Sometimes we gotta dig deep for the Tracks posts, and sometimes the music basically falls into our laps. This is one of the latter weeks, where we actually had more than enough content to fill out the post and some leftover besides. This is of course an augur of the late year rush of albums that inevitably snows us under right up ’til we start drafting our year end lists. Go check out the podcast last week for a rundown of a couple of the albums we are anticipating, and then give these here tracks a listen, why not.

Photo courtesy of Jill Grant @takeitforgranted

SØLVE, “emptyset”
A belated happy birthday to Brant Showers of SØLVE and ∆AIMON! This new standalone track from the former incorporates nearly everything that comes to mind when we think of the two projects in a surprisingly tight package: brapping scrapes accompany huge crepuscular strings, and cryptic vocals are submerged in the sort of giant sonic space Brant is so capable of constructing via studio wizardry.

IAMX, “Northstar (Mr.Kitty remix)”
A meeting of one of the artists most pertinent to Our Thing that we never cover, and one we cover obsessively. It’s not that we dislike IAMX at all, it’s just that the senior staff hasn’t ever put in the effort to parse Chris Corner’s catalogue with the care it deserves. We might have to get on rectifying that, but in the meantime what better reason to check in on IAMX than to see what Mr.Kitty has done with one of their tracks? Taken from the new Everything is Burning release (an addendum to the last LP Metanoia), Forrest Carney brings the energy and pathos that have marked his impressive remix work in 2016.

Volt 9000 vs. Glass Apple Bonzai, “Mask (Theme Cover)”
Maybe the shortest entry in the history of this Tracks feature, but not one we could possibly overlook. As children of the 80s, we of course have a great deal of affection for the toyline cartoons of the era, and the music that accompanied them. So when we heard local favourites Volt 9000 and Glass Apple Bonzai had teamed up to cover the theme from Mask, we were reasonably excited. We’d actually shell out for a whole LP of these guys covering kids TV theme songs, no question. May we suggest “Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors” for inclusion?

Statiqbloom, “Talons Teeth”
Fade Kainer carved out a niche for his Statiqbloom project so quickly and effectively that he’s given us an itch absolutely nothing else can scratch. After the Mask Visions Poison EP and a split with Zex Model, we know exactly what we’re getting from Statiqbloom: brutal, punchy dark electro which conjures the spirits of the old masters of the genre without ever lifting too heavily from them. This taster of impending first full-length Blue Moon Blood is a strong warning shot and comes packed with three remixes.


Delerium, “Ritual (Architect remix)”
We’ll cop to not being super interested in much of the contemporary Delirium material. There’s certainly nothing wrong with it, but the intersection of the long-running Bill Leeb electronica project and Our Thing is more or less non-existent beyond the personnel involved. Still, we had to give the new single a spin, especially when we heard it had mixes from Blush Response and Architect on it. Jumping off from the bass music influence of the original version, Daniel Myer’s take on Ritual softens the edges and lends the track a loose, gauzy feel. The pitched down vocal also puts us in mind of classic Burial. Night bus vibes abound, not at all expected but certainly welcome.

Hante, “Living In A French Movie”
We were saddened by the dissolution of Minuit Machine just as we were beginning to fall hard for their dreamy combination of shoegaze and darkwave, but thankfully Hélène de Thoury is soldiering on with her Hante. project at a seemingly increased clip. New EP No Hard Feelings drops today, and lead cut “Living In A French Movie” brings the densely packed drama and synths we’ve come to love from both bands.