Electro duo Phantogram are set to release their third album, appropriately titled Three, on October 7th. The first single, “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore,” is a dark track about a relationship that’s lost its fire. I don’t know if the album cover image reflects that lost passion or a rekindled one, but Three will probably be one of the kinkiest records of the year. Just watch the video for “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” if you don’t believe me.
This five-song EP / single (depending on how you think of it, I guess) from Nine Inch Nails contains the Downward Spiral album cut of the title track, which is one of Trent Reznor’s best cuts in terms of showcasing how he can go from industrial madness to quiet goth and back again in the blink of an eye.
“Reptilian” (a remix of “Reptile” by Dave Ogilvie) might refer to the deep part of our brains, or perhaps the way the song crawls around the room like a komodo dragon with its hisses, clanks, and snarls from Reznor’s guitars and synths. “All the Pigs, All Lined Up” is a remix of “March of the Pigs” that swirls techno, drum and bass, and industrial chaos around you with Reznor belting out the lyrics as sampled screaming masses cheer behind him.
“A Violent Fluid” is a quick (barely over a minute) instrumental that’s more or less an introduction to the longer instrumental of “Underneath the Skin,” which has similar themes to other NIN songs, including the gothic synthesizers, drums that sound like garbage cans, and creepy bass.
It’s a dark, brooding EP, but that shouldn’t surprise you considering the state of mind (drugged and otherwise) Reznor was in at the time it was made. The Downward Spiral is one of the best albums of the 1990’s, and this EP is a visceral slice of it.
Keep your mind open.
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John Carpenter’sfirst Lost Themes album was a delight for fans of horror films, film scores, and progressive rock. Lost Themes II is another treat, as Carpenter, his son Cody, and his godson, Daniel Davies, return to bring us a record just as good as the first.
“Distant Dreams” could easily have been part of the Escape from New York soundtrack with its thumping bass. It’s an excellent live track as well. “White Pulse” has Carpenter and crew moving into industrial territory with heavy 50-gallon drum percussion and angelic synths.
I love the underlying menace of “Persia Rising.” The low-end keys bring to mind something crawling from a dark, wet tomb. I hope Carpenter was thinking of movies like Angel’s Revenge when he wrote “Angel’s Asylum,” because it would be a great song for any of those trashy 1980’s Angel movies. It’s a great mix of action themes, mystery themes, and even a little sci-fi thrown in for good measure.
“Hofner Dawn” and “Windy Death” are quiet, mellow affairs. “Hofner Dawn” borders on New Age with synths that evoke sunrise, while “Windy Death” is like the early winds that build into a tornado when the conditions are right. You know something bad is looming, but you don’t know when it will arrive.
It’s easy to think of “Dark Blues” as a lost cut from the Christine score, as it starts with a revving engine and a car driving away. The heavy rock guitar chords and the high-beam bright synths practically evoke Dean Cundey cinematography images in your head. The song also features some of Davies’ best guitar work on the album.
“Virtual Survivor” brings to mind someone trudging through a dystopian wasteland in search of a secret that will save humanity. Carpenter’s piano anchors the song while his son’s synths are perfect for a new sci-fi masterpiece.
It’s nice to hear one horror master acknowledge another horror legend, as Carpenter does on “Bela Lugosi.” The stabbing synths hit like a stake through the heart. The song has goth touches, of course, like the parts that sound like a child’s music box or others that remind you of a creepy circus sideshow. Think more “Black Cat” than “Dracula” and you’ll get the idea.
“Last Sunrise” oozes dread, even with the light piano chords throughout it. It would fit in well in the third act of that post-apocalyptic film I mentioned earlier. “Utopian Facade” is a nice follow-up to it. I can’t help but think it has some inspiration from his soundtrack for They Live, which is a film all about how our seemingly happy existence in the materialistic, consumer-driven economy is a facade. The Gary Numan-like synths blend well with the Vangelis-like electric piano. It’s a good ending to the record…unless you got the digital download that contains the bonus track of “Real Xeno.” It harkens back to his early horror work and seems to blend Halloween themes with In the Mouth of Madness ones. Synths buzz like horseflies while weird things whisper in the darkness…and wait until the drums and guitar step in to turn it into a song for a bad-ass antihero.
Lost Themes II is just as good as the first one, and better in some ways (a more natural flow to the tracks, it seems). It’s essential if you like Carpenter’s work.
Keep your mind open.
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Dark wave siren Chelsea Wolfecreates hard-hitting songs about frightening topics like annihilation, sleep paralysis, purgatory, and shattered relationships. Her voice grabs you by the throat and the heavy bass and synths in her work will make you submit.
Ms. Wolfe is performing at Levitation Chicago on March 12th. I’m sure it will be a powerful set.
Keep your mind open.
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Blanck Massis a one-man electro powerhouse – Benjamin John Power. Mr. Power was one half of Fuck Buttons and is now making his own stunning dark electro. His material is full of heavy bass, horror movie synths, and exciting beats. I’ve wanting to see him for a couple years now, so I’m glad to have the opportunity at Levitation Chicagoon March 11th.
Keep your mind open.
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Health(Benjamin Jared Miller, Jake Duzsik, John Famiglietti, Jupiter Keyes) are a noise rock / dark wave band full of powerful drums, purposefully vague vocals, dubstep synths, and metal guitars. It’s hard to describe without hearing it, but there’s a heavy sense of danger whenever a Health song is played. It sounds like a fight is either happening or about to break out any second.
Health’s playing at Levitation Chicagoon March 10, 2016. I’m sure it will be a wild set.
Keep your mind open.
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[Rewind Reviews are reviews of albums over a year old that I haven’t heard until now.]
You know a John Carpenter film score as soon as you hear it. His themes for Halloween, Escape from New York, and The Fog (among others) are unmistakable. He, his son, Cody Carpenter, and his godson, Daniel Davies, all got together without interference or input from any film studio and put together Lost Themes – an outstanding collection of instrumental music ideal for films never made.
The album’s opener, “Vortex,” is perfectly titled. Its mournful piano, synths beats, and electro bass pull you down into something dark and brooding. Don’t have this on your iPod during the zombie apocalypse. It will cause you to panic and make some stupid decision like opening that door to see what’s making that weird noise.
“Obsidian” is keyboard-heavy, or perhaps I should say the keyboards bring a heavy of paranoia to the room. They build to frantic pitches as prog-rock guitars snake around them, and then they drop out and become something you’d hear inside a theatre during a Dario Argento film. You can’t miss Carpenter’s love of Goblin (Argento’s frequent composers for his films) and their influence on him throughout this record.
“Fallen” is something from a sci-fi film Carpenter has rolling around in his head. The synths and bass are perfect for a spaceship landing sequence and the exploration of the creepy landscape outside the ship. “Domain” keeps up with the sci-fi groove and races at a pace best suited for a post-apocalyptic action film until it turns into a spaghetti western theme for a moment.
“Mystery” opens the second half of the album, plunging you into some frightening place where a masked killer the size of King Kong Bundy is stalking you and not one person is answering as you run down the street banging on every door. “Abyss” is strangely upbeat for the first half, with almost New Age piano and more progressive rock drumming, and oozing with menace in the second half. You could put this at the end credits of nearly any action or sci-fi film in the 1980’s.
“Wraith” conjures up images of its namesake as it moves around you like some ethereal creature. The synths on it are otherworldly and mix with bass that seems to come from an opening dimensional portal. “Purgatory” might be something you’d hear there as you stroll down dark halls and through madness-inducing mazes. The drumming on it is some of the heaviest on the record as the synths hiss at you.
The closer is “Night,” and it’s a horror doozy. It brings to mind gritty dark streets, trench coat-clad vampires, and hideous shapes lurking in shadows. The guitar work on it seems mistuned low, giving it a weird vocal-like effect. The synths invoke images of a setting sun that brings dread instead of wonder or amazement.
Carpenter has announced Lost Themes II will be out April 16th of this year. It’s already high on my must-own list, as this should be on yours.
Dark wave rocker Luis Vasquez, otherwise known as The Soft Moon, has started a GoFundMe campaign after his band’s van was broken into during a gig in Oakland on January 26th. The total loss was well over $10,000 and included not only instruments and Soft Moon merchandise but also luggage and personal effects.
Please consider donating to help them recoup the loss. Go see them on tour if you can’t make a donation, or at least spread the word about the campaign.
Tour dates as of today:
2/1/16 — Portland @ Holocene
2/2/16 — Vancouver @ Venue
2/3/16 — Seattle @ Barboza
2/6/16 – Denver @ Marquis
2/8/16 — Minneapolis @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall
2/9/16 — Chicago @ Thalia Hall
2/10/16 — Columbus @ Rumba Café
2/11/16 — Toronto @ Lee’s Palace
2/12/16 — Montreal @ La Sala Rosa
2/13/16 — Brooklyn @ Market Hotel
2/14/16 — Brooklyn @ Saint Vitus
2/16/16 — Philadelphia @ Boot & Saddle
2/17/16 — New Haven @ Bar
2/19/16 — Pittsburgh @ Cattivo
2/20/16 — Baltimore @ Ottobar
2/21/16 — Norfolk @ Work Release
2/22/16 — Chapel Hill @ Cat’s Cradle
Don’t miss them if you have the chance to see them. A Soft Moon show is a visceral experience.
I haven’t picked up a dark wave record in a long while. The last record that might come close is a Bauhaus collection, and that’s actually a goth record. Chelsea Wolfe’s Abyss is a great way for me to get back into the dark wave game. It’s a stunning, sexy, scary debut.
“Carrion Flowers” slides into your ears with bass and drums you might hear from the armies of Mordor as they cross the Misty Mountains. It grabs your attention and won’t let go. “Iron Moon” moves from Wolfe’s near-lullaby vocals to some of the heaviest doom metal riffs you’ve heard since your last trip to Norway. “Dragged Out” is a great title for the third track, as the bass and pace sound like some…thing dragging itself out of the primordial ooze to bellow at the moon. “Maw” opens with Wolfe’s Dario Argento film-style vocals before floating into a pretty space that reminds me of cathedrals and dust seen in the light through stained glass.
“Grey Days” introduces some cello to excellent effect and keeps the album from having too much low-end guitar as the main force behind Wolfe’s vocals. “After the Fall” could be about a fallen angel. It definitely belongs on the soundtrack to that new Lucifer show because it’s dark and brooding.
“Crazy Love” seems to be Ms. Wolfe’s tribute to Mazzy Star. Her vocals curl around the track like clove cigarette smoke and the instrumentation reminds me of a creaking haunted tall mast ship. “Simple Death” is another quietly disturbing, yet lovely track that shows off Wolfe’s vocal talents. It needs to be on the soundtrack for the Twin Peaks relaunch. “Survive” might be the most haunting song on the record. Wolfe’s vocals are often layered in reverb as the drums and synths build to ritualistic fervor.
“Color of Blood” pays tribute to another woman who has obviously influenced Ms. Wolfe – Siouxsie Sioux. The song is like a snake in a dark corner – dangerous, menacing, and mysterious. The title track closes the record, and it’s complete with creepy, slightly out of tune piano that’s right out of that creepy clown dream you have at least once a week.
The Abyss is a great name for the record, because it’s easy to fall into it and get lost. Wolfe has spoken openly about her struggle with sleep paralysis and how this record is her exploration of her affliction and dreams. It’s like pitching over the edge of the Marianas Trench – terrifying at first and then strangely peaceful as you let it consume you.
Electro duo Phantogram are set to release their third album, appropriately titled Three, on October 7th. The first single, “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore,” is a dark track about a relationship that’s lost its fire. I don’t know if the album cover image reflects that lost passion or a rekindled one, but Three will probably be one of the kinkiest records of the year. Just watch the video for “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” if you don’t believe me.
