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Galakthorroe

Sühne Mensch – Schmerzportrait (2022)

Galakthorrö once again found a new project. This time not (and can I say ‘fortunately’?) a November Növelet type project. Not that “Sühne Mensch” sounds as harsh and dark as Subliminal or some (earlier) material of Haus Arafna though (would we ever get more such material?). Sühne Mensch reminds a bit of the “angstpop” of Arafna’s latest “Asche“. It is not (and can I again say ‘fortunately’?) as depressive as Arafna’s latest.

“Schmerzportrait” has the humming interference, analogous melodies and singing of Haus Arafna (but a very different voice) with here and there a Tanz Ohne Musik or Herz Jühning tone. Of course, the project has a sound of its own. “Angstpop” is a very fitting description. Most tracks are quite melancholic.

“Schmerzportrait” may be the first release of Sühne Mensch, it certainly is not the first release of Michael Belletz. Judging his Discogs page, Belletz is more of (or also) a dance producer, but also with projects leaning more towards industrial. One release was made available by Hymen (Ant-Zen) so he is not a newcomer to the scene either. Having an open musical taste is a good thing, so I guess I will just go and find out what Belletz’ other projects actually sound like.

The album is good, but not great. It will do well as background music when I am reading. It is a kind of music that I do like to listen to, so… The sound really fits on Galakthorrö too, but I must say that the Arafnas no longer release but masterpieces. So: good, very ‘Galakthorrö’, darker than Aska, Tanz Ohne Musik or Da-Sein; more in the Herz Jühing corner of sound.

Links: Sühne Mensch, Galakthorrö

Aska – Út Við Sundin Grá (2021)

  • angstpop

Galakthorrö found another angstpop project, this time from Iceland. It is not really a new project either. Since 2014 Aska has been releasing material.

“Út Við Sundin Grá” contains slow angstpop, perhaps reminding more of early November Növelet than later material of this Arafna project. Here and there I hear a bit of Maska Genetik as well, Herz Jühning perhaps even?

The album is not a materpiece to my ears, but it is a nice album. It is slower and less ‘disco’ than several other recent Galakthorrö releases, which is good.

Available on cd and mc and vinyl (if you are quick of course).

Links: Aska, Galakthorrö

Haus Arafna – Asche (2020)

A while ago Galakthorrö material started to appear on Spotify (not all though), apparently the Arafnas were cooking on something. Then there was a newsletter which included new material, even a new Haus Arafna album! The first since 2011! So then some 7 weeks of impatience before I could finally put the new album in my player.

From “Children Of God” (1998) to “Butterfly” (2003) to “You” (2010) to “New York Rhapsody” (2011), Haus Arafna seemed to have been scraping off some rough edges. There always still were noisy industrial tracks, but there came more and more softer tracks.

When you put on “Asche”, it soon becomes clear that the Arafnas did not scrape off the sharp edges immediately. After two great industrial tracks, the pretty rough “Kreise Um Das Nichts” is presented, which also has the first Haus Arafna official video. The track is not as harsh as Haus Arafna can be though.

So after a first round in the player, I took another spin with my eye on the lyrics. From death to mourning and a lot of misanthrope. After a rough start, the album already gets more melancholic in tone, but combined with the lyrics, the new album is actually pretty depressive.

As we are used to from Haus Arafna, the industrial music is beautifully crafted, magnificently detailed, surprising too, since the sound certainly is not entirely the same as on previous albums. “Asche” contains but one track that can be described as melancholic, but it is certainly not all power electronics here. Also mrs. Arafna’s vocals are remarkably absent. She mostly functions as background singer.

Be all this as it may, the tracks on the new album are superb, but damn this album is heavy.

Links: Haus Arafna, Galakthorrö

Te/DIS – Transparent Subsistence (2020)

Also our tempted dissident comes with a new album, the third album in six years time, all on Galakthorrö.

Te/DIS’ latest seems a bit softer or simpler, I am not sure how to put it. The sound is still recognizable, but it differs somewhat from the previous albums, maybe a bit more… “poppy”?

If you know the project, the music is fairly simple and minimalist, a simple beat, a bit of melody and vocals.

Just as the previous two albums “Transparent Subsistence” sounds nice. Good to play when you want something uncomplicated.

Links: Te/DIS, Galakthorrö

Mode In Gliany – Kelc’h-Lizher (2020)

Not a new project, but new to me. After six albums released between 2015 and 2018 and some other releases, this French project found its way to Galakthorrö.

This 33 rpm 7″ contains four tracks. The sound is pretty much like that of November Növelet and Da-Sein, somewhere between minimal wave and angst pop.

The songs on “Kelc’h-Lizher” are nice. I am going to have to see what other releases of this project sound like.

Links: Mode In Gliani, Galakthorrö

Herz Jühning – Samsara (cd 2018)

Nine years after the great album “Miasma” and four years after the “Paradise” 7″ there is finally new material of Herz Jühning.

“Samsara” does not contain any musical surprises, but Jühning made another great album in his distinctive sound. From slow “angstpop” to more industrial sounds and some tracks with a faster pace. Herz Jühning adds his recognisable vocals which are sometimes spoken, sometimes (slightly distorted) screamed. Wonderfully humming analogue equipment, nice details in the background, “Samsara” has got everything that we love Herz Jühning for.

What else to say? Get the album. The vinyl version if you are quick or just buy the cd when you are too late or simply prefer that format like myself.

Links: Herz Jühning, Galakthorrö

Tanz Ohne Musik – Night (7″ 2018)

Tanz Ohne Musik’s second release on Galakthorrö is a 7″. Four tracks, 33 rounds per minute.

Compared to the previous release on Galakthorrö (“Infinity” cd 2016) the sound is more ‘Galakthorrö’ again. Hints of Haus Arafna and November Növelet are abundant, but leaning more towards Arafna this time. The four tracks from the 7″ are good, maybe in a way more interesting as the album, more like some of the ‘pre-Galakthorrö’ releases.

Of course the 7″ is limited, to 515, but I am sure that Galakthorrö will have a download version available when the physical copies are gone.

Links: Tanz Ohne Musik, Galakthorrö

Te/DIS * Interrogation Gloom (cd 2017)

“Tempted Dissident” already was not the most extreme project on Galakthorrö (but he does not have the ‘minimal wave’ sound of NN), but I have the idea that “Interrogation Gloom” softer than the previous “Comatic Drift”. The music is still minimalistic with simple rhythms and melodies and male vocals, but where previously the vocals were more like talking/singing, on the new album there is more singing. This works better in some tracks than in other.

“Interrogation Gloom” needed a few spins, but it is still a nice album. There are two tracks that I really cannot ‘get into’ (yet?) though.

Link: Galakthorrö

Da-Sein * Death Is The Most Certain Possibilty (cd 2017)

After a debut 7″ and the announcement that Da-Sein will be the second Galakthorrö project to perform at the Wave Gotik Treffen, here we have the debut full-length of this Spanish duo.

In the first tracks of this album, Da-Sein sounds a lot like November Növelet, both the music and the voice of the female singer. The tracks are nice, but halfway there are some more lively tracks that have a less ‘typical sound’ and they sound more interesting. These tracks are a bit rougher, slightly more industrial, but nothing compared to the violence of other Galakthorrö releases.

When you like November Növelet’s more recent releases, you will most likely enjoy “Death…”, especially when NN got a bit too soft. I do hope that Da-Sein will focus more on their own sound on future releases.

Link: Galakthorrö

Hermann Kopp ‎* Cantos Y Llantos (7″ 2017)

Hermann Kopp is the only ‘atypical’ project on Galakthorrö. The other projects sound quite alike. However this ‘other sound’ is good in a way, Kopp happens to be the only Galakthorrö project that I do not really like… Also it is one of the few projects that also releases material through other labels.

Kopp makes weird music. He experiments with his violin and his voice and mixes that with some sort of soundscapes. The result is interesting, but not always my taste. When you know previous releases of Kopp (on Galakthorrö, I never heard any of his other releases), you will have a fair idea of what the four tracks on “Cantol Y Llantos” sound like.

Links: Hermann Kopp, Galakthorrö