Recently I have found myself seeking out music that caused my mind to wander in fantastical textures and elevated thoughts. To listen beyond slamming club hits and bask in something inspirational. So I have chosen to share some intellectual sonic nourishment outside the mainstream. Most of what I have chosen isn’t the darkness Sounds and Shadows is known for. This is music drenched with vibrant colors to inspire and innovate. I hope you find something you love.
Chiasm – Chasing Butterflies – Amazing new remix EP from Emileigh Rohn of Michigan. An electronic producer with an impressive body of work that has honed her emotional electronic style into flashing blades that whirling dervish poetic musings. Compiling an all-star heist team of Beborn Beton, Stabbing Westward, Black Car Burning, Sapphiria Vee, Jean-Marc Lederman, and Steve Anthony to remix three tracks. Each one captures a different aspect of the chaotic manic wandering from the original. Emileigh has a wispy fae delivery in vocals that transports you to a supernatural realm, each canvas shows different hues. With all the legendary names taking on Chasing Butterflies, I found myself drawn in to Black Car Burning‘s version of “Dead Trees” with it’s greyscale contrasts and spoken word delivery. When I was a child I accidently saw Poltergeist staying up past my bedtime one night. The scene with the tree breaking through the window has always haunted me. Something about this remix struck me in the same way. I love a song that crawls under my skin.
released May 3, 2024
All songs written, programmed, performed and produced by Emileigh Rohn.
Recorded in MausHaus Studio 2020-2023.
Mastered by Jean-Marc Lederman.
Artwork by Christian Petke/DCore.
Chasing Butterflies | Chiasm (bandcamp.com)
G.W. Childs IV – Spectrum – Last year I fell in love with the yee haw synth goth sound of G.W. from his EP “You Don’t Know“. I love a lofty concept and here G.W. addresses his childhood synesthesia by composing a sonic representation of each color in the pallet. Opening with Gold and winding a spiritual sidewinder through emotion and imagery to Silver. This album really stretches the human experience and makes sharp cuts for every track. The vocal delivery embraces a deliberate cadence with almost hip-hop aspects. This can’t cover the twang of Texas that makes the whole journey feel the sway of the saddle. Generally to write a review I listen to an album 3 times minimum. After playing this four times, I feel like I am barely scratching the surface. This record has a Tolkienesque feel of epic technicolor journey. A footstep by footstep quest past every pain or triumph that makes us human.
The whole point of this album is to use only sounds that let you close your eyes and see the essence of a color in your imagination. So choosing a favorite tracks is really tough. I suppose some did impact me the most. Maybe they were the tracks that captured my favorite colors. Maybe they reminded me of my favorite Tolkien characters once I made that connection.
Orange: This was my Tom Bombadil. Burnt synthesis. Sunsets, that moment of reflection right before a transition. An extra burst of energy before things go dark. Orange is a wild card. Orange is possibility.
Violet: This track is dangerous. This is mystery. A mist that doesn’t let you see to the horizon. Something supernatural made of dreams. Duality of bright and dark. Violet is both at once.
I love when an artist takes chances. This record took all the chances.
Written, programmed, performed and produced by G.W. Childs IV
Executive Producer: Christian Petke
Mastering by: (Slam) Stephen Lam
Spectrum | G.W. Childs IV (bandcamp.com)
Rohn – Lederman – Black And Bleu – A brand new release from frequent collaborators Emileigh Rohn (US/ Chiasm) and Jean-Marc Lederman (Belgium/ The Weathermen, Ghost & Writer) on Jean-Marc’s new label Les Disques de la Pantoufle. A two disc CD with a clear tonal division. As composers Emileigh and Jean-Marc have always impressed me by forging raw emotions into a complex blended human experience. Black and Bleu takes that complete being, deconstructs it into laser thin aspects to categorize by the duality of contrasting colors. I highly recommend a physical copy with the stark contrasting artwork of Erica Hinyot.
The Black CD was more tortured and introspective. Emileigh’s voice went to a more passionate poetic place than their previous collaborations. It had me recalling another favorite electronic poet Susanne Vega and her 99.9 degrees F album. It’s such a powerful combination, the way no sound is wasted. Everything here has a purpose in the swirling black abyss. Each bass note, every synth pad, electronic brushes on electric drums. You never hear a crescendo unless you have to, because when the impact comes it needs to strike hard.
Black Favorite Track – Eggshells – I LOVE when a CD closes with the most powerful and revealing track. This simple piano and reverberating strings paint such a tapestry for a soul shaking poem. I’ve tried to walk forward in life, on what I knew was dangerous ground. I could feel every tentative step and my heart went out. when music is something you don’t just listen to, but feel.
The Bleu CD let’s you see the color, a more hopeful twilight. Overlapping harmonies caught on the wind. Thee tracks make full use of Emiliegh’s styles. Cadenced whispered spoken word, rattling off piercing uplifting choirs. Bleu uses surreal background effects to give the world a sense of whimsy. These tracks all feel like dreams. A movie you watch with your eyes closed.
Bleu Favorite Track – Sliding In Socks – I love the way this song captures a private moment we all have done, but never in front of anyone. There is something beautiful of that idea both secret, and universally relatable. The keyboards have the feel of an 8 bit virtuality game you might get lost in forever. I’ve listened to this 4 times, and each one the words tell me a different story.
Black And Bleu | Rohn – Lederman (bandcamp.com)
Trick Casket – BITCHCRAFT – I remember saying this about the band Haex, this is as much metal in my Industrial as i can handle and still love it. The Toronto band of Connor Grant, Brett Carruthers, Ryan Parker, and Nicolo Cassidy are a heavy breath of stalking invisible hell hounds chasing you down the hall. Frightening electronic horror that walks the sinister pace of inevitability. The chorus roars ferocious intention.
An unfortunate fate to conjure you
An unfortunate fate to conjure you
All the suffering you wanted me to
Fuck that, I hope it happens to you
An unfortunate fate to conjure you
Often with Metal music my hangup is the vocals where intention gets lost in the pure aggression. Trick Casket finds a subtitle delivery just on the brink of chaos. If I ever get the chance to demolish concrete walls with a sledgehammer, Trick Casket is the soundtrack to fill my heart with brimstone for the deed.
released April 2, 2024
Written and performed by: Trick Casket
Music produced by: Trick Casket and Brett Carruthers
Mixed & Mastered by: Brett Carruthers
Additional writing credit:
Ryan Parker – composition, drums
Nicolo Cassidy – additional guitar composition
BITCHCRAFT | Trick Casket (bandcamp.com)
“The Black Maria: a menacing 19th Century figure who would come to take away our outcasts and miscreants…
later used as the slang term For UK police vans…
Nothing much has change”
ATTRITION – The Black Maria – Electronic music legend Martin Bowes put out the single The Great Derailer some time ago. An instant classic utilizing vocal talents Emke of Black Nail Cabaret to paint a striking portrait of 19th century baron’s holding a mirror to modern day post capitalism. In March the full album was released from Cage Studios in his home in Coventry. There is a focus in music these days to release a constant stream of content to maintain relevance. I love the patient unraveling of this records story, as well as the controlled narrative style of it’s creation. Additional collaborators Yvette from Vaselyne, Joanne Wolf and most notably the return of original ATTRITION vocalist Julia, to create an album varying in style from industrial to gothic to dark ambient soundscapes. These drum compositions and sound effect craft create a subversive world of flickering amber lights and combustion machinery. Martin adds his own slow whiskey gravel vocals, building and chanting intensity.
Using a menagerie of symphonic sound from special guest appearances by Alia Miroshichenko (Subterranea) Annie Hogan (Marc and the Mambas etc) on Grand Piano, Vancorvid and Marietta Fox on Violins, Ian Arkley (My Silent Wake, Guillotine Dream) on Guitar, Steve Clarke (Futumche/Octogoth) on additional guitar/bass, and Kris Force on Cello. Every aspect of this album feels large and significant.
Favorite Track: The Great Derailer is the easy answer. I have reviewed the single before though. So I will talk about The Alibi – This terrifying Bioshock lullaby with tension lashing violins, and gorgeous operettic harmonies. A chaotic fever dream held together by the tempo of the rolling tracks. A wonderous example of songcraft.
This entire album is a wonderous experience that paints images and inspires higher thought. Something we are sorely in need of in the modern world. What if Tom Waits crooned and industrial record on the downfall of mankind in 2024? You don’t have to dream anymore.
The Black Maria | ATTRITION (bandcamp.com)
Red Lokust – Hope is the Last Refuge of the Dying – Latest release from Pittsburgh’s Distortion Records guru Jim Semonik one of the truly good dudes in this scene. Things I appreciate from the starting gun “Sunfall Down” bouncy clubdustrial beats with sunken distorted vocals, in which I can hear every word ring out. Sometimes genre gets in the way of intent. Not here, lots of classic 90’s industrial homage elements but never at the expense of the lyrics and delivery. This album is bright and crackling with an explorers sci fi hope. It’s dark and snarling, but always charging forward and this underlying live wire is what makes the tracks sizzle. I didn’t link an interview to this review because somehow I have never had Jim on the show, I really need to remedy that. I kept waiting to hit my high speed industrial limit break but it never came. With breakdown tracks like Crestfallen to lay tempo change and curve to the laser car extravaganza.
Hope is the Last Refuge of the Dying | Red Lokust (bandcamp.com)
SU – Amanita ocreata – So last year I fell in love with the bizarre Quebec duo that did the most amazing cover of Skinny Puppy “Smothered Hope” on the Retronomicon album to help Charles Levi. I suppose when I spooled up this new EP, I expected something vaguely in the vein of that. I LOVE being this level of delighted and surprised. To start with, the cover art is magnificent. Before I hit play I was transported to a secret Jules Verne cavern of wonder. The opening track is an operatic chorus of deep sea majesty. Then track two (The title track) completely flipped the script on everything I thought I knew about SU. A sleek alien submarine QLazzarus meets Miranda’s Sex Garden adventure soundtrack in French where I understood nothing but heard all. Song after song I felt so transported by the creativity and execution I was convinced Jean-Marc Lederman was involved somehow.
Paroles et musique par SU
Enregistré et mixé par SU
Pochette par Raphaëlle Lavoie
Favorite track: La fête des spores – Closing out with these toms and fairy fire vocals was captivating like the first time I heard the Sugar Cubes. Chanting underdark magic rising from spore laced smoke. The whole time I listened I felt myself lured to a cold fate, and kept following the beauty of the song.
Amanita ocreata | SU (bandcamp.com)
