Monday, July 10, 2006

Longplay love 27.0

It's been 23 years since Heiko Maile, Marcus Meyn and Oliver Kreyssig founded Camouflage and 19 since their first big hit "The Great Commandment" hit Top 1 of the Billboard Dance Charts, a milestone not only for the band itself but also a breakthrough for the whole SynthPop-movement back then. It's 2006 now and Camouflage are still in business and about to release their 7th full length album on August, 18th on Synthetic Symphony / SPV under the name of "Relocated" which once again is filled with the fragile innocent beauty that inhered in each and every of their songs from day one accompanied by caressing minor chords and epic but never crammed arrangements, no matter if it comes to dancey tunes or ballads. So there's nothing new in the Camouflage-universe but isn't this what we all love them guys for - for being an absolute term in the ever changing world of Pop music's one hit wonders and casting bands? Recommended.

"Extended Electronics Vol.1 " is the name of a brand new 2CD-compilation that has just been released on Zoomica / SPV which, apart from providing a nice overview of the recent Electro / Wave / EBM-scene whilst featuring acts like Funker Vogt, Das Ich, Covenant, Rotersand, Die Krupps ft. Douglas McCarthy, VNV Nation and others, delivers a little extra to all them collectors and fans out there as the name "Extended" suggests. Long versions - so-called "extendeds" and special remixes - are served here, none of them shorter than five minutes plus special liner notes for each and every of the 24 tracks included. Musicwise "Extended Electronics Vol. 1" covers the full range from more Pop-orientated Wave vs. Trance crossover tunes to stomping EBM / Industrial-workouts - to cut it short: everything that moves the scenes dancefloors is to be found here, expertly selected and chosen carefully.

Frontline Assembly's new album "Artificial Soldier" has been released via Metropolis Records on June 23rd. For this piece of art Bill Leeb and his comrades Rhys Fulber and Chris Peterson joined forces with the new member Jeremy Inkel plus recruited Covenant's Eskil Simonsson as well as Jean-Luc Meyer of Front 242-fame for guest appearances. Pounding Breakbeats, apocalyptic noises and armageddon athmospheres, Leeb's processed voice dealing with dark and brutal matters - all the ingredients the Industrial-scene loves Frontline Assembly for are served in perfection, ready to mash up dancefloors and parties worldwide, cementing FLA's pioneering status which they occupy since Leeb formed the band in 1986 after he broke away from Skinny Puppy. Defo an album to check out - no matter if you're a FLA-fan from scratch or new to the world of Industrial music. My personal fav: Track 6 - "Dopamine".

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