WL//WH New Music: STEFAN NETSCHIO & A STATE OF FLUX “Dislocation” (Ultravox Cover)

WL//WH New Music STEFAN NETSCHIO & A STATE OF FLUX

Stefan Netschio, the vocalist and lyricist of German synth‑pop pioneers Beborn Beton, joins forces with the enigmatic European Electronic collective A State of Flux, accompanied by UK’s alternative artist, DJ and producer, Pete Burns (of Kill Shelter) on processed guitar, to release a video by Julia Beyer and Sacred Geometry for a cover of the John Foxx fronted Ultravox classic “Dislocation,” originally released on the English band’s iconic 1978 third album “Systems of Romance,” co‑produced by German studio legend Conny Plank.

This cover was my break from synthpop’s familiar comfort zone – an opportunity to embrace something much heavier and darker, more visceral, a side of me that’s rarely heard.Stefan Netschio

Inspired by the hugely influential work of John Foxx and Conny Plank, we layered analogue synths with studio-driven detail to echo the pioneering spirit of the Systems of Romance period. Arc, A State of Flux

The “Dislocation” rework is more distorted, heavy, and apocalyptic than the original, featuring prominent, haunting vocals that softly sing from the heart before chanting dully during the chorus, layered with taunting echoes. A persistent, loud and clanking Industrial drum programming, murky, droning low ends and off-kilter synths, resonate, submerged and oppressed, until a sinister, searing effect-laden guitar slices through the weighty textures with a shrilling vital sense of pain and struggle.

After discussing the approach, I leaned heavily into my Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew influences from that era, using abstract, angular processed guitar riffs as soaring sonic textures to reflect the song’s fractured core.Pete Burns, Kill Shelter

Surreal black and white visuals shot by Julia Beyer set Stefan Netschio against the Brutalist architecture of Cologne, Germany to bring forth the stark, merciless vibe of the soundtrack. Post Production by Sacred Geometry shifts momentums and tweaks lights and shadows to further inject alienation and dis-ease into the eerie dystopic headspace.

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