We failed to mention it a few weeks ago, but the announcement that NEWT, the drum n’ bass infused side-project of Daniel Myer and Forma Tadre’s Andreas Meyer, would be playing a set at this next year’s Planet Myer Day show in Leipzig caused a lot of chatter in our circles. While Andreas has been talking for a few yeras about the possibility of a sort of appendices release of material related to Forma Tadre’s immortal Navigator LP (witness our stanning for the record on a commentary podcast a few years back), there’s been little recent news. Said chatter turned into a full-bore roar Saturday morning with the news that a new Forma Tadre album was “30% complete”, the aforementioned Navigator companion release was “60% complete”, and that a new NEWT album was “5% complete”. It still could be a while before any of these three releases see the light of day, but the fact that one of the most underrated producers to ever work in Our Thing has so many irons in the fire is tremendous news.
No compromises. It’s Hide.
Hide, Girl On Girl
We were discussing the first tastes of Hide’s second LP, Hell Is Here, on the podcast last week but unbeknownst to us the duo had a whole other project in the works: a stand-alone 7″ via Sub Pop’s Singles Club. As a subscription only release the vinyl will likely be hard for non-members to track down, but the digital release is live. Both the A and B sides offer the sort of gripping, caustic loops and soul-shearing, patriarchy-smashing invective we’ve come to expect from one of the most vital bands going today.
Grendel, “Brace the Storm”
In case you haven’t been paying close attention (and if you haven’t shame on you) Grendel have spent the last couple of years evolving their sound into a new form. Melodic and layered, it takes JD Tucker’s penchant for gripping dramatics and applies them to songs that would have seemed unthinkable a decade ago. Guitars and violins? In my Grendel? It’s more likely than you think, and also, it works. We were big fans of the last record Age of the Disposable Body, and have big expectations for the new one Ascending the Abyss. In the meantime you can find this track on the tour only Brace the Storm EP.
Street Sects, “Goodbye Recidivist Road”
Street Sects’ first releases in 2014 were to be part of a “serial album”, essentially a series of five two track releases that would explore themes of alienation and economic oppression. The Gentrification series was put on hold after the first two releases while the band worked on other stuff (including last year’s incredible The Kicking Mule LP), but part III has just emerged titled Death and Disorder. The first track – streaming now on Bandcamp and embedded below – puts us in mind of our first impressions of the band; harsh, nihilistic, uncompromising. Intense as always, we’re very curious to hear what this cycle of songs will sound like when completed.
Vlimmer, “Übertraum”
Germany’s one-man Vlimmer project is continuing its sequence of 18 (!) linked EP releases, with volumes XIII/XIV being released this week. We’re happy to offer an exclusive track from the former, which nicely showcases how Alexander Leonard Donat has been able to bend and shape both darkwave and coldwave sounds to suit individual tracks’ purposes, like”Übertraum”‘s combination of wispy ethereality and tight, rubbery rhythm. Slight Body Of Light vibes coming off this one.
She Pleasures Herself, “Private Hell (feat. Ash Code)”
We’ll admit that we’ve side-eyed She Pleasures Herself based on their name (which we are aware is a She Wants Revenge reference), but with them showing up on more and more bills we thought it was about time to check them out. Turns out they do the euro-post-punk/goth think pretty well! This particular track – a collab with the similarly inclined Ash Code – has a proper bassline and gated reverb snare if you like that. Some of the other tracks on newish album XXX lean a bit more towards electronics, might have to give the record a few spins and see how it suits us.
Schedule IV, “Stray”
It’s been over fifteen years since Cleopatra released one of their Unquiet Grave comps, but the timing couldn’t be better for another double-length set of tunes from lesser known, up and coming goth and related acts. Lord knows there are more than even enterprising outfits like yours truly can even hope to track, so having a clutch of them showcased at once is always helpful. We’re liking the no-frills production of this track from Detroit’s Schedule IV, which has an earthy and earnest take on the sort of forlorn mood which is good goth rock’s manna.
