STM 303 - SARIN

In case some of our readers are still uninformed, SARIN is a Berlin-based artist whose highly stylized flavor of industrial-EBM instantly distinguishes him from the herd. Instead of following in the footsteps of the predominant minimal dark aesthetics, SARIN fuses the best of many different worlds - confrontational coldness of the early industrial, bombastic beats and lavish synths, as well as some electro quirkiness for a good measure. As a producer and the owner of the label and A/V platform X-IMG, he continues to challenge himself and push the boundaries of a familiar sound. These ambitions are evident on his enthralling 2019 album Moral Cleansing I reviewed a few months ago. Similar can be said for this mix, where SARIN chose to shed new light on his often overlooked influences.

With STM 303, SARIN revisits the groovy, colorful side of industrial that easily sinks under the radar, but its echoes are persistent in SARIN's music, as well as in contemporary and forthcoming tracks he included in this mix. Most of the tracks roughly range from the late 80s to early 2000s - that weird time marked by crossovers, when some of the featured artists, like My Life With theThrill Kill Kult or KMFDM, could even break into the mainstream without losing their creative zest. Throughout the mix, uncanny cinematic atmospheres lurk everywhere, from the majestic introduction of Morgue's Suffering and Wumpscut's Slovakian Hell to the subtler chilliness of Phase Fatale's Binding By Oath, where muffled operatic effects meet that unmistakable modern clang. SARIN has also included plenty of carefully selected rarities, such as bizarrely glamorous tracks by Morgue Mechanism and Forma Tadre, even two pieces by the legendary Japanese composer Chu Ishikawa. The diverting, idiosyncratic moments aren't lacking either. Along with larger than life energy of the aforementioned KMFDM, there's also I Am Surrounded by Incompetence by You’ve Got Foetus on Your Breath - the only early 80s track in the mix. Its' jangling and rattling breaks into Chu Ishikawa's metallic experiments, closing the mix on a frantic note. In this fun and twisted journey, SARIN combines the joys of crate-digging with nervous anticipation of promising forthcoming material.

A mix of old and new sounds from the broader industrial culture landscape. It includes a lot of classic 90s electro-industrial artists that, in my understanding, have not been included in the more recent resurgence of the techno-industrial-EBM revival, but is definitely worth a second look. A couple of more recent & forthcoming tracks made by friends & with friends that seemed to fit well are also included. I wanted to avoid an entirely contemporary mix and dug up my favorite gems collected from CDs, compilations & digitally since the early 2000s.