This October, the indefatigably enigmatic trio The Necks will release Disquiet, their 20th full-length release, a triple disc via Northern Spy. It’s an absolutely intoxicating listen, over three hours of incredible music.
The band has shared the mesmerizing 26-minute ‘Causeway,’ as a first listen. Hear it here:
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Photo credit: Dawid Laskowski
British electronic artist Max Rael presents ‘Pressing Against The Glass’, a danceable elegy for the unbelonging. Capturing the deep-seated ache of being on the outside, this is a soundtrack for those who feel eternally separated from the warmth and safety they can only observe.
Based in Hertfordshire, Max Rael is a key creative force in the UK underground through 1990s-2000s electro-goth trailblazers History Of Guns, frontrunners of the Wasp Factory / FuturePunk scene, and Decommissioned Forests. Here, he showcases his singular talents on this record, featuring unique twists on sound design and his acclaimed outsider lyrical perspectives. Musician, writer, actor, engineer and producer, Max Rael has collaborated with Fish (Marillion), Last July, Kommand + Kontrol, Freudstein and Bienheldenschafgegenstand.
“I’ve always been taken by the image of someone being outside alone in the cold looking in through a window to warmth, comfort and safety that’s not for them. I was thinking of Heathcliff looking through the windows of Thrushcross Grange in Wuthering Heights or Frank Abagnale Jr in the film "Catch Me If You Can", outside in the snow at Christmas, unseen looking in through the window at his mother with her new family, happy and warm indoors and realising there is nowhere he belongs, and no one he belongs to,” says Max Rael.
This is the latest audio-visual offering from his debut solo album The Enemy Is Us, released via London imprint Liquid Len Media. Offering up a dark bouquet of minimalist synth, darkwave and spoken-word electronic pop, this album introduces Rael’s compelling ‘futuretroist’ sound: an alternative sonic universe built on a unique sound design that feels at once familiar and alien.
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Rael’s powerful and thought-provoking spoken-word lyrics confronts a world in freefall—its corruption, alienation, and misery. The result seemingly effortlessly conflates a painfully personal portrait of an interior world, with an achingly universal depiction of society and the world outside. He still unearths a resilient core of hope and gallows humour that burns brightly through the darkness, offering a complex and compelling take on the human condition.
Earlier, Max Rael released the poignant shadow-streaked ‘Slightly Less Than Human’, a nervy electronic track with a great hooky synth melody and spoken word vocals. Partly inspired by Japanese author Osamu Dazai. Lyrically, Max Rael relays his feeling of being somehow different from the rest of the human race, while the non-album B-side ‘When the Only Winning Move Is Not to Play’ relates to the 1983 film War Games and the book The Games People Play by Eric Berne.
In April, Max Rael shared his spoken-word electronic pop song ‘Brighter Future’, where he questions avoidant strategies of coping with life in a seemingly increasingly chaotic and unsafe world and queries how can we reverse course from an anticipated dystopian future. The B-side ‘The People We Love Have Won (Persistence Is All)’ is a darker beast, named after Coil’s 2000 London performance at The Royal Festival Hall, which also happens to be tattooed on the inside of Rael’s left wrist.
Spoken word, electronic music and loud drums feature strongly on the 12-track album, produced and mixed by Max Rael with additional mixing by Caden Clarkson and mastered by Pete Maher (U2, Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, Pixies. Nine Inch Nails). Fusing a range of electronic music styles with other genres, Max Rael is a master journeyman of existential exploration into humanity, self, society, reality, psychology, philosophy and the future.
Industrial rock insurgents Jesus on Extasy (JoE) are back – darker, heavier and more relentless than ever. Led by founding member Dorian Deveraux, the band has returned with an uncompromising sound that pushes their signature mix of industrial beats, searing guitars and raw emotion to the next level.
JoE have issued ‘Somewhat Happy’ as a new single today, with Deveraux deeeming it “the apocalyptic post breakup song you didn’t know you needed.” Describing the song as a paean to “how to move on after a traumatic relationship that left your world in shambles, when you’re starting to get clarity and see your ex-partner for who they really are,” the song can be seen as lyrically related to ’Soul Crusher’ its heavy-hitting predecessor released in July.
Like that single, ‘Somewhat Happy’ offers a further brutal preview of what is to come on the forthcoming new JoE album, Between Despair And Disbelief, which is out on 12th September via Metropolis Records. Giving fans a tantalising taste of their second coming with the single ‘Wide Awake’ in 2023, the band then signed to Metropolis Records to issue ‘Days Gone By’ VIDEO in late 2024, followed by ’Soul Crusher’ VIDEO. All three have been heavier, more intense and unapologetically aggressive than ever before. “It looks like the world is going to hell. We might as well deliver the soundtrack for that,” adds Deveraux.
Check it here:
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2025 shows with Die Krupps
27th August KORTRIJK (BE) DVG Club
2nd September WARSAW (PL) Hybrydy
3rd September KRAKOW (PL) Hype Park
7th September LJUBLJANA (SI) Orto Hall
9th September BUDAPEST (HU) Dürer Kert
11th September PRAGUE (CZ) Rock Cafe
16th September STOCKHOLM (SE) Nalen
17th September COPENHAGEN (DK) Pumpehuset
20th September UDEN (NL) De Pul
21st September LONDON (UK) The Dome
24th September PARIS (FR) Petit Bain
2026 shows with KMFDM
21st February OBERHAUSEN (DE) Kulttempel
22nd February EINDHOVEN (NL) De Effenaar
25th February LAUSANNE (CH) Les Docks
26th February WINTERTHUR (CH) Gaswerk
27th February MILAN (IT) Legend Club
6th March BERLIN (DE) Gretchen
8th March LEIPZIG (DE) Moritzbastei
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After rising through the ranks steadily from their 2014 album Distorture through to 2017’s Invidia record and following a series of EPs and singles, alternative rock hybrid outfit Ventenner return with new EP Slow Dissolve on 31st October (Athanor Records). Known for flawlessly blending metal, atmospheric electronics and doomy riffs, this latest release marks a new era for the band, following a number of years of major changes and upheavals. Though the concept of change has been a constant theme that has run through Ventenner’s music. Frontman Charlie Dawe comments,
"A lot of my music over the years has centered around the idea of something ending and something new beginning. There’s always been a strong theme of death and rebirth in the approach. These were normally restricted to the lyrical themes and to a personal level, this time however it was more about the band as a whole and a concept.
We had got to a good point by the end of the decade. Our 2017 album Invidia had been a success, so had the subsequent singles we released in its wake. It had opened doors to big shows and big tours, management, a publishing deal, tipped as the next big thing etc etc. After the lockdown, we had some key line up changes that didn’t end on good terms, and I spent the following years releasing Ventenner albums and EPs with fellow long time member Luke Jacobs. But the way things were, the industry was on pause still, and our momentum had stalled."
Despite those releases being some of Ventenner’s best work to date, it all came to a head in 2023, with their first step on to the stage in 4 years. Charlie explains,
"The newly joined RomyBen-Hur and Ted Nieddu, both on guitars and backing vocals, came along for the trip and musically it was great. The tour was fun, the people who came said we were on our A game, but it was stressful and difficult and without the support of our agent (who had quit the business in covid) it wasn’t a success. Personally, my life was in a similar situation. Having made some difficult decisions to move on from people and things, done the therapy thing, I had no idea where I fit in to music any more, if Ventenner was still a thing or ever would be, generally an existential crisis and cataclysmic shift on every level.”
After nearly 20 years in London, Charlie admitted defeat, closed his record label and moved to the wild coasts of Rural Suffolk. Away from the pressures of living in the capital, he got sober, ran in the woods every day, immersed himself in a burgeoning career as a film score composer and thought that maybe, that was it…. Charlie adds,
"We had put out an album in 2024, Exit Manual, which was the most startlingly apt title I’ve ever come up with for what I and the band were going through at that point. For me it was probably a swan song and it was time to bow out, quietly and without applause.
At some point, whether it was the newfound clarity and productivity, the letting go of negative elements, or just being away from everything and being ‘on the outside’ of the industry, something just sparked. I had a few things left over from the previous album sessions that didn’t fit, and some ideas I had from a side project called Last Sign which never really came into full bloom. So I started writing for Ventenner again, not because I thought I had to or I had something to prove like the last 10 or so years, but just because I wanted to. I had been writing a lot out here, both for solo work and soundtracks, and it was flowing easily. The long drawn out slow dissolve of the last 10 years was not the demise I had thought it was, rather just a very gradual reveal.”
The results are the Slow Dissolve EP, now once again a solo project with Charlie handling all the music and vocals, this is the sound of an artist refreshed, refocussed and reenergised across 4 new tracks of dark heavy rock & metal, underpinned with atmospheric textures. Essential listening for fans of: Nine Inch Nails, Filter, Smashing Pumpkins, Deftones, Failure, Tool & Massive Attack with Cold in Berlin vocalist makes a guest appearance on ’Sway’.
Today sees the release of first single ‘Ultraviolet’ which according to Charlie, “is about examining things close up. Things that are only visible under a certain light, but are there all the time and affecting everything we do. This song, and this record, is about finding the hidden reason in our actions. Things that wanted to stay hidden for our own protection, but need to be uncovered if we ever want to move forward.”
Listen to the track now:
The forthcoming full-length from Los Angeles–based band Agriculture, The Spiritual Sound, traces a narrative arc through extremes. The album is largely a fusing of the visions of its two principal songwriters: Dan Meyer and Leah Levinson. Though distinct, their voices converge in a singular spiritual grammar—one that defines the totality of The Spiritual Sound, not as separate parts, but as one unified expression.
Dan writes like someone clawing toward the divine through noise, channeling Zen Buddhism, historical collapse, ecstatic grief. Leah’s songs move differently: grounded in queer history and AIDS-era literature, amid the suffocating fog of the present, they carry the weight of survival as daily ritual. Levinson leads the charge on the album’s latest single ‘The Weight’ of which she comments:
“’The Weight’ is part of a series of songs on the album that bears witness to queer life. It was written reflecting on a particular month last year when so much seemed heightened. It seemed like many of my friends were being harassed in public—both verbally and physically—for being trans, for being queer, and/or for being women (it’s not always clear which). This was also a time when I was feeling a lot of love and a lot of community. I wanted this song and the songs around it to honestly reflect both these elements. I wanted to write about transness but didn’t want to rely on political aphorisms and indulgent images of suffering. I wanted to paint a holistic portrait of queer life.” – Leah Levinson
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Photo credit: Olivia Crumm
AGRICULTURE LIVE DATES 2025:
Sep 3 Bristol, UK — The Exchange
Sep 4 Brighton, UK — Dust
Sep 5 London, UK — Oslo
Sep 6 Manchester, UK — White Hotel
Sep 7 Newcastle, UK — The Cluny 2
Sep 9 Leeds, UK — Brudenell Social Club
Sep 11 Dublin, IE — Workman’s Club
Sep 12 Cork, IE — Nudes
Sep 13 Belfast, NIR — Voodoo
Sep 14 Glasgow, SC — CORE. Festival
Sep 16 Paris, FR — Point Ephemere
Sep 17 Kortrijk, BE — Wilde Westen
Sep 18 Haarlem, NL — Patronaat
Oct 8 Brooklyn, NY — Union Pool (Record Release Show)
Oct 27 San Antonio, TX — Paper Tiger $
Oct 28 Austin, TX — Mohawk $
Oct 30 Atlanta, GA — Masquerade $
Oct 31 Saxapahaw, NC — Haw River Ballroom $
Nov 01 Silver Spring, MD — The Fillmore $
Nov 02 Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer $
Nov 04 Louisville, KY — Zanzabar
Nov 06 Oklahoma City, OK — 89th Street
Nov 08 Albuquerque, NM — Launchpad
Nov 09 Phoenix, AZ — Valley Bar
Nov 11 Denver, CO — Hi-Dive
Nov 13 Salt Lake City, UT — The State Room
Nov 14 Boise, ID — Neurolux
Nov 16 Seattle, WA — Madame Lou’s
Nov 18 Vancouver, BC — Fox Cabaret
Nov 19 Portland, OR — Mississippi Studios
Nov 21 Sacramento, CA — Cafe Colonial
Nov 22 San Francisco, CA — The Chapel
Dec 04 San Diego, CA — Soda Bar
Dec 05 Los Angeles, CA — Lodge Room
$ with Boris
San Diego/Los Angeles-based shoegaze outfit Distressor returns with their latest single, ‘Broken Glass’. Following their breakthrough collaboration with shoegaze giant Wisp on Tomorrow (via Interscope Records), the independent four-piece is carving a new lane for themselves—one that blends the haze and texture of shoegaze with the raw, melodic punch of early 2000s emo.
Formed in late 2017, Distressor has built a reputation for pairing massive, driving rhythm sections with high-register vocals and emotionally charged choruses that cut through the fog. Their 2023 debut LP Momentary established the band as one to watch in the new wave of heavy shoegaze, and ‘Broken Glass’ pushes that momentum further.
Originally a shelved demo, ‘Broken Glass’ came to life after new drum and bass parts lit a fire under the track, transforming it into a setlist staple almost overnight. Leaning harder into their emo roots, the band challenged genre norms on this one:
“We’ve grown a little bored of the classic soft shoegaze vocals,” says the band. “With ‘Broken Glass,’ we wanted something more pushy and hooky—a big chorus that hits just as hard as the guitars.”
The accompanying music video, directed by longtime friend Diego Guardado, captures the band’s raw live energy in an unpolished, visceral way. Shot in a small, sweaty LA room—while an island-themed church service played loudly (and out of tune) next door—the DIY spirit of the video reflects Distressor’s independent ethos:
“Even though music videos aren’t as popular anymore, we still love making them,” the band explains. “This one was nothing fancy—just us, some friends, a few Modelos, and a lot of sweat.”
With ‘Broken Glass’, Distressor continues to evolve beyond nostalgia, pushing shoegaze into modern, emotionally honest territory while staying true to their roots.
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Photo: Samuel David Katz
Leeds collective HONESTY have shared a brand new track titled ‘PUSHING UP DAISIES’. George Mitchell takes lead vocal duties, delivering a gentle, intimate performance that contrasts the song’s morbid subject matter. The result is a subtly exhilarating take on club music that’s become HONESTY’s signature and the reason they’re one of the most essential dance acts coming out of the UK. The track was released today in tandem with ‘MEASURE ME (ALT MIX),’ which injects even more rave-fueled vitality into the lead single from their debut album which came out this Feb, this time led by an ethereal performance from vocalist Imi Marston. Listen here:
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HONESTY (Credit Dan Commons)
The Lunar Effect were formed in London in 2017 by brothers Jon and Dan Jefford and later completed by vocalist Josh Neuwford, bassist Brett Halsey, and eventually second guitarist Mark Fuller. Since their arrival on the scene, they’ve carved out a reputation for crafting music that feels both familiar and original – a modern echo of grunge-soaked ’70s rock, fuzzed-out blues, and melancholic British soul.
Following the underground success of 2019’s Calm Before the Calm, the band signed with Svart Records and released the critically praised sophomore album Sounds of Green & Blue in 2024. After touring the album across the UK and Europe, they set their sights on album three, their most ambitious work to date. Fortune’s Always Hiding lands in October 2025; a brooding journey through loss, memory, and the weight of time. It marks a new era for the band – deeper, stranger, and more soul-baring than ever.
The first taste from the upcoming album was released today. “’Feed the Hand’ sets the tone for what’s to come, uncomfortable, deliberate, and heavy with implication. It reaches back with one hand, grabbing a handful of early 90’s alternative nostalgia to bring a high energy groove. With the other, it drags the listener through an unravelling; guidance twisted into obedience, time eroding memory from a feeling to a realisation. There’s weight here, but it’s not theatrical. It’s cathartic and satisfyingly powerful. A quiet reckoning fed by the band’s influences, serving up a whole new dish to the table.” the band comments on the new single. Watch the video for ‘Feed the Hand’:
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UK industrial metal project, BEAUTIFUL FREAKIN’ WEIRDO recently dropped the video for their single, ‘Psychohead’. The track appears on their latest EP, Zap The Fear.
‘Psychohead’ dives head-first into escapism, away from this world of fear in which we are all manipulated and controlled. “I think most, if not all, people have a little psycho in them,” founding member, Mick Pritchard says. “Your alter ego, your dark side, call it what you will. Take the red pill. Take the blue pill and all placebos. Good luck!”
‘Psychohead’ is a tale of sleepwalking into the abyss of smoke and mirrors – into a world controlled by fear because there isn’t a “Hell”. Hell is here. This is where you take the red pill just to try and kill your savage alter ego – the Psycho in your head.
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KEYS return with Acid Communism, their boldest and most expansive record to date – a rich and unfiltered document of collective creativity, sonic exploration, and philosophical curiosity. Released by Libertino Records on Friday 18th July, the album draws inspiration from the late cultural theorist Mark Fisher, whose unfinished work left a lasting impression on the band.
“We were captivated by the poetry of those two words,” Matthew Evans (KEYS – vocalist and songwriter) explains. ACID COMMUNISM isn’t just a title – it’s a guiding principle. ACID symbolises creative play and experimentation, while COMMUNISM speaks to the strength found in (comm)unity. In a time when the internet often amplifies individualism and leans into certain ideologies, the band wanted to celebrate togetherness and collective expression.
While Acid Communism isn’t overtly political, it does pulse with a quiet sense of purpose – to resist isolation, to reconnect with others, and to celebrate the kind of shared, DIY spirit that binds bands, friends, and scenes together. It’s about building something together, rather than standing apart.
The band took a hybrid approach to recording. Much of the album started life on 8-track tape before being moved into Logic, capturing a blend of home-recorded warmth with digital precision. Musically, it draws from the live, freewheeling energy of JERRY GARCIA and the lo-fi intimacy of their lockdown-era album HOMESCHOOLING. The result is a sound that’s raw yet refined, unpolished but deeply intentional.
Across its twelve tracks, Acid Communism flows through a variety of textures – from sun-scorched psych-pop and angular guitar riffs to gentle, piano-led introspection and atmospheric washes. It’s a record that favours connection over perfection, instinct over polish.
The recently released double A-side ‘Your Shoes’ / ‘The Greatest Joke of All’ coincides with the announcement of Acid Communism, offering a glimpse into the album’s contrasting emotional tones’
Hear ‘Your Shoes’ here:
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Aural Aggravation 