‘The Harmony Codex’: Steven Wilson’s ‘Cinema for the Ears’
“If there was an agenda, it was to not have an agenda at all,” Steven Wilson says of his seventh solo LP, The Harmony Codex, in this extended interview.
electronic rock
Yeule Makes Artful Glitchpop for the AI Era on ‘Softscars’
In weird ways, Yeule’s softscars works as a satisfying slice of artful pop for the Anthropocene that oozes catastrophe and captures a real cultural moment.
Requiem Construct Heavy, Dreamy Soundscapes on ‘POPulist Agendas’
The first full-length release from Requiem packs an emotional, post-rock punch with its unique sense of adventure and calming, cathartic hope in the darkness.
STS9 & Maddy O’Neal Beat the Heat at Area 15’s Secret Garden
STS9, Maddy O’Neal and the Crystal Method team up for a two-night desert dance party at Sin City’s most mystical new venue, Area 51.
Man on Man Rock Out with Gay Love on ‘Provincetown’
Man on Man excel at delivering pop hooks in various ways across rock genres, and with ten tracks at 42 minutes, there’s plenty of playful joy on Provincetown.
Retrofuturism: How the Alt-Right Learned to Love Depeche Mode
For Richard Spencer and today’s alt-right, ‘80s British synthpop bands like Depeche Mode satisfy their retrofuturist cultural fantasies.
M83 Get Lost in the Synth Clouds of ‘Fantasy’
With a bloated runtime and a tendency toward monochromatic synth textures, M83’s ninth studio record Fantasy indulges one too many of the group’s clichés.
Depeche Mode’s ‘Memento Mori’ Is an Embrace of Life in Death’s Shadow
Depeche Mode’s Memento Mori is a testament to the power of art to call us to see more clearly in the absence of resolution.
Suicide’s Music in Film: An Interview with Martin Rev
Suicide’s music is used in films from the comedy Mistress America to the documentary The Red Orchestra. Martin Rev shares memories of the films and the sci-fi that he and Alan Vega loved.
The 15 Best New Order Songs
New Order’s danceable rhythms and quick, clean melodies inspired a slew of paler imitators then and a new onslaught of dance-punk bands in the past few decades.
New Order’s ‘Low-Life (Definitive Edition)’ Isn’t Quite Definitive
New Order’s Low-Life is a masterstroke of synthpop glory, but keep your expectations of the word “definitive” nice and low for this set.
The 25 Best David Bowie Deep Tracks
For all of the imagery that dominated the religiosity of David Bowie what matters most are the songs. Here are 25 killer deep-cut Bowie originals, album by album.