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Apparently, the project Habitable Moons is air and atmosphere out of Stockholm, but actually, it is a guy called Peter Lindström out of Stockholm and back in January, they debuted the EP, oddly called….well… EP1. This kind of alludes to the fact that there might be other EPs in the future.

“October 3” kicks off, with highly rhythm intensive textures layering over each other. The pulsating electronics are almost futuristic in nature. Perhaps this is a date in future that we are awaiting with trepidation. There is the feeling of movement and the build-up of something ancient in “Winter Storm, Baltic Sea“, though it does not seem like a violent storm, but rather swells and ebbs with driving rain. The third track is “Cape Breton, Nova Scotia” and the sounds of gulls and guitar give you a glimpse of sun drenched beach running into the ocean, and early morning when the day is but young. It seems at peace with the world as the land wakes up. The guitar looping could be mistaken for church bells, and we even get to hear the voice of the progenitor, Lindström.

Just a small observation of mine was that the Bandcamp player that you can preview tracks on, was not showing any minutes, nor seconds for any of the three tracks, which is something I am not used to and it kind of gave an air of uncertainty as to how long the tracks went for. Maybe I should pick the word “timeless” as that suits these electronic tracks that conjure up visions with their rhythms and experimentation. EP1 runs for approximately twenty-five minutes, but it definitely doesn’t feel that long, and maybe that is what happens on Habitable Moons.

EP1 | Habitable Moons (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/habitablemoons?mibextid=ZbWKwL

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Australians Gerry Hawkins (Cryogenic Echelon) and Lawrie, aka Lawrie Masson (Studio X), are back with a new single/EP for their project Avarice In Audio, called “War Tanz“, tanz meaning dance, on the Alfa Matrix label. 2022 saw the release of the fifth studio album, Our Idols Are Filth and “War Tanz” is the second single.

Slamming electronic beats, Hawkins‘ gravelled vocals and those warbling synths that breakout during the chorus. They are pounding the dance track into your skull, the motivation to stop being a observer inside your own life, in “War Tanz“. Alien:Nation next have the remix, injecting heavenly synths into the more techno influenced version, though those mammoth beats still blast through, highlighted by the tinkling keyboards.

Lawrie is no slouch nor stranger when it comes to the remix, so the Studio-X mix is hardly a surprise. From the beginning, it is stripped down with the vocals at the fore, with hints of synths and it is amazingly effective, and equally danceable. It might be time to bust a move with the “Downer Grooves“, an instrumental to get on down with, and get on up again, which does not appear on the album.

Brilliant heavy beats, evocative vocals and scintillating remixes…. does it get any better than that? Industrial dance music done right by Avarice In Audio and they are calling you to the “War Tanz” against mundane.

War Tanz EP | AVARICE IN AUDIO | Alfa Matrix (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/avariceinaudioaus?mibextid=ZbWKwL

http://alfa-matrix-store.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix?mibextid=ZbWKwL

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Italian band Codice EGO has dropped their EP, Rainbow’s End on April 21st. This three track EP, is the journey of one band member, who found himself confronted with an illness that no one could diagnose and faced with his own mortality.

The title track, “Rainbow’s End” is the first single and is full of a slinky cool vibe, and smooth vocals lending themselves to the Portishead sound, while the throbbing guitar settles below, occasionally breaking out in flourishes. “Errors And Repairs” has post-punk jangliness wending its way through the ebb and flow of emotions in a period of time of being unable to fix the human machine but the most important component is convincing the brain to move on. The last track is the male voiced “Contriver“, the electronics are at the fore with the rhythms pounding from the drums and in an amazingly powerful ending. The survivor looking at what they have gone through.

Post-punk mixed with shoegaze and an understated degree of electronics is a part of the concoction that makes Rainbow’s End so easy to listen to, yet the vocals, fuelled by the ocean deep lyrics, for Codice EGO that make it all gel perfectly.

https://en-gb.facebook.com/CodiceEGO/

https://www.instagram.com/codiceego/?hl=en

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IMJUDAS is the solo project for Maxx Maryan, who is also half of the Italian duo HELYAN FLOWERS. Maryan has released two EP’s, People Of The Blame and So Untrue, on the Spleen+ label which is a mixture of electronic and post-punk sensibilities.

Both EPs are a mixture of songs off the previous album Yrjudas, however you will find remixes and also unreleased demo versions. People Of The Blame indeed takes the track of that name and giving you the glorious canned anger mix and the Octolab remix which brings a very techno vibe dance track. Madil Hardis gives the track her elegant touch as well as delightful vocals, making it poignant and thoughtful, or you can enjoy the alfa remix and the 2016 demo version. The Neikka RPM mix of the single “Ritual” whirls out into the universe and you are also are treated to the demo of “Tulpa“.

So Untrue follows the same formula with the standout remix of the title track by Elektrostaub, where the guitar has been removed and filled by beautiful synths. There is the slower version by Phil from The Breathe Of Life that pulls at your heart strings and yet another demo of this track. You can hear yet another electronic interpretation of “Ritual” and the demo of “Outcast“.

Maryan really does have a brilliant voice that is the lynch pin between all the tracks and it is really interesting to see the progression between demo, single versions and remixes. It has been stated that this is the last look back at the Yrjudus album….. and what a look back it has been. It might seem too good to be true but you should definitely get into IMJUDAS.

People Of The Blame EP | ImJudas | IMJUDAS (bandcamp.com)

So Untrue EP | ImJudas | IMJUDAS (bandcamp.com)

https://m.facebook.com/IMJUDASofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/maxx_maryan

https://www.facebook.com/spleen.plus?mibextid=ZbWKwL

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A new band from France, CODE 150, released their self titled first EP on April the 1st. I don’t know much about these guys other than they are a four piece band. So, in other words, we will let the music speak for them.

The start is a solemn one with “IRON EAGLE“, as the electronic writhe with an almost siren like wail. The guitars are in attendance for the next track, “BROKEN“, the bass twangs delightfully, with the lead guitar flourishes. It reminds me a little of a slow dance from the heart. The synths definitely give “DANCER IN THE DARK“, a coldwave sound, and combined with the female vocals, it has a beautiful symmetry, that whirls through the chorus. The final track is the sexy “MORE“, and I will leave that to your imagination… or even better, you can go listen to it.

This is a great first release and I implore you to listen to “DANCER IN THE DARK” as it deserves to be a dance floor favourite with its charged rhythms and vocal charm. It conjures up visions of a time when Visage and Ultravox were kings of the new wave scene. Keep an eye out for CODE 150 because I have a feeling bigger things are coming.

CODE 150 | CODE 150 (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/CODE150band

https://www.code150.fr/

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We are off to Austin, Texas, to have a look at the first EP, “We Dissolve“, from Gleaming. Maybe we can let the man behind the project, tell you about himself….

“After drumming for a handful of different screamo and indie/dream-pop bands, I found my way to electronic music. I wanted to take the inspiration and influence from artists I love and blend it with my experience in the indie and dream/synth-pop bands. Creating a dark, danceable tone with really catchy melodies and lyrics, hoping to capture the perfect segue from dark to light.” – Darryl Schomberg II

The first track is also the single “Run Faster” and the tone of this song alone sets up the whole EP, which is about putting distance between yourself and the things in life that have dragged one down the darker paths, such as depression, and finding a better future. The synths are bright and sweet, and the rhythm bounces. “The Ashes” is the second single that builds in tension, echoing vocals that explode into a cascade of crystalline synth shards. Of note is the track “Rat Me Out“, feature Vestite, also from Austin, which has a great keyboard line through it as the dual vocals snake through this piece in the chorus.

I kind of wished that Schomberg relied on his own clean vocals more, which I will admit, are soooo much better than using autotune, (yeah I am the first to say I hate autotune with a fiery passion and I will blame Cher forever). The electronics have an 80s synthwave ring to them, that can soar, and having Vestite is a stroke of genius, as it made “Rat Me Out” a real joy. This is just Gleaming starting out with We Dissolve, so it should be interesting to see what he does next.

We Dissolve | Gleaming (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/gleaming.atx

https://www.instagram.com/gleaming.atx/

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Spanish 80s retro synthwave project, Darkways, has released the EP Neon Lights, which is their first new work since the Dioses por la fuerza EP in 2017.

The title track of “Neon Lights” starts off beautifully, smooth as silk, and the vocals just take you away as it goes on. The term that comes to mind is utterly joyous. The next track title made me smile, called “I Like The Night (and the night likes me)” and it has a charming chiming guitar, while the high energy rhythm drives it on as there is nothing scary about the dark hours.

“Dark & Light” has that more 80s feel in the electronics which is quaint until the vocals and more modern synths change the overall feeling, that leads into the soulful “Young Again“, a beseeching to a memory of what was and a longing to return to that time. Final track, “More Than Dreams” is a culmination of love, wanting, and dreaming that has taken flight, and it is simple and gorgeous, rousing the sleepers to awaken.

If you had asked me to listen to these guys before telling me they are Spanish, I might have guessed they were German. The title track is probably my favourite, but in essence, the whole EP has a wonderful flow to it. If you want to hear synthwave done right, check out Darkways with Neon Lights.

https://darkways.bandcamp.com/album/neon-lights

https://www.facebook.com/darkwaysband?mibextid=ZbWKwL

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Nothing says goth more than a story of maudlin, and that was something the Greeks excelled in. Illinois goth rock act, The Funeral March have touched the tale of “Persephone,” released as an EP on March 15th. The daughter of Demeter (Goddess of Seasons), Persephone (Goddess of Agriculture) is stolen to the underworld by Hades (God of Hell), which causes Demeter to throw the world into a constant winter. Hades finally agrees to return Persephone to her mother for six months of the year while the other half of the year is with him. And so we have the changing seasons…. Spring and Summer are full of life, which changes into Autumn/Fall and Winter when the living world becomes dormant, hibernates, or dies. However, this is a modern gothic tale on the tale.

The drums bear a striking resemblance to The Cure’s “Hanging Gardens” in the first track “Figured“. Echoing and bass heavy, there is the slow descent into a form of madness from being in a world that they never chose to be in and can not leave.

“Nite Nite” is the realisation that things may never go back to the way they were, as the world crumbles under the weight of that revelation. Graduating tones swathe the senses in a sombre atmosphere.The drone of “Two As One” is a modern take on a dark love that dances on the edge of lunacy. The music consumes the senses just as the lust and adoration devour the storyteller.

There is nothing more memorable than a last embrace and lip lock. So we have “Kiss Me (with your last breath)“, a gothic love song, with electronics swelling beneath. A final twist of the knife into madness comes with “Wasted Moon“. A cry to the universe joined by the howling guitar work as they swirl into murky abyss.

People that love The Cure era of Pornography, 17 Seconds and Faith are going to get a kick out of Persephone. Heavily imbued with the sonics of Robert Smith’s crew, the EP is full of lament and the lost visions of dreamers, wrapped in chiming guitar strains.

Persephone | The Funeral March | The Funeral March of the Marionettes (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/thefuneralmarchofthemarionettes?mibextid=ZbWKwL

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Someone told me they were going to have a rest from creating music. They so lied!!! STAHLSCHLAG released in February, the EP Avalanche. German, Sebastian Sünkler has been busy, tinkering up a storm and he even brought along some friends for the ride.

“Mental Machines” is a bit of a treat because you get to hear the man himself, Sünkler, providing the vocals in this track of amalgamated power noise and techno. The machine, through Sünkler, speaks to you in its metal voice about loss of control, slamming against the electronic cage.

Non-Bio’s Howard Gardner is the guest vocalist/lyricist on ” Do You Think?“. Grand internal reverberations punch around Gardner’s monologue, threatening to overwhelm and consume.

There is yet another guest vocalist/lyricist on the track, “Before I Was Broken” in the form of Kimberley of Bow Ever Down. With a slower and more synth lead sound, Kimberley’s singing flows above the spike barbed beats that attempt to puncture the sincerity of the vocals, telling of a time of happiness that no longer exists.

The final track is the instrumental “Burn“. The glitching and crunchy rhythm is over laid with an eerily tinkling keyboard, like the embers starting to ignite, fuelled by the music and taking hold. It can’t be stopped as it hungrily bursts forth, those synth lines feeding into the blaze.

Honestly, I don’t think Sebastian can help himself, and the winner is us, the listeners. Each time he puts out new music, you hear him changing things up or reinventing his sound, plus having great vocalists is just the cherry on top. Maybe Avalanche refers to the onslaught of rhythmic noise, but I like to think it’s because STAHLSCHLAG is just like a force of nature.

https://stahlschlag.bandcamp.com/album/avalanche

https://www.facebook.com/STAHLSCHLAG?mibextid=ZbWKwL

https://non-bio.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nonbiomusic?mibextid=ZbWKwL

https://boweverdown.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100034743804349&mibextid=ZbWKwL

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Last year was a big one for Pete Burns and his project Kill Shelter, with the release of Asylum, one of the best post-punk albums of the year. March marks the drop of a new EP with fellow musician Veronica Stich, also known as Death Loves Veronica, saucily titled The Sex Tape Sessions, out on the Cold Transmission label.

Kicking off with the utterly hot “Sex Tape“, which is a very electronic affair, sensual and pulsating, the rhythm rolling off in waves, while Veronica breathily taunts you. Lyrics of titillation on a screen for the erotic delight of others. There is also an extended remix of “Sex Tape” filled with those rich tones of the forbidden and Burn’s guitar a siren in the background.

The extended remix by Kill Shelter of “The Sinner” strides out in a brazen fashion, the beats dropping heavily in the undulating synths. The confession of a sinner, who is without remorse, even after trying to turn away the person of intense desire because ‘I just want to fuck you anyway‘. The guitar burns like liquid fire and the vocals lick your ears with honey.

There are some songs you feel, settling into your chest, and “Resist” is definitely one of those. It builds like an intense storm, the pressure bearing down, making you realise you just need to give yourself over to the ravenous craving of the music.

The French say each orgasm is the little death, so can there be a “Death Kiss“? Heavy and dark with portent that one might die giving over to the hunger of wanting and need. The extended mix is a thumping trance inducing dancefloor hummer, leading you down the road… perhaps to bliss or ruin.

“Death Kiss” and “The Sinner” were written and released previously by Death Loves Veronica and have been given the Kill Shelter treatment, while “Sex Tape” and “Resist” are joint efforts. Veronica Stich is known as a provocateur, and she has every right to flaunt her stuff, amping up the carnal fervour. Pete Burns is a master not only of music creation, as he did all remixes and the mixing & mastering. There is another reason for calling the EP The Sex Tape Sessions. The musicians themselves have asked fans to use what is considered out dated models of recording, to bootleg the release. Maybe a statement on how throw away society can be. Full of sexual innuendo, explicit language, liquid synths, passionate guitar work, beats to grind to and a goddess playing with your predilection for kinky seduction, this is Kill Shelter & Death Loves Veronica with The Sex Tape Sessions….. mmmmm, what is there not to like?!

The Sex Tape Sessions EP | Kill Shelter & Death Loves Veronica | Kill Shelter (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/killshelterofficial?mibextid=ZbWKwL

https://www.facebook.com/deathlovesveronica?mibextid=ZbWKwL

https://www.facebook.com/coldtransmissionmusic?mibextid=ZbWKwL

https://coldtransmission.com/