WL//WH Weekly Post-Punk // Darkwave // Dark Synth Tips

Weekly Post-Punk // Darkwave // Dark Synth Tips – JANUARY 2024 – #03-24

Many words have rightly been spent for this sorrowful weekend, therefore I don’t have much to add. Unfortunately, I have never had the pleasure of seeing SM live, nor writing about it. In a period in which I was mainly interested in electronic music, I almost compulsively bought his debut album which reinvigorated and updated post-punk sounds related to my early teen years and old vinyl, even if the term post-punk in his case was absolutely restrictive, indeed, it was made up of a multitude of facets, as much as the emotions it aroused were multiple and visceral, amid hallucinated, somehow esoteric, introspections, and sudden unbridled chaotic mood swings…. in short, the fuckin’ life, for better or for worse. Sit tibi terra levis, Luis.

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

US/French goth /post-punk /darkwave /coldwave collaboration, Perpetual Midnight & Villa Vide “Grey Churchstones” single

The long-distance collaboration between the forlorn gothic Californian crooner and the enigmatic French coldwaver could only be drenched in fog and pathos, stirring vivid daydreams weaved by throbbing and jolting resonant rhythmic patterns, wailing rippling bass lines, ethereal guitar strains, and twinkling sad keys, to surround vibrant angsty romantic vocals with the aching melancholy and eternal longing of a goodbye kiss.

Santiago, Chile darkwave /coldwave /post-punk duo Holograma “Obliteración” single

The Dreamy and Cold Post-Punk band from Chile return about a year and a half after their debut EP, as a duo and with a gripping doomy and angsty new single, “Obliteracion”, buzzing and bouncing with pain-fueled epic intensity through an urgent crisp and splashing drum programming, serpentine humming bassline and insistent swathes of sinister icy synth flares, whilst restless, melancholic vocals, pierced by high poignant swirls, remember the death of their inner flame at the hands of deceptive others.

Zürich, Switzerland post-punk /new wave /synth-pop solo project of Josip Tijan, aka THYMIAN “Sentimental” single via Young and Cold Records

The new romantic crooner from Switzerland breaks a long pause with an 80s-infused lush, yearning and melodic Wave-Pop, where Josip’s deeply emotional heartfelt baritones glide intensely over the swaying vibrant rhythms of a sonorous moody humming bassline, shimmering rippling guitar strums, and fluid synth overlays, urgently releasing angst about finding the purpose in life, while a poignant majestic saxophone bursts in, to tease outpourings of yesteryear cherished nostalgia.

Australian neo-folk act Sun Vessel “Mutinous Destiny” from the album “A Seed Fallen To Earth”
Detroit, MI one man Gothic Industrial music project, Morfiouz “Wish I Could Go Home” from the upcoming EP “Life Lies Bleeding”
Athens-based female Greek–Danish darkwave electronic music duo Venus Volcanism & In Atlas, aka V.V.I.A. “Over And Over” single
Brussels‘ post-punk /minimal dub wave solo project Giulio Erasmus “Collapsed, Speech” from “Second Attempt” album on Mangel (vinyl) and U-Bac (tape)
Nantes, France coldwave /new wave /synth-pop project, Prinzessin “In These Chains” from the album “Minimum Security” [TONN Recordings]
Liverpool, UK synthpop band LADYTRON “Destroy Everything You Touch (Vector Lovers Lost Version)” [Nettwerk]
Turin, Italy electro /wave /synth solo project Zoltan Freitag “Serial Products” single
Los Angeles‘ darkwave /synth-punk project of the singer of Secret Mutilator, Darrack Des Roche, Walls Of Poland “Two Time Loser” from “Code – Card” album
Paris-based post-punk /coldwave duo Total Resistance – “Aussi belle qu’une balle” (Taxi Girl cover, 1980)
Transatlantic goth /darkwave /post-punk music duo Lunar Paths “Halo” new single
London-based French post-punk duo Zeropolis “Genetic Jail” single via AnalogueTrash
Berlin-based Grunge /Goth /Synth Wave /Post-Punk band William Bleak “Gegen die Wand” single
Prato, Italy synth wave /post-punk band Tanks And Tears “Darkside” first single from the upcoming album “Timeawave”, via SwissDarkNights Label
Colombian ambient /industrial /techno /minimal synth /dark wave solo project of Juan Camilo Betancur AKA Ofelia Ortodoxa “Murmures mortels ma lame (ft. Valanaïs)” from the cassette album “Basics For Sadness” [Dystatik]
Moscow-based EBM /avant-garde dark wave duo of producer Disco Morato and singer Varvara Pavlovna, Disco Morato & Varvara Pavlovna “Princess” from “Hate Epoque” EP [Maxima Culpa]
Malmö, Sweden enigmatic darkwave trio ABU NEIN “City of Dust” charity single via Progress Productions
Austria synth-pop /darkwave solo project Violence against Man “The Beautiful Death” title track of the third album “The Beautiful Death”
New York EBM /dub /industrial /techno /darkwave /dark electronic project of Reza Seirafi, aka Vexillary “The Smoke” from the third album “Horror in Dub” [con:trace]
Olympia, WA-based EBM /punk /electro-industrial noise /dark electronics artist (aka Dark Tyme), Harsh R “I Won’t Wait” title track of the EP “I WON’T WAIT”
French EBM /dark electro /synth-punk /coldwave band led by Timothée Gainet from Lyon, POISON POINT – “Mysteries In Fire” from the upcoming album “Wandering Echoes” on AVANT! Records
Los Angeles-based EBM /industrial /techno /darkwave /dark electronics project of Toronto‘s Cam Findlay, aka Kontravoid “For What It Is” from the upcoming album “Detachment”
Los Angeles-based industrial /goth /EBM /techno /synth-pop /analog dark electronic duo of Rosselinni and Anton Floriano (1/2 of Black Light Odyssey), Die Sexual “Fate Awaits (Maduro Remix)” from the remix EP “Remixes Vol. I”
Brooklyn, NY-based techno /industrial /EBM /synthwave artist Madeline Seely AKA Nuxx Vomica “FTEV (Confines Remix)” [Synthicide]
Spanish EBM /Cyberpunk /Synthwave /Darksynth /Electronic music producer Nightcrawler “Course Navette” single
Greek cyberpunk /EBM /dark electronics /analogue synth project of Toxic Razor (Beatbox Machinery, Eerie Sopor, Paradox Obscur), METAL DISCO “Hellion Reaper” title track from the upcoming LP “Hellion Reaper”
Tampa, FL goth /darkwave /synthwave solo act The Night Office “Midnight Stalker” single
Darkwave /Coldwave duo from Colombia, Antiflvx “Vampire Empire” (Two Witches cover)
UK Synthpop Post-punk band from the Isle Of Man, Mark E Moon “Stay” from the upcoming LP “RESIST” [COLD TRANSMISSION MUSIC]
Santa Ana, CA psychedelic gothic rock band Frozen Charlottes “Blood Knot (Junkies Need Fun Too)” from the upcoming LP “Post Apocalypse” on Lily Of Eire Records
Baltimore, MD electronic /synth-pop /darkwave project of artist-producer Samuel Morgan, aka VACANT WINDOWS “Habits” new single
Manchester, UK post-punk /avant pop /darkwave /electro goth female producer, Still Forever – “Erasmus” single on Valentine Records
Raleigh, North Carolina six-piece gothic /art rock /post-punk /indie rock band Black Bouquet “Prom” single
Suffolk, Virginia new wave /post-punk /synth wave project of James K Ultra, PAIN IN THE YEAHS “Petrified” title track of the EP “Petrified”
Brussels-based goth pop duo Lovelorn Dolls “Beautiful Chaos” from “Beautiful Chaos” EP via Spleen+
Kazakhstan post-punk /darkwave solo act moonvampire “The Perfect Girl” (The Cure cover)
Spanish post-punk /darkwave collaboration Ingreso Cadáver & Urco “Cielos de cemento” (Ingreso Cadáver reconstructs the original theme by Urco)
Bonn, Germany dark wave /synth-pop /dark synth music act Blitzfeuer “Kissing The Concrete” from the LP “LUCID SKY, FROZEN GROUND”
Moncton, Canada-based Doom Metal /Gothic Rock solo project of Jason Schatsle (aka Wardruid), Gothnetic – “Dance The Night Away” single
Austin, TX gothic rock band Sinclair Noire “Vampire Drowns” single
Los Angeles‘ Deathrock /Post-Punk /Dark Punk band The Wraith “Only Shadows Remain” second single from The Wraith’s upcoming new album “Ghost March”
Russian goth /coldwave /post-punk band from Smolensk, горемыка [goremyka] “Дом с серебрянной крышей” from “Всадник” EP
Japanese metal punk /goth-wave /post-punk /post-punk /darkwave band from Tokyo, Sex Virgin Killer “Bright Nightmare (ver. Dance in Gloomy Lights)” from upcoming “Heaven” EP
German post-punk /indiewave /postwave solo project, A Transition “Dark Ambitions & Bright Lights (feat. Gina)” off V/A “A Helping Hand” charity compilation [NOT for the masses]
Bay Area shoegaze /coldwave /post-punk band Topographies “Chain Of Days” 2nd single from upcoming LP “Interior Spring” via Dark Entries.
Berlin-based coldwave /post-punk quartet AUS “Zugvögel” from “Der Schöne Schein” EP on Static Age Musik
Antwerp, Belgian indie rock /post-punk trio Disorientations – “Not Here” 2nd single from the upcoming new album “Lost Today” on [PIAS] Recordings
Cult late 70s/early 80s Belgian post-punk /new wave band THE NAMES “Far From The Factories” new 2-track single via Spleen +
İstanbul, Türkiye post-punk /darkwave duo Tuzla “Değerli” from the “BÜYÜK DUYGULAR” EP
Smolensk, Russia coldwave /synthpop project from the vocalist of post-punk band Goremyka, ОТМЫЧКА [Otmichka] feat. Gorodki “конкурент” single
Brussels, Belgium romantic post-punk band Factheory – “Waves” from the upcoming album “Serenity in Chaos”
Denver, CO gothic rock /dark pop duo DEAD⅋DELICIOUS “Marina” single
Post-punk /Darkwave /Synthwave project, Erich Zann’s Excess “Out Of Reach” (Single)
Toronto, ON shoegaze /new wave /post-punk duo StillWaves “I’m Haunted” from upcoming debut LP “Undiagnosed” via Safe Sounds
Los Angeles‘ post-punk /electro-synth-punk band BITE MARX “Dystopia Now!” from the 2-track single “Dystopia Now! / Proximity Fuse”
Los Angeles-based psychedelic post-punk band led by Noel Skum (aka Andrew Clinco of Drab Majesty), aka VR SEX – “Real Doll Time” from the third album, ”Hard Copy” on Dais Records
Cincinnati, OH industrial /coldwave /post-punks Corker “Distant Dawn” single on Feel It Records
Washington, D.C. post-punk /art-punk trio Sensor Ghost “Psychic Robots” from “3 Songs” 3-song 7″ EP split release record on Dischord/Lovitt Records
Billiam, Australia egg-punk /synth-punk solo act Billiam “Maximum/Max Out” from “Billiam // REVV” Split 7″ EP soon on Goodbye Boozy
Leipzig, German punk /noise rock outfit Abrichten “Dosenbier” from the third cassette album “—” via U-Bac and rds rec hh
Bielefeld, German punk /post-punk trio Dead Years “Just Then” from the 2-track single “Pictures Of My Death / Just Then”
London, UK goth-stoner-doom-gaze post-punk female-fronted band Cold In Berlin “Found Out” from “The Body Is The Wound” E.P. on New Heavy Sounds
London-based low-fi /synthpop /dungeon synth artist Paige Oztas, aka Elenwen “Elven Castle” from the upcoming cassette album “Dreaming of Knights” via Lost Wisdom
US Lo-Fi Dark Dungeon Synth act Fanged Imp “Celestial Dew” off the album “The Lands Between” [Wallachian Opulence Productions]
Sweden dark ambient /darkwave /drone /dungeon synth act Ghoëst “In Eternal Sleep (Part I)” from “In Eternal Sleep” [Dark Dungeon Doom Productions]
US dark ambient /dungeon synth act Lone Sentinel “Acceptance of My Grief” from the album “Yet I Remain” [Hammer & Flail Recordings]