The eighth and latest slate of refined retro-futuristic synth-pop by Liz Wendelbo and Sean McBride aka Xeno & Oaklander is named after and inspired by “the study of what not to do, a negative image of a positive, the other side, the other:” ‘Via Negativa (in the doorway light)’. Recorded in the fall of 2023 at their modernist Connecticut home fashioned into a two-story synthesizer laboratory and mixing studio, the album is uniquely visionary in spirit yet precision in execution, a contrast central to the duo’s enduring chemistry. Embryonic piano sketches were translated to nuanced modular systems, which McBride weighted with “harmonic padding,” tuned percussion, and a spectral transfer device capable of “rendering spasms of rhythmic overtonal filigree.” Despite the technological complexity of their craft, emotively the songs require no deciphering – these are technicolor widescreen anthems of the cybernetic age.
The eponymous opening track sets the pace, soaring sleekly over glittering synths and call-and-response vocals about arias, shattered light, and faces in stereo. From there the record expands and contracts, cycling through a gallery of moods and masks, animated by the band’s fascination with drama, “the idea of personae,” and theatrical characters. Track by track, a murky, tragic backstory reveals itself: forlorn figures navigating a treacherous mercury mine, alternately poisoned by fumes or buried in collapsing caverns. The tension between Teutonic, utopian synthetic pop and lyrical narratives of ghosts in silos, ruined mills, and the traumas of mineral excavation creates a compelling friction, alternately futurist and obsolete, elevated and subterranean. Wendelbo describes the music’s polarities perfectly: “The heavy machinic din of extraction in contrast with the enchantment of the mined precious gems and metals.”
From bilingual odes to bloodstones (“O Vermillion”) to cosmic chrome dance floor classics (“Lost & There” “The present tense can never feel real / So many pasts conspire in the burning sun”) to strutting EBM sensualities (“Actor’s Foil”), Xeno & Oaklander re-prove themselves masters of the axis of technology and poetry, snaking cables and synesthesia, mining melodies and myths across 15 years of focused artistry. Theirs is a muse still gilded and gleaming, burnished red and silver, attuned to “the unobservable, the unfamiliar, that which you don’t see directly.”
LP / Digital Album
The Wild Classical Music Ensemble is a Belgian experimental rock band formed in 2007 within the social-artistic non-profit organisation Wit.h in Kortrijk. Their unique sound is a blend of punk/rock riffs, fanatical rhythms and soaring flutes and fiery synths, over which gravitate multiple, multilingual voices that scratch harshly as much as they comfort. There’s something very Belgian about this harshness and noisiness. We often think of compadre Arno, from the TC Matic era.
During the Covid crisis, the disabled members of the Wild Classical Music Ensemble were undoubtedly subjected more than others to the harsh conditions of confinement, alone in their rooms. Damien Magnette was still able to visit them with sound equipment. This was one of their all-too-few windows onto the world. Forbidden to meet, let alone play together, the members of Wild were nevertheless able to compose songs in tandem with Damien. The tracks were then sent to musician friends – Fabrice Gilbert, Ava Carrère, Wim Opbrouck, Shht, Arthur Satàn, Nathan Roche and Julien ZLDR – who added their artistic touch. Jean Lamoot and Carl Roosens joined the adventure, one as mixer, the other as video director.
As a result of the conditions under which it was created, this is the band’s most highly-produced album, and perhaps its most accessible: frankly rock, with a great deal of freedom in production, and sometimes with a certain pop allure. Jean Lamoot’s contribution to the mix had a lot to do with it. In addition, the forced slowdown allowed us to devote much more time and attention to writing the lyrics.
LP / Digital Album
Theta dives into the shadowed realms of the theta brainwave state, blending dark minimal synth and coldwave to evoke hypnotic, cinematic atmospheres. With tracks inspired by intense stories and personal connections, it explores themes of devotion, fear, and transcendence.
Digital Album
Silent EM, the solo project of Jean Lorenzo from NYC, has been a staple of the underground music scene since 2011. Melding Coldwave, Synthpunk, EBM, and Minimal Synth, Lorenzo has created a distinct sound that embodies raw power and stark intensity. Over the years, Silent EM has released multiple albums, each one refining this unique blend and building a dedicated following.
With his latest record, Real Life, Lorenzo takes Silent EM in a new direction. Recorded in Montreal with producer Xavier Paradis (Automelodi), this album represents a significant evolution in his sound. For the first time, he incorporates guitars, adding a new dimension to the project’s signature style. The result is a record that expands the boundaries of Silent EM, with messages that resonate personally, showcasing Lorenzo’s relentless drive to innovate. This release is more than just a continuation—it’s a heartfelt reinvention, marking the start of an exciting new chapter for Silent EM.
LP / Digital Album
Post-punk band from Huancayo, Peru.
Cassette / CD / Digital Album
|
