As anticipated on my "Inner most folds" review, Mark Lane has released for his 25th music anniversary a double CD set that contains tracks of his 1981-1985 period. THE ANTI-TECH TESTAMENT 1981-1985 contains 24 tracks coming from his early releases. Just to go a little deeply on the tracklist you can find 3 out of 6 tracks coming from "Misselijkheid ist niet intellectualistisch" a 6 song 7" EP, 1 out of 3 from "Love is so aggravating", a 3 song 7" vinyl EP, 1 out of 2 from "The reflection" a 2 song 9" opaque blue flexi-disc, 5 out of 5 from "Who's really listening?", a 5 song 12" mini-LP, 1 out of 1 from "Pleasure heist", a 1 song 7"vinyl picture-disc. The remaining 13 tracks are rare ones and some of them found already place on "Kill joy", a 17 song CD-R album released by Spider-Disc Int. on year 2000 and on "Who's really listening?+", a 12 song CD released by MetaWave Classix/Germany on year 2001, at the same period of the "Creepy a la weepy" MCD. Listening to the CDs I realized that Mark was sons of his times as the early songs sound like cold wave experiments that had a lot to share with the likes of Cabaret Voltaire, Fad Gadget and Bauhaus and a lot of other bands that grew with the sounds of Bowie, Roxy Music and punk in their ears and that lived on their flesh the new sounds and ideas of the post punk movement. Even if coming from the U.S., Mark had a lot of contacts in Europe where he released a bunch of his records and where he shared some gigs with Klinik. By listening to THE ANTI-TECH TESTAMENT 1981-1985 it's difficult for me to explain what you can find inside because I like it so much: I can hear so many influences that have been re-processed that I can't name other bands without underlining that Mark succeeded into giving his own print on all the tracks. Some of them are synth based rough melodic songs while some others like "Il pluet a Bruxelles" sound like little post punk gems and if the minimal approach of"3rd party" can catch your attention, the hypnotic "Tsar" will be able to stick its almost theatrical vocal lines into your memory. The pity is that the double set contains only less than 90 minutes of music, while it could contain all the whole first releases which aren't that easy to find. I hope that Mark will reissue all his stuff but without waiting other 25 years! Wait for an interview to Mark Lane on Chain D.L.K. anytime soon...

What can compositions like "Chariots of Fire", "Lucifer", "Popcorn" or "Zarathrouska" have to do with this release? Well, above mentioned pieces are so-called "Synthesizer Classics" and got coupled and re-assembled several times, those tracks are undying melodies which will survive milleniums. If the tracks of this new signing for the Hypervoxx label will reach this status is rather questionable. But musically the compositions of this duo hailing from Greece tend into the same direction. I could resist to have a listen of their stuff in advance through their Myspace account, as I’ve heard about their signing. So the surprise was on the side of Simon and Yiannis and the label. AKRON, written originally with the Greece letter O (Omega) simply to document their belonging, play a sort of instrumental Industrial-Orchestral music. It is a never heard before mixture featuring several string and classic sounds, human voice sounds, warm synth bass lines and a mostly straight forward attitude. The result is remarkable, real and experienced synth play is balsam for my wounded ears. Comparisons are hard to figure out, parts of ENIGMA, INTERMIX or ALAN PARSONS (also regarding "Lucifer") come to mind. One and only point to criticize is the too short playing time of only 39 minutes. Nevertheless it is somehow to hope that this project will earn the deserved attention. I agree totally with the label sheet talking on "the most innovative duo of the century". Applause for this courageous release!

I, Synthesist (aka Chris Ianuzzi) is one of the few synth-pop acts I admire and respect for being original. Now, this one man electronic futuristic pop band is back with a new release following from his critical acclaim best selling album "Avalanche". This six song ep is easy to get into. Eighties tied into the 21st Century sound that will get your undivided attention. "Art Of Survival" is a studied, classy, straight down the line synth-pop record. The music is bouncy and the beat is much more harder with a razorblade edge thump. So mature, confident, accomplished, and powerfully well produced without simultaneously losing the spark vitality and adventure that first urged I, Synthesist out of New York. The tracks combine with some of the best pop melodies around yesterday and today to make this album something special. I consider Mr. Ianuzzi the doctor and scientist pioneer of synth-pop in the new millenium. The new Thomas Dolby and Information Society of this new time and era. Highly memorable 80's vintage sounds you can hear in the songs as well. And the vocals so keen that have Talking Heads David Byrne singing arrangement style. I even play the cd every morning when I wake up, especially when I'm playing Mortal Kombat: Armageddon game on my PlayStation 2 with the tv volume down low or on mute. Chris Ianunzzi is interesting and brilliant with his vision and music in well form.


Tracklistings:

1. Telepathy
2. Time Machine
3. Don't Belong
4. Paradise
5. Pieces
6. Waterfall

Second official CD release for this Argentinean act, again presented and brought to us by the Arkansas-based label BLC Productions. Currently active with the line-up Ricardo Alien, UTB and Loregore they’ve recently added another female member, Laura M, providing the smooth vocal counterpart to the rough and menacing male vocal performance of UTB. While their signature regarding chosen sounds and arrangements compared to their debut "Revenge" almost remains the same, some development in their work can’t be ignored. Their compositions have won a lot of maturity, the synth textures received more details and complexity, and their music is generally stuff designed for some bass line fetishists – real and well-thought compositional work instead of switching some aperggio-generated sounds. Here can be recognized their best ability, their music is rather dedicated to some classic European EBM influences ("El Proceso"!!!), instead to follow the often proclaimed comparison by some bored wannabe-journalists, they would "sound like another HOCICO clone". Also the new female band member Laura M needs to be mentioned, because of the fine idea to add a more extreme contrast to the deep male voice of UTB. This concept works decent on several pieces like "Reality (Out Of Control)" or "Involution" – but at best on the slow ballad "Reign Of Ignorance". Some instrumental pieces, also rather slow and more depending on melodic synth textures, provide a satisfying listening also at your home entertainment, although globally the ALIEN PRODUKT sound works at best in the dark clubs. Two additional remix works by their fellow colleagues of SUICIDE SOLUTION ("El Proceso") and the Brazilian DEAD JUMP ("City Of Fakes") providing a welcome different view on ALIEN PRODUKT’s music. A good album far away from the usual Hellektro formula, which should be able to lay some more attention of the international Electro/Industrial patrons on this act.

A new signing for the South-Florida based Hypervoxx Recordings label, a sub-division of Telegrammetry. TOTAL PAIN KOLLAPZ is a one-man project hailing from Sweden providing us a very "own" version of Dark Electro/Industrial music – but I miss any hint for a website, or simply a Myspace account. Described as being an "anger management project" Tony Pettersson is on work here, but at least mostly caged in his very own world. Somehow the terms of the intended label politic of Hypervoxx came to my mind, although I’m not sure if I have read those content on the Telegrammetry website or if it was a comment done by label chief B.A. LaRed via email. It was about that "Hypervoxx will not only focus on the linear and known Electro/Industrial formula, also more experimental and different styles of music will be presented". This project, although musically based in the above mentioned genres, tends to differ from the known formula. For TPK I can agree that this stuff is experimental-minded, although the used sounds are rather old-fashioned and lack of surprising moments – somehow I feel remembered to some very old SUICIDE COMMANDO recordings out of their early demo tape phase. It is rather unconventional how Tony likes to arrange his stuff, this counts especially for the synth textures. I have at least the impression that a lot of his tunes are trying to integrate the term improvisation – the textures at times don’t follow the harmonic theory. This counts also for the sparse integrated rather whispered vocal performance mostly based on a repetitive "murder-death-suicide-motherfucker" content. Here and there the needed precision seems to be vanished on some tracks, although his stuff is rhythmically arranged. But which sense makes an "anger management project" if the tracks with the few exceptions "Where Are You", "U Can’t Kill Me" and "Faithseeker" are hard accessible, uninteresting arranged and drown into repetitions? For me personally this rather causes anger! After the good releases of TAXIM and the highly anticipated MORDACIOUS I would tend to say, that this Swedish episode is a step back – mankind will survive it...