Welp, it’s November, which means its time for our annual callout for suggestions of stuff from the year we haven’t written up on the site yet. We’ve got quite a few records still on our plates for the calendar year, and our Year End coverage is set to kick off in a mere six weeks or so, so now would be the time if you have any hot tips for stuff we haven’t examined as of yet. Hit up those comments and let us know, maybe toss a link or two our way while you’re at it. On to Tracks!
Rue Oberkampf
Rue Oberkampf, “Eternity”
Maybe it’s this miserable Hallowe’en induced hangover laying over us like a stormcloud, but this new Rue Oberkampf single is hitting just the right notes of lush misery. The Munich darkwavers have always had really lovely production and made the most of their strengths, namely Julia De Jouy’s evocative voice, and their capacity for conjuring big atmospheres without getting their songs getting lost in them. This one works for the club, certainly, but it’s hitting just as hard here at home with the headphones on.
Wants, “Altered Course”
After seeing them play several enjoyable sets over the years, we were very impressed by the material on display when we caught Calgary post-punk act Wants earlier this year at Verboden. That suite of songs is due to be released in full on In Plain Sight, the band’s first full-length, later this year. Buzz about the album from sources we trust is high, but for now check out this echoing but dialed in and anthemic new wave teaser which should definitely appeal to fans of recent Bootblacks and Sacred Skin fare.
Blac Kolor, “Fragile Moments”
Longtime industrial techno producer and site fave Blac Kolor has a new album on deck, and from preview cuts like this we can hazard a guess as to what to expect on the rest of Arca: the rock-solid, subterranean rhythms on which Hendrick Grothe’s rep was built, but with plenty of timbral and harmonic experimentation, adding some anxious je ne sais quoi to the otherwise stoic proceedings.
Absurd Minds, “Fractured”
Absurd Minds have gotten a lot of stick for their similarity to Project Pitchfork over the years, although honestly hearing their new single “Fractured”, we’re inclined to be pretty charitable to them. Honestly very few bands of any stripe are making this kind of classic mid-90s melodic electro-industrial, a style that was eclipsed by futurepop and eventually came back in various hybrid forms after the turn of the millennium. This one is right down the pipe though, with a big chorus, and a DJ friendly tempo. What more could you ask for?
Dr. Oso, “Personal Class”
Finally, some old school new beat flavoured business from Argentina’s Dr. Oso. We first came across the good doctor’s work when he put out a compilation of his DJ edits the other year, and since then have been checking his occasional compilation appearances when they come across our desks. This new EP, Horror Night features three originals and couple more DJ edits, and of the batch we’re most into the DM-sampling of “Personal Class”, an excellent bit of dancefloor candy to help sooth that seasonal comedown. Funky, and frightening!
Blokkontroll, “Sintez”
Another EP from Ukranian newcomer Blokkontrol, and with tracks like this the project continues its rep for clearly delivered, if still pleasantly lo-fi, EBM in a classic, minimal, and decidedly bouncy vein. Also, as an added bonus, Canadian listeners should cop the bassline’s similarity with that of Lisa Lougheed’s iconic “Run With Us”.
