There’s a whole mess of shows coming up in Vancouver, on bills featuring a fine mix of international acts and locals, some of whom we’ve seen before, and some new to our eyes. It’s a fine reminder that we’re living through a pretty healthy era for music under the umbrella of Our Thing, and while there’s no doubt a million things going on that are making touring very difficult (see Bragolin having to cancel all their US dates last week), we’re eating pretty good. Of course it’s not guaranteed to stay that way, so if you have the opportunity to go see some touring or local acts in your hometown, buy a ticket, grab some merch, try and keep the touring eco-system alive so we can all benefit from it.

This pic is This pic is This pic is of Tronik (Youth)

Datura Inoxia & Valanaïs, “Désir et Distance”
Heavy, heavy TBM kicks and metallic programming run through the new collaborative EP from Datura Inoxia. Appearing on Ratflak, the same brutalist label which brought us the recent Blokkontroll LP, it’s a much rougher and more lo-fi version of the style the Mexican duo plies than that we associate with Berlin, but they’re drawing international producers into their grinding lockstep, including this gnarly looper done in concert with French producer Valanaïs.

Wants, “Bitter Shape”
Last year’s In Plain Sight was a real leap forward compositionally for Calgarian melodic new wave crooners Wants, and so we’re happy to get a sense of their next moves with a new single. Jeebs Nabil’s engrossing, winsome vocals smoothly weave through bouncy but spiky synth and guitar leads, with some raw Canadian anthemics bringing the likes of Spoons to mind.

Neuroticfish, “Eisbär”
Neuroticfish covering Grauzone? Hell fuckin’ yeah. We’re unapologetic fans of both projects, and hearing the strong pop instincts of Neuroticfish meet the classic NDW sound of “Eisbär” is lovely. The track is taken from a compilation benefiting The White Rose Foundation, who do important educational work regarding the dangers of fascism, and our responsibility to pushing back against it. The compilation hits the streets November 6th and also features covers of welle classics from (*deep breath*) Stabbing Westward, Caustic, Leæther Strip, Nouvelle Vague, Modern English, EMF (!), The Dead Milkmen (!!), and John Fucking Carpenter (!!!).

Tronik Youth, “Touch Me, I’m Sick”
Okay fine, so the italo-body music thing never quite took off the way we were hoping, it seems just as the whole thing was really starting to cook, many of the major producers veered off into NRG and other revivalist dance styles, which has a sort of historic symmetry to it at least. With that said, you still get some bangers that inhabit that not-quite new beat sound, like say this new one from London’s Tronik Youth, which has all the gnarly, mechanized funk and ominours textures you could want, while still being a righteous dancefloor heater.

Unconscious, “Tutto è una copia”
There’s solid and unpretentious dark electro/EBM to be found on the latest single on X-IMG from the always impossible to google Italian producer Unconscious. The throwback production and slowly filtering pads feel like a nice mix of Xorcist and any number of Carpenter scores you might care to name. Also, check the B-side if you’re as much of a fan of Jesse “The Body” Ventura’s conspiracy rhetoric as we are.

Stuka, “Travelling Across Obscure Dimensions”
Holy shit, what the hell is this? Best description we can come up with is baroque synthpunk about Warhammer 40k, but even that doesn’t quite encapsulate things. You’ve got the dungeon synth style medieval arrangement, and bellowed/screeched vocals paired with traditional folk singing. Even as total Games Workshop dilletantes, we have some working knowledge of the Imperium’s vast lore, but not enough to decypher this madness. Just a blast of unexpected weirdness, in the best way.