We’re not sure how many covers have appeared in the near 4,000 (!) songs which have been featured in Tracks posts over the lifetime of the site, but it’s probably not that many. While there have been thoughtful reinterpretations or club-driven updates which we’ve enjoyed, there’s a certain style of down the pipe and wholly unnecessary cover that runs counter to how we like to use Tracks posts to profile not just individual songs, but a wider range of artists’ overall aesthetics. This is a long and winding way of saying that you will not find EMF’s cover of “Bela Lugogi’s Dead” amidst this week’s six Tracks.
Morwan, more of
Morwan, “Без обличчя”
The Berlin-based Ukranian project Morwan has grown into a formal band rather than the solo project of Alex Ashtaui, and tracks like this one from the forthcoming Vse po kolu, znovu LP give an indication of what’s changed along the way. A far cry from the ghostly, folk-tinged post-punk
Kristoffer Grip, “Lightest Heart”
We haven’t heard much from Krisotoffer Grip since his departure from Agent Side Grinder more than half a decade back. Hence the delightful surprise that Grip has returned with a new single, “Lightest Heart”, a tremendous bit of Nick Cave-styled balladry, a perfect fit for the gruff voiced singer. While not even vaguely similar stylistically to the sort of music that first brought him to our attention, it’s hard not to feel like this is a perfect fit for him; slow moving strings, ghostly back up vocalists, delicate pianos, and all the goth-by-way-Gainsbourg accroutements you could want. Album when?
The Echoing Green, “I Know Right”
A new Echoing Green song in the year of our lord 2025? Well, don’t mind if we do; the extremely long-running synthpop act haven’t released a new record since 2011, but we’ve always had some affection for them, both as an act that were active in the style through the dark years when nobody cared about synthesized pop music, and for their generally written and performed songs that cut to the heart of the style. Quite a lovely little number here, as expected.
WLDV, “Through Mist-Veiled Spires And Moonlit Glades”
There’s a lot to dig through in the new 35 track sampler from Faunes Efe’s (Filmmaker) Body Musick imprint, which has a special focus on producers from Colombia, though what’s jumping out at us at a quick glance is this cut from Spanish producer WLDV. We’ve been tracking him through a number of his bootleg mixes, but his own productions show off the range and depth of his instincts, here bridging classic giallo with the sort of shuffling EBM groove Multiple Man had down pat, all slowed down to a new beat crawl.
Sydney Valette, “Les Couloirs du Temps”
What a pleasant surprise for us to get some new material from France’s Sydney Valette via the good folks at Artoffact. Striking a balance between his moody crooning and wistful piano melodies and his uptempo NDW-styled electronics with just a touch of guitar to really lay it all in, its the sort of number that first brought Valette to our attention a few years back, initially as part of a rising wave of French darkwave acts, although it didn’t take long for him to differentiate himself. If you’re wondering how, just give this a listen.
Tzolk’in, “Xak’ab Ku”
We’ve long kept a candle burning for Tzolk’in, the ambient rhythmic noise project comprised of Gwenn Trémorin of Flint Glass and Nicolas Van Meirhaeghe of Empusae (the latter of whom remains on an incredibly prolific tear). There’d been no new material from the Mayan themed project for over a decade until now, with this two track 12″ which nicely captures the contemplative and relaxing feel of all of Tzolk’in’s preceding work. The very fancy box presentation designed by the one and only Stefan Alt might have sold out instantly, but
