This time the hint from the excellent Krzysztof from The Eastern European Synth & Post-Punk Community FB page is not about an icy and doom Eastern European band, but on the contrary a 5-piece directly from the muggy and sweaty Miami, South Florida called DONZII, name apparently inspired by an ‘Italian speedboat company called Donzi’ paired with their fondness for Italo-disco.
Aesthetically more similar to a 70s freakish funk-pop outfit than a make-up-heavy, black-dressed goth-style squadron, but as we perfectly know ‘clothes don’t make the man’, and maybe to not fit into certain reheated schemes, help the band’s distinctive dance-inducing brand of no-wave meets post-punk with a tropical-goth flair to be more creative and dynamic, moulded on an insanely dizzying blend of late 70s NYC’s ZE Records fervent melting pot of disco, funky and no-wave, early Clan of Xymox and Siouxsie and The Banshees haunting vocals and dismal guitar tones and the gripping rhythmic power of Italo disco and Roland TR-808-driven 80s/90s Miami bass-heavy sound.
Locally renowned for their cult performance art narrative and skilled musicianship, the collective is actually made of Jenna Balfe on vocals, Dennis Fuller on bass, Danny Heinze (an infamous goth OG formerly member of cult faves like Agony in the Garden and Life in Sodom) on guitar, Miles Hancock on keys and Monroe Getz on drums.
The band have just dropped their sophomore self-released 3-track EP“Gladugly” through L.A.-based Grey Market label, mixed, like the first one, by fellow eclectic producer and synthpop finest Jorge Elbrecht, with the ltd 12″ vinyl edition on pre-order via Bandcamp.
“Sand” deals with the love and obsession that take hold of a woman near summers end as a personal separation and hostile environment push her into the arms of oblivion.
Both unremitting and mechanical, energetic Italo-disco style kicks and bombastic snare drums propel the feverish groovy beat onward into the darkness in search of the eternal night, permeated by John McGeoch-esque ethereal glistening jangly guitar melodies and buzzing synth swells echoing an ominously commanding bassline that imperiously meanders and throbs along with hardened, misguided, defiant voice transfigured by sadness, regret and hopelessness, at last conducted by a sorrowful guitar lead whining away to the brink of abyss.
Keep up with Donzii:
