Jesus, is it really May already? We were so busy crawling out from under the onslaught of albums that hit us in April (which we’re still quite a ways from getting through, thanks for asking), we barely noticed the clock tick over this weekend. Feels like every few months we end up writing about how having too much good new music is a real luxury problem, but we have been giving a lot of thought to revisiting some of the site’s older favourites of late as well, just to make sure we don’t totally forget anything in the deluge of dope albums Our Thing seems to constantly be producing these days. Maybe it was our commentary for Encephalon last week that got us thinking this way, or maybe it was just a craving for something comfortable to go with the shift into Spring proper, but we would encourage to join us by perusing the site’s archives and give something you might have missed over the last 5 years a shot. After you listen to this week’s instalment of Tracks of course!

Kindest Cuts. No explanation necessary we don't think.

Kindest Cuts, Factotum EP
We’re happy to be able to offer an exclusive stream of the new Kindest Cuts EP today. Two years on from the Winnipeg project’s debut tape, Patrick Short’s tightened up and squared away the delivery of his emotive and imagistic synthpop. There’s a hint of danger and violence to each of Factotum‘s tracks despite their bright synths; could be the groove or it could be Short’s vocals, which continue to give Kindest Cuts character and sophistication. Make up your own mind and give a listen to Factotum today, cop it on Bandcamp, and catch Kindest Cuts at this year’s installment of Terminus Festival.

RO1OR, “Come to Terms”
We remember Michael Renfield from about 5 or 6 years back when the Violent Playground forum was still a going concern, where he maintained a very good thread of new music that introduced us to a lot of the music that was formative to I Die: You Die. Michael also made a few tunes himself, his work as R010R culminating in a very good EP for Basic Unit Productions in 2013. No word since then, until the other day when a new single appeared, the precursor to forthcoming LP Unyielding. Check out the lead track, a dark post-industrial mid-tempo number with some electro and witchy touches to set it apart, a nice taster for an album we didn’t know to expect but is now firmly on the radar.

ENTRZELLE, “Outlive”
Some very vocal-forward, high-drama electro coming out of LA, with a ginormous debut LP on Alfa Matrix. ENTRZELLE Frontman (and recent Psy’Aviah collaborator) David Chamberlin does a savvy job of measuring and matching the ebb and flow of tracks to his vocals, with the former never breaking from the spirit or delivery of the latter. Should appeal to fans of Imprerative Reaction and Rotersand.

Cyborgs on Crack, “Sesquipedalophobia (Mix 4)”
Never in our wildest dreams did we think we’d be stumping for a band called Cyborgs on Crack, yet here we are. If you haven’t had the pleasure, CoC are one of the acts mining the funky crossover between old school EBM, acid and electropop sounds. If you’ve heard the sort of oddball stuff Vandalaze has been doing of late, it’s kinda like that, but with a touch more psychedelia and synthpop in the mix. New album drops soon, here’s a typically strange number to whet your appetite.

D/SIR, “Vermin Tale”
We have no idea when D/SIR sleep or eat, it feels like they would need to be working on music constantly to produce this much in 2016. Aside from about 500 remixes for artists all over the spectrum, the LA post-witch act have a new EP, hot on the heels of that Wilde’s Crown joint a few months back. This one is called Vermin Tale, and has integrated some of those vapor sounds we’ve all been hearing so much about lately. Lovely, difficult to pin down music as always.

Henric De La Cour, “Two Against One”
Our man Henric’s breaking out a more rock-heavy vibe on this, his first new material since 2013’s Mandrills. Between his Venom cover and a tribute to Blackie Lawless, we’re well aware of his metal devotion, but this slice of beefed-up post-punk bears more in common with his cousins in Agent Side Grinder than anything. Is this a portend of things to come? You can bet your sweet bippy we’ll a talking about his third LP, as yet untitled, when it’s out.