We Have a Technical

We Have A Commentary: The Damned, "Phantasmagoria"

The dreamy, high-camp Edwardian gothic of The Damned's Phantasmagoria is the subject of this month's podcast. What happens when one of the UK's most beloved punk acts steers itself right towards the gloomier sounds which they've always skirted? How many baby-bats experienced a sexual awakening to the "Shadow Of Love" video? Does lamping around with The Young Ones make you more like The Cramps or The Beatles? All these questions and more are taken up by the Senior Staff in this month's Patreo...

We Have a Technical 320: Chrome Corks

In an age in which music is digital and albums are increasingly ephemeral, surely record art doesn't matter anymore, right? Dead frigging wrong. The Senior Staff discuss the changing role and value of album art in the digital age on this week's episode of the podcast, tracking how artists and labels continue to tap into symbolic codes and create their own micro-scenes via visual aesthetics.

We Have a Technical 319: Too Beautiful for this Stable

It's a cosmic dyad of a podcast episode this week, as the Senior Staff go space trucking with Kangarot and Negative Format for their respective Nursery Of New Stars and Distant Pulses LPs. Both records address space as a theme, but as is discussed the execution of Kangarot's lo-fi kosmische electro-industrial and Negative Format's smooth combo of trance and breaks are quite distinct. All that plus live stream reviews (and the Senior Staff's reactions to dill pickle beers and Japanese wrestli...

We Have A Technical 318: Table Beer

We're joined by renaissance woman Andi Harriman to talk about DJing during quarantine and her new EP for aufnahme + wiedergabe, Corpse To Corpus. How do you heat the floor when it's spread across multiple time zones? What might a more feminine approach to EBM sound like? And do real goths love freestyle? All of these questions and so many more are discussed on the latest episode of We Have A Technical.

We Have A Technical 317: I Was A Dracula

As an incidental observation of Canada Day, the Senior Staff are selecting a pair of albums from above the 49th to discuss: Volt 9000's Mutronix and Decree's Fateless. Representing some of the lesser celebrated sides of Canuckistan industrial, we have Cory Gorski's satirical journey through bio-punk dystopias and Chris Peterson & co.'s absolutely churning and punishing demonstration of fully textured noise rock. Plus discussion of recent streams from Mr.Kitty and Harsh R! All that and some o...

We Have A Commentary: Leaether Strip, "Solitary Confinement"

The absolute stone classic that is Leaether Strip's Solitary Confinement is given the commentary treatment in this month's installment of the Patreon-back We Have A Commentary series. The sound of 90s dark electro was established with this LP, but there's so much more to love and discuss about Claus Larsen's exploration of spiritual and psychological alienation and the horrors of war. The Senior Staff consider the record's lasting influence, its themes, and its undeniable charm and intensity.

We Have a Technical 316: Glockenspiel and Ukulele

It's turned into an accidentally synthpunk-themed week here at I Die: You Die, and in keeping with that we're looking at two albums proximal to the sounds we normally discuss on the podcast, but that made inroads into goth/industrial club play in the early '00s: The Faint's Danse Macabre and The Vanishing's Still Lifes Are Failing. All that plus catch-up on the third Telekompilation release and some news about a new book detailing the history of LA deathrock on this week's episode of We Have...

We Have a Technical 315: Unfortunate Connotations

With the 'teens in the rearview, the Senior Staff are reflecting on the club tracks which defined the past decade. We're each picking five great club tracks from 2011-2020. Not our faves or personal go-tos, mind you, but the nigh-ubiquitous tracks that shaped the last ten years of life in dark clubs. In addition, we're introducing the third volume of our Telekompilation series of releases featuring tracks by members of our Slack community, which will be available tomorrow on Bandcamp to coin...

We Have a Technical 314: Google Troubles

Bruce and Alex are talking about records by Light Asylum and The Final Cut on this week's episode of the podcast. Topics include Shannon Funchess' ability to move between countless moods and genres and the pioneering techno-industrial programming of Jeff Mills. All that plus some continuing discussion of Black artists within Our Thing in light of ongoing events, on the latest edition of We Have A Technical!

We Have a Technical 313: Black Lives Matter

We're taking a break from our usual episode formats to speak with Danesha Artis of Standard Issue Citizen and Jairus Khan of Ad·ver·sary and Antigen Shift. We wanted to hear their thoughts on race and anti-racist work as it relates to industrial culture and music at this particular point in history, and thank them for joining us on short notice to speak on what can be difficult and painful topics.

We Have a Commentary: Glass Apple Bonzai, "Night Maze"

For this month's Patreon-backed commentary podcast, the Senior Staff are looking 2015's Night Maze. Glass Apple Bonzai's sophomore record simultaneously demonstrates Daniel Belasco's talents for precise and minimal synthpop arrangements and melodies and his ability to flesh out and enlarge the scope of his music with his vocal talents. Add in a well-executed theme throughout the record and you have a modern Canadian synthpop classic.

We Have a Technical 312: Subreddits of the Brain

Long-time pal and frequent guest Brian Graupner is dropping by ID:UD HQ this week...although he's not here to talk about The Gothsicles. Nope, the man behind the scene's premiere industrial comedy act has a lot of other irons in the fire, including his Gasoline Invertebrate project, the eerily prescient Space Couch streaming show, and his label endeavours via Tigersquawk Records. We're talking about all of those projects along with all of the horseplay and grab-assery which occurs whenever ...

We Have a Technical 311: Brewery Spit

A new record by Einsturzende Neubauten is always cause for celebration and discussion, and so the Senior Staff are using this week's podcast to examine "Alles In Allem". A record that's approachable even by the standards of contemporary Neubauten releases, it has its pros and cons but ultimately reminds us of why the German godfathers of industrial remain so compelling to us.

We Have a Technical 310: Calypso Fantastique

There's very little that binds the two albums we're discussing on the latest podcast. The downtempo dark ambient slash rhythmic industrial of Tzolk'in's "Haab" and Cure-indebted post-punk act Veil Veil Vanish's sole LP "Change In The Neon Light" have likely never been mentioned in the same breath, but the Senior Staff are noting some of the subtle shading that comes with deep genre work in both records. All that plus some discussion of recent drama related to a certain German synthpop band o...

We Have a Technical 309: Good Legs

Few acts have been as aesthetically or technologically prepared for the weird new era of streaming concerts as Panther Modern. After an incredibly immersive and groundbreaking livestream performance, we got on the line with Brady of Panther Modern to discuss the future of altered reality performances, the project's roots in cyberpunk, and how to make a virtue of virtuality.    

We Have a Technical 308: 50 Jar Jars

The two albums format yields discussion of some sophisticated and slightly low-key European releases on this week's podcast. The charms of Melotrons's "Sternenstaub" and Cryo's "Hidden Aggression" are examined by the Senior Staff, alongside some impressive live streaming sets from Mr.Kitty and Panther Mordern (good week for cat-related acts, we guess). All that and plenty more jackassery on the latest episode of We Have A Technical.  

We Have a Technical 307: Done Professionally

An inversion of the traditional Pick Five format has the Senior Staff firing hypothetical situations to each other to find out what sort of Choose Your Own Adventure path they'd elect to go down...all with an industrial flavour, of course. Whether it's a Sophie's Choice or a lesser of two (or more) evils, Bruce and Alex are putting the screws to one another to find out how they'd react under pressure. All that plus news about the just announced Terminus: Isolation streams on this week's epi...

We Have a Commentary: Einstürzende Neubauten, "Halber Mensch"

1985's "Halber Mensch" was a watershed moment for Einsturzende Neubauten, with the industrial legends expanding their creative vision beyond noise and performance to embrace composition and rich lyrical themes. It's the subject of this month's We Have A Commentary podcast, as chosen by the same Patreon backers who made this episode possible. The Senior Staff consider the emergence of Blixa Bargeld as a frontperson, the prescient use of silence in EN's delivery, and the beauty of liberating...

We Have a Technical 306: limewire.exe

The two album's format has the Senior Staff traversing the rather broad gap betwixt aggrotech and minimal synth as records from Tactical Sekt and Snowy Red are discussed on the latest episode of We Have A Technical. We've also got all the hot, cold, and lukewarm news concerning Neubauten, Puppy, and Consolidated for you this week.      

We Have a Technical 305: On Twitter?

The legendary Henrik Nordvargr Björkk joins the podcast to discuss Pouppée Fabrikk's fantastic new raw EBM LP, "Armén". Björkk's work across a wide swath of dark genres is also discussed, as are his thoughts on the history and present state of EBM. The Senior Staff are also pitching in their two cents on the EBM/Industrial "Blind Test" that's been sweeping the internet on the latest episode of We Have A Technical          

We Have a Technical 304: Canadian Standoff

The arrival of two new Nine Inch Nails "Ghosts" releases amidst all of the chaos and confusion seems telling. The Senior Staff are discussing the ins and outs of Ross & Reznor's new instrumental releases insofar as they relate to the still-shifting legacy of NIN as an entity as well as the uncertainty we're all living with. All that plus some discussion of how you can help out artists in Our Thing in this week's episode of We Have A Technical.          

We Have a Technical 303: Horse Hooves

It's a real mix of the bitter and the sweet on this week's episode of the podcast. The passings of Gabi Delgado and Bill Rieflin sent shockwaves through the industrial world which are still being felt. But on a more positive tip, the Senior Staff are doing a Pick Five episode which focuses on pick me ups: tracks which never fail to improve one's mood      

We Have a Technical 302: Beauty is the Enemy

Amidst all of the broader chaos and confusion, a pioneer in industrial music passed away this last week. Bruce and Alex are joined by Alex Reed to discuss the life and legacy of Genesis P-Orridge on this week's podcast. Gen's wide ranging and hugely influential body of work, and at times deeply troubling life, are considered in a round table episode which tries to avoid reductive hagiography or cancellation.

We Have a Technical 301: Charnel Armadillo

The 301st episode of We Have A Technical finds Bruce and Alex returning to the classic two albums format, and between LPs by The Phantom Limbs and Stendeck they're reaching into about as disparate genres ID:UD covers. We're also catching up with all of the live biz that's been happening in Van.

We Have a Technical 300: We Did It Together

The 300th episode of We Have A Technical finds Alex and Bruce digging into the pre-history of I Die: You Die. What club trends were popping off in the mid aughts? What would have the site's top records if it had been founded a few years earlier? Tune in and find out if Episode 300 goes "Just Like You Imagined". (That's a very relevant and contemporary joke about the "300" trailer, if you didn't catch it.)

We Have a Commentary: VNV Nation, "Empires"

A monumental album celebrating its 20th anniversary is the subject of this month's Patreon supported commentary podcast. "Empires" helped to establish futurepop as a major force in the history of industrial music, but it's so much more. Alex and Bruce consider the metaphysical and political themes of the record, its deployment of trance sounds, and its enduring emotional impact on the latest We Have A Commentary.

We Have a Technical 299: DELETE THIS

EPs or LPs? Brevity or Loquaciousness? Fun-size or Full Meal Deal? We're discussing the pros and cons of short and long form releases in connection with Our Thing on this week's episode of We Have A Technical. Plus, we try to deal with the unstoppable torrent of tour announcements which threaten to annihilate all of our bank accounts.  

We Have a Technical 298: Two Year Beer

The classic two albums format of the I Die: You Die podcast yields discussion of the first Dead When I Found Her LP and a distinctly European "Moonraker" compilation. How has Michael Arthur Holloway negotiated his debt to Skinny Puppy while developing his own style? How do European taxonomies of "wave" translate to a couple of North American listeners? The Senior Staff dog into these topics while getting accidentally swervy on the latest episode of We Have A Technical.        

We Have a Technical 297: Gendered Products

The millenial (and curiously continental) stylings of US electro act cut.rate.box are discussed on this week's episode of We Have A Technical. We also have a healthy helping of our mailbag to work through, and loads of live news. Tell your friends in the Stonecutters: this is a real royal sampler of an episode of the IDieYouDie.com podcast!

We Have a Technical 296: Sports D-Bag

Mailbag time! Yep, we're crowdsourcing this week's episode of We Have A Technical, having asked folks to fire in queries both glib and philosophical dealing with the past and future of Our Thing. Which bands are being overlooked? Which side projects do we miss? And which pro wrestlers are fake goths? All that plus Cold Waves news on the new episode of the idieyoudie.com podcast!

We Have a Technical 295: You Think You Know Me

Two classic 90s records on deck in this week's episode of the official podcast, in the form of Cubanate's "Cyberia" and Clan Of Xymox's "Hidden Faces". State of the art rage and finely crafted darkwave from a few decades on as we look backward on  each act and where the albums fit into their legacy. 

We Have a Commentary: Fad Gadget, "Gag"

For the first We Have a Commentary of 2020, we're digging in on a genre classic that is both representative and wildly divergent from its parent discography; namely Fad Gadget's "Gag"! Thrill to the Senior Staff discussing themes and ideas in Frank Tovey's work, how his final FG LP cinches his status as an all-timer and lots of talk about what a smart producer and performer he was. 

We Have a Technical 294: Like a Bongo

Industrial music is often tagged as being angry or aggressive, but what does that actually mean? How does aggression manifest in different sub-genres? How do dancing, gender, and lyrics factor in? All these big questions plus some discussion of the ongoing Ministry debacle on this week's episode of We Have A Technical  

We Have a Technical 293: Rightly Snow

A rare Vancouver snow storm has the Senior Staff separated in meatspace, but that doesn't stop the podcastin'. Records turning twenty this year are on the table, with In Strict Confidence's Love Kills! and The Echoing Green's Supernova. There's also plenty of talk about the major North American tour announcements from both Ministry and Einsturzende Neubauten on this week's episode of the Internet's longest running vegan Canadian wrestling-friendly industrial music podcast.

We Have a Technical 292: Re-Newted

Back in action in 2020 and back to Thursdays, it's the first We Have A Technical of the year! The Senior Staff are each picking five things they're looking forward to in the year ahead. Live events, release trends, new records: find out what's (likely) on the road ahead!  

We Have a Commentary: The Black Box Disk 3

We Have a Commentary: Black Box Disk 2

We Have a Commentary: The Black Box Disk 1

We Have a Technical 291: 4 O'Clock in the Morning

Your boys Alex and Bruce find themselves at the end of a long grind of Year End coverage plus a slew of pre-recorded podcasts to last over the break...and are keen to talk about pretty much anything OTHER than darker alternatives. Yep, it's the annual Off Topic podcast here at We Have A Commentary, featuring all of the banter about comics, movies, life, books, whisky, watches, and pro wrestling which is always at the periphery of regular episodes. It's sloppy, it's indulgent, it's therapeuti...

We Have a Technical 290: Year End 2019

Hot on the heels of our traditional Year End Top 25, the Senior Staff chops up their choices, talks some honourable mentions and ruminates on the year that was 2019. Insights into our review process, whether our mode of thinking about what constitutes an eligible release is still valid and various statistics from the last nine years of the exercise are discussed, dissected and eventually discarded. Also we get mildly tipsy. 

We Have a Technical 289: Self Checkout

On the last standard issue podcast of the year, we're picking two 90s goth records by female fronted acts...who couldn't really be further apart other than those characteristics. The first record from Faithful Dawn lays down the template for the oft-forgotten electrogoth subgenre, and Miranda Sex Garden's most well-recognized LP points to intersections with broader 90s alt music as well as experimental composition. All that plus discussion of recent sets by She Past Away and Lingua Ignota on...

We Have a Technical 288: See You at the Party

We've got an autobiographical-cum-historical Pick Five for you folks this week. What records took a while to reveal their charms to us? Which LPs were we either too provincial or too snobby to enjoy in their own time? We'll fill you in on that plus a recent show from Hide on the latest episode of We Have A Technical!

We Have a Commentary: Kite, "IV"

This month's WHaC is a brief but absolutely frantic run through the roller coaster of emotions, impossibly catchy hooks, and grandiose symphonic ambitions of Kite's 2011 release, "IV". The Swedish duo have transcended synthpop both in terms of sound and reach, and their fourth EP acts nexus of all their sounds and moods, and is also an ideal jumping on point. Whether you're as much in thrall of their work as the Senior Staff, or are only passingly familiar with it, join us on this month's Pa...

We Have a Technical 287: Skeksis P***

It's November of 2019, and even if we're not in Los Angeles you'd better believe we're not missing the opportunity to discuss Blade Runner, arguably the film with the most influence on industrial music and culture. Which samples work and which don't? How does Chew's Eye Shop relate to William Burroughs' control machines? We have all the Blade Runner-themed industrial pontificating you never knew you wanted on the latest episode of We Have A Technical!

We Have a Technical 286: House of Angry Cats

We got a classic two album podcast for you this week, with the Senior Staff discussing the baroque technoid elegance of Architect's "Consume Adapt Create" and the chill genre pastiche of Snow In China's "Electromensch". Also: Brazilian drag queen covers of Front 242? We have you covered on the latest episode of We Have A Technical!

We Have a Technical 185: The Smash It Ups

Navel gazing ahoy! Our recent forays into both digital and physical releases, as well as recent discussion of high-level physical reissues, has us considering the distinctions between physical and digital releases in Our Thing. Nostalgia, economics, collecting and archiving are all taken up, along with some discussion of recent sets from Physical Wash and Statiqbloom on the lastest episode of We Have A Technical!

We Have a Technical 284: Leave the Room

You couldn't find records much further apart from one another in terms of mood than Aghast View's "Carcinopest" and Displacer's "Cage Fighter's Lullaby", but that's what we're working with on this week's episode of We Have A Technical. Deep genre electro-indistrial and fluidlly warming downtempo? We have you covered, along with some talk about recent Legendary Pink Dots shows and FLA reissues.

We Have a Technical 283: The Book of the Dud

The Senior Staff have seen a hell of a lot of scene bands in their time, but even they still have their bucket list bands. This week, they're picking five acts they'd still love to see live, as well as introducing not one, but two new musical releases coming soon from the ID:UD camp. Exciting times lie ahead! Fins out all about then on this week's episode of We Have A Technical!

We Have a Commentary: Razed in Black, "Damaged"

2003's "Damaged" by Razed In Black is the subject of this month's Patreon backed and Patreon selected We Have A Commentary. A real "call Is coming from inside the house" record, RiB's unabashed blend of goth and industrial is very much both a product of its time and the vision of one writer and producer, Romell Regulacion. As it turns out, the Senior Staff have quite varied experiences with and opinions of the record, so gear up and be ready to head back to the futurepop-shocked club floors ...

We Have a Technical 282: Prematurely

How does A Split Second's "...From The Inside" buck that band's reputation, and is The Legendary Pink Dots' "Nemesis Online" the perfect capper to their 90s period? We have opinions, to no one's shock, in a classic two albums episode of We Have A Technical. All that plus some discussion of the just announced Dead Can Dance tour and Throbbing Gristle reissues this week!