and one « Darkwave.ro

July 27, 2012

Amphi Festival 2012: Viva Music Review, Jul-21&22, Cologne

Amphi Festival took over Cologne’s Tanzbrunnen for the 8th time! With a very clever choice of acts, and overall perfect organization, Amphi stated once more its position as one of the central events for the electro and industrial scenes. As it often happens, a sold-out event weeks before its start, Amphi Festival provided quality entertainment, very good facilities and considerable fuel for a crowd of almost two score of thousands. With early starts on both festival days, both on Saturday Jul-21 and Sunday Jul-22, the festival comforted the audience with a solid palette of both on the outdoor main stage and in the nearby Staatenhaus, as well as alternative entertainment in the Theater building. If you add to the set of concerts the wide array of stands, facilities, areas (including the famed beach zone), you could have practically spent a whole festival day just digging through bargains and taking your time in front of quite varied meals and still call it a full day. Or day and night! Because after countless concerts in the various venues of the area, DJ sets went on until the early hours of morn. But as a yearly convention of already sufficient stance, Amphi Festival meant, of course, a probe of temperature and color in today’s scene, and if audience reactions stand for anything, we’re all good, the entertainment is still varied, the ethos of the scene is still valid and vivid, people still feel the urge to dress up and make a stand, and the music sounds as good as ever.

Viva Music would like to take a minute to thank for the opportunity to be there and enjoy Amphi Festival 2012 to: the flawless clockwork organizing team, to the numberless artists and tech personnel who made concerts happen, and to the beating heart of the audience, which keeps our scene alive and kicking. And if you missed Amphi Festival this year, put these two things down on your to-do list: (1) read our act-by-act review and browse the individual photo galleries; (2) book in time your Amphi Festival 2013 experience: with tickets already on sale this coming week on Aug-01, and the first acts to be confirmed on Aug-13. Amphi Festival 2013 will take place on Jul-20 and Jul-21 in Tanzbrunnen Cologne. (more…)

Comments (3)

April 19, 2012

Amphi Festival News: Second Theater Headliner, Conjure One, Ticket Info

Amphi Festival organizers are happy to announce the second headliner for the theater stage. Reading performance and concert ‘Henke Plays Goethes Erben’: on Saturday, Jul-21, Oswald Henke takes over Theater am Tanzbrunnen. First hitting the stage with his current reading performance “Die Zeit Formt“, he will make a second appearance later that day, playing one of the most definite concert highlights of the Amphi Festival 2012.

Amphi The Orkus Open Air 2012 Festival will take place between Jul-21-22 at Tanzbrunnen, Cologne.

Amphi Festival 2012 program to date includes:

The Sisters of Mercy, And One, Eisbrecher, Blutengel, Project Pitchfork, Apoptygma Berzerk, Combichrist, Camouflage, Mono Inc., Corvux Corax, The Cruxshadows, DAF, Conjure One, Nachtmahr, 18 Summers, Coppelius, [:SITD:], Haujobb, Stahlzeit (Rammstein Tribute), Spetsnaz, Assemblage 23, Solar Fake, Henke, mind.in.a.box, Love Is Colder than Death, Spiritual Front, Seabound, Aesthetic Perfection, A Live Divided, [X]-RX, Tyske Ludder, Whispers in the Shadow, The Other, Eisenfunk, Lord of the Lost, Schoengeist, The Wars, Eklipse, Dr. Mark Benecke

Front Line Assembly cancels all shows this summer, therefore there will be no FLA show at Amphi. Here is the official band statement: “After much thought and considering we regret to inform our fans that we will be unable to perform at any summer shows we are currently booked for. After an extensive tranche of shows supporting our last record we have to decided to spend next year focusing on writing and delivering new albums; an instrumental of tracks that will be featured in the videogame AirMech from Carbon Games, a new full length LP, and possibly a new Noise Unit record. Our apologies to any promoters/fans this may affect in a negative manner, we look forward to releasing new material and playing shows further down the road. All the best, FLA“

Conjure One/Rhys Fulber will perform a special live set at Amphi Festival. Rhys Fulber, known as long-time member and producer of many classic FLA tunes will perform a unique set, including Conjure One and Delirium tracks, as well as a selection of Front Line Assembly classics that have not been played live in recent years.

Original festival tickets can be booked in advance exclusively on the Amphi Ticketshop at www.amphi-festival.de/tickets. Festival tickets are further available online at www.protain-ticket.de and at all nationwide CTS/EVENTIM box offices. For further information please visit the festival site: www.amphi-festival.de and the official festival Facebook page: www.facebook.com/amphifestival.

Comments (0)

March 21, 2012

In terms of musical variety, Amphi Festival 2012 stands out a mile

Amphi Festival 2012 news keep on coming, and we are very happy, since it’s one of the events we are really looking forward to this summer. Musical diversity gives the extra finishing touches to the superb lineup of the festival. Already announced, The Sisters of Mercy, And One, Eisbrecher, Blutengel, Apoptygma Berzerk, Project Pitchfork, Combichrist, Camouflage, Front Line Assembly, DAF, Mono Inc., Corvus Corax, Nachtmahr, Assemblage 23, Solar Fake, 18 Summers, Coppelius, [:SITD:], Haujobb, Stahlzeit, Seabound, Aesthetic Perfection, A Life Divided, [X]-RX, Tyske Ludder, Whispers in the Shadow, The Other, Eisenfunk, Schoengeist, Lord of the Lost – and many others. Today’s news? Three more acts, and what acts, if we may say so: mind.in.a.box, Love Is Colder than Death and Eklipse – the latter being the name of the seductive quartet, which loves to clothe contemporary pop music and soundtrack elements into a fascinating dress of compelling classic string sounds on our Theater-stage. Without vocals, yet even more emotional and spiced up with an extra portion of sex-appeal, the four ladies interpret songs by Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Hurts, Depeche Mode and many more, cunningly flavored with a magic note of dark-lascivious romanticism, wit and dreamy melancholy.

Also in the news today: Amphi Festival warmup parties – they are numberless! and great occasions to meet other Amphi enthusiasts, plan your trips and get in the mood for the festival, if need be. Apr-07: Paris, Apr-08: Amstelveen, Apr-14: Brighton, Apr-28: Stuttgart, Apr-28: Thessaloniki, Apr-28: Antwerpen; Apr-28: Karlsruche, May-04: Manchester, May-05: Northampton, May-09: Wuppertal, May-12: London, May-16: Heidelberg, May-19: Krefeld, May-19: Zuerich, May-19: Vienna, May-24: Duisburg, May-25: Bonn, May-25: Bielefeld, Jun-02: Frankfurt, Jun-02: Essen, Jun-02: Augsburg, Jun-03: Dresden, Jun-09: Bonn, Jun-09: Bremen, Jun-16: Siegen, Jun-21: Oberhausen, Jun-22: Athens, Jun-29: London, Jun-30: Ingolstadt, Jul-20: Cologne.

Tickets are available via the Amphi ticket shop under http://amphi-festival.de/tickets and also from http://protain-ticket.de, as well in all German CTS/Eventim box offices. For further information please visit http://amphi-festival.de and http://Facebook.com/amphifestival.

Comments (0)

February 29, 2012

More Great News about Amphi Festival 2012!

Filed under: Amphi Festival — Tags: 18 Summers, A Life Divided, aesthetic perfection, amphi festival 2012, and one, and Spetnaz, apoptygma berzerk, assemblage 23, blutengel, Camouflage, combichrist, coppelius, Corvus Corax, DAF, eisbrecher, eisenfunk, front line assembly, haujobb, July 21&22, lord of the lost, mono inc., nachtmahr, project pitchfork, schoengeist, seabound, sitd, solar fake, Spiritual Front, Stahlzeit, the cruxshadows, The Other, the sisters of mercy, The Wars, tyske ludder, Whispers in the Shadow, x rx — admin @ 12:25 pm

Great news from the organizers of Amphi Festival 2012 – the Orkus Open Air festival – the list of confirmed acts is getting an irresistible contour. Band suggestions were volunteered by festival fans as well, and in the end the new and replacement bands that make Amphi Festival the event to be at on July 21&22 at Cologne’s Tanzbrunnen.

Apoptygma Berzerk, The Cruxshadows, Spiritual Front, The Wars, and Spetnaz are some of the new names that are added to the already gorgeous list of acts that will keep you beaming for two days: The Sisters of Mercy, And One, Eisbrecher, Blutengel, Project Pitchfork, Combichrist, Camouflage, Front Line Assembly, DAF, Mono Inc., Corvus Corax, Nachtmahr, Assemblage 23, Solar Fake, 18 Summers, Coppelius, [:SITD:], Haujobb, Stahlzeit, Seabound, Aesthetic Perfection, A Life Divided, [X]-RX, Tyske Ludder, Whispers in the Shadow, The Other, Eisenfunk, Schoengeist, Lord of the Lost – and many others.

Comments (0)

January 17, 2012

And One “Back Home” – Viva Music Album Review

Filed under: Album Reviews — Tags: 2012, album release, album review, and one, back home, ep, january, new album, tanzomat, viva music review — admin @ 3:02 pm

Tracklist: “Back Home (Club Mix)” * “Wounds” * “Rick” * “High (Live in Peine, the Original)” * “Back Home (Mixed Conditioner)” * “Back Home (Berlin Mixer)” * “Missing Track”

Other And One news on darkwave.ro: And One – Tanzomat Album Review by Viva Music

One year after their diamond-studded “Tanzomat” and after a lot of turmoil that accompanied the band’s renewal in 2011, And One renew their covenant with their scene with the release on Jan-13 with SPV of a new EP, entitled enigmatically “Back Home”. With three mix versions of the title track, but also a live version of “High”, and two studio edits of “Wounds” and “Rick”, the EP is a charming piece of music, and there is a definite chance we are not the only ones believing so. Adding up to the good reviews of the EP, their 1st position in Deutsche Alternative Charts helps with understanding the thirst there was after such a satiating experience such as “Tanzomat” of new material from the same line of creative thought. Which, as much was expected, did not turn but partly true. There are prominent hues of “Tanzomat” jutting out into “Back Home”, but there’s also the replenishing promise of something new, part of any artist’s path of redefinition. And we are glad it is there, definitely so, all the more as “Back Home” is compelling, forcing you to listen it as a whole and revisit it promptly. The new EP is not the only good news that And One drags into the house as the clocks say 2012 already; numerous live dates and also a “Cover for the Masses Tour” with enviable names such as Covenant and Welle:Erdball.

All the tracks and versions included in the EP claim their compatibility with club and dance, but with that refined vein of elegance and eighties inspiration that make And One one of the few acts who still know how to do that without sounding ridiculous. Of course, it’s easy to see through the weft of the EP and decide what allegiances And One are willing to make, but they are all powerful and endearing. With the exception of the multi-faceted “Back Home”, which, as the EP flows, you will notice, seems to renew its content from one version to another – to the effect that the thick and elastic rope lassoed from the Club Mix to the Berlin Mixer you get a whole new song, so to say – is not the only highlight of the album. The live version of “High”, as well as the good vibes sent by “Wounds” and by the Viva Music favorite “Rick” interlaced in the attentive work of the EP create a very well-natured and interesting breathing space

This cadenced ascendance toward the pampering of a track in its multifaceted qualities, taking us back and forth in time, creates the meandering effect of a prodigal return to one’s home base, where the music is just good and you feel cozy. And that is “Back Home”. Enjoy!

And One – Official Website | on Facebook | Discography on Discogs

Comments (0)

December 19, 2011

2011: A Music Year in Review (Viva Music version)

Filed under: Album Reviews — Tags: 2011, ad inferna, amduscia, amphi festival, and one, apoptygma berzerk, brazda lui novac, combichrist, covenant, diary of dreams, god module, haujobb, iamx, imperative reaction, kirlian camera, lahannya, leaetherstrip, levant, lord of the lost, lowe, mina harker, mona mur & en esch, music, necro facility, nine inch nails, nocturnal culture night, nordstern festival, project pitchfork, rabia sorda, sin d.n.a., solar fake, sopor aeternus, system syn, tenek, the pain machinery, vic anselmo, viva music, vnv nation — admin @ 2:42 pm

2011 was a great year for our scene. Just a quick roundup of the acts and artists who released new material this year is sufficient to give you an impression, however fleeting, of the great tumult the scene has caused and the important additions 2011 has brought to our playlists. New releases from VNV Nation, Apoptygma Berzerk, Haujobb, Sopor Aeternus, Covenant, Kirlian Camera and Diary of Dreams kept music lovers on edge and numerous other releases made their days worthwhile throughout the year.

In 2011, Viva Music had the pleasure and honor to listen to and review some 100 albums. In order to read our reviews, you can go to the menu and pick Album Reviews from the Interviews & Reviews section, or navigate using the right-hand visual cover flow. Pluses between brackets in the article lead you to the featured reviews.

Readers’ choice in terms of number of Facebook likes indicate Apoptygma Berzerk’s “Black EP vo.2” (+), Global Citizen’s “Nil by Mouth” (+), Haujobb’s “New World March” (+), The Cruxshadows’ “Valkyrie” (+), Ghost and Writer’s “Shipwrecks” (+), Autodafeh’s “Act of Faith” (+), Tenek’s “EP2” (+), Shiv-r’s “This World Erase” (+) and Covenant’s “Modern Ruin” (+) as top favorites. We have no doubt it was the beauty of the respective albums and not of our reviews that kept them up in the charts!

With numerous releases, the appreciation of the public was unanimous. It was an honor to have around VNV Nation’s “Automatic” (+), Kirlian Camera’s “Nightglory” (+), Diary of Dreams’ “Ego:X” (+), Sopor Aeternus’ “Children of the Corn” (+), Aesthetic Perfection’s “All Beauty Destroyed” (+), KMFDM’s “WTF?!” (+), And One’s “Tanzomat” (+), Sin D.N.A.’s “Afterlife” (+), Lowe’s “Evolver” (+), IAMX’s “Volatile Times”, Imperative Reaction’s “Imperative Reaction” (+), Necro Facility’s “Wintermute” (+), Amduscia’s “Death Thou Shalt Die” (+), and System Syn’s “All Seasons Pass” (+ ).

No less impeccable and listenable in a loop proved to be a set of albums which, should you have missed them, are up on your shopping list next time you hit a record store. Ad Inferna’s “There Is No Cure” (+), The Pain Machinery’s “Surveillance Culture” (+), God Module’s “Seance” (+), Mona Mur & En Esch’s “Do with Me What You Want” (+), Leaetherstrip’s “Untold Stories” (+), Vic Anselmo’s “In My Fragile” (+), Solar Fake’s “Frontiers” (+), Mina Harker’s “Bittersuess” (+), Lahannya’s “Dystopia” (+), and Lord of the Lost’s “Antagony” (+).

Special mention should be made of Romanian wonders LeVant’s “Beyond the Masque of Eden” (+) and Brazda lui Novac’s “Dizzy” (+).

Let us not forget the beautiful events we were invited to attend, and had the pleasure to experience in 2011. We provided detailed footage both under the guise of reviews and photo galleries at Amphi Festival (+), Nordstern Festival (+), and Nocturnal Culture Night (+). In 2012, we intend to attend to more such events and keep you posted on our beautiful and dynamic scene.

As Viva Music we also organized our own events in Bucharest. You can take a look at the feedback we received for the third edition of our Darkwave.ro Festival (with Tenek, Rabia Sorda and Project Pitchfork, +), for our Combichrist (+) and Kirlian Camera (+) concerts, as well as for our support for the first Nine Inch Nails Tribute in Bucharest (+). We do our best to keep our scene alive and the response we get is always heart-warming and positive.

What was your favorite release in 2011? And what are you looking forward to in 2012?

Comments (1)

October 17, 2011

Amphi Festival 2012 – Great News Keep on Coming

Filed under: Amphi Festival — Tags: 2012, amphi festival, and one, combichrist, eisbrecher, new bands confirmed, project pitchfork, the sisters of mercy, ticket info, viva music — admin @ 11:17 am

July 21&22 next year are going to be some busy days! Amphi Festival organizers announce the great news for their 8th edition; the open-air venue of Cologne’s Tanzbrunnen will be taken over by more than 40 acts on three stages. Add to that the merchant galleries, the beach club and the cafe’s, and you get the picture.

Will the 8th edition be again sold-out? Chances are the answer to that question is YES, since all three past editions were sold-out successes. If you take into account the forming lineup, chances become clearer and clearer: The Sisters of Mercy, And One, Eisbrecher, Project Pitchfork, Combichrist, Camouflage, Front Line Assembly, DAF, Mono Inc., Corvus Corax, Nachtmahr, but also 18 Summers, Coppelius, [X]-RX, [:SITD:], Solar Fake, Haujobb, Assemblage 23, Seabound, Tyske Ludder, Whispers in the Shadow, Eisenfunk, Schoengeist, Lord of the Lost – we wouldn’t have written all the names announced so far if they weren’t – all – so great!

The 5+1 ticket package is soon to be sold-out, so hurry up if you’re going to travel with a group of friends to the festival. Other than that, tickets are sold in regular premises such as Eventim offices, but also online on the dedicated page of the Amphi festival site (http://amphi-festival.de/tickets) and on Protain web page (http://protain-ticket.de). As always, you can keep yourselves up to date with festival info by checking the festival official page and the festival Facebook page.

Comments (0)

August 12, 2011

The first international interview with PAKT!

Filed under: Interviews — Tags: and one, Chris Ruiz, Freiheit single, Gio van Oli, pakt — admin @ 10:58 pm

For a few weeks now, the entire scene has been reading about the latest developments following the split of And One. We, at Viva Music, have also been watching closely the outcome of this separation. Yes, we are selfish. Yes, we chase good bands. Yes we work for the fans! We always hope that each band in our scene will produce great music for the fans to enjoy, so we looked forward to being able to officially welcome the newly formed PAKT! More about the birth and first video of PAKT, here. Read below the first interview with Chris Ruiz and Gio van Oli of PAKT, and do not forget to order their “Freiheit” single out tomorrow here!

Chris, Gio, thank you for agreeing to answer to Viva Music’s questions. We take pride in being the first webzine to interview PAKT, and we know your fans will be thrilled!

PAKT is such a young project, and still at Amphi festival 2011 we saw an impressive number of fans wearing PAKT T-shirts! So here we are, so curious to find out what is the secret of your success before even launching your first single. Let’s shoot!

VIVA: How did you come up with the name of PAKT?

PAKT.: …I found the name years ago. I liked the name because you can really play with it very well. It has no real meaning like we’re now a PAKT against someone or whatever.

VIVA: It is very easy to speculate why your first single is called “Freiheit”, considering the split from And One. Does the title of the single mean more than freedom from the past, from And One?

PAKT.: …Everyone says that. But it doesn’t really have much to do with the split. “Freiheit” means more breaking free from the chains of a manipulated society. We see it every day, how easy people take an opinion without asking what is the story behind….

VIVA: For a ‘new’ act, to be eagerly awaited at M’era Luna is an important achievement. Who gets the credit for such great promotion for PAKT?

PAKT.: …yes that’s really fantastic for us, to have such a chance to be on stage at M’era Luna two days after our first single release. We’re really happy for it, and the Oscar goes to Steven, our Manager ;).

VIVA: When should we expect full-length material from PAKT? You have already planned out a very outgoing release strategy, including four parties in different cities in Germany plus autograph sessions just in August. What’s next? Is there a tour to accompany the single/album release?

PAKT.: …We’re already in the studio to record more songs, we’ve planned to release our first full length album in early 2012. It will be followed by a tour.

VIVA: The tagline you chose for your website reads ‘two guys who just wanna play with you’. Is it going to be just you two guys, or is the studio/live formula of PAKT going to include other artists as well?

PAKT.: …Live we have a drummer with us on stage, his name is Cani, an awesome guy! He also plays drums in the studio for us. The rest is just Gio and me. Two simple guys who just wanna have fun. :)

VIVA: “A dance-floor-compatible coup that encourages thinking and is perfect for letting go, singing along and going wild”, says your home label, Out of Line. Do you find that description of PAKT satisfying or would you like to add more to it?

PAKT.: …no, that’s a perfect description for the moment. No more we can say…. PAKT will.

VIVA: Chris, you are a wonderful photographer – and the PAKT artwork is just another proof of your talent. It’s remarkable how you are photographer, and subject at the same time; not too many, if any, artists do that. Do you plan to be the official PAKT photographer?

PAKT.: …Oh, first of all, thank you! I guess I will be our official PAKT photographer. It’s for free, so… ;) If one day a pic won’t come out right using the self timer, I will let someone else take the photographs for sure.

VIVA: DAF, FUNKER VOGT, FORMALINE – how did the collaboration with them for the “Freiheit” single remixes go?

PAKT.: …I met Robert (Robert Görl of DAF, Ed.) a few times over the last years, we met in the studio again and he asked me if I wanted to make a video for his next single. I said “of course”, and I asked him if he was interested in doing a remix for us. With Funker we had a barter, I would take pictures for them in exchange of a remix for us. Formalin are really very talented and lovely guys, we met them in the studio and so we arrived to this.

VIVA: Is there anything else you would like to add? Maybe a little bit about your personal life? Any recent changes?

PAKT.: Everything feels much better now. We are free to put all our ideas into practice, (and we have a lot!) and can’t wait to bring them to life on CD and on stage.

VIVA: What do you know about Romania? What’s your message for your Romanian fans?

PAKT.: …uhm, not much. So time has come for us to pay Romania a visit and have a gig, I guess :).

VIVA: Thank you very much for answering Viva Music’s annoying questions! We look forward to seeing our first PAKT concert live.

PAKT.: …thank you! Do you have any coffee??

Comments (2)

July 20, 2011

New single “Freiheit” from Pakt on August-12!

Filed under: International News — Tags: amphi festival, and one, august 2011, DAF, formalin, freiheit, funker vogt, m'era luna festival, new single, pakt, pakt merchandise, viva music review — admin @ 1:03 pm

Update on Aug-05: The official video for Pakt‘s single “Freiheit” is online starting today! Enjoy!

Update on July-29: As of today, Pakt‘s website is online! Standing testimony to the seriousness of their newborn project, the site is ‘packed’ with all the traditional tools of a band website: bio, discography, media, gallery, and a plethora of sharing tools for social services! We really like the website and are going to bookmark: http://www.paktprodukt.de/. With a teasing tag line “two guys who just wanna play with you” the website also gives snippet preview of tracks from the forthcoming Pakt productions.

Out of Line announces the release of Pakt‘s first single on August-12! Pakt are Chris Ruiz and Gio von Oli, who have recently left And One. Their new act is not wasting any time, with a first single out next month (packed with remixes from DAF, Formalin and Funker Vogt), and a M’era Luna date! If you add to this the fact that the name of Pakt was on everyone’s lips at our recent visit to Amphi Festival, and many participants showed their support of the new act by buying and wearing Pakt merch, we know we need to keep our eyes and ears open for them!

Tracklist: “Freiheit” * “Angriff” * “Freiheit (Robert Goerl Remix by Robert Goerl of DAF)” * “Freiheit (Gummi-Drum-Remix by G.Thomas of Funker Vogt)” * “Freiheit (Freiheit und Gerechtigkeit Rework by Formalin)”

Order now Pakt‘s first single from Out of Line‘s shop here. | Watch the making of video for “Freiheit” after the jump. (more…)

Comments (2)

March 28, 2011

And One – Tanzomat Album Review by Viva Music

Filed under: Album Reviews — Tags: album review, and one, germany, march 2011, new album, release, review, synthpop, tanzomat — admin @ 11:46 am

“He who loves AND ONE because it sounds like AND ONE, AND ONE shall he get”.

(Steve Naghavi, hell-zone.de interview, 2005)

If dance were a science, what we would need today is scientists that split the atom and tell us what dance really is: how we come to feel it, how we come to do it, and last but not least how we end up knowing how to dance. What with dance not being a science, but an art, and for at least half a century with the advent of popular clubs a very mass-oriented one, it feels sometimes that an album such as AND ONE’s “Tanzomat” (double disc, out on Mar-04, 2011 with Out Of Line) is a cleansing process of the all bad rap of a dance you were owned with in your club life cycle.

In an epoch that gives less and less airtime to quality dance music, because known beats yield more than hidden gems of experiment do, AND ONE figures out a satisfying concept that probably should propel more than one band and more than one audience. If a thing such as the “Tanzomat” they imagine existed, it would be a wonderful and mighty thing: just like a jukebox that is intended for moves, not for tunes, it would be packed with pure potential, that of sending well-choreographed twitches in the right muscles, making you move along to beats you’ve known, but never tried out.

(more…)

Comments (3)

Older Posts »