Hey friends, hope your summer has been going well so far. We’ve been occupied with some upcoming projects, as well as trying to get ahead of the game before Terminus season kicks off (a mere six weeks away). We’ll be taking a week or so off around that time as the Senior Staff will both be doing some travel, but fear not as we’ll still have podcasts and droll tweets ready to go during that brief absence. Also our 12th anniversary as an entity is just around the corner, which we’ll be celebrating the usual way – by forgetting about it ’til the week of and then hastily writing something up under a tight deadline. That’s been working for us so far, so why change now?
Shrouds
Die Selektion, “Zeuge aus Licht”
If the first taste of Die Selektion’s forthcoming Zeuge aus Licht LP whetted our appetites a couple of weeks back, the arrival of the title track (with a music video complete with convertibles, modernist architecture, and gimp suits) has us positively ravenous for the German trio’s next LP. Linking of the moment darkwave and EBM sounds with the band’s roots, this number has weapons-grade club potential and points towards the band returning to reclaim the scene they helped sow the seeds of a decade back.
Madeline Goldstein, “Edges of the Lines”
To think we came this close to overlooking this lovely EP from Madeline Goldstein for no other reason than inattention. Let us make it up by gushing a bit about her recent EP Other World (produced by the always notable Matia Simovich) that brings to mind This Mortal Coil, Them Are Us Too, The Cranes, shit, just about every great act working the dreamy big voice darkwave style. Madeline’s own voice has a ton of personality, and just the right mix of melancholic relatability and full-on otherworldly grace, a perfect accompaniment to the programming and production which has that eternal-eighties out of time sensibility we so enjoy. You should snap this up like now.
Unhuman + Petra Flurr, “No Excitement”
More weirdo bodypunk stuff from frequent collaborators, BITE records regular Unhuman and the notorious Petra Flurr. Not geared direct for the techno dancefloor, the squelchy, wormy programming on “No Excitement” (the first taste of the collborator’s forthcoming release Mala Vida) rides that line between the danceability of hard hitting retro-EBM and synthpunk rawness. Makes sense given the sensibilities of both artists, and we’ll be curious to see what else this fruitful partnership yields.
Shrouds, “Mercy”
Here’s some stripped-down, rough n’ tumble California deathrock for you. Shrouds (not to be confused with 90s hippie-goths The Shroud, also from Cali) have been around for a few years, but new LP Grimoire is our first point of contact. There’s a clear debt to west coast pioneers like Altar De Fey and TSOL, but you can also hear a little bit of March Violets in tunes like this one.
Affet Robot, “At The End”
After the dreamy melodies of 2021’s understated (and overlooked) Fiyasko, a move like this minimal, motorik dance track from Affet Robot wasn’t what we were expecting as a subsequent move. At first Eren Günsan seems to be straightjacketing his hand for harmony and colour with a down the pipe beat, but this warps into an almost Technique-era New Order track by the end. A slightly odd move by an artist to whom we’ll always lend an ear; we’ll follow up as to whether this is a one off or is indicative of a new direction.
Fragrance., “Mise En Garde”
Something old and something new from smooth French synthpop artist Fragrance. in the form of the forthcoming Dust & Discorder (Complete Edition). Comprised of the tracks from the lovely 2017 EP of the same name, Frangrace.’s Matthieu Roche has gone ahead and added 5 brand new tracks, building things out to LP size. If you’re wondering if the new material plays well with the older songs, just hit play on “Mise En Garde” and you’ll be reassured by the same chill and melodic sensibilities that have always been the project’s purview, not to mention some modern dance muisc touches that border tastefully on house. Lovely music for an overcast Summer day.
