CYMBALLINE - GEGENWELT [LIMITED] LP

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Of all releases on Young & Cold in past 12 months, this is probably the one I enjoyed most! (except for Twin Tribes latest album). Very rarely I found a (mini-) Album in recent years, on which each single track is just really special, if not brilliant! “Gegenwelt” is the Dutch’s band’s all new mini-album. As with the 2022 predecessor “Com- puterleven”, influences and inspirations are not hidden and can be found in the New Wave/ Electro Wave of the early 80s, but mixed and mastered in a completely contemporary way, which makes their recordings sound very modern and fresh

You can hear the already familiar, very catchy mix of Synthpop with accentuated Wave guitars, which is a bit more aimed at the dance floors of the clubs than before. Musical cornerstones are certainly old heroes like Tubeway Army/Gary Numan, Ultravox/John Foxx and also a bit of Visage and Kraftwerk.

“Choose Life” is a catchy tune right from the start, which will certainly get people dancing in front of the stage at live gigs, while the German-language “Ein Aus Ein” is weirder and vaguely reminiscent of David Bowie's “Berlin Trilogy”. “Cheap Death”, on the other hand, leads into somewhat darker fields.

A mini-album with only five songs may seem a little small, but all of the songs have their own identity - but are still highly recognizable - and there is no filler to stretch the running time. As this also appeals to fans of classic 80s New Wave as well as lovers of modern Darkwave, CYMBALINE have done everything right.

TRACKS: A1 Choose Life [2:43] A2 Shine a Light [4:00] A3 Ein Aus Ein [3:03] B1 Cold Ground [3:36] B2 Cheap Death [03:12]