As regular readers are aware, Alex and I have a tough time keeping our love of pro wrestling off the site and away from the eyes of various goths and rivetheads who just want to read or hear about new music without any spandex playfights getting in the way, thank you very much. But that’s tough to do after a weekend like this past one, which didn’t just feature WWE’s Wrestlemania but dozens of other big shows put on by other entities, up to and including our beloved New Japan Pro Wrestling. Between the noble (and oh so handsome) Kazuchika Okada winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship back from the slimy and dastardly Switchblade Jay White and generational forces of charisma Tetsuya Naito and Kota Ibushi coming together in a clash for the ages, it was a pretty fine weekend for fans of Japanese strong style. I still dream from time to time of assembling a fanvid of Tomohiro Ishii’s devastating headbutts and suplexes set to the tune of “Pitbull” by Diesel Dudes, but barring learning Final Cut Pro, I’ll just have to keep the highlight reel in my head, possibly while listening to some of this week’s Tracks!
3Teeth. Okay boys, now let’s get in formation.
Wychdoktor, “Suffocation”
It’s been well over three years since we had a full LP of new material from rhythmic/tribal industrial act Wychdoktor, and the first tastes of the Ottawa act’s fourth LP look to be worth the wait. “Suffocation” puts the moody, ritual atmospheres on the backburner for the sake of some absolutely crushing power electronics grooves. The build and pace of the track’s arrangement are absolutely ace, and we have to think this’d go over wonderfully on any floor you’d care to test it with. A number like this bodes very well for Pact, which drops at the end of the month.
Fixmer / McCarthy, “Let It Begin”
There’s really nothing we can say about techno/EBM hybrids which the duo of Terence Fixmer and Douglas McCarthy didn’t already field test a decade or so back. New single “Let It Begin” has just enough quirky production flourishes to avoid sounding rote, but the swagger and thump the duo have been dishing out since today’s Berghain’s denizens were in short pants is still in full effect.
Rhys Fulber & Blush Response, “Threat Perception”
Speaking of techno/EBM collaborative projects, a cross-generational one which makes all the sense in the world has just been unveiled in an EP from Rhys Fulber and Joey Gonzalez of Blush Response. Both men’s solo work of late has been heading in the same abrasively textured body music direction, while eschewing the minimalism which often accompanies that. Check how much acid and electro-industrial weirdness is woven into a speedy banger like this one.
And Void, “Ideal Prey”
The unanticipated yet logical collaborations just keep coming this week! Scott Fox has always acknowledged the influence of This Morn’ Omina on iVardensphere, and so a team-up with TMO’s Mika Goedrijk makes a good deal of sense. Adding Mari Kattman’s vocals to the mix – which we recently heard with Tom Shear on the Helix project – lends slinky charm to the downtempo proceedings. Little bit of Delerium style trip-hop on this one.
3Teeth, “American Landfill”
We talked at length about how shutdown.exe marked a more overtly metal phase in 3Teeth’s development and, well, if “American Landfill” is any indication, third LP Metawar will be pushing that sound even further. I’m not an expert by any stretch, but it sounds as though there’s a fair bit of 90s nu-metal being drawn upon for the grooves and breakdowns. Metawar‘s not out until July, so it’ll still be a while before we have a full sense of where 3Teeth is heading in 2019.
Physical Wash, “Talking To A Stranger”
I’ll admit that I never really considered the influence The Klinik might have had on Susan Subtract’s work with High-Functioning Flesh before, but hearing him cover “Talking To A Stranger” using his new Physical Wash solo handle makes all the sense in the world. The sneering take on social pressures and isolation, the way that analogue warmth can communicate spiritual chill – there’s actually a whole lot of crossover between Susan’s world and Dirk Ivens’.
