Another Bandcamp Friday come and gone has brought up (in addition to a wave of new releases we’ll have reviews of up shortly) that odd sense of unease which has pervaded the platform since the Songtradr purchase. Bandcamp United is keeping the home fires lit, and while the return of Bandcamp Friday almost feels like “business as usual”, it’s difficult to shake the feeling that we could be a rounding error in a hedge fund away from losing the platform which is keeping so many scenes and artists afloat. No news is good news, we suppose? In any case, on with this week’s Tracks.

[:SITDeeznutz:] (forgive me)

Data Void, “So Alien”
In case you missed our previous look at Data Void, the newly minted project is a collaboration between Don Gordon of Numb and James Mendez of Jihad. If you had any questions what these two electro-industrial heads might get up to together, let “So Alien” lay your curiosity to rest; the track’s bass, sneering vocals and big, dramatic pads feel like the sort of thing you might have heard from either artist at any point in their career, but given a slight production overhaul for a smooth modern touch. A little more down the pipe than preceding single “Nothing Changes”, but no less powerful for it, we’re getting mighty excited to hear what this record sounds like. The good news is it drops Friday, check this site for our take soon afterwards.

[:SITD:], “Brieselang”
In news that surprises absolutely no one, the new [:SITD:] single sounds like [:SITD:]. That’s not a hack on it (if we didn’t like it we wouldn’t be sharing it in this space), but an admission that the band who emerged in the early 2000s with a widescreen version of the euro electro sound haven’t changed much in the intervening years. They’re good at stuff that sounds big, emotional, dark and above all danceable, and haven’t ever strayed from what brought them to the dancefloor. There’s something comforting in that; no matter what it feels like these Germans will always come through with that we’re hoping to get from them.

Spectres, “Dominion”
Presence, the new LP from hometown heroes Spectres, is nigh. A couple of weeks out from the first full length by the Vancouver peace punk act since 2020’s Nostalgia we have this last preview track, and especially in relation to the previous teasers, this tune indicates how the band might be attempting to walk the wire between the softer, melodic new wave sounds which have defined their recent years and the speedier and more stripped-down sound which was their calling card in the early years. In any case, stay tuned here for a full review of Presence in the weeks to come.

Hex Wolves, “We’re Not Alone”
The new Hex Wolves EP is full of scraping claustrophobia which draws together technoid, powernoise, and the trippier side of electro-industrial; ie, exactly the sort of thing we’ve come to look forward to in Ben Thompson’s solo work beyond the more serene darkwave of D/SIR. Higher Order Ov Loud is fleshed out with a slew of remixes from the likes of Chase Dobson and Shane from W.A.S.T.E., spinning out from the dense core of Thompson’s programming.

Anaerobic, “Forever Stamp”
Did you know site favourite Alex Reed of Seeming has a noise project called Anaerobic? And that said project has a new release Sincerely,? Also that that release is 7 tracks of feedback, drones, static, and samples, then capped with a lovely acoustic folk number that cinches up the themes of the release (that being letter mail)? And that as with everything Alex touches, it’s got a deep thoughtfulness mixed with a singular sensibility that straddles the sublime and the ludicrous? You did know that? Well then lets sit down and enjoy “Forever Stamp” together shall we?

Virgin Prunes – Caucasian Walk (WLDV edit)
We imagine a lot of younger clubgoers aren’t especially familiar with the art and tradition of the bootleg remix, but its one which was instrumental in genre cross-pollination in dark clubs from the late 80s through the early 00s. Continuing his hot streak of bringing all manner of goth and darkwave classics into the present day, Spanish producer WLDV offers this mix linking the unhinged, St. Vitus-esque mania of The Virgin Prunes with the strict and icy darkwave of the present. Grab it before Guggi has it pulled!