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 is proud to bring you the world premiere of Australian/US collaboration, Sequential Zero’s latest single, “Fourth Sequence“. Freshly minted from the Mantravision secret lair….somewhere in the remote barren lands of Sydney. This is the, strangely, fourth single from the group made up of Aussies Ant Banister (Sounds LikeWinter, Sea Lungs, Luna Module, Heatwave and DeF FX) and Colin Gallagher (Burnt Souls) with Bruce Nullify (Orcus Nullify) who is based in South Carolina. Due to distance, when the guys play live, AdrianLeppard (Xerox, 1978) steps in for Nullify.
There are two tracks on “Fourth Sequence” with the first being, “The Last One To Fall“. Such a nice build up up to the vocals by Banister with that wandering synth and noticeably there is a heavier guitar sound through this track. Definitely has an early Bauhaus sound with more electronics. Second track “Endless Night And Day” is the far more electronic piece bordering Gary Numan mixed with new wave Duran Duran and good helping of gothic noir, while Nullify’s guitar breaks into the music like a chainsaw, giving you a see-saw effect. This is also the first time you hear Gallagher singing in the chorus.
SATO AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS is an ancient prayer to the universe to save the world, invoked in “Endless Night And Day“, while “The Last One To Fall” refers to the sweeping emotion of loneliness in the modern era, even though we are more connected through electronic devices than ever before, but find it hard to connect to actual humans. Both tracks are brilliantly executed, however for me, they work on a deeper level of memories and music that I have always loved. Beautiful post-punk tracks, drenched in synths and guitars, that I dearly want people to hear.
It is good to see more women creating music for themselves in the electro-industrial scene and Nuda is no exception. Seattle based, she has previously been a guitarist for Possessed Tranquility and started Nuda in the beginning of 2019, so far with 2 albums under this moniker. June 23rd, saw the latest single, “Trigger“, drop from the soon to be released third album, Stranger.
“Trigger” starts with all those nice reverbing, cycling electronics, before kicking off. There is electric guitar in there but it blends so well with synthesizers. There are wallowing lulls, followed by frenetic movement.
You can hear the old school industrial creeping through but still this is kept in check, throughout this instrumental track. Nuda bends the music to her will giving it a cleaner sound. “Trigger” and the album Stranger, are based in the topic of mental health/illness, stress and rauma.
Lunar Paths is a collaboration between two musicians who were originally involved in the UK gothic scene in the 80s. Both Diane duBois and Kevin Hunter were in the band Cold Dance, and Hunter in Skeletal Family until they broke up in 1986. After losing contact and ending up in different time zones, they rediscovered their friendship and so started a new musical project.
There are loops and subverted sounds in the electronic aether, which take on an almost Middle Eastern atmosphere, The vocals sigh and take you on the journey to another exotic realm, while duBois’s sensuous singing beguiles your senses. The duo’s experimentation with recordings and synths has become this wonderful amalgamation of styles and Lunar Paths’ music definitely tickles those dark sweet spots in your mind.
Portland’s Xibling (Sibling) are a synth lead duo on the experimental edge and on March the 1st, the label Young And Cold Records, combined two previously released EP’s, Yesbody and Maladjusted onto one vinyl. Moriah West and Julian Thieme have so far released four original EPs, plus other livestream material.
“Hello Stranger” exudes the enthusiasm that this band seems to be all about with a rhythm that thrusts you forwards, glitching with the howling vocals replicating a wolfs’s call. The single, “Butterfly Curbstomp” is a brutal space oddity of having your teeth kicked in, with an strangely B52’s feel while “Fold” could have come from the early 80s with its manic robotic intent. To be a model, you might have to be made of “Plasticine” to keep your looks and figure, which is exactly about what this song is about, sung with such passion. “Schadenfreude” or the pleasure gained by someone else’s failure, the male German style vocals in staccato, all over this piece and this mixes so well into “Maladjusted“, with the rap inspired spoken word that melt into beautiful, silken tendrils of singing and who can say no to lyrics like a maladjusted little shit, dropping the bass. There is a slow burn to”Slow Fold“, as it curls around you, fingers digging into your throat.
“Butterfly Curbstomp IV” is possibility what it is like to be on speed in a formula one vehicle, an insane ride for a remix. The darker allure of fetish and sexual angst is “Latex Gloves“, which is going to stalk you with those commanding beats, though this all hits the brick wall in “Vine“, with the echoing, glossy attitude. The bleeps and electronic distortion vie with the vocals for control with “Contract“, while “Puppet” has an air to it like the Siouxsie/Budgie project, Creatures, especially vocally. There is this beautiful synth line that runs through “Reflection” and though the lyrics are not a happy affair but the music itself whirls around you. The last track is one of the title tracks “Yesbody” and it had an amazing vibrancy and a pop like perfection.
Bloody marvelous and such a fun collection of tracks. I love how they manage to pull so many different sounds out of their electronic equipment and it is all about the passion behind the music. You can hear the enjoyment Xibling exude when they play and while they might play electronic music, but they really have a very punk attitude behind it all.
End of last year saw the debut album, Blacken The Skies released on MetropolisRecords, by the South African band Terminal. The end of June, they released the official video for the track “Godfire” which comes off the aforementioned debut album. It is an epic track with driving guitar, huge drum beats and a bludgeoning chorus that should have you up on your feet and dancing. “Godfire” or holy war, but who is right and who is wrong and when does God’s name mean peace instead of war in the name of religion? The video is full of confronting images of modern warfare but as always it is the music that has last word. So if this tickles your fancy, then you need to check out Terminal’s whole album.
Legends of the electronic scene. Germany’s X MARKS THE PEDWALK, released the official video of their latest single, “Yesterdays“, which is off their album, New / End, on the Meshwork Music label. The video is beautifully made, cine graphic and rich, complimenting the gorgeous vocals of ESTEFANÍA, a track about family and love that transverse time. It is a perfect synthpop tune and in some ways, reminds me of ABBA, especially with the very human sentiment.
Pennsylvania based, TheNumber H has dropped the EP, The Conditioning, on May the 27th, with Lost GlacierRecords. This is their second dark electronic EP release, which, in true industrial style, they are using recordings of everyday noises and fusing them into into these techno and bass influenced tracks.
Straight off the bat is “Nothing“, sexually charged industrial beats, that build up and breakdown, lulled by her vocals. Industrial bass is beautifully used to full effect in “Grief“, with science fiction overtones, the electronics in a juxtaposition of being smooth and abrasive at the same time. “Tell Me” is a techno whirlwind with glitching vocals, designed to build you higher with those rhythms and then you are plunged into the dark depths of “MissMe“, which gave me goosebumps.
“Hideous Dream” is in no way terrible to listen to and in fact delightfully works its way through your senses, the electronics implanting themselves into pleasure centres. Last track is “Undone“, ominous and foreboding as it builds to a whirling techno synth vortex, that collapses only to take you an unwinding journey.
Erotically charged, surreal and sublime. The low spoken vocals, not quite disinterested, drawling out, cutting into your skin. I think I could easily listen to The Number H all day, if I am being perfectly honest. She has an amazing flow that grabs you with the intensity of the music. Loss, intense sorrow and hopefully healing, now you have The Conditioning,.
Am Tierpark is a project with the combined superpowers of Claus Larsen (vocals, lyrics) and John R Mirland (music, production). They dropped their latest album, Forevermore, May the 10th, on the Læbel record label. This is the duo’s synthpop project, amongst their other acts such as Larsen & Mirland plus a.o., Claus Larsen’s Leæther Strip, Klutæ, and John R Mirland’s Mirland, M73….that is only naming a few.
Oh yes the synthpop is strong in this album, as it starts with the “Shower Me With Freedom” and Larsen’s dulcet tones and those brilliant synths. It is followed by the lyrically mournful and poignant “I Let You Go“. There is a wonderful trance element to “Love Collide“, as the delightful synths dance around Larsen’s vocals, which changes pace with the more somber “Just Watch Me“, that has these beautiful whirls of electronics that make your senses fly.
Ooh yeah, the sassy and sexy boy toys in “Room 24“, has those heavy overtones of Bronski Beat with an Italo disco feel, which is continued in “Not Welcome“, though this is a tale of love, rejected by a ignorant portion of the population. Title track, “Forevermore” has a heavenly start with those synths, in a slow burn of hurt and those sighing synths meld into the smooth sounding “Mighty World“, while “Sacrifice Your Purity” has an amazing amount of movement, and threw me into 1983, with the dance rhythm.
This blips of a ghost submarine dive into “You’re not My Enemy” with its cool chic, and some keyboard lines that could have come from the sublime John Foxx. Larsen is cooing into your ear over a freight train of delicate electronics in “Bloom Together“, unlike the track “Leave In Peace” with it’s purposeful slower beats. There is a light feel to “Hold Our Heads High“, conveyed in the lyrics and bright music. “Cleanse Our Hearts” is pure joy in music form, while the last track, “Moving In“, is almost hypnotic in tone.
Okay, confession time. I have had this album for a while and unforeseen circumstances have slowed me down, but this is an album that I wanted to desperately tell people about. The late 70s and early 80s is where my musical influences lay, so listening to Forevermore, definitely stirs memories of Depeche Mode, Erasure, John Foxx and artists of that ilk, who were on the cutting edge of electronic music at that point in time. Though, that is not to say the Am Tierpark is some sort of copy, as they are most certainly not, taking the love of this style of music and adding their modern spin and incorporating the Euro/Italo style such as “Sacrifice Your Purity“, which is pure disco orientated joy. Larsen’s vocals are yet another facet to the distinct sound that is AmTierpark, making their music so enjoyable. You don’t have to be a child of the 80s to enjoy this album though but don’t take my word for it…please go check them out for yourselves.
Onyx Music Reviews 