Gothic BC

B. West
Ex-Fantasy
self-released

The music on B. West’s debut solo LP is distinct from anything we’ve heard from the Vancouver ex-pat in any previous musical incarnation. While the music on Ex-Fantasy is not entirely removed from the sound of West’s work in techno-body project Sigsaly, it’s still a distinct musical entity unto itself, and a still further cry from the material put out as part of dark punk trio lié or the darkwave of Koban. Still, the attitudes and ideas of those projects work their way into the banging synthpunk LP in ways that provide grit and dimension that takes it beyond the dancefloor.

Unlike some of the latter Sigsaly material, the songs on Ex-Fantasy are vocally driven, the manic high-speed synth and drum programming arranged around West’s commanding vocal presence. There’s almost a fast-forward house feeling the bubbly synths and kick-clap percussion of “Cakes”, but once you hear the half-sneering, half-defiant delivery of the song’s climax it becomes something far more foreboding and visceral, the spotlight on West’s voice presaging a messy spray of sharp-edged synths that take over the song in its final third. Alternately, the far-off approach taken with the vocals on opener “Beginnings” are surgical, puncturing the mix in ways that allow its charging bassline and chattering lead to guide the track to its inevitable feeling conclusion, where stereo splash cymbals go off like fireworks.

The rough and ready production and arrangements of the album are good and effective in providing a platform for West’s considerable charisma and personality; rarely anything less than strident, the producer and performer leans in hard and carves out space for their voice in the kind of chaos that might have overwhelmed lesser voices. The title track has such dense interplay between synth and percussion that West’s short punky ad libs and big ‘whooaas’ feel extra powerful for having the presence to punch through them. If you’re familiar with West’s previous work you can hear that history brought to bear as the poised venom of lié comes through on the chewed-off syllables of the anxiety inducing “HEDONE”, and the regal bearing of Koban in how chorus of “Dance It Off” is delivered, splitting the difference between its bouncy bass and its icy melody.

Inasmuch as our experience with Ex-Fantasy is shaped by familiarity with the catalogue that preceded it, the record is a lot more than just drawing the lines between it and West’s extant catalogue. There’s a pure and visceral quality to cuts like “Slices”, informed by modern techno, but stripped down and hammered into forms that emphasize impact from first beat to last. It’s not what we were expecting, but is undeniably a better experience for its livewire energy and unrelenting momentum.

Buy it.

Ex-Fantasy by B. WEST

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Lustmord
Much Unseen Is Also Here
Pelagic Records

As we discussed on a recent podcast on the subject of dark ambient, it’s tough to think of a more foundational figure in the emergence and codification of that genre, not to mention someone with a stronger catalog within it forty years on than Brian Williams of Lustmord. A slew of recent live, collaborative, and archival releases have served as a reminder of how far Williams has taken the moods and atmospheres he pioneered from their often willfully obscure origins and into the realms of video game and film soundtracking, as well as into a degree of critical acceptance far beyond the reach of even the most ambitious initiates who followed the trail he blazed. That recent work schedule has also occluded the fact that, depending on one’s definition of the format, Much Unseen Is Also Here could be taken as the first standalone LP of original, solo Lustmord work since 2016’s Dark Matter. It feels like a sojourn into the caves and abysses only Lustmord can map is long overdue, then, though as Much Unseen Is Also Here reminds us, Lustmord is an entity which operates on its own scope and scale.

Clocking in at a full 80 minutes, Much Unseen certainly isn’t cutting corners in giving each of its eight pieces as much time and space as is needed to unfurl. Yet, even by the already minimalist standards of the genre and the artist, it’s a decidedly stripped-down affair from a compositional standpoint. Opener “Behold A Voice As Thunder” communicates the aesthetic in immediate fashion (well, as immediate as a ten minute piece with no discernible rhythm can be), with deep drones, string pads so low as to be indistinct from choral ones, winter wind, and the occasional swell of brass or beat of some stygian timpani. However, no more than two of those elements are ever truly present in the mix for more than a few seconds, with each slowly cycling in and out of the speakers, not only putting the razor sharp command of sound design which has been Williams’ calling card in the spotlight, but also his ability to hold each moment and sound for all its worth.

The cornets on “Invocation Of The Nameless One” don’t break from this minimalism, but also show how Williams’ foray into soundtracking has been a two way street; it would be easy to take the piece for part of a Jóhann Jóhannsson or Jocelyn Pook score were it to be heard free of context. More difficult to place are the strings which guide “Hence Shall They Be Devoured All Of Them”, recorded with so much echo and space around them that their timbre almost curves into a brass sound. This isn’t just about the links between Lustmord and film, which were noted long before Williams actually started scoring, but also about Williams’ abilities with neo-classical instrumentation. Album centrepiece “An Angel Dissected” is a rare exception to the aforementioned minimalism, with its recurring piano refrain suggesting puzzled unease more than abject misery or the pure dread and terror associated with early Lustmord works (the latter is left to a slowly encroaching string section).

When we saw Lustmord’s fantastic set at Cold Waves in 2015, a fight nearly broke out in the crowd with one inebriated member of the audience taking umbrage at some perceived slight and insisting that he was a bigger Lustmord fan than any of the rest of us. In addition to being an irritation (though thankfully a momentary one), the petty outburst was at odds with the entire space and spirit Lustmord was invoking. The painting used as Much Unseen‘s cover art, demonic fantasy artist Wayne Barlowe’s “Sargatanas Before The Behemoths”, is indicative of this – rather than brash and noisome arrogance of needless confrontation, Lustmord holds to a lumbering and impassive malevolence which achieves its inscrutable ends on its own ponderous timeline. Recommended.

Buy it.

Much Unseen Is Also Here by Lustmord

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We’re coming in fast and furious on the quincentenary mark on the podcast (yes, we had to look that one up – most of those anniversary terms haven’t been immortalized in a Strong Bad e-mail). Are we maybe going to be playing a little fast and loose with the numbering to make sure the timing’s just right? No, we’d never do such a thing, but one way or the other we can tell you that we think folks are gonna dig the audio we’ll have for you this Thursday. On with Tracks!

Arabian Panther on the rise

CIERŃ, “Disposable”
Berlin quartet CIERŃ’s take on dark post-punk works in a range of formats. The sharp hooks and vocal yelps which introduced them on their debut EP got them over quickly, but on their 2022 full-length the earthy and organic delivery of their sound got them over the finish line. Their new Flawless EP’ll be out in a couple of weeks, and this teaser gets both that immediacy and that more subtle atmosphere across.
Flawless by CIERŃ

Mind|Matter – Les Trompettes De L’enfer
It feels as though Parisian producer Mind|Matter has been laying low for the past couple of years, at least in comparison to the release schedule he was on with the likes of Detriti and Area Z a couple of years back. One way or the other, this cut from a forthcoming Intervision comp is a nice reminder of what first drew us towards his work: tight, rubbery beats with solid industrial bolstering and a goodly hazy of heavy, foreboding atmospherics.
REGARDE LE MONDE BRÛLER vol.1 by Mind I Matter

Arabian Panther, “Hafla for our Dead”
We’ve enjoyed the previous EPs from Arabian Panther a great deal; the French-Lebanese producer’s material integrates EBM, italo, and traditional Middle Eastern instrumentation and musical modes to body moving effect. The first taste of new EP Death of the Panther is “Hafla for Our Dead”, a cut dripping with big dancefloor potential, relying on both vocal samples and anthemic synth leads to convey the warrior spirit the defines the project.
The Death Of The Panther by Arabian Panther

Zanias, “Lovelife (Skelesys Remix)”
Last month saw the release of the chill, new age-styled follow-up to last year’s incredible Chrysalis LP from Zanias, but that doesn’t mean the latter isn’t still paying dividends. A pair of club-focused mixes of “Lovelife” from that record just dropped, with the whispers of classic trance and Balearic beat in the original brought right to the fore on this immediate but still moody version.
Lovelife Remixes by Zanias

Unmut, “Hammer and Anvil”
Okay so Detriti has put out a lot of different kinds of music over the years, but we can’t recall them doing the sort of ambient, blackened death industrial type sound found on Unmut’s Flesh-Imprisoned Spirit. Feels weird to call something as bleak, harsh and nihilistic as this ‘a pleasant surprise’, but that is kind of the story here – this hits a lot of sounds we’re into, and they come together into a pretty all-encompassing whole.
UNMUT – Flesh-Imprisoned Spirit by Detriti Records

Alien Skin, “Come and See Me When I’m In My Head Alone”
There’s definitely a lot of fun choices on the new single from long-running Australian darkwave act Alien Skin; the trippy synth horns that pop up way through, the glammy vocals that get some glitchy manipulation, and the warbly bass programming all serve to set the track apart from many more standard issue cuts in the genre, and also give it a very singular and intriguingly unique charm.
Come And See Me When I'm In My Head Alone by Alien Skin

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Helix
Unimaginable Place
self-released
Mari Kattman and Tom Shear’s collaborative project Helix is notable for the ways in which each of the artist’s own catalogues have remained distinct since their creative partnership formed. If you come to Helix for Shear’s well-established and thoughtful Assemblage 23 writing and production, or for Kattman’s distinctive vocal presence and sensibility, you’ll find them, but releases like Unimaginable Place are more than the sum of those parts. The title track is probably the easiest sell for fans of both artists – it’s got the bounce and clubbability of an A23 cut, and Kattman brings her tasteful diva-isms to bear – it sounds like what you would expect it to sound like based on their individual work. More interesting is what follows though; hear how “Lie to Herself” uses a slowly unrolling arrangement of synths, piano and electronic adornment as a backdrop for layers of vocals that ramp from ethereal to weighty with ease, or how “Grey” has a studied minimalism in terms of its electronics, mostly relying on a few synth arpeggios and simple drum patterns to get itself across. When the duo return to club fare on “Hurt Like Me” it feels distinct from the opener, with Kattman using her most forceful delivery on the chorus against snappy snares and guitar like synthlines that add to the song’s big rock operatics.
Unimaginable Place by Helix

Anaerobic
Sincerely
self-released
Somewhat surprisingly, Alex Reed’s Anaerobic releases have coalesced into a stable aesthetic form, rather than just being a clearing house for whatever wild ideas the man being Seeming had which didn’t fit into the decidedly irreverent Kibble project. Nope, flying against whatever presumptions we might have had about the project when it started up a few years back, an EP like Sincerely cinches in the take on powernoise found on preceding releases Hope You’re Hungry and Frequently Asked Questions about The Pelican Brief (1993). The unifying thread of the EP is that each blast of noise functions as a piece of correspondence written under quite particular circumstances or to a very specific character, which might not be immediately palpable via the chewy engine-turnover wubs of “A Letter To The Hometown Football Star” or the cascades of radio pulses and feedback which score the recitation of vivid and paranoid nightmares on “A Letter You Should Not Read”. Short and varied enough to keep each texture and rhythmic impulse distinct from one another (much like Hope You’re Hungry, Sincerely finds Reed honing in on incidental rhythms and then repeating and underlining them with monomaniacal fury), some curveballs are thrown via pure gabber punctuated with flashcard facts about octopi, 90s chill-out replete with Glaswegian voice emulation, and as previously covered here, a neo folk meditation on notions of time, statehood, and post-humanism via sub rosa post. Relaxing tunes to spin as you await silent Tristero’s empire.
Sincerely, by Anaerobic

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We ain’t getting any younger, and neither are the formative records which turned us into the sort of sick bastards who’d end up running a website for a dozen years and a podcast for nearly 500 episodes dealing with industrial music. To wit, on the occasion of Trent Reznor and so many other people’s comments on the thirtieth anniversary of The Downward Spiral, we’re dusting off our scratched CDs, getting our hand-dubbed tapes out of storage, and reconsidering one of the records which shaped our understanding of music in general, let alone industrial, lo those many years ago. Regular listeners will know that we barely ever talk NIN on this podcast simply because it’s well-worn territory by outlets much larger and broader than us, but this felt like the right time to do so. All that, plus some Of The Wand & The Moon and Gridlock talk. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, Google Podcasts, download directly, or listen through the widget down below. 

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Kanka Bodewell
Stroboscope
Infected Recordings

Orange Sector having a bit of a Tiktok moment thanks to the capricious algorithm gods descending upon their 2016 single “Farben” wasn’t something any of us had on our 2024 bingo cards. Whether that converts into broader sustained success for the German EBM vets is anyone’s guess, but that this crossover moment is happening at the same time that Orange Sector’s Martin Bodewell is releasing a collaborative album with Armageddon Dildos’ Uwe Kanka feels ironic. Despite being a good deal poppier and theoretically more accessible than most work by either parent band, Stroboscope is very much a product of sounds and styles which Kanka and Bodewell have been working in proximity to for years before the majority of kids streaming “Farben” were even born.

Stroboscope is something of a record out of time – apart from some very subtle production tics, there’s very little in the influences or instrumentation of the record which would prohibit it from being released at any point from the mid 90s to the present. This is a record formed by and aimed for the European dark club milieu of the past few decades (it seems fitting that in a recent interview with Synthpop Fanatic the duo recently stated that the prospect of the collaboration has existed for more than a decade), and by that measure it’s a real treat. The pure 90s synthpop of “Believe” (which is crying out for a remix EP) with its crooning vocal harmonies stands alongside the stomp-and-oomph of “Marathon”‘s Nitzer-styled EBM and tunes like “Sisters & Brothers” which sits square in the middle of the hybrid style we’ve simply defaulted to terming European electro.

It’s that peanut butter and chocolate combo of EBM aggression and synthpop sweetness which gives the record its identity. Again, nothing on the record is a quantum leap away from Orange Sector’s or especially Armageddon Dildos’ bouncier tracks, but hearing roots body music by veteran craftsmen like these two thrown into relief by bubbling melodies is decidedly addictive. The way that the monotone and stridently anhalt “Bleib Nicht Stehen” suddenly blooms into a lush and melodic synthpop-adjacent delivery on its chorus is a perfect summation of the charms of Stroboscope.

In their previous projects, both Kanka and Bodewell have experimented with the softer sides of the EBM scene they helped cement, and with this project they’re able to fully indulge in that area. Will anyone from the Tiktok generation make their way over to Stroboscope during the fifteen minutes of fame “Farben” has been afforded? Who’s to say, and who’s to say how they’d triangulate it against their own tastes, but for those of who’ve been tracking each man’s work since the Napster or mp3.com days, the bright melodic streak which runs through Stroboscope is a welcome refreshing of classic sounds. Recommended.

Buy it.

Stroboscope by Kanka Bodewell

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Data Void
Strategies of Dissent
Metropolis Records

The return of Don Gordon’s storied industrial project Numb in 2019 was certainly a surprise, albeit not an unwelcome one; Mortal Geometry reasserted the classic electro-industrial style that defined the peak Numb years and illustrated that despite the two decade hiatus, Gordon was still capable of hitting the balance between considered programming and production and the project’s trademark rancor. 2024 finds Gordon collaborating with James Mendez of cult US act Jihad, an artist who had a similarly period of relative inactivity before returning to the industrial genre in 2020. It’s probably not a surprise then that their collaborative work as Data Void cleaves close to the 90s electro-industrial template as practiced by both acts in their heyday; Strategies of Dissent is something a of a stylistic throwback, but thankfully a rather enjoyable one.

There’s a definite priority on momentum and energy in the Data Void material, with atmospherics kept largely to supporting the layers of bass, leads and drum programming that make up the LP. A cut like “So Alien” has plenty of texture and mood to be certain, but so much of its desolate feeling comes from the contrast between its alternating 16th note and half-time bass and evolving drum parts that the pads that accent the chorus are more punctuation than anything else. Similarly the manic energy of opener “Nothing Changes” charges straight ahead with breaksy kick-snare patterns and huge droning synths that get cut to the quick by spiky leads for a maximally tense atmosphere that emerges from arrangement and structure.

None of which is to suggest the record is without nuance; for all of its emphasis on hitting hard, there are plenty of production details and creative choices that add depth and complexity to the proceedings. “Seven Seconds”‘ most notable element might be a chugging chords and dramatic strings, but the little glitches that dart around the edges of the stereo spectrum fill out its mid-tempo groove without ever fully emerging into the spotlight. The way in which Mendez’ vocals are kept entirely comprehensible and clear despite their processing (classic pitch shifting, doubling, and reverse reverbs are all in effect at various points) is one of Data Void’s smartest moves; a track like “Crash, Burn & Resurrect” works each bitten-off syllable’s placement against the song’s rhythm in a way that prioritizes the lyrics without needing to bump Mendez up in the mix.

The appeal of a record like Strategies of Dissent is obviously rooted in hearing two standard-bearers for gritty electro-industrial work together, although that also opens it up to potentially unfavourable comparisons to Gordon and Mendez’ individual catalogues. That it can withstand those expectations and still come across as something new and fresh while staying true to the legacy of its creators is impressive. Best-in-class material that reminds us of what made those caustic, unnerving and exhilarating sounds so appealing in the first place. Recommended.

Buy it.

Strategies of Dissent by Data Void

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Are we going to talk about The Downward Spiral on the podcast this week? ONLY TIME WILL TELL (but yes, that is the plan as things currently stand). While we’ve been talking a lot about nostalgia acts on We Have a Technical recently, there is something palpable about Trent Reznor’s magnum opus turning 30 that struck us as being discussion worthy, and indeed offers some angles for conversation that go beyond how sick of hearing “Closer” we are. So yeah, that’s gonna be a thing. Why not check out some new music in the interim though?

Feyleux

Houses of Heaven feat. MS.BOAN Mariana Saldaña, “Deserve”
Houses of Heaven’s sophomore LP Within/Without is way up at the top of our most anticipated records of 2024 based purely on the small tastes of it we’ve had thus far. If you haven’t checked out the foggy, dub-influenced on synthy post-punk the California trio make, well, why not dive in with this collab with the inimitable MS. BOAN (aka Mariana Saldaña of //TENSE// and Medio Mutante fame). It’s gauzy, lovely synthpop with just the right amount of edge and attitude to keep it spinning in your head long after its run time has expired.
Within/Without by Houses of Heaven

Echoberyl, “Through the Chaos”
French darkwavers Echoberyl return with the title track of their forthcoming LP, Through the Chaos. The duo made up of Adriano Iacoangeli and Cecilia Dassonneville have been making solid electronic darkwave in the classic European style for a few years now, and while Adriano has explored current dance flavours with his Fluid Ghost project, Echoberyl has focused largely on melody and atmosphere in their work. It’s intriguing then that “Through the Chaos” integrates some intringuing synthpop melodics and electronic vocal manipulation, reminding us of Greek favourites Marsheaux. Keen for this LP to come across our desk.
ICR128 – ECHOBERYL "Through The Chaos" by Icy Cold Records

Feyleux, “Lunaria Swirls”
The component parts of NC duo Feyleux’s demo single will be familiar to anyone who’s spent any time with the most traditional forms of darkwave over the past couple of decades. But when the chorus of “Lunaria Swirls” kicks in the project’s potential becomes apparent, with an understated but immediate refrain with an exquisite balance of melody and texture, plus a very solid vocal turn. Even with some pretty minimal production, serious pure darkwave chops are on display here.
Exposé by Feyleux

Urban Heat, “Right Time of Night”
Texas post-punk trio Urban Heat have had plenty of buzz for a while now, and the string of singles they’ve been putting out in the lead-up to their as yet unscheduled debut for Artoffact Records have kept those fires burning. Admittedly it was the live aspect of the band that first grabbed us – if you have yet to have the pleasure, they are an absolute force on stage thanks to the raw charisma and vocal presence of Jonathan Horstmann – but tracks like “Right Time of Night” show the development of their material from pretty decent, to snappy, focused and above all, extremely catchy.
Right Time of Night by Urban Heat

Principe Valiente, “Something New”
The opening lick might be a dead ringer for The Chameleons’ “Mad Jack”, but nope, it’s not a cover, and the rest of “Something New” gets across the strengths and charms of Swedish vets Principe Valiente in a very tight but expressive package. We’ve been checking in here and there with the band’s broad, dreamy, and decidedly melodic style of post-punk since 2011, and the power and atmosphere of this teaser has us excited for The Light coming this May.
Something New by Principe Valiente

Choke Chain, “Cruel (Modebionics Remix)”
If you checked Modebionics’ Precise Control LP from last year (or just read our review thereof), you’ll know that that act’s taste for vintage European dark electro seems a perfect counterpoint to the electo-nihilism of site faves Choke Chain. This mix of a tune from last year’s Mortality could easily be mistaken for original Zoth catalog or some hidden gem unearthed by the likes of Mecanica were it not for Mark Trueman’s unmistakable wounded howl.
Cruel (MODEBIONICS Remix) by Choke Chain

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Unconscious
Il Punto Di Non Ritrono
Oráculo Records
Even when techno-body music was peaking a few years ago, you could tell that Italian producer Unconscious’ tastes for the EBM side of the equation ran deeper than many of the other artists who had latched onto the style. That means that even as the fires of that particular trend are waning, Unconscious’ material still has plenty of juice for discerning body music fans as evidenced by new release Il Punto Di Non Ritrono. “Empire of Corruption” borrows lightly from a familiar Vangelis synth riff, but ends up building it out into a much rangier melody that snakes its way between gated reverb snare hits and a punchy bassline, with plenty of tense builds and and subtle switch ups for variety. Alternately “Hunger” works some big droney synths and far off vocal samples around metallic percussion and elastic rhythm programming that adds a touch of funk to the proceedings. Its just a fine blend of dancefloor cuts with some classic flavour, as heard on the relatively straighforward “Justice” with its snare and kick rolls keeping things lively, or the synthwave adjacent FM synth atmospheres of “I Am Broken”; fine tunes with retro appeal that dodge derivative pitfalls and easy but stale production tricks in their execution.
Il Punto Di Non Ritrono by Unconscious

Bloodbeak
Vibrofolk
Clan Destine Records
Glasgow’s Clan Destine Records specializes in legitimately underground punk, metal, hip-hop, and generally experimental releases, but occasionally offers up something of real interest to industrial fans, such as Timothee Gainet’s overlooked Aleister Blake tape or the Spit Mask demo. Now, they’re bringing something even more left-field to the table, albeit from a name longtime heads should remember in Mike Textbeak’s new Bloodbeak project. Taking a heavily deconstructed but decidedly funky approach to body music, the Vibrofolk tape swaggers its way through squelching marshes of bass, drum loops, and alienated samples. It’s a release that puts groove and mood at a premium well above melody, hooks, or even accessibility – yes, a record can be groovy and still directly confrontational. The lo-fi burbling of “The Rundown” is a through a glass darkly take on the sort of throwback linking of synthpop and EBM we’ve heard from Mellow Code, while the lurching string samples and detuned bass of “Mouthless” sounding like a Vampire Rodents reunion in an alternate dimension where Neubauten headed up the mainstream EDM wave. If that all sounds a little purple and overwrought, well, it is – this is a headfuck of a tape and intentionally so.
VIBROFOLK by BLOODBEAK

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What on earth might records by Hocico and Gloria Mundi have in common with one another? In and of themselves, perhaps not much, but given that Hocico’s debut demonstrates how early the band’s decidedly harsher take on European dark electro was formed, and how a case can be made for Gloria Mundi being the first goth band, both fall well within the boundaries of We Have A Technical. In addition to those two records, Alex offers his thoughts on the Vancouver stop of the ongoing tour featuring Front Line Assemble, Gary Numan, and Ministry. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, Google Podcasts, download directly, or listen through the widget down below. 

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Kontravoid
Detachment
Artoffact Records

The arc of Cam Findlay’s work as Kontravoid has been one of aesthetic refinement. The 2012 self-titled debut LP introduced his take on synth music: a smoke machine and strobe-lit version of electronic darkwave whose gritty and saturated sonics have been the project’s calling card since. That sound has allowed Findlay to take Kontravoid through multiple genres and styles while maintaining a strong sense of identity; despite being an artist whose visual trademark is a featureless mask, there’s nothing anonymous about the his work. As with the excellent 2021 EP Faceless, new LP Detachment deftly applies those sonic markers to songs both melodic and driving to tremendous effect.

A not-so secret key to a lot Kontravoid’s best material is how good Findlay has gotten at synthpop hooks, and the record certainly doesn’t lack for them. Cuts like “For What It Is” and “Death Shot” have strong melodies woven into their arrangements of synth bass, snappy drums and Findlay’s processed vocals; the impact of their lead synthlines is a function of how dialed-in every element of the songs is to their delivery. There’s never been a more pop Kontravoid song than “Losing Game”, a cut that manages to split the difference between guest vocalist Chelsey Crowley of Nuovo Testamento’s nu-italo wheelhouse and Findlay’s own production and compositional trademarks.

The body music angle of the project is still well-represented on Detachment as well, with some interesting new angles introduced. If you’ve only experienced “Reckoning” via its hypnotic and utterly bizarre video, listening to music isolation from visual bombardment reveals some sneaky touches of big beat, expressed via its vocal sample punctuation and gated synthlines. “How It Ends” runs in a different direction, laying breakbeats underneath its pulsing waves of reverbed and panned electronics, a kind of robotic funk manifested via its syncopated bounce. Hell, “Sin Walker” is practically a futurepop jam, its arpeggios and tightly programmed drums evoking the melange of millennial dance music sounds that informed the industrial club genre.

The trick of Detachment is really how no matter what Findlay turns his hand to as a producer or performer, it still sounds like Kontravoid. The beatless synth-string led instrumental cut “In Reverse” is as characteristic of the project’s sound as the straight electro darkwave of “Fading”, or the menacing overture that is opening track “Awaken”. In a field crowded with acts mining the same influences and musical tropes, Kontravoid has ascended to best-in-class status by becoming a better version of what the project has been since the outset. For a catalogue whose recurring themes have been uncertainty, obscurity and self-doubt, Findlay has paradoxically become supremely confident in executing his musical vision, and Detachment is the proof. Recommended.

Buy it.

Detachment by Kontravoid

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Statiqbloom
Kain
Sonic Groove

Fade Kainer’s Statiqbloom has undergone a rapid series of changes over the past few years. From shifting from a solo project to a duo, to moving away from the dense, nightmarish electro-industrial sound which had defined the first half of the project to the windswept and forlorn minimalism of 2019’s Beneath The Whelm, to a sudden relocation to Germany and a shift back to a solo project for 2022’s markedly TBM-styled Threat. New LP Kain (and second on Sonic Groove) indicates that this turbulence might have passed, with Kainer very much following in the style of Threat.

Pieces like “Fire Of The Heart” with its cascading tumbles of distortion following each kick and the wormy, phasing shuffle of “Obsidian Obscura” are well-representative of the distinct Berlin flavour of this new incarnation of Statiqbloom. To wit, between Threat and Kain Statiqbloom now distinctly reads as a techno body music entity. Again, it’s a style Kainer is clearly invested in consolidating within Statiqbloom, but that new identity comes with the tradeoff of the dark psychedelia which defined early releases by the project, not to mention the risk of repetition. While there’s nothing wrong with tracks like “Cold Steel Howl” or “Treacherous Eyes” down the stretch, there isn’t enough to distinguish them from what’s come before; this is a style which is at times a difficult fit for the LP format.

There are moments which distinguish Kain from the broader TBM world, and which do show some links back to early Statiqbloom. The icy pads which shimmer in and out of focus on opener “Face Annihilation”evoke The Klinik at their most ghostly, and the sprained electro shudders of “Hidden From Form” are reminiscent of Statiqbloom debut Mask Visions Poison, which digs down to the earliest and most primitive foundations of dark electro and waters them with bile.

Projects making significant changes in style rather than standing pat is always going to prompt a range of reactions, and there’s a good case to be made that after the high water mark of Asphyxia Statiqbloom would have benefited from such a shift. As of now Statiqbloom’s two techno industrial styled records have yet to reach a comparable level in that new terrain, but given Kainer’s progressive refinement of the project’s original formula, another leap forward isn’t impossible, whether within Statiqbloom’s current milieu or some heretofore unknown one.

Buy it.

Kain (SGLP17) by STATIQBLOOM

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Another Bandcamp Friday come and gone has brought up (in addition to a wave of new releases we’ll have reviews of up shortly) that odd sense of unease which has pervaded the platform since the Songtradr purchase. Bandcamp United is keeping the home fires lit, and while the return of Bandcamp Friday almost feels like “business as usual”, it’s difficult to shake the feeling that we could be a rounding error in a hedge fund away from losing the platform which is keeping so many scenes and artists afloat. No news is good news, we suppose? In any case, on with this week’s Tracks.

[:SITDeeznutz:] (forgive me)

Data Void, “So Alien”
In case you missed our previous look at Data Void, the newly minted project is a collaboration between Don Gordon of Numb and James Mendez of Jihad. If you had any questions what these two electro-industrial heads might get up to together, let “So Alien” lay your curiosity to rest; the track’s bass, sneering vocals and big, dramatic pads feel like the sort of thing you might have heard from either artist at any point in their career, but given a slight production overhaul for a smooth modern touch. A little more down the pipe than preceding single “Nothing Changes”, but no less powerful for it, we’re getting mighty excited to hear what this record sounds like. The good news is it drops Friday, check this site for our take soon afterwards.
Strategies of Dissent by Data Void

[:SITD:], “Brieselang”
In news that surprises absolutely no one, the new [:SITD:] single sounds like [:SITD:]. That’s not a hack on it (if we didn’t like it we wouldn’t be sharing it in this space), but an admission that the band who emerged in the early 2000s with a widescreen version of the euro electro sound haven’t changed much in the intervening years. They’re good at stuff that sounds big, emotional, dark and above all danceable, and haven’t ever strayed from what brought them to the dancefloor. There’s something comforting in that; no matter what it feels like these Germans will always come through with that we’re hoping to get from them.
Brieselang by [:SITD:]

Spectres, “Dominion”
Presence, the new LP from hometown heroes Spectres, is nigh. A couple of weeks out from the first full length by the Vancouver peace punk act since 2020’s Nostalgia we have this last preview track, and especially in relation to the previous teasers, this tune indicates how the band might be attempting to walk the wire between the softer, melodic new wave sounds which have defined their recent years and the speedier and more stripped-down sound which was their calling card in the early years. In any case, stay tuned here for a full review of Presence in the weeks to come.
Presence by SPECTRES

Hex Wolves, “We’re Not Alone”
The new Hex Wolves EP is full of scraping claustrophobia which draws together technoid, powernoise, and the trippier side of electro-industrial; ie, exactly the sort of thing we’ve come to look forward to in Ben Thompson’s solo work beyond the more serene darkwave of D/SIR. Higher Order Ov Loud is fleshed out with a slew of remixes from the likes of Chase Dobson and Shane from W.A.S.T.E., spinning out from the dense core of Thompson’s programming.
High Order Ov Loud by Hex Wolves

Anaerobic, “Forever Stamp”
Did you know site favourite Alex Reed of Seeming has a noise project called Anaerobic? And that said project has a new release Sincerely,? Also that that release is 7 tracks of feedback, drones, static, and samples, then capped with a lovely acoustic folk number that cinches up the themes of the release (that being letter mail)? And that as with everything Alex touches, it’s got a deep thoughtfulness mixed with a singular sensibility that straddles the sublime and the ludicrous? You did know that? Well then lets sit down and enjoy “Forever Stamp” together shall we?
Sincerely, by Anaerobic

Virgin Prunes – Caucasian Walk (WLDV edit)
We imagine a lot of younger clubgoers aren’t especially familiar with the art and tradition of the bootleg remix, but its one which was instrumental in genre cross-pollination in dark clubs from the late 80s through the early 00s. Continuing his hot streak of bringing all manner of goth and darkwave classics into the present day, Spanish producer WLDV offers this mix linking the unhinged, St. Vitus-esque mania of The Virgin Prunes with the strict and icy darkwave of the present. Grab it before Guggi has it pulled!
Virgin Prunes – Caucasian Walk (WLDV edit) by WLDV

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May Diem
Euphorie
Oberwave Records
While the music on Moscow-based duo May Diem’s EP Euphorie is sung in German and feels of a piece with many other acts plumbing modern darkwave’s various shadowy corners, there’s also a some broader electro sounds being worked into the mix in intriguing fashion. While most obvious on the cut “Maus” with its old school vocoder and funky doubled up kicks, you can hear it working its way into the wormy synths and halting rhythm of “Es Regnet”. Even thought the title track that seems like a more deliberate homage to neue deutsch welle in its alternatingly punky and icy vocals, there’s still a decent undercurrent of the groovy approach to composition that keeps them from laying down straight four on the floor kicks. Closer “Latex” does perhaps the best job of wedding that approach to programming with their S&M sex club ambitions; you get plenty of breathy vocals and hard-edged synths, but the syncopated rhythm flowing underneath gives it a rhythmic push-pull for extra oomph.
May Diem – Euphorie by Oberwave Records

Digital Geist
Traveling Without Moving
self-released
Don’t let the warm, loping bounce of opening downtempo track “Folding Space” fool you – while that Displacer-like track and a couple of other bracing pieces certainly show off the crisp yet rounded sound design Alex Kourelis has brought to much of his work as Digital Geist over the preceding decade-plus, new LP Traveling Without Moving is a far deeper and more ambient trip than that first blush suggests. Kourelis works with twinkling kosmische programming, rollicking timpanis, and (digitally) prepared piano, but as the record progresses it grows sparser and more abstract, implying a slow drift into the aether, away from any human point. The space of the record (in the stereo mix, that is, not just the cosmic or astral place) is immaculately conveyed, very much carrying the sense of landscape and placement within it we recently discussed in relation to dark ambient, and while it may not formally fit the definition of dark ambient, it’s certainly conducive to the sort of contemplation and reflection that genre connotes.
Traveling Without Moving by Digital Geist

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Current 93: Come Before Christ And Murder Mr. Plod. Photo by Ruth Bayer.

It’s a Pick Five episode this week, as a slightly irreverent one, as we’re talking about stupid songs we actually quite like. From brodustrial to novelty tracks to questionable lyrical choices, this one was a lot of fun to record. We’re also talking about the announcement of Front 242’s final shows. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, Google Podcasts, download directly, or listen through the widget down below. 

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Analfabetism
Den Svagsintes Klagan
self-released

Since its arrival in 2014, Analfabetism has been a forum for the most unremitting and uncompromising of Fredrik Djurfeldt’s sounds. If you’ve listened to his Instans records alongside his more well-known work as one half of Severe Illusion, you’ll know that it’s no mean feat that Analfabetism (alongside the lesser known Knös project which it effectively replaced) has consistently been the coldest of its fellows, holding close to icy wellsprings of death industrial and dark ambient. New LP Den Svagsintes Klagan might use a less abrasive and more subdued toolkit than its predecessors, it’s no less weighty and unnerving.

This is the first Analfabetism record since Djurfeld relocated from the outskirts of Stockholm to the remote tundra of Norrland, and it’s tempting to read the muffled drones of ” Drängens Lyte Och Vemod” and “En Sämre Av Söner” as approximations of the long and brutal (even by Scandanavian standards) northern winters. The somewhat cryptic naming of instrumental tracks which Djurfeldt has used throughout his work continues here, but track titles which translate as “Forest Idiot” and “Then You Shouldn’t Believe It’s Summer”, not to mention allusions to folklore about forest hermits, back this up.

Of course, a trip into the woods with Djurfeldt is not going to be all placid camping – within those murky atmospheres the distorted and scraping vocal samples and white-hot high end noise which punctuate “Skogens Idiot” remind you of the power electronics and death industrial traditions from which the project emerged. The same noise which defined early Analfabetism records is very much present, it’s just distributed more sparsely. Still, that space frees things up for some unexpected moments, like the slow chiming melody which drifts through “Du Skall Då Fan Inte Tro Det Blir Sommar”, or “Drängens Lyte Och Vemod” electing to close with some wholly natural and undistorted string arrangements.

I feel the need to again stress that these harmonic and acoustic elements are in no way a softening of Analfabetism’s mood: Den Svagsintes Klagan remains deeply foreboding and menacing music which will likely scare off DJs looking for any trace of Djurfeldt’s EBM sounds or even those who like to chill out to the more laid back and contemplative ends of dark ambient. But if you’ve spent the last decade appreciating the harsher side of Djurfeldt’s work, this detour into dark forests will be a welcome one.

Buy it.

Den Svagsintes Klagan by Analfabetism

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Jäger 90,
R​ü​ckspulen
Oraculo Records

Despite remaining active as a live act with founder Thoralf Dietrich, German body music act Jäger 90 haven’t officially released any new music since their 2011 LP Fleisch Macht Böse. It was probably only a matter of time before a compilation like new release R​ü​ckspulen came together in some form; the project’s intense loyalty to the sound of EBM progenitors Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaf gives their small, but muscly catalogue a pleasingly timeless quality. Indeed, were one not already familiar with the band’s work, you would be hard-pressed to tell that these tracks came out in the mid-late 2000s rather than the early eighties.

As such, the Jäger 90 sound is simple by its nature; songs are largely made up of a analogue monosynth bass, drums, and vocals, with occasional snatches of synthwork for embellishment. That sparseness in approach requires songs to have a lot punch and a deep groove to keep from becoming boring, a lesson that Jäger 90 knew well and is evidenced by the cuts collected here. “Stiefelblitz” runs on a dead simple kick snare pattern and 16th note bassline, its sole melodic element a sporadically deployed synth bell sound and its half-spoken vocals. It’s only its slight variations in structure that allow for it to run for nearly four minutes without collapsing into monotony. Another byproduct of the deliberate limitations the project works within are that major impact a simple element can have; witness how the splash cymbals on “Denk Das Ist Ok” end up being the most important part of the track by their presence or absence at various points in its looping arrangement.

Unlike many of DAF’s other devotees, Dietrich and company recognized the deeply funky aspects of the Delgado and Görl’s sound, and how to use it to avoid the muscle n’ hate trap that so much neo-oldschool EBM falls prey to. The plodding bass and incredibly simple drums of “Stärker Als Du Meinst” work for the song because they stay deep in the pocket; slow but possessed of a lot of bounce. That the band open with “Un Tanz” and its head-nodding rhythm is a solid indicator that whoever compiled the release understood how important keeping things groovy was to the band, and how they achieved it through studied minimalism.

As with any act that is beholden to another band, Jäger 90’s adherence to their inspiration’s sound can cut both ways; some listeners will enjoy the tasteful and precise ways that the band pays homage, while others will find its close resemblance to DAF to be offputting. A release like R​ü​ckspulen ends up allowing for that by staying lean and putting the band’s best foot forward via careful track selection. That makes it an overall charming listen that provides if not a complete overview of Jäger 90’s catalogue, a solid vision of what they sound like at their best.

Buy it.

Rückspulen by Jäger 90

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Hey, it’s Bandcamp Friday this week. We’re still very cagey about the current state of Bandcamp post acquisition by Songtradr, which is why March 1st is a good day to buy some music; as always BC Fridays mean that artists get more of the pie from a sale. Whether or not you have any trepidation about the state of the platform or its future, that’s a win/win for artists and as good a reason as any to buy a bunch of tunes. Maybe even something from the tracks below? Just a suggestion.

Designer Violence

Kite, “Glassy Eyes”
Kite’s new single for Dais Records is a double A-Side, and while we’re very curious to hear the track “Losing” featuring Henric de la Cour (former bandmate of Kite’s Christian Berg in Strip Music and Yvonne) and Anna von Hausswolff, we can’t deny the simple pleasures of “Glassy Eyes”. If you come to Kite for the big feels and the power of Niklas Stenemo’s voice, pull up a chair; the song’s incredibly simple and sparse synth arrangement places Niklas at center stage for a showstoppingly sorrowful performance of the kind that have become the band’s trademark.
Losing / Glassy Eyes by Kite

Poison Point, “Flowers & Surrender”
Timothée Gainet’s hopping betwixt IV Horsemen and Poison Point (not to mention that incredible Aleister Blake tap y’all are still sleeping on!) as his main projects has kept him hungry, active, and never complacent. An odd mix of the punchy body music we’ve come to expect from Poison Point with an especially saucy and catty delivery, this number from the forthcoming Wandering Echoes might portend a steering into the sharper and more arch side of the early synthpop one’s been able to detect traces of in Poison Point up until this, um, point.
Wandering Echoes by Poison Point

Designer Violence, “Part Deux”
Queer Dutch synthpunks Designer Violence dropped one of the most direct and unapologetically political dark synth records in recent memory in last year’s We Gave Peace A Chance, and are right back at it with their thudding and sample-heavy new single. Like a DIY KFMDM who actually have something to say, Designer Violence are chopping up and reconstituting the detritus of the culture they’ve inherited as a survival mechanism as much as a means of expression.
Part Deux by Designer Violence

Chrome Corps, “DARPA Gets Down”
Chrome Corps is back with a new four track single from a forthcoming LP, and the project has switched their game up. We’ve always been fans of the Seattle-based project’s take on classic euro-EBM, and “DARPA Gets Down” finds them digging deep into the funkiest aspect of that sound, from the trademark FM bass, stuttered vocal samples and got-damned rap breakdown mid-track. And hell, the rest of the songs on the reease feature some new beat, acid and NRG touches that have us excited for the album when it drops.
DARPA Gets Down by Chrome Corps.

Ultra Sunn, “Some Ghost Could Follow”
Another track from Ultra Sunn’s forthcoming Artoffact debut US, and it finds the Belgian act digging into their nation’s storied electronic music history. When the band first came to our attention it was with the new beat remix of their hit “Night is Mine”, and “Some Ghosts Could Follow” has some of the same energy: listen to that stabby, spooky lead and its interplay with the bassline to create a dance groove ready for your foggy dancefloor of choice.
US by ULTRA SUNN

Glass Apple Bonzai, “Mysteries”
Lastly, a decidedly more new wave outing from longtime ID:UD fave Daniel Belasco marks the first taster from his forthcoming Brother Bones LP as Glass Apple Bonzai. Daniel’s ear and talent for stuff of this sort are no secret to anyone who’s talked shop with him in the past, and a slightly less synthpop focused GAB record is an intriguing pitch.
Brother Bones by Glass Apple Bonzai

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Teased off and on for several years, it’s our commentary podcast on a singular record in both of the Senior Staff’s understandings of electronics, hip-hop, and industrial: Pop Will Eat Itself’s 1989 sophomore LP, This Is the Day…This Is the Hour…This Is This!. Chock a block with samples, yobbish irreverance and pop culture bricolage, it’s a riotous trip through a long-gone day-glo era of nuclear paranoia and appreciation for everyone from Public Enemy to Alan Moore. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, Google Podcasts, download directly, or listen through the widget down below. 

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French Police
Bully
self-released

Chicago act French Police have their sound nailed down tight on new LP Bully. While superficially comparable to any number of other bands in the current darkwave scene thanks to their programmed drums, bass guitar forward arrangements and chiming guitar lines, the band apply a lo-fi, smokey vibe to their material, obscuring the edges of individual musical elements in the mix, and capping them with vocals that vacillate between disaffected and longing as the song requires.

While that gives the band an identity and sonic calling card, there’s a lack of dynanism inherent in their approach that makes the songs all blend together. The material on Bully has its moments certainly, but there’s also a lack of hooks and readily identifiable moments track to track. Where there’s a very nice combination of bass and quickly strummed guitar on “Quiero Olvidar”, the song doesn’t have a real chorus or gear shift to hang your hat on – it feels like a collection of similar sections placed one after the other. And sadly that’s a description that could apply to almost every song on the record; “Stress Test”, “Espejo”, “Crush” all just whiz by, a blur of tightly wound bass and drums and reverbed guitar, difficult to describe in detail after the fact.

Which isn’t to say that Bully is entirely without merit. There are a lot of smaller moments which show the band have some ideas and different tools at their disposal; see the funky cymbal pattern and kicks which make their way into “Her”, giving the track a bit of disco drama that buoys its icy synths. “Dance to Play” displays some real songcraft in how it deploys a half-time breakdown that gives its more straight-ahead sections more juice when they return by way of contrast.

How much you’re able to enjoy Bully will likely boil down to how much their particular aesthetic appeals to you; if you like this specific combination of foggy textures and meat-and-potatoes rhythm and movement, you may be able to overlook the dearth of catchy songs and moments to sink your teeth into. Otherwise, its a largely passable but unengaging release from a band who clearly know their identity and how to get it across, but need some stronger material to apply it to.

Buy it.

BULLY by French Police

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