Another Bandcamp Friday’s come and gone – we’re not sure if it’s just us but it seems like the rush on artists’ part to get some sort of new material out the door each and every time BC Friday comes up has died off. The fact that charity initiatives are still a part of it is nice, though truth be told we’re just thankful that, touch wood, BC’s new owners haven’t messed with the platform much since the 2023 layoffs. On with this week’s tracks.
John McKay
HIDE // estoc, “The Wheel Spins Onward Paradise Locked Behind a Gate”
Chicago’s brutalist noise and disgust purveyors HIDE join forces with Philadelphia techno producer estoc for “The Wheel Spinds Onward Paradise Locked Behind a Gate”, a benefit for Seraj Aburaida and his family, displaced by the ongoing bombing of the West Bank by Israeli forces. As expected with HIDE it’s a rough ride from the first gasp with plenty of distortion and sharp-edged textures, although there’s a hypnotic rhythm built into the rhythm programming, which contains some sneaky fills and rolls orbiting the annihilating kick. No less vicious than you would expect possibly moreso.
Devours, “Loudmouth”
Sometimes it’s a little scary pressing play on a new track from Vancouver’s synthpop gaylien Devours. Given how much the music that the project has put out in the last 5 years has meant to us personally, and the incredible consistency that basically finds each new sad, funny, beautiful synthpop gem that drops become a new favourite, it’s hard not to worry that some day it just won’t hit the same. Then you press play on a track like “Loudmouth” (from the forthcoming Sports Car Era) and all those fears are assuaged. Just the best, every single time.
Crush Of Souls, “Cult Of Two”
Hearing that Charles Rowell of Crocodiles had relocated to Paris to pursue a synth-driven project came as a surprise to us a couple of years ago, but with the follow up to Crush Of Souls’ debut (A)Void Love on the docket, it’s apparent that this switch is a permanent one. More importantly, the pair of teaser tracks for Lézire find Rowell lounging comfortably about in his new climes and pushing its boundaries a bit, with a mix of vintage dark synthpop and crooning which puts us somewhat in mind of Kindest Cuts.
Rare DM, “The Ring”
There’s always been a sharp and droll candour to Rare DM’s songwriting which has served as a pleasant counterpoint to the smooth and club-ready style of darkwave plied by Erin Hoagg, whether it takes the form of odes to fuckboys or luxury suites. New single “The Ring” is no exception in that regard, with “fuck around and find out” warnings about the titular horror franchise being delivered atop wormy and engrossing programming.
Sacred Skin, “The Lights (HEALTH remix)”
Los Angeles new-new wavers Sacred Skin absolutely slayed with their second full length Born in Fire last year, and have released a single for one its many standouts “The Lights”. It’s basically a perfect fit for HEALTH to remix, with it being the exact style of sad, slow-rolling number that the fêted noise-rockers deal in themselves. Extra drums, extra layers of programming and some pleasingly atonal bits of synth really bring out a different side from the smooth, neon-lit original.
John McKay, “Flare”
Lastly, an out of the blue, entirely unexpected archival release is in the wings from John McKay, who played guitar on the first two Siouxsie & The Banshees records (and notably wrote the lion’s share of the music on first LP The Scream). Apart from one single with the Zor Gabor project in 1987, McKay’s effectively maintained radio silence since an acrimonious split from Siouxsie & co. nearly 45 years ago, making the prospect of a record of archival recordings from across the 1980s a fascinating document to those of us invested in how the likes of Andy Gill, Johnny Marr, and (McKay’s replacement in the Banshees) John McGeoch pioneered post-punk guitar playing and composition.
