It's hard not to notice that the number of international newcomer releases in the electronic scene has fallen sharply in the last two years. Small wonder that in the era of YouTube and Rapidshare, it's more difficult than ever before for new bands to sell copies of an album.
In spite of the risks, Dependent have stepped up to the plate and this October will release two new international newcomer albums simultaneously. However, both ENCEPHALON from Canada and ACRETONGUE from South Africa (!) are sure to buck the trend and find favor with fans and buyers on the sheer strength of their material: "We worked over a year with both bands on their albums, refined the tracklists, production, and artwork, and the end result is two exceptional albums from newcomers that really have their own styles, who aren't simply clones of existing acts", wrote Dependent impresario Stefan Herwig in the label newsletter.
Ottawa's Encephalon unite an accessible and club-friendly sound with the outrageously good vocals of bandleader Matt Gifford. Elements of the classic Canadian electro-industrial sound are woven together with futurepop melodies in a way you've never quite heard before. Whereas many albums become one-dimensional in their singleminded pursuit of the dancefloor, Encephalon's debut "The Transhuman Condition" is remarkable for the depth and breadth of styles and ideas.
At the other end of the spectrum, Acretongue from South Africa take a more relaxed and surreal approach, using their samples and synth pads to create a surreal, otherworldly atmosphere reminiscent of a darker version of the labelmates mind.in.a.box. The product of over 4 years of work, Nico Janse van Rensburg's fantastic debut "Strange Cargo" features some of the best cover art we've seen for some time.
Dependent will release both albums on 28.10 for a "Nice Price" and teaser tracks from both releases will be available on the Dependent website www.dependent.de in short order. You can pre-order both albums for a very special price right now at the Dependent shop.
Source: Newsletter
