Gothic BC

tassel
A Sacrifice: Unto Idols
self-released

If you’ve ever seen a picture of Arizona trio tassel, or glanced at the art and track titles for their preceding releases, you might be forgiven for assuming they were deathrockers or goth rock revivalists. And while you can certainly point to elements of those sounds on their debut LP A Sacrifice: Unto Idols, their sound is high-impact industrialized synthpunk, engineered for movement and with a healthy dose of atmosphere to contrast its strictly regimented rhythms.

It’s this last aspect of tassel’s sound that informs the record’s best songs; numbers like “Nativity” with its rusty processed and reconstituted guitars and growling synth bass feel dangerous because they have a relentless energy that belies their tightly quantized nature. A large part of this comes from the vocals of project mastermind Trey SequeIra, who affects a veiled menace in his delivery, forceful when whispered, controlled when shouted. It’s a grimly determined in a way that feels almost detached, if not impersonal, as on the Dive-esque “Testament” where he pushed his way through fields of distorted and delayed drum sounds and corroded bass, undeterred by the harsh surroundings.

For all the emphasis on crushing percussion (seriously, closer “Reproduction (In Any Form)” is basically a rhythmic noise track), there’s no shortage of ambience draped over the proceedings. “Original Sin”‘s wrenching, seasick guitar riffs fill the edges around the thudding kicks, a punky bit of texture that compliments SequeIra as he bites words off and spits them out defiantly. Single “V. Crawling” benefits from the short blasts of static that roll off its snares and the phasing guitars, pulling the ear even as its main synth part rolls forward with increasing intensity. There’s a pleasantly no-frills approach to dressing these songs up from a recording standpoint that adds to their urgency; opting for a contained, claustrophobic production style keeps the pressure up throughout.

The great strength of A Sacrifice: Unto Idols is its spirit of tenacity and its drive to keep moving. The struggle between religion, sexuality and self addressed in its lyrics is potent, but is delivered with a frankness that adds to the album’s already forceful disposition. Whatever demons are hounding them, tassel never feel anything less than willfull and ready to charge into whatever bleak territory lies ahead.

Buy it.

A SACRIFICE: UNTO IDOLS by tassel

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Rosetta Stone
Under The Weather
Cleopatra Records

The revival of the Rosetta Stone name – still representative of the finest goth rock of its era in this writer’s opinion – has already carried subtle ebbs and flows with it over the past five years. After the “catching up with miserylab” release of Seems Like Forever, 2020’s Cryptology felt like a proper bridging of the past and future of Porl King’s work, working some hints of the band’s more dramatic roots into the stripped down and sober sound of miserylab. New LP Under The Weather continues to link King’s past with his present, but also pulls the listener back into a much universal and much more recent past.

There’s no beating around the bush: Under The Weather is a record written during and directly about the pandemic. As if the title and cover art weren’t enough to pull you back to the fear and confusion of 2020, track after track on the record refers to COVID denialism, the depression of isolation, the prioritizing of the economy over safety, and all of the other cheery experiences we suffered through as a species. On the one hand that doesn’t make for easy listening if you like to think of goth rock as a semi-romantic escape from the mundane, but revisiting painful truths has been King’s MO for the past decade and a half via miserylab. The sorts of themes which that project addressed – austerity, class conflict, political indoctrination – align almost too perfectly with the harsh realities of COVID, and the pull-no-punches style of that project runs thematically through Under The Weather.

That’s not to say that we’re back to basics with the musical approach of the record. More than ever, it’s difficult to distinguish the different modes and periods of Rosetta Stone and King’s other work, not to mention his influences, in the thoroughly blended style of Under The Weather. You could point to the galloping melodies of “All The Devils” as a callback to the band’s most romantic dalliances, and the moody pluck of “Words To That Affect” isn’t too far off from “An Eye For The Main Chance” at its core, yet the austere, stripped-down instrumentation of miserylab remains in those. There are also plenty of indications that King’s time in the droning, post-witch house landscapes of In Death It Ends still holds some sway over the rebooted Rosetta Stone, with the hypnotic bass groove and hazy atmosphere of closing track “Change” hearkening back to that phase in King’s corpus (with perhaps a soupçon of the Sisters’ “Train” to boot), along with the pinched boogie of “Sick And Tired”.

As with the previous two records released under the Rosetta Stone banner, Under The Weather finds King engaging cautiously with his own legacy. He clearly sees the value in both the name and the style of Rosetta Stone, but isn’t interested in trying to recreate second-wave bombast purely for nostalgia’s sake. Nor, as the theme of the record shows, is he interested in sweeping history (artistic or global) under the rug for the sake of simplicity. Eschewing both the “radical new direction” and “return to classic form” cliches may make this new incarnation of Rosetta Stone a bit more difficult to pin down, but I’m guessing that suits King just fine.

Buy it.

Under The Weather by Rosetta Stone

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While you’re reading this, Alex will be winging his way home from an excursion to Edmonton’s Purple City Music Festival. You’ll be able to hear about it on the podcast next week, but we wanted to highlight how cool it is to have a music festival like Purple City that doesn’t specifically focus on acts within Our Thing book so many bands that are relevant within it. Even leaving aside those acts with big crossover appeal like ACTORS, Urban Heat, and LEATHERS, it’s really neat to see them making an effort to book deeper scene performers like MVTANT and Visit0r, and programming them alongside names like Wolf Eyes and Pelada. Tune into the podcast for a rundown, but until then, enjoy some selections in this week’s Tracks.

Nuda

SARIN, “Fire To Blood”
Some absolutely punishing, pure EBM from SARIN bodes well for the longstanding producer and X-IMG honcho’s next full-length. Between Konkurs, Human Performance Lab, and the General Dynamics collaborative projects Emad Dabiri’s dancecard has been pretty packed over the last couple of years, but stormy, slowly building monsters like this one are a reminder of his strengths as a solo artist.
Fire to Blood by SARIN

Nuda, “Break”
We enjoyed the set from Seattle industrial act Nuda we saw at Terminus in July, and have been interested in hearing more from her since then. Come to find out that the album Stranger will be dropping come November, and the preview tracks suggest a lot of what we heard on the stage in Calgary; big industrial grooves, and a fair bit of atmospherics to fill out the mix. While “Trigger” is a bit more club-oriented, and “Psycho” has a bit of a breakbeat, rhythmic noise vibe, we like “Break” best of all, as it provides a nice middle ground for Nuda’s heavier and melodic elements.
Stranger by Nuda

MODEBIONICS, “DIVIIDE DIVISION”
If you’re one of the many folks who uses our Year End coverage to find out about new or up and coming acts, you’ll already know that we were very impressed by the craft and energy Rolan Vega brought to the classic dark electro sound with the debut LP from MODEBIONICS last year. We’re happy that he looks to be picking up right where he left off in relatively short order with this new single which perfectly balances the haunting atmospheres and immediate, no bullshit rhythmic programming that the genre was built upon.
VIIXIIV (Diviide Division) Single by MODEBIONICS

Big Time Kill, “Truth”
Hey, something new from Boston’s Big Time Kill, an act who have never shied away from putting the funk back into industrial rock on their releases. “Truth” is a great example thereof, letting that big bassline lead the way, with clean vocal production and solid rhythm programming and some Chic-guitar following in its wake. As with a lot of their other tracks, there’s a bit of classic 90’s alt. rock at play here, recalling Faith No More more than any given industrial rock act you’d care to mention.
Truth by Big Time Kill

Split Diopter, “Navel Gazer”
DKA is one of those labels that we’ve been following basically since the inception of this website, and who put out records by plenty of acts that ended up being big favourites of ours, including High Functioning Flesh and Boy Harsher. While the Atlanta based enterprise has put out lots of electronic music, they’ve also worked with bands in the post-punk and goth rock spectrum, which is the spectrum that the forthcoming release from Split Diopter resides in. We’re feeling the nod to classic second wave sounds in the band’s sound, especially in using bass and pads to build up the tracks behind vocalist/producer Matt Weiner’s croon. Solid stuff from a label known for providing the same.
To Bridge And Bind by Split Diopter

Witch Of The Vale, “100 Ways To Leave (Kontravoid Remix)”
A Kontravoid tie-in is a savvy move for Scotland’s Witch Of The Vale. The pep and immediacy of Cam’s beats place this mix from the new 100 Ways To Leave EP (no, there’s no Paul Simon cover) keeps it right in the club zeitgeist, but the ethereal grace of Erin Hawthorne’s vocals which first drew us to the project endure; hopefully some of the folks who drive by for the beats stick around for the ghostly ambiance of the rest of the record.
100 Ways To Leave by Witch of the Vale

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Tryphème
Odd Balade
Impatience

Club-focused darkwave has been the sound of the past couple of years, but that’s not to suggest that there haven’t been interesting developments in the more sedate corners of the genre. Recent records by Hada and Feyleux have conjured classic atmospheres with modern approaches to production and songwriting, and produced engrossing and varied results. Arriving at a similar juncture is French artist Tiphaine Belin, whose new LP as Tryphème Odd Balade expands upon the ambient electronics of her earlier work to craft lush dreamscapes.

The step forward Odd Balade represents from preceding release To Pick Musics Up? is exemplified in the slow roll of first single “Sandy Family”. Blooming from a pensive vocal and kick drum to drift between choral synths, twangy guitar and chorused bass, it’s an enveloping and deeply calming piece that’s half early Xymox, half Julee Cruise. Tryphème’s interest in electro-acoustic experimentation can still be tracked in the cut and pan heavy filigree of “Heavy Blossom”, but eschewing minimalism purely for its own sake pays off: “Nightingale” brings just enough modern production and sound sculpting to give what could have been a rote classic coldwave exercise real contour and depth.

The tension between a “less is more” philosophy and deep production indulgence is what gives Odd Balade real legs as an LP. A piece like “Stroke Of Luck” is compositionally dead simple, holding to a single bass riff and drum fill, but the art is in the build and release of the increasingly psychedelic elements being layered atop that foundation, like a more baroque version of Sixth June’s “Tatjana”. On the other side of the spectrum, the liquid synth strings of “Dancing In The Rain” set the stage for Belin’s ethereal vocal harmonies but never cede control to the tasteful production touches which emerge.

An elegant record guided by poise, restraint, and grace, Odd Balade is a reminder that atmosphere and substance can sit in equanimity. Belin’s talents for sound design were established before this release, but here her instincts bring her into truly interesting and rewarding territory. Recommended.

Buy it.

Odd Balade by Tryphème

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The Horrors trying to make a go of Edwardian urchin goth.

We’re back to the classic two albums format for the first time in a hot minute, with the grinding industrialized noise rock of Head Of David and The Horror’s first kick at the can as a spastic garage band in goth/scene garb on the table. We’re also indulging in a bit of wanton speculation about the Nine Inch Nails name being attached to the next Tron film. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, download directly, or listen through the widget down below. 

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Plague Pits
Bukolic
self-released

Swiss synth act Plague Pits’ 2023 LP Creatures was an intriguing quantity in the modern synth scene thanks to its combination of original school synthpop sound and socialist politics, recalling early Human League in both form and content. Their follow-up Bukolic leans in on cleaner, more Kraftwerkian electropop stylings, with smoothed out production and greater focus on getting the most out of a decided minimal musical toolset.

Interestingly, the record finds the band putting aside vocals for the vast majority of the cuts. The sole numbers that feature any kind of human voice are opener “Binary Stars” and “Sleep of the Just”; the former using a heavier gated snare and bleeping lead that point towards heavier modern takes on the sound, while the latter falls squarely into the sort of awkward slowed funk practiced by Fad Gadget, complete with sardonic crooning to put its pointed refrain across.

It’s hard to imagine that the rest of the album’s songs would have benefitted from the addition of vocals, oriented as they are to distinctly instrumental forms. “Future Pastoral” summons early electro to mind thanks to it’s syncopated kick-snare patterns and bassline, while “A Thounsand Points of Light” is a kosmische number, with spacey reverbs and delays creating vast empty spaces for its synthlines and soft pads to float through. Those cuts are all fine, if a bit clinical in execution: things liven up when the band allow themselves some rougher and crunchier indulgences, such as the snappy white noise snares on “Blok” and the menacing pulse of the bass sound on “Mécano”.

Like all of Plague Pits’ material, how well you take to Bukolic is pretty dependent on your appetite for the throwback sounds it trades in. If it’s the sort of thing you’re inclined to enjoy, it’s a pleasant listen with a short run-time, efficient in execution and studied in its design.

Buy it.

Bukolik by Plague Pits

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It might be the end of summer, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of festival season! Edmonton’s Purple City fest is this weekend, and there’s even an ID:UD showcase happening on Saturday night featuring Urban Heat, Leathers, Madeline Goldstein, Panic Priest, Da’at, Jhnn, Mox Jet, and Dual Nature. Alex’ll also be on hand for a panel on Sunday afternoon dealing with journalism, podcasting, and marketing, so be sure to show up to pepper him not so much with a question, but more of, like, a comment. ‘Til then, let’s get to this week’s Tracks!

Pixel Grip, “Stamina”
F’real, this song has been stuck on mental repeat since we first heard Pixel Grip play it last summer, and again opening for HEALTH in 2024. Now, finally, “Stamina” is available for everyone to enjoy, and is already making some DJs and clubgoers pretty happy. If you wondered if the Chicago trio could follow-up a song as forthright and immediate as “Alphapussy” from their last album Arena, well, here you go – “Daddy come over/Fuck me over and over” is a line you’re gonna be hearing it a lot for the next little while, have no doubt.

SØLVE, “Bleak Hearts”
It’s been a minute since we’ve had new music from SØLVE, and this is a bracing reminder that Brant Showers has always had a little hint of industrial close at hand in both his solo work and as half of ∆AIMON. That said, it’s rarely been given as much of the spotlight in his work as on the core track from the Bleak Hearts Burn EP, which is by Brant’s own declaration an indulgence in 90s alt nostalgia (yes, that’s a Sister Machine Gun cover tossed in at the tail). Regardless of origin, it’s nice to have SØLVE’s thoughtful sturm and drang back, with a little bit of extra chugging tossed in.
BLEAK HEARTS BURN by SØLVE

INVA//ID, “Thorn”
Speaking of industrial metal, we recently hoped that a bang-on Wax Trax deep cut cover wasn’t going to be the only new business from LA’s erratically scheduled INVA//ID, and we didn’t have to wait long to be reassured. The band’s new single doesn’t stray too far from that set of influences, though it trades out the infectious dance beat of the PTP track for a sludging, thudding assault more in line with “Scarecrow” or Children Of God. Great stuff which has us wanting to play the hot hand and bet on a full length sometime soon.
Thorn by INVA//ID

Dildox, “Devilish”
A tip of the cap to Rev. John for the tip on Dildox, a synthpunk duo emerging from the ever-fertile Los Angeles scene that has featured so heavily in our coverage over the site’s lifetime. There’s a real roughness here we find appealing, both in the vocals and the way the percussion is programmed, avoiding the straight up 4 on the floor thump of standard darkwave, but still holding plenty of club appeal, especially via the song’s nasty atmosphere and wiry bassline.
Devilish by Dildox

Wingtips feat. Ronnie Stone, “The Break”
New music from Chicago duo Wingtips is 100% worthy of celebration, as the last two LPs were favourites here at the HQ. The first cut we’re hearing from the forthcoming On Trial (due in October) is “The Break”, which finds the band leaning in on the more electro sound explored on the last LP Cutting Room Floor. The song also features a guest turn from Ronnie Stone, whose band The Lonely Riders were hotly tipped in the mid-twentyteens before a hiatus of 8 or so years. Genuinely excited to see what the shape of this album will be, as Wingtips have always been a band with great songwriting and a strong sense of direction for their work.
The Break (feat. Ronnie Stone) by WINGTIPS

The Scary Skull of Hot Vampires, “My Blood Bleeds”
Lastly, a mostly-loving send-up of second-wave goth by none other than Leeds technoid producer Keef Baker. It’s tempting to almost wish that proper time went into mixing and producing this toe-tapper to modern standards, but that would go against the vocal murk and paper-thin snares of the source material, and you know that anyone capable of reciting the line “Lorelei sits by the fire / As I begin to expire” is approaching wrist-to-forehead 90s goth rock from a place of deep knowledge and deep love.
My Blood Bleeds by The Scary Skull of Hot Vampires

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IG Metall
self-titled
Phage Tapes
Minnesota’s Phage Tapes remains a boon for the noisier side of things, whether in the form of releases by noise vets like The Rita and The Vomit Arsonist, more beat focused work by Choke Chain, or newer artists who hybridize those approaches, as we saw last year with Stclvr. The first formal LP from Chicago’s IG Metall (named for a German metalworking union, if titles like “Wage Theft” weren’t enough of a thematic tip-off) fits into the latter camp, standing directly astride classic power electronics and modern dark techno. Sometimes those are each found in discrete camps on single tracks, as on the pure cyclone of squelch that is “Severed Architecture” or the strictly programmed (if still decidedly industrial “Torso”, but it’s a record that’s best when it crosses the streams. As feedback and echoes bloom outward from the initially straightforward EBM kicks of “Muscle & Hate” the track morphs into an Imminent Starvation-styled headtrip. It’s brainscraping noise which also should offer a solid upper body workout, just like a day at the factory.
IG METALL by IG METALL

genCAB
Let it RIP
Metropolis Records
David Dutton has been making up for lost time with genCAB; since reactivating the project in 2021 he’s release two LPs, a smattering of singles and splits, and is gearing up for his third album of new material in as many years. Let It RIP is a short three song EP that acts as something of a taster for the soon to be released III I II (THIRD EYE GEMINI), and it points to both the past and future of the melodic industrial project in intriguing fashion. “Cancer Causes Life (Recycled)” is a take on a track from 2023’s Signature Flaws, digging deep into the song’s emotional roots and building up the drama with waves of glitches, shredding sound design and laser beam percussion sounds that recall Gridlock, all in service of elevating Dutton’s heartfelt vocal delivery. Opener “Six Hits (Let It Be)” gives hints to the new record’s form with its layered drums and pads, creating a rich arrangement for the song’s melody to blossom, even while being buffetted by classic electro-industrial basslines and processed drum hits. Intriguingly, Dutton bridges the two songs with a cover of :Wumpscut:’s “Down Where We Belong”, leaning in hard on that song’s sorrowful hook and delivering them with a sincerity that brings the song’s enduring fatalist appeal to the light – it’s wild to hear something so familiar being delivered with a conviction that makes it seem both weary and energized, like he’s releasing one last burst of cathartic rage before going under again.
LET IT RIP by genCAB

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Our least favourite records by some of our favourite artists is the subject of this week’s Pick Five formatted episode of the podcast. Is it a real Sophie’s Choice situation or are we eager to throw some underperforming records under the bus? Find out, along with some talk about the recent Ex-Heir show which passed though Vancouver. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, download directly, or listen through the widget down below. 

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LEATHERS
Ultraviolet
Artoffact Records

While Shannon Hemmett’s tenure with Vancouver post-punk phenomenon ACTORS is concurrent with that band’s rise to prominence on the global dark music stage, her personal project LEATHERS has also existed for almost as long. Indeed, many of the dreamy, synth-driven songs on the debut LP Ultraviolet are familiar from previous single and EP releases, some going back as far as 2017. That trade-off in novelty is balanced by how well the record functions as a complete portrait of LEATHERS, and of Hemmett as a writer and performer.

While you could slot a lot of the music on Ultraviolet into synthwave (and indeed, it holds a lot of appeal for folks into the mellower side of that genre), there’s a considerable amount of dreampop and classic synthpop at play, its neon aesthetics made all the more moody for the gauzy shroud of the production provided by ACTORS bandmate Jason Corbett. A forthright cut like the title track is tempered by its sound design, the upbeat tempo smoothed out by quavering pads and snatches of guitar that flow through the track’s layers of reverb. Alternately, a mellow number like “Runaway” is given more substance by delays and echoes, the song’s echoing arrangement seeming larger than the minimal components.

Those production choices make a lot of sense in the context of Hemmett’s own cool, blissed-out vocals. The reservation in her performance is obviously suited to a cut like “Divine” where it reads as a coy, half-smile, putting over the song’s “1-900-Any-Time” hook, and for the more longing “Phantom Heart”, where her sweet and sad tone brings “Goodbye Horses” to mind. That said, Hemmett is great at sounding composed without sounding dispassionate, her quiet confidence allowing her to swing along to the electropop bounce of “Fascination” and match the playful tone of the lovely Mazzy-Star-by-way-of-Marsheaux synthpop of “Daydream Trash”.

Music the likes of LEATHERS often lives and dies by the strength of the personality behind it; all the slick studio wizardry in the world won’t matter if songs written to feel wistful and romantic don’t have some human touch to them. Hemmett’s natural charm and sincerity does the job here, making Ultraviolet the beguiling and smooth experience promised by the project’s earliest tracks.

Buy it.

Ultraviolet by LEATHERS

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Analfabetism
Sv​ä​lten i Kagel​ö​sa år 1431
Fluttering Dragon Records

With a full decade and now nine LPs to its name, Analfabetism has become just as firm a component within Fredrik Djurfeldt’s discography as the much older Severe Illusion. Sitting astride death industrial and pure dark ambient, the bleak aesthetic of Analfabetism might be too much at times even for fans of Djurfeldt’s more beat-driven (yet still heavily sardonic work), but for those with an ear for harsh, textural soundscapes the fact that we have a second Analfabetism full-length released in 2024 in which to get lost is good news indeed.

Preceding LP Den Svagsintes Klagan was created in response to Djurfeldt’s recent move into the northernmost corners of his native Sweden, and as I wrote earlier this year also offered a slight reprieve from some of the harsher extremes of Analfabetism’s sound. Svälten i Kagelösa år 1431 not only buttresses the project’s noisier dimensions atop its predecessor’s bed of atmospherics, but also serves as a caustic bromide against any delusions of bucolic harmony being found in the woods, taking its name and theme from a remote farming village which was lost amidst famine and cannibalism centuries ago.

If one is new to Analfabetism forlorn opener “På galgbacken intet nytt” is as good a primer as any, with its core sculpture of metallic distortion slowly cast about in the mist. More bleak is “Likets väg över Hälleberget”, where scraping rocks and smothered klaxons flit over the snoring of winter gods. Even at its most “composed” -the bit-crushed funereal march of “Våldsdåd i gryningen” – it’s a record offering no respite or solace.

One can debate whether, to paraphrase Margaret Atwood, that it is your own ignorance you enter when you journey to a frontier, or that the cold materialism of a nature red in tooth and claw is all that is to be found at the world’s edge. I can’t say which view Djurfeldt would hold with after making his own journey, but to the listener of Svälten i Kagelösa år 1431, both nihilistic truths are left open.

Buy it.

Analfabetism – Svälten i Kagelösa år 1431 by Fluttering Dragon Records

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We’re still chewing our way through the veritable boatload of bookmarks, promos, and Bandcamp wishlist additions that piled up during our summer hiatus, which is both good and bad; good because it makes writing these Tracks posts a breeze, bad because this looks like its going to be a late breaking year in terms of the pure volume of new tunes under our purview and we don’t know when (if ever we’ll catch up). Of course that just means its time to buckle down and write some more, as with this week’s Tracks post.

Madeline Goldstein. Photo by @chakravorty

Madeline Goldstein, “1996 Expectations”
Los Angeles’ Madeline Goldstein had a sleeper EP last year with Other World, a collection of darkwavey electro numbers that showed off some keen songwriting instincts and the chanteuses’, smokey, fully formed persona. The recently released “1996 Experience” picks up where the preceding songs left off, showing a year’s worth of development in pretty much all respects and whetting our appetite for more from this up and comer.
1996 Expectations by Madeline Goldstein

Cardinal Noire, “Killshelter”
We’ve been fans of Finnish electro-industrialists Cardinal Noire for a few years now, the duo having won our hearts early on by describing their sound as “Vancouver School”. Still, we weren’t expecting to hear that they had signed to Artoffact, or for their new single “Killshelter” to be such a huge leap forwards. Like their previous songs, you can hear the ur-influence of Skinny Puppy clear as day, but with an added complexity and emotion that puts us in mind of acts like Interlace who took the sound to still more mind-bending and philosophical places.
Killshelter by Cardinal Noire

R010R, “Silent Prisoner”
If you’ve hung around some of the same digital corners of the industrial world as we have for as long as we have, you’ll know that Michael Renfield is a head’s head with a deep understanding of the genre’s mores. It’s nice, then, to see him winding up his on-again, off-again project R010R over the last year or two. Pieces like this from R010R’s new EP speak to Renfield’s sense of the noisier extremes and the more sculpted subtleties of classic dark electro.
R03 by R010R

Tassel, “X.”
We’ve been reeeal into Arizona industrial act Tassel lately, their two 2023 EPs having earned plenty of repeated spins thanks to their rough-edged but still very danceable mixture of electronic sounds. Consequently we’re pretty hyped to hear their LP A Sacrifice: Unto Idols when it releases in a few weeks, especially when it’s heralded by songs like “X.” which works a nasty groove for everything its worth, never relenting, never losing its grip on the listener.
X. by tassel

Witch Eyes, “Pathways”
Whether it’s dark ambient or technoid, we’ve come to associate immaculately shaped and seriously evocative releases from Errorgrid. That’s definitely the case with the new to us Witch Eyes’ new single, which links deep space atmospherics with a seriously addictive, slinky lope of programming. Despite its minimalism and short run time, a whole lot of cyberpunk, IDM-esque movement and imagery is conjured in this track.
Dimensions by WITCH EYES

VIRE, “Modern Haves”
It’s been a good long while since we heard anything from VIRE, the project of Toronto’s Philip Wilson, but this new single functions as a solid reintroduction to Wilson’s style of programming, while also showing off some of the grainier textures which may have worked their way into his aesthetic in the interim. An immediate and almost bright slice of downtempo with some slight whiffs of post-rock and some witch house-tinged beats, this should definitely appeal to those jonesing for new Stendeck.
Modern Haves || Lost Dimes by VIRE

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Ashbury Heights
Ghost House Sessions Vol. 1
Out of Line

Swedish electropop trio Ashbury Heights have traditionally been a band whose work comes in bursts; project founder Anders Hagström and his various collaborators will release a new (and frequently expansive) set of songs every few years, and then stay relatively quiet in the interim between records. Ghost House Sessions Vol. 1 bucks that trend somewhat, in that it’s been a record that has taken form in front of their devotees over the last four years, as the band released frequent singles, all leading up to the release of the LP proper in 2024. On the one hand, it’s coming a full six years since preceding LP The Victorian Wallflowers and could serve either as a redefining or reintroduction of the band. On the other, it’s a look back at the last several years of the band’s work, with enough material to both underline their familiar strengths and reach out in new directions.

That idiosyncratic approach is reflected in both the content and the form of the album. Assembled from a mixture of original compositions, collaborations and a smattering of covers and retakes, the fluidity of the release is such that the vinyl, Bandcamp and CD versions all feature different sequencing. It’s right there in the name – this is a record that feels like it was assembled from various distinct sessions over the course of a few years, less a complete statement unto itself than a sampling of what Hagström and Co have been up to for the past half-decade or so.

None of which is to say that this material is slapdash or subpar, indeed, their knack for damnably catchy hooks, sharp production and clever lyrics is on display throughout. “Spectres from the Black Moss” is vintage Ashbury Heights, with a sticky melody, Hagström matching his phrasing to the rhythm, his understated delivery sneaking in some acerbic jabs along the way. Fans of their club material will find more than a few cuts that scratch that itch, especially the collaborations with singer/songwriter Madil Hardis: “Wild Eyes” leverages her powerful voice for big anthemic thrills, and “A Cut in Place” where she offers a sweet counterpoint to one of Hagström’s most forthright performances. The band’s keen tracking of pop which has absolutely nothing to do with even the loosest understandings of goth-flavoured synthpop is maintained here as well: the modern EDM of “Escape Velocity” and the Eurovision worthy tapping of Ulrike of Blutengel for “A Lifetime In The Service Of Darkness” (who’s to say if the latter’s cribbing of “Rasputin” was intentional or not) are pure sugar rushes.

Still, Ashbury Heights have never stuck entirely to one template in their work, and there’s more than a few cuts here that go to unexpected places. A fan won’t be surprised when they hear “Is That Your Uniform” dip into the same double time playbook as a classic like “World Coming Down”, but that certainly won’t prepare them for the cod reggae of “In the Dark”, the lounge exotica of “Hard Week”, or the full-on oompah band arrangement of “Halcyon”. Strange as they may seem, these cuts just work, and for the same reason Ashbury Heights songs have always worked; because they’re catchy and clever. Hell, when the band go full-on ‘confidence building montage anthem’ on “You and Me Apart From the World” it seems like the most natural thing in the whole world because they have the hooks to back it up (not to mention the pro axework from live member Johan Andersson).

The product of starts and stops, lineup changes, the ad hoc pragmatics of recording during lockdown, and all of the other disruption that half a decade or so can bring, Ghost House Sessions is as weird and unkempt as Ashbury Heights, who’ve never been known to be minimalists, have ever been. But whether one wants to approach it as a traditional double LP or as an anthology release, it’s jammed to the gills with reminders of why so many listeners waited with bated breath for it, either sequentially tracking its individual tracks over the past few years or just jumping into its chaotic confectionary sight unseen. Recommended.

Buy it.

Ghost House Sessions Vol. 1 by Ashbury Heights

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Kontravoid. Photo by @ladoobscurodelaluna

The third and final of our Terminus interviews features longtime site fave Kontravoid. Cam spoke with us about new LP “Detachment”, the shifting scope and success of the project, and the significance of masking up. Also, some news about ID:UD’s presence at Purple City in Edmonton. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, download directly, or listen through the widget down below. 

The post We Have A Technical 521: Our Songs Are Better appeared first on I Die: You Die.

Urban Heat
The Tower
Artoffact Records

The rise of Urban Heat over the past two years has been impossible to ignore. Aided as much if not more by their captivating live sets as their recorded material, the Austin trio feel as though they’re in an entirely different register than they were when their Wellness EP came across our desk roughly this time in 2022. While the strength of the five songs given pre-release boded well for its batting average, the band’s chance to clearly codify the themes, sounds, and energy which are undeniable live on their first proper LP makes the arrival of The Tower a high-stakes affair.

Whether it was savvily built by the band’s touring and release schedule or purely the result of organic word of mouth, the hype for The Tower is quickly paid in full, with its ten tracks covering a broad range of material while simultaneously feeling even shorter than its already tight forty minutes. While Wellness and various singles have been tagged with a range of descriptors, it’s clear from The Tower that the band are genre agnostics, holding to no specific era or sub-style of post-punk or electro. Instead, they place primacy on hooks and Jonathan Horstmann’s vocal charisma and power. That’s not to say The Tower‘s blend of core sounds is underdeveloped – check the savvy nodding darkwave of “Blindfolds And Magic Bullets” or how thrumming programming and half-time breakdowns are woven into opener “Take It To Your Grave” – but the lasting impression of those pieces is their wounded poignancy and fist-pumping anthemics, respectively.

As for the aforementioned singles, the speed, immediacy, and club appeal of “The Right Time Of Night” and “Sanitizer” speak to a good portion of The Tower‘s strengths, but the vulnerability of “Seven Safe Places” represents an equal half of the LP, with gauzy synths and indeterminate but undeniably raw emotion guiding much of the record. “You’ve Got That Edge” splits the difference between the bracing and the tender, using a disarming lope recalling 90s alt-rock to build towards a triumphant chorus with precision (that the titular concept can be read either as sobriety or an understanding of self developed in youth is a parallel to the differing genre perspectives from which the record can be approached).

In our recent interview with the band I raised the issue of “Like This”, a song I saw as representing a quantum leap forward for the band upon its release, not finding its way onto The Tower. Upon reflection, I didn’t think about that (fantastic) song once during my time with The Tower. It’s a fully-realized, tightly-wound wound record which, if not fully capturing the road-built intensity of the band’s live set, is an ideal calling card for them as their ascent looks to continue. Recommended.

Buy it.

The Tower by Urban Heat

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Nox Novacula
Feed the Fire
Artoffact Records

Seattle’s Nox Novacula have a good track record when it comes to avoiding the pitfalls inherent in making modern deathrock. Working in a genre that relies heavily on a very specific set of sounds that have been codified for decades, the quartet have threaded the needle when it comes to pushing themselves and the scope of their songs, while keeping things spooky and punky in equal measures. Their latest LP Feed the Fire is their most impressive in this regard, injecting a significant amount of pulsing electronic backbeat to the proceedings, upping the complexity of their arrangements, while keeping the riffs razor sharp and their energy lively and unpredictable.

Album opener “Plague” is a mission statement in that regard, establishing some of the record’s biggest stylistic moves through its tightly wound attack. The ominous synth intro quickly gives way to a speedy assembly of drums, bass and spidery riffs, with vocalist Charlotte Blythe blazing through an apocalyptic set of lyrics that address political unrest and upheaval. The bracing nature of the track belies some of the smart arrangement choices that band makes, delaying the first chorus to give it some extra oomph by way of anticipation, and then letting the second act as an outro with a pointed finality. Nox Novacula have gotten really good at making songs that have so much head-nodding, fist pumping anthemic energy to them that you don’t even notice their clever choices; see how they reinvent the defiant chorus of “Wolves” via its big drum rolls, or how the guitar hook from “No Forgiveness” holds back ever so slightly, letting Blythe kick open the door before barging through it.

Which is not to say there aren’t songs where the band’s grander ambitions are easily apparent. The darkwavey “Stay” is easily one of the best songs the band have ever written: its synth bassline and simple arrangement of guitar and vocals ends up being striking because of its minimalism, the absence of sturm and drang becoming its own kind of echoing statement. Similarly, the band dip into some classic electropop in the synthline for “Flood”, an unlikely combination with its wiry bass and pogo-ready chorus. There’s certainly no absence of straight up classic deathrock (“Disappear” is a particularly good example), but the record benefits from smart sequencing, lacing some of its freshest ideas in between its more trad-oriented numbers.

Walking the tightrope between genre purism and innovation is no easy feat, but Feed the Fire does so with a rare confidence. It’s certainly Nox Novacula’s best statement to date, and one whose charms should be apparent to audiences from within and without the fishnet and spider-webs crowd thanks to its expert execution and fierce energy. Recommended.

Buy it.

Feed The Fire by Nox Novacula

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After a few weeks’ rest we’re back at the grind, with a whole slew of new records to discuss, as per last week’s podcast. Having some high profile records to dig into (not to mention some interesting local shows on the horizon) is always fun, and may give us a bit more sense as to overarching trends and motifs in a year which thus far hasn’t broken too far from last. But we don’t want to disappear up our own back-ends with meta-analysis when there’s so much new stuff to point you towards, starting with our first Tracks post in three weeks!

Sleek Teeth, sleeker sounds

Everything Goes Cold, “Nadir”
A decade on from the release of their excellent Black Out the Sun, Everything Goes Cold, the project of industrial scene fixture Eric Gottesman makes an unexpected return with the moody single “Nadir”. As with so many of EGC’s best songs it’s a song with a deep melodicism that meshes wonderfully with the electronics and Gottesman’s vocals to great emotional effect. Assisted with able production by Matia Simovich of Inhalt and with a single with an excellent Physical Wash remix, it’s a welcome return from a ever-familiar voice.
Nadir by Everything Goes Cold

Vioflesh, “Always”
Coming to us from Chile, the prolific Vioflesh deliver some immediate darkwave with their latest single. On the one hand the disaffected vocals and ghostly atmospherics here sound very of the moment, but there’s a little bit of punch and swing on the programmming which hints towards Euro-focused dancefloors of decades past. Having just a hint of that richer production in the mix is a nice reminder of what can still be done with the current sound.
Always by Vioflesh

Haujobb, “Opposition (Actors Remix)”
The looming prospect of the first new Haujobb LP in nearly a decade has us on tenterhooks, and as if the mystery of what Dejan and Daniel have cooked up wasn’t enough on its own, here’s an unexpected reworking of new pre-release single taken on by none other than Vancouver’s own Actors. It’s a pairing which sounds odder on paper than in practice, with the hazy club instincts Actors show in their less overtly rock moments pairing very nicely with the tense mechanisms of the original track.
Opposition by Haujobb

Sleek Teeth, “Endless”
Los Angeles’ Sleek Teeth have but one previous track to their name, the excellent “Gone” from October of last year, but that song was good enough to make us excited for future cuts from the duo. Turns out it was worth the wait, as “Endless” takes the same melodic EBM template into more fully fleshed out territory, complete with the same clanging percussion and funky bass programming, but a sticky-as-hell hook that should make it a playlist and club set staple over the waning months of 2024. Hopefully we won’t have to wait another 10 months for more music this good.
Endless by Sleek Teeth

Bara Hari and genCAB, “There Goes that Dream”
What do you get when you take the heartfelt singer songwriter stylings of LA darkwaver Bara Hari and combine it with the equally emotional glitched out stylings of the prolific industrial act genCAB? A really lovely track in the form of “There Goes that Dream”, a number that takes it cues from a shared sense of longing and loss, and synthesizes it into an increasingly intense ballad that ramps up in feeling as it pushes ever upwards. A lovely bit of business, and one that should appeal to fans of either act.
There Goes That Dream by BARA HARI, GenCab

INVA//ID, “Show Me Your Spine”
We have mixed feelings about industrial covers of industrial tracks, but it’s hard to look askance at this take on a classic Ministry/S’Puppy side joint. LA’s INVA//ID remain one of the most tantalizing prospects in the scene still poised to fully break through, but in the meantime relive one of industrial culture’s most memorable appearances on the silver screen.
Show Me Your Spine by INVA//ID

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The Mission – Severina (Aqua-Marina Mix)
This Morn’ Omina – One Eyed Man
Cyberaktif – A Single Trace
Memmaker – Deception
Fractions – Move Your Body (Dance With Me)
Male Tears – Regret 4 Nothing
Dark Chisme – Sombras
Actors – In Real Life
TR/ST – Icabod
Velvet Acid Christ – Caustic Disco
Caustic x Grabyourface – Not Your Body
Whiteqube – Design Flaws
Shhadows – Under Your Spell (Live Remix) feat. Vienna Vox

The post DJ MissBDeath – August 18, 2024 appeared first on Vancouver Descent.

This month’s Patreon-supported commentary podcast tackles the glammy-gothy new wave fusion of Edmonton’s dearly departed Cygnets. Featuring captivating vocals, savvy synth work, and hooks, hooks, HOOKS, Isolator is representative of everything that made them one of the most captivating and underrated bands of their time. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, download directly, or listen through the widget down below. 

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