Depeche Mode are back. Strangely, “Sounds of the Universe” feels like a million years away, although it was released in 2009, so, only four years ago. This is the final piece of the trilogy of records that Depeche Mode were doing with producer Ben Hillier. And the thirteenth studio album of the band, the first for their new label, Columbia Records, scheduled for release on 22 March 2013.
I started listening with interest DM only after their 93’s “Songs of Faith and Devotion”. Still, their first four albums are quite meaningless for me. And probably their latest two. From their 2005’s “Playing the Angel” stuck in my mind the fabulous cover of “John the Revelator” and the opening track, “A Pain That I’m Used To”. “Sounds of the Universe” was even less impressive, actually I can’t recall any song title from it, although, I remember it was dark and minimal. And dark and minimal it is “Delta Machine” as well. Read more Depeche Mode – Delta Machine (2013)
dark electro
Ghosts – Judge (2012)
Two Dublin (Ireland) based producers, Paudie Bob and Kevin Gleeson, merging elements of Dark Ambient, Garage, 2 Step and Dubstep.
This is a nice trip into the dark side of electronic emotions and mechanical grooves, manipulated vocals, smartly layered synths and pulsing noises. Mysterious, still catchy and colorful, Ghosts find a nice path between Deep House, Techno, 2 Step, Garage, Dubstep, Dark Ambient and blend them all together into their own.
To date they have two independently released two EP’s, “Doxology” and “NIGHT”, and several official remixes for the likes of CLU, Simon Bird and Monto. Their new EP, “Judge”, was released on June 18th by the online digital label, Bad Panda Records.
And most of all, can get it for FREE legally/officially!! Read more Ghosts – Judge (2012)
April – Ten Stones (2009)
April seems to be a very popular name among artist: a couple of bands running using this simple name which make pretty hard to identify one of them, make the difference. After some hard digging I find on MySpace the profile of this French duo, from there I’ve get to their official site and Facebook profile. I thought “Ten Stones” is their actual album, but I was wrong, it was released back in 2009. Merging classic music elements with electronic layers and samplers, combining pop, rock, indie and trip hop elements, JiBé (music, voice) and Flora (voice) delivered their own flavored music. Read more April – Ten Stones (2009)
Alfa Matrix 10th anniversary compilation free download on Facebook
Head now for www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix and give a like to get it for free ! 34 tracks from exciting electro artist such as PSY’AVIAH, STRAY, VIRGINS O.R PIGEONS, MALAKWA, 32CRASH, HALO IN REVERSE, I:SCINTILLA, IMPLANT feat. LEAETHER STRIP, PLASTIC NOISE EXPERIENCE, UNTER NULL, ALIEN VAMPIRES and many more will set your loudspeakers (and the dancefloor) on fire.
Alfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica. Based in Brussels, the label consists of label and artists manager Séba Dolimont, promo manager Bernard Van Isacker and head of design Benoît Blanchart. Read more Alfa Matrix 10th anniversary compilation free download on Facebook
PORN – From the Void to the Infinite (2011)
“Love Like War”, the free download and leading track of the new album, “From the Void to the Infinite” was released last month and back than I introduced the band of Phil D. from Lyon, France, find the whole story HERE . Still can grab the free track. 🙂 Or buy the entire new album on-line HERE. 10 tracks, plus one bonus, the new album by PORN scheduled for a 10th October, 2011 release juggling between the vivid sound of the 80’s dark electro and the pulsing breath of the nowadays post-industrial rock and it’s an excellent soundtrack to set the night on fire down in the club dancing with the death. By duty. 😀 Read more PORN – From the Void to the Infinite (2011)
Skinny Puppy – HanDover (2011)
From the classy industrial area slipping to the post-industrial and more cinematic, dark electronic segment of music, Skinny Puppy, the pioneer Canadian band, remains one of the leading motors of the genre. Al Jourgensen of Ministry was part of the band back in 1989, also Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly, Noise Unit, etc as many other famous figures contributed to this band since their formation in 1982 and till now. The band almost disbanded in 1995 when drugs and internal conflicts and ultimately death strikes the band which moved from the safety of Vancouver to the temptations of Malibu, but they managed to regroup after a five year gap and since 2000 Nivek Ogre (vocals) and cEvin Key (synthesizer, guitar, bass guitar, drums) reunited and performed live extensively.
Mark Walk (keyboards, synthesizer, guitar) joined in 2003 and in 2004 they released the ninth studio album entitled “The Greater Wrong of the Right”, followed in 2007 by the album “Mythmaker”. “HanDover”, the upcoming eleventh studio album of the band will be officially released on October 25, 2011 in the United States and an October 28, 2011 in Europe. Read more Skinny Puppy – HanDover (2011)
WormZ – Introduction To The System (2011)
Something’s going on in Italy lately, this year I stumble into lot of good stuffs from the peninsula in all kind of genres from rock to harsh electro. WormZ are a duo from Milan and “Introduction To The System” is their most recent production consist of 9 noisy and pumping tracks.
Riko – programming, production, mastering and voice, and Drago – synth, guitar and voice juggling between hard harsh electro noises and classic EBM and techno sounds delivering a crushy and crunchy mixture of intense and high-energy music which definitively sets the clubs on fire.
Harddance, powernoise, name and label it as you please, this is an excellent and explosive mixture of sounds and genres. Read more WormZ – Introduction To The System (2011)
Diapsiquir – A.N.T.I. (2011)
Formed in 1996 at Paris, France, Diapsiquir are avant-garde black metal with sick, psycho, twisted and intriguing textures, infusions of different musical genres from French chansons to rapcore and industrial, from dark-ambiental to displaced jazz. Considered “controversial french outlaw black metal band known for their decadent activities” and “never resting and fully absorbed in the savage, sexually violent, drug-laden nihilism of french subculture”, A.N.T.I., their third full-length album introduced us in a gloomy, but expressive, contorted and scary universe of sickness and filth. Leave your ridiculous hopes behind, salvation always comes too late. Read more Diapsiquir – A.N.T.I. (2011)
Dolls Of Pain – The Last Conflict (2011)
This is the 4th album by French band Dolls Of Pain which lead us through the shady side of the contorted human soul once again. This is a wicked world made of leather and latex, conflicts and torture, sex, lies and jealousy. Musically, Dolls of Pain is a mixture of Dark Electro/EBM, resonating New Wave left-overs and reminiscences of Synth Pop and filtered Industrial textures with some rocking guitar riffs. There persist some unavoidable parallels with Front 242, the Belgian pioneers of the Dark Electronic music, but Cédric aka VDB42 – synthetic keys/2nd vocals and Olivier aka Machine – guitars/keyboards programming/composing, the two core members of the group, managed to write some interesting themes, “The Last Conflict” is a quality and absolutely correct album of the genre. Read more Dolls Of Pain – The Last Conflict (2011)
IAMX – Volatile Times (2011)
Back in 2004 Chris Corner left behind Sneaker Pimps and started this new project: IAMX. The musical direction is not quit out of Sneaker Pimps line, it’s still a gloomy, dark electronic blending with indie infusions and the lyrics are dealing with subjects such as sex, death, emotions, narcotic intoxication, decadence, religion, alienation and allusions to politics. Since the debut album “Kiss + Swallow” released in 2008, Chris didn’t waste any time and 2008 bring another two releases, “The Alternative” and “IAMIXED”. In 2009 was released “Kingdom of Welcome Addiction”, and in 2010 “DOGMATIC INFIDEL COMEDOWN OK”. So, Chris kept his self – and our – quit busy.
The new album was preceded by single “Ghosts of Utopia”, which received its first radio play on Prague’s Radio 1 on January 23 and was released on February 25 and a free download of “Fire and Whispers” was made available on March 4, as part of the count down of the album released on 18 March 2011, but the full album was leaked online on March 12. Read more IAMX – Volatile Times (2011)
