Jeezums, what a week for news and opinions in Our Thing. Now we know you don’t come here to hear us rehash the same arguments and opinions we’re sure many of you have been a party too over the last seven days, but we do have a little something we’d like to address with regards to online discourse and an oft-repeated myth. There’s a not uncommon belief that this sort of thing (some would call it drama, a term we have no love for when it comes to debate and argumentation) is somehow unique to the gothic and industrial community, and it’s this sort of internet sniping that is holding the music back from wider exposure. We’re not sure why people think that, as our time spent in various other musical communities, from metal to hip hop and beyond has yielded even more ludicrous and petty argumentation. While there’s probably something to the idea that an insular community will tend to feed on itself in times of duress, it’s certainly not something that is built-in or exclusive to our music and our scene. We’re a relatively small grouping in the grand scheme of global music, and while that means we’re all a bit more likely to spark off one another, it’s also safe to say that much larger music scenes have more people, bands, promoters and venues to fertilize turmoil. So let’s keep it in perspective huh, arguing online ain’t something special only we do, and it’s not the exclusive (and elusive) reason “we can’t have nice things”. Now let’s all take a refreshing sip of a nice summer beverage and concentrate on what’s important: new tunes.
Uncle Claus rockin' two dogs. Fresh look.
Leaether Strip, “The Gift”
If you love Leaether Strip like we love do, please consider hopping over to Bandcamp and grabbing the new single “The Gift”. Recorded for Uncle Claus’ husband Kurt, the proceeds will be put towards making making his recovery from a kidney transplant (a kidney provided by Claus himself, f’real) a little more comfortable. Let’s reiterate: Claus Larsen is giving his hubby a damn internal organ, and recorded him a special song on top of it. Amazing. And hey, if the power of true love ain’t enough to move you, maybe the b-side, a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Man in Black” will do the job.
Komor Kommando, “Ginnunga”
ID:UD would like to congratulate friend of the site Seb Komor on the birth of his first son Max! That’s a pretty huge life event, but it certainly doesn’t seem to be slowing the expert producer and artist down: Alfa Matrix has the forthcoming Komor Kommando album Vikings, Thrones and Dragonbones in a few short weeks, definitely playing up the epic swords n’ strings that have been popping up in Seb’s recent productions. Check out “Ginnunga” for a taste of what the album might sound like, balancing bombast with some deep orchestration and a bit of a rock touch to the rhythm section. Oh, and all y’all producers looking for some of that magic could do worse than to check out Komor’s recent pack of patches for Native Instrument’s Massive while you’re at it.
Venal Flesh, “Grotesque (Pre-Surgery Mix)”
On that congratulatory tip, we’d also like to extend some ID:UD love to our friend across the pond Nick Quarm, whose Juggernaut Music Group is celebrating their second birthday! And surprise, despite it not being your birthday, you’re getting a present in the form of this free compilation of Juggernaut artists, showcasing the wide range of sounds the label represents. Peep this track from Worms of the Earth side-project Venal Flesh, bringing back that late 90s/early 2000s dark electro sound.
Kevorkian Death Cycle, “Tempest II”
It’s probably not a coincidence that Alex Reed (of Seeming, and author of the spectacular Assimilate) posted Kevorkian Death Cycle’s amazing late 90s electro-industrial ballad “Tempest” on the same day KDC uploaded a demo to a new song called “Tempest II” to Soundcloud. The two songs share the same slowburning build, if anything this sort of thing reinforces the distinctly euro sensibility we detected on the last KDC full-length, hella atmosphere and a distinguished grasp of melody that look good on a project of this vintage. How many industrial artists of any ilk can make classical guitar work for them?
Glass Apple Bonzai, “An Astrophysicist Love Story”
Finally, a nice treat from our favourite Canadian classic synthpop project Glass Apple Bonzai. It wasn’t long ago that the debut album dropped, but Daniel X Belasco has already almost completed a new EP Night Maze, to be released some time this Summer. Here’s a song set to appear on it: originally commissioned during the album’s crowdfunding phase, it’s a charming tale of two scientists separated by a great distance and their plan to bring themselves back together.
