We hope folks dug yesterday’s look back at a classic record, but it’s time for this week’s batch of brand-spankin’ new cuts from around the globe’s darker corners. This week and next’s posting schedule are gonna be a bit topsy turvy between Canuckistan Thanksgiving and our trip to LA for DB20 this coming weekend, but between the return of our So Fragile mixtape series, and the imminent arrival of The Great Debate II, we’re pretty excited about everything that’s going on around the HQ of late. Enjoy these tracks, and don’t forget to say hi if you’re at DB20! We’ll be the tall guys crying and yelling along with Dan Gatto’s Continues set.
Agent Side Grinder? I heard they like synthesizers.
The Gothsicles, “4 Fat Guys”
You’d think as Canadians we’d be able to offer a bit of insight into the art of min-maxing one’s team on NES classic Ice Hockey, but we’re as derelict in our knowledge of our national winter sport as Brian seems to be in thinking out concepts for new ‘Sicles tracks. Hey-o! We kid. It’s always a treat to have The Gothsicles’ special brand of grab-assery back in the mix, and we’re looking forward to whatever pop culture minutiae I Feel Sicle dredges up from our collective unconscious like Dagon.
Coldkill, “Leave It All Behind (ADR Mix) (Demo)”
We’ve already received two excellent maxi-singles from Rexx Arkana’s moody synthpop project Coldkill, but we’re now getting the first taste of the project’s debut…sort of. This looks to be a demo take on a tune which’ll appear on the Distance By Design LP, remixed by Mike Jenney of Alter Der Ruine. It’s tempting to try to pick out which of the reverbed synth sounds are the work of Jenney’s hand and which are native to the tune, but we suppose all will be revealed in due time, and until Distance By Design is out we can nod along with bits like this which confirm the downcast yet slinky mode Coldkill seems to be thriving in.
Alter Der Ruine, “Bottom Feeder part 2”
For those of you who slept on the ultra-limited CD version of Alter Der Ruine’s Gravity Hunts Us All, this is the super secret bonus track that capped off that version of the fabulous EP. Now that ADR are getting an Indiegogo ramped up to help support their upcoming tour, they’ve re-released the track as a reward for anyone who wants to throw them a buck or two to help them on their way. The band are high on our list of must-sees at DB20, and we’re always keen to highlight the thoughtful, melancholic direction their work has taken over the last few years.
Fires, “Counting Walls”
Here’s the first track from the new project by Eric Sochocki of Becoming The Devourer (and late of Cryogen Second). Becoming The Devourer’s EP signaled a shift into more atmospheric territory, and for the first minute of “Counting Walls” you’d think the same of Fires, until its dense programming slams into a relentless electro-stormer. An auspicious beginning to be sure, and the sort of fare that Imperative Reaction used to dabble in on occasion.
Agent Side Grinder, “A Question of Time”
You know, a Depeche Mode cover has to be pretty special for us to take notice of it. We’ve just heard so many of them, you know? That said, the fellas at Agent Side Grinder have managed to put their stamp on one of the Mode’s most classic mid-era tunes, transferring some of the original’s urgency into even more sinister territory. Also, where few vocalists can sub-in for Dave Gahan without coming off weak, Kristoffer Grip acquits himself more than adequately.
Prothese, “Music For Muted TV 3a”
Prothese is a project by Daniel B. of Front 242 fame, an outlet for the storied sound designer and programmer’s more outré cinematic sounds that actually predates his similar work as Nothing But Noise. The songs released thus far from the project were all recorded between 2006-2010 and are just now seeing release thanks to the folks at Wool-E Tapes. For those of you who don’t fuck with cassettes (or who missed out on the limited run), there’s always good ol’ Bandcamp, where each side of the tape has been mastered as a single MP3 for your immersive pleasure. Dig that classic synth style from a master in his element.
