Latex Records

01. Televised
02. Reminders
03. Slow Cascade
04. Forgiven
05. The Debate
06. Ruin
07. Sentinel
08. Stand Up
09. Hindsight
10. Delete

Light it Up features guest appearances from Frank Spinath of Seabound and Victoria Lloyd of HMB, Monochrome and Claire Voyant. Founded by J. Ned Kirby in the early 1990’s, Stromkern (including Kelly Shaffer) have created a unique sound in the Electro-Industrial genre by combining hip-hop vocals and ryhthms with classical compositions and post-industrial rock.

One of the things that really stand out to me personally on this album is not just the danceable rhythms combined with the hard electro-industrial themes and styles, but also the addition of piano to this mix. As a fan of keyboard music in general, be it electronic or acoustic, I absolutely love the way Ned combines these elements. I’ve been looking at various tracks by several artists who have used piano in unexpected ways with music styles that it might not normally be associated with traditionally and find Ned’s to be one of the most appealing combination to me personally. There are not many in the Industrial genre who have done this and the first you might think of is Trent Reznor. However, Ned’s work does not become so melodramatic and instead is a smooth combination where the piano accompanies the Electro rather than taking over the mood of it. I hope he continues this with future releases as I’m a huge fan of it. The most melodramatic track, and also a great standout, is probably “Hindsight” featuring Victoria Lloyd of Claire Voyant. However, the softer side of the female vocals and piano is contrasted by heavy rock guitar. Love this track!!

This album is by far my favorite so far by Stromkern and is the one that turned me onto the band to begin with causing me to buy all his previous releases. However, this one stands out far and above his previous releases and I believe he will only get better. As for his use of hip-hop vocals, do not let this confuse you into thinking this is anything but pure hard electro-industrial because it is not some candy-coated hip-hip BS at all. Instead, think of Uberbyte as an example maybe. Though Stromkern’s “Stand Up” came first! Don’t forget it!

This is an excellent album for the Electro, Industrial, and EBM genres and is not only my favorite by Stromkern but is actually one of my favorite releases in the genre overall. This will likely go down as an all-time fave!! Definitely worth checking out!!! This is very well put together and the contrasting elements cleanly combined while maintaining a hard edge.

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Proceeds will be donated to the Foundation for Cancer Research and Wellness

PROMOTIONAL COPY TRACKLIST ONLY

NOTE: for a complete track list of all 5 CDs please visit Metropolis Records.

Disc 1-Diagnosis and Insurance (4 of 17 tracks)

02 – Stromkern – Notes From A War
04 – Interface – Never Say Farewell
05 – Chemlab – Solar Max (The Jimmy Semtex Coil)
09 – 16Volt – Things Unkind

Additional artists on disc: SMP, Boole, Bow Ever Down, The Gothsicles, Terrorfakt, Rein[Forced], Ego Likeness, Burikusu!!!, Inure, Cesium_137, Cyanotic, Silent Auction, & Terror Firma Sky

Disc 2-Chemotherapy and Radiation (5 of 17 tracks)

01 – The Dark Clan – Beat It, Kill It
03 – genCAB – Version 2 (Aesthetic Perfection Mix)
07 – Assemblage 23 – Impermanence (Flight AC-112 Mix)
08 – I:Scintilla – From A Wasteland To A Dream
10 – ThouShaltNot – Sick

Additional artists on disc: The Azoic, Christ Analogue, Prometheus Burning feat. Jimmy Semtex of Rein[Forced], Boxed Warning, Imperative Reaction, Combichrist, Sonik Foundry, XuberX, Mindless Faith, Cyber Strukture, vircon, & Jordan Decay

Disc 3-Surgery (4 of 16 tracks)

01 – Deathline Int’l – Breaking
02 – Encoder featuring Jimmy Semtex of Rein[Forced] and Patricia Wake – Jim’s Song
04 – backandtotheleft – Maybe Today
09 – System Syn – Blood (2009 Edit)

Additional artists on disc: Vicious Alliance, Nachtmahr, Null Device, Suicide Commando, Agnes Wired For Sound, Acumen Nation, Aesthetic Perfection, Dismantled, FGFC820, Everything Goes Cold, Leæther Strip, Mordacious, & Flesh Field

Disc 4-Recovery (4 of 16 tracks)

01 – Noisuf-X – White Noise (Gift Mix)
03 – The Atomica Project – Transmission
07 – Alter Der Ruine VS Premeditated Light – Dawn
13 – Hypefactor – The Sweetest Soul (Rex Mix)

Additional artists on disc: Hardwire, Massiv ini Mensch feat. Mind.In.A.Box, SD6, Obsenity Trial, nolongerhuman, Iris, Debutante, Andraculoid, Deviant UK, Freezepop, Spahn Ranch, & Caustic

Disc 5-Bonus Medication (Digital Download with physical CD purchase)

(no tracks represented in promo version)

Artists on bonus disc: Wreckcreation, Borderlines, AimOniA, Beloved Dead, Derek C.F. Pegritz, Molecule Party, Patricia Wake, Neurobash, Jon Zaremba, Less Like Flesh, EVP, Surviving The Odyssey, Retar-D2, The Hose Face, Sachem Orenda, & TowerOpensFire

REVIEW:
Generally, I must say that a 5 disc compilation project is not only a daunting task which deserves much respect for Metropolis Records for completing it but it’s downright intimidating. I mean, even to the consumer. It’s also a VERY bold move but one I hope will meet with much success! What I mean by this is that most music listeners these days try to get as much music as they can for as little money as possible, preferably free if they can, most often to the disatisfaction of record labels and musicians alike. Even without the bonus fifth disc, a 4CD compilation project is huge for fans. However, it’s being offered for the approximate cost of only 2-3 CDs so it’s a HUGE BARGAIN! If you buy the physical CD even moreso because you get the additional bonus disc of material as a download with the purchase that you do not get if you only purchase the Digital copy. Thus, it’s a HUGE undertaking to complete a project this size for the label but it’s also a great bargain for fans of Industrial music.

With this compilation you will see many of the most popular names in the current scene as well as many other older staples plus a smattering of new artists. If the tracks on the promotional copy are good representation of the overall project, which I think they most likely are, then this is one kickass collection for both old and new fans of the genre!

I must also add, as a label owner myself who has attempted compilation projects, this project is VERY well conceived. I am excited to see a compilation project with a solid theme and all associated tracks with appropriate lyrics and content. Personally, typical genre compilations are only good when that genre is new. This, however, is a project specifically dealing with the topic of Cancer and was produced to benefit Cancer Research. Jim Semonik (Distortion Productions), Cancer survivor and long time promoter and DJ, has assembled 83 artsits from around the world for this project in association with Metropolis Records. I love themes and this is definitely a worthy one with a worthy cause!! The most impassioned tracks, in my opinion, on the promo are ThouShaltNot’s “Sick”, which is a desperate plea for help, and “Maybe Today” by BackAndToTheLeft, which shows the every day, every moment struggle one lives with.

From a strictly musical perspective, there is a wide range of Industrial music represented from Harsh Electro and somewhat Caustic Noise to EBM & Trip-Hop, influenced tracks etc. In fact, I was so impressed with the promotional copy that I’m off to get the full thing myself, the physical version if there are any left!! This is a limited release so get yours while you still can. They will likely run out soon and then only the Digital versions will be available. I’d actually go so far as to say this is THE BEST Industrial compilation to come out in a long time!

I tried to stick to thematic compilations for Latex Records myself and I’ve also been doing so for my Podcast lately. I hope that others will pick up the torch and start doing more thought provoking compilation projects instead of just Tributes and very loosely themed releases. I absolutely love the fact that the artists jumped on this bandwagon for this cause and really put some time and effort into creating uniquely designed tracks for this specific project! KUDOS TO EVERYONE!

Great Piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about Electronic Saviors.

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Dismantled at Metropolis Records

On the 2010 season of American Idol we heard Andrew Garcia perform a wonderful acoustic version of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” during Hollywood week. However, back in 2005 in the EBM music scene, mastermind Gary Zon, the mind behind the band Dismantled, released a playful cover of the song on his EP “Breed To Death” on Metropolis Records. Having started as a Front Line Assembly sound-alike, this release was a fusion of 80’s, Electroclash, and Trance alongside traditional Electro elements and harsh synthetics. The title track was meant to exaggerate and stereotype the new wave of Electro, as well as balance the edge and complexity inherent in Dismantled’s music.

After seeing the American Idol episode, I just had to post something to help bring this excellent cover into the light! I’ve been a fan of Dismantled from the start and continue to enjoy the structural changes Gary has made with each progressive release. You can hear a sample of Dismantled’s version of the song as well as purchase a download copy by clicking the album artwork above.

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I found this book simply by chance. It happened to be sitting in a very visible location of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror section of a local bookstore while I was browsing for something new and entertaining to read. That is something I hardly do these days as usually I have predetermined list of things I want to read before ever entering a book store. I don’t normally read Star Wars books to be honest. In fact, I’ve only read two in the past. One of them was by RA Salvatore who I am a fan of for his Dark Elf series and the other was the first Star Wars book I’d ever seen after the movies started called Splinter of the Mind’s Eye by Alan Dean Foster. This one however caught my eye because of the unique artwork on its cover, a bloody storm trooper helmet suspended from a chain on a hook. I picked up the book and realized it was a Horror novel set in the Star Wars universe, published as an official Star Wars novel. Now, that’s interesting!!!

The main concept behind the story is a Prison barge, “Purge”, is on its way to its destination when two things occur. First, it has engine trouble and needs assistance and/or parts. Second, they encounter an Emperial Star Destroyer. When hailed, there is no response from the Destroyer so they send an team to locate the needed parts. Readings of the ship declare there is no life aboard. The Destroyer seems to be abandoned.

I don’t want to give any spoilers but will say that there is a lurking “evil” on the Destroyer and that the first half of the book is focused more on the disease the team takes back to the “Purge” and the rapid elimination of its crew to this deadly virus. As you can guess, the Destroyer is not empty but is instead infested with Emperial undead, zombies. The few remaining survivors have to navigate the “Purge” and the Destroyer to acquire the needed items and make an attempt at escape. I will say that about midway through some well known characters from the Star Wars saga are introduced and a lot of fun chaos ensues!

I found this book highly entertaining and would LOVE to see this in a movie form. Usually, I find novels better than their movie counterparts. However, in this case, the written word cannot do justice to the visuals that would be brought to life by a film. The only difficulty would be the already known Star Wars characters and who would play them.

If you love Star Wars and/or zombie fiction – this is definitely a fun and unique ride. I found the chapter of the Flesh Hill the most gross though. I hope there are more books in this series. Highly enteraining!!

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01. Division
02. Pale Horses
03. Shot In The Back Of The Head
04. Study War
05. Walk With Me
06. Stock Radio
07. Mistake
08. Scream Pilots
09. Jltf 1
10. Jltf
11. A Seated Night
12. Wait For Me
13. Hope Is Gone
14. Ghost Return
15. Slow Light
16. Isolate

Firstly, this is a collection of laid back tracks composed by Moby for this release rather than his Pop or Dance tracks he’s most often known for. However, anyone who is a Moby fan will tell you that his more chilled out tracks are often the ones that become the long-term favorites, like Procelain for instance. The only thing is that when you have a full album of them like this, individual tracks don’t tend to stand out as much. However, if you are like me and love Moby laid-back then this is definitely an album for you. This is a perfect album for reading on a Sunday afternoon for instance or any other leisure activity. There are some great combinations of ambient and groove-based elements and some, as only Moby can do it, nearly Gospel sounding soul!

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01. No Afterparty
02. All Pain Is Gone
03. I Want Your Blood
05. Can’t Change The Beat
06. Sent To Destroy
07. Spit
08. New Form Of Silence
09. Scarred
10. The Kill V2
11. Get Out Of My Head
12. Today We Are All Demons
13. At The End Of It All

The opening track is actually a recording of a voice message from someone who is going to jail for carrying a concealed weapon and needs bail. The speaker casually mentions that a female friend is in the hospital for attempting suicide. Clearly showing the sort of aggressive dark humor Combichrist is known for. LapPlegua opens the with the track “All Pain Is Gone” and you know he’s back with another pounding hook-heavy, beat-driven dance floor stomper. However, on the second track, “Kickstart The Fight”, you can tell he’s expanding the sound a bit as this is more Punk sounding while still maintaining the hard and heavy beats and Techno-esque rhythms. I personally love the addition of the female vocals. Reminds me a bit of KMFDM at the best of times, only better! Another favorite track is “Sent To Destroy”, which is what you’d expect from this project. The funniest track is “Spit” (fucking whore moms). Love the samples used for this!! The entire album is excellent and you will not be disappointed by the upbeat energy portrayed. The only exception to the overall tempo is the title track. This one took me by surprise as it starts out slow and dark and includes a bit of piano. Vocally, it sounds more like his work with Icon of Coil. The only negative, which is totally personal, is that with the release of the “Heat EP” the track “Can’t Change The Beat” now seems a bit redundant and overplayed to me. Overall, another great release for Combichrist.

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FaceBook has become one of the most popular social networking mediums. Fan Pages allow a company to actively engage the public and create a great visual presence on the Internet. Some of the basics of creating a successful FaceBook page may seem obvious, like ensuring you have clearly identifiable information such as your description and contacts. Utilizing other applications on the Boxes tab can also be effective. However, to create a truly unique Page you may want to consider creating a customized Fan Page. If you are familiar with FaceBook and Web Design you may be able to do this yourself. Otherwise, you may wish to seek assistance! There are many companies online that will perform this service for a fee, some as much as $1500 or more. We will do this for you for FAR less! Let us help you improve your Page and increase your fans.

| Contact | Examples |

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AMUL9 at the Black Lion Cafe
253 Auburn Ave NE Ste A
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 521-2366

Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 9:05pm
Monday, January 18, 2010 at 12:05am

“Amul9 is intelligent and informed; a band full of depth and insight. They make music and art with a social message behind it, raising awareness on the things they deem important in life and for humanity.” ~ BeAtlanta

AMUL9, modern Afro-Punk, Nubian Rock, & KMT (Kemetic) Core, began with founding members Zoser and Bilal. Zoser is the front man from 90’s Richmond hardcore band Indypendant. They have currently finished recording with Grammy Nominated Producer Miguel Scott at TreesoundStudios.com. The album will be addressing social, political, racial, and religious issues tagged taboo and give an avenue for reflection, contemplation, and general discussion. Come see this ground-breaking band while they are still an Atlanta original as they are already on their way to becoming internationally known. Those who see them live say, “they are a force to be reckoned with”.

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Another excellent resource by a man with lots of experience! Tour:Smart is project created and run by Martin Atkins, once drummer for Public Image Ltd. (PIL), and performed with other well known alternative bands such as Killing Joke, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails (NIN), and the Revolting Cocks, formed Murder Inc., Pigface, The Damage Manual, and has worked with the likes of Nivek Ogre (Skinny Puppy, Ohgr, Rx, Tear Garden, etc.), Bill Reiflin (Ministry, Pigface, R.E.M., and many others), Chris Vrenna (Tweaker, NIN, Marilyn Manson, Die Warzaw, Stabbing Westward), Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks, Ministry, Finitribe, PTP, Acid Horse, and more), and others. As you can see, he has an extensive career with some top notch Industrial/Alternative artists.

Tour:Smart is designed to help the Indie artist navigate their way through the dangerious waters of the music industry and teaches them how to succeed by careful planning. On his site he states, “You should fail because your band is shit or because you don’t have the balls. You shouldn’t fail because of a lack of some basic advice and a bit of planning.”

He continues, “What better person than you to navigate the dangerous waters ahead as you steer your unique vision through the shallow streams of compromise and the deep oceans of sell-out? Tour:Smart will help you avoid the wrecks of ambition as you head towards the constantly moving “X” on the tissue paper treasure map. We will help you know when a random collision of events is creating an opportunity or danger, whether to go for it or blow your nose on it, crash on the rocks or grind them up and snort them.

Tour:Smart is a stained glass reflection of what it takes to tour successfully and make it – whatever that means. It is part basic knowledge, part math, part poetry, part alchemy, and part understanding that each and everyone of the limitations placed upon you by terrain, physical distance, your bank account, head, heart, and your willingness to choose to ignore the things that stand in your way. In pulling all of this apart over the last 30 years, I reached a delightful conclusion: it is only the people who are prepared to risk everything that will be rewarded.”

If you are an indie artist looking for some knowledge, assistance, and no BS wisdom from someone who’s lived to tell – check out Tour:Smart:

http://tstouring.com/

Lee Popa ~ “If you don’t buy this book you will work a lifetime playing catch-up to the bands who do.”

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