There are bands who always stick at what they do. Bands who know the quality that lies within them and who fight for presenting their qualities in a different light. File under: Blackmail - one of the most consistent German rock-bands. They exist for twenty years and maybe they are even the most consistent German rock-bands of all. Blackmail from Koblenz went through a lot of different cycles.
Once they were a highly celebrated and greatly noted major band and played all the huge festivals every two years. They appeared with one album within Visions' "150 records for eternity". They had their place in the canon of values by willed listeners of rock music. Three years ago there was a caesura: Former singer Aydo Abay has split from the band. With Mathias Reetz came a new singer who wasn't fresh to the business, but wasn't discovered. And then he turned out as a total joker.
In May 2011 the first album, "Anima Now!", when he appeared as the front singer, turned out as a pumping multi-layered piece with a novel cachet. Blackmail absolutely convinced from the spot with an album that followed the spirit of DIY from first note to last promotion. Recorded, produced and released on the bands' own label "45 Records" and brought to the people from the first video snippet to the last show.
Okay, there were fans which needed to be convinced that Blackmail haven't lacked any of their former power and urgency. "In the beginning it was difficult noticing that the size of the clubs where we played had changed" Mathias Reetz says, "But we haven't hung loose and just kept going. We finished work that results out of a new constellation and the level of acceptance is back to the fullest." Kurt Ebelhuser, who's behind the most parts of composition and produced every album except one, adds: "On 'Anima Now!' we had loosely sniffed at each other. "II" stands for the final arriving. It's Mathias' second album, but it's also the flourishing of Blackmail with different methods and lots of fresh colours."
Bureau B offers this month two releases by Krautrockhero Roedelius
ROEDELIUS - OFFENE TUEREN
Hans-Joachim Roedelius: born 1934; first releases in 1969 with Kluster (with Dieter Moebius and Konrad Schnitzler). Active ever since as a solo artist and in various collaborations (with Moebius in Cluster, with Moebius and Michael Rother in Harmonia, with Brian Eno, to name just a few). One of the most prolific musicians of the German avant-garde and a key figure in the birth of Krautrock, synthesizer pop and ambient music. The music: electronical chamber music that impressively renders audible Roedelius musical transition from the 70s into the 80s. Complex, vibrant, enigmatic, avant-garde, timelessy beautiful. Originally released 1982 on Sky 072
TRACKLISTING: 01. ABENTEUERLICHE BEGEGNUNG (3:40) 02. BESUCHER IM TRAUM (4:16) 03. MIT OFFENEM VISIER (3:35) 04. VON OSTEN HER (4:25) 05. DER SIEGER (2:32) 06. AUF DER HOEHE (4:32) 07. ALLEMANDE (2:20) 08. SPIEGELUNG (3:02) 09. HUSCHE (2:49) 10. STUFE UM STUFE (3:19) 11. ZEREMONIELL (3:36) 12. WENDE (4:11)
ROEDELIUS - SELBSTPORTRAIT III
Selbstportrait III gathers together (as did parts I and II) enraptured low-fi piano/synthesizer/electronic miniatures, musical sketches and ideas which Roedelius recorded at home in the living room on his Revox tape machine between 1973 and 1979 as a kind of "musical diary". Recorded 1973-1978; originally released 1980 on Sky 044. Linernotes by Asmus Tietchens.
TRACKLISTING: 01. SONNTAGS 3.45 02. GEBURTSTAG 1.50 03. FIEBER 6.06 04. HOCHZEIT 3.05 05. GERADEWOHL 3.50 06. ERINNERUNG 3.25 07. ZUVERSICHT 11.05 08. STIMMUNG 9.50
The French-Berliner Duo creates a unique aesthetic of cold minimal synth wave with elements of rough, but melodic postpunk and shoegaze. With their stylish and mesmerizing live performances they gathered a solid and passionate fanbase all over the world. Because of their recent Berlin underground hype Velvet Condom sold out their previous albums which makes „Vanity and Revolt“ the best opportunity to get the finest of their 3 albums plus unreleased material like "Mini Skirt Mini Morals".
All 19 titles on „Vanity and Revolt“ are exemplifying the diversity of the sound of Velvet Condom:
From danceable electro wave floor fillers like "Samt und Stein" and "Kalter Lippenstift" to cold urban fan favortes like "Menace" and "Never Ever". Absolutely Essential!!
Velvet Condom have their own sound - passionate and atmospheric with the sparkling glam of a modern
romanticism. Not to be missed." (Andy from NO MORE)
TRACKING LIST CD
1. COLLAPSE IN SLOW MOTION
2. SAMT UND STEIN
3. NEVER EVER
4. KALTER LIPPENSTIFT
5. MENACE
6. ROUGE CITY
7. SILKY LOLITA
8. TRASH VAUDEVILLE
9. SPIRTUALIZED
10. SEPAR-HATE
11. A NEW FALL
12. POISON & MAQUILLAGE
13. SELF INJURY
14. TALENTED BOY
15. ICE DISCO
16. DIRTY ME (MY INCORPORATED WHORE)
17. MINI SKIRT MINI MORALS (New)
18. SELF INJURY (REMIX ANIA ET LE PROGRAMMEUR) (New)
19. DRIVING ME BACKWARDS (Unreleased)
TRACKING LIST DVD (LIMITED BOX)
1. SAMT UND STEIN
2. ROUGE CITY
3. COLLAPSE IN SLOW MOTION
4. KALTER LIPPENSTIFT
5. NEVER EVER
6. PURPLE EMPEROR
7. LIVE : MENACE (CCCP - Berlin)
8. LIVE : PLAYGIRLZ (Saturator - Warsaw)
9. LIVE : BIG MESS (Saturator - Warsaw)
10. LIVE : LADY AUDACITY (SO 36 - Berlin)
11. LIVE : SCARS SHINE (SO 36 - Berlin)
12. LIVE : NUMBED (Tacheles - Berlin) + Special feature
TRACKING LIST LIMITED CD (ONLY ON DELUXE BOX SET)
1. B-Sides and rarities (ONLY ON DELUXE BOX SET )
2. COLLAPSE IN SLOW MOTION (Noblesse Oblige Remix)
3. SILKY LOLITA (Jemek Jemowit Remix)
4. SAMT UND STEIN (Dead Sexy Remix)
5. LITTLE DEATH (Bonus Track)
6. SICK CITY SPLEEN (Bonus Track)
7. PURPLE EMPEROR (Hidden Track)
8. COLLAPSE IN SLOW MOTION (Live Berlin)
9. DIRTY ME (Live Moscow)
10. SKINNY SUAVE SEDUCER + DARLING SUICIDE (Live Vienna
Available from Monday 11th of March, to coincide with their tour with Republica ‘Another Day’ EP brings us brand new material from Tenek for 2013!!
Available on CD and download from all popular online stores.
It features the title track "Another Day (Radio Edit)", along with an alternate version for the dance-floor remixed by Airwolf One / aka Alberto Trevisan), both tracks immediately grab the attention of the listener!
Then there's the epic "A New Foundation", which offers a darker and perhaps more mature sound for tenek. Besides all this there is a bonus, remixed 2013 version of one of their most popular tracks, "Elusive", originally from their "EP2" release in 2011. All of these serve to remind us of how great tenek's song writing continues to push new creative envelopes, as well as their thirst to try new ideas as their musical career expands into new directions.
Sept 2007 saw tenek release their first EP, and since then, with each new recording the band continued to grow both musically and in the live arena where they have gained a substantial worldwide fan-base. ‘Another Day’ is another brilliant example of how tenek can create a new vibe with their music, yet manage to retain the core tenek sound that everyone has grown to love.
‘Another Day’ EP offers a mere tease of what is to come from Tenek's forthcoming 3rd album!!
Come and see them live on the Republica (UK) tour this March 2013 and in October on the De/Vision "25 Years Best Of Tour 2013" (Germany).
'Fictions' by Press Gang Metropol (ex-Corpus Delicti) out on 12'inch vinyl
After the great success of the debut album "Checkpoint" Press Gang Metropol strikes with a new EP including the new and fantastic single"Fictions" and also the very demanded "Parade".
“Fictions” is a real dancefloor hits that can compete with the best songs of New Order while “Parade” was a highly demanded song by Dj’s.
This new EP also includes 4 wonderful remixes by Haujobb (Germany) which added his hi-tech electro touch, Millimetric (France) with a minimal synth wave remix, Lowlight (South Africa) with an amazing reinterpretation in the M83 style, and finally Adan & Peter (France) with a technopop club bomb !
This item is strictly limited to 300 hand-numbered copies so order fast !!!
As reminder, Press Gang Metropol is formed by the former members of the most famous french cold/goth band ever(Corpus Deliciti) who have reunited to create a band called Press Gang Metropol.
Press Gang Metropol finds its inspiration in 80s new wave (Joy Division, New Order, The Cure, The Sound, Depeche Mode…), and more recent rock/cold wave bands (Interpol, Editors, Nine Inch Nails)
TRACKLISTING :
01- Fictions (original mix)
02- Fictions (remix by Millimetric)
03- Parade (remix by Lowlight)
04- Parade (original mix)
05- Fictions (remix by Haujobb)
06- Fictions (remix by Adan & Peter)
