If you’ve been paying attention, you should be as utterly infatuated by London electronic pop duo Empathy Test as I am. Their time-travelling mix of analogue 80:s synthpop and contemporary electropop, with bits and pieces of chillwave and dreampop, refined into 22 tracks on two debut albums, makes Empathy Test 2017 an exciting addition to the electronic pop scene.

Release Music Magazine’s newest recruits Jimi Nilsson and Julia Schwendner (photo) meet up with Empathy Test singer Isaac Howlett before the concert at Nochtwache in Hamburg for a chat about unexpected fame and glory, how it is to end up in a music scene they never aimed for and the reason for releasing two debut albums. 

[more...]

“What we call ‘sky’ could be a hall of mirrors. What we call ‘moon’ could not be a real body. A new universe is emerging, showing the need for a new human mind”. The Italian astrophysicist Giuliana Conforto conclude that the moon is merely a hologram of the Earth, possibly an alien construct, and is the inspiration behind the title of the new album by long-lived Italians Kirlian Camera. Six years after their latest album release, they are back with the grandiose electropop release of “Hologram Moon”, involving collaborative work with Covenant singer Eskil Simonsson.

In Jimi Nilsson’s Release interview with Elena Alice Fossi and founding member Angelo Bergamini we learn about the ideas behind the band, collaborations, how to be considered non-Italians on the Italian alternative scene and being a survivor in a music industry fraught with digital disruption. [more...]

Release shot some pictures of Marsheaux, Solar Fake, Nattskiftet and She Past Away at the last Electronic Winter festival in Gothenburg. Browse a photo gallery with comments below. [more...]

Celebrating the 30^th anniversary of “Mystery Hotel” and way beyond 35 years as an artist, Darrin Huss of Canadian “poppy” darkwavers Psyche summarizes a long-lasting career and promises a new Psyche album in due time.

We have written about these Canadian-German veterans several times before and won’t bore you with the basics. We met a cheerful Darrin before his show at Hafenklang Goldener Salon in Hamburg to talk about everything from being a cult band to the progression of the Psyche sound over the years. [more...]

American EBM act Youth Code is continuing their two year-long tour with latest album “Commitment to Complications” with yet a new headliner, in yet a new music scene. After supporting acts as metal band Baroness, post metal act Deafheaven and, for Release readers, well known industrial act Skinny Puppy, Youth Code is back in Europe. This time with the major synthwave act Carpenter Brut, a tour that, however, kicked off with two shows supporting Front 242.

Release writer Jimi Nilsson and photographer Jule Roge met up with Youth Code before their show in Hamburg to get insight into their unusual background in the hardcore/punk scene, how it is to support such completely distinct acts in disparate music scenes and the sound of the next album. This is our second Youth Code interview. [more...]

Franck Hueso is on tour under his alter ego Carpenter Brut and with his new album “Leather Teeth”. The king of syntwave returns to the stage with an astonishing live show coated in a dazzling mix of 80:s horror film clips, harsh electronic synth lines and with metalhead attitude. Release spoke with the mythical French synthwave star about his roots on the metal scene, to reach the Nine Inch Nails level of live shows and following the DIY path. [more...]

Swedish electropunk band Bondage Fairies on Hamburg based label Audiolith launch their tour at Hafenklang in the heart of the Hamburg fish market district. Famous for their high energy shows and devoted fans, the unknown members met up with Release to chat about secret identities, chiptunes punk music and being stalked by Russian fans. [more...]

Catching up with the current incarnation of former dark goth rockers Klimt 1918 from Italy almost 20 years after their formation was going to be an affair focused to the changing sound, the Italian underground scene and the connection between music and art. The also talk about mixing in Sweden and their love for 80:s bands like Berlin and Duran Duran. Release met up with Francesco Conte and founding member Paolo Soellner after their show at Hafenklang in Hamburg. [more...]

Never heard of the audiovisual, electronic Splice Festival in East London? Well to be honest, until about a year ago, neither had I. But seeing that acts as established as Coldcut, Mira Calix and DJ Food played at the last one, including the legend that is Mixmaster Morris DJ:ing – well, how could I resist once Splice time came around again. [more...]

Qntal, pioneers of mixing medieval folk music with impressive electronics, released their eighth album “VIII: Nachtblume” in the beginning of March 2018. We realised we have only interviewed (related band) Deine Lakaien, but never Qntal. So our Hamburg-based writer Jimi Nilsson had a chat with a cheerful Michael Popp, founder of Qntal, an interview entailing the band’s connection to poetry and historical artifacts, and Popp’s passion for new instruments. He reveals that Qntal was born prior to Deine Lakaien, talks about being like a brother to Ernst Horn and the darkwave scene. [more...]