It’s hard to know what to write in this space considering the state of things in the US right now. While we are Vancouver-based, it’s not lost on us that the majority of our reader and listenership is in the States, and are probably furious, or horrified, or disgusted, and likely all three. So writing some fluff here that doesn’t acknowledge the horror of extrajudicial murder and the heartening general strike would seem disingenuous. You may not come here for our politics, and god knows we have nothing to say that hasn’t already been said by so many others, but we wanted to make a record of our solidarity for those in the States fighting the good fight, and standing against fascist authoritarianism in all of its ugly forms.
Ony Godfrey, unbowed
Kontravoid, “Mortal”
One, possibly underrated aspect of Cam Findlay’s game in recent years has been his penchant for making pure club bangers that split the difference between Kontravoid’s electro-darkwave style, and 90s style big beat. See for example “Reckoning” from the last album, or say, “Mortal” which just dropped as a standalone single. This is Mortal Kombat-kore, dressed up with some of that good lo-fi grit, resulting in one of Findlay’s best club songs, which is saying a lot considering his batting average in the 2020s.
Ony Godfrey, “Let Them Eat War”
Emerging from the dissolution of Camlann, Chinese-Indonesian darkwaver One Godfrey’s debut single “Let The Eat War” arrives replete with the same anti-colonial messaging that has been a part of her work since we became aware of it. It’s also worth noting that the track’s fiery sentiment is accompanied by a fully-fleshed out arrangement of synth orchestration, serving one of the better electropop songs we’ve heard from Godfrey,
Menticide, “Der Meister”
There’s no fucking about to be found with pop crossovers or modifications of the classic template: you’re getting dark, cold, and pummelling EBM on the new maxi-single from Menticide, the side project of Christian Riemslag (Pouppée Fabrikk) and Johan Damm (formerly of Agrezzior and Dupont). It’s been nearly a full two decades since the duo last convened for their N.M.E. EP, but the first track of their reformation sounds like it’s from two decades previous to that point, with barely augmented rhythm programming driving in the red from the get go while Damm growls over the whole affair. 100 proof and angry to boot.
Alien Faktor, “Hanging by a Threat”
Holy shit dude, Alien Faktor is putting out new music. That’s unexpected for sure, as the Wisconsin industrial band hasn’t put out a new record in almost 30 years, but it’s certainly not unwelcome. Especially given the general lack of more hard-edged electro-industrial in North America over the last couple of years, this kind of appropriately fierce single feels very appropriate for the cultural moment we’re all living through. More please.
Produit Judiciaire ft Moravie, “El Grito Del Espacio”
There’s plenty about Meteors Recordings’ First Transmission to recommend the Parisian label’s comp just at a glance: new tunes from the likes of ID:UD faves like Mascarpone, Notausgang, and Static Ghost. But it’d be a mistake to overlook what seems to be the debut track from Produit Judiciare (here aided by Lyon DJ Moravie), which expertly blends deep French coldwave grooves, modern lo-fi beats, and the sort of intoxicating, smokey haze of danger which made darkwave dominate dancefloors in the late 90s.
Lucifer’s Aid, “Push It”
Lucifer’s Aid’s “State Trooper”, an amped up cover of the haunting Springsteen classic, ended up being one of the most unlikely hits in our 2025 DJ sets; Carl Nilsson somehow managed to wed the desperation of the original to a steadily building and grimy EBM/electro groove. The Stockholm project’s new single “Push It” (no, neither a Garbage nor Salt-N-Pepa cover, but an original) shows off a lot of that same yen for drama and buttressing deceptively simple rhythms with progressively more intense supporting fire lifted from broader rock and EDM realms.
