Renown Swedish dark ambient/industrial label has been keeping a low profile the past few years, but they're back now with new releases from Dahlia's Tear, Raison d'Être and Atrium Carceri. Read more: http://www.coldmeat.se/home.html
Swedish dark ambient act Raison d'Être has a nice new website that's no longer purely Flash-based: http://raison-detre.info/
As always, Raison d'Être mastermind has lots of new releases on the way including "Music for film and exhibition I + Natura Fluxus" 2CD+DVD under his legal nom de guerre Peter Andersson, a new version of the Necrophorus album "Underneath the spirit of tranquility" and an upcoming live album from Raison d'Être entitled "When the Earth dissolves in ashes" that will be released via . Definitely looking forward to that last one for sure -- samples and more info at the link above.
After an extended break due to depression and divorce, Sweden's definitive dark ambient label is once again getting the ball rolling: http://www.coldmeat.se/home.html
Many new releases are reportedly planned, the first of which being the 3CD/3LP box "Very little fun" from Brighter Death Now.
will release the new IRM album "Order4" on March 31. Says the label: "Comprised by four tracks, each exactly 15 minutes in length we are thrown into a vortex of feedback, cymbaldrones, heavy bass-strumming, nightmarish pianotinkles and irreproachable synthwork." Sample at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thesoulcleaner
is reissuing "Lifethesis", an early album from Swedish apocolyptic folk act Apatheia, the solo alias of Linus Andersson (Coph Nia, Svartenbrandt, Reign of Bombs). Read all about it: http://www.coldmeat.se/mailorderitem.asp?id=3090
I haven't heard anything from MZ.412 in quite a little while, since the last Cold Meat Industry release I believe, and it appears that scaring the shit out of the listener is still a priority. If any thing, this is a lot more palatable than previous releases where the music was a lot more minimal and much darker. In fact, this sounds a lot more than label-mates Puissance, in the martial-rhythms and Neoclassical tendencies that they display. All of that was always a part of MZ.412's sounds, but now it takes much more of a central place in the music. MZ.412 has always been one of the most violent bands I listened to, although not violent in a traditional sense, but this time the violence has been replaced with a dark will to disturb. I am not sure I like this more than the old material, but it certainly is interesting.
- Simon Thibaudeau
Ever since I heard my first Raison d'Être (aka Peter Andersson) release, he has been my favorite dark ambient artist, no contest. I don't listen to that much dark ambient, but he has been consistently amongst the best I have heard and he doesn't seem to do wrong (well that's not entirely true, his rarities collection was pretty bad, although it had its moments). With "Metamorphyses", Andersson continues his journey into industrial squeaking, ethereal soundscapes and slowly revealing darkness that is as enveloping as it is disturbing. The drones and the heavily effected synths he creates make for a perfect soundtrack for a rainy evening reflecting about past misbehavior.
- Simon Thibaudeau
Brighter Death Now has been a revelation to me in the past, perhaps the most important noise artist to me. Roger Karmanik has, in my opinion, a stature equivalent to one of the most recognizable name in noise: Merzbow. "Kamikaze kabaret" reveals a BDN that is more accessible than ever and that goes back to a simpler sound, more alike Throbbing Gristle's experiments but taken to a level of refinements way beyond what TG was doing. Great record.
- Simon Thibaudeau
I don't listen to too much heavy electronic industrial music anymore and after a slightly disappointing Skinny Puppy show a few weeks ago, it's nice to hear something new from a band in the genre that kicks my ass. I've always known Sanctum to be a good band and made myself overlook some of the cheesy moments of their first album "Lupus in fabula" so I could appreciate them. Thankfully, those moments never recur here. A lot of the neoclassical influences have been ditched as well and replaced with a rawer and more droning sound, as showcased on the "NYC bluster" live album. There are still plenty of string and piano passages, but I feel like the emphasis has been shifted more towards rhythm and atmosphere. The move works. Just don't wait another 8 years to do the next one, okay?
- Avi Roig