'Moloch' is the fourth and most epic album by the German ritual ambient project Vortex. Combining droning ambience, pounding percussive outbreaks and noisier elements they’ve crafted an apocalyptic soundtrack for urban decay.
'Moloch' means 'king' and is originally the name of an Ammonite god who was worshipped by the Phoenicians, the Canaanites and some North African cultures by sacrificing their own children to him. In later ages 'Moloch' has become a metaphor for an entity demanding a very costly sacrifice...Marcus Stiglegger says about the album’s inspiration; “In 2013 I visited New York City to see what was left of the unique mood i came to appreciate from the inspiring, New York based american cinema of the late 1970s. While visiting the shooting locations of films like Cruising, Taxi Driver, Wolfen, French Connection, Mean Streets, Maniac, and many more, I had a lot of strange encounters in the city streets. I continually felt absorbed by this Moloch of a metropolis which made me one of its demons - a hunter with a camera lens. This album and its artwork is the result of this intense and sometimes frightening episode in my life.'
For the recording of this dark and impressively cinematic album, Stiglegger joined musical forces with Bergemann (Mink M. Ra), MARS & The Trail, Christoph Wirth and Patrick Kilian of Dvrtal and Rome Asleep. Besides field recordings the music was composed based on acoustic instruments like guitar, strings, flutes, jaw harp, various percussions and voices, joined by elaborate keyboard compositions.
“A Worthy Compensation” was one of last year’s electro pop pearls, and now the trio comes up with something new. The EP “She Cried” is a 7 track mini album with one of the record’s strongest songs. Once again, Olaf Wollschläger produced the effort, and we like the a-side in particular , the Human League cover „The Black Hit Of Space“. “She Cries” will come out soon, we will shortly announce the release date.
Musically, the song builds a bridge from our 80s roots to the Beborn Beton signature sound of today. Singer Stefan Netschio about the album:
"Very pleased with the overwhelming response to our album "A Worthy Compensation", we would like to express our gratitude to our fans for their loyalty and patience and warmly recommend our newest release. As main title we chose the fan favourite "She Cried", that lyric-wise reflects that part of being musicians that we love the most, the thing that sets our hearts afire: being onstage, performing our songs and staying in touch with our fans."
On August 26, Sound Mirrors, the first single from COVENANTs new album “The Blinding Dark”, will see the light of night. And for the first time ever, Covenant decides to give one of their songs a message based on recent events. Here is Covenant spokesman Joakim Montelius with his thoughts about the song:
“I was reading an article about this British pre-WWII project for early warning from attacks across the Channel, called Sound Mirrors. They were designed to amplify incoming sound from enemy aircraft enough to allow the defense to take them out before they could pose a serious threat.
My reading coincided with the refugee situation in Europe. That ability to anticipate possible scenarios is key to our survival from an evolutionary point of view. But we also have an equally amazing ability to ignore facts that make us feel uncomfortable or frightened. We can watch terrible things unfold right in front of us and still act as if nothing is going on. We buy ourselves a better conscience by sending some used clothes or money, we sign some petitions online, perhaps we write something heartfelt and compassionate on Facebook and then we go on with our comfortable lives.
But when the people suffering over there come knocking on our door, asking for a bit of the safety and prosperity we enjoy, that thin veneer of compassion and generosity cracks and our selfishness, our fear, our prejudice is suddenly all too apparent. And to my mind that’s because we ignore what we actually know:
There is no we versus them. There is only us. And there is only one world.
And when we see the truth of that simple fact and really absorb it so we can start acting on it, then there will be hope for us. Then we won’t need early warning. But I’m not sure we are capable to take that step at all. And that makes me terribly sad.”
Sonically, "Sound Mirrors" is a Covenant track in the vein of notorious club hits like “Ritual Noise” or “Last Dance” with a few additional unusual colours here and there. It is available for preorder here as CD and limited edition 4 track vinyl.
Esoteric Antenna are delighted to announce the release of the excellent new album by the legendary VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR.
“Do Not Disturb” is the band’s 13th studio album and was recorded in the closing months of 2015 and the Spring of 2016. A true group effort, Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton and Guy Evans continue to follow in the tradition of Van Der Graaf Generator by delivering an album that is both powerful and possesses and emotive beauty.
“Do Not Disturb” is another highlight of the band’s career, during which their music has been influential on successive generations of musicians.
It is surely one of the key album releases of 2016.
Mastered and cut at Abbey Road studios, this 180 gram vinyl release of “Do Not Disturb” is limited.
The CD will be out on Cherry Red Records.
Since The Divine Comedy’s inception Neil Hannon has time and again proved to be one of the UK’s best and most original songwriters. Recorded in Ireland and London and written, arranged and produced by Neil Hannon, ‘Foreverland’ is a byzantine patchwork of love, longing and imperial ambition.
Neil says of the new record, 'it's about meeting your soul mate and living happily ever after... and then what comes after happily ever after. Get ready for the most historically inaccurate hit of the summer'.
The first single to be taken from the album is ‘Catherine The Great’ and it will be available from Friday June 24th. The accompanying video was made by French director Raphaël Neal (Fever, 2015) and stars acclaimed actress Elina Löwensohn (muse of Hal Hartley and Bertrand Mandico).
The Divine Comedy will play on 30th January 30 at Cirque Royal at Brussels.
