Surprising neofolk/country offering from Avi Roig aka Harsh R. "Tired Of Living" consists of two pitch-black Americana bangers and six (mostly) acoustic compositions that thematically and stylistically match the others. The titular opener is a strong contender for my fav doom-and-gloom song of the year. A truly impressive side-project for Avi that brings to mind early days of King Dude.
Get the album here, each purchase will be passed on to Trans Lifeline. Stream all the songs below.
White Columns is an experimental noise/industrial project of Jolan Lisle, a bassist and electronic musician based in Adelaide, Australia. His debut WC release, "Public Witness", consists of four sound sculptures shaped by noise and musique concrète explorations. It's a harsh and uncompromising mix - yet surprisingly approachable, thanks in part to its vaguely familiar samples and sounds. Perfect soundtrack for a cozy Monday night in.
Download it here, and stream in full down below.
Short, fast and addictive tekk serving from Size Zero, formelly known as Dogbraces. "Rupture" consists of three tracks that cross-pollinate techno and acid universes, and the result will make you want to move, or at the very least, spark the urge to play Wipeout on PlayStation. Soundcloud-only, download the tracks here.
Drone/dark ambient conjurings courtesy of Australian mystery composer Estes Regional Library, channelling eerie hauntological soundscapes, noise transmissions, and shards of voice samples. Feels like an uncomfortable climb up a tower with vertigo. Download here.
Fantastic surprise from the Bus Gas collective, who released some incredible music during the cassette tape revival of the 2010s. Their new album, "Mercy View", came out a few days ago and has taken over my speakers ever since. Drone, dark ambient, and post-rock fluidly merge into one another, creating a record that feels like a sound sculpture - one that rewards attention to detail to fully appreciate its complexities.
You can purchase the vinyl here, and stream the whole LP below.
"Turning Point" is a new EP from witch house producer Exsufflation that crystallizes and solidifies his style after the eclectic debut album "Dream Life". The opener "Aperture" is a darkly epic, ready to soundtrack a gloomy sci-fi thriller. The ethereal vocals bring life to synth-heavy "Cold", while "Flight" delivers some quality melodic witch house in a Dipset Trance-style - total banger. The two closing tracks "Underdog" and "Widow" will make your downstairs neighbour hate you with their huge thumping beats and bass pulses. Great stuff.
Support Exsufflation by getting the EP here. Stream all the tracks below.
New track from British composer Attic Black, "Holographic Lantern (1&2)", is 13 minutes of pulsing, industrial dark ambient that edges close to minimal techno and transforms into a warped ballroom recording towards the end. Haunting vibes. The release also includes a hardfloor acid remix by Relict Hominid. Get both tracks here.
First single from the upcoming album ",,, as long as i long to memorise your sky ,,," from Portland-based ambient composer Elijah Jamal Asani. The longplay will see the light of day thanks to the fine folks at AKP Recordings, with a release date set to May 2nd. The two-track video above presents us with a spiritual journey told through the most delicate sounds and whispers of nature. Blissful and relaxing stuff. You can pre-order the record here.
Rio Obskur is the alias of Viennese multimedia artist, musician and producer Marion Ludwig, who also records under Out Of Character (OOC) and Nella Lenoir. Her fourth EP "Hommage" was released a few months ago, and introduced me to her dark coldwave sound, driven by crisp drums and pulsing bass, which feels like it was teleported straight from the 1980s. Atmospheric and minimal, the project fits perfectly into the "next wave acid punx" timeline curated by Curses.
Buy the EP here, and stream all the tracks down below.
Void Ant is Scott Saad, Canadian musican, producer and 1/2 of the kosmische duo Tetsüo ii. His new one-track album "From Beyond..." explores outerspace portals through slowed down drones and tones. Dark and moody. Download here.
A new recording from the T/I/O archives, "Love Me And I'll Leave You" delves into ambient-noise territories - with great results. Stream here.
New video single promoting Montoya's upcoming EP "You & Me". Mellow slowcore. Support and buy the single here.
The new Mutant Zones mix is here, straight from the Australian underground icon Ourobonic Plague, who stitched together clips from the soundtracks of movies and TV shows into a 50-minute, visuals-inducing trip. Spanning multiple genres and decades, this one will be a special treat for all the small and big screen connoisseurs. Stream below, and like with all our mixes, you can also download it directly from Soundcloud. Enjoy!
Whenever I see a notification in my mailbox that a new volume of STRFLL's "WIAWI" dropped, my day instantaneously gets better. Witch-doom sludge oozes slowly from my speakers while playing this sixth part of the unreleased demos series, once again delivering a stream of top notch blackened witch house. I feel like this release is even darker, noisier and more hardcore than the previous ones. Treat for ears of those who are worthy. Support STRFLL here by donating a few £/€/$ if you can.
Back from the silent void, Deathh Cvlt is back with a new song "This Is My Life Now" on his Soundcloud page. Organ elegy from a haunted theatre play. Hopefully there will be more to follow. Stream the track here.
SAI (of Ms. Machine fame) delivers a powerful blend of bass, spoken word and screwed trap on her latest single "Got Oq Kid". Download here.
Yemen Civil Servant delivered on his latest album "Trauma Market" a mix of middle eastern noise and dark ambient, all interwoven with an enchanting Persian flair. Layers of grainy textures are applied to zoned out synths and occasional drum patterns, creating a captivating release that lands somewhere between fourth world music and raw electronics. Fantastic stuff.
Buy the digital album here, and stream it below.
Death's Cold Embrace is an Australian goth project from Chris Booker, who cut his teeth in several rock bands over the last two decades (Purveyors Of The Irregular, Bad To The Bone, Barry And The Beachcombers, to name a few). His latest solo venture embraces darkwave sounds and coats them in a syrupy witchhouse layer, giving the single "No Tomorrow" an edge familiar to fans of In Death It Ends or Mellow Grave. The package also comes with a slo+rev version. Support here.
GR†LLGR†LL is back! Feels like a 2010 indie noise-folk. There's also a whole album on unreleased material on his Bandcamp, but will leave this one for another post in the future. Stream "Spoiled Boys..." here.
Montoya has been on my radar since 2022 and has appeared on the pages of this blog many times under various aliases. I've been a massive fan of his music since his first album "Paradise", so it's a privilege to chat with him about his beginnings, music, inspirations, and future plans. Definitely check out his socials - Bandcamp has a ton of stuff you can buy to support him directly. All his links are listed at the end of this interview. Montoya has also created an exclusive mix for Mutant Zones titled "BloodOnMyNikes". It's packed with rare and ill tracks, and fans of his music will know exactly what to expect. For everyone else - strap in.
Two post-punk jams from Brandon Biondo's New Romantics. The project's roots trace back to 2013 when it was known as Shy Boys, featuring Brandon, Nichole McMinn, and Chris Rusk. The band released two singles before rebranding as The New Romantics. Eleven years and one self-titled album later, Brandon remains the sole creative force behind the project. The two-track single above is his latest release - a melodic, new (dark) wave sound that feels timeless.
Buy the single here, and stream both tracks below.
Human Hollow recently dropped a new single, delivering a barrage of cold industrial beats that provide a stark landscape for Luna's vocals and Austin's adlibs. With its minimal structure, "Project Apathy" comes full circle, echoing the raw energy of their debut track "Medic". Buy and stream here.
"IAMNOTAPHEXTWIN" - the genre-blending alien mixtape from Voodoo Crystals heralds the return of the Mutant Zones mix series! After the amazing first volume from STRFLL last year, I'm happy to present the second installment, curated and compiled by Voodoo Crystals. His selection is as unorthodox as his music, spanning styles, decades and tempos. Fantastic listen from start to finish, and like STRFLL's tape - free to download from Soundcloud. Make sure to check this interview I did with Adam back in 2023, and head over to his Bandcamp page to check out his music.
Boston-based producer Rob Gregorio (aka Trevor Ellis?) pulls the strings behind the new witch-house project Exsufflation. His debut album "Dream Life" was released in the summer of 2024 and has been on my "to blog" list ever since. Consisting of eight eclectic tracks (plus two hidden bonus remixes), the record reflects Exsufflation's influences and taste, offering a glimpse into his nightmarish sonic world. Elements of a modern take on the genre can be heard throughout the album; however, he also manages to inject a solid dose of creepy and unexpected samples, giving "Dream Life" the spooky, DIY feel that characterised the first wave of witch house. A solid debut that offers something for everyone interested in the dark electronic music scene.
Buy the album here, and stream it in full down below.
Here's one of those Bandcamp discoveries that got me hooked straight away. Spelling Hands is a duo consisting of producer Bryan Bermudez and vocalist Michael Angelo, both based in Las Vegas. Their music sits in a sweet spot between dark electro, darkwave and witchy beat. Very cool stuff. Download the single here.
Crown of Stars is a new, surprise side project from Denver-based producer and musician Preston Weippert, probably best known for his noise alter ego Volunteer Coroner. On "A Need For Something" he directs our attention away from tape manipulations, obscure drones and twisted loops, instead serving up a cocktail of trance-injected and club-oriented compositions. Although Preston has an experimental techno project Fentanyl Fantasy, which draws inspiration from underground dance music, Crown of Stars feels less gritty and creepy, and more warehouse-ready. This is one to lose yourself in for the night.
Get the album on CD here, and stream it below.
Alienobserver (aka Meg Campbell) is a synth-pop singer and producer based in Orlando, Florida. Her new EP "Metamorphosis" came out last Friday on Popnihil, and manages to capture some of that early Grimes free-spirited energy, spread across four eclectic songs. From dream pop that evokes ethereal sound of Boy Friend ("Heart Beats") to mellow synth-pop with darkwave claws ("Kerosene Anatomy"), slow-mo synthwave ("Never Be The Same"), and lo-fi beats ("You Got Me") - there's plenty to choose from.
Get yourself a tape here, and stream all four tracks after the jump.
Dubby transmission from Berlin, courtesy of Lens Art remixing indie pop-rock songwriter Samt Martin. Lens, also known as Disassociate, is an Austrian producer who released some zany music in 2010s, and returned in 2023 with album "Gamma Love". This remix can be purchased on Samt's Bandcamp page, alongside two other remixes.
Bitter Course is one of the many faces of Bratislava-based musician and experimental producer Juraj Bolf. His latest album "Fragments Of Paradise", released on Language Instinct and Cosmic Cause Prophecies, is anchored in a liminal space between ghostly ambient and noise. Filled with familiar textures and foreign landscapes, it feels like watching an amnesiac struggle to operate a lost and found department from a detached, third-person perspective. Sound collages and fuzzy tones wander in and out, while crackling sounds deliver brief jolts that snap you back to reality.
Limited edition tapes are available here (US edition). EU version is sold out. Stream the album below.
Texas-based multi-genre producer Vanix took on White Ring's modern classic "Leprosy" and cooked this insane industrial/raw EBM remix. Stream on Soundcloud.
Although "Bolted" came out well over a year ago, I never properly sat down to write my thoughts on it, even though Forest Swords' gig at Institute of Contemporary Arts in London was my favourite live performance of 2023. The album cover itself is a huge hint at what hides behind it - eleven songs for post-industrial electronic wastelands. This may be FS bleakest album yet, but it still manages to pack a punch with its stellar arrangements, melodies and haunting vocals - all of which create the perfect cocktail for late-night swaying in a dreamlike haze, consumed by the sound. Insane replay value.
Check out a selection of vinyl options here. Stream the album below.
E_DEATH edited my favourite song from Salem's second album! Her take on "Sears Tower" is a hardkick juggernaut that enhances all the best bits of the original, and supplies an adrenaline boost to the track. Stream here.
"Glacial Dissociation" marks Cementation Anxiety's return to the Language Instinct label - one year after his previous EP "Transience Frequency". The title may be foreshadowing, but this new dark ambient EP feels like a dirge for the irreversible changes brought by melting glaciers. The sombre tone of these five sound sculptures signals the arrival of disillusionment with the world around you. Sonic doom and gloom, but what a captivating and beautiful way to go. The EP is out now on limited edition tapes.
You can buy the cassettes directly from CA (or here). Stream the EP below.
The Implicit Order has been busy working for the past few weeks, with new tracks popping up on his Soundcloud feed every other day. "Callback 3" is one of the most recent ones - a short, haunted piece that evokes the same feelings Tracy Widdens' music channeled on "Ethereal Mischief". Eerie vocals looped over distorted keys will lure you in until the wall of noise comes crashing down. Stream here.
Hypnotic video single from musician Nickolas Mohanna, whose new album "Speaker Rotations" will be released tomorrow, March 7th, on AKP Recordings. This makes me feel like I'm on a boat drifting the Amazon River, sailing towards the unknown.
Carya Amara is a long-running project of UK-based producer Kevin Busby, who also runs Earthrid label. His latest album "Carrion Carya Amara" is a collection of ten dark ambient compositions that evoke an eerie energy, as if they were composed for a documentary about a haunted circus site. While the droning synths and moody soundscapes really draw me in, thanks to an underlying thread of hauntology woven into each track, the record occasionally drifts into more abstract, rhythm-driven territories ("Going Home" or "Voices Out of Time"), which sometimes felt a bit out of place on repeated listens. However, the album has enough creepiness to make me come back to it over and over again.
Grab "Carrion Carya Amara" here, and stream all the tracks below.
Endings is a solo project by Philly-based musician and producer Douglas Vento. His debut release "Openings" is a four-track window into his experimental electronic universe, built on ambient and drone foundations. The opening track "Hypoxia" offers a glimmer of lushness, led by a playful arpeggio that transitions into a deconstructed synth soundscape called "Blood on Blood". The last two compositions incorporate noisier elements, adding extra texture while still remaining within this hazy, dreamy ecosystem.
Get the album on tape here. Stream below.
Vidchajj remixed Bones' "HandbookForTheRecentlyDeceased", from his last year's album "Cadaver", turning the minimal horrorcore track into a banger. Stream on Soundcloud.
New single from Cali-based duo Melancholic Crossroads dropped yesterday. "Plastic Love" delivers an electro punch and then some, with a witchy vibe haunting the composition throughout. Buy here.
Sehseiyah is the new alias of LA-based Iranian singer-songwriter Sepehr Mashiahof. While her previous project The Bedroom Witch was firmly set in the realm of synth-pop and hazy indie pop, as Sehseiyah, she weaves elements of industrial rave and acid tek into her productions, moving from the bedroom to the dancefloor. The single promotes the upcoming EP "620" set to come out on March 7th. You can pre-order it here.
Robert Eggplant is an alias of experimental sound designer and producer Luke Hayhurst from Boise, Idaho. He debuted on Language Instinct at the end of January with the album "Bacterial Wilt", which threads curiously between lo-fi ambient, tape loops and obscure field recordings - all covered in a thick layer of warm hiss.
Get the album here and stream all 14 tracks below.
It took me ages to finally sit down to this new EP from Ourobonic Plague, but I'm so glad I did. Following last year's "Slop", "G.A.: Zero: Crystallisation" offers five new compositions that feel more fleshed out and intricate. Listening to the whole release, I can't help but imagine a dystopian microcosm described by industrial beats and ominous sound design. Ourobonic Plague has always been unafraid to experiment with various genres, and here we get a short yet potent dose of drone, hip-hop, witchstep, and dark ambient Ace.
Get the EP here. Stream all the tracks down below.
Two of my favourite producers on one track, universe is good! STRFLL on the beat, Pharmacist on vocals, perfection. Buy here.
It took me a while to pick my jaw up off the floor after discovering that the legendary GrillGrill is back with a new project! "Untitled...No Use 2007/2011?" gathers eight unreleased and rare nuggets of his outsider downtempo-folk, serving an elegy to a bygone era. Fans of his original Disaro record, Goaty Tapes and all kids of lo-fi oddities will love this! Can't miss this!
Buy the album here, and stream all the songs below.
Mong Tong's "Terracotta", from their last year's album "銘 Epigraphy", got remixed by experimental rockers Liars, turning the chill psych-folk jam into a noise-rock shredder. Buy here.
"Char" is a new coldwave cut from the Parisian icon Sad Madona. Immaculate, dark dancefloor vibes. Cannot wait for a full release.
Giselle, fka 37735i6, is an ambient and drone composer and producer from Omaha, Nebraska. I discovered her work thanks to her affiliation with Language Instinct, where she released one collaborative project with Kept Netted. "Best View Of An Angel" is her latest album, a hypnotising and equally haunting ambient-drone epic that sways between sound design, field recordings, faded club and zen music. The way Giselle processes her vocals makes me think of ghostly Julianna Barwick - the whole vibe of the album is on the edge of a dream - a lush ethereal trip. Fantastic stuff.
Download the album here (or here). Stream below.
"Werewolves Of London" is the lead cut from Spike, a new signee to Gob Nation label. A cover of the 1978 single by Warren Zevon, the track is shrouded in warm, fuzzy darkwave and goth-pop influences. Love it. Spike's debut EP will be out on February 25th, and can be pre-ordered here.
Dancing In Slow Motion dropped this massive compilation filled with b-sides, remixes, edits and rarities on Bandcamp, and it's almost two hours of sick music. Boasting only one featuring (with the equally amazing Three Wishes), the whole things sounds incredibly high quality for a collection of offcuts. 100% recommended! Make sure to also check out his previous EP "Severed".
Download it here, and stream all 32 tracks down below.
Surprise remix EP from 1797071! "可視光線" features four edits of "Ka 4 Ko Sen", off her debut EP "D1$4PP34R1NG" - two witchy reimaginations from Mako herself, a surprising euro-trance raver from LSTNGT and a deconstructed witchgaze track from the newcomer Defaced Screen.
Grab all the tracks here, and stream the EP after the jump.
I'm a bit late here, but STRFLL dropped this dope mixtape for Valentine's Day. As always, her drags are second to none, slowed to perfection with a solid dose of grime and grit. The mix can be streamed on Soundcloud at the moment, hopefully it will make its way to Bandcamp at some point.
E_Death is on a grind right now, dropping projects left, right and centre, with "TR1LL" being her latest offering. Ten tracks fully committed to screwed witchhouse sound, returning to back-to-basics vibe executed to dragged perfection - something that should be appreciated by fans of those 2008-era SALEM and Aids-3D remixes.
Download the mixtape here and stream it down below.
Blog favourite The Implicit Order joins forces with a one-person band Ivonne Van Cleef for this two-track, self-described mini album "Good Guys?". Based in San José, IVC creates "lo fi rural psychedelia", a sound that, when combined with Anthony's keen ear for experimentation, results in a smokey, desert-Americana, the kind one could expect from a signature David Lynch outsider flick. Released on Wholeness Recordings, the project can be downloaded here.
Greenhouse is an alias of Curran Faris - guitarist and sound designer from Winnipeg, Manitoba. His most recent album "Sacrifice Zones", released by Belgian label Audio. Visuals. Atmosphere., refuses to leave my rotation and has been on repeat for many months now, so it's only fitting to finally write about it. Slow-burn created for empty, industrial spaces is probably the best way I could describe it, it's both calm and meditative while being packed with details, and captivating as a continous listening experience. Digest in one sitting!
Grab the tape here, and stream the album below.
