Hey gang! We promise that the intro to Tracks won’t become a place for us to shill (at least not anymore than we already do) but it is a convenient spot for us to mention recent goings on. Goings on like the release of Telekompilation vol. 2, the latest in our series of comps made by the folks on the Telekon Slack channel. You can download it for free right now, and hear a wide variety of amazing tunes from the talented folks who hang out with us over there. Response to it has been great, so you can expect more of these in future. Why not give it a download, we’re pretty sure you’ll find something to enjoy on it.
Ashbury Heights 2019: Still Ashin’ and Burryin’
Ashbury Heights, “People are Strange (Doors cover)”
Look, we hate the fuckin’ Doors, but we love Ashbury Heights so here we are. Couple of interesting things to this seasonal cover. Firstly, it’s the first song featuring Yaz since she left the band post-Morningstar in a Black Car and rejoining the band for their live dates earlier in the year. Secondly, this cover features a blazin’ guitar solo, which we are surprisingly into. Whether this is a brief diversion or actually a signpost to future Ashbury Heights recordings, we’re unsure but we’ve been in the tank for this Swedish electro-pop act for a decade plus, and you’re gonna hear about it one way or the other.
Pouppée Fabrikk, “Only Control”
An LP of wholly new Pouppée Fabrikk material? That’s the sort of news we like waking up to. We’ve done our best to keep up with Henrik Björkk’s multifarious projects over the years, but the figurative and literal giants of Swedish EBM will always hold a special place in our hearts. Armén will be the first PF record since 2013’s excellent return to form The Dirt, and the first track from it bodes well. All of the grit and pure heaviness of Björkk’s work is present, but it’s also got some extra pep in the tempo.
SARIN, “The Culling”
It seems wild that Emad Dabiri has never put out a full length LP as SARIN, given how long we’ve been following the project’s work. As a hallmark act in the techno-EBM nexus, we’re especially keen to hear how the Berlin-based act adapts approaches to the long-player format. The first taste we’re getting from the LP offers a hint; “The Culling” has the same rhythmic core of all good SARIN tracks but also adds some interesting atmosphere via big pads and a looser and more expansive arrangement. Moral Cleansing drops in a few weeks, you can pre-order now via Bandcamp.
Sixth June, “Oh Boy”
We’re still waiting on a firm release date for Trust, the follow-up to Sixth June’s impeccable 2017 LP Virgo Rising, but we’re loving what snippets of it Laslo Antal and Lidija Andonov have let slip thus far. If “In Dreams” was a lush and regal nocturnal procession, then “Oh Boy” is a quieter and more solitary evening constitutional, with just enough quirky lilt to add a sense of whimsy. Sixth June are producing triple-A darkwave right now and there’s no excuse to not be following them closely.
Ritualz, “Revelation 666”
The shift towards drippy, dreamy goth and darkwave on JC Lobo’s last record as Ritualz, Doom was a good look for the witch house pioneer. Follow-up EP Satanico Supremo looks to be compounding that move by drawing upon work from producers who were moving in parallel alongside his own early work: folks like Fostercare and Pictureplane. Rather than using a satanic theme as an excuse to go more aggro, Lobo’s steering into some hazy and technicolor giallo territory here.
Cellar Graves, “Testure (Skinny Puppy cover)”
Finally, friend of the site Chase Dobson comes through with a cover of Skinny Puppy’s immortal “Testure”. Dobson’s Cellar Graves is a pretty fascinating beast in terms of sonics, co-locating both dark synthwave sounds, classic post-industrial and touches of cinematic composition. That said this version of “Testure” is quite faithful in a good way; you can hear the effort that went into capturing the design and execution of the original in every sonic nook and cranny. Old Ripbeak would be proud.
