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January 30, 2012

Lights of Euphoria “Subjection”: Viva Music Album Review

Tracklist: “Subjection (Violent Mix)” * “In Love with the Night (Album Mix)” * “Monument of Destruction” * “You Better Run (featuring Johan Van Roy of Suicide Commando)” * “One Nation (Club Mix)” * “Give Me You” * “Subjection (Leaether Strip 2011 version)” * “Deal in Sex (Protection Mix)” * “Subjection (Euphoria Mix)” * “Liquid Lust (Part I)” * “You Better Run (Painbastard Mix)” * “Face of a God” * “Fading Moments (Feindflug Karaoke Mischung)” * “Fly to Target (Dioxyde Remix)” * “Sleepwalk (The Awakening)

About the project:

After the release of “Subjection” (featuring Claus Larsen) on the famous Zoth Ommog compilation “Body Rapture”, Lights of Euphoria started to become a “real band” after the release of the first album “Brainstorm” (Zoth Ommog, followed by “Beyond Subconsciousness“, “Fahrenheit“, “Voices” and the single “Fortuneteller“) when Jimmy Machon and Torben Schmidt teamed up “by accident” to produce some further music and touring all around the globe. While Lights of Euphoria in the beginning was more a sort of a project and “one hit wonder”, working with various guest vocalists such as Ronan Harris (VNV Nation), Stephan Groth (Apoptygma Berzerk), Vasi Vallis (Frozen Plasma/Reaper) Johan van Roy (Suicide Commando), Kay Haertle (Supreme Court) and various other good friends, mastermind Torben Schmidt decided to bring it down to a more band orientated way of working. (source: band site)

About the compilation:

The ultimate retrospective of this German/Danish electro/EBM project! Part 26 (!) of the Infacted Recordings classics series! 15 massive songs of the former Zoth Ommog artist Lights of Euphoria! Besides all dark clubhits the CD also features a new remix of “Subjection” by no one else then Claus Larsen of Leaether Strip fame! None of the hits are missing e.g. “Subjection”, “You Better Run” (feat. Johan van Roy, “One Nation”, “Deal in Sex” or even “Sleepwalk”! 15 cult classics on one CD for a smooth E.P. price! Be fast again limited to 1000 copies worldwide! (source: label site)

Lights of Euphoria – “Subjection”: Viva Music Album Review:

The new classical collection from Infacted Recordings brings to the focus the destiny of a group that initially was meant to be a one-time deal, but is now well into its twenties. Released this Jan-13, the compilation “Subjection” takes its title from the first track that made the group famous – the collaboration between Torben Schmidt and Claus Larsen, and chronicles the group’s evolution in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, and also tells the story of the friendship between Torben Schmidt and Jimmy Machon, formerly of Godheads, and Lights of Euphoria’s vocalist. Next to an incredible array of tracks, in their majority wonderful collaborations – names such as Suicide Commando, Leaether Strip, Painbastard, Feindflug add extra flavor to the compilation – there is also a new rendition of “Subjection”, with a new feel: “Subjection (Leaether Strip 2011 Version)” really shows how classically limitless the track has become in its 20-year old history  of dark vibes and excellent EBM. Let’s not forget that these collaborations are great occasions for musicians to bridge the distance between their status as artists and listeners of good music. Needless to say, Lights of Euphoria themselves remixed music for artists such as Melotron, Front 242, or Front Line Assembly.

Major landmarks from the group’s history and discography are well represented within the compilation: “Violent World” (1993, “Subjection”, “Deal in Sex”), “Brainstorm” (1995, “Give Me You”, “Face of a God”), “Voices” (1998, “In Love with the Night”, “Monument of Destruction”) “Krieg gegen die Maschinen” (2003, “Fly to Target”), “Gegen Den Strom” (2004, “Liquid Lust (Part I)”, “One Nation”), “Fading Moments” (2004, “Fading Moments”, “You Better Run”), “Sleepwalk” (2005, “Sleepwalk”).

Not on this compilation, but not less grand, is the track below. “True Life (VNV Nation Remix)”, enjoy!

Lights of EuphoriaOfficial Website | on Facebook | Discography on Discogs

July 20, 2011

Amphi Festival 2011 – 16&17-Jul, 2011 – Viva Music Review

 

Day One | Day Two | The Aftermath


Amphi Festival: Day One, Saturday, July-16: General Review | Mainstage | Staatenhaus

General Review

The fact that this year’s Amphi was going to be a success was obvious from the very beginning: people teemed in large numbers, and arrived to the venue earlier that last year. This meant that the first act, [X]-RX had an impressive audience for a first act on the main stage. A breathtaking experience, the 2011 edition of Amphi Festival made us yearn for next year’s festival already! And, as a side-note, given the enthusiasm and size of the audience, Cologne’s Tanzbrunnen may prove pretty soon to be too small a venue for such an excellent event.

Compared to 2010, the number of 2011 participants was significantly higher – a reason to the point might be the diverse lineup – from electronica to gothic, and from noise to darkwave – add to that the excellent entertainment offered in-between, the 100%-giving, outgoing performances of all acts, and needless to say, the tireless, party-oriented audience – all contributed to the overall success of the 2011 edition of Amphi Festival.

Participants at Amphi Festival 2011 (Day One) – photo gallery (more…)

November 18, 2010

4 New Bands Confirmed at Amphi Festival 2011

New bands confirmed for the Amphi Festival 2011:

The first new entry not only offers a profound measure to give the chills to your neighbour at the next traffic light, AGONOIZE are in any respect on top of their game! Especially in providing adrenaline-pumped electro sound, there are very few to teach the heavy machinery specialists from Berlin a lesson. Reinforced by visual splatter effects AGONOIZE are infamous for their rough-edged stage performances and nothing for the faint-hearted!

 

All quiet at the Amphi-front? Not in the slightest! The industrial-bombers FEINDFLUG always enjoy to deliver an action-packed show. After literally laying the Amphi stage in ashes in 2009, Felix and Banane are returning with a sonic thunderstorm, to commemorate the horrors of the World War II.

(more…)

July 1, 2010

E-tropolis 2010, Berlin: Viva Music review

My review of the first edition of E-tropolis festival (Columbiahalle, Berlin, Germany, June 26, 2010) is a festival log and a source of information for people who have not attended an electro festival before (consequently need to know what they are missing), or some other electro fans who did not make it to Berlin, and would like to have a rough idea of what happened there. This review (photos included) reflects my enthusiasm of both participating as an accredited reporter (thanks to the organizer) and seeing some bands for the first time. I strongly encourage every person who likes electro music to take a weekend off from other activities and go to festivals in Germany. The next one I am going to is Amphi Festival in Cologne, July 24-25, 2010.

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