Churchterror - OCD

New classic-sounding witch house joint from Churchterror, vibing.

AyGeeTee - Rehabilitation

Andrew Thomson aka AyGeeTee has been part of the broad online music scene for as long as I can remember. With releases on AMDISCS, Reckno, Seagrave and Sweat Lodge Guru among many others, he's been orbiting on the edges of various leftfield electronic scenes, putting out ambient, house, hip-hop, drone, bass and everything in between. A few days ago he announced on his FB page that he's planning to release a bunch of his backlog albums he's been sitting on for years. "Rehabilitation" is the first one to see the light of the day. Made in 2016/17, it was originally scheduled to be released on tape by Reckno but that never happened. As AyGeeTee describes, it's an album written "to get over a tough time, which, unfortunately got a lot worse in the following year before it got better". Twelve tracks of hip-hop ambient tropical folk as he himself tagged it on Bandcamp, the album is an eclectic journey through genres and approaches, jumping between "mainstream underground" takes and more experimental sound design. The final, 12-min long track is a personal favourite. Looking forward to what's next.

Download the album for free here (but hey, donations count, especially with Bandamp day right around the corner). Stream below.

LAKE R▲DIO - Before I Fell Off

Caden Moore aka LAKE R▲DIO is back with new album entitled "Before I Fell Off". Seven tracks (or five if you don't purchase it) of his mellow and leftfield electronica injected with a dose of house and tribal vibes. It's not a mind bender, but a good relaxing album nevertheless.

You can download the first 5 tracks for free here, and stream it below.

Romance - Once Upon A Time

Romance is a mystery artist I was recommended a couple of months ago by a fellow Discogger. Fusing ambient, modern classical and vaporwave's take on screw, Romance's releases are quite an enjoyable listen that will make you drift away in thoughts. Yesterday they dropped a new album called "Once Upon A Time", which is a 6-song ambient tribute to the ballads of Celine Dion. Reviewers mention Malibu, pre-vapor OPN and Caretaker in one breath when talking about this tape, so take that as a recommendation. Honestly it's a lovely release, and probably my fav from the batch they put out since 2020.

You can cop the cassette tape here and stream the album below.

Art School Girlfriend - I Would Die 4 U

You know, I'm something of a art school boyfriend myself, so seeing this artist pop up on my feed made me click the play button instantly. Art School Girlfriend is the stage name of Polly Mackey, a London based, Welsh singer and producer who last year released her debut LP "Is It Light Where You Are". "I Would Die 4 U" is her latest single that came out in December last year - a warm and smoky chillwave-infused synth-pop for all the hopeless lovers (and Prince fans) out there. It's one of those songs that you hear for the first time and suddenly you feel an urge to check the artist's back catalogue. Love it. Buy it from the link above.

Hilde - All The Floor In Heaven Is Laid In Gold

New, surprise album from Hilde (fka Sofia Reta and Ʌ). Captioned 'a group of songs about aging', it's a beautiful and touching mix of modern classical, ambient and avantgarde synth music, accompanied by vocoder vocals. Fans of his previous LPs will definitely love this, but if you're into anyone from Air to Geinoh Yamashirogumi you'll dig it.

Buy the album here, and stream it below.

Dalibor Cruz - 21 De Agosto, Macaruya

This is one of those releases I checked out only because of the cover artwork which is beautifully unsettling and captivating at the same time. "21 De Agosto, Macaruya" is a new tape from Dalibor Cruz out of Chicago, filled with seven deformed techno transmissions. His music merges both industrial experimentation and lo-fi approaches, but at the same time sounds like it's meant for an underground nightclub with good soundsystem. Weird but draws you in after a while.

Tapes are sold out but you can still cop the digital here. Stream below.

Holy Other - Sunday Mix

Something for your chill Sunday afternoon: new mixtape from Holy Other. Created for Crack Magazine, the mix is 45 min long and features heaps of ambient, experimental and downtempo-adjacent artists that I honestly have never heard of, but hey that's what makes this tape so great. Unfortunately there's no download option at the moment, so you can stream the mix from the link above or from Crack's website.

Lieu Noir - Two Blood Trails, Two Riffles

French magazine Bad to the Bone curates an interesting podcast called Blank where they invite contemporary, experimental artists and ask them to put together a mixtape for their series. Their latest offering comes for Lieu Noir aka CRAVE, and it's a chilling 70-minute long journey through desolate industrial spaces and post-apocalyptic deserts. Towards the end we get to hear his new single "Absent Gods & Dead Immortals", lifted from the upcoming EP on his own label Paso Inferior Tapes. Tapes).

Abstract Nympho - Demon Sex Dreams

Abstract Nympho is a dream-noise trio based in Berlin, consisting of Rahel Preisser, Ghazi Barakat and Leon Baumgartl. "Demon Sex Dreams" is their first full lenght project after 2019's "Static" EP. The album is a gloriously creepy, library-type music that manages to transcend space and time. While their debut EP was quite similar to the hallucinogenic experiments of Mater Suspiria Vision, this release seems to carve its own spooky niche, and could easily find home in the catalog of Finders Keepers for example. The album narrowly missed my top 20 releases of 2021. Definitely a band to follow.

"Demon Sex Dreams" came out on cassette tape that's sold out now, but you can still get the digital here. As always, full stream below.

M‡яc▲ll▲ - New Condition

I just posted about the new single from M‡яc▲ll▲, and today we get the full album of his dark synthwave for replicants. "New Condition" consists of 8 tracks of cold electro and industrial-flavoured music from one of the leading voices born out the second (or third?) wave of witch house. I was anxiously waiting for his collab track with Mahr, and it does not disappoint - her vocals go perfectly with the catchy synthwave beat. The whole LP is actually a stellar piece of work that will work both in a fog-filled nightclub and as a companion to a 3am walk through the city centre.

You can purchase "New Condition" here, and stream it after the jump.

Soul Collector - ソウルコレクター

Soul Collector is the new alias of Jonathan Katsav (of CRAVE and Lieu Noir projects). "ソウルコレクター" is his venture into the world of raw black metal, a genre that's been hinted throughout his vast discography and mixtapes, but never explored to this degree. And while I'm no specialist of this subgenre, the album is a rad assault on my ears, led by possessed drums and crazy riffs from the depth of hell.

Buy it here and stream below.

Besa Negra - Watchman, What Of The Night?

Besa Negra is a collab project from Fantasy 1 artists Domokos and Ciriza (both part of Future Blondes) as well as Richard Durham (Twisted Wires). Released on a limited 8" lathe, their track "Watchman, What Of The Night?" is a wonderfully dreary 9-minute long darkwave anthem that channels some of the gloom and doom of the early witch house era. I seriously keep my fingers crossed this is not a one-off collaboration, and would love to hear more from this trio. There are last copies of this artefact available from Industrial Coast distro here, so blink and you miss it. Alternatively you can always stream it above, and download it from Soundcloud here.

Ritualz - Disintegration (Pictureplane Remix)

Last week I posted about the upcoming maxi-single from Ritualz (out Feb 1st), and yesterday we got to hear the remix of the titular track by Pictureplane. His version strips down the harsher industrial layer from the original, slows down the tempo and adds some of his signature synths into the mix, that go really well with JC's vocals. I think the official collab track of those two is long overdue.

Stream the remix above, and pre-order "Disintegration" here. Ritualz' new album "Radical Macabro" will be out later this year.

Fluid Tower - The Back

Gob Nation is back with another release for DIY aficionados, sewer ninjas and art-punks. Fluid Tower is the new alias of Max Levy, the singer and songwriter known for his outsider pop project Garden Centre and punk band The Snivellers. Spread across three tracks, his debut "The Back" emcompasses emotive lyricism delivered over decayed rhythms and minimal instrumentals, which bring to mind Mount Kimbie's classic Maybes 12". It's a mutant pop record that's both dreamy and hopeful but also innocently sad and distant.

You can already pre-order "The Back" on tape here, and stream the titular track above. The whole EP will be available on January 20.

M‡яc▲ll▲ - Pain Of Water

I've been a fan of M‡яc▲ll▲'s work for years now, his EBM/synthwave-flavoured take on witch-house has always been unique and each new release brought something captivating to the table. Two days ago he dropped this 2-track single "Pain Of Water" that heralds his new album that will come out on January 21st. What's more interesting is that one of the featurings on the LP will come from Pale Noir's own Mahr, she's been keeping low profile for years now so I'm happy to hear something new from her.

Download the single for free here, and stream it below.

Churchterror - Враг

New shoegazey joint from Churchterror landed on his SC. Too good and too short. Stream above.

Voodoo Crystals - Sludge

Seems like slowing down is not on Voodoo Crystal's agenda as he kicks off this new year with a six-track slime-synth mini-album. Drowning in reverb and delay "Sludge" oozes with warped samples and screwed beats, all neatly covered in layers on distortion. On a larger scale it essentially offers a no wave approach to witch house by rejecting the overplayed trap drums patterns and buzz saw synths, something that's been plaguing this scene for years now. To some degree "Sludge" also brings to mind the music and aesthetic Vandalaze has been curating via his Slimetrax label, but with a way darker and more sinster edge. Anyway, it's a really solid release, I respect VC's nonconformism and am here for it.

Download "Sludge" for free here, and stream it all below.

Robbie N4HC - CrossCountry Loops

One of the reasons I organised the best of lists, is to discover some new projects that escaped my radar over the last twelve months. "CrossCountry Loops" is one of them. All that is known about its author Robbie N4HC is that he's based in Manchester and the 4-track EP is a retrospective take on the music he listened to growing up. Released on December 30th by AMDISCS, it's a short and captivating release that builds on the UK's rich music history, encompassing ambient, emotional wave and jungle, all mixed with a dose of fleeting, looped vocals. Fans of Space Afrika, Daan Mol and Burial should dig this.

You can order "CrossCountry Loops" on tape here, and stream the whole EP with visuals below.

D E P R E S S E D 0 4 0 - Live At Plan B 10​/​12​/​21

New live album from Depressed040, recorded during their performance at Plan B in Malmö. Including tracks from their latest LP "I Have No Worth And I Must Die" but also a few older gems. You can buy it on their bandcamp here.

Photo: Gianluca La Bruna

Mutant Zones // best albums of 2021

It's been a hell of a year, but filled with some amazing, boundary-pushing and forward-thinking music that will stay with me for years to come. This year I'm publishing my list as part of website in collaboration with Witch-House.com, where I invited some amazing artists to share their personal 'best of's. You can check the whole website here. Without further ado, here are my top 20 favourite albums from 2021:

 

1. Louisahhh - The Practice Of Freedom

Drawing equally from EBM and industrial influences, the record consists of 11 tracks filled with dark and disruptive techno delivered with punk attitude. It may appear agressive and heavy at first, but behind that initial impression lies a deeply personal, emotional, and skillfully structured album that deals with love, loss and power in a brutally honest and refreshing manner. Mesmerising LP.

 

2. Edith Underground - Heaven's Night

For a long while now, Edith's music has been drifting away from her early, obscure witchy bedroom roots I first fell in love with on the "Teen Witch" tape back in 2017, towards dark and gloomy dancefloor bangers, channelling club & rave music from the 90s. From trance, through jungle and breakbeat, to techno and classic house (with a bold JB sample there, love it, Nike7up fans pay attention), "Heaven's Night" is like doing drugs, going to a nightclub you've never been to before and having the time of your life.

 

3. Gravegonzo - Their Fantasy Mirrors

"Their Fantasy Mirrors" is a sublime and captivating sonic journey illustrated by enchanted narratives penned by the leader Sam Beahan. By ingeniously blending dark synth-pop, ethereal wave and pop-oriented harmonies, Gravegonzo manage to carve a unique niche for themselves, filled with hazy, sensuous melodies and shoegazy atmospheres. What's also worth noting is that "Their Fantasy Mirrors" is brilliantly sequenced, helping the listener to blissfully sink into these nine tracks from the very first moments of the opener "Lurk Around". My favourite debut of 2021.

 

4. Male Tears - Trauma Club

Glorious ode to the darkwave/new wave sound. Male Tears released not one, but two albums in 2021, but I feel like "Trauma Club", which is notably darker and spookier from its self-titled predecessor (both in terms of the music production and lyrics) makes a bigger impact. By conjuring the 80s goth aesthetic, often flavoured with EBM influences, they crafted seven catchy synth-pop/darkwave songs that will keep you vibing until the next Halloween.

 

5. CRAVE - Stabbed In The Jaw And Left Alive

CRAVE's work has always been very cinematic, both in terms of visual references, storytelling and sample use, and it's no different here - the mood shifts throughout "Stabbed In The Jaw And Left Alive" keeping the listener on the edge all the time. It is an industrial record at its core, with experimental rap, harsh noise and power electronics influences ingeniously intertwined into an eerie and gripping project.

 

6. Holy Other - Lieve

The elusive producer delivers his signature sound of mesmerizing downtempo electronica, this time more deconstructed, polished and darker than ever before, often drifting towards a sonic territory located somewhere between Haxan Cloak's Latitudes record and "Double Negative" from Low. Recorded during 2020, the album effortlessly blends dark ambient with fractured electronic signals and cold IDM undertones, creating multi-layered compositions that are occasionally graced with ethereal vocals from Sian O'Gorman. It's a stunning comeback from one of the most iconic faces of the Tri Angle label.

 

7. Home Front - Think Of The Lie

New and exciting post-punk/new wave band from Edmonton, Canada. These dudes manage to sound like they've been teleported from the 80s and at the same time channel raw energy that's so much needed in this pandemic-centric world. The opening track "Flaw In The Design" gives me serious The Cure vibes, and made me fall in love with them straight from there. Whole thing is packed with hits that are insanely addictive and make you believe you've known them for years. Fantastic debut.

 

8. Pictureplane - Dopamine

Latest album from Pictureplane is quite possibly his best one yet, with its sound and influences going back all the way to his classic Dark Rift days. "Dopamine" has rave songs for Hackers' psychofans, hip-hop-flavoured industrial for babybats and outcasts, and mellow synth tracks for D&D nerds. And all that while being true to his DIY-ethos. Love it.

 

9. Low - Hey What

While "Double Negative" redefined their career, "Hey What" cements their status as one of the most exciting rock bands out there today. Amazing LP from start to finish.

 

10. Zhe Pechorin - Signs

"Signs" is a six track journey through otherworldly portals, gliding smoothly alongside sci-fi tones & droned out minimalism. Organically shifting and progressing through the noisy cosmic vortex, the album is a blisssful slow-paced trip that brings to mind the opening sequence in Blade Runner.

 

11. Smote - Drommon

Psychedelic, almost ritual odyssey with folk undertones, that instantly made me think of early Haxan Cloak vs Hawkwind combo.

 

12. Mater Suspiria Vision - Kosmische Musik

"Kosmische Musik" takes the listener on a trippy journey through vast and bleak sonic wastelands of ghostly synths, selectively scattered with guest vocals and shrouded with droning serenity.

 

13. Scythe - Candlelit Descent Down The Initiation Well

Filled with emotive synths that shape vast and brooding soundscapes, the album is a sublime and haunting experience that will undoubtedly appeal to both melancholic crypt keepers as well as dystopian dreampunks.

 

14. V.A. - Curses presents: Next Wave Acid Punx

Spanning four decades of music, it's an epic collection of dark electronic dancefloor hits, including tracks from Suicide, Yello, Front 242 as well as modern faces of dark disco scene like Curses himself, Shubostar or Zombies in Miami. Whether you like darkwave, italo-disco, EBM or new beat, you'll find something special for yourself.

 

15. MONOMORTE - The Wiccan

On "The Wiccan" MONOMORTE manages to craft a cohesive occult story, told with an eclectic sound that is both sublime and menacing, eerily familiar and comfortably distant, merging modern horror sound design with ghosts of dubstep past.

 

16. Tonstartssbandht - Petunia

"Petunia" is a joyous, folk-flavoured ride that progresses Tonstartssbandht's signature noisy sound into a more polished, melodic and well structured songwriting.

 

17. New Mexican Stargazers - Subterranean Flash Game

NMS combines psycho-tropical soundscapes and new age synths, emanating some serious hypnagogic vibes that will you make you float for hours.

 

18. MORGVE - Halveksiva

Latecomers to my list (the album came out just 2 days before the end of 2021), but it took me by storm, a melodic and post-rave friendly LP from Argentina's finest witchhouse musicians.

 

19. S280F - 28

"28" sounds like it was sent to Earth from the Nostromo spaceship after orbiting our solar system in solitude for years. It's an organic sound design sculpture mixed with a score to a movie that never was.

 

20. PC World - Order

A synth/EBM soundtrack to the post-truth world of today, accentuated with industrial and post-punk elements.

 

Special shout out aka looking forward to hear their albums in 2022:

Cotton Crown - Wretched Lie

Stay Healthy - Sickem

Churchterror - Dirt

Click here to view the WITCH-HOUSE.com x MUTANT ZONES best of 2021 website.

Lorn - Yesterday's Pain / Cut The Anchor

Lorn just dropped on his bandcamp this new three track release filled with heavy and otherworldly mutations (third cut is a hidden bonus you'll get after you download it). Can't go wrong with this man, and it's free. Go here and support!

Boy Harsher - Machina ft. Ms. Boan // video

New Boy Harsher music video came out today for their new dark italo-synth jam "Machina". Featuring Ms. Boan - Mariana Saldaña, "Machina" is a single lifted from their upcoming album/OST "The Runner", which is also the title of a short horror film written, produced, and directed by the duo. Both the album and the film will come out on January 21st on a variety of formats, most of them available for preview on their bandcamp.

Ritualz - Disintegration

Ritualz announced today new digital maxi-single that will promote his upcoming album "Radical Macabro". The single will consist of seven tracks, including remixes from Pictureplane and Sidewalks & Skeletons, and will come out on February 1st. You can stream the first track above.

V.A. - The Semiconscious System

Interesting upcoming compilation of "no-nonsense EBM with grittier industrial electronics" from Scottish label Idlestates Recordings. "The Semiconscious System" will feature Autumns, Filmmaker, and L/F/D/M among many others, there are a few tracks available for preview on their bandcamp already - my personal favs are "Goth Wheel" from Gewalt, and Termination_800's "Birth of a Machine". The whole thing will have 13 tracks and will come out on a cassette tape, which can be ordered here.

Shelhiel - Superstrobe // video

Shelhiel is a multilingual singer and producer from Kedah, Malaysia. I discovered him thanks to this feature in AVYSS mag, followed up with some more info about his background presented by NME here. In November 2020 he dropped his debut EP "Superstrobe", a truly multicultural mix of styles and influences ranging from more pop-oriented take on Yen Tech's neo-futuristic club music to late 90s dancefloor friendly RnB. Today he released the official video for the titular track, a slow burning and deconstructed joint accompanied by intense 3D extravaganza.

You can stream and buy "Superstrobe" here.

MONOMORTE - Principia Monomorte 2013​-​2021

MONOMORTE just re-issued last year's mixtape "Principia Monomorte" that collects his tracks from 2013 to 2021. Split into two sides, 13 tracks in total, it's a great introduction to his early catalogue as well as a decent chronicle of his progress.

Get the "Principia Monomorte" here, and stream it in full below.

Ourobonic Plague - Matte Black Axe

Ourobonic Plague is an alias of Australian experimental music producer Nick Sweepah, who I've been following for over 10 years now thanks to his submission to the Aleister Crowley-inspired compilation back in 2011. His latest single "Matte Black Axe" is a brooding capsule of eclectic tones and inspirations, a slab of heavy beats that are constantly exposed to various electroshocks as the track progresses, slowly rolling through the dark ambient moorlands. It'll be part of an album that will see the light of the day later in the year, so make sure to follow him on Bandcamp for further updates.

You can get the single here.

Transcend All Identities - Folk Forms

Transcend All Identities is yet another alias of the amazing musician Arkia Jahani. On his latest release, which came out on the final day of 2021, he ventured into obscure drone and evocative dark ambient territories, experimenting with loops, sound collage and distorted vocals. "Folk Forms" serves as a vessel for his ghostly folk rituals and lost transmissions, so much different from anything else he's done.

Buy "Folk Forms" here, and stream it after the jump.

Joseph Randolph - Hymnary

New ambient offering from The Archives Department's Joseph Randolph. "Hymnary" (I swear it was called "Wombs" a few days ago) is a short and sweeet five track EP filled with organically flowing ambient atmospheres that are paired (and sometimes crafted) with ethereal vocals. Listening to Randolph's work is like running through the meadow on a warm summer night following a firefly. Celestial sonic fairy-tale told in five acts.

"Hymnary" is available for free here, you can also stream it in full below.

Burial - Antidawn EP

"Antidawn", the new EP from Burial was announced a few weeks ago by Hyperdub (the vinyl version is due later on this month) and today we are finally able to listen to whole thing. Am I disappointed that it sounds similar to the stuff he's been putting out for the last 10 years? Nope, because I love "Rival Dealer" and most of the stuff that followed. Burial describes this 43-minute long (!) EP as a "record (that) explores an interzone between dislocated, patchwork songwriting and eerie, open-world, game space ambience", and it's definitely leaning towards his more melancholic and minimal works. Delicate ambient soundscapes sprinkled with heavenly vocals will guide and carry you through Burial's streets of London.

You can buy the EP here (as well as pre-order the vinyl), and stream it below.

New Mexican Stargazers - Subterranean Flash Game

I wrote about NMS a couple of weeks ago, and soon after that he dropped this incredible new tape filled with new age jams on his bandcamp. "Subterranean Flash Game" is, according to its description, a tribute to Adobe Flash, a staple of every kid who spent hours playing games in the early to mid 00s. The album combines psycho-tropical soundscapes and new age synths, emanating some serious hypnagogic vibes that will you make you float for hours.

Get yourself a digital copy here, and stream below.

P.U.D.G.E - Melancholyfornia

For the final Bandcamp day of 2021, P.U.D.G.E, a beat-making legend out of Queens, New York, released this seven-track burner that nonchalantly blends house tempos and hip-hop sampling tradition. "Melancholyfornia" is a record that will make you nod whether you like it or not, perfect for Covid parties of one as well as post-lockdown clubs.

Buy the tape here, and stream it below.

Velvet Cathedral - Think About It

Velvet Cathedral is a Los Angeles-based duo consisting of Greg and Saige. Their debut EP "Think About It" follows similar sonic path to Greg's previous project I Do Not Love., mixing shoegaze and post-punk with a bit of chillwave thrown in for good measure, meaning fans of previous albums of IDNL will definitely love it.

You can download the EP for free here and stream it after the jump.

Free The Robots - Loopholes Vol. 1 (Rap Tapes)

To commemorate two decades of making beats Free The Robots aka Chris Alfaro decided to revisit his bedroom beatmaking days and release a tryptych of mixtapes that pay tribute to his early hip-hop roots. The first volume "Loopholes Vol. 1 (Rap Tapes)", sampling and looping rap vocals and integrating them into FTR productions, came out on December 27th, and the next two will follow in 2022. For fans of early Stones Throw era Madlib or even MF DOOM this is a must.

Buy the volume 1 here, and steam it below.

Kutmah - The Adventures Of Bibawi Girgis

Kutmah welcomes 2022 with a new mixtape consisting of "rare VHS recordings of cult b-movies set in the jungle from the 1950's to 1986 compiled by Bibawi Girgis". To be honest I have no clue who's Bibawi, but the tape is a mixture of immaculately selected, edited and put together tribal drumming, field recordings, jazz, chants, spiritual singing and dozen other obscurities that could be easily released by Finders Keepers or Hobo Cult. You can stream it above and purchase the mix here.

Illustration credit: unknown, but I felt like fits the vibe. If you can id the author, please let me know.

Home Front - Think Of The Lie

Home Front is a new and exciting new wave/post-punk band from Edmonton, Canada that debuted on December 10th with an insanely catchy six track mini-album "Think Of The Lie" released via La Vida Es Un Mus Discos. They manage to sound like they've been teleported from the 80s and at the same time channel raw energy that's so much needed in this pandemic-centric world. The opening track "Flaw In The Design" gives me serious The Cure vibes, and made me fall in love with them straight from there. Whole thing is packed with hits that are insanely addictive and make you believe you've known them for years. Fantastic debut.

You can buy the record via the label La Vida Es Un Mus Discos here and stream it after the jump.

Lost Under Heaven - Push The Sky Away

Lost Under Heaven shared their previously-Patreon-only cover of Nick Cave's "Push The Sky Away". Their rendition, led by piano keys backed with unique voices of Ebony & Ellery, is equally vast and powerful. You can download the WAV of the song directly here.