Tracks: July 7th, 2025
Hey friends and neighbours, thanks for stopping in for Tracks this week. As with every week, it’s kind of overwhelming how much music there is to write about right now, and how many artists we’re already following closely are putting out new stuff, but this week feels particularly stacked for IDUD faves. Indeed, with the year half over and still a solid dozen albums yet to drop that we’re anticipating, not to mention the inevitable surprise drops and brand new acts yet to emerge, it feels like we have yet to see the complete shape of 2025 musically. If you have some stuff you want us to know about, please feel free to put it in the comments, we’re always on the lookout. Tracks ahoy!
Lousiahhh x Helsmoortel, “Sugar & Violence”
Louisahhh has been one of the bravest and most exciting presences in leftfield electronic dance music for a few years now, both in her solo material and her collabs with Maelstrom amongst others. Her latest project is an EP sized team-up with Belgian producer Helsmoortel, and finds her applying her strident, forthright vocals to a cool electro beat on “Sugar & Violence”, sinister and alluring in equal measure. Given how harsh a lot of Louisahhh’s material has been, this ends up being a move towards a smoother, if no less bracing sound.
Sugar & Violence by Louisahhh x Helsmoortel
Diesein, “Monday Morning”
The difference between Laslo Antal’s work as one half of Sixth June and that in his solo project Diesein hasn’t ever been stable for too long, with the latter’s releases at times tilting very close to the atmospheric, sultry darkwave we expect from Sixth June, and at times wandering into very poppy or confessional songwriter territory. This taster from forthcoming third Diesein LP splits the difference, coating the elegant core of Sixth June writing with some brightly coloured synth fondant psychedelia.
I like it / I hate it by DIESEIN
XTR HUMAN, “Sledgehammer”
We had the pleasure of seeing Johnannes Stabel perform as XTR HUMAN here in Vancouver a few months back, and it solidified our view that the project is some of the best modern EBM going. New single “Sledgehammer” is another great example of what the project does best, marrying classic body music basslines and drums with shouted vocals and a healthy dollop of raved-up techno, hitting the balance between them just right. With his next Canadian performance looming at Terminus in a few weeks, this is just the thing to get us even more hype for some stomping, sweating dancefloor action.
Sledgehammer by XTR HUMAN
Ash Code, “Scar”
We’ll absolutely cop to darkwave burnout being a real phenomenon, both while seeking out new tracks for ID:UD and for the club, but we have no such concerns when it comes to Italian stalwarts Ash Code. We’ve been hearing tracks for September’s Synthome since November, and the last few that’ve seen release, like this absolutely oppressive and smothering number which sounds like a Soft Moon/Frozen Autumn hybrid we never knew we wanted, are raising its profile as a contender to be reckoned with in a very crowded scene.
Synthome by Ash Code
Blood Rave, “Dead Inside”
Speaking of bands we saw at Verboden, our second time seeing Napa’s Blood Rave perform was revelatory; we liked the modern electro-darkwave act plenty the first time we saw them last year, but the performance and the quality of the material on this year’s Exponential Decay showed some considerable advancement in a relatively brief period of time. And we weren’t the only ones feeling it, as evidenced by the number of Blood Rave shirts we saw for the rest of that weekend. “Dead Inside” will no doubt be on plenty Summer gloom playlists, ours included.
Dead Inside by Blood Rave
Ghosts For Comfort, “Murder”
The debt UK duo Ghosts For Comfort owe to classic dark electro is apparent from the moment you cue up any track on their new Serpents EP. Thankfully, it’s a style they pull off well. Raw, grimy, and minimalist in construction and production, tunes like this draw a line between classic Klinik and some jacked up new beat rhythms.
Serpent by Ghosts For Comfort
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