We have here a long awaited follow-up CDEP of LETHARGY’s impressive debut "In-Macula", out somewhere at the fall of 2003. But to tell you the truth, and maybe you have heard or read about it in online forums: this EP will maybe never officially released because the band and their label Black Flames ended up all co-operations in some bad terms. The whole situation seems very unclear and difficult for outsiders, so I advise you to make your contact to the band, the management Hellcity or the German distributor E-Noxe who could help here. To the music: LETHARGY do present us here a long 10 track EP which features several remix works by more (both Alfa Matrix recording acts IMPLANT and NEIKKA RPM...) or less known names (ISENNGARD from Mexico, MORPH UNKOWN from the USA...). This release was designed to bring some more danceable attitudes to the usually more melancholic stuff of this band. Some of the presented remix works can easily used to keep the dancefloors of all dark halls burning ("The Golden Light" and "Emotion" remixed by LETHARGY themselves, "Future Time" remixed by IMPLANT...). Most outstanding piece is the remix work on "Nothing to Hide" done by the French Electronica act OIL 10. Clear and marvelous female vocal performances done by Mayte Cruz and a rich melodic musically content make an impressive effort both enjoyable at home as well as useable on the dancefloors. Strong diversity is present here through the musically very different directions of the chosen remix bands although the whole atmospheric content get lost. Impressive release of a talented band hailing from Spain. It is a pity that their situation is currently very difficult and I wish them the very best that they will soon find a way to be present with new stuff for the audience.

A new hugh smash hit in the underground synth-pop scene, Celeste Noir are back with their second full-length release and follow up to the ep "Beware Of..." Their latest cd "...The Fire Inside" is a continuation left off in its electronic pop and horror brilliance club and dance form. I worship this band very heavily still. Their hard work in making this record is very challenging. Every record they release never sound the same. Germany's trio always seem to keep their fans and listeners begging for more. This time the band add some new seasoning flavor, EBM, to some of their dope upbeat dance tracks like "The Maniac", a hardfloor tune about a demon who possessed a woman in her dreams and mind and watches over her. "Isolation" and "The One I Left Behind" is a top notch killer. There's a couple of mid-tempo songs such as "Candle" that reminds me of Depeche Mode 80's style. The drama suspense "Heartbeat" goes great to a thriller movie soundtrack. It features some dialogue samples from a German movie. And for a long cold winter season, the beautiful track "Winter People" will be a good theme for those who likes to gather around with their family, friends and neighbors singing outside with candles lit up or a lighter waving back and forth in hand. The melody of the piano accompaniment makes the song more very pleasurable to enjoy. This is an excellent release for fans of synth-pop and Depeche Mode. 100% highly recommended!

German synthpop trio Absorber seems to run at cross purposes. On the one hand, in their instrumentation and vocal style the band does its best to make a legitimate bid for commercial crossover with this release, raising the specters of Depeche Mode and solo-era Peter Murphy with all approval. But I can't help but get the sense that Open Your Eyes is aimed at the teenie market more than anywhere else. The doll's face on the cover seems to suggest as much (and by the way, call me old and jaded but I have never understood the whole torn-up dolly thing in the goth/industrial scene. Fucking GROW UP already, people...).

It could be that Absorber have just a bit of a language barrier to overcome in their songwriting (just one of the twelve tracks is sung in German), and that I misunderstand who their intended audience is. But with lyrics like "Desire always wins/You are me/Can't you see/You might be happy," it's quite obvious that this kind of cutesy carpe-diem sentiment is strictly for fifteen-year-olds snogging in the girl's bedroom, the dude trying to get her training bra off. The cloying bubblegum and kiddie-sweat aroma is already way too overpowering to even continue.

ZERO is the second CD for the German band called The Count and it is their first release for Dark Wings. The CD contains twelve eclectic tracks with German and English lyrics. The first thing that pop out of the album is the mixture of e.b.m., goth (see the use of distorted guitars and of female vocals on some tracks) and synthpop that characterize The Count music. The voice sometimes is whispered, sometimes is highly melodic and sometimes it shout out loud the introspective lyrics ("I am a lifeform just like you and I was free before they forced me into stiff directions and broke my mind" excerpt from "Sinus"). Recorded in their personal studio, ZERO is a fresh album that could ease your day with its dark melodies (see "Lichtertanz" or the following "Pulse"). The album place itself into a certain alternative genre but it do it well and for sure the band will find their base of fans that will be excited into following them.

This album represents my first exposure to Germany’s Endanger. Not being the world’s biggest fan of synthpop, that’s more an indictment of my tastes than a criticism of this particular band – in fact, if "Addicted to the Masses" is any indication of the quality of their previous two albums, I should probably be paying more attention! This duo’s music is slick, well-produced, highly emotive, and catchy as all hell. Rouven Walterowicz’s strong vocals, delivered with stunning clarity, are a perfect match for the hook-infested tunes churned out by programmer Marc Pollmann. Among the nine new tracks on this disc (not counting "Enter the remix zone," which is more of a short bridge between the regular and bonus tracks), almost all of them are upbeat dancefloor odes that should set even the most stoic toes a-tapping. "Like heaven," "Sp,rst du¥s nicht ?!" and "I come undone" are personal favorites. There’s also a very nice ballad called "I count on you" that is notably more laid back than the rest of the songs.The disc also includes seven bonus tracks. Five remixes of "Give Me a Reason," including their own "club mix," alongside remixes by Assemblage 23, NamNamBulu, Massiv in Mensch, and Hecq. The "Rock Lobster" synthline in the "Pestillanz Mix" by Massiv in Mensch is a nice little hidden treasure. There is also a "2004 hardbeat" mix of "Mein Stern," which originally appeared on the album Eternalizer in 2002. The track list is slightly different on the US (Nilaihah) and European (Infacted) releases, but nothing too drastic. Very reminiscent of Wolfsheim or Covenant – sparkling fresh and squeaky clean!