Gothic BC

Ye Gods
Black Moon
self-released

Antoni Maiovvi’s work as Ye Gods has emerged as a sustained, and perhaps most importantly, deeply considered branch of the UK expat’s expansive discography, which spans techno, italo, and post-punk. While the wit of the name might have initially suggest that Maiovvi was approaching the metaphysical and occult themes of the project with some sense of bemusement, there’s nothing shtick-heavy about Ye Gods five years into its tenure, as even a passing listen of Black Moon, the second in a suite of three LPs, shows. Instead, Maiovvi continues to release work which reflects a tactile, honest, and surprisingly approachable perspective on psychedelic styles and themes which producers have for decades opted to cloak in mystery.

Black Moon picks up closely after the preceding The Arcane & Paranormal Earth, and while careful listeners will detect some subtle changes in the details of these six tracks in comparison (for his part, Maiovvi has said that he was aiming for a less grounded and more dream-like release), the core elevator pitch remains the same. A combination of ambient and post-industrial soundscapes and beats coalesce and fragment, with an emphasis on sustained mood (think Deleuze’s take on durée) rather than noise or fraught drama. Indeed, a relative lack of distortion and abrasion makes Black Moon feel much smoother than Earth, though I’m too much of a secular ignoramus to know if that’s reflected in the differences in specific imagery or hermetic references in the two volumes (and don’t even think of asking me to contrast the two different magic squares on the cover art).

Still, Maiovvi draws and maintains interest via hypnotic repetition throughout Black Moon, and you don’t need to be a Thelemic initiate to understand the repeated “If cleanliness is godliness then dirt is my king” mantra on “Av HaTumah”, perhaps something of an answer to the similarly recurring question “of what substance are you made?” on Earth. These lines of questioning, be they purely philosophical or mystic, of trying to find a baseline for matter, reality, and perhaps most importantly, of experience, rest at the heart of much of the Coil discography Maiovvi is clearly influenced by, and quite frankly it’s refreshing to hear someone take up that aspect of that band’s legacy rather than the elements of pure shock, confrontation, and extremity. That’s matched in the musical direction of Black Moon, which even in its darkest moments, like the looping boiler room groans of “Complete Despair & Disrepair”, opts for a vague sense of the uncanny via pitched sampling of the Louis Malle film from which the record takes its name. Two thirds of the way through this trip the destination may not be visible to those of us along for the ride, but damned if it isn’t a smooth ride.

Buy it.

Black Moon by Ye Gods

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Autodafeh
Greed
Scanner

It’s been a solid decade since we’ve had a new LP from Swedish EBM purveyors Autodafeh, a time period where the neo-old school body music movement they were loosely affiliated with has largely dissipated from the broader dark alternative club consciousness. Known in their heyday for their various allusions to mid-period Front 242 (the most notable of which was the wink-nudge chorus of their single “Divided We Fall”), their 2025 comeback record Greed has many of those same markers, and some of the associated issues that come with their brand of fealty to the greats.

That’s a roundabout way of saying that Autodafeh haven’t changed super significantly during their hiatus. That’s not a bad thing necessarily, as there’s generally a lot less retro-EBM going around than in the early 2010s, allowing these songs to standout more easily. There’s more than a few fine examples of Autodageh plying their trade, such as mid-tempo nodder “Find Myself”, which works a steady groove and peppers in portentous samples of men speaking seriously and calls to prayer, all glued together with a simple FM bassline and a brassy synth lead. “Tame Your Body” goes a similar route, adding in plenty of extra percussion and synthlines that mirror the bassline to allow vocalist Mika’s spot-on DeMeyer-isms to shine.

That said, Autodafeh’s homages to legendary acts and songs have always been one of the things that makes or breaks them with listeners; either you’re cool with them paying tribute to the classics, or you find they veer too far into crass imitation. This was less of an issue a decade and half back when all their peers were competing to take the gold in the Muscle n’ Hate Olympics (indeed, their allegiance to 242 was even a little refreshing in a sea of Nitzer soundalikes), but it sticks out a bit more now than it did then. The bassline to “Shame On You” is half “No Shuffle” and half “Lightning Man”, similar enough to each to raise a few eyebrows, while the halting, slightly pitched delivery of the vocals on single “One Step Forward” brings “The Bog” to mind once you notice their similarities. This can often lead to playing a game of spot-the-reference that distracts from the listening experience, with things like the title track’s interpolation of the hook from The Invincible Limit’s “Push” eclipsing all other aspects of its composition.

This is of course one of those ear-of-the-beholder situations, and one never gets the impression Autodafeh are trying to pull a fast one. Indeed, they’re a band whose best moments have always been in service to the EBM gods, and it can be fun to hear them weave some further afield sounds into their tapestry, such as the minimal electro beep-boops of “Backstabber” and the Juno Reactor-esque 32 bit racing game rush of “Under the Blood Red Sky”. Greed does what Autodafeh has always done, and it’d be weird to expect anything else.

Buy it.

Greed by Autodafeh

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As we’ve been alluding to on the podcast for the past couple of weeks, world events are likely going to result in shows and tours being cancelled (as well as simply not being booked), as well as would-be attendees being incapable of attending live shows, or simply being hesitant of travelling to do so. We mention this by way of telling folks that if there are shows or festivals happening near you, the bands and promoters involved are likely going to be counting on local audiences more than ever. Obviously economic uncertainty in addition to travel security is a factor right now (oh, what a time to be alive), but if you do have the means to do so, consider dishing out a few extra shekels here and there to help out the artists in Our Thing as well as those working to put them on stage. On with this week’s Tracks!

Bootblacks, white coats

Comaduster, “Wavelike”
It’s been ages since we had new music from friend of the site Réal Cardinal and his Comaduster project, but the first seconds of new track “Wavelike” certainly made the wait worth it. If you know the project, you’ll no what to expect; incredibly elaborate sound design with endless amounts of micro-glitches and edits, married to honest-to-god-songwriting and melodies. Interestingly we’re hearing a lot of Cardinal’s interest in the current wave of hyper-comples progressive metal more than ever before. Great stuff, as it always has been and always will be.
BLACK SUN RAYS + WAVELIKE by Comaduster

Rhys Fulber, “Running Out Of Sand”
At the clip that Rhys Fulber’s solo run has been going, a layoff of nearly a full year since his last LP actually seems substantive…which is of course to ignore his heavy touring, remixing, and even photography schedule. Still, this stripped down and direct banger is a great reintroduction to the style Fulber’s been plying so well, its core programming and rhythm feeling both of the moment and calling back to the earliest roots of electronic dance, all augmented with just enough of the subtle atmospherics which Fulber’s imbued his standalone work with.
Running Out Of Sand by Rhys Fulber

Bootblacks, “Only You”
Bootblacks have been priming the pump for the June release of Paradise for a while now, releasing singles like “Forbidden Flame” and “Wilderness” that rank amongst the best songs in the band’s catalogue to date. New taster “Only You” continues that trend, taking the bands synth-tinged post-punk and wedding it to a groovy rhythm courtesy of Chris Vrenna (!!) and some smokey sax from session player Benjamin Harrison, resulting in a genuinely great rave-up that showcases the NYC band’s unique identity in full.
Paradise by Bootblacks

Unter Null, “Coming Up To Breathe”
We couldn’t tell you exactly when we shifted from thinking that Unter Null was simply on hiatus to presuming that Erica Dunham’s long-running industrial project had been permanently retired, but the sudden appearance of this new cut not only undoes those presumptions but has us flashing back to the lay of the land the last time we would have heard from Unter Null. Immediate and flashy with a healthy amount of acidic bite, this is a great reintroduction to one of the stalwarts of a classic club-focused style.
Coming Up To Breathe by UNTER NULL

Give My Remains To Broadway, “Coke – Remix (feat. Casket Cassette)”
Give My Remains To Broadway’s take on darkwave has relied on lean, speedy minimalism and a heavy influence from pop-punk and indie rock of generations past, and so it’s not especially surprising that their new set of remixes of the This Party Sucks EP don’t go for easy four-four club layups. Instead, reworkings like this one with a feature from LA’s likeminded Casket Cassette play things close to the chest, making only minor modulations to the already dialed in and focused original.
This Party Still Sucks by Give My Remains to Broadway

Mari Kattman, “Anemia”
Recent Metropolis Records signee Mari Kattman brings her signature powerful vocals and some mid-tempo dancefloor grooves with new single “Anemia”. If you’ve followed Kattman’s work between her numerous guest appearances, as half of Helix with Tom Shear, and her solo work the control and confidence of her delivery won’t be a surprise, but the single does show some growth in song construction, with a strong instrumental hook and nice tight dancefloor arrangement that compliment the vocal perfectly.
Anemia by Mari Kattman

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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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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
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
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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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

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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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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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’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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Devours
Sports Car Era
Surviving The Game

Now five LPs into the game, both the musical style Jeff Cancade has been plying as Devours as well as his recurring themes and lyrical poignancy have become familiar to those who’ve been tracking the manically omnivorous electro-pop project. New record Sports Car Era is Devours through and through; any fragment of its chiptune bleeps or a single one of its biting quips is sure to bear Cancade’s stamp. While Sports Car Era doesn’t reinvent or revolutionize Devours’ remit, it does recapitulate many of the successes of its precedents in a strongly distilled, hooky, and at times downright aggressive form.

All the hallmarks of classic Devours material make their presence felt within the first couple of Sports Car Era‘s tracks: chopped up throwback rave pastiche, caffeinated hyperpop, and breathy ethereal chimes. But pay attention to their arrangement and delivery and you’ll notice more abrupt gear shifts and on-a-dime drops, not to mention a subtle but constant feeling of rhythmic pressure and intensity, even when Cancade’s still painting in brighter pastels. The descending, sing-song lilt of the chorus of “Swordswallower” belies just how driving and dark the verses are. “Quite Possessed” feels equally muscular and menacing. Even on an ostensibly softer song like the fragile “November”, there’s a stripped-down and dialed in focus on the pulsing bass, part Jan Hammer, part Berlin.

The social themes taken up in Homecoming Queen crop up again – the title cut laments being “squeezed out of the city and priced out of existence” – as well as the darkly confessional break-up/kiss off tracks Cancade’s become known for. Sometimes it’s pure poison pen vitriol, but there’s often a melancholy streak running through those sorts of tunes, either pining for a romance more idyllic than the stumbling and awkward failings of reality, as on the incredibly catchy “Loudmouth”, or in touching upon the complexities of beauty standards and expectations regarding the performance of gender in dating on “XY” (“I catch myself every time I start to deepen my voice during sex”).

This isn’t to say that Sports Car Era feels especially dark or harrowing throughout – we’re still talking about someone capable of singing “I promised you once I would never write / About our failed relationship, baby I lied” with wit and verve on a track called “Canada’s Next Top Fat Otter”. But Cancade’s charm and humour’s always been rooted in an unyielding honesty in his songwriting, no matter how artful. When the title track closes with the refrain “Somedays I just wanna help you burn it down”, there’s no artifice or poise, just raw disillusionment. Recommended.

Buy it.

Sports Car Era by Devours

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Vague Lanes
Divergence & Declaration
Viasonde

Bay Area duo Vague Lanes is made up of Mike Cadoo (of celebrated industrial act Gridlock, and boss of abstract electronic label n5md) and Badger McInnes, and features both members on bass, with the former playing melodic six-string, and the latter on 4-string rhythm duties. Their sophomore LP Divergence & Declaration favours a pensive, atmospheric sound that recalls both the ethereal movement of the 90s and the post-rock inflected sounds of mid-2000s acts like I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness and These New Puritans. It’s a record of very precise moods, that finds a balance between regimented rhythms and more fluid sounds.

One aspect of Vague Lanes’ approach that is both a benefit and a hindrance is the strong uniformity of its musical palette. The density of its textures and the consistency of its design make it an enveloping listen and creates some geniunely intense moments; the climax of “Weight of Days” is as heavy as its title suggests, and arrives in such natural fashion that arrangement of synth pads, vocals and crashing electronic drums that feel inevitable, like something that had to happen. Alternately there are moments where the songs get lost in the production, like on closer “Exo”, where the melody in its pads, vocals and lead bass part is hard to separate from many of the earlier songs of a similar tempo. That said, there’s some cannily placed combo-breakers that give the album some flow, such as the loose shoegazey sway of “Cellophane” and the fluttering synthlines that accent “At the Edge”, providing some dynamics in the early and late portions of the record respectively.

One especially notable aspect of the LP is the compelling nature of Cadoo’s vocal work, which provides much of the record’s character. Followers of his work will know that his work as Dryft and bitcrush was instrumental, and while he certainly acquitted himself on Vague Lanes’ 2022 debut Foundation and Divergence, he sings here with a reassuring evenness that compliments the sound design’s constancy. On tracks like opener “Heptahedron” (which also features some drumwork from industrial man-about-town Martin Atkins) he leans in and pulls back during the transition between sections, staying grounded even as the song’s other waves of reverb and cracking snares rush around him. Elsewhere, on the propulsive “Unraveling” his baritone sets the table for the ascending emotion of its back half, establishing its yearning desperation and then laying back as the song drifts ever upwards.

A record like Divergence & Declaration is always going to be one whose appeal lies in how well its tenor matches the listener’s own feelings. The steady pacing and the melancholic (if not elegiac) tone is so much a part of it that you’d be hard-pressed to want to throw it on in casually; wanting to hear it is a deliberate choice, a quality that mirrors the records own intentionality. It’s a well-made and admirably considered effort that presents Vague Lanes’ musical vision in complete fashion.

Buy it.

Divergence & Declaration by Vague Lanes

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Given the relatively niche state of much of the music we cover, we sometimes run the risk of mistaking a handful of coincidences for a larger trend. The italo-EBM crossover had its relatively brief moment in the sun, and while Boy Harsher-styled darkwave and pure TBM have certainly crested as larger forces, they’ve both had a long tail. What we haven’t seen is any particular newer trend in new releases or club sets that seems to be on the rise. Sure, plenty of individual acts are exploring new territory or revisiting old stomping grounds, but it feels like it’s been a minute since the needle shifted in one particular direction in Our Thing…or maybe that’s just our own biases speaking. Anything happening in your corner of the world which you think points to the shape of things to come, dear reader? Let us know in the comments after checking out this week’s tracks.

Vancouver Brutalism: H.A.L.T.

Youth Code, “No Consequence”
We first wrote about Youth Code in a Tracks post in December of 2012, before their first tape release dropped. Since that time they’ve been a fixture of our coverage, releasing EPs and albums (including record of the year honoree Commitment to Complications) that have continuously made us excited, energized and spoke to the post-industrial sounds that mean so much to us, while forging their own legacy in the genre. The duo have been relatively quiet since the release of their King Yosef collab LP back in 2021, so the simultaneous arrival of the news that they would be dropping a new EP Yours, With Malice and their new single “No Consequence” was well received here at the HQ to put it mildly. Youth Code are back, they sound as angry as ever, and we’re here for it. Missed y’all, and glad to see you again.

Ghost Twin, “Rockin’ Back Inside My Heart”
The news that the sad passing of Jaimz Asmundson in 2024 did not signal the end of his darkwave project Ghost Twin with wife Karen Asmundson was both surprising and heartening, and to find out that there was new music from the Winnipeg band so soon is equally so. Industrial Symphony No. 1 features selections from recordings Jaimz and Karen did for a live tribute to the David Lynch helmed avant-garde concert film of the same name, a match made in heaven (where everything is fine) as the Ghost Twin sound so perfectly matches the dreamy, vaguely sinister and emotionally real vibe of the film and its director and it’s music. “Rockin’ Back Inside My Heart” is a true pleasure to hear, and we eagerly anticipate the rest of the EP in April.
Industrial Symphony No. 1 by Ghost Twin

Sixth June, “Memories Of God”
We have a new EP from Sixth June to look forward to next month, and the first single from it is a reminder of just how smooth and capable the Berlin-based duo sound when operating in their wheelhouse. An elegant and tasteful combo of new wave, synthpop, and darkwave, it walks that fine and uncanny line between being intimate and aloof which Sixth June have been treading for over a decade now.
AFTER THE WAR by SIXTH JUNE

Autodafeh, “Fastlane”
There hasn’t been an LP of new music from German EBM act Autodafeh since 2015, surprising given how prolific the 242-indebted act were for a few years around the beginning of the 2010’s. “Fastlane” is a pleasing update to their sound, keeping some of the neo-old school body music sounds that grabbed us way back when, but bringing in some modern production – this will work for club play with a general industrial night just as well as it would at Familientreffen. Curious to hear the rest of the new record Greed to see how it shakes out.
Fastlane by Autodafeh

Phil Western, “Asleep/Awake (Vuemorph collage)”
Phil Western’s 2019 passing still feels palpable here in Vancouver, between visiting venues he played and worked at and seeing any number of the countless local artists he collaborated with. It’s nice, then, that the forthcoming remix tribute compilation speaks both to that local legacy and its worldwide reach, with everyone from Robert Shea of Graceland fame to Mark Spybey to Tim Hill to Ivan Winke pitching in. Frequent collaborator Dan Handrabur’s reworking of sounds from the often overlooked World’s End LP is a deep and pleasant reworking of that record’s dreamy ambience.
Afterflash: A Remixed Tribute by Phil Western

H.A.L.T., “Forever Dead”
Speaking of Vancouver, here’s the latest from our local goth true-schoolers, H.A.L.T. Lithe and nimble, it does a solid job of getting their rhythm-driven approach to the genre across, with a stripped-down arrangement and delivery which feels right out of 1983. Feeling burnt out on just about all new goth fare bearing a heavy amount of darkwave influence? This’ll serve as an excellent combo breaker.
Forever Dead (Video Version) by H.Ä.L.T.

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At the Heart of the World
Quaquaversal
self-released
Portland electro-industrialists At The Heart of the World have a short but potent discography; we were so taken with grit and vigor of their 2022 releases Inosculate and Paroxysm (handily compiled on the All Torments Are Just LP) that they immediately became a watchlist band. The long wait for a follow-up is finally over with the release of 3-track EP Quaquaversal, which takes the classic drippy, horror-infused post-industrial template and runs hard with it into still meaner territory. Opener “Not Worth Having” is all crashing drum hits and mixed clean and distorted vocals, but the track’s real impact lies in the way its wormy lead snakes its way through its cascade of percussion and waves of distorted reverb, eventually melting down in its final moments. “Lick the Face of God” is ambitious in its chaotic arrangement, forgoing any symmetry in how its various sections and breakdowns fit together, eventually fusing them into one final burst of mechanical ire, venting smoke and bile before falling apart. Their most ambitious moment comes on “Heaven is No More”, which starts with a slow-rolling melodic section, accented with distorted breaks before transforming into a swaying, rolling lurch whose intensity threatens to burn itself out launching one final volley. For their dedication to wrath and ruin, At the Heart of the World keep building upwards, even as it all falls apart around them.
Quaquaversal by At The Heart Of The World

Zirkular Dion
Hole
self-released
With a number of releases on the celebrated (and on hiatus?) Detriti label, Ukrainian act Zirkular Dion has certainly passed over the desks of in the know tastemakers in the past, but new EP Hole also makes for a perfectly suitable jumping on point for those just catching up. The analog style of EBM plied by Zirkular Dion is as muscular as ever on these six tracks, without losing the lo-fi grit that’s defined it from the beginning. Even working with the somewhat limited and limiting toolkit of stripped-down DAF worship, with minor chord changes and twiddling of phase and filter being the only structural ‘progression’ within these numbers, there’s just enough variety on tape here to keep Hole from wearing out its welcome. The pinchy, almost snooty upturn on the programming of “Дыра” and the more anhalt trudge of “Жестокость” clearly spring from the same ur-source but with different expressions and moods. It’s not the most complex or dynamic fare, to be certain, but that’s kind of the appeal. If you’re the sort of listener with a craving for throwback EBM and find even the monochrome delivery thereof from the likes of Jager 90 to be a bit too showy, Zirkular Dion have the sort of disciplined workout you’re looking for.
Hole by Zirkular Dion

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Orgy. We’d say you had to be there, but…you really didn’t.

It’s our sesexacentennial anniversary here at We Have A Technical, and no, that’s not a mispronunciation of some oddly named aggrotech album, but cod-Latin for our 550th episode. We like to do something special every fifty episodes, and this is no different, with the Senior Staff casting their eyes and ears back to some club hits which didn’t exactly curry favour with them upon release, and reappraising them. Has the music changed, or have we? We’re also giving some immediate reactions to the newly rerecorded “Every Day Is Halloween” (just be thankful we’re not really on Youtube with soyjak reaction faces). As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, download directly, or listen through the widget down below.

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Another Cold Summer
Everything is Gone Now
self-released

Existing in parallel to the last several decades of melodic post-punk, there’s been a gritty, industrialized strain of the genre that feels more descended from the ugliness of Big Black than it does the pop-friendly sounds of New Order or the like. While never quite as popular a stylistic offshoot, records by The Soft Moon, Odonis Odonis and their ilk have found a lot of power in the dark, mechanized version of the sound, and it’s that tradition that France’s Another Cold Summer inhabits on the compellingly unpleasant Everything Is Gone Now.

The sound ANC plies is rough and ready by nature; as noted on the Bandcamp liners, the record was recorded with a guitar, a few cheap synths, a $5 mic and a lot of valium, and was birthed in the 18 month wake of a stay at a psychiatric institution. That DIY approach and fraught personal circumstance don’t just inform the record but add to it. The desperate and distorted vocals that show up on “Sewer Princess” have an energy that unsettles, running alongside the simple synth lead and bassline, making their hypnotic progress a manic gallop to an uncertain finish. Elsewhere, the dirgey “Ice Grave Revisited” makes the most of tinny reverb and crushed sound design, all the more unnerving for not just a lack of polish, but its outright contempt for the very notion.

Of course wretchedness for its own sake doesn’t make for much of a listen – thankfully Another Cold Summer has some compelling instrumental grooves underneath those layers of grime. “Desecrate” is a hellish death-drive disco number, whose queasy guitar tone stands in contrast to its rock-solid mechanical rhythm. Elsewhere, the thrumming synthesizers that bounce along the kick-snare drums of “Worry” give the song an elastic quality that only serves to ratchet up the tension and acidic cynicism of its samples.

For all the harshness and disagreeability, there’s something deeply compelling about the album, a sense of genuine honesty that informs it, from the lurching desperation of “Fed Stalking” to the disintegrating trudge that closes it out on “Gangrenous Watchtowers”. Far from being a turn-off, the woefulness becomes something of an emotional base to experience (one hesitates to say “enjoy”) the album from, a vantage into dark and disturbing territory. Simply put, is no walk in the park, unless the park in question is adjacent to a waste treatment plant and inhabited by feral wildlife.