New electronic / experimental releases

New releases on labels like Korm Plastics, Thrill Jockey, Crónica, Rune Grammofon, Planet Mu and Bip Hop.

Crazy Diamond

Syd Barrett (1946 – 2006) VH1 Legends docu

Fire in the Head special

Almost every week Michael Page aka F/I/T/H/ churns out a new power electronics release, as if his life depends on it. This review describes just some of the recent Fire in the Head releases.

DIY

Now and then the document pops up: the ‘manual’ How to be a Cult Industrial Project. It’s lengthy and amusing, by an anonymous author. I think I first saw it on a mailinglist a few years ago. Do you recognize some ‘famous’ projects in it?

My first Crosley

Normally I’m not too fond of modern tools in a retro design, I rather prefer the ‘real’ old stuff. But for this black machine I made a small exception.

Vene Records: noise tapes

Vene Records is a small label founded in the Netherlands somewhere in 2003. It focuses on ‘the most destructive and hateful audio there exists’, harsh noise and power electronics. Out now are new tapes from Albert Fish Is My Hero (USA), Terg (Hol) and Bitter (Hol).

LPD and NWW

Three new CD releases are now available on Beta-lactam Ring Records: Legendary Pink Dots “Ancient Daze”, Nurse With Wound “Rock ‘n Roll Station” & Nurse With Wound “Stereo Wastelands”. Vinyl editions of these albums follow in a few weeks. Tracklists & samples can be found at blrrecords.com.

FatCat Records label special

Reviews of 6 Fat Cat releases: Drowsy’s Snow on moss on stone, Tom Brosseau’s Empty Houses Are Lonely, Vetiver’s To Find Me Gone, The Mutts’ I Us We You, Blood on the Wall’s Awesomer and Our Brother the Native’s Tooth And Claw.

Ultranoir – Suffer no fiction / Reach me, Helen Keller

Early 2005 I stumbled on the homepage of Ultranoir, a Finnish synth-pop group. Recently Ultranoir released their debut album “Suffer No Fiction”, preceded by the single Single ‘Reach Me, Helen Keller’.

Nebelung – Reigen

Nebelung is back with a new release. After their debut mcd ‘mistelteinn’ on Eis & Licht, the German neo-folk group now presents two new tracks on a vinyl single.

Sanctum in Arnhem

Club Le Moulin Noir is a fairly new party in Arnhem. In June they had invited bands for the first time: Tausendschoen & Sanctum.

Cold Spring: Toll & HERR

Forthcoming titles on Cold Spring Records: Toll – Christ Knows Reissue of 1986 LP, old-school British industrial. H.E.R.R. | Vondel’s Lucifer – First Movement

Apoptose: updates

Recently Apoptose’s 2nd album Blutopfer was rereleased. Tesco also offers some Apoptose T-shirts.

P.A.L. returns with Modus

Six years after the album ‘release’, P.A.L. returns with Modus. It offers twelve tracks ranging from rhythmic industrial and technoid four-to-the-floor tracks to ambient, to ritualistic soundscapes, up to the utilization of quite unusual influences. Available since mid June of Ant-Zen.

COH: patherns EP

Raster-Noton announces a new release: COH’s patherns EP.

Arcana: new label

Arcana from Sweden has signed to the German label Kalinkaland. The first move is to put out a ‘magical new album’ in 2007. Arcana will also be present with exclusive material on the upcoming label compilation Lightwaves Part II.

Glacial Movement compilation

Glacial Movement Records is a new label devoted to the description of icy landscapes. The first release is a cd-r compilation called Cryosphere in a limited edition of 300 copies, with artists like Troum, Northaunt, Tho so aa and more.

Hypnoskull – (G.O.D) – Once Again

The Belgian label Spectre exists for ten years now and has build up an impressive catalogue. One of their most recent releases is this cd by Hypnoskull, the rhythmic industrial project which the productive Patrick Stevens started in the early 90’s.

Franz F.

Saw Franz Ferdinand on stage this week. They played in the relatively small Tivoli venue (1000 people) in my hometown.

Clair Obscur – In out

Clair Obscur has always followed its own unconventional course. The French band was initiated in the wave/industrial scene of the early 80’s. Theatrical aspects play a clear role on “In Out”, an LP originally released around 1988.