Review: Vidi Aquam – 'Fog Vision'

VIDI AQUAM
'Fog Vision'
SELF-RELEASED 

Apparently nineteen years in to their musical career and four years after the positively received 'The World Dies' in 2010, Vidi Aquam's latest opus features everything that will guarantee the loyalty of their Euro-goth fanbase but will register a musical-quagmire for everybody whom has a functioning set of ears.

Emerging in to the dark and dingy, reverb-heavy world in 1994, this Milan-based trio have gathered momentum in the last couple of years in part from sharing tour-bills of bigger names from the scene and have also been given a name drop or two in musical-literature.

Featuring a sound palette that consists of archaic, analogue synthesisers, treble-heavy basslines and deeply mixed, echoing vocal-wails, 'Fog Vision' is an undeniable hat-tip to the to the forefathers of now modern goth but unfortunately just comes across with utter pretension. A number of tracks blend seamlessly in to each other, such as album opener 'The Puppets Show' through to title track 'Fog Vision' which comes complete with a lack of totally unoriginal hooks which does nothing cause wonder as to why you haven't indulged the skip button. However, serving as unintentional restbite from the monotony, the surprising airy, rock-driven 'She Says and Does Not Say' seems to be the diamond in this particular rough but soon ushers in another chain of clippy, un-produced Euro-bilge that deserves no real concentration.

In this day and age, there is just no excuse for horrid production and the quicker Vidi Aquam realise this, the better it will be for everybody. For all the downfalls, there are promising glimmers of hope dotted around this full-length that get drowned out by the surrounding mulch. There is an exciting world out there that is stuffed to the brim with possibilities, Vidi Aquam would not be ill-advised to take advantage of it.

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Review: Johnathan/Christian – 'Beautiful Hideous'

JOHNATHAN/CHRISTIAN
'Beautiful Hideous'
SELF-RELEASED 

Joining the ever lengthening line of those more than willing to pillage the leftovers of those who never did it particularly well (in the first place), Johnathan/Christian's latest homage to all things sombre is a willing addition to any trad-goths collection but will really struggle to make ground elsewhere.

With a press release that rather, drudgingly name-drops more or less every reverb-clad outfit circa 1990, 'Beautiful Hideous' successfully ticks off all the elements that make this a full-player of dance-floor fillers owing to the numerous, well-executed orchestral bursts and pin-sharp crescendos; many of which seen in the album opener 'I Walk this Earth Alone.' Tangential to the cause, Beautiful Hideous isn't a work of total idol worship however; with tracks like 'Fallen' offering a steampunk edge and the title-tune giving us a tiny morsel of modern electro, Johnathan/Christian's dark 'vision' struggles to bare it's teeth and thus seems to constantly plateau far too early.

We expected more from such lauded veterans of the alternative musical scene. There is just nothing here that packs a punch and the result is something that struggles along at a snails pace. 'Beautiful Hideous' would be right at home tinkering in the background as affording it any concentrated effort just ends in frustration. A shame.  

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Interview: Marco Visconti (XP8)

An Interview with the Lord...

"The vision of XP8 was to bring the more mainstream scene into the alternative scene. Back then me, Marko and Paul we were alternative people that never fitted into either scene completely and we loved the grooves and vibes of both. So we tried to make the perfect alchemy, of what became XP8..."

What do I think of him as; many words come to mind. Dramatic? The Lord? XP8? Faderhead? Whichever way I think of him and his face within this dark scene, one topic I know from analysis and encounters with him over the last five years, is his extreme passion for music and keeping to date with the ever changing and controversial evolution of alternative electronica.

Starting off in Rome, he is one of the co-founders of the band XP8, a project which has changed in nature over a decade in style of electronica. At one point Marco was part of JD-Tucker's project Grendel, conducting live drums and now known for his contribution towards live shows with Faderhead displaying his rounds of the alternative scene.

Running not even fashionably late to Glasgow from the west coast and having fumes of peated single malt whisky expel from my system (though sober I must add), I eventually find Marco, who is in a similar frame himself. Taking steps downstairs into the back of the Classic Grand Glasgow, which went from Porn theatre to alternative club and concert venue, I open out my questions to Marco.

Intravenous Magazine: Since moving to London what has changed for you?

Marco Visconti: Pretty much everything to the point where after a year of living here, I’ve been asking myself why I did not make this change earlier in my life. I've always been connected to London with music and I’m really into the esoteric conditions here.

IVM: XP8 has changed a lot since decade of decadence to Adrenochrom, as well as the EP releases, going from gothic electronica, into the new contemporary mainstream area of alt-electronica, was this on purpose or by accident?

MV: Back almost 15 years ago. The vision of XP8 was to bring the more mainstream scene into the alternative scene. Back then me, Marko and Paul we were alternative people that never fitted into either scene completely and we loved the grooves and vibes of both. So we tried to make the perfect alchemy, of what became XP8, so Marco and I began carrying it on as it worked, and that alchemy changes all the time.

IVM: Where do you think the alternative scene is going at the moment?

MV: What I’ve been noticing in the past 10 years for many reasons, the alternative scene is becoming smaller than it used to be. At the same time the people and artists that are still hooked in, are more dedicated despite the fact of the reduction.

IVM: You are a very active member of Soundcloud, is it just you or Marko also?

MV: Soundcloud is a great social network for musicians, later on I realised it was such a great thing for us to use, as it was concentrated towards people who cared about music.

IVM: The Game of thrones remix, where did that come from?

MV: I read the books long before the television series came out, and I used to be a dungeons and dragons fan.  I just one day was listening to theme, and thought about just doing something with it. So sure I posted it up on Soundcloud and it just went download viral. Then again I’m working on something from Guardians of the Galaxy as I love Karen Gillan, and I think one day I will marry her one way or another!

IVM: Which character would you be in Game of Thrones?

MV: Cersei Lannister, because she only cares about family and she doesn’t give a shit about anything else.

IVM: How much can Barry drink?

MV: Barry is one of the best guys in the world, as he runs the Classic Grand and his capacity for alcohol is a shit load, I must say. I know I’m a good drinker, but every time he leaves me six feet under. Whenever you’re in Glasgow, you have fun, you have a great gig; just don’t drink with Barry is the Lord’s recommendation, you will not survive. (Evidence is available here)

IVM: What is your favourite Poison?

MV: My favourite poison... this will be very not PG 13, but it's C***.

IVM: What do you see happening with XP8 in the not too distant future?

MV: I sat down with Marko and we thought that we were not going to bother with albums anymore, we realised we were making very dancy music in the alternative scene. We decided to just focus on EPs, the first one will be with some very nice artwork. We looking for a release in June and then in November we are looking to make an a recurrence of an XP8 album every 5 months. At the end of the day we love to make dance music for the freaks and dance is always changing in different ways and needs to be fresh.

IVM: Will stuff be done by you or under the XP8 name?

MV: Marko is the genius of the gear, I cannot do it by myself, it would be incredibly longer and probably not as good, me and Marko have the great ability and understanding to know what each of us want and without him it would not work.

IVM: Since you are both now living in London, have you seen any improvement in music synergy?

MV: Absolutely, since we have been close together we now have a batch of about 40 good songs , which we need to now release.

XP8's latest album 'Adrenochrome', and EP 'Meathead's Lost HD', are available to buy now via the band's bandcamp page. For more information on XP8, please visit their official website.  

Interview by Dominic Lynch aka: DJ- LX-E

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Talanas launch Kickstarter campaign

Dapper progressive metal quartet Talanas have announced a new crowd-funding campaign to finance their latest acoustic EP release, 'Asylum'. The EP has already seen a digital release through all major outlets, and the band are now, at the request of their fans, looking to fund a 20+ page digibook CD version.

Frontman Hal Sinden comments:

“It’s always nice to know when someone wants a bit of you. We were convinced that the physical market was dead and gone, indeed we’d still say the reign of the standard CD jewel case is long since over, so we need to make sure that if we’re going to offer a hard copy of something then it had better be special.”

The EP feature over 20 colour pages containing lyrics, information on the album’s construction & background and selected images from a series of themed photoshoots shot by the band and their label colleagues.



As extra incentives to ensure the album's release, the band are offering rewards for pledgers including signed posters, names (and even pictures) on the album itself, high tea with the band in the nation’s capital, spoken word recordings, appearances on the next full-length album and even a private show at London’s Berry Street Studio.



To contribute a pledge to the band's campaign, which runs until 4th April 2014, please visit the Kickstarter page. For more information on the band, please visit their official website.

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The latest line-up additions to WGT

The esoteric line-up of artists scheduled to perform at this year's Wave Gotik Treffen keeps growing and growing with a new cluster of bands and artists announced in the past week.

Joining the festival are:
ALCEST (F) , GEISTFORM (E) , FINSTERFORST (D) , OPPENHEIMER MKII (GB), VERDIANA RAW (I) , PLACEBO EFFECT (D) , XP8 (GB) , THE DEVIL AND THE UNIVERSE (A) , MARTELLO (I) , MDS51 (D) , KATZKAB (F) , THE ETERNAL AFFLICT (D) , KONSTRUKTIVISTS (GB) , VIOLET TEARS (I) , SARDH (D) .

The bands join an already heaving roster that includes the likes of Absolute Body Control, Aeon Sable, Apoptygma Berzerk, Faderhead, Frontline Assembly, Hocico, Lacrimas Profundere, The Hiram Key, The Klinik, Siva Six and Xotox.

This year's festival will take place 6^th June until 9^th June. For the latest announcements and to order your tickets, please visit the official website.   

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Earaches' Savage deal

Brit Metallers Savage Messiahs seem to be doing well for themselves as Earache records are giving their fans a chance to download the whole of their last album for free!

The bands' last release 'Plague of Conscience' has been given the green light as a torrent file, making it all the easier to enjoy such tracks as 'Carnival of Souls' and 'The Accuser'. This comes in light of the new album 'The Fateful Dark' coming out on the 7th April. You can pre-order your copy HERE.

Savage Messiah, who helm from London, started out back in 2007 and came to Earache the same year as acts such as 'Rival Sons' and 'Enforcer'. From there they seem to have gone from strength to strength playing alongside such bands as Evile, Queensryche and Soulfly.

To get your free copy of 'Plague of Conscience', make your way to Earache's BitTorrent page.

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The weekly compendium 07/03/2014

Yep, I know we haven't had one of these for a couple of weeks but I have my excuses. The biggest one namely is that I got some new ink last Friday courtesy of Holy Mountain Tattoo. It was a big job and ate up a good portion of my day... but it looks awesome, so it was worth it!

Anyway, this week at IVM we've crammed as much as we can in to keep you happy. We've had news from Wave Gotik Treffen, Alt-Fest, Kill The Sleeper and Mental Discipline. Columns from yours truly and Joel Heyes. We've also had the latest albums from Laibach, Zeistencroix, Kurwastyle Project, and Machinista.

But if that isn't enough, we've already got lots lined up for next week including reviews from a new contributor and a brand new interview!

Over on Facebook this week we've seen the new Laibach video for 'The Whistleblowers'. Theres a reminder that the mighty iVardensphere are hitting our nation's capital in a couple of month's time, and that Resistanz is just around the corner as well! Also the Helsinki Vampires will be on tour in Europe.

But until then here's some more Laibach and their film about 'WAT'.

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Review: Machinista – 'Arizona Lights'

MACHINISTA 

'Arizona Lights' 

JUGGERNAUT MUSIC GROUP 

John Lindqwister (Cat Rapes Dog, Basswood Dollies) and Richard Flow (Vision Talk, Haze For Sale) already have an impressive curriculum vitae between them, so the expectations for their new project Machinista are quite high. The duo's début EP is loosely themed around UFOs and alien abductions, and as such the band craft a spacey, euphoric sound that will see them assimilate seamlessly into club play-lists the world over.

The EP opens with the stunning title track 'Arizona Lights'. This is a huge anthem that sets out the bands manifesto quite clearly ass it announces itself with catchy melodies, big sing-a-long vocals and an irresistible dance beat throughout. Track number two, 'Wasted', is a slower darker offering with a more mournful vocal approach but still with an undeniable dance appeal. 'Salvation' is a nice mid-paced and steady track that is technically quite good, if somewhat nondescript despite a rather strong chorus and cheeky cheeky breakdown. Whereas with 'Pushing The Angels Astray' there is no doubt that, like the title track, it too is another very strong track that will no doubt be a live crowd pleaser.

The rest of the EP sees some interesting reworking of the original dongs by the likes of FutureFrenetic, Not Lars, IIOIOIOII, Tactical Module, and United And Identified who all give them major overhauls that still retain their dance credibility. However it is the acoustic version of 'Pushing The Angels Astray' that is the stand-out here. It's a rare case of the remix being superior to the original with the piano, strings, bass and drums sounding absolutely spectacular with Lindqwister's vocals.

The EP has that turn of the millennium synth/futurepop mass appeal, but is quite contemporary in its execution. The bands sound could easily sound dated if they weren’t so meticulous in their song-writing and production techniques.

Machinista's first step is a strong one and even with only four original tracks under their belts its already plain to see that the forthcoming full-length album is going to be hard to ignore.  

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A 'Spectre' is Haunting Europe...

They say timing is everything, and if so then there is one particular group of cultural warriors who have hit pay-dirt.

Yes, cheeky iconoclasts Laibach roll into the UK this month (not literally, thankfully) to promote their new album 'Spectre' just as 6,000 (and rising) Russian paramilitaries are occupying parts of the Ukraine. For a band that broke out of the Yugoslavian cultural system only years before the Balkans exploded in a series of brutal wars it must seem that their most satirically bleak predictions have come to pass.

It is hard to recall a more precipitous tour by a major artist. Killing Joke toured the UK during the 1991 Gulf War, which was an irony delicious enough in itself for Jaz Coleman, but other than that it is very rare indeed for a band's music and context to synchronise so well.

So we could forgive them if they laughed the laugh of men & women vindicated. It is hard to believe that their epoch-defining album 'N.A.T.O', which was released in the midst of the Balkan wars, is twenty years old. In the intervening years we all slowly grew to forget the age of land grabs, annexations and European conflict, whilst all the while the Slovenian troupe constantly reminded us that these intractable problems had not gone away.

The 'end of history', the 'war on terror' and 'the hour of Europe' all seem a very long way away now, so perhaps we should all have been paying more attention. Laibach cast a deliciously cynical eye over art, ideologies, nations and structures and told us how dangerous and futile they all were. However, they also pointed out that these things are more durable than the cocky post-modernists of the Blair-Bush years suggested. Now we have a conflict in Europe seemingly devoid of any ideology at all, and the cherished linchpins of modern European security (NATO and the EU) are flailing in the face of a rather retro Russian offensive. All so very 1968, darling, but with 24/7 rolling news coverage and a social media soundtrack to boot (or is that jackboot?)

So we have the sight and sound of an industrial rock act that are formed over 30 years ago actually becoming more relevant with age. It's hard to tell if Laibach are more & more reflecting the times or if the times are more & more reflecting Laibach. Watching the news it almost looks like a giant art installation about the nature of war and the media - but if the combatants get to the stage of blasting rock music at each other a la General Noriega in Panama then don't be surprised if the soundtrack is 'W.A.T' rather than ZZ Top.

Nobody knows where the situation in the Crimea is going, but we do know that these cultural eclipses don't happen very often. So cherish these moments and get down to London on the 12^th March to see them...before things get really interesting.

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Review: Kurwastyle Project – 'Lost In Society'

KURWASTYLE PROJECT
'Lost In Society'  
 KYOKUDOCORE RECORDS 

Czech producing pioneer and founder of Splatterblast Records, Kurwastyle Project returns with his début album on KyokudoCore Records. With mixtures of breakcore, gabba, chipcore, happy hardcore and many more sub-genres (of which my only have five artists to them *rolls eyes*) this album is a turning point for all who love to get their hard and heavy dance on!

Opening with two songs that wouldn't look out of place in an old school electronic industrial album, 'Lost in Society' crosses the euphoric state with hard hitting bass in 'Strong Survive'. It's as if you've seen the gates of heaven upon your death only to soon find you're heading down, hitting every rock on the way!

In true Breakcore style most of the songs are short bursts of beauty mixed with pure electronic rage, with samples from chart tracks being broken and raped within an inch of their lives. The title track is a great hint at 90's rave licks, with an impossible BPM laid over it, and 'Der Krieg Ist Vorbei' plays out like a homage to Alec Empire, with a droplet sample of 'Gangnam Style' that puts a cheeky grin on the listener.
The album just gets harder from there with 'Son of a Bitch', putting the gabba element to good use and breaking your speakers apart. 'Boom Boom Boom (Porncore R*Fuck mixxx)' is a perfect example of what Kurwastyle Projects' influences really are. Making a mock remix for the Vengaboys 90's dance hit 'Boom Boom Boom Boom' whilst mixing it in with some IDM elements makes this a great crowd pleaser or an end of the night cheesy classic.
Bonus remixes end the release with great gusto. DJ Kurara and Kansen Satsujinki do a great job of adding their own flair to the album and giving a novice listener to the genre of hardcore a direction to where to go to for their next fix of ear busting, feet aching craziness!
For lovers of: Alec Empire (ATR), Aphex Twin, Velvet Acid Christ, Lords of Acid.

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