VA – Senza Decoro: Liebe + Anarchia / Switzerland 1980​-​1990 [STRUTLP230]

A new compilation explores the far reaches of the post-punk, experimental and electronic landscape in Switzerland on Senza Decoro: Liebe & Anarchia in Switzerland 1980-1990 curated by producer / DJ Mehmet Aslan. The first single is ‘Kabyl Marabù’ by Dr. Chattanooga & The Navarones. Based out of the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland in Chiasso, the band started out playing “rupturing, dispersed sounds,” before honing their sound into a melting pot of folk, rockabilly, punk, new wave, Latin and African influences and electronics. Hallucinatory and visionary, they used their own hybrid language within their lyrics, drawing on elements of English, Spanish, French, German and even Japanese. The band’s guitarist, Franco Ghielmetti aka F.J. de Bratislava, lived in Paris for a while and frequented a local hotel / bar run by the Kabyle people (a Berber community from Kabylia in the north of Algeria). Influenced by their music and the marabout business cards collected from shops in the neigbourhood, ‘Kabyl Marabù’ is a tribute to their Berber friends, singing the names of the marabouts and using words, noises and memories from a trip to Morocco.

vinyl / CD

VA – Senza Decoro: Liebe + Anarchia / Switzerland 1980​-​1990 [STRUTLP230]

VA – Aleatory Chaos Fourth Chapter [OR119]

#Coldroom103 is a Barcelona social media private club composed of truly fanatics of the dark sounds in all its subgenres. They’re the responsible for the curation / selection of the new edition of the acclaimed Aleatory Chaos series. You could expect a mix of different styles, from post-punk to industrial and from modern techno new beat to electro. It comes presented in double gatefold format in a one-off truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid black vinyl.

listen

VA – Aleatory Chaos Fourth Chapter [OR119]

VA – Precious Decay Selections Vol. 3 [OR118]

Oráculo Records long time partner in crime Carlos Grabstein rules Berlin based Miseria records. Started as a DIY cassette and digital label back in 2021, the imprint is clearly focused and specialized in ultra-rare synth based darkwave compilations. Now in 2023 Miseria joins forces with Oráculo Records to present a selection of his best releases to date in vinyl format for the very first time, presented in double gatefold format in a one-off truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid black vinyl.

listen

VA – Precious Decay Selections Vol. 3 [OR118]

V​A – Northern Nightmares III [UNR012]

Northern Nightmares returns for a third instalment. Alongside the usual suspects, Up North welcomes some new blood to the party. NN III also has the honour of lifting the veil from Parrish Smith’s latest project, METAL! From Antonio’s blistering basselines to Eindkrak’s twisted rhythms, this intoxicating compilation will shatter speakers and clench fists.

V​A – Northern Nightmares III [UNR012]

Words and Actions – Some gods just want to watch the world burn [DR-045]

Words and Actions new album “Some gods just want to watch the world burn” released on Detriti Records, featuring eight classic darkwave / gothic rock songs.

Words and Actions – Some gods just want to watch the world burn [DR-045]

Le Brouf – Pattern [PHY130]

The Romanian duo Le Brouf presents “Pattern” a 11 songs LP released by Diffuse Reality’s sublabel Periphylla Records. The band goes through several musical genres and styles, from post punk to alternative rock with electro and industrial influences. Composed of Edward Nicoara and Mircea Floruț, Le Brouf was founded in 2017 in Oradea, Romania.

Le Brouf – Pattern [PHY130]

Rapid Ear Damage – R.E.D. LP [HNRLP031]

With distorted arpeggiated synthesisers and cold metallic drum-machine patterns, William Wiffen from Yorkshire invites you to his sonic warzone. Höga Nord Rekords presents R.E.D. (Rapid Ear Damage), a stripped and harsh take on postpunk, motorik and EBM. With haunting and reverbdrenched synthesizers, Wiffen’s new project sometimes resembles acts like Two Lone Swordsmen in their dirtiest moments. R.E.D. is not a wholesome and pleasant experience. Heavily modified vocals, used more like an additional instrument, breaks through the distorted, hard, backbeat, contributing to the feeling of being trapped in a mental slit trench or bomb shelter: no light coming in – only sound.

listen

Rapid Ear Damage – R.E.D. LP [HNRLP031]

Blind Delon – La Métamorphose LP [VEYL038]

Veyl welcomes Blind Delon to the label with a new album, La Métamorphose. Founded in 2016 by Mathis Kolkoz, the band currently consists of Mathis Kolkoz (Vocals, Guitars), Coco Thiburs (Bass) and Thom Mayor (Synths, Guitars). Fueled by cold bass lines and synthesizers of yesteryear, French post-punk and black romanticism, Blind Delon shatters genres and styles to create an evolved strain of synthpunk that wears its influences proudly while mutating into something totally new. La Métamorphose represents a fresh direction – a heavy, post-metal sound that’s full of emotion and raw intensity. ‘Le Crépuscule’ opens the album with a hard hitting piece that commences the experience perfectly. Next up, the group kicks things into high gear with the speedy, heavy-synth play of ‘La Violence’ featuring vocals by Fivequestionmarks, followed by ‘La Mort’, a blackened post-punk cut featuring Curses. Label head Maenad Veyl makes a guest appearance on the fourth track, ‘L’Homme’, which drifts into deep experimental melancholy with a cinematic feel. Keeping with this mood is the powerful ‘L’Affront’ featuring The KVB, which descends further into darkness before resurrecting with the immense feelings of ‘Le Sarcasme’. Track seven, ‘La Noyade’, drills into the skull with growling vocals and menacing synths which bleed nicely into ‘La Foule’, slowing things back down with a subtle yet lingering sense of dread. French project Poison Point arrive on ‘L’Envie’ which moves guitars back to the forefront for a raucous ballad that sets up the final piece and title track, ‘La Métamorphose’, the glorious grand finale of an album teeming with emotion and begging to be played again and again. 

listen

Blind Delon – La Métamorphose LP [VEYL038]

Puerta Negra – Costo Humano [OR113]

Puerta Negra delivers amazing industrial breaks covered in a very simple but extremely effective by funky bass lines perfectly finished by ensoniq style super synth leads culminated by harsh raged vocals sung in castillan language. This is for sure one of the most fresh and brilliant modern ebm work coming from the states recently.

listen

Puerta Negra – Costo Humano [OR113]

Initial Light – 40 Degrees In The Air [OR112]

Many people consider the Tbilisi scene (thanks to the artists that turns around Khidi club) as one of the most advanced and influential in the entire world. Giorgi Kolbaia (aka Downwell) & Giorgi Kharanauli are a good example of those talented Georgian artists. They have made partnership as Initial Light to present a more relaxed work in relation to their solo acts stuff, “40 Degrees In The Air” is a blend of Italo, breaks, synthwave and modern EBM / new beat keeping a common pleasant industrial taste in the 6 tracks included in their vinyl debut.

listen

Initial Light – 40 Degrees In The Air [OR112]

Sad Madona – Dramatic Dance [OR111]

The very young Paris based Rémi Lauvergne signed some of the best post-punk and dreamy synthwave tracks digitally released in 2022. Oráculo Records put them all together and asked his usual partner in crime Skelesys to remix “Idole”, one of the very best tracks included on this mini- album. You could expect all genre classical approaches as repetitive drums, cold melodies and mesmerizing cavernous vocals.

listen

Sad Madona – Dramatic Dance [OR111]

Years of Denial – Suicide Disco Vol. 2 [VEYL036]

Years Of Denial is back on Veyl with their second LP ‘Suicide Disco Vol. 2’. The follow up to 2019’s ‘Suicide Disco’, the duo makes a triumphant return, elevating their distinct sound which fuses dark wave, goth, new-beat, post-punk, EBM, and techno. The LP features 12 tracks all written and produced at Ark of Noise studio, located miles away from the polluted noise of social turbulences, immersed in isolation, creative indulgence, and poetic writing.

listen

Years of Denial – Suicide Disco Vol. 2 [VEYL036]

Ambassade – The Fool [OMLP25]

Optimo Music presents Ambassade’s new album ‘The Fool’. Following hot in the heels of the acclaimed ‘Young Birds / Palette’ 12″ on Optimo Music, ‘The Fool’ is destined to be another Cold Wave, Synth, New Industrial, Experimental …whatever you want to call it …classic. “Born from several years of research and contemplation on the human mind ‘The Fool’ can be understood as a reflection to the dark energies – natural, political, human and otherwise – that are released when it comes to religion, greed and power.”

listen

Ambassade – The Fool [OMLP25]

VA – Casting Shadows: Maja Pa [CSMP]

After releases curated by the masters Mick Wills and Intergalactic Gary, brokntoys presents the third and final installment in the Casting Shadows series with five tracks showcasing Maja Pa’s unique style. The EP opens with ‘A Perfect Day’ by Art Teachers, an excellent example of their distinct synth punk sound, providing the perfect introduction to the Veveo-verse. Next up is Vastechoses associate Brique Corps, who delivers the jagged body music of ‘Has Yo For All4,’. On the B-side, Czech duo Kontrajas contribute ‘Lunt,’ a circuit-breaker from their self-released Laguna EP. Label regular Rory McPike returns to his post-punk persona 2200 for the goth-infused Outlaw. The record concludes with Geoid Color Circle’s mournful ‘Adieu Trois Mort En Juin’, taken from their Six Sad World tape.

listen

VA – Casting Shadows: Maja Pa [CSMP]

Plague Pits – Punishment & Extinction [YCR-161]

Plague Pits is a collective from Bern and Zurich, Switzerland. Inspired by the D.I.Y. electronic tape underground of yore, they play disco dirges for the Anthropocene – cold wave for a heating planet. “Punishment & Extinction” compiles some of the stand-out tracks from an array of self-released, cassette-only EPs Plague Pits have put out since late 2021. 

Plague Pits – Punishment & Extinction [YCR-161]