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Looking for something cyber industrial with quirky edges? Neon Shudder might be the ticket. Based in Philadelphia, their full length album, Welcome To The NET, was released on October the 7th.

This is a project purely instrumental and from the first track, you can tell the mind behind it all, draws their inspiration from a lot of different electronic styles. “Welcome To The NET” has this speeding trap style with flowing synths. The “Tiger Drive 86” start has a very Nintendo game feel and then launches into full flight…..I swear I can hear the occasional plane engine. The music sparkles and yet there is a urgency. Something sinister this way comes, stalking and persistent in the single “Something Darker“, with the graduating keyboard work creating an air of foreboding.

Things have sped up again through the cyber highways and the sun is merrily shining on the “IO Pathways“. “DReaMCuBE//SYSTEM MENU MUSIC” is an ambient piece, star struck and meandering, possibly waiting for the gamer to press play, leading into the “inter(NET)mission“, which is literally a bridging track of very cute burbles. There is something a bit special about “Brain Drive” with its languid swells below the piano styled keys, holding a promise of something else. The else is a build up of wavering electronics entrancing the senses.

“Ｒａｎｓｏｍｗａｒｅ コンピュータウイルス“…….no one likes ransomeware, unless they created it. Police sirens before we launch into a drum & bass inspired cyber-menace with storyline attached. There is a nice flow into the heavier and noisier “TECH BRUT!“. Here we find some gorgeous synth lines in this track and experimentation with the time signatures. Finally, “A Port in a Storm” both beautifully swirling and dominating at the same time, waiting out the inclement weather.

This really does drag me back into the early period of the 80s, with gaming consoles, where we were excited if we had a few snakes to whack or aliens to blip off the face of the black screen and the fantasy/science fiction movies that embraced synth music, that caught our imaginations. Even though this holds that elemental sound, this is far too modern to be from that time, the advancement in technology creates some scintillating and smoother music that indulges those childhood memories. Welcome To The NET for this is Neon Shudder.

Welcome to the NET | neon shudder (bandcamp.com)

Neon Shudder | Facebook

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The 17th of January sees the release of the single “Decimate” from Matt Hart. This is from his Below The Terra PT.1 album, which is due this year. If you have been following Hart, you will know that he has been building up a story with his music. It is the tale of the Earth that has been visited by alien machines, who are hell bent on changing the surface of the planet to something much colder that suits them while also eradicating the humans. Though the humans have held on in small numbers burrowing down into the soil, looking for sanctuary.

MATT HART

A menacing start, that suddenly knocks the breath out of you and the voices of the mechanical overlords can be heard reporting control. The humans find the world so cold and no opportunity of reclaiming what has been destroyed. There is a wonderful layering of textures, between the driving guitar, the stellar synths and the pounding rhythm.

“Decimate” is possibly the point where the last of humanity looked at their planet and thought, we can’t stay anymore, it’s time to go. You cannot mistake the anger and loss the Hart expresses on the behalf of the survivors. As always, Hart gives us a dance floor track with instant appeal and one other appealing thing worth mentioning is that it was mastered by Krischan Wesenberg of Rotersand. So we watch and wait to see what happens is this apocalyptic cyber world of man verses machine.

https://matthart.bandcamp.com/

MATT HART | Facebook

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HOSTILE ARCHITECT is Brisbane based Mitch Kenny and he is quite the busy industrial bee, with his second release on Brutal Resonance Records, out on the 28th of February. The single/EP is called “:LOG. 3:: SEMTEX“, which comprises of the single, an extra song and a remix of the single.

HOSTILE ARCHITECT – MITCH KENNY

“SEMTEX” is a type of plastic explosive to give this number context. The concept ‘your body is a collapsing temple, your body is not yours to give‘, seems to imply that to become free, you must destroy that which holds you to this plane. As always, there are the nice full body beats that are guaranteed to get you moving and that signature sound Kenny has incorporated.

The instrumental piece, “MACHINEGUNCONTROL” goes for over seven minutes and yet you won’t notice the length of this number as it belts along. There is something quite delightful in listening to crystal clear, percussion lead music.

The Null Cell remix of “SEMTEX” is smoother and yet seems to end up swirling in a mind blowing vortex of ominous tone. It is reminiscent of old school industrial with those rhythms but still ultra modern.

The production is great, nice and crisp, a perfect mix by Null Cell and another great release from the HOSTILE ARCHITECT who is soon to unleash an album. In the meantime there is “:LOG.3:: SEMTEX” to keep you keen and whet your appetite.

https://brutalresonance.bandcamp.com/album/log-3-semtex

https://www.facebook.com/HosArchitect/

https://www.facebook.com/nullcell/

https://www.facebook.com/brutalresonance/

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2020 has brought in big changes for many bands and this includes Minneapolis based band, Zwaremachine. After a dalliance with Brutal Resonance Records, releasing their last EP the band has expanded to now include the live crew as fully fledged recording members and released a single/ remix EP.

The single “Conquest 3000” is the first off the soon to be released album and features Zwaremachine stalwart, visionary & lead singer, Mach Fox, Dbot on bass plus vocals and Dein Officer brutalising the drums.

ZWAREMACHINE

The very nature of industrial music lends itself to political protest and the voice of the underdog, so “Conquest 3000” is a prime example. Especially in this currently climate of fear, disease and corporate avarice, angry dissent voices are needed more than ever. This has a cleaner sound compared to Zwaremachine’s previous singles. With a hard hitting electronic and drum rhythm, this powers along and the synth lines created a smooth juxtaposition. Fox’s vocals are the fired salvos destructively hitting their mark.

The “Conquest 3000” X1L3 remix is harsher and in a Ministry vein, yet it has this cyber swirling, wonderous feel to it within the brusqueness.

The near disco beat at the beginning made me smile. The Floridians, Batavia, remix of “Conquest 3000“, shows a gossamer touch, air light keyboards and that damn beat that had me wiggling in delight from the beginning.

Final mix is by Australian act, HOSTILE ARCHITECT., Mitch Kenny knows how to push a song into a new realm. Cyber punk, futuristic and high energy, that keeps you guessing where he’ll take it next.

The new members bring a new and exciting dimension to the direction Zwaremachine is heading. The single is great and is pointing to an even greater album, meanwhile all the remixes are noteworthy in their own right and I don’t think I could pick a favourite. Name your price on Bandcamp so there is nothing stopping you checking out Zwaremachine’s “Conquest 3000“.

https://zwaremachine.bandcamp.com/album/conquest-3000-single-remix-ep

https://www.facebook.com/zwaremachine

https://www.facebook.com/brutalresonance/

https://brutalresonance.com/

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Congratulations has to go out to Australian act, Hostile Architect, not only for releasing his current single/EP, ::LOG.2:: DAWN OV, but also being signed to Brutal Resonance Records.

Not going to lie, I’ve heard this a few times and it’s angry music for an angry time. “DAWN OV” is a reaction to the current climate of distrust in governments, a virus pulling apart people and communities with the vision of a bleak future, filled with cybernetics and where life is cheap. Mitch Kenny’s anguished, distorted vocals ride the wave of this synth assault. It is heavy and hard hitting industrial noise.

“PROSCRIPT” I would describe if The Art Of Noise had been far more aggressive and militant, this is what they could have sounded like. Eclectic and yet it works so well in an epic conglomeration of structured electronic beats.

HOSTILE ARCHITECT- MITCH KENNY

Mach Fox of Zwaremachine and fellow stablemate on Brutal Resonance, remixes “DAWN OV“. He peels back the vocal distortion and gives this remix, almost, a simpler feel but by doing so, Fox has also made this version even more raw and bitter.

The Brisbane electronic scene is very strong and Hostile Architect is definitely a reflection of this. Not to mention that Mitch Kenny (Hostile Architect) and Mach Fox are some of the nicest guys in the industrial scene as well as being very talented.

This is another strong single from an act taking no prisoners and the more you listen, you more it gets under your skin. So check out ::LOG.2:: DAWN OV and keep your attention on the Hostile Architect.

https://brutalresonance.bandcamp.com/album/log-2-dawn-ov

https://brutalresonance.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HosArchitect/

https://www.facebook.com/zwaremachine/

https://www.facebook.com/brutalresonance/