Phase Fatale (Hayden Payne) and Silent Servant (Juan Mendez) started their collaboration in 2016 performing together live at several Jealous God showcases across Europe, such as Berlin Atonal, and then working together on Payne’s Redeemer Extended Mix 12′ from his album on Hospital Productions last year. The Confess EP on BITE is a studio documentation of those aforementioned live performances and harnesses the cathartic energy of the stage into a physical medium.
Mannequin’s 100th – a compilation looking forward featuring an international and serious cast. The modern synthwave scene would be significantly poorer without the keen ear and tireless efforts of the Mannequin label run by Alessandro Adriani. Mannequin continues to go on exploratory missions to find the best and most relevant aspects of genres like acid, industrial, EBM, post-punk, coldwave and still more. Which brings us to Mannequin’s newest project and 100th release overall: the Waves of the Future double LP compilation, which itself is not a conventional retrospective collection. Case in point – none of the artists appearing on this collection have put out their own releases on Mannequin yet, despite acting as Mannequin’s unofficial ambassadors (via DJ sets and other means). This makes the set even more compelling rather than less so, since it shows how Mannequin fits into a larger picture that includes other scene leaders and label owners including Beau Wanzer, Willie Burns, Silent Servant and Ron Morelli.
Kris Baha turns to Pinkman with a standout 5 tracker blending influences ranging from EBM, darkwave and experimental electronics. What makes them work together is a shared industrial edge, spine-chilling atmospheres and minimalistic vocals. By finding excellence in diversity this record is equally suited for boiling dance floors and home listening purposes.
Job Sifre is one of the guys bringing new blood into the Amsterdam scene. This is the follow-up to his recently released debut on the new Artifical Dance label, where he continues his path of solid EBM fueled electronix. The record ends with the gorgeous ‘At Least We Try’, showing of his more tripping, rhythmic side.
The 22nd “Issue” on Regis, Silant Servant and James Ruskin’s Jealous God label is predictably impressive. Undoubtedly the most notable inclusion is “The Bond”, a rare collaboration between Marcel Dettman and Silent Servant that looks to the sleazy, arpeggio-driven thrust of Electronic Body Music for inspiration. It’s the EP’s one genuine “peak-time” moment and strong enough to carry the whole 12″, though happily Pye Corner Audio’s flipside excursions are also impressive. Check, for example, the undulating, fluttering, post dub techno cut “Delay Gratification” and the swirling, hypnotic dancefloor melancholy of inspired closer “The Future”, where a lone acid line rises above a dense and poignant backing track.
Being closely connected to the label, it was only a matter of time before Daniele Cosmo was released on Pinkman. At long last, he makes his debut appearance with co-conspirator CCO as Savage Grounds. What they came up with is a tight two tracker presenting full speed, minimalistic punk electro workouts. Both tracks, while boasting with furiosity and dread, as is often the case in the Broken Dreams releases, carry an infectious groove that is guaranteed to get bodies moving in the highest gear and right into the abyss.
Pinkman welcomes Maenad Veyl to its roster of artists for his debut release in the form of the labels second tape. ‘Make Them Remember’ sets the gloomy mood with clattering percussion and ghostly synth lines. The messy drum patterns of Taiko Death Rhythm’ are breaking up the cold mist. The A-side of the cassette is completed by the melodic slow burning energy of ‘D.M.M.R.M’. On the other side ‘State ov Apprehension’ and ‘Sotto Gli Occhi Tutti’ further darken the character, to then pave way for ‘In Ruins’ to finish the damage with it’s ethereal, yet soul ripping guitar riffs.
Siegmar Fricke describes his music as ‘dynamic dancable collage-pop with a 90s technoid tendency’. The music on this release is made by Yamaha sampling- keyboards, Yamaha multieffects, synthesizers and 60s magnetic tape recorder, recorded on a four-track Tascam tape-machine. From 1987 – 1993 he produced twenty four cassette releases, some on his former label ‘Bestattungsinstitut’ and some on other tape-labels all around the globe. This vinyl is a fine selection of various tapes from 1988 – 1993 slightly edited for club use and remastered by Berlin’s masterchef Kitaro from Schnittstelle. Heavy underground dancematerial for the first time on vinyl. Comes with a strong extended dancefloor remix by Manfredas.
Subapical presents Dutch producer Albert Van Abbe’s The Pulse Projects – Black Catalogue Rituals (2004-2005). The Pulse Projects Black Catalogue Rituals (2004-2005) show Albert Van Abbe’s grittier electro/industrial focused work all recorded in the mid noughties. Here he serves up 4 tracks from the archives.
Black Merlin aka George Thompson with his second release on Berceuse Heroique. While previous releases were influenced by Thompson’s field recordings from e.g. Papua New Guinea, this release is more focused on club oriented sound. Five different tracks from banging stompers to EBM and uplifting Techno.
Amsterdam’s worst kept secret makes it back to Unknown Precept with his long-awaited album and first solo output since the acclaimed ‘Divine Bovine’ tape mini-album. Inspired by an evening spent in a restaurant next to a car demolition site, Eindkrak’s long player debut echoes the distant sound of steel being crushed and cars pressed into cubes. All this noise, in combination with the taste of good Italian food, lead to the eleven tracks making up for the aptly titled ‘Brullend Staal’ — loosely translated to weeping steel. A leisurely stroll on crumpled metal sheets, the acidic hints of oxidized metal and the smell of gasoline. Inaudible and distorted vocals as if smothered by the clatter and smokestacks of steel factories. Eindkrak’s first full-length is all about this disquietude made of melted and straightened scrap metal. A resounding and tumultuous din. Try to eat some nice gnocchis while listening to this album, and you’ll see what it is all about.
The Hipodrome Of Music 