Dais US Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Body Of Light are brotherly duo Alex and Andrew Jarson from Arizona, but you'd be forgiven for thinking they were from the mid 80s the way they nail the sound of heavy-hearted synth-pop and new wave. This new album was written in the wake of 2019's Time To Kill, and it arrives ten years into their career. The maturity in the music shines through, not least in the voluptuous instrumental parts - just listen to the bass slinking around 'Never Ever' and you'll hear what we mean. If you like your synth-pop shot through with a seductive darkness, this album has more than enough to whet your appetite.

Review: Originally released as a double CD in 2002, Moon's Milk (In Four Phases) is a collection of four EPs Coil issued seasonally in 1998 via their Eskaton imprint. Featuring John Balance, Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson, Drew McDowall, and William Breeze, it was recorded in their Chiswick, London home studio before they relocated to Weston-Super-Mare. This pivotal work has long been considered a high point in Coil's discography, though it was never reissued or pressed on vinyl at the time. Arranged around the equinoxes and solstices, Moon's Milk captures Coil's deep dive into improvisation, ritualistic sound design and mystical atmospheres and stands proud as a testament to their individuality.

Review: Queens Of The Circulating Library stands as a post-industrial masterpiece alongside Time Machines and Soliloquy For Lilith and is a sensory-warping long-form drone. Created by Thighpaulsandra and John Balance, the 49-minute track flows in cyclical waves which echo the minimalism of La Monte Young. Released in 2000, it marked the beginning of a series of evolving compositions and its theatrical opening features Thighpaulsandra's opera-singer mother delivering a dreamlike, declamatory monologue, setting the stage for the trip that ensues. The music shifts like slow-motion surf and is a fine example of Coil's unique ability to embrace extremes and mutation.

Review: Drew McDowall's latest album, A Thread, Silvered and Trembling, is an exploration of electronic processing and traditional Scottish pibroch music. Co-produced with Randall Dunn, the album features a dynamic orchestral ensemble arranged by Brent Arnold, creating an eclectic and transcending sonic experience. The album's four pieces move between shrouded electronics and enigmatic orchestration, surging into elegant crescendos and evoking deep animism. Tracks like 'Out of Strength Comes Sweetness' and 'And Lions Will Sing with Joy' feature keening strings and disorienting drones, while 'In Wound and Water' sways with eerie cello undertones and lush layers of electronics. The album reaches its climactic peak with A Dream of a Cartographic Membrane Dissolves, where processed voices and grand orchestral stabs converge to create a haunting and cathartic finale. Throughout, McDowall's music explores themes of sacredness and profanity, creating a journey that lingers long after the music fades. A Thread, Silvered and Trembling is a testament to McDowall's ability to blend traditional influences with experimental electronic soundscapes, resulting in a thought-provoking work.

Review: TR/ST's Performance emerges as a striking testament to the project's evolution, now presented on eye-catching yellow vinyl. The fourth studio album from Robert Alfons, formerly known as Trust, dives deep into a haunting synth-pop universe crafted with the help of Night Feelings. Recorded in Los Angeles, this collection is a masterclass in balancing eerie synths, foggy low end, and Alfons's raw, emotive crooning.
The album's title reflects a friend's casual observation of Alfons's intrinsic performative essence. Tracks like 'Soon' burst with anthemic new wave hooks and caustic lyrics, while others such as 'All At Once' and 'The Shore' showcase a dramatic interplay between beauty and bitterness. Alfons's voice, both a tempest and an anchor, delivers a stream-of-consciousness narrative that navigates through realms of dread, lust, and emotional upheaval. Performance offers a mesmerising blend of melancholic grandeur and intense production, transforming each song into an immersive, emotional journey. With its unique soundscape and compelling storytelling, this album promises to impress and unsettle in equal measure.

Review: Xeno & Oaklander's Via Negativa marks their eighth venture into the realm of retro-futuristic synth-pop, blending meticulous electronic craftsmanship with emotional depth. Recorded in their modernist Connecticut home, which doubles as a two-story synthesiser lab, this album balances visionary ambition with technical precision. The duo, Liz Wendelbo and Sean McBride, translated embryonic piano sketches into intricate modular systems, layering harmonics, tuned percussion, and spectral devices that create rhythmic textures. Yet, despite its complexity, the music resonates on a human level. The title track opens the album with shimmering synths and a sleek vocal interplay, setting a cinematic tone for what's to come. Each track plays with mood and persona, capturing the band's fascination with theatricality and drama. It's a collection of widescreen anthems that feel both timeless and firmly rooted in the cybernetic present.