The weekly compendium 05/04/2013

Hello one and all. This week has been another somewhat shorter one than usual but we've still managed to bring you plenty of articles to keep your minds stimulated. The first being a cracking interview from Kevin Morris with Mexican aggrotech duo Hocico that was conducted just before their brilliant show at the Electrowerks a couple of weeks ago. We've also had reviews of the new Attrition and Mesh albums as well as news from Suicide Commando, Wave Gotik Treffan, Alfa Matrix, The Mission and Projekt Records.

Over on the social media pages we've seen a brilliant new videos from Inertia and Black Tape For A Blue Girl as well as previews of a new track from Psy'Aviah and a board-game from Abney Park.
There has been a new crowd-sourcing campaign from Matt 'The King Of Kickstarter' Fanale for his new Caustic EP, as well as a thank you from Alt-Fest. We had the news that DEVO will be re-releasing some of their earlier work and that the Sophie Lancaster Foundation have finally convinced Greater Manchester Police to treat attacks on members of subcultures as hate crimes. And if that wasn't enough there have also been tour announcements from Wednesday 13 and seminal author Neil Gaiman. AND some promising new sounds from a new project called Hope Estheim.

Finally, that infamous Nine Inch Nails April Fools joke also made a reappearance on the band's Tumblr page and we just had to re-post it!

So that was our week and we have a lot more in store for you after the weekend. But for now I'll leave you with the answer to that question you are all asking yourselves: What does an Abney Park themed board-game actually involve???

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Projekt Records releases free Convergence XiX sampler

Seminal US darkwave label Projekt Records has released a free download sampler featuring four of their artists who will be playing this years Convergence festival in Austin Texas.

The sampler features Mirabilis, Unto Ashes, Adrian H And The Wounds, and Soriah and contains two previously unreleased songs.

The album is available to download from the Projekt Records Bandcamp page for free or whatever you would like to donate.

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Review: Mesh - 'Automation Baby'

MESH 

'Automation Baby' 

DEPENDENT 

The duo of Mark Hockings and Richard Silverthorn have created a legacy in Mesh that is truly enviable. Their back catalogue of electro/synthpop albums has been of a consistently high quality for over twenty years now, which has sometimes seen them become victims of their own success. And it is this that their fifth full-length studio album, 'Automation Baby', must measure up against. A daunting task by anyone's estimation, yet Hockings and Silverthorn still manage to breathe new life into their sound.

It is apparent from the the first bars of 'Just Leave Us Alone' that they are on top form as they demonstrate that the past three years since 'A Perfect Solution' has been time well spent. Playing-off the bands penchant for anthemic choruses and memorable melodies, the up-tempo, energetic style propelled by Hockings' strong vocal delivery is both infectious and emotive giving 'Automation Baby' both universal club appeal as well as a lot of live potential.

Songs like the lead single 'Born To Lie' as well as 'Automation Baby', 'This Is The Time', 'Flawless' and 'When The City Breathes' are instant hits that draw from the band's classic sound and will no doubt become integral to the band's live show. While the likes of the two 'AB Incidental' tracks, 'The Way I Feel' and 'You Couldn't See This Coming' simply display the skilful and emotionally evocative writing and execution befitting of two veterans of this calibre.

The album, as you'd come to expect is flawlessly mixed and produced. But best of all, it highlights that Mesh are not afraid to mix more complex arrangements with commercial viability. As a result the album feels a lot more mature and works on a lot of levels so that across the fourteen tracks (clocking up over an hour in total length) the band constantly hold the listener's interest.

Mesh have always been ambitious and on 'Automation Baby' they fully realise their goals in creating not only one of the strongest albums in their own discography, but in the electro-pop genre as a whole.

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The Mission sign with The End Records

British gothic rock legends The Mission have announced the inking of a new deal with US-based label The End Records for the release of their as yet unnamed twelfth album.

Vocalist/guitarist Wayne Hussey stated:

“Well, who would’ve thought it 12 years ago when we were touring Europe with my mate, Ville Valo and HIM, that we’d end up on The End Records with them in the good ol’ USA somewhere further down the track.
“Very nice to share a label with the legends that are Anvil too and looking forward to blagging some new Dandy Warhols CD’s…If we ask for drugs just laugh and say you can’t get any. It’s healthier for us and for you. See you soon.”

The band will set about recording the album on the 18^th of April, the process of which will be recorded for their forthcoming documentary.

The album will be produced by David M. Allen (Depeche Mode, The Cure) who comments:

“It is a privilege and an honor to be working with the Mission on their new album for The End Records, I’ve had many dealings with the band over the last 30 years that I have known them, and this chance to record with the original members is very special”

The band will also be playing the following US dates:

September 3 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
September 4 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
September 5 – New York, NY @  Irving Plaza
September 6 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
September 7 – Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues
September 10 – Los Angeles @ Club Nokia
September 11 – Las Vegas, NV @ LVCS
September 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
September 14 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
September 15 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox Theater

For more information on the band and to keep-up-to-date with news on their forthcoming album, please visit their official website.

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Review: Attrition – 'The Unraveller Of Angels'

ATTRITION 
'The Unraveller Of Angels'
SELF-RELEASED 

The sound and imagery of Attrition evokes a sense of standing in an abandoned space. A crumbling edifice where the ghosts of those who lived there and events that transpired there linger as palpable presences and a heavy feeling. The beat driven tracks have percussive and sequenced structures characterized by great precision and strategic stabs of distorted guitars. Woven through this precise and cold sonic architecture are layers of more free-flowing, ambient and organic elements, populating the space carved out with haunting spectres. Martin Bowes' vocals move among the spirits. Unlike the way the vocals cut through to the forefront on 1991's A tricky Business they embed themselves at the centre  Interestingly, the vocals are more another instrument in the speakers, but through headphones they it's like they come from within the listener's head, clear and intelligible.

There are may details of the arrangements and production that impress and fascinate throughout. The way the strings are captured, so one can hear the drag of the rosinous bows and the tone of the wood. Many underground releases can work a lo-fi aesthetic to their advantage and an immaculate production can often de-claw and de-fang what would otherwise be a more potent experience, but with Attrition the superior recording and mastering are elements of the overall artistry.

Opening introduction 'The Unraveller' with its layers of inviting spoken voices opens up the door to the world that unfolds on this release, leading into the synthetic and skittering descent of 'Karma Mechanic'. Intriguing and forward lurching in its spare insistence. There's no turning back.

'Narcissist' pounds out an infectious dance groove that swells and opens up in a breathless chorus and pulls back into the hard charging breakdowns. 'Histrionic' comes in with a an up-tempo beat and a keening violin and builds on with layers of piano, strings and electronics to a crescendo. This  peak resolves into the opening string section of 'One Horse Rider', a ritualistic fever dream of a song juxtaposing languid violins with mounting percussion and passionate backing vocals. 'Snakepit' and 'Suicide Engineer' both give the guitar more of a role. The guitar is in the pocket of the grooves, which works best accenting the waltz feel of the latter. 'The Causal Agent' with its atmosphere of encroaching, slow moving menace winds up with a groove like a subtle mental shift, like a decision made that builds with increasingly heavy percussion and ever more rapturous voices.

'Hollow Latitudes' combines the classical and electronic strains in a very hauntingly beautiful way. The track opens with a lone melancholic piano and violins come in one by one interweaving a melody that develops and circles around itself. It builds, pulsing and ritualistic, pulling the listener into its narrative psychogeography. 'The Internal Narrator' – the title for this song would be a good way to describe the feeling Martin's vocals convey here. Plucked piano strings ring dissonant and scratching among the floating voices and feedback guitars. Percussive explosions come like poltergeists slamming doors.

On 'The Unraveller Of Angels' many special guests, including Mona Mur, Matt Howden, Annie Hogan, Erica Mulkey (Unwoman), Ian Arkely and more. The star of this twisted tale is the songs and every contribution, every element supports the songs and with this, the listener is well served.

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New releases from Alfa Matrix

Belgian electro label Alfa Matrix has announced the new albums by Ayria and Helalyn Flowers are available to pre-order now through the Alfa Matrix webstore.

The fourth album from Canada’s Ayria, 'Plastic Makes Perfect', will be released on 24th May and comes out in a deluxe carton box edition with extras including photos, poster, sticker, etc. and a bonus remix disc featuring reworks from bands like Daniel B. (Prothese/Front242), Project Pitchfork, Komor Kommando, Rotersand, Aaimon, Psy'Aviah, and Junksista.
All fans buying the new album's limited edition via the Alfa Matrix e-shop or through Ayria's website will get the Free twelve-track 'Pretty Plastic Mess' CD album with exclusive additional remix work from Rotersand, Armageddon Dildos, Essence Of Mind, Implant, Acylum, AD:KEY, Aesthetische, and Cervello Elettronico.

Track List:

CD1 'PLASTIC MAKES PERFECT'

1. Hunger
2. Big Plans
3. All That Glitters
4. Games
5. Plastic Makes Perfect
6. Missed The Mark
7. The Box Under My Bed
8. Friends And Enemies
9. Three Months
10. Big City Lullaby
11. The New Style Of Riot
12. Letter From An Angel

CD2 'PLASTIC MAKES PERFECT limited' (only available in the 2CD limited carton box)

1. Missed the Mark (PROJECT PITCHFORK mix)
2. Plastic Makes Perfect (KOMOR KOMMANDO's imperfection mix)
3. Games (ROTERSAND mix)
4. Three Months (HELL:SECTOR mix)
5. Plastic Makes Perfect (Daniel B. PROTHESE mix)
6. Games (AAIMON mix)
7. Big City Lullaby (PAX SONO mix)
8. Hunger (DIMENSION FLUX mix)
9. Missed The Mark (PSY'AVIAH mix)
10. All That Glitters (GNY mix)
11. Missed The Mark (JUNKSISTA mix)
12. All That Glitters (V01D mix)
13. Big City Lullaby (ENCEPHALON mix)

CD3 'PRETTY PLASTIC MESS' (only available via label & band e-shops)

1. Friends And Enemies (ROTERSAND mix) 
2. Plastic Makes Perfect (ARMAGEDDON DILDOS mix)
3. Big City Lullaby (ESSENCE OF MIND mix)
4. Games (IMPLANT mix)
5. Hunger (DESDEMONA mix)
6. Missed The Mark (INTERFACE mix)
7. Plastic Makes Perfect (AD:KEY mix)
8. Missed The Mark (EVEN MORE mix)
9. Hunger (ACYLUM mix)
10. Missed The Mark (INERTIA mix)
11. Big City Lullaby (AESTHETISCHE mix)
12. All That Glitters (CERVELLO ELETTRONICO mix)

The new album from Helalyn Flowers, 'White Me In / Black Me Out', is scheduled for release on 17th May and will also be available as a limited deluxe carton box with the 'Wireless Survivors' bonus disc featuring the duo performing a cover of 'Satisfaction' by The Rolling Stones, as well as their own versions of The Ramones' 'Pet Sematary' and2 Unlimited's 'No Limits'. The album will also feature exclusive electronic remixes by Studio-X, Aesthetische, Psy'Aviah, Inertia, Junksista, Implant, Neikka RPM, Digitalis Purpurea and Cryogenic.

Track List:

CD1

1. Before The Sunshine
2. Collide
3. White Me In Black Me Out
4. Tribes Of The Future
5. Alkaline Twins
6. Electric Night
7. Rid Of Me
8. Shake
9. Utopia
10. Hi-Tech Medusa
11. Lost In Translation

CD2 Wireless Survivors [only available as bonus disc in the limited deluxe 2CD carton box]

1. White Me In Black Me Out [Club Mix]
2. No Limits
3. Pet Sematary
4. Satisfaction
5. Before The Sunshine [AESTHETISCHE Club Mix]
6. White Me In Black Me Out [INERTIA RMX]
7. Before The Sunshine [STUDIO-X Remix]
8. White Me In Black Me Out [PSY'AVIAH RMX]
9. Before The Sunshine [Before The Sunset 1984 Mix by IMPLANT]
10. White Me In Black Me Out [JUNKSISTA RMX]
11. White Me In Black Me Out [NEIKKA RPM Remix]
12. White Me In Black Me Out [DIGITALIS PURPUREA RMX]
13. Tribes Of The Future [The Future’s Uncertain Mix by CRYOGENICA]

For more information on Helalyn Flowers and Ayria, please visit their official websites.

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Interview: Hocico

Soundtrack To The End Of The World...

"In my opinion you really have to be ready to lose everything including friends and family and you’ve got be really crazy to give up everything for what you love."

With over 20 years in the industry, Hocico are certainly one of the better known and respected acts in the electro/industrial scene.  New album ‘El Ultimo Minuto’ carries on their tradition of harsh beats and abrasive melodies, with a theme of “sound track to the end of time”.

Kevin Morris caught up with them for a brief chat at their recent London show.

It’s a surreal day already. Gig days are usually hectic. Things go wrong, things get delayed and there is this constant fight against the ‘doors opening time’ and any associated curfews. But, the soundchecks are done. For all bands. Everything is calm and relaxed. Surreal.

Erk and Oscar always seem calm and relaxed. If Erk was any more laid back he’d be horizontal! A total different persona from the maniac stomping around on stage! He doesn’t even seem to have let travelling get to him too much.
“We hit traffic from the airport, so it took us about 90 minutes to get here from Gatwick, it was difficult but we made it- and we’re doing good!”

Although tonight’s show in London is well attended and is a great atmosphere, it’s still small fry to what they’ve achieved elsewhere globally. They’ve been creeping up festival bills for years and last year headlined the M’era Luna festival.

“We’ve been around for 20 years now, it’s good but we’re still full of energy to go on, it’s pretty crazy to us that we’re a 20 year old band, it doesn’t feel like it, but we’ve been around for 20 years!”

This is almost criminal. They do not look old enough to have been doing a band for 20 years. Note to self: get Hocico’s diet tips.

“Our souls are young even if we are not so young! It’s good that we can headline festivals, it’s great. It’s great.”

It’s not just M’era Luna either, shows back in Mexico are also big deals.

“We get like a minimum of a thousand people, it’s close enough not underground music any more… but the amount of people who come to hour shows there, it’s just crazy!  It’s like a really giant party”

Away from the excitement of live shows, there is the matter of the new album, 'El Ultimo Minuto'….

“Part of the concept of the album is like a sound track to the end of time, the other is the idea is you gotta live your life to the fullest, you never know when the last day will come.”

Is that an important philosophy of yours?
“Yeah, every day could be the last day so I really enjoy living life to the fullest.”

The album came out at about the same time as the alleged “Mayan’s Predict end of world” saga last December (of course, the reality was it was merely the end of the calendar – but morons do like to blow things out of propotion). Erk admits that this may have a small impact on the songwriting.

“Yeah, the whole concept of the album is influenced by this  misconception of culture and of the Mayan calendar, this panic and paranoia of how the world was going to end got into the music somehow, we used all this paranoia to make some music!”

Just as the media used it to sell a lot of newspapers…

“The media don’t show the whole picture. It’s hard to get through but people should question what they see or hear. The internet should always be free, the internet is powerful, TV is just bullshit, that’s not reality and it’s sad that internet is getting more and more controlled; I think it’s important that people fight for their right to say whatever they want.”

Erk and Oscar are cousins, they spent many of their younger life together, as they had similar musical tastes.   So, for all their history, it’s said with a smile when asked what Hocico feel their biggest achievement has been, “That we don’t hate each other!

“Of course being in a band sometimes it’s too close and unbearable, but we’ve learned to live together and it’s very important to work through our differences, we need to.”

There’s a growing discontent amongst bands who are not happy with their lot, or maybe bands who are happy but still want to build to achieve more, Hocico have simpler ambitions for the future.

“I would like to keep on doing what I do, that’s my biggest wish. As long as I can make or produce music, I don’t have expectations to get into the charts or stuff like that, I mean it would be cool but it’s not like a goal.

“It’s funny, I mean we’re pretty much lucky bastards in that we can make a living on music, I know that not every band has a chance to do it but we feel pretty lucky and we appreciate that, we know lucky we are.”

It’s very apparent that Hocico are very humble – they’re thankful of what they’ve achieved and appreciative of their success. But is it luck? Skill? Or more than that…?

“In my opinion you really have to be ready to lose everything including friends and family and you’ve got be really crazy to give up everything for what you love. If you’re not ready for this it will be pretty hard to change from a hobby at the weekends. People who really make it in music are people who really concentrate. For us we’re too radical to do jobs, so we do this. Is it art or is it death? I can only do what I do or I die.”

Which almost takes us full circle, so… given the theme for the album and interview…what would you do if you were given just one day to live?

“What would I do?  Well I mean as I said I live every day to the fullest I would probably just do the same as what I’m doing now, if I found out I’m dying tomorrow, I’d just play a show you know? Just go to London and play a show, a party for the end of the world!”

And they did…

Hocico's latest album, 'El Ultimo Minuto (Antes De Que Tu Mundo Caiga)' [check out our review HERE - Ed.] is available now via Out Of Line. Kev's review of the Hocico show at Electrowerks is also available to view HERE. For more information on the band please visit their official website.

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New additions to Wave Gotik Treffan

The latest names have been added to the already strong line-up for this year's festival in Leipzig:

Lacrimosa, Hypnoskull, Burn, Future Trail, Tears Of Othila, Wolfchant, Vermaladyt, and The Cassandra Complex.

The number of artists appearing at WGT this year now stands at 96 and includes Abney Park, Suicide Commando, Skeletal Family, Gitane Demone, VNV Nation and KMFDM.

The festival will take place this year from 17th May until 20th May. For more information please visit the official Wave Gotik Treffen website. 

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Suicide Commando announce 'When Evil Speaks'

Belgian helektro veteran Suicide Commando AKA Johan Van Roy has announced his new album, 'When Evil Speaks', will be released on 3^rd May via Out Of Line Records and the rest of the world via Metropolis Records on the 14^th May. The album will be available as both a standard and limited edition CD release as well as in a special edition steel box set which will also feature a vintage live CD, 'Rewind'.

'When Evil Speaks' CD1:1. Feeding My Inner Hate
2. Cut_Bleed_Eviscerate
3. My Blasphemy
4. When Evil Speaks
5. Monster
6. Attention Whore
7. Repent Or Perish
8. In Guns We Trust
9. Time (Rewind)
10. Unterwelt
11. Evacuate -Where's The Exit Remix
12. Song Of No Tomorrow

'When Hate Prevails' CD 2:1. My Blasphemy -Die Sektor Rmx
2. Attention Whore -Incestuous Rmx by Alien Vampires
3. When Evil Speaks-Shiv-R Rmx
3. My Blasphemy-Absolute Body Control Rmx
4. Repent Or Perish-vProjekt Rmx
5. When Evil Speaks -Sin Dna Rmx
6. My Blasphemy -Dust Rmx by ES23
7. Evacuate -Apocalyptica Remix by Betamorphose
8. Attention Whore-Hydra Division V Rmx
9. Monster -Unter Null Rmx
10. My Blasphemy -Cygnosic Rmx
11. God Is in The Rain -First Black Pope Rmx
12. Attention Whore -Nano Infect Rmx
13. Song Of No Tomorro -Controlled Collapse Rmx

Box Set Bonus
Vintage Live CD 'Rewind':1. Murder
2. TV-Obsession
3. Traumatize
4. Sheer Horror
5. The Ultimate Machine
6. Mortal Combat
7. Where Do We Go From
8. Here? (feat. Dirk Ivens)
9. Never Get Out
10. Save Me
11. Time
12. Fate
13. See You In Hell

Suicide commando will also be appearing live on the following dates:

06.04.2013 (Antwerp - Belgium)
19.05.2013 Wave Gotik Treffen (Leipzig - Germany)
24.05.2013 Kinetik Festival (Montreal - Canada)
26.05.2013 (New York - USA)
20.07.2013 (Cologne - Germany)
26.10.2013 (Zürich - Swiss)
09.11.2013 (Augsburg - Germany)
13.12.2013 (Bochum - Germany)

To pre-order 'When Evil Speaks' please visit the Out Of Line webstore. For more information on Suicide Commando, please check out the official website.

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The weekly compendium 28/03/2013

Salutations! OK, so it isn’t technically the end of the week, but I've decided to cynically exploit the beliefs of a mainstream religion in order to have a four day weekend... and I know you're all probably doing the same.

It's not like we have gone light on the articles this week though. We've had news about the next Emilie Autumn European Tour, A couple of surprises from Alfa Matrix and reviews from Clara Engel, Interstitial, Ogenix, Resonance Room and Tyler Milchmann for you to digest.

On the social media front there have been a few interesting posts. Such as sneaky peeks at the new album art from A Pale Horse Named Death and DVD/Blu Rays from Vince Ripper And The Rodent Show. We also plugged the fabulous Rosie Garland's book launch, DJ Joe Letz's upcoming Rammstein support slot, This Mortal Coil's Louise Rutkowski Pledge campaign, the new charity MP3download from New Zero God featuring Maxi Nil [Visions Of Atlantis] and the latest Kickstarter campaign from Caustic. And finally, for those who like moving pictures, we saw a couple of videos from Formalin and The Last Cry.

So now it's time to kick back and stuff ourselves stupid with chocolate in memory of a killer bunny... Oh, that's not what Easter is about? Ah well, I like my version better...

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