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Galakthorroe

November Növelet ‎* Unintended By Nature (cd 2016)

NN has never been a very active project. In 1994 there was the 7″ “More Satanic Heroes”. Five years later the album “From Heaven On Earth”. After that is was silent until the great album “Magic” (2007). A year later the 7″ “Sacred” was presented and yet another 7″ “Heart Of Stone” in 2012. Last year the album “The World In Devotion” was released.
Now, instead of releasing another 7″, November Növelet decided to release a compilation with “The singles 1994 – 2012 – Bonus Material”, the latter (“bonus material”) are three new tracks that were not released on vinyl but on this compilation.

Oddly enough, the 7″s are not presented chronologically, but the other way around. “Heart Of Stone”, “Sacred”, then the noisy sounds of “More Satanic Heroes”. At the end the three newly recorded tracks follow that -of course- have the ‘current’ Növelet sound can be found, so there are some noisy tracks in the middle. The more dramatic / melancholic sound of the “From Heaven On Earth” album is not present on “Unintended By Nature”, so this album is not really an overview of the development of NN.

In my opinion the best material of NN can be found on the albums “Magic” (most of all) and “The World In Devotion”. The songs form more of a unity than on “Unintended By Nature”. There are a few very nice tracks on the 7″s, other tracks are alright. However certainly not bad, the “More Satanic Heroes” tracks are the least of this compilation. The three new tracks are also nice to good, but I would have preferred them to be in the beginning of the cd so that it would have been entirely counter chronological.

Links: November Növelet, Galakthorrö

Tanz Ohne Musik * Infinity (cd 2016)

If I am not mistaken, this is the same duo as Divine Muzak, but Discogs does not ‘say’ that the female halves are the same person. Tanz Ohne Musik has been releasing music since 2011. I ran into their Bandcamp around the time the sound shifted from an alright minimal wave sound to a much more interesting Galakthorrö-like sound. Still, it took until the sound shifted back a bit towards the ‘old sound’ that Galakthorrö showed interest in the project from Romania.

Putting on “Infinity” initially gives the impression that Tanz Ohne Musik went for a more November Növelet style than the tranquil Haus Arafna sound of “Between Our Body Shapes”. As the album continues, it is clear that “Infinity” is more like the last release “Belong” (2014), more like the earlier releases than “Between Our Body Shapes”, but still with “angstpop” elements.

The album is relatively lively / uptempo with a couple of very nice tracks. People who know the project will not hear very big surprises. People who got this album because of the label it is released on, may find that Tanz Ohne Musik is a bit more danceable and accessible than most Galakthorrö music.

Links: Tanz Ohne Musik, Galakthorrö

November Növelet * The World In Devotion (cd 2015)

The Arafnas seem to have been in a romantic mood. November Növelet already was their softer project, but on their latest album both the sound and even more so: the lyrics, seem to have softened somewhat more.

Mrs. Arafna sings on all tracks. Now there is something of a risk, because her voice is not my favourite element of the music of the Arafnas. It sound like she has a herself photographed: a bit dull. (Perhaps on purpose?) Often I am indifferent to them (not annoyed, not overjoyed), here and there her voice does add a good element to the music, so how about on “The World In Devotion”?

The album opens with a soft and not too interesting track/song. After “Be Gratefull To Your Murderer” the tempo goes up and most of the rest of the music is mid-tempo and the sound is very much like the current sound of NN. The music is nicely minimalistic and analogues. However the video that was released recently seemed to have suggested otherwise, NN does not really lean towards the popular sound of “minimal wave”. Mr. and mrs. Arafna keep doing their own thing. The rhythms are relatively complex in some tracks, nice things happen on the background, some songs have simple but catchy melodies and mrs. Arafna sings (and in the video: dances) away, most of the time resulting in nice and moody soft dance songs that will work well on “minimal wave” dancefloors and radio-shows. There may not be a highlight on this album such as the title song of “Magic”, but overall “The World In Devotion” is a more than proper album showing the furry sound of the couple that names itself Arafna.

Links: Haus Arafna, Galakthorrö

Subliminal * Sterben Lassen (7″ 2015)

Subliminal is the stable link to Galakthorrö’s noisy past. “Sterben Lassen” again presents harsch and distorted noise.

Just as with the previous 7″ “Under Pressure” I expected this 7″ to be harscher and harder to listen to, but again I must conclude that Albert Finch created a wonderfull piece of moody and extreme music. A bit of old-style rhythmical industrial on side A and an emotive wall of sound on side B. And another good track on both sides as well.

Yep, I would like to invite Subliminal to work on another full-length.

Links: Subliminal, Galakthorrö

Da-Sein * Tautology (7″ 2015)

  • angstpop

Discogs.comThe latest signing on Galakthorrö comes from Madrid. The four tracks on this 7″ remind of November Növelet. Tranquil analogue rhythms, soft female vocals. Da-Sein is perhaps a bit rougher. The label speaks of “the spirit of the early days of Industrial”. That makes it sound a bit harscher than the sound really is. The atmosphere of the latest November Növelet releases and the sound of the earlier, but less dramatic. Tanz Ohne Musik could serve as comparison as well.

The 7″ is a nice new addition to the Galakthorrö discography.

Links: Da-Sein, Galakthorrö

Te/DIS ‎* Comatic Drift (cd 2014)

Tempted Dissident recently debuted on Galakthorrö with a wonderfull 7″ called “Black Swan”. Here we have the first full length. As every Galakthorrö album, “Comatic Drift” comes as a limited lp and as an unlimited cd. What you get is 12 tracks of ‘Galakthorrö light’. Like Herz Jühning, Te/DIS makes the Galakthorrö “angstpop” sound with almost no industrial or extreme outbursts. Like everything on Galakthorrö the music is well thought through, well structured and well executed. Also Te/DIS manages to make bleak, but moving electronic music. Some tracks are simply great, other are just very nice.
It may start to become dull, but here we have yet another great Galakthorrö release!
Link: Galakthorrö

Herz Jühning ‎* Paradise (7″ 2014)

Herz Jühning presents four interesting new tracks on a 33 rpm 7″. When you know the cd, think of the more tranquil tracks and you have a good idea of the sound of this 7″. Jühning does bring more pop in his angstpop. The opening track contains female guest vocals giving the song a nice, poppy vibe, but still dirty in sound. On the other side, Jühning himself sings more than we are used to from him and also this turns out very well.
Indeed, another good Galakthorrö release.
Links: Herz Jühning, Galakthorrö

Haus Arafna ‎* All I Can Give (7″ 2013)

Hello boys and girls. By the time I got my mail, all 903 of this 7″ were sold out. When you order from Galakthorrö directly, you will get a newsletter a few weeks before the official release, so you can get your copies before the rest of the world does. In case of these limited releases, you have to be quick. One thing is for certain though, “All I Can Give” is a brilliant EP! The two tracks on side A are downright stunning. The first is noisy, the second more ‘new style’, but both are absolute masterpieces. Side B has two more melancholic tracks which are also great. So I guess you will have to go around your usual industrial dealers to see if you can get a copy of the latest Haus Arafna.
Links: Haus Arafna, Galakthorrö

Te/DIS * Black Swan (7″ 2013)

Galakthorrö did it again, they found a typical Galakthorrö project. There are two ways of looking at this fact. First you can say that the label remains in their known musical spheres, but on the other hand, Galakthorrö projects are usually damn good. Te/DIS, or Tempted Dissident, is an angtpop project in the style of Herz Jühning and therefor also the softer Haus Arafna style. There are four tracks on this 33 rmp 7″. Three of them are really great, the last one is just alright. I love the Galakthorrö sound and since not too often comes from this label, also a new project with a known sound is great news! According to the label’s website all 489 copies are gone, so should you run into a copy, do not think twice!
Link: Galakthorrö

v/a * Kosmoloko 2 (cd 2012)

Well well, who would have thought that the 10 years Galakthorrö celebration compilation (2004) would have a follow-up? “Kosmoloko 2” presents exclusive tracks of the remaining Galakthorrö projects. It opens with two tracks of November Növelet, the first in the darker “Kalte Welle” style, the second is lighther and more ‘disco’, a very nice track with mr. Arafna’s vocals. Albert Fisch then blows the listener away with his walls of noise and weird vocals. Then comes a sublime track, certainly the best of the compilation and it is not of Haus Arafna, but of that other star: Herz Jühning. Both his tracks are in the vein of his “Miasma” album and superb. Next up is Hermann Kopp with his strange post-industrial sound experiments with his violin and electonics. The closing tracks are of course for Haus Arafna. The first track is Haus Arafna but a bit different. No, they did not become more poppy. “Lying In State” is a dark noise track with a sublime low frequency rumble for rhythm. The second track is more typical, not so dark, but a nice danceable track with mr. Arafna’s vocals. Indeed, “Kosmoloko 2” is a must-buy for Galakthorrö fans and those who have yet to get acquinted with one of the most interesting labels of today.
Link: Galakthorrö