A Closer Listen
Is industrial music making a comeback? From the sound of this season’s slate, it is. The darkness of the world seems to dictate its resurgence. We’ve chopped this preview into Light and Dark halves in order to highlight the contrast.
The light half has always been essential: music to encourage and uplift, music to lead us to the dance floors and beaches, music to reassure us that life is still beautiful and that there are still things on this earth to celebrate. But we need the dark half too: music to express our depression and anger, music to give voice to our frustration and disappointment, music to play when we see red. Our cover image, from Daniel Brandt’s Without Us, is a reflection.
First, the Light
The cover of Kirk Barley‘s Lux sings of spring, while the percussive and synthetic textures evoke a rainy day in Yorkshire. The album is a reminder that light is needed for plants to grow (Odda, March 21). Dustin Wong‘s ambient-electronic Gloria is a memorial to his mother and a heartfelt exploration of the past, with many tracks referencing the sea and a surprising two-part cover of “Angels We Have Heard On High” (Hausu Mountain, April 1). It would be hard to find a more obvious choice for a summer cut than “Ibiza,” the lead single from Butcher Brown‘s Letters from the Atlantic. Jazz, funk, soul and more combine for a beachy sound (Concord Jazz, March 28). The same holds true for Sieren‘s grooving Emergence, which begins with a track titled “Waves.” Drawing from house and disco, the set offers a nostalgic comfort (Friends of Friends Music, April 18).
(Lena) Amparo shifts from ambient guitar to synths and vocal wisps on Keep Your Soul Young, an uplifting set on Past Inside the Present. She even saves room for a few love songs (March 28). Modular synth artist JakoJako honors her Vietnamese heritage on Tết 41, which includes field recordings from the Lunar New Year festival and exudes feeling of harmony (Mute, April 25). London field recordings mingle with ample synth on Andrey Kiritchenko‘s Ultra Marshes, reflecting a sense of place and time (Flaming Pines, April 26).
Melodic synth is the hallmark of Barker‘s Stochastic Drift. Don’t be fooled by the energetic lead single “Reframing;” much of the album, save for the IDM title track, is slower and ambient-inflected (Smalltown Supersound, April 4). Simon Heartfield‘s The State of Social Movement is a synth set introduced by a song titled “The Book Spirits,” which honors the fact that the composer is inspired by literature, whether a full book or merely a passage (Machine, April 4). Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan returns with Overspill Estates, a new EP that includes tracks left off of last year’s Your Community Hub (Castles in Space, April 11). Tangerine Dream vet Peter Baumann is still going strong after all these years; Nightfall is a commentary on “ephemeral, ungraspable nature of our existence” (Bureau B, May 16).
Ursula Sereghy‘s Cordial is percolating and bright, a bubble bath of sound. The Prague artist fills her pieces with playful percussion and snippets of voice, dispelling sadness and replacing it with childlike joy (Mondoj, April 18). Oh No Noh is back with a new array of handmade machines, guitar and banjo, licks, a happy cover and a guest appearance from KMRU. As Late As Possible focuses on simple pleasures and often takes a pointillist approach (Teleskop, April 4).
Combining dance, pop and modern composition, Avawaves create a welcoming, crossover sound. Heartbeat is the first single and title track of the album, arriving May 9 on One Little Independent. Harpist Kety Fusco introduces BOHÈME with the single BLOW; the track is filled with handclaps and happiness, so we list in our light section; the video however is dark, referencing The Blair Witch Project (A Tree in a Field, June 13). Hior Chronik, Robert Lippok and more remix Laura Masotto on The Spirit of Things, introducing the violinist to an entirely new audience (!K7, March 21). Trumpet and sax join the electronic jazz party on the Volcano EP, packed with guest stars and dance beats, courtesy of Mattia Prete (Jazz-o-Tech, March 21). Dance artist Inwards coined the word Zoomies to describe his more uptempo tracks, collected on the upcoming LP. Each of the tracks honors part of his Golden Retriever’s family tree (May 30).
Elskavon is back with the uplifting Panoramas, which keeps listeners guessing by using a variety of vocal fragments and samples. Technically the album is released on the first day of summer, but we couldn’t wait to share it! (Western Vinyl, June 20). Perky beats and effervescent rhythms make Yatsuby‘s 4EVA a happy, poppy experience. The Seoul producer hopes that her music will promote togetherness and peace (Pink Oyster, March 26). A steady beat and lyrical repetition create a trance on Build the Habit, the first single from Carmel Snickersgill‘s Unsolicited Advice. The sax sample adds a touch of jazz (Prah Recordings, May 16). Lullahush may have missed a golden opportunity by not releasing Ithaca on St. Patrick’s Day, but the album has a happy appeal no matter what the holiday. The artist samples traditional Irish music and places it in new electronic settings, where they flourish with new energy (Future Classic, April 11).
TEKAMOLO‘s best tunes for your answering machine is a set of “dissembled songs” created from snippets and samples, honoring seminal crate digging acts (Hidden Harmony Recordings, April 11). PACHYMAN draws from old school hip-hop and funk on the sample-happy Another Place; many will recognize the Talking Heads sample in the lead single. The album is a loving tribute to LA, dropping at a most welcome time (ATO, May 23). Head-nodding beats fill Midi Neutron‘s whosgonnafeedyou likeThis, which yields a chill, slow-hop vibe (May 18).
Hieroglyphic Being exemplifies our articles theme on Dance Music 4 Bad People, recalling when club music brought people together and choosing to land on optimism despite society’s prevalent mood. The lead single is I’m in a Strange Loop (Smalltown Supersound, April 18). Not drum ‘n’ bass, but drums and bass: James Krivchenia joins forces with bassists Sam Wilkes and Joshua Abrams on Performing Belief, a percussive set of floor fillers (Planet Mu, May 2). Breakbeats and IDM make The Jaffa Kid‘s Teq Approach By an invitation to the dance floor. There’s some retro flavor here as well (Macadam Mambo, May 1). A certain joy comes when one is able to recover data from a hard drive; the excitement of rediscovery shines through on Romance in the Age of Adaptive Feedback, a circuit-and-data-filled album from Unspecified Enemies, appropriately released on Numbers (March 28).
G ZIFCAK‘s 9114 is bright and bubbly, a pure techno excursion on bizarrbazaar (April 4). On the same day, the label releases the slower, but no less appealing Ode to Life by bergonist. MOLØ and Slackin’ Beats‘s Don’t Change EP is laden with upbeat rhythms, vocal loops and a summery sound. Body Pollution is the first single (Studio Barnhus, March 28). Desperate for summer on the first day of spring? Try Kassian‘s Channels, which not only bottles the season, but puts it on their cover ((!K7, March 21). After 25 years, Kevin Saunderson’s e-Dancer is back! Now recording with his son, the famed Detroit producer honors the spirit of the 90s with a 21st-century twist (One House, May 2). Luke Hess‘ Arkeo channels Detroit techno with spiritual intention, inviting listeners to journey deep into the soul (DeepLabs, May 9). Rivet aka Grovskopa has passed through the darkness and returned to the light; Peck Glamour is a demonstration of hard-won resilience (Editions Mego, March 21).
And Now, the Darkness
Aborted Towns, The Deadly Silence Before Utopia marks an incredible 40 years in the business for dark ambient industrial band SIGILLUM S, still boasting an original lineup with guest stars in attendance as well. Don’t be fooled by the title of the first single, “Lemur Agony;” this is as dark as it gets. Welcome back! (Subsound, May 9).
Instanbul’s Hüma Utku returns with another dark and alluring album; the title Dracones reflects the warning, “Here Be Dragons,” and the music follows suit, sounding like a churning ocean filled with unidentifiable beasts. The album was also influenced by pregnancy, with all its ensuing hopes and fears (Editions Mego, April 4). Ukrainian composer Katarina Gryvul offers a meditation on memory on SPOMYN, which includes sonic and vocal distortions, blurred edges and frayed beats. Her war may be more inner than outer, but it’s easy to draw parallels to the current situation in her homeland (Subtext, April 9).
Puce Moment‘s Sans Soleil was a stage performance and is now translated to disc. The album is a blend of drone, beats and Gagaku rhythms, featuring the Shô, Ryûteki, Hichiriki, Biwa, Sô, Taiko, Shôko and Kakko with a special appearance by theremin. The timbre is dark and trancelike, a reflection of the black cover (Parenthèses, March 21). CEM‘s FORMA began as an installation work, and is laden with a variety of bells, from cowbells to doorbells to Shinto bells. The album also includes ghaita, organ and spoken word, creating a sonic potpourri (Danse Noir, March 28). Distorted chords form the center of emptyset‘s Dissever, which dispenses with the beats to create vast textures of abrasion. Dancing is almost an afterthought (Thrill Jockey, May 23).
There’s no disguising what The Corrupting Sea‘s Political Shit is about; the album is a blend of dark ambient and industrial textures, a bleak reflection of modern times (Somewherecold, March 28). Continuing on a theme, Gross Motor‘s Same Shit Different Day has a messed up A.I. cover and a wonky, computerized IDM sound that matches the art (April 1). Robotic voices abound on Liquids & Flesh, singing over drum machines as if the world has already ended. The music may sound playful, but the cover is dour (Egglike, April 4). The new Actress EP contains two soft songs and two structured; the computerized voice sounds like the cover of Tranzkript 1 looks (Modern Obscure Music, April 4). Optimistic Nihilism is a perfect way to split the difference between the darkness and the light. Which side will listeners gravitate to? There’s ample opportunity for each on Odalie‘s latest release, out April 18 on Mesh.
The sluggish BPMs of Yves De Mey‘s Force Over Area make the music sound as if it is lurking around a corner, waiting to strike. A subliminal industrial current runs through the set, laden with sci-fi circuits (Totalism, March 20). CHILD also exhibits a sci-fi influence, even naming one track “Dystopian Sci-Fi;” the Dyż-Lokazzjoni EP incorporates dub and female vocals and is out March 21 on Kewn. Dub riddims aplenty populate Disturbia, the new collaboration of Gaudi and Eraldo Bernocchi, recording as Phonolab, High-profile guest stars include Bill Laswell and Devo’s Gerald Casale (Subsound, April 11). The vocalist of Use Knife (who is also in Jerusalem of the Heart) fled Iraq due to war, and has plenty to say about world decay. État Coupable incorporates dohola, darbuka, tar, daf, raq, kishba and Arabic lyrics in an industrial framework reminiscent of classic Front 242: no surprise as the other part of the band hails from Belgium (Viernulvier, March 28).
At what point does lounge music become frightening? When it is stripped of distinguishable characteristics, changed into a haunted version of its former self, and decorated with dark beats. This is what Racine has done on Comedia, an album of dark allure (Haunter, March 28). There’s Always a Strawberry Hut, claims Elizabeth Davis, stepping out from her old moniker of Wilted Woman. The title seems cheerful until one hears the music, beginning with “Bad Time,” and delves into the album’s distorted sonics and abrasive tones (Superpang, March 28). .618‘s Goodbye ONY is a study of geotraumas and collective memory, the scars of the earth intermingling with those who live above it (Éditions Appærent, March 20).
Kudoro rhythms fill Demilitarize, from Angolan artist Nazar; but the album is not about what one might think. After recovering from debilitating illness, the artist settled on a sci-fi theme, inspired by Ghost in the Shell (Hyperdub, April 25). Not many albums merge ostrich calls, industrial music, goth and gabba; okay, we’ll be honest, we know only of one. The Uruguayan artist Lila Tirando a Violeta continues her hot streak on Dream of Snakes, released April 25 on Unguarded. The cover of Turbo Meltdown is as intimidating as the music of HHY & the Kampala Unit, whose love for horror soundtracks is translated into hard dance workouts. A brass band makes the sound even more cinematic (Nyege Nyege Tapes, April 11).
Broken English Club presents Songs of Love and Decay, a techno-industrial workout with occasional sparse vocals. The album resurrects the spirit of the 80s, repurposing it for a new generation (Dekmantel, March 21). The “apocalyptic rave” of Daniel Brandt‘s Without Us is a reaction to the feeling of helplessness that is engendered by the current wave of socio-political-environmental crises. The album is confidently percussive and eminently clubworthy, and includes a guest appearance by Hatis Noit on the opening track (Erased Tapes, March 21).
Acid squelch and techno fill the grooves of Russell Halwell‘s Deep Time, “a reflection on the current state of the nation and of the world,” which takes its lessons from geological time, and as such serves as both consolation and warning (Diagonal, April 18). Rapid rhythms run throughout Swimful‘s Diecast EP, comprised of four new cuts and three remixes (SVBKLVT, March 26). The intense Farewell reflects upon the 2022 Turkiye-Syria earthquake and the botched government response. The album is an indictment wrapped in techno energy, a healing power applied to a wound (Injazero, May 2).
Dark techno energy permeates Sausha‘s self-titled debut, whose art reflects its sensual connections. The EP is a mixture of vocal and instrumental pieces, and a slowed version of one track is making the rounds on YouTube (Halcyon Veil, April 4). Oscar Mulero offers Modulations, a techno EP that invites listeners to travel into the cosmos (Semantica, May 9). Surgeon returns with Shell~Wave, a minimal techno set that makes a maximal impact Tresor, May 2). Hi-energy techno moves Nørbak‘s Casa forward at a rapid clip; the energy never flags, so most clubgoers will need Gatorade to keep up (Hayes Collective, March 21). Sandwell District‘s End Beginnings is a tribute to a fallen soldier, a subject all too common. Dreaming is the first single (March 28).
Richard Allen
Mon Mar 17 00:01:38 GMT 2025