Top 5 would be:
Boy Harsher - Careful
Acretongue - Ghost Nocturne
Numb - Mortal Geometry
Statiqbloom - Asphyxia
Twin Tribes - Ceremony
The way the cards have fallen this year, it’s mainly been gothy darkwavey rather than IDM.
I’ve stuck together a playlist:
Spotify – 2019
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2022
Audio Abattoir 2022
2023
Audio Abattoir 2023
2024
Audio Abattoir 2024
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2025
TOPS:
#1. Promenade Cinema – Afterlife
Sheffield duo, elegant noir synthpop with plenty of pomp; reminiscent of Propaganda
#2. Vioflesh – Nostalgia
Chilean, poppy darkwave
#3. Rhys Fulber – Memory Impulse Autonomy
First half is industrial techno EBM; second half is more cerebral and retro-influenced by Cabaret Voltaire, Tangerine Dream etc
#4. Years Of Denial – Love Cuts EP
Industrial electro-darkwave; absolutely rocks
#5. Morwan – Vse Po Kulu, Znovu
Ukrainian, weighty postpunk noiserock, with ethno-folk influences
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BEST OF THE REST :
Circuit Des Yeux – Halo On The Inside
Cacophony of experimental electronic and industrial pop; haunting operatic female vocals (maybe imagine Grace Jones in her lowest register, fronting some Depeche Mode deep deep cuts)
Rina Pavar – Six
Icy electro-darkwave
Various Artists - 30 Years: Sonic Groove 1995-2025
Dogs bollocks compilation of industrial techno
Youth Code – Yours, With Malice EP
Industrial influenced by punk/hardcore; brutal, visceral, abrasive female vocals
Jason Van Wyk – Inherent
Cinematic ambient/drone
Young Gods – Appear Disappear
Proper heavy; best since L’Eau Rouge?
Snooper – Worldwide
Quirky alt-punk
Shehir – We Are All Strangers
Ambient
Assemblage 23 - Null
Dark electronic dance/synthpop/trance
Health - Conflict DLC
Atmospheric industrial metal
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PLAYLIST :
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2026 provisional
TOPS:
Darkways - Rust
Postpunk darkwave
SDH - Rider
Electro darkwave
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BEST OF THE REST :
This Morn’ Omina – Insha
Dense ritualistic ambient
DSX - Cold Ballads EP
Industrial, Haujobb side-project
Dryft – Particle
Dreamy post-industrial IDM
Vioflesh - Melancolia
Poppy darkwave
Diavol Strain - Eterno Retorno
Chilean, intense goth rock
Madeline Goldstein - Speaking To The Body
Dark synthpop
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PLAYLIST :
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sf4bg5
2 provisional
TOPS:
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BEST OF THE REST :
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PLAYLIST :