Leading UK Gothic Rock band Rhombus announce the release of “The Anywhere EP”. The Four track EP features the song “Anywhere” taken from the band’s acclaimed 2010 album “Open the Sky”. Completing the track list are a 12″ Remix of Anywhere produced by Stephen Carey (Eden House/Adoration/This Burning Effigy) and two brand new songs; “Timeless and Elegant” and “Nowhere”.

The EP is available now as a strictly Limited Edition CD direct from the band’s web site www.rhombus.org.uk and will be available from 11th of January 2011 onwards as a download released by afmusic and available from all major suppliers.

Says lead singer Ed “We wanted to put out something a bit special, so rather than simply release a single with a B-side we made a real effort on the new songs to try and match the quality of the album and then we gave Stephen Carey free reign to come up with an extended remix.” Indeed, a pre-release review for Dominion suggests that the track “Timeless & Elegant”, could easily have been a single in its own right.

Building on their storming performance at October 2009′s Whitby Gothic Weekend, 2010 has been a huge year for Rhombus, seeing their status rise from respected scene band to that of one of the leading lights of the so called “New wave of British Gothic Rock”. With a steady stream of international album sales and radio play, the band are busy planning for an equally active 2011 with further releases and their first European mainland tour.

Tracklisting:

1. Anywhere [03:42]
2. Timeless And Elegant [05:08]
3. Nowhere [04:20]
4. Anywhere (Cinzano Mix) [04:54]

http://www.rhombus.org.uk/

The latest news from France’s Capital of Rock’N’Roll, Brest: after the releases of the first two preview singles, the album “Life Ain’t Pink” will be released within the next few days. The debut album of the band SMOKE FISH has quite a lot in common with the trips around the world made by the lead singer Shay: a lot to discover as well as to experience. Not only the journey is the reward. It is moreover a journey leading along glorious places and fabulous sights.

Shay’s journey had begun in his home country Israel and ended, after numerous stations, in the Breton seaport where he decided to dwell and founded the band. “Life Ain’t Pink” starts with a vortex of sound of Rock and Wave and ends with the pleasing awareness that, every now and then, a new band is able to find their own personal path.

The opening track “Wake Up” is the perfect soundtrack for the beginning of a surreal trip at sunrise. Following the different chapters of this album, the “travelling” listener blinks into the warm shining sun, then finds himself standing in the rain without any umbrella. He meets catchy songs between PIXIES and POP (“Mary Prankster”), experience roller coaster rides between cool cleanparts and supreme riffs (“Cigarettes & Family”), african rhythms on the crest of ‘New Wave Of New Wave’ (“My Eyes”) and furious Funk Fusion of Mariachi and urban beats (“Tango With Jesus”).

Uptempo tracks, such as “Hey! Talk!” and “Manifest Destiny”, convince with much drive, “Juvenile” and “Strange Identity Effect” are chary ballads with a lot of emotion. The single “Insane Inside” with its firm Rock-Refrain, Beach-Boys-Bridge and Chanson-like verses reminds of the best days of BLUR and PULP.

The entire album of SMOKE FISH scores with draft, superb lyrics and plenty of variety in interaction with Post Punk, Pop and modern Rock. However, what makes “Life Ain’t Pink” so fascinating is the keen sense of great melodies and the courage to something special. The strength of SMOKE FISH’s debut album not only lies in its influence of those Electronic-, Mariachi-, African and Oriental tunes, but also in the fact that it sounds as if these fusions belong together.

From the 27th November, the digital release and the CD of the album “Life Ain’t Pink” will be exclusively available in best DIY-Style via afmusic first. From the 08th January 2010, the album will be available in european music stores.

Again one month of this years has passed and over here there is a lot of news to report. Beside several republications in July, a fine single of the French Indierocker “Smoke Fish” (RD: 06/29/09) and several views of August we’d like to invite you to follow us on Twitter or meet us at Facebook.

http://twitter.com/afmusic_de

http://www.facebook.com/afmusic.de

Moreover, we prepare currently the new start of the label Ionium Records (www.ionium-records.info), as a part of afmusic for the musical tension area between Ambient, Electro and Techno-Industrial. Who likes electronic music, will find from September on there many new releases too.

Now, however, to the downloads and releases/reissues:

all:my:faults “neo.NøiR” (Reissue)
http://www.af-music.de/releases/allmyfaults-neonoir/

There is the last year’s longplayer of the Metal-Industrial-Rockers from Darmstadt with immediate effect in all known download-stores with changed tracklisting for downloading. Besides, the unusual acoustic song “Stay In The Middle Of The Lake” as a bonus track of the album is anew. Who owns till present no copy of the album can, among the rest, find it at iTunes.

http://itunes.com/allmyfaults

Split Seconds “So sad about it all”
http://www.af-music.de/releases/splitseconds-sosadabout/

The single of the Bielefelder Darkwaver is also available from now on with another track. Now beside the title song of the single this contains the flip side “Lost and Found”.

http://itunes.com/splitseconds

The Search – back-catalogue as digital download

After their last year’s album “Saturnine Songs” received very positive reviews, and the first live gigs were very successful in Germany (amongst others at the ‘Wave Gothic Treffen’), we recommend you now the complete catalogue of the band (“The Search”, “Deranged Minds Unite” and “Bloodbathe & Bazaar of Lush Loose Limbs”) as digital download, as always available in all known download-stores.

http://itunes.com/thesearch

The Glass Spider “Resistance”
http://www.af-music.de/releases/afm033-the-glass-spider-resistance/

Before the new album “For Better or for Worse” will appear in autumn, there is their current EP with changed trackorder for downloading

Free downloads of THE SLIMP and REPTILE71

Now two our this year’s publications are also available as a free download – The SlimP “Wavelands” and Reptile71 “In Dust: 2000 – 2003″. In addition you find all infos here:

http://www.af-music.de/releases/afm041-reptile71-in-dust/

Download: http://www.af-music.de/download/63/

http://www.af-music.de/releases/afm040-the-slimp-wavelands/

Download: http://www.af-music.de/download/48/

Both downloads are under a Creative Commons by-nc-sa licence and may gladly be exchanged, spread, be sent or be offered for downloading. All non-commercially, goes without saying.

Smoke Fish “Insane Inside”

Already on 06/29/09 the current single “Insane Inside” appeared by the band from Brest (France). If it is in a folk ballad, in a rock song or in a song with oriental sonority, Smoke Fish plays with contrasts and creates a music of full intensity which is also tender and rousing and invites to dream.

Who wants to dream with us, can find the download and info here:

http://www.af-music.de/netlabel/smoke-fish-insane-inside/

Views / new releases

And also then in August some exciting new releases are waiting for you.

Immediately on 08/03/09 it starts with a new EP called “The generation of this order” by the Italian alternative rockers CONFUSION IS NEXT. Beside a free variation, the download version liable for costs contains an additional song and two luxurious booklets to the album. For fans of Sonic Youth or nirvana a must have!

http://www.af-music.de/releases/afm054-confusion-is-next-the-generation-of-this-order/

Then on 08/07/09 we will also publish, finally, our Anniversary-compilation and celebrate with it our (now already more than) 50 publications in 1,5 years. This is going to come exclusively as a free download on our web page and will contain many up to now unpublished songs and Remixes.

http://www.af-music.de/releases/afm050-various-artists-50/

On 08/10/09 there is also an album with a huge number of demos, remixes and live recordings of the Brazilian Gothic rock volume PLASTIQUE NOIR. In addition we will publish the download and all infos in a contemporary way on our web page.

On 08/21/09 then we have the highlight of the month with the CD release of the album “Ghost” of the Danes (((S))) which is published only digitally up to now. On the CD two songs which are not included in the download-package are “Fusty” and “Ghost in the snow”. Moreover, are as a bonus the videos of “Mesmerized” and “Fall With Me” on the album.

http://www.af-music.de/releases/afm046-s-ghost/

And last, but not least we will publish on 08/31/09 the debut album of the Russian Cyber-Gothic-Industrialrock band CYBER SNAKE with the simple name “Internet Album”.

Many thanks for your present support.

THE SLIMP are one of these bands whose output is worth a best-of after a few years yet. Last year, the band from Cologne released the compilation “Recall 2003 – 2005″ to share a review on their own creations with their growing number of supporters.

In 2009, the THE SLIMP are looking into the future again – and the new record shows, that a look back can as well be a look ahead: “Wavelands” sends cosy shivers down your spine like we remember from our favourite bands of the eighties. But the dark-wave band from Cologne sounds a lot fresher than most of their genre-fellows, delivering an album that can easily be a match for the great names of the scene. The songs offer so many diverse structures that not only hardcore wave fans but all true lovers of good music might hunger for “Wavelands”. THE SLIMP go beyond striking bass-lines and the “clean Cure-strat”, presenting their most homogenous and mature album now.

Front-singer Elisa drives the eleven songs forward with her straight voice, moving lasciviously through the sensuous moments. Besides the good singing, the unique song-structures are an indulgence to the well-disposed listener.

After all, the band unwaveringly follows the track, that they started driving on with their debut “Masquerade” in 2004. But by now, the dark-wave field path of then has become a broad motorway with exits to indie (“Hypnosis”) and pop (“Love and Lie”). In between these alternative rides, THE SLIMP again and again invite their listeners to rest on one of the numerous beautifully situated lay-bys (“Wavelands”, “Island Fog”). This motorway really makes us curious to know its destination. For the moment, it’s a guarantee for a relaxed and yet exciting journey through modern wave-landscapes – with THE SLIMP always being some kilometres ahead of their competitors.

In its quiet moments, THE SLIMP’s new record is the comforting warm pullover that you wish for when the heating breaks down in winter. When it gets going, the record runs like a well-oiled machine. On “Wavelands”, all parts just work perfectly hand in hand.

Tracklist:

1. The Gate
2. Cold Cold Sun
3. Wavelands
4. Hypnosis
5. Island Fog
6. Lines
7. Love and Lie
8. Cold Clear Water
9. A Hundred Thousand Faces
10. Nightly Walk
11. Nightmare – Scream Edit

Am Freitag erscheint das neue Album der Schweden vorerst digital und in einigen ausgewählten Shops weltweit, bevor dann am 16.05.2008 die CD auch in Deutschland im Handel sein wird. Und seit heute ist dann das Preview bei last.fm in voller Länge zu hören, um die Entscheidung leichter zu machen, sich etwas näher mit dieser ersten CD-Veröffentlichung von uns zu beschäftigen.

Alle weiteren Infos, das Preview und Links zum Vorbestellen sind auf der Releaseseite zu finden…

“Wenn man versuchen würde, eine Mischung aus Spät-70er/Anfang-80er Gitarren- und Synthesizer orientierter Musik wieder populärer zu machen, muss man es nicht unbedingt New Wave nennen. Dark Indie passt auch. The Search, fünf Schweden aus Uppsala, wären auch gleich die passende Band dafür. Ihr unglaublich authentischer Sound lässt kaum Vergleiche zu, denn einmal klingen sie wie Interpol, dann wieder wie The Cure und erinnern sogar für einen kurzen Moment an A-ha, ohne jemals altbacken oder albern zu wirken…”

Steht so in der aktuellen Ausgabe, des Negatief-Magazins, welches kostenlos als PDF herunterladbar (Link) ist oder in vielen Clubs und Läden zum Mitnehmen ausliegt.

Doch wofür gilt es eigentlich zu spenden, was macht die Musik von All:My:Faults zu einem überaus lohnenswerten Download? Die Begleitinfo trifft hier den Kern der Sache: düstere Klang- und Gefühlswelten werden geschickt mit klassischen Rock-Arragements verbunden. Anleihen bei den elektronischen Klängen, Rhythmuseffekten und Gesangsstilen der Größen des Dark und New Wave – es stecken je kleine Teile von Depeche Mode, den Sisters of Mercy, Anne Clark und ein Hauch der Fields of the Nephilim in neo.NøiR – paaren sich mit streckenweise metal-lastigen Gitarren, richtig dicken und schnell gespielten Brettern. Der Gesang variiert: Mal glaubt man, sich auf einem 80er-Jahre-Sampler hin zu einem der alten Tracks von Camouflage verzappt zu haben, dann wieder holen geschriehene, herausgepresste Passagen jeden Hörer zurück in die Realität des dargebotenen Industrial-Rock: hier geht es hart zu. Und hier geht es variantenreich zu.

Komplett lesen bei regioactive.de »

Am 29.02.2008 werden wir die neue EP “Vrill” der Italiener Noctiflora auf afmusic veröffentlichen. Wie schon der Vorgänger “En To Pan” (Infos und Download bei Ekleipsi) besticht diese EP durch atmosphärische und düstere Sounds mit stimmungsvollen Lyrics.

Noctiflora: Webseite | MySpace | last.fm