We’re coming in fast and furious on the quincentenary mark on the podcast (yes, we had to look that one up – most of those anniversary terms haven’t been immortalized in a Strong Bad e-mail). Are we maybe going to be playing a little fast and loose with the numbering to make sure the timing’s just right? No, we’d never do such a thing, but one way or the other we can tell you that we think folks are gonna dig the audio we’ll have for you this Thursday. On with Tracks!
Arabian Panther on the rise
CIERŃ, “Disposable”
Berlin quartet CIERŃ’s take on dark post-punk works in a range of formats. The sharp hooks and vocal yelps which introduced them on their debut EP got them over quickly, but on their 2022 full-length the earthy and organic delivery of their sound got them over the finish line. Their new Flawless EP’ll be out in a couple of weeks, and this teaser gets both that immediacy and that more subtle atmosphere across.
Mind|Matter – Les Trompettes De L’enfer
It feels as though Parisian producer Mind|Matter has been laying low for the past couple of years, at least in comparison to the release schedule he was on with the likes of Detriti and Area Z a couple of years back. One way or the other, this cut from a forthcoming Intervision comp is a nice reminder of what first drew us towards his work: tight, rubbery beats with solid industrial bolstering and a goodly hazy of heavy, foreboding atmospherics.
Arabian Panther, “Hafla for our Dead”
We’ve enjoyed the previous EPs from Arabian Panther a great deal; the French-Lebanese producer’s material integrates EBM, italo, and traditional Middle Eastern instrumentation and musical modes to body moving effect. The first taste of new EP Death of the Panther is “Hafla for Our Dead”, a cut dripping with big dancefloor potential, relying on both vocal samples and anthemic synth leads to convey the warrior spirit the defines the project.
Zanias, “Lovelife (Skelesys Remix)”
Last month saw the release of the chill, new age-styled follow-up to last year’s incredible Chrysalis LP from Zanias, but that doesn’t mean the latter isn’t still paying dividends. A pair of club-focused mixes of “Lovelife” from that record just dropped, with the whispers of classic trance and Balearic beat in the original brought right to the fore on this immediate but still moody version.
Unmut, “Hammer and Anvil”
Okay so Detriti has put out a lot of different kinds of music over the years, but we can’t recall them doing the sort of ambient, blackened death industrial type sound found on Unmut’s Flesh-Imprisoned Spirit. Feels weird to call something as bleak, harsh and nihilistic as this ‘a pleasant surprise’, but that is kind of the story here – this hits a lot of sounds we’re into, and they come together into a pretty all-encompassing whole.
Alien Skin, “Come and See Me When I’m In My Head Alone”
There’s definitely a lot of fun choices on the new single from long-running Australian darkwave act Alien Skin; the trippy synth horns that pop up way through, the glammy vocals that get some glitchy manipulation, and the warbly bass programming all serve to set the track apart from many more standard issue cuts in the genre, and also give it a very singular and intriguingly unique charm.
