We love a bit of kröter here at Aural Aggro.
We even love a lot of kröter, like three whole CDs worth at once.
So it shouldn’t be a shock that we love this: the music is a recording of a session on the 12.09.2019 by kröter, and it’s accompanied by a film collage by Chr Chr, using material from a forest zoo close to Berlin, taifun nr.19 coming onto Yokohama and selfies made by the musicians.
Check it here (click the image to link to the player):
Following the release of their hard-hitting ‘KOMPROMAT’ album in late 2020 via Schubert Music’s recently founded Atlantic Curve label, Leeds-based trailblazers I LIKE TRAINS have shared a series of deepfake remixes of the album’s lead single ‘The Truth’.
Formed in 2004, I LIKE TRAINS is David Martin (vocals/guitar), Alistair Bowis (bass), Guy Bannister (guitar/synths), Simon Fogal (drums) and Ian Jarrold (guitar). For this experiment, the band reunited with long-time visual collaborator Michael Connolly to create a series of ‘deepfake remixes’ for ‘The Truth’.
"As our album KOMPROMAT deals with themes of information and how data misuse has led to this nightmarish present, it feels apt to see how artificial intelligence would rework our music. It seems to think we should be more melodic, throw in a few key changes and also consider using panpipes. The future of music is pretty nightmarish too it seems," says David Martin.
“The audio in these three vignettes is an AI model trying to continue ‘The Truth’, generated using the OpenAI Jukebox. I revisited my auto edit system from ‘The Truth’ & ‘Dig In’ promo videos and poured on more nightmare fuel," says Michael Connolly.
A resonant and timely rally against the powers-that-be, this ominous offering is the latest leg of the expository musical quest, following singles ‘Dig In’ and ‘A Steady Hand’, both of which also offer videos by Michael Connolly – congnizant reactions to a world that has changed beyond all recognition.
Check ‘The Truth (Angels Are Coming AI Mix)’ here:
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Multi-genre artist, SINthetik Messiah has just unleashed two new singles for Christmas. ‘In My Dreams’ is a collaboration with The Other LA. You can listen to this here:
The track ‘In My Dreams’ was originally produced by Cj Pierce of Drowning Pool for The Other LA’s self-titled album that was released in 2016. The Other LA approached Bug Gigabyte to take the music and bring it on a more twisted, electronic journey. After receiving the original track stems, Bug took the audio , ground it up into a new composition and added more drums, guitars, synths and vocals. Grammy nominated engineer Joe Haze (Lords of Acid/The Banishment) then used his mastery of analog mix and mastering technology to glue all the chaos of the track together.
The band also presents their cover of Atari Teenage Riot’s, ‘Destroy 2000 Years Of Culture,’ which seems quite appropriate in 2020.
Their first cover was meant to be an updated American version of the 1997 track ‘Destroy 2000 Years Of Culture’ by the revolutionary electronic noise act, Atari Teenage Riot. Originally ATR sampled the track ‘Dead Skin Mask’ by American metal act Slayer, from their 1990 album, Seasons in the Abyss.
In continuing the tradition of the ATR song and ideas behind both acts’ music, Bug Gigabyte sampled the same Slayer track and gave a new spin to the fundamentals of what makes Atari Teenage Riot. Once Bug finished composing the cover, he then passed it on to Grammy nominated engineer, Joe Haze(Lords Of Acid, The Banishment) for mixing and mastering with analog technology.
Check out ‘Destroy 2000 Years Of Culture’ here.
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Texas industrial/metal band Scream at the Sky has unleashed a brand new video for their song, ‘World Of Hate.’ The track appears on Scream at the Sky’s self-titled EP which dropped in February of 2020.
Check the video here:
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Says Brian Carter, who also co-directed the video with Erik Gustafson, “This is actually one of the first songs I wrote for Scream at the Sky. I wrote the song about a real life situation of one of my close friends giving up everything because of their world falling down around them. The song itself was written to inspire people to be proud of what they have. Life tests you every day. But you’re not alone because the same battles that you facie involve and impact more than you if you fail. It’s also about looking directly into a person who is not really there in their mind, soul, and spirit; a body walking in a world without a soul… without purpose, only hatred and doubt living in their mind. It’s about finding your way by turning your hate into purpose through stepping up and taking the test the world of hate throws at you. It’s written to get a message to the person directly that was and is still fighting their own battles, with hope that one day they get back to doing what they are good at and love. Come down walk in a world of hate. This is just another test that you have to take!!!”
Sydney-based dark metal trio Burden Man have just a revealed a new track off their upcoming split-ep “Grievance” with Brisbane’s atmospheric black-metal project OTHRS, due out on January 15th via Brilliant Emperor Records.
Check it out here:
Labelled as an experiment, “Grievance” sees Burden Man growing from a solo project to a three-piece collective. “It has helped open up the doors on Burden Man’s creativity and has begun the process of utilizing both Blaize and John’s pain, not just mine. So says frontman Justin about this new EP. “What has come from that process are these two songs, they show less sorrow and a more despairing anger while still retaining our softer side. The themes throughout happened to match up with the compositions of OTHRS and we couldn’t be more pleased in sharing this release with them." He complements.
A side-project of MR the main conjuror of ambient/black metal duo Spire, OTHRS offer us his second piece, showcasing his unique blend of atmospheric black metal and mist ridden dark rock featuring vocals from V.S (Spire, Void Stare) and a cover of Horseback’s "Invisible Mountain".
The opulent darkwave closing song off of VEXILLARY’s latest EP, SurViolence has now received the music video treatment it deserves. Both the song and the video explore the link between science and spirituality and how they influence one another. The dark supernatural theme is embodied by the menacing lyrics of the song :“Chimera awaits at the tip of his hands, a snap of his fingers and the beast is in your land."
The video echoes the same theme visually. It presents us with a sci-fi dream sequence that plays like techno hypnotism.
Watch the video here:
SurViolence adopts the theme of unease in an overly politicized society; using surveillance culture as a metaphor on how technology that was created to serve and protect can serve to exploit. Hence the title, SurViolence. The sub-plot of tension and lack of trust in the decisions that are being made for us fueled the eerie sounds and direction of the record.
Voyeurism has been weaponized to give rise to surveillance. Violence has been digitized to replace intelligence. This is where evolution has led us. It’s time to take back control. If only we could have our eyes back to see.
Welcome to the surrealist horror of SurViolence.
Texas goth-rock band IN A DARKENED ROOM has unveiled their new video for the song, ‘Final Vows.’ This is the third single off of their debut album slated for release in 2021. Check the video here:
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As the world reels from a deadly pandemic and the U.S veers towards civil war, 13,890 nuclear weapons lie dormant. In their first single since signing to APF records, Indica Blues’ imagine a catastrophic very-near-future scenario in which current world events lead to all-out war and nuclear annihilation: We Are Doomed.
Indica Blues (in-deh-ka) are a four-piece psychedelic doom band from Oxford, U.K. Once described as ‘bong filling rock that is platinum heavy, but blessed with a melodic sensibility underneath it all,’ the band’s unique sound has garnered fans across the world since their formation in 2014. They have gigged with stoner rock luminaries such as Elder, Samsara Blues Experiment and Mars Red Sky.
On the new video for ‘We Are Doomed,’ Tom Pilsworth (guitars/vocals) comments, “This song is our vision of near future nuclear annihilation, written in response to the chaotic world events of the last four years. We spent six hours in pouring rain at an abandoned cold war missile facility with director Josh Horwood and his team, and he couldn’t of done a better job. We hope people enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.”
The video reminds us just how much we miss seeing bands knocking out heavy chords in small rooms. This shit hurts. It’s a top video though.
Watch the video now:
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After announcing the release of his second EP titled "Continued Survival", the Italian-born electronica musician and producer Souvlaki unveils another piece of this new work, which was preceded by the single “7LUNGS” (featuring Slim Gong) at the beginning of November.
“Isolation” features Deborah Grandi on vocals and is presented with a stop motion video directed by Souvlaki himself, along with Carlo Rodella and Nicola Nolli.
The musician comments: "This is the first song I started working on for this new EP, the one that set the whole songwriting process in motion. Deborah’s vocal lines were written almost on the spot, we found them when we first listened to the base in the practice room and they immediately seemed to work well in the song.
The lyrics match the story of the video, the central theme is people’s incommunicability, and the song title seems to sum it up quite well.
I have to admit that I struggled to finish the arrangements of “Isolation”, but I perceived its great potential right away and I didn’t want to set it aside. Thanks to Simone Piccinelli, who contributed to the production of the EP, I got to find the balance between all the elements in this song.
I am satisfied with the outcome and I hope listeners will appreciate it too; personally, I like the atmosphere it evokes, that slightly “retro” touch; it plays along within a mix between darkness and positive feelings."
The EP "Continued Survival", produced by Souvlaki and Simone Piccinelli at La Buca Recording Club and mastered at Woodpecker Mastering will contain 6 tracks, including the single "Isolation" and the previously released single "7LUNGS" and will be available on all main digital platforms starting January 15th.
Watch the video here:
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Anna von Hausswolff presents an immersive new video for "Dolore di Orsini." The track appears on the latest album All Thoughts Fly, out now on Southern Lord.
The breathtaking new video for "Dolore di Orsini" was directed by Ludvig Holtenäs and Gustaf Holtenäs, with animation effects by Mathias Söderberg.
Anna von Hausswolff writes, "’Dolore di Orsini’ is a song about profound sadness and finding freedom in grief. It’s inspired by the idea that Pier Orsini, a wealthy patron of arts, created the garden Sacro Bosco as a way to cope with grief and loss after losing his wife, Giulia Farnese. I look at the park as a symbol for love where love is an incitement for chaos and harmony. The video depicts Mr. Orsini burying his wife, the passing of time in nature, and sculptures taking shape and being set up by the help of a spirit. A movement forwards whilst looking backwards."
Watch the video here:
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Photo credit: Gianluca Grasselli
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