What do you get when a radio anchorman, a neurosurgeon and a philosopher create a band? ¡-PAHL-! Based in Leipzig, Germany, Peter Hardlab (vocals), Leo von Leibnitz (lyrics & production) and Olaf Parusel (composition), came together in 2016 to ruminate over the questions of life, the universe and industrial pop.
The crunchy, bleak electronics and synths build a soundscape, of what feels like a vast area of encroaching darkness, with Hardlab’s vocals breaking that vastness, accompanied by the lonely playing of a piano with one finger. That is until the music builds in emotion, swelling before the inevitable end.
!-PAHL-!
Telos is a term coined by Greek philosopher, Aristotle, in regards to the full potential or purpose of a person. With this in mind, Hardlab asks Who am I? Am I who? Why am I?. This is the thinking man’s electro/industrial. Thoughtfully written and beautifully executed with those deep, smooth vocals that suit this so well. If you are searching for Mein Telos(my Telos), then look no longer and immerse yourself in ¡-PAHL-!
September the 24th saw the release of Brisbane band, Daylight Ghosts, latest single, “In The Glow“. This neo-folk group is made up of two members, Adam Dawe (vocals/lyrics) and Karl O’Shea (acoustic guitar/keyboards/arrangement) and was given life in 2019. Since then, they have brought forth two previous singles and are looking towards the release of the EP, also named In The Glow.
DAYLIGHT GHOSTS
The drum machine hold the constant beat, the acoustic guitar winds it’s way around Dawe’s vocals. A melancholy about that they cannot live with nor without. ‘Lyrically In The Glow is a song about addiction disguised as the creative process disguised as addiction. Erase. Start over. Erase‘, wrote Dawe. There is an insistent piano line in the chorus and synths that gently aid in the heightened emotions.
There is a lot passion and heart in this piece. O’Shea plays the guitar beautifully and Dawe never lets the lament break the smooth and clean vocals. Gothic tinged electro/neo-folk is probably my best description of Daylight Ghosts. They literally are like a blue flame in the dusk hours, illuminating the shadows into stories to be sung. Discover Daylight Ghosts and their eerily alluring “Into The Glow“.
It has been about a year since we were first introduced to the HOSTILE ARCHITECT, who is also known as Mitch Kenny. The first single, “HOSTILE THEME“, was released in June 2020 and seems ever since then, he has continued to grow into this persona, gathering fans, airplay and signing with Brutal Resonance Records. Now Brisbane based Kenny, has his first full album to unleash onto the converted and the yet to be. This is LOWGRADELIFE.
MITCH KENNY – HOSTILE ARCHITECT
Kicking off is “MEASURE TWICE” and the ARCHITECT is judging you and the mistakes you make more than once, If you have never heard HOSTILE ARCHITECT before then I can guarantee this mix of gravelly vocals, infectious beats and scintillating keyboards is going to beguile. Originally released as the b-side to “LOWGRADELIFE“, we have the beat heavy, “EVERY FOLLOWER A BOT“. It is a nice static crunchy instrumental piece and yet there is time for a serene, almost Japanese inspired interlude. The fourth single to be released this year was the wonderful “SEMTEX“, and I dare you to not find yourself bobbing to the beat of this. The futuristic theme that you are not not the decaying flesh that holds your spirit is backed up by the science fiction feel of the music.
The title track for the album, “LOWGRADELIFE VER.FINAL” was also the second single and as it may imply, has been further reworked for the album. From the near disco start that launches into the infectious rhythm, there is so much to listen to and still it is utterly cohesive. Speaking of reworked songs, there is also “WAGESLAVEVER.FINAL“, again was another b-side, a delightfully beat filled instrumental that flows along in a trance like way. The brilliant “DAWN OV“, yet another single, body slams you with it anguished vocals and electronics almost mimicking blaring horns, while the instrumental b-side to this single follows it up. And like all the others, “PROSCRIPT” won’t disappoint you as it winds it’s way into your ears. The single that started everything, “HOSTILE THEME“, introduces us to the ARCHITECT and soon you will be singing along I’m hostile!
The first two remixes are done by fellow Brisbane dwellers of the industrial scene. Dirt Factory with their stellar remix of “SEMTEX“, in which Michael Gillman makes the song even more angry plus a little dirtier, highlighted by those bright synths. Zane Seymour is Dream Of Machines and he gives the treatment to “DAWN OV“. Seymour has brought the vocals to the fore and yet still the synths dance beneath, threatening to overtake at some point from their zen interlude. “LOWGRADELIFE” remix is by Wollongong act CheapCoffins and it feels electronically gritty and heavy. Then the guitars just chime in gloriously as the song wends it’s way skyward.
The Null Cell remix of “PROSCRIPT” just sparkles and is unearthly with how light it feels. Nebraskabased IsabellaChains really makes this instrumental piece a rhythmic delight. The last two remixes are from Black Hole Zion and Mach Fox, the former residing in West Virginia and later in Minnesota. Second remix of “LOWGRADELIFE” by Black Hole Zion and it definitely has Ministry inspired guitars and then again a near jazz influence which would seem an odd combination but it works. Zwaremachine’s Mach Fox gives his remix of “DAWN OV” which pops and carries the Fox signature of substantial and searing electronic noise.
First off, have you ever known an act that is exceptionally talented and then when you have met them in real life, they are as nice in person as well? This is Mitch Kenny, completely. He is self effacing and has this enormous gift for music which shines through in this debut album.The mastering done by Roger Menso of Nyteshayde Music is first class, with beautiful clean tones and delicately balanced. The acts chosen to do the remixes have been equally up to the task. It would be easy to rant on with superlatives but in the end you just need to go hear it. If you appreciate good electronic music, then I think you will love HOSTILEARCHITECT and his LOWGRADELIFE.
Kimberly Kommeier is the founding member of the band Bow Ever Down, which was formed in 1998 and in 2020, a full length album, Lost In The Woods was released. Now we have the June release for the huge electronic/darkwave album, Let It Burn.
From the get go, the title track, “Let It Burn“, will set the tone for this album. There is an electronic simpleness that adds to the sorrowful and yet defiant storytelling. It is of no longer taking the blows life has handed out, yet proudly showing those scars. For me the standout number is “Cold Machine” which it’s wonderful swirling and tinkling chorus that rises up to proclaim I would give anything to be human because they are the machine. Truly a lovely and yet so mournful sentiment. “Born Into Darkness” continues the dance of damnation.
Silence In Machine aka Wess Fowler lends his harsh vocals to the songs, “Shed My Skin” and “Not Your Victim“. While the former is a pulsating piece from start to finish, the latter is like waves on the shore as it draw back, then comes crashing in. The common theme though is owning your fate which again can be seen in the track, “Burn You Alive“, and it has some really nice synth transitions. “BurnThem To Ashes“, has a certain, reflective quality and a anger that is almost palpable in the chorus, while “My Last Day” is such a despondent expression of the inability to go on, this is still quite full of great, infectious beats.
The remix for “Cold Machine” is a jewel and Assemblage 23 has really outdone themselves. Miss Suicide from Germany remixed both “Shed My Skin“, giving it a far more aggressive sound and “Glass Doll” which has those synth lines dancing all over it. “Burn You Alive” remix by Replicant RME, takes this song into new territory while the John Ruszin III, whom plays on the album, gives us a version of “Not Your Victim“, and it feels more pensive than the original. The Stahlschlag remix of the title track definitely has teeth, as Sebastian Sünkler is the master of that wonderful crunchy power noise, while the Silence In Machine retake of “Burn Them To Ashes” feels very off kilter, as if the insanity is too much. Continuing in this vein is the forever haunted remix of “Not Your Victim” by Adian Caine with it’s introspective and quiet defiance. The album is completed by the new version of “Glass Doll“.
The prominent concept is the use of the word burn. Fire is not only thought of as dangerous but also as cleansing, to wipe away completely what was. A renewal like a phoenix dying and coming back to life through fire. These are songs about survival and coming from a dark place. Kommeier has a big voice that is quite delightful and garnered a host of talented musicians to remix her tracks, so you should check out Let It Burn by Bow Ever Down.
Brisbane’s DirtFactory released a new single in August called “CrashLanding” and we are here to let you know it’s of the little green men kind. This is the first single from the soon to be released, third album from brothers DanielAllen and MichaelGillman who reside in Melbourne and Brisbane respectively.
DIRT FACTORY
You will be regaled by the story of making first contact as the beat pushes you along with a sense of urgency. It is raw and metallic, grating your nerves as you know that they are out there waiting for you. Apart from the person telling his story of a conspiracy to hide that aliens are here, there are really no other vocals to accompany, just the sound of Allen screaming into the void.
There are remixes from proponents of the thriving Brisbane industrial scene. FailedAssimilation guitarist, CameronRees gives us a explosive, metal coated version. There is the laid back, laconic remix by Cosmos Synthetics which will take you to a different state of mind. Nyteshade is RogerMenso, a mastering genius and member of the infamous Dogmachine and he brings us an almost experimental feel to “CrashLanding“, keeping us off balance with the changing beats. Exocult is DanielAllen’s new solo project and also signed to ViralRecords. His version has an 80s feel to it with a heavy guitar creeping up from behind.
Suddenly there is a shift in momentum with the HOSTILEARCHITECT remix heading in a far more dance oriented direction. H.A.’sMitchKenny is a man who can do no wrong currently and this is a really glorious remix. Next is the newest band on the block but don’t let that fool you as members are not new to the scene. This is RAZRWHIP with their dream like offering, though this dream is more like a drug induced fantasy. The synth lines from JethroHilliard are sublime. Last is not the least. Vargil is the talented CamillaAstridStrand and her take on this piece is a science fiction techno myriad. It pulsates and is simply joyous.
There is literally something different on every track which means there is going to be something to tickle the tastebubs of everyone that enjoys this genre and is a showcase of local talent. So if this is the “CrashLanding“, can’t wait for the invasion.
BleedingRaven is DeanMason of Ontario, masked man extrodinaire and quite frankly, we aren’t even sure if DeanMason is his real name. But under the moniker, BleedingRaven, he released the EP, September Campaign, on Horizon DMARecords, in May this year. The title refers to the rolling blitzkrieg of the German army into Poland which was to herald the beginning of World War II which Mason said inspired this recording, the infinite loop of man versus man and that hate begets hate.
“Blood River Rage“, “Seth” and “Bleeding Sane” all share a key element, the entwining of American indigenous people’s traditional rhythms and singing style mixed with modern harsh industrial. A juxtaposition so to speak of two types of tribal music. The last track, “Bleeding Sane“, feels like it is being sucked into a burred vortex of bedlam.
The other two tracks are “Centurion’s Vision” and title piece, September Campaign“. Both I would describe as harsh noise at times, with the squealing of tortured guitars and sounds of twisted metal, all accompanied by the driving beats that push it along with no concern for the listener if you can’t keep up. There are no prisoners here.
Mason’s main project is GnosticGorilla, however he has fingers in pies, dabbling in the spaces between industrial and metal, with a helping of North American tribal influence. This isn’t going to be for everyone but I’m pretty sure that it is the art of the music that drives Dean. The EP is made up older material with recent inspirations from the post Trump admistration era. If a fusion of tribal/ industrial/ experimental/ metal is and or might be your thing then have a listen to Bleeding Raven.
We are delighted to bring you Onyx Music Review’s first interview and we are lucky to have Mach Fox of the industrial band, Zwaremachine, give us some of his time for a Q &A to talk about the new album Conquest 3000, the changes in the band and how current events are affecting them. Zwaremachine describe their style as minimal hypnotic industrial body music, which is raw, hard edged and rhythm filled with cyber punk themes.
ZWAREMACHINE
Mach, congratulations on the new album, Conquest 3000.
This new album sees Zwaremachine now as a three piece, where as previously it was a one man solo project. How did this come about?
Hi and thank you for interview and helping us get the word out about Zwaremachine and the new album. I had always intended to present Zwaremachine as a live trio with myself on vocals/synthesizer and 2 other members on electronic percussion and additional synth. Since I was using sequencers and drum machines to program and write the songs in the studio I also made sure that I could perform solo if others were not available so that is when the solo shows would happen. Over the years Zwaremachine was able to perform as duo or trio when friends were available and we could do minimal rehearsals since many of the parts were sequenced for live performances. This was great as no one had to commit to my band full time and I could have rotating members of my favorite musician friends fill in. Basically I would just need some musicians to help bring the studio recordings to life on stage. I was only booking a few shows each year from 2012-2016 and not very active with the project.
In 2017 I decided I wanted to write and record the “Be a light” album and find permanent members to tour and record with so over a couple years I was able to try out many members while writing, arranging and performing songs that became the first full length album for Zwaremachine. At first it was difficult to find others committed to rehearsing and learning arrangements for live shows…I was able to record all parts in the studio but I had the goal of having the instrumental arrangements performed as on the record. At this point my main goal for the band was a s a live performance vehicle for these songs and I felt the album should sound like the live versions. In 2019 I finally solidified the line up I’m thrilled to have Dbot on bass guitar and Dein Offizier on drums/percussion.
With one of your band mates, Dein Offizier in Europe and then the virus bringing travel to a halt, it must have been quite an effort to write and record Conquest 3000. How did you get around these obstacles?
Digital recording technology, sampling and being able to record ourselves in home studios and rehearsal rooms played a big part in the recording sessions on this album.
Luckily I was able to travel to the Netherlands in January 2020 to record Dein Offizier drum parts on the demos that Dbot (bassist) and I had worked up in the summer of 2019.. I would have loved to get Dein Offizier into a proper studio with an engineer to record his drum parts but it just was not possible at that time and with our schedule for album. I must say that he worked so very hard on that session and we were able to record 12 songs in 6 hours in a rehearsal room that we rented at Popschool Parkstad in Heerlen,NL {Netherlands).
The 2 other producers we worked with on the Conquest 3000 album tracks were Planktoon (Sweden) and D.Corri (Ireland). We were sharing tracks via internet which is fairly common these days but also means the collaboration process is much different than being in same studio together. This also added to the longer time to produce this album as everyone has busy lifes outside of the band project. Overall I feel that it gave the album sound a uniqueness we may not have got if I was the only producer involved and I very much love what both Planktoon and D.Corri contributed.
How did you end up incorporating Dein Offizier and D-Bot into the band?
I had performed some solo Zwaremachine shows early 2019 in Europe and Dein Offizier was a mutual friend of Kitty Sommer who does management/booking for the band so he was at one of those shows since they are both located in the Netherlands. We later met online and I was intrigued by some of his pictures where he was playing drums and performing in festivals with his underground percussion group at the time. We had many of the same musical tastes and he looked like a complete badass with his big metal brazillian surdo drum so I asked if he would like to join Zwaremachine on electronic percussion. He agreed to play with us and thru some discussion he expressed he would rather play his own drums instead of samples on an electronic drum pad which was an idea I had never considered but made sense as I had already added a live bassist and felt it could be another way to present our “electronic rock band” differently than so many in the current industrial/ebm genre.
In the fall of 2019 we finally met in person and had our first rehearsal where I knew he was a perfect fit when I saw him aggressively pounding his drum and mouthing the words to our songs from the set…and just hours after that first rehearsal we were in France for our first show of the Zwaremachine & Vuduvox ElektroTanz Tour. Dein Offizier and I did that tour and those shows as a duo since Dbot could not make it and it was a pleasure and honor to share the stage with him every night. It was just like he had always been in the band and I really appreciate his hard work and confidence for that tour. That is really trial by fire and he has only become a great friend and bandmate every day since then.
I did not ever anticipate to have a live bass guitar in Zwaremachine but Dbot had already been a member of early Zwaremachine live line ups on synth and electronic percussion and had also played bass in Mach Fox band from 2006-2010. I was considering a Mach Fox band reunion and we were talking about getting that band back together in late 2018 when I decided to ask him instead to play bass for Zwaremachine. He agreed to join and we released our first recording together as Zwaremachine in December 2019. It’s great to be on stage and write music with him again and I want to point out that half of the songs on Conquest 3000 were from instrumental tracks originally written by him. He is such an excellent musician and brings influences from other genres which is always welcome when we can blend that into our expanding sound.
We know for you, Zwaremachine is very much a live act with a huge accent on the visual aspect. Are there plans for live gigs again with your fellow bandmates or will you lean towards using platforms like twitch currently?
I do love the idea of presenting a visual that compliments or contrasts the music whether it is bringing some old CRT monitors in road cases to glow on stage or building custom microphones and other stage dressing/set elements. I originally got into video art and VJ work as I wanted Zwaremachine to be strong audiovisual band in the style of Severed Heads, Skinny Puppy, Clock DVA and many from that period that matched the visuals with the music to give the audience a bit more of an experience live. We do plan to perform live again and the visuals and stage dressings/sets will depend on whether we travel to Europe or U.S. for first tour and shows since it is not always easy to bring that extra gear.
When shows and tours were first cancelled and I would get requests for online festivals and streaming sets I originally turned those down as I wanted our live shows to be experienced in dark venues with large and loud sound systems with a crowd…but as time went on I accepted that this could be a cool way to present our show without having to haul all the gear! Since I am also a VJ and video artist I was able to use multiple cameras, video mixers, hardware effects to present something special that I hadn’t seen others doing and with a bit of editing and post-production we ended up presenting about 10 unique livestream sets which I am proud of. The only downside to that was we were not able to have Dein Offizier with us live but we managed to record footage and he can be seen on the screens behind us for portions of the set.
During a recent interview, you expressed that you would like to bring guitar into the Zwaremachine sound. What is the influence for this?
The guitar was my main instrument for my earliest bands and it’s an easy instrument for me to express melodies and texture. I still want Zwaremachine to be driven by heavy electronics but recently I have been using guitar for some remixes and on a new side-project so I feel it might become present on some new Zwaremachine songs. Most likely it would be loaded into a sampler for live shows as I can’t be fussed to keep tuning it!
The guitar I use is a Roland Gr707 that is also a “synth guitar” which allows me to play a synthesizer or sampler via midi from the strings of the guitar so it can be blended with a synth or any sound desired. I also love that the guitar can be placed in the mix with synthesized instruments to make this sound that can still seems futuristic today. This idea to make hybrid electro-industrial rock is probably influenced by my favorite Wax Trax label records and this sound was hinted at in our Ripping At The Fabric EP where the synths were often treated like guitars and there was plenty of sample editing in the production. I have also been making some awful sounds with modular synthesizers that could be looped and used in future productions.
Your moniker, Fox, is a nod to the original singer of Ultravoxx!, John Foxx, who is also an inspirational figure for Gary Numan in the electronic scene. How do you feel that people like Foxx, Numan, Frank Tovey of Fad Gadget etc have influenced your sound and who currently do you find influences you now?
Those artist and many others were using electronic sounds blended with acoustic instruments and experimenting with production and effects in a very creative way often due to the limitations of equipment or lack of rules. The whole DIY and punk music stuff happening the same time was what gave me the ideas to try things on my own and try to make sounds that I wanted to hear. Those bands mentioned also had strong images attached and really stood out for me first for the music and also for being great live performers.
A current influence would the industrial and dark sounding electronic music I hear being made and especially when it’s done well with modular synthesizers. Modular synthesis can produce sounds that I have never heard before and that really excites my inner circuits as a musician and a lifelong fan of sounds. Check out TL3SS – Murkwhip or ENDIF – Falling Into The Sky for good examples.
Thank you for your time and hoping to hear more from Zwaremachine in the future!
Thank you for the interview and we will stay in touch!
Toronto based, post punk duo, TRAITRS, only just released back in July the EP, The Sick, TiredAnd Ill, and now have a full album to unleashed on fans in November called, HorsesInThe Abattoir. August sees the first single, “Oh, Ballerina“, off the new album, a sample of what is to come. Sean-Patrick Nolan and ShawnTucker are the fellows behind TRAITRS, with the former on synths, piano, programming, sequencing and the latter with vocals, lyrics, guitar, bass.
TRAITRS
The lyrics on their own are a little creepy and this may have lent itself to the grim and horror like video that accompanies it. It is all summed up in one line, I need to know you are scared. From the dirge piano at the start and lonely vocals from the void, build the atmosphere. It takes off, doesn’t look back with a life of its own, as the keyboard cries and the guitar accompanies it.
Released on the label Freakwave Records, TRAITRS can be found on platforms, such as Spotify. “Oh, Ballerina” might be spooky but that’s the appeal of darkwave/gothic that you can have high energy beats with fresh synths and it will still be macabre and enthralling. The video is slick and beautifully made just as the music is, so check it out before the album gets here.
Lurking in Sydney, Australia, is a man of musical integrity and intrigues, only known by the moniker, INfest8. He is a producer and mix master of music but also a member of other bands such as ZCluster and international act, Konqistador. However, this month he has released a solo single called, “Under“.
So new, in fact, there is no YouTube video to accompany it. “Under” is dark and foreboding in its heaviness, given weight by the purposeful industrial beat and raw crunchiness. The squealing electronics and grinding guitar in stark contrast to the laid back vocals with light synth lines.
Currently, INfest8 is working on new material for both ZCluster and Konqistador but it is really good to hear some of his independent work. Not only is “Under” a great single but it’s also free to download from Bandcamp. So what are you waiting for?
Mach Fox for the last decade, has been the man behind Zwaremachine, however Conquest 3000 is the first album where the act has become a three piece. Fox (vocals, synths, programming), based in the United States, joined by D-Bot (bass guitar, vocals) whom is also based in Minnesota and DeinOffizier (drums, percussion), who hails from Europe. D-Bot had played previously with the Mach Fox band and for a number of years playing live with Zwaremachine.
Conquest 3000 is a mixture of re-recorded tracks that have appeared on previous EPs and singles, as well as four new tracks. The tracks like ‘International Hero“, that appeared originally on the Ripping At The Fabric EP, have had subtle changes to the sound. My focus however is on the four brand spanking new numbers.
ZWAREMACHINE
The cybernetic track, “Toymaker“, flows with hypnotic synth lines and gritty vocals. About, not only enhancing human bodies but also replacing everything that no longer works, creating a human like doll.
For my money, “Parasol” is the best of the new songs. It has this late 70s, early 80s inspired funk sound, mixed with with the more modern vision of Zwaremachine. It is a seamless dance number about a world, where the atmosphere has been destroyed and the population is protected by an umbrella. Science fiction or a portent of science fact?
A serious Suicide Commando vibe with “ZeroContainment“. There is great energy and hooky synth lines that sparkle and drag you in. A song about one fire that can’t be stopped and it could be about the burning up the dance floor with this track.
There is one place that authority and corporations cannot control us.. our dreams. The last of these new tracks is “Until Tomorrow” and it is about the sovereignty of the mind. Love the chimes that ring out in this angry and punchy number.
Already, you can see the influence of the newest members in Zwaremachine, which are only going to push these guys into good places if the latest tracks are anything to go by. Zwaremachine was already a cutting edge, industrial act, experimenting in their sound. Would highly recommend listening to the new tracks from Conquest 3000, to get a taste of things to come!
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