Those with sharply tuned social media senses might have already detected this, but we hopped aboard the USS Space Couch yesterday for some Q & A with Gothsicles head honcho Brian Graupner. In addition to being a fun and productive conversation which touched on our own history and methodologies, this was a somewhat surreal experience for us as Brian was one of the very first people we ever interviewed for ID:UD way back in 2011. We’ve said since day one that one of our biggest hopes for this scene was more organs and outlets for discussion and analysis of Our Thing’s music, be that in the form of blogs, podcasts, or intergalactic live streaming enterprises, so
Vueltas
Body of Light, “Don’t Pretend”
Way up near the top of our list of anticipated 2019 album we find the Brothers Jarson, aka Body of Light. We had feelings regarding the smooth flavour of first single “Time to Kill” (and the hot production assist’s from studio wizard Matia of Inhalt) and the latest drop is just as exciting: a hot mix of sweet synthpop melody and body music bounce with some synthwave touches at the edges. Absolutely stellar stuff from an act that have yet to disappoint us. Album is out July 26th!
Download, “44 Days”
The assessment of any Download material from here on out is going to be coloured by the sad passing of Phil Western earlier this year. Of course that also means that songs like “44 Days” (found on a 7″ b/w “Takanadobabble (take 2)” via Artoffact) will also serve as something of a tribute to Western. Like Unknown Room, the song highlights the wild, uncategorizable analogue weirdness of the Cevin Key and Western collaboration, featuring sequences and sounds that twist and evolve from one unexpected shape to the next. As tributes to the fallen go this one feels very, very appropriate.
Kangarot, “Function”
Longtime readers will know that Josh Reed’s Kangarot project has remained one of our most championed yet still most overlooked projects here at the HQ. Kanagarot’s music walks a tightrope, calling out both to electro-industrial’s most psychedelic and lush sounds while still remaining a stripped-down sense of no-frills aggression. 2016’s Wholly Hex marked a turn to the rougher and harsher side of roots industrial, but on a couple of quick passes new LP The Demon-Haunted World is taking no small joy in the lighter and brighter side of synth. We’ll have a full review up in the days ahead, but for now catch up with what you’ve (probably) been missing.
Cryo Unit, “Artificial Universe”
Here’s some fresh and clean stuff which nicely connects the dots betwixt futurepop, synthwave, and classic dancefloor electro. Kansas City’s Cryounit has been active for a hot minute or two and was actually featured on our Telekompilation release last year, but Paradox is the one man project’s first release. Otherworldly but approachable melodies and soothing pads make this track an excellent first impression if this is your first session in the Cryo Unit.
Vueltas, “Cadena”
With all of the droves of post-punk bands coming out of Portland for good and for bad, it’s easy to forget that the city also has a recent and healthy tradition of bands who don’t play around with open-ended genre tags and go right for the deathrock jugular. Vueltas’ band members’ lineages can be traced back to a number of turn of the millennium dark post-hardcore acts, but there’s a clear callback to the even earlier originators on the trio’s demo tape, like this number which feels like half Heart Of Snow, half X-Mal.
Poppy, “Meat”
Okay, all controversy regarding pop act Poppy aside, we’ve generally been fans of her aesthetic and music. Still, we weren’t expecting her to release this wild-ass animal rights by way of science fiction circa 2009 industrial club track. In a song that lands somewhere between mid-2000s electro and say, modern Ashbury Heights our heroine details a scenario in which she goes details the horrors of factory farming in the first person. Pop act or not, how you gonna act like a track like this can’t work in your local club?
i love that you included Poppy on this addition of tracks. That e.p is pretty excellent and that track, in particular, is a real banger. I know you’ve discussed the greater influence of goth(ish) and darkwave on alot of artists on the periphery of our thing(zola jesus, alice glass, etc) But i find it really interesting how 90’s industrial has found it’s way into influence of alot of more total mainstream artists, Poppy and Grimes(we appreciate power) are huge examples. The new album by Bones UK is a fantastic example of this mash up too. NIN style synth stabs next to bubblegum pop and even blues rock riffs(great cover of I’m afraid of americans too). EIther way, i appreciate the diversity of coverage!