Top 3 Early Summer Selections: Azula, Boy Deluxe, Shrinkwrap Killers

 

As we witness the LAPD and Ice  capades/Zionist trained pigs act like the Martin Gugino shove should be an every day fact of life in LA., it has been hard to keep my head on straight, function in basic brainwashed society, deal with my disability of type 1 diabetes and keep enough mental space for art to keep my wheels turning. That said, as we watch Iran get blamed for the consequences of Isntreal's own actions, I have to remind myself that finding moments to enjoy life, soundtrack your resistance or re-aligning those chakras or whatever is fucking important. I was just listening to a Sleater-Kinney podcast about how they pulled together the motivation to make their rather underrated Path To Wellness record during the uncertainty of the onset if Covid and found it very inspiring how they took limitations as a sign to self-produce for the first time 

A co-worker at my current day job who is about half my age recently asked me if I had any profound lessons or revelatory moments in life that altered my world view. Having had a pretty wild life I reflected that risk taking for your dreams is important, that time is the most sacred currency and to allow yourself a measure of forgiveness if you genuinely learn from an error rooted in pain or addiction and change from the better. A sliver of life giving fruit in the form of a remedy for regrets. Something not working out might in turn lead to a completely different destiny where you meet a lifelong friend or awaken from a mistaken outlook and suddenly find yourself on a redemption arc, like Iden Versio. 

That said, here are a few examples of folx who have made recent works that erode the boundaries of enforced normalcy and contribute to the growth of the human spirit.

1. Azula's "Destined Death" is looming and cinematic, blackened instrumental doom that both makes you feel small and somehow fortified. It feels like roaming through a dystopian maze of empty streets under a yawning sky, time slowed to a molasses drip, If the Sonic Youth instrumental releases got high on paint thinner and Godflesh then woke up and did a major vegan cleanse in the Twisted Metal universe, it might sound like this edgy and beautiful slow onslaught of raw nerves and release. Oakland strikes again for an underground win. 

2. Boy Deluxe take all the vampiric uncertainty of the modern world and make survival sound sexy and sleek. The dark electronic duo keep refining their strengths and getting better with every release. They always sounded like they were following a firm yet sassy vision, but their confidence and skills keeps multiplying like those little rabbits on the cover of AFI's Decemberunderground. The fittingly titled From Black Sheep To Icon EP is a perfect way to soundtrack your summer. "War Inside" is thier most club friendly yet riot worthy anthem yet, as scalding as LA pavement and as edgy as a top secret invite only true goth night can get. I always tell people to check this group out. One of the main reasons I would rather talk about dark electronic than metal these days, hahaha. 

3. Carbonized Records are streaming the freakishly good synth noise escapades of the latest from Shrinkwrap Killers HERE. The Greg Wilkinson (of Earhammer Studios fame) project demands attention with quirky Devo meets Darsombra-esque romp through alienation and transformation. This album manages to be satirical, catchy, somewhat of a space oddity and sinister at the same time, like Bowie got into Cop Shoot Cop or if Black Flag was post-punk influenced but still darkly comedic. I mean, what the fuck is cooler than that? "Those Zombies Are Not In Costume" might as well be chiseled onto the headstone of consumer culture someday, fam. 

#synthpunk #inhumanity #darkelectronic #funeraldoom #metal