Tag Archives: Industrial

SEXTILE: 3.

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I’m fully aware that Sextile have been a constant feature here recently, but they are THAT good and deserve all the attention possible. Besides, I’m still wanting to go back to Saturday night so I can re-live their show all over again.

3 is their new EP which came out on Friday. It’s made up of five songs to lose your mind to. The songs are dark, synth-filled and all kinds of creepy. Brady’s vocals on this one is pretty incredible. He’s someone with such a powerful voice that makes you just hang on to every word that comes out of his mouth. The way he uses his voice reminds of Wes Eisold. It takes a lot for me to say that because I pretty much idolise Cold Cave/Wes, but there is something about Sextile that makes me feel like I did when I first heard Cold Cave 9 years ago.

The EP opens up with the stunning, Disco and it then rips right into Drop You which is probably my favourite. Well, it’s my favourite today. I’ll probably change my mind in a few hours or so, but I just love this raw Industrial feel. It feels like night-time on the mean streets of Berlin in the 70s or lurking in basement bars in New York. It’s got a real sordid feel to it, and I love that about Sextile. I love music that has this unconventional darkness and some what smuttiness to it. Sextile are such an exciting band, and the best of them truly comes out on Drop You. It’s a song that holds so much within it, and seeing it live just blew my mind.

Paradox is a hypnotic song with early Depeche Mode flowing throughout it. It’s not a gentle song by no means. Their songs aren’t gentle- they are brutal and hold a wealth of fight within them. It’s the kind of song you play as you approach a fist fight or a scrap in a bar. It’s got rage, it’s got power and it’s such an exciting song to listen to. It’s the type of song that just sparks up wild images for your take on what the video should be like to this song if you were to re-create it. There is most certainly something about Sextile that just HAS to be heard and they are a band that stick with you. You’ll remember the first time you heard them, the first time you saw one of their shows- the vital moments stick with you.

Spun is a brilliant song. The guitar on this is so aggressive and it goes so well with Melissa’s drumming and Brady’s commanding vocals. I know I said I’d change my mind within hours as to what my favourite song is, but Spun is definitely up there. I love the sheer uregency  in Brady’s vocals. Like I said earlier, he has such a commanding voice and they both have such an amazing presence on stage too. This song is the one that could set the tamest of the tame free. It could make the calmest person you know just go apeshit.

Hazing closes the EP, and although it’s a fantastic song; it’ll make you want more and more. Thankfully they have enough records to keep you satisfied for now, but it’s definitely a song that shows them for all they are. Call them Post-Punk, call them Industrial or whatever- but genres don’t count here at all. There is something super special about Sextile, and it’s what lures you in. They’ll have you hooked in no time.

A lot of the bands I listen to from Los Angeles sound like you could listen to them on the beach doing a whole load of nothing. Sextile are the polar opposite. They make you want to wander round the city streets late at night in search of something that the daytime cannot give you.

If they are playing a show near you, go see them. Part of the attraction is the relationship between them and the crowd. It’s utterly cult-like, so be well prepared to be initiated.

SEXTILE.

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I thought I had written about Sextile but I clearly hadn’t. I’ve been a fan of them for a couple of years now, so better late than never to write about them. They are touring the UK in September along with a new EP coming out, but I’m just going to focus on their music to date and try put across my love for them in a somewhat coherent manner.

They’ve had a few line-up changes, but now it’s just Brady and Melissa. I’m always in awe of duos because I feel they work a bit harder than most, and when they make this much noise- I can’t help but be impressed. There’s a real rugged industrial feel to their music, and if you’re a fan of my biggest loves, Cold Cave, then you’ll adore Sextile. Or you’re probably smart and love them already.

What I love about Sextile is that they make me feel like I am listening to Seventeen Seconds by The Cure all over again. If you’ve read anything I’ve written before, you probably know that I’m always looking for music that makes me feel like I’m listening to Seventeen Seconds all over again. Sextile do it in such an incredibly eerie way. They’ll freak you out with their wonderful synth based sounds. This is the kind of music you’d find in some real dark and twisted thriller. You know, when someone really creepy is chasing someone through a forest or down a desolate street. It’ll give you the chills, and you won’t be able to stop listening.

I love how they make their drums sound like Bobby Gillespie when he was in The Jesus And Mary Chain- simple but genius. They’re an effortlessly brilliant band that have something about them that just makes you want to cast daily responsibilities aside and follow them on tour. Sure the set may be the same, but imagine having that constant feeling of seeing a band you love every single night on stage. There’s no better feeling, if you’re a music obsessive like me. One Of These which is taken from 2017’s release, Albeit Living is one of the best openers I’ve heard for a record in a long time. It’s a probably smack in the belly, and like I mentioned- the drums on it is just like The Jesus And Mary Chain’s Psychocandy era. As well as Seventeen Seconds, Psychocandy is another record I use as reference for how a new band I’m listening to make me feel. If they have that urgency and eeriness to their sound like those two, I’ll probably love them.

I’m currently playing them loud enough to drown out the car alarm that keeps going off across the road, and it’s a pretty solid distraction. Maybe my neighbours would get into Sextile too, but its 10:30pm and I’m not that much of an asshole to cause a disturbance. But the person with the car alarm, that’s a different story. It’s been going on since 3 this morning. Anyway, enough of that.

I’m pretty sure they’ll get the Cold Cave, Nine Inch Nails and Drab Majesty comparisons lobbed at them. They’d be in good company (I’m being biased but still) but Sextile have something about them that gives them a brilliant distinctive sound. Part of you feels like you’ve gone way back in time, and another part of you feels like you’ve headed deep into the future because this is totally unlike anything else you’ve heard before. I love how Sextile can create such a dark and creepy atmosphere with their music. It feels so natural, and it is something to absolutely treasure.

For me, I’d say the best time to listen to Sextile when it’s dark out. Allow yourself to feel a little on edge and unsure, then go full pelt into the music. Don’t hold nothing back. Sextile will take you on this journey into what you didn’t think you were ready for, but you totally needed. I love the sordid and animalistic sound they have, and I’m pretty sure in a live setting it’ll just be out of this world.

Sextile do have a new EP coming out in September, and I think it is the first where it is just Melissa and Brady. It was recorded in their home- imagine being their neighbour! That’d be ridiculously cool. They used a LinnDrum on this record, and it sounds so, so good.

You can pre-order it here: https://sextile.bandcamp.com/album/3 and it will be released via Felte Records. Buy the EP and come see them on tour!

THE SOFT MOON: Criminal

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Sometimes the term ‘genius’ is thrown about far too much, but sometimes it is needed. Sometimes it is the only word to use. It’s a word that undoubtedly fits Luis Vasquez aka The Soft Moon. With his record, Criminal out today via the equally brilliant Sacred Bones Records, I think it is pretty safe and accurate to say that Luis is a genius.

It’s probably been said but Criminal is his best work. As someone who has been a fan of The Soft Moon since the very start and holds some sentimental value to previous records- Criminal has taken over. It is truly one of the most powerful and magical records I’ll hear all year, that I am sure of. I love how every song feels like white noise taking over your brain and how his words eat at you. There is something so brutal and delicate about this record that holds your attention hours after you have listened to it. It stays with you and leaves an impact you have been craving for so long.

Something I really admire about Luis’ delivery of lyrics is that for the most part, they are unclear but the tone in his voice gives away just how urgent the meaning is. He has this way of just getting to the root of it all with the way he sings these words rather than what he is saying. His voice is the rumble of a thunderstorm and the music is the lightning bolt crashing down.

Criminal has really shown the strength in his ability to make music that can hit you right in the gut. It is such a perfect record, and it seems totally right that it has been released on Sacred Bones. The style of this record has the same wave of horror pouring through it like Pop.1280 which is something I absolutely adore. Pop.1280 make straight up sinister music that could scare anyone. It’s got this attractive evil and eerie sound that you cannot tear yourself from. The Soft Moon has a sound that does evoke some horror and terror, but it also carries this fragility to it. You know that these songs have come from a delicate, raw and very honest place- and I think that’s what makes it such a beautiful record. I love the aggression and vulnerability in Born Into This, and right now I think it’s my favourite but I’ll change my mind soon enough. Records like this aren’t made for you to favour one song over the rest. It is made for you to cherish each and every song in a way that is personal to you.

On this record there is definitely a shift in sound and style, and I think any band or singer that does this is to be respected. There is nothing worse than a band/singer making the same record over and over again, and not even attempting to experiment. I don’t get it at all. The best thing, as a music fan, is when a band you love just changing with each record. The bands I write about, the bands I go see at shows, the bands I love- they all do this. They all make records that sound different but keeping something similar in a way that lets you know that it is them.

I’m sure it’ll be picked up on but Criminal reminds me of the first Nine Inch Nails record mixed with Cold Cave. So basically, it is the perfect record. It’s got everything you need to comfort you and to keep you going. I reckon it is one of those records that will be talked about in years and years to come. It has something about it that you cannot love, and as a HUGE fan of The Soft Moon, it just makes you so proud of him and all he has done so far, and especially on this record. There is something here that cannot ever be replicated nor can it go unheard. It’s one of those records that when you hear it, you’ll want to turn everyone on to it. It is an absolute pleasure and joy to listen to.

It is made of moments that allow you to just be. Be whatever the hell you want, and the best song to do this to is Give Something. Everything about this song just resonates with you.

Criminal is just a fantastic record from start to finish. It’s a record that you’ll carry with you for a long time, and in some respects it may become your shield and saviour.