Frequency Divide : Feel It : 7.5 out of 10
It’s been too long since I did one of these and I’m starting on a high note… Then again I think I’m always starting these on a high note considering I don’t feature music I’m not gonna listen to anymore, right? Right. Anyway, Frequency Divide is one of those proud modular synth acts who makes it well known that’s what they do. And, hey, good for him. Cause he’s actually good at what he does. His latest single, Feel It, came out in August of 2026 and it’s an unpredictable, somewhat minimalist beast combining experimental industrial antics with breakbeat and general cyberpunk fuckery. This isn’t your typical dancefloor single nor do I think he’s attempting to make it one; it’s more a beat-ready atmosphere driver.
VHS Panty Riot / Disco Dread : His Blood Her Hope : 7.5 out of 10
Two names from the darksynth scene that I’ve never heard of are now heard thanks to their latest single His Blood Her Hope. Like many of their peers, the peoples behind the projects are huge horror nerds and enjoy writing music for a movie that was never made. A lost OST as I’ve heard a dozen times before. His Blood Her Hope is a cleanly produced single blending darksynth beats and the magic of metal; prepare for an unholy sermon of retro synth riffs. This is the first single off of their forthcoming album MY FACE, YOUR GHOST, and they have my attention.
SAL / Barney Greenway : Exhaust : 7.5 out of 10
You guys know of Napalm Death? Cool. Cause I know of them but I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a single by them willingly. That’s not a knock at the band, it’s just that I never took the time to get to know their stuff. In any even, Barney Greenway of that band lent his vocals to independent industrial musician SAL’s self-titled EP recently and the results are decent. The whole EP isn’t my thing, but what I do want to focus on is the third track, Exhaust, which I think is pretty fucking good. It’s a pretty vicious two-minute and fifty-second romp of oppressive industrial landscapes; extremely noisy percussion, pained screams, guttural noise, and the like. And it’s done well. I still urge you to check out the whole EP because you might love more than what I did.
Asphodel Ivory : Fall : 8.5 out of 10
Usually when I see a large clan of latex clad peoples dancing in the middle of a dancefloor, I usually assume the worst. The worst being that I’m going to be receiving a highly unproduced and sludgy attempt at goth club music that makes me wince. That being said, Asphodel Ivory completely floored me as soon as his vocals came out of his mouth. Deep, serene, smooth, and ethereal. The beat is a heavy four-on-the-floor combination of 2000s dark electro love meeting modern production. If this is the first single from an upcoming album, then you can mark this as one of my most anticipated releases coming in what I presume to be 2027.
