
Boris Barksdale – Phormix Podcast #196



Moscow musician Alexander Lomakin performs his debut on Hypnotic Connection under his pseudonym Gegen Mann. Alexander presented in this release a dark and somewhat melancholic synthesizer sound, balancing between electro and EBM, smoothly plunging into a hypnotic trance and unpretentiously obliging to dance. The remixes were performed by the head of the label Muzikalist and a mindfriend from Moscow Unit-83 aka Sergey Timoshov.

Diana Berti is the moniker used by Francesco Baudazzi (Violet Poison) for distinctly nostalgic productions that revisit the 80s of the obscure bands on cassette in a fairly modern way. The lean melodies and essential rhythms of “The Hand That Seeds Death” are the setting for a visionary and hypothetical 80s b-movie that looks like the plot of “Phenomena” by Dario Argento. Solidly anchored to certainties such as Muslimgauze, Goblin and Doxa Sinistra, turn on the VCR and enjoy this dream journey on VHS.

Sam de la Rosa of the band Led Er Est, and with Karen Sharkey of The Coombe, is back on Mannequin Records with his third release with 4 stunning tracks blending the finest TR-606 driven electro cold wave with expressive spoken wordy minimal synth instrumentals.

Randstad is the production and DJ moniker of dutch multimedia artist Thomas van Linge, co-founder of the record labels BAKK and Rubber and freshly relocated to Berlin. Now he presents his second EP ‘These Serpents’ for Veyl. Randstad is pushing his idea across the spectrum of industrialized beat music for this outright roaring 6-tracker ideal to tear down clubs when they finally re-open in 2036.

Having garnered an online cult following, painter and producer Youl Dirlès AKA R 325 makes his record debut with Mouvements. Across 5 tracks, R 325 runs the gamut through IDM, electro and breaks, creating an insular EP full of emotive, multilayered atmospheres.

Up North is a independent Record / Tape Label founded by LBEEZE. Prioritizing in Electronic Body Music, Post-Punk, Techno, Experimental, Live cuts and even Hip-Hop. From showcasing new talent from all over the globe, to throwing parties in the heart of Melbourne. This new compilation brings EBM/ experimetal cuts from all over the world.

The next release on Phormix Tapes welcomes LBEEZE’s live lost breaks and heartbreaks EBM styled cuts. That’s the first solo release of the half Australian and half Transylvanian artist consisting of 10 tracks, 35 minutes of music. The album “Induced Expressions” is programmed to make you dance and remember the good times.

After almost three decades of music making, he delivers a 5 track-EP fusing influences from techno, electro and ’90s IDM. Four of the tracks can be found in the vinyl edition, while the 5th is a Bandcamp digital exclusive. Listen now to Geistform’s multifaceted characteristic production style: from breakbeat informed dark percussion and his unique ‘radioactive’ riffs, to his very own Detroit techno drive, dressed in rhythmic noise aesthetics. PI10.5 is a slower burner with emphasis in the chaos brought by its distorted baseline themes – to be found only on the Pi Electronics Bandcamp page.

The Uncanny Valley crew presents a new bright chapter of the Polish-German friendship which resulted in Chino’s Autostrada. The musician, graphic wizard and all around good guy from Krakow carved four raw and gloomy soul anthems out of his machines to create a record that features a wide range of music which is still connected by a common feeling. ‘Autostrada ‘ isn’t just a hard-rocking Electro track in its own right but also an aural reminiscence to the long but fun hours Chino spent on Autobahnen or Autostradas to drive to gigs, for instance at Uncanny Valley’s home base Dresden. With ‘Dyscyplina’, he turns to a wave/EBM approach. The result is a track that encourages anything but disciplined behaviour on the dance floor. ‘Carabo Cruise’ on the other hand is his take on Italo anthems, but with a special Chino-touch that is impossible to resist. Think of sunrises in industrial areas. Finally, we got ‘Alwernia’ which is heavily inspired by dark sci-fi movies. If Tarkowski met a bunch of 24-Hour-Party-Robots, this could be the soundtrack.



Frigio Allstars 3 comes from the murky underbelly of electronics, where the nights are long and the days are short. Ashen tones pricked with lighter shades, all smeared with attitude in this collection of underground tracks made for the underground. Daniel Holt dives deep into the darkness with the nine minute industrial throb of “Vaccuous Transient.” A stomping beat pierces sci-fi score synthlines in a track brimming with menace. Grey people debuts on Frigio with the grime smeared jack of “Bruxism.” The flip is all first timers to the Madrid label with Scannoir offering “De Panaesher.” Sitting somewhere between synth lament and uplifting wave, this track is a true modern classic from a member of the GOTT camp. Madrid’s very own Negocius Man follows with “101 Wars” a winding worming work of glazed electronics to kill any dance floor and the amazing finale, “The Smile Of The Body” coming care of Bari’s talent based in Berlin under the moniker of Sons Of Traders.

French duo Maelstrom & Louisahhh, make their debut on Discos Atonicos with an excellent 3 tracker of metallic and twisted textures, riding between the electro and darkwave, backed with the pulses of EBM. An absolute weapon that comes with a heavy remix delivered by Snare-Master Cardopusher.

After a pandemic induced gap since the last release, Artificial Horizon makes our first foray into the digital realm with tracks from Sophie Du Palais, Mavridis, Petros Spatharos, Kafkactrl, AIR LQD, Future Relics and Roberto Auser. As a temporary antidote to this ever more cryptic world, the ‘Wrongful Convictions’ V/A brings together artists from all corners of Europe who share an affinity for the spectral side of the sonic plains.


Another exploratory and bulletproof data delivery by Das Ding, returning for his second record in the Mechatronica White series following ”I Am Not A Robot” from last year – this time assisted by Heap’s radiant interpretation on the flip.

Kris Baha returns to his imprint Power Station since ‘Mind Your Head’ in 2016 with 4 mutant industrial cuts ready for a dancefloor of 1.‘Behave’ begins with a hypnotic sequence guiding the listener through the piece as sonic sirens screech from the cavernous dystopian wastelands of 2020.