Unitary - Safe From Harm

It's been a ridiculously long wait, but Unitary has finally released a new album - 12 tracks of futurepop goodness. But is it good?

Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Manufactura - The Pleasures of Damned

After ten years of making music, Manufactura have compiled a greatest hits album. The album includes old songs chosen by the fans, two new (unreleased) songs, and a crapload of remixes. It expands two discs of material. If you've never heard of this band before, now is the time to listen! Here's the first song on the compilation:

Download

Buy

Bluetech: - Rainforest Reverberation

Probably the most overlooked album of the year, Rainforest Reverberation is an incredible electronic album. Although downtempo, it is comprised of funky beats and catchy synths. The music also sounds organic like a rainforest come alive, and is very compelling. Check it out!

Buy or Try

Left Spine Down - Voltage 2.3 Remixed and Revisited

What do you get when you have your only album remixed by the likes of Combichrist, The Birthday Massacre, Angelspit, and KMFDM? One hell of a 20 track album that's what! Each artist adds variety to LSD's already solid tracklist with their own take on "Last Daze" and none get repetitive. The entire album practically oozes fun, ever hear The Birthday Massacre scream anywhere else before??? While this is my first foray into LSD and one really should start with their debut this is too catchy and eclectic to ignore!

Handout

Dealer

Einsturzende Neubauten - Halber Mensch [1985]

There's something quirky about listen to music with lyrics I can't understand, at least for me.  I don't know whether it's the fact that it allows me to focus more on the music or the exotic factor.  In any case Einsturzende Neubauten are a pinnacle industrial act from Germany and this album is one of their best, if not their magnum opus. 

Blackcentr - Disease

VampireFreaks occasionally offers up some good free Industrial, and that's where California natives Blackcentr fall. Apparently they are making waves locally and opened for Combichrist earlier this year so they've got something going for them. One of the first things noticed upon playing Disease is that this a group who really love their beats; each track seems produced so as to bring these to the forefront. The vocals switch between harsh ("Salvation") and some rather nice cleans ("Down") and the synths are noninvasive and normal. For longtime genre listeners or those who are critical about music the E.P. brings to mind one Norwegian industrial group that everybody loves/hates, and while it will help Blackcentr sell I'm glad that they show just enough of a soul that they haven't completely gone Combichrist yet.

Legal and Free

Solar Fake - Frontiers (2011)

Release Date: July 22, 2011

The newest album from the duo that combines futurepop with a few harsh elements. Wasn't expecting this to be excellent or anything, but Frontiers really exceeded my expectations by making it one of the better EBM albums of the year.

Try it

UnterART - Memento

While browsing youtube with a friend we stumbled on UnterART, and I can't emphasis enough how happy that made me. Sadly the band is now defunct (as far as I can find) but this just adds to the appeal; sounding like a mix of Icon Of Coil, Imperative Reaction, and featuring vocals slightly reminiscent of Covenant the group really is instantly catchy to anyone who has a grasp of the futurepop/industrial genre. The synths are driving, the tracks are layered, and slight additions such as guest vocalists make this a fun album to listen to. While I have yet to check out the bands debut I can easily see UnterART making it's way into the hearts of many new listeners.

Try Me

Haujobb - Dead Market

Haujobb are back in 2011 with a new sound, and Daniel Myer is a great as ever. While the E.P. is loaded with remixed tracks (and their variety outshines that of the original) the one to watch out for is "Letting The Demons Sleep (Nightmare)." This track features all the glorious, subtle simplicity that Haujobb have always been a master of, yet showcases the catchiness and slight vocal change that makes the E.P. so great to perfection. If you enjoy anything by Daniel Myers I highly recommend you try this, as Haujobb are far from dead, keep an eye out for the groups new album New World March!

Try

Buy

Imperative Reaction - Surface

Imperative Reaction have a new album coming soon, apparently the group enjoyed their creation so much that it is self titled. Surface contains two tracks from the upcoming album, as well as six remixes. Normally I'm not a fan of remixes, but some of these flat out rock! The Shok's Zeitmahl and Under The Surface by Scandy remixes steal the show here, though there's a little something for everyone on the E.P. The group has also stepped up their layering game, and with the vocals becoming slightly subdued it really shows growth and promise for the new album.

Try It

Buy It

CTRL - Make Things Right (2011)

Release Date: June 1, 2011

On behalf of Hopeless Sound, I apologize to all of our followers for the long absence. But enough chit chat; CTRL is back with another guitar-tinged futurepop album and let me just say that it kills. As much as I love some of CTRL's releases, there are others that I feel are just terrible. Make Things Right was a pleasant surprise where CTRL return to that particular sound that I just love and BOOM, a good album was born. Only problem is that it's short; only 7 songs. But I dare you to skip one.

Try it

Carbon Based Lifeforms - Hydroponic Garden (2003)

Hey everyone, new contributor here =) This is my first post, a nice little bit of chilled out Psybient for your listening pleasure. Great music for listening to on warm summer nights, or the early hours of the morning.

"This space fantasy is a beautiful example of the crystalline textures and deeply moving melodies which a sound journey is capable of attaining in the hands of talented composers such as Johannes Hedberg and Daniel Ringström. Lilting synth compositions accentuate the acidic tribal ambient grooves to hypnotic/trancey effects, evolving into soft and more meditative moments without sliding into isolationism; all the tracks are crafted as aural explorations into altered and elevated state of consciousness and are excellent for drifting off into timeless reflections, orchestral and multilayered sounds for journeys into the vastness of inner landscapes."

Try It.

Buy It.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stgsEP_7E0g