Stories
30 Albums That Shaped 2024 Sound - Part I (16-30)
ElektroSpank's favorite albums for 2024. This is the first part going from 30 to 16!
One thing that is certain for me is the thing that this list, like every year's list, is a collection of albums that I listened the most along with many others that are not included here but are equally good, loved and could definitely be in such a list, as well.
But this is the magic of music. It can always surprise you. It can always make you feel different and take you to emotions that, perhaps you wouldn't had sensed until you listen a song a melody, an album.
2024 has been, again one of the most productive years in music and in the genres that here, in ElektroSpank we love the most. Amazing records unique ideas nostalgia, and modern cutting-edge music inspirations. All these thing made this task, of selecting 30 albums, a sweet headache. In the past few days I revisited all these albums, just to confirm all these emotions I felt the first time I listened to them.
For the first part we have 15 album counting backwards, from No. 30 to 16.
30. SOPHIA - The Age Of Narcissist
Arcana's mastermind, Peter Bjärgö has returned with his Sophia project this year, with the album that forces the listeners to describe it as on of their best album. "The Age Of Narcissist" hides a raw strength, martial industrial, a dark tribal music experience, one of these that can be completely enjoyed best if you listen to them from start to end in headphones or high end system. This album delivers 40 minutes of dark cinematic ambience and post-apocalyptic bombastic vibes.
https://www.facebook.com/SophiaIndustrial
29. JESUS LIVES IN VEGAS - Joy Of Sorrow
One of our favorite France's post-punk cold wave for the last 2 and a half years, Jesus Lives In Vegas released their debut album "Joy Of Sorrow". The contrast between guitars and synthesizers creates a unique, electro, dark wave sound, built upon some strong baas lines and which has been enriched with gloomy, honest vocals! Melancholic tones and stories about the complexity of human emotions depict the joy coming after or out of sorrow!
https://www.facebook.com/jesuslivesinvegas
https://www.instagram.com/jesuslivesinvegas
28. STREET FEVER - Absolution
Street Fever is the music project of a mixed-media performance-artist and DJ residing in Boise, Idaho whom, remains anonymous. With a blend of dark techno, EBM, industrial, heavy rap and electro, Street Fever has been active since 2015 and 2024 brought the 15-track full length album, "Absolution" which delivers a gritty symphony of seductive, captivating sound, full of energy and built on personal experiences and speaking about self-recovery and faith in ourselves!
https://www.streetfevermusic.com/
https://www.instagram.com/streetfever
https://www.facebook.com/StreetFever
27. DATE AT MIDNIGHT - Fading Into This Grace
"Fading Into This Grace" marked the return of the Italian dark wave, post-punk, goth rockers Date At Midnight, since 2016 and the "Songs To Fall And To Forget". A unique interplay between post-punk and death, goth rock. With songs that brings dark romanticism along with gothic rock gloominess and death rock strength. "Fading Into This Grace" establishes Date At Midnight between the strong names of the modern goth wave music.
https://www.facebook.com/dateatmidnightband
https://www.instagram.com/dateatmidnight
26. Black Nail Cabaret - Chrysanthemum
"Chrysanthemum" is the sixth full length of the incredible Hungarian synth-pop, noir electro duo, Black Nail Cabaret. "Chrysanthemum" offers a captivating music about death themes and its acceptance, out of clever melodies that can become emotionally intense while leaving a peaceful taste. Black Nail Cabaret moves forward with each one of their albums and "Chrysanthemum" brings them closer to the absolute dark electro, pop noir sound!
https://www.facebook.com/bncband
https://www.tiktok.com/@emkebnc
https://www.instagram.com/bncband
25. AMORPHOUS - Skepticism
Amorphous is the music project of Gil Os and "Skepticism" is his fifth full length album. Influenced by old-school EBM and industrial tones Amorphous create a deep atmospheric album with captivating electro arrangements. Based on strong beats and Gil's haunting vocal lines, Amorphous released an album with some dark club hits and aggressive, but emotional at the same time, modern EBM sounds and songs.
https://www.facebook.com/amorphous.sound/
https://www.instagram.com/amorphous.sound/
24. ULTRA SUNN - US
Ultra Sunn has been in our radars since day 1 and they never disappointed US. With the title of the album dual meaning, Ultra Sunn released "US" their debut full length which can easily work the perfect weapon in a dark club night's DJ quiver. Catchy EBM tunes with beautiful deep vocals blending the modern electronics with Belgium's old school electro and industrial music.
https://www.facebook.com/ULTRASUNN/
https://www.instagram.com/ultrasunn
23. DARKWAYS - Resonance
It was not a surprise for me when I first listened to "Resonance" the debut album of the Barcelona based synth wave, goth rock trio Darkways. And this was due to my previous experience with the earlier work of the band and their first releases since 2016, when Darkways was an one man project of Marc. But their true breakthrough came this year, as trio now consisting of Marc, Lluis and David, with the release of the magnificent "Resonance". An album that stands perfectly next to some gothic rock masterpieces, enriching the traditional goth sound with clever, synthwave, breaks and sharp, post-punk, guitar riffs.
https://www.instagram.com/darkways_official
https://www.facebook.com/darkwaysband
22. SYDNEY VALETTE - The Healer
Sydney Valette returned this year with an album that moves even further than the brilliant "Home Alone" did and the French musician, producer keeps "painting" his sound canvas with strong dark electronics, techno, EBM, synth-pop sounds and tunes. One thing that makes Valette's music special is the classical influences that you can find and listen to here and there in his songs. Beautiful vocals making the sound more intense and masterfully structured production makes "The Healer" one of the best of its kind.
https://www.instagram.com/sydney_valette/
https://www.facebook.com/sydneyvalette2
21. MATTE BLVCK - Vows
Matte Blvck returned with their full length album "Vows". The California based dark electro trio of Alex Gonzales, Daniel Corrales, and Bidi Cobra created an album ranging from EBM and industrial to synthwave and cyberpunk with all of their songs beautifully balancing between emotional soundscapes and catchy dark beats. The vocals of Alex Gonzales manage to depict all the melancholy and strength created by their music.
https://www.facebook.com/@matteblvckus
https://www.instagram.com/matteblvckus
20. THE SWEET KILL - Nowhere
One of those we listened to the most, this year, was the second full length album "Nowhere" by The Sweet Kill, the post-punk, dark wave, goth rock project of Pete Mills. The Los Angeles based project delivers an album full of lyricism, dark melodies and post-punk songs intertwined with melodic synth lines, gloomy orchestration and deep, dark vocals. A modern gothic rock, dark synth masterpiece.
https://www.facebook.com/TheSweetKill/
https://www.instagram.com/thesweetkill
19. NIGHT IN ATHENS - Wasted Reflektions
With great pleasure we received the latest album of Night In Athens. A solid release with sound and songs that explore the darkest paths of its creator "Wasted Reflektions" unveils the true potential of the dark synth, cold wave, EBM project of Night In Athens. Embracing her music heritage Tina Boleti offers aggression, emotions, strength and melancholy in equal parts in this, old-school synth wave influenced, fresh collection of songs.
https://www.facebook.com/nightinathensband
https://www.instagram.com/night_in_athens/
18. HAUJOBB - The Machine In The Ghost
Haujobb releases will never stop to surprise and seems impossible to disappoint. "The Machines In The Ghost" is their new chapter in their 30 years history were their sound was always a new discovery for the listener. The duo, consisting of two restless minds of electronic music, Daniel Myer and Daniel Samardzic as with most of their works they hide a link to one another but each of those offers new technics, new approaches, new ideas and new sounds. That is exactly the case with "The Machine In The host" perhaps one of their best albums since the early years.
https://www.facebook.com/haujobbmusic
https://www.instagram.com/haujobb_/
17. NEW SKELETAL FACES - Until The Night
One of our last discoveries is the death rock is the California based, a death rock, goth punk, glam metal packaged under the name New Skeletal Faces. "Until The Light" is the point where Christian Death crosses Misfits and meets Bathory! The three-piece band comes from the darkest caves and the scariest nightmares, with a powerful 8-track offering, that can easily haunt you and drag you to any, dark pogo dance and headbanging!
https://www.facebook.com/NewSkeletalFaces
https://www.instagram.com/newskeletalfaces
16. KURS - Dreamer
It was a really pleasant surprise when Valerio Rivieccio member of the post-punk The Coventry, announced his own project KURS in 2021 with the release of the powerful dark electro debut album "Muter". In 2024 his second album "Dreamer" came out and put KURS between the projects that encapsulates all these elements of the darkest electronic music and define the new industrial sound. And we are talking for these elements that can make the listener be dragged in dystopic soundscapes going from dark melancholic electronic music to powerful and dancefloor industrial hits.
https://www.facebook.com/kursmusic
https://www.instagram.com/kurs_music/
You can read the second part (1-15) here!
