Back catalogue: Industrial/Noise

Review: Charlou is the solo alias of a French producer who here takes charge of the fourth fantastic outing from Flight Mode. Hr opens up in thumping fashion with 'Death Hypnosis' which has synths fired from a gun like laser rays and throwback acid bass. 'Sacrilege' is even more hard-assed with further retro sci-fi signifiers over hulking great kicks. 'Passive Power' brings more teeth-clenching retro-future techno sounds shot through with synth electricity and the EP highlight comes at the last with 'Crashed On The Space Road' setting off at high speed through the stars and never letting up.

Review: Death On Wax has already slipped out a handful of sharply informed edit and remix 12"s which fly the flag for the early 80s dance culture, when seedy, nocturnal bands were colliding with the flamboyant grooves of disco and synth pop. On this latest record, Jaz goes low and slow on the new wave goth tones of 'Cleopatra' before Frantz leans in on the Eurodisco freakiness of 'Hyde & Go Sleaze'. DJ Rocca & N2B pile on the pressure with the camp delights of 'Abuse' and Facets completes the set with the boxy beats of 'Never Passing'. Essential cuts for any discerning death disco.

Review: Modal Analysis affiliates Pi Electronics welcome back Justin Broadrick in his JK Flesh guise for some industrial-focused techno abstraction outside the usual formulaic confines of the genre. The opening track has some guttural mono synth pulses guiding the deathly drum beat, but it's instantly noticeable how slow and sinister these rhythms are. The second track follows suit, as Broadrick's long-proven penchant for textural noise manifests around the squashed clamour of the kick. 'Track 3' is even more formidable as a low-tempo tool for nihilistic dance parties, but then Ancient Methods is on hand to flip the script with a slide back up the pitch range and a different approach to noise-led techno.

Review: Uwe Schmidt's mammoth artistic stamp has left an indelible mark on electronic music since he first emerged in the 80s as a DIY industrial artist in Frankfurt. His complex, many-sided career has been documented in a new book, AtomTM, the nonconformist virtuoso, which is being bolstered by this mini-compilation from Industrial Complexx and Fill-Lex. The A-side is focused on Schmidt's early work as Lassigue Bendthaus, where he responded to the emergent industrial and EBM phenomenon with a high-definition sound which ranks among the best music of the era. The three tracks sound as relevant today as they were futuristic when originally released. Meanwhile the B-side features two of his most daring works as AtomTM, originally released as The OvercomEP as a digital release in 2022. These angular, experimental studies serve as a neat demonstration of just one place his music has ended up across an accomplished career.

Review: Who, or perhaps what, was Tomo Akikawabaya? In truth, nobody really seems to sure on the answer, other than the fact this mysterious Japanese artists decided to release a serious of incredible synth-driven singles during the 1980s, before vanishing back into the dry ice of whatever smoke machine they escaped from. A musical genie, here only to bestow a limited number of gems on us, and then disappear forever. Swerving interviews and photos doesn't help the search, but The Castle II at least allows us to explore his work in depth, across several tracks. These range from the twisted cabaret weirds of 'Objet D'Amour', to the driving electro-punk of 'Le Voleur', grand and decidedly 1980s-sounding synth rock on 'The April', and New Romantic-esque pop on The Castle (II). Essential stuff.

Review: The cult favourite Dark Entries hits 15 in style here and celebrates in the only way it knows how - with more great music. This time it is the legendary synth-punk yahoos Crash Course in Science aka Dale Feliciello, Mallory Yago, and Michael Zodorozny who are in the spotlight. The group formed back in 1979 and set out to make music using toy instruments and kitchen appliances. Their punk-y, aggressive, angular sound soon found a hardcore fan base and gave rise to big tunes like 'Cardboard Lamb' and 'Flying Turns.' In 1981 they recorded Near Marineland, a full-length that never actually saw the light of day but does now and shows the band moving into more diverse and polished territory.

Review: LA based industrial trio HEALTH have had quite the curious trajectory from their confrontational noise-rock beginnings, to providing the acclaimed score to Max Payne 3, all the way to redefining themselves as a gritty, synth-metal behemoth on 2019's Vol 4: Slaves Of Fear. Following on from their lockdown-inspired two-part Disco 4 collaborative project which boasted cuts written in tandem with artists ranging from a multitude of differing sonic spheres, such as alternative hip-hop (JPEGMAFIA, Ghostemane) to hyperpop (100 Gecs) and even grindcore (Full Of Hell), their latest endeavour appears to be taking cues from both their more vicious experiments as well as their newfound collaborative ethos. With features from the likes of Godflesh and Willie Adler of Lamb Of God, whilst embracing both their metallic and techno-leaning indulgences simultaneously, Rat Wars promises to distil the myriad of components essential to the sonic makeup of HEALTH into one oppressive, melancholic, hellish, absorbing and vital collection.

Review: Seven years after his last album, UK techno mainstay Perc is back with another thrilling full length that brings together the past, present and future of his sound. Hard techno is very much in right now but Perc has always dealt in a tough take on the genre that is at odds with the usual tropes and he showcases that again here with plenty of high-energy tracks and a healthy dose of his signature industrial texture. In between percussive workouts, there are some flashy acid lines and all manner of deeply penetrating drones. A great return for this vital artist.

Review: Shanghai-based, Malaysian-born artist Tzusing offers us a future-facing and experimental techno record that also serves as a meditation on "China's complicated history of patriarchal heteronormativity, and how these archaic double standards continue to dominate the culture in pervasive, often invisible ways." It is packed with dancefloor highlights after a deep-thinking cultural monologue to start with. Hard and funky drums, twisted sonics, manic uptempo bangers and wheezing voices and downtempo rhythms all combine into something utterly unique.