Friday 29 April 2022

Pharmacist - I Shall Believe

Pharmacist published on his YT channel this warped Sheryl Crow cover song. Country swag got replaced with droning keys and sad crooning, and it works pretty great. Expect this song to appear on Pharmacist's bandcamp soon.

Thursday 28 April 2022

Tenderness Of Wolves - Colours // video

Official video for "Colours" just dropped, directed by the band, it's a dark and witchy cover of The Sisterhood. "Colours" EP is available now through Lunagram Recordings on Bandcamp, you can check my mini-review of it here.

Wednesday 27 April 2022

Lieu Noir - Absent Gods & Dead Immortals

Long-awaited new album "Absent Gods & Dead Immortals" from Lieu Noir just dropped on Paso Inferior Tapes bandcamp. There are currently three tracks available for stream, that suggest a sonic coctail of dreampunk ambience, lo-tempo beats and distorted black metal vocals. "Opium Stash" sounds like a recording of Orcs plotting a raid, sick. A must buy for the next bandcamp day.

Cop the album here, and stream it below.

Kxxtz - Live From Kontrol Faktory Berlin (3 Hour B​-​day Mix)

Hey, it's Kutmah's birthday and to celebrate it he recorded this 3+ hour long mixtape of minimal wave, post-punk, shoegaze, indie and everything in between. No need to spill more thoughts, the mix is dope and Kutmah's story that goes with it should put you in the right mindset:

"In L.A as a teen I used to stay up all night (sober, I was straight edge till age 24) drawing in my sketchbook listening to harsh and beautiful noises in my headphones. Once my mum fell asleep I would sneak out and go skate the church by my house or some nights we would go to Kontrol Faktory in Hollywood and dance our heads off or play pool while some dude was getting whipped by a domi ... The band Babyland would drum with chainsaws on metal lids and let off full cans of air fresheners ... That shit smelled horrible With this mix I'm transporting you to these exciting times with a taste of the bar scene from fire walk with me"

Support Kutmah by buying the mix here, and stream it below.

Bestial Mouths - I Am The Spell // video

New video from Bestial Mouths, taken from their upcoming album 'R.O.T.T. (inmyskinn)' and directed by Nath Milburn. Inspired "by experiences with bullies and abusers", the single aims to reclaim the power from them through this goth/industrial composition (that brings to mind early ∆AIMON tracks). You can cop the single here.

Tuesday 26 April 2022

Levan Shanidze - Erozia

Levan Shanidze is a musician from Georgia (the country), now based in London, who released a couple of months ago his new album "Erozia" on Mexican imprint Inner Most. Sitting at the intersection of modern classical music, ambient landscapes and free-jazz, the album sounds like a calmer, more celestial cousin of Ben Frost's By "The Throat" - while it still flirts with nature and organic sounds, it feels more like a meditation music rather than hair-raiser.

"Erozia" is out on cassette tapes which can be ordered here. Alternatively you can check the album below.

CH Rom - It's The CH Rom Band

I remember teasing this a few months back, and today I realised the album must be out. Well here it is in all its wacky glory. "Bizzaro synth-pop jams for mutant millenial opera set in a (post) consumerist world" was the phrase I used to describe the singles promoting "It's The CH Rom Band", and this still sticks. Totally out there LP, sort of like flipping through the TV channels in the early 90 on mushrooms. If you're looking for something different, look no further.

The album is available for free on bandcamp. Stream below.

Monday 25 April 2022

Tenderness Of Wolves - Colours

The debut EP from Tenderness Of Wolves has finally landed. "Colours" consists of 8 horror-themed landscapes, which while rooted in the old school witch-house approach, manage to defy categorisation by the genre's modern standards. Dark ambient is mixed with obscure occult samples, while harrowing drones pave the way for cold synths and sparse beats. A few of the tracks should be already well known to anyone who followed the group for a while, but there are some unexpected (and most welcome) additions. "Devil (Pandaemonium)" gets an omnious d'n'b treatment, while "Anatomy of Dub" is a slowly burning and stripped down remix of "Anatomy of Terror". Overall, I must admit this is one of the best witchy releases I've heard so far this year and a must-buy for the next Bandcamp day for sure.

You can buy "Colours" here, and stream it in all its glory below.

Saturday 23 April 2022

Modern Collapse - Usual Case Scenario

"Usual Case Scenario" is the new album from French duo Modern Collapse, composed of Gabriel de Sercey and Hugo Fabry. Even though the record kicks off with a celestial free-jazz ambience, the record-proper is actually filled with a swathe of post-dubstep sounds, jungle breaks, and bass workouts for all the heads that miss the mid-2000s underground vibes. There's something here for all the loners who like to wonder and wander, but club aficionados should also dig the twisted dembow and breakbeats of "Stolen Whispers In The Club", as well as sci-fidm and breaks of "Rush". Definitely a grower.

The album is out now on CD via Dawn Records, and can be purchased here. Stream after the jump.

Friday 22 April 2022

Erica Mar - 929_908BPM

A bit of a throwback from 2021, and a lead track from the compilation "Visions: A Benefit Compilation for Artsakh". Erica Mar used to go by Powwoww, and now makes glorious mutant electronica, that draws equally from techno, experimental house and even a bit from her witchy roots. Alien sounds. You can cop the whole compilation here, it's all for a good cause.

Thursday 21 April 2022

Stay Healthy - Shoot At The Sun // video

Stay Healthy are back with a new grunge/witch track "Shoot At The Sun" and an accompanying spontaneous video. i wanna see the streets dark in a star frown, enjoy.

Vascha - Tears 2 My Eyes / Crashing

New Scenery is a relatively new label from London focusing on promoting womxn, non- binary and LGBTQ+ artists. Their latest release, "Tears 2 My Eyes / Crashing" EP, comes from Brighton-based Vascha, and it's a 3-track blend of deconstructed club beats and liquid hyperpop charm, all wrapped up in a package with an EDM appeal. All the tracks also manage to conjure this slightly cold, unsettling, witchy vibe - in particular "Tears 2 My Eyes". Think of Hudson Mohawke, but on steroids and wrapped in a razor-wire.

The EP is out today and you can buy it here, alongside a zine that goes with the release. Alternatively you can stream it below.

Wednesday 20 April 2022

Meet Me After Sundown - Shadow Self

Meet Me After Sundown is the new alter-ego of Budapest-based producer Dorothy Khaos, previously known as Dorothy Waste. On her new EP "Shadow Self", first under the new alias, she dives into the post-dubstep and dark techno realm, bringing in her witch/industrial electronic experience, which makes this 4-track release truly compelling. Deep bass and thumping beats bring to mind the dystopian Neo-Tokyo from Akira, I'd love to see "dance in the fire" paired with the video of the bike chase scene from the anime. It's a change of style and pace in comparison to her Waste project, but I can totally stand behind this evolution (that being said, I still like her DW project, especially the early EPs).

Buy "Shadow Self" on bandcamp here, and stream it in full below.

The Implicit Order x Voodoo Crystals - Clouds Eating Themselves (An Endless Loop)

Haven't heard much of that slow, twisted ambient with a witchy edge lately, stuff that I††, Pwin Teaks and Mahr used to put out on a regular basis back in the day. So it's a nice surprise to have this collab track between The Implicit Order and Voodoo Crystals land in my mailbox today. By channelling screwed drones, industrial experimentation and noir glitches the duo managed to craft a track that brings to mind the uneasy vibe from The Black Lodge, but with a weird 70s/80s sci-fi appeal. I dig it.

Tuesday 19 April 2022

Keefe - Execution, Pts. 1 & 2

Keefe is a Chicago-based electronic producer who I discovered thanks to the great Palms Out blog. This month he premiered two 2-track singles on his bandcamp, both oscillating between dark techno and breaks that should appeal to underground ravers. Dope stuff. You can cop them both here and here, or stream below.

Monday 18 April 2022

Embryo Issue #1

Absolutely sick project curated by Alex Hall from Natural Sciences. "Embryo" is a 54-page long black and white magazine dedicated to underground music, featuring interviews with Beau Wanzer, Hieroglyphic Being, Ki Jeal, Fumu and Margenrot among many others. The package also includes a 12" record with two deconstructed techno joints from Smpl Smpl, a A3 Poster and a digital mixtape from Sawf. Initiatives like this one get my full backing, you can buy Embryo here.

Sunday 17 April 2022

Black Light District - California Reaper

Black Light District is back with a new single. "California Reaper" is a short and sweet coldwave jam with a catchy bassline and gothic charm. While at it, make sure to also check out this interview with The Gothic Moose, Stan shares some interesting insights on his background, inspirations and Ukraine. Recommended.

Saturday 16 April 2022

David Lynch - Ghost Of Love

Sacred Bones Records is set to give a vinyl treatment to two of David Lynch's tracks from the "Inland Empires" soundtrack. "Ghost Of Love" backed with "Imaginary Girl" will be pressed on black/silver and coke bottle clear vinyl. The latter variant (which is exclusive to the label's webstore) will be the first one to come out alongside the digital version on April 29th, while the retail version will come out on July 15th. The bandcamp streams are still blocked, but you can check out the titular track above.

Friday 15 April 2022

Romance & Dean Hurley - In Every Dream Home A Heartache

After that great tribute to Celine Dion from January this year, Romance is back with a collab album with Dean Hurley, a musician, sound designer and a longtime David Lynch collaborator. The result is somewhat ethereal, a collection of fleeting words and moments, lost-in-the-static mood pieces and ambient atmospheres. Sort of like Burial's beat-less soundscapes, but "In Every Dream Home A Heartache" feels like it is more meant for the ballroom from The Shining, rather than a soundtrack to those lonely London night walks.

You can buy tapes from Boomkat, or digital directly from bandcamp here. The whole album is available for streaming below.

Thursday 14 April 2022

CRAVE - Death Blow

I swear this guy doesn't sleep, another incredible mini-album from CRAVE just dropped today. Six tracks of genre-bending and genre-blending sinister beats, that offer excursion into John's ever-evolving musical taste and creative mind. From cinematic synth through noise-trap and industrial to dark ambient and drone, CRAVE shapeshifts from one track to another, while skillfully maintaining cohesiveness and keeping the listener immersed in this hellish sonic world. I feel like I barely savoured his previous album from last month, but I'm not complaining here, "Death Blow" does not disappoint. Play it loud.

As always, this project dropped on Paso Inferior Tapes, there's no word whether it will see a physical release, but I'll keep you in the loop. You can cop the digital copy here, and stream it in full below. Also, if you liked "Paradise Hotel", there are now some tapes to buy, super limited and going fast. Head over here to get one.

Stay Healthy - We're Not 4 You

Stay Healthy just premiered on their Soundcloud a brand new showcase / demo mixtape filled with unreleased snippets of tracks they will be playing at shows. Hit play above for this sick dose of underground heat, or check it out on SC here. The track that starts at 2:34 is insane, cannot wait for the full version.

Wednesday 13 April 2022

Edith Underground - I Need U (Instrumental)

New Soundcloud drop, Edith goes Clammy Clams on this one (with an upbeat twist half way through). Wonderful cloud rap instrumental sampling "The Gate" by Caroline Polachek, it begs for a Main Attrakionz collab.

Tuesday 12 April 2022

Final Flesh - Decades N Decades Of Distressing Gifts

Final Flesh is the alias of London-based producer who used to hide behind Nowa Huta name (Tri Angle fans may still recall him from the early line-up of the label, or alternatively from the epic МИШКА compilation "The Guide To Grave Wave"). He's been low-key dropping EPs and albums on SC and Bandcamp over the last few years, and a couple of days ago he compiled most of those releases into a handy 13-track best-of. His music sounds like 80s / early 90s MTV and bizarro TV shows compressed into a VHS that's eternally looped in a video player. Mutant glam, weirdo noise-pop, stadium vapor-rock, it's all here. Fans of James Ferraro and Sam Meringue will dig this.

So far the compilation has been released on Soundcloud only as a streamable release, so head over here to give it a spin or check it out below. Hopefully it'll get a downloadable bandcamp release at some point in the future.

Monday 11 April 2022

N8NOFACE - On My Side

New video single promoting N8NOFACE's upcoming album "Homicide" is out, and it's a blast. The minimal beat paired with croaking vocals is fantastic, I've been digging this dude's music since his CRIMEKILLZ days, so happy to see how far he managed to push his vision and art. The album will be out on Blackhouse Records on April 25th, and can be preordered (in vinyl, CD and tape form) here. Make sure to also check it out on bandcamp here.

Sunday 10 April 2022

The Lovecraft Sextet - These Nights / Darkness // video

Not one, but two videos promoting the latest album from The Lovecraft Sextet aka Jason Köhnen (of The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble fame). Paired with the footage pulled from the short film Alma by Dutch filmmaker Kevin Kessels, both tracks venture into the darkjazz territory known from Köhnen's band, but 'brightened up' with a dose of synthwave. If you're after some smokey room nostalgia dive, check this out. The album is out now on Denovali Records, and will be soon also pressed on vinyl and CD (which you can order here).

Saturday 9 April 2022

Horse MacGyver - 044 'End Effector'

Tim Dwyer aka Horse MacGyver is set to release new album for Australian label Nice Music (his second LP with them after "Deep Fakes"). There's currently one single available for stream, "FL3X1", which sounds like synth dadaism or experimental outsider music. Definitely not for everyone, but if you like chaotic good then this may be an album to look forward to...

"044 'End Effector'" will be out on April 15th on vinyl and digital, and can be pre-ordered here.

Thursday 7 April 2022

Croatian Amor - Remember Rainbow Bridge

Latest album from the Copenhagen-based artist Loke Rahbek aka Croatian Amor. This is my first foray into his work, dude's prolific as hell, just check out his Discogs page. Described as "homage to youth and the delicate metamorphosis that occurs as childhood trips into maturity", the album seems to be constantly evolving, morphing between its floating ambient aura and the trance-like lush electronica that early-days Sun Angels and Oklou has been putting out for a while. I feel like it's an album that needs full attention to appreciate its intricacies, ideally on headphones. Really pleasant surprise, and what a great starting point to dive into Loke's back catalogue.

"Remember Rainbow Bridge" came out on Posh Isolation on March 25. You can cop the LP on CA's bandcamp here, and stream the whole thing below.

Wednesday 6 April 2022

Pharmacist - Neglect

"Neglect" is a new track from Pharmacist, a hypnotic drone trail with some seriously unsettling background sounds scattered across its length. This is the kind of music you don't want to hear while trekking at dusk in the woods. Not sure whether this will be out on his bandcamp, but judging by previous singles, it will be most likely bundled with another b-side single.

Ritualz - Static Noise

New month, new maxi-single from Ritualz, I must admit I totally respect that hustle and commitment. Like the previous three maxis, it is promoting his upcoming album "Radical Macabro", and will also include a couple of new tracks, Placebo cover, and two remixes by Bloody Knives and noaura. So far I've only heard "Static Noise", a post-industral track with some witchy and post-punk influences embedded at its core, meaning it should go just fine with "Dose", "Nadir" and "Disintegration". Full single will be coming out on April 26th, so watch this space.

Tuesday 5 April 2022

Stay Healthy - 3VRCRY

New single from Stay Healthy, dropped last month, I could swear I blogged about it, but better late than never. Most exciting WH group out there? Yessir. That second half of the track kills me, love them.

Monday 4 April 2022

Comfort Cure - Cuts The Line

Comfort Cure is an electronic roducer from Detroit, Michigan. His upcoming album "Cuts The Line" is set to drop at some point this month via his own imprint Rec. Body Ltd., and he's teasing it on his bandcamp page with two singles that stealthily move between synthpunk, EBM and industrial techno boundaries. Totally into this, and looking forward to the whole release. You can pre-order the record here.

Sunday 3 April 2022

Spike Hellis - Spike Hellis

Incredible debut album from the LA-based duo comprised of Cortland Gibson and Elaine Chang. Released on April 1st via their own imprint Over-Pop, the self-titled LP follows up the 2020 EP "Crisis Talk" (originally released under Dock Hellis monkier). The result is a minimal, raw and charged with pure energy record that offers a unique spin on modern body music. While oozing the tekno-EBM and industrial influences all over the album, Spike Hellis also offer a more obscure and mutoid take on the genre. Tracks like "Flight" or "Slices" sound like they were forged in fire by //TENSE//, Vandalaze and PC World. They actually got a co-sign from the former's frontman Robert Lane during their recent show, as well as a shout out from Light Asylum's Shannon Funchess - that should speak volumes. As far as I know the album should come out soon-ish on a cassette tape as well as vinyl, but the details are still a bit foggy at the moment. Keep your eyes peeled.

You can grab the digital version here, and stream it below.

Saturday 2 April 2022

The Present Moment - Enough To Drive You Mad

Young & Cold Records started taking pre-orders for The Present Moment's upcoming album "Enough To Drive You Mad", which is scheduled for May 1st. Joined by Jason Dunn, Milton Scott crafted a record that is said to draw inspiration from the works of Portishead, David Bowie, Trent Reznor, Pink Floyd, The Cure and Depeche Mode. There are currently three singles on the bandcamp page, each unique and a living proof of the massive journey Scott travelled from his dark synth-pop Disaro days to this very moment. Support!

You can order the album in CD and vinyl formats here, and stream the singles below.

Friday 1 April 2022

Kutmah - Deep Crates People Unification Mix

Kutz is back with this new Bandcamp Friday mixtape. "Deep Crates People Unification Mix" is a tasteful blend of hip-hop, soul, latin, african, jazz, psych and everything in between music, all mixed into a 3 hour long sonic journey. Massive recommendation. While at it, Kutmah also dropped two other mixtapes last month (which I didn't report on), promoting his beat night Raw Cakes. Check part 1 here and part 2 here.

Male Tears - Domin8 // video

Riding on the wave from last year's "Trauma Club", Male Tears are back with a new single and video "Domin8". Darkwave/electro banger of sonic submission, dig it! You can buy the track on their bandcamp here.

Forever Grey - Sympathy Garden

The new album from Forever Grey is out now. "Sympathy Garden" consists of eight tracks of classy coldwave, minimal darkwave, post-punk basslines and morbid lyrics. This should work well both in a goth nightclub as well as during a romantic walk through the cemetery. After my first stream I must say it may be my fav album from them, I just wish there was more vocal contribtions from Samanta.

Check out "Sympathy Garden" on their bandcamp, and stream it in full after the jump.