Releases
Idiot In Dub
ABOUT THE EP
2025 proved to be a year of upheaval for DHI.
First came the flood, which swept through the band’s Scriptorium IV studio during a rapid spring thaw. Then came the lengthy process of demolition and reconstruction. Needless to say, vocal tracking for the band’s first album in 30 years would have to wait.
But even with so many months now tied up in rebuilding, frontman Vicar managed to carve out space for other DHI projects. Pivoting to a portable “jetpack” recording setup, our main man began logging hours on several forthcoming releases. Including Idiot In Dub — the special remix EP that drops April 20th, 2026.
“In some ways, Idiot In Dub partially fulfills a lifelong goal,” says Vicar. “I’ve always wanted to create a track-by-track dub version of an existing album or EP. It’s something that I absolutely hope to do with the upcoming 10-song album. But, with the finishing of that on hold, I decided to break apart the earlier Idiot Parade EP instead.”
It’s an explosive 17 minutes. Ranging from abstract deconstruction to hypnotic after-hours stomp, the EP’s three versions serve up a contemporary remix sound that simultaneously harkens back to the days of tape splicing and physical metallic reverberation.
“The Idiot Parade (Regressive Dub)” initiates the proceedings, and we are immediately given a taste of all the splintered and menacing vocals to come. Wasting no time, a stack of bass synths enter the fray, locking into formation under a crushing drum fill. Ah, those drums. Drums that are as much a carpet bombing as they are dubwise, and exactly the pummelling required to support the song’s message. On that front, we find the lyrics disembodied from the original version, but if one listens between the lines, a protest against fact denialism, conspiracy theories, and mob rule mentality begins to unfold.
A more personal story is suggested on track two. Entitled “Losing (Wretched Dub)”, its howling catharsis hits the dance floor with a driving post-punk rhythm section and undulating keyboard motifs. “I’m reaching out/With my tears streaming… Can’t believe what I’m losing” is shouted in a voice that embodies both lived experience and universal angst. But mercifully, the ache within the lyrics is tempered by melodic hooks that ultimately draw the listener closer.
The EP’s energy elevates further as “Chosen Ruler (Tyrannical Dub)” rounds out the set. The song’s commentary on authoritarianism and scapegoating takes an oblique turn here, as vocal shards pierce the mix, and then vanish without warning. Driving it all is a techno-fuelled four-on-the-floor groove, replete with acidic arpeggiation and warbling blasts of echo. Building, breaking down, ducking into narrow passageways, but ultimately rebuilding again to an ever rising conclusion, this dub is the antithesis of the chill-out room.
That notion of breaking down and rebuilding. It’s at the heart of a dub mix. And it perfectly mirrors the journey that the DHI studio has taken as it emerges from the devastation of a flood. Idiot In Dub was created in sync with the studio’s rebirth, and is the first of several upcoming releases which will coincide with this new era.
Track Listing
- The Idiot Parade (Regressive Dub)
- Losing (Wretched Dub)
- Chosen Ruler (Tyrannical Dub)
Credits
Vicar: voice, programming, guitar, bass, mixing, mastering, visuals
Recorded at Scriptorium Jetpack in 2025 through early 2026.
Cat. no. DHI014
Released April 20, 2026
Mini-Bio
Vicar of DHI (death and horror inc) in 2026. Download high res
Vicar of DHI (death and horror inc) in 2026.
Formed in 1987, DHI (death and horror inc) rose to become a leading light of Toronto’s early electronic industrial scene.
In the 1990s, the band issued four CDs on Fringe Product (the Canadian home to Black Flag and The Dead Kennedys), and also appeared on Belgium’s Kk Records (Front Line Assembly, Bauhaus). DHI’s discs received solid university radio support across North America, and even managed to bother the charts at Toronto’s groundbreaking CFNY 102.1FM. Spins from legendary DJ and Skinny Puppy remixer Chris Sheppard, and video play on MuchMusic, saw DHI’s hybrid sound reach an even wider audience.
DHI shared the stage with prominent figures such as The Young Gods, Front Line Assembly and Alien Sex Fiend, and maintained its presence on the industrial landscape until a hiatus in 1997.
But, the story didn’t end there.
Cut to 2018, with frontman and principal songwriter Vicar reactivating the project. First stop: a deep dive into remastering the DHI back catalogue (one of a few such dives, actually). Then, Vicar’s political viewpoint comes to the fore, with new material in protest against the rising threat of authoritarianism (enter the Chosen Ruler single (2020), and The Idiot Parade EP — named by Regen Magazine as one of the Top Albums of 2021).
The ensuing years see Vicar on a positive grind in the studio, logging daily sessions as he sculpts the next DHI album. But in 2024, time is taken to reflect upon the history of the band, as DHI’s 90s releases hit the 30th anniversary mark. A final round of remasters are painstakingly created, and the full energy of DHI’s vintage recordings are captured like never before. This newly restored series includes Machine Altar Transmission (33rd Anniversary Deluxe), Pressures Collide (30th Anniversary Deluxe), and Emotional Lockout (Ultimate Remaster).
But, if 2024 was a year of creative reflection and momentum, 2025 would be more about obstacles.
First came the flood, which swept through the band’s Scriptorium IV studio during a rapid spring thaw. Then came the lengthy process of demolition and reconstruction. Needless to say, vocal tracking for the band’s next album would have to wait.
But even with so many months now tied up in rebuilding, frontman Vicar managed to carve out space for other DHI projects. Pivoting to a portable “jetpack” recording setup, our main man began logging hours on several forthcoming releases. Including Idiot In Dub — the special remix EP that landed April 20th, 2026.
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