Factory Benelux presents Dark Light, the brand new album by post-punk trailblazers Section 25, Factory workers since 1979.
Recorded in 2012, Dark Light is their first collection of new material since the tragic loss of founder Larry Cassidy in 2010, and marks a return to the smooth electro and synth-pop textures first explored on their seminal 1984 album From the Hip. These echoes are amplified by the presence of co-vocalists Beth and Jo Cassidy, and a sublime cover image by iconic artist/designer Peter Saville.
Much of Dark Light was produced in collaboration with remixer Derek Miller (aka Outernationale), and includes new versions of recent single tracks Colour Movement Sex & Violence and Inner Drive. Other stand-out cuts include future pop classic My Outrage, which will also be made available as a limited edition 7” single (7 FBN 62) to mark World Record Store Day in April 2013. There are also two hidden tracks.
Section 25 are: Vin Cassidy, Bethany Cassidy, Steve Stringer, Stuart Hill and Joanna Cassidy. “Metamorphosing from the glummest, most dour group ever into progenitors of House, Blackpool’s SXXV are, inevitably, one of the groups of this very post-punk moment” (Chris Bohn, The Wire magazine)
Past tense, future perfect.
Hallelujah" is not only the follow-up to "Nostril", but also a definite step forward for Igorrr. An album which was for years in the making, it is the translation into tracks of very old ideas and the combination not only of styles, but also of many guest musician's talent. Together with several new singers and musicians, Igorrr has perfected here the concepts he had touched in his previous albums, improving his production and mixing breakcore, baroque classical music and metal in an even faster, more coherent and crazier way. Both from Igorrr solo and from his high-profile guests "Hallelujah" is the lorrrd's concentrate, the exhilarating, mad result of a perfectionist's tireless work.
Igorrr's previous album, 2010's "Nostril", was the one with which this French artist confirmed for good the high quality of his production and the craziness of his ideas. Not only was he deepening his combination of baroque, classical music with breakcore and metal (as already hinted at with his "Poisson Soluble" and "Moisissure" previous full lengths), but he had reached a point where all these elements were flowing together in a very natural (though highly complex) way, creating a completely new musical whole. On top of this, "Nostril" was also the album with which Igorrr finally received enough recognition to play all over Europe and be seen as the mad genius he is.
First limited edition in digipak, and including the ‘Eisbrecher’ remix of ‘The Last Dance’! „The Great Escape“ is the highly anticipated follow-up of the band’s successful „Passenger“ debut album! It features the current German hit-single ‘The Last Dance’ and was mixed and mastered at the famous Danish Antfarm Studios (Moonspell, Heaven Shall Burn, Dark Tranquillity etc.) & Finnvox Studios (HIM, Nightwish, Amorphis etc.).
As special highlight, the album features a guest appearance on the track “Perfect Day” by Chris Harms of LORD OF THE LOST, one of the most successful German Gothic Rock acts of these days. ‘A Life Divided’ have played the most important gothic festivals (Amphi, M’era Luna etc.) and have been touring with APOCALYPTICA.
The band gets extremely positive feedback from the press, putting the name A LIFE DIVIDED next to the ones of THE RASMUS and NINE INCH NAILS i! n ways of style and quality. A Life Divided will be touring with German superstars MONO INC. in 2013 and a European tour is in preparation!
The Calling is a thematic soundtrack inspired by, and to accompany, the Hunter series of books by international bestselling writer Simon Beckett. The soundtrack is a mixture of new music, binaural field recordings, sound design, foley and includes readings by the author.
“When the Sheffield neoclassical band IN THE NURSERY suggested collaborating on an album of music inspired by my David Hunter novels, I was immediately intrigued. Coming from Sheffield myself, I was familiar with ITN's work. Their music is dramatic, atmospheric and highly cinematic - all attributes I try to bring into my own writing. What we agreed on was to create something new: not an audiobook with background music but an instrumental soundtrack that takes its themes and tone from the David Hunter books.
As such it's a unique project, and something that to the best of my knowledge hasn't been done before. Hopefully it will not only appeal to those familiar with the series, but also resonate with a wider audience. Simon Beckett, April 2012.'
Vertikal", the new studio album from Swedish "art rockers" CULT OF LUNA. "Vertikal" marks a much‐anticipated return for the band after five years spent cultivating the ideas and directing the influences that have helped form a concept for the album. Distilled throughout are themes of machinery, repetition and clear, linear structures honed to the visual imagery of Fritz Lang's classic expressionist science fiction film "Metropolis".
The music broods, builds and boils as you may expect from CULT OF LUNA, but never overcomplicates itself or veers from its intentions; it is arguably their finest and most cohesive piece of work to date. Commented the band: "Before we started writing, we were keen to find a theme that in a very direct way could be shown through the music, and we hope to have achieved this.
We developed clear structures — very linear, refusing to over complicate the writing process "We realize fans have been waiting for what seems like an age for us ! to return to the live arena properly, but we were not keen on playing shows before we had the new material ready.
There have been changes, and we wanted to come back on our own terms with something completely new. It is very important for us to transpose the idea of a new album into the live setting, to not tread water, and to include the fans in what we’ve been working on; you will be hearing this very soon." CULT OF LUNA will return to the live arena for a full European tour, with a new set of dates just announced in April and May in addition to the previously announced period around the album's release in January and February. There are U.S. dates being planned and the band intend to tour further in late 2013.
