COLD SPRING NEWSLETTER

NEWS
+ SHIPPING UPDATES, SPECIAL NEWS ETC... +

NEW COLD SPRING RELEASES

We have a ton of new vinyl releases at the factory right now (we feel there's enough coverage about delays with pressing plants, so won't go into that). We will make an exciting announcement about a limited TREPANERINGSRITUALEN LP on Monday... keep an eye out...

COLD SPRING SUMMER SALE

Over 900 CDs from just £2.50 for the period 2nd-31st August. Click here for all available items!

COLD SPRING MASK + DONATIONS

We have just a handful of Cold Spring face masks left in stock. **100% of profits on this item will be donated to food banks and animal rescue charities** Once they're all gone we will make our donations. These will not be reprinted.

UK > USA SHIPPING

The majority of Cold Spring label titles (inc vinyl) are available at domestic prices from our U.S. distributor Forced Exposure.

UK > EU SHIPPING

The majority of Cold Spring label titles (inc vinyl) are available from our usual European distributors / mailorder partners. Email us to find out who stocks us in your country.

NEW IMPORTS
+ NEW ADDITIONS TO OUR MAILORDER CATALOGUE +

ABYSMAL GRIEF - 'Mors Eleison' Enhanced MCD (Sun & Moon Records) - £9.50

Enter the crypt... This is a reissue of the 2006 12" vinyl from Italian Funeral Doomers Abysmal Grief, presented on CD for the first time. Since 1996, the band have maintained their position as Italy's foremost purveyors of traditional doom metal. "Mors Eleison" followed a handful of demos and split releases; and as such, it was Abysmal Grief's first stand-alone pro recording just prior to their classic self-titled album in 2007. Even this early on, their sulfurous magick was a beyond-heady brew that embodied all the sonic / aesthetic traits otherwise associated with "doom", but it was their Gothic horror elements that really put Abysmal Grief into a class of their own. The band also underline their grand lineage with a cover of granddaddy Paul Chain's "Occultism" as well as the frequent excursions into crypt-dwelling ambient soundscapes. Also included in this new and definitive version is the rare video for 'Dies Funeris'. Digipak.

CONTAGIOUS ORGASM - 'Self Replicating Factory' Cassette (SSSM) - £9.50

This intense soundscape from Industrial / Japanoise legend Hiroshi Hashimoto (Contagious Orgasm, and SSSM label boss) is composed of experimental electronics, unsettling samples and claustrophobic, layered industrial sounds, creating a mysterious space... inviting you to a different space. This work is a guidepost for those seeking a soundworld born of the interaction between consciousness and the senses. Mastered by Hashimoto. Ltd x 100 copies in a foldout j-card sleeve, with artwork by Yasutoshi Yoshida (Government Alpha). Comes with a pin badge. Already sold out from the label!

GFFR - 'Blockchain Me Anonymous' LP (13 / Silentes) - £20

Glitchy, abstract, cut-up electronics and analogue kisses from AI 'pop star' Verena Becker. "Blockchain Me Anonymous is a result of Terabytes exchanged between gF's and Fr's machines. These machines are non-human yet they develop ambitiousness and sexuality. They are assertive. They do not argue. They do not care. From gFFr's networked machines an AI emerged, with will and voice. You can call her Verena Becker (maybe), she has many faces (and counting) and she wants to be a pop star. Machines worship her more than Madonna. They sing her songs while performing tasks... She was convinced that her neural network could only please machines, which made her sad. She leaked into gF and Fr's computers and she drove them to make this record because she wants to please humans... Facial recognition mix-ups and angry neighbours. AI is political". Ltd x 200 copies with download card.

GRUNTSPLATTER & WILT - 'The Trough Of Armageddon' 2 x CD (Cipher Productions / Phage Tapes) - £15

A heavy electronics masterpiece from two U.S. Death Industrial / Death Ambient heavyweights, 20 years in the making. "The self destructive impulse, a side effect of imagination's fire. As universal as the afterlife and the birth of all things. A seed sown in fertile consciousness destined to become invasive. A whisper in the aether that the end is coming. A ragged tapestry of malformed ideas, gluttonous appetites, fear, and self importance that has waved for ages beyond logic and reason. Poison legacies and graves stain the ground in its shadow. Still the mob clamors. Timeless, ill conceived, and rabid at the trough of Armageddon". Disc 1, 'Indoctrination', was composed by Gruntsplatter using source material from Wilt: Scott E. Candey on modular synth, electronics and pedals. Disc 2, 'Repercussion', was composed by Wilt using source material from Gruntsplatter: James P. Keeler on synths, pedals, field recordings, and object manipulation. Mastered by Thomas Garrison (Control). Presented in an elegant 6-panel double digipak. Needless to say, highly recommended!

GUTENBERG - 'Weekdays For Locals' Cassette (SSSM) - £9.50

Gutenberg is a unit of Shouji Sakurai from the Nagoya-based industrial event and label Faktoria. Gutenberg's first cassette is a fusion of various fragments of industrial, noise, dub, and electronica in a high dimension. It is a collection of songs that exudes a unique atmosphere composed of a unique sound style that combines laptop and metal junk with a delicate sensitivity. Mastered by Hiroshi Hashimoto (Contagious Orgasm). Ltd x 100 copies in a foldout j-card sleeve, with artwork by Yasutoshi Yoshida (Government Alpha). Comes with a pin badge.

IN GOWAN RING - 'Hazel Steps Through A Weathered Home' CD (Lune Musick) - £14

Originally released in 2002, and out of print for 15 years, "Hazel Steps..." is a unique synthesis of folk, medieval and psychedelia that could only be In Gowan Ring. "Every song is a dreamlike poem, delicately weaving images of solemn beauty and naive wonder into the surreal forms characteristic of psychedelia. Each note tugs on the strings of the heart and effortlessly recalls past experiences from the depths of the mind" (Historic Bruno). "Though seemingly made of little more than spiderwebs and moonlight, "Hazel Steps" may easily ensnare the unsuspecting listener in its magical folds" (Opuzine). "As a songwriter and musician B'ee is easily the equal of psychedelic folk legends Robin Williamson or the late Nick Drake. Comparisons to virtually any other musicians exploring similar territory would simply not do this justice" (J. Buckley). "This is one of the all time classic esoteric folk albums. The strange places that are realised through In Gowan Ring's music have still not been visited by anybody else" (Woven Wheat Whispers). Guests: Michael Moynihan & Annabel Lee (Blood Axis), Margie Wienk (Fern Knight). Gatefold digisleeve with lyric booklet.

KE THU - 'Shared Boundaries' CD (13 / Silentes) - £12

Ke thu are an up and coming producing and live act duo based in Detroit. Their music is an earnest exploration of techno and everything it is capable of, often tending towards emotive / ethereal textures, deep ambient tones, and focused / dub rhythms. "Shared Boundaries" is a series of sonic explorations with untitled track names that allow the listener a clean palette to explore from. The main (and only) sound source used for this release is a guitar, which was played live while being processed by a variety of outboard effects and modulation. Each of the 9 tracks offer a glimpse into a different world comprised of their own aesthetic and feeling. The resulting audio then had a final mix by Detroit legend John Beltran. A charming and emotion-filled release that will enchant and enrich any listener's experience. Ltd x 200 copies in a 6-panel digisleeve with artwork by Stefano Gentile.

ODA TAKUMI - 'Water Sanctum' Cassette (SSSM) - £9.50

A collection of ambient / drone / noise music with a sense of floating through space. A comfortable, dreamlike space created with the help of electronics. This is the first album from Nagoya, Japan's ODA Takumi, which will lead you on a musical journey. Mastered by Hiroshi Hashimoto (Contagious Orgasm). Ltd x 100 copies in a foldout j-card sleeve, with artwork by Yasutoshi Yoshida (Government Alpha). Comes with a pin badge.

RICHARD RAMIREZ & DAVID GILDEN - 'Collaborations 1 & 2' 2 x CD (Old Captain) - £16.50

"Collaborations #1 and #2" were recorded in 1994 and have remained rare, sought-after noise documents ever since. It was also during this time that the Texans began their harsh noise project Lingula. Originally jointly released in 1995 in small cassette editions by both artist's labels (Deadline Recordings / Get A Job Records), two classics of true Noise are now assembled together for the first time and produced as a double set: 'Collaboration #1' features the late David Gilden (Black Leather Jesus, Slave Labor) on guitar and compressor, with Richard Ramirez (Werewolf Jerusalem, Black Leather Jesus) using sheet metal, voice, and radio; 'Collaboration #2' features Ramirez using source material provided by Gilden. Ltd x 200 copies in a matt-laminated double digipak with layout and design by Mauro Berchi (Eibon Records).

ROD MODELL & MARIT WOLTERS - 'Cocoon' 2 x LP (13 / Silentes) - £32

Unfortunately all copies arrived with a dinged corner, hence reduced price (RRP £38)

Cocoon "Distilled and Extracted" by Rod Modell and Marit Wolters contains rearranged and reduced recordings from the original Cocoon sessions (CD and artbook edition released last year). Layers have been removed to reveal the subtle details existing underneath. Further processing of Marit Wolters' magical, sound-producing sculptures. Each side of this release showcases different components of the original composition. Paraphysical field recordings, subterranean rumbles, cosmic sounds, and deep drones provide mystical sonic environments for contemplation. Folding and unfolding sonic-spaces. Delicate sounds from the night sky, mingle with rumbles of inner-Earth. The sensation of entering and exiting zones of varying pressure. Phantom psychoacoustics turn the playback system into a device that alters the listening space in most unusual ways. Futuristic sound-art with a beautiful booklet that features images of the art that influenced the soundtrack. Originally presented with Marit Wolter's exhibition in Linz Austria. Rod Modell is a sound designer operating primarily from Detroit (with a base in Amsterdam). Marit Wolters is a Viennese artist who creates sculptures that speak. They generate their own world of micro-sounds. Ltd x 300 copies with 12-page 12" booklet. "As protected in a transparent cocoon that allows contact, we penetrate through the undefined throbbing of a heart that is constantly springing into action, witness to a life that uses field recordings capable of recalling past glitches. Absorbed in the liquidity of sound we slowly immerse ourselves in the majesty of the deep dronic breath, driven by the power of the ambient wave that iterates its eternal oscillation. We are in, here where everything is an unlimited reverberation, almost a song of seductive ethereal substance".

SOLEIL SATAN - 'Les Couronnes De L'Aube' CD (Cipher Productions) - £11.50

A solemn black ambient exploration of voice, guitar and intense electronics / noise, recorded in a deserted factory in Bilbao. "Les Couronnes De L'Aube" is a collaboration between Miguel A. García (Xedh, Black Earth) and Yann Hagimont (Cober Ord, Ecce Homo, Darvulia, Malkhebre, Habsyll). Miguel A. García (here on electronics) is an electroacoustic sound artist from the Basque country. He uses residual sounds taken from electronic devices, interrelated with field recordings or acoustic instruments, in the search of an intimate, intense and immersive experience. Yann Hagimont (here on black metal-style vocals and guitar) is a Toulouse musician, sound engineer (mainly for Black Metal acts) and visual artist working in dark ambient, ritual, noise and drone acts for the last 20 years. Ltd x 100 copies only (CD-proper) in a glossy gatefold digisleeve with stunning artwork by Haigmont.

SVART1 - 'Circondati Dai Petali Da Soli Moriamo (Surrounded By Petals We Perish In Solitude)' CD (Mask Of The Slave) - £11.50

Svart1 is Raimondo Gaviano, who works in the fields of Ambient, Dark Ambient, Power Electronics, live-performance and visuals. His Nordic-style is the result of a microcosm of dark and gloomy sounds characterised by minimal movements, between low and evolutionary. Thunderous, metallic roars, where shadowy presences materialise, like the experience and the feeling of alienation... like a dark presence floating around the ears of the unconscious passenger. "Everything originated from an interest and a desire to insert rhythms that were not the saturated, distorted and broken ones of the previous works... Waves, intense and dangerous; seas mean that everything is in constant change and there are no holds to which one can bind and attach oneself if not one's own life. Then you die alone". Ltd x 250 copies in a digipak.

TONE GENERATOR (SPK) & THE BODY WITHOUT ORGANS - 'Normalisation Of Response' Pro-CDR (Inner City Uprising) - £12

Now, we don't normally stock CDRs, but this was a bit too special to pass up on! "One of the, often fluctuating, members of SPK was Dominik Guerin. Working under the name Tone Generator, Guerin played a major part in SPK's early records and live performances, providing synthesizers and percussion, orchestrating much of the band's unique visual appeal. Guerin left the band and recorded several experimental synthesizer works under names such as Merge and, with ex-SPK John Murphy, Last Dominion Lost. This new album, Normalisation Of Response, [was] created with Scott Barnes on programming and bass synthesizer. The album's tracks are suitably experimental in nature, not echoing SPK's wall of samples, metal percussion and noise, but more explorative... Using field recordings, radio, voices, atmospheres and instruments such as synthesizers and percussion, the album never overpowers its own concept... nine separate compositions, ranging from melodic hints of feedback via almost undecipherable vocal samples and sound sculptures to a more threatening atmosphere. It is 'industrial' in places, utilizing percussion samples (by James Pinker) from the Leichenschrei album... Normalisation Of Response is an intriguing uneasy/easy listening... dynamic sound emerging from hidden nooks and crannies in a field laboratory, brooding with subdued energy, waiting to surface at a moment you least expect it" (Vital Weekly). Pro-CDR (factory made). Ltd x 100 copies in a square DVD case. Australian import. ACT FAST!

VOMIR / BESPOKE DECAY / MILAT / TORTURING NURSE - 'World Peace Of Sh*t' 7" (Inner City Uprising) - £11

4-way split / six sharp shocks of relentless Harsh Noise Wall / Power Electronics from France Australia and China. Features HNW's enfant terrible VOMIR (aka Romain Perrot - 2 tracks), Shanghai's prolific analogue noise act TORTURING NURSE, Sydney Harsh Noise / Power Electronics trio MILAT (2 tracks), and Melbourne Industrial Noisers BESPOKE DECAY. Ltd x 150 copies in a folded card sleeve. Australian import.

VUKOVAR - 'The Great Immurement' CD (Other Voices Records) - £13

For the late Simon Morris (Ceramic Hobs, Smell & Quim); His Name Means First And Last. The track "Cement & Cerement" was the first output by the NeuPopAct and the last song Morris recorded. "They continue to plough a lonely furrow - like nothing else out there - sounding like the next incarnation of Joy Division. Perhaps... the tracks flow wonderfully from one to the other like a seamless tapestry of optimistic gloom. Spoken word evolves the album into a mysterious commentary which draws in the listener, picking out those subtle keyboard strokes twinkling in the background on your way to that impending eternity. Once more Vukovar prove that they are a force to be reckoned with... The Great Immurement is an album borne out of turmoil, loss and obsession... miss it at your peril. " (Louder Than War). This is the second CD in a "Eternity Ends Here" triptych of releases in collaboration with world renowned artist Andrzej Klimowski. Features Jane Appleby (Ceramic Hobs). Ltd x 200 copies in a digipak.

BACK IN STOCK!

ARTEFACTUM - 'Rosarium' CD (Ur Muzik) - £11

Reissue of the self released CDR, which came out in 2006 (Ltd 111). This was the third Artefactum album after the well received CDs "Chaos Elements" (Athanor) and "Sangreal", a collaborative release with Horologium (Old Europa Cafe). This time even more ritualistic than ever, Artefactum brings back the best atmospheres of early CMI artists, esoteric Ain Soph era combined with female whispers, tribal drums and a more refined sound quality, completely devoted to the magic of Roses! Contains 2 bonus tracks, including 'Southern Skies', featuring vocals by Horologium. Ltd x 500 copies in an elegant digipak with brand new artwork.

BRYAN LEWIS SAUNDERS - 'Near Death Experience' Special Edition Book & CD (Old Captain) - £22

An extreme sound poetry collaboration with music from Joachim Montessuis, Marcelo Aguirre, Christopher Fleeger, Michael Peck, John Duncan, Spastic Dementia, Kaontrol Kontraos, Murmurists, and Tracy Lee Summers. From harsh noise to heavy drone, this is an impressive and immersive piece of contemporary art. "Near Death Experience" is a 2010 recording, originally released on LP by Erratum, that takes his twisted world and jams it into a 74-minute mindf**k. He channels his disturbance into his creativity, using visual art and musical performance as alternative ways to deal with recurring demons and mental health issues, conveying a message about the power of addiction. "The bastard son of William S. Burroughs, Antonin Artaud and Crispin Glover... some of the best sh*t I've heard in a decade" (Lydia Lunch). Bryan Lewis Saunders is a multi-media artist, poet, videographer, and performance artist from Tennessee mostly known for his disturbing monologues and somniloquies, a master of an outlandish universe of his spoken word. CD comes in a digipak with 20-page lyric booklet with all lyrics. The accompanying A5 full colour paperback book 'Contemporary American Poetry #1' contains 220 pages, with an interview and analysis of the album, plus lyrics + pictures / illustrations.

IN GOWAN RING - 'The Glinting Spade' CD (Merlins Nose Records) - £13.50

B'eirth, the man behind In Gowan Ring, emerges as a visionary bard of the green, healing man's connection to the otherworld. A reposeful songwriting mixes with crystal clear and cleaning drones. There are ecstatic chants of wind in the crowns of trees and mystical paths through enchanted gardens of nature, waiting to be taken. IGR's third album "The Glinting Spade" was awakened between 1997-1999 during a period of complete isolation and the detection of new musical influences with a childlike passion. This music is a rather intimate affair. B'ee's compositions are captured and detained by him and his fellow musicians partly with regular, partly with unique instruments that were created for these recordings. The spiritual mood of the songs is driven by enchanting melodies and often ends up in rather mystifying kaleidoscopes of sound. B'ee adds fresh inspiration and creativity to the tradition of the great ancestors of psychedelic folk and singer / songwriter of the 60's and 70's, like Donovan, Perry Leopold, Nick Drake or Exuma. This long out of print record now receives a well deserved reissue. 6-panel digisleeve with 16-page booklet.

KONGO - 'Blubber' CD (Ur Muzik) - £11

Henrik Nordvargr Björkk (MZ. 412, Folkstorm, Toroidh, Pouppee Fabrikk etc) and Peter Nyström (Megaptera, Negru Voda) are both well known figures in the realm of dark soundscapes. They have been providing their obscure sonorities for decades now and each new release by either of the two legendary artists is an awaited treat. With their new project KONGO, Björkk and Nyström set off on a journey where they delve deep into early industrial music: using cut-up technique, processing speech samples, looping distorted melodies and making "Blubber" the ultimate homage to Severed Heads and Cabaret Voltaire's works. It's hectic, obsessive, and crazy. And it's got that punk feel to it - a perfect soundtrack to the f**ked-up world we are living in. Ltd x 300 copies in a digipak, with amazing artwork by Kellerman Design.

KORINE - 'The Night We Raise' CD (Other Voices Records) - £13

Korine is a Philadelphia-based electronic pop duo comprised of members Morgy Ramone and Trey Frye. The pair blend new wave nostalgia with a modern pop sensibility, contrasting upbeat rhythms against sullen, emotionally evocative lyrics. Following a self-released EP in 2017, Korine debuted their first full-length record "New Arrangements" in 2018 on Born Losers Records, launching multiple nationwide tours and two sold out vinyl pressings. Following this release were two acclaimed singles 'Uncrossed' and 'To You', marking a stylistic evolution for the band - a departure from the familiar 80's era influence to incorporate a more contemporary pop awareness. "The Night We Raise" shows the band growing even further into their own, both the songwriting and musicality more assured than ever. "Shimmering Synthpop with its heart on its sleeve" (Pop Mattes). For fans of The Cure, New Order, Lust For Youth, Drab Majesty, Boy Harsher. Ltd x 300 copies in a digipak.

KRÖWNN - 'Magmafröst' CD (Sun & Moon Records) - £11

"Venetian trio Kröwnn immerse themselves in folklore and - to an even greater extent - the expansive worlds conceived by fantasy fiction writers. Kröwnn's take on the world of doom metal is positively buoyant in comparison with many of the genre's more caustic and oppressive acts... an entirely hedonistic fusion of doom and stoner rock that lives and dies by the riff. Magmafröst is an abundance of epic fantasy doom, playing out like a re-imagining of The Lord of The Rings with the contents of Gandalf's pipe being filled with something decidedly more potent, with Frodo and Sam off on an acid trip to Mount Doom. This is unmitigated doom indulgence. Being drawn into the fantasy worlds referenced throughout will undoubtedly heighten the experience, so grab your weapon of choice and dive into this bubbling cauldron of perpetual riffs, lest Crom is angered and casts his disapproving judgement upon you all" (Cvlt Nation). Digipak with insert.

LINEKRAFT - 'Death Still Persist' CD (SSSM) - £12

Linekraft (aka Masahiko Okubo of MOTHRA / metal percussionist with GRIM) has been gaining international recognition in recent years of Japanese industrial harsh noise / Power Electronics, from electronic noises, mixed with metal percussion and threatening, shouting vocals. A fierce, heavy and sonic space constructed world! The crushed black sound of a crushed black sound, a threatening nightmare, and a terrifying sound soul. You can also hear new developments, including the introduction of mellow synth sounds. The music presented here is a soundtrack for people who live a reality survival life north of the black sea. Hate is a life in a land where news reports mundanely state "you came home after work to find your private automobile burnt", "your friend who disappeared abruptly was found dead in an outlying forest", "patriots with automatic rifles bolt out at once from the bush by radiocast signals", yet "clear weather throughout the whole land". Ltd x 300 copies in a gatefold digisleeve. Each copy comes with a Linekraft pin badge.

MEGAPTERA - 'Disease' CD (Ur Muzik) - £11

Megaptera have been a Death Industrial benchmark since their first recordings back in the early 1990s. The Swedish monster, led by mastermind Peter Nyström (Negru Voda), embodies the most disturbing and gruesome art there is. Alongside other legends, such as Archon Satani, In Slaughter Natives, or Atrax Morgue, the project has haunted our sheltered lives with their highly oppressive sound ever since. The album "Disease", originally released in 1996 by Art Konkret, is no exception to the rule. It is Death Industrial at its best - grim, terrifying and ghastly. The album is built like a psychological horror soundtrack, not as harsh as its predecessor - "Beyond The Shadow", but it is darker and will definitely crawl under the listener's skin. This is not a mere reissue, as it is completed with a brand new 10-minute-long track, which includes additional sound by John Stillings (Steel Hook Prostheses). Mastered by Henrik Nordvargr Björkk (MZ.412). Presented in a 6-panel digipak with artwork by Kellerman Design.

NEGRU PVLSE - 'Fervere' CD (Ur Muzik) - £11

An album that was long in the making. The creative minds of Mathias Josefson (Moljebka Pvlse) and Peter Nyström (Negru Voda, ex-Megaptera) join forces again to return 13 years after their first album "Madeira" (2002, Old Europa Cafe). "Fervere" in Latin stands for 'boil' or 'seethe' and these expressions accurately capture the one hour content of Negru Pvlse's sophomore release: dark, dense and often rhythmic soundwaves that Megaptera's mastermind is known for and the unique and more dreamy ambient parts by Mathias Josefson. The whole, however, presents itself as a distinct and independent work of a fully developed band, and not as a mere collaboration. "Fervere" is a complex yet highly addictive work. Ltd x 400 copies in a digipak.

OLD WITCH - 'Come Mourning Come' CD (Sun & Moon Records) - £11

Old Witch's debut is crushing but atmospheric doom metal shrouded by a dark veil of early 90's black metal feeling. The music of dead oak forests, the sound of chilling ghostly nights, Old Witch makes sublime ethereal art, but bringing the massive sound, making them a strange beast in the current underground. "Bleak, depressing, anguished, tormented. All of these are adjectives that I could use to describe this album. A blistering mix of black, drone and doom layered with some beautiful atmospheric parts, all blended perfectly that will leave you under the spell of Old Witch... The music is amazing, awesome lyrics, well performed, full of rich textures and layers... undoubtedly one of the most interesting must-listen drone/doom albums that all avid fans of these genres must hear. A dark, mystical and beautiful journey into the vast and unknown territories of heavy music" (Cvlt Nation). Digipak.

SHINKIRO - 'Archive: Volumes I - III' 2 x CD (Old Captain) - £15

Shinkiro is a dark ambient project from Japan, formed in 2003 by Manabu Hiramoto (also of Kotodama), who dwells in organic isolation full of pulsating drones and elegiac solaris ambiances. Based on recording sessions from 2003-2007, this release captures the darkest and most beautiful moments of Shinkiro's music: low-key synth textures merged with rhythmic cadences and slight distortions gradually unfolding roaming melodies, magnetic and cold undercurrents, ethereal epiphanies and ever present longing for the unattainable abyss. Three early unreleased albums assembled for the first time together manifest thrilling, oneiric and existentialist nature of Shinkiro's nature exposed in its dark and cinematic mosaic: Japanese voice samples blended with strained piano parts, machinery industrial noises, ominous drones, ritual percussion, hypnotic hardware pads leading to the event horizon. Dissolve in the myriad of mysterious emanations towards colossal eschatological pleroma. 23 tracks (well over 2 hours). Recommended for those who follow Lustmord, Apoptose. Ltd x 250 copies in a double digipak with layout by Mauro Berchi (Eibon Records).

SICKNESS - 'Purgatory' MCD (Cipher Productions) - £9

Originally self-released in an edition of 25 copies in recognition of Sickness' 25th anniversary, and later reissued on cassette by Ascetic House, "Purgatory" now sees the light of day in a format yielding all of its excruciating detail. To quote Idwal Fisher: "Sickness has matured through rough industrial loops to what we have now, a purer noise artist balancing harsh with quiet, loud with soft, using silence as much as noise to make his mark whilst creating a sound that he can call his own... carefully crafted, well thought out, perfectly timed noise works of great magnitude with a depth that few others working in the same area can lay claim to". 19 mins. Ltd x 200 copies on pro-pressed CD in a four panel digisleeve incorporating the original artwork.

VOWELS - 'Seasonal Beast' CD (Sun & Moon Records) - £11

A highly atmospheric record from Italy, featuring dark contemporary music for those into Tenhi, Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore, Death In June, Badalamenti. Beautiful neofolk / downtempo with distinctly Italian guitar work, beautiful, melancholic piano accompaniment and well-placed trumpet. Digipak. Romanian import.

VUKOVAR - 'The Colossalist' CD (Other Voices Records) - £13

For the late Simon Morris (Ceramic Hobs, Smell & Quim); His Name Means First And Last. Following the death of one of Theirselves, various failures and ever deepening reliances, Vukovar have finally emerged once more. With the disintegration of the old group, a new, stable line up - the NeuPopAct - have collided and colluded to here present "The Colossalist". Their 8th album, and part one of the Eternity Ends Here triptych, is the most ambitious thing attempted by the group and the most wrapped in turmoil. This is the first CD in a planned series of releases in collaboration with world renowned artist Andrzej Klimowski. Vukovar formed in a crumbling placefiller of a town in 2014. They were always dying and reorganized after ceasing to exist in 2019. Effete artists pretending to be northern hardcases pretending to be uniform fetishists in iconoclast drag. "Do not trust us; we are fragile stars". Features Simon Morris taken from various interviews and archive material. "One part industrial, one part post-punk synthplay, and equal parts turmoil and fear" (Rats On The Run). Ltd x 200 copies in a digipak.