You know we don’t hype up our Patreon much on here, if only because we shill it on the podcast every week and we hate to feel like we’re bugging our readers and listeners about it constantly. That said, now would be a decent time to sign up, as we’re prepping a special holiday gift for our supporters, which we will be sending out in early December – if you’re already a Patron, pop over there and see the post where we ask for your addy so we can mail it to you, if you aren’t a patron you can sign up and then do the same. On to Tracks!
Twin Tribes ain’t miss yet
Twin Tribes, “Monolith”
Twin Tribes have kept their hand in with a string of remixes and other secondary releases, but the third LP from one of the best darkwave/goth bands going right now is what we, along with the band’s increasingly broad fan base, have been looking forward to ever since Ceremony earned its reputation as one of the best records of 2019. This first teaser cut from the forthcoming Pendulum has all of the dreamy stoicism we associate with the band, not to mention their canny sense for the sort of melodies and instrumentation which are catnip to dark synth mavens; half Xymox, half “Run With Us”.
Panther Modern, “Full Capacity”
Brady Keehn has been busy on the road touring the new album by Sextile, but that doesn’t mean he’s letting his Panther Modern project lay fallow. New single “Full Capacity” has a lot of the things we’ve always liked about PM – the idiosyncratic fusion of techno and industrial – with a new electro angle, putting us in mind of Adult. amongst others.
ESA vs Moaan Exis, “Spite”
Few people in industrial are as suited to drive-by features as ESA’s Jamie Blacker – his unmistakable growl can fit in with nearly any current act working with aggressive, scraping beats – but in teaming up with French duo Moaan Axis, Blacker’s found collaborators who already spend most of their time at the same nexus of finely textured noise and rhythmic violence as he does. The double A-side the trio have just released feels like the product of an immediately recognized kinship.
Shadow Age, “Ours”
A pleasant slice of impassioned darkwave from Virginia’s Shadow Age, brought to our attention by friend of the site Alex Reed. The best thing about the track is the way it slowly blossoms on its first chorus – the first minute or so is reserved, with tasteful guitars and solid rhythm programming, but when Aaron Tyree uncorks his lovely voice to its full capacity, it doesn’t go back in the bottle for the remainder of the lush tune.
Notausgang, “Hide Behind Yourself”
Of the many many acts walking the border of darkwave and techno body sounds, very few have had the staying power for us that Notausgang have. The sound of “Hide Behind Yourself” from their forthcoming release for X-IMG offers a solid explanation for that; it’s a slow building track that could easily be slotted into a banging DJ set, but maintains a cool and moody atmosphere via its spooky synthwork.
Viva Non, “Cruel Threat”
The abrupt shift in Winnipeg’s Viva Non from melancholy synthpop to hard dark techno happened more than a year ago, yet it’s still somewhat striking to be hearing a cut like this from that outfit. Placing a premium on misty atmospheres and slowly building fills rather than the kicks themselves, there’s a slow, rolling sense of dread to this which recalls the mood – if not the literal rhythms – of plenty of classic Cold Meat Industry records.
