Singapore Sling(named after the film of the same name by Greek director Nikos Nikolaidis) were formed back in 2000 by Henrik Björnsson who is also a founding member of Dead Skeletons and former member of Bang Gang in the wild and darkness of Reykjavik, Iceland. Psycho Fuck is the bands 8th album release and opens with a cover Dive In with only the lyrics remaing from the original rap song. Musically sounds like a mix of The Jesus & Mary Chain, The KVB, Koban and Suicide – a perfect slice of sonics for the senses! Nice! Let It Roll, Let It Rise – a great song for the dancefloor will appeal to fans of The Jesus & Mary Chain, Early Primal Scream and The Defectors. Love it! ÆJL sounds like a great mix of the Fuzztones and a slowed down Cramps guitar. Great! Na Na Now vocals remind me a bit of early The Leather Nun with musically mix of The Primitives and the live intensity of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry in the 80’s. Wow! Try – Fuzztastic bad dream. The Underground – a subliminal psychedelic ballad. Dying Alive – has a mix of Pulp, The Primitives, Suicide and a hint of The KVB. Love it! Give Me Some Other sounds like classic – The Jesus & The Mary Chain. Great! Glitter – reminds me of very early That Petrol Emotion in places. Nice! Astronaut –Iggy & The Stooges and The Jesus & Mary Chain trapped in an sonic airlock in space. Love it! Shithole Town – has a Lou Reed feel, dark and very psychedelic. The Tower Of Foronicity – brings the album to a close and you will be already be pressing play again as this is a great release. I can’t wait to see them live next year on one of the dates on their tour. A Breath of Fuzzair 😉
27/01/2016 Uk MANCHESTER Gullivers
28/01/2016 Uk LONDON New Cross Inn
29/01/2016 Be BRUSSELS Secret show
30/01/2016 Fr PARIS La Maroquinerie
01/02/2016 Nl AMSTERDAM Paradiso
02/02/2016 De HAMBURG Hafenklang
03/02/2016 Se MALMÖE Plan B
04/02/2016 No OSLO Revolver Club
05/02/2016 Dk COPENHAGEN Stengade
06/02/2016 Be BERLIN Bassy Club
07/02/2016 Pl WARSAW Kulturalna
08/02/2016 At WIEN Arena
09/02/2016 It PORDENONE Astro Club
10/02/2016 It RAVENNA Bronson Club
12/02/2016 Ch THUN Mokka Bar
13/02/2016 De FREIBURG Slow Club
14/02/2016 Fr LILLE Australian Bar
Cortege – IN THE NURSERY
October – U2
Hurt – PETER MURPHY & TRENT REZNOR
Dead Souls – EVI VINE
The Last Beat Of My Heart – SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES
Anywhere Out Of The World – DEAD CAN DANCE
Hell Is Where The Heart Is/ Gospel Of Tomas – ORDO ROSARIUS EQUILIBRIO
Enemies Of God – ANGELIC FOE
Head Of The Serpent – KNIFELADDER
Der Brandtaucher – ROME
The Puritan – THE PROTAGONIST
Feral Love – CHELSEA WOLFE
Haunted – THE UNDERGROUND YOUTH
Fall Apart – NIC HAMERSLY
Last – TAMARYN
A Night Like This – SCHONWALD
Windfall – PARADE GROUND
Delerium – KOBAN
Undoing – TEMPERS
Suicide Saturday – AUTOBAHN
The Underground Youth formed in Manchester in 2009 and have just released their 8th album Haunted on Fuzz Club records. I think I first became aware of the band after hearing their great cover of The Chameleons Second Skin on the Dark & Cold sound of The Blog That Celebrates Itself.
Tha album opens with a track that was released as a single Collapsing Into Night a minimal ambient drone gives birth to a spark that ignites a burning flame of post-punk melancholia casting a dark shadow across the aural senses. Lovely!
Haunted reminds me a bit in places of Phil Boa mixed with minimal electronic keys and a driving dark pop guitar sound which will have you on the dancefloor.Nice! Dreaming With Maya Deren is possible my favourite track on the album with a hint of Koban classic postpunk guitars and hint of fuzz with some great pounding percussion guarantees a smash on any dancefloor! Gloom tinged lyrics complete this masterpiece! Self Inflicted opens with a frenzied Hitchockesque piano which bleeds into a dark dirge like aural blast of postpunk sparseness. Great! Drown In Me – continues the underlying ambient minimal electronic feel before giving way to pounding drums and 80’s feeling minimal synths. The addition of guitars adds to the sweet melancholia.The Girl Behind
– is like a uptempo version of The Cure’s Catch- Great! Slave – has a slighly experimental feel but fits perfectly in the realms on the album. Deep Inside Of Me – Very dark and thought provoking lyrics. Love it! Returning To Shadow – brings the album to close with a dark twisted slice of postpunk sonic! Nice!
After hearing this album your first reaction will be to check when they are playing as the concerts would be quite a unique experience. They have
some gigs on the Horizon including
25/09/15 – LIVERPOOL – Liverpool Psych Fest
01/10/15 – GLASGOW – Nice n Sleazy
03/10/15 – MANCHESTER – Islington Mill
04/10/15 – RUGBY – West Indian Club
05/10/15 – NOTTINGHAM – Chameleon Arts Cafe
06/10/15 – LONDON – The Shacklewell Arms
08/10/15 – SHEFFIELD – Picture House Social
Arriving back in Prague on 27th August two things struck me immediately – how much I had missed the city (its people, atmosphere, and the excellent Czech food and drink) and how hot it was compared to the UK – a scorching 30C.
Large Bone above The Roxy bar
In the evening I went to the Roxy Club to catch Viet Cong melting in a sea of Tote Bags and Hipsters. A great concert, despite the heat. At a nearby mini market I discovered a great selection of full skull shaped absinth bottles but it was impossible to get a picture. After the gig I went with my old friend Pavel to record an interview and play some songs on Dark Wave Radio Wave
X-Cryogenics – BERNDSEN
Society – AUTOBAHN
Cool Wind – KOBAN
A New Day – KILLING JOKE
Death Of The European (remastered) – THE THREE JOHNS
IO 1987 – ASTARI NITE
Die Life – THE SOFT MOON
No Will – WHITE HILLS
Industry – NOI KABAT
Waves Without Shores – ASH CODE
Deep Metals – SCHONWALD
Earth Overflows – SECRET SIGHT
In My Arms – PRINCIPE VALIENTE
Skeletones – ESCAPE WITH ROMEO
Day 1 of the PGT10 and The Sanctuary CZ crew pulled out all the stops to make this the most memorable one so far. What a great decision to have a Gothic cruise to kick start the weekend. Great music from the Sanctuary DJ’s and DJ Totentanz made the perfect soundtrack for a cruise in darkness. Somehow a normal couple made it on board and started to make the usual conversation along the lines ” So are you guys vampires?” They were assured we weren’t, however it was suggested if they would like they would like to make their way below they were welcome to take part in the human sacrifice 😉
This cruise will be a lasting memory for everyone fortunate enough to be on board. Great start!
Day 2 – didn’t make it to the picnic as I wanted to make sure I was on top form for the evening and have a few drinks without turning to ash 😉
My setlist @ Fatal Club Praha Sat 29.08.15
Masked Ball – JOCELYN POOK
Darkness Before The Dawn – KILLING JOKE
Charade – SKIDS
Ostentation – AUTOBAHN
Desire – SIEVEHEAD
Higher Than Heaven – BFG
Walking On Your Hands – RED LORRY YELLOW LORRY
Die Life – THE SOFT MOON
I Can’t Escape Myself – ASH CODE
Deep Metals – SCHONWALD
Kalter Lippenstift (In Death It Ends rmx) – VELVET CONDOM
Muscoviet Mosquito – CLAN OF XYMOX
After Dark (master) – DEATHDAY
I Can Smell Your Thoughts – LEATHER NUN
Burning Down (mescal mix) – PLAY DEAD
Transmission – RRRRRRR
Seagulls Eye – THE SNAKE CORPS
The Last Train – GHOSTDANCE
Blue Monday – BUZZ KULL
Serpents Kiss – THE MISSION
Written In Blood – SHE WANTS REVENGE
Christopher Lee Is Dead – DOORS IN THE LABYRINTH
Blah Blah Blah – IGGY POP
1969 – SISTERS OF MERCY
Ca Plan Pour Moi – PLASTIC BERTRAND
Paranoid – THE METEORS
We Are The Monsters – THE KNUTZ
Cramp Stomp – THE CRAMPS
California Uber Alles – DEAD KENNEDYS
Hong Kong Garden – SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES
Requiem – EAGULLS
The Cutter – ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN
Hand In Hand – XMAL DEUTSCHLAND
Teenage Nightingales To Wax (remastered) – THE THREE JOHNS
People Are Poison – COLD CAVE
Like An Animal – THE GLOVE
Killing An Arab – JUSTIN SYMBOL
Rituel – SHE PAST AWAY
Death Reflects Us – BEASTMILK
Second Skin – LOTUS FEED
Ghostdance – DEATHCULT
Vengeance – NEW MODEL ARMY
Sanctuary (long vers) – THE CULT
Thanks to everyone who came along and danced despite the heat and drain from the previous nights partying on the ship 😉
Despite being melted by the heat following a 20 minute mid morning visit to the zoo I think it was around 35 at 12.00 I managed to cool down at the excellent Artists and Prophets at Narodni Galerie which dispelled my belief that the USA was responsible for hippies in the 60’s and 70’s as it is infact the Germans to blame for the birth of the hippies especially Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach who modelled himself on Jesus and nearly founded GOD GMBH for his hippie commune and followers. It was then pointed out in the evening that it might explain why hippies like VW beetles 😉
Klub 007 Strahov one of the oldest clubs in Prague for live music played host’s to two excellent bands Totenwald & Horror Vacui.
Not the easiest of venues to get to, so a big thanks to the Gothic people familiar with Prague for ensuring I got there and back without getting lost 😉 Well worth the effort to get there and not just because it had Rekordelig pear cider but great sound and atmosphere.
What a great end to a great event. A big thanks to Ez, Pavel, Nephilim, Samgarr, Paesant, Va & Anna, The Sanctuary crew and everyone else who by being there made the event great 😉 Look forward to be back in Prague a lot sooner than my last visit 🙂
Despite Jet2’s best efforts to re-enact the experience of death by being locked in a sweat box in Japanese prisoner of war camp or to imagine one is a boil in the bag meal after the idiots had everyone incarcerated on the plane for nearly 60 mins with no doors open, no aircon working due to a technical problem, and no water. The temp outside was at least 35C and inside around 45c but luckily we didn’t end up here despite being ill from it.
Full details to come but the songs I played last night on the radio during my interview were
X-Cryogenics – BERNDSEN
Society – AUTOBAHN
Cool Wind – KOBAN
A New Day – KILLING JOKE
Death Of The European (remastered) – THE THREE JOHNS
IO 1987 – ASTARI NITE
Die Life – THE SOFT MOON
No Will – WHITE HILLS
Industry – NOI KABAT
Waves Without Shores – ASH CODE
Deep Metals – SCHONWALD
Earth Overflows – SECRET SIGHT
In My Arms – PRINCIPE VALIENTE
Skeletones – ESCAPE WITH ROMEO
Year Zero – GHOST B.C xxxxxxxxxxx
Rituel – SHE PAST AWAY xxxxxxxx
Unterwelt (single edit) – SUICIDE COMMANDO xxxxxxx
Die Life – THE SOFT MOON xxxxxxx
Industry – NOI KABAT xxxxxxx
Death Reflects Us – BEASTMILK xxxxxx
Voyage Voyage – DESIRELESS & OPERATIONS OF THE SUN xxxxxx
Anarchy In The UK – THE SEX PISTOLS xxxxx
Du Hast – LOS COLORADOS xxxxx
Scum – SANTA HATES YOU xxxxx
Erzatzteil – FEINDFLUG xxxxx
Lucretia – DESTROID xxxxx
Papillon – EDITORS xxxxx
Nazis Auf Speed – DIE KRUPPS xxxx
Wreath Of Barbs (Destroes mix) – WUMPSCUT xxxx
Paranoid – THE METEORS xxxx
I Can’t Escape Myself – ASH CODE xxxx
She Sells Sanctuary – THE CULT xxxx
X- Cryonics – BERNDSEN xxx
The Whistleblowers – LAIBACH xxx
What Time Is Love – THE DEVIL & THE UNIVERSE xxx
Gimme Gimme – FUNHOUSE xxx
Everything Is Cold – A KIND OF GHOST xxx
Major Tom (Coming Home) – APOPTYGMA BERZERK xxx
God Save The Queen – THE SEX PISTOLS xxx
Surface – KELUAR xx
New Age – AUTOBAHN xx
Alienation – MINUIT MACHINE xx
Want – ASH CODE xx
Requiem – EAGULLS xx
Paris 2052 – CONTRE JOUR xx
Low Tar Stars – PETER MURPHY xx
Rubber Corpse (dwarf edit) – WUMPSCUT xx
Dust – BAT NOUVEAU xx
Gimmi Gimmi – BERNDSEN xx
It Is Our Will – THE DEVIL & THE UNIVERSE xx
White Wedding – ARDOR xx
Cool Wind – KOBAN xx
Wardance – KILLING JOKE xx
Ghosts I – INDΣΔ†HI†ΣNDϟ xx
Agoraphobia – MINUIT MACHINE xx
Burn – HELALYN FLOWERS xx
Holiday In Cambodia – DEAD KENNEDYS xx
Crystallized – SCHONWALD xx
Ulcer – AUTOBAHN xx
In Cythera – KILLING JOKE xx
A Forest – CLAN OF XYMOX xx
Lucretia My Reflection – THERORSCHACH AUDIO xx
Cramp Stomp – THE CRAMPS xx
One World One Sky – UNTO ASHES xx
Ring Of Fire – SCHELMISH xx
Transmission – JOY DIVISION xx
Black Celebration – ANOTHER GREEN WORLD
Data Hunter – BERNDSEN
Stranger Stranger – AGENT SIDE GRINDER
Monument (demo)- COSTUME
Mort à Vegas – AV
Ripetutamente 53° – DARK DOOR
Diamond Cutter – DOUBLE EYELID
Ends & Firsts – LUMINANCE
Loyal To A Fault (analogue edit) – THE PRESENT MOMENT
A Decade Of Brutality – FRANK (JUST FRANK)
Psycho Liar – SATO SATO
One Night In Rome – PHOSPHOR
Casting Shadows – ((PRESSURES))
Revenant – INDΣΔ†HI†ΣNDϟ
Verboten – SELOFAN
The Black Hand – NEWCLEAR WAVES
Cool Wind – KOBAN
Agoraphobia – MINUIT MACHINE
Drama – ASH CODE
Silence & Devotion – PASSION NOIRE
La Fortresse Vide – VOSTOK STATION
Crystallized – SCHONWALD
The Brightest Days – WINTER SEVERITY INDEX
Pale Eyes – VEIL OF LIGHT
Ecstasy – SOVIET SOVIET
Earth Overflows – SECRET SIGHT
Ruins – O.CHILDREN
Darkness Before The Dawn – KILLING JOKE
This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us – SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES
Bear Cage – THE STRANGLERS
Locked – PAZZ KLUGER
Gimmi Gimmi – BERNDSEN
Surface – KELUAR
Alienation – MINUIT MACHINE
Danaus Plexippus – THE DEVIL & THE UNIVERSE
Bring It Back – AGENT SIDE GRINDER
Oblivion – ASH CODE
Death Of A European – THE THREE JOHNS
Rappeler – KOBAN
Fragile Grip – BEASTMILK
Seizure – AUTOBAHN
Helvetti – KUUDES SILMA
Selling Culture To The Barbarians – THE PERMANENT CONFUSION
All My Frustrations – THE LIAR SCRIPT
Dependence – FALLEN APART
L’Ame De Perperthus – LUCIE CRIES
Fall Of Taurus – ABDERIAN
Procession – ARCTIC FLOWERS
Play Dead(demo) – MASQUERADE
Plastic Passion – THE CURE
Relic – POPULATION
Shut Up & Die – MARY GOES ROUND
Kaleidiscoped – VANIISH
Everything Will Fall (demo) – CHRISTABEL DREAMS
Wither On The Vine – WAYNE HUSSEY
So Low – DEATHDAY
Can I hold The Sky – MUSHY
Miranda – FRIENDS OF ALICE IVY
Turn Me On – XIU
Euroshima (wardance) – SCORPION VALIENTE
Compulsion – IN THE NURSERY
Farewell – DEINE LAKAIEN
A Picture – LED ER EST
Northen Winds – PEACHBLACK
Deep Velvet – CHRIS & COSEY
Miss Brown (lifelike remix) – THE NEON JUDGEMENT
Ich Bin Ein Berliner – CHEMICAL WAVES
Slaughter Of The Black Sun – CHRISTINE PLAYS VIOLA
Breathless Heart – AMYS ARMS
Interzone – CRIMSON SCARLET
Nowhere – MARBURG
Empty Room – ASH CODE
The Fool (album vers) – CAPTIVE
The Last Song – TRISOMIE 21
Chinese Black – THE NEON JUDGEMENT
Detacher Et Deguiser – KOBAN
I Can’t Escape Myself – ASH CODE
Day Of Lords – ANNEX
I Dream You Are Here – MEDDICINE
Shaky Leg – MARIE DAVIDSON
Let Go – FICTION 8
Vultures – LINEA ASPERA
Breakdown – NOVA MURA feat Jessy Champagne
Delerium – KOBAN
She’s Lost Control – MASSES
Weyrd Son Records is an exciting new label formed in December 2012 in Brussels, Belgium, with the aim of to trying to be the most honest and artist friendly label run on a shoe string. The lable has great selection of new and original minimal/coldwave artists from across the world and below are reviews of their current releases which you should make sure you listen to and if you like what you hear, please support the artists and the label.
Ever Alive – a tribute to Snowy Red
Highlighting music by some of the pioneers and most influencial artists out of the minimal-cold-darkwave scene from the early eighties, “Ever Alive” pays tribute to Snowy Red and its frontman, Micky Mike. A great introduction to artists on the label!
Available on vinyl only: 2×12″ (180gr) grey / hand-numbered limited edtion of 500.
Side 1 opens with Never Alive by BEASTIAL MOUTHS– bombastic nice minimal. Deep Desire – TENSE – has a very 80’s minimal feel. Sinkin Down – STRANGE POWERS – classic coldwave. Very nice! Euroshima (wardance) – SCORPIONE VIOLENTE– great cover! Baby Tonight – MUSHY – a masterful minimal dark waltz. It’s So Good – VIOLENT TREMORS a great dancefloor track! Nowhere – MIRROR MIRROR -another one to set the minimal dancefloor alight!Love it! The Long Run – MEDDICINE – haunting minimalistic soundscape. Breakdown – NOVA MURA feat Jessy Champagne – An epic slice of coldwave. Love it! Another smash on the dancefloor!
Side 2 – Euroshima (wardance) – REVELATOR feat Freddy Rupert – reminds me a bit of early Die Form. Lies In Your Eyes – ANIMAL BODIES – This track will melt any coldwave dancefloor. An epic! Blood Blood Blood – NEWCLEAR WAVES nice minimal track. Torpedo Good Luck – SAFYEE a classic 80’s coldwave feel. Great! A Picture – LED ER EST – a great coldwave cover! Breakdown – BRIGHT FUTURE – Cold classic. Nowhere – MARBURG A minimal dancefloor smash! The album closes with So Low from DEATHDAY almost a minimal Jesus & Mary Chain – nice.
LINEA ASPERA – II
Originally released on cassette, this vinyl reissue of Linea Aspera’s last EP is a must have for minimal synth and darkwave enthusiasts.
The three tracks featured on this EP are wonderful synth-pop/noise/industrial pearls.
An essential 3 track EP opening with Kinabalu coldwave and minimalistic entwinned. Vultures is the stand out track on the ep. Very 80’s new wave in sound a dancefloor smash! Royal straight closes the EP in minimalstic instrumental glory.
This collection comes in a single-sided clear vinyl with artwork printed on PVC sleeve and tracing paper insert.Limited to 300 hand-numbered copies.
MARIE DAVIDSON- Perte d’identité
Perte d’identité, which translates to “loss of identity,” is the debut LP by composer, singer and poet Marie Davidson, one of the finest artists rising from the electronic dark-synth scene in Montreal. Her voice is a stark half-spoken monotone which will tell you stories from which you can’t escape unchanged.
The album opens with minimalstic heartbeat of Prélude– lovely! Abduction could almost be a female In Death It Ends a great swathe of dark atmospherics. Shaky Leg – minimalistic obscura at its best and most original. Vie et mort d’un égo – classical minimalism to fuel the addiction. Je ne t’aime pas has a hint of early Kirlian Camera great stuff! Perte d’identité returns to a more atmospheric minimal feel. Shaky Leg (Remix by Cristobal U & The Mole) is a slightly more danced up version which works quite well.
Another collectable vinyl release.
LUMINANCE -Obsessive Viper smile
After two EP’s that have set the already so recognizable multiple dimensions of one-man band project LUMINANCE, this very special release presents a two tracks selection that illustrates and resumes perfectly the richness of Luminance’s variegated range of colours and textures. This 7″ opens with Obsession (feat. Nathalie Bruno ex-Phosphor). A great coldwave track to freeze any dancefloor- Great track! Viper Smile – luscious minimal electro to take the dancefloor by storm!
KOBAN – Void
Koban is a storm that has been gathering over the Pacific Northwest since 2011. After an EP and full length recording behind them, the Vancouver-based duo is striking out again with a new 6-song EP on Weyrd Son Records this time, gaining sound and fury in these brooding new tracks. Koban naturally and seamlessly genre bend, their punk roots buried deep under layers of melded synth, goth and post-punk. This creates a unique sound which is simultaneously full and sparse, atmospheric and uneasy. A drum machine creates a baseline over which moody interchanging vocals and blown-out guitar noise quickly and organically oscillates. Their lyrics give a wink and nod to their influences and feature songs sung in French for an icy touch. Koban leave you with a feeling of being utterly new and a sense of déjà vu. 401a what an epic opening track something a lot more than a generic postpunk track will appeal stringly to fans of The KVB/ Deathday love it! Rappeler just when you thought Koban couldn’t get better than the opening track they do. A great coffin slab of coldwave – a hint of Xmal in French! Détacher et déguiser – a french coldwave version of Mephisto Walz wow! Cool Wind – Demonstrates the great use of dual vocals what a great song to dance to. Must be great live! Delerium – sees Koban go into overdrive a perfect fusion of mephisto walz guitars and dancefloor coldwave fire! Standing On The Edge – epic. What a great release. Buy it now!
Limited to 300 hand-numbered copies.140gr Black splatter vinyl.300gr Deluxe cardboard sleeve with varnish UV spots.
MUSHY / MEDDICINE split EP
Initially this Mushy/Meddicine split saw its release last year on tape through Meddicine’s own label SixSixSixties Records. Both sides have a similar hypnotizing quality that is bound to intrigue anyone, yet are very different at the same time. Hailing from Italy, Mushy is like a siren; you know deep down that giving in to her seductive chanting will take you to a dark place, but you submit yourself nonetheless. Meddicine is a different kind of enchantress. Her music is overwhelming in a harsher, more straightforward way, seducing by pulsating sound and noise rather than vocals. In other words, this vinyl reissue offers a great combination of psychedelic synths and noise that will leave no one unimpressed.
A-side Mushy – Can I Hold The Sky very nice atmospheric minimalism. (Let Me) Go Away – A beautiful minimalistic soundscape! My All Secrets -Almost cold minimalistic snakelike charming music – epic stuff! B-Side Meddicine –Go Go Betty! will appeal strongly to fans of The Devil & The Universe seductively sinister! I Dream You Are Here – dark and very disturbing electronic invocation music! Love it! Twilight– signals the fall of light. Disturbing!
Available on 12″ vinyl (140gr) hand-numbered limited edtion of 300.
