Steve Roach - This Place to Be

2016-08-13 (News)

Steve Roach on "This Place to Be" is evoking the stillpoint of now, this 2016 long-form piece was born in the spirit of Invisible, Bloodmoon Rising and other soul tone zones of pure immersion, deep atmospherics and textural healing. After a long run of concerts and the wide range of dynamic releases over the past few years, the return to home gave birth to this place to be. Released digital-only on Bandcamp on the day it was completed, 27 May 2016, it immediately ranked on the front page best-seller list.
The listener feedback and numerous requests for a physical release led to the creation of this 500-copy limited-edition CD.
This 74 minute piece was mastered by Howard Givens revealing even more subtlety down inside this place to be.

Black Tape For A Blue Girl - These Fleeting Moments

2016-08-12 (News)

Given where Black Tape for a Blue Girl began over a quarter of a century ago with founder Sam Rosenthal’s exploration of brooding, extended electronics and strings meshed with deeply revealing lyrics and darkly textured, melodramatic vocal performances, it’s striking to see his muse and inspiration reach a new peak on their 11th album, "These Fleeting Moments". The ethereal, gothic and dark ambient stylings that made them one of the originators of American darkwave are offered on this release which coincides with the band’s 30th anniversary. Rosenthal reinvigorates their classic sound with the return of original vocalist Oscar Herrera, absent from music for 17 years.
The band emerges from the studio with 70 minutes of powerful, gorgeously yearning tracks born from the same place as their 90s classics "Remnants of a Deeper Purity" and "A Chaos of Desire".
Sam’s lyrics explore the existential predicaments of time’s passage, choices questioned, and loves lost.
Oscar’s darkly dramatic vocals are complemented by Dani Herrera’s emotional and heartfelt voice, Nick Shadow’s visceral viola, Brian Viglione's (The Dresden Dolls) driving drums, and Rosenthal’s pensive electronics and revelatory songwriting.

Mesh - Looking Skyward

2016-08-11 (News)

"Looking Skyward" is a completely different release and although the advance single ‚Kill Your Darlings' reminds of ‚Born To Lie', the album's mood and sound are different.
After all, Mark Hockings and Rich Silverthorn have also changed their approach to producing. Mark confesses: "For ‚Looking Skyward', we juggled with different ideas, used smartphones, laptops or tablets and walked the streets with audio recorders making samples. The demos were recorded all over the world, we even wrote our own software and made photos in abandoned factories, not to forget a great video."
Apart from that, the focus of "Looking Skyward" lies on the music itself. This record is more accessible and in part poppier as in ‚Last Man Standing', ‚The Fixer'. Analogue synthesizers in ‚My Protector’ and classical ballads ‚Before The World Ends' convey a certain retro charm, so it is different while still maintaining Mesh's core strengths - an equally synthetic and organic melancholy or wistfulness supported by Mark's incredibly strong singing and Rich's intense arrangements.

Dismantled - The Hero

2016-08-10 (News)

Dismantled presents "The Hero" EP, a preview of the forthcoming album "Natural Selection". This brooding, driving track is complimented by several B-sides, showing the breadth of Dismantled's sound. There are also remixes from label mates Rotersand, Psyclon Nine, Dawn Of Ashes, and more, giving the title track new takes ranging from electronica to seethingly guitar-tinged to anthemic club fodder.

Pride And Fall - Red For The Dead-Black For The Mourning

2016-08-09 (News)

Here comes Pride And Fall's fifth album "Red For The Dead - Black For The Mourning". Three Norwegians - Sigve Monsen (vocals), Per Waagen (keyboards, programming) and Svein-Joar Johnsen (guitar) finally realize the album they had on their minds after many trials and tribulations. On "Red For The Dead - Black For The Mourning" the sound is dark and heavy. On their new record they manage to enhance their forceful music with a sadness otherwise atypical for the electro scene. As the title suggests, there's a certain sentimentality to the songs, which range from restrained dance hits with contrastingly weighty sequences as ‚Broken Men', ‚Angel At The Pillar', ‚Pale', across the melancholic title track to the nine-minute epic ‚The Sentiment Was False'. All compositions impress with captivating choruses thanks to the fabulous performance of front man Monsen, whose vocal lines are urgently catchy. In this way, the trio proves that it has only improved on its strengths throughout the years - and true class. The album is  co-produced by Krischan Wesenberg (Rotersand) and Christer Andre Cederberg (Tristania, Anathema).
 

Letzte Instanz - Liebe im Krieg

2016-08-08 (News)

German Gothic rockers Letzte Instanz is one of the country’s most important ambassadors for ambitious artistic impression. Unlike groups such as Rammstein, Letzte Instanz don’t rely on brute force, but give the listener food for thought - wrapped in a tasteful environment of guitar, bass, drums, violin and cello. No matter if you call it rock, alternative or gothic: the band has established a very unique sound.