Shear's Surveillance project gets preview

Assemblage 23's Tom Shear has released previews of his new project Surveillance. The forthcoming album 'Oceania' will have a darker sound to A23 as well as a Dystopian feel with a production technique that is to give the album a "Cold War" atmosphere. The album will also features guest vocals from Carolyn Powers and Mari Kattman of Day Twelve.

Recommended for all those 'Repo!' fans, we were given a preview of the new work last year with the demo of 'Rise' (available as a free download on Soundcloud).

The release date is not known as present, but you can find all the tracks on the bands' Soundcloud and Facebook pages.


Tom Shear is set to play a number of dates as Assemblage 23, including Resistanz Festival in Sheffield and Dark Munich Festival (both in April).

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Review: Jensen – 'Zero One (Redux)'

JENSEN 
'Zero One (Redux)'
ARMALYTE INDUSTRIES 

One of the great things about the industrial scene is it can be from any angle. In Jensen's case it seems to come in the guise of a full force megastrike to your ears. This trio from Leeds re-release their début with Armalyte Industries with a no holes barred self-destruct button to the senses.

The opening track 'Ghosts' begins with what can only be described as a World war. With the anger of Nine Inch Nails (you know, when they still did anger) and late Cubante, the vocals are screaming, but not juvenile. It's follow up 'The Corrupter' is an 80's darkwave groove, whilst keeping the red flag still kept in front of your eyes. 'Stars' keeps in tune to the 90's style of the genre, perhaps a little too much, with familiar riffs and lyrics out of the mind of a certain Brian and Micheal (wink), and yet it will definitely be a crowd pleaser on tour.

Adding harmonies to a shouty track, the cover of 'Wild Boys' takes a while to kick in, and when it does comes in dribs and drabs and leaves you wondering on maybe they should have tried a not so obvious track to pay tribute. The final track is a yummy remix by abstract group i!, twinkling their IDM mixed with old school charm over the track 'Ghosts'. Adding drums to the mix and cutting them to pieces with expert timing, i! are certainly one to look out for in the remix compilations.

Jensen have managed to keep the teenage angst that many acts have "blessed" us with but at the same time given us some substance (and as a 26 year old I wouldn't feel "too old" to listen to them). Their sound crosses generations and may even get the younger fans into the kind of stuff that has influenced it in the first place. A great first run for a group that are sure to only get louder as time goes by.

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5 metal débuts you never knew existed...

....or maybe you do!

If you are anything like me, you'll love a number of bands to an extent that you will try and find everything they have made. Some of these artists may have had some pretty big releases in their career, but the humble beginnings can surprise you.

1) Nine Inch Nails - 'Purest Feeling'
Back in the 80's a young Micheal Trent Reznor was making a sturdy living as a backing musician for forgettable bands and working as a technician at the Right Track studio in Cleveland. In November of 1988 he recorded this first record as NIN 'Purest Feeling'. With the 80's style and synth still in place, 'Purest Feeling' is a great demo for any level of fan. Showing lighter original versions of 'Sanctified', 'Thats what I get' and 'The Only Time' (as well was the original and superior version of 'Ringerfinger' known as 'Twist') the album also features tracks 'Maybe just once' and 'Purest feeling'.The album was released in 1994 and has been flowing through the web ever since.

2) Slipknot - 'Mate.Feed.Kill.Repeat.'

Starting out in 1995, Slipknot were a far cry to the masquerade misfits you see today. Original singer Anders Colsefni inspired the idea of wearing masks by wrapping black tape around his face while on stage, and when plans came to make their first album they worked their socks off for seven months. More experimental than the bands' 1999 classic, 'M.F.K.R' features a darker less crowd pleasing set of songs, although featuring a demo version of 'Tattered and Torn'. It was given a 1,000 copy issue and has been bootlegged and downloaded throughout the fanbase. According to sources, in 2003 it was announced that no members of the band own the album!  

3) Hybrid Theory - 'Linkin Park EP'

Released when Chester and the crew went by 'Hybrid Theory', the EP was originally funded by Zomba recordings, the band plugged the hell out of it when sales were low. Showering chat rooms with the release and giving it to anyone who expressed interest, a street team soon developed online. With tracks like 'High Voltage' and 'Carousel' it is pretty clear that from the start the band had talent (even if they seem to have lost their way in later years) and 'Step up' is by far the stand out track. 

The street team expanded and in 2001 the band released the EP as the first ever 'LP Underground' fan CD. It included two bonus tracks and a remastered piece. Some of the songs were re-recorded as b-sides for the singles off their first album 'Hybrid Theory'.

4) Papa Roach - 'Potatoes for Christmas'

Papa Roach have become rather big since their album 'Infest' back in 2000, but by the time it came out they had been fighting for success for 7 years. Starting as a high school band back in 93' the group named themselves after Coby Dicks step-grandfather and released 'Potatoes for Christmas' in 94'. The EP itself is very rough, with a punk edge mixed with a little grunge (as was the style at the time), with songs like 'Coffee thoughts' and 'Cheese-z-fux' are nothing like the nu-metal of the 21st century, but still keeps it's charm. They produced their first album in 1997, all the while supporting the likes of Static X and Snot. The EP was re-released much to the bands' distaste as they were getting nothing from the sales.

5) Korn - 'Neidermayer's Mind'

Helmed as one of the first nu-metal bands, Korn started out in the early 90's and pretty soon got interest from their début album, but before that a cassette EP surfaced with four4 demo tracks, all of which would end up turning up in later releases. Shorter versions of 'Daddy' and 'Blind' appear on this EP, as well as 'Alive', which would later be scrapped and re-worked into 'Need To', although 'Alive' would then re-appear a decade later on 'Take a look in the mirror'. For old school fans missing the original sound of the band, 'Neidermayer's Mind' is a must have. 

Do you know of any other artists first attempts that should be included? Feel free to drop me a line at dokka.chapman.review@googlemail.com 

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Ira-K Organisation releases début album 'Parasite'

Italian industrialist Ira-K Organisation have announced the release of their début album 'Parasite' The album will be released on 18^th April 2014 via Juggernaut Music as both a digital download as well as a limited edition four-panel digipak.

The album will also feature remix contributions from the likes of Hypnoskull, Cervello Elettronico, Templezone and Mlada Fronta.

Track List:

1. Limbo (Intro)

2. Calling

3. Doll Factory

4. Colera 

5. Parasite 

6. La Ira De Dios

7. Bitch 

8. War 

9. Terminus 

10. Colera (This Is Belgium_New Beat Remix by Hypnoskull)

11. Terminus (Mlada Fronta Remix)

12. Colera (Cervello Elettronico Remix)

13. Parasite (Templezone Remix)

'Parasite is available to pre-order now via the Juggernaut Music bandcamp page. The first 20 pre-orders of the album will come with an exclusive key-chain, designed and arranged by Ira-k Organisation. For more information on the band, please visit their official website.

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George Sarah to release 'Timelapse'

US-based ambient industrialist George Sarah has announced the release of his new album 'Timelapse'. Drawing comparisons to Laibach, Massive Attack, Nine Inch Nails, Coil and Skinny Puppy, electronic composer and multi-instrumentalist George Sarah has been a mainstay on the Los Angeles music scene since 1985. He has garnered much acclaim for his unique brand of industrial, trip-hop and electronic chamber music which has reached a wide and diverse audience with releases on Cleopatra, Fifth Colvmn, Rough Trade, Hypnotic, Cargo and KK Records.

He has also previously collaborated with the likes of David J (Bauhaus / Love and Rockets), Alain Whyte (Morrissey), James Fearnley (Pogues) Swayzak, Gingger Shankar (Passion of the Christ), Angela McCluskey (Telepopmusic, Wild Colonials), Anthony Stewart Head, Joss Wedon, Beijing Modern Dance Company and many other guests.

Track List:

1.    Golden Mean
2.    The Star We Spin Around
3.    Unanchored
4.    Flower Of Life
5.    Mojave Sundown
6.    Three And The Triangle
7.    Mesh
8.    Natural Forms
9.    Shine
10.   Rejected

'Timelapse' will be available through Flat Field Records from 18^th February 2014. For more information on George Sarah, please visit his official website.

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Beat:Cancer V2 coming soon

In 2013, the charity compilation album Beat:Cancer raised over £2000 for Cancer Research UK. Encompassing powernoise, industrial, ebm and synthpop, the double-disc album boasted an impressive line-up of artists. Now in 2014 the compilation is set to return with a new selection on 19^th April featuring the likes of Alter Der Ruine, Caustic, Digicore, ESA, Grendel, XP8 and many more.

Artists:

At0shima 3rr0r
Iioioioii
Alter Der Ruine
Angels On Acid
Biomechanimal
Caustic
Cease2Xist
Cold Therapy
Cortex Defect
Cryogenic Echelon
Draconic Elimination Projects
D.E.P feat. MiXE1
Defeat
Digicore
Dirty K
Dreams Divide
DROID SECTOR DECAY
ESA: Electronic Substance Abuse
Flesh Eating Foundation
Future Perfect
Ghost In The Static
Grendel
Hezzel
Hope Estheim
Human Error
Kommand+Kontrol
MACHINE ROX
MIND DRILLER
MiXE1
Mr Bear
Orbicide
Public Domain Resource
Rein[Forced]
Ruinizer
Seeds of the Upcoming Infection
Syd.31
Tactical Module
Tapewyrm
The Invalid
WormZ
X-Kin
XP8

The album is currently available to pre-order as three-disc premium bundle, or the premium bundle plus an exclusive t-shirt. For more information and to pre-order a copy, please visit the Beat:Cancer bandcamp page and official website.

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Combichrist, Peter Murphy & Satyricon join Alt-Fest line-up

The already excellent looking roster for the inaugural Alt-Fest this August has received more reasons to get those tickets sorted ASAP. The Gothfather Peter Murphy will grace the goth stage in an exclusive headline performance of a set combining cuts from both his years as Bauhaus frontman as well as from his extensive solo back catalogue.

Aggrotech mainstays Combichrist have been added to the main stage line-up due to popular demand in this festival exclusive. While Norweigian black metal veterans Satyricon will join the growing metal stage contingent.

Also announced are names such as The Howling, Dead Harts, Sanctorum, Skarlett Riot, Pimitai, and Bad Pollyanna who join a line up which already boasts the likes of Marilyn Manson, Arch Enemy, Peter Hook and The Light, as well as Cradle of Filth, Fields of the Nephilim plus many more.

Alt-Fest will take place on the weekend of the 15th-17th August 2014. Tickets are currently available at the super early-bird price of £85 now from Alt-Fest.com.

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The weekly compendium 31/01/2014

Well that's the end of another month! The new year has been and gone, and things are back to normal here at Intravenous Magazine.

I'd like to thank everyone that has downloaded the compilation so far – please continue to do so and support the contributing bands. I'd also like to congratulate the winners of our 2013 Reader's Choice poll and thank everyone who voted.

We had a fair few articles to get through this week and we kicked off with another great column from Joel Heyes as well as a run-down of what made DJ LX-E's turntable happy in 2013. We had news from Nine Inch Nails and Blutengel. As wells as reviews of the new releases from Faderhead, Aesthetic Perfection and Killing Joke, before rounding the week off with another great column courtesy of END: The DJ.

It was a bit quiet on Facebook this week as I spent the first half of the week getting to grips with a new phone. But we did have a brand new music video from IIOIOIOII to groove along to.

Speaking of grooving. I'm still in a dub mood thanks to Killing Joke... so here is a preview from their facebook page.

Post by Killing Joke: Official.

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Review: Killing Joke – 'In Dub'

KILLING JOKE 

'In Dub' 

SELF-RELEASED 

The long-awaited three-disc dub remix project spearheaded by bassist / producer Martin “Youth” Glover is finally here. Killing Joke are no strangers to experimenting with a huge variety of styles and genres, but this is the first time they have put out an album with a purely dub manifesto. The band collect tracks from across their back catalogue and give them the drum and bass heavy mixdown in favour of a purer “riddim” and turn up the echo, delay and reverb across the board.

If you don't like dub (and why the hell wouldn't you?!), then this is going to be one to avoid, but with tracks such as 'Money Is Not Our God', 'Love Like Blood', 'Eighties', 'Pandemonium', 'European Superstate' 'Requiem', and 'Democracy' getting major makeovers, 'In Dub' has a lot of appeal even outside the realms of Killing Joke's immediate fanbase.

The mixes aren't radically different from each other across the board. The classic dub format takes precedence above all things particularly on the first disc. However the continuity of atmosphere makes this a radically different prospect for the band. Killing Joke, even in their new wave days were always somewhat abrasive and against the grain, if not sonically then visually, so three discs of relatively groove-heavy but laid back listening that will work just as well in a club as in a garden on a sunny afternoon. The formula works its best though when tracks such as 'Money Is Not Our God (Babylon Dub)' and 'A Sixth Sun (Prophecy Fulfilled Dub)' get overlaid with new vocals which gives then a more original and less remixed emphasis.

The second and third discs are opened up more and feature collaborations with the likes of Cult Of Youth, Urban Primitive, The Orb, and Nine Inch Nails contributing different takes on the dub genre, with some opting to emphasise the industrial elements, some bring more of the rock flavour out and others delve into more ambient waters. But they all work exceedingly well.

Killing Joke have thrown a curve-ball, but it is an incredibly well executed one that is full of passion. It will be interesting to see how the tracks work in a live DJ set – there's certainly enough variety to make for an interesting hour or two. Fans of the band will eat this up, but it shouldn't be a fan-only release. This is a fresh and engaging take on the modern remix album that should ensure the band a lot of club play and expose them beyond their usual crowd.

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END: the DJ's Top Music Picks- January 2014

END: the DJ’s Top New Music Picks January 2014

There’s been some fantastic club tracks in a variety of electronic music styles that’s coming up on the horizon to kick off a fantastic new year of music. Let’s take a look:

Cristian Myt - 'Kurte Tu Fantasy' - Login Records
Each time I hear this ‘True to Nature’ EP, my favourite track changes, it’s THAT much of a solid piece of work- so ask me if this track is the best tomorrow, I might name you one of the other four. The low beats are haunting yet heavy, the melody is clubby yet melodic. It is straight up dark techno with hardcore elements. Login Records has hit us with the first awesome release of the year!

Dimensional Explosion - 'Phonophobia' - [unsigned]
This would be the best track of the month overall if it wasn’t new to me and to those who follow Andre W. aka E.I.D (his former project). Andre has been cultivating Dimensional Explosion this past year and it’s time everyone finally get to hear what he’s been up to- and as always, I’m champion his work; a ‘crunchy’ yet melodic noise sound at its experimental finest. It’s INSANE that this project is unsigned. This should change very soon!

Claes Rosen - 'Starlight' (Blood Groove & Kikis Remix) - Green Mono Music
When the newly released compilation from the Green Mono label was sent to me, I was honestly a tad bit skeptical. Though I appreciate all styles of club music, as a personal listener I had become very weary of some of the direction variations of progressive & other more lighter styles music had gone some years ago. Much of it became a bit too pop-formulated for my taste. More hooks, less depth; yet here was some new music presented to me, I had to check it out…and am very satisfied with what was thumping out of my speakers. This track has the kind of depth & substance I’ve missed out of these more rhythmic styles of EDM. Thanks for bringing me back, G.M.M.!

Blak Opz - 'Long Live the New Flesh' - DWA
This track hits you in the fkn face. Love this. It’s a progression of the harsh EBM sound: I wasn’t sure if the style had any more methods to throw at us and then Blak Opz shows us the way. Throw this on a dance floor and watch everyone go crazy.

Dan’iel - 'The Music' - Conzoom Records
Great synth pop track, the melody and vocals are very moving and textured. All of the tracks from “The Book” album should be heard.

Orquesm - 'Dikke Pret' - Login Records
The Login label charts again in the top picks with this track off the new Stampot EP from Orquesm. Certain tracks can hit the clubs like a sonic wave and roll over you- this one doesn’t disappoint!

Doc Trashz - 'Brainwashing' - Trashz Recordz
Known for some of the best new dirty and glitchy Electro sound, Trashz Recordz has been a steady source of music to break ya neck to for a little while now. Doc Trashz, the label’s founder, releases his own monster of a track and it is beat driven! Not meant for tiny speakers or ear buds or you miss some of the intricate work that went into this one.

Ben'Yala - 'From Citta To Neapolis' - ETT Recordings
ETT Recordings storms out the gate this new year with this driving massive track. You’ll love the way this builds towards the break and then holds you to the club floor. Loving this one.

[product] - 'The Blind' (iVardensphere Remix) - Vendetta Music
Somehow iVardensphere found the time while creating his new album to put his signature stamp on a new track from [product]’s new album. I would say iVS has to sleep sometime, yet you wouldn’t know it from the great production work on this remix. Compliments [product]’s sound nicely!

Flatline - 'Your Love' - Compactonez Records
Flatline’s new album hit in late December and this standout track has garnered its own official video (now up on YouTube) which helps even more to spotlight on the great work on this track. A very driven track and great vocals & lyrics. Great new EBM mover!

That’s not all. Check out these other noteworthy releases to move to:

Novikoff - 'Addictive' (DJ Generous Remix) - Green Mono Music
Another track from G.M.M.’s recently released compilation. The flow on this track is addictive, I couldn’t stop moving even while trying to sit still. Great remix on this one.

Mark Bester feat. Love Dimension - 'Love Is Good' - ETT Recordings
ETT continues its label dominance by releasing another awesome track to the masses. The label seems to know the talent they seem to have in Love Dimension’s vocals, which wrap smoothly around the production work of this track by Mark Bester. Yet another high quality ETT club track!

Groovetonic - 'Boom Chacka' (Leon Blaq Remix) - Supermarket Records
This is a driving floor filler from the Supermarket. Love the build up!

Prismism - 'Numbers' - Trashz Recordz
One of the dirtiest, robotic electro tracks I’ve heard in a while! The beats on this seriously kick.

Essonita feat. Love Dimension - 'All We Need' (Denis Sender Remix) - ETM Recordings
ETM, sister label of ETT, takes the talented vocals of Love Dimension to more heights with this deeply moving track.


Keep those bodies moving, check out these great new tracks and we'll touch base again soon!  ;)

END: the DJ is a U.S. based DJ and artist with releases on Infacted Recordings, Nilaihah Records and CircuitHeads Digital. END tours internationally, supporting many dark electronic artists and labels plus has live mixes on U.S. and UK radio, Industrial Club Sessions. Check out END's official website for more music, tour dates and more!

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