This week’ll be the last one of regular coverage for the next little while here at ID:UD, with the Senior Staff each taking some vacations both physical and spiritual at the beginning of August. But don’t worry – after one last traditional episode of We Have A Technical we have a podcast series which’ll be dropping on our usual weekly schedule. We’ve just wrapped the last of those episodes up and we think folks’ll enjoy them – a bit of a break from our usual formats but nothing too far afield. See you in the funny pages, kids!
Can you find Zanias in this picture?
Menthüll, “Profonde Tristesse”
The title of the newest cut from Québec act Menthüll could function as a perfectly serviceable summary of the moods of the classic French coldwave the duo draw from. As with each of their previous tunes, the pace and construction of this slow-burner is top-notch, and the band again show themselves to be adroit at conjuring whole miniature worlds of atmosphere and texture in no time at all. With their extant track record, really not a band anyone should be sleeping on at this point.
Ancient Methods, “Swordsman (Hypnoskull vocal remix)”
Hypnoskull comes through with a monster remix for Ancient Methods, taking the techno-industrial producer’s track “Swordsman” back to the days millennial powernoise. The connection here isn’t hard to make; Ancient Methods is one of the best of the school of producers whose work bares a strong resemblance to classic rhythmic noise, where Hypnoskull is one of the Ant-Zen class of artists who has continued to evolve and push forward stylistically. It only makes sense that they would meet somewhere, and that it would be fuckin’ killer.
DSTR, “Disappear”
A demo of a new DSTR track is certainly something guaranteed to catch our attention; the Daniel Myer-led project has largely lain fallow since they changed their name from Destroid a ways back. While we’re certainly happy to hear that the passage of time hasn’t diluted DSTR’s emotional brand of electro, it’s important to note that the reason we’re hearing this now is quite sad: the song appears on a compilation released in memory of Mayuan Mak, the founder of Electrowerkz and Slimelight London who passed away late last year. Featuring contributions by David Tibet, Orphx, Asche, Klangstabil and many more, it’s a fitting tribute to a promoter who had a huge influence on a specific era of industrial clubbing.
Rhythm Of Cruelty, “Nocturnal Thoughts”
It’s been a few years since we heard from Edmonton’s Rhythm Of Cruelty, but evidently a lot has changed in the interim. New EP Memory Lapse is a far cry from the rumbling, pedal-heavy post-punk upon which their reputation was set, and is comprised entirely of haunting pieces of ambiance like this. Release copy notes “the only constant throughout being Brandi [Strauss]’s at once mournful yet hopeful trumpet elegies”. After a summer of sax goth, can an autumn of post-punk trumpet be far from hand?
Zanias, “Unraveled”
Another new one from Zanias’ forthcoming album Unearthed. Part of Alison Lewis’ appeal is certainly her range as an artist; she can just as easily work harder-edged industrial dance as she can minimal synth or smooth continental darkwave, never sounding out of place in any milieu she’s visited. The two LP tracks we’ve heard so far suggest we’re in that electro-darkwave territory, but we won’t be surprised if we get a few stylistic curveballs in the mix.
Maximum Trauma, “Cost Me A Kidney”
Some bouncy, raved-up EBM courtesy of a side-project of Maxime Gendre of French post-punk act Rendez-Vous. Plenty of the quirky clatter and pinched-off bass which has endeared the likes of Mind Teardown and Forces to us, but don’t mistake it for a total pisstake just due to the title – there’s a very solid EBM foundation here.
