Press Info:
German electronic originator Gudrun Gut’s latest solo collection distills a lifetime of persuasions and obsessions into a compelling 14-track statement: “Moment.” Stark, somber, sultry, and clever, the sides slide between ballad and lament, synth-pop and spoken word, anthemic and abstract.
Gut’s background as a key figure in Berlin’s first-wave industrial uprising still casts an aura in the music’s mechanized rhythms and frozen emotional palette but decades of improvisation and collaboration have deepened her sense of composition and melody beyond any easy genre categorization.
If anything “Moment” finds Gut’s muse at its most enigmatic, threading shades of motorik hypnosis, technoid laboratory, coldwave pop, glitchy gauze, and even a gender-bent Bowie cover (“Boys Keep Swinging”) into its eclectic web. It also showcases the depth and detail of her voice, reserved but suggestive, intoning blunt truths and opaque poetry in both German and English.
This is music of history and heartache, modernity and desire, alienation and expression, by a singular creative committed to the complexities of sound. – Britt Brown
Gudrun Gut’s story spans many years, scenes, and sounds, from the “ingenious dilettantes” subculture of early 1980’s Berlin as part of Mania D, Einstürzende Neubauten, and Malaria! to her twilit industrial pop trio Matador into an expansive solo catalog of later work scoring films, videos, and radio plays. Her talents extend beyond musician, however, to include founding record labels (the influential imprints Moabit Musik and Monika Enterprise), club nights (progressive electronic pop collective Oceanclub), and experimental feminist collaborations (Monika Werkstatt).
Gut also works extensively in the technical sector of the recording industry, as a producer. Recent projects have included collaborations with Antye Greie (AGF) and Hans-Joachim Irmler of Faust, participating on the advisory committee for Musicboard Berlin, and performing at The Royal Albert Hall with Âme as part of an Innervisions label night.
Tracklist: 01. Like A Father (Imperial Black Unit Remix)
02. Ill (Sarin Remix)
03. Criminal (SHXCXCHCXSH Remix)
04. Young (Lokier Remix)
05. Burn (Ansome Remix)
06. Choke (Craow Remix)
07. It Kills (Rendered Remix)
08. The Pain (The Horrorist Remix)
Press Info:
Released by Berlin’s Aufnahme + Wiedergabe and New York’s Sacred Bones, Criminal Remixed is two volumes of remix bliss which also contains contributions from Lokier, Ansome, Craow and more. The Soft Moon is also set to embark on a massive “Criminal Tour”.
Press Info:
The fifth issue of Blacksilk sees the return of label head Marc Ash. Following the debut of his one-project moniker Plovdiv in 2016, a tape EP on Clan Destine and appearances on labels such Helena Hauff’s “Return to Disorder”, he now comes forth with a work that reveals a deeper side of his obscure and multifaceted vision of electronic music.
Rejecting any fixed musical categorization, the listener is left free to decide how to deal with these compositions, each one exploring different areas of Marc’s approach to existence through seductively articulated synth lines.
A work of self-reflection and a stark celebration of controversial times of uncertainty and doubt. Deadpan vocals extracted from Godard films, eerie Teutonic fairytales and Marc’s own deconstructed voice take the listener by the hand on a rollercoaster of anxiety and active resignation to the absurd posteverything age in which we live.
Silent Servant’s reinterpretation of “Take your Judgments” crowns the EP with a shadowy march built on repetitive sequences, abruptly waking us up from the sinister dream and leaving a sweet yet sour taste in our mouths.
Press Info (German):
VNV Nation haben große Neuigkeiten für ihre Fans: NOIRE, das mit Spannung erwartete 10. Studioalbum, wird am 12. Oktober auf Anachron Sounds (Europa) und Metropolis Records (Nordamerika) veröffentlicht. Gleichzeitig startet die VNV NATION Europa und Nord-Amerika Tournee. Mastermind von VNV Nation ist der in Dublin geborene Ronan Harris, er beschreibt “Noire” als eine “dunkle und intensive Energie, die sich nicht zurückhält”.
NOIRE ist das erste Studioalbum von VNV Nation in 5 Jahren, das im Studio von Ronan Harris in Hamburg produziert wurde. Der Sound Stil des Albums ist weitreichend und besticht mit dunklen und unheilvollen Momenten auf Tracks wie “A Million” oder dem symphonischen “All our Sins”, aber auch mit melodischem Songs wie das hypnotisch-treibende “When is the Future?” und “God of all”. Eine Mischung aus klassischer sowie neuer Studiotechnik wurde bei der Produktion verwendet, um die fast 74 Minuten / 13 Songs von „Noire“ sorgfältig zu komponieren. NOIRE stützt sich dabei auf eine Fülle von musikalischen Einflüssen: von der melancholischen Seite der heutigen Dance Music bis hin zu den Avantgarde-Komponisten des ausgehenden 19. Jahrhunderts. Inspiriert von 70er Electronic Rock bis hin zu dunklen Maschinenraum Beats, Post-Punk, 80er Indie, Blues, Electronic-Pop, filmischen Orchestrierungen, Post-Klassik, Dark-Ambient und Minimal Music.
VNV Nation ist bekannt für ihre unvergessliche, energiegeladene und inspirierende Live-Shows. Die Tour verspricht den Fans mehr Spannung als je zuvor und präsentiert die Songs von NOIRE zusammen mit den bei Fans beliebten Klassikern, aber auch einigen Raritäten. Special Guest auf der Europa Tour werden auf Einladung von Ronan Harris die angesagten Post-Punk Darlings HOLYGRAM sein, die dann auch auf der Nordamerika-Tournee ab Mitte November mit dabei sein werden.
“VNV” steht für “Victory Not Vengeance” und das wiederum drückt die die Kernbotschaft des Künstlers aus: “Man sollte danach streben, nicht in bitterer Reue zu enden.” Der Sound verbindet poetische und zum Nachdenken anregende Texte und emotionale Musik, die von elektronischen Beats, alternativen Hymnen und eindringlichen Balladen bis hin zu postklassischen Elementen reichen. Im Laufe seiner Karriere ist der Erfolg von VNV Nation immer weiter gewachsen. Die letzten 3 Alben der Band erreichten die Top 10 in Deutschland und das letztes Album „Resonance“ (mit dem Babelsberger Film Orchester) gelangte sogar in die Top 5 der Billboard Charts in den USA.
Press Info (English):
Legendary electronic act VNV Nation has big news for fans – NOIRE, the highly-anticipated 10th studio album, is out on Anachron Sounds (Europe), and Metropolis Records (North America), on October 12th, the day they embark on a world tour, which kicks off in North America on November 16, 2018. VNV’s creative-force, Dublin-born Ronan Harris, describes “Noire” as a “dark and intense energy that doesn’t hold back.”
NOIRE is VNV Nation’s first studio album in 5 years. It was produced at Ronan Harris’ studio in Hamburg, Germany. The sound and style of the album is far-reaching with dark and ominous moments on tracks like “A million” to something symphonic like “All our sins”, to more melodic territory like “When is the future” and “God of all.” A juxtaposition of classic and new studio technology was used to painstakingly craft NOIRE’s nearly 74 minutes / 13 songs. NOIRE draws on a wealth of musical influences; from the bleaker, darker side of today’s dance music, all the way back to avant-garde composers from the end of the 19th century. Citing inspiration from “70s electronic rock to dark machine-room beats, post-punk, alternative 80s, blues, electronic-pop, cinematic orchestrations, post-classical, dark-ambient and minimalist music,” Harris is immensely proud of the coming opus.
VNV Nation is known for unforgettable, energetic and inspiring live performances. The tour/show promises more to fans than seen before, presenting “Noire” alongside fan favourites and rarities. Special appearances from Cologne’s dark, new-wave upstarts, Holygram, and also joining them on the North American tour will be Berlin synthpop artist De/Vision.
“VNV” stands for “Victory Not Vengeance”, espousing the artist’s core message that, “One should strive to achieve, not sit in bitter regret.” The sound blends poetic and thought-provoking lyrics and emotive music, ranging from electronic beats, alternative anthems and haunting ballads, to post-classical. Over its career, VNV Nation’s success has continued to grow. Its last 3 albums charted top 10 in Germany, and its last album Resonance achieved top 5 Billboard Chart positions in the US.
