Aiboforcen launches 9-track EP ‘Break The Black Ice’ (Incl. Death In June cover) – Out now
Benoit Blanchart - Aiboforcen
The Belgian dark electro act Aiboforcen, led by Benoit Blanchart, returns with a brand-new 9-track EP, “Break The Black Ice”, following up on the project’s latest album “Between Noise & Silence”. The EP is out now on Bandcamp and on Spotify, plus all other platforms.
The title track is a cover of Death In June’s “Break The Black Ice”, which is included here in a new single edit and in its original version from the “Between Noise & Silence” album. Both versions hold vocals by Patrice Synthea (Regenerator).
Also included is an exclusive single edit of “Executions” featuring additional vocals by Noemi Aurora (Helalyn Flowers). Next are remixes of “Dead End” (with Mari Kattman on vocals) and a remix of the same track by Italian labelmates ImJudas (including additional male vocals).
The EP also introduces “Descent”, a brand-new darkwave-infused track featuring the voice of Tina Forlorn (Sorrow Stories), and a cover of The Cure’s “Apart” featuring Patrice Synthea on vocals. Further tracks include “Desperate Waltz (River of Dreams Part 2)”, “Between Noise & Silence” and the normal version of “Executions” (both with Jan Dieckmann of Norderney on vocals).
About Aiboforcen
Aiboforcen is a Belgian electronic band founded in 1993 in Charleroi by Benoît Blanchart and Séba Dolimont. The project blends elements of electronic body music (EBM), industrial, and synthpop. Blanchart handled music, synths, and sampling, while Dolimont provided vocals, lyrics, and additional sampling.
Their earliest work, the demo “Black Slang”, appeared in 1993. Fewer than 100 copies were released via Side-Line’s former tape label.
In 1995, Aiboforcen released their debut album “Elixir Lytique” through Khazad-Dûm, a sublabel of Celtic Circle Productions founded by Alfred Kaenders. Recorded using an Akai sampler and Roland JD-800, the album introduced their fascination with death and mortality. Tracks like “Nekr-O-phelia” and “Passage to Death” framed a bleak, conceptual narrative.
Their second album, “Face (of) Death”, followed in 1996. It expanded on the death-centric themes with songs such as “The Shepherd’s Deathline” and “The Dying Rose”, and also included remixes alongside original material.
After 1996, Aiboforcen went silent. Both members shifted focus to other projects, but remained active behind the scenes. In 2001, they co-founded the Belgian electronic label Alfa Matrix with Bernard Van Isacker of Side-Line, forming what would become a key platform in the European electro-industrial scene.
That same year, Aiboforcen returned with “Sons Palliatifs” on Alfa Matrix, concluding the trilogy that began with “Elixir Lytique” and “Face (of) Death”.
In 2004, the band released “Kafarnaüm”, their fourth album. It marked a stylistic expansion, blending harsh EBM, dark trip-hop, and future pop. The album also introduced guest vocalists for the first time.
Aiboforcen then entered a seven-year hiatus, returning in 2011 with “Dédale” (French for “labyrinth”), a layered and introspective fifth album. Seven more quiet years followed before the release of their sixth album, “Sense & Nonsense”, in 2018.
Their seventh studio album, “Between Noise & Silence”, arrived in 2024 to mark their 25th anniversary. This expansive release featured collaborations with Patrick Codenys (Front 242), Henrik Björkk (Pouppée Fabrikk), and Don Gordon (Numb), alongside vocal appearances from Mari Kattman, Noemi Aurora, Emke, and Sorrow Stories.
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