As we reported before, La Machine‘s first album “Contrôle Total” which was due this year had to be postponed to next year. But there is also good news as the BOREDOMproduct label will release a new 5-track EP and new videos in December completing their EP trilogy.

You can already pre-order your copy of the ultra-limited 10″ vinyl edition, on clear transparent vinyl, or the CD numbered edition, in a dedicated packaging, as you can see below.

Behind La Machine we find some habitués, namely Pierre Pi (Komplex, Position Parallèle, Communication Zéro…) and Éric U0 (Celluloide, Thee Hyphen, Signal~Bruit…). As far as inspiration goes, La Machine finds inspiration in fantasy films an B-Movies from the 50s as much as it recycles science fiction and horror movies.

(Picture by Lina Gabrielli) Progress Productions has announced their latest signing, the Swedish trio Me The Tiger. “Post Denial War” is the first single to be released from the album “Envy”, expected to be released in Spring 2024.

The band members are Gabriella Åström, Jonas Martinsson, and Tobias Andersson. The electropop trio was formed in Falun in the spring of 2012 and has since released three full-length albums, a series of singles, and performed at festivals like M’era Luna (Germany), W-fest (Belgium), Eine Nacht im Bergwerk (Switzerland), Infest (England), E-Only (Germany) and electriXmas (Sweden). In 2024, they will tour in Europe, including a performance at Solitary Experiments’ 30th-anniversary festival in Berlin and their festival debut in Poland.

After they self-released their self-titled album in 2013, they were picked up by RepoRecords which released the album “Vitriolic” in September 2015. That album included the singles “What Promises Are Worth” and “As We Really Are”. In 2017 “What is beautiful never dies” followed and since then it went a bit quiet around the band until now.

Out November 10 via the Swedish label Progress Productions is the all new Johan Baeckström single, “Here”. The 4-track single is also available as a digipak CD in a limited edition of 500 copies.

This is the first material in 5 years from Johan Baeckström (also known from the Swedish electropop duo Daily Planet and the electronic pop act White Door) since the album “Utopia”. On this limited edition EP you’ll find “Always here” and the first digital single “Forever in here” plus a cover of the Covenant classic “Happy Man”. As a bonus you get a remix of the track “Always here” by the Swedish electronica producer and musician Moist.

Check out the videoclip for “Forever in here” below.

The German electropop act Digital Factor will release the videoclip of “Ouvre”, the title track of their brand new EP with the same name, on September 14. The EP is the second single from Digital Factor’s album “G.B.A. General Behavior Abrogate”, which will be released on October 27th.

Hit the notify button below to be informed when the video goes live.

2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the German electropop act Digital Factor. For the occasion, Mike Langer decided to make his new studio album “G.B.A.-General Behavior Abrogate” a very special release in many ways.

But before that we first get the EP “Ouvre”, the second single taken from the forthcoming conceptual album and featuring Manuel Kressin on vocals. In addition to the 3 different versions of the title-song (with the “Berlin” and “Van Wijk” remixes), you also get a 3rd album song with the synth pop cut “Your Echo” in its exclusive “JFlash” mix version by Andy Drabek.

You can get the EP right now from Bandcamp where it is available as an immediate download. All proceedings go to charity, the same goes for the complete album. A gesture that is seldom these days!

The new studio album “G.B.A.-General Behavior Abrogate” will be a charity project where all proceeds will be donated to Kinderstiftung Altenburg, a foundation for disadvantaged children, “bringing back some humanity to our crazy world and reminding all of us that music is a perfect media to set up connection and bring us all together.”

Mike Langer also took the challenge to collaborate on each new song with a different local artist from his hometown of Altenburg (Germany) giving to this new album a very eclectic and collaborative dimension. “As a musician, you always tend to say that the current album is THE special album. (laugh) But the current work with numerous musicians from my hometown, all embracing my musical style, is truly something special”, explains the German artist.

Note that one of the songs, namely the opening track “Take Me To The Limit”, features none other than Digital Factor’s founding member Torsten Heise.

Mike Langer who works in both music and film for theater productions, also recorded two songs together with two fellow actors: Manuel Kressin (for “Ouvre”) and Manuel Struffolino (“Change It”). Mike Langer’s daughter Josephine can also be heard on one of the songs, as well as guitarist and bassist Georg Kostron, who once again contributed to the album.

Pre-orders for the new album are available via the Alfa Matrix webstore on CD and via Bandcamp as download.

Cultivated Bimbo releases a new remix of a 30-year old track, “Ten Seconds To Crazy”, as part of their new EP “In Progress”. Included on the EP are also a never before released live version of “In Brief”, a remastered version of “Ice Blender/Van Der Heyden”, as well as a couple of unreleased tracks from the early nineties.

“Ten Seconds To Crazy” was originally released in 1992 on the EP “Blasting In Progress”. The track has undergone a production facelift including also an extra load of “dirty samples, gritty beats and boomy basses” so the band says. You can already check it below.

The new EP is out on September 27th via the Microlab Studio label. You can pre-order it below.

Cultivated Bimbo, a musical act that began producing under various aliases in 1985, signed under their current name in 1990. After a five-year stint, they vanished from the Swedish music scene until 2019, when they began to remaster their old material from 1985 to 1990. This culminated in the 2020 release of “Prequel”, an extensive digital compilation of 222 tracks that saw the light of day on Progress Productions and Bandcamp.

2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the German electropop act Digital Factor. For the occasion, Mike Langer decided to make his new studio album “G.B.A.-General Behavior Abrogate” a very special release in many ways.

But before that we first get the EP “Ouvre”, the second single taken from the forthcoming conceptual album and featuring Manuel Kressin on vocals. In addition to the 3 different versions of the title-song (with the “Berlin” and “Van Wijk” remixes), you also get a 3rd album song with the synth pop cut “Your Echo” in its exclusive “JFlash” mix version by Andy Drabek.

You can get the EP right now from Bandcamp where it is available as an immediate download. All proceedings go to charity, the same goes for the complete album. A gesture that is seldom these days!

The new studio album “G.B.A.-General Behavior Abrogate” will be a charity project where all proceeds will be donated to Kinderstiftung Altenburg, a foundation for disadvantaged children, “bringing back some humanity to our crazy world and reminding all of us that music is a perfect media to set up connection and bring us all together.”

Mike Langer also took the challenge to collaborate on each new song with a different local artist from his hometown of Altenburg (Germany) giving to this new album a very eclectic and collaborative dimension. “As a musician, you always tend to say that the current album is THE special album. (laugh) But the current work with numerous musicians from my hometown, all embracing my musical style, is truly something special”, explains the German artist.

Note that one of the songs, namely the opening track “Take Me To The Limit”, features none other than Digital Factor’s founding member Torsten Heise.

Mike Langer who works in both music and film for theater productions, also recorded two songs together with two fellow actors: Manuel Kressin (for “Ouvre”) and Manuel Struffolino (“Change It”). Mike Langer’s daughter Josephine can also be heard on one of the songs, as well as guitarist and bassist Georg Kostron, who once again contributed to the album.

Pre-orders for the new album are available via the Alfa Matrix webstore on CD and via Bandcamp as download.

Meet Naeon Teardrops, a fresh electronica project from Norway. But here’s a twist: the talent behind this name is none other than the seasoned Norwegian techno artist, Per Martinsen, also known as Mental Overdrive.

For those who’ve been around, Per Martinsen isn’t a new name. He’s been a force in the hardcore, rave, and techno scenes for over 30 years. Starting in 1990, he kicked off with powerful techno tracks on the Belgian label R&S. He’s also worked with labels like Smalltown Supersound, Ploink, and Virgin Records, to name a few.

With Naeon Teardrops, Martinsen is diving into synthpop and darkwave sounds, giving them a modern twist. This new direction stems from his fictional autobiography, “Pyramids On The Moon”. In this three-part tale, he imagines three different life paths, each with its own musical alias.

Naeon Teardrops’ debut has been preceded by several singles: “Amnesiacs” came out in 2021, followed by “Shadowsister” in 2022. The recent singles, “Water Rising” and “Outbound”, dropped in March and May 2023.

The debut album, “Testimony”, is a blend of three decades of electronic music, mixing electropop, darkwave, and more. Set to release on September 8th, 2023, through Love OD Communications, it’ll also be on vinyl and CD via Apollon Records.

Want a taste? Check out the tracks released so far below.

(Photo by Linus Dotson) The Los Angeles-based electropop duo Able Machines (Tay Côlieé and Linus Dotson) announces its self-produced sophomore LP “Digital precision”, due out September 29. The album is the follow-up to their 2021 debut album “Pathological”. But before that we now get the single / video for the album track “Evidence”.

The 12-track album “Digital Precision” moves into uncharted territory for the pair so frontwoman Tay Côlieé explains: “I think for both of us, writing this album was a cathartic purging of emotions. Each song is a little glimpse into the inner workings of our brains and how we navigate the tangled dynamics of angsty love. Stylistically, this second album gave us an opportunity to dive deeper into developing our sound. We had fun pulling elements from our background in different musical genres — like my love of Fiona Apple and Elliot Smith, Linus’ punk/metal upbringing and then melding all that into the electropop sphere.”

The majority of “Digital Precision” was mixed by Seth Earnest (Tessa Violet) and mastered by Paul Logus (Anthrax, Notorious B.I.G.).

The Swedish pop infested single “Evidence” was written as a sort of a response to breaking out of toxic relationship patterns and realizing your own worth so the band says. Tay Côlieé: “The album was already written when the track made its way into our lives, but we saw something special in it and dropped everything to record it. Musically, it’s our tribute to our favorite Scandinavian artists.”

The track’s accompanying self-directed video is a cinematic CSI-style take on the song as the duo step into character as detectives, doing research and collecting evidence investigating a toxic ex. Dotson says: “It was the perfect opportunity to put our 3 “band chihuahuas” in the video as the K-9 Unit. We found an old audio parts manufacturing lab in East LA and it was the perfect location for our crime lab. The plot-based video posed new challenges, like having to recruit multiple characters other than themselves for the first time. The production had so many moving parts, rather than just Linus and I winging it, we had so many opportunities to plan and add little Easter eggs in every scene — like hiding our song lyrics in the love letters and having our logo appear in subtle places.”

Watch “Evidence” below.

You can pre-order the album right here.

(Photo by _Carsten Schenker) German electropop artist Mike Langer (aka Digital Factor) will be releasing a new album, “G.B.A. – General Behavior Abrogate”, in Autumn 2023 via the Belgian label Alfa Matrix.

There will be a charity dimension to this collaborative album as all proceeds from this release will go to a foundation for disadvantaged children. For each song, Digital Factor collaborated with a different guest artist.

“The current work with numerous musicians from my hometown, all embracing my musical style, is truly something special,” so he says.

On the first single release, “I Am What I Am”, Mike Langer is joined by Gwendolyn Gaffa from the punk band Moroffa.

“I Am What I Am” is released as a free (pay as you wish) song.

On August 8th the German conzoom Records label will celebrate its 15th anniversary. Especially for the occasion two new “electropop.” compilations will be released on that same date: “electropop.25” and “electropop.depeche mode”. Both can be ordered via Conzoom Records.

Side-Line hereby send its congratulations to both Ingo Möller and Annet Möller for their work in the past 15 years!

“electropop.25” will again carry 13 tracks by 13 artists who have not yet appeared on an official compilation. As usual, there will also be a strictly limited “electropop.25 (Super Deluxe Fan Bundle)” with 4 promotional bonus CD-Rs.

“electropop.depeche mode” holds cover versions of Depeche Mode tracks by new bands from the electropop field. The three promotional bonus CD-Rs of the “electropop. depeche mode (Super Deluxe Fan Bundle)” include a remix collection of the latest “Nature Of Wire Remixes Volume 5”, a ten-song retrospective of the work of the Swedish synthpop band Climate Zombies and an exclusive remix album by Birmingham Electric with previously unpublished tracks.

Tracklisting of “electropop.25”:

1. Aeon Rings – Slow Choke (Full Length Version)
2. Blackcarburning – All About You (Olaf Wollschläger Remix)
3. Code 64 – Soundwave (Extended)
4. Eckotrigger – Collide (Extended)
5. Helalyn Flowers – Halos (People Theatre’s Fireball Mix)
6. Jetlag Junction – Hope & Bravery (Dance Remix)
7. Main – End This Game (Full Length Version)
8. Mari Kattman – Is It Really That Bad (Neuroticfish Remix)
9. Neon Space Men – Twisted Mind (Rob #Dust Remix)
10. Rohn-Lederman – We Need A Plan (Mark Hockings Remix)
11. The Grab Society – Outsider (Oren Amram Remix Edit)
12. The Nordic Act – Give Me The Power (Remix 2022)
13. Voltron2 – Catwalk Madness (Extended Mix)

Tracklisting of “electropop.depeche mode”

1. Alphamay – Everything Counts
2. Bt47 – Master & Servant
3. Demokratie – And Then
4. Egoamp – New Dress (Edit)
5. Engraved Garden – Lie To Me (Extended)
6. Kellertechnik Feat. Shelter – Now This Is Fun
7. Maschinengeist – Wrong
8. Neon Space Men – Leave In Silence (Extended)
9. Parralox – Ghosts Again (Extended)
10. Platronic – The Things You Said
11. Royal Visionaries – The Sun And The Rainfall
12. Split Vision – A Photograph Of You
13. Supercraft – My Secret Garden
14. Tycho Brahe – Suffer Well
15. Vainerz – Two Minute Warning (Extended)

The Prague concert of Depeche Mode, scheduled for 30 July at the Letňany exhibition grounds, will feature support from our esteemed friends, the Czech electropop band Lakeside X.

The band is one of two support acts, alongside the previously announced Berlin band Hope, who are touring Europe with Depeche Mode as part of the European leg for their current album, “Memento Mori.” Lakeside X recently made their return after a ten-year hiatus with their new album, “Love Disappears.”

“It is indeed a great honor for us and an opportunity to introduce our music to a like-minded audience. Simultaneously, it carries a great responsibility, considering the band selected us,” says Janne Marvannen, the frontman and composer. “We have never concealed our admiration for Depeche Mode, having attended numerous concerts ourselves. In fact, it was on our way back from one of their shows that we decided to form a band,” the singer adds.

“Anyone who watched Anton Corbijn’s documentary ‘Spirits In The Forest’ would relate to our story. Each one of us has a personal, unique, yet somehow interconnected experience with Depeche Mode,” says Robert Broj, the other founding member of Lakeside X. “As someone once said, DM is the soundtrack of our lives, and we consider ourselves fortunate to share that with each other while the band is still active. It’s also true that many of us original fans have started bands, projects, and created our own music, influenced to varying degrees by Depeche Mode’s music. Hence, sharing the same stage with them is a dream come true. Nonetheless, it is also a significant challenge, affirming that we are on the right path and inspiring us to continue our work,” adds the keyboardist.

Lakeside X has already released four albums. Following “Sunrise” (2004), “EXIT: NOWhere” (2007), and “City Of Red Lights” (2010) under the X Production label, the band took a lengthy hiatus before reuniting in 2021. Teaming up with German producer Daniel Myer (Haujobb, Covenant, Architect, Liebknecht), they embarked on a new album, which was released in October 2022.

Out via COP International on June 23rd is the debut album from Blackcarburning, “Watching Sleepers”. Behind Blackcarburning we find Mark Hockings, frontman of the UK electropop outfit mesh. “Watching Sleepers” will be out in 2 CD versions, a normal CD and a limited Edition, including a 5-track bonus-CD with exclusive tracks and remixes.

On this release Hockings takes on multiple roles, including writing, singing, and programming, and describes the tracks as “electronic music written around songs, emotion, and energy.” He further adds, “The tracks were written to see what I could achieve by working primarily on my own. It’s been a vehicle for exploring new songwriting and programming ideas, experimenting with sound design, and developing some exciting new directions.”

The bonus tracks are the following:

1. The Mirror (12Inch Extended Mix)
2. Make another Plan
3. You do what you want
4. Last Day
5. Have you seen them fight

Check out the album track “The Mirror” below.

Out via Infacted is the all new album by the German electropop act Final Selection. “Siren’s Call” is the band’s 4th album, and the first one since “Clockworks” from 2008. A first single (“Beyond my Dreams”) and official video was released some weeks ago. “Siren’s Call” features eleven tracks.

The video itself was made by Alain De Grox for Synth Heaven and contains excerpts from the CGI 3D Animated Short “One More Page” by Jay Stewart, Sam Osborne, Gary Pogue, Matthew A Cooper & Nicholas Deary (Northumbria University, Newcastle).

Final Selection was established in 1993 by Mario Tews (keyboards) and Riccardo Schult (vocals), featuring English lyrics. The band’s initial demo tapes were released between 1993 and 1996. In the past the band has received quite some favorable reviews from Side-line magazine.

Welcome back!

The US based synthpop act The Mystic Underground is back with an all new 2-track single, “The Lonely Ones” including a Beborn Beton remix. The single is out via Re:Mission Entertainment and is a teaser for the band’s upcoming album “Everyone Deserves A Stage”.

The music video for the track is available below.

Here’s what the band says about the single: “‘The Lonely Ones’ manifested from a desire to create the perfect pop moment. Lyrically, the song acts as a love letter to the rebels and the dreamers and the unwavering spirit of romance and the thrill of youth. Backed by a remix produced by German dark electronic pop icons Beborn Beton who’ve long have been an influence on our sound, ‘The Lonely Ones’ serves as a perfect harbinger of the evolution of The Mystic Underground in the form of the forthcoming LP, ‘Everyone Deserves A Stage’.”

You can download the 2-track single right now from Bandcamp.

The electropop duo Berlin Banter and electronic music icon Tricky have announced the release of their new single “I’ll Wait” on April 14. The single will be available on all major music platforms. The intimate track merges elements of electronica, synthpop, and industrial music, and was mixed by Gareth Jones, who is known for his work with Depeche Mode and other artists.

“I’ll Wait” is the first single from Berlin Banter’s second EP, following their debut EP “All Too Familiar” which also featured covers of Yazoo, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Pet Shop Boys and Tanita Tikaram tracks.

Berlin Banter, founded by music producer Chris Kobusch in 2020, combines traditional instruments with analog synthesizers and recorded sounds. The project collaborates with different vocalists and visual artists to produce their unique sound. Chris is a self-taught synth geek in the wave/industrial scene and already released material as Distorted Reality with American vocalist Martha M. Arce, and with Eight Bit Machine.

“I had composed the music for ‘I’ll Wait’ already back in 1996, but I never released it, partly because this track was more experimental than everything else I was putting out. Now last summer, I remixed the track and to me it sounded like a great fit for Tricky’s vocals. As I knew Tricky lives in Berlin, I decided to reach out and see if he would be up for a collaboration – and he was,” says Chris Kobusch.

And in related info,  in two weeks from tomorrow (April 28) Distorted Reality will also release a new single, it’s called “I Can’t Imagine”.

The London based Electro-pop duo Palindrones is set to officially release “Samadhi”, the first single from their album “Chapter One: With Fearful Velocity”, on April 21st. However, fans can get a first glimpse of the light-soaked and psychedelic video accompanying the single here on Side-Line.

In this new single, Jamie and Karen, the duo behind Palindrones, have introduced elements from both techno and trance to their sound palette, with Karen’s voice taking on a more prominent role.

Watch the video for “Samadhi” here:

The forthcoming album “Chapter One: With Fearful Velocity” delves into the concepts of consciousness and human connection. As part one of a two-part concept album, the first instalment presents a “first contact” story that explores humanity’s reaction to the discovery and encounter with extraterrestrial life. The narrative is inspired by classic sci-fi stories, including “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Arrival,” “Annihilation,” “The Expanse,” and “Interstellar.”

Produced by Tony Wellington and Palindrones, “Chapter One: With Fearful Velocity” is set for release on Laniakea Records on May 5th, 2023. The album will be available in CD, digital, streaming, and USB drive formats.

German electropop sensation Melotron is back with a brand new single, “Null,” from their forthcoming album “Dynamika,” set for release later this year. For this single, Melotron collaborated with In Strict Confidence.

“Dynamika” serves as the follow-up to their 2018 album “Für Alle.” German fans should note that a record pre-release concert is scheduled for May 20th at LIDO in Berlin. Visit Melotron’s official website for ticket information.

The music video for “Null” can be viewed here, it was direct by Dennis Ostermann:

The lyrics of the song address themes of societal apathy, materialism, and escapism. They describe a world where people are focused on trivial pursuits like home shopping and online quizzes, ignoring significant issues like justice and the well-being of others. The song further critiques the mindset of “it can’t be what’s not allowed,” encouraging people to continue playing along and being obedient while the world turns a blind eye to problems. The chorus, “Stellt die Uhren auf Null” (Set the clocks to zero), could be interpreted as a call for a fresh start or a reset, acknowledging the need for change in society’s priorities and values. Additionally, the lyrics touch upon the consequences of excessive consumption as a response to life’s frustrations and everyday stress. They highlight the superficiality of luxurious lifestyles, with cosmetic enhancements and tattoos, ultimately emphasising that everyone dies alone despite such appearances.

Melotron will be performing live at the following venues:

• 30th April: Halle / Saale (EASTEND – Die Pop & Wave Nacht)
• 20th May: Berlin (LIDO)
• 6th-8th July: Vänersborg (SE) (Subkult Festivalen)
• 12th-13th August: Hildesheim (M’era Luna Festival)

About Melotron

Melotron was established in 1995 by founding members Andy Krüger (vocals/composition), Edgar Slatnow (synthesizer/lyrics), and Kay Hildebrandt (synthesizer/production). They initially went by the name The Vermin but changed it to Melotron with the release of their debut single “Dein Meister” in 1998.

Since their debut album “Mörderwerk,” they have worked with indie and techno producer Olaf Wollschläger at the Weltherren Studios in Buir (Kerpen). In 2006 however the band decided to explore new production avenues and started collaborating with Dirk Riegner alongside Olaf Wollschläger.

A interesting moment in the band’s further career was when Melotron represented their state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the Bundesvision Song Contest with their song “Das Herz”. The track instantly entered the German mainstream charts.

Since 2007 the band has only sporadically released a new album, “Werkschau” in 2014 and “Für Alle” in 2018.

(Photo by Jon Bordon) Next Tuesday, April 4th, the UCR label will be releasing the first single by Dead Satellites, “Be Gone”. The Swedish electronic scene never fails to amaze. Bands like Agent Side Grinder, Kite, and Emmon are breaking records, and the latest newcomer Dead Satellites will try to position itself in between those bands as well.

This first single was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, in collaboration with Jon Bordon, who has produced for Nicole Sabouné and Agent Side Grinder, among others. The recording features electro artist/producer Kris Sweden, who contributed backing vocals. A few years ago, she had a big hit with Niklas Stememo (Kite) and The Mo in the duet “Nostalgia Locomotive.”

With their music Dead Satellites tries to fill the void left by major bands from the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s. The band comments: “This gap is bridged with an electronic foundation and beat, combined with impeccably arranged guitars in a retrospective soundscape updated for 2023.”

The members of Dead Satellites were one of the pioneers of the new wave of Scandinavian post-punk with the band The Exploding Boy. With that project they released several albums and toured Europe and North America.

Here’s a snippet the band released on Facebook from their debut single.

Over 15 years have passed since Agonised By Love, a prominent figure in the Polish dark indie scene, disbanded. The band, which was signed to the Belgian electro label Alfa Matrix, produced several electropop albums.

In 2022, Agonised Too was formed, rising from the remnants of Agonised By Love. The new project features Bartosz Hervy, an audiovisual artist, musician, and music producer who created HRV and Hakael and was previously a member of Blindead and Agonised By Love. Joining him is Rafał Tomaszczuk, the vocalist and songwriter for Hidden by Ivy, and formerly also of Agonised By Love.

The band members explain that their shared passion for the same musical genres and similar sensitivity brought them back together to create Agonised Too. The project emphasizes a strong electronic presence, experimental sounds, and lyrics that transport listeners on a dreamlike journey to places beyond consciousness yet accessible to the soul.

Since its inception, the electropop duo has released two singles, “Type Zero” and “Beautiful (HRV Remix),” as well as a four-track EP titled “First Track.”

Listen to their latest electropop single, “Type Zero,” below.

Here is the video for the new single.

Below are the two other releases.

(Photo by Chris Ruiz) Out now via Dependent Records is the all new album by the German electropop act Beborn Beton. “Darkness Falls Again” offers a mix of 80s synthpop with a touch of 90s electronic influences.

Through the song lyrics the band addresses contemporary political struggles and cultural conflicts through their lyrics. They voice opposition to efforts that undermine women’s rights and challenge those who seek to limit expressions of love, gender, and sexuality. The group also criticizes racism, demagoguery, hate speech, and environmental destruction for personal gain.

The German electropop act Beborn Beton was founded by vocalist Stefan Netschio, keyboard player and drummer Stefan Tillmann, and keyboard player Michael Wagner in 1989. Their first signs of life were three self-released works, “Pyre” (1989), “Scythe” (1991), and “Die Stahlbetontour” (1992) that came out on tape. Following their first two regular albums “Tybalt” (1993) and “Concrete Ground” (1994), Beborn Beton found a label-home at Strange Ways Records where they joined renowned acts such as Wolfsheim and De/Vision. In 1996 they released the full-length “Nightfall”, followed by “Truth” in 1997, “Fake” (1999) and “Rückkehr zum Eisplaneten” (2000). Add to this the exclusive US release of a best-of double-album entitled “Tales from Another World” in 2002, which was followed by extensive touring in North America with Apoptygma Berzerk the same year. But after the release of “Tales from Another World” (2002) and the associated touring, the band went on an extended hiatus.

It took 13 long years, until the trio returned with a new album on Dependent Recordings: “A Worthy Compensation” (2015). 8 years later we now have “Darkness Falls Again”.

Check the full release below.

Pussy Riot and Boyfriend have united to release the single “Dance With the Devil” which comes accompanied by a rather luscious video. The video was co-directed by Pussy Riot creator Nadya Tolokonnikova and Belarusian-born visual artist Yulia Shur. The video sees Boyfriend appearing opposite Tolokonnikova and features model/performance artist Amanda Lepore.

Pussy Riot’s Nadya says this about the single: “I believe that Virgin Mary was a feminist, and if she lived today, she’d be making music with Boyfriend and Pussy Riot. We’ve co-created this piece with two of my dearest friends, both incredibly strong, dedicated and vocal female artists, Boyfriend and Yulia Shur, and isn’t it everyone’s dream to work with your best friends on something that excites you deeply?”

“I grew up believing in the Devil,” says Boyfriend. “Try as they might to depict him as evil, my main takeaway was that he lived in the land of cigarettes and sex…he drank red wine, gambled, had a choir of electric guitars and was the keeper of the orgasm. This song is an invitation to the Devil’s party, where indulgence isn’t a sin and temptation isn’t a threat. It’s also an inversion of the patriarchal depictions of Satan… if God is a woman, so is the Devil, and she’s way more fun to hang with.”

Here’s the video.

(Photo by Chris Ruiz) Out now is the all new single and video, “Dancer in the Dark”, by the German electropop act Beborn Beton. The track is taken from their forthcoming new album “Darkness Falls Again” scheduled for release on March 17, 2023. The new album will be produced,recorded, mixed, and mastered by Olaf Wollschläger at Railroad Tracks Studios, Kerpen, Germany.

You can check the video below.

Beborn Beton was founded by vocalist Stefan Netschio, keyboard player and drummer Stefan Tillmann, and keyboard player Michael Wagner in 1989. The band self-released three tapes in the early nineties: “Pyre” (1989), “Scythe” (1991, and “Die Stahlbetontour” (1992). The albums “Tybalt” (1993) and “Concrete Ground” (1994) followed on the Subtronic label and after that they were signed to Strange Ways which was the label home to Wolfsheim and De/Vision back then.

After the release of “Tales from Another World” (2002) and the associated touring, the band went on an extended hiatus. It took 13 long years, until the band returned with a new album on Dependent Recordings, “A Worthy Compensation”. Seven years later the band is back with another new album later this year.

“Darkness Falls Again” will be available as a 48-page artbook with bonus CD, on black vinyl , on white vinyl (limited edition), and as a digisleeve CD.

Echozone announces the single and video release by Hidden Souls’ “Loreley” featuring nine remixes of the song and two versions of a B-side track.

“Loreley” is an 80s synthpop style track originating from the German Loreley myth from the 19th century.

The band precises the sound on the single as follows: “From the very beginning of the song, an analogue synthesizer provides a hypnotic, catchy and warm sound throughout the pop dance beats. From the famous poem / song “Die Lorelei” and the myth to the urban legend from the Rhine, the lyrics were written from the lover’s point of view. The aristocratic man who fell in love with Loreley and who he allegedly betrayed.”

The single contains remixes from Ruined Conflict (USA), L_igh_T (Spain), Elektrostaub (Germany), People Theatre (France), Device not Ready (Germany), Real Eraser (Argentina), VDOC (Germany) and Glasnost (Argentina). The single also features a non-album track called “The Court Of The Beyond” and is offered in two different versions. The original one is a dark synthpop song with a synthwave touch, whereas the alternative version has a goth feeling with an intense dark atmosphere.

The single will be available on all relevant streaming services and download stores.

Here’s the video for the track.

The track is taken from the band’s recently released album “All That We Destroy”. In 2018, the Argentinian band released their debut album “The Incorruptible Dream”. Now, they are back with new material after touring in Europe for the first time.Hidden Souls are Leo Carden (vocals / guitars), Guillermo “William” Pardo Neira (keyboards / songwriter / programming) & Alex Visoná (keyboards / composer). The album was produced & mastered by Fernando Sande Dallas.

Here’s the previous single “I Was There…”.

In June we informed you that the Norwegian electropop / dark pop act Bel Canto was working on the follow-up of the 2002 album “Dorothy’s Victory”. It’s now clear they also took the Norwegian producer and mixer Matias Tellez on board.

Matias Tellez runs the recording and mixing facility Skogen Studio at Bergen Kjøtt in his home city Bergen, Norway. He is one of the many young artists that the Norwegian press have called the Bergen Wave. Besides solo work and recording with his band Young Dreams, Matias has also worked as a producer, mixer and arranger for fellow New Bergen Wave bands Kakkmaddafakka, Sondre Lerche, Razika, Chain Wallet and Real Ones, as well as Girl in Red and Veps.

In 2020 he was awarded Spellemannprisen as the producer of the year for his work with Girl in Red, Sondre Lerche, Kakkmaddafakka and others.

Below are two screenshots from a mixing dession.

Bel Canto was formed in 1985 in Tromsø by Geir Jenssen (synthesizer, programming), Nils Johansen (synthesizer, violin, bass guitar, guitar) and vocalist Anneli Drecker. The group was one of the first Norwegian bands to sign a record contract abroad. They moved to Brussels in 1986 and had their debut album “White-Out Conditions” released by Crammed Discs the following year.

After a second album, “Birds of Passage” (1990), Jenssen left the band for a solo career as Biosphere. The group had a commercial breakthrough with “Shimmering, Warm and Bright” in 1992, and won the Spellemannprisen award twice, in 1992 and 1996. Their style evolved over time from an ethereal dream pop sound to synth-based pop influenced by world music.

During the years from 1985 to 2009, Bel Canto occasionally took breaks between albums in order for Anneli Drecker to pursue a solo career and to perform with other bands and artists, as well as performing in films and theater plays. Nils Johansen composed music for film and television as well as working and performing with his other band, Vajas.

Back in March 2007 we reported that Bel Canto would start work on a new album in its original line-up after we interviewed Geir, Nils and Anneli in Oslo right after a reunion concert. However that album was shelved. The band returned to being a duo but in 2017 Anneli Drecker told Side-Line that the band was keen to possibly record new songs.

(Photo by Chris Ruiz) Seadrake is an electronic music and art collective led by Mathias Thürk (ex-Minerve) and Rickard Gunnarsson (Statemachine, Lowe) based in Zürich, Berlin, and Stockholm. Their newest single started out as a remix for the Spanish electro techno act Ascii.Disco, but got its own life when Berlin singer Dorian E put her vocals in the mix.

“Asche” is Seadrake’s first release in German. The track is out now via the Swedish label Megahype, and is available as digital single and limited CD-single.

Check the single backed by the track “The Fever” out below.

Null Device is an electronic band from Wisconsin, USA in 1995 by Eric Oehler, William Annis and Tom Lawrence, all who were students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Named after /dev/null, an IT term where a device file discards all data written to it but reports that the write operation succeeded, the group was originally an informal project for members of the university’s Undergraduate Projects Lab who are interested in techno music during the burgeoning rave scene.

Through connections to Stromkern’s Ned Kirby and a variety of DJs from local clubs, the project slowly became more focused on vocal-oriented industrial music, using Lawrence’s experimental audio software. After the departures of Annis and Lawrence, Eric Goedken became the band’s full-time lyricist and producer. By this time, the band shifted to a straightforward synthpop sound. After some local and underground success, they were signed to Nilaihah Records in 2002 and have been a Side-Line favorite ever since.

Null Device’s eighth album, “The Emerald Age”, finds the band moving into darker, more cinematic territory that is clearly showcased in the video for “Snake Eyes” which you can view below. “The Emerald Age” was released today by Distortion Productions on CD and is available via all streaming and digital platforms. The band’s previous album was 2019’s “Line Of Sight”.

Here’s the video for “Snake Eyes”.

Check out the full album below.

Here’s one you should pick up for sure. The dark electropop act Auger is back with an all new single, “My Heart Is Glass”, via The Big Chair. Produced by Kyle Blaqk of Auger the track comes after a string of dark rock tracks and sees Auger return to the realm of synth driven propulsive beats including a chrystal clear production.

The track will appear on the as yet untitled 5th album by Auger, and the exact release date in 2023, is still to be confirmed. Auger is a dark rock duo from the industrialised north of England, namely Blackpool. The duo has been fusing electronics with guitars and melody since 2017.

You can download the track right below.

A video is also available right below.

The German electropop/futurepop act Reichsfeind is back with a new extended play, “This” on the Belgian electro label Alfa Matrix. The title track is taken from the recently released 3rd album “Darken”.

The EP holds 6 tracks, the tracks “This” and “Darken” plus remixes by Timo Revna himself, plus a remix of “This” by VDOC (who added additional female vocals) and a remix of “Darken” by Amnistia.

You can check the full EP below on Bandcamp.

Below are the videos for both “Darken” and “This”.

The Swedish electropop act Code 64 are releasing their brand new album “Broken Rhythm” on November 18th. The release will be available in digital format on streaming platforms and as a limited edition CD which will only be available on the band’s Bandcamp page where you can already pre-order the release.

As you can guess, the Lysekil based band is now self-releasing the material. Also good to know, the album was recorded by Christian Espeland and Henrik, the original singer of this project. Christian told us that “you can say it is the follow up album from our classic album ‘Departure’ from 2006.” That promises!

Here’s already a first track to check out.

About Code 64

Code 64 is a synthpop, darkwave, electronica band that signed with the small Norwegian record label, “Angel Productions” only three years after establishing themselves as a group. They released their first album “Storm” in 2003, which contained nine original tracks.

Following this release they continued to work, releasing “Departure” in 2006 on the new label Memento Materia. Code 64’s sophomore album saw US distribution for North America in 2005, when the band signed a multi release licensing deal with A Different Drum. “Departure” was re-released as a 2 CD this time with as bonus disc the “Sea of Stars” single featuring remixes and an exclusive b-side.

Shortly after the release, Henrik Piehl left the band due to musical disagreements. He was replaced by Bjørn Marius Borg and in 2010 the band released its third studio album, “Trialogue”. On July 23, 2013, Code 64 announced that Christian had left the band to spend more time with his family, and the project was disbanded. Hasse Mattsson and Bjørn Marius Borg would then reemerge as the duo Xenturion Prime.

(Photo by Paul Decock) Out via Starman Records is the new double single/5-track EP (digital/cassette) “Fris! Fris! Fris! Het Heelal Is Hier” by Belgium’s electropop avant garde act Arbeid Adelt!.

The EP acts as a prelude to the new full album “Het Heelal Is Hier” to be released in early 2023. It will come exactly 40 years after the legendary mini-album “Jonge Helden” and their classic “Lekker Westers”.

The new album will be their first since 2016’s “Slik”. You can view the video for the title track below.

About Arbeid Adelt!

Arbeid Adelt! was founded in 1981 by Marcel Vanthilt (pseudonym Max Georg Alexander) and Jan Vanroelen (David Salamon). They broke through (in Flanders) with the song “De dag dat het zonlicht niet meer scheen”. The song was originally going to be called “De dag dat de dokter geen pillen meer voorschreef”, but Jan Vanroelen didn’t like that. The song’s lyrics were changed leading to a conflict with John Terra, who had released a schlager of the same title. Other well-known songs are “Lekker Westers”, “Death Disco” and “Stroom”.

Other musicians who have been part of the band were Luc Van Acker, Willy Willy and Dani Klein. Around 1992, Arbeid Adelt! split up for a long time.

On August 2, 2007, a reunion concert was held during Theater Aan Zee in Ostend in honor of Marcel Vanthilt’s fiftieth birthday. October 31, the group reunited for a performance on Sinner’s Day in Hasselt (Belgium). The group performed in December 2011 during the Turnhout Comics Festival, where they gave a “comic concert” with well-known cartoonists such as Kim, Ilah, Serge Baeken and Lectrr.

At Pukkelpop 2015, they announced they were back and signed a new record deal and new work was released on September 2, 2015.

Here’s a list of their albums, cult in Flanders, not so much abroad.

• “Jonge helden” (1983)
• “Le chagrin en quatre-vingts” (1983)
• “Des duivels oorkussen” (1991)
• “Bijna heeft nog nooit een haas geschoten” (Compilatie, 1993)
• “Methode champenoise” (1994)
• “Slik” (2015)

The Italian electropop act Navigator Project debuted in 2020 with the album “Follow The Light” which we described as “a successful mix between EBM, Electro-Pop and Electro-Wave music”. They now return with the follow-up “Breathe” on Space Race Records.

According to the band the new 10-track strong album “is characterized by a more defined, mature musicality, which incorporates instrumental insights and vocal details”. The band which is based in Naples was set up by Amir Sabljaković and joined by his son Daniel and Caroline Darko. You can find an interview with Navigator Project right here.

Here’s already a first video for the track “Glove Box”.

Out now is “Dark Blue Ice”, a brand new single by the synthpop / darkwave duo Pegasus Asteroid. The single marks their come back after a two year hiatus and features two tracks, “Dark Blue Ice” and “Radio”, as well as their instrumental versions.

Pegasus Asteroid is a synthpop duo which was formed in January 2009 by frontwoman Anastasia Sokolova and Mikhail Sokolov (who is known as one of the founding members of the well known acts Stillife and Lesnikov-16). The band was also featured on our free download compilation “Face The Beat: Session 4” with the track “Mechanical Heart”.

We can recommend this material especially to fans of Marsheaux, Parralox, Foretaste and the like. Here’s the single on Bandcamp.

Out on the 2nd of September via COP International is the Rohn – Lederman album “Rage!”.

Behind Rohn – Lederman we find Jean-Marc Lederman (Fad Gadget, The Weathermen, The The, Gene Loves Jezebel, Ghost & Writer + numerous solo records) and Emileigh Rohn (Chiasm) who started this project to bring catchy electropop. More recently, Emileigh Rohn recently also completed an album with John Fryer titled “Missed The Noise”, and since has been working with Jean-Marc Lederman on this project.

Here’s a first preview of the Porno For Pyros track “Pets” by Rohn – Lederma.

Out now is a brand new video for the track “Day After Day” by the Spanish electropop act Mondträume. The video was created by Alain De Grox for Synth Heaven and contains excerpts from the CGI Short Film “L’Orée” by ARTFX School directed by Mickael Boixadera, Bastien Garbuio, Raphaël Laffitte, Jonathan Martinez and Renaud Tissandié.

The song “Day “After Day” is originally featured on the band’s last EP “The Unwknow Path” out via Alfa Matrix and features vocals by Madil Hardis, who is also the new voice of Mondträume.

Here’s the video.

And this is the recent Mondträume EP “The Unwknow Path” featuring “Day After Day”.

Out now via the fine German electropop label SkyQode is “How to Disappear”, a full-length collaboration album between Pavel Zolin of Russia’s darkwave / dream pop band Purple Fog Side and Piero Delux of Elsehow, an art-pop project from Belgium. Started in the lockdown times, when Pavel and Piero first exchanged their ideas and demos, this collaboration has grown beyond a couple of songs into a full blown studio album.

“How to Disappear” offers a mix that blends dream pop and progressive soundscapes with 80s new wave and synthpop influences topped with attractive vocals.

Below is the lyric video for “To The Moon And Back”.

You can download the full album below on Bandcamp or get it on CD as well.

Out via Nexilis on October 7th is the new 3CD set “Film, Funk & Fernsehen” by the German electropop act Welle:Erdball.

Coming as 3 seperate digipaks it is included in an inside an outer cardboards-slider holding over 2 hours of music and more than 30 tracks. The band explains the album title as follows: “The power of the media. And it is almost all-encompassing; with a theme that no longer stops at pandemics, gender and global thermonuclear war and is reflected in German lyrics, but also in songs in English, Russian and even Swedish.”

Also included are some cover versions such as David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” with female voices accompanied by Commodore C64 sounds. Also included is a complete radio play CD (in German) with several guest musicians such as Alexx Wesselsky (Eisbrecher), Ronan Harris (VNV Nation) and Steve Naghavi (And One).

Since it has been 40 years since the C64 was presented to the world (in January 1982), Welle:Erdball has also dedicated another complete CD recorded only with a C64. For those who wonder what a C64 actually is, the Commodore 64, also known as the C64 or the CBM 64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International. It is still being actively used in the demoscene, especially for music (its SID sound chip even being used in special sound cards for PCs, and the Elektron SidStation synthesizer).

Check out the video for “Das Atomboot (C64)”. A new video for “Drogenexzess im Musikexpress” will be released on September 9th.

The band has also announced a tour, the dates are available below.

The Cologne based band Superikone is back with a double maxi, “Komm, lass uns tanzen”, on September 15th. This is the third single for the project this year and will be presented live on September 23rd, 2022 as part of a concert the the “Phönix Club” (Mülheim a.d.R.).

The following versions can be found on the “Deluxe” version:

1. Komm, lass uns tanzen (Radio Edit, 3:30 Min)
2. Komm, lass uns tanzen (Extended Synthpopmix, 4:49 Min)
3. Komm, lass uns tanzen (Originalversion, 3:52 Min)

The “Alternative Mixes” comes with the following mixes:

1. Komm, lass uns tanzen (Trancepopmix, 4:39 Min)
2. Komm, lass uns tanzen (Italo Disco Mix, 4:01 Min)
3. Komm, lass uns tanzen (Alternative Radiomix, 3:46 Min)

You can get a 5-track download via Bandcamp as well minus the radio version.

The Fort Lauderdale (Florida) based electro-industrial music producer Miss FD has released her new cyberpunk single “Menticide”. “Menticide” is out now through Quantum Release Records, and is available worldwide on all major streaming outlets.

The single is the follow-up release to her excellent three-song dark pop EP, “As Above, So Below”, which was released earlier this year. That EP was influenced and inspired by Göbekli Tepe, a Neolithic archaeological site near the city of Sanliurfa in Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey.

About Miss FD

Miss FD is an underground electronic musician, artist, singer, songwriter, producer, and performer. The project began in 2009 and has since known a constant output debuting with the single “Together Forever”. It was followed-up in 2010 with her seminal debut album “Monsters in the Industry”.

From 2010 to 2017, Miss FD went on to release a string of singles including “Love Magic”, “Down in the Dungeon”, “Infatuated”, “Cry For You (Haunted)”, “Unraveling”, and “Electropop Sickle”. She also released two more albums, 2011’s “Love Never Dies” and 2013’s “Comfort for the Desolate”.

In 2018 followed the industrial-rock album “Transcendence”. The seven-track album also included a collaboration with Vulture Culture, whom she would further collaborate with on the singles “Ashes Of Stars”, “Spitfire”, and “Faster Than Light”.

Following her 2020 singles “Keep Going” and “Pandemic 2020”, Miss FD released her three-song EP “Adore”, and the single “Your Core”, which were heavily infused with futuristic and cyberpunk elements.

(Photo by Michel Bresson / Martin Dupont) Martin Dupont, a French new wave band from Marseille disbanded in 1987. But they are now making a come back with a concert on January 21st 2023 in Marseille’s Espace Julien together with Corpus Delicti. Tickets are available here.

Martin Dupont was formed in 1982 and (re)released material on the following labels: Facteurs d’Ambiance, Minimal Wave and Infrastition. The band consisted of Alain Seghir, Brigitte Balian, Catherine Loy and Beverley Jane Crew, the latter joined the band after the first album “Just because” released in 1984.

After Martin Dupont split up in 1987, the members started their own projects. Brigitte Balian collaborated with the composer Patrick Portella, Beverley Jane Crew became producer of the Contemporary music network in London, and Alain Seghir composed for the choreographer Josette Baïz and the stylists Geneviève Delrieux and Patrick Murru, before devoting herself to his career as a surgeon (ENT surgery). He also created – together with Dan Armandy – the Supermax card for the Yamaha DX7 which was considered the invention of the year by Jean-Michel Jarre.

Although the band laid dormant for decades, the interest never really faded. A music video for the song “It’s so” was produced in 2005 by the American label Minimal Wave, followed by a limited edition vinyl in 2008 namely the compilation “Lost & Late”. The material included songs published on the unreleased cassette “81-83” from 1985. Another compilation followed the same year, “Des jeunes gens mödernes”. In 2009 the albums were re-released as a 4CD boxset by the French label Infrastition. Included in this set were previously unreleased tracks.

In 2017 the French electropop label BOREDOMproduct released the tribute album “Broken memory”.

In December 2018 the New York based label Minimal Wave released a new boxset, “The complete collection 1980-1988” holding 5 vinyls with artwork by Peter Miles. A previously unreleased track, “Nice boy”, appeared on the compilation “Des jeunes gens modernes volume 3”.

The French electropop act Dekad is back with a fifth, 11-track strong, album, “Nowhere Lines” on the fine French label BOREDOMproduct. Promoted by its first single “A Deadly Show”, “Nowhere Lines” sees the French act returning after a seven year hiatus.

For the first time the material was co-produced by Foretaste’s XY member who co-wrote The Overlookers’ “Teenage Wet Dreams” album three years ago.

You can order the album right below on CD and as a digital download.

Check out the video for “A deadly Show” right below.

Two weeks ago we informed you that the Norwegian electropop / dark pop act Bel Canto had left a rather cryptic message on their Facebook page hinting that the band had finally finished the recordings of the follow-up of the 2002 album “Dorothy’s Victory”.

Today the band posted the following update: “Yes yes, good zoOOom meeting with prominent producer. TBC!😄#newbelcantoalbum #muminbusiness #MusiqueNonStop” In short they are indeed recording a new album and are working with a yet unnamed ‘prominent’ producer. You can see the Facebook update below.

Good news, as Bel Canto is one of those bands from which we have wanted to hear new work for years,

A new album that has taken years

In March 2007 Side-Line reported that Bel Canto would start work on a new album. This was based on an interview we had with all three original members in Oslo. But this first resurrection was aborted and Geir Jenssen left the band again. The only ‘new’ material would be released in 2009 on the double album package “Maskindans: Norsk synth 1980–1988” that was released on Hommage Records. It holds the previously unheard Bel Canto song, “Flowerbeds”, which dates from 1988.

Bel Canto was formed in 1985 in Tromsø by Geir Jenssen (synthesizer, programming), Nils Johansen (synthesizer, violin, bass guitar, guitar) and vocalist Anneli Drecker. The group was one of the first Norwegian bands to sign a record contract abroad, namely to the Belgian label Crammed Discs. The trio moved to Brussels in 1986 and had their debut album “White-Out Conditions” released by Crammed Discs the following year.

After a second album, “Birds of Passage” (1990), Jenssen left the band for a succesful solo career as Biosphere. The group had a commercial breakthrough with “Shimmering, Warm and Bright” in 1992 which held a lot of ethnic ingredients fluently mixed with their dark electropop sound.

A few more albums followed: “Magic Box” (1996), “Rush” (French release titled “Images”) (1998), and “Dorothy’s Victory” (2002). In between these albums both Nils Johansen and Anneli Drecker worked on solo material.

Platronic are Finnish composer/producer Some-E and German singer-songwriter Kay Burden. They ‘met’ 2019 on Instagram of all places as Sami was interested in remixing a track that Kay had just released back then. The band creates danceable, dreamy sounds and melodies. What originally started with the idea to compose a track together turned suddenly into a real duo on February 24 2020 (EBM day).

Readers will know the band from their track “Control” on our recently released free download compilation “Face The Beat: Session 7”.

The new Platronic single “Now!” is out now and turns out to be a very atmospheric and philosophical blend of synthpop and 80s/90s Electronica. It was composed and recorded during the ‘White Nights’ in a Mökki in Finnland.

You can check the track below followed by the video for the track. The band will perform at the Elektroland Festival in Herlev on 16 September; it will also be the band’s first official gig. You can get more info here.

The Norwegian electropop / dark pop act Bel Canto has left a rather cryptic message on their Facebook page saying just this: “Ahh summer! Feeling inspired and ready to work, the polar sun gives us enery, esp 3 in the morning! Great things in the making so stay tuned. #gettingthere #belcantotheband”

You would of course think – and especially hope – that the band has finally finished the recordings of the follow-up of the 2002 album “Dorothy’s Victory”.

In March 2007 Side-Line reported that Bel Canto would start work on a new album. This was based on an interview we had with all three original members in Oslo. But this first resurrection was aborted and Geir Jenssen left the band again. The only ‘new’ material would be released in 2009 on the double album package “Maskindans: Norsk synth 1980–1988” that was released on Hommage Records. It holds the previously unheard Bel Canto song, “Flowerbeds”, which dates from 1988.

Bel Canto was formed in 1985 in Tromsø by Geir Jenssen (synthesizer, programming), Nils Johansen (synthesizer, violin, bass guitar, guitar) and vocalist Anneli Drecker. The group was one of the first Norwegian bands to sign a record contract abroad, namely to the Belgian label Crammed Discs. The trio moved to Brussels in 1986 and had their debut album “White-Out Conditions” released by Crammed Discs the following year.

After a second album, “Birds of Passage” (1990), Jenssen left the band for a succesful solo career as Biosphere. The group had a commercial breakthrough with “Shimmering, Warm and Bright” in 1992 which held a lot of ethnic ingredients fluently mixed with their dark electropop sound.

A few more albums followed: “Magic Box” (1996), “Rush” (French release titled “Images”) (1998), and “Dorothy’s Victory” (2002). In between these albums both Nils Johansen and Anneli Drecker worked on solo material.

Out now is the remix album “Human​:​Resurrection (The Remixes)” by Sydney (Australia) based electropop artist Daniel Hall / Emerge1. The remix album holds remixed tracks from his previous album “Human” plus 1 new single, “Resurrection”. It is the 16th full length studio album for Daniel Hall.

The collaborators on this remix album include Blaklight, The Brute, People Theatre, Beyond Border, ee:man, Patrik Kambo, All Star Motivator, Eric C Powell, Emerge 1, Isunray, Nature of Wires and DJ Dorian Rangel.

Note that the release is also available as a CD.

Here’s the new single.

And here is the track listing.

On a sidenote, The Brute who completed a cover version of Hall’s track “Feeling Low” will release the track itself as well as a single with an official video on July 1st 2022.

US based electropop / noire futurepop artist David Chamberlin strikes back with the 3rd full length album by Entrzelle. The release is available now from Bandcamp and on CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore, and of course from all other digital music services.

David explains the concept: “The songs deal with subjects ranging from personal conflict to social commentary, from loss to euphoria. This is an album about hope and perseverance, letting go and moving on. Writing these songs has helped me in my own life, and I hope that listening to them can help someone else too.”

The experimentation on this album has been kept to a minimum, instead focusing on songwriting and production. The tone is darker and the songs are more direct. Expect a mix of upbeat electro sequences and addictive noisy synth pop melodies.

Next to the 12 new songs you also get 4 bonus remixes by label companions in the likes of Psy’Aviah, Reichsfeind, Elektrostaub and DJ Simon Carter. Advised for fans of Rotersand, Covenant, Seabound, Imperative Reaction, Aesthetic Perfection, VNV Nation, Etc.

Check out all the new tracks below plus the album teaser.

Here’s the videoteaser.

Since 2010, the Spanish act Mondträume has been seducing the dark souls with their somber synth pop music with an edge. After two successful full length albums and several charting EP’s the band’s founding member Pikotto (aka Jose Ignacio Castaño Marquinez) returns with the new 7-track EP “The Unknown Path”.

You will discover a brand new line-up including the new band members Ivan Derbenev (Antilav, Himmash) and Madil Hardis (who also recently collaborated with Ashbury Heights, Psy’Aviah, etc.). The EP holds 4 new songs plus 3 remixes by Ruined Conflict, Aiboforcen and Elektrostaub.

The EP is available for immediate download via Bandcamp with other platforms to ofllow in the next few weeks.

Here’s the video trailer for the new EP.

The French electropop act Dekad is back after 7 years of silence with a brand new single and video, and it’s called “A Deadly Show”.

This new track is being released ahead of a new 11-track album entitled “Nowhere Lines”. Expect catchy choruses bathing in electro pop and fat bass lines. The new material was co-produced by Foretaste’s XY who co-wrote The Overlookers’ “Teenage Wet Dreams” album three years ago.

The new single is available on all digital platforms – including Bandcamp – and offers two versions of the title track, including a remix by Foretaste’s XY.

Here’s the video.

Along with this new track and video, the project’s label BOREDOMproduct is now accepting the pre-orders for the forthcoming new album “Nowhere Lines” to be released at the end of June this year.

Out now is the newest single “On a Sunday Night” by the electro pop act Kid Moxie. Behind Kid Moxie we find Elena Charbila who has an established track record as a composer, producer and recording artist.

The single holds 2 tracks, the title track and a remix.

Having left Greece as a teenager to study in San Francisco, classically trained Elena Charbila took up the bass while in college, played with a number of bands, and eventually wound up as a musical accompanist to Michael Bublé. Eight years ago she established her own project Kid Moxie and since then has collaborated with composer Angelo Badalamenti on a cover of “Mysteries of Love” (From David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet”), and has been writing songs for soundtracks, television commercials (including a national Victoria’s Secret ad campaign) and video games.

Four albums later she is now bound to release her fifth studio album “Better Than Electric”.

(Photo by Caitlin Stokes) Out now via Out Of Line Music is the all new single from the Chris Pohl powered electropop project She Hates Emotions. “Space and Time” is the first new single/video from the upcoming album “Happy Pop Music” which is the follow-up album to the project’s debut “Melancholic Maniac”.

Chris comments about the first single: “‘Space & Time’ was the first song I wrote for the new She Hates Emotions album. It’s about the incessant search for your soulmate… The person you want by your side. You know that this person exists, but you haven’t found him or her yet and you’ll keep searching…. On the album “Happy Pop Music”, I continue to combine 80s sounds with melancholic lyrics. Not as bombastic as Blutengel, rather very minimal. The lyrics are, as always, very personal. It’s about love, pain, fear, becoming older, depression… Everything that has occupied me in recent years. Therefore, the album title is also meant to be absolutely ironic!”

Here’s the video for “Space and Time”.

COP International presents Blackcarburning’s EP “Reset”. Blackcarburning is the solo project of Mark Hockings, frontman of UK electropop outfit mesh. The EP features a single mix by John Fryer, a club remix by SOMAN, and two original tracks that will not appear on the forthcoming album including the track “Get Ready!” performed by Neil Francis.

In this latest work, Hockings takes on multiple roles including writing, singing, and programming, and describes the tracks as “electronic music written around songs, emotion, and energy.”

He further adds, “The tracks were written to see what I could achieve by working primarily on my own. It’s been a vehicle for exploring new songwriting and programming ideas, to experiment with sound design and to develop some exciting new directions.”

A video for “Reset” was created by visual artist Howie Venton using some cutting-edge AI. Check the result below.

You can download the release below.