Strange Therapy presents two distinct releases for early 2025: Death Disco’s aggressive debut album Death Notes and A Solemn Promise’s introspective EP feathers. These contrasting works – one a statement of raw industrial punk, the other a neoclassical-tinged exploration of isolation – exemplify the Amsterdam label’s scope within experimental electronics.
Death Disco: Death Notes
Death Disco marks a shadowy collaboration between Samuel Kerridge and Maxim ‘Panda’ Barron, two forces in the contemporary industrial scene. Their debut album Death Notes emerges as a testament to punk’s rebellious spirit and DIY ethics, while pushing into new sonic territories. The project showcases Kerridge’s commanding vocal work and electronic manipulations alongside Barron’s devastating rhythmic arrangements.
The album, mastered by industrial music legend Justin K. Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu, JK Flesh et al.), represents a significant milestone for both artists. With artwork by diavolodiunkrang and press photographs by the renowned Steve Gullick, Death Notes is being released as a collaborative effort between Downwards Records (vinyl) and Strange Therapy (tape and digital).
Death Notes navigates the intersecting realms of synth punk mechanics and clanging post-industrial soundscapes. The band’s aesthetic nods to Suicide – evident in their promotional photos and Martin Rev-inspired eyewear – while carving out their own sonic territory. The album balances processed guitars that hint at shoegaze textures, though with a consistently darker, more menacing delivery. ‘Breathe Life’ reaches emotional crescendos through heavy synthesizers and scattered guitar work, while ‘Goats Reverse’ plumbs the depths of electro-punk’s most visceral elements. Elsewhere, ‘Spiral’ captures the spontaneous energy of Suicide’s ‘Radiation’, building around a persistent synth rhythm punctuated by raw, unplanned vocal outbursts. These many shades of synth punk abandon tied together by the mastering prowess of one Justin K. Broadrick.
A Solemn Promise: feathers
The duo of Jonathan Baker and Benedikta Ársælsdóttir present feathers, a powerful exploration of isolation and connection through the metaphor of urban pigeons. The EP combines industrial and neoclassical elements to create a unique sonic palette, with both artists contributing vocals that range from suffocating to stunning.
Notable is the project’s commitment to supporting Pigeon Rescue NL, with fifty percent of proceeds (increasing to one hundred percent after covering production costs) being donated to the organisation. The release features remixes by Teitur Ársælsson and mastering by James Kelly, ensuring a professional finish to this emotionally charged work.
feathers unfolds like slow-motion footage of pigeons taking flight from an urban square – a masterful blend of ambient textures that captures both the intimacy and vastness of city spaces. While the EP explores themes of scale and ornithological insignificance against architectural backdrops, it resists falling into pure ambient formlessness. Instead, it weaves together various sonic elements: measured electronic percussion, symphonic undercurrents, and carefully placed vocals emerge from its atmospheric foundation. On ‘no rest for the wingless’, sunken death industrial-influenced growls lurk beneath the surface, while ‘the headwind’ is haunted by contemplative, mechanical rhythms that tick away like an ominous timepiece. The result: a compelling sonic narrative that balances ethereal soundscapes with structured musical elements, mirroring the choreography of an urban pigeon flock.
Operating from the heart of Amsterdam, Strange Therapy has established itself as a crucial platform for experimental electronic music. The label specializes in what they term “struggling electronics,” encompassing modern industrial, digital punk, and power electronics. Their roster consists of artists who share a distinctive grim sensibility, each bringing their personal emotional intensity to their releases.
The label’s approach to curation and presentation reflects their mission to “mock, question, decry, rot and dwell,” creating a space for challenging and uncompromising electronic music in the contemporary landscape.
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