Observer: alienobserver &

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alienobserver - Metamorphosis
alienobserver
Metamorphosis
popnihil
Coming on the heels of a debut single last year, alienobserver’s first EP makes for a charming and considered slice of electro-pop with some airy touches of classic ethereal releases and a hint of modern darkwave. Blending sampled vocals and twinkling synths in the foundations of her tracks, the Orlando-based Meg Campbell uses a light touch to make a real impact on four brief pieces which put her hushed but clear and affecting squarely in the spotlight. Despite having the sort of range and delivery often used to hover in pure atmospherics, there’s tightly crafted songsmithing on Metamorphosis, from the warm summer drizzle of “You Got Me”‘s downward meandering harmonies to the straightforward lilting nod of “Kerosene Autonomy”. Campbell’s wounded delivery on “Heart Beats” recalls lesser known dreampoppers from generations past like Sully and Claire Voyant, while the subtle and classy string stabs in it point to sharp pop instincts of a broader cast. Understated doesn’t have to mean underwritten, and you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised by how addicting and easy to listen to alienobserver’s statement of arrival is.
Metamorphosis by alienobserver


WLDV
Primigenium EP
self-released
Spanish producer WLDV has made a regular habit of releasing short EPs every year or so, usually featuring a specific musical and thematic concept. Primigenium is a bit rougher-edged and more crunchy, as befits its subject matter, namely man’s primal instincts and the defiance of self-imposed order. The record’s two main tracks approach this in different fashion, each a mini-treatise of sorts: “Abomination” is more akin to the cinematic and giallo-horror styled vibe of WLDV’s classic material, with bright leads and spooky pads, but layers extra distortion and saturation to its percussion, the dialogue samples repeated and manipulated until the words start to lose coherence and become unnervingly guttural. In contrast “Nether Void” feels like an entirely new avenue for the project, a percussion driven vocal track that recalls Dive and early Synapscape, a slow-rolling distorted rhythm guiding its processed vocal down empty corridors, awash with metallic reverberation. Bookended by two complimentary short pieces that presage and summarize the use of space and harsh sonics, it’s as complete a statement as WLDV has made in the format.
WLDV – Primigenium EP by WLDV

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We Have A Technical 552: Bears Of Industrial

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Iszoloscope

Iszoloscope in Ottawa

We’re going hard in the powernoise paint this week, as we look back on records from very different periods in the history of the subgenre, Tarmvred’s Subfusc and Iszoloscope’s The Edge Of Certainty. There’s a lot of lateral discussion about the genre on the whole, in addition to consideration of what stands out about these records so many years on from their release. We’re also breaking down the recently announced line-up for the thirteenth instalment of the Cold Waves Fest. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, download directly, or listen through the widget down below.

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Korine, “A Flame in the Dark”

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Korine
A Flame in the Dark
Born Losers Records

Korine occupy an interesting corner of the broader synthpop/new wave revival movement; the Philadelphia based duo of Morgy Ramone and Trey Frey have successfully invoked both wistful melancholia and youthful hope in their songs, pulling in elements from darkwave and pop-punk for flavour. Their latest, A Flame in the Dark, is an interesting quantity in their catalogue, not peaking as high as previous records, but showing stronger songcraft overall across the album.

The issue with the two proceeding LPS from the band (The Night We Raise and Tear) was that their best songs made the surrounding cuts less memorable. Damnably catchy, instantly memorable cuts like “Burn the World”, or “Fate, or “Train to Harlem” made it hard to give the rest of their material a fair shake. A Flame in the Dark might lack earworms of the calibre of those cuts, but the floor for songwriting and performance has come up considerably.

A cut like “Blue Star” is a perfect case in point, balancing post-punk bass and bright synthwork with a nuanced vocal from Morgy, hitting the mark between hopeful keening and mopeyness with aplomb. Arrangements remain straightforward, but are cannily tuned in service to songs with breakdowns and transitions creating more movement and dynamics than ever before; note the variation in the vocal line on the first and second verses of “Twist the Knife” that reflect the punchiness of the chorus, and how “The Line” confidently stays at a slower tempo to really let it big feelings come across.

Better songcraft might seem like a poor trade for the mega-hooks that built Korine’s following, but it ultimately benefits the listening experience a great deal. In isolation a single like “Anhedonia” is a solid cut, but in the context of the variety and shape of the record its speedy rhythm programming and sing-songy melody elevate the surrounding cuts, creating more movement, more contrast and a more complete album experience. If (like this reviewer) you had Korine pegged as a singles band with okay albums, then A Flame in the Dark might require you to recalibrate your listening – those that do will find charms aplenty to enjoy.

Buy it.

A Flame In The Dark by Korine

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Minuit Machine, “Queendom”

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Minuit Machine - Queendom

Minuit Machine
Queendom
Synth Religion

It would be tempting to consider the sleek club stylings of the new record by longstanding French darkwave project Minuit Machine in relation to changes in the project’s personnel. With Hélène De Thoury, the long-term writer and producer of the project having retired from music due to the tragic side-effects of COVID, Minuit Machine is now the solo project of vocalist Amandine Stioui. And while there’s plenty in Queendom which could go on to distinguish this era of the band, the changes it makes are often subtle ones.

Given how directly club-focused the pre-release singles which begin the record are, it might be easy to forget how 24, the last LP to be helmed by De Thoury, held similar priorities. But if 24‘s rhythmic focus felt like a bootstrapping of the icy spaciousness of the band’s roots, using massive, echoing kicks as radar-like probes of Minuit Machine’s hazy atmospheres, Queendom feels much more nimble and insulated, with its arpeggiated programming sitting square in the listener’s face rather than on some distant horizon. Whether in the freestyle halftime of “Denied” or the moody bass which paves the way for slowly unfurling synth peals on opener “Hold Me”, Stioui’s found ways of keeping even the most insistent of beats approachable and almost cozy.

Queendom thus isn’t a total break from Minuit Machine’s existing style, but for every moment which hearkens back to the past, there’s another which takes a quiet detour down a lesser trod path. The icy, stabby leads of “Cent Fois” call back to the stormy midnight raves of Violent Rains‘ club bids, though Stioui’s laid back and disarming vocal approach (also appearing on third single “Party People”) brings the drama somewhat to heel. That more off-the-cuff delivery is carried through on the melancholy “Mes souviens”, the with its reflective and understated vocal standing in stark contrast to the pensive slowburn of the title track, which still feels of a piece with the shimmering darkwave monoliths which cemented the band’s rep a decade back.

Between De Thoury’s departure, Stioui stepping up to the plate as a composer, and the presence of collaborators like Lloyd Philippon (RAUMM), there are a slew of factors which could have either botched Queendom‘s equanimity, or at least pushed it beyond fans’ hopes and expectations for a new Minuit Machine record. That it finds some ways of tastefully changing up the project’s delivery while still keeping one foot in the elements which made it so enthralling initially is a victory in itself.

Buy it.

QUEENDOM by Minuit Machine

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Tracks: March 31st, 2025

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Hey friends, the year is 1/4 over somehow, and it’s been nothing but fresh horrors and anxiety for everyone we know, and we assume that is likely true for you as well. With nine months to go, and many of our most anticipated records yet to drop, we find ourselves waiting for one of those bolt-from-the-blue type releases, where a band previously unknown to us comes out of the gate swinging and grabs us with something that feels fresh, of the moment, and exciting. The fun thing about that of course is that you never know when it’ll happen, but no year of music appreciation is complete without something like it to compliment the host of great acts and albums we’re already following. If you hear anything like that, you make sure to leave us a comment y’hear? Until then, check some of these Tracks.

Nico Amara

Nico Amara

Sheitan, “Heaven Tonight”
Recently reactivated after a more than 20 year hiatus, Swedish act Sheitan shifted from pure black metal to death n’ roll over the 90s, and are now accentuating the goth rock elements that could be found in the corners of the latter half of the original run. You wouldn’t know that there’s anything in the project’s DNA as anti-commercial as black metal within a couple of seconds of new single “Heaven Tonight”, though, replete as it is with anthemic yelps and Steinman-styled hooky bombast. Think Cold Cave and Panic Priest coming together in order to cover “I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight”.
Heaven Tonight by Scheitan

Morze, “Москвички”
One of the staple bands of Saint Petersburg’s Oberwave Records, Morze is pretty much a constant on the label’s compilations and as a remixer for other label acts. Their originals tend to favour a smokey laidback darkwave vibe, which is what makes new single “Москвички” such a pleasure; inspired by Serge Gainsbourgh, it’s a nice slice of mid-eighties-styled exotica balladry of the kind you rarely hear folks taking on in the dark alternative space. Throw this on, light up a smoke and stare into the middle distance when the sax kicks in.
Morze — Москвички by Oberwave Records

Solo Ansamblis, “Nuobodu”
Lithuanian oddballs Solo Ansamblis have been plying a left-field approach to post-punk that’s been alternately quirky and austere, avoiding most present day tropes and trends in the genre. But that road less travelled approach hasn’t kept their new LP Scenos from racking up some solid numbers and plaudits in the couple of weeks it’s been out. A tune like this peppy closer, half Snowy Red, half Sparks, is just the cure if you’re feeling burned out on the monochrome approach to post-punk taken by so many eastern European acts these days.Scenos by Solo Ansamblis

Fuedal, “Seam Grip”
We were pretty into LA act Fuedal’s 2023 release UNIT ONE, which situated itself nicely between industrial, body music and a dash of darkwave. It’s been a few years, but you better believe our ears perked up when we heard “Seam Grip”, the first track to be released from the forthcoming Max Continuous Power; it’s got a bangin’ dancefloor ready beat, some great percussion programming, a sinister bass guitar riff backing up the synth programming and some menacing vocals. Catchy and nasty, just how we like it.
Max Continuous Power by FUEDAL

Unboned, “Minha Dor”
Unboned’s Rosa EP comes courtesy of the UK’s Meta Moto, who consistently put out some pretty interesting releases within and without the range of our coverage. Unboned falls pretty squarely within that vague boundary, and while their latest seems to be working the funky electro-darkwave angle, they’re previous releases have revealed roots within the synthpunk and industrial genres. Per the BC liner notes, the EP draws heavily from Portugese cultural heritage, which is not something you get to hear a lot of in the dark alt space, we’ll be keen to check this rest of this out when it drops.
Unboned – Rosa EP by META MOTO

Nico Amara, “In Chains”
The first single from Swiss newcomer Nico Amara places a premium on texture, restraint and tension as it straddles lines between classic coldwave, modern darkwave, and a pinch of pure dark ambiance. The stripped down composition could be compared with a number of French minimalists new or old, but the piece comes alive in the interplay between Amara’s breathy vocal and the misty resonances coming off the synths and percussion like steam off city streets at midnight.
in chains by NICO AMARA

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We Have A Commentary: Test Dept., “The Unacceptable Face Of Freedom”

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Test Dept - The Unacceptable Face Of Freedom

On this month’s commentary we look at a nearly 40 year old classic which feels as though it could have been released in response to the world at large today: Test Dept.’s The Unacceptable Face Of Freedom. In addition to the record’s searing indictment of the intertwining of capitalism and fascism at the expense of the working class, it marks a turning point for the band, with their classic industrial percussive sound now being tempered with an increased focus on sampling and programming, pointing the way forward for post-industrial music. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, download directly, or listen through the widget down below.

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Observer: LIMINID & Covert Forces

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LIMINID - Collapsed Wave Function
LIMINID
Collapsed Wave Function
self-released
The current project of Morgan Mayer, previously working in a more electro-industrial guise as INEXORA, LIMINID brings a decidedly cinematic approach to dark ambient, doom jazz, and downtempo sounds on its latest EP. Ethereal whispers weave through “Weeping Willow” over ruminating bass, while half-time breaks clatter over echoing orchestral stabs on “The Ghost It’s In The…” Certainly some of Mayer’s long-standing interests in Vancouver industrial can still be ferreted out on Collapsed Wave Function, but despite its sharp drum programming the languid, dreamy pace of “I Like The Dark” is much more Doubting Thomas than Puppy. For all of its measured pacing there’s a real sense of drama throughout these five tracks; like a properly executed film score, Collapsed Wave Function knows when to erupt into kinetic noise and motion and when to recline and descend into deep, murky depths.
Collapsed Wave Function by LIMINID


Covert Forces
self-titled
self-released
There’s very little information out there regarding lo-fi British Columbia-based industrial/EBM project Covert Forces. In fact, the only real information that accompanies the self-titled 5 track EP on Bandcamp is a list of influences, handily reflected in the music itself. Opener “Listen and Obey” is an atmospheric track that leverages a simple bassline and busy cymbals to move it forward, with atmospherics provided by its samples and pads; the trick being that the whole track is dipped in grime and smashed with cassette style compression, with obscures and renders it queasy in equal measure. “Browbeat” (and in fact the rest of the release) is just as opaque, although it’s bassline and cracking snare emerge more audibly from the fog in contrast to the unintelligible vocals and are reduced to pure desperation under layers of reverb and delay. Finding the songs in the seemingly deliberate fog of the mix is fairly difficult, although it does have the effect of making it all feel pretty ominous; the bass and grinding synthwork of “Flesh Covered Machinery” and crushed together and blasted out at the listener, forgoing the convenience of modern recording for undiluted menace and disquieting uncertainty.
COVERT FORCES by Covert Forces

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We Have A Technical 551: An Oubliette Of Electronics

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Clipping

We’re reaching just across some borders this week, talking about a pair of records which abut upon the industrial and goth worlds but aren’t entirely part and parcel of them. First up is the latest and very cyperpunk-themed record from the industrial-tinged hip-hop trio Clipping. Next, we’re talking about Chicago experimentalist Circuit Des Yeux’s new dark art rock opus, which lifts from the same ur-sources as goth. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, download directly, or listen through the widget down below.

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