Tag: The Joy Thieves

Sounds and Shadows Darkscene Chart November 2021

Featured By

This is our second S & S Darkscene chart chosen completely by the Djs, Bands, Reviewers, Artists, and Super Fans, of the international group Sounds and Shadows. This features singles from any country and any genre within the loose darkscene category (Goth/Industrial/Darkwave/Postpunk/EDM/EBM/Electronica).

  1. The Joy Thieves (feat. I Ya Toyah) – Money Is Not Our God (Killing Joke Cover) by Coitus Interruptus Productions – Chicago, IL
  2. daddybear (feat grabyourface) – Hypnotic – Madison WI
  3. Aesthetic Perfection (feat. Isaac Howlett) – Save Myself – Austria
  4. Stabbing Westward – I Am Nothing – Los Angeles, CA
  5. Helix – Run (Hallowed Hearts Remix) – Providence, Rhode Island
  6. S Y Z Y G Y X – Light You On Fire – Washington, DC
  7. grabyourface – Rob the Bank – France
  8. PALAIS IDEAL – The Voice Of Reason – Netherlands
  9. Sapphira Vee (Feat Cat Hall) – Breath of You – Rochester, New York
  10. ULTRA SUNN – Young Foxes – Belgium

Special Mentions:

Machines With Human Skin – Invisible – Chicago IL

Echoberyl – Mother Solitude – Paris France

MALE TEARS – Model Citizen – California

The Joy Thieves (feat. I Ya Toyah) – Money Is Not Our God (Killing Joke Cover) by Coitus Interruptus Productions – Chicago superband The Joy Thieves return to this chart with a blistering cover of the Killing Joke classic. This entire compilation is full of banger tributes to one of the great names of the scene. Ania (I Ya Toyah) unleashes a terrifying and powerful rendition full of punk rock snarl and sky splitting technicolor. Milligan puts on a loving masterclass in syncopation on drums.

https://coitusinterruptusproductions.bandcamp.com/track/the-joy-thieves-money-is-not-our-god-feat-i-ya-toyah

daddybear (feat grabyourface) – Hypnotic – Madison WI – I love this team up more every time it happens. Matt Fanale (Caustic/Klack) dropped this immediate dance floor classic with frequent contributor Marie (Grabyourface) on vocals. It’s a buzzing electronic zapper you can’t help buzz towards your destruction on. Whispy sensual, destruction core vibes. A must own banger.

https://daddybear.bandcamp.com/album/hypnotic-feat-grabyourface

Aesthetic Perfection (feat. Isaac Howlett) – Save Myself – Austria – The king of pop industrial teams up with glorious songsmith Isaac Howlett (Empathy Test) to create this perfect style blend duet. It cooks and yanks the hell out of your heart strings as two of the great voices of the modern scene push and pull a furious cyclone of exploding energy.

https://aestheticperfection.bandcamp.com/

Stabbing Westward – I Am Nothing – From COP International LA Progdustrial sensation continues to prove they are a force of challenge and artistic expression in 2021. It’s fierce guitars and laser burn vocals from Chris Hall, who remains one of the best in the business.

https://stabbingwestward.bandcamp.com/album/i-am-nothing

Helix – Run (Hallowed Hearts Remix) – The husband/wife team up of Tom Shear (Assemblage 23) & vocalist Mari Kattman are one of those things I am embarrassed I waited so long to get on board with. It is sledge hammer dance beats smashing ice castles of precision and fractal light beam beauty. Spinning motion I never want to put down.

https://helix.bandcamp.com/album/bad-dream

S Y Z Y G Y X – Light You On Fire – I have been so excited to hear where Luna and Cold Transmission Music would go next with this project. This scorching sensual growl of death disco minimalist glory. I don’t even know how to categorize it. Only that I can’t get enough eagerly await the full album release this Friday .

https://syzygy-x.bandcamp.com/album/im-mortal

grabyourface – Rob the Bank – The French Negative Gain artist makes their second appearance on the chart. This coldwave slow stomp single of revolutionary nihilism and burning intelligence is a smoldering exhibition on a post capitalism world.

https://grabyourfacengp.bandcamp.com/

PALAIS IDEAL – The Voice Of Reason – Cold Transmission progressive post punk artists have again produced a higher concept thinking dystopian sound for the modern age. Overlapping waves of technical excellence and poetic intent. Everyone in the genre wants to make the next Star Wars while John and Richard are creating Issac Asmov.

https://palaisideal.bandcamp.com/album/negative-space

Sapphira Vee (Feat Cat Hall) – Breath of You – Distortion Records artists teams up with peer vocal power Cat Hall to belt this powerful single about the strength and perseverance of cancer survivors. The weight and emotion of this personal track is a crackling orb of enormous movement and resilience.

https://sapphiravee.bandcamp.com/

ULTRA SUNN – Young Foxes – Saucy Belgian cold wave trance from Cold Transmission. Sam Huge has a resonating voice that fills a room and stalks with intent. Pete Burns adds an elegant mastering to create cavernous echos.

https://ultrasunn.bandcamp.com/album/body-electric

Special mentions:

https://machineswithhumanskin.bandcamp.com/album/transience

https://echoberyl.bandcamp.com/album/mother-solitude-and-other-dark-tales

https://maletears.bandcamp.com/track/model-citizen-2

Follow The Leaders (A Killing Joke Tribute)

on By

Coitus Interruptus Productions quotes writer Steve Taylor from his 2006 book, The A to X of Alternative Music, as saying “Killing Joke have inspired all dark music since 1981” going on to posit that “Scrape the surface of just about any Industrial Metal or Alternative Rock band worth their salt, and you’ll find some aspects of the prolific and powerful Killing Joke.”

With that bold statement, they bring us Follow the Leaders (A Killing Joke Tribute), an 11 track compilation that dares to take on the challenge of honoring one of the greatest progenitors of the post-punk/industrial metal genre.

Snowbeasts start it off right with their take on the KJ classic Wardance. Primal rhythms with a darkly polished sheen. This wardance knows it’s not just about brutality and wounds its prey with  subtle efficient strikes… Makes you wanna pogo along like a flashback to an 80’s punk show by way of a Berlin discotheque. 

From there we move onto Element, and their version of Turn to Red. Element trades the punk reggae vibes of the original for more darkwave sound and turns up the dub a bit to make this one hard not bob your head to its tranced out vibe.

Next, The Blue Hour brings us The Gathering. I am not sure how they do it, but TBH takes this classic Killing Joke track, and channels the ghosts of Bow Wow Wow, and still makes the track sound fresh.

Riotgun takes on the herculean task of covering one of the most well known KJ tracks, Eighties. You have to give these guys credit… This is the one track that I had the most concern about when I heard about this compilation. Yet I think they do an admirable job of keeping the aggression in place and not turning in an unintentional parody of the original. Hats off to Riotgun… Well played!

Here in the middle of the group, we find three of the best tracks of the compilation in my opinion…

Shhadows brings us a dreamy, trip hop inspired version of my all time favorite Killing Joke song Love Like Blood. For all its dreamy, spaced out qualities, it still keeps its power.

Trance to the Moon tackles Love of the Masses. This song hits me with the same angst of a song like Love Like Blood from a new direction, and I feel the pain in every note that vocalist Monet Alarie hits. Like a love gone wrong, it leaves you longing for another kiss.

And rounding out this triad of greatness is The Joy Thieves (featuring I Ya Toya) with Money is Not Our God.  Ania Tarnowska, takes no prisoners with her vocals on this bombastic assault against capitalism, propelled through the night by the punishing rhythms courtesy of Dan Milligan and crew.

On The Death and Resurrection Show, Missing Witness brings us a version of the song that we might have seen if Jaz and the Gang had gotten snared in the Wax Trax net circa 1986. The track evokes the feel of Ministry tracks The Angel and Over the Shoulder. Very cool old-school Chicago industrial vibes here.

The Raygun Girls bring those Big Paul Ferguson Beats to the front of the line on their take on  Hosannas from the Basements of Hell. This is the most Killing Joke like track on the whole record, yet doesn’t cross that line over into cover band purgatory.

This World Hell by Dead Receptors is an interesting track full of contradictions. Its brutalist vocals and staccato clipped synths are weighted down by the sleazy/funky bass and drums that remind me of great tracks like Golgotha Tenement Blues from Machines of Loving Grace. 

And finally, HadesMachine shows us out with Euphoria. A Goth rock banger tinged with siren call synths pleading for us to show some urgency, like a vampire biker gang racing against the dawn.

Overall this compilation curated by Coitus Interruptus Productions is a worthy tribute to one of the great pioneers of the post-punk/industrial sound. Go pick it up as a pay what you want offering at: https://coitusinterruptusproductions.bandcamp.com/album/follow-the-leaders-a-killing-joke-tribute

Sounds and Shadows Darkscene Chart

Featured By

Recently on the Sounds and Shadows group we had a discussion about the place of “Charts” like the DAC in the modern scene. A way to keep your finger on the pulse and help DJs see what tracks are trending by people in the know. I took a poll of our group of Dj’s, Musicians, Labels, PR companies, and superfans to pick their hottest releases in Sept-Oct of the modern Darkscene. We had a ton of stellar releases that were discussed but I have taken the top 10 chosen. I plan to do this once a month.

  1. Moris Blak – Candyman –
  2. The Joy Thieves – Nemesis – Armalyte Industries
  3. Stoneburner – Apex Predator – COP International
  4. Actors – Love You More – Artoffact Records
  5. Wingtips – Run For Shelter – Artoffact Records
  6. Bootblacks – Thin Skies (Twin Tribes Remix) – Artoffact Records
  7. Curse Mackey – Lacerations – Negative Gain
  8. Angelspit – Don’t Know Zero – BLACKPILLREDPILL
  9. Gasoline Invertebrate – Scarlet Slip feat Chris Connelly (iVardensphere Remix) – Tigersquawk Records
  10. Dread Risks – Trauma Ties – Re:Mission Entertainment

https://morisblak.bandcamp.com/album/candyman-single?fbclid=IwAR3IkWI5xWU_wG07h02T1GLS7al59J6KTudG_eA32-EEMRBfUB8CnWl2AwI

https://thejoythieves.bandcamp.com/album/nemesis?fbclid=IwAR2qVQHV1KgC_gizRUTp2qRRaYiU6w_lMQH_MGn2AQEit5Ltyk94etsEsK0

https://stoneburnerofficial.bandcamp.com/album/apex-predator

https://actors.bandcamp.com/

https://wingtips.bandcamp.com/album/cutting-room-floor

https://bootblacks.bandcamp.com/album/thin-skies-remixed

Curse Mackey (bandcamp.com)

https://angelspit-official.bandcamp.com/album/don-t-know-zero-single

Gasoline Invertebrate – Scarlet Slip feat Chris Connelly (iVardensphere Remix)

https://tigersquawkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/tigersquawk-vs-cop-international

https://dreadrisks.bandcamp.com/

Keep growing the scene, keep supporting great music. If you want to vote in next months S & S Darkscene chart join up on facebook and submit your song.

It’s Time To Revive The Label Compilation “Broken Hearts and Robot Parts”

on By

One million years ago before the internet it was a lot harder to find the greatest new music. We would head down to the record store and buy the latest compilation from our favorite record labels. Cleopatra and Wax Trax were mine. Streaming services made this a bit of a lost art. COP International has started a new series of comps called “Broken Hearts and Robot Parts“. I beam with pride that I got to choose the name. Christian Petke and team have done a smaller more focused spotlight on label bands and future unsigned talent. It’s great to see a label with a storied history and powerhouse producer like John Fryer take an interest in growing new bands for the sake of the scene. This is the future I have longed for where labels fulfil the promise of family and support so many of us dreamed of. Amazing artwork from Greg Rolfes ties together the concept. Let’s dig in to Part I.

https://copinternational.bandcamp.com/album/broken-hearts-robot-parts-i

The production levels of everything here are outstanding. I love that COP made sure everyone added to this comp where putting their best foot forward and highlighting each band at their best performance. The music has a diverse range but a cohesive idea of guitar focused rock music blended with electronic elements.

Johnny Tupolev – Shot In Black and White – Out the gate with a strong delivery from a COP International artist. The German performer opens with a tension building breathing vocal and then explodes into a crushing crowbar guitar riff. The vocals have expressive Mike Patton flare. I love the hard Alt rock flavor with electronic elements and a introspective message of ego death.

https://johnnytupolev.bandcamp.com/releases

Suicide Queen – Swan – Truly a dripping oily black horror sound held in a white lace glove. The Oakland CA band delivers beautiful New Order keyboard melodies, washed over by Kay Dolores filthy and distinct rasping growl. It creates fierce contrast that leaves you both lulled and unnerved. This track is a rush of wind at your back, pushing your spread wings to a danger you are trying not to face.

https://suicidequeen.bandcamp.com/album/swan

Machines With Human Skin – Watch It Burn – The project of our dear friend Adrian Halo of Chicago. A furious cyclone of fire and wind. I love the wispy style vocals and digital drive. Great use of dynamics that cause the chorus to hit hard with fist pump and boot stomp moments. Wicked overlapping guitar solo around the 3 minute mark give an organic blast to the cold electronic swirl.

https://machineswithhumanskin.bandcamp.com/

unitcode:machine – Paper Empires (Regional Adjunct Remix by GW Childs) Dallas Texas cyber wizards set loose this stop and start bleep bloop broken mechanical dance. I love the way Eric is spinning an static buzz story with his voice and the even cadence walk.

https://unitcode.bandcamp.com/

The Burying Kind – Falling Over – One thing I will never stop screaming from the rooftops is about the Chicago duo of Dan Milligan (The Joy Thieves) and Scott-David Allen (A Covenant of Thorns) . They both took the leap, trusted in each other and made one of the best Shoegaze albums I have heard in over a decade. This track in particular highlights the romantic gothic beauty of Allen’s vocals and the grey pallet tapestry of Milligan’s production. I love using this as an outro to this emotional journey.

https://theburyingkind.bandcamp.com/album/the-burying-kind

I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful journey that puts on display the wealth of modern music that has our scene buzzing with excitement.

Sounds and Shadows Podcast

Featured By

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.

https://grabyourfacengp.bandcamp.com/

2/19/21 Tear 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”

https://rivetingmusic4u.bandcamp.com/album/tear-down-the-walls

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.

https://programmableanimalngp.bandcamp.com/album/one-step-to-hell

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.

https://thebluehour.bandcamp.com/album/cold-bare

1/27/21 Matt Fanale of Caustic/ Klack – Talking about his projects, history, and balancing home life, Industrial Gossip, and rock stardom.

https://klack.bandcamp.com/album/deklacked-vol-1

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.

https://thecassandracomplex.bandcamp.com/track/the-crown-lies-heavy-on-the-king

12/14/20 Interview with Der Prosector – Talking about punk rock, Armilyte Records, British Premier League, and the power of curry.

https://derprosector.bandcamp.com/

12/7/20 Reaction to “Love U More” video by Actors

https://actors.bandcamp.com/track/love-u-more

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.

https://pigindustries.bandcamp.com/

10/17/20 Interview with Vazum – Talk about the Detroit scene, their Halloween album, influences, and collecting dead things.

https://vazum.bandcamp.com/

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.

https://carolineblind.bandcamp.com/album/the-spell-between

8/14/20 Interview with Bootblacks – Talking about their new album, where Panthers name came from, touring, and working with Jason Corbet.

https://bootblacks.bandcamp.com/album/thin-skies

7/23/20 Interview with Crying Vessel – Talk about the new album, video production, horror movies, and working with Dean Garcia of Curve.

https://cryingvessel.bandcamp.com/album/pleasures-for-the-wicked

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.

https://dogtablet.bandcamp.com/album/feathers-skin

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.

https://empathy-test.bandcamp.com/album/monsters-expanded

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.

https://iamtheshadow.bandcamp.com/album/pitchblack-2