In addition to providing an unforgettable musical experience, Cold Waves Festival, now in its eleventh year, is committed to giving back to the community. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit Darkest Before Dawn and other mental health charities.

For more information and tickets, go here.

Meet some of the artists who played the NYC branch of Cold Waves this year at Le Poisson Rouge, located in Manhattan’s famed West Village, including some powerful moments from their performances and even a few backstage antics. Several of these acts will be making encore appearances in the Windy City this weekend, and Los Angeles the following week.

Lana Del Rabies

Lana Del Rabies, the brainchild of Phoenix electronic artist Sam An, elegantly defies easy categorization. This avant-garde creation melds the dark allure of gothic resonance and metal with whispers of trip-hop, and nods to post-punk luminaries such as Fad Gadget and John Foxx. Delia Derbyshire’s spectral BBC experiments, Stockhausen’s daring experimentalism, and Puce Mary’s auditory collages peer through the artist’s unsettling ambient wisps, transporting listeners into liminal realms, where the boundaries blur between dreams and wakefulness. This ethereal journey, layered with mysticism, promises an experience steeped in the esoteric.

Ash Code

Italian dark wave synth act Ash Code was founded by keyboard player Claudia Nottebella and twin brothers Alessandro and Adriano Belluccio. They masterfully blend influences, ranging from early Depeche Mode, The Sisters of Mercy to post-punk, Synthpop, coldwave & EBM, bringing with them a revamp of solid drum machines, haunting synths and driving bass lines. Molchat Doma, Clan Of Xymox and Minuit Machine made remixes for Ash Code songs, and Ash Code made remixes for acts like She Past Away and Agent Side Grinder.

Orphx

Toronto electronic outfit Orphx (Rich Oddie and Christina Sealey) have been creating their unique fusion of rhythm and noise for three decades, combining elements of techno with the experimental techniques and critical spirit of industrial music.  Orphx releases are often based around social, political or psychological/spiritual themes.

Sierra

Sierra, a multifaceted French musician, composer, and DJ, crafts a sonic tapestry that oscillates between EBM and darkwave. Her sound is infused with techno, synthwave, and unexpected undertones of trap. With a cinematic flair, Sierra’s compositions strike a delicate balance: they juxtapose the rawness of violence with melancholic undertones, interweaving moments of sweetness and stark brutality. This eclectic fusion establishes Sierra as a creator of her own distinct, hybrid sound.

JK Flesh

Under the moniker JK Flesh, English virtuoso Justin Broadrick manifests his electronic odysseys. Tracing its origins to his 1990s collaboration with Kevin Martin in Techno Animal, Broadrick ventured into the solo realm with a JK Flesh album in 2012. Distinct from his celebrated ventures, Godflesh and Jesu, JK Flesh eschews metal riffs for pure electronic pulses. Over time, the character of JK Flesh’s output has evolved, adopting minimalist and dub nuances, yet always rooted in industrial grit. JK Flesh’s discography boasts four albums, five EPs, a collaborative split with Prurient, and a slew of remixes.

Front Line Assembly

The Cold Waves festival continues this weekend in Chicago. On Friday night fans were treated to performances from a vast array of talents, including IAMX, Twin Tribes, Nuovo Testamento, Harsh Symmetry, and many more. But the fun is just getting started.

Front Line Assembly and A Split-Second will headline Saturday, 23 September at Metro. Additional acts include:

• 16 Volt
• Kanga
• Acumen Nation
• MVTANT

DJ sets will be happening at Smart Bar from:

• JK Flesh
• Zoltar
• Enduser
• Flesh_Bot

On Sunday, at Metro, Godflesh and Lead Into Gold headline, flanked by:

• Sierra
• Rabbit Junk
• Lana Del Rabies
• Cel Genesis

DJ sets will also be held at Oman.

All photos by Alice Teeple.

Cold Waves Festival returns to Los Angeles on September 28th.

The post Cold Waves Festival NYC Highlights — Plus Festival Continues This Weekend in Chicago appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Thus, the second single from the Kris Baha and Ghosts In The Machine collaboration is titled “Flesh & Code.” The track’s fast-paced tempo recalls a machine booting up—loading its millions of files at hyper speed—while the vocals itself almost feel mechanical. The warmth of a human is nearly absent and it asks the question: what is real? “Metaphorically, the track represents the desire to break free from societal constructs, experiencing alienation, doubts and glitches that plague one’s existence,” writes Baha. “It conveys a sense of not belonging and the search for a place where one truly belongs.”

“Flesh & Codes”‘s drum and bass influences—a clear nod to 90s club genres—create a tension with razor sharp synth saws and tinny accents. The single lies in the lineage of Billy Idol’s boundary pushing Cyberpunk album while, simultaneously, would fit firmly within the soundtracks of  Johnny Mnemonic or Lawnmower Man.

Listen below:

The album will be released on Fleisch Records later this year.

Follow Ghosts In the Machine and Kris Baha on IG.

The post Kris Baha and Ghosts In The Machine Tap Into a Cyberpunk Dystopia with “Flesh & Code” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

In addition to the dashing pioneers of the synth world, the festival will also feature Linea Aspera, Youth Code, Kaelan Mikla, Kontravoid, MVTANT, Kanga, Light Asylum, and Boy Harsher—who will close out the event with a dance party in the Ballroom.

Here’s a glimpse at some of the classic headlining acts on board for this year’s festival:

The Jesus and Mary Chain

Scottish legends The Jesus and Mary Chain, revolving around songwriters and brothers Jim and William Reid, formed in East Kilbride in 1983. They released their first single, “Upside Down,” in 1984. Their debut album Psychocandy was released to critical acclaim in 1985 and went on to release five more studio albums (including Darklands and Automatic) before disbanding in 1999.

Although chart success eluded them, the band made a massive impact on other bands, including My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr, and the band is often credited with spearheading the emerging shoegaze genre. Bassist Douglas Hart and drummer Murray Dalglish (later replaced by Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream) joined the Reids, rounding out their sound. In late 1984, the band debuted with “Upside Down,” followed by “You Trip Me Up.” Over the years, tensions flared between the brothers, and they eventually disbanded in 2007. In 2015 they began recording once again, culminating in Damage and Joy two years later.

Their biggest hit from Psychocandy, Just Like Honey, has become a cult classic.

The Chameleons

The Chameleons are regarded as one of the most underrated Manchester bands of the 1980s. For the first time in 20 years, The Chameleons’ Mark Burgess has reunited with original guitarist Reg Smithies. The Chameleons formed in 1981 by singer and bassist Mark Burgess, guitarists Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding, and drummer John Lever.

The band released their debut album in 1983, Script of the Bridge, followed by What Does Anything Mean? Basically and Strange Times in 1985 and 1986, respectively. In 1987 they disbanded due to the tragic death of their manager.

They later reformed in 2000, releasing a few new albums, but sparked tensions that caused the group to call it quits again in 2003. Burgess and Lever continued to play Chameleons’ songs live with their new project ChameleonsVox, although Lever later left that group and passed away in 2017. Burgess and Smithies reformed The Chameleons in 2021 with two members of Burgess’ ChameleonsVox group.

Das Ding

Dutch music producer and modular synth manufacturer Das Ding, aka Danny Bosten, got his start in the early 80s self-releasing on his own cassette label, Tear Apart Tapes. Das Ding unleashed powerful dark electro in the vein of Fad Gadget, Kraftwerk and New Order. Bosten also utilized his graphic design background by creating all the tape covers himself. Das Ding tapes gained a cult following and were often featured in zines of the Dutch DIY synth scene, but he remained relatively obscure for a couple of decades until Minimal Wave Records’ Veronica Vasicka unearthed his work after coming across a blog about unknown synth music.

H.S.T.A., Bosten’s first self-released cassette from 1982, was remastered. Das Ding was also included in the 2010 compilation album The Minimal Wave Tapes. Additional re-releases followed.

The name Das Ding was inspired by The Thing from Another World, as well as Kant’s concept of the thing-in-itself (“Das Ding an sich”).

Das Ding is

Clock DVA

Clock DVA formed in 1978 by Adolphus “Adi” Newton and Steven “Judd” Turner. Along with contemporaries Heaven 17, Clock DVA’s name was inspired by Anthony Burgess’s novel A Clockwork Orange. (Dva is Russian for “two.”) Their beginnings explored post-punk, and later they morphed into a key electronica band. Guitarist John Valentine Carruthers went on to join Siouxsie and The Banshees in 1985 after an acrimonious split and various reformations. Clock DVA has appeared in many guises, most recently an electronica-focused formation with his creative partner Jane Radion Newton. Since 2011, Clock DVA has performed at several electronic music festivals and venues throughout Europe with a lineup including Maurizio “TeZ” Martinucci and Shara Vasilenko. 

Absolute Body Control

Like their fellow countrymen Front 242, Belgium’s Absolute Body Control (Dirk Ivens and Eric Van Wonterghem) pioneered minimal synth in the vein of Fad Gadget, early Depeche Mode, The Normal, Cabaret Voltaire and Suicide.  The project released a number of cassettes, but only one 7″ (Is There An Exit?) and no studio albums during its brief initial run.

A compilation of Absolute Body Control tracks entitled Eat This was eventually released in 1993. A more comprehensive 2CD compilation, Lost/Found was issued in 2005. A 5-LP box set of all their cassette releases followed in 2007.

Two decades after splitting up, Absolute Body Control re-formed and released Wind[Re]Wind, which contains newly recorded versions of select older tracks alongside the new EP Never Seen.

Substance Festival 2022 begins next week, running through October 21st and 22nd at the Los Angeles Theatre! Tickets and passes for this historic edition of Los Angeles’ premiere post-punk event are available now here.

We have also curated a playlist of tracks from this year’s lineup. Listen below:

The post Five Classic Post-Punk and Synth Headliners to see at Substance Festival 2022 appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

The self-titled album summarizes difficult stages of life experience inspired by solitude, austerity, and extreme mental states. In comparison to the debut album Veselo (2018), this album is more melodic and metaphorical in nature.

Post-Punk.com recently spoke with Kurs Valüt about the project ahead of the release of their second album, and in conjuction with the debut of their stylish video for “Karatin”.

Can you tell us how the project came together?

Kurs Valüt: In the Module club smoking area late at night electronic engineers and DJs often admit, that they love to listen to minimal wave music. The key difference between the minimal wave and what we performed earlier is the vocal component. In 2017 we attempted to sing words. Only a few take the risk of following this direction from the cozy format of instrumental live or DJing, but our step in this direction was pretty successful.

What is Dnipropop? And what sounds and bands inspire this kind of music?

KV: Dnipropop is a simple answer to the difficult question of “What exactly are we playing?” We play EBM mixed with synth-pop, electro, italo-disco, techno, and even syncopated structures hinting to the drum-n-bass past of the city of Dnipro. Dnipro-city plus singing of words equals Dnipro-Pop. The mentioned genres can be mixed in any proportion to each other, but the rule of minimality of music is invariably.

What is the dark underground music scene currently like in Ukraine? Or rather what was it like before COVID? What clubs would you perform at, and who are your peers in the music scene?

KV: The very appearance of Kurs Valüt is partly caused by the underdevelopment of the dark underground in Ukraine. The moment of the absence of the subculture itself, thematic festivals, events for Gothic or Post Punk music fans. On the dance floor, we observe a mess of ages and styles. We will not be mistaken if we assume that our project is interesting to the listener by the unusual Ukrainian-language versification and, secondly, by the exclusivity of the musical genre on a local scene. This is the result of a long disconnect of Ukraine from cultural processes in Europe and the World.
With your permission, we will refrain from answering the question about “peers” in our genre segment in Ukraine. We just didn’t measure the significance and impact. But we are pleased to mention such projects as Oleksiy Dyachkov (real Ukrainian synth-punk), Garden Krist (darkwave in all its forms), Spekulant (luxurious Kyiv-electro), Mariana Klochko (the future of our scene), and, of course, Ship Her Son (EBM, Industrial, Dnipropop)

Why are you called Kurs Valüt, and why make the second album self-titled?

KV: Kurs Valüt meaning is the current ratio of prices of internationally convertible monetary units, which in such a crisis countries as Ukraine became a daily continuing interest. In addition, the name looks beautiful in Latin transcription with umlaut. And the second LP is so full of hidden meanings that we didn’t want to multiply by adding a complex title to the cover. The measure is useful here.

How has the writing and creative process changed since the release of Veselo?

KV: The process changes every day. Although it never looked like work. Rather, a game playing and fixing momentary states of mind in the form of text in notes, or humming a melody into a dictaphone, or, if you’re lucky, a quick sketch into an Ableton. Music (and art in general) is about state, air, vibe, which are difficult to correctly describe with the available arsenal of words.

Can you tell us about what went into writing Karantin and any other background information about it?

KV: “Karantin” (means Quarantine) was created long before the pandemic and lockdown. It is about the extreme state of consciousness that the author underwent in one evening. Interrupted communication. Disappearing voices. Heat and cold, light and darkness, horror and absolute peace. It was a nice evening. A kind of quarantine. Asceticism. Escape.

Can you tell us about the production of the video, who worked on it, and what themes are being explored in it?

KV: The principled position of the band is not to rely on semantic content. Videos are just spots that move in time. We’re trying to make the spots look and move with minimal grace. Suprematism can be considered the graphic equivalent of minimal wave. This is when a strict spot, like a cell nucleus, floats in a white vacuole of an empty canvas, being in compositional balance. Technically clip was filmed during one evening in Module club with iPhone and all postproduction was made by ourselves, as we following DIY concept of our work, until we will find other people, who will fit into our workflow regarding video production.

Are there any other tracks on the new LP we should watch out for?

KV: We certainly hope for interest in all of the tracks on the album, because it came out much more diverse in terms of genre. But personally, we are especially toned by the tracks Superintendent, Nadra, Instrument and Kurs Valüt.

Are you aiming to perform live in promotion of the new album once it is feasible to do so? And if so, where do you look forward to playing?

KV: In July we will present the album at the clubs, that are significant for us in Kyiv (Club Otel’) and Dnipro (Club Module). This is possible, as now there is a phased lifting of quarantine restrictions. In addition, an open-air festival Dnipropop is scheduled for September in the abandoned Dnipro zoo. The dates are being specified while we write these lines.

The black and white accompanying video is an entrancing slow-motion, minimalist dive into the world of Kurs Valüt.

Watch below:

Kurs Valüt’s self-titled album is out on the 26th of June 2021 via No EMB Blanc.

Order the album here

The post The Dark Dnipropop of Ukrainian EBM Duo Kurs Valüt’s “Karantin” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

The homey bar, with its “living room flair,” is a cultural hub for the city, a gathering place for artists and home to misfits in Berlin.

“I ended up at Dream Baby Dream quite by chance, often the best way to find things. It’s a place with a genuine passion for music and a certain aesthetic that doesn’t contradict having an open mind for something different. This is not to be taken for granted these days, where people look for the quick road to “success” without giving much thought about what makes music important in the first place,” says Ason Teva, whose track Malmilian is featured on the record.

The album features a diverse array of performers garnering their support for the venue from all over the globe, including Zachery Allan Starkey/Bernard Sumner, Acid Couple, Phase Fatale, Front 313, Miles Brown, Soft Riot, Peter Kirn, and many more.

Front 313’s Alan Oldham weighed in on his contribution, and the importance of Dream Baby Dream to Berlin’s musical landscape: “Before the pandemic, you could play a techno set anywhere in Berlin. But what if you wanted to play a shoegaze/postpunk set? Or an old school, non-mixed industrial set? Not only is Dream Baby Dream a great space filled with all us expats and misfits, it is a needed venue for diversity of musical (and visual) expression, and it’s very important that it survives this current situation. I was glad to help, and would Again.”

Post-Punk.com joins forces with The Brvtalist, CDM, KEYI Magazine and Renee Ruin as media patrons for this project. Partnering labels include Sonic Groove, Instruments of Discipline, BITE, Liber Null, X-IMG, aufnahme + wiedergabe, Braid Records, Antibody, and PI Electronics.

Help preserve an important part of Berlin: the digital album is available for purchase and streaming here.

Here is the track list in full:

1. Funf Euro Bitte by Phase Fatale/Unhuman
2. Shadows by Fairground of Tears
3. Ornias by Halv Drøm
4. Blowout by Acid Couple
5. Force  by Zachery Allan Starkey feat. Bernard Sumner
6. Refactor (Instrumental) by Primary
7. CyborgEnabler by Peter Kirn
8. Total Control by Patrick DSP
9. World Condition by Sarin (MÆDON remix)
10.  Abhorred by Clarissa
11.  Isolate by FRONT 313
12.  Recon Mission by ADAM X (SARIN REMIX)
13. The Gateway by Miles Brown
14. A Spade Is Played Again by Soft Riot
15. Imagine If Your Hand Were A Drug by OPERANT
16. Everything Burns by Spit Mask
17. Exit To The Beat by CANDY
18. Blood Is Beauty by MÆDON
19. Dancing With Myself  by LIIneas (aka Eve Schwarz)
20.  L’Isle Tornoiant by RAUM
21. Fake Placebo by 3.14 feat. IN ATLAS
22. Malmilian by Ason Teva
23.  I Hope Your Dreams Come True by The Horrorist

The post Berlin Institution Dream Baby Dream Releases All Star Underground Music Compilation appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Troy, NY’s Madeline Darby is an experimental electronic artist who relishes the energetic exchange of a live show.  The pandemic has brought forth creative challenges for Darby, who transformed her frustrations about being contained within electronic devices into a new album, entitled Innovation.

The post Madeline Darby Smashes Screen Time With “Innovation” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

The instrumental track has the aesthetic of the Tom Baker-era Doctor landing the TARDIS in a rave club: the song immediately transports listeners to an alternate dimension with its pulsating dark rhythms, explosive synths, and atmospheric percussion. This is the music of strange, dystopian lands, swimming in dark atmosphere and brooding intent. It is sinister and abstract, with a killer hook and eerie sci-fi laser effects.

Paolo Virdis’ talent is elegantly spelled out throughout the entire production. Walk Away To Die Another Day is part of Paolo’s upcoming EP, set to release in April.

Based in Turin, Italy but right at home with Detroit techno, Paolo Virdis takes inspiration from the work of artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Drexciya and Kraftwerk.

Listen to the song below and order here. 

Follow Paolo Virdis and stream his music here.

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With the reliably morose production work of William Maybelline aka Qual (Lebanon Hanover) embalming the EP in a blackened glaze, only the bleakest atmospheres reign in this cemetery confessional. Minimal synths skate over a funeral procession of snares. “The Taste of India” reminds of ’80s world-influenced experiments such as Dali’s Car or C Cat Trance, and title track “Mourning Glory” emits the steady pulse of a ghost heartbeat. Things then edge into joyless-dance territory on Qual’s closing remix of lead track, “The Sharpest Dart in Melancholy’s Quiver.” 

Named for the pseudonym used by Oscar Wilde after his prison sentence, Sebastian Melmoth embraces dungeon-dark solitude with a steely lo-fi sound that clanks with martial-industrial machine spasms. The duo delivers a dreary dose of classic post-punk inspiration with agitated deadpan vocals, and an omnipresent tape hiss rekindles ’80s DIY synth rawness. Olivier W. says, “The music we wanted to create was an homage to a broken man, invoking images of decadence and decay: Epitaph Pop to guide you through your modern day delusion.”

Enter the snake pit below:

Mourning Glory by Sebastian Melmoth is out now.

Order Here

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Yuck. NYC dance-punk queen Leah Hennessey is, quite rightly, pissed off. Hennessey’s latest release, 8 Men, is a fiery call-to-arms, hi-tempo protest song, name-checking the Bastions of Greed hoarding the planet’s resources. Part electroclash, part Bertholt Brecht, part ZE Records, Hennessey rips their material from the headlines and fuses topicality with sharp wit and a very real passion for the betterment of humanity.

The release is verily crackling with synchronicity, dropping mere days after a Wall Street scandal where savvy Redditors brought devious hedgefunders to their knees and exposed the utter sham controlling the economy. Synth artist EJ O’Hara and guitarists Noah Chevan/Malachy O’Neil, sharing duties, bang out tasty hooks over Leah Hennessey’s droll delivery of a call for wealth redistribution. She paints a cosy picture of a calmer world with simple joys and equality for everyone.

Eight stinkin’ men, friends. Out of 7.8 billion Earthlings.

“The brutal fact of that insane wealth inequality can sometimes make any kind of faith or hope feel futile: how can I believe in ideals of fairness and equality when things are so corrupt and distorted and beyond the repair of revolution?” She wryly adds, “I’m too poor to have a dog, let alone ever dream of owning property! But it’s funny. The song is funny.”

It certainly is, but despite a call for the guillotine, the song reflects an exasperation bordering on the absurd, felt by multiple generations hitting wall after wall.  “But Bill Gates paid for my high school” is an especially poignant lyric. Selective philanthropy to ease guilty consciences, exploiting vulnerable populations with free software in a thinly-disguised push for brand loyalty. We could all have high school. We don’t need to be bribed into technological slavery. But as the homeless population soars in her hometown, a direct correlation to corrupt values and Profits Over People, as the pandemic has forced millions of young unemployed back home with parents, as dreams lay dormant and dying, the words of 8 Men hit our weary souls hard. And really, all she’s doing here is reciting the news to a high energy backbeat.

Hennessey, daughter of legendary New York Doll David Johansen, carries on the family tradition of trashing the status quo with persistent hopes of a brighter future. An artist through and through, she frequently collaborates with a collective of intellectual, creative minds (including Ruby McCollister, who contributed to the video), fusing together performance, visual art, avant-garde theatre, fashion, and Absurdist influences. 8 Men is no exception: the video was also shot as a collaboration with designer Lou Dallas.

The accompanying video, directed by Max Lakner and filmed at The Freehand Hotel, is a fabulous pisstake on  the glamour and artifice of fashion magazine shoots celebrating the 1%.  Headshots of über-billionaires are torn to pieces between shots of the trio posing hammily for the camera as one would for Vogue.  The messages are constructed like sinister ransom notes…indeed, these eight men have the entire world held hostage. Band members wear shirts emblazoned with “Think Otherwise,” riffing off of the long-retired Apple slogan, “Think Different.” The track is smart, snarky, and a welcome anthem of hope and justice for all.

Tear that shit up, Hennessey.

The single is out now via Velvet Elk Records.

The post Hennessey Tears Apart The 1% With “8 Men” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Combining the gothic nightmares of EBM with the bonecrushing feeling of power electronics, Burning Idols rips across the sonic landscape at breakneck pace. From the gakked-out pummeling of Mokelumne Hill to the moody comedown of Burning Idols, De Sosa masterfully combines punk aesthetics with contemporary electronics in the vein of Silent Servant, Esplendor Geometrico, DJ Speedsick, British Murder Boys, Container, and Broken English Club.

Over the past several years, J. De Sosa has emerged as a mainstay of the Southern California noise and industrial scene. As the vocalist of raucous Los Angeles hardcore band Body Fluid, his work finely balances hardcore ethos with elegant European rave malaise. On his first release under the moniker Saint Nansen, he explored industrial grinding and power electronics. De Sosa later churned out several tapes under his own name, unleashing pummeling rhythmic noise and frenzied punk-influenced techno for labels such as Strange Rules, Summer Isle, and Vaagner.

Burning Idols is available for purchase via Pearsoll Peak on a limited edition of 30 cassettes and digital download.

The post The Caustic Industrial-Punk Techno of J. De Sosa’s “Burning Idols” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.