Review: Laibach – 'Spectremix'

LAIBACH
'Spectremix'
MUTE RECORDS

Laibach are a force of nature in the world of music. The band have, for 30 years, presented an unrivalled tour-de-force of avant garde art dressed as pop music set on subverting the mainstream. With albums such as 'Nova Akropola', 'Let It Be', and 'WAT' they pushed buttons, provoked, celebrated and mocked the meat on which they fed. In 2014 the collective released 'Spectre', hailed as their most complete and political album to date, the world seemed to have finally caught up with the Slovenians.

In 2015 the band release the deluxe version of the album including the bonus remix album 'Spectremix' (which is also available as a standalone release). The band are no strangers to remixes and collaborations to rework their material as can be seen with the 2^nd disc of the band's 2004 “best of” collection 'Anthems' which collected some of the more notable ones together.

In a world where the remix album is a necessity for most bands to extend the shelf-life of the original, it seems strange at first that the group would play along with this new convention. But Laibach being Laibach, there is always an ulterior motive. The band have always looked to dance orientated producers and artists to allow their message to spread into dance floors in the forms of what ever the current trends happen to be.

This time around the duties fall to producer Marcel Dettmann, labelmates Diamond Version, Sandwell District’s Function, longtime collaborator iTurk, Slovenian electro-pop band Torul, Scottish DJ and producer Alex Smoke, German DJ, producer and co-founder of the Common Sense People event series Konstantin Sibold, and Slovenian producer, DJ and musician Gramatik. The result of which is a varied and intelligent blend of EDM, IDM and Techno that preserve the menace of the source material. In particular it is the likes of Diamond Version, iTurk, Torul, Function, and Konstantin Sibold provide the highlights on the album, giving the tracks suitably interesting and different sounds.

There is one issue though with the album, which is the repetition of songs. Instead of offering up all of the tracks on the original for remixing, there is just a small selection available, and the omissions in some cases are glaring. But there is no denying that even in this reworked form the tracks, no matter how different they are from the originals, they still cut through with Laibachian wit and menace. At the end of the day though, especially as a digital only release (why no limited vinyl run?!), this is one that is really just for the DJs and completeists out there.  

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Review: Garek – 'Take The King Vol. 1'

GAREK
'Take The King Vol. 1'
SELF-RELEASED

You may have seen the videos for the incendiary slices of pop-industrial that Garek has released prior to his début EP in the form of 'Cavity', 'Save The Queen' and his cover of Katy Perry's 'E.T'. If you haven't had the pleasure yet then you've been missing out. Garek presents a satisfying blend of electro mixed with industrial rock and given a radio-friendly pop veneer that recalls the classic years of Marilyn Manson, Orgy, Nine Inch Nails, and recent acts such as Aesthetic Perfection. Throw in a glamorous presentation and a genuinely artistic idiom and you have a winning formula.

The début EP, 'Take The King Vol. 1', collects the first single 'Save The Queen' alongside the cover of 'E.T', 'Cavity', and 'My Animal'. It is a short, sharp but precise introduction to the New York based artist and one that promises a very bright future to come. Hard dance beats, soaring choruses, memorable melodies and big sing-a-long moments mark this not only as a great selection of dance-friendly tracks but ones that will undoubtedly impress when performed live.

The production is absolutely top-notch and can't really be faulted. It has a grinding industrial rock underbelly, but the electro-pop influences and Garek's radio-friendly vocals cut through the mix to create an accessible and unashamedly pop-orientated sound.

The EP is brief clocking in a t just over twelve minutes in length and refreshingly doesn’t include any tacked-on remixes, instead keeping to the short but complete statement of the four tracks. But despite it's length it hits its mark with ease. Garek has a great sound that won't fail to inspire a big following and perhaps even some cross-over success down the line. Hopefully there will be a full-length effort on the horizon with which Garek can capitalise on the interest generated by this EP.  

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WGT lineup keeps growing

The roster for this year's Wave Gotik Treffan festival due to take place in Leipzig, Germany continues to grow with several more big names added to the bill recently. Currently there are 118 bands/artists confirmed for the festival's stages in May:

.com/kill (D) - Accessory (D) - Agent Side Grinder (S) - Antimatter (GB) akustischer und elektrischer Auftritt - Ari Mason (USA) - Ash Code (I) - Ashes You Leave (HR) - Ashram (I) - Astari Nite (USA) - Asynje (DK) - Automelodi (CDN) - Bella Donna (D) - Bergtatt (N) - Birdmachine (D) - Black Lung (AUS) - Blood And Sun (USA) - Captain Reckless & The Lost Souls (AUS) - Cacophoneuses (F) - Centhron (D) - Clan Of Xymox (NL) - Crash Course In Science (USA) - Cromdale (D) - DAF (D) - Dark Funeral (S) - Deine Lakaien (D) - Der Weg Einer Freiheit (D) - Die Kammer (D) - Diorama (D) - Distel (NL) - Doppelgänger (RUS) - Dupont (S) - Eisbrecher (D) - Eisregen (D) - Eluveitie (CH) - Empathy Test (GB) - Esa (GB) - Escape With Romeo (D) - Euzen (DK) - Evi Vine (GB) - Faey (D) - Falloch (GB) - Fields Of The Nephilim (GB) Konzert zum 30. Jubiläum - Fixmer/McCarthy (F/GB) - Frank The Baptist (USA) - Frigoris (D) - Front 242 (B) - Ghosts Of Dawn (D) - God Seed (N) -Grendel (NL) - Harmjoy (D/USA) - Heldmaschine (D) - Hezzel (LV) - Jo Quail (GB) - Kaunan (D) - Keluar (D/GB) - King Dude (USA) - Kingdom Of Heaven (USA) - Klutae (DK) - Koffin Kats (USA) - L'ame Immortelle (A) - L.E.A.F. (NL) - Last Dominion Lost (AUS) - Laura Carbone (D) -Lights Of Euphoria (D) - Lisa Cuthbert (IRL) - Majdanek Waltz (RUS) - Minuit Machine (F) - Modulate (GB) - Mono Inc. (D) - Mono No Aware (D) - Monolith (B) - Moonspell (P) - Morthound (S) - Mushroom's Patience (I) - Nachtmahr (A) - Nosferatu (GB) - NZ (A) - Orphx (CDN) - Otto Dix (RUS) - OWLS (I/GB) - Polaroid Kiss (GB) - Postscriptum (N) - Qntal (D) - Rabbit At War (D) - Rezurex (USA) - Roma Amor (I) - Samsas Traum (D) - Sólstafir (IS) - Schonwald (I) - Seasurfer (D) - Skaluna (D) - Skyforger (LV) - Snog (AUS) - Soko Friedhof (D) - Sol Invictus (GB) spielen das Album "In The Rain" - Soror Dolorosa (F) - Spencer (CH) - Steinkind (D) - Stoneman (CH) - Substaat (N) - Surturs Lohe (D) -Sweet Ermengarde (D) - Tehôm (HR) - Terrorfrequenz (D) - The Exploding Boy (S) - The March Violets (GB) - The Other (D) - The Present Moment (USA) - The Saint Paul (D) - Tommi Stumpff (D) - Twisted Nerve (GB) - Two Witches (FIN) - Unterschicht (D) - Unto Ashes (USA) -Virelai (DK) - While Angels Watch (GB) - Wrangler (GB) - XMH (NL) - Zombiesuckers (S) -

The festival so far boasts names such as Clan Of Xymox, Eisbrecher, Esa, Fields Of The Nephilim, Front 242, God Seed, L'Ame Immortelle, Modulate, Nachtmahr, Moonspell, The March Violets, and XMH.

The festival will take place this year from 22nd May until 25th May. For more information please visit the official Wave Gotik Treffen website.  

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Review: (((O))) – 'We Hate You'

(((O)))
'We Hate You'
HOLY GRIN PRODUCTONS

Despite only emerging in 2012 (((O))), AKA Nikita Vasilyev has already developed a loyal following thanks to releases such as 'Black EP' and 'Motherland'. This year the Belarus-based artist returns with the new three-track EP, 'We Hate You'. Taking its cues from LaVey and Lovecraft it's dark experimental electronics and witch house embellishments make it one of the few underground electronic bands that can be happily summed up as avant garde while keeping a straight face.

Dark, psychedelic, occult and hazy ambient electronics, samples, strong leads, and slow but dance friendly beats are the primary formula of the EP across it's three tracks. 'Father Of Lies' kicks off with its choral sound, sci-fi beeps, and almost martial beat. Which is followed-up by 'Crying Mirrors' which heads into a more readily recognizable witch house mode with it's trip-hop beats, house melody and droning electronic atmosphere. The EP is then rounded-off by 'Werewolf Radio' which again makes use of similar sounds as the previous track, but opts for a thinner and less cluttered atmosphere completed by a different set of satanic orientated samples.

The production on (((O))) releases has always been rather good. It has that distinctive underground edge to it, but not at the sacrifice of the overall audio quality. It's crisp and distinctive mix is refreshing in a growing genre where production is often an afterthought.

If you haven't had the pleasure of listening to (((O))) then 'We Hate You' is a good starting point. It's accessible, moody and psychedelic electronic that fans of dark electro will be able to appreciate. It would have been nicer to have a bit of a longer running time. But the three tracks feel like a complete statement, so it is by no means disappointing. However it does build up the anticipation that could be quenched by another full-length release. 

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Review: Anzi - 'I Let You Dive' / 'Revival'

ANZI
'I Let You Dive' / 'Revival'
CHEMISTRY MUSIC ENTERPRISES

The former lead singer of Stereo Junkies, the Finnish-born, London-based multi-instrumentalist Anzi, returns with the lead single from his second solo album. The double A-side of 'I Let You Dive' / 'Revival', taken from the forthcoming 'Black Dog Bias' is a defiant statement of intent that follows on from 2011’s ‘High Clash Motherfucker’ which saw Anzi blend industrial, punk, metal and glam influences on his self-produced debut solo effort.

'I let You Dive' is first and it doesn't pull its punches. The stark industrial rock references the likes of Nine Inch Nails and Killing Joke’s filtered through Anzi's own glam-punk leanings. It's full of dark menace and strong synth-hooks that mark it out as a potential dance floor hit.

'Revival' on the other hand is a steady, but anthemic slice of industrial rock with thunderous rhythms and chugging guitars that erupt into a big chorus that will undoubtedly become a big crow pleaser.

The production is tight with a crisp and modern sound that fills the room. The guitars, drums and electronics all sound distinct and the vocals cut through the mix like a knife. It's the kind of production job that would sit happily alongside some big budget bands.

'I Let You Dive' / 'Revival' are two different, but equally excellent songs that should rightly generate some buzz for the release of the album proper in a couple of months. If these are any indication of the content of 'Black Dog Bias', then it may shape up to be one of the most exciting industrial rock releases of the year. 

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Review: cEvin Key – 'Music For Cats'

CEVIN KEY
'Music For Cats'
ARTOFFACT RECORDS

There really isn't anything that cEvin Key can't do. The pioneering Canadian musician has made his name with Skinny Puppy and a whole host of side projects over the years. Everything from Industrial to Dub has been successfully incorporated into his musical palette. It is with this in mind that Artoffact Records have seen fit to re-release his 1998 solo début 'Music For Cats' on vinyl after years as a digital download only. So the time seems right for a retrospective review to see how the album holds up nearly 20 years later.

At the time the album was first released, Skinny Puppy had just been dissolved and Key was unencumbered by any pre-existing expectations for this first release. As such the album is a heady and experimental clash of styles that encompass classical influences, glitch, erratic and noise-driven pieces and collaborations with a number of artists including Dwayne Goettel (Skinny Puppy), Genesis P.Orridge (Psychic TV, Throbbing Gristle), Philth (Download),and Mark Spybey (Dead Voices on Air).

The opening track 'Music Für Cats' immediately kicks in with a symphonic score that shows off the true depth of Key's song writing talent. This then fades into the electro-industrial sci-fi style of 'Wind On Small Paws'. The ten-plus minutes of 'Meteorite' follows on with it's crazy glitchy beats and circuit bent sounds.

There is some familiar territory though as tracks such as 'Bird', 'Blotter', 'Inside Jam World', 'Greenhouse Gasses', 'Beauty Is The Enemy', and 'Full Circle' provide more accessible listening, if still somewhat more experimental than Skinny Puppy fans would have been used to.

'Music For Cats' is an esoteric exorcism that see's Key's ideas unrestrained my commercial bias or traditional structures. It is gritty, noisy, and against the grain. But at the same time there are infectious melodies and an almost soundtrack quality in places that make it quite listenable.

It may no be everyone's cup of tear, but 'Music For Cats' is an interesting and well-crafted album full of imagination. There is little club potential and it isn't the kind of album made with mass consumption in mind. But that's kind of the point. It is Key, uninhibited by his past. Perhaps it is one for the completists, but fans of experimental electronics will also find something here to get stuck into.  

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Review: Zauber – 'Engel'

ZAUBER
'Engel'
NERIS RECORDS

The electro-goth side project from Exponentia man Ludovic Dhenry, Zauber sees the French composer delve into more familiar territories. Working with more atmospheric synthesized sounds rather than the orchestral ones favoured by his main project, Zauber presents a deeper and more accessible side to Dhenry's grandiose compositions.

With a leaning more towards a dark and ambient palette 'Engel' doesn't suffer from the low quality that plagued previous Exponentia releases. The strings, choral vocals, and pianos all sound correct here and not so blatantly out of place. Throw in some dance beats and throbbing bass and the end result is like a prototype of BlutEngel, with out the pomp and polish. With songs such as 'Ewigkeit', 'Sturm', 'Überleben', 'Notschrei' and 'Heilige Ort' personify the best of the album's cuts with their symphonic atmospherics and steady dance footing.

However there is still an issue with the songs. It is still more accessible than the Exponentia albums, but it does still sound rather outdated in a fair few places and has a noticeably basic production style that sounds like a throwback to an early 90s demo. The mix, and mastering need work and the synths could do with updating to bring it into the 21^st century.

On the whole though there are some genuinely enjoyable moments and real potential to turn this isnto a genuinely interesting project. But at the moment it just doesn't have the level of refinement to compete on a dancefloor. It would be interesting to see what would happen if Dhenry were to bring in a couple of outsiders to add their take to his compositions and add some more technical wizardry.  

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Review: Petals And Thorns – 'The Broken Mirror'

PETALS AND THORNS
'The Broken Mirror'
SELF-RELEASED

Petals And Thorns is a Cleveland, Ohio based darkwave duo that take their cues from 90s gothic rock and darkwave acts as well as elements from the likes of Switchblade Symphony, Curve, Garbage and Delerium. The bands formula is a fairly stripped back affair with dry-distorted guitars, interacting with simple drum beats and understated electronics framing fragile female vocals. It isn't overly complicated and works pretty well.

The band's début album 'The Broken Mirror' is eight tracks of poetic lyrics,toe-tapping beats, and moody, almost fairytale-like atmospheres. Songs such as 'Habitual Ritual', 'Immoral Disclosure', 'Endless Abandon' and 'Secret dissonance' provide the main highlights of the album with their strong guitar riffs, and memorable melodies. But none of them really come close to being a real commercial highlight in the traditional sense. Perhaps the most complete and rounded song on the album is the psychedelic grunge of 'Lift The Veil', that with a little remixing could be a wonderfully captivating track in the same vein as Medicine's 'Time Baby'.

Herein lies the main issue with the album. All the fundamentals are there: great vocals, strong guitars and some nice electronics... but the production is lacking and the mix doesn't bring the best out of the songs. A little more work here could have taken the whole album up a notch. Instead there is a flatness to the sound that hampers the true potential of album.

This is a first effort, and there is a hell of a lot of potential on display on 'The Broken Mirror' on which they can build. Pushing the electronics up in the mix and more power behind the vocals would benefit a few of the choruses so they are not totally dominated by the guitars, but definitely more time in the production stages would see Petals And Thorns follow-up album reach the next level.  

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Introducing... Gild The Mourn

"Our sound is a mix between 80’s Gothic Rock, 90’s Dark Wave and Neo Medieval inspired music. We’re both avid fans of fairytales and fantasy novels, and we wanted to create a music project that captured these passions, while providing a positive message for our fans." 

Name: Gild The Mourn

Members: Angel Metro, Gopal Metro

Year formed: 2014

Location: Charlottesville, VA U.S. 

Consisting of members Angel Metro and Gopal Metro, the Gothic Rock duo serves to enchant and mystify you with tales long thought lost. Step into the realm of the Fae, explore the land within.


Intravenous Magazine: Who are you and how did the band/project come to be formed?

We are Musicians, Goths and Fantasy Lovers. We also may or may not be Dark Elves, but that’s a whole different story…

We started playing together in 2012, and formed Gild The Mourn in 2014.


IVM: How would you describe your sound/style, and how did you arrive at it?

Our sound is a mix between 80’s Gothic Rock, 90’s Dark Wave and Neo Medieval inspired music. We’re both avid fans of fairytales and fantasy novels, and we wanted to create a music project that captured these passions, while providing a positive message for our fans.


IVM: Who and what are your primary influences both musical and non-musical? 

Musically, we draw from a lot of different artists from Einstürzende Neubauten to Tying Tiffany. Some of our biggest influences are Severed Heads, Sisters of Mercy, Specimen, Faith and the Muse, The Bolshoi and Switchblade Symphony.

Philosophically, we draw from thinkers like Peter Diamandis, Ray Kurzweil, Jennifer Sincero, ZeFrank and Swami Satchidananda Maharaj.

Generally speaking anyone who embraces life we like, and having a spooky twist doesn’t hurt.


IVM: Do you perform live and if so where can we see you perform in the near future?

Currently, our live show is still under wraps. We will be performing in the near future, but are still working on our stage show. We’re also the proud parents of a 10 month old and are waiting until he’s at the right age before we hit the road. As anyone who has traveled for an extended period knows, it’s not easy doing long drives and we want to make sure he’s ready!


IVM: What is your current release and where is it available from?

Currently, we’re on a once a month release schedule with our songs, all of which are available through BandCamp at: https://gildthemourn.bandcamp.com/ We will be releasing a limited number of physical albums for our fans this year. Our expected release date is October, but you can sign up on our mailing list below to stay updated.


IVM: What have been the highlights of your career so far?

Well we’ve had some great highlights so far thanks to the amazing fans, DJ’s and promoters in the scene. We’ve gotten airplay across the U.S., in Europe and South America, and have topped the charts for several stations. We were named Best Newcomer 2014 by Gothic Paradise and Best of 2014 by Out ov the Coffin. We’ve also have an ever-growing following, and in turn we’ve made a whole lot of new friends, which for us is the best part!


IVM: What are your plans for the future?

We plan to do it all.

We take the bull by the horns approach in life and we definitely apply that to Gild The Mourn.

We’ll be touring the U.S., Europe, South America and Asia once our stage show is completed, because we want to unleash it on the world!

We are always open to collaboration with other bands, artists and projects and welcome enquiries about contributions, remixes, soundtracks and anything else at gildthemourn@gmail.com.

As we grow to that point, we are building an online community portal for The Fae at http://gildthemourn.com.  Friends and fans will be able to sign up to get all of the latest news about Gild the Mourn, kick-ass deals on exclusive merchandise, and, eventually, a gallery where they will be able to share their own photography, art, music and stories with the rest of the community.  We encourage anyone who is interested to visit the website at http://gildthemourn.com and sign up for our mailing list to receive progress updates and all of the latest Gild the Mourn news!

Lastly, we recently started offering an exclusive subscription service for our key patrons.  Patrons receive all of our digital releases, a physical copy of each year’s album, a t-shirt, 40% off physical merchandise, an array of rare and unique items unavailable anywhere else, and even more.  So far, the response has been amazing!  Anyone who is interested in becoming a Patron can contact us at gildthemourn@gmail.com.


IVM: Finally, is there anything that you would like to add?

Yes for the readers, walk among the Fae. And in the Darkest of Times, Find Light Within. If you’re interested in our work, we want to meet you! Please find us at the links below and say hi!

Links:
For anyone interested in keeping up with Gild The Mourn you can find them at the following:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gildthemourn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GildTheMourn
Reverbnation: https://www.reverbnation.com/gildthemourn
Bandcamp: https://gildthemourn.bandcamp.com

You can also sign up for our mailing list here: http://gildthemourn.com

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Review: Torque Order – 'Trust No One'

TORQUE ORDER
'Trust No One'
SELF-RELEASED

Austin, Texas based trio Torque Order are one of many emerging bands fostering the kind of gritty and unrelenting industrial rock style that put the genre on the map in the 1990s. Influenced by the likes of Ministry, TKK, Pigface and Rob Zombie they present eleven tracks of groovy industrial rock on their début album 'Trust No One'. It's not the kind of sonic formula that is aimed at reinventing the industrial wheel, but they do their best to weld some more spikes on to it.

The album proceeds at a steady pace for the most part with the electronics driving the backbone of the songs while the metallic guitars chug along and cut through for the choruses. Songs like 'Runnning', 'Believe', 'Bulletproof', 'Betray' and 'Rise' provide the most memorable cuts from the track list with their dance-friendly pace, headbanging riffs and shout-a-long choruses. The album is rounded off by the wonderfully ambient '-' which leads into the delightfully demented 'Sail' to add a little darkly comedic edge to the proceedings.

You may be forgiven for forgiven for thinking the band are a one trick pony, but the electronic work on each track brings something new out of their sound. And with the major curve ball that is the final two tracks, it is evident that the band have a lot more to give.

Production-wise the album is pretty rough and ready with it's 90s style rawness. But it isn't low-fi by any means. It's not polished, but it isn't sloppy or hastily thrown together either and benefits greatly from a great mix-down that lets all the elements in the songs move freely.

This is a very promising début, that hints at a lot more to come. The band for the most part play it safe across 'Trust No One', and stick to their chugging guitar and layered electronics formula... but when they push themselves, they are capable of producing some seriously interesting music. Hopefully they will be quick to follow this up and really try to push themselves in new ways.  

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