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It is the start of 2025, and I think everyone could agree that we need a dose of ritual darkwave, so lucky for us that Portland based Ceremony Shadows have dropped the single “Reclaim.” Timo along with dual vocalists Anastasia and Jakub make up Ceremony Shadows.

Be lured into a space that is full of potential. It is bare down to the bone, starting with an electronic beat and Anastasia’s whispered vocals. The electronics are minimalistic, and yet they seem to fill all the spaces. Jakub deeper vocals lend a heavy intonation that punctures the air. ‘My body’s my own‘ is the basis of this hypnotic mantra.

Three last few days have brought this track into sharp context. The battle has truly begun for autonomy over one’s body and sexual orientation, as religious and political machinations target women’s reproduction and the LBGTQ+ communities.  “Reclaim” is an affirmation that you have human rights over your body from Ceremony Shadows, and they make no apologies for reminding us that everyone’s body is a sensual place that is for their pleasure.

Reclaim | Ceremony Shadows

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While waiting for the release of the album, Knowing When To Bow Out Gracefully, UK industrial goth rock group Deadfilmstar dropped the single “Welcome Back” at the end of 2024.

Slow and stalky as we go, with vocals that creak like an unoiled door to that basement you don’t want to go into…ever. The singer is sick of ‘banging on the glass‘, and then it all takes off in a symphonic merger of synths and guitars.

I keep asking myself why are they banging on glass. Is it a glass sliding door because they are a zombie? Are they tired of peeping through windows at their victims? Or are they stylishly undead but stuck in a glass coffin? I might never know, but in the meantime ‘Welcome Back” is heavy with guitar, saturated in synths, kept in time with some excellent drumming and wrapped up in horror laden vocals, so this is Deadfilmstar.

Welcome Back | deadfilmstar

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As I write, California is on fire, and Vince Grant, the man behind LA project The Sea At Midnight, sent me an email about his new single, “Our Beautiful Destruction,” and all proceeds from the song will be donated to victims.

Was this track written before the fires? The vocals wrench at my insides with the lyrics about the world being consumed in flames and Grant’s voice is truly gorgeous and swept up in the whirling guitar and synths in the chorus.

‘burning so brightly
against the night sky
the ashes are raining
sparks and ashes
are all that’s left
the smoke hides the pain
of all that remains
of our brilliant destruction
our brilliant destruction
smoke hides the pain‘

My heart aches listening to this track. I live in a country where every Summer is a terrifying wait to see if bush fires will take hold…. the last huge infernos being in 2019. Lost lives, lost property, watching both wildlife and domestic animals perishing. “Our Brilliant Destruction” sadly seems to encapsulate this situation perfectly. If it were released without the LA fires, it would be considered a evocative song, but currently it means everything. It is name your price on The Sea At Midnight’s Bandcamp, so I encouraged you to give a little to help in “Our Brilliant Destruction.”

Our Brilliant Destruction | The Sea At Midnight

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Antipole, aka Karl Morten Dahl, from the currently frozen land of Norway, and Paris Alexander of the not quite as cold UK, have just released a new single. This post-punk/coldwave track is called “Sad Lover (Desolated),” and I am not sure if this ties into anything, about seven years ago, they had another song called “Shadow Lover.”

My breath slows as I take in the drum machine beats with the bass guitar’s deep rumbling, which is old school post-punk in the style of Peter Hook (Joy Division), drawing you in. The lead guitar work is seriously sublime, and delicately echoes, supported by the equally lightly winding synths. Alexander’s vocals are smooth and subdued, reeking of cooling dusk, and yet still intensely moving.

The music video is shot between the snowy pine forests of Norway, and an old church in England, with an attached graveyard. This heightens the stark reality of loneliness and inevitable death, but it also pulls into focus that “Sad Lover (Desolated)” is also about realising that snow covered scenery is beautiful, or that there is an austere dark peace around the tombstones of those long gone. It is finding the elegance and grace in that which could be seen as desolate. Antipole & Paris Alexander have delivered another perfect track in “Sad Lover (Desolated).”

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Music | Antipole

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Music | Paris Alexander

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We have been anticipating a new release from Aotearoa (New Zealand), darkwave/industrial group Robots In Love, and luckily we have not had to wait very long in the form of the single “Crush.”

Gamer one is up and the bouncing guitar riffs breathe life into “Crush” early on. You can taste the conviction in Rayner’s vocals as she builds the anticipation that peaks in the chorus. The chorus soars with unbridled emotion and charged vocals that entwine with each other, breaking free of all expectations, with Robots In Love taking you on a musical high.

“Crush” is a track of boundless optimism, where it doesn’t matter what life throws up, that hope always springs eternal and this is kind of refreshing. It is about crushing the obstacles in your path and creating new opportunities. In the 90s, Elenor Rayner was a member of the industrial rock group Soulscraper, and it feels like she is revisiting this era when both Soulscraper and another Australian band, Insurge were changing the industrial scene. She is still breaking and rebuilding genres along with the other Robots In Love members Alex Burchell and Tony Lumsden. “Crush” has already become a favourite track in the live show and it is not hard to see why.

Crush | Robots In Love

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The single “Cannibal (Lost Souls),” was dropped back in October, and this dirty experimental electronic track, blended with hip hop deserves your ears. Toronto’s Wrené has joined forces with Caijo to point the bone at modern living and how it is leaving many unhinged.

Your senses are overloaded with compounded voices, buzzing electronics and rattling thuds, gathered in a twisting cacophony, which all drop away to the background in deference to Wrené. Her singing is complimented by the simplistic serpentine like music, that degrades into glitching noise, and then we hear gravelled tones of Caijo, but always is the barbaric and hungry electronics prowling.

For me, “Cannibal (The Lost Souls)” speaks of a lost generation, addicted to social media, which tells people how to look, or change their appearance in order to gain popularity, and consumerism is at an all time high, even though no average Joe can afford it all. The music is viscous and heavy, while the distortion and grittiness are almost making a parody of the sultry singing from Wrené, and Caijo is the voice of those lost souls who just can’t seem to get a break. The coarse versus velvet is utterly delicious, so devour “Cannibal (The Lost Souls)” by Wrené, featuring the rhythmic styling of Caijo.

Cannibal (The Lost Souls) | Wrené, Caijo | Wrené

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Berlin based three piece, Dina Summer is made up of vocalist Dina, and DJ’s Local Suicide and Kalipo. They have dropped their new single “Hypnotized” off the new second album Girls Gang, which out on January 24th on the Iptamenos Discos label.

Clattering rhythms greet you, only to be joined by plectrum driven bass and Dina’s recognisable spoken word, until her dulcet tones graduate into singing in the chorus. The electronics are bright next to the sultry vocals and rumbling bass.

The deep post-punk influenced bass guitar and Dina’s singing are indicative of what you might expect of the new album of the group, as they explore post-punk and synth-pop. “Hypnotized” is a sensual, 80 inspired track which will have Dina summer making you burn on the dance floor.

Girls Gang (IDI021) | Dina Summer

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Neo-industrial project Divine Shade is close to releasing their album Fragments Vol. 1, and from this debut, Remi  Thonnerieux has dropped the latest single,  “Hate and Oblivion. “

Reverberating electronics, tinged with feedback kick off with quirky interluding loops. This is leading you to the juicy chorus which is both ground out with Thonnerieux’s vocals and yet, still, the guitar and synths have a capacity to make you feel like you are soaring above everything. There is even a sneaky break where you think “Hate and Oblivion” has suddenly stopped.. but do not be fooled!

Divine Shade has toured with Gary Numan and it undeniable that his influence can be heard on “Hate and Oblivion.” This track is instantly likeable and indeed familiar in a way, but that might be in part to the retro ambience. Between Thonnerieux’s vocals and the rich synths, Divine Shade have absolutely served up an epic dark industrial track in “Hate and Oblivion.”

Hate And Oblivion (Single) | Divine Shade

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Bah and humbug! Tis Christmas again, where we will be serenaded by carols both new and old, so how about something both new and spooktacular for the holiday season in the form of the single “A Very Vampire Christmas” from Who Saw Her Die?

Behold the jingling and what sounds like a drunken version of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?“, and I guess you can look at it as kindly gifting life, so that sneaky vampire is going to enjoy the seasonal cheer and get his fill of Bloody Mary’s… so to speak.

The drawling vocals are paradoxical compared to the chiming electronic music, plus coupled with wonderfully absurd concept that a vampire would like to join in the whole being a part of the Christmas joy, but they are people too….they just happen to be undead. This track was originally released last year on the Goths For Sanctuaries compilation, which is aa great cause. Grab your favourite child of the night and celebrate “A Very Vampire Christmas” with Who Saw Her DIe?!

A Very Vampire Christmas | Who Saw Her Die?

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I have it on good authority that the folks behind Lunar Paths are preparing for live shows, but in between these machinations, they have released a new single “Seen.”

Background looped guitar riffs set the stage for Dubois‘ strong vocals and lyrics. The drums by Hunter, pick their way through the layers of programming, adding to the extraordinarily full sound. The lyrics speak of seeing the young out at night and wishing they knew how wonderful they look and have the courage to be themselves.

There is drama of the noirish romanticism kind in this style of music that still harks back to the early post-punk era, especially in the delivery of the singing. It is like listening to Anne-Marie Hurst (Skeletal Family/Ghost Dance) or Siouxsie Sioux, with that vibrato and it instantly makes you clamour for more. Lunar Paths is spinning and weaving beautiful darkwave creations, just like “Seen.”

Seen | Lunar Paths

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Postpunk, Darkwave, Music | LUNAR PATHS

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