Things are cold and wet in Vancouver, as per normal, although the promise of brighter things is on the horizon. With our busy sled of upcoming shows and still more rumored tours and dates on the horizon, we’ve been trying to make sure we stay on top of new music. And gosh, there’s plenty of that to go around. Have a gander at some of our recent spins below.
WLDV, bloody-minded.
SØLVE, “Bliss”
Well, the ouroboros of history has consumed itself to the point that there’s a real sense of nostalgia for the early periods of the witch house explosion, as shown by the Night Terrors’ label’s massive 80-track Black Flame Eternal comp. In addition to the likes of
V▲LH▲LL and Apollyon’s Visage who should be familiar to regular readers, there’s this snappy piece from Brant Showers’ SØLVE, which seems like a direct callback to the early days of Showers’ breakthrough work as half of ∆Aimon.
Caustic, “Amen Brakes”
Matt Fanale has some big things cooking for his now venerable Caustic project we’re told, although it’s not like Wisconsin’s cult industrial project has been inactive either. Check Repetition, a new collection of a few of Fanale’s recent EPs plus bonus tracks, like this one, “Amen Brakes”. Part of what has made Caustic work has been Fanale’s willingness to try new things over the years, including this recent run of body music styled numbers. Catch up if you haven’t already, and get ready for another volley.
The Fourth Man, “diSAntisobrieTAriaNISM”
The slow but steady reemergence of one of the deeper players in Vancouver’s long-standing industrial history continues apace with the third single in as many months from The Fourth Man. Picking up the bitterly sardonic tone of previous single “Apocalypse 23AD Version” (a reworking of a cut from back in ’94) but putting it into a much speedier delivery system, this is a hyperkinetic and glitchy blast of bile from David Collings.
Kill Shelter & Death Loves Veronica, “Sex Tape”
We’re fans of UK based post-punk project Kill Shelter for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is Pete Burns’ capacity for interesting collaborations. Take this new one with Veronica Stich of Death Loves Veronica; musically “Sex Tape” finds a spot between club-ready darkwave and a machine rock sound while also sporting a high concept to boot. Released in standard formats as well as a limited VHS and Mini DV, Burns and Sitch are actively encouraging the bootlegging and distribution of those formats in a commentary on distribution, artistic intent and fan interaction.
Viva Non, “Calling”
Having discussed the radical change in Viva Non’s sound several times over the past year, we’re glad that the broader world now gets to hear what we’ve caught live at Verboden and Terminus. With synthpop firmly in the rear-view, the Winnipeg duo are assembling sets of propulsive, EBM-flavoured techno. This lead single shows off the driving, party-focused vibe of the new work which isn’t as brusque or aharmonic as a lot of stuff in this style.
WLDV, “The Blood and the Dagger”
we first came to Spanish producer WLDV’s music via their great bootleg mixes of classic goth industrial club tracks, but have been impressed by their originals just as much. New EP The Blood and The Dagger features a return to the project’s horror disco roots, working a hot synth groove, spooky samples and more into a giallo dancefloor-filler fit for your next moonlit ritual playlist.
