Kontravoid, 21 November 2024

The name Kontravoid belongs on a limited run cassette circa 1980-something, the type of tape buried in lost upstate dustbins of pre-MIDI analog electronics, wedged between Cabaret Voltaire and Das Ding. The dark industrial and new wave influences are strong on ex-Crystal Castles drummer Cam Findlay’s new project—his voice is scary, like an echoing underwater growl—but the underlying pop melodies always afford a degree of breathing room. The artist Felix Kalmenson has already produced two great Kontravoid music videos: “Native State,” the album’s most instantly rewarding song (owing to interestingly doubled male-female vocals) and its most aggressive, “Killed in Action.” Kontravoid is on sale now from Bandcamp and iTunes, courtesy of Tarantula X.