It's a Pick Five episode of the podcast this week, with each of us talking about some samples which stuck with us for better or worse. It's somewhat bitterly ironic that that's our subject, as the passing of sample and industrial pioneer Richard H. Kirk of Cabaret Voltaire is something which we're also discussing with Susan Subtract of Physical Wash and High-Functioning Flesh.

Mark Trueman of Choke Chain joins Alex and Bruce to discuss his new release Invoking Shadows, his history with EBM and industrial and how this release is distinct from its predecessors. 

For too long we have been delinquent in our duties as supreme judges of the nature of industrial music and culture. For too long we have hidden behind mealy-mouthed equivocation out of a desire to keep the peace. No more. On this episode of We Have A Technical we at last embrace our destinies as the Arbiters of Industrial and pass judgement on the rivetness of all things great and small. Should you deign to dispute our rulings you may do so on social media or in the comments below, but remember that your petitions will be to us as the flitting of gnats is to an intractable basalt column.

A classic two albums episode has us kicking between darkwave and industrial metal. Diva Destruction's debut Passion's Price, with its synth strings and high-goth aesthetic, is considered alongside Unit 187's Loaded, balancing programming and Vancouver metal. Some recent tour cancellations and postponements, plus the dissolution of Iris are also discussed.

After four weeks of our New Canon series, the regular We Have A Technical podcast is back! This week we're discussing Sinner Get Ready, the new album from Lingua Ignota. Its rural mood and shift towards acoustic/folk instrumentation while maintaining the harrowing tones and themes for which Kristen Hayter's work has gained acclaim are just some of the topics we're discussing. Also, we try to catch up with a full month's worth of news bites.

This month's We Have A Commentary takes up the third LP from Vancouver's chameleonic Moev. Yeah Whatever brought together elements of synthpop, post-punk, funk, nascent alt-rock, goth, and body music, all under the aegis of then-new vocalist Dean Russell's exploration of deeply spiritual and personal issues. The Senior Staff discuss it in relation to Moev's broader history (as well as that of Nettwerk Records)

On the last episode of We Have A Technical before our special podcast series The New Canon takes over the month of August, we're talking about the classic mid-90s fusion of industrial programming and guitar of Steril's Egoism and the timeless and intimate sound design of Octavius' Laws. Some Ashbury Heights and Front 242 chat rounds out this week's episode.

The sometimes strained and sometimes incredibly powerful crossover between industrial and hip-hop is the subject of this week's We Have A Technical. From both genres' shared roots in sampling to thorny questions of MCing to current forms of hip-hop which create noise ex nihilo, we're aiming for a relatively subjective discussion of this unique intersection rather than an authoritative history thereof. We're also touching upon a recent article detailing connections between noise/power electronics artists like Dom Fernow and the far right.

The return of the listener-favourite Pick Five format has us considering records we like to listen to whilst traveling on airplanes. Being stuck in a tightly compacted space hurtling through the sky for lengthy periods of time can be stressful, monotonous, and wonderful, and from IDM to shoegaze, choosing the right soundtrack can lessen anxiety and offer much-needed focus.

After a few weeks of holidays, medical leave, and 10th anniversary celebrations we're back to our usual schedule here at the site, including a classic two albums format episode of the podcast. This week we're discussing the 1994 crossover success of Delerium's Semantic Spaces, wherein an ambient/industrial side-project primed itself to become a mainstream phenomenon hybridizing trance, trip-hop, and "world" music, and the final missive from Ipswich experimentalists Nagamatzu, whose 1991 record Igniting The Corpse pushed sampling and neo-classical sketching ahead of their post-punk and minimal synth roots.

I Die: You Die turns 10 years old this year, so naturally this week's podcast is of a reflective tack. We're looking back at the very first writing posted to the site, and talking about how the site's changed and how it's changed up. Self-indulgent? Maybe, but the site's entering its cantankerous pre-teen years now - let the baby have his bottle.

This month's We Have A Commentary episode, made possible as always by the generous financial support of our Patreon backers, has us taking up the sophomore record from London After Midnight. An inescapable presence in goth nightclubs, headphones, and bedrooms in the late 1990s, Psycho Magnet gathered elements of darkwave and deathrock around the striking figure and vocals of frontman Sean Brennan.

A most contentious of crossover genres is the subject of this week's podcast, dear listener. Yep, Alex and Bruce are tackling the neon-veined beast that is synthwave, and try to wrestle with its revisionism, aesthetic markers, audience, outliers, and possibilities. We're also talking about the line-up of industrial legends scheduled to take the stage at France's Hellfest next year.

From the sugariest of highs to the most oppressive of lows, it's tough to imagine records with vibes as different than the pair up for discussion on this week's podcast. The mature synthpop of Beborn Beton's 2015 comeback A Worthy Compensation is considered alongside the abject miserablism of darkwave duo Forever Grey's Alabaster Chamber. All that plus some griping about guest lists on the latest episode of We Have A Technical.

After almost a full month away from it, we're back to the classic two albums format in this week's episode of We Have A Technical. Voices, the 1998 LP from Lights Of Euphoria, is discussed as a sampling of the styles in European electro of the day, while //TENSE//'s 2011 swan song Escape is revisited as a precursor to the entire next decade of North American EBM. We're also checking in on the rescheduled Cruel World festival set for LA next May.

The new record from the website and podcast’s namesake is up for discussion on this week’s podcast. Yep, Uncle Gary’s new record Intruder looks to be following in the footsteps of its predecessor in terms of chart success, and we’re talking not just about the ins and outs of the new record and its place within the Numan catalog, but also the long-term shape and legacy of Numan’s longstanding partnership with producer Ade Fenton. All that plus some news bites on the latest episode of We Have A Technical!

This month's Patreon-supported bonus commentary podcast finds us heading back to the still-oontz driven days of the industrial club scene circa 2008 with Aesthetic Perfection's breakthrough LP A Violent Emotion. We're interested in reconsidering and discussing the record in light of both the era which produced it and also the ways in which AP's Daniel Graves has steered the project away from traditional club industrial sounds towards mainstream pop. Can the seeds of Graves' debts to Katy Perry and Carly Rae be heard in the thumping aggrotech of tracks like "Living The Wasted Life"? Find out in this month's We Have A Commentary!

In this week's episode, Jeff Cancade - AKA Devours - joins the Senior Staff in East Van's bucolic Robson Park to talk about his fantastic new genre-hopping LP Escape From Planet Devours. It's a conversation which touches on DIY releases, depression, the allure of nostalgia, making it as a synth-punk act in Vancouver, and which we hope communicates something of what makes the new record so enjoyable.

Our popular Pick Five format has us choosing a selection of Down To Mope records. What the hell does that mean? Well, you'll just have to listen to this week's episode to learn about the particular flavour of melancholy we're interested in exploring. We've also got a breakdown of the just-announced line-up for the ninth edition of the Cold Waves fest coming to Chicago this September on the latest installment of We Have A Technical.

Obscure, murky electro-industrial and brightly anthemic post-punk are the subjects of this week's podcast, as we discuss records by Yeht Mae and Spectres. We're also talking about the recent HEALTH/NIN collab, Debby Friday teaming up with Clipping., and finally some local live event news!

We're on the cusp of a new double-LP from one of our favourite bands at I Die: You Die, Kirlian Camera. And before we dig into the elaborately titled Cold Pills (Scarlet Gate of Toxic Daybreak), we thought it'd be fun to take a look at the band's earliest days in the form of It Doesn't Matter, Now and their most recent LP, Hologram Moon. What's changed over the forty year career of one of the most ornate and outre darkwave bands of all time, and which of their characteristics have remained from their earlier days? All that plus some festival news (!) and some generalized silliness on the latest episode of We Have A Technical.

The podcast is taking a rambling and conceptual route this week, with some discussion of changing perceptions of Our Thing within broader culture. Is the "Sure, kind of like Nine Inch Nails" explanation still accurate? From what background might newcomers be approaching crossover acts? Does keeping your club life separate from your day life still matter in a more forgiving age? All this plus some discussion of yet another Oscar win for Reznor & Ross, plus the passing of Anita Lane on this week's episode of We Have A Technical!

We're hunting big game with this month's commentary podcast, as we tackle the last release from one of the most infamous bands we're ever likely to cover - Andrew Eldritch's attempt to finally transform The Sisters Of Mercy into the machine-rock juggernaut of his dreams, Vision Thing. It's a record with terrifying lows, dizzying highs, and creamy middles, but ultimately stands as the purest expression of Eldritch's aesthetic fusion of sex, politics, and Americana. From Leonard Cohen-isms of varying strengths to Jim Steinman's final contribution to the band to Eldritch's constantly shifting relationship with his own fame, this is a jam-packed episode of We Have A Commentary you won't want to miss!

A two albums episode of the podcast finds us discussing Klanstabil's strange journey from Ant-Zen minimalism to the surfeit of passion and pop of Math & Emotion. Next, we take up Witchman's attempt to draw industrial atmospheres and grime into the worlds of breaks and drum n' bass on Explorimenting Beats. All that plus some musings on how our DJing may have changed over the past decade on this week's episode of We Have A Technical.

We say this a lot, but trust us: you'd be very hard-pressed to find a more different pair of records than the one's we're discussing in this week's podcast that still have some relevance to the larger world of industrial. So join us as we travel from Velvet Acid Christ's 2000 foray into goa, Twisted Thought Generator, and art-rockers These New Puritans' use of industrial percussion on Hidden. All that plus some blue-sky thinking about in-depth interview subjects on the latest episode of We Have A Technical!

As much as we'd like to convey the image of austere, stoic hermits who only listen to music when we're giving it our full attention in a darkened room with top-of-the-line stereo equipment, like everyone else we throw records on while we're doing other stuff. It's with that in mind that we're each picking five task-driven records this week - what do we listen to while we're driving, cleaning, working, and whatnot? Listen to this episode and find out! All that plus some talk about the slow reemergence of live shows in the US and (*sigh*) the new :wumpscut: record.

The gents from Sturm Café are our guests on the podcast this week, and we had a blast chatting with them about their changing relationships with EBM, the importance of a catchy melody, and the nation-wide rewards of investing in music education (no, really!). Sturm Café are a band that has long been a favourite of the Senior Staff and we were very pleased to finally have them on the show. On a less upbeat tip, we're also discussing recent discoveries about goth rock band Sonsombre.

The mean and gritty retro-futurism of Pure Ground's brand of minimal synth and Absurd Minds' uncanny obsession with a particular era of Project Pitchfork's work inspires this episode of We Have A Technical, in the classic two albums format. The Senior Staff are also talking about the recent reporting on and revelations about abuse and harassment at LA's Cloak & Dagger club, and on a lighter note, teeing off on that forthcoming Smiths movie which is just gonna be total dogshit, y'all.

This month's bonus commentary podcast finds us discussing the charming confidence of Cabaret Voltaire's overt push into funk and pop territory, 1983's Micro-Phonies. A band whose evolution in some ways mirrors that of industrial as a genre, Cabs don't get nearly enough love and discussion around these parts as they perhaps should, so we're atoning with some discussion of Cold War paranoia, the free-flows of influence from dub, electro, funk, industrial, and post-punk, plus the band's johnny-on-the-spot conversance with the emerging cyberpunk aesthetic.

Scene-rooted cover tracks are the subject du jour in this episode of We Have A Technical. The expressive, the rote, and the crassly commercial versions of other artists' work which we've been drawn to and repulsed by over our years in the goth/industrial trenches are all up for discussion, along with new release news concerning Hide, Clock DVA, and Cygnets.

A striking pair of electro-industrial and EBM debuts are the focus of this week's podcast, as we turn our attention to Necro Facility's The Black Paintings and NTRSN's People Like Gods. How bands adhere to and break from their formative influences is always something we're interested in, and we have two very different approaches to that issue at hand. All that in addition to the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of Love's Secret Domain anniversary reissues on the latest episode of We Have A Technical.

After going ham with some rather abrasive rants on last week's episode, we're taking the backseat this week and welcoming on some Patreon backers who are keen to talk about records from a bands ranging from Russian synthpop (Stereopolina) to German darkwave (Diary Of Dreams) to American synthpunk (Six Finger Satellite) to Swedish neo-classical (Sanctum)!

This month's Patreon supported commentary podcast is dedicated to the infinitely varied and strikingly confident expression of high goth prowess that is Faith And The Muse's third LP. On Evidence Of Heaven William Faith and Monica Richards stride through history, love, and metaphysics, and marshal ethereal, neo-classical, deathrock, and many more sounds to a proudly flown standard. Ancient spirits, vengeful phantoms, and fuccbois sliding into the Queen's DMs are among the various topics grandiose and sundry the Senior Staff consider as they work their way through this classic goth stormer. Y

Do not adjust your podcasting device - We Have A Technical has not been replaced by that sports radio station you hear annoying ads for. We are, however, coming into our 350th episode guns a'blazing, with each of us picking five hot takes regarding the state and legacy of the music we love and discuss. No quarter given, none asked for. What legacy bands do we actually find rather dull? Which younger acts would we rather see in the spotlight than some less deserving bands? You'll hear all of that plus some discussion of new music from The Horrors and Alan Vega, and initial thoughts on the new Coil remaster.

Our two albums format finds us talking about retro dark electro and the outer limits of technoid in this week's episode of We Have A Technical. The last record from Necrotek has us discussing the slow emergence of consciously-throwback dark electro, as well as the atmospheric charms of that genre overall. Next, one-off side project Ammo's foray into drum and bass raises all sorts of questions concerning the rapid evolution of powernoise, and at what point breakcore completely diverges from anything pertaining to industrial. As if all of that genre splicing wasn't enough, we're also revisiting the legacy of minimal synth pioneer Absolute Body Control on the heels of some new tunes from them.

From the perspective of your co-workers who really wish you'd turn your headphones down, industrial music seems as far removed from pop as is possible. But that ain't the whole truth! This week's episode finds the Senior Staff discussing the role pop has played in shaping the sound and delivery of industrial music, as well as contemporary artists who are borrowing more liberally from pop traditions. We've also got some talk about forthcoming releases we're hyped for, in addition to Negative Gain Productions' cool new digital magazine.

Deep genre records from Z Prochek and Manuskript have Alex and Bruce talking about the odd intersections of sounds and styles only possible at particular periods in industrial and goth history. The tragic passing of Sophie and the recent allegations made against Marilyn Manson are also discussed.

The Senior Staff are discussing a modern EBM classic in Spark!'s Hela Din Värld in this month's Patreon-supported commentary podcast! In 2012 Mattias Ziessow and Stefan Brorsson added ambitious pop instrumentation and melody to their established anhalt EBM template, and produced one of the most enjoyable records it's been our pleasure to write about and discuss on I Die: You Die. We're discussing themes of conspiracy and humanism, breaking down the percussive structures which propel the record, and even working in some Nabokov and Mega Man!

The Pick Five format returns, with Alex and Bruce each highlighting some behind the scenes folks. Be they engineers, writers, label heads, or DJs, there are countless people who've helped to shape the music and culture we discuss who aren't as front-facing as the musicians themselves. We're discussing them, plus some Neubauten business on this week's episode of We Have A Technical.

The classic two albums format brings discussion of Minuit Machine's Violent Rains - an early example of the current wave of European darkwave we're continuing to enjoy - and Moskwa TV's Dynamics & Discipline - less an LP than a field testing of mid-80s electronic dancefloor sounds from Talla 2XLC & co. All that plus playing catch-up with the latest batch of (conflicting?) Coil reissues in this week's episode of We Have A Technical.

FLA mastermind, studio wizard, and all around industrial legend Rhys Fulber joins the Senior Staff this week for an illuminating conversation. Rhys discusses the process behind the new Front Line Assembly record, Mechanical Soul, the freedom afforded to him by his solo work, and having his passion for EBM come full circle in German clubs. This is a wide-ranging interview with one of the landmark figures in Our Thing, and we're very pleased to be able to bring it to you this week. We're also talking about forthcoming records by Cevin Key and Gary Numan!

We're starting the year off with our classic two records format for the podcast. First up its the sui generis 2012 12" from Aussie act Forces, which brought together classic body music and techno sounds in a way that's perhaps never been matched since, yet has definitely paved the way for many current acts. Next, we're examining the sober and somewhat dour approach to synthpop and futurepop taken by Namnambulu on their 2003 LP Distances. We also have thoughts on recent KLF news, plus the ongoing strife south of the border in the latest episode of We Have A Technical.

It's the annual off topic podcast! Recorded weeks ago in a haze of pre-holiday cheer, we honestly have no idea what we spoke about on this cast. Probably a lot of tired banter about our usual off-topic obsessions, pro-wrestling, Iron Maiden, comics and science fiction, whatever really. If that doesn't sound at all appealing to you than no worries, we'll be back next week with an on-topic 'cast. Until then, you're stuck with this mess.

The written coverage on the site might be taking a holiday hiatus, but the podcasting doesn't stop. As a coda to our Year End coverage, the Senior Staff are each picking five fave tracks of the year which didn't figure into our Top 25 list, and which they maybe wish they'd been able to spin IRL.