Hey friends, quick update from the Senior Staff on the eve of the spooky season. It’s been real busy for us in both in non-IDUD related life stuff, and as such it’s very possible we are overlooking new records and artists that we should have our eye on. Thus it’s time for a renewal of our annual plea to please, tell us what we haven’t covered that you think would be to our taste. You can do it right here in the comments of this very post? As much as we enjoy a good dig through Bandcamp and various setlists from respected DJs and friends, we’d love a blindspot check from our readers, who have generally never steered us wrong with that sort of thing. We’d sure appreciate it.
Seven Trees
Mesh, “Trying to Save You”
Bristol’s Mesh are such a unique quantity in the big umbrella that is Our Thing. Taking synthpop and rendering them with rock band energy isn’t the easiest move in music, but they’ve always pulled it off with aplomb. See new single “Trying to Save You” from the forthcoming mini-album “Fallen Angel” for example; big hooks, bold arrangement choices (that switch up as it exits the chorus is so clever) and lots of momentum. Truly no other band sounds like them.
Aurat, “XIII”
Coming just a few months after the dense and spiky Cobra EP, this teaser from Aurat’s forthcoming silhouette LP portends something quite different from the highly touted and fast moving LA act. Forsaking their EBM tendencies, this cut carries their goth/post-punk genome into unexpected doomgaze territory. Is it reflective of the whole release? We’ll be sure to follow up in a month’s time.
Kontravoid, “Chances”
Kontravoid is no stranger to writing a great electro-pop jam; you could probably build a decent mixtape out of cuts from across the catalogue like “Too Deep”, “Losing Game” and “Faceless”. Strong possibility you’d throw “Chances”, another taste of the upcoming Sound of the Void to that list also, it’s exactly the kind of catchy, danceable, melancholic but forceful cut that Cam Findlay has been casually knocking out for some time now. We wouldn’t be shocked to hear this at any given goth club or darkwave party over the next couple of years, it’s fun and spooky in the right ways.
Chalice Sect, “Silent Fever”
Chalice Sect is a new name to us but it doesn’t take long to cotton onto the LA act’s rhythmically pummelling read on darkwave on this track from their forthcoming Finis Initii EP. A slew of heavily distorted synths which sound as though they have more in common with the aggro side of synthwave than goth drives things further into a maximalist space which will likely irritate purists but probably goes off live quite well.
Nasdrowie, “Impact”
Shout-out to friend Nick for bringing this EP from Nadrowie to our attention. It’s largely instrumental, but the vocals on “Impact” position it as the sort of murky 90s electro industrial that is like candy to us. Raw and rough, you could hear this being spun in a set with any number of classic Zoth bands. For fans of Evil’s Toy, and maybe Seven Trees?
Seven Trees, “Underneath My Skin”
Speak of the devil, here’s a pleasantly moody and stark new cut from the aforementioned reactivated Swedish dark electro vets Seven Trees. As with their 2021 comeback LP Dead/End “Underneath My Skin” isn’t trying to leap off the page at you, but as the simple but solid structure beneath the clean and icy programming rolls along, the track progressively builds a sense of dread and inevitability that leaves a lasting chill. Solid and considered stuff for those who prioritize mood and affect in their dark electro.
