No doubt you probably heard all the hubbub re: the big Bandcamp day on May 1st, and hopefully you partook in a few purchases to help support artists during this difficult time of no touring and general uncertainty about music as a career. Naturally we encourage you to hit up these now recurring fee-waiving days on BC (and even got some pals to help point to some artists they love and support) but we’d also encourage you to pick up music via BC any old time. Keep in mind that you always have the chance to pay more for what you buy, and keep in mind that these sorts of purchases are an investment in the music you love, and a way to help make sure more of it comes into the world. Check out a few selections below and maybe drop a few bucks if you’re able.
Lingua Ignota will cut your soul, also flesh
Caustic, “The King of EBM”
Matt Fanale doing straight EBM? It’s more likely than you think! If you’ve been checking Matt’s stuff as both half of Klack and daddybear, you should have a pretty good idea of what the hardest working man in DIY industrial can do when he applies himself to body music, but new EP The King of EBM shows him bringing it into a more classic formula, complete with big chants and rapidly cycling basslines. Crank this new EP up, fuckers.
Street Fever, “Mirar (Feat. Dave Parley)”
There are a whole mess of vocal features on the new EP from Street Fever, each framing the Boise producer’s high-pressure robotic production in a new way. There’s breathy modern bars, icy club murmurs, and, well, whatever you’d call this yowling raving from Dave Parley of Prayers. It all comes together well though, cementing Street Fever’s ability to play on industrial club floors as well as more general formats.
Clan Of Xymox, “Lovers (Actors Mix)”
The second single from the as-yet untitled forthcoming Xymox LP is pleasant enough, walking the line between plaintive and dreamy. But it’s the remixes on the Lovers EP that really put it in the best light: Hante. swaddle it in echoing beats and atmosphere congruent with their own milieu, while our pals in Actors strip things down to the basics and allow Ronny’s simple but effective guitar line to ride a steady beat. Solid work from a crew who know their way around soundcraft.
Total Chroma, “I Dream of Fire”
From Weird Candle to Wire Spine, and now to Total Chroma our hometown synthpunk, electro and body music champion Robert Katerwol has been one of the pillars of Vancouver’s local dark music scene for about as long as the revival has been going on. That last project Total Chroma has been a real pleasure to watch, as it gives a solid idea of where Robert’s head is at when left to his own devices, ie beat heavy, murky nasty EBM shot through with his now distinctive production sensibility. Word has it an LP is en route, can’t wait til we get the chance to hear it.
Baseck & Pilo, “Severance (feat. Paul Barker)”
Controllerist master Baseck teases a new one from his forthcoming LP with techno producer and Motor Reflex label-boss Pilo, also featuring none other than Paul Barker. A mixture of the controlled chaos and high level performance of Baseck’s music and Pilo’s roughneck production with moments of Barker’s production sensibility, it’s an unusual but very good song, off-kilter enough to tease and taunt the ear but with a steady enough beat to set your more adventurous dancefloors ablaze. Black coffee strong stuff.
Lingua Ignota, “Jolene”
Lastly, in case you missed it on her split with The Rita from a while back, here’s a new version of “Jolene” from Lingua Ignota. If you’re familiar with Kristin Hayter’s aesthetic (as we hope all regular readers would be by now), you’ll likely see not only what a good fit the Dolly classic is for LI, but also how little has to be done with it in order to work. Lament, desperation and recrimination are Hayter’s stock and trade, and while there’s a bit more distortion and noise on this version than the previous one, it’s a relatively unadorned and straightforward take.
