BLÆRG released a 4 track EP, titled “Stridulation: The Resource Consumption of Nine Billion Humans“, through Bulgarian label MOZYK.NET. It is available as a download via Bandcamp and you can also buy it on cassette tape for £7.50 GBP…

I made this dark jazz playlist because I wanted something heavy to listen to that wasn’t your typical guitar laden or simply beat heavy music. This is music benefiting the approaching night and all it has to offer.

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Lycia, “In Flickers”

Legendary darkwave band, fellow Arizona desert dwellers, that I normally associate with the cold, dark and wet climate of the American Rust Belt where I used to live releases a highly touching album that actually works for me in the desert. This album takes some unexpected sonic turns on more than a few tracks, and all of it is poignant, while maintaining that distinctive Lycia vibe that made them the legendary band that they are.

Schedule IV, “In Treatment”

Super clean postpunk vibe from Detroit. Features Bottle Imp alumnus and graphic design guru Joshua McAllister. Rock edges with buzzing guitars and very deep basslines. Favorable comparison to Nine Inch Nails, though not as gritty and the vocals are way better. Highly recommended for anyone who is into that mid-80s postpunk/gothic vibe.

Miserable, “Loverboy / Dog Days”

Vaguely shoegazey album from Kristina Esfandiari from King Woman, who can do no wrong in my opinion. It sounds a lot like King Woman but contains a more One-Week-Until-Halloween level of darkness and doesn’t contain the intense crashes of King Woman. None of this is a complaint, the album is amazing and you should give it a listen. I’m struggling, because too many good releases today!

Devon Church, “We Are Inextricable”

From former member of Exit Music, an atmospheric release with interesting music production, where the vocals seem to live somewhere in the neighborhood of Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits.

Super Unison, “Stella”

Veering more into hardcore than postpunk, “Stella” is another heavy outing by Super Unison, channeling all the rage I expect and need in these weird times.

Pre-order on Bandcamp.

Mark Wardale, “Þægindi” from Daniel Tuttle on Vimeo.

KEYGEN CHURCH is a side project from synth-metal sorcerer MASTER BOOT RECORD. This album shifts from the heavy synth work to pianos and organs and it seriously evokes the mood of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, for those of you who remember that amazing game on the original PlayStation.

Get it on Bandcamp

John Bergin, “KILLER”

John Bergin has been releasing rich, understated music for over 20 years. Back in the 90s he released albums under the band names Trust Obey and C17H19No3, both of which were built around cinematic and literary worlds, some of which accompanied actual stories and books, so of which didn’t. In all cases, the audio was a rich tapestry entrenched in conceptually rich worlds. With KILLER, the same thing applies, this time the setting is 90’s era cyberpunk against a psychological suspense thriller. Needless to say, I highly recommend this.

Get it on Bandcamp

Castle If, “Sector 03”

Castle If is a project by Jess Forrest who has a fair sized catalog of albums now, this one being a high point for me. All of her work is made with rich analog synth work, but the character in this one is really fantastic. The analog washes are almost reminiscent of Kraftwerk, and the added, modulated vocals hammer home that comparison. However, where Kraftwerk was an exploration of machines and robots, this is far more emotive. There is still a strong tribute to machines present in the content, but stylistically we’re dealing with something much more human. Needless to say if you like Kraftwerk , it is worth a spin, but it also has an early Chris & Cosey vibe.

Get it on Bandcamp

Uniform, “The Long WalkGet it on Bandcamp

Uniform’s “The Long Walk” is the best they’ve released so far, in my opinion, and that’s a bold statement considering what they’ve released in the past. It is angry. It is brutal. It is dark. It is intersecting my punk rock attitude with that sharp industrial music edge that I love. This stands out in rage and quality, in an era where I find myself listening to a lot of angry music.

ohGr, “Tricks”

Ogre from Skinny Puppy fame releases new album with collaborator Mark Walk. The style is very familiar and strikes me a true successor to their original album, “Welt”. This is not dark in the way Skinny Puppy is, it has a lot of pep and makes a fantastic summer driving album.

Deadly Avenger, “The Girl with the White Orchid”

Equal parts sublime and mysterious, this is deep analog synth work reminiscent of popular synthwave craze and movie score. At times reminding me of Philip Glass and other times reminding me of Daft Punk’s “Tron” score. Get it on Bandcamp

Busdriver, “Electricity is on our Side”

This one is dedicated to anyone who says there isn’t any good hip hop anymore. Busdriver’s latest is a deep journey into some wild intellectual caverns. I had to sit it on repeat for a while to absorb it entirely, even though the smooth experimental music sits with you easily on the first listen. Get it on Bandcamp

David Galas, “A Long Hard Road To Nowhere”

Classify under “Massive Underexposed Brilliance”, David’s newest album is as strong as anything he has released, and that is to say all his releases are strong. Those unfamiliar, David Galas is a member of legendary ethereal act Lycia. His solo work hits harder and has more grit, evoking moods similar to bands like Swans, more older Swans than newer Swans. While I have hard time listening to Lycia while in the desert (I mean, Lycia is the perfect thunder storm music), David’s fits remarkably well. Get it on Bandcamp

Chain Cult, “Demo 2018 MLP”

These days it is a little trite to compare bands to Joy Division, but seriously, take a listen. It strikes me as a continuation of the heavier sides of Joy Division but that dark rage and atmosphere reside deeply on this record. Listen to it on Bandcamp

Spurv, “Myra”

Spurv is a postrock band from Norway. “Myra” is an album that sounds like what you hope a postrock band from Norway sounds like. There is a definite Let-Me-Get-Lost-In-The-Dark-Forest vibe here with just the right amount of sustaining epicness through the recording. Listen it on Bandcamp

This is a surreal playlist I put together that transports me to another time and place.

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This is my personal favorite synthwave and cyberpunk jams. There are a billion of these playlists but I needed my own.