Louisiana-based "industrial bass" pioneer, SINTHETIK MESSIAH has unveiled their latest EP, Beneath The Surface

Beneath The Surface is a descent into the undercurrent — a raw, unfiltered excavation of the chaos, cruelty, and confusion that define the world we live in. Each track is a spade hitting the dirt, digging deeper into the systems, histories, traumas, and human instincts that keep everything so relentlessly messed up. It’s not about offering answers. It’s about refusing to look away.

Sonically, the EP blends the smoky unease of 90s trip-hop with the rusted edge of 90s industrial — a fusion of broken textures, distorted synths, and dragging, dirt-covered beats. It’s jagged, emotional, and sometimes angry — the way truth sounds when it’s unearthed.

Stream/Buy Beneath The Surface:

https://sinthetikmessiah.bandcamp.com/album/beneath-the-surface

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4e81KOQcZaq4rdh1NhKjh

www.facebook.com/SINthetikMessiahOfficial

Today, 44 years ago, Soft Cell's version of ‘Tainted Love’ reached the number one position in the British hit parade while it also became the best-selling single of 1981 within the UK. The song also pushed through to the eighth position in the American Billboard Top 100, in which it lasted no less than 43 weeks. It became also a (number 1) hit in most European countries. Although Soft Cell's version was substantially different from the original version, the original version from 1964 performed by the American Gloria Jones, was re-released in the footsteps of Soft Cell’s success. The song was composed by producer Ed Cobb and originally released as a b-side which did not reach the hit parades.

Soft Cell brought the tempo down and replaced all acoustic instruments and electric guitars with synthesizers and drum computers. The song is said to have been recorded in a day and a half, with Soft Cell singer Marc Almond’s first vocal take being used as the definitive vocal track for the single release.

On the 12” release, the song changes halfway to a medley with ‘Where Did Our Love Go’ originally by The Supremes.

The single also announced the release of the Soft Cell debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. An album that was also released as a video album with the title "Non-Stop Exotic Video Show”, hence the original video clip below. Later, in 1991, a new version was recorded with a video directed by musician / director Peter Christopherson (RIP). The latter also covered "Tainted Love" in 1985 with his cult band Coil. Marc Almond can also be seen in Coil’s video clip.

In 2001, Marilyn Manson also successfully ventured into a cover version of Tainted Love. His version managed to penetrate hit parades almost all over the world, in some countries even up to the top 10.

Meanwhile, more than 1.35 million units of Soft Cell’s "Tainted Love" have been sold!

Tainted Love

Sometimes I feel I've got to
Run away I've got to
Get away from the pain that you drive into the heart of me
The love we share
Seems to go nowhere
And I've lost my light
For I toss and turn I can't sleep at night

Once I ran to you (I ran)
Now I'll run from you
This tainted love you've given
I give you all a boy could give you
Take my tears and that's not nearly all

Oh tainted love
Tainted love
Now I know I've got to
Run away I've got to
Get away
You don't really want it any more from me
To make things right
You need someone to hold you tight
And you'll think love is to pray
But I'm sorry I don't pray that way

Once I ran to you (I ran)
Now I'll run from you
This tainted love you've given
I give you all a boy could give you
Take my tears and that's not nearly all

Oh tainted love
Tainted love
Don't touch me please
I cannot stand the way you tease
I love you though you hurt me so
Now I'm going to pack my things and go

Tainted love, tainted love
Tainted love, tainted love
Touch me baby, tainted love
Touch me baby, tainted love
Tainted love
Tainted love
Tainted love

DISCOGS

Vandaag 38 jaar geleden bereikte Soft Cell’s versie van Tainted Love de nummer één positie van de Britse hitparade en werd het de best verkopende single van 1981 in de UK. Het nummer stootte ook door tot de achtste plaats in de Amerikaanse Billboard Top 100, waar het maar liefst 43 weken stand hield. In de meeste Europese landen werd het een (nummer 1) hit. Hoewel Soft Cell’s versie wezenlijk verschilde van de originele versie werd in de voetsporen van hun succes ook de originele versie uit 1964, uitgevoerd door de Amerikaanse Gloria Jones, opnieuw uitgebracht. Het door producer Ed Cobb gecomponeerde nummer werd oorspronkelijk als b-kant uitgebracht en kwam nooit in de hitparades.

Soft Cell bracht het tempo naar beneden en verving alle akoestische instrumenten en elektrische gitaren door synthesizers en drumcomputers. Het nummer werd opgenomen op anderhalve dag tijd en Soft Cell zanger Marc Almond’s eerste ‘take’ werd als definitieve vocal track gebruikt voor deze single release.

Op de 12” release gaat het nummer halverwege over naar een medley met ‘Where Did Our Love Go’, oorspronkelijk een nummer van The Supremes.

De single kondigde meteen ook de release van het Soft Cell debuutalbum Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret aan. Een album dat eveneens als videoalbum werd uitgegeven onder de titel ‘Non-Stop Exotic Video Show’.

Het was naar aanleiding van deze videorelease dat onderstaande originele videoclip werd opgenomen. Later, in 1991, werd een nieuwe versie opgenomen met een video geregisseerd door muzikant/regisseur Peter Christopherson (RIP). Deze laatste coverde ‘Tainted Love’ ook al in 1985 met zijn cultband Coil. In Coil’s videoclip is Marc Almond trouwens ook te zien.

In 2001 waagde ook Marilyn Manson zich aan een coverversie van Tainted Love en mét succes. Ook zijn versie wist over bijna heel de wereld in de hitparades te penetreren, in sommige landen tot zelfs hoog in de top 10.

Ondertussen zijn er al meer dan 1,35 miljoen stuks van Soft Cell’s ‘Tainted Love’ verkocht!

Tainted Love

Sometimes I feel I've got to
Run away I've got to
Get away from the pain that you drive into the heart of me
The love we share
Seems to go nowhere
And I've lost my light
For I toss and turn I can't sleep at night

Once I ran to you (I ran)
Now I'll run from you
This tainted love you've given
I give you all a boy could give you
Take my tears and that's not nearly all

Oh tainted love
Tainted love
Now I know I've got to
Run away I've got to
Get away
You don't really want it any more from me
To make things right
You need someone to hold you tight
And you'll think love is to pray
But I'm sorry I don't pray that way

Once I ran to you (I ran)
Now I'll run from you
This tainted love you've given
I give you all a boy could give you
Take my tears and that's not nearly all

Oh tainted love
Tainted love
Don't touch me please
I cannot stand the way you tease
I love you though you hurt me so
Now I'm going to pack my things and go

Tainted love, tainted love
Tainted love, tainted love
Touch me baby, tainted love
Touch me baby, tainted love
Tainted love
Tainted love
Tainted love

DISCOGS

[NL]

Vandaag 38 jaar geleden bereikte Soft Cell’s versie van Tainted Love de nummer één positie van de Britse hitparade en werd het de best verkopende single van 1981 in de UK. Het nummer stootte ook door tot de achtste plaats in de Amerikaanse Billboard Top 100, waar het maar liefst 43 weken stand hield. In de meeste Europese landen werd het een (nummer 1) hit. Hoewel Soft Cell’s versie wezenlijk verschilde van de originele versie werd in de voetsporen van hun succes ook de originele versie uit 1964, uitgevoerd door de Amerikaanse Gloria Jones, opnieuw uitgebracht. Het door producer Ed Cobb gecomponeerde nummer werd oorspronkelijk als b-kant uitgebracht en kwam nooit in de hitparades.

Soft Cell bracht het tempo naar beneden en verving alle akoestische instrumenten en elektrische gitaren door synthesizers en drumcomputers. Het nummer werd opgenomen op anderhalve dag tijd en Soft Cell zanger Marc Almond’s eerste ‘take’ werd als definitieve vocal track gebruikt voor deze single release.

Op de 12” release gaat het nummer halverwege over naar een medley met ‘Where Did Our Love Go’, oorspronkelijk een nummer van The Supremes.

De single kondigde meteen ook de release van het Soft Cell debuutalbum Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret aan. Een album dat eveneens als videoalbum werd uitgegeven onder de titel ‘Non-Stop Exotic Video Show’.

Het was naar aanleiding van deze videorelease dat onderstaande originele videoclip werd opgenomen. Later, in 1991, werd een nieuwe versie opgenomen met een video geregisseerd door muzikant/regisseur Peter Christopherson (RIP). Deze laatste coverde ‘Tainted Love’ ook al in 1985 met zijn cultband Coil. In Coil’s videoclip is Marc Almond trouwens ook te zien.

In 2001 waagde ook Marilyn Manson zich aan een coverversie van Tainted Love en mét succes. Ook zijn versie wist over bijna heel de wereld in de hitparades te penetreren, in sommige landen tot zelfs hoog in de top 10.

Ondertussen zijn er al meer dan 1,35 miljoen stuks van Soft Cell’s ‘Tainted Love’ verkocht!

Released on September 1, 1982, Today 43 years ago, Under the Flag marked an important turning point in the career of Frank Tovey, better known as Fad Gadget. Coming after his first two albums, Fireside Favourites (1980) and Incontinent (1981), this third full-length release was both musically more sophisticated and lyrically more personal. Whereas his earlier records leaned heavily on satirical social critique, deadpan irony, and abrasive synth-punk minimalism, Under the Flagintroduced a new level of emotional depth, reflecting Tovey’s shifting circumstances as a new father living under the looming shadow of Cold War tensions.

The early 1980s were marked by a widespread fear of nuclear war, and Under the Flag is imbued with this anxiety. Much of the album is concerned with generational responsibility—what kind of world parents are passing on to their children—and with the pervasive influence of authoritarian systems, surveillance, and control. Tovey himself stated that the birth of his daughter in 1981 pushed him toward more personal, urgent songwriting. The title itself implies a sense of enforced unity, suggesting that individuals are subsumed beneath political symbols and national power.

Musically, the album shows a clear evolution in Fad Gadget’s sound. Produced with greater polish than his earlier efforts, it employed the technological innovations of the time: sequencers, drum machines, and synthesizers are central, but they are layered with more nuance and care. The result is colder and more precise than his raw debut, but also richer in texture. This approach aligns the album more closely with contemporaries in the emerging synthpop and industrial scenes, such as Depeche Mode (who were labelmates on Mute Records) and Cabaret Voltaire.

One of the standout tracks, “Life on the Line,” balances mechanical rhythms with tense vocals, underscoring the fragility of existence in a precarious world. The song “Love Parasite” typifies Tovey’s ability to merge dark humor with biting commentary, equating emotional dependence with infection. The title track “Under the Flag” and its sequel, “Under the Flag II,” bring together the themes of personal entrapment and political oppression, culminating in a bleak but compelling statement. “Scapegoat” and “For Whom the Bells Toll” further highlight the atmosphere of dread and inevitability that permeates the record.

Tovey’s vocal delivery is a crucial part of the album’s character. He alternates between icy detachment and urgent, almost desperate intensity, embodying the tension between human vulnerability and mechanized control. His lyrics, while stark, retain a poetic edge, often layering metaphor with biting social observation.

Critically, Under the Flag was recognized as a significant artistic step for Fad Gadget. It didn’t achieve major commercial success—like much of his work—but it cemented his reputation as one of the most daring and forward-thinking figures on Mute Records. The album influenced later generations of electronic and industrial musicians, many of whom admired Tovey’s willingness to confront uncomfortable themes with honesty and experimentation.

In retrospect, Under the Flag stands as a defining work of early ’80s alternative electronic music. It captures both the political paranoia of its time and the personal anxieties of its creator, fusing them into a stark, atmospheric, and emotionally resonant whole. For listeners today, it remains a powerful statement on fear, responsibility, and the struggle for individuality in a world dominated by systems and symbols.

DISCOGS

Today it’s exactly 42 years ago that Iggy Pop released Lust for Life (29th August 1977). It was his second solo studio album and also his second collaboration with David Bowie, following The Idiot that was released earlier in the same year. As well as achieving critical success, it was Iggy Pop's most commercially popular album to date, and remains his only Gold-certified release in the UK. The recording sessions for this album took place at the Hansa Studio by the Wall (Berlin) between April and June ’77, almost immediately after the The Idiot promotion tour which ended on 16th April.

Pop has stated, "David and I had determined that we would record that album very quickly, which we wrote, recorded and mixed in eight days and because we had done it so quickly, we had a lot of money left over from the advance, which we split.”

Lust for Life reached number 28 in the UK Album Chart and is his second highest-performing release in that country after 2016's Post Pop Depression. Initially the album did well in the US too but the sudden death of Elvis Presley (16th August 1977) caused record label RCA to quickly reissue Presley's catalogue and any promotional focus for Pop's album was lost.

Bowie, Pop and engineer Colin Thurston produced the album under the pseudonym "Bewlay Bros”, a name retrieved from a track on Bowie’s album Hunky Dory.

Besides probably the most popular track Lust For Life, The Passenger also found its way to alternative clubs and dance floors all over the world. Even if it was initially released as the b-side track of the 7” single Success.

Siouxsie and The Banshees made a cover of The Passenger in 1987 for their all-cover-versions album Though The Looking Glass. Iggy Pop praised their version and stated: "That's good. She sings it well and she threw a little note in when she sings it, that I wish I had thought of, it's kind of improved it … The horn thing is good."

David Bowie covered Tonight (minus the opening lines referencing drugs) with Tina Turner, along with Neighborhood Threat, on his 1984 release Tonight.

Lust For Life (tracklist)

A1. Lust For Life
A2. Sixteen
A3. Some Weird Sin
A4. The Passenger
A5. Tonight
B1. Succes
B2. Turn Blue
B3. Neighborhood Threat
B4. Fall In Love With Me

DISCOGS

On this day, 32 years ago, Front 242 released their seventh studio album 05:22:09:12 Off or simply pronounced as “EVIL Off” as each letter preceding “Off” is represented by its equivalent numerical position in the alphabet. It was released by Red Rhino Europe, a sub-label of Play It Again Sam, on 23 August, only three months after their sixth studio album, 06:21:03:11 Up Evil. Sony released 05:22:09:12 Off worldwide on 2nd November 1993 through their Epic sub-label.

Upon its release the album was received with mixed feelings by fans and music critics. For the first time it featured female vocals, those of Christine "99" Kowalski, while Jean-Luc De Meyer only appeared on a few tracks. EVIL OFF also seem to have had no significant input from Richard 23 who also didn’t get cited on the album's liner-notes. On the other hand, a variety of new contributors were listed as members of Front 242 on these albums, for instance Jean-Marc Pauly and Pierre Pauly of the Belgian electronic band Parade Ground.

While most electro industrial bands stuck to their ‘successful’ 4/4 beat formula, Front 242 decided to leave this well-trodden path behind and embraced new musical styles and elements emerging in the electronic scene music at the time. The ambient and rhythmic atmosphere on the album can be seen as groundbreaking and innovative in those days, however the sudden style change left many Front 242 confused ranters behind.

However, we at Peek-a-Boo Magazine encourage you to dig these albums up from your archive and to listen to them again at high volume! Just like wine, this music, and most likely your brain too, needed some aging!

Front 242 ‎– 05:22:09:12 Off (RRE 22 CD)

DISCOGS