NWODTLEM is a Toronto based project run by the co-founder of Here’s my Card Records. Pir8 is a DVD collection of eight music videos filled with chopped, spliced, and sampled break-core insanity. The audio-insanity is formatted in such a way that it nearly sounds randomized. The music is brimming with movie samples, which range from absurd voice clips to absurd sound effects. The video samples and audio tracks are perfectly timed and synched.

My first impression while watching PiR8 is that it is very distracting (in a good way). Even if I wanted to ignore this video, I could not. From the moment I pressed play to the moment the disc corrupted (at the beginning of the third video) my attention was stuck to the screen. This guy obviously has a highly technical mind, and a slightly warped personality. I don’t know how long it would take to create something this involved, and I honestly don’t want to know.

NWODTLEM’s PiR8 is a DVD I could have seen myself playing very often. This is a fun and enjoyable audio/visual experience, and I hate that my copy will only play two tracks. Honestly, I feel like I am writing a eulogy, not a review. Here lies a great DVD with a lot of potential. One that I will play on occasion for the two greatly edited videosand then will turn off in dismay when the disk becomes unplayable. I would sincerely be interested to see more output by NWODTLEM, and I think the risk here is worth the reward. I highly suggest picking up a copy of this DVD.

This is an interesting album recording. Phantoms of the SS gives us a simple crafted untitled seven tracks. A mixture of Germans talking samples that's on a film with a combination of sounds of noise and percussions. Consistently dark and experimental. One of the tracks have a dictator speaking. The last track is my favorite. Electronic dark synth sets off the fiery demonic rage. A perfect fitting to end the album. Phantoms of the SS sets the standard for the modern exploration in atmospheric and dynamic music simplistic range.

This curious release by Ewe is the first of two Fractured and Remixed albums by Zarach Baah Tharagh (ZBT). This is Ewe’s fifth release through Smell the Stench Records. Most of the thirteen tracks on this album are within one and three minutes of length. Each track is typically composed of eccentric keyboards and ghostly ambience.

Ewe’s Fractured and Remixed album maintains a consistent sound of droning, dreary ambience complimented by keyboard sounds, sometimes introverted and pretty, sometimes random and unconventional. The image I get from this album is of a haunted piano room captured at different hours of night: never a room someone would feel comfortable alone in, but some hours are more welcoming than others.

There is a good balance between music and non-music here, and the more eccentric keys throughout this album add a sense of levity. Because of the rhythmic nature of Ewe’s Fractured and Remixed album, I find my mind at ease while listening to unearthly and haunted music. I think ZBT has committed more to the tracks on this Fractured and Remixed release, but I suspect that is because these piano pieces need to be heard in full form. All in all, ZBT’s Fracture and Remix of Ewe’s Demo V is a pleasantly unexpected change of pace.

Novalis Deux with their latest GHOSTS OVER EUROPE surprised me with their opening track "Put on your shoes", a song with echoes of Death In June with that marching rhythm played by a tambourine, those guitars and choirs. "Homecoming" follows the neo-folk atmospheres with an upbeat rhythm, guitars and female vocals which duet with a gentle violin sound. The following "Ghost over Europe" is a good example of wave folk with deep vocals and it seems to be the third part of a sort of voyage: "Put on your shoes", then "Homecoming", "Ghost over Europe", "Sleeping violin", "The clown", "Passing by", "Rome", "One step", "World in flames" and "Your hell" seems to be steps of a whole story where the trip through a decaying Europe seems to be the main issue. Unfortunately the copy I received is without booklet or any graphics, so I can't tell for sure if my suggestion is the right one but if you want to discover a nice album with good songs influenced by wave, folk, a little of post punk (check the evocative atmospheres of "Rome") and dark stories, this is one you can check!

New year and new low price double compilation of Black Rain, NoiTekk, Ars Musica Difundere, Funk Welten and Fire Zone rosters. Presenting a total of 28 bands/tracks (with many anticipations coming from the upcoming releases) the CDs span from the particular goth electro folk of Dandelion Wine followed by the romantic wave of Rise And Fall Of A Decade (Black Rain is reissuing the remaining albums of the band), the new folk of Novalis Deux, the goth e.b.m. of Killing Ophelia, the metal goth of The Pussybats and Jesus & The Gurus just to relax the atmosphere with Reliquary and the Nordic melodies of Narsilion. Wave folk is here presented by Onix Eyes while Brillig are here with "Escher", picked from their MCD "The plagiarist" (already reviewed here). Atomic Neon with their classic goth present "Mein kleid" while Die Perlen (reviewed here recently) revive the atmosphere with their electro punk with a track coming from their latest album. Aslan Faction are here with "Bring on the dying" coming from the forthcoming re-release of their "Blunt force trauma" album and OTX close the first CD with a cinematic electronic ambient track coming from the album "A world in red". The second CD, the one dedicated to electro/e.b.m. sounds, opens with the energetic distorted electro of Jabberwock just to follow with the upbeat e.b.m. of Derma-Tek. C-Drone's "Morituri te salutant" make the audience have a sneak peak on their forthcoming album with a convincing (but not innovative) bouncing e.b.m. track where distortion and melodies are well balanced (it isn't the usual "Sturm und drang" approach). IWR are here with "Ketamine sedation" coming from their latest album here reviewed months ago. Distorted Memory's "Disciples of the watch" is a classic e.b.m. mid tempo while Prospective's "Deadly sins" combine romantic goth female vocals with punching e.b.m. sounds. Dym's "Autonomy of the will" is coming from their upcoming album and make us know that distorted upbeat e.b.m. is still in the make. Tyske Ludder present "Thetanen" from their good "Scientific technology" MCD (this is the kind of e.b.m. that I like). Feindflug new track "Ersatzteil" is coming from their new album and it didn't differ that much from their usual martial e.b.m. Dawn Of Ashes bring me memories of the old Velvet Acid Christ sound with their "Torture device" while FGFC820 with "Killing fields (battle of nations mix)" are making us have an appetizer from their next album but I had enough of dancey distorted e.b.m. so I skip to Vigilante's "Fire" coming from their latest album already reviewed here. The Panic Lift's "Failsafe" is coming from their next album but it sounds like thousand other hellektro tracks so I let Xentrifuge close the second CD with "Light extinguished" which unfortunately sounds just like the previous track.