Out via Amour Records is solo project by Marsheaux member Sophia Sarigiannidou. Now active as Aspra her debut single “Velvet/Anoint” now comes re-released as a limited edition 7 inch single (300 copies) on white vinyl. The set also holds a (folded) A2-sized colour poster, the whole comes inside an outer plastic bag.

“Velvet” is a rework of the shoegaze track by Big Pink and was released already last year. “Anoint”‘,” is originally by The Field Mice.

Both tracks were written and recorded during the lockdown at Sarigiannidou’s studio in Athens, Greece. This is the first ever new material by (one half of) Marsheaux, after their split. The Greek electro girl duo released their fifth (and last) studio album “Ath.Lon” in June 2016.

Aspra recently also collaborated with the veteran electronic composer Lena Platonos, resulting in the releases of “Markos” and “Kymata”.

In related news, Sarigiannidou also curated the release “Play for Tomorrow Vol. 1” holding a collection of rare and obscure post-punk and minimal synth pop tracks from the period 1977-1985.

Tracklist “Play for Tomorrow Vol. 1”

1. The Gadgets – U.F.O. Report N°1 (1980)
2. Michael Rother – Karussell (1977)
3. Amin Peck – Love Disgrace
4. Car Crash Set – Fall From Grace (1983)
5. Alan Burnham – Music To Save The World By (1981)
6. Blaine L. Reininger – Mystery and Confusion (1984)
7. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Of all the Things we’ve made (1981)
8. Ruth – Polaroid/Roman/Photo (1985)
9. Chrisma – Black Silk stocking (1977)
10. Buggles – On TV (1981)
11. Electronic Circus – Direct Lines (1981)
12. I Start Counting – Still Smilling (1985)
13. Chris & Cosey – October Love Song (1983)
14. Ultravox – Just for a Moment (1978)

Bay Area post-punk outfit Topographies will release their sophomore LP, “Interior Spring”, via Dark Entries on February 2, 2024. And the whole has a The Cure link as well, as you will see.

Formed in 2018 in San Francisco by Justin Oronos, Jeremie Ruest, and Gray Tolhurst, Topographies mix early coldwave with classic shoegaze. While the work of Tolhurst’s father – Laurence Tolhurst from The Cure – provides a clear influence, Topographies also has influences from such acts as Asylum Party or The Chameleons. The band debuted in 2018 with the 2-track single “Topographies”. A few more singles followed before the band released its debut album “Ideal Form” on December 4, 2020.

On “Interior Spring”, Topographies explore themes of guilt, inherited trauma, and recovery. The album holds 10 tracks of which you can already check the opening track “Night Sea”. You can check it below on Bandcamp.

The Glasgow-based duo Hanging Freud (signed to the Belgian label Spleen+) (division of Alfa Matrix) has a new album out today: “Worship”. “Worship” is the 7th album for this Scottish new wave / minimal synthpop duo.

On this new studio album, Paula Borges and Jonathan Skinner offer 10 songs. The tracks were written in particular claustrophobic circumstances during the pandemic lockdown. “Because of what was going on, we were essentially stuck in temporary accommodation in Scotland, away from our studio and forced into a period unexperienced before. The songs that came out therefore come from a different place. Everything was done within a laptop and is proudly 100% digital. It was recorded and mixed while literally sitting on the side of a bed in a mouse infested apartment…” explains Paula Borges.

“Worship” is out as a limited vinyl edition available in 2 different colours: transparent violet and transparent turquoise (150 copies each worldwide) as well as a lush double-CD digipak with the “Anomalies” bonus EP just like in this Bandcamp download.

You can check out the album below on Bandcamp.

The legendary Belgian label Antler returns. Pioneering in the 80s and 90s and an absolute vanguard in the world of post-punk, cold- and new wave, EBM, electro… a series of albums and compilations from the extensive Antler archives are now being re-released. Following the earlier released remastered version of the double album of the Limburg Cold Wavers Siglo XX, a first compilation of tracks from the early period of the label: “Antler Records – Early Years Vol. 1” is now following.

Roland Beelen: “For almost half a century, Antler has been my life, my love, and my soul. I founded Antler Records more than 40 years ago. In the early days, I was not only chasing my own dreams, but those of many new and groundbreaking bands in Belgium in an exciting new world of music and an emerging music scene. After the collaboration with Maurice Engelen, there was no turning back. Our label has broken barriers in many different genres with our joint forces, from dark electro, EBM, pop, dance and techno, singer-songwriter to even reggae. It’s now 2023 and I’m proud to put parts of this legacy back in the spotlight with a series of releases and reissues. After more than 40 years, Antler will come back to life and bring joy to all fans who have cherished the label over the years.”

The history of Antler

Neue Sachlichkeit and their single “Ice/Painless Rage” was the last release on Roland Beelen’s Kleo Label and came out in 1981. It also became the first release on the Antler label founded after a meeting in café De Knoet in Aarschot with Maurice Engelen. Kleo Records became Antler Records and both gentlemen entered into a collaboration that would last until 2005. Beelen had a serious accident and withdrew from the music biz in 2005, Engelen continued with Praga Khan and Lords of Acid.

In 1995, Antler (by then transformed into Antler-Subway Records) entered into a collaboration with EMI Records. The legendary Belgian alternative-new wave catalog was supplemented with a series of striking and still current and unforgettable Belpop hits in 2023. From 1995 onwards, even more Belgian and international hits were scored and millions of records and CDs were sold, including Black Uhuru, 2 Fabiola, Kate Ryan, Milk Inc, Lasgo, Ian van Dahl, but also Praga Khan, Lords of Acid and in Belgium Leopold 3)

With the disappearance of EMI Records and EMI Music, the label was swept under the rug, archives were lost and Antler eventually ended up at Warner Music via Universal after wanderings.

Starman Records acquired the right from Warner Music in 2022 to use the name Antler and Antler-Subway again to breathe new life into the more than 40-year-old label. Two compilations (vinyl only) with the rarest and long-lost tracks from the early Antler period were compiled by Lieven De Ridder (Walhalla Records) with the greatest care and remastered by Pieter De Wagter. The first of these: “Antler Records – Early Years Vol. 1” will be released on January 5, 2024.

The logo has now a very sustainable green colour.

Siglo XX returns as well, more or less

Also to be re-released on Antler will be the Siglo XX “Double album” which is the last album of the Limburg coldwave band that appeared on the Antler label. The release is the result of the last artistic collaboration between Roland Beelen and Siglo XX in the mid-1980s. The record is considered a masterpiece and numerous renowned artists from the then Belgo-Manchester Scene collaborated on it.

Shane MacGowan, the renowned Irish singer-songwriter, poet, and frontman of The Pogues, passed away at the age of 65. His death was announced by his wife, Victoria Mary Clarke. The Pogues also released a statement confirming his peaceful passing with his family by his side.

You can read the statement by Victoria Mary Clarke below.

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A post shared by Victoria Mary Clarke Angels (@victoriamaryclarke)

Below is the statement by The Pogues.

pic.twitter.com/1OPVekSDyX

— The Pogues (@poguesofficial) November 30, 2023

About Shane MacGowan

MacGowan, born on Christmas Day in 1957 in Kent, was celebrated as one of Ireland’s most influential songwriters and poets. Despite a challenging upbringing, which included being expelled from school and struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, he made a significant impact on the arts and entertainment world through his work with The Pogues and collaborations with a host of musical legends.

Throughout his career, MacGowan battled various health issues, leading to multiple hospital stays in recent years. He was treated for viral encephalitis, a condition causing brain swelling, and also suffered from shingles. Moreover, a severe pelvis injury in 2015 left him wheelchair-bound during his final years. Despite these challenges, MacGowan achieved sobriety in 2016 following a serious bout with pneumonia and a long hospital stay due to his hip injury. His wife, Victoria, with whom he shared a decades-long relationship and married in 2018, frequently updated fans on his health struggles.

MacGowan’s legacy, marked by hits like “Fairytale of New York” and “A Pair of Brown Eyes,” and his collaborations with artists such as Kirsty MacColl, Joe Strummer, Nick Cave, Steve Earle, Johnny Depp, the late Sinéad O’Connor, and Ronnie Drew, leaves a lasting impression on music and culture​.

The below “Haunted” was the soundtrack of both the lives of Sinéad O’Connor and Shane MacGowan.

About The Pogues

The Pogues, an Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band, was led by Shane MacGowan and other members. It was established in King’s Cross, London, in 1982 under the original name “Pogue Mahone,” an anglicized version of the Irish phrase “póg mo thóin,” meaning “kiss my arse.” The band gained international fame in the 1980s and early 1990s, producing several successful albums and singles. MacGowan departed from the group in 1991 due to issues with alcohol, and the band continued with Joe Strummer and later Spider Stacy as vocalists until their initial breakup in 1996. They reunited in late 2001 and performed regularly in the UK, Ireland, and the US East Coast until their final disbandment in 2014, not recording new material in this latter period.

Their music, which carried political undertones, was shaped by MacGowan and Stacy’s punk roots. However, they uniquely blended this style with traditional Irish instrumentation, incorporating the tin whistle, banjo, cittern, mandolin, and accordion into their sound.

The death rock/post punk trio The Feral Ghosts will release their sophomore album “Black Sun” via Seeing Red Records on December 8, 2023. “Black Sun” will be available soon in vinyl and will can also be purchased in digital formats on Bandcamp.

The new album is led by the dark electro single “Witcher” which comes accompanied by a video.

The Chicago-based band consists of Raul Urquilla aka Annu Na Kll (vocals, bass), Alejandro Duran (guitar) and Roberto Lopez aka Luzy (drums). They will do a live presentation for “Black Sun” during a hometown show at Soundgrowler Brewing Co. on Saturday, December 2.

The Feral Ghosts formed in the winter of 2014, emerging from Chicago’s late-night scene with a love of post punk and darkwave. The Feral Ghosts’ music can also be heard in the movie, “Appetite for Sin” available on all streaming networks.

Out via the Icy Cold label on December 1st is the 15th anniversary edition of the self-titled 2007 debut album (released on CD only) by the Swedish Postpunk band The Exploding Boy. The reissue comes completely remastered and for the first time ever available on vinyl, and including an exclusive bonus-track, “Susanne”.

This special ‘Anniversary Edition’ (coming with 1 year of delay actually) also contains a full colour vinyl-sized lyrics sheet, with lots of band-pictures from 15 years ago.

About The Exploding Boy

The band was founded in 2006 by Lars Andersson and Johan Sjöblom and named after a song by The Cure. After 3 albums on the Swedish Ad Inexplorata label (Twice a Man, Karin My, Fake Moss…), in 2013 the band signed to Drakkar/SONY, who later also re-released 2 of their previous albums.

The band’s member Johan Sjöblom also released a solo-album on Manic Depression in 2016.

Here’s how they sound live. “At The Dress Circle – Live at the Sullivan Room NYC” is available on Bandcamp.

(Photo by Elliot Pietrapiana) The French postpunk band Corpus Delicti comes back with a new single, “Chaos”, 28 years after their last album. “Chaos” is now available on Youtube. The single will also be released as a 7inch vinyl which will also include an exclusive B-side “The Crown”.

“Chaos” was produced in the United States by American musician William Faith (Faith And The Muse, March Violets) and was mastered by Grazz (U2, Pogues, Prodigy, Kills..) at The Exchange (London). The video was directed by Stéphane Lionardo.

About Corpus Delicti

Corpus Delicti was formed in Nice in 1992 by Sébastien (vocals), Franck (guitar), Chrys (bass) and Roma (drums). Their debut album “Twilight” was released in 1993. After two more albums, the band broke up in 1997. They reunited 23 years later and signed with the American label Cleopatra, who are preparing to reissue of the band’s backcatalogue. Roma, no longer able to play due to health reasons, was replaced by Laurent Tamagno, drummer for M83 among others.

Several years since their latest release, Philadelphia art-rock duo Tulipomania presents their fifth album “Dreaming of Sleep”, released via Sursumcorda Records.

With cover artwork by Michael Speed, senior designer at Beggars Group London, this record involves executive producer Howard Thompson (Elektra, Island, Almo Sounds), having discovered and/or worked with Adam and the Ants, Billy Bragg, MC5, Mötorhead, PiL, Psychedelic Furs, Robyn Hitchcock, The Sugarcubes, Suicide, among others.

As of November 17, the “Dream of Sleep” album is available digitally from fine music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, where it can also be obtained on CD and vinyl.

“Musically, the album feels like an interpretive dance to me. A reaction to overwhelming anxiety and frustration – while also mirroring and grappling with this ridiculous anxious age we are living in. Lyrically, consciously, and subconsciously, the themes of loss, frustration and fear are I think clearly on display – with anger, disbelief and a realization of a total lack of control or even influence beyond what we could exert on the instrumentation, the songs and the animations themselves,” says Tom Murray.

“We tried to use only the first takes of any performances or musical ideas as much as possible. Vocals were recorded in one or two takes in almost every case. We wanted to make everything about the groove and the song. We wanted to not be tempted to use instrumentation we are already comfortable with. I think this lack of control and slight on-edge process pairs well with the music and lyrics. I hope the results speak for themselves.”

In the lead-up to the album, Tulipomania released the lead track “You Had to Be There” and a remix created by UK music legend Martyn Ware (Heaven 17, The Human League) and Charles Stooke, which was featured on WIRE Magazine’s cover-mounted Wiretapper CD compilation for October.

Below are the two videos.

The latest animated video for “Then and Only Then” features lip sync, original and vintage footage shot frame by frame, collaged on sheets of black paper – is an official selection at the CutOut Fest International festival of animation and digital art this November in Mexico. “The music and the animations that support it explore outrage, powerlessness – and the knowing kind of sorrow that emerges from those states of mind – often in bursts of absurdity. Being aware of the ridiculous often feels like salvation,” says Cheryl Gelover, who first met Tom Murray, the other half of Tulipomania, through experimental film and animation classes.

Tulipomania’s animated music videos have been featured in film festivals worldwide, with several already showcasing their latest few videos as an official selection, including the Leeds International Film Festival (UK), StopTrik (Croatia, Poland), AniFilm (Czech Republic), Malatesta (Italy) and CutOut animation festival (Mexico).

Ukrainian cyberpunk music duo BlazerJacket has recently released their latest EP, titled “The Second”. This EP presents a diverse range of tracks, each embodying the duo’s cyberpunk and sci-fi thematic elements. The tracks are distinct, featuring voice samples from various influential sources.

The track “Dark Side” incorporates samples from “Star Wars”, while “DedSec” draws inspiration from the video game “Watch Dogs”. “Project 2501” is influenced by the anime “Ghost in the Shell”, and “Judgement Day” incorporates samples from “Terminator”.

Formed in 2017, BlazerJacket initially performed live, with half of their early material forming their first EP, “The First”, composed by Denis Cherryman. The remaining material, now part of “The Second”, was composed by band member Hybri.Mod. This latest work aligns with modern hard EDM/midtempo standards, blending industrial, guitar, and synthwave elements.

Their debut EP, “The First”, narrated a post-apocalyptic story through dialogues, focusing on two alien brothers on a mission to save Earth and humanity from a malevolent artificial intelligence. “The Second”, however, does not follow a specific narrative. Instead, it replaces dialogues with voice samples from movies, games, and anime, engaging the listeners’ imagination.

An intriguing detail for fans is the thematic linkage between the EPs. “The First” concludes with “Skynet”, leading into “Judgement Day” in “The Second”, which transitions the listener into the “Terminator” universe. A notable Easter egg for avid listeners is the matching FX sound at the end of “Skynet” in “The First” and at the beginning and end of “Judgement Day” in “The Second”.

For more insights, here’s a video for “Judgement Day”.

You can download the EP below.

The Texas-based post-punk act Urban Heat is to re-release its debut album “Wellness” in an extended version on CD. “Wellness” arrived after 2 self-released vinyl singles and digital-only releases.

This edition includes all the band’s original tracks, plus remixes, collaborations and b-sides. Below is the video for “Have You Ever?” to get an idea what this band is about sonically.

Urban Heat formed in 2019 when Jonathan Horstmann enlisted Kevin Naquin and Paxel Foley in an effort to form a live show based around his analog sound design. The band will now go on a month-long North American headlining tour dipping into Canada for shows in Toronto and Montreal before they return to the US.

Here are the dates:

• Nov 15 – Denton, TX – Rubber Gloves
• Nov 16 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
• Nov 18 – Huntington Beach, CA – Darker Waves Fest
• Nov 19 – Las Vegas, NV – Backstage Bar & Billiards
• Nov 24 – Kansas City, MO – Mini Bar Kc
• Nov 25 – Minneapolis, MN – The Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge
• Nov 26 – Cudahy, WI – X-Ray Arcade
• Nov 28 – Chicago, IL – The Empty Bottle
• Nov 29 – Columbus, OH – Rumba Cafe
• Nov 30 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
• Dec 01 – Toronto, ON – Hard Luck Bar
• Dec 03 – Montreal, QC – L’Escogriffe Bar Spectacle (L’Esco)
• Dec 05 – Cambridge, MA – Middle East – Upstairs
• Dec 06 – Philadelphia, PA – MilkBoy Philly
• Dec 07 – Millersville, PA – Phantom Power
• Dec 08 – Newark, NJ – QXT’s
• Dec 09 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
• Dec 10 – Baltimore, MD – The Crown
• Dec 12 – Orlando, FL – Will’s Pub
• Dec 13 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
• Dec 14 – New Orleans, LA – Santos
• Dec 15 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall – Upstairs
• Dec 17 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger

New Jersey-based darkwave/post-punk band, Neon Funeral has just unleashed their new EP, “Banned From The Goth Club” courtesy of Cleopatra Records. Neon Funeral is a darkwave/post-punk band with hardcore screamo/metal vocals “in the spirit of an angst-driven Ian Curtis” as the band puts it.

The EP’s theme is based upon the band feeling alienated from the goth scene. The name of the EP, “Banned From The Goth Club” was given because of the band’s challenge in finding their audience given their contradictory sound.

The band states, “The goth audience can’t exactly get fully immersed into the music because of the aggression and intensity of the vocals and the hardcore scene can’t exactly understand the softer and dance-driven instrumentals for moshing. We once performed at a goth venue and seemed out of place and out of touch with the audience. We then coined the phrase “Banned From The Goth Club” to welcome the eclectic sound and introduce it playfully.”

“Banned From The Goth Club” features a diverse range of emotional undercurrents in its songs. “Avolition” stands out with its rapid tempo and dance-centric vibe. In contrast, “High Tech Low Life” adopts a more contemplative and slower pace, culminating in a fusion of intense electronic beats and metal vocals. “A Void” delves into introspection, exploring themes of nihilism, drug addiction, and societal pressures. The EP concludes with a unique rendition of Eddie Murphy’s 1980s hit, “Party All The Time”.

The video for “Avolition” was filmed at a local vintage arcade and bar that the band felt would match their aesthetic well.

“Banned From The Goth Club” is available on all major digital outlets including Bandcamp.

(Photo by Dina Marie Robinson) The San Francisco post-punk outfit Octavian Winters presents their new video for “Velveteen”, lifted from their debut 5-track EP “The Line or Curve”, recently released via Stratis Capta Records. In the lead up to the EP, the band released the singles “Undertow”, “Ondine” and “Surreal”.

Randy Gzebb explains the tone of this song: “Racing down a gloomy freeway on a grey evening, you walk up an alleyway and duck into a smokey casino, filled with like-minded people, an intense air of anticipation building as everyone gets ready to turn themselves loose, their insecurities, anxieties filled with emotions with driving drums and bass with serrated guitars, desperate vocals playing in the background.”

“We had just started working up the music for what would become Velveteen in the summer of 2022 and I was out in Vegas for a few days. I had driven out into the desert, musing on inspiration for lyrics, and was on my way back into the city when the signs for the casinos, shows and strip clubs started popping up. The idea for the lyrics coalesced then — there was an air of desperation in all the lights and billboards, a false lure to feel… good. To indulge in fantasy. The lyrics are about people trying to claim their dreams through escape, by avenues that lead down a rabbit hole of despair,” says Ria (Amenti) Aursjoen.

Here is the video for “Velveteen”.

The new material was recorded in San Francisco by Mark Pistel (Meat Beat Manifesto, Consolidated) at OW Studio and Room 5 Recording. Produced by Octavian Winters and William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate, Faith and the Muse, Christian Death, The March Violets) the EP was mixed and mastered at 13 Studio in Chicago.

About Octavian Winters

Formed in San Francisco in 2022 the band draws from darkwave and post-punk traditions. Octavian Winters is guitarist Stephan Salit (Thrill of The Pull), drummer Randy Gzebb (Thrill of The Pull, Love Club,), bassist Jay Denton and Ria (Amenti) Aursjoen on vocals and keyboards.

“The Line or Curve” EP is out everywhere, including via Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. The band plays Sacramento’s Cafe Colonial (with Ashes Fallen) on November 8.

In an upcoming release on November 10, 2023 via Sérotine Records, French composer Anthony Laguerre, in collaboration with Les Percussions de Strasbourg, will present “MYOTIS V,” a 34-minute composition. This work follows Laguerre’s solo project “MYOTIS” from 2019 and extends his exploration into a group setting. “MYOTIS V” is characterized by a blend of amplified percussion and electronic sounds.

Laguerre’s objective with “MYOTIS V” was to amplify sounds typically inaudible without assistance and incorporate them into his music. The composition employs these sounds as a form of melody and incorporates rhythms produced from skin and metal instruments. The music is intended to provide a range of volume and dramaturgy.

The album was recorded in January 2022 at Théâtre de Haute-Pierre in Strasbourg by Anthony Laguerre and Stéphane Levigneront. Subsequent mixing took place in November 2022 by Anthony Laguerre at Shadyn Studio in Nancy, and mastering was completed in December 2022 by Jean-François Hustin at Studio Organic in Liège. The electroacoustic piece was initially created for the Festival Météo in Mulhouse in August 2021 and has been produced by association Motrice. Co-producers include Les Percussions de Strasbourg, Festival Météo, CCAM Vandoeuvre-Les-Nancy, Ville de Nancy, with support from CNM, SACEM, DRAC, and Région Grand Est.

About Les Percussions de Strasbourg 

Les Percussions de Strasbourg is a contemporary classical music percussion ensemble made up of six percussionists. Founded in 1962, the ensemble is still performing and commissioning music. The current lineup has played together for 15 years. Their discography includes two albums for Limelight Records. They have premiered over 250 works of contemporary classical music, including Iannis Xenakis’s “Pléïades”, “Inventions” by Miloslav Kabeláč and Karlheinz Stockhausen’s “Musik im Bauch”. One of their members was Pierre Moerlen.

Out via Fabrika Records is an all new, self-titled (or non-titled) 2-track vinyl single by Lebanon Hanover. This vinyl single comes in 2 different editions and is a taster for the all new 2024 album. Both editions come in an embossed cover and will be released on November 24.

The regular black vinyl is limited to 1200 copies while the gold version is limited to 500 copies.

The single is William Maybelline and Larissa Iceglass’ first new material since the 2020 album “Sci-Fi Sky” and holds 2 tracks: “Better than going under” and “Kyiv”.

Lebanon Hanover are a British-German post-punk duo formed in 2010 in Sunderland, England. The band consists of Swiss vocalist and guitarist Larissa Iceglass and British vocalist, bassist and synthesist William Maybelline. The group is signed to Greece’s Fabrika Records and has released six studio albums to date. Their name comes from two neighbouring towns (Lebanon and Hanover) in New Hampshire, United States. In 2011, they released a split EP with La Fete Triste, which caught the eye of Fabrika Records, and the band was signed to the label shortly after.

Originally self-released via their DIY Tiny Box label in a very limited quantity, the Scottish post-punk/minimal electro act Hanging Freud are now also re-releasing their previous (6th) studio album “Persona Normal” via their new label partner Spleen+ (division of the Belgian Alfa Matrix label group), digitally via Bandcamp, in a digipak edition, as well as vinyl in two different colours (solid gold or solid silver) each strictly limited to 150 units worldwide.

Pre-orders are available via the Alfa Matrix store and these will all be shipped on December 1st.

Here’s how the vinyls look like.

The band also recently announced a brand new album, “Worship” on which Paula Borges and Jonathan Skinner continue refining their unique sound identity evoking influences and elements of post punk, ethereal, synthgaze, cold wave, ambient pop or yet experimental electronica.

“Worship” gets released as a limited vinyl edition available in 2 different colours: transparent violet and transparent turquoise (150 copies each worldwide) as well as a lush double-CD digipak with the “Anomalies” bonus EP just like in this Bandcamp download.

You can check out the album below on Bandcamp.

Out now on limited clear transparent vinyl (500 copies) is “Kaputt gehen”, the first (7-track) album for Gast on Z Pop-Records. Z Pop-Records is the new sister label of Young & Cold Records and with “Kaputt Gehen” the label shows its concept of being a home for modern, German-language music that has roots in the Neue Deutsche Welle (German New Wave) from the early 80s.

The label offers bands and projects that don’t clearly fit into the darkwave/postpunk fields of the main label and appeal to a broader audience. Gast presented its first songs digitally in autumn 2022 and has now, around a year later, completed its debut mini-LP. Note that he track “Boxer” was produced with special guest Traumatin, another German New Wave artist.

Below are two videos to check out, “Boxer” and “Fallen”.

The mission of Z Pop-Records

Interesting to see is that the new label has also published a proper mission statement:

“Z Pop Records represents a new record label that has emerged within the framework of the “New German Wave”, capturing the musical diversity and cultural expressions of the German-speaking Generation Z. This movement is characterized by its adaptability, creativity, and individual expression.

The artists and bands united under Z Pop Records are inspired by a wide range of musical styles, incorporating both modern electronic sounds and influences from genres like Coldwave, Metal, and classic NDW. This versatile mix creates a musical landscape that stands out for its energy, innovation, and honesty.

Generation Z, born between the late 1990s and early 2010s, significantly shapes “Z Pop”. This generation is marked by its digital savvy, openness to diversity, and social activism. The lyrics and messages of Z Pop Records’ artists reflect the issues that move Generation Z, such as self-discovery, social justice, mental health, and the challenges of modern life.

The music of Z Pop Records is not only an artistic expression but also a platform for the voices and experiences of Generation Z. It serves as an outlet for their hopes, dreams, fears, and frustrations. The artists of this movement use their music to connect with their generation, explore identity, and share common experiences.

Z Pop Records acts as a link between the artists and their audience by making the music accessible through digital platforms, social media, and live performances. It allows Generation Z to identify with their own culture and identity and to find a sense of belonging.

Overall, Z Pop Records represents an emerging movement that captures the diverse musical landscape of the German-speaking Generation Z, while also serving as a voice and platform for their unique experiences and forms of expression.”

The US-based post-punk / synthwave act The Sea At Midnight, has just released a four-song EP, “Oceans”, in preview of what is to come on April 1st with the release of a full-length album to follow up their self-titled release “The Sea At Midnight”. The EP is available from Bandcamp and all other digital plaforms.

Behind the The Sea At Midnight project we find Vince Grant, a Chicago born artist. The material was producer by Chris King (Cold Showers) and drum programmer Brandon Pierce. The EP was actually self-released a couple of weeks ago.

For the Los Angeles songwriter Vince Grant it was the older postpunk bands like the Cure, Joy Division, the Psychedelic Furs, Siouxsie and the Banshees, New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen and other bands of that era that inspired him to start making music. He bounced back and forth between New York and LA for a number of years, playing and singing in numerous bands while grappling with drug addiction and alcoholism. After getting sober and making a serious attempt at dealing with his lifelong depression,
Vince now calls LA home.

Spleen+, in collaboration with Alfa Matrix, is currently compiling “Resurgence.1”, a comprehensive compilation encompassing over 100 tracks. This ambitious project seeks to showcase a spectrum of genres including cold wave, post-punk, darkwave, ethereal, gothic, and minimal synth. Artists and groups with work in these genres are invited to contribute to this significant endeavor.

The final product will be presented in a deluxe box set, replete with an extensive booklet featuring band photographs and additional materials. “Resurgence.1” is set to be available in both vinyl and CD formats. While there is artwork associated with this announcement, it is provisional and subject to change as the project progresses.

How can you submit to this post-punk compilation project?

Submissions are currently being accepted. Artists can forward their music in WAV file format via download links to seba@alfa-matrix.com, ensuring that the tracks are named in the following format: BANDNAME_songtitle. It is imperative to use a file transfer service and not send files as attachments.

Post submission, Alfa Matrix will undertake the selection process and reach out to the chosen artists with an official licensing proposal and further details. It is important to note that this compilation does not operate on a ‘pay for play’ basis, distinguishing itself from numerous other projects in the industry.

If you want an idea how diverse such compilation can be, check out our very own “Post​-​Punk (Genesis)” Bandcamp compilation released in 2021 and which did extremely well on Bandcamp.

“Going numb” is the first single out of Mekong’s upcoming album “Danse Danse”. Mekong is a post-punk project from Kraków, Poland which is signed to the French record label Icy Cold Records.

“Going Numb” is about a girl’s last night out, where the dance floor becomes her sanctuary one final time. The video for the track was directed by Pedro Viernes and features Liudmyla Radyk as the main character.

You can watch the official video clip for “Going numb” right below.

The track can be downloaded from Bandcamp.

A few months ago, Helalyn Flowers‘ Noemi Aurora revealed the first song from her solo project, the upbeat pop-wave tune “Shining“.

It was the first teaser for the release of the solo-album “Kintsugi” from this Italian solo-project expected soon on the Belgian post-punk label Spleen+. “Shining” is also included in her new single “Blood As Lipstick”.

The new 3-track single “Blood As Lipstick” mixes the dark wave of the 80’s with cinematic electronic industrial. Included in this single is also her cover of The Cure’s classic “Friday I’m In Love”.

You can download the single right now from Bandcamp.

Noemi Aurora describes her new work as “an ouroboros of musical influences that started from my listenings when I was a teenager, while I wandered around the country with my inseparable cassette walkman, without any fear of being judged as the ‘strange’ gothic girl, wearing my headphones and listening to my 80s/90s mixtapes which contained from the most underground darkwave bands, to rock/alternative, non-commercial electronica, up to even extreme metal. My project was born from there, from the roots, and branches out until today…”.

Based between NYC and Raleigh, postpunk outfit The Veldt present the single “Angel Heart”, previewing their Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) produced album “Illuminated 1989”.

The recording was supposed to be their debut record before Capitol Records shelved it in favour of what ultimately became their debut Lincoln Fong produced “Marigolds” album in 1993. Here released for the first time, “Angel Heart” was recorded during the 1989 sessions and not re-recorded for the 1993 album.

Here’s the new single video.

Formed in the 1980s during the first-wave of shoegaze bands, The Veldt surrounds identical twins Daniel and Danny Chavis, whose music is influenced by Cocteau Twins, Marvin Gaye, Sun Ra and Pharaoh Sanders, referencing post-punk while embracing modern hip-hop.

The Veldt initially signed with Mammoth Records. This led to tours across Europe and the U.S., sharing stages with notable bands. After relocating to New York, they briefly performed as Apollo Heights before reverting to The Veldt. The band later welcomed bassist-programmer Hayato Nakao.

The Veldt Tour Dates

• Fri 10/27 Dallas, TX – TBA
• Sat 10/28 Austin, TX – The Far Out Lounge (Levitation Festival)
• Mon 11/27 Atlanta, GA – 529
• Tue 11/28 Birmingham, AL – TBA
• Wed 11/29 New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa
• Thu 11/30 Houston, TX – 1810 Ojeman
• Fri 12/1 Austin, TX – Hotel Vegas
• Sat 12/2 Silver City, NM – Whiskey Creek Zocalo w/ Tremours
• Sun 12/3 Phoenix, AZ – Linger Longer Lounge w/ Tremours
• Mon 12/4 San Diego, CA – Soda Bar w/ Tremours
• Tue 12/5 Los Angeles, CA – Gold Diggers w/ Tremours
• Wed 12/6 San Francisco, CA – Kilowatt w/ Tremours
• Thu 12/7 Portland, OR – Show Bar w/ Tremours
• Fri 12/8 Seattle, WA – The Central Saloon (TremoloFest) w/ Tremours
• Sat 12/9 Vancouver, BC – TBA
• Sun 12/10 Bellingham, WA – The Shakedown w/ Tremours
• Mon 12/11 Eugene, OR – Old Nick’s w/ Tremours
• Tue 12/12 Olympia, WA – Le Voyeur w/ Tremours
• Wed 12/13 Tacoma, WA – TBA
• Thu 12/14 Seattle, WA – KEXP

Genre/Influences: Post-Punk, Psychedelic-Rock.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Ġenn is a Brighton (UK) based formation with Maltese roots which released their debut-EP in 2021. “Unum” is the band’s album debut featuring eleven songs. The band is composed of four female members.

Content: There are multiple influences running through this work. I think it would be too easy calling it Psychedelic-Rock as they obviously deal with extra elements like Post-Punk and even Trance. Ġenn is driven by solid and transcendental guitar playing creating to me a weird offspring between B52s and Nirvana.

+ + + : The guitar play injects the true spirit to this work  and still creates an hypnotic sensation during “A Muse (In Limbo)” and “Heloise”. The elevating effect of both songs is impressive, revealing the potential of the band. I also have to say a word about the powerful vocals injecting passion.

– – – : The main difficulty is to define and catch the sound of this formation. But on the other side it also says something about originality.

Conclusion: Ġenn sounds a bit out of the box and yet it has something recognizable.

Best songs: “A Muse (In Limbo)”, “Heloise”, “Le Saut Du Pigeon”. 

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.genntheband.com / www.facebook.com/genntheband

Portland post-punk act Sky Lions presents its newest single “Werewolves”, taken from their debut album “Inside The Circle”. The duo is made up of Radio Sloan and Outer Stace, who over the years have performed with or as a part of Courtney Love’s band, Peaches’ band, and more.

Outer Stace says this about the new single: “Werewolves, in part, is about the idea of shifting from our outer selves to our inner selves, the fleeting peace that can bring; transformation and adaptation… So, the art direction possibilities were pretty endless. It was a lot of fun to create the different versions of ourselves that we could be.”

Radio Sloan adds: “Our sound is that of accepting existence for all its flaws. Sky Lions has a darkness that isn’t entirely heavy metal, post-punk or darkwave. Rather, it’s a culmination of who we have been, who we currently are, and how we interpret the world around us”.

Apart from Sky Lions, Outer Stace is known to many as the vocalist for Portland electro-rock / gothic / post-punk band Photona and synth-drum duo Time Bitch.

You can download the new single via Bandcamp.

Below is the video for the new single.

Negative Gain Productions‘ Total Chroma has just unveiled its new full-length release, “Lapland”. Total Chroma is the solo project of the Vancouver, British Columbia-based musician Isku ‘Robert’ Katerwol (Wire Spine & Weird Candle) who offers a synth punk inspired sound.

The 10-track album is an exploration of Katerwol’s Sami lineage. The Sami, for those unacquainted, are the indigenous denizens of the Arctic, a people whose song has echoed across the icy plains, fjords, and tundras of Scandinavia and Russia for millennia, and whose history, like the labyrinthine forests of the North, is both rich and shadowed.

Sonically, you can expect a mix of post-punk, synth-pop, EBM, and minimal wave. “Lapland” is available on vinyl LP format and digitally on all major platforms including Bandcamp via Negative Gain Records.

Here’ sthe video for the album track “Northern Lights”.

Out now is the brand new single from the UK post-punk outfit The Glass House Museum. The new single, “The Committee”, also features the co-founder of World Goth Day, Lee Meadows.

The Glass House Museum is a three piece band from the West Midlands, UK. They create original post punk / alternative rock music “because it keeps us off the streets & getting into trouble.” The members are Joe Cummings (guitar & vocals), Jon Cummings (guitar & vocals) and Lee Meadows (bass & programming).

The singles comes three years after their mini-album, “Artifacts”, was released in 2020. The new song was recorded in the studio of Allen Kent who produced the video for the 2017 track “Voyeur”. Says the band: “Kent produced and mixed ‘The Committee’, injecting his unique vision into the process to create an aggressive yet ethereal interpretation of a song that had been introduced into the live repertoire this year but never recorded in the studio.”

“The Committee”’ is available on all major streaming platforms including Bandcamp, now.

Zack Zack Zack is a Turkish formation driven by Yigit Bakkalbasi and Cemgil Demirtas. They’re based in Vienna (Austria) and this year released their second full length simply entitled “Album 2” on the Austrian Trost Records. The sound mixes Western- and Eastern influences resulting in a fascinating fusion between EBM and Dark-Wave/Pop. “Album 2” took me by surprise and was a perfect opportunity to get in touch with the band. Yigit Bakkalbasi give us more details about the band and the new work.

(Picture credits Ilkan Sucullu / Interview courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Can you first of all introduce us to Zack Zack Zack by giving us more details about the origin and members of the band? And how and when did the band see the daylight?

Yigit: It was in 2018 when Cemgil and I met while working together on a short-feature film set, helping our director friend Fatih Gürsoy with his film “Neverinland”. Cemgil was studying Art at Kunstschule Wien and approached me to perform for one of his class projects. The feedback from that performance was so positive that it just kept coming.

Q: You guys are Turkish natives but I think you’re living in Vienna (Austria), right? Do you feel close to the Turkish underground scene -for as far as we can speak about a scene over there, and how important is the place where you’re based for composing this kind of music?

Yigit: We have always been aware of both local and international music scenes, especially those that are underground and Experimental with a DIY spirit. Music has always been at the center of our lives, in both Turkey and Austria.

Q: Referring to your music, how would you describe the sound you’re dealing with and what have been your main sources of inspiration and references when it comes to the composing and production process?

Yigit: Mostly, when we are composing, it’s organized chaos that eventually becomes a song through different processes, which are not always the same. But mainly, I can say that the songwriting mostly comes from Cemgil, while the studio sounds and recording come from me.

Q: I noticed the band name Zack Zack Zack is meant as an ‘artistic manifesto.’ What is it all about and how do you transpose these ideas into sounds and lyrics?

Yigit: When we started the band, the “Ibiza Tapes” were just happening, and we formulated our band’s name around this significant word. It refers to a particular event that especially Austrians can relate to. The word itself doesn’t mean anything specific; it’s open to interpretation, much like our music.

Q: Tell us about your new album simply entitled “Album 2” and how did the transition from your debut album “Album 1” to the new one happen?

Yigit: The songs in both “Album 1” and “Album 2” come from the same world. We haven’t changed much; we’ve just grown a bit musically. So it was natural for us to name the second album “Album 2.”

Q: According to me, one of the main characteristics is the ‘Eastern’-like touch running through the songs, created by very specific guitar play—or is it a more traditional instrument? It creates an easily recognizable sound DNA, so can you tell us a bit more about it? And tell us a bit more about songwriting and instruments?

Yigit: While making the album, my aim was to fuse Western and Eastern sounds while maintaining Western music standards, so the music could be universally accessible. We have worked with various ethno-music virtuosos who can play Turkish and Persian instruments, as well as modern instruments like the saxophone and guitar. This mixture enriches the listening experience.

Q: A last word about further plans and projects like live performances, new songs, and clips?

Yigit: We are working on a remix album called; “Türlü” that will be released next year (2024), featuring remixes from our dearest friends and great bands such as Solo Ansamblis, Shad Shadows, Emmon, Infecticide, and Fiasko Leitmotiv.

In terms of live performances, there will be a significant shift starting next year. I will take on a more central role, leading a new ensemble of singers and instrumentalists for our live shows. Cemgil will no longer be part of these performances, but I’ll continue to work on Zack Zack Zack’s evolution. And hopefully, the remix album will also be pressed onto some kickass-looking vinyl.

We already reported that the Glasgow-based duo Hanging Freud had joined hands with the Belgian label Spleen+ (division of Alfa Matrix). The duo now announces the release of “Worship”, their 7th album.

On this new studio album, Paula Borges and Jonathan Skinner offer 10 songs. The tracks were written in particular claustrophobic circumstances during the pandemic lockdown.

“Because of what was going on, we were essentially stuck in temporary accommodation in Scotland, away from our studio and forced into a period unexperienced before. The songs that came out therefore come from a different place. Everything was done within a laptop and is proudly 100% digital. It was recorded and mixed while literally sitting on the side of a bed in a mouse infested apartment…” explains Paula Borges.

“Worship” gets released as a limited vinyl edition available in 2 different colours: transparent violet and transparent turquoise (150 copies each worldwide) as well as a lush double-CD digipak with the “Anomalies” bonus EP just like in this Bandcamp download.

You can check out the album below on Bandcamp.

Available now on digital through the San Francisco-based label Broken Clover Records, is the digital compilation “BCR Clippings #1” holding torpedo’s brand new single “Hope / Dream”. The track comes a couple of months after releasing their sophomore album “Orpheo_ Nebula”.

Founded in 2016 in the city of Lausanne, torpedo was then made up of Carole Obère, on vocals and guitar, Jérôme Diserens, on bass and keyboard, and machines as only companions. The group draws its energy from its beginnings in an industrial, post-apocalyptic and rough universe approaching no-wave and kraut with a touch of punk.

In 2018, when conceiving their first album in a remote collaboration with Antoine Pfammatter on drums, the duo hid in a small house on the Irish west coast. It was there that torpedo recorded their first album “Sphynx”. Self-produced, it was released in April 2019. Two months earlier, the duo met the Dutch drummer Andries Hannaart and became a trio.

You can check the new track out below.

Premiering today via Side-Line, downtempo / ambient-electronic duo Voidant share the Kubrick-inspired surreal Sci-Fi video for ‘La Loba (Decommissioned Forests Remix)’.

Voidant are Leeds UK post-punk pioneer David ‘Wolfie’ Wolfenden of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry fame (also of The Rose of Avalanche, The Mission, et al); and New Jersey US goth-rock / darkwave / folk-noir chanteuse, Caroline Blind from Sunshine Blind.

The remix of ‘La Loba’ from London’s Decommissioned Forests is taken from Voidant’s new remix EP, “Abandon Hope”, which also features Robots In Love (New Zealand), CWHK from Sunshine Blind (US), 2 Forks (US), and Max Rael (UK), along with a new remix from Voidant’s own Wolfie.

The new video has been created by New York visual artist and filmmaker, Tintin; a regular collaborator with Caroline Blind.

Caroline says: “Tintin heard all the layers in the music and incorporated that into his video. The alienation and dark harmonies in the music are well echoed by the outer space theme. He tied it in beautifully with the Voidant logo and this weekend’s solar eclipse.”

On the new remix of ‘La Loba’, Daniel Vincent of London outsider electronic trio Decommissioned Forests says: “Remixing tends to fall into two categories: augmenting material with new elements like drums, or leaning into the existing material and finding a slightly different interpretation. Given the strength of Caroline’s vocal and Wolfie’s instrumentation, it was easy to follow the latter path and lean into the inherent drama and mystery of the music and subject matter. Adding layers of reverb and modulation transformed the track into an ethereal slowcore murder ballad which hopefully stacks up well alongside the other remixes on the EP.”

Caroline adds: “I never know what people will do with a remix. My partner in Sunshine Blind, CWHK, used to do drone / ambient music pieces… one of them, “Chimera” opens our album Liquid. It was great to hear someone do that with one of these vocal tracks; it’s perfectly suited for it. Was a pleasure to hear.”

The Voidant EP ‘Abandon Hope’ is available now from Bandcamp: with Spotify and all the usual digital music stores to follow.

Out on December 15 are 3 vinyl reissues of the Lycia album “The Burning Circle and then Dust”. Each vinyl edition is limited to strictly 100 copies only on black, 200 on gold and 200 on neon orange triple vinyl, coming inside a deluxe tri-fold gatefold sleeve.

Apart from the vinyl the album also gets reissued regular double-CD digipak editon. The double-CD and also the vinyl versions contain all the original tracks.

“The Burning Circle and Then Dust” is Lycia’s fourth studio recording, originally released on double CD via Projekt Records in 1995. Save for a very small CD re-release in 2006 by Silber Records, the album has never been reissued since – and never before on vinyl.

Mike VanPortfleet himself commented: “After several years of doing more synth oriented material I wanted a return to my guitar roots (in particular English post punk and 4AD). Lycia started as a guitar based band and I wanted to reaffirm that with disc one, which was originally going to be the release. I was also listening to a lot of shoegaze then, which inspired a return of making the guitars, as opposed to the synths, the focal point of the atmospherics.”

The album also marked the first collaborations between Mike VanPortfleet & Lycia members David Galas & Tara Vanflower.

(Photo by Samantha Stephenson) NYC-based goth pop-alternative duo Frenchy and the Punk present their cover version of Siouxsie and the Banshees’ classic “Cities In Dust”, set for release on October 18, the 38th anniversary of the original release by this game-changing post-punk outfit. You can already pre-order it here on Bandcamp.

But we can already offer you the official video for this new single. The single comes with the B-side track “Monsters”.

Frenchy and the Punk is vocalist, percussionist and lyricist Samantha Stephenson and guitarist-composer Scott Helland, who co-founded Outpatients and Deep Wound (with Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis and Lou Barlow).

This release follows the duo’s seventh album “Zen Ghost”, written and recorded during the pandemic and released in October 2022. During these same recording sessions, they decided to record the Banshees’ cover seeing it was well-received during live shows.

Helland recalls first discovering Siouxsie in the mid-80s upon walking into his favorite record store – Main Street Records in Northampton, MA, noting “It was one of those things I’ll never forget. Seeing a poster of Siouxsie with her teased black hair and the song blasting throughout the store, it was mind blowing. I feel like I hadn’t really been exposed to female musicians in the punk or goth realm until then. She was instantly cool to me.”

While also a fan, Stephenson’s deep dive into the Banshees’ sound came much later. “I was aware of Siouxsie and the Banshees, but mostly for her stunning look. I loved her image. She seemed to exude fierceness and confidence but I wasn’t all that familiar with the band’s sound. It’s really because our fans constantly mentioned her name that got me falling down the Banshees’ rabbit hole some years ago,” says Stephenson.

About Frenchy and the Punk

Helland and Stephenson met in NYC in 1998, when Stephenson jumped on stage to accompany Helland during his solo guitar performance. The two decided to form a musical duo and began to tour.

With numerous recordings under their belt over the years, they’ve performed with Dead Can Dance’s Peter Ulrich and Dresden Dolls’ Brian Viglione, and opened for Thomas Dolby, Dinosaur Jr., The World Inferno Friendship Society, Rasputina, Cruxshadows, Hurray For The Riff Raff and The Young Dubliners.

After a full year of touring throughout the USA and Europe in support of “Zen Ghost”, Frenchy and the Punk are now back in New York, writing material for a new album they plan to release in 2024.

Tour dates:

• Oct. 21 Eastampton, Nj – Autumn Lands Festival
• Nov. 4 Pittsburgh, Pa – Witches’ Ball
• Dec 2-3 West Palm Beach, Fl – Steampunk Adventurers Weekend
• Jan. 13 Colts Neck, Nj – Big Top Circus Ball
• Feb 16-18 Gettysburg, Pa – Mythicon
• Apr. 6 Galveston, Tx – Galveston Steampunk Festival
• Apr 19-21 San Meteo, Ca – Clockwork Alchemy
• Apr 27-28 Holly Springs, Nc – Festival Of Legends
• May 18 Milton, Pa – World Of Fae Ball

Genre/Influences: Dark-Wave, Gothic, Post-Punk, Shoegaze.

Format: Digital, CD, Cassette.

Background/Info: Vlimmer is the main project of German musician and label owner Alexander Leonard Donat. After having released a unique series of 18 (!) EP’s in between 2015 and 2020 he since then released two albums. “Zerschöpfung” is Vlimmer’s third full length featuring nine songs about dark, existential, themes.

Content: The concept sounds dark and the album takes off this way as well. After a poignant, Gothic-like intro cut Vlimmer explores the darkest corners of Dark-Wave music. The album moves in a similar way although not always featuring a similar darkness. Guitar and electronics parts create a melodic but tormented sphere which might remind you of the 8os spirit. All songs are still sung in German.

+ + + : The debut part of the album sounds like Vlimmer at its best. I especially enjoy the tortured atmosphere emerging at “Flurfall”. You literally feel a kind of painful expression there. Other tracks like “Platzwart” are more melodic although still exploring the dark side of life. “Fatalideal” sounds pure 80s like and even evokes the imaginary hybrid between X Mal Deutschland and Cocteau Twins.

– – – : Speaking for myself I regret the album doesn’t sound as dark as “Flurfall” which sounds to me as a true referential song for this artist.

Conclusion: This is probably my favorite Vlimmer-album thus far which sounds as a production for dark souls.

Best songs: “Flurfall”, “Platzwart”, “Fatalideal”, “Losigkeit”, “Austrocknung”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/VlimmerMusic

Label: www.facebook.com/Blackjack.Illuminist

Dolva Sana have a third EP out, “Hollow Eyes”, and it’s now available on Bandcamp or whichever is your favourite streaming platform.

Dolva Sana is a collaboration between Frederic Caure (Kortrijk, Belgium) and Jake Harding (London, UK) which was formed in 2021. They play electronic music influenced by post-punk, new wave, early synth pop and other synth pioneers.

Their first 2 EPs “Hard-Boiled Wonderland” (2021) and “The Waiting Room” (2022) are often referred to as cold, minimal post-punk. Their new EP “Hollow Eyes” however sees them expanding into more psychedelic territories “with a more layered approach whilst still very much preserving our typical identity” so the band adds.

You can check the new EP out below.

English vocalist and violinist Erica Nockalls releases the official video for cover of Roxy Music’s “In Every Dream Home a Heartache”. The video follows her recent single, “Build Me a Ship”, which was released in September to celebrate the announcement of Erica’s UK tour supporting Echo and the Bunnymen.

“In Every Dream Home a Heartache” was originally penned by Bryan Ferry, and initially featured on Roxy Music’s second album, “For Your Pleasure”.

Erica Nockalls is an English violinist, vocalist, songwriter, and visual artist. She is best known as the violinist in The Wonder Stuff, one-half of acoustic duo Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls, and as a live fiddle player for The Proclaimers. Nockalls is also the lead vocalist, violinist, and guitarist in her self-titled art-rock band. Her solo work has explored a dark, intense style of alternative-pop embracing electro, synth and industrial elements into her unique approach.

“In Every Dream Home a Heartache”, also featuring Parisian studio producer and artist Jean-Charles Versari, is a twisted duet between the main protagonists where Erica takes on the role of the doll with Jean-Charles her male counter-point. A bleak, dystopian interpretation of Roxy Music’s original, “In Every Dream Home a Heartache” showcases Erica Nockalls’ sound perfectly.

Here’s the video for the track.

About Erica Nockalls’ solo career

Erica Nockalls unveiled her maiden solo album, “Imminent Room”, under the banner of Independent Records in 2013, offering a collection of eleven original tracks penned and rendered by her, rooted in the realms of art-rock and alternative genre.

Nockalls candidly shared that her journey towards solo creation matured at 27, spurred by a blend of boredom and disappointment stemming from the prevailing musical landscape. As elucidated in the artwork of “Imminent Room”, she transitioned from a mere critic to a creator, embracing her intrinsic musical leanings that transcended her classical violinist training.

“Imminent Room” boasted collaborations with notable artists like Jeff Walker (Carcass) on “Neon Crucifix”, and Wayne Hussey (The Mission) along with Mark Thwaite (Tricky/Peter Murphy/Mob Research) on “I Am Me, This Is Now”.

The album’s mixing and co-production were helmed by TV composer George Taylor (Fratelli Brothers), with whom Nockalls initially crossed paths in 2008. Taylor enlisted Nockalls to lend her string expertise for his diverse TV endeavors, encompassing BBC Arena documentaries such as “The Dreams of William Golding” (2012) and “The Hunt for Moby Dick” (2009), among others.

Post the release of “Imminent Room”, Nockalls assembled a live band, embarking on a UK tour as a supporting act for The Wonder Stuff, and further shared stages with artists like Toyah, Public Image Ltd, Pop Will Eat Itself, and Miyavi, while her live performances showcased her artistic flair with personal artwork adorning the stage.

Her sophomore solo album, “EN2” (2014), encapsulates eleven original compositions, with Nockalls orchestrating every aspect from writing to releasing. January 2014 marked the onset of a new musical chapter as she produced and self-released an album within the one year. “EN2” was funded entirely by sales of her artwork and album pre-sales through her website.

The NYC-based post-punk outfit Black Rose Burning presents “Ad Astra”, the title track from their third album, along with a new sci-fi video, which they announced as follows: “We travel into the microverse. We leave a dying planet there. We discover a new place to live. We’re the light that shines amongst the stars at night… Love Won, Love Lost and Outer Space.”

As with their previous album “The Wheel”, this album was mastered by Actors’ own Jason Corbett at Jacknife Sound. Earlier, the band released the singles “Fight!”, “Night Terrors” and “Sing to Me”. “Ad Astra” was recorded in George’s own studio, PV Recording Company, which has hosted notable artists over the years, including Emelio Zeff China (Peter Murphy), Knox Chandler (Siouxsie And The Banshees), Chibi (The Birthday Party Massacre), Nellie McKay, Julia Marcel, Paul Bakija (Reagan Youth), Ego Likeness and Voltaire (with whom Grant also played bass for 10 years).

Formed in 2018 by instrumentalist, producer and engineer George Grant, Black Rose Burning also involves guitarist Frank Morin (World Inferno Friendship Society) and drummer Luis Infantas (Monster Zero).

Grant explains, “I was always intrigued by the Latin phrase Ad Astra Per Aspera (to the stars with difficulty) – even when I was a kid. I have also spent a great amount of time in my life pondering a question – why are we all fighting and destroying the planet earth instead of reaching for the stars together? The way mankind is at this moment in history, I’m not even sure we deserve the greater universe. I’m hopeful that one day we will”.

And he adds: “’Ad Astra’ is the result of the real first time collaboration of the musicians who have been playing with my project in a live setting and myself. On previous records, I recorded them solo – playing and programming all of the instruments. It only made sense to take it to a whole new level by taking a slight back seat and letting the fantastic musical brains I have surrounded myself with, to step into some spotlight and show their talent. Sonically it’s a major leap forward in the ever-growing sound of Black Rose Burning in every way. Letting experts do what they do has resulted in – a lush soundscape that’s better than I could have ever hoped for. And even though I again wrote all the material, having partners who understand my vision is both invaluable and awe inspiring.

Lyrically, I approached this record, from the standpoint of my pseudo-motto ”Love Won, Love Lost and Outer Space”. Interlaced with technical and futuristic themes are also stories of broken hearts, broken dreams as well as songs about hope. I quite honestly took my love, as an avid Sci-Fi fan, and poured it into quite a few of these songs and into the overall feel of the record. But don’t get me wrong – there’s plenty of both love and heartbreak written into it as well. The artwork by Antonella at Eshmoon DM brilliantly reflects the feel also – from the colors to the design and the themes – of my infatuation with Science Fiction.”

The ‘Ad Astra’ album is out now, available on CD and also digitally from fine music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.

Post-punk/synthwave band, Supernova 1006 recently unveiled their new album, “Chains” via Negative Gain Productions. “Chains” is about the struggle for your happiness, about the struggle for silence and harmony with oneself.

Out now is a brand new video single, “Before I’ll Make You Cry”.

And here is the album “Chains”.

About Supernova 1006

Supernova 1006 came to life in September 2014, through the collaboration of Andrey Yukhovich (on guitar and vocals), Anton Korchevsky (handling bass and synthesizer), and Elena Polupan (managing drum machine and synthesizer). The same year saw them self-releasing their debut EP “Morphine”, alongside the single “Mistakes” and a full-length album titled “Bsides” under the Uncle Misha label.

However, 2015 brought changes to the lineup with Elena exiting the band, making way for Lisa Dolgikh. With fresh energy, Supernova 1006 unveiled their second LP “Talons” that year. But as 2016 rolled in, Anton parted ways with the group. Despite the shift, the band forged a new alliance with Werkstatt Recordings, leading to the release of LP “Talons”, EP “Ministry”, and the singles “Feel” and “We Are Free”.

In 2017, the musical journey continued with the album “Unique World”, a collaborative release with Werkstatt Recordings, Sierpien records, Other Voices records, and Orbita. This album found its way to fans on a variety of formats – CD, cassettes, reels, and vinyl. Later that year, the band explored new horizons with Gothic Music, which saw the re-release of “Unique World” on CD. They also dropped the single “Dope For Human” on a 7-inch vinyl through Other Voices records, followed by the LP “Blackout” on Sierpien Records, featuring contributions from Paradox Obscur and Kill Your Boyfriend.

Keeping the creative momentum going, Supernova 1006, alongside The Units, introduced a remix of the classic 1979 track “High Pressure Days” in a single. The summer of 2018 saw the release of the single “Gold” and the EP “Critical Distance”.

Their collaborative spirit soared again in the same year when they, along with Liars, released remixes of “New Kind Of Cross – Buzz Kull”. 2019 marked the beginning of a new chapter with Young And Cold records, culminating in the release of the experimental industrial album “Technical Support” on 12″ vinyl.

Fast forward to 2021, Supernova 1006 launched the synth-punk album “History Of Supernova 1006” via Sierpien Records, drawing inspiration largely from The Units. While the group took a step back from active performances between 2021 to 2023, they were quietly brewing new material.

As summer 2023 unfolded, Sofia Merkulova replaced Lisa Dolgikh, injecting new life into the band. With renewed vigor, Supernova 1006 announced their upcoming album “Chains”, set to release under the Negative Gain label, marking a new phase in their ever-evolving musical saga.

Out on December 1st is the new album from the Paris-based musical duo Leroy Se Meurt (LSM). “Voué à rouiller” will be out under the Mannequin Records label and will be available in a limited LP format.

Formed in 2018, Leroy Se Meurt is known for its eclectic and experimental sound and a rather unique blend of genres. Their sound is an amalgamation of old-school EBM – reminiscent of minimal Nitzer Ebb with DAF influences – fused with fierce electro elements, all bound by a punk ethos. If you’re a fan of post-punk or are interested in exploring this genre, you’ll find aspects of it in their music, but be prepared for a sonic experience that goes beyond conventional labels.

While there are no official videos for the new album yet, fans can get a taste of Leroy Se Meurt’s live performance through these two live tracks available on YouTube.

Mark your calendars for November 10th, as the iconic Dutch post-punk band Mecano unveils a 45th-anniversary album, “Waving Goodbye,” exclusively through Brazil’s Wave Records. This limited-edition CD is limited to only 200 copies, making it a must-have for die-hard fans.

The commemorative album serves as the grand finale for Mecano’s farewell tour, which culminated in a ‘Goodbye’ concert at São Paulo’s renowned Madame Club on September 9, 2023. The album boasts a curated selection of seven tracks, including four classic hits from their early years (1978-1982) and three exceptionally rare tracks from their later discography.

The whole was re-mastered in 2023 by Marcelo Gallo of Pitch Yarn of Matter.

Founded in Amsterdam in 1978 by Dirk Polak and Pieter Kooyman, Mecano initially emerged as a punk ensemble. Their musical journey began with a 7″ single in 1978, but their style evolved into a blend of new wave and art rock, heavily influenced by Joy Division, after the addition of Tejo Bolten, Cor Bolten, and Ton Lebbink in 1979.

Active until 1983, the original lineup released three albums under their independent label, Torso, which later evolved into a prominent Dutch indie label. Despite shifting his focus to art and painting, lead singer Dirk Polak led the band to cult status, particularly in Brazil, Israel, and Greece. Their influence even extended to a split Flexidisc collaboration with Fad Gadget.

The band reunited in the ’90s, releasing three additional albums and seeing multiple re-releases across various labels, including Greece’s Undo Records. Over the years, the band has operated under various names, such as Mecano Ltd., Mecano, Mecano Unlimited, and Mecano Un-Ltd.

These are the tracks included on this limited release.

1. Links (Mecano 1980)
2. Meccano (Mecano 1980)
3. Noble Bliss (Mecano Un-Ltd. 2020)
4. Robespierre Re-Marx (Mecano 1980)
5. Statement of the artist as an old Man (Mecano Un-ltd. 2016)
6. Tabou d’Esprit (Mecano Un-Ltd. 2013)
7. To Life’s Reunion (Mecano – 1986)

Korinthians is a Belgian formation from Ghent. The band name refers to the Corinthian people in antiquity. The band comments: ‘They were called barbarians by the Athenian elite, but actually they had a very egalitarian society. They tossed out their kings and ruled as a group. They gave women a prominent role in decision-making. And then you have the Letter to the Corinthians in the Bible, which many know as an ode to love. But it also contains a series of guidelines to the women in Corinth. That they should wear a veil, and pray, and are not allowed to speak up. Isn’t that ironic?’ In that case, Korinthians prefer to be barbarians of Corinth. After having released a promising debut album “Chaos Control” in 2020 they this year stroke back unleashing “A Major Walk”. This self-released new opus sounds as an offspring between different music genres like Post-Punk, Electronics, Indie-Pop/Rock, Cold-Wave… but as Mattias (vocals & guitar) and Kenny (drums) say:

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Who’s hiding behind Korinthians and what’s your musical background and eventually references when it comes to song writing?

Kenny: I was always a rock drummer. I had no background in the genre whatsoever. To not mess things up, I try to play as little as possible, which is always a good thing in the end. Plus, when I’m with other drummers discussing their gear and chops and shit, I honestly think I’m not a real drummer. When you add those things up, I get something that seems to work just fine for the band. When it comes to songwriting, I stay away from the lyrics as far as a can, but do my part when it comes to the arrangements. I know a good synth hook when I hear or play it, and I’ve been known for throwing out a verse or two to keep the song short and sweet, or, in case of the previous record, making Mattias play five-minute guitar solos.

Mattias: I suppose I am the songwriter of the band. As all four of us, I wasn’t ‘born’ into 80s music. I think we’re all kids of the 90s, really, which meant that we grew up with the sound of overdriven guitars, rather than analogue synths. I got into the music much later, when I discovered bands like The Soft Moon, Agent Side Grinder, Linea Aspera And Boy Harsher. Also acts outside of the genre are an inspiration, such as Mogwai, Goose, Kite and M83. In terms of song writing, I went from doing straightforward hardcore riffs in the 90s, to being in awe of compositions with many layers –Electric Light Orchestra, was an example for some time.

Q: Interesting to read you claim to be ‘children of the 90s’ as your music still sounds 80s Post-Punk-like with a catchy Electronic touch on top. What is it really all about?

Mattias: We definitely do not confine ourselves to the genres of Wave or Post-Punk. I spoke to a music journalist recently who declared himself a ‘fake goth’, since he liked so much music outside of the genre. To some extent, I identify with that term. Personally, I’ve never liked being put in one category. And I think that for the Post-Punk and Goth scene, which distances itself from the dominant Pop culture, it really makes no sense to put people in boxes.

Q: What’s the usual procedure to write a song?

Kenny:In terms of songwriting, the procedure has changed dramatically during the pandemic. Nowadays, Mattias brings his Ableton creations to the rehearsal, and then there’s three scenarios. One, we think it’s crap, don’t say it out loud, but waste a rehearsal to let Mattias notice for himself. Two, the composition is totally perfect and we have a new song within minutes. Three, I or someone else ends up re-arranging the song in Cubase or something, and Mattias approves, or not. Then of course, when we play through the song during rehearsals and each band member cleans up their parts. We also try to take the songs to the stage asap, to see how the audience responds.

Q: How do you perceive the evolution from your debut album “Chaos Control” towards “A Major Walk”? Did you want to improve and/or change certain elements of the production? 

Mattias:I think it’s very clear that this is a much more synth-driven album. Contrary to our debut album, on “A Major Walk” the guitar is subservient to the overall sound. Often guitar play is limited to an eerie Post-Rock tune.

Overall, the album also sounds a bit more Electronic, something we’ve trying to do from the start; play music with a classic trio of instruments (acoustic drums, bass, guitar) and then add synths and samples, so it starts to sound more Electronic. I didn’t realize until after the record was finished, but it also contains a lot of straightforward, punchy songs. Dance music, really.

Q: The lyrical content of your work clearly reflects a darker side and/or -perception of our society. Where does it come from and what did you try to express and maybe exorcize? 

Mattias:I don’t necessarily intend to write dark and brooding lyrics. I guess that is what happens spontaneously when I write. What I usually do is writing one specific scene and develop lyrics from that. For instance, for a new song we’re working on, I use a snippet of a newspaper article I found a while back, talking of a newborn baby found dead in the dunes of the Belgian coast. I imagine what it must be like to give birth to a baby, all alone, crying, bleeding. And leave it behind. In “No Future”, our latest single, I describe the scene of a guy sitting in his house, smoking cigarette after cigarette, watching the news, while the ground floor is on fire. And he stays where he is. Sometimes I write something which comments on broader social issues, but usually it’s just about a compelling story.

Q: How would you define Korinthians as a live band and how do you transpose the songs from the studio to the stage? 

Kenny:I would certainly define Korinthians as a live band. The songs are created during rehearsal with the instruments we have, and all of the songs have been played live many, many times before we end up recording them. And during recording, we try not to go overboard with overdubs and stuff. Firstly, because we cannot afford to go overboard with anything during expensive studio time, and secondly, we also can’t afford to hire additional musicians.

Q: Korinthians clearly seem to be a ‘Do It Yourself’ band. Is it a deliberate choice you made or just because there has been no interesting label deal so far? How do you manage all different aspects of being ‘independent’?

Mattias:Well, it’s not that we oppose the idea of having a label. But I’ve come to realize that I like to control as much as I can the artistic and commercial process. That means, indeed, that you’re keeping a lot of balls in the air. You write songs, you record them, you make art work, you make music videos, you launch online promotion campaigns, you release albums and singles, you write press sheets and send them to journalists, online magazines, labels and whatnot, you reach out to other bands, venues and promoters, you make dedicated merchandise and offer it to your audience, you send parcels all over the world from sales on the band website.

Running a band is hard work. On the other hand, it’s wonderful to have gathered around us a group of people who believe in us; our sound guys Björn and Bart, William at Sonic Rendezvous, our distributor, Malcolm Nix our booker and tour manager, Klaas at RUZD who has been doing a lot of our artwork and design lately. We couldn’t do what we do without their quality work and their dedication.

Belgian post-punk band The Ultimate Dreamers have unveiled their unique rendition of “Lovesong,” originally by The Cure. The cover is available for free download now from the band’s Bandcamp page and is part of the Spleen+/Alfa Matrix tribute compilation, “A Strange Play vol.2“, which features various artists paying homage to the iconic British band. The compilation is available for streaming and download on Bandcamp.

A Fresh Spin on a Cult Classic

The Ultimate Dreamers have put their own spin on this beloved track by slowing down its tempo and incorporating TR808 drums. The band’s signature reverb adds a layer of depth, enhancing the song’s already dark atmosphere. This creative approach has led the band members to affectionately refer to their version as “Lovedark.”

A Glimpse into the Band’s Unique Style

The cover serves as an excellent introduction to The Ultimate Dreamers’ melancholic cold wave universe. The band has also released a complementary video clip to accompany the song.

Credits

• Words by: Robert Smith
• Music by: Roger O’Donnell, Robert Smith, Porl Thompson, Lol Tolhurst, and Boris Williams
• Recording, Mixing, and Production: Len Lemeire at Implant-Plant 3.0
• Video: Valentine Blanco

Maxx Maryan, one half of the popular Italian duo Helalyn Flowers, has just released a new free single called “I Love You” on Bandcamp. He’s releasing it under the name ImJudas, and it’s available through the Belgium-based label Spleen+. This single is a preview of ImJudas’ upcoming album, “Viscerheart.”

The song “I Love You” is a dark pop track that will appeal to fans of ’80s pop-wave and post-punk music. It sets the tone for an album that will focus on dark pop.

ImJudas started in 2016 as an electro-pop project with a dark twist. The music blends elements of electronic dark wave and post-punk. Since then ImJudas released several EPs (“Tulpa”, “Ritual”,”So Untrue”, and the recent one “People Of The Blame”) and one album, the 2CD “Yrjudas”. You can download all releases from the ImJudas Bandcamp page.

The indie label Pink Cotton Candy Records, based in Copenhagen, is set to release Chopper’s new single “Moongirl” on November 10, 2023. This single is a preview of Chopper’s upcoming mini-album, “Shock Pop Vol. II,” slated for release in March of next year.

Chopper is a Copenhagen-based post-punk project that blends dark, danceable, and playful elements. It’s the brainchild of Jonatan K. Magnussen, who is also known for his work with The Love Coffin.

Chopper’s previous mini-album, “Shock Pop Vol. I,” came out in June and served as the sequel to his 2022 debut release, “The Wonderful and Wicked World of Chopper”. The project debuted in 2021 with the single “Misanthrope” followed by the single “Tonight”, “A Life in Dreams” and “HEX​.​X​.​X.”.

About Pink Cotton Candy Records

Founded by Nikolaj Bruus, Rasmus Jon, and Brian Raaby Andersen, Pink Cotton Candy is an independent label based in Copenhagen. Initially created as a platform for releasing music from Quiet Sonia and other personal side projects, the label’s ambitions quickly expanded to include primarily local talent.

While the label aims to be non-genre specific in its musical curation, it hopes “to achieve a certain aesthetic unity through the emotions and perspectives expressed in the music.”

All founders have roots in Odense’s music scene, on the Danish island of Funen, and have been involved with acts like The Love Coffin, Tettix Hexer, First Flush, Scared Crow, Dorias Baracca, and Jonas Munk/Manual.

Celebrating the two-year milestone of their debut self-titled album, the ambient-electronic duo Voidant has just dropped their latest remix EP, “Abandon Hope”. The EP features contributions from remix artists such as Robots In Love, CWHK (Sunshine Blind), 2 Forks, Decommissioned Forests, and Max Rael, as well as a fresh remix by Voidant’s own Wolfie.

Voidant is a transatlantic collaboration between UK post-punk musician David ‘Wolfie’ Wolfenden, renowned for his work with Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, and US dark folk/trip-hop/goth rock vocalist Caroline Blind of Sunshine Blind. The “Abandon Hope” EP showcases six revamped tracks from their initial Voidant album.

Caroline reflects on the emotional depth of both the original album and the new EP, stating, “The process of writing these lyrics and vocal melodies was a therapeutic way to confront sadness and grief. It’s a farewell; there’s no turning back. The remix artists have perfectly understood the standalone power of the vocals.” She adds that the EP’s title, “Abandon Hope,” is inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, encapsulating the theme of surrendering to the inevitable.

David ‘Wolfie’ Wolfenden, the co-founder and instrumentalist of Voidant and a veteran guitarist for bands like Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and The Mission, contributes the ‘Birch Remix’ of “Phantom Ex” to round off the EP.

New video in the making

A forthcoming official music video for the Decommissioned Forests remix of “La Loba” is in the works, set for an October release. This will coincide with the debut of all Voidant’s music on digital streaming platforms for the first time.

After a succession of EPs and singles, UK synthpop group Magnetic Skies are gearing up to launch their inaugural album, “Empire Falling,” available from 3rd November.

Originally conceived in 2019 as a studio-focused venture by lead singer and keyboardist Simon Kent along with Jo Womar, also on keys, the duo were motivated by a mutual appreciation for 1980s synth-infused post-punk music. They commenced crafting their distinctive sound, releasing a series of EPs throughout 2020. As time progressed, the outfit transitioned to live performances, incorporating guitarist Carlos Aguilar and drummer Lenin Alegria into their ensemble. This expanded line-up is responsible for their first full-length album, “Empire Falling,” set for release on 3rd November. The album’s production and mixing were largely undertaken by Kent himself, with supplementary mixing contributions from Rob Aubrey, known for his engineering work with Big Big Train, Asia, and Tony Levin.

Speaking about the album, frontman Simon Kent remarks, “The record is introspective, lyrical, and guides the listener on an emotional odyssey, ranging from melancholic nostalgia to joy and elation. My aspiration is for the audience to connect with the music and lyrics on a personal level and to evoke emotional resonance. This album serves as an apt conclusion to the band’s formative chapter, encapsulating the musical evolution that took place as we transitioned from a duo to a quartet, and as we learned to collaborate effectively.”

The album also features the band’s debut single for 2023, “You Shine On,” along with an earlier single, “Suffocate.” Additional tracks include ‘The KVB Remix’ of “The Last Time,” as well as Magnetic Mix versions of “Into Paradise,” “You Shine On,” and “Darker Night.”

You can experience Magnetic Skies’ live performances on the following dates:

• Sun 24th September – Music In The City Festival, Southampton
• Sat 30th September – The Railway Inn, Winchester
• Sat 14th October – The Loft, Portsmouth
• Sun 19th November – The Lexington, London (supporting B-Movie)
• Sat 25th November – The Winchester Gate, Salisbury

Videos

(Photo by Tulipomania) Out via Sursumcorda Records is the all new single and video from the Philadelphia-based post-punk act Tulipomania: “You Had To Be There”. “You Had to Be There” is the first single from their new album “Dreaming of Sleep” slated for release on November 17.

Tulipomania is made up of Tom Murray (lead vocals, synthesizer, electronic percussion) and Cheryl Gelover (synthesizer, background vocals), who first began their collaboration through projects for experimental film and animation classes.

The video that accompanies the new single was created frame by frame. The animation includes animated lip sync and vintage found footage in an exploration of varied states of disintegration and recombination, created on thousands of individual sheets of black or white paper.

Regarding this technique, the pair also recently created two animated music videos – “Hush” and “Shock To The Body” – for Cabaret Voltaire co-founder and frontman Stephen Mallinder in support of his solo album “Tick, Tick, Tick”, released last year on Dais Records.

“Dreaming of Sleep” is Tulipomania’s fifth album, featuring cover artwork by Michael Speed, senior designer at Beggars Group London and involving Executive Producer Howard Thompson, renowned for his contributions as a record industry executive (Elektra, Island, Almo Sounds), having discovered and/or worked with such artists as Adam and the Ants, Billy Bragg, MC5, Mötorhead, PiL, Psychedelic Furs, Robyn Hitchcock, The Sugarcubes, Suicide, and many others.

(Photo by Pierre Frigeni) Out via October Tone (France) and The Animal Farm (UK) is the all new single and video from the French (Strasbourg-based) Hermetic Delight: “Lust for Life”.

“Lust for Life” is the band’s third single in 2023 and is a hymn to the present moment. Or as the band says: “A rebirth, an awareness. A desire to get off the moving train. A revelation inspired by the blessings of a context we all had to face a couple of years ago.”

The video itself shows three souls stranded in a surrealistic setting from the 1970s. Laurens Saint Gaudens, the video director, adds: “The white light of the morning slowly breaks through; it gives the three exhausted bodies their vitality. A musical choreography animates them. They regenerate and regain their strength in euphoria. It is the scenery of a Chirico painting that comes to life.”

In just over ten years of existence, the band Hermetic Delight has already lived several musical lives. Over the course of its releases (three EPs and a first album released in 2020), the trio composed of Zeynep Kaya, Delphine Padilla, and Atef Aouadhi, has gradually enriched its post-punk sound signature with pop impulses and avant-garde music.

COP International announces us the signing of the Swedish post-punk band Sjöblom. Sjöblom is the brainchild of Johan Sjöblom Eliot, known for his work with Sweden’s post-punk/dark indie act, The Exploding Boy, and Robert Eklind (previously in the goth rock band Malaise).

Sjöblom was featured with the track “Tape” on our free post-punk compilation “Post​-​Punk (Genesis)” which we released in 2021.

Christian Petke (COP International / GM) says: “I am truly excited to work with Johan and Robert. Their brand of Post-Punk/Pop is a fantastic addition to our roster and is expanding our sound in a wonderful way. My first love was punk/post-punk, and I am thrilled for COP to return to its roots.”

Sjöblom was formed by Johan Sjöblom Eliot in 2016 in Stockholm. Besides being a member of Swedish post-punk band The Exploding Boy, he also played earlier in the indie pop band Prune and the indie rock band Fake Moss. The band’s most recent offering was the June 2023 single “The Storm – The Foreign Resort Remix”.

In short, an excellent addition to the COP International roster.

(Photo via Ikon) Out via the German Gräfenberg-based label Dark Vinyl on October 20th are two 2CD reissues of material from the Melbourne, Australia-based darkwave / post-punk act Ikon.

The first is a reissue of the 2009 album “Love, Hate and Sorrow” which comes in a 6-panel eco-digifile in a limited edition of 400 copies. Titled “Love, Hate and Sorrow (2022 Edition)” it contains the band’s’s 6th studio album in a remastered version plus a bonus-CD with unreleased material and rare b-sides.

The second is “Destroying The Vampire” which is equally released as a 6-panel eco-digifile in a limited edition of 400 copies. “Destroying The Vampire” contains Ikon’s the studio album “Destroying The World To Save It” (2005) and the EP “Psychic Vampire” (2004) in a remastered version plus unreleased bonus material.

Ikon was formed by Chris McCarter (vocals, guitar, programming) and Dino Molinaro (bass) in 1988. In 1991, the original band name Death in the Dark was replaced by Ikon. The band’s original singer Michael Carrodus joined them in creating the first two albums “In the Shadow of the Angel” (1994) and “Flowers for the Gathering” (1996). They signed to Apollyon and Metropolis Records.

Below are the visuals.

(Photo by Daniel Kwon) The Swedish dark electronic act Hatif has a new single and video out: “Heredity”. The release comes just one year after their debut album, “Everything Is Repetition”, which was nominated for the Swedish electronic music award Synthsläggan in 2023.

“‘Heredity’ is about things beyond our control, such as the passing of genetic information and the role that chance plays in life,” so the band says.

The music video for the single holds live recording footage from a Hatif concert in Stockholm, Sweden. The new single is out now on all music streaming platforms via the Danish synth label Town And Towers Records.

Hatif was formed in 2020 in Stockholm Sweden by the duo Markus Majdalani and Johan Eckerström. The band has released one full-length album five singles, including a remix by electronic/post-punk group Agent Side Grinder and has appeared on several compilations.

Watch the new Hatif video below.