Pennsylvania based, TheNumber H has dropped the EP, The Conditioning, on May the 27th, with Lost GlacierRecords. This is their second dark electronic EP release, which, in true industrial style, they are using recordings of everyday noises and fusing them into into these techno and bass influenced tracks.
Straight off the bat is “Nothing“, sexually charged industrial beats, that build up and breakdown, lulled by her vocals. Industrial bass is beautifully used to full effect in “Grief“, with science fiction overtones, the electronics in a juxtaposition of being smooth and abrasive at the same time. “Tell Me” is a techno whirlwind with glitching vocals, designed to build you higher with those rhythms and then you are plunged into the dark depths of “MissMe“, which gave me goosebumps.
“Hideous Dream” is in no way terrible to listen to and in fact delightfully works its way through your senses, the electronics implanting themselves into pleasure centres. Last track is “Undone“, ominous and foreboding as it builds to a whirling techno synth vortex, that collapses only to take you an unwinding journey.
Erotically charged, surreal and sublime. The low spoken vocals, not quite disinterested, drawling out, cutting into your skin. I think I could easily listen to The Number H all day, if I am being perfectly honest. She has an amazing flow that grabs you with the intensity of the music. Loss, intense sorrow and hopefully healing, now you have The Conditioning,.
Am Tierpark is a project with the combined superpowers of Claus Larsen (vocals, lyrics) and John R Mirland (music, production). They dropped their latest album, Forevermore, May the 10th, on the Læbel record label. This is the duo’s synthpop project, amongst their other acts such as Larsen & Mirland plus a.o., Claus Larsen’s Leæther Strip, Klutæ, and John R Mirland’s Mirland, M73….that is only naming a few.
Oh yes the synthpop is strong in this album, as it starts with the “Shower Me With Freedom” and Larsen’s dulcet tones and those brilliant synths. It is followed by the lyrically mournful and poignant “I Let You Go“. There is a wonderful trance element to “Love Collide“, as the delightful synths dance around Larsen’s vocals, which changes pace with the more somber “Just Watch Me“, that has these beautiful whirls of electronics that make your senses fly.
Ooh yeah, the sassy and sexy boy toys in “Room 24“, has those heavy overtones of Bronski Beat with an Italo disco feel, which is continued in “Not Welcome“, though this is a tale of love, rejected by a ignorant portion of the population. Title track, “Forevermore” has a heavenly start with those synths, in a slow burn of hurt and those sighing synths meld into the smooth sounding “Mighty World“, while “Sacrifice Your Purity” has an amazing amount of movement, and threw me into 1983, with the dance rhythm.
This blips of a ghost submarine dive into “You’re not My Enemy” with its cool chic, and some keyboard lines that could have come from the sublime John Foxx. Larsen is cooing into your ear over a freight train of delicate electronics in “Bloom Together“, unlike the track “Leave In Peace” with it’s purposeful slower beats. There is a light feel to “Hold Our Heads High“, conveyed in the lyrics and bright music. “Cleanse Our Hearts” is pure joy in music form, while the last track, “Moving In“, is almost hypnotic in tone.
Okay, confession time. I have had this album for a while and unforeseen circumstances have slowed me down, but this is an album that I wanted to desperately tell people about. The late 70s and early 80s is where my musical influences lay, so listening to Forevermore, definitely stirs memories of Depeche Mode, Erasure, John Foxx and artists of that ilk, who were on the cutting edge of electronic music at that point in time. Though, that is not to say the Am Tierpark is some sort of copy, as they are most certainly not, taking the love of this style of music and adding their modern spin and incorporating the Euro/Italo style such as “Sacrifice Your Purity“, which is pure disco orientated joy. Larsen’s vocals are yet another facet to the distinct sound that is AmTierpark, making their music so enjoyable. You don’t have to be a child of the 80s to enjoy this album though but don’t take my word for it…please go check them out for yourselves.
Lisa Gerrard & Marcello De Francisci are on the verge of releasing their new album EXAUDIA, on the label Atlantic Curve Records, but before that happens, there is the offering of a new single, “Until We Meet Again“, out on the 17th of June. Gerrard is the vocalist, best known as one half of Dead Can Dance, whilst De Francisci is renowned as a soundtrack composer, with both artists previously working together on soundtracks and their first album, Departum.
Photo byVaughan Stedman and M. De Francisci
Lightness. There is the overwhelming feeling of a supreme weightlessness, in a sea that is Gerrard’s vocals. Sweet and delightful, as they lead to the rush of music, which invades your senses, longingly and wistfully dreaming of days filled with sun and love. A mixture of the exotic and the innocence of a bygone era.
It is sublime when a singer can create art with their vocals, and Lisa Gerrard is no exception. Years of honing her craft, has lead to ability to evoke even the most dormant of memories and stir emotions. Marcello De Francisci has build a musical score around what Gerrard has given him, complimenting and caressing her singing style. No matter the distance, lover’s always find their way back, “Until We Meet Again“.
You might know of the project Krebs, but the Philadelphia based, Michael Haggerty, has shed this moniker, instead, using his own name to adorn the latest singles. “Into The Glow“, out on Machine Man Records, is the second single to be dropped from the soon to be released, Fire Behind The Paper Tree album.
There is something so utterly charming about the beginning of “Into The Glow“, with it’s low tones and smooth vocals. Though, this all changes with the introduction of a driving guitar. A myriad a of beautiful shards hits you all at once with the truly open and bleeding lyrics. The second backing track, “I Kinda Like It” is the kooky cousin, in an Addams Family weirdness, that all goths are known for and this tune plonks away in a darkly dazed happy joy way.
The single is really quite stunning and Haggerty could be the male, one man version of The Birthday Massacre, so I really could not recommend it more highly. I think it would take me a while to get tired of listening to “Into The Glow“, and that is the sign of a good track, especially when it coolly caresses your heart, instead of being a cyclone that rips it out. Plus, it is name your price on Bandcamp, so off you go….and you too can check out the very quirky photo there (I so wanted to use that instead!).
Berlin’s Vlimmer, has released the post-punk single, “Kronzeuge” (key witness) with backing track, a German lyric version of the Depeche Mode song, “It’s No Good“. Alexander Leonard Donat is Vlimmer and the man behind the BlackJack IlluministRecords label, releasing the single on June the 3rd.
There is a hint of early German post-punk, such as Die Artze, and “Kronzeuge” is melancholy with those deep bass lines and wistful electronics. Donat’s vocals play over the top and the harmonies between himself and the electronics is really breathtaking. The cover “It’s No Good“, is off kilter and has a slightly deranged air to it. Darker and more brooding than the original, though there is that fabulous synth line that has always been the underpin of this track, which you could never not have but given a new twist.
I am loving these clean vocals from Donat. It puts a whole new spin on the Vlimmer sound, I think bringing a new level of tenebrosity to the music. The cover version, though in German, I can still hear the English in my head which is an interesting thing and “Kronzeuge” is a wonderfully mournful and lugubrious track in an emotional wasteland, ready to suck you into Vlimmer’s fantastic world.
British industrial artist, Matt Hart has released his latest single, “The Last Rave“, off the album, BELOW THETERRA PT. 1., on the 3rd of June. To go along with the single, a music video was created from two live shows, recorded at the ElektroVox Music Festival and RESISTANZ Festival, showcasing the dynamic Hart wowing the audience.
It is a magnificent, pounding industrial track, about the human resistance to the alien machines that turn the planet cold and pursue the survivors deep into the ground. “The Last Rave” is a shout of defiance, that while humanity survives, there is hope and Hart growls his powerful message to those kicking beats. I invite you to “The Last Rave” and you might very well get sucked into Matt Hart’s cyber industrial world.
Elena Alice Fossi is best known as the fabulous lead woman for the long lasting, Italian project, KIRLIANCAMERA. However, this talented musician is also about to release her fifth album, Mondernism, under the moniker SPECTRA*paris, but that happens in August…..so to whet your appetite, before the sumptuous feast, we have been given the single, “Devious” to get a taste.
There is a certain amount of trepidation as you first hear the first erroneous sounds before the breathy notes in the form of Fossi’s vocals and sensuously, they drape over the electronic noir that buzzes, like bees attracted to sweet nectar.
I am not surprised that the video to accompany this track has a Hitchcockian flavour as the rhythm suggests mischief is afoot and that we might be involved in something that is not what it seems. There is a darkness in the music, offset by the light gracefulness of Fossi’s singing and yet there is something mesmerisingly seductive in those vocals, that once you are under her thrall, you might never leave. Elena Alice Fossi has given us a stunning single in the form of “Devious” and we await the next release from SPECTRA*paris with anticipation….
I am not sure what is going on in Portland, Oregon, but I feel a little disturbed. Why disturbing? Because there seems to be a wealth of good acts from this one place. Brought to my attention is this band called Darkswoon, with their single, Eaten ByWolves, released on May the 27th in the form of an EP, which is off the soon to be released album, BloomDecay. The single is accompanied by three other tracks, one off a soundtrack and the other two, remixes.
The title track, “Eaten By Wolves” has this beautiful flow that reminds me a little of Ride, though far more electronic, with the drum machine keeping time as the vocals, so gorgeously clean, cleave their way across the music, while the synths vie with the guitar.
“Ruin” (2020) is such an oddity. It is about waiting for the one who will complete you but also seems quite dark when mentioning the fact when they die, their family will get the body….though I found it rather amusing as well. It is an uptempo sounding track, with the swirling shoegaze guitars and entwining vocals, that drag you away to another place.
Really like the electronic start to “Human Faults“, mixed by experimental electronic Portland act, We Are Parasols. Heavy and light tones invaded by the altered ghostly vocals. This has an amazing soundscape feel to it, stretching out into the buzzing aether, married to a danceable rhythm.
Final song and it is another cracker of a dance mix. “Fireplace“, the Sn<che mix, is pure joy, in the vein of Boy Harsher. A cacophony of sound with those marvellous staccato vocals that fold into soaring melodies, which fade into a mist filled end.
Holy crap. I love it. Darkswoon, where have you been hiding? Synthpop grace, coupled with shoegaze wisps and emotion filled vocals. In a word, sublime and the remixes are utterly on point, really rounding out the EP. After listening to this, you might want to be Eaten By Wolves.
In the wilds of New Zealand where the spirits of the trees still whisper secrets and the rocks hold their tales, you will find Amy Tucker West, also known as Parabola West. For those unfamiliar, Parabola West is a project stirred in a Celtic cauldron, mixing synths, folk music and a liberal sprinkling of magic, kind of a mix between Dead Can Dance, Lycia and Clannad so to speak. On the 29th of April, the album Stars Will Light The Way, was dropped, with dreamy ballads about the world and love, to heartfelt pleas for sanctuary and understanding, but always with an undercurrent of modern instruments blended with the traditional. So join us on our Celtic dreaming, speaking to the delightful Amy about the new album and.. well …everything to do around it. Beware of the imps!
Welcome into the fens of the Onyx Garden, Amy Tucker West of Parabola West. We occasionally drop in ritualistic items in the dark waters, just to keep the impish spirits happy.
Thank you! I have a dash of moon water prepared just for this sort of occasion!
In your bio, you say you discovered piano as a young adult. Was music a big thing in your life before this?
Music was a massive part of our household growing up. It would be very common for my mother, sister, and me to sing together as one of them played guitar. Lessons were something that we couldn’t really afford, but that limitation didn’t deter my mother. She was a painter, and so she decorated the walls of the music school with her artwork in exchange for us to have lessons. From that, I internalized from a young age that music was a valuable and important part of life.
Photography – Trinity Navar
You live in New Zealand, land of the long white cloud but you are not originally a Kiwi. How did you end up there?
I’m originally from the east coast of America, and I ended up joining a UK-based band in my early 20s and moving to England to perform with them. When I was over there, I met someone from New Zealand and ended up coming here with him in 2003. That relationship didn’t work out, but I loved it here and decided to stay. Fast forward many years, and I’m now an official citizen of NZ! Woohoo!
Was it a bit of a culture shock going from America to New Zealand?
It’s a unique experience to feel equally at home and equally an outsider in two countries.
I think the biggest culture shock is actually going back to America for a visit after so much time living here in New Zealand. The scale of things in America is overwhelming for the first few days. On my last trip, I remember visiting the grocery store and getting decision fatigue whilst standing in a massive aisle devoted entirely to hummus options. So. Much. Hummus. By the time I got to the toothbrush section, I was deranged with wonder.
Did you feel a difference in the music scene in NZ as opposed to the US and do you think this has influenced your style?
I wasn’t really active in the US music scene before I went to England, but I can now tell you that performing for a NZ audience versus an American audience is a totally different experience! In New Zealand, the audience will clap politely at the end of a song and probably say something nice to you privately after your show. In America, the audience is significantly more expressive throughout a show and will let you know what they think. The Kiwis are much more reserved, and the Americans are more likely to wear their hearts on their sleeves or ‘woohoo’ mid-song.
You launched your new album “Stars Will Light The Way” in April. Your last album was released in 2017 called “Purity of Weakness”. Can I ask why there was a 5 year break?
I released “Purity of Weakness” as an EP back in 2017 because I wasn’t quite ready to release a full-length album yet. My thinking was that you only get one shot at a debut album, so I wanted to make sure I had nurtured my audience enough and built my brand to the point where I could roll out a debut the way I wanted to. But, I certainly didn’t intend for “Stars Will Light the Way” to take five years to come alive! The schedule got a bit blown out by some family hardships and then a dash of pandemic. Life got a bit lifey in-between.
The sound of the album is this beautiful mixture of Celtic dreaming folk, with pop savvy. What drew you to create this style?
Thank you! I’ve always been drawn to a bit of darkness mixed in with the dreamy, and I found that the old folk instruments used in Celtic, Slavic, and Scandinavian folk really have an emotional / melancholy depth that appealed to my ear. But, I also love synth and electronic influences as well as ethereal / otherworldly sounds, so my music ends up being a blend of a few genres. I try not to think about the style or genre when I’m writing, and instead I just focus on getting the produced version to sound the way it does in my head.
What is the premise behind “Stars Will Light the Way”?
It didn’t start out with a premise or a theme in mind, but everything changed as the production got underway. I started getting these character ideas for each song, and they were very specific and in full color in my head. I decided to follow that thread, and alongside the album recording I began working on a book of visuals to go with the music. It culminated in a 48 page fantasy photography lyric book (which includes a CD). I decided on the title “Stars Will Light the Way” because each song explores a different way of finding a path through the darkness.
Photography – Trinity Navar
With Covid causing mayhem around the world for 2 years, how did this affect your creating and recording the album?
It was definitely a contributing factor for why it took 5 years to release this album! I worked with two producers (Scott Newth and Andrew Newth), and I can’t think of a single time that we were all in the same room together since the start of Covid. We worked remotely, sending files and ideas back and forth. In some ways, it was really cool to have that extra space for ideas to grow in isolation. There were some silver linings within the sh*t sandwich.
New Zealand is a rather magical place with its green rolling hills, snowy peaks and native inhabitants, the Maori, with their rich history and tales. How do you feel this has an effect on your music?
New Zealand is, indeed, a deeply magical place! For me, the landscape feels like it holds a spiritual energy. The past 7 years of living off-grid up a misty mountain has really heightened my appreciation for existing in harmony with the seasons and the elements. Lyrically, the themes of nature pop up a lot in “Stars Will Light the Way”.
Who or what were your early musical influences?
Depeche Mode, Tori Amos, Enya, Loreena McKennitt, Dead Can Dance, Information Society, Kate Bush, and fantasy film soundtracks. I also thrashed a mixtape full of artists from Projekt Records (standouts on that cassette were Love Spirals Downwards, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, and Lycia).
Is there anyone that you listen to now that brings you great joy?
I curated a playlist on Spotify called Beautiful Darkness which has a lot of examples of music I’m enjoying at the moment. There are a few Scandinavian artists (Aurora, Agnes Obel, Eivør, and Kite) that get a heavy rotation, but there are also artists like PJ Harvey and Coco Rosie on there as well.
If ever I am in a desperate funk, however, I turn to the Sesame Street Disco album. Specifically, ‘Me Lost Me Cookie at the Disco’ performed by Cookie Monster.
We have heard that you love French bull dogs. What is it about them that makes you giddy with joy?
Oh Frenchies! Yes, they are the perfect blend of cuddly and adventurous. They snore and fart hilariously through the night, and every Frenchie I’ve met has a friendly nature and a heart of gold. My husband and I had the privilege of raising two, and they brought us immense joy.
What do see in the future for Parabola West?
The immediate future is planning and executing an epic summer tour in the southern and northern hemispheres. After that, I’m interested in exploring the realm of writing for film and television.
So, Brutal Resonance have threatened us with a good time by releasing, on the 27th of May, the new EP, OutOf Time by Her Noise Is Violence. With cool artwork by Psyklon Industries, this is the first EP to be dropped on the Brutal Resonance label for Her Noise Is Violence.
“For this EP, I really wanted to get out of my comfort zone and work with sounds I seldom do as Her Noise Is Violence. I borrowed a lot of ideas that I normally use with my other project, Funeral Pyre – but I also allowed myself to just be immersed into the theme as a whole. Nuclear war, the end of civilization, living in the Kali Yuga, etc. I wanted to go more for feeling vs dance-ability and DJ friendliness. I guess this is a hybrid album of both my style as Her Noise Is Violence as well as being a part of Funeral Pyre.” – Her Noise Is Violence
Think big, bringing in the “Nuclear Age“. A wall of deep electronic sound and twinkling synths that resonates in your chest, while we wait for midnight. So 60s sci-fi at the end. “Pale Horse” could be the foretold one of the apocalypse and this grinds into your brain with wavering electronics and rhythms trying to punch through. It is glorious in it technical coldness. There is a certain amount of frustration with the title track, “Out Of Time“, because….well…it’s a beat out of timing. Good grief, just being slightly out of step does weird things to my brain. Add in all these rather pleasing popping and scratched tones which makes it both fun and torturous all in the same piece of music.
Amazing heavy beats assault your ears, in an Asian style emoting Bladerunner track called “Stolen Dreams“. It circles and becomes almost an sickly sweet instrumentation, while the context of war wends words around it all. The last track is also the single, “Apathy“, which was released prior to the EP. It is apt to end with this track, as it spirals downwards, rivulets of time lost to the aether..
There are beautiful synth lines woven throughout each track and as such, are like glass catching the light, while the darker industrial thunder sweeps you up in it’s grip, squeezing the rhythms into your core. Her Noise Is Violence has a techno savvy, that she mixes with synthpop nuances and harsh industrial noise…. it is a wonderful thing and if you don’t listen, then you are going to be Out Of Time.
Onyx Music Reviews 