Espermachine - 3RD

Espermachine - 3RD
(2016) Not On Label

This blog is slowly turning into "Bandcamp Record Of The Week".
I pledged for a copy of this album the minute the Indiegogo campain started. I love Espermachine's quirky take on EBM + futurepop. My CD copy seems to have been lost in the mail. While waiting for a new CD to arrive I've been enjoying the Bandcamp download. The songs are generally shorter and more focused than on Espermachines earlier albums. A must buy!

Brotherhood - ...Turn The Gold To Chrome...

Brotherhood - ...Turn The Gold To Chrome...
(2012) Not On Label

This is an excellent gloomy gothic rock record. A bit hard to find, nowadays, but well worth it if you happen to see it somewhere. I really like the, almost doom metal-ish, atmosphere of this album. I don't know why I think of doom metal? It's certainly not a metal album. The album's full of drum machines and cheesey electronics, just as you would expect from a goth record! A great companion while reading by the fireplace. The band used to have a song or two on their Bandcamp site, I don't know if it's still the case?

Pretentious, Moi? - Pretentious, Moi?

Pretentious, Moi? - Pretentious, Moi?
(2010) Not On Label

I don't know how I missed this band? Anyhow, Tim Chandler, of Manuskript fame is the main man behind this project. He's sometimes joined by Rachel Speight, from Die Laughing, on background vocals. This CD is simply fabolous. It's very fast gothic rock with great melodies. I admit that both the bass and the drum programming is lacking a bit - both in punch and sound, but for once I simply can't seem to care that much. The songs are too good to be soiled by bad production! Get it directly from the band.

Ginger Snap5 ‎– Snapped By You (Voice|Less) DD

Ginger Snap5 ‎– Snapped By You (Voice|Less) DD
(2014) Not On Label

A couple of odd things about this post:
I've previously failed to mention Ginger Snap5, and when I finally do it I write about an instrumental album (instumentals are generally not my cup of tea), instaed of focusing on the real "Snapped By You" album. There's nothing wrong with Roman Soroka's voice, in fact I really like Ginger Snap5's regular releases. I've been enjoying this album all week, partly because the music's already familiar, but also because it sounds very much like a full album release. Like it was supposed to be released this way. Great suff!

Ruined Conflict - Revolutionary Mayhem

Ruined Conflict - Revolutionary Mayhem
(2014) Not On Label

Sadly, I've grown real tired of Ruined Conflict's sound. Or, rather, the sound of VNV Nation with uninspired drums and bland production. Ruined Conflict has a lot to improve. This, their second CD, should be more professional then their debut - not less.
But, futurepop's kinda dead at the moment and I happen like the genre. I really hope the next CD will be better!

Surveillance - Oceania Remixed DD

Surveillance - Oceania Remixed
DD (2014) Not On Label

The "Oceania" album, released earlier this year, was kinda cool. But I didn't think it was as good as it could be. Now it is perfected! Somehow the remixers saw the true potential in all the songs, and made the album so much better. With remixers like Aesthetic Perfection, Rotersand and Mind.In.A.Box it just can't go wrong.
Get this album now!

Espermachine - Into Bronze

Espermachine - Into Bronze
(2014) Not On Label

Much like the first Espermachine album, the 2012 "Dying Life", this is a favourite of mine. The CD has not been released yet, but the Bandcamp download is available. Apart from two shorter instrumentals/experiments this album is rock solid. Espermachine has it's own sound, with dark vocals and very special brand of rhythmic and minmalistic EBM/futurepop.

Surveillance - Oceania

Surveillance - Oceania (2014)
Not On Label

This is a side project of Assemblage 23's mastermind Tom Shear. The songs are a bit different to what you'd find on an A23 album, but you can absolutely hear who has written them. Tom tries out all kinds of things here; different vocal styles; cool, sample-heavy instrumentals and female vocals. A really interesting album, but not as good as a real Assemblage 23 album.

Ikon - Requiem 3CD

Ikon - Requiem 3CD (2013)
Not On Label

This is a compilation of 3 hard to get Ikon sampler CD's featuring rare tracks from 1994-1998. If you like the old Ikon sound, before Chris McCarter began singing, this is definately worth checking out. I like all Ikon eras, but maybe I favour the "This Quiet Earth" sound. I can't wait for the 2013 re-issue to reach me. It should be in my mail box any day now!
The first CD of this compilation "Other Side Of The Angel" was released as a bonus CD on the vinyl reissue of "In The Shadow Of The Angel" in 2011.
The second CD "Requiem" was released as a bonus CD on the vinyl reissue of "Flowers For The Gathering" in 2012. And the third CD, Crimes Of Passion - "Rites Of Burial Complete" was previously only available on the limited edition "This Quiet Earth" 2CD (released exclusivly for the European Tour Sept-Oct 2009).

Ruined Conflict - Justified DDEP

Ruined Conflict - Justified DDEP
(2013) Not On Label

I can't understand how they manage to release a 14 track album plus two EP's, 7 and 9 tracks respectively, in just 6 months. This is a hard working band, and maybe it's really clever of them to release a bunch of stuff now - just days before the next VNV Nation album will hit the stores? Anyhow, this is a great EP with some new songs and a remixed song of the, soon to be released, second album. More releases? Hell yeah! Why stop now?

Ruined Conflict - Treason DDEP

Ruined Conflict - Treason DDEP
(2013) Not On Label

Almost as good as last weeks post, the A.R.M.O.R. album. This EP holds one the album's better tracks in four versions, two good remixes and two not as good. The EP also features three new, exclusive, tracks. Get it for $4.00 on the bands Bandcamp site.

Ruined Conflict - A.R.M.O.R.

Ruined Conflict - A.R.M.O.R. DD
(2013) Not On Label

Yet another Bandcamp find. If you can't stand the wait for the next VNV Nation album, make sure to give this band a listen! This album is packed with great future pop songs. There's nothing new to be heared here, except maybe for some stompy Rotersand beats merged with the usual VNV Nation moods. I really like this album. Although, at first I found it bland - much because of the uninspired drumming. But the songs have grown on me (sadly the drums have not). Support this band!

Sigue Sigue Sputnik Electronic - Flaunt It

Sigue Sigue Sputnik Electronic - Flaunt It
(2011) Not On Label

This is, of course, an electronic re-recording of  Sigue Sigue Sputnik's legendary "Flaunt It" album, made by the original singer Martin Degville. There may have been other musicians involved, for instance I don't really know what "re-recorded by Lloyd Price" means? But never mind, it's a great update of the original master piece. Sputnik for the 2010's!

Ikon - The X-Files

Ikon - The X-Files (2012)
Not On Label

This is a special Ikon release in many ways. We can start with the most obvious thing - the cover; It's a reinterprenation of the artwork for the long deleted 1997 CD "The Final Experience". The record itself is a limited edition charity release where all proceeds from the sales goes to Very Special Kids. The CD contains rare tracks and cover versions that have not been included on the recent re-issues of "In The Shadow Of The Angel" and "Flowers For The Gathering".

The Present Moment - Loyal To A Fault

Present Moment, The - Loyal To A Fault DD (2012)
Not On Label

This is yet another outstanding band I found thanks to the Violent Playground forum and the most well-written and interesting among  blogs I Die: You Die. You can download this album for free from the bands Bandcamp site (have I mentioned that I love Bandcamp before? Oh, I have? Well, I really do love Bandcamp!). But I suggest you pay at least 10 bucks for this album, even though it's free! It's easily worth it! Their other two releases are also worth downloading, but they're not nearly as good as this one! So hurry now and give the band your money! Oh btw, the music is some sort of electronic post punk with an outstanding bass sound!

VNV Nation - Crossing The Divide EP

VNV Nation - Crossing The Divide
DDEP (2012) Not On Label

Seriously, have I really been waiting two and a half years for this?
These remixes are far worse than expected, but as a VNV fan I will start with listing the good things about this release: It's a free download from VNV Nation's Soundcloud page. It's lossless, wav even (I really didn't expect it to be lossless. Cheers to Ronan and Mark for this!). It's an EP. Yes, I love EP's:-) The three first remixes are actually quite good, I especially like the Nomenklatur remix of "Ghost". But I don't care much for the latter three remixes. I think I would've been really disappointed if I had to pay for this EP. But as it's free it's worth cheching out!

Ikon - Live In Dortmund

Ikon - Live In Dortmund CDr
(2010) Not On Label

Recorded live in Dortmund, Germany on Ikon's 2009 European tour. I'm very sorry I've missed that tour. I would really have loved experiencing Ikon live. This CDr was, just like the Boulevard Of Broken Dreams Volume 2 CDr, originally released as a free mp3 download on  http://www.ikondomain.com/
And it's almost as good as that CDr!

Ghost Dance - Gathering Dust

Ghost Dance - Gathering Dust CDr
(2005) Not On Label

Finally I've been able to buy one of these extremely hard to get, self released CDr's. Limited to just 100 copies and sold through the official Ghost Dance website in 2005. I wasn't able to get hold of a copy from the website, but now I got lucky on Ebay! Basically this is the same album, collecting Ghost Dance's three first maxi-singles, as the LP-version released back in 1985.

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams Vol. 2

Ikon - Boulevard Of Broken Dreams Volume 2
CDr (2009)
Not On Label

This was originally released as a free mp3 download on http://www.ikondomain.com/ I'm glad it finally got to be released as a real CD (well, as a CDr at least) limited to 100 copies. The disc contains a live-show recorded in Marsielle, France on 7. 5. 2007. It's by far the best of all available Ikon live-CD's!