You can’t go wrong with any new release by that UK garage-/synth punk duo teaming up Proto Idiot’s Andrew Anderson with Charly Murphy of groups such as The Red Cords, Internal Credit and Isolation. After exploring a more cold, minimal synth aesthetic sound on their previous LP, this one presents them in a somewhat fuller sound and probably at their catchiest so far, channeling primarily the spirit of first-wave synth punk acts á la Primitive Calculators, Nervous Gender, Screamers, Units, Minimal Man and of course Devo (duh!), while from the current landscape, comparisons to Isotope Soap or Alien Nosejob in full-on electro mode may be drawn as well.
Awesome synth-/ electro punk shit from Berlin that kinda plays out like a curious mix of Pisse, Puff! or the most recent, electro-heavy Schiach EP. Further you might draw comparisons to Spyroids, Heavy Metal as well as old synth punk staples á la Screamers, Nervous Gender. Klickfarm in particular might have taken some cues from the Visitors’ classic ripper Electric Heat as well.
Excellent shit via Turbodiscos. Leipzig/Berlin group Exwhite shouldn’t need an introduction at this point, having blasted a respectable hole in the floor with their recent Estray EP. Their side to this kickass little EP won’t disappoint either as they deliver two comparatively straight-ahead, no-frills garage punk smashers. No less exciting are the tracks by Olympia, Washington synth-/garage punk act The Gobs who’ve already been making waves with a whole shitload of blown-out lo-fi demo releases. Here we get to witness them in something approaching proper mid-fi quality for the first time. Sounds fucking awesome too, who would’ve thought?
New shit by the world’s only viking synth punk project… and we’ve got another winner! The title track just sucks you right in with a throbbing beat not unlike to the recent Dance single, spiked with a hint of ancient eurotrash cheesiness. With Go Ahead we then get an effective straight-up no-frills punk smasher, while the oddly placed/titled Instrumental Interlude feels like fun hommage to classic chiptunes that will also mesh well with the ongoing dungeon synth/-punk wave.
The Minneapolis group’s debut EP last year was altogether excellent stuff already, yet on their most recent output they still up their game considerably – some added punch owing to a modest increase in production values perfectly matches up to a substantially cranked-up energy level on the group’s part, showcasing their quirky and playful style of garage- and synth punk from their best side yet. Don’t miss out on this if shit á la Patti, Reality Group, Research Reactor Corp., Satanic Togas, Erik Nervous, Ausmuteants, Liquids or Spodee Boy means anything to you!
The debut cassingle (?) of this Seattle group delivers a way too short yet altogether exciting synth- and garage punk freakout, the A-side HTCM in Block City bursting with an energy not too distant from acts like Liquid Face, Klint, Mononegatives, Ghoulies or Slimex. As for the B-Side Jerk Squad… Is krautwave an actual genre? ‘Cos that’s exactly what i’d describe this stuff as.
Just like its predecessor, this new tape by Cosme from Ciudad López Mateos, Mexico is a thoroughly joyful ride. While the opening track goes all-in with its synth wave vibes and the closer dabbles in a bit of hardcore, the two middle tracks continue the first tape’s approach of garage- and fuzz punk with that sugary synthesizer coating on top. All of that works out just beautifully.
A new LP by Belly Jelly aka Sean Alberts of Skull Cult, Dummy & QQQL fame (…and not of Safety Net, as i wrongly suspected at some point) always means a fresh new caffeine rush as he adds his trademark Skull Cult insanity to a breed of synth- and garage punk bearing at least some resemblance to household names of the Ausmuteants, Isotope Soap, Andy Human & The Reptoids, Research Reactor Corp., Erik Nervous or Useless Eaters variety.
Fun DIY punk shit by some dude based in Marmora, New Jersey, oscillating between the poles of electrically driven garage- /synth punk and bizarro post punk with some quirky, over-the top goth stylings. Think of a mix between S.B.F., Set-Top Box, Stalins of Sound or early Kid Chrome… fans of The Spits or Isotope Soap shouldn’t miss out on this as well.
This dude from Schleswig, Germany already made an excellent first impression a couple weeks ago with his debut 7″ on Goodbye Boozy. The artwork sure suggests some dungeon synth/-punk affinity, although sound-wise – lacking the latter genre’s obvious black- and/or oldschool “heavy” metal elements – i’d rather compare this shit to recent developments on the intersection of garage-, synth- and electro punk and associated acts of the Mononegatives, Pow!, Liquid Face, Ghoulies or Slimex variety.
