Templebeat is a fresh and young electro/crossover act from Italy
consisting of three male members that are working on promoting anti-conventional
music with a postnuclear dancefloor hypnotism. They have nothing to do with the
classical rock groups - no looking back, Templebeat's sound wants to be a point
of no return. Sampling, rhythms, noises, sequencers and hypnotic beats - that's
the world of Templebeat. "The personal computer is the LSD of the eighties" -
T.Leary.
Electro-heroes Pankow were the first ones in Italy to choose Leary's words as their musical philosophy - and what about the nineties? Templebeat are the second generation...
Templebeat began their activity in 1990. The tape compilation "Tribute to PTV" contains their remake of "Ov Power", de-constructed in a hardbeat way. 1991: TB win the prestigious festival contest "Arezzo Wave" and consequently have their song "Fuckin' Mosquito" included on the double LP/CD "Arezzo Wave 1991" released by Polygram records. Their gig in Arezzo is recorded, filmed and entirely broadcast by the TV music channel "VideoMusic".
At the end of 1991 TB issue a 3 tracks EP on 12" entitled "Auto Da Fe". This genuinely produced and marketed 12" sold 1,100 copies in Italy alone and only a few copies found their way to other European countries or overseas. The unexpected success of this first release helped the band to get their first deal with DUNE Records, the Contempo manufactured label of Pankow's Paolo Favati - certainly the most acclaimed producer for electronic music in Italy. The result "Wargasm" - a 6 track CD-Single entirely produced by Paolo F. and FM of Pankow quickly turned out to be another successful step. The single was distributed throughout the world and topped Electro charts in Germany (Technoclub), England (Hardclub, Eurobeat 2000) and especially Scandanavia. "Einstein On The Beach" a track from "Wargasm" - became a video clip that got heavy rotation on Videomusic and 3 appearances on MTV's 120 Minutes.
Although several interesting offers came in from labels all around Europe, the band refused all approaches in order to concentrate on the work for their first full album, again produced by Paolo Favati and his production company Dune. While working on "Black Suburbia" (The title of the album), offers started to come in for live-appearances in Europe and the band joined Pankow on their very last tour 1992/93. Templebeat's concert in Prague has subsequently been filmed and broadcasted on MTV's "120 Minutes" alongside an interview with the band.
As an immediate result of their TV appearance (4/93) earlier contacts with foreign labels have been renewed and new offers for record deals started flooding in.
In November 1993 finally, Dune and Templebeat decided to assign all national and international rights on the band to Audioglobe's Sub/Mission label.
"Black Suburbia" the bands first album was licensed worldwide to Noise/Machinery records in Berlin and appeared in June 1994. Two singles "Heidi S." and "Interzone" quickly became real dancefloor and headbanger classics in the German and American club scenes, and "Black Suburbia" has been successfully launched onto the American market in Febuary 1995.
A new Templebeat Single will be out in time for Templebeat's first German Tour and their second full length album is scheduled for November 1995. HARDER, FASTER, LOUDER!!
The Following tracks also appear on New Forms Of Entertainment
Vol.III
Templebeat - Heidi S.
This is one of two singles released by Templebeat, now on the Dynamica label. It consists of two mixes of the title track and two other tracks: Metal 2 (a version that does not appear on their album) and a completely new track Wet Dreams Are Made Of This. Heidi S.is not the best track that the group have ever produced as it tends to be a bit repetitive and particularly guitary. (Although to be honest a lot of the Templebeat material has guitars.)
The first mix is by Lassigue Bendthaus, a superb synth band in their own right but this mix is really strange and not what I would have come to expect form the crew at Lassigue Bendthaus. The guitars are definitely too strong on such a track. And it is way too long for such a repetitive guitar sound.
Metal 2 (Bruce Lee Version)is a different track altogether. A good track off the album using guitars to better use and mingling them with synthesised sounds and a great drum beat. This particular mix is also pretty good and does enhance the qualities of the original.
The Extendermixof Heidi S.has an altogether better feel to it than the first mix on this single. Again a little too repetitive but lots more synthesised sounds are added rather than just the bland guitar sounds.
The last track Wet Dreams Are Made Of This starts out as a feast of drums and superb electronic beeps and whistles. In come the guitars and unfortunately gives it more of a thrash metal feel to it rather than a decent electronic sound. However they do still use the electronic sounds all the way through this track and even a bit of over emphasised distortion on the vocals. This single would appeal to the die hard Templebeat fans but its not the best thing they have produced to date.
Templebeat - Black Suburbia
Paulo Favati of Pankow brings together a motley brand of sonic terrorists and produces one hell of an album. The metal infusion on the "Heidi S." CDS is nowhere near as evident on "Black Suburbia" - all you get here is superb electronic aggression in a strong Pankow vein. "Interzone" even cracks along like early Bigod 20. Sixteen digital classics, the finest being the aforementioned "Interzone", "Softly September", "God Sent", "Einstein On The Bitch" and "Human". There's even a twisted version of Joy Division's "She's Lost Control".
Leigh Neville - MFTEQ
Templebeat - Black Suburbia
One of the very few catchy guitar industrial bands out there currently. Templebeat actual take the time and effort to put together intelligent song hooks to lure the listener into the music quite unlike many recent guitar based bands. Strong political message permeate the music leaving me to question what exactly is the meaning behind the title of the album. Overall, an at least noteworthy guitar based industrial band whose music does not depend on the guitar as it's primary device of construction but rather employs a great deal of electronic programming and synthetic work to accent the it.
Templebeat - Interzone
This is the first single, I have heard by Templebeat, and what an interesting single it is too. It is a mixture of electronic samples and guitar riffs, with a splattering of drums, to keep everyone happy.
The first remix of the track Interzone (and in fact the only mix, as the other one is the one contained on the album), is a fiery collaboration of electronic sounds and guitars, which play throughout the track. It is basically an instrumental of the track, with the only spoken sounds being samples from various sources.
Human Foolish Rape, is although classed as a new track, by not having a mix name, is actually a mix of an album track called Human (the tears you cry). Here we have a domination by the drums, as they thump out the tune, keyboards are added to the hard sound of the drums to collide into a neural pathway, splitting sound, which is very groovy indeed.
The album mix of Interzone, is quite a lot different to the mix that I heard earlier, for a start it has lyrics. It is also more complex, whereas the mix just concentrated on repeating the music, this version is played about with a bit more, adding new sounds and a new train of thought in its construction.
Interspeed is a strange mix of Interzone, an almost minimalistic version of the track created by, an electronic drum beat, and the words Interzone screamed in various appropriate places. Guitar samples are still there but almost hidden away by the power of the drumming.
Bashed into submission by that last track my final views on this single, is that it is damn fine, an excellent collection of tracks which, could start popularity for this band racing.
Templebeat - MediaSickness
This is Templebeat's second album and a huge leap forward from their last offering (Black Suburbia.) This time around they exhibit their talent for "mixing it up." The differences from song to song are astonishing. Intro starts out the album at a barely audible tone before Magik Patrol kicks in with it's semi hip-hop beat and slow paced guitar riff. The Brain Cult of Macho Irony could easily be slapped on a Swamp Terrorist album and no one would know the difference. Gone With The Mind sounds as if it was an out take from the early years of Pankow. Finally, what every album needs, a cover of You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) complete with the sample "Watch out here I come." Of course, Templebeat does vary from the Dead or Alive's original version by slowing down the tempo and adding a few guitars. Produced by Paolo Favati (Pankow), this is a prime example of some of the great music coming out of Italy.
Templebeat - MediaSickness
After a pair of unmemorable trax on here Italia's TB almost come off as a heavy PopWillEatItself on "Wicked." Showing their good sense of humor "The Brain Child of Macho Irony" follows n a similar fashion- electro/pop/rap Grebo, almost! And how can anyone not like a band who has a song named after "Liberace" AND covers "You Spin Me Round" on the same disc, ...baby!
With the fabulous song "Wicked", Italy's hardest Export item Templebeat (Vertigo Magazine, Germany) offer us a very Nine Inch Nails inspired track that shows clearly the direction they will take with their second album: Harder, Louder and uncompromisingly differnt than the rest of the hardbeat electro/crossover scene!!!
"Magic Patrol" will be the opening track of Templebeat's next album (here included in a different version), "I Wanna Be An Erotic Cult Hero" was originally released on Templebeat's second single "Wargasm" and Dead Or Alive's "You Spin Me Round" is offered in a minimal version - the full mindblowing heavy pumping version will be on "Mediasickness".
Templebeat tracks have been included over the past 6 months in no less than 7 international compilations alongside established acts such as Fear Factory, Die Krupps, Delerium, Cubanate, Frontline Assembly and others. These contributions, two German tours in November 1995 and March 1996 together with their smashing new single should bring the band to the right exposure for the launch of their second full length album and will surely establish them as one of the top acts in the electro/metal crossover scene.
Watch out for Templebeat's nice centrefold girl of the month. Little Snow White having a very....erm...unusual sexual affair with Pinnocchio!