List | V/A | 'Sound-Line vol.3' CD 1996

'From Side-Line Magazine'

Track:	Name:	Artist:	Time:
1.	False Light - Segment B	Nightmare Lodge	1:47
2.	Adolescence	Chako	3:59
3.	Forged Voices	Abcess	3:50
4.	Mind	Hyperdex-1-Sect	6:17
5.	The Dying Rose INSIDEr Mix	!AïBoFoRcEn<	4:12
6.	Look Again Toxic Mix	Crisis N.T.I.	3:23
7.	Edito Live	à;GRUMH...	3:03
8.	Sun Burn	Dessau	4:30
9.	New Power	Hate Dept.	3:33
10.	Cyberium On Speed	Razed In Black	5:07
11.	Pale God	Clay People	4:05
12.	The Brain Cult Of... Swamp Terrorists Remix	Templebeat	4:06
13.	My V...	Panic On The Titanic	6:01
14.	Pink Noise	Neotek	5:37
15.	Let Your Body Die Vo-code Cubanate Remix	Cyber-Tec Project	6:32
16.	Compressed Form	Monolith	3:46
	Total		69:48

Comments:

This is the CD that comes with Side-Line Magazine (yes, really). Side-Line is an international (Belgium based, written in English) pretty ok music magazine for electronic/alternative/industrial/etc type of music. I'm not so fond of the actual magazine itself; the articles are ok and such, but I'm constantly annoyed by the style of writing in it. Far too many exclamation signs (!!!) everywhere and somewhat juvenile in general. Maybe it's just me getting old and grumpy.

But, the reason I do buy this magazine whenever I can find it (which is not very often, since it's released about four times a year) is for the included CD. This particular CD came with the first Side-Line I ever bought, and I didn't even know that there was a CD included, I just bought it because of the words 'Cobalt 60' on the cover. I nearly ran off from the newsstand without the CD, but I was fortunately stopped by the clerk. I didn't really expect an imported music magazine and a full-length CD for the price of a maxi-CD single (or slightly above, 60 SEK). Yes, this magazine is well worth the money, purely on the basis of the usually rather interesting compilation CD that comes with each issue.

What about the music, then? Well, the first track is a fairly short instrumental track, sort of gothic sounding and rather good. It's followed by a track in a somewhat similar style, although with soft female vocals and a bit different instrumentation (harmonica? accordion?). Track 3 is more into EBM territory. It's a pretty ok track, but I'm having a hard time getting over the fact that they have used the same sounds I have in my Yamaha TG55. Nearly every sound in the song is from that machine (or another in the same series, perhaps the SY77?). That aside, the song is sort of spooky sounding with whispered vocals.

Track four is one of my favourites on this CD. It's fairly EBM-ish with whispered/sung/shouted vocals (rather good voice) over an EBM-type bassline and sampled drumloops. Reminds me a bit of Bionic. I also like the occasional synth brass sequence, even if it's a bit simplistic. Fits in very well, though.

I'm not as fond of track 5, though. The vocals are in the vein of Psyche, only worse; mellow, out of tune, powerless. The drums are like generic 'dance-techno', the bassline standard EBM. Maybe because this is a remix, I don't know. And what's with the name? It takes forever to write something like !AïBoFoRcEn< - were they trying to pull an à;GRUMH... thing with the very specific upper/lowercase and spelling? It's just plain annyoing and gives me an over all juvenile feeling. ('Necrofobia' if you read it backwards; yeah, really mature.)

Following that is another one of my favourites of this CD. Ok, the lyrics are a bit standard hi-tech babble, but it all fits rather well once they get to the chorus. It makes sense. And the music is also to my taste; techno-ish portamento-synth to a march-like beat that builds well to the chorus. Nice vocals.

Speaking of à;GRUMH... (a few lines up, in case you forgot), track 7 is indeed that very same old EBM band, back again. It's unfortunately not a very good song, or maybe just a poor live performance. Lacking most of what made their earlier material good IMHO. I tend to skip this tune whenever I put this CD on. That is not a good sign.

Following the dissappointment of à;GRUMH... is Dessau; a band that I had heard of before but never actually heard. This track is fairly good, with a nice acidy bassline (303?) and blips to a steady yet simple beat. Once the dist guitars come in, so does the vocals and the song really starts. It turns into a somewhat 'American industrial' type of song. It's fairly good, but nothing exceptional. While on the subject of 'American industrial', I've often heard about Hate Dept, but most of what I've heard about them indicates that I would dislike them quite a bit. However, this track is another one of my favourites of the CD. EBM bassline, dist guitars, angry dist voice shouting/singing and the occasional female song fills - sounds a lot like KMFDM when I describe it, but it's really not as much an obvious copy as you might expect. A bit simpler in structure if you compare to 'Nihil', though. Anyway, it's rather good. I like it. Then again, I like KMFDM.

Following Hate Dept is another fairly good tune in a similar style. Rather "hummable" chorus. Sounds like it's got both sampled and live dist guitars. More dist guitars in the following track as well, with growling vocals and a beat that would indicate a machine programmed with a certain metal influence; lots of thundering bass drums. Actually, the entire song is a bit like a metal band turned to machines, keeping their guitars. Yet again, dist guitars are very much present on the following track, as well as distorted drum loops. The vocals are also sort of growling, but in a more pleasing way. I like this track. The hip-hop-ish drum loops works very well with the dist guitar. Maybe it's the Swamp Terrorists' influence?

For some reason, a name like Panic On The Titanic annoys me. Coincidently, so does the vocals; growling, shouted, trying to sound as angry and powerful as possible without convincing. In other words, this would be a rather forgetful tune if not for the fairly catchy chorus, where the vocals are actually sung. Nice contrast with the rest of the tune. Not that the chorus is exceptionally good, but the contrast effect is rather pleasing. Following POTT is another generic EBM tune I wouldn't particularly miss if it one day disappeared from this CD. Not that it's bad, it's just that... well, it's all been done before. And better. Sorry, Neotek, it's not too much Neo in your Tek. Speaking of 'Tek', track 15 is Cyber-Tec Project, although I never would have guessed it if I hadn't read the track listing. This sounds like a completely different song, and not at all like (any of the other versions of) Let Your Body Die. Not that it's bad, it's just so drastically remixed you can't tell it's the same song.

Finishing off this CD is an 'industrial' instrumental track, slowly building the tension and then fading. Nice way to end the CD. All in all, this CD is well worth the money - and you get a magazine as well.

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