Some time ago, a band from russia caught lots of attention in insider’s circles with their debut “Snippets” (available as a free download at Zorch Factory Records). Offered was post punk in a dark Bauhaus-style, a mighty voice, which could tempt the one or another icon to chuck the microphone and an atmosphere, as if there’s no tomorrow. Beginning of 2011 the EP “Whatever…” followed and attached consequently to the debut and expanded SCOFFERLANE’s fan base.

After a few subsequent line-up changes, which made a quartette out of the 6-headed band, Matt (aka Stuart Stumpman – Vocals), Konstantin K. (guitar), Anton C. (bass guitar) and Senya K. (drums) now keep the trail they’ve chosen.

Who now thinks, that SCOFFERLANE cushioned on their new album “Veto” due to the reduction of members, will be taught otherwise . The dark atmosphere is still left, the guitar work was perfected and sounds much more matured, Matt’s distinctive voice still dominates the songs in a Peter Murphy-ish way, the bass drives and tows itself melancholic and the drums still dance light-feeted as always through the songs.

A real firework of modern post punk, which is fired on the 14 songs of the album by SCOFFERLANE. With easyness the compositions play up to the listener’s ear. “Veto” will be available from February the 17th on in all well-known download stores and on afmusic as well as on CD for the first time.

Tracklisting:

1. She Fell
2. What Do You Propose
3. I Awoke
4. Veto
5. Single Finger
6. On Predators
7. Rubber Arms
8. So Pretty
9. Home
10. Ode
11. Last Chance Rope
12. Harish
13. All Because Of Us
14. La Nuit* (download only)

“Anyone who’s listened to Scofferlane or watched Scofferlane’s videos would be surprised to know that they are a current, fairly new band. They are amazingly polished and got that special something that seduces the listener. The sound ranges from post- punk to psychedelic to dark indie. Ever since their first on-stage appearance in the summer of 2008, this young group has been the subject of many controversies. A stimulating blend of diverse rock-and-roll traditions, unusual and unique lyrics, with a touch of decadence glamor. The vocalist, alternating between hysteria, morbid sexuality and a slightly arrogant insanity, uses not only his exceptional voice, but his whole physic to express himself. Their music combines raw sound with complex melodies. Scofferlanes’ style and performance, which is never something lighthearted and carefree, always leaves a lasting impression on the audience.” www.dropdeadfestival.com

http://www.scofferlane.com/

The bulgarian band Voyvoda will release their second album “Iztok” on February 7th as a download, the vinyl issue will follow on 20th of April, 2012. Offered will be experimental sounds somewhere between post punk, cold wave and balkan komita folk.

As on the forerunner “The Confederacy” and the couple of EP’s, the journey goes deep into the history of the balkans, back to devotional rebels and their commanders (called Voyvodas). During the trip you’re able to hear stories about devotion, respect, honor, love’s strength, fratricide, sorrow, betrayal, hope and despair, coated into a structure of lyrics reminding of a weird combination between Nick Cave, Johnny Cash and Hristo Silyanov.

Voyvoda’s sound is a combination of post punk, minimal and cold wave of the 80s, stirring balkan folklore and majestic eastern-orthodox chants. “Iztok” will be available from February 7th 2012 on at afmusic and in all well-known download stores in high quality. Furthermore the band offers a “name your price”-download on bandcamp, while the first 30 persons, that pay 1 Euro or more will get a free promo CD of the album.

On Jamendo, Dogmazic and some more download platforms the album will be available as a free download.

Tracklisting:

1. Iztok 02:40
2. The Man in the White Coat 02:14
3. Boylover James 05:12
4. D.A.S.F. 02:19
5. Mr. Mrak 03:29
6. Stefan the Vlach’s Son 04:51
7. Staroverets 02:28
8. Doubts 03:43
9. No Passports 03:44
10. 6000000words 06:02

myspace | facebook

The promising Swedish gothrocker MONUMENT release their debut EP “Teeth & Tails”, which offers traditional gothic rock at its best. Female vocals, dominant guitars, coated into the dark atmosphere of an early 80s gothrock release makes today’s goth rocker’s heart beat faster.

The vision of Monument took form in the summer of 2009, initially being a mere modest experimental recording endeavor by Henrik and Linda (the songwriters of the band), whose mutual interests in the rather odd spectrum of music brought them together. Teeth & Tails was recorded during the most dark, rainy and foggy west coast autumn/winter days. The drum machine on the Ep was utilized in order to obtain a 1980′s static mood to it, whereas the fx pedals on the trumpet set the tone. Yet, the concept soon got backed up by a full live band with Jonny on drums, Fischhaber on bass and Tim on trumpet, along Henrik on guitar and Linda on vocals, and gigs were played in the Gothenburg area.

Now the swedish gothrocker MONUMENT release their debut EP “Teeth & Tails” on afmusic to spread their unique dark and impressing tunes around the world. The EP will be available as a download from February 3rd on in every well-known download store and from March 2nd on as a 10″ vinyl release in the stores and via Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:
A1 – Jennifer (3:42)
A2 – Drenched in Blood (4:29)
B1 – Teeth & Tails (4:28)

www.myspace.com/monumentgbg

This is the first release of Chemical Waves, a project of Marco Cattani, a former member of the electronic band “Halo effect” (www.facebook.com/haloeffectband). This side project was born from desire to develop a different sound, the desire to experiment and explore a new musical form, a deep and intense sound running through dark atmospheres and obsessive rhythms. It’s a melancholy AND NOSTALGIC dark sound.

Chemical Waves is an open project involving in a next future different artists from other bands. All the tracks were written and arranged by Marco Cattani and Nicola Di Già made the mixing and recorded the guitars.

The first song called “The Origin” is a song, inspired by the evil nature of man, on a trip through the Jewish Museum in Berlin, from The Garden of Exile to Holocaust Tower.A place where silence is a lot of noise! The song is an obsessive and repetitive theme with a great atmosphere and impact, with a hypnotic guitar riff and an illuminated sampler of the voice of Carl Jung. The single contains an instrumental b-side called “The last straw”, a symbolic act in remembrance of all victims of human madness as well as a special version made by The Headcase.

The debut single from Chemical Waves is available from January 30th on at afmusic as a free download.

Tracklist:

1. The Origin
2. The Last Straw
3. The Origin (The Headcase Remix)

“…we need more understanding of human nature because the only real danger that exists is man himself, he is the great danger, and we are pitifully unaware of it. We know nothing of man, far too little. His psyche should be studied because we are the origin of all coming evil.” (Carl Jung)

CW FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/chemicalwaves
CW SOUNDCLOUD: www.soundcloud.com/chemical-waves
CW YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/chemicalwaves
CW BLOG: www.chemicalwaves.blogspot.com

Simultaneous to the pre-single “Things” to the new album “Absolute Zero”, which will be released in the end of March, Emerald Park release the single “Reality Bites” on January 27th 2012 worldwide as a free download under Creative Commons.

Next to the success-single and the B-side “Someone to Love” the single will be available, containing a previously unreleased alternative version of the song “Ume”, on 23 Seconds Netlabel, Bandcamp and lots of other download portals.

www.facebook.com/EmeraldParkSweden

Looking for eastereggs was yesterday, good music is for today! On the Easter’s Weekend (07th and 08th of April) the Emergency Exit Festival 2012 in Dornbirn (Austria) will happen, with famous bands from Germany, Italy and UK, which are all bound together through the tradition of the good old goth rock. The Ticket presale for the festival has already begun. You’re able to see:

VENDEMMIAN
RHOMBUS
PRETENTIOUS, MOI?
LOTUS FEED
CHRISTINE PLAYS VIOLA
THE LAST CRY
DISTORTED PICTURES

there, who will make both evenings to a unforgetable event. The Aftershowparty will be sweetened by a famous international DJ set:

Martin Oldgoth (UK)
Aleks Figurehead (DE)
DJ Illi (AT)
DJ Tigerlilly (DE/AT)
DJ Angel Exciter (DE/AT)

offering a good mixture of all facettes of dark music, which we love so much.

To this cause, we, in cooperation with the Static Magazin Germany, came up with a special goodie for you. For every order of one or more tickets, you’ll get a compilation, containing one song of every live act for free, to give you a little foretaste and offer the chance, to get known to yet unknown bands. When you’ve already ordered your ticket, do not worry, you’ll get a download code within the next days, to download this compilation as well!

Next to the terrific live acts, amongst other things, there will be an afmusic booth, where you will have the chance, to talk to the afmusic team and get low priced CDs of the afmusic bands.

Advance Ticket Prices:
Weekend (Saturday + Sunday) 20,00 € plus shipping*

Door Ticket Prices:
Weekend (Saturday + Sunday) 25,00 €

Day Tickets: 20,00 € per day

*Within Germany (Insured Postage): €3 / Rest of Europe (Insured Postage): €4 – Tickets will be shipped within 2 weeks of payment.

Ticket pre-order is possible at
staticmagazingermany.bandcamp.com or on www.staticmagazingermany.com.

It hasn’t been that long, when the high flyers of the Nightchild, consisting of Alexey Nightchild A. (vocals, guitar, songwriting, programming) and Olga Holy Cat (bass), released their third album “Some Stories And Thoughts”. Now the ukrainian couple already comes up with their new single “Dreammaster” for the upcoming album “The World Unseen, The World Unknown”.

The homonymous song appears twice on the download single – one time in the original version, featuring Salomea Wrona (Cabaret Grey) as guest singer and on the violin and one time in a remix of the german electro / synthpop band EGOamp. As a further goodie, the Nightchild offer also a coverversion of EGOamp’s “We are Freaks” in their typical goth rock vesture.

The single will sweeten the listener’s waiting time until the upcoming album is released and is available from January 20th on in a lot of download portals and on bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

1. Dreammaster
2. We Are Freaks
3. Dreammaster (EGOamp Remix)

http://thenightchild.at.ua/

Sometimes music business isn’t only confusing for outsiders. Often enough it offers surprises for industry experts, too, which show oneself again, that success is neither foreseeable, nor predictable. Afterwards the album title “For Tomorrow” (2008) from Emerald Park seems like a prophetic hint on that, which should happen in the following years.

Booked as a decent result in the following year, the album experienced the approval to become a download under a free license and the collaboration of the two netlabels afmusic and 23 Seconds a refreshing second spring in 2010. This could’ve been dismissed as a mayfly, if there hadn’t been the single “Reality Bites” in 2011 that started like a musical rocket with an altitute flight and landed on the iTunes sales charts within the first weeks after the release.

And so there’s just to keep in mind, that indie bands from the scandinavian peninsula, as opposed to a lot of colleagues from the angloamerican language area, stand out with their light-feeted compositions sparkle seemingly without difficulty out of the speakers and caress the audience’s ear canals. And so there is no need for a prophet, to predict a similar success for the upcoming single “Things” of the musical collective from malmö, which will be released on January 27th.

But not enough with this – to prove the whole world, that this songs also work on stage, EMERALD PARK will perform on January 28th on the world’s largest music fair MIDEM in Cannes, in the context of the Jamendo Night and prove their skills live. And who knows, maybe some insiders will finally see, that success still is related to luck a lot, as well as to musical quality.

Tracklisting:

1. Things
2. At The Circus

www.facebook.com/EmeraldParkSweden

After the success of her “Dreamville” EP (ZF Records), the exceptional solo artist Drunken C, aka Cecile Raynaud, releases her second EP called “Whisper” on Zorch Factory Records in cooperation with afmusic. Oneself gets offered, next to the experimental and melodic post punk in the best Drunken C-style, a cover of My Bloody Valentine’s “Only Shallow” which was restaged together with Stolearm in an impressive way.

The EP is available now on Zorch Factory Records and on all well-known download stores.

Links: Drunken C | Zorch Factory Records

Aimed post punk, with warm bass lines and an impressing guitar-work – So Siiiii come up with their album “Ancient”, which is a collection of their songs of their early years (1983-1986) and shows clearly, that it’s possible to carry the so much loved 80s sound into the new millenium. The debut album is available from January 27th in Europe as CD as well as on all well-known download stores.

It seems to be quite easy for the Brits, Paul Devine (Vocals), Angie (Bass) and Mark Holmes (Gitarre) and Wayne Furniss (Drums), to get into the old sound of the 80s post punk again, after 20 years of silence. The proof is their debut album “Ancient”, which is a collection of their old works of exactly this time.

The drums are dominating, the bass specifies the tone, the guitar purrs to the whole here and there a bit, Paul’s varied voice-force gives up distinctive accents, sometimes also clear signs, even aggressive, that can’t be missed.

What sounds like standard by the first listen, emerges as quite fascinating, catching and intoxicating masterpiece after a few seconds, because Siiiii have to offer much more to their listeners, than just a uniform-sound. The Tracks vary from calm to danceable, from melancholic to aggressive, from airy to driving and oppressively.

While songs like “Over” or “Stillwaters” are already enjoying a state as classics in the scene, there is much more to discover from Siiiii on “Ancient”, like for example “Rictus” or “Is Still”.

Tracklisting:

1. Split
2. Conception
3. Overgrown Eyes
4. Dust
5. Still Waters
6. Speaking in Tongues
7. Statue
8. Rictus
9. Equator
10. Is Still
11. Fixing
12. Springheel’d Jack
13. Over
14. Dust (Version)
15. Statue (Piano Version)

www.siiiii.co.uk