As TR/ST soared past a flurry of global tours and relocated to the picturesque Los Angeles, the project transcended its original identity, becoming an institution in dark dance music. Alfons added ‘Joyland’ (2014) and the formidable ‘The Destroyer Parts 1 & 2’ (2019) to his repertoire, riding the waves of the music industry with a masterful touch.

Now, in a significant move, TR/ST has joined forces with Dais Records. Marking this partnership is the release of the dynamic single “Robrash,” a much-awaited treat for fans since his last release in 2019. This track is an electronic odyssey, with buzzing synth basslines and mechanized vocals, crowned by a hook that lingers long after the music stops.

Blare this anthem loud.

Co-produced with the enigmatic Nightfeelings and mixed by the legendary Nick Launay, Robrash points to TR/ST’s electrifying future in 2024. Available now, along with its instrumental version, it’s a hint of the exciting, heart-pounding tunes ahead. The TR/ST journey is embarking on a new sonic chapter, and it’s not to be missed.

Catch TR/ST at Cruel World Festival on May 11 in Pasadena.

Follow TR/ST:

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New York’s Bootblacks has remained a prominent force on the scene, dating back to their inception in 2010. This year has proven a busy one, including a triumphant return to the stage and and a lineup shift marking a new era for the band. Hot off the heels of their successful tour with Twin Tribes, the band has planted seeds for their anxiously awaited fifth LP, Paradise, due out on Artoffact Records in 2024. The LP will be their first as a trio, with vocalist Panther Almqvist and synth player/programmer Barrett Hiatt joined by Kalle Falleberg, formerly of German post-punk favorites Liste Noire. We’re honored to premiere the second single from Paradise, titled “Wilderness.” Listen below:

“Wilderness” begins with swirling, ominous synth tones before giving way to a shuffling electronic beat and throbbing synth bass. Almqvist quickly delivers the opening lyric and immediately, the track opens up with driving synth melody courtesy of Hiatt that would make Depeche Mode stalwart Alan Wilder stop dead in his tracks. Newcomer Kalle Falleberg’s descending guitar lines, which recall Bowie sideman Carlos Alomar’s rhythm-based licks, are sprinkled throughout the track, which also incorporates a series of spoken word and falsetto passages from Almqvist. Whereas previous Bootblacks material has always featured deep electronic flourishes among a post-punk bedrock, “Wilderness” (and previous single “Forbidden Flames“) mark a welcome shift to a more synth pop-enriched sound, aided in part by producer Xavier Paradis (Automelodi). As such, “Wilderness” is ripe for the dancefloor, yet retains the band’s trademark penchant for top-shelf songwriting. Shades of Technique-era New Order, Duran Duran’s eponymous 1993 LP, and the aforementioned Depeche Mode run deep through the track, these touchstones launching the band into full electro-bliss. Frankly, we’re here for it.

Almqvist offers a bit of insight to the band’s new direction:

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The song “is a desperately ambivalent plea for self-improvement, pictured as a wicked garden watered by our darker aspects, overgrown and paradoxically attractive or repellent,” says Page. And those “darker aspects” are deeply felt in “(These) Sickly Flowers”—swimming in unfulfilment and longing, the song would fit alongside the likes of  4AD’s classic catalog, The Cult‘s more sultry work or Gene Love’s Jezebel‘s most epic.

Listen below:

“(These) Sickly Flowers” is the a-side to The Victoriana’s new 7″ vinyl release out via Dream Recordings today. The release is a follow up to the 2018 LP, Fleetingly, But Completely—a Sylvian-esque, dazzling take on new post-punk music.

Buy the 7″ here.

Follow The Victoriana and Dream Recordings on IG.

The post The Victoriana Glimmers in the Dark With “(These) Sickly Flowers” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

As an homage to their early influences such as The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Placebo and Interpol, the duo of 5imulator reassemble goth and synthpop styles into their own unique concoction with the announcement of their first single, “iLie.” Leo Luganskiy (FOiRMODA, Stranglelove: Depeche Mode Tribute) and Franko Carino’s collaboration revels in a silky, sensual darkness—”iLie” is an immaculately produced tale of lust and deception.

Luganskiy’s distinct baritone vocals grip and tantalize as he sings about the throes of desire and risky clandestine activities… two things that often go hand in hand. “I’ve overdosed on you and that’s a price I pay for not resisting,” he admits. “I should have walked away.” As most of us have at one time or another, he gives into temptation—if only for a moment—and becomes drawn to the danger of the situation. He’s now a slave to a forbidden love, caught in the mangled web he’s created for himself.

The song holds a chilliness that is reminiscent of Chino Moreno’s vocal output with The Deftones, but also blends a sultry melancholy that reflects 2000s-era Depeche Mode with dance-oriented electronics. However, its sound reflects contemporary artists such as Vandal Moon or Vowws with its gloomy sensibilities and colossal chorus that is not only catchy, but addicting. 5imulator adds to the darker side of dance with a sincerity few have achieved.

Listen to a clip of “iLie” below before its Halloween release on October 31st.

Follow 5imulator and Leo Luganskiy on IG for updates.

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From the musical maestros that gave us hits after hits, Duran Duran steps into the dark and invites us to their latest haunting musical soiree: “Danse Macabre.”

Hinted with a dash of mystery earlier this month, Danse Macabre is the title track of the illustrious Rock And Roll Hall of Famers’ forthcoming Halloween-themed 16th studio album, hitting the shelves on October 27th courtesy of Tape Modern/BMG.

Duran Duran’s latest chapter is a nostalgic one, as they reconnect with their past by collaborating with former guitarists Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo. Sadly, Taylor has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Cuccurullo performs on the title track. The iconic ’80s ensemble also reunites with some familiar faces, including Mr. Hudson from their “Paper Gods” project, bass legend Nile Rodgers, and the lively Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin.

The song Danse Macabre is a ghoulish gala, opening with Simon LeBon full-on rapping his way through a series of candy corn-sweet hooks about a grim gathering. The song “celebrates the joy and madness of Halloween,” says founding band member and keyboardist Nick Rhodes. The idea for the album, he continues, was born out of their Las Vegas Halloween show. “We had decided to seize the moment to create a unique, special event…the temptation of using glorious gothic visuals set to a dark soundtrack of horror and humor was simply irresistible….That evening inspired us to explore further and to make an album, using Halloween as the key theme. The record metamorphosed through a pure, organic process, and not only was it made faster than anything since our debut album, it has also resulted in something none of us could have ever predicted.”

Listen to the new single “Danse Macabre” below:

Duran Duran’s latest album, Danse Macabre, features three new songs, as well as revamped old favorites and covers that recall the band last year’s Halloween festivities. Among the fresh tracks are “Black Moonlight” and “Confession of an Afterlife,” in addition to the title track. The band also takes on some classics, including Siouxsie and the Banshees’ hypnotic “Spellbound,” The Specials’ haunting “Ghost Town,” the moody “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones, Talking Heads’ unnerving “Psycho Killer,” and Billie Eilish’s “Bury a Friend.”

Duran Duran has added a modern feel to some classic songs on their album. These include the eerie “Night Boat” from 1981, the mysterious B-side “Secret Oktober” from 1983, and the seductive “Love Voodoo.” They also put a fun spin on things with “Super Lonely Freak,” which blends their 1983 hit “Lonely in Your Nightmare” with Rick James’ “Super Freak.”

“Dance Macabre” follows a whirlwind of events for Duran Duran, starting with their induction into the Rock Hall in 2022 in Los Angeles. During the ceremony, Andy Taylor revealed his battle with cancer, but the band continued to shine in the spotlight. They performed at London’s Hyde Park, dazzled at Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee soirée at Buckingham Palace, and brought their magic to the Commonwealth Games’ opener in their hometown of Birmingham. Their North American tour was just as impressive, with sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, three nights under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl, and a fundraiser for Cancer Awareness at The Guild Theatre on August 19.

Danse Macabre is due out on October 27th.

Pre-order through the band’s website.

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Thus, the second single from the Kris Baha and Ghosts In The Machine collaboration is titled “Flesh & Code.” The track’s fast-paced tempo recalls a machine booting up—loading its millions of files at hyper speed—while the vocals itself almost feel mechanical. The warmth of a human is nearly absent and it asks the question: what is real? “Metaphorically, the track represents the desire to break free from societal constructs, experiencing alienation, doubts and glitches that plague one’s existence,” writes Baha. “It conveys a sense of not belonging and the search for a place where one truly belongs.”

“Flesh & Codes”‘s drum and bass influences—a clear nod to 90s club genres—create a tension with razor sharp synth saws and tinny accents. The single lies in the lineage of Billy Idol’s boundary pushing Cyberpunk album while, simultaneously, would fit firmly within the soundtracks of  Johnny Mnemonic or Lawnmower Man.

Listen below:

The album will be released on Fleisch Records later this year.

Follow Ghosts In the Machine and Kris Baha on IG.

The post Kris Baha and Ghosts In The Machine Tap Into a Cyberpunk Dystopia with “Flesh & Code” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Check the video out below:

Void Vision’s “Little Visions” mix transforms the track from its original four-on-the-floor club anthem into a much sleazier, late night affair, complete with slower, syrupy tempos and bending, throbbing synth bass. Void Vision’s infectious sense of melody and dark electronic sensibilities are a perfect compliment to The Model’s already sharp, powerful take on electro pop . The video itself is a collaboration experimental Brazilian digital artist Strangepeo, tapping into The Model’s ongoing drive to explore other realms of the technical landscape, including AI, virtual reality, and more. As such, the video is a feast for the senses – a surreal, futuristic, and colorful take on the imagined life of a 3D catwalk model.

This remix, as well as others, can be found on The Model’s Bandcamp page, alongside a reissue of 2008’s sophomore release Physical. Check out the full remix EP below:

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RE/GENERATION, a new project featuring the formidable talents of new romantic musician Peter Godwin (known for his work in Metro and as a club staple synth pop solo artist) and Rosegarden Funeral Party’s Leah Lane, have been teasing a new project for quite some time. Since their initial, unexpected collaboration together on Rosegarden Funeral Party’s TAKE COVER project, the duo have been working together on a series of new tracks that tap into their shared musical aesthetics. With that in mind, we’re honored to feature the video for “Beautiful Boy.” Watch below:

“Beautiful Boy” is the first taste of the duo’s new LP Now and Forever, due out later this year. The song is a haunting affair, featuring moody bursts of slide guitar and focusing heavily on the subtle interplay between Godwin and Lane’s vocals, which blend together perfectly over the course of the five minute track. Mills Chaike and Dean Adams from Texas-based art pop band Lorelei K flesh out the track on guitars, synths, bass, and percussion, which help bring the duo’s new romantic dreams to life.  Touches of Godwin’s trailblazing work in Metro can be heard throughout, as the outfit’s post-glam edge always centered around deep, subversive tension that’s equally on display here. Lane’s chilling spoken-word delivery near the end of the song also channels Rosegarden Funeral Party’s passion and similarly taps into the unsettling ethereality of 10cc’s “I’m Not In Love.”

The video, created by Lane, Godwin, and Claudio Citarella, reflects the track’s melancholy. Shot in Nice, France, the duo can be seen strolling through city streets, engaging with each other in a series of beautifully reflective moments. It’s a perfect compliment to the song’s wistful atmosphere.

The “Beautiful Boy” single, released today, also features a cover of David Bowie’s stunning “Absolute Beginners,” from the film and soundtrack of the same name, which brings Godwin’s story full circle, as Bowie famously covered Metro’s first single “Criminal World” for Let’s Dance in 1983. RE/GENERATION’s cover is a joyous take on the original track, featuring every glorious minute of the original 12” mix. Every saxophone squall is intact, with Lane and Godwin trading verses and showcasing their vocal dynamics, soaring to epic heights together as the track comes to its natural percussive conclusion.

This isn’t the first Bowie cover that Lane has recorded, nor the first from his underrated 80s oeuvre. Fans of Rosegarden Funeral Party’s TAKE COVER project may recall blistering renditions of Tonight opening track “Loving the Alien” and Never Let Me Down centerpiece “Glass Spider” (two of my personal favorites from this often unfairly derided era). Meanwhile, Godwin shared his memories and experiences with Bowie and explains how much the late singer’s work has meant to him over the years.

I only met Bowie once. I was introduced to him by Bianca Jagger at The Embassy night club in London in 1977, just weeks before my band Metro’s debut single “Criminal World” was released. David asked what I did in life and I replied more or less the same as him, only I was just starting out and I told him about Metro and our first single and album. Six year’s later, I was walking down the street in Chelsea and my friend Rusty Egan from Visage (and co-host of Bowie nights at the Blitz night club) told me that he’d just seen that Bowie had covered “Criminal World” on his new album Let’s Dance!!! Well, I thought he was joking. He’d read it in the paper. Of course, it was true and I always wondered if there was a connection with out meeting years before. He was interviewed on the BBC and asked about my “Criminal World” and he replied that he’d bought the album and loved several tracks on it, but had decided to cover his favourite Metro track.

I never approached him about it, even though I saw him backstage a couple of times in the distance. I was always a fan and so blown away that he liked something of mine. So Absolute Beginners is a way of saying a very belated thank you to David all these years later and also it’s an homage from Leah and I to one of the greatest artists and influences of all time. 

The “Beautiful Boy” single is available today on major streaming services, and also includes a radio edit of “Absolute Beginners.”

Photos by Leah Lane

The post RE/GENERATION, Featuring Peter Godwin and Leah Lane, Rekindle the New Romantic Dream in “Beautiful Boy” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Post-punkers Thus Love have released a rousing self-empowerment anthem: a swaggering glam-punk number called “Put On Dog” (via Captured Tracks). Taking strong cues from The Damned, the New York Dolls, and Pixies, this raucous trio of trans artists (Echo Mars, Lu Racine, and Nathaniel van Osdol) hail from the small hamlet of Brattleboro, Vermont. The fiery track is a frenzy of guitars; snarled, sexy vocals, and joyful confidence. Putting your own stamp on your personal style and carry it with flair, is the message, and we are loving it.

“In 2023 self expression is still a challenge,” says the band. “In the 1920s, ‘Put on the Dog’ was a term coined to express putting on your finery and dressing to the nines. From the old twenties to new twenties, we’re bringing it back, but for the gays this time.” Glory hallelujah!

The video, directed by Min Soo Park, is a delightful romp through NYC: a wonderful BDSM-flavoured satire of the 1% taking their designer pooches for a stroll, as a gimp-masked canine sub is paraded through lower Manhattan on a leash by a blue-haired socialite, whipping around corners for frenzied make-out sessions and guitar breakdowns à la New Rose.  The spectacle is certainly intriguing someone mysterious – where will these dreamers end up? Why, a Brooklyn bacchanal at Alphaville, of course!

Go on an outing with these hot rockers below:

Van Osdol describes the music of THUS LOVE, their friendship, and their tight-knit artist community in Brattleboro as an ‘ever-changing organism.’

“I think vulnerability changes. We’re just relearning, and we’re growing together. We’re reacting to what happens, and to other changes that are happening in our lives and in our personalities.” The band hopes they can play a role of inspiration for young misfits searching for kindred spirits.

“It’s the role of the artist – especially as a performer – to bring that vulnerability, that care for each other and that honesty,” adds Marshall. “Displaying that for people gives people power; it makes them feel seen, it motivates them, it makes them feel good, and it makes them feel like they can do stuff themselves.”

You can stream and purchase “Put On Dog” here:

In February, THUS LOVE will be zipping across the pond to the UK to support Dry Cleaning and Dehd on tour. They’ll return to their homeland to perform at NYC’s New Colossus Festival in March. For more information, check out the tour dates below.

Follow Thus Love:

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THUS LOVE – 2023 TOUR DATES

• 01.21.23 – The Stone Church – Brattleboro, VT (with support from Lahnah, Prune)
• 01.22.23 – The Stone Church – Brattleboro, VT (with support from Carinae, Tilden)
• 1.31.23 – Future Yard – Birkenhead, UK (Independent Venue Week)
• 02.01.23 – Yes (Basement) – Manchester, UK (Independent Venue Week) – SOLD OUT
• 02.02.23 – Sebright Arms – London, UK (Independent Venue Week – Matt Wilkinson Night) – SOLD OUT
• 02.04.23 – Komedia Studio – Brighton, UK (Independent Venue Week) – SOLD OUT
• 02.05.23 – Strange Brew – Bristol, UK (Independent Venue Week) – SOLD OUT
• 02.08.23 – Merleyn – Nijmegen, NL
• 02.09.23 – Toekomstmuziek – Amsterdam, NL
• 02.10.23 – Grauzone Festival – The Hague, NL
• 02.11.23 – Supersonic – Paris, FR (free show)
• 02.14.23 – Vicar Street – Dublin, IE (supporting Dehd, Dry Cleaning)
• 02.15.23 – Mandela Hall – Belfast, GB (supporting Dehd, Dry Cleaning)
• 02.17.23 – Barrowlands – Glasgow, GB (supporting Dehd, Dry Cleaning)
• 02.18.23 – Stylus – Leeds, GB (supporting Dehd, Dry Cleaning)
• 02.20.23 – Invisible Wind Factory – Liverpool, GB (supporting Dehd, Dry Cleaning)
• 02.21.23 – Rock City – Nottingham, GB (supporting Dehd, Dry Cleaning)
• 02.22.23 – O2 Academy – Sheffield, GB (supporting Dehd, Dry Cleaning)
• 02.24.23 – Albert Hall – Manchester, GB (supporting Dehd, Dry Cleaning)
• 02.25.23 – O2 Institute – Birmingham, GB (supporting Dehd, Dry Cleaning)
• 02.26.23 – O2 Academy – Bristol, GB (supporting Dehd, Dry Cleaning)
• 02.28.23 – The Tramshed – Cardiff, GB (supporting Dehd, Dry Cleaning)
• 03.01.23 – Chalk – Brighton, GB (supporting Dehd, Dry Cleaning) – SOLD OUT
• 03.03.23 – The Roundhouse – London, GB (supporting Dehd, Dry Cleaning)
• 03.04.23 – The Windmill – London, UK
• 03.9.23 – 3.13.23 – The New Colossus Festival – NYC, NY

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The Bellwether Syndicate has returned from the underworld with a brand new single: “Beacons”, the second from their upcoming Vestige & Vigil album (due this April via Nexilis Records/Schubert Music Europe/Sett Records). The Chicago post-punk outfit is on fire, debuting at #4 in the DAC/German Alternative Charts.

Setting the course in their virtual zeppelin floating over the twinkling lights of the Second City, ‘Beacons’ exerts a nautical feel in both tone and verse for this ode to gratitude. The ‘set adrift’ narrative is supported by the band’s expansive signature guitars and distress-signal bass and synth. Finally, the full-steam-ahead chorus, with chiming, glorious guitars, chase the pulsing beat and William Faith’s booming croons right back to the mainland.

The DIY video clip, directed by William Faith and his purple-haired partner in crime Sarah Rose Faith, shows the band in limbo, serenading various cityscapes from the ether. Philly Peroxide (keyboards, percussion) and Stevyn Grey(drums) andCorey Gorey (guitars) are there too, on this merry goth crew, heading east of the sun, west of the moon, to the frigid shores of Lake Michigan.

“Beacons’ is simply a love song to our family: our people — our fans,” says William Faith. “We’d be truly lost at sea without them, and every time we get ready to play a live gig, they really are the beacons that guide us home, to that moment where we’re together in a safe harbor and everything is possible. That moment is everything to us, and it’s what we live for.”

Earlier, the band released the lead track ‘Dystopian Mirror’, which reached #11 in the German Alternative Charts (DAC). This glam-noir single wields a relentless assault of hard-edged guitars, buzzsaw synths and tribal beats set the stage for a guided tour through the realm of the unwell, spat out with sardonic conviction by the voices in your head.

Six years in the making, the ‘Vestige & Vigil’ LP was produced by William Faith, whose credits include Jarboe, Clan of Xymox, Bootblacks and Autumn, and Chad Blinman (Face To Face, Faith and The Muse, Jarboe). Recorded by William Faith at 13 Studio in Chicago, it was mixed by Blinman at The Eye Socket. This album comes 9 years after debuting with ‘The Night Watch’ EP and four years since their latest single, ‘Republik’.

William Faith is a former member of seminal goth acts Christian Death, Mephisto Waltz and Shadow Project; and also co-founder of Faith & The Muse. In 2010, he moved from his native Los Angeles to Chicago to form The Bellwether Syndicate with his wife, Sarah Rose Faith, a.k.a. Scary Lady Sarah. An underground legend in her own right, Sarah has been one of the scene’s most eminent DJs and club promoters for decades. She hosts Nocturna, the longest-running goth event in North America, which takes place at Metro in Chicago. Apart from forming the nucleus of The Bellwether Syndicate, the two often DJ together as The Pirate Twins.

Beacon is now available on all digital outlets, including Apple Music, Spotify, and Bandcamp.

Listen below:

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