Live: Peter Hook And The Light – Warehouse 23, Wakefield 05/03/2016

PETER HOOK AND THE LIGHT
Warehouse 23, Wakefield
05/03/2016

The man behind the bass of Joy Division and New Order has taken the spotlight for himself over the past few years to give the fans what they want. Faithful, loving and passionate performances of their favourite hits by the two Manchester groups he was so influential in. There is no support scheduled for tonight's performance. Hook at 60 years old instead divides the night into three distinct sets. Set one takes in an array of Joy Division hits, while sets two and three explore the New Order albums 'Low-Life' and 'Brotherhood' in their entirety.

Hook and the band emerge onto the stage to the sound of Kraftwerk's 'Trans Europe Express' before unleashing a tight set of Joy Division classics including 'Dead Souls', 'New Dawn Fades', 'Disorder', and 'Isolation' before rounding it out with New Order's 'Ceremony' (technically a Joy Division song first it was released by New Order as a single 35 years ago). The band worked the energy up in the room with ease before leaving the stage for five minutes before the next set.

Set two saw the band perform New Order's fourth album 'Brotherhood' which spawned the hit 'Bizarre Love Triangle' and featured memorable cuts such as 'Paradise', 'Broken Promise', 'All Day Long' and 'Every Little Counts' which all received with eagerness by the crowd.

After another five minute interval the band return with set number three which offers up New Order's third album 'Low-Life' in full. Songs such as 'Love Vigilante', 'The Perfect Kiss', 'Sooner ' and 'Sub-Culture' continue to incite a party atmosphere in the room while the stunning rendition of instrumental 'Elegia' goes to show what a great musician Peter Hook is.

The band leave the stage again for a little while longer as the crowd chants for more. Obliging the encore consists of three more New Order tracks with 'Thieves Like Us', 'True Faith', and 'Temptation'. There might not have been any 'Blue Monday' or 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' but all in attendance seemed satisfied nonetheless.

You could level an argument at Peter Hook and the Light that it is just an exercise in nostalgia. Well based on the crowd at Warehouse 23 there is still plenty of demand for these songs, and while critics may say they sound too much like New Order, to paraphrase Peter Hook on the night, they may as well “as the other lot don't”.  

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Preview: Wave Gotik Treffen 25th Jubilee 13th - 16th May

At the early may morning brought by summer, the city of Leipzig rises with top hats being hatted, corsets being laces and black boots being slid on.  As come the 13^th of May, Wave Gotik Treffen becomes the heart of the East German city.

Past

The dates for WGT (pronounced Ve Ge Te) change throughout the year, as the festival runs in line with the pagan celebrated day of Whitsun, that occurs seven weeks after Easter also known as Pentecost in Christianity. It first began in 1992 and continued on ever since. The festival sees on average 20,000 attendants, and unofficially usually more.

25^th Jubilee Celebrations

To kick off  this special year, WGT decided this year to rent a theme Park based in Leipzig! This 27 hectare theme park will be free to festival goers, with the wristband covering the price of the entry into the park, where amusements will operate until midnight. Never have Gruftis been seen white water rafting or turning a roller-coaster into a black snake!

http://www.belantis.de/

The main party will be held in the Belanteum venue from 1am to 5am with DJs from the Leipzig scene, such as 'Moonchild', Mystic Mountains and Knüpfi.

Currently still in development are firework displays and whatever madness comes out of the WGT forum!

Location

There is a main festival area for WGT, though the whole long weekend is spread around Leipzig, with music catered to all, from Neofolk to EBM. The large events take place in the ‘Agra’ messe-park, whilst smaller artists are scattered around various venues. Not only that but within the city there is so much more going on that has nothing to do with music you’ll be spoilt for choice!

Experiencing WGT

The sheer area that the whole festival takes up and consisting of already over 100 confirmed performances taking place, it is impossible to get to all the artists you want to see. But maybe this is WGT staying true to what it is also about; meeting up.

There are graveyard tours, tailors, discussions, blacksmiths, night clubs and Victorian picnics occurring all around the city, hence WGT should be seen as maybe an all-rounder festival, where music is not priority no1, but at the same level as all the other options at the festival.

Music Confirmed Artists

With the quantity of venues being more than 20, building up those high heel muscles may be complimentary to your festival plan. Looking ahead in advance of the music artists and location is highly recommended. The festival schedule is known to change right up until the actual date, though already acts from the depths of ‘Velvet Acid Christ’, the rattling industrial of ‘Suicide Commando’, to the String theatrics of ‘Coppelius’. ‘Die Krupps’, ‘Girls under Glass’ and many others are already confirmed for this year, standing at 110 music artists currently confirmed.

Obviously the venues vary in size and checking ahead goes a long way, as some venues may require you to be there one artist in advance, as you could end up not seeing yours. Headliners will take place at ‘Agra’, though still being there earlier gives kudos.

A List of the Venues can be found here

Shopping

Halle 1 is the epicentre of the Goth stalls. Open from midday on Friday the variety of garments accessories and miscellaneous on offer is vast. All genres are usually fruitfully catered for and clothing if wanted should be taken, as by the time you come back, it will already be gone as some of the bespoke quality that comes to Wave Gotik Treffen is unsurpassable.

Opening times for Halle 1:

Friday 12pm-1am

Saturday 11am-1am

Sunday 11am-1am

Monday-11am -11pm

Tickets

Festival tickets can be purchased off the official WGT site and are €120.

Free Public Transport

One great thing about the festival is that public transport throughout Leipzig is free for those with their wristband, though do bear in mind trams will be busy, and a few 20,000 people in black could possibly have the same travel time as you!

Getting There

Airports to fly to would consist of Leipzig/Halle, Dresden, Berlin or Frankfurt. Leipzig/Halle is a small airport, so it could be easier or cheaper to fly to one of the other several and take advantage of the German rail network to get to your destination.

Driving is easy enough if you are willing to do so, though be aware of the need to purchase emission stickers for €5, if driving through Leipzig city centre to the main ‘Agra’ Messepark. Otherwise you should be fineJ.

Parking tickets for the festival can be also purchased off the official WGT site at €15.

Accommodation

The Festival has camping grounds which cost €25 for the ‘Obsorge Ticket’. Though seeing as the events go on throughout Leipzig, there is much accommodation available to suit you and could also allow you to be closer to what you came to see at WGT.

Links

http://www.wave-gotik-treffen.de/english/

http://bahn.com

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Review: Zaibatsu – 'Zero'

ZAIBATSU
'Zero'
KILLERPOOL RECORDS

Italian stoner-infused prog rock trio Zaibatsu unleash 'Zero' an aggressive and dynamic slice of 21^st century rock as it should be done. Primal aggression meets lofty imagination locked in a desert rock suit that the band constantly try and break out from. It's one of those albums tha both confirms and confounds your expectations of what the band will do.

Songs such as 'Plastic Machine Head', 'Oppenheimer's Sister', 'Chemtrails', 'Mantra 3P', 'Technocracy', and 'Collateral Language' for example play with strong riffs, hypnotically monotone vocals and strong rhythms before completely throwing song construction conventions completely out of the window for the hell of it. Acts like Kyuss, Queens Of the Stone Age, Tool and Even Primus are obvious influences yet the end result is, like the afore mentioned bands completely unique in its execution.

The instrumentation, progressive with hints of jazz yet drenched in desert rock fuzz, are the primary focus with the vocals making occasional appearances to drive the point home. The production is straight-forward and clean that balances the instruments nicely and allows the vocals to slip and slide through as they need to. It maintains a consistency even if the songs diverge into jam-like tangents that throw genre expectations out of the window.

One thing is for certain and that's Zaibatsu know what they're doing. The are experts and as such can work away from structure and genre on a whim and still create an exciting and dynamic rock album. The hard riffs, and addictive rhythms give 'Zero' and instant mass appeal, yet their progressive streak ultimately takes the album down a variety of avenues that require multiple listens to take it all in. It's a strong début that will undoubtedly see the band acquire recognition swiftly. Hopefully they will be able to build on this sooner rather than later with another strong release to cement their place.

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Review: Mirror – 'Mirror'

MIRROR
'Mirror'
ARTOFFACT RECORDS

The 2009 début album from Mirror – the electronic side-project of punk/alt rock artist Thomas Anselmi (Circle C/Copyright, Slow) was a marked change in direction for the Canadian singer-songwriter. Influenced by the musical works of David Lynch and featuring orchestral and cinematic elements it was a grandiose statement that slipped under the radar upon its initial release. Fast-forward and Canadian label Artoffact Records continue with their exceptional series of re-releases with both CD and vinyl versions of Mirror's so far only album.

From the start the Lynchian influence is very prominent in the overall atmospherics and unusual sounds hiding just underneath the mix. However there is also an unalienable sense of Berlin Cabaret, synthpop and neo-classical elements to give the album a grand yet accessible sound that is complimented by guest artists such as David Gahan (Depeche Mode), Mike Garson (David Bowie), and Laure-Elaine who add poignancy and depth to the often delicate melodies.

Songs such as 'Nostalgia', 'Nowhere', 'City Lights', 'From No One With Love', 'Fat Girl', and 'The Cold Is On Its Way' show off the scope of Anselmi's skill and vision with their soaring choruses, delicate melodies, perfect pop structures but menacing and melancholic underbellies. The whole album is constructed like a cabaret show with the cast of contributors playing their parts and propelling the narrative forward.

The production is beautiful. The songs create a huge sense of space with a bright and modern feel. Each track is mixed with great care and attention to keep that cinematic vibe at the heart of everything. The result is a wonderfully atmospheric album that heightens the emotional tone of the individual performances.

'Mirror' was, and still is a great album that has held up in the years its been out of print. This re-release is a great chance for fans of high-end electronic music to finally visit this album and enjoy it. Hopefully with this long-overdue re-release now available it will open the door for new Mirror material in the future.  

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Review: Motus Tenebrae – 'Deathrising'

MOTUS TENEBRAE
'Deathrising'
MY KINGDOM MUSIC

'Deathrising' marks the first release for Italian gothic-doom metal outfit Motus Tenebrae on My Kingdom Music and they are quickly asserting themselves as a stand-out on the label’s already impressive roster. After a fifteen year career already the band strike hard with their fifth full-length album distilling their experience and filtering it through influences such as My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost and Type O Negative into a melancholic and morbid offering.

The album channels the blunt heaviness of the most recent Paradise Lost albums, adds a little of the old school death doom aggression, sprinkles some hints of symphonic orchestration, and balances it with Peter Steele style melodies to give a wonderfully balanced and miserable presentation. It's a strong album right from the start with songs like 'Our Weakness', 'Black Sun', 'Light That We Are', 'Faded', 'Deathrising', and 'Desolation' providing undeniably outstanding moments of monolithic misery. To be perfectly honest though, there isn't a bad track on this album. The band maintain an enviable consistency across each of the eleven assembled tracks adding variety to their sound as they go.

'Deathrising' is the kind of album that should make you sit up and take notice. The song writing, performance and production are all spot on to compete easily with the kind of bands that inspired them and have already carved out international careers. The mix is perfectly balanced with the vocals forcing their way through a barrage of thunderous drums, scathing guitar riffs and subtle orchestral embellishments to stamp their claim on the gothic-doom genre.

Fans of the likes of Paradise Lost, Type O Negative, My Dying Bride, A Pale Horse Named Death, Moonspell, and Swallow The Sun in particular will eat this album up with ease and will be left wanting more. Motus Tenebrae have thrown everything they have into 'Deathrising' and it shows. This is an album that shows a band that are more than ready for a big international push to put them where they deserve to be.

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Review: Dperd – 'V'

DPERD
'V'
MY KINGDOM MUSIC
Three years on from their last outing, Italian darkwave duo Dperd return with their latest full-length album 'V'. The band's ethereal edge receives perhaps its most intense and elegant showing to date with a gorgeous blend of dreamy atmospheres and gripping dark rock that draws on the likes of Dead Can Dance, Lycia, This Mortal Coil, And Cranes.

One criticism that could be levied at the band's last album 'Kore' is despite having all the pieces present to make a truly captivating album, it never really got going. However this time the band got for it straight away with tracks such as 'Frenetica', 'I Believe In You Song', 'The Way Down Song', 'Paura E Fede', and 'Do They Know Song' leading the charge with a fine blend of soaring vocals, memorable guitar lines and texturally satisfying song construction.

Tracks such as 'Cercando Solitudine', 'Aspettare Che Il Mondo Passi', and 'Vorrei Una Vita Semplice' don't quite hit the mark as much as the others, however the band keep the quality consistent throughout and the album never really falters.

In terms of production the album isn't a huge leap forward from 'Kore' however it is still a very solid and well mixed album that keeps the focus on the vocals but allows the rest of the instrumentation to shine through when it needs to give the track that extra kick, which was one thing that ddn' come across as much on the last album.

Dperd have constructed a great album here. It isn't perfect but it is one of the strongest in their fifteen year career and one that they should quite rightly feel proud of. The band's attention to detail shines through and the songs beg to be listened to in an intimate setting. Hopefully they will continue to build in this direction.  

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Review: Colossloth – 'Outstretch Your Hand For The Impress Of Truth'

COLOSSLOTH
'Outstretch Your Hand For The Impress Of Truth'
COLD SPRING RECORDS

Leicester’s Colossloth has for ten years been creating some of the most interesting experimental and ambient music in the country. Mixing drone, ambient, noise and proto-industrial nuances this solo project has consistently produced unique sonic craftsmanship. The harsh and unusual noises, and abstract rhythmic modes are often juxtaposed against unfathomably cinematic textures and the result is an evolving an meditative experience that despite the often dissonant qualities is quite hypnotic. The solo project's newest offering on Cold Spring Records 'Outstretch Your Hand For The Impress Of Truth' is no exception.

Tracks such as 'The Flavour Of The Weak', 'Cave In We Are Complete', 'Outstretch Your Hand For The Impress Of Truth' , 'The World Keeps Turning (On Me)' and 'Of Talons And Teeth' utilise subtle yet cavernous drones before punctuating them with hard and discordant noises. While the likes of 'Your Flag Stands For Nothing', 'Paint Her Face to Simulate The Bloom', and 'The Nameless Saint' experiment with abstract rhythmic constructions and even simple but haunting piano melodies amidst the din to build a varied display of affecting noise.

With the artist rooted in experimental and noise music you'd be forgiven for dismissing the production side of things and thinking everything is drenched in distortion and sounded like it was recorded in a tin bathtub. But it isn't. The ambient side of the album informs the production which is in-turn cavernous and almost cinematic in its execution which gives the tracks clarity and grandeur.

For fans of experimental music Colossloth are a shining light and 'Outstretch Your Hand For The Impress Of Truth' is a great example of how to make high-quality experimental music that can play with genres and still doesn't rehash what has come before. It is a strong album and although it's audience won't be huge, it will nevertheless find favour with fans of experimental music.  

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Review: Double Eyelid – 'Broken Mirror'

DOUBLE EYELID
'Broken Mirror'
SELF-RELEASED

Toronto's Double Eyelid released a great début in the form of 'Seven Years' their blend of art rock, gothic and cabaret created a torrent of dramatic dark tunes across their first outing. Now only a couple of years on the band release their remix companion to their début in the form of 'Broken Mirror'. A bold move that pays off for the band.

The band's dark decadent melodies undergo a big club-friendly transformation courtesy of acts such as Leaether Strip, Reactive Black, Tyler Milchmann, nTTx, Psyche, and DJ Cruel Britannia to name a few. The strongest cuts from the 'Seven Years' – 'Black Box', 'Dead Is Better', 'The Hanged Woman', and 'The Stranger' – are given a heavy dose of adrenalin and see guitars and dance beats pushed harder to create some great floor fillers. But every track has been reconstructed, some subtly, and some dramatically to create a varied and strong listening experience.

The remixes for the most part still keep those recognisable elements that made the band's first album so memorable. The punk guitars, Mike Garson style piano, the fresh dance beats and addictive synths still cut through the mixes with ease.

The production is luscious in its execution with the variety of synth sounds and mixes giving them all great dance-floor potential. Despite the variety of styles this feels like a succinct and balanced collection that shows off the full strength of the band's song writing.

'Broken Mirror' is not only a great remix album. But it is a great album full-stop. 'Seven Years' was a strong début, but the often dramatic shifts in style on 'Broken Mirror' really show off how versatile Double Eyelid really are. There are more than enough potential club hits here for any DJ worth their salt to get their teeth into. It would be nice to hear some more original tracks in the near future, but for now this will do very nicely to hold us over.

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Review: Various Artists – 'Undead & Open-Minded Volume 1'

VARIOUS ARTISTS
'Undead & Open-Minded Volume 1'
ELECTROZOMBIES

Sometimes you just can't beat a compilation album. They're good for when you want a little variety, when you're looking for new bands, and for parties. They're even better when they're free. And 'Undead & Open-Minded Volume 1' from Electrozombies is just such a compilation. Featuring a range of killer electronic acts (an impressive 27 in total) taking in genres such as ebm, darkwave and synth-pop the album is an essential a great party play list.

Acts such as Psy'Aviah, Junksista, Machinista, Atomzero, nTTx, The Sweetest Condition, and Scarlet Soho will be familiar names to Intravenous Magazine readers, and all provide some great tunes respectively. They're joined by the likes of Parralox, Sexy Suicide, Julien-K, Astari Nite, Dust Heaven, Eurotix, and Train To Spain whose contributions alone would be more than worth the price of a regular download.

Unusually for a compilation album there is very little drop in quality. The styles may vary but the strength of the song writing on display here, as well as the performances and execution of each contribution is solid across the board.

Straight synthpop flows into darkwave, with ebm dance beats and industrial malevolence aplenty as the track list evolves. The songs are catchy and show off a wide-range of sounds and talents from around the world. The album is curated really well with a nice flow to the running order, while each track sounds fresh and high quality.

If you're an electronic music fan looking for fresh sounds, a cool playlist, or you just love free music, then 'Undead & Open-Minded Volume 1' is one for you. The size and variety on offer here is great and for free, you can't turn your nose up at it.

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Introducing... Plebs & Fuckboys

Name of band: Plebs & Fuckboys
Members: Ripdae La Wise & Nickk Dropkick
Year Formed: 2015
Location: Waterloo, Ontario Canada / US Virgin Islands

“We're transgressive anarcho-nihilists, and also have our own illustrated comic book as well with provocative images galore.”

The members are myself (Nickk Dropkick) and Ripdae La Wise, as well we were formed this last summer (2015) over the internet through a series of collaborations. In the past we've written Waterloo, Ontario as our city of origin or main base of operations, but in truth its an internet collective, or virtual band. We feel that as far as addresses go, perhaps choosing cyberspace as the location of our scene is appropriate, as we're much less dependent upon an individual city at this point, and the main engine for our music is the web itself.


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

We are Plebs and Fuckboys, an internet duo between Nickk Dropkick and Ripdae La Wise. We actually met in a political debate group, were both musicians in the industrial/noise scene, with Rip being a Spoken Word artist. We collaborated on a few projects making transgressive and nihilist artwork, and decided to put our skills to music.

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

An ecclectic mix of everything, from noise, to hip hop, to horrid mixing, trap beats, some metal guitars, synths occasionally thrown into the mixes, and a lot of transgressive lyrical content and composition.

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

Probably stuff like NAH, Death Grips, Nietzsche, Neckface, Atari Teenage Riot, Wu Tang Clan, and 90s Hip Hop.

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

I wish we did, but I (Nickk) live in Canada, and Ripdae la Wise lives in the US virgin Islands.

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

We've got several. You can find some on our bandcamp, and one on Spettro Records here: https://plebsandfuckboys.bandcamp.com/
https://archive.org/details/PlebsFuckboys-SeenZoneBlues

They’re all releases from the past few months, as we started this project last summer.

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

Getting a release on Spettro, and just making this music and having a venue for a lot of our thoughts and concepts.

IVM: What are your plans for the future?

To try and get even more transgressive and maybe find some way to bring this project to a live stage.

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

We're transgressive anarcho-nihilists, and also have our own illustrated comic book as well with provocative images galore.

Links:
https://plebsandfuckboys.bandcamp.com/
https://archive.org/details/PlebsFuckboys-SeenZoneBlues

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