Stykfaktor is celebrating 15 years in the music industry this year with "Fifteen Winters". It features numerous brand new tracks and then also some of their older music from over the past fifteen years. The previous material was re-recorded including vocals and then remixed and re-mastered. The tracks included are as follows and a synopsis of some of the songs are also posted on their blog and are linked after each song according: 1) Edge Of Dawn, (Synopsis), Dreams, (Synopsis), Nothing More Nothing Less, (Synopsis), Beautiful One, (Synopsis), Revelation, (Synopsis), Call To Arms, (Synopsis), Sparkle Fade, (Synopsis), Phenix, (Synopsis), Zachariah's Song, (Synopsis), Tears For Elaine, (Synopsis), This Storm. (No synopsis available.)
Stykfaktor was established in 2002 and was originally intended to be a side project based off of the legendary St. Louis act "Visions Of Passion And Torture". Styk wrote some demo material and played it for his friends and colleagues. Band member Jeff Carline accompanied him on his EP "Whisper Of The Dance". In 2003 Styk added on two additional members just before landing a show with The Human League. On February 20th of 2004 his long time friend and band-mate Jeff Carline suffered a heart attack and passed at the age of 34. By August of 2004 the group stopped performing shows and went on hiatus. In March 2010 Styk re-assembled StykFaktor for a new live show. As of 2012 two new CD’s were planned as well as re-releases of past albums. The album “Inside” was released in 2012 featuring a collection of demo’s written between ’09-’12. In 2013 StykFaktor released “i fEEL sYNTHETIC”. Fast forward after another break and it's now 2017. StykFaktor is now on the label Body Music Records with a brand new CD “Fifteen Winters”.
If you are a fan of electronic, dark-wave, new-wave, etc. you will enjoy this album. Groups like Sisters Of Mercy, Front 242, Leather Strip, VNV Nation and Dead Artist Syndrome quickly come to mind. Of course, after reading their bio above The Human League is also a good one too. "Edge Of Dawn" has a catchy beat, along with the melody and chorus. It is fun and a good choice for an opening track. It is also a stand out track from the album. "Dreams" has an ethereal quality when it begins and then the music layered over the intro is reminiscent of 'Erasure'. These tracks are both fun, but with a touch of doom. The third song "Nothing More Nothing Less" has a nice bouncy, club vibe to it. This track was one of the first that Styk wrote that really separated him from his previous group's material and was written for the first EP. "Beautiful One" marks a slight transition into the remainder of the release. "Revelation" contains a seemingly introspective value to it, while the earlier tracks can be perceived to be the opposite. "Call To Arms" shows Styk branching out with a more sophisticated sound than what can be previously heard. It is also another stand out song. "Sparkle Fade" is a favorite of fans and landed Stykfaktor a brief record deal early on. (Imagine an eighties goth rocking out to some electronic music while playing Nintendo.)"Phenix" has a very distinct sound from the start and is another introspective track and the tone of it is a bit different than the others also. "Zachariah's Song" has a middle-eastern sounding start that is down-tempo. Another distinctive song that Styk explains that it is his second most personal song he has ever written. "Tears For Elaine" is also another one of the most personal songs Styk has ever done. It is a stand out track, as well. It has a dark, yet triumphant beginning and progresses smoothly into quite the moody surprise. "This Storm" is the last song on the album. It has some layers to it and are interwoven in a manner appropriate for it's title. This one is the third introspective song and is a perfect fit for the end of 'Fifteen Winters.
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