Having somewhat caught our breath after a slew of live shows, we’re gearing up for all the argle-bargle and foofaraw which comes with being a goth/industrial DJ at Halloween. We’ve done a couple of podcast episodes touching on the topic of how to handle “Christmas for goths” when you’re partially responsible for a mix of die-hards and casuals’ good night out at the club, but one way or the other we’re hoping your Halloween prep’s leaving time for some of the season’s other charms with regard to food and weather; after a very lengthy summer just going for a nighttime walk with some new tunes loaded up is a reward all its own.
Zanias
In Strict Confidence, “Fever”
New In Strict Confidence will always garner some attention in these parts, being that the long-running German act have always been a presence during our own tenure within the world of Our Thing. Starting as a classic dark electro styled act in the 90s, the project eventually evolved in various directions, taking on more ornate and gothic elements until they finally emerged as purveyors of anthemic darkwave, but with one foot kept firmly in their classic sound. New single “Fever”, the first from the forthcoming LP (their first in nearly a decade) certainly speaks to that; it’s got big dramatic vocals, sweeping riffs and leads, and some very of the moment electronics holding it all down.
Ortrotasce, “Highgate”
Despite the strength of sustained releases like 2024’s Dispatches From Solitude, stand-alone single tracks seem to be Ortrotasce’s preferred format, and so the onus is on us to stay abreast of each little gem Nic Hamersly elects to drop. This latest one tilts much more to the synthpop as opposed to body music side of the project’s gradients, with plenty of icy pathos which perhaps recalls the likes of VALIS.
Rotersand, “Train (Rework – Club)”
To celebrate their 25th anniversary as an act, Rotersand are going to be releasing a series of singles featuring exclusive versions of classics, as well as reworks and versions of contemporary numbers. The first such single is Merging Oceans/Train, which features a remaster of the original demo for the former song, and three new versions of “Train” from last year’s excellent Don’t Become the Thing You Hated. The Club version is a good place to start, showing a smooth and dare we say mature production sensibility from an act who have made that sound their trademark in recent years.
Bunkerer, “Demolice”
Some properly nasty and grimy EBM coming to us from Kladno, Czechia, home of some of the most incredible abandoned industrial landscapes in the world. It’s no surprise that such an environment would produce stripped down synthpunk burbling and metallic clangs like these from one-person act Bunkerer’s latest tape. Wonderfully grim and toxic stuff you’ll need a chemical bath after listening to.
Devision Redux, “Rage (Lucid Mix by Lost Signal)”
The not-so-unlikely partnership of Steffen Keth and Daniel Myer dedicated to the reworking of Keth’s material as part of De/Vision continues to pay dividends. A new maxi spun out from the Echoes We Keep LP includes this artful rework of the pair’s take on “Rage” by Lost Signal, whose downcast read on futurepop and related sounds dovetails perfectly with the ethos of Devision Redux.
Zanias, “Follow the Body (Kris Baha remix)”
Somehow Alison Lewis’ breakthrough solo EP under her Zanias moniker To the Core is now 10 years old, and to celebrate the tastemaker artist is rereleasing it with some new remixes to mark the occasion. Appropriate then that one the folks tapped to contribute is her fellow Australian Kris Baha, who delivers on the cyberpunked-up sounds of his own productions, melding them to the otherworldly energy of the Zanias original. Dig on those trance gates on the breakdown, it’s the vibe.
