Writing the follow-up to  Bruderschaft‘s 2003 mega-single Forever was quite the curious process; a sequence of casual coincidences mixed with some legacy compositions from the desk of Dracos von Strecker. Add a dash of unintended outcomes, perhaps the single biggest of which might have been the struggle to voice the album opener, “Trigger.”

Many might be surprised to discover that our original vocalist on demo versions of the track was none other than goth icon Ronny Moorings of prolific Dutch darkwavers Clan of Xymox.

A long time fan of Moorings’ work, we first met in 1997 when I was hired by his label at the time, Tess Records, for college and commercial radio promotion of Hidden Faces. The album’s lead singles, “Out of the Rain” and “This World”, were as strong as anything the artist had done, in my opinion, and we ultimately charted the LP to College Music Journal’s Top 100 and RPM Charts.

Several years later, I was excited to work with him again, this time artist-to-artist, on a new track from one of my projects. Sadly, somehow, it just didn’t….work. I rushed Ronny’s vocal tracks to the studio as soon as I got them, but we just couldn’t place them in a way that did them justice. I don’t know if it was the tone or the tempo – Dracos could undoubtedly explain the physical audio conflicts in more scientific terms – but it just never felt right. It was no fault of Ronny’s. Here we had this amazing, legendary voice at our disposal, and we just couldn’t get the damn thing to reconcile. Turns out, it wouldn’t be the last time.

Disappointed, but not yet ready to scrap the track, we decided to try again, this time with German singer Florian Schäfer (Silence Gift/Noyce™). Schäfer took an entirely different approach than Moorings had, but in the end the same result, perhaps intimating the source of the problem may have been the song itself. Vocals just weren’t fitting for some reason, no matter who supplied them.

By now, the EP itself was starting to feel like a bad idea, a metaphor for my life at the time. And yet, in darkness there is light, as they say. Working with Ted Phelps of Imperative Reaction on his remix of the title track, I was introduced to Clint Carney, vocalist/founder of System Syn and erstwhile IR live member. Forewarned that a pair of pretty impressive pipes had already given this track a go before him, Carney bravely took to the task of “Trigger.” It wasn’t spot on first time through, but by some miracle the sound meshed. All three singers had given it equal effort, but forever reason predicated by fate, Carney turned out to be the man for the job. A few more revisions and we were exporting final wav files.

It’s never been my favorite track on the record, probably because Ronny’s not singing it and I know he could have been. Yet, I’m still glad it’s there. It’s still vintage Clint and it still means a lot to me. Maybe now when you hear it, it’ll mean something more to you, too.

So here’s some rivet head history you might find interesting, particularly for fans of Vancouver/scene bastions Skinny Puppy.

In the mid-80s, John Hood was a well-known doorman and party promoter in the apex era of New York City club life. Before he would contribute to the soundtrack of director Beth B.‘s 1987 cult classic film Salvation! – which famously also includes tracks from New Order and Cabaret Voltaire – his The Hood dance project debuted with the “Cooler Than Thou” 12″ in 1985.

A minor hit in the danceterias of the day, the track was programmed by New York (via Switzerland) producer Roli Mosimann, himself best known for his involvement in art noise project The Swans. Shortly after this release, Mosimann would also co-found the Wiseblood project with erstwhile industrialist J.G. Thirwell (Foetus).

Future involvements would include contributions to The The and That Petrol Emotion, but Molimann is also famously linked to our central characters: Skinny Puppy. The artist/engineer was initially pegged to produce the band’s notoriously difficult 1995 opus “The Process.” Unfortunately – or perhaps not, depending on your perspective – Mosimann was never able to command creative control of vocalist Ogre and the band eventually lost confidence in his ability to complete the job and he was replaced  by long-time collaborator Dave “Rave” Ogilvie.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the story, however, is the striking similarity between Mosimann/The Hood’s “Cooler Than Thou” and Puppy’s popular “Dig It”, released a year apart. I’ve mixed them up for you, so you can judge for yourself.

Another instance that proves that truth is often stranger than fiction.

NYC old school EBM beat factory BODYLAB returns to Nublu (62 Avenue C, Lower East Side) on Friday September 22nd. Rexx will join erstwhile NYC industrial artist DJ EISDRIVER, event host and resident DJ. In honor of the party’s one year anniversary, Arkana will spin an exclusive set showcasing tracks from the “Your Alltime Classixx Collection” from Germany’s Infacted Recordings, curated by ex-Zoth Ommog-er and Lights of Euphoria mastermind Torben Schmidt. Entry is $5 at the door/21+ only.

Visit the BODYLAB Facebook group for more information.

Inspired by a recent trip to Baltimore, Rexx Arkana’s latest DJ mix is an industrial primer of sorts, a brief history of the music from someone who lived it. Check it out now on Mixcloud and don’t forget to favorite, share and repost.

From the I Die: You Die site:

“For this month’s So Fragile mixtape, we tapped one of the most knowledgeable and deeply rooted scene DJs we know, Rexx Arkana. You may know him as the singer from FGFC820, the driving force behind millennial supergroup Bruderschaft or from his new project with Eric Eldredge, Coldkill (whose debut album Distance by Design we recently reviewed), but before any of that he was DJing in alternative clubs across the globe. On this installment of So Fragile, Rexx brings his deep knowledge of new wave, ebm and synthpop, with a sprinkling of alternative classics to round things out.

Stream the mix below, and check out Rexx on stage with FGFC820 this year, culminating with a show at DB21 in Los Angeles this October!

Tracklisting:
Camouflage, “That Smiling Face”
Savage, “Only You”
Flexx, “Love Theme from Flexxy-Ball (You’ll Never Change No More)”
Sign System, “Stay With Me”
The Thompson Twins, “The Gap (Rexxtended Mix by Rexx Arkana)”
A Split Second, “Muscle Machine”
The Hunger, “Shoot to Kill”
Boys from Brazil, “We Don’t Need No WW III (Razormaid Mix)”
Dirty Harry, “D Bop (Razormaid Mix)”
Gary Clail & On-U Sound System, “Human Nature”
The Swains, “Don’t Call Us”
Consolidated (ft. The Yeastie Girlz), “You Suck”
Stereo MCs, “Connected”

Leading electronic music webzine I Die: You Die  has taken on “Distance by Design”, the debut full length from Arkana’s latest collaboration Coldkill, in this extensive album review.

“(Distance by Design) has more than enough flourishes from other retro-minded synth stylings as well as its members’ other projects to latch onto listeners who aren’t already immersed in the genre.”

“Indeed, no good melody goes to waste here, with the choruses of numerous tracks presaged in the attendant introductions and verses… That sort of pop songcraft abounds here, speaking to the project’s excellent grasp of what made the classic records that inspired them so memorable in the first place.”

Visit I Die: You Die for the complete review, then pick up your own copy of “Distance by Design”, available now in digital or limited vinyl editions from your favorite music retailer or directly from COP International.

Since I had so much time recording the Francisco set (available to stream on Mixcloud and to download on Bandcamp), and because I can’t seem to stop buying vinyl, I’m pleased to present my newest mix, Denver.

Like its predecessor, this latest mix is inspired by a recent trip to the Mile High City and includes selections from vinyl buys at both Twist & Shout and the legendary original Wax Trax! Records location.

Denver runs the gamut from 80s obscurities to freestyle to contemporary synth and pop, featuring both archival acts like Annie Anner and Atelier Folie and new scene stars such as Hurts and Empathy Test.

off: step by step
annie anner: night in the city
hurts: better than love
atelier folie: leave me alone
synthgo: let me hear your heartbeat
cause & effect: you think you know her
breakfast club: right on track
real life: god tonight
red flag: give me your hand
i start counting: lose him
timmy t: what will i do
jaydee: plastic dreams
empathy test: here is the place (thomas datt remix)

It’s an hour+ of audio ecstasy for your ears, courtesy of Haus Arkana and your DJ Rexx. Enjoy.

Several people have inquired about downloadable versions of my DJ mixes recently, so I’ve created a Bandcamp page specifically for this purpose. Now you’re not limited to streaming the best synth mixes, but can actually take me home with you. Or to the gym. Or on a walk. I like walks.

Find me at: https://djrexxarkana.bandcamp.com/releases and throw down a couple dollars so I can keep buying and bringing you new (old) music. And thanks to everyone for the continued support.

Today we confirmed what will be the first show since my surgery. Details to be dispatched. FGFC820 reporting for duty. Hooah.