COLD SPRING NEWSLETTER

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

COLD SPRING RELEASE UPDATES:

MASCHINENZIMMER 412
'Macht Durch Stimme' CD - out 12th August

The milestone debut from Maschinenzimmer 412 (MZ. 412) - the originators of Swedish Black Industrial. Comes with bonus track and new art. Also available on digital for the first time!

Cold Spring Store: CD | Bandcamp | Digital

VISIONS OF DARKNESS
In Iranian Contemporary Music Vol. II
2CD - out 29th July

A rich chest of treasures from the land of persia. 20 tracks of dark ambient, drone, experimental music from the Iranian underground.

Cold Spring Store: 2CD | Bandcamp | Digital

KOLLAPS
'UNTIL THE DAY I DIE' - CD out now! LP out 14 Oct

A merciless and visceral assault on the senses. An uncompromising force of harsh post-industrial music narrated by overarching themes of condemnation and redemption; of violence, romanticism, sexuality, and addiction.

Cold Spring Store: CD / LP | Bandcamp | Digital

COLD SPRING SUMMER SALE!

Over 900 CDs from £2.50 for the period 4th July-31st August. Click here for all available items!

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. All EU orders placed through our Bandcamp or Discogs will display IOSS / VAT information on the outside of your package.

NEW IMPORTS
+ NEW ADDITIONS TO OUR MAILORDER CATALOGUE +

AB'BHAU - 'Devastaciones Bajo El Fulgor Del Vacío' Cassette (Thoth Tapes) - £10

Ab'bhau is formed by established musicians of the Spanish underground scene (Black Earth, Xedh, Soleil Satan, Sudaria, Völga, Suspiral, Inhumankind, Phicus, Triple Zero, Gárgara etc). The ritualistic essence of this artistic incarnation is based upon the rupture of repetitive patterns through improvisation as a medium to convey abject forces into the shape of what the band has called 'Black Metal Destruktion', stemming from Heideggerian terminology. Ab'bhau's debut album was forged in fire after mysterious live apparitions and rehearsal sessions. The aim behind this first exploration was void invocation, void materialization. 50 mins. Ltd x 77 copies on pro-tape with matt inlay.

ARGANAS - 'Pathways To Death Pt. III' CD (Zazen Sounds) - £12

Swedish Black Metal / Dark Ambient act Arganas arises from the ashes of cult BM band NÅSTROND. Arganas shows us another way of making us see what death awaits us. A 53-minute long ritual of obscure Black Metal / Dark Ambient, full of claustrophobia and negative vibrations that you experience with a sinister black atmosphere which surrounds you, devours you, and guides you to the kingdom of death. Join us on a journey to explore your inner thoughts, with a dark and sinister ambient sound. A guide for your own pathway to Death. This Opus is best experienced with headphones, in Isolation, in a dark chamber. "Fui Quod Es, Eris Quod Sum". Already sold out from the label! Digipak.

ASMUS TIETCHENS - 'Schatten Ohne Licht' CD (Black Rose Recordings) - £11

Anthropofugal thinkers E.M. Cioran and Ulrich Horstmann play a very important role in the exceptional new album by Asmus Tietchens. The theme of this release deals with a return to a mineral world without any organic species, and therefore uninhabitable for human beings. This very radical dystopia serves as a foil to the six chapters of "Schatten ohne Licht". There is something profound about the music; it can be slow and is certainly contemplative. Maybe the music is a sign of the state of our times? As a pioneer of electronic composition Tietchens' work spans over four decades and doesn't fit easily into any one category. Early recordings ranged from experiments with tape machines and electronic sound through to experimental pop. Later works were a more sculptural blend of abstract microelectronics, industrial sounds, and musique concrete. Never straightforward or obvious, always unpredictable and innovative. His ground-breaking music still influences many working in today's electronic music scene. Digipak.

ELFFOR - 'Into The Shades Of Hate' 3 x CD (Ksenza Records) - £28

The bringing together of the first three full-length albums from the Basque Country's dungeon synth / atmospheric black metal act, all of which were initially self-released by Elffor in very limited editions, now collectors items. Notably the 'non-metal' album from Elffor, CD1 features the debut album "Into the Dark Forest" (1998). Medieval / Black Ambient and Dungeon Synth with 2 bonus tracks. The follow-up album "Son Of Shades" (2002) features on CD2 and also comes with 2 bonus tracks. Distinctly more metallic, with heavy guitars, this gives the songs with their middle ages feeling a more powerful appearance. Often cited as their best album, CD3 features "From The Throne Of Hate" (2004). Medieval atmospheres and ambience with heavy guitars delivers a majestic album for fans of middle age themes, fantasy stories and epic Black Metal. Dramatic and heroic! File next to Summoning, Caladan Brood, or Mortiis. Ltd x 150 copies in a 6-panel triple frosted digipak with new artwork and booklet.

HARMONY OF STRUGGLE - 'Tearing Your Mind To Pieces' CD (Zoharum) - £11.50

Harmony Of Struggle is a Polish Power Electronics project founded in 2020 by Michal 'Neithan' Kielbasa (Whalesong, Nothing Has Changed, Lugola). The compositions on "Tearing Your Mind To Pieces" are hypnotic, extremely deformed, with various industrial effects, and with lyrical themes of war, control, domination, manipulation. "Harmony of Struggle continues to hold the line of industrialism with its grating lo-fi power electronics and pulsing industrial feedback. Submerged vocals struggle for air or even clarity with more than a hint of Genocide Organ seeping through" (Discipline Mag). "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever" (George Orwell). Ltd x 300 copies in a 6-panel digipak.

KAZUMOTO ENDO / BLOOD OF CHHINNAMASTIKA - 'The Goddess Of Mercy / Bhairava Mantra' B&W Swirl LP + CD (Aberrant Recordings) - £25

"San Jose, California's Dario Puga delivers blood-curdling Death-Goddess Worship music on a new split with Tokyo-based noise veteran Kazumoto Endo, each making extremely loud and disorienting aural torture that could easily be tried as crimes against humanity if heard outside of your own headphones. Following up on his horror-influenced Botched Facelift project, Puga's Blood of Chhinamastika has been consistently sh*tting out an ear-splitting postmodern collage of synths, spoken word samples and distortion, frequently cutting up short clips in a hallucinogenic diarrhoea of high-volume noise walls. Endo, on the other hand, is a master of rhythmic noise, looping loops on other loops with the suave syncopation of a booty-club DJ- albeit with a starkly limited palate of shrill atonality. Either way, people are going to hate your guts if you play this record in any social setting. It's a great slab of wax for burning bridges like that" (Underscore Music magazine). Mastered by Thomas Dimuzio. Beautiful black & white swirl vinyl, accompanied by CD edition in paper sleeve.

METGUMBNERBONE - 'Out Of The Ground' CD + Metal Metgumbnersigil (Self-Released) - £20

Seven new, previously unreleased subterranean events from the notorious Newcastle-Upon-Tyne ritual / industrial act featuring members of The New Blockaders, Masstishaddhu, Sir Ashleigh Grove, and Sedayne. Enacted by an uncertain light the celebrants descent past bone white nitre and through malodorous exhalations of damp and decay invading the sepulchral silence with a ponderous and doleful clamber and setting the tenebrous shadows to dance. Metgumbnerbone is an organic and rotating outfit including John Mylotte, Richard Rupenus, Philip Rupenus, Sean Breadin, and Mike Watson. "The band debuted with the 1983 album 'Ligeliahorn' featuring percussion and ambience, the album was purported to be recorded using flutes and percussion objects made from human bones excavated illegally from a graveyard. A story which has been a firm part of Metgumbnerbone's mythology since... 'Out Of The Ground' brings us seven previously unreleased recordings, divided into two suites: 'Tunnel' and 'Culvert', referring to their recording circumstances. What we get is typical Metgumbnerbone: ritualistic, shamanic percussion performances where the recording space's ambience plays a crucial part. Some of it is of a chaotic nature; some pieces are more structured. The mid-tempo percussion and the spectrum of instruments used, various percussion devices, metal screeching, flutes (human thigh boned or perhaps a Pungi?) and the occasional chant give this album a coherent feel... The final track holds the surprise: here, the sparse flutes dominates over the relentless percussion, the ambience of the space it was recorded coming to the fore, resulting in a beautiful but outer-worldly piece of music... a fascinating addition to Metgumberbone's canon" (Vital Weekly). CD in digipak. Ltd x 200 copies with Metgumbnersigil - charge up your home with metgumbnerpower! 10cm, each with a unique rusted patina.

MIGUEL SOUTO / HERMANN KOPP - 'Miguel Souto / Hermann Kopp' Cassette (Thoth Tapes) - £12

Spanish experimentalist Miguel Souto and cult nekromancer and composer Hermann Kopp join dark forces for this new split tape; feeling very much like a horror soundtrack to gristly found film footage. Hermann Kopp is well-known for composing the soundtrack for cult movies like Nekromantik (1987) and Der Todesking (1989). Miguel Souto has become a constant reference in the Spanish underground in recent years, being a member of cult bands such as Ab'bhau, Suspiral, S.E.K.H., and Sudaria. Souto's offerings are fantastic synth-laden, dread-filled compositions that would be right at home on any classic horror soundtrack. Kopp continues the unease in fine form with dark synths, sinister strings and jarring electronics. 46 mins. Ltd x 66 copies on pro-tape in a black velvet pouch.

MOLJEBKA PVLSE - 'Borrowed Scenery: Appearance' LP + MCD (Zoharum) - £22

Sweden's Moljebka Pvlse (Mathias Josefson) will be known to many for releases on labels such as Cold Meat Industry, Cyclic Law, Drone Records, and Reverse Alignment. During the pandemic, Josefson used his own studio as a vehicle to traverse through virtual field recordings, composing abstract environments and discovering distant lands. The map of these borrowed places is written in three long compositions, complementing each other like the topography of neighbouring places or overlapping grids showing different properties occurring at the same latitude. It is possible to read them separately, just as it is possible to listen to only one of the three compositions and it gives some idea, allowing you to capture a selected fragment, this listening to the whole gives a deeper insight. The material from the session was divided according to a similar pattern and properly divided into two complementary releases: the album "Borrowed Scenery", presented here (41 mins), and "Borrowed Scenery: Appearance" (21 mins), introducing the atmosphere of the longplay, respectively. Special limited edition of 150 copies, with MCD in 5" card sleeve, both editions with slightly different artwork. Comes with digital download code.

NAM-KHAR - 'Dok-Pa' CD (Zazen Sounds) - £12

The new Nam-Khar album "Dok-Pa" marks the end of a trilogy which started with "Secret Essence" and "Sur Chöd". It was channeled / created during these dark times of Kali Yuga and can therefore be considered as Nam-Khar's most archaic and ritualistic work so far. We suffer because we don't understand the true nature of our mind. Subject and object become separated and out of this duality arises concepts like 'friend' or 'enemy'. Especially in these days many beings have to deal with war, pain, depression, and various diseases. "Dok-Pa" is a Tibetan part of many Rituals. It concerns repelling those troubles, sending them back to the source where it came from; like a gift we never asked for. These four Sonic Sigills were created to work in that way. 43 mins. Already sold out from the label! Digipak.

NIMH - 'Early Electronic Works - Caustic / Composite' 2 x CD (Zoharum) - £16

Since the first half of the 1990s, Nimh (aka Giuseppe Verticchio, also of Twist of Fate, Hall of Mirrors, Maribor, We Promise To Betray) began to explore the territories of sound experimentation, alternating and integrating the use of electronic synthesisers, effects, software, ethnic instruments and sound objects of various kinds. On "Early Electronic Works" two obscure unpublished works of a purely electronic nature have been collected: "Caustic" and "Composite" - recorded at different times during those years. These are recordings made live, without overdubs or subsequent reworking, in which the sound of electronic equipment is expressed in all its instinctive and immediate power, giving an evocative insight into the early years of sound experimentation of Giuseppe Verticchio. Finally, at least a part of those significant but "forgotten" sound archives has seen the light of day thanks to the publication of the present "Early Electronic Works". Ltd x 300 copies in a 6-panel ecopak.

REFORMED FACTION (ZOVIET FRANCE) - 'Vota' CD (Zoharum) - £12.50

"Vota" marked the debut of Reformed Faction, a group formed by ex-members of Zoviet France: Mark Spybey (Download, Death Voices On Air, Beehatch), Robin Storey (Rapoon, Old Castle), and (subsequent ex-member) Andy Eardley (Delayer). Initially issued under the name of The Reformed Faction Of Soviet France, the name (and thus packaging) was immediately changed because the band members were discontented with the original name. The musicians feel drawn to create music that honours the process of spontaneous composition. Using live improvisations, they then cut and paste, in the grand tradition of pioneers such as Can to create collage like compositions. Instead of the analogue four track tape machines of old, all of the music is recorded onto computers but the object brut like way of assembling pieces remains essentially as it was when Zoviet France first started to record in 1981. Recorded in 2005 and originally released by Klanggalerie in 2006, this album has been out of print ever since and has become a collectors' rarity. The material has been fully re-mastered. Ltd x 300 copies in a 6-panel "velvet" digipak, with spot-varnish elements and with a lightly refreshed graphic redesign.

SCHRÖTTERSBURG - 'Om Shanti Om' CD (Zoharum) - £11.50

The material on the brand new album from Schröttersburg was created in a very short time compared to the previous album "Dalet". Unable to participate in concerts during lockdown, the musicians hid in their rehearsal room and began experimenting, using various instruments that hadn't been used before - including sheet metal, kalimba, oil barrels, djembe, karatala, Aztec whistle death. They have thus enriched their existing sound, opening them up to even bolder explorations of new sonic regions, sometimes significantly different from their main previous style. Using New Wave as a starting point the band start their escape to other regions / genres, leaving a lot of space for the musical traditions of India or the Middle East. The marriage of their music with psychedelic post-rock and Krautrock is even more clearly felt, building strong compositions in the spirit of industrial aesthetics. "Om Shanti Om" it is also a journey inside the band themselves; their spirituality and extrasensory states. The idea behind the creation of this material was to create a specific mantra cleansing the mind and body from bad energy. Ltd x 400 copies in a digipak with 12-page booklet providing original Polish lyrics and the English translations.

SUBLIMATIO MORTIS - 'Mantras Of Inner Calcination' CD (Zazen Sounds) - £12

Sublimatio Mortis explores the dark pathways of the mind through rituals of inner alchemy, combining harsh drones and distorted electric guitar soundscapes with deep Tibetan style overtone singing to create somber necromantic mantras of sulphurous essence. A transcendental soundtrack to profound meditative ritual work. "Mantras Of Inner Calcination" was channelled under the alchemical process of sulfur. The active masculine principle with the ability to create change. Through fire we operate inner transmutation. Through sound, we breathe sacred meaning into the flames. This offering is an immersive experiment through a ritual of sound and vibration, specifically crafted to pull down the listener into the deepest, darkest recesses of his inner temple. And from darkness, bathe in the somber illumination of transformation. Already sold out from the label! 6-panel digipak.

TAIGA - 'Right To Remember' CD (Ksenza Records) - £11.50

TAIGA is an atmospheric Black Metal project from Siberia. Eternal winters and long nights are the perfect maelstrom for the creation of such heavy atmospheric and depressive black metal. Enhanced by mainman Seredov's inspiration found in the deep woods of the Taiga and wandering the vast tundra, the spirit of Norwegian black metal such as Emperor is evident. Seredov Nikolay (also of Funeral Tears) and Alexei Korolyov (Abigorum, Satanath) were joined by Scorpos (Apokefale) on guest vocal duties. Ltd x 200 copies in a 6-panel digipak with pit art.

THISQUIETARMY x SLEEPWALKER - '8493' CD (Ksenza Records) - £11.50

The first meeting of Russia's Sleepwalker and Canada's Thisquietarmy was at their concert in the Tomsk State Planetarium in 2018. After this iconic 3D show they decided to record this collaboration. 8493 is the distance that separates the musicians from two continents. Sleepwalker is a one-man project from the depths of Siberia, who uses guitars, drones analogue synths and handcrafted instruments to create ambient soundscapes and dark post-rock music with guitar drones. Thisquietarmy is the ever-evolving sonic project of Eric Quach, revolving around improvised guitar-based drone in which he creates expansive, immersive soundscapes through electronic explorations. He is also known for his work with Aidan Baker (Nadja), Syndrome (Amenra), and Voivod. Digipak.

VIDNA OBMANA - 'Memories Compiled : Three Tapes' 3 x CD (Zoharum) - £18

A further reissue trilogy of VIDNA OBMANA (Dirk Serries) by Zoharum, this time collecting ambient recordings from the early period of activity. Originally published on 3 different cassettes in 1989-1991: "Gathering In Frozen Beauty", "Near The Flogging Landscapes", "Refined On The Gentle Clouds", this material has previously never been reissued in any other form to date. Collectively this is an archival album, interesting in terms of music, and characterized by high quality and a incredibly good sound. It is not only a collector's curiosity for the most loyal fans of Vidna Obmana, but also for all those who are searching for incredibly good ambient music. Now fully refreshed, and remastered by Dirk Serries, the beautiful release is accompanied by graphics based on Matrina Verhoeven's photographs. Ltd x 400 copies in an 8-panel triple digipak.

BACK IN STOCK!

HYBRYDS - 'Cortex Stimulation - Virtual Impact' 2 x CD (Zoharum) - £16

This installment in the series of Hybryds classics reissues gathers two full albums, which, despite a few years between them (1996 and 2000 respectively), complement each other perfectly, showing a slightly more electronic face of Belgian musicians' work. With the guest musicians involved, it's no surprise that this DCD features some excellent rhythmic noise / rhythmic industrial, alongside Hybryds' trademark ritual works. The first CD, "Cortex Stimulation", was recorded with the participation of befriended musicians from DIVE and DEUTSCH NEPAL. The second disc, "Virtual Impact", is a 100% live album, recorded during the band's performances at MS Stubnitz, Wave-Gotik-Treffen and Nursery Injection, which also featured guests from DEUTSCH NEPAL, DIVE and P•A•L. Originally, both albums (featuring original vocalist YASNAÏA) were published by Daft Records, owned by Dirk Ivens. Today, refreshed, completely remastered and with new artwork by Sandy Nys, this set gives the opportunity of rediscovery or uncovering an interesting and creative period in the activities of Hybryds. Ltd x 300 copies in a 6-panel ecopak.

NNHMN - 'Deception Island' CD (Zoharum) - £11.50

"Deception Island" is a compilation of tracks taken from vinyl EPs titled Deception Island Part 1 and 2 respectively, released by Spanish label Oráculo Records in 2020. The duo of Lee and Michal Laudarg deliver hell of a ride: Dark Wave, Synth Pop, EBM, New Romantic, Dark Disco. The spirit of '80s nostalgia is strong throughout. From the first synths of 'In Darkness' to the last beats of 'Nachtgang', NNHMN ("non-human") keeps you enslaved on the dancefloor. The track order has been slightly rearranged so the compilation has more of an album feel. The restless dance of the endless night, watching the stars... Ltd x 300 copies in a 6-panel satin finish digipak.

NNHMN - 'Shadow In The Dark' CD (Zoharum) - £11.50

"Shadow In The Dark" offers six stirring, sensual, deeply emotional seething Darkwave cuts that hopelessly ignite your dark heart and cold body. NNHMN's dizzying sound is defined by analogue textures and arpeggiated bass lines; a sense of sonic investigation that veers from techno to haunted Synth Wave via electronic soundscapes. Obsessive synth lines and sultry vocal deliveries guide the listener through a thrilling dimension with minimal synth qualities and Gothic undertones. Ltd x 300 copies in a 6-panel digipak, with cover art featuring a surrealist painting by Aleksandra Waliszewska.

NYTT LAND - 'The Last War' MCD (Ksenza Records) - £11

This release by one of the greatest 'Nordic' folk bands, Nytt Land, first saw the light of day in the form of a digital self-release in 2016. It is finally presented for the first time here on physical media. On the track 'Drakkar', Nytt Land are joined by Siberian ambient-folk legends Liholesie. A great many instruments were used here, including: tagelharpa, frame-drum, flutes, jew-harp, tin whistle, drums, and, as witnessed on their acclaimed Cold Spring releases, special throat singing. Over 25 mins of music. Digipak. Highly recommended!

SÖNMA - 'Ether' CD (Ksenza Records) - £11.50

Slow and heavy music blending together funeral doom and drone doom, using Sunn amplifiers and dark ambient. "Ether shows unachievable goals that are frozen in a static condition of endless trepidation. The indifference of the cold universe to all living creatures exposes trivial and tragic fates condemned to their own ambitions. The time is filled with paths that lead to no goals. The space is filled with unseen ether of worries and indifference". Sönma was formed in 2020 by members of sludge band Crust. Ltd x 150 copies in a 6-panel glossy digipak.

VIDNA OBMANA - 'Soundtrack For The Aquarium' CD (Zoharum) - £11.50

The third album from Dirk Serries' project Vidna Obmana, originally released by Hypnos in 2001, now reissued here in a remastered form. It is a kind of continuation of the informal series bringing back to life long-forgotten albums of this Belgian artist. This is also a continuation of the releases created specifically for the Antwerp Zoo, the second after Hybryds' album "Soundtrack For Antwerp Zoo Aquarium". The album features a total of seven ambient / drone compositions (featuring electronics, loops, tape, flute, rainstick, voice) made between 1992-1993, mastered again by the musician himself in 2019. The artwork is composed of photographs by Martina Verhoeven. Ltd x 400 copies in a 6-panel digipak.