We Have A Technical 532: Something Wicked This Way Comes

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Hey, folks. As we talk about off the top, it’s both the larger global news and a much more personal tragedy that we’re both wrestling with this week. We’re trying not to let that effect the podcast too much, but given the themes and mood of our subject, the first new album from The Cure in sixteen years, a little bit of real life pain is going to sneak its way in. Listening to music we love and talking about it with the people we love has always helped us both, and if us two goofballs talking about Bobby Smith & His Cures helps you with your day in any manner, we’d be humbled and overjoyed. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, download directly, or listen through the widget down below.

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Normal Bias, “Kingdom Come”

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Normal Bias
Kingdom Come
Synthicide

Matt Weiner of TWINS and Chris Campion of Multiple Man’s 2022 EP as Normal Bias demonstrated a shared vision for a smooth and sultry version of body music, all without skimping on the funk that defines their main outlets. Their debut album Kingdom Come builds from that foundation, expanding on some of the electropop sounds that made their way into their first batch of tunes and showcasing Weiner’s excellent vocal work. Where the record still feels rooted in classic EBM rhythms, it’s the melodies that feel like the record’s guiding light.

The evolution of Normal Bias’ approach is emphasized by the contrast between the two songs that the band have ported over largely untouched from the EP, with both “Kingdom Come” and “Embody Control” seeming far more minimal in their construction than their neighbouring cuts. The former, now a title track, was a clear pointer towards the duo’s pop yen, but its broad, synth lead and gated snare seem far brassier in contrast to a song like “Holy”, which invokes Depeche Mode in complimentary fashion; firstly by Weiner’s wistful croon, and then through clever use of keys, pads and italo-disco claps and rimshots to create plenty of motion and energy. It’s a fine corollary to how “Falling Down” takes the slow boil menace of “Embody Control” and ramps it up to new heights, via the use of indistinct vocal samples and one of the project’s most insistent and punchy basslines.

The record’s turn towards more ornate variations of classic electronic pop composition is complimented by some lovely sound design and production choices that give the record a tasteful, high-gloss finish. A song like “Earth Dies Burning” benefits so much from how its orch hits and big fields of reverb interact with the vocals, dropping away to provide room for a slap-bass solo mid-track, one of many smile-worthy bits of popcraft. There’s just a real sense of class to the whole affair; witness how “Win Lose” invokes the classic Kraftwerk choir sound (the same one borrowed by New Order on “Blue Monday”), a move that would be crass if not for the way the song builds its pads and leads up and around it in reverential fashion, a genuine homage rather than rote imitation.

When writing about their debut, we opined that it was a proof of concept of sorts, and that Normal Bias were more than capable of taking that vision to even lusher and more polished territory. Kingdom Come is that promise realized, perhaps even more than we could have anticipated; so few acts thread the needle of electronic funk, soul and pop in such expert fashion. Recommended.

Buy it.

Kingdom Come by Normal Bias

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Leæther Strip, “All Hallow’s Eve”

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Leæther Strip - All Hallow's Eve

Leæther Strip
All Hallow’s Eve
Cleopatra Records

Covers have been a major part of Claus Larsen’s surge of productivity as Leæther Strip over the past decade. In addition to the Æppreciation series of cover releases, we’ve had a slew of artist-specific tributes, ranging from the expected (Depeche Mode, Skinny Puppy), to less immediate points of reference for Larsen’s work (Simple Minds). Pitching All Hallow’s Eve as a set of Halloween-themed covers feels like a bit of a stretch given some of the selections (Ministry’s “The Angel” or Human League’s “Being Boiled”), but that doesn’t mean that it can’t carry with it the range of atmospheres and influences that have kept Leæther Strip entrenched as a fixture in dark electronics.

Covers comps are as much about curation as actual execution, and at least on a first pass All Hallow’s Eve will likely pique or lose your interest on that basis. An overlooked classic like Tommi Stumpff’s “Massaker” or an effectively brand new track like Darkways’ “I Like The Night (And The Night Likes Me)”, which only saw its original release this past June, do more to both give a sense of Larsen’s tastes, past and present, and point his listeners to material they might’ve otherwise missed than the pro forma takes on The Cramps and Bauhaus.

But to the execution itself, John Carpenter’s theme to “Christine” is one of the better left-field choices here; long before the wave of renewed interest in Carpenter’s film scores, a kinship in terms of minimalist yet entirely atmospheric dark synthwork could be heard in early Leaether Strip material, and not just the explicitly symphonic Serenade For The Dead. Here, Larsen’s rendition sounds perfectly in harmony with one of the major musical modes which has run through Leæther Strip for decades. On paper, the approach to Siouxsie’s “Peek-A-Boo” – keeping the camp squeezebox but adding industrial stomp – shouldn’t work, but something about Larsen’s replication of the call and response verses delivered in the close, clean growl that he’s used of late cinches it.

Like I said, the Halloween theme to All Hallow’s Eve feels tenuous at times, but the flip side of that is that enjoyment of it isn’t limited to the spooky season. Its scope does a good job of touching upon sounds Larsen’s still mining in his original work, and its hit-to-miss ratio is pretty solid.

Buy it.

All Hallow's Eve by Leaether Strip

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Tracks: November 4th, 2024

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Well, Hallowe’en is firmly in the rearview, which means it’s time for us to kick back, relax, and listen to some not-at-all-gothy music for a while. Which is what we would be doing, if not for the small complication that Bobby Smith gone and released a new Cure album and uh, yeah, we’re gonna have to listen to and talk about that. Tune in to We Have a Technical this week to hear us discuss it, presumably at length, but until then why not enjoy some selections from this week’s Tracks?

Unit 187, “Dick”
Vancouver’s American-style coldwave act Unit 187 returns unexpectedly, and we’re both surprised and very happy. The death of vocalist Tod Law in 2015 left us assuming that the band was no more, but 2024 brings us a reformed lineup, featuring founding member John Morgan, along with familiar faces Chris Peterson (Decree, Front Line Assembly), Ross Redhead (Decree), and Kerry Vink-Peterson (Stiff Valentine). New LP KillCure will feature songs written with Law before his passing along with brand new material. The first taste of the new Unit 187 is a re-recording of the classic “Dick”, from their stone-classic Loaded. Welcome back, we missed you.
Dick by Unit:187

Front Line Assembly feat. Cardinal Noire, “Heatmap”
Keeping on the Vancouver industrial tip, we’ve been lucky enough to hear some behind the scenes previews of the new Front Line Assembly remix record, featuring a slew of younger bands working with material from their AirMech soundtracks, but the first public taste of Mechviruses is here. Finnish electro-industrial heavyweights Cardinal Noire (whose new Vitriol LP will be seeing release in a month) have made no secret of their appreciation for the likes of Puppy and FLA, and they sound right at home adding some caustic stabs and growls to “Heatmap”.
Mechviruses by Front Line Assembly

Kælan Mikla, “Stjörnuljós”
Iceland’s ethereal darkwave witches Kælan Mikla return with the mournful “Stjörnuljós”, a different if no less powerful kind of song. Anybody who has seen them live or spent time listening to their records won’t be surprised by the intensity and emotion of the track, especially the deliberate way it builds from it’s minimal beginnings to a lush, funereal climax, the perfect music to listen to as Fall transitions to Winter.
Stjörnuljós by Kælan Mikla

Encephalon, “Illusions”
Encephalon is one of the bands that inspired us to start I Die: You Die, and in the time since the release of their debut LP The Transhuman Condition, they’ve never let us down. Each and every album has been a different experience, with their ambitious themes, songwriting and programming becoming more baroque and powerful, yet, when called upon they can still deliver a straight up club track. Hence “Illusions”, the second taste of what the forthcoming Automation All Along brings. Insistent and instantaneous, with hints of some of the record’s thematics, this is exactly what we want from Ottawa’s finest.
Automaton All Along by Encephalon

Mosquito, “Prince Of Immortality”
Here’s some right down the pipe continental goth rock brought to us by the fine folks at Swiss Dark Nights. Greece’s Mosquito went to ground shortly after their 2017 debut, but new LP Deep Slumber doesn’t have any rust on it, and delivers the sort of chilly and uber-dramatic goth rock that’s meant to be listened to in cold November winds. This might be a bit much for those who prefer their goth to have a bit of restraint, but if you still have your crimpers and winklepickers at hand, Mosquito will scratch an itch.
Deep Slumber by Mosquito

Strange Boutique, “The Night Birds”
With some autumnal goth in a very different vein, the slow reactivation of DC post-punk act Strange Boutique continues with this charming new single. We imagine many folks (like ourselves) were introduced to Strange Boutique after Monica Richards co-founded Faith & The Muse after the band’s mid-90s dissolution, but the space and style of Strange Boutique is a whole other world, and this tune has the sort of languid darkwave jangle that Richards’ voice suits to a tee.
The Night Birds by Strange Boutique

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Observer: Rue Oberkampf & Crystal Geometry

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Rue Oberkampf
Essenz
Young and Cold Records
Electro-darkwave has been one of the dominant sounds in Our Thing for the last several years with its greatest strength being the breadth of its appeal; its gothy enough to mope and swoon to, but uptempo enough to dance to. While plenty of acts have played with that formula, few have navigated it with the expertise of Munich’s Rue Oberkampf, whose new mini-album Essenz makes a strong case for the savviness of Julia de Juoy and Michael Mair (now a duo with member Damien De-Vir having very recently left the group). Those seeking retiring moodiness with electropop production will find it on opener “89 Degrees” where de Juoy’s vocals fill in the spacious mix with retiring poise, while those digging for big-room club fare can choose between the techno-touched rhythms of the busy “I Won’t Surrender” or the menacing funk of “Solitude (Essenz Master)”, a song built up from icy foundations to surprisingly lush heights. The previously released “Soror” and “Aeterna” (the latter being a brief but lovely bit of continental balladry) work as well here as they did in isolation, but the highlight is “Allein” where the use of French language lyrics and syncopated bass and drum programming have a sort of cabaret by way of the goth club appeal. Like all Rue Oberkampf material it’s charmingly moody, a vibe that they have completely dialed in.
Essenz by Rue Oberkampf

Crystal Geomery - Antith​è​se
Crystal Geometry
Antith​è​se
BPitch
Maxime Fabre’s takes on TBM through his Crystal Geometry records have always benefited from his clear appreciation for forms of techno, EBM, and other genres well outside of the usual TBM bandwidth, and it’s in the peppering in of those other sounds that each of his releases have been imbued with their own flavour and made Crystal Geometry records stand out from the pack. New EP Antithèse is no exception, and its haunted house approach to hardcore and gabber gives its four tracks real dimension. We’ve heard Fabre tap into his appreciation for extreme metal in the past; the pentatonic guitar leads on “FCKTHNZS” are fairly distinct from the pure riffing that was used on on a number of tracks on I Stare Into Darkness, but when combined with black metal-styled vocals it makes for a great pairing with the track’s gabber style kicks. “Creepy Body” takes a similar ‘metal by inference’ approach with its ghostly arpeggios and goblin vocals which will likely connote God Destruction records for some folks and classic Lenny Dee sets for others. Whatever’s your poison, Fabre clearly still has plenty of means of refreshing and pushing the intersection of EBM and dark techno.
Antithèse by Crystal Geometry

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We Have A Technical 531: A Handful Of Popcorn

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45 Grave

45 Grave

On this week’s Halloween-themed episode of the podcast, we’re simulating an experience that’ll be familiar to all DJs: fielding requests at a Halloween party. What tracks from within and without the boundaries of Our Thing might we be happy to play? Which would be anathema to us? Which might we consider if you greased our palms or plied us with liquor? We’re also discussing the passing of Winterkälte’s Eric De Vries. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, download directly, or listen through the widget down below.

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Webdriver Torso, “End.”

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Webdriver Torso - End.

Webdriver Torso
End.
self-released

Five years is a long layoff for most bands under most circumstances, but in the case of LA’s Webdriver Torso that hiatus was amplified by it preceding the release of their first proper LP. After some intriguing EPs and singles which offered a lo-fi vision of industrial metal and mutant-styled EBM quite different from the forms those subgenres held at the time, the duo dropped off the radar a few months before the pandemic hit. Reemerging with a full LP, End. finds Webdriver Torso picking up right where they left off, albeit with broader shifts in the styles they work in now framing their sound in a new light.

Heavily processed guitar, murky programming, and alternately disaffected and coolly reflective vocals are the core elements Webdriver Torso bring and combine to produce either the gauzy minimalism of “Ravens”, or more brooding and weighty stuff like “444” (complete with synthesized shakuhachi as it ratchets up the gothic drama) and the hazy stomp of “1111”. The latter isn’t too far away from the style of much of their 2018 Listen_Die_EP, yet also sounds of a piece with much of the more driving, dancefloor focused darkwave we’ve been hearing from NA acts over the past two or three years. Again, if you caught Webdriver Torso live before their break or got a read on the sorts of influences they were drawing together for that first run, you’ll know that that’s never been their specific aim, but a lot around the band has changed during the layoff, and I imagine there are a host of younger folks just showing up to the party who’ll find their tastes sympatico with what Webdriver Torso have to offer.

The balance between End.‘s more languid and dreamy fare (the record ends with a cover of “All The Pretty Little Horses” which sounds like it’s being filtered through hospital anaesthetics) and its crunchier stuff gives it a range that belies its half hour run time and does a good job of showing off the band’s ability to link classic industrial metal to more abstract and meme-fried touchstones. If that link sounds akin to the formula HEALTH have used to such strong effect of the last years, sure, one could maybe hear a connection between that act’s recent work and the finely diced and sequenced chug and bounce of opener “Negative One”, but I’d posit that even earlier indie/noise crossover acts (NTX + Electric or even early Gang Gang Dance come to mind) are a fairer comp.

The ranging effects of the pandemic permanently sidelined plenty of bands, and I’ll admit that I’d taken Webdriver Torso for one of them. I’m glad to be proven wrong, in part because their existing work showed promise but was also clearly the work of a band who had more to offer once they got up to full speed. End. has them reemerging at that full tilt without any warmup needed, and perhaps even more suited to the current zeitgeist than they were before the layoff.

Buy it.

End. by Webdriver Torso

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Hallowed Hearts, “Masquerade”

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Hallowed Hearts
Masquerade
Diffusion Records

Both Alex Virlios and Andrew Sega were mostly well-known for work in the world of synthpop before founding their Hallowed Hearts project; the former for his work with Provision, and the latter for doing the heavy lifting in Iris for most of that band’s existence. That the duo would turn to what is essentially goth rock for the sound of Hallowed Hearts was unexpected, but speaks to both of their artistic strengths, with Virlios’ vocal charisma and Sega’s skill as an arranger and instrumentalist really standing out on their new LP Masquerade.

There’s a pleasingly unreconstructed sound to the Hallowed Hearts material, which in turn gives it a timeless feel. Take for example the title track, which is driven by a simple kick-snare drum pattern and a nice combination of sharper riffing and spidery arpeggios on the verses, and big washy guitars on the verse, recalling any number of second wave goth rock classics of the 90s. The production is clean and modern, with the electronics mixed to allow the guitars to lead the way. To that point, Sega does a bang-up job of strumming, soloing and playing minor key hooks across the entirety of the record. He’s a tasteful player who knows when to play a support role (doubling bass and providing rhythm on “Dreams”) and letting it all hang out (check the shimmery delay on the chorus of closer “Waiting”).

Virlios has a voice built for this style of music and projects the right mix of gravitas and yearning. He makes space for himself in busier numbers like the chugging “Open Your Eyes”, and keeping sparser songs like the moody “Last Chance” lively thanks to some expert phrasing that plays well against the programmed drums and bass. The record’s best cut “Breathe” really gives him an opportunity to shine, singing in a higher register that plays off the chorus’ guitar attack, and leaning in on the the whoa-ohs that give the song its anthemic power.

With those strengths in mind, Masquerade is very much the kind of record that lives and dies by its songs, an area where it handily acquits itself. Numbers are built around getting their hooks and choruses over from the ground up, and make the most of breakdowns and changeups between sections to keep the momentum fast and fluid. Hallowed Hearts are obviously students of how to put a song together, and their expertise in doing so makes the full LP an easy, varied listen from front to back.

Buy it.

masquerade by hallowed hearts

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Tracks: October 28th, 2024

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Halloween falls on a decidedly unfestive Thursday this year, but we imagine plenty of folks reading this are still finding plenty of methods of observance. At our end, we have a bunch of DJ gigs happening on the weekends before and after, but in general the actual Halloween ragers of our youth have been slowly replaced by binges of classic thrillers and more off-beat recent horror fare. With a recent navel-gazing discussion on the nature of goth still at hand we feel it’d be a bit indulgent to go on at length about what Halloween does and doesn’t mean to those of us within darker music cultures, but that might be something we’ll stick a pin in for next year. On with this week’s tracks!

Devours riding the Skytrain, it’s a Vancouver thing.

Linea Aspera, “Mycelium”
Linea Aspera are hands down one of the most influential acts of the millennium when it comes to darkwave and the resurgence thereof. Alison Lewis (aka Zanias) and Ryan Ambridge’s self-titlted 2012 LP opened the door to the style for countless acts, and was especially important for bridging the world of minimal wave, appealing to fans of both that austere style, and classic euro darkness. Their 2020 comeback was naturally pretty welcome and acted as proof that their initial run was no fluke, they had the goods when it came to lush, mysterious tunes that had club appeal and atmosphere aplenty. Hence our excitement at seeing the unexpected release of the mellow if sad “Mycelium”; it’s a lovely tune no doubt, but if it also signals a third album on the horizon, well, all the better.
Mycelium by Linea Aspera

Devours, “Swordswallower (Zendaya’s Fortress)”
The new era of Devours kicks off with “Swordswallower (Zendaya’s Fortress)”, a track that presages darker things for Vancouver’s synthpop gaylien. For one thing, it takes the project’s typically sticky melodies and sharp lyrics and then weds them to an especially long and ambitious arrangement that exceeds 7 minutes, with a massive breakdown and tempo change, with the dense punky rhythm of the track giving way to a big open space where a minor key melody that recalls The Fragile-era Nine Inch Nails plays out. It’s unexpected, invigorating and exactly the kind of massive artistic swing that has made Devours our favourite local act for several years running.
Swordswallower (Zendaya's Fortress) by Devours

Involucija & Le Chocolat Noir, “Mit i iluzija”
There are a lot of different things to like on the new collaborative EP from West Balkan rhythmic industrial supergroup Involucija and EBM minimalists Le Chocolat Noir. Sure, you’re getting a couple of the tight and staticky basement rave TBM numbers you might expect from all these folks coming together for a release on a+w, but you’re also getting stuttering, processed industrial rock aneurysms like this, which are a reminder of just how far off the beaten track plenty of previous innovators from the former Yugoslavia have ventured.
Želja Mašta Strah by Involucija & Le Chocolat Noir

MeLLLo, “Stories Of Ghosts”
Marianthi of our beloved, semi-dormant Marsheaux is keeping her hot streak going, with track after track of dreamy synthpop/electro-pop hitting an irresistible hot spot between pop hooks and atmosphere. This latest little treat’s no exception, finding a balance between a proximal, intimate nostalgia and a big and immediate anthemic chorus, with a few little reminders of Book Of Love’s classic “You Make Me Feel So Good”.
StoRieS Of GhoSTs by MeLLLo

Die Selektion, “Mein Fundament (Club Edit)”
Last year’s Zeuge aus Licht offered plenty of club tracks to savvy body music selectors; no surprise given the quality control self-styled masters of prosecco wave Die Selektion have had on lock for more than a decade. Still, we’re always happy to be offered a few additional club reworkings, and this take on that LP’s closing track manages to keep the dynamics of tension of the original in place while also hooking clubgoers from the first beat.
Zeuge aus Licht (Club Edits) by Die Selektion

Majestoluxe & EMMON, “Blood on the Ceiling”
Two Swedish acts we enjoy come together on “Blood on the Ceiling”, highlighting their common ground and their differences. From Majestoluxe we get the dense, DIY electronics that feel both propulsive and claustrophobic, while EMMON brings the club appeal via heavy beats and smokey vocals. Neither act could do something like this on their own, and the addition of metallic percussion sounds gives the whole affair an appropriately industrial edge. This the second collaborative track from the two producers, which begs the question, is an LP in the works?
Blood on the Ceiling by Majestoluxe, EMMON

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