Surgeon – Shell~Wave (Tresor Records)

Label Description:

Two years after releasing the acclaimed Crash Recoil, Anthony Child aka Surgeon returns to Tresor with new LP, Shell~Wave. Retaining the minimal equipment list and studio-version-of-live-show-sets approach of the previous album in order to focus on the work itself, Shell~Wave is a deeply personal document of both where Surgeon is and has been, converging three decades of experience with a continued curiosity in the untested.

“To make this project, I had to dig really deep in terms of what my relationship was to techno; I’ve been involved with it for a really long time and there’s a lot about it I feel dislocated from, so I had to really think hard about what techno is to me. I often get asked “what is techno to you?” but I can’t answer that with words; this album is the answer.”

From the complex, twisting track Infinite Eye to the caustic Soul Fire, the eight tracks that make up the body of the album are single-take explorations of the vast, hard yet minimal techno Child is synonymous with.

Neatly dividing the record in two, the emotional centre of the record comes in the form of Dying, a vibrating, beatless piece that with a mantra-like vocal loop steeped in reverberating effects.

Further echoes of dub production appear throughout the record as tracks like Divine Shadow, and Empty Cloud have an almost ever-present mist of reverberation, driven by the appearance of a new delay unit in the equipment list; while much of the philosophy of Crash Recoil’s creation is present, the process and the instruments have changed as Child again switches up his approach to studio work.

This insistence on trying novel techniques doesn’t preclude returning to old ones, as this use of modern digital machines with live, hands-on takes that are as inspired by 60s producer Joe Meek and 70s reggae as they are by this year’s synthesiser expos.

“For me, it’s an interesting experience returning to old techniques again after 30 years. [I’m] always exploring and finding myself back at the beginning. Connecting the present with the past.”

This philosophy of ‘time travel’ is inherent to the music itself as the synchronised loops repeat while the delay and effects branch out, forming unique eddies; distinct quantum moments within the circular whole; the future leaking through the spaces between the sounds. All of the concepts on the album are perfectly communicated through the painting by Taiwanese artist Jazz Szu-Ying Chen which suggests the movement of water, sound waves, and the chitinous shells of sea creatures.
credits
released May 2, 2025

All tracks written and produced by Anthony Child.
Artwork by Jazz Szu-Ying Chen.
Design by Onlab.
Mastered by Mike Grinser at Manmade Mastering.
Published by Copyright Control.

Thanks to Albert, Dan, Doris, Jazz, Karl, Michael, Mum & Dad, Nancy, Richard, Terry, Thomas & Felix.

Das Ich – Fanal (Danse Macabre)

Label Description: Das Ich kehren mit „Fanal” zurück: Ein apokalyptisches Meisterwerk für das postfaktische Zeitalter
Mehr als drei Jahrzehnte nach ihren ersten frevlerischen Kassetten, die mit Songs wie „Gott ist tot” und „Satans neue Kleider” die Geburtsstunde der neuen deutschen Todeskunst einläuteten, melden sich Das Ich mit einer erschütternden Diagnose unserer Zeit zurück. Bruno Kramm und Stefan Ackermann, die Pioniere einer Kunstform, die bereits mit frühen Werken wie „Satanische Verse” und „Die Propheten” Schauspiel mit Musik, Expressionismus mit Klassik und Elektronik mit Gothic zu ungekannter Intensität verband, präsentieren am 31. Oktober 2025 ihr neues Album „Fanal” – ein Werk, das brennender nicht sein könnte.
Zwischen monumentalen Alben wie „Staub”, „Egodram”, „Lava”, „Antichrist” und „Cabaret” ließen die beiden Künstler stets lange Perioden der Inspiration verstreichen, um zu jeder Epoche eine eigene musikalische Sprache zu entwickeln. Auf ausgedehnten, weltweiten Tourneen durch Europa, USA, Südamerika, Asien, Israel und Russland vertraten sie nicht nur die Kultur eines neuen, expressiven Deutschlands, sondern inspirierten mit ihren kontroversen und intensiven Liveshows unzählige Bands und Kunstformen aller Sparten. Ihre Gedichtvertonung von Gottfried Benns „Morgue” ist bis heute Thema im Deutschunterricht, während Evergreens wie „Kain und Abel”, „Von der Armut” oder die technoide VNV Nation Remixversion von „Destillat” noch immer die schwarzen Parties weltweit befeuern.
Nach einer schöpferischen Pause, bedingt durch Ackermanns schwere Krankheit und Kramms politisches Engagement, kehrt das Duo mit neuem Lineup zu einer Welt zurück, die ihre düstersten Visionen eingeholt zu haben scheint. Wo einst ihre Kunst über alle Szenegrenzen hinweg einen Ruf begründete, der auch 25 Jahre nach „Gott ist tot” keine Vergleiche kennt, brennt nun ein anderes Feuer: das Fanal einer Zivilisation am Abgrund.
Die neun Leuchtfeuer des Albums spannen den Bogen einer Spezies, die ihre eigene Vernichtung zur Kunst erhoben hat. Doch „Fanal” ist mehr als nur kulturpessimistische Zeitdiagnose – es ist ein hellsichtiger Kommentar zu einer Epoche, in der Individuen in gefährlichen Massen aufgehen, programmiert von Demagogen. Diese erschaffen aus den Schatten einer digitalen Höhlenmalerei technokratische Diktaturen und inszenieren die KI-gesteuerte Massenüberwachung und unmenschliche Hetzjagd auf die Schwächsten als mediales Opus. Aus den einstigen nerdigen Hippies, die sich an kultureller Allmende und dem privatesten von Abermillionen bereichern, sind längst die Multimilliardäre der digitalen Vollstreckung geworden.
Die Fackel auf dem Albumcover fungiert dabei als doppelte Metapher: Sie ist sowohl Warnung vor den Klippen, auf die wir zusteuern, als auch das letzte Licht der Aufklärung – ein Leuchtfeuer des Humanismus und der Empathie für alles Lebende, um den wieder erwachenden Geistern einer düsteren Vergangenheit zu entfliehen.
Nach dem Charterfolg ihrer Vorab-Single „Lazarus”, die direkt auf Platz 6 der Deutschen Alternative Charts einstieg, beweisen Das Ich einmal mehr, warum ihre Magie auch im neuen Jahrtausend noch immer zu spüren ist. Mit „Fanal” vollenden sie nicht nur ihr künstlerisches Vermächtnis, sondern entzünden selbst ein Leuchtfeuer – als Zeugnis und letzte Hoffnung gleichermaßen.

The Black Dog – Loud Ambient (Dust Science Recordings)

Label Description:

Making this album was an absolute joy. We used Rothko’s artwork as a major influence. His use of colour fields, blending, mood and scale really helped us build an album of tracks that could stand on their own and also work together as a coherent whole across all the tones we had been working with. It was also a chance to fall back in love with our 909, 808 and 707.

While working on music for several other projects, the “Rothko” project got renamed Loud Ambient because it did not really sit right with the My Brutal Life series. We often talked about what people make of The Black Dog and whether they think we only make ambient music. We do not. Over the last year or so, one of us would be working on something and someone else would say, “That is a Loud Ambient track.” The name stuck. We liked the funny side of it.

With Loud Ambient, everything just fell into place creatively. Surprisingly for us, the tracklisting never changed, just small tweaks here and there. That rarely happens. It marks a first for us as a band. All the stars aligned and the confidence in this album is the strongest we have ever had.

Loud Ambient was made to dance to, something we have not done in a while. We welcome the return to the dance floor with both hands. Will you join us?

galen tipton & Shmu – dewCLAWS (Orange Milk Records)

Label Description:

Within ‘dewCLAWS’ is a digital orgy of goo-ey deconstructed and psychedelic club & dance music, including features from Hakushi Hasegawa, diana starshine, Ko T.C. & many others. Off the heels of the huge success of ‘You Like Music’ galen’s most recent collabo album with OM co-founder & dds heavyweight, Keith Rankin aka Giant Claw, as well as a collabo album with underground legend Holly Waxwing, galen brings all of their hallmark environment and naturesque zigzags that are beautifully balanced by Shmu’s emotional flurry of colorful tapestries, as their styles collide in a record that is both zany & in search of a new language for deeper emotions yet uncovered


All Songs Written, Arranged, Performed, Produced, Mixed & Mastered by Galen Tipton & Shmu

Album, Single Artworks, Art Layout & Album Title by Mas Guerrero

Hakushi Hasegawa appears courtesy of Brainfeeder Records

Orange Milk Records 2025

Dead Voices On Air – Silence, Melt And Mourn (Re:Mission Entertainment)

Label Description:

Re:Mission Entertainment is proud to announce SILENCE, MELT AND MOURN, the new album from Dead Voices on Air, arriving October 31st, 2025. Created during preparations for a US tour, the album features new material alongside reimagined versions of songs from across Mark Spybey’s career. The live set will include selections originally released by Download, Beehatch, DVOA, and other collaborative projects. Working with Nathan Jamiel of The Drood and longtime friend Stephen Weatherall, Spybey approached the process by writing new music and revisiting older work with fresh arrangements and a renewed focus on vocals and song structure. SILENCE, MELT AND MOURN is a reflection of that journey, built on collaboration, reinvention, and respect for the creative voices that shaped it.


All music produced by:
Nathan Jamiel, Mark Spybey and Stephen Weatherall

Nathan Jamiel – Guitar, Bass, Synthesizers, Keyboards, Vocals
Mark Spybey – Drums, Keyboards, Vocals, Trumpet, Toys
Stephen Weatherall – Bass, Vocals
Mark Sanderson – Synthesizer, Baritone Ukelele (2,5)
All lyrics by Nathan Jamiel and Mark Spybey

Mastered by Mark Pistel
Art by Mark Spybey, layout by David Babbitt
With thanks to Wes Turner and scott crow

eMERGENCY heARTS / Re:Mission Entertainment

Dedicated to Vince Wald (1976-2024) and Daniel Doss

Filmmaker – Stygian Trip (Self-Released)

Label Description:

I dedicate this one to everyone who’s living hellish times at the moment and can’t do much about it because of the higher powers ruling upon them or the system pushing them. To the depressed, to the suicidal, to all who struggle to find correspondence in this world. You’re not alone. Enjoy the hell ride!

Recorded in the demonic city of Medellin
Tracks & artwork by Faunes Efe
Special thanks to The Engraver for technical guidance in the artwork making process

hardware used:
analog rytm mk1
handsome audio zulu
chroma console
sm58
tascam 414

The Tear Garden – Astral Elevator (Artoffact Records)

Label Description:

The Tear Garden, the legendary experimental project of Edward Ka-Spel (The Legendary Pink Dots) and cEvin Key (Skinny Puppy), is set to release their highly anticipated new album, Astral Elevator. This record marks a significant return for the duo, delivering a soundscape that is both familiar and refreshingly new. As with their past work, the album is a journey through surreal, often haunting electronic textures and Ka-Spel’s distinct, poetic lyricism and mysticism.

Produced entirely by The Tear Garden themselves, Astral Elevator is a testament to the enduring creative partnership between Ka-Spel and Key. The album also features contributions from a stellar lineup of guests, including the late Dwayne Goettel, who provides a poignant and powerful presence. The sound is further enriched by the talents of Randall Frazier and Dre Robinson, and the entire experience was brought to its final form by the expert hands of Greg Reely on mixing and mastering.

In addition to the album’s release, fans can look forward to a full visual experience. The stunning artwork for Astral Elevator was created by Simon Paul, perfectly capturing the album’s ethereal and otherworldly themes. Furthermore, videos directed by Cory Gorski will accompany the singles due out during the album cycle.

Astral Elevator marks not only a return for The Tear Garden, but also their first record for Toronto-based Artoffact Records, home to many of cEvin Key’s other projects.


Produced By The Tear Garden
Edward KaSpel and cEvin Key
with Guests Dwayne Goettel , Randall Frazier and Dre Robinson
Mixed and Mastered by Greg Reely
Artwork by Simon Paul

‘A Return’ video by Cory Gorski. youtu.be/Uv8TTeUHVpU
‘In the Name Of’ video by Randall Frazier youtu.be/M0y7b4wQr38?si=62yGmokf8PBJ4lVA

War Crier video by Cory Gorski youtu.be/pAoNDK3wjj4?si=vv3xnplhIQR1fIcy

L/F/D/M – Strategic Revulsion (Body Musick)

Label Description:

UK-based L/F/D/M is back with a freshly scalped body musick EP ‘Strategic Revulsion’, after his album ‘Cult Routines’ he returns with this freaky 4-tracker ready to blast on your soundsystem. L/F/D/M is also know for releasing on such labels like Cititrax, Clan Destine Records and Osaré Editions.

Tracks by Richard Smith
Mastering & artwork by Faunes Efe