Gender: Male
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Age: 44
Sign: Gemini
City: Santa Clara
State: California
Country: US
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Thursday, January 01, 2009
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DEKADANCE UPDATE for show airing 1/2/09
Current mood:  crunk
Category: Music
Welcome Baby New Year!
...And a warm welcome to 2009 to all you D-Dancers out there! I thought I'd start off 2009 right with an all live music Deka-Feature for the first Deka-Show of 2009. It's all live, and it's all heavy-duty stuff, to get your New Years parties started out on a nice note of angst and aggression! So, ladies and gentlemen, start your Deka-Engines!
DEKADANCE ARTIST FEATURES FOR SHOW AIRING FRIDAY, JAN. 2nd FROM 9pm UNTIL SATURDAY, JAN. 3rd AT 1am PACIFIC STANDARD TIME ON KSCU 103.3 FM IN SANTA CLARA CA. USA - ONLINE SIMULCAST AT WWW.KSCU.ORG
ALL LIVE, ALL HEAVY, NEW YEARS DEKA-PARTY!!!
KATATONIA - "Live Consternation" (2007 import live CD+DVD - latest release): I just recently became a convert of this Swedish group, as I was led to the band after first becoming a fan of the Italian band Klimt 1918. Klimt 1918 are MySpace friends with Katatonia, and I read a review of Klimt 1918 saying that fans of that band might also enjoy Katatonia. Well, that worked for me, as I now consider myself a devoted Katatonia disciple! The sound of Katatonia falls somewhere between Doom Rock, Goth, and Melodic Metal. While the band is fairly steeped in heaviness, there is also a large amount of melodic content to Katatonia's songs. Another major plus is that vocalist Jonas Renkse, (that's him in the front with the long hair in the pic below) actually SINGS! The dude has a great voice that really helps to elevate the band's sound far above the typical Metal soundscape. This live set sounds great on the audio CD, and the DVD of the concert is pretty kool too. I highly recommend you check these guys out! Here is a bio courtesy of the Katatonia website, listed below:
Track listing
- "Leaders"
- "Wealth"
- "Soil's Song"
- "Had To (Leave)"
- "Cold Ways"
- "Right into the Bliss"
- "Ghost of the Sun"
- "Criminals"
- "Deliberation"
- "July"
- "Evidence"
HIM - "Digital Versatile Doom: Live At The Orpheum Theatre" (2008 live CD+DVD - latest release): This is a great live concert by those Finnish Doom Rockers, more commonly known as HIM. HIM excel at writing very melodic, yet still heavy and angst-filled songs that have a wide-ranging appeal to all fans of dark music. More amazingly, how Ville Valo can smoke during a concert and still sing has to be seen to be believed. Please, someone get this guy on Nicorette or the Nicotine Patch as soon as possible, before he loses his great vocal abilities! I'm glad the DVD in this set is not in smell-a-round, or I'd be sick from second-hand smoke! Here is some info on the set courtesy of Wikipedia:
Digital Versatile Doom (a.k.a Digital Versatile Doom: Live at the Orpheum Theatre XXXVII A.S.) is HIM's first commercially released live album and live DVD, as opposed to the bootlegged Live and Undercover which was not official. The DVD was directed by Meiert Avis in Los Angeles at the Orpheum Theater between 14 and 15 November 2007. The DVD features the live performance, as well as behind the scenes look at the show. Also featured on the DVD is the winner of HIM's biggest fans competition go to Seattle, Washington to meet the band. A special edition was available for pre-order on 1 February 2008, which comes with a limited edition 6" X 4" hand-numbered flipbook limited to 3500 copies in North America and 500 in the UK. The imagery is from HIM's live performance of "Sleepwalking Past Hope" at that concert. Digital Versatile Doom also contains band interviews and fan videos.
An unspecified delay occurred during the release of the product to the market, with the release date being changed from the 31 March to 29 April, and further to 17 May for Australian listeners.
On 8 May, the album made its chart debut at 59 on the Swedish Albums Chart. It also debuted at 48 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart. www.heartagram.com
CD track listing
- "Passion's Killing Floor"
- "Wings of a Butterfly"
- "Buried Alive By Love"
- "Wicked Game"
- "The Kiss of Dawn"
- "Vampire Heart"
- "Poison Girl"
- "Dead Lovers' Lane"
- "Join Me"
- "It's All Tears (Drown in This Love)"
- "Sleepwalking Past Hope" (Abridged Cut)
- "Killing Loneliness"
- "Soul On Fire"
- "Your Sweet 666"
- "Bleed Well"
- "The Funeral of Hearts"
RAMMSTEIN - "Völkerball " (2007 live CD+DVD - latest release): What truly dark and heavy New Years party would be complete without these German masters of musical mayhem?!! This live concert CD+DVD gives witness to the unforgettable even that is a Rammstein concert. The audio CD in this set, while great, pales in comparison to the DVD, as Rammstein in concert are as much visual spectacle as audio extravaganza. You can almost FEEL the heat of the intense inferno these guys create with their incredible pyrotechnics as you watch the DVD! The unbelievable amount of real, actual FIRE that these dudes generate in their show has to be seen to be truly appreciated! How Rammstein can actually play as well as they do live with all the fireballs and explosions going off all around them is beyond my comprehension. If I ever decide to throw major New Years party, I'm waiting until I win the f-ing lottery so I can hire Rammstein to be my musical entertainment! Here is some info on this live set courtesy of two sources, listed below:
Now that the band has finished pre-production in Berlin for its new album, Operation "Album 6" is going forward full steam ahead. Christoph Schneider arrived in Los Angeles last week to meet with Jacob Hellner and production team (i.e., currently Ulf Kruckenberg and Florian Ammon) to undertake preparations for recording of all the drum tracks. Also to arrive in L.A. this week for the drum sessions, Paul and Richard. Finally, a studio has been rented near San Francisco for the bulk of the main recording work, and the band will go into retreat there for several weeks starting on November 9th, 2008. Clear the decks, the Rammstein tanker is once again under steam!
From Wikipedia
Völkerball (German for "Dodgeball", lit. "Peoples' ball") is the German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein's live album/DVD set. It was released on November 17, 2006 in Europe, December 19, 2006 in Canada, and on September 18, 2007 in the U.S. The album was advertised within media by the Ich will live video featured on the DVD and Mann gegen Mann single.
The standard edition-packaging comes in both CD-sized and DVD-sized formats. The special edition features two DVD's and one CD. The extra DVD comes with the documentary 'Anakonda Im Netz' and the 'Making Of Reise, Reise album'. The limited edition has two DVD's, two CDs and a photobook.
Name
Völkerball is the German name for the game of dodge ball. Literally it means Peoples' Ball. One could also think that the combination of the word Ball, being a dancing event like English ball or prom, in connection with Peoples and relating to the musical act Rammstein, means Dancing/Musical event of (all) peoples.
Versions
Standard Edition: 2 Disc Set
- 1 DVD, 140min concert footage filmed in: Nîmes, Tokyo, London, and Moscow
- 1 Audio CD, 75min live audio recorded in Nîmes
Special Edition: 3 Disc Set
- 1 DVD, 140min concert footage filmed in: Nîmes, Tokyo, London, and Moscow
- 1 Audio CD, 75min live audio recorded in Nîmes
Including:
- 1 DVD, 90min documentary: Anaconda in the Net and Reise, Reise: The Making of the Album
Limited 'Tourbook' Edition: 4 Disc Set
- 1 DVD, 140min concert footage filmed in: Nîmes, Tokyo, London, and Moscow
- 2 Audio CDs, the entire live-audio-recording of the concert in Nîmes (105 minutes, dead airs were edited)
Including:
- 1 DVD, 90min documentary: Anaconda in the Net and Reise, Reise: The Making of the Album
- 190 page special numbered tour-photobook (27cm x 31cm),
- This edition was released on a very limited print of 40,000 copies, and each copy has a sticker saying what its number is.
Track listing
- Les Arènes de Nîmes, France, July 23, 2005
-
-
- Reise, Reise
- Links 2 3 4
- Keine Lust
- Feuer frei!
- Asche zu Asche
- Morgenstern
- Mein Teil
- Stein um Stein
- Los
- Du riechst so gut
- Benzin
- Du hast
- Sehnsucht
- Amerika
- Rammstein
- Sonne
- Ich will
- Ohne dich
- Stripped
Trivia
Personnel
-------------------------------------
DEKADANCE w/ E.O.
Fri: 9pm-Sat: 1am Pacific Standard Time
KSCU 103.3 FM
Santa Clara CA. USA
DEKADANCE is in its 24th year on KSCU!
4:38 AM
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DEKADANCE UPDATE for show airing 12/26/08
Current mood:  creative
Category: Music
DEKADANCE ARTIST FEATURES FOR SHOW AIRING FRIDAY, DEC. 26th FROM 9pm UNTIL SATURDAY, DEC. 27th AT 1am PACIFIC STANDARD TIME ON KSCU 103.3 FM IN SANTA CLARA CA. USA-ONLINE SIMULCAST AT WWW.KSCU.ORG
ELEGANT MACHINERY - "A Soft Exchange" (new import release): Since this fine Synthpop band from Sweden had broken up quite some time ago, I had figured we had heard the last of Elegant Machinery. To my great surprise though, here we have a brand new album by the very same band! EM have never sounded better! The album is full of extremely melodic Synthpop, well produced, with one memorable tune after another. My only complaint is that, at under 40 minutes, the album is just too damn short! Other than that, it's a great return to form by one of the best Synthpop bands to ever come out of Scandinavia. Check out the band's videos for new songs "Move," and "Feel The Silence" on YouTube, and you'll see what I mean. here's a bio on EM courtesy of their MySpace site, at www.myspace.com/elegantmachinery:
elegant MACHINERY is, without a doubt, one of the most popular synthpop bands ever to grow out of Sweden and Scandinavia.
Influenced by bands like early Depeche Mode, Human League, Yazoo and DATA from who's third album the name elegant MACHINERY is taken. The band started out in 1988 with a goal to make music the way it was made in the early 80's; pop music based on synthesizers.
Since the release of the debut album Degraded Faces in 1991, and with the 1993 album Shattered Grounds and the 1996 album Yesterday Man, elegant MACHINERY has grown in popularity and managed to maintain a faithful group of fans all over the world.
elegant MACHINERY toured extensively during the mid 90's, and had a couple of chart climbers in Sweden and several performances on Swedish radio and television during the same period. The biggest success though, was when the single Process managed to climb as high as number 5 on the official Spanish chart back in 1992.
elegant MACHINERY has always been a very popular band on stage, which was proven in 1998 when they won the price as "best live-act 1997" on SEMA (Swedish electronic music awards).
Even though things seemed to go in the right direction, problems with labels and other personal reasons, led to the split of the band during the winter of 1998/99.
In early 2005 the members of elegant MACHINERY started to make music together again. And after the two hit singles "Feel the Silence" (February 2008) and "Move" (August 2008), the fourth long awaited full length album "A Soft Exchange" was finally released on the German label Out Of Line Music (November 2008).
XANDRIA-"Salomé - The Seventh Veil" (2007 release - latest full-length studio release of new material): I had heard of this excellent Symphonic/Melodic Metal band from Germany before, but had never heard their stuff, until my buddy Jacek at Artoffact Records in Canada clued me in. Jacek just recently sent me Xandria's latest studio full-length of new material, 2007's "Salomé - The Seventh Veil", and upon listening to it, I found I really enjoyed it. If you like band's like Within Temptation, like I do, then you'll LOVE Xandria. Like Within Temptation, Xandria is fronted by a incredibly beautiful and extremely talented female vocalist named Lisa Middelhauve. Just take a peek at her photos above or below, and you'll see what I mean about the "incredibly beautiful" part. I was very bummed out to discover though, while doing research for this Deka-Update, that Lisa has recently left the band. Xandria have recently stated on their website, however, that they have found a new vocalist, though they haven't stated who it is yet. Whoever she is, it must have been very difficult to find someone who could measure up to Lisa! We'll have to wait and find out! Here are two bio's on Xandria, for your reading enjoyment. I, myself, will keep on gazing intently at Lisa's picture below! 
From www.myspace.com/xandria
A touch of feminine sensuality, a hint of far away strange places where only wishful dreams will take us, carried on wings of metallic hardness and at the same time accompanied by that certain darkness - these images come to mind when listening to the music of Xandria, a band who can look back on four successful albums.
Following the stir that the band had already created on the underground scene with several demo songs which had been released on the Internet, Xandria laid the cornerstone of a long career in 2003 with their debut "Kill The Sun". The release was greeted by enthusiastic reactions and made directly for the German Media Control Charts, followed by a tour all over Germany. When they headed for the album charts one year later on the black wings of "Ravenheart", carried by Celtic winds, a mythical element had become an ingredient of their music. They stayed in the charts for a full two months, making no. 36, and enchanted their growing fan base with the fantasy clip which accompanied the title track "Ravenheart" and has come to be considered a classic of the genre. The press were unanimous in their praise, and tours and festival performances followed. Summer 2004 saw the band play the main stage of the Summer Breeze festival and the Busan International Rock Festival in Korea - the biggest in Southeast Asia -, where they wowed 30,000 people. "Ravenheart" went on to beat the pants off the debut's success, the band joining the ranks of the luminaries of the scene. Their bombastic third album release, "India", recorded together with the Babelsberg Film Orchestra and a number of guest musicians, followed in 2005 and proved that the band had continued to mature. "India" took them to no. 30 of the charts and for the first time also to other countries, such as Russia, the UK, and Mexico.
But what exactly is it that makes this band so enormously fascinating? The musicians blend metal with visionary sonic landscapes into the soundtrack of another, very different world. Xandria's world allows you to be vulnerable or strong, show emotions and live all those beautiful dreams that reality seems to sneer on.
Their retrospective "Now & Forever - The Best Of Xandria", out on 6 June 2008, is a cross section of Xandria's many facets, featuring songs from all four albums, including their most recent release, "Salomé - The Seventh Veil", which was another chart success. This best-of package also includes a live DVD featuring footage from their Summer Breeze 2007 show, complemented by a number of cuts from the band's history.
And true to the spirit of its album title, "Now & Forever", Xandria's adventurous journey through their musical world will continue, and they will be happy to take you along if you let them …
From Wikipedia
Lisa Middelhauve (born November 28, 1980) was the lead singer and pianist of German symphonic metal band Xandria. The band has recently released their fourth album "Salomé - The Seventh Veil" and the single from the album "Save My Life" in which Lisa sports a darker hair colour than the other three albums ("Kill the Sun", "Ravenheart", and "India") in which she has dark red hair.
As of April 30th, 2008, Lisa Middelhauve is no longer Xandria's singer. She has left the band citing personal reasons and discomfort at being the band's leader. The band has found a new singer and will announce it soon. www.myspace.com/xandria
I:SCINTILLA - "Optics" (2007 import debut): I decided that only playing one excellent band with an incredibly beautiful and talented female vocalist was NOT enough, we really needed TWO. So, I proudly present the Chicago band I:Scintilla! I:Scintilla is fronted by the very lovely vocalist Brittany Bindrim. If you take a peek at the photos above, and especially below, you'll understand what I mean by "very lovely." Besides being quite hot, Brittany also has a real strong set of "pipes." Strangely enough though, this U.S. band is on a Belgian label, the mighty Alfa-Matrix! If you like the type of music made by, say, The Birthday Massacre, then you will most definitely dig I:Scintilla. While The Birthday Massacre lean toward the Rock side, I:Scintilla seem to lean a bit more on the Elektro side. Either way, ya can't go wrong kids! Here are two bio's on I:Scintilla for you to enjoy, after you tear your eyes away from Brittany's picture, that is!
From www.iscintilla.com
Chicago's I:Scintilla (pronounced eye-sin-til-uh) have jumped from recording demo songs in a bedroom to collaborating with some of modern music's best artists and releasing music on an international level. Fronted by Brittany Bindrim (vocals/words) and backed by Jim Cookas (guitar/programming), Vincent Grech (drums), and Chad Mines (bass), the group seamlessly fuses electronic and rock elements while pushing the boundaries of pop music. Bindrim's intensely seductive voice and insightful words paint a dark picture of loss, redemption, and introspection and are delivered via insatiably catchy hooks. The music drapes the mood with intricately layered synthesizers, grinding guitar riffs, and a mix of live and programmed drums. The quartet's unique sound has drawn comparisons to Garbage, Theatre of Tragedy, and The Birthday Massacre.
Upon forming in 2003, I:Scintilla quickly wrote and recorded songs that would be part of their self-released debut album, The Approach (July 2004). After consistent critical praise and a solid year of live performances, a buzz began to spread and record labels began to take notice. The band eventually signed with Belgian electro label, Alfa-Matrix, and joined an impressive roster that includes Front 242 and Collide. On Havestar (August 2006), the first release with their new label, the band worked with famed electronic producer Wade Alin (Atomica, Christ Analogue) and the result was four electrifying recordings with top notch production elements. The EP was rounded out by club remixes, including stellar interpretations from the likes of Combichrist and Claus Larsen (Leather Strip). The release found success with the critics, clubs, radio, and a varied cross-section of music fans. As a result, Havestar spent four weeks on the DAC (Deutsche Alternative Charts) Top 20 Singles and peaked at 13.
Their latest full-length effort, Optics (June 2007), found the band exploring new sounds and traversing genres while maintaining an emphasis on sophisticated songwriting. Bindrim's voice soars on the epic opening track, "Cursive Eve", and she never looks back. With Alin producing again, the quartet shows off their polished new sound with sexy dance-rock ("Ultravioletfly", "Machine Vision") and club-friendly synthpop ("Melt", "Toy Soldier"). Meanwhile they are just as comfortable utilizing organic rock elements on the beautifully haunting "Translate" and powerful "Salt Of Stones". Bindrim's lyrics have never been better as she explores topics of a more political, social, and sexual nature on the 12-track set. Optics is also available as a limited edition 2-CD box set, which includes a poster, additional artwork, and a 12-track bonus disc with remixes from Combichrist, Clan of Xymox, Mortiis, and many others.
The band made a big impact in 2007. In May, they performed at Wave Gotik Treffen, the world's largest dark music and arts festival held in Leipzig, Germany. Upon its release in June, Optics once again found success with the European music scene and spent seven weeks on the DAC Top 10 Albums, peaking at 6.
I:Scintilla are currently writing and recording material for their upcoming album, slated for a December 2008 release.
From www.myspace.com/iscintilla
I:Scintilla's latest full-length effort finds the band exploring new sounds and traversing genres while maintaining an emphasis on sophisticated songwriting. Bindrim's voice soars on the epic opening track, "Cursive Eve", and she never looks back. With Wade Alin producing again, the quartet shows off their polished new sound with sexy dance-rock ("Ultravioletfly", "Machine Vision") and club-friendly synthpop ("Melt", "Toy Soldier"). Meanwhile they are just as comfortable utilizing organic rock elements on the beautifully haunting "Translate" and powerful "Salt Of Stones". Bindrim's lyrics have never been better as she explores topics of a more political, social, and sexual nature on the 12-track set.
NAMNAMBULU - "Distances" (2003: only/final full-length studio release): I still shed a tear, metaphorically speaking, when I think of this fine band from Switzerland, and their very short but illustrious career. I'm speaking of the very oddly named NamNamBulu, and their one full-length release. 2003's "Distances." showed a band with incredible promise, poised to reach the upper echelons of the Elektro Muzik world. Alas, it was not to be, as the duo of vocalist Henrik Iversen and keyboard genius Vasi Vallis could not resolve their personal and artistic differences, and the band imploded not long after "Distances" was released. While Vasi has gone on to form another great duo in Frozen Plasma, and Henrik is in a new band called Sonic Decoy, nothing either have produced so far has been as enjoyable to my ears as NamNamBulu was. "Distances" is Elektro/Synthpop at it's finest! Here's a short bio on NamNamBulu courtesy of the band's website, which is still up, at www.namnambulu.com:
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From Wikipedia:
NamNamBulu was a synthpop/futurepop band consisting of Henrik Iversen (lyrics and vocals) and Vasi Vallis (songwriting and arrangement). After several charting albums, their 2005 release Alone reached 53 on the Deutsche Alternative Charts. The band split up in June 2005.
BOBBY-"Thursday In This Universe" (2008 import - final release)/"Romantic & Bleeding" (2003 import debut): Speaking of bands/duo's breaking up, I just discovered in my research for this Deka-Update that the fine Swedish Synthpop band Bobby will be calling it quits as of Jan. 1st, 2009. What a drag! Bobby has only released two albums! It should be noted, however, that they are two albums of the highest musical quality. Bobby always emphasized the "Pop" in their brand of Synthpop, with fine songs full of melody and hooks. It's just too bad we won't be hearing more from them, because these guys could and should have been much bigger than they were, as they definitely had the musical talent and ability. Here is a Bobby bio courtesy of their website, listed below:
1998
BOBBY was formed in Stockholm, Sweden by longtime friends Torben Doe (synthesizers) and Julian Brandt (Vocals). By that time BOBBY was like from another planet with their positive pop songs and romantic synthesizers.
Julian and his bass joins the band Kamera (98-01)
1999
BOBBYs first (3-track) demo lands them a contract with Air Chrysalis Scandinavia. ("Space beside you" and "Will you still love me tomorrow" were among those songs)
Torben joins Kamera as the band starts playing a more electronic kind of 80's style.
2000
First live performance at an overcrowded Mosebacke, Stockholm.
2001
Julian and Torben goes to Mexico, writing over 15 songs, -The Mexico Session. (Among those songs are "She's History", "Burning Sun", "Masquerade", "2 To Believe" and "Swimming With Sharks").
2002
BOBBY tours Sweden as a part of the Model Search Tour.
At Kungsträdgården (Stockholm) BOBBY is part of the About To Break Show.
2003
The debut album "Romantic & Bleeding" was finaly released on Imperial Recordings, including the singles "Sooner or later" (P3, SVT Lilla Aktuellt, TV5 comercial, ZTV, Live P3 Star.) "Losing control" (Top 20, P3, Sommartoppen, Okejdagen, TV4 Nyhetsmorgon, Tracks, SVT Combo, ZTV) and "Tonight let's show the world" (Rix Fm, Hitvarning P3, Svensktoppen, Pridefestivalen, SVT 24 Nöje.)
This year studio technician, super musician and good friend Lars, was a full time member of BOBBY
2004
Fan favorite radio promo single "Come crashing in" (P3, MTV Nordic Top 20) was released on their own label, BBmusic.
In the summer of 04 Julian and Torben were looking for a drummer and guitarist, it all turned out to be the start of a new band, The PaperFaces.
Julian and his bass joins Lustans Lakejer as a support act of Kraftwerk at Arvikafestivalen and as for fun he starts working on a solo project with fellow musicians Christer Lundberg (Universal Poplab), Kitty Jutbring (Kitty And The K), Anders Ljung (Space Age Baby Jane), Neena (Pay TV), Joakim Hjelm (Kamera), Toril (Alice In Videoland), Carl Hammar (DayBehavior), Sophie Rimheden, Fredrik Hällström (Le Sport) and Johan Kinde (Lustans Lakejer).
2005
BOBBY released the summer single "She's History" (P5, P4 Riks, also including on hit collection MR. Music 9, Top 20, Expressens Sommarturné.)
During the "She's History" session, the recordings, the video, gigs, Andy A (The PaperFaces, Melody Club) was behind the drums.
In the summer guitarist Martin Hentzel joins the band.
BOBBY performing on stage for the last time before the break at Gröna Lund, Stockholm.
2006
(Original written for the debut album "Romantic & Bleeding"), The PaperFaces "DiscoBoy" (P3, Hultsfredsfestivalen) and "The Breakin' Up EP" with the single "Breakin' Up" (MTV, ZTV, P3 Svea, P5.) was released.
2007
BOBBY..s back, recording new material.
A new website and this MySpace site is re-launched.
Julian and his bass joins Lustans Lakejer at Melodifestivalen 07.
The single, "Another Day (No Ones Fault") is released on their own label, BBmusic in may. Different Record labels shows their interest and Bobby signs with Memento Materia.
In the summer The Paper Faces were performing live at Siesta (Hässleholm) and Arvikafestivalen.
The first single "The Ghost Of You Remains" from the forthcoming Bobby album "THURSDAY IN THIS UNIVERSE" was released October 10th.
2008
The second single, "Autumn Never Leaves" (P3 Tracks, P4, Hit collection Mr. Music, ZTV, Super Ballads CD) is released February 29th.
The album "THURSDAY IN THIS UNIVERSE" was released in April.
The next single "So Many Scars" / "Romantic Flow" is released October 3th. A remix of the song is included on the "Electropop 1" compilation, out in stores October 31.
BOBBY are performing live November/December.
December 31th. BOBBY are splitting up after 10 years.
"We've had a great time and we're proud of what we have accomplished together. We are involved in different new projects and we're gonna continue to write songs together."
Lots of love from Julian & Torben.
END OF STORY www.bobbymusic.com
IRIS-"Hydra" (2008 release - compilation of new tracks and remixes): I had the honor and pleasure of meeting and interviewing Iris earlier this year in San Francisco on their tour with the German band Seabound. Not only are Iris one of the biggest and most popular Synthpop bands around, but they also happen to be very nice guys as well. Due to scheduling mixups, I wasn't able to interview them before the show, but the band graciously allowed me to interview them after the show was over. For those of you out there who don't interview a lot of bands, let me tell you, that is an almost unheard of gesture of kindness. in fact, I can't think offhand of any other of the MANY bands I have interviewed over the years ever allowing that. It's nice to meet a band as well-known and as talented as Iris, and discovering they are so humble and down-to-Earth. As for the "Hydra" release, it's a very kool collection of three band new tracks, as well as a bunch of remixes from the band's last full-length, 2005's "Wrath." Here's a bio on Iris courtesy of the band's MySpace page, at www.myspace.com/irismusic:
Reagan Jones - Vocals, songwriting
Andrew Sega - Programming, guitars, keyboards
Taking elements of rock, glitch, retro-flavored-synth music, and coloring it with a decidedly melodic worldview, Iris is a band that's hard to classify. And with their new remix release "Hydra", they extend their musical boundaries even further.
Originally a bar band of sorts, singer Reagan Jones and original keyboardist Matt Morris banded together in the last 90's to create uniquely melodic, synth-heavy pop tracks. Their first record, "Disconnect" spawned the worldwide club hit "Annie, Would I Lie To You?", and was one of the best-selling records in label A Different Drum's history. Three more singles followed, but tensions between Reagan and Matt were coming to a head, and the band began to break apart.
Luckily, a few years later, Reagan hooked up with new member Andrew Sega, and started a whole new chapter in the band's history. Adding some guitars to the mix, and taking the production in a more experimentally electronic direction, Iris released "Awakening" in 2003. It was memorably organic, powerful, and really showcased Reagan's strong songwriting. This would also be the first Iris release on Andrew's new label, Diffusion Records. The success of this record led to a European release deal, a full tour of Germany and Switzerland, and festival dates in Sweden and the UK.
During this time, the third record was taking shape. For this record, the band wanted to take a more aggressive approach, add a bit of darkness, and keep pushing the edges of their sound. The mixture of these elements culminated in 2005's "Wrath". Rock-oriented songs collided with electronic beats and evocative, atmospheric soundscapes. The first single, "Appetite" went to 1 on mainstream radio in Poland, and the band set off again for more European shows, festivals in Moscow and London, and toured with electro-pop luminaries such as De/Vision and Mesh.
Fast-forward to the present, and we see the band releasing their first CD/DVD combo release, "Hydra". Featuring 3 brand new tracks, as well as remixes from bands like Mesh, Alpinestars, Datguy, Benz & MD, "Hydra" lets other talented producers take the Iris sound and add their own stamp on it. Bundled together with a 40 minute "behind the scenes" tour diary DVD, "Hydra" writes yet another chapter in the constantly evolving Iris story. www.irismusic.com
NEUROTICFISH - "A Greater Good - History: 1998-2008" (new Best Of compilation - final release): Now this is REALLY starting to piss me off! Again, while doing research for this Deka-Update, I found out that this excellent German Elektro project had called it quits! I mean, come on, what is going on these days?!! For those of you would hadn't discovered the musical charms of Neuroticfish, the band was really the one man studio project of a very talented guy named Sascha Mario Klein, He added some members when he played live, but in the studio it was all him. The sound of Neuroticfish was melodic and catchy, while at the same time being very intense, especially in a rhythmic sense. Many of the songs had a very nice sense of darkness and melancholia about them. It really is a shame it has ended, as Neuroticfish had quite a string of albums that seemed to further refine the band's sound with each new release. At least Sascha has left us with this fine Best of release, which actually features two new songs. Here is a bio on the band courtesy of Wikipedia:
From Wikipedia
Neuroticfish was the name of a German musical project whose styles were borrowed from Electronic body music, futurepop, and synthpop, as well as other types of electronic music. It released its music on the Dancing Ferret Discs record label.
History
Neuroticfish's sole member is Sascha Mario Klein. Klein cites his musical inspirations as such bands as Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, and Depeche Mode, and began experimenting with music on his own in the early 90's. After Neuroticfish was born, Klein did not make the typical efforts of a musician to send out a demo; instead, he relied on the internet as a medium of expression for his music. Klein was eventually offered a place on a synthpop compilation called A Reflexion of Synthpop. From this point on, Neuroticfish gained popularity in the club scene, where he has made an impact ever since.
Klein gained some notoriety after one of his songs contained the sample "Electronic body music is dead." It has since become somewhat of a catchphrase for Neuroticfish. In the single "The Bomb" there is an advertisement for the band's website, www.ebmisdead.com.
On January 4, 2008 the official Neuroticfish MySpace page had a message announcing that the band would cease to exist after its performance at the 2008 edition of the Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival in Leipzig, Germany. On May 12, 2008, the official Neuroticfish web site states that the musical project is "closed".
Discography
Studio albums
- No Instruments, 1999, CD
- No Instruments (Second Edition), 2000, CD
- Les Chansons Neurotiques, 2002, CD
- Surimi, 2003, CD
- Gelb, 2005, CD
- No Instruments (USA Release), 2006, CD
- A Greater Good (Best of), 2008, CD
The final gig in Leipzig was fun. Thanx to all the fans, who said goodbye and shared this special moment with us. We won't forget this great evening and this wonderful audience. Now it's time to leave. This project is closed. But this MySpace will remain online and our webmaster will check for comments and messages from time to time. www.myspace.com/neuroticfish
take care,
Sascha
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DEKADANCE w/ E.O.
Fri: 9pm-Sat: 1am Pacific Standard Time
KSCU 103.3 FM/Santa Clara CA. USA
www.kscu.org
www.myspace.com/dekadude
DEKADANCE is in its 24th year on KSCU!
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Sunday, December 14, 2008
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DEKADANCE UPDATE for show airing 12/19/08
Current mood: creative
Category: Music
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."
With those long lines at the post office, the mall, the unemployment office, etc. Why not take a break this Friday night from the holiday hustle and bustle, and enjoy a nice, piping hot cup o' Dekadance?!! Here are this week's yummy Deka-Features!
DEKADANCE ARTIST FEATURES FOR SHOW AIRING FRIDAY, DEC. 19th FROM 9pm UNTIL SATURDAY, DEC. 20th AT 1am PACIFIC STANDARD TIME ON KSCU 103.3 FM IN SANTA CLARA CA. USA-ONLINE SIMULCAST AT WWW.KSCU.ORG
 NEW CONCEPT - "Stomp!" (new import EP)/"The Outer Gates" (2004 import release)/"Wheel Of Love" (2000 import release): It's been four long years since we heard anything new by this most excellent German Synthpop group. It was also four long years between the band's first and second albums. These guys aren't exactly prolific, but with the exceedingly high quality of New Concept's music, I guess they don't have to be. New Concept write incredibly melodic and unbelievably catchy songs. For the most part, it's Synthpop, but they also add really nice guitar flourishes here and there as well. The production is great, and the vocalist has a very expressive voice that is perfectly suited to the music. Now, we finally have a new release from New Concept, the import EP "Stomp!" From what I have heard of it, it maintains the New Concept musical tradition well. These guys definitely have their shit together, musically speaking. Now, if we could just get them to release stuff a little quicker....Oh well, guess you can't have everything. Here's some info on the first two New Concept release courtesy of www.musicnonstop.co.uk:
New album sounding like a mixture of Human League, Kraftwerk, Erasure and Faithless. Apart from their stylistically diverse own compositions, New Concept also have a knack for cool cover versions. On their new album they pay homage to Vince Clarke and The Assembly by covering the legendary track ''Never, Never''. After De/Vision, Wolfsheim, Beborn Beton and Zoon Politicon another hot act on Europe's leading Electropop label Strangeways.
From East Germany, New Concept debuted in 2000 with their well received album ''Wheel Of Love'' and return here with their brand new album. ''The Outer Gates'' presents well balanced and intelligent electronics together with tender and nicely manipulated guitar-parts - creating a taught electro / synthpop sound design over which the touching vocals are added. Wonderful tracks such as ''U Stop Me'', ''Wild Brain'', ''Wonderful Star'' and ''Station Man'' are uptempo electro-pop songs full of catchy refrains and driving choruses, delivering modern, club compatible synthpop at its finest. For all fans of Mesh, De/Vision, Camouflage etc.
T.O.Y. -"White Lights' (2003: latest release - out of print)/"Space Radio" (2001 import debut as T.O.Y. - out of print)
EVIL'S TOY - "Silvertears" (2000 import release - final release as Evil's Toy - out of print)/"Angels Only!" (1998 release on Metropolis - out of print): I felt compelled recently to dig out these release from the fantastic German band T.O.Y./Evil's Toy my personal library and listen to them again. They are so freakin' great, I just felt like I needed to spin them again, since it's been quite awhile since I have played them on the show. I recently asked Todd Durrant of A Different Drum (www.adifferentdrum.com) what had become of T.O.Y., since they haven't released anything since their 2003 CD on Todd's label. Todd told me that Volker, the excellent vocalist and musical mastermind of the band, had just recently contacted him to inform him that he was writing new music again. Apparently, Volker took a few years off from music to work at a job with an airline, or something like that. The band started out as Evil's Toy in the early 90's, and they played pretty heavy-duty Industrial stuff. By 1998's "Angel's Only!" album, they had pretty much completely moved toward a more Synthpop sound. After the fantastic album "Silvertears" in 2000, they decided to drop the "Evil's" part of their name, and just call themselves T.O.Y. from then on. They re-christened the name T.O.Y. to mean "Trademark Of Youth." They then released two very excellent albums as T.O.Y., before ceasing all activity after 2003's "White Lights." All the Evil's Toy/T.O.Y. stuff is out of print now. However, since they are starting to make music again, maybe they will eventually re-release all their past material. Until then, I guess you'll just have to tune in and listen to me play them! Here's a bio on Evil's Toy/T.O.Y courtesy of Wikipedia:
From Wikipedia:
T.O.Y. is a German Futurepop/Synthpop band. The project was formerly known as Evil's Toy, which was closer to electro-industrial in sound.
History
as Evils Toy
Evils Toy started out in 1992 as the project of Volker Lutz and Thorsten Brenda. They duly prepared a demo tape which secured their signature to the Hypnobeat label, who released their debut album "Human Refuse" in 1994. Their combination of distorted vocals and EBM rhythms with occasional touched of melody proved to relatively successful, though their real breakthrough came two years later with their "Organics" single, which received significant airplay on both sides of the Atlantic.
The "Illusion" album in 1997 was the last by this act that might accurately be defined as "industrial". Even then, there were signs that the band's style was moving towards synthpop, a theory confirmed on the "Angel's Only!" album the following year, which saw a move away from distorted vocals. This was the first Evils Toy recording to feature Oliver Taranczewski, as well as the last recorded with Thorsten Brenda. "Silvertears" in 2000 was the last release under the name Evils Toy. The project was known as "T.O.Y." thereafter.
as T.O.Y.
Soon after renaming themselves, the re-formed band released their first album: "Space Radio", which defined a fresh and revitalized style. Their second album under the name, White Lights, was diverse and followed a similar line that was familiar to listeners of the previous album.
The band have produced many remixes for other bands like Apoptygma Berzerk, In Strict Confidence, De/Vision and !Bang Elektronika. Volker has also undertaken many album productions in his SonicStage Recording Studios. He has worked with bands like And One, L'Âme Immortelle, Funker Vogt and Pulcher Femina.
In 2004 Volker made a song for the German radio play "The three investigators"-Song contest. Also in 2004, the computer game giant Konami used a special remix done by T.O.Y. on the new PS2 & Xbox release - "Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2". Bands like Neuropa, Echo Image, AlienSix13 or Midihead have also contributed to the soundtrack.
After weak split rumours concerning the future of T.O.Y. they are, in fact, working on new songs. All such songs are more or less raw demos, some with vocals, some without, but represent the kind of music fans expect to hear on the next T.O.Y. release.
Members
- Oliver Taranczewski (lyrics, keyboards, sound technician).
- Volker Lutz (vocals, arrangements, programming, producer).
Discography
as Evils Toy
- Human Refuse – (CD Album) 1993 - Hypnobeat • (CD) 1995 - Metropolis • (CD Reissue) 2001 - Sonicstage
- Dear God (Remix) – (CD Maxi) 1994 - Hypnobeat
- Morbid Mind – (CD Album) 1994 - Hypnobeat • (CD) 1996 - Metropolis
- Organics – (CD Maxi) 1995 - Hypnobeat
- The Old Race – (CD Maxi, Ltd. Edition) 1996 - Hypnobeat
- XTC Implant – (CD Album) 1996 - Hypnobeat, Metropolis
- Evils Toy Box – (CD Album, Ltd. Edition, Metal Box) 1997 - Hypnobeat
- Illusion – (CD Album) 1997 - Metropolis, Eraser
- Angel's Only! – (CD Album) 1998 - Metropolis, Eraser
- Transparent Frequencies – (CD Maxi w/ multimedia video) 1998 - Eraser
- Silvertears – (CD Album) 2000 - E-Wave Records
- Virtual State – (CD Maxi) 2000 - E-Wave Records
- Evilution: The Best of Evils Toy – (CD Enhanced) 2002 - Sonicstage
as T.O.Y.
- Space Radio – (CD Album) 2001 - E-Wave Records, XIII BIS Records • (CD Album) 2004 - Art Music Group
- Fairytale – (CD) 2003 - A Different Drum
- White Lights – (CD) 2003 - A Different Drum
- White Lights (Fan Edition) – (2xCD) 2003 - E-Wave Records
BLUE OCTOBER UK - "Walk Amongst The Living" (new release on A Different Drum - www.adifferentdrum.com): England's Blue October, who recently re-named themselves "Blue October UK" because of some wanker Hard Rock band who stole their name, have been making great Synthpop music for quite a few years now. They have been one of the label mainstays for A Different Drum, putting out four full-length releases, including one re-issue on the label. Now, we have the band's new release, their fifth. They have added quite a bit more guitar to this new release, but don't let that freak you out, the songs are still Synthpop of the highest quality. Ross Carter's voice is in fine form, with it's eerie similarity to Andy Bell's from Erasure. While musical mastermind Glen Wisbey's and Chris Taubert's synths and programming fuel the music, you will most likely notice Nic Johnston's fine guitar work, especially if you are a longtime Blue October fan. I haven't listened to the album completely yet, but what I have heard so far I have really enjoyed. Here are two bio's on Blue October UK., one courtesy of the band's MySpace site, and one from Wikipedia:
Blue October play emotionally fueled, synth electro pop. Fusing electronic wizardry and wild guitar with cool, underlying dance grooves. A diverse repertoire of songs charged with melody, harmony and rhythm. Deep, meaningful lyrics tinged with sadness, but always full of hope. Songwriting of the highest quality stands out like a warning beacon in the roughest of oceans.
Signed to A Different Drum ( USA ) and Cryonica ( UK ). Three full length albums under their belt and inclusions on several compilations have attracted fans from every corner of the globe who have fallen in love with their unique style of incandescent, constantly evolving, dream pop. Contrasting sonics and dynamics, galvanized with tunes from heaven produce a live set riddled with edge and aggression. Nic Johnston superbly flushes out every ounce of angst with his cutting, precision guitar work.
From Wikipedia:
Blue October UK are an Essex based Synthpop/Pop/Dance band formed in 1996 by Glen Wisbey and Barney Miller.
Their first album "Incoming" was released in 1998 on US label A Different Drum. Tragedy was to strike suddenly as Miller unexpectedly died soon afterwards. In 2001 of a second album, "Preaching Lies to the Righteous" was released with Ross Carter to replace Miller as vocalist. A third album, "One day Silver, One Day Gold" was released in 2005 as a third member, Chris Taubert, joined the band.
In addition to these three album releases, Blue October have appeared on a number of compilations including recently the Microsoft "Dance Dance Revolution Ultra mix 4" X-Box game.
Current line-up
Live line-up
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DEKADANCE w/ E.O.
Fri: 9pm-Sat: 1am Pacific Standard Time
KSCU 103.3 FM
Santa Clara CA. USA
DEKADANCE is in its 24th year on KSCU!
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