We’ve kept tabs on Code 64, and later Xenturion Prime for many years, so when two members of Xenturion Prime started a new project, we were of course intrigued. And then came the first taste, and we learnt that this is a whole new ball game. The Sound Veil Society creates atmospheric dream synthpop on a level that few can reach. This Swedish / Norwegian constellation consists of Hasse Mattsson and Erlend Eilertsen, and we sent them some question to learn more about their new album “The Thing We Kept” which is out now on Progress Productions. [more...]

Following warm critical acclaim and enthusiastic fan reactions, Jan Dewulf, the mastermind behind Belgian dark electro project Mildreda, is back with his most ambitious work to date: the 18-track double album “Realities” on Dependent Records. Built as a continuous, immersive anti-streaming statement, the album ties personal grief, longing, and existential questions to the myth of Sisyphus – using eight atmospheric ”Reality Check” interludes to glue the sprawling story together. In this in-depth interview by Mikael Kahrle, editor-in-chief of Release Magazine, Dewulf opens up about processing internal setbacks, the creative process, collaborating with EBM heavyweights like Dirk Ivens, Numb and Leæther Strip, his other projects like Diskonnekted, and keeping his elaborate sound design at the forefront of the electro industrial scene today. [more...]

On their new album Red Mecca, a duo from Northern Sweden, successfully blend darkwave, post-punk, synthpop, and cinematic electronica. But it was far from certain that this album would see the light of day. Vocalist Susanne Jonsson’s sister was murdered, her relationship crashed and Jan Strandqvist fell back into drug and alcohol abuse. Release Magazine editor-in-chief Mikael Kahrle asked the creative duo about their painful journey, their genres and influences – ranging from Tubeway Army, Joy Division and Cabaret Voltaire to Massive Attack, why the former vocalist Frida Madeleine left and and receiving some remarkably honest and interesting answers. [more...]

After a long hiatus, Richard Silverthorn and Mark Hockings aka Mesh are back again with new material. It’s been ten years since their last album, so we thought it was time to hear what they’ve been up to, and learn about the new album “The Truth Doesn’t Matter”. Richard got back to us with all the answers.
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Back in 2015, the lead singer and co-founder Tod Law of Unit:187 died of leukemia. Leaving a huge hole in both the Vancouver industrial scene and in the band, that could easily have been the end of this impressive group. But if we fast-forward to 2024, there’s new life surging and the album “KillCure” is ready to be unleashed on the masses, via Metropolis Records. I’ve been following the process for a while, having heard clips of the songs in an unfinished state, before they were sent off for mastering. Even then, they sounded massive. [more...]

“Songs of Future Memories“ is a combined 3 CD and a 72-page art book, collecting four decades of Twice a Man – pioneers of Scandinavian electronic music. We meet up with Dan Söderqvist, Karl Gasleben and Jocke Söderqvist. [more...]

40 years after their self-titled debut album Duran Duran is still going strong with their 15th studio album ”Future Past” (October 22, 2021). The new album features collaborations with artists as diverse as Swedish pop star Tove Lo, Blur guitarist Graham Coxon and Japanese punk band CHAI. Erol Alkan and the legendary Giorgio Moroder helped out with production.

Release’s Sebastian Hess had a nice video chat with founding member Nick Rhodes while the band was preparing for a performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. They talked about how the pandemic made the album better, favorite collectables, Swedish connections, Nick’s side project and they even had time for a mini quiz.

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Fix8:Sed8 have steadily been rising through the ranks of the electro industrial scene, getting stronger and stronger with each release. Melding Vancouver industrial à la Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly with its own twists and turns, the latest album “The Inevitable Relapse” further cements the band’s position. So we figured it was time to reach out to the man behind the name, Martin Sane. [more...]

Collaborations are common on the industrial scene, but Damage Control takes it to the next level. So be warned: there’s some serious namedropping in this interview, including Chris Peterson, Phil Western, Greg Reely, Claus Larsen and Gin Devo.
Damage Control is quite new on the scene, having only released one album so far. It’s quite a strong album, and now it sort of returns albeit in remixed form. It’s all about the love for groovy old-school industrial music like Front Line Assembly, Noise Unit and Skinny Puppy. We asked Bill Barsby some questions, he is the main man behind the name and resides in Melbourne, Australia. [more...]

Release writer Sebastian Hess talked to Adam Anderson, one half of Hurts, about their 5th album “Faith”, partly recorded in Release hometown Gothenburg, struggling like Depeche Mode and the fact that singer Theo spent the first two weeks of lockdown in the company of only an octopus named Arnold. 

Singer Theo Hutchcraft has said that the new recordings were driven by the “darker elements of pop” and that the lyrics were inspired by “isolation, desperation and mania”. 

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