[engl] Délicat Déni is the 4th LP album of Chocolat Billy, a band from Bordeaux, France. As the rainbow enters the sky and shines through the rain, all the birds lift their heads, singing. This album lures us into being blindly joyful, shying away from the terrible troubles of this world. Let's pretend we are happy for half an hour, ok ? It is actually soothing.

[engl] Circuit Breaker are a band split in half. On the one hand you have the jagged guitar and maudlin vocals of Peter Simpson, slotting into the lineage of expansive and gothic punk a la Killing Joke, Bauhaus, Wire, etc. On the other you have the contrastive production approach of his brother Edward, whose washes of glassy FM Synth melodies are counterbalanced with bursts of electronic harshness recalling artists such as Autechre & Pan Sonic. ‘Hands Return To Shake’ is the second full length from the London based group. It is also the second release from them for longstanding avant-punk label Harbinger Sound. Moving on from the previous record, ‘My Descent Into Capital’, ‘Hands Return…’ is a much more personal and emotive work. The orthodoxies of minimal synth and post punk are stretched and squeezed to breaking point in both a reaffirmation and a deconstruction of the duo’s many influences. Embodying a fluid eclecticism that ties together industrial, minimal synth, post-punk, abstract electronic music and everything in between, ‘Hands Return To Shake’ is their finest work yet, a record marked by inspiration and their own increasingly elusive and individual direction.

[engl] My Descent into Capital represents the most ambitious recording to date from London-based duo Circuit Breaker. Even if they're taking influence from minimal synth, post-punk, or early industrial sides, Circuit Breaker are unmistakably contemporary with their delivery, forging together metallic drum machines, propulsive synth lines, and stark guitar-degradation into bold, simple, and effective songs about downtrodden themes of isolation, discontentment, and the true horror of work. This album transgresses any simple nostalgia for its musical forefathers and showcases a band with their eyes fixed firmly on the future. Any obvious reference points are contorted and stretched to the point where they are transformed into something new. After two well-received releases on Tombed Visions, this is their first full-length album, and their first release on abstract-punk imprint Harbinger Sound.

[engl] Barcelona's CIUDAD LINEAL finally deliver the follow up to their fantastic demo from 2013. A full length album of dark minimal wave heavily influenced by EL AVIADOR DRO Y SUS OBREROS ESPECIALIZADOS, THE NORMAL or CABARET VOLTAIRE. Armed with a bass guitar, drum pad, a keyboard and two synths CIUDAD LINEAL manage to create a conceptual piece around the idea of progress and industry as opposing forces. El Nuevo Hombre is divided into two parts each one comprising one side of the album. The A side being "The Splendor" and the B side "The Fall" joined by a speech symbolizing Mankind's awakening. The album throws shades of JOY DIVISION, DECIMA VICTIMA or even THE RESIDENTS leaving behind absolute hits like the freezing cold opening track "Horizonte" or "Industria" which to these ears is the closest anyone has ever came to being part of the LOS INICIADOS/FRACCION DEL EJERCITO ROJO/ AVIADOR family. While CIUDAD LINEAL'S sound is certainly rooted in the early 80's synth explosion the band remains fresh due to their lyrical approach as well as their DIY ethos.

[engl] "America's Little Brother" is back after a lengthy stay at the Deformatory for the Young and Well Adjusted. It's been a productive placement that has birthed the debut dozen dubbed "Welcome To Clarko". An arms wide invitation to the double mad anxious new wave/brainpunk world of smart-mouthed subversion, man-made aneurysms, knee-jerk antagonism and juvenile gambling addictions. In short, a delight for the senseless.

[engl] Pestilent Planet is the debut 7 track album from Berlin’s Clock of Time and it’s released a mere 8 months after they played their first gig. The band comes fully formed and up to speed but that is not surprising considering some of the members other projects such as Diat, Vexx and Useless Eaters. Pestilent Planet is a stunning statement of intent. The sound is a driving mix of post punk like Jeopardy era The Sound, and that classic 80’s death rock that Vex and Arch Criminals perfected. It’s instant and urgent especially tracks like 'Rotten Master' which has a fuller Joy Division esque vibe especially in the skeletal guitar hook. It will be love on first listen."

[engl] Nineteen hundred and seventy-eight was ground zero for the UK post-punk explosion. The previous few years had seen raw rock n' roll claw it's way back into the mass consciousness, but '78 was the year a veritable army of disconnected and discontented art students decided, en masse mind, to pick up cheap guitars, switch on malfunctioning synthesizers and beat upon cobbled-together drumkits. From the art colleges they came, inspired by the throbbing rhythms of PiL, The Pop Group and Pere Ubu, but also by politically-charged reggae and dub such as King Tubby, Prince Far-I and the Coxsone Sound System. Code BMUS was just such a unit. Four too-smart-for-their-own-good lads converged in London with an itch to join the fray. Pitched somewhere between squatterpunk art-scrabble and headier RIO-style instrumental tangle, Code BMUS carved out their own peculiar identity in an unforgiving London music and art scene. For years they plied their trade, hauling their unconventional set-up - "a rhythm kit built from Indian tablas , Irish bodhran, an assortment of metal tubes and plates, snare, marching band bass drum and a miscellaneous collection of objects to hit wired up with transducer mics deconstructed guitar played with bottleneck, bow and sticks on an ironing board" - to all manner of clubs, converted showspaces and improvised venues. In 1981, Code BMUS brought their musical contraptions to Cold Storage, a meat locker that had been transformed into a recording studio by the fiercely independent and experimental post-punk trio This Heat. The resulting 12'' EP, Strike Now, There is No Cover, is a mini-masterpiece of right angles, sharp turns and unclassifiable agitpop. With its driving bass, slashing guitar and inspired junk percussion, Code BMUS echoes contemporaries such as Cabaret Voltaire, Fire Engines, and 23 Skidoo, but Code BMUS operated in the squatter scene, rubbing elbows with Crass and their ilk. Code BMUS' politics don't come off as theory, but as the righteous anger of those who live everyday under the thumb of the powerful and corrupt. The turmoil of their daily lives comes through loud and clear, imbuing Code BMUS' turbulent music with an immediacy that cannot be faked. Kicking off a busy 2014, New York City's Ever/Never Records brings you a faithful reissue of Code BMUS' overlooked post-punk classic, Strike Now, There is No Cover; four songs of collapse and struggle that resonate loudly as ever, sounding better than ever and available as never before.

[engl] The Bay Area is one of the most interesting places for punk these days – one of the most outstanding bands from there are the Cold Circuits! Shattered guitar sound, mutated post punk basslines creating a danceable despair with bratty darkwave vocals, this is so punk! No garage, no post punk, no deathrock or whatever… The icy, anxiety-ridden post punk is replaced by salivating droning punk. Less twitching, more pogoing, but still ravaged by the mounting dissolution and paranoia. A fucking great rhythm section (well known from Synthetic ID) rounds this whole thing down. Cold and bleak with sporadic tinges of fear. If you are a fan of Terrible Feelings and also Rank//Xerox, Cold Circuits will be your new obsession! Keep your eyes open – the 12“ will be limited to 200 copies!

[engl] Whatever these Bay Area guys secretly mix in their drinks, it seems to bring out an endless flow of brilliant and catchy, yet distinctive songs – in each of their bands. I'm talking about the rhythm section of Synthetic ID with the same guys of this awesome new San Francisco band! Ok, many bands try to do some kind of post punk stuff these days, but in my opinion the Bay Area knows how to do it best! After Rank//Xerox and Synthetic ID, Cold Circuits is the band to listen to right now! Robert Collins said: "UK post punk meets an angular cousin" and he's totally right. There are similarities to Synthetic ID, even though this band is less focused on the vibe and more on driving the listener. Lazy guitar lines weave in and out of logic, while bass and drums keep the whole thing forward with an inevitably urgency. It sounds excitingly familiar and so new in skills and maturity, that you just can't listen to anything similar elsewhere. What can I say?! Get it or not – this thing will explode, without any doubts!

[engl] "Confetti Malaise was created in early 2019 in Marseille by three friends, who wanted to make people dance in the dark basements of their city. They released their first four-song EP in December 2019 and the single “If Mirrors Could Speak” during lockdown in 2020 then started working on their first full-length album “A Thousand Burning Suns”. Danceable new wave with a dark post punk side by members of Canine, The Third Memory, Cavalcads, Bad Affair, Kapot, Braindead and more. On this release you’ll hear songs about death, friendship, pain and solidarity.

[engl] Connect_icut is an electronic music producer based in Vancouver, Canada. His releases include Moss (Dehausset CD, 2005), They Showed Me the Secret Beaches (CSAF LP, 2008) and Fourier's Algorithm (CSAF download, 2010). These albums have received a good deal of critical acclaim. Most notably, Secret Beaches was praised in Thurston Moore and Byron Coley's Arthur magazine column, as well as in The Wire, which commented that it was "(a)lways involving - and easily rewarding enough to make getting up and turning the record over an anticipatory pleasure." The music itself combines the disruptive "glitch" techniques of Oval with the melodic noise rock of My Bloody Valentine. It anchors all manner of chaotic abstraction in a solid foundation of three-chord pop. It is also fundamentally grounded in hands-on performance and spontaneous composition. Live connect_icut appearances have included support slots for a number of notable electronic artists including Oneohtrix Point Never and Loscil. The vinyl comes with a book designed by Bas Mantel. It presents a graphic interpretation of the intense atmosphere on Crows & Kittiwakes Wheel & Come Again. Cut and pasted images explore the glitched and sequenced sound universe with its detailed constructions of hunted and alienating sound layers.

[engl] Connect_icut is an electronic music producer based in Vancouver, Canada. His releases include Moss (Dehausset CD, 2005), They Showed Me the Secret Beaches (CSAF LP, 2008) and Fourier's Algorithm (CSAF download, 2010). These albums have received a good deal of critical acclaim. Most notably, Secret Beaches was praised in Thurston Moore and Byron Coley's Arthur magazine column, as well as in The Wire, which commented that it was "(a)lways involving - and easily rewarding enough to make getting up and turning the record over an anticipatory pleasure." The music itself combines the disruptive "glitch" techniques of Oval with the melodic noise rock of My Bloody Valentine. It anchors all manner of chaotic abstraction in a solid foundation of three-chord pop. It is also fundamentally grounded in hands-on performance and spontaneous composition. Live connect_icut appearances have included support slots for a number of notable electronic artists including Oneohtrix Point Never and Loscil. The vinyl comes with a book designed by Bas Mantel. It presents a graphic interpretation of the intense atmosphere on Crows & Kittiwakes Wheel & Come Again. Cut and pasted images explore the glitched and sequenced sound universe with its detailed constructions of hunted and alienating sound layers.

[engl] Waving the second flag of LPS, complete with a murky minimal-post-punk tuxedo, is the one-man project Constant Cold War. Throbbing drum-machines lay frigid rhythmical bricks in the construction of a dystopian monotone structure. A crumbling sideroad further corrupted by insistent guitar clatter and a deep, contorted voice. CCW’s songs make up a dreary, lucid soundtrack for modern-day living, an ominous pulsation slowly degrading our ‘Posture’ until we find ourselves squashed into a ‘Hole’ of inner vacuity. CCW is Marian Gmeiner – an established artist producer, emerging from the innovative DIY punk/post-punk scene of Berlin and Graz, who has already left his mark with work in projects such as Catholic Guilt, Cult Values, Imposition Man and many more. As part of Le Petit Signal ritual, this record is released on 12” vinyl, risograph-printed, glued, stamped and crafted by hand, and limited to 100 copies only.

[engl] Formed in 2009 Constant Mongrel begun as a two piece (Tom Ridgewell and Hugh Young) creating immediate and at times improvised songs in an old dishevelled laundry in inner city Melbourne. Inspired by the more flamboyant side of protopunk such as Electric Eels and Chrome, over the next few years the band added members Amy Hill (bass) and Andrew Murray (guitar) building upon their intense sound and developing a unique humour. Consisting of members from Terry, Woollen Kits, Nun and Taco Leg, Constant Mongrel has several previous releases on RIP Society Records and Siltbreeze Records. After three years since their last release Constant Mongrel have developed a diverse collection of songs gradually over time. Recorded in the summer of 2017 in a studio, produced by Tom Hardisty and Mastered by Mikey Young, ‘Living In Excellence’ brings a more formed sound and aesthetic with striking riffs and catchy rolling bass over an often unhinged, vibrant rhythm section. Added for this on particular tracks is a fried, effected saxophone with warm synths and analogue sounds added to enhance the LP’s thoughtful textures. The new record has a sharper British Post Punk expression reminiscent of the usual suspects in Wire, Blitz, The Mob, Siekiera and The Fall, while also exploring elements found outside of the genre from Les Rallizes Dénudés to Youth Crew Hardcore to Country music and beyond, there's greater depth and sensibility found amongst the angst. James Vinciguerra (of Total Control fame) designed the cover which is a perfect depiction of this modern day punk record with its sharpness, colour and feeling of slight discomfort. The bands lyrics and themes vary in subject matter. Songs of certain romance, the monotonousness of self-loathing, the joy of a riot, atrocity of western religion, an abundance of a fresh modern fascism, white-middle-class-self-entitled guilt and the beauty in misinterpretation. But behind every idea the tongue remains continually in cheek as the bands humor seeps through and prevails in its sound. The truth is that none of us are truly Living In Excellence and this false mantra is prominent throughout a record that is over flowing with character, bleak satire and grunt.

[engl] What if The Fall, Pere Ubu and the Swell Maps got fed up with all that searing rock’n’roll business and decided to strip things back to the simple electronic beat of a knackered old Casio keyboard? What if they figured they may as well mumble some bon mots over the top, and smother it in nagging, lo-fi repetition, whether composed of discordant keyboard stabs or undulating guitar chords? That’s right, you’d probably end up somewhere in the vicinity of The Cool Greenhouse’s batshit take on pop-mangling nonsense. If the above doesn’t sound worlds away from all your weirdo post-punk favourites, served up the likes of Rough Trade, Ron Johnson et al, you’re right – it’s all in the same wheelhouse. OK, here the rage and the noise seem more subtle but, but none of it is any less caustic or pointed than the sounds you already know and love to be baffled by. What’s more, The Cool Greenhouse is piss-funny. On this two-track window into the skewed mindset behind the project, we open with Landlords – a searing take on the perils of renting that devolves into Kafka-esque levels of preposterousness while also remaining frighteningly recognisable. It goes from personalised number plates to chimpanzee-staffed call centres in just under three minutes, all to the strains of what The Desperate Bicycles might have sounded like while trying to rip off Hex Enduction Hour – in summary, fucking brilliant. On the flip is 4Chan, a diary entry of sorts for a regular poster on the Internet’s most infamous troll caves. “Today I photoshopped 14 photographs of Tyler Durden and good old Patrick Bateman / And now my Steam account has two new followers and I’ve spammed some feminists with troll faces,” it goes, while two unsympathetic guitar chords crash rudely into each other ad infinitum. A hilariously bleak summary of life in certain quarters of the Internet, and an addictively excellent slice of horribly nervy pop music. It might not sound like rock music as you know and love it, but it’s way punker than you. Stick it on – play once, twice, a thousand times. The Cool Greenhouse is your new 80s awkward hero, right here in 2019. Will Fitzpatrick.

[engl] Coolhaven’s 10 inch vinyl release ‘RODE PRUIK’, with covers of de Rondo’s and combined with a 24 page comic book-style artwork by De Rondos’ Johannes van de Weert. At this special release Coolhaven perform covers of both De Rondos and Tandstickorshocks, next to other obscure material. Johannes made an appearance in his own right alongside his old Rondos bandmates (and those from Tandstickorshocks), as ‘Rode Pruik’ is a reworking of old hits from both bands. According to Coolhaven’s Lukas Simonis, “The reworking is done with a Gabber feel, which suited those songs like a glove”. The comic is a trip guided by Johannes his new alter ego ‘Biggo’ around avant garde history, politics and underground related to the history of Rotterdam and De Rondo’s in it’s timeframe, developing itself to the contemporary situation and Coolhaven’s Rotterdam. Coolhaven is “a flexible group that flows in a realistic-capitalistic manner if needed and dries up where fluid is redundant.” Johannes van de Weert was a cartoonist in the Rotterdam punk and squatter movements of the 1980s next to being the vocalist of the influential Rotterdam-based punk band De Rondos (1977 – 1980). He started self-publishing comic booklets in the late 1970s and famously created the ‘Redrat’ character for the fanzine ‘Raket’ in 1980, which soon became an icon for the squatter’s movement.

[engl] From a city quickly gaining steam as a minor post-punk mecca, Corker emerge from the Cincinnati underground with their debut full length, 'Falser Truths'. Corker are the proverbial fly in the ointment - soaking up every glorious facet of the past while swirling new thoughts and sounds into one highly engaging debut. Corker were first introduced to popular consciousness with 2021's 'A Bell That Seems To Mourn' on Cincinnati's own Future Shock Recordings, headed by Dakota Carlyle (Crime Of Passing, The Drin, The Serfs). Following several tours of the Midwest and surrounds, Corker began recording 'Falser Truths' in 2022 - the same year Feel It Records transplanted their operations to Cincinnati. What seems like an almost-inevitable partnership began with Feel It issuing the 'Lice' single just as 2023 arrived. Paired with eight additional tracks recorded and mixed just over the Kentucky line at The Lodge with John Hoffman, 'Falser Truths' is not only intelligent, but bold, charismatic, and free. There's little restriction to Corker's formula - whether they're lifting latent fingerprints of the post-punk past, rendering landscapes of Industrial wasteland, or bending rhythm and tone with Krautish ambition - the end result is resoundingly original. Genre purists be damned! Corker stand apart from their contemporaries on 'Falser Truths' - an album realized by a fresh set of eyes and ears, driven far beyond the earthly bounds of now.

[engl] The 1996 full-length from the D.C. quintet, Corm. Members went on to Q and Not U, The Elusive, and The Maginot Line. Originally issued in 1996 as a co-release between Shute Records and Dischord Records. In 2005, Audio Flame Kit was re-mastered by T.J. Lipple at Inner Ear Studios and reissued on Polyvinyl Records with updated artwork. In 2023, Expert Work Records, and American Handstand released Audio Flame Kit for the first time on vinyl. Limited to 300 copies on opaque red vinyl, housed in a deluxe gatefold.

[engl] The brainchild of Dan Gräns, former member of Impo & the Tents, Toads of the Short Forest. This marks a distinct and dark turn towards a much heavier, synthier landscape. Featuring members of bands like Impo & the Tents, Moralens Väktare, Hanna Hirsch and Rev. Savage & His Holy Rollers.

[engl] Cosey steps right out of the screen of a crackly old vhs to deliver her second release of heels and leather groovers, lifted straight from the sticky dancefloors of smoke stained clubs of the 1981 you wish you partied so hard in you forgot to remember. Driving, crunching and grinding through eight sassy tracks, the conveyor belt of analog tunes is constructed on a foundation of vintage synths and sequencers. Vocals, ice cold like a frozen strawberry daiquiri, guide you through the club to the jukebox next to the cigarette machine so you can pick out that track you like, the one with the spontaneous uplifting guitar hook that comes out of nowhere and kicks like that pill you forgot you took back in 1981. ( Daryl Sulfate, Diät )

[engl] “Cougs,” the third full-length album by the band Cougars, showcases the group’s evolution while staying true to their primary sonic direction. This record picks up where the band left off with their previous recordings but also introduces some exciting innovations in their sound. One notable change in Cougars’ sound is the exclusion of keyboards and horn section. By stripping away these elements, Cougars created a more focused and stripped-down sound, allowing other aspects of their music to shine. This decision reflects the band’s growth and willingness to experiment with its established formula. The album also presents an upgraded approach to songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing music. Fans of Cougars, both old and new, will be delighted by the evolution in these areas. The band’s attention to detail is apparent throughout the album, enhancing the listener’s experience. For those unfamiliar with Cougars, the band explores a variety of complementary music genres such as post-punk, post-hardcore, noise rock, and math-rock. However, it’s worth mentioning that the band incorporates elements from other genres as well. These additions serve as necessary enhancements, accentuations, and decorations that elevate Cougars’ music to an entirely new level. Despite the incorporation of various genres, the band remains loyal to its primary sonic directions, creating a cohesive and unique sound. One of the most striking aspects of “Cougs” is the cleverly assembled, complex patterns that form the basis of each song. Cougars expertly craft intricate chord progressions, riffs, melodies, and themes, which immediately capture the listeners’ attention. These catchy and often noisy elements create a captivating sonic landscape that engages the audience from start to finish. The basslines on this album deserve special recognition. They provide a sense of heaviness, depth, and clarity to the ambiance. These warm-sounding notes complement the complex patterns and serve as a solid foundation for the other sonic maneuvers at play. The drumming sequences on “Cougs” are nothing short of mind-blowing. Energetic, groovy, and well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics drive the songs forward. The intricate drumming adds an extra layer of complexity to the music, demonstrating the band’s exceptional musicianship. The vocalist delivers a range of vocal styles, including articulate screams, shouts, and clean vocals. These vocal techniques and arrangements further accentuate the intricate orchestrations and guide listeners through the exceptional compositions with precision. Cougars has once again delivered a standout album. With its cleverly assembled post-hardcore, post-punk, noise rock, and math-rock elements, the album is a treat for fans who appreciate flawlessly crafted music. The band’s exclusion of keyboards and horn section, their upgraded approach to songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing music demonstrate their growth and willingness to push boundaries. “Cougs” exemplifies Cougars’ continued dedication to their primary sonic direction while exploring new and exciting territories. It’s also good to mention that Expert Work Records did an incredible job by picking maroon/gold opaque galaxy and standard black vinyl for this release. These colors perfectly match the outstanding artwork that decorates the packaging. The jaw-dropping watercolor paint of the cougar on the front matches the Cougars’ abstract, intense, powerful sound, and gives an entirely new dimension to this release.

[engl] "This is the second full-length release from COUNTDOWN TO ARMAGEDDON, a 3-piece based in Seattle, WA whose sound originated in apocalyptic crust and progressed into more melodic, post-punk territories over the past eight years of their tenure. Thick layers of reverb and chorus-effected darkwave riffs, sometimes reminiscent of early KILLING JOKE or CHRISTIAN DEATH, weave in and out of the lines between punk, hardcore, and d-beat crust, while retaining a unique identity in each of the eight tracks on the album. Lyrically this album addresses the conflict between the artificial and natural worlds, and the struggle to preserve humanity in an increasingly digitized and bleak dystopian future. Through a reconnection to nature the path toward destruction can be altered, and thereby escaping the psychological constraints of the modern age.