Browsing Tag

industrial

Divine Astronaut – Undone: Darkly Ensnaring Alt Electronica

Posted on 21 November 2019

Any fans of Portishead, Massive Attack, and Bjork are going to want to check out the debut single “Undone” from the Electronic duo Divine Astronaut.

There’s a uniquely foreboding atmospheric feel to Undone, but simultaneously, it was also one of the most solacing soundscapes I’ve heard this year. Yes, Undone came with a slightly apocalyptic feel, but the downtempo pacing of the instrumentals meant that even though they were doom-laden, they still provided plenty of catharses.

There’s a succinct delicacy to Undone which has plenty to do with Livvy Holland’s striking yet reassuring vocals; I really don’t make reference to the aforementioned artists lightly. With Holland’s vocals, and Moonhead’s production and multi-instrumentalism combined, Undone was a pioneering feat of Alt Electro ingenuity.

Instead of relying on harsh cacophonous noise to bring weight to the single, the gentle dystopian tones are sobering enough to leave you captivated from the prelude to the outro, and for a fair time after that. Divine Astronaut isn’t the type of Electronic artist easily found, and nor are they the type to be easily forgotten.

You can check out Divine Astronaut’s darkly ensnaring single Undone for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nej!las’ – Future Resolutions

Posted on 15 December 2017

The best music paints pictures, acts like a virtual and instantaneous set builder for a theatre act or suggests a scene from a film yet to be made. If this is the case then Resolution conjures a playground of dystopian hi-jinks, of night times on the decaying streets, of subversion and protest, of industrial wastelands and underground nightclubs, of shadows and neon, light and shade taken to it’s extremes. It is the collision point of the sound of brutal industrial machinations and transient, clinical digital languages, the distant humming of the modern world and the poetry of decay. It is a distant, disembodied opera, which echoes from our technology reflecting the detachment and unease of the world around us.

It is easy to see where they come from, where some of their references lie, but the ability to shape those influences into new statements about the world they find themselves in and comment on where it may be heading is all you can ask of them.

At eight and a half minutes, Nej!las’ dark and creeping instrumental feels more like a soundtrack than a song, it broods and bruises and feels otherworldly or at least futuristic. Not all music needs to be friendly, resolved or positive and if you like music which puts you on edge, makes you think and takes you to other worlds, then this is as great and terrible as it gets.

E-Fire – Contradict: Postal Electronica

Posted on 8 December 2017

With all the attitude of Oasis, E-Fire takes his aggressive Electronic Industrial style and puts it over a hard pounding mix of synthetic effects. It’s almost hard to decipher what the hell you’re listening to. But, if one things for sure Contradict will wake you up in the morning! The effects on the vocals are a little over the top, and the styling is just a touch too brass for the track to be anywhere near a comfortable mix to listen to without reaching for the volume button before you’re met with a migraine.

There are some elements that I really like about the track, it’s clear that he’s got passion, yet it’s not the right kind of passion, it’s passion that leaves you to believe that the angsty lyricist needs some anger management therapy. I’d love to hear some more mellow music from E-Fire that really makes his volatile vocal style pop against the music, or even just a superior sound production that doesn’t allow his voice to be lost in the chaos of the styling.

But if hostile music is right up your street, you’re in for a treat with this one! Check out E-Fires debut hit Contradict via Spotify now for a truly unique listening experience.

https://open.spotify.com/album/18hC2QTLPBzJc7tAx4rFiP

PREMIERE: Sammy’s Cult Nights Release A Brand New Single “Tear Me Down”,

Posted on 15 September 2017

Sammy’s Cult Nights just released a brand new single titled “Tear Me Down”, taken from the project’s recent release, “Haunted House Party”.

This single will most certainly take you by surprise with its haunting atmosphere, deep textures and lush melodies – The genre is hard to classify. Is it indie-pop? electro-rock? Industrial? New Wave? Perhaps a little bit of all of the above, or maybe none of them at all, but it doesn’t really matter – the sound is what’s worth focusing on. On “Tear Me Down’, Sammy’s Cult Nights managed to create a truly huge sound based on remarkably simple elements. The drums are present, yet very essential, while the synth sweeps have a nice retro vibe. The guitar lines bring presence to the mix, waving in and out of the picture with a ghostly feel. The vocals are tastefully produced and arranged, with lots of reverb and pleasant saturation. You’ll certainly enjoy getting lost in this surprising track.

I love the fact that this single is particularly ambitious, yet it remains quite down to earth. In spite of the higher stakes in this production, Sammy’s Cult Nights remained refreshingly direct and intuitive in his songwriting approach.