It is time once again for our monthly Darkscene singles chart. I did a recent interview with Michael Nagy where I mentioned how I have come to value doing this chart once a month. It really shines a light on great new bands that don’t always show up in other charts. All entries are “darkscene singles” a very loose term, released in April 2022. They are voted on by the Sounds and Shadows Facebook group members of Djs, Review Pages, Promotors, Bands, and Superfans. I compile them and post the results. If you have a single release in May, make sure to add it to the polling.
Stoneburner – Contracting Iris
Eva X – Body Talk
Mark E Moon – Blacklight
Death Loves Veronica – When I Was Dead
Silver Walks – Tear Me Down
I Ya Toyah – Vast Spaces (Joy Thieves Remix)
Scary Black – Transatlantic Tears
Sever The Servant – Nowhere
Der Prosector – Standing In The Embers
Angelspit – Stand In Line
Stoneburner – Contracting Iris – Steven Archer is always pushing the edge hard and furious. This time by interweaving with Sci Fi author Peter Watts with a punishing new sonic canvas so relevant to the emotional mindset of the population. This artistic journey keeps getting larger and more intricate. Also be on the lookout for Stoneburner back on tour with Chant. Always a must see show.
Stoneburner’s “Contracting Iris”, features 2 tracks and a full-hour audiobook story written by acclaimed science fiction author Peter Watts
“Contracting Iris”, the new single from Stoneburner, takes the listener on a cinematic journey to the beginning of a future pandemic. Combining the classic Arrakis-era style with industrial beats and vocals, the single is a cohesive representation of Steven Archer’s ever-evolving project.
Eva X – Body Talk – Another lovely shadow dance single from Canadian siren Eva X. I love hearing the soul and depth that keeps growing with every new release. Here making it to the #2 spot on the chart. This has a glorious submarine echo in pressurized depths flavor. Crystal mastering by Eric Oehler and enchanting video from Erik Gustafson.
Mark E Moon – BlackLight – This single absolutely shreds. In a world where goth gets more and more fractured into sub genres. This is a pure blast of that old school traditional. Mark’s voice is a powerful and resonant baritone blending with Shelly to ride the front of a crackling dark wave. This is an instant hit from Cold Transmission and The Isle of Man.
Death Loves Veronica – When I Was Dead (feat. Tim Skold) – Texas songsmith Veronica Campbell has teamed with Tim Skold to make this twisting black oil symbiont sound that drips with necromancy and danger. Loving this slashing whip quick guitar riff and the determination and movement of her vocals. A song that won’t stop scratching the back of your neck.
silver walks – tear me down – Daniel McCullough has been slowly teasing me with masterpiece of an album for too long. Every single is crafted with such obsessive precision. I love the flow, the impact, and the vocal resonance from Coral Scere. Mixed by the living legend John Fryer another reason this album is going to rock the landscape.
I Ya Toyah – Vast Spaces ( The Joy Thieves Remix ) – Well what isn’t to love here? The firework electronic one woman army spewing unmatched intensity, then amplified by the hairpin turning fury and percussion mastery of The Joy Thieves. Dee Nelson’s outro guitar solo is the fireball cherry on top of the sundae. Total Burner.
SCARY BLACK – Transatlantic Tears – Why everyone in this scene does not follow and know Louisville goth band Scary Black absolutely baffles me. Alphie is a cosmic force of genuine inflicted emotion, artistic expression, and perfect pop hooks. This is always some of the best new goth in the game and if you don’t know it you need to.
Sever the Servants – Nowhere – I love this glorious team up from Hide Tepes and Michael Nolan. It is sinister, textural, and seeping with mystery. New material keeps surfacing and all of it is a powerhouse of talent and edge.
Der Prosector – Standing In The Embers – The electro intelligencia punk band with another long awaited single. Absolute banger. They always leave me hungry for more and infused with perspective.
Angelspit – STAND IN LINE – California digital psychedelic freedom rock. I love the chaos energy and foot stomping dance energy. Aside from the acid splash on the dance floor single this track also features 13 badass remixes.
I hope you found something wonderful here you didn’t know about. If you have a single in May you want to see added, go to Sounds and Shadows on Facebook. Support the scene, lift each other up, tell people about great new music. Also if you like Sounds and Shadows and want to support us, get a T Shirt in the link below.
Our podcasts have been really improving. Having interviews that are a real conversation with some of the artists I love and give all their fans a feeling of knowing them on a personal level. I wanted to compile them all in one place that give you the opportunity to find and enjoy them.
2/25/21 Grabyourface – Talented French artists Marie Dragontown on Negative Gain. Talking about their breakthrough album Sea, France, and their favorite pizza.
2/19/21Tear Down The Wall discussion with Russ Robinson (Infectious Groves Podcast) and Dan Milligan (The Joy Thieves). Here we discuss the charity compilation of Industrial artists put out by Riveting Records in Colorado that has a cover version of every song on Pink Floyd‘s iconic album “The Wall”
2/5/21 Programable Animal – Here we talk with Dropsea of the Chicago based industrial band. We talk about their vision and experience creating One Step to Hell on Negative Gain.
1/29/21 The Blue Hour – Video Premier of their song “Cold Bare” Also how they met and found love in the most amazing meet cute story of Sounds and Shadows history.
12/22/2020 Rodney Orpheus from The Cassandra Complex – Amazing interview with one of the godfathers of goth. Telling stories of meeting Andrew Eldrich, their new album, predicting the attack on our Capital, and the past and present of Goth.
12/2/20 Reaction Video to My Chemical Romance – We tried catching up on the emo classic and give thoughts as elder goths hearing MCR for the first time.
11/18/20 Raymond Watts <PIG> – Talks about his newest album Pain is God, his history, addition, and production techniques.
9/28/20 Interview with Caroline Blind of Sunshine Blind – Amazing interview discussing goth history, family, her new album, and breaking ground in the goth scene.
6/25/20 Interview with Dogtablet Martin King (Test Dept) and Jared Louche (Chemlab) – Where they discuss history on the road, their song writing, snowball fights with Trent Reznor, Jared’s Shoes, and rescuing dogs.
5/25/20 Interview with Empathy Test feat. Isaac Howlett, Chrisy Lopez, and Oliver Marson – We discuss films, their groundbreaking album Monsters, futbal, how Ollie is a stalker and potential murderer.
5/20/20 Interview with Suzy and Andy of Cold Transmission records – About building the label and being a family in the modern music scene.
5/17/20 Interview with Pedro Code of IAMTHESHADOW – Our first video interview to discuss Pitchblack, song writing, Love, passion, and life in Portugal.
So many great Industrial/EDM/EBM albums this year. This is a genre that has been expanding and drawing fresh listeners all year. Again I can’t possibly include everything I loved, however these albums were the ones that fired a jolt of electricity into my spine and made my gears churn. These are all artists who had a full release in 2020.
20) Rabbit Junk – Xenospheres – Seattle based EBM/Metal dance explosion has been churning out explosive action movie soundtracks with razor sharp production. This album is swinging a sledge hammer around their heads on a leather cord. The cover of Iggy Pop’s “Kick It” with Peaches singing is worth the price of admission on it’s own.
19) eHpH – Infrared – Colorado band eHpH did this timely politically charged record that really captured the fear and division in the current climate. I think what I loved best were how wide the influences present were. Some melodic and post punk, some bright buzzing EBM. The whole record was full of intelligence and challenges the listener to face their own ideas about where the world is headed.
18) Seven Federations – Holy Orders – A wonderous sonic explosion from South Dakota. The vocals just crackle with electric ferocity from exploding transformers. Filthy basslines and wolf growl guitars. this album is the naughty demon on your shoulder whispering to you of sinful roads not taken. They might be the most underrated album on this list. People need to know about this record.
17) Carrion – Testament Ov The Exiled – This is always such a hard review to write. Carrion is so powerful, so fresh, but just doesn’t fit into any box that makes sense within the mind. This textural terror noise has a level of intensity that demands recognition. How to quantify it I have no idea. Other than to say it is music that leaves you changed, afraid, praying for the dawn. Hide [Adrian] is creating on a level that artists and critics in the next decade may have artful words for. This whole record just leaves me moved and unsure how to describe. Best to bare witness for yourself.
PS: Carrion is already reissuing the album via Brutal Resonance Records, the `Revised Edition ` includes 5 bonus tracks!
16) Corlyx – Together Apart – World traveling EDM darkpop couple Caitlin and Brandon with their sophomore offering have captured the glory of pageantry in dark music. Caitlin has a beautiful voice that captivates and builds dreams in your mind. I love the dark LA gutter glamor this band always commands. They have added a level of clarity and refinement for this album and continue to evolve. Get in on the ground floor of these future stars.
15) Rottersand – How Do You Feel Today – The way this German band turns and twists on different axis within the same tracks is reality defying. The echoing chorus’s that have an intelligence and feel of Roger Waters bursting with electronic futurecore explosion. This album is a special journey with peaks and valleys that run the breadth of human experience. It is a modern album that has something for every kind of listener to enjoy.
14) Trevor Something – Deep Wave Data Dark Web Deamons – Florida dance demon Trevor Something might be the sexiest thing I heard all year. The way they capture raw, grinding, sexual energy in sonic form is something of glory. It shakes your bone marrow awake and says you are an animal that hungers for flesh. Buy this record, shake a martini, and have a private dance party with your favorite partner.
13) 11 Grams – Humancide – The super combo of Rob and Simeon put out this long awaited album of everything you ever loved about old school industrial/electronica. It always has a toe over the line while sounding so familiar. Perfect execution and narrative intensity. This record is a rocket jocks sci-fi soundtrack to explore the speed of the stars.
12) SpankTheNun – The Bunker Tapes Volume I – Hard and metal to the floor industrial from Texas. How do you find that line between crystal clear beats and filthy growling vocals? It’s right here. We aren’t reinventing the wheel here, we are greasing the axle to make it spin harder and faster. A bunch of amazing remixes from Blue Ant, Assemblage 23 , Melodywhore, Sapphirra Vee, show the faith and influence that this band commands in the scene.
11) Caustic – A Succession Of Repetitive Beats – Our only double album winner in this genre is Matt Fanale. The return of Caustic and their DIY punk rock mentality with witty and humorous electronic slither is a breath of fresh air in the modern genre. The song Stale Semen, Shame, and Video Games is a poignant slam of the Incel culture. Make me dance and make me think. This is what Joe Strummer trained us for.
10) Sapphira Vee – The Mask – The smoky and subtitle voice of Sapphira Vee from Rochester NY has been tearing up the airwaves the last two months. A slow drink of whiskey in sonic form. It’s slow and grinding full of personal reflection and self realization. I had a small part guest vocal on this album and it’s a point of personal pride that I was involved with such a powerful release this year. I’ve bought multiple copies of this record to send to friends. This is a great example of why trip hop is the highest evolution of music.
9) Kanga – Eternal Daughter – LA based artist wields this sonic saber like a charging cavalry officer charging by on a horse slashing on both sides. It’s that effortlessly cool beauty blended with icy dance beats. I’m not sure what category to put this in beyond excellent.
8) Grabyourface – Sea – Every once in a while some album comes along that is so fresh and honest you sit up in your chair and just feel something new. One of those artist that grabs hold of their own ribcage and rips themselves open to let you in on the guts and grime of everything inside them. This album forces you to feel things, to confront and absorb the empathetic tone within yourself.
7) Klack – Probably – The Wisconsin EDM sensation that brings together Matt Fanale (Caustic) and Eric Oehler (Null Device). I’ve watched this project grow and blossom and this album really hit the perfect stride and balance of their styles. It’s clever, it’s electric, and the single Faith In Me is a glorious jam that could have been on a Depeche Mode album in the late 80s. I love when you hear a collaboration and can hear how much the artists respect and care about each other. It can’t be faked and this album brims over with it.
6) The Joy Thieves – A Blue Girl – Chicago superband led by drummer extraordinaire Dan Milligan has been garnering much deserved respect in Industrial circles. The way he blends old school Industrial with organic hard rock is an energy which is contagious. The contributor list is impressive and so long I won’t add everyone but names like Chris Connelly, Jullian Beeston, and Ania Tarnoska are just a few highlights. The title track is a slamming cut for the ages. If you don’t know about the next Pigface you need to get on board this train.
5) Klute – Queer For Satan – Claus Larson of Leatherstrip unleashed this gorgeous record of furious destruction and sensual magnetism. This year must have been one of the toughest things a person can go through for him and that unbridled emotion pours forth in a firehose of pain and fear. If you love Leatherstrip (and how could you not) this album is top of the game.
4) Stoneburner – Beauty Is Terror – Steven Archer has had multiple releases this year, all great. His ability as an artist and multimedia creator really is the top of the game for DIY synthesis of audio and visual. To me this record was the highest evolution of his style thus far. It’s hard, world view, narrative, intelligent music that conjures images like you are reading a novel. The single “Are you here the way I’m here” is a steampunk electrocore time travel head flip. This album truly pushes the boundary of what is possible in thought and feeling. You need it.
3) ESA: Electronic Substance Abuse – “Burial 10“ – EBM music is not my cup of tea. However, anything done at the top of the game is easy to know when you hear it. This album is hard, filthy, and so full of nuclear radiation it is impossible to not stomp your feet and dance to. The concept, power, and delivery are peerless in their execution. Add to that guest performances by Jo Hysteria, Cainlin Corlyx, and Lecture and you have one of the breakout album experiences of the year. This is one of those records I could listen to 100 times and hone in on a different detail each one.
2) The Jean Marc Lederman Experience – Letters to Gods and Fallen Angels – For all those wondering where are the albums touching on a higher artistic ideal in the modern age. This is it. The Belgian artists who’s resume has touched some of the most prolific music to occur in the electronic era has compiled a group of guest singers both legendary and future stars and ask them to write a letter to God or a fallen angel. The responses follow the course of human mysticism and discovery. This album is a true journey of thought and expression that touches on a myriad of styles and ideas. It’s been a long time since a record made me think and feel so much. Do yourself a favor and take this adventure.
Pig – Pain Is God – Some people had a punk rock phase in their angry youth. I had an industrial one. A big part of that was Raymond Watts. KMFDM and <PIG> was a remind that Industrial music could mean something else. That it was a music of synthesis between electronic dance beats and any other style you could imagine. Here he is reborn the swine lord persona with a heady blend of of gospel, hard rock, and neon gutter grime. This record was the open gate between my 2020 self and my 1993 self. A DeLorean that connected me to my ego and my wisdom. A glorious return for the master of swine.
