You don’t need us to tell you that it’s rough times for our American friends these days. We don’t have much of substance to say other than those of us in Canada and the rest of the world are proud of our friends standing together in the streets to protect one another from the encroachment of fascism. Stay warm, stay safe, and stay strong. We’re all with you.
Mortes
Flesh Field, “Supplication”
Having just reactivated his US electro-industrial project Flesh Field a few years back, Ian Ross isn’t wasting any time. Along with reissues of the classic FF records, he’s been putting out new material at a steady clip, with a brand new record On Enmity just on the horizon. First single “Supplication” has the exact feel we want from Ross in 2026; it’s orchestral, it’s hard, it has sharp lyrics and vocals, and a lot of vitriol baked into its commentary on the contemporary American psyche. Kind of recalls Year Zero era Nine Inch Nails, not a bad thing in the slightest.
This Morn’ Omina, “7Sekhem”
It’s been five years since we had new material from longstanding Belgian pioneers This Morn’ Omina, and it sounds as though they might not be staying pat with the fortcoming Insha LP. A couple of teaser tracks aren’t the be all and end all, but on the basis of a piece like this we can’t help but wonder if Insha will be shorter on the combination of psytrance and rhythmic noise we still associate with the band’s core sound, and tilting in a more cinematic and ritual industrial direction, perhaps befitting its release on Zazen and Cyclic Law.
Group Rhoda, “White Fur”
Mara Barenbaum’s long-running Group Rhoda project has flitted about the edges of industrial and darkwave for years in a matter not unlike The Tear Garden, abutting upon those sounds when astral drift carries it towards them from its native psychedelic claims. This taster from the forthcoming Phase 5 on Dark Entries is a nice example of the low-key style which always has us happy to revisit Group Rhoda when it comes across our radar, slinky and weird but distinctly tasteful and considered.
Mortes, “Fight (We Die Tonight)”
Hey, here’s something fun; a little bit of electro-darkwave, but eschewing the rubbery bounce in favour of a more gothic take. In fact this song would port over to a traditional bass/drums/guitar number fairly easily, due to its strong hook and easy to dance to rhythm. Good n’ spooky, just like you like it.
Ewiges Feuer, “Black Clad Figures”
One-man Finnish act Ewiges Feuer’s debut EP got over with us in 2024 with its mix of oppressive dark electro atmospheres and surprisingly lithe and bubbly programming, almost like a less grimy version of Canada’s Visitor. This new politically-driven single picks up where New Dark Beat left off, with murky and chewy EBM basslines holding sway, with a little throwback to new beat and aggrepo (also detectable on the B-side) here and there.
Double Eyelid, “No Control”
A nice slice of cabaret darkwave from Toronto’s Double Eyelid. A Bowie cover from the Outside era here, this adds some touches of jangly trip-hop, making it something pretty different than what anyone else is doing in the scene right now. Definitely hits the right atmosphere and vibe for your late night playlist or warm-up set at the club.
