DECOUPLR is a new Philadelphia-based duo that blends soulful vocals with a variety of electronic styles. Built upon such sounds as sampled drums, mellotron flutes, and vintage synths, DECOUPLR’s music has a trip-hop edge but isn’t quite like anything else. It strikes a balance of being dark and somewhat cold with being organic and welcoming. … Read more
On her newly released third album, The Element Of Love, Danielle de Picciotto continues to meld her voice and experimental soundscapes into a highly unique sound. This time around, spoken word gets emphasized over sung vocals, and the music is generally a bit softer. Again, Danielle has integrated her visual art, using a painting of … Read more
This past fall saw the release of TRANSHUMAN, a collaboration between German electronic group U96 and former Kraftwerk member Wolfgang Flür. We previously ran an interview with U96’s Hayo Lewerentz, and now we present an email interview with Flür. Flür played percussion with Kraftwerk from 1973 until 1987. After stepping away from music for many … Read more
Having put out a string of singles last year, Washington D.C.-based dark pop duo Technophobia has released their long-awaited second album, “Some of Us Are Looking at the Stars.” Consisting of Katie and Stephen Petix, Technophobia relies heavily on analog electronic instruments. This time around, they strived to push themselves even further to come up … Read more
With COVID-19 postponing touring plans last year, Front Line Assembly instead focused its energies on new music, resulting in the recently released “Mechanical Soul.” As usual, the group takes its dark, aggressive electronic music into new directions while remaining true to its own unique sound. “Mechanical Soul” features guest appearances from Front 242’s Jean-Luc DeMeyer … Read more
A decade after their last release, Imperative Reaction has finally returned with a new album, Mirror. More diverse than their previous albums, Mirror is very much an evolution of the electro-EBM sound Imperative Reaction have become known for. The sequencing and arrangements are polished yet retain a raw power behind them, laying the perfect foundation … Read more
On Scattered Storms, the EP from his project Good Bison, Pablo Alvarez twists his varied influences into a catchy and welcoming sound. At times, the vocal delivery reflects his earlier hip hop-oriented work, but there are also strains of surf rock, punk-pop, and indie rock in the songs. Writing lyrics had been Alvarez’s gateway into … Read more
“Guardrails” is the solo debut from Andrew Toy, a DC-based musician who has worked extensively as a session drummer/percussionist. The album evolved out of material he’s been playing live since 2016, where the use of looping and other effects enables Toy to re-imagine the role of drums and percussion. With the studio allowing even more … Read more
Raymond Watts has been one of the more prolific forces in the electronic/industrial genre, having been an early (and recurring) member of KMFDM and part of many collaborations. But Pig represents his own creative vision. Watts initially started Pig in 1988 and ‘just sort of fell out of it’ at the start of the millennium, … Read more
Like many musicians, Midge Ure has ventured into online performances due to Covid-19 putting traditional concerts on hold. He’s strived to make the quality as high as possible by extensively researching the best possible equipment and techniques to present his music. The result is the “Backstage Lockdown Club,” a subscription-based service that provides access to live performance/Q&A events. Its launch roughly coincided with the 40th-anniversary boxset re-issue of “Vienna,” Ure’s first album with Ultravox.