Gothic BC

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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Twin Tribes in the garden of earthly delights. Photo: Valeria Rodriguez – @plaguepop

Hot on the heels of their new album Pendulum and some touring for it, Twin Tribes join us on this week’s episode. Luis and Joel offer their thoughts on the band’s cross-generational appeal, getting the balance of synths right, and Latino representation. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, Google Podcasts, download directly, or listen through the widget down below. 

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Zanias
Ecdysis
Fleisch Records / Metropolis Records

Last year’s Chrysalis marked as big of a musical shift as we’ve ever heard from Alison Lewis across her various projects; on Chrysalis a combination of throwback rave sounds and pop ease was added to Zanias’ already broad purview, while lyrically Lewis was more confessional and optimistic than ever before. Recorded concurrently with Chrysalis, Ecdysis zeroes in on the trippier and more abstract elements of that record, expanding them out to suit the scope and ambition of an entire LP while losing none of their emotional resonance.

Viewing the new LP as a companion to Chrysalis isn’t just a matter of recording schedule, Ecdysis being the molting of the sort of pupa referred to in that preceding LP. Between that etymology and the cover art, seeming to depict nothing less than the astral projection of a kraken, one might begin to wonder if Lewis is taking Zanias into psytrance territory. That’s certainly not the case from a genre perspective, but melodically and thematically the wistful, nostalgic, and emancipatory elements of Chrysalis are compounded here, with the downtempo liquidity of “Swim” (not a Madge cover despite Lewis citing Ray Of Light as an influence on Chrysalis) and the slow-burn, earthy harmonies which build up across “Acacia”.

The emotional effect of the record will likely be open to listeners’ interpretations, in part because of its near total use of non-lexical vocals. Even without clear words to identify its difficult to not subconsciously ascribe linguistic intent to “Mara” given how its vocal melodies utlize the dissonance and resolution which make up verse/chorus structures as it rolls through a loping darkwave progression. The sampled and stabbed approach to vocals taken on “Bloodwood” perhaps recalling stone rave classics like “Halcyon + On + On”, while on “Duneskipper”, Lewis’ vocals are tweaked far beyond the uncanny and into the terrain of birdsong as windy breaks cruise along beneath the multi-planar vocals.

The alternately bright and moody impressionism which guides Ecdysis is a rare thing in darker music these days, let alone music with serious club ambitions, which this LP still has in spades. In an era in which much darkwave is hard-bodied and beat focused, Lewis’ ability to hearken back to a gauzier and more mysterious version of the style while maintaining her rep for razor-sharp sound design and continuing to link of the moment Berlin club sounds back to 90s rave motifs is no mean feat. Recommended.

Buy it.

Ecdysis by Zanias

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Back after a Canadian long weekend, we’re starting off a four-day week of coverage with six new tracks. If you’ve noticed the episode number on recent episodes of We Have A Technical ticking closer to 500, well, so have we. What might be happening on that arbitrary landmark? We have a couple of irons in the fire but want to keep our cards close to the chest, to absolutely mix some metaphors. In any event, thanks for being on board for as much or as little of that journey as you have been, folks.

Hot with the kids right now: Orange Sector?

Orange Sector, “Farben (DSTRTD SGNL TAK TIK Mix)”
Of all the acts to get a sudden boost of popularity by going viral on Tik Tok, who would have guessed long-running German EBM traditionalists Orange Sector? And yet here we are, as their track “Farben” has blown up on the youth-oriented platform, with their Spotify streams going through the roof. That said, the version used in the popular Tik Tok vid that kicked off the craze was slowed, and so taking a book from A Split Second’s playbook (you know, the one that birthed New Beat), here’s an official single release of a version of “Farben” to capitalize on the craze. We’re too old to even pretend to understand how this stuff works, but if it gets folks checking out an act like Orange Sector and maybe some related artists, we can’t complain.
Farben (Single) by Orange Sector

MeLLLo, “You AnD Me”
Marsheaux still seems to effectively be on hiatus, but that hasn’t stopped Marianthi Melitsi, one half of our favourite Greek synthpop duo, from keeping her hand in. The latest track from her solo Melllo project brings all of the heavy-duty, expansive production as well as ear for intoxicating synth hooks which first drew us into Marsheux’s orbit fifteen years ago. Does it bear a striking resemblance to both Donna Lewis’ “I Love You Always Forever” and Marsheaux’s take on “Eyes Without A Face”? Absolutely, but that’s in no way a knock.
You AnD Me by MeLLLo

KYMAVR, “Scorched”
For those missing the glory days of seriously dense, mind-fucking electro-industial, the new EP from Martin Sax’s solo KYMAVR project has you covered. A far cry from the foggy intrigue Sax brings to his work as half of V▲LH▲LL, pieces from Sleep like this thrash through thickets of claustrophobic programming and distorted beats with gnarled aggression and malice. Seriously mean, uncompromising, and satisfying stuff.
SLEEP by KYMAVR

Male Tears, “Sex on Drugs”
Our favourite Los Angeles electronic darkwavers Male Tears come through with some big italo by way of the Pet Shop Boys vibes on new single “Sex on Drugs”. That kind of pop omnivorism shouldn’t be a surprise to those folks who have been tracking the duo; exploring sounds that originate within and without the scene, and is a huge ingredient in their unique recipe for club music. We loved the last LP, and the singles since its release certainly suggest we’ll be into whatever the next big release turns out to be.
Sex on Drugs by MALE TEARS

Assassun, “Hell Here”
The line between Alexander Leonard Donat’s main body of work as Vlimmer and his Assassun side project is often blurred, but a quick pass at Post-Climax, the new LP from the latter, brings it into clearer focus. While Vlimmer’s austere take on post-punk and darkwave is often abrasively sharp and stoic, the fuzz and distortion around the synths and drum machines which make up numbers like this one recall both the roots of synthpunk and the long history of folks from well beyond the usual scope of “dark” synth taking up that mantle over the past couple of decades. Shout out Michelle Pfeiffer!
Post-Climax by ASSASSUN

B. West, “Ex-Fantasy”
You may know Brittany West from numerous projects we’ve covered over the years, including Lié, Koban and Sigsaly. New solo material under the B. West moniker is distinct from anything we’ve heard previously from the Vancouver ex-pat; drawing on the punk, darkwave and techno sounds we’ve heard from them previously, “Ex-Fantasy” lands in synthpunk territory, working some hard-edged melodies to an unrelenting drum beat and some manic synthwork. Very keen to hear the debut LP, due in March.
Ex-Fantasy (single) by B. WEST

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Peter Cushing from Horror of Dracula sculpted by Adam Beane for Sideshow

Embark on a journey around the world with room decor ideas that draw inspiration from diverse cultures and traditions. Immerse your space in a global fusion of colors, patterns, and artifacts, creating an eclectic oasis that tells the story of your worldly tastes. men room ideas guy room ideas room decor for men guy room ideas room decor for men men room ideas guys room room ideas for men bedroom

Nina Hagen – Smack Jack
Bjork – Crying
Daft Punk – Get Lucky
Orgy – Saving Faces
Nonsense Man – Taco Castle (Joshy Neurotic Mix)
Puscifer – The Undertaker
Deftones – Changes
DevilDriver – Sail
White Zombie – Electrichead Pt 2
KMFDM – D.I.Y.
Aesthetic Perfection – Elements
Combichrist – Cant Change the Beat
Depeche Mode – Soothe my Soul
Richard Cheese – Insane in the Brain
Frontline Assembly – Final Impact
NiN – Sin
ohGr – lYe
Rammstein – Ich Will
Mashup that i dont have a name for
Brojob – When Worlds Collide
Zeal & Ardor – Run
Pendullum – The Vulture
Strongbad Techno
Vnv Nation – Primary
Skinny Puppy – Spasmolytic (Remix)
Wumpscut – Break the Seal
Youth Code – Shift of Dismay
MSI – Straight to Video (FLA mix)
Faith No More – Why do you Bother
SOAD – Chop Suey
Industrial Tetris
Ministry – So What
The Brains – Six Rounds
Covenant – Dead Stars
Nachtmahr – Die Strabe
The Cruxshadows – Sophia
Dead When i Found Her – Midlife Eclipse
Personal So What mashup
Pigface – ind Your own Business
Cubanate – Body Burn
Beastie Boys – Intergalactic

The post DJ Joshy Neurotic – February 18, 2024 appeared first on Vancouver Descent.

Red Devill
Vida Bandida
Synthicide
Mexican techno-body act Red Deviil have been busy; their new EP for Synthicide follows hot on the heels of their late 2023 LP for X-IMG Tendencias Ocultas and a wide assortment of shorter releases for labels around the globe, all in the last 12 months. While the music on Vida Bandida doesn’t depart significantly from the rough-edged sound that is the hallmark of their productions, it is an excellent primer for duo Guni Ca and BlakG’s vision of aggressive modern body music. Largely instrumental and hard-nosed, the emphasis in tracks like “Beliko” is on impact, with drums and bass programming that hammer their way through the smokey atmospheres that adorn their work, where their minimal arrangements still fill out a mix through increasing rhythmic pressure. That approach can lead to monotony in places, but on cuts like “Rush” new percussive variations and breaks allow for some of the less immediate sounds in the mix, be they pads, samples or reverb tails to move and breathe around the drum hits – the track’s late addition of a rave-ready synthline taking the track to altogether different rhythmic territory. The title track takes their production philosophy to its effective extreme; while the sampled moans, chittering synths and machinegun snare-fills aren’t unique in the Red Deviil toolset, its their assembly and relation to one another that give the track its unique flavour.
Vida Bandida by Red Deviil

Sam Rosenthal
Before The Buildings Fell
Projekt
Dating back to 1986 but receiving a physical repackaging just now, Before The Buildings Fell makes for an intriguing point of contrast with Sam Rosenthal’s most well-known project, Black Tape For A Blue Girl, which was releasing its first material concurrently with this LP of deep and spacey synth experimentation. More imagistic and less confessional than Black Tape, and clearly drawing influence from the work of Schulze, Froese, and other synth pioneers of the preceding decade, it’s an interesting chapter in Rosenthal’s musical development (and certainly a more ambitious one than the slightly better-known and earlier Tanzmusik), but also serves as a snapshot of how the analog ambitions of those earlier masters sat in relation to consumer synth. Oddly, the combination of Rosenthal’s gear and his gauzier interests and ambitions makes Before The Buildings Fell feel oddly prescient of the softer sides of hyperpop and hypnagogic pop; if presented to me blind, I might presume that “Jane” could be something from the most recent The Gold Age Of Wrestling record, for instance. Elsewhere, the journey to the record’s effect is a bit easier to parse; bedroom synth takes on kosmische is effectively the mission statement of the first handful of Pink Dots releases, and closing lullaby (or elegy) “The Amber Girl” in particular seems sympatico with Ka-Spel & co., alighting upon the same combination of hushed intimacy and starry vision.
Before the buildings fell by Sam Rosenthal

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