Already a year before with the release of their marvelous remix collection "Cloned – Other Side Of Evolution", the Slovakian duo DISHARMONY has started its career as being one of the outstanding horses in the stable of the Tympanik Audio label. It may surprises, that they’d considered to sign with them Audio, since the both protagonists of this project, Lord Sauron and Ryby, are known to be a bit suspicious to foreign scene people, since they’ve got often screwed in some or another way previously. Both are standing also behind their very own Aliens label and DISHARMONY is surely the flagship of it. But back to the music, because it seems that the dedication towards to Tympanik Audio has left a tiny impact on the music. Their predecessor studio-album "Malignant Shields" maybe marks the highlight in the long-year career of DISHARMONY thanks to the recognizable development to integrate rather fragile than dark sounding synth arrangements. To start comparisons, "Evolution" comes out more variable and with a more of toughness in its rhythm programming, but also lesser brilliant in its synth-play. This album has its highlights in the both opening and closing tracks, "Revolution" and "Evolution". In between it has been a bit challenging to pick out additional favorites, since the order of the track list offers some clumsy decisions. Highly important track numbers to keep on a thrilling float of the album like 2 or 4 got filled with rather standard-instrumental tunes, instead to place their finally discovered masterpieces like "Spirals" or "End Of Ends" in there. They also prove, that there can be a difference between a standard and a perfect arranged instrumental tune, "Izometrix" as being the best has to named. "Evolution" is of course a good and valuable album, still being an oasis in the yet leading Hellectro-related desert zone – but it isn’t their best work so far.

Second release for this mysterious Czech one-man project, again brought to us by the small, but highly addictive and hard working Aliens label out of Slovakia. A lot of things in the sound of ANHEDONIA are reminding to the later works of their Slovakian label-mates DISHARMONY – too much indeed, that this happened by chance. Where DISHARMONY have started as a true authentic Dark Electro act inspired by early KLINIK/MORTAL CONSTRAINT works, ANHEDONIA has always been based in the modern IDM/Ambient-Electronica field. But since DISHARMONY opened themselves to a more different and IDM-related outfit, but projects nowadays are staying nearly side-by-side in a comparable sound outfit. Though this all doesn’t alter anything, ANHEDONIA deliver with a fine worked out album, which too impresses through several collaborations with friend artists like SOMBRA, UNICODE and of course DISHARMONY – especially the last mentioned mutual track marks a pearl of this fantastic IDM/Dark Electro-release. Other highlights I tend to name with the catchy, but also icy tunes "Emitter Junction" and "Empty Visions". Similar to any DISHARMONY-release, ANHEDONIA scores extremely well with a skillful synth play, dense moods, and a dark, but tasteful arranged sound outfit. It’s music to listen to under a pair of headphones, rather seldom to move to. Thumbs up also for the awesome cover art with its rotten maritime look.

This is not dead which can eternal lie and with strange aeons even death may die." This epigraph fits just perfectly here.

You guessed it right. Flint Glass draws its inspiration from the books by a master of horror literature, who lived a very secluded life and few are the people who knew him in person, H.P, Lovecraft. Unlike Bal-Sagoth, who among many others also found the writer inspiring, Flint Glass composes no metal music but dark ambient. Gwenn Trémorin, the only man responsible for this project is no newcomer. His first album "Hierakonpolis" was released in 2003 and re-released in the following year.
What we have here is a re-release of the sold out 2006 "Nyarlathotep" album which comes with a bonus EP to it. Hence two CDs altogether. The new seven tracks mesmerize no less than the original 15 plus four remixes to them (by Ah Cama Sotz, Disharmony, Xabec and TMO&Empusae), which are also featured on the first CD. Cold Meat Industry is a label that has released quite a number of similar projects in the past if you need some comparison. Mlada Fronta is another name that comes to your mind while enjoying Flint Glass. The new tracks are also free of vocals just in the vein of the project and I believe any vocals would be redundant here, even spoken samples. The music involves various elements changing from warmer to colder pieces. Rather rhythmical and sometimes industrial-like elements give place to ethnical themes like in "Hypnos". But also very slow and utterly disturbing pieces are no rarity on the bonus CD.
This album is not a good choice if you are planning a romantic night with your partner. But it is a great accompaniment for reading any horror book in solitude with only dim light lit. Creepiness and spookiness are guaranteed. Fans of such atmospheres and experiences should not let this album slip between their fingers or putting it Lovecraft-like; between their tentacles.

New York-based Electronica-wizard Frank Mokros is back with a new double CD album. Disc 1 offers the new studio work of Frank, which continues with his futuristic IDM/Electronica music we could discover with his last year’s brilliant album "Elekatota: The Other Side Of The Tracks". The presented variety and diversity in his music arrangements somewhere based into genres like Ambient, IDM, Noise and Industrial can be heard very seldom – Frank has the abilities to write perfect film scores for Sci-Fi- and Cyberpunk-related movies yet not produced. Multiple layered, high complexities in the production of synth and drums/percussion – yes, Frank’s music is demanding – but the listener gets so much rewarded for his full attention, which is required to consume his masterpieces of music. TOTAKEKE is one of the very few founded flowers, which someone can be identifying with. Normally tend to I prefer the rather straight arranged tunes, which allow some Industrial dancefloor movements. Tracks like "Disconnected Inside", the harsh and nearly Powernoise-like "Anterograde Amnesia", and the extremely catchy title track services this greed well. But here are 2 additional pearls needed to be mention, "Permanent Note", reminding with its mighty basslines and the rather slow tempo on "Bio-Mechanic"-like FLA featuring more complexity, and the eerie "Patient HM" with its simple, but so damned effective piano sound inserts. But all of these good things don’t end here, because Tympanik Audio has decided to assign all free slots of your CD players with Disc 2. This second disc offers some new interpretations of "Pull The Plug" and "Ignorance" provided by Frank himself, some new amazing tracks ("Gone", "Can’t Feel Time" and "Buried Is... " – A-MUST-LISTEN-TO!) and several remix contributions by Frank’s highly-acclaimed label comrades. ZENTRIERT INS ANTLITZ ("Permanent Note"), the raw PNEUMATIC DETACH ("Anterograde Amnesia" – how could someone think, that Justin Brink would put his fingers on any additional tune? Nice cover art too, Mr. Brink!), AUTOCLAV 1.1 ("Lost And Falling" – can a remix score against an original? It can! Well done, Mr. Young!), LUCIDSTATIC ("The Things That Disappear When I Close My Eyes"), ACCESS TO ARASAKA ("Contusions" – that nervous hacking hi-q programming offers creativity – a new talent to follow!), FLINT GLASS ("Patient HM" – nice try, Gwenn, but that’s one of the most difficult remixes. Nothing can rival with the brilliant original) and the Slovakian heroes of DISHARMONY ("Memoria" - quality as usual, Ryby, we’ll come on your new tunes soon... ) are featured here. I could slander again through this whole album and will be surely find several additional gimmicks and attractive things to report of. It’s a matter of fact, that albums of TOTAKEKE won’t never get boring and the music offers so much new facets to discover, which I could easily use as an additional apology, why I’ve delayed the review that long. However, get this masterpiece!

Some labels do celebrate an anniversary quite silent – regarding the Czech label Monopol Records, I guess only a very few hard-liners of the international Electro/Industrial scene have realized this. It needs to be said, that there has been some silence around this label during the last two years after the release of the last DEPRESSIVE DISORDER studio-album. This may is a logically consequence of the currently uncertain times and the ongoing lack of sales of the physical CD’s – especially young and small labels suffer enormously through this. However, it’s good to see and it warms my heart that Michal Lepsik still hasn’t given up his fight to offer quality Electro/Industrial music especially to the fans and listeners of the Czech and Slovakian and other East-European countries. And the featured content proves his efforts right, because all band take this chance to offer new and for the most unreleased stuff and some of them do really the best they can. The already mentioned DEPRESSIVE DISORDER are still highlighting the label roster and offer with "Apology" a marvelous Dark Electro tune, while the remix of Germany’s THE RORSCHACH GARDEN on "Reality" scores with its minimal EBM bass-lines. The collaboration with Aliens Production out of Slovakia is still alive, as DISHARMONY (they offer a fantastic teaser named "Evolution" of their upcoming new album...), OXYD (the rather Ambient-minded side-project of the both DISHARMONY-protagonists...), FRONTIER GUARDS (featured on here with another great and unreleased cinematic score...), ANHEDONIA ("Evacuation Guidelines", recently on returning with a new album...) and LAST INFLUENCE OF BRAIN (couldn’t decide to continue with the ex-Vendetta-Music side-label E.A.R. and have joint instead the ranks of Aliens...) prove this. Also Monopol’s projects asides DEPRESSIVE DISORDER offer remarkable stuff, MASTERMIND (offer a seducing Electropop-tune...), GREGORY and especially the trio of NO NAME DESIRE are featured and hitting the nail. Plus, there some new and undiscovered names I strongly recommend to follow regarding upcoming activities like MY ASPHYXHIA, INTERFACE SURGERY (isn’t that a DEPRESSIVE DISORDER side-project?) and/or ECLIPSED. A lot of good and interesting stuff to discover, this Monopol Records compilation is a great example and acts like a guide-line for many other labels doing something comparable. Let’s hope the best that we can welcome Michal and his fine label roster with a 6th, 7th, 8th and so on anniversary compilation again.

01 bratri v tracku : photo
02 disharmony : evolution
03 depressive disorder : reality ( the rorschach garden rmx )
04 mastermind : time is out
05 my asphyxia : poison
06 interface surgery : critical impact
07 oxyd : alcasonic
08 last influence of brain : revolution
09 anhedonia : evacuation guidelines
10 gregory : relax
11 eclipsed : countenance
12 no name desire : caustic
13 depressive disorder : apology
14 frontier guards : insider
15 broom carwell : vltima ratio regvm