Distel * Mrok / Regn (7″ 2010)
Finally the debut of this Dutch project is available. Distel makes “angstpop” and “minimal” but this 7″ is not released on Galakthorrö, but on a Dutch label that reaps the field of strange wave and minimal techno music. Distel does fit on the label, but the Galakthorrö audience might never hear of this release. On the other hand, the two tracks on this 7″ are not really Galakthorrö tracks such as some other tracks that Distel has made. Not really wave or technoïsh either, but more slow and slightly rhythmical tracks with highly distorted vocals (you only hear a rumbling). I must say that Distel has better tracks available on his Myspace, but maybe that is because he changed style somewhat. In any case, I saw Distel live a while ago and there are plenty of tracks available, also very interesting, for future releases, so let us wait and see what the future will bring. A project to keep an eye on, just as the man’s other project Hadewych.
Links: Distel, Enfant Terrible
The NY progrock band White Hills is currently extensively touring Europe. I must say that their Myspace tracks sound better than their track here which reminds quite a bit of Der Blutharsch’s current style. Der Blutharsch’s own track is a long stretched tone with some singing, “prog”, but not very “rock”. The White Hills track is the better one, but they do have better tracks.
“This is a “different” style for Murder Corporation. Auf Wiedersehen is a dark industrial ambient opera mixed with military marches music. Only for MC lovers.”
An alright album on Ant-Zen which holds the middle between old-style industrial and more technoish industrial such as some albums of 
Blood Axis is born again! This split 7″ announces an album in 2010 and after all these years there is some kind of a Blood Axis website with is updated (a Myspace with new songs)! Actually two albums are announced for the end of this year according to the fan-site BloodAxis.com, “Born Again” and “Ultimacy”, a compilation with compilation tracks and rare releases. Hearing the latest songs that Blood Axis made, I am sure that you too expected a folk song, right? Especially on a split with Andrew King. “The Dream” is a nice folk(rock) song in middle high German with a few electronic elements. Andrew King also made a nice song in middle high German with a repetative folk sound. Limited to 500 copies, so probably sold out in no time.
The two new tracks on this mcd are like the cover: more minimalistic. There are almost no samples anymore and the two melancholic songs are again more singer/songwriter-like than previous releases. There are some nice string arrangements which also ‘upgraded’ two old songs “Der Brandtaucher” and “Der Erscheinungen Flucht”. The songs are nice, but not as ‘gripping’ as on earlier releases (safe for the strings). Rome might evolve out of the spectre of my musical taste, but first let us see what the future brings.
I very much looked forward to this new album of our American masterminds of industrial dark ambient. The last album is 4 years old. When putting “Grey Emminence” in my player, my first thought was: “Post Scriptvm plans to do something different.” The first tracks of the new album sound like (analogue?) experimental soundscapes, the first not the least bit dark of tone and thus nothing like I expected (hoped for). The second track is also a strange compilation of sounds, but already a bit darker. Slowly the sounds evolves towards the dark industrial ambient that we love Post Scriptvm for. There is even a noise track. I have listened to “Grey Emminence” a couple of times now and it starts to grow on me. Post Scriptvm sounds different than before and “Grey Emminence” is surely something different altogether. Not (yet) as good as previous releases, but definately interesting.
I just discovered Objekt/Urian, so I here present an old album. This is the only ‘official’ release of this project, all others are cdrs. Objekt/Urian makes relatively tranquil oldstyle industrial with repetative sounds, here and there a distorted voice and a few harder, even noise tracks. “Tonfragmente II” is a nice album with some darker tracks, some less dark, a few not-too-good, but mostly pretty good and a couple of very good tracks (the harder ones).
Free online compilations can be a nice way to learn about new projects, but I must say the fact that the length is no longer limited by the amount of information that fits on a disc, things become quite absurd. After the 5 hours Emissions compilation that I reviewed recently, here we have a one file, 800MB and 8+ hours compilation with dark ambient, industrial and a lot of experimental electronic music. I have by far not heard the whole thing when I write this, so this is not really a review, rather an announcement. I heard some nice tracks along the way, but also a lot of too vague experimentalism for my taste. When you are interested, get this compilation 
Of course I have known the name Throbbing Gristle for ages. They have been releasing material since I was born. I never really listened to them. I guess I thought they made this oldfashioned chaotic kind of noise and I have never really listened to the industrial music of before my time. Apparently TG still releases at a staggering speed and also partly on the same label as the early days, so I figured it was time to properly listen to TG. Not really as expected this cd contains quite tranquil soundscapes, slightly industrial, but quite ‘easy listening’. I cannot say that I really like it. There are a few tracks that are a bit faster, a bit ‘industrial disco’ even and these tracks already sound better to my ears. I do not know if this album is representative in style for TG, but I am sure that you readers have probably followed TG for ages and do know the answer to that question already.
Changes is not my favourite band, but they always have a few nice songs. “Lament” starts with a piano track and continues with a bit too usual Changes folk music. Fortunately furtheron there are some other styles such as an 
I always thought that Land:Fire was a dark ambient project. I have some music on compilations and maybe I (unconsciously) heard that Herbst9 is another project of this duo, but when I recently heard a great noise track of Land:Fire it became time to really listen to this project. “Shortwave Transmission” opens brilliantly with very dark ambient noise with industrial rhythms. There indeed are a few dark ambient tracks, but the larger part is really my kind of noise. Great material!
Fabian of 
“Imperative” might not be a masterpiece, but it is a nice album. “Sect” creates music with orchestral samples that are usually very fast, cut and looped. This makes the music cheerfull in a way. There is drumming and marchdrums in most tracks, but I would not call this album “martial”. Besides the orchestrations there is usually nothing to hear. Just a few tracks have vocal(sample)s or speech samples.
Yet another project of Dead Man’s Hill, Alle Sagen Ja, Eisengrau, etc. NDE makes a mix between black metal, martial industrial, bombastic orchestrations and noise. The result is a heavy pompous sound with distorted screamed vocals and raging guitars. Quite extreme, quite original, not alway quite good. There are some nice orchestral noisy tracks, but as soon as the guitars set in, I loose my interest. I think this album will appeal to people who like the later sound of Karjalan Sissit with the noisy orchestrations and screamed vocals, but then with guitars added.
Dawn & Dusk Entwined has never been my favourite project, but this latest album is still quite disappointing. I do not have everything that David released, this is the fourth album including the split with Golgatha. “Cathedrals of mist” is a soundtrack to a book and very minimalistic and repetative orchestral ambient. Only in the darker orchestral parts and the scarce martial tracks things get better, for the larger part of the 27 (!) tracks are not really my cup of tea.
It has been five years since the interesting debut of this Romenian duo. “Dialogue” mixed different kinds of music into an interesting style. On “Divine Skinny” there is again a mix of styles, but the result differs from the previous album. After hearing the Myspace tracks I got myself a copy of the new album, but I must say that I am disappointed by it. The cd opens interestingly with a mix between folk and industrial, but most of the tracks are rather bluesy, minimalistic, slow tracks, mixed with electropop and other poppy sounds. Especially the female vocals are not my thing (I prefer the photos of the very skinny Julie in the booklet) and the music is quite boring at times. I do like the fact that the bands presents something very uncommon and perhaps some more (than four) listenings will make the album grow a bit, but I can currently not give too much praise to it.
Well well, D-Passion released a cd! Looking at the cover, I see quite a typical gabber face. D-Passion is one of the classic Third Movement artists enlightening their compilations with great industrial techno. D-Passion balances on the border between gabber and tekno, but does not lean towards the wrong direction. His style is fairly dark, pretty agressive, has a lot of samples and loud beats; not the the-faster-the-better ideology of the gabber or speedcore style, but always in a nice danceble pace. The music is minimalistic enough and does not have too many breaks and changes in speed, which makes it very enjoyable. Great heavy techno!