DDDJMX - Oceaned (Digital) (Dancedelic D) DDDJMX is the recent ambitious project of friends Dirk Da Davo (aka DDD from The Neon Judgement, Neon Electronics,...) and Jean-Marie Aerts (aka JMX from TC Matic and producer for Luc Van Acker, Urban Dance Squad and many more). After the release of the promising 2019 EP ‘Attack Dogs Achieve’ and singles ‘Pray for rain’ and ‘All Is Said’ earlier this year, they are now back with their first full length album Oceaned. After a first glance it’s clear the album has all the ingredients one could expect from this brain collision. DDD’s typical mechanic drum programming, pulsating riffs and mantric vocals can be heard in tracks like ‘We’re Slipping and Sliding’, ‘Go Ahead’ and ‘Bring it on’ while JMX guitars and bass grooves and production work makes them whole. Also the typical western feel that one also could find on the later The Neon Judgement albums is seeping through once in a while. Don’t expect to find an 2020 version of The Neon Judgment club hits like ‘Fashion Party’ or ‘TV Treated’ on this album, but ten mature songs and an album from two masterminds that could warp some of us back to the age of for instance ‘Blood and Thunder’. [HH] MONO INC. - The Book Of Fire (CD/Digital/Vynil) The Book Of Fire is the brand new album by Goth-rockers Mono Inc., founded in 2000, and it’s the successor of their previous album Welcome To Hell, released in 2018. Driven rock, nice riffs and the angelic passages of vocalist/drummer Katha Mia are again the main ingredients. And they taste excellent! The whole thing is spiced up with contributions by Tilo Wolff (Lacrimosa) and Teufel (Tanzwut). One of the amusing things about Mono Inc. is that their very solid rock, with a Metal edge, is so enthralling. Their compositions are very sturdy, lived through and somehow sound so sweet ... It sounds great and it is great! It tells us once again what Mono Inc. has delivered: Another great and intense album, stuffed with goth rocking guitars. An album that can certainly be added to many, already well-stocked, record collections in thousands of living rooms. (SPV) [JB] MANNEQUIN - From A Distance (Cassette/Digital) Mannequin is a Californian Dark-Wave duo that have just released their first full album ‘From a Distance’ on the Sentimental label, run by (among others) Fenne Kuppens of Belgian band Whispering Sons. Mannequin previously released their EP ‘Nocere’ (2019) and today they present us their 8-song debut album. Their sound throws us back to the eighties and tends to sound like bands such as Das Kabinette and Iron Curtain. Strong bass lines, melodic synths and dark vocals. ‘Modern Light’ opens the album quietly and spherically. The bass line is blissful in its simplicity, the vocals deep but rocking. Slightly stronger in terms of tempo and with great drums, the track ‘Cities’ takes over. Here too, simplicity is the force ... Whatever the feeling about this debut, despite the fairly calm songs it remains a very danceable album. With ‘From A Distance’ Mannequin delivers a very nice fully-fledged debut long player. Although it is not the most innovative sound, the songs still invite you to listen. Maybe the album could have been an little more varied, but that is a just very personal opinion. (Sentimental) [JB] She Hates Emotions - Melancholic Maniac (Digital) (Out Of Line) She Hates Emotions is the surprise new side project by BlutEngel, Chris Pohl. This guy must have a drip firmly planted into the veins of a muse with how prolific a songwriter he is and each and every time he strikes gold. His propensity towards writing melodic masterpieces is nothing short of awe-inspiring and here he presents his first release “See the Light” with its mesmeric, oscillating synth riff enchanting and its seductively ariose chrous enthralling, all married together beautifully by Pohls dazzling vocals. His influences on this track are evident (Depeche Mode, Erasure, Human League) and this song is a genuine pleasure to listen to especially in the context of the 80’s legends he clearly loves because the song, I must stress, is not merely a pastiche. It sounds incredibly modern in its respectful retrospection. It has been expertly crafted and whets the appetite of our anticipation of the release of the debut album “Melancholic Maniac” on May 15th 2020. [AM] - 21 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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