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Track: Varanasi (fka Japan Suicide) – Rosemary’s Baby
After ten years under the moniker Japan Suicide, all of the members of the band have decided to cease producing music under this name and have reformed as Veranasi. It’s not just about a name change: it is a change of approach to their music highlighted by a decision to now sing exclusively in their …
Album Review: Japan Suicide – Ki
A year and a half after the release of their magnificent album ‘Sante Sangré’, Italy’s goth maestros Japan Suicide are back with ‘Ki’, a masterful and complex album that further evolves Japan Suicide’s glorious oeuvre. Single ‘Mishima’ is inspired by the Japanese writer’s second novel ‘Confessions of a Mask’. According to the band, “The book …
Album Review: Japan Suicide – Santa Sangre
We recently reviewed an Italian band called Unruly Girls and noted that the Italian rock scene was both healthy and creative. And no better sign of this good health is Japan Suicide, whose new album, ‘Santa Sangre’ was released on Valentine’s Day last week. Citing eighties post-punk new wave influences like The Cure and Joy …
Premiere: Unruly Girls – Black Love (Video)
Backseat Mafia is very honoured to premiere today the phenomenal new video by Italian band Unruly Girls. ‘Black Love’ is off their recently released album ‘Epidemic’ – an album I rated a 9.1 out of 10 – and is a typically unhinged, anarchic and thundering production, yet is antithetically tinged with a sense of poignancy. …
Track: Varanasi – Mishima
Formerly known as Japan Suicide, Italy’s Varanasi have re-invented themselves into something slightly more accessible and singing in their native tongue. Their first release under this name was last year’s magnificent ‘Rosemary’s Baby’. They have now released a haunting video for the track ‘Mishima’, now in Italian and it is just as magnificent. Directed by …
Feature: 2019 Favourites
The following are lists of my favourite releases of 2019. This is not a definitive list of the best of 2019: I would not be so presumptuous to think I have listened to every single release nor the objective ability to state what is best. This is essentially stuff I have listed to and liked …
Premiere: Stella Diana reveal new track Der Sandmann
Backstreet Mafia is excited to premiere the fantastic new track from Italy’s magnificent Stella Diana. ‘Der Sandmann’ is from Stella Diana’s forthcoming album ’57’ due out on 25 May 2018. The extraordinary tsunami of creativity pouring out of Italy’s rock scene continues unabated with this stellar trio from Naples. They are in the esteemed company …
Say Psych: Interview: The Dirt
Manchester’s underground has never been short of bands, but recently a new breed are emerging, none of them more exciting than duo The Dirt. Being less than a year into live performances they have clocked up an impressive number of hours so BSM caught up with them recently to find out what makes them tick. …
In Conversation: Morcheeba’s Ross Godfrey – Life Lessons in Music
“We work really hard, we try and make it better. We lose ourselves, we give up, we go mad and then you find the gold at the end of the rainbow. Just when you think everything’s lost, and you’ve lost your own mind, that’s when you know you’ve then come to the end of the road.“ Ross Godfrey of Morcheeba. I …
Droppin’ Knowledge: In Chi-Town, Rashid Hadee Is On The Beat. And The Mic, Too.
In hip hop, a sample can sometimes lead you on an unexpected journey. Rashid Hadee’s first box of vinyl records came from his uncle. The Chicago rapper and producer discovered the box in a closet, and decided to listen to the LPs, one by one, and create beats from what he found. Hadee’s uncle was …