Here’s some excessive, laptop speaker igniting industrial from a duo comprising the guy from Chrome Dome / Nihilistic Orbs (Shaun South) and the producer known as Aoi. Apparently borne of the influence of speedballs and Wormwood (it says so on the duo’s Bandcamp), Manhandled have introduced themselves to the world via a rather lengthy self-titled EP, which is going at a pay-what-you-want rate over here. It’s a pretty obvious mix of influences if you’re familiar with either of the members’ other outfits: the beats move away from the strict 4/4s associated with the genre – probably thanks to Aoi’s hip-hop influences – while the textures and, um, emphatically buried melodies recall a more abrasive and less pop-focused Chrome Dome.

There’s a fairly misanthropic and playful mood to Manhandled, thanks to the at times absurdly maximalist approach mixed with evocative song titles such as ‘I Gotta Cyst’ (because he’s got a cyst), ‘I’m Dead’ (because he’s dead), and ‘Bury Me Anywhere But Vienna’ (because he doesn’t want to be buried in Vienna). Whatever the case, it’s hard to tell how seriously these guys take the project, but it’s a pretty hilarious/intense/grueling listen that is worth the entry price, even if you end up hating it.