Morning, gang! As you may have noticed, over the weekend the last two bands scheduled to grace the ID:UD stage at Kinetik were announced: Glass Apple Bonzai, the perky synthpop side-project of the great Daniel X. Belasco of Defense Mechanism, and Seeming, the beguiling new project from Alex Reed, formerly of ThouShaltNot, currently of the incredible Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music. So, for those keeping score at home, the final line-up looks something like this: Antigen Shift, Apriorism, Displacer, For All The Emptiness, Gentleman Junkie, Glass Apple Bonzai, Kontravoid, MEND, Seeming, Volt 9000, Worms of the Earth, and Wychdoktor. All of these acts will be joining twenty-odd others (Die Form, holy shit, holy shiiiiiiiiiiit) in Toronto in May, and we couldn’t be happier to be bringing them to Kinetik! Alright, enough shameless self-promotion: on to today’s tracks!

Ooga Booga Hand Gestures

Statiqbloom, “Behind Glass”
The name Statiqbloom first came across our desk in the form of a remix for Blush Response. Turns out another New Yorker is behind the project, Fade Kainer. While normally hanging about in such stygian metal and noise company as Theologian, Jarboe, and Batillus, Statiqbloom is all about vintage electro-industrial. Thankfully both aggression and songwriting are in full effect on the Masks Visions Poison EP, which definitely merits further listening on our part (and hopefully yours as well).

M‡яc▲ll▲, “Subŧєrғugє”
Ever-reclusive yet perennially charming synth-mystics M‡яc▲ll▲ will be releasing their new LP HЄRЄŦłC on Phantasma Disques in a couple of weeks. Watch this space for a full review, but in the meantime check this nice b-side from first single Magđalєnє: big cinematic washes coming together wonderfully with their stabbier synths.

Fostercare, “Eyes Without a Face”
Well this is unexpected; a fairly straight cover of Billy Idol’s classic ballad from space-witch oddball Fostercare. We were fans of his last album Altered Creature and have been awaiting news of a follow up, but aside from a massive release of pretty much all his older material on Bandcamp it’s been all quiet on the Western front. This track apparently presages a December mixtape which in itself is a promo tool for an as yet unnamed new album in 2014. C’mon and enjoy a creepy take on what is a pretty creepy song to begin with, free download on Soundcloud!

In Death It Ends, “With Tears and Pains”
This might actually be the closest thing to a Rosetta Stone song Porl King has done since the inception of his occult instrumental project In Death It Ends. Dig that big snare, that bass driven verse, that high keening keyboard sound… it’s not a ringer or anything, but it surely feels like the work of the same artist. The physical copies of new album Analog Witch are up for pre-order (you can grab the digital now via Bandcamp), the special clear vinyl will come with a “analog instant picture” portrait that looks kinda slick in the pics on the Facebook. Oh yeah, this video is NSFW so either minimize the window or watch it on your phone in the bathroom with headphones in.

Sleepdepth, “You Know What You Are”
Finally, a tune from Albuquerque newcomer Sleepdepth’s debut tape RF△IITV (no, it’s not a Ministry cover). While the tape ranges from grindy looping noise to classic minimal wave style jams, this is some real chill, dreamy, lo-fi synth prettiness which brings the Cocteaus to mind.