ambient / experimental / shoegaze

metalcore / metal

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hard rock

classical / ambient

drum & bass / industrial metal

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progressive / thrash metal

nu metal

synthpop / new wave

techno / industrial

alternative rock

post rock

death metal

dark ambient / black metal

experimental rock

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gothic / industrial metal

punk

synth pop

Exist and Exit is the debut album of American-based electronic/ synthpop duo Snake Heart Society, released in March 10. With ten tracks – Snake Heart, I See Fire,
Silence, The Dream, Tonight, You Fall Down, They Don't Want You, Shadows, The Other Side and Where are you now – Exist and Exit really absorbed well the greatest 80’s influences – and apparently, more obscure, but nonetheless interesting references too –, in all of its vehement and inconspicuous versatility. Although you will hardly be impressed by them, this album is a well flavored pop virtuosity, despite a handful of inexpressive harmonies highlighted in irrelevant musical passages, that compromises more sinuous melodies here and there. 

If you are used to 80’s synth or electro pop, you will hardly feel enthusiastic while listening to this album, since, essentially, Snake Heart Society hasn’t presented anything new. Nonetheless, they have potential to attract younger audiences, and they are competent in creating good and decent harmonies, in the old-fashioned style of the genre. They certainly have developed their own sonority, since they didn’t sound generic, although in some brief moments they certainly remind Depeche Mode a little. 

Exist and Exit manages to be a good, decent, even splendid album, without a doubt. Although I reassert the fact that this record is far away from being considered a masterpiece or an impeccable debut, there is almost a total absence of major flaws either. And the duo certainly has enough talent, competence and dedication to promote a great and more visceral revival of the genre. They really have a formidable musical sensibility, and great potential to make stunning records in the future. My favorite song in the record was the first, Snake Heart, undoubtedly.

While Exist and Exit could have been a better record, it certainly reveals extensive and exciting musical possibilities. With influences – apparently – ranging from Soft Cell to Daft Punk – and I will not name the most obvious ones, of course –, Snake Heart Society has showed meticulous consistency, an intelligent musical intuition, a great sense of timing and a certain level of subtle authenticity in their curious debut. Like I’ve pointed out above, this record would hardly impress an enthusiastic veteran of the genre, but they do elaborate interesting rhythms that rejuvenates the synthpop atmosphere quite extensively. Exist and Exit certainly can be classified as a very good album. But they have talent and creativity to do better than this.     
 
 


Wagner

electronic / synthpop / darkwave

Nightcrawler is the most recent release by Hungarian electronic music artist Lazerpunk! One hour long, the album has fourteen tracks – as to know, The Message, Virtual Reality, Level One, Worldeater, Miami Mafia, Million Dollar Baby, Warrior, Radio Towers, Night Sky, This Is Not The End, Stardrifter, Nightcrawler, Endgame and The Fading Memories Of Summer And You – that reveals itself to be a very unusual and bizarre piece of electronica. With an intriguing, but exceedingly eccentric mixture of several subgenres, like dark, retro and futurewave, as well as synthwave, amongst others, Nightcrawler relies on too much generic and formulaic electronica devices, becoming a somewhat noisy album, for dealing with so many styles, doing in fact little to aggregate intelligent elements to this generally unfavorable and very conspicuous musical panel of melting electronic subgenres.

Don’t get me wrong. Nightcrawler is not a bad album, but it’s not memorable either. Only if you are a very ardent enthusiast of noisy electronica, you will like this record. Extremely exasperating all the way through, some of its tracks can work in night clubs, but only a handful of them. Some beautiful melodies do emerge along the way, but its principles, in general, are too slow or beaten up to please an audience, and the listener rapidly grows tired of so much sharp and superficial sonorous uniformity, throughout a musical anatomy that inevitably gets excessively monotonous, and ostensibly repetitive. 

There are little elements to describe positively about this album. If you think of it as specifically designed to attend a narrowed niche of electronica, then this work really becomes better understood, and you extract more sense out of it, vividly and functionally. Otherwise, it is just another work full of synth notes and noises, that makes you grow tired – at best, at worst, you die of boredom – while listening to it.

This musician is really skilled and talented in what he does. Nonetheless, he does not challenge himself on a satisfactory basis on this album. He keeps his abilities guarded in a comfort zone, and never leaves. Aside some bright moments, and a handful of good tracks, this album will hardly prove itself to be worthwhile to anyone, unless you are one of those people who can be described as an exception, that fit in the specific niche, upon which Nightcrawler is meticulously inserted.    


Wagner

electronic / darkwave /synthpop

Scandroid is the eponymous self-titled debut album of an electronic cyberpunk darkwave/ retro wave/ synth wave one-man musical project, led by an artist known only as Klayton, based on the United States, responsible also for the projects Celldweller and Circle of Dust. With fifteen tracks – being them 2517, Salvation Code, Aphelion, Shout, Destination Unknown, Connection, Datastream, Empty Streets, Awakening With You, Atom & E.E.V, Neo-Tokyo, Pro-bots & Robophobes, Eden, Singularity and Eden (Waveshaper Remix), the album was released on November 11, together with another one, that is only an instrumental version. 

With a brilliant futuristic techno style of electronica, Scandroid can be best described as the perfect marriage between Daft Punk and mind.in.a.box. Its debut album, without a doubt, is one of the best things that I have ever heard in my entire life within the genre. With a powerful force of its own, filled grace, amazing rhythms, and catchy melodic twists, Scandroid certainly is the future of electronica. With a gracious, but lucid influence of 80’s pop, the artist in question really absorbed all the right things, in what concerns the musical influences from the past. With the fourth track – Shout – being an electronic version for the notorious Tears for Fears classical hit, this album is literally a masterpiece: no flaws, no boring moments, no nostalgia freaking styled tracks. Scandroid is the most beautiful electronica masterpiece that you will ever hear in your life. It’s such a powerful album that it’s impossible to become tired of it. Beautiful, poetic, filled with escalating rhythms and hallucinating melodies that travel through the magical rainbows of a hopeful philosophy of sensibility and love, Scandroid is one of the best albums of 2016, one of the best albums of the decade, and certainly one of the best albums ever made in the history of electronica, as a genre, and as a sonorous expression of art.            

A marvelous and perfect album, like I had never heard before, with equally disturbing ascendant moments filled with rapture, and an indescribable energy that encompasses the songs from the beginning until the end, such amazing masterpiece deserves all the recognition it could get, from the moment it was released. 

Fantastic, imperially suggestive, permeated with a happiness that engulfs the rhythms in a melodic dissonance that dwells from a distance, this album literally made me speechless. Beautiful beyond any description, Scandroid is a marvelous masterpiece, that will define something new in your heart, as well as shape and rearrange through another perspective your musical taste. A wonderful work of art, bound by a universe of glowing light, this is a musical experience like you have never heard. Superb, powerful, unique, with a high level of delusional excellence and majestic artistry, this is definitely the album of a lifetime. A wonderful paradise for the ears, to say the least!       


​Wagner

black metal / crust punk

symphonic metal

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funk / alternative

synthpop / electronic

post punk / alternative / indie

hard rock

black metal / shoegaze

grunge / alternative rock / punk

rock 

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post punk / alternative rock

alternative rock / noise rock

hard rock / heavy metal

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grindcore

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With Travis Ryan of Cattle Decapitation on vocals, San Diego grindcore outfit Anal Trump comes up with a short and vicious assault. The longest song on this album is eighteen seconds long and I had to listen four times while writing this thing. So yes, this is sick, gore grindcore in perfect Anal Cunt / Napalm Death tradition. It comes with a lot of shit that someone named Donald Trump has been spewing out, like 'I'd Date My Daughter', 'Build That Wall' and 'Breastfeeding Is Gay'. So if you miss Seth Putnam, hate Donald Trump, think music should be torturous and have no problem with the fact that downloading this release will last longer than actually playing it, you need this.

black metal / thrash metal

black metal

punk / alternative rock

doom / sludge

​Serge

synthpop / electronic

Wow, synth pop on Merchants Of Air? That's something you don't see every day. But yes, we have opened the dark dancefloor and we're ready to get all melancholic and groovy. So get your black clothes, your nail polish and lace up your boots. You know why we're here. We came to dance, probably with tears in our eyes but that's ok. It's perfectly fine to move around on one tile and be all nostalgic for the glory years of this genre.

Perpacity is a duo comprised of Ian Harling and Martin Nyrup, who reside in Bristol (UK) and Copenhagen (Denmark) respectively.  Together, they deliver pretty much a tribute to synth pop, reminiscent of acts like Depeche Mode, Erasure, De/Vision and Wolfsheim. The majority of this album could easily have been made in the eighties and filled dancefloors everywhere. Yet, here and there a modern electronic sound comes shining through.

The album opens with an intro, named 'In The Beginning' and right after that, we're in synthpop heavy, nothing more, nothing less. Songs like '9725', 'Arise' and 'Sundown', as most others bathe in these vintage soundscapes and minimal but effective beats. The only exception is 'Eternal ft Nordik Fire' which is based on folk and issues violin and guitar solos, resembling the works of Mike Oldfield.

The overall atmosphere is bittersweet and melancholic. You can either dance or just dream away with these blissful melodies and often easy to sing along vocal lines. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if halfway through 'Distant Shore' you start singing "Cry-y-y-y-ing, over you". Somehow, this song sounds like an electronic adaptation of Roy Orbison's classic. Nonetheless, synthpop lovers, you need this record. It'll be a welcome addition to your collection, I promise.


Serge

synth pop / electronics

Synth pop isn't something that often occurs on Merchants Of Air. In fact, this is only the third album in that genre we try to write something about. For me, synth pop has always been quite an anonymous genre, with songs played at new wave parties to keep the people dancing.  I don't know many bands. Quite frankly, I always left the dancefloor when they started playing Depeche Mode. Don't ask me why, but I can't stand Depeche Mode. Luckily, there's way more to synth pop than them and often quite there's some enjoyable stuff too.

Introflirt is a duo from Oakland, California, specialized in synthpop, although they like to call it "croon wave". With this second album, they try to secure their spot in that scene, and quite rightfully too. What I hear on this album is classic, or vintage,  synth pop, often reminding me of Depeche Mode but - luckily - also of acts like And One, Soft Cell, Kraftwerk, The Human League and many others. It's hip-shaking, rather cheesy but joyous music, perfectly suited for the barely lit dancefloor.

There are plenty of dancefloor fillers on this album, including 'Precious Thread' and 'Not Like Mine' but my absolute favorite is 'Frozen Lace', which drives on a downtempo but solid beat and features quite a gloomy sound. For me, this song stands out between the colorful and lively electronic anthems on this album. Let's just call that "personal taste". Another honorary mention goes to closer and title track 'Temporary Heaven', which has absolutely nothing to do with today's music scene. I can't believe this song is not on any of those 'synth pop smash hits' albums. It should be.

So yes, synth pop. I mentioned it many times and there's absolutely nothing more I can add to this review without writing those two words over and over again. Back to the eighties, and highly recommended for anyone who's waiting for the next Depeche Mode album. One of my friends actually is waiting for that one, but I'm sure this one will leave him just as happy and satisfied...


​Serge

dreampop / shoegaze / synthpop

​One thing I can't resist in music, how strange this might sound for someone who usually reviews quite heavy stuff, is fragility.  Since founding this website, I discovered several acts and artists creating dreamy electronic shoegaze with female vocals and I'm almost always sold immediately.  Today, I'd like to add Ummagma to that list.  Floating somewhere between synthpop, ambient pop and electronic post-rock, this Canadian-Ukranian duo sounds extremely promising.

This ep contains five new songs plus three remixes for the beautufil and highly danceable 'Lama' (somewhere betwxeen Joy Division and The Human League).  The names of the remixers are quite interesting:  Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins), Malcolm Holmes (OMD) and Lights That Change.  Those names prove that Ummagma already has made some impact in the world of electronic music and with good reason too.  I really like all the versions of 'Lama' but let's go into the other tracks as well.

'Orion' is a fragile, electronic piece of work, gently and dreamy.  It's sounds a bit like a dreampop lullaby, beautifully sung by Shauna.  In fact, that song inspired me to do the 'fragility' intro of this review.  'Winter Tale' sounds a bit like Massive Attack meets Boards Of Canada meets Austra, which is a stunning combination to be honest.  'Galacticon' delves a bit deeper into ancient synth history and somehow reminds me of the very early days of Kraftwerk or Klaus Schulze.  'Ocean Girl' is an odd, folky tune and a decent closer for this ep.

So yes, Ummagma bight become one of the acts to keep an eye out for in the near future.  I can defintitely see them touring with big acts, from the trip-hop giant Massive Attack to shoegaze deities Slowdive.  I can also see Ummagma gain many followers everytime they play.  I wouldn't even be surprised if 'Lama' becomes a huge hit, both in the alterative as in the popular scenes.  


Serge

synthpop

By now, most of our readers should know that I have absolutely zero problems with blatantly switching genres.  So you shouldn't be surprised that I've selected something without brutal guitars and blasting drums for my second writing of the day.  In stead, we're going to have a little dance and have a good laugh while we're enjoying ourselves.  After all, it's the final day of the summer vacation in Belgium and that should be celebrated.  

Wood Bois is a humourous synthpop trio from Buffalo, New York (US).  They claim to be beautiful and strong men but I'm not going to judge that.  I'll just focus on the music, as usual. This four track e.p. seems to be a decent representation of what these guys are capable of: old school new wave electronics, brought with a indie attitude.  Besides, the vocals are quite good as well, at one point even reminded me of Robert Smith (The Cure, for those who didn't know).

So yes, this is the stuff that can light up any Cure vs Depeche Mode party.  Yes, these exist.  I have no idea why but they too.  Play 'Razor Scooterz' or 'Can You Feel It? (No)' on those parties and the dancefloor will easily be filled.  Even with that eighties rap passage on the latter one.  Remember Weird Al Yankovic's 'Will The Real Slim Shady Please Shut Up?'?  Yep, you're very close to what Wood Bois does.

It's all in good fun and the music is very enjoyable, certainly 'Meth Girl', which drives on a electronic dub tempo.  However, I'm not sure if this is a good playlist for certain bedroom activities, hinted in the title of the e.p.  I think we'd be laughing more than having intercourse.  On the other hand, laughing doesn't give you SOAs and it doesn't make people pregnant.  Maybe after all, this e.p. is a decent contraceptive...


Serge