progetto capitanato da Christian Ryder si muovono apparentemente lungo i binari del synthpop ed electropop, ma anche ad un primo ascolto emergono chiare e distinguibili altre categorie sonore di un lavoro […]

Nothing To Confess is the second electro stomp from the collaboration of vocalist Oliver Spring of Sleepwalk / tEaR!dOwN / Nerve Conflict ) with No Comment keyboardists René Ebner and Thomas Kowalzik which goes under the name Nine Seconds. The successor to their successful and well received debut Poladroids of 2013, the project’s new album […]

Lost Reality: l’eleganza del suono by Lunaria Interessante band italiana che tenta un approccio stilistico elegante e sperimentale all’elettronica di matrice Wave. Vediamo cosa ci raccontano i Lost Reality sul loro nuovo album “Fleeting awareness”! Per prima cosa, presentatevi ai nostri lettori! (KEKKO) Un saluto a tutti i lettori, noi siamo i Lost Reality, una […]

The Italian duo Lost Reality pleasantly knows how to mix electro and (mostly emotional) rock together. The music is at its best when the songs are slowly building into a bombastic ending, like on the best songs on this album: the very impressive ’7 P.M.’ (with a Muse-ending) and the lovely semi-ballad ’Unknown’. Unfortunately Lost […]

Αποκλειστικό: Συνέντευξη του Christian Ryder (TourdeForce) στον «Μαύρο Κρίνο»! Nikos Επιμέλεια και οργάνωση συνέντευξης: Λυκούργος Κυκλοφόρησε πριν από λίγο καιρό ο νέος δίσκος των TourdeForce, το “Jedem Das Seine”.Το όνομα του συγκροτήματος μάλλον άγνωστο στους περισσότερους από όσους ενδεχομένως  θα  διαβάσουν τη συνέντευξη που ακολουθεί. Μουσικά σίγουρα όχι το είδος  που οι πιο πολλοί από […]

Content: We discovered Nine Seconds in 2012 with their self-released 12” “Irresolution”, followed in 2013 by the official debut album “Poladroids”. Nine Seconds now strikes back with a new and empowered long player entitled “Nothing To Confess”. The band consisting of ex-Sleepwalk singer Oliver Spring, and No Comment founding members René Ebner and Thomas Kowalzik […]

Anche l’Italia collabora alla scena synth pop / electro rock con il duo (ma che nel 2015 diventerà un trio) Lost reality composto da Garmo e da Kaos K, qui al loro secondo album, Fleeting Awareness, per la Space Race Records, il lato più melodico della EK Product. Il duo propone, infatti, un interessante mix […]

Новый альбом итальянской группы LOST REALITY не хватает звезд с неба, но даже при своем на первый взгляд “средненьком” содержимом вполне может стать событием или приятным сюрпризом для поклонников мелодичного поп-рока, электророка и постпанка. В большинстве композиций дуэта прекрасно соблюден баланс между гитарными партиями, клавишными, электроникой и битами. Проникновенные мужские вокалы также недурны. В двух-трех […]

Great production skills but lacks serious hit potential. Nine Seconds debut album “Poladroids” was somewhat torn between pure synthpop songs and songs of more industrial EBM character. Sound and production, however, was of the highest class and promised well for the future release. Prior to the second full-length album was the big issue of the […]

Exciting. This is the most appropriate adjective to define the return of Garmo and Kaos K, both components of the italian project Lost Reality. The duo’s music incorporates since 1996 electro-Rock and Darkwave elements that immediately catch you by their elegance, by their harmonious appeal and by their depth, for sounds able to conquer even […]

TOURDEFORCE : Il coraggio dell’impopolarità. di Roberto Alessandro Filippozzi   “Jedem Das Seine”, ultima fatica firmata TourdeForce, si è fatta attendere per più di quattro anni: un lungo periodo nel quale Christian Ryder, fondatore e mastermind dell’act lombardo, si è ritrovato solo a gestire la propria creatura, come egli stesso spiegherà più avanti. Una sorta di […]

Nothing To Confess è il secondo album dei Nine Seconds, trio di origine svizzero/tedesca che ha trovato attenzione – ed un’etichetta, la Space Race Records –  in terra italiana. Formata dal vocalist Oliver Spring coadiuvato da René Ebner and Thomas Kowalzik – tutti provengono da esperienze precedenti, il primo considerato un riferimento del dark electro […]

Last year we noticed the return of this Swedish duo based in Uppsala. This town ever was a kind of epicenter of the Swedish synth-pop scene. Wilhelm Äretun (vocals, programming) and Emma Hortlund (lyrics, synthesizers) are now back on track with a new album featuring 12 songs. “Falling Apart” is the first song and I […]

This Belgian formation was active during the late 80s and has reactivated 2 years ago with the album “Report From The Dark”. It’s not exactly an album that caught my attention so I didn’t have that many expectations about their new work. 2ND Civilization however improved the global production while holding on to their main […]

The Italian band TourdeForce has been active since 2004. The band was set up as a duo, but throughout the years Christian Ryder remain the single member on board. The band released several albums, but never gained a wider recognition. Joining Space Race Records appears to be an opportunity to get a wider distribution. I […]

Второй альбом немецкой группы NINE SECONDS представляет слушателям солидное, жирное и энергичное, вдоль и поперек опутанное силовыми кабелями модерновое электро/EBM, которое звучит на порядок интереснее, жестче и цельнее материала дебютного альбома “Poladroids” (2013). Команда, укомплектованная вокалистом Oliver Spring (SLEEPWALK, TEAR!DOWN, NERVE CONFLICT) и клавишниками Rene Ebner и Thomas Kowalzik (NO COMMENT), действует на тех же […]

Da qualche giorno sta circolando in rete il nome della band “Tourdeforce”, autrice del brano “Adolf Hitler Platz“. Abbiamo cercato ed intervistato Christian Ryder, cantante e autore del testo, per scoprire cosa lo abbia spinto a pubblicare un brano talmente controverso da aver fatto sold out in tutto il Nord Europa ed essere, allo stesso tempo, […]

Questo album è la prova che chi dice che l’era dei cyberpunk si sia conclusa, che le copertine coi circuiti siano ormai passate di moda e che l’electro industrial sia un genere per nostalgici ha sbagliato le proprie previsioni. Nothing To Confess è il secondo album del trio Nine Seconds, composto da nomi di rilievo […]

An electronic duo from Uppsala, Sweden, formed in 2002. Emma Hortlund (lyrics and synthesizers) and Wilhem Aretun (Vocal and programming. Other well known duo’s in electronic music, that have been around before Mechatronic formed! Check out Nine Circles (Netherlands) (1980s) and the Frozen Autumn (Italy) formed in 1993. All share similarities in style and sound. […]

Boasting an album that should be able to make any person on a dancefloor want to move their ass, is a collaborative effort between vocalist Oliver Spring (Sleepwalk, tEaR!dOwN, Nerve Conflict), and keyboardists Rene Ebner and Thomas Kowalzik. With their 2013 album Polaroids achieving what I’ve been told to be a good success, the trio […]

I wrote about Tourdeforce four years ago, when I reviewed their debut album “Colours In Life”. Since then, Christian Ryder released other two digital albums on the My Owl Music label. “Jedem Das Seine” is Tourdeforce latest album and it has been released by the Italian Space Race Records label. The album theme is controversial […]

Christian Ryder, un disco contro i filtri della Storia. La canzone impegnata è davvero morta? Non proprio, se pensiamo a certo rap che esprime la rabbia giovanile del nostro tempo. Poi c’è chi si eleva oltre l’attualità e la quotidianità e interroga la Storia con la S maiuscola. La interroga e la rimprovera perché ritiene […]

Two years after the release of their debut Report From The Dark, the Belgian outfit 2nd Civilization present us their second album Let’s Play. Another fine piece of music that they will bring live on stage on the 22nd of november in the B52 Club in Eernegem. We had a chat with the ever so […]

The sparkling return of Nine Seconds is a great event in the electro scene, especially for the high quality of their music and for the importance of the line-up, consisting in the vocalist Oliver Spring (Sleepwalk / tEaR!dOwN / Nerve Conflict ) in collaboration with the keyboardists René Ebner and Thomas Kowalzik (No Comment). After […]

The Bergamo based TourdeForce born in 2004 originally as a duo formed by Christian Ryder, assigned mainly to electronic equipments, and Eric Raven to the vocal compartments and electric guitar. Since 2008, when Eric left the line-up, the design has assumed the identity of a one-man project represented only by Christian, but in perpetual synergy […]

It’s been two years since Belgian act 2nd Civilization rose from the ashes of their ’89 and ’90 demo recordings, re-fleshing the old school tracks with new age gimmicks to form Report From The Dark. With a stellar reception from the album, they were sure to not place themselves back into a dormant state, and […]

Belgian from Aalst, 2ND Civilization was founded in 1986 initially purely as amateur purpose by the duo Koen D / Johan VS, both impassioned of drum-machines, synthesizers and of the rational electronic sounds created by Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft, Trisomie 21 and Kraftwerk, of the synthpop invented by the early Depeche Mode and of the emerging technologism […]

Nell’enorme calderone delle realtà electro belghe, i 2nd civilization sono gli ennesimi destinatari della lezione dei loro predecessori più illustri, primi fra tutti Front 242. Dopo aver raggiunto lo status di cult band in seguito allo scioglimento a seguito della pubblicazione di due demo nel 1989 e 1990 e dopo essere tornati nel 2012 con […]

Year 2002, in Uppsala, Sweden, Wilhelm Äretun (vox / programming) and Emma Hortlund (lyrics / synths) generated Mechatronic, a project whose musicality originally combined EBM / synthpop / futurepop elements of particular interest to the alternative electronic-dancers and lovers of technological North-European sounds, a scene into which the two performers they effortlessly move as good […]

Ci sono voluti più di quattro anni per poter stringere fra le mani il successore di “Colours In Life”, ma alla fine Christian Ryder, assolti gli impegni con gli altri suoi godibili progetti Porta Vittoria e Consenso, è riuscito a portare a termine la missione. Rimasto praticamente solo al comando (salvo che per qualche piccolo […]

Terzo album per il duo svedese composto da Wilhelm e Emma, autori di un synth pop leggero e groovy, dalle ritmiche ben articolate e varie, melodico al punto giusto, a cavallo tra synth pop e futurepop. Dodici brani che alternano sapientemente momenti più soft, da quasi-ballad come in Beyond the silence, inni assimilabili al lavoro […]

Though it might not be setting a blaze of originality, Dystopia the new album from Swedish synth pop band Mechatronic, is a rather charming and enjoyable encounter. It makes no demands and does not really stretch senses and imagination but the twelve- track release does offer a contagious embrace to make a very satisfying forty […]

Ett trevligt snitt trots skavanker Mechatronic, som efter drygt tio års tystnad gjorde comeback med “Dreams” förra året, är redan nu tillbaka med uppföljaren “Dystopia” med tolv spår som spinner vidare på den redan inslagna vägen. Den Uppsalabaserade duon med Wilhelm Äretun och Emma Hortlund fortsätter leverera medryckande, melodi- och refrängstark – men samtidigt rå […]