A Place Both Wonderful And Strange have been on hiatus for many years, so the announcement of a new album a few months back was a pleasant surprise, especially because I've been following them for over a decade. The record, released by the industrial/witch house powerhouse Re:Mission Entertainment, saw the light of day in April, but it took me four months to finally sit down and give it a proper listen - and boy, did I miss out. "Matter And Desire" is fucking incredible, it takes me to places I didn't expect, and sounds unlike anything APBWAS have released prior. Sadly, I haven't had a chance to read "Matter and Desire: An Erotic Ecology" (Andreas Weber's book that inspired the album), but at face value this music is a deliriously delicious project. It oscillates between industrial and club-friendly bangers ("Shedding Velvet", "It's Not That Bad", "Muffin") and heavier, more experimental song structures - all submerged in glimpses of our protagonists' forbidden diary. It's the sort of stuff you maybe shouldn't listen to, but can't help yourself - an intoxicatingly thrilling ride. Fucking ace.
Make sure to support the band by buying the CD here. Stream the album in full below.