Totally bucking the trend, in April 2015, the highly regarded FORMS OF HANDS label festival went into its 15th annual edition – making it truly one of a kind! On this accompanying compilation CD, 14 chosen acts from the HANDS label roster prove in a high spirit and deliver the (exclusive) goods: From chilling, atmospheric techno sounds by SUPERSIMMETRIA or SYYLVGHEIST MAELSTRÖM to crunchy rhythm noise by YURA YURA, MASCHINENKRIEGER KR52 VS. DISRAPTOR or WIELORYB, from the hardcore attitude of ILLEGAL TRADE or 13th MONKEY to the drum’n’noise of WINTERKÄLTE, from bulky beats by TOTAKEKE and SYNTH-ETIK to the noisy groove of S.K.E.T., from the challenging experimentalism of NORM or ANCIENT METHODS to the ethnic beats of AH CAMA-SOTZ, the 14 tracks cover a range of styles – and yet blend perfectly, as does the crowd in the shaft tower, the FORMS OF HANDS home!

Same procedure – this album presents exclusive tracks by all artists appearing at FORMS OF HANDS 2015 in their actual running order: SUPERSIMMETRIA delivers a nice technoid encore to his recent space-themed album. NORM (the MONO NO AWARE side-project) has been in the long grass for a while, the comeback track “Banerje” mixes ethnic samples and grating loops. WIELORYB are in a particularly old school mood, and TOTAKEKE gives us more IDM with balls (like on his recent album “Me.Tem.Psy.Cho.Sis”).

MASCHINENKRIEGER KR52 VS. DISRAPTOR get straight to the point with 140bpm rhythm noise and Berghain darling ANCIENT METHODS’ track is gloriously psyched out and impossible to describe. Winterkälte follow their recent development of infusing their drum’n’noise with a subtle groove, and YURA YURA’s “Jägerinnen” is a sure shot for the rhythm noise dance floor. SYYLVGHEIST MAELSTRÖM delivers one of his intensely rhythmic pieces and ILLEGAL TRADE give us a refill of their industrial hardcore crossbreed sound. 13th MONKEY drop bouncing beats and acid lines, while S.K.E.T. sound quite cheerful. SYNTH-ETIK’s track “Circuits” is decidedly on the industrial side of things and AH CAMA-SOTZ closes the album with an irresistible downbeat ethnic track. An inspired and inspiring compilation album, diverse and valuable!
 

Polynomiq is Jean-Marc Mélot's (MODERN CUBISM, with Jean-Luc de Meyer of Front 242) solo music project, started in 2012 in order to give access to new sounds, drums lines, and visual experience using only 3D animations. Behind the technology involved in this project, there is also a strong philosophy about redefining electronic pop-music in a more minimalistic way. Danceable but also including a lot of atmospheric contexts, PolynomiQ is based on a large experimentation work process to finally achieve a rational construction. Jean-Marc in his own words: “One of the constraints was the ultimate will to avoid vocals, or a true singing line. Electronic sounds & rhythms are enough to produce the specific harmonics, frequencies, and timbers to put the listener into the inner center of this electronic world. Another constraint was to avoid the typical schemes usually found in common tunes: chorus / verse / break / chorus / verse /... The idea is similar to the way a book is written, like a full-length story, with different chapters from the introduction to the end. This is how those songs are mostly conceived."
 

Out on 18th August on DVD: Phoenix
Director:Christian Petzold
Stars:Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld, Nina Kunzendorf

Nelly Lenz, a Jewish singer, has survived the Nazi concentration camps but at what cost? She is disfigured and has had to undergo facial surgery. Back in what is left of Berlin, accompanied by her faithful friend Lene, she has only one thing in mind, finding Johnny, her musician husband in the ruins of the city. She wants to know if he still loves her and if he has betrayed her, as Lene claims he has. She does meet him but Johnny does not recognize her. Worse, he asks her to impersonate... Nelly, with a view to grabbing her inheritance

Released on 7th July: ROB THE MOB
Director:Raymond De Felitta
Stars:Michael Pitt, Nina Arianda, Andy Garcia

A Queens couple who specialize in robbing mafia social clubs stumble upon a score bigger than they could ever imagine, becoming targets of both the mob and the FBI in the process.

"Against You!" is the third and final EPsode in NZ’s trilogy. The previous EPs ‘Raw and Pure’ and ‘Aggressions’ are still in the heads and have certainly left a mark on the EBM scene. The title of part three is a propagandistic and provocative call and represents the next level. Again the un- compromising and powerful sound lies in the centre of NZ’s work and guarantees perfect vibes on the dance floor – indeed: Those who saw NZ recently perform live have experienced the vigour of their sound physically: straightforward and puristic body music that makes you move instantly. Every single one of the new songs relives the pure energy and timeless spirit of Electronic Body Music. Tracks like "One of Us" or "So cold Inside" with their merciless power, sharp vocals, strong sequences, and aggressive drums easily build on previous hits by NZ, such as "Russian War" and "Totalism", and leaving you with goose bumps and aching muscles. RAW AND PURE AGGRESSIONS AGAINST YOU!