Coming from Italy, Goj and H2S are already active since 1999 the first and 2001 the latter. They have in common a friendship and a similar musical feeling. They know that their stuff could be filed under "no-music", but listening to the eight tracks I must say that what they do is emotional music and emotions could also find their way through sounds and noises where melody is only a surplus. This common aim made they produce a split mini CD with four tracks each. Goj presents four tracks of what he calls "neuroambient". Trying to explaining how "neuroambient" could sound let’s say that each track could have a different approach to sound/structure and if the opening "Flat-E" is made out of distorted drums and a rarefied distorted organ sound the following "Lotta vs Sonia" changes radically with its looped electronic structure. "Kingdom" sounds like the early Earth (distortion, reverb and chorus on a bass guitar) and the last track "Non, je ne suis pas du tout un excentrique" is an ambient experimental short track with treated radio sources on background of a synthesizer pad. H2S approach to experimental sounds is different because he mix new wave intuitions (see the chorused guitar of the opening "Fragmentation") with industrial taste. In this way the tracks sounds now more noisy and then a little more ambient with noise inserts (like on "Kafka’s parallel dimension" or "Allen mistress on the snow"). The closing "Bondage in the wood" sounds like post punk meets Cabaret Voltaire. Some naivety are evident but this split is definitely worth you attention.

Already the third volume of this underground compilation series, which lately brought a lot of attention to the X-Cem acts like WYNARDTAGE, MAY-FLY or ACYLUM. Like on both predecessors the main number of acts is somehow related to X-Cem or it is done directly by mastermind Kai Arnold presenting one of his numerous side projects. Add to this some new and rarely heard talents of the German Electro/Industrial scene and you’ll got a decent compilation musically mainly based on Dark Electro/EBM, also filled with some Powernoise undertones. Besides WYNARDTAGE or ACYLUM, here are some better known names presented with the Black Rain recording artist DAVANTAGE, the well recognized act TO AVOID, which could release a strong debut-CD as the last official release of the now defunct Dark Wings label, or the Danish classic act NEOTEK, a duo which had seen its best days signed to the Hard Records label. The German one man project VIRTUAL VICTIM is also present here and this act could win surprisingly a talent contest done by the German print magazine Sonic Seducer. Best tracks can be named here in the straight and alternative remix version of "Dead Culture" provided by the X-Cem act ACYLUM, wich finds again the perfect mix to combine Dark Electro with Powernoise elements. Also the track "Love Is Suicide" done by DVATION defenitivly gets my vote for creating a harder Dark Electro piece with known elements comparable near to acts like AGONOIZE – luckily without sounding like a clone. Other pieces worth to mention here are the already named VIRTUAL VICTIM, TO AVOID and also WYNARDTAGE gives a new and unreleased piece here. With the talented duo FORMALIN the included stuff of this compilation turns into harder, noisier and more minimal arrangements – Powernoise is offered on two tracks by SONIC VIOLENCE EXPERIENCE and SENSOGEN. Not in the same league like XOTOX or NOISUF-X, but a welcomed change of style. You’ll get here a real piece of Underground music mainly focusing on Dark Electro/EBM. A well compiled compilation with many up-and-coming acts, from which will be may one a global big player of the scene. This release is at this time the last one ind cooperation with the German SXDistribution. So if you are a distributor, please make sure to contact Kai Arnold of WYNARTAGE to work out a deal...


Track list:

01 MAY-FLY – OUTBREAK (ALBUM VERSION)
02 LA MAGRA – LOST IN DARKNESS (EDIT VERSION)
03 VIRTUAL VICTIM – CLINICAL WHITE ROOM
04 DVATION – LOVE IS SUICIDE
05 ACYLUM – DEAD CULTURE V2.0
06 MORTAL VOID – WORDS
07 TO AVOID – LAST RESORT - SUICIDE
08 HYDROXIE – NO COMPROMISE
09 NEOTEK – MIND-TRAVELLING (EDIT VERSION)
10 SECTOR:HATE – INFERNAL LIES
11 FORMALIN – TRUE FAITH
12 SONIC VIOLENCE EXPERIENCE – DANCEFLOOR KILLER
13 SENSOGEN – NIGHTS AT LAIT SOLAIRE (EDIT VERSION)
14 DEN.C.T.BUG – NACHTZUG (GLEIS 2 MIX)
15 DECLARE – BLIND (ANGEL`S RETURN MIX)
16 WYNARDTAGE – SEVEN YEARS
17 DAVANTAGE – UNBELEHRBAR
18 RE:\LEGION – NACHTHEXEN

Based in Berlin Das Drehmoment started its activity as a record shop but the passion of the owners made them create also a label soon after. In the past five years they didn’t release a lot of stuff but the quality is always at the top if you like analogue sounds and electro music. If you had the opportunity to check one of their first compilations "... Dreht weiter!" (where you can find Super 521, Aurica, The Rorscach Garden, Lokate, KeenK & Dorian E., Quakes, Solenoid, Die Liebe, TecROc, Smäg and Beta Evers) you already know that they are deadly serious into bringing to the attention of electro lovers good stuff from underground acts (unknown for the MTV people). To celebrate the fifth year of activity (started with a compilation co-produced with Genetic Records) Das Drehmoment produced two vinyl album compilations. 5TH ANNIVERSARY COMPILATION VOL.1 gathers eleven tracks/bands for a total length of forty two minutes. The album opens with the instrumental 80s e.b.m. of OstZilator while Keen K’s "TRI - ID" follows (he’s a producer from Berlin which started to do music in the 80s with Kinky Roland, Boy George’s producer) with a track of ambient electro, catchy and hypnotic. Third we find a band we already know (see my reviews of their album here http://www.chaindlk.com/reviews/index.php?id=2298 and wait for their next album for Das Drehmoment and for Kinetik Media in the U.S.A.), Kitbuilders which with "Disco Obsession (RZCZ Mix)" brings a minimal remix of their tune released on the same E.P. back in 2001. Mas 2008 is next with "Du!" (a track of their distinctive new sound really influenced by early e.b.m. and D.A.F.). With Lesbian Mouseclicks the atmosphere gets smoother with their electro pop. Datafreq from Toronto (which will release a new album for Das Drehmoment really soon) presents "Just like 1981" a nice electro wave song with retro bleeping sounds. Minimal electro comes from Slovakia with Imiafan while Beta Evers (founder of the female music network called Kommando 6) is here with "Dry Tears". The Quakes with "Caligula" spice up the compilation with a little bit of industrial guitars while Keen K with Pmuench refresh the air with the synthpop of "Spring". Last but not least comes Jaques Dubroix with "Electronic Age", an hypnotic electronic soundtrack for a futuristic thriller. After few months from the release of VOL.1 here it comes VOL.2. This time Sneak Thief have the honour of opening the dances with "Material Nights", a dance electro tune that sounds like a New Order meet Prince track. Makina Girgir from France are proud to present "White eyes" while Divider (a Kenn K side project) with "Cold eyes" sounds like Jean Michael Jarre playing electro pop (this is a really nice track). FBS (a new band from Berlin) are here with "Don’t touch" (pretty but too minimal) and Aurica follows with "Hypothenuse". Side B sees Electrosexual hailing from Tolouse with their electro dark wave with an edited version of "Trapped inside". Electro wave doesn’t stop here, so Silent Signals from Dortmund are ready for "Waiting for reaction" while Ich helped on production by Keen K did a night version of his "Aberglaube" (a Kraftwerk meet D.A.F. cool track). Legopop (he’s present with "Legopop", a minimal electronic retro tune) and Zhark (his retro industrial e.b.m. with raw analogue samples is here with "Eisenzeit") close the second volume of this celebrative collection. If you are looking for retro sounds and fresh ideas (only few bands need a little tuning up for a whole release) you should definitely give a listen to these compilations. They are limited and you’ll realize that keeping your turntable at home was the right move for your ears!

Meeting on late nineties djs and producers John Taylor and Arif Salih decided to start the Punx Soundcheck adventure in 2002. Four years has passed and the duo didn’t release many things with only their name on them (they did only a couple of E.P.s and a 7" with Marc Almond) but they did remixes for a lot of people (Dead Or Alive, Frau Doktor, Atomizer, Duran Duran, Tigerbeat, etc.). Anyway, now the waiting is over because Punx Soundcheck’s (now joined by Kidrobot) debut album WHEN MACHINES RULED THE WORLD is here and it is double! Divided in two sections ("Home" and "Club") the album brings to the attention of the audience (and not only to club lovers!) twenty top notch tracks of electro influenced by new wave (they pay their tribute to 80s electro wave on "Monument" where they use John Foxx’s "Underpass" melody at the beginning of the track), house and techno. The first CD contains a lot of catchy songs sounding so 80s thanks also to guest like Steve Strange (he sing "In the dark"), Boy George (he’s on "Idiot crowd", an electro melancholic danceable tune where you won’t hear him sounding like on Culture Club), Marc Almond (here you can find the beautiful "Neo burlesque", the B side of the limited 7" "Vanity, poverty, revenge"). Beside these icons you can find also Mr Cormac & Kidrobot, Gene Serene, Princess Julia and Giorgia Alberti giving their help on vocals. This CD is an electro gem but its twin brother is also an amazing one where the electro sound influenced by 80s turns into an hypnotic trip into house and techno. Also on this CD you can find guests like Susanne Aichele (on "Giving me the bleeps", a seducing track based on analog house bleeps and techno melodies), Maria Gutierrez, Larry Tee (he’s on "Creep", a pumping Berlin electro song) or Avenue D ("You don’t know jack" is her tune). The "Club" section sounds raw and it’s impossible to stand still while distorted basses break the silence of your room. We had to wait all this time for WHEN MACHINES RULED THE WORLD but it was worth it!

boris hauf – clark (CDR)

1. SHE WAS A STATE TROOPER

solemn entrance by sharp noise braking the silence – electro-drone laying a bed of electric roses preparing us for ominous washes of vibratory silk

2. HIT ME WITH YOUR PET SHARK-

intertwining beats of wood and steel and skin – borg inplants squealing for attention

3. ANNIE, ARE YOU PUKING ON ELVIS?

naive rhythm – questioning bass – noisus interruptus

4. NON STOP FLIGHT

static entropy brings about electronic ripples of insect intelligences – factory floor dancing – cartwheels of delight and abandon – waiting in line with tinnitus and the awareness of electricity

5. LE CHIEN

do robotic dogs dream of electric cats? – fleas of discontent feeding off the static charge – burying the battery-powered bone – take a nap fido!

6. KEN DOLL IN THE WIND

wind tunnel reverberant plastic hair parted on the girl’s side sending messages of pain and embarrassment to the central core of being without member and less than needed flexibility – oversize the ambient wave for a well needed rest

7. YOUR AUNT'S TRIPE

heart and mind and stomach beat as one – the wonder of essential juices – dissolve! dissolve!