Iris - Blacklight [2010]

Release Date: September 21, 2010

Iris really surprised me with Blacklight last year because the album was actually really solid. Normally with Iris (or this entire style of music) I'll tend to only like a few songs (as I've probably stated many times before) but this time on Blacklight, nearly all of the songs were great. Highly recommended if you're a fan of the band Mesh, whose album I had posted a while back.

Enjoy

Panthu Du Prince - Black Noise [2010]

I don't know what it is that I like about this album so much, but it's fantastic.  So chill and perfect for a mid-summer night.

Disasterpeace - Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar

Q: What do you get when you cross chiptune with progressive metal?

A: Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar

Album Stream

Download

Hanzel und Gretyl - Uber Alles

They're not German, they're not Nazi's, they're New Yorkers. Hanzel und Gretyl have been around since 1993 and definitely sound different than their earlier years, but I can't honestly say that's a bad thing. While there are better tracks on Uber Alles the one that normally seems to stick out is "SS Deathstar Supergalactik" - and it's a complete blast. If you're looking for an album that hits hard and makes your head start moving seemingly on it's own then give this a try; it's silly, over the top, and just plain rocks.

Try it!

*Obviously the song is not mine, video rightly belongs to its youtube owner

Art vs. Science - The Experiment [2011]

Release Date: February 25, 2011

Many of you will find this Australian act annoying and I don't blame you. And to be honest, I find it difficult to even categorize these bastards. If you were to make me listen to this album 4 years ago, I would've listened to one track and then shift+deleted the album into oblivion. However, I can't help but enjoy many of the songs on this due to their relentless catchy-ness. The tamer songs, such as Take A Look At Your Face are fantastic, while others, such as Higher, may be hit or miss; the choice is up to you. As for the track Bumblebee? Listen if you dare.

Try it

Lone - Lemurian

Mmmmmmm you see a beautiful girl lying on a towel, as the hot, beating sun bakes every inch of her glistening, drenched body.

What do you do?

> Ask for her number.

Zomby - Dedication

One of the most stunning albums to emerge this year, Dedication is another entry into one of the most eclectic and fascinating discogs in all of dubstep. Quite honestly one of the most haunting albums I've ever had the pleasure of hearing, Zomby's sophomore effort is truly a wrecking ball of emotion and sinister intentions.

For the stream, and to check my full review, head here

Noisia - Program/Regurgitate

Time for some new Noisia, which also means it's time to check out some of the most inventive and addictive drum and bass around. The new 12" features Program (featuring German heavyweights Phace) and the diabolical Regurgitate.

Ektoplazm.com

Deviating from the norm a bit to give credit to a great free music site, ektoplazm. Featuring a wide range of genre's (see tag list) the site allows artists to upload albums completely free and let the public do with them as they see fit; I know a few DJ's who've spent all nighters getting new psy-trance tracks from here. The easy to use "browse by style" section is a great place to jump in, and don't forget to look at the albums star/percentage rating!

A Split Second - From The Inside [1988]

Catchy new wave flavored EBM.

Eat it up.

Borgore - Delicious

Uh oh

Cesium_137 - Identity [2009]

Release Date: October 6, 2009

Cesium_137 (or is it Cesium:137?) is about as futurepop as you can get. The duo is literally a defining artist when it comes to the genre not only because they demonstrate the elements required for the genre, but also because they're actually good at it. Another thing about Cesium_137 is that they produce very modern sounding futurepop, not quite as harsh or raw sounding as another futurepop titan like Assemblage 23. My favourite songs on Identity are easily Embers, Dither, and Firewalker and if you enjoy this release, be sure to stay tuned for the rest of their albums to be posted soon.

Try it

Panic LIft - Witness To Our Collapase

The band's cover might seem like it would fit on the latest release by your favorite post-hardcore band, or back when Atreyu decided they wanted to be a bit more charismatic with their cover art. Luckily for the listener neither is the case, inside is certifiably some of the catchiest Industrial I've come across this year. While harsh vocals are nothing new to the genre they often can make or break a song, placing far to much influence and volume on these vocals has ruined many a great tracks ambiance; Panic Lift knows how and when to provide this much needed balance, letting the tracks as a whole shine through on their own merit. While the majority of the songs are upbeat and really get your head moving (see title track, "Remnant of a Dead Age") the album the beauty present on tracks such as "Butterfly Wings (My Only Hope)" really is moving. I've heard this album remixed on the dance floor quite often and I honestly don't know why I haven't picked this up sooner.

Try Me

*Obviously I don't own the song, that clearly belongs to Panic Lift.

The Field - Here We Go Sublime (2007)

It's still as amazing and mesmerizing in its simplicity today as it was 4 years ago.

Covenant - Modern Ruin [2011]

Release Date: January 14, 2011

Call me a picky bastard, but good EBM is rare these days. I still listen to a lot of it, but there's never an album in which I can conclude that all the songs, let alone most of them, are solid. Recently it's been a pick and choose kind of thing where I keep my favourite songs from an album and discard the rest. And when Covenant released Modern Ruin I thought it would be the same old routine, but they really suprised me. Modern Ruin is easily one of the most solid EBM releases I've heard this year and given their great reputation in the EBM community I suppose I should not have been surprised. However, they too have never released an album I've enjoyed back to front but Modern Ruin comes darn close.

Try it

Error - Error [2004]

The 2004 self-titled EP of Error is a seriously weird concoction of sorts. What is one of the most mixed bags of musicians turns out to be one of the best digital hardcore releases in it's early life.  Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails fame teams us with Brett from Bad Religion, Greg Puciato from Dillinger Escape Plan and Leopold Ross to make an abrasive, chaotic 5 track EP that will stand out and give direction for future digital hardcore bands.

Egyptrixx - Bible Eyes

In Bible Eyes, Egyptrixx combines dubstep and house into a catchy, inexplicably cute album, reminiscent of old video games. The result is a surprisingly fun album and an engrossing listen. It's magical, to say the least.

Dope Stars Inc. - Ultrawired

While they have never really impressed me some people seem to enjoy DSI, and as this latest album is free I thought it might as well be shared; it might prove a good introduction to the genre for some, as it is really a tame offering. A word to the wise, if you want to enjoy the album don't listen to "Lies Irae" first or you'll be disappointed throughout the rest of the album.

Legal Free Download

Alien Vampires - Harshlizer [2010]

Release Date: December 3, 2010

Children, avert your eyes. Now, like any human, I judge books by their cover. I look at Harshlizer and I think to myself, "NEVER WILL YOU REACH MY EARS!" and perhaps you may be thinking the same thing while you read this. But that was then, and this is now. Alien Vampires is known for their vulgar brand of harsh ebm, and 99% of the time that style turns me off, but I'll be damned if Harshlizer isn't an album you can't dance to nor bash your head against a wall. This is unbelievably catchy and brutal and I urge anyone who is even remotely into harsh EBM to check this out.

Try it

Extreme Storfrequenz 6

Every once in awhile I just want to sit back and write or read with some noise in the background, something that I don't have to pay much attention to but has driving beats and lets you dissolve into whatever you're doing at the moment. Often I turn to compilations for this, and Extreme Storfrequenz 6 works amazingly well for this. Containing tracks from many artists I've never heard before, it definitely opens on a high note with Soman's "Noistyle" and while the album might have a slower track or two it never really slows down completely. If you're feeling random and want something new, something with cover art that's enjoyable, go give this a try.

Soman - "Noistyle" Youtube video

Try Me

Trinodia - Human History

Trinodia, with an intentional focus on spacey soundscapes, has crafted one of the best goa trance albums of the year. Oh, and it's free too.

Free Album Download

My Review

Apoptygma Berserk - Harmonizer

Apoptygma Berserk seem to have this magic about them, I just can't figure out if it's due to having such a tongue twister of a band name or not. Harmonizer is the bands fourth album and is surprisingly old, being released in 2002. Don't let it's age fool you however, Harmonizer features some of the best the band has to offer ala "Unicorn" and the various remixes featured throughout the album. When the listener hears the opening distorted synths their attention is piqued; the fantastic vocals of Stephan Groth then slam the trap shut, locking the listener in pure danceable, catchy, electronic bliss. While "Unicorn" is wonderful and comes highly recommended the album is littered with surprises, "Rollergirl" and "Until The End Of The World" are both excellent and prove that APOP is can dish out "thinking mans" music. This is an album that deserves your attention, there's even a track called "Pikachu" - gotta catch 'em all.

Youtube video of "Unicorn (Duet Version)"

* As Linux is acting up I can't post a video directly, I hope to remedy this soon however.

Feed Me - To The Stars

Fresh off of Beatport, here's Feed Me's latest ep. Filled to the brim with candy coated electro house and family friendly dubstep it's a suitable companion to last year's Big Adventure release.

Psyborg Corp. – The Mechanical Renaissance [2010]

Release Date: February 16, 2010

EBM is a technically simple genre; you have your generally synthesized music and then you have your vocals/lyrics and that's about it. This makes the music style almost a hit or miss, which I think is a bit of a shame especially when I hear an ebm act that just knocks my socks off the first time I listen to them. Psyborg Corp. is one of those acts and although they are relatively new on the scene with their debut The Mechanical Renaissance, they are just outstanding. Whether we're talking about the music or the vocals, each is fresh like newly cut grass. This is definitely one of best industrial albums of 2010 and I look forward to their new album which is to be released soon.

Try it

Loess - Wind and Water (2007)

A soundoff from yours truly:
While the style of their debut was equally spacious, slowly paced and cold. Their sophomore effort is a logical step in the short-lived Loess sound. Wind and Water make strides with their sound by adding more textures, creating a synthesized sound that is undeniably euphoric. These sounds that are quickly incorporated seemingly evolve and entrapping themselves within every track. Wind and Water remains to be a superior album to their debut, but not by much considering it was the logical step from their previous record.