Tuesday 9 December 2014

Review: The Danse Society-'If I Were Jesus'

The Danse Society have released a video for their latest track 'If I Were Jesus'.
You can currently buy the track from iTunes via the website Shop page but a limited number of physical copies in purple vinyl 7" will be also be available in January 2015.
'If I Were Jesus' is a Double-A side single release with a very shoegaze-&-dry-ice cover version of Simon & Garfunkel's 'Sound Of Silence'.

The video takes the opportunity to showcase the new TDS lineup alongside Maeth & original member Paul since the departure of Gigi, Martin & later on, keyboardist David who are now replaced by Jack, Iain & Sam.

Nothing is lost musically from the lineup changes; we're still getting the darker and profoundly different Reformation-era Danse Society sound which we heard through their albums 'Change Of Skin' & 'Scarey Tales'. If anything it's brasher, spikier and reflects the younger blood now running through the veins of the band.
Progress is everything, and at a time where we should all now be suitably adjusted to both the new and old sound of The Danse Society and appreciate both because of and not in spite of their sonic differences, this latest version of the band should prove an easy if barely distinguishable change at all.

The video for 'If I Were Jesus' is a moody little affair in a style not unlike that once undertaken by Bauhaus; an ominously dark stage setting with a stark white light being the only source of illumination here. The song itself is a creeping fusion of scratchy & insistent guitars, minimal eerie keyboard lines and punchy drums. Musically, the song wouldn't sound entirely out of place on Toyah's frankly disturbing 1980 post-punk album 'The Blue Meaning'. Catchy yet uncomfortable; pulling on ears like music should be doing.



OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.thedansesociety.com

Thursday 2 October 2014

Vote for me!

Voting has started on the best remix of 'Visions' by Aeon Sable.
Please vote for my bat Boy Slim remix right here:

http://terrarelicta.com/index.php/featured/contests/3360-aeon-sable-remix-contest

Thanks! :-)

Thursday 22 May 2014

Well, that was fun again this year…

This is from the World Goth Fair blog, found at http://worldgothfair.wordpress.com/

So, because it was apparently my fault (ok, it was DEFINITELY my fault), I got to kick off 12 hours of DJ sets in World Goth Fair. By this time the gachas were out on the sims and people were shooting Lindens into them like pensioners in Vegas. Razi from You Shriek even showed up for some of the set, and it’s highly likely that his ‘I’m going to sandwich now’ farewell may have been connected to the throng of adoring fans in the room scaring him a little…
But I digress from the actual point of this post. You didn’t have to listen to me, nobody did. World Goth Day was a crazy idea from the off, but the concept caught on, with no barriers stopping it from crossing oceans and broadband connections, finally entering minds and hearts. Four years on and the joke is still funny. Thank you.

Anyway, I did the decent thing and uploaded tonight’s set to Mixcloud, just in case you missed it. http://www.mixcloud.com/CruelBritannia/after-hours-at-club-gothika-22nd-may-2014-the-world-goth-day-kickoff/

-DJ Cruel Britannia

WGD2014AH

Saturday 10 May 2014

Free Download: Carnival Star: Era Sessions EP


The "Era Sessions EP" was recorded in various countries around the world with various musicians taking part during a five month period. 
Scotland, England, Italy, Norway & USA to be exact.
The original concept behind recording these covers was simply for entertainment and to take a break from the recording and writing of the original album material for future release.
However, it soon became clear that the fun was producing some interesting results and that these tracks should go out for free as a tribute to the bands that many of us in Carnival Star regard as influences and inspirations to all of our music.
Staying true to the arrangements of the originals, our aim was to simply take the tracks and produce an EP that we enjoyed making and performing.

Release Date: 11th May 2014

Wednesday 5 February 2014

Strap On Halo: Haunted EP (Released 6th February 2014)

Haunted cover art

As a short review, the Haunted EP is every bit as good as you'd expect; the opening track 'Mourning Embrace' is a lurching, sinister waltz, and the rest of the tracks follow in the trademark SOH vein of incisive guitars, insistent rhythms & deathrock vocals, ending with 'You & Your Ghost' which thumps & clatters eerily through to its grand finale.

A 5-track EP which leaves you wanting more/leaving on repeat, the Haunted EP is a nice follow-on from the 'Gloomy Sunday' single which you simply must grab.

Catch Strap On Halo on their 'Near Dark Tour' with The Last Cry in March.