HYPNODRONE ENSEMBLE ‘PLAYS ORCHESTRAL FAVOURITES’ (WVR 040)
October 2018 | 12" | Order
Hypnodrone Ensemble was formed in Berlin in 2014 by the Canadian experimental/ambient guitars Aidan Baker (also of Nadja) and Eric Quach (aka Thisquietarmy), along with the drummers David Dunnett, Jérémie Mortier (also of Alice In The Cities, Nearest Gas Station), and Felipe Salazar (also of Caudal).
A quintet at its core, though occasionally expanding or changing members, the group creates free-form, semi-improvisational studies in rhythmic, psychedelic, atmospheric spacerock. Hypnodrone Ensemble released its self-titled debut, a live recording from NK in Berlin, on Consouling Sounds in 2014 and followed that up with the studio album, The Shape of Space, released on Calostro Recordings and Little Crack’d Rabbit Records in 2015.
Following an expanded line-up performance in 2016 in Berlin, the group returned to the studio in 2017 to record ‘Plays Orchestral Favourites’ as a 9-piece group, with Simon Goff (also Molecular, Bee And Flower) on violin, Duchamp on baritone guitar, Felix-Florian Tödtloff (ex-Sun Worship) on bass, and Diego Ferri on synths.
TRAUTONIST ‘EMBER’ (WVR 039)
May 2018 | 12" | Order
After the remarkable success of their 2016 debut album, German duo Trautonist returns by pushing the borders of Post-Black Metal another step forward - resulting in a synergistic impact of picturesque Shoegaze and furious Black Metal, recorded on 7 tracks with a total playtime of 41 minutes.
Once more mixed and mastered by Markus Siegenhort (Lantlôs), this record shows that Trautonist found their place but are not afraid to leave the trodden paths. The impressive artwork has been designed by Marcela Bolívar.
HYOM ‘BREACHING’ (WVR 038)
April 2018 | 2x12" | Order
Breaching is the debut album from Leeds-based, 6-piece, post-metallers Hundred Year Old Man.
Hot on the heels of recent EP Rei, Breaching emits the same heaving intensity and unforgiving, wall of sound approach. Dense and billowing riffs are intertwined with field recordings and spoken word passages to form an unyielding, sprawling piece of work that delivers the bands artistic vision perfectly. The more ambient, drone sections of the record compliment and allow the real songs to take flight. Debut single Black Fire is reworked to give the track a new lease of life, whilst the other heavy hitters here; The Forest, Long Wall, Disconnect and Ascension are a continuation of the excellent work found on the Rei EP.
SOLDAT HANS ‘ES TAUT’ (WVR 037)
April 2018 | 2x12" | Order
Soldat Hans began as an instrumental noise band playing solely improvised sets. Around 2013 they settled to write some material for their first album “Dress Rehearsal” which was released in November 2014. Taking their name from the old fairytale “Des Teufels russiger Bruder” by the brothers Grimm, the sound of Soldat Hans somehow echoed the desolate feeling of this very tale, also making reference to others like Mahler and Schubert. After playing the stages for some time they now return with their second approach: Es taut. A two-song album, recorded in Winterthur by Philip Harrison (who also recorded the band’s debut) and mastered by Magnus Lindberg in Stockholm.
WORRIEDABOUTSATAN ‘SHIFT’ (WVR 036)
March 2018 | 12" | Order
Recorded over two semi-improvised sessions in worriedaboutsatan’s rural Yorkshire studio, Shift represents the first recorded output from the duo since 2016’s critically acclaimed ‘Blank Tape’ album.
The two longform parts that make up Shift were recorded in one take, inspired by a desire to create something from nothing, and not over-thinking what felt immediate. Drone heavy and based around slowly unfurling beds of sound, Shift sees the band step back from the rhythmic and intense techno-heavy sound explored on Blank Tape, and has more in common with their soundtrack work, such as the creeping atmospheres they contributed to Adam Curtis ’Hypernormalisation film.
HYOM ‘REI’ (WVR 035)
January 2018 | 12" | Order
Pushing even further into the abyss, this new work opens with Sun & Moon and a monstrous slab of heaving guitars fall out of the atmospheric beginnings. Paul Broughton’s vocal erupts and the track explodes into life, destroying everything in its path until the shadows return to close, leading the way into an interlude that corrodes and drifts before joining these two monolithic pieces together. The title track demonstrates the staggering ambition that Hundred Year Old Man posses. Ripping into a cathartic sludge reminiscent of Neurosis at their best, it’s a towering, immersive, nine minute journey that refuses to loosen its grip until the dying moments.
30.000 MONKIES ‘STARRRRRRRRING’ (WVR 034)
October 2017 | 10" | Order
30,000 Monkies is back from nowhere, with a new EP Starrrrrrring Orlando Doom, Keanu Riffs, Sharon Drone and Tom Wanxxx.
- “A career defining performance by Tom Wanxxx.” – Variety
- “Putain, incroyable!” – Cahiers du Cinéma
- “Witty dialogues, dazzling camera skills and a plot twist to leave your head spinning for days.” – Hollywood Reporter
- “A cinematic tour de force.” - Metro
WERL ‘HH.2016.09.08’ (WVR 033)
September 2017 | 12" | Order
WERL is a project of Aidan Baker (Nadja, Caudal) and Tomas Järmyr(Motorpsycho, Zu) exploring the depths of drone, noise and dark freejazz
Recorded live at MS Stubnitz in Hamburg
Limited to 300 copies
IDRE ‘UNFORGIVING LANDSCAPES’ (WVR 032)
May 2017 | 12" | Order
“Unforgiving Landscapes” is a 2-song, 44-minute experiment in sound that presents Idre’s most somber and monumental material to date. Building on their 2014 self-titled debut, the music and lyrical themes explore the immense and spacial elements of doom, the raw, murky, and grim depths of dark rock and goth, the dynamic, ethereal architecture of neo-classical and ambient music, the eerie, mythical vision and twang of American folk and western scores, coupled with the emotional torment and range of tensions that reside within us and our environment, delivered in a context best summarized as Idre. The release moves beyond its predecessor in weight and mass. Rich in single-note riffing and textured guitars, thunderous, airy percussion, and deep, minimalistic bass tones, while despairing vocals artfully reside in the void.
WATERED / TERRAFORER ‘SPLIT’ (WVR 031)
April 2017 | 12" | Order
More than 2 years after its initial idea this split release between the german instrumental post metal outfit Watered and Terraformer from Belgium finally sees the light of day.
After releasing their second album ‘Some Are Born Into The Endless Night’ via AENTITAINMENT Watered decided that is was time for a stopover before thinking about a next full album – and what better way there is than sharing a record with a like minded band. United by the same approach to create their own version of doom drenched post metal a perfect partner for a joint release has soon been found in Terraformer.
[ B O L T ] / BIBLO ‘COLLABORATION’ (WVR 030)
May 2017 | 12” | Order
[ B O L T ] 2 bass drone ensemble from the german Ruhr area which is completed by the former Kodiak/WALL drummer in the meantime unites with the abstract electronica project biblo from Instanbul.
While [ B O L T ] emerges out of oppressive silence and ends up in ecstatic noise and drone, creating waving sounds and crushing riffs.
Biblo redefines ambient sound by bringing it closer to noise with her collages made by blustering various sounds and haunting vocals.
MUMRUNNER ‘GENTLE SLOPES’ (WVR 029)
Sep 2016 | 12" | Order
A year ago Mumrunner were all aglow at the release of their debut EP, Full Blossom. The singles Bond and End, along with the EP itself quickly established Mumrunner as an exciting prospect to watch, especially within shoegaze/alternative circles. With much blog presence aligned with releases in Germany and Japan and their own European tour last fall, the stage has been set for some new material from the band. This Spring saw some new music with the well recieved single Shawshank and now comes the news of another new song and an EP announcement.
TRAUTONIST ‘TRAUTONIST’ (WVR 028)
Apr 2016 | 12" | Order
Trautonist take the energy, roughness and euphoria of black metal and combine it with the melancholia of shoegaze. The songs are naturally flowing, thriving on the combination of Dennis harsh and Katharinas beautifuly fragile vocals. The record has been mastered by non other than Markus Siegenhort of the well-known Lantlôs that gave the record a warm and rich sound but still keeping the necessary harshness. The artwork by Pascal Hauer who has contributed design for bands like Nothing or Lantlôs underlines the feeling of the music perfectly - transfering an urban but surreal feeling that makes you think of a David Lynch movie. The self titled record of ‘Trautonist’ is a compilation of 6 perfectly balanced songs - captivating the listener right from the start with the raging blast parts of the opening track ‘Stay’ but always gives time to breathe in between like the following ‘Distance’ does.
RORCAL ‘CREON’ (WVR 027)
Mar 2016 | 2x12" | Order
Three years after the monstruous and blackened “Világvége”, RORCAL is back with a brand new full length entitled “CREON”. Again, this new beast is showing a different face of the band by the mean of 4 hellish tracks for more than 50 minutes of music. Furious, but also melodic, these new songs display a wild range of atmosphere, each one serving the purpose of an epic story. Yes, it’s the death of 4 well known Greek characters, all linked to Creon, that are narrated in this new concept album. Punishing blast beats, heavy riffs, progressive structures expressed through brilliant song writing, possessed vocals ; everything is here reunited to create a new level of insanity in the field of extreme music. This 4th full length, recorded in three days in live conditions by Steph Kroug and mixed in Sweden by Daniel Bergstrand, is a journey nobody could have dreamed of. Let the magic do its job, let yourself drown in this beautiful and savage piece of aggression.
COLARIS ‘NEXUS’ (WVR 026)
Jul 2015 | 2x12" | Order
Three years and two releases after „Renewal“, Colaris escape into this place far beyond reality, but do not forget about the darkness and misery of the real world. Shelter, consolation or escape – the personal Nexus exists in many forms, but Colaris evoke their own Nexus, a record which songs are the result of many ups and downs in the last two years of the bands existence. The music absorbs and surrounds the listener until the Nexus finally explodes and burns out with the closing „Harvest (Nexus pt.2).
MORO MORO LAND ‘THROUGH’ (WVR 025)
Aug 2015 | 12" | Order
MORO MORO LAND is the absolutely terrifying “tenebris”. A furious number with black metal-esque bile and a palpable sense of anger. The truth is that they deliver an ultraviolent music in the wake of great bands like CELESTE, SHORA or DEATHSPELL OMEGA. Even if the point isn’t to produce the most inovative shit, MORO MORO LAND manages to blow everything on its way. No silence, no compromise.
MUMRUNNER ‘FULL BLOSSOM’ (WVR 024)
Jul 2015 | 12" | Order
Mumrunner deal with aesthetics from contrasting aspects of sound: sometimes abrasive alternative rock melds with dream pop soundscapes that gives the impression of being otherworldly. The Tampere, Finland based band love to play loud but never forsake an interest in subtler dynamics which makes Mumrunner’s ambitions unique and special.
This is their first EP. For fans of Nothing, Whirr or The Pains of Being Pure At Heart.
NO FEALTY ‘THEY LOVE THE SOIL WHICH MAKES THEIR GRAVES’ (WVR 023)
Mar 2015 | 10" | Order
No Fealty are closely connected to and shaped by the Danish hardcore/punk/metal/DIY scene, that is centred in Copenhagen. With bands like Hexis, Halshug, Night Fever, Redwood Hill and many more as forerunners it has fostered a long range of hard hitting bands of high quality during the last couple of years. Some even go on to say that these years the local scene is more exuberant, innovative and ambitious than ever. No Fealty has no illusions of getting the same kind of recognition as the aforementioned acts, but other achievements will do as well. With their new record the band is without a doubt contributing to the development of this scene, that is putting Copenhagen on the world map of hardcore.
CORTEZ ‘PHOEBUS’ (WVR 022)
Nov 2014 | Tape | Order
‘Phoebus’ reaffirms the taste of Cortez for saturation, but also explores a wide range of possibilities. Like a threatening and corrosive mist the aggressive sound still remains intense, melancholic and emotional. The artwork accompanying this new album has been entrusted to Dehn Sora, bringing a subtle spark to this dark masterpiece…
RORCAL / PROCESS OF GUILT ‘SPLIT’ (WVR 021)
Oct 2014 | 12”
Rorcal VS Process of Guilt.
After a first premonitory meeting at the first edition of Amplifest in Portugal in 2011, and a live collaboration the past year alongside Japanese noise legend KK Null, Process of Guilt and Rorcal finally join forces to present their most recent collaboration.
LE SEUL ELÉMENT ‘MERADIAM’ (WVR 020)
Feb 2015 | 12” | Order
Le Seul Elément is a solo project of a French musician. He does not want to be named by his real name, which has everything to do with the way he sees this artistic project: there is an air of danger coming from this music, that seems to come from a ghost or some other force out of this world, as an abstract shadow-play translated to music. Silence and absence plays as much a part in this music as does sound. He describes his music as a mix of classical piano, noise, ambient and post rock. Le Seul Element played Dunk! Festival a few years back and now releases a full album on Consouling Sounds (cd) and Wolves and Vibrancy Records & Prügelprinz records (vinyl).
[ B O L T ] + EWALDT ‘COLLABORATION’ (WVR 019)
May 2014 | Tape | Order
This 40-minute-collaboration between the 2-bassists of [ B O L T ] and electronica artist EWALDT offers the perfect soundtrack to your daily grind escape.
A beautiful mixture of drone, ambient and downbeat.
For fans of Nadja and Jesu.
Artwork by Prints of Persia
WHORLS ‘PETRICHOR’ (WVR 018)
Oct 2014 | 12”
Hailing from Denmark, Whorls deliver a beast of debut LP on a bunch of labels from all over the world. Founded in 2011 WHORLS (with members of Putrifier) play a modern (or „post“) style of black metal and atmospheric darkend hardcore with chaotic and sludgy outbursts. They released a very well received demo in 2012 and an evenly great reviewed 7“ called „Lvmen Natvrae“ in 2013. Now these four guys from the city of Slagelse attack again with their aggressive and dissonant mixture of Black Metal and Hardcore. Fans of CELESTE, Hexis, This Gift is A Curse and Altar of Plagues (Official) will be all over this.
WALK THROUGH FIRE ‘HOPE IS MISERY’ (WVR 017)
May 2014 | CD | Order CD | 2x12”
WALK THROUGH FIRE was founded in 2008 by Ufuk on guitar/bass, David (MONACHUS) on drums and Johan (ABANDON) on vocals. Prior to the recording of their first demo “Walk Through Fire” Johan left the band and the demo was finalized without any vocals as the remaining two members thought the music stood well on its own.
In 2010 the band decided to take a slight change of direction musically and also in the line-up. Oscar and David left and in came Flegar on guitar and Jonny on drums. Also, Ufuk and Andreas began doing vocals and in 2011 they released their critically aclaimed debut album “Furthest From Heaven” through brittish label AESTHETIC DEATH.
Late 2013, after having three out of four tours cancelled the same year, WALK THROUGH FIRE once again entered the studio.
Pure despair transformed into 80 minutes (!) of the most crushing Sludge. Artwork taken from Cihat Aral’s collected works between 1988 and 1992 from the book “Cihat Aral” (Atatürk Kültür Merkezi, 1993).
CATACOMBE ‘QUIDAM’ (WVR 016)
Apr 2014 | 12” | Order
In September 2008, what originally began as a solo project from Pedro Sobast, turned into Catacombe as a band, with the introduction of new musicians.
Later in December 5th, Catacombe gave it’s first concert at Fábrica do Som, Porto, opening for Nadja (Can). Following the first act, Catacombe also shared stages with names so varied, like A Storm of Light (US), My Own Private Alaska (FR), Minsk (US), Men Eater (PT), Slamo (PT). At the time they also started writing new songs for the debut full-length record “Kinetic”, recorded it between January/March2010 at Soundvision Studios, engineered by Paulo Lopes and mastered in the US by James Plotkin (Isis, Khanate, Pelican, Earth); then in late 2010, Catacombe signed with the Russian label Slow Burn Records for “kinetic” Cd release, worldwide.
In 2013 the 4 guys recorded “quidam”, a wonderfull piece of post rock and their best material to date. Mixed, and Mastered by Roland Wiegner at Tonmeisterei in Germany.
FLARES ‘SOLAR EMPIRE’ (WVR 015)
May 2014 | 12”
The first album by german instrumental post rock quintet “SOLAR EMPIRE” - also weaving in layers of Progressive, Metal and Alternative Rock into their exuberant sound. Referring to the Science-Fiction Saga “PERRY RHODAN”, the album was recorded and produced by the band in it’s entirety. In regards of Liveshows, they already shared the stage with Red Sparowes, This will destroy you, Caspian, Animals as Leaders and Kerretta.
MAGNAPINNA / ABRAKADABRA ‘SPLIT’ (WVR 014)
Apr 2014 | 12” | Order
12” Split between the noise / math rock magicians Abrakadabra (ex-Tephra) and one of the most interesting bands I’ve discovered for months: Magnapinna from Leeds - 30 minutes of dissonant and uberintense music.
REVIVAL HYMNS ‘PAUHU’ (WVR 013)
May 2014 | Tape | Order
The second album by the young and ambitious Finnish quintet creating dynamic soundscapes and atmospheres ranging from moments of introverted desolution to majestic walls of noise.
HAUT&COURT ‘LA VIE’ (WVR 012)
May 2014 | Tape | Order
The brutality continues on every track with mesmerising quality. The abrasive rhythms and beats and the accompanying noises keep coming at you at a terrifying pace with its boot firmly planted into the groin area and never lets up for a second. Frenzied and complex just as its genre suggests this is one brute of an album.
This erupting, at times fast paced other times experimentally savage album will satisfy the largest of appetites providing they like the gurgling growls and complicated rhythms – this is definitely growing on me and must go and check out other math core bands. But Haut Et Court is simply biting, raucous and extreme and a great listen to boot!
HEXIS ‘XI’ (WVR 011)
Mar 2014 | Tape | Sold out
Hexis is a band from Copenhagen, Denmark, playing a mix of Hardcore and doomy black metal. The band has existed since 2010, but has already played 200 shows in Cuba, Island, Russia, the UK and all-over Europe. Following their recent release of a full-length album, the band will be touring heavily all over the world in 2014.
WATERED ‘TO THOSE WHO WILL NEVER EXIST’ (WVR 010)
Dec 2013 | Tape | Sold only at shows
Sebastian & Ingo on guitars, Fabian on drums and Alfred on bass created a great 56 minute-album. With seven songs, each of them around 10 minutes Watered tell stories To Those Who Will Never Exist.
Through melancholic passages Watered travel with various styles in their songs pushing you to be quiet and to listen carefully. From very heavy parts to delicate and ambient moments, like in …On The Mirror Of Disgrace. In some parts they keep your head in tension to make a big explosion with a very heavy part. In the base they have put some samples to make songs much deeper, like in Nothing Left. Their music is located somewhere beetween postrock, post-metal and ambient.
NO FEALTY ‘IN THE SHADOW OF THE MONOLITH’ (WVR 009)
Nov 2013 | Tape | Sold out
Mixes perfectly the viciousness of crust with the most angry side of hardcore resulting in the most savage and violent formulas within’ this genre, that you can hear this year.
OAK / INTO THE TIDE ‘SPLIT’ (WVR 008)
Nov 2013 | 12”
Split 12” between Oak and IntoThe Tide from France.
Oak are playing instrumental Post Rock while IntoTheTide are playing Post Metal sometimes reminding me of old Cult of Luna.
DEUIL ‘ACCEPTANCE / REBUILD’ (WVR 007)
Aug 2013 | 12” || Tape | Order Tape
Deuil, (Mourning in English) is a 4-piece blackened sludge, drone act from Liège, Belgium. They’ve started their expedition in 2012 and they are slowly grasp the battlements of life, the soil of the lost, where stench of death suffocates and wishers… nevermore. Purple and violet clouds, last thoughts transcend into misty shadows, crippled and deformed and with fear crumbling eyes venturing forth, like many did before, like Edgar Allan Poe did, for his lost, beloved Lenore.
OPERATION MINDFUCK / ED WAYNE LEFSKI ‘SPLIT’ (WVR 006)
Oct 2013 | Tape | Sold out
Split release between mannheim based drone / ambient project operation:mindfuck and saarbrücken based drone act ed wayne lefski.
REZNIK SYNDROM ‘KORREKTUREN’ (WVR 005)
Aug 2013 | 12”
The ever-changing process of progression is quite a difficult issue in every bands life, some bands manhandle it and some failed. Well reznik syndrom from stuttgart/germany clearly handle everything perfectly and fascinate more than ever before. Switching from post-hardcore-punk-in-your-face tunes of their initial years (“auftakt.” – EP from 2011 | “Ad Absurdum” – EP 2012 – both great) …to a more melodic, more pensive and post-rockish sound with longer and more thought-out songs. Man, they sometimes sound like a post-whatever version of This Will Destroy You and I dig it so much.
Don’t get me wrong, they are nevertheless kinda heavy but more on a subtle base. Jörg’s vocals are still pretty outstanding and harsh but more fitting than on the previous releases.
First band that came to my mind when I heard “Jim, Johnny und _____” was also the disbanded german screamo/hardcore band Andorra Atkins. Does anyone remember “Setz die Segel”? Imagine this song with a even more epic soundwall and a little less screamo. One of my fav. songs on “Korrekturen” altogether with “Ruin” and “Skizzen”.
RORCAL ‘VILAGVEGE’ (WVR 004)
Feb 2013 | Tape | Sold out
Világvége, Armageddon, Fin du monde, Weltuntergang, Apocalypse, Ragnarök… No matter the language or origin, the ‘End of the World’ has always been a huge theme of discord since men were born. After illustrating the decadence of a Roman Emperor with HELIOGABALUS in 2010, RORCAL is back with a third album whose guideline just appeared to be obvious. Like its source of inspiration, RORCAL music has no boundaries and VILAGVEGE is here to prove it. When Doom turns into Black, you can’t expect anything but chaos: 8 tracks straight to the point, nervous and furious like never before.
SEVERE ‘SEVERE’
Feb 2013 | Tape | Sold out
Unholy fuck…stop whatever you are doing, and check out this gnarly band from Belgium called SEVERE. These filthy humans play blackened punk the way it’s supposed to be done: no holds barred rancid chaos from end to end! Every untitled song on this record has been stamped by the mark of the beast. SEVERE creates a violent atmosphere with their sound that has me hooked like it was the most addictive drug on the planet. More than anything, these guys are pretty epic songwriters, penning their tunes like subhuman gutter dwellers. Under all of the stench that their riffs kick up, your can’t escape their charbroiled melody. If I had to compare music to food, it would be burned vulture meat topped off with a unhealthy dose of maggots. Don’t get me wrong – if you like disturbed blackened punk, you’ll dig what this band is serving. What impresses me about this band is the way that at certain times it almost feels like you have entered a chamber of doom. The vocalist for this band has a demon tongue; his delivery is raw and uncut torment. I’m not sure what song I’ll choose, but I do know for sure SEVERE has earned a spot on the next volume of Blackened Everything.
AS MOUNTAINS ‘MONOLIGHT’ (WVR 002)
Dec 2012 | CD || Tape | Order CD
As Mountains is a young post-rock band based in Hasselt, Belgium. We were founded in the summer of 2011 and quickly started recording demo’s.
In winter 2011 they were selected to play in the Limbomania contest, just several months later they played support shows for great bands as Maybeshewill, If These Trees Could Talk and The Shaking Sensations.
ILYDAEN ‘DIGRESSIONS’ (WVR 001)
Oct 2012 | Tape | Sold out
From Belgium hails this awesome post-rock band called ILYDAEN.
Heroism and ubiquity are concepts floating on the post-rock style, slightly affected by a dose of post-hardcore.
The band takes the listener far away into an alternate dimension, where emotions converge to achieve the ultimate symbolic – which is the otherworldliness.
Created in 2009 by Daniel on guitar, Erik on Bass and Anthony on drums; they are inspired by bands like RUSSIAN CIRCLES, MOGWAI or ISIS. ILYDAEN‘s post-rock becomes furious and at the same time reflexive.
After their debut EP Exordium which is available for free on the Internet, in 2012 their first LP entitled Digressions was released.
Further the band also achieved its first European Tour during July 2012, perfoming a dozen of gigs in a row.