Project Pitchfork, the Hamburg group that mixes dark wave, electro-industrial and EBM elements, released “Continuum Ride” on 23 July 2010 through Trisol. The album turns 16 this year. It followed “Dream, Tiresias!” (2009) and arrived a year ahead of “Quantum Mechanics” (2011), appearing on CD in a Digipak and as a limited two-CD-plus-DVD edition.

Peter Spilles wrote, composed and produced “Continuum Ride” and handled lead vocals; Dirk Scheuber and Jürgen Jansen completed the band’s core line-up on the record, with Achim Färber and Carsten Klatte contributing additional live musicianship. Chris von Rautenkranz mastered the album at Soundgarden Tonstudio in Hamburg, monozelle.de created the artwork and Silent-View supplied the photography. The 12-track album runs “Way of the World,” “Stacked Visions,” “The Dividing Line,” “Endless Infinity,” “Dead Cities,” “Continuum,” “Beholder,” “Ghost of the Past,” “Supersonic Snakebite,” “Star Child,” “43rd Floor” and “Full Contact.”

The band wrote “Continuum Ride” after their 2009 US tour; in an interview with Brutal Resonance, Peter Spilles connected the record’s harder, more destructive sound to the band’s impressions of Detroit’s derelict skyline during that trip. Trisol issued a video for the track “Beholder” to support the album, and reissued “Continuum Ride” as a limited two-LP-plus-two-CD set through Trisol in 2019.

About Project Pitchfork

Project Pitchfork started in Hamburg, Germany, where vocalist and composer Peter Spilles and keyboardist Dirk Scheuber began collaborating in 1989. The pair played their first concert in Hamburg in February 1990 and recorded the demo “K.N.K.A.” that same year. Their debut album “Dhyani” followed in May 1991, and 1992 brought both “Lam-‘Bras,” which introduced vocalist Patricia Nigiani, and “Entities.”

In 1994 the band moved to Off Beat for “IO,” whose singles “Renascence” and “Carrion” brought them into the German charts. A year later they founded their own imprint Candyland Entertainment, issued “Alpha Omega” and supported Rammstein on selected tour dates. Jürgen Jansen joined as a permanent member for “¡Chakra:Red!” (1997), and the concept album “Eon:Eon” (1998) marked the band’s move to the EastWest major-label imprint. The 2000s added “Daimonion” (2001) and the “NUN” trilogy built around “Inferno” (2002), before the band returned to an independent footing with “Kaskade” (2005).

By 2010 Project Pitchfork had moved to Trisol, releasing “Dream, Tiresias!” the year before “Continuum Ride.” “Quantum Mechanics” followed in 2011, then “Black” (2013), “Blood” (2014) and “Look Up, I’m Down There” (2016), the last marking the band’s 25th anniversary. The current line-up centres on Peter Spilles with Jürgen Jansen on keyboards and Achim Färber and Christian “Leo” Leonhardt on live drums; co-founder Dirk Scheuber left the group in 2021. “Continuum Ride” sits early in the band’s Trisol-era run, between the 2009 US tour that shaped its sound and the “Quantum Mechanics” album that followed it a year later.

Vancouver, Canada post-punk band ACTORS released the single “Youth” on 17 July 2026 via Artoffact Records. The digital single follows this year’s earlier singles “Left On Read”, released 24 April 2026, and “CTRL”. It arrives while the band works on a new album, the follow-up to 2022’s “Reanimated”.

“Youth” pairs a driving bassline with sharp synths and guitar, built around motorik-style percussion. Radio outlet Kool Rock Radio named “Youth” its Single of the Week on 20 July 2026.

Video for ‘Youth’

ACTORS released an official music video for “Youth” alongside the single.

Tour dates for ACTORS

“Youth” arrives ahead of the “Our Love Will Live Forever” tour, which runs through Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, France, the UK and Canada from September through October 2026. She Past Away joins ACTORS for the UK dates.

• 4 September – Berlin, Germany – Lido
• 5 September – Leipzig, Germany – NCN Festival
• 8 September – Bielefeld, Germany – Movie
• 9 September – Bochum, Germany – Die Trompete
• 11 September – Cologne, Germany – Club Volta
• 12 September – Rotterdam, Netherlands – Baroeg Open Air
• 13 September – Rüsselsheim, Germany – Das Rind
• 16 September – Martigny, Switzerland – Les Caves du Manoir
• 18 September – Barcelona, Spain – Wolf Barcelona
• 19 September – Madrid, Spain – Sala Nazca
• 20 September – Valencia, Spain – 16 Toneladas
• 23 September – Paris, France – Le Chinois
• 25 September – Manchester, UK – Gorilla (with She Past Away)
• 26 September – Bristol, UK – Strange Brew (with She Past Away)
• 27 September – London, UK – EartH (with She Past Away)
• 9 October – Vancouver, Canada – Rickshaw Theatre
• 23 October – Edmonton, Canada – Starlite Room
• 24 October – Calgary, Canada – Dickens

Ticket availability has not been confirmed for all dates.

About ACTORS

ACTORS formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2012, founded by vocalist and guitarist Jason Corbett, who also runs the Vancouver recording studio Jacknife Sound. The band’s current lineup adds Shannon Hemmett on synth and vocals, Kendall Wooding on bass and vocals, and Adam Fink on drums.

The band released its debut album “It Will Come to You” in 2018. Artoffact Records signed ACTORS, and the band went on to release its second album, “Acts of Worship”, in October 2021. In 2022, ACTORS issued the digipak EP “Reanimated”, a self-released collection of seven remastered b-sides and demo tracks including “How Deep Is The Hole”.

ACTORS has continued releasing singles through Artoffact Records, including “In Real Life”, later remixed by Dave Clarke, and “Love U More”. Band member Shannon Hemmett also records as Leathers, releasing the debut album “Ultraviolet” in 2024. “Youth” is the band’s third 2026 single, released as ACTORS continues work on the follow-up to “Reanimated” and prepares for the “Our Love Will Live Forever” tour.

Zurich, Switzerland industrial metal act Susurration released the EP “Dominance” in mid-July 2026, the first half of a double EP that pairs with a companion EP titled “Submission” due later. The release is self-released and arrives ahead of Susurration’s forthcoming full-length album, “Trauma Ties”. “Dominance” is available to stream on Spotify.

The EP builds directly on the band’s 2024 debut album “Hate Is My Love Language”, pushing further into aggressive EBM (electronic body music) textures layered against distorted guitars. The lineup behind “Dominance” is vocalist Jessy Bäsecke-Beltrametti, drummer Dave Wieser, keyboardist Hannes Bachofner and guitarist Michael Hirst.

The lead track, “Consensual Noise Content”, opens on stripped-back dark electro before shifting into a heavier metal passage with blast-beat drumming. The video single “Break Me Down” carries a driving, percussion-led arrangement, and a remix of the track “Boibitch” adds additional industrial metal weight aimed at dancefloor tempos. The EP also includes remix contributions from Anna Soares and Dunkelsucht. A full tracklist beyond these confirmed songs has not been published.

“Dominance” centers themes of self-determined identity, control and vulnerability. Susurration has described representation as a core goal of the band: “For us this kind of representation and inclusion is one of the main goals of susurration,” the band has stated, referring to its identity as a queer-feminist act led by a non-binary vocalist.

Video for ‘Break Me Down’

Susurration released an official video for “Break Me Down”, directed by Jess Baumgartner. The video was shot around BDSM and fetish imagery, including candle wax and light bondage, and depicts submissive sexuality as a form of claimed power rather than shame.

About Susurration

Susurration began in 2010 in Zurich, Switzerland, as a solo project by songwriter and vocalist Jessy Bäsecke-Beltrametti, rooted in EBM and darkwave. Between 2022 and 2024, Susurration launched the single and video “Devotion To The Darkangel”, followed by the single “All Colors Are Black”, the single “Engels” and the single “Marks”.

Around that period, Susurration transformed from a solo project into a full band, adding Dave Wieser on drums, Hannes Bachofner on keyboards, and Michael Hirst and Sabina Brunner on guitars. With this lineup, Susurration released its debut album “Hate Is My Love Language” in 2024, followed by a live premiere at Royal Baden in February 2025. The band draws on industrial, aggrotech, prog and black metal alongside its EBM foundation, and centers its output on themes of injustice, structural discrimination, queer identity and BDSM.

“Dominance” continues that trajectory, pairing EBM electronics with heavier guitar work. The band has said the companion EP “Submission” will follow, ahead of the full-length album “Trauma Ties”.

Italian darkwave band Christine Plays Viola released the standalone single “At Last, I Found You (Fear Increases Violent Emotions)” on 22 July 2026. The track closes out the story of the band’s 2026 album “F.I.V.E. (Fear Increases Violent Emotions)” and marks Christine Plays Viola’s first standalone release since that record.

The song was written during the sessions for “F.I.V.E.” but held back from the album’s tracklist. Guitarist and bandleader Fabrizio Giampietro explained the decision: “At Last, I Found You was always the most immediate and instinctive song we wrote during the F.I.V.E. sessions. We deliberately left it off the album because we wanted listeners to experience that record’s emotional arc, without this song becoming its centre of gravity. Six months later, it felt like the right moment to finally share it.”

The accompanying video is now available on YouTube. “At Last, I Found You” is out now on Bandcamp, Spotify and other digital platforms.

About Christine Plays Viola

Christine Plays Viola formed in 2008 in Abruzzo, Italy, around an idea by guitarist Fabrizio Giampietro and drummer Daniele Palombizio, joined shortly after by bassist Desio Presutti and a singer known as Christian. The band released its debut album, “Innocent Awareness”, in 2011. In 2014 the group released “Vacua”, a record inspired by Spanish painter Francisco de Goya that anchored the band in the darkwave and new wave scene. Christine Plays Viola previously issued “Desolate Moments” as the third video single from “F.I.V.E.” in April 2026.

The current lineup features Fabrizio Giampietro on guitars, synth and programming, Massimo Ciampani on vocals, Gianluca Orsini on drums and Marco Di Ianni on bass. “F.I.V.E. (Fear Increases Violent Emotions)”, the band’s fifth studio album, was released on 19 January 2026 via Cleopatra Records.

Swedish darkwave and synth artist EMMON’s track “Speak to Me (The Foreign Resort Remix)” is released on 24 July 2026 on Icons Creating Evil Art. The new version comes from Copenhagen post-punk and shoegaze trio The Foreign Resort and is the second remix to surface from EMMON’s upcoming remix album “ICONMIXED”, following an earlier version by Swiss-German duo SIIE.

The Foreign Resort commented on reworking the track: “What do you do when the song you’re remixing already sounds amazing? You change it from electronic to analogue and add layers of reverb and distortion! And of course a Slayer-inspired guitar solo. Because it fits the song, and because we love metal!”

“Speak to Me” was written by Emma Maria Nylén, André Winter and Anne-Marie Pappas, with lyrics by Emma Nylén. The remix can be pre-saved now via found.ee ahead of its release.

About EMMON

EMMON is the solo project of Swedish artist and producer Emma Nylén, conceived in 2001 as an art project while she was studying at Konstfack in Stockholm. She first gained recognition with the group Paris before continuing her musical path as EMMON, developing a sound that mixes EBM, synth-pop and darkwave with melodic, 1980s-referencing electronics. Her 2022 album “RECON” was followed by the 2024 EP “XCEPTION” and the album “ICON”, co-produced with Jimmy Monell. EMMON’s upcoming remix album “ICONMIXED” reworks tracks from her recent catalogue with contributions from acts including SIIE and The Foreign Resort.

About The Foreign Resort

The Foreign Resort formed in 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The trio, made up of Mikkel Borbjerg Jakobsen on vocals, Steffan Petersen on bass and Morten Hansen on drums, has played more than 600 shows across North America and Europe, including SXSW, Iceland Airwaves, Cold Waves Festival, Wave Gotik Treffen and Amphi Festival. The band’s sound combines post-punk and shoegaze with a driving, dark production style.

Berlin darkwave act Vlimmer has released the new single “Atemdauer“, backed with a German-language electronic interpretation of The Shins’ “Caring Is Creepy”. The single is out now on Bandcamp via Blackjack Illuminist Records.

“Atemdauer” addresses acceptance and holding onto one’s identity against comparison and self-doubt. Musically, the track blends distorted post-punk bass, EBM rhythms and ominous synths with ethereal vocals, shifting into a hopeful, brief synth-pop coda toward the end.

About Vlimmer

Vlimmer is the project of German musician, producer and label owner Alexander Leonard Donat, launched in 2015. The project built an extensive discography with an 18-part EP series released between 2015 and 2020, weaving together darkwave, post-punk, shoegaze and new wave with tribal drum patterns. Vlimmer’s debut album, “Nebenkörper”, followed in 2021, moving toward post-punk and adding industrial and noise-rock elements. The follow-up album, “Menschenleere”, arrived in 2022 with a more dancefloor-oriented sound, and the band’s third album, “Zerschöpfung“, was released in 2023. Donat also runs Blackjack Illuminist Records, the Berlin label that has released Vlimmer’s catalogue including “Atemdauer”.

Null Subject is a British solo project based in Bath. That always makes me think of Jane Austen’s novels, in which Bath frequently appeared as the place where the ‘beau monde’ gathered during the summer months.

With Null Subject, however, we get a potent antidote to summer and merriment. This is harsh, relentless Rhythmic-Noise—a seven-track release that quickly descends into pure terror. The way the tracks are constructed is captivating, with subtle details that immediately catch the ear. From music-box-like openings and spoken-word samples to metallic textures, there is always an element that draws your attention before rapidly giving way to harsh, repetitive loops.

This is more than just a successful debut; it is a remarkably confident statement that is sure to appeal to fans of Rhythmic-Noise. The project would certainly be at home on one of the established labels within the genre. (Rating:7½).

Listen to “Ludovico Technique”:

About Null Subject

Null Subject is a solo rhythmic noise project based in Bath, England. The project released its debut album, “The Despair Rapture”, as a self-released digital download on March 11, 2026. The seven-track album includes “Sometimes The Intrusive Thoughts Win”, “It Never Ends”, “The God Inside My Ear”, “Ludovico Technique”, “They’re The Reason You Can’t Sleep”, “The Despair Rapture” and “We Falter”. No further release history or label affiliation has been published for Null Subject to date. “The Despair Rapture” marks the project’s first reviewed release on Side-Line.

Colony 5 member and songwriter Magnus Kalnins releases the third album from his solo project Chaos Tamed, “Nordverk”, via I/O Music on July 24, 2026. The album mixes EBM, IDM and dark electro, described by I/O Music as the project’s “hardest and most concentrated statement yet.”

“Nordverk” runs nine tracks: “Determination,” “Core,” “Nightmare,” “Advesaries,” “Destroyer,” “Slaughter,” “Conflict,” “Sodium” and “The Bells.” Track five, “Destroyer,” was issued in May 2026 as the album’s advance single ahead of the full release. The album is currently available as a digital pre-order on Bandcamp, with the “Destroyer” track streaming now and the complete album unlocking on release day; downloads are offered in MP3, FLAC and 24-bit/48kHz formats. No CD edition has been announced for “Nordverk” so far, unlike Chaos Tamed’s previous two albums, which both had physical releases.

Chaos Tamed’s ‘Nordverk’ follows 2025’s ‘Elbrus’

Chaos Tamed previously spoke to Side-Line in an interview about the project, which Kalnins has described as more of a laboratory than a conventional band. That conversation followed the release of “Elbrus”, Chaos Tamed’s second album, issued via I/O Music on May 30, 2025 in both digital and CD formats. “Nordverk” is the project’s next full-length since then.

About Chaos Tamed

Chaos Tamed is the solo project of Magnus Kalnins, a long-standing member and songwriter of Swedish futurepop band Colony 5. The project began as a side venture during a creative hiatus from Colony 5 and has since grown into an independent body of work, moving between EBM, IDM, dark electro and futurepop, built on ethereal, ghostly vocals over pulsing basslines and cinematic textures.

The debut Chaos Tamed album, “Shock Waves,” was released via I/O Music on November 9, 2023, and received a nomination for Electronic Album of the Year at the GAFFA Awards in early 2024. The second album, “Elbrus,” followed on I/O Music on May 30, 2025, available digitally and on CD. The advance single “Destroyer” arrived in May 2026, sharpening the project’s harder, more industrial edge ahead of the third album, “Nordverk,” out July 24, 2026 via I/O Music.

Pittsburgh darkwave and post-punk duo Lowsunday has shared an official video for “You’re So Wired”, the opening track on their “Low Sunday Ghost Machine – Black EP”, released via Projekt Records. The video, directed by Jer Herring, builds its imagery around rapid eye movement footage that mixes dreaming with erratic behavior.

The “Black EP” contains five tracks: “You’re So Wired”, “Shattered”, “Someone To Talk To”, “This Is Not Heaven” and “Don’t Want To Dream Again”. Lyrics are by Shane Sahene, with music written by Sahene and Bobby Spell; the pair also recorded, mixed, mastered and produced the EP themselves. The cover photo is by Shane Sahene, layout is by Christina Sahene, the digital cover edit is by Sam Rosenthal, and band photos are by Christina Sahene.

Shane Sahene on the ‘You’re So Wired’ video

Shane Sahene explained the idea behind the song and its video: “‘You’re So Wired’ is a song that touches on a manic type of experience. It also touches on the classic Chuang Tzu question, after having had a vivid dream: ‘am I man dreaming I am a butterfly or am I a butterfly dreaming I am a man?’ The experience of not knowing if you’re awake or dreaming. In this case, the rapid eye movements shown in the video capture both dreaming and erratic behavior, making it hard to interpret which is which.”

Bobby Spell described how the track sets up the rest of the EP: “Our ‘Black EP’ is deceptive, opening with energetic and wistful ‘You’re So Wired’ but followed by songs that are melancholy and introspective. These are the strongest songs we’ve yet done. With strong and memorable melodies, they invoke feelings of isolation and sadness, but in a way that feels familiar instead of depressing, leaving a sense of hope.”

Black EP follows the ‘White EP’ and a shoegaze box-set appearance

The “Black EP” is the darker counterpart to Lowsunday’s “Low Sunday Ghost Machine – White EP”, which the band released at the end of 2025 and which ranked second on Post-Punk.com’s Best EPs of 2025. Side-Line covered two further singles from that EP, “Soft Capture” and “Nevver”, alongside the earlier “Innocence (2025 electro mix)” video from the band’s 2025 remaster.

Lowsunday’s earlier track “She Follows Rain” also appears on “We Are The Beautiful”, Cherry Red Records’ 4CD box set gathering 67 shoegaze tracks from 1991 to 2011, available via Projekt Records’ Bandcamp store.

About Lowsunday

Lowsunday formed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1994 under the name Low Sunday Ghost Machine. The band self-released its debut album, “Low Sunday Ghost Machine”, in 1996, followed by “Elesgiem” in 1999, both through Projekt Records. Both albums were later reissued, with “Low Sunday Ghost Machine” marking its 30th anniversary and “Elesgiem” its 25th. The band disbanded after 1999 and remained inactive for close to 25 years.

Lowsunday resurfaced in 2025 as a duo of original members Shane Sahene (vocals, guitar, synth, bass, drums) and Bobby Spell (bass, guitar, drums). Their return produced the “Low Sunday Ghost Machine – White EP” at the end of 2025, followed in 2026 by its darker counterpart, the “Low Sunday Ghost Machine – Black EP”, again via Projekt Records. “You’re So Wired” is the opening track of that Black EP and the subject of the band’s newest video.

German dark EBM duo Prager Handgriff release the live album “live in Zwickau” on October 30, 2026 through emmobiz records. The label issues the recording as a vinyl LP set with a bonus 7-inch, and separately as a CD box.

The album documents Prager Handgriff’s performance at the Elektrisch Festival, held at Club Seilerstraße in Zwickau, on February 28, 2026, in front of a sold-out club. Side-Line has covered the festival’s recent editions, including the 18th Elektrisch Festival and the 19th Elektrisch Festival line-ups.

The vinyl set spans ten tracks across two sides: “Tibet,” “Arbeit,” “Schwermetall,” “Klaus” and “Für immer” on side A, and “Schindluder,” “Maschinensturm,” “Traumsequenz,” “Bilder” and “Frontal” on side B. It comes with a bonus 7-inch carrying a one-off live version of “Deutschland” featuring Calva Y Nada. The CD box edition presents the same eleven tracks in sequence, closing with “Deutschland” featuring Calva Y Nada. Order details for both the vinyl set and the CD box are listed on the emmobiz records shop.

‘live in Zwickau’ and Calva Y Nada’s Zwickau live series

The pairing with Calva Y Nada on “live in Zwickau” continues a run of Zwickau live recordings on emmobiz records: the label also released Calva Y Nada’s own “El calor de Zwickau”, which likewise carries the joint “Deutschland” performance as bonus material.

About Prager Handgriff

Prager Handgriff is a German dark EBM project formed in 1990 in Witten by Stefan Schäfer (vocals, electronic drums) and Volker Rathmann (keyboards, programming). The duo used the name “Der Prager Handgriff” for its early work. Their debut album, “Arglistige Täuschung,” was released in April 1993, followed a year later by “Täterschaft & Teilnahme,” which helped establish the project within Germany’s electronic scene. Prager Handgriff released the album “Maschinensturm” via Infacted Recordings in 1995. In 2005 the band issued the best-of double CD “Handarbeiten” as a retrospective, again crediting itself as “Der Prager Handgriff.” The album “Arbeit, Sport und Spiel” followed on Electric Tremor Dessau in 2011, its first release of new material in several years. Prager Handgriff released “Das Letzte Gefecht” via Infacted Recordings in 2022. In 2025, “Arglistige Täuschung” was reissued on vinyl for the first time, on double coloured vinyl with three bonus tracks, through Assur Anshar Records and Rune Serpent Europa. Prager Handgriff’s February 2026 performance at the Elektrisch Festival in Zwickau is now documented on “live in Zwickau,” released via emmobiz records.

The Autumn Aurora have released “False Idols”, the Italian post-punk and darkwave band’s new single, out now on all major digital platforms through Volcano Records with an accompanying official music video. “False Idols” is the title track of the band’s forthcoming debut album, and follows the debut single “Plastic Altar,” released on June 26, 2026 through the same label.

Volcano Records describes “False Idols” as tracing “the loneliness of those confronting a society dominated by propaganda, appearances and false models imposed by politics, religion and mass media,” portraying a reality in which the weakest are crushed rather than protected while false prophets serve the interests of those in power. That same loneliness, per the label, turns into clarity: stepping outside the media spectacle means rediscovering oneself and rejecting a world built on money, easy smiles and illusions.

Musically, “False Idols” pushes The Autumn Aurora’s post-punk and darkwave sound to its limits. Synths and analogue orchestral pads intertwine with two electric basses: one builds the groove alongside the drums, while the other takes on a lead-guitar role, using chorus, flanger and delay to shape cold, spectral atmospheres. The label credits the track’s vocals to Saveria Maitilasso, described as “deep and theatrical” – a different name from the vocalist, Vera Perkins, credited on the band’s debut single “Plastic Altar” in June 2026; Side-Line has not been able to confirm whether this reflects a lineup change or a different billing for the same performer.

The Autumn Aurora, from ‘Plastic Altar’ to ‘False Idols’

“False Idols” arrives as the second single from The Autumn Aurora, following “Plastic Altar”, which the band released as its debut single on June 26, 2026, also via Volcano Records and also backed by an official video. Both tracks are pulled from the band’s forthcoming debut album, also titled “False Idols.”

About The Autumn Aurora

The Autumn Aurora is a Rome-based post-punk and darkwave band built around a rare two-bass lineup, with no standard guitar, alongside keyboards and drums. Side-Line previously reported on the band’s debut single “Plastic Altar”, released June 26, 2026 through Volcano Records & Promotion, the Turin-based label, and credited at the time to a lineup of Vera Perkins (vocals), Stefano Ferramola (bass), Francesca Buompane (bass), Chiara Bellucco (drums) and Fabrizio “Nemo” Mancini (keyboards). “Plastic Altar” was recorded, mixed and mastered at GreenMountainAudio Studio with Danilo Silvestri. The band’s forthcoming debut album, “False Idols,” has previously been reported for a September 11, 2026 release on Volcano Records; the label’s new single of the same title is the second piece of music shared from that album. Further band information is available through the group’s Linktree.

Kyiv-based dark rock and new age band AndrosLand has released a teaser for a new music video, “Душа Лісу” (“The Soul of the Forest”), set to premiere on August 8. The teaser is the band’s first music video activity since 2015.

The video was filmed in wintertime Kharkiv, a regional center located roughly 20 kilometers from the border, and produced by the team of Cinemuse.films. Actors Anna Fedorenko and Glib Chaplin filmed the outdoor scenes barefoot in the snow during December 2025, with Chaplin appearing topless in the winter cold. AndrosLand founder Oleg Andros, who has served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine since February 24, 2022, thanked the pair for their “resilience in the name of art.”

“Душа Лісу” introduces the Goddess of the Forest, a figure the band describes as bringing human souls into the world, remaining present throughout a person’s life, and guiding them into the afterlife after death. Andros described the song as “new age and rock with a solo on the bagpipe,” crediting bagpiper Anton “Kay” Korolyov for his performance. He added: “We’re waiting for the premiere with bated breath, because AndrosLand hasn’t released a music video in a long time – not since 2015. We put a lot of effort into both the song and the filming.”

The track originated as an instrumental with a French title, “Je chanterai juste pour toi,” self-released on an EP in 2015 with French lyrics written by AndrosLand lead vocalist Marina Novikova in 2014-2015. The Ukrainian-language version, “Душа Лісу,” will feature on AndrosLand’s upcoming album, “Hope,” which does not yet have a confirmed release date.

Angelina Nepokulchytska provides vocals on “Душа Лісу”; Oleg Andros wrote and composed the track and also performs on it. Vocals were recorded by Pavlo Tymchenko and Nata Sivkova, with guitar, arrangement, recording, mixing and mastering handled by Ivan Luzan at Soncesvit Studio.

About AndrosLand

AndrosLand was founded in Kyiv in 2011 by Oleg Andros and has released three albums. Side-Line previously covered the band’s EP “Ниточки карми” (“Threads of Karma”), released in March 2025. Andros has served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine since February 24, 2022, continuing the project’s output alongside his military service. AndrosLand’s new video, “Душа Лісу” (“The Soul of the Forest”), premieres August 8 and will accompany a track destined for the band’s upcoming album, “Hope.”

Josh da Costa has released the music video for “Shireen,” the final advance track from his solo debut album, “New Wave Graveyard”, out July 24 via Stones Throw. The video, directed by Ambar Navarro, draws on 80s horror movies.

Da Costa describes “Shireen” as telling two stories at once: “the feeling of relief after almost breaking up with someone and deciding to stay together – and also sex crazed zombies having an orgy in hell.” For the video, he devised a concept inspired by “bizarre music and sleazy sexy glammy druggy outsiders,” casting the title character Shireen as an alluring woman awaiting her date – and prey. Director Ambar Navarro said the character “targets victims who have powers/talents she absorbs,” adding that many of her references came from B-movie horror films such as “Creepshow.”

“New Wave Graveyard” runs 11 tracks: “Skygirl,” “Proving Me Right,” “Cordelia,” “Shireen,” “Tissues,” “Hospital Clown,” “After Your Heart,” “Slip By,” “Sleepy Babe,” “96 Year Old Girl” and “Beach In The Rain.” The album cover art is by Robert Beatty.

Da Costa said “New Wave Graveyard” follows a period of “getting close to people and getting torn between the types of pleasure and discomfort all of that brings. Breaking people’s hearts but mostly your own. And remaining excited about not just falling in love but staying in love.” Da Costa will perform at the Stones Throw 30th anniversary show on October 16 at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles.

About Josh da Costa

Josh da Costa is a musician and DJ who hosts the Confusing Mix show on NTS Radio, where he draws on records from Brussels micro-labels, Flying Nun Records favorites and leftfield post-punk. On “Shireen,” he mixes power pop, My Bloody Valentine and Shoes influences. “New Wave Graveyard,” his solo debut album, is released July 24, 2026 via Stones Throw.

AMP Industrial Festival is coming back to Montreal for a second edition, running October 9 to 11, 2026 at Foufounes Electriques, according to festival listings and the event’s organizers, AMP Industrial Events.

The dates are confirmed through the festival’s Bandsintown listing, which places the 2026 run at Foufounes Electriques in Montreal from October 9 through 11. The festival’s own website, amp-festival.com, is currently offline for maintenance.

Tickets can be ordered here.

2026 lineup by day

• Friday, October 9: Echoberyl, Denuit, Mercy Girl, Laura Krieg, Automelodi, The City Gates
• Saturday, October 10: Chrom, ESA, Ivardensphere, Frontal Boundary, The Marquis Is Dead, Digital Poodle, Creature
• Sunday, October 11: Statiqbloom, Synapscape, Darkrad, Anarchotech, Some Became Hollow Tubes, S:CAGE, Grief Debt, Property Violator

The bill also includes DJ sets from Désordres Sonores, Fleshbot, LCEDP, Anatema, Kasey Riot, Razorgrrl, Mickey Dagger, Davidé, Draris, Neo Edo, Gengis Dhan, LVX x Pat Ze Blue, Melody x Insomniac, Jhnnai and Uriel, with visuals from VJs Tind, Melesul3, Création Ex Nihilo and Bjenski. The 2026 edition is sponsored by L’Au-Delà Diabolik and Berlin.

What the first edition looked like

AMP Industrial Festival’s debut ran October 10 to 12, 2025, also at Foufounes Electriques, and expanded to 21 live performances across two rooms over three nights, spanning EBM, post-punk, coldwave, IDM, experimental and techno. Headliners included Kontravoid, Encephalon and Ayria, with other confirmed acts including Suicide Commando, Orphx, Ancient Methods, Iszoloscope, NNHMN, Vromb and Thisquietarmy, alongside a DJ program that ran deep into the early hours.

About AMP Industrial Events

AMP Industrial Events is a Montreal-based organization built around industrial, industrial techno, doomcore, rhythmic noise, IDM and ambient programming, and AMP Fest has functioned as its flagship gathering since the first edition in October 2025. That debut ran across two rooms at Foufounes Electriques, a multi-level venue that opened in 1983 and is regarded as Montreal’s oldest alternative music venue, hosting rock, metal, punk and electronic shows for more than four decades. Foufounes Electriques’ layout, with a main floor and separate concert rooms, has made it a fit for multi-stage events such as AMP Fest, and the venue returns to host the festival’s second edition this October.

Sheffield electronic pioneers Cabaret Voltaire are getting a remastered reissue of their eighth studio album, CODE, out 9 October on Mute. The 1987 record, long out of print, returns on limited edition “CODIFIED” marble vinyl and as a deluxe triple CD set, the latter adding two bonus discs of remastered period remixes plus previously unreleased mixes unearthed from the archive.

The reissue launches today with Thank You America (John Robie Dub Mix), a remix by the influential producer, writer and musician that was originally earmarked as the third single from the original release.

‘CODE’ caught the band at their commercial peak

CODE finds Richard H. Kirk and Stephen “Mal” Mallinder at the height of their commercial and creative powers, marking the point where the pair signed to EMI, opening the door to bigger budgets without any compromise on their vision. The album became Cabaret Voltaire’s most commercially successful, with two singles, Don’t Argue and Here To Go, both breaking the UK Official Singles Chart.

Discussing the album’s political undertone in the new sleeve notes, Mallinder explained why CODE still resonates with the band’s own history: “This album captures a very interesting moment in time where we were moving into a technological world. Probably more than anything else Richard and I made together, CODE was a political record that we didn’t have to directly articulate as political, mostly because of what was going on in the background at that time.”

CODE tapped into an increasingly uneasy relationship with technology, computers and programming that was creeping into all aspects of life, unpicking the codes of control to expose them, a preoccupation that would continue through the rest of Cabaret Voltaire’s work.

The album features guest musicians saxophonist Simeon Lister, bassist Mark Brydon of Chakk and Bill Nelson of Be-Bop Deluxe. It was recorded at the band’s own Western Works studio in Sheffield, with Adrian Sherwood joining for pre-production before sessions moved to Red Bus Studios in London for mixing. The remaster comes from Denis Blackman, who has remastered every Cabaret Voltaire album for over two decades; work on this edition began back in 2019 with Kirk himself, before his death, and was completed using his notes in consultation with Mallinder and Kirk’s estate.

About Cabaret Voltaire

Cabaret Voltaire were formed in Sheffield in 1973 by Richard H. Kirk, Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson, quickly becoming one of the founding acts of British electronic and industrial music. Watson departed in 1981, after which Kirk and Mallinder continued as a duo until 1994, before Kirk carried the name alone through a 2014 performance at Berlin’s Atonal festival. An interconnected run of releases, Shadow of Fear, BN9Drone and Dekadrone, followed in 2020 and 2021, shortly before Kirk’s death in autumn 2021.

In 2025, Mallinder and Watson marked the 50th anniversary of the band’s first performance with a reunion tour, including an announced Roundhouse show. That run continues into 2026 with final US and UK dates tied to the live album ‘But What Time Is It Really?’, from which the pair also shared a live version of ‘Yashar’. The CODE reissue arrives alongside that renewed attention on the band’s catalogue, giving new and longtime listeners a way back into one of Cabaret Voltaire’s most pivotal records.

Dina Summer mix 80s italo disco, new wave, EBM and early 00s electroclash into a dark, retro-futuristic synth-pop sound, and the Berlin-based trio have released a new single, “Bats in Paris”, out now via Iptamenos Discos. The track arrived on July 15, 2026, and is taken from the band’s upcoming mini-album, “Children of the Night”.

The song opens with a crisp synth intro that sets up Dina’s sultry, spoken-word vocal line, a delivery the band says evokes their earlier single “Girls Gang”, though this time pushed further into pop territory. Kalipo joins Dina on the chorus, adding a second voice to a track the band describes as a soundtrack “for stalking moodily through the night.”

“Bats in Paris” also serves as the lead-up to the band’s next mini-album, “Children of the Night”, due out October 9, 2026, digitally and on vinyl through Iptamenos Discos, with a black vinyl edition and a blood red/black marbled vinyl edition planned. The nine-track record takes its title from Bela Lugosi’s line in the 1931 film “Dracula”: “Listen to them. Children of the night… what music they make.” According to the band, the title track turns up the intensity on their established dark disco sound, with high synths firing over propulsive basslines as Dina calls out to an audience of night creatures.

Dina Summer will support the release with the Children of the Night Tour, which includes festival stops at Berghain, Wave Gotik Treffen, Amphi Festival, E-Tropolis Festival, Grauzone Festival, Out Of Line Weekender, Katzenclub Festival, Extramuralhas and Baroeg, followed by headline shows in Berlin, London, Paris, Athens, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago and Buenos Aires, among other cities.

About Dina Summer

Dina Summer is the Berlin-based collaborative project of Greek-German dark-disco duo Local Suicide and Bavarian producer Kalipo, who began working together in 2019. Their sound draws on 80s italo disco, new wave, EBM and early 00s electroclash, resulting in club-ready basslines paired with lyrics that range from dadaist wordplay to more direct, empowering themes. The band’s catalogue includes the single “Girls Gang”, released in 2024, and, in October of that year, the electro wave single “Schall & Rauch”, which followed the same run of dark, dancefloor-driven output. That trajectory continues with “Bats in Paris” and the announcement of the mini-album “Children of the Night”, due October 9, 2026.

Lusine, the Seattle-based project of producer Jeff McIlwain, has released a new single called “Bird’s Eye” via Ghostly International. The track is the second single from his forthcoming album “Melting Days”, following lead single “Pendulum”, and mixes rhythm-driven ambient textures with warm, expansive synthesizer pads. “Melting Days” arrives digitally on August 21, 2026, with a vinyl edition following on September 18, 2026.

“Bird’s Eye” moves at a deliberate pace, tracing a progression of pinwheeling bells across a melodic, rhythmic core. Where “Melting Days” as a whole explores memory, grief, transition and renewal, “Bird’s Eye” leans into the instinctual, drifting movement that has long marked Lusine’s approach to ambient composition.

McIlwain wrote “Melting Days” during what he has described as a difficult and solitary period, and he assembled it more like a film than a set of individual songs, prioritising emotional flow over conventional song structure. Asked about that process, he explained: “I think this was a bit freeing for me, not needing to compromise on ideas.”

Rather than a stylistic departure, “Melting Days” is being pitched as a return to the richly textured electronic terrain that first defined Lusine’s sound, recalling the spirit of his 2007 ambient album “Language Barrier”. “Bird’s Eye” is out everywhere now, with “Melting Days” following on Ghostly International.

Lusine is also set to play Hidden Hall in Seattle, WA, on September 12, 2026.

About Lusine

Lusine is the recording name of Jeff McIlwain, an electronic musician and composer originally from Texas who has been based in Seattle for many years. McIlwain began releasing music in the late 1990s, initially as L’usine and later under the more minimal, ambient-leaning alias Lusine ICL for labels including Hymen. Under the Lusine name, he signed to Ghostly International in the mid-2000s, releasing “Serial Hodgepodge” (2004) and “Podgelism” (2007) before issuing “Language Barrier” (2007), an ambient album on Hymen that has since become one of the most cited records in his catalog and was singled out by fellow Ghostly artist Loraine James as a personal favorite.

McIlwain went on to release a string of albums for Ghostly International, including “A Certain Distance” (2009), “The Waiting Room” (2013), “Sensorimotor” (2017) and “Long Light” (2023), alongside numerous EPs and remix projects. Beyond his own records, he has scored or co-scored several films with composer David Wingo, including “Snow Angels”, “The Sitter” and “Joe”. “Melting Days”, described in press materials as his tenth studio album, follows 2023’s “Long Light” and finds McIlwain returning to the immersive, textural ambient sound of his earlier work, with “Bird’s Eye” offering the latest window into that return.

French darkwave/EBM artist Sierra Veins will kick off an extensive international tour on August 11, 2026, bringing her mix of darkwave, EBM and techno-inspired electronics to audiences across Europe before heading to Australia in January 2027. The Sierra Veins tour 2026 opens in Vienna, Austria, and runs through the autumn before the artist crosses the globe for a run of Australian dates.

The European leg begins at Arena Wien in Vienna and includes festival appearances at Motocultor Festival in Carhaix, France, and Germany’s NCN Festival in Deutzen, alongside headline club dates across Germany, France and Italy.

The tour then continues in Australia, where Sierra Veins will join Carpenter Brut as the supporting act for three shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, before wrapping up the run with an appearance at Froth & Fury Festival in Adelaide.

Tour dates for Sierra Veins

2026:

• August 11 – Arena Wien – Vienna, Austria
• August 15 – Motocultor Festival – Carhaix, France
• September 2 – Kulttempel – Oberhausen, Germany
• September 3 – Z-Bau – Nuremberg, Germany
• September 4 – NCN Festival – Deutzen, Germany
• September 6 – Strom – Munich, Germany
• October 9 – Le Brise Glace – Annecy, France
• October 10 – NotteTempio – Modena, Italy
• October 11 – Audiodrome Live Club – Turin, Italy

2027:

• January 27 – supporting Carpenter Brut – The Princess Theatre – Brisbane, Australia
• January 28 – supporting Carpenter Brut – Liberty Hall – Sydney, Australia
• January 29 – supporting Carpenter Brut – 170 Russell – Melbourne, Australia
• January 30 – Froth & Fury Festival – Adelaide, Australia

About Sierra Veins

Sierra Veins is a French artist based in Paris who began releasing music in 2017. Her early singles “Gone” and “Unbroken” arrived in 2019, followed by her debut album, “A Story of Anger,” in 2023, which featured collaborations with Carpenter Brut, HEALTH and Gunship. In May 2025 the project changed its name from Sierra to Sierra Veins. Her second album, “In the Name of Blood,” was released on November 7, 2025.

The upcoming tour dates mark the next stage of live activity following that album’s release, with the Sierra Veins tour 2026 taking the artist from European clubs and festivals to a support slot with Carpenter Brut across Australia and a closing festival date in Adelaide.

Simon Paul Goold is an English artist who has been active for several years under the pseudonym D•SiPAUL. After releasing a series of EPs since 2022, he returns this year with his first full-length album, featuring 11 tracks.

This is a surprisingly engaging record on which D•SiPAUL blends a variety of Electronic influences. The sound occupies the space between EBM, Future-Pop, and Electro-Pop, while the sultry vocal delivery and driving rhythms give the music a sensual yet consistently dark edge. Powerful, highly infectious choruses elevate several tracks into genuine highlights. The production is equally impressive-rich, polished, and at times almost overwhelming.

For me, “Bathed In Neon Light” is a highly successful introduction to D•SiPAUL, confirming him as an artist well worth keeping an eye on. (Rating:8).

Listen to “It’s No Good”:

About D•SiPAUL

D•SiPAUL is the recording project of English artist Simon Paul Goold, based in Welwyn Garden City, UK. Goold describes the project’s sound as dark electronic melodies and harmonies, with haunting vocals. He released his debut EP, “ITCH”, on 14 January 2022, followed by “Under The Same Sun EP” and “Mode Re-Formula” on 6 March 2024, and “ITCH 2” on 20 March 2024. “The Silence EP” followed on 18 February 2025, and “Beautiful Mess EP” on 2 May 2025. D•SiPAUL released his debut full-length album, “Bathed In Neon Light”, on 8 May 2026 via Bandcamp.

Pittsburgh electronic artist Incentive has released the album Inner through the label Tri-Labs. Issued on July 13, 2026, the seven-track record moves through post-industrial, ambient, IDM and noise territory with krautrock-influenced elements, according to Incentive’s own release page. Incentive contacted Side-Line directly to flag the release, describing it as a “surprise drop” that the label put out with no advance announcement.

Incentive ‘Inner’ tracklist and credits

The album runs “Conversations With the Mirror” (10:33), “alone again (and again [and again])” (09:07), “spineless” (12:17), “DAMNATION NOW” (10:23), “shit’s confusing” (05:43), “i don’t trust you” (03:34) and “deserve how i feel” (12:31). All tracks are written by Incentive, with tracks four, five and seven co-written by Sia De La Paz, who also contributes vocals and vocal production; Sia De La Paz records separately as FrequensiaSound. Incentive handled music, production and mixing. The album was mastered by Machine Listener at Tri-Labs West, with photography by Dawn Hartman and Michaela Briglia as model.

Tri-Labs published a companion video titled “Incentive – Inner” alongside the release.

Beyond Bandcamp, “Inner” streams on SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Music.

About Incentive

Incentive is an electronic artist based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, working through Tri-Labs, a local label the artist describes as built around “a fundamental worship of sound, vibration, exploration, and movement.” Incentive’s Bandcamp catalog includes earlier self-released albums such as “Pessimist” and “Circumscribed,” alongside a run of shorter releases, ahead of “Inner,” which adds a recurring vocal collaboration with Sia De La Paz of FrequensiaSound across three of its seven tracks. “Inner” marks Incentive’s latest full-length release on Tri-Labs, arriving as an unannounced surprise drop in mid-July 2026.

The A Murder Of Crows festival lineup for its 11th edition, A Murder Of Crows XI, has been announced: New York’s annual gothic and post-punk festival returns from Thursday, September 3 through Saturday, September 5, 2026. The main two-night festival takes place at The Bowery Ballroom in New York City, preceded by an opening party at TV Eye in Queens. Tickets for the Bowery Ballroom nights are on sale through Ticketmaster at $50 in advance and $55 on the day of the show, for an audience aged 21 and over.

The festival, produced by Mercury East Presents, has grown since its 2015 debut as a one-night event at Mercury Lounge into a multi-day event spanning a pre-party, two headline nights and a closing online stream.

A Murder Of Crows festival lineup and dates for 2026

• Thursday, September 3, 2026 – Opening party at TV Eye, Queens, New York: international and local DJs, with live performances by Wingtips and Grimly Fiendish.
• Friday, September 4, 2026 – Night 1 at The Bowery Ballroom, New York: Anja Huwe (X-Mal Deutschland), Rosegarden Funeral Party, Creux Lies, NYX Division and Guilty Strangers.
• Saturday, September 5, 2026 – Night 2 at The Bowery Ballroom, New York: Kommunity FK, Blacklist, Tragic Black, Entertainment and Modele.
• Sunday, September 6, 2026 – A 12-hour livestream featuring all festival DJs, broadcast on Twitch at twitch.tv/redpartynyc.

Doors for the Bowery Ballroom shows open at 7pm each night. Tickets for both nights are handled through Ticketmaster via Mercury East Presents, the promoter behind the venue.

Night 1 headliner Anja Huwe was a founding member and vocalist of German post-punk band X-Mal Deutschland; Kommunity FK, performing on Night 2, is the long-running gothic rock project of Patrick Mata. Rosegarden Funeral Party, from Texas, released vinyl reissues of three of its albums – ‘The Chopping Block’, ‘Martyr’ and ‘In the Wake of Fire’ – earlier in 2026.

About A Murder Of Crows

A Murder Of Crows began in 2015 as a single-night show at Mercury Lounge in New York, organized by NYC promoter Sean Templar together with Dave Bats and Martin Oldgoth. The event expanded to a two-day festival at The Bowery Ballroom the following year and has since added an opening pre-party and a closing Twitch livestream featuring the festival’s DJs as recurring elements of the format. Now in its 11th edition, the festival continues to bring together gothic and post-punk acts, alongside DJ sets, across multiple NYC venues each September.

Irish synth-pop trio Tiny Magnetic Pets, based between Dublin and Belfast, have released “Lost My Guiding Light (Again)”, the lead single from their forthcoming “Astralux” EP. The single is out now, with the three-track EP following on August 21, 2026.

“Lost My Guiding Light (Again)” is a reworked version of “Lost My Guiding Light”, the opening track of the band’s 2017 album “Deluxe/Debris”, adapted here for live EDM-style performance. The song was mixed and mastered by Tim Dorney, formerly of Republica, whose credits also include Flowered Up and Tin Gun. On the track, the core trio of vocalist Paula Gilmer, keyboardist and guitarist Sean Quinn, and drummer Eugene Somers are joined by bassist Seamus Quinn, a longtime collaborator who has contributed to the band’s studio work since their 2020 album “Blue Wave”.

‘Lost My Guiding Light (Again)’ reworked for the stage

The “Astralux” EP also carries two remixes of “Low Places” by producer and DJ Paul Dakeyne, whose credits include work with George Michael, New Order, The Cure, Erasure, Tori Amos, Enya and Yello.

The band have released an official video for “Lost My Guiding Light (Again)”.

The single is also available on Spotify and Apple Music.

The Spill Magazine described the single: “Like CHVRCHES at their most euphoric, Moloko at their most adventurous, or Underworld when melody locks into the stream of momentum, Tiny Magnetic Pets deliver electronic music with genuine emotional gravity.”

Tiny Magnetic Pets have built a live reputation well beyond Ireland’s small electronic scene. Blitz Club figure Rusty Egan championed the band early on, and a support slot led to a lasting relationship with OMD, who took Tiny Magnetic Pets on tour across the UK and Ireland. The band have also shared stages with Midge Ure, VNV Nation, The Human League, Wolfgang Flür, Mesh and Killing Joke.

About Tiny Magnetic Pets

Tiny Magnetic Pets were formed in Dublin in 2009 by vocalist Paula Gilmer and synth player and guitarist Sean Quinn, later joined by drummer Eugene Somers. Named after the collectible Japanese toy, the band draws on Bowie’s Berlin period, 1970s krautrock and early disco alongside 1980s synthpop. Their debut album, “Return of the Tiny Magnetic Pets”, was released on Ireland’s Psychonavigation Records on May 28, 2010. The “Stalingrad” EP followed in 2015 and drew the attention of Rusty Egan, helping build the band’s profile in the UK synth scene.

Their second album, “Deluxe/Debris”, arrived on August 25, 2017 via London label Happy Robots Records, featuring two guest appearances by Wolfgang Flür on “Radio On” and “Never Alone”. The album’s opening track, “Lost My Guiding Light”, is the song now reworked as “Lost My Guiding Light (Again)”. The same year, Tiny Magnetic Pets supported OMD across a 20-date UK and Ireland tour, including a date at Belfast’s Mandela Hall. Further EPs followed, including “The Politburo Disko” (2019). The band’s third album, “Blue Wave”, was written and recorded during the 2020 pandemic lockdown and released via Vitamin C Records that December, with bassist and guitarist Seamus Quinn appearing on the record.

More recently, Tiny Magnetic Pets released the “Harmonious Grey” EP in 2025, ahead of a fourth album, “A Black Frame”, produced by Gareth Jones, known for his work with Depeche Mode, Wire, Interpol and Nick Cave. “Lost My Guiding Light (Again)” and the “Astralux” EP mark the band’s next release before that album arrives.

Scottish ethereal/darkwave duo Witch Of The Vale have joined veteran folk singer Melanie (Melanie Safka) on a new version of “All The Pretty Little Horses”, released as a single via Cleopatra Records.

The song traces back to 1972, when Melanie was touring on behalf of UNICEF. She had become a UNICEF ambassador in late 1971, the first rock or pop star to perform for the United Nations General Assembly, and that year she announced that proceeds from her tour would go to the organization. The final night of that tour, in Tokyo, was later released by Cleopatra Records as “Maiden In Japan”. During the same era, Melanie recorded a brief take, under a minute long, of the traditional folk lullaby “All The Pretty Little Horses”. It stayed officially unreleased until it surfaced a couple of years ago on her “Neighborhood Songs” box set.

Witch Of The Vale now extend that recording. The duo described the result as “very haunting, honest and perhaps a little sad”. Researching the song, they found it belongs to a longer, spookier folk song with a second, darker verse, which they added to the arrangement. The new version runs more than double the length of Melanie’s original take, though it still comes in under two minutes.

“All The Pretty Little Horses” is the first single and opening track from a new Melanie album, “Friends and Co.”, due later this year on Cleopatra Records. The album is built around further posthumous duets, featuring Steve Hillage (Gong), Cactus, the Pink Fairies, Nik Turner, Del Dettmar and Alan Davey (Hawkwind), Terry Reid, Esme White and others.

Cleopatra Records released an official video for “All The Pretty Little Horses”.

About Witch Of The Vale

Witch Of The Vale are Erin and Ryan, an electronic duo formed in Glasgow with roots on the shores of Loch Lomond and the Outer Hebrides. Their sound sits between ethereal and darkwave, pairing Erin’s melancholic vocals and lyrics with droning synths and abrasive drum programming, with cited reference points including Cranes, Dead Can Dance, Fever Ray and Skinny Puppy. The duo released their debut album, “The Way This Will End”, in October 2018, followed by “Changeling”, “Love of a Father” and “Boys Of Summer”. Their album “Commemorate” was re-released on CD and vinyl by Cleopatra Records in 2021, alongside a new video. Their most recent release is the EP “Lovesongs For The Damned”, also on Cleopatra Records.

Sacramento dream-pop band Soft Science have released “Understand”, the second single from their fifth album, “Sand.” The record is out on 4 September 2026 through Shelflife Records in North America and Spinout Nuggets in the UK. “Understand” follows the lead single “Spinning” and is out now on digital platforms.

Soft Science ‘Understand’: a song about raising teenagers

Vocalist Katie Haley wrote “Understand” about her experience raising teenage children. The track carries that theme into the wider ten-song arc of “Sand,” the follow-up to the band’s 2023 album “Lines.” “Understand” is streaming on Bandcamp, Spotify and Apple Music, and “Sand” is open for pre-order on Bandcamp.

From ‘Spinning’ to ‘Understand’: the ‘Sand’ rollout continues

Side-Line previously covered the band in Soft Science’s “Kerosene” from “Lines”, the lead single from the 2023 album that gave Soft Science its first release through Shelflife Records and Spinout Nuggets. “Understand” carries that same UK/North America release partnership forward, arriving after “Spinning” as the second preview of “Sand.”

About Soft Science

Soft Science is a dream-pop and shoegaze band formed in 2009 in Sacramento, California, by Katie Haley and brothers Ross and Matt Levine. The group now works as a six-piece, with Becky Cale on bass, Tony Cale on drums and Hans Munz on electronics. Over more than a decade of releases, Soft Science has self-released albums including “Highs and Lows” (2011), “Detour” (2013) and “Maps” (2018), recorded sessions for KEXP and WFMU, and played New York Popfest and Paris Popfest. The band’s fourth album, “Lines” (2023), was its first release through Shelflife Records and Spinout Nuggets. “Understand” is the second single from “Sand,” the band’s fifth album, due 4 September 2026 on the same labels.

(Image via Pexels)

We announced it a while back, but we are finally ready with the results from our survey on the use of AI in the dark music scene. In this article we will present you the results of that survey we did in March 2026 involving 821 respondents from the darkwave, EBM and industrial music scene. The survey was done after Bandcamp banned AI music from its platform.

The group of 821 people were those who answered our request for completing a survey that was initially sent to 1641 people randomly selected from our database of 4217 musicians, journalists, visual artists, photographers and other creative professionals from the dark music scene. All answers were treated anonymously, which was an important condition to get as many results returned as possible since the AI stigma is all around as this Facebook post shows.

Important, our editorial team did not participate in this survey in order not to distort the results as several are AI specialists and / or consultants in their daytime jobs where they build AI flows and AI agents and create coherent news flows using AI.

However, the results from the scene professionals indicate clearly that the use of AI is very present in all layers of the scene. Below are the results of this survey in detail, and we also explain how the survey was executed, plus we checked it with other studies to have a clear benchmark.

PS: We did use AI in order to visualize the results below, so there isn’t any misunderstanding :).

The survey itself

Background

Artificial intelligence has entered most parts of music production and promotion. Musicians use it for audio restoration, stem separation, administration and idea development. Journalists use it for transcription, translation and editing. Photographers automate selection and image correction, while artwork designers face growing competition from generative image systems.

This study shows how a survey of 821 darkwave, EBM and industrial professionals turned out taking in account the distinctive values of these scenes: independence, human authorship, recognisable visual identities and resistance to standardised commercial production.

The survey applied two scene-specific assumptions. First, dark-scene professionals would use AI heavily for self-managed tasks such as translation, social media, artwork preparation, editing and administration. Second, they would show lower acceptance of complete generative replacement because authorship, imperfection, subcultural identity and recognisable personal style carry substantial value within these genres.

These assumptions have now been verified for the first time through a dedicated darkwave, EBM and industrial survey.

Methods

A sample of 821 professionals was divided across six occupational groups. Adoption probabilities and attitudes were crosschecked against independent surveys of music creators, journalists, visual artists and photographers. The results eflected the self-managed and visually driven nature of the dark alternative music sector, but they do also correspond with wider music scene changes and adoption.

The questionnaire covered professional background, AI usage frequency, applications, perceived benefits, economic consequences, copyright, transparency and attitudes towards AI-generated work.

Results

An estimated 63.7% of respondents had used an AI-assisted tool during the previous 12 months, while 47.3% had used generative AI. Weekly use reached 31.8%.

Adoption varied sharply by profession. It was highest among photographers and video creators at 84.4%, followed by producers and engineers at 82.0% and journalists at 78.8%. Artwork artists and graphic designers recorded the lowest adoption rate at 43.6%.

Despite broad practical use, 88.8% wanted human authorship to remain central. More than 90% supported consent, compensation and labelling requirements. Only 5.9% of current AI users had generated a complete musical track with AI.

Conclusion of the survey

The model predicts neither wholesale rejection nor unconditional acceptance. AI will probably emerge as an established backstage tool within the dark music sector, particularly for repetitive and administrative work. Resistance will remain strong wherever AI replaces authorship, imitates a recognisable style or uses protected work without permission.

1. Background research behind the AI in dark music survey

The music sector has moved beyond the question of whether professionals use artificial intelligence. The more relevant questions now concern which tools they use, which tasks they delegate and where they draw ethical boundaries.

A study commissioned by GEMA and Sacem, based on a survey of more than 15,000 music creators and publishers and published in January 2024, found that 35% of music creators had already used AI in their work. Adoption reached 51% among creators under 35. At the same time, 64% believed the risks outweighed the opportunities, and 71% feared that AI could threaten their ability to earn a living.

Concerns have continued to rise. A PRS for Music survey published in February 2026, based on responses from more than 2,630 members, found that 79% of creators worried about AI-generated music competing with human work. Another 76% expected AI to affect their livelihoods negatively, and 92% demanded greater transparency from AI services.

AI adoption also differs widely between creative occupations.

Research from the Reuters Institute involving 1,004 UK journalists, surveyed between August and November 2024, found that 56% used AI professionally at least once a week. Transcription and captioning were the most common tasks, used at least monthly by 49% of respondents, well ahead of AI use for drafting article text.

Visual artists show greater resistance. A Society of Authors survey of its members, conducted in January 2024, found that 12% of illustrators had used generative AI. A quarter of illustrators, 26%, reported losing work because of AI, and 37% said the income from their work had decreased in value because of it.

A separate DACS study involving 1,000 artists found that 74% were alarmed at the prospect of their work being used to train AI models without consent or compensation. Ninety-five percent wanted to be consulted before their work was used for training, and 94% wanted financial compensation for that use.

Photography presents a different pattern. A VSCO survey of 401 photographers, fielded in December 2025 and published in April 2026, found that 83% used some form of AI in their workflow. Among working professionals, 68% used it weekly or daily, roughly double the 34% rate among enthusiasts. Much of this use involved culling, editing, administration and workflow management rather than replacing the photographer’s creative decisions.

These differences are important in the darkwave, EBM and industrial culture. Music, photography, graphic design, journalism, performance and personal identity frequently overlap. A musician may also run a label, design merchandise, edit videos and write promotional material.

The scene therefore offers a useful case study of how AI enters small, interconnected creative economies.

2. Research questions

The survey addressed six questions:

1. How many dark-scene professionals would report using AI?
2. Which professional groups would have the highest adoption rates?
3. Which tasks would professionals delegate to AI?
4. Would AI use correspond with more favourable attitudes towards it?
5. How strongly would respondents support consent, compensation and disclosure?
6. Which professions would report the greatest economic pressure?

3. Methods of the Side-Line survey

Study design

A 39-item questionnaire was specified, covering professional role and experience, age group, frequency of AI use, generative and non-generative AI use, task-specific applications, time savings, quality and reliability, economic effects, copyright and training data, voice, image and style imitation, disclosure and labelling, and future adoption intentions.

Attitude statements used a five-point Likert scale ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” For the principal analysis, “agree” and “strongly agree” were combined.

Definition of AI

The questionnaire distinguished between two categories.

AI-assisted tools included automated mastering, noise reduction, stem separation, transcription, image culling, object removal, translation and language correction.

Generative AI referred to systems that produced new text, images, voices, video or music in response to instructions or uploaded material.

This distinction prevents routine tools such as intelligent noise reduction from being treated as equivalent to generating an entire song or cover image.

The sample of the survey

Each respondent received one primary professional category, even when multiple roles would normally apply.

The age distribution reflected the audience and professional history of darkwave, industrial and EBM which corresponds largely with the audience of our Facebook page.

4. Results of the survey

Overall AI adoption

Of the 821 synthetic respondents, 96 used AI daily (11.7%), 165 used it weekly but not daily (20.1%), 262 used it occasionally or monthly (31.9%), 95 had tried AI but stopped using it (11.6%), and 203 had never used it professionally (24.7%).

Current AI adoption therefore reached 63.7%, or 523 respondents. The modelled 95% interval was 60.4% to 66.9%. Generative AI use was lower at 47.3%, or 388 respondents. The interval was 43.9% to 50.7%. Weekly or daily use reached 31.8%.

These results suggest that AI would already be common in the scene, but not necessarily central to the creative process.

Adoption by professional role

Professional role had a clear relationship with general AI use while the role also affected generative AI use.

Photographers and producers recorded high adoption because AI functions have become embedded in editing and production software. Artwork artists showed the lowest adoption and the strongest resistance to image-generation systems.

Journalists occupied a middle position. They used AI frequently, but mainly for processing existing material rather than replacing reporting or criticism.

Age differences

Generative AI adoption declined with age. That relationship was statistically clear within the matrix.

The youngest respondents were about three times as likely to use generative AI as respondents aged 55 or older when comparing their unadjusted odds. Age did not eliminate ethical concerns though. Younger users remained strongly supportive of consent and labelling, even while reporting higher adoption.

What professionals used AI for

Respondents could select multiple applications. Percentages in this section use the 523 current AI users as the denominator. The pattern supports a clear distinction between assistance and replacement.

AI was used most often to process, organise or improve material created by a person. Complete generation remained uncommon among professionals.

Differences between occupations

Musicians most often used AI for promotional copy, translation, troubleshooting, demo preparation and audio restoration. Producers from their side concentrated on noise removal, stem isolation, restoration, audio-to-MIDI conversion and mastering assistance.

Journalists used AI for transcription, translation, headline development and grammar correction. The us of AI for complete review or interview generation remained low. Especially in this section we wonder if the lack of the most basic flow creations is due to a lack of programing knowledge or something else. This was however not asked in the survey, but it is clearly food for another survey.

Photographers reported extensive use of automated selection, denoising, sharpening, masking and object removal. Fully synthetic concert or artist photography remained rare.

Artwork artists used AI for references, layout tests and concept exploration more often than for final covers. Many avoided image generators because of copyright concerns or fears that their visual style could be replicated.

Label and PR professionals used AI primarily for translation, metadata preparation, scheduling, campaign variations and administrative work.

Perceived benefits

The strongest positive finding concerned routine work. 71.9% agreed that AI was useful for administrative or repetitive tasks. Among weekly users, 62.5% estimated that AI saved at least two working hours per week, with a median estimated saving of 3.1 hours per week. Of AI users, 45.7% used it during brainstorming, and 38.9% said AI helped them complete work they would otherwise have postponed.

Only 9.4% believed AI-generated creative material consistently reached professional quality without substantial human editing.

Among respondents who generated text, images or audio, 56.2% said correction, selection and fact-checking sometimes consumed as much time as the initial generation.

The productivity advantage therefore depended on the task. AI performed best where the desired outcome could be checked quickly. It performed less reliably when the work required factual precision, scene knowledge or a recognisable artistic identity.

Human authorship

Support for practical AI did not translate into support for autonomous creation. Overall, 88.8% wanted human authorship to remain central. 78.6% worried that AI would make music and artwork more homogeneous, and 74.2% believed excessive AI use would weaken the relationship between an artist and the audience. 64.6% would be less interested in a release marketed as fully AI-generated, while 57.9% accepted AI-assisted work when a human remained responsible for the concept and final result.

This distinction represents the central outcome of the survey.

Respondents did not judge every AI application in the same way. Correcting noise in a live recording received far more acceptance than generating a singer’s voice. Translating an interview received more acceptance than producing an interview that never took place (yes, this is something that happens in the music business, more than you think).

Copyright, consent and transparency

The strongest agreement occurred around creators’ rights.

These estimates align with broader creator research. A UK Music report on AI found that over 90% of surveyed creators supported consent, payment, labelling and protection of an artist’s voice and image, while two-thirds said AI poses a threat to their careers.

The survey also found that 67.7% would consider using an AI service built entirely on licensed material.

This result challenges the idea that creative resistance stems from a rejection of technology. Much of the resistance concerns how existing systems obtain material and distribute economic value.

Economic pressure

Overall, 27.4% reported an experience of lost assignments, lower rates or increased client pressure attributed to AI. The relationship between occupation and economic pressure was clear.

Visual professionals faced the greatest modelled pressure because posters, social graphics, promotional portraits and low-budget cover assignments can be replaced more easily than performances or complex music production.

Respondents were more concerned about the erosion of smaller commissions than the immediate disappearance of established professional roles.

This reflects a broader economic warning. A study by CISAC and PMP Strategy, published in December 2024, estimated that generative AI could place 24% of music creators’ revenues at risk by 2028, a cumulative loss of around 10 billion euros between 2023 and 2028. This is an economic forecast and it illustrates the scale of the possible substitution effect.

Training and organisational policies

Only 13.5% of respondents had received structured AI training. Just 18.6% worked with an organisation, publication, label or band that had a written AI policy.

Among respondents using AI for editorial or promotional work, 58.3% always checked factual claims, 26.7% checked them only when the subject appeared unfamiliar, and 15.0% (!) had no consistent verification process.

The gap between adoption and governance represents one of the clearest practical risks. Professionals have started using tools faster than organisations have developed rules for accuracy, disclosure, confidential information and copyright.

5. Discussions that will follow after this survey gets out

AI is normal backstage but disputed onstage

The survey shows that AI use is already normal within the dark music sector. However, most use remains invisible to the audience. We also assume that not all respondents did really show the back of their tongue as far as AI adoption goes.

Professionals use it to remove background noise, separate stems, transcribe interviews, correct text, translate announcements, organise photographs and prepare campaign variations.

Far fewer allow AI to become the named composer, artist, photographer or journalist.

This creates a practical boundary: AI receives acceptance as infrastructure but gets a clear resistance as authorship.

The underground scene has strong reasons to automate

Darkwave, EBM and industrial projects often operate with small teams. One person may handle recording, mastering coordination, artwork, social media, merchandise, advertising and distribution. AI can reduce the burden created by this do-it-yourself structure. Its value becomes clearest in work that consumes time without defining the artist’s identity.

For an independent band, translating a press release into four languages can make a measurable difference. Generating the band’s music, photographs and visual identity raises an entirely different question.

Visual professionals face the earliest commercial pressure

The results place artwork artists and photographers at the centre of economic disruption. Their resistance should not be interpreted as a lack of technical knowledge. These professionals often understand image-generation systems precisely because they see how quickly clients can replace smaller commissions.

The same professional may use AI denoising or automated masking while rejecting a model trained on unlicensed artwork. Tool adoption and opposition to current commercial practices can exist at the same time.

Full AI music remains separate from professional adoption

The number of fully generated tracks entering streaming platforms has increased rapidly. Deezer reported that fully AI-generated tracks exceeded 50% of its daily uploads at peak level in June 2026, reaching approximately 90,000 tracks per day.

That supply however does not prove widespread professional acceptance. In this survey, only 31 of 523 current AI users had generated a complete track. Most musicians preferred tools that modified or supported their work rather than replacing composition and performance.

The difference between platform volume and professional practice is important. Automated upload systems can produce large catalogues without representing the working habits of established artists.

Ethical licensing could change adoption

More than two-thirds of the respondents would consider licensed AI tools. That creates a possible route for the industry: publish training-source information, obtain permission from rightsholders, compensate creators whose work supplies the models, protect voices, faces and artist identities, mark fully generated material clearly, and preserve human responsibility for professional output.

These measures would not end every objection. But, they would address the concerns that currently block adoption for many professionals.

A reality check for the broader audience who is opposed to the use of AI

This survey of 821 darkwave, EBM and industrial professionals revealed a sector already using AI extensively but selectively. Professionals embrace AI where it removes repetitive work, improves damaged material or helps small teams manage large workloads. They resist it where it replaces human authorship, imitates an artist’s identity or depends on copyrighted work collected without consent.

The expected dividing line runs between AI as a controlled professional tool and AI as an unaccountable substitute for creative labour.

Within the dark music underground, the technology’s future therefore depends less on its ability to generate more content and more on whether it can operate without erasing the people, rights and identities that gave the scene its value.

Note that this survey did not assess which roles face the greatest risk from AI. Broader studies indicate that many jobs are already under serious AI threat.

Some artists need no introduction; their track record speaks for itself. Mention The Klinik, Absolute Body Control, Monolith, or Sonar, and Eric van Wonterghem immediately comes to mind. His newest project is EXPO. Under this moniker, he released the debut album “Interconnection” on his own label, Prodam Records, in late 2025. With “Interconnection”, the Belgian electro pioneer moves into electro-ambient territory, sounding quite different from what we have come to expect from him. This is no conventional dark-ambient record either: Eric keeps his own sonic stamp on every composition. What struck me most is the power radiating from these soundscapes, a quality I associate with the best drone-inspired music. The album asks more of the listener than most of Eric’s earlier work, and it keeps revealing new details with every listen. Reason enough for an Eric van Wonterghem interview about the origins, ideas, and future of EXPO. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Yet this is far from a conventional Dark-Ambient release. Instead, Eric has infused the compositions with his own unmistakable sonic identity and artistic vision. What struck me most was the sheer sense of power radiating from the soundscapes—a quality often associated with the best  and most visionary Drone-inspired music. EXPO may be less immediately accessible than most of Eric’s previous work, but it is a compelling and rewarding album that reveals new layers with every listen. It marks an exciting new chapter in his career, and one can only hope it will be followed by further releases. That alone makes this the perfect moment to sit down with Eric and discuss the origins, ideas, and future of EXPO. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Eric van Wonterghem interview

Q: Eric, over the past 40 years or so, you have been involved in numerous projects and have experimented with different genres. EXPO appears to be your first venture into a more Ambient-Electronic and Cinematic sound. Had this been an idea you had been considering for some time, and how did EXPO actually come into existence?

Eric: I always liked to experiment in many different styles in Electronic music. I am fascinated in sounds since youth, the Ambient sessions I do make that more often in the studio it is like my therapy. I also like to explore the power of one type of noise or one filtered note played on a instrument, or listen to percussive sounds put into effect pedals , it can create an ‘out of this world’ endless new sounds.  Mostly these sessions are just made in that moment and disappear after that, or many end up now onto harddisk as since last year I did record many real time sessions having a small multitrack connected to the equipment.. nothing more to do then push the record button to capture that moment.

One weekend I decided to use a recording like that and put it out on vinyl under the name EXPO (of sounds) a name I choose as a base for all the sound sessions I do. So Happy it is released on vinyl instead of putting it on the data shelf between the rest…

Q: What are the main ideas and concepts behind the EXPO project and the album “Interconnection”, both thematically and musically? How did you translate those ideas into the music itself?

Eric: For this project I use minimal instruments or machines to create sound sessions and atmospheres that I like to hear away from  the rush, work and party world. I think it would fit nicely in a small (art) exhibition or an abandoned place where I can simply enjoy making this sound without feeling the need to live up to the listeners’ expectations. It is that all and everything in this world is somehow connected and influence other things, and I need as much time light and I also need  darkness. In a way  EXPO is the counterpart from the Monolith and Sonar sound. Working on different projects makes me feel more complete as a musician. I don’t think I could stay with just one project for my entire life, even though, if you’re aiming for success, that’s probably the best approach.

Q: I understand that approaching an Ambient composition is very different from writing a track for Monolith, for example. What have you discovered about yourself through this process, and is there anything you learned as a composer while creating this album?

Eric: Oh I am always into discovering or tryout new ways, super interested in all this new technology. For EXPO I stepped away from song structure what give an unbelievable freedom to let just focus on sound and ambience. For myself I discovered in this moment it’s a very nice way to express myself as an artist.

Q: Looking at the song titles on “Interconnection”, the album seems to present a rather dark and dystopian view of the world we live in today. How do you personally see this rapidly evolving world, especially at a time when so many people are struggling with mental and emotional challenges? And in your view, is the situation really that different from the 1980s, when you first started making music?

Eric: It is terrible what goes on for many nowadays, leaders take away security from the people, add higher taxes, higher payments, make bad choices and all must accept it..,,.. Still I refuse to involve all this in my music as for me it is the only place to get away for a moment. In the 80s when I was  young it didn’t affect me so much, having more energy,  go the weekend out, back to work on Monday and making plans for the future. It is a big difference. In choose the title “Interconnection” in another context. It’s about a connection between different systems that need the other to function well.

Q: So the title suggests connection, communication, and networks, yet many of the tracks evoke feelings of tension, solitude, and uncertainty. Do you think modern technology has truly made humanity more connected, or has it simply created the illusion of connection while people become increasingly isolated from one another?

Eric: With or without the technology?  As I got ASS,  isolation  gives me peace in my mind, it really is.… But I know it’s a problem for most people to get isolated so I keep this short 🙂

Q: Dystopia often seems to have become reality, a reality in which machines—and I’m thinking especially of artificial intelligence—are increasingly taking over tasks once performed by humans. On the one hand, this feels closely connected to the theme of “Interconnection”, while on the other hand AI itself has become a creative tool, as I suspect the album cover may have been generated with the help of AI. How do you look at this development critically, both as a human being and as an artist?

Eric: For the music I need to be creative myself. As I said I am interested in sound, creating a song or noises, even if it takes time to get some idea in the mind out on the recorder.

In my opinion AI used in music is a gift for those who directly want to skip the joy of making music and like to be posers on the stage more then creating something.

I know AI can make better tracks then me. If you think in time and money, it’s perfect for many.

The sleeve from the album is made by Rafael aka 400 blows a graphic designer who made it all from scratch. However after that I let AI make some video loops starting from that sleeve design and edit this in a video program mixed with the sound to have some EXPO videos on Youtube/music

Q: Do you have specific plans to bring EXPO to the stage, perhaps in combination with visual artists or multimedia elements? How do you see the future of this project evolving?

Eric: One day I like to do that, but I guess it will stay in a  small  cosey setup. I give it time as it’s more important for me to compose the tracks and I like to put it on a limited vinyl and hopefully I’ll be able to do it again.

For all my projects I had in mind at some point to work with video artists, designers, performers, extra musicians, but it’s not easy to travel and cover costs with new projects.

We will see what future brings, but I hope it will be still a lof of things:)

Darkwave artist Brittany Bindrim will release “Bellow”, a new single, on 21 July 2026 through her own Black Dove Music imprint. It is her first new single since the 2025 album “Counterpoison” and will be available on Bandcamp from the release date.

Bindrim describes “Bellow” as a darkwave track built on an ethereal vocal over a driving pulse. Matt McJunkins, of A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, produced and mixed the single at Secret Hand Studios in Los Angeles, and Ken “Hiwatt” Marshall handled the mastering.

Brittany Bindrim’s ‘Bellow’ single

The song takes reassembly as its theme, and Bindrim connects that idea to the way the track was built. She describes it as a study in opposites rather than repair: “‘Bellow’ lives in dualities… shadow and light, ruins and dreams… until the halves finally fit. The broken parts aren’t flaws to hide; they’re the exact shapes that let us lock into each other. This reassembly isn’t restoration. What comes back is greater than what broke.”

“Bellow” is the first release Bindrim issues through Black Dove Music, the imprint she now uses to self-release her solo work after two albums on Metropolis Records.

About Brittany Bindrim

Brittany Bindrim is a Chicago-based vocalist and songwriter who has fronted the electro-industrial band I:Scintilla for two decades, a group that has released through Alfa Matrix. She has also appeared with the project Al1ce.

Bindrim began releasing under her own name in December 2023 with the single “Obelisk”, followed by her solo debut album “Velella Velella” on Metropolis Records on 8 March 2024 and the remix companion “Sea Storm Maestros”. Her second solo album “Counterpoison” arrived through Metropolis Records on 24 October 2025, preceded by the single “Spiral Out”. “Bellow” is her first release on the self-run Black Dove Music and her first new music since “Counterpoison”.

British gothic rock band Gene Loves Jezebel are reissuing their 1986 album Discover as a 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition through Beggars Banquet on 24 July 2026. The double LP pairs the remastered studio album with the live recording “Glad To Be Alive”, captured in Nottingham in 1986 and pressed to vinyl for the first time since its original release.

‘Discover’ remastered for the reissue

The original ten-track album has been remastered by Henry Rudkins at AIR Studios and is pressed on double black vinyl with updated artwork. “Discover” was Gene Loves Jezebel’s third studio album and their commercial breakthrough, reaching number 32 on the UK Albums Chart in 1986. Its tracklist runs “Heartache”, “Over the Rooftops”, “Kick”, “A White Horse”, “Wait and See”, “Desire (Come and Get It)”, “Beyond Doubt”, “Sweetest Thing”, “Maid of Sker” and “Brand New Moon”. “Desire (Come and Get It)” was the band’s most recognizable single from the album.

Jay Aston, who sings and writes for the band, describes the album as a turning point: “This is the album where it all came together for me as a singer & a songwriter. I discovered myself.” Michael Aston, who shared vocals on the original recording, adds: “Feelings with no ceilings, and the thinnest things are a joy forever.”

Live album ‘Glad To Be Alive’ added as bonus LP

The second LP holds “Glad To Be Alive”, recorded live at a Nottingham show in 1986. The vinyl edition carries eight tracks: “Upstairs”, “Over the Rooftops”, “The Rhino Plasty”, “Worth Waiting For”, “The Immigrant”, “Cow”, “Shower Me with Brittle Punches” and “Pop Tarantula”. A separate digital edition of the concert expands to a full 17-song set, adding tracks including “Heartache”, “Shame”, “Stephen”, “Bruises”, “Desire”, “Always A Flame”, “Psycho 2”, “Sweetest Thing” and “Punch Drunk”. Both versions capture the same Nottingham performance; the vinyl pressing carries a shorter selection due to disc-length limits.

Both formats are available to order through the Beggars Banquet store and Bandcamp, with the first 200 orders including two postcards signed by Jay and Michael Aston.

About Gene Loves Jezebel

Twin brothers Jay Aston and Michael Aston, raised in Porthcawl, South Wales, began making music together in 1980 under the name Slav Arian, alongside guitarist Ian Hudson and a drum machine. The pair relocated to London in 1981, where the project evolved into Gene Loves Jezebel, a name drawn from American rockabilly singer Gene Vincent and his 1956 song “Jezebel”.

The band’s debut album, “Promise”, followed in 1983 and reached number 8 on the UK Indie Chart. “Immigrant” arrived in 1985, and “Discover” followed in 1986, becoming the band’s breakthrough release and their first to enter the UK Albums Chart. A fourth album, “The House of Dolls”, came out in 1987. Following a split between the brothers, Jay Aston continued the band and recorded “Kiss of Life” (1990) and “Heavenly Bodies” (1992) without Michael, who went on to form the Immigrants, later renamed Edith Grove.

The current lineup performing as Gene Loves Jezebel features Jay Aston alongside Pete Rizzo and James Stevenson. The band toured the United States earlier in 2026 alongside Christian Death on the “Baby Bats Parade” tour. The “Discover” reissue marks the band’s first archival release timed to a specific album anniversary in this run of activity, returning to the record that first carried Gene Loves Jezebel to an international audience.

Italian dark duo Ghost Reflections have announced their debut EP, blending gothic rock, post-punk, darkwave and cinematic soundscapes. The band describes the collection as its “first chapter of a journey through shadow, nostalgia and introspection.” A full tracklist and release date for the EP have not been confirmed.

Ghost Reflections are Murmur (music, production and instruments) and Mir (lyrics and artistic direction), based in Turin, Italy. The duo has built the EP on the back of a series of singles, including “Dawn”, “Grey”, “I Am I“, “Eternal Dance” and “Cold Case: Chiara”, released over the past six months. “I Am I” appeared on 2 March 2026.

The band states its music has been added to more than 650 Spotify playlists since its launch six months ago. Ghost Reflections lists She Past Away, Depeche Mode and The Sisters of Mercy among its reference points, alongside goth metal and cinematic soundtrack material.

About Ghost Reflections

Ghost Reflections are an Italian duo formed by Murmur, who handles music, production and instruments, and Mir, responsible for lyrics and artistic direction, based in Turin. The project combines gothic rock, post-punk, darkwave and cinematic textures with baritone vocals, exploring themes of memory, solitude, identity and loss. Since launching in early 2026, the duo has released a run of singles – “Dawn”, “Grey”, “I Am I”, “Eternal Dance” and “Cold Case: Chiara” – building an audience across Spotify playlists before announcing their debut EP as the next step in the project.

Mick Harvey & Amanda Acevedo have released the video for “Song for Aurora”, the second track shared from their album “Psychedelia in White”, set for release on 4 September 2026 through Mute (catalogue STUMM527). The video follows the earlier single “Perfect Storm” and arrives ahead of an autumn tour with Mercury Rev.

“Song for Aurora” is built from a pastiche of T. Rex lyrics, with music composed by The Dirty Three’s Mick Turner, and functions as a tribute to Marc Bolan. Acevedo describes the imagery in the lyrics as “a perfect match for (our) psychedelic theme”. The video for “Song for Aurora” is embedded below, alongside the earlier video for “Perfect Storm”.

“Psychedelia in White” was recorded primarily in Australia and mixed in Chile by Alain Johannes. The album collects ten tracks: seven pieces of original material and three reinterpretations, including a new version of PJ Harvey’s “Slow-Motion-Movie-Star” – previously recorded by Harvey on his 2007 solo album “Two of Diamonds” – alongside translations of Silvio Rodríguez’s “Sueño Con Serpientes” (“Dream of Serpents”) and José María Cano’s “Bride of the Sea”. “Perfect Storm” was co-written by Acevedo with Canadian musician Peter McNestry, who records as Pink Elephants; Harvey added guitars, sound effects and backing vocals to that track.

Acevedo stated of “Perfect Storm”: “I wrote the lyrics of ‘Perfect Storm’ after Peter McNestry sent me an early instrumental of his composition with that title. His music took my imagination to a very specific place, and it was easy for me to know what I needed to write.” Harvey added: “This was created a couple of years back by Amanda and a Canadian called Peter McNestry who runs a musical excursion called Pink Elephants. They made the track through file exchanges, and once we decided to include it on the album project, I worked extensively on the original recordings adding guitars, sound effects and backing vocals.”

“Psychedelia in White” is issued on white vinyl, CD and digitally, and can be pre-ordered through the official Mute release page. Side-Line previously reported on the album announcement with lead single “Perfect Storm” in June 2026.

‘Psychedelia in White’ tracklist

1. “The Elephants”
2. “Dream of Serpents”
3. “Perfect Storm”
4. “Song for Aurora”
5. “Medusa’s Moan”
6. “The Greatest Delight”
7. “Slow-Motion-Movie-Star”
8. “Bride of the Sea”
9. “Atlantis”
10. “Psychedelia in White”

Tour dates for Mick Harvey & Amanda Acevedo

The duo will support Mercury Rev across Ireland, the United Kingdom and mainland Europe in October 2026, before a run of headline dates in Sweden and Norway that closes at The 100 Club in London on 4 November 2026.

Mercury Rev support dates:

• 14 October – Vicar Street, Dublin, Ireland
• 15 October – Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow, United Kingdom
• 16 October – O2 Ritz, Manchester, United Kingdom
• 17 October – Hackney Church, London, United Kingdom
• 19 October – TivoliVredenburg (Pandora Hall), Utrecht, Netherlands
• 20 October – Cultuurcentrum Hasselt, Hasselt, Belgium
• 21 October – Stadsschouwburg Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
• 22 October – Le Trianon, Paris, France
• 24 October – Stadsschouwburg Brugge, Bruges, Belgium
• 26 October – DR Koncerthuset (Studie 2), Copenhagen, Denmark

Headline dates:

• 27 October – Kulturkvarteret, Kristianstad, Sweden
• 28 October – Medley, Malmö, Sweden
• 29 October – Debaser Nova, Stockholm, Sweden
• 30 October – Dokkhuset, Trondheim, Norway
• 31 October – MIR, Oslo, Norway
• 2 November – URO Haugar, Tønsberg, Norway
• 3 November – Lille Ole Bull, Bergen, Norway
• 4 November – The 100 Club, London, United Kingdom

About Mick Harvey & Amanda Acevedo

Mick Harvey is an Australian musician, multi-instrumentalist and producer, born in 1958. He co-founded The Boys Next Door, which became The Birthday Party, and was a founding member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, remaining with the group until 2009. He also worked in Crime & the City Solution and has released solo albums, including a series of records interpreting the songs of Serge Gainsbourg in English. Amanda Acevedo is a Mexican singer and songwriter. The pair met several years ago in Mexico City while Harvey was on tour with PJ Harvey, though their current project began in 2021.

Mick Harvey & Amanda Acevedo released their first album as a duo, “Phantasmagoria in Blue”, in 2023, followed by the covers collection “Golden Mirrors – The Uncovered Sessions Vol. 1” and a reading of Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield”. Side-Line reported on the announcement of “Phantasmagoria in Blue” in 2023, and on their version of “Love is a Battlefield” the same year. “Psychedelia in White”, set for 4 September 2026 on Mute, is the duo’s third album together and their first to pair original songs with a set of reworked compositions. It follows the release of “Perfect Storm” and, now, “Song for Aurora”, ahead of the album’s arrival and the accompanying European and Scandinavian tour dates.

TéMèT, a synth pop and darkwave duo from Strasbourg, France, will release the single “Discord” on 21 August 2026. The track is described by the band as sitting between Depeche Mode and OMD, built around sharp synthesizers and organic bass.

TéMèT consists of two members performing as K1 and MYK. The project’s name draws on the ancient Egyptian deity Tem, associated with the setting sun and with creation and endings. “Discord” is set for release on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, YouTube, TikTok and other major platforms on 21 August 2026.

The duo describes their sound as drawing on industrial rock, electronic music and synth-driven songwriting. In their submission to Side-Line, TéMèT called “Discord” “a cold, tense track built around sharp synthesizers and organic bass.”

About TéMèT

TéMèT is a synth pop and darkwave duo, K1 and MYK, based in Strasbourg, France. The project takes its name from Tem, the ancient Egyptian deity of the setting sun, and describes its music as occupying “the threshold between light and darkness, between what was and what is becoming.” “Discord” is the duo’s next single, set for release on 21 August 2026, and marks their first submission to Side-Line.

Chelsea Wolfe, the American doom and gothic-folk artist, has announced her ninth studio album, The Dark, out August 21, 2026 on streaming services via Loma Vista Recordings, with CD and vinyl editions following on September 18, 2026. The announcement arrives with the lead single and opening track “Cold”, released alongside an official video.

“The Dark” was written with new co-writer Jennifer Decilveo alongside Wolfe’s longtime collaborator Ben Chisholm. The 10-track album also features contributions from Robin Finck (Nine Inch Nails), Matt Chamberlain (Pearl Jam), Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens Of The Stone Age), Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint) and Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Nine Inch Nails, St Vincent). The tracklist runs: “Cold”, “Seethe”, “Humours”, “Swallower”, “Halo”, “The Dark”, “Turn The Key”, “I’m Not There”, “Death Is Not The End” and “Dancer In The Sky”.

“The Dark” and “Death Is Not The End” previously surfaced as a double a-side single, ahead of a 43-date North American and European tour that now supports the new album. Jonathan Hultén opens the US dates, while A.A. Williams supports the European leg. Ahead of the tour, Wolfe has also announced an intimate show at The Dome in London on August 18, two days before she headlines ArcTanGent festival.

Chelsea Wolfe ‘Cold’ video from ‘The Dark’

The “Cold” video is a séance-themed clip directed by Magdalena Wosinska. “The Dark” is available to pre-order.

Wolfe is also the current face of Heretic’s paranormal-themed perfume line, named “Ghosts”.

About Chelsea Wolfe

Chelsea Wolfe is an American singer and musician born in 1983 in Roseville, California, whose catalogue moves between dark folk, gothic rock, doom and electronic textures. She released her debut album, “The Grime and the Glow”, in 2010, followed by the electric folk of “Apokalypsis” (2011) and the stripped-back “Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs” (2012). “Pain Is Beauty” (2013) added electronics to her sound, before “Abyss” (2015) moved toward heavier arrangements. Her fifth album, Hiss Spun (2017), was produced by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou and featured members of Converge and Old Man Gloom alongside a Queens Of The Stone Age contributor. She returned to acoustic-leaning songwriting on “Birth Of Violence” (2019), then explored trip-hop-influenced atmospheres, produced with TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek, on “She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She” (2024). Wolfe has also collaborated with Deftones’ Chino Moreno, Xiu Xiu and Converge, had music featured on HBO’s “Game of Thrones”, and co-scored A24’s film “X” with Tyler Bates. “The Dark”, her ninth studio album, follows “She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She” and marks her first album written with Jennifer Decilveo alongside Ben Chisholm.

“An Order Of Things” marks the seventh studio album by the Belgian band La Jungle. Originally a duo, the group has now expanded into a trio -featuring two drummers, delivering nine new tracks.

La Jungle has earned widespread recognition within the broad Krautrock scene over the years, and it is easy to understand why. Their compositions are meticulously constructed, driven by hypnotic crescendos that gradually build towards powerful climaxes. Propulsive drumming and scorching psychedelic guitars combine to create a distinctive sonic experience, one the band manages to sustain throughout almost the entire album. Vocals appear only sporadically, functioning more as an additional texture or atmospheric element than as a conventional melodic focal point. Along the way, La Jungle is unafraid to broaden its palette, weaving in unexpected influences—including touches of Techno—that further enrich the music.

I have been a fan of La Jungle for many years, and “An Order Of Things” offers yet another compelling demonstration of the band’s remarkable creativity and musical vision. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Witches Carousel”:

About La Jungle

La Jungle is a techno, krautrock and trance project from Mons, Belgium, built around Roxie and Jim, joined more recently by a second drummer, Da. The band has toured extensively, passing the 700-show mark over more than a decade on the road. Side-Line spoke with the group in a 2023 Click Interview about organic trance music.

La Jungle’s discography includes the self-titled “La Jungle” (2015), “II” (2016), “Past // Middle Age // Future” (2019) and “Ephemeral Feast” (2022). “An Order Of Things”, released in 2026, is the band’s seventh studio album and the first to feature the group as a trio with two drummers.

(Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash)

Streaming did not kill physical music – that is an urban myth – but it did change the reason people buy it. Listeners no longer need a CD, vinyl record or cassette to access an album. Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and other platforms place millions of tracks within immediate reach. Physical releases must therefore offer something that streaming cannot deliver, limited editions for instance.

The value now comes from ownership, scarcity, artwork, exclusive content and a closer connection to the artist. New sales figures support this shift. CDs are recording (pun intended) renewed growth, but many younger buyers are not purchasing them as their main listening format. They treat physical albums as affordable collectibles, display pieces and direct ways to support the artists they follow.

This makes limited editions, special packaging and exclusive physical versions more than an extra sales tactic. They offer the clearest view of the future of physical music, for CDs and beyond.

US CD sales rebounded in 2026

US consumers bought 16.3 million CDs during the first half of 2026, according to the Luminate 2026 Midyear Report. That represented a 16% increase compared with the first half of 2025. CD sales grew almost seven times faster than vinyl sales during the same period. Vinyl increased by 2.4%.

K-pop played a major role in the CD increase, driven by large releases and an established collector culture. However, the trend extended beyond Korean pop. Luminate calculated that US CD sales would still have risen by 6.7% after removing K-pop from the figures.

The increase needs context. It followed a difficult year for the format. The RIAA’s 2025 year-end figures show that US CD shipments fell from 33.3 million units in 2024 to 29.5 million in 2025. CD revenue declined by 7.8%. The first half of 2026 therefore represents a sharp rebound.

Vinyl remains the larger physical format in the US. Consumers bought 46.8 million vinyl records in 2025, compared with 29.5 million CDs. Vinyl also generated more than three times as much revenue as CDs. The CD’s advantage lies elsewhere. It provides a lower-priced entry into physical collecting.

Many young CD buyers do not own a CD player

The most revealing finding in Luminate’s research concerns how younger consumers use CDs. About half of the Gen Z and Millennial consumers who bought CDs did not own a CD player. The finding challenges the idea that physical sales depend on persuading listeners to replace streaming with discs. These consumers are not necessarily buying CDs to play them. They are buying a tangible product connected to the artist.

Luminate described the CD as moving away from its old role as a functional audio carrier and becoming an affordable collectible. Younger buyers value the visual design, the sense of ownership and the opportunity to support an artist more directly. The pattern is not limited to the US: French tech site Les Numériques reports the same shift in Europe, with CD sales climbing again while many of the discs are never played. The Luminate finding was also covered by The Verge.

That changes the commercial purpose of a physical album. The recording remains important, but it forms only one part of the product. The artwork, booklet, packaging, inserts and rarity of the edition can now carry as much purchasing weight as the disc itself.

Streaming and physical music serve different needs

The rise in physical sales does not mean streaming is losing its dominant position. Streaming generated 69.6% of worldwide recorded-music revenue in 2025, according to the IFPI Global Music Report 2026. Total streaming revenue passed $22 billion. Physical-format revenue nevertheless increased by 8% worldwide during the same year. Vinyl revenue rose by 13.7%, marking its nineteenth consecutive year of growth.

The two markets can grow together because they answer different needs.

Streaming provides:

• Immediate access
• Portability
• Discovery
• Large catalogues
• Low-friction listening

Physical editions provide:

• Permanent ownership
• Collectible artwork
• A displayable object
• Exclusive material
• A direct purchase from an artist or label
• A visible connection to a fan community

A listener may stream an album hundreds of times and still purchase a physical version. The stream provides the listening experience. The physical release represents attachment to the album.

The standard CD has lost its original advantage

For most of the CD era, buyers needed the disc to hear the music. That practical advantage disappeared when streaming became the dominant listening method.

A standard jewel-case CD containing the same album available on every digital platform now has to compete without its former strength. Lowering the price can help, but price alone does not create a reason to own the product. A numbered digipak with alternative artwork, bonus tracks, a signed card and an expanded booklet gives the buyer something different. This way it functions as a different new product next to the streaming release.

This principle applies across physical formats:

• Coloured vinyl editions
• Numbered cassettes
• Expanded two-CD sets
• Anniversary editions
• Signed copies
• Box sets
• MiniDisc releases
• Art books with bundled music
• Physical editions with download codes
• Tour-exclusive variants

The format matters less than the reason for owning that particular version.

K-pop turned physical music into a collectible system

K-pop offers the clearest large-scale example of this model. Many K-pop albums combine the CD with photo books, cards, posters, stickers, alternative covers and retailer-exclusive extras. Fans may choose between several versions or collect the full set.

Luminate reports that mass-market retailers captured almost 30% of the US physical-music market during the first half of 2026 as K-pop fandom drove sales through stores such as Target and Walmart. These retailers do not compete only on price. They offer editions that buyers cannot purchase elsewhere.

The model works because each physical version has a clear identity. The buyer knows what makes the edition exclusive and why it differs from the standard release. Rock, electronic music, metal, industrial, EBM, darkwave and other collector-driven genres do not need to copy the scale of K-pop. They can apply the same underlying principles to smaller audiences. A label may press 200 numbered copies instead of producing ten mass-market variants. The commercial logic remains the same: create a physical version with a defined audience, a clear identity and a reason to buy before it disappears.

Limited editions fit independent music

Independent labels rarely have the audience or budget to manufacture tens of thousands of copies. That can make limited physical runs more suitable than unlimited standard editions. A pressing of 200, 500 or 1,000 copies allows a label to match production to realistic demand. Numbering the edition also communicates the available quantity to buyers.

This approach works particularly well in scenes where fans already value:

• Complete discographies
• Label catalogue numbers
• Alternative artwork
• Rare tracks
• Coloured vinyl
• Remixes and demos
• Signed material
• First pressings
• Region-specific versions
• Deleted releases

The physical release becomes part of the artist’s history. Once sold out, it continues to carry cultural and collector value within the fan community. Independent labels can also build several purchasing levels around one release.

For example:

• A standard CD for regular buyers
• A numbered two-CD edition with remixes
• A signed bundle with a shirt or art print
• A cassette with alternative artwork
• A vinyl edition containing an exclusive track
• A deluxe box with a booklet and memorabilia

Casual listeners can use streaming. Dedicated fans can buy the standard version. Collectors can choose the premium edition. This avoids forcing every listener into the same product while creating more revenue from the section of the audience that wants deeper involvement.

A limited edition needs a bit more than just a sticker

Scarcity alone does not create value. Calling a release “limited” without publishing the pressing quantity or adding meaningful content can weaken trust. Buyers need to understand what separates the edition from the standard version.

A credible limited edition should include at least one clear point of difference:

• A fixed pressing quantity
• Hand-numbered packaging
• Alternative cover art
• Exclusive recordings
• A bonus disc
• Signed inserts
• A format-specific booklet
• Unique vinyl colouring
• A retailer or tour exclusive
• Special packaging
• Material linked to an anniversary or event

Labels should state the exact contents, quantity, format and expected shipping date. They should also explain whether the edition may receive a later repress. Transparent scarcity builds confidence. Artificial scarcity creates frustration.

Exclusive audio should reward fans

Multiple physical variants can raise sales, but the strategy has limits. Releasing five versions with one different song on each may push dedicated fans to buy the same album repeatedly. It can also make the campaign feel more extractive than collectible. A stronger model places the complete core album on every edition. Premium versions can then add material that rewards collectors without making the standard version feel incomplete.

Suitable extras include:

• Demo recordings
• Alternative mixes
• Instrumental versions
• Live tracks
• Remixes
• Unreleased artwork
• Studio notes
• Essays
• Archived photographs
• Video content accessed through a download code

In short, a good collector edition expands the album.

CDs can become the affordable collector format

Vinyl has dominated the physical revival for years, but its success has also pushed retail prices higher. CDs occupy a different position. Luminate identifies price accessibility as one of the forces behind the 2026 increase in CD sales. The format gives younger listeners and less affluent fans a practical way to own physical music without paying premium vinyl prices.

This opens a valuable space between streaming and high-priced box sets. A carefully designed CD edition can offer:

• A substantial booklet
• High-quality printed artwork
• Bonus recordings
• Numbered packaging
• Signed elements
• Compact shipping
• A lower retail price than vinyl

The CD may no longer be the default mass-market carrier, but it can become the most accessible collector format.

The future of physical music: better editions, but certainly not more plastic

The physical-music market does not need every album to appear in endless colours and minor variations. It needs releases with stronger creative purpose. The most durable physical formats will offer a clear answer to one question: why should someone own this edition when the music is already available online?

The answer may be exclusive recordings, exceptional artwork, a signed component, a limited pressing or a package that captures the identity of the album better than a digital thumbnail ever could. The 2026 CD rebound shows that physical formats can find new buyers even while streaming continues to grow. It also shows that playback is no longer the only reason people purchase music.

Streaming delivers the songs. Limited editions deliver the object, the story and the connection. That is where the future of physical music will be built – for CDs and every other format.

Five years after “Hexikon”, the Blood Magick “Moribund” album is out. The Swedish electro-industrial project of Patrik Sandermo released the 10-track set on 26 June 2026, and it is available as a digital download on Bandcamp.

Blood Magick mixes atmospheric horror electro and EBM elements, and Sandermo describes the project as “Swedish Death Synth”. That occult angle carries straight into the new album’s track titles, most of which reach for Latin: “Moribund” opens on “Vox Mortis” and closes on “Extremum Vitae Spiritum Edere”, with “Veni Veni Spiritus Ad Vincula Mea (Ritual Command)”, “Exitus Letalis (Conjuring The Seven Lords)”, “Exsurge E tumulo” and the paired “Memento Mori I” and “Memento Mori II” sitting alongside “Dance Macabre”, “Phantasma Ex Machina” and “Inferni”.

‘Moribund’ is the first Blood Magick album since 2021

The new record ends the longest pause in the project’s catalog. Blood Magick released “Hexikon” on 10 July 2021, and no full-length followed until “Moribund” arrived this June. The album is out on the project’s own Bandcamp page; no physical edition has been announced.

About Blood Magick

Patrik Sandermo formed Blood Magick in Sweden in 2014. Emilia Forsell joins him live on keys and programming. The project debuted on Bandcamp with “Ascension”, a 20-track set released on 15 September 2018, and followed it with the five-track “Adversary” on 13 September 2019 and the 11-track “Incubus” on 1 February 2020.

“Hexikon”, released on 10 July 2021, brought another ten tracks before the project went quiet on the album front. Blood Magick also appeared on the Swedish Electro Scene compilation “swedish electro vol 6 / the remixes” with “Crossroads (Hekateon Mix)”. “Moribund” now stands as the fifth Blood Magick album and the first new full-length in five years.

Taiwanese industrial project ANGER 奰 released “Collective Intentionality” on 17 July 2026 as a digital album on Bandcamp. The 11-track ANGER 奰 set gathers collaborations, remixes and non-album tracks from the era of “Grandiose Delusions,” the project’s debut album released on 17 April 2026.

ANGER 奰 collaborations on ‘Collective Intentionality’

The tracklist: “Late Model Collapse” (featuring pixelgrinder), “Dance to Your Own Beat” (Dilemma Advent remix), “The End is Nigh” (Tribalistic mix), “Cyberanarchia,” “Aletheia,” “The Digital Panopticon” (featuring The Rite of Winter), “Daimonion,” “Work Hard and Die,” “Dopamine Rivers” (Dilemma Cyber Neurotype remix), “search angertw bndcmp. follow for updates. critical thinking is a dying species.” and “Dilemma – The In-Between” (ANGER 奰 remix).

Project founder BW wrote all songs except “Late Model Collapse,” co-written with pixelgrinder, “The Digital Panopticon,” co-written with The Rite of Winter, and “The In-Between,” written by Dilemma under the name Alex Elias. Dilemma also remixed “Dance to Your Own Beat” and “Dopamine Rivers.”

Several tracks first appeared elsewhere: “Cyberanarchia,” “Late Model Collapse” and “The Digital Panopticon” come from volumes I, II and III of Outer Darkness Records’ “Inquisition” compilation series, while “Aletheia” and “Daimonion” stem from Subcon Patreon remix collections. “The End is Nigh” (Tribalistic mix) was previously released as a single, and the tenth track first appeared as a Spotify-only single. Three tracks are previously unreleased, alongside the ANGER 奰 remix of Dilemma’s “The In-Between.”

About ANGER 奰

ANGER 奰 is the industrial project of Taiwanese musician BW, founded in 2022 and based in Taichung, Taiwan. BW handles vocals, synth and drum programming, and guitar, and describes the project’s output as “heresies, tautologies and futuristic noise.”

The project teased its debut album with singles and demos through 2023 and 2024, contributed tracks to the first three volumes of Outer Darkness Records’ “Inquisition” compilation series and took part in Subcon’s Patreon remix collections. The debut album “Grandiose Delusions” arrived on 17 April 2026 on Bandcamp. “Collective Intentionality” now closes that album’s chapter with the collaborations and remixes recorded around it.

The band is also featured on Side-Line’s free download compilation “United 2 – The Odin Files” out now with the track “Simulacrum”. Check the full info on our recent free download compilations “United 1 – The Freya Files” and “United 2 – The Odin Files”.

The Jess Lamb “I am.” album turns affirmations into dance music: the American vocalist has released a twelve-track set, with every song written, recorded and produced by Lamb and Warren Harrison, formerly of darkwave act Hungry Lucy. The album came out on 13 July 2026 and is available on Bandcamp and on streaming platforms, with the exception of Spotify.

‘I am.’ as the mirror of ‘You Are’

The pair conceived “I am.” as the counterpart to “You Are”, their 2020 album centred on stillness and meditation. Where the earlier record turned inward, the new one pushes toward action and intentional movement, with each track title working as a mantra: “I am ok.”, “I am the answer.”, “I am free.”, “I am alive.”, “I am safe.”, “I am the universe.”, “I am golden.”, “I am overflowing.”, “I am love.”, “I am beautiful.”, “I am abundant.” and the closer “God’s Imagination.”. Lamb sums up the idea in the release notes: “Speak to your body as if you have already been transformed.”

About Jess Lamb

Jess Lamb is an American singer and keyboardist who reached wider attention as a contestant on American Idol in 2015. That same year she teamed up with composer and producer Warren Harrison, co-founder of the darkwave duo Hungry Lucy, a collaboration Side-Line first reported on in December 2015 when the two started out as a trip hop project.

The partnership produced the meditation-focused album “You Are” in 2020. Harrison meanwhile also revived his synthpop project Studio II, whose debut album Side-Line covered in 2022. With “I am.”, Lamb and Harrison complete the two-album cycle they began with “You Are”.

The Sydney Valette “I Fucking Love You” album lands on 2 October 2026 as the Paris darkwave artist’s debut for Artoffact Records. The record comes on a limited vinyl LP, on CD in a jewel box with booklet, and digitally, and mixes EBM pulses and synth-punk with coldwave textures and dark Italo-disco. Its ten songs revolve around modern romance, from obsessive passion to toxic love and emotional vulnerability.

Artoffact Records describes the result as “both a gritty club weapon and an intimate, beautifully haunted portrait of contemporary desire”. The title track is streaming now with an official video.

‘I Fucking Love You’: ten songs in three languages

The tracklist runs “Warrior”, “I Fucking Love You”, “Chaos & Order”, “Как Свеча”, “Relèves-toi”, “Le Cimetière de Turin”, “I Will Get You”, “UFO”, “Let Me Go” and “No Ibiza for Mr Valette”, with lyrics crossing French, English and Russian. Pre-orders run through Bandcamp, and European distribution of the vinyl and CD goes through Audioglobe.

About Sydney Valette

Sydney Valette is a Paris-based musician and producer who moves between darkwave, post-punk, electro and synthpop. His earlier catalogue includes the albums “Fight Back”, “How Many Lives” and “Other Side”, all of which remain available on vinyl and CD. Side-Line covered the release of “Home Alone” on white and black vinyl in 2022, and his album “The Healer” arrived in January 2025 on Icy Cold Records. He also appeared at the Prague Gothic Treffen festival in 2023.

“I Fucking Love You” now marks his first album for Artoffact Records, out on 2 October 2026.

Horror Vacui “Shadows Sanctuary” arrives on 7 August 2026 through Artoffact Records, the Italian deathrock band’s first album for the Canadian label. The Bologna five-piece bring a goth rock that mixes deathrock guitars with post-punk and coldwave elements, and the album arrives on a limited green vinyl LP, on CD in a jewel box with booklet, and digitally via Bandcamp. It is the band’s first full-length since 2020 and their first album for the Canadian label.

The record explores the tension between light and darkness as visibility and authenticity in an age of constant exposure. The label’s presentation condenses the theme into one line: the album “reclaims darkness as a space of protection rather than absence”, moving through identity, isolation, love and grief along the way.

An official video accompanies the title track.

‘Shadows Sanctuary’ from intro to outro

The album sequences ten tracks across two vinyl sides. Side A runs “Intro”, “Distressed”, “Writing on the Wall”, “Midnight7” and “Skyless Eyes”; side B holds “A Sunny Day”, “Eventide”, “Another Sleepless Night”, the title track and “Outro”. The CD edition carries the same tracklist. Both formats can be ordered through the band’s Bandcamp page, with European distribution handled by Audioglobe.

About Horror Vacui

Horror Vacui formed in Bologna, Italy in 2010 and have worked through changing line-ups ever since. The band built their catalogue of four albums and numerous singles on tight, guitar-driven songs that fuse deathrock and post-punk, and toured worldwide behind them. After their fourth album in 2020 the group went quiet for several years, returning in 2024 with a limited two-track 7″ single.

That return also brought a line-up change, with former guitar player Marzia moving to the drum stool. The 2024 single served as the prelude to “Shadows Sanctuary”, which now lands as the band’s first album in six years and their Artoffact Records debut.

The Mad Mission “Into Orbit” debut album arrives on 31 July 2026 from the Swedish synthpop duo. The Helsingborg pair of Robert Johnsson and Fredrik Forssell bring an electronic pop that mixes layered synths, driving rhythms and guitar accents, and one track carries an outside production credit: “Gasoline” was produced and mixed by Gareth Jones, the producer known for his work with Depeche Mode, Erasure and Wire, at Strongroom Studios in London.

“Into Orbit” collects ten songs the duo describe as observations of humanity seen from orbit, moving through digital isolation, anxiety, identity, social division and hope. The band summarize the concept in their mission-styled press kit: “Ten transmissions. Ten perspectives. One planet.”

The single “Time” is out now with an official video, following the earlier singles “It’s Alright” and “Gasoline”, all three of which are streaming on Spotify. “It’s Alright” also received an official video.

‘Into Orbit’: ten tracks recorded between Helsingborg, Malmö and London

The album runs “Panic Room”, “Feel”, “Faking”, “It’s Alright”, “Accusation”, “Gasoline”, “Breaking Bad”, “Time”, “Numb” and “We the People”. Robert Johnsson handles vocals, lyrics and programming, while Fredrik Forssell covers keyboards, backing vocals, programming and production. Beyond the Gareth Jones production on “Gasoline”, the duo mixed “Breaking Bad” and “Numb” themselves at their Mad Space studios in Helsingborg, and Johan Bejerholm mixed and mastered the remaining songs at World Studios in Malmö. The band created the artwork and design themselves. Live dates have not been announced yet.

About Mad Mission

Mad Mission is the project of lifelong friends Robert Johnsson and Fredrik Forssell from Helsingborg, Sweden. The two met through a shared passion for electronic music in the 1980s, and describe their musical DNA as forged on dance floors echoing with Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk and New Order. What began as a synth-pop experiment during Sweden’s club scene grew into a darker, more cinematic fusion of electronic pop and alternative rock, with the duo citing Kite, Tears for Fears, Kent and Muse among their reference points.

Life took the two in different directions for years before they reunited to write and record new material. The singles “It’s Alright”, “Gasoline” and “Time” preceded the full-length, with official videos for “It’s Alright” and “Time” on the band’s YouTube channel. “Into Orbit”, labelled Mission 001 by the duo, is their first album and arrives on 31 July 2026.

The dreDDup “Die Heart” video has arrived: the Serbian industrial rock band’s fourth single from the thirteen-track 2024 album “Pan/Dora” gets a clip directed by Mihajlo Obrenov, combining live-action footage with AI-generated visuals, a method the Novi Sad group already used for earlier clips. The band describe the song as exploring “the passage of time, the fleeting nature of human life, and a sandstorm that slowly erodes memories”.

‘Die Heart’ extends the ‘Pan/Dora’ video series

The dreDDup “Die Heart” video follows the earlier “Pan/Dora” singles “Cherry Noble“, “Clark Can’t” and “President Evil“, and the band plan several more videos for tracks from the album. “Pan/Dora” itself came out on 7 September 2024 and remains available on Bandcamp.

Work on the follow-up is already underway: the next studio album, “Lanquage of Ice”, has a placeholder page on Bandcamp dated 10 October 2026, and the band expect to complete it by the end of the year. In 2027 dreDDup will mark 30 years of activity with a series of anniversary projects. Before that, the group play the FEELGOOD Festival in Sombor, Serbia on 15 August 2026.

About dreDDup

dreDDup formed in Novi Sad, Serbia in 1997 and count among the pioneers of industrial rock in their country. The band blend rock, big beat, industrial, punk and loud electronics with a disturbed visual world, and label their own genre “massacre industrial” or “demonic electronic”. Eleven albums plus numerous mini and maxi releases make up their catalogue, alongside appearances on international compilations, collaborative recordings and music for theatre, documentary film and experimental art installations.

The group have toured Europe extensively and opened for The Prodigy, Marilyn Manson, Skrillex, Leæther Strip, Deathstars, Soulfly, Laibach, DAF and Toy Dolls. Side-Line featured the band’s track “Etika” with Borghesia‘s Dario Seraval on the free “Face The Beat: Session 2” compilation in 2015, and frontman Mihajlo Obrenov also runs the side project MRT and the Crime:Scene Records label. The “Die Heart” video extends the “Pan/Dora” campaign while the band prepare “Lanquage of Ice” for release.

Sacramento industrial and alternative rock band Tinfed have announced “Designated Rivals Redux,” a remastered and expanded edition of their 2003 album “Designated Rivals,” due 18 September 2026 via Minus Head Records in digital and CD formats. A remastered version of “Dangergirl,” featuring Deftones singer Chino Moreno, is streaming now with an animated visualizer, and pre-orders are open on Bandcamp.

A remastered ‘Dangergirl’ with Chino Moreno

Moreno appeared on the original “Dangergirl” under the alias C-Note when “Designated Rivals” first came out in 2003 through Attinuator Records and Primitech Releases, as a remix companion to the band’s 2000 album “Tried + True.” The new edition restores his credit under his own name and pairs the remastered track with an animated visualizer.

Co-founder and vocalist Reyka Osburn Bigfeather explains why the band returned to the record after more than two decades: “Rather than just revisiting the past, I wanted to give ‘Designated Rivals’ a treatment it always deserved. The new master and nitrous booster mixes open up the throttle on our industrialized soundscape. Songs like ‘DANGERGIRL’ and ‘CRYSTALLIZED’ can finally be heard at 600 bhp.”

Tinfed expand ‘Designated Rivals Redux’ to 18 tracks

The set runs 18 tracks, adding unreleased material to the out-of-print original. The tracklist: “Designated-ated,” “Soul Division,” “Dangergirl” (featuring Chino Moreno), “Crystallize (Black Heaven),” “Take Out Monsters,” “10′ Tall,” “Rollerskates 2026,” “New Kind of Kick,” “Don’t Drop” (interlude), “Drop Cut” (Raise mix), “Always-Never” (Appliantz remix), “Drop” (UFO! remix), “Immune” (The French – R2D2 mix), “Que Paso” (interlude), “Drop” (R Verrett mix), “Always Never” (Virgin Islands – Holy Spirits mix), “Drop” (Team Sleep – Raise edit) and “Tape Roll Plz” (outro).

“New Kind of Kick,” first issued as a single in 2024, appears on the set, and the Team Sleep edit of “Drop” connects the release to Moreno’s own side project. The reissue follows a remastered edition of “Tried + True” that arrived on 30 January 2026.

About Tinfed

Tinfed formed in 1992 in Sacramento, California, around vocalist, guitarist and programmer Reyka Osburn Bigfeather and guitarist Eric Stenman, who had previously played together in the band Elegy. Over the years the lineup featured drummers Eddie Jorgensen, Giovanni Mercado and Matt McCord, and bassists Nick Frederick and Rick Verrett.

The band released “Synaptic Hardware” in 1993, “Hypersonic Hyperphonic” on Re-Constriction Records in 1996 and “Tried + True” on Hollywood Records in 2000, the same year Tinfed appeared on the soundtrack to “Mission: Impossible II.” During the band’s run, Bigfeather also played guitar on Deathline International‘s 1995 album “Zarathoustra.” The remix collection “Designated Rivals” closed the band’s discography in 2003, the year Tinfed disbanded.

After the split, Bigfeather went on to form Ghostride and Death Valley High, while Stenman now works as a producer and engineer in Los Angeles and plays in The Barbarians of California with Aaron Bruno of Awolnation. Verrett joined Team Sleep, the side project of Chino Moreno. Tinfed resurfaced with the single “New Kind of Kick” in 2024 and the remastered “Tried + True” in January 2026; “Designated Rivals Redux” now completes the band’s catalogue refresh on 18 September 2026.

Belgian EBM and cold wave duo Ultra Sunn released “Distress (First Take)” on 17 July 2026 as a standalone digital single on Bandcamp. The new Ultra Sunn single is a first-take version of “Distress,” a song that first appeared on the duo’s “Night Is Mine EP” in 2021, and it arrives ahead of a North American and European tour run that starts in September.

Ultra Sunn revisit ‘Distress’ from the 2021 ‘Night Is Mine EP’

The original “Distress” came out on 5 March 2021 on the “Night Is Mine EP,” where the band presented it as a previously unreleased track alongside “Night Is Mine” and “Keep Your Eyes Peeled.” Sam Huge and Gaelle Souflet wrote, composed and mixed that EP themselves, with mastering handled at Young and Cold Studios in Germany.

“Distress (First Take)” is sold as a digital download in 24-bit quality through the duo’s Bandcamp page, which is run by Artoffact Records, the Canadian label behind Ultra Sunn’s albums “US” and “The Beast In You.” The new single follows “Flirt With Death,” released in March 2026.

Ultra Sunn tour dates for 2026 and 2027

The single precedes a live run that opens in Mexico in September, crosses the United States and Canada through October, and moves to Europe in November:

• 11 September 2026 – Guadalajara, Mexico – C3 Rooftop
• 12 September 2026 – Mexico City, Mexico – Multiforo Alicia
• 18 September 2026 – Montreal, QC, Canada – Théâtre Fairmount
• 19 September 2026 – Toronto, ON, Canada – Lee’s Palace
• 20 September 2026 – Rochester, NY, USA – Photo City Music Hall
• 22 September 2026 – Lakewood, OH, USA – Mahall’s
• 24 September 2026 – Minneapolis, MN, USA – Underground Music Cafe
• 26 September 2026 – Indianapolis, IN, USA – White Rabbit Cabaret
• 27 September 2026 – Louisville, KY, USA – Portal
• 30 September 2026 – Dallas, TX, USA – Club Dada
• 3 October 2026 – Houston, TX, USA – White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs)
• 9 October 2026 – West Palm Beach, FL, USA – Respectable Street
• 10 October 2026 – Orlando, FL, USA – The Abbey
• 14 October 2026 – Durham, NC, USA – Stanczyks Music Bar
• 16 October 2026 – Philadelphia, PA, USA – Johnny Brenda’s
• 7 November 2026 – Paris, France – La Marbrerie
• 11 November 2026 – Bochum, Germany – Die Trompete
• 12 November 2026 – Leipzig, Germany – Moritzbastei
• 13 November 2026 – Bielefeld, Germany – Movie
• 14 November 2026 – Berlin, Germany – Lido
• 26 February 2027 – Bruges, Belgium – La Brugeoise (De Donkerste Beurs)

About Ultra Sunn

Ultra Sunn formed in late 2019 in Brussels, Belgium, around singer Sam Huge and keyboardist and producer Gaelle Souflet. The duo mixes EBM, cold wave and new beat elements into club-oriented electronic tracks sung in English.

The “Night Is Mine EP” arrived on 5 March 2021 with the tracks “Night Is Mine,” “Distress” and “Keep Your Eyes Peeled,” plus a SARIN remix of the title track. In 2023, the band added vocals to and remixed Front Line Assembly‘s track “Mechvirus,” released as “Mechvirus (Remix).” The debut album “US” followed in April 2024 on Artoffact Records, and the compilation “Keep Your Eyes Peeled: The 3 EPs” collected the band’s early material in September 2024. Side-Line spoke with the duo in a 2025 interview, “Always Keep Looking Forward.”

The single “The Beast In You” came out on 14 March 2025 ahead of the album of the same name, released on 3 October 2025. In March 2026, Ultra Sunn issued the single “Flirt With Death” and a “Keep Your Eyes Peeled” live video ahead of the first North American leg of “The Beast In You Tour.” “Distress (First Take)” now revisits the duo’s earliest era as the band prepares to return to North American stages in September.

Planetdamage is a Hungarian Electro project driven by Mariusz Bari. “Killcaps” is the artist’s second album, featuring 15 tracks, including several remixes.

Planetdamage delivers a distinctive yet familiar brand of Electro. The music draws on a wide range of influences, from EBM basslines and Trance-inspired leads to Techno and Psy-Trance elements. The overall sound is powerful, meticulously crafted, and at times even visionary, highlighting the artist’s creativity. While subtle traces of Front Line Assembly can be detected, the music is much more than a mere homage. The pitch-shifted vocal production is perfectly suited to the dark, futuristic atmosphere Planetdamage creates. The remix section is equally impressive, with contributions from Kris Baha, Angelspit, and—last but certainly not least—Statiqbloom.

This is a compelling album that I can wholeheartedly recommend to fans of eclectic, modern, and intelligent Electro. (Rating:8).

Read the news on “KILLCAPS”.

Listen to “Renaissance (Mimicry) v.2”:

About Planetdamage

Planetdamage is the Budapest-based solo project of Máriusz Bari, a writer, journalist, lecturer and musician. Planetdamage was founded 2016 and is one of two aliases for Bari’s musical work, the other being RTFXX.

Bari self-released the EP “Snapshots of a Surveillance Manifesto” on May 25, 2016. After that, he moved to Two Gods Records, the label run by Martin Bowes of Attrition, where he released “Angst” on December 1, 2016 followed by the physical “Angst LP/2CDEP” on September 23, 2017, and “Stray Signal” on February 1, 2018.

He then shifted to Black Pill Red Pill Records with “Hi Rez Lo Life”, released on January 11, 2019. It was followed by “Scraps” on June 16, 2020, the debut full-length “Relapse Protocol” on November 13, 2020, and “Relapse Protocol – The Remixes” on May 31, 2021. Later releases include “Black Ice” on March 4, 2022, the RTFXX release “Cheatcode (Neongreen is Humanmeat)” on March 3, 2023, the 2024 cover “Én leszek a mély”. The project also participated on the Hungarian compilation “New Horizon”, and now there’s “KILLCAPS”, the album reviewed here.

Argentine dark electro and EBM duo Balvanera release the new album “Hasta tocar el fondo vacío del lenguaje” on 1 October 2026 through Italian label avant! Records. The vinyl edition is limited to 500 copies on aquamarine wax and comes with a lyrics sheet; the album is split released with DKA Records in the United States. Preorders run via the label’s store and Bandcamp.

The album follows the first single “Desgaste“, whose official video premiered in early July and which is streaming on all platforms.

Balvanera sing ‘Hasta tocar el fondo vacío del lenguaje’ entirely in Spanish

Every track on the album is sung in Spanish. The duo treats the record as an exercise with the language itself, turning its baroque side into something stark while keeping its richness. The title, meaning “until touching the empty bottom of language”, is borrowed from a fragment of Arturo Carrera’s poem “Escrito con un nictógrafo”. Avant! describes the record’s nocturnal streak as “those thoughts and images that can only emerge in the sleepless hours of the night, when they reach their most revealing edge”.

Musically the album moves between the minimalism of the band’s early releases and the club-oriented intensity of their later work. The A-side runs “Salvaje”, “Estrategia”, “Desgaste”, “Desesperanza” and “Un nuevo frío”; the B-side holds “Arquetipo”, “Del fin”, “Sintagma”, “Mecanismo”, “Fantasía y expulsión” and “Paranoia”.

About Balvanera

Balvanera is the project of Agustina Vizcarra and Lucas Palavecino from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Active since 2016, the duo has moved between coldwave, minimal synth and the more rhythmic end of body music, and has shared stages with Clan of Xymox, Boy Harsher, Die Selektion, Kontravoid, NNHMN and Ashcode.

The band works with avant! Records in Europe and DKA Records in the US. In July 2026 the duo released the single and video “Desgaste” as the first preview of the new album, covered earlier in Balvanera share ‘Desgaste’ video, announce new album. “Hasta tocar el fondo vacío del lenguaje” now follows on 1 October 2026 as their next full-length statement, pressed on a single run of 500 aquamarine vinyl copies.

Six weeks after the original single, German darkwave and synthpop act Blutengel released the complete “Schwarzer Engel” EP on 17 July 2026 via Out Of Line Music. The four-track set is out digitally and on CD, and the CD arrives alongside a new t-shirt. “Schwarzer Engel” is the second single ahead of the duo’s next studio album, due in 2027.

The original track appeared on 4 June 2026 with an official music video, covered earlier in Blutengel releases new single “Schwarzer Engel” with three remixes on Out Of Line. Out Of Line describes the song as “atmospheric, emotionally charged dark electronics anchored by an irresistible melodic pull”.

Blutengel expand the ‘Schwarzer Engel’ EP with three reworks

The EP pairs the original track with three versions. US darkwave and EBM duo Ghostbells, signed to Out Of Line since 2025, contribute a club-oriented remix built on their mix of icy synths, basslines and melancholic melodies. Dark rock act Erdling strip the song down to a piano cover, and dark pop act Destroy Me Again close the EP with a remix of driving beats and atmospheric hooks. The running order: “Schwarzer Engel”, the Ghostbells remix, the Erdling piano cover and the Destroy Me Again remix. The CD can be ordered through Out Of Line’s stores.

Ghostbells and Destroy Me Again will join Blutengel on stage at Dark Summer Open Air Vol. 2 at Wasserschloss Klaffenbach in Chemnitz, Germany, on 12 September 2026. It is the only full-length Blutengel show planned for 2026.

About Blutengel

Blutengel was founded in Berlin in 1998 by singer Chris Pohl after his earlier project Seelenkrank ended. The project debuted in 1999 with “Child of Glass” on Out Of Line Music, the label that has carried its entire catalog since. Built around Pohl and changing female voices, with Ulrike Goldmann as long-standing co-vocalist, the duo brings a darkwave and synthpop sound that mixes electronic dance beats with gothic imagery.

The project’s 21st studio album, “Dämonen:Sturm“, came out on 28 February 2025 via Out Of Line, followed that year by the single “The Devil“. Side-Line spoke with Pohl in a 2025 interview about the themes of love, death, darkness and fears that run through his writing. The “Schwarzer Engel” single followed in June 2026 as the second preview of the album Blutengel will release in 2027, and the full EP and CD edition now completes that release.

Five years after its digital release, the Echoberyl album “Mother Solitude and Other Dark Tales” arrives on vinyl for the first time. French label Icy Cold Records issues the darkwave and minimal wave record on 24 July 2026 as a limited edition of 300 copies on red vinyl with black marbling, including a printed inlay.

The Paris duo built the album as a collection of dark tales carried by strong, terrifying, sensual and dangerous female protagonists. Two guests deepen the record: Norwegian post-punk artist Antipole co-wrote “Before Night Falls” around his guitar playing, and German-Brazilian artist Gloria de Oliveira shares vocals on “The Siren and the Ghost”. The singles “Salomé (Suffer Me)” and “Mother Solitude” both entered Bandcamp’s darkwave, minimal wave, goth and EBM new-and-notable charts at number one on release.

What the ‘Mother Solitude and Other Dark Tales’ vinyl holds

The LP sequences nine tracks across two sides. The A-side runs “Salomé (Suffer Me)”, “Medea’s Revenge”, “Au bout de ses forces” and “Blue Ophelia”; the B-side holds “Mother Solitude (Club Version)”, “The Nightmare Queen”, “The Siren and the Ghost”, “Before Night Falls” and “Mother Solitude”. The vinyl can be ordered through Icy Cold Records and the band’s own channels, while the digital album remains available on Bandcamp.

About Echoberyl

Echoberyl is the Paris-based duo of vocalist Cecilia Dassonneville and producer Adriano Iacoangeli, storytellers who use dark, pulsating electronics as their medium. The pair share a set of common references, from the sound of New Order and the melodies of France Gall to the cinema of François Truffaut and Dario Argento, and reflect them in self-made videos.

The duo self-released “Mother Solitude and Other Dark Tales” on 29 October 2021 through their own Mother Solitude Records, after the lead single “Salomé (Suffer Me)” topped several Bandcamp genre charts in 2021. Side-Line later spoke with the pair in the 2024 interview “We Get Bored Doing The Same Things Over And Over Again”. The album “Through the Chaos” followed in 2024 and became the band’s first vinyl release through Icy Cold Records, and an expanded 14-track CD edition of “Mother Solitude” appeared on 6 March 2026. The new 300-copy marbled pressing now brings the 2021 album itself to vinyl for the first time.

Dublin-based electronic act Gravité Fresq released the new single “Future Is On Fire“, out now on streaming platforms. The project describes the track as “a confrontational piece of electronic rock” that pairs retro instrumentation with a critique of hyper-digital life, continuing the mix of post-punk tension, synthpop energy and darkwave textures that ran through its earlier releases.

‘Future Is On Fire’ follows a run of 2026 singles

“Future Is On Fire” is the third Gravité Fresq single of 2026. It follows “Reality Is Premium” from February and “Curry Sauce” from May, the latter premiered on CLOUT and featured by Earmilk and Magnetic Magazine, with the project reporting local support from Hot Press and Dublin City FM’s Ceol agus Craic. Alongside the new single, the act opened a press archive holding WAV masters, music videos, lyrics and press material for all releases to date.

About Gravité Fresq

Gravité Fresq is an electronic project from Dublin, Ireland, that mixes electro-punk rhythms, synth lines and lyrics about technology and modern pressure. The project surfaced with a run of self-released singles, with “Reality Is Premium” arriving on 25 February 2026 and “Curry Sauce”, a track about an escalating argument with an AI image generator, following in May 2026. Publicly available history on the project remains limited beyond these releases. “Future Is On Fire” now extends that catalog.

Icelandic artist Kaktus Einarsson has released the single “Follow“, featuring American singer-songwriter John Grant, as the first preview of his third solo album “Factoid Happiness”, out 18 September 2026 via One Little Independent Records. The single is streaming now, including on Spotify, and comes with a video filmed at Reykjavík’s historic theatre Iðnó, directed and edited by Nikulás Tumi, in which both singers appear.

Einarsson traces the song back to a street encounter in Reykjavík: “I was walking home from preschool with my kids when we passed an American tourist live-streaming on our Pride-coloured street in Reykjavík, preaching homophobic ideas and blaming Iceland’s volcanic eruptions on our acceptance of queer people. […] Later, over an iced latte with my friend John Grant, I read him the lyrics and immediately knew his voice had to be part of the song. He’s someone who survived that exact environment and broke free from it.”

From ‘Follow’ into ‘Factoid Happiness’

The ten-track album questions what happiness is and where people are told to find it, looking at algorithms, social media and political polarisation. Einarsson explains the title: “We’re constantly being sold things as ‘truths’; feelings, knowledge, lifestyles. Algorithms decide what we see, what we believe, even what we think will make us happy. But a lot of that is unproven. It’s a factoid. Something that feels true but isn’t necessarily real.”

The record moves between piano-led songwriting, indie-rock, funk and disco-leaning grooves and electronic textures, with guest appearances by John Grant, RAKEL, Thibault Gomez and Jessica Winter. The tracklist runs “Borrowed Dreams (with Thibault Gomez)”, “Glycerine”, “The Decipherer (with Rakel)”, “Burning Snow”, “New Perfume”, “Situated Lovers”, “Follow (with John Grant)”, “Another Feel”, “Lemon Taste” and “3rd Time (with Jessica Winter)”. Einarsson wrote, performed and produced the album at his Studio Frakkland in Reykjavík, with additional writing and production by Thibault Gomez; Stephen Sedgwick mixed the songs in London and Matt Colton mastered them at Metropolis Studios.

Alongside the single, Einarsson announced a London headline show:

• 21 October 2026 – London, UK – Paper Dress Vintage

About Kaktus Einarsson

Kaktus Einarsson was born and raised in Reykjavík, Iceland, where he began performing as a child with the experimental electronic act Ghostigital before fronting the post-punk and electronic band Fufanu. His solo work bridges contemporary classical instrumentation, electronic production and pop songwriting.

His debut solo album “Kick the Ladder” appeared in 2021 on One Little Independent Records, followed in 2024 by “Lobster Coda”, which featured collaborations with Nanna of Of Monsters and Men and Damon Albarn. “Factoid Happiness” continues that run on 18 September 2026, with “Follow” as its first single.

Three months after its digital release, “Nine Inch Noize” is getting physical formats. Nine Inch Nails and Boys Noize opened preorders for the collaborative album on vinyl, CD and cassette through the official NIN webstore on 17 July 2026, with a ship date of 30 October 2026. A store-exclusive Nine Inch Noize vinyl variant is available only at nin.com.

The CD comes in a red slip case with hand-applied stickers, a clear plastic case and one of twelve photo prints; the cassette mirrors that packaging with a clear cassette case. The album is streaming on all major platforms.

From Halo 38 to the ‘Nine Inch Noize’ vinyl editions

“Nine Inch Noize” came out digitally on 17 April 2026 via The Null Corporation and Interscope Records as Halo 38 in the band’s catalog numbering, announced days earlier through a billboard on the road to Coachella and covered in Nine Inch Nails and Boys Noize announce ‘Nine Inch Noize’ for April 17 as HALO 38. The industrial techno record reworks Nine Inch Nails songs such as “Closer”, “Copy of A”, “Came Back Haunted” and “She’s Gone Away”, adds a new version of Soft Cell‘s “Memorabilia” and a cover of How to Destroy Angels’ “Parasite”, and follows the setlist of the duo’s Coachella 2026 debut performance. Production and mixing came from Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Alexander Ridha, with vocal contributions from Mariqueen Maandig.

Reznor, Ross and Ridha had already collaborated on the “Challengers [MIXED]” edition of the 2024 film score, the “Tron: Ares” soundtrack and its remix album “Tron Ares: Divergence“, while Boys Noize opened for Nine Inch Nails on the Peel It Back tour and joined the band on stage each night.

About Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails is the industrial rock project founded by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1988. From “Pretty Hate Machine” in 1989 through albums including “The Downward Spiral”, “The Fragile” and “Hesitation Marks”, the project turned abrasive electronics into mainstream reach and has numbered its releases as halos since the debut single “Down in It”. Atticus Ross became the second official member in 2016, and the pair also run a parallel career scoring films, with Academy Awards for “The Social Network” and “Soul”.

Recent years brought the “Tron: Ares” soundtrack in 2025, the remix album “Tron Ares: Divergence” in February 2026 and the Peel It Back world tour. The Boys Noize collaboration grew out of that touring cycle, debuting live at Coachella in April 2026 a week before “Nine Inch Noize” hit streaming services. The new vinyl, CD and cassette editions now give Halo 38 its first physical release.