Ono Scream, the solo project of Apparaat – frontman Bart Willems (Anvers/Belgium), has one foot proudly in the past but with the other one he takes a step forward. He eagerly uses the sounds of the gloomy eighties. You’ll hear references to his childhood heroes (Fad Gadget, early Simple Minds, Bauhaus …) which are glued to modern influences like The Soft Moon, the KVB and Tropic Of Cancer. But with a sharp, Ono Scream – like twist to them.
Ono Scream is Willems’ very personal way of dealing with the past, while looking to the future. There is a light at the end of this tunnel. He’s tried his hand at a myriad of musical styles, to wind up back at his true passion: synth-driven rock music, both old and new. With mesmerizing keys, pounding bass-loops, wintry voice and a sporadic feminine touch, he immerses the listener in a melancholy but also riveting world.
All songs resound with both the grandeur in a minor key and the anxious hope for the future of, say, The Cure, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Siglo XX and Killing Joke. Elsewhere we hear the fuzz of The Jesus & Mary Chain or the drones of Gary Numan. The familiarity of these retro sounds grabs you by the scruff of the neck and shows you exciting new places. This is true COLD WAVE somewhere in the darkest hole of human emotion between The Cure, Joy Division an early New Order.
CD / Digital Album
Minimal synthpunk project inspired by memories, ducks and Louis Guilloux’s books.
“Je détruis toute idole, et je n’ai pas de Dieu à mettre sur l’autel. Il faut avoir une bien piètre expérience de la vie pour oser croire à de pareilles foutaises.”
Cassette / Digital Album
Cititrax is thrilled to present a split EP by two massive talents, Borusiade and The Sixteen Steps. Borusiade, originally from Bucharest, Romania began as a DJ in the early 2000s and then started producing music in 2005. With a background in classical music, she combined her love of raw electronics, obscure themes and melodic lines to create her own signature sound. She has released on the Cómeme label as well as Corresepondent. Infatuation and Confutation are dark, moody and intense tracks that catch you upon first listen. The flip side of the Promises and Infatuation EP features The Sixteen Steps, the brainchild of George Lanham who cut his musical teeth DJing and running events in the south of England.
We have been listening to many of his tracks endlessly for a while now. They’ve also been a highlight of Veronica Vasicka‘s DJ sets as of late. Signals From The South and Promises On The Run are both immaculately produced, hypnotic, dance floor killers. They are sparse ebm meets smoky warehouse techno, and offer a wonderful contrast to Borusiade’s layered emotive tracks that reminisce of an East Village club in the 1980s. Themes of infatuation, appearances, and anonymity appear throughout this EP from the music itself right through to the cover art.
12″ EP
Franco-spanish növö wave band Adan et Ilse formed in 2012 by Pedro aka HIV+ (lyrics, lead voices) and Michel aka Usher (music, backing vocals).
They’ve been discovered by David Carretta on his famous label Space Factory, their tracks are on big dj’s lists, such as Dave Clarke, The Horrorist or Alexander Robotnick. They’ve been remixed by heads of electronic music (David Carretta, The Horrorist, Motor, John Lord Fonda, Christopher Kah, Haujobb, Cute Heels, Mike Theis, Electrosexual, In Death It Ends…), in 2015 they made a cover of SUICIDE cult band with GABI DELGADO from D.A.F. They are supported by Dominik Nicolas (ex-Indochine) and Etienne Daho himself, brought back electro clash on the french scene in 2012 with their first release “From The Waves” (Space Factory), then were acclaimed with the next releases too (“Sadisco”, “Sadisco r3mix3d”, “Birds fallen from Heaven” and “Cold Diamonds”) by both underground music critics and an audience in search of synth wave quality.
This french növö wave duo release in 2016 their ultimate album called “Chirurgie Plastique” as a mix of Fad Gadget, Jacno, Front 242, Soft Cell or Clock Dva.
Digital Album
Ex Fulgur are a 3 piece from Rennes France, with its roots in No-Wave, Post-Punk and Noise their sound is minimalist and dense. Dark and elegant. Sexy and cerebral and at times a little wobbly.
LP / Digital Album
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