In spite of the risks, Dependent have stepped up to the plate    
and this October will release two new international newcomer     
albums simultaneously. However, both ENCEPHALON from Canada and  
ACRETONGUE from South Africa are sure to buck the trend and find 
favor with fans and buyers on the sheer strength of their        
material: "We worked over a year with both bands on their        
albums, refined the tracklists, production, and artwork, and the 
end result is two exceptional albums from newcomers that really  
have their own styles, who aren't simply clones of existing      
acts", wrote Dependent impresario Stefan Herwig in the label     
newsletter.

Ottawa's ENCEPHALON unite an accessible and club-friendly sound  
with the outrageously good vocals of bandleader Matt Gifford.    
Starting in 2006 with the track "Responder" - a highlight of the 
Septic VI compilation - Matt Gifford, Sam Mainer and Alis Alias  
have contributed bona fide hits to no less than seven            
international compilations. In 2009, the track "Rise" was        
featured in the cyberpunk film "The Gene Generation" and will    
also be appearing in the upcoming horror film "Necromantia".     
High time, then, for the release of the band's first and eagerly 
awaited LP, "The Transhuman Condition".