WELLE:ERDBALL – for some enjoyment, for others grief. I was mostly parted with their works inspired by a strong dedication between C64 sounds, German lyrics and a strong influence out of the Eighties and the NDW times. Oldest KRAFTWERK or TANGARINE DREAM also have had some musically influence on the band and there’s for sure to say that their kind is somehow unique. With "Chaos Total" they offer here a new full length CD featuring 20 tracks, a playing of more than 70 minutes and so the whole space a CD can offer. Here are to find some real pearls like the melodious track ""Pouppée de Cire" featuring the French female one-hit-wonder France Gall on the vocals. Both dancefloor hits are also available here named "Nur tote Frauen sind schön" and more especially "Alpha-Tier (C=64)", which is a hardcoristic EBM piece at its best! Check also out the funny "Das Souvenir" where WELLE:ERDBALL move back on their time journey into the earlier tries of electronic-based music to the good old 60ties. WELLE:ERDBALL somehow play with all time eras of electronic music, but rather from the first beginnings than to the newest high-end plug-in synthesizers. Music, message and kind transmit well the feeling of the young 80ties with almost facets of Pop/Wave music up to minimal old-school EBM. For some greenhorns they may offer a nice retro view of some past days, the elders against to this see their glorious days alive.

I should admit that this "release" is a digital-only download item available on iTunes or related. But the label Artoffact from Canada made themselves the effort to send it out as a promotional copy, so there’s no real reason, not to review it. As usual, you have to take a MASSIV IN MENSCH release with a sense of humor. This 6-track EP is a teaser to the upcoming full length CD "Clubber Lang" of this German act, also out soon on Artoffact. And of course – like expected – this release features almost straight produced stuff somewhere between EBM and Futurepop with both lyrics in German and English to storm the dancefloors of the clubs. But it’s doubtful if this "sound of immortality" deserves its name – if so, I wanna die immediately! It’s a dance track available in two versions, yes, but reduced to the message itself and so not a compositional highlight. The second version, a remix work done by THE PROMISE, concentrates a bit more on the music part which is a wise decision. We have then a cover of the female German Pop music icon Sandra and her big media Control hit "Around My Heart", which I would review funny but irrelevant. Same I would say about the featured live version on another classic hit "You’re The Greatest Lover." These both pieces would work well at a drunken beach party. Finally there two more tracks, which can satisfy, a Re-Edit of the track "Morsch" and a B-side named "Secret Side", which features some well done tempo changes. To poke fun on scene to which this act of course counts is not always the fine kind and does not always earn respect. MASSIV IN MENSCH will for sure go on in their style, so lets look forward to the upcoming boxer story of "Clubber Lang".

The name of this German Synthpop trio will always stay in a common line with their most recognized single hit like "The Great Commandment" or "Love Is A Shield". These are classics taken out of the 80ies, still alive and still often on airplay. Their biggest success indeed they could earn later on with better sales of their full length releases and sold-out concerts and tours. Also on "Relocated" this fine trio, luckily still consisting in their old formation of Heiko Maile, Marcus Meyn and Oliver Kreyssig, proves from the first to the last tone that they have nothing unlearnt. I would rather tend to say they moved towards to a highest possible status of quality regarding all important stages of production. The best point on this: it is still Synthpop in its classic form and meaning, there are only a few pieces tending into an Alternative/Rock/Pop outcome like "Confusion" or "Something Wrong" here. May also "We Are Lovers" and my favorite for the next SiCD release after the already announced "Motif Sky", "Passing By" can be easily filled into this, but to me personally these both tracks prove, that CAMOUFLAGE haven’t stopped to listen to the Basildon boys of DEPECHE MODE after "Violator". As I said, "Motif Sky" has received the vote to be released as a teaser in advance of this album – and I’m not sure if this was the right decision. I have found several more impressive tracks which also would do well as a teaser. Check back tracks the ballad-desque and slow "Real Thing", the real Synthpop pearl "The Pleasure Remains" or the long last piece "How Do You Feel?" featuring a special Gospel choir in the back. Well, you see already on this review, that there’s much more to discover on this 13 tracks here. For every Synthpop supporter a real must-have piece, CAMOUFLAGE are back and stronger than ever before!

First CD for Das Drehmoment records after the release of six vinyls (four compilations, a MLP for Divider and an LP for Ich), FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY is the first Datafreq album. Hailing from Toronto, Canada and headed by a guy called Dave Rout, Datafreq isn't the project of a youngster in love with '80s synthetic sounds. Dave already worked with different musical projects since the mid '80s. You want to know the names? Here are some: Methods Of Danse, Technique Berlin and Rational Youth. FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY contains eleven songs deeply influenced by '80s synthpop, new wave and by arcade games. As you can see on the photos contained into the booklet, Dave used early '80s gear like Roland TR 606, Roland Juno 106, Korg MS 20, Clavia Nord Lead 2, etc. He also used along with a vocoder, those educational keyboards called Speak And Spell, creating a retro atmosphere that with the retro gaming visuals of the booklet creates a particolar atmosphere especially if in your teens you owned a Commodore computer or a Spectrum. Talking about the songs, Datafreq doesn't sound exactly like a synthpop band because even if on tracks "Just like 1981", "I desire" or on the instrumental "Circuitropolis" the influence of that genre is clear, on "Diskophonic" new wave and techno are the main references (and that is a really catchy track) while on "Silhouette city" I can hear echoes of the early John Foxx. Blending instrumentals, electro pop songs and new wave sythetic tracks Datafreq succeeded into creating a multifaceted album that convince for its freshness. Daring to experiment a little bit with genres without sticking the songwriting on synthpop and with the right dose of irony, Dave did the right thing and also Das Drehmoment showed its will to produce different kind of bands always being true to the electronic world. P.s. The CD contains also the nice "Arcade junkie" videoclip.

Second full length CD release for this Norwegian trio, this time completely created and produced on their own. For their debut "Elements Of Truth" they could get Sebastian R. Komor of ICON OF COIL doing some production for them. It seems that there can be found especially in Norway several acts focusing Synth-/Futurepop music, just think on some famous fellowmen like APOPTYGMA BERZERK, the already mentioned ICON OF COIL or PRIDE & FALL. But that they are now responsible for all production settings on their own, does of course not mean that they’ve failed somehow – no, it is more the opposite. SPEKTRALIZED could make a nice development and their new tracks are much closer to professionalism and perfection than ever before. The generally sound of the band can be called Synth-/Futurepop and they have taken a long and detailed look into the pots of ingredients of acts like A23, VNV NATION and/or PRIDE & FALL and how they cook their meal – without losing an own signature. Tracks like the strong Futurepop-inspired track like "Shy" or "Broken Thorn" will totally satisfy the friends of the above mentioned acts. But the highlights of this release have to be named with the slower ballads and more classic Synthpop anthems. Make sure to check out the excellent "Beneath You" which gives the most remarkable refrain of all tracks here, or the pure Synthpop piece "In The Rain", which proves that there’s a clear musically boundary between Synthpop and Futurepop. The whole album is a pure entertainment without any failure. It shows a good diversity and is filled with some brilliant ideas. A welcomed alternative to the mentioned big players.