I love me some perfect post-punk and sometimes it is made even better when there is a story behind. Los Angeles goths, The Sea At Midnight have dropped the track “Wait ForRain” and I learnt something about the Colorado River.
This is literally the perfect darkwave track, a mixture of spine tingling guitars and haunting synths. The chorus is evocative to the point that you can feel the hairs on the back of your neck raise as the synths sparkle against the dirge of the guitars.
Colorado is currently in drought and has been for approximately twenty years, which is a predicament I cannot even get my head around knowing what it is like enduring maybe four years, but knowing there will be huge rains later. The lyrics are truly disheartening, like you can feel the desperation of the farmers and residents as they watch their world become a dust bowl, desperate for soaking rain. The vocals are so very engaging and the music really beautiful. Living in hope and “Waiting For Rain” is a perfect song from The Sea At Midnight.
When you mention a video with floating Margret Thatcher heads in it… well, that just piques my curiosity. Bite Marcus is an independent musician from Manchester, and his single “Society! (There’s No Such Thing),” is the third, just before the release of the debut album, Amalgamation.
There is something delicate about the electronics and programmed rhythms in “Society! (There’s No Such Thing),” which leaves you focused on the smoothly executed vocals. An exercise at dissecting the current British politics, where the ruling party seem to have forgotten the people they are meant to be working for.Â
The bonus track is a demo called “G O D ! (Is A They/Them),” a clever hybrid of two other tracks, ie LadyGaGa’s “G.U.Y” and Whitey’s “G.I.R.L.” It is subtle and wonderfully dark, and for a demo it feels very complete.
This is something that is very close to my heart…. music with something to say. The commentary condemns the Tories for their seeking status and making money out of those who need the most protection. “Society! (There’s No Such Thing),” is a call to notice the injustice and recognise the treachery, served to you via a post-punk track that hits all the sweet spots. All there is left to say is BiteMarcus before Marcus bites you.Â
January 25th saw the drop of the new single, “Impetus,” by Portland, Oregon trio CeremonyShadows. Timo (synths/programming), Anastasia (vocals), and Jakub (vocals) describe their sound as ritual darkwave and the mastering engineered by AdamStilson.
The first chiming notes, instantly had my attention, as it reminded me a lot of TheDanseSociety’s “HeavenIsWaiting,” thought this is never a bad thing, and the seductive female vocals curl in, followed by the deeper tones of the second vocalist, like the duality of darkness and light.
It is a sensual slow burn that gets under your skin. You can also go check out the two remixes, a club mix by Stilson and another by vyger, for this track, and “Impetus” is a taste of the soon to be unleashed new album for those craving more dark electro goodness that is CeremonyShadows.
Hard to believe, but it has been five years since the release of KillShelter’s debut album Damage on the label UnknownPleasures. So, December 1st will see the special limited edition of the reworked album, called Damage (V), where tracks that have the (V) have been re-recorded, whilst the others have been remastered by the man himself, PeteBurns at the ShelterStudio. Anyway, before we get to the album, the single “InDecay(V),” was dropped at the end of October, featuring Antipole and DelphineComa. You may say, hey….. that was a single off the original Damage, and you are not wrong, however this is one of the (V) tracks and now it also has a video to go with it!
AsheRuppe is DelphineComa and his deep, sonorous vocals seem to almost reverberate into the core of your being, as he brings to bear the desperation and disillusionment of those looking to escape across the waters. The delicate guitar strains are Antipole’sKarlMortenDahl, and they fall like rivulets of drenching tears. All the while, Burns builds the dark and overbearing atmosphere with his driving bass.
You might wonder what the difference is between the original version and this one. For me, I am going to say that the vocals are more at the fore, that the guitar fills in more space, where as the original felt as if it there were voids to punctuate the music, and this new version is just going to take you for a sonic journey. But, more to the point, maybe you need to listen to both versions of “In Decay” in order to make your own mind up. “InDecay (V)” is just beautifully crafted post-punk, and I for one could not think of anyone better to perform it than DelphineComa, Antipole and, of course, KillShelter.
Drawing a spotlight onto music that might have gone under your radar is something we relish at Onyx. So, if you haven’t heard the EP Intimacy from France’s DistanceH, then we are here to tell you that you might just be missing out. ManuH is a producer and man behind the darkwave/post-punk project and he invites different female vocalists to write the lyrics that they then perform for their track. Intimacy is the debut EP release for DistanceH, that came out in January of 2023.
There are two tracks featuring BlueSaigon’s delightful vocalist, Ophelia. The sassy single “Bitch16” with it’s pealing guitar work, and the dark, dirge like wonder that is the last track “LeadenSkies.” Ophelia goes from oozing seduction, to an emotional outpouring so pure and haunting.
“Waters Of Woe” is another single that features the vocal talents of Marita Volodina. It both surges and spirals down with the guitar, powerful and evocative with Volodina stirring those pools of sadness.
LisetAlea makes up the triumvirate with the ultra smooth ode to lover’s promises “TimeToRush,” that lilts and caresses your ears. The last track is “Twilight” and it is glorious both with it’s female vocals and musically with the effusive shoegaze ephemera.
You might say Witches Falls could be one of the most coolest names a place could be called and indeed it is a real locale, situated on Tamborine Mountain, in Australia. Gold Coast based ChiffonMagnifique, brain child of JedAWalters, have sprung forth a darkwave single, also named “WitchesFalls,” with an equally creepy video set in said area.
Echoing and ringing post-punk guitar on this track is really beautiful, setting the swirling tone, that sweeps you along for the ride. Walter’s vocals, deep and longing, beseech you for understanding, for one that finds the modern world, at times, so overwhelming, they need to retreat to the calm that is the quiet arms of the natural world. The video conveys the self doubt in a mind clouded in a tormented perception that they are forever alone and unwanted. The house full of curios, changes to the city (Vinnies’ Dive Bar), before a furious night drive to the Falls, and their majestic ancient rain forest, in which the “WitchesFalls” resides.
What could possibly top this great track? Maybe the knowledge that in 2024, we can expect the debut album named Anxietika, which, with all the current singles, you know is going to be punching well above its weight with all the gothic goodness Walters puts into his music. The man is seriously talented and very heavily involved in the dark alternative scene in South-East Queensland and I cannot stress enough to watch this space because ChiffonMagnifique are just starting to hit their straps, so find your way to “WitchesFalls.”
Have you ever sat, watching the sky in the dark, taking in the celestial bodies, through the substratosphere? Los Angeles darkwave band, The Sea At Midnight, have released the single, “Atmosphere“.
The vocals are tantalising, peaking your interest with the delicate bass, reined in drums and tinkling guitar. There are swells where the music lets loose, floating in the confines of a vehicle, no longer under control, but rather left to the whim of chance.
The production and mixing is by Chris King, the mastering was done by Patrick Hills at Earthtone Recording Company, while lilting saxophone was provided by Tony Bevilacqua. When you hear such tracks, you can’t help but be taken back to the original spaceman, Bowie’s “Major Tom“. A tale of leaving the Earth and floating in the unknown and boundless expanse of the heavens. “Atmosphere” is a tasty post-punk treat from The Sea AtMidnight.
The first half of the year has seen a lot of really great new darkwave albums, and this includes, Crystalline, the latest from Norwegian KarlMortenDahl, also known as Antipole and Brit ParisAlexander. This album is now out on the Young&ColdRecords label with it being recorded between the UK and Norway, and the production, mixing and mastered by Alexander at his BlueDoorStudio.
The album starts with “Perceptions“, which is one of three singles and it is a smooth affair between the synths and Alexander’s vocals, raising your heartbeat with anticipation with the rising guitar. “Nightshade” has been known to kill, yet the solemn delicacy of this track might make you want to live just that little bit longer so you might be able to hear “Bleached“, another single. Bleak and creeping with sorrow, but yet you cannot but be mesmerised by the sensual vocals and dirty electronic bass.
The desolate lushness of “Disjointed” brings a delicateness that sets you up for the third single, “MidnightShadows“, where you can almost feel the spirits are reaching out to you through the echoing and enticing whispers. that draw spectral fingers up your skin, catching your breath. The rhythms knock away and the guitar draws you into its embrace as you share with Alexander, his hope and anguish in “Marble“.
We find ourselves at the gently flowing “Infractions“, bathing in its warm heart. The track has a JohnnyMarr glazing with a pop sensibility. The final track is the sublimely elegant “Sentiments” with the low bass electronics balanced by the both the sweet guitar work and high end synths.
The production of the album is clean and so fluid, making it almost ethereal, and yet the tracks will also guide your feet to the dance floor. ParisAlexander’s vocals truly convey a lot of emotion, sometimes bordering on dark seduction, while KarlMortenDahl’s playing in this conjures reminders of RobertSmith’s tantalising guitar prowess and form. Each track is devastatingly beautiful, unveiling the never ending cycle of the dark versus the light, with hints of all the shades of grey in between, as Antipole&ParisAlexander take you to the places that yesterday’s ghosts still haunt, in perfect Crystalline.
There is some really brilliant darkwave music coming out currently, and the Antipole &ParisAlexander album, Crystalline, out on Young&ColdRecords, on May 12th, is most certainly one of them. However, for now, sate your cravings with the latest single, “Bleached“, out on the 27th of April.
“Bleached is about a lost soul battling darkness and light. They still have an optimism and so strive for a more positive future. It is also set against a backdrop of Brexit and current social and economic struggles in the UK.” – Paris Alexander (Brighton, UK)
“We wanted to combine nasty-sounding moody synthesizers with ethereal guitars.”– Karl Morten (Antipole) (Trondheim, Norway)
From those first smooth synth lines, you just know who this is. The guitar strikes true and clear, and when you hear Alexander whisper,’takeme‘….well, just damn. You can hear the murkiness Morten mentions that creeps under your skin, while the rhythm carries you ever forward into the crumbling city, beneath darkening skies, hoping for something to change. “Bleached” is the darkwave dance noir, and it is a thing melancholic beauty from these bards of shadows, Antipole & Paris Alexander.
Antipole & Paris Alexander are hitting us hard and fast with the singles, giving us the release of their next in the form of “Midnight Shadows“. This is the second single off the album Crystalline, which is slated to be out on Young And ColdRecords as of May 12th.
Echoing sexy whispers, hang between the electronics. The guitar filters through, caressing the synths as they proceed forwards, shrouded in moonlit monochrome. It almost feels like the spirits of the past are crying out in the electronics, trying to hold you between worlds where time stands still.
Dreams, reality, or something in between? A trick of the light has given us this gorgeous darkwave track that is letting us peer through a gauzy, rhythm driven other world created by Karl Morten Dahl (Antipole) and Alexander. Beware of “Midnight Shadows” or you might fall under the spell of Antipole& Paris Alexander.
Onyx Music Reviews 