We Have A Technical

One goth rock record and one EBM record: not sure there's a more down the pipe format for an episode of We Have A Technical than that! Sunshine Blind's debut and Spark!'s most recent LP prompt discussion of production, vocal range, and all of the usual hair splitting Bruce and Alex are wont to get into.

An oft-overlooked record by a crucial artist about to make their big move, and a reunion record which is surprisingly of a piece with the artists' earliest work, despite everything they did in the interim. This is a needlessly wordy way of saying that we're talking about Leæther Strip's Science For The Satanic Citizen and Absolute Body Control's Shattered Illusion on this week's podcast, as well as a handful of records on the immediate 2024 docket. 

We're casting an eye not to the year ahead, but to the year that was a full decade ago here at I Die: You Die. We're talking about the records which earned top marks from us in 2014, festivals, larger musical trends, and our approaches to our coverage at that time, and considering what has and hasn't changed in the intervening years. We're also discussing the tragic passing of Jaimz Asmundson of Ghost Twin. 

For the second time, we're using our December We Have A Commentary as the opportunity to talk about a record we love but which has nothing to do with the genres we normally discuss. Our Patreon backers voted to have us discuss a Wu-Tang Clan record, and so we're talking about an unparalleled achievement in lyricism and flow, as well as one of the RZA's most musically evocative productions, the all-time classic that is GZA's Liquid Swords.

Our coverage of the year that was is officially completed (though that doesn't quite mean the end of Year End fun) with a Pick Five episode designed to touch upon individual tracks which caught our fancy this year outside of the specific records we've placed in our Year End coverage. Club bangers, heavy atmospherics, and tracks which offered fresh spins on familiar sounds - here are ten tunes to check out as you're prepping for New Year's.

ith our final five top records of the year coming out yesterday, we've effectively discharged our Year End duties...save for recapping that list, looking back at a few trends in the year that was, and tossing another dozen honorable mentions your way on the podcast edition of our Year End coverage. 

Bruce and Alex fight their way through the flu to talk about recent records by HEALTH and 3Teeth, with the ins and outs of various form of industrial rock and metal being discussed along the way. Also, the stacked lineup of their local Verboden Festival is discussed.

On the occasion of the passing of Paranoid's Michael Formberg, we're talking about the German duo's first LP Strain and how it fits very particularly within the mores and sounds of classic EBM, as well as a contemporary debut from fellow German EBM act The Psychic Force which has its own specific set of markers, gear, and themes. We're also parsing the lineup of next year's just announced iteration of the Cruel World festival in Pasadena.

The Senior Staff are taking stock not only of the specific shows and tracks Skinny Puppy played in their final hometown performances this past weekend, but also how those moments and moods connect to their larger histories with and feelings about one of their most beloved bands. We're also talking about the work and legacy of Geordie Walker after his unfortunate passing.

For this month's We Have a Commentary, we're joined by Jason and Shannon from Vancouver's ACTORS, to discuss the band's 2015 debut LP It Will Come to You. The genesis and evolution of the now global post-punk phenomenon, how playing the record live feels in 2023, and all manner of other topics are touched on in this very special hometown episode of our special Patreon-supported bonus podcast. 

On this discussion topic driven episode of We Have A Technical, we're talking about the vague catchall term or genre that is "electro", at least in the European usage of the term. How and why is it that so many different bands from differing genres like EBM, dark electro, and electro-industrial all ended up heading in the same smoother direction at the same time? What are its defining features? Does it have a future? We're talking about all of these issues, plus offering our thoughts on the current Artoffact/Kanga discourse on this episode of the podcast.

After a bonanza of interviews we're back to what brought us to the dance: talking about goth and industrial records. One apiece, in fact as Suspiria's hybridizing of second wave goth rock and electro goth splits the Senior Staff, and they look back at powernoise's flirtations with other outlying electronic genres via Noisex. We're also talking about the recent discussion regarding the reissuing of a Mr.Kitty remix, plus a couple of exciting new festivals.

A trio of interviews (which we'd like to think nicely cover the breadth of our coverage here) wraps up with a conversation with Isaac Howlett of Empathy Test. Catching up with Isaac amidst the band's first headlining tour in North America, we were keen to get his thoughts about the band's reach across demographics, the benefits of being a DIY outfit, and leaving your heart permanently on your sleeve. 

We're happy to be joined on this week's episode by Ian Ross of Flesh Field, on the eve of the release of Voice Of The Echo Chamber, the band's first new LP in nearly twenty years. Ian had plenty of thoughtful and considered things to say about the embracing of guitars on the record, his compositional process, and the record's theme of violent radicalization. In addition, we're also talking about the recent platforming of bigotry on Brian Graupner's podcast. 

For this month's commentary podcast, we're looking back at Light Asylum's stunning 2012 self-titled debut (and to this date only) LP. Linking darkwave to a whole slew of other sounds and genres, it's still a remarkably varied listen, though of course unified by the singular presence of Shannon Funchess' vocal power, charisma, and emotion. 

We're joined by Ringfinger on this week's podcast to talk about the Vancouver duo's rapid emergence as one of the most highly touted new darkwave bands in North America. We talk balancing synth and guitars, the strict rules underpinning their live shows, and the formatting choices which shaped their excellent debut LP, In A Black Frame. All that plus some chat about Skinny Puppy's unexpected Polaris award win.

Our recurring Pick Five format always gives us the opportunity to take larger or more lateral views of records, and that's what we're doing today as we each pick five album covers which communicate something of import about the record itself. From easily identifiable genre markers to individual artists' aesthetics to broader artistic movements, this ended up being a rolling conversation through a whole host of the bands and styles we love to dig into here at We Have A Technical. All that plus the troubling news coming out of Bandcamp land this week.

We're using our classic two albums format to discuss records we hadn't previously heard (as well as keep our Oktoberfest run of German bands going), namely the debut LP by Das Ich and the most recent outing from Armageddon Dildos. Also, chatter about a couple of festival lineups with a crossover/mainstream and deep scene focus, respectively. 

Our classic two album format gives us the chance to talk about Cannibal Anthem, a middling record from :wumpscut: in the grey period in that project's trajectory, and A Sign Of Life, a stunning statement of return from Neuroticfish. We're also using the recent announcement of a Ministry/Numan/FLA tour as an opportunity to imagine what we owe to younger versions of ourselves. 

For our 475th episode, the Senior Staff are quizzing one another as to their own history with I Die: You Die. That is to say, we've each grabbed passages from reviews the other wrote years back, and seeing if the original author can identify the records they were writing about. We're hoping it'll be a chance to think about what has and hasn't changed in terms of our understanding of specific moments and artists within Our Thing. We're also throwing some roses Debby Friday's way, and talking Cold Waves FOMO.