One month before the end of the year, our favourite albums covered all the colours of the industrial/noise music spectrum offering a lot of room for self-reflection. There were some very memorable come backs during this month and the first was the new album by Riotmiloo, probably the conceptually darkest release of the band so far. Taking inspiration from bands like Haus Arafna and Monolith, and developing their sound in such a way so that it reached the depths of their existence, the band has created an almost autobiographical album that has a very strong grip around one’s heart.
Another surprising come back, was that of Lebanon Hanover, who released the EP ‘Better Than Going Away’ and seem to have altered their sound in such a way that the neofolk/militaristic references have become very prominent.
The synthwave music spectrum was covered fully with the trippy and very memorable release by Nick Carlisle ‘Bloody Saturnalia’ while the album ‘The Most Dangerous Machine In The World’ by strom|morts can clearly be characterised as the weirdest, experimental release of this month. Next to this, sits the mesmerising storytelling album of Edward Ka-Spel, ‘Tease, Seize…Apply’. We can never get enough of sonic wizard Edward Ka-Spel’s otherworldly stories who always manages to make everything feel lighter and manageable!
Lastly we would like to draw your attention to the forceful ceremonial atmosphere created within the latest dark ambient gem released by Atrium Carceri. This is an album that will immediately transfer you into the dimly lit, mystic corridors of some far away castle and it should not go unnoticed.
We hope you enjoy this playlist as much as we did while preparing it.
An evening of haunting tales from a count, a witch and a siren
We’ve gone down the steps to the basement of Aces& Eights countless times but the vibe that was generated that night, a few days ago cast a dark veil over the space and made it feel much darker than usual. From the first second, the feeling was that of stepping into a post-ceremonial macabre celebration. The intimate arrangement of tables and chairs set the tone for something austere and measured, requiring a composed ‘aristocratic’ behaviour. At that moment, we had the feeling that we were not just attening a gig but that rather, we had been summoned there.
A waltz macabre loupe came from the speakers, playing games with our concentration, creating a sonic labyrinth whose exit was only visible once Down From Above appeared on stage.
We listened to 70 independent/underground releases during October 2023, and we were stunned by the debut singles/EP/albums during this month. 26 of these 70 releases form this monthly playlist and let us admit that there have been a few disappointing releases that did not make it despite our biased convictions that they would.
There are some big highlights here and I am not just referring to the customary October release by Nox Arcana who once again gave us a haunting gothic sonata to get us through Spooktober! Oliver Marson, whose intriguing stage presence we enjoyed recently at the 100 Club, released a very memorable, new wave, synthwave album entitled ‘Why Did I Choose This?‘. The overall sound of this album brings to mind equally the Psychedelic Furs and Japan and the melodies are addictive beyond belief. The lyrics also share some Bukowski qualities and are quite poetic and pop at the same time.
August is traditionally a calmer month when it comes to music releases but this one had some significant highlights which are hard to bypass. The return of PiL 8 years after the release of their previous studio album ‘What The World Needs Now’ with a punk gem that brings in some subtle Belgian coldwave elements too. ‘End Of World‘ is the bone-cracking title of the band’s latest offering ahead of the celebration of their 45th anniversary with a gig at O2 Forum Kentish Town.
“Misfortunes can act as driving forces to pursue something better or to drag you down with them. I like that contradiction.”
It is quite hard to describe the feeling of coming across a band that reminds you of the qualities you value so much in music and which are somehow, lately, been set a little bit aside but most bands. This was the feeling since we came across the latest release by Misfortunes entitled ‘Brilliant Endings‘. This is a band that shines bright in the gloomy synthwave sonic universe. In fact, we were so touched by the melancholic melodies and the poetic lyrics that it became imperative that we talked with the musician behind this brilliant project, Ioakim Vasiliadis.We talked about the band’s beginning, the songs, the collaborators and the future.
It is always the melancholic, the eerie and the mysterious elements in music that tell the most interesting stories. We embrace Autumn and the coming Winter with a soundtrack for a dance bizarre of ghosts – real or imaginary – and creatures of the night. This month, our favourite independent music releases covered the punk, IDM, ethereal, neoclassical, downtempo and rock dimensions of the sonic spectrum. We particularly salute the beautiful come back of The Cult with a release of their new album entitled ‘Under The Midnight Sun’ as well as the new offering by Nox Arcana – ‘Darkfall’, like clockwork in time for the celebration of Samhain.