Philip Faith (bass, vocals, keyboards, drum programming), Pat Gaudette (bass) and Michael Rien (keyboards, percussions) are the members behind Quebec project SEXSOMNIA, who will be releasing their newest EP, Forbidden, on the 25th of August. For now though, SEXSOMNIA have dropped a single and video from said EP, which is the Shadow Mix of “Forbidden.”
Marita Volodina is the guest vocalist, and she is bold and sensual. Wavering between singing and spoken word, the eroticism drips from each word and every breathy sighed ah. Nothing is hurried, the rhythms constant and the electronics contain the prohibited, while the bass draws us in. Faith’s voice is the gritty foil in the chorus against Volodina’s.
The video is an expression of what “Forbidden” is for many, full of latex and blindfolded, as all the senses become carnal, delving into the realms of fetish. The sexual taboos of pushing what is not considered normal as the lyrics say ‘Look! but don’t touch, Touch but don’t taste, Taste, but don’t swallow.‘ Theremix was done by Faith and I think “Forbidden” is going slow burn on the dancefloor in the most delightful way.
From Doncaster in the United Kingdom, the Rollings lads, James and Jools, of post-punk band PeakFlow, have a new single. “Don’t Die In Your Sleep” is a very personal track about losing a friend suddenly and dealing with the aftermath.
‘The anxiety is rising’ is the first line of lyrics, which brings a whole other spin to the swift rhythms and high energy synths, making them feel far more cloying and intense. There is a regret in the title line, for dying while you sleep leaves so many unanswered questions and an inability to say goodbye. The music never gives up, relentless in its pursuit of emotional exhaustion, powering on.
It is never easy to deal with the death of someone who is elderly or sickly, however, when you are told they just stopped being unexpectedly, you wonder what you could have said or done differently. As much as this track is about loss and dealing with the grief, the high energy of the track speaks of getting through this, and that maybe the lesson is never take anyone for granted. A darkwave dance number, full of flowing synth lines and cool vocals, and as Peak Flow have extolled, “Don’t Die In Your Sleep.”
I am starting to think Portland, Oregon, might have something in the water. They do seem to have an unusually high amount of amazing dark alternative bands that inhabit the area. AltarGirl is an all femme band of the post-punk persuasion with members KayMorrisette (vocals, guitar), MaraVosien (guitar), SamMahon (bass, backing vocals) and ArielChamberlin (drums). Their latest single “Night Terrors” was released on June the 25th.
You will be hypnotised by the reverbing and ethereal guitars, before the percussion and vocals kick in. Morrisette’s singing is sultry and conveys a dark sweetness, that truly takes off in the chorus, with the guitars becoming almost brusque. The harmonising vocals add another opulent layer, are not overused and even the bass gets a chance to shine, duelling with the other guitars.
‘I only see you when I sleep You lie in wait in shadows at my feet I’m under your spell Or is it your hell I’m stuck inside?‘
Imagine, every time you close your eyes and go to sleep, you see the same dreaded phantom, haunting you in your dreams, only letting go when dawn breaks?! It doesn’t get much more gothic rock than that for a group that says they would be post-punk if they knew how to. Catchy, danceable and hands down enchantingly creepy to the core. You can find AltarGirl on Bandcamp for name your price and, honestly, we all need a bit of “Night Terrors” in our lives.
Vlimmer is the effervescent and talented Alexander Leonard Donat, and if you have been following his musical journey with this post-punk project, you will know that Donat has a penchant for releasing singles and attaching a b-side cover version, re-imagined in German. The latest single is “Gleichbau” with the Duran Duran track “Ordinary World” as the cover out on the Blackjack Illumination label.
“Gleichbau” translates to equal construction, and lyrically, it could be taken as a track about how as humans, we are built the same more or less, but the outside will keep changing and aging into the future. The drum machine clatters away with the low bass guitar keeping it company and Donat’s vocals are instantly recognisable. He blends the synths perfectly through the rhythms, hinting at a sadness at war with his words.
There is something…. what? Sentimentality and warmth about “Ordinary World,” and even sung in the German language, you hear the English lyrics in your head. This version is heavy in bass guitar and drenched in rippling bursts of sunlight in the form of the synths and what sounds like a harpsichord.
I have a real soft spot for Duran Duran as a huge fan back in the 80s, and in 1992, when “Ordinary World” came out, it was in many ways a huge change. It was the first Duran single I had ever bought on CD, with everything else on vinyl, the three original members unsure if they wanted to go on, and a new guitarist in WarrenCuccurullo. The Vlimmer version is perfect and I think the idea of not everyone is going to stick with you through life, feeds in well with “Gleichbau,” with it’s questioning about the future without certain people in your life. “Gleichbau” has a wonderful flow to it and you can never go wrong with Vlimmer.
Since the beginning of 2025, the last six months have brought forth feelings of anxiety, bewilderment and sheer disappointment when it comes to US politics. Los Angeles based Johnathan|Christian have released a new single called “Where Do We Go From Here,” and have a couple of fellow dark alt musicians chip in with remixes.
If I didn’t know that these guys were American, I would swear they are from Germany with this track. Possibly it is the deep, nearly spoken vocals, or the danceable rhythms, or maybe even the light styling of the synths.
There is also three remixes which includes a version from DanMilligan (TheJoyThieves), which makes this track even more like Blutengel than possibly Blutengel, while another has been given the StevenArcher (StoneBurner) treatment which is dramatic and pulls the vocals to the fore. Both are really great takes on the track, and the 125 BPM DJ mix, is an extra bonus, along with a short and dark instrumental.
‘We’ll wait til dawn We have the right to disagree….‘
These last lines for me hit the hardest. The growing protests against the Trump administration, especially in Los Angeles are proving that the incumbent government want to break the spirit of those that oppose the racism, misogyny and ignoring of constitutional law. As I write this, things seem to be going from bad to worse, and only the American people in the end can tell the despot to get out. It might seem like Johnathan|Christian are asking “Where Do Go From Here,” but I am pretty sure they already know what they want. Educate, agitate and don’t swallow the lies!
For many people, who love synth based music, will say GaryNuman is a huge influence and most will agree that his back catalogue, from 1978 to 1981 holds many memorable and ground breaking tracks, that helped fashion the sound of the 80s. In 2025, Meanjin/Brisbane based SilverSircus have taken a selection of Numan’s songs, reinterpreting them, creating the album Metal. The lynch pins of SilverSircus, since 2008, are LucindaShaw (vocalist, performer, composer) and JamesLees (drummer, composer, producer), and they are joined by Mark Angel (guitars), DanielleBentley (cello), WayneJennings (cello) and KarlO’Shea (bass guitar).
The title track was also the single off the album and “Metal,” recently has been covered several times, which hints to how important this song has been for musicians worldwide. Rather than anger, there is almost an over riding sense of loss and acceptance of what cannot be controlled, as the piano drifts in its accompaniment to Shaw’s vocals, and the black and white music video is equally mesmerising. They have brought a classical darkness to possibly the most famous electronic track ever of this period, “Cars.” The cellos are delightfully mournful and I doubt you have ever heard “Are Friends Electric?” quite like this. Genteel and floating on a carefully prepared cloud of dreams, with a feeling of being transported to a plane of deep reverence.
My introduction to Numan was through the release of “DownInThePark,” and as a kid, there is an emotional attachment to the what I felt was a futuristic video and a song that was not like anything else out there. The SilverSircus version is slower and, honestly there is so much more gravitas behind the lyrics, it catches you by surprise. The chamber music style with the deep tones of the cellos, induces a powerful and overwhelming wave of pleasure. There is also other track such as “I DIe, You Die,” “Stormtrooper In Drag” and the instantly recognisable instrumental “Airlane.”
There is a lot of nostalgia when it comes to early GaryNuman and SilverSircus have handled every track with great care, each rolling with ease into the other. The use of piano and cello prove that you can play well written synth based songs and they can still translate. If you listen carefully, you will catch the drums, bass and guitar though they sit back in the mix so as to not overshadow the stringed instruments, and we cannot go past Shaw’s vocal performance. Powerful, evocative and never trying to emulate Numan, but rather forging her own imprint. Shaw, Lees & co. have brought an elegance, and, one might say, a wonderful dark polish to this selection of singles and b-sides called Metal.
Based in California is the project Pieti, a collaboration between musicians TheVandalorum (all instruments) and Krauhl (vocals and lyrics), where they create darkwave, influenced by dungeon synth. Their latest release is called WeddingPhotos, comprised of eight tracks.
The guitar work in “Martyr,” sparkles and flows in a gorgeous way, leaving you mesmerised by the simplistic joy it brings. The vocals definitely remind me of Interpol’sPaulBanks both in tone and pace, which are propelled by the lovely deep bass. The synths break through and there is something about this track that grabs your attention completely. Love can cause a person to do many things in order to gain for themselves “EternalBliss.” Again there is that great post-punk styled bass and the earnest vocals of Krauhl, as the song keeps the foot tapping along.
Another stand out track is “Reservation,” and it is a myriad of ideas and emotions. The lyrics, ‘Red leather, black tie‘ give the illusion of sexual temptation or tension, and within it, a lamentation that tugs at your heart. The luscious “CleverDisarray” is far more laid back and sinuous affair, that starts off with a recording of a woman, which is apparently how the females in a jail were communicating with each other, that belonged to TheVandal’s grandmother. The vocals and synths convey a defiance and sadness, plus that guitar has an almost Mediterranean feel.
The album was recorded between 2023 and 2025, and seems to draw from life and family, whether this is blood relations or the families we create, hence the title WeddingPhotos. The music itself is heavily rooted in post-punk and darkwave, with the rhythm held together by the bass and drums, while the guitar is just what makes it all perfect, equally important as the vocals in creating the atmosphere. The judicious use of synth just lends to the texture of each track. Pieti have dropped us a gem in WeddingPhotos.
We have the pleasure of introducing a new gothic band from Berlin, called SorryWeWeren’tHereBefore and their debut single “VibrationsWillTold,” out on the independent German label AgogeRecords. Members of the band are Robert Koric (vocals), Sandy Pötzsch (bass), Gianmarco Bellumori (guitar) and Drum machine (whom I am calling Boom Boom because I can!).
There is something about this track that makes me think of different periods of goth music. The guitar has that 80s jangle and the vocals waver between the guttural sound of the 90s and melodic current style in the chorus. The verses hold a discordancy that is resolved in the chorus, highlighting the spiritual content.
With the lyrics talking about souls and vibrations, it makes me think this track is about a belief in a higher realm of conscious, where others can feel your emotions and get hints of your thoughts. This is a solid first single from Sorry We Weren’t Here Before, so find that special person and send them “Vibrations Will Told.”
I had never heard of the PinkertonThugs, but it must have left an indelible mark on IanJames, especially after hearing the Soft Kill remake their track “The Town Where I WasBorn“. He has covered the 1997 release of the single, which is out on the BlueFXRecordingArtist label.
There is a kind of cool that comes from this stripped back version. The drum machine is the lonely time keeper, apart from the electric guitar, while the bass dances around the relentless rhythm. James‘ vocals match the futile bleakness of the lyrics, which are about working class families that were born, lived and died, employed by the local factory, locked into a cycle of generational mediocrity. IanJames perfectly delivers the sentiment of trodden down resentment and the music is the rebellion in “The Town Where I WasBorn.”
Toronto based Jay Draper (The Scarlet Fever) has released the album, spookily titled Dollhouse, as Jay Draper & the Subterraneans. Draper has been joined by guest musicians, CatSamuels (L’autreDame/The Scarlet Fever), Ursule Marion (SU), ChrisJensen (PoorViolet), Sinéad Rua (Animal Party), Francesca Copelli (Attaloom) and ChrisWoodacre (The Scarlet Fever).
One of the jewels of this album is the single “SelfControl,” a cover of the 80s hit, best remembered being sung by the late LauraBranigan, though originally it was released by Italian Raf. Draper has slowed down the track, and due to its inherently dark undertones, this works so well, with the incorporation of electronics giving the song the feel of futility, and indeed “Self Control” was used in the 2024 horror-mystery movie MaXXXine. Try not to be caught up in the powerfully emotional swirl of “Just A Dream,” that grabs at the heart strings.
In this vein, you can enjoy the sinister, yet delightful, creeping terror that is “A Death inthe Dollhouse.” The post-punk jangle of the guitar and Draper’s ringing clear tones are pure joy, evoking memories of The Mission or Play Dead. I really cannot emphasis how delightful it is to hear the charming guitar work that echoes back to the 80s, which is perfectly showcased in the track “Only Hope,” that holds your attention as Samuel’s vocals entwine with Draper’s in the chorus and sweep you away on a wave of euphoria.
Dollhouse is just this poetic balance of dark romance and stark realism, mixed with great tunes. Filled with lovingly crafted songs, there are great strains of guitar, finding perfect resonance with the synths and rhythms. Jay Draper & the Subterraneans invite you into the gothic dream of the perfect Dollhouse.
Onyx Music Reviews 