Oi!, lazy fuckers! T.W.A.T. - Blood, Sweat, and Teargas is out - the review

OI!,

T.W.A.T. is finally out with their debut album, as of 26. August. Here comes probably the most unique t.w.i.s.t. of anhalt EBM: oi punk with electro and EBM mixture. We have been following this band ever since the release of the first demo track Battleground in 2008, and it is particularly great to see this band officially alive with an album! Album snippets to be found here, while you read on: http://soundcloud.com/twatoibm/sets/album-snippets/. Or you can just go ahead and buy the album right away here, because it is bloody worth it!

Blood, Sweat, and Teargas (probably one of the most magnificent titles ever) gives a mix of raw and aggressive energy mixed with (at times playful) melody and both male and female vocals. You will only need one listen to realize that this differs a lot from the standard anhalt EBM scene, but the hard beats and raw bass are always there. The melody part comes from the oi punk influence - although 1TJ is not familiar enough with this genre to draw any similarities to specific oi punk bands. Almost every track follows this receipt: straight forward and tight anhalt EBM sounds, but sooner or later the track breaks into a melodic and usually aggressive energy, which is where the unique punk influence breaks through. Some tracks are particularly melodic: for example Born and Raised with a slower pace, fantastic melody, and particularly NOT positive lyrics. Other songs are straight forward and energetic as hell, (Too Rude for Radio (punked up)). Others again are closer to typical anhalt EBM sound (The Barricades). The intro and outro instrumental songs are fantastically catchy and their sounds may make you think of old minimal 80's electro songs.

It is in order to compliment T.W.A.T. for not being afraid to do something entirely unique. The usage of unusual synth sounds in each track has never been heard of in EBM before. Both vocals are energetic, angry, and "punky", but it is particularly unique to hear female vocals in anhalt EBM used like this: tough and very fitting for this kind of music. Some may recognize the male vocals from EkoBrottsMyndigheten, as Martin is a part of that as well.

T.W.A.T. runs up to you in boots, shouts OI! straight into your face, and leaves no doubt that the punk influence that in the early 80s helped shape the pioneering bands of EBM (DAF and Nitzer Ebb), is forever a part of this genre, and that an even stronger mix of these styles works bloody sweaty well!




If you are looking for something unique, if you like oi punk, or old school EBM, or both, you will not be disappointed! If we were to rate album reviews on this blog, Blood, Sweat and Teargas would receive top rating. OI!!!!!

Jäger 90 - Fleisch Macht Böse

Achtung! Ein jäger! Über uns!

Jäger never sleeps. New album to be dropped on us by the two oldschool pilots carying the flag of DAF on 12. August this year.

The album will feature in simple words this: DAF-tradition, bass, social criticism, fetish, love, combat boots & pilot helmets, stomp-dance and champagne.

"Fleisch Macht Böse" to be released on Out Of Line, and can already be pre-ordered here. Hopefully someone will also release a t-shirt with the same awesome artwork of the album cover. The track list follows below, and while we wait another month for this album, make sure to catch Jäger 90 at Familientreffen in less than two weeks! UH! *Muscle and kisses*


1. Stärker als du meinst
2. Beim ersten Mal tat`s nicht weh
3. Ich schwitze
4. Meine Seele voller Lust
5. Wenn es euch nicht passt dann lasst
6. Immer dümmer
7. Ein Sägefisch
8. An manchen Tagen
9. Ein neuer Tanz
10. Häuser abgebrannt
11. Wir gehen unseren Weg

OI mates! T.W.A.T. news!

T.W.A.T., the unique anhalt EBM project mixing the style of oi punk and oldschool EBM is finally getting the deserved release. In fact, two releases: the band has been working on lots of new material and the result is two releases on Machineries of Joy label. As the the band's webpage states, it is up to the label when these will be released, and it should be very soon, although the initial information stated the release on April, 2010. Here is a toast of eine tasse jäger that the label will hurry and release this fantastic band as soon as possible. Read on for more info on the oi! filled music coming your way!

Working Class Love is a digital EP, which will be available for download. This one has a strict Pouppée Fabrikk influence, as the band itself describes it: 3 exclusive massive electronic tracks. These are Working Class, Lovesong, and United. It also includes 3 remixes, by Darkmen and Ionic Vision.

Working Class Love is a warm-up to T.W.A.T.'s first full-length album, which will be released in the standard CD format. The title is Blood, Sweat and Teargas. The track list is not for IKEA people, but for rude boys and girls, and looks just like this:

01. func.
02. too rude for radio (punked up)
03. lazy fuckers
04. conformity
05. the barricades
06. choke
07. run the cameras
08. battleground
09. my skin
10. working class
11. born and raised
12. bow and obey
13. sverige
14. off
15. sverige (hasse code 64)

Oi! We can't wait!

http://www.twatoibm.tk/

Familientreffen VII (7) line-up is ready

..almost 100%. But seriously, who can't guess the mysterious Swedish headliner?? (apparently it is not Pouppée Fabrikk - it's Portion Control!)

Continuing last year's tradition, Familientreffen VII goes on for three days - 28. July till 30. July. The festival webpage includes all infos regarding hotels, tents, tickets, prices, food, and fun stuff for EBMer's.

If you haven't attended this festival before and wondering why you should, the answer is very simple: Familientreffen is simply the best festival around for anhalt and old school EBM. Located in the countryside of East Germany (Sandersleben) it is a magnificent event with cheap German beer, cheap German food, and a hole ton of stomping activity.

Starting Thursday as a warm-up day with only two bands and DJ activity later into the night, and continuing with bigger line-ups for Friday and Saturday:

Thursday:
Human R3source (raw anhalt EBM with Pouppée Fabrikk influence)
The Love Dictators 

Friday:
Blood Shot Eyes (hard and angry Italian anhalt EBM)
Stockholm Wrecking Crew (Swedish hardcore electropunks with their own unique anhalt EBM style!)
Jäger 90 (probably playing early to bring a bigger public earlier, this band can be more DAF-like than DAF themselves)
Ionic Vision (old school legends with insane energy on stage!)
Plastic Noise Experience (old school EBM)
Page 12 

Saturday:
Bodystyler (melodic, yet energy filled anhalt EBM)
Tech Nomader (masters of Spanish EBM with probably the most raw anhalt EBM new release "Domótica" up to date)
Nordarr (tight and straight forward anhalt EBM)
Sequenz-E (anhalt ebm with raw and angry vocals!)
Prager Handgriff (varying industrial and old school EBM)
Coinside (martial industrial meets old school EBM)
Rummelsnuff (muscles and a mix of everything alternative)
Spetsnaz (tough and hard beating swedish hardcore hooligans!)
The Eternal Afflict 
????? (242 Tassen Jäger for those who can guess this Swedish band..but then we might run out of Jäger!)

Fist Fight Night in Stockholm with Pouppée Fabrikk and EkoBrottsMyndigheten

Announcing Fist Fight Night in Stockholm, on behalf of Fist Fight Records!

Do you like Fight Club? That is not what this is about. 26th March, in Stockholm, Fabriken, EkoBrottsMyndigheten and Pouppée Fabrikk bring down the fist of solid rock and steel, the boot of leather, with maximum stomp intention. View all the details such as the address, ticket cost, and information for visitors from abroad, at the official event page.

Pouppée Fabrikk resurrected last year, and with a new album coming up and fantastic performance at Body Fest last year, their fans will no doubt be treated well during this night. The band will play a few songs from their upcoming album as well. All you have to do is watch videos from Body Fest (powerful EBM link, another powerful EBM link) to see that Pouppée Fabrikk is one of the most powerful and energy filled old school EBM bands to ever exist!

EkoBrottsMyndigheten naturally will bring the party attitude. Their half a year old album Alla Tiders Bodykallas was a superb anhalt EBM release, filled with songs about Jäger and beer. Expect maximum alcohol-energy, buy Jäger shots, and do push-ups! (Jäger-filled EBM link)

As Fight Night Records say themselves, it is uncertain if the venue where this event is taking place, Fabriken, will stand after these two powerful EBM bands.

Additionally, take notice of another Scandinavian event, in Norway Trondheim 19th March: Sturm Café ist zurück in Norwegen!

Anhalt EBM on the rise: Interview with Nader, the man behind Old School Electrology Vol. 1

Oldschool Electrology Vol. 1 has been a massive anhalt and oldschool EBM project, building up slowly and moving towards the release date, step by step. As Nader, the man behind the project has been calling it: it slowly takes dinosaur steps (huuuuge strong dinosaur legs with BOOTS on, that is). At the time that this post is being made, 11 copies remain to be pre-ordered (in the beginning there were 100) and once it reaches 0 it will fund the final releaze. Information about the pre-ordering and the massive track list of the 4 CDs can be found on EAR page, which is the label behind it. In case you are wondering why OSE Vol. 1 is so special, all of its tracks are exclusive and specifically prepared by the bands for this release. That means new, unheard material from more than 70 bands from the anhalt EBM elite and dark electro.

Therefore it is perfectly fitting to ask Nader a few questions about his work on OSE Vol. 1

1TJ: How did you come up with the idea to create such a big collection of Oldschool and anhalt EBM/dark electro? What motivated you?

Nader: Hello Ramunas, thanks for the cool interview! You’re a staunch supporter of the old school scene and I’d like to commend you for your unwavering commitment to promoting Anhalt EBM. My first compilation Grandchaos “In Sedens” DCD was a precursor to OSE. The XXL Remix EP got overwhelmingly positive reviews and many electroheads encouraged me to take my old school mission to the next level & assemble a 4-cd box featuring all exclusive tracks & exclusive remixes by classic electro acts and mega-talented neo-old school bands. It took me 4 years to wrap up OSE

1TJ: One doesn't only get 4-CD's worth of exclusive and never before released tracks, you put alot of effort into the physical appearance of it as well?

Nader: It’s my undivided devotion to old school electro that kept me going. I’m very fortunate to have an amazing team and I’d like to extend a big thank you to Chris Lewis (frontman of the amazing dark electro act Red+Test) for his magnificent illustrations, Michael Renfield (aka Soillodge) for his awesome formatting and design, and last but not least, Brian Hazard (Resonance Mastering) for his top notch mastering. OSE has turned into a concept project and customers will capture the full essence of old school electro once they grab their copy.

1TJ: The whole process wasn't easy. What difficulties did you meet?

Nader: It was a very time consuming & frustrating project. I had to follow-up with each and every band and make sure that Brian is fully satisfied with the wav files. As the old saying goes, no pain, no gain

1TJ: How did you pick the bands for such a huge collection?

Nader: I’ve drawn upon my extensive knowledge of the old school/neo-old school scene to assemble this monumental project.

1TJ: It says Vol. 1, so will there be more collections in the future?

Nader: I sure hope so!

1TJ: What music do you yourself listen to?

Nader: I’ve a wide taste in music, but I mostly listen to complex, multi-layered dark electro, old school EBM, minimal electro/analog synthpop, italo-disco and techno.

1TJ: Where do you think the anhalt EBM scene is going?

Nader: Anhalt EBM is definitely gathering pace and I hope OSE will reignite interest in old school electro

1TJ: Do you have any new anhalt EBM favorites? I.e. bands you would want to include in a new collection? Perles from the underground?

Nader: I’m a HUGE fan of Astma, Ondska, Pact of Warsaw, Neukampf and Oldschool Union (all featured on OSE Vol. 1). We’ll see what the future holds for volume 2.

1TJ: Only 11 pre-orders remain until you can finance the release, and it seems the wait is almost over. Where does it go from here? Will there be possibilies for digital purchase? Any other plans?

Nader: 11 more steps to reach the 100 pre-orders target and I’m glad that we’re inching closer to the finish line. It was an agonizingly slow process and I’d like to thank each & every OSE customer for their patience and support! The project wouldn’t have been possible without you. As you may already know, OSE is an outrageously expensive project. Right from the very beginning, I was determined to release a luxurious dream box and I was so crushingly disheartened with the astoundingly low pre-orders. I know for a fact that thousands of casual fans want to illegally download the box-set the day it comes out and that’s why I had to set a 100 pre-orders target. The rationale behind this move is to cover part of exorbitant expenses and avoid a hefty loss. Come to think of it, I know it’s insanely crazy to release a hard copy only collector’s box in the age of illegal downloads.

1TJ: Any final words to the anhalt EBM stompers and the whole scene?

Nader: Please support bands and labels. Illegal downloads are really killing the music industry

Exclusive anhalt ebm promotion: Human Steel and Struck 9

The underground is growing, and it is getting difficult to keep track of all new bands that keep coming up, but here are two bands that deserve some extra attention. They are unique, not only because they originate from countries that aren't Germany or Sweden, but because they stand out musically. They are Human Steel (Poland) and Struck 9 (Colombia).

Human Steel is a newer project, making industrial EBM with anhalt ebm sound, although their latest tracks are entirely anhalt ebm both in sound and factory-attitude. Their first release is a promo EP entitled First Contact, with four tracks which all start off with a typical anhalt EBM sound with hard beats, but these tracks explode into a broader style, with more electro and industrial sounds than is usual in this genre. Do not misunderstand though, Human Steel do well in keeping the atmosphere and attitude true to the old school EBM genre. For additional fun, First Contact EP also includes an anhalt ebm tribute to Kraftwerk! Beyond this promo EP, the band has uploaded newer tracks on their myspace, of which particularly Behind The Walls is a hard hitting tough anhalt EBM beast! Human Steel also stands out through very good vocals, which sometimes remind of Armageddon Dildos, and will please those who are tired of growling in EBM, as well as those who prefer more clean ones. Words don't make enough justice, therefore make sure to check out their tracks on their myspace, and look out for a link to their music, which they are planning to upload for free in the future.

Struck 9 is also different from the typical anhalt ebm band in the same fashion - it borrows an influence from other genres, but without losing its anhalt and oldschool EBM sound. It is raw, straight forward and powerful EBM. Their latest release "Democracy" (2010) has 9 varied tracks, which range from minimalist and tough anhalt EBM, to more hard hitting and more sound-filled tracks, with some modern EBM influence, and sometimes a little techno. This release also has a great remix from Spanish anhalt EBM masters Tech Nomader. Less talk, more listening: the band has been so kind to upload "Democracy" for free download. And recently Struck 9 has released a remix album entitled "Default" which includes mixes from various bands, i.e. Equitant. You will find all info about this on Myspace.

For more latest and newest underground anhalt EBM, find "VA - Oldschool Anhalt Underground EBM 2011", that someone unknown has compiled. Soulseek is your friend.