Browsing Tag

Darkwave Indie

Free yourself from end of days anxiety with Movment’s alt post-punk single, The Light Goes Out

Posted on 5 December 2023

The Light Goes Out is the fourth single to creep out of the darkness of the third album, REINVENTION, from the alt post-punk outfit, Movment. If you have been waiting for humanity’s final curtain to fall in a state of perpetual fear, slip into the enticing ethos of the release which compels you not to sit idly by waiting to surrender to our collective fate.

The engorging atmospherics, pulsating darkwave synths, sirening guitar lines and the commanding assertion in the gravelly post-punk-to-the-bone vocal lines make a compelling argument on why you should live your life undogged by end of days anxiety. Movment reached the pinnacle of cheerful nihilism with The Light Goes Out, which ties into the overarching theme of the LP, which came to life at End of Light Studios in Ireland, as a courtesy of Alex Borwick (mixing), and Jerome Schmitt (mastering).

The Light Goes Out was officially released on November 24; stream the official music video on YouTube.

The REINVENTION LP is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Therum etherealised existentialism in his psychedelic darkwave score, Mirror of Stars

Posted on 3 November 2023

Therum searched for identity in the cosmos in the standout single, Mirror of Stars, from his psychedelic darkwave album, Darklines Within Us; in the process, he added a new ethereal trajectory to the evolution of existentialism.

Through croons, which call out into the void of the alien soundscape that would be on a plateau beyond our perception if it weren’t for the huge bass adding weight to the release, are resolvingly efficacious in their interstellar mission of drawing you right into the melancholic soul of the art rock Tour De Force.

If you have ever struggled to make sense of the material and social reality we’re confined to and feel an even greater sense of alienation when you try and situate yourself in the context of the twisted tapestry of existence, Mirror of Stars is proliferated with apt consolation.

VNV Nation once declared that this world is just an illusion trying to change you. Therum’s more astute observation of disillusion, duality, and the mind being as unchartered as the galaxy feels far more nuanced.

Mirror of Stars will be released as part of Therum’s LP, Darklines Within Us, on November 3^rd. Stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Subatlantic bled etherealism into indie post-punk with their latest single, Critic

Posted on 8 August 2023

Say It Again by Subatlantic

Illinois’ premier indie outfit, Subatlantic, is on scintillatingly atmospheric form in their single, Critic, taken from their hotly-anticipated LP, Say It Again.

With angular guitar lines that will reel you into the centre of their darkwave pop universe, vocal lines that could give Debbie Harry a run for her money and the coldly beguiling tones spilling from the reverb-heavy keys, if Dead Can Dance, they’d dance to Critic, which unravels as a revelation of ethereal ingenuity.

With Becca Rice at the helm of the fourpiece, which has been dropping the temperature on the airwaves since 2008, Subatlantic has established itself as a dynamic powerhouse to watch; with soundscapes to suit every conceivable mood, there is undoubtedly something for you lingering in their artfully textured discography.

Stream and download Critic via Bandcamp or snag yourself a limited-edition colour vinyl pressing of the LP, Say it Again.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ascend with Lunar Paths’ dark indie Avant-Garde single, Rise

Posted on 24 July 2022

Any artist with a track titled MetaGoth#1 in their discography has my immediate perpetual attention; with their latest single, Rise, Lunar Paths went even heavier on the dark haunting beguile.

The layered and looped percussive patterns and eastern rhythms steadily inch you into the heart of the psychedelically tribalistic feat of ethereal indie, which laments the lack of soul in our era that makes mental resilience a necessity; lest you be swept away by the dystopian waves. Rise acts as an all too efficacious anchor, with its glimmers of hope in the shimmering echoes.

The transatlantic duo made the Bela Lugosi’s Dead of this era with Rise. It’s not the darkwave you’ve ridden the crux of before; it’s the ethereal Avant Garde sanctity we sorely need.

Rise is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chandler Poe shows us a sign of our world-weary times with his latest single, decay.

Posted on 27 December 2021

By starting with the resonant admission, “Every day I wake up and I’m already exhausted”, Chandler Poe’s latest single, decay, is a striking sign of our world-weary times. With the same artistic dejection shared by the likes of Arab Strap, John Grant and Jack Ladder paired with the blisters of soul that yearns for something sustaining and real, Chandler Poe taps into the collective loss of meaning to give us a tragically rare visceral emotion hit.

The Bukowski-style downbeat barfly lyrics become infinitely more powerful through Poe’s deep, gravelly vocal timbre that practically oozes sex appeal around the fiery beats and reverb-drenched keys. With more hits in the same vein as this, Chandler Poe has all it takes to become the next alt-indie icon.

Chandler Poe’s latest single, decay, is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alt indie newcomers 20-LD have unleashed their foreboding dark earworm, ‘Feel It Now’.

Posted on 21 May 2021

Alt-indie newcomers 20-LD have released yet another transfixing track onto the airwaves with the release of their latest single, ‘Feel It Now’. It comes with the same atmospheric chill as Joy Division, Covenant-style darkwave beats and static choppy guitar progressions that cut through the reverb that bleeds from the synth notes.

With a few psychotropic tones laced into the dark earworm under forebodingly magnetic vocals that will be a hit with any fans of the Editors, it’s safe to say that 20-LD’s sound holds as much distinction as it does commercial potential.

The optimism that rings through in the higher notes feels like the ultimate feat of defiance in this timely melancholic release that pulls sheer ingenuity out of the dark. We can’t wait to see where this lockdown-born artist takes their sound next.

Feel It Now is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast