HeatherShore and KeganHeiss are the cool kids from Pittsburgh. Their cool factor lays in the fact they are duo behind the avant-garde post-punk project Hemlock For Socrates, who have a new single out, titled “You’re Not Here.”
Shore’s vocals are the focal point, lilting and mesmerising within the pulsating electronics. The guitar adds an air of experimental surrealism, as the track divulges a relationship where one never seems to get close enough to truly understand or know the other, as if they are hiding who they really are.
With “You’re Not Here,” you can almost taste the traces of sadness and frustration, while the static electronics give the impression of a glitch in the human. HemlockForSocrates always seems to pull off the coupling of ethereal and bohemian, creating something beautifully evocative.
We are going back to January of this year, and DirePath are a Greek darkwave based band, who released their debut EP, Unloved. They describe themselves as a darkpop duo who are unsure on how this story ends yet, and this, gentle folk, is all I know about them
This four track EP kicks off with “Distance,” and almost instantly I am hit with the fact that the vocals are very much the focus rather than inhabiting within the music itself which is refreshing. This is a mixture of guitar and synths both having their time in focus, and somewhere I am sure I heard the voice of a female singer delicately chiming in. A winding guitar intro guides us into “From The Dream,” leading you along a path of memories past. The synths light the way, as the the pace picks up and the guitar drives us on.
The title track “Unloved,” has a very early 80s feel to it and a bleakness, as if nothing can fill a hole, as the lead singer bleeds out, and yet there are still these amazing jangling guitars tethering us. “ThePath” has a beautiful play between bass and guitar. It wavers between sorrow and intense loneliness, yet there is still a glimmer of hope.
Dire Path seem to be a mix of 80s post-punk with modern darkwave, and the more you listen to the tracks, the more you realise how intricate the musicianship is. With Unloved as their first release, we will be watching with great interest how they grow and what they do next. They might admit they are ‘unsure how it ends,’ but I would say it is is a pretty wonderful beginning.
BeautyInChaos is the gothy super group that revolves around lynch pin MichaelCiravolo, and the latest single “HolyGround” featuring the vocal talent of KommunityFK’s lead singer, PatrikMata. Both this and previous single “DivingForPearls” featuring WayneHussey (TheMission), can be found on the new album Dancing With Angels.
Photo by Kevin Estrada
‘A Watcher, a Supernatural Being, descends upon the planet below. He became transfixed, curious, & seduced by the women & Earthly pleasures & mysteries found. Ever since The Beginning this Being roamed the Earth creating Nephilim. What seems like an Eternity, The Being becomes a Fallen Angel, jaded, decadent, & tired having used & having been through every Earthling on the planet. The Fallen Angel shares its interpretation of how this planet used to be considered Holy Ground, but now it is not. The only thing that The Fallen Angel yearns for is to return back Home. Back to The Gate.’ – PatrikMata on the premise behind the lyrics of “Holy Ground.”
Ciravalo’s guitar will call you into the sacred space that is the “Holy Ground,” with Mata serenading you from the perspective of a angelic being whom has fallen from grace. Both a beautiful and terrible tale with a soaring chorus that entwines the vocals of Mata and Ciravolo, that could be heaven sent and is very much Beauty In Chaos.
What happens when we have BorisWilliams, best known as a part of TheCure and JemTayle who was one half of the now defunct ShellyanOrphan, join forces? It seems we get a Vamberator with the debut single “Sleep the Giant of Sleeps,” which is the first taste of the soon to follow full length album AgeofLoneliness, out on UnifaunProductions.
For a moment, at the beginning, you are taken aback at some of the first musical notes, which could be mistaken for the baying of the Loch Ness Monster… well that might be an exaggeration, but it is kind of cool and launches into a rolling myriad of rhythms, piano, guitar and electronics. There is the amazing taste of a classical element throughout and Tayle’s vocals exude a confidence and perhaps a certain weariness, which lends itself to the theme of the song about the pursuit of hopes and dreams, but they are forever, seemingly, out of reach.
The duo are joined by CharlieJones on bass and JoeNye supplying backing vocals for “Sleep the Giant of Sleeps” and it is really a damn fine song. You might ask why and I will say this. Any track you can listen to multiple times, and you find new and exciting things within, is a treasure I find pure joy in, plus the more I replayed “Sleep the Giant of Sleeps,” the more I was sucked into it. Avoid disappointment and check out Vamberator.
There are many women from the small screen whom gothic culture adore, such as LilyMunster, Elvira and Vampira, but today it is the iconic “MorticiaAddams” which coincidentally is the debut single from the London based electro-industrial band PinkPantherProject. Record label, TheCircleMusic, will be releasing the double album IntoxicatingEmbrace from members Uela, AlexK and EtherMu in September.
True to form, the electronics are there, up front, promising a cracking darkwave dance piece. Uela’s vocals are breathy, perfectly complimenting the subtle electronics and all lyrics are sung in German, leaving you somewhat intrigued.
The Circle Music have put together a rather charming music video consisting of cuts from TheAddamsFamily (1964/65) television show, which fits the track well. “MorticiaAddams” is definitely worthy of not only being played on dancefloors, but also in personal playlists when you want a bit of pep in your darker music listening. I think we will be watching this space when it comes to the Pink Panther Project as I think they could be doing some amazing things.
Mon ami, lend me your ears for I will enlighten them with the music of The AntoinePoncelet Band, in the form of the May single “Drowning Men.” The band is made up of members Antoine Poncelet (vocals), Peter Quilla (guitar), Mark McClemens (bass, backing vocals), Justin Wright (drums) and Greg Bullock (keyboards), with Ingrid Larsen (backing vocals).
Tendrils of keyboard delicately introduce you to the beginning of “DrowningMen” before we launch into the twanging guitar, leading into Poncelet’s beseeching vocals. The drowning man, if you try and save them, could possibly pull you under and it is also a metaphor for modern life, that can grab you and take you under the unsurmountable waves. ‘What would you do?’ demands Poncelet as the dark bluesy “DrowningMen” grooves on. So what would you do? Save the man or listen to The Antoine Poncelet Band?
The end of June saw the new single from the UK’s ParisAlexander and Eirene called “BloodLine” released. The duo often collaborate creating dark synth music and the best place to find their music is on Bandcamp.
There is no disappointment with “BloodLines,” from the pulsating synths that revolve building up the tension, spilling into Eirene’s exquisite vocals. There is even delicate vocal play between Eirene and Alexander and if you listen carefully a guitar also subtly creeps into your subconscious.
You could say there is tension in this track and maybe it is from the knowledge that even though we live, we are also in the process of dying. Eirene and Alexander are very good at creating sensuous music that can hypnotise the listener into moving involuntarily to the rhythm. “BloodLines” is yet another example of this prowess.
For us kids, of a certain age, 1984 was a time of huge musical hits, and the Summer filled with the sound of LauraBranigan’s “SelfControl.” Toronto’s JayDraper& the Subterraneans have revived the single, that was incidentally originally released in ’84 by Italy’s Raf, and now has been included in the soundtrack for the new horror movie MaxXxine. I guess this guarantees something a bit dark……
The original (Branigan) version was kind of a rock anthem with these big punctuations, followed by aahhhs, and this is something you should not expect from Draper. Draper has drawn on the electronic side of the force, while his singing is delicate and spidery, ramping up the creep factor during the verses. Do not mistake the delicate for weak as there is steel beneath, cold as the looped winds that sweep through “SelfControl,” and it feels like there is a grieving lament in the powerful chorus. There is also a bonus b-side “Ascending to the Moonlight City” and this perfectly fits the mood as an instrumental piece, darkly lit by synths, casting their gloom on grim streets.
Hearing this track with Draper’s vocals is a bit of a spin-out being so used to Branigan’s, as I am not sure if I have ever heard a male cover, so that is pretty cool. He has created an attention grabbing atmosphere , which one might even say wavers between euphoric and claustrophobic, and this seems to be enough to cause shivers down the spine in complete delight. Yeah I can still hear the aahhs, but this is such a great choice for a horror movie and I have to say that I listened to this one too many times….addiction is a terrible thing *happy le sigh*.
The end of the world might be nigh the way the human race is going, between the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Seven Deadly Sins. Pennsylvanian based MaliceMachine recently released the album “Act of Self Destruction,” showcasing the pent up fury of members Syn and Julie-X about the state of current world events, exploding out in what can be best described as a torrent of electronic rage. We asked the hive mind that is Malice Machine about the album and all the stuff….what stuff? Read on.
Welcome to the crypt of our sorrows that is Onyx, Syn and Julie-X of Malice Machine.
How did Malice Machine come into being and more to the point why?
We’ve always been a drum and bass team and spent a lot of time in various goth and industrial bands in NY before we decided to put our own project together. We went through our share of musicians looking for he right fit until we discovered we were best as a duo. Syn took over on vocals and after some thought we decided the music would have a more aggressive vibe. We decided on calling our project Malice Machine because it was an appropriate name.
Apparently Syn spits the venom and Julie-X is the eye of chaos, but could you explain your roles in the band please?
Syn became the vocalist because we just couldn’t find anyone suitable. He also took over all song writing, lyrics, guitar and studio production. Julie-X plays and writes the drums and also does the art and tech work so we have a mutually beneficial and productive relationship.
You originally started the band in New York City, but since then moved to Pennsylvania. How has this impacted on your music do you think?
NY was once a thriving scene but we left because the scene was dying and the cost of living is pretty high. We rented a small apartment with rats and roaches as room mates but worst of all, with the paper thin walls we couldn’t rehearse and rehearsal studio rates were expensive. So we wisely packed up and bought a house in Pennsylvania and now we can make all the noise we want. Writing and rehearsing is a pleasure plus the location allows us to travel easily to several states for gigs.
What is the industrial scene like in Pennsylvania compared to the Big Apple?
Where we live in Pennsylvania the goth/industrial scene does not exist. But in the cities like Philly and Pittsburgh, there’s some suitable clubs for our music. Overall the east coast isn’t the best location. We do better towards the west coast.
Your latest album is delightfully called “Act of Self Destruction,” and it is chock full of aggro tech goodness. Why did you choose that title as the all encompassing, so to speak, description?
We designed our songs to represent how we feel about our society and world are becoming dysfunctional and spiralling out of control. We’re on a path of self destruction, hence the title.
You have described your music writing technique as organic whilst also being industrial, which is very electronic. How does all this happen and what was it like writing this album?
In an era of music where people write entire songs using loops or premade elements that were written by other people, we create all our own lines, sounds and beats. Aside from this we purposely remained minimal with the vocals, giving Syn a more organic sound by using only delay and some reverb. As far as what it was like to write this album, we had an entire album written before this one but we threw it away because it felt like a continuation of our previous release. The songs just weren’t connecting well with each other and we wanted a more consistent style.
Tracks like “Delete Me,” “Damaged,” and “Desolation” are prime examples of the themes of bleak loss of hope and unyielding anger. What inspired you to write the album in the first place?
It’s hard to find peace of mind and happiness sometimes. A lot of people express their demons in different ways, Syn expresses his through music and that’s not such a bad way to exercise demons.
You guys are really DIY, and do everything yourselves including producing and mastering. Is it a challenge arranging it yourself and can you tell people what is The Morgue?
To be honest, we’ve tried working with other people for production, mastering, even collaboration, we’ve even hired professional mastering houses and spent a good amount of money only to be disappointed in the end results. In the end we realize we work best alone so the only thing left to do was to learn how to do it all ourselves. We’re still learning and that’s a continuing process. Of course all this implies that we needed to buy a lot of equipment to achieve our desired results so we built our own studio. Syn spends most of his time entombed in there, like a crypt, but “the Morgue” sounded better. Incidentally, we both once worked and lived above a funeral home on Long Island NY.
Do you guys have any particular tracks off the album that you are more drawn to, or particularly proud of?
Syn is sometimes content with a couple of them but sometimes he hates them all. Julie-X favors Hyena and Damaged but to her, they’re all good.
I cannot go past asking you about the Trans X track “Living On Video,” which you have covered and really given it a great makeover. It is an absolutely classic, so why cover this track and what was it about this song that made you think ‘hell yes, we need to do this!’?
First of all, it’s hard to find a good song to remake. All the best stuff has already been covered a million times. We did consider this song once before but didn’t feel it was going to work for us as a remake. But then Syn started evolving the concept of the song towards social media. Let’s face it we’ve all had cringe moments when looking at memes. Who knows what the hell some people are thinking when they post. That pretty much was the inspiration to actually attempt the Trans X remake. It just felt like the right vehicle to call out toxic media.
On that note, who are the acts and bands that have musically influenced you over the years?
Early industrial i.e. Front 242, Front Line Assembly, NIN, classic punk bands, some Black Sabbath, a few Nu Metal bands. To be honest we’re musically open minded and like a vast range of music from far too many artists to name.
Malice Machine is very much a live group, so what drives you to put yourselves out there in front of an audience?
We used to think live shows was the most important way to build up a fan base but in today’s musical climate, it’s more important to approach our music as a multi-faceted business and concentrate on building an online presence. We still enjoy playing shows because of the energy that feeds and flows between us and an audience. It also keeps the music feeling fresh. We also have some people discover us that wouldn’t normally be exposed to our music and that’s exciting.
This is the obligatory weird question…. if you were allowed to be little vandals, release the inner demons, and destroy something, what would you destroy and how would you do it?
Syn would say if there was a shiny red history eraser button, he might just press it. Julie-X will plead the 5th.
What is up next for Malice Machine?
We intend to be more prevalent online, building our Spotify presence, releases new songs and remixes and definitely more videos. We have some live shows coming up as well and besides working on Malice Machine, we have a few other projects we plan on doing. Lastly, Syn has been working on a stop-motion animation film for two years three quarters complete so we’re busy little creatures.
RobertBenaquista brings you Cucurbitophobia, the project so grim, it is named after the fear of pumpkins, and after sowing the seeds, he has reaped the new album called IV. Cucurbitophobia is a darksynth/neo-classical project hailing from New Jersey.
You have entered the time of nightmares where nothing seems real and all is covered in a pall of dusky sorrow. The fires burn cold in this hellish wasteland that is “IgnisSatanae,” dragging you into the shadow realm. “GaleofLucifer” is the quiet before the oncoming storm, an entourage of building anticipation of dark angelic release, ticking like a timebomb, never getting any faster, as if your doom means nothing in the whole scheme of things. The solo guitar sets your teeth on edge in opposition to the piano. You are now on the “SoilofBelial,” and the devil is going to welcome you. From within the cacophony, if you listen carefully enough, you might hear the voices of lost souls wailing in the distance.
Like something from BlackSabbath, the guitar holds sway, the creator of organised chaos and then, yet, there are periods of reflective electronic dismay, distant and disconcerting. You shouldn’t be here and the tension rises for whatever is in the dark is baying for your blood. The creature in the “Bay of Leviathan: Chapter I” calls out from the deep and it almost feels like sanctuary, a ray of light in the gloom. The piano takes its place, making you feel most uneasy, rippling through the surrounds, and into the murky unknown. Unlike the previous track, “Bay of Leviathan: Chapter II” starts so differently, tasting of gentle breezes and fingers of sunshine breaking through to the shimmer water’s surface….though is it almost a lament in a way, the piano plinks in a sporadic wandering, modern avant-garde style. Final track “Memento Vivere” continues in this vein, conjuring shadows of memories along with raising the ghosts of what is lost.
If you haven’t quite caught the drift yet, Cucurbitophobia is very much entrenched in the horror genre. Music that imprints on your psyche and tugs at your base human instincts that recognises fear and aberration. Why is the album called IV? It isn’t the fourth album. Curiosity abounds. Benaquista has said that the inspiration is from John Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” a poem about the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden… a loss of innocence that can never be regained and the full realisation that what we do not know terrifies us, captured in a mirror like reflection by Cucurbitophobia.
Onyx Music Reviews 