Gold Coast based, Jed A Walters, dissolved his previous project, Tesla Coils, which was well loved in the Brisbane scene and began something new in Chiffon Magnifique. This latest incarnation is a lot more serious in manner with lashings of electronic/darkwave/post-punk creamy bits and the newest single “Cyanide” is a perfect example of this. Not only have we been able to listen to the latest single but Chiffon Magnifique have been doing a few live gigs for the release, which I was lucky enough to attend one of these.
It is a breezy, winter evening in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane and I rock up the the pirate bar, O’Skulligan’s. It is dark inside and I spot a few of the regulars of the scene, from there it is not long until Chiffon Magnifique are on stage, bathed in red lighting. Everyone moves towards the stage and before we know it, Walters with his friend, LindsayBright-Mync, helping out on bass and synths, start up the show. Every track has a different feel or texture to it and when they strike up the debut single “Abomination“, there are squeals and cheers from the masses as they dance.
Of course, the song of the show is “Cyanide” and from the start of the drum sequence and those spooky guitar notes, you won’t be able to stop yourself from dancing like Saint Vitus’ Dance has you under it’s spell. Lurking under all, are those deep bass lines, as you drift off to the land of dead, in a whirlwind of guitars and synths.
Walters really has a knack for writing great, solid minimal wave with danceable rhythms and catchy hooks, in the vein of an outsider looking in, whom feels far more at home in the shadows. Also, a consummate professional and showman on the stage, if you get the chance to catch Chiffon Magnifique live….do it! Added bonus is the fact he is a really lovely fellow. You will not be disappointment in the live experience and neither will you in giving “Cyanide” a listen or ten. Warms the cockles of my small dark heart.
People might recognise the name Jasyn Bangert and that is hardly surprising as the lead singer of the ever popular God Module but he is also the fellow behind the synth pop project Hexheart. Funeral Flowers is the second album from Hexheart, which was released on June the 17th.
From the first track, “Erase Yesterday“, there is actually a profound sense of joy, as if the whatever happens, there is always a tomorrow or sparkling rivulets of synths such as “RED“, which for some reason reminded me a little of early New Order. “OV ME” and “(bottom of) BELOW” feel like the lead up to the first single off the album, “The Funeral Party“. If that sounds familiar, then you would be correct as it is a cover The Cure track, though this version has a far more jaunty vibe to it than the original, off the vaunted Faith album.
Keeping in that mode, “See In The Dark” with the chiming guitars and dance beat, while the cosmic “PsychicFriends” spirits you away with the pulsating rhythm. There is the wending “After This“, that bops it’s way through to the last track, “(so far) BELOW” which is the only song that sports a slightly harder edge in it’s melancholy.
Most electronic/industrial artists seem to have more than one project on the go and Hexheart is very synthpop orientated, so utterly different from God Module. There is a air of Birthday Massacre, mixed with The Cure’sDisintegration, with that lilting guitar . I am still not sure if I like an album completely with electronically altered vocals, though I know Bangert is using them to create a theme throughout, the semi human or slightly detached to humanity but I would love to hear him sing a few of these tracks in clean vocals as I think that it would be magic to hear these dreamy pieces given extra soul breaking warmth.
Melbourne band, Roles, are about to unleash their debut album of post-punk/art pop goodness….I know this because I have been privileged to an early listen.
But before the drop of the album, Roles are doing something a little special. In line with their artistic pursuit of music, they will be giving registered participants, an opportunity to be part of a five day, rolling event for the album, There’s A Space.
En-Roles-ees will be immersed in the music, videos, art, reflections, bonus material and behind the scene scoops of how the album was created. It all kicks off on the 2nd of August, 2022 and you will be lucky enough to get all ten songs for free, before anyone else. So to register go to https://rolesband.com/retreat/.
The duo have created an album with the synths of Luis Gutiérrez, that remind you of early Gary Numan, while the soft feminine vocals of Louise Love, often clash with her far more fuzzed out guitar playing, with their beat perfect drum machine keeping tempo. It is about the art of words that can transport you and are only limited by your imagination. Often these words have been found in audio recordings and interviews, given new life and gifted back for others to hear.
About eight months ago, German EBM giants, Tyske Ludder released the single “Peststufen” but now you can get another bite of the cherry with Infacted Recordings‘, J:dead remixing and bringing his own vocals, in English, for this bi-lingual track. UK based, J:dead is Jay Taylor, who incidentally is also the live drummer for one Tyske Ludder.
The J:dead remix is a very polished affair, smooth and flawless synths in complete opposition to the growled out lyrics in German, with Jay Taylor’s dulcet vocals silkily sliding through. There are so great changes in tempo all building to a wondrous vortex in this dance friendly track. “Peststufen” has gone from a great, raw industrial track, to a great, sinuous and elegant remix….. and you can’t get much better than that.
Bradford, in the north of England, known for their working class pride and also for their musical storytellers. This brings us to the pairing of Nick Toczek & Signia Alpha for the album, The Columbus Memoirs, released on the 4th of June. Nick Toczek is a ranting poet (as in they emotionally air their grievances in angry monologue and normally in the form of free verse), while Signia Alpha is Matt Webster, supported by a revolving retinue of musicians, creating post-punk style music incoporating funk, jazz and indie rock.
The first track “The Hour Glass” is literally about time and how there is never enough of it. The guitars wail in a cacophony of noise and it is wonderful plus I am sure I heard a flute. There is a near aching colonial sadness in “Another Shoreline” as the music ebbs and flows as a ship on the ocean. A track about the movement of slaves for the advancement of Imperialism and capital gain which comes with a loss of culture and identity. There might be a slight nod to the sound track War Of The Worlds, especially in mentioning H.G.Wells with the track “Time Tripper” in the wandering guitars and it is not aliens but rather can the Earth survive the human race’s selfish ways.
The psych-funk is strong in “Threads” with amazing bass thumping through the track as Toczek contemplates how technology has changed the world and everyone is being watched. The tempo changes and swings before we are given the next piece, “Dead Lines” because while the print press was huge at the end of a second world war, there is an air of live for now and excess…maybe they were dead inside and the music reflects the era of glamorous jazz filled soirees, at high end bars. “Just For A Moment” is a simple lament for a lost one and the sax reaches into your soul to touch that memory, so real.
With “Moonwatchers“, for me is like, looking at the night sky and the moon as a child, with a wild imagination that conjures up all sorts of stories, which some of us never grow out of. A lightness and joy in reveling in the darkness, the edge of where reality and lore meet in the inky hours. The 60s funk is dripping through with “Four And A Half“, a tale of youth and a telling of past experiences with near fatal consequences, sucking you in with the true events. For the title track, “The Columbus Memoirs“, North America is similar to a pop-up book, watching a strange amalgamation of that nation’s history, the oddities that make it what it is. I don’t think Columbus would recognise the America he first stood on to claim for Spain. I listen to this and cannot help to hear a line from a song of the band, The Church, Oh Columbus, I never should have let you go. The final track, “Dignity“, is straight out sleazy rock. A song for the survivors, the refugees, the tortured and maimed, to whom the world turns a blind eye and yet deserve so much more than being told they are a burden and should be grateful for a handful of dust.
The level of musicianship is stellar. Webster has really got some top notch talent to help out, which includes Paul Gray (The Damned) playing on four of the tracks. It is political at times and that is the raw punk edge showing but also wistful and even tender tinged sadness, all by using voice of a wordsmith while the music gives those words greater weight and emotional depth. I think the poetry is masterfully woven throughout and the instruments given their own voice in a story, that as of yet, has not an end.
Mmmm, okay. A new single from a project called omyügen which is titled “come with me” (yes this is all in lower case). Where does he come from and where is he going? Yeah, I have no idea because he is not on Facebook nor Bandcamp and don’t feel like playing stalky stalker currently but I will tell you that his music is of the post-punk and darkwave persuasion, with production by slxxshy.
The vocals are pretty trippy, like tape that is being eaten by a tape-recorder making it both interesting and creepy. A mantra to how the world in general is screwed up and that omyügen will show you the light. There is a constant hypnotic tune on guitar, playing in the background, lulling your senses into a false sense of security while the vocals invade your brain. The synths are there as well, adding to the wonderfully happy lunatic asylum feel that everything is burning….and that is completely okay.
MATT HART has been crafting his own science fiction world with music, over the last few years. A dystopian world, visited by alien machines whom have no interest in terms of peace but rather to overrun the planet and rid it of the human vermin. The machines lower the temperature to suit their needs and force the original inhabitants to burrow into the very ground to escape the tyranny and also keep warm as a global ice age ensues.
This brings us to BELOW THE TERRA PT.1, the latest of HART’s album releases, which follows the human’s plight as they scramble to ensconce themselves deep underground, though this is surviving, is it living? The three singles that have so far been lifted, give you a good gist of what this album is about but also a feel for the general earth crackling ambiance in the thumping rhythms, bristling electronics and, of course, HART’s howling, gravelly and often defiant vocals.
Techno married to an angst ridden industrial abrasiveness, each track telling its part of the story, such as “THE LAST RAVE” which is the humans coming to terms that their numbers are dwindling and this might be the last hurrah or “TO THE CORE“, where humanity is digging to escape and the machines can be heard in their triumph. All extremely catchy and very dance floor friendly but I noticed this album has less of a guitar influence and a lot more synth. Why may you ask? Well, I did just that, plus a few other burning issues…..and a word to all aliens, don’t mess with MATT HART because he will totally fuck you up, stone cold….
Welcome to the rabbit hole MATT HART, our domain. In case of alien robot attack, the exits are here —>, <—-here and under the dining table.
Matt, you are a pretty busy guy. Your paying day job is a musician, you have DJ’ed at London’s Slimelight Club amongst others, you have your own Twitch DJ channel, recording and playing live gigs. How do you fit all this in and do you like to be this busy?
Honestly, I’ve no idea how I fit it all in! I’ve got a lot of energy and so I guess keeping this busy is a good way to burn it all off, but I definitely know how to relax too. On the promotional side, my awesome wife helps massively with that – networking, sending my music out, keeping my bio and FB updated. She’s highly organized and I’m a complete creative, so it’s a good balanced system we got going. Also, with my job, I’m travelling on a coach/train often so that gives me opportunity to put my headphones on, turn my laptop on and just plug in and write. Some of my favourite tracks came from using “on the road” hours to focus.
So talking about recording, your new album BELOW THE TERRA PT. 1 is a corker! How long do you think it took you to write and record it?
Thank you! BELOW THE TERRA PT.1 took around a year to write, in a slow process as stated above – about grabbing time here and there while travelling. All the other busy hasn’t allowed me to write much faster! That said, when I’m on a roll I can write a track in a few days! It’s just getting that space time to do it! Hmmm, guess that gives me some food for thought, if I cut all the other busy things out, just think how quickly I could get music done! But, but, I do love the other things I do too, balance, right!
Do you find song creation an easy thing or would you say that you find it a painful process at times?
It’s generally easy. I have quite a good template process that I can dive into and start creating quickly, however, sometimes writers block does strike and I just can’t get anything down. When this happens, I know to just walk away and give myself some time. Stepping away from something gives you opportunity to gain fresh perspective on it. I’ve also found a great way to get past a hurdle is to work on someone else’s music, so I really enjoy doing remixes for that reason.
BELOW THE TERRA PT. 1 is part of a much bigger storyline. Can you tell us about this apocalyptic tale you have envisaged?
Technically, BELOW THE TERRA PT.1 is a sequel to my album TERRA 3808 (Nov 2019), which was about the war on the machines. This album, BELOW THE TERRA PT.1 is about humanity surviving in the icy wastelands of 3808 and below the machine overlords on the surface. Being as this is a PT.1… there’s going to be more to the story, just not sure what that will encompass as yet.
Have you always been a big fan of science fiction?
Yes, as far as I remember, I have. I love the Matrix and the Terminator movies. I think I watched the Matrix so many times I wore out the vhs! I’m particularly interested in machine worlds, and how/what that means for humanity. Could we survive, are we headed to that future? Machines already run so much of our lives, and there’s different ways to measure the positive/negative aspects of that. I’m also a huge fan of the Halo world: books, game etc and definitely the visuals – you can likely see that in my album artwork a bit.
Industrial music lends itself so well to this genre, do you think that is another reason you are compelled to perform this style?
I was always a fan of heavy metal and industrial metal but I think as I started clubbing in London I was influenced by the harder dance floor sounds of EBM and dark electro and found myself gravitating in this direction more strongly. Being able to write and perform industrial music, basically as a solo artist (though I have an excellent live guitarist Jerome Badoux) has allowed me to have control over the whole process. The bonus of creating without hardware, provides a different type of freedom — will mention again about all my travel, so this works for me. That said, I regularly record the guitar parts and wouldn’t give up any of my guitars hanging on the wall – I just don’t use them as often as had done in previous years. Sharp edge sounds and aesthetic, what’s not get onboard with!
This album seems to less guitar based and becoming more electronic focused. Was this a conscious thing because the machines have taken over?
Haha! Great observation and comment, but no, it was driven from a place of not having my guitars readily available to me, during a lot of the writing process for BELOW THE TERRA PT.1. Writing solely on a laptop allowed for the focus more on the electronic elements. However that’s a really interesting point that I hadn’t really thought about! I was also wondering that since the humans have spent all their time simply working to survive and get away, that they too in a way have become machines, shadows of their former selves in the current situation…… Society certainly has become less of a military faction and more of a resourceful entity but there is definitely still humanity residing inside them. It’s actually a theme I’ve been batting around for writing new stuff, and in another vein, that as they band together that their humanity actually becomes stronger, as they actively work together.
Which track off the album did you enjoy recording the most and why?
To be honest I really loved what I did with LAST RAVE! I set out to write a heavy club track and I totally feel I achieved what I was going for. I had it in mind that I wanted it to include guitars as well, as I’d intended for it to be done live with my guitarist, Jerome – so it has an extra heavy chug chug sound to it. It was just fun writing a classic rave-centric track that was heavy at the same time. Am also quite pleased with the video produced for the track. It’s footage from appearances at Elektro Vox and Resistanz festivals, both in April 2022, London and Sheffield respectively and premiered on Communion After Dark – wowza, right! If you want a glimpse of the kind of energy I bring to a stage, it’s a good video to watch. It’s up on my YouTube >>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1VrlDE2gaDJJJfMjGqo4UQ/videos
Covid is such a bugbear for live music currently. Are you doing or going to be performing live shows?
So, since the UK came out of lockdown I’ve had a few gigs/festivals as noted above and recently I opened for Leaether Strip in London and the weekend of 9 th July, I performed at a post-apocalyptic festival a could hours outside of London called Road 2 Ruin. Talk about a fitting environment for me! Wasteland crew and fire, it was incredible. Up next, in chats about a small gig in Scotland in August, tying that into some holiday time up there. But I really want to start putting some good focus into writing new music for the next album…… I’m really pleased with how tracks from BELOW THE TERRA PT.1 fit into my live set though, heavy, driving and really danceable – great elements to a gig!
You did a brilliant remix on Simon Carter & Fabsi’s new album and you have been popping up as a guest mixer on many other tracks. Who else have you remixed recently and is this one of those things that makes you really happy?
I do really enjoy doing remixes. Sometimes it’s the perfect break from your own music too. To be honest, I’m not a fan of recording vocals so when I get someone else’s vocals on a track to remix I jump at it! I love reconstructing other bands tracks and making them different, often giving them a more dance floor sound. Recent ones out are the Synapsyche “Silvertongue feat Danial Graves” and the Antibody “I Don’t Understand” remixes! Haven’t seen this done by anyone else (so feel quite innovative about it), but I’ve got a page on my Bandcamp where I list all the remixes I’ve done (a compilations page too). Think it’s a great way to cross-promote and the list of artist names I’ve worked with is impressive and I’m proud to have worked with them. There’s more I’ve done, that haven’t been released as yet — but watch that page, things just waiting in the wings
Your world is invaded by crazy alien robots and the only way to stop them is by being the ultimate DJ and up loading a song into their collective hive mind. What do you up load and why?
John Cage – 4’33. Don’t give them anything to feed off. Just silence.
What is in the future for MATT HART?
As I said I have a few MATT HART remixes for other artists to come out and I have the first remix from BELOW THE TERRA PT.1 coming out very soon… ABSOLUTE ZERO (ROTERSAND classic ride rework) releases 26 th July, 2022. This is a real banger, it’s entered the DAC (that’s the Deutsche Alternative Charts https://www.deutsche-alternative-charts.de/) at position 4 and that’s mega mega!
The London based band, History Of Guns, has us “Running In Circles” for the newest single off the soon to be released album, Forever Dying In Your Eyes. The trio of Del Alien (vocals), Jamu Knight (guitars) and Max Rael (synths, programming) are giving you a slice of their punk inspired gothic/industrial world.
In true punk modus operandi, the vocals of Alien are so at odds to the music, a wail of disconcerting gravity amidst the sea of the throbbing drum machine and scintillating futuristic synths of Rael. Into this mixture, Knight’s guitar work stokes the fire that makes this track of doubt and questioning burn.
“The story of our lives never goes in a straight line from birth to death. Sometimes we get stuck, and it feels like we’re not moving at all; or worse, just endlessly running in circles, like dogs chasing their tails, and you feel like you’d do almost anything to break out of it.” – Max Rael
The video for this track looks pretty slick, with the guys transposed into the everyday world. “Running In Circles” is like looking at two sides of a coin at the same time, the dark with the light in perfect harmony and Alien’s singing like oil drifting across water, not mixing so much, as colouring the music.
2009 is when Australia’s goth rockers, IKON, released the album, Love, Hate And Sorrow, and last year was the band’s 30th anniversary. Elenor Rayner is Robots In Love, ex-Aussie now based in New Zealand and she has taken the fourth single that was taken off that album, “Torn Apart” giving it an electronic makeover in the form of a remix, that came out on the July the 11th.
The beginning bell like notes herald something a bit special and those tones pepper through the track, giving it a mystical effect, in stark contrast to the electronically altered vocals, metallic and slightly cold. The bass heavy beats kick in, drowing in sorrow, while the vocals come clean, giving the song an ever more keenly felt expression of sadness.
When I compared the original to the remix, it was surprising how much more emotion Rayner pulls out the track, as well as making it sound almost like a different song. IKON have always made amazing music and Robots In Love has really capitalised on this talent for songwriting, polishing “Torn Apart” with an electronic pearl essence shimmer.
Seven Federations is the industrial brain child of Todd Ruzicka, whom is also behind the project ImmuneSystem, and he recently released his latest album, Bengamin. The album ranges in musical inferences, from the big time band swing in the title track “Bengamin“, to the futuristic “Captain Sicilano (First Federation – Italian Division)” and even the taste of a Latin mass in the interlude “Ite Missa Est“. Most of these tracks have a heavy accent on the guitar, which drives through the music, pushing it on and giving it teeth. The album was mastered at The Cage Studio, in Coventry by Martin Bowes of Attrition fame. So, with this in mind, we thought we would ask Todd a few questions about Seven Federations, the album and does he have the power of time travel…. yeah you are going to have to read on to find out.
Welcome to the Dominion of Onyx, Todd Ruzicka of Seven Federations, within the Thunderdome, though currently it seems more like an echo chamber.
Your current project is, of course Seven Federations but what was Todd up to, in the years before this project?
Since 2005, I’ve been heavily involved with my project, IMMUNE SYSTEM, which I started while I was living in the UK. IMMUNE SYSTEM was more electronic than “industrial” and I had a bit of success with the releases and with placing some tracks in indie films. But around 2018, I started feeling like I had painted myself into a corner, musically. I felt like I needed a total change and that change was SEVEN FEDERATIONS. Now, with a bit of hindsight, SEVEN FEDERATIONS doesn’t seem like such a seismic shift away from IMM SYS, but it was the shift in my mindset that I needed to feel “creative” again.
Todd, you live in North Dakota. What is the dark alternative scene like in North Dakota?
I don’t know. I don’t think it exists but, even if it did, I doubt that I’d be invited to the party. However, we are fortunate to have a really wonderful underground radio show in Fargo called Adam’s Archive on 89.1 FM. Adam, who is also a good friend of mine, plays some of the coolest and darkest music you’re likely to hear on the airwaves. Both IMMUNE SYSTEM and SEVEN FEDERATIONS get some airtime on his show and it’s been quite a help.
When did you first get caught by the industrial/electronic bug and decide this was something you wanted to try?
I think it was probably when Pretty Hate Machine came out, although I had also really become enamoured with Depeche Mode by that point. But PHM really hit me sideways. I hadn’t been exposed to super dark, harder electronic music like that. I had heard some Skinny Puppy but, honestly, I couldn’t make heads or tails of it at the time. Pretty Hate Machine combined song structures that I could relate to, but used a whole different sonic palette. And then, of course, The Downward Spiral just changed the game entirely and I caught “the bug,” as you say.
Who would you say are your musical influences… the people and acts that got you into the music?
Since I’ve been a drummer for as long as I can remember, my first influence would have to be Buddy Rich. I grew up with his Swingin’ Big Band live album. But pop and rock always resonated with me more. I LOVE Billy Joel. Except for his “doo-wop” phase. (Billy Joel Doo Wop sucks.) And you’re in Australia, right? I always loved Colin Hay and Men at Work. I have to admit I also loved 80s glam rock when I was a teen and that made an imprint on me, for better or for worse. And then later, I got way into heavier music but always had a love for metal with a hint of industrial that also had a GROOVE. I think that’s important. So much of what we term “industrial” music is full of cool SOUNDS but no there’s no real SONG to speak of. You need both. And again, Trent Reznor became a hero of mine, in the way that he could marry musicality with a real knowledge of digital sounds and soundscapes.
Todd, your first album, “The Arrival”, was released in 2019 and far as I can tell, this is the first offering under the banner of Seven Federations. What inspired you to create this project?
“The Arrival” was the first record, correct. It was fairly ambitious, as it’s a concept record but not so “concept” that you can’t just enjoy the songs on their own. It’s sort of a modern gnostic storyline about drawing down the Demiurge and the events that occur with the main character. Without getting too mystical, “The Arrival” almost literally wrote itself. It really just appeared, one song at a time. And apart from that, I barely remember making it.
You have released your newest album “Bengamin” and the origin of this name is Hebrew. Why Bengamin, why a buzzard/vulture on the cover and is the buzzard, Bengamin?
Bengamin is the Buzzard of the Apocalypse, mentioned periodically in the Old Testament and referenced heavily in Revelations. He has the gift of prophecy. He can also tap dance.
The track “Bengamin” seems to have a swing/boogie feel to it. Was this intentional?
Yes. I imagined it almost as a soundtrack to some scene in a honky tonk bar somewhere on the outskirts of town.
The track “Brickface” is getting a lot of airplay. What do you feel about this track appeals to people?
I think it’s just a catchy, anthemic track that gets stuck in your head a bit. It’s sort of custom-built for an arena sing-a-long . . . in my MIND.
Overall, the album has that harder edged guitar sound to it. Is this a preferred musical element?
It is with SEVEN FEDERATIONS. If there was one thing I was going for with this project, it’s a much heavier, guitar-based sound. That’s probably the main element that separates it from IMMUNE SYSTEM.
MartinBowes of Attrition fame, mastered the album at his Cage Studio. What was it like for you having Bowes do this for you and why did you choose Martin?
I’ve been very lucky to have had two of the biggest names in industrial music master my tracks: Martin Bowes and Jules Siefert, both in England. It’s just a sense of being in good hands with them, and knowing that they understand this style of music. And they’re both super-easy to work with. Even though they’re both big names, they are still open to suggestions from the Peanut Gallery; i.e. ME.
One has to wonder if you have a time machine, as you state that “Ite Missa Est” was recorded live in 2030, in Prague…..is there something you aren’t telling us?
Time travel has long been an interest of mine and I’ve had a fair bit of success with it.
Who do you get a kick out of listening to now?
Mostly “Yacht Rock” artists: Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, Air Supply. That kind of thing.
What is in the future for Seven Federations?
Promotion of the new record, considering the next step for new music and having a long talk with myself.
Onyx Music Reviews 