For those of you old enough to remember the seminal French cold-wave band Clair Obscur, this album relates. From Cocoon’s Bandcamp site: “Cocoon is Christophe Demarthe’s project. It continues Clair Obscur’s attempt to shift the frameworks of performance and reception, using the means of electronic music, video and performance.”
Darkwave
Xmal Deutschland – Early Singles (1981 – 1982)
Xmal Deutschland was one of the treasures of the German gothic rock scene. From their Bandcamp page: “Punk’s independence from the stiff grip of tradition allowed the band to find solace in anti-establishment art and music, far from the conventions of the past.With their peacocked hair and thick kohl-lined eyes, Continue Reading
Ilian Ladov – За далёкие берега
Ilian Ladov is a musician from St. Petersburg, Russia, who works in the medium of neofolk. The work is all instrumental, and has a very relaxed vibe to it. It’s a bit melancholy in parts, but not dour or droll at all.
Maud the Moth + trajedesaliva – Bordando el manto terrestre
trajedesaliva, our friends from Galicia, Spain, have released a new album in partnership with Maud the Moth, a new artist I presume is also from the area. This has to be their tightest work, combining the most stellar elements of early, more harshly ‘industrial’ Current 93 with a more ethereal Continue Reading
Sieben – Ten Hymns for Modern Times
I had the pleasure of meeting Matt Howden, the mighty Sieben himself, while tour-managing for Sol Invictus in 2000. His violin playing added an otherworldly element to the music, and he was embarking on his solo career at that point. After scores of albums under Sieben and his own name, Continue Reading
Thanatos – Christmas Moments
If you’re going to spend the winter holidays listening to Gothic Christmas music, you could do much worse than hearing Thanatos doings warm and rather respectable Christmas tunes. May you, my friends who are either Orthodox, Catholic or those who participate in one way or another in Advent, enjoy a Continue Reading
Uchylak – Astralia
Uchylak are a Polish group who have a rather retro sound, combining dark electro, techno, and even Electronic Body Music or hard beat into a very punchy, well-produced album.
Be The Hammer & JOHN 3:16 – Swarm
Our friend JOHN 3:16 (a quote I subscribe to as well as a band whose work is consistently brilliant) has paired with the Belgian project Be The Hammer and the pairing have produced an album that, while fresh and brutally punchy technologically, also has a flair for reminding the listener Continue Reading
Lalalar – Bi Cinnete Bakar
Quite a tasty album here. Lalalar are not some common Anatolian Rock ripoff. Rather, they do use the venerable genre as a reference point, but you can hear influences such as post-punk and darkwave seep into the stew.
trajedesaliva – Ultratumba
It’s so nice to see new music come from Galicia, where my paternal ancestors hail from. trajedesaliva are from Vigo and seem to be influenced by dark ambient, ritual music and post-Industrial soundscapes, though it doesn’t try to overwhelm the listener. Something I really liked about this album is that Continue Reading