Hey, folks. Just a bit of a status update: the family situation to which Alex has been attending is still ongoing, meaning that this week’s podcast will once again feature a guest host. Some of you might have noticed the slightly cheeky re-numbering of last week’s episode, and just so as to lay our cards on the table, we have a special project in the works for episode 400 which’ll have to be postponed for the time being. So while there won’t be any disruption to the weekly podcast schedule itself, expect more number fudging so as to preserve the symbolic portent of our quadricentennial episode.
Sextile
Duellist, “Closer To The Pain”
Scottish producer Duellist’s name has been in the mix for a few years now, between collabs with Randolph & Mortimer and mixes for the likes of Brecc and Halv Drøm. His first solo LP, Inhalation Of Consciousness carries forward with the unrelenting approach to TBM that preceding work showed off, with tracks like this one calling back to early powernoise and even gabber as much as anything currently happening over in Germany.
Principe Valiente, “So Much More”
The lusher and more romantic style of post-punk which we’ve heard from the likes of Creux Lies and Plastic Estate recently has been getting a lot of play around ID:UD HQ. But of course, Sweden’s Principe Valiente have been working that sound to solid results for a full decade now. To be honest it’s been a few years since we checked in with the group, but this big, chiming anthem from new LP Barricades is a clarion reminder of what we’ve been missing out on.
The Legendary Pink Dots, “Cruel Brittania”
While often concerned with realms and realities far beyond the quotidian which we weekend warriors can barely conceive of, The Legendary Pink Dots have always kept at least one of their eyes on the here and now and commented on it with characteristic sardonic wit. But I’m not sure that there’s anything as directly plain and political in the LPD catalog as this anti-Brexit, anti-Tory piece from new album The Museum Of Human Happiness. We’ll have a full review of the LP up sometime soon; here’s hoping the psychedelic road warriors have some North American dates on the docket.
Sextile, “Contortion”
Reactivating after the passing of original member Eddie Weubben and the ascent of Brady Keehn’s solo Panther Modern project, LA’s Sextile have a new single acting as a calling card heading into their appearance at the Cruel World festival in a couple months time. The A-side speaks to Sextile’s ability to weave classic synthpunk and recent EBM sounds into a more generalized indie context, but this B-side hits a grimy electro sweet spot which should appeal to darker dancefloors.
LVRIN, “The Unseen”
Lastly, something from the new LP by Russian producer LVRIN as a PWYW fundraiser for the Humanitarian Aid For Ukraine fund. Lo-fi acid-EBM mashups abound on Creature, though some tracks like this one tread into a florid Belgian style not entirely unlike A Split Second. The whole release should appeal to fans of Notausgang or the whole Tripalium Corp milieu.
