Controlled Burn: El Garaje de Frank

François Zappa / elgarajedefrank.es (12/31/20)

After releasing an instrumental version of Metaxy, the electro-industrial duo from Dayton, Ohio Hexadiode has published a remix album where eight of the tracks from the original album are remixed, three of them twice. For the occasion, we can find 6th Circle, 11grams, Damn the Witch Siren, Freeze Etch, Nundale, Red Pyramid, Skeleton Hands, Slighter, Soft Riot and TL3SS bringing their vision to the tracks from Metaxy. This album has been recorded between summer and autumn of 2020 and it was released for Halloween. The album starts with a powerful remix done by the band of “Parasitic State”, a track also remixed by 6th Circle with great results. 11grams takes “Invariant” and makes it a great darkwave track. “Impulse” is a bit more danceable thanks to Damn the Witch Siren. The remixes of “Brain in 3” are quite different one from the other, and I find quite difficult to choose which one I like the most. One day I would choose the melody of Soft Riot’s remix, another maybe the harshness of Slighter’s one. Red Pyramid adds some drums to “Markov Chain” while Nundale deconstructs the track and the same time that keeps the industrial vibe. Instead, Freeze Etch are more respectful with “Extreme Unction”. And last one, there is a quite original remix of “Distraction” by TL3SS.

Controlled Burn: The Silver Lining

Paul Silver / Jersey Beat (11/20/20)

One year on from the release of their LP, “Metaxy,” the Dayton, Ohio industrial innovators decided to try an experiment. The tracks from that LP were provided to a diverse roster of sonic scientists from all over the globe for their manipulation. The results were assembled, all during the global pandemic, and released as a celebration of the one-year milestone of the record. Of that album I said it contained, “pounding dance beats, gritty growling vocals, tons of synths and drum machines, distortion aplenty, and an unyielding power…” and that it is “well-executed menacing music.” These remixes hardly change that assessment, for the most part. The very first track breaks the rules, though – it’s the band’s own remix of “Parasitic Static.” The new version, though still with a strong beat, is less dance and more sinister sounding, more mechanical. I like the 11grams extended remix of “Invariant,” the original being harsher and more grating, the remix sounding more militaristic. Many of the remixes are cleaner sounding, sometimes more evil, deeper. I love the deep bass resonance punctuating “Impulse Matrix” as remixed by Damn the Witch Siren. “Metaxy,” remixed by Skeleton Hands,” thrums with the rhythms of urban life in a gritty city. “Brain In 3” comes across as more of an epic theme for a dystopian science fiction film as reconstructed by Soft Riot, but when given the treatment by Slighter, it’s eerie as hell, and I fear for my soul. It’s simply one of the best tracks of the LP. Less successful, in my opinion, is the remixed version of the title track from last year’s LP. Red Pyramid took “Metaxy” and thinned it out, making it lighter and less grating in some parts, harsher and noisier in others, and it feels somewhat disjointed to me. And Freeze Etch’s remix of “Extreme Unction” just isn’t quite as extreme as the original. But overall, the experiment is a success.

Review: Metaxy

Samantha Garcia / Regen Magazine (03/12/20)

Hexadiode is an electro-industrial duo from Dayton, Ohio, whose career started in 2014. They have already recorded three albums: Ibex (2016), the remix album Contaminated (2017) and Metaxy (2019) that we are going to review. If after reading this text, you get curious, you can listen to the record or buy it, on vinyl or CD here. Tim Krug, one of the members of the band together with Jonas Miseh, has published, just a couple of months ago, a new album under his (halicon) moniker, you should listen to it too.

The industrial atmosphere of their hometown can be found in these ten tracks that together with two remixes form Metaxy. We start cautiously the working day in the factory with “Distraction”, and slowly but harshly the industrial rhythm gets our attention, until, in the middle of the track, Hexadiode starts to give us a sample of their power. The first voices remind us of Eber from Laibach, although in the rest of the album the voice sings with a rage hardly heard in the Slovenian musician. The factory and the duo start working full power with “Impulse Matrix”, a powerful song loaded with the energy of EBM. And because in manufactures, the most important thing is production, here we can only praise the one of “Markov Chain”, with an updated version of the industrial sound and a sense of epic similar to the one of NIN. “Invariant” is a short interlude, a disturbing gear in the dynamic of the album.

It’s evident that “Brain in 3” has not been produced in an industrial way, because the noisy production really stands out and it’s full of details. We get in the darkest and deepest part of the factory with another interlude, really interesting and industrial: “6th Dialect”. “Parasitic Static” is a potent EBM track with some disturbing keyboards. If this song were part of the Modern Times soundtrack, Chaplin’s classic would become a terror movie. We enter heavily in “Extreme unction”, but it’s the last minute that makes us look backward with astonishment. The track that names the album “Metaxy” (a classic concept that can be translated as middle ground) gives the right amount of energy that we, workers of the factory need. And at the end of the assembly line, we find one of the most experimental tracks of the album and, without any doubt, our favourite one: “13 of 12”.

Regarding the two remixes, the one of Guilt Trip adds extra of darkness and a guttural voice, meanwhile Blush Response transforms the factory in a dance floor, without losing the industrial vibe. Let’s see with what Hexadiode treats us in the future.

ReView: Metaxy

François Zappa / El Garaje De Frank (05/24/20)

Dayton, Ohio duo Hexadiode aims to thrill with this latest release, titled Metaxy. Reminiscent of the decrepit surroundings from which the band hails, the hardware-only project of Tim Krug and Jonas Miseh keeps the spirit of such industrial music pioneers as Skinny Puppy and Einstürzende Neubauten alive. Hexadiode has found its niche and seems to adhere to those boundaries; however, the difference in production from the 2016 release Ibex has seen vast improvement, which goes to show that this band is now hitting its stride. Metaxy is an album shrouded in angst and fury that helps paint a picture of the bleak vision of the world that resides inside the minds of these two. “Distraction” is a hard-hitting track rife with sounds of pounding metal and siren-like melodies while the following “Impulse Matrix” ups the energy and delivers an infectious electronic dance anthem. Diving into “Markov Chain,” the vibe takes the shape of something reminiscent of Skinny Puppy meets 3TEETH, while the harsh atmospheric nature of “Invariant,” “Brain in 3,” and “6th Dialect” serve as abrasive interludes that divide the album. The last portion of the album steers away from conventional song structure with the exception of the title track “Metaxy.” It once again utilizes those metallic drums from the opening track while a smattering of quick modulations gives the song a danceable spirit. Though it checks all the boxes of what makes a good song, this writer would have liked to have heard some more diversity in the lyrics, as well as the production; in contrast, “13 of 12” seems to experiment a bit more with sound and space. Overall, there is potential in this relatively young project – all the elements are there and one should applaud the band for utilizing hardware in an age when plug-ins are the overused norm. Though upbeat industrial is Hexadiode’s strong suit, it would be nice to hear a bit more variety and experimentation in the sound at the risk of sticking too cleanly to one genre.

Metaxy Review

Stef Coldheart / Side-Line.com (02/05/20)

Metaxy is a mix between typical EBM elements, which are mainly emerging from the bass lines and the production of the vocals, and industrial sounds. Some metallic percussion parts are perfectly matching with this sonic fusion. Some of the choruses have something elevating. The more you walk through the “Metaxy”-universe, the more there’s a Frontline Assembly connotation running through the work. It’s dark and old-school like and yet with a contemporary feeling. Both last tracks are remixes by Guilt Trip and BLUSH_RESPONSE.

+ + + : Hexadiode accomplished an interesting opus. I like this album for the sophisticated writing, which is bringing EBM and industrial sound treatments together. The songs clearly reflect an intelligent writing, but the album also reveals several great songs. There’s also something to say about the mature production work. Among the remixes I noticed a great contribution from Blush Response, but it’s also cool to see Guilt Trip, which seems to be back into business.

- - - : There are multiple noticeable songs featured at “Metaxy”, but this album is missing a hit song from which you can’t get away from. That’s precisely what a band needs to get in the spotlight.

Conclusion: If you don’t yet know Hexadiode and you’re in search of a well-crafted and intelligent EBM production, I can for sure advise you to listen to “Metaxy”.

Best songs: “Impulse Matrix”, “Metaxy”, “13 Of 12”, “Markov Chain”, “Brain In 3 – Blush Response Remix”.

Rate: (8).

Top 10 local music releases of 2019

Don Thrasher / Dayton Daily News (01/10/20)

Hexadiode - Metaxy (EK Product):
This electronic duo comprised of two veterens of Dayton's indie-rock scene return with music that's at times some of its most extreme and at other times its most accessible. It's a dichotomy that works.

TOP 30 ARTISTS of 2019

BOOTSTOMP INDUSTRIAL (01/05/20)

3TEETH
BLACK DRESSES
CHROME CORPSE
CONSPIRACY THIEF
CUBANTE
CYANOTIC
DIE KLUTE
DIE KRUPPS
ELM
FIRST AID 4 SOULS
HANZEL UND GRETYL
HEXADIODE
HIDE
HOCICO
INVA//ID
MATT HART
MORIS BLAK
NUCLEAR SLUDGE
PANTHER MODERN PIG
PREEMPTIVE STRIKE 1.0
RANDOLPH & MORTIMER
RUINIZER
SINE
SLIGHTER
SPANKTHENUN
SPIT MASK
STATIQBLOOM
STONEBURNER
THE HORRORIST

BEST OF 2019

RATYHTL (01/03/20)

[:Sitd:] - Stunde X
Angelspit - Bang Operative
Bestial Mouths - Inshroudss
Boy Harsher - Careful
Bring Her - Bring Her
Bustié - Birds of Paradise
DEBBY FRIDAY - DEATH DRIVE
Go Fight - Anthem
God Module - The Unsound
Goo Munday - 9 Lives
Hexadiode - Metaxy
Hide - Hell Is Here [Explicit]
Kanga - Eternal Daughter
KLACK - 2400bps 8-N-1
Mindless Faith - Insectual
Olivia Neutron-John - Olivia Neutron-John
Panther Modern - Los Angeles 2020 EP
Randolph & Mortimer - Manifesto For A Modern World
S Y Z Y G Y X - Fading Bodies
She Past Away - Disko Anksiyete
Solve/The Blood of Others - FIRE MERIDIAN / AN OCEAN
Stoneburner - Massdriver
Velvet Acid Christ - Ora Oblivionis
Wingtips - Exposure Therapy
Lingua Ignota - Claigula

BEST OF 2019

Body to Body WXNA (12/20/19)

Rammstein - "Deutschland"
HEXADIODE - "Parasitic Static"
Cliff Martinez - "High Priestess Of Death"
BESTIAL MOUTHS - "Within"
Pop. 1280 - "Boom Operator"
Street Sects - "Tomorrow Is A Trap"
Hiro Kone - "A Desire, Nameless"
Uniform & The Body - "Patron Saint Of Regret (feat. SRSQ)"
Distortion Six - "You Are Already Dead"
Azar Swan - "Accelerant"
Spit Mask - "Slums Of Hell"
Kontravoid - "Cost Of Life"
SARIN - "Repression"
Strvngers - "My Black Queen"
Klack - "Check The Spreadsheet"
Twin Tribes - "The River"
Calabrese - "He Who Flees The Light"
Devil Master - "Her Thirsty Whip"
Ghost - "Mary On A Cross"
Comaduster - "Following The Night"
Body of Light - "Fear"
TR/ST - "Iris"
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - "Lincoln Tunnel"
CHROMATICS - "Whispers In The Hall"
Lust For Youth - "Insignificant"
Nordvargr - "The Horsemen Ride out on Foaming Steeds"
Full of Hell - "Rainbow Coil"
Oil Thief - "Suzanne Takes Your Hand"
Lingua Ignota - "Day of Tears and Mourning"
Blanck Mass - "Wings of Hate"
Agent Side Grinder - "In From the Cold"
daddybear - "Next Is The D"
GRENDEL - "Caught In The Middle"
Dorian Electra - "Live by the Sword"
Curse Mackey - "Concubinary (Bone In The Throat)"
Fractions - "Move Your Body (Dance With Me)"
Doon Kanda - "Dio"
WINGTIPS - "Sentinel"
3teeth - "American Landfill"
HIDE - "Chainsaw"
OhmElectronic - "Everything Is Gone"
Unconcious - "Damned"
Qual - "Inject Your Mind"
HEALTH - "STRANGE DAYS (1999)"
Drab Majesty - "Oxytocin"
Wreck and Reference - "Sturdy Dawn"
Dis Fig - "Alive"
Boy Harsher - "The Look You Gave (Jerry)"
Mr.Kitty - "Molt"
FIRES - "Through Black Skies"
Chrome Corpse x Dead Chains x Night Terrors - "Everything Must Move (Vrain Heavy Heart Mix)"
STATIQBLOOM - "Eight Hearts Eight Spikes"

Amazing Music Highlights..

Art Jipson / DaytonMostMetro (12/31/19)

This year also marked the return of sensual electronic soundscapes care of Dirty/Clean’s (Stereo) and one of the great local bands of 2019, Goodnight Goodnight released their passionately awaited new record (I Love you Fiercely). The hard to define industrial noise rock of HEXADIODE captured the musical imagination with their latest (Metaxy). Roley Yuma released their explosive self-titled record in 2019. Listen to those records and try not to feel. It is not possible.

Cut Through the Static With..."Metaxy"

Lucas Liner / Crypt Teaze (09/20/19)

Released on Halloween, the twelve-track disc is a darkly entrancing offering, striking a fine balance between crushing, grungy heaviness and unsettling atmosphere. The opening track “Distraction” is a heavy-handed one, breaking down the door, rather than gently opening it and peeking its head in. “Impulse Matrix” has a distinct late 80s / early 90s electro-industrial feel to it, like early Nine Inch Nails or Ministry. “Markov Chain” continues the classic industrial vibes, with its stomping rhythms.

“Invariant” is a dark, atmospheric number that fits a lot of unease into two and a half minutes. That leads to “Brain in 3,” one of my personal favorite cuts from this disc. It’s grungy, staticky, and yet somehow so catchy with that synth riff that sticks with you for a bit. It is such a well put together track with an old-school sensibility about it. The march-like “6th Dialect” makes for a commanding interlude, with plenty of fuzz and crackle on the production to make for a delightfully drab sound.

“Parasitic Static” stands another choice track on the record, with its bouncing rhythms and synths underneath a layered vocal part and a remarkably simple drum riff. “Extreme Unction” sounds like it could be in a video game, something like Hotline Miami or something with a throwback flare to it. The title track has some lovely double kick patterns that will satisfy the more metal-oriented listener, and “13 of 12” closes out the main portion of the disc with another 90s-sounding track full of electronic bewps and a talk-growled vocal line.

Finishing out the release are two remixes, the first being a Guilt Trip recalculation of “Parasitic Static,” which adds some guitars to the latter portion, and a more metal-sounding snare. The Blush Response remix of “Brain in 3” makes an already harsh-sounding track even more so, and that’s nothing short of an accomplishment in my book.

Who knew that a band from the Buckeye State could make such a fine industrial / EBM record? Hexadiode has a versatile offering on their hands with Metaxy, and as far as I’m concerned, I could listen to more of this for days to come. No two tracks feel the same, even the remixed versions of the A-sides. It’s a fun release with plenty of things to like about it, and tracks like “Brain in 3” could use some airplay at any friendly neighborhood underground club night.

Metaxy - The Silver Lining

Paul Silver / Jersey Beat (09/20/19)

Hexadiode - Metaxy

Brutal Resonance (10/17/19)

Aside from releasing a remix album in 2017 titled "Contaminated", Hexadiode has been hard at work on their new album "Metaxy" which is due out by the end of the month on October 31st. So, the question then becomes whether or not "Metaxy" is able to hold up to Hexadiode's previous efforts. The abrupt answer is there is naught to fear as the album is quite the industrial affair. With mastering handled by Rob Early (Retrogramme, 11grams) and Krug and Miseh behind the synthesizer madness, "Metaxy" comes off as a wonderful industrial outing.

Stand out tracks on the album include 'Brain in 3'. If I had to described this song, I would say it steps into the realm of cyberpunk horror with glitchy backing ambiance and an overall feeling of dread; it was well crafted. 'Parasitic Static' is a heavy hitting beast following traits of EBM; the approach to this song was quite violent echoing experimental nature. Lastly, the title song of the album is just pure old school electro-industrial; gritty guitars, metallic sounds, and a stompy beat make for one hell of a song. Blush Response also appears at the end of the album with a remix of 'Brain in 3' - the mating between Hexadiode's output and Blush Response's analog wizardry turned the song into a lovely dark, techno track.

I have but one complaint of the album and that comes in the form of the song 'Invariant'. For as nice as the rest of the album comes off, I could not get behind the continuous knocking rhythm that served as the backing beat for the entirety of 'Invariant''s duration. On multiple runs of the album this was the only song I found myself skipping whilst the rest of the album I let play out in its entirety. But, considering this one only lasts for a little under two-and-a-half-minutes, I was not all too disappointed that it was included on the final tracklist of "Metaxy".

I was also fortunate enough to receive a physical copy of the album before its release. The vinyl I received is a translucent white piece which will look good whilst spinning on my turntable. The inner sleeve shows alternate artwork from the cover, and on the back the songs are listed along with their lyrics. I always appreciate this addition in records as some artists do not include a lyric sheet which is a bummer. The outer sleeve is lovely on its own, featuring artwork by Hexadiode's very own Tim Krug, with the back of it listing the tracks along with an almost bloody like texture strewn across. This does not effect the score of the album, but whenever I receive something nice I always feel as if it is worth mentioning.

Hexadiode's "Metaxy", as stated above multiple times in multiple ways, is a wonderful industrial piece for the Fall of 2019. Though the year is coming to an end, there are still quite a few surprises remaining for us and this is one of them. The album is available for pre-order right now and I suggest you hop on that.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2016

Brutal Resonance (01/04/17)

Top 10 2016

Electraumatisme (01/04/17)

Mircalla - Close eye visual
Noire Antidote - Relieved Distressed
The Psychic Force - Neurotic (relapse)
PROTECTORATE - Empty face
Arian 1 - Pure Control
Hexadiode - Synchrocidal (Protectorate Remix)
Brandy Kills - Before the War
The Juggernauts - Religion (V.2K16)
Hante. - In Cold Water
The Blood Of Others - We will shine (feat. Boris MAY)
Invoke The Insult - With me
Youth Code - Doghead
Dead When I Found Her - Braille

BEST MUSIC OF 2016

RATYHTL (01/07/17)

Army of God – Go Fight
Blue Rooms – Synesect
Bravery (Solitary Experiments Remix) – Assemblage 23
Brother – Ari Mason
Censorshit (Faderhed Remix) [Explicit] – Nitro/Noise
Cult of Fake – Angelspit
Everything – Psychic Teens
Found in Filth – Pig
Honey – KANGA
Instinct of Ego – Koban
Nemesis – Shriekback
Piggy – Pretty Addicted
Pride – Lie
Prune That Dirty Staman – Vampyr Anvil
Schism – Reactor7x
Spectral Inverter – Izoloscope
Synchronized Stigma – Rave the Reqviem
Tantrum – Dead When I Found Her
The Dust of Fallen Rome – Youth Code
The Revolution (Will Not By Synthesized) [Benjamin’s Plague Remix] – RIOTLEGION
Turn To Zero – Hexadiode
Vices [Explicit] – The Sweetest Condition
Wait Now – In Letter Form
Wasted Memories – N3ova
What Remains – SOLVE
I Don’t Get Anything but Shit from You [Explicit] – Rein

Best of 2016

Ghettoblaster (12/15/16)

BEST OF 2016: TIM ANDERL OF GHETTOBLASTER MAGAZINE

Here are my top 26 favorite records of the year:

1) Sculpture Club, A Place To Stand
2) Hard Left, “Strike For America” 7″
3) Touche Amore, Stage Four
4) Pup, The Dream Is Over…
5) Afghan Whigs, Black Love (Reissue)
6) Beach Slang, A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings
7) Brat Curse “Control” 7″
8) Move Home, Spare Nothing EP
9) White Lung, Paradise
10) The Raging Nathans/Wonk Unit split 7″
11) The Hotelier, Goodness
12) Hunny, Pain/Ache/Loving EP
13) Against Me!, Shape Shift With Me
14) Vis A Vis, Hic Svnt Dracones
15) Hexadiode, Ibex
16) 20XX, Fabulous Terrible World
17) Male Gaze, King Leer
18) Abiyah and Eugenius, “Blup” single
19) Jimmy Eat World, Integrity Blues
20) Soft Kill, Choke
21) From Indian Lakes, Everything Feels Better Now
22) Cheap Girls, God’s Ex Wife
23) Signals Midwest, At This Age
24) Body Stuff, Body Stuff 2
25) Dolfish, Foreclosure American Dreams
26) EYE, Vision and the Ageless Light

Best of 2016

Body to Body @ WXNA (01/04/17)

Nine Inch Nails - "The Idea of You"
Street Sects - "Low Control"
Perturbator - "Weapons for Children"
High-Functioning Flesh - "Human Remains"
KANGA - "Honey"
Dead When I Found Her - "Braille"
The Rain Within - "Innocent"
SARIN - "Aim-54 C"
Gost - "Arise (feat. Kriistal Ann)"
Protectorate - "Exile"
Pure Ground - "Still"
Zex Model - "Dead City Central"
Becoming The Devourer - "our hero sets flight"
Crystal Castles - "Char"
Boy Harsher - "Suitor"
Julian Winding - "Demon Dance"
Wreck and Reference - "Powders"
Soft Kill - "Whirl"
ROME (Jerome Reuter) - "Cities of Asylum"
John Carpenter - "Persia Rising"
HEXADIODE - "Inversion"
Spit Mask - "Chokechain"
Blaqk Audio - "First to Love"
Body of Light - "Holding You"
Codex Empire - "Three Points of Light"
Cygnets - "Icons"
YOUTH CODE - "Doghead"
3teeth - "Degrade"
Schwefelgelb - "Bis Zum Nachsten Tag"
S U R V I V E - "Wardenclyffe"
SØLVE - "For Worse"
Ari Mason - "Beasts Tonight"

Best of Selection 2016

Sampler & Sans Reproches

SAMPLER & SANS REPROCHES (Radio broadcast)
Playlist N° 1043...
Lundi 02 Janvier 2017 - Horaire : 20:00 >> 22:00
EBM - SYNTHWAVE - INDUSTRIAL & RELATED MUSIC
GALAXIE RADIO 95.3FM www.galaxieradio.fr

[ S&SR Music Non-Stop... BEST OF 2016 ]

01. DAGEIST "Vampire (Bloody Mix)" MCD: Vampire (Danse Macabre / New Gold Dreams)
02. REIN "Can't Handle Me" DIG EP: Rein EP (Cold School)
03. ADVANCED ART "From Nothing To Nothingt" DCD: Archive (EK Product)
04. SHINY DARKNESS "Dirty Morning" CD: Season 4 (Foundry Records)
05. OLDSCHOOL UNION "Perjantai" CD: Perjantai (EK Product)
06. JUNIOR BOYS "M & P" CD: Big Black Coat (City Slang)
07. CELLDÖD "Allting Faller" CD: Mekaniskt Gransland (Suction Records)
08. POWERPOLITICS "Daemonen" DIG LP: The Indistinction Field (Autoproduction)
09. DEAD WHEN I FOUND HER "You Know What You Are (MINISTRY cover)" DCD: All The Way Down (Artoffact Records)
10. METAL DISCO "kamikaze Baby" TAPE: Fetish Club Anthems (Werkstatt Recordings)
11. NOISUF-X "Fuck It!" DCD: #Kicksome[b]ass (Pro Noize / X-Beats)
12. FULL CONTACT69 "Blaster" CD: (Wo)man Machine - V.2015 (Razgrom Music)
13. ORANGE SECTOR "Im Stahlwerk (Clubstahl Mix)" MCD: Stahlwerk EP (Infacted Recordings)
14. GRAUSAME TÖCHTER "Sisyphos Will Vögeln" CD: Vagina Dentata (Scanner)
15. BAK XIII "Swiss Ideal" Aut Caesar Aut Nihil (Tenacity Music / Urgence Disk Records)
16. GOOSE "Where Are We Now" CD: What You Need (Safari Records / Universal Music Belgium)
17. DUBMOOD "Att Bygga En Robot (feat. Maskinpop)" VINYL LP: Force De Frappe (Data Airlines)
18. FINKSEYE "Deadweight" CD: Deadweight (Razgrom Music)
19. DI*OVE "DI*And" DIG LP: DI*vided (Autoproduction)
20. ELM "Kampftrinker" CD: Hardline (Alfa Matrix)
21. AMNISTIA "Money" DCD: Dawn (Scanner / Pro Noize)
22. FULL CONTACT69 "Fuck Off" CD: Zombie Machine (Razgrom Music)
23. AUTOGEN "Bombo" CD: Antigen (Audiotrauma)
24. MESH "Runway" CD: Looking Skyward (Dependent Records)
25. INVOKE THE INSULT "Unever Terms" CD: You Can Trust (EK Product)
26. PLASTIC NOISE EXPERIENCE "Push and Punish (Vinyl Mix)" LP+CD: Push And Punish (Alfa Matrix)
27. MACHINE ROX "Not Your Slave" CD: Shout (Static Distortion Records)
28. WE THE NORTH "Endemic (I,Parasite Remix)" CD: Endemic (Space Race Records)
29. IAMX "North Star (Future Funk Squad Remix)" DCD: Everything Is Burning (Metanoia Addendum) .. (IAMX Productions / Orphic)
30. HEXADIODE "Computronium" CD: Ibex (EK Poduct)
31. COVENANT "Morning Star" CD: The Blinding Dark (Dependent Records)
32. TWINS "Running Out" VYNIL LP: Rather Not (Enfant Terrible)
33. SIGNAL~BRUIT "Prométhée" CD: Planisphère(s) .. (Meshwork Music)
34. DEAD WHEN I FOUND HER "High Anxiety" CD: Eyes On Backward (Artoffact Records)
35. FRANCK KARTELL "Illusion du Hasard" VINYL DLP: Coïncidences (Bass Agenda Recordings)
36. ORANGE SECTOR "Farben (Club89Mix)" MCD: Farben EP (Infacted Recordings)
37. THE INVICIBLE SPIRIT "Dark Eye" CD: Anyway (Invicible Spirit Media)

Sonic Booms of Industry

Dayton City Paper (09/20/16)

There’s something oddly appropriate about a musical act coming from the Gem City that makes electro-industrial music. Think about it: the harsh, loud, clanging, buzzing sounds of soulless machines making stamping and stomping sounds at a steady, unwavering rhythm used to be a familiar noise coming from all the factories and plants that once populated our fabled city. Likewise, this style of music also shares many attributes with the atmosphere of the birthplace of aviation: an ambiance of bleakness, coldness, and bitterness akin to a Dayton winter comes to mind. With all this in mind, it’s actually rather surprising more music of this nature isn’t being produced in the Gem City. But one of the few artists exploring the realms of electronic and industrial music in our little Midwestern town is Hexadiode.

Hexadiode was hatched by Dayton music scene veterans Jonas Miseh and Tim Krug in 2014 while the two were playing together in the reconstituted edition of Dementia Praecox.

“Jonas had been writing some new songs for the band, and it just felt kind of odd to be presenting the new material under the flag of Dementia Praecox,” Krug says. “The more we worked on the songs, the more they seemed to take on a new identity, and Hexadiode was born.”

The songs they began working on became an unsettling mix of whirring and beeping electronic blips, eerie synths, and marching, kling-klang rhythms, hard yet danceable, which are both a tribute to and a continuation of some of their musical inspirations and beyond.

They are influenced by what Krug calls “a lot of the classic industrial bands, and more experimental electronic artists. Bands like Skinny Puppy, Liars, Nine Inch Nails, Nitzer Ebb, Aphex Twin, Front 242, Autechre, and the like.”

Krug and Miseh began recording in Dayton when they suddenly found themselves in talks with Italian electro label EK Product about releasing Hexadiode’s recordings.

“We had been recording and Jonas kept putting our rough mixes up on SoundCloud,” Krug says. “Somehow, Amedeo over at EK Product found us through those tracks. He wrote us in December, and after talking, ended up offering us a contract for two CDs to [be] released in Europe. We’re still looking for a label in the states, but for now, we’re self-releasing the vinyl version of Ibex.”

Hexadiode’s Ibex is a compelling collection of tracks that don’t merely rely on cold, harsh electronic aesthetics. Most of the tracks are fully fleshed out songs with structure and surprising melodies, which can be quite catchy to the well-tuned ear. The mostly monotone, barked vocals of Miseh harken back to the classic industrial music of the 1980s that the duo loves so much, and is a great thrill for fans of that genre’s apex years. Despite this attribute and utilizing a lot of vintage keyboards and electronics to create the music, Ibex doesn’t sound dated; it’s a powerful listen.

“Underneath, we think there are still some catchy earworms and solid beats if you like to dance or sing along,” Krug says.

And, despite the album’s recent release in June exclusively in Europe and online elsewhere, Ibex has already been garnering rave reviews.

“So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Krug says. “We’ve gotten some pretty nice write-ups in the U.S., Germany, and Ireland. Also, we’ve been getting some regular airplay in places like Brazil, Australia, Boston, Nashville, plus a lot of internet radio.”

So, some of you may be wondering if and how Hexadiode is able to recreate these otherworldly sounds and songs in a live setting, but, shockingly, their live presentation sticks closely to their sound on wax – with a deeper, more immediate effect on your ears and psyche.

“We perform everything with hardware – no laptops, just drum machine, sequencer, sampler, a few synths, a lot of effects, and a mess of patch and midi cables,” Krug explains. “We’re not just letting the machines do all the work for us. I’m able to sample and loop and mangle Jonas’ vocals live. We can tweak any sound you hear on the fly. We try to keep it interesting, and every time we play a song it’s going to be a little different. Also, we bring four or five amps, so there’s still a stage volume of a full band – the sense of space and depth you get sonically from having different speakers across the stage for the different instruments.”

As for the future, Hexadiode is going to try to capitalize on their European connections and newfound success, even if it’s just a step at a time.

“We are going to try to tour as much as we can,” Krug explains. “We have some things in the works regionally, and maybe once we get our passports sorted out, we can get over to Europe sometime next year. Meanwhile, we’re just going to keep trying to move forward – write more material and try to get out in front of as many people we can.”

Album of the Month

Brutal Resonance (08/06/16)

Upon listening to HEXADIODE's Ibex, any old-school industrial enthusiast would immediately recognize the influence Skinny Puppy holds over this duo based in Dayton, Ohio. They do list the legendary electro-industrial act as an influence as well as Front 242, NIN, and Nitzer Ebb. Then again I don't think there are many musicians in the industrial scene who aren't influenced by these acts in one way or another. Needless to say, members Tim Krug and Jonas Miseh are using the bleak background of their city to create Electro-Industrial Hardware Warfare. If they don't use that as a tag on one of their future records, I'm going to be disappointed because I was quite proud of myself for creating that phrase in a matter of two seconds.

Anyway Ibex is their debut album out on EK Product and spans twelve tracks with two of those being remixes from Protectorate and Textbeak. Right off the bat with Synchrocidal any person who has a love for boots, stompy EBM, and well executed electronic programming will fall in love with HEXADIODE. It's not overproduced, it's not shoddy quality; it's a beautiful mixture of both. There's a little old-school quality while maintaining modern production values and keeps everything neat and clean.

The lyrics are aggressive, sometimes growling, sometimes softer, but they never hold back anything that HEXADIODE has to say. 'Turn to Zero' is a real industrial anthem and will really put you into an industrial factory setting. Now, once you settle into the album and get your jaw off the floor, a bunch of the songs such as 'Breaking It Whole', 'Contamination', 'Hexon Shift', 'Rive', and 'Computronium' will continue to bring you back to an era of old-school industrial that has long since passed but lives on thanks to guys such as HEXADIODE.

'Subatomic' is a very stripped down song in comparison to the others with less layers and effects, while 'Inversion' is the one and only track on the album that's softer and much more harmonic than the rest. It comes as quite a shock, but is a welcome two and a half minute breather track. The oddest song on the album is 'Delta Film' which takes queues from dark ambient music. Just imagine what a haunted eight track would sound like with whispers from HEXADIODE and the sounds of flies whirring in the air spewing out of it, and you have what 'Delta Film' essentially sounds like.

Protectorate's remix of 'Synchrocidal' kept the overall mood of the original album's theme of keeping it old school. They made the song louder and synth heavier, both of which were welcome additions. Textbeak's remix of 'Breaking it Whole' made the track speedier, input some more bass here and there, and put an emphasis on drum'n'bass throughout the duration of the remix. Both excellent remixers on an already excellent album.

A lot of people like to claim that the industrial scene clings onto the past too much and never likes to move forward. I say fuck those people because taking influence from the past is what makes the future better than ever. HEXADIODE is a pure example of that and Ibex is amazing. This is definitely a record I'm gonna want on my shelf.

Tracks of the Month (August 2016)

A Model of Control (09/06/16)

Another stellar album from the EK label in Italy that brought us the astonishing Cardinal Noire album last year (2015: Albums), and this is nearly as impressive. A very different sound, though – a modern take on nineties electro-industrial for the dancefloor. This is the opening track to the album, and it takes off like an electronic whirlwind, before settling into a melodic, bass-heavy chorus (that bass drone on the chorus is fantastic) and thumping, DJ-friendly rhythm. There is something of early :wumpscut: to the sound, not to mention some noisy electronics from the Ant-Zen stable elbowing their way in at points, too. An impressive debut.

Hexadiode machen Disco For The Discontented – so klingt´s!

Klangwelt (07/27/16)

Man weiß bei spannenden neuen Bands nie, was daraus wird. Aber es ist immer richtig, genau hinzuhören, wenn etwas Originelles erklingt. So zum Beispiel beim Projekt Hexadiode. Eine Band, welche ihren Output als „Disco For The Discontented“ bezeichnen. Liest sich schräg? Jup, klingt auch so, aber halt richtig gekonnt. Zwei Videos verdeutlichen diese Einschätzung.

Hexadiode Vorstellung

Tim Krug & Jonas Miseh aus Dayton (USA) formierten Hexadiode im Jahre 2014. Für die fabrizierte Musik steht ihre doch recht verlassene Heimatstadt mit ihrem derben Industie-Ambiente Pate. Die Landschaft wirkt ebenfalls nicht viel fröhlicher.

Das klingt nach klassischem Industrial-Feeling und dieser Eindruck ist anfangs nicht falsch, denn Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, Skinny Puppy und NIN stehen Pate. Doch dabei verbleibt es nicht, Impulse von Bands wie den Liars, Brian Eno und Aphex Twin ergänzen ihren Ansatz und erweitern die möglichen Ausdrucksformen um Unerwartetes.

Hardware-basierte Musik

Das Duo steht für den ausschließlich Hardware-basierten Versuch, moderne Industrial- und EBM-Musik mit fortschrittlicher Denke zu fabrizieren. Ein Weg, welcher so gar nichts mit der doch recht überspielten Preset-Verzerrer-Clubmukke der Gegenwart zu tun hat.

Interessanterweise kommt, wie bei den Clips zu hören, die Melodie und der tief-wuchtige Gesang bei allem Vorwärtsdrang und experimentellen Anspruch nicht zu kurz, man mag ja schließlich auch DM. Ausdruck, coole Hocks und spannende moderne Sounds verleihen dem Mix somit eine ganz eigene Note.

Das erste Album Ibex erschien im Juni 2016 auf dem EK Product Label (Vinyl folgt im September 2016). Klar, dass man sich angesichts der eigenwilligen Musik nicht lange bitten ließ

Derweil zeigen die beiden bisherigen Clips, welche Richtung man einschlägt: Synchrocidal entpuppt sich schnell als kleiner Dampfhammer, der Eindruck hinterlässt.

Soundcheck: Ibex

[U]selinks.de (07/23/16)

Tim Krug und Jonas Miseh, das sind die Namen der Musiker hinter dem Namen Hexadiode. Die zwei Herren aus den USA, stehen definitiv auf die klassischen Elektrobands wie Front 242, Skinny Puppy und Frontline Assembly. Dies hört man dem Debutalbum „Ibex“ dann auch deutlich an. Hexadiode spielen mit den „alten“ Sound und interpretieren diese gekonnt in einen eigenen Klangkosmos. US Industrial trifft belgischen EBM, gewürzt mit einer Prise Wahnsinn.

Der Klang den uns Hexadiode da verkaufen wollen, ist alles andere als Stromlinienförmig. Mit sehr eigenwilligen Sounds gespickt und überraschenden Elementen, stürmt der Opener „Synchrocidal“ los. Die wahre Leistung des Duo`s besteht darin die Songs dennoch durchaus tanzbar und mit einem hohem Wiedererkennungswert zu versehen. Das gelingt beim Opener alleine schon durch den Refrain. „Breaking it Whole“ z.B. ist um einiges aggressiver und schräger, aber erneut mit einem fantastischen Chorus gesegnet. „Subatomic“ schleppt sich musikalisch, schwerfällig aus den Lautsprechern. Im Kontrast dazu, sind die Shouts in der Nähe von Hip/Hop Shouts anzusiedeln.

„Hexagon Shift“ ist ein verdammtes Rhythmusmonster. „Rive“ könnte auch eine frühe Front 242 Demoversion eines bislang unbekannten Songs sein. Fans von den bereits erwähnten Bands, werden ihre helle Freude an diesem Debut haben. Spontan fällt mir da noch Fektion Fekkler oder Mentallo And The Fixer ein. Hexadiode werden nicht die Szene Charts stürmen und auch nicht für volle Tanzflächen sorgen. Dafür sind die Songs viel zu sperrig. Doch für den „Zuhausehörer“ öffnen sich ungeahnte Soundlandschaften.

Das Debutalbum von Hexadiode ist eines der Alben, welches mich wieder daran erinnert warum ich hier eigentlich für den Soundcheck schreibe. Ohne dies wäre ich vermutlich nie mit dieser Band in Kontakt gekommen und das wäre ein Verlust gewesen.

Hexadiode - Ibex

Damned Industrial (07/06/16)

Every now and again you stumble upon a rare find, a brand new band that has seemingly come out of nowhere and dropped a debut album that is completely awesome. Lets all welcome Hexadiode to the fold. A remarkable find for me, Hexadiode are a US duo based out of Dayton, Ohio, adhering to a philosophy of old-school flavoured electro-industrial rooted in FLA territory with a touch of EBM to boot.

Breaking News: IBEX is a gem. It’s full of rock solid beats, complex and intricate programming and distinctly dark, angry vocals.

Opening the album is “Synchrocidal” and straight away its quite clear that we’re in special territory – the quality of the songwriting here is outstanding, the chorus is huge. “Breaking It Whole” is another quality melodic track, aggressive in tone, the chorus again is epic. “Contamination” is an analogue beast, built to destroy. Fantastic stuff. “Hexon Shift” is a groove machine, mechanical and cold. Another highlight is “Rive”, with its contorting, noisy analogue synths triggering your brain synapses into overload. Closing the album are two remixes, the first being labelmates Protectorate’s version of “Synchrocidal” and the other being Txtbeak’s take on “Breaking It Whole”, both solid. Pro-tip: keep an eye out for Protectorate’s debut album later this year.

This album is essential listening for all self-respecting rivetheads out there. Highly recommended for all Front Line Assembly, Skinny Puppy, Front 242 and Nine Inch Nails fans.

Tracks: June 13th, 2016

IDIE:YOUDIE (06/13/16)

Italy’s EKProduct puts out a ton of music from artists spanning the globe, often times hipping us to new acts from our own shores we hadn’t heard of yet. Latest entry in that file is Dayton Ohio’s Hexadiode, a hardware oriented act in the electro-EBM vein. EKP will be releasing their first album this summer (featuring remixes from Cardinal Noire and Textbeak), but the two songs they currently have up on their Soundcloud give a solid impression of their style; pleasingly old school with maybe a bit of Interlace on the vocals? Not bad, not bad, be keeping an ear on this act for certain.