Synths Versus Me is a prolific duo formed by Vanessa Asbert and Nico Cabañas. They have already a bunch of releases edited by Oráculo Records. Minimal Synth, EBM and Cold Wave from Lloret de Mar (Spain).
This 12” EP includes two brand new tracks and two exclusive remixes. The original version of “1987” is an atomic bomb of pure vintage EBM in the vein of Signal Aout 42 and Front 242. The remix done by Dirk Da Davo from The Neon Judgement keeps the feeling of the track but adding some drums, guitar samplers and sequences trademarked by this Belgian legend. On the b-side there is the original mix of “Aimless Device”, an electro-pop tune with catchy melodies, analogic bass lines and female voices. The remix prepared for this track by the new american sensation Boy Harsher is a surefire dancefloor full of hypnotic beats and dark atmospheres.
All tracks remastered by Eric Van Wonterghem at Prodam Studios (Berlin).
Tracklist: A1.1987 (Original mix) A2.1987 (Dirk Da Davo //The Neon Judgement// mix) B1.Aimless Device (Original mix) B2.Aimless Device (Boy Harsher Flesh mix)
Lassigue Bendthaus is the project started by Uwe Schmidt, aka Atom™ and Señor Conocut, back in the late 80s and "Matter" is the first album originally released in 1991. Musically somewhere between late Industrial and Electronic Body Music, yet already anticipating Acid and Techno, this production managed to cause quite a stir due to its advanced production technique on one hand and its well defined artistic direction on the other. This new edition includes all original tracks plus the singles “Automotif”, “Hertz” and some previously unreleased and rare remixes.
Tracklist: CD 1: 1.Automotive 2.Circulat 3.Transitory 4.Lanternslide 5.Mortal/Immortal 6.Rotation Mécanique 7.Velocity Life 8.Statique 9.Inured 10.Relate CD 2: 11.Hertz 12.Zeit 13.Statik 14.Velocity Life (Hz) 15.Automotive (2nd edit) 16.Statique 17.Transitory (12" version) 18.Velocity Life (Remix) 19.Automotive (Whitelabel) 20.Automotive (1st edit)
Progress Productions is very happy to bring this new intresting swedish act onboard. Even though the project is new there is many years of experience behind the band. Carl Nilsson (ex. Lithium, The Operating Tracks) decided to make harsh industrial music without any borders, NO limits. The results became Lucifer´s Aid. Straight forward "in-your-face" harsh electronic music. Sometimes references could be drawn towards The Klinik and sometimes more towards harder power electronics. One thing is for sure. There is no compromises here. The album will see the light of day early autumn.
Crocodiles have announced details of their sixth LP. Set for release on October 21st via the band’s own label, Zoo Music, they preview Dreamless with infectious lead single & opening track ‘Telepathic Lover’.
Comprised of best friends Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell, Crocodiles have earned their place as one of the United States’ most engaging, hardworking and consistent rock and roll bands of the past few years. Dreamless is the pair’s sixth LP, and is, at once, their most exploratory and focused release.
Whereas Crocodiles’ first two albums made their home amongst a stew of fuzzed-out psychedelia, and the following three albums explored Welchez and Rowell’s penchant for placing pop sensibilities against whirring guitars and barbed production, Dreamless sees the duo endeavoring on an artistic departure that positions their guitars in the backseat in favor of a more spacious, synthesizer and piano driven sound.
“We’ve always been a guitar band and I think we just wanted to challenge ourselves and our aesthetic,” says Welchez. “It didn’t start as a conscious decision but within the first week Charlie’s mantra became ‘fuck guitars’. Only one song has zero guitar but in general we tried to find alternatives to fill that space.”
The title of the album works on both a literal and metaphorical level: “I suffered insomnia throughout the whole session. I was literally dreamless,” explains Welchez. “The past two years had been fraught with difficulty for us - relationship troubles, career woes, financial catastrophe, health issues,” he continues. “In that pessimistic mindset it was easy to feel as if the dream was over.”
The pair recorded the 10-track Dreamless in Mexico City over the course of 6 weeks. Having become something of a spiritual (and in the case of Welchez, literal) home to the duo, choosing D.F. as the location for recording allowed them to again hook-up with friend and occasional bandmate Martin Thulin (also a member of post punks Exploded View). Between them, the trio shared instrument duties, with Welchez and Rowell handling the lion’s share of guitar and bass, Thulin and Welchez the live drum work, and Thulin focusing largely on keys.
“Our relationship with Martin will serve as a pivotal point in our band’s history,” comments Rowell. “On this album Martin continued his efforts to help us take our songwriting and aesthetics to further reaches.”
Thulin’s work on Dreamless is in keeping with the exemplary production found on Crocodiles previous releases and reconciles the band’s realigned focus on keys with their experiments of often pairing down the instrumentation to allow lyrical sentiments and themes to cut through to the fore. It’s an approach that has paid off, enabling the band to take more risks, both artistically and emotionally.
“And you’ll burn and weep and suffer,” says the chilling spoken-word sample that opens Dreamless. “The sample is from a Christian preacher that we found over 15 years ago and used on the first 7” we ever did together when we were still teenagers” explains Brandon Welchez. “Back then we used it with a sense of humor, laughing at the whole ridiculous guilt trip vibe. But hearing it again in our apartment in Mexico City, within the context of the words we were singing, it took on a different air. It lost the humorous aspect and just seemed like a commentary on life.”
An unsettling insight certainly, but if Crocodiles did indeed have to burn, weep and suffer in order to write and record Dreamless, then it was damn well worth it.
The official release of the infamous 1988 film THE SOUND OF PROGRESS. This DVD has been completely remastered / authored from the original master film stock. The documentary shows the mindset of the some of the most original and influential artists of the experimental scene. An unprecedented insight into the workings, the methods and the ideas that made these names legendary. Filmed in Hamburg, Amsterdam and London.
With COIL – CURRENT 93 – FOETUS – TEST DEPT.
Interviews – live material – studio work – opinion. DVD case with 6 panel booklet containing liner notes by David Keenan.
The DVD also includes a gallery of never before seen pictures of each band.
Director: Alexander Oey Producer: Marc Van Der Bijl / Justin Mitchell. Region 0 / Region Free.
