Unitcode:machine is the very talented Eric Kristoffer from Dallas, Texas and earlier this year he released the album, Themes For A Collapsing Empire, on which you could find the single “Falling Down“. In November, an EP of remixes has been released of this single, re imagined by other acts.
ERIC KRISTOFFER – UNITCODE:MACHINE
The first remix goes to Stabbing Westward and it so clean, polished and so utterly likeable. It almost is like listening to Depeche Mode in the way it grabs you. Next is the wonderful Batávia’s groovier version. Oddly sounds like Tom Shear from Assemblage 21, which is not a bad thing but how did they manage that and it really is a thoughtful remix that gets under your skin. Who doesn’t like a bit of electronic funk that descends into into brilliant synth lines?! Steven Olaf brings hints of the 80’s and it bops along very nicely…. I totally adore that synth line and trust me you will know what I mean when you hear it. The Gravitation remix by Antonym starts slow but this is a ruse and soon beats happen and it all becomes a whole lot of epic. There is something so spine tingling and satisfyingly about the Glass Apple Bonzai remix in all it’s synth wave, juicy goodness. It is rhythmic zen and beautiful, dutifully followed up with the solid club edit. The final re working featuring fellow Texan, Dwayne Dassing, ex-Mentallo and the Fixer, and the flavour is near futuristic in this purely instrumental version.
No matter how you look, or is that listen to “Falling Down“, it is a stonking number that can be remixed to reflect the style of each contributor and of course each remix is unique, basically there isn’t a bad track on this release. Not bad for a revisited single and I rather think this would be fabulous to hear on the dance floor..
With the imminent release of their latest album, Horses In The Abbatoir onFreakwave Records, Shawn Tucker and Sean-Patrick Nolan from gothic/post-punk band TRAITRS, spoke to us about the album, friendship and the dark art of music.
Welcome to the rabbit hole! Having listened to the new album, Horses In The Abbatoir, I can say it stirs memories of another era, especially the around the time of the releases of The Cure’s Pornography or the Cocteau Twins Sunburst and Snowblind which is no mean feat as they are iconic albums. Do you think the events of 2020/21 have impacted on your sound for this album and if so how?
Nolan: I wouldn’t necessarily say the pandemic and events of the last 18 months impacted the sound of this album. Only in the sense that it motivated us to write the darkest album we possibly could to reflect these strange and horrible times. A lot of the songs on this record are about isolation, depression, paranoia, death, the passing of time and the meaninglessness of existence. If that doesn’t remind you of the events of 2020/21, I don’t know what will. Thematically, this is a very personal record for us both, but there is definitely overlap between that and where the world is at right now. We’re not a happy-go-lucky band, so we revel in the misery and neuroses of the modern age. It’s great apocalyptic fodder for current darkwave bands in the same way that the punk and hardcore bands in the 80’s were reacting to the Reagan era and Thatcherism. The album’s not about the pandemic or Trump or anything specific to 2020/21, but this record absolutely is the product of two people observing and struggling to survive in this depressing, anxiety-ridden age.
SHAWN TUCKER & SEAN-PATRICK NOLAN – TRAITRS
How do you feel your sound has changed since your first album, Rite And Ritual in 2017?
Tucker: I’d say the core elements of our sound on Rites And Ritual are all still there, but our songwriting and production has vastly improved. The post-punk and goth framework remains in tact, but we’re adding new elements and twists to our sound to further establish our own identity. The electronic and more cinematic parts of our sound have always been there, we’re just better at using them more effectively and prominently in our songs now. This is our most cohesive record front to back. We tried to have each song stand on its own individually as well as play a crucial role in the lyrical and musical narrative of the whole album. That was a big goal we set for ourselves: to write an album that’s as immersive as something Dead Can Dance, The Cure or Cocteau Twins would put out.
Nolan: I totally agree. James Lindsay from our old label Pleasence Records always used to say Rites And Ritual was our punk record and I think he’s totally right. It’s very raw and imperfect in some ways which is what I think people like about it. I’m proud of the album but we’ve changed so much as people and artists since then, it would be impossible to do it again. And we have no interest in doing it again. Formulas and repeating ideas contradict the reason why we started playing music in the first place. In that sense, Horses In The Abattoir is the next evolutionary step in our sound. Like Shawn says, we’re building off of and refining the ideas we started with on day one. We’re not going to start making trap or gabba goth all of a sudden, but our sound is definitely changing and evolving the more we write and record. The music and aesthetic will always be dark and macabre, but there’s so much room to experiment and play around with these sounds and ideas. Personally speaking, that’s the stuff that really engages me creatively.
You both have been friends for a long time before you started TRAITRS in 2015, so are there advantages and disadvantages to this sort of relationship in a band?
Tucker: Honestly, it’s pretty much all positive. There’s a trust and honesty and openness we share after being friends for this long. It makes it easy to create and share ideas with one another. Stressful things like telling someone something they’re playing could be better, or living together while on tour are that much easier since we know each other so well and get along as well as we do. Rarely do we ever argue, and even if we do disagree, we know it’s coming from a genuine place. There’s no ego involved or power tripping. We’re very similar in some ways and drastically different in others, but together we both balance each other out personally and creatively. TRAITRS wouldn’t be possible if you removed either one of us.
Nolan: Yeah the biggest thing is there are never any hurt feelings. The honesty and open communication really makes all decision making so much easier. At this point we’re more like brothers than band members even.
You describe your style as art post-punk. Many of the original post-punk/goth bands also met in art school, such as Bauhaus, and it was an outlet to express themselves both musically but also visually. Is this how it is for you and how do you feel your art influences your music or vice versa?
Nolan: Absolutely! I love when bands can bring in influences from different artistic backgrounds. The musical and art-based influences are intrinsically linked for us and they have been since the very beginning. We discuss the art direction in just as much detail as we do the music, sound and lyrics. The visual component of what we do has always been a huge focal point for us. From album artwork to merch to our live visuals, we see it as a supplemental outlet for us to further expand on the ideas and concepts we write about. Even more so now since we started writing and directing our own music videos, starting with “Magdalene” earlier this year. Shawn is a very gifted visual artist and designer, so it’s been a pleasure to see him apply his eye to directing our videos. It’s a natural extension of what we started years ago and I think the connection to visual art and film will become more prominent the further along we go.
The videos you have created for your singles have been visually stunning with a macabre darkness sewn through them. How much input did you have making these?
Tucker: 100% our input. We do all of it ourselves and our small crew. When the label got down to talks with us as far as videos and singles, we were a bit concerned because they wanted 4 music videos. I had my eye on some very specific people for the projects but when it fell through, Nolan came up with the idea that maybe I put my film background to use and we start doing it all ourselves. Lots of trial and error, but we just started figuring out what it would take to pull that off. The best part of controlling the video concepts and vision is I can get what I feel is the closest representation of exactly who we are as a band and what I want the world of TRAITRS to be. Basically I wanted to direct art house horror films and that’s what I did with the videos. I’m a huge fan of horror/art house films especially the New French Extremity films. From shooting into the descents of hell called nothing, to a real ghost town house hidden away from the world, to escaping the occult offerings in the woods and a hungry possession taking over the mind in the cold dark city streets. Each video allowed all of you to take a deeper look inside our world.
We all have bands/individuals that influence us in our future tastes in music when we were younger. Who were those influences and who do you now find yourself listening to?
Tucker: I still listen to many of the same artist as I did when I was younger: The Smiths, A-ha, The Cure, The Smashing Pumpkins, The/Southern/Death/ Cult, Opposition, Big Country, The Chameleons, Pixies, Samhain, The Police, Fugazi, Jawbox, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, No Trend, Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, Naked Eyes. Currently Newer listens: JJ72, Interpol, Placebo, The Joy Formidable, Autechre, White Lies, Editors, Eagulls, The Twilight Sad, Blonde Redhead, Quicksand
Nolan: A lot of fantastic records have come out this year! Old Country New Road, Lingua Ignota, Emma Ruth Rundle, The Armed, Spirit Of The Beehive, Grouper, Parquet Courts to name a few. Our fellow Freakwavers Creux Lies put out a great record last month. Local Toronto stuff like Nailbiter, Breeze and Odonis Odonis has really been blowing me away recently. This city is rich with very talented artists. I loved metal, punk and industrial music as a teenager. I was born in the late 80s, so it was the heavier bands I grew up loving like Deftones, Nine Inch Nails and System Of A Down who actually introduced me to the post-punk and new wave bands that inspire me to this day. Bands like New Order, The Smiths, The Cure, Tears For Fears, Depeche Mode, Kate Bush, Can, Bauhaus, Jesus And The Mary Chain, Echo and the Bunnymen, plus great electronic bands like Underworld, Aphex Twin, Massive Attack and Portishead. The heavier bands would always mention new wave, goth, shoegaze and electronic artists as influences and I’d go check them out. Kind of like a beta version of the Spotify algorithm.
Thank you so much for your time and this new album is a wonderful addition to the TRAITRS discography so congratulations. What is planned for the future of TRAITRS?
Nolan: Thanks very much for the kind words for the taking the time to talk to us. Horses In The Abattoir comes out on November 19 on all streaming platforms and cd. Unfortunately due to vinyl manufacturing delays, the LP’s won’t be out until December. Aside from that, with all of the Covid restrictions slowly easing up, we’re finally booking tour dates for 2022 all across the world. So keep an eye out on our social media platforms to stay on top of where we’ll be next year. We have many new cities and countries we want to visit. Words can’t express how much we have missed our fans and live shows during this whole time. These first tours back will be emotional love-fests to say the very least. Come out and say hello to the Shauns.
Anyone who is familiar with AlexanderDonat’s project, Vlimmer, might be be surprised to find that after eighteen EPs releases (yes you read right, 18!!!) , he has unleashed his debut album, Nebenkörper. The literal translation of Nebenkörper is secondary body or auxiliary body and maybe a part of this title refers to the fact that this is a full length album which was released on the 24th of September, 2021.
The dreamy, instrumental, “Farbenmüde” is the prequel to the album and in no way prepares you for the onslaught that is the angst filled “Fensteraus” and it is a bit like a Faustian epic in sensory overload. It has a wicked life of its own. Blasts of electronic beats mixed with tribal rhythms is “Mutem“. A sublime mix of metal shoegaze with industrial. There is a constant drone behind the “Restfall” as Donat’s vocals tether you to this reality and the guitars jangle and wail while it climaxes in a maelstrom. We have the single “Meter” which actually reminds me of Oomph! a little, if they had been more post-punk and it definitely deserved to be a single. “Minusgesicht” is full of foreboding atmosphere, a pall of darkness that is trying to drag everything into it and a sense of falling or fading away.
ALEXANDER DONAT – VLIMMER
“I.P.A.” is truly a post-punk hybrid beast. Dark and brooding with just the right amount of noise to mix with the discordant voices while “Ad Astra” is like a wild ride of ecstasy and screaming insanity that bears you along, occasionally drops you, just you pick you up for the next part of the ride. The insistent “Wangendruck” is absolutely a gothic/EBM hybrid of beauty. It gloriously powers on with bursts of beats. There is a subtle change with “Kartenwarten“, slowing down things, a mellow shoegaze vibe before we vere off into noise inspired “Kron“. It is crunchy and sounds rather unhinged, though in a good way, as it ramps up. The last song on the album is “Nebenbei“. It is the wind down, giving a sense of introspectiveness and grief in a way, possibly full of longing. It is a lovely way to end.
Vlimmer is on Blackjack Illuminist Records and had the much-in-demand, Pete Burns of Kill Shelter handling the mastering. As a native English speaker, I am unable to tell you what the German lyrics are about and it is far more about the impression it gives and in the end, this is exactly what music is supposed to do. Expression in any language that still resonates with those who listen. Nebenkörper for the most part is a swirling amalgamation of gothic darkwave with shoegaze and a big helping of industrial. It is raw and at times won’t let you stop hearing new and unique things in the musical aether. At times you can almost swear you can hear a choir in the mix backing up Donat but this is an illusion and a rather masterful one. After eighteen EPs, Vlimmer have unleashed a beast of an album, so it was worth the wait.
If you love industrial music, then you should be checking out Isabella Chains’ project, Null Cell. The Omaha act is soon to release a full length album, Nemesis in December, but before then, you can sample the delight that is Null Cell with the first single off the album, “Over The Top“, which was released October 29th, out on Machine Man Records.
ISABELLA CHAINS – NULL CELL
Metal mixed industrial might be the best description, in a similar vein to many of the beloved Wax Trax bands. Pumping beat with harsh, angry guitar work and belligerent vocals. It is kind of the industrial version of don’t try to change me or tell me I’m wrong because this is my life by people who think they are always right.
The two remixes on this album are from HOSTILE ARCHITECT (H/A) and Varicella. You can pick H/A’s mix, by Mitch Kenny, a mile away with the signature synths and breaks. He has created a more futuristic version where the guitars are no longer at the core but still kept it deliciously dark. The Varicella version keeps to the guitar based sounds, injecting their electronic fingerprints and dare I say giving the track an even dirtier feel with the extra vocal manipulation.
The last track is a cover of “Wireframed Genocide“, originally written and recorded by Mind Teardown. The original has cleaner synths and a definitely more European flavour about it even though they are from Seattle, whilst the Null Cell cover is near pure angst, seething in it’s disdain.
“Over The Top” is name your price on Bandcamp. There is nothing to lose from checking out Null Cell and you just might gain a new act to really enjoy and follow.
Who doesn’t enjoy a good old ghost story that causes the hair on the back of your neck to rise, your flesh to goosebump and eyes to water without warning? It is human nature to be curious of that which we do not understand and Syd.31 explores those places in the dark where the shadow people lurk, waiting for you in the single release, “Demon Night“. Syd.31 is Dr Magic who is based in Manchester in the UK and the United Kingdom, like all cultures, is steeped in tales of the paranormal.
SYD.31 AND KRAMPUS FRIENDS
“When I was a kid, we lived in a haunted house. Some ‘thing’would walk down the hallway, into my room and just stand at the end of my bed. It looked like an old lady and it scared the hell out of me. Other people saw it too, but didn’t tell me until years after, thankfully. I still struggle to sleep alone with the light out…” – Syd.31
The video was shot in the haunted Antwerp Mansion, the infamous Whitby Krampus makes his presence known and if you look carefully, maybe there hints of the ephemeral shadow people. You can hear the near panicked fear in Dr Magic’s voice because they are waiting for him to be alone in the dark of the night, so they may play. There is a psychobilly aspect to the number, not just with the chord progressions but also the use of a Gretsch guitar. All this lends itself to a nicely blended industrial rocking tale of misery. Plus, have to love the middle eastern style drumming at the beginning. “Demon Night” comes off the Syd.31 album, Machine Ready, that was launched in April this year.
I will add my own side note to this. As I wrote this late in the night, the online radio ceased to work. It seems the new router we had received had gone offline but the thing is this one guaranteed to work unless there is no power. It did come back on of its own accord, most unusual…..
October the 1st, saw the release of a new Mach FoX single, “Hollow Moons“. Zwaremachine is Mach”s main project but he has always maintained his own musical outlet since 2005. “Hollow Moons” was written with Dbot and also recorded with Dein Offizier, whom both are members of Zwaremachine.
Mach FoX
There are feather light synths that delicately highlight the darker edge to this number. Mach’s singing fits perfect with the textures and beats which gives us a science fiction future where the world has been used up and only those with enough wealth will be able to afford to live in the new, lush settlements in the hollowed out moons.
Originally meant to be on the latest Zwaremachine album, I can hear why they decided to not add it. Not because this in any way a bad song, to the contrary, but rather it does not fit the more hard industrial sound cultivated by the band. “Hollow Moons” has a far more pop industrial feel, smoother and no growled out vocals. Really enjoyed the more synth/future pop vibe and hopefully we will hear more of this side of FoX’s musical endeavours.
Slated to be the second track on the soon to be released full length album, Horses In The Abbatoir, TRAITRS‘ latest single, “Mouth Poisons” is yet another teaser with yet another very slick, very professional video of an eerily macabre nature. The single was released on September the 17th, 2021 on Freakwave Records by the Toronto duo, Sean Patrick Nolan and Shawn Tucker.
TRAITRS
“The core sketch of this song was written late at night at a very good friend’s place in Frankfurt, Germany. ‘Mouth Poisons’ is an extremely personal song and lyrically I set myself up as the main target. It carries an air of ‘come see what’s going inside of me that wants to burn down everything in sight’. Definitely my favourite single we have ever released to date,” says Shawn Tucker
“‘Mouth Poisons’ was initially supposed to be a fast, angular punk track and it remained in this form for several months until Shawn wrote the bass guitar part and completely changed the way I heard the song. His melodic bass line brought out a sadness and vulnerability in the track that I didn’t know was there. All of a sudden this frantic punk song sounded more like The Smiths or New Order, so I completely rewrote my synth part to tease out those elements even more. The break before the outro is one of my favourite parts on the album,” says Sean-Patrick Nolan
Nolan was not joking about sounding like New Order, though for my money, I would have to say The Cure has to have been a big influence. The vocals are like listening to Robert Smith himself, mournfully gliding over the top of the insistent guitar while the synths gleefully run rampant in this still rather upbeat piece, in that joyfully manic way. For added extra enjoyment and killer chiller vibes, don’t forget to indulge in the sumptuous video.
A new industrial project has hit the scene, with the debut single, “Pews In A Panic“. They are called The Royal Ritual, a solo act featuring the talented David Lawrie. Fans of London After Midnight might recognise his name from being a live tour member, however Lawrie also works as a sound designer for films as well as being a composer/producer in his own right.
DAVID LAWRIE- THE ROYAL RITUAL
From the beginning of the single, the beats are harsh and ring clean, insistent for your attention. Commercial religion is the focus, with its constant demands for money and blind obedience, using and abusing followers until there is nothing left because in the end everything belongs to you, but you belong to me. “Pews In A Panic” is just a really great industrial song that has something to say. The b-side is a cover of fellow Brit and singer/composer Phildel’s “Glide Dog“, that originally was released in 2019, This so different musically to “Pews In A Panic” and yet there is this tone of something brutal under the seemingly smooth surface. Lawrie gives “Glide Dog” the electronic cool treatment and it slips along giving one the feeling you shouldn’t dwell on what lays beneath the surface.
It is really amazing when you listen to “Pews In A Pandemic” and every time you heard a new or unusual sound that isn’t necessarily a traditional electronic one. More than likely and due to his profession, Laurie has more than a passing interest in incorporating left of field recordings to accentuate his music. This creativity only points to the looming album being anticipated as a corker and we are looking forward to hearing more of The Royal Ritual.
The latest single from the Boston lads, Cristian Carver and Johnny E. Veil, aka MAN1K1N, hit us on October the first. Cryptically named “Don’t Let Me Try” is their attempt to put into words and music how the pandemic has affected them and others, both mentally and personally.
‘The heavy solitude of this past year during quarantine was a poignant influence in the moment this song exists in. Too often, suicidal ideation is regarded as a trope. But the anguish felt in those private moments is threatening and devastatingly lonely.‘
From the start, the music has a weight to it, oppressive and even a little bitter-sweet. The desperation is in the groaned and growled out lyrics, as the synths swirl and pulsate in a menacing manner. The lyrics speak to the frustration and a hollowness of the drudgery that life has become, taking a toll of one’s mental health.
Definitely a powerful piece that builds and diminishes just as waves of hope and despair do. The anguish in Veil’s voice is palpable and Carter’s rhythms mix so well with the searing electronics. Interestingly, Tom Baker was brought in to master engineer this single and for those in the know, Baker has been involved with mastering Nine Inch Nail’s Downward Spiral and Ministry’sPsalm 69. Having this craftsman onboard has lifted the number and given it extra polish, so you should have a listen to “Don’t Let Me Try” by MAN1K1N.
What sort of music do you get if you mix David Wolfenden aka Wolfie of Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry and Caroline Blind? A band called Voidant and perhaps a style you were not expecting. With an illustrious roll call of contributing artists, on baritone guitars RichWitherspoon (TheWake), bass guitars SimonDingArcher (RedLorryYellowLorry, 1919) and AdeClark (BlackChapel) and pianist DavidGregory.
The first track, “Heart/Feather” has a tribal taste to it and the reference is rooted in Egyptian mythology. When you die, your heart that holds your sins, will be weighed against the feather that is Maat (goddess of truth and justice), watched by Anubis and if found unworthy, eaten by Ammit the Devourer. Hence there is an Eastern flare in the guitar work.
The single “La Loba” is an ode to the wolf. An implored request for the wolf to finish the remains after Blind has sung that she could not continue and succumbed to the snow. A slow love song to be one with the wilderness.
Whispers and an insistent synth line that wanders through your head in “PhantomEx“. The shadow of a previous relationship, that took a toll on someone whom you dearly want to see you as a potential healing lover. “Ghosted” has a great incongruity between the piano lines and guitar work, giving a slightly unhinged atmosphere.
“SGTruth” has a trip hop feel fused with a modern jazz sensibility. It keeps you off balance as it weaves it’s way. Dreams of the “Summer ‘78“, of Irish migrants fleeing across the sea, which for some would be their last journey. A story of memories perhaps stored in your DNA and like all good stories it is sung in a tone to lure you in and feels as delicate as a woven spiderweb.
There are two cover on this album and they sit side by side. “7 And 7 Is” was originally performed by Love in 1966 and also covered by Alice Cooper in 1981 and The Ramones in 1993. There is this wonderful juxtoposition of Blind’s punk vocals and the surreal electronics. It’s a great cover of this proto-punk classic.
In 1964, Buffy Saint Marie wrote and released “Universal Soldier“, which later became a hit for both Donovan and Glenn Campbell. A song about seeing things from another perspective and ultimately an anti-war piece. This is so tranquil with Blind near singing a cappella, if it wasn’t for the percussion and low grade whirring beneath.
“Vortex” is the last track and it is a little transcendental with the hypnotic beat and guitar transitioning from a bit country, then a bit funky and then wailing. It is a rather groovy way to finish the album because as we all know, the eye of the storm is the calmest place to be.
Recorded between Leeds in the UK and New Jersey, USA, this is not the normal gothic fare but rather a darker form of storytelling which is sometimes trance inducing in its beats and minimalism. Some things can be better felt in the spaces that aren’t filled in. Voidant do this so well as well as also breathing new life into classics and I encourage you to have a listen.
Onyx Music Reviews 