SLEEP RESEARCH FACILITY / LLYN Y CWN - 'Sargo / Posidonia' - out 7 April 23
Ltd LP £17 | CD £9

        

The ultimate deep listening experience from two masters of dark ambient. A slow descent into the blackened watery abyss, where light cannot reach.

The first release from Sleep Research Facility since 2012's "Stealth" (Cold Spring) is inspired by the deep sea ocean floor. The Canadian-based composer explores notions of awareness and perception in the sub/unconscious listener. Focusing primarily on sound bereft of rhythm based energies, SRF provides an environments wherein the music adds texture to the silence. Using form without structure and concentrating on space as opposed to narrative, SRF entertains the idea that music can reside in the very fabric of sound itself. The brand new material here was created specifically for this split release.

Taking inspiration from the beautiful, but often harsh landscapes and environments of his home on Anglesey, North Wales, Llyn Y Cwn has built on the nautical theme of "Du Y Moroedd" (Cold Spring). These tracks are based on field recordings relating to the ocean, and could be seen as a companion piece to the album. 'Dale Dawn' features a recording of the dawn chorus made from the floating pontoon at Dale, Pembrokeshire. 'Pebble' includes the sound of waves crashing on a Dorset cobble beach, thousands of rocks colliding in chorus. 'Doppler Current Profiler' is based on the sound of an ADCP, an acoustic sonar instrument used to measure water currents - a 600Khz ping slowed to a heartbeat.

Limited Edition LP on audiophile black vinyl for best sound presentation. CD in mini-LP sleeve, replicating the vinyl design. The artwork features a separate front cover design with individual art for each side, making this a true split release.

PSYCHIC TV - 'Those Who Do Not' - out 23 February 23
CD £10.50 | 2LP Red £30 | 2LP Black £26

     

Double 180gm vinyl in glossy gatefold sleeve:

- Ltd x 230 copies on red vinyl - via Cold Spring only. LAST COPIES!!
- Ltd x 230 copies on white vinyl - via independent record stores only.
- Standard black vinyl edition.

CD in glossy digipak with 12-page booklet.

All orders direct from Cold Spring come with an exclusive artcard.

The sound of the classic period of Psychic TV - featuring Peter Christopherson and Geff Rushton (John Balance) of COIL, this full show is interspersed with recordings of the Pagan marriage between Genesis and Paula P-Orridge conducted by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson Allsherjargodi.

Psychic TV at their most esoteric, their most ritual, and often most extreme, a perfect accompaniment to the legendary 'Dreams Less Sweet' album of the same year.

"Thee First Will To And Testament Ov Psychick TV. All our works remain interconnected, interfaced, and intentional. Thee Process is thee Product".

These recordings ov a live disconcert by Psychic TV in Reykjavik, Iceland that took place November 1983 organised by HÖH and GRAMM Records, to whom, eternal and infernal thanks all ways.

Out of print for 23 years, this is the ultimate edition for Psychick Youth - meticulously remastered, with the track order finally arranged into what was the original show.

BARSTOOL MOUNTAIN - 'III' CD (Absurd Exposition) - £11.50

A deep-dive into fractured reservoirs of textural discourse, with sophistication, complexity and depth. Barstool Mountain is Swedish sound artist Mattias Gustafsson (Altar of Flies), going full brute crunchy textural noise here, yet still moored to a measured sense of deliberation and patience. The depth of complexity and sophistication turning on the inclination to follow a fractured discourse of cracks rendering fissures rendering cracks... fractured reservoirs of textural perception flooding with spirals of self-exploded gristle-churn, high pressured particles erupting and ripping in amongst the other, rippling crunch vectors yielding new depths to plunder, new terrains to explode. Digipak.

DEVIATION SOCIAL - 'At Hotel Utah San Francisco 31 July 1982' Tin Boxset (Impulsy Stetoskopu) - £12

A true gem of early 80's industrial. A solid performance, and some of the best live sounds from the American act are on display here. Monte Cazazza is credited as having assisted in the performance, submixing of effects, and for the general recording of the tracks. A 46-minute, non-stop masterpiece show in which collages and harsh noise fragments are mercilessly dropped amidst the lively atmosphere of the audience. Deviation Social were a multi-media Industrial / Experimental 'group' that was active from 1981-1986. Ltd x 200 hand-numbered copies in a hinged tin boxset.

K2 - 'Pandemix Coronalis' CD (999 Cuts) - £12

Recorded in 2020, during the most ominous days of covid - when panic, terror and isolation were widespread and the future seemed grim. Excellent harsh and complex sounds from Japanese Noise master K2. This album was made with modular and semi-modular synths, delays and MTR. Active since 1983, K2 is the personal noise project of Kimihide Kusafuka, who has been making numerous noise works in distinct phases. The current "Phase 3" (2005-present) is focused on mixer feedback noises and electro-core / modular synth work. Comes in 3 doses lasting just over one hour.

KADAVER + PSYCHOSADIST - 'Toxicofera' CD (999 Cuts / Phage Tapes) - £12

Split album between two power electronics / harsh noise monsters - Kadaver and Psychosadist. A release full of crushed metal sounds and nauseating ruined-electronics. Kadaver is the one man harsh noise, death industrial and power electronics project from Israel's Michael Zolotov, active since 2003. Psychosadist is a cold and disturbed Power Electronics act from Germany, with structured soundscapes and noise harshness, and previous releases on Obsessive Fundamental Realism. Mastered by Grant Richardson (Gnawed). Digipak featuring sick original artwork by Carlos Dávila (Sodomy From Beyond).

MINES OF NEBULA - 'Signal To The Empire Algol' CD (Heerwegen Tod Production) - £11.50

Mines Of Nebula present material from the borderland of Dark Ambient / Space Ambient. The project from Ireland (with Polish roots) takes the listener on a journey between hypnotic sounds of cosmic origin. We can also hear ambient collages, Dungeon Synth, and Neoclassical style keyboards. This is a very interesting mix of different ideas from outer space; dynamic but thoughtful music that can be compared to Jääportit or Neptune Towers. The artist himself sees his inspiration still in Ice Ages and Vangelis.

N. - 'Sound Implosion' CD (999 Cuts) - £12

The reissue of a classic cassette from 2007 (originally released on Nil By Mouth Recordings in an edition of 80 bloodied copies). The Italian analogue Noise / Power Electronics project, whose early work was released on the cult Slaughter Productions label, takes us on a journey through, boring and distressed colorless noise. For all people who look down themselves. This album was in a way 'reinvented' for this new edition; the tracks were rearranged and remastered by the artist and features 4 extra bonus tracks that were recorded at the same time yet never before released. Comes with new artwork.

NORTFALKE - 'Moonjeie' CD (Heidens Hart) - £11.50

Dark dungeon synth for the true wanderer... Nortfalke's anticipated fourth full length is another transcending dungeon synth masterpiece that gives a new meaning to the word "atmospheric", as the warm sounds and skillfull songwriting capture you. Influenced by the true kosmische musik and Berlin sound from the 70's, "Moonjeie" could best be described as a mix of krautrock as originated by Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Burzum's 90's synth albums, Wongraven, and early Mortiis. An original piece of dark, mesmerizing soundscapes; majestic and contemplative, oppressive yet dreamy. Authentic music performed entirely on vintage analogue synthesizers without a laptop in sight. Cover art by Simon Gardarsson (Taagebue / Í Myrkri). This CD edition features 30 minutes of bonus tracks, bringing the total playing time to 80 minutes.

PARANOIA INDUCTA - 'Into Eternal Darkness' CD (Heerwegen Tod Production) - £12

"Into Eternal Darkness" is the most mature and polished album in Paranoia Inducta's discography, yet also one of their darkest, keeping the listener in total isolation, only with his own thoughts and fears. A study of loneliness, missunderstanding and silent despair, accepting fate and the lack of any hope. The album is a perfect reference to the atmosphere of Evil Angel. Emptiness and darkness - that is all that is left. 64 minutes of overwhelming musical blackness. "In the darkness you could hear the crying of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men. Some prayed for help. Others wished for death. But still more imagined that there were no Gods left, and that the universe was plunged into eternal darkness" (Pliny The Younger, A.D. 79). Presented in an A5 digipak.

PARANOIA INDUCTA / SIMULACRA / SEALED IN BLOOD - 'Pulvis et Umbra Sumus' CD (Heerwegen Tod Production) - £11.50

Three projects with a love of dark ambient sounds lead straight into mental numbness and spiritual departure, to mental depths where you can find mesmerizing threads. Since 2003, Polish project Paranoia Inducta has delighted the audience with many kinds of ambient music. This time sedate and simple but at the same time a tangled knot of nostalgic and hazy sounds. Belgian project Simulacra (Miguel Boriau) traditionally presents slow drones interspersed with primitive sounds of anxiety. The one very long track here is pure darkness sprinkled with the purple of nothingness. Sealed In Blood is a misanthropic dark ambient act from Lower Silesia. Here we have two tracks based on live ambient sounds - the sounds of mines and forests which are a lonely journey to mystical places. It is music full of emotion and at the same time held in an atmosphere of anxiety with elements of nature. Over 70 minutes of dark melancholy and a must for lovers on minimalism.

PROFANE GRACE - 'Shredding Stars With Holes Of Black' CD (Heidens Hart) - £11.50

U.S. Dark Ambient project Profane Grace return after 12 years of bleak silence. Active since 1990, founding member Ixithra (Demoncy, ex-Profanatica) is now accompanied by Drathrul (Anu, Hour Of 13). Together they have summoned "Shredding Stars With Holes Of Black", their eighth full-length and the darkest Profance Grace album to date. Pure dark ritual ambient filled with brooding synthesizers, occult invocations pulsating like clouds, and various vocals including the trademark obscure whispers from Ixithra. The album is a true lurking beast of total despair, haunting you from the total claustrophobic and oppressive darkness. The soundtrack to dismal haunts and cosmic nightmares, highly recommended to fanatics of Aghast, Raison D'etre, Lustmord, Sekt, or Emit. Ltd x 200 copies.

SEKTION B - 'Live Action 30' CD (999 Cuts) - £12

Killer Power Electronics / Industrial / Noise from the legendary German act! Sektion B are now split-up but only a few years ago they were still very much kicking. This album was recorded live in Berlin in 2016 and features the original line-up, before the group decided to end things. The material featured on this CD is the entire set from that night, with great sound (engineered / mastered by Andreas Herzig / L-White boss).

VOND (MORTIIS) - 'The Dark River' LP (Funeral Industries) - £18

Vond is the darker side of Norwegian dungeon synth wizard Mortiis. Recorded in 1996, Vond's second album, "The Dark River", was originally released through Mortiis' own Dark Dungeon Music label that year. This is classic 90's dark dungeon synth / dark ambient with a somewhat more expansive, atmospheric approach than the debut album "Selvmord". The hypnotic tracks, using samples and different melody structures from other Mortiis works, make this the perfect bridge between the gut-wrenching melancholy of "Selvmord", and the third and final offering, "Green Eyed Demon".

ZENTA SUSTAINED - 'Serpent Track Patterns' 12" (Absurd Exposition) - £17

Brand new material from the cult collaborative project between Canadian noisers Ryan Bloomer (Black To Comm, Flatline Construct, Intensive Care) and Sam McKinlay (The Rita, Black To Comm, BT.HN., Cackle Car, Vice Wears Black Hose etc). Minimal, throttling harsh noise for deconstructed study patterns. 28 mins. Ltd x 221 copies.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - 'The Last Dossier' CD (Impulsy Stetoskopu) - £11.50

The Archive Of Polish Industrial Music Presents: The Last Dossier. This compilation includes recordings from obscure, unknown composers or short-lived projects from the 80's. Features: Artur R. Sztukalski, Krzysztof Kudla, Rana, Ars Sonitus, and The Red Shoes. True Polish Industrial music! Ltd x 100 hand-numbered copies (CD-proper).

ANIMA NOSTRA - 'Atraments' CD (Malignant Records) - £11.50

Initially the name of a collaborative CD between Henrik Nordvargr Björkk and Margaux Renaudin released on Cold Spring in 2016 (CSR216CD), the duo have now relabelled and solidified themselves under the Anima Nostra moniker, and in turn, broadly expanded their sonic palette, taking the more intimate ritual ambient aspects of the debut, and incorporating them as part of towering constructs that blur the line between death industrial, doom metal, and neo-classical. With its upward swells of foreboding brass, fearsome tribal percussion, and hammering, bass heavy dirge, "Atraments" is the unleashing of something truly monumental and cataclysmic, eclipsing nearly everything Nordvargr has ever been associated with in of scope and grandeur. Integral and prominent in the mix are heavily serrated and imperious vocals, employed to drag the listener inexorably into an inferno of apocalyptic proportions, while adding a more structured "song" element and trumpeting the arrival of an inevitable doom. "Atraments" stands firmly as a vision complete and the perfect soundtrack for times of great tumult. Completed with artwork by Thomas Ekelund (Trepaneringsritualen) and Portuguese occult calligrapher Gordoletters, in 6 panel, heavy stock digipak with spot varnish finish and 8 page booklet.

DAY BEFORE US & ANTIKATECHON - 'Complaintes Au Bord D'un Autre Monde' CD (Heerwegen Tod Production) - £11.50

"Complaintes au Bord d'un Autre Monde" is a sorrowing, ascending and enveloping ambient music excursion delivered by two acclaimed contemporary projects in the post industrial music field. The quality of this collaborative work from Antikatechon (Davide Del Col) and Day Before Us (Philippe Blache) lies in the ability to associate soul-crushing melodious textures with haunting and ominous soundscapes. "Complaintes..." is built around electronic loops, detached piano ostinato motifs, guitar infused tones and a vast collection of processed noises. It was created for immediate emotional shivers but also operates on a spiritual level, whilst subverting musical frontiers.

DØDSMASKIN - 'Fullstendig Brent' CD (Malignant Records) - £11.50

The physical debut for Norway's Death Industrial / Drone act Dødsmaskin is a meticulously crafted effort that presents a sonic interpretation of one of the darkest chapters in Norwegian history, namely the witch trials that took place in the country's northernmost regions during the 17th century. Assembled constructs that incorporate field recordings, drones, atonal melodies, clusters of distortion and searing noise... the spectrum of post-industrial soundscapes. File next to Kevin Drumm, STROM.ec or Propergol. Digipak.

NORDVARGR - 'The Secret Barbarous Names' CD (Malignant Records) - £11.50

Extended CD version of a digital EP, which was self-released mid-2016, now with 4 bonus tracks. Few names within the realm of dark industrial and blackened ambient carry more weight and presence than Sweden's mighty Nordvargr (MZ.412, Pouppée Fabrikk, Folkstorm etc). A vocal based work inspired by the Draconian and Typhonian traditions, the title refers to the hidden meanings of the countless manuscripts that have been kept secret for millennia - their supposed effectiveness resting in their utterance, not their meaning. The words of power, vibrated at the correct frequency and amplitude in the correct setting and time, have the power to manifest anything. As such, these are an incredibly haunting and formidable invocations, built upon richly timbered, incantatory vocals and deep, liturgical chants, and occasionally augmented by ominous orchestral swell and ritual percussion. All of it is endlessly stretched out into lightless passages of primordial malevolence and suffocating dread. Comes in a 6-panel digipak designed by Margaux Renaudin (Anima Nostra).

STEEL HOOK PROSTHESES - 'Calm Morbidity' CD (Malignant Records) - £12

15 years in and with 9 full length releases under their belt, it's safe to say that the terminally morbid, Dallas based duo that is Steel Hook Prostheses are the undisputed flag bearers for American death industrial. With their first full length since 2013, we once again find them channelling all things grim and grotesque; and while they don't stray too far from the charnel house atmospherics you've come to expect, there's a dynamic and dark energy that exists with "Calm Morbidity" that never fully existed before. From the heavily polluted and blackened drones, decrepit, percolating frequency beds, and acid dripping, highly processed vocals, everything about this release feels intensified and elevated. An immersive and riveting display of the macabre and unequivocally a high watermark in an already illustrious discography. Comes in a 6 panel DVD digipak designed by Maurice De Jong of Gnaw Their Tongues.

THE VOMIT ARSONIST - 'That Which Has Been Forgotten' CD (Malignant Records) - £11.50

The 6th full length release from Rhode Island's The Vomit Arsonist carries on the tradition of unwavering nihilism laid down by previous releases, but "That Which Has Been Forgotten" seems to go even further into depths of dysphoria and abject self-loathing. Maybe it's the increased use of junk metal scrapings and shuffling debris that heightens the atmospherics and tension, or that the reverberating machine shudders just feel denser and heavier. Whatever it is, "That Which Has Been Forgotten" reaches a pinnacle of smoldering intensity and harrowing claustrophobia previously untouched, even by The Vomit Arsonist standards. Prepare yourselves, for the worst is yet to come. Guests: Naxal Protocol, Eidulon. Mastered by Steel Hook Audio. Ltd x 300 copies in a 6-panel digipak.

HIJOKAIDAN - 'The Hijohkaidan Tapes' LP (Alchemy Records / Fantastique) - £24

"The Hijohkaidan Tapes" originally came out in 1986 on Jojo Hiroshige's cult label Alchemy Records. It is not only a historical collection of material from the Japanese Noise innovators, but also pays homage to Hijokaidan's predecessors, with the cover art a homage to Faust's 1973 collage classic "The Faust Tapes". The album includes tracks previously released on cassette, dating back to their incarnation in 1979, with the LP being a retrospective of tracks from 1979-1986. Joining the classic line-up of Jojo, T. Mikawa, Junko and additional vocalist Yuka, are Shintaroh Sugiyama (The Stalin), and the first LP appearance of The Incapacitants, with Mikawa joined by Hanatarash / Boredoms mastermind Yamatsuka Eye. 'Salem's Lot' may be the stand out track here with creepy phased to hell organ and electronics, constant feedback piercing throughout, and blood curdling screams straight from the depths below. The opening track 'Angel Dust' is the first ever recording from Hijokaidan, with a performance so high in volume and destruction that they were immediately banned from using the studio again. One of the best features of this album is the fantastic notes filling out the cover featuring an extensive Discography, as well as a track by track rundown to keep you enticed while Hijokaidan destroys your brain! Includes a photograph postcard of Hijokaidan and a Hijohkaidan Tapes sticker. Ltd x 400 copies on black vinyl.

DREW DANIEL / JOHN WIESE - 'Continuous Hole' LP (Gilgongo Records) - £23

This collaborative album by Drew Daniel (Matmos, The Soft Pink Truth) and John Wiese (Sissy Spacek, Smegma, LHD, ex-Bastard Noise) is the fruit of over 10 years of recordings in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Baltimore. "Continuous Hole" melds improvisation and musique concrète composition into a unique document of labour-intensive rhythm. A finger puzzle of reconciled opposites: lockstep structure and constant flux. Relentlessly variable source material is relegated to precisely timed gated forms and patterns. Without using any sampling or MIDI sequencing, the rhythmic cuts are constructed entirely from volcanic, gnarled abstraction, and eschew typical genre elements. Raw yet precise, this is a album of strong contrasts from two American artists discovering common ground in the joy of frenzied cutting. Our personal favourite is 'Abhorred Shears', which reminds of the cut-up works of COIL's LSD yet remains utterly unique. Mastered by Thomas Dimuzio. The cover photograph was shot by John Wiese in Drew Daniel's office on the campus of Johns Hopkins University where Daniel is a Shakespeare professor. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

GRIM - 'Magnolia's Dream' CD (Steinklang) - £12

Having released a small body of work in the mid-80's, and returning in the 2010's, Grim (Jun Konagaya of White Hospital, with Tomasada Kuwahara) are a cult name among the pioneers of Japanese noise and power electronics. Rather than simply repeating their signature sound, "Magnolia's Dream" also offers danceable electronica rhythms, organ music and moments of serene ambience with uncompromisingly harsh and brutal barrages of violent noise, torturous feedback and layers of crackling distortion. A multi-faceted album with new atmospheres, new approaches and new elements, which is what fans of Grim expect. "Magnolia's Dream" is a complex album, one that takes the listener from one extreme to the other in the blink of an eye. Where one track can lull the listener into a sense of calm with beautiful, understated melodies, the next will shake them awake with unrelenting harshness and audial violence, or plunge him into deep pits of unease with haunting death industrial soundscapes. But whatever guise each track takes, one thing's clear: it's a master at work here. Ltd x 200 hand-numbered copies in a 6-panel glossy digipak with 12-page booklet.

DEMONOLOGISTS W/ JUNKO - 'Nure-Onna' CD (Torn Light Records) - £12

Indiana's Demonologists team up with Japan's legendary Junko (Hijokaidan) to explore the haunted shores of northern Japan and the legend of Nure-Onna. A much-feared, violent shape-shifting water serpent spirit in Japanese folklore, Nure-Onna sits on the beach during storms, washing her long hair, devouring sea creatures and luring humans to their demise. Demonologists has forged a dark and bizarre sound which confines you within the walls of a psychological hell. Their collaboration with Japanoise stalwart Junko is no different. Her signature vocal style is maddening, and the onslaught never lets up. With this serving as a guide throughout the passages Demonologists traverse, the entire disc feels as if it could be one long nightmare hallucination. Elements of noise, industrial, and the electronic avant-garde weave in and out for the duration, leaving you stranded in the depths you've been dragged down into. The pairing of these two is a natural horror - there is not even a glimpse of hope in sight. Digipak with download code.

JOHN WIESE - 'Seven Of Wands' 2 x LP (Gilgongo Records) - £30

The much-anticipated expanded vinyl edition of "Seven Of Wands", the highly acclaimed album from John Wiese, originally released by Pan in 2011. "Seven Of Wands" contains a romanticism only hinted at previously. Comprised of pieces from a range of eras and sequenced into a narrative arc, this very unique album has a quality of being beautiful, listenable, immersive, and transportive all at once. It utilizes strategies and techniques of musique concrète and electroacoustic music, while emphasizing the mixing desk as a true instrument. Features source material contributed by Angus Andrew (voice, field recording) and Julian Gross (percussion) of Liars. This new double vinyl set contains a full side of previously unreleased material from the archives, making it essential for aficionados and a perfect introduction to Wiese's solo work. Ltd x 500 copies with artwork by John Wiese and Bill Kouligas.

SYNTA[XE]RROR - 'Element [OFF] Crime' CD (Zoharum) - £11.50

Compared to broken electronics / IDM / slight Industrial feel of their previous album "[.] DOT", this new material from the duo SYNTA[XE]RROR brings many changes. They deal with electronics in the IDM convention, but more massive, because the emphasis is on building structures based on a heavy kick drum and strongly dehumanized, almost mechanical rhythm. Multilayered percussion, with a rough, almost metallic sound, thickening with every minute of the slowly unraveling machine, announcing the inevitable cataclysm, crime or maybe apocalypse. Coming to life in the '90s, Synta[XE]rror is the duo of Bartosz "Kostia" Jakubicki and Artur "Blacha" Blaszczyk, hailing from Wroclaw. Ltd x 300 copies in an ecopak.

CIRCLE OF SH*T - 'Almost There Now' CD (Aussaat) - £12

Historical revisionism: Finnish noise / experimental / industrial / new musick act formed in 2011. Side with the heartbeat to the industrial rot. "Circle Of Sh*t uses his telephone to capture field recordings, giving them a spin through a crackly guitar amplifier, splicing them with Audacity. The result is rusty, dirty, shouty noise, but not with that moment of quiet unrest... metallic objects tossed around; it has that direct, in-your-face approach, and somehow it doesn't feel too noisy... I thoroughly enjoyed this release... a homage to the classics; a bit of Whitehouse, Ramleh, Con-Dom or even early Neubauten. There is much more thought in this music than is, perhaps, apparent on the surface" (Vital Weekly). Circle Of Sh*t also records as Junta (with Edge Of Decay), and HWN act The Aprils. Ltd x 200 copies. Comes with an 8-page booklet.

BRUNO DORELLA - 'Paradiso' CD (13 / Silentes) - £12

Italian musician and producer Bruno Dorella (OvO, Sigillum S) guides us to his new album "Paradiso", with music for the contemporary dance and performing arts company Gruppo Nanou. They defined a common conception of rhythm, creating the illusion of something wrong together but perfectly timed. In reality, these rhythms are parallel planes that travel in time with each other, even if out of phase. A transitive operation between scene and sound, bodies and the material density of sounds, vibrations and motion. The beauty of this musical work is that it is concrete matter and at the same time it is a precise thought. Parallel, overlapping, sinuous rhythms, in addition to abstract guitars and voice from Francesca Amati (Amycanbe / Comaneci) and Elisabetta Da Rold. Ltd x 300 copies in a 6-panel digipak.

DEVIL'S BREATH - 'Embrace Of The Serpent' CD (Zazen Sounds) - £12

"Embrace Of The Serpent" continues with the theme of Devil's Breath's recent album "March Of The Wounded". Celebrative Dronish Dark Ambient and Industrial Tribal Ritual dedicated to the guardians of our planet, hence the Amazon Tribes. It is the gratitude and recognition to the ones who have been unjustifiably murdered for the cause of defending The Forest and to the ones who are still defending it today. "Embrace Of The Serpent" points at the need to soul search our own selves as human beings because as a species we have, at some stage in history, devolved into manifesting a very disturbing behaviour, culture and mindset, where we embrace the destruction of the natural world through pollution, unsustainable development and capitalism, and driving the remaining forests into extinction. Gatefold digisleeve. Already sold out from the label!

STRANGULATION - 'Strangulation' CD (Dying Sun Records) - £11.50

Strangulation is a Funeral Drone band formed in 2019 by G. (AkoúΦenom) and M.S. (Arkaik Excruciation, Excurse, Sudaria, Suspiral) in order to convey the realms of mass extermination into forms of unique sonic pressure. One epic track of repetitive and dissonant riffing, atavic percussion work, and pure drone passages. Expect nothing but 66 minutes of pure, evil and dissociative Funeral Drone crafted the old way, appealing those who kneel before the ancient lore of bands like Evoken, Thergothon, Abruptum, Skepticism or Loss. Ltd x 300 copies in a digipak.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - 'Anthology Of Contemporary Music From South Africa' CD (Unexplained Sounds) - £12

Over the last few decades, South Africa has become a new hub for exploratory music and sound art. A community of practitioners of experimental, improvisational, and avant-garde musicians focus on creating a supporting, nurturing environment, with innovative hybrids between African folk tradition, jazz, improvised music, drone music, experimental electronic, and everything in between. In this anthology, USG tries to follow the most interesting clues of this emerging scene; from high skilled musicians who have been featured in prestigious festivals all around the world, to the subterranean DIY artists who utilize this hybridization and deconstruction of popular music genres, we see a new, growing movement. Many of these new musicians bring together the folk tradition of various indigenous Southern African musical instruments and other music languages, in the contemporary spirit of preservation and innovation. Features: Nonentia, Mntana.WeXhwele, Pierre-Henri Wicomb, Nardus Niemand, Esther Marie Pauw & Garth Erasmus, Healer Oran, Aragorn23, Gwaing, The Texture Of Silence, hAshtAgblAck.n.o.i.s.e, Chantelle Gray, and Rhéa Dally. Ltd x 200 copies in a digipak.