Janosch Moldau has made a lasting mark on the electronic dance scene with his dreamy, introspective synth-pop style. This unique artist hails from the Vaterland of electronic music, Germany, and has built a loyal fan base over the years thanks to his unique mix of melancholy, which resonates through addictive hooks and melodies. His sound draws comparisons to iconic groups like Depeche Mode, The Cure, and Red Flag, but such comparison can’t quite capture the particular atmosphere woven from his distinctive sound drawn from the aether of a rich creative mindscape.

His latest single, the lovely Where I Believe, acts as a heartfelt plea for tranquility and solace under the watchful eye of a higher power, paired with a cinema verité-style DIY video. Glitchy, raw, and sincere, the video illustrates this profound spiritual hymn amidst global turmoil and unrest. It underscores our collective need for spaces of comfort and joy – be they Franciscan frolics in gardens of contemplation with a hot cup of tea in hand, or a trip through the innermost workings of the subconscious. It is all connected.

‘If I continue like this, I will become a synthpop monk,” he quips.

Watch the video for “Where I Believe” below:

Within the last 15 years, the musician has published five studio albums, two remix albums, many singles, and remix EPs and has toured throughout Europe, the US, and in Russia with numerous stars of the electronic-pop scene. His third album, ‘Lovestar,’ expanded his committed fan base. The music clip with the same name as the album was presented exclusively on the music channel MTV/VIVA.

Where I Believe is taken from Janosch Moldau’s new EP, Where I Believe, slated for release via The Orchard/New York. The album was recorded in the idyllic setting of Lake Lugano in Italy, a place where the musician has made his creative sanctuary.

Stream the single here.

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The post A Synth Pop Monk — Janosch Moldau Explores Nature and Tranquility in His Video for “Where I Believe” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Source: Post-Punk.com

In 2008, the Russo-Georgian War over South Ossetia led to Russian advances into Georgia, intensifying geopolitical tensions. This conflict resulted in many displacements and some Russians moving to Tbilisi. Despite being Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi faces internal conflicts over its pro-Russian government stance, contrasting with many citizens who oppose Russian influence and advocate for greater national independence and alignment with Western policies. This dynamic fuels ongoing political and social challenges.

Now, UK avant-pop artist Nick Hudson delves into the complex geopolitical landscape of the Russo-Georgian conflict in his album Kanda Teenage Honey. This expansive 16-track collection was recorded in a vast former Soviet movie studio in Georgia, under the looming presence of the Ukraine war. Hudson’s album emerges from a blend of geographical and musical explorations, venturing into territories rarely explored in music, reflecting a deep, resonant response to the tumultuous backdrop.

Kanda Teenage Honey was recorded at Leno Studio and Sano Studio in Tbilisi, working alongside Ilya Lukashev, and mastered to analogue tape by Paul Pascoe (Barry Adamson, Sleaford Mods) at Church Road Studios in Hove. In crafting this project, Hudson not only teamed up with remarkable Georgian musicians but also with his friend Seva, a Russian dissident and former associate of Navalny, who escaped the clutches of the FSB.

Kanda Teenage Honey delves into themes of protecting what is sacred from the corrupting grip of church and state, both spiritually and materially. Throughout the album, Hudson articulates a storyline that challenges kleptocratic power structures. He provides insightful reflections on several tracks, unraveling the stories embedded within his music.

 “He contributes a poem narrating his thoughts on exile, through which I’ve layered field recordings of the recent Tbilisi and Paris protests, where many of us got tear-gassed,” Hudson remembers. “This geopolitical tension has inevitably made its way into the lyrical and musical texture of the record via the songs Hollow Man and Sky Burial While Alive. It also contains oligarch-hexing magic realism and a tribute to that vastly-neglected demographic – the old-school homosexual….Musically it encompasses art rock, black metal, ambient music, agitprop folk, charred goth rock, symphonic vastness and piano ballads -all infused with the energies and landscape of Georgia.”

“(Kanda Teenage Honey) itself refers to a very real preservation of innocence derived from a story I heard of a local villager whose teenage son was shot and killed,” says Hudson. “The father had his son’s body preserved in honey. As such, there are secular hymns for peace and lucid stillness, tales of saints de-martyring themselves and falling in love free of judgement from anachronistic scrutiny – a thinly veiled parable of queer love.”

“Two very close friends died within six months of each other during my first year in Georgia – there are requiems in the songs Archipelago and Bardo, plus an acappella tribute to the Siberian husky that helped me grieve them during a retreat to the sublime mountainous region of Khevsureti by the Chechen border, where despite being an ostensibly Orthodox country, pagan traditions are still passionately observed.  I dreamed eighty-percent of ‘Bardo’ in the energised serenity of this beautiful region while mourning my friend Jesse. Patrick, honoured in ‘Archipelago’, was one of my earliest mentors and a dynamically brilliant pianist.  They are much missed,” explains Nick Hudson.

“Ortolan references the summer of 2021, when I fled to the same Isle Of Wight monastery at which Scott Walker had sought refuge in the sixties, as my mental and physical health hit a nadir and I was forced to leave the city I’d called home for twenty years. This Heat refers to a return journey from a plague necropolis at the Chechen border, where giddily drunken park rangers piloting a 4X4 hurtled us passengers down a treacherous mountain pass and I briefly thought it might be the last song I’d ever write.  Since then, I’ve come to learn that Georgians are some of the virtuosic drivers in the world, even drunk, and I need not have feared.”

Kanda Teenage Honey is out now, available everywhere, along with his new book The Land Exists So The Seas Don’t Argue, showcasing a decade of lyrical output in five albums, plus ephemera with a foreword by renowned Scottish author Chris Kelso.

Order the album here

Kanda Teenage Honey by Nick Hudson

Mixed by Toby Driver of Kayo Dot, who also features on the album, this record boasts an impressive lineup of guest artists. These include Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai), Stuart Dahlquist of Asva, Burning Witch, and Sunn O))), Lizzy Carey (Bat For Lashes), Robert Wyatt’s collaborator Alfreda Benge, legendary German performer Christopher Nell (known for his work with theatre visionary Robert Wilson), and soprano prodigy Poppy Efemey.

In 2021, Nick Hudson released his album Font Of Human Fractures and the K69996ROMA: EP. A year earlier, his band The Academy of Sun dropped The Quiet Earth. Throughout his career, Hudson has worked with icons like Wayne Hussey of The Mission, Matthew Seligman (David Bowie, Tori Amos), Shara Nelson (Massive Attack), and queercore pioneer GB Jones. Beyond music, Hudson’s creative scope extends to painting, filmmaking, and novel writing.

Follow Nick Hudson / The Academy of Sun:

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Photos by Carl Solomon

The post Listen to UK Avant Pop Artist Nick Hudson’s New Album “Kanda Teenage Honey” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

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  Raw Blood Singing marks the latest full-length studio offering from the Berlin-based Insect Ark, with “The Frozen Lake” providing hints of what the album has in store. Essentially a murder ballad, founder Dana Schechter explains the darkly romantic tale to be about a spurned lover who tells of his sacrifice by her hand, resulting […]

Source: EBM.gr

And when we’re sleeping the cash will flow
From the millions to the few
And it’s so easy to be blind
And just say that you don’t know
Milan psych-rock outfit LATO, born from a deep-rooted underground scene, has evolved into a band with a sophisticated and profoundly expressive sound. LATO intertwines vocals, guitar, and bass grooves with hints of electronica while diverse, multicultural elements borrowed here and there and a flair for lush psychedelia and a suave 60s rock foundation coexist harmoniously.

The most recent album released by the band, titled “Karisma,” is a concept album characterized by a distinctive sound that embodies the distilled essence of the band’s live performances. The record explores the various facets of charisma, ranging from swagger and solidarity to seduction and even the most sordid ways people in society can influence and captivate eachother. The songs featured in the album flow seamlessly, with their mood, melody, atmosphere, and their vivid imagery, floating over a backdrop of elemental rhythms.

“This time it all started from the groove,” says the band. “The songs slowly took shape, it was the rhythm that guided us. It felt like the melodies needed a solid base to hang on to.”

Soul For Blood kicks off the album, driven by a deep, soulful sax that lays a foundation for the lyrics’ exploration of struggle and the quest for freedom. The imagery of reaching a metaphorical sea, signifying liberation, sets a poignant tone. The album shifts gears with Certainty and Disenchantment, where rolling drums punctuate a dynamic exploration of the clash between wonder and certainty. It probes beneath superficial experiences, delving into the emotional depths of relationships and passion.

Millions of Us strikes with a jazzy eeriness that nods to Bowie’s Blackstar, critiquing the stark wealth divide and the effortless flow of riches from the many to the privileged few. It starkly highlights the massive accumulation of wealth, the passivity of potential challengers, and the widespread complacency towards economic disparity.

In Stars Spangling, making a strong nod to Echo & the Bunnymen, themes of personal liberation, reflection, and renewal are prominent as the song reflects on breaking free from historical constraints and reaching a state of peace and joy. The lyric about the “electricity of humans” moving eastward introduces a concept of collective human progress and shifting energies.

Conversely, Triangular explores a tense and introspective encounter with someone who has undergone a significant transformation. This change leads to a profound and emotionally charged impact, vividly described through the metaphorical “triangle of love, life, and death,” which suggests deep emotional conflict and transformation driven by both love and existential threats.

Hole In My Head grapples with themes of emptiness and despair, depicted through the powerful image of a growing hole in the protagonist’s head. The track, which at times sounds like a lost Eels song, articulates the challenges of dealing with unresolved issues and ephemeral dreams, which compound feelings of being overwhelmed and isolated. Next comes Diamonds, which paints a poignant picture of an unrelenting quest for happiness. The lyrics capture a struggle, where hope and despair intermingle, illustrating a journey back from lost paths to a metaphorical sea.

Deep confronts deep-seated fears and destructive habits, highlighting the challenge of recognizing and addressing one’s flaws. It culminates in a call for mutual support, emphasizing the power of connection in overcoming personal crises. Finally, Dancing With Decadence explores themes of disillusionment and betrayal, framed by a backdrop of festering relationships and societal decay. Its dark tone captures the transformation of innocence into something more sinister, as utensils become weapons and prophets lose their messages.

Listen to Karima below, and order the album here.

Karisma by LATO

Karisma was recorded in Milan at Mauro Pagani’s Officine Meccaniche studio and co-produced by LATO along with Antonio “Cooper” Cupertino at San Pedro Studio. The album will be released exclusively in the new “Sound Book” format, a visual booklet that can be combined with the digital version available on Bandcamp.

Follow LATO:

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The post Listen to Milanese Psych Rock Outfit LATO’s Captivating Concept Album “Karisma” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Source: Post-Punk.com

 
To record an album with an orchestra… such has been a longtime dream of Adrian Hates, who now gets to see it fulfilled with the announcement of Under a Timeless Spell, the latest effort from Diary of Dreams. Recorded with the Leipzig Philharmonic, the album features 10 classic tracks from throughout the German industrial/darkwave outfit’s history [..]

Source: RE:GEN Mag