Back catalogue: Industrial/Noise

Review: BOOM! Our favourites, Cititrax, roll the third editions of Tracks out onto our shelves, and the results are unsurprisingly strong on this excellent various artists comp. It's a mixed bag of skills, as per usual, and the sounds are those of a new NYC, fuelled by a new sort of post-industrial sensibility. Amato Y Mariana open with the tight beats and groove of "Queires Bailar", followed closely by the ominous compositions of the EBM-flavoured "Montgat" from The Sixteen Steps. On the flip, His Dirty Secrets bleeps out some morphed acid on "Structures", and "Another Stranger" from Further Reductions churns out a slow, mild-mannered house experiment with its roots clearly planted in the coldest of waves. Sick.

Review: There's a delightfully celebratory feel about this debut volume of Cititrax Tracks, a new 12" series from Minimal Wave offshoot Cititrax. As beautifully presented as we've come to expect, Tracks Volume 1 boasts a quartet of dancefloor-ready smashers from a blend of new faces and label stalwarts. Amato (aka The Hacker) kicks things off with the glistening EBM funk of "Physique" - all restless synth refrains and pounding bottom end - before LIES affiliate Tsuzing go all dark, psychedelic and twisted on the thrillingly intense, acid-flecked "King of System". An-I go all DAF (with a touch of Front 242) on the fuzzy and dystopian stomper "Mutter", before Cititrax regulars Broken English Club delivers a storming chunk of industrial-tinged analogue funk ("Glass"). Bravo!

Review: An-i is the alias of Berlin-based Korean-American Doug Lee, an artist with over two decades in the game already under several different monikers. This is the third EP to come under this name since debuting it in 2015 and finds him in an even more bold and adventurous mode than ever. Opener 'Rabble' is controlled techno chaos, a flurry of whirring machines and unrelenting drums that will frazzle your brain. 'Rubble' is just as intense, a big wall of rusted synth work and industrial noise mangled into something rhythmic and futuristic. 'Chapel Perilous' on the flip then offers up a spaced-out journey deep into the inner psyche. A welcome return from a truly singular artist that comes on fluorescent yellow wax.

Review: Gravers kicks off with a strong various artists release that sets out is electro stall in fine fashion. Kovyazin D opens up with the rugged and hard hitting electro-techno of 'Modularity' (feat Alexandr) with its stomping drums and frazzled synths. There is plenty of gothic energy to the slapping machismo of the acid laced'Proven Witch Psalm' from Antoni Maiovvi, then Millimetric offers up 'Espace' with a spiralling synth line and more caustic drums. Anton Levdikov closes down with 'Vardi' and a dark, driving bassline. This is a high impact EP for those who like it tough.

Review: Uwe Schmidt's mammoth artistic stamp has left an indelible mark on electronic music since he first emerged in the 80s as a DIY industrial artist in Frankfurt. His complex, many-sided career has been documented in a new book, AtomTM, the nonconformist virtuoso, which is being bolstered by this mini-compilation from Industrial Complexx and Fill-Lex. The A-side is focused on Schmidt's early work as Lassigue Bendthaus, where he responded to the emergent industrial and EBM phenomenon with a high-definition sound which ranks among the best music of the era. The three tracks sound as relevant today as they were futuristic when originally released. Meanwhile the B-side features two of his most daring works as AtomTM, originally released as The OvercomEP as a digital release in 2022. These angular, experimental studies serve as a neat demonstration of just one place his music has ended up across an accomplished career.