Okay so it’s halfway through January already, which seems nuts but also kind of comforting? Like, the passage of time is something we’re probably overly concerned with if only because having done this here website for 12+ years we’re now deeply conscious of the ebb and flow of Our Thing, and the unexpected ways in which some aspects of it change and some stay the same. Does this read like we’re stalling because we don’t have any pressing matters to document in this space? God we hope not. On to Tracks!

Dionysus

SPARK!, “66 ton krom”
SPARK! is back, SwEBM is good again! Awoooooo (wolf howl). Jokes aside, we enjoyed the material that SPARK! produced in the years between the release of their definitive statement on quirky pop/body music Hela Din Varld, but the return of that record’s vocalist and founding member Stefan Brorsson to the fold for a new record is giving us reasons to celebrate. Why you ask? Listen to how god damn weird and perfect “66 ton krom” is and then get back to us: instantly one of our most anticipated records of 2024.
66 ton krom by Spark!

Anja Huwe, “Rabenschwarz”
Accompanying a massive Xmal Deutschland reissue campaign from Sacred Bones, we’re being treated to the unexpected reemergence of Anja Huwe; frontwoman for that legendary band and possessor of one of the most powerful voices in the history of goth. Solo LP Codes will be out in early March, and for now we have “Rabenschwarz”, a combo of thrashy goth rock and skittering darkwave electronics, with Huwe’s voice perhaps not as unhinged and careening as it once was, but still with that unmistakable tone.
Codes by Anja Huwe

Dionysus, “Blue Swan”
Speaking of Xmal, it would not shock us at all to learn that some of their records might be in the collections of Aussie newcomers Dionysus, whose debut Theatre of Dionysus dishes out swooning goth atmospheres and straight-forward stormers like this which picks up right where 80s US deathrock left off. Galloping stuff which manages to find equanimity between frenzied rhythms and the sorts of harmonics tunes like this need to add a certain je ne sais quoi.
Theatre of Dionysus by Dionysus

Zanias, “Earthborn”
Alison Lewis comes out of the gates strong in 2024 with the announcement that she’ll be following up her tremendous (and best of 2023 per our Year End coverage) Chrysalis with a new LP entitled Ecdysis. Per her social media posts, this is material drawn from the same inspiration and time period as the last LP, but more abstract in nature, and in some ways a counterpoint to the very direct self-reflection of that record. New single “Earthborn” certainly has that vibe. Mark your calendars.
Ecdysis by Zanias

Dancing Plague, “Fading Forms”
Gotta admit that despite them being a PNW act, we’ve not spent a lot of time with Portland’s Dancing Plague. The announcement of new LP Elogium seems like a good opportunity to rectify that oversight; due in March from the good folks at AVANT!, the two tracks put up as teasers are very much up our alley. Deep male vocals, interesting string programming, and some dancefloor pulse if you wanna spin it out at the club, plenty for us to latch onto here.
Elogium by DANCING PLAGUE

The Golden Age Of Wrestling, “The Chauffeur”
Are you feeling wistful and reflective as we are, dear ID:UD reader, now that we’re a scant seven weeks away from the retirement of legendary pro wrestler Sting? Jeff Cancade, aka Devours, certainly seems to be as the forthcoming Scorpion Deathlock LP from his The Golden Age Of Wrestling side project is named after the Stinger’s signature submission manoeuvre. But you don’t need to have a horse in the Scorpion Deathlock/Sharpshooter debate to enjoy the shimmering ethereal ambience of a piece like “The Chaffeur” (no, not a Duran Duran cover).
Scorpion Deathlock by The Golden Age of Wrestling

The post Tracks: January 15th, 2023 appeared first on I Die: You Die.

Aesthetic Perfection – Gods & Gold
Bass Agents – Black Winter
Apotheosis – Oh Fortuna
Assemblage 23 – Disappoint
And One – Military Fashion Show
Covenant – We Stand Alone
Crystal Castles – Not in Love (ft Robert Smith)
David Bowie – I’m Afraid of Americans
Filter – Hey Man, Nice Shot
Deftones – Passenger
NIN – Ruiner
H.I.M – Wicked Game
Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection
Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus
Type O Negative – Wolf Moon (ft Zoanthropic Paranoia)
Dioxyde – Geist
Skinny Puppy – Testure
In This Moment – Roots
VNV Nation – Retaliate
Solar Fake – The Pain that Kills You Too
Neuroticfish – Mechanic of the Sequence
Portishead – Machine Gun
The Cure – Burn
Depeche Mode – I Feel You

The post DJ Surreal – January 14, 2024 appeared first on Vancouver Descent.

Celldöd
Pandoras Ask
Electronic Emergencies
Having been diving headlong into the squelchy, acid-soaked outskirts of EBM for nearly two decades, first in the latter part of The Pain Machinery’s catalog, then with his solo Celldöd project, the thudding, tweaky pulse of opening number “På Alla Sätt” on Anders Karlsson’s new Pandoras Ask EP should come as no surprise. But despite that and the classic EBM swing of follow up track “Nytt Namn” which is a strong reminder of the longstanding legacy of EBM in Sweden to which Karlsson has been no small contributor, there’s a decidedly wounded and uneasy air about the whole affair. That shouldn’t be too much of a surprise; Celldöd was created in name and in practise as a direct comment on Karlsson’s struggle with cancer, after all. That air remains throughout Pandoras Ask‘s brief run-time, from the strained, clenched vocals on the Neue Deutsche Welle-tinged “Ge Upp” to the disquieting key of the bass programming in the closing title track, as if a spider were stretching its legs towards the furthest minor key it could reach with every note.
Pandoras Ask by Celldöd

Alen Skanner
Intruder
self-released
If you’ve become familiar with Alen Skanner’s work via compilation appearances remixes (like the barnburning version of Zanias’ “Simulation” from last year), the sound of Intruder should be instantly recognizable. The Spanish producer’s trademark sound lands squarely in the zone occupied equally by late stage new beat, the harder strains of NRG and good old fashioned EBM; “Narcotic Influence” and “Tekno Syndrome” are both equally good touchstones. It’s a sound that lives and dies by how hard the 16th note basslines rock and how cleanly the percussion lands, an understanding Skanner has clearly internalized and applied across the EP’s 4 tracks. It’s to use orch hits for a big hook as he does on “Armed Police”, but any question of their effectiveness is wiped away by the track’s descending progression and in-the-pocket rhythm programming. The title track makes further use of the vocoded vocal hooks that have become something of a trademark for Skanner, and while they grab the ear with their retro-charm, the song has a sneaky amount of funk thanks to some effective use of swing and the delay-based groove of its bassline. While the 90’s techno vibes are strong throughout, there’s something especially gratifying in hearing how well Skanner has absorbed that school of production’s lessons; check the syncopation of the twin leads on “Total Recall”, or the use of atonal progressions to give “Mechnical Nightmare” a menace that matches its warped metallic pad effects. An all killer release from a producer who has seized on something we were missing, whether we collectively were aware of it or not.
Intruder by Alen Skanner

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Absolute Body Control

An oft-overlooked record by a crucial artist about to make their big move, and a reunion record which is surprisingly of a piece with the artists’ earliest work, despite everything they did in the interim. This is a needlessly wordy way of saying that we’re talking about Leæther Strip’s Science For The Satanic Citizen and Absolute Body Control’s Shattered Illusion on this week’s podcast, as well as a handful of records on the immediate 2024 docket. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, Google Podcasts, download directly, or listen through the widget down below. 

The post We Have A Technical 490: The Stinger Should Be Fun appeared first on I Die: You Die.