Reduced to the barest of existence, wet the bed by face of ancient gallery, bloodsport’s Jeremy Mock’s solo venture, has an unfiltered intimacy. Every hand movement on the guitar is audible, as he plucks along to his whispered vocals. As a result, the subtle strings entering this sparse composition later feel even more overwhelming.

With Oyster, the Viennese artist Elisa Godina—known as part of Elis Noa—presents a bold solo debut single that pulls no punches. Here, an explicit alt-pop ode to female pleasure serves as a catalyst for emancipation, soaring to exuberant heights amidst the deliberate detonation of social taboos. Yet, beneath the frankness, there’s a true sense of sensual intimacy and empowering vulnerability. Oyster is daring, pleading and unapologetically challenging.

A glitchy synth-pop cathedral rises up, overwhelming in its grandeur. Cold and Cruel from the new album Delusion stretches sonically miles beyond the raw sinister beginnings of the 2015 debut Services. New York’s Tempers deliver a melodically refined sound à la Ladytron or Metric that only occasionally torments itself with abrasive screeches. It’s fair to say that Cold and Cruel hardly pushes the envelope, and yet, I’m still a sucker for this opulence.

A catchy guitar riff radiates light-hearted optimism from the very first note. Linen and Tears was written as a lullaby for Raphael Elmiger’s daughter, but according to the band, it was a flop: unsurprisingly, the energetic track had exactly the opposite effect. Linen and Tears introduces an unusual sound for Silver Firs: compact and straightforward, yet still keeping a new wave ambience. It sounds like early The Cure tracks—but happy.

Old friends, new sound. Last year, the Portuguese band MAQUINA. won me over with their hellish track misfit. What the new single pressure/pleasure has in common with misfit is the hypnotic, relentless sound. Staccato riffs, a driving beat, repetitive vocal samples, psychedelic flourishes. Industrial rock for the club.