It's been a while that we were waiting for the second Vex'd album and we will still be as Vex'd probably at this point won't be no more. Years ago Jamie Teasdale and Roly Porter moved to different cities and faced the difficulties to work from distant places. They already had something almost ready for the second album but because of the difficulties of working in that way they passed on to other projects. Planet Mu wanted to put something out in any case so they decided to use the tracks they had originally prepared for the second full length and added some remixes they did, just to make understand to people what they did in the meantime. At this point you'd expect that the fourteen tracks of CLOUD SEED would sound as a sort of compilation of remixes and unfinished tracks, well... they don't. CLOUD SEED sound like a strong grime dark electronic middle finger pointed to the sky. The original tunes propose their usual throbbing bass sounds plus slow blasting rhythms: three tracks have guests on vocals (Warrior Queen on "Take time out", Anneka on "Heart space" and Jest on "Disposition") and they sound sorta industrial ragamuffin with experimental attitude. The other tracks show the cinematic side of the duo (check "Remains of the day" or "Shinju bridge"). The remixes are as good as the original and "Bar kimura" (originally by Plaid) shows a new side of the band by coupling dramatic vocals with orchestral sounds and distorted synth waves. Another amazing one is their version of a modern classical tune, "Sutring quertete no.2", by Gabriel Prokofiev. The original was a great orchestral tense tune and Vex'd made of it a dark blast. It's possible that this will be the last Vex'd album, so, don't miss it!

The fine times of "Electro for Turmdrehkranführer" seem to be over, as the status of their famousness grows and grows. German duo PATENBRIGADE: WOLFF offers a new full-length album with a slightly smoother sound outfit than ever discovered before. Lance Murdock and his partner Sven Wolff have reduced their EBM ingredients to integrate a rather more Futurepop-related sound design – although their kind to produce tasty arrangements remains to be the same. "Baustoff" should be able to appeal all of their old fans, they surely will receive several more supporters with this new outfit, which comes out thick and well-thought produced. To reach a higher status of recognition it helps, that they also hired several guest vocalists like Stefan Leukert, Andy Pitzinger (PAINBASTARD) Julia Beyer (CHANDEEN), Antje Schultz (IN STRICT CONFIDENCE), Antje Dieckmann, or André Hartung (SERO.OVERDOSE). Also continuing you’ll get their accident reports happened at the job, as usual placed in short interrupting tracks. This time they could hire the renowned German observer and criminal-biologist Dr. Mark Benecke. To point out the best tunes, I nevertheless prefer the "real" compositions, "Fehler 404" featuring S. Leukert, or the catchy "My Mountains" providing Nadine Stelzer for the lead vocals are worth to mention. Their previously released teaser "Voyage" featuring Antje Dieckmann got also included.
PATENBRIGADE: WOLFF satisfy once again their old fans as well as new and curious listeners with their high-skilled and in-depth produced Synth-Electronica music. If there’s really a tiny flaw worth to pick out, it may could be advantageous, to produce more own tracks featuring own vocals. "Baustoff" offers besides an intro and outro tune only one track "Popmusik für Rohrleger", featuring complete own and original PATENBRIGADE: WOLFF efforts. What happens, if their guest vocalists won’t find the time to perform with them during live gigs? Do they have to perform without their hits, like the ones mentioned above? But thanks to additional live performances providing their own identity and with the help of their guests, they should easily climbing up several more stages to reach famousness. A quite entertaining album and worth to check it out!

May this album title gives already out a hint, what kind of music hides behind this Hungarian-based project. FIRST AID 4 SOULS is five-persons collective, consisting of István Gazdag (lead synths, vocals), Katalin Helfenbein (e-drums, vocals)., Eszter Agiston (vocals), Zoltan Havasi (live sampling/VJ), and Attila Palvaly (drums). They too have hired several guest vocalists to help them out on this album, names like Linda Deamon of the Hungarian Metal-act DRUGZONE, or Aaron Russel of the US-based Electro-project IMPURFEKT coming up here. Musically this album is a bit a victim of different music interests of the single members. You’ll a colorful mixture out of Synth-/Futurepop-related tunes ("Before The Light"), some rather harmless Hellectro-related tracks ("Painkiller"), while you’ll also in between get a sort of Neo-Classic inspired work like "First Aid". They offer diversity to fight against that typical stereotyped thinking – everything seems to be musically allowed, as long as it is difficult enough for us fucking reviewers to sort them stylistically clear in. Personally impressed I felt with that energetic tune "Powa", although some heavy guitar-like inserts can be noticed. These Hungarians seem to feel familiar with multiple styles, although that album looses a bit intensity with the latter tracks. But to tip on some unnecessary lengths and avoidable repetitions may wouldn’t be fair for a quite good and entertaining debut release, although I fear that a versatile style-listener still needs to be born at first. As for a fine passing mention, FIRST AID 4 SOULS is the first music-project directly signed by the German Electro-Arc label and its mastermind Michael "Intrendent" Maier. Under this label moniker he has previously released some well recognized underground compilations featuring new talents completed with a few known band names, so this release means a new challenge for him.

It’s unbelievable, that a new audio sign of life behind the New York-based Electronica-project DIGITAL GEIST has taken 3,5 years in the making, since the last album, the high prolific and awarded "The Zero Engine", has been a promising start into a seemingly bright future for this act. This music project of Alex Kourelis and his partner N3wt offers with this EP 4 new and long-awaited tracks. Still providing the state-of-art regarding sound and recording quality, his newest audio results convince the audience once again with skillful Electronica sequencer works, modern synthesizer sounds and a straight and steady beating rhythm section. Mainly active in an attractive form of Techno-/Trance-related sound environment, this EP is an appetizer for an upcoming new album as well as a promotional tool for live performances. The opening track "Aeroplane" may works as being the best tune here, especially its deep drilling synth bass lines approving Alex’ and N3wt’s talent to create modern sounding arrangements, which also entertain the listener under a pair of headphones. Second and third track is "Luna Patrol" in two parts, which both push the speed to a higher and more dancefloor-oriented level. Since both parts got right in time separated into two versions, this track – consumed in one spin – gets a bit too repetitive. Last, but not least, they present us the title tracks of this EP, which continues with a comparable bpm number, as well as with a guest appearance of Bill Boulden/Spruke for the vocals. This guy also provided some guitar riffs to back up the depth of the arrangements for this track, which means a relatively new form to express music for DIGITAL GEIST. Only 4 tracks and 21 minutes aren’t enough, to catch an impression of the whole DIGITAL GEIST sound empire – no wonder, since "The Zero Engine" is still in mind. This EP sounds promising enough, to bridge easily the time for the next full-length album.

Distributed by Juno Digital, BUBBLE & FREEZE is the newest Playdoe release. It contains two new tunes by the South African duo, I interviewed some months ago, plus nine remixes of the main song. "Ice cream" is an upbeat electro tune with hip hop vocals and grime bass/drums rhythms. It's refrain will stick into your head and make it perfect for a sunny ride near the seaside while surfists cover the horizon. Also the female/male duets are making of this a really catchy song. "Champoon" is more focused on electro hop standards with its mid tempo rhythms and dark atmospheres. With these new tracks Playdoe confirm themselves a great band that for sure are ready for releazing an album that for sure will be a blast. Last but not least on this digital release you'll find nine remixes of "Ice scream" that are able to enhance its melodies or change it in particular ways (check Kaptain Cadillac dry version where picked guitar samples change the song in a nice way). Riot Kid, Kaptain Cadillac, Zôl & Illstm, Square Tune Magician, Digital Fighter, Club Cheval, D.L.i.d and Chris de Luca are giving their best to entertain you and make you dance... a great song for great remixes.