Three years from the previous "Transient messages" album, Phenotract is back with a new one titled SHIFTING. The new CD brings us ten new songs that dismiss the dance influences to embrace a blend of electronic, new wave and pop music with ethereal atmospheres. The thing that is popping up immediately on SHIFTING are the upfront vocals and the reverb layer that seems to permeate the whole sound. The whole album sounds more intimate but there are also upbeat songs like "Separate places" or "Full circle again" to spice up the atmosphere. Helped by Katharine Heller, Niabi Caldwell, Anaben (from the band By Night With Spear) on vocals and by guitarist Gabriel Dorosz, Eric duets with his guests giving to the whole album a touch of dreamy synthpop where the ambience shift from dark to melancholic. At the moment I think to prefer their old style but if you like intimate electronic wave mid tempos with personal lyrics check SHIFTING. On the band's website you can listen to each track.

This is something very unusual for Chain D. L. K.- a purely POP album. We don't get much pop music here; sometimes popular artists within the broad umbrella of our 'out-there' variety of musical genres, but hardly ever pop or even alternative rock music. This is no ordinary pop album though; it is retro-pop (late 60s, early 70s) with psychedelic overtones, Beatles, Beach Boys, Bee-Gees, and Hollies like harmonies and a generally upbeat tone. If this wasn't that damn good I would be temped to toss it in the 'not qualified for this site' pile, or just give it a brief, token review. But truth be told, it's that damn good.

The mastermind behind Marsmobil is Roberto di Gioa, located in Munich Germany, although he was born in Milano, Italy. On this album di Gioia does all the vocals and plays all the instruments (keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, etc.) even though other members of the band (Matteo Scrimali, Ferdinand Kirner, Christian Diener) are listed on the MySpace page as band members. Roberto has an extensive background in jazz- he was the keyboardist for Klaus Doldinger's Passport; toured with Art Farmer; played with Bill Frisell, Woody Shaw, Mel Lewis, Till Bronner and a lot of others. But Marsmobil doesn't really have anything to do with jazz. As I said, this is psych-retro pop-rock that will transport you back decades to a time when all pop music didn't sound like crap, at least in my opinion.

On first listen (which was quite some time ago) I knew I was in for something different. The first track, 'Patience' begins with a pulsing bassline and pleasant vocals backed by those retro-pop ('Good Vibrations') harmony vocals. It's a slight tune but a nice intro of what's to come. 'Crazy Confused Colored Light' takes a walk down 'Penny Lane' and recalls 60s pop groups like the Cowsills, Peppermint Trolley Company, the Family Tree, the Lemon Pipers and dozens of others. It's a snazzy little tune with an infectious hook, a perfect piece of pop-psych. Even the 'Illusionist' shtick is forgivable. Damn! This guy knows his retro-pop'¦much better than Prince's trip 'Around the World in a Day'. 'Ordinary Boy' and 'Moon of Dust' take you even further into Magical Mystery Tour land. The Macca-esque piano-based 'Gonna Be My Day' drifts lazily along followed by the Lucy-in-the-Sky like 'Jane' with Bee Gees style harmonies on the chorus. These hooks just won't quit!

'Never Forget' has an early 70s funky pop bassline progression and reminds me of some group I know I've heard but can't seem to remember. 'Lolly' features a 'Daytripper' guitar riff and mystical keyboard plinks and arpeggios. It's the heaviest track on the album with a healthy does of psychedelia and fuzz guitar nostalgia. Di Gioa's guitar playing is lot closer to Neil Young than George Harrison on this track, but considering what most psychedelic bands of the time sounded like, it's pretty much on the money.

I have to digress here for a moment with a couple of contemporary comparisons. Two bands that seem to be mining similar terrain to some degree are The Apples in Stereo and New Pornographers. These are two highly rated (and charting) indie groups. Marsmobil holds its own with these bands. In fact, I find Marsmobil more engaging overall compared with the aforementioned bands, and I think that Robert di Gioa captures the sound of the time much better than either of them.

To get too deep into every track would make this an arduously lengthy review, but one more needs to be singled out ' 'Monday Tuesday'. This is a PERFECT pop song that should be in the charts. Its simple infectious hook is just too irresistible, too flawless. The rest of the album is filled with a myriad of delights that do not disappoint. In fact, the only weak track on the album is an instrumental called 'Helix Pomatia,' but at less than 2 minutes, it hardly a flaw in this gem of brilliance. I hear a hundred things in the music of Marsmobil, shades of David Bowie and ELO, Blossom Toes, the Move, Beatles, Beach Boys, Bee Gees, the Hollies, early Traffic, and even the Commodores. Yet, Marsmobil sounds exactly like none of these. It is its own entity. I'm sure you'll come up with your own comparisons. As for the cover of the CD, I don't know what the bikini bondage babe standing in front of that painting (Brueghel? Bosch? Somebody else?) has to do with the music but whatever it takes to get your CD noticed, I guess.

It's too bad that Marsmobil doesn't have 'Monday Tuesday' posted on their MySpace site. (They do have other songs from the album, and I highly recommend you go there and listen.) You'll just have to buy the album for that one. It's definitely worth it though. If really great retro psychedelic pop appeals to you at all, this album is A MUST.

Neutral Lies are a duo coming from Lille, Northern France, formed by Jean Francois Dean and Nicolas Delbarre. A DECEPTIVE CALM is their debut album under this moniker but they have on their back years of activity with different bands. Since 1986 they gathered experience with: Mr Collins, The Vegetable Men, Integrite Absolue, A Place Apart, Frenetic Convulsions, Process On and Concept of Xeno. On A DECEPTIVE CALM they focused their musical skills on a mix of synthpop, upbeat electro and melancholic mid tempos someone, at this point, would name Depeche Mode, but Neutral Lies didn't have exactly that goal, because their music is more influenced by electronic new wave (check tracks like"Nostalgia" and "Slough of despond") and a bit of 80's e.b.m. (on the label's note you can read the name of Absolute Body Control). With intimate lyrics that cover the high and lows of human soul (mostly the second ones), Neutral Lies added to an analogue synthetic sound, a vocal style in balance from melody and detachment that sometimes didn't convince me fully even if with different listening you get used to that and you start to enjoy the cool sounds they use.

Hunter Complex is the project of Lars Meijer, guy already involved with Living Ornaments and Psychon and also one of the people who run the Narrominded label. HUNTER COMPLEX is his debut album under this moniker and contains twelve songs that find their roots into 80s electronic / synthpop music. Lars' songwriting recalled me the electronic wave of the last decade of 70s and the first three years of the 80s when people like John Foxx, Paul Haig and Thomas Leer were producing their hits. If you're questioning yourself if there is a reason why I picked up these three names, well for sure there is one: Lars, in my opinion, is looking for the right blend of electronic analog sounds and personal songwriting and for this reason we have intimate song like "Chinese restaurants" and "Fashion street" (with an upfront piano/organ duet that remind me of some Scritti Politti atmospheres), cold wave tunes like "Here is the night" (the last year Lars issued an E.P. with three mixes of the song, the original and the instrumental versions which is available as free download and as MCD) and "Kerosine". If you love all the kind of 80s wave bands, from Human League to ABC passing from A Flock Of Seagulls, Ultravox, Dalis Car or obscure cold wave bands, I suggest you to check Hunter Complex.

This is the second of two CDs that came across my review desk recently (although the releases are not too recent, which is pretty typical in the Chain D.L.K. world) the first being Ctrl's 'Lost in Static'. There are enough similarities (although by no means does the music of the two bands sound the same) and they even share a key joint member (Brad McAllister - vocals, programming, keys) but also enough differences to warrant a comparative review. The commonality is a retro-80s synthpop sound, and although you can hear their influences, there is no one band in particular either one of them sound like. It is rather an amalgam of elements you know you've heard before. They also both happen to come from Austin, Texas.

While Ctrl has a more distinctive vocalist in Alex Virlios, the vocals by Brad McAllister, and other member Brian Pearson (guitar, bass, keys) are more varied and have an instantly likeable quality, like a comfortable pair of shoes. They aren't particularly unique, but the strength of the songwriting more than compensates. It might be prudent to note that Pearson is also the live guitarist for the group Iris.

It is the songwriting that is the chief difference between Low Technicians and Ctrl. Low Technicians have the knack of writing really good hooks, and putting them across with enough sonic variety so that no two songs sound the same. Pearson's guitar is a prominent factor in the sound too. The album is much more moody and subtle than the one by Ctrl. The first track, 'Miles Away' is a strong opener with a good hook, but it's the second track, 'Out There in Silence' that really grabs you. There is so much alternative crossover potential here that it is simply amazing. I can think of about a dozen groups playing major festivals this year that this band outclasses. They should be there.

'We Might Break' is another track with a great infectious hook and good potential on the dancefloor too. There is something so perfect about the construction of these tunes that sets this band well apart from many I have heard lately even without top-notch production. 'While 'Energy Inside' is far from the best track on the album, it keeps up momentum rhythmically, and is probably good dance floor fodder as well. Simple but effective with a filtered sawtooth synth groove. 'Endless' gets my vote for runner-up favorite track on the album. Begins with a cool stomping guitar chord progression and Numanesque atmos-synth in the background which serves as break between the verses. Another cool, effective hook. Almost ends too soon. 'There Was a Time' is an atmospheric track with a good bassline where the guitar is the focal point and the subdued vocals are nearly part of the atmosphere. No killer hooks here but none are needed. If I had to pick one track to sell a friend to sell on this band, it would be 'Otherside'. I love the hook, the synth ambience, the bassline, the rhythm and motion, and vocals and lyrics are pretty cool too. It's the longest track on the album (at only 4:58) and it could have even been longer and I would have been happy. In fact, my only gripe is that this album is just too short at 34:13. Last track, 'Choices' is a slow-moving piece of laconic atmos vaguely akin to the Doves on their more tranquil tracks. A nice way to usher the album out.

As I said before, my only gripe is that the album is too short. A little over 30 minutes is just not enough time to spend with the Low Technicians. Leaves me wanting more, which is a good thing, I guess. If I was an A&R guy from Whatever (major label) Records, and I had to choose between signing Ctrl and Low Technicians, I'd take the Low Technicians. Good songwriting is hard to find, and these guys have the goods to carry it off. Brad, you might just want to put more effort into this project. For me, it's the better bet.