Michael
Null Command - “Shutdown Warning”
On our recent trip to Victoria, BC, we had the awesome chance to see a lot of really great bands play. Null Command was one of the stand-out ones for me. A husband and wife duo that had me interested from note one. This brilliantly crafted minimal synthwave hits really hard live. It was cool to see it come together live because a lot of the elements that you hear here on the recording were unique and randomized. The vocal style on these tracks fits well in the eerie atmosphere that is left between the minimal beats.
Null Command is a minimal synth duo from Victoria, BC. Their only recordings are raw demos on their Bandcamp.
WIFE - “Native Trade”
WIFE is one of the great projects that came out of the Haxan Cloak-ian style of strange electronic darkpop. I really love when metal guys go electronic with their solo projects because there are often elements that really shouldn’t cross over that end up working so beautifully. WIFE isn’t a harsh electronics project by any means, but the textures of the sounds and the start-stop functions of “Native Trade” bring something to this style of electronic music that really appeals to me. The intensity of this track is in the buildup and the tension between the silences.
WIFE is the project of former vocalist/guitarist of the metal band Altar of Plagues. His new album Standard Nature is out now on Profound Lore Records. Also, check out this article / interview with Thump about the release.
Wes
Rooksfeather - “A Life of Warmth”
This is a fantastic release. Rooksfeather has a really interesting blend of influences; there seems to be bits of industrial, witch house, and synth pop in here, with occasional hints of noise and chiptune. This particular track has a nice, chill flow to it. It moves from moments of melancholy to moments of hopefulness effortlessly, building atmosphere through chopped up vocal samples, pads and slow moving percussion. The end feels somehow triumphant - not explicitly so, but under the surface - and it’s subtlety is very effective. Be sure to give the whole album a listen.
Rooksfeather is an electronic project from Vancouver, BC. Her latest release, Deep Nausea, is available on Bandcamp.
Ansome - “Poldark”
I was recently looking for stuff in the vein of Schwefelgelb and was turned on to this release from Ansome. While it is not exactly what I set out to find, it is still a fantastic listen. Ansome is working in the growing field of industrial techno crossover (or is it techno industrial?). Driving beats, evolving slowly over the course of the track, are built upon with heavy percussion and feedback loops. The music never feels boring; it evolves constantly and meaningfully. It’s ebbs and flows never feel forced, and it keeps your head moving from start to finish.
Ansome is an industrial techno project out of London. Their latest release, Stowaway, is available from Perc Trax on Bandcamp.