Аргандаб CSUIS records Link
UIS drops another titillating compilation in less than a year. While their previous compilation covered the higher quality end of death-industrial and harsher landscapes, this one inscribes a bigger sense of mystery and sometimes downright befuddling angle to an interesting them.
To start, I think a Russian label tackling the theme of Afghanistan makes a certain kind of sense even though Cold-War era incursions are over three decades old. I don’t know how much the Mujahadin play into the consciousness of the average Russian, but this compilation seems …

Jim Haynes – Electrical Injuries LPAussen Traum records
Jim Haynes was unknown to me until I saw him live. A master at configuring hardware into precise and neurotic movements, Electrical Injuries is a saturated and cold ache of modular sounds and rusted samples.
The sounds on this album are subtle yet forceful prevarication that belie the amount of hard work Jim puts into composing his arrangements. The way these tapestries together might imply the kind of corroding VST manic fitting together normally done on a laptop. A laptop may have very well …

Old Tower – Rise of the Specter CassetteTour de Garde website LINK
There’s a new wave of dungeon synth music coming out as of the last couple of years and it seems that Tour De Garde has been helping to proliferate it. Old Tower has a pretty decent discography ranging from somber medieval ditties to full on epic fantasy war battle leitmotifs. Rise Of the Specter opts for the latter.
One may attribute this type of music to prison-era Burzum where he sought out old casio keyboards with murder fresh on his …

Hurz – s/t CD
Hurz BANDCAMP LINK
I’ll try to refrain from typing in the name of that one band that scored all those Italian horror movies, but it’s a welcome comparison to the electronic/prog songs that Hurz writes. The band describes themselves as a creator of magic squares where the listener is subjected to symbolic transformations. Very theater oriented stuff here.
I think it’s risky to offer an 11+ minute song up as your first track, but “Il nodo” throws you in the wash. If this track is intended as a …

Never Presence Forever/Isolated Existence –
A Future Scarred By Memory/Forever In The Dark CD-r
Darker Days Ahead BANDCAMP LINK
This CD-r release offers harsh noise and industrial elements split across two pieces by Never Presence Forever hailing from Virginia and Isolated Existence. Similar sonic elements bring these two artists together, but complexity (or simplicity rather) of the compositions are really what sets them apart.
Never Presence Forever‘s constructions of simple sound columns with minimal sequencing are really satisfying. The tracks are succinct and simple, but you will find dynamics here. …

Awesome mix from Isabella featuring minimal techno, ambient, and other experimental curation: Truancy Volume 186.

Анатомический Атлас Compilation CS
UIS LABEL
Looking for one of the best experimental compilations of this year? Анатомический Атлас not only has a great array of artists, but a really compelling and cohesive theme. Great curation and a mandatory acquisition!
Анатомический Атлас means anatomical atlas. Each track covers a certain aspect of medicine with respect to the enlightenment era and the tracks cover HNW, dark ambient, and power electronics. The tracks are sequenced impeccably in such a way that there are two distinct build-ups. The art for this …

Jib Kidder – New Works for Realistic Mixer 2016 CD-r
Care of Editions
Every so often, a record label forms to transform some aspect of the industry, however minute or grand. Care Of Editions‘ shtick is offering a certain number of paid (as in you get paid to download) downloads for every physical copy sold of an album sold. The handy guide in the back tells me that there is a non-linear, inverse relationship between vinyl sales and downloads. The more vinyl sold, the more one is paid because …

TAPE GIVEAWAY
To start the year off, two tapes are up for grabs – Grutch – Held and Nycterent/Scrotal Tear split. Details on these two tapes and details for how to acquire these are below.
Hailing from Jamaica Plain, Grutch is the tantalizing lo-fi industrialized techno side project of Lex (Vehement Caress). Held weaves in and out of various moods and themes, driving memorable melodies alongside a variety of beats. Sample here.
Nycterent is the newly emerged project of Jon (formerly Erroraeon). Visceral death industrial with an organic edge to …

For download:
Voidstar Productions XXV Year Anniversary Compilation.
Includes tracks from Theologian, Timeghost, Greyscape, Sleep Clinic, Cenotype, Vomit Arsonist, Author And Punisher, Mend, Xiphoid Dimentia, and more for the low price of $10 in celebration of the 25th anniversary fest that happened recently.