Category: Dark wave

Review: Thrown Down Bones – Two

Italy’s Thrown Down Bones (Dave Gali and Francesco Vanni) fully embrace their love of breakbeat, house, rave, and dance music on their newest album – Two.  Mixing synths with effects pedals, electronic drums, and touches of industrial guitars, TDB gets you moving from the outset and don’t let up until the LP ends.

The thumping beats and chugging bass that open the album and “First Follower” bring to mind some of Depeche Mode‘s darker tracks, and the pulsing, laser gun-like synths take us into sci-fi anime realms.  The stunning “We Are Drugs” is your favorite industrial dance track of the year.  The heavy but sharp bass line alone is worth the album’s purchase price.

The guitars on “Slow Violence” sound like an orchestrated saw mill (in a good way) while the synths bring a well-balanced light to the track.  “NO-FI” is dark wave meets future noir dance music.  It’s so slick that it might cause you to slip if you’re walking while listening to it.

You will love “Golovkin” if you were ever part of the 1990’s rave culture.  It’s like stepping out of a strobe light-emblazoned time machine shaped like a pacifier.  TBD clearly isn’t screwing around by this point and are staking their claim as one of the premiere electro dance track artists of Europe (if not worldwide).  “Is This Us” keeps the amps at eleven by upping the distortion and the impact of the beats.

The backward-sounding bass on “Known Unknown” immediately intrigues you, and then the John Carpenter-like keyboard rhythms get you moving (or running from a Blade Runner, vampire, alien, or ninjas).  By the time we get to the closer, “Zero Day Exploit,” you are deep in the Matrix with images of computer code, flying cars, robot soldiers, and android pole dancers flashing through your head.

Two is one of the most exciting records I’ve heard all year.  It grabs you in the first few moments and holds on like a tandem skydiver until the end.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Exploded View – Obey

International experimental musicians Exploded View (Annika Henderson hailing from Berlin and Hugo Quezada and Martin Thulin from Mexico City) explore themes of punishment and isolation (physical, mental, social) on their new album Obey.

They open with the instrumental “Lullaby,” which could be the opening theme to a Mario Bava movie, and then slide into the sultry “Open Road,” which could be the opening theme to David Lynch’s next movie.  Henderson’s voice hypnotizes you within moments and Quezada and Thulin’s instrumentation ranges from weird lounge jazz to dreamwave.  “Dark Stains” brings in krautrock bass and synths while Henderson sings about lost time and a lover’s deceptions.

“What would you do if your love was gone tomorrow and you never found the words to say?” Henderson asks on the haunting synthwave track “Gone Tomorrow,” in which Exploded View implores us to not wait and not to be afraid to find love.  The unsettling title track is about obeying not only laws but also the unwritten rules of society (both in the flesh and online) which can get you ostracized if you don’t tow the line.  Henderson’s voice seems to be on the outside of the song, like she’s being punished for not conforming.  I can’t help but think of another filmmaker when hearing this track – John Carpenter.  It seems to flow out of his film They Live.

“Sleepers” is one of the best synthwave tracks of the year, with buzzsaw guitars, sunlight-bright synths, dark bass, and Henderson’s vocals calling out to you through your dreams.  “Letting Go of Childhood Dreams” is about the sometimes cold nature of reality.  Again, Henderson’s vocals seem distant, almost like she’s fading away as the synths drift into every corner of the room.

The catchy “Raven Raven” is probably being blasted in goth dance clubs across Europe by now.  If not, it should be.  It’s perfect for dark rooms, make-out sessions, late night Metro rides, and catching the eyes of a raven-haired maiden as she looks at you over a cup of jet black espresso at 2am.  “Come On Honey” brings in chaotic guitars and frenetic percussion while Henderson’s vocals keep us and her bandmates grounded (but just barely).  The closing track, “Rant,” is appropriately urgent.  Henderson implores us one last time to embrace life, love, and beauty.  “Life could be so damn simple, if you let it,” she sings.

We’re too busy obeying, however.  We’re obeying advertising, 24-hour news cycles, social media, and the expectations and opinions of others and not trusting our own minds, eyes, and hearts.

Stop obeying.  Start living.  That’s the message of Exploded View’s Obey.

Keep your mind open.

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Exploded Views’ latest single, “Dark Stains,” is now available for your listening pleasure.

LISTEN TO EXPLODED VIEW’S “DARK STAINS,” NEW SINGLE OFF OBEY
OUT SEPTEMBER 28TH VIA SACRED BONES
https://youtu.be/B64K_3gkmPo

FIRST-EVER NORTH AMERICAN TOUR KICKS OFF OCTOBER 19TH

(photo credit – Exploded View)
“‘Dark Stains’ [is] a chaotic, sinister partner to their recent single ‘Sleepers’ — if that one was the sky, this is underground. A buried hunk of metal run into by a rototiller. Life! A banger!” — FADER

“’Raven Raven’ is darkly cinematic; its initial moments of creaking synthesizer and rattling floor tom unspool like a reel of degraded film, clicking and flickering images onto a looming screen. . . The pictures Exploded View offer may be grainy, but they’re just as grave and lasting.”
— Pitchfork

“‘Raven, Raven’ is a logical continuation of Exploded View, with the same beat-poet delivery from frontwoman Annika Henderson and tense kinetic energy from the instrumentalists, who sound a little like the members of Can jamming in Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s Black Ark Studios.” — SPIN

“Mysterious and claustrophobically groovy” — Brooklyn Vegan

“[‘Sleepers’] glides along on an eerie synth line — at times inviting and beautiful but then always threatening to take a turn into more discomfiting directions — while Henderson’s voice settles into this place where anxiety and fear and wonder seem to coexist. It’s a strange, beautiful composition.”
— Stereogum

Exploded View, the international project of Berlin-based lyricist/vocalist Annika Henderson, and Mexico City-based multi-instrumentalists Hugo Quezada and Martin Thulin, are gearing up for the release of their second full-length album, Obey, out September 28th on Sacred Bones, and first-ever North American tour. Previous “singles ‘Sleepers’ and ‘Raven Raven’ both showcase one of [Exploded View]’s greatest skills: luring listeners into its dreamlike songs with a strong groove, then revealing the dream is equally part nightmare” (AV Club). Now the trio present “Dark Stains,” “a song about a body who sees in themselves the errors of the past, yet flaunts behind the veils of inheritance and fails to take full responsibility for the present.” Annika described it in detail for FADER.

Leaving behind their live recording process and now a tight three-piece, Exploded View strike a special balance between precise and wild, unshackled and grounded, grooving and unhinged. The have a knack for making the esoteric feel accessible and crafting pop music out of seemingly raw consciousness. Recorded in Mexico City, the apocalyptic, yet soothing songs comprising Obey encompass all the classic dream motifs: intrigue, danger, ecstasy, hard to place, yet primordial visions, and a constant sense of movement.
                              

Listen to Exploded View’s “Dark Stains” –
https://youtu.be/B64K_3gkmPo

Listen to “Raven Raven” –
https://youtu.be/Zl-1qPg8iuE

Watch “Sleepers” Visual –
https://youtu.be/C6SXE9R67Wg

Exploded View Tour Dates:
Fri. Oct. 19 – Dallas, TX @ Nasher Sculpture
Sat. Oct. 20 – Austin, TX @ The Parish
Mon. Oct. 22 – Phoenix, AZ @ Club Congress
Wed. Oct. 24 – San Diego, CA @ The Whistle Stop
Thu. Oct. 25 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
Fri. Oct. 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
Sun. Oct. 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
Mon. Oct. 29 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studio
Tue. Oct. 30 – Seattle, WA @ Vera Project
Wed. Oct. 31 – Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret
Thu. Nov. 1 – Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
Fri. Nov. 2 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxxx Fluxxx
Sat. Nov. 3 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
Mon. Nov. 5 – Montreal, QC @ Sala Rossa
Tue. Nov. 6 – Boston, MA @ Middle East
Thu. Nov. 8 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
Fri. Nov. 9 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilMOCA
Sat. Nov. 10 – Norfolk, VA @ Charlies American Cafe
Sun. Nov. 11 – Washington, DC @ DC9
Mon. Nov. 12 – Harrisburg, PA @ The Cathedral Room

Pre-order Obey:
via Sacred Bones – https://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/products/sbr209-exploded-view-obey
via Bandcamp – https://explodedview.bandcamp.com/album/obey

Keep your mind open.
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Rewind Review: Ladytron – Live at London Astoria 16.07.08 (2009)

If you’re like me and eager to hear Ladytron‘s upcoming album and catch them on tour for it, their 2009 release of Live at London Astoria 16.07.08 is a great morsel to tide you over until the new record’s release and subsequent tour.  The show was a rescheduled gig for one that had to be cancelled a couple months earlier due to a power outage.  The band’s urge to make amends with fans can be felt throughout the power of the entire set.

The live album starts off with a robotic version of “Black Cat” with lead vocals in Russian.  “Runaway” follows, bringing dark wave-like bass and great echoed vocals.  The guitars and droning synths on “High Rise” might induce vertigo if you’re not careful while listening to it.  “Ghosts” has some of my favorite Ladytron lyrics, “There’s a ghost in me who wants to say, ‘I’m sorry doesn’t mean I’m sorry.'”  It’s a spooky song about relationships, quite possibly involving at least one lover who is dead.

“Seventeen” is one of my favorite Ladytron cuts, and it’s one of the most damning songs about the fashion industry ever (“They only want you when you’re seventeen.  When you’re twenty-one, you’re no fun.”).  The live version is thumping with synth bass.  “I’m Not Scared” hits hard with bright synths blending with rock drums.  “True Mathematics,” with more great Russian vocals, hits even harder.  I hope they play it on their next tour, because it’s outstanding.  “Season of Illusions” is a bit lighthearted, but don’t worry because “Soft Power” drops you right back into the dark with synths that sound like they’re being played in a tomb.  “Playgirl” was a big hit for the London crowd, judging from their reaction when Ladytron announces it’s the next track.

“International Dateline” is practically a goth love song, and “Predict the Day” surprises you by starting with whistling and then unloading sticky synth bass and sexy beats.  “Fighting in Built Up Areas” is another Russian vocal treat, and “Discotraxx” would do Giorgio Moroder proud with its slick electro dance beats.  They dedicate “The Last One Standing” to everyone who was at the show that was cancelled months earlier.

They chose “Kletva,” “Burning Up,” and “Destroy Everything You Touch” for their encore.  It’s a nice end to a fun show.  They originally just release 100 copies of it at the show, so I’m glad they put it out for wide release.  You should be, too.

Keep your mind open.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: Zola Jesus

Singer, songwriter, and electro / goth musician Zola Jesus will be playing an early set on Saturday at Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival.  Her voice is something to behold, and her near-darkwave music will be jarring under the afternoon sun.  There is a chance of rain, however, and that would be perfect for her somber songs.  Don’t miss this one.

Keep your mind open.

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MIEN – self-titled

Consisting of members of the Black Angels (Alex Maas on guitar, bass, and vocals), the Earlies (John Lapham on synths), Elephant Stone (Rishi Dhir on sitar, bass, and vocals), and the Horrors (Tom Furse on synths), MIEN are a psychedelic supergroup who have been at least discussing their self-titled debut album since 2004.  Now that it’s here, they (and we) can rejoice in a job well done.

Staring with the cosmic “Earth Moon,” Maas’ vocals are drenched in smoky reverb as he sings about how our beliefs can alter our reality.  Where that track is a lovely stroll through a psychedelic meadow, the second cut, “Black Habit,” is downright creepy with Lapham and Furse’s synths providing a dark drone under Maas’ lyrics about addictions.  “(I’m Tired of) Western Shouting” might be my favorite cut on the record.  The drum beats are wicked, as are Maas’ lyrics about 24-hours news cycles, angry Internet rants, and people being proud to be rude or even bigoted.  The whole band clicks on it, and it slays live.

“You Dreamt” layers on the synths and is pretty much a dark wave track (and a good one).  The instrumental “Other” floats on Furse and Lapham’s synths and could’ve easily fit into the score for Blade Runner: 2049.  “I feel so high,” Maas sings on “Hocus Pocus.”  You might feel the same as it warps into distorted madness and heady freak-outs.  Thee deep bass synths on “Ropes” fuel the urgency of Maas’ vocals about fear.

“Echolalia” is defined as mindless repetition of words or sentences as a symptom of a psychiatric disorder or as a repetition of words by a child learning to speak.  Both definitions seem appropriate for the track of the same name, as it churns with an almost frantic energy and then comes to an abrupt start that surprises you.  “Odessey” has brighter synths, and even female backing vocals, but they hide menace within them.  The album ends with a reprise of “Earth Moon.”  It’s a mellower version than the first and it creates a nice, dreamy ending to a mostly spooky record.

It’s a solid debut.  MIEN are currently on their first live tour, so don’t miss them or this record.

Keep your mind open.

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Levitation Austin artist spotlight: S U R V I V E

Another Austin band that will be melting minds at Levitation Austin this year is SURVIVE.  They play a cool, creepy style of synthwave that pays great homage to John Carpenter and they’re well known for their work on the Stranger Things soundtrack.  They’ll play the second set at Stubb’s BBQ on April 28th starting around 9pm.  This will be the show to see if you’re in the mood for something spooky at the festival.

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 albums of 2017: #’s 5 – 1

Happy New Year!  What were the best albums of last year?  Well, these topped the list for me.

#5 – Blanck Mass – World Eater

The somewhat startling cover is a warning for a powerful, teeth-baring electro record that somehow catches all the chaos this year displayed.  There was a lot of early buzz about this record upon its release, and for good reason.  It’s a stunning piece of synthwave, dark wave, and psychedelic fever dreams.

#4 – All Them Witches – Sleeping Through the War

This psychedelic blues-rock was pretty much a lock for my favorite rock record of the year as soon as I heard it.  ATW brew up haunting tracks that range in subjects from being stuck in purgatory to internet addiction (which are pretty much the same thing).

#3 – LCD Soundsystem – American Dream

Their reunion was possibly the most anticipated of the year, and they proved they hadn’t lost a thing on this great record.  Front man James Murphy‘s lyrics are as searing as ever as he confronts aging, love, social media, partying, and Millennials.  One of the singles, “Tonite” (one of my favorites of the year) is a great example.  It’s a song about songs, but it’s also about the fears and joys of aging.

#2 – WALL – Untitled

This is a bittersweet choice because one of the best post-punk records, and best records in any genre, of the year is by a band who broke up before it was released or even named.  WALL‘s only full-length record is shrouded in mysterious lyrics about the current political landscape and the band itself.  It’s also full of sharp guitar hooks and sass that is sorely missed.  Consider yourself blessed if you caught one of their too few live shows.

#1 – Kelly Lee Owens – self-titled

I read a review of this album that described it as “a breath of fresh air.”  I’m not sure I can beat that description because this stunning debut is the most beautiful record I heard all year.  Ms. Owens’ synth soundscapes immediately seem to lighten gravity around you.  It’s a tonic for the toxic atmosphere we’re living in right now (both in the real world and in the one that blitzes us from cyberspace every day).  If 2017 got you down, listen to this album today and you will have a much better outlook on the year to come.

Keep your mind open.

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Top live shows of 2017: #’s 5 – 1

We’ve arrived at the top 5 live shows I saw this year.  Here they are.

#5 – LCD Soundsystem – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL November 7th.

This was the second of a three-night residency at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom for LCD Soundsystem.  It was the second time we saw them in 2017, and they were healthier and a bit goofier than the first time.  It was also the best show we’d seen at the Aragon in a long while.

#4 – Slaves – House of Blues Chicago – Chicago, IL September 20th.

Slaves‘ opening set for Kasabian at this show was, without question, the best punk rock show I’ve seen in a couple years.  They came out with cocksure swagger and proceeded to freak out the entire crowd.  My friend, Portia, and I had a “rock moment” with them when we were the only ones in the audience who knew to yell “Fuck the hi hat!” when they began telling the story behind the song of the same title and they pointed us out in the crowd.  Win.

#3 – Gary Numan – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL November 29th.

I hadn’t seen Gary Numan in concert for about ten years, but he hasn’t lost a step.  He actually has become better in that time.  His band was tighter, his vocals were sharp, and the spectacle of the performance was top-notch.

#2 – LCD Soundsystem – Pitchfork Music Festival – Chicago, IL July 14th.

No, this isn’t an error.  LCD Soundsystem are in my top five live shows of 2017 twice.  This was the first time my wife and I saw them, and we were instantly hooked.  They became one of our “We’ll see them anytime.” bands thanks to this performance that closed the first night of the 2017 Pitchfork Music Festival.  The crowd was wild, erupting into two mosh pits during the show, and LCDSS threw down a raucous set despite dealing with injuries and mild illness.

#1 – Midnight Oil – The Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL May 18th.

Within moments I knew this sold-out Midnight Oil show was going to be the best show we saw all year.  It was their return tour after twenty years and they sounded like they’d stepped out of a time machine.  Lead singer Peter Garrett even appeared to not have aged in that time.  They proved they were still one of the most relevant and best live acts in the world.  It was uplifting to see and hear them again, and left everyone hoping for new material soon.

There you have it.  Go see a bunch of live music in 2018.  Your favorite band is depending on you.

Keep your mind open.

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Gary Numan – Savage (Songs from a Broken World)

Gary Numan‘s new album is a cautionary tale about impending environmental disaster, political upheaval, and fighting to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.  Numan has never been one to shy away from bleak subjects (depression, dehumanization via technology, death, etc.), and Savage (Songs from a Broken World) is a powerful record that has him embracing these subjects once again with masterful skill.

“Ghost Nation” could be about Numan’s birth home (England) or his adopted one (the United States).  “We live in a windswept hell,” he sings in the first lyric on the album while the synths and drums build to a powerful verse about an environmental catastrophe that wipes out most of humanity.  “Bed of Thorns” starts off with quiet processed beats and almost Middle Eastern chants but slowly burns into a powerful track about wanting to be free of suffering.  Numan’s daughter does guest vocals on “My Name Is Ruin” – a song about a powerful figure who brings about the catastrophe on Earth.  The comparisons to Donald Trump are unavoidable, and Numan has admitted that the last U.S. presidential election provided some of the impetus for the album.

You’d think a song with a title like “The End of Things” would be at the beginning or end of such a concept album, but Numan puts it in the middle to signify (in my opinion) the turning of the tide in the battle for survival even when things seem bleakest.  “And It All Began with You” simmers with unease before the bombastic “When the World Comes Apart” – an industrial powerhouse of a track with Blade Runner-like synths and foreboding bass and Numan singing that he’s no hero or confessor.

I like how “Mercy” starts off with what sounds like fighter jets zooming by.  Numan used to fly jets and aircraft in air shows for many years.  “I should’ve told you, be careful what you wish for,” he sings on the menacing track that builds like some sort of monstrous war machine approaching on the horizon.  Numan takes on one of his favorite touchy subjects, religion, on “What God Intended.”  I heard an interview with him in which he expressed admiration for those who find incredible peace in religion, but he cannot abide religion being used for intolerance or to justify violence.  The song is heavy on soaring synths and Numan’s near-cries to the heavens.  The theme continues a bit on “Pray for the Pain You Serve.”  Numan claims, “I will be here when the storm ends.”  He’s been through a lot and come out a bit tougher each time

The album ends with “Broken,” a somber synthwave track that has more Middle Eastern touches and is quite cinematic.  Why Numan isn’t being hired to score films is beyond me.  It drifts along until an almost abrupt ending, perfect for an album about the potential end of the world.

Numan is firing on all cylinders right now, and his live act is one of the best tours currently out there.  Get this and get to one of his shows if you can.

Keep your mind open.

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